tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post4300237260975774693..comments2023-10-17T10:45:07.796-04:00Comments on FJB: Ivan Rodriguez Has a Good FaceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-19687644437662983642011-09-26T10:49:13.936-04:002011-09-26T10:49:13.936-04:00A fine argument. I can see you know the price of e...A fine argument. I can see you know the price of everything. <br /><br />Baseball stats are ultimately about winning and losing. Baseball itself is not. If it were, nobody would be wearing Cubs caps. No one would be nostalgic for the Senators of their youth. It's not even a rational question to ask how much a standing ovation adds to win percentage.<br /><br />Here's a proposition: The so-called "intangibles" are in fact the ONLY tangibles. I can't *feel* a win percentage. It has no emotional resonance for me as a fan. <br /><br />Stats are one of the things that makes baseball great, and better use of them is useful and, well, more fun. So don't dismiss "more fun" because there's no number attached. And you are doing that.Soul Possession, PFB Sofahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08891662837668214475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-41383828519073581402011-09-25T12:56:25.751-04:002011-09-25T12:56:25.751-04:00"There wasn't one [fist] fight in the clu...<i>"There wasn't one [fist] fight in the clubhouse this year."</i><br /><br />Storen appears to have lost short-term memory. There were those days on Giggleman's Isle ... with Giggleman versus Marquis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-77507328005296447762011-09-25T12:53:15.250-04:002011-09-25T12:53:15.250-04:00It could have been one of those scenes in Moneybal...<i>It could have been one of those scenes in Moneyball about idiot baseball men who don't have a clue. In fact, if Aaron Sorkin had written a scene like that for the movie, it would have been attacked as an unfair cheap shot.</i><br /><br />Or a script written by former Nats manager Jim Giggleman. In fact you might even call that movie Giggleman's Isle. <br /><br />With Davey in charge no more respecting veterans (He WAS A HIGHLY RESPECTED VETERAN with the requisite world series rings?), no more 'respecting the game'. Davey wants to win for all of those scouts and baseball men who have been working hard for this franchise and taking a great deal of criticism. Davey wants to see what this batch of minor leaguers can do for him. Riggleman he would only want to see Pudge in the line up every day ... just as you describe. <br /><br />Yeah people complain about how Davey calls a game but this team is nigh on .500 ball at the end of the season playing some pretty decent teams. And next year DOES look to be a lot better. He only 'con' with me is that he used to be a friggin' Bird. I hate everything sports from Baltimore even the Bullets nee's Whizzards. This is DC we don't need know B-more cast-offs. <br /><br />Other than that Johnson himself apparently was into "Moneyball" back when he used to be Earl's 2nd baseman. So far the guy has done wonders for this downtrodden franchise. And Its time for Pudge to find his place with the DJ's of baseball at age 40.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-76398118170206382332011-09-25T10:57:50.675-04:002011-09-25T10:57:50.675-04:00Listen, I hate "good old-fashioned country ha...Listen, I hate "good old-fashioned country hardball" as much as the next guy, but I think FP's comment is dead on for the casual fan. He was overpaid for his value, sure, but not in a Werthian sense. He was able to fill some seats and give fans a name to wear on their jersey. And he ultimately took less playing time away from Ramos than feared (granted, you needed a manager like Johnson to make sure he didn't block Flores when he came back too.) <br /><br />I think today's post article does say a lot too. Zim was quoted as saying "There wasn't one [fist] fight in the clubhouse this year." And Storen's quote really sealed it for me too: "If he's not complaining about his role, who's complaining?"<br /><br />Ultimately, I'm glad I got to see him play here. And if all that "good clubhouse influence" stuff is just spin, well, it's pretty tasty Kool Aid.Mickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04221956772279818576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-85177183875955719322011-09-24T20:51:19.422-04:002011-09-24T20:51:19.422-04:00I'm saying I don't know. Obviously, Ramos...I'm saying I don't know. Obviously, Ramos wasn't a schlub when he was traded to the Nats. But sure, a top defensive catcher can certainly teach a rookie catcher things about playing good defense. You think they don't talk in the dugout? Or before the game? Or would your coach/player dichotomy suggest that Riggleman was teaching Ramos how to block the plate and how to get a jump on a basestealer. So while I, nor you, would ever really know what influence Rodriguez has had on Ramos, it's still true that an aging star gives more value to a team than their equivalent mediocre player in their prime. I'm with you that it's not necessarily worth the $ difference they command.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13987184943522532923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-82909991212491552572011-09-24T20:30:13.546-04:002011-09-24T20:30:13.546-04:00@anon: You're giving credit to Ivan Rodriguez ...@anon: You're giving credit to Ivan Rodriguez for Wilson Ramos's performance? Really?Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14109288910583404941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-17414195038041838292011-09-24T20:29:17.873-04:002011-09-24T20:29:17.873-04:00Fancy schmancy numbers like wins and losses? Nope,...Fancy schmancy numbers like wins and losses? Nope, not really. You're confusing the job of the coaches with the job of the players. The coaches teach, the players play. Maybe Pudge should have been hired to coach. Cuz he's a lousy player.Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14109288910583404941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-37125115201433887282011-09-24T20:23:40.756-04:002011-09-24T20:23:40.756-04:00Does the stuff that Hall of Fame catchers pass alo...Does the stuff that Hall of Fame catchers pass along to rookie catchers and pitchers in the dugout and spring training show up in those fancy-shmancy numbers of yours?loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02766371263428262679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-36691735618591757612011-09-24T20:17:31.390-04:002011-09-24T20:17:31.390-04:00I think you're being unfair here. Announcers ...I think you're being unfair here. Announcers and fans are always going to gush over future Hall of Famers in the twilight of their careers. You can't fault them for that any more than faulting them for talking up Desmond - yes they're wrong, but hey, it's exciting.<br /><br />But neither of us will ever know Rodriguez's "true" value to the team. He wasn't picked up to bring the Nationals the pennant. Ramos has turned into a damn good catcher. Is it because of Rodriguez? Who knows? But, to an extent, it could be.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13987184943522532923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2074246508221440257.post-71006388714997809722011-09-24T16:39:15.895-04:002011-09-24T16:39:15.895-04:00Many of the same comments could be leveled at Mike...Many of the same comments could be leveled at Mike Scioscia, who expelled Mike Napoli from the lineup, ultimately to join the Rangers and help them to a pennant. The idiocy of "the good face" extends to other sorts of religious convictions, such as catcher's ERA.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18015219452269186971noreply@blogger.com