Interesting article about Jays power hitting

[Pchu]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AuX_fgzbHTqNI6OoCyjEzusRvLYF?slug=ti-bluejayshomeruns052610

Explain a lot about the power surge for the Jays, while not very good at OBP%.

Don't like this though:

“I think on-base percentage is an overrated stat,” Murphy said flatly. “Those guys getting on base, most of them aren’t getting them in. Give me somebody who drives them in after that. I need guys who can drive the ball.”

[Schad]

I love the contrast between the first and second half of this sentence:

Maybe word hasn’t reached Toronto, but the new baseball lords have determined on-base percentage is offense,

Those goddamn "new baseball lords", stating from upon high that on-base percentage is a primary component in offensive production. Where do they get off preaching this nonsense?

and a list of the AL’s on-base percentage leaders generally mirrors that of the AL’s scoring leaders.

...from the fact that, with the lone exception of the Jays are their massively aberrant season, there's a really high correlation between OBP and runs scored, apparently.


Then, immediately introduce (in a positive light) a quote which has basically been obliterated by the preceding sentence:

“I think on-base percentage is an overrated stat,” Murphy said flatly. “Those guys getting on base, most of them aren’t getting them in. Give me somebody who drives them in after that. I need guys who can drive the ball.”

You're such an awful sportswriter, Tim Brown. Don't ever change.



Edit: in case anyone is curious why I'm coming down so hard on a pretty innocuous article, it's because Tim Brown's last piece features the exact same format, except instead of lauding the Jays for swinging for the fences, it's lauding the Padres for stealing a tonne of bases:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-padres052010