Too many numbers?

A wise colleague of mine once told me that a good rule of thumb is no more than two different numbers per sentence, and no more than one numbers-y sentence per paragraph. I'm not always letter-pefect in following this rule, but I try to observe it whenever possible. I've found it makes stories a lot more readable.

 

Good job.

 

Genius.

 

I agree. I read a lot of stories that appear to be those math word problems we love so much. Two trains leave the same station at 1 p.m, one is going 40 mph, the other 50 mph, what will be the distance between the two trains at 2:30 p.m. if one is headed east and one west?

One thing I think that is missing with stats is context so what if a guy has 17 hits in his last 30 at bats, has he done something different to set him on his path or did they just happen? What is he doing that the others have not?

 

I'm not a box score guy -- you could dump the agate page and I wouldn't mind -- but I do like some cool stats to throw in a gamer. However, A-Rod's batting average in interleague play isn't a cool stat. Nor was the Morris deal.

 

And the A-Rod stat the does belong in there -- his insane 9th-inning numbers, because he did hit the tying HR in the 9th -- is missing!

 

Agreed. A notebook or as a short side bar.

 

Actually, one detail of the actual game is relevant -- it went 12 innings, making it far easier to spread out a lot of hits while giving up few runs.

And, Dooley, is statistication a word? If not, good job coining one. I'm heading for the dictionary right now.

 

Not a word as far as I know. But it should be