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Why do so many bloggers hate Plaschke?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by WaylonJennings, Mar 28, 2008.

  1. Double Down

    Double Down Well-Known Member

    Look, I like Bill Plaschke a lot, but the guy who writes FJM is dead on about this. Plaschke's writing style is rarely the issue; it's his weird reasoning and analysis when it comes to shitty players like Juan Pierre.

    This paragraph about Johnny Damon illustrates that perfectly.

    I also very much enjoyed these paragraphs:

    Some players actually do things that are hard to quantify. Some players are just crappy. When you think back and try to pick out the worst contracts over the last 20 years of baseball, the Dodgers have two: Driefort and Pierre, guys they combined to pay more than $100 million. And unlike Texas with A-Rod, Colorado with Hampton, the Orioles with Albert Belle, the Dodgers will pay every cent of those deals. Other than Chan Ho Park's $65 million deal with Texas, it's hard to think of a worse deal. And you could argue that Pierre's is worse because he hurts the Dodgers every day by making outs, whereas pitchers like Pavano and Park were injured so much, their drain was only financial, not statistical. It's just bizzare than Bill doesn't see this. Pierre has a worse career slugging percentage than Nefi Perez.
     
  2. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    It's more of that old-school baseball "What I see with my own two eyes is the only thing that's important" scouting mentality that Plaschke writes with.

    DePodesta was run out of town by Plaschke and the other local old-school seamheads, whose loudest rallying cry was "He traded LoDuca, the heart and soul!!!! He traded Guillermo Mota, which led to Gagne having to be overworked!!!!!!!"

    And gee, those dudes haven't said, "Oh, whoops" in the wake of all we know now.

    Pierre was a disaster contract for a team that became married to such disasters since Fox bought the team. But guys like Plaschke feel like they had something to do with Ned Colletti becoming GM, so they praised him in his first offseason for signing vets to short-term deals with the idea of making way for the youngsters in a timely manner. Now they stick with Colletti even as the Pierre signing prevents guys like Ethier - who got some Rookie of the Year talk not so long ago - from taking the field.

    Meanwhile, Oakland has no money, but somehow has remained a contender using the system that the columnists ran DePodesta out of town for espousing.

    I understand that DePodesta may not have ended up a successful GM. But count me among those who sees Plaschke, a hell of a columnist, as one who unfairly ran the kid out of town.
     
  3. Gold

    Gold Active Member

    I'm not a Plaschke fan. For a while, it seemed like a "Tragedy of the Month" story. Then there was a column about Hideo Nomo during the period when California was into its' anti-immigrant periods, whom Plaschke kind of demanded that he learn English. Nomo was there to pitch, not use the King's English. As noted by someone above, he accepts some ridiculous points.

    Even conceding writing ability, I think he just writes a lot of things which are just silly.

    I don't think DePodesta did a good job as Dodgers' GM, but I don't think Plaschke or any other LA writer has that sort of influence.
     
  4. SportsDude

    SportsDude Active Member

    Since those on this thread seem more into the sabermetric scene than I, how do they feel about Paul Daughtery? I think he's showed as much, if maybe more, vitriol for sabermetrics than Plaschke.
     
  5. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    Maybe not now, Gold.

    But in McCourt's first couple years as Dodger owner? The man doesn't know what he's doing at this point but he really didn't know then.

    I think the media clearly influenced him.
     
  6. Tom Petty

    Tom Petty Guest

    sabermetrics simply is a fine way for fucking dorks who don't understand the game to feel better about themselves.

    simple logic dictates that the validity of your answer is terrifically weakened by increasing the variables you add to your equation.

    please, someone tell me if fat bill and the pocket protector boys have found a way to defy logic.
     
  7. spaceman

    spaceman Active Member

    Thank you, sir.
     
  8. PHINJ

    PHINJ Active Member

    Well he helped turn the Red Sox into two-time world champions, which is pretty close.
     
  9. Herbert Anchovy

    Herbert Anchovy Active Member

    Whether you like Plaschke or not, it's hard to argue with some of this.

     
  10. Mighty_Wingman

    Mighty_Wingman Active Member

    I like Plaschke a lot, but those don't really strike me as irrefutable arguments.

    Really? Is this true? Could it possibly be true? If so, that's silly, but it ain't DePodesta's fault.

    Why?

    Hired in 2004, fired in 2005...he wasn't given much of a chance. And if the worst thing you can say for him is that he didn't make the playoffs, then hell, 22 major league GMs every season should be fired. (Including Ned Colletti last season, by the way.)

    And, once again, he didn't sign Juan Pierre to an outrageous, irresponsible contract. Advantage, DePodesta.
     
  11. king cranium maximus IV

    king cranium maximus IV Active Member

    he's a hacky writer who values hacky players like juan pierre. that's reason enough for me.
     
  12. Herbert Anchovy

    Herbert Anchovy Active Member

    I'm not blown away by his writing, either. He did a Warren Moon piece a few years ago that was par excellence. And there are younger writers out there he has shown personal kindness/mentorship toward.

    DePodesta went to the playoffs with a team built by other people. His vision was rejected in short order by the media, the fans and eventually his employers. Maybe even the players. What more is there to say.
     
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