Richard Justice thinks I'm stupid

by Adam J. Morris on Feb 20, 2007 10:55 AM CST in News Comment 26 comments

Richard Justice, columnist for the Houston Chronicle, thinks only stupid people don't appreciate Brad Ausmus:

Anyway, Ausmus was mentioning that he'd looked at my blog at time or two over the winter and was surprised by the level of vitriol aimed at himself and Adam Everett. I had to explain to him that the vast majority of the people who read this blog are smart. They get it. They understand how having two premier defensive players is actually a good thing for a baseball team. As for those who write in, many of them clearly have never seen a baseball game.

These people fall into two categories. Either they're numbers geeks who love the math but stopped watching games about five years ago. Or they're know-it-alls who watch about two games a year and think batting average is the only statistic that counts.

I told him the same thing I've told many of you. One opinion counts on this blog. That would be mine. No one else matters.

And in case you missed the point, the headline to this entry is "Only idiots don't understand the value of Ausmus and Everett."

It is a little sad that, in 2007, we are still seeing columnists throw out the "math geeks who don't watch the game" comments.

And I think there is a legitimate argument that Adam Everett provides some value as a starting shortstop.

But Brad Ausmus is a bad player. He's been a bad player for the past six years. Look at his stats.

EQAs the past six seasons of .216, .248, .220, .212, .236, and .213. A 593 OPS last season. There is no catcher who is going to be good enough defensively to be an asset as a starting catcher with that sort of offensive production.

Justice's premise seems to be that, unless you are around the team all the time, talk to the scouts, have the sort of "inside" information that only he and his cadre can get, you aren't qualified to have an informed opinion on Brad Ausmus. Instead, you should just sit back and take Richard Justice's word on how valuable Ausmus is, despite what the numbers say.

So remember, folks, don't think for yourself. If you want to know what to think about something baseball related, just wait until Richard Justice opines on it...then you'll know what you should think.

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Math geeks

Yeah, I've never understood that argument. I consider myself pretty firmly in the pro-sabermetric camp, and I'd estimate I watch between 250-300 games a year, including the Rangers, and follow a lot more than that using Yahoo & Sportsline's game trackers.

by RCCook on Feb 20, 2007 10:56 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

gamtrackers!

math geek! you aren't watching the game unless you're smelling the tobacco spit.

or something like that.

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Feb 20, 2007 12:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't question sportswriters

on the all important "handling of a pitching staff". Thats damned important stuff.

I mean, we all saw here that Pudge couldn't handle a pitching staff. I guess he learned all of a sudden when he moved to Florida and Detroit and had real pitchers to work with.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Feb 20, 2007 11:03 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

And another sports writer loses all credibility.

It is questionable as to whether Ausmus would even make a decent backup.

by Athos on Feb 20, 2007 11:12 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

You guys just don't understand

If the Astros would only get more production from their other positions then Ausmus' offense would be fine.

by Chris Martin on Feb 20, 2007 11:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

well even the astros fans i know

dont appreciate brad ass-mus.

by dubman on Feb 20, 2007 11:55 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Wow

As I always say (well, probably lots of people say this), when you're writing opinions, you're really writing about yourself. And referring to his readers as idiots, knuckleheads, geeks, and know-it-alls in the span of five paragraphs pretty much sums him up.

by Lucas on Feb 20, 2007 12:07 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Ausmus

First of all let me state that I don't have an opinion on Ausmus. The only Astros games I watch are when they play the Rangers. But I saw that Olney had an interview with Braves catcher Brian McCann on his blog where they talk about the other catchers and I thought it would be relevant. Here is an exceprt:

The best hands: Brad Ausmus of the Astros.

McCann said that during one of his at-bats last year, he took a pitch three inches off the ground, and because of the way Ausmus received the ball -- softly drawing his gloved hand back toward his chest as the pitch hit his mitt -- "he made it look like the pitch was right into body."

"I was in an at-bat one time and turned around and said to him, 'quit cheating,' " McCann says, chuckling. "He makes that pitch that's low look like it's a strike down the middle. Everything he does [in receiving the ball], he sucks it right back into his body, but you can't tell he's doing it. He sets up real low, and gets lower than a lot of guys."

<snip>

Setting a target: Ausmus.

"He sets that low target, and he sets up at just the right time for the pitcher to pick up the target," said McCann. "I'm trying to get better. I'm trying to get to the point where I know exactly when to go and set up. In my first year, I struggled with it. I'd set up too early, and I didn't know that was a big part of the game. Guys on second base were giving signs."

In other words, the runners at second watched McCann set his target early and then relayed, through subtle signs, his location to the hitter. What McCann wants to do is time his target-setting perfectly: He wants to wait until the last possible moment so that the baserunner can't relay his location, but he also wants to move early enough to give the pitcher a good look at the target he is setting.

"You try to wait for when the pitcher's [front] leg goes up," said McCann. "Different pitchers are different in how they like you to do it. [Bob] Wickman likes to see the target the whole time."

In other words, don't worry about the baserunner.

Oh and calling you're readers idiots isn't a good way to keep your audience. Obviouslly Justice is calling the kettle black.

Derek

Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!

by DerekSTheRed on Feb 20, 2007 12:26 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

A few thoughts

Here is a recent interview with Paul DePodesta. Actually it is three parts ( 1 , 2 , and 3 ) be sure to read them all - they are worth it. He has matured a lot since his days with the Dodgers. At the time, I would have described him as a "math man", but the same really can't be said now. Anyways, people like Justice read the following quote and blow it way out of proportion:

"At the same time, from my perspective, I would never want those statistics clouding the judgement of our scouts. The scouts are there to tell us what the stats can't. What I wouldn't want any scout to do is to describe a player based on his statistics. That's something we can do from the office. We have scouts in the field because there are things you can't necessarily see on paper or see in the statistics that are incredibly relevant."

Ausmus supporters take this too far in thinking that his glove work (as described by McCann) can make up for his awful hitting. I think a better description of Ausmus also comes from this interview as well:

"We try to look at players both in terms of tools and skills. Ultimately tools without skills don't get you very far. Those are the guys that do just look good in uniform. We all want players to have the skills and the tools. Those are the super stars. Those are the best players at every position. The Albert Pujols of the world, those kind of guys, they have tools, in addition to the skills. I do think we try to separate. We try to get the best of both worlds as best we can, but in general the tools without skills, those are the guys that leave you hoping, more so then the guys that are just really good baseball players that don't necessarily have the best tools in the world. "

I think Ausmus definately falls into the "tools without skills" category.

by Excel Hearts Choi on Feb 20, 2007 1:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Brad Ausmus

Worst starting catcher in the Major Leagues. Period.

Rangers in '07. Obama in '08.

by ghtd36 on Feb 20, 2007 12:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

justice

is an arrogant douchebag.

by willamos2 on Feb 20, 2007 2:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

and he has

his head so far up Drayton McLane's ass that he can taste his lunch.

by willamos2 on Feb 20, 2007 2:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Does he eat poo for lunch? or breakfast?

When all else fails, there's always delusion. - Conan O'Brien

by mtex on Feb 20, 2007 2:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How important

Is "appeasement of Brad Ausmus", anyway? Justice pulling the 'math geeks' card in an array of player apologetics is dumb and defensive, but not worth paying a lot of attention to IMO.

I'm just guessing he may front Drayton's line "whatever it is" and has to suck up to stay in good graces. Since I don't read his work, no comment. But I do appreciate how irrelevant and stupid it is that throwing out that sabrmetrics folks can't appreciate the great Brad Ausmus.

Wanna bet that every time Justice is wrong about something, it's because he's on the defensive?

"When you're riding in a time machine way far into the future, don't stick your elbow out the window, or it'll turn into a fossil."

by Ed Coffin on Feb 20, 2007 2:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

how about

he's always wrong and always on the defensive because of it.

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Feb 20, 2007 2:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Justice

The problem with his argument was summed up nicely by Adam:

"EQAs the past six seasons of .216, .248, .220, .212, .236, and .213. A 593 OPS last season. There is no catcher who is going to be good enough defensively to be an asset as a starting catcher with that sort of offensive production."

Ausmus hasn't been a major-league quality hitter, even for a catcher, in five of the last six years. While it's great to have a good defender at a position, Ausmus would have to be Johnny Bench, Roy Campanella, both Pudges, and Yogi Berra all rolled into one defensively to justify giving him so much playing time.

He's an absolutely terrible offensive player- as is Adam Everett, but at least in Everett's case, the defensive stats justify his reputation with the glove. Ausmus isn't even all that good defensively any longer. He's just a big black hole of suckitude.

by RCCook on Feb 20, 2007 2:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

to be fair

I think those who tout Ausmus would point to his handling of the Astros pitching staff and their staff ERA as evidence of his value to the team. This effect is not quantifiable, and consequently is deemed nonexistent by "math-geeks". I'm not coming down on one side of the debate or the other myself, but if we misrepresent the argument of the other side, we are no better than people like Richard Justice.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Feb 20, 2007 2:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

its certainly quantifiable

just not ever in a statistically significant way. but its easily done - look at a pitcher's ERA with and without Ausmus as the catcher - its just that the sample size for the second category is usually pretty low.

anyway, houston had 3 aces on their pitching staff last year and they all did well. But was Ausmus really getting the most out of Buchholz and Wandy Rodriguez?

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Feb 20, 2007 3:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

correction

pettite's not an ace but no surprise from his production. he was who we thought he was.

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Feb 20, 2007 3:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

true

This would be a good way to get an idea. I'd be nice if Garner would cooperate this season and go with a straight platoon, allowing Ausmus to catch 81 games and someone else to catch 81.

Digging just a bit, Houston had the second best ERA in the league, with the other teams in the top five being SD, NYM, LAD, and FLA, respectively. Given all we know about the Juicebox and the stadiums of those other clubs, that strikes me as an amazing stat. Not saying that Ausmus contributed significantly to this fact (if anything, Everett and Taveras had a lot to do with it as well), but it is quite impressive.

It's Coagulicious!

by trza on Feb 20, 2007 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Justice

Maybe Richard Justice is just a pseudonym for Ben Morris.

by Chris Martin on Feb 20, 2007 3:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

benmor's funnier

and angrier.

by a bebop a rebop on Feb 20, 2007 3:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Fire Joe Morgan

They did a post on Justice's article. This pretty much sums it up: "Adam Everett and Brad Ausmus are very good fielders, which helps their team. They are also among the very worst hitters in all of baseball, which hurts their team."

http://www.firejoemorgan.com/

Texas Rangers: baby step to 2007. Baby step to 2007.

by WyoRanger on Feb 20, 2007 3:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Well

There's no shortage of bad players on the Houston Astros.

Surpassed only by their bad pitchers.

"Longview's record low temperature for Friday morning is 20° set back in 1909...I think that will fall...we will see."<--sez weatherman.

by Sharky on Feb 20, 2007 5:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

see

sharky's comments kind of fit well with this ausmus theory of him helping the pitchers. sharky has long contended that pitchers are only good in houston and stink everywhere else. maybe its because of brad ausmus.

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Feb 20, 2007 5:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs