teamnasty wrote:Hey Mr. Nostradamus...I mean Mr. Strether, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. I have six individual wagers to offer you given your assuredly non-arbitrary predictions above and in other threads like "hot stove". By the way, thanks for agreeing with me about 90% of the time, I expected far less given how much of an arbitrary moron I supposedly am.
First of all, put away the childish nicknames and hostility. I'm relaxing with my family for the remainder of the holidays; I assume you're doing the same. Also, I didn't agree with you 90% of the time and I never said you were an "arbitrary moron." Those were your words. I just wanted to see your system you refused to show me. As I said before, that's your prerogative.
I never claimed to have a rigid system, much less one with "metaphysical certainty." I evaluate teams' hitting, defense, starting staffs, and rotations, then I compare those evaluations with other teams in their division. It certainly isn't Bill James, but since I keep knowledgeable on teams and their prospects throughout the year, it usually works for me. As to my Ph.D., its in English literature with an emphasis on Modernism/Philosophy. So I am pretty smart in those areas, but I'm sure you and other forum members are smarter than me in other ones.
I don't see wagers as a place to "man up," but I'll make a few with you. I had imagined you were older than me, but there's no way I'm calling you "Pops."...
I'll take your White Sox/Cleveland bet and your Cubs/Pirates bet. I never said Baltimore would finish ahead of the Angels, and I'm not going to bet on a hypothetical meeting between the two. I also never predicted that Heyward would suck; I correctly said Atlanta got the better deal. So, I'm not making that WAR bet, either. I also don't like making awards bets, except for betting on Kershaw, but I will take your Harper/Rendon bet. So, we have three bets going and all is well.
I hope the rest of your holidays are joyful.