HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dtate@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David M Tate)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Subjective trivia question
Date: 10 Apr 92 23:35:49 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Apr10.205808.6163@cbnewse.cb.att.com> zurawski@cbnewse.cb.att.com (lawrence.w.zurawski) writes:
>
>I recall looking at Mickey Cochrane's entry in the BB Encyclopedia a few
>weeks ago and not seeing any bold print.  So, I'll nominate Mickey.

Oh, so close.  Cochrane led the league (AL) in OBP in 1933, at .459, beating
the .449 posted by Jimmy Foxx for the same team (oof).  Max Bishop (.446),
*also* with the A's, was third.  That's some kind of astonishing top of the
order, especially with Foxx slugging .703.  The team was second in HR, first
in SLG, second in OBP(!), and finished...third.  Essentially tied for last
in team ERA.

That's the only time Cochrane led in any of the named categories.


-- 
          David M. Tate            |"The man who hath no music in himself
     dtate@unix.cis.pitt.edu       | Nor is not moved by concord of sweet sound
  A poem should be dumb, / As old  | Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils
 medallions to the thumb.-MacLeish | 	Shakespeare, "Merchant of Venice", A.V
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: CAVGEOE@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu
Subject: Re: Henderson vs. Ryan
Organization: Yale University
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 22:40:58 EDT

In article <1992Apr16.124412.14428@avalon.nwc.navy.mil>
lalor@cod.nosc.mil (Joe Lalor) writes:
 
>
>Reggie Jackson: Hitting against Nolan Ryan is like trying to drink coffee
>with a fork
>
I thought someone said this about hitting Niekro's knuckler.  Seems like
every good quote is given as original in a million different places,
attributed to a million different people, applied to a million different
situations.
 
Jeff
From: mbk45850@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (James Bond)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Fred McGriff
Date: 11 Apr 92 19:46:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: ux1.1992Apr11.194632.8742
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

schnell@pyramid.unr.edu (Household Word) writes:

>Did everyone see that grand slam that McGriff hit against the Dodgers
>on Friday (4/10)?  It was in the air about two seconds, and landed
>halfway up the seats above the right-center wall.  If he hits 40,
>I think my Padres can contend.  

>What they need to do is take down that plastic fence that was installed
>c. 1984.  That way, only Fred can homer in the Murph.  Does anyone
>have a better swing than McGriff?  I haven't seen one...


	Granted McGriff has a sweet swing, but I don't think even he can beat
out Will Clark when it comes to who has the best swing.

			
Matt
University Of Illinois
White Sox in '92
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Subject: Re: baseball quiz #1
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 16:36:09 GMT

In article <gdvhqpW00VIDIAsGQm@andrew.cmu.edu> sw36+@andrew.cmu.edu (Scott Michael White) writes:
>BASEBALL QUIZ #1
>
>1.    WHO IS THE ONLY PLAYER TO HAVE PLAYED 500 GAMES FOR A TEAM IN EACH
>DIVISION?

Dave Kingman?

>2.     WHO WAS THE 1983 AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?

Joe Charbonneau?

>3.      WHO PLAYED THE LONGEST TIME (MOST YEARS) IN A METS UNIFORM?

Ed Kranepool.

>4.       WHAT TEAM HAD THE BEST NATIONAL LEAGUE  REGULAR SEASON WINNING
>PERCENTAGE IN 1981?

Cincinnati Reds.

>5.       NAME 4 PLAYERS THAT HAVE BEEN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR UNDER MANAGER
>TONY LA RUSSA.

Weiss, Canseco, McGwire, ???
-- 
Ted Frank          + "If you close your eyes, they all taste the same."
1307 E 60 St, #109 +  			-- General Mills representative
U o' C Law Skool   +  			   responding to complaint about new
Chi, IL 60637      +  			   radiocative-green Froot Loops (tm)
From: thornley@cs.umn.edu (David H. Thornley)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Texas Rangers
Date: 6 Apr 92 15:48:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.1992Apr6.154856.20589
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.

In article <1992Apr4.162926.26025@esd.dl.nec.com> west@esd.dl.nec.com (Mike West) writes:
>From article <1992Apr1.225426.11845@terminator.cc.umich.edu>, by rjs@home.merit.edu (Robert J. Skrobola):
>>[Rangers discussion concerning Julio Franco]
>
>In other news, they signed Al Newman (since Franco is disabled)

Interesting thing is that Al will be at the WS Ring ceremony, although not
in the same uniform as everybody else there.  The rings will be given out
on Saturday the 11th, in the Twins' second home game of the season, against
Texas.

There was an article in the paper recently giving discrepancies with what
Newman and Twins' GM MacPhail were saying about the negotiations, and blaming
the gaps on Newman's agent.  According to the story, the agent wanted big
bucks or nothing, and Newman and MacPhail could have come to an agreement
otherwise.  Take it for what it's worth; I have no evidence one way or the
other.

David Thornley
"Back to section 223"
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: spira@panix.com (Greg Spira)
Subject: Re: Yankees TV Coverage
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 17:40:59 GMT
Organization: PANIX - Public Access Unix Systems of NY

In article <1992Apr13.143830.26955@cs.brown.edu> caw@cs.brown.edu (Christopher A. Wood) writes:
>Does anybody know if the WPIX's deal with the Yankees has changed since
>last year?  I don't have the whole season's TV schedule, but so far, I
>don't think Ch. 11 has done any games (except maybe opening day), and I
>noticed that this week's schedule includes only one game on Ch. 11 and
>the rest (6) on MSG.  This concerns me since I can get Ch. 11 here but
>not MSG.  What's the deal?
>
As far as I know, they have the same deal as last year.  They'll be about 50
games on PIX, and 100 games on MSG.

Greg 

-- 
  spira@panix.com       "The one-O delivery to Fisk.  He swings.  Long drive,  
 cmcl2!panix!spira      left field!  If it stays fair, it's gone!  Home Run!"  
158-17 Riverside Dr.                     Ned Martin, 10/22/75   
Whitestone NY 11357          (Insert your favorite baseball moment here)
From: nss3@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Noel Steere)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Mets and Yankees
Date: 14 Apr 92 18:19:08 GMT
Reply-To: nss3@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations

In article <1992Apr14.160713.5307@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> jjd3@po.CWRU.Edu (James J. Dibenedetto) writes:
>
>Living next door to a rabid (and rabid applies in the oroginal meaning of
>the word, too!) Mets fan, and being a life-long Yankee fan, I can't help but
>be overjoyed at the season so far.  
>
>One thing that struck me lastseason, in July, and is even more clear now,
>is that the Mets oftoday have turned into the Yankees of the early 1980's.

The parallels are frightening.  NY team overloaded with talent lets
future HOF rf walk via free agency (to California team, though I don't
really think that has anything to do with it :-) and sign
speedster/sparkplug outfielder to take his place (remember Dave
Collins?).  Also, management of said team now proscribes to "hustling"
style of play that "gets the little things done".  Unfortunately, new
style overlooks some of the big things - like scoring runs, and team
proceeds to plummet to worst finish in quite some time.

I think it has to do with finding a good GM, and they are a very rare
commodity indeed.  You look at how success has followed some of these
guys around; Schulerholz (sp?) and Cashen are two prime examples, but
it looks like Cashen may have actually lost it.  A good GM can keep a
team in contention almost every year, and a bad one can wreck a
virtual dynasty in a matter of one or two seasons.


>But the Mets, in their Steinbrenneresque decline, don't see it.  They've become
>a bunch of overpaid, overhyped, scandal-attracting bums.  God, it's nice
>to see...

I don't get it.  Why do most fans of one NY team feel they have to
*hate* the other one?  Why is this also true of other metropolitan
areas with two teams that are in different leagues?  I've prayed for a
subway series all my life, wishing both teams success so that it could
happen, but it seems that everyone else I meet feeds me the same old
line about how "You can root for one team or the other, but you can't
root for both."  It seems it's the same here in Chicago, though I
think that because Chicago is more neighborhood oriented, the North
Side/South Side dichotomy is very real (economically as well as location).

Anyone out there feel the same way, that not rooting for both teams in
your city (should you be so blessed) is silly?

>-- 
>James John DiBenedetto (jjde@po.cwru.edu, V064QPCD@ubvms.buffalo.edu)
>Law Student, State University of New York at Buffalo
>always remember...
>                  It happens sometimes.  People just explode.  Natural causes.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: luigi@sgi.com (Randy Palermo)
Subject: Re: Gant's stolen base was stolen
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 20:05:08 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.165616.12376@menudo.uh.edu> chee1l5@jetson.uh.edu (Sam Lane) writes:
>In Sunday's Braves game vs the Giants, Ron Gant was stealing second and 
>clearly beat the throw to the bag.  However, the momentum of his slide
>carried him off the bag and he was tagged out.  As evidence of the fact
>that he was originally safe, the umpire waited till he came off the bag and
>was tagged to call him out.  In Monday's Houston Post, this play was 
>counted as a caught stealing and no stolen base was awarded.
>
>It seems to me that since he was originally safe at second, he should have 
>gotten a stolen base.  What's the right call here ?
>
I saw this play and he would have been safe, however, if he had slowed his
momentum sufficiently to slide into the bag instead of over it, he might
have been out. The play isn't over until it's over (Where have I heard that
before) and since he made a baserunning error in over sliding the bag he
should not be entitled to a SB. Another way of lokking at it is: What if he 
ran as fast as he could and hit the bag like one does when running to 1st?
He is then tagged out. Should he get credit for a stolen base?

luigi

--
Randy Palermo   luigi@csd.sgi.com    Fax: (415)961-6502
Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd Mt. View, CA 94039
Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. --Steven Wright
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: smithx@fraser.sfu.ca (David Smith)
Subject: Re: Hey, I'm a NICE Jays fan!
Keywords: Weenies
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 17:37:43 GMT

carl@warper.jhuapl.edu (Carl Lamy) writes:


>Could a Toronto fan enlighten me here? Whenever I listen to a baseball game
>out of Toronto, the announcers always talk about how quiet it is in Skydome.
>Is that because of the huge size of skydome, or is it really because the
>fans are quiet, and if so, why?

>			See you later, Carl

>INET: carl@warper.jhuapl.edu
>UUCP: {backbone!}mimsy!aplcomm!warper!carl

It can be a little quiet during the season. But it is going to 
be really noisy during the world series.

David Smith

Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: dxf12@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas Fowler)
Subject: A few comments about the Indians so far
Reply-To: dxf12@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas Fowler)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 92 21:09:28 GMT


     It will be nice once I'm out of law school for the summer, I might
have time to follow all the teams well.  For now, though, I wonder:
     While listening to the Tribe on the radio (it's still on as I write),
I heard Sorrento make an excellent defensive play to snare a liner and
tag runner Mo Vaughn out.  I began thinking of Reggie Jefferson, and wondering
if he was the next Wally Pipp.  Surely, Sorrento isn't Lou Gehrig (yet :-)
but Jefferson may be out for long enough for Sorrento to secure a job.
I bet tehy would keep Jefferson as a pinch-hitter, though, or maybe let him
go in the expansion draft.  How long is he out for now - till June?
     Sorrento's stats were good, but I thought they'd been juiced up playing
in the PCL.  Or isn't Portland a good hitters' park?  I know Colorado Springs
is - they won a game 33-12 some years back.
     Baerga is 4 for 4.  The Tribe can back from a 5-0 lead.  I wonder if maybe
we just had trouble because our hitters were still not ready; we seem to be
catching on to how to hit now.
     Charles Nagy looked great at Canton-Akron a few years ago.  I expected him
to be good, but wasn't sure how good he'd be.  I expect him to go about 16-10
with about a 3.20 ERA.  As for the other, they've looked good, but it's only
one lineup they've faced.  Boston's hitting will allow them to really test
themselves, and it looks like the bullpen will be better than I thought they
would be.
     I still don't know why we have both Lweis and Fermin on our roster.  I
can't recall another team carrying 2 players who, for all intents and
purposes, can only play one middle infield position, unless it was to platoon
them. (I don't remember too many shortstop platoons, either.)
Lewis tried to play 2nd last year, but didn't look too good.
-- 
Doug Fowler: dxf12@po.CWRU.edu      :    "Every baby born into the world is
Real home: Canton, Ohio             :  finer than the last."--Charles Dickens
 Trying to follow in the path of our :     "A baby is an inestimable
Lord;anything close will be a success:  blessing and bother."--Mark Twain
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: spira@panix.com (Greg "Sarcasm Is A Way Of Life" Spira)
Subject: Re: Eckersley NOT better than Fingers
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 23:21:53 GMT
Organization: Cult Of Personality   

In <1992Apr14.205226.17091@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> mab50312@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Mark A. Blickhan) writes:

>zuhars@madrone.eecs.ucdavis.edu (Gary Hairless Primate Huckabay) writes:

>>glb50263@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Gary L. Blickhan) writes:

>>>3)Fingers led the majors in saves three times (1977,1978,1981).  Eckersley
>>>has only done that once.

>>True enough.  Saves are also a meaningless statistic.  I'm not trying to
>>attack Fingers.  Disprove my statement.  My statement was that over the
>>five year period, 1987-1991, Dennis Eckersley had the best five year run
>>ever by a reliever, particularly when era adjusted.  Jonathan King posted
>>the relevant numbers for Eckersley.  Now, go find a five-year span of
>>Fingers' pitching that's better.  Then I'll concede the point.

>Ok, you think saves are meaningless (I do not agree). Then what is meaning-
>ful? You mention **era adjusted**. HOW?? Basing an adjustment of era on
>(I don't know, moustache length??) anything is ridiculous!  ERA IS an
>adjustment!!! It adjusts for inherited runners, errors, etc. There is 
>no consensus about ballpark adjustments (runners scored in Wrigley are only
>worth 89.472563467938646% of runners that score in the Astrodome?).

(I don't, in this case, completely agree with Gary - I don't think saves are
meaningless, at least not if they're used along with blown saves - but that's
not why I'm posting.)      

There is a consensus about ballpark adjustments among everyone
who has ever studied them seriously.  A run is Wrigley is indeed worth
only a % of a run in the Oakland Coliseum, because it is much easier to
score a run there.  ERAs are useless unless you know the context. 
                                  
This isn't really that complicated.  If a park makes each run easier to
score, than each run in that park is worth less than each run scored in a
park where runs are harder to come by.  

>If the Eck HAD to pitch for the Cubs, he is totally responsible for 
>signing the contract. (On the other hand, are Ryno's homers worth any less?)

Yes, Ryno's homers are worth less.  Again, because the runs that are produced
by the home runs are easier to come by.  If Ryno hits a 3 run homer in Wrigley
to put the Cubs up 3-0, the opposing club is more likely to catch up than if
they faced the same 3-0 deficit in the Astrodome.         

As far as Eck signing with Chicago, I'm not sure what your point is.  He
shouldn't have signed with the Cubs because he knew his ERA would be higher
than it would if he played somewhere else?  That would be kind of silly, I
think.  Besides, he was traded to Chicago; its not like the choice was his.


Greg  

-- 
  spira@panix.com       "The one-O delivery to Fisk.  He swings.  Long drive,  
 cmcl2!panix!spira      left field!  If it stays fair, it's gone!  Home Run!"  
158-17 Riverside Dr.                     Ned Martin, 10/22/75   
Whitestone NY 11357          (Insert your favorite baseball moment here) 
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: rickert@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (John H. Rickert)
Subject: Re: Blue and Grey
Reply-To: rickert@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (John H. Rickert)
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 20:31:49 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.185808.14559@helios.physics.utoronto.ca>  
richarr@bullet.ecf (RICHARDSON  ROBBIE) writes:
> 
>   One question (seriously): Does anyone know if the Reds ever took any heat
> in the 50's and 60's for their name? You know the big communist scare era?

Yes they did. They made sure to change their nickname to the
'Redlegs' for the duration.

john rickert
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: cs911115@ariel.yorku.ca (GLEN GIACOMELLI)
Subject: PHILLIES
Originator: cs911115@a07.ariel.yorku.ca
Organization: York University, Toronto, Canada
Distribution: york
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 23:00:43 GMT


The 1992 Phillies,

The Phils of 92 have a definite shot at the NL East crown.  With big years from
the starters, and assuming Lenny can be the catalist that he was in the past,
the weak NL East has a definite opening for a new champ.

With the likes of Kruk, Nails, Daulton, Hollins, Murphy, Chamberlain, "The Wild
Thing", and a cast of impressive rookies, the phillies are priming themselves
for a definite battle in the months of september.  Staying away from injuries
will be the key to their success in 92 (not off to a good start), and dont be
suprised if come October you see the PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES in the NL playoffs.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: bk713@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Kimon Zachary)
Subject: Re: Bobby Valentine uses Al Newman to leadoff!
Reply-To: bk713@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Kimon Zachary)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 02:56:38 GMT


In a previous article, thornley@cs.umn.edu (David H. Thornley) says:

>In article <1992Apr8.181455.24981@leland.Stanford.EDU> claudius@leland.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu) writes:
>>Al "I can't hit *or* walk" Newman leading off?
>>
>Hey, Al led the Twins in walks one year (yeah, I know, faint praise).
>Walking is what he does best as a hitter.  The only problem is that he
>hits so badly that a bushel of walks is capable of bringing him up to
>a medium lousy OBP.
>
>David Thornley
>"Al Newman - batted leadoff on two separate teams!"

Wow, a .471 OPS last year (.260/.211).  And Jerry Browne, age 26, .347/.350,
was released by *Cleveland.*  Is his 2B defense that bad.  Is he Danny 
Tartabull (Kirby Puckett's evil twin as per Bill James) in the clubhouse?
Has anybody signed him?

"Al Newman - a better player than Alfred E."


-- 
Kimon Zachary			"I stand by all the misstatements that
JHU School of Med.			I've made." --Dan Quayle
Baltimore, MD			
Another Greek from Massachusetts				
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: jwzimm01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu
Subject: Re: Cardinal Club
Organization: University of Louisville
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 22:15:52 GMT


>  If  YOU want to be on this list, submit yourself to the Cardinal Fan
>Caravan.
>
>No Charge, No Deposit, No Return.
>
>Dan

Sign me up!  

Joe Zimmer         JWZIMM01@ULKYVX.LOUISVILLE.EDU              Kentucky
                                          


Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: steele@athena.cs.uga.edu (Frank Steele)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Southeastern Minor League Must-Sees?
Date: 15 Apr 92 13:24:58 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

I'm planning on spending a few weekends this summer tooling around the
Southeast enjoying the minor-league experience. I've been to Chattanooga's
Historic Engel Stadium (yes, the "Historic" is really part of the name), which
is terrific, and I'm just wondering if anyone had recommendations for other
Southeastern parks/teams that really shine.

Ticket contacts also appreciated, though I can generally find that through
the Thang....

Thanks,
Frank
steele@athena.cs.uga.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: a0s5102@titan.ucc.umass.edu (Mitchell R Dickerman)
Subject: Re: All-star game (was: Interleague-play, anyone??)
Summary: Someone needs better marketers
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 17:40:32 GMT

kday@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kevin Day) writes:
>No other sport has an All-Star game that comes off as such a major event.

Now, first off let me say that I'm definitely a baseball fan FIRST, and then
basketball. However, I've been to the '88 MLB All-star game, and the last two
NBA all-star games, and the NBA makes it a MAJOR MAJOR event, while baseball
just seems content to let the game speak for itself. Granted, they've added
stuff like the home-run contest recently, but it just doesn't seem to get the
hooplah that the NBA gives there. The NBA makes it a long weekend, from Friday
to Sunday, with parties, player intro extravaganza, two "skills" events, and
then the game. Baseball, on the other hand, doesn't seem to market itself
enough, which the NBA does terribly well. I think this is changing, especially
as owners see basketball starting to dig into that "american pastime" claim.
I'd love to see stuff like the old field events, like 100-yard races or
fastest time around the bases, stuff like that. They could do that on the Monday
night, too, and have it televised, make more money, etc.

I would tend to agree, however, that more baseball fans care WHO wins the game
than basketball fans care who wins their game. Even from my experience, I'm
an AL fan, and it really pisses me off when they lose, I take it that 
seriously. However, this last NBA all-star game was more just a showcase of 
talent, and it didn't bother me TOO much that the east got toasted.

Mitch