tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6039665329084961589.post7216276429113971025..comments2023-08-12T05:55:04.536-07:00Comments on Pen of the Ack: Intangibles? You talkin' intangibles? Intangibles?The Ackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374953233006854310noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6039665329084961589.post-31921070435556951832012-05-05T14:20:01.617-07:002012-05-05T14:20:01.617-07:00"... death by overanalysis" is a great w..."... death by overanalysis" is a great way to put it.<br /><br />I like advanced statistics, but only to a point. Baseball's so much more than statistics, advanced or not. <br /><br />And thanks for the plug on the piece. I hope you own a t-shirt that says "#1 Dad."Navinhttp://www.fangraphs.com/notnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6039665329084961589.post-76589223451100705052012-05-05T11:53:05.753-07:002012-05-05T11:53:05.753-07:00Love it. The stats matter, for sure, but the relat...Love it. The stats matter, for sure, but the relationships within the club add such a fantastic dynamic to fandom. I think we're pretty lucky with this club's love of twitter because of the amount they interact with each other. The Drabek-Romero(-and sometimes Morrow) interactions are some of my favourites. <br />Great stuff again, Ack!@JPDelMontehttp://www.twitter.com/JPDelMontenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6039665329084961589.post-82223583107932472902012-05-05T11:50:35.564-07:002012-05-05T11:50:35.564-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jipstickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08230082942820766673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6039665329084961589.post-22138394058734336472012-05-05T10:18:05.600-07:002012-05-05T10:18:05.600-07:00Stats are useful in understanding baseball. But t...Stats are useful in understanding baseball. But there's no endpoint. It's a journey and I don't think we're very far along on it. <br /><br />It's like studying the stars to understand our existence - we're around Galileo's time right now. We've just figured out the Earth isn't the centre of the universe and Joe Morgan's giving us hell.<br /><br />But we shouldn't be running around proclaiming we've figured it all out and that anybody who doesn't think xFIP is 100% predicative of future performance is wrong. Like the Pope or something.Gil Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01177204960812280259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6039665329084961589.post-50365000860652384322012-05-05T09:58:50.466-07:002012-05-05T09:58:50.466-07:00I read somewhere once that "stats would be th...I read somewhere once that "stats would be the death of the human interest story in baseball", and I don't necessarily agree with it. Statistics help us understand the game, and appreciate it in different ways, but it doesn't necessarily mean that we need to minimize the "romantic" side of the game. I don't like bunts because they're a bad statistical play, but it's still really exciting to watch one. Chaos on the infield, runners coming home or going to second, always a close play at first...<br /><br />The reason stats guys dismiss chemistry is that it can't be easily measured, and so it's not taken into account. It definitely matters, and I think it definitely plays into how much we enjoy watching a team. It's a fun (if occasionally douche-y) bunch on the Jays, so I hope this team finds success.DaveChttp://davechurch.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6039665329084961589.post-34898518108533901732012-05-05T09:51:17.949-07:002012-05-05T09:51:17.949-07:00You nailed the biggest thing about the Blue Jays t...You nailed the biggest thing about the Blue Jays the last few years that often goes ignored - they are an entertaining bunch. Sure, we haven't made the playoffs, but any fan of the team who follows on a consistent basis was treated to entertaining, competitive baseball at nearly all times. <br /><br />Over the offseason and spring training the Blue Jays were dominating the Toronto media scene and the hype was everywhere. A lot of my friends, knowing I'm a big Jays fan, would ask me if they are making the playoffs this year. I'd always answer no, but try to explain that even if they don't this is a fun, exciting team to watch with a fuckton of young talent that puts them in a good position to be competitive for a long time.<br /><br />I do wonder about the 2011 Red Sox though. I mean, they missed the playoffs on the last day of the year. Do ANY of these sentiments come out if that hadn't had happened? I don't remember Bill Simmons crying from the rooftop about their lack of team chemistry when they were comfortably in a playoff spot at the start of September.@NorthYorkJayshttp://twitter.com/NorthYorkJaysnoreply@blogger.com