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reds1 · 08-21-2019, 11:46 PM

January 1, 1952

Looking Back: The 1941-42 Amateur Draft

If the 1941-42 draft could be summed up in one sentence, it would probably be: ‘Move along – there’s nothing here to see’. Only in this case, there would be no irony as the draft class has proven to be so underwhelming. That’s not to say the draft was devoid of talent. But unlike previous and subsequent drafts, there are no bona fide stars, much less future hall of famers. Tellingly, not one player selected in this draft currently appears in the Top 20 Position Player/Pitcher lists. Not one. That is surprising, as I would have expected at least one player to have had some staying power. This draft wasn’t simply ho-hum – it turned out to be a non-event.

Cream of the Crop:

RF Marcus Peyto – 2nd overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars.

Career: .271/.360/.466, 1327 G, 1355 H, 301-2B, 76-3B, 174 HR, 816 RBI, 777 R, 729 BB, 374 K, 41 SB, .827 OPS, 126 OPS+, 128 wRC+, 31.5 WAR

Achievements:

• 5-time All-Star
• Finished 2nd in 1947-48 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting
• 1 Ball Hawk Award
• 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team

What the original scouting report said:

“Peyto projects to be an above-average contact hitter with elite power and good plate discipline. Right field and first base are his strongest positions in field defensively. He has very good speed on the base paths once he gets going but is not considered an elite base stealer.”

Comments: Peyto was as good as it got in this draft. He spent all of seven games and 26 at-bats in the minor leagues before joining his home-town Stars. His first full season was one of his best, earning 4.6 WAR and his lone Ball Hawk Award. But he regressed severely the following year (-0.1 WAR) and didn’t get back on track until his fifth season (4.9 WAR), his last with Hespeler. After being traded to the Brunswick Legends in the off-season, Peyto enjoyed his best season in 1947-48, earning 6.1 WAR and his first selection to the All-Braeland Team. During a remarkable stretch in March and early April of that year, Peyto picked up four Player of the Week Awards in a span of six weeks. Alas, he has never approached those heights again. While he has not been a terrible player by any means (in fact, he’s earned two All-Star selections since then), Peyto has been eclipsed by more dynamic, younger outfielders in the ULB.

--------

Given that the rest of the draft class was utterly unremarkable, I’ve decided to focus on a couple of players that, while not superstars by any means, have had at least somewhat interesting career arcs:

LF Rizalino Ringor – 7th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions.

Career: .266/.390/.397, 1028 G, 884 H, 126-2B, 35-3B, 81 HR, 439 RBI, 591 R, 694 BB, 302 K, 99 SB, .788 OPS, 117 OPS+, 124 wRC+, 19.9 WAR

Achievements:

• 3-time All-Star
• 1943-44 Western League Rookie of the Year
• 1 Ball Hawk Award
• Hit for the Cycle, January 1951
• 1950-51 Eastern League Pennant Series MVP

What the original scouting report said:

“The Unions pick up an outstanding offensive prospect with great contact, power and patience. Ringor boasts tremendous speed and base stealing instincts. Only his defensive game betrays any weakness.”

Comments: Ringor entered the United Leagues with a bang. After spending two seasons in the minors, he made the Wolseley Unions lineup full-time at 21-years of age and was rated as the No. 3 overall prospect. He earned 5.6 WAR in his first season, winning an All-Star selection, Ball Hawk award and Western League Rookie of the Year honors. Then he left baseball to join the Braeland Armed Forces who were fighting in the Pacific, missing the entire 1944-45 season. Although he returned the following year, he has yet to approach his rookie season performance.

After three listless seasons in Wolseley, he was finally shipped off to the Embro Suns in August 1948. Ringor’s first season in Embro was not any better, but he then delivered two solid back-to-back seasons (3.8 WAR each), picking up two more All-Star selections and helping the Suns reach the United Cup finals last year. But this season he has reverted to his old, mediocre ways. I’ve always wondered if his ‘army stint’ (i.e. forced one-year retirement) had a direct impact on his performance in OOTP and what his career might have been had his sophomore season not been interrupted. But then again, baseball – real and/or otherwise, is full of ‘what ifs’.

--------

C Christopher Dainty – 30th overall pick (Round 2, Pick 14) originally by the Kingston Pelicans.

Career: .288/.388/.439, 630 G, 619 H, 125-2B, 8-3B, 62 HR, 315 RBI, 318 R, 358 BB, 290 K, 1 SB, .827 OPS, 120 OPS+, 120 wRC+, 19.6 WAR

Achievements:

• 3-time All-Star
• 1947-48 Eastern League Rookie of the Year
• Finished 3rd in 1948-49 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting

Comments: Dainty was a late bloomer, not reaching the major leagues full-time until his 25th year and hitting his stride a year later. During his six years in the minors, he was traded by the Pelicans to the Queensland Eagles, released then signed by the Braeland City Monarchs. Dainty rewarded them by picking up Rookie of the Year honors and soon emerging as the United Leagues’ No. 1-rated catcher. For a three-year stretch, he earned 6.3, 4.7 and 6.7 WAR. It appeared that Dainty was emerging as the top player in the Draft Class. But something happened this season. After enjoying a strong spring training, Dainty’s performance has fallen off a cliff. He is now considered only the 9th top catcher in the ULB and will struggle to earn 1.5 WAR. It remains to be seen whether this is just a blip or a harbinger of things to come.

--------

Biggest Draft Disappointments:

It was tempting to write-off the entire draft class as a bust, but that would not have been accurate nor fair. That said, there were a couple of players who did not live up to anywhere near their lofty draft pick. There were nearly three, but that last player appears to have gotten a ‘late-inning’ reprieve, as discussed further down:

3B Shelby Cain – 1st overall pick by the Cobourg Red Stockings.

Career: .236/.327/.339, 943 H, 166-2B, 50-3B, 49 HR, 458 RBI, 461 R, 545 BB, 591 K, 65 SB, .666 OPS, 91 OPS+, 95 wRC+, 16.3 WAR

Achievements:

• 3-time All-Star

What the original scouting report said:

“The Red Stockings selected the 23-year old infielder from the small town of Port Talbot, Perth that is predicted to reach the major league level very soon. Cain is a very solid hitter with tremendous power and unparalleled plate discipline. Third base is his strongest position defensively and he has good foot speed.”

Comments: One thing you learn about drafting amateur players is that you never really know. No matter how thorough you study the players, there’s no guarantee that that hot young stud you targeted will pan out. Well Shelby Cain is that hot, young stud that never delivered on his initial promise. Cain was drafted by the Red Stockings, who promptly promoted him to their big-league roster. Cobourg was then a team starving for talent. That was a lot to ask of a 22-year old, and Cain struggled in his first season. His second season only saw modest improvements, mostly on defense, before his season was cut short due to a broken thumb. But he returned in 1943-44 and enjoyed his best season, earning 4.8 WAR and his first all-star selection. It looked as if Cain finally arrived.

But then the Red Stockings abruptly traded him to the Cambria Cannons in the off-season. Although he earned a second all-star selection in his first season with Cambria, Cain’s performance soon cratered, and he has never recovered. His last (and only) productive season since then was in 1948-49 when he earned 2.8 WAR. Over the other seven seasons, he has averaged less than 0.5 WAR. Injuries do not appear to be the culprit, as he has missed less than a month of playing time in total over that time. Cain is now a bench player for the Kingston Pelicans. A fitting symbol for a draft class that has been more of a whimper than a bang.

--------

2B Matthew Welson – 8th overall pick by the Fort Richmond Giants.

Career: .268/.310/.375, 318 G, 262 H, 37-2B, 14-3B, 13 HR, 135 RBI, 111 R, 62 BB, 60 K, 6 SB, .685 OPS, 96 OPS+, 97 wRC+, 3.3 WAR

Achievements:

• 1-time All-Star

What the original scouting report said:

“Welson is an interesting prospect. While he has poor eye/discipline (30/40), he somehow will be terrific at avoiding strikes (45/80)? At any rate, he is another speedy player with fearsome base-stealing instincts and some defensive skills, especially at second base.”

Comments: It appears at the time that I had expressed some incredulity at Welson’s ability as a player. But his minor-league performance was promising, and he was rated 10th overall among prospects shortly before his big-league call-up. He peaked in his second season and the first half of his third, where he was selected to the All-Star game. But he quickly faded into oblivion after that and despite solid performances in AAA, he has been unable to make it stick in the majors.

--------

1B Andre Gale – 9th overall pick by the Queensland Eagles.

Career: .299/.376/.421, 117 G, 100 H, 11-2B, 0-3B, 10 HR, 51 RBI, 39 R, 39 BB, 57 K, 0 SB, .797 OPS, 116 OPS+, 124 wRC+, 1.1 WAR

What the original scouting report said:

“The New Zealander projects to be a major power hitter, coupled with decent contact. Defense and speed however, are not part of his repertoire.”

Comments: Like Welson selected before him, Gale became a mainstay in AAA, never able to make the big-league roster. He was on the Eagles’ roster however, when they won the United Cup in 1946-47 and earned a Rookie of the Month award in February 1948. But he was soon back in AAA and eventually became a free agent in April 1950. He earned a platinum stick in AAA that season (as a pitcher!) and was signed by the Stratford Barons a few weeks later. He won another platinum stick award at 1B last season and got the call to play in the majors once again this year. He has been in the lineup since December 14, starting regularly as the Barons’ first baseman (.339/.378/.473, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB, 0.4 WAR in 112 AB). Can he finally breath some life in his major league career and become a mainstay? It will be interesting to see how Gale writes the rest of that chapter.

--------

Later-Round Standout:

RHP Kelii Pelanekelina – 37th overall pick (Round 3, Pick 5) originally by the Downie Chiefs.

Career: 112-110, 3.44 ERA, 254 GS, 1999.2 IP, 133 CG, 25 SHO, 1.29 WHIP, .252 BABIP, 3.99 FIP, 22.4 WAR, 114 ERA+

Achievements:

• 3-time All-Star
• 1 Ball Hawk Award
• United Cup MVP (1949-50)
• Finished 2nd in 1949-50 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award voting
• 1 United Cup Championship

Comments: In the 1940-41 draft review, I went with LHP Arthur Bence, selected 37th overall, as the late-round standout. Well, this time I’m doing again, as I’m going with a pitcher who was also selected 37th overall. The Fijian-born Pelanekelina made the jump to the majors from AA partway through the 1943-44 season, after having nothing left to prove in the minors. For years he was the lone bright spot on a very bad team. But things started to change in 1948-49. The club finished above .500 for the first time in 10 years, and then a year later it all came together when the Chiefs won the United Cup. Pelanekelina was front and center that year, winning 19 games and going 3-0, 0.67 ERA, 0.69 WHIP in three playoff games, winning MVP honors in the United Cup Series. But then he went down with a torn UCL in January 1951, missing the latter half of last season. That has affected his durability and he has struggled in the first half of the season. But it appears he is slowly improving. But even if he doesn’t find his groove again, nothing can take away that one fairy-tale season.

08-21-2019, 11:46 PM	#525
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	January 1, 1952 Looking Back: The 1941-42 Amateur Draft If the 1941-42 draft could be summed up in one sentence, it would probably be: ‘Move along – there’s nothing here to see’. Only in this case, there would be no irony as the draft class has proven to be so underwhelming. That’s not to say the draft was devoid of talent. But unlike previous and subsequent drafts, there are no bona fide stars, much less future hall of famers. Tellingly, not one player selected in this draft currently appears in the Top 20 Position Player/Pitcher lists. Not one. That is surprising, as I would have expected at least one player to have had some staying power. This draft wasn’t simply ho-hum – it turned out to be a non-event. Cream of the Crop: RF Marcus Peyto – 2nd overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars. Career: .271/.360/.466, 1327 G, 1355 H, 301-2B, 76-3B, 174 HR, 816 RBI, 777 R, 729 BB, 374 K, 41 SB, .827 OPS, 126 OPS+, 128 wRC+, 31.5 WAR *Achievements:* • 5-time All-Star • Finished 2nd in 1947-48 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting • 1 Ball Hawk Award • 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team What the original scouting report said: “Peyto projects to be an above-average contact hitter with elite power and good plate discipline. Right field and first base are his strongest positions in field defensively. He has very good speed on the base paths once he gets going but is not considered an elite base stealer.” *Comments:* Peyto was as good as it got in this draft. He spent all of seven games and 26 at-bats in the minor leagues before joining his home-town Stars. His first full season was one of his best, earning 4.6 WAR and his lone Ball Hawk Award. But he regressed severely the following year (-0.1 WAR) and didn’t get back on track until his fifth season (4.9 WAR), his last with Hespeler. After being traded to the Brunswick Legends in the off-season, Peyto enjoyed his best season in 1947-48, earning 6.1 WAR and his first selection to the All-Braeland Team. During a remarkable stretch in March and early April of that year, Peyto picked up four Player of the Week Awards in a span of six weeks. Alas, he has never approached those heights again. While he has not been a terrible player by any means (in fact, he’s earned two All-Star selections since then), Peyto has been eclipsed by more dynamic, younger outfielders in the ULB. -------- Given that the rest of the draft class was utterly unremarkable, I’ve decided to focus on a couple of players that, while not superstars by any means, have had at least somewhat interesting career arcs: LF Rizalino Ringor – 7th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions. Career: .266/.390/.397, 1028 G, 884 H, 126-2B, 35-3B, 81 HR, 439 RBI, 591 R, 694 BB, 302 K, 99 SB, .788 OPS, 117 OPS+, 124 wRC+, 19.9 WAR *Achievements:* • 3-time All-Star • 1943-44 Western League Rookie of the Year • 1 Ball Hawk Award • Hit for the Cycle, January 1951 • 1950-51 Eastern League Pennant Series MVP What the original scouting report said: “The Unions pick up an outstanding offensive prospect with great contact, power and patience. Ringor boasts tremendous speed and base stealing instincts. Only his defensive game betrays any weakness.” *Comments:* Ringor entered the United Leagues with a bang. After spending two seasons in the minors, he made the Wolseley Unions lineup full-time at 21-years of age and was rated as the No. 3 overall prospect. He earned 5.6 WAR in his first season, winning an All-Star selection, Ball Hawk award and Western League Rookie of the Year honors. Then he left baseball to join the Braeland Armed Forces who were fighting in the Pacific, missing the entire 1944-45 season. Although he returned the following year, he has yet to approach his rookie season performance. After three listless seasons in Wolseley, he was finally shipped off to the Embro Suns in August 1948. Ringor’s first season in Embro was not any better, but he then delivered two solid back-to-back seasons (3.8 WAR each), picking up two more All-Star selections and helping the Suns reach the United Cup finals last year. But this season he has reverted to his old, mediocre ways. I’ve always wondered if his ‘army stint’ (i.e. forced one-year retirement) had a direct impact on his performance in OOTP and what his career might have been had his sophomore season not been interrupted. But then again, baseball – real and/or otherwise, is full of ‘what ifs’. -------- C Christopher Dainty – 30th overall pick (Round 2, Pick 14) originally by the Kingston Pelicans. Career: .288/.388/.439, 630 G, 619 H, 125-2B, 8-3B, 62 HR, 315 RBI, 318 R, 358 BB, 290 K, 1 SB, .827 OPS, 120 OPS+, 120 wRC+, 19.6 WAR *Achievements:* • 3-time All-Star • 1947-48 Eastern League Rookie of the Year • Finished 3rd in 1948-49 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting *Comments:* Dainty was a late bloomer, not reaching the major leagues full-time until his 25th year and hitting his stride a year later. During his six years in the minors, he was traded by the Pelicans to the Queensland Eagles, released then signed by the Braeland City Monarchs. Dainty rewarded them by picking up Rookie of the Year honors and soon emerging as the United Leagues’ No. 1-rated catcher. For a three-year stretch, he earned 6.3, 4.7 and 6.7 WAR. It appeared that Dainty was emerging as the top player in the Draft Class. But something happened this season. After enjoying a strong spring training, Dainty’s performance has fallen off a cliff. He is now considered only the 9th top catcher in the ULB and will struggle to earn 1.5 WAR. It remains to be seen whether this is just a blip or a harbinger of things to come. -------- Biggest Draft Disappointments: It was tempting to write-off the entire draft class as a bust, but that would not have been accurate nor fair. That said, there were a couple of players who did not live up to anywhere near their lofty draft pick. There were nearly three, but that last player appears to have gotten a ‘late-inning’ reprieve, as discussed further down: 3B Shelby Cain – 1st overall pick by the Cobourg Red Stockings. Career: .236/.327/.339, 943 H, 166-2B, 50-3B, 49 HR, 458 RBI, 461 R, 545 BB, 591 K, 65 SB, .666 OPS, 91 OPS+, 95 wRC+, 16.3 WAR *Achievements:* • 3-time All-Star What the original scouting report said: “The Red Stockings selected the 23-year old infielder from the small town of Port Talbot, Perth that is predicted to reach the major league level very soon. Cain is a very solid hitter with tremendous power and unparalleled plate discipline. Third base is his strongest position defensively and he has good foot speed.” *Comments:* One thing you learn about drafting amateur players is that you never really know. No matter how thorough you study the players, there’s no guarantee that that hot young stud you targeted will pan out. Well Shelby Cain is that hot, young stud that never delivered on his initial promise. Cain was drafted by the Red Stockings, who promptly promoted him to their big-league roster. Cobourg was then a team starving for talent. That was a lot to ask of a 22-year old, and Cain struggled in his first season. His second season only saw modest improvements, mostly on defense, before his season was cut short due to a broken thumb. But he returned in 1943-44 and enjoyed his best season, earning 4.8 WAR and his first all-star selection. It looked as if Cain finally arrived. But then the Red Stockings abruptly traded him to the Cambria Cannons in the off-season. Although he earned a second all-star selection in his first season with Cambria, Cain’s performance soon cratered, and he has never recovered. His last (and only) productive season since then was in 1948-49 when he earned 2.8 WAR. Over the other seven seasons, he has averaged less than 0.5 WAR. Injuries do not appear to be the culprit, as he has missed less than a month of playing time in total over that time. Cain is now a bench player for the Kingston Pelicans. A fitting symbol for a draft class that has been more of a whimper than a bang. -------- 2B Matthew Welson – 8th overall pick by the Fort Richmond Giants. Career: .268/.310/.375, 318 G, 262 H, 37-2B, 14-3B, 13 HR, 135 RBI, 111 R, 62 BB, 60 K, 6 SB, .685 OPS, 96 OPS+, 97 wRC+, 3.3 WAR *Achievements:* • 1-time All-Star What the original scouting report said: “Welson is an interesting prospect. While he has poor eye/discipline (30/40), he somehow will be terrific at avoiding strikes (45/80)? At any rate, he is another speedy player with fearsome base-stealing instincts and some defensive skills, especially at second base.” *Comments:* It appears at the time that I had expressed some incredulity at Welson’s ability as a player. But his minor-league performance was promising, and he was rated 10th overall among prospects shortly before his big-league call-up. He peaked in his second season and the first half of his third, where he was selected to the All-Star game. But he quickly faded into oblivion after that and despite solid performances in AAA, he has been unable to make it stick in the majors. -------- 1B Andre Gale – 9th overall pick by the Queensland Eagles. Career: .299/.376/.421, 117 G, 100 H, 11-2B, 0-3B, 10 HR, 51 RBI, 39 R, 39 BB, 57 K, 0 SB, .797 OPS, 116 OPS+, 124 wRC+, 1.1 WAR What the original scouting report said: “The New Zealander projects to be a major power hitter, coupled with decent contact. Defense and speed however, are not part of his repertoire.” *Comments:* Like Welson selected before him, Gale became a mainstay in AAA, never able to make the big-league roster. He was on the Eagles’ roster however, when they won the United Cup in 1946-47 and earned a Rookie of the Month award in February 1948. But he was soon back in AAA and eventually became a free agent in April 1950. He earned a platinum stick in AAA that season (as a pitcher!) and was signed by the Stratford Barons a few weeks later. He won another platinum stick award at 1B last season and got the call to play in the majors once again this year. He has been in the lineup since December 14, starting regularly as the Barons’ first baseman (.339/.378/.473, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB, 0.4 WAR in 112 AB). Can he finally breath some life in his major league career and become a mainstay? It will be interesting to see how Gale writes the rest of that chapter. -------- Later-Round Standout: RHP Kelii Pelanekelina – 37th overall pick (Round 3, Pick 5) originally by the Downie Chiefs. Career: 112-110, 3.44 ERA, 254 GS, 1999.2 IP, 133 CG, 25 SHO, 1.29 WHIP, .252 BABIP, 3.99 FIP, 22.4 WAR, 114 ERA+ *Achievements:* • 3-time All-Star • 1 Ball Hawk Award • United Cup MVP (1949-50) • Finished 2nd in 1949-50 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award voting • 1 United Cup Championship *Comments:* In the 1940-41 draft review, I went with LHP Arthur Bence, selected 37th overall, as the late-round standout. Well, this time I’m doing again, as I’m going with a pitcher who was also selected 37th overall. The Fijian-born Pelanekelina made the jump to the majors from AA partway through the 1943-44 season, after having nothing left to prove in the minors. For years he was the lone bright spot on a very bad team. But things started to change in 1948-49. The club finished above .500 for the first time in 10 years, and then a year later it all came together when the Chiefs won the United Cup. Pelanekelina was front and center that year, winning 19 games and going 3-0, 0.67 ERA, 0.69 WHIP in three playoff games, winning MVP honors in the United Cup Series. But then he went down with a torn UCL in January 1951, missing the latter half of last season. That has affected his durability and he has struggled in the first half of the season. But it appears he is slowly improving. But even if he doesn’t find his groove again, nothing can take away that one fairy-tale season. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 08-22-2019 at 12:03 AM.