Triple-doubles

Russell Westbrook is a basketball player. Clearly an outstanding one, as last month he beat a long-standing record of 181 triple-doubles, set by Oscar Robertson in 1974.

US sport is obsessed with statistics. In baseball, for instance, there are the following just for batting:

1B – Single: hits on which the batter reaches first base safely without the contribution of a fielding error

2B – Double: hits on which the batter reaches second base safely without the contribution of a fielding error

3B – Triple: hits on which the batter reaches third base safely without the contribution of a fielding error

AB – At bat: plate appearances, not including bases on balls, being hit by pitch, sacrifices, interference, or obstruction

AB/HR – At bats per home run: at bats divided by home runs

BA – Batting average (also abbreviated AVG): hits divided by at bats (H/AB)

BB – Base on balls (also called a "walk"): hitter not swinging at four pitches called out of the strike zone and awarded first base.

BABIP – Batting average on balls in play: frequency at which a batter reaches a base after putting the ball in the field of play. Also a pitching category.

BB/K – Walk-to-strikeout ratio: number of bases on balls divided by number of strikeouts

BsR – Base runs: Another run estimator, like runs created

EQA – Equivalent average: a player's batting average absent park and league factors

FC – Fielder's choice: times reaching base safely because a fielder chose to try for an out on another runner

GO/AO – Ground ball fly ball ratio: number of ground ball outs divided by number of fly ball outs

GDP or GIDP – Ground into double play: number of ground balls hit that became double plays

GPA – Gross production average: 1.8 times on-base percentage plus slugging percentage, divided by four

GS – Grand slam: a home run with the bases loaded, resulting in four runs scoring, and four RBIs credited to the batter

H – Hit: reaching base because of a batted, fair ball without error by the defense

HBP – Hit by pitch: times touched by a pitch and awarded first base as a result

HR – Home runs: hits on which the batter successfully touched all four bases, without the contribution of a fielding error

HR/H – Home runs per hit: home runs divided by total hits

ITPHR – Inside-the-park home run: hits on which the batter successfully touched all four bases, without the contribution of a fielding error or the ball going outside the ball park.

IBB – Intentional base on balls: times awarded first base on balls (see BB above) deliberately thrown by the pitcher. Also known as IW (intentional walk).

ISO – Isolated power: a hitter's ability to hit for extra bases, calculated by subtracting batting average from slugging percentage

K – Strike out (also abbreviated SO): number of times that a third strike is taken or swung at and missed, or bunted foul. Catcher must catch the third strike or batter may attempt to run to first base.

LOB – Left on base: number of runners neither out nor scored at the end of an inning

OBP – On-base percentage: times reached base (H + BB + HBP) divided by at bats plus walks plus hit by pitch plus sacrifice flies (AB + BB + HBP + SF)

OPS – On-base plus slugging: on-base percentage plus slugging average

PA – Plate appearance: number of completed batting appearances

PA/SO – Plate appearances per strikeout: number of times a batter strikes out to their plate appearance

R – Runs scored: number of times a player crosses home plate

RC – Runs created: an attempt to measure how many runs a player has contributed to their team

RP – Runs produced: an attempt to measure how many runs a player has contributed

RBI – Run batted in: number of runners who score due to a batter's action, except when the batter grounded into a double play or reached on an error

RISP – Runner in scoring position: a breakdown of a batter's batting average with runners in scoring position, which includes runners at second or third base

SF – Sacrifice fly: fly balls hit to the outfield which, although caught for an out, allow a baserunner to advance

SH – Sacrifice hit: number of sacrifice bunts which allow runners to advance on the basepaths

SLG – Slugging average: total bases achieved on hits divided by at-bats (TB/AB)

TA – Total average: total bases, plus walks, plus hit by pitch, plus steals, minus caught stealing divided by at bats, minus hits, plus caught stealing, plus grounded into double plays [(TB + BB + HBP + SB – CS)/(AB – H + CS + GIDP)]

TB – Total bases: one for each single, two for each double, three for each triple, and four for each home run [H + 2B + (2 × 3B) + (3 × HR)] or [1B + (2 × 2B) + (3 × 3B) + (4 × HR)]

TOB – Times on base: times reaching base as a result of hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches (H + BB + HBP)

XBH – Extra base hits: total hits greater than singles (2B + 3B + HR)

Some of these are traditional, such as batting average, others examples of Sabermetric stats, such as OBS, yet more are weirdly esoteric (EQA) or aggregates of other stats. You'll get different lists from different sources; the above are from Wikipedia.

I hope you're keeping up. In addition to the above for batting, there are stats for pitching, fielding and baserunning. Michael Lewis' book Moneyball is famous for describing how Billy Beane, the General Manager of Oakland Athletics, revolutionised player recruitment by an intense stats-based focus.

You'll be pleased to know, though, that this post is not about baseball [Ed: It's a bit late for that, Nigel]. It's about basketball.

In any game of basketball, a player's contribution can be assessed according to five measures: points scored, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. By recording 10 or more in three of these categories in a game, a player achieves a triple-double. Most commonly it happens in the first three categories. For instance, three days ago Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets scored 47 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks. A triple-double.

Back to Oscar Robertson. In his career, he scored 181 triple-doubles and his record stood for 47 years and was thought of as one those that might never be broken. Until now. On 10 May, Russell Westbrook, playing for the Washington Wizards against the Chicago Hawks, scored 28 points, 13 rebounds and 21 assists to record his 182nd career triple-double. And he's still only 32.

BTW if you are wondering whether basketball is a team sport or an individual one, the Wizards lost the game! 

War in space

Yesterday's Times had a headline "NATO allies join forces on a new front: war in space". What? We're going to spend our precious money building Jedi Starfighters?

Most people think of war as bad. Maybe inevitable but preferably avoidable. If you are going to have a war, however, surely having it in space is the best option. The biggest downside of war is innocent civilian casualties; there are no civilians in space. I foresee a worldwide treaty banning terrestrial war and allowing galactic warfare. No more archers, trebuchets or tanks, just upgraded drones. Drones vs drones in space - no human casualties, military or civilian - and an annual league title for the winners, who take their place in the Intergalactic Federation wars. Where we'll all be cheering on the Chinese. What's not to like?

Get on with it, Boris; get the world signed up, Suzanne Collins to script it and Jacinder Ardern to play Katniss Everdeen.

Is impartial news a thing of the past?

Where do you get your news? Do you cross check other sources for corroboration?

I thought I'd check out the new TV channel GB News, recently launched by the 'big beast' of political journalism, Andrew Neil. Neil has been one of the best, most forensic political interviewers of recent years and has appeared to be scrupulously impartial in his verbal destruction of politicians of all stripes. A surprise, then, to see Neil as the face of a news channel that doesn't pretend to be impartial - indeed loudly claims to be 'anti-woke' and against the 'metropolitan mindset', 'identity politics' and cancel culture'. If you turn on to GB News, therefore, you wouldn't expect to be surprised by the thrust of its 'news' reporting.

You'd imagine Priti Patel, of all our British politicians, would be pushing her way to the front of the queue for an 'interview' (i.e. a platform for her views). And there she was: 'taking the knee is gesture politics' - you can see it on the GB News Twitter feed, if you feel the kneed.

Except. At 12:30 today, I watched Gloria De Piero (ex Labour MP and TV journalist) and economics/business journalist Liam Halligan co-hosting a three hour show "DePiero & Halligan" (so not "News at 12" or "The Lunchtime News", or indeed any pretence of being news). Gloria introduced an item from the Yorkshire Post on the number of Covid-related fines issued by the police in Nottinghamshire, which turned out to be largely breaking of Tier restrictions - remember those? - from however many months/years ago that those existed. Followed by someone called Sarah giving her opinions on the impact of continuing restrictions on 30 guests at weddings - cut to Gloria, nodding her approval of these views. There was no balancing item from someone in authority as to why it was necessary but, worst of all, it just felt very Radio 5 Live, members of the public blathering about local things no-one else is interested in. Basically provincial gossip. Is that it, Andrew?

I am a news sceptic, in that I basically don't believe there is such a thing as an unbiased presentation of news. If you are a reader of the Daily Telegraph, the Mirror, the Sun, the Guardian, you pretty much know the slant you will get on news items - indeed you read your paper of choice because you broadly agree with its general political stance. I read - and subscribe to - the Times, largely because its reporting of football and horse racing is supremely detailed and enlightening. I enjoy the Comments sections but always check out the authorship of a comment piece in order to evaluate its degree of impartiality. I watched last year's US General Election avidly on CCN, completely aware of (and enjoying) its anti-Trump bias.

I am absolutely not a fan of the BBC. Nothing to do with its impartiality or otherwise; I just don't believe it should exist. If there is a role for a public service broadcaster in a democratic country (something I dispute in an era of multiple news outlets), it should be restricted solely to news and news analysis. No competition with - and desire to eclipse - other media outlets, no drama, no sport, no provincial gossip and definitely no national cheerleading. And no licence fee.

So that's me; no pretence of impartiality, but I don't have to be. And no provincial gossip here.

Shout out for St Peter's Without

So yesterday, switching from tea to beer at half time enabled England to win their match. I've not yet seen an acknowledgement from the team of my part in the victory. But I do want to acknowledge the beer's part.

I was a given a couple of bottles of St Peter's Without, a craft zero alcohol beer brewed in Beccles in the county of Suffolk, UK. I only drink occasional alcohol, being more partial to zero alcohol beers. This is a particularly tasty example, very hoppy and flavourful - well done St Peter's Brewery! - so I bought a further supply.  They do four varieties of zero alcohol beer: Original, Gold, Organic and Elderberry & Raspberry, with a mixed case of 12x500ml for £21.00. I'm definitely going to give that a try - unless of course they decide to donate one in a sponsorship deal😁. They do have interesting chunky bottles:

I'm not sure if other Saints have their own breweries but I guess there has always been a tradition of monks and religious orders brewing and distilling. Not sure why, although Arthur Guinness was a devout Christian who starting brewing beer "to wean people off spirits". Works for me. But does the brewery have Papal permission for use of the Saint Peter nomenclature? Perhaps copyright protection expired a couple of thousand years ago, so I could have called this blog Saint Peter without problems. Imagine that, St Peter blogging today!

Heard of Ninkasi? She was the Sumerian Goddess of Beer around 1800 BCE and her poem A Hymn to Ninkasi is a clay tablet that was simply a beer recipe. Not kidding; it's true. Here is a bit:

You are the one who soaks the malt in a jar,
The waves rise, the waves fall.
Ninkasi, you are the one who soaks the malt in a jar,
The waves rise, the waves fall.

You are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes,
Ninkasi, you are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes,

You are the one who holds with both hands the great sweet wort,
Brewing [it] with honey [and] wine
(You the sweet wort to the vessel)
Ninkasi, (…)(You the sweet wort to the vessel)

I guess it's not easy to be certain about translating ancient Sumerian tablets.

Tea not working

It's half time in England's first match at the European Championship 2020 (I know, it's a bit late) tournament. Before the match I was undecided whether to support my country with a cup of tea or a beer. I chose tea

(decaff of course, don't want to get too excited) but it hasn't had the desired effect; it's 0-0.

So time for a beer.

I can be a bit superstitious and if we go on to win that'll be the pattern for the remaining games. Let's hope they won't be at 2pm. If we don't win I'll need a different superstition - suggestions?

One thing about the anthem. How do England get to own the UK anthem? And do we really want to empathise with "send her victorious"? It's such a dreary tune; find something better!

Scotland play their first match tomorrow and I'll be cheering them.

At the Centre of the Universe

I have resumed my pre-pandemic routine of reading my morning newspaper in the flesh, i.e. on paper rather than on my tablet. You'll be pleased to know that this blog will continue in the internet flesh.

Today's paper is full of Cornwall, which is where I live in the UK. For the next few days Cornwall will be the centre of the world. Or at least the centre of the G7 world, since the leaders of the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan are meeting from Friday in the sleepy south west of England. Not so sleepy when a very noisy aircraft flew over my house in the middle of last night, waking me up. Civilian flights into the local Newquay airport don't usually operate at night so either (a) this was an emergency load of noisy British revellers returning from Portugal to avoid quarantine requirements, (b) Vladimir Putin's air force was bombing the G7 or (c) a US military cargo plane delivered Joe Biden's armoured people carrier, which apparently has 8 inch armour plating and can survive a nuclear strike. I don't imagine that's a direct strike, more like stopping those nasty uranium atoms from a nearby explosion.

The G7 used to be the G8 but they sacked Russia because Putin insisted on the leaders engaging in underwater naked fistfights to determine the seating positions at the conference table. Now they sit according to political preference: Biden on the left with Merkel to his left, Macron on the right with Johnson on the far right alongside Mario Draghi and Yoshihide Suga, Canada (of course) in the middle. Britain, in the chair, has invited fellow Russophobes Australia, India and South Korea. The latter refused to sit in the same room as the Japanese unless they received an apology for Japan's 20th century imperial atrocities. The Australians only came after receiving an assurance that they would be allowed to continue trading with China and the Indians came as long as Pakistan wasn't included.

There is a suggestion that the G7 could morph into a D10 group ('D' for dumbing down). Although the French want Russia to be invited back into a S11 group - Sinophobes United. The original 'G' by the way stood for Good Guys.

Are all these temporary immigrants good for Cornwall's economy? I don't quite see Joe Biden slipping into the corner shop for a packet of fags or Emmanuel Macron popping into the chippie; Scott Morrison is partial to a pint of beer although given the fizzy muck that Aussies call beer he isn't going to be delighted with the local Proper Job. In a week's time they'll all be gone and we can resume our sleepy lives, at least until the end of the school year when we will be invaded by hordes of kids and dogs who can't travel abroad because the French and the Americans won't have them, the rest of the EU blames us for ... just being us ... and the Australians, whilst in the Green Zone, don't allow anyone past their borders so that they can stay Covid-safe without bothering to vaccinate their citizens.