Comments on: You’re as Good as Your Skills, but Only if You Use Them

By: BigKTfan

BigKTfan — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 01:55:27 +0000

Thanks, Richard. You've mentioned that before and seem sold on its ideas. I will have to order it.

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By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:31:52 +0000

BigKTFan, might I suggest that you read "The Book" by Dolphin, Tango and MGL.

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By: BigKTfan

BigKTfan — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 10:25:44 +0000

re 67 - “For example, just because a music critic can’t write or play music doesn’t mean their criticism of Britney Spears is false.”

You are 100% correct.

“But that doesn’t make Bruce Bochy any more competent. It doesn’t mean he is good at what he does.”

And just because Law was an assistant to a GM and writes for ESPN doesn’t mean he is competent or that his in-game strategy is any better than Bochy’s.

From the posts I’ve gone back and read about Law resigning his position with the Jays he seems to be a nice enough guy. I also have no idea how good he did in his position, so my claiming he failed is unwarranted.

Mostly, I’m just a Bochy fan, and I was especially irked today by ESPN’s poll asking readers who they would rather have on their team, Terrall Owens or ARod? Millions of readers will see this poll, and a large number will now equate the two (as if they were comparable). That would be like me asking: Who would you rather hire as a writer, Keith Law or Jason Blair? Irresponsible, defamatory, and a sign of the times, I’m afraid. Is ESPN owned by FOX?

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By: BigKTfan

BigKTfan — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:37:12 +0000

Re 66 - If Law chooses to write about in-game strategy, he should be judged on his team's record during his tenure with the Blue Jays. Law is insinuating that he would be a better in-game manager than Bochy (who shouldn't even be on the plane ride home, according to him), so we can only look to how his team fared when he had some level of responsibility in the overall decision-making process. Unfair? Maybe. A little like lambasting a manager that takes a mediocre team to a first-place finish and then is sniped as a bad in-game strategist by a writer- failed assistant GM -writer.

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By: Marc Normandin

Marc Normandin — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 06:39:56 +0000

I like how my e-mail was included by Travis in an anti-Bochy comment. Makes me proud.

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By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 06:02:28 +0000

I think Cameron should fit your bill, Chris, Ks and all. At least he doesn't have to run odd routs to make highlight catches (Eric Owen, at least his rep; my memory is foggy). Personality can be one of those vague or subjective complaints. Whether Cameron or Gonzalez or Young, I think this team is OK there.

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By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 05:54:53 +0000

65: Plus, I’m also a self-appointed expert, and I know I couldn’t manage a major league team for many, many reasons. But that doesn’t make Bruce Bochy any more compotent. It doesn’t mean he is good at what he does.

For example, just because a music critic can’t write or play music doesn’t mean their criticism of Britney Spears is false.

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By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 05:08:47 +0000

65: Wouldn't your insult make more sense if Law had been a manager that screwed up and was fired rather than an assistant to the GM that elected to resign?

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By: BigKTfan

BigKTfan — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 04:09:34 +0000

Re 51

Fair enough. I should have Googled Keith Law before ripping him. My comments were about writers in general, as I obviously know little about Law.

Would I be correct in saying that Law was a writer who became an assistant who went back to writing?

The Blue Jays during the Law era:

2002 78-84
2003 86-76 (.531)
2004 - 67-94 (.416) 2004
2005 - 80-82 (.494)

I guess being a genius is a little easier from behind the pen than on the field after all. Now we know why he went back to writing.

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By: ChrisK

ChrisK — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 03:55:31 +0000

I wish I could offer a solid suggestion of a personality-inducing player, manager, bat boy (remember when the Padres’ bat boy had an afro? I guess that was too interesting, so even he cut his hair!) or anyone else. Right now, very little excites me about the Padres.

I remember players like Tim Flannery or Eric Owens. Not great players, not game-changing players, but players you could root for. Khalil fits this description to some extent these days. Fans have latched onto him because he is exciting to watch in the field, and is unlike any other player (or maybe girls just think he’s cute).

Then we had players like Gwynn, Caminiti and Finley who were both game-changing players and also exciting to watch. Not exactly a dime a dozen, of course, and I don’t know of a current player who fits the bill. I’m sure others here will have suggestions.

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