From: al1x+@andrew.cmu.edu (Amit Likhyani)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: random thoughts
Date: 29 Sep 92 17:50:35 GMT
Organization: Senior, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

USA today elected Joe Carter their MVP in the American league.  This is
laughable.  The man has a .810 OPS and must lead the league in OUTS. 
They said the Winfield Carter race is close.  Close?  Winfield has an
OPS over .870.  I just looked at Winfield's numbers for the first time
and quite frankly I am amazed.  He basically has had the same year
Bonilla had last year in his prime(28) and Winfield is 40.  USA Today
went on to say Carter contributes on defense.  The last Toronto game I
saw was the one against the O's and he butchered 2 plays in the same
inning that let the O's get back into the game(last week).

Read the rookie of the year blurb:Lofton has more steals, but Listash
has a higher average and been more valuable to his team.  What insight.

Rob Deer has 32 home runs in 373 at bats.  Wow

Cecil Fielder has an OPS under .800 and people are going to bitch when
he does not win the MVP.  I am having nightmares that the Pirates might
sign him.

I wish the Pirates were in the American league.  It is a lot more
interesting over there.

Kevin Young looks awesome.  I wish they had left Wehner at AAA or the
full year and let Young back up King.  I think they did not because it
would have made King look over his shoulder constantly knowing Young
could take his job any day.  John Wehner does not pose that threat. 
Even Jim Leyland raged on him as a bad hitter one time on a radio
interview.  The question was:  Why did you let Jay Bell bunt with 2
strikes?  His answer was something like, I wanted Bonds and VanSlyke to
have a chance to win the game.  Otherwise you get to the bottom of the
order with the Wehner's and I don't mean to insult John Wehner.  I got a
laught out of that anyway.
The other problem is that Young was probably Buffalo's best player and
after losing Garcia and Cooke and Wakefield, they might have gotten a
little upset if Young left too.  

It seems to me like Young has a quick bat.  I have not seen anyone throw
a fastball right on by him yet.  He has good plate coverage outside.  At
least he can reach the ball on the outer half and make solid contact. 
He has a short stroke, so I am not surprised that he does not hit for
power.  He is a pretty big guy, so I would expect that to come.  I am
convinced he can hit for a pretty good average and it looks like he will
take a walk.  He lays off the outside slider that runs out of the strike
zone.  Note:  this is all in the 8 at bats I have seen him take.

I hate to say this, but facially, he kind of looks like Bonilla.

Steve Cooke looks like a legitimate pitching prospect.  After a rough
start, I think he has a 10 inning scoreless streak.  He throws strikes
and has a pretty good curveball.  I heard he has a really good changeup,
but I did not get a chance to see it although it might have been his
curve.

The Pirates have too many starting pitchers:  Drabek, Z. Smith, Tomlin,
Wakefield, Walk, Cooke, Neagle, Jackson and Paul Wagner.  I think they
can afford to let Drabek go.  

I think Tim Wakefield is for real.

You have to wonder if Z.  Smith can be ready for the playoffs with only
1 or possible 2 starts before the playoffs start.  I think it is a risk
to try to get him ready to start

The Pirates are in the same spot they were in last year.  They have a
lot of good pitchers, but none that can dominate a game except maybe
Drabek.  They cannot win games 1-0 against Atlanta, they are going to
have to score some runs.  The Braves can win 1-0 because Avery and
Smoltz are capable of shutting the Pirates down on a given night  The
Pirates pitchers are not as capable.

I wonder how to interpret the Barry Bonds articles coming out that he
likes Pittsburgh and wants to stay.  Either he is just saying the right
thing to keep the team focused away from his contract(which is the right
thing to do) or if he really means it.