THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Keith Law interview

Excellent interview by JC on Keith Law. 

What is wrong with sabermetrics?

I think that the arrogance in the field has gotten worse with time, not better. I thought that as sabermetrics moved into the mainstream, its practitioners would soften – and trust me, I’m not painting all sabermetricians and sabermetric writers with one broad brush – but we haven’t seen that.

I don’t have his insider level, but there is a difference between sabermetrics and number-crunching.  The number-crunchers are mind-numbing to me (those are the “lies, damned lies, statistics” guys).  The sabermetricians, the MGLs, Dan Foxes, John Walshes, studes, et al, are far from arrogant.

Nonethless, enjoyable interview.