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Around the Majors: Spring training begins

by Lee Sinins
February 15, 2006

1) Pitchers and catchers report today for the Angels, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Orioles, Rangers and Tigers.

2) The Mets signed free agent P Jose Lima to a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training.
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
2003 30    2   4.91   14  14   73.1   32  3.93 13.62   8   3   0   6   5  Royals       
2004 31    1   4.07   36  24  170.1   93  4.91 11.25  13   5   0   9   9  Dodgers      
2005 32  -50   6.99   32  32  168.2   80  4.27 15.42   5  16   0   6  15  Royals       
CAREER  -126   5.21  344 231 1550.1  968  5.62 12.73  89  98   5  84 103 
LG AVG     0   4.47          1550.1 1131  6.56 13.02  87  87 

Lima just missed the American League record for worst single season RSAA--
RSAA                          YEAR    RSAA    
1    Pat Caraway              1931      -51   
2    Jose Lima                2005      -50   
T3   Snake Wiltse             1902      -44   
T3   George Caster            1940      -44   
T3   Todd Van Poppel          1996      -44   
T6   Rube Bressler            1915      -42   
T6   Roy Halladay             2000      -42   
T6   Jim Walkup               1937      -42   
T6   Nels Potter              1939      -42   
T10  Jason Bere               1995      -41   
T10  Matt Keough              1982      -41   
T10  Jim Abbott               1996      -41   
T10  Jack Lamabe              1964      -41   
T10  Elmer Myers              1917      -41   

He ranks 5th on the all time list for worst career RSAA (since 1900)--
RSAA   
1    Herm Wehmeier              -161   
T2   Bobby Witt                 -130   
T2   Kevin Jarvis               -130   
4    Mike Kekich                -127   
5    Jose Lima                  -126   
6    Jimmy Haynes               -120   
7    Phil Ortega                -119   
T8   Jack Fisher                -118   
T8   Todd Van Poppel            -118   
T10  Leo Sweetland              -110   
T10  Harry McIntire             -110   

3) The Reds signed OFs Tuffy Rhodes and Quinton McCracken to minor league contracts, with invitations to spring training, and designated P Jung Bong for assignment.
RHODES
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1993   24    6  .400  .519  .919  .739   9.00  .278   3    7    2   20  Astros/Cubs
1994   25   -3  .318  .387  .705  .457   4.38  .234   8   19    6   95  Cubs         
1995   26   -7  .156  .122  .278  .023   0.68  .098   0    3    0   23  Cubs/Red Sox
CAR        -12  .310  .349  .659  .428   3.99  .224  13   44   14  225 
LG AVG       0  .336  .413  .748  .500   4.87  .268  17   78   15 
POS AVG      7  .345  .424  .768  .529   5.26  .275  17   72   26 

MCCRACKEN
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
2003   33  -20  .276  .271  .547  .184   2.54  .227   0   18    5  115  Diamondbacks 
2004   34   -6  .328  .381  .709  .397   4.24  .273   2   13    3   74  Mariners/Diamondbacks
2005   35  -13  .313  .298  .610  .290   3.24  .237   1   13    4  134  Diamondbacks 
CAR        -88  .337  .375  .712  .383   4.40  .276  20  242   87  954 
LG AVG       0  .341  .429  .770  .500   5.15  .270  78  330   50 
POS AVG     19  .347  .436  .783  .520   5.41  .273  79  318   82 

4) The Pirates released P Joe Roa.
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
2002 30   -2   4.04   14  11   71.1   35  4.42 11.61   4   4   0   4   4  Phillies     
2003 31  -11   6.14   28   4   51.1   38  6.66 14.20   1   3   0   2   2  Phillies/Rockies/Padres
2004 32    2   4.50   48   0   70     47  6.04 14.53   2   3   0   3   2  Twins        
CAREER   -21   4.94  120  19  266    154  5.21 13.94   9  16   0  12  13 
LG AVG     0   4.33           266    197  6.67 12.87  15  15 

5) The White Sox claimed P Rusty Tucker off waivers from the Padres.

6) Today's birthdays--
RON CEY, AGE: 58
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1975   27   33  .372  .473  .845  .670   6.22  .283  25  101    5  158  Dodgers      
1976   28   32  .386  .462  .848  .681   6.40  .277  23   80    0  145  Dodgers      
1979   31   32  .389  .499  .888  .674   7.04  .281  28   81    3  150  Dodgers      
CAR        207  .354  .445  .799  .586   5.44  .261 316 1139   24 2073 
LG AVG       0  .331  .388  .720  .500   4.48  .264 155  834  176 
POS AVG     24  .334  .401  .735  .505   4.62  .263 189  891  117 

GEORGE EARNSHAW, 1900-76
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
1929 29   35   3.28   44  33  255    149  5.26 12.81  24   8   1  21  11  A's          
1931 31   23   3.67   43  30  282    152  4.85 10.63  21   7   6  16  12  A's          
1932 32   10   4.78   36  33  245    109  4.00 13.22  19  13   0  17  15  A's          
CAREER    11   4.38  319 249 1916   1002  4.71 13.22 127  93  12 113 107 
LG AVG     0   4.34          1916    697  3.27 13.38 107 107 

ALEX GONZALEZ, AGE: 29
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
2003   26   -4  .313  .443  .756  .477   4.58  .256  18   77    0  150  Marlins      
2004   27  -26  .270  .419  .689  .335   3.43  .232  23   79    3  159  Marlins      
2005   28  -11  .319  .368  .686  .405   3.88  .264   5   45    5  130  Marlins      
CAR       -128  .291  .391  .682  .358   3.68  .245  81  375   23  896 
LG AVG       0  .343  .437  .780  .500   5.30  .270 111  450   60 
POS AVG   -101  .321  .383  .703  .396   4.24  .263  58  337   74 

JOE HESKETH, AGE: 47
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
1985 26   15   2.49   25  25  155.1  113  6.55  9.85  10   5   0   9   6  Expos        
1991 32   17   3.29   39  17  153.1  104  6.10 11.45  12   4   0  10   6  Red Sox      
CAREER    25   3.78  339 114  961.2  726  6.79 12.48  60  47  21  55  52 
LG AVG     0   3.94           961.2  610  5.71 12.40  54  54 

CHARLIE IRWIN, 1869-1925
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1894   25  -20  .379  .422  .801  .430   7.48  .289   8   95   35  128  Cubs         
1898   29  -31  .297  .305  .602  .311   3.55  .240   3   55   18  136  Reds         
1901   32  -31  .277  .293  .570  .291   3.15  .227   0   45   17  132  Reds/Dodgers
CAR       -134  .330  .344  .674  .402   4.90  .267  16  488  180  989 
LG AVG       0  .352  .381  .732  .500   5.97  .289  25  512  179 
POS AVG    -45  .343  .367  .710  .471   5.55  .278  23  509  167 

BARRY JONES, AGE: 43
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
1990 27   14   2.31   65   0   74     45  5.47 11.68  11   4   1  11   4  White Sox    
CAREER     1   3.66  348   0  433    250  5.20 12.78  33  33  23  34  32 
LG AVG     0   3.75           433    279  5.79 12.10  24  24 

CANDY LACHANCE, 1870-1932
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1902   32  -21  .309  .351  .660  .380   4.08  .279   6   56    8  138  Red Sox      
1903   33  -20  .303  .328  .631  .373   3.68  .257   1   53   12  141  Red Sox      
1904   34  -28  .265  .283  .548  .304   2.57  .227   1   47    7  157  Red Sox      
CAR        -88  .318  .379  .697  .452   4.98  .280  39  690  192 1263 
LG AVG       0  .344  .378  .721  .500   5.68  .283  32  643  215 
POS AVG    -16  .334  .386  .720  .496   5.55  .284  37  730  198 

JIMMY RING, 1895-65
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
1917 22  -18   4.40   24   7   88     33  3.38 12.89   3   7   2   3   7  Reds         
1920 25  -23   3.54   42  33  267     73  2.46 12.30  17  16   1  13  20  Reds         
1926 31  -18   4.57   39  23  183     76  3.74 13.87  11  10   2   9  12  Giants       
1928 33  -38   6.40   35  25  173     72  3.75 16.60   4  17   1   7  14  Phillies     
CAREER   -15   4.11  389 294 2362    835  3.18 13.44 118 149  11 132 135 
LG AVG     0   3.68          2362    743  2.83 12.50 131 131 

CUB STRICKER, 1860-1937
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1889   29  -26  .323  .288  .611  .380   4.84  .251   1   47   32  136  Spiders      
1890   30  -28  .318  .320  .638  .372   5.00  .244   2   65   24  127  Infants      
1893   33  -28  .252  .225  .477  .158   2.63  .183   0   20    4   59  Senators     
CAR       -184  .306  .294  .600  .392   4.92  .239  12  259  278 1196 
LG AVG       0  .325  .354  .679  .500   6.23  .263  32  384  229 
POS AVG    -70  .320  .331  .650  .461   5.72  .251  24  343  242 

UGUETH URBINA, AGE: 32
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
2003 29   15   2.81   72   0   77     78  9.12 10.17   3   4  32   5   2  Rangers/Marlins
2004 30    0   4.50   54   0   54     56  9.33 12.17   4   6  21   5   5  Tigers       
2005 31    8   3.62   81   0   79.2   97 10.96 10.85   5   6  10   7   4  Tigers/Phillies
CAREER    76   3.45  583  21  697.1  814 10.51 11.00  44  49 237  58  35 
LG AVG     0   4.36           697.1  513  6.62 12.85  39  39 





The 2006 edition of the sabermetric baseball encyclopedia is available and is now shipping. Also, for the first time, there will be a subscription package available to get the encyclopedia updated every day during the 2006 season. The encyclopedia can be ordered at http://www.baseball-encyclopedia.com

"Lee Sinins' Sabermetric Encyclopedia is best reason yet developed to own a computer. I think I must own a copy of every baseball encyclopedia there is or ever was, and occasionally I find that I still need to pull out one of the others, but not very often; the Sabermetric Encyclopedia covers 97% of my needs. Whether I'm working or playing, calculating or daydreaming, the Sabermetric Encyclopedia pops up to help out. I turn it on in the morning; I turn it off when the house is on fire. Otherwise, I'm using it."--Bill James






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