HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: psg+@pitt.edu (Paul S Galvanek)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Tom House (was Re: Jose Canseco to Texas...)
Date: 5 Sep 92 15:19:12 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Sep2.201342.521@panix.com> spira@panix.com (Greg "Sarcasm Is A Way Of Life" Spira) writes:
>
>I believe that the two main areas of pitching that pitching coaches
>can influence are 1) control and 2) health.
>
>No team has had worse health or control than the Texas Rangers during
>Tom House's reign as pitching coach.  Its not even close.
>
>Tom House has yet to successfully "develop" a good, long-term major         
>league starter.
>
>Might this all be bad luck.  A lot of it, possibly.  But all of it?
>I'm skeptical.
>

I vaugely remember some announcers talking not long ago about a program
that the Rangers pitching coaches were using that involved the use of a
football.

From what I was able to gather the coaches were having the players "pitch"
a football as they would a baseball, the idea being to increase wind resistance
and by doing so increase arm strength.  The broadcasters, and I wish I could
remember who they were, were extremely critical of this idea.  They pointed to
it as the primary fiactor in the generally porr condition of the arms of the 
Ranger pitchers.  They also quoted some of the Ranger pitchers as saying they 
felt the program a horrible idea and a threat to their careers.

Does anyone know any more about this?  Did I interpret what I was hearing
right and was this football thing one of House's creations?

Paul

Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: roger@crux.Princeton.EDU (Roger Lustig)
Subject: Re: Times on Base: all-time records and Frank Thomas
Originator: news@nimaster
Reply-To: roger@astro.princeton.edu (Roger Lustig)
Organization: Princeton University
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 22:34:22 GMT

In article <1992Sep8.191849.3728@menudo.uh.edu> chee1l5@jetson.uh.edu (Sam Lane) writes:

>> btw, if HBP includes no skill, how come Ron Hunt/Don Baylor
>> always led in the category?  

>Getting hit with a pitch intentionally is extremely stupid. The probability of getting injured and being
>out of the lineup for weeks or months (thus hurting your team), far outweighs the benefit of 
>reaching base a few more times.  There was a rash of people injured earlier this year while being hit
>by pitches, Larkin comes to mind immediately.  Are you saying you think a team would perform
>better if the players were coached to be hit by pitches rather than avoid them ? 

a) How many HBP are there annually?

b) How many result in injuries?

If you know how to get hit (look like you're trying to get out of the
way, then take it on the rear or someplace you know won't hurt you too
much) then it's not a bad play at all.  Very few players, however, like
to take the risk, or to learn how to get hit.  Ron Hund used to wear
some special underwear; I don't think he spent a day on the DL because
of an HBP, and he got hit over 250 times.  

Note that the people who got hit and injured tended to get hit on the
hand or something.  This is dangerous indeed.  A good HBP-er knows how
 to keep the hands out of the way.

In summary: it's an acquired taste.

Roger
From: spira@panix.com (Greg "Sarcasm Is A Way Of Life" Spira)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: The Monthly Cecil Fielder Thread
Date: 6 Sep 92 23:17:19 GMT
Organization: Boo!

In <1992Sep6.185347.29873@terminator.cc.umich.edu> sweda@css.itd.umich.edu (Sean Sweda) writes:

>In article <1992Sep5.132127.13850@cs.wayne.edu> dfl@math.wayne.edu (David Frohardt-Lane) writes:
>>
>>Actually Fryman has a higher OBP than Fielder (.324 > .318), but the
>>main reason he is more valuable is that he plays about average defense at
>>a very difficult position, while Fielder plays lousy defense at a very
>>easy position.
>>

>That's just not true.  I see about 30 to 40 Tiger games a year (I was` a
>pressbox scorer for STATS Inc) and Cecil is at least an average 1b man
>defensively.  I think he gets a bad rap because most people look at his
>size and say "Wow, that fat tub of goo must have no range!", but he
>actually moves laterally very well.  In fact sometimes this works to his
>disadvantage because he goes after balls hit to his right that he should
>probably leave to Lou.  I don't know if anyone has DA stats for Cecil,
>but I would wager, w/o looking, that Cecil is at least at the league
>average for 1b.

Year      F's AGDA  Avg AGDA  F's Rank 
1990        .679      .646     5 of 14
1991        .653      .662     8 of 13

DA seems to indicate that Fielder is, in terms of range, average for a first
baseman.  

Nevertheless, if you just substitute "average" for "lousy" in David's
last sentence, his argument still holds up fine; the argument is more
one of positional adjustment than defensive skill at those positions.
The best defensive first baseman ever has much, much less defensive value
than a poor but playable shortstop simply because its so much
harder to find someone who can play shortstop. 

Greg 
-- 
  spira@panix.com       "The one-O delivery to Fisk.  He swings.  Long drive,  
 cmcl2!panix!spira      left field!  If it stays fair, it's gone!  Home Run!"  
158-17 Riverside Dr.                     Ned Martin, 10/22/75   
Whitestone NY 11357          (Insert your favorite baseball moment here) 
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: rickert@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (John H. Rickert)
Subject: HBP (WAS Re: Times on Base: all-time records and Frank Thomas)
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 21:24:16 GMT

Distribution: usa

In article <1992Sep8.191849.3728@menudo.uh.edu> chee1l5@jetson.uh.edu (Sam  
Lane) writes:
> Getting hit with a pitch intentionally is extremely stupid. The probability  
of getting injured and being
> out of the lineup for weeks or months (thus hurting your team), far  
outweighs the benefit of 
> reaching base a few more times.  There was a rash of people injured earlier  
this year while being hit
> by pitches, Larkin comes to mind immediately.  Are you saying you think a  
team would perform
> better if the players were coached to be hit by pitches rather than avoid  
them ? 

Ron Hunt and Don Baylor and Minnie Minoso seemed to do OK.
Somewhere I once read some HBP 'expert' commenting that many players 
don't know the proper way to get hit. 
(You're supposed to turn away and get hit in the back) 
Sure, if you lean your head in or don't cover your wrists you can get  
seriously hurt, but the 'experts' don't get hurt as often because they 
know the 'proper' way to get HBP.

john rickert
rickert@newxtwork.rose-hulman.edu
If the Orioles opponents leave a man on first, 
is he stranded on Milligan's island?
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: sgs@milton.u.washington.edu (Steven Smith)
Subject: Birthdays
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 18:28:20 GMT

Baseball Birthdays

September 14
Charles "Kid" Nichols, 1869 (HOF)
Stan Williams, 1936
Jerry Coleman, 1924
Tim Wallach, 1958
"Jerry Don Gleaton", 1957

--Steve
-- 
 sgs@u.washington.edu             * 
 Steve Smith                      * "We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher." 
 University of Washington HR-20   *    			-- Bill Plummer
 Seattle, WA 98195                *
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: <None>
Date: 11 Sep 92 07:41:14 GMT
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <1992Sep8.215237.12578@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca>, 91287041@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca (Roger Maynard) writes:
> In <1992Sep8.124713.852@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
> 
>>>>A groundout RBI is better than a popout or strikeout.
>>> 
>>> But a walk is better than either.
>>> 
> 
>>	Not really. The batter has failed to drive in the run, and you can't
>>assume the next batter will. And there is now a chance for a DP grounder.
> 
> Yes well...In my very first posting I had the same argument.  Get ready
> for some incredible sarcasm.  Some people on here do know what they are
> talking about but others only want to make sure that you think they know what
> they are talking about.  The trick is to sort them out...

	Yeah, I've noticed. Several people think that their views are the only
views, and wage the equivalent of a Crusade on the net whenever anyone dares
disagree with them. Not that I really care. I take baseball as entertainment,
not as some college statistics problem like many on this group do who try to
Enlighten us Heathens.

Brandon Cope
From: rstimets@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (robert and stimets)
Subject: Atlanta FCS's pitching mound
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 18:46:00 GMT

In watching the two game series at Fulton-County-Stadium against the Reds
I was struck by the action of batted balls that hit the mound.  Most of 
the time a grounder will become airborne whenever it rolls over the center 
part of the mound, but not in comparison to how it did several times during 
the two games.  The balls LAUNCHED off the mound to become soft flies, going
directly to the covering fielders when at the outset they seemed destined for
center field.
It made me reletively certain that the mound was either too steep or too high,
my guess is the former.  Does anyone know how often a field is checked for
specifics? (certainly not daily, but one would think that a league official
should make sure certain pitchers aren't gaining any unfair advantages).
No, it's not just sour grapes.  :{ :{ :{

RStimets



Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent)
Subject: Re: CUB'S MADDUX EASY CHOICE FOR CY
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 07:07:29 GMT

In article <16791@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> fzchen@othello.ucdavis.edu writes:
>In article <Graham_Sloan.082y@abcd.Houghton.MI.US> Graham_Sloan@abcd.Houghton.MI.US (Graham Sloan) writes:
>>You're argument is good, but if we're going to give the Cy Young to the ace
>>pitcher on a division leading ballclub, what's the point? Let's look at who
>>is actually the best PITCHER, not winner, ERA, strikeouter, etc. but the
>>whole package. 

>Hmmm...I always thought that a pitchers job was to win ball games, so now
>wouldn't the best pitcher be the one that helped the team win the most...
>I guess 19 in a row is just luck and good run support.

First of all, no one has won 19 in a row, so I'm not sure who you're
referring to.  Secondly, assuming someone had, it would very likely
involve either pure luck, or the luck of getting good run support, yes.
I never understood why some of the anti-stat people on the net have so
much trouble accepting the answer "chance" to the question of why a
particular team or player accomplished a goal. 

As to your point, you make two statements that don't follow logically.
The best pitcher IS the one that helps his team win the most.  But his
job is to HELP win games, by allowing the fewest possible runs to score.
That's the only thing he can do.  He can't control (well, in the
national league, he can, a little) how many runs his team scores.  He
CAN control, largely, how many runs the other team scores.

I don't see why, if you have two pitchers who each give up one run in
the first inning, but Pitcher A's teammates score 2 runs and Pitcher B's
teammates score none, Pitcher A is somehow "better" than pitcher B.  I'd
think they're totally identical.  And I don't see how that changes if one 
gives up the run in the eighth inning rather than the first.

>- MeatHead

-- 
David M. Nieporent   | Orioles 1992 World Series Champions
niepornt@phoenix.    | Mike Mussina 1992 AL Cy Young Winner
   princeton.edu     | Brady Anderson 1992 AL MVP
Hi, I'm back, & ready to kill the next person who misspells Ripken as Ripkin.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Citecheck Hell)
Subject: Re: Personal Attacks on the Net
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 02:53:31 GMT

In article <BuE1y4.7Dn@news.cso.uiuc.edu> glb50263@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Gary L. Blickhan) writes:
>I agree with a lot of this.  Mr. Huckabay has done worse, though.  I
>remember the time that he changed his name file to my name.
>In short, he used my name to post annoying articles telling everyone
>to go to **** ,etc.  This damaged my reputation unfairly.

Really?  My recollection was that you changed your "name" to Gary
Huckabay and posted a couple of dozen one-line responses to 200-line posts.
-- 
           .........................................................
          ted frank | thf2@midway.uchicago.edu | standard disclaimers
         the university of chicago law school, chicago, illinois 60637
         here i sit looking for a warming smile in a house of cold wit
From: ENVIRON@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Pursue the Pennant
Date: 8 Sep 92 17:02:28 GMT
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

In article <carl.715955699@warper.jhuapl.edu>, carl@warper.jhuapl.edu (Carl
Lamy) says:
>
>Is "Pursue the Pennant" a board game, or a computer game, or a mix of both?
>Any info. I receive will be greatly appreciated.
>

     It's either.  If you want to play it on your computer, you need a PC.
If you don't have a PC (like myself) you can buy the board game version, which
uses stat cards and dice.  Playing alone is kind of a drag with the board
game, but if you're playing a friend it's a *lot* more fun IMHO...

Brett
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
From: landrym@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Landry Manon)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: test
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:05:35 GMT
Distribution: ca
Organization: Universite de Montreal


 Please ignore.
From: ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: Predictions 92/93
Date: 11 Sep 92 04:54:03 GMT
Organization: Economics, University of Adelaide
NNTP-Posting-Host: eco.economics.adelaide.edu.au

In article <1992Sep10.132024.1@cc.curtin.edu.au>, satkinso@cc.curtin.edu.au writes:

> My predictions for the upcoming summer of cricket in Australia
> for 1992/93.
> 
> -  Marsh will return as opening partner for Taylor.

Probably, but whether he deserves it is another question. Marsh's record versus
the Windies in test matches is not great, and many former players, including
Ian Chappell have stated that he should NOT be back vs. the Windies.

> -  Jones will be a star in the Sheffeld Shield only to
>    struggle in the Tests.

Jones will hit top form, and show that his double hundred against the Windies
can be repeated.

> -  After the sides test series defeat, Border will be dropped
>    and Mark Taylor taking over.

Border will continue to prove he can make runs against the best bowling attacks
at test level as well as being the best man to captain the test side. There is
NO doubt that he will be captain of the 1993 Ashes team, and probably against
South Africa the following summer.

> -  Whitney and Matthews will be smashed by the Windies batsmen
>    and return to play for NSW, (back where they belong).

Gee, the memory of Whitney taking 7/89 against a BETTER Windies line up in 1988
on the flat Adelaide Oval fades from the mind quickly doesn't it?
Matthews will prove he is a test class allrounder, by continuing to take
wickets and make runs, just like he is doing now.

> -  Healy will be hit in the head and be replaced by the number
>    one wicket keeper in the world Tim Zoehrer.  He may be an 
>    asshole but he is the number one keeper.

Healy will continue to show he is the gutsiest keeper in Australia, by taking a
load of catches and having a few more of those "rescue the side" innings.

> -  Pakistan will win the WSC 2-1 against Australia.

Australia will beat the Windies 2-0 in the WSC finals.

> -  Wasim Akram will be named the International Cricketer of the
>    year.

What, you think he can do an O'Donnell do you?? No way, one of the Windies or
Aussie test stars will win the award. Ambrose, Richardson, Boon, Taylor,
McDermott all in with a chance.

> -  Pakistan will complain about the umpires, (so whats new).

Well they may not as they'll only get to play the WSC.

> -  Queensland will win the Sheffield Sheild, (just kidding).

In their continuing dreams. NSW or WA to take the Shield.

> Jason.

--
Daniel.
From: moghal@aludra.usc.edu (Nadeem Moghal)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: World's worst fielder
Date: 14 Sep 1992 03:06:47 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <BuJB5v.J0p@news.udel.edu> corsair@chopin.udel.edu (CORSAIR the Pirate) writes:

>Also, I received mail from a Bari-fan. Another truth: Bari was quite an
>impressive keeper. Any idea how long his carrer lasted? I don't recall hearing
>about him after '86.

Wasim Bari was a brilliant 'keeper, who had to his credits some of the
most amazing dismissals ever witnessed. Here is a classic that somes
to mind: I have just seen this in photos :-(

Keeping to a spinner (who could well have been Intikhab), he once
took a very sharp edge which was seemingly going towards the gulley
fielder. he stretched fully on his right side, and held the ball at
the tips of his gloved fingers. 'twas an amazing catch.

On another occasion, keeping to a fast bowler, he moved to the leg
side, anticipating a leg-glance. But the batsman (Right-handed)
had an outside edge, and the ball flew towards the first slip. Bari
dived on his right, full-length, and caught the ball when he was
parallel to the ground. It was a breath-taking spectacle.

His career spanned from the 1967 English tour to that to the Aussie-
land in 1983-84. In all, he played 81 tests (a Pakistani record at
that time), and affetced 221 dismissals (202 catches and 19 stumpings).
He was the third keeper, after Knott and Marsh, to cross 200 scalps.
(Wait a minute. Didn't Godfrey Evans have 219 dismissals?)


>Stay cool.
>May the Schwartz be with you.

... with you too.

>Corsair the Pirate

Nadeem Moghal, the Trojan



Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
From: 10702830@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (RAJIB DATTA)
Subject: Re: to AB's knockers
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, Monash University 
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 00:51:15 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.000256.27493@usage.csd.unsw.OZ.AU> u1065904@keystone.arch.unsw.edu.au (POG) writes:
>From: u1065904@keystone.arch.unsw.edu.au (POG)
>Subject: to AB's knockers
>Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 00:02:56 GMT
>Keywords: 
>Allan Border walks on water
>
>


He probably is if it's raining in Sri Lanka!

Raj.

Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
From: satkinso@cc.curtin.edu.au
Subject: Predictions 92/93
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 04:20:24 GMT

My predictions for the upcoming summer of cricket in Australia
for 1992/93.

-  Marsh will return as opening partner for Taylor.

-  Jones will be a star in the Sheffeld Shield only to
   struggle in the Tests.

-  Australia will lose the test series against the West
   Indies 2-1.  Losing the first in Brisbane after being 
   bundled out on a green top.  Drawing in Melbourne.  
   Winning the third in Sydney after an unknown legspinner
   from Sydney First takes 10 wickets in the Match.  Drawing 
   the test in Adelaide after both sides score 600 in the 
   first innings.  Then Australia will lose the decider in 
   Perth in a close encounter.

-  After the sides test series defeat, Border will be dropped
   and Mark Taylor taking over.

-  Taylor, Marsh, Boon and McDermott will be the stars for 
   Australia.

-  Whitney and Matthews will be smashed by the Windies batsmen
   and return to play for NSW, (back where they belong).

-  Healy will be hit in the head and be replaced by the number
   one wicket keeper in the world Tim Zoehrer.  He may be an 
   asshole but he is the number one keeper.

-  Pakistan will win the WSC 2-1 against Australia.

-  Wasim Akram will be named the International Cricketer of the
   year.

-  Tony Greig will have a fight with Bill Lawry on air.

-  Pakistan will complain about the umpires, (so whats new).

-  Queensland will win the Sheffield Sheild, (just kidding).

Overall it should be an exciting summer of cricket.

Jason.

Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
From: ramana@unislc.uucp (Ramana Ramachandran)
Subject: Re: World's worst fielder
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 21:55:23 GMT

mrichardson@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu wrote:
: In article <JONT.92Sep14155005@ml.harlqn.co.uk>, jont@harlqn.co.uk (Jon Thackray) writes:
:  
: 
: > 
: >       A good Indian Prospect for this category is Sandeep Patil.
: > 
: > If you want a "good" English candidate, there are far better (worse?)
: > than Devon in the fielding department. Phil Tufnell is one such, and
: > he and Devon could probably compete for world's worst test batsman
: > while they were at it.
: > --
: > 
: Whole new can of worms here (or in the word's of an immortal Globe and 
: Mail journalist, this "opens up a whole Pandora's kettle of worms") - 
: as far as worst BATSMAN to (dis)grace an international crease with any 
: regularity is concerned, someone's earlier suggestion for worst 
: fielder - Ewen Chatfield - has got to be a top contender.

Iam not sure of chatfield's record but Iam sure B.S.chndrashekar's
record of poor batting is unlikely ever to be surpassed!

ramana
ramana@unislc.slc.unisys.com


Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
From: shamim@.bellcore.com (Shamim Naqvi,MRE-2E342,829-4711,,21273)
Subject: Re: England Tourists to India, Sri Lanka and A
Reply-To: shamim@.bellcore.com
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Morristown, NJ
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 18:45:57 GMT

In article 8421@lut.ac.uk,   K.K.W.Ho<Kelvin Ho>@lut.ac.uk writes:
>     The England squad to tour India and Sri Lanka is :-
>

So the whimsical English selectors strike again! What does poor Gower have to do to 
remain in the side?  

	--SAN

Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
From: monty@desktalk.com (Monty Venkersammy)
Subject: Touring Southeren California
Keywords: cricket
Reply-To: monty@desktalk.com
Organization: Desktalk Systems Inc.
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 19:54:27 GMT

Any teams interested in touring call me at 818-881-1614, we have 28 teams and we play
on turf!.  The only turf wicket in the US.  

Monty Venkersammy
6455 Geyser Avenue
Reseda, Ca 91335
818-881-1614
From: mrichardson@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: World's worst fielder
Date: 14 Sep 92 15:58:05 -0400
Distribution: world
Organization: Georgetown University

In article <JONT.92Sep14155005@ml.harlqn.co.uk>, jont@harlqn.co.uk (Jon Thackray) writes:
 

> 
>       A good Indian Prospect for this category is Sandeep Patil.
> 
> If you want a "good" English candidate, there are far better (worse?)
> than Devon in the fielding department. Phil Tufnell is one such, and
> he and Devon could probably compete for world's worst test batsman
> while they were at it.
> --
> 
Whole new can of worms here (or in the word's of an immortal Globe and 
Mail journalist, this "opens up a whole Pandora's kettle of worms") - 
as far as worst BATSMAN to (dis)grace an international crease with any 
regularity is concerned, someone's earlier suggestion for worst 
fielder - Ewen Chatfield - has got to be a top contender.
From: ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: This little piggie...
Date: 11 Sep 92 04:07:37 GMT
Organization: Economics, University of Adelaide
NNTP-Posting-Host: eco.economics.adelaide.edu.au

In article <1992Sep10.131903.1317@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu>, mrichardson@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu writes:

> help on what might be the ultimate cricket trivia question.  In a Test 
> against England, in Australia, in the 80's, some fan released a pig 
> onto the paddock with a couple of names painted on.  One was Eddie for 
> Eddie Hemmings but I can't rmember the other - was it Botham?  I think 
> the test was at the MCG - certainly the humour is sufficiently 
> sophisticated to bring Melbourne to mind - but, and this is either a 
> savage indictment of the game or of my interest in it, I remember 
> nothing elsae about the Test!  Anybody else remember this?

Yep, MCG. The pig had "BOT HAM" painted on the side. (Yes, it was two words,
the emphasis being on the HAM/Botham's figure relationship :-)

--
Daniel.