Stop The Madness

Once in awhile on Twitter there are these trending hashtags that people use to tell others things about themselves–things that many of us are not really interested in knowing.  Hashtags like #50ThingIHateMost or some such.  I generally don’t participate in this Too Much Information Theater, but I am going to break my usual rule in this post.  This site is called Redbird Rants, and therefore I think it appropriate every so often to live up to the name in a big way.  Below are a list of things that I find frustrating in the baseball realm.  Some are Cardinal related and some are not.  Be forewarned that there is probably something here that will offend you.  I have a knack for that.

Aug 5, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; A baseball fan holds up a sign referencing New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez (not pictured) during the first inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

1.  People who apologize for PED use— You know who I am talking about.  The people who have to let us all know how much they don’t care that athletes use PEDS or how the enforcement of the ban against certain athletes is personally tiresome to them.  Even worse are the ones (I have a family member among them) who want the return of the Steroid Era, because all of those HRs were entertaining to them.  Personal cost to the long term health of the player be damned; if they want to risk it, that is their problem.  Selfishness run amok, it’s pretty much standard in our society these days.  Of course those who indulge in this PED use brush off prefer to call it Personal Freedom.  Whatever.  If it walks like a duck.  We do have laws that protect people from their own stupidity, and they do work.  The Personal Freedom people would beg to differ no doubt.  Well they can just get off my lawn.

2.  The Molina Problem—Speaking of protecting people from their own stupidity.  We now hear that the reason the newly returned from the DL Yadier Molina has played in 5 consecutive games is because “We’ve got to trust guys”.  Um, no, we really don’t.  Albert Einstein had something to say about doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.  Do Mike Matheny and the Powers That Be in the Cardinals front office need a visit from Nurse   Ratchet in a place where there are bars on the windows?  I am beginning to think so.  I don’t care if Molina tells Matheny he feels like a trip to the moon on gossamer wings.  Sit his posterior on the bench more often.

3.  Fantasy Baseball is nothing like Real Baseball—Whenever something goes wrong, when a player doesn’t perform, the first thing many fans want to do is switch him out for a better model.  The minor leagues are a revolving door, don’t you know?  <Begin sarcasm> Replacement players on the open market are a dime a dozen, and won’t cost much because my team’s players are more valuable than your team’s players.  Mr. GM you will take that A ball pitcher for your elite shortstop and be grateful for the largesse. <End sarcasm>   Well, you know what?  This ain’t fantasy baseball.  There are real life roster rules, and CBA agreements, and real GMs trying to maximize talent while keeping costs down.  Real life is messy, and frustrating, and well, real.  Really.

Redundancy is cool sometimes.

4.  The Yasiel Puig Controversy— People can continue to rationalize and excuse and enable this kid’s bad behavior because he is “fun”.   It won’t end well.

5.  The Shortstop Problem—No one likes that Pete Kozma can’t hit.  But there are no viable alternatives at the present moment.  Ryan Jackson can’t hit either.  Daniel Descalso can’t field (at least as a shortstop).  Invariably when names pop up of shortstops who can hit, they can’t field.  Asdrubal Cabrera is a prime example.  Cabrera has the shortstop range of a potted plant.  If you want a shortstop who can hit and field, get in line and open up the wallet very, very, wide.

6.  The Continued Scorn of Sabermetrics—Baseball is about numbers more than any other major sport.  Players are evaluated every day based on numbers.  The science of evaluating players by numbers is evolving, and continues to progress down the line of more specific and more detailed calculations of a player’s skill set.  This is a good thing.  Are these numbers perfect?  No they are not.  But those who continue to disregard the expansion of baseball statistics do so at their peril.  Whenever someone scoffs at a sabermetric analysis with a rejoinder of “I have been watching baseball for 40 years” I have to laugh.  I have been watching baseball for 40 years, and I will take those sabermetric numbers any day over what I see with my eyes.  Unless you are a trained baseball expert, your eyes are liars.  Big, fat, pathological liars.  Your eyes see only what your biased brain tells them to see.

It’s time to get with the program.

Well I think I have offended enough people for today.  If you are member of the aformentioned Offended Class you have the personal freedom to ignore me, or call me names in the comment section.  Have a nice day.