I'd guess that the number of players that can define SLG is rather small. I don't expect players to understand the numbers and I'm not sure understanding them provides any advantage to a player so I've never understood the "even some of the players don't understand them" notion.

Now ... as we all know, sportswriters can't resist "WAR, what is it good for?" yet none of them ever seem to go for "WHIP it, WHIP it good." Discuss.

Now ... as we all know, sportswriters can't resist "WAR, what is it good for?" yet none of them ever seem to go for "WHIP it, WHIP it good." Discuss.

Wouldn't that be an acknowledgement that whip is good? Besides, I imagine many more writers have heard Bruce Springstein(or Edwin Star) more than Devo.

Besides, I imagine many more writers have heard Bruce Springstein(or Edwin Star) more than Devo.

They've probably just all seen Seinfeld.

“Stats are everywhere now,” Weeks said. “The jumbotrons are bigger than ever and in high definition. I even see stats when I’m fielding on the outfield wall.”

No wonder this dude can't field... he's facing the wrong way.

Anyway, I don't see "summary" stats as being helpful to a player -- whether the stat is BA, SLG or WAR, I think the guy already knows that it'd be better if that number is higher, and knowing that fact doesn't particularly help make it happen.

What I do think will transpire, as time goes on, is that stats will become more descriptive, rather than summarizing. There will be more stats to the effect that the guy has X bat speed on fastballs but Y on sliders, and his swing has begun to trace this parabola rather than that one, and so forth. That will be the type of thing that can be channeled towards improving player performance. But even then, it'll be a coach essentially serving as translator between the stat dude diagnosing the issue, and the player taking the physical steps to change the result. (Since coaches aren't exactly perfect, it certainly can't hurt if the player is capable of doing some of this work himself -- cf. Brandon McCarthy -- but I don't foresee a point where it's usually the player's primary responsibility.)

I imagine many more writers have heard Bruce Springstein(or Edwin Star)

Maybe even to the point where they'd know how to spell Springsteen. Or Starr, for that matter.

Maybe even to the point where they'd know how to spell Springsteen. Or Starr, for that matter.

I should hope so, after all they are professional writers who are paid to know that type of crap.

cf. stands for "confer" and means "compare"

I think you're going for e.g. (not to be confused with i.e.)

Whoops, I thought it was a more dramatic version of e.g., although I'm not sure why I thought the English language needed that. My bad.

I would support a constitutional amendment making it required to know how to spell Springsteen before you can vote.

I would support a constitutional amendment making it required to know how to spell Springsteen before you can vote.

Why? Is he someone that people actually care about outside of east coast? I was thinking he was somewhat like Gene Simmons, way past the point of actually being relevant anymore.

Edit: if it was someone worthwhile like Bruce Campbell, I could see your point.

What's your stance on Chuck Barry, cfb?

What's your stance on Chuck Barry, cfb?

Who?? Just kidding, he was great when he redid that Michael J Fox song.

Note: my dis on Springsteen was just because of the pedantic attack on my spelling.