Ask Statistor

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Developed by Sperry Rand in 1963, Statistor is a robotic information-gathering and data storage system, later modified by Texas Instruments specifically for use by Statis Pro 1978 Replay. Statistor will answer any and all SP78-related questions, either bi-monthly or whenever the mood strikes him.

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Greetings, Statistor!

How many players retired during the actual 1978 season, and will those players be removed from SP78 play on their retirement dates?

Joe S.
Pittsburgh, PA

Dear Joe,

Of players who opened the SP78 season on major league rosters, or who exist on AAA player cards, 87 played their final major league games during the true 1978 season. It is not known which of these actually made retirement announcements, since many continued playing in the minor leagues or overseas beyond 1978, without ever returning to a major league team.

Also, all players who appeared in their final major league game that year will be eligible to play throughout the entire SP78 campaign, with none being removed on their ‘final game played’ date. This includes outfielder Lyman Bostock, who will continue to play for the Angels despite his death in September, and AAA Columbus infielder Jim Fregosi, who will remain with the Pirates and be eligible for SP78 play, even though he left the organization and took over as manager of the Angels in June.

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Dear Statistron,

Will you be able to watch my son Chip?

Brent P.
Charleston, SC

Dear Brent,

Are you requesting service on a Sun Microsystems microprocessing chip? Or are you asking for assistance in the upbringing of a male child with the scatological nickname of Chip? If the former, please contact the Oracle Corporation directly. If the latter, Statistor does not have the capability—nor desire—to nurture human offspring; you may want to check into renting the UNIVAC 1005 for your child-rearing needs.

 

Ask Statistor

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Developed by Sperry Rand in 1963, Statistor is a robotic information-gathering and data storage system, later modified by Texas Instruments specifically for use by Statis Pro 1978 Replay. Statistor will answer any and all SP78-related questions, either bi-monthly or whenever the mood strikes him.

 

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Hi Statistor!

In real-time days, what’s the record for the longest gap between the playing of Games 1 and 2 of a doubleheader this season?

Brad B.
Los Angeles, CA

Hello Brad,

On July 31, 2007 the first game of a doubleheader between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs was played at site AZ8 in Peoria, Arizona, a contest won by the Dodgers 16-3. LA would make it a sweep with a 7-3 storm-shortened win in Game 2, played at the same site on October 19, 2007…a record 81 days after the first game was played. The reason for the delay is not known.

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Grüße bösen Statistik Roboter,

Wurden Sie mit einer Waffe System gebaut, die in der Lage ist, die Zerstörung einer großen Stadt? Auch, ist Brooks Robinson spielen in der SP78 saison?

Markus D.
Bürstadt, Germany

Sehr geehrter Markus,

Nein. Und nein.

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Ask Statistor

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Developed by Sperry Rand in 1963, Statistor is a robotic information-gathering and data storage system, later modified by Texas Instruments specifically for use by Statis Pro 1978 Replay. Statistor will answer any and all SP78-related questions, either bi-monthly or whenever the mood strikes him.

 

Hello Statistor,

Sometimes I see a University of Washington spiral notepad in the header photos of the Statis Pro 1978 Replay blog site. What is the pad used for, and how long has it been in use?

Joanne S.
Spokane, WA

Dear Joanne,

The notepad was purchased by the Supreme Controller during a visit to the University of Washington campus bookstore in February of 1980. It was put into use in 1988, to keep track of injuries, transactions, player milestones, records, and other noteworthy events from each day of games played, some of which would then be featured in the weekly edition of TWISP Notes. It is still in use today, and is used as reference for current TWISP posts and This Day in SP78 History entries.

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Statistor,

I was just wondering: which four SP78 teams do you predict will meet in the NL and AL post-season?

Reid P.
Vista, CA

Sir,

Statistor does not predict, assume, guess, contemplate, or ponder. Statistor deals in statistics, hard facts, and answers that are grounded in gameplay reality. Statistor will not answer your question.

Ask Statistor

 

Developed by Sperry Rand in 1963, Statistor is a robotic information-gathering and data storage system, later modified by Texas Instruments specifically for use by Statis Pro 1978 Replay. Statistor will answer any and all SP78-related questions, either bi-monthly or whenever the mood strikes him.

 

Yo, Statistor!

What is the expected drop in batting average for Lefty vs. Lefty, and is there a corresponding decline in extra base hits also?

Steve P.
Las Cruces, NM

Dear Steve,

With your use of two capitalized proper nouns, Statistor deduced that you were referring to pitchers Lefty Grove and Lefty Gomez, major league baseball stars of the first half of the twentieth century, and the lack of hitting—and power hitting—that transpired during games where the two pitched against each other. Unfortunately, Statistor will only answer questions related to Statis Pro 1978 Replay; those queries involving the sport of baseball itself, or its history and strategies, will not be answered.

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Dear Statistor,

During SP78 play, does a left-handed-hitting batter who is facing a left-handed pitcher have less of a chance for a base hit (or extra-base hit) than a right-handed-hitting batter does? Overall, does SP78 experience a drop in batting average when a lefty batter squares off against a lefty pitcher?

Eric K.
Athens, GA

Interesting question, Eric. The Statis Pro Baseball game makes allowances for at-bats where a LH batter meets a LH pitcher, or a RH batter meets a RH pitcher, by taking Fast-Action card draws that usually go for base hits and turning them into outs. For example, in a LH vs LH scenario, random number draws of 11-15, which are normally singles, become outs (and out draws of 87-88 become hits). So to answer your question, yes, the left-handed-hitting batter has about a 20% less chance of securing a base hit than a right-handed-hitting batter does, when the PB result of a FAC draw favors a left-handed pitcher. Extra-base hits do not factor in this scenario, as all left-vs-right variables allow for singles, and nothing more.

 

Ask Statistor

Developed by Sperry Rand in 1963, Statistor is a robotic information-gathering and data storage system, later modified by Texas Instruments specifically for use by Statis Pro 1978 Replay. Statistor will answer any and all SP78-related questions, either bi-monthly or whenever the mood strikes him.

 
 

Dear Statistor,

Did Todd ever play other baseball games, and play other seasons, before his Statis Pro 1978 Replay season?

Greg L.
San Diego, CA

Dear Greg,

Yes, the Supreme Controller played his first simulation-type baseball game in the early 1970s, when he and a friend started a season using a deck of playing cards and the rules supplied with a box of Frosted Flakes cereal. Several years later, he would play a short season using a simple ‘pocket game’ created by a company called Tomy, before initializing his SP78 board game season in 1980.

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Hi Statistor!

I know the text on Fast-Action cards is printed in four colors – red and black on one side, and blue and green on the other. But why does each SP78 game start with the blue-green side facing up on the deck?

Jim B.
Des Moines, IA

Dear Jim,

Because it is so.