tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post215004612165123981..comments2024-02-16T02:12:08.305-08:00Comments on Fire Jay Mariotti: SMALL SAMPLE SIZE! YOU USED A SMALL SAMPLE TO MAKE THAT POINTLarry Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16141943214237719821noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post-58360397217447433592009-10-26T15:03:13.963-07:002009-10-26T15:03:13.963-07:00Me and Larry had a long gchat about this and we ca...Me and Larry had a long gchat about this and we came to the conclusion that the fact that Beane refused to draft Prince Fielder and Zach Greinke in 2002 proves that baseball isn't played by computers and that Beane never should have written moneyballChris Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12152452626681072765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post-14529787120141836912009-10-26T14:24:45.571-07:002009-10-26T14:24:45.571-07:00Also noted in the book was the amount of money tha...Also noted in the book was the amount of money that Beane DIDN'T spend on those draft picks, and that his strategy was to make a deal ahead of the draft pick for a much lower amount than a player who was projected at that pick.Sean Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post-58946735604528112502009-10-25T20:05:54.226-07:002009-10-25T20:05:54.226-07:00I will say this--it is a little silly to read Mone...I will say this--it is a little silly to read Moneyball these days given how much time Lewis spends detailing Beane's draft strategy. Let's face it: all things considered Beane didn't have a very good success rate with those 7 first round picks, especially since it's not like Swisher wasn't on a lot of GM's radar....<br /><br /><br />Of course, that's not...like...the only point of the book....but it's just a little hard to read the 50+ pages devoted to that draft with a straight face with how ho hum that draft (and the majority of the A's subsequent drafts) turned outChris Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12152452626681072765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post-47526018148064676062009-10-23T12:12:44.922-07:002009-10-23T12:12:44.922-07:00Joe Blanton is fat.
Also, I'm sure Beane woul...Joe Blanton is fat.<br /><br />Also, I'm sure Beane would love to go back in time and never allow that book to be published. The reason that he seems so "overrated" is because thanks to that blasted book, other GMs understand that Adam Dunn is good. Incorrect valuation of OBP wss the absolute biggest inefficiency in the market. Although Beane continues to find inefficiencies (bad reputation players like Frank Thomas and Milton Bradley), it's not possible anymore to build a consistent winner out of inefficiencies. You need cash. If <i>Moneyball</i> was never published, there's a good chance that the A's might still have a stranglehold on the AL West.Derpsaucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08881690667013390019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post-43900926654048320622009-10-23T09:39:43.162-07:002009-10-23T09:39:43.162-07:00"But he is not the man who changed baseball, ..."But he is not the man who changed baseball, and Lewis's Moneyball did not chronicle the revolution. Since Beane has compared himself to J.D. Salinger, just wanting to fade away, maybe the best thing for him to do is retire and write a book about how, in the end, it all really didn't work."<br /><br />Wow Buzz, bitter much?<br /><br />He also conveniently fails to mention that other low payroll teams were in the playoffs this year and each has had sucesss in recent years. Cardinals (18th), Rockies (19th), and Twins (24th). <br /><br />Nobody denies that having a huge payroll is an advantage, but why can't sportswriters ever give credit to teams who are smart managers and continue to have sucess without large payrolls?Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05117565553215414852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post-2395737895631890582009-10-23T06:57:51.582-07:002009-10-23T06:57:51.582-07:00Is there some kind of contractual obligation forci...Is there some kind of contractual obligation forcing every sportswriter to devote at least one column a year to trying to debunk "Moneyball?"<br /><br />Also, how does he square this with his contention that Beane didn't change baseball:<br /><br />"Without the money necessary to compete, all Beane can really do now is churn. It is a terrible position to be in no matter how astute you are. Market inefficiences are harder and harder to find, one of the ironies of Beane's brief but successful reliance on on-base percentage from 2000 to 2002 is that it has made players with such skill far too expensive for his pocketbook."<br /><br />Why are inefficiencies harder to find? Because Beane changed the way other GMs thought about building their teams.Biggus Rickusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300012139741038635.post-72287542945030388612009-10-23T03:33:49.230-07:002009-10-23T03:33:49.230-07:00Jeremy Brown retired for personal reasons, a famil...Jeremy Brown retired for personal reasons, a family issue that he wanted to take care of. Because Lewis made a big deal about Brown, people use his retirement as a shot against Beane. But he didn't quit because he sucked.<br /><br />People also ignore that one reason why the A's are struggling is that other teams with more money (Red Sox, Yankees) have taken the lessons of Moneyball to heart. Between better talent evaluation and more money to spend, it's no surprise that they're doing better than the A's.<br /><br />And nice job focusing on the Beane disciples that have fared badly (DePodesta, Ricciardi) while ignoring the success stories (Theo Epstein). Oh wait... you mean a Moneyball enthusiast WON THE FUCKING WORLD SERIES... TWICE????<br /><br />Then again, Buzz is one of a long line of people who do not understand the idea in Moneyball. It wasn't all about OBP. It was about finding skills that were being undervalued by most teams, and getting those on the cheap. OBP is the stat most closely related to run scoring, so it's no surprise that now that the rich teams are taking it into account, the A's are having trouble keeping up.<br /><br />Buzz uses the same old tired and inaccurate bullshit to challenge a point that Lewis never made.Tonushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01082528970434639776noreply@blogger.com