From rec.sport.baseball Sun Dec 4 11:29:55 1994 Path: news.csc.fi!news.funet.fi!sunic!pipex!howland.reston.ans.net!news2.near.net!satisfied.elf.com!rpi!jonesm2 ~From: jonesm2@alum01.its.rpi.edu (Mike Jones) ~Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball ~Subject: rec.sport.baseball FAQ Part 1: General Information ~Date: 4 Dec 1994 02:51:12 GMT Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY ~Lines: 365 Message-ID: <3brar0$f75@usenet.rpi.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: alum01.its.rpi.edu Archive-name: baseball-faq/general Welcome to the rec.sport.baseball FAQ! This is section 1, general information, version 1.18. This version was last changed 94/12/03; it is posted approximately monthly. Send any comments, suggestions, or corrections to Mike Jones (jonesm2@rpi.edu). Questions are flagged with three equals signs (===) at the beginning of a line. Keywords related to the question are on each flagged line. === general, newsgroup Q: What's this all about? A: This group is for the discussion of baseball. Mostly American Major League baseball, though there is some discussion of American Minor League (see also Part 3), Japanese and Australian baseball from time to time. All topics related to the game and players are welcome. === statistics, acronyms Q: What are all these acronyms? I've heard of RBI and ERA, but what are DA, OPS, MLV, EqA and GS? A: Read Part 5 of the FAQ. It's all in there. === statistics, etiquette Q: There are an awful lot of numbers here...how come some people spend all their time fiddling with numbers instead of actually watching the game? A: Well, they don't. The people who most often appear to be "fiddling with numbers" here - the "statheads" or "SDCNs" (see Part 2)) watch (and in come cases play) as many games as anyone else. They fiddle with numbers IN ADDITION to watching and playing. The difference is that some people think of statistics as a way to better understand the game they love; others think of statistics as somehow separate from the game. Both groups of people are fans, though, and it is offensive to claim or imply that they aren't. === archive, FTP site Q: Is there an archive site for baseball stuff? A: Yes. It's eucalyptus.cc.swarthmore.edu. There is much good stuff available there by anonymous FTP, including - this FAQ - a list of team mailing list addressess - offensive statistics for the last few years - information about Defensive Average (DA) - DA data for the last few years. === ticket information Q: How do I get tickets for ? A: Here are the addresses and phone numbers for each of the major league teams: Form: Team Stadium Stadium Address Team offices (or information) Fax number Ticket information American League Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Orioles Park At Camden Yards Fenway Park 333 West Camden Street 4 Yawkey Way Baltimore, MD 21201 Boston, MA 02215 (301) 481-6000 (offices) (617) 267-1700 (tickets) (410) 547-6422 (fax) (617) 236-6797 (fax) (410) 685-9800 (tickets) (617) 267-8661 (information) (800) 551-7328 (tickets) California Angels Chicago White Sox Anaheim Stadium Comiskey Park Box 2000 333 West 35th Street Anaheim, CA 92803 Chicago, IL 60616 (714) 634-1300 (offices) (312) 559-1212 (offices) (714) 634-2000 (tickets) (312) 924-1000 (tickets) (714) 634-3410 (fax) (312) 451-5116 (fax) Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers Jacobs Field Tiger Stadium Cleveland, OH 44114 2121 Trumbull Avenue Detroit, MI 48216 (216) 420-INFO (information) (313) 962-4000 (tickets) (216) 420-HITS (tickets) (313) 682-1401 (offices) (216) 420-4396 (fax) (313) 962-1128 (fax) Kansas City Royals Milwaukee Brewers Kauffman Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium Box 419969 Milwaukee, WI 53214 Kansas City, MO 64141 (816) 921-2200 (offices) (414) 933-4114 (offices) (816) 921-8000 (tickets) (414) 933-1200 (tickets) (800) 422-1969 (tickets) (800) 933-7890 (tickets) (816) 921-5775 (fax) (414) 933-7323 (fax) Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Yankee Stadium 501 Chicago Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55415 Bronx, NY, 10451 (612) 375-1116 (offices) (212) 293-4300 (offices) (800) 28-TWINS (information) (212) 293-6000 (tickets) (800) 843-8946 (tickets) (612) 375-7473 (fax) (718) 293-8414 (fax) Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Kingdome Oakland, CA 94621 Box 4100 Seattle, WA 98104 (415) 638-4900 (offices) (206) 628-3555 (offices) (510) 568-5600 (tickets) (206) 622-HITS (tickets) (800) 225-2277 (tickets) (510) 638-4937 (fax) (206) 628-3340 (fax) Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays The Ballpark In Arlington SkyDome Box 90111 300 The Esplanade West, Suite 3200 Arlington, TX 76004-3111 Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5V 3B3 (817) 273-5222 (offices) (Phone # for office, anyone?) (800) 94-TEXAS (tickets) (416) 341-1111 (tickets) (817) 273-5206 (fax) (416) 341-1250 (fax) National League Atlanta Braves Chicago Cubs Fulton County Stadium Wrigley Field Box 4064 1060 W. Addison St. Atlanta, GA 30302-4064 Chicago, IL (404) 522-7630 (offices) (312) 382-5050 (offices) (404) 522-7630 (tickets) (312) 404-4467 (tickets) (800) 326-4000 (tickets) (800) 347-2827 (tickets) (404) 614-1391 (fax) (312) 404-4129 (fax) Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies Riverfront Stadium Suite 4100 Cincinnati, OH 45202 1700 Lincoln Denver, CO 80203 (513) 421-4510 (offices) 303-ROCKIES (offices) (513) 421-7337 (tickets) (800) 388-ROCK (tickets) (800) 829-5353 (tickets) (513) 421-7342 (fax) (303) 830-8977 (fax) Florida Marlins Houston Astros 100 NE 3rd Avenue Astrodome Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301 Box 288 (phone numbers, anyone?) Houston, TX 77001 (713) 799-9500 (offices) (713) 799-9555 (tickets) (800) 944-4487 (tickets) (305) 626-7428 (fax) (713) 799-9562 (fax) Los Angeles Dodgers Montreal Expos Dodger Stadium Stade Olympique 1000 Elysian Park Avenue Box 500, Station M Los Angeles, CA 90012-1199 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1V 3P2 (213) 224-1500 (offices) (514) 253-3434 (offices) (213) 224-1400 (tickets) (514) 253-3434 (tickets) (800) 678-5440 (tickets) (213) 224-1459 (fax) (514) 253-8282 (fax) New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Shea Stadium Veterans Memorial Stadium Flushing, NY 11368 Box 7575 Philadelphia, PA 19101 (718) 507-6387 (offices) (215) 463-6000 (offices) (718) 507-8499 (tickets) (215) 463-1000 (tickets) (718) 565-4382 (tickets) (215) 389-3050 (fax) Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres Three Rivers Stadium Jack Murphy Stadium Box 7000 Box 2000 Pittsburgh, PA 15212 San Diego, CA 92120-0020 (412) 323-5000 (offices) (619) 283-4494 (offices) (800) 289-2827 (tickets) (619) 283-4494 (tickets) (800) 366-1212 (tickets) (800) 876-SEAT (tickets) (412) 323-9133 (fax) (619) 282-8886 (fax) San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals Candlestick Park Busch Stadium Box 24308 250 Stadium Plaza San Francisco, CA 94124 St. Louis, MO 63102-1722 (415) 468-3000 (offices) (314) 421-3060 (offices) (415) 467-8000 (tickets) (314) 421-3060 (tickets) (800) 225-2277 (tickets) (800) 421-FAME (tickets) (415) 467-0485 (fax) (314) 425-0640 (fax) === rookies, eligibility Q: Who qualifies as a "rookie", officially? A: In order to qualify officialy as a rookie you mut not have had ANY ONE OF the following: - 130 AB's - 50 IP - 45 days on a major league roster during the 25-man limit (i.e., before September 1). Time in military service or on the disabled list does not count against this limit. === arbitration, eligibility and procedure Q: Who is eligible for arbitration? How does it work? A: A player becomes eligible for arbitration after reaching three years of Major League service [how is this defined? -mj]. Additionally, a player who has accumulated at least 86 days of service during the immediately preceding season and is among the top 17% of players who meet that criterion in total service time is eligible for arbitration. Once a team and a player have agreed to go to arbitration, each of them submits a salary figure for a one-year contract. The team and the player appear before a licensed member of the National Association of Arbitrators; each presents a case intended to convince the arbitrator that their salary figure is most appropriate. In general, this is done by demonstrating that the player is "comparable" to players receiving the amount of money being argued for. The choice of how to define "comparable" is often the difference in the cases. After the arbitrator has heard both cases, he chooses one of the two submitted figures as being the most appropriate. The player and team are bound to sign a contract for the next year at that figure. The arbitrator *cannot* choose any figure other than one of the two submitted. This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated. === 10-and-5 man Q: What's a "10-and-5" man? A: A player who has accumulated 10 years or more of Major League service, with at least the last 5 of them being with the same team. "10-and-5" players can veto trades or waiver claims. This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated. === waivers, trading deadline Q: OK, what's a waiver claim? What is this "trading deadline?" A: Well, it's not really a "deadline" in the sense that trades can be made after it. Basically, from the beginning of the season until July 31, teams may make trades among themselves as they wish (subject to the approval of "10-and-5" men). After July 31, any team wishing to trade a player must have that player "clear waivers". The waiver process works like this: 1. A team may "ask for waivers" on a player by sending notification of that fact to the MLB offices. 2. The MLB offices publish to all teams the information that the player has been put on waivers. A claim is published for 3 days. If no team makes a waiver claim, the player "passes (or clears) waivers" and may be traded to any team. 3. If more than one team puts in a waiver claim for the player, priority of waiver claims is determined as follows: teams in the same league as the team asking waivers, in order from worst record (as of the claim date) to best, then teams in the other league, in the same order). The highest priority claim stands, others are dismissed. 4. The team which asked for waivers may now - pull the player back from waivers, which ends the process, - trade the player to the claiming team (they may not negotiate with any other team), or - allow the claiming team to take the player for the standard waiver fee of $50,000. 5. If they negotiate a trade with the claiming team, any player(s) being sent in return must either clear waivers or be delivered to the team after the end of the regular season. 6. A "10-and-5" man may veto a trade or a waiver claim transaction; if he does, he stays with the team which waived him. If a team pulls a player back from waivers, they can ask for waivers on him again that season, but the second time the waivers are "irrevocable". The only difference is that, in step 4 above, they do not have the option of pulling a player back from irrevocable waivers. This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated. === post-season roster, deadline Q: Who's eligible to play in the post-season. A: Anyone who is on the 25-man roster or the disabled list as of August 31. This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated. === roster expansion Q: When do rosters expand? How much? A: September 1. To 40 men. This information is subject to change whenever the Basic Agreement between the players and the owners is renegotiated. === mailing lists Q: Does have a mailing list? A: Probably. Mat Wall maintains a list of team mailing lists at the anonymous FTP site at eucalyptus.cc.swarthmore.edu. === home field advantage, postseason Q: How is home field advantage determined for the League Championship Series and the World Series? A: It alternates. The East division champion has home field advantage in odd-numbered years for the LCS, and the AL champion has home-field advantage in odd-numbered years for the WS. In even numbered years, the West division and NL champions have home field advantage. How this will work next year after the split into three divisions and adding a wildcard team is anybody's guess. === nicknames, Fred McGriff Q: How did Fred McGriff get his nickname, and what does it mean? A: This is one of those rare things, a nickname given by Chris Berman that stuck. In the late 1970s, Public Service Announcements began appearing on TV and radio in the US advising people on ways they could avoid and/or prevent crime. The character who gave out these valuable tips was an animated bloodhound with a gravelly voice and a trenchcoat named McGruff, the Crime Dog. Berman hung the tag on McGriff during SportCenter one night, and improbably enough, it stuck! The PSAs still are being aired in the US, by the way. === organizations, SABR Q: What is SABR? How do I get in touch with them? A: SABR is the Society for American Baseball Research. They can be reached at: Society for American Baseball Research P.O. Box 93183 Cleveland OH 44101 (216) 575-0500 === speech, Bull Durham, Kevin Costner Q: What *did* Kevin Costner say in "that speech" in Bull Durham? A: When asked what he believed in, Crash Davis said... Well, I believe in the soul. The cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are overindulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone! I believe that there oughta be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, WET kisses that last three days. Good night. === Daves Q: Hey, how many Daves are there on this newsgroup, anyway? A: A lot. In fact, as of (roughly) October 1994, we have barring@freya.cs.umass.edu David Mix Barrington crow@tivoli.com David L. Crow dadler@aoc.nrao.edu David S. Adler DareDavel@aol.com David Gershon Shapiro dconner@clark.net David Conner demers@cs.ucsd.edu David DeMers dkeisen@netcom.com Dave Eisen dmm0t@rincewind.mech.virginia.edu David Meyer DNieporent@aol.com David M. Nieporent dpease@qualcomm.com David Pease dtate+@pitt.edu David M. Tate ep502dn@pts.mot.com Dave Naehring grabiner@math.harvard.edu David Grabiner jcd9s@darwin.clas.virginia.edu John C. Davenport kirsch@stolaf.edu Dave Kirsch mckinnon@math.berkeley.edu David McKinnon MEBONAR@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu Dave Bonar napold@rpi.edu David Napoli nichols@parc.xerox.com David Nichols psychlo@eecs.umich.edu John-David Wellman thornley@cs.umn.edu David H. Thornley weiss@back.vims.edu David Weiss That makes 22 Daves by my count, only 21 if you disallow Clay DAVEnport. Compare with 13 Mikes, 6 Johns (including Clay and John-David Wellman who are pulling double-duty), 6 Jims, only 4 Scotts, 4 Garys, and 1 Sherri.