As sabermetrics continued to gain popularity among officials and fans, many sportswriters felt threatened by systems like Silver’s. The beauty of the sport lies in its unpredictability, and any attempt to quantify the future seemed both arrogant and dangerous. They often ridiculed PECOTA’s projections, particularly the ones they felt went against common sense, like this one from 2007:

After winning a World Series and more games the last two seasons than any team in baseball except the New York Yankees, the White Sox should have earned a little respect. Right? Well, maybe from real baseball people, but not in the surreal world of computers. Baseball Prospectus, considered the new-age statistical bible, projects the White Sox to finish with a 72-90 record this season. “Well, we’re screwed now,” team captain Paul Konerko said with a sarcastic laugh. “I guess we’ll just have to battle through.”

The White Sox finished with a 72-90 record that season.