Hunt and Peck: The best of Jason Isringhausen on VEB

I love Jason Isrighhausen. I think part of it may be that he is from Brighten, Illinois, and frequently hunts near my home town. Maybe, not unrelated, it is his Midwestern Boy vibe, and the fact that he is just himself and didn't change to fit "the sophistication" of the "Big City" of St. Louis (that is what we small-town folk call it). In other words: he ain't fancy schmancy. So when I saw that is penned this response on Twitter to a random VEB article I couldn't really say I was surprised. It sounds like exactly something the guy at the local tavern or gas station (or both, back home) would say. And, besides that, can we really expect someone who made his living according to a stat that sabes have spent hours upon hours trying to discredit - that Save™ - to really trust anything "sabermetrical" sounding?

Basically, what I am saying is, around these here parts, we have written a lot in praise of/about the struggles of Jason Isringhausen. We shouldn't let this whole #SaberCrap thing get us down. In fact, we should love him more because of it, really. So in honor of #SaberCrap, here are some of my favorite VEB articles featuring Izzy.

• Ludwick a Cardinal, Isringhausen a former Cardinal
• Hard to Explain
• closer calls

And, one of my favorite the red baron articles ever....

• Not with a Bang, But a Whimper.

what else is going in baseball...

• What is behind Justin Verlander's decline? - Beyond the Box Score
• The New York Times wrote a satirical baseball article. - The New York Times
• Saturday Night Live is turning 40! Check out these baseball moments. - Cut4
• Keep your eyes on these players. - Baseball America
• Craig Edwards is writing at Fangraphs now! - Fangraphs
• Eleven years ago, Monday, the Yankees traded for Alex Rodriguez. - Hardball Talk
• <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Introduction for <a href="https://twitter.com/fangraphs">@fangraphs</a>&#39; Top 200 Prospects. List coming tmrw, but summary/graphics today.&#10;&#10;<a href="http://t.co/IuRnLP41Pp">http://t.co/IuRnLP41Pp</a> <a href="http://t.co/c34OFcSr30">pic.twitter.com/c34OFcSr30</a></p>&mdash; Sean Dolinar (@seandolinar) <a href="https://twitter.com/seandolinar/status/567378669102845952">February 16, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
• <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The <a href="https://twitter.com/Mariners">@Mariners</a> win at MLB Twitter engagement.&#10;&#10;<a href="http://t.co/PLG3Gz8g9f">http://t.co/PLG3Gz8g9f</a> <a href="http://t.co/UZZMaAZHMK">pic.twitter.com/UZZMaAZHMK</a></p>&mdash; Sean Dolinar (@seandolinar) <a href="https://twitter.com/seandolinar/status/567434974144380928">February 16, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
• Jason Giambi retires. - Beyond the Box Score
• <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>After 20 years, 440 homers and an AL MVP award, Jason Giambi calls it a career: <a href="http://t.co/a5WgMo6793">http://t.co/a5WgMo6793</a> <a href="http://t.co/MTzpqtgZnB">pic.twitter.com/MTzpqtgZnB</a></p>&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/567429724842905600">February 16, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
• Do the Red Sox need Cole Hamels? - SBNation
• Minor League fans are "extremely satisfied". - MiLB
• <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>2013 Madison Bumgarner: 3.05 FIP, 3.6 fWAR&#10;------------&#10;2014 Madison Bumgarner: 3.05 FIP, 3.6 fWAR, in 16 more innings &#10;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SFGiants?src=hash">#SFGiants</a></p>&mdash; Beyond the Box Score (@BtBScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/BtBScore/status/567560778064990209">February 17, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
• Let's go retro! - Hardball Talk
• <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Graphic from last May (via <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagotribune">@chicagotribune</a>) Every display in MLB. Padres, Cubs, A&#39;s, Mets get new boards this year. <a href="http://t.co/Ow2U1bkrwv">pic.twitter.com/Ow2U1bkrwv</a></p>&mdash; MLBcathedrals (@MLBcathedrals) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBcathedrals/status/567648302968348672">February 17, 2015</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

what the cardinals are up to...

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

• Former Cub coach Wendell Kim dies at the age 64. - Chicago Tribune