When talking to fans the question I get asked most is why wins. A good example of WINS being the only way to determine the best players and the best teams is the first round of this years playoffs. In all four series the team that scored less runs over the series won their playoff series. Why, because only WINS determines who wins and who is the best. Other stats are misleading at best and are usually meaningless in determining best. It is not how much or how many a player or team can attain, but WHEN they attain or produce. A quick run down. The YANKEES scored 28 runs and the Tigers scored 17. The Tigers won the series 3 games to 2. The Phillies scored 21 runs and the Cardinals scored 19. The Cardinals won the series 3 games to 2. The Diamondbacks scored 25 runs and the Brewers scored 23. The Brewers won the series 3 games to 2. The Rays scored 21 runs and the Rangers scored 16 and the Rangers won the series. Four series and the teams that scored the most runs were all eliminated. Why??? Because it not how much or many but WHEN that determines the winner and the best. A player who singles to win a game 3-2 in the 8th inning is far more important than a player who hits a grand slam in the 8th inning that increases his teams lead from 8-1 to 12-1. A home run and four RBIs that are meaningless or a single and one RBI that determines a WIN, the single and the WIN are what the WIN METHOD is. The WIN METHOD looks at WINS and winning as what determines greatness, not on how much or how many is attained while losing. To top it all off the YANKEES who scored the most runs of any team in the playoffs were eliminated and the Rangers who scored the least runs in the playoffs won the easiest.
We have covered defensive stats in previous blog posts. Just to recap, defensive stats are the most meaningless of any stat and are completely and totally useless. Defensive stats are cited and used by only the most ignorant baseball fans that exist. There are so many convoluted man made stats to try to figure out and determine the best, but they are what they are, convoluted and man made. They determine nothing, but they do keep the stat frauds busy. There are certain stats that are legitimate and can be used in certain ways, such batting average, RBIs, HRs, walks, strike outs, runs, stolen bases, etc. These stats tell more about an individual players speed and power more than anything. they cannot and do not tell you how good a player is. Only WINS and winning can do that. A favorite argument of the stat frauds is that if so and so played here or there they would be a winner and or if so and so played here or there they would be a loser. In this day and age of baseball any player, if he is good enough and coveted enough, can play for almost any team he wishes. That stat fraud argument does not fly. It as fraudulent as the stat frauds themselves.
The YANKEES are gone from this years playoffs. They have no one to blame but themselves, they produced more than any other team in the playoffs, but they did not produce WHEN it mattered most. That is what determines and separates the winners from the losers. A few adjustments will be made for next year, but the YANKEE biggest problem is a broken down steroid abuser in Alex Rodriquez and what to do with him and or where to hide him in the lineup. I would chuck him, but that will not happen. Hopefully he can come back and help a little. The YANKEES did so well when he was out of the lineup and won the division easily. When he came back the wheels seemed to come off the wagon with the black hole he created in the middle of the lineup.
Don't look for the killer B's until late next year. The YANKEES do not usually bring along guys who have not been seasoned at the AAA level. Look for Warren and Noesi to get a shot at the rotation or even a quality pitching acquisition during the winter.