OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

ayaghmour2 · 01-14-2021, 05:23 PM

RF Bobby Mills (98th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 90th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: San Antonio HS Warriors

"Nutball" split half his season in La Crosse and the other in San Jose, but he registered identical 103 OPS+. In La Crosse he hit .301/.360/.497 with 8 homers and 39 RBI's while in San Jose he hit .326/.346/.460 with 6 homers and 57 RBI's. He did have over 100 more plate appearances in San Jose, and I am happy that he didn't seem to slow down when he was promoted. Mills is not much of a defender, so the Snohomish native is going to have to hit if he wants to be a big leaguer. He's an above average hitter right now with a good eye and a quick swing. He's in good shape, but he'll never be a speed threat. At just 20, he's got a lot of time to grow, but the future looks good for Mills.

2B Homer Ray (109th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 47th Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: San Antonio HS Warriors

Ray and Mills were actually teammates in 1930 and 1931 at San Antonio HS. They haven't been teammates yet in our organization, as the 21-year-old Ray has spent just one season at each level. In year three he hit .313/.354/.446 (107 OPS+) with 17 triples and 81 RBI's in 575 trips to the plate. Ray has absolutely no home run power, not a single one this year, but the 17 triples is a huge increase from 15 in his career. He seems to be a really good gap power hitter, and should get a ton of extra base hits instead of homeruns. Still, Ray is also a strong defender and will likely get to start next season in Mobile. I have the always injured Bill Ashbaugh and Russ Combs positioned to start next year, but with a few injuries, perhaps Ray finds his way onto the big league roster next year. He's got the most upside in the system at second and all my backup middle infielders were awful this year.

SP Joe Foote (120th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Montreal (6-25-1034)
Draft: 6th Round, 84th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Greensboro HS Giants

Taken six picks before Bobby Mills, Joe Foote was Montreal's 6th Round selection in the 1932 draft. I picked him and Woody Armstrong up for Bobby Sprague back in June. He was 19 and pitching in Class B, and I thought he many need to sharpen up in La Crosse first. It took just two starts there (1.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 5 K) to realize I was wrong, and I let him return to Class B. With Montreal's affiliate, the Mobile Monarchs of the Southeastern League, Foote was 4-3 with a 5.16 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 18 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched. He made 10 starts there and then made 10 starts in San Jose. Foote went 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 14 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 51 innings with us. We then needed an arm in Lincoln at the end of the year, so he made two more starts up in A ball. He did really good, winning one with a 2.45 ERA (189 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts in 11 innings. I guess the now 20-year-old will start next year in Lincoln, as he looks like he's ready to pitch up their. He's got a real nice sinker that sits in the 92-94 range. He doesn't need to strike you out, as if you get on base he'll just get you to ground into a double play. He does have a curveball and slider, but he relies heavily on the sinker. He's got strong command of his pitches, so if he can turn one of them into an out pitch he could become a really good big league pitcher. I think he's got a lot of upside, but he's so young that he may never reach it.

CF Roy Moore (126th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 63rd Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: Hartford HS Blue Sox

He started the season in AA and the 21-year-old was as good as ever out in center field. He pushed Marty Roberts over to left and he hit an average .314/.350/.391 (97 OPS+) with 6 steals, a homer, and 60 RBI's in 471 trips to the plate. He got the late season promotion to AAA and hit a strong .360/396/.424 (110 OPS+) with 2 homers, a steal, and 14 RBI's in 150 trips to the plate. I think Moore is big league ready as a fielder, but I'm hoping the bat is almost there too. He's got excellent speed and range and he does have a strong hit tool. He just won't hit many homers or draw many walks. He profiles as a fourth outfielder and will get a shot this spring to try and win a job.

SS Tommy Wilson (132nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 31st Overall (1933)
Alma Mater: Elmira HS Emeralds

I already traded the guy I took first in the 1933 draft, so Wilson is the highest pick from that class to play a game in our organization. The 19-year-old had a rough first season, hitting just .207/.318/.352 (61 OPS+) with 7 homers, 6 steals, and 50 RBI's in 382 trips to the plate. He's not a Chicago kid, but he was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana which is not too far. He was probably a Cougar fan growing up, and now he gets to play for them. Wilson has all the tools defensively to succeed, so hopefully the poor batting line is just because of the tough competition for a high schooler in C ball. He does have a good eye and managed to draw one more walk (47) then his strikeouts (46). He's as good as it gets with the glove, so hopefully he continues to develop his bat. He looks to be a better defender then Ducky Jordan and Billy Hunter, so he may end up pushing one of them over to second to get both players in the lineup.

2B Gene Evans (137th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 159th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Worcester HS Warriors

He did get a 12 game cup of coffee in San Jose, but the 20-year-old Gene Evans spent most of the season down in La Crosse. He hit well, batting .334/.383/.495 (109 OPS+) with 9 homers, 18 steals, and 88 RBI's in 621 trips to the plate. These are strong numbers for the 10th Round Pick, but he'll need to hit even better to make up for his subpar defense. He doesn't look great at second and has been dreadful at third. He's looked okay at first, but he doesn't have the bat for first. He's either got to work on his glove or add some pop if he wants a big league spot in our organization.

LF Dave Haight (145th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 13th Round, 207th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Toledo HS Wildcats

Taken in the 13th Round back in 1932, Haight was one of the guys I had on my shortlist to take. He played 42 more games this year, but just like last season, recorded a 96 OPS+ in La Cross. His triple slash for the year was .305/.340/.488 and he added 16 homers, 26 steals, and 99 RBI's in a strong second season. The 20-year-old looks good out in left field and seems to have developed some new power. That would be a huge plus as he's already got great speed, and if he could be a Tom Taylor sort of hitter that would be perfect. He wasn't born in Canada, but just like Taylor Haight even has some Canadian roots. I'm hoping he can handle San Jose next year, but I can't see him finishing the season in La Crosse again.

SS Freddie Bennett (147th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 12th Round, 191st Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: New York HS Eagles

Taken a round before Haight was a New York native Freddie Bennett. He is an outstanding defender, and showed great glove play at second, third, and short this season. He hit .283/.340/.519 (103 OPS+) in 579 plate appearances for the Lions, but was a 20/20/100 player with 25 homers, 21 steals, and 114 RBI's. This was a really strong showing for the 6'3'' Bennett who's developed into quite a nice power hitter. I'm a huge fan of his tools, but even if the bat never returns to these levels, his glove secures him a spot in an organization. This kid is young, but I think he's got all the tools to flourish in the majors. He may not be rated all that high, but I think he's much more talented then a lot of the guys ranked above him.

SP Frank Gordon (155th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 18th Round, 287th Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Trenton HS Titans

Another 1932 draftee, Gordon is one of the few I had no impact on drafting. He was one of the pitchers my old scout wanted, and he seemed to have found something. The righty started in La Crosse, going 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 27 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 80.2 innings before a promotion to San Jose. He held his own against the older competition, going 4-1 with a 4.86 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 24 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. He'll get another go at San Jose next year, and if he follows his pattern, he'll add some more speed to his fastball in November or December. Sitting at the high 80s low 90s, it's a strong pitch he has excellent command of. He has a splitter and change too, but neither are really strikeout pitches. With young pitchers it is always really hard to predict what is going to happen, but I'll be keeping an eye on Gordon as he progresses in our system.

LF Larry Robison (157th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 19th Round, 303rd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Queens HS Islanders

After just 17 games off the bench in La Cross last season, Robison got into over 100 games this season. He started the year up in San Jose and earned a starting job in the outfield. He hit .319/.354/.529 (121 OPS+) with 5 homers, 5 steals, and 31 RBI's in 225 trips to the plate before a promotion up to Lincoln. It did not go well, as Robison finished the season hitting .245/.286/.331 (60 OPS+) with 5 steals, a homer, and 34 RBI's in 301 plate appearances. I'm not too surprised he had his struggles, but towards the end of the season there was a real logjam in the minor league outfields. Robison will get another go at Lincoln if not a return to San Jose. He does have a nice hit tool and looks alright out in left, so perhaps Robison can force his way into our plans.

A little news. I decided to add a new manager, the 59-year-old Jim "The Buffalo Bull" Cathey. A former hitting coach in the minor leagues, the Philadelphia Sailors signed him to be their bench coach in 1925. By 1927 he was their manager, and by 1928 he won a championship. In his 6 seasons with Philly he won 100 games twice and two world championships. He lost his job after starting 1932 5-14, but then signed with the Washington Eagles later on. They let go of him this season, but I picked him up because he has a good relationship with basically everyone on the team.

Hank Lietzke was okay, getting us to finish 40-34 after getting hired. He should be able to get a job somewhere else, but all the hitters hated him. The rest of the major league staff will stay the same, but I was making other minor league changes already.

01-14-2021, 05:23 PM	#328
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,036	Top Prospects: 11-20 RF Bobby Mills (98th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 90th Overall (1932) Alma Mater: San Antonio HS Warriors "Nutball" split half his season in La Crosse and the other in San Jose, but he registered identical 103 OPS+. In La Crosse he hit .301/.360/.497 with 8 homers and 39 RBI's while in San Jose he hit .326/.346/.460 with 6 homers and 57 RBI's. He did have over 100 more plate appearances in San Jose, and I am happy that he didn't seem to slow down when he was promoted. Mills is not much of a defender, so the Snohomish native is going to have to hit if he wants to be a big leaguer. He's an above average hitter right now with a good eye and a quick swing. He's in good shape, but he'll never be a speed threat. At just 20, he's got a lot of time to grow, but the future looks good for Mills. 2B Homer Ray (109th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 47th Overall (1931) Alma Mater: San Antonio HS Warriors Ray and Mills were actually teammates in 1930 and 1931 at San Antonio HS. They haven't been teammates yet in our organization, as the 21-year-old Ray has spent just one season at each level. In year three he hit .313/.354/.446 (107 OPS+) with 17 triples and 81 RBI's in 575 trips to the plate. Ray has absolutely no home run power, not a single one this year, but the 17 triples is a huge increase from 15 in his career. He seems to be a really good gap power hitter, and should get a ton of extra base hits instead of homeruns. Still, Ray is also a strong defender and will likely get to start next season in Mobile. I have the always injured Bill Ashbaugh and Russ Combs positioned to start next year, but with a few injuries, perhaps Ray finds his way onto the big league roster next year. He's got the most upside in the system at second and all my backup middle infielders were awful this year. SP Joe Foote (120th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Montreal (6-25-1034) Draft: 6th Round, 84th Overall (1932) Alma Mater: Greensboro HS Giants Taken six picks before Bobby Mills, Joe Foote was Montreal's 6th Round selection in the 1932 draft. I picked him and Woody Armstrong up for Bobby Sprague back in June. He was 19 and pitching in Class B, and I thought he many need to sharpen up in La Crosse first. It took just two starts there (1.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 5 K) to realize I was wrong, and I let him return to Class B. With Montreal's affiliate, the Mobile Monarchs of the Southeastern League, Foote was 4-3 with a 5.16 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 18 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched. He made 10 starts there and then made 10 starts in San Jose. Foote went 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 14 walks, and 9 strikeouts in 51 innings with us. We then needed an arm in Lincoln at the end of the year, so he made two more starts up in A ball. He did really good, winning one with a 2.45 ERA (189 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts in 11 innings. I guess the now 20-year-old will start next year in Lincoln, as he looks like he's ready to pitch up their. He's got a real nice sinker that sits in the 92-94 range. He doesn't need to strike you out, as if you get on base he'll just get you to ground into a double play. He does have a curveball and slider, but he relies heavily on the sinker. He's got strong command of his pitches, so if he can turn one of them into an out pitch he could become a really good big league pitcher. I think he's got a lot of upside, but he's so young that he may never reach it. CF Roy Moore (126th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 63rd Overall (1931) Alma Mater: Hartford HS Blue Sox He started the season in AA and the 21-year-old was as good as ever out in center field. He pushed Marty Roberts over to left and he hit an average .314/.350/.391 (97 OPS+) with 6 steals, a homer, and 60 RBI's in 471 trips to the plate. He got the late season promotion to AAA and hit a strong .360/396/.424 (110 OPS+) with 2 homers, a steal, and 14 RBI's in 150 trips to the plate. I think Moore is big league ready as a fielder, but I'm hoping the bat is almost there too. He's got excellent speed and range and he does have a strong hit tool. He just won't hit many homers or draw many walks. He profiles as a fourth outfielder and will get a shot this spring to try and win a job. SS Tommy Wilson (132nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 31st Overall (1933) Alma Mater: Elmira HS Emeralds I already traded the guy I took first in the 1933 draft, so Wilson is the highest pick from that class to play a game in our organization. The 19-year-old had a rough first season, hitting just .207/.318/.352 (61 OPS+) with 7 homers, 6 steals, and 50 RBI's in 382 trips to the plate. He's not a Chicago kid, but he was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana which is not too far. He was probably a Cougar fan growing up, and now he gets to play for them. Wilson has all the tools defensively to succeed, so hopefully the poor batting line is just because of the tough competition for a high schooler in C ball. He does have a good eye and managed to draw one more walk (47) then his strikeouts (46). He's as good as it gets with the glove, so hopefully he continues to develop his bat. He looks to be a better defender then Ducky Jordan and Billy Hunter, so he may end up pushing one of them over to second to get both players in the lineup. 2B Gene Evans (137th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 159th Overall (1932) Alma Mater: Worcester HS Warriors He did get a 12 game cup of coffee in San Jose, but the 20-year-old Gene Evans spent most of the season down in La Crosse. He hit well, batting .334/.383/.495 (109 OPS+) with 9 homers, 18 steals, and 88 RBI's in 621 trips to the plate. These are strong numbers for the 10th Round Pick, but he'll need to hit even better to make up for his subpar defense. He doesn't look great at second and has been dreadful at third. He's looked okay at first, but he doesn't have the bat for first. He's either got to work on his glove or add some pop if he wants a big league spot in our organization. LF Dave Haight (145th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 13th Round, 207th Overall (1932) Alma Mater: Toledo HS Wildcats Taken in the 13th Round back in 1932, Haight was one of the guys I had on my shortlist to take. He played 42 more games this year, but just like last season, recorded a 96 OPS+ in La Cross. His triple slash for the year was .305/.340/.488 and he added 16 homers, 26 steals, and 99 RBI's in a strong second season. The 20-year-old looks good out in left field and seems to have developed some new power. That would be a huge plus as he's already got great speed, and if he could be a Tom Taylor sort of hitter that would be perfect. He wasn't born in Canada, but just like Taylor Haight even has some Canadian roots. I'm hoping he can handle San Jose next year, but I can't see him finishing the season in La Crosse again. SS Freddie Bennett (147th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 12th Round, 191st Overall (1932) Alma Mater: New York HS Eagles Taken a round before Haight was a New York native Freddie Bennett. He is an outstanding defender, and showed great glove play at second, third, and short this season. He hit .283/.340/.519 (103 OPS+) in 579 plate appearances for the Lions, but was a 20/20/100 player with 25 homers, 21 steals, and 114 RBI's. This was a really strong showing for the 6'3'' Bennett who's developed into quite a nice power hitter. I'm a huge fan of his tools, but even if the bat never returns to these levels, his glove secures him a spot in an organization. This kid is young, but I think he's got all the tools to flourish in the majors. He may not be rated all that high, but I think he's much more talented then a lot of the guys ranked above him. SP Frank Gordon (155th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 18th Round, 287th Overall (1932) Alma Mater: Trenton HS Titans Another 1932 draftee, Gordon is one of the few I had no impact on drafting. He was one of the pitchers my old scout wanted, and he seemed to have found something. The righty started in La Crosse, going 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 27 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 80.2 innings before a promotion to San Jose. He held his own against the older competition, going 4-1 with a 4.86 ERA (101 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, 24 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. He'll get another go at San Jose next year, and if he follows his pattern, he'll add some more speed to his fastball in November or December. Sitting at the high 80s low 90s, it's a strong pitch he has excellent command of. He has a splitter and change too, but neither are really strikeout pitches. With young pitchers it is always really hard to predict what is going to happen, but I'll be keeping an eye on Gordon as he progresses in our system. LF Larry Robison (157th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 19th Round, 303rd Overall (1932) Alma Mater: Queens HS Islanders After just 17 games off the bench in La Cross last season, Robison got into over 100 games this season. He started the year up in San Jose and earned a starting job in the outfield. He hit .319/.354/.529 (121 OPS+) with 5 homers, 5 steals, and 31 RBI's in 225 trips to the plate before a promotion up to Lincoln. It did not go well, as Robison finished the season hitting .245/.286/.331 (60 OPS+) with 5 steals, a homer, and 34 RBI's in 301 plate appearances. I'm not too surprised he had his struggles, but towards the end of the season there was a real logjam in the minor league outfields. Robison will get another go at Lincoln if not a return to San Jose. He does have a nice hit tool and looks alright out in left, so perhaps Robison can force his way into our plans. A little news. I decided to add a new manager, the 59-year-old Jim "The Buffalo Bull" Cathey. A former hitting coach in the minor leagues, the Philadelphia Sailors signed him to be their bench coach in 1925. By 1927 he was their manager, and by 1928 he won a championship. In his 6 seasons with Philly he won 100 games twice and two world championships. He lost his job after starting 1932 5-14, but then signed with the Washington Eagles later on. They let go of him this season, but I picked him up because he has a good relationship with basically everyone on the team. Hank Lietzke was okay, getting us to finish 40-34 after getting hired. He should be able to get a job somewhere else, but all the hitters hated him. The rest of the major league staff will stay the same, but I was making other minor league changes already.