Deadspin Versus Baseball Prospectus...

own post?

One of the Deadspinner comments about the Royals
"so... we're previewing minor league teams now too?"

i enjoyed the royals preview in deadspin, but it was nothing special...

i am definitely a completionist

As Deadspin says,  "Baseball Prospectus are grumpy Guses always spoiling their fandom with their facts, figures and logical, reasoned analysis."  I don't see how this "spoils fandom."  I want intelligent, reasoned analysis.  If I wanted rah-rah cheerleading BS, I'd limit myself to the Royals official site where everything is positive all the time.  I want to know the reality.  I want an objective appraisal.  And BP gives it unapologetically.

This isn't negativity.  They are negative when the analysis points to negative conclusions.  They are positive when the analysis points to positive conclusions.  They say all kinds of negative AND positive things about players, teams, managers, front offices, etc.

The anti-stat crowd might complain about the stat-heavy approach of BP.  Well, get over it.  If you'll actually look into it, they don't say that statistical analysis is the be all, end all of baseball analysis.  They don't say that PECOTA projections tell you exactly how a player is going to perform.  That is just one intelligent way to predict future performance.  Just because they say the Royals or Yankees are going to win X games, that doesn't mean they will.  It just means that one objective projection system predictions that.

I've also heard that statheads like BP are "ruining baseball."  That criticism is more mindless drivel.  Statistical analysis is just an additional way to look at, think about and understand the game.  For those that don't like it, please disregard it.  But for those who want a fuller understanding of the game, then please enjoy.  But I don't see how looking at the game another way and understanding it better "ruins baseball."

I, for one, love the fact that intelligent baseball analysis now has more intelligence, thoughtfullness and logic in it now, and less gut feeling, guess work and blind traditionalism.  BP and SABR have a lot to do with that.

And my comment wasn't directed at you in particular.  I just don't understand Deadspin's stance that BP is somehow negative.  Also, I wanted to defend BP against some of its weakest but most common complaints.

its just another weird misconception... BP=negative

try watching or reading ESPN.com sometime... its an endless crisis, everything sucks, steroids, BCS etc

the pecota cards for players on the Baseball Prospectus website always skip over 2004?  

I was looking up a bunch of people earlier today and they all had comments from around 96-03 and then 04-06 (Sweeney, Roger C., Sosa, Damon, Maddux, etc.)

...I hold BP in high regard. Deadspin just seems like a glorified forum a lot of the time.