The Good Face

[Edgy MD]

A fault line in the alleged disconnect between statistical analysis and the art of scouting is said to revolve around old broken-down scouts turning in reports which describe which players have "the good face" --- a designation that since the late seventies has driven many modernizers crazy.

Not that there isn't something to be said for the notion that intelligence, charisma, attitude, focus, confidence and resiliency aren't part of a ballplayer's makeup. And certainly people have long thought that they can glean traits such as these from a person's visage. But it all just seemed to stink to high heaven of unscientific guesswork reinforced by an anachronistic priesthood.

Well, it looks like somebody has actually tried to turn this all into a science, quantifying the competitive virtues of the athlete's face, and teams are paying big bucks for the results. (The Bucks are paying bucks!)

[fimg=350]http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Anthony+Recker+vvEaSZ28_Ucm.jpg[/fimg]
�La buena cara?


Not so much.

[G-Fafif]

The phrase "the good face" can elicit a cringe, but I get the feeling it's misunderstood. A few years ago, I listened to Ed Randall interview Dick Groch, the scout who signed whathisname the shortstop who retired to some fanfare recently. Groch talked about "the good face" as it regarded his prime find and, despite being ready to roll my eyes from here to Kalamazoo, it sounded not crazy and not hopelessly retrograde. I didn't get the sense anybody reputable would sign somebody based solely on his look (certainly not with a high first-round pick), but it was one factor that might have nudged a scout to rate a player that much higher if he already liked him based on skills, stats and so forth. I recall Groch framing it as indicating a player was hyperaware of his surroundings, totally in the game, very alert to the action -- all those things you'd want.

Handsomeness was left out of the discussion, which makes sense since I always thought whathisname the shortstop resembled a weasel.

[MFS62]

Many years ago, I heard an MFY scout asked how they scored/rated prospects. The scale went something like this:(the exact words of 1-4 are fuzzy with time. The fifth is a direct quote)
1) Organization filler
2) Prospect/ possible major leaguer
3) Major league reserve
4) Major league starter
5) A Yankee.


This face stuff seems to be similar to that MFY crap that made me want to barf.

Later

[G-Fafif]

They may want to aspire to something better than that fifth one.