Post by Exposgm on Jun 2, 2010 19:22:06 GMT -5
It is time for that special look back, now. Let’s target the 1977 Amateur Draft. This draft welcomed two new teams, the Mariners and Blue Jays who were enjoying their arrival in the American League following the latest expansion. An interesting change in habits was starting to get noticed, as the first pitcher only went 10th overall, and the first reliever 17th overall. Also, four of the first six and 6 of the first 10 picks were outfielders.
#1 – 2B Ryne Sandberg – Mariners – First overall pick by the new Seattle franchise, Sandberg didn’t waste time displaying his complete skills in the minors. The kid can absolutely do it all: hit, run and field, and he does all of it extremely well. In a late September call-up in 1981, he batted .255 with 3 homeruns and 13 RBI in 28 games. He just finished playing in his rookie season, hitting .284 with 11 homeruns and 63 RBI. He’ll do much better from now on.
#2 – LF Tim Raines – Blue Jays – Drafted second overall by the Blue Jays, “Rock” spent only two seasons in the minor leagues. In 1979, at the green age of 19 years old, he was batting leadoff for Toronto on a regular basis. He may have been young, but he was more than ready. Raines batted .287, scoring 97 runs and stealing 48 bases, best in the AL. He just completed his fourth season, and already totals more than 400 runs scored and 200 steals.
#3 – RF Harold Baines – Cubs – The third overall selection in the 1977 draft, Baines did really well in three minor league seasons. His rookie year in 1980 was awesome, with a .309 average (206 hits), 25 homeruns, 89 RBI and 103 runs scored. His average and power numbers have decreased since, but he just completed his first 100 RBI campaign despite batting eight all year. He’s also displaying great skills in the outfield and should be a star for years to come.
#4 – RF Mike Davis – Royals – An intriguing pick as early (the real Mike Davis didn’t last a decade), Mike Davis has showed a great improvement on his peak number and now looks about ready to make his debut for the Royals. He batted .250 with 1 homerun and 4 RBI in 10 starts for KC this season. If we don’t see him next year, it will be the one after. After that, he should be a steady contributor to his team’s offense.
#5 – RF Jesse Barfield – Yankees – The third straight RF taken in a row, Barfield hasn’t yet faced a big league pitcher. This guy is all about power. He has displayed it at every level he played in, and even belted 30 dingers at AA, something we that isn’t seen often. He won’t be only power, but will earn his share of walks and will provide a canon arm from the outfield. Barfield should reach the majors within the next couple of years.
#6 – 2B Tony Phillips – Twins – A switch-hitting hitter with tremendous patience, Phillips possesses some pop for a middle infielder. He spent a lot of time on the big league club these last few years, but he just finished his first full-time season, and it was quite a disappointment. Phillips batted only .221 and was used mostly at shortstop and third base, where he was as unimpressive as at the plate. Nevertheless, the tools are there in his case. His numbers should be closer to the .322 mark he posted two years ago in 30 games than the lower average he finished last season with.
#7 – 3B Brook Jacoby – White Sox – Missing out on 3B Gary Gaetti a year before, the White Sox were able to grab another solid prospect at the position the following season when they selected 3B Brook Jacoby with the 7th pick overall. It’s not exactly Gaetti, but Jacoby won’t be bad either. At 22, he batted .250 with 10 homeruns and 62 RBI as the team’s full time 3B. He still needs to polish his glove a bit. He should hit close to 20 homeruns for several years with an average much better than what he managed this season.
#8 – CF Lloyd Moseby – Pirates – Moseby did well in the minors and began the season as the Pirates full-time center fielder. A five tool player, Moseby struggled in his rookie season, batting only .234 with 12 homeruns and 48 RBI. He did much better with the glove, finishing second in TMBL in range factor at the position. Moseby should rebound, and will certainly improve his power numbers soon enough.
#9 – LF George Bell – Mets – “Liberty” hadn’t really done that well in the minors when the Mets decided he was ready to start the season in 1980. He was batting .255 with 5 homeruns and 25 RBI when they sent him back down. He then put on a show in AAA in ’81, but suffered a setback the following year, especially power-wise. He finally breached the starting lineup this season, and despite being unspectacular he will nevertheless drive in over 100 runs.
#10 – SP Mike Moore – Phillies – Showing a steady progression, Mike Moore has been rather inconsistent in the minors, compiling good and not so good seasons on his way up the ladder. He has not breached the starting staff yet, and that isn’t likely to happen soon. The kid needs time to hone his pitching skills, work on his control and improve his stuff. He does have time, but as of this moment, he doesn’t exactly look like a future ace. You would have expected otherwise from the very first pitcher taken in the 1977 Amateur draft.
#11 – LF Kevin McReynolds – Cardinals – Although he hasn’t burned the minors with an awesome batting average, McReynolds has hit well for power almost every season so far. His peak number seemed to gain and lose points over the years, but still remains much better now than it was on draft day. 1983 may not be the year where he’ll break the Cardinals starting lineup, but if it’s not then it will be the following season. Once he does reach the bigs, he will start hitting homeruns quite well.
#12 – LF Phil Bradley – Braves – Yet another outfielder taken in that first round, Bradley has shown tremendous improvement over the years while also gaining several points on his Overall in the process. He hasn’t impressed with his power in the minors so far, but has shown patience and good base stealing ability. He hasn’t yet reached the majors, but he isn’t that far away. What doesn’t help in his case is that the Braves already have a superstar at the position.
#13 – RF Jim Eisenreich – Giants – Picked by the Giants in the middle of round 1, Jim Eisenreich saw his peak number explode since draft day. The kid is more than ready: in 15 games last season, he batted .387 with 9 RBI and 10 runs scored. Eisenreich will never hit for power, but he will contend for the batting title every season. He’ll also play top-notch defense.
#14 – C Rich Gedman – Brewers – The Brewers went with C Rich Gedman with the 14th overall pick. But Gedman never took off. His peak number stalled, and his minor league career didn’t have much to offer. At this point, he looks like a bench catcher, at best. Unless he takes a lot of vitamins, and we do mean, A LOT, Gedman won’t be the next Johnny Bench.
#15 – C Brian Harper – Orioles – The Orioles also picked a catcher, but in Brian Harper’s case, the magic did operate a little better. A good average hitter who’s really hard to strike out, Harper was dealt to Cleveland two years later. He won’t have much power, won’t walk much and his defensive play will not attract him fans, but he’ll do well enough at the plate to be valuable to his team.
#16 – SP Oil Can Boyd – Blue Jays – Only the second pitcher taken in the first round of the 1977 draft, “Oil Can” Boyd started out in fashion by going 12-0 with a 2.03 ERA in his very first professional season. Things then got sour the rest of the way, except for his progression and improvement on the peak number. He improved his change twice, which complements well an excellent repertoire of pitches. In his first season as full-time starter for the Jays, Boyd went 9-13 with a 5.12 ERA. Don’t trust those numbers: he’s much better than that, and as soon as Toronto starts filling their holes, Boyd will be dominant. In fact, he may even do better than Roger Clemens.
#17 – RP Alejandro Pena – Tigers – Pena was the first reliever picked in the first round in 1977, but his progression was marked by various injuries. His repertoire is impressive for a reliever, and he also possesses good control. But after four seasons in the majors, he hasn’t shown any regularity, posting a 4.86 ERA over 115 appearances. The talent is there, he just needs to start believing it.
#18 – SP Mike Morgan – Padres – Drafted by the Padres, Morgan was traded to the Dodgers in 1979 where he made 7 appearances, mostly in relief, in late September call-ups. He hasn’t had much success in the minors, but his progression went extremely well. As it stands right now, Morgan should become an excellent pitcher, to say the least. He’s ready to face big league hitters and should do well already, but he’ll get even better. His career won’t last long, though.
#19 – SP Bill Gullickson – Astros – Gullickson was dominant at times in the minors, culminating with a 15-2 season in 1981 at AAA level. Last season was his first as a full-time starter for the Astros, and he responded well with 17 wins and a 3.54 ERA. Gullickson has great control and can pitch deep into games.
#20 – 1B Greg Walker – Indians – Walker had a long way to go before reaching the majors, and that still hasn’t happened yet. He still has time ahead of him, and with a superstar at 1B in Cleveland, you can bet he won’t be rushed to the big show. He’s not doing badly in the minors, but he’s not been extremely dominant either. He will have a lot of pop and will fit in nicely in the Tribe offense once he breaks the lineup.
#21 – SP Dave LaPoint – Angels – Another pick who’s not quite ready to join the big club, Dave LaPoint has improved his peak number a bit, but could use some more help. Unstable in the minors, the big lefty won’t be seen on a major league roster for a while. He does have a lot of time to improve, so he could still become a top prospect. His time in the minors is far from being over.
#22 – 1B Pat Dodson – Reds – Dodson’s peak number exploded but he has yet to show the same pace on his Overall. At this point, he remains an excellent prospect at 1B, but the Reds also have someone named Andres Galarraga at the same position. Dodson needs more time in the minors, so don’t expect to see him anytime soon.
#23 – LF Rod Allen – Cubs – It won’t be easy for Allen to break an outfield that already counts on Jack Clark, Willie McGee and Harold Baines. He can no longer learn anything in the minors, as he proved by dominating the AAA level with a .402 average last season. He saw little action on Chicago’s bench, but still managed a .423 mark over 26 AB. Unless he gets traded elsewhere, Allen will be a deluxe bench player in Chicago.
#24 – RP Tim Burke – Expos – Successful in the minors at closing games, Tim Burke was given the closer role early on this season for the Expos after making 4 playoffs appearances (2 wins and a 5.06 ERA). He encountered some troubles and was eventually taken off the closer spot. He has good control and two excellent pitches. Count on him to be a really dominant reliever for years to come.
#25 – 2B Paul Noce – Braves – Next to last pick in the first round of the 1977 draft, Noce has yet to impress at any minor league level. The highest average he put up in the minors was .245. This reflects on his overall progression. He still has a lot of time, so don’t expect to see him in the majors for at least another 3 or 4 years, maybe 5. At this point, he doesn’t look like a future star.
#26 – SP Mike Bielecki – Indians – Taken last in the first round, Bielecki wasn’t exactly impressive in the minors and was released by the Indians prior to the start of the current season. He’s doing well in the Mexican league, and that may be where he’ll need to start looking for a place to stay.
#1 – 2B Ryne Sandberg – Mariners – First overall pick by the new Seattle franchise, Sandberg didn’t waste time displaying his complete skills in the minors. The kid can absolutely do it all: hit, run and field, and he does all of it extremely well. In a late September call-up in 1981, he batted .255 with 3 homeruns and 13 RBI in 28 games. He just finished playing in his rookie season, hitting .284 with 11 homeruns and 63 RBI. He’ll do much better from now on.
#2 – LF Tim Raines – Blue Jays – Drafted second overall by the Blue Jays, “Rock” spent only two seasons in the minor leagues. In 1979, at the green age of 19 years old, he was batting leadoff for Toronto on a regular basis. He may have been young, but he was more than ready. Raines batted .287, scoring 97 runs and stealing 48 bases, best in the AL. He just completed his fourth season, and already totals more than 400 runs scored and 200 steals.
#3 – RF Harold Baines – Cubs – The third overall selection in the 1977 draft, Baines did really well in three minor league seasons. His rookie year in 1980 was awesome, with a .309 average (206 hits), 25 homeruns, 89 RBI and 103 runs scored. His average and power numbers have decreased since, but he just completed his first 100 RBI campaign despite batting eight all year. He’s also displaying great skills in the outfield and should be a star for years to come.
#4 – RF Mike Davis – Royals – An intriguing pick as early (the real Mike Davis didn’t last a decade), Mike Davis has showed a great improvement on his peak number and now looks about ready to make his debut for the Royals. He batted .250 with 1 homerun and 4 RBI in 10 starts for KC this season. If we don’t see him next year, it will be the one after. After that, he should be a steady contributor to his team’s offense.
#5 – RF Jesse Barfield – Yankees – The third straight RF taken in a row, Barfield hasn’t yet faced a big league pitcher. This guy is all about power. He has displayed it at every level he played in, and even belted 30 dingers at AA, something we that isn’t seen often. He won’t be only power, but will earn his share of walks and will provide a canon arm from the outfield. Barfield should reach the majors within the next couple of years.
#6 – 2B Tony Phillips – Twins – A switch-hitting hitter with tremendous patience, Phillips possesses some pop for a middle infielder. He spent a lot of time on the big league club these last few years, but he just finished his first full-time season, and it was quite a disappointment. Phillips batted only .221 and was used mostly at shortstop and third base, where he was as unimpressive as at the plate. Nevertheless, the tools are there in his case. His numbers should be closer to the .322 mark he posted two years ago in 30 games than the lower average he finished last season with.
#7 – 3B Brook Jacoby – White Sox – Missing out on 3B Gary Gaetti a year before, the White Sox were able to grab another solid prospect at the position the following season when they selected 3B Brook Jacoby with the 7th pick overall. It’s not exactly Gaetti, but Jacoby won’t be bad either. At 22, he batted .250 with 10 homeruns and 62 RBI as the team’s full time 3B. He still needs to polish his glove a bit. He should hit close to 20 homeruns for several years with an average much better than what he managed this season.
#8 – CF Lloyd Moseby – Pirates – Moseby did well in the minors and began the season as the Pirates full-time center fielder. A five tool player, Moseby struggled in his rookie season, batting only .234 with 12 homeruns and 48 RBI. He did much better with the glove, finishing second in TMBL in range factor at the position. Moseby should rebound, and will certainly improve his power numbers soon enough.
#9 – LF George Bell – Mets – “Liberty” hadn’t really done that well in the minors when the Mets decided he was ready to start the season in 1980. He was batting .255 with 5 homeruns and 25 RBI when they sent him back down. He then put on a show in AAA in ’81, but suffered a setback the following year, especially power-wise. He finally breached the starting lineup this season, and despite being unspectacular he will nevertheless drive in over 100 runs.
#10 – SP Mike Moore – Phillies – Showing a steady progression, Mike Moore has been rather inconsistent in the minors, compiling good and not so good seasons on his way up the ladder. He has not breached the starting staff yet, and that isn’t likely to happen soon. The kid needs time to hone his pitching skills, work on his control and improve his stuff. He does have time, but as of this moment, he doesn’t exactly look like a future ace. You would have expected otherwise from the very first pitcher taken in the 1977 Amateur draft.
#11 – LF Kevin McReynolds – Cardinals – Although he hasn’t burned the minors with an awesome batting average, McReynolds has hit well for power almost every season so far. His peak number seemed to gain and lose points over the years, but still remains much better now than it was on draft day. 1983 may not be the year where he’ll break the Cardinals starting lineup, but if it’s not then it will be the following season. Once he does reach the bigs, he will start hitting homeruns quite well.
#12 – LF Phil Bradley – Braves – Yet another outfielder taken in that first round, Bradley has shown tremendous improvement over the years while also gaining several points on his Overall in the process. He hasn’t impressed with his power in the minors so far, but has shown patience and good base stealing ability. He hasn’t yet reached the majors, but he isn’t that far away. What doesn’t help in his case is that the Braves already have a superstar at the position.
#13 – RF Jim Eisenreich – Giants – Picked by the Giants in the middle of round 1, Jim Eisenreich saw his peak number explode since draft day. The kid is more than ready: in 15 games last season, he batted .387 with 9 RBI and 10 runs scored. Eisenreich will never hit for power, but he will contend for the batting title every season. He’ll also play top-notch defense.
#14 – C Rich Gedman – Brewers – The Brewers went with C Rich Gedman with the 14th overall pick. But Gedman never took off. His peak number stalled, and his minor league career didn’t have much to offer. At this point, he looks like a bench catcher, at best. Unless he takes a lot of vitamins, and we do mean, A LOT, Gedman won’t be the next Johnny Bench.
#15 – C Brian Harper – Orioles – The Orioles also picked a catcher, but in Brian Harper’s case, the magic did operate a little better. A good average hitter who’s really hard to strike out, Harper was dealt to Cleveland two years later. He won’t have much power, won’t walk much and his defensive play will not attract him fans, but he’ll do well enough at the plate to be valuable to his team.
#16 – SP Oil Can Boyd – Blue Jays – Only the second pitcher taken in the first round of the 1977 draft, “Oil Can” Boyd started out in fashion by going 12-0 with a 2.03 ERA in his very first professional season. Things then got sour the rest of the way, except for his progression and improvement on the peak number. He improved his change twice, which complements well an excellent repertoire of pitches. In his first season as full-time starter for the Jays, Boyd went 9-13 with a 5.12 ERA. Don’t trust those numbers: he’s much better than that, and as soon as Toronto starts filling their holes, Boyd will be dominant. In fact, he may even do better than Roger Clemens.
#17 – RP Alejandro Pena – Tigers – Pena was the first reliever picked in the first round in 1977, but his progression was marked by various injuries. His repertoire is impressive for a reliever, and he also possesses good control. But after four seasons in the majors, he hasn’t shown any regularity, posting a 4.86 ERA over 115 appearances. The talent is there, he just needs to start believing it.
#18 – SP Mike Morgan – Padres – Drafted by the Padres, Morgan was traded to the Dodgers in 1979 where he made 7 appearances, mostly in relief, in late September call-ups. He hasn’t had much success in the minors, but his progression went extremely well. As it stands right now, Morgan should become an excellent pitcher, to say the least. He’s ready to face big league hitters and should do well already, but he’ll get even better. His career won’t last long, though.
#19 – SP Bill Gullickson – Astros – Gullickson was dominant at times in the minors, culminating with a 15-2 season in 1981 at AAA level. Last season was his first as a full-time starter for the Astros, and he responded well with 17 wins and a 3.54 ERA. Gullickson has great control and can pitch deep into games.
#20 – 1B Greg Walker – Indians – Walker had a long way to go before reaching the majors, and that still hasn’t happened yet. He still has time ahead of him, and with a superstar at 1B in Cleveland, you can bet he won’t be rushed to the big show. He’s not doing badly in the minors, but he’s not been extremely dominant either. He will have a lot of pop and will fit in nicely in the Tribe offense once he breaks the lineup.
#21 – SP Dave LaPoint – Angels – Another pick who’s not quite ready to join the big club, Dave LaPoint has improved his peak number a bit, but could use some more help. Unstable in the minors, the big lefty won’t be seen on a major league roster for a while. He does have a lot of time to improve, so he could still become a top prospect. His time in the minors is far from being over.
#22 – 1B Pat Dodson – Reds – Dodson’s peak number exploded but he has yet to show the same pace on his Overall. At this point, he remains an excellent prospect at 1B, but the Reds also have someone named Andres Galarraga at the same position. Dodson needs more time in the minors, so don’t expect to see him anytime soon.
#23 – LF Rod Allen – Cubs – It won’t be easy for Allen to break an outfield that already counts on Jack Clark, Willie McGee and Harold Baines. He can no longer learn anything in the minors, as he proved by dominating the AAA level with a .402 average last season. He saw little action on Chicago’s bench, but still managed a .423 mark over 26 AB. Unless he gets traded elsewhere, Allen will be a deluxe bench player in Chicago.
#24 – RP Tim Burke – Expos – Successful in the minors at closing games, Tim Burke was given the closer role early on this season for the Expos after making 4 playoffs appearances (2 wins and a 5.06 ERA). He encountered some troubles and was eventually taken off the closer spot. He has good control and two excellent pitches. Count on him to be a really dominant reliever for years to come.
#25 – 2B Paul Noce – Braves – Next to last pick in the first round of the 1977 draft, Noce has yet to impress at any minor league level. The highest average he put up in the minors was .245. This reflects on his overall progression. He still has a lot of time, so don’t expect to see him in the majors for at least another 3 or 4 years, maybe 5. At this point, he doesn’t look like a future star.
#26 – SP Mike Bielecki – Indians – Taken last in the first round, Bielecki wasn’t exactly impressive in the minors and was released by the Indians prior to the start of the current season. He’s doing well in the Mexican league, and that may be where he’ll need to start looking for a place to stay.