WIN METHOD

EXCELLENCE AND DESIRE ARE NOT SKILLS THEY ARE ARE ATTITUDES

Saturday, January 30, 2016

WIN METHOD - - - THE COMING 2016 SEASON Part TWO

Hello WIN METHOD fans.  Trying to keep my promise of posting more this season.  Just completed Caribbean portion of  my extended road trip looking for WIN METHOD talent for the YANKEES.  Found a couple of very viable prospects.  Hope they come to fruition.  Sorry I can't give you the names.  Next, headed to Asia. 


Brian Cashman has done a wonderful job this off season and the 2016 season looks very promising.  With a very deep starting rotation and a lights out closing threesome the staff looks very solid.  There are openings for middle relief and the competition should produce an arm or two.  McCann and Sanchez behind the plate bodes well.  Throw in a pretty much defined starting infield of Teixeira at first base, Castro at second base, Gregorius at shortstop, and Headley at third base, giving a very nice infield.  The outfield looks strong with Beltran, Ellsbury, and Gardner from right to left.  Hicks as the fourth man.  Spring training is right around the corner and the completion will be for the other roster spots.  The roadblock continues to be afraud at designated hitter who is clogging up the youth movement.  Alas there is little that can be done on this regard and afraud continues to be the greatest signing blunder by the YANKEES over the past two or three decades.


It will be fun to watch the YANKEE rotation this season.  With Masahiro Tanaka, Louis Louis Severion, Micheal Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, battling for the five or will it be six starting spots.  Bryan Mitchell will be trying to break into the mold while possibly anchoring the middle long reliever role.


Then there are always Ackley, Refsnyder, and Bird to deal with.  Beyond that the farm is producing several players on the near and far horizon as Judge and Mateo and others.


Lets think positive, hope the injury bug stays away, and we can make the playoffs with a few more steps after that.   As always LETS GO YANKEES.



428 comments:

1 – 200 of 428   Newer›   Newest»
Erica Nuyens said...

Thanks WIN METHOD, Be careful out there, love ya,

Marty Hall said...

I love our chances this season.

bigbadwolf said...

WIN METHOD is off and running.

RLA said...

Agree with WIN METHOD posted. Our starters if they stay injury free are good enough to take this team a very long way.

Zack Norris said...

Play steady winning baseball as a team. Win as a team.

Brian Cowley said...

The talent is there. The injuries or lack there of will be the key.

Cory said...

CC Sabathia, the secret weapon??????

Yanks23245 said...

Cory, maybe CC is the not so secret weapon.

Lori Kelly said...

Today is the last day of January and tomorrow the first of February and that means baseball spring training camps open and baseball is alive.

Carl Hooks said...

Just want to take a moment to thank WIN METHOD for keeping this blog advertising free, and for not trying to sell anyone anything except for his insight, wisdom, and knowledge. Thank you for providing the best Yankee baseball blog there is.

bigbadwolf said...

Hear hear.

Steven F said...

It's a free blog service provided by Google. Why would he need advertising, it costs $0 to make a blog.

Steven F said...

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/

Also I thought people would be interested in this blog. Chad Jennings follows the team from Spring training throughout the season, getting in=depth interviews and analysis from the players and coaches themselves. He also does in game updates and game recaps daily. It's really good stuff.

Nancy Gleason said...

This is the most fantastic and uplifting blog and or forum on the internet.

bigbadwolf said...

Steven F, WIN METHOD doesn't need the advertising. Because this site has so much traffic the advertisers have beseeched us constantly to put their ads here and pay us for every click to their ads.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, I visited the blog you posted. Might be fine for many people, but that is exactly what we didn't want this site to be. When fans come here, they get just one thing, and that seems to be working very well for all concerned.

Alex Antonius said...

Steven F, I've been to almost all the Yankee forums and many blogs. This one is crisp, clean, and clear. And the best.

Steven F said...

Just thought I'd share, it's completely different.

I think it's interesting to hear what the players and coaches say prior and after each game. It has more day in and day out updates and info on the team.

Yankeeforever said...

There are enough information, blogs, forums, and sites out there to satisfy the slant of everyone.

bigbadwolf said...

Steven F, no problem, thank you. Reading and talking about the opinions of anyone is always good and may open new horizons for some.

Eddie OConnor said...

It's always nice to read about the kids and their quest for the big stage.

Izy Hernandez said...

According to WIN METHOD the Yankees may next be signing a Caribbean area player.

Sharon/NC said...

Two and half weeks and we open camp.

Robert Mandel said...

I thought a couple of Cuban players are defecting to the USA.

AAA said...

Greg Bird out for season with torn labrum. Drats. Here we go again.

John Hartnett said...

Tough luck for Bird. It alleviates Yankee decision on what to do with him. He wasn't on the 40 man roster.

Steven F said...

John,

Pretty sure he is on the 40 man roster

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/roster_40man.jsp?c_id=nyy

If he weren't he almost surely would've been taken in the Rule 5 draft a few months back.

Steve said...

Best of luck with your surgery and come back better and stronger than ever.

John Hartnett said...

Steven F, Sorry, I skipped right over him. Thanks for the catch.

Tim Hergenraeder said...

Bird injury opens a door for someone to step up and step in.

Gus Papa said...

The Yankees will figure out what to do about replacing Bird. They always do. Refsynder?

Gene A said...

Could give Refsynder a chance.

Patricia Piper said...

Tough luck for Bird. Take care and come back.

Hal Steinbrenner said...

You never interviewed anyone, and all these commenters are just you talking to yourself. Your family wants you to get help right away.

sid greenberg,nyc said...

We are used to road blocks and used to overcoming obstacles. Lets go Yankees.

bigbadwolf said...

Hello Hal, we have allowed your comment because it demonstrates the utter ignorance and stupidity of far to many people in this world. It looks like you are the one who may need to seek help.

Tony Manchu said...

FRAUD ALERT! It looks like we have a brain dead stat fraud amongst us.

Yanks23245 said...

Hal, you are fortunate that you are allowed the use of a computer in the loony bin.

Nick Polito said...

Goodbye Hal.

Vladimir Tinzik said...

Not good for Bird, but having to find a player to backup first base is one of the easier things to do for any team.

Steve said...

Would like to see someone in the Yankee organization step up this spring and win the backup/dh/etc opening.

Teena/Bronx said...

15 days until camp opens.

Erica Johnston said...

Should be a fun camp.

Eddie OConnor said...

It is never bad when a spot opens and competition for it begins.

AAA said...

2016 injury count. 1 down for season.

Marty Hall said...

in 2016 like always one win at a time to the and through the playoffs.

William Mensom said...

We will overcome with confidence and talent willing to go beyond what is expected.

Ted Lilly said...

Bird had surgery and now the long road back.

Bob Behan said...

Two more weeks.

Artie S said...

As long as we get solid pitching we are fine.

Jack Bauer said...

Beltran is a possibility at first allowing Hicks time in RF.

johnny said...

Lets go Yankees.

Benny Pake said...

My preference is for the Yankees to stay in house to fill any gaps unless something really special comes along.

Tommy Lee said...

We have too many players who deserve a chance, rather than go dumpster diving.

Nick Polito said...

Louis Louis will be the man.

YankeeMike said...

Refsynder at first would be a great solution, to get his right handed bat in the lineup, and spell Teixeira as needed.

Steven F said...

He could be great, he could also be an awful solution - we have absolutely no way of knowing if he can play first base seeing as he hasn't ever played there before.

He's a pretty poor defensive player and it's somewhat a myth that first base is "easy".

Fred Slube said...

Someone will fill the void.

Lou Lis said...

Slowly we creep to the start of baseball and sanity.

Yankeeforever said...

We will never know who can fill the 1b spot until someone tries and shows they can do it. Just by any player asking to try to step in and try is a positive. I think spring training will give us an answer how things will go.

Chad Greene said...

Yankeeforever, True, I think the Yankees will use spring training to find the most willing and viable person for the position.

Stan the Man said...

The year of the Yankee.

Zhaire said...

It will all turn out well. That is what soring training is for.

Pete H said...

12 more days and camp is open.

Eddie OConnor said...

We speculate while the eventual deciders who know the facts make the decision.

Victor Bruno said...

If the pitching stays healthy this team will excel this season.

Yanks23245 said...

We are overdo for our 28th ring.

Steve said...

Panthers 34 Broncos 13.

Sharon/NC said...

Oh oh oh, football. Go Panthers and y'all should know why.

Teena/Bronx said...

Eleven days and Yankee spring camp opens for pitchers and catchers.

Victor Grandozi said...

Baseball and a real sport is just around the corner. That means spring is getting closer.

Fred Slube said...

I have been a fan of Peyton Manning so go Broncos.

bigbadwolf said...

Panthers for me. They look WIN METHOD.

Anonymous said...

Panthers for me. They were pretty dominant throughout the season.

will-i-am said...

Well, watching the super bowl, it is nothing compared to a World Series.

Domenic said...

Football garbage is over. Ten days till baseball.

Quay Ho said...

Nice and quiet on the Yankee front. If Bird was going to be sent to AAA to start the season, then the Yankees have a plan to backup Tex.

NJYANKEE said...

Super bowl was a dud. Almost all commercial were a dud. Enough said about football.

reinvaldez said...

Quay, I don't think Bird was definitely going to be shipped off to AAA. If he had a very bad spring training camp, maybe. The Yanks still needed a backup for Teix.

Phil Jenkins said...

Will the Yankees go with a 5 or 6 man rotation. It may depend on how each performs during camp.

Cory said...

Nine more days, nine.

Jack Bauer said...

Phil, I think it will come down to what happens during spring training. It sure is nice to be able to go either way however.

Dane Ostroff said...

My desire is to see just how much Sanchez has developed and what he will bring to the team. Then the battle for the backup positions.

Mike Smith said...

It would have ben nice if Bird could be there to.

RLA said...

Cashman is the man again. Stays away from the dreg Latos who just signed with the White sox.

Deb F said...

The winter continues on positively.

Steven F said...

They got Latos for an extremely low risk and cheap deal. We could use pitching depth, I wouldn't call that a brilliant move by Cashman by any stretch.

Brian Cowley said...

Nova and or Pineda will be the key to rotation.

will-i-am said...

Steven F, 3 million is 3 million. Why waste it on someone who could not make the staff. It is always easier to spend someone else's money. We have better in house.

Steven F said...

Will-I-Am
Depth is depth, sure we have better 1-5, but what if one of them goes down - which in all likelihood will happen? In my opinion this teams greatest weakness is it's pitching depth. We have 5 starters who all missed time to injury last year, and a 6th starter who has been injury prone in recent years. If we have CC and Mitchell both pitching every 5th day, it's won't be a good situation, and honestly I don't know who we would even put in there after those two.

will-i-am said...

Steven F, I understand, but you just go out and sign a player because he is available. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts Latos may have been interviewed and failed. If other teams thought he had something to help them, several would have been knocking on his door. Like I said, even with our shortness at AAA we still have better. I would always rather ride with the farm than just sign a body.

Patricia Piper said...

Guys, guys, you can go back and forth forever, and it won't change what a front office decides. You either like or don't like what they do.

Unknown said...

So we're not allowed to have an opinion?

candycane said...

So much is made of past Yankee starter injuries. If an injury is fixed, it has no bearing on the future, ask any doctor. The Yankee staff for 2016 has no injury concerns and more than any other team in baseball.

Paul Hill said...

The Yankee rotation will win many games this season. the rotation is deep and ready for bear.

Unknown said...

CC has a degenerative knee condition.
Tanaka's partial ligament tear is an injury that cannot fully heal outside of surgery.
Michael Pineda has yet to have a fully healthy season and has had shoulder issues in the past.
Nathan Eovaldi didn't finish last season due to a shoulder injury.

Arm injuries on pitchers don't just go away, throwing that number of pitches by the very nature of the violent unnatural movement wears down their arms over time. That's why over time you see pitcher velocity and effectiveness decline. If they're showing signs of wear and tear now, that definitely has a bearing on the future.


candycane said...

Steven, everything you state is true. And it is true for every pitcher in baseball. Every team in baseball does what they feel needs to be done to keep their staff at its optimum. Pineda and Nova now had the time needed to fully recover from their surgery. Severino may in the best arm condition at this time. Eovaldi has had the time off to recover. Tanaka also to the degree he can recover. CC has the brace. Every team is in the same boat and every pitchers arm is a ticking time bomb. So I do not see the Yankee pitching issue as no bigger than any other teams. In fact, I like the way things are developing for the Yankees this season.

Unknown said...

It's not the same though due to the fact that these guys have already had serious arm injuries and damage done whereas other teams staffs don't have as extensive of a history.

Like I said these injuries don't just go away like you there, it's damage, you can recover to some degree, but the damage is done and it puts them at greater risk going forward.

Yankeeforever said...

Steven, I hear what you are saying, but a pitcher who hasn't had an injury is just as likely to get one as any other player. The Yankee starters have had their injuries.

Al Ashton said...

I rather think positive. Everything will go well and as planned. When something untoward occurs, deal with it and play around it. Just win games.

Unknown said...

I have no problem with fans thinking positively, I think it would be wise, but as a front office you have to have contingency plans.

Latos has had many successful years in the majors, was available as low-cost starting pitching depth with experience, depth that could prove very valuable over a long season.

That's why it's hard for me to make out Cashman as some kind of genius for passing on him. It's the lowest possible risk contract with a potential high upside (Latos has had multiple very effective years in the Majors).

Dane Ostroff said...

The past is history. Latos may be completely done. Teams must have an idea en masse since it looks like they weren't beating a path to his door.

Unknown said...

He very well may be. In fairness though, you have no idea how many teams were making him an offer, just because a guy signs late doesn't mean teams weren't interested.

bigbadwolf said...

I don't think anyone said Cashman was a genius, but he does know what he is doing.

Vinnie Ferrero said...

Well, what offers he may have gotten, if any, were surely lower than shat he got. I am pretty sure his services were not in demand.

Lou Lis said...

One more week for Yankee camp to open.

White Knight said...

It's about time. Months without baseball is not pleasant.

Gus Papa said...

If Latos was strictly a minor league contract that would be ok with me.

Cory said...

Soon, baseball is so close, you can taste the hot dogs.

will-i-am said...

Yummy yummy yummy, hot dogs for my tummy.

RLA said...

I don't think Latos would have signed for a minor league contract.

Steve said...

Makes no difference. We passed on him and that was a good thing. Signing washed up players just takes up space, even on a minor league roster.

Stan the Man said...

Six more days. Less than a week and the void in sports will be filled with baseball.

Tommy Lee said...

Hey, the Yankees may have already decided their first base backup. Ackley the likely choice. Casgtro to third to spell Headley while Refsyner plays second. Gigi off, Castro to short with Refsynder at second and Headley at third and Teixeira at first. McCann can play first and Sanchez catches at times and so on and so on. Nothing is as bad as some doom and gloomers believe.

johnsondc said...

Tommy, the doom and gloomers are exactly the people you do not want to hire, associate with, or be around. The interview is the key.

Augie DeFonce said...

The time is getting closer. Lets go Yankees.

Billy Tedder said...

The Yankees and Chapman have agreed to arbitration. Around 11.3 for 2016. I think everyone is now signed.

Craig Winstead said...

Time to roll. Think baseball and wins.

Stan the Man said...

Five more days.

Linda Rice said...

Time for some farm hands to grow up and step up.

Dane Ostroff said...

Roll right into the post season.

Lori Kelly said...

Looking to a brilliant season.

Warren Hammond said...

Play WIN METHOD baseball, play for the team, and the wins will come.

Stan the Man said...

Four more days.

Patricia Piper said...

Slow and easy to start camp guys. Don't do anything stupid.

Jimmy Thames said...

Agree Patricia, don't have to make anything happen until the season stats when the games count.

Saul Irving said...

Games that count, now that's what matters.

Stan the Man said...

Three more days.

Alex Antonius said...

I think it is going to be a fun spring training with good competition for several areas of concern.

Vladmir Tinzik said...

It is almost time for Lets go Yankees.

Steve said...

This blog is getting a lot of attention on a baseball forum as the posters there trample each other making fools of themselves.

AAA said...

Will be heading to Tampa for a week in early March.

Stan the Man said...

Two more days.

YankeeMike said...

AAA, have a great trip.

Steve said...

I have just been banned at a baseball forum. They thought I was WIN METHOD. That has got to be the highest praise one can earn.

bigbadwolf said...

Kudos Steve.

jimbo said...

Steve, good job, the stat frauds can never support their lies. Degrading is their only alternative to discussion.

Carl Hooks said...

The definition of a stat fraud....there are none so blind as those who will not see.

Yankeeforever said...

Blinded by meaningless individual stats. Wins is the only stat.

Steven F said...

Why can't you guys just accept that there are other facets of the game that interest people.

Individual stats might be meaningless to you, but do they have to be meaningless to everyone because you say so?

Not really sure what the lies are?

Stan the Man said...

One more day. Yankee camp opens tomorrow.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, I do not think anyone here has any problem with anything that interests any fan involving baseball. We all use individual stats, likely everyone here to one degree or another. The lies are when people try to tell us that the best players are the players with the best individual stats. That is just not true. A player may play for his individual stats, you can have him, the team plays to win and the best players play for the team to win. That is all there is to it.

Steven F. said...

johnsondc
That's not a fact though, it's your opinion. Other people believe that wins are purely a team stat, and it's difficult to apply a team stat evenly to individual players.

For instance if you took Lorenzo Cain and surrounded him with the worst players in baseball, they would still lose a lot of games. The belief is that it shouldn't reflect on Cain individually - i.e. he didn't just transform from one of the best players to one of the worst players over night. There should thus be some weighted balance to winning players and there ability (as measured by scouting and statistics) to determine the best.

It's just difference of opinion, really. It's not lies or fraud. That's going a bit far...

Steven F. said...

Also the attacking nature that's discussed on following stats and playing fantasy baseball on here leads me to believe that people do have a problem with some fans interest involving baseball.

Jill Byrnes said...

It becomes a straw man argument when you have tho say the reason the high individual stat player doesn't lead his team to wins because of his team mates. Any player can play out his option and sign with any team he wishes if they will have him.

Stan the Man said...

Steven F, the younger newer fans have had their minds corrupted with fantasy baseball. All they learn is draft this guy or that guy because of their individual stats. They don't give a damn about teams winning games, just how well did my player do. It's garbage. Baseball is played for the team to win and the team that wins is the best and the players who helped them win are the best.

RLA said...

That is the issue, fantasy baseball is based solely on individual stats. Real baseball is based on wins. That is not complicated and should not be hard to understand.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, your Lorenzo Cain issue, is an assumption and or a hypothetical that can't be proven one way or the other. For discussions sake Harper, did not play with the worst players in baseball, he played with, Scherzer, Zimmermann, Gonzalez, Strasburg, Escobar, Storen, etc. He got into a fight with Papelbon, a multi-year playoff pitcher and WS winner, who called him out for not hustling. There is much behind the scenes we do not know.

Steve said...

When I was a kid before fantasy baseball there was always the discussed who was the best centerfielder in baseball, Duke Snider, Willie Mays, or Mickey Mantle. There really wasn't any debate, it was Mickey Mantle. Yes, he won pennants and World Series. But we knew Snider and Mays were great players also. They also won pennants and World Series, just not as many as Mickey.

Teena/Bronx said...

Another problem with individual stats is players do not play in the ballparks equally, not face pitchers equally.

Deb F said...

The last paragraph is the WIN METHOD.

TAMPA, Fla. -- You can't hold Captain's Camp without a captain, and as the Yankees' four-week program for 20 of their top prospects winds down, Derek Jeter visited on Monday evening to treat some of the team's brightest young talent to a surprise dinner out on the town.
This marked the second straight year that the retired shortstop has entertained the Yanks' top Minor Leaguers. Vice president of player development Gary Denbo said that Jeter shared some of his experiences from coming up under manager Joe Torre at the beginning of the 1990s dynasty.



"Derek was talking about how he went up and saw some of the players when he first got to the Major Leagues," Denbo said. "After sitting there watching them when he first arrived, as he was looking around, he thought, 'I can play here, and I belong here.'"

That's a lesson that the Yankees are eager to share with their top talent, especially after prospects like Greg Bird and Luis Severino made an impact at the Major League level last season.

The Captain's Camp program is in its second season, and it focuses on teaching leadership, respect for the game and carrying a team-first attitude. Denbo said that it came as a result of Jeter's retirement following the 2014 season.

Guy Padikian said...

I'll state my view as clear as I can make it. If you cannot lead your team to the playoffs reasonably consistently, you cannot be the best player.

Steven F. said...

I don't think I can respond to all here at work, but that's fine if these are your views.

My view is that a win is a complete team statistic and it's very difficult to apply to individual players. The reason - one player on the 25 man roster has so much out of his personal control. Even if he does everything day in and day to help his team win, has a great team first attitude, etc., it might not be enough. He can't pitch to every batter, field every ball, hit in every at-bat.

So to me it's truly not fair to judge players SOLEY on that facet. I think the people you call "stat frauds" are in agreement. I don't see why that's so crazy.

Steven F said...

johnsondc
A lot of the players you mentioned underperformed, they suffered a ton of injuries last year, if look at the performances on offense around him (stats I know), they weren't good.

Despite all those problems they won 83 games - it's not as though they were a disaster. To use Papelbon as an example of Harper being a bad character guy is not fair - Papelbon is by all accounts one of the least liked players in baseball.

johnsondc said...

"""""""""So to me it's truly not fair to judge players SOLEY on that facet. I think the people you call "stat frauds" are in agreement. I don't see why that's so crazy."""""""""
Steven F, I disagree. The stat frauds totally believe that Harper is the greatest player in baseball right now based only on his individual stats.

""""""""A lot of the players you mentioned underperformed, they suffered a ton of injuries last year, if look at the performances on offense around him (stats I know), they weren't good."""""""
And the Yaankees had no injuries, and had no players under perform? The Yankees made the playoffs.

Phil Jenkins said...

Steven F, I believe the general thought here is a 'stat fraud' only believes the player with the best stats is automatically the best player in baseball and blames everything on his team mates. A 'stat fruad' believes the pitcher who is 14-12 with a 3.00 ERA is better than the pitcher who is 21-5 with a 4.20 ERA. Stats are guides and tell us what a player may contribute to a team, but they by very little means tell us if he is willing and able to help the team win.

Deb F, nice find and it truly defines Jeter and the WIN METHOD.

Steven F said...

johnsondc
I really don't get what point you're trying to make. Before you made it seem like Harper was surrounded by all these amazing players and had no excuse to lose. I pointed out that these great players didn't perform great at all, and it's fair to pin that all on Harper.

The Yankees won a grand total of 4 more games than the Nationals last year, so it's not as if we did amazingly better by any stretch.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, you brought up Harpers team mates and not to blame him. The Yankees are in a better league in a better division and the teams do no play the same schedule. The Yankees had tons of injuries and poor performances but made the playoffs playing as a team while the Nationals did not. Better is relative. you either make the playoffs or you don't.

candycane said...

Now the important news. WE OPEN SPRING CAMP TOMORROW. LETS GO YANKEES.

Steven F. said...

johnsondc
You brought up Harper specifically and his teammates. I never said anything about placing blame.

The only thing I will say is that I don't believe the way Harper's team performed should discredit Harper's performance as much as you seem to believe it does. That's a difference of opinion, and that's fine.

I believe that when you look deep into the Nationals offensive struggles and see that outside of Harper the team hit .242 (Harper hit .330) and Harper accounted for 1/4 of the teams total home runs. I don't truly know what more Harper truly could've done, some times the players around you simply don't perform. You guys don't seem like you accept that line of reasoning. It doesn't make me a fraud, and it doesn't make you wrong.

I really don't believe that team wins tell the full story for one player.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, fair enough, we differ on our outlook. I won't go into the Yankee liabilities last season. You should know them well. Plus they had no player out up Harpers gaudy statistics. The difference, the team made the playoffs.

Steven F. said...

johnsondc
Since Bryce Harper has been in the league, the Nationals have won more games than the Yankees every year outside of last year. If you're going to use last year as such a huge fault for him, then you should at least give him credit for the prior years as well.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, there is no way on Earth you can compare wins of teams in different leagues. The schedules are unequal, and the American League is the better league overall. Four seasons for harper and he has helped the Nats to the playoffs twice. Fine, good job. Then Nats get destroyed in both playoffs losing 8 games while winning 1. I won't dare mention Harpers post season.

Yanks23245 said...

In the end Harper will never be worth the money he will be paid. Not on the field anyways. Maybe to sell seats however.

Unknown said...

i mean come on man, you got to stop changing the theory.

How many times have you said a win is all that matters, so who cares what league you get it in and how you get it. At this point you're doing everything in your power to stack against Harper.

How can you even compare players between leagues then?

Gene A said...

Here's to the Yankees having one heck of a season, making the playoffs, and winning the World Series in 2016. Think positive, play positive, be positive.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, The theory never changes. You play a 162 game season and win enough games to get into the playoffs. There is no difference if you get into the playoffs with 100 wins or 85 wins. There is no difference what league you are in or what division you are in. Next step is to win each round of the playoffs you play right thru the World Series. Same rules, same theory every season until baseball changes the rules and or playoff qualifications.

You compare players exactly the same no matter which league or which team they are on. The players who consistently help their team to the playoffs and beyond the most are the best in the game. This has been the WIN METHOD standard forever.

Steven F said...

Is that not in direct contradiction to this:

"Steven F, there is no way on Earth you can compare wins of teams in different leagues."

White Knight said...

First off, it is obvious that any player who can put up great stats must be a very gifted player. Every gifted player is not always the best player. The difference being having the ability to help a team win. Winning being defined as the team reaching the playoffs and advancing through the playoff system.

Stan the Man said...

Spring training is here, all is good in the world again.

johnsondc said...

Steven F, no contradiction. A team with 100 wins in the NL may not be as good as a team with 90 wins in the AL. Players on any playoff team in either league are the best in baseball for that season. The more times a player helps his team to the playoffs the better he is. But only for the role he has on his team. The 25th utility guy is not better than a starting position player but is better than other 25th utility players. Players earn higher ratings as they help their team advance up the ladder of the playoffs. How? No other way than with wins.

Sharon/NC said...

johnsondc, you have the patience of a saint.

Steven F. said...

Sharon
Yeah it's so terrible that other people have different opinions than you...

Tommy Lee said...

Camp is open and the fun begins.

johnsondc said...

Thanks Sharon.

William Mensom said...

To put things in perspective. There is a difference between stat users and stat abusers. Stat users are the majority of sports fans who look at conventional time tested traditional stats to compare players. These fans are most of the WIN METHOD fans who then go beyond the individual stats to determine which players are the best each season. The WIN METHOD use the only stat that determines who is best and that is wins. Wins the players earn for the team playing as a team for the team to succeed. The stat abusers use individual stats to play fantasy games, try to tell other fans that the losers are the winners and the winners are the losers. Stat abusers contrive and convolute stats and then say how great those stats are and only their made up stats tell who is best.

Think of it this way. The stat abusers go to the box score and they look to see how their fantasy players performed. The WIN METHOD and main stream fans go to the box score and look to see if their team won or lost. There is a world of difference between the two sides.

That is how the stat frauds can claim a .500 W/L pitcher is better than a .700 W/L pitcher.

Linda Rice said...

Excellent post William. Sense and sensibility.

Stanley Chin said...

I love the box score comparison. It hit the nail on the head.

White Knight said...

William Mensom, the sage has spoken, the oracle has spoken, the wise one has spoken.

Steven F. said...

You have a misconceived notion that people who play fantasy only care about stats and not about whether their team won or loss.

You also have a misconceived notion that people say losers are winners and winner are losers. No one would deny that Kansas City Royals were the best team last year. I'd like you to find one time any one has ever said anything to the contrary.

Seriously why do you hate fantasy sports so much? It's a completely separate from the on-field team baseball. It's also a lot of fun and I've had a lot of great friendships form over it. You seem to have a lot of negative feelings towards it.

Cal Fuerst said...

Who will shine and earn a roster spot?

Lori Kelly said...

Steven F, all you state is fine for you and is your opinion. You can do whatever makes you happy.

Quay Ho said...

Steven F, I prefer the real world and the real game. To each their own. I bet many fantasy players (not all) opinions leak from the fantasy world they play in.

Eddie OConnor said...

I think this paragraph from William Mensom defines the stat frauds to a T.

""""""""""Think of it this way. The stat abusers go to the box score and they look to see how their fantasy players performed. The WIN METHOD and main stream fans go to the box score and look to see if their team won or lost. There is a world of difference between the two sides."""""""""""""""

Steven Fischer said...

Quay Ho
I prefer the real game too. I have the fortune of living in the West side Harlem (right near the D train at 145th street) and get to view a number of games during the summer.

Having said that I still enjoy fantasy baseball. It's just a game within a game.

Eddie - How many people do you really think go to their favorite teams box score and don't look at the score first to see who won? I think there is a complete sense of delusion here...

Eddie OConnor said...

Steven Fischer, then you would not be a stat abuser, just a fan who plays fantasy baseball. I would think therefore, you know the difference between being a fan first and wanting your team to win, and being a fantasy player who thinks that the individual stats of his fantasy team is what makes him win in the fantasy league while his fantasy team players teams lose the real games.

You say that fantasy baseball is just a game within a game. The difference, one is real, the other make believe. To many fans do not know the real game nowadays.

bigbadwolf said...

Spring training day one complete. Bloom and grow.

will-i-am said...

People play all kinds of games. So what.

Steven F said...

Thanks for that meaningful contribution will-i-am

There's a negative attitude for fantasy baseball and the people who play them that I believe is completely unfounded here.

Stan the Man said...

Day two of spring camp begins.

Frank DiMaggio III said...

I've never played a fantasy sport in my life, but I know that a pitcher who goes 16-13 with a 1.88 ERA is better than a pitcher who goes 22-10 with a 4.35 ERA.

Larry Matthews said...

My opinion on individual stats. They measure. My opinion on wins. They tell you how good.

candycane said...

Frank, I don't think so. When your team misses the playoffs by 1 or 2 games at the end of the season because of your 16-13 pitcher, I bet you would rather have had the 22-10 pitcher and gone to the playoffs. It's really a no brainer.

Larry Matthews said...

There is nothing really bad with a 16-13 won-loss record, but if you had to choose between 22-10 and 16-13 only a very silly person would choose 16-13. Where does it stop? Would people prefer a 13-15 pitcher with a 1.50 ERA over the 16-13 pitcher with the 1.88 ERA? Come on people wake up and smell the coffee. You have to win, that is why they play the games.

Unknown said...

All,

I've said this many times before. When people say they would prefer a 16-13 pitcher with a 1.88 ERA a 22-10 with a 4.35 - it's because going forward the guy with the 1.88 ERA is MUCH more likely to win more games than the 4.35 ERA.

Wins alone for pitcher are historically an extremely poor way to project future performance.

Obviously within a given season you'd prefer a 22 win pitcher over a 16 pitcher. Going forward though you have to look at other things.

It's fairly obvious that a pitcher allowing 1/3 of the amounts of runs over a full season is going to be much more likely to win more games.

This is the reason that there is not a single pitcher in the hall of fame with a 4.00 ERA. Not one.

Unknown said...

Keep in mind, a pitcher literally only has one thing under their own control Allowing runs. They can't control anything else in the game - including how many runs their offense scores.

Thus for a pitcher, allowing as few of runs as possible should always be the goal. A person with a 1.88 ERA vs. a 4+ ERA is achieving that goal on a more consistent basis.

Erica Johnston said...

How about a common sense perspective. Would you rather have your starting pitcher earn a win or earn a loss? I would take it for granted everyone would say earn a win. If that is true, it makes no difference what his ERA is. Everyone contributes to the win. And everyone contributes to the loss.

RLA said...

Steven Fischer, Every pitcher win 300 wins is in the HOF. The great falacy of ERA is a pitcher can get the first two outs in an inning. Have the next batter reach base on an error which possibly could be a debatable call by an official scorer, then allow four runs to score and still have a 0.00 ERA. He failed to get the third out. He gets no blame and looks like a great in the eyes of the stat fraud while losing the game. I know it can work the other way, he can give up six runs and his offense goes on a tear and score ten runs. Still only one thing matters, and that is the win or the loss.

Yanks23245 said...

Lets not mix apples and oranges. HOF pitchers did have over 4.00 ERA seasons during their career. The discussion here has been comparing season stats.

Unknown said...

We're not talking about comparing seasons.

If I had to pick between the 22-10 with 4.00 ERA vs. the 16-16 with a 1.80 ERA for next season, I'm picking the 1.80 ERA guy, no question. That guy is better at preventing runs and giving his team a chance to win. As such, that pitcher is BETTER.

If you want to say the 22-10 had a better season, sure, go ahead - but that's not what you've been saying.

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