New York Mets researcher and statistician for ESPN.com, Mark Simon, announced today that ESPN.com will add a new sabermetric statistic to its list of stats for this MLB season.
The new stat, called Total Mets Loss Factor (TMLF), will be determined by counting the number of agonizing, excruciating, heart and gut wrenching losses a team has per season, then rating them based on pain delivered to a fan of that team. This stat will be related to the Mets, due to their uncanny ability to lose games in the most ridiculous, absurd, brutal ways possible.
“I am so excited to be the statistician to finally create this stat,” Simon commented in a statement to the New York media. “The Mets really epitomize this type of loss, whether it’s going down on a balk-off, or by striking out three consecutive times against a rookie closer, or by giving up grand slams to bench middle infielders, or even by my favorite, an unassisted triple play by a mediocre shortstop in the 9th inning against the Phillies. The Mets have been losing games like these for years, so it’s nice to be able to quantify it as a statistic. It will be a number showing the Mets’ futility. Pure genius.”
For example, a loss in which one team’s pitcher balks in the winning run would add 10 points to a team’s TMLF, as opposed to a walk-off home run, which would only add 2 points to the TMLF. A regular blow-out loss or a pitcher’s duel ending on a walk-off single would not contribute to a team’s TMLF.
Not surprisingly, the Mets’ current TMLF of 243 is 133 points above the next highest team, the Cubs, who sport a TMLF of 110. The team with the lowest TMLF is the Boston Red Sox (5).
By Josh Burton
