I like Rob Neyer because he does his homework, but I don't read him regularly for two reasons (well, three):
He commits quantification errors from time to time, and insists that such-and-such a thing doesn't exist or isn't true because when he redefines it in quantitative terms and runs the numbers he can't find the thing he just defined out of thin air.
He doesn't stick to baseball. I read him religiously for several months when ESPN first started carrying him (seven or so years ago, if I recall correctly) until one day he compared some aspect of pitching to "children in Reagan's America." It's crass when George Will waxes [nostalgic? pedantic?] about baseball, but it's worse when Rob Neyer does the same about politics.
He doesn't think John Smoltz is Hall of Fame material.
On the other hand, he does run the numbers when it makes sense, he loves Bill James but is reasonably readable, and the only time I ever emailed him he responded.
I didn't know you were a baseball fan, ronebofh. You're not turning into CJ, are you?
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Date: 2003-06-12 08:39 am (UTC)- He commits quantification errors from time to time, and insists that such-and-such a thing doesn't exist or isn't true because when he redefines it in quantitative terms and runs the numbers he can't find the thing he just defined out of thin air.
- He doesn't stick to baseball. I read him religiously for several months when ESPN first started carrying him (seven or so years ago, if I recall correctly) until one day he compared some aspect of pitching to "children in Reagan's America." It's crass when George Will waxes [nostalgic? pedantic?] about baseball, but it's worse when Rob Neyer does the same about politics.
- He doesn't think John Smoltz is Hall of Fame material.
On the other hand, he does run the numbers when it makes sense, he loves Bill James but is reasonably readable, and the only time I ever emailed him he responded.I didn't know you were a baseball fan,
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