Q. and A. with C. Trent Rosecrans

[BCubb2003]

I don't usually mix business and pleasure, but here's a Q. and A. with C. Trent (can't vouch for the knucklehead asking the questions):

http://blog.syracuse.com/future-news..._cnaticom.html

It's mostly about the news business, but here's a baseball-related excerpt:

Where do you stand in the debate over old-school scouting and sabermetrics?

I believe there's a happy medium somewhere, but I lean heavily toward the numbers guys in most arguments. I used to be dead-set against silly acronyms and all that stuff, but then I started reading the reasoning, thought and research behind them. I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about sabermetrics. There's the whole "mom's basement" cliche that is just silly and played. At its base, the sabermetrics community is trying to better understand something they enjoy and questioning everything they know. To me, that's healthy thought -- of course, it can be taken to an unhealthy extreme, but it's still good to be out there. I don't know the math, but I enjoy the theory behind it and find it more honest than saying, "well, that's the way it's always been." There are things numbers don't tell you, but at least there's a reasoning behind it.

[lollipopcurve]

C Trent on the lineup construction debate:

Anyway, back to the lineup, I think I've been on record saying it's the most overrated and over-discussed thing in baseball. Lineup construction, and many studies will show you this, just don't really matter all that much. Naturally you want your better hitters getting more ABs, but beyond that... bleh, it's just white noise.

[Spring~Fields]

Naturally you want your better hitters getting more ABs

Makes sense to me, especially when factoring in the entire seasons worth. Of course then there are some in charge out there that gives more AB to their weaker hitters, then they complain about not getting the break or not being able to score that needed run or two. Oh well, too deep for me.

[edabbs44]

Naturally you want your better hitters getting more ABs

Originally Posted by Spring~Fields

Makes sense to me, especially when factoring in the entire seasons worth. Of course then there are some in charge out there that gives more AB to their weaker hitters, then they complain about not getting the break or not being able to score that needed run or two. Oh well, too deep for me.

One of the most impressive displays of cherry-picking we've seen in quite a while.

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by edabbs44

One of the most impressive displays of cherry-picking we've seen in quite a while.

Really ? Why is that? I always thought that you were very good at being selective.

se·lec·tive [sə léktiv]
adj

2. not universal: applying to some but not others

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by Spring~Fields

Really ? Why is that? I always thought that you were very good at being selective.

se·lec·tive [sə léktiv]
adj

2. not universal: applying to some but not others

Look at the rest of his quote.

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by edabbs44

Look at the rest of his quote.

How is he doing anything so different from the rest of us? What makes him anymore remarkable or infallible than the rest of us?

[nate]

Originally Posted by Spring~Fields

Makes sense to me, especially when factoring in the entire seasons worth. Of course then there are some in charge out there that gives more AB to their weaker hitters, then they complain about not getting the break or not being able to score that needed run or two. Oh well, too deep for me.

That's pretty much what the entire debate is about. If all your hitters have similar ability, it doesn't matter where they hit. If they have disparate ability, the better hitters should hit earlier and the "fast guys," "defensive specialists" and pitchers should be hitting later. Squeezing every last drop of production out of one's lineup should net a team a few wins each season. I think this is one of the few ways a manager makes a difference in his team's record.

Maybe that doesn't matter if you're a second division club. But it matters a lot to one that's on the cusp.

Like the 2010 Reds might be.

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by nate

That's pretty much what the entire debate is about. If all your hitters have similar ability, it doesn't matter where they hit. If they have disparate ability, the better hitters should hit earlier and the "fast guys," "defensive specialists" and pitchers should be hitting later. Squeezing every last drop of production out of one's lineup should net a team a few wins each season. I think this is one of the few ways a manager makes a difference in his team's record.

Maybe that doesn't matter if you're a second division club. But it matters a lot to one that's on the cusp.

Like the 2010 Reds might be.

Nate you seriously write that so much better than I ever good. I wholely agree with each letter that you have written here. Good Job!

[lollipopcurve]

Squeezing every last drop of production out of one's lineup should net a team a few wins each season. I think this is one of the few ways a manager makes a difference in his team's record.

So, hitting Phillips 6th would gain the Reds a few wins?

[Ron Madden]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

So, hitting Phillips 6th would gain the Reds a few wins?

In some situations it could.

(IMHO)

[nate]

Originally Posted by Ron Madden

In some situations it could.

(IMHO)

Especially if a better hitter hits in the spot he vacated.

[lollipopcurve]

Especially if a better hitter hits in the spot he vacated.

Rolen?
Bruce?

[Ron Madden]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

Rolen?
Bruce?

I'd think that would depend on who the opposing starting pitcher is.

[Hoosier Red]

Not to interrupt a pissing match here but I'd like to take the point to pimp CNATI as much as possible.

C Trent's working his tail off trying to get that site going and it's certainly better to have more voices on the Reds and Tri-State sports.

Go check it out.

http://cnati.com/