Does anyone find it strange...

Dude. You are an idiot. I am no fantasy goober, so I don't know the scores for the 2 of them - why don't you post them and then we can see if there is as big a descrepency as you seem to imply. However to your first point, I crunched some numbers that prove without a doubt that your assertion here is just plain stoopid.

NAME G AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS
Braves 61 2130 352 615 125 14 98 1062 338 208 351 32 8 .289 .354 .499 .853
Opponents 61 2071 285 519 120 9 57 828 269 239 382 31 16 .251 .325 .400 .725

NAME G AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS
Dodgers 62 2067 220 511 108 9 39 754 205 161 374 28 11 .247 .310 .365 .675
Opponents 62 2032 201 450 85 8 47 692 186 192 528 47 26 .221 .288 .341 .628

Runs/Game # Games Average Score Differential
Braves 352 61 5.77 1.10
Opponents 285 61 4.67

Dodgers 220 62 3.55 0.31
Opponents 201 62 3.24

The first set of stats is the offensive production of both the Braves and Dodgers and their opponents so far this year. From that I took each teams runs scored and allowed, divided it by the number of games and came up with an average game score. You can see that the Braves average score is over 1 run a game higher than the Dodgers. But it is still WELL BELOW the 3 run lead needed to qualify for a save. So this tells me the following that on average Smoltz can give up a run and still get the save, whereas Gagne is pitching with no room for error - because if he gives upa run the game is tied (again on average). Of course these are all averages and they can be misleading, but I don't have the time to research the scores and situations for each time these 2 guys came into the game.

Please remember that I am not arguing that Smoltz is not good - or even that he is not better than Gagne. I am arguing that you can certainly make a case that Gagne is teh best closer. Don't forget to post the stats.

 

quit being a dork I wasn't arguing Smoltz vs Gagne in that last argument... just your reasoning that Atlanta is a better team as to why you'd take him... and you know that

 

Huh? You said that if the Braves were that much better then he wouldn't get whole bunch of saves because the games wouldn't be close enough. Then you said that the important things were era and strikeouts. That is exactly what I responded to. Don't get mad at me if you can't get your point across. Oh - and still waiting on those stats.....

 

you have to be winning to get an opportunity at a save, sherlock

 

no my point is that is if you ranked the Braves as that much better than the Dodgers then the Braves games wouldn't be close enough to save... they'd be winning by for or 5 runs and Smoltz wouldn't have a reason to get off the bench

 

According to the fantasy league I'm in Gagne is the better fantasy player. Plus Gagne is 27, Smoltz is 36. I also think Smoltz has had a few more arm operations than Gagne. I'll take Gagne.

 

I'd pick Gagne, for the simple reason that the Braves make me want to vomit.

Really though, the stats of these two guys are so similar...I'd be happy to have either of them.

 

And that is why I did the comparison - to see if your logic held up. It didn't as the averages say that the Braves win by ONE run per game. And xcalibur's post shoots down your other theory as well - that Smoltz has better fantasy numbers. And none of this changes the fact that you were saying that Smoltz has no one even close to him - yet it is clear that there is a VERY good case to be made that Gagne is not only close to him, but BETTER.

 

well i'm with brain on this one. maybe not in the way he said it, but i'm taking smoltz anyday. fantasy, real-life, doesn't matter. its all about experience, and there are not many in the league, starters or relievers that have his kind. he is a money pitcher, just look at his win/loss in the playoffs. yes, gagne is very good. but i go back to the ERA. i think that is the one stat where experience really shows.

 

fair enough 26, but Gagne's ERA seems to have basically been skewed by one really bad outing against the Braves where he gave up 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning - for an ERA of 108 - on May 12.

Gagne