Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP
Path: utzoo!dciem!jeff
From: jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Most Disappointing Player Survey
Message-ID: <294@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Aug-83 17:16:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: dciem.294
Posted: Thu Aug 18 17:16:11 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Aug-83 19:15:22 EDT
References: <445@ihuxm.UUCP>
Organization: D.C.I.E.M, Toronto, Canada
Lines: 38

As far as Reggie being a most disappointing player is concerned, I
disagree.  For one thing, he is getting on in years, so you can't
expect him to produce the way he did a few years ago.  Also, his main
contributions have always come in post-season play.  He has had several
mediochre seasons, only to follow them with playoff excellence.
I know you have to get to the playoffs first, but why should Jackson
be expected to do much better this season than he has in the past?

I have seen only one Angels game this year.  The Blue Jays led all
the way and were up by three going into the ninth.  With two out,
the Angels had two men on base and had already scored once.  Guess
who came up to bat.  The fans were on Jackson as they are no matter
where he plays, but with two strikes on him, he responded with a homer
to put the Angels up by one.  The Jays couldn't come back in the
bottom of the ninth, and the Angels left with a victory.  The moral
of the story is, "Reggie is still winning games."

I have always thought that Reggie's large salary is mainly for his
ability to draw fans.  I don't know what the Angels attendance
figures are or what Reggie's salary is, but if he draws an extra
2500 fans to every home game, at an average of $5 per fan, the team
can pay him a million dollars a year and still come out ahead.
It's difficult to tell how many fans he brings to Angels home games,
but I know my girlfriend suddenly gets keen on going to baseball
games when the Angels are in town, and I don't think she
knows who Rod Carew is.  That means Reggie is doing baseball in general
a lot of good by bringing new fans to the games.  He is probably the
only baseball player who is recognised by millions of people who know
nothing about the game.

All these things considered, he shouldn't be disappointing no matter
how badly he plays.

                                    Jeff Richardson
                                    DCIEM, Toronto

PS:  I boo him when I go to the games.  I think he'd be disappointed
     if he wasn't booed.