Ramblings of a Fantasy Dumbass

[DOUGHBOYS]

I'm not a WAR guy. There are several reasons for it. The top of which is that I hate convoluted statistics. If a statistic can't be described in a few seconds, I don't need it. There is also the fact that I am a Fantasy Bastard. I am jaded enough by fantasy to give the finger to the stats that others come up with.
WAR in baseball is a little like War in real life. Politics are involved.
Ok, I'm going off track now, since I used the word 'politics'.
Remember when Reagan was President? And he was nearly assassinated by John Hinckley?
(WARNING- This short story has nothing to do with baseball)
Hinckley was pummeled and wrestled to the ground by bystanders and then secret service agents pulled them off to save Hinckley.
Hinckley was brought into a room to be interrogated. The detective assigned to interview Hinckley started getting psyched up. This was a guy who tried to kill the President and he was going to be getting answers from him.
He enters the room and sees Hinckley sitted at the table. Nods at him and tries to get his thoughts in order for what he knows is going to be a long and arduous task.
Then, just as he opens his mouth to ask a question, a nerdy doctor type enters the room.
"We're going to need a dna sample", he says.
Frustrated, the detective says go ahead and get a sample.
"Um, we're going to need it from his pubic area".
Now fully pissed off at the delay, the detective barks, "PUBIC AREA!?" "He tried to kill the President, he didn't try to fuck him!"
That's how I feel with WAR.
It has become accepted and few question it.

Just as an example, let's take poor Tim Anderson.
Tim Anderson won the batting title.
Back when players were mostly coal miners and tree cutters or had other jobs escaped to play baseball, batting average meant a lot.
While some players were playing for a couple of hundred dollars a year, the Batting Championship was worth a brand new car.
For years after, the Batting Championship was the pinnacle of achievement in baseball.
Now, the smart guys have ruined the batting championship.
They turn their nose up at that. Hitting isn't enough now. OBP rules.

Anderson walked 15 times last year! 15! I love this guy! He just wants to hit!
And because of that, he is summarily dismissed by the smart guys.
Makes me feel like the detective.
"Anderson just wants to hit the baseball, not hit on the first baseman!"
Anderson's 15 walks maybe the lowest by a Champ in history. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I know it is by far the lowest total this century.
Anderson (and only fantasy people will love this) had more home runs (18) and stolen bases (17) than walks (15).

While Anderson's year turned the cranks of fantasy folks, the smart people spit on it.
Anderson's WAR was 4.0 So was Corey Seager. Seriously.
I don't want to know how it happened. I don't care.
All I know is that Anderson is being taken WAAYYY ahead of Seager in the NFBC.
There are so many examples of WAR questioned.
Manny Machado had a 3.1 War. A guy that plays both positions well, hits 32 homers, played every day and a platooner like Joc Pederson, who can't wipe his ass with a lefty on the mound, is a defensive body, not glove and he has a 3.3 WAR.
In my book, as useless as a Batting Championship is to the smart guys is how useless WAR is to me.
But, what do I know, I'm just a fantasy dumbass.

[Thurman15]

I don't like WAR either. It includes defence and that doesn't matter in Fantasy Baseball. And defensive stats are harder to understand. I don't trust them. I read the other day someone figured out Mickey Mantle was not a good center fielder. Say what ?? For 60 years we've been told all his peers called him an excellent outfielder. Apparently someone figured out he was no good. Who is next ? Paul Blair ? Willie Mays ? I'm certainly not drafting based on WAR. I'm drafting based on hitting. As for Tim Anderson, he sure was unique. Never seen anything close to that. Yes I know he will never battle for another batting title, but I feel bad for him. He gets criticized for winning the batting title. Let him enjoy it. I'm a big believer in sabremetrics, hence I know Tim will hit well below .300 this year. But I don't think people need to diss him. This is like saying Don Larson was no good. Yes we know. But on that one day, he was perfect !! I hope historians don't look at his WAR and the narrative becomes....he was lousy. Advanced/analytics/sabremetrics......all good. I follow closely. Just don't take the fun out of baseball feats.