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reds1 · 04-14-2016, 03:11 PM

December 31, 1943

Looking Back: The 1938-39 Amateur Draft

As I did last season for the initial 1937-38 Amateur Draft, I wanted to check in and see how the players selected in the first round of the 1938-39 Amateur Draft have fared in the United Leagues over the past five seasons. I went in with the same questions: Who’s living up to their promise? Who isn’t? And were there any ‘diamonds in the rough’ found in the later rounds?

I’ve read anecdotal claims that subsequent amateur drafts in OOTP are not as strong as the initial one, and glancing over this class, I’m inclined to agree. There are no Babe Ruth or Satchel Paige Award winners to be found in this class, at least not yet. But again, not all drafts are nor should be created equal. So an additional benefit to this annual exercise will be to gauge strength and depth of each draft class. But there’s no question, that the quality of this class is a step below from the previous one. I may also have to wait longer than 5 seasons before passing judgement on a particular draft class, if subsequent draft classes are similar to this one.

Here are the top 3 position players taken in the 1938-39 Draft, based on their careers thus far:

RF Carlton Broadbent – 3rd overall pick originally by the Braeland City Monarchs.

Career: .302/.371/.501, 667 H, 162-2B, 20-3B, 79 HR, 370 RBI, 347 R, 251 BB, 210 K, 11 SB, 143 OPS+, 143 wRC+, 16.0 WAR.

Achievements:

• Three All-Star Game selections: 1941-42, 1942-43, 1943-44;
• Finished 2nd in the 1942-43 Western League Babe Ruth Award voting.

What the original scouting report said:

“The 20-year old Broadbent projects to be an offensive powerhouse; a plus contact hitter combined with elite power potential and good plate discipline. He should also acquit himself fine in the field.”

Comments: The Monarchs traded Broadbent to the Balmoral Giants a few months after drafting him for LHP David Cooling, which has proven to be a fairly equitable trade thus far. But Broadbent has improved with each passing season and has seen his gap power and home run power surpass initial expectations. He and SS Francisco Rodríguez have formed a really good one-two punch in the heart of the Giants’ lineup since 1940 with Broadbent just having turned 26 on December 23. He is also durable – his six weeks on the DL last season for an elbow strain was the first time he was out of the lineup for any length of time.

Broadbent, in my view, has proven to be the best player selected from this class thus far.

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IF Wenceslas Jasmim – 1st overall pick by the Pulberry Trolleys.

Career: .262/.316/.378, 779 H, 147-2B, 51-3B, 16 HR, 302 RBI, 375 R, 240 BB, 333 K, 59 SB, 89 OPS+, 95 wRC+, 15.2 WAR

Achievements:

• One All-Star Game selection: 1942-43;
• One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1942-43.

What the original scouting report said:

“Jasmim’s strengths are his ability to hit for good contact, his speed on the base paths and his tremendous defense.”

Comments: Jasmin has been a solid, if not a superlative player since his second full season in the ULB in 1940-41. His defensive game is sound, whether a SS, 2B or his current position 1B. He just hasn’t been quite outstanding enough to win a Top Fielder Award, however. Offensively, he has been below average as his OPS+ and wRC career metrics would indicate. But last season saw a breakthrough, as Jasmin finished above average (111 OPS+, 120 wRC+) offensively, earning him a spot on the All-Braeland Team. This season sees that trend continue with the Cambria Cannons. If it continues in the ensuing seasons, then Jasmin may begin to justify his first overall selection.

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OF Jon Moreau – 4th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions.
Career: .281/.317/.421, 361 H, 83-2B, 24-3B, 16 HR, 158 RBI, 173 R, 69 BB, 86 K, 11 SB, 109 OPS+, 111 wRC+, 7.3 WAR

Achievements:

• Two All-Star Game selections: 1942-43, 1943-44;
• One Top Fielder Award: 1942-43 (CF);
• One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1942-43.

What the original scouting report said:

“The French Canadian’s main strengths will be his above average speed and outstanding defense in center field. He has the potential to be a .290 hitter and may hit 15 home runs a season down the road. But he will need to work on his plate discipline to capitalize on his potential.”

Comments: Moreau makes this list primarily based on his the 1942-43 season, his first with the Queensland Eagles. After spending a couple of seasons adjusting to the majors, the Unions gave up on him and shipped him to Queensland for a mediocre pitcher and a second round prospect. But I digress. Moreau found his groove last season, earning 5.8 WAR alone with great offense and tremendous defense. Now it remains to be seen if he can maintain that high level in the ensuring seasons.

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Biggest Draft Disappointment

At this point, all 16 players selected in the first round of the 1938-39 Amateur Draft have reached the major league level. But a couple of players are having trouble making it stick. One player can be singled out.

IF/OF Henry Yarnold – 9th overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars.

Career: .266/.307/.347, 331 H, 70-2B, 5-3B, 7 HR, 125 RBI, 131 R, 74 BB, 158 K, 5 SB, 80 OPS+, 79 wRC+, 4.2 WAR

The ninth selection in the Amateur Draft has not been kind to the team making the selection, as this is the second consecutive season that the ‘biggest draft disappointment’ is found in this spot. But it didn’t appear that way at first. Yarnold enjoyed a promising rookie season with the Stars, batting .307/.330/.419 in 101 games with steady defense, compiling 2.4 WAR. But then Yarnold severely regressed over the next two seasons and now finds himself toiling in AAA. In my opinion, he definitely deserves another chance at the major league level. But his ratings have fallen since he was first drafted and it appears that the Hespeler Stars have lost confidence in him. But at just 26-years of age, there’s still time for Yarnold to salvage his career.

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Diamond in the Rough

OF Harry Chatwin – 55th overall pick (round 4, pick 7) by the Brunswick Legends

Career: .266/.342/.370, 325 H, 52-2B, 13-3B, 16 HR, 108 RBI, 194 R, 138 BB, 57 K, 100 OPS+, 108 wRC+, 7.6 WAR

Achievements:

• Won the 1941-42 Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award;
• One All-Star Game selection: 1941-42.

Chatwin made steady progress in the minors following his selection and earned a starting job in centerfield in 1941-42. He showed that he was ready for the majors by batting .271/.349/.396 in 143 games. He was strong on defense and led the Eastern League in steals, compiling 4.2 WAR in his rookie season. He won Rookie of the Year honours and made the all-star team. He also helped the Legends win the United Cup that season as well as the next.

But he has not matched the success of his initial season; in fact he has regressed. But that could be marked down to simply suffering from a sophomore slump and a month-long injury early in his third season. At just 25-years of age, there’s still plenty of time for Mr. Chatwin to return to his early form.

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Random Notes on the 1938-39 Draft Class:

• The same season that ‘Diamond in the Rough’ Harry Chatwin won the Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award, Balmoral Giants’ C Brian Pittman won the Western League Rookie of the Year Award. Pittman (85th overall pick) was himself selected as the 1937-38 ‘Diamond in the Rough’ pick for his respective draft class.

• Two players selected in the draft later left the ULB to serve in the Braeland Armed Forces: 5th overall pick SS Steven Wormleighton (.278/.318/.367, 91 OPS+, 13.5 WAR) and 8th overall pick 2B Jamie Florey (.276/.367/.389, 113 OPS+, 7.2 WAR).

• The Balmoral Giants must have really liked this draft class, as no less than six players from the first round are currently on their 25-man roster, acquired mostly in trades. In addition to Carlton Broadbent noted above, the other five are:

- OF Damon Purcell (2nd overall pick by Balmoral, two-time all-star),
- C Allen Cattanach (6th overall pick by the Cambria Cannons, one Top Fielder Award),
- OF Ramón Tavira (7th overall pick by the Brunswick Legends),
- LHP Ah-cy Yao (10th overall pick by the Embro Suns), and
- RHP Ramón Ortíz (15th overall pick by the Wellington Athletics).

04-14-2016, 03:11 PM	#253
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	December 31, 1943 Looking Back: The 1938-39 Amateur Draft As I did last season for the initial 1937-38 Amateur Draft, I wanted to check in and see how the players selected in the first round of the 1938-39 Amateur Draft have fared in the United Leagues over the past five seasons. I went in with the same questions: Who’s living up to their promise? Who isn’t? And were there any ‘diamonds in the rough’ found in the later rounds? I’ve read anecdotal claims that subsequent amateur drafts in OOTP are not as strong as the initial one, and glancing over this class, I’m inclined to agree. There are no Babe Ruth or Satchel Paige Award winners to be found in this class, at least not yet. But again, not all drafts are nor should be created equal. So an additional benefit to this annual exercise will be to gauge strength and depth of each draft class. But there’s no question, that the quality of this class is a step below from the previous one. I may also have to wait longer than 5 seasons before passing judgement on a particular draft class, if subsequent draft classes are similar to this one. Here are the top 3 position players taken in the 1938-39 Draft, based on their careers thus far: RF Carlton Broadbent – 3rd overall pick originally by the Braeland City Monarchs. Career: .302/.371/.501, 667 H, 162-2B, 20-3B, 79 HR, 370 RBI, 347 R, 251 BB, 210 K, 11 SB, 143 OPS+, 143 wRC+, 16.0 WAR. *Achievements:* • Three All-Star Game selections: 1941-42, 1942-43, 1943-44; • Finished 2nd in the 1942-43 Western League Babe Ruth Award voting. What the original scouting report said: “The 20-year old Broadbent projects to be an offensive powerhouse; a plus contact hitter combined with elite power potential and good plate discipline. He should also acquit himself fine in the field.” *Comments:* The Monarchs traded Broadbent to the Balmoral Giants a few months after drafting him for LHP David Cooling, which has proven to be a fairly equitable trade thus far. But Broadbent has improved with each passing season and has seen his gap power and home run power surpass initial expectations. He and SS Francisco Rodríguez have formed a really good one-two punch in the heart of the Giants’ lineup since 1940 with Broadbent just having turned 26 on December 23. He is also durable – his six weeks on the DL last season for an elbow strain was the first time he was out of the lineup for any length of time. Broadbent, in my view, has proven to be the best player selected from this class thus far. -------- IF Wenceslas Jasmim – 1st overall pick by the Pulberry Trolleys. Career: .262/.316/.378, 779 H, 147-2B, 51-3B, 16 HR, 302 RBI, 375 R, 240 BB, 333 K, 59 SB, 89 OPS+, 95 wRC+, 15.2 WAR *Achievements:* • One All-Star Game selection: 1942-43; • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1942-43. What the original scouting report said: “Jasmim’s strengths are his ability to hit for good contact, his speed on the base paths and his tremendous defense.” *Comments:* Jasmin has been a solid, if not a superlative player since his second full season in the ULB in 1940-41. His defensive game is sound, whether a SS, 2B or his current position 1B. He just hasn’t been quite outstanding enough to win a Top Fielder Award, however. Offensively, he has been below average as his OPS+ and wRC career metrics would indicate. But last season saw a breakthrough, as Jasmin finished above average (111 OPS+, 120 wRC+) offensively, earning him a spot on the All-Braeland Team. This season sees that trend continue with the Cambria Cannons. If it continues in the ensuing seasons, then Jasmin may begin to justify his first overall selection. -------- OF Jon Moreau – 4th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions. Career: .281/.317/.421, 361 H, 83-2B, 24-3B, 16 HR, 158 RBI, 173 R, 69 BB, 86 K, 11 SB, 109 OPS+, 111 wRC+, 7.3 WAR *Achievements:* • Two All-Star Game selections: 1942-43, 1943-44; • One Top Fielder Award: 1942-43 (CF); • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1942-43. What the original scouting report said: “The French Canadian’s main strengths will be his above average speed and outstanding defense in center field. He has the potential to be a .290 hitter and may hit 15 home runs a season down the road. But he will need to work on his plate discipline to capitalize on his potential.” *Comments:* Moreau makes this list primarily based on his the 1942-43 season, his first with the Queensland Eagles. After spending a couple of seasons adjusting to the majors, the Unions gave up on him and shipped him to Queensland for a mediocre pitcher and a second round prospect. But I digress. Moreau found his groove last season, earning 5.8 WAR alone with great offense and tremendous defense. Now it remains to be seen if he can maintain that high level in the ensuring seasons. -------- *Biggest Draft Disappointment* At this point, all 16 players selected in the first round of the 1938-39 Amateur Draft have reached the major league level. But a couple of players are having trouble making it stick. One player can be singled out. IF/OF Henry Yarnold – 9th overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars. Career: .266/.307/.347, 331 H, 70-2B, 5-3B, 7 HR, 125 RBI, 131 R, 74 BB, 158 K, 5 SB, 80 OPS+, 79 wRC+, 4.2 WAR The ninth selection in the Amateur Draft has not been kind to the team making the selection, as this is the second consecutive season that the ‘biggest draft disappointment’ is found in this spot. But it didn’t appear that way at first. Yarnold enjoyed a promising rookie season with the Stars, batting .307/.330/.419 in 101 games with steady defense, compiling 2.4 WAR. But then Yarnold severely regressed over the next two seasons and now finds himself toiling in AAA. In my opinion, he definitely deserves another chance at the major league level. But his ratings have fallen since he was first drafted and it appears that the Hespeler Stars have lost confidence in him. But at just 26-years of age, there’s still time for Yarnold to salvage his career. -------- *Diamond in the Rough* OF Harry Chatwin – 55th overall pick (round 4, pick 7) by the Brunswick Legends Career: .266/.342/.370, 325 H, 52-2B, 13-3B, 16 HR, 108 RBI, 194 R, 138 BB, 57 K, 100 OPS+, 108 wRC+, 7.6 WAR *Achievements:* • Won the 1941-42 Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award; • One All-Star Game selection: 1941-42. Chatwin made steady progress in the minors following his selection and earned a starting job in centerfield in 1941-42. He showed that he was ready for the majors by batting .271/.349/.396 in 143 games. He was strong on defense and led the Eastern League in steals, compiling 4.2 WAR in his rookie season. He won Rookie of the Year honours and made the all-star team. He also helped the Legends win the United Cup that season as well as the next. But he has not matched the success of his initial season; in fact he has regressed. But that could be marked down to simply suffering from a sophomore slump and a month-long injury early in his third season. At just 25-years of age, there’s still plenty of time for Mr. Chatwin to return to his early form. -------- *Random Notes on the 1938-39 Draft Class:* • The same season that ‘Diamond in the Rough’ Harry Chatwin won the Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award, Balmoral Giants’ C Brian Pittman won the Western League Rookie of the Year Award. Pittman (85th overall pick) was himself selected as the 1937-38 ‘Diamond in the Rough’ pick for his respective draft class. • Two players selected in the draft later left the ULB to serve in the Braeland Armed Forces: 5th overall pick SS Steven Wormleighton (.278/.318/.367, 91 OPS+, 13.5 WAR) and 8th overall pick 2B Jamie Florey (.276/.367/.389, 113 OPS+, 7.2 WAR). • The Balmoral Giants must have really liked this draft class, as no less than six players from the first round are currently on their 25-man roster, acquired mostly in trades. In addition to Carlton Broadbent noted above, the other five are: - OF Damon Purcell (2nd overall pick by Balmoral, two-time all-star), - C Allen Cattanach (6th overall pick by the Cambria Cannons, one Top Fielder Award), - OF Ramón Tavira (7th overall pick by the Brunswick Legends), - LHP Ah-cy Yao (10th overall pick by the Embro Suns), and - RHP Ramón Ortíz (15th overall pick by the Wellington Athletics). __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-09-2017 at 12:51 AM.