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Monday, December 15, 2008
Sabremetrics for Sabremetrics-sake?
I’d be happy with that. Chris, on the other hand:
Here’s a question: what’s the point of doing all this sabermetric writing and research over the years? Is the only interest of the sabermetric community to solely speak to its own little corner of the world, or does it have any desire to engage in a broader conversation with the rest of baseball fandom? ... I’d like to think it isn’t the former. That position only makes sense if one thinks only one point of view has any validity and all others are beneath discussion. Nothing else justifies avoiding that broader conversation. Such a position is the height of arrogance. It’s the same failing people for which justly denigrate Joe Morgan. This isn’t an issue of accuracy, but of maturity. Insularity is not a virtue, and over time it can lead to an increasingly out of touch view of things. I’m not interested in sabermetrics as an exercise in masturbatory back slaps. I find it thrilling to see Bert Blyleven’s Hall of Fame vote rise up, hear that OPS is now on baseball cards, or read that Baseball Prospectus will be in the BBWAA. It’s nice to know that the work that comes out of this community can and has made a difference.
This presupposes that “sabermetrics” is a single thing, having one point of view. So, I reject Chris’ premise, and the resulting conclusion. Sabermetrics is about presenting the truth or inferring it with evidence as best you can, without all the illogical b.s. assumptions that you’d be embarrassed to present in a thesis. I’m happy to be part of a classroom setting, where different points of views are brought up and discussed, where opinions are supported by evidence, and arguments are debated on the merits. If the maintstream media wants to join this time-tested process, then I’ll welcome them.
If on the other hand, a BBWAA writer prefers his single point-of-view, that he doesn’t want to be subjected to the same peer review, and evidence-gathering that those of us in the sabremetrics classroom are, then it is that writer who is looking down at us with arrogance, that we are beneath him from further discussion. What’s so ironic about Chris’ statement that I bolded is that it is exactly how I think a good portion of BBWAA writers looks at sabremetrics!