[Westheim]

RACCOONS DRAFT HISTORY (as of February 25, 2009)

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 TWO updates and counting…]
Prior to this update, the longest-back draft class that had not retired in entirety had been the 1987 class with Al Matthews and Dennis Fried still active, but they have retired since. 1990’s third-rounder Antonio Donis is now the longest-ago pick still active.

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 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - 2B/3B Hector Gonzalez – was a part of 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. He was claimed off waivers by the Canadiens in 1995 and while he bounced frequently after that, and had three stints with the Canadiens, he stayed employed until 2007, after which he retired. Career stats: 814 G, 36-54, 60 SV, 3.97 ERA.
Round 2 - C Bob Armstrong – 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, but didn’t get another chance in the majors.
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). He went on to pitch 17 years for the Blue Sox, leading the Federal League in WHIP four times. Career stats: 549 G (509 GS), 240-167, 3.61 ERA, 2,455 K.
Round 5 - MR Walter Weber – Retired without reaching the majors.

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 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - SP Eduardo Salazar – 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, but faded after 2004. He also pitched for the Titans and Thunder before retiring after the 2006 season. 734 G (17 GS), 48-57, 209 SV, 2.51 ERA, 771 K.
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 – 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.

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 – A stunning groundball pitcher with high strikeout ability, Donis was hampered by his short stamina in his time with the Raccoons, making 43 starts 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 an attempt at bringing him back to the rotation in 2002, which didn’t work, but he has been a starter again since 2005 with dazzling success, and sub-3 ERA’s in all four seasons since then. 610 G (194 GS) with a 113-72 record, 3.06 ERA, 47 SV, and 1,610 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, he was picked up by the Knights, then the Warriors, and later the Knights again. He spent time in the majors and AAA every year through 2007, and was a minor leaguer in 2008. So far .247/.361/.317 with 26 HR, 221 RBI in 2,052 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 – Retired. Despite a lack of nice abilities, he appeared all too regularly for the Raccoons from 1997 through 2003, but never got another major league gig. Career stats: .225/.297/.311, 1 HR, 21 RBI in 289 AB.
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 – Became a minor league free agent before hooking up with the Indians and made sporadic appearances for them, then was traded to the Titans after 2001. He suddenly broke out as starter in his age 30 season in 2005, and he hasn’t left their rotation yet. For his career, he’s 53-59 with a 4.36 ERA, one save, and 476 K.
Round 12 - MR Pedro Perez – Retired. Sporadically appeared as a left-handed reliever for the Raccoons from 1999 through 2002 without any success. Career stats: 38 G, 0-4, 8.57 ERA.
All others from this year are retired.

1994

Round 1 - LF/RF George Wood – was traded as a struggling AAA player in the Daniel Richardson deal with the Buffaloes, bounced on twice more, but then debuted with the 2002 Thunder, appearing with them through 2005, but never for more than 19 games in a season. He has been toiling in the minor leagues since then. 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 – Retired. Appeared as injury replacement for the Raccoons between 2000 and 2003. Last played in our system in 2004, and retired in 2006. Career stats: .156/.183/.211, 2 HR, 13 RBI.
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 2004-2005, before sinking back into the minors. Appeared then in 33 games for the Buffaloes, batting .167. He’s batting .227 with 1 HR and 21 RBI in 181 AB for his career.
Round 8 - OF Jason Kent – Retired. Sporadically appeared as injury replacement between 1997 and 2001, after which he bounced throughout the wide world of the minors for another seven years without landing another major league at-bat. Career stats: .243/.312/.332 bat, 4 HR, 26 RBI in 325 AB.
Round 11 - SP Nick Brown – Brownie!!! The 11th round gift that keeps on giving 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 … or months. 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 and four times in total. 97-69 with a 3.03 ERA and 1,598 K, and thankfully signed for five or six 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, grabbing the closer’s job for Boston by 2006. 568 games, 32-27, 2.90 ERA, 119 SV.
Supp. Round - SP Dwight Williams – Retired without reaching the majors. 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 – Retired. 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 his career fizzled out in the minors rather quickly after that. Career stats: 155 G, 6-7, 4.85 ERA, 1 SV.
Round 4 - 1B Albert Martin – was raking around 30 homers a year with reliability for the Raccoons in the early 2000s, but his career imploded after being dealt to the Titans for a package containing Ricardo Martinez and others. The prototype fielding-challenged slugging first baseman ended up bouncing between AAA and the majors for three different teams since 2006, and hit only three home runs in that time. Signed to his fourth post-Portland team for 2009, the Condors. .284/.343/.456 with 145 HR and 542 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. Made sporadic apperances for the Knights from 2003 through 2005, but has been swamped in the minor leagues since then. .245/.301/.339 with 6 HR, 35 RBI.
All others from this year are retired.

1997

Round 1 - MR Dan Nordahl – fireballer, who never could work out how to successfully and regularly save games, until he was traded to the Warriors with Randy Farley for Adrian Quebell before the 2005 season. Still there, still closing. Career: 591 G, 37-35, 3.48 ERA, 242 SV, 693 K.
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, and he’s still there seven years later, being somewhat of a frequent guest. 2006 was the only year he was a primary catcher in Sacramento. Career: .248/.313/.360, 24 HR, 189 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 – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - MR Mauro Rodriguez – Retired. Was a not-working left-handed reliever for the 2002 Raccoons, was dumped and dingled through the minors until retiring in 2006. Career stats: 27 G, 0-1, 7.13 ERA.
Round 5 - SP/MR Antonio Toro – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others from this year are retired.

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, or a league-average batter even. He went to the Buffaloes in the dismal Pablo Ledesma trade before the 2003 season, and remained on their roster in a semi-regular role through the 2008 season, but is now an unsigned free agent. Bats .267 with 52 HR and 308 RBI for his career, also 36 SB.
Supp. Round - SP Frank McGeraghty – always struggled badly with the long ball, and became a minor league free agent, and since then has been on four different AAA teams without ever getting a callup.
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 didn’t resurface until he rather suddenly appeared in the Loggers bullpen in 2008, where he did a remarkably good job. 3-1 with 1 SV and a 3.21 ERA in 63 career games, 49 of those with the Loggers.
Supp. Round - LF/RF Jesus Valle – Retired without reaching the majors. We knew beforehand he couldn’t hit a lick.
Supp. Round - OF Herb Rose – Retired without reaching the majors. Same as with Valle.
Supp. Round - MR Sergio Vega – made an unspectacular debut with the Raccoons in 2001, appearing in seven games, and despite not possessing any remarkable ability, has been back to the majors with them every year except 2005. Has probably been waived more often than any other Coon without getting claimed. 83 G (3 GS), 2-5, 4.74 ERA.
Round 2 - C Pat McClellan – Retired without reaching the majors. Defensive catcher that couldn’t hit for his dear life.
Round 3 - 1B John Morris – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - OF Bryan Forrest – was released within a year, signed by a team, released, signed, released, and signed, and released. This has been going on for 11 years and countless teams. He made it into one single-A game in 2008. No skills worth noting and currently a free agent.
Round 5 - 1B/2B/LF/RF Reed Shaw – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others from this year are retired.

1999

Round 1 - OF/1B Darwin Tyler – had 108 poor AB with the 2004 Raccoons and eventually elected minor league free agency. Despite all signs pointing at retirement, he somehow made it back with the 2007 Buffaloes, landing another 105 AB between 2007 and 2008. His career line of .197/.259/.277 speaks volumes, though. 4 HR and 19 RBI, but he always points out that he once hit three home runs in a AAA game.
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. Nasty strikeout rates, and whoever doesn’t whiff hits a grounder. A true beast that doesn’t get to close for Angel reasons. 516 career games, 37-25, 2.69 ERA, 60 SV, 549 K.
Supp. Round - 1B/2B Matt Love – Retired. Although he made it to AAA quickly, his luck soon ran out. He got a poor cup of coffee with the 2003 Raccoons, and made it into two games in 2004, but never couldn’t impress anybody. Career stats: .235/.286/.255, 0 HR, 2 RBI.
Supp. Round - MR Mike Harvey – Retired without reaching the majors.
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 3.91 ERA in 266 games while carefully trying not to walk too many. 10-11 with four saves.
Round 2 - LF/RF Jorge Rodriguez – Retired. Adept with the glove, but not with the stick, he got some 100 AB’s with the Raccoons between 2003 and 2006. After being released in 2007 he couldn’t find another gig. Career stats: .240/.288/.413, 3 HR, 12 RBI.
Round 3 - C Bob Wood – was the catcher of the future for about three weeks in an unremarkable 2005 campaign as a primary. Eventually was scuttled to Los Angeles in the Colin Baldwin deal, but didn’t appear in a game in 2008 for them. .202 with 5 HR and 51 RBI.
Round 4 - SP Ed Bryan – debuted in 2004 with decent results, since then he’s gotten a bit worse every year and has become known for his ability to give up 3-run homers. 17-9 with a 2.80 ERA and 4 SV.
Round 5 - SP Giuseppe Loffredo – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others from this year are retired.

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 stayed our starting third baseman for better or worse through the 2007 season, after which he became a free agent. Claimed off waivers from the Miners in mid-2008 he appeared in 32 more games for the Raccoons, but was soon traded to Indy in the Ron Alston deal. For a long time he had a very steady bat, but he kind of lost it around 2006, while his defense as regular third baseman has always been best described as a nuisance. Career .279/.355/.377 batter with 45 HR, 383 RBI.
Supp. Round - OF Rich Mason – Retired without reaching the majors.
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, and after disastrous tryouts in 2006-07, he has been on the backburner. 5.95 ERA in 44 career games.
Round 3 - MR David Sutherland – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - INF Alan Williams – Retired without reaching the majors. Could have been a utility guy with a versatile shiny glove, but couldn’t even hit .200 in AAA.
Round 5 - LF Mike Willard – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 8 - 3B Steve Searcy – there is really nothing special about Searcy, who has a decent glove, ordinary speed, and a thoroughly meager bat. Debuted in 2005 but found no way past Daniel Sharp, and was shipped off to Sioux Falls after the 2006 season for Jerry Saenz. Has not appeared in a major league game for the Warriors and became a free agent after 2008. Career .221/.274/.309 batter with 2 HR, 18 RBI.
Round 9 - MR Claudio Salazar – late bloomer that pitched in A ball in 2005 and suddenly rose to the Coons in late 2006. Well, he hasn’t impressed there with a high walk rate and all, but he made it into 20 games since 2006 and remains in the organization. 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA.
Except for seventh rounder C Don Sharp, all others from this year are retired.

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 that was about where the fairytale ended. Pain and grief were resolved in the 2005 trade with the Bayhawks that brought Victor Flores to Portland. Also played with the Buffaloes a bit in 2008, but is currently a free agent. .237 with 49 HR, 171 RBI for his career.
Round 2 - MR Cody Bryant – non-existent control led to his trade for another failed pitching prospect. Currently with the Buffaloes organization, but got into 10 games as a Raccoon with a 3.24 ERA, but 11 walks and four strikeouts in 8.1 innings.
Round 3 - 2B Cedric Chateau – Retired without reaching the majors. Complete bust, no abilities, whatsoever, released in 2004.
Round 4 - MR Stu Sharp – his good curve alone didn’t get him to the Bigs and he has gone on to see other minor league system after becoming a free agent in 2007.
Round 5 - SP Tim Webster – called a marginal southpaw from the beginning, he made 27 marginal starts for the Raccoons between 2005 and 2007. Dumpster Boy acquired a 7-11 record with a 4.80 ERA.
Round 6 - LF/RF Jose Cruz – atrocious defender with a powerless bat. .412 batter in the majors in 22 AB. Was traded to the Blue Sox this December for obscure reasons.
Round 7 - MR Luis Beltran – run-of-the-mill left-handed reliever that slowly worked his way up the ladder and made 25 appearances for the Raccoons between 2007 and 2008, posting an 0-1 record and 3.50 ERA.

2002

Round 1 - SS Ieyoshi Nomura – with limited range, he was converted to second base right away, and then rushed to the big leagues well ahead of time, debuting at age 20. Average defense, not even average bat, he made nothing out of four years in the starter’s role. .266/.345/.337 with 6 HR, 145 RBI for his career.
Round 2 - MR Adam Riddle – throws the heat and after a brief 2005 debut was a regular in our 2006-07 bullpen editions before being traded to the Capitals for Juan Barrón. Posted his best season yet with them in 2008. 8-3 with 2.77 ERA and 3 SV.
Round 3 - LF Joe Spivey – spent six years with our AAA team without getting a callup. The bat just isn’t there. Free agent.
Round 4 - MR Tony Rodriguez – awful control, free agent.
Round 5 - OF Mathew Page – played a filler role in AAA in 2005, in A in 2007, and in all three tiers in 2008 before becoming a free agent.
Round 9 - INF Tom Ingram – made a few injury replacement appearances in 2005-06 for us, batting .181 with no homers. Still in AAA for no apparent reason.

2003

Round 1 - CL Angel Casas – this god-sent sinker/slider righty ended the Coons closer conundrum that persisted in the decade since Grant West’s retirement. Debuted just over 12 months after being drafted, and won the closer’s job out of camp in 2005. If not for occasional nagging injuries, the ball is his. 12-7 with 1.70 ERA, 166 SV, and 303 K.
Round 2 - OF Santiago Trevino – half Neil Reece, half Luke Newton in that he is an excellent defensive centerfielder that just can’t hit for his life. Continues to make sporadic appearances, occasionally of the ninth-inning-defensive sort, since 2006. .252/.290/.334 with 3 HR, 44 RBI and 15 SB.
Round 3 - MR Matt Valentine – struck out 144 in single-A, but walked 69, as a swing man. His control has only gotten worse and he remains stuck in AA.
Round 4 - 3B/1B Jerry Lawson – his best asset is his arm, so he can play third base well, but he never managed to bat anything and was released in 2007. Played with the Bayhawks’ AA team in 2008 before being released again. Free agent.
Round 5 - SP Salvador Cardona – received beating for most of his minor league career, which has been moved upstate to the Wolves’ organization after his 2008 release from the Coons’ system.
Round 9 - C Juan Rios – no particularly pleasing abilities, and bad defense that is even worse for a catcher. He still got into 14 games for the 2008 Raccoons, batting .265 with 3 RBI. Also stole a base, because why not?

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

Round 1 - C/1B Erik Ruff – we once envisioned him to hit “tons of doubles and homers”, but that never happened. His defense is shaky, and he racks up strikeouts like no tomorrow, rarely homering ever. Is somewhat of an organizational reserve right now in AA.
Round 2 - 2B A.J. Altheide – always struggled with the bat. Was a throw-in in the mid-’08 deal for John Richardson with the Rebels, but was released by them after the season and has yet to appear in AAA. Or get signed again.
Round 3 - SP G.G. Williams – We were always convinced he’d become a starting pitcher, but we needed one sooner and flipped him to the Bayhawks with Rémy Lucas for Raúl Fuentes after the ’06 season. Well, he made that major league start (and 11 relief appearances) for the 2008 Bayhawks, posting a 5.14 ERA and 1-0 record. His repertoire is largely mediocre except for a mean slider.
Round 4 - CF/RF Zaire Collins – good on defense and running, but bad at hitting, he continues to linger in the low minors.
Round 5 - INF/RF Kevin Rex – frequently injured, but had a stellar half-season in AA in 2007. The other half season was horrible, though, and he has yet to see AAA.

2005

Round 1 - SP Brendan Teasdale – tore his UCL early in his professional career and maybe that cut his potential into pieces, but his late-2008 debut was horrendous (0-3, 9.15 ERA). Pretty lame run-of-the-mill pitcher with no big future.
Round 2 - SP Pat Composto – started out well in A ball, but struggled in AA, eventually ending in the bullpen.
Round 3 - LF/CF Ed Caldwell – galactic bust that was shipped off in a hurry to the Titans in the 2007 John Bennett deal, and has since bounced on twice.
Round 4 - INF Jamie Orr – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - INF Jamie Spicer – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 8 - MR Josh Gibson – drafted as a shortstop (or rightfielder), he was converted into a pitcher right away, and has slowly climbed through the system to appear in AAA for the first time in late 2008. He’s not magnificent, but he still has a shot at a middle reliever career at age 22.

2006

Round 1 - LF/RF Jimmy Eichelkraut – was supposed to be the end of all pitching when drafted, and by now looks like the biggest bust since the top end of our 1995 draft. Was included in the Ron Alston trade to the Indians in mid-2008, but the Indians soon gave up and flipped him to Tijuana for Jimmy Sjogren. Can hit neither A, nor AA pitching.
Supp. Round - SP Dave Self – traded to the Pacifics in the Colin Baldwin trade before 2008, he shows severe control issues. The Pacifics try him in a closer’s role in AA. The stuff is there for sure.
Round 2 - OF Dave Green – looked like the complete package at first, but has trouble seeing the ball, posting 131 strikeouts in A-ball in 2007. Now at AA, but not exactly raking.
Round 3 - SS Pat Whitehouse – good defensive shortstop, good walk rate; if he could just up his average a bit…
Round 4 - SP Marco Gomez – mix of five so-so pitches and mediocre control that was good for a 10-13 record with a 3.80 ERA in AA in his age 21 season. There’s still some potential here.
Round 5 - LF/RF/1B Santiago Celis – his best skill is a deadly throwing arm, suiting him for rightfield, but he has no power to be a gain there. Had three hits in his first 32 AAA at-bats in late 2008.

2007

Round 1 - SP Kevin Denton – promoted to AA for 2009, despite a so-so 2008 campaign in A ball. K/BB isn’t pretty, although he was also hurt by bad defense early in his professional career.
Supp. Round - 1B C.J. Vanderwall – doesn’t seem to have much power after all, and also wasn’t batting for much of an average in AA.
Supp. Round - SP Mike Cole – still hasn’t done much with the changeup, which won’t help him in the long run. Still in A ball, posting meagre numbers.
Round 2 - C Brian Hammond – promoted to AA in 2008, he struck out six times for every walk he drew, and the rest of his numbers was also mediocre.
Round 3 - LF Josh Turzak – power potential is still there according to our scout, and he also has a good eye, but he’s still in A ball.
Round 3 - INF Nick Robinson – mainly a defensive player with versatility, his bat produced less than a .500 OPS in a month in AA ball in ’08.
Round 4 - RF/SS Shane Lea – this looks like a pretty bad pick, not doing much of anything well
Round 5 - NF Mark Lydic – more of a defensive middle infielder, gruesome batting.

2008

Round 1 - OF Jason Seeley – killed A level pitching, was killed by AA pitching in his professional debut season. Too early to cry, he’s still got time.
Supp. Round - 3B Mark Abraham – so-so defense and troubled batting with a .190 average in AA in 2008
Round 2 - 1B Matt LaVoie – a bit of a defensive nightmare, and didn’t hit for power either in A ball, with 14 extra base hits in 63 games.
Round 3 - INF/LF Chris Poole – good defensive infielder who hit fairly well in A ball, but put up a .398 OPS after a promotion to AA.
Round 4 - C Alexis Crespin – calls a good game, but can’t hit a ball for his life
Round 5 - SP Chad Royston – his numbers weren’t too awesome, but he was also hampered by bad fielding in both A and AA in his debut season, but also walked as many as he struck out in AA late in the season.

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Few notes. I can't draft hitters. Not even Jimmy Oatmeal turned into something.

And all errors are copyrighted and trademarked.