Best lefty off all time? My vote is Koufax!

[Greg Sonk]

Originally Posted by rats60

Then I guess you reject all advanced metrics because those are all statistical models based on the designer’s opinion. It is a good thing that Koufax has the stats to back up being called the greatest lefty of all time. Grove on the other hand doesn’t, he just has opinions of some who have made models.

The key difference here is that in one case, someone creating a metric set out to reflect what happens on a baseball field separately from their opinions of any individual player. This is exactly why we have stats like FIP-, ERA+ or any other adjusted pitching metric you prefer. You're attempting to contextualize and consider all of baseball history with a relatively equal slant. You would expect that to be seen as a good thing on a pre-war baseball board rather than someone trying to play the "real stats" card that went out with Duran Duran.

When you ask a player the same question, you're overwhelmingly likely to get either someone they played against or idolized as a kid. More often than not, they're also basing this on what they personally experienced rather than the total package. In the days before video rooms, what percentage of Koufax's pitches do you think Player X saw?

To be clear, I'm not blaming players for any of this. That's human nature. But to be blunt, player evaluation skills don't necessarily overlap with playing skills. There's a reason baseball front offices hiring pools have undergone a seismic shift.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Greg Sonk

The key difference here is that in one case, someone creating a metric set out to reflect what happens on a baseball field separately from their opinions of any individual player. This is exactly why we have stats like FIP-, ERA+ or any other adjusted pitching metric you prefer. You're attempting to contextualize and consider all of baseball history with a relatively equal slant. You would expect that to be seen as a good thing on a pre-war baseball board rather than someone trying to play the "real stats" card that went out with Duran Duran.

When you ask a player the same question, you're overwhelmingly likely to get either someone they played against or idolized as a kid. More often than not, they're also basing this on what they personally experienced rather than the total package. In the days before video rooms, what percentage of Koufax's pitches do you think Player X saw?

To be clear, I'm not blaming players for any of this. That's human nature. But to be blunt, player evaluation skills don't necessarily overlap with playing skills. There's a reason baseball front offices hiring pools have undergone a seismic shift.

There is no difference. It is still opinion. fWAR doesn't agree with bWAR. Bill James has Win Shares. Others have their own metrics. It is all personal opinions. Trying to claim that someone else can't use their or other's opinions doesn't work when you are doing the same. Especially when there is no transparency in those opinions.

[matthew]

Johan Santana was pretty nasty for several years in the 00s. Was he the best ever, probably not. He did have a great run that would rival previously mentioned player's best 5 seasons.

Kershaw is pretty amazing as well as far as a player we all have been able to see pitch. I hope there is some baseball still yet to see this year

I think Koufax's MLB career might look a little different if he'd had a few years in the minors

Great question. I have enjoyed reading the thread. For a World Series or complete season Koufax is a compelling choice. For a career I still love me some Spahn.

[Greg Sonk]

Originally Posted by rats60

There is no difference. It is still opinion. fWAR doesn't agree with bWAR. Bill James has Win Shares. Others have their own metrics. It is all personal opinions. Trying to claim that someone else can't use their or other's opinions doesn't work when you are doing the same. Especially when there is no transparency in those opinions.

You’re blankety white-washing every opinion as equally wrong. No one is telling you that you cannot think X was best. That’s what makes open discussions fun. But you’re lashing out at everything at once with no focus.

To be clear, I don’t think sorting a column by bWAR or fWAR is the proper answer to anything. We do know that many of the newer metrics are more equipped to express what happens on the field that things like Batting Average or how Fielding Percentage skews for and against certain attributes.. Key here is that the bar for usefulness is not 100% accuracy. As the saying goes, “All models are wrong, some are just useful.”

What is your specific transparency issue here?