EVIL~! alkeiper

The Yankees signed John Olerud today. I felt like pointing this out..... Olerud: 245/354/360. 5 HR, 22 RBI, 40 BB, 3 Gold Gloves. Mientkiewicz: 253/344/367. 5 HR, 25 RBI, 38 BB, 1 Gold Glove. Similar seasons. The difference? The Sox traded Nomar for Mientkiewicz, and Olerud was dumped by the worst team in the league, and available for next to nothing.

I added Grich, Johnson and O'Neill. I will review just about any HOF candidates you guys wish, except Pete Rose and Joe Jackson.

This is the first Keltner List that allows me to utilize my brand new reference book, Total Baseball. 1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? No. 2. Was he the best player on his team? Concepcion was the best player on the Cincinnati Reds in 1979. Otherwise, he was never the best player on his team. Granted, his teams contained several future Hall of Famers. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Not in the league. Toby Harrah was a better shortstop through the 70s, and Robin Yount was the best shortstop after that. The only years Concepcion had the best season of any shortstop were 1974 and '78. As for the National League, there was no dominant shortstop in the National League in Concepcion's time. Bill Russell had the best seasons in 72-73. Concepcion was best in 74, 76, 78, and 81. Chris Speier was best in 1975. Garry Templeton was best in 1977 and '79. Templeton, Concepcion, and Ozzie Smith were deadlocked in 1980. Ivan DeJesus was the best SS in 1982. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Concepcion was a member of the 1975-76 Reds, who ran away with the NL West both years. In 1979, Concepcion hit .220 and .232 in August and September, respectively. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? Yes, Concepcion played until he was 40. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? No. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? Three of Concepcion's most similar players (Bobby Wallace, Pee Wee Reese, Luis Aparicio) are in the Hall. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? No. Concepcion scores zero on the Black Ink test, 25 on the gray ink test (the average HOFer scores 144), and Concepcion meets 29.1% of HOF standards. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Concepcion won five Gold Gloves at shortstop, and is commonly referred to as a positive clubhouse influence. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? No. Alan Trammell is more deserving. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Concepcion finished in the Top 10 of MVP voting twice, finishing ninth in 1979 and fourth in 1981. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Concepcion made nine All-Star squads. This is his strongest attribute as a HOF candidate. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? I doubt it. Concepcion earned over twenty Win Shares just four times, and never more than twenty-five. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? Concepcion invented the method of bouncing the ball on artificial turf to speed up his throw to first base. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Yes. Conclusion: Concepcion's case as a Hall of Famer rests on the fact that he made nine All-Star squads, a high total. However, this was due more than anything to the malaise of shortstops in the National League. This conclusion is supported by the fact that Concepcion was never a viable MVP candidate. Concepcion was not a great offensive player, and his defense, while great, does not quite elevate Concepcion to Hall of Fame status. Thumbs down.

Ok guys. We are NOT having a single thread to cover a two day sporting event.

Through games of August 1. This is a strictly statistical evaluation, with no subjective analysis whatsoever. AL MVP 1. Gary Sheffield, NYY 2. Carlos Guillen, Det 3. Alex Rodriguez, NYY 4. Michael Young, Tex 5. Miguel Tejada, Balt 6. Hideki Matsui, NYY 7. Manny Ramirez, Bos 8. Vladimir Guerrero, Ana 9. Hank Blalock, Tex 10. Jose Guillen, Ana NL MVP 1. Barry Bonds, SF 2. Scott Rolen, StL 3. Bobby Abreu, Phi 4. Albert Pujols, StL 5. Mark Loretta, SD 6. Jim Edmonds, StL 7. Sean Casey, Cin 8. Adam Dunn, Cin 9. Adrian Beltre, LA 10. J.D. Drew, StL AL Cy Young 1. Mark Mulder, Oak 2. Johan Santana, Min 3. Curt Schilling, Bos NL Cy Young 1. Jason Schmidt, SF 2. Randy Johnson, Ari 3. Ben Sheets, Mil AL Rookie of the Year 1. Bobby Crosby, Oak 2. Daniel Cabrera, Balt 3. Shingo Takatsu, CWS NL Rookie of the Year 1. Khalil Greene, SD 2. Kazuo Matsui, NYM 3. Aaron Miles, Col AL Gold Glovers C- Damian Miller, Oak 1B- Mark Teixeira, Tex 2B- Luis Rivas, Min SS- Julio Lugo, TB 3B- Alex Rodriguez, NYY OF- Johnny Damon, Bos OF- Rocco Baldelli, TB OF- Vernon Wells, Tor NL Gold Glovers C- Brian Schneider, Mon 1B- Todd Helton, Col 2B- Mark Loretta, SD SS- Alex Gonzalez, Fla 3B- Scott Rolen, StL OF- Jim Edmonds, StL OF- Mike Cameron, NYM OF- Andruw Jones, Atl Win Shares doesn't believe the defensive contributions of pitchers are measureable, so no gold gloves for pitchers. If you insist on Gold Gloves for pitchers, give them to Mike Hampton and Kenny Rogers.

1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? Probably not. Thurman Munson won the MVP award in 1976, but he was far from the best candidate. Voters love RBI hitters on pennant winners. George Brett was a more deserving player that season. 2. Was he the best player on his team? In 1974 he tied Bobby Murcer for the team lead in Win Shares. Otherwise he was never the best player on his team. He was the third best player on the '77 squad, and eighth best on the '78 squad. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Munson was a comtemporary of Johnny Bench, so obviously he wasn't the best catcher in baseball. In the American League, he was perhaps the best catcher in the early 70s, but Fisk took over in 1977. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? In 1976, the Yankees won the AL East and Munson won the MVP. He hit .233 in August and .291 in September. He drew one walk in September, garnering a LOWER OBP than batting average. In 1977, Munson hit 362/380/533 in September as the Yankees won the division by 2.5 games. In 1978, Munson slugged .340 and .311 in August and September respectively as the Yankees stormed from 14 games out to beat the Red Sox. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? No, given the circumstances. But let's assume the plane crash didn't happen. Munson slugged .373 in 1978, and .374 in 1979. Munson was clearly on the decline at the age of 32. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? Not by a longshot. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? None of Munson's most similar players are in the Hall. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? No. Munson scored zero on the Black Ink test, 46 on the Gray Ink test, and meets just 29.5% of HOF standards. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? If you believe in chemestry, he was the "captain" of two World Series teams. He also won three Gold Gloves. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? No. That honor goes to either Ted Simmons or Joe Torre. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Munson won one MVP award, and finished seventh in 1975 and 1977. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Munson played in seven All-Star games. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Probably not. The Yankees didn't win until they signed Catfish Hunter. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? None apparent. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Generally. He was considered a mean player by some of his teammates, but that did not appear to effect his play. Conclusion: Munson wasn't really the best catcher in the league even during his prime, so its hard to buy into the argument that he would make the Hall if the tragedy was avoided. His career was in decline at the time of the accident. Munson hit 113 home runs, but hit just nine in his last season and a half. Munson would have been lucky to reach 150 home runs. He never led the league in any offensive category. I do not want to disparage the image of a deceased player, but Munson was not a Hall of Fame quality player.

As long as you get on base, I don't care how you hit the ball really. And stealing is ok as long as you don't get caught. Actually I'd steal more often in little league due to the suspect nature of the opposing defense.

The funny thing is, I am really one of the calmest people you'll ever meet.

I actually have asperations of coaching Little League and introducing advanced statistics and Moneyball strategies. Twelve year olds working the count, eschewing the bunt, and throwing the knuckleball. Its a beautiful thought.

Well, they weren't technically my kids, so technically I haven't.

The trading deadlines for both the TSM H2H and rotisserie leagues is August 1. Discuss and negotiate your trades before time runs out.

The thing that strikes me so far about Upton is that he doesn't look like he's busting ass running, but he is FAST.

I wasn't referring to your offer. It was Raz's. Ah ok. I misunderstood.

We measure him as a third baseman through 1994, and a Designated Hitter thereafter. He isn't necessarily a slam dunk at DH, as he has Frank Thomas as competition.

They count 69 and 79? Yes. The precident was set in 1972, when Frankie Frisch desired to place Ross Youngs in the Hall. Youngs only played seven games in 1917, but they counted that. With that precident set, Addie Joss managed to make the Hall without playing any part of ten seasons. But essentially, simply playing in any part of ten seasons gets you HOF qualification.

Yes, Munson played 11 seasons. He garned 62 out of 301 votes his first year of eligibility, in 1981. Afterwards, he tailed off and received 30-40 votes a year until dropping off the ballot after 15 years.

I'll add him to the hat. Eventually, I'll cover everyone's suggestions. However, I'll make one exception. Its the 25th anniversery of the plane crash. Does anyone want to see an evaluation of Thurman Munson?

Boston/Tampa Bay currently on ESPN. Of interest: hot prospect B.J. Upton makes his MLB debut.

The Phillies are a amazing 1-6 on their homestand. Despite being division favorites at the beginning of the season, they sit 5.5 games behind the Braves, and just a single game above .500. Tomorrow is an off day. So does Bowa get the long awaited boot? Or does the Philly brass wait until the next homestand just to hear the boobirds in full force?

Good common sense move from the NBA.

How can you say they should have beaten the Braves? The Braves were five wins better and had two or perhaps even three HOF starters. The postseason is not a good measure of success. Look at the teams Johnson had..... Davey Johnson inherited a team that finished 68-94 in 1983. Johnson took over, and the Mets AVERAGED 96 wins over the next six seasons. Johnson left, and the next year the Mets fell to 77-84, and quickly became the joke of baseball. Johnson took over the Reds, who finished 73-89 in 1993. Johnson led them to consecutive division titles. He left, and the Reds fell to third place. Johnson moved on to the Orioles, who finished 71-73 in 1995. The made the playoffs the two seasons Johnson managed. Since he left, the team has yet to finish higher than fourth. Three teams, all of which were worse before and after Johnson managed. If he wasn't great, but his teams were good, what the heck happened?

1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? Ryne Sandberg was never THE best player in baseball for an extended period, but he was the best player in baseball in 1984. 2. Was he the best player on his team? Are you kidding me? Sandberg was the best player on the Cubs every year from 1984 to 1992. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Yes. Sandberg was the best second baseman in baseball from 1984-1992, excepting a handful of seasons in the late 80s. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Sandberg hit .333 in August and .327 in September to drive the '89 Cubs to the NL East pennant. He was also MVP on the NL East champion '84 squad. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? Yes, he hung on until he was 37. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? Quite possibly. He could give Ron Santo a run for his money. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? No. Of his top 10, five are ineligible, and one (Bobby Doerr) is in the Hall. However, three of the other four (Joe Torre, Alan Trammell, Ken Boyer) are strong candidates, and Lou Whitaker got hosed as well. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Yes, Sandberg scores 14 on the Black Ink test, 134 on the Gray Ink test, and 42.7% on the HOF Standards scale. And this is as a second baseman. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Yes. Sandberg was a great defensive player who won nine Gold Gloves. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? Yes. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? He won the award in 1985, and finished fourth in 1990 and '91. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Sandberg played in ten consecutive All-Star games from 1984-93. Of all HOF second basemen, only Nellie Fox had more than ten appearances. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Yes, the Cubs won twice with Sandberg as their best player. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? None apparent. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Yes. Conclusion: It is absolutely inexcusable for Sandberg not to reach the Hall. He was the best second baseman of his decade and he made ten all star teams. His credentials are obvious.

If only we had a good pitcher in the bullpen that we could slide in the rotation, we'd be set.

As always, Don Mossi is the All-Time Champion.