BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY---Scott Miller continues his fake, phony BS

Scott Miller couldn't possibly have a conscience. It's an important thing to have, and I don't want to know you if you don't have one. Scott's desperate mission to get a Padres pal into the Hall of Fame is a 3 pronged attack (often copied by his pals):

• Keep repeating the phrase, "closers like Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera." This elevates Hoffman and minimizes Mariano, since Mariano is in a separate, higher class from Hoffman. If this phrase is repeated often enough, it will be believed--in fact many lazy, ignorant people already think it's so.
  

• Always mention "conversions" as one of the 2 main stats to judge late inning relievers. It's the easiest stat to "compile"---& has more to do with the manager than the pitcher. EG-Trevor comes on in the 9th, 3 run lead, bases empty, gives up back to back homeruns, but the Padres still win by 1 run. This would be considered a successful "conversion." On the other hand, say Mariano comes in in the 8th inning with 1 out, a man on base, and a 1 run lead. If he gets the 5 outs, GIVES UP NO HOMERUNS OR ANY RUNS WHATSOEVER and the team wins, it's also called a successful "conversion."
  

(The guys who try to hide Rivera's 112.2 post season IP hastily tell you they were just "opportunities" he had that others just weren't as "lucky" to've had on a team of rich guys getting it done, etc. etc.) If they'd ever watched him, they'd turn bright red in embarrassment.
Query: How are the regular season "easy" saves deliberately reserved for Hoffman NOT "opportunities?" Isn't it a pretty good "opportunity" to NEVER be asked to pitch with MEN ON BASE and never to pitch more than 1 inning? If it's not a big deal, why doesn't he do it???

• #3rd, of course for Miller is to keep pumping the "total saves" stat. Using this alone and ahead of other situations involved is criminal. (See examples above). But, you don't care.

In Scotty's 1/19/07 column/space filler he features letters from readers, mostly about the Goose Gossage HOF issue. He picked one letter that had 2 of the 3 points about which he wants to influence eternity: the easily misleading stat of "conversions," and the phrase "LIKE Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera." (See above). The letter:

From: Cecil Schmendrick (not a real name)

"I feel sorry for Goose. He belongs in the Hall. The writers need a better stat to look at than total saves."

• Right here, Miller takes a big gamble, as he & others have tried to pump up this stat incorrectly. The letter writer clearly hasn't ascertained Scott's raison d'etre, but makes up for it later. The 'total saves' stat has never on its face been the result of the pitcher's effort. But, if you have no ethics, you keep trying to sell this to BBWAA voters, AND MANY HAVE BOUGHT IT AS AN EXCUSE TO INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE A PLAYER BASED ON A VOTER'S UNDERLYING EMOTIONAL OR POLITICAL PROBLEMS. (Back to the letter-writer):
  

"Despite leaving out Goose and Bert Blyleven, most of the time the BBWAA does a good job with the Hall of Fame voting. On the other hand, Lee Smith does not belong in the Hall of Fame. Despite being the all-time saves leader, he blew a lot of saves as reflected by his losing record of 71-92. That gives him a winning percentage of .436, which would be an all-time low for the Hall. Big Lee does not even make my top 20 list of closers. True Hall of Fame worthy closers -- like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman -- have converted better than 90 percent of their saves. This is not true for Lee. I hope the writers put the Goose in next year.

Prediction: They will."

He hits the jackpot:

1. Says Trevor (and Mariano Rivera) are "True HOF worthy closers," so he's got the Padre in the HOF and greatly diminished the stature of Rivera. and

2. Makes the phony "conversion" stat a key one--which is only done by persons with Scott Miller's biased agenda.

• Words to live by: Everyone has bias and motives and most have agendas. I have a right to know what they are.