jhr2@houem.UUCP (J.ROSENBLUTH) (06/20/84)
I believe that an all-star
should be the best player at his position.
That is, the player who most would positively effect
the team in their chances to win.
With that criterion in mind,
I do not think that the best player is necessarily the one
having the best first half of this year.
As an example, one year ago Bruce Benedict had a slightly
better first half than Gary Carter.
Now, who is the better player?
That was easy, wasn't it?
Putting it another way, would you
trade Carter to obtain Benedict?
Another example was Toby Harrah versus
George Brett a couple of years ago.
To decide who the better player is,
it makes sense to look at performance over
the last few years, weighting recent
performance more heavily, but not this
year's performance with weight one and all other years zero.
So, before naming Ramirez or Washington or Kingman
or Sandberg or Mattingly or whoever,
it might be better to think of the last few years.
Finally, the above comments are based on the
criterion in the first paragraph.
The comments do not apply to other criteria.
Josh Rosenbluth (...houxm!houem!jhr2)rkp@drutx.UUCP (06/21/84)
>I do not think that the best player is necessarily the one >having the best first half of this year. So you think that you should pick the players that have produced in the past and not the present? Okay, lets pick Jerry Koosman--he used to be great. How about Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Rusty Staub. Give me a break!!! >So, before naming Ramirez or Washington or Kingman >or Sandberg or Mattingly or whoever, >it might be better to think of the last few years. Again I say, lets get Dave Parker or how about Steve Garvey. They are both doing so well. By the way, do you think the managers are going to pick the hottest pitchers of the season or go back and get the relics. Do you think Nolan Ryan or Steve Carlton will get invited. I hope not. Russ Pierce Denver, CO.
jhr2@houem.UUCP (J.ROSENBLUTH) (06/21/84)
I stated that the best player at each position should be named to the all-star team. I also said that past performance should be weighted. I also said that recent performance should be weighted more heavily. Why should past performance be given any weight? Because it *is* an indication of how good a player is. In particular, I refuse to believe, based on this year alone, that Claudell Washington is one of the best hitters in the National League (which he has been this year). Also, Jerry Koosman's performance in 1969 should be given weight zero. It is *not* an indication of his ability today. The same applies to Garvey's 1974 performance and Parker's 1979 performance. They are too far in the past and those players have proved they are not of that ability anymore. However, it does not make sense to argue that Toby Harrah deserved the all-star selection over George Brett in 1982 because he had a better first half beacause Brett's *recent* past performance clearly showed he was the better player.
kovalsky@trwspp.UUCP (06/22/84)
OK, I hear this every year: There are always going to be players that are having great seasons that are not picked to the All-Star team (unless the manager picks them as an alternate) because the FANS choose the players. I think fans are basically ignorant when it comes to all-star voting because *most* of them will pick their favorite players, whether they're having a bad year or not (I'm not going to name any names). I too feel that the players who are having the best year THIS year *should* start the all-star game, but it doesn't always work out that way. Of course Sandberg, Franconna, C. Washington *should* be starting but probably won't because there are bigger name players in those postions already. Very rarely will a relative unknown who is having a good year start on the all-star team (last one that comes to mind is Garvey in '74 as a write-in). Therefore, players like Franconna and Sandberg have to have a few good seasons before they will be recognized by the fans. So all you people out there that are complaining about the injustice of the voting system, blame your fellow masses or get them to change the way the players are picked for the All-Star game. Bruce Kovalsky
mp@ganehd.UUCP (Scott Barman @ Univ. of Ga.) (06/24/84)
<Bean the bug>
Do you people think Gillette will give up a promotion such as voting for the
starting players for the all-star game? Yes, I agree, the game is a farce, but
there are millions of Americans out there (even beyond netland) who enjoy
watching the "stars" get together to play a "dream game". Between the fans
and Gillette's promotion (you see their name and you're supposed to be
reminded to buy their poduct), the vote is here to stay.
One note on the voting: It is only for the starting eight (pitchers are picked
by the managers/league offices). The other how-many players are selected in
the same way the pitchers are. Reguardless, I still think it is a sin that
Steve Sax would win a starting position this way!
On to other Baseball:
YAP (Yet Another Prognostication):
By 1986, both leagues will be playing under the same rules (DH or no
DH). I have never been a fan of the AL or the DH rule, so I hope it's the DH
rule that is dropped!
By 1987, both leagues will be expanded to 28 teams consisting of
four divisions (With Atlanta still in the Western Division).
By 1988, there will be, to the objection of many baseball traditional-
ists (like me), inter-league play.
How can I make this predictions? I met an advance scout for the NY Mets and
he said that these are the general feeling comming from the upper management
of baseball. He said that the Mets (now unofficial) position is to get the AL
to drop the DH and expand the teams; they feel that inter-league play would
hurt the game in the light of expansion. He also said that they are thinking
about putting artificial-turf in Shea Stadium. I hate plastic grass and let
him know I was very much against it!
?$%&$# radio stations in Athens, can't find out the scores to today's games
except for the killing in Atlanta. I can't decide who I would like to see
win, I hate LA as much as I hate the Braves!
Still hating the Braves in Athens, Ga:
--
Scott A. Barman USPS: Department of Computer Science
UUCP: {akgua, gatech}!ganehd!mp The University of Georgia
DDD: (404) 542-2911 415 Boyd Graduate Studies Research Ctr.
Athens, Ga 30602