[Westheim]

RACCOONS DRAFT HISTORY (as of December 31, 1999)

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 …

The only really notable draft pick of ours that retired between updates, was Richard Cunningham.

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 – 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 – 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

Round 1 - SP Scott Wade – Scotty has been as good a first round pick as you can make, debuting in 1985 as a starter. Despite lacking a third pitch, he won double digit games as a starter for 11 straight seasons before moving into a backend bullpen / swing man role in the last few years. In 485 career games (388 starts) he is 160-122 with a 3.49 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 – 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

Round 1 – 1B/3B Joe Jackson – debuted in 1988, but was traded to the Falcons after that season for Justin Reader. Has been somewhat of their infrequent first baseman, spending all of 1993, some of 1994 and 1995, and most of 1997 in the minors. Was even traded to the Knights once, but appeared in 160 games for the Falcons in 1999 with a rather miserable 88 OPS+. Career .247 batter with 48 HR and 447 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 – 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 – after 14 minor league seasons, Scott is still holding out to get that callup to the big leagues. Has appeared in 540 minor league games.
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 – Retired. Managed one 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 for a short time, but since 1997 he’s been with a new team every year. 457 career games, 23-33, 46 SV with a 3.80 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. 134-91 with a 3.49 ERA.
Round 5 - MR Walter Weber – Retired without reaching the majors.
All others except for MR Gary Montgomery (10th round, free agent) 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 from 1995 to 1998, appearing in at most 93 games in a season (1997), landing 80 hits in 276 AB. Still with Atlanta’s AAA team that beat St. Petersburg for the 1999 AAA title.
Round 2 - INF Steve Caddock – despite the most limited skill set (a glove, nothing else), Caddock keeps re-appearing on the Raccoons for no discernible reason as a backup outfielder. He might be on the Opening Day roster in 2000; career .202 batter with a knack for dramatic home runs, of which he has seven.
Round 3 - MR John Smith – home run-prone southpaw that has yet to make the Bigs, currently a free agent.
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 instantly broke out. Hampered by injuries, he has nevertheless established himself as a .850+ OPS batter. Currently a .297/.406/.434 career line for him with 39 HR and 286 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. Since then has pitched occasionally for the Blue Sox and Rebels, always from the bullpen. 14-18 with a 4.58 ERA in 94 career games (36 starts).
All others from this year are retired.

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 the Stars’ efficient closer in 1999. 351 career games (17 starts), 17-24, 76 SV, 2.41 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 – made sporadic appearances as backup for five years from 1994 to 1998, but never caught on. Was the Knights’ backup catcher in 1999 and batted .330 in 97 AB. For his career, he is a .252 batter with four homers in 302 AB.
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. After posting a 6.43 ERA in 1994 he has gotten his crap together and has now been posting solid seasons for five years. Doesn’t overwhelm people, but manages to pitch to mostly poor contact. 483 games, 34-25, 39 SV, 3.11 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 – 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 was then converted to a reliever due to his frequent struggles to go even five innings efficiently. After struggling in a full relief campaign in ’98, he was much more reliable in ’99 and is the hottest contender for the closer’s job. 200 G (43 GS) with a 20-25 record, 3.79 ERA, and 330 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

Round 1 - SP Gerárdo Ramirez – Retired. 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 – 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, where he keeps being productive: .291/.371/.421 with 34 HR, 242 RBI for his career.
Round 2 - INF Michael Lloyd – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - MR Fred Carlton – despite having awful control, the Raccoons – historically starved for decent left-handed relief, gave him cups of coffee in 1998 and 1999. Has 19 career games with a 7.11 ERA.
Round 4 - 1B Steve Stevens – wild hacker at the plate, while not even showing signs of true power, Stevens was let go after 1994, and was picked up by the Indians. He appeared in five games in 1998 for them, drawing a walk, but didn’t have any hits.
Round 5 - MR Pancho Padilla – appeared sporadically from 1996 to 1998, before being traded to the Miners, where he got into 85 games in 1999, which allowed him to walk 72 batters. Control is entirely an alien concept to him.
Round 6 – LF/RF Kenny Crockett – Retired. 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.
All others from this year are retired.

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. When he had a chance of playing every day in 1997, he quickly got injured. .234/.319/.330 with 10 HR, 113 RBI in 1,070 AB so far.
Supp. Round - 3B Mike Crowe – inheriting third base from Ben O’Morrissey wasn’t the easiest of tasks, but three years later you can say that Crowe failed. After semi-decent seasons in 1997 and 1998, he was wholly ineffective and eventually banned to the bench in 1999. .241/.357/.324 with 15 HR, 112 RBI in 1,147 AB.
Supp. Round - SP Clinton Kennedy – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - 1B/3B/RF/LF Mark Kowalchuk – had Dawson-esque aura before the draft back then, but by now he is all but done. Batted 3-34 for the 1998 Raccoons and recently failed to even connect in AA ball. Recently released.
Round 3 - MR Kokei Kondo – awful control; the Wolves claimed in the rule 5 draft in 1997 and made him suffer through a horrendous 1998 campaign, where he issued twice as many walks than strikeouts; back in the minors now. 6.30 ERA in 40 games.
Round 4 - C Jorge Chavez – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - OF Joseph MacKellachie – released in 1994, still active in the minors, but currently a free agent.
Round 7 – SP Jose Cervantes – released in 1996 after pitching poorly in AA for us, the Wolves picked him. After short stints in 1996 and 1997, he got a spot in the rotation since 1998, but with questionable success. 63 G, 14-29, 5.07 ERA.
All others from this year are retired.

1993

Round 2 - INF Brent McLaughlin – has made sporadic appearances as a backup infielder since 1997, but his bat is poor, to say the least. .190/.264/.259 with 9 RBI in 158 AB.
Round 3 - RF/LF Marvin Gregory – became a minor league free agent in 1999.
Round 4 - C Brad Gray – not the best game calling, terrible bat with a swing that has something of Swiss cheese, he never made it to the Bigs, and elected minor league free agency in 1999.
Round 5 - 1B Santiago Rodriguez – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 12 – Pedro Perez – borderline southpaw that came from the last round to pitch to a 54.00 ERA in two appearances in 1999.

1994

Round 1 - LF/RF George Wood – spent a few years at AAA trying to hit enough to get noticed, but that never happened. He recently became one of the three pieces in the Daniel Richardson deal with the Buffaloes.
Round 2 - 1B Carlos Salazar – was up in AAA by 1997, but failed to hit there, and ended up being released in June of 1999. Still unemployed.
Round 3 - OF Cal Lyon – struggled for a long time to make it out of A ball, but is now in AAA and displayed a bat with some pop and 13 homers in 91 games in St. Pete in 1999.
Round 4 - SP Joe Key – in AAA, where he generates an alarming rate of walks with his changeup/cutter arsenal.
Round 5 - 1B Harry Jackson – more or less typical power bat, many home runs, many more strikeouts. Fell victim to a glut at first base for us, where he is at best the fourth choice now, and was flipped off to the Capitals.
Round 6 - SP/MR Manuel Diaz – after making his Raccoons debut in 1997 (6 G, 9.00 ERA), he was demoted back to the minors to work on his control, which has so far not been successful. Spent the entire 1999 season in AA Ham Lake.

1995

Round 1 - LF Manuel Villa – bust #1 from this draft went down with a concussion in 1996 and never quite came back the same. Currently in AAA with the Aces.
Round 2 - RF/LF Cory Stanford – bust #2 from this draft, just worse. Released soon, and played in all three minor league levels for the Mines in ‘99.
Round 3 - MR Bill Coles – bust #3, never made it out of AA ball, unemployed after being released this fall.
Round 4 - SP Julio Romero – his first few years as a professional were marred with terrible control issues, which by now seem largely ironed out. Spent 1999 between AA and AAA and looks forward to attack.
Round 5 - 1B/2B George Morris – in his fourth tour of duty in AA, in 1998, he suddenly found some pop in his bat, and hit 14 dingers, a number he almost matched with 13 in AAA this year. His first cup of coffee in the Bigs was sobering, however, as he batted 2-18 in six games.
Round 8 – OF Jason Kent – sporadically appeared as injury replacement between 1997 and 1999, without making himself welcome in the lineup. .188/.245/.229 with 1 HR, 8 RBI in 96 AB. Right now injured himself with a broken kneecap and on the 60-day DL.
Round 11 – SP Nick Brown – has gone from 293rd overall in the 1995 draft to the #12 prospect in the ABL, pitching for a 6-5 record with a 3.17 ERA in AA, and 6-1 record with 3.79 ERA in AAA this season. At only 21 years, he could break into the major leagues any moment now!

1996

Round 1 - MR Manuel Martinez – made his debut in 1999 after just 16 appearances in AAA ball, and pitched reasonably until being injured, and came only back in September. 20 games with a 3.45 ERA. His changeup and sinker are unfair to batters, but he levels the playing field with bad control that has to be beaten out of him.
Supp. Round - SP Dwight Williams – has developed a thing for giving up home runs, 32 this year in 23 AAA starts. Until he can learn to miss a few bats there is no point in giving him a call-up.
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 – defensively serviceable, but quite uncontrollable at the plate, where he continues to strike out in amazing rates, limiting him to AA ball.
Round 3 - MR Juan Diaz – in AAA, also fighting the walks, which seems to plague many of our left-handed pitching prospects.
Round 4 - 1B Albert Martin – made a splash debut late in 1999, hitting for a .898 OPS in 26 games, enough to make him the prime occupant of first base from here on out.
Round 5 - SP Ralph Warren – after a strong rookie season in A ball, it has largely come apart for him, and he was demoted back to Aumsville late in 1999, before hitting the DL with radial nerve compression.

1997

Round 1 - MR Dan Nordahl – unquestionable great talent, hideous slider, future star? His 1999 debut was spotty at times, and he walked more than he struck out. At 20 years old, Nordahl still has some time to get things figured out.
Round 1 - C Julio Mata – another universally praised prospect after the draft, he initially struggled in the minors, but nevertheless made a strong debut impression in the last two months of 1999 for the Raccoons, batting .311/.364/.466 with 4 HR and 37 RBI. While that might have been a bit more than he will be able to repeat in the long run, we rest assured to have found our catcher for the next few years.
Supp. Round - LF/RF Jochen Funck – didn’t quite make the cut in his first tour in AAA this year, and was sent back to Ham Lake, where he nevertheless tortured pitchers to a .956 OPS with 20 home runs.
Round 2 - 1B Don Irvin – prototypical first baseman that was promoted to AAA for the first time very late in 1999. Irvin batted for 18 homers and a .820 OPS in AA in 1999.
Round 3 - SP Craig Rhodes – spent three years in A ball with nagging injuries and can’t throw faster than 86 mph.
Round 4 - MR Mauro Rodriguez – after two years finally mastered his own curve and struck out 109 in 147 innings in A ball before getting promoted to AA in September. Still rather dubious as a prospect.
Round 5 - SP/MR Antonio Toro – about to be converted to a full time reliever in AA ball, where he had a decent season despite pitching only 20 innings.

1998

Round 1 - LF/CF Chris Roberson – spent most of the year in AAA where he had a quite successful campaign, but not enough to be currently of any use to a big league team. Needs more seasoning, also needs to lose that arrogant look of his.
Supp. Round - SP Frank McGeraghty – struggled in AA with a 10-14, 5.91 ERA season. Walked 86 against 123 strikeouts and also gave up 32 home runs. Much work to be done.
Supp. Round - CL Scott Boone – was the closer for the AA team at 18 years old this year, saving 31 games with a 4.50 ERA. Potential is certainly there, it is just a matter of refining his mechanics to make him climb the ladder
Supp. Round - LF/RF Jesus Valle – the only sure bust of our top crop in 1998, Valle is batting poorly even in A ball and might have to move over as soon as the next draft takes place.
Supp. Round - OF Herb Rose – we thought he might have some more power, but that doesn’t show at all so far. Defense and basic batting skills are there, although his first promotion to AA ball went a bit rough for him this season, as he batted only for a .672 OPS in 230 AB.
Supp. Round - MR Sergio Vega – after his mean right-handed changeup devastated A level batting, he failed to do as well in AA, but at 19 years old has some more time to gain the edge.
Round 2 - C Pat McClellan – batted poorly for two years in A ball, but was promoted to AA halfway through the season anyway for organizational needs. He actually batted for a better OPS in AA. Might be more of a defensive catcher, but then again some pitchers complain to the manager that he is unable to communicate with them.
Round 3 - 1B John Morris – badly struggling in all regards in A ball.
Round 4 - OF Bryan Forrest – was released by the Raccoons this year, signed by the Loggers, and released again. Complete bust.
Round 5 - 1B/2B/LF/RF Reed Shaw – lacks basic batting skills, it seems.

1999

Round 1 - OF/1B Darwin Tyler – Failed to hit at all, unfortunately, batting for a .203/.250/.301 clip in 256 AB in Aumsville. Vince Guerra is at a loss about this.
Round 1 - CL Marcos Bruno – handled AA batting very well, striking out 45 in 32 innings and allowing only a 3.09 ERA against him. Scheduled for promotion to AAA in early 2000.
Supp. Round - 1B/2B Matt Love – convincing debut season in AA ball, and will move up to AAA in 2000. Steady bat with a good eye and high OBP ability.
Supp. Round - MR Mike Harvey – was easily hittable as an 18-year old in Aumsville, but struck out 37 to only 16 walks, so this is something to build on. Also started seven games, but we may use him as a reliever in the long run.
Round 2 - MR Bob Evans – struck out 60 in 33.1 innings in A ball, will get promoted to Ham Lake when the season starts.
Round 2 - LF/RF Jorge Rodriguez – decent debut season in A ball, batting .241 with 8 homers in 77 games. With a well developed glove and manners, he schmoozed himself into promotion to AA ball.
Round 3 - C Bob Wood – struggled to make the bat meet the ball, striking out 65 times in 211 AB in his A debut.
Round 4 - SP Ed Bryan – struck out 104 batters while going 4-9 with a 3.94 ERA due to some serious non-offense on the A level team, but for himself held his ground well. Has to work on the curve to get it closer to the zone.
Round 5 - SP Giuseppe Loffredo – works on three pitches, but his debut season was not necessarily spectacular.

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I’ve said it a few times, I’ll say it again. Vince Guerra is amazing in combing foxholes all over the Latin American world and has unearthed quite a few gems there for us. In the drafts (since 1991), we are still missing a lot… If I look at that 1995 draft, I don’t know what dope we’d been doing, but we’d do good to stop it.