From: paul@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Paul R Krueger)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: AL Rookie of Year Award?
Date: 1 Oct 1992 23:00:04 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4

In article <1992Sep30.181711.20640@cs.cornell.edu> tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer) writes:
>In article <1acj2oINNl7k@uwm.edu> paul@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Paul R Krueger) writes:
>Okay, I think I get it.  Using recreational softball rules, we
>pinch-run the appropriate Red Sox player at every opportunity.  (You
>know, where you get a pinch-runner from the plate for somebody who is
>either very injured or very overweight.)
    
    Yes, you've got it for the most part.

>Okay, is there *any* aspect where the Red Sox are *superior* to the
>Brewers?  They have a worse ERA, far worse defense, more strikeouts,
>fewer sac flies, fewer HRs, fewer extra base hits (and I know that
>some of the Brewers extra base hits are legged, but not *that* many),
>and they are 25 points short on batting average!  In fact the only
>significant way that the Red Sox are *better* than the Brewers is in
>BB, where the Sox have ~75 more.  (But the Sox still have a lower
>OBP.)
    
    Boy, I hadn't realized how pathetic the Sox had been doing until
    you posted this :)

>I'd say that EVEN WITHOUT baserunning, it is obvious that the Brewers
>have the superior team.  So why do you think that the Brewers would
>suddenly become as bad as the Red Sox if you changed only that *one*
>aspect of the game?  Seems to me that even if the Brewers ran like the
>Red Sox, they would still out-hit, out-slug, out-pitch, and out-field
>the Red Sox.  So wouldn't you expect them to win more games?
>
>Or are you really arguing that the Red Sox have just as good hitters,
>fielders, and pitchers (just not runners)?  Please elaborate on that.
>This should be an argument worth hearing!
>
   Okay, here' my shot. Yes, even without baserunning, I think Milwaukee
   is the better team. So the Brewers would win more games without it.
   As for arguing what team has the better hitters, fielders and pitchers,
   I think Milwaukee is probably a little better off, but I don't know
   by how much. The difference I'm trying to point out is attitude.

   If you put Boston's runners on Milwaukee's team with Garner managing
   they would do much better than they would on the Sox. They wouldn't
   do as well as the current Brewers 'cause they don't have Milwaukee's
   team speed, but they'd still do better than they have this year.

   My argument is that if you take the current Bosox runners AND their
   attitude towards the running game (never challenging a guy's arm,
   rarely going for the extra base, etc.) and substitute them in place of 
   current Brewer players, the new-look Brewers would be much worse off.
   This reckless attitude of taking everything they can get has been
   incredibly important in their success. Every team that the Brewers play,
   knows that it cannot screw up or the Brewers will take advantage of it.
   In fact, they also know they can't let up or Milwaukee will make them
   pay. Not too many teams play that kind of ball. Some teams do to an extent,
   but nowhere near as much as Milwaukee.

   In almost every game this year, running has played a major part. It's rare
   that a game goes by that they don't manufacture a run or two. It's not
   always the difference, but it sure helps. How many times have Toronto fans
   picked up the paper and read how their team scratched out runs on stolen
   bases, hit-and-runs, sacrifices (and flies), etc. In Milwaukee, it's almost
   an every day occurance, win or lose.

   Milwaukee has led the AL in stolen bases 4 of the past 5 years, but this
   year's team makes the others look like the '92 Red Sox in comparison. They
   just never stop coming at you on the basepaths at any time.

   Great pitching and defense has also played a huge part in Milwaukee's
   unexpected success. But even the attitude has affected that. They are
   always aggressive, in the field, on the mound or on the bases. And it
   all started with the baserunning. It took a while for the defense and
   pitching to come around. The running has been there all year. If they
   don't have that attitude change, they're not much different than
   unsuccessful Brewer teams of the past 5 or 6 years.

   salty