From: snichols@adobe.com (Sherri Nichols)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Bucs losses
Date: 18 Nov 92 17:27:20 GMT
Article-I.D.: adobe.1992Nov18.172720.24824
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated

In article <Qf2RYGy00WB5QJv3wC@andrew.cmu.edu> Amit Likhyani <al1x+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>Smith, and Cole in that order.  Simmons protected Albert Martin over
>Cole, so I infer that he likes Martin more than Cole. One of the 2 was
>going to start in left field and hit leadoff.

I don't think Martin is really a leadoff hitter.  

>year, but this team is going to start over.  Albert Martin jacked 20
>balls out at Buffalo and led the league in triples.  You may think I
>like martin.  I have my doubts.  He is 24 and will play next year at
>25(I believe).  I really want to see his walking power before I make a
>judgement.

Martin's numbers at Buffalo: in 420 ABs, he hit .305, slugged .557, and had
a OBA of .358.  Of course, a big chunk of that OBA was in his BA; he drew
35 walks.  If he hadn't been protected, he would have certainly gone; when
the Pirates signed him as a minor league free agent last year, they were
one of 21 teams vying for his services.  Given that, and given that he then
had a very good year at Buffalo, you have to protect him even if you don't
think he'll pan out; he has trade value if nothing else.  

>  The obvious solution to me was to protect Cole over Jeff
>King, but that would never happen.  Simmons has made King his
>reclamation project and he wants all the credit.  King will hit homeruns
>and drive in some runs and eat a ton of outs.  The mediots will stay off
>his back, but we won't. 

Save us all from 28 year old reclamation projects.  I hope nothing more of
Dal Maxvill rubbed off on Simmons.

>Ramon Martinez - With Garcia and Bell ahead of him at short, it would be
>silly to protect him.  There really was nothing the Pirates could do
>about this pick.  He is 23 years old and played last year at class A. 
>You figure he won't be ready to play in the majors until 25.  You can't
>protect everyone.  I kind of suspected this one.

Martinez' main asset is that he's fast.  He doesn't walk, and he doesn't
have power, but he did post a decent slugging average at Salem mostly
because he legged out a lot of triples.  

>Danny Jackson - Well, Simmons knew he would be taken.  After the first pick,
>KDKA asked Simmons about a rumor that someone may take Jackson in the
>second round and trade him to Philly.  Simmons responded: "It is
>possible".  I guess they just wanted rid of Jackson.  He was 4-4 with a
>3.36 with the Pirates last year.  I would not throw that away.  This was
>probably a salary decision.  I suspect the guy they really wanted to get
>rid of was Lind.  By leaving Jackson exposed, they asssured that Lind
>would *NOT* be taken.  If Philly wanted Jackson so much, the Pirates
>might as well made the Phillies trade with them.  I think this was a
>mistake.  At the third round, Slaught, Z.  Smith and Jackson could have
>been protected.  The Pirates just do not want Jackson.  They must feel
>he is done(like the Cubs did) and had absolutely no interest in signing
>him after this year.  I view Jackson as insurance in case one of the
>young starters like Cooke, Backlund, Wagner and Neagle falter.  I guess
>when you have so many of them, you figure a couple will pan out.  If
>they are ready, you can trade him.  Pitching is too valuable to let it
>go for nothing.

Nothing more to add to this; I agree completely with Amit.  The final
chapter of the whole Steve Buechele debacle comes to an end. 

Sherri Nichols
snichols@adobe.com
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball