I admit it...

[SKO]

...even though they're meaningless stats, It'll still be cool to see Arrieta get 20 wins and Bryant and Rizzo each get 100 RBIs.

This. Also 30 bombs for Bryant would be nice. I've still got a soft spot for the baseball card stats of my youth.

...at the risk of upsetting one of our resident statnherds, the thing about counting stats is that although not getting them doesn't mean you suck, getting them nearly always means you're pretty good.  I still look at 100 RBI as being a mark of a good player, regardless of what else plays into that number.  You need to have a fucking good season to knock in the ton, whoever you're playing with.

McStiff eats ass.

I just checked: McStiff hit 27 dingers and drove in 106 in 2000, whilst posting a WAR of... 0.2.  He was also an All-Star that year.  So, you know... something or other, I'm not quite sure what, any more.

If that's not the most empty statistical season of all-time, it's in the running.

This is a few years old (I looked it up when our friend Valbuena was in the running for a 40 homer season with a BA under .200, but he's ruined that by hitting just 3 dongs in the second half and raising his BA up to a hefty .210), but pretty interesting list: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2011/2/3/1971906/the-worst-30-home-run-season-of-all-time

McStiff makes no appearances, but Sammy does (1997). Tony Batista's 2004 is the reigning champ (32 homers, 110 RBI, but a .241/.272/.455/.728 line). Batista also owned the worst 40 homer campaign ever (41 bombs, 114 RBI in 2000, but just .261/.307/.519/.827) until Adam Dunn came along (.204/.333/.468/.800, 41 bombs, 96 RBI in 2012).

[Tonker]

Here are the ten worst 100 RBI seasons, and McStiff doesn't make the list:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/7152/a-look-at-baseballs-worst-100-rbi-seasons

EDIT: Here's the WAR version.  McStiff's 2000 season clocks in at number 19.

EDIT EDIT: Mr. Cub makes that list.  Also, Joe Carter may have had the shittiest high-RBI career in history: 396 dingers and 1445 RBI, for a career 19.3 WAR.

EDIT EDIT EDIT: Ruben Sierra had 306/1322 for a 21-year career WAR of 16.6.  Over the last fourteen years (!) of his career, he had a WAR of -3.6, breaking zero on only three occasions (1.0 in 2001, and 0.1 in 2003 and 2004).  That's some sustained sucking, right there.

[Canadouche]

My only problem with WAR is that the Hawk's wasn't particularly great either, as a Cub, excepting the '87 and '88 seasons.

[SKO]

My only problem with WAR is that the Hawk's wasn't particularly great either, as a Cub, excepting the '87 and '88 seasons.

Eh, I'd say managing an average of 3.1 bWAR over your age 32-37 seasons is pretty fuckin' good, and given the aspects of his game that I'm told made him extremely fun to watch (his cannon for an arm, non-bullshit tolerating personality, power, etc), I don't think that Cubs fans are wrong for idealizing him or that WAR is wrong for not declaring him a superstar for those years.

He averaged 4.8 bWAR before he came to Chicago. He may not have been elite every year but however you slice it that's a long and very good career.

Edited to add the fangraphs take: http://www.fangraphs.com/plus/the-andre-dawson-hof-effect/

If you compare Dawson's career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with other consensus Hall of Famers, he comes off as in the same league. Rather than relying on arbitrary milestones such as numbers of hits, home runs or runs batted it, WAR measures a player's offensive, positional and playing time contributions relative to the leagues in which the player played.

Dawson's career WAR, according to FanGraphs, included being 246 runs above average offensively and 69 runs above average in the field. After adding in his playing time contributions and position, it all comes to 62.3 WAR.

But we don't want "mere accumulators" getting into the Hall, we want someone with at least several years of greatness. To clarify: something like a 2.0 WAR season is league average. While Dawson had a number of average-ish seasons, he also had four or five above-average, 3.0-4.0 WAR seasons (including his 1987 MVP season), but most importantly, he had a tremendous four-year peak in Montreal from 1980 to 1983; in those four years his WAR value never dropped below 6.1.

[Oleg]

My only problem with WAR is that the Hawk's wasn't particularly great either, as a Cub, excepting the '87 and '88 seasons.

When objective analysis (or, facts) contradicts my pre-conceived bias, I always like to throw away the objective analysis.  I call it "The Ben Carson".

[SKO]

My only problem with WAR is that the Hawk's wasn't particularly great either, as a Cub, excepting the '87 and '88 seasons.

When objective analysis (or, facts) contradicts my pre-conceived bias, I always like to throw away the objective analysis.  I call it "The Ben Carson".

When did we stop calling it "The Chuck"?

[Oleg]

My only problem with WAR is that the Hawk's wasn't particularly great either, as a Cub, excepting the '87 and '88 seasons.

When objective analysis (or, facts) contradicts my pre-conceived bias, I always like to throw away the objective analysis.  I call it "The Ben Carson".

When did we stop calling it "The Chuck"?

Fair enough.

[Bort]

My only problem with WAR is that the Hawk's wasn't particularly great either, as a Cub, excepting the '87 and '88 seasons.

When objective analysis (or, facts) contradicts my pre-conceived bias, I always like to throw away the objective analysis.  I call it "The Ben Carson".

When did we stop calling it "The Chuck"?

Fair enough.

*nods*

[Saul Goodman]

...I think I'm ready to go full St. Louis Cardinals Style Revenge on Mark Melancon.

[InternetApex]

... I hope the Giants win tonight because I'm going to the game tomorrow and I want to see a clinch.

And now that the home game in the Selig Tilt ship has sailed, they can all get buck nutty after the clincher. Hangovers be damned.

[Saul Goodman]

...I still want Craig Kimbrel AND MAYBE AROLDIS CHAPMAN TOO next year.

[PenFoe]

...I still want Craig Kimbrel AND MAYBE AROLDIS CHAPMAN TOO next year.

That's a lot of $ invested in guys to set-up Rondon.

[InternetApex]

...I still want Craig Kimbrel AND MAYBE AROLDIS CHAPMAN TOO next year.

That's a lot of $ invested in guys to set-up Rondon.

THIS. But if Rondon took on the Justin Grimm, middle-inning stopper role while some established veteran pitched the 9th exclusively, that'd be interesting. I wouldn't break the bank on it though. Not Chapman or Kimbrel money. Nope.


As a side note, I'm enamored with Rondon's defense on the rare occasion that he gets to make a play. He's made a couple of great plays going to the ground and making pickoffs. He's not just athletic but sure-handed and smooth. Just watch for it next time and see if I'm lying to you.

[Yeti]

.... this is completely irrational and dumb, but I'm terrified about the Cubs because they won 8 games in a row to end the year. THEY HAVE TO LOSE SOMETIME AND THE 9TH GAME SEEMS MORE LIKELY (I know it's not, but the Pank in me is having a heart attack)

[Quality Start Machine]

...I still want Craig Kimbrel AND MAYBE AROLDIS CHAPMAN TOO next year.

What about Price and Greinke?