I highly recommend the Krakauer book about Tillman: Where Men Win Glory. A more nuanced, more real portrayal of Tillman that will leave you admiring him even more… and realizing how unworthy of him the Bush White House and the American military behaved. A great read…. come to think of it, I’d recommend anything Krakauer writes.

1. Your original post implied the two players are essentially equivalent. If you feel they are not, then you should word things differently.

2. And, while we are at it, you might also consider looking up the numbers yourself rather than making a blind assertion based on…I dunno, your best guess? I mean, it’s not like I had to dig deep into the bowels of the Library of Congress or something to find these numbers.

3. You’re right that a 7-10 point difference in BA and OPS+ are not entirely trivial. But they are not as significant as 19 years of excellent defense (or 16 years of poor defense). Nor are they as significant as 400 additional hits.

4. As to calling WAR a made-up stat, do you have a better way to objectively compare different players with different skill sets across different eras? Oh, right, you just sort of guess at it. Because that’s certainly not “made up” or “subjective.”

So Posada’s 10 points in career BA and 7 points in career OPS are a wash, but Carter’s compiled Hits, HRs and RBI aren’t? OK, if you say so.

I’ll give the defense to you…Posada wasn’t close.

But God I really freaking hate WAR. Really…really much. It’s a made-up stat with too much subjectivity. Don’t quote me WAR. Please. OPS…fine. Hits, HRs and RBI…fine. But WAR? Bleh stick it.

They were/are both roughly equal in terms of their effectiveness as hitters. Carter .262 BA, Posada .273; Carter 115 OPS+, Posada 122 OPS+. In this regard they are, then, a wash.

However, Carter was an excellent defensive catcher, while Posada was mediocre to poor. Further, Carter was productive for several more seasons, with the result that he has 400 more hits, 50 more HR, and 200 more RBI than Posada. These are not trifling numbers, especially for catchers.

The result is that Carter has a career WAR of 67, which is comfortably in HOF territory. Posada’s is 46, which is comfortably on the outside looking in.

Yes, Posada has rings and Carter does not. Maybe worth some amount of extra credit, but not 20 WAR worth of extra credit, as WS rings are very much a function of teammates and opportunity.

I remember 1966 (yes I’m that old) when Jim Brown walked away from the NFL at the top of his game. Of course the money was nowhere close to what they get today, but he just up and walked away. Pat Tilman also comes to mind.

Jeter’s best years are fading in the rear-view mirror and his skills are diminishing daily. That is sad, but is there anyone out there who wouldn’t put up with this for $17,000,000 per year?

Tantrums are one of the most common forms of problematic behavior in young children but tend to decrease in frequency and intensity as the child grows older. They may, however, be a predictor of future anti-social behavior.

Some people who have neurological disorders such as the combination of autism or mental retardation could be more prone to tantrums than others, although anyone experiencing forebrain damage (temporary or permanent) can suffer from tantrums. Anyone may be prone to tantrums once in a while, regardless of gender or age.

I’d say the final sentence kinda sums it up. I’m all for giving the guy a break here. Sure he was being a baby, and he should know better acting out like that in NY of all places. But I think we can all have a tantrum once in awhile. It’s a natural human reaction to overwhelming frustration.