I'm thrilled to have Granderson on the team, but Johnson doesn't really strike much confidence in me. I'd much rather have Matsui DH'ing for us this season just for the simple fact that he's one of the best clutch DHs out there.
Anyone else find it hilarious that after 8 years of being stateside the guy still uses a translator for his interviews? I do. The Stadium is gonna go crazy when they announce him tomorrow.
This goes for all Japanese ball players. They don't want to have to fumble through words and dumb down their feelings just because they can't remember the correct expression, etc. I still think they should let out some English here and there though. BTW, that translator has the best job ever. You're in player meetings, coaching sessions, get to watch games from the dugout. Man.
Yeah, see, this is kinda what I meant when I asked if you were sure you didn't want to be a douche. The attitude is just completely unnecessary (unless you're trying to be one). And inaccurate. Not to mention a bit drama queenish. I can't do much about the attitude, but I can at least address the inaccuracy. I mean, since when did OPS or any of the stats you disparage become somehow divorced from hitting? You realize the point of the game is to score runs on offense, I presume. If so, why are you so hesitant to realize how certain stats apply to this goal of scoring runs? Are you just being stubborn at this point? I certainly don't see why it requires such a strong reaction. I can understand, "Gee, I'm not the biggest fan of the move. I would have rather had Matsui. Oh well." But the dozens of fuck Nick Johnsons or fuck Gardners, etc... after six games, in which the Yanks have done well, and in which they haven't exactly been unproductive seems... well... lacking in perspective would be the polite way to put it. Is this where you want to create some fabrication about how I'm just using mathy math blah blah blah? Because that won't be true, either.
^You two are fucking ridiculous/hilarious. Johnson's off to a slow start (but he's still getting BBs), give him time, it's six games in. End of discussion.
Just to throw my two cents in..you don't see many DHers hitting second and that is for a reason. Anyway, 4-2 against Boston and TB is a lot better way to start the season than I expected with recent history being what it is.
There you go, Alio. You agree with Don. I hope you're happy. Out of curiosity, Don, do you even know what that reason is?
See, and I think you're not trying to be a douche, but you are. I don't "disparage" statistics. I just don't see them as the "whole" argument, as you often seem to do. (And yes, I realize that you don't say they're the entire argument, but you come more than close enough to implying that they're all that matters.) Here's the thing. I don't give a damn if you understand why I feel the way I do. I'm not your little guinea pig in your laboratory here for your personal study. They're called opinions, and just like assholes, everyone's got 'em. Don't like it? Stop posting on a friggin' internet message board. I don't need to justify why I don't like Nick Johnson or Bubba Gardner any more than I already have. I don't like them. Period. I'd rather have Damon or Melky in left, and Matsui at DH. Why? Because the players I'd prefer are different players. Matsui isn't a walk machine. He's a hitter. That's what I want from my DH, home runs. Damon might not have the speed of Gardner, but he'll hit at least double the homers, and get on base more often, while driving in more runs. And at least Damon understands he has the arm of a 12 year old girl so he hits his cutoff man. Melky is not a helluva lot more offensively talented or faster than Gardner, but he has a better arm, and can hit well enough for me to replace Gardner in left with him. You like those guys. Hooray for you! As for me? Fuck Nick Johnson. Fuck Bubba Gardner.
I certainly never mean to imply that, so I believe you're missing my meaning. They're not all that matters, but what do you think statistics are? When you say someone went 1/4, that's a stat. It tells you something that actually happened in the game. When you look at Pitch F/X data, you're not seeing numbers that are made up out of thin air. You're saying representations of pitches that were actually thrown, in which count they were thrown, to which batter, etc. Even when you have a more esoteric stat, like FIP, it's still describing events that happened in the game. Events that were generated by players with certain skills. Whether these pieces of data have any meaning depend entirely on what you are trying to learn. There are limitations to stats, yes. Severe ones, even. The biggest limitation seems to be that people misapply them or misunderstand what they are supposed to represent. So they can easily be deceiving. But your eyes and brain can just as (if not more) easily deceive you with the sensory input they receive watching a game. So when your eye tells you one thing about player X and the stats tell you something else entirely, that gives a rational person pause. Maybe we should look at this more closely or with a more open mind. The obstinate person says, "I don't care what the stats say and you'll never convince me otherwise." You are more than welcome to your opinions. I don't begrudge anyone their opinions, and I don't suggest that anyone needs to explain themselves beyond any point where they are comfortable doing so. Of course different opinions are based in reality to varying degrees, and how soundly those opinions are formed affect how seriously those opinions are taken. So give a damn. Or don't. It really makes no difference to me. But if you are going to publicly state your opinions on an internet message board, the onus is on you to accept that your opinions may not be shared by all, not on me to stop posting on a message board if I don't agree. Whatever you might think, all I'm interested in is discussing the opinions we post. (Isn't that what happens on message boards? We discuss things? Or should we all just pat ourselves on the back just for having opinions?) I enjoy the conversations and disagreements when people aren't being petulant because *GASP* someone disagrees with them! I'm not here to give you a hard time. And people are welcome to disagree with me all they want. I'd be happy to discuss any disagreements with them. No, you don't. You don't have to like them. Thank you for sharing that opinion with us. In return, I would like to say that I like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and I think the Yankees are cool.
