Basic fundamentals - you know, overvalued **** like defense and baserunning - have repeatedly killed Billy's Moneyball Gang in the playoffs.
Considering Boston and Cardinals are "Moneyball" teams and the Giants are half Moneyball/half old school...Teams embracing only "basic fundamentals" have not won a World Series in 5 years.
Not going to go into the small sample size issues re: the playoffs again... but it is interesting to note the total parity that has gone on over the last 5 years between the small market and big market teams, in terms of who's now making the playoffs year-in/year-out.
Small sample size? Hard to have a large sample size when Detroit is the only old school team making the playoffs with any regularity. Right now, not 1 old school team is above 0.500. Buck can shake his hand in the air as high as he wants, but it looks like it will be a while before the Phillies, Braves, Marlins, DBacks, Reds, and Rockies are relevant. If the Tigers fall apart... I didn't realize how bad the old school teams were doing until looking at standings just now. Edit: Forgot Twins. 1 old school team over 0.500.
Kazmir seemed very fly-ball(y) last night. Maybe it was jitters, maybe a fluke. Stats read.... GB-FB 5-16 3 K's He only pitched 7 innings (21 outs), so not sure how those numbers breakdown. http://espn.go.com/mlb/gamecast?gameId=350724107&version=mobile&gcSection=boxscore&src=desktop
It was a part of the game plan. He threw around 25% change-ups to force fly balls because of the stadium.
that will also free up Domingo Santana to play in the OF for the Brew crew. I still like Nottingham, he's going to be good a MLBer... bat has always been ahead of his defense but def. hurt to lose him, especially with our depth at catcher.
In hindsight, I wouldn't do the Kazmir trade. How id love to have a Castro alternative in the not too distant future.
In hindsight, J D Martinez would be in left field and Joe Morgan would have entered the Hall of Fame in an Astros' hat.
J.R. Richard never would have done a ton of blow (this also works for the '86 Rockets). Commander Cody is never seen as a viable NFL qb. Phil Nevin and Curt Schilling wouldn't have been total asshats. Richard Hidalgo doesn't get shot, Cesar Cedeno doesn't shoot someone. Jack Pardee and Jim Eddy don't....****...nevermind
Get ready to run the whole gamut of emotions... http://grantland.com/features/an-oral-history-hakeem-olajuwon-ralph-sampson-1980s-houston-rockets/ And I was In up to my eyeballs on the '86 Rockets and I have ZERO recollection of "The Rocket Strut". https://video.search.yahoo.com/vide...mozilla-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&tt=b
I don't understand why grantland posts these humongous articles. I put that entire article in Word: it is 14,000 words. Or, 43 pages. I don't get it.
