morgan strikes again
26 June 2007How can ESPN continue to let this man call baseball games. In a recent ESPN chat, he said:
Bob (Brooklyn): What’s more important to evaluate a pitcher: Wins or ERA?
Joe Morgan: I’ve always believed that an ERA is like a batting average. It’s a personal thing. For instance, a guy could hit .300, but not be as valuable as a guy that hits .270. A guy that makes 7 outs out of 10 with guys on base, he’s not that valuable. But if you’re clutch, but hit .275, you’re more valuable. That’s why I think wins are better. It’s just as tough to win a game 7-6 as it is 1-0. The only thing that matters at the end of the year is how many games did we win.
Oh my holy God. Is it possible he didn’t understand the question? What’s more important to evaluate a pitcher? I suppose anyone reading this doesn’t need an explanation of why Morgan’s response is so utterly insane, but I’ll do it anyway. Wins are dependent upon a pitcher’s performance, but also on the team’s offensive production as well… which has nothing to do with the skills of the pitcher. It is possible for a pitcher to strikeout every single batter he faces in a season, allow zero hits and zero runs, and never earn a win. But according to Joe Morgan, wins are a better way to evaluate pitchers than ERA. Simply unbelievable. Fire Joe Morgan!