Is “Chemistry” really a thing in Sports?
Or is it just a happy coincidence?
One of the first things you will hear from any sports professional after winning a major championship is the following;
“We had great chemistry in the clubhouse” …….
However, is “chemistry” in sports really a thing? This is one theory that cannot be measured by any “geek-squad saber metrics super genius”. This is like trying to prove that human consciousness exists? No scientist has been able to prove the concept of human consciousness yet we know it exists because we could not function without it. Human consciousness is what separates us from the animal kingdom (among the obvious).
ABSTRACT PAINTINGS
Statistically stitching together a roster of complementary players and their counterparts according to the new world of “analytics” has overtaken the sports world (especially baseball). Author Bill James began this phenomenon in 1977 with his self published books “Baseball Abstracts” which took on an area of analyzing baseball from a whole different perspective. For instance, in 1978 Reggie Jackson, the New York Yankees power hitting outfielder, hit fourth in a lineup of “Table Setters” and “Speedsters” with the idea that he would drive in the players ahead of him with most likely a home run. Today, Aaron Judge the present day New York Yankees power hitting outfielder hits second. The idea behind having your most productive hitter in the top of the lineup is that they will have more at-bats through nine innings then someone who hits fourth with more of an opportunity to drive in runs. On the other side of the coin, the starting pitching role and been devalued. The saber metrics data tells us that a starting pitcher gives up more runs roughly three times through a lineup. Therefore, the counteraction to this move is to have your high-on-base percentage power hitting bat in the second position where he will see more of the same pitcher and his given sequence of pitches giving the highly productive hitter more of an opportunity to dominate them. Don’t even get me started on the concept of “openers” versus “starting pitchers” introduced to us by the Tampa Bay Rays. This feeds into the theory of three times through the lineup the pitcher increases his chances of giving up runs (high ERA).
OPEN SEASON
The “opener” was born out of necessity when cash-strapped Tampa Bay Rays were short on starting pitching due to injures and loss of players to free-agency. The “Opener” concept allows one of their relief pitchers to open the game and pitch roughly one or two innings giving way to another pitcher who comes in for slightly longer. Therefore, the batter only bats against a pitcher during the throwers saber metrically strongest innings at their highest velocity. Although it sounds as if I am resistant to all of this numbers speak especially in the modern era of analytics and “Money Ball” I have learned to embrace most of it and understand that numbers don’t lie to a certain extent. I just get cranky about it sometimes. I am mad that the saber metric happy general managers have devalued stealing bases and bunting as well. I still believe speed kills a team and disrupts the pitcher and the infield who are in constant state of chaos when a fast runner threatens to run. But who am I?
The “Baseball Abstracts” books paved the way to a new generation of young smart analytical scholars. These are people who never walked onto a field or court or had any interest in playing a sport and placed them squarely behind the dugout steps with their laptops calculating the latest analytics in a constantly fluid game like baseball. Thus, born was the website, “Baseball Prospectus”, the newest generation of analytic scholars which takes the Bill James thought process and devotes it to the saber metric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well as player and team performance projections on the site. Since 1996 the BP staff has also published a Baseball Prospectus annual as well as several other books devoted to baseball analysis and history.
Baseball Prospectus has originated several popular new statistical tools that have become hallmarks of baseball analysis. Baseball Prospectus is accredited by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Four of Baseball Prospectus’s current regular writers are members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and thus eligible to vote for nominees for Major League Baseball’s post-season awards and the Baseball Hall of Fame.[1]
The question than begs to be answered;
“With all the statistical analysis and maneuvering of lineups according to numbers rather than gut, how important is chemistry among players in order to win?”.
If we can construct a baseball lineup based on numbers is it equally important that everyone gets along? History might say “Yes and No” with perhaps a slight adjustment to one of the negative key elements (see the 1978 Yankees). Saber metrics have down-graded the role of the old-school manager who were usually the gruff high-priced voice of the clubhouse and had an instinctive philosophy of managing by feel rather then by the numbers. Ironically, the saber metric managers of today are front office malleable and are fed multiple plan scenarios to manage the game with limited areas to use instinct. Most of all the saber metric manager must be likable, approachable, teachers who care about the players feelings instead of utilizing “tough love” to teach the game of baseball .
“THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL”
A.J. Hinch manager of the Houston Astros was the first of these types of managers to win the World Series and because he was compared to Joe Girardi of the New York Yankees, whom he beat in the 2017 ALDS. Hinch’s style of managing and demeanor is now the stamp of the saber metrics world. Kevin Cash of Tampa Bay Rays followed in 2014 replacing fan favorite tough- tongued Joe Madden. Cash followed through with the new wave manager mold of low-pay, personality fluid metrics savoy gate keeper. Aaron Boone replaced militant styled Joe Girardi even after Joe managed the Yankees for ten years without a losing season and a World Series win in 2009. The Yankees felt that their new crop of young players needed to move forward with the less ridged Girardi in order to fit the new mold of winning.
‘CASH’ AND CARRY
There was no worse cesspool of hatred surrounding a baseball team then the 1978 New York Yankees. The in-fighting among management and players was so intense that the probability of winning a World Series was seemingly impossible. In fact, at one point the Yankees were 14 1/2 games out of first place in August when one of the negative elements was removed (Manager Billy Martin resigned) and a calmer more easy-going manager Bob Lemon was hired. Up to that point their star outfielder Reggie Jackson was hated by his own players for making big free-agent money and coming to their veteran loaded team and deemed as the “final” piece to win a World Series. Ironically, the year before when Reggie arrived as a free-agent the Yankees did win the 1977 World Series. From the start, Reggie was also disliked by his manager Billy Martin because Reggie had not been Martin’s choice to bring in as a free-agent the year before. Owner George Steinbrenner overruled him and therefore did not sit-well with the often cranky Martin who felt George was showing favoritism with Reggie against the rest of Martin’s team. The pressure cooker needed to explode at some point.
BUCKY ‘FRIGGIN’ DENT
When Martin resigned as manager of the New York Yankees on July 24, 1978 it was due to the mounting pressure of all the fighting and losing games. The layed-back Bob Lemon replaced Martin changing a key part of the negative source. By mid-August the Yankees began their monumental come back from 14 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox to tie them for first place on the last day of the season. This set the stage for a classic one game play-off at Fenway Park where we all know shortstop Bucky Dent did the unthinkable. The light-hitting infielder hit a three-run home run to put the Yankees ahead and in position to win the ballgame eventually the final score being 5 to 4. The Yankees would then go on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series for their second straight championship.
THE BRONX ZOO
What was it about the 1978 Yankees where you had groups of players and management that disliked each yet they were able to eventually win a championship after 163 games (162 plus the one game playoff)? Part of their success was their ability to rally around a new leader in Bob Lemon who set the example of calm and easiness. Thus, pulling together as a team that had been divided among each other in order to succeed on the baseball field. Uneven facets of “Chemistry” (positive and negative) were swirling around the 1978 team and became the fuel to drive a winning spirit. Therefore, perhaps the question has changed;
“Do you have to have one type of chemistry flow (either positive or negative) around a sports team in order to win a championship? Or, can you have both?”
‘HARPER’ BIZARRE
The answer to the above question is; you can probably have both positive and negative chemistry flow throughout an entire season as long as there are stretches of both. In other words, more negative then positive for a long period of time will erode a team and prevent the team from excelling to their highest ability. Or, you can have one player, say a high priced free-agent with negative energy due to an immense ego who is self goal oriented which can prevent a team from battling at it’s highest potential. Bryce Harper when he was with the Washington Nationals and Terrell Owens when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles you could make a case were strong-negative personalities with tremendous talent. Their personalities created a negative culture that eventually prevented their respective teams from reaching their highest potential. The proverbial;“I am God and you will fail without me” mentality wears down a team’s energy rather than making those players around them better. Harper now with the Philadelphia Phillies and Terrell Owens now retired never brought their teams to a Championship. Harper has many years to prove this theory wrong. However, as of 2019 the Washington Nationals have reached their highest point in their play-off run since Harper left the previous year. The Nationals are currently battling to get into the 2019 World Series in the National League Divisional Series, a place they were never at when Harper was part of the team. To be fair, the Eagles won the Superbowl several years after Owens retired under a new roster of players and new management. However, as talented as Terrell was he never elevated his team to a championship but brought plenty of controversy. Where do you think the “Next Question” tag line came from?
Super Agent Drew Rosenhaus represented Terrell Owens and because there was always a huge media following regarding Terrell’s daily diet of controversy, Rosenhaus often had to rattle of quick answers to repeating questions. Therefore, “Next Question” became a common response.
“Chemistry”, when it comes to sports or even love is something that cannot be measured or quantified on a spreadsheet but we know it exists. The human consciousness knows when a situation is right. Sometimes a group of people need time to habitat together over a stretch of a long season and discover their comfort level with each other over time. There have been sports teams that have had awful first half seasons but suddenly find their groove in the second half and become a dynamic cohesive unit. This includes teammates that hated each other in the first half and then something occurs during the second half that made them love one another and become best friends and eventual winners.
Chemistry cannot be forced. You can sign all the best free-agent personalities from different teams and pay a lot of money to have them play together and it will never guarantee success. Did you ever hear the term “Best Team on Paper”? Assembling great talent that work well together is a gamble. Chemistry has to be there organically from the beginning or it has to grow over time. Either way we know it exists. A theory you will never see scribbled on any saber metric notebook or calculated in any spreadsheet. Thank God!
