Joe Sheehan vs. BBWAA

My point was "the public loses someting to gripe about" has nothing to do with this debate.

 

Are you implying that there is no concern by average fans about who is voting for the MVP, ROY, and Cy Young?

 

Seems like an easy way to get a badge is become a sports editor, which I don't necessarily think is a good thing.

My question is, if the writers don't vote for the awards, then who? I think the BBWAA does a good job for the most part, but do let personalities get in the way (see: Ted Williams, Albert Belle). Of course, former players use nepotism ... so I don't think there is a perfect answer.

And fuck Rob Neyer. I used to like him a little bit but now he just comes off as an elitist prick.

 

Must be a different Rob Neyer than the one I've known for years.

 

I'm saying they don't care about the inner workings of the BBWAA. All they know is "the writetrs" vote. And I'd bet a lot of people don't even know that.
The process is not as important to them as the result.

 

True. Which is what has been lost in many of the discussions.

There are two issues: The BBWAA's pledge to promote rights for those covering baseball. And, the issue of the power that the badge members have when it comes to voting for awards.

I can't agree more that the BBWAA's efforts for proper conditions for those going to games be met. It also explains the need to have writers attend a certain number of games. But, at the same time, there is this issue of excluding intelligent analysts that would lend itself to getting good solid votes in for those awards that the BBWAA has been empowered with.

So, there are two separate, yet equally important issue intersecting.

 

I assume you consider a stat geek like Neyer an intelligent analyst. I don't.
He's one of these sabermetric guys who makes the stats say whatever he wants them to say without ever weighing the human factor of the game.

 

Well, objective analysis is still something foreign to many. Since I know Rob, and have talked on more than one occasion about this topic, maybe it would interest you to know that like most that use objective analysis, nearly all also believe that scouting has to come with -- that there is a very real need for both levels of analysis. So, "seeing" is important. Don't know really where your opinion is being formed from, since he's covered this issue ad nausium in columns over the years.

As to the relevance of objective analysis... There must be some level of truth to using both, as there are few, if any clubs left in MLB, that do not use sabermetrics along with scouting.

 

Whew. We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one, too. Neyer's sharp as hell. Analytical, sure, but he knows the game.

 

I think he's outright saying it, and he's right. The public at large doesn't know or care that many of the bigger papers don't allow their writers to vote on awards anymore, and Ace makes a good point that that's probably a good thing, as far as the objectivity factor. All they know is the result, and some may note the boilerplate 'voted on by baseball writers' while having no idea what that precisely means. Now, more people not being allowed to vote in Hall balloting...that's gonna be interesting, more and more of the more prestigious names being left out of the process.

And I giggled at the invoking of Rob Neyer for a namedrop.

 

"Seems like an easy way to get a badge is become a sports editor, which I don't necessarily think is a good thing."

One note: Sports editors no longer recive BBWAA cards unless (like myself) they are actively covering MLB. Those who had cards under the old standard were grandfathered in.

 

What do they consider "actively covering"?