“As a parent, the easiest way to truly see the situation is to learn to keep book. Stats don’t lie”.

The above comment was left by a reader.  The comment was in response to “Kids know the Truth”.

I totally agree with the reader and I am going to tell you why.  Keeping a book not only tells you what the player did during the game as far as at bats, fielding, and pitching go but it also keeps you involved in the game.  Keeping a book, or at least keeping a good book requires you to pay attention to the entire game, therefore you will see that a kid hit three shots to the gap, or he hit three lazy fly balls.  You will learn the game on a different level and I believe simply keeping a book will make you a better fan and you will be the fan everyone turns to for vital information because they know you understand the game.  You will now be the informed information guru who can see why someone is not starting because all you have to do is flip a few pages and see they haven’t had a hit in the last three games and have made three errors to boot (pun intended).  So fans learn how to keep book please, then if you have any questions you can simply refer back to your very own work.

I know people will think stats do lie because a hitter can be killing the ball and not getting any hits.  True, he can but this tends to even itself out in this great game.  What I mean by evening itself out is, for every line drive you hit that gets caught you hit a Texas leaguer or ground ball with eyes that falls in or gets through.  Sometimes you get hits on balls you deserve to make outs on and sometimes you make outs on balls you deserve to get hits on, its what makes this game so maddening and wonderful at the same time.  And I am sorry but if you don’t have a hit in four consecutive games maybe you are not hitting the ball as well as you think.

What about the pitcher who throws a great game and doesn’t get a win, don’t the stats lie then?  No, they do not because if he is throwing a great game it will be reflected in his ERA or strikeout to walk ratio not always in the win column, just ask Edwin Jackson or Zach Greinke about that.

Numbers don’t lie, that is why we keep them.

samflamont@tumblr.com