2014 MLB Season Thread

[RipCity32]

Jim used to do that stuff all the time though. I remember a few times Jim had Kelly batting way too high, think 5th a couple times last year. I feel like I was bitching about Leyland's lineups almost daily lol.
Kelly shouldn't even be on the roster though lol.

 

[Teagz]

Leyland did that shit so that he didn't have to move the entire lineup around for one guy. Which probably isn't the best reason but at least it's a reason.

 

[Thomas-Panda-Saxby]

Barely survived the Phillies XD

 

[RipCity32]

Another very good start for Lobstein. Continues to impress me. 

 

[Teagz]

Brad learned stolen base I see

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I don't know how to calculate WAR, but I do know Nelson Cruz not being in the top FORTY in the league in it proves to me that "advanced stats" are foolish.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Because it also takes into account defense and base running. 
 
Obviously advance stats don't make up for not watching the game.

 

[snipezo]

I don't know how to calculate WAR, but I do know Nelson Cruz not being in the top FORTY in the league in it proves to me that "advanced stats" are foolish.

3.3 WAR is above average. It's not like people view him as a scrub. He's a good DH who plays below average defense.

Don't call it foolish if you're unaware.

 

[The Guid]

Besides, no one should view WAR as a 100% perfect reflection of a player's value. It's just a good indicator of what he could bring to a team.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

3.3 WAR is above average. It's not like people view him as a scrub. He's a good DH who plays below average defense.

Don't call it foolish if you're unaware.

 
People don't view him as a scrub because people who have actually seen him play this year know that the Orioles probably wouldn't even be in the division lead if not for his power and run production in the middle of the lineup.

 

[The Guid]

Yeah because of him....and maybe a little because Boston and New York have massively underachieved this year.
 
Let's not start the whole "you don't see him play" vs stats discussion. That argument is as passé as the "never played the game" one.

 

[snipezo]

Hmm let's see.

Al east has been weak as fck
Contributions from other position players
Passable starting pitching
Very good bullpen

I don't disagree that Cruz has been a big partt of your success but like Guid said, you're forgetting other variables as to why the O's have completely taken over the division.

 

[elcheato]

Let's be real here, Baseball is barely a team sport. There is hardly any team work involved other than having "team chemistry". Everything is based off stats, there is no eye test other than for maybe fielding, but even then it's sketchy since people can't see the jumps guys get, if they're taking the right routes, etc, unless they really study the plays.
 
I'm not sure how someone could even argue otherwise. If you're so against stats, this isn't the sport for you, because it's all stats. 
 
And if you're only against advanced stats, well then you're going to get left behind in the future, because they're a lot more relevant than base stats. You can continue to point out certain small things and say "this is why advanced stats are bogus!!", but as said above, no stat is perfect, no stat tells all, but they're tools given to us that we can then make our own judgments on, based on which stats we find more important. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Let's be real here, Baseball is barely a team sport. There is hardly any team work involved other than having "team chemistry". Everything is based off stats, there is no eye test other than for maybe fielding, but even then it's sketchy since people can't see the jumps guys get, if they're taking the right routes, etc, unless they really study the plays.
 
I'm not sure how someone could even argue otherwise. If you're so against stats, this isn't the sport for you, because it's all stats. 
 
And if you're only against advanced stats, well then you're going to get left behind in the future, because they're a lot more relevant than base stats. You can continue to point out certain small things and say "this is why advanced stats are bogus!!", but as said above, no stat is perfect, no stat tells all, but they're tools given to us that we can then make our own judgments on, based on which stats we find more important. 

I'm not against advanced stats or any time of stats to be honest. What I'm against is people using stats as a replacement for watching the game and thinking that the two are equal.

If we're being honest Nelson Cruz should be in the top 3 of the MVP discussion but because of this advanced stats craze he's not even being mentioned and it's bull.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Advanced stats also suggested that Yoenis Cespedes could be replaced by platoon hitters. How has that worked out so far.

 

[elcheato]

Advanced stats also suggested that Yoenis Cespedes could be replaced by platoon hitters. How has that worked out so far.

But you don't watch the Athletics consistently so under your logic, why does your opinion matter here? 
 
And I also dont know where you are getting that from, as he's ranked 20th among all outfielders in WAR, 41st among all hitters

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Don't need xfip or era+ or war to tell me the a's haven't been playing well since that trade

 

[elcheato]

And then you create an arbitrary end point, and then say all of their issues stem from trading Cespedes, to support your crusade against advanced stats. 
 
They were 9-8 in their last 17 games before the Cespedes trade. 
 
Can't generalize a team's struggles based off the absence of one player, who they traded for a better player. 

 

[RipCity32]

Big win for Tigers. Only 1 game back now. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

And then you create an arbitrary end point, and then say all of their issues stem from trading Cespedes, to support your crusade against advanced stats. 
 
They were 9-8 in their last 17 games before the Cespedes trade. 
 
Can't generalize a team's struggles based off the absence of one player, who they traded for a better player.

Lester is definitely a better player but they created a huge hole in their lineup that is almost unfixable at this point. Sam Fuld and Johnny Gomes can't make up that production.