From: niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent)
Subject: Re: would i were the boss.
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 07:52:00 GMT

In article <16NOV199211163543@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu> doctor8@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (Jason Abner Miller) writes:
>In <92319.152653RVESTERM@vma.cc.nd.edu>, <RVESTERM@vma.cc.nd.edu> writes...

>>the first thing that i would do would be to banish all thoughts of
>>protecting charlie hayes from my mind.  the man has been in the majors
>>since 1988.  he has never had a year long on base percentage of .300
>>or above.  god knows why the yankees got him in the first place.

>	Why is everybody on this net under the impression that every
>major league team has to field an All-Star with a 1.200 OPS at every
>position???

Because that's how you win -- by replacing below average players with
above average ones.  You *don't* win by saying, "Well, this guy is good
enough, we don't need to get someone better."  The Yankees were 76-86,
20 GB.  How do you think they're going to make up those 20 games, if
they won't try to replace all their bad players with good ones?

As to your point, we don't think that; if everyone had a 1.2 OPS, a 1.2 
OPS wouldn't be anything special -- it would, in fact, be average.

>	The Yankees will never have a great 3rd baseman.  Minor league
>stats aside, Bam-Bam Meulens is a joke.  He was given the chance to be
>a regular in 1991, and hit slightly above the Biancalana Line (TM) - .210,
>while striking out more often than Cecil Fielder.  His defense was not good,

He did strike out a lot.  So?  He was *not* given a chance to be a
regular in 1991.  He had all of 288 ABs.  That's not nothing, but given
who *else* the Yankees had at 3rd in 1991 (as you note below, about 14
people, most of them middle infielders playing out-of-position, none of
whom could hit), it's a joke.

>and he repeated the same performance in 1992.  At this point, he's no longer

In 1992, Hensley Meulens had 5 AB.   What are you talking about?

>considered a prospect in the  Yankees organization, and he's expected to

That says a lot more about the Yankees than about Meulens.  Of course,
this is the team that still thinks Mattingly is a superstar, and that 
signed Mike Gallego to play shortstop.  

>be taken early in the draft (they hope).  If he goes on to become a star
>player in Florida, it won't hurt the Yanks because he never produced for them.

I see -- losing a good player that you've spent years and hundreds of
thousands developing doesn't hurt because he hadn't matured while he was
with you?

He's *not* going to become a star; he's 26 now.  But he can be, and is,
better than Charlie Hayes.

>	The Yankees got Charlie Hayes because they had NO 3rd Baseman.  About
>20 guys tried to play for them in '91, the likes of Leyritz, Humphreys,
>Bam-Bam, Torey Lovullo, and a cast of millions.  What Charlie Hayes did
>was come in and play every day.  He's very solid defensively, with good
>range and a good throwing arm, hit extremely well for about 6 weeks, and
>finished up with decent numbers.  Not MVP numbers, not OPS numbers, not
>numbers that people on this net think are good, but every team needs someone
>like Hayes.  Always plays, produces moderately well, fills a GAPING hole,
>and is quite dependable

He did *not* finish with decent numbers.  Being below average is *not*
decent.  Being below average means *anyone* could have come along and
put up those numbers.

Now, he *does* have a good defensive reputation, so maybe that bumps him
up to mediocre.  Whoopee.

I'm *not* criticizing the acquisition of Hayes in the first place; it
cost the Yankees virtually nothing, and you might as well try him to see
what happens.  But now that you *know* he isn't a very good player, you
don't need to keep him to justify the acquisition.

>	People have got to understand that every team is going to have
>its holes, especially the Yankees who have about 6 of them (last phrase
>just demented Mets fan raving).  You can't fault Hayes for coming in and
>sealing up the biggest bloody mess in New York - in some ways, he was one
>of the more valuable players there last year, and since nobody better is
>going to come along, it's pretty important to protect him.

>>the third thing i would do would be to forget about protecting any
>>middle infielders, at least for the first round.  they've got bazillions
>>of guys, all of whom can play second or short, and none of whom are
>>all that wonderful anyway.  kelly, gallego, velarde, stankiewicz,...
>>if one of these guys gets taken in the first round, protect two of
>>the others.

>	Pat Kelly is still a prospect, although it looks like he's becoming
>Kevin Elster.  He can still play 2B for want of anyone better.  Velarde is

Huh?  Kevin Elster, *once* in his life put up numbers comparable to
Kelly's sub-par numbers this year.  Kelly is still young; it's unlikely
he's suddenly lost it.

>a very useful backup, but doesn't need to be kept.  If you're gonna 
>protect any, keep Stanky.  He was an exciting SS to watch, and might be
>able to hit .270 again (minor league stats and age aside).

>>my fifteen man protected list:

>>   1. don mattingly (only because he's a 10/5)
>>   2. danny tartabull
>>   3. melido perez
>>   4. sam militello
>>   5. bob wickman
>>   6. sterling hitchcock
>>   7. russ springer
>>   8. domingo jean
>>   9. jt snow
>>  10. hensley meulens
>	Strike that, and keep Hayes

>>  11. gerald williams
>>  12. dave silvestri
>>  13. bernie williams
>>  14. paul o'niell (only to avoid getting publicly lynched)
 
>>  15. kevin maas

>	Why?  The Yanks have a glut at 1B, and Bull at DH - why keep
>a .240 hitter with not great power?  At 3B, like Hayes, he's good.  But
>not behind Mattingly (who's still much better), prospect JT Snow (deserves
>his long look), and that great prospect DeBerry from Cincinatti.
 
If you're going to give Mattingly a *lot* of credit for his glove,
something I'm really loath to do given the numbers I've seen and his
back, then Mattingly is better than Maas.  Not *much* better, but
better.  Otherwise, they're about even, except that Maas is 4 years younger.

>>then i would sign cone and bonds, and then use o'niell, maas and hayes
>>(if he's still left) to get some cool player or two.  i'm sure some
>>idiot gm will give me his franchise for these three.

>	Cone AND Bonds is nice, but it isn't happening.  If you're so
>worried about Hayes, why not find a legitimate 3B?

Because when you have a chance to get one of the top two players in
baseball, you take it.  And when you have a chance to get one of the top
5 pitchers in baseball, you take it.

>>i know, i said no middle infielders, and i put silvestri in.  well,
>>silvestri is actually decent.  so i made an exception.

>>c  nokes (probably won't get taken; if he does, no big deal)
>	Bring on Brad Ausmus.  Please.
	
>>1b snow/mattingly (trading mattingly if he doesn't have a no-trade clause)
>>2b whoever's left of kelly/gallego/stankiewicz sharing time
>	Kelly will start (if Gallego still's there)
>>3b meulens
>	Friend Charlie

>>ss whoever's left of velarde/silvestri/gallego/stankiewicz sharing time
>	Stanky/Velarde opening day, barring signing Ozzie or someone
	
>>lf bonds
>	To quote my old friend Steve Tyler, "Dream until your dreams come true"

>>cf b. williams
>>rf g. williams
>>dh tartabull
>>dh tartabull
>	The player so nice, they played him twice!

>>sp cone, perez, and three of the young studs i protected
>>rp i'm sure we can field a decent bullpen.  it wouldn't have to be all that
>>   wonderful.
>	Habyan, Farr, Monteleone isn't bad, if a bit old/injured.  Replacements
>must be sought, but it's not critical as of yet.

>							Jason Miller
>					Doc Gooden - N.L. Cy Young 1985!!
>		The New York Mets:  Back to the Future!!!!

Which is exactly what the Yankees have with Mattingly.  A guy who *was*
good, still puts up a couple of flashy stats, though no important ones,
and manages to fool the team into thinking he's still a star.

-- 
David M. Nieporent   | Mike Mussina 1993 AL Cy Young Winner
niepornt@phoenix.    |------------------------------------ 
   princeton.edu     | "I still believe in a place called Hope."
Clinton/Gore '92.  Don't stop thinking about tomorrow.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball