Should newspapers employ a statistical analysis person?

He can't say that a hammer is a screwdriver.

I think that the statement, "Sabermetricians revere walks and hate steals" is such an oversimplification as to be, arguably, an inaccuracy.

Again, I don't think that sabermetrics are a fringe aspect of the game any more. I think they are enormously important as far as how front offices value players. Perhaps you don't hire a stats guy. But I think newspapers, at this point, have to integrate this into their daily coverage. Because, otherwise, they are painting an inaccurate picture of what's going on on their beat.

 

Here's the actual quote:


And that's just scratching the surface of what probably was fed into Carmine for analysis. Sabermetrics savants love walks and hate sacrifice bunts and stolen bases.

"Theo (and his people/process/systems) have as good an understanding of how to value players as anyone in baseball," Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein wrote in an email. "It's not just about drawing walks, or even advanced metrics like VORP or WARP, it's about breaking down everything … into multiple areas to measure."

 

A reader who relies solely on the Chicago Tribune print edition for his baseball news is likely to have received more than enough information about sabermetrics to meet his needs from that article. He will probably pay it little mind, and he will continue to enjoy the game as he has for 50 years, and it won't be a crime that he doesn't really get BABIP. Batting average, home runs, RBIs, ERA and -- yes -- wins are still a perfectly acceptable way for a casual fan to interpret the game if that's how he wants to do it.

 

Wait. We're laying off talented, dedicated, seasoned reporters and copy editors, yet we're going to hire someone to decipher what Albert Pujols bats against left-hander pitchers with the bases loaded and less than two outs when playing on natural grass fields playing day games after consecutive night games when batting in the No. 3 hole on days the cleanup man has injected with roids?

Is this the statistical analysis of which ye speak?

 

I'm going to go kick a hobo and I don't know why.

 

You're an idiot with little understanding of what is being discussed.

 

You can enjoy stuff without being deep into the understanding of it.

I know a lot of movie nerds who, well, if I tried describe all the acting, directing, lighting, etc. crap they talked about, I'd sound like Van Dyke did in his article. Suffice to say they understand movies on a level I never will.

But I still enjoy a good movie now and then. Or even a bad one.

 

Totally acceptable and understandable take on it, Mark.

Really don't think someone should suck sabermetric cock without a complete disclaimer that it is their opinion only.

 

What in Marks post had anything to do with Sabermetrics?

It scares dinosaur journalist to do their readers a favor and at least have working understanding of what is not fringe thinking anymore. You don't have to agree with it but you should have a working knowledge of it. I suppose it's much easier to dismiss it and spout BS broad, inaccurate cliches.

 

Dinosaur journalists wouldn't capitalize sabermetrics, either.

 

Sports "metrics" of all kinds are now everywhere - many of them leading straight down the rabbit hole to perfect nonsense. E.g.,


SloanSportsConf MIT Sports Conf.

What to make of this??? "@HuffPostSports: #NFL breaks record for most 20-point comebacks with nine weeks remaining huff.to/uSAbM8"

 

That's all you've got?