Post by Exposgm on Mar 23, 2010 1:41:04 GMT -5
It is time for that special look back, now. Let’s target the 1976 Amateur draft. Please note that since I no longer have the 2k8 installed on this (brand new) computer, I won’t be able to make a comparison as accurate as before since I won’t have access to the original draft file. Also, just a note: 1976 wasn’t that far away back, yet by the time the first round was done, it was rewarded with a nice “record pace” comment. So to those that don’t remember or didn’t notice, check out the 1976 Amateur Draft first round in the Prior Year Drafts section of the boards.
#1 – LF Rickey Henderson – Angels – Owning the first overall pick thanks to a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Angels couldn’t have been happier to get their hands on speedy outfielder Rickey Henderson. But speed isn’t the only asset in Henderson’s game: he also possesses tremendous power, a lot of patience and can play extremely well in the outfield. What he showed in the minors wasn’t a false indication of what he will be doing in the majors. He played his first full-time season in 1980, batting .280 with 21 homeruns, 98 RBI, 67 steals, 108 walks and 138 runs scored, numbers that will be typical from him for years to come. You can bet NL teams are happy that this pick didn’t wind up in Pittsburgh after all.
#2 – 3B Wade Boggs – Yankees – The Yankees once again drafted extremely early and went with 3B Wade Boggs. To give you an idea about Boggs, let us mention that his batting averages in the minors were highly spectacular, at .571, .420 and .381. If someone can set a new batting average record in TMBL, it is Wade Boggs. By 1979, he was starting for the Yankees, where he batted .313 for the year. The following season, he raised his average to .349 while putting up a 26 game hitting-streak. Boggs doesn’t have much power but several of his 200+ hits are going to be extra-base hits, and he almost never strikes out. It is unclear, however, whether he is the regular 3B or the 1B for the Yankees, who also have a former #1 overall pick playing the hot corner in Mike Schmidt.
#3 – CF Willie McGee – Cubs – Cubs fans are lucky when it comes to getting seeing some of the best center fielders in the game. For a long, long time, they were blessed to have Amos Otis patrolling the outfield in Chicago. Otis thought he had a good chance of finishing his career with the Cubs, but the player they took 3rd overall in the 1976 draft eventually chased him away. Willie McGee did well in the minors, batting .333 or better with more than 23 steals in each of his last five minor league seasons. He is making his debut for the Cubs this season and will be among the NL favorites for the Rookie of the Year award.
#4 - SS Julio Franco – Phillies – An offensive threat in more than one way, Franco batted above .300 in each of his minor league seasons. He was very impressive in 13 games with the Phillies late in 1979 when he hit .370. By 1980, he was part of their infield on a regular basis. His numbers have yet to impress as much as they did in the minors, but he’s still only 23 and had to battle through a couple of injuries. He will get better, though.
#5 – 3B Gary Gaetti – Angels – The Angels traded two 2B (Joe Morgan and Tom Herr) in order to acquire this pick from the Tigers, and suffered from a weakness at second base tremendously since. However, it may have been the price to pay in order to obtain possibly the best 3B in the game. Gaetti was called up at midseason in 1980 and in only 82 games he batted .292 with 17 homeruns and 65 RBI, impressive numbers for half a season. It was no fluke: a year later, he came back with a .306 mark, belting 33 homeruns and driving in 116 runs while playing top notch defense. No wonder he was the starting 3B for the 1982 All Star classic. You’re going to see him there quite often.
#6 – C Mike Scioscia – White Sox – Drafted by the White Sox, Scioscia never got to play for them. In June of 1980, he was sent to San Diego in the trade that brought SP Dennis Martinez to Chicago. Scioscia improved tremendously on his peak number, although he wasn’t exactly impressive during his minor league stay except for his final AAA season. An excellent defensive backstop, he can also hold his own at the plate, where he will show a tremendous strikeout to walk ratio. He does not have the type of power expected from a star catcher, however. His numbers from his 1981 rookie season (.256, 3 HR, 32 RBI) weren’t eye-catching, but he will improve.
#7 – SP Orel Hershiser – Athletics – Yet another of many Athletics list pick over the years, Hershiser just may be the best of the bunch. But it won’t be in an A’s uniform that he’ll be doing his exploits since he was traded to the Rangers the year following the draft. Hershiser hasn’t yet reached the majors, but that should be happening soon. Last spring, he added an interesting pitch to his repertoire, a rare spitball. He was pretty solid in the minors, and even put up an amazing 16-0 season in 1979.
#8 – SS Alan Trammell – Royals – It’s not every year that you can snatch a great shortstop with the 8th overall pick, but it’s exactly what the Royals were able to do in 1976. Trammell was quite good in his minor league stay, culminating with a .414 average last season at AAA. It was more than enough for him to earn the starting job. He won’t be as good as a Cal Ripken, but should be the next best thing to Cal Ripken.
#9 – RF Von Hayes – Twins – A 6’5 left-handed hitting RF, Von Hayes possesses tremendous power and should be a dominant hitter for years to come. But it hasn’t happened so far. He never belted more than 14 homeruns in the minors, instead displaying surprising base stealing abilities. His 1981 rookie year was fair but unspectacular (.269, 10 HR, 52 RBI) and his sophomore season isn’t up to his potential. But he’s still young and could explode anytime.
#10 – SP Bruce Hurst – Cardinals – Dominant at times and inconsistent at others in the minor leagues, left-handed starter Bruce Hurst was making his debut for the Cards earlier this season. But a 3-5 record and 5.35 ERA convinced them to return the kid to AAA. Hurst was probably victim of an awful start of season for the entire St. Louis team. Don’t think these numbers will be typical from him. He’ll return, and this time will do much better.
#11 – 1B Daryl Sconiers – Giants – Sconiers did relatively well in his minor league stay, showing good offensive skills, notably some good extra-base power and patience. He is currently in his rookie season for the Giants and should be repeating the same type of performance again. Sconiers is not only a power-hitting 1B, but he can also hit for average. He’s a much-needed piece to put some life back in a team offense that has been rather weak at times in recent years.
#12 – 2B Bill Doran – Cardinals – A pick obtained from the Rangers, made by the Cardinals, then traded to the Braves and later to the Padres, Doran had an excellent rookie season for San Diego in 1981, batting .294 with 8 HR, 58 RBI and 101 runs scored. It wasn’t worth the Rookie of the Year award, but he was making his first All Star appearance this season, the first of many to come. Few expected the Padres to contend this season, and Doran’s presence in their lineup isn’t stranger to their run at the division this year.
#13 – 2B Marty Barrett – Astros – Just a difference of one pick, and the same position on the field, but the results were entirely different for the Astros with their selection of 2B Marty Barrett. Barrett has done relatively well in the minors, but has progressed extremely slowly. He hasn’t even reached AAA yet. In 1978, he was dealt to the White Sox. At 24, he’s still a while away from breaking through the starting lineup. It could be another couple of years before that happens, and at this point one has to wonder if he’ll even be starting material.
#14 – RP Luis DeLeon – Orioles – A list pick obtained by the Orioles, DeLeon’s low upside allowed him to reach the majors only two years later. In 1978, he was 10-5 with a 3.84 ERA from the O’s bullpen, showing nice things for the future. But what happened next wasn’t as likeable. From 1979 to 1981, he appeared in 26 games or less for Baltimore and was so bad that he was back in the minors each time. He does allow a lot of homeruns, but his control his good and his fastball is more than just decent. He won’t get better, but he already has all the tools to perform to a higher level than what he has done in recent years.
#15 – SS Dickie Thon – Brewers – The Brewers went with SS Dickie Thon with their first round selection of the 1976 draft, but less than a month later, he was dealt to California. Thon’s progression went well in the minors, but it seems he regressed on his Overall for a couple of seasons before finally showing excellent improvement in his early twenties. He is now in his rookie season, and although he is still a few years away of fulfilling his potential, he can still be considered the best SS the Angels have had on the field in recent memory. He won’t win any awards, especially now, but he’ll be useful enough.
#16 – SP Tim Leary – Padres – Leary was a bit inconsistent in the minors. After winning 23 games and losing only 2 over the course of the 1977 and 1978 seasons, he went 5-5 in 1979. But that didn’t mean his progression wasn’t going well, and by 1981 he was part of the Padres rotation, doing extremely well (12-15, 4.02) for a team that lost 95 games. It isn’t going as well this season, but Leary will get even better, and will definitely be a key part of the Padres future over the next few years.
#17 – SP Matt Young – Reds – Picked by the Reds, Young appeared in one game with Cincinnati in 1980 but was traded to San Diego prior to the 1981 season. Rather solid in the minors, the 6’3 lefty went 7-15 for the Padres last year but got rocked to a 5.15 ERA. He is doing much better this season, although he’s had to battle through injuries. Young isn’t an ace in any rotation, but he can make a very solid third or fourth starter.
#18 – 2B Alan Wiggins – Expos – A speedy second baseman with tremendous potential, Wiggins took a while to demonstrate what he was capable of, both on the field and in his personal progression. But in 1981 he finally showed that he was more than just a good base stealer. Wiggins should hit for a high average with good patience and a ton of speed. Power and defense may just not be his cup of tea, at least not for a while as far as the glove play is concerned. Expect him to be taking over 2B soon, as the Expos starting second baseman for the last 13 seasons, Gary Sutherland, is nearing the end of his exceptional career.
#19 – RP Dave Righetti – Mets – The Mets picking after the Expos? Right: in 1975, when everyone thought the Mets were done for and the Expos on their way to an easy divisional win, New York shocked the world and took the division. Soon, they would need youngsters, and that’s what they got in reliever Dave Righetti. “Rags” made his debut for the Mets this June, and isn’t enjoying great success for the moment. But he showed great promises in the minor leagues. Still, he’s on one of the worst teams, and his development will still take a while to complete. He’ll do well, but later, much later, or elsewhere, much elsewhere.
#20 – Tim Teufel – Indians – Teufel didn’t look anything like a first round pick on draft day, but the Indians have proven they know how to spot talent in the draft and Teufel is no exception. With a similar Overall and peak number than those of Alan Wiggins, Teufel will be a completely different player however. His bat should provide the Indians some great power, and much like Wiggins, he’ll walk a lot. But also much like Wiggins, he won’t shine with the glove. He’s not that far away from the bigs with the bat, but the glove needs so much polishing that he may have to be more patient or ask Ozzie Smith for private lessons on how to play defense.
#21 – RF Glenn Wilson – Red Sox – Selected by Boston near the end of the first round, Wilson didn’t remain long in their minor league system. In the following offseason, he was sent to the Blue Jays, for whom he made his debut late last season, batting an impressive .307 in 58 games. In only his second season, Wilson made the All Star game, and it was not because Toronto needed a representative. Wilson is currently batting .316 with 11 homeruns and 83 RBI. He’ll develop more power and patience later on, and will be even more dangerous then. Defensively, he’s more than just adequate, displaying an excellent arm. We don’t hear his name a lot right now, but wait for when the Blue Jays make a run at the division: he’ll be one of their key members for years to come.
#22 – CF Dave Henderson – Reds – A Reds selection, Henderson was shipped to the division-rival Pirates two years later. His progression in the minors wasn’t always easy, but his peak exploded and he still has time to get even better than he is now. “Hendu” hasn’t broken through the Pirates lineup yet, and with another rookie playing in CF right now, he has to wonder what the future holds for him. Whether he remains in Pittsburgh or winds up elsewhere, Henderson will have tremendous power. He has just obtained his first 3 career hits, and all of them were doubles.
#23 – SS Paul Zuvella – Red Sox – In desperate need of a future SS, the Red Sox ignored a lot of players and went deep in the draft pool to pick up SS Paul Zuvella. Mistakes can happen to everyone, obviously. Seven years after being drafted, Zuvella is still in Rookie ball. There could be hope for him... if he counted Mark McGwire among his friends. But he doesn’t. Maybe it’s better that way too.
#24 – RF Randy Bush – Braves – The last pick in the 1976 draft, Bush was traded to the Cubs two years later for yet another first round pick, and it is from the Cubs that the Dodgers acquired him a few weeks ago. Bush still hasn’t seen action at the major league level, but his progression went well, especially with the Overall and peak number. He is doing great in the minors lately, but has put up some worrying averages of .240 and .257 in the not so distant past. He looks on his way, now. If he can stand the hype, he’ll be providing the Dodgers with some much-needed power. And we insist on the word much-needed.
#1 – LF Rickey Henderson – Angels – Owning the first overall pick thanks to a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Angels couldn’t have been happier to get their hands on speedy outfielder Rickey Henderson. But speed isn’t the only asset in Henderson’s game: he also possesses tremendous power, a lot of patience and can play extremely well in the outfield. What he showed in the minors wasn’t a false indication of what he will be doing in the majors. He played his first full-time season in 1980, batting .280 with 21 homeruns, 98 RBI, 67 steals, 108 walks and 138 runs scored, numbers that will be typical from him for years to come. You can bet NL teams are happy that this pick didn’t wind up in Pittsburgh after all.
#2 – 3B Wade Boggs – Yankees – The Yankees once again drafted extremely early and went with 3B Wade Boggs. To give you an idea about Boggs, let us mention that his batting averages in the minors were highly spectacular, at .571, .420 and .381. If someone can set a new batting average record in TMBL, it is Wade Boggs. By 1979, he was starting for the Yankees, where he batted .313 for the year. The following season, he raised his average to .349 while putting up a 26 game hitting-streak. Boggs doesn’t have much power but several of his 200+ hits are going to be extra-base hits, and he almost never strikes out. It is unclear, however, whether he is the regular 3B or the 1B for the Yankees, who also have a former #1 overall pick playing the hot corner in Mike Schmidt.
#3 – CF Willie McGee – Cubs – Cubs fans are lucky when it comes to getting seeing some of the best center fielders in the game. For a long, long time, they were blessed to have Amos Otis patrolling the outfield in Chicago. Otis thought he had a good chance of finishing his career with the Cubs, but the player they took 3rd overall in the 1976 draft eventually chased him away. Willie McGee did well in the minors, batting .333 or better with more than 23 steals in each of his last five minor league seasons. He is making his debut for the Cubs this season and will be among the NL favorites for the Rookie of the Year award.
#4 - SS Julio Franco – Phillies – An offensive threat in more than one way, Franco batted above .300 in each of his minor league seasons. He was very impressive in 13 games with the Phillies late in 1979 when he hit .370. By 1980, he was part of their infield on a regular basis. His numbers have yet to impress as much as they did in the minors, but he’s still only 23 and had to battle through a couple of injuries. He will get better, though.
#5 – 3B Gary Gaetti – Angels – The Angels traded two 2B (Joe Morgan and Tom Herr) in order to acquire this pick from the Tigers, and suffered from a weakness at second base tremendously since. However, it may have been the price to pay in order to obtain possibly the best 3B in the game. Gaetti was called up at midseason in 1980 and in only 82 games he batted .292 with 17 homeruns and 65 RBI, impressive numbers for half a season. It was no fluke: a year later, he came back with a .306 mark, belting 33 homeruns and driving in 116 runs while playing top notch defense. No wonder he was the starting 3B for the 1982 All Star classic. You’re going to see him there quite often.
#6 – C Mike Scioscia – White Sox – Drafted by the White Sox, Scioscia never got to play for them. In June of 1980, he was sent to San Diego in the trade that brought SP Dennis Martinez to Chicago. Scioscia improved tremendously on his peak number, although he wasn’t exactly impressive during his minor league stay except for his final AAA season. An excellent defensive backstop, he can also hold his own at the plate, where he will show a tremendous strikeout to walk ratio. He does not have the type of power expected from a star catcher, however. His numbers from his 1981 rookie season (.256, 3 HR, 32 RBI) weren’t eye-catching, but he will improve.
#7 – SP Orel Hershiser – Athletics – Yet another of many Athletics list pick over the years, Hershiser just may be the best of the bunch. But it won’t be in an A’s uniform that he’ll be doing his exploits since he was traded to the Rangers the year following the draft. Hershiser hasn’t yet reached the majors, but that should be happening soon. Last spring, he added an interesting pitch to his repertoire, a rare spitball. He was pretty solid in the minors, and even put up an amazing 16-0 season in 1979.
#8 – SS Alan Trammell – Royals – It’s not every year that you can snatch a great shortstop with the 8th overall pick, but it’s exactly what the Royals were able to do in 1976. Trammell was quite good in his minor league stay, culminating with a .414 average last season at AAA. It was more than enough for him to earn the starting job. He won’t be as good as a Cal Ripken, but should be the next best thing to Cal Ripken.
#9 – RF Von Hayes – Twins – A 6’5 left-handed hitting RF, Von Hayes possesses tremendous power and should be a dominant hitter for years to come. But it hasn’t happened so far. He never belted more than 14 homeruns in the minors, instead displaying surprising base stealing abilities. His 1981 rookie year was fair but unspectacular (.269, 10 HR, 52 RBI) and his sophomore season isn’t up to his potential. But he’s still young and could explode anytime.
#10 – SP Bruce Hurst – Cardinals – Dominant at times and inconsistent at others in the minor leagues, left-handed starter Bruce Hurst was making his debut for the Cards earlier this season. But a 3-5 record and 5.35 ERA convinced them to return the kid to AAA. Hurst was probably victim of an awful start of season for the entire St. Louis team. Don’t think these numbers will be typical from him. He’ll return, and this time will do much better.
#11 – 1B Daryl Sconiers – Giants – Sconiers did relatively well in his minor league stay, showing good offensive skills, notably some good extra-base power and patience. He is currently in his rookie season for the Giants and should be repeating the same type of performance again. Sconiers is not only a power-hitting 1B, but he can also hit for average. He’s a much-needed piece to put some life back in a team offense that has been rather weak at times in recent years.
#12 – 2B Bill Doran – Cardinals – A pick obtained from the Rangers, made by the Cardinals, then traded to the Braves and later to the Padres, Doran had an excellent rookie season for San Diego in 1981, batting .294 with 8 HR, 58 RBI and 101 runs scored. It wasn’t worth the Rookie of the Year award, but he was making his first All Star appearance this season, the first of many to come. Few expected the Padres to contend this season, and Doran’s presence in their lineup isn’t stranger to their run at the division this year.
#13 – 2B Marty Barrett – Astros – Just a difference of one pick, and the same position on the field, but the results were entirely different for the Astros with their selection of 2B Marty Barrett. Barrett has done relatively well in the minors, but has progressed extremely slowly. He hasn’t even reached AAA yet. In 1978, he was dealt to the White Sox. At 24, he’s still a while away from breaking through the starting lineup. It could be another couple of years before that happens, and at this point one has to wonder if he’ll even be starting material.
#14 – RP Luis DeLeon – Orioles – A list pick obtained by the Orioles, DeLeon’s low upside allowed him to reach the majors only two years later. In 1978, he was 10-5 with a 3.84 ERA from the O’s bullpen, showing nice things for the future. But what happened next wasn’t as likeable. From 1979 to 1981, he appeared in 26 games or less for Baltimore and was so bad that he was back in the minors each time. He does allow a lot of homeruns, but his control his good and his fastball is more than just decent. He won’t get better, but he already has all the tools to perform to a higher level than what he has done in recent years.
#15 – SS Dickie Thon – Brewers – The Brewers went with SS Dickie Thon with their first round selection of the 1976 draft, but less than a month later, he was dealt to California. Thon’s progression went well in the minors, but it seems he regressed on his Overall for a couple of seasons before finally showing excellent improvement in his early twenties. He is now in his rookie season, and although he is still a few years away of fulfilling his potential, he can still be considered the best SS the Angels have had on the field in recent memory. He won’t win any awards, especially now, but he’ll be useful enough.
#16 – SP Tim Leary – Padres – Leary was a bit inconsistent in the minors. After winning 23 games and losing only 2 over the course of the 1977 and 1978 seasons, he went 5-5 in 1979. But that didn’t mean his progression wasn’t going well, and by 1981 he was part of the Padres rotation, doing extremely well (12-15, 4.02) for a team that lost 95 games. It isn’t going as well this season, but Leary will get even better, and will definitely be a key part of the Padres future over the next few years.
#17 – SP Matt Young – Reds – Picked by the Reds, Young appeared in one game with Cincinnati in 1980 but was traded to San Diego prior to the 1981 season. Rather solid in the minors, the 6’3 lefty went 7-15 for the Padres last year but got rocked to a 5.15 ERA. He is doing much better this season, although he’s had to battle through injuries. Young isn’t an ace in any rotation, but he can make a very solid third or fourth starter.
#18 – 2B Alan Wiggins – Expos – A speedy second baseman with tremendous potential, Wiggins took a while to demonstrate what he was capable of, both on the field and in his personal progression. But in 1981 he finally showed that he was more than just a good base stealer. Wiggins should hit for a high average with good patience and a ton of speed. Power and defense may just not be his cup of tea, at least not for a while as far as the glove play is concerned. Expect him to be taking over 2B soon, as the Expos starting second baseman for the last 13 seasons, Gary Sutherland, is nearing the end of his exceptional career.
#19 – RP Dave Righetti – Mets – The Mets picking after the Expos? Right: in 1975, when everyone thought the Mets were done for and the Expos on their way to an easy divisional win, New York shocked the world and took the division. Soon, they would need youngsters, and that’s what they got in reliever Dave Righetti. “Rags” made his debut for the Mets this June, and isn’t enjoying great success for the moment. But he showed great promises in the minor leagues. Still, he’s on one of the worst teams, and his development will still take a while to complete. He’ll do well, but later, much later, or elsewhere, much elsewhere.
#20 – Tim Teufel – Indians – Teufel didn’t look anything like a first round pick on draft day, but the Indians have proven they know how to spot talent in the draft and Teufel is no exception. With a similar Overall and peak number than those of Alan Wiggins, Teufel will be a completely different player however. His bat should provide the Indians some great power, and much like Wiggins, he’ll walk a lot. But also much like Wiggins, he won’t shine with the glove. He’s not that far away from the bigs with the bat, but the glove needs so much polishing that he may have to be more patient or ask Ozzie Smith for private lessons on how to play defense.
#21 – RF Glenn Wilson – Red Sox – Selected by Boston near the end of the first round, Wilson didn’t remain long in their minor league system. In the following offseason, he was sent to the Blue Jays, for whom he made his debut late last season, batting an impressive .307 in 58 games. In only his second season, Wilson made the All Star game, and it was not because Toronto needed a representative. Wilson is currently batting .316 with 11 homeruns and 83 RBI. He’ll develop more power and patience later on, and will be even more dangerous then. Defensively, he’s more than just adequate, displaying an excellent arm. We don’t hear his name a lot right now, but wait for when the Blue Jays make a run at the division: he’ll be one of their key members for years to come.
#22 – CF Dave Henderson – Reds – A Reds selection, Henderson was shipped to the division-rival Pirates two years later. His progression in the minors wasn’t always easy, but his peak exploded and he still has time to get even better than he is now. “Hendu” hasn’t broken through the Pirates lineup yet, and with another rookie playing in CF right now, he has to wonder what the future holds for him. Whether he remains in Pittsburgh or winds up elsewhere, Henderson will have tremendous power. He has just obtained his first 3 career hits, and all of them were doubles.
#23 – SS Paul Zuvella – Red Sox – In desperate need of a future SS, the Red Sox ignored a lot of players and went deep in the draft pool to pick up SS Paul Zuvella. Mistakes can happen to everyone, obviously. Seven years after being drafted, Zuvella is still in Rookie ball. There could be hope for him... if he counted Mark McGwire among his friends. But he doesn’t. Maybe it’s better that way too.
#24 – RF Randy Bush – Braves – The last pick in the 1976 draft, Bush was traded to the Cubs two years later for yet another first round pick, and it is from the Cubs that the Dodgers acquired him a few weeks ago. Bush still hasn’t seen action at the major league level, but his progression went well, especially with the Overall and peak number. He is doing great in the minors lately, but has put up some worrying averages of .240 and .257 in the not so distant past. He looks on his way, now. If he can stand the hype, he’ll be providing the Dodgers with some much-needed power. And we insist on the word much-needed.