Crafty or Gritty?

[DOUGHBOYS]

I've been watching a lot of spring training games. Mostly for study. It does get tedious. When the scrubs come in, it is off to the next game for me.



Part of what makes it grueling are the broadcasters. In spring training, everybody is going to knock in 100 runs or steal 50 bases or hit 40 homers. Nature of the beast.



During one of the games, news came over the wire that Nick Blackburn had been signed to a 14 million/four year deal. "He's gritty", said the broadcaster. I think this is code for a broadcaster. Code for, 'well, I can't say much about his stats, and I want to be positive, so..."he's gritty"'.



Albert Pujols has never been called gritty.



We all know that lefties are 'crafty'. But this is also aimed at lefties who have taken their lumps. Johan Santana isn't crafty, neither is CC Sabathia. In today's game Randy Wolf and Andy Pettitte can be called crafty. Jimmy Key was probably the best of the crafty lefthanders.



Personally, I think Aaron Cook is craftier. He basically, has survived in the majors with little velocity and one pitch. Being right handed eliminates being crafty though, so he'll have to settle for being gritty. Too bad, a crafty guy in a gritty body.



On our level it is the same. We have a bunch of gritty and crafty guys all vying for the same thing. Although, if you are called gritty or crafty at the draft, it may not be a very big compliment. It will probably mean you haven't won your first league and that 'your stats' are wanting.



We don't know if it was grittiness or craftiness that led Lindy to the NFBC pinnacle last year. He'll have to let us know which is his dominant hand to slop pigs with. But like Childs or Jupinka, that grit and craft is gone as he graduates to the elite level.

[The RoundTrippers]

shawn is CRAFTY because he can bowl lefthanded

jupinka is GRITTY because he is in the coffee biz

[The RoundTrippers]

rich gannon......GRITTY!!! and tough as nails!!