you tend to put a lot of weight in small sample sizes and situations where the player has an opportunity to show what they're made of. Definitely an old school style, and I don't doubt that there is something there, but I tend to put way more emphasis on track record and peripherals. Just like earlier in the season when people were thinking that Freddy Sanchez was going to lead the team's offense, I was trying to cool the enthusiasm because his track record says that his average has been dipping, he doesn't take a walk, and he has absolutely no power.

Ishi made the most of his limited chances, but now we're seeing his numbers plummet back to earth very quickly. Hell, even Whiteside gets hot now and again. You don't build a team based off of who got hot during a few ABs during a noticeable stretch. That's how you end up with Velez playing way too much and giving massive contracts to guys like Rowand.