'Can a computer comprehend feistiness?'

[WaylonJennings]

Baseball Prospectus 2008 is out, which can only mean one thing in the mainstream columnist community - cue the Luddites!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-080309-white-sox-rick-morrissey,1,4959285.column

::)

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

That's an ironic column, considering in his last one on the White Sox quotes Paul Konerko as saying, ""This isn't a sport where you can talk your way into winning or intimidate people. It's just an everyday thing. You have to have the goods to get it done."

Now he basically writes, goshdarnit, the White Sox REALLY REALLY REALLY want to have a winning season because they were so embarrassed about last year.

 

[WaylonJennings]

I don't for the life of me understand why baseball writers are so offended by sites like Baseball Prospectus, Hardball Times, etc., etc. No one is claiming that "heart" and other esoteric measures don't count. It's simply an attempt to look at this stuff objectively and minimize chance. It's just another way of looking at things.

 

[WaylonJennings]

Here's another one, with the airtight conclusion that Dusty Baker has more wins as a manager than Bill James:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080309/COL03/803090373/

It seriously reads like what a sabermetric guy would write as a parody of a crusty old, numbers-hating columnist. It almost pushes too many buttons to seem real.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Here's another one, with the airtight conclusion that Dusty Baker has more wins as a manager than Bill James:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080309/COL03/803090373/

It seriously reads like what a sabermetric guy would write as a parody of a crusty old, numbers-hating columnist. It almost pushes too many buttons to seem real.

More losses as well. Did they put that in there? He's a career .500 manager, which is saying a lot considering he managed the best years of Barry Bonds' career.

I guess baseball writers fear BP and other new ways of thinking because each time a new way of thinking becomes accepted it shows that some baseball writers know a lot less about what they are writing than they should. I mean this line from that column is idiotic:

"If Dunn walks 30 fewer times this year, he'll drive in 15 more runs."

Whaaaaaaaaaaaa?

 

[Armchair_QB]

I ****ing love Dusty Baker.

 

[WaylonJennings]

I ****ing love Dusty Baker.

Why in the holy hell a GM would let him anywhere near the young talent they have in Cincinnati is absolutely beyond comprehension.

 

[BYH]

Damnit! I was just going to write "Armchair_QB has no idea why his head just exploded."

Alas, it appears A_QB is well into psychotic cackling mode when it comes to Dusty. :D

Quite frankly, the fact Dusty is back managing in the same division as the Cubs is proof God loves us here at SportsJournalists.com and wants us to be happy and entertained throughout baseball season.

 

[Armchair_QB]

The only way I would enjoy this more would be if he was managing the Cardinals.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I don't believe Dusty Baker has a track record of developing youngsters -- which is fine, if the entire future of your organization isn't wrapped around developing youngsters.

Let's be mad at Adam Dunn while signing a guy with a career .298 OBP to be the leadoff hitter.

 

[WaylonJennings]

I don't believe Dusty Baker has a track record of developing youngsters -- which is fine, if the entire future of your organization isn't wrapped around developing youngsters.

Let's be mad at Adam Dunn while signing a guy with a career .298 OBP to be the leadoff hitter.

Dusty says that OBP is "overrated" and that middle-of-the-order guys who draw walks just "clog the bases." I **** you not. He said this a few days ago, and whatever columnist was writing it (not Daugherty, I don't think) was basically celebrating his folksy baseball wisdom.

 

[BYH]

How many top 30 prospects do the Reds have? Three? Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Homer Bailey?

And they hire Dusty. ****ing brilliant.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I don't believe Dusty Baker has a track record of developing youngsters -- which is fine, if the entire future of your organization isn't wrapped around developing youngsters.

Let's be mad at Adam Dunn while signing a guy with a career .298 OBP to be the leadoff hitter.

Dusty says that OBP is "overrated" and that middle-of-the-order guys who draw walks just "clog the bases." I **** you not. He said this a few days ago, and whatever columnist was writing it (not Daugherty, I don't think) was basically celebrating his folksy baseball wisdom.

He's been saying the same **** for years.

Neifi Perez will be a Red by Memorial Day.

 

[BYH]

Seriously, I'm not sure the world can handle that.

It's such a perfect marriage of incompetence and suckery and general fail, the entire universe might collapse unto itself.

 

[slappy4428]

That's an ironic column, considering in his last one on the White Sox quotes Paul Konerko as saying, ""This isn't a sport where you can talk your way into winning or intimidate people. It's just an everyday thing. You have to have the goods to get it done."

Now he basically writes, goshdarnit, the White Sox REALLY REALLY REALLY want to have a winning season because they were so embarrassed about last year.

I want the Sox to REALLY REALLY REALLY have a winning season to watch Eddie Munster STFU

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

That's an ironic column, considering in his last one on the White Sox quotes Paul Konerko as saying, ""This isn't a sport where you can talk your way into winning or intimidate people. It's just an everyday thing. You have to have the goods to get it done."

Now he basically writes, goshdarnit, the White Sox REALLY REALLY REALLY want to have a winning season because they were so embarrassed about last year.

I want the Sox to REALLY REALLY REALLY have a winning season to watch Eddie Munster STFU

Didn't work last time.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Nice contrast in predictions between Morrissey and Mariotti.

Mariotti's latest:

The Sox will be lucky to finish .500 this year in a division with Detroit and Cleveland. When the mediocrity kicks in again, Williams will be exposed definitively as a GM who let a World Series champion turn to silly putty in short order. In turn, the Blizzard of Oz inevitably will wig out and blow up, leaving him vulnerable to more criticism that he doesn't maximize his talent and allows his team to lose focus. This also will lead to a referendum on the players, who will be fair game when the payroll is over $100 million and a July fire sale is contemplated.

Enter The Evil Stoney. Say the Sox are losing 7-1 in the eighth inning in June, tumbling in the throes of 13 losses in 15 games. You don't think he'll be aiming and firing at many targets -- whether Reinsdorf likes it or not?

Morrissey's latest:

I have the Sox winning 85 games and giving Cleveland a run for its money for second place in the division. I know, I know: The Indians are loaded with talent, and if it weren't for Detroit spending gobs of money, they'd be the favorites in the AL Central.

But, again, what about heart?

 

[WaylonJennings]

Here's another brilliant one:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=garfamudis/080305

For those of you who, like me, made the smart literary choice and didn't read "Moneyball,"

That line is just the start. Again, it feels made up when you read it.

The guy even states as fact that Michael Lewis was an A's intern "trying to impress the boss."

 

[spnited]

You guys should all know my opinion of some of the sabermetric contrivances.
However, even VORP makes more sense than the three columns posted here. Just total stupidity.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Dude, that's a parody.

And it's written by BP's Jim Baker.