2014 World Series thread

You think the Royals get love for their "intangibles" now, just you wait:

https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/527833050647121920

 

Mostly his demeanor. He projects a calm confidence. Call it an intangible. That was a bad, bad slump after the Giants roared to a 42-21 start. It takes a special manager to navigate through that.

 

If it can't be quantified statistically, his steady hand is irrelevant. Come on, Tarheel!

 

I don't know. Do you think Dusty Baker could have managed the 2014 Giants to the World Series championship? If the leadoff hitter had got on in the bottom ninth, Baker would have gone to the bullpen and given Bumgarner the ball as a souvenir.

 

Cable networks overpaying for programming does not a healthy indicator make. Walking Dead, anyone?

 

Context is meaningful, though.
It sucks that you're Scrooge if you don't think an 88-win champion is great for baseball.
Some don't like Cinderella.

 

The '98 Yanks scored 965 AND won it all.

Not like 88-win 651-run lovable losers are winning it every year.

 

Nah I'm with you.

I think what Dick is looking for is "show me some statistical improvement in a player's performance that can be attributed to Bochy's steady hand.

The way he has ignored the cottage industry of complaints about Brandon Belt's playing time (too much! too little! never the right amount!) is enough for me.

 

Yes. That is the kind of thing I was looking for.

It's funny. I'm on record here, a million times, as saying that traditional scouting is more important that sabermetrics, because every front office has a sabermetrics department now. But I'm still stigmatized as a "numbers" guy.

I'm sorry, but if you make an assertion like, "He had a steady hand while the team went 5-18," you should be prepared to back it up in some way. Staying with a player qualifies.

 

Bochy is well-known, to the eternal frustration of the fan base, for sticking with his guys.

He is also well-known for never, ever ripping them in public.

 

It's OK for the game to witness true greatness more than once a generation.

 

There are a LOT of managers who would have gone to the Proven Closer in the ninth last night.

And the 'souvenir' reference never gets old.