SABR Skeptic

"All-in-one" metrics are in vogue these days.  Wins Above Replacement is an attempt to measure a player's value in one metric.  The problem is that Wins Above Replacement or WAR is a stat that is based on the foolish idea that defense, baserunning, obp and arm strength are even close to hitting for power in… Continue reading What Makes A Player Great?

Date: Monday, July 30th, 2018. Setting: the studio of a popular MLB show.  There are three panelists on the show.  The host, Brian Kenny.  And two analysts - MLB writer John Heyman and former MLB player Mike Lowell.   Brian Kenny: Alright, we're going to do a live look in to Oakland, where the Athletics are hosting… Continue reading The Mad King Of Oakland

I will preface this post by saying this - in the two years leading up to starting this blog, I didn't look up a statistic.  Not once.  And I barely did at any point before that.  My philosophy developed by watching sports.  Watching the games.  Watching talk shows about sports.  Watching highlight shows.  And from… Continue reading All Statistics Are Useless

The Intelligentsia has a lot of ideas these days about relief pitching and the usage of pitchers in general.  What is the point of these ideas?  To help baseball teams win games?  Or to help intellectuals like Brian Kenny accrue wealth, power and prestige? What is the fourth principle of SABR Skepticism?  Hierarchy, Order and… Continue reading “The Opener” Has Arrived. All Hail The Intelligentsia!

Talk to the SABRmetrics people about chemistry.  Or confidence.  Or pressure.  Or momentum.  Or leadership.  Or any other ostensibly unquantifiable factors in the outcome of sporting events, and they'll play dumb.  "What is this 'chemistry' you speak of?  'Pressure,' 'confidence' ... prove they exist!" You don't need to "prove" the existence of these things. Anyone… Continue reading Why Do The SABRmetrics People Deny Intangibles?