Here’s why I stopped clicking on “his” blog:

1. While I have always enjoyed his writing style, I am not a fan of his baseball analytical skills.

2. When wrong, it appears to me that “he” has a hard time not playing “journalist” and actually being human/relating (that’s why I love blogs like this). It’s a bit like going to a car lot and having someone fill you full of it, when you know that’s what he’s trying to do, it just doesn’t feel good. Yeah, it’s his job, but he’s pushing so hard it shows, and like most carbuyers in that situation, I’ll shop elsewhere. (and I’ve been the car salesman…)

3. When all else fails, “he” will pick a fight, or play devil’s advocate. I did it for a while too. But I’ve come to feel that “he’s” just trying to drive hits to his blog, and do his job. I can’t bring myself to believe he care’s about my team.

Maybe I’m completely wrong in my emotional state. And Lord knows beings and M’s fan can be emotional, but that’s why I refuse to click on “his” page.

Go M’s!

To be really, really clear though, I don’t think Baker’s a bad guy, or even necessarily a bad journalist (I probably went a little too far with the “lazy journalism” bit, but I was cranky after reading this article). He’s certainly no Finnegan.

I just have seen his writing shift from a clearly very smart and very open-minded guy at the beginning, to increasingly seeming like he feels he has to defend conventional baseball wisdom against the rampaging blogger hordes, and that’s something that there’s already a lot of in mainstream sports media.

Judging Wilkerson on 45 ABs (while ignoring the rest of his career) is no better than judging David Ortiz solely on what he’s done this year. Yet, everyone seems to be willing to dismiss what Frank Thomas has done this year and assume he would’ve been the magic pixie dust the team needs.

This misrepresents the argument around Wilkerson.

No one’s judging him without looking at the rest of his career. There’s a lot of evidence in the last few years that he’s done. This is frequently mentioned.

“10 of 12 **OR** 15 of 18 streak.”

DESPITE the club being in a collective offensive funk, (only 2 of 9 hitters are currently above their career lines) …

DESPITE having a major meltdown in the bullpen that *ABSOLUTELY NOBODY* foresaw (EOF allowing 16 runs in 7 innings) …

DESPITE thus far getting only 11 innings out of the ace acquisition …

DESPITE all of these items, the club has continued to play .500 ball.

The club is ranked 12th in average, 12th in OBP, 9th in slugging, but is actually 7th in runs scored!

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Thing is – *TEAMS* have ebbs and flows every season. As stated so well above – you cannot schedule your runs. But, before writing off the entire season, consider this.

In 2008, the 96-win, eventual World Series winning Boston Redsox – went 13-14 in June. The offense posted an aggregate line of .264/.348/.413 during that June swoon.

The Ms current line of .250/.316/.393 is bad, yes. But it is a line built off the reality that almost the entire lineup is hitting below THEIR normal standards. Vidro and Wilkerson may not hit .800. But *NOBODY ON THE PLANET* has projected them to hit .600 or below, (or Joh for that matter, the actual guy on the roster the FURTHEST under his projected results).

Judging Wilkerson on 45 ABs (while ignoring the rest of his career) is no better than judging David Ortiz solely on what he’s done this year. Yet, everyone seems to be willing to dismiss what Frank Thomas has done this year and assume he would’ve been the magic pixie dust the team needs.

If the team was performing *AS EXPECTED* and getting .500 results, that would definitely point to vindication for the pre-season pessimists. But 5 of 9 starters are under their (generally negative) ZIPs projections right now – with most of them MASSIVELY under those projections.

Ibanez is gonna fade some. And Beltre “probably” will, (though his magic season says there is actually an iota of hope that what he’s posting at the moment could be sustained all season). But, the reality here is that the club is playing .500 ball while performing significantly UNDER the most negative pre-season projections of what they would do individually.

With Putz and Bedard returning. With EOF back in AAA in search of his stuff. And with the starting rotation showing almost universally good signs, there is actually very good reason to be optimistic.

Put Vidro, Wilkerson and Joh each around a .750 OPS, and what happens? That’s not pie-in-the-sky hope. That’s plausible (and likely) expectation.

The team, as it exists today, is one that can stumble to a .500 record for quite some time. But when warmed up, it can reel off a 10 of 12 of 15 of 18 streak.

Go ask the Tigers about REALLY stumbling out of the gate. The 1-6 record in 1-run games hurts. It’s painful to watch, but the statheads KNOW that 1-run games are way random. And no, stellar bullpens do NOT improve 1-run results, (ask the Bosox about their 22-28 1-run record in 2007, (while Tampa was going 22-21).

It’s funny to me that we’re railing the guy for pointing out Jones’ poor OPS while excluding Wilkerson’s from the discussion, when we would have pissed our pants if Pocket Lint knew how to spell OPS.

Baker has his flaws, no doubt, but the “I am so disappointed in him” stuff cracks me up. Did anyone expect him to be auditioning for a gig at BaseballProspectus? His analysis is poor, no doubt. It’s still light years better than what we had before, and, dare I say, fairly better than our front office’s.

It doesn’t compare to yours, but given his background, I don’t know why anyone would have ever expected that it would have.