BP took 5 minutes to talk with Ted Simmons about his life, the hall of fame, and our favorite topic, stats analysis (BTW, does everyone else remember when Tobias Funke refered to himself as a combination analyst and therapist, known as an analrapist?).   anyway, here's an excerpt.

DL:  How does the game differ on the field?

TS:  I think it has changed dramatically with the statistical analysis that’s come about and applied itself at the major league level and at the minor league level.  You have a whole group of people who have identified, and recognized, statistical trends that are directly applicable to the field.  Whether it’s offensively, pitching, or defensively, there are applications that exist now because of the ability to convey information quickly — things you can take on a daily basis and apply in a game.  There’s no question that’s been the biggest change.

DL:  Have you adapted well to the statistical revolution, or do you view yourself as more of an old-school baseball guy?

TS:  I think that dinosaurs die hard, and they die fast.  If one doesn’t take the best of the objective perspective, and the best of the subjective perspective, and incorporate the two into one place — however one has to do it — if you’re not prepared to do that, you’ll soon be out.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=871

I can't wait for him to take over as manager.