FIP is used in Sabermetrics and other statistical analysis. It means Fielding-Independent-Pitching. It is supposed to be a better take on the traditional Earned Run Average. What it does is take a pitcher's performance and assume league average fielding for the outcome of each pitch instead of what actually happened. That way when you compare pitchers, you are supposed to get a true comparison of the pitchers themselves because it levels the playing field, literally.
So a quote like "Best rotation(s) over the past 30 days (park-adjusted FIP)" I believe is saying the team being referenced has the best rotation if all rotations were compared in the same generic ballpark, instead of the specific parks they pitch in.
hey - that was a great explanation. it deals with current state of pitcher. that could certainly be coordinated with factors like state of the defense - they have ups and downs as well. one thing about baseball stats is that you have to consider anomalies that might cause a skew in the metrics. for example a player might be super hung over and commit 3 or 4 errors in a game. and then there was that fat guy Wells who threw a nohitter for the Yankees after being up all nite tripped out on acid. I don't know how to factor that in.
Wind, sunshine, open part of the park, is the pitcher standing somewhere that has wind on his back sun in his face?
All parks differ. will it be shades on and sweating or rain and wind in the face or at the back, factors factors