[Poo Tee Weet]

A question for all the stats only people:

I imagine you look at the written scouting reports? How are those any different from the scout rating numbers, which are turned off? If the report says 'Guy has 50+ HR power' isn't that the same as a 20/20 power rating?

Now, lets say its free agent time and I have two players, same age, same everything. Ratings both say 20/20 power and scouting reports say the same. In the last three years, player A has hit 20, 21, 18 homers. Player B hit 45, 40, 43 homers. I'm going player B. In effect, I'm playing 'stats only' because I'm looking at the stats.

I'm not using TRUE ratings, I'm just using SCOUTS ratings. The only thing I can see scouts only doing is taking more time to find a scouts opinion of a player.

Also, lets take a situation that happens in real life. Player Z has consistently hit well, hit for power, stole bases, etc. well into his 30s. One year in spring training he shows up 40 pounds overweight and anyone can tell he's no longer a good ball player. Your head scout would call you and say 'hey, player Z is now longer worth the salary.' With scout ratings on, his numbers would decrease and I'd notice immediately and is keep an eye on things. Without those numbers I'd be none the wiser. Realistic? No. Challenging? Sure. But it's playing blind.

So I don't get the stats only thing going on. Everybody *should* be looking at stats, even with real ratings being shown since performance is what matters. Scouting ratings are just a snapshot of the scouting reports. Adding time just makes things obtuse, not fun. So, what's the fun?