Sharp-eyed users of the Batter vs. Pitcher report will notice a new option today. You can now access the underlying data in a CSV formatted data file. The link appears near the top of the report, just below the position selection panel.
For awhile, I've struggled with potential ways to provide more flexibility with the format of that report, particularly sorting. My current solution is to produce a data file so that, if you want the data organized differently, you can import the data into a spreadsheet and tailor it to your heart's content. I've designated it as a beta version, since it's possible there will be bugs. If you choose to use this feature, let me know if anything looks to be off.
Android update
Wed, 08 May 2013 (by RotoGuru)
This morning, someone pointed out to me that some of the dropdown menus in the main menu bar were not functional for android phones. I diagnosed the issue and installed an update that should fix this problem. If there are other devices with a similar problem, please let me know. Supposedly iOS devices should already work OK for this issue, but as I don't own an iPhone, I have no simple way to test this.
This raises an opportunity to ask you all to help me identify issues such as these. As the popular slogan says, "If you see something, say something." Don't assume that every apparent glitch is already recognized and/or unsolvable. I can't promise to be able to correct everything, but I certainly can't correct a problem of which I'm unaware.
FanDuel - Daily, Direct, Deep, and Data-supported
Tue, 07 May 2013 (by RotoGuru)
FanDuel has been a leader in the daily fantasy arena for many years. The scoring formula is simple and intuitive. Baseball lineups are simple and focused, with only one starting pitcher and no relievers. Salary caps can be standard or at a lower “expert” level, which appeals to those whose strength is in finding bargains among cheaper players. The site features heads-up contests as well as 5- and 10-player formats with entry fees ranging from $1 to $535. The user base is deep, so you don’t have to play against the same names day after day, and for head-up contests, you can see the opponent for open challenges before entering.
FanDuel data (player points and salaries) are incorporated in the RotoGuru sortable stats, which is a useful tool for evaluating daily lineup decisions. Note that the sortable stats also provide filtering for daily starting pitchers and opposite handed hitters. When used with the other tools available at DailyBaseballData.com, there is a lot of home-grown info to work with.
If you have never tried FanDuel, they also offer free games so that you can try it out. Register using this FanDuel link, and if/when you decide to deposit funds, you’ll be eligible for a bonus based on the size your first deposit - $5 on a $10 deposit, $10 on a $25 deposit, $20 on a $100 deposit, $30 on a $200 deposit. And you’ll be supporting DailyBaseballData.com in the process!
Going deep during sleep
Fri, 26 Apr 2013 (by RotoGuru)
You might think that, as the producer of DailyBaseballData.com, I'm a big player in daily contests. But actually, not so much. That's probably one reason why I don't do as good a job as I should in actively promoting my affiliated contest sites.
I played my first daily baseball contest for the season on DraftStreet yesterday. I like to wait for several weeks into a new season before starting, just to be able to build some stats and get a sense of how teams are doing. Yesterday, I played in a $2 league with 6 entrants, where payouts are for the top 2 finishers. That’s a format that I like to play. When I went to bed last night, it looked like I’d finish in 3rd, just out of prize position. I still had three hitters in play – Brandon Moss, Chris Davis, and Kyle Seager – but I was far enough back that I didn’t figure to cash. Lo and behold, when I pulled up the game scoreboard this morning, I saw that both Seager and Davis homered, and I ended up with a close win. That was fun.
I tend to prefer Draftstreet for my personal play because the rosters are deeper, the scoring is fuller, and pitching is not as dominant – particularly the points for wins. I also sometimes play their weekly format. DraftStreet data (player points and salaries) are incorporated in the RotoGuru sortable stats, which is a useful tool for evaluating daily or weekly lineup decisions. Note that the sortable stats also provide filtering for daily starting pitchers and opposite handed hitters. When used with the other tools available at DailyBaseballData.com, there is a lot of home-grown info to work with.
If you have never tried DraftStreet, they also offer free games so that you can try it out. Register using this DraftStreet link, and if/when you decide to deposit funds, you’ll be eligible for a 40% bonus on your first dfeposit. If you are a low stakes player like I am, taking advantage of the bonus offers dramatically improves the odds, since 20% of all entry fees come from bonus money. So, for example, when I play a $2 contest, it’s really only costing me $1.60.
Washouts
Wed, 17 Apr 2013 (by RotoGuru)
It seems like we’re getting a baseball postponement just about every day now, after none for the first 10 days of the season. Yesterday, we had one game washed out after a couple of innings, and another one suspended in the 9th inning of a scoreless tie. That one (Philly@Cincy) will be completed this afternoon. I’ll adjust my scoring totals to include the complete game stats as of Tuesday after today's completion of that game. If you are playing in daily contests, that may or may not be consistent with your contest’s handling of the situation. If you are using the daily stat summary for other purposes, be aware that the partial game stats for the StL@Pit game will appear in the listing (even though most games will not include those stats), and the Philly@Cincy stats will be updated tonight after the game is finally completed.
Daily stats & daily flats
Thu, 11 Apr 2013 (by RotoGuru)
One popular DBD feature is the production of consolidated live daily stats for all MLB games. Yesterday, that routine fell flat for a combination of unusual technical reasons.
It's been corrected now, and steps have been taken to avoid that specific issue in the future. Of course, there are still thousands of other things that can go wrong, so there are no guarantees, other than that I'll do my best to keep this routine functioning properly, no matter how badly the server tries to foul things up.
If you downloaded the CSV output version of the program prior to 9am ET this morning, you should probably download it again. Also, be aware that when games are postponed after starting lineups have been posted, this routine will continue to show those players in pregame status. For example, lineups for the Cleveland-NY game are included in yesterday's listing. Of course, those players have no stats - but if you are using the download for any statistical analysis, you may need to compensate for that. Forewarned is forearmed!
Running on all cylinders
Tue, 02 Apr 2013 (by RotoGuru)
I think all of the DBD routines are now up and running. Maybe even correctly! The bullpen report and the sortable stats were the latest resurrections, and they appear to be working properly - at least after a few cursory checks.
I'm sure that some players are missing in the sortable stats for some contest sites, as there are always a few spelling differences that have yet to be detected. I hope to catch most of those in the next day. Of course, there are a LOT of moving parts in the underpinning of this site, and I can't be on top of every possible permutation of every report. So, if you notice anything that looks awry, please let me know (davehall@rotoguru2.com).
More signs of spring life
Fri, 29 Mar 2013 (by RotoGuru)
Two more DBD programs are now up and running - the Weather dashboard, and the daily Batter vs. Pitcher report. Links (by game day) are embedded in the main menu bar above.
This season, the Batter vs Pitcher report includes matchup data on Steals and Caught Stealing. Data is once again sorted by team by descending OPS. Position data (for the covered daily contest sites) has not yet been updated for 2013, but those updates will be coming online over the next few days.
Sortable stats reports for the daily contest sites are not yet set up for 2013. Those may not be up until sometime during the first week of the season. The Bullpen report has not yet been reactivated either, but will also be brought back next week.
Coming out of Hibernation
Wed, 27 Feb 2013 (by RotoGuru)
Although the site will not reach full functionality until the MLB regular season starts, some signs of spring are already popping up.
I've dusted off the live daily player stats summary, and it's already working for spring training games (on or after Feb 26). There will probably be some games missing, and some player names may be somewhat mangled or truncated, particularly if they aren't yet listed on a team's 40-man roster. But it does give you a chance to see just how the data flows.
If you do notice any glitches that seem to be persistent, feel free to report it to me via email (davehall@rotoguru2.com).
2013 MLB Schedule
Mon, 14 Jan 2013 (by RotoGuru)
I've posted a spreadsheet with the 2013 MLB schedule. Two formats are included - one with the teams in columns (and dates in rows), and one that is flipped. Here is the link: http://dailybaseballdata.com/dbd/MLB_schedule_2013.xls
Note that the season includes one doubleheader, with Texas at Arizona on Memorial Day (May 27). Remember when holiday doubleheaders used to be the norm?
Opposing Viewpoint
Fri, 28 Sep 2012 (by RotoGuru)
When designing the RotoGuru sortable stats for the various fantasy games, I try to incorporate some distinctive (and useful) information that isn’t generally found elsewhere. For football, it’s the stats on opposing production by position.
For example, here is the report on Opposing RB - DraftStreet. Note that through the first three weeks, New Orleans has been the most accommodating to opposing running backs, followed by Carolina, Jacksonville, and Tennessee. Those relative rankings are pretty consistent for the other covered games as well.
Of course, three weeks is not a very significant sample, so it’s always helpful to drill down to look at some of the game by game details. Click on New Orleans opp RB and you’ll be transported to a page that shows the game by game details for each scoring system by position. On that page, if you hover your cursor over any scoring total, you should see a breakdown of the players who produced that total.
Monday Morning Quarterback
Wed, 12 Sep 2012 (by RotoGuru)
One of the regular features at RotoGuru.net is the independent production of fantasy points for all affiliated games. These calculations are based on my own application of the stated point formulas applied to player stats. Occasionally, my stats feed will differ slightly from the stat used by the game sites. But - especially at the beginning of any season - these calculations provide a means to spot check the actual points being used by each game site. You can also use these to evaluate your "what if" thinking.
Here are the links. At a minimum, you might want to make a habit of checking your own contest scores against these. They are typically updated on the morning following each game.
Daily Joust offers a range of football contests, with entry fees from $1 to $535. Rosters are comprised of 9 slots, including a team defense and a kicker, but no flex slots. The scoring formula is very traditional.
RotoGuru.net provides sortable stats for the Daily Joust Football game, with player salaries updated weekly.
If you haven't yet registered at Daily Joust, please click on this link to get started.
StarStreet Football
Fri, 07 Sep 2012 (by RotoGuru)
StarStreet offers a range of football contests, with entry fees from $1.08 to $525. Rosters are comprised of 9 slots (with no team defense or kicker), including 2 flex slots. The scoring formula is very traditional.
In addition to the salary cap style, StarStreet offers a very popular "Pick Five" game, and also a Stock Market simulation. For "Pick Five", you are presented with five player matchups each week, and you must choose which player from each pairing will produce more fantasy points. For example, in NFL Week #1, one proposition is to select whether Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers will produce more fantasy points. Depending on the contest you enter, you get paid if you get either three or five picks correct.
Of course, RotoGuru.net provides sortable stats for the StarStreet Salary Cap Football game, with player salaries updated weekly.
If you haven't yet registered at StarStreet, please click on this link to get started.
DraftStreet Football
Thu, 06 Sep 2012 (by RotoGuru)
DraftStreet offers a range of football contests, with entry fees from $2 to $420. Rosters are comprised of 10 slots, including a team defense, no kicker, and 2 flex slots. The scoring formula is very traditional.
High stakes players are probably already familiar with the opportunities at DraftStreet. Low stakes players might find the 6, 10, and 20 player leagues (entry fee as low as $2) appealing. In addition to the salary cap style, DraftStreet offers snake draft and tiered player "pick 'em" contests.
Of course, RotoGuru.net provides sortable stats for the DraftStreet Football game, with player salaries updated weekly.
If you haven't yet registered at DraftStreet, please click on this link to get started.
