From: fierkelab@bchm.biochem.duke.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Burks and related mediocies
Date: 6 Jan 93 18:26:28 GMT
Organization: Biochemistry

In article <1993Jan6.080011.18586@Princeton.EDU> niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU
(David Marc Nieporent) writes:
>In <1993Jan6.014822.12142@midway.uchicago.edu> thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
writes:
>>In article <875.02LZ300r01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> dba30@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com
(David Allison) writes:
>
>
>>Jerome Holtzman's column waxed poetic about Reggie Jackson, but kept harping
>>on his .262 batting average.  Then he capped it off by calling the Veterans'
>>Committee more intelligent than the BBWAA.  I think this was Ron Santo's last
>>year of eligibility.  I believe Niekro didn't make it this time around--I
>>think the first-timers must've blackballed him.

AARRRGHHH!!!  I can't believe Niekro didn't get in!  The man won 300 games
while playing with some of the worst teams in recent baseball history.  The
Braves of the seventies were PATHETIC and yet every year Niekro would go out
and win 20 +/- 4.  It's prejudice (sp?) against the knuckleball, that's what it
is!  Knucksie was a excellent pitcher, while Reggie Jackson was merely a very
good outfielder who got hot in October.  Sure, he deserves to be in the HOF,
but if anyone this year deserved to be a "first-time in", it was Phil Niekro,
IMHO.
>
>Being more intelligent than the BBWAA is not much of an accomplishment,
>now is it?  Sort of like being more tolerant than David Duke.
>
>>In other news, the Braves signed Pecota for something like two years, $1.4M.
>>My guess is that they'll be disappointed unless Pendleton is injured.  This
>>is the kind of signing that will suck up time from Blauser.  Is Blauser
>>really that bad?  What were his DAs?  The Stats Zone Ratings for him were
>>slightly above average, which would make him only slightly below average
>>when you start counting his errors -- assuming ZR has any relevance to
>>reality.
>
>I would *assume* Pecota is going to be spending most of his time at
>*second*, Ted.  He's not really a shortstop, anyway, and the Braves have
>a much bigger hole at second than at short.  Of course, they *had*
>the solution to that hole, Jeff Treadway, and they decided to release
>him, but, hey.  This is John Scheurholtz (sp?) we're talking about.
>
>Actually, now that I think about it, this is why they signed Pecota --
>he knew him from his days in KC.
>
Actually, Jeff Treadway was part of the hole at second, not the solution. 
Decent hitter when healthy, which was damn seldom in the last two years.  Below
average fielder, especially range-wise.  On the other hand, Lemke can field, he
can walk, he just can't hit.  Another Richmond disappointment (anyone remember
Brad Komminsk?  Something about Richmond and disappointing MLE's.)  But I still
don't see why they signed Pecota.  IMHO, the Braves can stand an infield that
starts either Lemke or Belliard, but not both.  If I could exile one of those
two to the bench, it would be Belliard.  Lemke's younger, a better hitter, and
as good a fielder.  Blauser plays short about as well as second.  And who knows
just what Pecota can do, if anything.


Eric Roush			Deck us all with Boston Charlie
fierkelab@			Walla Walla Wash and Kalamazoo!
bchm.biochem.duke.edu	Nora's freezin' on the Trolley,
				Swaller Dollar Cauliflower Alla-ga-Roo!

				Walt Kelley
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