We also hate kittens and babies and live in our mother's basement.
Nobody disagrees with you -- steals can add real value to a player's production. They just should be treated in proportion to their actual value and in the broader context of runs added/lost in total on the bases.Now, if a guy is getting thrown out a good percentage, I agree its worthless. But to say 55 steals isn't worth looking at is a flat out lie. In a time where offense is declining and pitching is on the rise, small is going to find its way back in the game, as you can see with the NL regaining momentum vs. the AL. Stealing bases IS small ball, and while it can lose you some runs, if managed right, and can steal you many many more runs.
And yes, I just had about 50 different arguments in that one piece. /rant