From: ecaxron@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Ron Graham)
Subject: Re: RG's 1992 Tribe Front Office Report Card
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date:  6 Oct 1992 10:04 EST  

In article <1992Oct5.215315.12884@cs.cornell.edu>, 
     tedward@cs.cornell.edu (Edward [Ted] Fischer) writes...

>In article <5OCT199215344050@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov> 
>     ecaxron@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Ron Graham) writes:

>>o	Allowing RP Doug Jones to leave as a free agent - D
>>I thought this was bad when it happened.  The Astros were smart to 
>>sign him - it probably took some of the sting out of losing Kenny
>>Lofton ;-).

>I disagree on this one.  Doug Jones, while he pitched pretty well this
>year, is no spring chicken.  The Indians are aiming for 1994, and I
>can't see him fitting into their long-term plans.  Meanwhile, he would
>be costing them a moderate amount of money.  Besides, Olin and
>Lilliquist were both better than Jones this year.

While Jones is aging, as you have correctly pointed out, he did have 
three years of 40+ saves for Tribe teams that were, well, not so hot.
It would have cost $2M to keep Jones here (and he wanted to stay, which
means something to me), and the Tribe offered that amount to RP Alejandro
Pena later on.  Help me out: Pena's 33 now, isn't he?  And I don't think
he had the year for Atlanta that Jones had in Houston.  They would've made
Pena the highest-paid player on the team for Jones's price, and they would've
(in all likelihood) got less performance.

Olin and Lilliquist were made better (I think) by each other.  I don't think
either could have had the year they had without having the other to also
do well (although I did correctly predict at least 25 saves out of Olin,
but in this day and age, that's not so much).  Plus, the two of them provided
a nice distraction with their bubble-gum chewing contests.  They ended the
season having tied for the team record by each chewing 71 pieces at once ;-).

>>o	Allowing IF Jerry Browne to leave as a free agent - C-
>See Doug Jones.  If the Indians are truly serious about rebuilding,
>the *last* thing they want to do is load up on mediocre, expensive,
>old guys.

The grade would've been lower if Browne had not wanted $900K.  But you're
right: I was more sour on this deal than maybe I needed to be.  Browne
IMPO did what the A's needed him to do, and that very well.

>>o	Aftermath of Swindell trade, year one - C-
>I think you mean that they shouldn't have traded him.  I think they
>had to trade him, but they should have been able to get more.  It
>looked like they took the first deal they were offered.

No, as I indicated last year, I still think Swindell needed to be traded.
But I agree with you: he's good enough that he could've been shopped around.
Of course, the deal you offered me last year, Morton and Greenwell, that
wouldn't have worked out any better.  :-)

>Do you have the starting/relief breakdown for Armstrong?  Has he
>really been good in relief?  Or has it simply been a small sample set?
>Is he even up to 50 relief innings yet?

I think we're on the order of 30 innings.  But Armstrong went 3-0 with
a 1.16 ERA in his relief appearances.  That is better than acceptable.
And, best of all, Airmail kept the ball in the park.

>>o	Trade of minor-league IF Jason Hardtke to San Diego for OF Thomas
>>	Howard - B+
>>Howard was very good as a fourth OF for the Indians this year.  So good,
>>in fact, that Alex Cole became expendable.

>If the Indians are interested in trading him to the Red Sox, I'm sure
>they can get more than Jason Hardtke (who?) now.  And the Sox could
>use a speedy player *with* an OBP.  Of course, I thought they should
>get Cole.  Did the Indians get anything for him?

>>o	Trade of OF Alex Cole to Pittsburgh for minor-league OF Antonio
>>	Mitchell and SP John Carter - C-

>Who are these two guys?

I dunno.  But there will be someone either on the Cleveland Sports Mailing
List or with a better knowledge of the Pittsburgh system who can fill in,
I'm sure.

RG

"Mumble mumble fans in Cleveland mumble mumble baseball mumble 200 hits."
 -  Carlos Baerga, in a radio interview
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball