2012 MLB Regular Season Running Thread

There's only so many ways somebody can say the same damn thing.

Be a little more open-minded. The language has changed and you're still singing in Latin.

They've already tried to de-geekify the stat a little by not calling it VORP anymore. Hopefully someday you will be satisfied with it.

 

Languages change when everybody agrees to use the new one. The people that made up your new language can't even agree on the syntax or vocabulary. Your language doesn't even say what you want it to say. My mind is open to good ideas. This is not one.

 

People like you are why science exists.

Before the thread police start to get restless, I'm out like a fat chick in a two-piece. Keep shouting at the moon.

 

You're damn right people like me are why science exists. I expect people to show me that something actually works before I will believe it. I question things that don't work. That's a big part of what a scientist does.

"Because you can't suggest something better" is not a good reason to use a metric that doesn't work.

 

The other day I tried to buy a pop with a $20 bill. The cashier could not make change.

Therefore, all $20 bills are "useless."

 

Down 5-2 in St. Louis and Wainright on the hill, the Pirates wind up winning 14-5. After St. Louis, July is a pretty easy month for them.

Don't be surprised if they have a 2-3 game lead when August hits, and the Cardinals and Reds are all over the schedule.

 

Speaking of fat chicks, the Dodgers could use some of those right about now.

 

I know there wasn't a lot of love for D'backs TV voice Daron Sutton on the Vin Scully thread (I have only seen a couple of their games up here) but it seems he has been suspended for "insubordination" for violating the on-air dress code by wearing a suit instead of a golf shirt with the D'backs logo. This doesn't seem like a pissing match worth getting in to.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/diamondbacks-not-love-daron-sutton-suit-suspend-announcer-232040047--mlb.html

 

Soriano has proven he can close in the 9th, even if he puts guys on base. Robertson has never been a closer except for that brief chance, and it's a lot different being able to put men on base in the 8th as opposed to the 9th.

Some closers, if they don't have a 1-2-3 inning (Armando Benitez, anyone?), fold as soon as they get into trouble. Others (Jose Valverde seems a good example) don't fold if they put a couple of guys on.

 

If you are wanting to know how much value a player has above replacement level, it is a very good estimate in most cases. So it is certainly not "useless" if that is what you want. So "useless" or not, a lot of people are "using it" - even ESPN and MLB network. So WAR (or stats like it) will be here to stay for awhile, so we all need to get used to it like it or not.

 

Last Sunday, I put up with a 10-minute discussion on Tommy Bahama shirts during a Phillies game.