[snepp]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlyGilmore

I agree Joe. That's part of the problem i have with strict SABR folks - they completely take the humans out of the equation and instead see everything as numbers.

No they don't, this is a stereotype fed largely by old, stubborn, and in many cases closed-minded baseball writers who feel threatened by something they either don't understand, or don't want to put any effort into understanding.

Quote: Originally Posted by BlyGilmore

Take Game 4 in the 2004 ALCS. A strict SABR team wouldn't have won that game. Roberts never would have stolen second because stats tell you its not a safe gamble - he's more likely to score not stealing over time than he is by stealing and risking getting thrown out. Hell - a player like Roberts might not have even been on that team.

Again, malarkey. Roberts has a career stolen base success rate of 81.2%, well above the generally accepted SABRmetric break even point of 75%. SABRmetrics doesn't frown upon stolen bases, contrary to popular opinion (see previous statement), unless you're unsuccessful at such a rate that you begin costing a team runs.