HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jfc@athena.mit.edu (John F Carr)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Reardon to Braves
Date: 1 Sep 92 02:05:31 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In article <1992Aug31.210739.28720@cs.cornell.edu>
	tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer) writes:

>You have a choice.  You can see Clark, Boggs, Pena, Reardon, Hatcher,
>and Brunansky again next year.  And the Sox will again lose.  Or you
>can cut the overpriced crap, sign *real* stars, and have a chance to
>contend.

Reardon is gone and local reporters seem convinced Clark is going.  That
leaves Boggs, Hatcher, Pena, and Brunansky.

I don't know how much Hatcher is making, or how long his contract is for, so
I won't comment on him.

I don't think Brunansky is overpriced.  The Red Sox should extend his
contract even if he doesn't have enough plate appearances to require it.

Boggs is going to have a hard time starting a free agent bidding war with
this season's performance.  The Red Sox should attempt to sign him to a 2-3
year, medium priced contract like they did last spring.  If he demands $5
million per year for 4 years, then let him go.  After Clemens, Boggs is
probably the biggest fan attraction on the team.  That's worth something
(even if no more people buy tickets, if more people watch games on TV that
will make the next TV contract more valuable).

I'm not sure whether Pena should be replaced.  Maybe the next month will
tell.  His offense is now near the team average, after a poor first half.


Remember that each of Quintana, Gray, Burks, and Greenwell would have added
a few wins had they been healthy and able to play.  You have to assume that
some of them will play next year, so next year's team should do better even
if it doesn't import any star players.

--
    John Carr (jfc@athena.mit.edu)
From: dgrimm@awm.cs.gmr.com (Don Grimm CS50)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Sam Militello
Date: 26 Aug 92 22:00:38 GMT
Reply-To: dgrimm@awm.UUCP (Don Grimm CS50)
Organization: GM Research Labs, Warren, MI


  Steve Kelm writes:
  
  > I've been hearing bits and pieces information about this rookie with the
  > Yankees but would like to know more.  Is he a control pitcher or a power 
  > pitcher?  Any information about him, especially info. on his time spent in 
  > the minors would be greatly appreciated.

  These were Militello's stats as of Wed Jul 29, 1992 at Columbus:

                                       W  L    Era  G  Sv   Ip    H  Bb  So
  Militello, Sam                      11  2   2.19 20   0 127.1  90  40 138

  I don't have his AA and A stats with me, but they were excellent with
  1-2 ERAs, excellent K/BB ratios, and Ks usually exceeding IP.  He has 
  an average/slightly better than average fastball and spots a curve 
  extremely well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Grimm
dgrimm@awm.cs.gmr.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, we're just like the Waltons.
We're prayin' for the end of the depression, too.
  -- Bart Simpson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: brian@meaddata.com (Brian Curran)
Subject: Useless Trivia (was Re: Tom House (was Re: Jose Canseco to Texas...))
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 01:06:02 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.184625.25281@bcrka451.bnr.ca>, jimdean@bnr.ca (Jim Dean) writes:
|> 
|> In article <21429@optima.cs.arizona.edu>, dkl@cs.arizona.edu (David K. Lowenthal) writes:
|> > In article <55947@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> rsmith@strobe.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Russ Smith) writes:
|> > >
|> > >....worse stuff, and I personally believe that House just wasn't the
|> > >right pitching coach for a guy like Witt.
|> > >Russ Smith
|> > 
|> > Who is House the right pitching coach for?  Himself maybe, but who else?
|> > --dave
|> 
|> Me.
|> 
|> [Tom House is a helluva guy]
|> 

Obscure fact:  Tom House caught Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th
homerun (which says absolutely nothing about his coaching abilities,
of course :-)   ).
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Curran                 Mead Data Central              brian@meaddata.com 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He slides into second with a stand-up double."  - Jerry Coleman, San Diego
                                                        Padres sportscaster
From: spork@camelot.bradley.edu (Richard Izzo)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: cone trade
Date: 28 Aug 92 17:55:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: camelot.spork.715024530
Distribution: na
Organization: Bradley University

In <0095FC3D.756EFBA0@Msu.oscs.montana.edu> alird@Msu.oscs.montana.edu writes:

>additionally, they should gotten have more for Cone. Derek Bell and Jeff Kent would
>would have been a good trade. Once again, the Mets traded a premier player for
>marginal gain. Echoes of Amos Otis for whomever and that great deal of Nolan
>Ryan for Jim Fregosi abound.

	How ironic.  Remember when the Mets got Cone from the Royals, who got 
Ed Hearn?  I suppose the Mets are feeling guilty about it and decided to do the
same thing.   This is really going to hurt the Mets' pitching staff, with 
Saberhagen hurt, Gooden declining, and Young not performing up to par.

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
[]  rich.				     Bradley University   []
[]  spork@camelot.bradley.edu		     Peoria, IL	 	  []
[]  "Cute rots the intellect." -Garfield			  [] 
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
From: v102q5hc@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (JIM BAUMGARTNER)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: CUB'S MADDUX EASY CHOICE FOR CY
Date: 3 Sep 92 13:17:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Sep3.051537.719@sunb10.cs.uiuc.edu>, epstein@cs.uiuc.edu writes...
>In <92245.104824ENVIRON@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> ENVIRON@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU writes:
> 
>>In article <1992Sep1.150405.15602@news.iastate.edu>, jnelson@iastate.edu (Jeremy
>>F Nelson) says:
>>>_HOW_ can you possibily say Wrigley field is a hitter's ballpark?  How many
>>>times has the wind blown out this season? 6? 7?
>>> Wrigley field has given up less homers than the Astrodome this year.
>>> Come on!
>>
>>     Maybe that's *because* Maddux has been pitching so well..?  And I'm only
>>half kidding.  It's tough to take one bizarre statistical anecdote as proof
>>that Wrigley isn't a hitters' park...
> 
>There was recently another thread about conditions at Wrigley and how
>they affect scoring.  Some organization (Stats Inc.) had done a study
>over one year, I believe, and they figured out the average runs scored
>for different wind conditions at Wrigley.  Basically they found that
>when the wind blows in, less runs than league average are scored there
>(so, good for pitchers); when the wind blows across, more runs than
>league average are scored; and when the wind blows out, *many* more
>runs than league average are scored.
> 
It seems like anytime a Cub has a decent season there is always a fair amount of
fans who want to blame the sucess on playing in the Windy City.  If Dawson or 
Sandberg hit home runs the wind is blowing out but if a pitcher does well the 
wind is blowing in. I had to laugh recently when the Met announcers were saying
that the reason the Cub pitchers were doing so well was that the wind was 
blowing in this year.  These are the same clowns who complain for five months 
out of the season that the reason the Cubs keep clobbering the Mets 8-0 is due 
to the wind at Wrigley blowing out. Let's face it the Cubs have two good 
pitchers in Maddoux and Morgan who are having success due to their pitching 
ability not the weather forcast.
                                                 Jim Baumgartner
                                                 University At Buffalo
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: spira@panix.com (Greg "Sarcasm Is A Way Of Life" Spira)
Subject: Re: Wrigley wind or not: that is the question
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 17:49:11 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Boo!   
Keywords: Wind blowing out of Wrigley

In <26AUG199202271491@mitme5.mit.edu> kettler@mitme5.mit.edu (KETTLER, THOMAS R.) writes:

>I have a question. Since I personally find it hard to believe that the Cubs 
>have the best staff in the NL, has anyone checked how often the wind has been 
>blowingout of Wrigley this year. I know that in Boston the weather has been 
>cooler than normal this year, and I would like to know if this is also true in 
>the Midwest. I do remember that cooler weather meant that it was less likely 
>that the wind would blow out of Wrigley, and if this is true, this could be why 
>the Cubs have a lower ERA than I would have suspected from their staff and 
>their team has hit somewhat worse than I would have believed.

Well, first off, when Stats, Inc. analyzed the effect of wind at Wrigley
Field last year, they found that:

1) When the wind blows in, Wrigley is a neutral park.
2) When the wind blows sideways (most of the time), Wrigley is an excellent
hitters' park.
3) When the wind blows out, Wrigley has 15-12 games.

So its pretty unlikely that Wrigley has turned into a pitchers park.

However, its certainly possible that the park hasn't increased run scoring
as much as it usually does.  Its very hard to tell, however, even when we
have the statistics, because its hard to separate yearly differences in the
park factor from random effects.

It doesn't really seem to me that any off Cubs are performing significantly
better/worse than one would expect.

Here's OBP/SLG projections and performances:

		Projs:      Perfs:
Dawson         .313/.453   .306/.432
Grace          .374/.413   .394/.434
Sandberg       .351/.457   .366/.474
Vizcaino       .293/.309   .255/.294
Girardi        .290/.337   .324/.307
Dascenzo       .310/.338   .295/.309

Virtually all of the analyst-types here thought the Cubs offense would
be awful, and it has been.

On the other hand, while some people thought the Cubs might have a good
pitching staff, no one thought it would be this good.  Maddux with a 
2.15 ERA is way under his career norm, Morgan with a 2.39 ERA is below
anything he ever posted anywhere, including LA.  And Castillo and Boskie
have both done somewhat better than one might expect, and Harkey has been
quite good since his return.

So you might have something - it's hard to tell.

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)
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Tuesday, 25 Aug 1992 23:18:28 EDT
From: Ryan Robbins <IO20456@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Managing in the AL

Dome Fenway?

Actually, I heard on the news the other day that there is a group
putting together a proposal to present to the New England Patriots
and the Red Sox about such a move. The Patriots may go for it,
since fan support at the games is hard to come by when they're
losing and playing outside in the harsh New England winter climate.
But I would say it is unlikely the Red Sox will go for such a deal.
Fenway Park is getting up there in the years, but Red Sox baseball
wouldn't be Red Sox baseball without playing ball OUTSIDE.

As I was watching the Sox play the Mariners the other day, I thought
to myself: Why would anyone want to play indoors? What about the
sun, the grass? Domed stadiums are just another sign of the decadence
of society!

+===============================================================+
||   RYAN ROBBINS                    INTERNET:                 ||
||   UNIVERSITY OF MAINE             IO20456@MAINE.MAINE.EDU   ||
+===============================================================+
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball,rec.sport.basketball.pro
From: bv789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jane K. F. Evslin)
Subject: Quote
Reply-To: bv789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jane K. F. Evslin)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 00:50:19 GMT



What is the quote about great plays and South Pacific?
And who said it?

--Clueless

-- 
*****************************************************************
*            Jane Evslin  bv789@cleveland.freenet.edu           *
*  He said, "CHRIST!"  It was funny how he'd named the only     *
*  man who could save him now.  --Harry Chapin                  *
From: 11dmcvay@gallua.gallaudet.edu (Daniel T. McVay)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Boggs Toronto bound?
Date: 26 Aug 92 19:18:48 GMT
Organization: Gallaudet University

In article <1992Aug26.120739.2125@merrimack.edu>, desmondw@merrimack.edu writes:
>     I was reading the local newspaper in Boston today and came across an
> article about Wade Boggs being frustrated with the Red Sox and says he
> doubts he will be returning next year. He is a free agent and wants a deal
> similar to Ripkens. The Sox have already told him no way. So I was thinking
> how great it would be if the Jays snatched him in the off season. They
> definately could use a good hitting 3rd baseman(Grubers lousy) and they
> REALLY need a lead off hitter which Boggs also does well. He is the perfect
> addition to the Jays lineup. Take a look:

In your dreams, kid. The Red Sox are not going to give up someone like Boggs
to any team within their division. And I'm saddened that Boggs would want a 
deal similiar to Ripken after all he's done the past few years. Boggs is
steadily declining and I expect no more peaking from him after all. But he's
still effective.

> 
>                             1. Boggs (3rd base)
>                             2. Alomar(2nd base)
>                             3. Carter(OF)
>                             4. Winfield(DH)
>                             5. Olerud (1st base)
>                             6. Maldanado (OF)
>                             7. White (OF)
>                             8. Borders(C)
>                             9. Lee (S)
>    This looks pretty unbeatable to me!
>                                                 Bill
> 

The bigger your dreams are, the harder they fall and hurt you. Sorry.


-- 
Daniel Mcvay	11dmcvay@gallua.gallaudet.edu	11dmcvay@gallux.gallaudet.edu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete Shoes,Cyanide,TNT,Done Dirt Cheap,Neckties,Contracts,HIGH Voltage
From: spira@panix.com (Greg "Sarcasm Is A Way Of Life" Spira)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Tom House (was Re: Jose Canseco to Texas...)
Date: 2 Sep 92 20:13:42 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC

In <1992Sep1.184625.25281@bcrka451.bnr.ca> jimdean@bnr.ca (Jim Dean) writes:


>In article <21429@optima.cs.arizona.edu>, dkl@cs.arizona.edu (David K. Lowenthal) writes:
>> 
>> Who is House the right pitching coach for?  Himself maybe, but who else?
>> --dave

>Me.

>I had the pleasure of attending a coaching seminar given by Tom House
>in Toronto last February.  He gave two very good sessions, plus he
>worked me through my own pitching motion.  I used to have an O.K.
>slider, and it hurt my elbow when I threw it. With a couple of his
>tips, I was able to throw a much better slider and no pain!  I used it
>all season with no ill effects.

>I can't speak for the stats. I can't speak for his 'in-game' coaching.
>But as a coach of pitching mechanics, I have the utmost respect for
>Mr. House, and that is based on personal experience.

I've heard a lot of people say nice things about House, and I respect
the fact that he is the rare baseball man who thinks and analyzes.

My problem with House is the following:

I believe that the two main areas of pitching that pitching coaches
can influence are 1) control and 2) health.

No team has had worse health or control than the Texas Rangers during
Tom House's reign as pitching coach.  Its not even close.

Tom House has yet to successfully "develop" a good, long-term major         
league starter.

Might this all be bad luck.  A lot of it, possibly.  But all of it?
I'm skeptical.

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: jbrown@milton.u.washington.edu (Jeffery Brown)
Subject: Re: triple play O's & M's 8/30
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: seattle
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 17:27:20 GMT

In article <dudgeon.715276365@milton> dudgeon@cheme.washington.edu writes:
>I was there.  I saw the play.  I still don't understand how they got two outs
>at second base.  Can someone explain?

I only heard it on radio, but here's my understanding: the runners started
at 1st and 2nd.  The ball was caught, so the runners had to tag up before 
advancing.  That is, the runners are liable to be put out by tagging the 
base they started from, or one they had to pass through to get back to 
the base they started from; tag the base before a runner gets back and he's
out.

In the play in question, the runner from 1st was still between 2nd and 
3rd when the ball got to 2nd.  There is a rule (I'd cite chapter and
verse, but my rulebook is at home) that says the runner has to retrace all
the bases he touched on his way back (otherwise he could cut directly
across the diamond).  When the ball got to 2nd, the man who started on 
2nd was out because he hadn't got back to it yet, and the man who started
on 1st was out because he hadn't got back to 2nd yet on his way back to
1st.

I've seen that play before, back in little league, but usually baserunners
don't make mistakes of that scale.  Obviously both of them thought for sure
the ball was at least off the wall if not over it (odd -- wasn't the catch
made in front of the 23' section of the right field wall?).
---
Jeff Brown         Big Enchilada of the Brown Bag Lunches
Astronomy Dept.    jbrown@u.washington.edu
U. of Washington   jbrown@phast.phys.washington.edu
From: kday@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kevin Day)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Jose Canseco to Texas...
Date: 1 Sep 92 11:02:47 GMT
Reply-To: kday@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kevin Day)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.sport.baseball, mckinney@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Patrick Mckinney) writes:
>Jose Canseco was traded just before game time yesterday
>(10:30 EDT) to the Texas Rangers for Ruben Sierra, Bobby Witt
>and Jeff Russell...
>

  Sierra for Canseco doesn't surprise me. What surprises me is Jeff
Russell being thrown in the deal. Is Russell a free agent this year
(I think he is)? Still, I don't see why Texas would want to get rid
of their only closer and I don't see why Oakland wants another one.
I think Eck has handled the job more than adequately. All in all, looking
at this trade, I think Oakland made out like a bandit.

K. Scott Day   (kday@oasys.dt.navy.mil)
Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center
Code 1252
Bethesda, Maryland 20084-5000

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*    "The point to remember is that what the government gives       
*     it must first take away."
*                                        -John S. Coleman           
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: gt2807a@prism.gatech.EDU (Benjamin H. Cowan)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: MLB Standings and Scores for Fri, Sep 4th, 1992
Date: 4 Sep 92 18:12:47 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <44698@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> jtchern@ocf.berkeley.edu (Joseph Hernandez) writes:
[stats deleted]
>NATIONAL LEAGUE				AMERICAN LEAGUE
[other scores delete]
>
>Montreal       11			California   IDLE
>Atlanta	4			Cleveland    IDLE
>
>Los Angeles  IDLE			Minnesota    IDLE
>Montreal     IDLE			New York     IDLE

  Hmmmm... Montreal has made an excellent comeback this year, but I don't
think that even they could pull this one off.  :-)

Ben...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benjamin H. Cowan                       || Reply to: gt2807a@prism.gatech.edu
Georgia Tech... Atlanta, Georgia  30332 || 
================================================================================

           "I don't believe there is a man, woman, or child alive
                   that doesn't enjoy a lovely beverage."
                                                        --Dave
From: aardvark@locus.com (Warren Usui)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Pitchers who hit (again)
Date: 26 Aug 92 20:40:04 GMT
Organization: Locus Computing Corporation, Los Angeles, California

In article <krnym=k@rpi.edu> mcgead@operators.its.rpi.edu (Darren McGeary) writes:
:In article <1992Aug26.004822.27869@tandem.com> daryll@daryllf.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Daryll France) writes:
:>
:>The reason pitchers always bat in the #9 position to start a game is because if you have a pitcher that bats .400 in the cleanup spot and you have to remove him from the game early (injury, ineffectiveness,...) the replacement pitcher has to play in his slot (unless you perform a double switch) and his .083 batting average will be a severe disadvantage in the cleanup spot for the rest of the game.

I can see why the cleanup spot is so important at the start
of the game, but doesn't it matter less toward the end of the game?
For example, if the ninth inning starts with the #7 spot in the batting
order, having a pitcher bat #4 is better than having him in the #9 spot.

:
:    The guys on WFAN radio were talking about this during the game also.
:They said a big part of the reason is that it would be real embarrassing
:for whomever had to bat 9th if they batted a pitcher 8th.  Torborg, being
:a light hitting catcher during his days, they said, is sensitive to that
:sort of thing.
:    I believe Chris Donnels was on first last night with no out. Charlie
:O'Brien was batting and Gooden was on deck.  They were wondering if
:Torborg would have O'Brien bunt Donnels over for Gooden.  That's when
:the subject came up.  The announcers figured Torborg would never do that
:since it would be too embarrasing for O'Brien.

I believe Torborg batted ninth in a game where Don Drysdale pitched and
batted seventh.

-- 
Warren Usui
aardvark@locus.com
uunet!lcc!aardvark
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball