Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Pot Shouts at Kettle Accusingly, Dozens Sigh in Boredom

Exclusive video montage of Jesse Litsch's career progression.


Far, far be it from me to criticize ANYONE for fetishizing the exploits of your favorite players. As anyone who reads this site regularly knows, I tend to focus in on the abilities of bit players and blow them up to legends in my own mind.

Additionally, I'm a big fan of Mike Wilner. Huge. Love what he does and hope he never changes his style. I don't always agree with him but that's understandable. He uses the pesky "reason" stuff so it is hard to argue too strenuously. Until today.

Catching up with Wilner's blog, I read his post after Jesse Litsch's great spring outing. Wilner is a big Litsch supporter, I get that. But what I read BLEW MY MIND (emphasis mine):
Jesse Litsch has been the favourite of plenty of Blue Jays fans to kick around the last couple of years, with the majority seemingly having completely forgotten that he was legitimately one of the best starting pitchers in the American League in 2008, and that as a 22 year-old in 2007, had a fine rookie season.
Whoa.

I could go ahead and dig up a mountain of data to show that Jesse Litsch was, in fact, not one of the best starters in the American League. He was probably the third best starter on his own team.

In terms of innings pitched and runs allowed, he was about as good in 2008 as Josh Beckett. That much I can agree with. Does that make him one of the best? Beckett is pretty famous so shit, I don't know.

Nope, I know. Jesse Litsch was not among the best starters in the American League. Not now or ever. He just isn't.

11 comments:

  1. [Wilner] uses the pesky "reason" stuff so it is hard to argue too strenuously.

    i tend to shy away from people who value being obnoxious ahead of getting their reasonable positions across. i've come to believe that you can use reason without being a douche to others, but that's just me. it's a wide world and there are plenty of places to find reasonable baseball discussion.

    any guesses as to who will cover the Jays for the new TSN Radio station?

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  2. I think Mike Bossy will cover the Jays for TSN Radio. Maybe Tie Domi.

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  3. HA! Would that be better or worse than listening to Jeremy Roenick talk about the Jays with Andrew Krystal?

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  4. Hey - Jesse Litsch got results in 2008, you stupid chief!

    All you need to explain is how he greatly out-pitched his FIP for the season. Probably much helped by his 2 (!) shutouts.

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  5. Wilner meant to say, "In 2008 he was legitimately 25th in fWAR overall in the American League."

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  6. Nothing is worse than listening to Andrew Krystal.

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  7. An Old Boy clip for a Jesse Litsch semi-bashing post? You really did anticipate the eye rolling, didn't you?

    If Jesse Litch defies the odds and performs better than we all assume, all I ask is another Korean revenge film clip. Please?

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  8. Whats amazing is the fact that the scene was filmed in one go, without a double for the main character.

    Amazing.

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  9. @BK - I'll keep it passive-aggressive and use a clip from Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.

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  10. Your hate on for Litsch exposes an intelligent man, like your self, to ridicule. Litsch has demonstrated considerable value before and will do so again. (After a successful 2007, Jessie came back in 2008 and was 9th in walks per 9 innings, tied for 1st in shutouts and 9th complete games in the AL). He is not a fluke.

    Just because you are unable to quantify how he has been successful and just because he doesn't look the part, in stature and/or stuff, doesn't mean that he is a mirage.

    I have posted comments defending Litsch to your analytical onslaughts in the past. Any pitcher who posts a 2.8 war his second time through the league while never pitching a game in AAA deserves the benefit of the doubt until he demonstrates otherwise.

    If you can't have faith, Drew, then at least lay off Wilner for rightfully putting aside bias to recognize the demonstrated gem that is Litsch.

    Once the season's numbers are in and Litsch has proved his value once again, I hope your blog will spend as much time and space highlighting his actual accomplishments as you do denigrating his supposed weaknesses.

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  11. I understand what you're saying and appreciate the note about my intelligence (got you fooled!) but this point is more about Wilner' comment. He baited me and I took it, like a fool. Jesse was good in 2008, though I still don't agree he was one of the best starters in the AL that season.

    I'm all about faith. I have faith in the abilities of guys like RZEp, David Purcey, Brandon League, Travis Snider. I have faith their results will catch up to their skills/abilities.

    With Litsch it is the other way around, and that doesn't appeal to me - aesthetically or otherwise.

    I promise I'll put away my haterade and let it be what it is.

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