Since I have a better understanding of baseball, there is one trend I have noticed and that is the more I learn about the game, the more I realize that those in the mainstream media are wrong. I see this as a problem because I feel that the mainstream is doing a disservice to the average baseball fan.

I have learned a lot more about the game due to studying Sabermetrics. Some people will say that having all these new statistics detracts from the game, but for me it adds to it. They have taught me to think about the game in a different way. They also taught me to value certain players that I did not before. Years ago I probably would not have thought much of Franklin Gutierrez, but after having a better understanding of the game I learned he was the best centerfielder last year. I think it’s sad in a way that I have learned more about baseball in one year visiting forums and reading Bill James than I ever did listening to the mainstream media. I don’t get paid to follow the game I enjoy and I have a better understanding of the game than those that do get paid. I think the major networks should spend more time studying new statistics and using them during their broadcasts so they could educate their audience. If they did the audience would become more intelligent. I’m actually offended at how bad the quality of baseball analysis is today.

There is one incident in particular that showed how clueless some of the people who cover the game can be. One day I decided to call into a local sports talk show and I usually don’t call into the sports radio shows because most hosts won’t understand where I’m coming from, but I actually decided to call one of those shows the day Milton Bradley got traded. All I heard most of that day was that it didn’t matter what the Cubs got back as long as he was gone. I decided to call in and I told the host that I think Bradley’s OBP was more than respectable and was more likely to rebound in 2010. I also stated that he is a much better player than Carlos Silva, who the Cubs acquired in the deal. His response definitely surprised me. He stated that you can’t look at his on-base percentage and that it does not matter much. I then responded by saying the worst thing a hitter can do is make an out and he disagreed. He stated that RBI’s are more important, which is false. I’m not going to say it’s the most important stat out there, but it is an important one and to dismiss its importance entirely is ignorant. He could have cited his mediocre slugging percentage as a drawback of Bradley’s, but he did not. It’s this kind of thinking that makes me realize it does not take the brightest person to get a job in that industry.

I understand I’m in the minority as far as these numbers go, but they don’t’ lie. There’s a reason why teams that ignore them like the Mets and the Royals are as bad as they are. I’m not asking for them to become experts on the stuff, but I don’t think it’s asking too much for those that get paid to discuss baseball keep up with better statistics. It takes 10 minutes to learn some of these stats. It gets old hearing the so- called experts use older metrics such as RBI’s to assess a player’s value when there are newer and more reliable measurements available.

I understand that most people are comfortable with what they know, but I’m sure there’s a good amount of people that would be interested in it. This information can be a dry at times, but I think if you found the right guy to present it, I think people would start paying more attention. There’s a lot of people that like baseball and if there are new and better ways to understand it I’m sure they would be open to it. I’m of the belief if you can just make one person think about the game differently, I think it’s worth pursuing. It also doesn’t help is when you have someone like Joe Morgan saying statistics don’t matter. He seems to think that things like hustle are more important than results, which is false. It is people like Morgan that are doing a disservice to baseball fans. As sad as it is people actually believe what he says. I’ve had people argue with me in the past that statistics don’t matter. They may not tell everything about a player, but they tell a lot. I remember one game in particular he would not keep quiet about how good of a player Juan Pierre is. He kept citing his speed putting pressure on the defense as a reason for why Juan Pierre is a good player. Anyone who follows baseball closely knows that Juan Pierre has not even been an average player since 2006. Honestly it’s getting increasingly difficult for me to bite my tongue when people keep saying that Juan Pierre is a good player because he’s fast and steals bases.

If the broadcasters would use newer stats we could put some myths to rest. Such as stolen bases are valuable, Derek Jeter is a great defensive shortstop or pitching wins matter. It would be nice if I could use a stat like WAR and not have people look at me like I’m speaking some kind of foreign language.

I admit these numbers can be boring or dry at times, but I don’t think everything should be watered down either. I know I like to be entertained, but I’d also like to learn something as well. I don’t think it’s asking too much for those in the media to be held to a higher standard. If they kept up with the newer stats they would be able to inform their audience better. I was never much for math and even I was able to understand Sabermetrics relatively easily. These statistics have increased my knowledge of the game and I would think that they could do the same for others. As a baseball fan I would much rather hear new ideas about the game as opposed to discussions revolving around things like chemistry and momentum all the time.

If someone like me can take the time to learn new things, I don’t think it’s asking a lot for those in the media to do the same. It probably is not my place to say that they are wrong just because I don’t share their viewpoint, but these people obviously have a passion for baseball and if they are paid well to discuss baseball intelligently they should use the more reliable measurements and for the most part they are failing. Hopefully someday people will be more open to new ways of thinking.