Because it so often seems that statheads are simply, obtusely, missing what the game is all about. “We do not always measure what we value, but we value what we measure”, as the management consultants say. Having figures available for crunching can lead to a mindset where the crunched numbers are seen as actually reflecting what is happening on the field, where not having them leads the unmeasured things to be dismissed or ignored.
The game is both fun and beautiful to watch, adn that should be its purpose - but where are the stats for fun and beauty? Statheads get derided so often, including by me, for seemingly lacking the perspective to appreciate what matters most about being a fan of the game, in fact for seemingly deriding it themselves.
“Baseball is not statistics. Baseball is DiMaggio rounding second.” - Jimmy Breslin