TimeForce portfolio here on ksjn 1330 Minnesota Public Radio on JG Preston. It is your privilege to stumble upon this portfolio here this afternoon where the next hour or so, whatever we got left now until 1, my guest is baseball writer Bill James a man who needs no introduction to he's getting on but they'll thank you very much for coming to give us your midseason review today expect me to do this whole show with no enter. I'm fine. You know, you're one of the few people in the world in the world Bill who kind of your name kind of defines you I mean, you know, you are Bill J. Who are you? Who were you before you were Bill James before? I was Bill James I wasEngelbert Humperdinck, James author of The Bill James baseball abstract author of The Bill James historical baseball abstract man. Let his name to Bill James presents the Great American stamp book, which is a new publication this year that we might talk about before the hours through one that I got a copy of an enjoy rather much. So if you ever like to talk baseball with Bill James your chances come to 276 thousand is our phone number here on sportfolio 2276 thousand Sue winking standing by to make sure you're not a crackpot and then put you on the year. He'll James the man who made me a minor celebrity in some circles this year by putting my name in his book, even though I didn't say what you said I said bill, but that's okay. You spell the name, right? That's all that counts. Like what you saying that you didn't didn't actually did I not say something about how there was no difference between the Billy gardeners managing the Twins and Ray Miller's I think so.It was a treat to see my name in print no problem. Believe me. They have having having my my name linkedin's even some small way with your work is benefit in and of itself, but I'd like to know is if doing is keeping the crackpots off the air. What are you and I doing on it. I'm getting paid and you might sell a book or two before they are twins are in first place still and just judging from what you seem to think of them in. The offseason is your comment in the object came out. I had would have to think that you're pretty surprised as the twins have had for several years get organized in treats kind of races if it was worth pursuing and they didn't get Joe Carter the free Solutions you propose in the abstract. What are they doing, right? But I think I'm an idiot has done some things very well. Obviously the decision to let Mickey Hatcher go and put Dan Gladden and then the Davidsons mother people in the Outfield has helped the team quite a bit the addition of what's his name Newman has also made it speeded up a slow offense. Although he hasn't contributed a great deal with the I think Tom Kelly was down in the in Kansas today with the the on-again-off-again story about Bo Jackson turning tail to try pro football apparently is on again. I guess he he left the club house after it was taken out of the game of Toronto last night went back to the hotel and it's been in conversations with the Royals owners. And apparently it's trying to work out some kind of plan where you can also play in the NFL with the Los Angeles Raiders while still playing with the Royals. What do you know about the situation? Absolutely, the first word I've heard from Bob nightengale and Johnathan Rand in the Kansas City Star X, which it was picked up in the Minneapolis paper Kansas City outfielder Bo Jackson Royals co-owner avron fogelman that he wants to play football for the Los Angeles Raiders win, the baseball season ends this fall then return to the Royals next spring. That's what both talking about. Fogelman said Friday night at the Royal Hotel goes on from there, but apparently that's what's in the works. As you know Bo has until the July 15th, which is just Wednesday to exercise a buyout in his baseball contract if he wants to pursue professional football and my understanding was but we've been rather adamant about the not entertaining any questions about the football whatsoever of late and seemingly dismissing the thought that he would ever play pro football from anyone's mind and this comes up, Nightingale sources where are there any hints in the article? Apparently Jackson didn't apparently he talked about a lot of things with him after he got back to the motel and hotel after the ball game last night. So I guess he'd be broke one of Billy Gardner's Club rules by leaving before the game was over news to me. What did you do? You think of a plan like that at any hope of being worked out where he would be? He's trying to serve both Master simultaneously spider baseball season and then go to go to Los Angeles and places that pay out the remainder of the football season. I made it the football season ends for most teams in late December for the others in January after the football season need to have essentially two and a half months to heal up for the baseball season started there. There's really it's not something that Jordan Radley could do but it is not unworkable. I wonder if this is just a case of a bow being Bowen and doing the unexpected in the outrageous just because he can a person who is important to him to prove that he can do things that nobody else can do you really did something to impress a lot of people up here boy better. It's dry. Now that it was a year ago man escapes like Lonnie Smith when he can make up for every mistake with an army has blue 276 thousand here on sportfolio go to Minneapolis and say hi to bury your I know you got a couple of questions so far away. Comment on the fact that Greenwell and Brooks have been in and out of the lineup in the show so much promise and get Buckner still starting and the second one. Can you tell me what's going on in Oakland with J? How old is Dennis Eckersley? It looks like Eckersley the closing now and then hardly when using how the there's no manager in baseball who is more reluctant to give up on a veteran and go with the young player than John McNamara in Boston that's been true since I guess he started his manager career about 1970 in Oakland. He has always been a man who will take the Mana to take the team that he inherited it and play with it until it drops and in some cases as you just pointed out continue playing with those with it for sometime after a drunk. Places to go in Oakland of a second is how wasn't effective an exercise was tremendously effective. So I think I actually got to the key job and then how lost I had to put her on the All-Star team? This year. Yeah, you're kidding. No, he's not even his own Bullpen anymore. Not that it will be rather question. I forgot it already. Thank you. Ok, 6000 is our phone number for your questions for Bill Bill with the heat of the summer cranking up here. We've seen what seems like a real rash of a beanball incidents here in the past couple of weeks. This is something you wrote about in the abstract a couple years ago now I guess and I got got a Thang after reading what you wrote then it's really got to be a concern to you that we're seeing really some of the seven some ugly incidents crop up here just recently it would seem like the biggest ratio of the mother have been in the end for 5 years. I want to have to the time this summer. If you ever look at the history of Nations, you noticed that revolutions almost always explode between the 15th of June and the 15th of August when it when the weather gets really really hot people get short-tempered and they decide they're not going to take things as they used to take a big exception is it it is the Russian Revolution which actually did explode in middle of summer several times. But what happened in that case was it in summer the czarist police would just lift the drawbridge Bridges and separating the various portions of St. Petersburg and people could not get from one part of town to another unless the revolution I did did you see the year Andre Dawson is let the other day my life. I think I'd be a little bit upset in recent years. It could be that we have are there more batters. It's been a fairly dramatic change in the way that a lot of hitters are approaching the game just in the last three years since 1984. We have a lot more hitters and a lot more young hitters who are up at the plate filing pictures off taking pictures trying to get weight trying to wait for the picture to make a mistake and then hit the mistake a long way. A guy who is just out there and he's going to hit the first pitch. He sees of the first pitch he likes and try to drive it somewhere is not really a candidate for a beanball but a player is up there, you know. Fighting a picture in that way waiting for the picture to make a mistake and taking a lot of pitches is is much more likely to engender the anger of the picture and to have the picture try to do something put a stop to that. I know that that that would bother Royals my cousin any other team in the Royals have been the subject of a large number of being balls this year and have an internal controversy because they're their own pictures really have not retaliated until the last week or so. And did you think that's some important or necessary for it to go ahead. I mean, I've I've always had a very poor solution to the problem situation in Cleveland in which they were being knocked down every two or three Innings and the they were screaming at the umpires to do something about in the Empire's wouldn't do anything about it and screaming at the opposition to physical violence, and I didn't stop it. At this point, I mean when both the opposing team and the umpires post notices that they don't intend to do anything about it then what do you do? What do you take for simple verbal control the game a situation like that? To try to decide the intent of a picture and that certainly understandable but there are times in the intent of a picture is absolutely obvious and somebody's got to step in and get out of here right then and there, you know often times these things start to when somebody hits a homerun in the next batter is hit by a pitch, especially an account like Owen to or something like that the usual assumption by the players involved is that the picture darn sure wanted to get that battery. You think it's a safe assumption that if a guy gets plunked after the precinct in batter hits a homerun that he was meant to be hit. Well, not a hundred percent of the time but probably not even asking this question. If a player hits a homerun, how much do they the chances of the next batter being hit with a pitch increased and they increase my tongue like 600% so I don't think that's that shitt. I think there's a good chance that started them massive brawl is a right. Where was a pretty good fight by baseball standings when the twins room Milwaukee here a few weeks ago. In fact, the Joe Niekro was hurt kind of tangentially to that the episode and the really been the same since it's at that's a little brawl that may cost the twins quite a bit in the long run. If a home run has had in the next batter is hit with a pitch then that's an automatic ejection an automatic one-week suspension and I love how to measure you. Judge Jay Jackson for the manager charge can take away their bread and butter Dill James baseball writer and author of The Bill James baseball abstract among his many tomes is with us here this afternoon on sportfolio on ksjn 2276 thousand the phone number if you'd like to get on the baseball discussion with Bill to 276 thousand Will Bill were in the Twin Cities. You're in the greater Kansas City area with both follow the AL West pretty closely. We've talked about the twins for a little bit and give me your assessment of how the rest of the division shapes up so far. I know in the abstract this year you spoke as positively about the A's as you did any of any other team in the division that the time I kind of thought that maybe they would miss the Mark I was so kind of distress while they're pitching staff. But so far the pictures done fairly well for him in there right in the thick of things that has pitched as bich many more good games then bad game development Rose Has Its price starter. I guess his last two outings have been Rocky ones that he pitched. Forgeus superb game has helped to staff Oakland is not going to be easy to be nice all the way through. They're going to send the ratio because the pitching is so good that you know, if the kitchen is a critical Factor the Royals will win the but what am I going to Angels? They were my preseason pick in the division. I still like their chances the Again, I think I'll be able to be very much in the race at 8580 wins. And I think another year is that team was good enough to take the division. But this year I don't think they will be how do you have the gut feeling is going to take for number of wins for division champs, New York and Toronto sure they're on a different plan to put the rest of the East is it is is nothing to brag about compared to the West Kansas City, California strong as they have been so division is not weak baseball writer Bill James with this afternoon on portfolio to 276 thousand phone number caller standing by to talk to bill with that room for you too. Will go to Hopkins next. Hi, John. State of Mind John Hopkins. Did I reset love for baseball head kind of paid attention to the twins, but not not real close and I discovered him in 1983 and since then it's it's been a real passion of mine and look forward to his abstract coming out every year my question. I guess I got a couple of one serious and want a little more lighthearted you talked in your introductory comments talking about rookies in the development of black white and Latin players and in the By the time that I was reading that Al campanis was embarrassing himself on Nightline. I was just wondering if you had any other comments to add to that. Is it going to is it going to have a lot of Studies have been done? Somebody does a study in which they they focused on the 100 best players in the of the last 30 years who did not have speed and otherwise just leave speed out of the equation and look at the best players that you have what they found is the percentage of those players who were black was remained extremely high as you still get Eddie Murray and Willie McCovey and Jim Rice. Which which shows that people who use speed has the reason that the you know that the speed is not the reason the black players have done so tremendously. Well, that's the only way that the only additional comment I have on that study. What are your feelings about the race in baseball management Bill? I know, you know a lot of people in management around the comet that that is baseball got a problem that way It's a classic situation in which affirmative action of some type is necessary. The baseball manager is extremely difficult to break into there are a huge number of people who are willing to work. That's it at the entry level of baseball management for very little money and baseball has always tended to hire really pretty good help cheaper than they had any right to hire in that situation in which you have a lot of of applicants things like nepotism and other forms of communication. Hand to run Rife that is what's happening baseball there that made it there is a very very much an old boy Network. You almost have to know somebody to get hired and that maybe something when is adoration and in that situation you just have to do something to break down the exclusionary bird. Did you have any personal ideas as to what that something should be to go out tomorrow and and Decided somebody suddenly has the credentials to to be a general manager just the general managers today. Don Clendenin comes to mind. I don't know if you remember him but he was a football star during the in the in the late fifties and major league baseball player in the 60s. And for a pretty good one. He's the lawyer has experience and labor negotiations and then he would probably be a good gentleman, but in general the basic part of destroying the problem has to start by finding people. At the entry level and training them and moving them up to the system. You still there. I'm about ready to go to Shakopee. Then they'll James Our Guest Iran's portfolio this afternoon to 276 thousand or phone number here on ksjn Bill. I have one question which is why why baseball hasn't gone to an Electronics. Let's strike zone now since the Empire, is it move between the door and the batter the great pictures like Blyleven and the Riordan who are strictly curveball pictures not strictly, but they depend upon the curveball and they get it perfectly where breaks over there the outside of the plate on the front part of the plate in the umpires standing where he is, it always looks to them like it's a ball and and I think if they had electronic strike zones, then there be no question where where would that it was a ball or strike and also they could even have it fixed up. So if a batter Like some of those that stick their head over the plate all the time with her Baddie that would show up and then he's got his head over the plate was nothing down about it. But if it's if he's behind that the plate and is always good Ripley thrown at him why he would come up right away, but it's never been seriously discussed. There's never been a perceived need why you should be done is not to eliminate the home plate umpire to home plate. Umpire should still be there but on the issue of whether the ball passes through the strike zone or does not you should take electronic guidance because of that you could program of a Sheen to take two. To give that information more reliably more consistently and more accurately than a person could do it. It just it hasn't been done because there's never been a perceived need for a 2276 thousands are phone number you can get in on the conversation with baseball writer Bill James here this afternoon on sportfolio. MJG Preston's to 276 thousand and we'll go to Anoka next, LOL. I have a couple of questions while passionately free cuz I want for you. Is there any way of having your guest lineup for the month in Minnesota monthly select in Saturday's kind of a tough time to some time to be home. I like you better than Sunday night. but if there is any way of having that in Minnesota monthly so we know to be sure to hear it and then I'd like to be able to comment on the Cardinals and the National League East what he thinks of that race the Cardinals injury problems that just been crazy if he just talked about in El coxis Alton. What if he thinks he'll be able to overcome that and does he know whether or not what the story is on hard to find things in about a national league team in St. Louis in I mean in the Minneapolis paper and even though he's in the American League City at least the state so maybe he's a little bit more and then the second question is on the strike zone. I'd like him to kind of talk about the shrinking Strike Zone and taking away. Are they going to start going after Lobos now? They taking away the the highball are they trying to give the edge to the hitters? Do they think that makes it more exciting game? And I don't think so. If he just like to come in and have studied in order to try and get more hitting into the game and do you think that that's leading to longer game questions turn that radio on to get the answers first. We'll talk about the Cardinals Billy been the best team in baseball so far this season and judging from what she wrote in the abstract. I've got to think that comes as a big surprise to you almost a whole the whole team is hitting 300. I mean, I guess Tony pain years was out quite a while and he's a little blow 300 Willie McGee's right at 300 but it's almost every might have been sitting 340 last couple years has been hitting 300 would like to gaze of course is up and down, but Vince Coleman is a lifetime 246 it or something coming into the season to 50 of it hitting close to 300 in the straw on a tremendous number walk. Call Andrea become a hitter this year. I have a season is remarkable that with not just a few injuries, but tremendous number of serious injuries to the pitching staff and also to the end position players they played. Or above their head the they still have an awful lot of work to do. I mean now Danny Cox is out in Tudor. It's it's doubtful that he is very doubtful that you're going to be able to come back and Pitch well enough to help the team this year, although stand to that question specifically it's too early to get her a real read on that issue at the time that he was hurt, which was I guess it's late April. It was thought he might be able to return in September but until he gets to the position gets gets to where he can practice and start throwing which won't be until the middle of August there really won't be any clearer indication to whether or not that's possible. Anyway, I mean, I still I still got a lot of doubts about whether or not they can continue to play. So well, I wonder if these guys will get to 4250 can continue to hit 300 but you got to give him a tremendous amount of credit for what they have been able to accomplish this another in a long line of credit. Let me know what the answer to all the questions he asked as yet in the strike zone has been reduced. It is a reasonable presumption is that it's just a increase hitting. On the belief that increases attendance and that has led to two smaller strut to too long longer games. I would guess that they will not be another step in that direction because we're going to have people this year racking up really phenomenal numbers and then you might have still played in baseball history has ever hit 40 home runs and stolen 40 basis in the same season. He might have Eric Davis hitting 50 basis is it seems certain that somebody will hit 50 homers or and or will drive in 250 run. I don't think that I think is that I don't think it's that I want to go beyond that point. I wouldn't think they would MJG Preston baseball writer Bill James is my guess this afternoon and we'll be ready for some more your questions and just a minute to 276 thousand is our phone number 227-6000 and we'll have some more with built in just a sec. This is Mark. Nice did reminding you the week in review comes up at 1 this afternoon here on cast Jan and this week's program will take a good long. Look at Oliver North Revelations to the Iran-Contra committees on Capitol Hill this wake of a fascinating look at the events of the week of October 18th 1986. That's the week before the first were reports of the Scandal became public believed those stories plus look at the all the news from this week coming up on the weekend review one this afternoon here on ksjn. All right for a face. Thank you very much support. He was there to hear that 2276 thousand of their phone number on sportfolio. Erica asked a little bit earlier about to having our guests on the program listed in Minnesota monthly The Program Guide magazine and we're not going to need to do this. I haven't known how to break this to you folks. But this is as good a time as any it's portfolio is a defunct as of the end of August the plugs been pulled on this singular effort. We've been trying to do it for a year-and-a-half now and we're not going to do it anymore after the end of August that bothers you can't really write a letter to complain to Minnesota Public Radio. They may or may not do anything about it. But if you're glad we're going then I'm happy for you too, cuz you'll get your way. So no hard feelings friends, but I got to move on after August. I don't know where but we'll find out to 276 thousand of our phone number here on sportfolio baseball writer Bill James the guest that was a car waiting at Saint Paul. Hello Jerry. I got two questions about the the Orioles won is what happened to your organization. And what do you think the future will be for them? I grow up and brought aboard the last couple years. No one has decision-making Authority in the organization. Who who control the finances of the organization and not the same people who makes baseball decisions and that they can't get to working together. Everything down. The line has suffered as a result of that. The owner has been impatient is tried to solve problems overnight. And as any veteran baseball fan should know that is a move that backfires more times at work and it's just led to a situation in which 25 years of tradition of the have gone right down the drain and there's no way to pull them back on last night the most recent example for the twins. Sorry, it's too bad to see all that much power on a ballclub being wasted by that pitching staff or I made the catcher can't throw that a double-play combination is in Grifton does an outstanding player but not now and they have no center fielder given those problems. I wonder how many pitching staff would would be able to succeed. Bronze portfolio here on ksjn Bill James baseball abstract standing by to answer your baseball questions this afternoon that stuff to go back to Saint Paul and say hi to Jerry. Either you're up there. He's not there. Sorry for going to Minneapolis instead other side of the river and let a daddy say go ahead of pitching in the major leagues now and what are the things that they were talking about was the lack of young good pictures that are available just in the pool of talent comment on that. And also I was wondering about this evening inconsistency pictures nowadays. It seems like pictures get injured lot more often and can't put together number of good years. Jack Morris seems to be the only one who has been consistent over the past number of years here. I think the opposite is true in life we have in our generation. We have far far more pictures that have long careers and it ever been to in the history of baseball. I mean it throughout baseball history. The pattern is always been that the great majority pictures come up and have one or two great years and then and then are argon that isn't nearly as true as it was. No while you know, you only have one or two pictures of generation like Seaver and Palmer and Morris who are good every year of guys like Fernando and Dwight Gooden and saberhagen and Viola and Blyleven who just are pretty much every year can be counted on to is there any more years than I can be counted on Pitch? Well, I don't agree with them whether or not there's a young pictures of something that could be objectively answered with research and I have known the research so I will wait until I do then Pictures around the major leagues today has is too profoundly affected by changes in the strike zone or whatever ways in which the game has just become more offensive-minded in general Five Points people going to take their shirt at the pictures, but that isn't necessarily why it is Bill. I want to take you just a little bit off this path for a second and then get your profound thinking had on it summertime a lot of us have a lot more time on our hands for some pleasure reading and I wonder if just off the top of your head. Maybe you could fire 345 the books baseball-related fiction nonfiction, whatever aside from your own we all read yours religiously bill, but maybe you've got some some other books in mind that my basement. Joyful summer reading for Baseball fans tell it was an outstanding. Is something that if you have an interest in baseball history would I think you'll find very enjoyable new a lot of stories about two things that happened in Bartell's time and sometimes even before Bartels Diamond, I think it's an enjoyable book. That's just add another one. That is a book called getting blue, which is a novel by Peter gethers. It's not easy to find I think it's by it. But I'm not sure that the book contains a good bit of what might be called a adult material and it would be objectionable to some people but it is a serious book and in many ways a book that works very well on a lot of different levels. I think it's a it's really an excellent novel and that is something else that I would recommend. I was digging through the stacks in the Saint Paul Public Library here before I took a vacation last week and I found a book that I can't believe I didn't read when it came out, but I just love It was Pat Jordans book the suitors of spring and just thought I was at I just have a feeling that it will stand as a testimony to the baseball the human spirit in the English language long after a lot of its contemporaries of faded away and John hallway. It's just out and is in the book stores now or will be soon. But till the things I've heard about us know some people just just really love it. It's collection of anecdotes and miscellaneous information related the pictures and bitching about cream of Sports Illustrated on this program a couple of times and that he's done excellent biographies of Babe Ruth and Casey Stengel and another biographer that I I really like. I don't know whether to call him a biographer a Ghost Rider or what but that seems like any autobiography that Adeline had anything to do with was a terrific book. The Baseballs ever had who did he just wrote so much about it so many bugs like Bacchus and Rec in 30 times a day and the good night nice guys finish last and Colfax it is there just to me he is the finest by before the game time. I have asked about that because I would like to meet him but and I've been giving information to you still alive to 276 thousand is our phone number on portfolio baseball writer Bill James the guest and we'll go to Minneapolis next. Hi John. I wish I knew I never have a good feel for the giant. I think they won the trade for me and Rebecca and Kevin Mitchell and are worth more than the guys they gave up. I don't know that I'd be lying. If I told you had a good feel for the giant. What do you think? Go ahead John Cell. The National League West as a whole as a division the Astros kind of caught fire a little bit after that. But everybody really is you look at their records and they do look less impressive than the AL West now that there is not having the Dodgers are there is like the only down the tube San Diego's an awful team Houston and Cincinnati a good teams, but they have very important. What do you make a San Diego Bill? And here's the thing. That's the tried to go with a lot of young Talent. They've tried a rookie manager in the end. But why do you think this is a team that has hit bottom and it's got a chance to read out here in the next year or two even become a decent team. It made me more than a year. I mean, I don't think that it makes a lot of difference if you going to finish last. everybody wins 73 games are 58 and they have just decided to make an all-out commitment to Play me some young players and and and get going in the right direction. I think it's time for them to do that. 6000 is a phone number for your questions for Bill to 276 thousand bill your comments, please about the amazing Mets last year. They won two games out of every three and just mowed through the regular season and this year they're struggling to stay over 500 course has a lot of really obvious reasons for what happened. But let's hear what happened around it all the time. They've lost four string course. They are the accents a good in for a long time hurts and but goodness back now, I'll leeches flooding though or something and they just have not been over Fernandez's pitched. Well, and I think I know what is 9 and 5 of them and they just have not been able to get any kind of momentum going. The bullpen is hurting a lot right now. Well, I guess so he does the only guy really missing from the pitching staff from last year. Did you think that the even 10 and 1/2 games out? They still possess a real threat to the Cardinals the rest away this morning. I think I do because the Cardinals had so many injuries that if the Cardinals flip it all and if the Mets get the idea that they can get back in the race. I think that is a very real chance. They will do you make a Dave Johnson singing at the Darryl Strawberry incidents over the course of the Year. Remember that situation in Minnesota in 1965 in which that when did had anamudi young player gray talented for several years. His name was the oil of a solid and The manager sent mail. I finally just tore into him and made it clear. We're not going to take this stuff anymore in and he was most valuable player in the American League in 1965. I think sometimes that has to be I've got to think that the day was going to be a lot better off taking a hard line with the strawberry and let his popularity be damned in that case to 276 thousand the phone number here on sportfolio you listen to ksjo 35 JG Preston in baseball writer Bill. James is our guest here this afternoon Bill. I'd like to talk for a little bit about the free-agent free and salary arbitration. I know you've been involved with the agents over the course of the years involved in arbitration cases and probably involved at least indirectly and some some free agent decisions. We sing some radical alterations in the nature of free agency here in the last year. Maybe you want to sit and kind of. Blue Sky a little bit. What kind of arbitrations last free agencies Justin. Would you like to see baseball try to put into place here in the next couple years? Well, I think it was unfortunate that situation was that the that the managers the owners collusion was organized. I think that the salaries were coming under control and that we were in during a. In which there would have been. If the players would have had no basis to be unhappy because the salaries were so high the owners. would have been able to get some momentum going have it. Free from from salad from Laborers drive and get their own economic fortunes heading in the right direction. I think that the owners have ruined that by the collision and have thrown us back into a situation where we're going to have another Striker. I like that very unfortunate that the real gains from it are going to be minuscule and the real cost of it's very very high. Do you think free agent would be the issue that would push either side over the edge of it when it comes time for the next basic agreement negotiated that would say theoretically already have I don't think that they're I think that the players will not enter into another contract unless there's some sort of of a guarantee that the collusion which is what it is. What do you think will happen to the salary arbitration system in the light of all this bill? Some people are saying that salary arbitration will become more important because it's the only thing there is left free agency. No longer has any real meaning the felt the only the only way that an agent has to prove his mettle is by is through the the arbitration procedure. But if that's true or not, I don't know I suspect we'll probably see more cases of players like a Jack Morris last year who would be eligible for free agency, but instead choose to to go to arbitration with their current team and in hopes of getting a lot more money than they went on today's open market because Maurice Mets win 1.9 million and arbitration or whatever it was and he's worth every every penny of it because of the Tigers can retail his services to the public and recoup that money. But if he hasn't off here if he goes 3 and 7 time of year, it was just the sort of thing that happens to most pictures at some point in their career. Then he can't go back to next year to arbitration and ask for the same amount of money. He's going to he's going to take us tremendous cut and so you got to take out you got it regardless how good you are you going to have a lot of confidence? Play it from year to year. Do you think The I don't know I don't know the answer to 76000 is our phone number here on sportfolio with baseball writer Bill James Bill. You got a new project out on the book stands this year. Will James presents the Great American baseball stat book, which is I don't know if an answer to the Elias baseball analyst is quite the right word, but it's a more detailed statistical breakdown including some interesting, I got to tell you I like the book very much and if I had to recommend somebody to buy one of the two if your budget is limited to that get the Great American baseball stamp books and media stuff in here and I know it's the work of a lot of people to get it to ya it is I just remember the name of white Minnesota contributors Bill Johnson II shall not mention the Yeah, it is. It's a reference book. Basically, it tells you how players hit to Home Road. They night over a. Of years against finesse pictures and it gets strike out the garbage. But there's also some some good writing another one of the nice things you do in the book is is not only do you give the the situational type of breakdown for this past season, but also over a three-year period from my from 84 through 86. I put some my perspective on a lot of these figures but what that we're at the air to 70 overall but in a hundred 50, I bet you're really talking about a guy being maybe nine hits below is average or you really have to look at those things over. Several years before they become mini. We didn't really think of it as an option. If it's just something that had to be done in a small icon it. Gardener's came out Billy Goodman standing by with questions for Bill James here on sportfolio this afternoon next one standing by or sitting by or whatever he's doing is in St. Paul. Hi Paul, if you really think that's a good idea in light of what we play is done to football game and I'd like to see it maintained its human element. Thanks. Let people come out to watch the human element of the Empire The Empire supposed to be invisible. Are you supposed to be in a supposed to be people don't come out to watch the Empire empire they come out to watch the players play. The thing about football is that it was it was wasn't done. Well, I mean there was a tremendous delayed if you were talking about a situation in which there were delays in arguments and that sort of thing I would I wouldn't be in favor of his all but there'd be no need for that little Anonymous click that tells the Empire ready to raise his right hand are is left one and should be all there was to it electronic monitoring for things like Sidelines in football and not have near the kind of problems you did with the system last year a lot better than a refi systems that it says supposed to correct every year it would go back and look at how it look it up parts decisions and say, you know, I don't think this one was a terrible idea but something that had its The cast of all in the strike Strike Zone. That's a whole different thing 630-227-6002 phone number if you like to squeeze in a question for bill before we have to go this afternoon. We'll go to Minneapolis next. Hello Paul, right and left in the state and I think she still comes back and visit some watches are boys play but seems like he was a little more about this. What do you think about just generally? I mean other than the twins, I mean the twins definitely popped off. Current controversies that start with the Calvin Griffith Amanda Bill James wants described as the North End of a southbound brontosaurus as As Time altered your views in that regard it all and left baseball 15 years earlier than he did cuz I know not 15 years, but say two years earlier than you can say good things about him, but he stayed too long and its influence on Minnesota Twins baseball in the last eight years that he was there. I was terrible. I mean he imposed upon your fine City a bad team in a bad Park and they didn't they didn't do the park by himself, but you could point and I'm not going to send him any way to say to do stationary. This is crazy. I don't how many Twins lineup on the All-Star team. Maya at a wedding for the first place team probably should have more than one member of another 28 men on back is a fine player having a good year, but you got to recognize that there are an awful lot of exceptional first place in the American League. My old is my candidate for the All-Star team from the How to have a player in uniform in any of that means that her back soon Lee Branch and violas are left off the team for Pat Tabler the mark Langston's I still like the rule I rather basic one representative from each team should be the American League All-Stars. This is radical. Because the constant substitutions in the I mean whenever a team makes a substitution in a game that does not help the team win that irritates me. Do rabbits eat them have a 14 man Team 8 starters, maybe a backup catcher a backup infielder in a backup outfielder and three pictures and and go with it and play a real baseball game rather than it's settling in and out as drives me crazy all star teams and have some fun with that new and different projects in the hopper these days, I guess an 88 the abstract or something. We can just kind of take for granted and look forward to what what else is new across doesn't get Daniel X David. Did you leave me hanging like that the best you can do? I just don't ever go build up. The one division. We haven't even really touched on too much this morning or afternoon or whatever time it is is the American League East. I still like the blue jays who you picking Redbirds the Yankees accomplished a lot, but I still like to believe in you think the Yankees are are staring at the collapse City or they continue to win during a. Which both Mattingly and Henderson we're out and that was in a remarkable accomplishment. We will not in any way shape or form bill but Go Ahead Tours winter and then we'll all forget this rather quickly. Minnesota Twins Goodman the Cincinnati Reds in the Toronto Blue Jays with the Toronto Blue Jays winning. Thank you Bill Bill James baseball abstract. I guess this afternoon here on sportfolio in my thanks to you for listening and calling and doing all the other things you do to make the show possible Randy Johnson. What did what he could do to make the show possible. He did all the technical stuff that I couldn't understand if you threw me in there for a week and Sue winking answer the phones and was the associate producer and set it all up and I was a wonderful thing. I've JG Preston will be back next week same time same bat station. I'm not sure we're going to talk to yet. I got some ideas, but I've been on vacation. I haven't thought about it seriously will get somebody lined up before Saturday. I'm sure right Mark. Well, I would hope so. Otherwise, I'm going to be interview for an hour and that would be disastrous. What is my lunch hour? Absolutely not stay tuned the week in review is coming up next including a special report on Oliver North testimony this week before the Iran Contra hearings time. Is this is chaos Jam Minneapolis-Saint Paul.