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ayaghmour2 · 09-24-2023, 06:19 PM

21st Round, 323rd Overall: LF Art Miller
School: Chicago Poly Panthers
Career (A): .292/.377/.474, 162 G, 483 PA, 17 2B, 22 3B, 5 HR, 58 RBI, SB, 131 WRC+, 2.9 WAR
Career (B): .311/.425/.441, 58 G, 274 PA, 6 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 4 SB, 163 WRC+, 3.1 WAR

He didn't play much at nearby Chicago Poly, so it's no real surprise that Art Miller fell all the way to the 21st round. He played sparingly in his first pro season, but Miller started all 58 of the games he played with the 1929 Lions. The 23-year-old dominated the younger competition, slashing .311/.425/.441 (168 OPS+) with an impressive 43 walks in 274 trips to the plate. He recorded 15 extra base hits and scored 60 runs, and was given a promotion to San Jose. Again, he played very little to finish the season, and I actually waived him before Opening Day in 1930. The Foresters claimed many of the young players I waived, and Miller was one of many to join their organization. He spent the next two seasons split between their AA and A affiliates, appearing in 125 games before being released before the 1932 season. Miller spent the next two seasons in independent ball, but appeared in just 78 games (13 starts) for the Oklahoma City Chiefs. He did hit five triples in just over 100 trips to the plate, but before the 1934 season he was 28, and the Chiefs were ready to move on. He retired that offseason, never reaching the highest level of the minors.

22nd Round, 339th Overall: C Dick Porter
School: San Antonio HS Warriors
Career (AAA): .225/.289/.301, 112 G, 403 PA, 9 2B, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 2 SB, 52 WRC+, -0.0 WAR
Career (B): .267/.329/.342, 217 G, 733 PA, 25 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 87 RBI, 2 SB, 73 WRC+, 1.2 WAR

Dick Porter spent just a few months in our organization before being released the May following his draft. He didn't stay unemployed very long, as later that month he inked a minor league deal with the Brooklyn Kings organization. Porter ended up having a lengthy minor league career with the Tampa Kings, the Class B affiliate, and appeared in 217 games across 7 years there. He didn't hit very much, just a .267/.329/.342 (76 OPS+) career line, but he was a solid defender and good organization piece. He ended up spending almost a full decade in the Kings organization, playing for their AA, A, and B affiliate. He was cut during year nine, and the then 26-year-old headed to independent ball.

His first stop was with the Fort Worth Cattlemen, going 9-for-28 with a homer and 6 RBIs in the last month and a half of the season. His next stop was Denver, where he started the 1937 season. He hit .210/.297/.346 (79 OPS+) with 3 homers, 8 RBIs, and 10 walks. The Bears decided to cut bait after just 26 games, and he was once again on the move midseason. The next stop would be his last, as Porter agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Governors. Again, he didn't hit much, just .214/.236/.320 (56 OPS+). Still, the glove was solid, so he returned to Sacramento for the following season. Unfortunately, the bat was pretty poor, as he posted a 53 WRC+ and hit just .230/.309/.294 (65 OPS+) in 81 games. He was released after the season ended, and five days later he announced his retirement.

23rd Round, 355th Overall: RHP Harry Parker
School: Cleveland HS Barons
Career (AAA): 19-21, 405 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 157 BB, 286 K, 123 ERA+, 8.0 WAR
Career (AA): 23-17, 363 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 113 BB, 230 K, 109 ERA+, 5.4 WAR
Career (A): 66-98, 10 SV, 1,436 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 633 BB, 1,053 K, 94 ERA+, 15.1 WAR

No, not the 6'6'', lazy, and formerly durable innings eater Harry Parker, but a tiny little 5'7'' Harry Parker who threw over 2,500 innings since his time in high school. Despite never pitching in the majors, Parker had a long and intriguing career, pitching for eleven different teams after being drafted in the 23rd Round. Despite the low selection, Parker was always a semi-decent prospect, and he started 21 of his 23 appearances with the Cougars as a 19-year-old. The righty went 6-5 with a 4.64 ERA (106 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP. While not the greatest numbers, Parker was rather unlucky, as he posted an elite 3.57 FIP (72 FIP-) with 3.8 WAR and an elite 111-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 130 innings pitched. It was clear he had talent, and while he bounced around a lot the next season, he still started 20 of his 23 games between La Crosse, San Jose, and Lincoln. The most time came again out west, but his K% plummeted from an even 20% to just 8.5 in 103.1 innings. He was again 6-5, but this time in 17 starts with a similar 4.01 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP. A young pitcher who doesn't walk many guys is always something other teams are looking for, and Parker joined 15th Rounder Ben Richardson in the Combs-Wilder swap right after the World Series ended.

Now in the Foresters organization, Parker was assigned to Single A Reading, and the 21-year-old was back to striking out guys. He set down 105 with 41 walks in his 25 starts (153 innings). He finished 12-7 with a 3.76 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP, but he was back in A ball to start the 1931 season. He did eventually get to AA later that season, and for a 23rd birthday gift the following season he managed to reach AAA. He started 21 of the 24 games he pitches for the now-defunct Cincinnati Steamers, but was limited to just 119.1 innings. That's why he was just 3-4 despite an excellent 3.47 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP. He struck out a whopping 149 batters, walking just 45. His 29.7 K% was the best at any level he threw more then 5 innings at, and his 3.3 K/BB would be the last time he surpassed the elite 3.0 K/BB threshold.

As he was preparing for Spring Training, Parker found out his time in Cleveland was done, as he was shipped to the Miners with a 4th Round Pick for Miners stopper Leo Proctor. Proctor isn't a very well known pitcher, but he was coming off an aged 28 season where he was 4-2 with 12 saves, a 2.13 ERA (209 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP with 25 walks and 26 strikeouts. He ended up spending two seasons, but played the most with Washington, where he threw 233.1 innings across five and a half seasons, including a dominant 1939 where he sported a 1.97 ERA (212 ERA+) in 50.1 innings.

Parker was not part of the 40-man roster at the time, so he was sent to AA Birmingham for the 1933 season. It was a bit of a step back, going 13-13 with a 4.15 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP against lower competition. He also posted his first sub-10 K% (9.8) since he was 20 in the Cougars organization, striking out 104 hitters in a career high 238.1 innings pitched. Still unprotected at Rule-5 time, he was one of three pitchers we took in the Rule-5 draft. He didn't last long, and was returned to Pittsburgh where he was promoted to AAA St. Paul. The 25-year-old had a rough start, going 2-7 in 14 starts and one relief appearance. His 4.17 ERA (110 ERA+) was decent, but this is one of the first seasons his FIP (4.94, 107) was above 100. The Miners decided to release him by the deadline, but he lasted just two days before the Portland Green Sox of the Great Western League snapped him up. He made 9 more starts with them, and while the 4-3 record was an improvement, pretty much all his metrics went the wrong way.

Parker spent the offseason in Portland, but he was cut before the 1936 season. A few days later he went to to the Denver Plainsmen, and he almost pitched them to a Western Baseball League pennant. They finished just one game out, an impressive 80-60. The team they fell short to, the Des Moines Bears, had Pete Slater (.317, 1, 14, 5), and it was their most recent WBL title. Parker might have been the Plainsmen's best pitcher, going 11-6 with a 2.29 ERA (187 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts. He was worth a personal best 4.3 WAR in 180.2 innings pitched, but it wasn't enough for the Bears to consider him a long-term piece. He made cut after 15 starts, despite a solid 3.51 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. He had 75 strikeouts to just 33 walks, but the 28-year-older had to find a new home.

The home he found was Wichita, and while he had an awful 11-start stretch (3-5, 5.58, 42), the Rustlers allowed Parker to spend the next seven seasons in their rotation or pen. He ended up throwing almost 900 (895.1) innings, but the results weren't always great. He ended with a 5.38 ERA and and 456 strikeouts. They were willing to bring him back in a relief role for the 1945 season, as he had his best year as a member of the bullpen. That came in 1942, where Parker had a 2.04 ERA (197 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP with 55 strikeouts and 21 walks. The Rustlers were never a very good team, so despite those excellent numbers he, was just 1-6 with a single save. Instead, Parker decided to hang up the cleats, and left professional baseball in 1944. Despite never playing a big league game, he struck out nearly 2,000 (1,852) batters and pitched just two less seasons then the gem of the class Dean Astle. Those two happened to be teammates in 1931 and 1932 on the Portland Pipers, and both received promotions that season to AAA Cincinnati. He struck out a few more hitters then Astle (1,647), but of course, 995 of those came in FABL, while the highest parker got was 405 innings in AAA.

24th Round, 371st Overall: LF Joe James
School: Macon HS Musketeers
Career (C): .250/.312/.386, 41 G, 48 PA, 3 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 85 WRC+, .0.1 WAR

Despite being a towering 6'4'', short and sweet is the best way to describe Joe James' professional career, as he made just 53 appearances across three seasons in our organization. Most came in La Crosse, where he spent the 1929 and 1930 season. He hit his only homer in 1930, but his best production came in 1928 with San Jose. He was an even 7-for-14 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 RBIs, which translated to a 1.462 OPS (272 OPS+) and 271 WRC+. Unfortunately, a small sample as a teen won't get you a deal, and after spending all of 1931 unsigned, James hung up the cleats in October.

21st Round, 323rd Overall: LF Art Miller
School: Chicago Poly Panthers
Career (A): .292/.377/.474, 162 G, 483 PA, 17 2B, 22 3B, 5 HR, 58 RBI, SB, 131 WRC+, 2.9 WAR
Career (B): .311/.425/.441, 58 G, 274 PA, 6 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 4 SB, 163 WRC+, 3.1 WAR

He didn't play much at nearby Chicago Poly, so it's no real surprise that Art Miller fell all the way to the 21st round. He played sparingly in his first pro season, but Miller started all 58 of the games he played with the 1929 Lions. The 23-year-old dominated the younger competition, slashing .311/.425/.441 (168 OPS+) with an impressive 43 walks in 274 trips to the plate. He recorded 15 extra base hits and scored 60 runs, and was given a promotion to San Jose. Again, he played very little to finish the season, and I actually waived him before Opening Day in 1930. The Foresters claimed many of the young players I waived, and Miller was one of many to join their organization. He spent the next two seasons split between their AA and A affiliates, appearing in 125 games before being released before the 1932 season. Miller spent the next two seasons in independent ball, but appeared in just 78 games (13 starts) for the Oklahoma City Chiefs. He did hit five triples in just over 100 trips to the plate, but before the 1934 season he was 28, and the Chiefs were ready to move on. He retired that offseason, never reaching the highest level of the minors.

22nd Round, 339th Overall: C Dick Porter
School: San Antonio HS Warriors
Career (AAA): .225/.289/.301, 112 G, 403 PA, 9 2B, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 2 SB, 52 WRC+, -0.0 WAR
Career (B): .267/.329/.342, 217 G, 733 PA, 25 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 87 RBI, 2 SB, 73 WRC+, 1.2 WAR

Dick Porter spent just a few months in our organization before being released the May following his draft. He didn't stay unemployed very long, as later that month he inked a minor league deal with the Brooklyn Kings organization. Porter ended up having a lengthy minor league career with the Tampa Kings, the Class B affiliate, and appeared in 217 games across 7 years there. He didn't hit very much, just a .267/.329/.342 (76 OPS+) career line, but he was a solid defender and good organization piece. He ended up spending almost a full decade in the Kings organization, playing for their AA, A, and B affiliate. He was cut during year nine, and the then 26-year-old headed to independent ball.

His first stop was with the Fort Worth Cattlemen, going 9-for-28 with a homer and 6 RBIs in the last month and a half of the season. His next stop was Denver, where he started the 1937 season. He hit .210/.297/.346 (79 OPS+) with 3 homers, 8 RBIs, and 10 walks. The Bears decided to cut bait after just 26 games, and he was once again on the move midseason. The next stop would be his last, as Porter agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Governors. Again, he didn't hit much, just .214/.236/.320 (56 OPS+). Still, the glove was solid, so he returned to Sacramento for the following season. Unfortunately, the bat was pretty poor, as he posted a 53 WRC+ and hit just .230/.309/.294 (65 OPS+) in 81 games. He was released after the season ended, and five days later he announced his retirement.

23rd Round, 355th Overall: RHP Harry Parker
School: Cleveland HS Barons
Career (AAA): 19-21, 405 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 157 BB, 286 K, 123 ERA+, 8.0 WAR
Career (AA): 23-17, 363 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 113 BB, 230 K, 109 ERA+, 5.4 WAR
Career (A): 66-98, 10 SV, 1,436 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 633 BB, 1,053 K, 94 ERA+, 15.1 WAR

No, not the 6'6'', lazy, and formerly durable innings eater Harry Parker, but a tiny little 5'7'' Harry Parker who threw over 2,500 innings since his time in high school. Despite never pitching in the majors, Parker had a long and intriguing career, pitching for eleven different teams after being drafted in the 23rd Round. Despite the low selection, Parker was always a semi-decent prospect, and he started 21 of his 23 appearances with the Cougars as a 19-year-old. The righty went 6-5 with a 4.64 ERA (106 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP. While not the greatest numbers, Parker was rather unlucky, as he posted an elite 3.57 FIP (72 FIP-) with 3.8 WAR and an elite 111-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 130 innings pitched. It was clear he had talent, and while he bounced around a lot the next season, he still started 20 of his 23 games between La Crosse, San Jose, and Lincoln. The most time came again out west, but his K% plummeted from an even 20% to just 8.5 in 103.1 innings. He was again 6-5, but this time in 17 starts with a similar 4.01 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP. A young pitcher who doesn't walk many guys is always something other teams are looking for, and Parker joined 15th Rounder Ben Richardson in the Combs-Wilder swap right after the World Series ended.

Now in the Foresters organization, Parker was assigned to Single A Reading, and the 21-year-old was back to striking out guys. He set down 105 with 41 walks in his 25 starts (153 innings). He finished 12-7 with a 3.76 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP, but he was back in A ball to start the 1931 season. He did eventually get to AA later that season, and for a 23rd birthday gift the following season he managed to reach AAA. He started 21 of the 24 games he pitches for the now-defunct Cincinnati Steamers, but was limited to just 119.1 innings. That's why he was just 3-4 despite an excellent 3.47 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP. He struck out a whopping 149 batters, walking just 45. His 29.7 K% was the best at any level he threw more then 5 innings at, and his 3.3 K/BB would be the last time he surpassed the elite 3.0 K/BB threshold.

As he was preparing for Spring Training, Parker found out his time in Cleveland was done, as he was shipped to the Miners with a 4th Round Pick for Miners stopper Leo Proctor. Proctor isn't a very well known pitcher, but he was coming off an aged 28 season where he was 4-2 with 12 saves, a 2.13 ERA (209 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP with 25 walks and 26 strikeouts. He ended up spending two seasons, but played the most with Washington, where he threw 233.1 innings across five and a half seasons, including a dominant 1939 where he sported a 1.97 ERA (212 ERA+) in 50.1 innings.

Parker was not part of the 40-man roster at the time, so he was sent to AA Birmingham for the 1933 season. It was a bit of a step back, going 13-13 with a 4.15 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP against lower competition. He also posted his first sub-10 K% (9.8) since he was 20 in the Cougars organization, striking out 104 hitters in a career high 238.1 innings pitched. Still unprotected at Rule-5 time, he was one of three pitchers we took in the Rule-5 draft. He didn't last long, and was returned to Pittsburgh where he was promoted to AAA St. Paul. The 25-year-old had a rough start, going 2-7 in 14 starts and one relief appearance. His 4.17 ERA (110 ERA+) was decent, but this is one of the first seasons his FIP (4.94, 107) was above 100. The Miners decided to release him by the deadline, but he lasted just two days before the Portland Green Sox of the Great Western League snapped him up. He made 9 more starts with them, and while the 4-3 record was an improvement, pretty much all his metrics went the wrong way.

Parker spent the offseason in Portland, but he was cut before the 1936 season. A few days later he went to to the Denver Plainsmen, and he almost pitched them to a Western Baseball League pennant. They finished just one game out, an impressive 80-60. The team they fell short to, the Des Moines Bears, had Pete Slater (.317, 1, 14, 5), and it was their most recent WBL title. Parker might have been the Plainsmen's best pitcher, going 11-6 with a 2.29 ERA (187 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts. He was worth a personal best 4.3 WAR in 180.2 innings pitched, but it wasn't enough for the Bears to consider him a long-term piece. He made cut after 15 starts, despite a solid 3.51 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. He had 75 strikeouts to just 33 walks, but the 28-year-older had to find a new home.

The home he found was Wichita, and while he had an awful 11-start stretch (3-5, 5.58, 42), the Rustlers allowed Parker to spend the next seven seasons in their rotation or pen. He ended up throwing almost 900 (895.1) innings, but the results weren't always great. He ended with a 5.38 ERA and and 456 strikeouts. They were willing to bring him back in a relief role for the 1945 season, as he had his best year as a member of the bullpen. That came in 1942, where Parker had a 2.04 ERA (197 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP with 55 strikeouts and 21 walks. The Rustlers were never a very good team, so despite those excellent numbers he, was just 1-6 with a single save. Instead, Parker decided to hang up the cleats, and left professional baseball in 1944. Despite never playing a big league game, he struck out nearly 2,000 (1,852) batters and pitched just two less seasons then the gem of the class Dean Astle. Those two happened to be teammates in 1931 and 1932 on the Portland Pipers, and both received promotions that season to AAA Cincinnati. He struck out a few more hitters then Astle (1,647), but of course, 995 of those came in FABL, while the highest parker got was 405 innings in AAA.

[B]25th Round, 387th Overall: 1B Ed Jones
School: Opelika State Wildcats
Career (B): .323/.362/.434, 137 G, 246 PA, 10 2B, 6 3B, HR, 39 RBI, 3 SB, 107 WRC+, 1.0 WAR/B]

The twenty fifth and final selection was first basemen Ed Jones, who spent his three-year professional career in San Jose. Most of his 246 plate appearances (181) came his debut year, where he hit .307/.354/.404 (97 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 39 runs, and 28 RBIs. He was an impressive 15-for-28 with 11 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 8 RBIs. But as a first basemen with little power, he didn't make any starts, and after seeing his line drop to .219/.257/.250 (31 OPS+), he roster safety was a concern. He did not last for Opening Day 1931, and retired that fall after not receiving any offers.

FABL Totals
Big League Debuts: 6 (of 25)
Parts of 5 Seasons: 3
Parts of 10 Seasons: 2
Parts of 15 Seasons: 0
500 Games: 1
1,000 Games: 0
1,500 Games: 0
500 PA Seasons: 0
1,000 Career PAs: 1
2,500 Career PAs: 1
5,000 Career PAs: 0
15 HR Seasons: 0
20 HR Seasons: 0
50 Career HR: 0
100 Inning Seasons: 12
200 Inning Seasons: 10
300 Inning Seasons: 1
500 Career Innings: 1
1,000 Career Innings: 1
2,500 Career Innings: 1
10 Win Seasons: 11
20 Win Seasons: 1
50 Career Wins: 1
100 Career Wins: 1
150 Career Wins: 1
4 WAR Seasons: 9
Total WAR: 77.7

Not very impressive, huh? Sure the WAR seems nice, but there are a lot of 1s, going either to Ben Richardson or Dean Astle. 6-for-25 (24%) is not a very good success rate, as many of our classes have at least four draftees currently on FABL rosters. Our current roster is filled with our draftees, as Duke Bybee (16-6, 2.49, 74), Charlie Kelsey (1-0, 4.80, 7), George Oddo (13-17, 3.24, 172), Pete Papenfus (14-9, 3.23, 106), Harry Parker (1-3, 1, 6.86, 8), Eddie Howard (.261, 1, 9; 0-2, 1, 3.04, 3), Harry Mead (.268, 7, 41, 1), Billy Hunter (.260, 2, 23, 2), Skipper Schneider (.288, 4, 52, 3), George Sutterfield (.259, 5, 2), Leo Mitchell (.285, 2, 34, 2), Don Lee (.186), and Carlos Montes (.218, 5, 19, 4) were all drafted by us. Howard Moss and Art Black were the only two 1927 selections to get a single appearance in Chicago, but the success from this class came from other sources.

This draft's best asset was helping assist in a title campaign and a second pennant, providing half the package for Max Wilder and Russ Combs and a third of the package for John Kincaid. We also used selections from this class to get a backup catcher and a fourth of the Wilcox/Taylor package. Even though that trade looks bad in hindsight, Wilcox won an Allen in '33 and helped us win the pennant, and Taylor was superb in a lengthy thirteen and a half season career. DeForest wasn't what made the deal bad. Trading away Astle hurt, but pitching has never been an issue, as even in some of our bad years we've had talented pitching staffs. His success came in Cleveland, not New York, so things could have turned out differently if he never left the Gothams. Until we win another title, a class like this that helped us get there will always be at least a little bit valuable.

09-24-2023, 06:19 PM	#1216
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	A Look Back at the 1927 Draft: Part 4 21st Round, 323rd Overall: LF Art Miller School: Chicago Poly Panthers Career (A): .292/.377/.474, 162 G, 483 PA, 17 2B, 22 3B, 5 HR, 58 RBI, SB, 131 WRC+, 2.9 WAR Career (B): .311/.425/.441, 58 G, 274 PA, 6 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 4 SB, 163 WRC+, 3.1 WAR He didn't play much at nearby Chicago Poly, so it's no real surprise that Art Miller fell all the way to the 21st round. He played sparingly in his first pro season, but Miller started all 58 of the games he played with the 1929 Lions. The 23-year-old dominated the younger competition, slashing .311/.425/.441 (168 OPS+) with an impressive 43 walks in 274 trips to the plate. He recorded 15 extra base hits and scored 60 runs, and was given a promotion to San Jose. Again, he played very little to finish the season, and I actually waived him before Opening Day in 1930. The Foresters claimed many of the young players I waived, and Miller was one of many to join their organization. He spent the next two seasons split between their AA and A affiliates, appearing in 125 games before being released before the 1932 season. Miller spent the next two seasons in independent ball, but appeared in just 78 games (13 starts) for the Oklahoma City Chiefs. He did hit five triples in just over 100 trips to the plate, but before the 1934 season he was 28, and the Chiefs were ready to move on. He retired that offseason, never reaching the highest level of the minors. 22nd Round, 339th Overall: C Dick Porter School: San Antonio HS Warriors Career (AAA): .225/.289/.301, 112 G, 403 PA, 9 2B, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 2 SB, 52 WRC+, -0.0 WAR Career (B): .267/.329/.342, 217 G, 733 PA, 25 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 87 RBI, 2 SB, 73 WRC+, 1.2 WAR Dick Porter spent just a few months in our organization before being released the May following his draft. He didn't stay unemployed very long, as later that month he inked a minor league deal with the Brooklyn Kings organization. Porter ended up having a lengthy minor league career with the Tampa Kings, the Class B affiliate, and appeared in 217 games across 7 years there. He didn't hit very much, just a .267/.329/.342 (76 OPS+) career line, but he was a solid defender and good organization piece. He ended up spending almost a full decade in the Kings organization, playing for their AA, A, and B affiliate. He was cut during year nine, and the then 26-year-old headed to independent ball. His first stop was with the Fort Worth Cattlemen, going 9-for-28 with a homer and 6 RBIs in the last month and a half of the season. His next stop was Denver, where he started the 1937 season. He hit .210/.297/.346 (79 OPS+) with 3 homers, 8 RBIs, and 10 walks. The Bears decided to cut bait after just 26 games, and he was once again on the move midseason. The next stop would be his last, as Porter agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Governors. Again, he didn't hit much, just .214/.236/.320 (56 OPS+). Still, the glove was solid, so he returned to Sacramento for the following season. Unfortunately, the bat was pretty poor, as he posted a 53 WRC+ and hit just .230/.309/.294 (65 OPS+) in 81 games. He was released after the season ended, and five days later he announced his retirement. 23rd Round, 355th Overall: RHP Harry Parker School: Cleveland HS Barons Career (AAA): 19-21, 405 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 157 BB, 286 K, 123 ERA+, 8.0 WAR Career (AA): 23-17, 363 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 113 BB, 230 K, 109 ERA+, 5.4 WAR Career (A): 66-98, 10 SV, 1,436 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 633 BB, 1,053 K, 94 ERA+, 15.1 WAR No, not the 6'6'', lazy, and formerly durable innings eater Harry Parker, but a tiny little 5'7'' Harry Parker who threw over 2,500 innings since his time in high school. Despite never pitching in the majors, Parker had a long and intriguing career, pitching for eleven different teams after being drafted in the 23rd Round. Despite the low selection, Parker was always a semi-decent prospect, and he started 21 of his 23 appearances with the Cougars as a 19-year-old. The righty went 6-5 with a 4.64 ERA (106 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP. While not the greatest numbers, Parker was rather unlucky, as he posted an elite 3.57 FIP (72 FIP-) with 3.8 WAR and an elite 111-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 130 innings pitched. It was clear he had talent, and while he bounced around a lot the next season, he still started 20 of his 23 games between La Crosse, San Jose, and Lincoln. The most time came again out west, but his K% plummeted from an even 20% to just 8.5 in 103.1 innings. He was again 6-5, but this time in 17 starts with a similar 4.01 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP. A young pitcher who doesn't walk many guys is always something other teams are looking for, and Parker joined 15th Rounder Ben Richardson in the Combs-Wilder swap right after the World Series ended. Now in the Foresters organization, Parker was assigned to Single A Reading, and the 21-year-old was back to striking out guys. He set down 105 with 41 walks in his 25 starts (153 innings). He finished 12-7 with a 3.76 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP, but he was back in A ball to start the 1931 season. He did eventually get to AA later that season, and for a 23rd birthday gift the following season he managed to reach AAA. He started 21 of the 24 games he pitches for the now-defunct Cincinnati Steamers, but was limited to just 119.1 innings. That's why he was just 3-4 despite an excellent 3.47 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP. He struck out a whopping 149 batters, walking just 45. His 29.7 K% was the best at any level he threw more then 5 innings at, and his 3.3 K/BB would be the last time he surpassed the elite 3.0 K/BB threshold. As he was preparing for Spring Training, Parker found out his time in Cleveland was done, as he was shipped to the Miners with a 4th Round Pick for Miners stopper Leo Proctor. Proctor isn't a very well known pitcher, but he was coming off an aged 28 season where he was 4-2 with 12 saves, a 2.13 ERA (209 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP with 25 walks and 26 strikeouts. He ended up spending two seasons, but played the most with Washington, where he threw 233.1 innings across five and a half seasons, including a dominant 1939 where he sported a 1.97 ERA (212 ERA+) in 50.1 innings. Parker was not part of the 40-man roster at the time, so he was sent to AA Birmingham for the 1933 season. It was a bit of a step back, going 13-13 with a 4.15 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP against lower competition. He also posted his first sub-10 K% (9.8) since he was 20 in the Cougars organization, striking out 104 hitters in a career high 238.1 innings pitched. Still unprotected at Rule-5 time, he was one of three pitchers we took in the Rule-5 draft. He didn't last long, and was returned to Pittsburgh where he was promoted to AAA St. Paul. The 25-year-old had a rough start, going 2-7 in 14 starts and one relief appearance. His 4.17 ERA (110 ERA+) was decent, but this is one of the first seasons his FIP (4.94, 107) was above 100. The Miners decided to release him by the deadline, but he lasted just two days before the Portland Green Sox of the Great Western League snapped him up. He made 9 more starts with them, and while the 4-3 record was an improvement, pretty much all his metrics went the wrong way. Parker spent the offseason in Portland, but he was cut before the 1936 season. A few days later he went to to the Denver Plainsmen, and he almost pitched them to a Western Baseball League pennant. They finished just one game out, an impressive 80-60. The team they fell short to, the Des Moines Bears, had Pete Slater (.317, 1, 14, 5), and it was their most recent WBL title. Parker might have been the Plainsmen's best pitcher, going 11-6 with a 2.29 ERA (187 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts. He was worth a personal best 4.3 WAR in 180.2 innings pitched, but it wasn't enough for the Bears to consider him a long-term piece. He made cut after 15 starts, despite a solid 3.51 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. He had 75 strikeouts to just 33 walks, but the 28-year-older had to find a new home. The home he found was Wichita, and while he had an awful 11-start stretch (3-5, 5.58, 42), the Rustlers allowed Parker to spend the next seven seasons in their rotation or pen. He ended up throwing almost 900 (895.1) innings, but the results weren't always great. He ended with a 5.38 ERA and and 456 strikeouts. They were willing to bring him back in a relief role for the 1945 season, as he had his best year as a member of the bullpen. That came in 1942, where Parker had a 2.04 ERA (197 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP with 55 strikeouts and 21 walks. The Rustlers were never a very good team, so despite those excellent numbers he, was just 1-6 with a single save. Instead, Parker decided to hang up the cleats, and left professional baseball in 1944. Despite never playing a big league game, he struck out nearly 2,000 (1,852) batters and pitched just two less seasons then the gem of the class Dean Astle. Those two happened to be teammates in 1931 and 1932 on the Portland Pipers, and both received promotions that season to AAA Cincinnati. He struck out a few more hitters then Astle (1,647), but of course, 995 of those came in FABL, while the highest parker got was 405 innings in AAA. 24th Round, 371st Overall: LF Joe James School: Macon HS Musketeers Career (C): .250/.312/.386, 41 G, 48 PA, 3 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 85 WRC+, .0.1 WAR Despite being a towering 6'4'', short and sweet is the best way to describe Joe James' professional career, as he made just 53 appearances across three seasons in our organization. Most came in La Crosse, where he spent the 1929 and 1930 season. He hit his only homer in 1930, but his best production came in 1928 with San Jose. He was an even 7-for-14 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 RBIs, which translated to a 1.462 OPS (272 OPS+) and 271 WRC+. Unfortunately, a small sample as a teen won't get you a deal, and after spending all of 1931 unsigned, James hung up the cleats in October. 21st Round, 323rd Overall: LF Art Miller School: Chicago Poly Panthers Career (A): .292/.377/.474, 162 G, 483 PA, 17 2B, 22 3B, 5 HR, 58 RBI, SB, 131 WRC+, 2.9 WAR Career (B): .311/.425/.441, 58 G, 274 PA, 6 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 4 SB, 163 WRC+, 3.1 WAR He didn't play much at nearby Chicago Poly, so it's no real surprise that Art Miller fell all the way to the 21st round. He played sparingly in his first pro season, but Miller started all 58 of the games he played with the 1929 Lions. The 23-year-old dominated the younger competition, slashing .311/.425/.441 (168 OPS+) with an impressive 43 walks in 274 trips to the plate. He recorded 15 extra base hits and scored 60 runs, and was given a promotion to San Jose. Again, he played very little to finish the season, and I actually waived him before Opening Day in 1930. The Foresters claimed many of the young players I waived, and Miller was one of many to join their organization. He spent the next two seasons split between their AA and A affiliates, appearing in 125 games before being released before the 1932 season. Miller spent the next two seasons in independent ball, but appeared in just 78 games (13 starts) for the Oklahoma City Chiefs. He did hit five triples in just over 100 trips to the plate, but before the 1934 season he was 28, and the Chiefs were ready to move on. He retired that offseason, never reaching the highest level of the minors. 22nd Round, 339th Overall: C Dick Porter School: San Antonio HS Warriors Career (AAA): .225/.289/.301, 112 G, 403 PA, 9 2B, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 2 SB, 52 WRC+, -0.0 WAR Career (B): .267/.329/.342, 217 G, 733 PA, 25 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 87 RBI, 2 SB, 73 WRC+, 1.2 WAR Dick Porter spent just a few months in our organization before being released the May following his draft. He didn't stay unemployed very long, as later that month he inked a minor league deal with the Brooklyn Kings organization. Porter ended up having a lengthy minor league career with the Tampa Kings, the Class B affiliate, and appeared in 217 games across 7 years there. He didn't hit very much, just a .267/.329/.342 (76 OPS+) career line, but he was a solid defender and good organization piece. He ended up spending almost a full decade in the Kings organization, playing for their AA, A, and B affiliate. He was cut during year nine, and the then 26-year-old headed to independent ball. His first stop was with the Fort Worth Cattlemen, going 9-for-28 with a homer and 6 RBIs in the last month and a half of the season. His next stop was Denver, where he started the 1937 season. He hit .210/.297/.346 (79 OPS+) with 3 homers, 8 RBIs, and 10 walks. The Bears decided to cut bait after just 26 games, and he was once again on the move midseason. The next stop would be his last, as Porter agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Governors. Again, he didn't hit much, just .214/.236/.320 (56 OPS+). Still, the glove was solid, so he returned to Sacramento for the following season. Unfortunately, the bat was pretty poor, as he posted a 53 WRC+ and hit just .230/.309/.294 (65 OPS+) in 81 games. He was released after the season ended, and five days later he announced his retirement. 23rd Round, 355th Overall: RHP Harry Parker School: Cleveland HS Barons Career (AAA): 19-21, 405 IP, 3.93 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 157 BB, 286 K, 123 ERA+, 8.0 WAR Career (AA): 23-17, 363 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 113 BB, 230 K, 109 ERA+, 5.4 WAR Career (A): 66-98, 10 SV, 1,436 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 633 BB, 1,053 K, 94 ERA+, 15.1 WAR No, not the 6'6'', lazy, and formerly durable innings eater Harry Parker, but a tiny little 5'7'' Harry Parker who threw over 2,500 innings since his time in high school. Despite never pitching in the majors, Parker had a long and intriguing career, pitching for eleven different teams after being drafted in the 23rd Round. Despite the low selection, Parker was always a semi-decent prospect, and he started 21 of his 23 appearances with the Cougars as a 19-year-old. The righty went 6-5 with a 4.64 ERA (106 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP. While not the greatest numbers, Parker was rather unlucky, as he posted an elite 3.57 FIP (72 FIP-) with 3.8 WAR and an elite 111-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 130 innings pitched. It was clear he had talent, and while he bounced around a lot the next season, he still started 20 of his 23 games between La Crosse, San Jose, and Lincoln. The most time came again out west, but his K% plummeted from an even 20% to just 8.5 in 103.1 innings. He was again 6-5, but this time in 17 starts with a similar 4.01 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP. A young pitcher who doesn't walk many guys is always something other teams are looking for, and Parker joined 15th Rounder Ben Richardson in the Combs-Wilder swap right after the World Series ended. Now in the Foresters organization, Parker was assigned to Single A Reading, and the 21-year-old was back to striking out guys. He set down 105 with 41 walks in his 25 starts (153 innings). He finished 12-7 with a 3.76 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP, but he was back in A ball to start the 1931 season. He did eventually get to AA later that season, and for a 23rd birthday gift the following season he managed to reach AAA. He started 21 of the 24 games he pitches for the now-defunct Cincinnati Steamers, but was limited to just 119.1 innings. That's why he was just 3-4 despite an excellent 3.47 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP. He struck out a whopping 149 batters, walking just 45. His 29.7 K% was the best at any level he threw more then 5 innings at, and his 3.3 K/BB would be the last time he surpassed the elite 3.0 K/BB threshold. As he was preparing for Spring Training, Parker found out his time in Cleveland was done, as he was shipped to the Miners with a 4th Round Pick for Miners stopper Leo Proctor. Proctor isn't a very well known pitcher, but he was coming off an aged 28 season where he was 4-2 with 12 saves, a 2.13 ERA (209 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP with 25 walks and 26 strikeouts. He ended up spending two seasons, but played the most with Washington, where he threw 233.1 innings across five and a half seasons, including a dominant 1939 where he sported a 1.97 ERA (212 ERA+) in 50.1 innings. Parker was not part of the 40-man roster at the time, so he was sent to AA Birmingham for the 1933 season. It was a bit of a step back, going 13-13 with a 4.15 ERA (101 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP against lower competition. He also posted his first sub-10 K% (9.8) since he was 20 in the Cougars organization, striking out 104 hitters in a career high 238.1 innings pitched. Still unprotected at Rule-5 time, he was one of three pitchers we took in the Rule-5 draft. He didn't last long, and was returned to Pittsburgh where he was promoted to AAA St. Paul. The 25-year-old had a rough start, going 2-7 in 14 starts and one relief appearance. His 4.17 ERA (110 ERA+) was decent, but this is one of the first seasons his FIP (4.94, 107) was above 100. The Miners decided to release him by the deadline, but he lasted just two days before the Portland Green Sox of the Great Western League snapped him up. He made 9 more starts with them, and while the 4-3 record was an improvement, pretty much all his metrics went the wrong way. Parker spent the offseason in Portland, but he was cut before the 1936 season. A few days later he went to to the Denver Plainsmen, and he almost pitched them to a Western Baseball League pennant. They finished just one game out, an impressive 80-60. The team they fell short to, the Des Moines Bears, had Pete Slater (.317, 1, 14, 5), and it was their most recent WBL title. Parker might have been the Plainsmen's best pitcher, going 11-6 with a 2.29 ERA (187 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts. He was worth a personal best 4.3 WAR in 180.2 innings pitched, but it wasn't enough for the Bears to consider him a long-term piece. He made cut after 15 starts, despite a solid 3.51 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.22 WHIP. He had 75 strikeouts to just 33 walks, but the 28-year-older had to find a new home. The home he found was Wichita, and while he had an awful 11-start stretch (3-5, 5.58, 42), the Rustlers allowed Parker to spend the next seven seasons in their rotation or pen. He ended up throwing almost 900 (895.1) innings, but the results weren't always great. He ended with a 5.38 ERA and and 456 strikeouts. They were willing to bring him back in a relief role for the 1945 season, as he had his best year as a member of the bullpen. That came in 1942, where Parker had a 2.04 ERA (197 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP with 55 strikeouts and 21 walks. The Rustlers were never a very good team, so despite those excellent numbers he, was just 1-6 with a single save. Instead, Parker decided to hang up the cleats, and left professional baseball in 1944. Despite never playing a big league game, he struck out nearly 2,000 (1,852) batters and pitched just two less seasons then the gem of the class Dean Astle. Those two happened to be teammates in 1931 and 1932 on the Portland Pipers, and both received promotions that season to AAA Cincinnati. He struck out a few more hitters then Astle (1,647), but of course, 995 of those came in FABL, while the highest parker got was 405 innings in AAA. [B]25th Round, 387th Overall: 1B Ed Jones School: Opelika State Wildcats Career (B): .323/.362/.434, 137 G, 246 PA, 10 2B, 6 3B, HR, 39 RBI, 3 SB, 107 WRC+, 1.0 WAR/B] The twenty fifth and final selection was first basemen Ed Jones, who spent his three-year professional career in San Jose. Most of his 246 plate appearances (181) came his debut year, where he hit .307/.354/.404 (97 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, 39 runs, and 28 RBIs. He was an impressive 15-for-28 with 11 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 8 RBIs. But as a first basemen with little power, he didn't make any starts, and after seeing his line drop to .219/.257/.250 (31 OPS+), he roster safety was a concern. He did not last for Opening Day 1931, and retired that fall after not receiving any offers. FABL Totals Big League Debuts: 6 (of 25) Parts of 5 Seasons: 3 Parts of 10 Seasons: 2 Parts of 15 Seasons: 0 500 Games: 1 1,000 Games: 0 1,500 Games: 0 500 PA Seasons: 0 1,000 Career PAs: 1 2,500 Career PAs: 1 5,000 Career PAs: 0 15 HR Seasons: 0 20 HR Seasons: 0 50 Career HR: 0 100 Inning Seasons: 12 200 Inning Seasons: 10 300 Inning Seasons: 1 500 Career Innings: 1 1,000 Career Innings: 1 2,500 Career Innings: 1 10 Win Seasons: 11 20 Win Seasons: 1 50 Career Wins: 1 100 Career Wins: 1 150 Career Wins: 1 4 WAR Seasons: 9 Total WAR: 77.7 Not very impressive, huh? Sure the WAR seems nice, but there are a lot of 1s, going either to Ben Richardson or Dean Astle. 6-for-25 (24%) is not a very good success rate, as many of our classes have at least four draftees currently on FABL rosters. Our current roster is filled with our draftees, as Duke Bybee (16-6, 2.49, 74), Charlie Kelsey (1-0, 4.80, 7), George Oddo (13-17, 3.24, 172), Pete Papenfus (14-9, 3.23, 106), Harry Parker (1-3, 1, 6.86, 8), Eddie Howard (.261, 1, 9; 0-2, 1, 3.04, 3), Harry Mead (.268, 7, 41, 1), Billy Hunter (.260, 2, 23, 2), Skipper Schneider (.288, 4, 52, 3), George Sutterfield (.259, 5, 2), Leo Mitchell (.285, 2, 34, 2), Don Lee (.186), and Carlos Montes (.218, 5, 19, 4) were all drafted by us. Howard Moss and Art Black were the only two 1927 selections to get a single appearance in Chicago, but the success from this class came from other sources. This draft's best asset was helping assist in a title campaign and a second pennant, providing half the package for Max Wilder and Russ Combs and a third of the package for John Kincaid. We also used selections from this class to get a backup catcher and a fourth of the Wilcox/Taylor package. Even though that trade looks bad in hindsight, Wilcox won an Allen in '33 and helped us win the pennant, and Taylor was superb in a lengthy thirteen and a half season career. DeForest wasn't what made the deal bad. Trading away Astle hurt, but pitching has never been an issue, as even in some of our bad years we've had talented pitching staffs. His success came in Cleveland, not New York, so things could have turned out differently if he never left the Gothams. Until we win another title, a class like this that helped us get there will always be at least a little bit valuable.