I understand Tango's sentiment, but it's really Cartwright's decision whether he wants to participate in this event or not, and I don't think Tango should be encouraging his readers--many of whom would obviously be more sympathetic to Cartwright than the general BP reader--to not vote for him. To be fair, Tango does acknowledge this in the comments.

It works much better if you picture Tango shouting it ala Susan Powter.

That's a name I haven't heard in a while.

It works much better if you picture Tango shouting it ala Susan Powter.

It's outs that give you outs!

Will Carroll on Tim Kniker's piece:

The title? Umm, no. Too much. The rest is really solid work, but it's a bit more 201 than 101. Actually, its more 301 since there's a lot of original work here. That's not a bad thing at all and I feel like I learned a lot here. I just don't feel like he aimed at the right goal. Call it iffy song choice. In the end, I'm left with two opinions here. It was good for what it was, but I don't think what it was is what we were looking for. I'd like to see him focus a bit more if he makes it to next week.

Will, you are f-ing not Simon Cowell.

BPro Idol is a terrific business idea -- for BPro. They get 60ish articles for free. Especially, as Tango says, with Brian Cartwright. His articles are at least as good as their average articles to begin with, but they get them for free, with his friends and fans paying more attention to BPro to root/vote for him, etc.

I said the same thing with Colin Wyers: BPro Idol is a step down for the best of the contestants.

I said the same thing with Colin Wyers: BPro Idol is a step down for the best of the contestants.

Ugh. This might've come out the wrong way. I meant that these writers (Colin and Cartwright, specifically, but possibly others) each have a portfolio of quality work, and BPro shouldn't need a silly contest to recognize that either guy would be an asset.

The contest provides a fair bit of benefit *to BPro*, but it makes these accomplished writers jump through hoops that they shouldn't have to.

Has BPro always been so annoyingly uptight and full of themselves? I've never been a subscriber.

Tim's article title made me laugh. Get a grip, BPro.

And the headshot next to Will's comments never fails to make me laugh. What a toolshed.

I should also note that I thought Tim's article was very good, and I'm not sure what Will is talking about. Did they expect the "basics" articles to be "What is baseball?"

I would love to see a Primer Idol, if only for the commentary from Judge Repoz.

More than anything or anyone else, Will Carroll turned me against BPro.

Tim's article title made me laugh. Get a grip, BPro.

I liked it, too.

Has BPro always been so annoyingly uptight and full of themselves? I've never been a subscriber.

Nah, it's better than you might think. I subscribed last year for the first time, and although I only go there once a week or so, I usually find a few things of interest. This Idol thing, however, is completely ####### stupid.

I like BP, and have been a subscriber for many years. Though I mainly read Sheehan, and not much else. I access their statistical databases and use PECOTA as well.

I don't understand the vitriol for Carroll. I don't read his columns much, but not because they're not good; his injury information is generally very useful -- it's just that I'm not as interested in the topic unless I'm trying to get an update on a specific player.

The grounds for Carroll vitriol have been called for. Loath as I am to be critical of pestiferous douchey toolbags, I suppose I can oblige.

Injury updates are occasionally useful but on the whole very dull and narrow as subject matter. Carroll rarely does statistical analysis, for a reason: when confronted with stats in BPro Idol, his brain turned to mush. That might be okay if he knew his limits, but he's demanded that analysis be dumbed-down because of his own confusion, perhaps partly why BPro of late has shorn analytical depth for superficial and day-to-day topics. Finally, for a qualitative thinker, and unlike Sheehan, he's got a big stick lodged up a tight and dank place.

Other than that, he's a triumph.

Has BPro always been so annoyingly uptight and full of themselves? I've never been a subscriber.

Tim's article title made me laugh. Get a grip, BPro.

Eh... I subscribed 2 years ago, flipped to just a fantasy subscription last year, but decided not to renew this year. There IS still some good stuff there, but for the pure numbers stuff - I can find far too much equally good material for free. Considering I'm in it for the snark (maybe more) as much as I am the deeper understanding of many different ways Neifi Perez sucks, they just priced themselves out of my range.

I would love to see a Primer Idol, if only for the commentary from Judge Repoz.

A skinny man with long (not so curly) locks takes the stage and begins his tune:

can you treat it like an oil well
when it's underground, out of sight?
and if the sight is just a whore sign
can it make enough sense to me?

pretend the table is a trust knot
we'll put our labels down, favors down
i'll watch some yards of twine unravel
and you'll never get it back

it's what i want (it's what i want)
it's what i want (twine comes down)
it's what i want (it's what i want)
don't you know, i could make you try
make you try

Repoz scowls, "you're onto the next round." Only he says something that means that but is totally hidden by an obscure reference I don't understand.

I let my subscription to bpro lapse. The only thing I miss is Goldstein, who's terrific. Sheehan has become as predictable as my morning bowel movement. Kahrl is good, but I never found TA to be particularly valuable. And Carroll? What is there to say. Just the thought of that self-important douche makes me cringe. Class A1 asshat.

What makes that rant work is the screen name posting it.

I canceled my BPro subscription when I went on a cost-cutting rampage earlier this year and eliminated all my internet subscriptions, (save for mlb.tv) and have put the money I would've spent in my savings account every month since. The only thing I've gone back to is Netflix (at a lower monthly price), and I don't miss BPro one bit.

BPro has turned into the Pitchfork of baseball writing. Once relevant and refreshing, they've turned arrogant and pompous. Sabermetric sensibilities aren't too far off from hipster sensibilities so even when they're wrong, they're still right, and nothing's really cool until/unless they say it is.

Nah, Zuvella - too known, too long. Granted, there's a lot of Pavement lines/songs that work well in this specific context, including bits from Cut Your Hair and Major Leagues, to name an obvious pair. Maybe Stereo. Oooh - Conduit for Sale!

How much do writers for Baseball Prospectus get paid?

Too much.

A lot of them are married, so probably not all that often.

The question wasn't how often they have sex.

Pestiferous is an awesome word. According to dictionary.com, it can mean either "Producing or breeding infectious disease" or "Morally evil or deadly; pernicious." I am curious which meaning Jack intended.

Why choose between chocolate and strawberries?