Preach, Rod! Preach! Loved this. The Athletic wrote it up today. Here's his original post. One more desecration I would add to his list: Intentional walks with no pitches pitched.
https://mailchi.mp/rodcarew/2022-wee...9?e=e68036346f
https://theathletic.com/3539812/2022...les-analytics/
Excerpts:
"How can you tell me the game is better when it looks like softball - times when teams use four outfielders, and extra innings starting with a man on second?"
"How is the game better with analytics becoming so dominant that players don't know how to think for themselves?"
"In spring training and during the season, I spend time in the cages talking to all players, especially the young guys. They're learning all about exit velocity and launch angle, but they don't understand the nuances of the game, the things that make a difference between winning and losing."
"There's a place in the game for analytics. They just shouldn't be the game."
"Baseball isn't a skills competition. Yet instead of trying to create well-rounded players, teams seem to be building robots designed to hit balls far and throw it hard."
"The finer points of our sport are being downgraded to the point of being lost. That's why games are longer, slower and more boring."