*** VD 8 Commentary Thread ***

[revo]

I JUST BOUGHT AN Ipad - one reason was to use Ibooks. Reading " Blink" about decision making for work - Any other good reads I can buy? really nice reading a book off a tablet !!! Big thumbs up should have done it sooner.

If you like reading this way, do yourself a favor and buy a $60 Kindle-- much, much better.

[hacko]

If you like reading this way, do yourself a favor and buy a $60 Kindle-- much, much better.

Why is that- I have no problem with my Ipad.

[revo]

Why is that- I have no problem with my Ipad.

the glare on the iPad (or any tablet) is unbearable, and for the same reason you can't use it outside.

[hacko]

the glare on the iPad (or any tablet) is unbearable, and for the same reason you can't use it outside.

Ok thanks - I was going to get the Kindle but I am researching Smart boards and Smart Tech for work so I thought an Ipad would help in the research - be able to use it at work (which I am) then plus use it as a Reader for me. That it is better then hauling my lap top when I go out and about.

As I said I am enjoy using it as a reader but will confess I do most of my Reading inside. or at least under a shade tree.

[Pogues]

the glare on the iPad (or any tablet) is unbearable, and for the same reason you can't use it outside.

My wife wants some type of tablet to also do reading. I convinced her an Android tablet was the best way to go, since she can get both Nook and Kindle on it, and do so much more. Now with this we're up in the air again. Thank you for the info.

She seems set on a Nook, since she has one now and has bought a few books, but I'm thinking a Kindle is a better idea, even though her books will not be able to be moved over.

[revo]

My wife wants some type of tablet to also do reading. I convinced her an Android tablet was the best way to go, since she can get both Nook and Kindle on it, and do so much more. Now with this we're up in the air again. Thank you for the info.

She seems set on a Nook, since she has one now and has bought a few books, but I'm thinking a Kindle is a better idea, even though her books will not be able to be moved over.

I have an iPad, a Kindle Fire and a regular Kindle. Once you use a normal Kindle/Nook for reading, you'll never want to use anything else. Even the Kindle Fire is too glarey to use for reading, IMO.

Also, a free program such as Calibre converts books to/from the .mobi or .epub format, so it doesn't really matter if you buy a Nook or Kindle, since the e-book can be converted to be compatible with either.

[Controller Jacobs]

I've loaded the Lahman database to my local PC. It's only through 2012, though I could pretty easily scrape standard 2013 stats from B-R.com. I imported all of it, so I even have fielding stats, postseason stats, manager awards, salaries, etc.

[johnnya24]

Saw any playable categories that don't discriminate or preference one era over another?

[Controller Jacobs]

Saw any playable categories that don't discriminate or preference one era over another?

It's got LF/CF/RF, which could be a fun wrinkle. There's also goofy options like birth month and birth country/state city.

I don't see ERA+. One blog post by Lahman in 2010 suggests the formula is very simple, and not adjusted for ballpark. Maybe it's changed since then. Or maybe there's a compliment dataset for that includes era+ and/or war (which is also not present).

[Pogues]

Birth Month could be fun...no more than 2 players from any month.

[johnnya24]

I definitely like LF, CF, RF.

Birth month is a bizarre one, but no more bizarre than First Letter. I like random. I imagine the quality for each month will average out pretty even, although the sample size is small enough to create some random variance. That would create an interesting and somewhat different handicap - Letters, Decades and Franchises are all very uneven.

[The Feral Slasher]

I definitely like LF, CF, RF.

Birth month is a bizarre one, but no more bizarre than First Letter. I like random. I imagine the quality for each month will average out pretty even, although the sample size is small enough to create some random variance. That would create an interesting and somewhat different handicap - Letters, Decades and Franchises are all very uneven.

I like LF / RF / CF too. Did someone already mention RHP and LHP slots ? Does the database have defensive stats, maybe we could work errors or putouts/assists into the categories ?

[The Feral Slasher]

I like LF / RF / CF too. Did someone already mention RHP and LHP slots ? Does the database have defensive stats, maybe we could work errors or putouts/assists into the categories ?

I see above CJ mentioned that there are defensive stats. I'd be all for working those in.

[Controller Jacobs]

I definitely like LF, CF, RF.

Birth month is a bizarre one, but no more bizarre than First Letter. I like random. I imagine the quality for each month will average out pretty even, although the sample size is small enough to create some random variance. That would create an interesting and somewhat different handicap - Letters, Decades and Franchises are all very uneven.

One of the "Infographics of the Year", displaying birth date ranking

[johnnya24]

Reverse the colours and rename the infographic:

Most common periods for martial sex.

The difference between the first week of Sept and the rest is interesting. It's fairly well known that kids born in the summer have a considerable development head start on their class mates. The cut off in the UK used to be July 1st. I'd imagine some parents will target that, but that can't be the full explanation.