Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
From: yaska@eecg.toronto.edu (Yaska Sankar)
Subject: Re: Phils vs Expos
Keywords: Spos
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Date: 23 Nov 92 20:47:41 GMT

In article <Ef459Uy00VpO92UkQ_@andrew.cmu.edu> al1x+@andrew.cmu.edu (Amit Likhyani) writes:
>Catcher - Phils(Daulton over Laker?)

That would be a platoon of Tim Laker (making the jump from AA) and 
"good pitcher handler/poor excuse of a hitter" Darrin Fletcher.
Daulton, even over 30, wins. No contest.

>First - Phils(Kruk over whatever Montreal puts out there)

One of Greg Colbrunn, Ivan Calderon, or a free-agent the Expos can
afford. Colbrunn will be 24, has decent power, but doesn't walk a lick.

Calderon's over 30 and coming off yet another shoulder injury, 
(which explained his 265/323/424 in 186 PA in Aug. and Sept.)
and is rumored to be on the trading block. But, if he stays and is
healthy, he could be shifted from LF to 1B and *might* approach
his 1990 numbers, 300/368/481.

The free-agent being mentioned by Expos brass is Dave Magadan, and
he can play 1B in a platoon with Calderon or Colbrunn, or play 3B over 
Tim Wallach/Sean Berry. If the Expos can afford him (hopefully,
he won't use the Montreal offer to up the bids from other teams),
the Expos will be much improved at 1st and 3rd, no matter what Magadan's
defensive shortcomings are.

Kruk wins, but with anyone other than Colbrunn, it's not as big a gap as 
in '92.

>Second - Montreal (Deshields over Duncan due to OBA)

And speed and age (DeShields will be 24). Morandini and Bell don't pose
much threat either.

>Short - Even - neither team is strong

Tell that to Expo prize prospect Wilfredo Cordero who posted a
302/353/397 in 136 PA last fall. The only reason he didn't play more in '92 
was because of a knee(?) injury, and because Spike Owen had a career year.
Cordero will start in 93. And he beats Phillie Kim Batiste any day. 

>Third - Philly(Hollins over Wallach or Sean Berry)

The Expos will win more games just by not playing Wallach and putting
a hockey player at 3rd ;-)
Funny, Wallach actually came out a winner in the expansion draft. In
return for waiving his right to be protected among the original 15
(as a 10/5 man and having a guaranteed contract), his compensation was
that the Expos would buy his $180K Montreal home, and let him live in 
it for free as long as he remains an Expo.

Sean Berry has some power, but also can't buy a walk.

Hollins wins easy, if Magadan doesn't show up in an Expo uniform or
if Matt Stairs isn't moved to 3rd base.

>Left - Montreal(Alou over Wes no walk)
>Center - Montreal(Grissom over Dykstra - Dykstra can't stay healthy)

Grissom has more speed and about the same power, but doesn't walk a whole 
heck of a lot. If Dykstra stays healthy, and can rebound to his '91 
numbers, Dykstra over Grissom.

>Right -Montreal(Walker over ?)

Walker crushes Tom Marsh or Ruben Amaro. A free-agent acquisition changes
things, but Walker is right now the best right-fielder in the NL.

>This is a really dumb way to compare teams, but it is quick and easy. 
>By my count, Montreal wins 4-3-1.

Still dumb, but it's more like 4-4. However, Montreal has the advantage
of more talented youth, a better manager, and a good bench with
John Vanderwal, Arci Cianfrocco, et al.

>Pitching:
>
>Martinez, Hill, Nabholz, Gardner, and Barnes takes
>Mulholland, Greene, Rivera, Shilling ?

Replace Gardner with Kent Bottenfield (as the Expos are rumored to be
doing) and the Expos have an even better rotation.

>DeJesus is probably done.  Ashby left in the E-draft.  I don't follow
>the Phillies, so I don't know who the 4th starters is.

I assume you mean the 5th starter, and it's ...... Danny Jackson !
Even then, the Expos have the edge.

>Bullpen:
>
>Wetteland, Fassero, Rojas, takes Wild Thing, and whatever other garbage
>the Phils use in the pen.

[stuff deleted]

>You have Dykstra, Daulton, and Kruk over 30.  Daulton coming off a
>career year.  Their Expo counterparts are Walker, DeShields, and
>Grissom(he does not walk either) are all under 27(check Walker's age). 
>The Expos actually had a good record last year.  I see the Phils behind
>Montreal and maybe the Pirates if their young players develop fast which
>usually does not happen when you have a lot of young players.

The Phils will score as many runs as last season, but Montreal will score
more than they did, because of Cordero and minus Wallach (hopefully). 
The Expos' starters have an edge over the Phils', and the Expos' bullpen is
way better. Only problem is, everyone's picking the Expos to finish first,
(including the mediots) and the last time that happened, it was the early 
80's...

>Mit
>The synonym for a baseball glove

Yaska  ! yaska@eecg.toronto.edu ! Dept. of Elec. Eng. - Computer Group
Sankar !                        ! University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball