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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

All-Star Game buzz

Clint Hurdle…another big fan of M-O-Q-U-I-R-K.

Clint Hurdle said he consulted with several people when putting together his National League batting order. Oakland GM Billy Beane probably was not one of them.

“You look at the numbers that many of these men have put up,” Hurdle said. “(But) you know, I’m a big fan - I hear about OPS, OBP - I’m a big fan of G-U-T-S. I like guts.”

So much for Beane’s whole Moneyball philosophy, with its importance on on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and other relatively obscure statistics.

Repoz Posted: July 15, 2008 at 10:12 AM | 19 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. Flynn Posted: July 15, 2008 at 10:40 AM (#2856772)

Oakland: 51-44
Colorado: 39-57

2. Guts

Posted: July 15, 2008 at 10:42 AM (#2856773)

I wish I could like you more, Clint, but thanks for the sentiments.

3. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: July 15, 2008 at 11:06 AM (#2856781)

It's always nice to random shots taken at Beane. You know what would be nice, if the A's actually had some of these gutless OBA heavy guys on the goddam team. THAT would be nice.

4. Crashburn Alley Posted: July 15, 2008 at 11:24 AM (#2856787)

Yeah... the A's have a collective .323 OBP which is 10th in the AL. Of their players who have logged 200+ AB's, only Jack Cust and Ryan Sweeney have OBP's significantly higher than the league average (.324).

What "guts" do you need in baseball? It is arguably the least "gutsy" sport (and that's why it's so good, since it requires much, much more than brute strength). And who assigns the "guts" ratings? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Rick Reilly.

5. Rusty Priske Posted: July 15, 2008 at 11:46 AM (#2856796)

OPS is 'relatively obscure'?

6. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: July 15, 2008 at 12:01 PM (#2856809)

Has any TV show ever aired that Repoz doesn't have encyclopedic knowledge of?

7. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: July 15, 2008 at 12:13 PM (#2856818)

So he is claiming Soto is gutless? What a coward of a manager.

8. depletion Posted: July 15, 2008 at 12:21 PM (#2856824)

When you're out of Butz, you're out of guts.

God, guns and guts. What was the question?

9. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: July 15, 2008 at 12:50 PM (#2856847)

God, guns and guts. What was the question?

Something to do with Pennsylvania voters, I believe.

10. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: July 15, 2008 at 12:57 PM (#2856855)

If there's a wrong way to put together an All-Star lineup, Hurdle will find it.

11. El Hijo del Ron Santo (Alan Keiper) Posted: July 15, 2008 at 01:01 PM (#2856860)

The record for sac bunts in a game is three, set by the NL in 1944 and the AL in 1987. The last sac bunt in a game was 1998 by Tom Glavine. The biggest "What the !#%&*" bunt occurred in the '44 game, with Joe Medwick bunting in the 8th inning with a 6-1 lead. Marks to remember as we watch Clint Hurdle manage tonight.

12. Hubie Brooks (Not Really) Posted: July 15, 2008 at 01:08 PM (#2856865)

What "guts" do you need in baseball? It is arguably the least "gutsy" sport (and that's why it's so good, since it requires much, much more than brute strength). And who assigns the "guts" ratings? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Rick Reilly.

Running into the outfield wall takes "Guts".

13. BeanoCook Posted: July 15, 2008 at 01:11 PM (#2856873)

Hurdle may be an idiot, but his lineup is better than the AL's lineup.

14. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: July 15, 2008 at 01:17 PM (#2856878)

Hurdle may be an idiot, but his lineup is better than the AL's lineup.

Because the players are better, or because of something Hurdle did?

15. JJ1986 Posted: July 15, 2008 at 01:31 PM (#2856889)

The NL lineup seems perfectly fine. I'd probably change it to Hanley, Utley, Pujols, Berkman, Holliday, Jones, Braun, Soto, Fukudome, but that's basically the same.

16. Alex Vila Posted: July 15, 2008 at 01:57 PM (#2856926)

“You look at the numbers that many of these men have put up,” Hurdle said. “(But) you know, I’m a big fan - I hear about OPS, OBP - I’m a big fan of G-U-T-S. I like guts.”

When I read that excerpt, Lloyd Bridges came immediately to my mind's eye.

17. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: July 15, 2008 at 03:04 PM (#2857016)

Has any TV show ever aired that Repoz doesn't have encyclopedic knowledge of?

Admit it, you immediately thought of Mike O'Malley and the aggro-crag when you saw "G-U-T-S."

18. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 15, 2008 at 03:50 PM (#2857068)

What's funny is Clint probably would have been the kinda player Billy Beane the GM woulda liked and would have given a shot too after he busted in Kansas City. Good power, great walk numbers in the minors at a very young age. Clint was a Moneyball guy and didn't even know it.

19. Iwakuma Chameleon (jonathan) Posted: July 15, 2008 at 04:01 PM (#2857085)

Admit it, you immediately thought of Mike O'Malley and the aggro-crag when you saw "G-U-T-S."

I'm 20 years old and even I didn't get that reference until you posted this.

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