re: MLB batting avg .242

Carew slugged .429 for his career. He could slap singles but he also could hit the ball hard. You don’t have to be a slugger to hit the ball hard.

Depends on who’s batting behind them.

quote:

---

But the downside is that it does not take entertaining the paying customers into consideration whatsoever.

---

Which is kinda the point of spectator sports, to entertain people. People don’t pay money to watch front offices match wits over who can make the game more efficient they’re paying to watch players do great things and use their athletic ability which there isn’t enough of in modern MLB. Baseball has become so “smart” that it’s stupid

Yeah the stats people are super fricking annoying. My god who the hell cares stfu and watch the game.

Thank God no other sport is anywhere near that bad about stats/analytics.

quote:

---

give me the pither who wins 14 games and pitches 200 innings for cy young

---

Gerrit Cole, come on down!

quote:

---

We don't want fancy stats that I don't understand or people playing a sport at its absolute pinnacle where decisions are made intelligently

---

Shredding pitchers arms by pushing them to the limit and tolerating multitudes of strikeouts is the pinnacle of arrogance

I don’t disagree with you one iota but what analytics seeks to do is prioritize getting the W, which is the ultimate successful outcome. Not the style points or entertaining stuff. I would imagine that most fans want the W too, although the reality is that only one team gets to win its last game and a whole lot of them even today with the expanded playoffs won’t get the opportunity. So there’s got to be some entertainment value. There are competing interests and you need an equilibrium.

quote:

---

I thought we like athletic greatness

---

I hear ya, but a person can appreciate athletic greatness and not be entertained…and obviously it’s subjective. But for example, triathletes are exceptional athletes and I respect what they do, but I have very little interest in watching them. Track and field, swimming, and others…the athletes are incredible. But there’s a reason there is little interest except during the Olympics and other select events. It’s just not very compelling entertainment…as I say I certainly don’t speak for everyone on these sports, but they don’t move the needle for most of the public. I think the athletic ability, plus the intangibles…strategy, guys playing their roles, luck, etc are what drive the popularity of the major sports.

Hitters see these pitchers less often. You get 5-6 from the starter and then 3-4 guys all throwing 95+ with crazy rpms & spin rates. Not only are way more pitchers throwing harder, they pair those power fastballs with nasty offspeed stuff AND hitters are seeing a guy twice, at most, and usually only once.

It’s always been insanely difficult to hit MLB pitching, and it’s getting more difficult every year with the new technology.

You calling anyone a “casual” is pretty funny since all you do is watch 12 second Twitter clips and pay for stat sites so you can pretend you have a clue.