From: camden@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (Rany Jazayerli)
Subject: Dan Smith (Was Re: Rangers 15-man protected list)
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Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 06:12:00 GMT

In article <BxIp3x.E6u@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, hbrooks@uiatma.atmos.uiuc.edu (Harold_Brooks) writes...
>In article <1992Nov10.163408.28422@esd.dl.nec.com> west@esd.dl.nec.com (Mike West) writes:
>>Since there appears to be a few Ranger fans out there, I thought I
>>would post this:

[Some stuff deleted; a protection list including Dan Smith but not Hector
 Fajardo was posted.]

>Can someone explain to me what the Rangers see in Dan Smith?  Does he
>have copies of photos with Tom Grieve and Dal Maxvill?  (Their 
>existence might explain a lot of strange things that have gone on.) 
>I admit my sample isn't very large, but he's been horrible every time 
>I've seen him.  I've always figured that each appearance was his last 
>at whatever level he was at before being sent down.  Although brief,
>his fling with Texas this year seemed in keeping with his track 
>record.
> 
>W L S  ERA GP GS GF  IP  TBF  H  R ER 2B 3B HR BB SO   BA  SLG  OBA
>0 3 0 5.02  4  2  1 14.1  67 18  8  8  7  0  1  8  5 .321 .500 .400
> 
>Admittedly, one of the walks was intentional, but when the most 
>positive thing on a pitcher's line is that he didn't give up any
>triples, I have a tough time imagining him as a prospect.  An 
>organization that can protect the Dan Smiths of the world and 
>expose the Hector Fajardos has a lot of problems.  I can only 
>hope that the Dallas newspaper reports are inaccurate.
> 

	In 1991, Dan Smith was a pathetic pitcher, going 4-17 with a 5.52 ERA
in AAA Oklahoma City.  This is probably where you got your belief that Dan Smith
is a horrible pitcher.  He was 21 that year, just a year out of Rookie ball, 
and the general perception now is that he was in over his head.  This year, in
AA Tulsa, was excellent:

G   GS  CG    IP    H    R  ER   W   K   HR  W   L   ERA

24  23   4  146.1  110  48  41  34  122  4   11  7  2.52

	He gave up fewer than one baserunner an inning, and had a strikeout-to-
walk ratio of over 3.  Fajardo, on the other hand, was limited to only 61
innings this year due to injuries, and the Rangers may feel that the expansion 
teams wouldn't want to take a risk on a pitcher coming back from injury.  I
don't really fault the Rangers for picking Smith over Fajardo, though I'd love
to be able to protect both.

	What I want to know is, why the hell did the Rangers bring up Smith in
the first place?  He was drafted in 1990 (at least, he started his career that 
year), so this is only his third year in professional ball.  If they hadn't 
brought him up, he wouldn't have had to be protected, right?  Maybe some Ranger
fan could clear this one up; I don't think that the Rangers' front office would
do something this stupid.  Of course, they also have been known to play Kevin
Reimer in left field on occasion...

>Harold
>-- 
>Harold Brooks


	Rany Jazayerli			camden@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
	---------------------------------------------------------
			David Howard for MVP!

	Jefferies, Miller, McReynolds for Saberhagen, Pecota:
	A year later, I have no regrets.  Thanx, Al Harazin.
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