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Weekly Blog Question!
Every week we’re posting a baseball related question and will encourage our readers to voice their opinion. We’d love to hear what you have to say!
Vote in the poll box to the right. Then feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
This week’s question:
IS THE OVER-RELIANCE ON ANALYTICS HELPING OR HURTING THE GAME?
Before you vote, here’s a little background:
How would legendary manager John McGraw, the quintessential proponent of “small ball,” have reacted to today’s analytics? Not well, I can assure you. For that matter, let’s throw some other “seat-of the-pants” managers like Leo Durocher, Billy Martin and Whitey Herzog into the mix. Something tells me they wouldn’t like it either.
The last several years has seen a new phenomenon in baseball. It’s the rise of what they call “analytics,” new ways to evaluate players using what is called advanced statistics. These stats like WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and WS (Win Shares) among others, have replaced the traditional stats of batting average, home runs, win for pitchers, runs batted in, and earned run average – numbers most of us have grown up with.
Those who believe in analytics tell us that batting average, RBIs, game-winning hits, and pitching victories mean very little in evaluating players. Each team now has an analytics department and expects managers to adhere to what the analytics say when making out lineups and making decisions from the dugout. These so-called gurus (maybe geeks is an even better description) have also made traditional baseball plays, such as the bunt and hit-and-run, almost extinct. They have also helped create the reliance on shifts with the message to the players being to simply “hit over the shift with a better ‘launch angle’,” another new stat.
What happened to situational hitting? Home run or bust has become the baseball mantra. Multi-innings from a parade of relievers are encouraged and starters are no longer taught to go deep into games. Most recently, several players have charged that teams are creating new analytics that devalue veteran players and make it hard for those 30-and over free agents to find teams and get multi-year contracts.
What next? I don’t like it. How about you?
Anyway, that’s my opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree. You’re welcome to voice your opinion on this page in the comments section below. As always, we enjoy hearing what you have to say!
Bill Gutman
Analytics in my opinion are overused. The Milennial GM’s, usually from elite schools have turned almost entirely to the “science” and treat ballplayers as programmable robots at times. Remember the famous words of Yogi Berra:
“How can I hit and think at the same time”.
Scouts are becoming a thing of the past in many organizations as “tools” are now more a statistical item.
As to John McGraw, his days with the Baltimore Orioles were the days of the “scientific approach” to the game. Hit and run, slap hitting (Hit them where they ain’t) manufacturing runs were perceived in the day as “analytical”.
So, who knows. Perhaps if more sophisticated analytics were available in the deadball era, McGraw would be on the leading edge.
Some in that era might not Selee it that way. Some might not Tinker or take a Chance or give a plug Nichols for it or Keeler over if forced to utilize it like they do today. Some may have considered it Big Poison and others Little Poison, but the game has evolved over 150 years and will continue to do so long after we are no longer here to protest.
Speaking of 150 years, this year would be the Sesquicentennial of the Cincinnati Redlegs as the first professional team.
1969 was a big year in MLB celebrating the 100th anniversary, but I have heard nothing about any formal celebration for the upcoming year, unless I just have missed it. If true, hard to believe that they would pass up a marketing opportunity. Did I miss something?
Very interesting Paul…and very clever, too! You make an interesting point about McGraw and you might be on to something. Hard to say what he would have done if he had this kind of info available to him.
Baseball had always been about making adjustments and has been captive to statistics. This new brand of analytics just takes the game to adjusting towards tendencies. I find the stats boring but they don’t change my enjoyment of watching the game. I still think the best managers have a “feel” for the game.
Gary,
You are great in posting old time photos and background history. I have searched and found a photo for the first job @McDonalds for baseball analytics guru Mike Fast (no truth to rumor that fast food was named after him).
https://www.gocomics.com/fminus/2019/02/17
Thanks Paul…that’s a good one! And thanks for reminding me about the Sesquicentennial of the Cincinnati Redlegs as the first professional team. Could make for a nice theme for this year, to go along with the 100th anniversary of the Black Sox scandal. By the way, can I interest you in doing a guest post at some time? We could use someone as clever as you around here! …and keep clicking on my ads…you’re adding a lot of nickels (or should I say “Nichols?”) to my account. I can always tell when you’ve been on the site! Let me know if you’re interested in doing a guest post.