Mets fall short in war of words; updates from camp

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Read: Heyman on Mets vs. Phillies Rivalry
Published 2/25/2008 by Chris Mazzone at MetsBlog.com
In his latest for SI.com, Jon Heyman talks about the recent ‘war of words’ between the Mets and Phillies. Heyman writes… “Beltran and other Mets types are understandably excited about the acquisition of ace pitcher Johan Santana. Yet the Mets should hold their tongues now for two very good reasons: 1) They had their chance last spring when Rollins spoke, but to a man, they were afraid to speak up, a reticence that was later reflected in the way they played — scared; and 2) Philly beat the ...

SI: Heyman: Mets can’t top Rollins in war of words
Published 2/25/2008 at BBTF's Baseball Primer Newsblog
SI: Heyman: Mets can’t top Rollins in war of words V alue O ver R egis P hilbin’s son-in-law? Even so, I wasn’t shocked that stats people have taken issue with Rollins winning the MVP award. There are numbers crunchers out there—including a firejoemorgan.com author who wrote a guest piece in Sports Illustrated last week—who believe baseball writers rank somewhere between morons and idiots for voting Rollins as MVP over David Wright, who had a higher VORP. The stat people seem to believe VORP—a Baseball Prospectus statistic that stands for Value Over Replacement ...

I Just Made A Man Invent The Derogatory Term "VORPies."
Published 2/25/2008 by Junior at FIRE JOE MORGAN
It's a historic day. For years, man has waited for just the right term to use when insulting other men who love baseball numbers just a little too much. (What are they, gay for numbers? Probably.) And now, just like the wait for Shrek 3, that wait is ogre. Jon Heyman has called us VORPies. Sorry VORPies, Rollins was the right choice I can't decide what the funniest voice to read this in is. Prohibition-era gangster? '80s-movie-antagonist-and-eventual-ski-race-losing-preppy? Daniel Planview? Rollins acknowledged ...

Wouldn't You Like to be a Vorpy Too?
Published 2/26/2008 by StatsGuru at Baseball Musings
... . It's a historic day. For years, man has waited for just the right term to use when insulting other men who love baseball numbers just a little too much. (What are they, gay for numbers? Probably.) And now, just like the wait for Shrek 3, that wait is ogre. Jon Heyman has called us VORPies . Now we can do that scene from Spartacus (and In and Out ) in which we all stand up and declare, "I'm a VORPY!"

Jon Heyman Needs Attention
Published 2/26/2008 by Bill Baer at crashburnalley.com
... It’s the end of February and exhibition games are hours away. A new baseball season is on the horizon, full of new wonders for our great sportswriters to opine about. Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman instead wants to focus on last year’s NL MVP award and attack people who use Sabermetrics. Things must be lonely around the office because Heyman is clearly angling to get linked to and talked about on the Internets. Being the generous person I am, I’m going to give him just that. ...

THT Daily: News and notes
Published 2/26/2008 by Bryan Tsao at The Hardball Times
... - The latest spat between the mainstream media and bloggers. Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman disagreed with a Fire Joe Morgan article that argued for David Wright winning the MVP , and called them "VORPies." Not surprisingly, FJM responded. ...

Jimmy Rollins Says Chase Utley Gets No Style Points
Published 2/26/2008 by Enrico at The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae
... (VORP accounts for ballparks), shouldn't Rollins get points for playing a superb shortstop compared to Wright's slightly-above average third base? And shouldn't Rollins get credit for showing extraordinary initiative and leadership? For helping his team barrel into the playoffs from seven games back with 17 to go, as opposed to Wright's team, which perpetrated a historic choke? Man, I can't wait for the MVP chants when Jimmy leads off on March 31st. >>Mets can't top Rollins in war of words [SI] ...

Twisted Logic
Published 2/27/2008 at Mike's Mets
... When I read his Monday column I was more amused than annoyed by his fawning endorsement of all things Jimmy Rollins. Using the exact same convoluted logic that WFAN's Chris Russo makes his own bizarre arguments with, Heyman "proves" only his bizarre ongoing man-crush on Rollins and willingness to pander to the anti-New York bias of his national audience. ...

VORPies and Scrappers
Published 3/3/2008 by Dan Agonistes at Dan Agonistes
... VORPies?. I'm still trying to figure out just what a "VORPy" is but Jon Heyman tweaks them a little in discussing Jimmy Rollins and his MVP award in 2007. But again, this article to me makes some good points including the ideas that Rollins should get a little boost over David Wright because of his defense (and playing a more difficult position) and baserunning but of course all of these things can be quantified. Wright's VORP was 81.1, Rollins was 66.1 and these numbers as Heyman rightly points out are park adjusted. So was Rollins 15 runs better on defense and baserunning? SFR ...