This tidbit from yesterday's Boston Globe spring-training live blog:
Nick Green, currently the leading hitter on the Red Sox, just blasted a home run to straight away center. Green, who did not play in the majors at all last season, has been destroying the Grapefruit League this spring; he came in with a .526 batting average, and he's got 11 hits now. That homer must have gone about 435 feet; it was an absolute bomb. In his career, Green, 30, has an OPS+ of 72.
What's so amazing about this? Not that AAAA player Nick Green is rocking the exhibition games, which is great and all -- but that a reporter for the Globe just used OPS+ as a stat without referencing someone's mother's basement. Adam Kilgore, stick around a while. Please.
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Amazingly hot, but small sample size? Hehe.
Posted by: Lar | Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 11:09 AM
All the same, somewhere Murray Chass is shaking his withered fist, then wishing someone was there to see his anger, then turning on the TV to fish for some Rockford Files re-runs.
Posted by: Hit Dog | Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Actually, it is well known that Adam Kilgore writes his columns for the Globe from his mother's basement in Acton, Mass. Im sure that Chass already has his response column submitted to the copy editor of the Times.
Posted by: sam-YF | Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 11:56 AM
I think it's actually kind of amusing that Kilgore spent all that time rhapsodizing over Green's blazing hot spring training, then at the end, with one little stat, points out that he actually kind of stinks.
Posted by: MarkH | Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 01:05 PM
He and Brett Gardner should both be in strong contention for spring training player of the Year award. Should be a heated battle.:)
Posted by: Brad | Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 01:11 PM
I think it's actually kind of amusing that Kilgore spent all that time rhapsodizing over Green's blazing hot spring training, then at the end, with one little stat
OPS+ isn't just one little stat, it's the one stat!
Posted by: Atheose - SF | Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 02:01 PM
Paul and all other statgeeks:
I had my 44th annual checkup yesterday. Doc says my OPS+, PECOTA, etc. numbers are very, very good. (Really he was talking about my blood sugar, cholesterol ...)
That means I'll be around for awhile, which will give me plenty of time to spite turds like Murray Chass.
My point is this: It's high time I stop acting like a member of the Geritol crowd and get on board with you. What is the best source for an old man like me to get good explanations and definitions for all of these acronyms you boys like to cite. I know OPS; that one only took me a couple of months to figure out.
Thanks.
Posted by: I'mBillMcNeal | Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 11:13 AM