HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hhenderson@vax.clarku.edu
Subject: More Rocket Bashing
Organization: Clark University
Date: 29 JUL 92 21:53:11 GMT

Yes, Roger Clemens is probably the best pitcher in baseball -- during
the regular season.  Stop me if I'm wrong, stat fiends, but I consider
his post-season performance to be underwhelming.  If he pitched in
October against a championship team the way he pitches, say, in April
against the Mariners, I doubt that the year 1918 would hold such
dismal significance for Red Sox fans.

There are many possible reasons for Roger's ineffectiveness in the
post-season.  (Drum roll, please -- the Baseball Psychiatrist is
In.)  My theory, which crystallized after my observation of his
1990 behavior, is that he flips out under pressure.  He's extremely
aggressive and hypercompetitive, like most (all?) professional
athletes, but he can't properly channel these drives.  He gets
overly pumped for big games, so he presses too hard, loses his
concentration, and doesn't pitch as well as he should.  Of course,
since he's normally so great, and he's had Hall of Famer written
all over him at every stage of his development, nobody has dared
to try to explain this to him.  He would probably punch a wall
or throw a tray of lasagna if the matter were broached, anyway.

My prediction is that, unless Rocket Roger somehow gains the
ability to deal with pressure, he will never get a World Series
ring.  I hope I am wrong about this.  My team won in 1986 and
I promised my Red Sox fan husband that the Sawx could win the
next time.

Heather
HHENDERSON@vax.clarku.edu
Jack Clark University, Worcester, MA
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Best Looking Swing
From: <ALWHC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Date: Wednesday, 22 Jul 1992 12:12:29 EDT
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

    When I watch a good hitter at the plate, they will show the swing of the
  hitter in slow motion. IMHO the best looking swings I've seen are:
        1) Dave Justice
        2) Will Clark
        3) Don Mattingly
        4) George Brett

    These  are all good hitters. Of course, there are more but these are the
  ones that I can name offhand. If you care to add more or comment on those
  that I have just named  feel free. I know that George Brett was influenced
  by Charlie Lau's  style of hitting, I don't know about the others though...

                                           Al
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: niccum@cs.umn.edu (Tom Niccum)
Subject: Re: Dome plays foul on Jack Clark :-):-):-)
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 20:50:27 GMT

In <Brr368.C7J@watserv1.waterloo.edu> dmeister@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Darren Meister) writes:

{good stuff deleted}

>I think Devon did this in the Kingdome.        

>>
>>
>>BTW, what is the exact rule about balls hitting things like speakers?


>It depends on the ground rules for the park. In Montreal's Olympic
>Stadium, a ball hitting the speaker is a home run. 

I believe that in the MetroDome the ball is "in play", and whatever happens
happens, i.e. caught, goes in the stands, etc.

Chili Davis just hit one a few weeks ago that everyone thought was a long
homer, but hit a speaker and was caught for an out.  Supposedly, that
was the first and only time a speaker had been hit in fair territory
since the place was built.


>>
>>---
>>|    Paulo F. Ferreira                         | University of Waterloo |  
>>| E-MAIL: pfferrei@undergrad.math.UWaterloo.ca |    Waterloo, Canada    |
>>\______________________________________________|________________________/


>-- 
>Darren Meister                                  dmeister@watserv1.waterloo.edu
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas M. Niccum  | Army High Performance Computing Research Center
niccum@cs.umn.edu | University of Minnesota
        	  | 612-626-8084 or 612-624-7807
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: agl@mayo.edu (Al Larson, 1-159 Med Sci, 4-4147)
Subject: Re: End of regular season?
Reply-To: agl@mayo.edu
Organization: Mayo Foundation
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 13:53:21 GMT


> When is the World Series this year?


Its only a guess, but if patterns of the past continue.

League Championship Series
==========================

Oct 6 - NLCS at NL West

Oct 7 - NLCS at NL West
        ALCS at AL East
        
Oct 8 - ALCS at AL East

Oct 9 - NLCS at NL East

Oct 10 - ALCS at AL West
         NLCS at NL East
         
Oct 11 - NLCS * at NL East
         ALCS at AL West
         
Oct 12 - ALCS * at AL West

Oct 13 - NLCS * at NL West

Oct 14 - ALCS * at AL East
         NLSC * at NL West
         
Oct 15 - ALCS * at AL East
 
         
World Series
============
    
Oct 17 - Game 1 at NL Champ

Oct 18 - Game 2 at NL Champ

Oct 20 - Game 3 at AL Champ

Oct 21 - Game 4 at AL Champ

Oct 22 - Game 5 * at AL Champ

Oct 24 - Game 6 * at NL Champ

Oct 25 - Game 7 * at NL Champ     

* - if needed


NOTE: Feel free to insert "Minnesota Twins" for "AL West" and "AL Champ" :-)


Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: claudius@leland.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu)
Subject: Re: AL West
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 16:51:52 GMT

In article <55393@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> jasdzews@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Gary James Jasdzewski) writes:
>I am tired of hearing about how Oakland is hurt and needs their
>expensive players back.  This is one of this summer's cliches.  But it
>seems that the substitutes as a whole have out-produced those who they
>replaced. 

You might be tired of hearing it, but it's true.  Check out these RC/27
numbers:

Rickey Henderson	8.86
Jose Canseco		5.48
Dave Henderson		6.09 (last year)

Eric Fox		3.30
Jerry Browne		4.33
Willie Wilson		4.83
Troy Neel		4.23

These are not adequate replacements for the three above.

===============================================================================
GO CALIFORNIA ANGELS!
Committee to Elect Johnny Ray as Angels Second Baseman
Committee to Elect Mike Witt as Angels Ace
Committee to Elect Cookie Rojas as Angels Manager
===============================================================================
Nelson Lu (claudius@leland.stanford.edu)
From: p_emond@pavo.concordia.ca (PATRICK EMOND)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: They're He-eeere...!! (Expos,Expos,Expos)
Date: 29 Jul 92 17:11:00 GMT
Organization: Concordia University
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


  Good news, good news!! Moises Alou has returned to left field for the Expos
(last night in the 7-4 win vs. St. Louis), and is running quite well (his dad/
 manager was concerned-you know those 'baseball parents'). Alou will play a few
 games at first base down the stretch according to Felipe.

 It gets better...Larry Walker is ready to return to the lineup, and will start
 in RF tonight for game 3 (Martinez vs. Tewksbury). Darren Reed will probably
 stay around for a few days (the way he's hitting?!) but it doesn't look good
 for his long-term chances, unless the Expos place Owen on the 15-day DL (Foley
 and Barberie could share backup SS duties).

 The Expos are showing some interest in getting Frank Tanana from Detroit, but
 are hoping Brian Barnes can perform well enough as #5 starter (Tanana is 38 or
 39 years old, and would likely cost the Expos a decent prospect) as to make
 the trade unnecessary.

 And in case you didn't realize it--THE EXPOS ARE IN FIRST PLACE! (Felt like
 yelling it, hope you don't mind).

 A lot of Expos fans have come out of the woodwork lately, I've been getting a
 lot of e-mail asking questions re. Walker, Alou, etc. so that's the main reason
 for the post (and a tiny bit of glee in the Expos success lately)!

 So, for everyone who can't get enough of Martinez,Hill,Gardner,Nabholz,Barnes,
  Sampen,Fassero,Rojas,Valdez,Wetteland,Carter,Fletcher,Natal,Cianfrocco,
  Colbrunn,DeShields,Foley,Barberie,Cordero,Wallach,Alou,VanderWal,Calderon,Reed
  Grissom,Walker,Owen AND Felipe...

  GO EXPOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

********************************************************************************
Patrick Emond    unofficial r.s.bb. net.contact for the Expos
Concordia U.       official r.s.bb. net.raving-Expos-Fan
Montreal, Can.
********************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: snichols@adobe.com (Sherri Nichols)
Subject: Re: Free agency
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 18:32:29 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.180154.17576@cs.cornell.edu> tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer) writes:
>
>Does anybody know the exact rules on free-agency?  Players with six
>years major league service qualify.  How is that counted?  By days on
>the roster?  Is it six years from the first appearance on a major
>league roster?  What about John Dopson?  (Has spent a couple years on
>the DL.)

One year of ML service = 172 days on a ML roster.  Time spent on a Major
League DL counts as ML service, except for rookie of the year
qualification.  The best reference for ML service times are the Red and
Green Books.  As to your specific question, I don't have those references
handy, but from what I do have handy, I do not think John Dopson will be
eligible for free agency after this season.  

Sherri Nichols
snichols@adobe.com


Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer)
Subject: Re: MLB Standings and Scores for Mon, Jul 27th, 1992
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:25:36 GMT

In article <Bs3szC.3Ks@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> djohnson@cayley.uwaterloo.ca (David Johnson) writes:
>
>Up here we are not worried about Baltimore.  We think that they will play what
>they should play over the rest of the season.  About .500.

Hm.  I thought that they were doing a pretty good job of outscoring
their opponents (despite a stupid lineup).  No?  Do you honestly
expect that to change?

Their offense is strong, and will be stronger when Hoiles returns and
Cal starts hitting.  Their pitching (which has been moderately
dreadful) has been overhauled.  Mussina is great, McDonald is better
than he looks right now, and Rhodes...  Ah!  He may be the Guzman of
1992.  Young pitchers don't always pan out, but if you have to bet on
one, bet on him!  He has always had good K and H/IP numbers, and has
(hopefully) brought his BB numbers down to an acceptable level.  Their
bullpen is one of the best in the majors, of course.

The pitching may not be as good as the Blue Jays, but the offense is
IMHO better.  Don't count the O's out yet.

>Also if the Jays do what many expected at the beggining
>of the season (100 wins) no team in the east has a chance.

I'd be willing to bet that they don't!  Besides, if the Dodgers and
Mets did what "many expected", the NL divisions would be clinched by
now.

>The Jays are much better than a .592 team.

Hah!  Their offense is only about average, and they need every bit of
it to cover the runs Morris gives up.  Guzman is great, while Key and
Wells are quality pitchers.  But the Jays have had serious problems
finding #4 and #5 starters.

Morris is not going to win 20 games this year.  People say that
Morris' ERA is deceptive.  I already addressed that question in a
start-by-start analysis of this season.  He has gotten exceptional run
support *and* has gotten very lucky.  I also analyzed his career
through 1991, comparing his ERA, winning percentage, and the average
offense of the teams he played for.  I found that they were
essentially perfectly matched.  Over his career, Morris has not had
more wins than you would expect from his ERA and the offenses behind
him.  Therefore I expect that in the second half of *this* year, he
will be a sub-.500 pitcher.

As for Milwaukee?  They have a quality team.  But with so many old
players, can they hang together down the stretch?  And Eldred simply
doesn't compare to Rhodes.  I'm not sure how the Brewers have won as
much as they have.  And I certainly don't see how they are going to
manage to do any better than they already are.

Cheers,
-Valentine
-- 
If Plantier goes, I go!				tedward@cs.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: bst@wang.com (Bruce Tannenbaum)
Subject: The "Dwayne Henry Syndrome"
Organization: Wang Labs, Lowell MA, USA
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 92 15:17:49 GMT
Summary: Globe Article
Keywords: Dwayne, Henry, Peter, Gammons

Nice article by Peter Gammons in today's (7/31) Boston Globe entitled
"Hard thrower can be soft touch".  He talks with Nolan Ryan, Tom House and
others about using deception to make a fastball seem faster.  My favorite
line is House's "That's what we call 'The Dwayne Henry Syndrome'.  Ninety-
five to the plate, 105 on the way out."

Get it if you can.  Reasonably informative.

--Bruce (Who couldn't hit Dalton Jones' fastball, and he's not even a
pitcher!)
-- 
Bruce S. Tannenbaum (RADAR) <bst@wang.com>
VoiceCom Systems Inc., San Francisco, CA and Tewksbury, MA.
"I have a cunning plan!"
From: schnell@pyramid.unr.edu (Dan Schnell)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Sexy Baseball Players and Fraternities!!
Date: 22 Jul 92 16:45:47 GMT
Reply-To: schnell@pyramid.unr.edu (Dan Schnell)
Organization: Univ. of Nevada: Today Reno, tomorrow the world.


First, we had the postings about statistics, the term "stathead"
was coined.

Then, we started seeing posts about which player had the best
behind, and the "buttheads" :) first appeared.

Now, we have "fratheads".

Maybe next:
	- which team has the best head wear, "hatheads"
	- ?
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: bohnert@leland.Stanford.EDU (matthew bohnert)
Subject: Reasonably priced good team
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 21:32:54 GMT

In an aside to the common practice of assembling (usually) high-priced
`Dream Teams', my friend Juan and I today went about the task of
creating what we thought was a pretty good team of reasonably priced
players.  We thought that we would have to be careful and exclude players
who are almost assured of getting enormous contracts shortly (i.e. Frank
Thomas).  Our picks for the NL

OF  Cory Snyder (dirt cheap)
OF  Felix Jose
OF  Otis Nixon
1B  Mark Grace (how much does he make?)
2B  Delino DeShields
SS  ?
3B  Anybody except Matt Williams is OK
C   Mike LaValliere
P   Bill Swift
P   Kent Hill
P   Bob Tewksbury

Do these sound reasonable?  What about the AL?

Matt Bohnert
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: lsmith@cs.umn.edu (Lance "Not Here" Smith)
Subject: Re: Talkin' Baseball
Organization: Little Homers of the Poor
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 21:56:58 GMT

In article <14k14jINNagk@agate.berkeley.edu> jtchern@ocf.berkeley.edu (Joseph Hernandez) writes:
>Does anyone have the lyrics to Terry Cashman's song titled "Talkin' Baseball:
>Mickey and the Duke?" I just love that song!
>
>If anyone has the lyrics to that song or any other team version (e.g. Talkin'
>Baseball: Tha Giants by the Bay), I would like a copy of it.

Does this include the Simpson's "Talkin' Softball?"

(I have that episode on tape just so I can watch Jose Canseco run into a
 burning building over and over again.)
-- 
   Lance "Zeppelin" Smith      | "O hateful error, melancholy's stat!
    (lsmith@cs.umn.edu)        |  Why dost thou show, to the idle thoughts of
 Prove it! Show us your work!  |  Mediots, the things that are not!
    Huh? What's your point?    |                 _Jose Caesar_, V. iii. 67           
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: snichols@adobe.com (Sherri Nichols)
Subject: Re: Value of Stats
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 16:33:17 GMT

In article <5091@transfer.stratus.com> jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com writes:
>One thing I never understand in these arguments is why somehow
>baseball should be different than everything else. We all use 
>intagibles to judge lots of things, so why shouldn't they count,
>at least in part, in judging a player.  In our jobs we certainly
>judge people that way.   If, for example, there is a software
>engineer, say, who not only does his/her job, but is prone
>to help others in time of need, be an information resource to
>the department or company, go out of his/her way to help on extra,
>people-oriented work (volunteer work on the department policy task
>force, or whatever), and so forth.  I would expect this engineer
>to be more highly valued (and more highly paid) than the engineer
>who does his/her job but nothing more.  And one of the reasons we
>do value the former engineer more is that he/she is not only
>performing well but helping to raise the performance level of
>others in the office.

I can have first-hand knowledge of whether a software engineer I work with
does these sorts of things.  I can't in baseball.  I also have first-hand
knowledge of whether those things do indeed help make the others in the
group more productive.  I can't in baseball.

Sherri Nichols
snichols@adobe.com
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: rstimets@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (robert and stimets)
Subject: Re: RULEBOOK TRIVIA 14
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 20:57:39 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.212511.23460@stsci.edu> rkidwell@stsci.edu (Richard C. Kidwell,mgr) writes:
>From article <64281@hydra.gatech.EDU>, by gt2807a@prism.gatech.EDU (Benjamin H. Cowan):
>> In article <36084@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> demers@cs.ucsd.edu (David DeMers) writes:
>>>In article <92205.211559IO20456@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> IO20456@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (Ryan Robbins) writes:
>>>>With nobody on, the batter hits a high pop-up in front of the
>>>>plate. The catcher gets into position to make the catch, but loses
>>>>sight of the ball just before it comes down and bounces off his
>>>>glove, which is over the plate. The ball squirts to the backstop.
>>>>The catcher retrieves the ball and throws it back to the pitcher.
>>>>The pitcher takes his position on the rubber, the catcher and
>>>>batter go to their boxes, and the pitcher pitches. The batter
>>>>grounds the ball back to the pitcher, and the pitcher throws the
>>>>ball to first for the out. How is this play scored?
>
>If the ball was touched in fair territory, then it is a fair ball. Home
>plate is in fair territory.
>Since there is no mention of the what ump did, I assume he did nothing-
>this indicates a fair ball. (no requirement to say anything when the ball
>is fair)
>So the play continues: catcher throws to pitcher (valid), batter stays
>in the box (valid), pitcher throws (valid), BUT the batter re_hits the
>ball(invalid). I would say the batter is out upon re_hitting the throw
>back to the catcher, and the ensuing throw to first is inconsequential.
>
Just wondering: Did the umpire crouch behind the catcher to further confuse
the fans, players, and Harry Caray?
     Also, since the claim is that there is no "pitch" involved but the pitcher
nonetheless goes through with the motions of pitching, couldn't this be 
considered "feigning a pitch" therefore a balk--and since the batter-runner
is in fact a runner, shouldn't he be awarded first base?   :-)

RStimets

Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: jld@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (J. L. David)
Subject: Re: Dawson, was: Re: GMaddux to Test Free Agency Waters
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 12:48:25 GMT

In article <1992Jul29.232747.10260@leland.Stanford.EDU>, claudius@leland.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu) writes:
> In article <Bs68I3.D8M@news.cso.uiuc.edu> yl44729@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Rick Lin ) writes:
> >Dawson an average defense player?  He's still one of the best defensive  
> >outfielders around.  He still has enough speed to run down most fly balls.
> >His arm is still one of the strongest and most accurate.  25 HRs is not bad
> >for any power hitter and so is 90-100 RBIs.    
> 
> Dawson's offensive problems have been discussed to death now, so I am not
> going to repeat them.
> 
> Dawson's defense is no better than average, and quite possibly worse than
> average.  Last year, his range was slightly below average, and his assist
> numbers were down, I believe.  Anyone with DA numbers out there?
> 
Here are the DA numbers for Right fielders in the NL last year that
I pulled off the net:

Walker, Larry       0.630
Gwynn, Tony         0.620
O'Neill, Paul       0.597
Bonilla, Bobby      0.585
Murphy, Dale        0.584
Justice, Dave       0.560
Bass, Kevin         0.553
Jose, Felix         0.549
Brooks, Hubie       0.540
Dawson, Andre       0.530
Strawberry, Darryl  0.522

Note that only Darryl Strawberry kept our hero from being at the bottom
of the N.L.  Dawson has made some great catches lately.  Unfortunately,
they would have been routine plays for Larry Walker or Tony Gwynn.  George
Bell did the same thing last year.  So long, Andre.  Have a nice life.

Jeff David

Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: surrey_d@spcvxb.spc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: CF METS
Date: 23 Jul 92 22:23:30 GMT
Organization: St. Peter's College, US

Coleman is about ready to come off the DH list but probably
only for a few days. Despite his hot hitting when he was
around earlier this year, he seems destined
not to last on the active list. Johnson, grudgingly admits he
is happier in left, just as he grudgingly admitted that he was
happier at 3rd rather than ss. The problem, and it is their problem
not mine since I am a Braves fan, is that no matter where they
play Johnson, Coleman, Madagan, Sasser, Bobby Bo and now, due
to age Randolp and Murray, they have an all DH lineup. I saw
them the other night and it was close to comical.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: jcp29389@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (BEACH VOLLEYBALL!!!)
Subject: Re: Best Looking Swing
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 20:14:36 GMT

<ALWHC@CUNYVM.BITNET> writes:

>    When I watch a good hitter at the plate, they will show the swing of the
>  hitter in slow motion. IMHO the best looking swings I've seen are:
>        1) Dave Justice
>        2) Will Clark
>        3) Don Mattingly
>        4) George Brett

>    These  are all good hitters. Of course, there are more but these are the
>  ones that I can name offhand. If you care to add more or comment on those
>  that I have just named  feel free. I know that George Brett was influenced
>  by Charlie Lau's  style of hitting, I don't know about the others though...

>                                           Al

how about robin ventura?  or mark mcgwire?

jay
From: "mike walker" <mike.walker@canrem.com>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: marlins/rockies $$$??
Date: 27 Jul 92 03:12:24 EST
Reply-To: "mike walker" <mike.walker@canrem.com>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Canada Remote Systems


In thinking about the draft next year for the new teams, I began to
wonder what kind of BUDGETS the new franchises are likely to have? It
seems to me it's important to know what players to protect, which to
offer. If they will follow a Houston/Cleveland approach one could
leave some older, big-budget guys unprotected, guard the cheap guys
with potential. If the new teams have New York style budgets one
should protect the big names at whatever salary. Anyone know what the
budgets are likely to be, what strategy the new teams are likely to
pursue, and what the exact rules are about who needs to be protected
(free agents, draft choices, etc???? . . . . . Mike
---
  DeLuxe 1.12 #165  "If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes."
--
Canada Remote Systems  - Toronto, Ontario/Detroit, MI
World's Largest PCBOARD System - 416-629-7000/629-7044
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: king@ssvax.gte.com (Larry King)
Subject: What happened to Leary???
Organization: GTE/SCSD
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 19:08:29 GMT

	Does anyone know what happened to Tim Leary from the Yankees.  I
think he only has one start since the "foreign object" incident and was
curious if the Yankees are taking it out on him or what.  Is he hurt,
bullpen bound, gone????  E-Mail would be great if you have an answer.
Thanks in advance...

--
Larry King
GTE Government Systems, Needham, MA    		(617) 455-3384 
E-Mail : king%ssvax.dnet@get.com
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball