jjc@houxa.UUCP (J.CARBONARO) (01/27/86)
<As an Expo fan, I hope you're right. Unfortunatly, I suspect the Expos <won't be able to stay very close this year. Everyone always says that <a team must be "strong up the middle", but look at who the Expos have. <Fitzgerald, Brooks, and Winningham. (That's right, the debris of the Carter <fiasco) < <The pitching will be strong (especially since the Gullickson trade), but <the offence disappears after Tim Raines. Look for Montreal to finish third <or fourth. Wooooaaa! Wait a minute! You don't like Brooks?!? Why on earth not? I'm personally happy the Mets got Carter last year, but I really wish they could have kept Brooks. (talk about having your cake and eating it, too). So, if Expo fans aren't happy with him, PLEASE SEND HIM BACK. Think of how much better the Mets line-up would be with Hubie at third. He's head-and-shoulders above any Knight/Johnson platoon.
gbelleville@watrose.UUCP (gbelleville) (01/28/86)
> <As an Expo fan, I hope you're right. Unfortunatly, I suspect the Expos > <won't be able to stay very close this year. Everyone always says that > <a team must be "strong up the middle", but look at who the Expos have. > <Fitzgerald, Brooks, and Winningham. (That's right, the debris of the Carter > <fiasco) > > Wooooaaa! Wait a minute! You don't like Brooks?!? Why on earth not? > I'm personally happy the Mets got Carter last year, but I really wish > they could have kept Brooks. (talk about having your cake and > eating it, too). So, if Expo fans aren't happy with him, PLEASE SEND > HIM BACK. Thanks, but no thanks. I speak for most Expos fans when I say that Brooks did an admirable job last year. Whenever the 'Spos had men in scoring position Hubie came through with the clutch hits. In fact Brooks led all NL shortstops in RBI's, and did a reasonable job of fielding his position. If the Expos are to even make a token run at the division, then Brooks is one of the keys. I think the original criticism refers to Fitzgerald and Winningham. Fitz did a mediocre job behind the plate and was battling all season to keep his average above the Mendoza line. Something tells me things are going to be the same this year, except it will be Dan Bilardello trying to bat his weight. The Winningham situation is a little different. He did a good job for a rookie center fielder, but there is still a lot of room for improvement (Especially in the home run department). Hopefully he will blossom into another Andre Dawson. The bonus in the Carter deal was Floyd Youmans. This man can throw the baseball. If what we saw in September was any indication, the Expos may still come out ahead on this deal. Realistically, they don't have much of a chance in '86. (How far can they go with three third basemen starting in the infield??) But watch out for those 'amazin Mets. Gary. "The outcome was never in doubt!"- Duke Snider after any one-run Expos victory that Reardon et al came within an eyelash of blowing.
abgamble@water.UUCP (abgamble) (01/29/86)
>> <As an Expo fan, I hope you're right. Unfortunatly, I suspect the Expos >> <won't be able to stay very close this year. Everyone always says that >> <a team must be "strong up the middle", but look at who the Expos have. >> <Fitzgerald, Brooks, and Winningham. (That's right, the debris of the Carter >> <fiasco) >> >> Wooooaaa! Wait a minute! You don't like Brooks?!? Why on earth not? >> I'm personally happy the Mets got Carter last year, but I really wish >> they could have kept Brooks. (talk about having your cake and >> eating it, too). So, if Expo fans aren't happy with him, PLEASE SEND >> HIM BACK. Just as soon as you're ready to send Carter back :-) > > I speak for most Expos fans when I say that Brooks did an > admirable job last year... Unfortunately I think you're right, you do speak for most Expo fans. > ... Whenever the 'Spos had men in scoring > position Hubie came through with the clutch hits. In fact Brooks led > all NL shortstops in RBI's, and did a reasonable job of fielding his > position. If the Expos are to even make a token run at the division, > then Brooks is one of the keys. How many NL shortstops had the advantage of batting 4th? Especially with Raines & Law (great OB averages) leading off. Also, leading NL shortstops in RBI's is no great claim to fame. As a group, they were pathetic hitters last year. As for his fielding, it seemed that every time you turned around Duke was saying that "Hubie missed that one, but his fielding has been improving all year". Please don't get me wrong though. I don't think Hubie is a really bad player, I just don't think he's as good as everyone keeps saying. Moving him to shortstop was a good idea though, since he is an above average hitter for a shortstop. > > I think the original criticism refers to Fitzgerald and Winningham. > Fitz did a mediocre job behind the plate and was battling all season > to keep his average above the Mendoza line. Fitzgerald played hurt most of last year and may improve. He's still several leagues below Carter. > The Winningham situation is a little different. He did a good job > for a rookie center fielder, but there is still a lot of room for > improvement (Especially in the home run department). Hopefully he will > blossom into another Andre Dawson. .237 was a good rookie year? Another Andre Dawson? That is incredibly wishful thinking. > The bonus in the Carter deal was Floyd Youmans. This man can throw the > baseball. If what we saw in September was any indication, the Expos > may still come out ahead on this deal. I'll agree with you here. Youmans is the only chance for the Expos to salvage much out of that trade. He has shown some potential (he reminds me of a young J.R.Richard) but we'll just have to wait and see how he developes. Don't expect too much for the next couple of years. > > Gary. > -- - Bruce Gamble ihnp4!watmath!water!abgamble
mykes@3comvax.UUCP (Mike Schwartz) (02/03/86)
Strong up the middle.... Is Hubie Brooks the slickest fielding shortstop you ever saw, or what? Other than that, he is adequate. I don't think he has enough power to play third, though, so what do you do with the guy? He is better than the Mets' two headed third baseman tho. By the way, who was the best NL 3rd Baseman last year? I don't know of anyone who was outstanding. I can't even recall anyone who was even real good. Remember that Schmidt and Horner played 1st last year, and Guerero played Outfield. As of this writing, 19 DAYS TIL SPRING TRAINING!!!!!!
abgamble@water.UUCP (abgamble) (02/07/86)
> > By the way, who was the best NL 3rd Baseman last year? I don't know of > anyone who was outstanding. I can't even recall anyone who was even real > good. Remember that Schmidt and Horner played 1st last year, and Guerero > played Outfield. It was a dry year for 3rd Basemen (& Shortstops) in the NL. Ozzie Smith was the only outstanding player at either position. At 3rd base I suppose I'd pick Tim Wallach as the best of a mediocre bunch. > > As of this writing, 19 DAYS TIL SPRING TRAINING!!!!!! AND COUNTING!!!!!!! -- - Bruce Gamble ihnp4!watmath!water!abgamble
kenf@uiucuxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU (02/09/86)
Is Hubie Brooks the slickest fielding shortstop you ever saw, or what?
By the way, who was the best NL 3rd Baseman last year? I don't know of
anyone who was outstanding. I can't even recall anyone who was even real
good. Remember that Schmidt and Horner played 1st last year, and Guerero
played Outfield.
Hubie Brooks on the best fielding day of his entire life could not carry
Ozzie Smith's jock strap into the dugout. So, to answer your question...
NO NO NO Hubie Brooks IS NOT the slickest fielding shortstop I have seen.
Best 3rd baseman in the NL ?? One vote for Terry Pendleton.
ken fortenberry
UUCP: {ihnp4,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!uiucuxc!kenf
AT&T (217) 333-8640 nick@sjuvax.UUCP (N. Straguzzi) (02/12/86)
In article <12800015@uiucuxc> kenf@uiucuxc.UUCP writes: >>By the way, who was the best NL 3rd Baseman last year? >> >> Remember that Schmidt and Horner played 1st last year, and Guerero >> played Outfield. > >Best 3rd baseman in the NL ?? One vote for Terry Pendleton. > > ken fortenberry Even though he played first base most of the year, I think Schmidt is still the best third baseman in the NL! (And at last notice, that's where he'll be back at this year - the Phillies are now toying with the idea of moving Von Hayes to first since they now have Gary Redus and Milt Thompson to play OF.) But if I had to choose a regular NL third baseman last year, I'd probably say Tim Wallach of the Expos (.260, 22 HR's, excellent fielder). Pendleton would be a close second.