From: niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent)
Subject: Re: Lists: The Best Players In Baseeball
Originator: news@nimaster
Keywords: stars best baseball
Organization: Princeton University
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 05:35:57 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.063346.2962@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> nlu@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu) writes:
>In article <C0Gww7.98F@cs.dal.ca> niguma@ug.cs.dal.ca (Gordon Niguma) writes:

>>  Well I'm kind of bored now and not a whole lot has gone on in the winter
>>lately so I'll post something no one will agree with completely: Here are
>>several lists that anyone can make comments on. The players are evaluated on
>>how good I think the player is (as in how he'd play in 1993):

>>Best Players Overall:
>>P: Roger Clemens (anyone care to argue?)

Right team, wrong player.  No question, it's Matt Young.

No, seriously, there's obviously no argument.  In second place, though,
I'd have to put Greg Maddux.

>>RP: Dennis Eckersley

>This is very arguable.  Eckersley had a great season, but wasn't really as good
>as the media hyped him to be.  Of course, you can't argue with his consistency.

Well, he certainly (IMO) didn't deserve either the MVP or Cy, but to say
that it is "very arguable" is very arguable.  Who is most likely to be the
best closer next year, if not the Eck?

>>1B: Frank Thomas
>>2B: Ryne Sandberg
>>3B: Edgar Martinez (yes, over Pendleton)

>But over Gary Sheffield?  Sheffield is also just 24.  Martinez had the better
>season in '92, but it's a tossup right now for '93, even assuming that
>Martinez has recovered from surgery.

Yes, but whose season was more of a fluke?  Sheffield is young and good,
but is he *that* good?  I doubt it.  Martinez also had a season better
than we should have expected, given his past performance, but not as big
a difference.

In the long run, there's no question that Sheffield is the right choice.
But next year, I'd rather trust Martinez.

>>SS: Barry Larkin
>>C:  Mickey Tettleton (until Daulton can do it back to back)

>Well, one of these days, Mickey should wake up and remember that he's 32
>already... :-)

And then Chris Hoiles can be the #1 catcher.

>>OF: Barry Bonds (of course)
>>OF: Ken Griffey Jr.
>>OF: Rickey Henderson (assuming he's playing)

>Van Slyke, Tartabull, and Mack had better season than Griffey, but of course
>Griffey's year is actually considered an off-year, and he's only 22.

Really? 
		
Griffey was 308/361/535	
Mack was    315/394/467	
Tartabull   266/409/489
Van Slyke:  324/381/505

Maybe these are better, but certainly not appreciably.  

How about Canseco?  Lousy year last year, but if he's healthy...

>>Best Players For Expansion Club To Have (under 25 years old or 25):
>>SP: John Smoltz  

>This is quite debatable.  Smoltz's own team Steve Avery, for example, might
>be a better candidate.

I doubt it.  Smoltz pitched more innings, allowed fewer hits, runs, and
earned runs, and struck out a lot more.  Avery is only 3 years younger.

How about Mike Mussina, though? 

I like Arthur Rhodes a lot, too, but I certainly wouldn't put him above
these people at this point.

>>RP: Gregg Olson or Mark Wohlers

>Scott Radinsky, perhaps?

Olson is more of a strikeout pitcher; that's a good sign.

>>1B: Frank Thomas   
>>2B: Roberto Alomar
>>3B: Dean Palmer or maybe Jeffries (still only 25)

>What about Sheffield?

Definitely.  Jeffries is still young, and not bad, but not that *good*,
either.  He only hit 285/329/404 last year.  Now, that makes him good
for the Royals, but not that great, otherwise.

Ventura is only 25 next year, too.

>>SS: Wil Cordero (Fryman's a good choice also) 

>I'd think that Fryman's a much better one than Cordero...

Again, yes.

>> C: Pudge Rodriguez

Why is everyone so high on him?  Yes, he has an excellent arm.  But he
isn't much of a hitter, so far.

>>OF: Ken Griffey Jr.
>>OF: Juan Gonzalez
>>OF: Phil Plantier

>Plantier might be a bit early to argue for, although he's certainly capable
>of great things...

How about Larry Walker?  He's only 25 right now.

As an alternate, someone who isn't as good as these but still a good
young outfielder, Ray Lankford is just 25 right now.

>>C: Eric Wedge (please play him! Make Gorman look like an idiot...)

>Unfortunately, the Rockies say, as of this moment, that Joe Girardi would
>start...  They are probably bigger iditots than Gorman.

Wow, that's tough.
-- 
David M. Nieporent   | Is it too early to start making predictions for 1993?
niepornt@phoenix.    | Probably, but that never stopped me before.
   princeton.edu     | ALE: Baltimore ALW: Chicago NLE: Montreal NLW: Atlanta
Baltimore Orioles 93 | AL MVP: Cal Ripken  AL Cy Young: Mike Mussina
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball