Chris Dutton's xBABIP in OpenOffice/Google Docs

If you Google "xBABIP," a July 2009 Hardball Times articles returns as the top result -- and rightly so. It was the article that made Chris Dutton's extra-awesome xBABIP (expected batting average of balls in play) tool publicly available. However, as lamented by several users in the comments section of that particular article, Dutton's tool couldn't be opened by OpenOffice (or non-Excel users).

So, many months later, I've done my best to effectively translate the Quick Calculator (arguably the smallest element of Dutton's impressive tool) into OpenOffice (and Google Docs by extension). and am now trying to make said calculator publicly available.

To obtain OpenOffice (free!): http://www.openoffice.org/

Google Doc xBABIP Quick Calculator: Google Docs link

The original release: at The Hardball Times

To get the actual .ods: follow the instructions at my blog

Why is xBABIP important? Well the short version is that it helps us to regress BABIP (or luck) to where it should be for a player, given how hard (line drives, fly balls, etc.) he hit it and where (which stadium). Therefore, if we put Ken Griffey's 2009 year (courtesy of Fangraphs) into Dutton's Quick Calculator we get (.298), a BABIP considerably higher than his actual (.222).

Therefore, if that gap (.298 - .222 = .076) were added to his current slash (i.e. those unlucky outs all became singles) we go from:

.214 / .324 / .411

to

.280 / .400 / .487

or a slash much closer to Griffey's career line (.285 / .374 / .541) -- though not entirely what we expect moving forward.

So in summary: xBABIP makes Jack Z. look extra wise.