ESPN article on Moneyball...sort of...

[anabiono]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=garfamudis/080305

[David]

I will never understand why some people are so hell bent against progress. It's not just baseball. You see it with a lot of things.

[CuseCubFan69]

I will never understand why some people are so hell bent against progress. It's not just baseball. You see it with a lot of things.

 

Like this stupid interweb idea? Trust me, it'll never fly.

[CubinNY]

I think it is satire, but I'm not sure b/c it is written so poorly.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I can't tell if that was ignorance or satire

[mul21]

I think it is satire, but I'm not sure b/c it is written so poorly.

 

I'm pretty sure you're right, but he wasn't nearly sarcastic enough to really get that across. Very poorly written, I have to agree.

 

Did that sound like Yoda? Man I gotta get out of the office early today.

[David]

I don't think it's satire because of the way that he seems to be propping up Jeremy Brown's failure as his anti-Moneyball vindication.

 

IMO, it would read a lot more like satire if not for that part.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The part about the author at the end(and the fact that he's a "guest columnist") makes me pretty sure it's satire.

 

Art Garfamudis is a writer and secretary-treasurer of the baseball chapter of the SLWEA -- the Society for Leaving Well Enough Alone.

[CubColtPacer]

Looking at a couple of his other articles and as Tiger mentioned his signature at the end, it's clearly satire. It's hard to tell that from the article itself though which shows some poor writing. He's making fun of guys like Murray Chass. Edited March 7, 2008 by CubColtPacer

[rocket]

I don't think it's satire because of the way that he seems to be propping up Jeremy Brown's failure as his anti-Moneyball vindication.

 

IMO, it would read a lot more like satire if not for that part.

 

It's satire. Look at the guy's other articles.

[anabiono]

i think it is satire too, but just poorly done

[David]

I don't think it's satire because of the way that he seems to be propping up Jeremy Brown's failure as his anti-Moneyball vindication.

 

IMO, it would read a lot more like satire if not for that part.

 

It's satire. Look at the guy's other articles.

 

Ya, I just did. Poorly written, I guess. Or I'm just dumb, because it wasn't blatant enough for my sensors.

[Tyrant]

Definitely satire.

[abuck1220]

people thought that was real?

[Vanilla Ice]

At it's best it was very poorly written satire

[Geech]

it wasn't blatant enough for my sensors.

 

Then there is something seriously wrong with your sensors.

[David]

it wasn't blatant enough for my sensors.

 

Then there is something seriously wrong with your sensors.

 

When I realized that the article about Gary Hughes never having heard of DIPS was real and not a joke, my sensors were forever thrown off.

 

The fact that it was Page 2 should've sealed it, though.

[SABR Gamer]

I don't think he is even a real person.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Infinite stats = infinite players

 

That is pure awesome. Think about it....seriously.

[Banghart]

Now, I look at the stats page and it has more columns than the Parthenon. Puts an antebellum plantation to shame.

The rest of the article was okay, but I love this line.

[Balsa]

Yeah there's no way that was real.

 

Michael Lewis is a well-respected author that has had many well-respected books. He was not an intern at the A's organization.

[erik316wttn]

I'm totally lost with all the sabremetric stats. I couldn't tell you what WART or VORP or any of those things mean. My eyes glaze over when I read threads with a lot of sabre-heavy stats in them.

 

And I understand the desire for progress, but who says these stats are "the answer?" Because Billy Beane says so? Who says that 20 years from now there won't be a whole other group of stats that will be determined to be "the" determining factor in measuring player performance and Sabremetrics will be looked at then much like wins and batting average are now?

[nilodnayr]

it wasn't blatant enough for my sensors.

 

Then there is something seriously wrong with your sensors.

 

Seriously, that was about as blatant as it gets. I mean, he said he literally wipes his ass with moneyball.

[Anthony]

I'm totally lost with all the sabremetric stats. I couldn't tell you what WART or VORP or any of those things mean. My eyes glaze over when I read threads with a lot of sabre-heavy stats in them.

 

And I understand the desire for progress, but who says these stats are "the answer?" Because Billy Beane says so? Who says that 20 years from now there won't be a whole other group of stats that will be determined to be "the" determining factor in measuring player performance and Sabremetrics will be looked at then much like wins and batting average are now?

 

There probably will be. One day there will probably be an good measurement of a players defensive ability, including both his range, fielding ability, position, and arm strength. UZR is okay, but it could be better. If someone does come up with better offensive metrics, what's wrong with that? I for one would like to have a manager that doesn't place a man with a career OBP of .327 as the leadoff man.