Has anyone else been surprised by the commentary on The Athletic that seems to stem from the idea that Joe is some hack who just decided on a whim to to a top 100 list? I've been enjoying the crazy comments but I've probably spent more time in the comments defending Joe as anything. I've become a semi-professional Joe apologist.
That being said...this Brandon McCarthy thing is the last straw. I'm outraged...
(Has anyone noticed how hard it is to express sarcasm on the internet?)
As I said today in the real #1 ranking post, thanks Joe!! I've enjoyed every day. I have to admit, I still have some left to read. I'm guessing that not everyone could keep up with the voluminous output. It is truly a milestone.
I enjoyed the comments until about the last 10. Each one got worse. It was everyone feeling like they needed to make the same comment from choices a, b, or c. Boring and insufferable.
So, I'm saying it here, where it won't get lost in the dumbness.
Thanks, Joe. I mean that. Thanks for the amazing writing about the game I love so much. Thanks for teaching me new things and telling me amazing stories and for making me laugh out loud in a way that LOL can't cover. Thanks for the tears. Thanks, Joe.
And the off-the-field stuff matters, too. Character matters. Did Satchel Paige or Nolan Ryan roam their neighborhoods, powerwashing people's houses not for money but out of the goodness of their hearts? I think not!
Feeling it. Go ahead. You are due many victory laps. Wow. After NUMEROUS starts. Each fantastic in their own way. And here we are. Please don’t let this be the only lap. Ben Franklin took them daily in his newspapers. He wrote more letters of outrage to the editor (himself) probably than he received some weeks. Not only did it generate eyeballs. It was no doubt a pile of fun.
Joe, please, please please post this tomorrow at the Athletic for at least a few hours. Then about 11 am eastern time (gives us west coast folks time to join the fun) , announce Happy Late April’s Fools Day.
Well, if Bonds had 1,800 comments and the Babe about 1,600, this is gonna top 3,000.
Anyhow, here are your choices for comments in response to the surprising choice of Brandon M.:
A. This is a joke. I can't believe I wasted 99 days of my life, and this is what I get.
B. It's obvious Joe has an agenda. He acts as if this is a true list, but in reality it's just a politically-correct, "woke" demonstration of Joe's desire to win over the snowflake masses by choosing a mediocre, tall white guy from Colorado Springs. This is worse than Oscar Charleston at 5.
C. I can't believe he's ranking McCarthy over Koufax.
D. Joe loves to pretend McCarthy achieved that 69-75 record, that 9.9 WAR, and a career ERA+ of 99 legitimately. But then again Joe is a apologist for PEDs. What a disgrace! McCarthy wouldn't be in my top-100,000, along with Bonds, Clemens, and all the other cheaters. This spot should go to a true great who earned their success without chemical enhancement, like Pete Rose or Shoeless Joe.
I sadly and routinely adjust my opinion of a segment of humanity downward as a result of said segment's need to view things written and done and said as performatively political correct or "wokeness". And the comments in reply to the Ruth article were a new low, as relates to Mike's category B.
I had no idea - NO idea - that putting Babe Ruth in the second place spot could be perceived in such a way. I was caught completely off-guard, and I thought I was pretty cynical BEFORE that!
Same here. I expected it with Bonds, of course. And while I wouldn't have predicted it with Charleston, looking back not sure how I missed it.
But with The Babe, WTF, right? I mean, this is WILLIE MAYS we're talking about. Willie Mays! The Say Hey Kid, for crissakes. And the fact that a fat guy dead for 72 years finished one slot behind him in a one-man opinion countdown was the second most outrage over a (perceived) crucifixion last Friday. Insane.
Yeah! For me, growing up (I'm 39 fwiw) it was never "(Ruth/Mays/Aaron/Williams) was indisputably the best!" but rather "here are the all-time greats and if I had a gun to my head I'd have to say number one is (Ruth/Mays/Aaron/Williams)".
I am so absurdly angry at the blatant corruption and favoritism expressed in this selection. I demand that you apologize to the TRUE greatest of all time: Chris Hoiles.
For the record, I'm not sure I had any idea what TSO's "Sarajevo" was a few years ago, but thanks to Brandon McCarthy it's now among my favorite Christmas songs. Sure, maybe it was drafted a bit it too high, but it wasn't near the disaster Ryan Leaf was in his draft. Cheers to Mr. McCarthy!! (Curious, does he like warm fruit?)
an utter disgrace that you would go with him at #1 over Jeff Weaver. Weaver had those fluke games in '06 where he suddenly morphed into a crafty pitcher for a couple games in the posteason! He won a World Series! With the Cardinals! How many pitchers can say *that,* huh?
Has anyone else been surprised by the commentary on The Athletic that seems to stem from the idea that Joe is some hack who just decided on a whim to to a top 100 list? I've been enjoying the crazy comments but I've probably spent more time in the comments defending Joe as anything. I've become a semi-professional Joe apologist.
That being said...this Brandon McCarthy thing is the last straw. I'm outraged...
(Has anyone noticed how hard it is to express sarcasm on the internet?)
As I said today in the real #1 ranking post, thanks Joe!! I've enjoyed every day. I have to admit, I still have some left to read. I'm guessing that not everyone could keep up with the voluminous output. It is truly a milestone.
I enjoyed the comments until about the last 10. Each one got worse. It was everyone feeling like they needed to make the same comment from choices a, b, or c. Boring and insufferable.
So, I'm saying it here, where it won't get lost in the dumbness.
Thanks, Joe. I mean that. Thanks for the amazing writing about the game I love so much. Thanks for teaching me new things and telling me amazing stories and for making me laugh out loud in a way that LOL can't cover. Thanks for the tears. Thanks, Joe.
😀😃😄😁😁😆😆😅😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 O.M.G.😆😅😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
And the off-the-field stuff matters, too. Character matters. Did Satchel Paige or Nolan Ryan roam their neighborhoods, powerwashing people's houses not for money but out of the goodness of their hearts? I think not!
Another proud American institution destroyed by McCarthyism.
Duane Kuiper was robbed
Not Celerino Sanchez? What a rip-off! The fix is in! This is the worst poll! Cancel my subscription! Willy* May** will be pissed.
*How someone spelled “Willie” in the Babe Ruth comments
** How MANY people spelled “Mays” in the Babe Ruth comments
I was giving folks the benefit of the doubt and assuming it was autocorrect.
Well, the surprise is over. Brandon McCarthy is number one.
I clearly have much more to learn about baseball, past and present.
Feeling it. Go ahead. You are due many victory laps. Wow. After NUMEROUS starts. Each fantastic in their own way. And here we are. Please don’t let this be the only lap. Ben Franklin took them daily in his newspapers. He wrote more letters of outrage to the editor (himself) probably than he received some weeks. Not only did it generate eyeballs. It was no doubt a pile of fun.
Joe, please, please please post this tomorrow at the Athletic for at least a few hours. Then about 11 am eastern time (gives us west coast folks time to join the fun) , announce Happy Late April’s Fools Day.
Well, if Bonds had 1,800 comments and the Babe about 1,600, this is gonna top 3,000.
Anyhow, here are your choices for comments in response to the surprising choice of Brandon M.:
A. This is a joke. I can't believe I wasted 99 days of my life, and this is what I get.
B. It's obvious Joe has an agenda. He acts as if this is a true list, but in reality it's just a politically-correct, "woke" demonstration of Joe's desire to win over the snowflake masses by choosing a mediocre, tall white guy from Colorado Springs. This is worse than Oscar Charleston at 5.
C. I can't believe he's ranking McCarthy over Koufax.
D. Joe loves to pretend McCarthy achieved that 69-75 record, that 9.9 WAR, and a career ERA+ of 99 legitimately. But then again Joe is a apologist for PEDs. What a disgrace! McCarthy wouldn't be in my top-100,000, along with Bonds, Clemens, and all the other cheaters. This spot should go to a true great who earned their success without chemical enhancement, like Pete Rose or Shoeless Joe.
I sadly and routinely adjust my opinion of a segment of humanity downward as a result of said segment's need to view things written and done and said as performatively political correct or "wokeness". And the comments in reply to the Ruth article were a new low, as relates to Mike's category B.
I had no idea - NO idea - that putting Babe Ruth in the second place spot could be perceived in such a way. I was caught completely off-guard, and I thought I was pretty cynical BEFORE that!
Same here. I expected it with Bonds, of course. And while I wouldn't have predicted it with Charleston, looking back not sure how I missed it.
But with The Babe, WTF, right? I mean, this is WILLIE MAYS we're talking about. Willie Mays! The Say Hey Kid, for crissakes. And the fact that a fat guy dead for 72 years finished one slot behind him in a one-man opinion countdown was the second most outrage over a (perceived) crucifixion last Friday. Insane.
Yeah! For me, growing up (I'm 39 fwiw) it was never "(Ruth/Mays/Aaron/Williams) was indisputably the best!" but rather "here are the all-time greats and if I had a gun to my head I'd have to say number one is (Ruth/Mays/Aaron/Williams)".
How boring Mike. I’ve read everyone of those so many times at The Athletic. 😁👍
Indeed you have! And the past two entries? My, oh my.
Congrats Brandon, well deserved!
You're twelve days too late, Joe!
I am so absurdly angry at the blatant corruption and favoritism expressed in this selection. I demand that you apologize to the TRUE greatest of all time: Chris Hoiles.
For the record, I'm not sure I had any idea what TSO's "Sarajevo" was a few years ago, but thanks to Brandon McCarthy it's now among my favorite Christmas songs. Sure, maybe it was drafted a bit it too high, but it wasn't near the disaster Ryan Leaf was in his draft. Cheers to Mr. McCarthy!! (Curious, does he like warm fruit?)
an utter disgrace that you would go with him at #1 over Jeff Weaver. Weaver had those fluke games in '06 where he suddenly morphed into a crafty pitcher for a couple games in the posteason! He won a World Series! With the Cardinals! How many pitchers can say *that,* huh?
The ability to fluke is massively underrated. And some people say it is not a repeatable skill...
Good choice. Worth the months-long build up. Looking forward for the next Poscast, where this topic shall not be discussed.