Draft Recap

Let’s get this party started!

Thank you to all the owners. The draft was fun and a great success, at least in this author’s opinion. I wanted to write a draft re-cap and this is it.
Hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it. I apologize in advance if my estimate of your team is less than you believe it to be. Not trying to be offensive…..just a little humorous. Having said that, we would like to announce the lock solid inevitability of Vegas repeating as champion. Coming off their sweep of the field in the playoffs - (8-0 baby!) - and utter humiliation of all who dared to stand in their path, Vegas is primed and ready to go 162-0 this season. ;)

Each year the draft order is completely random. Interesting that the Grand Rapids Trappers were the 8th and last pick last year, but this time around got the 1st pick. Last year the Explorers and Hurricanes were 1st and 2nd respectively. This year 7th and 8th. Vegas picked third in both drafts.

Ruth and Williams once again go first and second……ho hum. I find it hard to believe that will ever be any different. Four new players went in the first round this time that had not in the previous draft. They were Ruth - (the pitcher) - Dimaggio, Greenberg, and Walsh. 25 of the top 32 picks are the same as last year. Not the same order exactly, but basically the guys who went in the first 4 rounds remained relatively the same. Pujols is out of the league, George Foster expectedly fell to round 17, Hank Aaron unexpectedly fell to round 9 - (as perhaps the greatest underperformer from last year that maybe should’ve been expected), F. Thomas ‘90 unexpectedly fell to round 7, and the other three - (Alexander, Lajoie, and E. Collins) - fell just a little to rounds 5 & 6.

Biggest risers

(not in order, or a complete list, just those that caught my attention)

  1. Brooks Robinson from 200th - (and last!) - pick to 80th
  2. Earl Averill from 196th to 45th. Wow!
  3. Herb Score from 193rd to 129th.
  4. Zack Wheat from 182nd to 72nd.
  5. Chuck Klein from 179th to 52nd.
  6. Joe Gordon from 162nd to 82nd.
  7. Sid Fernandez from 163rd to 87th.
  8. Harmon Killebrew from 146th to 81st.
  9. Johann Santana from 113th to 54th.
  10. Chipper Jones from 105th to 47th.
  11. Joe Morgan from 78th to 32nd.
  12. Bill Dickey from 71st to 31st.
    • Being the most overperforming player may have helped here.
  13. Wade Boggs from 55th to 13th.
  14. Joe Dimaggio from 31st to 6th. Wow!
  15. Hank Greenberg from 30th to 7th. Wow!

New players who weren’t even drafted last year are Clarke, Kell, Crawford, Murphy, Tiant, Lynn, Mussina, Fox, Nettles, Randolph, Dawson, Griffey Sr., Gooden, Rosen, Ashburn, Lindstrom, Flick, S. Rice, Kingman, and P. Niekro

Biggest fallers

(again, just those that caught my attention)

  1. Foxx drops from 7th to 18th.
  2. Wagner from 12th to 25th.
  3. F. Thomas ‘90 from 19th to 51st. Wow!
  4. George Foster from 22nd to 133rd.
  5. Lefty O’Doul from 47th to 102nd.
  6. Lefty Grove from 44th to 146th. (Although he remains on Portland)
  7. Don Mattingly from 52nd to 175th.
  8. Arky Vaughan from 58th to 140th.
  9. Eddie Mathews from 57th to 190th.
  10. Elston Howard from 77th to 159th.
  11. Frankie Frisch from 81st to 174th.

Players who were not drafted this time are Meusel, Carlton, Morris, Glavine, Grimes, Lolich, Kaat, Blyleven, Lyle, J. Perry, Wynn, L. Smith, Hoyt, Schoendienst, K. Boyer, Schalk, Roush, Evers, Ojeda, W. Hernandez, Drabek, J. Rice, Bi. Herman, and Cepeda. (Basically the whole pitching staff from Ottawa!).

Players returning to the same team:

  1. Trappers - Young, Musial, Seaver, Bench, Feller, Banks, B. Robinson, Yount, Murray, and Colavito - (10 returning is the most)
  2. Cascades - Smoltz, Eckersley, and Grove
  3. Agents - Martinez, Cochrane, F. Thomas ‘90, Maddux, Hubbell, Saberhagen, and Cronin
  4. Spiders - Jeter, Ford, Wilhelm, Willis, McGinnity, and Traynor
  5. Warriors - Ruth (the pitcher), Rivera, and Quisenberry
  6. Osos - J. Jackson, and Simmons - (2 returning is the fewest)
  7. Explorers - Plank, F. Robinson, Heilmann, and O. Smith
  8. Hurricanes - Brown, Henderson, Brett, Brock, Wills, Sutton, Hunter, and Guidry

The Explorers will have both Frank and Jackie Robinson. Perhaps batting next to each other in the order. They need to work a trade with the Trappers for Brooks and then have a monopoly on all Robinsons.

The Spiders have the best names - (by far!). Rogers Hornsby, Heinie Manush, Kiki Cuyler, Pee Wee Reese, Wee Willie Keeler, Goose Gossage, and Whitey Ford are all in El Paso.

Predictions

  • Best offenses - Cascades, Agents, Trappers, and Explorers
  • Best defenses - Explorers, Hurricanes, Warriors, and Cascades
  • Best pitching staffs - Explorers, Agents, Osos, and Hurricanes
  • East Division Champ - St. Louis Explorers
  • West Division Champ - Vegas Agents
  • Wild Cards - Portland Cascades and Ottawa Osos
  • Champ - V-E-G-A-S baby! (Who else?)
  • MVP - Gehrig
  • Cy Young - Joss

Can’t wait for Opening Day!!