The Best of Dave Cameron: April 14, 2008-January 10, 2018

Most weeks, we pick 15 of the best articles posted to our various blogs in that time frame. But with long-time managing editor Dave Cameron leaving us, we thought we would do something different. To send him off, we selected 15 of the best Dave Cameron posts of all time, dating back to when he joined us in 2008. Here we go.

2008
Welcome Back Gabe Kapler, by Dave Cameron
“Hey all. My name is David Cameron, and I’m thrilled to have been invited by David Appelman to join in the great work he’s been doing here at FanGraphs.” Dave’s first words on FanGraphs preceeded a welcome back to Gabe Kapler, former MLB outfielder and now the Phillies newest manager. This year, both start new adventures in baseball.

2009
Loving Longoria, by Dave Cameron
Sometimes love letters are better written with numbers.

2010
Organizational Rankings: #6 – Seattle, by Dave Cameron
Dave’s new employer the San Diego Padres, don’t read this. Mariners, hello.

2011
When Statistics Are Not Helpful, by Dave Cameron
When a Felipe Rivero fastball is barreling down on your hands, racking your brain for the data won’t save your hands from the sting or the at-bat from an out. Cancer threw Dave a pitch like this, and he chose hope over numbers.

A Quick Update On My Health, by Dave Cameron
And then the baseball landed out of Safeco Field.

2012
The Pirates’ Game Theory Dilemma, by Da… you get it.
Folks, it’s time for some game theory. The good kind. Not the Eric Garland kind.

Joey Votto’s Massive Extension Changes The Game
Joey Votto’s 12-year, $251.5 million contract in 2012 was something that a non-free agent hadn’t received before. Five years into the contract, and Joey has revolutionized faking out fans as much as he did contract extensions.

2013
A Series of Thoughts on the Call
Who’s ready to relitigate the 2013 World Series Game 3 obstruction call!? Dave… well, he probably is not, as he offers not a hot take here, but a series of calm thoughts on the play.

A Question About Value in a Losing Effort
Spoiler alert: Mike Trout.

2014
A Response to Bob Ryan
I’m not happy, Bob. Not. Happy. Ask me why. (Okay, Dave may have not have been *un*happy at Ryan’s characterization of how fans look at triple-crown stats, but where else was I going to quote The Incredibles?)

Mike Trout King of Trade Value Now and Forever
And long may he reign. Look, if any monarchy were going to work…

2015
The Baseball Equivalent of Throwing on the One Yard Line
Remember the Super Bowl when the Seahawks had the ball at the one-yard line and ran a pass play instead of giving the ball to Marshawn Freaking Lynch? What a time that was. What would happen if exactly that amount of ridiculous gut-punch were transferred to baseball? Thanks to Dave, we don’t have to wonder.

2016
FanGraphs Audio: Dave Cameron on Analytics for Daily Life
Over the last couple of years, Carson Cistulli frequently began Dave Cameron’s appearances on FanGraphs Audio by presenting a concept or anecdote from real life and asking, “What in baseball is like that?” This episode represents the earliest example of something like that, one in which Cameron presents a wOBA-like metric for determining property value.

White Bred: Major League Baseball’s Intern Issue
Here, in a piece he wrote for The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2014, Dave sets out how Major League Baseball keeps all but the wealthy few out of front office internships.

2017
How to Sign Shohei Ohtani
Before Shohei Ohtani declared himself a spoken for man, he was the apple of everyone’s eye. Here lies Dave’s plan to woo him.