It’s not as number-driven as baseball, but an in-depth look at the numbers from the 2007 Elite Series can leave anyone cross-eyed.ESPNOutdoors.com has done the digging, calculators in hand, and plucked out a few of the more meaningful numbers going into the last event of the season, The Sunshine Showdown presented by Allstate Boat Insurance on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla.
Angler of the Year
2 Anglers with a reasonable shot at the title, Skeet Reese and Kevin VanDam
3 Angler of the Year titles won by VanDam
0 Angler of the Year titles won by VanDam in the new millennium
0 Angler of the Year titles won by Reese in any millennium
6 Times VanDam has fished a BASS tournament on Lake Toho: 2006, 2005, 2001, 2001, 2000, 1999
107 Reese’s point lead over VanDam
14 VanDam’s average finish on Toho
67 Reese’s average finish on Toho
1 VanDam’s margin of victory if both anglers finish at their Toho averages
8 Top 10s Reese has had this season (including one streak of four in a row at Amistad, the California Delta, Clear Lake and Clarks Hill.)
2 Times Reese has missed the cut this season
2 Wins for VanDam this year (Lake Guntersville and Grand Lake), both when Reese missed the cut
1 Win for Reese this year when the pressure was on at the Potomac River.
Rookie of the Year
12 True rookies on tour this season
10 Top 12 finishes between them
6 Of those top12 finishes came in two tournaments ( Pride of Georgia and Duel in the Delta)
3 Weeks Derek Remitz sat atop the Angler of the Year standings to start the season
22nd Where Remitz stands in AOY going into Toho
29th Where Casey Ashley stands
148 Points third-place Matthew Sphar sits behind leader Remitz
0 Weeks Remitz has trailed in the Rookie of the Year standings
2 Wins from rookies this season out of the 10 events fished (Amistad and Smith Mountain)