The solution isn't that hard: trade Huff, treat him as a departing hero, absorb a high percentage of his salary for the year, and plunk Belt on first. He'll hit.

Excellent argument. Bill James used the same logic when he started his publication, he found it in reverse: While the percentage of the population that is interested in baseball statistical analysis is tiny, it is large enough for a good author to make a living. Regardless of what the publishers were telling him. James made that percentage grow, and BP has added value to the information (and the writing!). But now we need to be able to do the elevator speech to the fan who wants to know what is happening on the field -- without the physics formulas. Much like information techies have learned: show the customer the business value that the new technology will bring -- and spare the acronyms.