Nolan Ryan wins 300th game!!

nolanfan34 · #1 12-29-2005, 06:43 PM

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The greatness of a ballplayer cannot be measured by stats alone!

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Your post (only the 4th in this forum this month) would be much better without this. At best, it's a total non-sequitur. At worst it's baiting. I'll give you the benefit of doubt since you're supposed to be a moderator.

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Gee, thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt.

My point in the whole post was merely that Nolan was awesome because he was fun to watch. He has a mix of awesome stats, and crappy stats, but he's an all-time great in my book because he was an exciting player to see pitch.

Jack of Arcades · #2 12-29-2005, 09:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The greatness of a ballplayer cannot be measured by stats alone!

[/ QUOTE ]

Your post (only the 4th in this forum this month) would be much better without this. At best, it's a total non-sequitur. At worst it's baiting. I'll give you the benefit of doubt since you're supposed to be a moderator.

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Gee, thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt.

My point in the whole post was merely that Nolan was awesome because he was fun to watch. He has a mix of awesome stats, and crappy stats, but he's an all-time great in my book because he was an exciting player to see pitch.

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I agree with you that he was a very exciting pitcher to watch. I'll also grant that he was an all-time great. However, he was exciting to watch because he was an all-time great, not the other way around.

I could post so much more but it would derail the topic even further and I don't know if I have it in me to write that much.

nolanfan34 · #3 12-29-2005, 10:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The greatness of a ballplayer cannot be measured by stats alone!

[/ QUOTE ]

Your post (only the 4th in this forum this month) would be much better without this. At best, it's a total non-sequitur. At worst it's baiting. I'll give you the benefit of doubt since you're supposed to be a moderator.

[/ QUOTE ]

Gee, thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt.

My point in the whole post was merely that Nolan was awesome because he was fun to watch. He has a mix of awesome stats, and crappy stats, but he's an all-time great in my book because he was an exciting player to see pitch.

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I agree with you that he was a very exciting pitcher to watch. I'll also grant that he was an all-time great. However, he was exciting to watch because he was an all-time great, not the other way around.

I could post so much more but it would derail the topic even further and I don't know if I have it in me to write that much.

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I don't disagree with you at all there. It's a chicken/egg thing a bit I would say.

Anyway, was just surprised at the tone of your previous post. Glad someone is watching my post count though!

Jack of Arcades · #4 12-29-2005, 11:09 PM

Well, I think a lot of people conflate entertaining with great. That, and the ability to do one or two things really well has a tendency to make people overrate a player. The best example of that playing today is Ichiro.

I think Nolan Ryan was a very big beneficiary of the same things. Very fun to watch, very good at sriking people out, and he was just a freak of nature (in a very good way). Still, it's a shame when people like Bert Blyleven (who was probably better than Nolan) are forgotten when Nolan is called by many the greatest of all time.

Much <3 to Nolan, but you can't grow up in Louisiana without meeting a bunch of people who are a bit too fanatical . It's like a Mike Vick/Derek Jeter/Tom Brady thing, I guess.

tdarko · #5 12-29-2005, 11:21 PM

but nolan wasn't really a freak of nature, he was the hardest worker in the game which converted into a longer career than anyone else...a la roger clemens. if that makes you a freak of nature, then yeah i guess he was.

no, he isn't the greatest ever. but i have more respect for him than most. he pitched through anything, blood, injuries, [censored] teams, etc. its not fanatical to enjoy watching courage. it is fanatical to think mike vick is the saving grace of football or that he truly is a great QB.

what nolan did was great, b/c he may not have certain numbers that you stat geeks drool over but when i am teaching my son the game of baseball as my father taught me i will break out my old nolan tapes. he taught more than WHIP, he taught more than BB/K ratio. i know you are going to disagree and thats the beauty of the arguement b/c both sides are correct. a stat minded person is correct b/c he isn't even top 5 ever, i know this...but what he did on the field was special no matter how you break it down.

Jack of Arcades · #6 12-29-2005, 11:32 PM

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b/c he may not have certain numbers that you stat geeks drool over

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I really can't say much to your whole post, but just for future reference this is not a very good way to refer to someone.

tdarko · #7 12-29-2005, 11:38 PM

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I really can't say much to your whole post, but just for future reference this is not a very good way to refer to someone.

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why not? i consider myself a stat geek as well, this is why i agree to an extent to what you say in regards to nolan. i am not on the level you are with stats but i love the numbers part of sports, i really don't see how that is insulting?

my point was that typically "statisticians" get too one tracked, especially in this forum. sorry if i offended you, i will call you "the stat doctor" from now on [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img].

tdarko · #8 12-29-2005, 10:55 PM

nolanfan,

i feel like bragging. i was at nolan's 5000th strikeout and his 300th win, terrible seats for the 5K game (couldn't even see what pitch ricky was swingin' at), ok seats for the 300th win.

gloating,

~td

tdarko · #9 12-29-2005, 11:06 PM

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My point in the whole post was merely that Nolan was awesome because he was fun to watch. He has a mix of awesome stats, and crappy stats, but he's an all-time great in my book because he was an exciting player to see pitch.

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another thing: there are guys with as much courage and/or heart on the hill as nolan but never any with more and that isn't on a stat sheet.

one of the greatest memories of my short life so far is when i played in the big 12 tournament (we lost to texas in the championship, then 2 and Q in the world series--texas won it all that year FWIW) and before the tourny started nolan spoke at our formal dinner...then afterwards he hung out with us and talked with anyone that wanted to chat. he told some great stories and he is a class act...i love guys that will out work you to death (left the game throwing a mere 145 pitches!!!).