Small tip for Excel & dougstats users

[RugbyD]

don't recall if i've posted this before, but when I download numbers from non-dougstats sites I find an easy way to make the different stats universally accessible is to convert the players' names into dougstats format. Here's the 2-step process:

1) Split the names into their separate parts by doing Data --> Text to Columns. You have to comb through and adjust for the rare guy who has more than 2 parts to his name. This will also separate out the pesky position and team IDs that sometimes are lumped in with names.
2) use this formula: =lower(left(concatenate(last,",",first),15)). the 'lower' part is unnecessary, but I like it for consistency purposes.

This won't work for Salty b/c doug doesn't put the comma after his name. Adjust accordingly.

[rookies and cream]

This is something that I have to do with some of the websites when I do the MDP list. It's a great tip.

[West]

Thanks for the tip. I recently started using excel to formulate some simple statistics that fangraphs leaves off. It's been helpful but also frustrating at times...Excel just has a tough learning curve and is not very user friendly.