Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

[Sportsforever]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

In his defense, I can see how he could get it mixed up. The man did play for 20+ years and in thousands of games, so I'm sure the details have all run together.

[Whitesox]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

In his defense, I can see how he could get it mixed up. The man did play for 20+ years and in thousands of games, so I'm sure the details have all run together.

But not one this big. I love this thread

[Sandman42]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

Harold Reynolds with possibly the most ******** thing ever written.

http://haroldreynolds.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/06/enjoy_it_for_what_its_worth.html

[NYJets]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)



I'm not even really sure what he's trying to say. If I read that just on some random small website or blog, I would think it was an article making fun of people who bash stats.

There was a great comment:
"I can totally relate Harold. I am a farmer and I can't believe how science has taken over the agriculture business. Like I had an old neighbor who was much like Dick Williams. He said, "If something is going wrong with your crops, then the situation will dictate what to do. Like, if rain is your problem, then sacrifice two goats or one pig. If pests are your problem, then yell at the moon for a forenight and bury three red stones in your field. Problem solved. But I shouldn't have to tell you beforehand, you should know this." Now days they have fancy inventions like irrigation, meteorology, crop rotations, and fertilizers. I am like, "Phooey and bunk!" I am just like you Harold, I don't need their new fangled theories and hocus-pocus in order to understand farming better. I mean a meteorologist has never farmed, what can he tell me or my old neighbor about farming? We reached the pinnacle of understanding with yelling at the moon! The point is that I have nothing left to learn just like you, Harold."

[Ewing]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

Harold Reynolds with possibly the most ******** thing ever written.

http://haroldreynolds.mlblogs.com/ar...its_worth.html

rated 1.24 by 234 people

[Sportsforever]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

Harold Reynolds with possibly the most ******** thing ever written.

http://haroldreynolds.mlblogs.com/ar...its_worth.html

How hard is it for folks to understand:

- you only get 27 outs in a game.
- Making outs is bad.
- OBP is how often you DON'T make outs.
- Therefore OBP is a VERY important statistic.

If I made a stat called "Out %" that was derived from subtracting OBP from 1.000, I bet it would get viewed differently.

[CMH]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

Goodness Harold. And I once thought it was a bad thing for ESPN to fire you.

Well, I take that back. As one person mentioned, Harold know positioning and the art of the game. He has a coach's head. He, however, does not have an analyst's or GM's head - an ability to identify and evaluate talent.

[Blzer]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

- OBP is how often you DON'T make outs.

Well, I mean not exactly. If you reach on an error, a fielder's choice where everybody is safe, or a dropped third strike, your OBP is affected. Likewise, if you successfully sacrifice bunt, it is not affected.

I understand why it's like that, but basically you can't define it as "how often you don't make an out." I'd say it like "The rate at which a given player is awarded a base safely per plate appearance."

But no matter, we both agree on how important it is. It just isn't a tell-all stat (what is?).

[Whitesox]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

You sir, are an idiot

I think that about sums it up.

[snepp]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

It just isn't a tell-all stat (what is?).

Of course it isn't. But "analysts" like Reynolds and blowhard journalists act like people say that so they can knock down those easy strawmen.

Person with rational argument: "Player X is better than Player Y because of this, this, this, and this."

Blowhard analyst: "OPS isn't everything."

Person with rational argument: *sigh*

[CMH]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

It'll never end.

They feel threatened by a new wave of information and they are stubborn baseball people that only remember the game one way.

It's the arguments they use that really aggravate the stat heads. It's always been considered foolish to just say that Player A is better than Player B because of OPS. There's a reason it's called stats and not stat. Reynolds really disappointed me with that piece. I thought he was above that but I was wrong.

I was just reading about John Brennan being passed over for CIA-head and a friend of his complained that he lost out on the position because "a few Cheeto-eating people in the basement working in their underwear who write blogs voiced objections."

This perception of people that like to analyze and voice their opinion using a tool that allows them to spread information with a single click of a button doesn't just exist in baseball. People don't want to adapt and they fear change.

Again, I thought maybe Reynolds was young enough to be willing to listen and realize the truth, but nah, he's not.

[Whitesox]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

I am a firm believer that we will win the Central--especially because we havee the best bullpen in the american league.

He just said that.

[Blzer]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

He just said that.

You mean "he gone said that."

[rsox]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

I think Hawk is color blind because the team in the AL with the best bullpen (statistically) wear Red Sox, not White.

[CMH]

Re: Dusty Baker (and other assorted morons)

Why just color?

Maybe he's just completely blind.