When it comes to any professional sport, You'd be hard pressed to find any group of athletes that are more superstitious than baseball players. When players are slumping, those players will stop shaving, change their daily game prep routines, even change the direction in which they stir their daily cup of coffee, and keep doing whatever works to get them out of a slump. Yet, there is one group of people who are just as, if not more, superstitious than baseball players, and I'm talking of course of the fans.We all know the rituals. You don't take about a no-hitter, despite every opponents fans constantly talking about the it. Rally caps are scientifically proven to work, any anyone who disagrees is only a casual fan. The "lucky" jersey in your closet with a mustard stain, but you refuse to clean it because Maddux threw a CGSO the day you dropped the hot dog on your lap. But I'm here to talk to you about a certain hat that has me convinced that not only do these rituals actually work, but we should also not take these superstitions lightly.Allow me to set the stage for you. It's Opening Day, 2016. I spend the entire winter, like many of you dreaming of the day when I can finally step into the cool air of the stadium, hear the chatter, and have that chatter interrupted by the loud cracks of batting practice balls leave the field. I was excited that my beloved tam, The Diamondbacks, had changed their uniforms. There are too many "red" teams, and anything to break up the monotony of all the teams with red and white and black accents was a glorious change. I arrived at the ball park early, went immediately to the team shop, and relegated the throwback hat I had been wearing daily to my backpack with the rest of my souvenirs, as soon as I bought the updated, slick new hat, with the electric teal trim . Got damn did I love the updated designs. So I put on my new hat, wearing it proudly, and sat down to watch an opening day game. Little did I know,this season was going to suck.That opening day Was perhaps the worst game I've ever seen live. Not only did this rookie, Trevor Story, hit a home run in his second professional at bat, but then he went on to hit TWO of them off our huge, game changing winter acquisition, Zack Greinke. so the Diamondbacks ended up losing the game 10-5, and the season doesn't improve too much. Zack Greinke, Paul Goldschmidt, AJ Pollock, and Nick Ahmed all spend their share of time on the Disabled List. The "star" Dave Stewart traded Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson + for, in Shelby Miller, eventually found his way to AAA Reno in July, to come back in September. And to cap things off, when Chip Hale was eventually fired, The Diamondbacks failed again, by sweeping the Sand Diego Padres to not only pass them in the standings, but also dropped down a spot for the 7th draft pick of the 2017 draft as a result.R/GH2B3BHRRBIBBSOBAOPSOPS+TBGDPLOBARI4.641479285561907094631427.2610.7529324461171113LGAV4.481409275291876925031252.2550.7399723041241097Looking at the Stats, The 2016 Diamondbacks actually weren't that far off of League average in a majority of stats. They trailed the league in GDPs, but weren't even in the top ten for the most. They had less total bases than the league, but had their share of home runs, and doubles, and triples. they hit for average better than the league average. 2016 was even the year Jean Segura led the league in hits. so what gives? Why would a team with basically average stats be relegated to 4th or 5th place in every division in the 2016 season? The answer is because of the teal trimmed hat I wore the entire year.Just kidding. The 2016 Diamondbacks had an astounding -138 run differential, tied for 3rd worst with Cincinnati. Mediocre as the hitting was that year, the pitching was even worse. 14/26 games the Diamondbacks played to open the first month of the season, the opponents scored 5 runs or more. For a team that averages 4.64 runs/game this is a recipe for disaster. eventually, the opponents would score 5 runs in 92 games, including a stretch in August where 12/13 games where 5+ runs were scored against them.ERAHRERHRBBSOERA+FIPWHIPH9HR9BB9SO9SO/WLOBARI5.0915638908212026031318884.501.4929.71.33.78.22.191193LGAV4.18140972567118750312991014.191.3258.81.23.18.12.581097As you can see, The Diamondbacks pitching is far bellow league average in almost every major pitching stat, and in most cases trailed the entire league. you simply can't win too many games giving up more runs than you score, you walk half as many people as you strike out, and you simply give up 3 hits every 2 innings. But I like a better explanation of why They did so poorly: I chose the wrong hat.The next Opening Day, I made my annual pilgrimage, this time, excited because I could buy a new hat with the classic Snakebite logo they used for batting practice in the old purple and teal days (but with the updated colors and artwork, of course). I thought this season was going to be the same as the season before. The Diamondbacks were facing the San Francisco Giants, and Madison Bumgarner was cruising through 6 perfect frames. I was so bumbed when I waited in a concession stand line for a hot dog instead of seeing his SECOND home run of the game, again, Off of Zack Greinke. even if he's the opposition, a pitcher smacking 2 home runs is a cool thing to see. But then I did what any faithful fan does... Bottom of the 9th. down 1. I take my new cap, turn it inside out, and plop it back on my excited head, chearing for the home 9 at the top of my lungs. Chris Owings hits that walk off hit into right of Mark Melancon, and I cheer and I literally cry, ya'll.Oh man was this year fun. the 2017 season was a complete turn-around. The Diamondbacks not only have a winning season for the first time since 2011, but also make it to the playoffs for the first time in the same span. My only regret is not finding the person in the even luckier Dodger hat that propelled that team to a ludicrous 21 games ahead of the 2nd place Diamondbacks at their peak.R/GH2B3BHRRBIBBSOBAOPSOPS+TBGDPLOBARI '164.641479285561907094631427.2610.7529324461171113ARI '175.011405314292207765781456.2540.7749424571061118LGAV '164.481409275291876925031252.2550.7399723041241097LGAV '174.651407280272047195281337.2550.750972351591098But wait a second. How can the Diamondbacks be a significantly better team despite being relatively the same, or worse in the metrics? the answer is they scored .5 more runs a game, and amassed more extra base hits. But what about run differential? If we look toward that imperfect metric, we see that the Diamondbacks did over a complete flip around, and held a staggering 6th best +147 run differential! Amazing! 14/26 games the last year, the opponents put up 5 runs, and in 2017, that number reduced to 12/27 games. a slight improvement, but improvement nonetheless. As for the rest of the season, only 59 games saw the opponents score 5 runs or more. an improvement by almost 40 games. The New batting practice hat works! But what are the pitching stats?ERAHRERHRBBSOERA+FIPWHIPH9HR9BB9SO9SO/WLOBARI '165.0915638908212026031318884.501.4929.71.33.78.22.191193ARI '173.36130965958617151614821283.801.2668.21.13.29.32.871090LGAV '164.18140972567118750312991014.191.3258.81.23.18.12.581097LGAV '174.35140775369720452813371014.361.3428.81.33.38.32.531098By all accounts, the pitching metrics improved. This is how ballgames are won. and Win they did, all the way to the Division series, where they promptly got swept. but I'll take it. i wasn't even expecting a winning record from a team that hardly even changed from the year prior.The next section get's less technical, as I can't find sortable monthly and weekly stats, nor do I have EXCEL to do the calculations manually. (If anyone could help direct me, I'd love to update before this goes to r/baseball)The 2018 season starts, and the Diamondbacks are looking for blood. The Team starts the season at a staggering 20-8 record, Tieing the 2000-something Mariners for 9 consecutive series wins, and looking to catch the 1910 Cubs at 11 consecutive series wins. May rolls around, and as I'm packing for my new apartment, I find the hat that I wore in 2016. Thinking back to that time, I decided to wear it. boy how was that a mistake. The Diamondbacks simply couldn't win after that. A split with the Dodgers to end the streak, a tiring battle against the reigning Astros, then another Dodger series split.... then the wheels came off. the once fabulous team struggled to score more than 1 run a game, and when they did, our MLB leading bullpen couldn't lock the game down.Now this is where it gets freaky. I have the snakebite hat staring at me on my coffee table for nearly a month, and I decide its time to wear it again for a change..... and that day, the Diamondbacks won the game against the Athletics, and not just beating them, but blowing them out 7-1 in a pitchers park. This is the time I started seriously contemplating this theory. I continue to wear this hat, and sure, they lost the A's series, but the pitching and hitting improved to something not of the last month. then 2/3 taken from Cincinnati, a sweep of Miami at home, and the boys are back in business with their winning ways, skyrocketing past the Giants, Dodgers, and Rockies back into 1st place from 4th.Fresh off a sweep of Pittsburgh, and before work, I get a haircut. I normally leave my hair a little shaggy, but I decide to get a fade. my snakebite hat, now without the help of my hair, is significantly looser than my A hat, and as such, falls down on my face, and is simply uncomfortable. so against my better judgment, I switch back to the tighter fitting A hat, and the Diamondbacks promptly lose to Miami. MIAMI! The Rays of the National league. and its basically a blowout, a 9-3 loss before the 9th inning rally. I immediately, without a second thought, switch back to my snakebite hat the next day, and the Diamondbacks win the next two games.COINCIDENCE? YOU DECIDE. via /r/azdiamondbacks https://ift.tt/2KoJLbM
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