Comments on: The Records and Achievements Don’t Mean What They Once Did http://www.cubiclegm.com/2009/06/05/the-records-and-achievement-dont-mean-what-they-once-did/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:46:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: VLookup Vince http://www.cubiclegm.com/2009/06/05/the-records-and-achievement-dont-mean-what-they-once-did/comment-page-1/#comment-103 VLookup Vince Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:34:41 +0000 http://www.cubiclegm.com/?p=690#comment-103 I agree that comparing single game feats may not be the fairest comparison, but I think that the reason career achievements aren't celebrated is that many times it is a forgone conclusion that the player is going to achieve the milestone; many times single-season feats have the same inevitability come July or August. It was pretty clear KRod was going to break the single season saves record from late July on, and thus it wasn't a particularly celebrated feat either. But overall I still think that the combination of all of the records set in the last ten years, along with how quickly news gets stale these days, leads to much less appreciation for these achievements that back in the day. I agree that comparing single game feats may not be the fairest comparison, but I think that the reason career achievements aren’t celebrated is that many times it is a forgone conclusion that the player is going to achieve the milestone; many times single-season feats have the same inevitability come July or August. It was pretty clear KRod was going to break the single season saves record from late July on, and thus it wasn’t a particularly celebrated feat either. But overall I still think that the combination of all of the records set in the last ten years, along with how quickly news gets stale these days, leads to much less appreciation for these achievements that back in the day.

]]> By: Dan http://www.cubiclegm.com/2009/06/05/the-records-and-achievement-dont-mean-what-they-once-did/comment-page-1/#comment-90 Dan Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:08:22 +0000 http://www.cubiclegm.com/?p=690#comment-90 I think your comparison of a career achievement to a single game or single season is unfair. Hundreds of players have the opportunity to do it on a regular basis if it's a once-and-done thing like a perfect game. But winning 300 games is a different kind of great. Two completely different ballparks. One reason that the feat is unexciting to lots ofis that a lot of the people who achieve aren't the superstar, larger than life type. Except for a few of the group, nobody comes close to glory and fame of the big power hitters. Also, so many of the wins record holders are from waaay back in the day. Nobody recognizes the names. Who cares if Randy Johnson passes Mickey Welch (300th win: 1890) in career wins? Big whoop. The final, and biggest reason, that nobody is getting pumped up is that career wins just isn't that glorious. It's not even really an individual feat, unlike something such as strikeouts. And the rules for getting a win aren't as immediate or as thrilling as the rules for getting a home run. Just knock it out of the park. It's not the selectiveness of the record. It's the lack of thrill and immediate glory in the stat. I think your comparison of a career achievement to a single game or single season is unfair. Hundreds of players have the opportunity to do it on a regular basis if it’s a once-and-done thing like a perfect game. But winning 300 games is a different kind of great. Two completely different ballparks.

One reason that the feat is unexciting to lots ofis that a lot of the people who achieve aren’t the superstar, larger than life type. Except for a few of the group, nobody comes close to glory and fame of the big power hitters. Also, so many of the wins record holders are from waaay back in the day. Nobody recognizes the names. Who cares if Randy Johnson passes Mickey Welch (300th win: 1890) in career wins? Big whoop.

The final, and biggest reason, that nobody is getting pumped up is that career wins just isn’t that glorious. It’s not even really an individual feat, unlike something such as strikeouts. And the rules for getting a win aren’t as immediate or as thrilling as the rules for getting a home run. Just knock it out of the park.

It’s not the selectiveness of the record. It’s the lack of thrill and immediate glory in the stat.

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