"long-term mediocre major-league pitchers"

Wed Sep 24 16:52:49 UTC 2008

My understanding of "mediocre" is something like 'not up to average'.  This is more or less confirmed by the American Heritage definition: "ADJECTIVE: Moderate to inferior in quality; ordinary." I'd say that "18 years, 9 different teams, lifetime 74-67, ERA 4.16" is extradordinary even when compared to most other major league baseball players, many of whom last less than one season. So this particular player, in my book, does not qualify as "mediocre" or even particularly ordinary.

I would be more inclined to agree with Larry that "mediocre major-league pitcher" could apply to one of those pitchers who has not been in the majors for "longtime." Even then, though, it makes a difference whether or not one takes "major-league" as a restrictive or nonrestrictive modifier. I took Larry's phrase to mean 'mediocre pitcher who spent a long time in the majors' and not 'pitcher who was mediocre by big-league standards'. Pitchers who make it to the big leagues for any oength of time at all are pretty likely to be something better than "ordinary" or "mediocre" when compared to all professional pitchers.

As for how to tell who is a "long-time mediocre Ivy league professor," Larry is totally wrong that there are not fairly reliable stats. They are called "c.v.'s." And they give one a pretty good idea of which professors are ''mediocre players who have nonetheless spent a long time in the majors." These are the folks who are not-so-politely referred to by their colleagues as "dead wood" and "departmental20mistakes." Unlike professional baseball, universities have something called "tenure."

At 1:22 PM +0000 9/24/08, ronbutters at aol.com wrote: 

>"longtime mediocre major-league pitcher" is an oxymoron (unlike 
>"longtime mediocre Ivy-league professor"--please note that I am NOT 
>suggesting that Prof. Horn is anything but brilliant) 

No more of an oxymoron than "NBA small forward", referring to 
basketball players ranging from 6'4" to 6'10" or so.  "Mediocre", 
like "long", "small", etc. etc., is a relative scalar adjective whose 
extension depends on the comparison class.  Are you saying it's 
oxymoron to refer to the Kansas City Royals as "a bad baseball team" 
because if they were in a different league (e.g. the Atlantic Coast 
Conference) rather than in the American League they might go 
undefeated?  Mercker, by most definitions, has been a 
middle-of-the-pack pitcher, and hence mediocre qua major-league 
pitcher, while (in part because of being a southpaw) hanging around 
forever.  18 years, 9 different teams, lifetime 74-67, ERA 4.16--in 
my book, that makes him a mediocre journeyman--nothing personal, 
although for all I know he'll be superb at vodka conversion.  And 
yes, there are indeed longtime mediocre Ivy league professors, even 
at Yale, whether or not that includes present company.  Luckily, it's 
harder to confirm this by looking at the career stat sheet. 

LH 

-----Original Message-----
From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
To: ronbutters at aol.com; ADS-L at LISTSE
RV.UGA.EDU
Sent: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 9:50 am
Subject: Re: notable quotable on post-retirement plans

At 1:22 PM +0000 9/24/08, ronbutters at aol.com wrote: 

>"longtime mediocre major-league pitcher" is an oxymoron (unlike 
>"longtime mediocre Ivy-league professor"--please note that I am NOT 
>suggesting that Prof. Horn is anything but brilliant) 

No more of an oxymoron than "NBA small forward", referring to 
basketball players ranging from 6'4" to 6'10" or so.  "Mediocre", 
like "long", "small", etc. etc., is a relative scalar adjective whose 
extension depends on the comparison class.  Are you saying it's 
oxymoron to refer to the Kansas City Royals as "a bad baseball team" 
because if they were in a different league (e.g. the Atlantic Coast 
Conference) rather than in the American League they might go 
undefeated?  Mercker, by most definitions, has been a 
middle-of-the-pack pitcher, and hence mediocre qua major-league 
pitcher, while (in part because of being a southpaw) hanging around 
forever.  18 years, 9 different teams, lifetime 74-67, ERA 4.16--in 
my book, that makes him a mediocre journeyman--nothing personal, 
although for all I know he'll be superb at vodka conversion.  And 
yes, there are indeed longtime mediocre Ivy league professors, even 
at Yale, whether or not that includes present company.  Luckily, it's 
harder to confirm this by looking at the career stat sheet. 

LH 

> 

>------Original Message------ 

>From: Laurence Horn=C
2

>Sender: ADS-L 

>To: ADS-L 

>ReplyTo: ADS-L 

>Sent: Sep 24, 2008 12:30 AM 

>Subject: [ADS-L] notable quotable on post-retirement plans 

> 

>I don't know if he invented the line, but longtime mediocre 

>major-league pitcher Kent Mercker has been widely quoted on the web 

>and now TV for his elegant response last week as to where he thought 

>his career would be heading now:  "I'm starting my new 

>profession--turning vodka into urine." 

> 

>LH 

> 

>------------------------------------------------------------ 

>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org 

> 

> 

>Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry 

> 

>------------------------------------------------------------ 

>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org 

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org