-> It is a 1996 or so Cadillac Seville Elegante - - fun to drive but
-> guzzles the gas.  Has been sitting since about 1992, when I realized
-> that re-do of the leather upholstery was gonna cost more than the car
-> was worth at the time.

-> Battery in it died, and I now have a new one to install.

-> I've heard various advice about what to do before trying to crank it up
->  - one said to pour about 1/2 pint of atf into the throttle body and
->  then let her rip.  Another said to take all the plugs out, one at a
->  time, and spray WD-40 or so down in there before trying to turn it over
->  with the new battery.

I wouldn't use a 1/2 pint of any liquid ininto the rthrottle body. IF
too much of it got into one cylindr it could do serious damage. Liquid
being somewhat Uncompresasable. 
But removing all the Spark Plugs and giving each cylinder a good shot,
let it sit for a while, and trhen cranking the engine over should work.
I would Crank the engine over by hand to see it the rings have seized to
the cylinder walls first though.
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5