DAMN! Who knew little old me and my opinion would have all y’all this STIRRED UP?! Some of y’all heard the word ANALYTICS and completely MISSED MY WHOLE DAMN POINT! I’m talking about REAL BALLPLAYERS! DOGS! GRINDERS! Dudes who will fight through 12-pitch at-bats, move runners, lay down a bunt, run the bases, make plays, and do the dirty work EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! Guys who COMPETE THEIR ASSES OFF! I spent a few years around Pat Murphy. Sat in his office, had plenty of personal conversations, and heard firsthand what that man preached! “PLAY LIKE A NEANDERTHAL!” Now let me ask y’all something… YOU THINK NEANDERTHALS KNEW WHAT ANALYTICS WERE?! OR WERE THEY JUST OUT THERE TRYING TO COMPETE, SURVIVE, AND WIN NO MATTER WHAT?! THAT’S MY WHOLE DAMN POINT! I never said the Brewers and Rays don’t use analytics. I’m saying I see two organizations that value OLD-SCHOOL BALLPLAYERS! Complete players who know how to WIN, even when it ain’t pretty! Y’all call it analytics. I call it GETTING BACK TO THE GAME I GREW UP LOVING! BASEBALL! SIMPLE AS THAT! And yeah, let me be a LITTLE PETTY before I go! Respectfully, I’m not letting people who have NEVER stepped between those lines convince me otherwise just because you went to a really FANCY SCHMANCY COLLEGE 🤣and know how to read a spreadsheet! I respect education. I respect analytics. But being book smart doesn’t automatically mean you understand what it takes to COMPETE AND WIN between those lines! I played 15 YEARS in the BIG LEAGUES! I’ve been around some of the greatest baseball minds in the world. That doesn’t mean I know everything, but I’ve earned the right to have my own perspective on this game! LOVE THE DEBATE! RESPECT EVERYBODY’S OPINION! BUT I’M STANDING TEN TOES DOWN ON MINE!