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Brian Massey wrote:
> Hi Mike. You make a compelling argument but I gotta go with what I see.
> What I see is what I see and yes I probably am reacting with somewhat
> overblown cynacism but what the hell.
What you have been seeing is likely the problem. Too much ESPN highlights and
not too many full games. You think they're gonna show ya highlights of McGWIRE
striking out 4 times on low inside pitches? What ya see is what they show ya is
what ya see.
> This is what I've seen. The first pitch the pitcher threw when he hit that
> home run was down and inside. The catcher set up down and inside. Why was
> the catcher there? Did he even go back there after that? Was the catcher
> even telling Mac where it was going? Why not paint the outside where the
> chances he'll hit it out are slimmer? How many of his home runs were to the
> opposite field this year? Practically nil. He's a pull hitter and down
> inside is NOT the place to pitch a pull hitter. What did he hit a cheap
> slider that didn't break? These pitchers are good enough to put the ball
> wherever they want to. Curve balls, sliders, fast balls can go anywhere.
> Why did they put it in his wheelhouse on the very first pitch (perhaps the
> second)? Take a look at the clips -- even going back a month -- they're all
> in pretty much the same place. If I'm facing a batter like that, he gets a
> steady diet of offspeed and away with an occasional fastball high and tight
> or over the outside. A mistake is the only way he gets one he can turn on.
> They pitched him properly after that at bat -- outside. People involved with
> baseball for a long time and/or love the game have vested interests in
> seeing it prosper and rise from the depths it has sunk to in recent times.
My, you sure know how to set up a hitter. You sure make a wrong assumption when
you say that a pitcher can put the ball where ever they want. Just ask Mark
Wholers if you've heard of him. Or Rob Dibble or Mitch Williams. Why even Greg
Maddox got tagged for three dingers in a game a couple of weeks ago. And in case
ya don't know it, McGWIRE has been jammed MANY times this year on inside stuff.
Again, it didn't make the highlight reel...
> I can't say I totally believe what I wrote last night but I do think
> everybody -- comissioners, owners, beer men (women?), and even the
> pitchers-- wanted to see McGWIRE (thank you James) reach that goal. As far
> as pichers feeling competitive goes, that's what I would intuitively think
> too but after reading the Sports Ill. Article on McGWIRE (thank you again
> James) I guess that's not the case.
SI, what a source. And those guys who throw the ball, they're called pitchers,
not "pichers" (thank you Mike)
> However, getting close was an accomplishment. And of course my hat is all
> the way off to BIG Mac.
>
> I guess this is what makes a horse race <smile>
> But was the bat corked? Man those balls leap off the bat pretty fast. The
> world may never know.... (Jjk)
It's in the Hall of Fame. Perhaps you should direct your inquiry to Cooperstown.
> BTW: You don't happen to live around St. Louis do you?
Nope.
best,
Mike
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Reed [mailto:mreed@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 1998 1:21 PM
> To: Robert W Cummings
> Cc: bnm@xxxxxxxxxx; List, Omega
> Subject: Re: off Subject #62
>
> Robert, Brian, James, and other conspiracy theorists...
>
> Can't disagree more about the supposed lollipops McGuire has been seeing,
> and
> especially last night.
> I've been involved in professional baseball since 1974, as a minor leaguer
> and
> in various scouting
> activities. I'm currently under contract as an associate scout for Seattle,
> and
> worked for LA before that so I think I can speak with a bit more insight
> than
> the casual fan. You say "All his HR pitches were down and inside or across
> the
> plate." As opposed to what, high and outside and a foot off of the plate?
> C'mon
> guys, ever hear of waiting for your pitch, knowing your strengths and
> weaknesses, etc. I'm sure you have, or you wouldn't be successfully trading.
> Trachsel was pitching a great game up to that point, and made a pretty
> damned
> good pitch to McGuire that he just turned around, hit it so hard that it
> still
> hadtop spin from that uppercut and might have gone through the wall if it
> was a
> foot lower. I wonder how many other big leaguers woulda, even coulda, done
> the
> same? Sure there are advanced scouting reports, did ya miss the shift most
> teams
> have been pulling when he is at the plate? And how about the first 50 this
> year?
> Or the 59 he hit last year? What, these pitchers don't like to compete?
> C'mon
> again. These guys are the best at their sport in the world, and they don't
> want
> to get beat by anyone (well, 99% of 'em anyhow). Maybe it wasn't where YOU
> guys
> woulda pitched him, but it sure wasn't some BP pitch that he just laid in
> there.
> Have you guys seen him take BP? He only hits about half of them out during
> that
> and he's really getting lollipops then. Probably most important, in case you
> guys haven't noticed, the Cubs happen to be in a wildcard battle with the
> Mets
> and Giants and there are only 17 games left, so I don't think Trachsel
> wanted to
> either hurt his teams chances of winning or go down in the record books as
> the
> guy who gave up number 62. Lastly, if you guys want to blame anything for
> the
> record being broken I suggest you try another route. Remember that there was
> expansion in '61 also, and today's talent is somewhat diluted due to the
> same
> this year.
>
> Now I don't know how to relate this to trading, but maybe using an analogy
> that's kinda out there will
> suffice, I'll give it a try anyway. Let's suppose that public records are
> kept
> from every trade made in
> the SP pit, and there's a big board with a record of every traders P&L shown
> as
> total points up or
> down on the year. Trader X was the big winner last year, almost broke a 37
> year
> old record last year
> and has really been consistent over time, one of the really big hitters so
> to
> speak. Wow, ya gotta be
> careful when trading with this guy. Everyone knows now from observation how
> he
> likes too trade, and
> the setups for his biggest point winners over the years. Well, right now
> trader
> X is on the cusp of
> breaking the old single year record and the world is a hush as all eyes
> focus on
> Trader X as he steps
> into the pit to put on a position that might be the one that puts him in the
> books. Now here you are,
> Trader Z, a quite accomplished trader in your own right or you wouldn't be
> there
> and you're face to
> face with Trader X. You have your reputation too, and you think you can grab
> a
> point or so from
> Trader X or you wouldn't competing and it's what your work shows you should
> do.
> So you bravely
> follow your plan and take the other side of Trader X's position, but whoops,
> your were wrong. Not by
> much, you just missed, but Trader X hit his pitch, err, got just enough of
> your
> mistake to put him in the
> record books. The crowd around the pits break into cheer, they halt trading
> for
> 15 minutes as the world watches Trader X relish his moment in the spotlight.
> And
> there you are, Trader Z, disappointed just a
> bit that you just missed by a tiny bit but will recover, and the guy that
> all of
> conspiracy theorists are talking about the next day, saying what a lollipop
> you
> threw him. "Didn't he know that trader X liked that kind of setup?" they
> ask.
> "Yeah, and they've been doing it for weeks too just to help him get the
> record,
> and besides, it's good for business..."
>
> --
> best,
> Mike
>
> Robert W Cummings wrote:
>
> > Brian,
> >
> > Yes I did notice that especially that last one number 62. Looked as if the
> > pitcher was going to under hand
> > soft ball style the next one if he missed that one. I don't know about
> > lumber be maybe buy stock in that over the counter drug McGuire takes. My
> > thinking was as I was caught up in the moment of this historic baseball
> > event maybe this post would change the tone from religion and trading to
> > baseball and trading. Guess not???
> >
> > Robert
> >
> > At 09:43 PM 9/8/98 -0700, Brian Massey wrote:
> > >Robert,
> > >
> > >Don't get me wrong I'm a huge baseball fan having played through
> childhood
> > >and into early adulthood. I respect McGuire, Sosa and Griffy for what
> they
> > >have accomplished. However, after watching where the pitchers have been
> > >pitching McGuire for past month when hitting HRs (check out the TV clips)
> > >and where the ball was thrown when he hit #62, do you ever get the
> feeling
> > >like it was sort of rigged? All his HR pitches were down and inside or
> > >across the plate. Scouting reports surely know this is his power zone so
> > >why do they continue to pitch him there?
> > >
> > >I mean baseball is a business and this chase has been good for business.
> > >People are coming out in record numbers. If I was commissioner I'd be
> > >saying just serve it up to him at least once or twice each night.
> > >
> > >PS. I'm trying to think of a way this relates to trading. Do you think
> I
> > >should buy lumber futures as demand increases for McGuire's card?
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