FIRE JOE MORGAN: Joe Wants to Chat.

FIRE JOE MORGAN

Where Bad Sports Journalism Came To Die

FJM has gone dark for the foreseeable future. Sorry folks. We may post once in a while, but it's pretty much over. You can still e-mail dak, Ken Tremendous, Junior, Matthew Murbles, or Coach.

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Saturday, April 28, 2007

 

Joe Wants to Chat.

Who am I to tell him he shouldn't?

Sadly, this version is surprisingly devoid of weird nonsense. There are a few gems, though...

Joe Morgan: Good morning. This week wasn't as interseting as last week in baseball. Let's get started.

Ken Tremendous: Way to fire people up, man.

Lane (Kukuihaele, HI): Who's the best leadoff hitter in baseball today? Who's the best that you've played with or against?

Joe Morgan: Well, I have to go with Jose Reyes, because he makes so many things happen when he gets on base. He may not have a high OBP, but he creates things on the bases. I think he's a pretty special player. I think he's the most exciting player in the game today. And he has great enthusiasm for the game. You can see he loves what he's doing.

KT: Reyes is a great player, and he's only getting better. I just like how he dismissed his low OBP as not that big a deal, for a lead-off guy. He also doesn't bother to point out that this year his OBP is .429, which is 100 points higher than his career average.

Thus, here's what I conclude: Joe used to praise Reyes as a great lead-off guy because he "does things on the bases." Then he got yelled at by people who said "He doesn't get on base enough to be a top-line leadoff guy!" So now, without doing any research, he tries to play to those critics by mentioning that Reyes's OBP isn't high enough, but the joke's on him because Reyes is doing a much better job of getting on base.

Barry (winston salem, NC): What do you think about the recent Giant's run? Do you think that they can compete in the west?

Joe Morgan: What I really think is that I'm surprised. I'm surprised because I didn't think their offense was good enough, but that shows the impact Barry has on the lineup. He makes everyone else in the lineup better just by being in the lineup. But I am surprised that they've been able to score like they have.

This is truly wonderful. Joe is surprised that the Giants have been able to score like they have. Listen to me very carefully:

As of right now, the San Francisco Giants are last in the Major Leagues in runs scored.

Dead. Last. 30th out of 30 teams.

This, my friends and naysayers, is why we believe Joe Morgan should be fired. The number one analyst in ESPN's stable of broadcasters has just said that he didn't think the Giants offense was good enough to score like they have. In reality, they have scored the fewest runs of any team in the sport. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Justin (marlboro, NJ): How do you feel about the Mets pitching as we get later and later into the season. I think that so far Oliver Perez and John Maine can definitely get the job done, but what about the fifth starter?

Joe Morgan: I don't expect the Mets to have a downfall. I expect them to win the division. I expect Pedro to be back in the second half. Just his presence will have an impact on the other pitchers. I think they're the best team in the NL and I think they'll win the NL. But that's why they play the games. No one knows for sure. I think the Mets are fine. Every team would like to have another starting pitcher. The Mets are in that category as well.

KT: The second Joe makes a prediction -- I think the Mets will win the NL -- he backpedals as fast as his Hall of Fame legs can carry him. But that's why they play the games. No one knows for sure. I think the Mets are fine. Don't quote me on that. None of this is written in stone. Who knows what the future holds? Just forget I said anything. Stare at this watch. You are getting sleepy. You never saw me. I was never here.

Tom, Chicago: What is wrong with the Twins' offense? They are really having a difficult time scoring runs.

Joe Morgan: They play in a very good hitters' ballpark. Last year a lot of the guys had career years. Morneau had a career year. Mauer will be consistent. A lot of their guys had career years and they're not going to have those years year in, year out. That's why they're struggling right now.

KT: it's quite early, but the Metrodome is currently 21st in runs-scored Park Factor. Last year: 19. Year before that: 14. Back in 2003 it was 8th, which is probably the last year you could say it was a "very good" hitters' ballpark.

Chris (Knoxville): What kind of legacy has Ken Griffey Jr. left behind and how much longer can he play?

Joe Morgan: I think that's a very very good, but difficult question to answer. When he was playing for Seattle, I always loved to watch him because he reminded me of Willie Mays. He love to play and played good defense. It appears to me now that he has fun hitting and not so much playing right field. He has 564 HRs, that's a pretty good legacy. I'm not sure what his legacy will be. He'll be elected into the Hall of Fame. He's one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

KT: Never posited how much longer he might play. Also, let's try to follow the line of thought regarding KG's legacy:

He has 564 HRs, that's a pretty good legacy.

Joe's opinion: Good legacy.


I'm not sure what his legacy will be.

Joe's opinion: Unclear legacy.

He'll be elected into the Hall of Fame.
He's one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

Joe's opinion: Hall of Fame, one-of-the-greatest-ever legacy.

Jacob (IL): Biggest surprise of the season so far?

Joe Morgan: Probably that the Yankees have struggled as they have. I thought they would get off to a good start this year because of all the struggles last year. That's been a surprise. Another surprise has been how poorly the Cubs have played. After spending all that money, I thought they would improve, but I don't see it.

KT: You thought that they would get off to a good start because of all the struggles last year. That doesn't make any sense. Also, last year they won 97 games. And their division.

And as for the Cubs: everyone who thinks about things (a subset of humanity that does not include Joe, apparently), came to the same conclusion about the Cubbies' spending spree: they didn't get that much better. $136m for Soriano was insane. They still had massive pitching problems. They gave $40m to Ted Lilly and $21m to Jason Marquis. Exactly why did you think they'd be so much better?

Rob Clearwater, FL: Joe, With the redsox 1-4 starters giving up just 2-3 earned runs a start and with John Lester's anticipated return, should the rest of the AL east be worried about the redsox really seperating from the pack?

Joe Morgan: I think they should be worried, because Manny Ramirez hasn't hit like he will. I think they should be worried about that. But make no mistake about it, those pitchers will not continue to shut people out day in day out. But like all the other teams, Boston is going to have trouble with their pitching at some point. But I wouldn't say the Red Sox will pitch like this for the entire year, but if you're in the division, you have to be weary.

KT: But make no mistake, but like all other teams, but I wouldn't say, but if you're in the division. Joe starts off by saying other teams should be worried, then lays down four "but"s, then ends by saying other teams should be "weary" [sic]. Four left turns make a straightaway.


Tamiko (kansas city, mo): Hey Joe, will the Royals ever be at least good team?

Joe Morgan: Well, I don't think they'll ever get back to where they were the team to beat in the AL, but I think they can get back to where they're a good team and can compete. I don't konw much about their front office and their scouting systems, so I can't say how long it will take, but I do expect them to improve.

KT: This is one of the great vague answers of all time: I can't say how long it will take, but someday, somehow, and I have no idea how or when or what will cause it, the Royals could be a better team than they are now. Thank you all for coming to my information session, where I give you all information about things. Please disperse.

Sausage King (Chicago): As a former player and manager, what's the most important thing that managers do? Set lineups?

Joe Morgan: That's a very good question, becuase I've always felt that when I played, other than Sparky Anderson and Robinson, I never thought that the manager was as important then as it is now. It is far more difficult now to be a manager than before. There are so many guys with long term contracts and guys who are into statistics. That's not their fault, because everyone hypes the statistics and talks about statistics. I'll give you an example, I saw a quote that Billy Hall had a monster year last year, but only drove in 70-something runs. He hit 30 HRs, but only drove in 70 runs. That's not a monster year, but that's how people compare statistics. My point is you can't compare things with statistics. Now, a manager has to deal with all that. It's more difficult to be a manager now than before. I think a manager has a greater impact now than he had before.

KT: Okay. Breathe. Everybody breathe.

First of all, I'm not sure how any of this has to do with managers. I can see the point that there are a lot of guys who make a lot of money, and the money they make is based on statistics, and in some ways managers might want to do things with their line-ups or pitching choices that prohibit guys from getting like easy save chances or something, which might make certain selfish players jealous. But that's not what Joe is saying.

I'll give you an example, I saw a quote that Billy Hall had a monster year last year, but only drove in 70-something runs. He hit 30 HRs, but only drove in 70 runs. That's not a monster year,

Billy Hall had 35 HR and 85 RBI. He had a .293 EqA and a 7.1 WARP3. That's a pretty good year for a 26 year-old SS. There are very very few teams who would not want a 26 year-old SS who hits 35 HR a year. (I also like how to Joe, the concept of a "monster year" is a tangible thing, presumably with its own set of criteria and measurements.)

but that's how people compare statistics. My point is you can't compare things with statistics.


KT: My point is: you can't compare things with statistics.

Think about that, people. "You can't compare things with statistics."

Exactly what, one might be tempted to ask, as one's hands were shaking so badly one would think one had just survived an assassination attempt, might one use to compare things? Metaphor? How about the infallible human memory? Or perhaps poesy?

Much have I traveled, in realms of gold
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen
Round many Western Islands have I been,
And I have observed some stuff about some shortstops
Bill Hall did not have a monster year
Derek Jeter has a calmer set of eyes
David Eckstein is super clutch
Please don't show me statistics that disprove my observations

Labels: , ,


posted by Anonymous  # 9:31 PM
Comments:
I was disappointed to find that no Major League Baseball player, from any era, was born in Darien (Connecticut).
 
Not even deep-browed Homer (Bush)?
 
A new planet just swam into my Ken (Tremendous).
 
Maybe stout Cortez (Kennedy) was born in Darien (CT).
 
Which Josh Bard in Bobby Kielty to Apollo Anton Ohno hold...
 
In a baseball-related note:

Reader Thomas takes me to task about my anti-Cubs sentiments.

Hi,

You said

And as for the Cubs: everyone who thinks about things (a subset of humanity that does not include Joe, apparently), came to the same conclusion about the Cubbies' spending spree: they didn't get that much better. $136m for Soriano was insane. They still had massive pitching problems. They gave $40m to Ted Lilly and $21m to Jason Marquis. Exactly why did you think they'd be so much better?

In fact, PECOTA calculations show that were/are expected to improve about 20+ games going into the season. Also, if you look at baseball prospecutus's expected wins you'll see right they are drastically underperforming and will most likely pick things up and we'll see a correction in their record.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/standings.php


Well-argued. I would only say that the Cubbies may have benefited, early on, from Lilly's first (meaningful) tour through the NL. And Marquis will no have a 1.17 WHIP for very long. Nor will Lilly's and Rich Hill's stay below .80.
 
Just to make sure we don't get too far off-track, reader (and dude we may have met once ) HHD points out that Citizens Bank Park is on Darien St. in Philly.
 
So, just so I'm sure I get this -- if Pat Burrell refuses to give a post-game interview and instead runs out of the clubhouse at to the top row of the bleachers just to be alone, you might say he was silent upon a park on Darien?
 
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