Comments on: Fire Brand interviews Bill James

By: Toffer Peak

Toffer Peak — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:38:29 +0000

Wow, I hope you used that advice. That was quite a spot-on prediction by Bill James.

By: M.A.G

M.A.G — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:48:24 +0000

Congratulation again, Evan.

By: Sean O

Sean O — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:48:17 +0000

Look at Zack’s August/Sept numbers. Hopefully he’ll realize the promise he’s shown for so long.

By: Sam K

Sam K — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:42:23 +0000

Of all the names to pick, he picks Greinke. Is that the hot tip I need for fantasy baseball next year? I’ll get back to you, Bill.

By: Sean O

Sean O — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:06:41 +0000

If you don’t stop getting high-profile interviews, I may have to find a crappier site on which to comment.
I feel intimidated making “lugo is a wifebeater” jokes on an important site.

By: gerry

gerry — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:42:59 +0000

Good interview. Bill James is an interesting guy who doesn’t believe in quick answers to complex issues. However, he can identify a good pitcher when he sees one.
I totally agree with him about the four-A classification. Take Charlie Zink, who obviously mastered pitching at the AAA level against plenty of MLB bats in 2008, winning best pitcher award. He got not a cup but a sniff of coffee at Fenway, failed to shine, and may never be heard from again. Yet, he could be the next Wake if someone will give him a decent shot.
Also the blogs are full of bringing declining stars to the bench for first base, and we have Jeff Bailey just sitting there with his remarkable BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, HR, RBI #’s, and decent 1B/OF glove (at Pawtucket AND Fenway) being ignored, because some wag somewhere erroneously put a 4-A label on him.
I look at how well Craig Breslow did, and wonder why we didn’t give him a good shot and at least trade him; like Joe Thurston (a better AC?), Devern Hansack (yes, IMO he belongs) maybe Chris Carter (what a reliable DH he would be), VanEvery (Adam Dunn?), etc.
I wish you had asked him the likelihood of older AAA stars making a successful transition to MLB. Because of the pervasive “clock is ticking” mentality, which insists that everyone develops on the same time table, I imagine the data base isn’t large, but it does include Youk, Carlos Pena, Craig Breslow in recent memory.