From: niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent)
Subject: Re: Expos Clinch! Wallach to Dodgers
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 09:28:25 GMT

Again, I'm going to respond even though other people probably did.  Why
not?  (Besides the obvious, I mean.  After all, 8 million people post
"Yay, Toronto won the World Series.")

In article <1992Dec26.041708.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu> djcoll04@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
 
>> DeShields was on the way up, at age 23.  Wallach is definitely on the way
>> down, at age 35.  Besides, although the BAs are similar, DeShields' '91 was
>> leaps and bounds ahead of Wallach's '92 (or '91, for that matter).
 
>> DeShields posted a .347 OBP in his bad year, which Wallach, at this point,
>> can only dream about, for example.  (Besides, DeShields is a second baseman,
>> so not as much offense is expected of him aay.

>Hey,, I'm not saying that Wallach will necessarily rise from the ashes. While
>he had a worse OBP than Deshields in teir off years, he didn't approach 
>Deshields league leading strikeout total.

So?  The object of the game is not to make contact, ESPECIALLY for a
leadoff hitter.  It's to score runs.  Even when Deshields had his bad year, 
he was helping his team do that, by getting on base.  Wallach wasn't.  
And again, you're ignoring positional differences.  Wallach has *much* 
*much* farther to rebound to be decent.

And age differences.  People over 30 decline.  People under 25 improve.

And the fact that your statement is sort of odd.  What do you *mean*,
didn't approach his strikeout total?  I think he did.

Deshields 91: 151 Ks
Wallach 91: 100 Ks
Wallach 92: 90 Ks

Looks like he approached it to me.  Given that half of their ABs are
coming with no one on base, in which a strikeout is exactly like any
other out, and that a good percentage of the time with people on base, a
strikeout is still like any other out, I doubt the 50-60 K difference
really matters.

>Remember, Expos fans, that they told us that Tim Raines was washed up.  He 
>has played consistent ball since the trade while Calderon was on the bench
>and Barry Jones was a wash.

Wait, *who* told you Tim Raines was washed up?  Did you recommend a
psychiatrist?

This reminds me of those who say "How do you know perpetual motion is
impossible?  They told us airplanes were impossible too."

The Expos were idiotic not to be using Raines as a leadoff hitter, but
even so, I don't see the comparison between the two.  His *worst* year with 
Montreal (1990: 287/379/392) was billions of miles better than either of 
Wallach's last two years, and he was four years younger than Wallach is now 
at the time people said that.

Anyway, Calderon 91 was excellent, and Calderon 92 was unexpectedly
hurt.  It isn't fair to criticize a trade when a guy is unexpectedly
hurt.  If you get Danny Jackson or Eric Davis, you deserve it, because
these guys are always hurt.  But Calderon wasn't like them.  And
everyone knew Barry "Vulture" Jones wasn't any good, except possibly the
Expos.

>Doesn't anyone out there believe in the importance of a good defense and a
>veteran, experienced presence in that defense?  

Yes and no.  Of course defense is important, but I don't think Wallach's
probably decent defense makes up for the fact that he is, by far, the
worst offensive third baseman in the league, and, in fact, would be a
bad hitter for a shortstop at this point.

And, no, if your defense is good, who cares if there is a veteran there
or not?

Furthermore, you're ignoring money.  If they don't sign Wallach, there's
more money for Dennis Martinez, who is still *good*.  (I saw a post
claiming that they had to trade Denny because they weren't going to be able
to afford an extension for him.  Cut the overpriced *losers* like
Wallach and you have more money for the *talented* veterans like Martinez.)

-- 
David M. Nieporent   | Is it too early to start making predictions for 1993?
niepornt@phoenix.    | Probably, but that never stopped me before.
   princeton.edu     | ALE: Baltimore ALW: Chicago NLE: Montreal NLW: Atlanta
Baltimore Orioles 93 | AL MVP: Cal Ripken  AL Cy Young: Mike Mussina