Earl Weaver Baseball League

1985 Draft

December 3rd, 2008 by Admirals GM

TOP 5 PICKS

 

#1: Juan Herrera, SP, Miami.  Not as good as Miami's previous top picks (Carranza, Banks), but still a solid major league contributor who won 17 games in 1989.  Now washed up.

#2: Mike Carpenter, CF, Philadelphia.  Played for the Quakers from 1985-1989, going .240/15/42/82 in 1986.  Lots of tools, but horrible BA & OBP was his undoing.  Now washed up in A ball.

#3: Marcus Allen, SP, San Antonio.  Went 9-7 for Pittsbrugh in 1990.  Once again, San Antonio makes a poor pick.

#4: Stephen Norris, SP, Dallas.  Struggled through the minors for years before retiring last year.  Never made the majors.

#5: Kurt Wells, SS, Memphis.  A two-time All Star, one of the best SSs in EWB today.

 

Analysis: In retrospect, the 1983 Draft, which I previously said was weak, is starting to look stronger.  This top 5 should almost make you doubt the real value of a top 5 pick.  I will note this: during the mid 1980s, two teams that were consistently horrible and so who consistently had top picks were Miami and San Antonio.  The difference in their picks (in terms of future production) is stark.  You can really see why Miami surged while San Antonio didn't.

 

OTHER NOTABLE FIRST ROUNDERS

 

#7: Randall Helmick, CF, Chicago.  In his prime, one of the top 20 players in EWB.  About to be a free agent.

#10: Kun-yong Nam, C, Detroit.  Now the starter in Montreal.

#12: Orlando Torres, SS, Austin.  Utility man with 20+ HR power for the Marshalls.

#17: Alberto Lopez, SS, Las Vegas.  Starting SS for El Paso, traded to New York in 1993.

#25: Daniel Smith, 2B, Los Angeles.  Admirals' starter from 1991-present.

#26: Thomas Crosby, C, Los Angeles.  An above average EWB catcher.

#27: Jim Whitney, C, Washington D.C.  A below average EWB catcher.

#28: Rogert Thomas, SP, Boston.  A consistent 15 game winner for the Irish.

 

Analysis: Again, I'm thinking I need to revise my original analysis of 1983.  Maybe 1983 was average, 1984 exceptional, and 1985 pretty weak.

 

 

OTHER NOTABLE PICKS, OTHER ROUNDS

Round 2, Pick 1: Chuck Huff, CF, Denver.  Twice had 30+ HRs; now washed up.

Round 2, Pick 2: Pancho Montero, CF, Philadelphia.  Now with Cleveland, one of the better CFs in EWB.

Round 2, Pick 6: Emerson Agnew, CF, Los Angeles.  Just made a name for himself in the playoffs.

Round 2, Pick 8: Cris Rosario, CL, Indianapolis.  One of the better closers in the game today.

Round 2, Pick 27: Dave James, 2B, D.C.  A starting 2B for years for D.C.; now with New York.

Round 3, Pick 10: Chris Edgar, LF, Detroit.  Now a very good LF with Houston.

Round 3, Pick 15: Jesus Villanueva, CL, Pittsburgh.  A solid EWB closer.

Round 4, Pick 3: Antonio Cardenas, SP, San Antonio.  Won 16 games in 1992; 14 in 1993.

Round 4, Pick 21: Orlando Diaz, SP, Kansas City.  Taco.

Round 6, Pick 12: Ken McCarthy, CF, Austin.  Now with Detroit.

Round 6, Pick 16: John Boggs, 3B, Washington.  Admiral utility man for years now.

Round 6, Pick 24: Daniel Morgan, SP, St. Louis.  Occasional contender for the Gibson Award.

Round 7, Pick 7: Murray Morgan, SP, Omaha.  Now with New York.

Round 9, Pick 5: Jimmy Garrett, 3B, Memphis.  Finally, a star in this draft.

Round 10, Pick 11: Billy Perkins, SP, Atlanta.  A starter with Atlanta for years, now appears washed up in the minors.

Round 10, Pick 17: Rich Sawyer, RF, Omaha.  After several years with the Wolverines, a AAA All Star in 1993.

Round 11, Pick 4: Felix Rojas, SP, Dallas.  Came to Omaha after being released.

Round 13, Pick 28: Jesus Garcia, RF, Boston.  Had 17 HRs in both 1991 and 1992; now with Detroit.

Round 14, Pick 30: Roberto Guevara, 2B, New Orleans.  The 1989 Angel Rosa winner for L.A.

Round 15, Pick 4: Tokaji Yamashita, MR, Dallas.  The closer on the 1989 Admiral championship team.

Round 17, Pick 10: Don Bennet, 1B, Detroit.  Had 15+ HR several seasons in the early 1990s for Las Vegas.

Round 17, Pick 21: Carlos Flores, SS, Kansas City.  A 1991 All Star.

Round 21, Pick 17: Chi-ming Khu, RF, Omaha.  Lots of current Wolverines in this draft.

Round 22, Pick 25: Miguel Lara, MR, New York.  Closer for several years with the Diplomats in the early 1990s; now with Carolina.

Round 22, Pick 27: Ron Newton, C, D.C.  Again, lots of Wolverines.

 

Analysis: The mid round picks (Morgan, Garrett, Guevara, etc.) made this a better draft on the whole, but still fairly weak overall.

 

MORE FIRST ROUND ANALYSIS

# of players who made it to majors: 20 (66.7%).

# of players who were ML contributors: 12

# of players who were good players: 7

 

SECOND ROUND ANALYSIS

# of players who made it to majors: 15 (50%)

# of players who were ML contributors: 6

# of players who were good: 5

 

THIRD ROUND ANALYSIS

# of players who made it to the majors: 10 (33%)

# of players who were ML contributors: 4

# of players who were good: 2

 

TENTH ROUND ANALYIS

# of players who made it to the majors: 8

# of players who were ML contributors: 3

# of players who were good: 1

 

Analysis: Okay, so the results of the first round analysis are now looking pretty robust across multiple drafts.  Each time, about 65%-70% of the draftees make it to the majors at all, a little under 50% become solid major league contributors, and between 25% and 33% (or so) become good major leaguers.  This is interesting.  According to that St. Louis scout whose comments you linked to (Rob), he said about 66% or so of first round draftees in real baseball make it to the majors.  Interesting that EWB mirrors real life even on this point.  Given that this result now looks pretty well established, I'll drop first round analyses when I look at later drafts.

 

The second round results are also looking fairly robust.  Just under 50% or so of second rounders will make it to the majors; between, say, 20% and 40% become solid contributors; and about 15-20% become good.  These results are a little less consistent across drafts, so I'll still keep looking.

 

Added 3rd and 10th round picks here, just to see where noticeable drop off begins, and at what rate.

1984 Draft

December 1st, 2008 by Admirals GM

Part II in a series...

 

TOP 5 PICKS

 

#1: George Banks, SP, Miami.  Arguably the greatest #1 pick ever.  The standard against which all elite pitching prospects are measured.

 

#2: Steven Ferguson, SP, Dallas.  Think of it like this.  You win 2 Gibson Awards (or are soon to do so), and you're still only the 2nd best picher taken in your round.

 

#3: Henry Winman, RF, Philadelphia.  At one point, the top ranked offensive player in EWB.  This is an excellent top 3.

 

#4: Artie Quilter, SP, Indianapolis.  Suffered a career-ending back injury in his 2nd pro season (1985).

 

#5: Quinn Jackson, 1B, Atlanta.  A solid major league first baseman.

 

Analysis: Excellent.  Huge difference from the top of the 1983 class.

 

 

OTHER NOTABLE FIRST ROUND PICKS

 

#8: Marv Cartwright, 1B, Boston.  Yet another Boston-drafted first baseman.

 

#16: Scotty Lamb, SS, Kansas City.  Starting SS for Houston in 1993.

 

#18: Darryl Bryant, RF, Omaha.  Angel Rosa winner.

 

#21: Freddie Flemming: CF, Houston.  Became one of the top CFs in the game.

 

#22: Joe Porter, LF, Washington.  Had a cup of coffee with Dallas in 1989 and 1991.  Presently, an un-signed free agent.  Nice job, Admirals.

 

#23: Pietro Mollica, 3B, Los Angeles.  Starting 3B for Cleveland in 1993.

 

#24: Tim Hilton, 3B, Cleveland.  Now with Portland, has been surpassed by their young 3Bs.  Has shown some power in the past though (22 HR in 1992).

 

Overall, a pretty good group.

 

OTHER NOTABLE PICKS, ANY ROUND

 

Round 2, Pick 1: Jeff Brown, LF, Miami.  Went .259/33/110 in his rookie year of 1988 with Miami, and then .240/25/94 in 1989.  The Banditos then traded him to Detroit, for whom he's been a pinch hitter ever since.  Another good Miami pick.

Round 2, Pick 12: Joseph Leroux, C, Minneapolis.  Traded to Atlanta for 3 Fingers Juarez, Leroux has been the Confederates' starting catcher off and on since 1987.

Round 2, Pick 21: Glenn Hill, 2B, Houston.  Now with Portland.  About to become a free agent.

Round 2, Pick 29: Phil O'Roddam, CF, Memphis.  Not an offensive force, but has won 3 straight gold gloves for the Razorbacks from 1990-1992.

Round 3, Pick 1: Tom Delzoppo, 2B, Miami.  Another excellent Bandito pick.  Puts Delzoppo in a new perspective to remember he's in the same draft class as Banks.

Round 3, Pick 3: Enrique Alvarez, LF, Philadelphia.  A solid starter for Memphis in 1993.

Round 3, Pick 16: Felix Mateo, RF, Kansas City.  Spent 1993 with Cleveland.  Over 100 EWB HRs.

Round 3, Pick 27: Ernie Owen, SP, New Orleans.  Add him to Banks and Ferguson and you have a great pitching class.

Round 4, Pick 3: Luis Gomez, SP, Indianapolis.  A curious case.  In 1989 was rated an 11 point pitcher and went 17-8/2.87 for the Black Jacks (following up a solid 1988).  That offseason, his ratings dropped to 8 points, and Indianapolis immediately demoted him to AAA.  Never pitched in the majors again after his spectacular 1989 season.  Now retired.

Round 4 Pick 22: Roger Wright, SP, Washington.  Now washed up, but once a great starter.

Round 4, Pick 26: Doug Birch, C, Pittsburgh.  An MVP candidate with St. Louis in 1992.  One of the best catchers in the game.

Round 5, Pick 8: Russell Grimes, 1B, Boston.  Had some good years with Minneapolis, where he's now on the bench.  Again: Boston is a 1B factory.

Round 6, Pick 2: Pedro Luna, C, Dallas.  For awhile, was an above average major league starter for the Brahmas.  Spent 1993 in AAA though.

Round 12, Pick 8: Reginald Wilson, SP, Boston.  The Janitor.

Round 12, Pick 17: Carlos Moreno, SP, New York.  Had some nice years with the 5 points before bombing with the Admirals.

Round 13, Pick 10: Rodger Rogers, SP, Austin.  Just now coming into his prime.

Round 13, Pick 22: Gerald Latham, CF, Washington.  Rimfire.

Round 15, Pick 1: Ben Stinson, SP, Miami.  Another Bandito contributor.

Round 16, Pick 16: Ed Hartley, SP, Kansas City.

Round 18, Pick 10: Mark Jackson, RF, Austin.  Another Admiral outfielder.

Round 19, Pick 25.  Dan Dawson, C, Cincinnati.  The top ranked C in the game today.  Cincinnati drafts their own talent well.

Round 22, Pick 9: Kenneth Leadbeater, 1B, Las Vegas.  Now a starter with Minneapolis.

Round 22, Pick 25: Cesar Mejia, RP, Cincinnati.  Contender for Fireman of the Year in 1993 with D.C.

Round 25, Pick 3: Lowell McDaniel, RF, Philadelphia.  A starter in 1993, prior to injury.

Round 25, Pick 6: Miguel Torres, RF, Portland.  Now a Bandito, Torres ranks as one of the better 25th round draft picks in recent times.

Round 25, Pick 26: Ken Milligan, MR, Washington.  A pretty good player.

 

 

MORE FIRST ROUND ANALYSIS

20 of the 30 picks made it to the majors (66.7%), including each of the first 8 offensive players taken.

15 of those 20 were significant contributors in the majors.

9 were quite solid.

 

SECOND ROUND ANALYSIS

14 of the 30 picks made it to the majors (just under 50%)

12 of the 14 were significant contributors

Maybe 2 count as quite solid

 

25TH ROUND ANALYSIS

6 of the 30 picks made it to the majors

5 were significant contributors

Maybe 1 counts as quite solid.

 

Overall: A much better draf than 1983.  I feel like I'm now starting to get a real sense for the value of a pick.  Based on 1983/1984, a first round pick has about a 70% chance of making it to the majors, about a 50% chance of being an actual major league contributor -- that is, someone who can stay on a roster for a full season -- and maybe a 25-30% chance of becoming quite solid, meaning an average to above average (including all the way up to Hall of Fame) starter.  A 2nd round pick has more like a 40% chance of making it to the majors.  Don't yet have a great feel for later rounds.

Revisiting the 1983 Draft

December 1st, 2008 by Admirals GM

Here is the first in a series of posts I've been meaning to get to.  I want to look back at prior drafts to get a better sense of what expectations one should have regarding the draft.  I start with 1983 just because it's 10 years ago.

 

TOP 5 Picks:

 

#1: Mark Calhoun, SP, to San Antonio.  Lifetime record of 13-34 with a 5.29 ERA in time split between San Antonio and Carolina; lost 23 games in 1989; in his first available scouts' rating, only a 9 point potential pitcher, which makes me think he lost points prior to that rating.  Presently, an unsigned free agent.  Nice pick, Aztecas.

 

#2: Luis Carranza, RF, Miami.  We all know his story.

 

#3: Matt "Kingfish" Hall, CF, Philadelphia.  Peak year was1988, when he went .246/17/58.  Played for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.  Career .244 hitter.  Currently, an unsigned free agent.

 

#4: Julian Torres, SP, Atlanta.  Career record of 17-22, 4.65.  Last appeared in the majors in 1988.  Presently, retired.

 

#5: Kevin Beard, SP, Chicago.  Never reached the majors.  At his peak, 11 point potential; made it to an 8 pt. pitcher in the minors.  Presently: retired.

 

Overall, an underwhelming group, which almost makes you question the value of a top 5 pick.  Given the picks involved, makes it understandable how Miami rebounded to become the best team in the AL, while San Antonio (among others) continued to flounder.

 

OTHER NOTABLE FIRST ROUNDERS

 

#6: Scott Laws, SP, Cincinnati.  The 1992 Angel Rosa winner, who didn't reach the majors for good until he was 26.  Puts his story in a different perspective to realize he was drafted in the same class as Luis Carranza, who's been around for years.

 

#11: Drew Brown, SP, Omaha.  Released by the Wolverines and signed by D.C., Brown has a lifetime record of 76-81, 4.01.  Won 16 games in 1990 and 15 games in 1991.  Relegated to bullpen duty in 1993.

 

#12: John Hennesey, 1B, Austin.  Did you know that Hennesey was traded by Austin because he was behind Will Lund?  That's how he became an Azteca.

 

#18: Gerald Lewis, 2B, Boston.  His story is well known.

 

#21: Tim Myers, LF, Washington.  Suffered a career-ending ankle injury during August of his first year in pro ball (1983 itself).  The first in what's bound to be many bad draft stories for the Admirals.

 

#22: Gavin James, CF, Miami.  The Banditos get credit for landing another bona fide major leaguer in the first round.  They really could draft back then.

 

Again, strikes me as a fairly weak group.

 

OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS, ANY ROUND

 

Round 2, Pick 4: Emilio Romano, SP, Cincinnati.  Known.

Round 2, Pick 7: Gustavo Rangel, CF, St. Louis.  Notable only because he was on my playoff roster last year.

Round 2, Pick 21: Roy Wilson, LF, Washington.  Hey, we did better in the 2nd round.

Round 5, Pick 11: Doug Kelly, SP, Omaha.  I forgot that Kelly started with the Wolverines.  They released him after his first year, at which point Washington signed him.

Round 6, Pick 5: Jonathan Heller, LF, Cincinnati.  Hit .346 this year for the Rebels.

Round 6, Pick 15: Cliff Webb, Cleveland.  Forgot that he started out with Cleveland.

Round 7, Pick 5: Blair Mitchell, SP, Chicago.  Presently, the (injured) ace of Cincinnati.

Round 8, Pick 4: Lee Smith, SP, Atlanta.  Still with the Confederates.

Round 8, Pick 23: Claudio Acuna, SP, New York.  Traded around a lot, now an effective pitcher with Kansas City.

Round 12, Pick 28: Kevin Morris, SP, Pittsburgh.  Developed nicely.

Round 15, Pick 5: Juan Delgado, 1B, Chicago.  An abover average 1B in EWB.

Round 15, Pick 19: Cory Banks, RF, Boston.  At one point, one of the best BA hitters in the league.

Round 17, Pick 11: Leon Rosario, MR, Omaha.  Good player for this late in the draft.

Round 19, Pick 18: Rafael Cortes, C, Denver.  The starting C on last year's World Champion Marshalls.

Round 19, Pick 25: Tony Marino, C, Kansas City.  Now with Pittsburgh, one of the top C's in all of EWB.

Round 21, Pick 1: George Love, 1B, San Antonio.  A starting 1B, though one of the lesser starters.

Round 21, Pick 9: Donald Wilson, 3B, Dallas.  Perhaps the best late pick in this draft. 

Round 22, Pick 8: Brandon "Maniac" Powell, C, Portland.  The last solid offensive contributor in the draft

Round 23, Pick 17: Reynaldo Salinas, MR, Austin.  The 1993 NL Fireman of the year.

 

Some depth here, but still on the whole a fairly weak draft, it seems to me.

 

MORE FIRST ROUND ANALYSIS

21 out of 30 picks made the majors (almost 70%).

17 were significant contributors, while the other 4 just got cups of coffee.

5 became quite solid players.

 

SECOND ROUND ANALYSIS

10 of 30 picks made the majors (just 33%).

5 were significant contributors.

4 were quite solid players.

 

25th ROUND ANALYIS

2 pitchers and no position players made the majors.  1 was a significant contributor.

 

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

 

The drop off in terms of major leaguers from the 1st to the 2nd round was pretty stark.  As you can see, the 25th round didn't turn up much at all; this year at least, teams were just wasting their time on it.  As we will see next time (1984), there are other drafts where the top 5 was way more productive.

1987: The Year of the Razorback

November 2nd, 2008 by Admirals GM

Looking back, 1987 was one of the most remarkable seasons in EWB history.  It's fitting that the World Series that year was won by the Memphis Razorbacks, a truly remarkable team.

 

Back in 1970 when EWB was forming, Memphis was not on anyone's short list to land a franchise.  Rather, the original plan was for there to be a 2nd team in California -- probably San Francisco, although San Diego was also mentioned as a possibility -- and leave the Sunbelt as the 4 team division, giving the Mountain West 5 teams instead.  The problem with this plan was that the old California Baseball League, unlike other regional leagues, was trying to put up a fight.  They refused to bow down to the upstart EWB; they wanted to compete instead.  They had a ton of resources, a huge media market all to themselves, and a storied history -- you'll remember that back in the 1940s, Joe DiMaggio of the San Francisco Seals was the face of baseball.  Anyway, through a series of lawsuits and clever maneuvering involving stadium leases, the California League was able to make things extremely difficult for the Los Angeles Gargoyles franchise, and to completely block a 2nd California team from being added to the EWB.  Now, in the long run the EWB would win this competition: the California League was poorly managed in the early 1970s, and was forced to shut down prior to the 1974 season.  But, their efforts explain why there is no 2nd California team in EWB to this day.

 

Forced to alter their plans at the last minute, EWB was scrambling in late 1969 to figure out where their 30th team was going to play ball the following spring.  Always looking to make a splash in P.R., league executives put in a number of calls to various entertainers and celebrities to see if they would want to head some team of financiers to bring a team to their city.  They landed a coup when on a lark, none other than Elvis Pressley agreed not just to head such a team, but to put all his own money in and buy a franchise outright.  The league wasn't overly thrilled that this would require the franchise to be set up in Memphis, a smallish market, but the publicity which would be attached to having The King as an owner was impossible to resist, and so they gave in.  Looking to get over racial tensions during the tumultuous 1960s, the city of Memphis immediately took to their Razorbacks, and there continues to be an especially close link between these fans and their team.

 

The Razorbacks have made only two playoff appearances in franchise history: 1983 (when they made it to the ALCS) and the 1987 Championship year.  Don't let this fool you, though.  The Razorbacks are a proud franchise, not an Azteca-like laughing stock.  They have generally played around .500 in their history -- except for the last few years (1990-1992), which have been an abomination -- and have a remarkable number of second place finishes.  Specifically, they've finished 2nd 6 separate times, including a 4 year stretch from 1979-1982, and the 1987 season itself, when they got into the playoffs via the Wild Card.  This long run of 2nd place finishes shaped a tragic sensibility in their fan base.  If you were a Razorback supporter at the time, you were convinced that you were doomed to be always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

 

To understand the 1987 Razorbacks, you need to get your mind back into the framework of the 1987 season.  And to do this, you need to get a sense for the ways in which 1987 is continuous with the EWB of today, and the ways in which it's wholly different.  Start with some of the continuities.  For one thing thing, the top 3 batters in the AL that year were faces that are still familiar: at the top was Mike Robinson (then for Portland) at .356, then Luis Carranza at .344, and then Vincent Carter at .343.  The ERA leader list included Carlos Pena, George Banks (just 21, in his first All Star year), Jamie Rees, and Shawn Price.  The NL MVP was Don Kelly while the HR leader was Joe Warren, who socked an EWB record of 62 for Austin (while his teammate Will Lund added another 51 for the last place (!) Marshalls).  The Angel Rosa in the NL went to newcomer Rafeal Valentin, who put up triple-crown-like numbers for Boston; and the Gibson Award winner was Luis Altagracia, who had just signed a free agent deal with St. Louis out of the Mexican League and won the honor without pitching a single game in the minors (he was already 26).  These are all familiar names; 1987 wasn't so long ago.

 

But now, consider the discontinuities.  First, and most significantly, 1987 was the year of the "juiced ball," and offense was way, way up.  The AL league ERA was 4.87, the highest it's ever been.  4 different players reached 50 home runs: Warren with 62, Carlos Perez of Denver with 54, Will Lund with 51, and Michael Long (then with Cleveland) with 50.  Only one starter in the whole AL had an ERA below 3.00 (Carlos Pena), and only 4 had an ERA below 3.60: Pena, George Banks, Shawn Price, and Wolverine Scott Allddritt.  Speaking of Alldritt, this was his Gibson Award winning year for Omaha, going 22-9 with a 3.14 ERA.  There were, though, some worrisome signs in his season: he had a remarkable 17 Complete Games, well more than anyone else in the league, and threw an astonishing 286.1 IP, when no one else had over 260.  So, he worked a lot for a 23-year-old, and it doesn't seem especially surprising in retrospect that he broke down shortly thereafter.

 

In this year of the long ball, two offenses stood out above all others: the Denver Amigos, who averaged 6.4 runs per game and won an EWB-high 103 games, and the Memphis Razorbacks, who averaged 6.2 and made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card.  Here's a run down of the Amigos offensive leaders, together with their stat lines: Vincent Carter .343/30/108 (still slugging away in 1993); Carlos Perez .298/54/154 (now with Carolina, and all washed up); Ben Barnard .327/33/98 (now all washed up and getting paid a ton by Detroit); Len McGinnis .333/21/76 (in just 384 AB, presently an un-signed free agent after spending 1992 with D. C.); Jesus Reyes .326/23/93 (Angel Rosa Award winner in 1987, now with Kansas City and continuing to have success); and Roberto Reyes .291/21/93 (the "quadriplegic" who played sparingly with Washington back in 1990, due to injury problems).  That's a lot of players putting up some gaudy numbers.

 

Memphis was almost as good.  To start off, you had league MVP Martin Diaz patrolling LF and going .314/44/139.  Diaz is a legend in Memphis, a Razorback from his rookie year back in 1982 all the way to today.  Diaz, now 35 (29 back in 1987), is out for all of 1993 with a fractured skull, and there's a lot of discussion among Razorback fans about whether he will be re-signed after the season (at much less than his present $8M price tag) -- their hearts say Yes but their heads say No.

 

If Diaz isn't the greatest Razorback of all time, then that honor must go to second baseman Ivan Quinones.  Quinones was a monster in 1987, going .333/39/139/22 and winning a gold glove, one of 10 in his career, the most all time.  Like Diaz, Quinones was a lifetime Razorback: from his debut in 1976 all the way up to 1992.  Presently sitting out as an un-signed free agent, the best way to get Razorback fans' blood boiling is by even raising the question of whether Quinones deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame once he officially retires.  Of course he does, they'll insist.

 

The Razorbacks had another solid bat in veteran 1B Richie Farrell.  After first making a name for himself with Austin in the early 1980s, Farrell came over to the Razorbacks in a one-sided trade prior to the 1984 season.  In the magical year of 1987, he would his .290/23/75 for the Razorbacks, and give the team a big boost in the playoffs with 5 HR and 18 RBI.  Later in his career, Farrell is known for playing with Kansas City (back in 1990-1991), and then heading over to the Washington Admirals for the end of the 1991 campaign (at which point he retired).

 

At DH, Memphis had the notorious slugger Jose Rodriguez.  Known as much for his strikeouts and low average as for his prolific home runs, Rodriguez batted .245/23/93 in just 469 AB for the team. However, despite being just 26 years of age, 1987 would turn out to be Rodriguez' last productive year, and he never got more than 187 AB a season from then until his retirement just a few months ago (1/1/1993).  Also known for spending time with the Banditos in 1991, Rodriguez never lived up to his extraordinary minor league hype: he hit 74 HR and and 205 RBIs in 1981, in time split between A and AA in the Razorbacks system.  I mean, he had some nice ML years -- 41 HR in 1984, 38 HR in 1985 -- but he never managed to be the second coming of Angel Rosa that fans anticipated.

 

Finally, at SS the Razorbacks had the ever-dependable Kyle Gregg, who went .286/7/63/16.  Ofering substance over style, the Razorbacks loved the gritty Gregg.  To this day, they have a hard time seeing how this could be the same guy who today is living the high life in Detroit, with the 2nd biggest salary in all of baseball.

 

Go back through the Razorbacks' Record Books, and these are the names you'll see.  For instance, the top 4 all time VORP leaders are Diaz, Quinones, Gregg, and Farrell, in that order.  As a franchise, Memphis had the good fortune to have its greatest players in team history all peak around the same time: the mid 1980s.  On the other hand, this largely contributed to the franchise's demise in the early 1990s, as all these players either aged or moved on.

 

On the mound, the 1987 Razorbacks were notable for having probably the worst pitching staff for a World Series winner in EWB history.  Their staff ERA was 5.00, which was high even for the time.  Their nominal ace was Rich Jones, a member of the 1978 Washington Admirals Championship team and a 4th or 5th starter for the Admirals in the early 1980s.  In his first year with Memphis in 1987, Jones posted a 4.08 ERA, which was able to get him a 17-10 record behind the powerful Memphis offense.  No other starter had an ERA below 5.00 (well, that's not quite right: Brandon Hutchins had one of 4.99).  Closing out games, the Razorbacks had Antonio Cruz, still in his prime then (29 years old) but having a comparatively down year (4.09 ERA).  Today, you might know Cruz from his time in the Chicago Samurai bullpen as a set up man.  He had a pretty good career as a closer though with Mempmhis, putting up 387 Saves.  One more notable thing about the Memphis staff: a young rookie named Adam Hamilton made a couple of starts for them during the year, before moving on to Omaha and then Houston.

 

Finally, let's talk playoffs.  It was an interesting field, especially in the AL.  In the Sunbelt Division, Miami won the pennant for the first time in the decade (and what would be the first of 4 straight pennant titles).  The Banditos were filled with very, very young stars with lots of potential: 23-year-old Luis Carranza, 26-year-old Ken Hamilton, 25-year-old Jose Ortiz catching, 21-year-old George Banks, 22-year-old Julio "Punk" Perez, 22-year-old Joe Murphy, and 25-year-old Mauro Medina.  You will rarely ever see a team filled with so much talent in their early and mid 20s.  This made Miami an especially popular team across the country -- think Devil Rays -- and their 96 Wins made them a serious contender.  Not far behind Miami was Memphis, whose 91 wins assured them the Wild Card.  In the Plains Division you had Denver (already described above), whose 103 wins gave them the title by a whopping 24 games over 2nd place Chicago.  (Omaha finished in 3rd at 77-85.)  And finally, in the Mountain West division you had a great 4-way race, where all 4 teams were within 3 games of one another.  After the final day of the season Washington and Las Vegas had identical 85-78 records, and so a one-game play-in game was scheduled, which Washington won.

 

The first round of the AL playoffs were fascinating.  In one series, you had Memphis pitted against Denver, two of the greatest offenses in all of EWB history.  The Razorbacks pulled off the upset, 4-1.  In the other series, you had the youthful, up-and-coming Miami Banditos pitted against the veteran Washington Admirals, who were still being led by 40-year-old Luis Delgado, 38-year-old Forest Thomas, and 33-year-old Brad Robertson.  (At the plate, the Admirals were led by Dave Tyle, Reggie Phillips, George McFarland, and Oliver Cole.)  Age triumphed over youth, and the Admirals took the series in 6 games.

 

.In the ALCS, you had pretty much all of American rooting on the Razorbacks -- everyone was sick of Washington.  Despite falling behind 3 games to 2, Memphis was able to pull of the come back, taking the series in 7.  Memphis, and not Washington, was going to the World Series.  Razorback fans couldn't quite believe it.

 

Once there, the Razorbacks would face the Boston Irish, probably the most talented NL team of the late 1980s.  On their roster they had players like Valentin, Gerald Lewis, and Jordan Tamblyn.  They had a bullpen which included Hall of Famer Mal Collier, Jovan Simic, and Frank "Mounds" Hearn.  Oddsmakers regarded them as the favorites over the Wild Card Razorbacks.  The city of Memphis ended up willing their Razorbacks to the Championship though, and they toppled the Irish in 6 games.

 

In some sense, Memphis has been paying for it ever since.  On the one hand, Memphis seems to be an especially loyal franchise -- as noted above, both Quinones and Diaz have spent their entire careers with the team.  On the other hand, given how good the players on this team were, loyalty was bound to cost money, and it took big contracts to keep Quinones and Diaz.  This made it impossible to keep some of the other key members of the 1987 team, and they eventually had to trade off Richie Farrell and let Kyle Gregg depart via free agency (where, again, he landed an astronomical contract).  After trailing off to 86 wins in 1988 and 88 wins in 1989 -- both years, narrowly failing to miss the playoffs -- the bottom really fell out in 1990, and the Razorbacks could manage just 58 wins against 104 losses.  With their aging nucleus and bloated contracts, things haven't improved much in 1991 or 1992, when they won 69 and 68 games respectively.

 

The Razorbacks have one of the smallest budgets in all of baseball.  Despite having a player payroll of just $25M in 1993, they're still $1.1M over budget.  They should have some money this offseason, as the contract for legend Martin Diaz expires.  But they will need to use their money wisely.  Even if the team isn't playing all that well this year-- they're 28-38 -- the horrible state of the Sunbelt Division leaves them just 4 GB.  Razorback fans will surely take it, given how bleak things had been the last few years.

Newest 3 Star Admiral: Brad Robertson

September 6th, 2008 by Admirals GM

On Saturday, the 4th of July, prior to our home game vs. the Las Vegas Renegades, the Washington Admirals will be inducting the newest 3 Star Admiral: former starting pitcher Brad Robertson.  There will be a hot dog-eating contest for fans and players' families before the game, ceremonial coins celebrating Robertson's career (and especially his 1978 and 1980 seasons), and a fireworks ceremony after the game, in which Brad presses the button that gets things started.  Below are some of the highlights of Robertson's biography.

 

1. Robertson is one of the few Admiral greats to be originally drafted by the team.  The draft involved some controversy though.  In 1972, the Admirals selected Robertson with their 10th round pick.  Half an hour later, at the beginning of the 11th round, the San Antonio Aztecas announced Robertson as their 11th round selection, not realizing he was already off the board.  (This story is not made up.  Check out Robertson's personal page.)  This (a) helped establish San Antonio's reputation for managerial incompetence, (b) added to the Admirals' myth of edging out other teams, given Robertson's later success, and (c) helped sour relations between Washington and San Antonio.  Azteca fans are convinced that the Admirals consistently screw them over.

 

2. Robertson made his big league debut late in 1975, and pitched well as the Admirals coasted to the division title.  Despite the 21-year-old's inexperience, the Admirals counted on him in a big way in the playoffs, and Robertson responded with a 2-1 record in 4 starts.  It was enough to help the Admirals win the 1975 World title, the Admirals' second straight.  Robertson also was a big playoff contributor during the 1977 and 1978 World Championship runs, going 3-0 in 3 starts each year.  Like just about every Admiral, Robertson seemed to have a knack for playing well during crunch time.  He won 3 World Championships over his career.

 

3. Robertson was at his peak in 1978, when he went 23-6 and 3.39, and also in 1980, when he went 20-7 and 2.59.  Both years, he was edged out by teammate Gizmo Delgado in Bob Gibson Award voting.  (The 1980 vote was especially controversial.  Some Admiral officials acknowledge that Delgado won that award on reputation, and that Robertson was more deserving.  This complaint doesn't get aired a lot though, for obvious political reasons.)

 

4. At his peak, Robertson was an 11 point pitcher with 6 different pitches and solid strikeout ability.  He led the league in K's once and in K's/9 on another occasion.  According to my system, an 11 point pitcher is a solid ace or an exceptional #2 pitcher.  What was remarkable about the 1970s Admirals was that Robertson was their *third* starter, after ace Gizmo Delgado and #2 Forest Thomas.  As good as Sherwood Johnston was on offense, the strength of the team, hands-down, was their starting pitching.  That's a tradition the team has tried to keep to this day: the team strength of the 1992 Admirals is also their starting pitching, and their AL leading starters' ERA.

 

5. Like Forest Thomas, Robertson made exactly 2 All Star games in his life: 1978 and 1980.  Unlike Thomas, the lack of adulation never really bothered him much.  Robertson was well known for his no-nonsense, workman like approach to his job.  He thinks that the spectacle Forest Thomas makes of himself is something of an embarrassment.

 

6. Gizmo Delgado and Forest Thomas are both especially known for their longevity.  Robertson is not.  After that excellent season which he posted as a 26-year-old in 1980, Robertson started to lose a step just about each year.  Throughout the 1980s, he would win about 15 games a year for the Admirals, and post an ERA in the high 3.00s or low 4.00s.  Not horrible, too be sure, but a far cry from competing for the Gibson award, as he had done earlier in his career.  Robertson is one of those players whose career trajectory starts great in their early to mid 20s, is okay but not great in their late 20s and early 30s, and then is bad in their mid 30s.

 

7. The Admirals signed Robertson to a big 4 year, $14M contract after the 1986 season.  Immediately, this loooked like a mistake, as Robertson struggled through the worst year of his career so far in 1987, going 10-18 and 4.92.  In an effort to dump his salary, the Admirals traded him after the year to Omaha, in exchange for outfielder Roberto Elias (presently with Carolina) and pitching prospect Wayne Gary (making his major league debut with Memphis this year).

 

8. Robertson did not enjoy his time in Omaha.  Not one bit.  He struggled through a 7-13, and 5.32 year in 1988, then got demoted to the bullpen in 1989 where he posted a 4.32 ERA.  His worst year, though, was 1990, when he went 3-8 with a 6.33 ERA while splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen.  Even worse, Robertson quarreled with the new Wolverines' management.  He thought they were a Mickey Mouse organization, and didn't hesitate to say as much.  He thought the team was too enamored with youth and with trying to start things from scratch, which led them to undervalue their veterans.  Even during a rebuilding period, Robertson would say, veterans have an important role to play.  Rather than dealing with a disgruntled Robertson for another year, Omaha released him prior to 1991, eating the last year of that big salary the Admirals had signed him to.

 

9. After being released, Roberton harbored some hopes of catching on with another team -- maybe even the Admirals -- but it was not to be.  Just getting used to retirement at this point, Robertson rarely travels or makes any baseball appearances.  Instead, he spends much of his time in his brother's upholstery store back in his hometown of West Little River, Florida, and at his modest home.  Most customers at that store have no idea they're dealing with a Washington Admirals' legend.  Robertson prefers it that way.

Ron Paul...

August 27th, 2008 by Admirals GM

... is a former EWB player, not just a politician:

 

http://ewb.allsimbaseball1.com/lgreports/news/html/players/player_13922.html

 

Pretty good too.  A 3-time All Star with a lifetime batting average of .317, he could also steal a base: 54 in 1981, and +30 or 40 many other years.

 

The most fateful period of his life was a half-week in late June, 1984.  Paul was having a nice year with Montreal, batting .314 with 9 HR in the first half.  Paul and Montreal executives had been talking about setting up a contract extension for some time, but Montreal was dragging their feet.  They wanted to delay an announcement of a deal until after the All Star break.  For whatever reason, Paul decided to press the issue -- not having the deal done was giving him a nagging feeling.  So he called his agent and told him to give in to finalize things as soon as possible, and on June 18th of 1984 Montreal announced a 5 year $26M deal with Ron Paul -- a big deal for the time.

 

Two days later, Paul woke up on June 20th to a call for the commisioner's office.  He had been named to the All Star game once again.  Everything was coming up Paul.

 

But then, that very evening, in a game against the Pittsburgh Crusaders, Paul suffered a ruptured disk in his back, ending his career.  Within 2 days, Paul had signed a massive contract -- which ensured his family's security, despite the end of his career -- made the All Star team, and then saw his career ended prematurely.  And Monteal was stuck with a huge contract for a player who couldn't play.

Porter Scott

July 18th, 2008 by Admirals GM

I had long meant to do a write up on Porter "Swan" Scott but never got around to it.

 

Scott has spent his entire career in Cleveland.  During much of that stretch, Cleveland has been horrible.  They never made the playoffs from their origin up until recently.  But then, in 1988, Cleveland finally made it, led by Gibson Award winner Sergio Garcia. That season, Scott struggled badly, hitting around .250 (he's usually a +.300 hitter).  The press in Cleveland was convinced that he was all washed up; he was finally getting into the playoffs, but well past his prime, when he was no longer a contributor.

 

No one expected much from Cleveland in the playoffs: they only won around 85 games during the regular season, and everyone expected the NL to be won by the dominant Boston Irish.  But then something funny happened.  The veteran Scott caught fire, hitting around .350 or so (I don't have the numbers in front of me), and leading Cleveland all the way to the World Series, where they took on the young and powerful Miami Banditos.  A heavy underdog, Scott led Cleveland to a series victory over Miami, and his Hall of Fame credentials were complete. After years in the wilderness, Scott had his title.  The media loved the story: you had this excellent player who spent his entire career with a horrible team, everyone thought he was washed up, and then he captures the World Series at around 36 years old.

 

That offseason, Sergio Garcia left Cleveland to sign with the Washington Admirals, and Cleveland consequently dropped back to being very bad.  Scott, was shifted from a SS to 1B, where he started hitting again thanks to less stress on his aging body.

 

This offseason, Scott was projected to be a free agent.  Rumor was, Cleveland wasn't going to sign him.  With this injury, it may well turn out that Scott retires with the one team for whom he's played his entire career.

Sherwood Johnston: 4 Star Admiral

June 22nd, 2008 by Admrirals GM

Admirals legend Sherwood Johnston will be inducted as the first Four Star Admiral during our home opener on Wednesday, 4/3, against the Portland Fog Devils.  In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Johnston will participate in a short ceremony in his honor prior to the game.  Here is some of Johnston's bio.

 

1. As is well known, Johnston won 7 MVPs: 1972, 1974-1975, and 1978-1981.  This is the most of any player in the history of EWB, though Don Kelly is quickly gaining on him with 6 *consecutive* MVPs, from 1985-1990.  Not incidentally, Johnston has been an outspoken critic of Kelly, accusing him of not doing enough on issues of social justice, particularly those concerning African Americans.  Also, Johnston portrays himself as more of a winner than Kelly, noting that he carried the Admirals to 4 World Championships whereas Kelly has won just one with El Paso.  Some EWB fans accuse Johnston of being petty -- he's trying too hard to defend his status as the greatest EWB player ever -- while others think he has a point.

 

2. As is also well known, Johnston was the first player in EWB history to capture the triple crown, which he did in 1981.  The only other player to win a triple crown is new Hall of Fame inductee Chris Henry, who did it in 1983.

 

3. Johnston was a 6th round draft pick in the 1970 EWB inaugural draft by the Austin Marshals.  The Marshals released him just 10 days after the draft, before Johnston ever played a single game with them. Washington signed him to a free agent contract 5 days later, and the rest is history.  Remember, the inaugural draft was conducted at a time when *no* player was on any EWB team yet.  Thus, a 6th round draft pick should, ideally, be the 6th most highly valued player in your entire organization.  The point is, Austin was crazy to release Johnston: releasing your 6th round pick in the inaugural draft is much more foolish than releasing a 6th round pick for an amateur draft (which, I know, a number of teams have done).  And I say this regardless of the sort of career Johnston went on to have.

 

4. Johnston led the AL in HR 5 times, in RBI 6 times, and in BA once.  His career HR numbers suffered because he was in his prime during the late 1970s "power outage": in 1977 he led the league with just 23 HR; in 1979 he led the league with just 26.  If not for the power outage, it's reasonable to think Johnston might have made a run at 500 HR, though I doubt he would have quite gotten there.  As it is, his career total was 369.

 

5. The most money Johnston ever made was a little less than $5M a year, after he signed a 3 year contract worth $14.5M following the 1982 season.  Ironically, Johnston fell apart after signing this contract: after going for .295/31/94 in 1982, Johston fell to .249/4/41 in 1983 (in 409 at bats) and .265/5/46 in 1984 (in 420).  Embarrassed by his performance, Johnston walked away from the final year of his mammoth contract, retiring after 1984 at the age of 37.  That Johston walked away from a guaranteed $5M tells you the kind of proud competitor that he was.

 

6. Johnston was a solid postseason player, with lifetime stats of .287/14/72.  Still, it should be noted that his postseason production was a bit below his regular season production.

 

7. Johnston was a 10 time All Star, which to my knowledge is the second highest total among position players, after Catcher Marcos Rodriguez, who went to 13 All Star games.

 

8. Today, Johnston is a senior advisor to the Admirals (which basiccally means he collects a paycheck from us and attends various charity functions) and owns multiple Ford Dealerships in the Seattle area.  He continues to be a significant Pacific Northwest celebrity, and you'll see him here and there on television, talking on radio sports shows, attending baseball card signings, etc.  You would regularly see television shots of him attending the 1989 World Series, won by the Admirals.  And in fact, during game 2 of the series Johnston participated in a notorious interview with NBC color commentator Joe Garagiola, during which he appeared to be drunk and slurring his words.  (Johnston denies that he had been drinking.)

2 Wolverine Updates

May 4th, 2008 by Admirals GM

So, I was looking around at different organizations' all time career leaders, and here are 2 things I found out about the Wolverines.

 

#1: Scott Alldritt, 1987 Bob Gibson Award winner for the Wolverines, is presently in AAA Lincoln.  Alldrit is completely healthy, young (25 years old), and was successful even after his award.  In 1987 (his Gibson year) he went 22-9, 3.14; in 1988, 16-10, 3.72; in 1989, he was 6-3, 3.42, before the previous GM sent him down for no discerinble reason.  The only thing I can think of is maybe the last GM thought that Alldritt didn't have much natural talent -- his fastball tops off at just 86-88, so he's kind of a Greg Maddux type. Regardless, it would seem that the Wolverine's rotation, which has been struggling so badly, just got a ton better (assuming Mike promotes Alldritt) -- what other team can add a Bob Gibson award winner, apparently still in his prime?

 

#2: Back in 1975, Roy Green was a nice All Star player for the Wolverines, so prior to the year they gave him a 4 year $3.1M contract (big for the time).  But then, while in the midst of a solid, +.300, +15 HR season, Roy Green suffered a career-ending back injury, and the Wolverines had to eat his contract.

 

Fast Forward 13 years later, and now *Rick* Green is a star for the Wolverines.  From 1981-1987, he's a fairly consistent 30 HR hitter who throws a .300 average into the mix.  Green dominates the 1985 postseason, hitting 4 HR with a .322 in 21 games while leading the Wolverines to their Championship.  After going for .300/27/104 in 1986, Wolverine management rewards their star with a huge 5 year contract for almost $30M.  Green responds in 1987, putting up numbers of .304/33/91 thru the first 4 months of the season, on pace for +45 HR and +120 RBIs.  But then he suffers a career-altering torn thigh muscle, which knocks him out of action for 11 months.  In 1988, Omaha sends Green to the minors to try to recover, but he never finds his swing, batting just .222 for AA Erie.  Omaha releases him, and Green retires just prior to the 1990 season.  Given his 5 year contract, Green managed to play part of 1 season.

 

Upshot: the Wolverines need to stop offering big contracts to people named Green.

 

But also: is it surprising the Wolverines struggled last year, with Kimble and Rodriguez aging, Alldritt being sent down to the minors, and the career of Rick Green ending prematurely?

1989 World Series: Bought by Admirals?

May 2nd, 2008 by Admirals GM

Many fans accuse the Washington Admirals of buying the 1989 World Series.  At the very least, there's something pretty unseemly about their championship.  Let me explain.

 

1. Mike Robinson, LF.  Robinson had been the pride of the Portland Sea Dogs, a franchise which has never (!) made the playoffs (the only other franchise for whom this is true is the San Antonio Aztecas) and has only had one winning season in franchise history (1987, led by Robinson).  After 1988, Robinson became a free agent.  The Admirals made him a massive offer of nearly $60M over 6 years, crushing anything the lowly Sea Dogs could offer.  Robinson signed with Washington and ended up winning the 1989 AL MVP.  Small market fans across the country -- and especially in Portland -- felt badly betrayed.

 

2. Sergio "Basket Case" Garcia, SP.  Garcia started his career with the Cleveland Rockers, a franchise almost as unsuccessful as Portland.  But, behind Garcia and SS Porter Scott, the Rockers had a mirraculous run in 1988, parlaying an 85-victory regular season into an upset of the Miami Banditos in the World Series.  Cleveland fans were overjoyed, as their franchise had never made the playoffs before, and now they were World Champions.  Garcia captured the NL Bob Gibson Award that year, and was a hero in the postseason.  In the offseason, Cleveland badly wanted to retain Garcia to give themselves a chance to repeat.  Instead, the Admirals came in with a massive 5 year $36M contract, once more outdistancing anything Cleveland could offer. Garcia signed with Washington, playing the role of staff ace on a 2nd straight World Series team.  Cleveland's dreams were crushed, and their victory total fell from 85 to just 64 in 1989.  Again, fans across the country blamed the Admirals for ruining an up-and-coming franchise.

 

3. Mark Jackson, RF.  Jackson spent all of the 1989 regular season with the Chicago, going .307/20/77 with the Samurai. But, for reasons that remain unclear, Jackson cleared waivers on the last day of the regular season (well after the trade deadline), and Washington acquired him from Chicago for pedestrian MR Cesar Martinez. Even though Jackson never played a single regular season game for the Admirals in 1989, he became a bigtime postseason contributor.  Going into the 1990 season, Jackson is slated as the Admirals cleanup hitter.

 

4. George Love, 1B.  As already indicated, the Admirals like to prey on the weak, and one of the weakest franchises is the San Antonio Aztecas.  In 1988, Love, at just 24 years of age, went .143/2/7 in limited time for San Antonio.  That offseason, the Admirals acquired Love for aging 2B Jorge Gomes, a 32 year old who spent all of 1989 on San Antonio's AAA team.  By contrast, Love flourished in Washington, going .272/30/74 for the team.  The Admirals then turned around and traded Love in the 1989 offseason in exchange for future hall of fame pitcher Daniel Pena.  This added insult to injury for the Aztecas: when they traded George Love, all they got was a washed up AAA Second Baseman; when the Admirals traded Love one season later, they got a Hall of Fame pitcher in exchange.

 

The Admirals screwed over just about every downtrodded, underdog team in the league on their way to winning the 1989 World Championship.  Because of that, the 1989 team is probably one of the most widely hated in league history.

Stars of the 1980s: Offense

May 1st, 2008 by Admirals GM

Here are the stories behind some of the greatest offensive stars of the 1980s…

 

1. Don Kelly, RF, El Paso Iron Horses. Kelly is, quite simply, a freak of nature. The most dominant offensive player in EWB history – eclipsing even Sherwood Johnston, in many fans' eyes – he’s still in his prime. He’s played 5 full seasons in the majors, and in each of those 5 seasons he’s won the MVP – yes, 5 straight from 1985-1989. His peak year was probably 1988 when he went for .365/49/110/31. He’s won 3 batting titles, 1 Home Run title, 1 RBI title, and twice has gone for 30-30. Led the Iron Horses to the 1986 World Championship. El Paso recognized he was a once in a lifetime talent, and so rushed him through the minors, having him play in just 28 minor league games before he made his major league debut back in 1984. Originally signed by the Denver Amigos, El Paso managed to claim him off minor league waivers thanks to a clerical error that haunts Denver management to this day. He’s the Barry Bonds of the league – an arrogant asshole – but maybe more talented.
2. Joe Warren, CF, Austin Marshals. There’s a red-hot Texas rivalry between Don Kelly and Joe Warren, the anti-Kelly. Originally drafted back in 1978, Warren slogged his way through the minors, not breaking through in the majors until 1984. Warren never showed much power potential in the minors, but he became an explosive home run hitter in the mid 1980s for Austin, smashing 46 HR in 1985, 41 in 1986, and a league record 62 HR in 1987 – all the while maintaining a +.300 batting average. (He’s been solid in ’88 and ’89 too, but dropped off a bit with 35 and 38 HR.) Kelly plays for El Paso while Warren plays for Austin ; Kelly is a natural talent who flew through the minors while Warren paid his dues through 6 minor league seasons; Kelly is flashy and elite while Warren is blue collar; also – and not incidentally – Kelly is black while Warren is white. Because of Kelly’s run, Warren has never managed to capture an MVP. He’s teamed up with Will Lund, who also hit 50 HR in 1987. Together, they give Austin the most powerful tandem in the history of the league. A real fan favorite, Warren is something like the (pre-steroids) Mark McGwire of the league.
3. Vincent “Eager Beaver” Carter, C, Denver Amigos. Probably the worst nickname in the history of EWB, Carter, the first overall pick of the 1976 draft, was dubbed “Eager Beaver” for shooting through the minors in just one year while reaching the majors in 1977 at age 19. In the next season of 1978, at just age 20, Carter led the league in HR with 24 (it was during the late 1970s “power outage”), the first of 4 times he’s led the league in homers. Carter reached his pinnacle in 1983 and 1984, winning back to back MVPs while going .349/45/124 (just missing the triple crown) and .363/31/89. During this stretch, he led the New Orleans Dukes to the playoffs in 1983, but suffered a devastating injury which kept him out of the ’83 World Series (which New Orleans, without their superstar,  lost to the Washington D.C. Diplomats). The injury was so severe that Carter missed the first 2 months of the next season in 1984 – but still, he was so dominant he managed to capture the 1984 MVP based on just 4 months of performance. Not just an offensive threat, Carter has won 5 Platinum Glove awards as a catcher; because of this, he’s regarded by many as the greatest *overall* talent in the game today, and maybe ever. At the start of the 1990 season, and now playing for Denver rather than New Orleans , he’s still just 32 – fans feel like he’s been around forever, and can’t believe he might have another 10 years or so in him. The question among EWB experts is, is Eager Beaver Carter the greatest C ever to play the game? In terms of talent, probably Yes. But 1970s icon and Los Angeles Gargoyles’ C Marcos Rodriguez won 2 World Championships and Carter has never won any, which many fans hold against him. Think of him as an EWB Karl Malone type: clearly one of the greatest EWB players ever, but until he wins a World Championship, his critics will say that his career is incomplete.
4. Chris Henry, LF, Cleveland Rockers. Now past his prime, he’s teaming up this year with the legendary Porter Scott to give Cleveland a pair of future hall of famers. Henry made his name with the Washington Diplomats. During his first 9 years in the league, he was solid but not spectacular – probably not looking like a Hall of Famer. But then, in 1982, at the advanced age of 31, he had a breakthrough, capturing the MVP while going for .344/44/129/61, the first ever 40-40 year in EWB history (technically, 40-60). In 1983, Henry again won the MVP while capturing the triple crown, going .325/43/127/33 – Henry and Sherwood Johnston are the only players to ever win a triple crown. That 1983 Diplomats team led by Henry captured the World Championship, as did the 1984 squad. The 1985 team made it back to the World Series, but despite being heavy favorites against the upstart Omaha Wolverines, the Diplomats lost out on their chance to earn the first three-peat in EWB history. Henry struggled during that ’85 World Series, and because of this he earned the ire of Diplomats’ owner George Steinbrenner. After a year of feuding, Steinbrenner traded Henry to the Carolina Colonials just prior to the 1987 season – a move that outraged many Diplomat fans. In terms of ability, think of Chris Henry as a Jose Canseco-type (after all, he went for 40-40); in terms of temperament and relations with Steinbrenner, think of him as much more like Dave Winfield.
5. Mike Robinson, LF, Washington Admirals. The 3^rd overall pick of the 1981 season to the Portland Sea Dogs, he was part of the so-called “Portland Resurgence” of the early to mid 1980s, when Portland seemed poised to breakthrough as a franchise – they signed big name free agents, they developed talent of their own like Robinson, and they hired Mario Nunes (formerly of the 4 time World Champion Washington Admirals) to manage them. But the resurgence never quite happened, and actually led to disastrous consequences (more on that in a moment). Robinson won the rookie of the year and a Platinum Glove (the first of 3) with the Sea Dogs in 1983, and then elevated his game in 1985 to win the MVP with .338/28/98/34 – the first ever Sea Dog to win a major award. Unfortunately, Nunes as Portland manager was always talking up the “ Admiral Way, ” from his glory days back in the 1970s. A seed was planted in Robinson’s head, and once he became free agent eligible, he left Portland (whom he had just led to their ever winning season in franchise history (!)) and signed with the Washington Admirals for a massive, massive contract. The signing angered baseball fans around the country, who hated the Admirals for stealing players from the underdog Sea Dogs. (Worse: it wasn’t the first time. More on that in a later post.) But bad karma never seems to catch up with the Admirals: Robinson led them to the 1989 World Championship while capturing his second MVP, going .339/25/84/19. The winner of 3 straight batting titles, Robinson is more of a gap hitter than a true power threat. Think of him as a speedier version of Ruben Sierra – or what Sierra should have been.
6. Emilio Cabrera, RF, Carolina Colonials. Like Mike Robinson, Cabrera was originally drafted by Portland , but then shipped to Cleveland while still a minor league prospect. For Cleveland , from 1979-1985, Cabrera was solid but unspectacular, making 1 All Star appearance in 7 years. After the 1985 season, though, Cabrera left Cleveland for the AL and Chicago, and it was there that his career took off. In 1986, he won the AL MVP going .331/30/122 and leading the Chicago Samurai to a World Series loss versus El Paso; it was the first Chicago playoff appearance in 10 years. In 1988 he won the AL MVP again, leading Chicago to the playoffs with a .342/39/126 stat line. After 1989, Cabrera left Chicago to sign with the sagging Carolina Colonials – a once proud franchise which had lost ground to their division rival Miami Banditos in recent years. Looking to lead a Colonial resurgence in the 1990s, Cabrera is 34 as the decade opens. He’s teaming up with powerful Colonials C Carlos Perez, the first EWB player ever to hit 50 HR in two separate seasons. Think of Cabrera as a Gary Sheffield type: a great hitter who has moved around too much to be associated with just one team.
7. Luis Carranza, LF, Miami Banditos. The Miami Banditos of the early 1980s were dreadful, but those dreadful teams generated high draft picks, and those high draft picks have produced the talent which has led the Banditos to dominate their division in the late 1980s: with the first overall pick of the 1984 draft, the Banditos selected Ace of the league George Banks, while with the second overall pick of the 1983 draft, they selected their top offensive player in Carranza. Carranza, patterns his offensive game after fellow Puerto Rican, Roberto Clemente, posting Clemente-like number as his average has risen from .326 his first year, to .344 his 2^nd, to .355 his 3^rd, to .369 his fourth. (Caranza, like Clemente, is also a modest power threat: his peak HR total is 16.) Caranza’s biggest drawback as a player is his inability to stay healthy – injury problems have prevented him from capturing the batting title each of the last 2 seasons. Carranza and Banks have a kind of Strawberry and Gooden dynamic for the Banditos, although Banks is probably better than Gooden while Carranza is a very different player from Strawberry.
8. Darryl Bryant, LF, Omaha Wolverines. For years, the Wolverine offense was led by RF David Kimble (“Mr. Wolverine”) and his outfield mate CF Mario Rodriguez. Kimble and Rodriguez both came up as rookies in 1974, led the Wolverines to their team record 108 wins in 1977, and to their World Championship in 1985. Kimble and Rodriguez are something like the Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell of the league – very solid players (borderline Hall of Fame) who played side by side on the same team forever. In a very controversial move, Wolverine management decided to clear the ground for incoming GM Mike Gilmore by letting go of *both* Kimble and Rodriguez after the 1989.  After 15 years together in Omaha, Rodriguez ended up signing with the Atlanta Confederates while Kimble signed with the despised Washington Admirals.  Why cut loose Kimble and Rodriguez?  Because the duo was aging badly, and there are younger Wolverines on the way up.  The best example on this front is LF Darryl Bryant.  Bryant, a former first round pick (in 1984), won the 1988 AL Angel Rosa award for rookies by putting up a stat line of .289/31/134 (his 134 RBI was 2nd in the league).  Bryant suffered a slight sophomore slump in 1989, going for .270/29/100, but those numbers are still pretty solid. Just 25 as the 1990 season starts, the Wolverines are counting on Bryant to be an offensive force for years to come.

How'd that work out? Volume 1

May 1st, 2008 by Banditos GM

There has been an enormous amount of trades in EWB in its 20 years of existence.  While browsing through the league I sometimes come across those big difference maker trades.  Here is one.

1974.  In 1974 the Los Angeles Gargoyles finished at the bottom of the division.  The powerhouse Admirals won the division and the World Series, LA front office knew they had to rebuild to compete.  Washington looked to be a threat for sometime.  LA had acquired Bill "Slush" Browning from the Portland Fog Devils before the season began.  Browning was the first overall pick in 1972 and considered the real deal.  After a rocky year in Portland in 1973, Browning was thrown into the LA rotation in '74. Browning went 11-14 with a 4.03 ERA as the Gargoyles went to the bottom of the Mountain West.  The prevailing wisdom in the league was that Browning will eventually be at least a solid #2, however, the LA front office thought differently and decided to shop him while his value was high.  They were concerned about his work ethic and just not having enough "heart."

Meanwhile, 1974 NL, the San Antonio Aztecs just finished 3rd in their division. But things were looking up, the GM felt they were just minor steps away from competing.  When he got wind that LA was willing to let Browning be traded, he hit the phones.  The LA GM was receptive to the Aztec's inquiry, in fact the Aztecs had a player LA coveted, young Geoff McKnight.  McKnight, a 2nd rd pick earlier in the year, was a highly prized prospect out of Minnesota.  LA knew that McKnight may be a couple of years down the road but felt like investing in the future was the right move.  San Antonio felt like the future was now, and Browning would be the link in the rotation for years to come to compete for the division.  The trade was made in November 1974.

Well, how'd that work out?  Slushing missed the first 8 weeks of the 1975 season with a strained elbow ligament.  When he came back he finished the season with a 7-8 record and and a 2.81 ERA, but San Antonio had already fallen out of the race.  In fact, since 1974 the Aztecs never finished higher than 4th.  Browning went on to never have a winning record, and never having another good season.  He finally retired in 1979 into obscurity.

McKnight, spent two more years in the minors developing before finally debuting in 1976 for the 58-104 Gargoyles.  However the Gargoyles year by year improved, until finally winning the division in 1982, but competing every year since 1978.  The Gargoyles won the World Series in '82 and finished first in '82,'83, and 1984.  McKnight won the Bob Gibson Award in  '81, '82 and 1983.  McKnight has put up one of the best careers of any pitcher in EWB and is a sure fire Hall of Famer.  After 5 yrs in Portland from 1983 to 1987 he returned to LA and at 34 years old is still dominant.  McKnight currently has 262 wins with a career 3.09 ERA. 

So Aztec fans and Gargoyle fans, How'd that work out?

Angel Rosa: 59! 59! 59!

April 30th, 2008 by Admirals GM

As you know, the tragic figure of Angel Rosa set the EWB record for home runs back in 1982 with 59!  As you also might know, Rosa ’s record was broken 5 years later by Joe Warren, who hit 62 HR in 1987. What you might not know is that Warren ’s new record is a little bit tainted.

 

In real life, 1987 was the year of the “juiced ball.” Mark McGwire as a rookie hit 49; Andre Dawson in his MVP year hit 49; George Bell as an MVP hit 47; Dale Murphy hit 44; Darryl Strawberry hit 39; etc. Of course, it was nothing compared to the steroids era, but compared to any other year in the 1980s (or even going back through the 1970s), 1987 was a home run explosion.

 

In EWB, 1987 was also the year of the “juiced ball.” Not only did Joe Warren hit 62, but also Carlos Perez hit 54; Will Lund hit 51; Michael Long hit 50; and Ron Leach hit 49.  This had a huge impact on the record book: 4 out of the top 5 individual HR seasons of all time occurred in 1987.  The only top 5 season not to take place in 1987?  Angel Rosa’s 1982 year: his 59 HR still ranks at #2.  No one accuses Joe Warren of using steroids, or of any other untoward behavior.  Still, some baseball purists, and a throng of Rosa worshippers, maintain that Warren ’s record breaking season should have an asterisk attached to it.  In terms of how impressive it was, they claim, it pales in comparison to Rosa ’s 59.

1985 NL Awards

April 13th, 2008 by Banditos GM

NL MVP: RF Don Kelly, El Paso Iron Horses.....342/33/106

NL Bob Gibson Award:  Michael Bowden El Paso....20-8 2.18 254 k's

NL Angel Rosa Award:  SS Ramon Camacho, DC........275/9/57

1985 AL Awards

April 13th, 2008 by Banditos GM

FYI, Wolverines let Elvis Midwinter go to free agency to in division team Minneapolis Mutiny over offseason.

AL MVP: LF Mike Robinson, Portland Fog Devils
Robinson is the Fog Devils first ever MVP.  At age 24 he has finally come into his own.  First Round pick in 1981 for Portland, Robinson hit .338/28/98 but amazingly in 588 AB Robinson only struck out 15 times. He is said to have fighter pilot vision and reactions. 

AL Bob Gibson Award:  SP Alex Hendrix, KC Wheat Kings
Hendrix goes back to back on this award.  At 35 yrs of age, he is the Wheat Kings star.  Closer turned starter, Hendrix has been in the KC organization since 1970.  Looks to be sure fire Hall of Famer.

AL Angel Rosa Award:  SS Hector Murillo, Las Vegas Renegades
The first ever Angel Rosa Award goes to the 27 yr old who toiled in the Minors for 6 years.  Murillo hit .297/19/77.

RE: 1985 Wolverine Willpower

April 13th, 2008 by Admirals GM

Trivia: Who did Luis Serrano replace as Wolverine manager when he was hired in 1985?

Answer: Tommy Lasorda (I assume).  Lasorda, who has led various teams to 5 playoff appearances in his career (but never won a World Series) took over the Wolverines in 1981, and presumably lasted through 1984.

 

BTW: the description of the Wolverine's playoff run sounds a lot like the 1985 Royals.  The Royals were down 2-0 and then 3-1 against the heavily favored Toronto Blue Jays (led by George Bell, Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, and Dave Steib), but came back.  Then, against the heavily favored St. Louis Cardinals, the Royals were down 2-0 and 3-1 again before coming back, in dramatic fashion (game 6 was especially close and controversial). So it's official: the Omaha Wolverines are the Kansas City Royals of our league.

Playoffs: Will of the Wolverines

April 13th, 2008 by Banditos GM

The 1985 playoffs started with the following matchup:
Wolverines vs Admirals
New Orleans Dukes vs Kansas City Wheat Kings

St. Louis Savages vs Dallas Brahmas
Austin Marshalls vs Washington DC Senators

Savages 4-3 over Dallas
DC 4-1 over Austin
Dukes 4-2 over KC

The Wolverines faced a tough battle with the Admirals.  The Admirals had experience and tradition on their side, not to mention home field advantage.  Quickly the Wolverines were down 3-1 in the series. Serrano and Piniella wouldn't let them get down though.  The Wolverines won 3 straight to take the series including a legendary game 6 where they scored 6 runs in the last two innings to hold off Gizmo Delgado from ending the series.

The Wolverines once again went 7 games with the New Orleans Dukes but conquered them.  Meanwhile in the NL Washington DC defeated a Sherman Jarvis led St. Louis team 4-1.

The oddsmakers once again had the Wolverines as a big dog against the Washington DC Diplomats.  The Diplomats were coming off back to back World Series and were so far the team of the 1980's.  Led by Chris Henry they were all but inevitable.   Don't tell the Wolverines that though!  They went to their third straight 7 games series and knocked off the Diplomats to win their first ever World Series!

Stay tuned for season awards.......

1985 Wolverine Willpower

April 13th, 2008 by Banditos GM

The 1985 season in a brief recap.  1985 started out with some changes in management for teams.  The Omaha Wolverines brought in Luis Serrano to take the helm in 1985.   Serrano previously had a stint from '78 to '80 in Dallas and many minor league jobs.  The Wolverine front office brought in insurance though, making former Detroit Cruiser manager, Lou Piniella the bench coach.  Piniella known for his temper and baseball acument struggled in Detroit.  Coached from '80 to '85, never finishing higher than 4th in the division.

The Admirals let go of Tim Brown after their first sub .500 season in years.  Brown took over for Mario Nunes in 1984 when Nunes went to the front office.  Nunes couldn't stand being behind a desk and has returned to the field as the Portland Fog Devils manager.  Doug Slavin was given the assignment of leading the Admirals.  This would be Slavin's first EWB job after many years in the minors.

The Banditos retained head coach Don Montgomery who has led the team since '82.  Montgomery has coached the Banditos to several 100 loss seasons.  Fans were not pleased.

Montgomery once again led the Banditos to a last place finish in the Sun Belt Division.  The Bandito pitching was once again horrible, although star prospect George "Slider" Banks was called up in September.  Banks was the 1st Overall pick in the 1984 draft by the Banditos and at 19yrs old has people wondering if he may be the next Gizmo.  Spending most of his season at AA Connecticut Sea Skulls, he won the EL Outstanding Pitcher Award in 1985.  Another bright spot is young closer Joe Murphy.

The Admirals won their division with a 95-67 record.  Gizmo Delgado is still shining at 39 yrs of age and could be a Bob Gibson contender. Also, the rotation includes trusty Brad Robertson, an Admiral mainstay and Kane Turner, who returns to the rotation after bullpen stints.  The Admiral offense was led by C George McFarland who hit .343!  In addition, young second baseman Reggie Phillips had a breakout year hitting .326/26/122.

The story of the season is the Wolverines.  Serrano led his club to 92-70 record, finishing 2nd behind the powerful Kansas City Wheat Kings. However it was good enough for a wild card spot in the playoffs.  The Wolverines pitching is led by young Bart Farley, the 23yr old in his 2nd season.  Veteran Elvis Midwinter, 1973 ROY, brings strength at the 2nd spot.  Also, Abu Jabiri, Wolverine mainstay is the only Ugandan to ever play in EWB.  The offense was led by Mr. Wolverine, David Kimble, who is all over the Wolverine record book, Rick Green and Mario Rodriguez.

Stay tuned for the playoff recap.....

1980 EWB

April 11th, 2008 by Banditos GM

The 1980 season, like the '70's, was dominated by the Washington Admirals.  The Admirals took the lead in the Mountain West and never looked back, despite a potent LA Gargoyles team in the division. Admirals went on to win 111 games, once again behind Sherwood Johnston, who is 35 hits away from 2000 and a power pitching staff led by Luis "Gizmo" Delgado.  The Admirals lost top starter Forest Thomas who was 10-1 2.82 ERA in early August.  However, the story has been his replacement, 22 yr old Kane Turner out of Harlem.  Kane was drafted in the 11th round of the 1977 Amateur draft by the Omaha Wolverines.  After a couple of unsuccessful years in Omaha's low minors, they released him.  Their scouts saw no progress, only regression.  Plus the Wolverines were not enthused with his Harlem Urban attitude.  The Admiral organization signed him to a one year minor league contract.  He struggled early until he came to the Ralston Rams and met the manager Dean States and Pitching Coach Ezra Bray.  They worked on his mechanics and by the end of the season Kane Turner was a new pitcher helping guide Ralston to the 1979 Nebraska League Championship.  After short stints in AA and AAA in 1980, the Admirals called on him to replace Forest Thomas in the rotation.  Turner has responded with a 7-4 2.58 ERA and now a year after winning a championship in Ralston, NE he is competing for a world series.

Elsewhere in the league the Kansas City Wheat Kings followed up with another division pennant with 88 wins and are looking to go back to back World Series.  Omaha Wolverines finished 81-81.  In the Sunbelt Division, Carolina won 94 games and finished 20 games ahead of the Memphis Razorbacks.  Carolina has a strong left side with SS Pancho Nevarez who hit .269/20/86 and 3B Carlos Cerda who hit .275/19/104.  In additon, star 1B Arturo Reyes got his 2000th hit this season.  The '70 and '73 once again hit above .300 maintaining a .326 lifetime batting average.  Carolina also won the World Series in 1976 preventing the Admirals from winning 5 straight.  Miami finished last in the division with 72 wins.

The playoffs pit LA Gargoyles and Carolina Colonials/ KC Wheat Kings and Washington Admirals.
In the NL:  Houston Black Gold vs. Montreal Knights/ Pittsburgh Crusaders vs. Boston Irish.......