From: tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer)
Subject: Re: BAERGA FOR AL MVP!!!
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 13:46:02 GMT

In article <1992Oct3.224151.29686@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> wilbanks@spot.Colorado.EDU (Wendell Gee) writes:
>
>I'm tired of hearing how great McGwire and Carter are this year. 
>Carlos Baegra has numbers. They don't.

Really?  Please detail.

>For one thing, McGwire hit a heck of a lot of homers in the first three
>months of the season, then faded, got injured, and now is hitting about 
>average.

As opposed to Baerga who hasn't been the *least* bit streaky this year. :-)

Second half stats:
                 AB   H  TB  2B  3B  HR  BB   K  BA/OBP/SLG
Baerga          278  81 121  14   1   8  16  33  .291/.330/.435
Carter          266  67 129  14   3  14  17  41  .252/.297/.485
McGwire         147  43  91   9   0  13  27  27  .293/.402/.619
Alomar          258  76  98  13   3   1  44  24  .295/.397/.380

Admittedly McGwire (because of the lost PT) was perhaps not quite as
productive as some of the others in the second half.  But he put up
damned good numbers in the 150 AB that he *did* play, in *addition* to
putting up similarly great numbers in the first half.  Because of
McGwire's 28 HR before the All-Star break, the A's have been practically
uncontested in the last month and a half.

>Joe Carter, though I admire him as a player with a work ethic and 
>a few working brain cells, played in a pure hitter's park and had Alomar,
>Winfield, Gruber (in the middle of the season), and Olerud (lately)
>in the lineup. Of course you'll produce 100 RBI if you're an above-avg 
>hitter in athe best hitter's park this side of Fenway. 

Well, yes.  IMHO Carter does not deserve any top-five votes for MVP.
He's had a nice season, but not *that* nice.

>But there is a case for Carlos Baerga. He has been a one-man offensive 
>machiune this year: 200 hits, 100 RBI, and flashes of brillance at 2b. 

He also plays on a non-contender in a small media market.  If we are
going to consider those players, check out Edgar Martinez.

BAERGA,C     .309  .454  .350 154 628  88 194 285 29  1 20 103  32  73 10  2 18
MARTINEZ,E   .343  .544  .404 135 528 100 181 287 46  3 18  73  54  61 14  4 17

Note that Martinez also plays a defensive infield position.  He is
also the first Mariner *ever* to win a triple-crown category.  Now
admittedly the Kingdome is a hitter's park.  But I think that if you
study the matter, you will find that Municipal Stadium isn't *that*
bad this year.  Last year it was cavernous, but they moved the fences
in this year.  And previous to 1991, it was about an average park for
hitters.

>The Native Americans haven't had a hitter like him since, well, Joe Carter.

I agree.  And Carter never played second base.  And was closer to his
peak when he was putting up numbers that good.

>If Cleveland can hang on to him, maybe they might be able to build a 
>contending team.

Keep Baerga, Belle, and Lofton (now that he's started walking, I'm
convinced!).  Fill in with Whiten, Thome, Jefferson, and even Lewis
(who I'm still not thrilled about, but he *is* young).  All the
Indians need now is a pitching staff.  And they have a start on that.

Cheers,
-Valentine
-- 
Make outs, not walks!					tedward@cs.cornell.edu
Clemens four Cy Young!
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