1
a) I think showing that our pitching is ready to go to war starting immediately means more than just a couple of starts or a few million in extra arb costs and year 7 which he might survive to pitch through.
b) I think you don't need a gazillion at bats in AAA to know that Ackley has mastered the level. It's not "hot weeks" like a surge in BABIP...it's "thermonuclear detonation...as in the power is way up, the K/BB is way down, the BB/PA is way up, the BABIP is back to NORMAL (not above normal like it could be a fluke) etc. Even a numbers guy like me agrees with Doc on this one...I understand your point, but in this specific case, I don't agree. YMMV