Sabermetrics

I feel sorry for Harold Reynolds.  Over the winter on the MLB Channel, the “Top 10 players Right Now” by position shows were a big part of

their programming until spring training started.  This year they threw Sabermetrics into the mix.  If you are not aware of Sabermetrics, it is a number/data crunching system that spits out more information about a player than ever before.  Think the stat of “batting average on turf during night games” is advanced?  Sabermetrics is light years beyond that.  The following is just some of what Sabermetrics crunches: WAR (Wins Above Replacement), VORP (Value Over Replacement), PERA (Peripheral ERA), BABIP (Batting Average On Balls In Play).  Of course, there are many others as well. 

I feel bad for Harold Reynolds because he was normally paired up with one or two Sabermetric gurus who justified their player rankings based on the Sabermetric data.  Harold, being the experienced MLB veteran, based much of his ranking on something he felt was more important … his own eyes.

There is now such a thing as the Science of Body Language where experts can watch a person talk and determine quite accurately what the person is really thinking or feeling.  They learn how to pick up subtle facial expressions  – a slight glance to the left while talking, a corner of the mouth turns up slightly, etc. – that can tip off whether the person is telling the truth or hiding something.  I’m not an expert in the Science of Body Language but based on Harold Reynolds’ body language during the shows, he is not sold on this whole data driven method of rating players. 

 

Case in point:  One such show ranked current MLB second baseman (Reynolds’ former position).  Sabermetrics ranked Brandon Phillips of the Reds 7^thout of 10 in the ranking.  I nearly fell off my chair and so did Reynolds.  In the privacy of my living room, I can say what I want.  Reynolds, on the other hand, has to try to be diplomatic and professional and give the Saber-beancounters their due respect because he’s on

national TV.  His body language, however, screamed “I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR NUMBERS SAY.  YOU HAVE TO BE OUT OF YOUR $%#&  MIND TO THINK THAT PHILLIPS IS ONLY THE 7^TH BEST 2^ND BASEMAN IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL !!!”

I’d love to run into Harold Reynolds sometime and ask him if my instincts concerning his opinion of Sabermetrics is true. 

Something tells me they are.