Jimmy Rollins: HOF?

I tried to make this point with a colleague for 20 years. Just because you're an "expert debater" doesn't mean you're always right.

(I'm sure he got a stiffie when I acknowledged he's an "expert debater,")

 

Bobby Grich: 125 OPS-plus, 70.9 WAR, .266/.371/.424
Jimmy Rollins: 96 OPS-plus, 43.6 WAR, .265/.325/.420

 

This is a very simple question:

What does the eye test tell you about Bobby Grich that counteracts the fact that he got on base and hit for extra bases at a rate 25 percent better than his peers over the course of his 17-year major league career?

 

This back-and-forth reminds me of this scene:



You sure about that five minutes? You sure about that five minutes?

Makes me smile a bit.

 

Heh-heh. I'm not answering that question for the mere fact that you asked it five times.

 

You're not answering it because you don't have an answer. It's devoid of meaning. It's baseball pap. It's a scouting term. It has zero relevance when evaluating someone's career, particularly his offensive career.

 

The defense rests!

 

It's hilarious that I'm a lawyer. Always a great put-down.

 

Only when you make it so easy. For such an intelligent man, your lack of self-awareness is hilarious.

 

What percentage of Grich, Raines or any others from that era did people relying on the eye test watch? What would be an acceptable percentage to have an accurate assessment using the "eye test"?

 

Too low a percentage for the casual fan. We should only acknowledge the eye test for the Jonah Keris of the world. They've proven so much better at it than us casual fans.

 

Jonah Keri is not using the "eye test."