Liberty Ballers, a Philadelphia 76ers community

I know people will just love this one. Consistency is a mirage.

Just a real solid article from Neil Greenberg at Russian Machine Never Breaks, using Alexander Semin's performance to critically analyze the concept of (and desire for) "consistency." As I told Gabe the other day, the Capitals fan base has produced some quality stats work over the last year or so (not in danger of catching you, of course, Oilers fans).

Baseball Prospectus article (free content): The Disparate Paths of Andy Marte and Michael Brantley Acta on Marte: "It's about consistency, whether you get 10 at-bats or 100 or 200, you have to take advantage," Acta says. "(His struggles) have been consistently at the plate, basically." Marte on Marte: "(I need) to be more consistent," Marte says, echoing the sentiments of his manager. "I know I can hit up here. I need to be more selective at the plate and get better pitches. Everything comes from there. If I do that, I'll have good success." Brantley on slugging: "I believe so," Brantley said when asked if he expected to generate more power in the future. "I think you'll see a little more in 2010. I make no guarantees, but I feel a lot stronger and, mentally, I'm tougher than I've ever been in my life."