From: gindin@gindinraleigh.ibm.com (Jim Gindin)
Subject: Re: Cy Young?
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 20:32:01 GMT
Reply-To: gindin@gindinraleigh.ibm.com (Jim Gindin)
Organization: ELC

In article <92275.124355BARBER@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>, BARBER@MAINE.MAINE.EDU
(Wayne Barber) writes: 
> In article <1992Oct1.012542.7469@cs.wayne.edu>, dfl@math.wayne.edu (David
> Frohardt-Lane) says:
> >>The american league would probably have to be Roger Clemens again.  Same
> >>story.
> >
> >I agree with you here.  Did anyone see Baseball Weekly's article making
> >their choices for the award winnners?  They had Jack McDowell as the AL
> >Cy Young winner!!  The article noted that his ERA was a bit high, but
> >that he was a good compromise choice (I don't understand this).  They
> >were also crazy in picking Eckersley for MVP.
> >
I read that, too. Compromise for what? If Clemens is the best starter and
Eck the best reliever, what does compromise mean? Make everyone unhappy?
Sounds a little like George Bush-style government.

> The article quoted Dave Stewart (an impartial observer on Roger Clemens)
> that Roger should not win because the Red Sox are in last place.  Thus,
> while Jack McDowell is a worse pitcher, his team's offense was better
> and he won 20 games.
> 
> This is utter nonsense.  Clemens is consistently at or near the top of
> every meaningful statistical category for starting pitchers and no AL
> starter is consistently higher than him.  For my money, the meaningful
> statistics are:
> 1. Lowest in ERA
> 2. Most strikeouts
> 3. Fewest walksper inning
I've always preferred walks+hits per inning. It seems to be the best measure
of major league pitchers (for some reason, it fails miserably at the AA and
AAA level). ERA is also a decent measure, and strikeouts per inning is not
far behind. Looking at all these factors, I'm going with Clemens, with Mussina
not far behind. I wish I could include Eckersley, since he has been simply
dominating this season, but it's like comparing apples and oranges.
 
As much as I hate to say it, it is time to split voting into several
categories...
Most Valuable Starting Pitcher (Cy Young), Reliever, Hitter, Fielder
(not Cecil)
and an overall Most Valuable Player, which would go to one of the winners of
the other four awards. I would give these awards to Clemens, Eck, McGwire (by a
hair over Thomas), Lee (believe it or not, he has been wonderful to watch this
season) and probably McGwire (although McDowell would make a good
compromise choice - :)).
> 
> If anything, the fact that the Red Sox are in last should count in his
> favor.  His run support has been negligible and he has still won 18
> games.  If the bullpen had not blown a couple of saves, he would have
> been over 20 easily.
> --------------------------------------
Run support, sigh. Might as well rename it Morris support. I defend
sports media
whenever possible (since I used to be one). But if Morris wins the Cy Young, I
hereby promise never to take these awards seriously again.

==> Jim

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- Jim Gindin							 -		
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