From: Ahn@pop.cis.yale.edu (Eugene R. Ahn)
Subject: The Prospects of the NL
Followup-To: rec.sport.baseball
Organization: Yale University
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 20:18:36 GMT

Well, the Baerga debate was fun, because he's not the first player most
people would consider. But for the record, anyone who thinks Baerga is the
MVP is wrong. What are you? Maad!? He had a phenomenal year, and the debate
served him well: there's the end of the story.

By the way, who was he traded for? I know he's not an all-time Indian. I
bet it was some stinky team in the NL. Was it the Braves? :-) I hope so. As
far as I'm concerned they can trade Chipper, Nied, Reynoso, Nieves, Klesko
and etc and etc. to the Marlins! Anyway, I really can't remember.

Speaking of prospects, I just wanted to open a debate about the futures of
some prospects. Some have been touched before. Some haven't.

MIKE PIAZZA - he has been covered. had a stellar spring training, and in
his call up at the end of this year, he did OK. Is he going to challenge
Daulton for the title of best hitting catcher? I hear he never played ball
in college. He was drafted only because Tom Lasorda and Vincent Piazza
pushed for him as a last draft pick. Who is this guy? Roy Hobbs? The press
(Robert Duvall) writes that he hits the ball out of the park in BP
routinely. 

RHEAL CORMIER - I want people to pay attention to this guy. Last game of
the season, he won his 10th game. He is 7-0 in his last 9 starts with an
ERA under 2. In his last three starts, I believe he has more KO than IP.
Excellent control. Anyone have background info on this guy? His minor
numbers? His aresenal of pitches?

DAVE NIED - This starter was wicked last year in minor ball. He had a rough
season this year, but turned it around in the second half before he was
called up. Pitched 2 hitless innings of middle relief in the Braves' final
game of the regular season, no BB, 3 K. His ERA in the majors is now 1.17.
Will workhorse Charlie be replaced next year by this kid? Could the Braves
have Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, P Smith, and Nied as their 5-man rotation next
year? 

CHIPPER JONES - any chance of this guy being brought up next year? Blauser
and Belliard have been effective at SS, it's just too bad their strengths
can't be molded into one player. Was Blauser poppin the ball during the
pennant race or WHAT!? Lemke at 2nd has been fine defensively but OOOHHHh
what a twig he has at the plate! Well, I guess the Braves could use him in
one more World Series, then enter Chipper.

THE PEDRO BROS - Pedro Astacio and Pedro Martinez. Pedro continues the
tradition of Dodger pitchers with a knack for shutouts in his first season
(finishes season with 1.98 ERA), and what up with Pedro? I really don't
know too much about these prospects.

These are the prospects I particularly am most interested in, but bring up
some more folks! It's really fun to follow players before they start
posting the killer OBA, SLG, and other numbers. This year I was keeping
track of Barberie, Sanders, Karros, Lewis.

Sorry for those who are upset about me never mentioning Wakefield. He's too
"decipherable": knuckler, will be around for a while, BORING. But it is fun
to watch the hitters whiff against him! :-) (one of my favorite images of
the year is David Justice's stylin' swing catching nothing but the Atlanta
breeze as the baseball, with the strings frozen as if it were the bright
side of a moon, floated, undisturbed, into the catchers mitt. Rise and
fall. Sigh. It's bedtime.

--
Eugene "Mos Eisley" Ahn
"Sweet! The regular season's over! Florida Marlins in '93!"