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reds1 · 03-01-2016, 11:26 PM

December 31, 1942

Looking Back: The 1937-38 Amateur Draft

It’s been five seasons now since the first Amateur Draft was held, so I thought it would be interesting to take a brief look back at the draft and see how the players taken in the first round have fared. Who justified their lofty selection? Who proved to be a bust? And were there any ‘diamonds in the rough’ so-to-speak in the later rounds? That’s what I set to find out.

Going over the draft, the first thing that strikes me is how many of the first round picks went on to become stars in the United Leagues.

Here are the top 3 position players taken in the 1937-38 Draft, based on their subsequent careers thus far:

1B Jim Friend – 5th overall pick originally by the Balmoral Giants.

Career: .331/.407/.526, 807 H, 171-2B, 17-3B, 91 HR, 516 RBI, 441 R, 339 BB, 113 K, 5 SB, 152 OPS+, 154 wRC+, 23.8 WAR.

Achievements:

• Three All-Star Game selections: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42;
• Two-time Babe Ruth Award Winner: 1940-41, 1941-42;
• One Batting Title: 1941-42 (.331);
• Three selections to the All-Braeland Team: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42;
• Finished 3rd in the 1938-39 Western League Rooking of the Year Award voting.

What the original scouting report said:

“The left-handed Friend brings with him a tremendous offensive package, with outstanding contact (45/60), gap power (50/50) and plate discipline (55/70). Friend looks to be the Giants’ clean-up hitter of the future.”

Comments: Unfortunately for Balmoral, the Giants traded him away in a rather lop-sided deal back in 1939. After the trade, Friend quickly came to dominate the United Leagues and has been one of the premier offensive forces in the Leagues’ young history. He did indeed become a clean-up hitter, but it’s the Embro Suns who have been the benefactor.

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OF Ron Westmacott – 2nd overall pick by the Cambria Cannons.

Career: .308/.403/.573, 570 H, 123-2B, 104-3B, 53 HR, 328 RBI, 393 R, 284 BB, 241 K, 70 SB, 168 OPS+, 169 wRC+, 24.5 WAR

Achievements:

• Three All-Star Game selections: 1938-39, 1939-40, 1941-42;
• United Cup MVP: 1939-40;
• One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1939-40;
• Finished 3rd in the 1939-40 Western League Babe Ruth Award voting.
• Hit for the cycle twice (1939, 1942).

What the original scouting report said:

“The first Braelander and Stratfordite selected, Westmacott should be an offensive force, boasting solid contact (45/60) and outstanding power potential (30/50). He also projects to be an outstanding base stealer (speed-70/stealing-75/baserunning-65).

Defensively, he looks to be average to slightly below average (LF-55/CF-45/RF-50). He comes with a reputation as being a good influence on his teammates.”

Comments: Westmacott immediately joined the Cannons’ major league roster and hasn’t looked back. The only thing that has slowed him down is injuries. Thus far, Westmacott has been sidelined for nearly 10 months in total. Who knows how dominate he could have been in the first five seasons of his career if he didn’t miss so much time. But there’s no doubting the impact he has had on the Cambria Cannons success since they drafted him: four playoff appearances and one United Cup championship.

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OF Steve Winstanley – 10th overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars.

Career: .305/.376/.497, 582 H, 86-2B, 36-3B, 70 HR, 343 RBI, 335 R, 228 BB, 178 K, 27 SB, 140 OPS+, 144 wRC+, 20.4 WAR

Achievements:

• Three All-Star Game selections: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42;
• One-time Babe Ruth Award Winner: 1940-41;
• Two-time Top Fielder Award winner: 1940-41 (LF), 1941-42 (RF);
• One Batting Title: 1940-41 (.347);
• One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1940-41;
• Finished 2nd in the 1939-40 Western League Rookie of the Year Award voting.

Comments: Winstanley quickly rewarded Hespeler’s selection of him; he came in second in Rookie of the Year Honours and then had a monster second season in 1940-41 (8.8 WAR). Following that, the Stars promptly traded him to the Stratford Barons. He hasn’t matched his 1940-41 season, but at 26-years of age, he has plenty of time. He is without question an impact player.

--------

Two pitchers selected in the 1937-38 Draft can be singled out for their immediate impact in the ULB:

LHP Anastasio Rodríguez – 4th overall pick by the Brunswick Legends.

Career: 83-56, 3.20 ERA, 1331.0 IP, 92 CG, 7 SHO, 1.37 WHIP, .284 BABIP, 3.52 FIP, 28.5 WAR, 134 ERA+

Achievements:

• Two All-Star Game selections: 1940-41, 1941-42;
• One Satchel Paige Award: 1941-42;
• Eastern League Pennant MVP: 1941-42;
• One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1941-42.

What the scouting report said:

“The first pitcher selected in the draft, the Panamanian Rodríguez combines good stuff (40/45) with great movement (60/70) and very good control (40/65). A groundball pitcher that can through into the low 90’s, the left-handed Rodríguez main pitches are the sinker and forkball, backed by a slider and a developing changeup.

A quiet and introverted fellow, Rodríguez will start off working out of the bullpen for the Legends.”

Comments: Rodríguez was unquestionably the top pitcher to be selected in the inaugural draft and has been everything Brunswick hoped he would be: a dominating ace. He is currently rated as the 2nd overall pitcher in the ULB and he is just 26-years old. He is the kind of pitcher teams dream about.

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RHP Oscar Burress – 6th overall pick by the Fort Richmond Generals.

Career: 77-58, 3.33 ERA, 1331.0 IP, 65 CG, 12 SHO, 1.31 WHIP, .273 BABIP, 3.52 FIP, 25.0 WAR, 124 ERA+

Achievements:

• Four All-Star Game selections: 1938-39, 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42;
• One Top Fielder Award: 1941-42;
• Finished 3rd in the 1939-40 Western League Satchel Paige Award voting.
• Finished 2nd in the 1940-41 Western League Satchel Paige Award voting.

Comments: The original scouting report said that “his makeup was a serious concern”. Well, the Fort Richmond Generals were wise to ignore that bit, as Burress has proven to be a solid pick. His statistics stack up quite well with Anastasio Rodríguez’s (in fact, their IP and FIP stats are the same). But because Burress plays for a team that hasn’t always given him the best support, he does not have the same high profile as Rodríguez. But he is a legitimate ace.

--------

Two other pitchers, namely 23-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (13th overall pick) and 27-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (14th overall pick) have also proven to be wise selections. They have not had the immediate impact the others have had, but they are currently enjoying tremendous success this season.

--------

Biggest Draft Disappointment

At this point in the League’s history, all 16 players selected in the first round of the 1937-38 Amateur Draft have reached the major league level.

However, one stands out as not quite fulfilling his initial promise as yet:

RHP Luke Woodward – 9th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions.

Career: 6-4, 4.79 ERA, 6 SV, 71.1 IP, 1.85 WHIP, .322 BABIP, 4.41 FIP, -0.40 WAR, 91 ERA+

Woodward was once rated the #4 prospect in the United Leagues, but he has yet to deliver on that promise. Scouting reports have consistently raised red flags as to him being a “trouble maker”. He has been involved in no less than six trades. He is currently in his second stint with the Wellington Athletics and is serving as their go-to guy out of the bullpen. Will he finally settle in, or will ‘trouble’ continue to find him?

--------

Diamond in the Rough

Mention should also be given the to the second round, as three players taken in that round have gone on to taste success in the ULB; namely Wolseley Unions’ RF Nicky Willis (2 all-star appearances, 1 top fielder award), Pulberry Trolleys’ RF Yos-hito Ito (1 all-star appearance, 2 top fielder awards) and Braeland City Monarchs’ RHP Samuel Hollier (1 all-star appearance).

But that season’s diamond in the rough was rather ‘clear cut’:

C Brian Pittman – 85th overall pick (round 6, pick 5) by the Balmoral Giants

Career: .283/.362/.385, 248 H, 49-2B, 4-3B, 11 HR, 100 RBI, 119 R, 112 BB, 63 K, 111 OPS+, 113 wRC+, 5.8 WAR

Achievements:

• Won the 1941-42 Western League Rookie of the Year Award.

Pittman may not be the most gifted hitter, nor will he ‘wow’ anyone with his defensive game, but he made great strides during his time in the minors and now finds himself as the Giants starting catcher. Fresh off his Rookie of the Year winning season, it will be interesting to see how the rest of his career plays out.

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03-01-2016, 11:26 PM	#226
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,902	December 31, 1942 Looking Back: The 1937-38 Amateur Draft It’s been five seasons now since the first Amateur Draft was held, so I thought it would be interesting to take a brief look back at the draft and see how the players taken in the first round have fared. Who justified their lofty selection? Who proved to be a bust? And were there any ‘diamonds in the rough’ so-to-speak in the later rounds? That’s what I set to find out. Going over the draft, the first thing that strikes me is how many of the first round picks went on to become stars in the United Leagues. Here are the top 3 position players taken in the 1937-38 Draft, based on their subsequent careers thus far: 1B Jim Friend – 5th overall pick originally by the Balmoral Giants. Career: .331/.407/.526, 807 H, 171-2B, 17-3B, 91 HR, 516 RBI, 441 R, 339 BB, 113 K, 5 SB, 152 OPS+, 154 wRC+, 23.8 WAR. *Achievements:* • Three All-Star Game selections: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • Two-time Babe Ruth Award Winner: 1940-41, 1941-42; • One Batting Title: 1941-42 (.331); • Three selections to the All-Braeland Team: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • Finished 3rd in the 1938-39 Western League Rooking of the Year Award voting. What the original scouting report said: “The left-handed Friend brings with him a tremendous offensive package, with outstanding contact (45/60), gap power (50/50) and plate discipline (55/70). Friend looks to be the Giants’ clean-up hitter of the future.” *Comments:* Unfortunately for Balmoral, the Giants traded him away in a rather lop-sided deal back in 1939. After the trade, Friend quickly came to dominate the United Leagues and has been one of the premier offensive forces in the Leagues’ young history. He did indeed become a clean-up hitter, but it’s the Embro Suns who have been the benefactor. -------- OF Ron Westmacott – 2nd overall pick by the Cambria Cannons. Career: .308/.403/.573, 570 H, 123-2B, 104-3B, 53 HR, 328 RBI, 393 R, 284 BB, 241 K, 70 SB, 168 OPS+, 169 wRC+, 24.5 WAR *Achievements:* • Three All-Star Game selections: 1938-39, 1939-40, 1941-42; • United Cup MVP: 1939-40; • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1939-40; • Finished 3rd in the 1939-40 Western League Babe Ruth Award voting. • Hit for the cycle twice (1939, 1942). What the original scouting report said: “The first Braelander and Stratfordite selected, Westmacott should be an offensive force, boasting solid contact (45/60) and outstanding power potential (30/50). He also projects to be an outstanding base stealer (speed-70/stealing-75/baserunning-65). Defensively, he looks to be average to slightly below average (LF-55/CF-45/RF-50). He comes with a reputation as being a good influence on his teammates.” *Comments:* Westmacott immediately joined the Cannons’ major league roster and hasn’t looked back. The only thing that has slowed him down is injuries. Thus far, Westmacott has been sidelined for nearly 10 months in total. Who knows how dominate he could have been in the first five seasons of his career if he didn’t miss so much time. But there’s no doubting the impact he has had on the Cambria Cannons success since they drafted him: four playoff appearances and one United Cup championship. -------- OF Steve Winstanley – 10th overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars. Career: .305/.376/.497, 582 H, 86-2B, 36-3B, 70 HR, 343 RBI, 335 R, 228 BB, 178 K, 27 SB, 140 OPS+, 144 wRC+, 20.4 WAR *Achievements:* • Three All-Star Game selections: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • One-time Babe Ruth Award Winner: 1940-41; • Two-time Top Fielder Award winner: 1940-41 (LF), 1941-42 (RF); • One Batting Title: 1940-41 (.347); • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1940-41; • Finished 2nd in the 1939-40 Western League Rookie of the Year Award voting. *Comments:* Winstanley quickly rewarded Hespeler’s selection of him; he came in second in Rookie of the Year Honours and then had a monster second season in 1940-41 (8.8 WAR). Following that, the Stars promptly traded him to the Stratford Barons. He hasn’t matched his 1940-41 season, but at 26-years of age, he has plenty of time. He is without question an impact player. -------- Two pitchers selected in the 1937-38 Draft can be singled out for their immediate impact in the ULB: LHP Anastasio Rodríguez – 4th overall pick by the Brunswick Legends. Career: 83-56, 3.20 ERA, 1331.0 IP, 92 CG, 7 SHO, 1.37 WHIP, .284 BABIP, 3.52 FIP, 28.5 WAR, 134 ERA+ *Achievements:* • Two All-Star Game selections: 1940-41, 1941-42; • One Satchel Paige Award: 1941-42; • Eastern League Pennant MVP: 1941-42; • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1941-42. What the scouting report said: “The first pitcher selected in the draft, the Panamanian Rodríguez combines good stuff (40/45) with great movement (60/70) and very good control (40/65). A groundball pitcher that can through into the low 90’s, the left-handed Rodríguez main pitches are the sinker and forkball, backed by a slider and a developing changeup. A quiet and introverted fellow, Rodríguez will start off working out of the bullpen for the Legends.” *Comments:* Rodríguez was unquestionably the top pitcher to be selected in the inaugural draft and has been everything Brunswick hoped he would be: a dominating ace. He is currently rated as the 2nd overall pitcher in the ULB and he is just 26-years old. He is the kind of pitcher teams dream about. -------- RHP Oscar Burress – 6th overall pick by the Fort Richmond Generals. Career: 77-58, 3.33 ERA, 1331.0 IP, 65 CG, 12 SHO, 1.31 WHIP, .273 BABIP, 3.52 FIP, 25.0 WAR, 124 ERA+ *Achievements:* • Four All-Star Game selections: 1938-39, 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • One Top Fielder Award: 1941-42; • Finished 3rd in the 1939-40 Western League Satchel Paige Award voting. • Finished 2nd in the 1940-41 Western League Satchel Paige Award voting. *Comments:* The original scouting report said that “his makeup was a serious concern”. Well, the Fort Richmond Generals were wise to ignore that bit, as Burress has proven to be a solid pick. His statistics stack up quite well with Anastasio Rodríguez’s (in fact, their IP and FIP stats are the same). But because Burress plays for a team that hasn’t always given him the best support, he does not have the same high profile as Rodríguez. But he is a legitimate ace. -------- Two other pitchers, namely 23-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (13th overall pick) and 27-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (14th overall pick) have also proven to be wise selections. They have not had the immediate impact the others have had, but they are currently enjoying tremendous success this season. -------- *Biggest Draft Disappointment* At this point in the League’s history, all 16 players selected in the first round of the 1937-38 Amateur Draft have reached the major league level. However, one stands out as not quite fulfilling his initial promise as yet: RHP Luke Woodward – 9th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions. Career: 6-4, 4.79 ERA, 6 SV, 71.1 IP, 1.85 WHIP, .322 BABIP, 4.41 FIP, -0.40 WAR, 91 ERA+ Woodward was once rated the #4 prospect in the United Leagues, but he has yet to deliver on that promise. Scouting reports have consistently raised red flags as to him being a “trouble maker”. He has been involved in no less than six trades. He is currently in his second stint with the Wellington Athletics and is serving as their go-to guy out of the bullpen. Will he finally settle in, or will ‘trouble’ continue to find him? -------- *Diamond in the Rough* Mention should also be given the to the second round, as three players taken in that round have gone on to taste success in the ULB; namely Wolseley Unions’ RF Nicky Willis (2 all-star appearances, 1 top fielder award), Pulberry Trolleys’ RF Yos-hito Ito (1 all-star appearance, 2 top fielder awards) and Braeland City Monarchs’ RHP Samuel Hollier (1 all-star appearance). But that season’s diamond in the rough was rather ‘clear cut’: C Brian Pittman – 85th overall pick (round 6, pick 5) by the Balmoral Giants Career: .283/.362/.385, 248 H, 49-2B, 4-3B, 11 HR, 100 RBI, 119 R, 112 BB, 63 K, 111 OPS+, 113 wRC+, 5.8 WAR *Achievements:* • Won the 1941-42 Western League Rookie of the Year Award. Pittman may not be the most gifted hitter, nor will he ‘wow’ anyone with his defensive game, but he made great strides during his time in the minors and now finds himself as the Giants starting catcher. Fresh off his Rookie of the Year winning season, it will be interesting to see how the rest of his career plays out. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 11:58 PM.