EVIL~! alkeiper

Quite simply, it is a measure of how they fare on leaderboards. The Black Ink test measures how often a player led his league in stats such as home runs, RBIs, batting average, and so on. The Gray Ink test measures how often a player appeared in the top ten.

The Orioles also didn't spend money on pitching. What are they giving Sidney Ponson? Pails of fish? Come to think of it, I wouldn't doubt it.

I'll add them to the pile. Here are the players I've done so far: Bert Blyleven, Dave Concepcion, Goose Gossage, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Roger Maris, Don Mattingly, Carl Mays, Fred McGriff, Minnie Minoso, Thurman Munson, Tim Raines, Ryne Sandberg, Ron Santo, Alan Trammell, Maury Wills, Jimmy Wynn. Players in the Queue: Albert Belle, Andre Dawson, Wes Ferrell, Steve Garvey, Bobby Grich, Stan Hack, Tommy John, Davey Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Paul O'Neill, Dave Parker, Jim Rice, Ted Simmons, Lee Smith, Dave Steib, Luis Tiant, Joe Torre, Lon Warneke, Dale Murphy, Dave Justice.

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. Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson were superior players. 2. Was he the best player on his team? No. Wally Moon was better in 1961, Tommy Davis was better in '62, and from then on Wills was surpassed by Sandy Koufax. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Wills was the best shortstop in baseball from 1961-62, and the best in the National League from 1961-65. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Wills was the shortstop for four NL pennant winners, and three World Series winners. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? Yes. He played regularly until he was 38. 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 Wills' ten most similar players are in the Hall. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Not quite. Wills scores 16 on the Black Ink test, 67 on the Gray Ink test, and meets 28.6% of HOF standards. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Wills won two Gold Gloves. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? No. Alan Trammell is more qualified. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Wills won an MVP award in 1962 (although several others were more qualified), and finished in the top ten four times. 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? Wills played in five 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? Only in 1962, '63 and '65. Otherwise, no. 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? Yes. Wills restored the stolen base to prominence, setting a modern day steals record of 104 in 1962, and winning six consecutive stolen base crowns. The steal, dead as an offensive weapon in the '50s, skyrocketed in the '60s. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Wills was a petulant character, generally hard to get along with. His managerial stint was a disaster. Conclusion: Another player with a few prime seasons, but otherwise an unimpressive resume. Wills was great for four years, but nothing special in his other seasons. I say no to Wills. He just wasn't great for long enough.

I'm not overly surprised with Martinez's retirement. His numbers slipped noticeably this season, and its time for him to retire with his dignity intact. He was one of the best hitters of the last decade, and he was a pleasure to watch. As for Lidle, he (hopefully) replaces Paul Abbott in the rotation. Even his 5.34 ERA is nearly a full run better than Abbott.

The rate stats, the ones over 9 innings, are portrayed to list those who allowed the FEWEST, not the most.

Cleveland had a good team that year, but the matchup is really bad. I looked over the Indians' roster and saw no lefties, while the Yankees had left-handed hitting out their ears. And then I checked Retrosheet to check out the season matchup. The Yankees beat the Indians nine times in a row. Heck, Frank Thomas had a 353/487/729 line going. And Greg Maddux deserves credit for posting a 1.56 ERA in the middle of an offensive boom.

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? Maris won two consecutive MVPs, so observers considered him the best for two years. However, Maris won the award by leading the league in RBIs, and part of that was simply having Mantle's OBP in front of him in the lineup. Mantle was always the better player. 2. Was he the best player on his team? No, although he was second best behind Mantle from 1960-62. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Maris was never the best right fielder in baseball, as Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson were better. Maris was the best right fielder in the American League in 1960 and '61, but was overshadowed afterward by Tony Oliva and Al Kaline. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Maris was the MVP for two pennant winners. He was also considered a valuable role player for the 1967-68 Cardinals. Maris hit just 217/298/368 in 152 World Series at bats. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? No. Maris was out of baseball by the time he turned 34. 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? No. None of Maris's ten most similar comps are in the Hall. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? No. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Maris won a Gold Glove in 1960, and had one of the better arms of his era. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? No. Dave Parker, Tony Oliva, and Andre Dawson are better. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Roger Maris won two MVPs, but never placed in the top ten in any other year. 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? Maris played in four 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? Only in 1960-61. Otherwise, no chance. 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? Maris was the catalyst for the second Dead Ball era. His 61 home runs caused the baseball establishment to overreact to the rise in offenses, and they enacted several changes which crippled offenses for the next decade. 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: Two years in which Maris did not dominate, but was a top hitter and set a home run record. And outside of those two years, Maris was nothing special at all. There's really no justification to place Maris in the Hall outside of the home run record.

Charley Steiner is currently a radio announcer for the New York Yankees.

They showed a few highlights last night, including the Holyfield skit, and Steiner laughing at Tonya Harding. Charley Steiner is on tonight.

Bagwell would've put up the same numbers. He broke his hand on August 10.

Damn. I hadn't even looked. An 8.85 career postseason ERA? The Rangers better have hoped Kevin Brown can start five games in the series.

Even if Brown breaks out and wins game one, the Rangers have to win two more. Kenny Rogers would pitch game two, and as we saw from the Mets, he could get shaky in the Playoffs. If they are not up 2-0, the Rangers would be in serious trouble. Fajardo and Pavlik versus Bere and Fernandez? And keep in mind games three, four and five are in Chicago. I just find it very unlikely that a sub-.500 team would beat a team 15 wins better because one pitcher was due to break out.

The Cubs have allowed the least runs of any team in all of baseball. How could they possibly need defense over offense?

I found it on Kazaa. If you can track me down on AIM, I'll gladly share the file.

Yeah, but it gets confusing, and I figure the dates are more important than the games.

Craig sounds like a guy who hasn't done live sports highlights in awhile.

A few teams are wrapping up their series. We have Oakland and Minnesota in a battle of division leaders. Esteban Loaiza makes his second start for the Yankees, and we've got Cleveland and Chicago in an important divisional series.

CF Marlon Byrd is hitting 348/375/478 since his call-up. I've maintained he can be a success, so hopefully he can keep this up. Not the batting average obviously, but this is a step in the right direction.

Typical of scouts and managers to focus on Youkilis's weaknesses, rather than his strengths. I hear he's more than willing to take a ball or two.

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? Doubtful. 2. Was he the best player on his team? In 1973, he was the best player on the Minnesota Twins, and oddly enough, he was the best player on the 1989 California Angels. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? In 1973, both Bill James and Total Baseball rate Blyleven as the best pitcher in baseball. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Blyleven compiled a 2.53 ERA in 7 starts in September for the 1970 Twins. Blyleven finished the 1979 season with a 12-3 run as the Pirates won the Series in 1979. Blyleven also compiled a 2.45 ERA in six September starts for the 1987 Twins, who also won the World Series. Overall, Blyleven compiled a 2.89 career ERA in August, and a 2.97 career ERA in September. Blyleven pitched extremely well in the postseason, running a 5-1 record alongside a 2.47 ERA. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? Yes. Blyleven pitched well into his late 30s. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? It's possible. Ron Santo is probably a better position player, but its hard to find a better pitcher. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? Yes. Eight of Blyleven's ten most similar pitchers are in the Hall. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Yes. Blyleven scores just 16 on the Black Ink test. However, he scores 239 on the Gray Ink test, well above average. He also scores 50 on the HOF Standards test, which is average for a HOFer. Blyleven ranks 25th All Time in wins, and fifth all time in strikeouts (third when he retired). Blyleven ranks 22nd All Time among pitchers in Win Shares, and 19th among pitchers in Total Baseball's Total Player Wins. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Yes. Blyleven often played for losing teams, which hurt his win/loss record. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? I believe so. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Blyleven never won a Cy Young award, and finished in the running just four times. 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? The black mark. Blyleven appeared in just two All-Star games. However, I truly believe he was hurt by poor run support, which hurt his W/L records. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Probably not as the best player, but as the best pitcher, yes. 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: Its inconceivable that Blyleven is not in the Hall. He was not an impact pitcher. However, his career numbers are massive. Had he pitched for better teams, there is little doubt he would have won 300 games, and stamped his HOF ticket. Moreover, he pitched extremely well in important games (witness his 5-1 postseason mark). Blyleven for the Hall.

Let's see. McDowell did pitch poorly in the playoffs in his career, so you've got a point there. Alvarez pitched well the year before in the playoffs, however, so I see no reason he'd crumble. Alex Fernandez pitched well in the postseason as well. Meanwhile, Texas had NO rotation depth outside Brown and Rogers. At some point, they would have to put Hector Fajardo or Roger Pavlik on the mound. If Brown and Rogers don't give them a 2-0 lead, they're fucked. Henke doesn't help unless you keep it close. Kevin Brown would only get two starts (and that's if it goes five games), and Pudge only gets 4 at bats a game. I won't deny that the Rangers had their strengths. But they ranked dead last in pitching. That sort of thing tends to bite you in the ass when you make the Playoffs.

Check it out!

managed to download the '88 Rumble on my computer. The match itself was the WWF's answer to the NWA's Bunkhouse Stampede, which aired at the same time on Pay Per View. The '88 Rumble drew an 8.2 rating, while the Stampede drew 3.5. The Rumble smoked the Stampede in attendance, 18,000 to 6,000. Unlike future Rumbles, this match featured twenty wrestlers instead of 30. Moreover, there are almost no main event stars in the match. Hulk Hogan, Ted DiBiase, Andre the Giant, Randy Savage and the Honky Tonk Man are not entered. The lack of the buzzer was quite noticeable, as the WWF hadn't quite mastered the art of anticipating the next entrant. Wrestlers arrived with little fan reaction, and seemed to come out at a random point during the count at points. There was little fancy booking, beyond Nikolai Volkoff attempting to enter one slot early. For the most part, this was simply your run of the mill twenty man battle royale, stretched out to over half an hour. That is not to say the match was not good. It rarely lagged and provided solid action. But the aura of the Rumble match is not there, nor the anticipation. Especially after the last entrant enters (The Junkyard Dog), the match really feels just like a battle royal. Eliminations come slow until the last five minutes or so. Ten wrestlers were left when the JYD entered. Bret Hart lasts over thirty minutes, albeit with little hype outside of Jesse Ventura's infrequent mentions. Not having seen a Rumble match before obviously effects the way the commentators view the match. It is just notable for being one of many times the WWF toyed with the idea of a singles push for Bret Hart. It is sad to see the last days of Harley Race, active wrestler, in this match. Race is notably overweight, slow, and reduced to doing comedy spots. Race did the Big Bossman's punching bag in the ropes routine. In retrospect, managing Big Van Vader was the best thing to happen to Race, as that replaced Race's WWF days as the fans' most recent memory of Harley Race. The file itself contains a glitch around minute number five, causing the video to freeze. After skipping past this part, I experienced no further problems with the video. Anyone else ever watch the match? Thoughts?

Care to provide an explanation? That's a bold statement to make about a sub-.500 team.