BCB Similarity Score Contest: Russell Branyan
by Kyle Lobner on Dec 16, 2010 7:01 AM CST
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PrintAs I was reading for yesterday's Mug I came across this idea at Baseball Reference: "How Many Clicks to Babe Ruth?"
The concept is pretty simple: On their page at B-Ref, every player has a list of ten similar players. If you select one from that list, then select one from that player's list and so forth, eventually you can connect any player with Babe Ruth. Follow the link to B-Ref's explanation for more details.
Anyway, I thought the game was a pretty cool idea, so I'm stealing it here. Every day between now and the end of December, I'll post a new player. When I do, you have the rest of that day to find the shortest possible path between that player and Babe Ruth. Each day's winner will be entered in a drawing to win a free BCB t-shirt at the end of the month.
Here are the rules:
- Use the B-Ref Similarity Scores, not the "Similar Batters Through (Age)" list, or the "Most Similar By Ages" list.
- Show your work. Any entry must feature a full list of the players used to build the chain between that day's player and Babe Ruth.
- The first player and Babe Ruth both count as part of your score. If you have 20 players between a player and Babe Ruth, for example, then your score is 22.
- You have until midnight central time to enter that day's contest.
- The winning entry will be the commenter who submits the shortest string of players correctly tying that day's player to Babe Ruth. In the event of a tie, the winner will be the commenter who posts the shortest chain first.
- No more than two entries per commenter per day. If you post an entry and someone else beats it, you're welcome to try again. But please limit yourself to two entries, so I'm not spending all day scrolling past outdated entries.
We'll start off with an easy one, to help you get a feel for it. Today's player is Russell Branyan.
Have fun!
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Quick question
Extra points for how many clicks to Kevin Bacon?
by Mr. McGehee on Dec 16, 2010 7:34 AM CST via mobile reply actions
Well, when Branyan played for the Brewers his games were announced by Bob Uecker.
And the Oracle of Bacon says Uecker’s Bacon # is 2.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
6
Ruth→ Manny →Thomas→Oglivie →Stairs(on age to the Muscle)→Muscle – is this allowed?
11
Ruth<- Manny <-Thomas<-Oglivie<Stairs<Tony Clark<Dick Stuart<Ryan Howard<Prince Fielder<Jim Gentile<Branyan.
I should probably get to work now.
by BrewCrewBrian on Dec 16, 2010 8:27 AM CST up reply actions
That's gonna be tough to beat
I got as far as Ryan Howard on Branyan’s end, but couldn’t figure out how to connect him to Ruth.
by Cheeseandcorn on Dec 16, 2010 8:34 AM CST up reply actions
I think the Manny-Thomas-Oglivie connection...
if a confustion of the two Frank Thomas’s.
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 8:57 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah, I wasn't able to make this one work.
The Frank Thomas that’s a comp for Manny isn’t the same as the Frank Thomas tied to Oglivie.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
Does it matter which way they are connected?
Branyan to Ruth vs. Ruth to Branyan?
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 8:24 AM CST reply actions
It seems like Ruth->player is easier than the other way.
As long as you show your work when you’re done, I have no reason to disqualify someone for doing it that way.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
There is a similar game involving Wikipedia
Use the Random article link on the Wikipedia English home page. Then by clicking links within that article see how many pages you go through and how long, in terms of time it takes you, before you get to, in this case, Russell Branyan.
Omnis Vestri Substructio Es Servus Ad Nobis
I just have to say Kyle
You really know how to jeopardize a guys employment.
This is going to be like the Seinfeld episode where George goes into the bathroom and is entranced by the painting….all day at my desk I am going to waste time on this. Thanks alot.
by backtocali on Dec 16, 2010 8:40 AM CST reply actions 5 recs
Rec'd as well
I started with Branyan and I was getting further and further away until I decided to give up and do my homework.
My goodness.
by BrewHaHeather on Dec 16, 2010 10:56 AM CST up reply actions
can you link through a pitcher?
such as yovanni, kieschnick, ankiel or owings?
(provided BA has info on most similar hitters for those pitchers)
I was going to avoid using a pitcher as a starting point.
But today’s rules don’t ban you from using Ruth as a pitcher, so I don’t see why not.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
Does this mean that you'll be banning pitchers it for the rest of the month?
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
We'll see how today goes, I guess.
This contest is a work in progress.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
Show your work, please
Now that's great tasting chicken!
by Kyle Lobner on Dec 16, 2010 10:25 AM CST up reply actions
What, are you kidding?
There’s got to be a better path than what I came up with, I already deleted it.
Well, at the time your 25 would have been the leader in the clubhouse
Infield Fly Rule has beaten it since, but nonetheless.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
by Kyle Lobner on Dec 16, 2010 10:53 AM CST up reply actions
19
Branyan
Gentile
G. Davis
Stuart
T. Clark
C. Fielder
Burnitz
Strawberry
Kiner
Belle
Greenberg
Pujols
Giambi
Delgado
Bagwell
Thomas
Foxx
Williams
Ruth
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 10:35 AM CST reply actions
Hmmmmm
Working on a way to suck the fun out of this… I’ll promise not to enter every day if I am successful in sucking the fun out of it.
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
Best I can do is tie at 19
Maybe somebody can build off this, though. It’s a little tougher to go from Ruth to Branyan on this one, because so few people link directly to Branyan, rather than the other way around.
Ruth
Ramirez
Thomas
Bagwell
Giambi
Gonzalez
Belle
Kiner
Strawberry
Burnitz
Burrell
C. Fielder
Clark
Stuart
G. Davis
Gentile
Colbert
Balboni
Branyan
I agree
that it seems a lot harder to go backwards to Branyan. I found a completely different path to get from Ruth to Clark using a bunch of old third basement, but still couldn’t do better than 19.
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 8:18 PM CST up reply actions
THREE basements?
Livin’ large there, man.
by Cheeseandcorn on Dec 16, 2010 9:46 PM CST up reply actions
basement, basemen
it was a long day, and not just because of Branyan and Ruth
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 10:04 PM CST up reply actions
Russell Branyan and Babe Ruth? That's an easy one
Babe Ruth #1 most similar batter —> Russell Branyan.
(At least, if Baseball Reference is accurate. I haven’t checked)
Shaun and Yo and pray for snow.
by SRB on Dec 16, 2010 11:17 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd for truthiness
Although, of course, in order of superiority you should be referring to Russel Branyans #1 most similar batter being Babe Ruth…
"I hope your name is Rick"
Has anyone else done any research on network theory?
I did some this semester, and holy cow, it would be awesome to map the network of baseball similarity scores.
I was thinking of having something download follow all the similar batter links
then datamine…but that would a) take me longer than a day to write and b) would make me lose my job
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 11:24 AM CST up reply actions
I just think it's fascinating
That certain players wind up as “hubs,” with tons of players linked to them (in other words, high similarity scores with tons of players). In the searching that I did for this, that guy was Jim Gentile. Why? What makes Jim Gentile specifically so similar to so many players?
by Cheeseandcorn on Dec 16, 2010 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
And the similar players are not the same in both directions
One player might appear on another’s list, and not vice-versa.
Without actually doing any work myself - the bidirectional approach (16)
Ruth
Ramirez
Thomas
Bagwell
Giambi
Gonzalez
Belle
Kiner
Strawberry
Burnitz
C. Fielder
Clark
Stuart
G. Davis
Gentile
Branyan
You can't go from Burnitz to Fielder, though.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 12:04 PM CST up reply actions
but you can from Fielder to Burnitz
at least according to infield fly. Again, bi-directional approach.
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 12:33 PM CST up reply actions
Right, but I think you have to be able to click through from one end to the other.
Since there is a kink going either way, it doesn’t qualify.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 12:44 PM CST up reply actions
wasn't in the rules;)
the nodes are connected
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 1:07 PM CST up reply actions
"If you select one from that list, then select one from that player's list and so forth, eventually you can connect any player with Babe Ruth."
Makes it seem like you have to go one direction.
Yeah, that doesn't actually work.
As Noah notes, not all of the connections are reciprocal. That’s why Infield Fly and I had to take different routes going different directions.
by Cheeseandcorn on Dec 16, 2010 12:43 PM CST up reply actions
18, baby!
Russell Branyan
Jim Gentile
Glenn Davis
Dick Stuart
Tony Clark
Cecil Fielder
Jeromy Burnitz
Darryl Strawberry
Ralph Kiner
Albert Belle
Juan Gonzalez
Jason Giambi
Carlos Delgado
Jeff Bagwell
Frank Thomas
Jimmie Foxx
Lou Gehrig
Babe Ruth
Now
That’s the way to combine infield fly rule’s and my efforts.
by Cheeseandcorn on Dec 16, 2010 1:19 PM CST up reply actions
I'm having a hard time beating this.
This > Exams.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
Agreed.
The exam I have to study for most is tomorrow morning and I’m trying to beat my own score in this. Great.
I ended up in Memorial doing this again.
The girl next to me is giving me a really weird look.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
That's what I tried
Kyle said starting at Ruth is fair game.
by Cheeseandcorn on Dec 16, 2010 2:39 PM CST up reply actions
17
Found a shortcut near the beginning…
Branyan
Gentile
G. Davis
Stuart
T. Clark
Sexson
Dunn
Kiner
Belle
Gonzalez
Giambi
Delgado
Bagwell
Thomas
Foxx
Gehrig
Ruth
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 8:16 PM CST reply actions
I also have 17, but went differently at the end.
Branyan
Gentile
G. Davis
Stuart
T. Clark
Sexson
Dunn
Kiner
Belle
Gonzalez
Canseco
Stargell
McGriff/McCovey
Thome
M. Ramirez
T. WIlliams
Ruth
And that only took all day.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
Uh oh.
You(we)’ve only got less than 2 and a half hours. It worries me that there will be one of these everyday.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
Oh, you just have lots of exams?
Nope.
I just gotta get to Babe Ruth.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
It's alarming how decisively this took precedence over exams.
Really, Kyle should have thought about us and began this a couple weeks from now.
I'm not worried.
This is a resume builder.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
For some reason unbeknownst to me, I'm an engineer.
So I’m in Dynamics, Physics 202, Math 319, and NE 271 computer programming. And a general business statistics slack off class for the business certificate.
Quite a few people are grinding for O Chem bright and early tomorrow morning, I’m glad I was done with 109.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
Yeah, nevermind, we won't be in the same classes.
I’m shooting for Journalism/Comm Arts. Since I’m hoping to get into sports journalism, maybe this actually is sort of studying? I will justify it as such.
That's good reasoning.
This is definitely some high quality research, this is just some hands on study. That actually sounds like a fun job.
I’m aiming for Biomechanics, I just don’t want to get into work with Rick Peterson anymore.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
Unless you need ethnic studies,
I’ll be in Folklore 102 next semester. Should be fun.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
I do need that.
Maybe I’ll try to get in it with you.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 10:03 PM CST up reply actions
I took African Storyteller
which may be the same class
waste of my time
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 11:03 PM CST up reply actions
I heard everyone always wants to get in that class.
I never understood why, it looks incredibly dull.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 11:04 PM CST up reply actions
was on Playboy's "easiest classes at college" list in the mid 90s
I assure you, it wasn’t once that reputation was obtained
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 11:06 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah, I had a couple friends take it.
They didn’t like it too much, either.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 11:07 PM CST up reply actions
No, it's just a little different.
I think its cross listed with Asian American and Latino studies.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
I was surprised by that as well...
I also kept running into the Chili Davis/Joe Carter black hole.
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 10:02 PM CST up reply actions
Trying a new approach. Think I might be on to something.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 10:31 PM CST up reply actions
I'm documenting progress in order to maintain sanity.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 10:31 PM CST up reply actions
Hour 17
Troop morale low. Rations running thin. I have to hope the winter breaks soon or we’ll never get out of this alive.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
by Rendezvous on Dec 16, 2010 10:33 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
9, but with a pitcher
Thought I had 9 straight, but Smoky Joe is a similar pitcher (linked by Ed Cartwright as a batter, though).
Russel Branyan
Steve Balboni
John Jaha
Nick Johnson
Nick Etten
Jack Burns
Dee Foundy
Lamar Johnson
James Loney
Billy Butler
Ed Cartwright
Smoky Joe Wood
Babe Ruth
I’ll see if I can find one using baters only. Damn was it a lot of work.
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
Counting is hard
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
Nice Work!
Especially going from Branyan to more insignificant hitters.
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 10:45 PM CST up reply actions
Uh, yeah, that wasn't me
The laborious algorithm decided that old Ed Cartwright from the 19th century was a good way to go. I don’t think many humans would’ve chosen that path.
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
I'm curious as to what you used to code it.
I thought about it, but my knowledge is far too lacking in pretty much every general direction about it.
Also, kudos on the Minecraft sig. I agree 100%.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
It is a horrendous, horrendous monstrocity in Excel
You can import the player equivalency pop outs into Excel. From there it’s just grunt work reformatting the data, culling html links from the player profiles and making sure each degree (ala Kevin Bacon) is unique from the degrees before it.
I have it so each degree is automated, but there’s a little manual work between each step. It takes forever to run when you’re hitting 300-800 unique player profiles.
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
Hear that noise, kids?
That’s what it sounds like when the house comes crashing down.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
Apparently that wasn't the new approach you decided to try?
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 10:50 PM CST up reply actions
No.
I was going to take Cheeseandcorns list starting with Ruth and try to find a better, shorter connection from Ruth to Cecil Fielder or Jeromy Burnitz or something. I think I was making progress, too. Now I’ve switched to trying to shorten ecocds. I don’t think it can be done.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 10:51 PM CST up reply actions
Or it can be done but it will be a huge pain in the ass with a myriad of suck to look through.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 10:53 PM CST up reply actions
Keep at it...it can be done in 12.
I’ll post it tomorrow if no one does tonight as I’ve used my two submissions.
by Infield Fly Rule on Dec 16, 2010 10:57 PM CST up reply actions
10
I numbered them this time. Still uses the pitcher. I’ll try figuring out one with a batter later. Must sleep.
1) Russel Branyan
2) Gary Roenicke
3) Nick Esasky
4) Dick Gernert
5) Babe Young
6) James Loney
7) Billy Butler
8) Ed Cartwright
9) Smoky Joe Wood
10) Babe Ruth
For the record, that requires about 2340 unique player profiles from Branyan branching out along every unique player (so there’s no backtracking).
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
I JUST FIGURED OUT TWELVE I HATE YOU I HATE YOU
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 11:06 PM CST up reply actions
I just got a twelve'r too.
I am impressed.
"We’re gonna gather our nuts, and find out what the squirrels… we’ll be right back." - Brian Anderson
I'm trying to do it the old fashioned way by cheating off others work.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 11:08 PM CST up reply actions
after I proposed the programmatic way involving pitcher/batter crossovers
that’s exactly what I did too:P
ecocd can share his 1/30th prize with me at a 95/5 ratio. That’s right…I want 5% of his shirt
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 11:09 PM CST up reply actions
He can just get it one size too big, hem that off and send it to you.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 11:10 PM CST up reply actions
you're counting on him being able to sew
or knowing someone willing to do it for him
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 11:10 PM CST up reply actions
Better yet
After wearing it a dozen times, I’ll make sure I collect the dryer lint. Eventually, that’s going to hit 5% of the shirt’s volume.
There are going to be 15 other winners, so I’m still only at 1/16 of a t-shirt myself if the score holds up for another 43 minutes.
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
I'm doing my best to make sure it does not hold up.
by Noah Jarosh on Dec 16, 2010 11:18 PM CST up reply actions
your best bet is starting with ruth
he’s already exhausted the opposing direction. See if you can link e.g. cartright directly to young
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 11:50 PM CST up reply actions
I had a lot of vacation days left over
So I didn’t have to lose my job to spend all day working on this. Just as I think I know everything I could about Excel and VBA, I learn something new. Horribly inefficient, but the final product is actually quite pretty.
Minecraft is like digital Legos. I like digital things and I like Legos. I am now addicted to Minecraft.
yeah, I think I would have gone with python
maybe PHP, but that may have required me playing with server settings
by PagsBrewCrew on Dec 16, 2010 11:49 PM CST up reply actions
This was one of the most frustrating things I've tried doing in a long time.
And there are fifteen more of them. I don’t know if I can make it.
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NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
|
25 | 19 | .568 | 0 | Won 6 |
|
St. Louis
|
25 | 20 | .555 | 0.5 | Lost 1 |
|
Houston
|
21 | 23 | .477 | 4 | Won 3 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
20 | 24 | .454 | 5 | Lost 2 |
|
Milwaukee
|
18 | 26 | .409 | 7 | Won 1 |
|
Chicago
|
15 | 29 | .340 | 10 | Lost 9 |
(updated 5.25.2012 at 3:41 AM CDT)
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