HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: paula@koufax.cv.hp.com (Paul Andresen)
Subject: Re: Which baseball publication is the best one to subscribe to?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 19:29:20 GMT

In article <03JAN93.20307003.0037@UNBVM1.CSD.UNB.CA>, DONS <DONS@UNB.CA> writes:

|>   Saying that Baseball Digest is trash doesn't tell us too much.
|>   Baseball Digest is _not_ the magazine if you are looking for the
|>   latest stats or for information to help you with your fantasy
|>   team. It is a good magazine if you are looking for stories on
|>   past players, teams, stadius, infields, etc (e.g., "'72 Playoff
|>   Victory Served as A Springboard for the Reds."

OK, how 'bout this: Baseball Digest is written for your standard 12 year-old
baseball junkie. The writing is way too simple-minded and gee-whiz for my 
taste, but to each his own. The other things you say about it are true, so 
if one is looking for that type of info, it's OK.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              If you're really hip, the passing years will show.
                                           ......Tower Of Power

  paula@koufax.cv.hp.com   Paul Andresen  Hewlett-Packard  (503)-750-3511

    home: 3006 NW McKinley    Corvallis, OR 97330       (503)-752-8424
                            A SABR member since 1979
From: clarko@nefeli.berkeley.edu (Clark Olson)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Fantasy League Openings
Date: 11 Jan 1993 18:58:46 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley -- ERL
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.32.239.95


The Federal League (of Fantasy Baseball) needs a small number of new owners
to take over teams for the upcoming season.

Our league does not cost money and operates solely through e-mail.  (E-mail
access through the entire baseball season is a must.)

We differ from most leagues in that wins and losses are acquired weekly in
competition between teams.  Each week each team plays a specific opponent in
the league.  Each teams starters statistics for the week are
tabulated in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, runs produced average,
wins, saves, earned run average, and WHIP ((BB+H)/IP).  Each statistic won is
worth a win in the standings, thus each team "plays" 8 games each week.

The following is required of all owners:

1.  Possession of e-mail access for the entire baseball season.
2.  Participation in the draft (e-mailing your picks to me three times a week
    for approximately 6 weeks, starting in mid-February.
3.  Sending me a lineup card at the start of the season and when you want
    to make a change.
4.  Calculation of your stats and your opponents stats each week during the
    season (this takes about an hour).  This is really necessary, and we
    have kicked owners out of the league for not doing this regularly.
5.  E-mailing the stats to me each week.


Send me mail if you are interested in taking over a team in this league.
Our full constitution will be made available to the new owners, of course.
Respond by January 18.

Clark Olson
Commissioner, Federal League
clarko@robotics.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: dkeisen@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dave Eisen)
Subject: Re: Garvey!
Organization: Sequoia Peripherals, Inc.
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 93 21:34:23 GMT

In article <93008.142307IO21087@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> IO21087@MAINE.MAINE.EDU writes:
>I cannot help but think that what hurt Garvey most in his bid for
>the Hall of Fame was the bad press he garnered towards the end of his
>career. I am speaking of course about the paternity suits he emassed in
>San Diego.

It may have hurt him with the voters, I have long since given
up trying to figure out what motivates sportswriters to make
the judgments that they make. But the simple fact is that
Steve Garvey is at best a marginal hall of fame caliber player;
I wouldn't have voted for him and I couldn't care less how he
spent his time off the field.

Garvey is an interesting case though. His stats are not all that
good, but they are good for the things HOF voters tend to look
for. He had a good batting average. He played on a lot of division
and pennant winning teams. He played most of his career in a major
media capital. And before his paternity troubles, had an amazingly 
good rep as a person. Kind of like the Don Mattingly of the 70's,
although I don't think he was quite the player Mattingly was.

So Garvey is a good case of "he who lives with the sword, dies with
the sword" or rather "he who lives as a TWG, dies when he's not
so T any more". The voters can only look at him objectively since
his patina of TWGness wore off, and then his numbers weren't good
enough to get him into Cooperstown. At least not the first time
around. I think he still has a better than 50/50 chance of making
it eventually.

>
> As for Neikro, I think that his exclusion had to do with the lack of
>respect for the knuckleball. Most people see it as some form of a parlor
>trick not a pure pitch. There is no denying that he will get in
>eventually, but it would give it a few more years.

I don't think it had anything to do with the knuckler. Niekro was
a very good pitcher for a very long time, but he was never one
of the best two or three pitchers in the league. He wasn't Tom
Seaver or Steve Carlton or Jim Palmer or JR Richard or Roger Clemens.
He didn't win any Cy Youngs, he wasn't a perennial all-star. Players
like Niekro make it into the hall, but even though first ballot
hall of famer's are nowhere near as rare as they used to be, they
still are players who at some point in their career could make
a legitimate claim to being the best player in baseball at their
position and one of the best players in baseball period. Niekro
didn't have that kind of peak value.

Don't worry. His time will come. I expect to see him make it
next year.


-- 
Dave Eisen                               Sequoia Peripherals: (415) 967-5644
dkeisen@leland.Stanford.EDU              Home:                (415) 321-5154
       There's something in my library to offend everybody. 
          --- Washington Coalition Against Censorship
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu (Dave Bonar)
Subject: Re: Astros Contenders?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Reply-To: eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu
Organization: News and Views from LSU
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 13:46:32 GMT
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-5252]: sn01.sncc.lsu.edu

In article <C0Gurv.84H@cs.dal.ca>, niguma@ug.cs.dal.ca (Gordon Niguma) writes...
>In <Jan.6.22.37.20.1993.23150@pilot.njin.net> gajarsky@pilot.njin.net (Bob Gajarsky - Hobokenite) writes:
> 
> You do make decent points and perhaps I was harsh. I did think about park 
>factors but the OBP's posted by Anthony makes him clearly below average. Cedeno
>was awful as you agree.

	I think you were too harsh on more then just Anthony and Cedano.
Taubensee and Gonzalez are both young and have shown the ability to walk
(an important part of showning ability to improve in my opinion).  Neither
one of them was good last year but I'd expect that both of them can post
OBA's of over .310 (and Gonzo should be able to give a decent slugging 
average also).

> The main point was that if you look at the Astros team you don't see a whole
>lot that makes you think they can win 90 games as one poster stated. I think
>people are looking at the Astros and saying "Hey they won 81 games last year.
>Swindell and Drabek add 7-8 wins and expansion adds a few more". The factor
>of expansion and the new pitchers may add those extra wins as could the   
>improvement of their young players. But there are other very strong factors
>which are pushing them backwards also. I think 85 W's is more than fair but
>when I look at their players I think sub-.500. I'd pencil them in at 81 myself
>but I'll give them 85 for the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I'm an idiot for
>doing so.

	I normally don't really add up wins but I'd have to say that they
should reach around 90.  They should have won 75 last year.  Adding two
good-great pitchers and dropping two of the worst 5 pitchers in the NL should
be worth 10 wins.  Anthony, Gonzalez, Taubensee and whomever they play at
shortstop should be worth a combined 5 wins more then last year j.  Caminiti
will not be as good as last year but Bagwell should be able to make up the
difference.
	They can't contend.  I expect them third or fourth depending on how
well LA does.  Atlanta and Cincinati are well ahead of them.  LA and San
Diego are tied with Houston in the middle somewhere.  San Fran and the 
Rockies are left to the bottom.

Dave
__________
Dave Bonar
eebonar@lsuvax.sncc.lsu.edu
__________

Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: tloughin@IASTATE.EDU (Thomas M Loughin)
Subject: Re: Darrell Evans
Reply-To: tloughin@IASTATE.EDU (Thomas M Loughin)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 19:04:59 GMT

In article <8483@news.duke.edu>, fierkelab@bchm.biochem.duke.edu writes:
> In article <1993Jan10.230244.1898@midway.uchicago.edu>
thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu
> (Ted Frank) writes:
> >In article <8471@news.duke.edu> fierkelab@bchm.biochem.duke.edu writes:
> >>What, you don't think Darrell Evans is a HOF player?  I'll agree that he's
no
> >>Reggie Jackson, but he was a pretty darn good 3rd baseman.  Great power,
> great
> >>eye, average batting average, decent glove at a moderately difficult
> defensive
> >>position.  Who in his era, (early 70's through mid-80's at 3B), other than
> Mike
> >>Schmidt, was a better 3B?  
> >
> >George Brett?  He's played full-time since 1974.  There's also Buddy Bell.
> >
> Ok, I stand corrected about Brett.  No need for anyone else to send E-mail. 
> Big oops on my part.  However, without seeing Bell's stats, I wouldn't
> necessarily go along here.
>  ...
> Were there a LOT of good 3rd basemen in that era?  Let's see, Brooks Robinson
> finished up his career at the beginning of Evans's career, as did Ron Santo. 
> We have the aforementioned Schmidt and Brett.  Wade Boggs came on at the end
of
> Evans's days as a 3B.  I can't say much about Bell.  Certainly Ray Knight and
> Doug Decinces don't fit into this group.  Ron Cey?  From my feeble memories,
> I'd say he'd also fall short on ability, although he had a lot of postseason
> play and may make it anyways (ick!)  Didn't Molitor play some 3B once upon a
> time?  I'm certainly running out of names...any other candidates?
> 
HOF candidates or good thirdbasemen?

I can think of a few of the latter; not many of the former.  Fella named Rose 
comes to mind.  Off the top of my head, I think guys like Nettles, Madlock, and
Bando were good thirdbasemen, for one reason or another.  Better than Darrell 
Evans?  I don't have the numbers handy to make an argument either way.  If I 
had my old '78 or '83 APBA cards here, I'd rattle off the guys for each team 
around those years and let you decide...
> 
> Eric Roush			Deck us all with Boston Charlie
> fierkelab@			Walla Walla Wash and Kalamazoo!
> bchm.biochem.duke.edu	Nora's freezin' on the Trolley,
> 				Swaller Dollar Cauliflower Alla-ga-Roo!
> 
> 				Walt Kelley

-Tom
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: roney@selkirk.sfu.ca (Chris J. Roney)
Subject: Re: Jays will repeat!!!
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 20:37:48 GMT

maynard@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca (Roger Maynard) writes:

>Alfredo Griffin has resigned with the "best" team in baseball.

>93 WS is now in the bag.

>rm

>-- 
>Roger Maynard
>maynard@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca

     Yeah, with Griffin at short and Darnell Coles (??) at third, that
left side of the infield lokks set for years to come.  I am also
confident that the # 2 and #3 pitchers, Morris and Stewart may even
keep their ERAs under 5.00 this year, which should translate to lots
of wins with the many runs generated by having White bat
lead-off!  Oh well.  At least we won one! -- 
Chris Roney  (e-mail chris_roney@sfu.ca)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: aardvark@cygnus.la.locus.com (Warren Usui)
Subject: Yet another all-star team
Organization: Locus Computing Corporation, Los Angeles, California
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 20:44:15 GMT

And now, the 1992 All-Scrabble teams! (Players whose last names score the
					most points when playing Scrabble)


American League:

	Player	(Team)		        Points
C -- Mike Fitzgerald (Angels)             24
1B - Reggie Jefferson (Indians)           22
2B - Lance Blankenship (A's)              22
3B - Tony Perezchica (Indians)            28
SS - Andy Stankiewicz (Yankees)           29
OF - Mike Humphreys (Yankees)             22
OF - Bob Zupcic (Red Sox)                 21
OF - Mike Devereaux (Orioles)             20
P -- Mike Jeffcoat (Rangers)              23


National League:

	Player	(Team)		        Points
C -- Carlos Hernandez (Dodgers)           22
1B - Guillermo Velasquez (Padres)         30
2B - Jeff McKnight (Mets)                 20
3B - Gary Sheffield (Padres)              19
SS - Tony Fernandez (Padres)              22
     Jose Vizcaino (Cubs) 
OF - William Pennyfeather (Pirates)       23
OF - Cesar Hernandez (Reds)               22
OF - Todd Benzinger (Dodgers)             21
P -- Sid Fernandez (Mets)                 22
     Jeremy Hernandez (Padres)           
     Xavier Hernandez (Astros)


Honorable mention to:
	Roberto Hernandez, Brook Jacoby, Gregg Jefferies, Jose Hernandez, and
	Omar Vizquel who would have made all-League if they played in the
	National League, and Doug Dascenzo, Darren Jackson, Wes Chamberlain,
	and Henry Rodriguez who would have made all-League if they played in
	the American League.

Finally, the following players would have made all-League if a blank wasn't
needed for one of the letters in their last name:
	Scott Kamieniecki    --  18 points (lost 5 -- too many K's)
	Mauro Gozzo	     --  14 points (lost 10 -- too many Z's)
	Sterling Hitchcock   --  22 points (lost 3 -- too many C's) 
	Ron Karkovice        --  17 points (lost 5 -- too many K's)
	Mike Piazza          --  16 points (lost 10 -- too many Z's)
	Tom Pagnozzi         --  19 points (lost 10 -- too many Z's)
	Kevin Koslofski      --  15 points (lost 5 -- too many K's)
	Jose Gonzalez        --  17 points (lost 10 -- too many Z's)
	Luis Gonzalez        --  17 points (lost 10 -- too many Z's)
	Juan Gonzalez        --  17 points (lost 10 -- too many Z's)


-- 
Warren Usui
aardvark@locus.com
uunet!lcc!aardvark
From: snichols@adobe.com (Sherri Nichols)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Stop the Keystone Cops! (was - Ted's Simmon's latest acquisition)
Date: 5 Jan 93 23:53:16 GMT
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated

In article <1391@blue.cis.pitt.edu> psg+@pitt.edu (Paul S Galvanek) writes:
>that I could do with out.  The signing of Pena, Foley, Candelaria 
>and now Smith reminds me very much of a period a few years ago when 
>management filled the roster with the like of Steve Kemp, George Hendricks
>and Amos Otis.  

There's still a very big difference between the current era and that era
past: the minor league system.  In particular, early indications are that
Simmons had a stellar draft last June.  We'll likely see the first results
from that draft next year, in the person of Brett Backlund.  

Sherri Nichols
snichols@adobe.com
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: ddyte@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Aussie Bball News #11a- correction.
Date: 6 Jan 93 13:45:05 +1100
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia

Correction to the table I wrote at the end of my last
posting, the games behind were wrong, I believe.
Corrected version is:

                                 W   L   GB
Sydney Blues                    16   9   -
Melbourne Monarchs              19  13   0.5
Waverley Reds                   17  13   1.5
Brisbane Bandits                13  10   2
Perth Heat                      15  13   2.5
=Adelaide Giants                11  16   6
=Gold Coast Dolphins            11  16   6
Melbourne Bushrangers            9  19   8.5

                          - David Dyte
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: marwood@csri.toronto.edu (Simon J. Marwood)
Subject: Re: The Minnesota Twins
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Date: 8 Jan 93 18:22:14 GMT

In article <9301081758.AA09478@sumac09.cray.com> jjd@teak.cray.com (Jeff Drummond) writes:
>Third base is a black hole at the moment; maybe Jorgensen
>can fill that void.  Maksudian or Deshaies may provide some pitching
>help.  Maybe.	      ^^^^^^^^^

Errr... if this is the same Mike "Grasshopper Gourmet" Maksudian that the
Twins claimed on waivers from Toronto, then the Twins must really be in
desperate need of some pitching help. Maksudian is built like a horse, and
is a catcher. :)

Simon

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simon Marwood		 | Do you have a list of ASIA tour dates? Please email
marwood@csri.toronto.edu | it to me!!!		-- Expos, 1993 --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: pajerek@telstar.kodak.com (Don Pajerek)
Subject: Re: Sierra with A's: 5 yrs/$30MM
Reply-To: pajerek@telstar.kodak.com (Don Pajerek)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp. - Telstar
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 14:55:06 GMT

In article <1993Jan3.091608.3538@Princeton.EDU> niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent) writes:
>
>Obviously, Canseco isn't Ruth or Mantle, but the point still stands.
>Who cares what percent he's giving?  What matters is what he's giving.
>

'Who cares' are the other players on the team. A player who radiates the
sense that he is coasting, especially a high-dollar player, can quickly
poison the morale of the entire team.

I am *not* saying necessarily that Canseco is this type of player (although
others have). All I am doing is answering your question in a general
sense.

>-- 
>David M. Nieporent


Don Pajerek

Standard disclaimers apply.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: behrens@cc.swarthmore.edu (Eric Behrens)
Subject: Re: Cecil signs :-( :-( :-(
Organization: Swarthmore College
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 21:49:58 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.193127.18165@Princeton.EDU>, roger@crux.Princeton.EDU
(Roger Lustig) writes:


> Will Detroit need Fielder if he doesn't win the RBI title? Will Detroit
> care wbout Fielder when his skills fall apart a little more?  That's 
> *five years* we're talking about here.  

> How many players in baseball history have been a draw for that long?  How
> good were they?  The stats are *entirely* relevant, because they point
> to the player's long-term prospects for helping the team.  As soon as
> Fielder's downside becomes more visible, the fans will begrudge him
> every dollar dollar of Little Caesar's money.


Did Milwaukee begrudge Robin Yount?  Kansas City begrudge George Brett. 
Pittsburgh begrudge Stargell?  Will Baltimore ever hate Cal Ripkin?  Will
Minnesota ever begrudge Kirby?  I could go on.  

Yet New Yorkers booed Reggie, even in some good seasons.  And Pittsburgh
booed Barry Bonds, even in one of his best years ever.

Performance makes you a star, but only personality can keep you popular.  I
am a diehard Pittsburgh fan.  I go to a lot of games at the ballpark.  I
know there is no comparison in skill and athleticism, but I would much
rather have had Cecil in Pittsburgh than Bonds.  The whole world loves a
slugger.  Babe Ruth was pretty fat, folks.

The longer Cecil stays in Detroit, the more they'll love him, I'll wager. 
Dedication to a city IS appreciated by fans.  

The big thing about Cecil (aside from his waist band) is that he makes
baseball fun.

Remember: IT IS, AFTER ALL, A GAME!!!

You did remember that, didn't you?


I mean just because brussel sprouts would be BETTER FOR ME than Lucky
Charms, I must confess to a preference for the green clovers and blue
diamonds.
------------------------------

Eric A. W. Behrens
Behrens@cc.swarthmore.edu


"I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to keep playing baseball."  

                                                        --Pete
Rose
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer)
Subject: Re: Lists: The Best Players In Baseeball
Keywords: stars best baseball
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 02:28:12 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.012305.18342@athena.mit.edu> cmk@athena.mit.edu (Charles M Kozierok) writes:
>
>i'm not going to start down the "the stats say he's worst but i know
>he's great from seeing him" road again.. i'm just genuinely curious as
>to how someone who appears to be a defensive gem can have the lowest
>range factor. either he is doing it with mirrors, i am crazy, or that
>statistic is bogus.  if anyone can clarify which of these three it is,
>i would like to hear it.

Possibly all of the above.  Range factor is most definitely bogus.  It
can certainly mislead by a *lot*, and is probably only suited for
comparing two halves of a platoon on the same team.  If that.  Some
attempts have been made to adjust it for the pitching staff, but I
don't know how successful they have been.

DA seems to be a slightly better stat.  But until I get enough time
to study the data, I'm not about to go whole-hog for it either.

>also, what is the relationship between range factors and defensive averages?

Wisecrack answer: none.  Seriously, for two stats that purport to
measure similar the same concept, they don't agree very often.  I
could come up with lots of BS reasons why, but nothing I can prove.

Cheers,
-Valentine
From: mspede@atlas.nafb.trw.com
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: The Minnesota Twins
Date: 8 Jan 93 15:27:16 PST

In article <1993Jan8.160407.19251@cs.cornell.edu>, tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer) writes:
> In article <93008.004857MV013374@NDSUVM1.BITNET> steve eliason <MV013374@NDSUVM1.BITNET> writes:
>>       I just want to say I am a big Twins fan and wish them the best of
>>luck this year. I predict that they will be untouchable if and only if
>>they get their hands on a decent pitcher.
> 
> What does their lineup look like?  The keys (Puckett, Hrbek, Harper,
> Mack) are all another year older, and the loss of Gagne will hurt.
> (Winfield more than makes up for Davis, though, IMHO.)  The left side
> of the infield looks weak, and the pitching staff is a bit shaky.
> (Tapani and Erickson are solid, but Mahomes is still young and
> inconsistent, and the other spots are unknowns.)
> 
> The Twins could win.  I don't think anybody really dominates that
> division.  But I think they need more than one more pitcher to really
> run away with it.  (Besides, where are they going to find one?)


  Bert Blyleven of course !
  287 wins and counting.....

  What are the lifetime comparisons of Niekro and Blyleven ?   Off the top
  of my head, they seem to have had similar careers.... 300 wins,  Lots of
  strikeouts, One dominant pitch, and usually playing for a mediocre team.

  Is Blyleven a HOF'er ?

  Mark Pede