I proposed this question to the most intelligent person I know, “Who do you think provides better analysis of baseball general, a computer or an expert in that sport?”

The most intelligent person I know said, “Surely this question has no correct answer.”

I responded in an obviously snooty manner, “No it’s clearly the computer, and don’t call me Shirley.”

TMIPIK then asked me, “Do you know why this question has no answer?”

“Ummm,” I answered, expecting the next words out of TMIPIK’s mouth to be the answer to the meaning of life.

“Because the evaluation of computer output is best done by baseball experts and the best way to evaluate the experts choice or judgment is to utilize computers,” TMIPIK said.

“Humm,” I remarked while trying to find out how TMIPIK made such a nice play on words in such a short period of time.

“You tell me, what are the reasons a computer provides better analysis?”, TMIPIK asked.

“Well, while a person can only physically see one game at a time, a computer can watch all games at all times. Also, a person can’t process a large number of games simultaneously whereas a computer can. Any object can only make rational judgments on what it remembers, and a computer has a much larger memory than a person does thus it should provide more informed analysis.”

“Ok, now play the devil’s advocate. What reasons do you think a baseball expert may provide better analysis?” TMIPIK again asked.

“I hate you. I won’t answer that question as myself, but as Joe Morgan because he is the only fool who believes this. (Enter my horrible impersonation of Joe Morgan’s voice) ‘Well Jon, (Jon Miller is Joe Morgan’s partner on Sunday Night baseball in case anyone didn’t catch that reference) I have been around baseball since 1962. I have seen some young pups come up to the Big Leagues and be busts and I have seen some young pups come up to the Big Leagues and be stars. I know baseball, I know baseball players, I know what it takes to be a Major Leaguer. Some computer do-hickey is no ten time all-star. Some computer do-hickey didn’t win the MVP and the World Series…twice. Computers can only tell you one thing, and that one thing is whatever you want it to tell you. People are the ones putting this statistical garbage into them, so clearly they have influence on what the computers spit out. I saw Willie Mays play Jon…Willie Mays. Did I mention that I won the MVP twice?’”

“That was a terrible Joe Morgan impersonation.”

“I know.”

“All right I have to go do other far more important things but trust me the best way to analyze baseball is to have Joe Morgan look at advanced statistical output and have him interpret the results.”

Ever since this conversation, I realized two things. One, TMIPIK really is quite intelligent and is probably right about this. What do you guys think? And two, I really have no reason for not liking Joe Morgan. He is very against SABRMETRICS, but I take that way too personally. He has a right to this opinion and I respect him for it. Plus, I don’t hate him as much as these people (http://www.firejoemorgan.com/ )

I end with a quote from arguably the greatest statistician to have ever lived regarding the purpose of us statisticians.

“We have the duty of formulating, of summarizing, and of communicating our conclusions, in intelligible form, in recognition of the right of other free minds to utilize them in making their own decisions.” ~ Ronald Fisher