[Westheim]

RACCOONS DRAFT HISTORY (as of November 16, 2005) – I really didn’t do this in six years!

Players in bold = players currently in the Coons' system (majors or minors).
Players underlined = active major leaguers or players that have played in the majors this season.
Listed are the first five rounds from every draft, plus draft picks that made it to the big leagues from later rounds. In very rare cases a player from below the fifth round will be listed that doesn’t qualify under the previous stipulations, like when his call-up to the Raccoons’ roster could come soon.
This is merely an update of the last three draft classes and what else has happened since then. I intend to do a proper write-up at least of the old draft classes at some point, but you know me, heh, yeah … [This sentence is untouched from the last update…]

1977 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - LF/RF Daniel Hall – Franchise poster boy! Forever in our hearts! After a career riddled with all kinds of big and small injuries, he retired after 17 major league seasons, all with the Raccoons, and a .263/.366/.437 career slash line, 1,886 hits, 223 home runs, 980 RBI, and 99 steals, as well as two rings. We will never forget you, Daniel! (sobs)
Round 2 - SP Jose Garcia – retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - 1B Matt Workman – Played 595 games at 1B for the Raccoons, including 404 straight starts before being traded with prospects for Tetsu Osanai. Never landed another job in the starting lineup elsewhere, and last appeared with the Wolves in 1988. Career stats: .271/.327/.390, 61 HR, 327 RBI in his career.
Round 4 - MR Miguel Bojorquez – Appeared in 39 games for the Raccoons between 1980 and 1985, before being claimed on waivers by the Blue Sox. Bounced around in the Federal League as a third-string lefty reliever until 1990. Career stats: 147 G, 11-7, 2 SV, 4.93 ERA
Round 5 - SP/MR Jorge Rodriguez – Was traded before the '83 season and has been with Boston in '83, L.A. in '85, and Oklahoma in ‘87. Career stats: 67 G, 0-2, 1 SV, 7.02 ERA.
Round 7 - MR Jason White – Was traded after the 1985 season for Marcos Costello, and after pitching for the Wolves and Loggers in ’86, bumbled around in the minors for eight years before retiring. 264 career games with a 4.14 ERA.

1978 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - MR Richard Cunningham – Nasty right-handed setup man that was blocked behind Grant West for almost a decade, but still devastated batters. Traded to Dallas in the 1988 firesale that started a dynasty, Cunningham became closer there for a few years. After 1992, he soldiered on to pitch for five more teams, remaining a reliable and competent pitcher until the very end. 1,072 G, 89-75, 2.86 ERA, 173 SV, 1,257 K.
Round 2 - MR Gary Simmons – Beaten up as a starter with the Raccoons in 1980-81, and was traded to Nashville after the 1982 season. The Blue Sox and later the Knights employed him as reliever exclusively and he remained competent in that role, ending his career after the 1993 season. Career stats: 623 G, 64 GS, 3.44 ERA.
Round 3 - 1B Johnny Snow – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - MR Marvin Large – Retired without reaching the majors despite 15 minor league seasons.
Round 5 - C Eric Gregory – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 7 - LF/RF Fernando Perez –ad four hits in 26 AB’s for the Coons between 1982 and 1984, was claimed by the Pacifics in 1985, but never appeared in the majors again.

1979 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - MR Grant West **HOF**– Forever Portland’s local hero, West spent his whole career as a Raccoon, and being a fail-proof closer for 13 of his 16 seasons. Career stats: 905 G, 43-34, 522 SV, 2.12 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and two rings, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.
Round 2 - SP Pepe Acevedo – Was shipped off to Cincinnati in the Jack Pennington trade before the 1981 season, and was in the majors for the Cyclones and Indians between 1984 and 1989 with a 43-37 record and 3.80 ERA, but never made it back after that.
Round 3 - MR Fletcher Kelley – Solid right-handed reliever, who was traded to Nashville in the Raúl Herrera trade, where he won two rings. Bounced between teams after 1987 and after three unsuccessful appearances for the 1990 Thunder, he only reappeared in 1994 with the Condors for 18 games of getting mobbed. Career stats: 433 G, 25-18, 7 SV, 3.80 ERA.
Round 4 - LF/RF Gary Carter – Had nine AB’s for the 1983 Coons, going hitless. Never played anywhere else.
Round 5 - C Dave Stewart – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 6 - MR Gilberto Soto – Pitched for the 1984-85 Coons. Career stats: 59 G, 4-2, 1 SV, 4.81 ERA.

1980 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - SP Carlos Gonzalez – Potentially great career that was derailed by injuries early and often. Gonzalez had to retire at the tender age of 30. Pitched for the Raccoons 1984-89 and the Titans 1990-91. Career stats: 145 G, 143 GS, 48-57, 3.91 ERA.
Round 3 - SP Ray Willis – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - 1B/2B Darren Campbell – Only had 86 AB’s for the Raccoons from 1985 to 1987 and never played for another big league team. Career stats: .209/.253/.244 with 0 HR, 7 RBI.
Round 5 - LF Jose Perez – Was taken by the Scorpions in the 1984 rule 5 draft and played for them from 1985 to 1987. Career stats: .221/.297/.277 with 1 HR, 20 RBI.

1981 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - 3B/2B Orlando Lantán – Hurt his knee shortly after being drafted and spent short stints with the Coons in 1985 and 1986, after which he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Sox, but never played for any other team. Career stats: .200/.261/.248 with 1 HR, 10 RBI.
Round 2 - C Greg Thornburg – Great defense, but never much of a batter. Had his 15 minutes of fame with the 1986 Aces, getting four AB’s with a double.
Round 3 - OF Kelly Weber – Backup outfielder 1984-1988, was traded to the Gold Sox for 1989, but only appeared in six games for them. Career stats: .251/.298/.320 with 5 HR, 112 RBI.
Round 4 - MR Pedro Vazquez – Right-handed fireballer with severe control issues, he made 69 appearances for the Raccoons between 1986 and 1992, before being claimed off waivers by the Wolves. Ended up in Vancouver in ’93 and appeared from them in two last games in ’94 before finishing his career in the minors. Career stats: 108 G, 1 GS, 4-5, 4.60 ERA, 2 SV.
Round 5 - CL Emerson MacDonald – Appeared for the Raccoons in 1986 and 1988, before being traded to the Pacifics in the trade for Jeff Martin. Last pitched for the Indians in 1991. Career stats: 100 G, 8-4, 3.96 ERA.
Round 7 - C Andy Reed – Had limited exposure with the Raccoons and Dallas as backup catcher. Career stats: .267/.341/.371 with 2 HR, 9 RBI.

1982 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - LF/RF Alejandro Lopez – When he didn’t click in the minors, he was traded to the Blue Sox in an 8-player deal in 1985, with whom he debuted the same year. Won two rings with the Blue Sox before being traded to the Condors in ’91, but was unsigned after ’92. He came back to the Raccoons as a scrap heap signing in May of 1993 and was a productive part down the stretch en route to his third World Series title. But he didn’t produce in ’94, was waived and claimed by the Canadiens, didn’t produce there either, and by now has retired. Career stats: .258/.305/.408 with 106 HR, 564 RBI, and 71 SB.
Supp. Round - INF Carlos Miranda – Versatile infielder, with us from 1985 to 1989, but never caught on anywhere else, being limited to 266 career AB. Career stats: .244/.301/.308 with 0 HR, 13 RBI, and 9 SB.
Supp. Round - OF Matt Olson – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - MR Jason Bentley – Another player that only appeared for the Raccoons, from 1985 to 1989. Good right-hander that at one point just lost it. Career stats: 238 G, 5-11, 3 SV, 4.01 ERA, 184 K.
Round 3 - C Odwin Garza – The Aruban’s claim to fame will be that he was included (with SP Manuel Paredes) in the deal that netted the Raccoons David Vinson and Miguel Lopez. Appeared as backup for the Raccoons in 1986-87, and for the Warriors 1988 and 1990. Career stats: .222/.292/.309 with 0 HR, 9 RBI.
Round 4 - 1B Mariano Duarte – Only made the Bigs after leaving as a minor league free agent, accumulating 51 AB for the Thunder in 1989, and one more in 1991. Career stats: .288/.403/.538 with 3 HR, 10 RBI.
Round 5 - RF/LF Paul Blake – Only appeared for the 1986 Raccoons. Career stats: .220/.265/.308 with 1 HR, 5 RBI.

1983 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - SP Scott Wade – Although he lacked a third pitch, Scotty was able to scrape by during a 17-year run in the majors, debuting in 1985 and staying in the rotation until late in 1997, when his diminishing stuff made him a swing man to fill a hole wherever one opened up, although he was a full time starter again in his second-to-last season in 2000. After 582 games (421 starts), he finished with a 170-141 record, 53 saves, and a 3.63 ERA, plus two World Series rings, and retired as the third meaningful always-Coon after Daniel Hall and Grant West.
Supp. Round - C Miguel Carrasco – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - LF Wilson Martinez – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 8 - 1B/3B Jose Lopez –Was released in 1985, but eventually bounced into a small cup of coffee with the 1991 and 1993 Knights for 18 career AB. Career stats: .111/.105/.222 with 0 HR, 3 RBI.

1984 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - MR Juan Santos – Shipped out for the in Portland short-lived Jose Sanchez after 1987, he didn’t make his debut until 1989 with the Scorpions, but was demoted and never heard from again in 1990, retiring after seven seasons in the minors. Career stats: 64 G, 2-6, 5.23 ERA.
Supp. Round - 1B Billy Mitchell – Blocked by the Hall of Famer Tetsu Osanai, he was traded after the 1988 season, and appeared for the Capitals and Falcons until 1994. Career stats: .296/.371/.466, 75 HR, 399 RBI.
Round 2 - OF Hector Medina – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - RF Jose Correa – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - MR Jorge Cavazos – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - LF/RF Jose Vega – Retired without reaching the majors.

1985 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 – 1B/3B Joe Jackson – debuted in 1988, but was traded to the Falcons after that season for Justin Reader. On the Falcons he was infrequently their starter and then back to the minors, and a starter again. He was traded to the Knights in 1998, but returned for the 1999 season. He last appeared in 2001. Career stats: .244/.315/.355, 51 HR, 485 RBI, 78 SB.
Supp. Round - 1B Gabriel Ramirez – Retired without reaching the majors. Was at one point traded to Cincinnati for Glenn Johnston, which is a story in itself.
Round 2 - MR Jose Mendoza – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - LF/RF Antonio Morín – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - 1B/2B Dennis Gray – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - SP/MR Gerald Hickman – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - 3B/2B Bartolo Ayala – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 6 - MR Mike Shaw –Control-challenged lefty reliever that appeared for the 1986 and 1988 Coons. Career stats: 37 G, 0-1, 5.40 ERA.

1986 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - SP Miguel Martinez – Retired. He was included in the deal for Neil Reece in the 1988 sales, which was another big W for the Coons. Was traded a few more times, pitching for the Thunder 1989-91, and then only resurfaced with the 1995 Warriors, was traded to the Gold Sox the same year, but didn’t appear in the Bigs after 1996 and retired two years later. Career stats: 72 G, 61 GS, 14-23, 4.71 ERA.
Round 2 - SP/MR Eugene Scott – Retired without reaching the majors. He held out in the minor leagues until 2000, hoping to finally break into the big leagues, but never made it.
Round 3 - 1B Vincente Rodriguez –Was a part of the deal for Jorge Salazar before the 1990 season, and played for the Indians from 1990-1993. Career stats: .257/.327/.362 with 16 HR, 106 RBI, and 14 SB.
Round 4 - RF/INF Ben Nash – Managed one hit in 12 AB for the 1995 Raccoons.
Round 5 - MR Keith Jefferson – Retired without reaching the majors.

1987

Round 1 - 2B/3B Hector Gonzalez – Retired. Was also included in the Neil Reece deal in the 1988 sales, and made his debut for the Buffaloes the same year. He appeared for them until 1993, then for the 1994 Gold Sox, but was left unsigned after that. Career stats: .233/.302/.334 with 38 HR, 360 RBI, and 15 SB.
Supp. Round - MR Albert Matthews – after his 1989 debut with the Coons it soon became apparent that consistency was not in his vocabulary. Was demoted and recalled frequently and alternated between mop-up and setup duties regularly. The Canadiens claimed him off waivers in 1995 and he has bounced around ever since, going from Vancouver to Sioux Falls to Sacramento to Atlanta, back to Vancouver, and back to Sacramento. Free agent. 737 career games, 32-52, 57 SV with a 3.93 ERA.
Round 2 - C Bob Armstrong – Retired. Primarily a defensive catcher, he spotted 26 AB (7 hits) for the Coons between 1992 and 1994, before being traded to the Falcons in 1996.
Round 3 - INF/LF/CF Terry Miller – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - SP Dennis Fried – appeared in 16 games for the Coons in 1990 and pitched so-so, before being included in the ill-fated Raul Castillo deal in 1991 (Castillo only played in three games for Portland due to injury). After being limited to relief appearances with the Blue Sox in 1991, he fought his way into the rotation in 1992 and has stayed there ever since, and after winning 21 games in 1996 was named the FL Pitcher of the Year. 236-160 with a 3.58 ERA.
Round 5 - MR Walter Weber – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others from this year are retired.

1988 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - LF Edgar Morris – Constantly hurt and struggled in our system and eventually became a free agent. He made sporadic appearances for the Knights from 1995, appearing in at most 93 games in a season (1997), but his last four games came in 1998. Career stats: .290/.357/.406, 4 HR, 41 RBI in 276 AB.
Round 2 - INF Steve Caddock – Caddock’s only nice quality was his able glove, but that was enough to have him appear frequently with the Raccoons between 1995 and 2000, with at most 298 AB in a season (1998). Once let go, he never caught on elsewhere. Career stats: .199/.271/.303, 11 HR, 69 RBI.
Round 3 - MR John Smith – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - C Freddy Lambert – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - LF/RF Chih-tui Jin – Made his debut in 1993 with the Coons, but never got past backup status, but broke out when he was traded to the Gold Sox with Esteban Baldivía to attain the services of Liam Wedemeyer and Tzu-jao Ban. Always hampered by injuries, he nevertheless put up a few wildly successful seasons with the Gold Sox, yet never made an All Star game. He had to retire in 2002 at age 32 after he tore his labrum in Titans service. Career stats: .295/.406/.445, 74 HR, 487 RBI, 25 SB.
Round 8 – SP Jesse Novak – After being released in 1989, he eventually caught on with the Blue Sox, debuting for them in 1993 with a single relief appearance. He spent a full season in their rotation in 1996 before being demoted to (rare) relief apperances and was traded to the Rebels, for whom he appeared a few more times until 1999. Career stats: 94 G, 36 GS, 14-18, 4.58 ERA, 3 SV.

1989

Round 1 - SP Eduardo Salazar – Retired. Always riddled with injuries, Salazar was traded after the 1992 season for the Miners’ Christian Proctor (didn’t work…). After making 17 starts for them in 1993, he saw limited use from the bullpen the next two years, and never appeared in the majors again. Career stats: 26 G, 22 GS, 10-7, 3.67 ERA.
Supp. Round - CL Gabriel De La Rosa – powerful right-handed pitcher that debuted in 1993 and soon carved out a permanent spot in our bullpen. He was traded to the Stars after 1998 to bring in Cesar Gonzalez, and was their closer from 1999 through 2003, never missing a beat. He served in a lesser role with the 2004 Stars and 2005 Titans. 715 career games (17 starts), 48-56, 209 SV, 2.54 ERA.
Round 2 - 1B Ruben De La Rosa – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - OF/1B Rodrigo Correa – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - SP Brendon Bell – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - MR Rafael Vazquez – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 8 – C Ron McDonald – Retired. He never won a starting job and made sporadic backup service cameos with the 1994-1998 Raccoons and 1999-2000 Knights before fading into obscurity completely. Career stats: .242/.279/.342, 5 HR, 39 RBI.
All others from this year are retired.

1990 (note: this was the first draft over 12 rounds)

Round 1 - MR Daniel Miller – Retired. Shot through the minor leagues to make his debut in 1991, which he started with 15 innings without an earned run allowed. He was a constant in the Raccoons’ bullpen from then until 2002, despite some control issues that never went away, with intermittent attempts at having him close in the post-Grant West era, but nothing good ever came of that. Lost it completely in 2002 and became a free agent, and spent one more season with the Blue Sox’ AAA team before going fishing. Career stats: 698 G, 39-35, 56 SV, 3.61 ERA.
Supp. Round - SS/2B Jayson Kelley – Retired without reaching the majors.
Supp. Round - C Marcos Lozano – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - MR Leon Wright – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - LF/CF Francisco Reyes – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - SP António Donís – If not for his very short breath, Donís could have been the most amazing starter, with dazzling stuff and an impeccable ability to keep the ball on the ground. But it was not meant to be, and so-so control didn’t help his cause either. Made 43 starts for the Coons between 1995 and 1997, going 13-16 with a 4.26 ERA, but was then converted to a reliever due to his frequent struggles to go even five innings efficiently. He found his place in the pen by 1999, and was trade to the Gold Sox after 2000 in a package for Carl Bean. The Gold Sox made two more attempts at having him start games, and he even had remarkable success in a 2005 season in which he started almost exclusively and went 16-7 with a 2.75 ERA. 508 G (92 GS) with a 67-52 record, 3.38 ERA, and 974 K.
Round 4 - 1B Mark Logan – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - 1B/2B/LF Michael Martin – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others from this year are retired.

1991 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - SP Gerárdo Ramirez – Severe control issues derailed his career. Was limited to 12 appearances for the 1994 Raccoons. Career stats: 12 G, 11 GS, 3-4, 5.34 ERA.
Supp. Round - LF/RF Paco Martinez – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - 2B Pat Parker – After getting into only 32 games for the 1993-94 Raccoons, he was traded to the Condors for Mike Dye, but bounced from there to Cincy, where he was the second base starter in 1996, and on to Denver, where he had another three seasons before falling out of favor. Career stats: .292/.372/.422, 34 HR, 243 RBI, 23 SB.
Round 2 - INF Michael Lloyd – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - MR Fred Carlton – Had cups of coffee with the Furballs in 1998 and 1999, but awful control had him achieve nothing whatsoever in his brief career. Career stats: 19 G, 0-0, 7.11 ERA.
Round 4 - 1B Steve Stevens – The Curacaoan Stevens was released in 1994 for hacking madly and getting done little. The Indians picked him up and he got into the briefest stint in the majors, but never had a hit. Career stats: .000/.200/.000 in 4 AB.
Round 5 - MR Pancho Padilla – Control was never in his vocabulary and so he never held down an assignment for long. Spent 1996-98 with the Raccoons, 1999 with the Miners, and started 2000 with them before being sent to the Capitals, posting a 7.22 ERA in his final season in the majors. Career stats: 171 G, 9-6, 5.35 ERA, 2 SV.
Round 6 – LF/RF Kenny Crockett – When injuries culled down the Raccoons outfielders in scores in 1997, he was called upon to help, but mostly didn’t. Had one more appearance in 1998 and was later released. Career stats: 46 G, .287/.313/.404, 2 HR, 15 RBI.

1992

Round 1 - OF Luke Newton – Retired. Although given ample chances after his 1995 debut, Newton never gained a starting job if not for injuries, and when he gained one, got hurt himself. Was let go after 2000 and never signed by anybody. Career stats: .221/.309/.316 with 10 HR, 137 RBI, 41 SB in 1,350 AB.
Supp. Round - 3B Mike Crowe – inheriting third base from Ben O’Morrissey wasn’t the easiest of tasks, but Crowe failed rather spectacularly. After barely decent seasons in 1997 and 1998, he was wholly ineffective and eventually banned to the bench in 1999. After he became a free agent in 2000, the Knights and later the Warriors picked him up, but he has spent time in AAA every year since then. So far .245/.360/.317 with 25 HR, 193 RBI in 1,920 AB.
Supp. Round - SP Clinton Kennedy – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - 1B/3B/RF/LF Mark Kowalchuk – Retired. Reminded us of Mark Dawson before the draft, but never lived up to that and was out of baseball by 2001. Had a wildly unsuccessful stint with the 1998 Coons. Career stats: .088/.205/.088 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB in 34 AB.
Round 3 - MR Kokei Kondo – Retired. Claimed by the Wolves as rule 5 pick, he spent the 1998 season with them, then was dropped quicker than hot coal due to insisting on walking batters. It was his only major league exposure. Career stats: 43 G, 6-1, 6.30 ERA, 1 SV.
Round 4 - C Jorge Chavez – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - OF Joseph MacKellachie – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 7 - SP Jose Cervantes – Retired. Released in 1996 after pitching poorly in AA for us, the Wolves picked him up and even used him as full time starter from 1998 to 1999, but quickly got tired of his act. He never made another big league team. Career stats: 63 G, 14-29, 5.07 ERA.
All others from this year are retired.

1993

Round 2 - INF Brent McLaughlin – Despite not showing any ability at all, he managed to make cameos with the Coons from 1997 through 2003. Free agent, with a .225 bat.
Round 3 - RF/LF Marvin Gregory – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - C Brad Gray – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - 1B Santiago Rodriguez – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 6 - SP Ray Conner – After becoming a minor league free agent, Conner hooked up with the Indians and made sporadic appearances for them, then was traded to the Titans after 2001. He didn’t break out until 2005, his age 30 season, going 11-14 with a 3.79 ERA for the Titans. For his career, he’s 21-22 with a 3.98 ERA and one save.
Round 12 - MR Pedro Perez – currently a free agent, this southpaw was no help due to terrible control throughout his callups in 1999, 2001, and 2002, all with the Coons. In 38 career games, he has an 0-4 record and 8.57 ERA.
All others from this year are retired.

1994

Round 1 - LF/RF George Wood – after not cutting it in AAA he became a piece in the Daniel Richardson deal with the Buffaloes, bounced on twice more, but then debuted with the 2002 Thunder, but while he appeared for them every year since then, he never made it into more than 19 games in a season. Batting .269 with 3 HR and 14 RBI in 93 AB.
Round 2 - 1B Carlos Salazar – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - OF Cal Lyon – took long to get going in the minors, and when injuries depleted our outfield regularly in the early 2000s, he proved to be no help at all, batting .156 in 218 AB across three seasons.
Round 4 - SP Joe Key – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - 1B Harry Jackson – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 6 - SP/MR Manuel Diaz – Retired. While he debuted in 1997, he only made it into six games with the Raccoons, and although he bounced around in the minors for a few more years after that, that was all that was to his major league career. Career stats: 6 G, 0-0, 9.00 ERA.
All other from this year are retired.

1995

Round 1 - LF Manuel Villa – Retired without reaching the majors. Bust #1 from this draft went down with a concussion in 1996 and never quite came back the same. Retired after failing in A and AA in 2002.
Round 2 - RF/LF Cory Stanford – Retired without reaching the majors. Bust #2 from this draft, just worse. Released soon, and played across all three minor league levels in all years from 1999 to 2001 with the Miners before getting dumped for good.
Round 3 - MR Bill Coles – Retired without reaching the majors. Bust #3, never made it out of AA ball.
Round 4 - SP Julio Romero – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - 1B/2B George Morris – it took him four years to do anything with his bat in the minors, and he appeared very briefly for the 1999 and 2001 Coons before being let go after ’02. Eventually signed on with the Blue Sox and appeared as pinch-hitter for them in both of the last two years. Batting .252 with 1 HR and 16 RBI in 127 AB.
Round 8 - OF Jason Kent – sporadically appeared as injury replacement between 1997 and 2001, never getting over the hump to achieve usefulness with a .243/.312/.332 bat and 4 HR and 26 RBI in 325 total AB. Free agent on a grand tour of all provincial minor league towns.
Round 11 - SP Nick Brown – Brownie!!! Nick has gone from 293rd overall in the 1995 draft to the #12 prospect in the ABL by the late 90s and from there onto a quest to strike out every batter in the country! His stuff is blistering, and very occasionally he will lose control over it for a few weeks. After a slow debut late in 2001, he battled himself into the ace role and casually broke the franchise mark for strikeouts three years in a row. 56-44 with a 3.10 ERA and 962 K, and thankfully signed for four more years!
All others from this year are retired.

1996

Round 1 - MR Manuel Martinez – highly efficient strikeout guy with little stamina; debuted in 1999 for the Raccoons and quickly hurled himself into a key role in the bullpen before being traded to the Titans after 2004 for Christian Greenman and prospect Ryan Miller. 367 games, 13-10, 3.25 ERA, 9 SV.
Supp. Round - SP Dwight Williams – throwing dead straight had him surrender up to 50 home runs a year in the minors, and no team has ever dared to entrust him with a big league ball.
Supp. Round - INF/RF/LF Carlos Gomes – Retired without reaching the majors. Broke his elbow a month after the draft, and then tore his labrum the next September, forcing him to quit baseball.
Round 2 - 2B/SS Sergio Tirado – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - MR Juan Diaz – after his 2000 debut he spent the entire 2001 campaign with the Critters, but walked more than he struck out. A horrendous 2002 campaign, during which he achieved three-wild-ones-in-one-at-bat notoriety had him banished to the minors and dumped at year’s end, and he has bounced around since. 155 G, 6-7, 4.55 ERA, 1 SV.
Round 4 - 1B Albert Martin – prototype fielding-challenged slugging first baseman who made a splash debut in 1999, struggled and was demoted in 2000, and has been the first base starter for the Raccoons ever since reappearing mid-2000. After raging high-power campaigns in 2001-03 with a high mark of 32 home runs in ’02, he has let up considerably. .284/.342/.465 with 142 HR and 518 RBI.
Round 5 - SP Ralph Warren – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 9 - C/1B Jorge Defrese – received a callup in 2001 after more mixed results in the minors, and didn’t manage to impress in his 25 games with the Critters before being traded to the Knights for Ramón Meza. Spending 2002 exclusively in the minors, he has received callups every year since, but never had more than 101 AB’s in any of them. .245/.301/.339 with 6 HR, 35 RBI.
All others from this year are retired.

1997

Round 1 - MR Dan Nordahl – he did not become a star exactly, but he does throw the heat successfully, unless you want to have him close games. You could say he doesn’t have the guts. Was traded to the Warriors with Randy Farley before the 2005 season for Adrian Quebell. Career: 382 G, 24-22, 4.00 ERA, 126 SV.
Round 1 - C Julio Mata – when he debuted late in 1999 and batted .311 in 206 AB we sung praise for our new franchise catcher. Two years later he was dumped onto the Scorpions for Kaz Kichida. Has spent time in the minors every year since, with short callups in 2002-03 and 2005. Career: .242/.307/.348, 15 HR, 127 RBI.
Supp. Round - LF/RF Jochen Funck – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - 1B Don Irvin – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - SP Craig Rhodes – spent time with nagging injuries early in his career. Became a free agent in 2003, spent a year in the Scorpions system, never made the Bigs and hasn’t pitched at all in 2005.
Round 4 - MR Mauro Rodriguez – auditioned for the Raccoons in 2002, but ran up a 7.13 ERA in 27 games and has not been seen in the majors since. Free agent.
Round 5 - SP/MR Antonio Toro – Retired without reaching the majors.

1998

Round 1 - LF/CF Chris Roberson – his bat never was quite what we hoped for and his Gold Glove defense wasn’t enough to keep him around, either – overall he was just not the second coming of Daniel Hall, or at least Vern Kinnear. He went to the Buffaloes in the dismal Pablo Ledesma trade before the 2003 season, but has struggled to maintain his spot even there. Bats .267 with 36 HR and 211 RBI for his career.
Supp. Round - SP Frank McGeraghty – always struggled badly with the long ball, and became a minor league free agent, and so far has not managed to get noticed in a good way in AAA.
Supp. Round - CL Scott Boone – since getting a sniff at closing in AA at age 18, it was all gone down the hill for Boone, first with injuries, then with confidence. During a callup to the Raccoons in 2003 he was beaten to a 7.36 ERA tune and has not resurfaced. Became a minor league free agent.
Supp. Round - LF/RF Jesus Valle – a quirky outfielder that just isn’t able to hit the slightest lick, he has also started bouncing from AAA team to AAA team.
Supp. Round - OF Herb Rose – why not draft two quirky outfielders sans any batting ability back-to-back? He was already released in 2002 and was not employed in 2005 at all.
Supp. Round - MR Sergio Vega – failed to convince anywhere above A ball, but still got auditions in the Bigs every year from 2001 through 2004, with 42 games (1 start) and an 0-2, 5.44 ERA outcome. Has recently been converted into a starter in AAA, also without success.
Round 2 - C Pat McClellan – always judged as a defensive catcher, he was so defensive he never hurt anybody with his bat and became a minor league free agent in ‘04.
Round 3 - 1B John Morris – slowly moved up to AAA, but was never considered for any bigger duties, and also became a free agent in ‘04.
Round 4 - OF Bryan Forrest – was released within a year, signed by a team, released, signed, released. No skills worth noting and currently a free agent.
Round 5 - 1B/2B/LF/RF Reed Shaw – couldn’t develop any batting skills and was released in ’02, but is still bouncing around.

1999

Round 1 - OF/1B Darwin Tyler – has just never hit anything since high school; it was enough to get 108 AB with the Coons in 2004, but batting .167 ensured he didn’t get a 109th AB. No defense, no batting, no other nice qualities.
Round 1 - CL Marcos Bruno – after a debut in AA, he rose a level each year and was on the 2001 Opening Day roster, never leaving. His nasty slider combined with a 98mph fastball with natural sink generate strikeouts and groundballs, and what more can you ask for? 329 career games, 18-20, 3.35 ERA, 50 SV.
Supp. Round - 1B/2B Matt Love – made it to AAA within a year, but hit a wall there. No great defense, and a bat that neither generates power nor a good average. Got 51 AB (.235, 0 HR, 2 RBI) between 2003 and 2004 before becoming a free agent this year.
Supp. Round - MR Mike Harvey – no control whatsoever, he managed to get into one AAA game (and got churned for a 16.20 ERA) before becoming a free agent this fall.
Round 2 - MR Bob Evans – traded to the Crusaders for Cipriano Miranda, he made his debut with them in 2001 and has been a fixed piece in the pen since 2003, managing a 4.44 ERA in 165 games while carefully trying not to walk too many.
Round 2 - LF/RF Jorge Rodriguez – adept glove on the outfield corners, but the bat never produced the power that is constantly being noted as being potentially high in the scouting report; appeared for 96 AB with the Coons between 2003 and 2004, hitting .250 with 3 HR and 12 RBI.
Round 3 - C Bob Wood – cut from the template for defensive backstops, Wood debuted late in 2004 to no hype at all and soldiered through a full rookie campaign in 2005 without ever getting noticed in any way, shape, or form. .217 with 4 HR and 31 RBI.
Round 4 - SP Ed Bryan – this southpaw’s stuff proved insufficient for him to be a starter by the time he reached the AA level and he was converted into a reliever – with some success, it seems. He first debuted in ’04 with the Coons and moved up for good early in ’05, posting a 2.23 ERA in 63 games.
Round 5 - SP Giuseppe Loffredo – never excelled at any level and became a free agent this fall.

2000

Round 1 - 1B/3B Daniel Sharp – put right at AAA after the draft, he only appeared in 30 minor league games before it was clear that he had his youth wasted there, was promoted to the Bigs, and never went away. While his defense as regular third baseman is best described as a nuisance, his bat is one of the steadiest in the major leagues. Career .290 batter with 37 HR and 257 RBI. 865 career hits, but he’s only just turned 28.
Supp. Round - OF Rich Mason – peaked at AAA in 2002-03, but failed to hit even .210 either year. Parked in storage at AA, where he occasionally gets to sport his shiny glove.
Round 2 - MR Matt Cash – it was a long, stony road for Matt “The Professor” Cash, with two seasons almost completely wiped out by injuries, but he finally made his major league debut in September of ’05, appearing in 10 games to a 0.96 ERA. His stuff was marveled about when he was drafted, although his shoulder woes took some bite off his fastball, so that back end bullpen job might just not materialize for him.
Round 3 - MR David Sutherland – command is a serious issue for him, and he appeared across all three minor league levels in 2005, and probably won’t get anywhere by constantly missing outside.
Round 4 - INF Alan Williams – has the most wonderful glove all across the diamond, crying out for a utility job – but he can’t even bat .200 in AAA.
Round 5 - LF Mike Willard – moved to AAA in 2003, and remains stuck there. He has a weak arm, limiting him to leftfield, and his bat is mostly good for chopping singles, resulting in an entirely messed up skill set.
Round 8 - 3B Steve Searcy – there is really nothing special about Searcy, who has an ordinary glove, ordinary speed, and a thoroughly ordinary bat. He debuted in 2005 but most mostly appeared as pinch-hitter or defensive replacement, batting .252 with 1 HR and 9 RBI in 123 AB.

2001

Round 1 - LF/RF/1B Chris Beairsto – we expected a pretty complete player with a decisive impact bat, and we got a half campaign of .241, 17 HR, 42 RBI in 2003, and a lot of heart stings and atrocious strikeouts swinging since then. .209 with 27 HR, 78 RBI for his career across parts of four seasons, and readily available in a trade, especially after batting .087 in ’05. We should have drafted Barney Manning instead.
Round 2 - MR Cody Bryant – This righty has allowed just nine homers in 272 innings in the minors, but still can’t progress to the Bigs: his control is totally non-existent, and he walks about half as many as he strikes out, and he strikes out plenty: 381 batters in those 272 innings.
Round 3 - 2B Cedric Chateau – complete bust, no abilities, whatsoever, released in 2004.
Round 4 - MR Stu Sharp – good curve, but we knew he’d need the changeup he was developing to get to the Bigs, and he hasn’t gotten it, and can’t throw it for anything but freebies. Promoted to AAA in late 2005, only to get romped.
Round 5 - SP Tim Webster – called a marginal southpaw when drafted, he made a marginal guest appearance in the middle of the 2005 season, going 2-4 with a 5.50 ERA for the Raccoons. Four pitches, all messy, and a 91mph “heater” won’t cut it.

2002

Round 1 - SS Ieyoshi Nomura – with limited range, he was converted to second base right away, and made it up to late season appearance with the Coons in 2004, and would have been the second base starter in 2005 for more than 79 games if he hadn’t been injured all the time. He has very good contact ability and gap power, and actually showed it late in the 2005 season. His defense, even moved to the other side of the field, is best described as adequate. Now .274 with 2 HR and 25 RBI in just under 400 AB.
Round 2 - MR Adam Riddle – blistering heat thrower, he made his debut in 2005, but only made it into three games for the Coons, allowing no runs. He is on the tail end of a swath of young relief studs we have nursed through the system.
Round 3 - LF Joe Spivey – we knew about the shaky defense but we expected more contact from his bat, but while he made it to AAA in 2003 for the first time, he has not been able to make a real mark there.
Round 4 - MR Tony Rodriguez – stuck in AA with little to show in terms of ability.
Round 5 - OF Mathew Page – even in the minors, he’s just a filler. He fields and runs reasonably well, but the bat is tragically unimpressive, with no power whatsoever.
Round 9 - INF Tom Ingram – the injuries to Nomura opened the door for another 2002 draft pick, but other than Nomura, there is little to marvel about for Ingram, who batted .196 in 107 AB, never walks, and often whiffs.

2003

Round 1 - CL Angel Casas – this god-sent sinker/slider righty was always going to be a major league closer, debuted just over 12 months after being drafted, and won the closer’s job out of camp in 2005. He missed two months to injury, but was almost perfect en route to 28 saves in 2005. For his young career, he is 3-2 with a 1.80 ERA and 31 SV, and yes, he is the real deal!
Round 2 - OF Santiago Trevino – debuted in AA, and never moved from there, some say because he’s butt ugly and is legally prohibited from holding his face into a camera, but it’s also the strikeouts getting more and more every year…
Round 3 - MR Matt Valentine – struck out 144 in single-A, but walked 69, as a swing man. He is not really a starter, lacking a third quality pitch, or any control whatsoever. That’s where the strikeouts come from. A ball hitters are notoriously bad at balls thrown at their ankles.
Round 4 - 3B/1B Jerry Lawson – his best asset is his arm, so he can play third base well, but he has no power, hitting only ten homers since being drafted, and generally you want a bit more on any corner spot. Currently at AA, where he was all year, and even batted .287.
Round 5 - SP Salvador Cardona – bludgeoned to a 8-15, 5.78 ERA tune in ’05 in AA, Cardona throws his fastball dead straight, resulting in 30 home runs off him in that horrid campaign.

2004 (note: this was the first draft in OOTP16)

Round 1 - C/1B Erik Ruff – winning a promotion to AAA during the ’05 campaign, he has yet to hit the “tons of doubles and homers” we envisioned after drafting him, but he hit for a .809 OPS in AA before the promotion, with 20 of either extra base hit we’re longing for. His catching abilities are about average, so he can only make the show with the bat.
Round 2 - 2B A.J. Altheide – struggling terribly and batting .200 at the A level
Round 3 - SP G.G. Williams – after posting a 5.63 in A ball, he was promoted to AA to fill a gap and got whipped to a 7.83 ERA, also appearing in relief eventually. We are convinced however, that he is a starting pitcher – just not a good one.
Round 4 - CF/RF Zaire Collins – a general inability to make bat meet ball had him post sub-.600 OPS numbers in both of his A level seasons.
Round 5 - INF/RF Kevin Rex – injured often, and when he’s healthy, he can’t bat a lick. Still in A, and while he can play well in the field, he might want to tone down on his 35% whiff rate.

2005

Round 1 - SP Brandon Teasdale – Before he could show much of his talents, he tore his UCL and headed for Tommy John surgery.
Round 2 - SP Pat Composto – 3-6 with a 4.41 ERA and severely disadvantaged by rusty fielding in his rookie season in A ball, Composto composted a 3.5 K/BB with his well mixed arsenal. Promotion to AA coming?
Round 3 - LF/CF Ed Caldwell – batted .197 and struck out 9.6 times as often as he walked. We have a bad feeling about this one.
Round 4 - INF Jamie Orr – potential utility guy, who chipped singles and didn’t do too much to immediately be hated by general management
Round 5 - INF Jamie Spicer – his arm is weaker than we thought and he might be limited to the right side of the infield, or maybe to sell peanuts after a .510 OPS in A ball.