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Thread: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

  1. #31
    Haunted by walks
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by George Anderson View Post
    Not sure if you saw the "60 Minutes" show the other night, but James wrote something very unflattering about Mr. Sparky Anderson. It was something along the lines that Sparky was more lucky than good. Sparky refered to James as "a little fat guy with a beard...who knows nothing about nothing"
    Of course, it was Sparky who said, "I don't believe a manager ever won a pennant. Casey Stengel won all those pennants with the Yankees. How many did he win with the Boston Braves and Mets? I've never seen a team win a pennant without players. I think the only thing the manager has to do is keep things within certain boundaries."

    And:

    "My idea of managing is giving the ball to Tom Seaver and sitting down and watching him work."

    And:

    "The players make the manager, it's never the other way."


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  3. #32
    Member RedsManRick's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Sounds like James and Sparky agree with each other -- they just don't know it.
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.

  4. #33
    Redsmetz redsmetz's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by BCubb2003 View Post
    Of course, it was Sparky who said, "I don't believe a manager ever won a pennant. Casey Stengel won all those pennants with the Yankees. How many did he win with the Boston Braves and Mets? I've never seen a team win a pennant without players. I think the only thing the manager has to do is keep things within certain boundaries."

    And:

    "My idea of managing is giving the ball to Tom Seaver and sitting down and watching him work."

    And:

    "The players make the manager, it's never the other way."
    I found this blog with some info about Anderson v. James - if you search for "Anderson", you'll find the pertinant comments.
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  5. #34
    Beer is good!! George Anderson's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by RedsManRick View Post
    Sounds like James and Sparky agree with each other -- they just don't know it.
    I think Sparky agrees in part with James but I don't think he likes an outsider like James saying it.
    "Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard

  6. #35
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by George Anderson View Post
    I think Sparky agrees in part with James but I don't think he likes an outsider like James saying it.
    I think you're probably right. Though I would say that a sign of true humility is not getting angry when somebody agrees with your assessment of yourself.
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.

  7. #36
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    The other day Paul Daughtery was going off James' comments on sac bunts, to the point of cutting off callers. It's odd how folks get so ideological about this.

  8. #37
    Big Red Machine RedsBaron's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by BCubb2003 View Post
    The other day Paul Daughtery was going off James' comments on sac bunts, to the point of cutting off callers. It's odd how folks get so ideological about this.
    Daugherty is a jackass.
    One of the dumber articles that I have read recently was Daugherty's defense of Dusty Baker which basically came down to his assertion that since Baker had "won" more games as a manager than his critics, then his critics should shut up. If Daugherty was capable of thought, it might occur to him that such "logic" would put him out of a job. Why should anyone then read anything Daugherty wrote about any baseball player or manager unless Daugherty had "won" more games than the manager or had more basehits than the hitter, et al.
    "Hey...Dad. Wanna Have A Catch?" Kevin Costner in "Field Of Dreams."

  9. #38
    Goober GAC's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou View Post
    FWIW James was quite the snarky guy back in the day, I have many of his Abstracts and there is no loss for tude towards players or managment, however he tried his best to leave the on field decisions alone, he felt he wasn't qualified to make them without the data.
    Do you think MLB basically ignoring him, not wanting to give him or Baseball Abstract the "time of day", helped to contribute to the snarkiness James had back then?

    I also know that he wasn't a big fan, or have very nice things to say about rotisserie baseball either.
    "In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)

  10. #39
    breath westofyou's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by GAC View Post
    Do you think MLB basically ignoring him, not wanting to give him or Baseball Abstract the "time of day", helped to contribute to the snarkiness James had back then?

    I also know that he wasn't a big fan, or have very nice things to say about rotisserie baseball either.
    No, I think that was his style of writing, he was younger and well... with experience in life and writing comes refinement. It doesn't mean he doesn't have that arrow in his quiver, it's just not a go to tool anymore. he can express himself better.

    As for MLB "not giving him the time of day" during the Abstract years Bill worked both sides of the arbitration table compiling information for hearings. His involvement with MLB goes much further back than his recent Red Sox job.

  11. #40
    Goober GAC's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    I just remember reading some of his comments back then when it came to MLB, and primarily the owners/GMs. One could sense his frustration, and at times, anger.

    He definitely has mellowed. With age comes experience.
    "In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)

  12. #41
    AlienTruckStopSexWorker cincinnati chili's Avatar
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    Re: Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions

    Quote Originally Posted by RedsBaron View Post
    Daugherty is a jackass.
    One of the dumber articles that I have read recently was Daugherty's defense of Dusty Baker which basically came down to his assertion that since Baker had "won" more games as a manager than his critics, then his critics should shut up. If Daugherty was capable of thought, it might occur to him that such "logic" would put him out of a job. Why should anyone then read anything Daugherty wrote about any baseball player or manager unless Daugherty had "won" more games than the manager or had more basehits than the hitter, et al.
    This is an outstanding point, regardless of what anyone thinks of Daugherty.
    Stick to your guns.


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