Sad & Pathetic

[peeker643]

That's what Terry Pluto has become.

Blatant rip-offs of Pauly C's columns for a year+ now and this one is egregious:

Pluto this morning http://bit.ly/j4RUaQ

When he does hit the ball, it's not with the same authority. There's a stat called BABIP (Batting Average Balls In Play). It's what you hit when you hit a fair ball. For Choo, his number from 2008 to '10 was .357. This season, it's .298 -- an indication he's simply not hitting the ball with the same authority.

Paul's column from May 22nd http://bit.ly/mH6uHM

For the past few years, Choo’s BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) has been unusually high as his BABIP from 2008 to 2010 averaged out to 36% of those balls turning into hits. For some context on that, it’s generally a rule of thumb that the average BABIP is around an even 30%. What we’re seeing this year is Choo’s BABIP drop to closer to 28% and, while that may not look like that big of a difference from what the MLB average is, in comparison to what Choo had compiled in the previous three years, it’s a BIG difference.

So the question becomes whether Choo has just been a victim of bad luck or if his good luck has run out. In the past, the idea was that Choo’s high BABIP was made possible by how hard he was hitting the ball.

Lazy and disgusting.

[Rat_Tail]

Why doesn't he do something about it?

[Am I Here Again?]

Hmm, guess Pluto's busy working on another book and just wants to save time...

[Dellucci TailGator]

Tangentially, here's a fascinating and sad look at Voros McCracken, the inventor of BABIP, from Yahoo's Jeff Passan.

http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201101/sabermetrician-exile

It's tough to prove Pluto didn't organically come across this, but it's pretty easy to spot if Pluto has been aping Pauly's work for a period of time. I don't read either one of them enough to make that call.

I have noticed Pluto seems to be running out the clock until retirement the past few years. I understand getting bored with a beat you've done for 30-plus years, but he needs to go find a new beat that excites him if he's burned out on Cleveland sports.

He's talented enough to go do it. It's sad to watch people lose their passion for something they used to do well.

[FUDU]

Funny how you never hear of anyone ripping off Pluto's work...

[peeker643]

I truly wish I could bring some of y'all into the press box to see that sideshow. Seriously, it's the most depressing place I've ever been where no body was laid out to view.

Be thankful for Bastian and Castrovince. Be thankful for PC, Nino, Jonathan Knight, Adam, et al. The people here may not be AP Stylebook 2011 certified but damn if they're not sooo much more invested in this team. And damn if they don't write with a passion and with analysis that guys with access don't care to gift us with.

Said it before but Pluto was easily the cream of the crop here for a long time. But he is no better than Hoynes or anyone else at this point and at least Hoynes is in the press box more often than not.

The Indians need the PD so they spoon feed Pluto what he needs to scrape by. Apparently Pauly provides the rest and that really blows.

[Symbolic47]

Wow has he really fallen that much? Living in Oregon I dont get The Plain Dealer obviously, so I havent been able to read his columns in a few years. But I loved his spots when i was living back home.

[skatingtripods]

Not surprised. So much talent at TCF, we should absolutely own Cleveland media. Radio, TV, print, all of it.

[Am I Here Again?]

Hmm, maybe Pluto is too busy working on another book to bother with his column. I would read and enjoy his columns when he was at the ABJ; guess the non-work ethic of the other guys at the PD has rubbed off on him. Pity.

[swerb]

Reading Pluto the last three years reminds me of watching Jerry Rice drop passes and get lit up over the middle of the field his last couple years with the Raiders.