Comments on: Birds and Blue Note … with Rob Neyer http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/ A Rough Draft Blog Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:06:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: gogiggs http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11369 gogiggs Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:20:50 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11369 "the absence of evidence for a phenomena will ultimately lead to the recognition that the phenomena doesn’t exist." The persistence of theism suggests you're wrong about that. “the absence of evidence for a phenomena will ultimately lead to the recognition that the phenomena doesn’t exist.”

The persistence of theism suggests you’re wrong about that.

]]> By: Charles H http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11359 Charles H Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:45:42 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11359 Not to nit pick, but, having just read through the archive of the old "Soul of Baseball" blog site, didn't you tell the Johnny Bench / Gerry Arrigo story with the pitcher as Jim Maloney? Seems I've heard it as Don Gullet too. I can certainly remember the story being told, probably during the '75 Series with the Sox. Whatever, thanks for the interview. A new baseball book I can search out - if it makes it across the border! Not to nit pick, but, having just read through the archive of the old “Soul of Baseball” blog site, didn’t you tell the Johnny Bench / Gerry Arrigo story with the pitcher as Jim Maloney? Seems I’ve heard it as Don Gullet too. I can certainly remember the story being told, probably during the ‘75 Series with the Sox.
Whatever, thanks for the interview. A new baseball book I can search out – if it makes it across the border!

]]> By: Oddibe Kerfeld http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11352 Oddibe Kerfeld Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:55:41 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11352 Joe, You are going to write a book about your dog Hilton? Is it going to be like Marley and Me? Joe,

You are going to write a book about your dog Hilton? Is it going to be like Marley and Me?

]]> By: Oddibe Kerfeld http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11345 Oddibe Kerfeld Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:50:09 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11345 I thought this Onion piece on Rob Neyer was spot on. March 06, 2008 Rob Neyer Invents Statistic To Measure Own Disenchantment With Baseball PORTLAND, OR—ESPN.com baseball columnist Rob Neyer has announced the formula for a new statistic which compares and contrasts his own disillusionment with the sport of baseball against that felt by his fellow sabermetricians. "It's called Baseball Fatigue Average, or 'BFA,' and it's the most comprehensive anti-baseball stat out there," said Neyer in a chat session in which he also argued the meaninglessness of the run batted in."It takes into account the extreme importance given to the walk, coincidentally the least interesting part of the sport, and factors in the sheer randomness of the game and how little effect players ultimately have upon the outcome. Even the Crack Of The Bat Quotient and the Smell Of The Freshly Cut Grass Under A Cloudless Robin's-Egg-Blue Sky On A Warm Spring Afternoon Index are not enough to counteract the effects of BFA. And the best part is, you don't have to watch a single ennui-producing pitch of Major League Baseball to figure out how little you like it." Neyer announced he will now turn his attention to reducing the abstract concept of "fun" down to a single significant digit. I thought this Onion piece on Rob Neyer was spot on.

March 06, 2008

Rob Neyer Invents Statistic To Measure Own Disenchantment With Baseball

PORTLAND, OR—ESPN.com baseball columnist Rob Neyer has announced the formula for a new statistic which compares and contrasts his own disillusionment with the sport of baseball against that felt by his fellow sabermetricians. “It’s called Baseball Fatigue Average, or ‘BFA,’ and it’s the most comprehensive anti-baseball stat out there,” said Neyer in a chat session in which he also argued the meaninglessness of the run batted in.”It takes into account the extreme importance given to the walk, coincidentally the least interesting part of the sport, and factors in the sheer randomness of the game and how little effect players ultimately have upon the outcome. Even the Crack Of The Bat Quotient and the Smell Of The Freshly Cut Grass Under A Cloudless Robin’s-Egg-Blue Sky On A Warm Spring Afternoon Index are not enough to counteract the effects of BFA. And the best part is, you don’t have to watch a single ennui-producing pitch of Major League Baseball to figure out how little you like it.” Neyer announced he will now turn his attention to reducing the abstract concept of “fun” down to a single significant digit.

]]> By: Dan http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11336 Dan Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:57:11 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11336 gogiggs, the absence of evidence for a phenomena will ultimately lead to the recognition that the phenomena doesn't exist. Its like saying the man in the moon isn't made of green cheese, but we're still looking. gogiggs,
the absence of evidence for a phenomena will ultimately lead to the recognition that the phenomena doesn’t exist.

Its like saying the man in the moon isn’t made of green cheese, but we’re still looking.

]]> By: Dave http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11334 Dave Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:20:38 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11334 Wow - two of my favorites in one interview. That's like lasagna interviewing pizza! Seriously Joe, keep up the good work. Check out my shirt as well :) Wow – two of my favorites in one interview. That’s like lasagna interviewing pizza! Seriously Joe, keep up the good work. Check out my shirt as well :)

]]> By: gogiggs http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11333 gogiggs Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:52:00 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11333 I thought it was pretty weak. I didn't really expect to learn much new about Bill James. I realize those pieces are more for the uninitiated than for the long-time fan, but I was annoyed by the harping on the "no such thing as a clutch hitter" since James' position for some time has been that there may well be such things as clutch hitters but that we can't find any evidence that identifies them, that no players have been found who show a repeatable skill for performing better than expected in clutch situations. Granted, that's a fairly nuanced position to get across in a short TV piece, but that doesn't justify repeatedly asserting something wrong. Also, Morley Safer seemed to have a bit of an attitude toward James, which annoyed me. I thought it was pretty weak. I didn’t really expect to learn much new about Bill James. I realize those pieces are more for the uninitiated than for the long-time fan, but I was annoyed by the harping on the “no such thing as a clutch hitter” since James’ position for some time has been that there may well be such things as clutch hitters but that we can’t find any evidence that identifies them, that no players have been found who show a repeatable skill for performing better than expected in clutch situations. Granted, that’s a fairly nuanced position to get across in a short TV piece, but that doesn’t justify repeatedly asserting something wrong.

Also, Morley Safer seemed to have a bit of an attitude toward James, which annoyed me.

]]> By: Mikey http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11331 Mikey Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:14:26 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11331 Is there going to be a separate post on last night's 60 Minutes Bill James segment or should we just discuss it here? I would love to know what the readers here - and Joe, of course - thought of the piece. Is there going to be a separate post on last night’s 60 Minutes Bill James segment or should we just discuss it here?

I would love to know what the readers here – and Joe, of course – thought of the piece.

]]> By: Mikey http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11330 Mikey Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:13:15 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11330 The Dodgers, huh? Well, my eyebrows are raised. Rob Neyer knows a lot more baseball than I do and surely spends much, much more time thinking about the game, so I guess I would just say I'm intrigued by this selection. The Dodgers, huh? Well, my eyebrows are raised.

Rob Neyer knows a lot more baseball than I do and surely spends much, much more time thinking about the game, so I guess I would just say I’m intrigued by this selection.

]]> By: Jim Haas http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11320 Jim Haas Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:29:47 +0000 http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/03/29/birds-birdies-and-blue-note-with-rob-neyer/#comment-11320 Hilton Smith was inducted into the HOF the same year as Mazeroski, Puckett, and Winfield. The governor of NY (George Pataki) gave a nice welcoming speech before the induction ceremony but didn't mention Smith at all. Hilton Smith's son was representing his late father and when he gave his speech, he very gently but pointedly chided Pataki (who was seated in the front row on stage) for that omission. I thought it was great. I assume Hilton Smith had that combination of guts and class, so I'd buy the biography. Hilton Smith was inducted into the HOF the same year as Mazeroski, Puckett, and Winfield. The governor of NY (George Pataki) gave a nice welcoming speech before the induction ceremony but didn’t mention Smith at all. Hilton Smith’s son was representing his late father and when he gave his speech, he very gently but pointedly chided Pataki (who was seated in the front row on stage) for that omission. I thought it was great.

I assume Hilton Smith had that combination of guts and class, so I’d buy the biography.

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