HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pablo@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Pablo A Iglesias)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Ripken's Season
Date: 14 Sep 92 20:37:34 GMT
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

In article <1992Sep14.165132.4777@island.COM> fester@island.COM (Mike Fester) writes:
>In article <1992Sep11.182547.331@cs.cornell.edu> tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer) writes:
>>
>>BATTERS         BA   SLG   OBP   G  AB   R   H  TB 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO SB CS
>>RIPKEN,C 9/6  .243  .344  .321 136 535  62 130 184 22  1 10  60  58  43  4  1
>>RIPKEN,C 6/28 .289  .449  .369  74 287  41  83 129 14  1 10  38  34  22  2  1
>>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>difference    .190  .221  .265  62 248  21  47  55  8  0  0  22  24  21  2  0
>>
>>Ripken has been more of a shit than I thought!  He shouldn't be
>>batting third.  He shouldn't be batting cleanup.  He shouldn't be
>>batting fifth.  He shouldn't even be batting ninth!  He should be
>>riding the pine!
>
>>Great players can carry a team.  They can also become real millstones
>>when they don't perform.  Because good or bad, they will play every
>>day and bat in the middle of the lineup!
>
>Ah, the great dilemma; a proven veteran starts slowly, but do you jerk him
>from the lineup, or give him a chance to come around? Boggs, eg, always starts
>slow, then seems to finish well (except this year). Mattingly started HORRIBLY
>but has since raised his totals to a very respectable level. I believe Ventura
>did the same.
>

The problem with Ripken is that the manager doesn't really have the
ability to take him out, because of "The Streak^{TM}" Also, Ripken
didn't start badly, it's been his last 70 or so games where he has
been playing horribly.  My guess is that Ripken hasn't admitted to 
himself that the he is putting his own numbers ahead of the team.

-- 
Pablo
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: jimdean@bnr.ca (Jim Dean)
Subject: Re: AL MVP Trivia Question
Originator: jimdean@bcrks81
Reply-To: jimdean@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 12:39:46 GMT


In article <1992Sep4.205839.19178@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>, sauder@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (EY Sauder clyde jeffr (410) 290-6000) writes:
> The following question was the regular trivia question posted
> on the scoreboard at Camden Yards on August 20:
> 
> Q.  Who was the last American League switch hitter to win the
>     Most Valuable Player Award? (in the American League, of course)

Ahhh...my ball team's favourite "stumper".

Vida Blue.

-- 
Jim Dean (Internet: jimdean@bnr.ca) +-----+    National Capital Baseball League
mild-mannered computer scientist -->|Phone|--> President. Pitcher. My knuckler?
Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa,Ont. |Booth|    Not too legit to hit!  6-0, 1.99
Phone: (613) 763-2135 Fax: 763-7241 +-----+    Phone: (613) 723-1580
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: chee1l5@jetson.uh.edu (Sam Lane)
Subject: Re: Stupid Injuries (was Re: Life  6.F)
Organization: Univ. of Houston, Dept. of Chem. Eng.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 21:05:28 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.193144.18066@stsci.edu>, rkidwell@stsci.edu (Richard C. Kidwell,mgr) writes:
> 
> >>>(g) Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz gave himself five-inch-long
> >>>    welts in March when he tried to iron his polo shirt while wearing it.
> >>>    "I've ironed that way five or six times," he said, "and never had
> >>>    it happen."

It's well documented that Smoltz is a head case.  

> >>Sort of reminds me how Kevin Mitchell put himself on the DL; he pulled a
> >>muscle in his rib-cage while throwing up.

I pulled a muscle in my rib cage while coughing with the flu.  Of course, I told people I did it 
playing a game of pick-up football.

> 
> Was it Ron Darling who pruned his finger with a hedge trimmer a couple
> years ago?
> 
This was Bobby Ojeda.  The A's put  a no power tools clause in Todd Van Poppel's contract.

Sam
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: rstimets@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (robert and stimets)
Subject: Re: Magic Numbers Explanation...
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 18:35:05 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.090930.17969@blaze.cs.jhu.edu> hymowitz@whatever.cs.jhu.edu (Hymie!) writes:
>rstimets@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (robert and stimets) writes:
>[discussion about definition of magic numbers]
>

>
>perhpas the definition is bad.  each team has a tragic number t.  any
>combinations of wins-for-the-first-place-team + losses-for-team-x = t
>will guarantee that team x will /not/ overtake first place.

More to the point, second-place-team will finish behind first-place-team.
The term 'tragic' number is probably more accurate.
>
>the 'magic' number for a team to clinch a division = t for the second place
>team, whoever the second place team is on any given day.
>
>>Anyway, I heard Skip Caray say that any Combo of Cinci wins and Atlanta
>>losses will give Atlanta the NL West, and I just had to yell at the screen
>>that he was 
>>  1) uninformed, or
>>  2) lying.
>
>(3) you are overliteralizing the definition

No, they are.

>(4) when the other 4 teams are eliminated, then the fact will be true.

Yes, this is certainly a true statement : "When all but one of the teams
in the division, the race is over".

>
>--hymie
>hymowitz@cs.jhu.edu                                         hymie@jhuvms.bitnet

One can define "magic number" as the minimum number of wins by a team and
losses by its division rivals, though the process is much more difficult due
to the need to take schedules into account.  
This is what should be used to claim a team needs just such-and-such to win the
division.
When Skip Caray said his bit about 18 games to win the division, I was convinced
that Cincinnati would probably end up losing 18 more games, but at the time
Atlanta had only a 8 game lead over San Diego, who had been playing pretty well.

Thanks for your support.

RStimets
From: demers@cs.ucsd.edu (David DeMers)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: MVP Awards
Date: 15 Sep 92 00:46:30 GMT
Organization: =CSE Dept., U.C. San Diego

In article <1992Sep14.173431.5552@island.COM> fester@island.COM (Mike Fester) writes:

>Actually, could someone POST the names of the writers for the MVP awards?
>Then perhaps we could evaluate them individually, and have a productive (yeah,
>I know, runs counter to the charter of rsbb) discussion on those particular
>writers, and see if they are reasonable choices for doing the voting.

>Anyone have a list handy?

No list, but I believe that there is one per franchise; and Phil Collier of
the Union-Tribune is the San Diego voter.  He's pretty reasonable, but kind 
of an old fart and definitely no sabermetrician.  If Mike Downey gets a vote, all
bets are off - he's an idiot.


-- 
Dave DeMers			 ddemers@UCSD   demers@cs.ucsd.edu
Computer Science & Engineering	C-014		demers%cs@ucsd.bitnet
UC San Diego					...!ucsd!cs!demers
La Jolla, CA 92093-0114	(619) 534-0688, or -8187, FAX: (619) 534-7029
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: paul@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Paul R Krueger)
Subject: Re: Ugliest Players
Keywords: ugly players
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 23:54:07 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.201548.28004@sco.com> jcohen@sco.COM (Jon Cohen) writes:
>
>
>This topic seems to come up every year. In full
>knowledge that the real beauty of human beings is on
>the inside, I nominate:
>
>Willie McGee--Looks like a cat foetus or a handicapped
>              citizen of the same planet as ET
>
>Randy Johnson--Bean pole with weak chin, bad skin,
>               strange tufts of facial hair. Looks
>               like the skinny guy in the Scooby-Doo
>               cartoons.
    
    How could you forget Shaggy??!!

>Robin Yount--Great as he is, he is also of great ugliness.
>             Has the beaked, convex face of a gargoyle or
>             griffin (no, not Alfredo Griffin).
>
>Zane Smith--Weak chin and odd, sucking mouth that gives
>            impression of toothlessness. A shorter Randy
>            Johnson.
>
>Otis  Nixon--This is what Charles Bronson would look like
>             if you cooked him at 350 degrees for a few
>             hours.
>
>


Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: king@ssvax.gte.com (Larry King)
Subject: Re: Clemens update please
Organization: GTE/SCSD
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 12:24:16 GMT

Clemen's numbers are as follows...

30 appearances, 18-9 record, 2.31 ERA, 198 SO, 10 CG 

In 233 1/3 IP he has given up 184 hits and 60 walks.

Clemens will be in contention to the end.  The principle competitors now
appear to be Brown (Texas), McDowell (Chicago), Morris (Toronto), and
possible Guzman (Toronto) (Being out the month of August probably makes
it unlikely that he will be there in the end).  

Unfortunately for Clemens, in his last outing Boggs was given and error
for mishandling a hot shot to the corner.  2 runs scored and were
unearned.  Clemens ERA was 2.26.  Boggs went and spoke with the scorer.
The scorer overturned the error after hearing Boggs story and Clemens
was charged with 2 earned runs raising his ERA to the current 2.31.  I
don't know what Boggs was thinking but is it that important to him that
he make excuses in the field.  Danny Darwin was really upset at the
scorer, Charles Scoggins (I believe), for reversing the call.  All and
all though Clemens should get a decent share of the first place voting.

--
Larry King
GTE Government Systems, Needham, MA    		(617) 455-3384 
E-Mail : king%ssvax.dnet@get.com
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: fester@island.COM (Mike Fester)
Subject: Re: roy NL
Organization: /usr/local/rn/organization
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 15:02:26 GMT

In article <1992Sep8.171116.18240@leland.Stanford.EDU> claudius@leland.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu) writes:
>In article <1992Sep8.153300.1877@island.COM> fester@island.COM (Mike Fester) writes:
>>
>>In any event, it really doesn't matter. Sanders is a quality CF, in a hitters'
>>park. He deserves CONSIDERATION for the ROY, but he IS a part-timer. 
>
>So, we should give Karros the ROY just because he plays everyday? 

Sure. Otherwise, you have to keep 2 players on the roster full-time to cover
one postion.

> This same logic gave Walt Weiss the ROY over Bryan Harvey in '88.

Walt had a decent year. 

>The question is, how much is Karros helping the team by playing everyday?  Not
>much, judging from the fact that he is *below average* for a first baseman.

So who's there to replace him? Do the dodgers have anyone ABOVE average (by
your standards) on the roster to play first, who's not already busy at some
other postion?

>Sanders, although he only plays 65% of the time, contributes much more, since
>he is *way* above average.  Similar, although a smaller case, for Alou.

"Way above average"? Maybe. But I'd put Van Slyke, Dykstra (through last week,
Nails had more playing time this year than Sanders, in spite of being on the DL
most of the year), Butler, and Lankford ahead of him. And the Sanders/Nixon 
combo has produced well for Atlanta. Puts him about 5 or 6 in a 12 team league.
Part time. In the best overall hitters' park in the majors for HR and SLG for
the last 5 years.

>And, should we punish Sanders for Lou Piniella's stupidity?

"Punish him?" NO one is sending him to bed without supper, Nelson. And BTW,
Lou seems to handle his players reasonbly well. I'd say he generally knows 
what he's doing. Even though it MAY disagree with your opinion.

Mike
-- 
Disclaimer - I'm only doing what the little voices tell me to do.
From: sieferme@milton.u.washington.edu (Eric Sieferman)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: The Next Commissioner of Baseball
Date: 8 Sep 92 23:48:38 GMT
Reply-To: sieferme@u.washington.edu
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

The next commissioner in Major League Baseball should be:

     *** Fidel Castro ***

Consider his qualifications:
(1)  He loves baseball.
(2)  He has no financial interest in Major League Baseball, 
and thus avoids all conflicts of interest.
(3)  He is accustomed to being a lackey.

-- 
| Eric Sieferman            |    sieferme@u.washington.edu          |
| U. of W., M.C.I.S.        |    (206) 685-3104                     |
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: 6669030@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
Subject: Re: Personal Attacks on the Net
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 17:51:33 GMT

------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
|The Maynard/Huckaby flame war will go down as a classic.  It's already hown us
|what would happen when Noel Coward meets Don Rickles.  (Roger, have a cokie)
|If you can't take a little criticism, I suggest you put me, Gary, Kirsc,
|Lustig, Nichols, Tate, Lu, Bose (not as in speakers), and JOHN STUART MLL
|in your kill file.
|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|| Joe Lundy           Encore Computer Corporation, 6901 W. Sunrise Blvd    |
|| jlundy@encore.com   Mail Stop 811, Ft. Lauderdale, FL  33313-4499        |
|| "Make outs, not walks!" - Noel Steere                            |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey Joe, that list above is pretty impressive....how can I get on it?


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billy K.                                 |      |\/\/\/|
6669030@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM       |      |      |
                                         |      |      |
"I have no clue.  You can stab me until  |      | (o)(o)
I bleed to death, and I will still have  |      C      _)
no clue."                                |       | ,___|
                  -Chuck Knoblauch 8/92  |       |   /
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: jas4034@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Re: Anyone know if these guys are subject to the expansion draft?
Reply-To: jas4034@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 18:40:40 GMT

I would like to know if there is anything in the works about a football
fantasy conference, or if we could discuss such a sport here, despite the 
conference title.  Seeing as my team is in 5th out of 7 this year in baseball
fantasy league play, I would like to get a better jump on football, i.e.
injuries, trades, etc.  I have drafted two teams already, so I'm in the 
game to stay.  It looks like traffic on this subject is dying anyway.

Reply to me here or via mail please.  Sorry if I'm stepping on anyone's
foot here.

						-JS
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: jhg8680@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon  Hamkins)
Subject: Re: Magic Numbers Explanation...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 01:27:27 GMT

JIMBO@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU writes:

>In article <l_8y_nk@rpi.edu>, ananim@aix.rpi.edu (Mark Anania Jr.) says:

>>      I have seen it calculated with 162 before, it just means when the
>>    Magic Number gets to Zero the first place team has clinched a tie.
>>
>>-Mark....

>The magic number indicates the point at which a team clinches the
>divison, not a tie. So using 162 is incorrect. 

Sure, if you define it that way.

>Why would clinching a tie be magic. 

Why is clinching a division magic?  I don't even like the word magic.

     ----Jon Hamkins  (hamkins@uiuc.edu)
         University of Illinios
         Urbana, IL
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: cubsfan@camelot.bradley.edu (Michael Silverman)
Subject: Babe Ruth all time HR leader!?!?!?!? 
Organization: Priests of the Temples of Syrinx
Date:  9 Sep 92 20:07:12 GMT

I can't let this rediculous blunder pass unnoticed:

In <BuBsHC.DwG@news.cso.uiuc.edu> glb50263@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Gary L. Blickhan) writes:

>jrp@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (John Pessetto) writes:


>>   I made some guesses about how Juan Gonzalez would finish this season and 
>>feed this year and his previous years back into the Brock2 program written by
>>David Grabiner.  According to this, he should pass Babe Ruth as the all-time
          
Babe Ruth!?!?!? Don't you think that Hank Aaron will be surprised when he
learns that you have single-handedly stripped him of the all-time
home run title?

>>homerun hitter.  Also, it looks like he has a chance to pass Maris in the 
>>single season homerun record( Of course this happens when he's 27 years old).
>>Anyway, it was interesting to look at.

At least you have Maris right.

--
cubsfan@camelot.bradley.edu

"One likes to believe in the freedom of baseball" - Geddy Lee
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: sgs@milton.u.washington.edu (Steven Smith)
Subject: Birthdays
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 18:55:29 GMT

Baseball Birthdays

September 8
Buck Leonard, 1907 (HOF)
Ken Forsch, 1946
Ernie Orsatti, 1903
Steve Hargan, 1942
Don Aase, 1954
Verne "Fats" Clemons, 1892
Val Picinich, 1896
Jim Bagby, Jr., 1916

--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: dzappala@caldera.usc.edu (Daniel Zappala)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Dodger franchise record for errors in a season
Date: 15 Sep 1992 17:35:15 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
Reply-To: dzappala@caldera.usc.edu (Daniel Zappala)
NNTP-Posting-Host: caldera.usc.edu



This year's Dodger team isn't even close.  According to the LA Times:
"In only 137 games, the 1891 outfit committed 432 errors."

:-)


Daniel
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: claudius@leland.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu)
Subject: Re: More about Sanders/Alou/Karros
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 20:33:53 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.193710.15212@cs.tulane.edu> eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu writes:

>	I don't think that is what Mike is getting at.  As a platoon player
>it is very possible to have inflated stats due to only facing pitchers 
>that you are better at hitting (see Paul Sorrento this year).
>
>	I'm not sure Alou's stats are significantly effected this way.
>Sanders' seem to be.  However, even with some decrease in value due to
>facing all pitchers it seems that both Sanders and Alou are way ahead
>of Karros.

But in any case, Sanders has made, up to this Saturday, 42 starts vs. RHP
and 43 vs. LHP, or 49.4% of his starts vs. RHP.  Alou made 38 starts vs. RHP
and 31 vs. LHP, or 55.1%.  Karros made 67 starts vs. RHP and 55 vs. LHP, or
54.9%.  You would actually have to give the "platoon disadvantage" benefit
to Alou before you would Karros.

===============================================================================
GO CALIFORNIA ANGELS!
===============================================================================
Nelson Lu (claudius@leland.stanford.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: mds5142@ultb.isc.rit.edu (M.D. Shepherd )
Subject: Dennis Rasmussen
Originator: mds5142@ultb
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 21:55:56 GMT

Hello.

Could someone please send me some stats about Dennis Rasmussen (aside from
the fact that he pitched for the Royals last night and won.)  I'm
interested in his age, previous record, and how the Royals acquired him.
Thanks for every single drop of help...

Later!
Mike
-- 
*       Michael Shepherd       *  Maybe some things are instinctive   *
*   mds5142@ultb.isc.rit.edu   *  But there's one thing you could do  *
*              or              *  You could try to understand me,     *
*  shepherd.wbst129@xerox.com  *  I could try to understand you  -NP  *
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: rwd4f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Rob Dobson)
Subject: Coup Continues
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 18:49:54 GMT


Well, Vincent ousted, the owners have now formed some kind of Committe on
State Emergency, or something like that, and appointed the Brewer's 
owner (name escapes me) as its head. Or so I just read on clari.news.
headlines.  

So, is Vincent still recovering from illness  in the Crimea??

-rob

Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: kbos@carina.unm.edu (Kurt Bose "of Biscayzee")
Subject: Re: jays 15
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 92 12:43:36 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Distribution: rec

(Jays protect list deleted)

Carlos Delgado must be protected.  He is not 20, he is at least 22.  So says
the STATS Min. Lg. Handbook.

-- 
Kurt Bose (as in Daisy, not Rose) *  kbos@carina.unm.edu * Make outs, not walks!
Keeper of the R.S.BB FAQ, and Junior Stathead {tm} * OK, so I AM the AntiChrist.
Be kind...don't disillusion the RBI-lovers. * Net.Agent, "Doublin" David Rossing
Less widely published as Noel Steere; less likely to rampage than Gary Huckabay.
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: <None>
Date: 8 Sep 92 12:47:13 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <5463@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP>, genetic+@pitt.edu (Dr. Dave) writes:
> Thus spake z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu:
>>
>>	Yes and no. True, he does hurt his team's chances of scoring
>>*additional* runs in that inning. However, the object of the games is to score
>>runs. However Fielder manages to get Phillips across the plate is (in general)
>>good, because it means the Tigers have scored a run. 
> 
> Not quite.  This misses a key factor, which is the same key factor missed by
> the mediots (who tend to make this same argument).  

	Ah, so it is bad to score a run? Also, note that I added 'in general'.

> 
> In other words, 90% of the work in getting that run for the team had already
> been done by the time the RBI man came to the plate.
> 
> If you always play to get that particular runner home at any cost, you'll 
> tend to never score more than one run per inning.  Translation: you'll lose
> a whole lot.

	Okay, Mr. Obnoxious Baseball Guru, of the 90% of the time that the
runner on third scores, how often is it the result of a groundout or a hit?
I was NEVER saying that a groundout is better than a hit -- what I was saying
was that it's important that the run is scored. I don't want that other 10% to
occur.
	Runner on third, no outs isn't a very common situation. I doubt if it
occurs as often as once a game. Saying that I'll lose 'a whole lot' based on
what I would do in an uncommon situation is simply being silly.

> 
>>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.