The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 21

JUlJJJMLHf JINHtillAH 5C Run production statistic discriminates against home run hitters ablest advisers, but wnen ne is managing, the owner often Ignores what he says about the players he thinks the Yankees need. Yogi says this about that, right? Ml RKAV llSS Si'fui The outcome of the dispute will not determine the winner of the World Series this year. Nor will it put anyone into or keep anyone out of the Hall of Fame. Yet it may be time to reconsider the method by which baseball's most prolific run producers are determined. Run production is not an official statistic that can be found in the year-end orgy of numbers that spew forth from baseball computers everywhere, but it Is a useful guide to the hitters ho make the bluest contributions to their teams' of feasive output.

Those ho have computed run production In the past 25 years or so always have used this formula: Runs plus runs batted in minus home ruas. UTiy subtract home mas? The proponents of the prevailinR formula explain that if they aren't subtracted, they would be counted twice, and why should they be counted twice? Steve Hirdt, among others, disagrees. Hirdt Is a recognized expert on baseball statistics ho is one of the authors of the thus llwmlxill Analyst, an annual publication that provides more useful statistical information about teams and players than any fan could think of asking. The existing system of computing run production, Hirdi said in respoase to a question, "has always bothered me because it discrimi nates unfairly against home run hitters." Hirdt offered an example of such discriminatioa If the Mets scored a run in the first inning on a double by Len Dykstra and a single by Wally Backman, each player would be credited with one for his run production total, Dykstra for the run scored and Backman for the run batted in. If, however, Howard Johnson hit a home run in the second inning, the Mets would have the same number of runs as they scored in the first inning but Johason would be Aside from outright fabrication, this is one way in which Yogi Berra is quoted as having made humorous or strange remarks.

At Shea Stadium the other night the Houston coach was talking about Craig Biggio, the team's rookie catcher, who recently was promoted from the minors. One reporter noted that the Astros had been using him every day, and another reporter, not listening closely, thought Berra said, "If we didn't want to bring him up, we might as well have let him stay down." What Berra really said, though, was: "If we didn't want to use him every day, we might as well have let him stay down." The talk got around to the annual Hall of Fame induction and game at Cooperstown, N.Y.. and Berra mentioned that he had been there only three times. "I was there when I was inducted." he said. "I went up there when I got fired by the Mels and I went up there when I got fired by the Yankees." Except for Ralph Houk and Bill Virdon, the first two managers, and the late Dick Howser.

Berra Is the only person who managed for George Steinbrenner who doesn't currently work for the Yankees. When Steinbrenner dismissed him in 1 985. Berra said he would never work for him again and he has stuck to his word. He has even refused the opportunity to be honored at Yankee Stadium. Billy Martin, the latest dismissed manager to remain in Steinbrenner's stable of ex-managers, is back In a familiar position.

The owner said that Martin would "function as one of the club's top advisers on all player personnel matters, trades, and other baseball-related areas that he was involved with last year." The oddity of their relationship is such that when Martin is not managing, Steinbrenner considers im one of his credited with only one for his run production total. That means the second-inning run would have only half of the value of the first-inning run in terms of run-production value. "The score Is the same on the scoreboard." Hirdt said. "They don't subtract half a run for Johnson. If they did, the Mets would have lost that game In Pittsburgh the other night, seven to six and a half." Using current statistics, some differences crop up If run production is computed both ways.

Jose Canseco of Oakland and Will Clark of San Francisco rank first in their respective leagues whichever way it's done, but Marty Barrett for one, pops up In the American League top 1 0 if home runs are subtracted Barrett the Boston second baseman, has hit no home runs so he has nothing to subtract Entering Saturday's games, he had scored 52 runs and driven in 38 for a run production total of 90. Carney Lansford of Oakland Is another who makes the top 10 without home runs. Crediting home runs for runs scored and batted in. Jack dark of the Yankees and Fred McGrif of Toronto make the top 1 0 in place of Barrett and Lansford. In the National League, Willie McGee of St Louis and Billy Hatcher of Houston make the top 10 subtracting home runs while Barry Bonds of Pittsburgh and Johnson make it when home runs are not subtracted.

"Some people use statistics for certain purposes," Hirdt said. "In salary arbitration, for example, you could do well for Barrett by subtracting home runs. That makes him look better. But objectively, it makes no sense to subtract home runs. If a Barrett leads, there's something wrong with the system.

The Idea Is to have the right people at the top, not mystery people." Rookie breaks: some good, some bad Randy Milligan and Orestes Destrade each labored as first basemen for seven years In the minor leagues, Milligan in the MeLs' organimtloa Destrade in the Yankees' system. Their paths to the majors were blocked because Keith Hernandez played first for the Mots and Don MattingJv for the Yankees. Earlier this year, though, they got the breaks they had been waiting for They were traded. Except they were traded to the same team, Pittsburgh. Milligan played sporadically for the Pirates, batting .220 in 40 games'with 3 home runs and 20 runs batted la Destrade.

meanwhile, played for Buffalo in the American Association. Then last Monday. Destrade got another break: The Pirates purchased him from Buffalo. He batted twice ngalast the Mets as a pinch-hitter, getting one hit. Milligan.

though, wasn't there to see Destrade hit. When the Pirates promoted Destrade, they sent Milligan to Buffalo. Then there Is Rex Hudler. who was the Yankees' No. I selection In the June 1 978 amateur draft.

The infielder spent eight seasoas in the minors, nearly five of them at the Class A level, and got to New York for 9 games In 1 384 and 20 In 1985. He was traded to Baltimore after the '85 season and spent two more years In the minors except for games and one time at bat in 1 986. Last December, he moved again, signing a minor league contract with Montreal as a free agent Recently, the Expos Interrupted his 1 1th minor league season, and, at the age of 27, he has played nine games for them, col-Iecting6 hits in 21 times at bat for a .286 average Scherger's debut spoiled, 3 In the bottom of the second. Sounds Luis Quinoncs drilled a 1-1 pitch deep to right center field for his sixth home run of the seasoa It was also the first run scored in the game. Both teams botched opportunities to score runs with the bases loaded.

Nashville loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth on a fielder's choice and back-to-back walks, but Joe Oliver popped up with two out to end the inning. Oklahoma City loaded the bases in the top of the sixth on a pair of walks and a single, but Bill Mcrrifield hit a ground out with two gone to retire the side. The 89ers tied the game at 1-1 with an unearned run in the top of the eighth inning. Jerry Browne reached first base on a fielding error, advanced to second on another error and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Then pinch hitter Steve Kemp singled to right to score Browne.

Nashville had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth, but failed. Pinch hitter Lenny Harris singled, stole second and reached third on a groundnut. But he was thrown out at home on a ground out by Joe Oliver. The Sounds meet Oklahoma City tonight at 7:35 p.m. Hugh Kemp (9-4) Is expected to start for Nashville while Bobby Witt (3-6) is expected to start for Oklahoma City.

The Cincinnati Reds announced Saturday they sent down catcher Terry McGrif to Nashville to make room for Bo Diaz, who was activated from the Reds' 15-day disabled list. "Getting McGriff will help us," said Schmittou. "He's a good catcher." Sounds interim managers Wayne Garland and Jim Hof posted a 5-1 record during their stetch last week. Garland, the pitching coach was 1-0 and Hof a field coordinator with the Cincinnati Reds, led the Sounds to a 4-1 road trip. The Famous Chicken will make his second appearance of the season at Greer Stadium Wednesday night Oklahoma City reliever Tony Fos-sas picked up the win to improve to 2-0.

The loss dropped the Sounds to 4.1-41. The game was the first of a seven-game homestand. Oklahoma City improved to 40-44. In 1979 Scherger led the Sounds to a 83-61 record and a Southern League Champloaship when the Sounds were a AA affiliate of Cincinnati. He posted a 5-2 playoff record that year.

Fans applauded as Sc herger walked up to home plate about five minutes prior to last night's game for a meeting with the game's umpires and the Hirers' manager. Scherger tipped his hat to faas as the went back to the dugout, and they applauded again. When Scherger came out of he dugout to couch at third base, he received yet another applause. Scherger said the applause did not surprise him. He added the team has responded well to his being named as manager.

"They're doing a Ire mendous job," he said. "They want to win. We just can't lose games like this." He's a very popular manager and a very good manager," said Sounds President and general manager Larry Schmittou. "He did such a good job when he was here in His family just talked him into retirement. He's such an active person he was ready to get back." That kind of enthusiasm has a way of carrying over to the team.

In the early going, it did. Sounds starter Norm Charlton struckout the side to begin the game. Charlton pitched seven innings and pitched a one-hitter for 5 innings. He struck out 1 0 batters, giving him 101 strikeouts on the seasoa He also gave up thiee hits and three walks. Oklahoma City starting pitcher Guy Hoffman went six innings, giving up four hits and one run.

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