"Memo to 30-year-old stat geeks combing through Jim Rice's numbers: Get out of the house and look at the sky one time. I know personal contact frightens you, but let go of OPS for a moment and try talking to someone who saw Rice play, or better yet, played against him."
-- Dan Shaughnessy, January 16, 2008.
The title of the news and notes column in which that nugget runs is called "Observations that Can't Wait." I don't know what the hurry was to make that observation -- it's been sitting around for about a decade, collecting dust.
And I'm 34, Dan.
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See also: Great moments in "If You Don't Agree With Me, You Are Wrong".
Love how any contrary views or debates in one's HOF candidacy makes you a "stats geek" who lives in his parents' basement. Hey Dan, how about opening your mind to others having differing opinions?
Memo to 40-ish Boston sports writer: Get off of Jim Rice's dick and read the drivel you've been writing about this guy for the last handful of years. I know Carl Everett, honest reporting and the word "epistemology" frighten you, but let go of your hackneyed clichés for a moment and try talking to someone who eats fewer than 50 percent of his/her meals in a press box, or, better yet, has never uttered the word "curse" in his/her life without subsequently making fun of you.
I would wager that all but 5 percent of regular ShysterBall readers had more sex in their teens than Danny has enjoyed in his entire life.
Are you kidding me ? Have you seen a pic of Dan .. he was definately reeling them in back in the day ....... all kidding aside .. i think people PERCEPTIONS (see my blog hint hint) have alot to do with why some people think Rice may be a Hall of famer and some don't. I definately think he isn't, but isn't it curious there are so many polarizing views on this guy. I mean his playing record is what it is, and see people "see" two totally different players when talking about rice ..... its really sort of mind boggling
Yeah, I found Dan's homer-laden drivel wonderfully lame, considering this was the guy that made a fortune keeping alive the "Curse" stuff forever.
unrelated sidenote (not to threadjack): was at Yankee stadium last year and saw Big Dan S. walking around. He had that "liquor tan" going like it was nobody's business. Lit up like a xmas tree. Way to go, Curse-boy
Also i just thought of this ... why don't we take Dan up on his challenge and talk to the collective group of pitchers who faced Rice over the years? The same group that NEVER intentionally walked him with the basesloaded. And held Rice to one point less in OPS+ over his career than Fred Lynn for example. I know OPS+ isn't everything, but again isnt it wierd that Rice gets an enormous about of support and Lynn gets nothing ? (not saying Lynn is the HOF'er but its just ODD to me)
The "basement-dwelling stat geek" ad hominem really seems to be de rigeur these days, doesn't it? My guess is that they finally hit expiration date on "fantasy nerd", which was what the hard-living, hard-typing, hard-jock-sniffing knights of the keyboard used to call everyone who loved baseball and could do simple division.
I would love to see a collection of about 20 BBWAA members face off against 20 "basement dwelling stat-geeks" in a series of athletic events, kind of like Battle of the Network stars. My guess is that the basement dwellers would handily destroy the BBWAA as they huff and puff to the sidelines for a cigarette and a pastrami sandwich.
Mark B-
That's perhaps the best idea I've ever heard.
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