So here are the players who will be getting my vote, along with the case that I'm making for them.
Dennis Pratt: 11 All-Star apps, 11 Silver Sluggers, 2 Gold Gloves, 4 MVPs, 4 World Series Rings. More All-Star appearances, Silver Sluggers, and MVPs than anyone else in Feller history. Postseason Career: 147 games, 42 HR, 115 RBIs, .320 AVG, .410 OBP, .607 SLG. Pratt is one of a handful of players in this world's history who should be an automatic vote. (If you have any reservations, please let me know, and I'll send you volume 1 of my "Ode to Dennis Pratt". I'll continue sending the subsequent volumes until you are convinced.)
Kirk DiFelice: 3 All-Star apps, 1 Cy Young, 1 World Series Ring. His 243 wins are 5th most in Feller history. His 313 quality starts are 7th. 3459.0 innings pitched are 6th. Those numbers help to put him near the top of the list of starting pitchers this world has seen.
Steve Daly: 6 All-Star apps, 2 Cy Youngs, 1 World Series Rings. Daly doesn't rank in the top 10 for any career totals as a starting pitcher. What he does have on his resume is 2 Cy Young Awards, and the fact that only two starting pitchers have more All-Star seasons than him.
Matt Michaels: 8 All-star apps, 6 Silver Sluggers, 1 Gold Flove, 2 MVPs, Rookie of the Year, 2 World Series Rings. It can be difficult for a "Middle of the Diamond" player to rack up huge counting stat totals, as shown by Michaels' respectable totals in hits (2145) and HRs (368). Along with Lonnie Lo Duca, Michaels is at the top of the list in production for centerfielders.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Where am I? How did I get here? Charleston Soggy Dogs edition
This is the last installment that doesn't include Season 19 totals, so if any of Charleston's acquisitions had big seasons - sorry, I'm slow.
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Will Hyzdu. S10, R1-#12. 3 Gold Gloves. Unfortunately his 3 Gold Gloves came at 1B. Great, he has a lifetime OPS around .750, not very good for 1B.
9. John O'Keefe. S6, R1-#23. He took advantage of the ballpark in Burlington for 3 nice seasons, which was only fair after the way he was treated during his time in the hitter's park that is Texas.
8. Candy Boyer. S1, R4-#142. Lifetime batting average of .277. For a player drafted in the 4th round, he had a remarkable career.
7. Fred Krause. S11, R1-#2. After debuting in the big leagues at age 20 in season 13, he has begun to show why he was worthy of such a high draft pick with strong seasons in S17 and S18.
6. Norman Buchanan. S7, R1-#18. 2 Silver Sluggers. He's averaged 40 homers for the past 7 seasons (S12-S18). He is closing in on career RBI #1000.
5. Lenny Webster. S8, R1-#5. 1 All-Star appearance, 1 Silver Slugger, 1 Gold Glove. He has 300 career homers and close to 900 career RBIs.
4. Christopher Treadway. S2, R2-#51. Season 16 was his best season with a 1.20 WHIP and 3.55 ERA.
3. Darwin Francis. S12, R1-#1. 3 All-Star appearances, 2 Silver Sluggers. He has a lifetime average near .320, an OPS around .970.
2. Emmanuel Williams. S3, R1-#21. 1 Cy Young, 2 All-star appearances, 1 World Series Ring. His career ERA is below 4.00. He has 8 seasons with over 200 innings pitched. A number of fantastic seasons, but S13 and S14 stand out.
1. Grady Blake. S2, R1-#4. 6 All-Star appearances, 2 World Series Rings. He has had a very solid career with a career ERA around 4.00 and almost 3000 innings pitched. His 276 quality starts rank 13th in world history.
Top 5 International Signings (I'm so slow that the international signings include Season 19):
5. Efrain Lee. S2-$1.5M. 1 All-star appearance. I admire his perseverence. After signing in Season 2, he did not make his Major League debut until Season 15 (age 32).
4. Domingo Cueto. S4-$6.6M. He had a nice season in Texas in Season 14 with 30 homers.
3. Victor Cortes. S10-$14.5M. With a lifetime ERA around 6.00, we're still waiting for him to earn his signing bonus.
2. Ismael James. S16-$13.5M. He had a promising 20 starts in Season 19 posting a 1.10 WHIP and a 2.50 ERA.
1. Jumbo Satou. S2-$5.5M. He put together a nice career with a .275 AVG and 200 Home Runs.
Next up: Charlotte Sturgeon
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Will Hyzdu. S10, R1-#12. 3 Gold Gloves. Unfortunately his 3 Gold Gloves came at 1B. Great, he has a lifetime OPS around .750, not very good for 1B.
9. John O'Keefe. S6, R1-#23. He took advantage of the ballpark in Burlington for 3 nice seasons, which was only fair after the way he was treated during his time in the hitter's park that is Texas.
8. Candy Boyer. S1, R4-#142. Lifetime batting average of .277. For a player drafted in the 4th round, he had a remarkable career.
7. Fred Krause. S11, R1-#2. After debuting in the big leagues at age 20 in season 13, he has begun to show why he was worthy of such a high draft pick with strong seasons in S17 and S18.
6. Norman Buchanan. S7, R1-#18. 2 Silver Sluggers. He's averaged 40 homers for the past 7 seasons (S12-S18). He is closing in on career RBI #1000.
5. Lenny Webster. S8, R1-#5. 1 All-Star appearance, 1 Silver Slugger, 1 Gold Glove. He has 300 career homers and close to 900 career RBIs.
4. Christopher Treadway. S2, R2-#51. Season 16 was his best season with a 1.20 WHIP and 3.55 ERA.
3. Darwin Francis. S12, R1-#1. 3 All-Star appearances, 2 Silver Sluggers. He has a lifetime average near .320, an OPS around .970.
2. Emmanuel Williams. S3, R1-#21. 1 Cy Young, 2 All-star appearances, 1 World Series Ring. His career ERA is below 4.00. He has 8 seasons with over 200 innings pitched. A number of fantastic seasons, but S13 and S14 stand out.
1. Grady Blake. S2, R1-#4. 6 All-Star appearances, 2 World Series Rings. He has had a very solid career with a career ERA around 4.00 and almost 3000 innings pitched. His 276 quality starts rank 13th in world history.
Top 5 International Signings (I'm so slow that the international signings include Season 19):
5. Efrain Lee. S2-$1.5M. 1 All-star appearance. I admire his perseverence. After signing in Season 2, he did not make his Major League debut until Season 15 (age 32).
4. Domingo Cueto. S4-$6.6M. He had a nice season in Texas in Season 14 with 30 homers.
3. Victor Cortes. S10-$14.5M. With a lifetime ERA around 6.00, we're still waiting for him to earn his signing bonus.
2. Ismael James. S16-$13.5M. He had a promising 20 starts in Season 19 posting a 1.10 WHIP and a 2.50 ERA.
1. Jumbo Satou. S2-$5.5M. He put together a nice career with a .275 AVG and 200 Home Runs.
Next up: Charlotte Sturgeon
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Season 19 Awards Picture
It's nearly time to vote for awards. Maybe we can avoid a debacle like last year, when three people tied for the NL MVP vote, and they just gave it to Rabbit Lilly again.
This is my attempt to determine the best candidates in each spot.
Best AL MVP Candidate(s)
Yeico Torres, 1B - .368 BA, 39 HRs, 1.101 OPS, 11.45 RC/27
Case For: Lead AL in RC/27, and over 2.3 higher than second place. Lead AL in BA by .033 points. Led AL in OPS by nearly .1. All of the other candidates are near the top of the AL in many of those areas, but no one has been as dominant as Torres.
Case Against: He plays 1B. Darwin Francis (2B) and Rex Strickland (SS) both play key defensive positions and had great offensive numbers. I tend to factor defense into my votes, and anyone would be justified in going with Francis or Strickland, but Torres' numbers are just too huge for me to ignore.
Best NL MVP Candidate
Donnie Pennington, SS - .267 BA, 29 HRs, .862 OPS, 6.44 RC/27
Case For: Terrific numbers on offense are great, but he's also a Gold Glover winner at SS. His OPS was 12th in the NL, but higher than any other candidate.
Case Against: Low batting average, not a particularly dominant offensive season. None of the candidates were dominant, though.
Best AL Cy Young Candidate
Harry Vega - 23 Ws, 174 Ks, 1.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP
Case For: He was dominant, and no one else in the AL really came close. Only 2nd player in AL history to have an ERA under 2.
Case Against: You could feasibly argue Polin Prieto's 270 innings pitched (2nd all-time) deserve some credit, but I'm going with the more efficient pitcher here.
Best NL Cy Young Candidates
John Tanaka - 18 Ws (4th in NL), 196 Ks (6th), 1.97 ERA (2nd), 0.91 WHIP (1st)
Case For: That WHIP, which was the only sub-1.00 in the NL and ties the all-time record set by Hal Ray in Season 16.
Case Against: Whether or not you thought Sergei Orr was better. Home field is a pitcher's park.
Sergei Orr - 19 Ws (tied for 1st in NL), 213 Ks (2nd), 1.94 ERA (1st), 1.12 WHIP (1.12)
Case For: Better ERA and strikeout numbers than Tanaka. One more win, but less losses (if you think Ws in a valid stat, which I don't). Accumulated those numbers with a pretty neutral ballpark factor.
Case Against: Whether or not you thought John Tanaka was better. Inferior WHIP.
This is really close. Both guys put up monster years. I'm voting for Tanaka, because he's my guy. If he wasn't, it would still be a toss-up.
Best AL Rookie of the Year Candidate
Michel Fernandez, SP - 18 Ws, 193 Ks, 2.98 ERA, 1.07 WHIP
Case For: All of the AL ROY candidates are pitchers, and Fernandez was the best.
Case Against: San Francisco's Yorvit James had a very good season, with a lower ERA, but his WHIP was higher, and he didn't throw nearly as much.
Best NL Rookie of the Year Candidate
Allen Donovan, 1B - .274 BA, 36 HRs, .855 OPS, 6.06 RC/27
Case For: Despite a great class of rookies, Donovan put up the best numbers. He was also a finalist for NL MVP.
Case Against: Any of the field-playing candidates here are strong. Especially Ben Rupe and Larry Ebert.
This is my attempt to determine the best candidates in each spot.
Best AL MVP Candidate(s)
Yeico Torres, 1B - .368 BA, 39 HRs, 1.101 OPS, 11.45 RC/27
Case For: Lead AL in RC/27, and over 2.3 higher than second place. Lead AL in BA by .033 points. Led AL in OPS by nearly .1. All of the other candidates are near the top of the AL in many of those areas, but no one has been as dominant as Torres.
Case Against: He plays 1B. Darwin Francis (2B) and Rex Strickland (SS) both play key defensive positions and had great offensive numbers. I tend to factor defense into my votes, and anyone would be justified in going with Francis or Strickland, but Torres' numbers are just too huge for me to ignore.
Best NL MVP Candidate
Donnie Pennington, SS - .267 BA, 29 HRs, .862 OPS, 6.44 RC/27
Case For: Terrific numbers on offense are great, but he's also a Gold Glover winner at SS. His OPS was 12th in the NL, but higher than any other candidate.
Case Against: Low batting average, not a particularly dominant offensive season. None of the candidates were dominant, though.
Best AL Cy Young Candidate
Harry Vega - 23 Ws, 174 Ks, 1.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP
Case For: He was dominant, and no one else in the AL really came close. Only 2nd player in AL history to have an ERA under 2.
Case Against: You could feasibly argue Polin Prieto's 270 innings pitched (2nd all-time) deserve some credit, but I'm going with the more efficient pitcher here.
Best NL Cy Young Candidates
John Tanaka - 18 Ws (4th in NL), 196 Ks (6th), 1.97 ERA (2nd), 0.91 WHIP (1st)
Case For: That WHIP, which was the only sub-1.00 in the NL and ties the all-time record set by Hal Ray in Season 16.
Case Against: Whether or not you thought Sergei Orr was better. Home field is a pitcher's park.
Sergei Orr - 19 Ws (tied for 1st in NL), 213 Ks (2nd), 1.94 ERA (1st), 1.12 WHIP (1.12)
Case For: Better ERA and strikeout numbers than Tanaka. One more win, but less losses (if you think Ws in a valid stat, which I don't). Accumulated those numbers with a pretty neutral ballpark factor.
Case Against: Whether or not you thought John Tanaka was better. Inferior WHIP.
This is really close. Both guys put up monster years. I'm voting for Tanaka, because he's my guy. If he wasn't, it would still be a toss-up.
Best AL Rookie of the Year Candidate
Michel Fernandez, SP - 18 Ws, 193 Ks, 2.98 ERA, 1.07 WHIP
Case For: All of the AL ROY candidates are pitchers, and Fernandez was the best.
Case Against: San Francisco's Yorvit James had a very good season, with a lower ERA, but his WHIP was higher, and he didn't throw nearly as much.
Best NL Rookie of the Year Candidate
Allen Donovan, 1B - .274 BA, 36 HRs, .855 OPS, 6.06 RC/27
Case For: Despite a great class of rookies, Donovan put up the best numbers. He was also a finalist for NL MVP.
Case Against: Any of the field-playing candidates here are strong. Especially Ben Rupe and Larry Ebert.
Season 19 Regular Season Recap
I made some predictions to start the season. Let's see how those panned out.
American League
North: I picked Cleveland to beat Columbus, but it was a close call, and I thought both teams would be major WS contenders. Columbus added Rondell Dorsey, though, and proved to be tougher down the stretch. They've won their last 10 games.
East: As predicted (and as usual), the Nationals were dominant with Syracuse coming in second and safely earning a wild card berth.
South: Charlotte took the South by 32 games. Wow.
West: San Francisco took the title in the ALs weakest division.
Analysis: It wasn't hard to make these picks, so I won't be congratulating myself too much. I expected some surprises out of Seattle and Philadelphia, but the Suckerfish decided to rebuild some more, and Philly still has a ways to go. Perhaps capitalizing their mascot name would help for next season.
National League
North: While it was pretty wide open, I expected Iowa City would come out of the North with Pittsburgh challenging, but Burlington proved too much. Pittsburgh's drop, meanwhile, was precipitous, and they'll have one of the first three picks in next season's draft.
East: Toledo and Kansas City looked be too close to call, and it pretty much is, with the teams tied for the lead with one game left in the season. Fortunately, the loser will get a Wild Card slot.
South: I thought Monterrey would run away with the National League, especially after they spent the season gobbling up every bit of talent they could in the trade market (the Bryan Webster trade, especially, should've put them over the top). I was a little shocked they didn't break the 100 win mark, but they earned the top seed easily and I expect them to run the table. I didn't expect much from New Orleans, who finished with the second Wild Card spot.
West: Wichita looked like the favorites, and I may have been overly humble in saying so, because my Timbers looked pretty strong, too. Instead, Salem was the biggest surprise in the National League, winning the division. Wichita was a big disappointment, finishing lower than .500. What's interesting is the Advanced Standings. According to expected winning percentage, Wichita was the second unluckiest team in the league, finishing 50 points under their expected percentage. Only Cleveland was less lucky, finishing 57 points under (but still earning a Wild Card spot). Considering Wichita has two MVP finalists, and a Silver Slugger/Gold Glove winner at shortstop, I expect them to take the West easily next season.
Analysis: While the NL is weaker overall and lacks the strength of the AL's best teams, it's my opinion that the talent is more evenly distributed. We may not produce a World Series contender outside of Monterrey for a while, though.
Luckiest Teams According to Expected Winning Percentage: Tacoma, San Francisco, Mexico City
American League
North: I picked Cleveland to beat Columbus, but it was a close call, and I thought both teams would be major WS contenders. Columbus added Rondell Dorsey, though, and proved to be tougher down the stretch. They've won their last 10 games.
East: As predicted (and as usual), the Nationals were dominant with Syracuse coming in second and safely earning a wild card berth.
South: Charlotte took the South by 32 games. Wow.
West: San Francisco took the title in the ALs weakest division.
Analysis: It wasn't hard to make these picks, so I won't be congratulating myself too much. I expected some surprises out of Seattle and Philadelphia, but the Suckerfish decided to rebuild some more, and Philly still has a ways to go. Perhaps capitalizing their mascot name would help for next season.
National League
North: While it was pretty wide open, I expected Iowa City would come out of the North with Pittsburgh challenging, but Burlington proved too much. Pittsburgh's drop, meanwhile, was precipitous, and they'll have one of the first three picks in next season's draft.
East: Toledo and Kansas City looked be too close to call, and it pretty much is, with the teams tied for the lead with one game left in the season. Fortunately, the loser will get a Wild Card slot.
South: I thought Monterrey would run away with the National League, especially after they spent the season gobbling up every bit of talent they could in the trade market (the Bryan Webster trade, especially, should've put them over the top). I was a little shocked they didn't break the 100 win mark, but they earned the top seed easily and I expect them to run the table. I didn't expect much from New Orleans, who finished with the second Wild Card spot.
West: Wichita looked like the favorites, and I may have been overly humble in saying so, because my Timbers looked pretty strong, too. Instead, Salem was the biggest surprise in the National League, winning the division. Wichita was a big disappointment, finishing lower than .500. What's interesting is the Advanced Standings. According to expected winning percentage, Wichita was the second unluckiest team in the league, finishing 50 points under their expected percentage. Only Cleveland was less lucky, finishing 57 points under (but still earning a Wild Card spot). Considering Wichita has two MVP finalists, and a Silver Slugger/Gold Glove winner at shortstop, I expect them to take the West easily next season.
Analysis: While the NL is weaker overall and lacks the strength of the AL's best teams, it's my opinion that the talent is more evenly distributed. We may not produce a World Series contender outside of Monterrey for a while, though.
Luckiest Teams According to Expected Winning Percentage: Tacoma, San Francisco, Mexico City
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Where am I? How did I get here? Houston Lone Stars edition
Another franchise with with a new owner this season. This franchise has traditionally stayed out of the international market, but their drafts have yielded a number of big league contributors.
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Stephen Russ. S9, R1-#25. Had a productive Season 13. Had 27+ plays at 1B in Season 13 after 11- plays at SS the season before. Maybe he was best suited for somewhere in between.
9. Benito Beltran. S8, R1-#26. He has spent most of his career as a trusted setup man. Given the chance to close in Season 15, he recorded 28 saves.
8. Rob Borders. S2, R1-#40. He was a solid major league starter for three seasons (S8 to S10).
7. Nash Garcia. S7, R1-#22. He currently has a streak of 7 consecutive seasons with 30+ home runs.
6. Josh Jacome. S7, R1-#36. 1 All-star appearance. He's been a steady reliever his entire career.
5. Gus McDonald. S1, R1-#15. 1 Gold Glove. He had offensive production while playing a solid CF in S11.
4. Stevie Huff. S10, R1-#9. He has 7 seasons with over 200 innings pitched. In Season 16, he had an excellent ERA of 3.18.
3. Alex Wang. S5, R1-#14. 1 All-star appearance, 1 Fireman Award. Fabulous career WHIP of 1.05 for this reliever. He also has a sparkling 0.88 WHIP in 31.2 IP in the postseason.
2. Freddie Hunter. S4, R1-#14. 2 All-star appearances, 1 Silver Slugger, 2 Gold Gloves, 2 World Series rings. His nearly identical production in Seasons 16 and 18 are probably his best. He ha played 7 positions in his career, waiting to get behind the plate and on the mound.
1. Walter Evans. S3, R1-#20. He was a starter that could just barely get into the sixth inning, but he managed double digit win totals in 3 seasons thanks to sub 1.30 WHIPs, including 1.07 in S11.
Top 5 International Signings:
5. Benny Duran. S6-$4.9M. Who wouldn't be thrilled to get 73 at bats in the Majors?
4. Juan Sanchez. S17-$13.0M. A good rookie season in S18. His lack of power is a concern as a 1B.
3. Humberto Gomez. S14-$5.7M. Nice rookie season in Texas in S18. He hasn't translated too well to Augusta.
2. Julio Cora. S4-$11.8M. 4 time All-star. 51 saves in Season 16 is the single season record for Feller. He has 3 other seasons with 40+ saves.
1. Deivi Bennett. S2-$7.4M. 1 time All-star. In part time duty, he batted .309, .334, and .311 in his last 3 seasons. His 531 career stolen bases rank 7th in Feller history.
Next up: Charleston Soggy Dogs
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Stephen Russ. S9, R1-#25. Had a productive Season 13. Had 27+ plays at 1B in Season 13 after 11- plays at SS the season before. Maybe he was best suited for somewhere in between.
9. Benito Beltran. S8, R1-#26. He has spent most of his career as a trusted setup man. Given the chance to close in Season 15, he recorded 28 saves.
8. Rob Borders. S2, R1-#40. He was a solid major league starter for three seasons (S8 to S10).
7. Nash Garcia. S7, R1-#22. He currently has a streak of 7 consecutive seasons with 30+ home runs.
6. Josh Jacome. S7, R1-#36. 1 All-star appearance. He's been a steady reliever his entire career.
5. Gus McDonald. S1, R1-#15. 1 Gold Glove. He had offensive production while playing a solid CF in S11.
4. Stevie Huff. S10, R1-#9. He has 7 seasons with over 200 innings pitched. In Season 16, he had an excellent ERA of 3.18.
3. Alex Wang. S5, R1-#14. 1 All-star appearance, 1 Fireman Award. Fabulous career WHIP of 1.05 for this reliever. He also has a sparkling 0.88 WHIP in 31.2 IP in the postseason.
2. Freddie Hunter. S4, R1-#14. 2 All-star appearances, 1 Silver Slugger, 2 Gold Gloves, 2 World Series rings. His nearly identical production in Seasons 16 and 18 are probably his best. He ha played 7 positions in his career, waiting to get behind the plate and on the mound.
1. Walter Evans. S3, R1-#20. He was a starter that could just barely get into the sixth inning, but he managed double digit win totals in 3 seasons thanks to sub 1.30 WHIPs, including 1.07 in S11.
Top 5 International Signings:
5. Benny Duran. S6-$4.9M. Who wouldn't be thrilled to get 73 at bats in the Majors?
4. Juan Sanchez. S17-$13.0M. A good rookie season in S18. His lack of power is a concern as a 1B.
3. Humberto Gomez. S14-$5.7M. Nice rookie season in Texas in S18. He hasn't translated too well to Augusta.
2. Julio Cora. S4-$11.8M. 4 time All-star. 51 saves in Season 16 is the single season record for Feller. He has 3 other seasons with 40+ saves.
1. Deivi Bennett. S2-$7.4M. 1 time All-star. In part time duty, he batted .309, .334, and .311 in his last 3 seasons. His 531 career stolen bases rank 7th in Feller history.
Next up: Charleston Soggy Dogs
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where am I? How did I get here? Louisville Sluggerz edition
Moving to the American League South...Louisville captured the AL South title for 4 straight seasons in S9 through S12.
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Buster Long. S13, R1-#31. He flashed the type of ability he had with a no-hitter in Season 18. At 24, there's time for him to establish a pattern of success (or that one day will be the day the planets aligned for him).
9. Carson Shelby. S8, R1-#21. Posted 16 wins in Season 15. Since then, he has shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen.
8. Rex Brantley. S4, R1-#5. 1 Silver Slugger. Season 14 was the best year for Rex with .288/.331/.506.
7. Billy Diaz. S5, R2-#53. Season 14 was his career highlight with .875 OPS.
6. Will Benard. S1, R1-#23. In an otherwise very average career, Season 12 stands out.
5. Seth Sheehan. S7, R1-#11. 3 time All-star, 1 Fireman Award, 2 World Series rings. His 86.8% success rate in converting save opportunities ranks 8th for pitchers with at least 200 saves.
4. Nate Ratliff. S6, R1-#10. 1 time All-star. Career .300 hitter with .375 OBP.
3. Torey Thomson. S2, R1-#25. Seasons 8 & 9 made it appear Torey was headed for stardom. He had a decent career, but never approached his early success.
2. Russell Hutch. S4, R1-#19. S9 Rookie of the Year. 1300 career hits, 350 home runs. His career totals are impressive, but he has never played 150 games in a season. In S15, he slugged 52 homers in 120 games played.
1. Frank Rogers. S5, R1-#2. 2 All-star appearances, 3 Silver Sluggers, 3 Gold Gloves, 1 World Series ring. Rogers can do it all. Hit? Lifetime .285 average. Hit for power? 300 career homers with two seasons of at least 40. Field? Those 3 Gold Gloves are the answer.
Top 10 International Signings:
10. Hideo Tamura. S6-$2.9M. Career back up managed to play parts of 8 seasons.
9. Arlie Hermansen. S8-$8.0M. First basemen without power need to have a higher batting average than .284.
8. Harry Aguilera. S9-$261K. His S19 salary is almost 5 times his signing bonus. Not bad.
7. Pedro Telemaco. S10-$12.9M. Seasons 15 & 18 were his offensive peaks, still waiting for his defensive peak at SS.
6. Omar Seguignol. S6-$6.2M. Provided some nice bullpen work for a few seasons.
5. Orlando Padilla. S7-$10.3M. Season 14 was his best showing in the big leagues.
4. Valerio Martin. S4-$5.0M. Solid career ad a backup catcher.
3. Vic Park. S4-$15.0M. 1 All-star appearance. Tremendous in his All-star Season 10 with 44 homers and a .933 OPS. Followed S10 with 2 more strong seasons.
2. Roberto Valdez. S5-$16.3M. He did his job in Season 15 throwing 200+ innings with 3.51 ERA.
1. Donald Yang. S7-$9.1M. 1 All-star appearance, 1 Gold Glove. Batted over .300 in his superb S15 that included 15+ plays in CF. For his career, he's 66/2 +/- in center.
Next up: Houston Lone Stars
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Buster Long. S13, R1-#31. He flashed the type of ability he had with a no-hitter in Season 18. At 24, there's time for him to establish a pattern of success (or that one day will be the day the planets aligned for him).
9. Carson Shelby. S8, R1-#21. Posted 16 wins in Season 15. Since then, he has shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen.
8. Rex Brantley. S4, R1-#5. 1 Silver Slugger. Season 14 was the best year for Rex with .288/.331/.506.
7. Billy Diaz. S5, R2-#53. Season 14 was his career highlight with .875 OPS.
6. Will Benard. S1, R1-#23. In an otherwise very average career, Season 12 stands out.
5. Seth Sheehan. S7, R1-#11. 3 time All-star, 1 Fireman Award, 2 World Series rings. His 86.8% success rate in converting save opportunities ranks 8th for pitchers with at least 200 saves.
4. Nate Ratliff. S6, R1-#10. 1 time All-star. Career .300 hitter with .375 OBP.
3. Torey Thomson. S2, R1-#25. Seasons 8 & 9 made it appear Torey was headed for stardom. He had a decent career, but never approached his early success.
2. Russell Hutch. S4, R1-#19. S9 Rookie of the Year. 1300 career hits, 350 home runs. His career totals are impressive, but he has never played 150 games in a season. In S15, he slugged 52 homers in 120 games played.
1. Frank Rogers. S5, R1-#2. 2 All-star appearances, 3 Silver Sluggers, 3 Gold Gloves, 1 World Series ring. Rogers can do it all. Hit? Lifetime .285 average. Hit for power? 300 career homers with two seasons of at least 40. Field? Those 3 Gold Gloves are the answer.
Top 10 International Signings:
10. Hideo Tamura. S6-$2.9M. Career back up managed to play parts of 8 seasons.
9. Arlie Hermansen. S8-$8.0M. First basemen without power need to have a higher batting average than .284.
8. Harry Aguilera. S9-$261K. His S19 salary is almost 5 times his signing bonus. Not bad.
7. Pedro Telemaco. S10-$12.9M. Seasons 15 & 18 were his offensive peaks, still waiting for his defensive peak at SS.
6. Omar Seguignol. S6-$6.2M. Provided some nice bullpen work for a few seasons.
5. Orlando Padilla. S7-$10.3M. Season 14 was his best showing in the big leagues.
4. Valerio Martin. S4-$5.0M. Solid career ad a backup catcher.
3. Vic Park. S4-$15.0M. 1 All-star appearance. Tremendous in his All-star Season 10 with 44 homers and a .933 OPS. Followed S10 with 2 more strong seasons.
2. Roberto Valdez. S5-$16.3M. He did his job in Season 15 throwing 200+ innings with 3.51 ERA.
1. Donald Yang. S7-$9.1M. 1 All-star appearance, 1 Gold Glove. Batted over .300 in his superb S15 that included 15+ plays in CF. For his career, he's 66/2 +/- in center.
Next up: Houston Lone Stars
Friday, February 3, 2012
Where am I? How did I get here? Tacoma Explorers edition
Okay, back to the Northwest. Right now the AL North is two Ohio teams, and two Washington teams. A new owner in Tacoma has no part in any of the acquisition of these players. Hopefully, their additions will fill this list in a few seasons.
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Patrick Gwynn. S9, R1-#7. Can we just mark down his 20 homers and 80 RBIs for the next few seasons?
9. Trent Wolf. S5, R1-#43. Hey, somebody has to be 9th.
8. Rudy Fassero. S7, R1-#13. Has played very good defense at 2B and 3B in his career.
7. Kiko Jackson. S7, R3-#86. 1 Gold Glove. Lifetime batting average around .270 as a catcher.
6. Zip Morris. Has had a number of stellar seasons out of the bullpen.
5. Julio Rijo. S6, R1-#5. Awesome in S14 with a 1.08 WHIP.
4. Paul Benjamin. S7, R2-#54. 1 time All-star. 7 seasons with over 40 homers. Has around 300 career home runs.
3. Alan Sowders. S2, R1-#18. A number of very nice seasons including S9, S12, S13, and S16.
2. Gabby Williamson. S5, R1-#7. 2 time All-star. Lifetime ERA under 3.00 as a very effective bullpen arm.
1. Olmedo Hernandez. S4, R1-#4. 4 time All-star, 4 Silver Sluggers. Tremendous career with lifetime batting average over .300 and OBP in the upper .380s.
Top 10 International Signings:
10. John Dong. S6-$4.1M. I think we'll just walk away from this.
9. Sammy Maranon. S8-$5.4M. Has been a fairly productive part time player in his career.
8. Enrique Ibarra. S12-$2.4M. He's trying to establish himself as a useful bullpen piece in the majors.
7. Carlos Cordero. S10-$13.2M. Another setup guy with limited success. Great.
6. Alejandro Romano. S8-$3.4M. Nice season in S15 with a 3.13 ERA.
5. Vladimir Benitez. S6-$5.1M. Put up some nice numbers in S17.
4. Benji Veras. S7-$3.9M. Has dine some nice work out of the bullpen in a few seasons.
3. Ivan Mieses. S2-$7.5M. 1 time All-star. Had back to back nice seasons in S6 and S7 with a .300 batting average.
2. Ivan Padilla. S6-$4.5M. Seasons 14 and 17 have been the bright spots thus far.
1. Pedro Alou. S8-$2.3M. In a platoon role, his S18 numbers provide a guide as to how to get the best production from this player.
Next up: Louisville Sluggerz
Top 10 Draft Picks:
10. Patrick Gwynn. S9, R1-#7. Can we just mark down his 20 homers and 80 RBIs for the next few seasons?
9. Trent Wolf. S5, R1-#43. Hey, somebody has to be 9th.
8. Rudy Fassero. S7, R1-#13. Has played very good defense at 2B and 3B in his career.
7. Kiko Jackson. S7, R3-#86. 1 Gold Glove. Lifetime batting average around .270 as a catcher.
6. Zip Morris. Has had a number of stellar seasons out of the bullpen.
5. Julio Rijo. S6, R1-#5. Awesome in S14 with a 1.08 WHIP.
4. Paul Benjamin. S7, R2-#54. 1 time All-star. 7 seasons with over 40 homers. Has around 300 career home runs.
3. Alan Sowders. S2, R1-#18. A number of very nice seasons including S9, S12, S13, and S16.
2. Gabby Williamson. S5, R1-#7. 2 time All-star. Lifetime ERA under 3.00 as a very effective bullpen arm.
1. Olmedo Hernandez. S4, R1-#4. 4 time All-star, 4 Silver Sluggers. Tremendous career with lifetime batting average over .300 and OBP in the upper .380s.
Top 10 International Signings:
10. John Dong. S6-$4.1M. I think we'll just walk away from this.
9. Sammy Maranon. S8-$5.4M. Has been a fairly productive part time player in his career.
8. Enrique Ibarra. S12-$2.4M. He's trying to establish himself as a useful bullpen piece in the majors.
7. Carlos Cordero. S10-$13.2M. Another setup guy with limited success. Great.
6. Alejandro Romano. S8-$3.4M. Nice season in S15 with a 3.13 ERA.
5. Vladimir Benitez. S6-$5.1M. Put up some nice numbers in S17.
4. Benji Veras. S7-$3.9M. Has dine some nice work out of the bullpen in a few seasons.
3. Ivan Mieses. S2-$7.5M. 1 time All-star. Had back to back nice seasons in S6 and S7 with a .300 batting average.
2. Ivan Padilla. S6-$4.5M. Seasons 14 and 17 have been the bright spots thus far.
1. Pedro Alou. S8-$2.3M. In a platoon role, his S18 numbers provide a guide as to how to get the best production from this player.
Next up: Louisville Sluggerz
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