From: ahn@pop.cis.yale.edu (Eugene R. Ahn)
Subject: Re: The Superlatives (thanks!)
Followup-To: rec.sport.baseball
Organization: Yale University
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 20:16:59 GMT

I did this list mainly because it amuses me, baseball. It's the sweetest
sport in America. It's cliche now, but I think De Niro's speech as Al
Capone best sums it up. I won't rehash it. Sometimes, I sit back and say,
"Euge! Why in god's name do you know every single player in the NL! Do you
have a life?" This was essentially my tribute to the NL players who really
made me laugh, cry, and hurl. 

Your comments were all extremely valid, and I decided to revise and add a
few categories. Hope this isn't a waste of bandwidth. :-)

NOTE: I personally see the MVP award a little differently, because in terms
of "most valuable" I don't necessarily think this should go to the best
hitter, slugger, OBA, and so on. A lot of intangibles would have to be
considered, and they're really difficult to debate. My philosophy is that
there are some players, not many, who go out and play like they're having
fun, and it should be! (ah if I could get payed to play baseball!). In the
NL, Bonds was a joke in this category. His homers are sweet and fast, but
his attitude is sickening. Then again, I'm not on the team, and this could
simply be the media getting on Bonds tail. 

> Best starting pitcher: Greg Maddux (superior ratio, KO, wins, consistency)
> Best relief pitcher: Doug Jones (Lee Smith's 41 offset by BS, W-L, ERA)
> Best middle relief pitcher: Mike Perez (9 wins, sub 2.00 era, over 75
> games)
> Best control: Bob Tewksbury (anyone disagree?)
> Best KO artist: David Cone (now in AL)
> Most surprising pitcher: Mike Morgan (who would have thought this...at
> Wrigley)

Woops! I forgot about Bob Tewksbury! Well, Morgan deserves a nod too. I
really thought his ERA would balloon.

> Best second half pitcher: Doug Drabek (again)
> Best acquired pitcher (free agency or trade): Curt Schilling

The astros are reeling. Who did they get? Jason Grimsley? Who else? They
could have had Harnisch, Brian Williams, Mark Portugal, Curt Schiling as a
rotation which isn't bad.

> Best rookie starting pitcher: Rheal Cormier (what a 2nd half!) 

Someone mailed me and said Cormier is not a rookie. Is this true? Did
anyone else notice Cormier's surge? He's got control. And recently he's
been KO-ing batters better than Cone. He was 1-10 I believe with an
around-6 ERA, and is (last time I checked) 9-10 and a 3.65 ERA.

Well, Wakefield will be around for thirty years. He'll get an award sooner
or later.

> Most promising rookie pitcher: Pedro Astacio
With a nod to Tom Wakefield (See!)

> Best rookie relief pitcher: John Wetteland

Same guy mailed me and said Wetteland wasn't a rookie. Since he's not up
for rookie of the year, I suppose he's right. But nevertheless he's new and
the only promising rookie reliever.

> Most likely pitcher to get rocked (on the team for a while): Kyle Abbott

Ohh. Ryan Bowen. Only the Astros would have been desparate enough to call
up that guy twice! But of course Bowen isn't 1-13 with a 5.30 ERA, 13.00
ratio in 18 starts. Bowen was 0-6, 13.14 ERA (that just stands out!), 22.3
ratio (yeehaw!), but in only 7 starts.

> Most disappointing pitcher: Andy Benes

Hmmm. Pete Harnisch may be the better pick. But such high hopes for Benes
after that ludicrous second half last year! 

> Best comeback pitcher: Doug Jones

Doug had the best comeback period, but I forgot to recognize Todd Worrell.

> Most underrated starting pitcher: Ken Hill (more on him later)
> Most underrated relief pitcher: Mel Rojas
> Most exciting starter to watch: John Smoltz

Unfortunately we saw more of the new (nogood) Ramon this year. Pedro
awaits!

> Most exciting reliever to watch: Rob Dibble
Most scariest reliever to watch: Mitch Williams (what did he say? "I like
to pitch as if my hair were on fire"?)
 
> MVP: Terry Pendleton

(see above. I think most players would rather play with Pendleton than
Bonds and that spells teamwork)

> Best hitter: Gary Sheffield (great in the clutch, superior power, average,
> RBI)
Best batter: Barry Bonds (recognition for his near 2nd in the best hitter
category and his 120+ walks (great OBA) and SA. only 63 K0 last time I
checked), and a threat to stretch walks into doubles.
Most feared batter: Barry Bonds

> Best power hitter: Fred McGriff
> Best power-speed hitter: Barry Bonds (waaah! they're pitching around me!)
> Best leadoff man: Bip Roberts

Brett Butler also was excellent but his concentration seemed a bit off when
the Dodgers began to show signs of a mediocre season. Awoke when rookies
began to surround him in the outfield.

> Fastest runner: Marquis Grissom
> Best rookie hitter: Eric Karros

I hear what you're all saying. But in my opinion, Karros WORKED as a
cleanup hitter, and Reggie seemed to choke in key situations. Karros did
well with men-in-scoring-position (I believe it's something safely above
.300). Did you know that at some point in the recent past, Karros had the
most RBI's in the NL,  2nd only to Pendleton?

Reggie struck out a scary number of times (90 in only 356 AB at one point),
and doesn't work as a leadoff or 2nd batter despite his speed. I believe he
had a weak average with men in scoring position, and I do know, most of his
home runs were in non-crucial situations and with one or none on. So that's
why Karros got this, and Reggie got...

> Most promising rookie hitter: Reggie Sanders
He has the potential to surpass Karros in every category.  

> Best new starting hitter: Dave Hollins
> Worst contact hitter: Pete Incaviglia

I'm sure you all noticed the interesting fact about Galaragga. A
considerable time into the season, Ken Hill, the pitcher traded for
Galaragga, was HITTING better (better BA, HR, maybe RBI though I would find
that hard to believe) than Andres, and yes, he struck out less too.

> Best contact hitter: Tony Gwynn (two worlds apart, these two)
> Best comeback hitter: Darren Daulton
> Best Canadian hitter: Larry Walker (deserves an award of some sort)
> The No-Pain No-Gain Philosopher/Hitter: Andy Van Slyke
> Best comeback for a "failed" rookie: Bernard Gilkey
> Most disappointing hitter: Matt Williams

Woops. Forgot about Hojo. But he was injured, moved to a new position, and
probably would have redeemed himself somewhat if he played in the 2nd half.
I guess Matty just has a lot of things on his mind that are more important
than baseball.

Playing as good as he ever will: Spike Owen (with 368 AB, .269 BA, .350
OBA, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 9 SB, 28 K)
> The hitter most superior to all others at one position: Darren Daulton
> (Ryne Sandberg usually wins this one)
> Sweetest swing: Always Will Clark though it didn't do as much this year
> Most Awkward swing: Jeff Bagwell's topswing

Bagwell's swing is the raunchiest uppercut I've ever seen, and it's a
beauty to watch when it connects. Some people have said that his uppercut
puts so much top spin on the ball, that he frequently ups his average with
balls rolling quickly through holes. 

Nevertheless it is an awkward swing, and amusing at times. Anyone notice
how he holds his follow through, and bat, for quite some time as he begins
his run to first base on his toes still facing the ball? Just wondering.

--
Eugene "Mos Eisley" Ahn     ahn@suncis.cis.yale.edu
"What did you think of that reply?"
"No sir. I don't like it."