From: ez027993@dale.ucdavis.edu (Gary L. Huckabay)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: All-Time Oakland A's Team
Date: 23 Dec 92 00:17:12 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Oakland A's LifeTime Fan Club (Klutts Division)

The MillerMeister writes:

>>Sheesh, Billy Martin really did decimate his pitching staff, didn't he?
>>The 1980-81 A's had really amazing starting pitching, and they all blew
>>their arms out.
>
>	The problem is, it *wasn't* that amazing; it was only because
>Billy pitched them so bleeping often that they put up sort of OK win
>totals.  Rick Langford?  Wasn't he the guy who, in 240 innings, gave up
>about 280 hits and didn't strike out 100 men?  

Actually, I thought that Norris was the only one of the 'Five Aces' to have
MAGNIFICENT stuff, and Martin very largely ruined him.  The other four
were average starters, helped by Oakland Coliseum and by arguably the
best defensive outfield in history.  Rickey Henderson, Dwayne Murphy,
and Tony Armas didn't let a lot drop out there.  From looking at the stats,
and from watching A LOT of outfield play, I would estimate Murphy's
defense alone to be worth 35 runs a year over an average defensive CF.
(In his prime)

>	Steve McCatty might have been good (the first pitcher ever to
>throw a no-hitter for me in a Strat-O-Matic game!), but he was always hurt.

In 270 regular season games over two seasons, 1980 and 1981, McCatty
made 53 starts, and completed 27 of them.  T&P rate him as the best
pitcher in the league in 1981.  He struck out about 5 per 9 innings, but
was never the same after 1981.  He was always injured because he had been
worked VERY hard when tired.


>	Brian Kingman and Matt Keough were also just average, and turned
>bad after Martin finished with them.  

Brian Kingman is the DEFINITION of an average pitcher.  Perhaps slightly
worse.  Lost 20 games in 1980.  Walked about 3 per nine, K-d about 4.5 or
so.  Always right around league average in ERA, if memory serves.  Outside
of Oakland, and without the A's defense behind him, he would have been
Jim Acker.  Compiled and impressive 15-38 record from 1980-1982, but
with 16 complete games.

Keough is another story.  He's basically Bob Tewksbury.  Walked only 132
in 1190 lifetime innings.  Struck out almost no one, gave up a hit an
inning.  Great guy to have if you've got a great defense.  Completed
20 of 32 starts in 1980, and relieved twice to boot.  Gee, wonder why 
he declined.

No, Martin is guilty of killing only one great career in its infancy,
that of one Mike Norris.  In 1980, Mike Norris was the best pitcher in
the American League.  Pitched 33 games, and completed 24 of them.
Threw 284.1 innings, allowing only 215 hits, 83 BB, and struck out 180.
Won 22 games, lost 9, if anyone cares.  This was at the age of 25.

I *STILL* firmly believe that if Norris had pitched 30 less innings,
and completed only 9 of those 24 games, it would have made his story a
far different one.  Arm troubles plagued him after that, and led to his 
immersion in alcohol and drugs.  For the record, Mike Norris is clean
today, and doing community work in Oakland in between trying to catch on
with a ballclub during the season.  I've met the gentleman, and he's a
fine man.

If you look at his numbers in Total Baseball, it's apparent that he
really learned how to pitch.  In his first four years, he was very
hittable.  After that, even with the arm problems, his OPBA was very
low.  But once he lost 3-5 Mph on his fastball, balls started flying off
the bat against him.

"Murphy looks like a fifth infielder in Center against the dangerous
 Winfield... the pitch from Norris...Rocket Shot into the gap in right
 center!  Murphy got a great break, but he won't get this one....  Armas
 is racing after it...AND SLIPS!  Murphy dives....slides...and slides
 head first into the wall!  HE CAUGHT THE BALL!  HE CAUGHT THE BALL!
 An amazing catch by Dwayne Murphy gets Norris and the A's
 out of a jam.  Best catch I've ever seen." - An A's announcer, 1981.


-- 
*    Gary Huckabay     * "Hi, Joel, it's Kathy."  "Hi, Kath."  "I think you 
*  "Official keeper    *  better come over.  Gary's not well.  He's chewing 
*  of the r.s.b. ammo  *  on the carpet, his eyes are red, and he's sobbing 
*   and weapons hoard."*  uncontrollably." "The A's signed Storm.  He'll live."