“My baseball people tell me we still have a very good team.”
Among the numerous feats Bill James accomplished as an analyst in the 1980s, his greatest achievement was the way in which he legitimized the importance of minor-league batting statistics. Where once the remark “Yeah, but just because he hits in the minors doesn’t mean that he’ll hit in the majors” was an accepted, unchallenged claim, James’ work on the subject proved decidedly otherwise–eventually spawning an industry of minor-league analysis that still flourishes to this day.
The week in quotes, November 19-December 1.
The week in quotes, featuring Omar Vizquel, Bob Melvin, Bud Selig and more.
“John Henry and the Red Sox were great to me. They were willing to pay me more money than I could believe. But it’s more than money, I’ve never been about money. I made one decision based on money in my life–when I signed with the Mets rather than go to Stanford–and I promised I’d never do it again.” –Billy Beane, Athletics general manager, on turning down an offer to join the Red Sox
“I think this is the biggest single move to win–to win–that this organization has made. No one (involved with the Rays) has lost the passion to win. We lost the momentum, and Lou starts that momentum, and we need that momentum.” –Chuck LaMar, Devil Rays general manager, on the hiring of manager Lou Piniella
When Jose Canseco finally announced his retirement last week, I thought little of his case for Cooperstown, citing him as a one-dimensional player, with too much of his value wrapped up in a five-year span. However, after reading Joe Sheehan’s Tuesday edition of the Daily Prospectus, I slowly began to rethink my position.
When it comes to baseball-related discussion, there are few topics that pique my interest more than ones involving the Hall of Fame. What is the definition of a Hall of Famer, after all? Does anyone really know? If Kirby Puckett is now enshrined in Cooperstown, does that mean Al Oliver should be too? How much…
The week in quotes, featuring Gary Carter, Theo Epstein, J.P. Ricciardi, and more.