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What you can learn from quotes

I've been browsing amazon.com for stuff I can blow a gift certificate on, and I decided to check out Baseball Prospectus 2006, which comes quite lauded by many prominent baseball people, which most us would recognize. Most say that the knowledge in the book should be common knowledge for people who want to be able to understand the game fully, and others, well, others betray their lack of competence with what they have to say.

Star-divide

Here are the quotes that amazon.com has for Baseball Prospectus 2006:

“Baseball Prospectus is one of the first things I read every day.”—Theo Epstein, Boston Red Sox General Manager

I.e., I rely on this information to do my job, and do it well.

“Baseball Prospectus has become the standard by which all scouting guides should be measured.”—Billy Beane, Oakland Athletics General Manager

Read this: I have judged a few scouting guides and informational articles, and this is the best one I've seen.

And the outsiders who know:
“If a general manager hasn’t read Baseball Prospectus, he should be fired for incompetence.”—Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball

Paraphrased, If you don't know how to use this information, then you aren't fit for your baseball job.

“The best book of its kind.”—Rob Neyer, ESPN.com

Generic quote.

“I never cease to be blown away by the geniuses at Baseball Prospectus.” — Jayson Stark, ESPN

Holler at your boy. Nice one Jayson. Basically, he says, I don't know if I understand much if it, but they seem smart. Go team!!

I don't think that this is too surprising, and I might be going too hard on the guy, but he hasn't much of a track record of illustrating interesting baseball information, at least, not in the moneyball vein to which we are accustomed. Anyway, take that for what it's worth... probably nothing. Here's a poll that won't tell us anything about anything.

Poll
What's your favorite color, or, what's your favorite day of the week?
Red, Sunday
6 votes
Orange, Monday
1 votes
Green, Tuesday
44 votes
Blue, Wednesday
13 votes
Brown, Thursday
2 votes
White with Navy Pinstripes, Friday (Take off, you hoser!!)
2 votes
Black, Saturday
8 votes

76 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 29 comments

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Comments

Display:

Wow.
This is probably the best diary I've ever read. Thank you.
I'll try not to swear.

by Tony on Feb 2, 2006 12:26 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

generic quote
A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Feb 2, 2006 1:18 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

No way, man--
generic rebuttal.

by Nico on Feb 2, 2006 10:14 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

So...
What did we learn? That you don't like the quotes?

by JCase on Feb 2, 2006 12:33 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

err
No, guy. I mean to say that Jayson Stark is not a very good columnist, and I don't think he knows much about baseball.

by hunter on Feb 2, 2006 12:36 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Actually
I never cease to be amazed by what BP puts out, and I read it every day. Stark's quote is legit, and I think he knows a lot about baseball, otherwise he wouldn't have a job writing about it to a national audience. Not writing about stats does not mean he doesn't understand them or apply them. We can't expect everyone in the media to hop on the statistical bandwagon...

by JCase on Feb 2, 2006 5:05 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Seen Baseball Tonight lately?
I mean, any time last season? Tell me how Harold Reynolds, John Kruk, and Joe Morgan have a job, then.

by hunter on Feb 3, 2006 12:13 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Because they PLAYED BASEBALL...lol
Being a commentator on a baseball tv show doesn't require nearly as much analytical thought and development as writing.

by JCase on Feb 3, 2006 10:08 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Shame on you...
for not having a "FIRE MACHA NOW!" poll option.
"Put a Milo on him." -Billy Beane

by kaweahkaweah on Feb 2, 2006 12:34 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Funny thing about those quotes...
They have been using the same quotes for at least 4 years now. lol I am sure they could get some frsh ones. BTW, pick it up. It's at a decent price on Amazon (I already pre-ordered mine too, for only $13.50 or so). I get it every year, and it's worth it.

Err, I mean, addditional generic book comment.

"I have nothing against the bunt - in it's place. But most of the time that place is in the bottom of a long-forgotten closet." - Earl Weaver

by PosterNutbag44 on Feb 2, 2006 1:36 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Agreed...Great book..
Look forward to it arriving.
Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Feb 2, 2006 1:48 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Damn
Why is Green Tuesday such a popular option?

by H3liCat on Feb 2, 2006 1:44 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Ditto!
"Frank Thomas's arms are the size of Huston Street!" - Kyli - 1/28/06

by BobbyCrosbysGirl on Feb 2, 2006 3:45 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

My love for Fridays
won out over my love for blue. .....actually, I didn't even see blue until just now.
I was nothing more than an almost innocent bystander.

by Squeaky on Feb 2, 2006 3:46 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Funny thing, really...
My favorite color is Green, my favorite day is Tuesday. Tuesday is my Friday, I have Wednesday and Thursday off from work. That poll opiton worked out great for me!
"I have nothing against the bunt - in it's place. But most of the time that place is in the bottom of a long-forgotten closet." - Earl Weaver

by PosterNutbag44 on Feb 2, 2006 4:59 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

"I don't like Mondays,
I don't like Mondays, they make me soooooooo.o..o...o, orange"

by bigelephant on Feb 2, 2006 5:21 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

"i want to shoot
ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooot, the whole day brown."

by Apricot on Feb 2, 2006 8:25 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

I want to
Ote, Ote, Ote, Opples and Bononos

by H3liCat on Feb 2, 2006 10:35 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Bonobos?
I think the CGV should look to bonobos for new ideas in conflict-resolution.
"Yay for drug adventures!" -- HollywoodOz @('.')@

by monkeyball on Feb 3, 2006 9:54 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

LOL
I am in complete agreement

by ArakSOT on Feb 3, 2006 10:06 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Damn!
I was hoping you'd disagree, so we could resolve our conflict the bonobo way.
"Yay for drug adventures!" -- HollywoodOz @('.')@

by monkeyball on Feb 3, 2006 10:23 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

That's OK
Bonobos pretty much express agreement in the same way

by ArakSOT on Feb 3, 2006 10:27 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

I love you! <rub rub>
I hate you! <rub rub>
"Yay for drug adventures!" -- HollywoodOz @('.')@

by monkeyball on Feb 3, 2006 10:38 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

i don't know if...
I originally became an A's fan when I moved out here because my favorite color is green or I like green best because I'm an A's fan. Probably some of both. I love having a dark green car with a tan exterior.

by vk on Feb 2, 2006 10:11 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

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