Anthony Gargano’s Opening Diatribe- “Held Hostage by Analytics”
Things look bad for the Phillies right now. Their loose grip on their playoff spot is slipping. They find themselves just .5 games ahead of the Brewers after dropping two games to the Cubs. And Anthony Gargano did not hold back this morning about his feelings for them. In his Opening Diatribe, Anthony ripped the slumping bats and the Phillies’ reliance on analytics.
If you missed his Opening Diatribe this morning, you can see what Anthony had to say at the start of his show below…
“I didn’t expect this. This is the Henry Rowengartner Cubs. This is the Rookie of the Year. That’s the kind of team they are, a freaking Triple-A team right now. And you have Wheeler and Nola, oh my god, how pathetic. I can’t believe they are in this situation right now.
But wow, I didn’t expect things to go this bad. Six times they had the leadoff runner on, they had 11 hits, and they could only score 2 runs? Harper is Harper, he knocked in two runs. but he went 0 for. JT went 0-5. He had been carrying you, so I can’t kill him. Castellanos had 3 singles, but I need more. I need more.
I understand they have no leadoff hitter. They parked Schwarber there, and he had a big year. I think the way they are built, and playing into the analytics hurt them. And this is why old-school baseball is still the right way to play the game... The way they are built, you need certain aspects and attributes in your lineup. Like a leadoff hitter who can manufacture runs. A little speed. Speed at the top of the lineup is important. So you can get someone to 3rd with less than two outs, and get a run home.
That’s why the analytic nonsense, like batting Aaron Judge at leadoff is stupid. You have to be able to manufacture runs. What the analytics don’t take into account is the cold weather and the end of the season when you start to grip the bat tighter. The numbers don’t quantify that stuff. That is human behavior. And it’s why I will always believe that analytics is a tool, but not religion. This freaking franchise has been held hostage by analytics for the last decade. It’s the reason why they haven’t made the playoffs. And it’s the reason why right now they are in peril.
I think you have to do something drastic. Losing last night was it. Tuesday night was one thing. But last night you can’t lose that game. Its disgraceful to lose that game.”
And you can listen to Anthony Gargano’s full Opening Diatribe below…
