ActionScript 2.0 :: For Loop Works In Trace But Not In Function

I have 20 players in a game and cutting and pasting lots of code except for a few numbers. I have future features that would require over 400 lines of mostly repeated code. So I learned how to use "for", and practiced with a trace command. Traced the results exactly as I thought. However when I apply it to the guts of my function, the movie breaks down. I suspect it's because the function is being called on an EnterFrame command and the for loop I wrote is being executed over and over.

This works when I hand code:
Actionscript Code:
function drill(){GUESS0 = ((guess0min * 60)*1000) + ((guess0seconds * 1000))
GUESS1 = ((guess1min * 60)*1000) + ((guess1seconds * 1000))
GUESS2 = ((guess2min * 60)*1000) + ((guess2seconds * 1000))
GUESS3 = ((guess3min * 60)*1000) + ((guess3seconds * 1000))
GUESS20 = ((guess20min * 60)*1000) + ((guess20seconds * 1000))
//and then 300 more lines of other code}

And then a button later calls this when pressing:
Actionscript Code:
my_MC.onEnterFrame = function(){_root.drill ();
//so _root.drill is continually being called, which is good, because it has all sorts of data that needs to be refreshed, but I think it's screwing with my "for" loop.}

And the following is NOT working.
Actionscript Code:
function drill(){for (i=0;i<20;i++){
"GUESS"+i+" = ((guess"+i+"min * 60)*1000) + ((guess"+i+"seconds * 1000));";}

But when I trace it in a separate test movie, it outputs exactly what I would hope it placed in the code:
Actionscript Code:
for (i=0;i<5;i++){trace("GUESS"+i+" = ((guess"+i+"min * 60)*1000) + ((guess"+i+"seconds * 1000));");}

So at the end of the day, I guess I can trace these results in a test movie and use it to generate what I need, and cut and paste it into the project... but I thought 'for' loops were for saving time AND space. Am I using this code right? Maybe my use of "", or +, or i is misguided?