Author: sabrskeptic

Were the Oakland Athletics a good team in the early 2000s because Billy Beane used "advanced" statistics to find under-the-radar talent?  Or was it because the team was anchored by Legit Dudes named Tim Hudson and Barry Zito? What would have happened if the A's had kept Tim Hudson instead of trading him to the… Continue reading Yoenis Cespedes and the Limits of Statistics (part one)

Why did the Houston Astros win the World Series in 2017?  Talk to The Intelligentsia and they'll tell you about advanced degrees from Ivy League schools, math majors, formulas, equations, WRC+, K/9, DRS, UZR - you get the idea.  The thing is, they're wrong.  They're wrong and they're in denial.  They are desperate to feel… Continue reading The 2017 Houston Astros Were An Old School Team

Before this season started it was a consensus among the "experts" that the Yankees, Dodgers, Nationals, Indians and Astros would all make the playoffs.  That consensus was wrong. Consensus opinions are often wrong. It is a consensus opinion of The Intelligentsia that Mike Trout is the best player in baseball.  Is it correct? First of… Continue reading Is Mike Trout the Best Player in Baseball?

What is an "Ace?"  Is it the pitcher with the best individual statistics in any given season?  Or is it something else? If Pitcher A has an ERA of 3.00 and Pitcher B has an ERA of 4.00 that does not necessarily mean that pitcher A is the Ace.  Pitcher B, in fact, may be… Continue reading Luis Severino Is Not The Yankees Ace

Anybody looks good when things are going well.  But when adversity hits?  Then we see what you're really made of.  Everybody is confident at least some of the time.  But confidence always turns to doubt eventually (Thanks Shaq).  When that happens, are your fundamentals strong?  Are you built on a solid foundation?  Or when doubt… Continue reading The Shark and The Manatee