[Syd Thrift]

I really enjoyed his book "On Strategy" (which came packaged with Earl Weaver Baseball back in the day!) and I do think he had a somewhat analytical approach to the game that others later picked up on and used but maaan two things about him give me some pause:

1. A lot of the "analytics" weren't super analytical but more small sample size theater. In particular he used to base lineups on statistical records vs the pitcher that day. That's a fun little way to juggle lineups but among other things it also had the effect of playing veterans over youngsters and IMO was a big part of why his stuff stopped working in the 80s.

2. He was a massive jerk. Like, yes, all those stories of him charging the mound or getting thrown out while handing the umps the lineup card or saying some really nasty misogynistic things to a letter-writer on a radio broadcast are funny to go back and read about / listen to but, like, is that a person you actually want as the spokesperson of your team? I'll help: the answer is "no". Earl Weaver was a great manager in spite of this part of him and an awful lot of oldheads seem to think it was because of it.