[Westheim]

Originally Posted by pgjocki

That Muniz looks pretty good, how is he behind the dish?

More average than anything else. Mata is the best catcher when it comes to calling a game and containing the heat of the pitchers, but has the weakest plate projection. He may still be my first choice.

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RACCOONS DRAFT HISTORY (as of June 9, 1997)

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 meaningful drafts from later rounds. Meaningful approximates players that played for the Furballs in the majors, or went on to careers worth mentioning elsewhere, so in the long run two relief appearances in Septembers spaced ten years apart won’t cut it for a 37-year old pitcher, but a youngster pitching elsewhere with only two big league appearances so far would be listed from the 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.

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

Round 1 - MR Richard Cunningham – Nasty right-handed setup man with a career WHIP of 1.19 so far and over 1,222 K in 1,167 innings. Was traded to the Stars in the 1988 fire sale, left Texas after ’92 and has since been employed by four other teams, but remains a dangerous right-hander at age 37. Struck out 129 batters in 1992 without making a single start!
Round 2 - MR Gary Simmons – Retired. Was 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 – Retired. Had 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.
All others from this year are retired.

1979 – Whole draft class is retired

Round 1 - MR Grant West – 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.
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

Round 1 - 3B/2B Orlando Lantán – Retired. 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 – Retired. 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 – Retired. 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. Last appeared for the Canadiens in ’94, but is still active with the Miners’ AAA team. Has a 4.60 ERA in 108 big league appearances.
Round 5 - CL Emerson MacDonald – Retired. 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 – Retired. Had limited exposure with the Raccoons and Dallas as backup catcher. Career stats: .267/.341/.371 with 2 HR, 9 RBI.
All others from this year are retired.

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

Round 1 - SP Scott Wade – Scotty has been as good a first round pick as you can make, debuting in 1985 despite having only two pitches, and since 1986 he has merely won double-digit games for 11 straight seasons. In 361 career games (357 starts) he is 151-97 with a 3.46 ERA.
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 – Retired. 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.
All others from this year are retired.

1984

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. Has not appeared after 1990. Currently with the Buffaloes’ AAA team. 5.23 ERA in 64 games.
Supp. Round - 1B Billy Mitchell – Traded after the 1988 season, in which he was a September call-up, being blocked by Tetsu Osanai. Has appeared for the Capitals and Falcons until 1994. Currently a free agent. Has 75 career homers and a .837 OPS.
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.
All others from this year are retired.

1985

Round 1 - 1B/3B Joe Jackson – debuted in 1988, but was traded to the Falcons after that season for Justin Reader. He is currently with the Falcons’ AAA team (also spending all of 1993 in AAA) after terrible production in 1995 and 1996 (.592 OPS in ’96 in 451 AB). Career .239 batter with 28 HR and 300 RBI.
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 – Retired. He was a control-challenged lefty reliever that appeared for the 1986 and 1988 Coons. Career stats: 37 G, 0-1, 5.40 ERA.
All others from this year are retired.

1986

Round 1 - SP Miguel Martinez – was included in the deal for Neil Reece in the 1988 sales, which was another big W for the Coons. He has bounced around a lot in his career, pitching for the Thunder 1989-91, and then only resurfaced with the 1995 Warriors, was traded to the Gold Sox the same year and is now at their AAA affiliate. 72 career games (61 starts) with a 14-23 record and 4.71 ERA.
Round 2 - SP/MR Eugene Scott – became a reliever, but once he left as a minor league free agent, he has only bounced around. Currently with the Loggers’ AAA team. He has never appeared in the majors.
Round 3 - 1B Vincente Rodriguez – Retired. 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 – currently a free agent, he has one big league hit in 12 AB for the 1995 Raccoons.
Round 5 - MR Keith Jefferson – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others from this year are retired.

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 even made him their closer, but he’s now in a lesser capacity with the Warriors. 347 career games, 14-23, 43 SV with a 3.59 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. He is now with their AAA team.
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. 87-64 with a 3.60 ERA.
Round 5 - MR Walter Weber – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others except for MR Gary Montgomery (10th round, in AA for CIN) are retired.

1988

Round 1 - LF Edgar Morris – was constantly hurt and struggled in our system and eventually became a free agent. Has made sporadic appearances for the Knights since 1995, landing 25 hits in 89 AB.
Round 2 - INF Steve Caddock – was in A ball as late as 1992(!), but since then has put his stuff together and appeared in 18 games for the Raccoons since 1995, batting .194.
Round 3 - MR John Smith – home run-prone southpaw that has yet to make the Bigs, currently in AA for the Scorpions.
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. He was traded to the Gold Sox with Esteban Baldivía after 1995 to acquire Liam Wedemeyer and Tzu-jao Ban, and has broken out with an .835 OPS season as a starter there last year. Currently a .293/.404/.415 career line for him with 21 HR and 151 RBI.
Round 8 – SP Jesse Novak – was released by us in 1989, but caught on with the Blue Sox, for whom he debuted as a reliever in 1993 (one appearance). After a few more casual engagements with them, he spent all of 1996 in their rotation, going 12-14 with a 4.20 ERA. Made nine bullpen camos for the Blue Sox this year before the Rebels claimed him off waivers five days ago. 14-16 with a 4.43 ERA in 64 career games.
All others from this year are retired.

1989

Round 1 - SP Eduardo Salazar – always riddled with injuries, Salazar was traded after the 1992 season for the Miners’ Christian Proctor (didn’t work…). He made 17 starts for them in 1993, but had only seven appearaces since then, and is with their AAA team right now. 10-7 with 3.67 ERA in 26 games.
Supp. Round - CL Gabriel De La Rosa – made his debut in 1993 and has been here to stay since 1995. Can fill all pitching roles adequately (most of the time) with his powerful right arm. 198 career games (15 starts), 16-9, 25 SV, 2.26 ERA.
Round 2 - 1B Ruben De La Rosa – didn’t develop anything but power. Currently a free agent with no big league experience.
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 – accumulated 104 AB between 1994 and 1996 for us, batting .260; currently with our AAA team.
All others from this year are retired.

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

Round 1 - MR Daniel Miller – Shot through the minor leagues to make his debut in 1991, which he started with 15 innings without an earned run allowed. By now he is alternating strong years and horrible years fairly regularly, but most of the time can be depended on in a 7th inning role. 316 games, 24-18, 20 SV, 3.49 ERA.
Supp. Round - SS/2B Jayson Kelley – never found his bat, and was released in 1994. Currently with the Scorpions’ AA team.
Supp. Round - C Marcos Lozano – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - MR Leon Wright – overmatched even at AA, he became a minor league free agent after 1996, and is still unemployed.
Round 2 - LF/CF Francisco Reyes – no bat to speak of, released in 1994, currently with the Bayhawks’ AA team.
Round 3 - SP António Donís – amazing stuff, unfortunately coupled with so-so control and insufficient stamina. Made 43 starts for the Coons between 1995 and 1997, going 13-16 with a 4.26 ERA, but is now back at AAA and most likely will be converted to a reliever.
Round 4 - 1B Mark Logan – unemployed minor league free agent.
Round 5 - 1B/2B/LF Michael Martin – became a minor league free agent with his very inconsistent bat, and is now in AA with the Canadiens.

1991

Round 1 - SP Gerárdo Ramirez – severe control issues appear to have derailed his career. He made 11 starts and one relief appearance for the 1994 Coons, but his ERA was 5.34 with 36 walks in 60.2 innings. Still in AAA for us.
Supp. Round - LF/RF Paco Martinez – stuck in AA, batting .209 with no power.
Round 2 - 2B Pat Parker – appeared in 32 games for the 1993 and 1994 Coons before being traded to the Condors the following July for Mike Dye. He became the Cyclones’ 2B starter in 1996, batting for a .799 OPS, but was traded on to the Gold Sox this winter, where he currently has a 1.004 OPS! .296/.372/.421 with 16 HR, 112 RBI for his career.
Round 2 - INF Michael Lloyd – made the AAA team in 1992; he is still there. Weak bat, all glove infielder.
Round 3 - MR Fred Carlton – this southpaw has awful control, currently blowing games for our AAA team.
Round 4 - 1B Steve Stevens – all-or-nothing swing that didn’t advance him very far, he was released in 1994. Now is with the Indians’ AAA team and still tries to make the majors.
Round 5 - MR Pancho Padilla – tries to make the big league bullpen permanently, but his control is … not there. 27 games so far, 3-0, 3.18 ERA, with 27 walks and 36 K’s in 34 innings.
Round 6 – LF/RF Kenny Crockett – made the big league team after rashes of injuries this season, batting for a sub-standard .549 OPS in 55 AB.

1992
Round 1 - OF Luke Newton – first made his debut in 1995 and has been a backup since then. Strong defense, so-so bat work. Unfortunately, with Royce Green down for the first half of the 1997 season, he also got hurt, forfeiting his chance of starting every day. .249/.337/.344 with 3 HR, 46 RBI in 422 AB so far.
Supp. Round - 3B Mike Crowe – has a strong bat, but couldn’t show it much so far, since he is pinned behind Ben O’Morrissey on our depth chart (which may be resolved soon…). Only has 60 AB since 1996 for the Raccoons.
Supp. Round - SP Clinton Kennedy – Completely overwhelmed in AAA this season.
Round 2 - 1B/3B/RF/LF Mark Kowalchuk – has made to AAA during the 1995 season, but he has never batted much and this remains true for him. No big league future in sight.
Round 3 - MR Kokei Kondo – also with our AAA team; his K/BB ratio is just ugly: he can’t hit the zone when he needs to, and when he does, he’s not fooling anyone, either.
Round 4 - C Jorge Chavez – released in 1994, currently with the Sacramento-affiliated AA team.
Round 5 - OF Joseph MacKellachie – released in 1994, now with the Stars’ A level team.
Round 7 - SP Jose Cervantes – released in 1996 after pitching poorly in AA for us, the Wolves picked him, threw him in their big league rotation, but he didn’t stick. Three starts (0-1, 6.89 ERA) were enough for them to demote him, and he is with their AAA team now.
Round 12 - MR Jason Edgar – while not on our major league roster yet, this lefty (from the final round of the draft!) has worked his way up to AAA where he is performing quite competently so far despite a 4.88 ERA. Cinderella story in the making!?

1993
Round 2 - INF Brent McLaughlin – currently in AA, but should be promoted soon, Brent is a believer in moustaches as well as in patience at the plate, which gives him a .286/.393/.442 slash line in AA this year.
Round 3 - RF/LF Marvin Gregory – all potential has more or less disappeared, as he is only batting .213 in AA this season.
Round 4 - C Brad Gray – apart from not calling a very good game, striking out a lot, and running his mouth at times, Brad has 16 homers in AA for a .604 slugging clip. He may still get called up to AAA this year.
Round 5 - 1B Santiago Rodriguez – got released in 1995, and is now with the Warriors’ A level squad.

1994
Round 1 - LF/RF George Wood – made the AAA team at age 21, but is struggling to light it up there.
Round 2 - 1B Carlos Salazar – just promoted to AAA this season, not batting anything so far there.
Round 3 - OF Cal Lyon – has yet to bat his way out of A ball, and time is running out.
Round 4 - SP Joe Key – after a few so-so seasons in A ball, he has gotten over the hump now with 105 K in 88.1 innings and a 3.26 ERA. Call-up to AA should come soon.
Round 5 - 1B Harry Jackson – despite being rated quite poorly by now, Jackson is batting for a .798 OPS in AAA this season, with seven homers. He also strikes out almost 30% of the time, though…
Round 6 - SP/MR Manuel Diaz – made his Raccoons debut in 1997, appearing in only two games before being sent back to AAA. But his stuff is promising enough so that this right-hander should be back at some point. Has great stamina, but only two pitches, and overall his abilities do not stink up to Scott Wade’s, so it is unlikely he will be permanently converted into a starter.

1995
Round 1 - LF Manuel Villa – missed almost the entire 1996 season with a concussion, and is now struggling with the bat in AA ball.
Round 2 - RF/LF Cory Stanford – epic bust. Batting .103 in A ball.
Round 3 - MR Bill Coles – still in A ball, but with good stats. He could work a bit harder, then he might get promoted faster…
Round 4 - SP Julio Romero – fighting control issues like walking 4.5 per nine in AA ball, but overall this boy looks promising, and he is only 22 years old
Round 5 - 1B/2B George Morris – we are trying to find out his nice qualities, but it may not be a job in baseball. Has been sidetracked to a bench role in AA.

1996
Round 1 - MR Manuel Martinez – only 19 years old, and we are currently ironing out his control issues in A ball. But there is some promise to the kid.
Supp. Round - SP Dwight Williams – promoted to AA for 1997, he stuggles with the walks, but punches out almost nine per game with a filthy slider and changeup. Get those walks fixed, and see you in Portland in ’99.
Supp. Round - INF/RF/LF Carlos Gomes – broke his elbow one month into his rookie season, and thus is still in A ball at age 22, but is batting almost for an .800 OPS with pop.
Round 2 - 2B/SS Sergio Tirado – batting .218 in A ball, with 35% strikeouts.
Round 3 - MR Juan Diaz – in AA, also fighting the walks, which seems to plague many of our left-handed pitching prospects.
Round 4 - 1B Albert Martin – coming around after a slow rookie season. A callup to AA could be in the cards in September or so.
Round 5 - SP Ralph Warren – for an 18-year old southpaw in A ball, he’s doing great: 3-5, 3.09 ERA, 70 IP, 19 BB, 75 K this season. Another call-up for later this year?

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After five years of trying to ignore this list, updating took about five to six hours. Uaaah. But we suck this season, so draft picks become more important.

Looking at this list… in 1991, we hired Vince Guerra as scouting director. And I have been thrilled with the all the boys he’s dug out in the most remote locations on earth that are now in our system. But when he comes to high school and college players in the U.S., he seems to miss as often as everybody else we’ve ever had. Stephen Buell, Conceicao Guerin, a few former players, and some in AAA and below with promising expectations have all been dug out by him.

Again looking at the draft results, we had some great results in the first seven drafts, including jackpots with our first three first round picks, thanks to our first scout, Jeffrey Anderson, and Carlos Gonzalez could have been #4 if not for injuries wrecking him before his time.

The Tampa Pugs, the Scorpions’ AA team, has gobbled up more Wouldbecoons than anybody else, it seems. Poor Pugs.

One thing I have marveled about endless times the last two (real life) years is what would have happened if I hadn’t picked Daniel Hall as first ever pick, but rather the other guy that caught my eye, Andres Ramirez. I mean, Ramirez is merely the all-time saves leader in the association, but with Ramirez around, if we had still picked Grant West two years later, what would have happened then? Can’t have two closers! And West gave us all we needed for more than a decade. Happy 80s in the bullpen! Him, and Cunningham, and (at least early on) Wally Gaston. Then came the 90s, we won the division every year, but our bullpen was crap.

How things go sometimes…

Ah, the 80s. Those were the times. The Coons losing to the Canadiens or Indians almost every year. West closing every game. And Daniel Hall roaming leftfield. And our hearts forever!