Comments on: The worst baseball writing of the year http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/ Baseball. Baseball. And then a bit more baseball. Sun, 26 May 2013 07:52:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: pjmarn6 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-419070 Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:26:00 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-419070 With more space, could he say anything stupider than Bonds and Clemens deserve to be in the HOF regardless that they doped themselves up to the gills?

]]> By: pjmarn6 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418966 Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:10:51 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418966 I nominate Craig Calcaterra for worse sports writer of the year for sponsoring Clemens and Bonds for the hall of fame and then stating that for the next ten years they will be clogging up the HOF ballot.

]]> By: raysfan1 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418196 Thu, 27 Dec 2012 07:10:00 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418196 The big problems with Albom’s articles are (1) being arrogantly condescending toward a large number of fans and commentators who do use Sabermetrics and (2) lumping in OBP and OPS as somehow esoteric concepts that only a nerd could love.

As for your own rant about WAR, no, I won’t try to convince you of anything. I have never met anyone, or read any article stating the WAR was the be-all-end-all stat. Even Fangraphs states that one has to use multiple stats to evaluate a player. I also have never heard of anyone seriously suggesting that statistical analysis obviates the need for old fashioned scouting. Use whatever stats you like.

However, “2nd base is a place where you send a guy who doesn’t have a position?” Really? You would try to hide a guy at an up-the-middle defensive position? You can argue that Fangraphs’ or Baseball-Reference’s WAR formulae overvalue defense, and I expect even some “SaberGeeks” might agree with you. However, if you seriously think 3B “requires great fielding” and that 2B doesn’t in fact require it even more, then you’re nuts.

]]> By: kappy32 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418191 Thu, 27 Dec 2012 06:27:19 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418191 I’m sorry, but Mitch Albom’s article doesn’t belong there. Albom was merely stating what many people believe: Sabermetrics aren’t all they are made out to be. As I’ve said a million times here & in other places, WAR is a great statistic to determine the best player at his respective position, however it is a horrible tool to determine the best overall player regardless of position. The average replacement 2B is not going to be as good as the average replacement 3B. There is no question about that. 3B is a power hitting position & requires great fielding whereas 2B is a place where you send a guy who doesn’t have a position. Even if it is based upon the average replacement player regardless of position, the stat is still flawed. You cannot compare an average replacement at 3B & 2B & say they would be the same. That is the main reason why you get many more 2B & CF with higher WAR numbers than 3B or 1B. The fact that there isn’t a universal calculation for WAR makes the stat even more unreliable. You can count HR, RBI & Avg., why can’t you count WAR? You can’t count it because its a subjective statistic that should hold any credence. WAR is an opinion & stats outweigh opinions. I dare you SaberGeeks to refute this with me… Make me a believer.

]]> By: raysfan1 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418187 Thu, 27 Dec 2012 05:18:48 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418187 You forgot to sign it “Love, Mom.”

Seriously, though, you’ve been a reader for a while, obviously, to be aware of his spring training trips each of the last two years, yet here you are bitching about his work. Why? If you think he’s that bad, why not give your page views to some other site?

]]> By: therightisalright http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418174 Thu, 27 Dec 2012 02:51:55 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418174 Craig you are hands down the worst. The only reason you weren’t nominated is because no one can stand reading your drivel. I can’t wait for your upcoming posts from spring training. Please promise to enthrall us with more equipment bag pictures those are always captivating. Seriously it has to take a lot of effort to be this consistently awful. If you are not recognized as the worst well then there really is no justice in this world – your hard work should be rewarded.

]]> By: yahmule http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418173 Thu, 27 Dec 2012 02:51:20 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418173 Crab sandwiches on grilled sourdough bread sound pretty awesome to me.

]]> By: wlschneider09 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418119 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 22:34:42 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418119 The dog sure thought so.

]]> By: Ponsonby_Britt http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418103 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:41:00 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418103 The infamous “Dog Fister” column could earn an Honorable (?) Mention.

http://deadspin.com/dog-fister/

]]> By: Pierre Cruzatte http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418097 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:20:34 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418097 Re: Craig’s writing (which is very good, because he is sensible and occasionally funny!), I wonder what the median words/post count is. Or, the average word count of the longest 50% of his posts.

I guess the counterpoint is, “sure, but his words per day rivals that of your average BBWAA guy.” Still, I would be very interested to see what Craig could do with a somewhat longer form.

]]> By: 1historian http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418094 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:10:10 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418094 Craig – you are, as ever – too modest.

So let me say it here – YOU’RE #1!

]]> By: jwbiii http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418089 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:40:43 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418089 Regarding Jeff Seidel’s piece and effete San Francisco fans: Comerica Park does have a concession which serves margaritas (Jose Cuervo in the well, Sauza Especial premium). Crab cakes, unfortunately, are only on the catering menu.

]]> By: indaburg http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418057 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:55:41 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418057 Although all of the norminees are worthy, Mitch Albom gets my vote for the worst. After reading his piece, I half expected to get a wedgie for daring to look up statistics on Fangraphs.

]]> By: butchhuskey http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418052 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:49:31 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418052 I’m still not convinced that “Bryce Harper, Conservative Hero” wasn’t a parody. It reads like something straight out of The Onion and is just as hilarious.

]]> By: sportsland33 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418042 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:31:21 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418042 No worries, Craig. The day you do some actual writing, you will be a shoo-in.

]]> By: jonrox http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418034 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:17:08 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418034 What makes it worse is that Mitch Albom wins writing awards for garbage like that.

]]> By: raysfan1 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418018 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:47:49 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418018 We know you can do it, Craig!

]]> By: icanspeel http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418013 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:30:14 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418013 I am glad Nick Canepa’s writing, if you can call it that was nominated because living in SD all my life and reading so many terrible articles by him I always wondered how he keeps his job.

]]> By: Ben http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/the-worst-baseball-writing-of-the-year/comment-page-1/#comment-418005 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:03:50 +0000 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=281471#comment-418005 I had forgotten the Bryce Harper, conservative hero, piece. That’s priceless.

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