Tony Gwynn. Rod Carew. Willie McGee. Ozzie Smith. Maury Wills. Brett Butler. David Eckstein. Dustin Pedroia. Plácido Polanco. Juan Pierre. Scott Podsednik. Ben Zobrist. Marco Scutaro. A.J. Pierzynski. Eric Hosmer. Yonder Alonso. Different generations. Different skill sets. Different ways of impacting winning baseball. Let me make something clear: I’m not against analytics. I’m all for information that helps us better understand the game and make smarter decisions. But I do question whether we’ve reached a point where certain numbers carry more weight than actual production and proven baseball skills. There’s a difference between using information to evaluate talent and allowing information to dictate what talent is supposed to look like. Some guys beat you with power. Others beat you with contact, speed, defense, baseball IQ, execution, and an understanding of how to win. My concern is that we’ve become so focused on what certain players don’t do that we’re overlooking what they consistently bring to the table. Sometimes organizations fall in love with what the numbers suggest a player could be instead of appreciating what another player has already proven he is. Analytics should help us understand the game, not convince us to ignore what happens on the field. And before somebody brings up the Dodgers and how much money they spend, yes, they spend a lot, but they also go out and get proven ballplayers, guys who can impact the game in multiple ways and know how to win. They’re not afraid to spend what it takes to get those players, but that’s a different conversation. The point is, they’re investing in proven baseball talent, not just what a projection says a player might become. There’s a reason they’ve been so successful. And perhaps the best modern-day example of what I’m talking about is Luis Arráez. Three-time batting champion. Elite bat-to-ball skills. Consistently puts together quality at-bats year after year. Yet somehow, we keep having conversations about whether his game fits what winning organizations are looking for. Here’s what I find interesting: teams with postseason aspirations have gone out of their way to acquire him because they recognize what he brings to a lineup. I’m not saying he’s a perfect player. Nobody is. But when did we get to a point where being one of the best pure hitters in baseball isn’t enough for people to appreciate your value? We spend so much time explaining what Luis Arráez can’t do that sometimes I wonder if we’ve forgotten how special what he can do really is. I’m not asking anybody to ignore the numbers. I’m asking whether we’re giving the right numbers the right amount of importance. So here’s my question: are we using information to build better baseball teams, or are we sometimes allowing that information to make us overlook good baseball players? Because at the end of the day, you can have all the information in the world, but somebody still has to step between those lines and play the game. There’s more than one way to be a great baseball player, and there’s more than one way to win. And if the ultimate goal is winning baseball games, shouldn’t we be appreciating all the different ways a player can help us accomplish that? Make it make sense.

Why isn’t common sense and logic not common anymore??

DAMN! Who knew little old me and my opinion would have all y’all this STIRRED UP?! Some of y’all heard the word ANALYTICS and completely MISSED MY WHOLE DAMN POINT! I’m talking about REAL BALLPLAYERS! DOGS! GRINDERS! Dudes who will fight through 12-pitch at-bats, move runners, lay down a bunt, run the bases, make plays, and do the dirty work EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! Guys who COMPETE THEIR ASSES OFF! I spent a few years around Pat Murphy. Sat in his office, had plenty of personal conversations, and heard firsthand what that man preached! “PLAY LIKE A NEANDERTHAL!” Now let me ask y’all something… YOU THINK NEANDERTHALS KNEW WHAT ANALYTICS WERE?! OR WERE THEY JUST OUT THERE TRYING TO COMPETE, SURVIVE, AND WIN NO MATTER WHAT?! THAT’S MY WHOLE DAMN POINT! I never said the Brewers and Rays don’t use analytics. I’m saying I see two organizations that value OLD-SCHOOL BALLPLAYERS! Complete players who know how to WIN, even when it ain’t pretty! Y’all call it analytics. I call it GETTING BACK TO THE GAME I GREW UP LOVING! BASEBALL! SIMPLE AS THAT! And yeah, let me be a LITTLE PETTY before I go! Respectfully, I’m not letting people who have NEVER stepped between those lines convince me otherwise just because you went to a really FANCY SCHMANCY COLLEGE 🤣and know how to read a spreadsheet! I respect education. I respect analytics. But being book smart doesn’t automatically mean you understand what it takes to COMPETE AND WIN between those lines! I played 15 YEARS in the BIG LEAGUES! I’ve been around some of the greatest baseball minds in the world. That doesn’t mean I know everything, but I’ve earned the right to have my own perspective on this game! LOVE THE DEBATE! RESPECT EVERYBODY’S OPINION! BUT I’M STANDING TEN TOES DOWN ON MINE!

Unpopular opinion, but I’d LOVE to see Aaron Boone manage the San Diego Padres when his time in New York is done! 💯⚾️ Having played for Boone, I can tell you what fans don’t always see. He’s an ELITE communicator, holds guys accountable behind closed doors without embarrassing them publicly, and makes players believe in themselves even when nobody else does. Managing the Yankees comes with pressure most people will NEVER understand. He’s handled those pinstripes to the best of his ability. Boone is a tremendous leader of MEN, and I truly believe Padres players and fans would LOVE and APPRECIATE what he brings to that clubhouse. Say what you want about Boone. I know the man behind the manager. That’s my opinion, and I’m STANDING ON IT!

BASEBALL MIGHT BE GETTING THE WORLD SERIES IT NEEDS MOST! At a time when analytics have practically taken over the game and a potential lockout is looming, the Rays and Brewers might be reminding baseball of something we’ve forgotten. HOW TO ACTUALLY PLAY WINNING BASEBALL! Pitching. Defense. Speed. Contact. Smart baserunning. Timely power. EXECUTION! Forget chasing superstars just because they’re superstars. GO FIND SUPERSTARS WHO KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE GAME! Two organizations proving that sometimes the best way forward is BACK TO BASICS! Maybe this World Series is bigger than a championship. Maybe it’s a reminder of what baseball has been missing. And for once, I genuinely have NO IDEA who I’m picking! Rays fans, Brewers fans… SELL ME ON YOUR SQUAD! Convince me why YOUR team wins it all. BEST ARGUMENT GETS MY PICK!

Bam jugular runs! Rays needed that in major way.

The Rays need a jug Run or for the non baseball people an insurance run. I don’t feel like one run is enough!

David Hamilton with a huge Jug run…. Aka going for the jugular!

That bat slam from Max Muncy felt more like panic and maybe even a little we’re cooked. The Brewers just don’t let up!

We’ve spent years talking about the Dodgers payroll, but are we asking the WRONG question? Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, Cleveland… year after year, these organizations find ways to compete without spending like the giants. At what point do big-market teams stop obsessing over analytics and start POACHING the scouts from these organizations? Maybe the biggest competitive advantage in baseball isn’t payroll. It’s knowing how to IDENTIFY TALENT that can compete when the lights are the brightest?..

The best manager in baseball, and im speaking on experience. Murph is the best leader of men Ive ever been around in the game of baseball!

What I love most about the Brewers isn’t even the back to back bombs from Bauers and Mitchell. It’s how COOL and CALM they were afterward. No overreaction. No celebrating like the job is finished. Just business. THIS is the team baseball needed this year! A team that refuses to follow the script, plays for each other, and plays the game the way it was MEANT to be played!

Am I ridiculous for wanting Mesa Jr. to bunt Caminero over?

I bet yall won’t disagree with Jeter. Brewers playing baseball the way the game was meant to be played!

Okay guys, the more I thought about it, I figured out the script. The Brewers push the Dodgers to 7 games, but somehow, someway, Hollywood survives. Too much money, too many stars, and too much at stake. Let’s be real, the ratings demand it. Meanwhile, the Rays take care of the Guardians, setting up the ultimate David vs. Goliath World Series. The smallest payroll vs. the biggest. Hollywood vs. Dollywood. A team built on doing the little things right against a team built to win it all. And in the ultimate plot twist, the underdog steals the show. The Rays shock the world in 7 games, the Dodgers’ repeat dreams are crushed, and baseball gets its Cinderella story. Then BOOM… here comes the lockout. There you have it. You’re welcome. 🍿

Since everyone has an opinion, here’s mine

As a former professional athlete who sacrificed more than most people will ever understand to reach the highest level of my craft, I find it absolutely COMICAL watching some of the most unathletic, undisciplined, uncoordinated people who have NEVER been elite at anything in their lives sit around and call professional athletes TRASH. 😂 Like seriously….. WTF am I missing? What exactly have YOU accomplished that gives you this sense of superiority over someone who reached a level that less than 1% of athletes will ever experience? Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and criticism comes with the territory. I get that. But it’s always fascinating how some of the loudest voices belong to people who haven’t accomplished a damn thing athletically since high school. There’s a BIG difference between having an opinion about the game and disrespecting someone who actually mastered their craft enough to play it professionally. Some of y’all need to learn that difference. 💯

You should never look for a slider against a guy that throws 100 mph 🤔

As I sit back, having people reach out to me about coming in their platform to share my opinion… ill say this. The more I watch these playoffs, the Rays May have the easiest path to the World Series in the history of our beautiful game. Which should also piss Yankees fans off even more! Now watch a major platform go steal this 🤣