Philosophy
Posted by confused, maybe not
At LGM http://lefarkins.blogspot.com/2007/08/756-hold-askterisk.html, Scott Lemieux writes:
"756, Hold the Asterisk
Yglesias proclaims all-time HR leader Barry Bonds "the greatest offensive player in the history of baseball." I don't actually think that this is true. Ruth and Williams, as you can see, have decisively higher EQAs, and I think any good offensive metric will show the same thing. You can still make a case for Bonds -- because of Ruth's first career as a pitcher and Williams's military service, Bonds has a longer career, and his 02-04 peak is almost certainly the highest level of offensive performance ever reached. But overall, I still have to rank Bonds slightly below Ruth and Williams as a hitter. (Bonds was certainly a better all-around player than Williams, and clearly remains behind Ruth, given that the latter was at least comparable offersively and also a great pitcher.) Of course, the other case for Bonds is that because it's harder to dominate modern baseball than baseball in the 20s or 40s he should be moved ahead. I can't argue with that; at some level, these discussions rest on unfalsifiable assumptions about the quality of play. But in terms of dominance of their era, I would still rank Bonds slightly behind Ruth and Williams. "
Asterisk? Legitimate?
Any thoughts?
- Should Managers Have Their Own Baseball Cards?
The shorter of the short people has started collecting baseball cards. It's been a real hoot for me, seeing some of the old cards I used to have back when I was a kid. It's also provided ways to parent covertly because many cards give me a chance...
- Baby Talk And Baseball
Kerry asks, "Why do many of us speak to our pets in baby talk or in a voice different from our normal one?" My conjecture is that because we think of our pets as our children. Now, it is actually a good thing to talk to newborn babies in our high pitched...
- The Ghost Of Jackie Mitchell Smiles
Eri Yoshida has been drafted to play professional baseball.A 16-year-old schoolgirl with a mean knuckleball has been selected as the first woman ever to play alongside the men in Japanese professional baseball. Eri Yoshida was drafted for a new independent...
- Thoughts On The Asterisk
Want to add my two cents on the asterisk question. The hard part is keeping straight exactly what the asterisk is being applied to. Is it the home run record? Is it the claim that Bonds is one of the greatest ever? Is it his claim to being Hall-of-Fame...
- Pity Party: Who Do You Feel Sorry For?
I feel sorry for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Having to wait to see if the Senate passed a no confidence resolution against you. Man, that had to be torture. No one should have to go through that. I feel sorry for the guy who (purportedly) supplied...
Philosophy
Barry and 756
Posted by confused, maybe not
At LGM http://lefarkins.blogspot.com/2007/08/756-hold-askterisk.html, Scott Lemieux writes:
"756, Hold the Asterisk
Yglesias proclaims all-time HR leader Barry Bonds "the greatest offensive player in the history of baseball." I don't actually think that this is true. Ruth and Williams, as you can see, have decisively higher EQAs, and I think any good offensive metric will show the same thing. You can still make a case for Bonds -- because of Ruth's first career as a pitcher and Williams's military service, Bonds has a longer career, and his 02-04 peak is almost certainly the highest level of offensive performance ever reached. But overall, I still have to rank Bonds slightly below Ruth and Williams as a hitter. (Bonds was certainly a better all-around player than Williams, and clearly remains behind Ruth, given that the latter was at least comparable offersively and also a great pitcher.) Of course, the other case for Bonds is that because it's harder to dominate modern baseball than baseball in the 20s or 40s he should be moved ahead. I can't argue with that; at some level, these discussions rest on unfalsifiable assumptions about the quality of play. But in terms of dominance of their era, I would still rank Bonds slightly behind Ruth and Williams. "
Asterisk? Legitimate?
Any thoughts?
- Should Managers Have Their Own Baseball Cards?
The shorter of the short people has started collecting baseball cards. It's been a real hoot for me, seeing some of the old cards I used to have back when I was a kid. It's also provided ways to parent covertly because many cards give me a chance...
- Baby Talk And Baseball
Kerry asks, "Why do many of us speak to our pets in baby talk or in a voice different from our normal one?" My conjecture is that because we think of our pets as our children. Now, it is actually a good thing to talk to newborn babies in our high pitched...
- The Ghost Of Jackie Mitchell Smiles
Eri Yoshida has been drafted to play professional baseball.A 16-year-old schoolgirl with a mean knuckleball has been selected as the first woman ever to play alongside the men in Japanese professional baseball. Eri Yoshida was drafted for a new independent...
- Thoughts On The Asterisk
Want to add my two cents on the asterisk question. The hard part is keeping straight exactly what the asterisk is being applied to. Is it the home run record? Is it the claim that Bonds is one of the greatest ever? Is it his claim to being Hall-of-Fame...
- Pity Party: Who Do You Feel Sorry For?
I feel sorry for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Having to wait to see if the Senate passed a no confidence resolution against you. Man, that had to be torture. No one should have to go through that. I feel sorry for the guy who (purportedly) supplied...