[ayaghmour2]

We're back with more draft retroactive! Hopefully I can remember these in future years so I won't have to double up, but it's nice to have something to write about as I anxiously wait for next season to come. The World Series continues tomorrow, but it may also end, as the Pioneers could be victorious with just two more wins. Just a few guys tonight, as I got started late, but these were all decently sized and there's not too many interesting late rounders as this was a weak and top-heavy class. Once the offseason starts, I'll publish our annual offseason top prospect list. I'm not quite sure how I'll handle both, but I expect to finish all the draft writeups before starting to analyze our top 40 prospects. Regardless, I'll post the order once we start the offseason, as I like posting the day it happens because that's what shows up in the player histories. What makes this year's special is we finally have receipts! For better or worse, my old posts weren't nearly as dense, so all 25 players fit on the same post. In the future, I may quote the old write ups directly for each guy, but these blurbs were rather short and didn't really have many predictions on future outcomes. It was more about how they did then who they were and who they could be, although a few are too funny not to include.

1st Round, 2nd Overall: RHP Mike Murphy
School: Brooklyn State Bears
1932 (BRK): 7-2, 15 G, 92.1 IP, 2.53 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 29 BB, 51 K, 165 ERA+, 2.0 WAR
1934 (BRK): 21-7, 34 G, 269 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 76 BB, 114 K, 148 ERA+, 4.8 WAR
1935 (BRK): 20-10, 36 G, 281.2 IP, 4.54 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 66 BB, 100 K, 96 ERA+, 3.3 WAR
1936 (BRK): 17-8, SV, 37 G, 252.1 IP, 3.07 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 69 BB, 76 K, 148 ERA+, 4.0 WAR
1937 (BRK): 17-12, 34 G, 230 IP, 3.52 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 63 BB, 60 K, 115 ERA+, 3.1 WAR
1938 (BRK): 15-7, 28 G, 213 IP, 2.83 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 55 BB, 62 K, 140 ERA+, 4.0 WAR
1941 (DET): 10-9, 21 G, 174 IP, 3.41 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 37 BB, 40 K, 117 ERA+, 4.0 WAR
1942 (DET): 13-13, 29 G, 215 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 43 BB, 55 K, 111 ERA+, 3.6 WAR
Career (BRK): 115-69, SV, 223 G, 1,655.2 IP, 3.52 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 446 BB, 609 K, 117 ERA+, 27.7 WAR
Career (DET): 53-58, SV, 134 G, 930 IP, 3.73 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 220 BB, 229 K, 101 ERA+, 13.6 WAR
Career (FABL): 177-133, 3 SV, 384 G, 2,747.1 IP, 3.62 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 707 BB, 863 K, 109 ERA+, 42.8 WAR

Another rather week draft (excluding Bobby Barrell who was injured on draft day), in terms of total WAR (not pitcher WAR, that would be Chuck Cole), we again had the most valuable pitcher selected for the year. The funny thing is that Mike Murphy wasn't even the guy I wanted. In fact, the recap started with "A lefty from Brooklyn State, Mike Murphy was not the guy I wanted to draft,: so you can tell how enthused I was when my guy went first. And if Bobby Barrell didn't break his stupid kneecap, I never would have even considered going with Mike Murphy. But instead, we made the Brooklyn State native the second pick of the draft, as his college numbers (14-13, 5, 2.48, 274) were quite impressive, even for the old feeders. And despite never being a very highly rated prospect, Murphy was one of the more reliable starters of his generation, starting 355 games and winning 177 with a 3.62 ERA (109 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP.

It all started back in 1929, when Murphy started his professional career in Lincoln. It went great, as he was 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA (274 ERA+) and 1.06 WHIP in 8 starts. That earned him a promotion to Mobile, where he spent most of the next two years. In 1931 he started his season in Milwaukee, and after going 6-7 with a 3.94 ERA (114 ERA+) and 1.45 WHIP with 60 walks and 112 strikeouts, he earned a late season callup to Chicago. Murphy worked strictly out of the pen, throwing 8.1 innings across 4 appearances, allowing 13 hits, 9 runs, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. As you might expect with numbers that poor, the 2nd Pick was sent right back down to Milwaukee for 1932, as when you're looking to defend your pennant, you want someone more consistent.

Consistent is what Murphy became, and through 19 starts he was as dominant as his college days. He went 6-3 with a stellar 2.83 ERA (160 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP. His 3.34 FIP (73 FIP-) supported the overall work, and he struck out 87 hitters with just 25 walks in 92.1 innings pitched. I debated calling up Murphy back up (Tom Barrell got a shot first), but come July, it was time for a big move to help keep pace with the Stars. And since Murphy was a very exciting young pitcher, it's no surprise that Brooklyn demanded him in the four player package that brought the guy who was taken before him, old pal Tommy Wilcox, and longtime backstop Mike Taylor to Chicago.

Just like with Tom Barrell, Murphy went straight into the Kings rotation, and he was just as good as he was in Milwaukee. He threw 92.1 more innings, going 9-2 in 11 starts with a 2.53 ERA (165 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 29 walks, and 51 strikeouts. That made the pain doubly awful, seeing Murphy and Barrell (8-3, 2.48, 59) completely outperform Wilcox (6-6, 6.70, 28) down the stretch, as we lost a pennant for the first of many times to the New York Stars. Luckily for us, the following season Wilcox (21-11, 2.58, 113) was as advertised, and the 26-year-old won his first of what I once assumed would be many Allen Awards, while Barrell (13-16, 3.86, 122) and Murphy took steep steps back. Murphy started 32 games, going 15-16 with a 4.13 ERA (87 ERA+) and 1.39 WHIP. There was reason for excitement, as he walked just 70 while striking out 127, and his 3.28 FIP (90 FIP-) and 4.3 WAR were both very impressive. It was clear the southpaw found his footing, and he was ready to be apart of a very good Kings rotation for years to come.

The breakout came the following year, as the Florida native set career bests that would hold for wins (21) and WAR (4.8). He had an excellent 2.84 ERA (148 ERA+) and 1.28 WHIP with 76 walks and 114 strikeouts. He followed that up with another 20-win season, but his ERA rose to 4.54 (96 ERA+) and his WHIP to 1.40, despite a then career low 5.4 BB% in 281.2 innings. That was a career high, and potentially part of the reason for his struggles, along with the 28 homers and career high 0.9 HR/9. But when you win 20 games, you must have done plenty right, and the luck shifted to his favor the following season. The Kings were really good, with 1936 being the first of their three pennants, and Murphy was a big reason for their success. He led the CA with a 3.07 ERA (148 ERA+) and posted his third 4 WAR season in four years. He finished 17-8 with a 1.35 WHIP and 76 strikeouts, starting 33 of his 37 appearances. He was excellent again in the following season, and helped the Kings captured their first ever championship. The lefty went 17-12 with a 3.52 ERA (115 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP, but fort he first time he walked (63) more hitters then he struck out (60). He was a big part of the pennant winning team in 1938, but started just 28 games, his fewest since his debut with the Kings in 1932. He was 15-7 with a strong 2.83 ERA (140 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP, and returned to striking out (62) more guys then he walked (55). The 30-year-old continued to prove he belonged in the majors, and with him, Barrell (13-14, 4.33, 129), Art White (14-6, 3.00, 42), and Bob Cummings (13-7, 3.07, 98), the Kings looked to have the pitching to be good for a very long time.

Unfortunately for Kings fans, the dynasty fizzled out, and come summer of 1939, they were relegated to a has-been. Murphy wasn't his reliable self, just 3-7 with a 4.86 ERA (88 ERA+) and 1.43 WHIP with near equal walks (18) and strikeouts (19). His 3.19 FIP (74 FIP-) declared that Murphy was pitching far better then the numbers showed, and the Detroit Dynamos decided to take a flyer on the veteran, sending two picks to Brooklyn to acquire his services. While still not great, he evened hi record to 8-8 in 17 starts (1 relief outing) in the Fed, with a slightly below average 4.19 ERA (99 ERA+). His 1.42 WHIP was near identical to his Kings WHIP, and he was back to walking (44) more hitters then he struck out (37).

Murphy was never quite as good as he was in Brooklyn, but for the next three seasons he continued to be an above average starter. His first year in Detroit was similar to the partial season, as he was again .500 (15-15) with an average ERA (3.82, 100). What did change was he struck out 73 with just 53 walks, and his 1.28 WHIP was the lowest since his 21-win 1934 season. He only appeared in 21 games (20) in 1941, but he posted 4 WAR for the first time since 1938, going 10-9 with a 3.41 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP with similar walk (47, 5.1) and strikeout (40, 5.5) numbers in 174 innings pitched. That was the first full season he didn't hit 200 innings, as he missed 3-4 weeks with a back strain, the first significant injury since he was at Brooklyn State. When 1942 came along, Murphy was healthy again, and just like most of his Dynamo career, he finished .500 (13-13). His 3.22 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP were again solid, and he walked 43 with 55 strikeouts in 215 innings pitched. It was his ninth 200 inning season in ten years, and the last time he would surpass that inning total.

His 1943 was interrupted by elbow tendinitis, which limited him to just 18 starts and 119.1 innings pitched. He went just 6-7 with a 3.92 ERA (90 ERA+), walking 33 while striking out just 20. Now 35, his stuff was just not sharp anymore, as even some of the replacement players from the war were able to cause him trouble. In the offseason it felt like his grasp on one of the Dynamos rotation spots was getting weak, so over a decade after leaving the Cougars organization, he returned in exchange for Sam Hess and Johnny Weaver, as we looked to fill the void created by Johnnie Jones' enlistment in the Army. Murphy started 22 of his 23 appearances for us during the 1944 season, going 9-6 with a 3.64 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP. It was serviceable, but he walked (38) nearly twice as many hitters as he struck out (20), and his time in Chicago proved to be short. He did not return for the 1945 season, as we shipped him back to the Dynamos for a 10th Round Pick. That may seem inconsequential, but that pick turned into Cal Rice, who currently ranks 15th in our system and 142nd overall.

1945 ended up being the last season for Murphy, and for the first time since his cup-of-coffee back in 1931, he started (2) fewer games then he relieves (13). That's mainly because he didn't look very good, allowing 56 hits, 20 runs, and 10 walks with just 4 strikeouts in 34 innings. His 1-6 record was poor, and when the offseason rolled in and the war players returned, Murphy was given his release papers. The day after he called it a career, hanging up the cleats after 2,747.1 productive innings in FABL. He struck out 863 batters and accumulated 42.8 WAR, with more then half (27.7) coming in his eight years in Brooklyn. His 115 wins are 7th and his WAR is 8th despite being outside the top 10 in innings. In a draft class that was considered weak, and produced very little in terms of pitching, Murphy was a clear win, even if most of his production came at our expense. If I had a do over, obviously I would have taken Bobby, which would have meant both Tom and Fred likely stay in Chicago and never get sent to Brooklyn for Wilcox and Taylor. But a broken kneecap was scary for a player who relied on power and athleticism, and without injury ratings it was impossible to know if there was more of that to come. It's hard to complain about drafting a 3-Time All-Star, and Murphy was the posterchild for having a successful career without ever ranking as a top prospect.

2nd Round, 18th Overall: RHP Ike Quinn
School: Somerville HS Generals
Career (FABL): 0-1, 4 G, 11.1 IP, 7.15 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 4 BB, 5 K, 65 ERA+, -0.0 WAR
Career (AAA): 19-16, 12 SV, 144 G, 345.1 IP, 5.42 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 239 BB, 192 K, 80 ERA+, -0.3 WAR

Back in the day, I almost always took a pitcher in the 2nd Round. Ike Quinn was one of them, and while he looked to be a very good one, he fizzled out like most of the others. A pitcher who always had excellent stuff, the 6'4'' righty had a devastating fastball/slider combo, but injuries haunted him his entire career, and a torn rotator cuff eventually ended his career in 1939. An excellent high school pitcher who had a 1.76 ERA (252 ERA+) and 126 strikeouts as a senior, Quinn pitched just 10 games across the next three seasons, missing almost the entirety of the 1930 and 1931 seasons as he ruptured his UCL towards the end of the 1929 season and partially tore it after one start in 1931. He then fought six different ailments in 1932, but made 19 starts between La Crosse and San Jose. He was excellent in both, but spent most of his time in La Crosse, going 4-4 with a 3.18 ERA (133 ERA+) and almost matching 3.17 FIP (74 FIP-), walking 35 while striking out 95 in just 79.1 innings. He struck out 18 in 4 starts with San Jose, walking just one and sporting an excellent 0.92 WHIP and 2.49 ERA (166 ERA+) for the Cougars.

The next two seasons were spent in our system, again with injuries coming up constantly, tallying seven day-to-day injuries in 1934 alone. Still, the stuff was impressive, and I used him and catcher Claude Ramsey to acquire longtime Cougar Ollie Page, making him the Eagles' medical staff's problem. Again he fought injuries, but he made 15 starts in AAA (5-4, 4.52, 37) before earning a late season promotion to Washington. He started two games and relieved two, but was tagged for 15 hits, 9 runs, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts. He kept his roster spot, but was limited to just six games in the next two seasons due to injuries. He was in the pen for 1938, but was released after allowing 24 hits, 10 runs, and 8 walks in just 15 innings pitched. The oft-injured 27-year-old caught on with the Tulsa Roughnecks of the Western Baseball League, and made 8 starts to finish off the season. He did alright despite the 1-6 record, working to a 4.09 ERA (104 ERA+) and 1.24 WHIP with 25 walks and 40 strikeouts.

He survived most of the offseason, but Tulsa cut him in March. He didn't last long in free agency, as he joined the Pueblo Mountaineers, another member of the WBL, a week later. Quinn made 4 starts, but was hit hard, allowing 29 hits, 17 runs, and 8 walks in 24.2 innings. His 4.17 FIP (84 FIP-) was far better then his 6.20 ERA (80 ERA+), and he managed to strike out 18. Unfortunately, he left his final start with discomfort, and when diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, he decided to hang up the cleats.

Eventually his arm ended up feeling better, and with the war decimating minor league rosters, he attempted a comeback in 1944. He joined the Kings organization, and after two appearances in AA Knoxville, he spent the next two years in the AAA Jersey City pen. In 1944 he functioned as the teams stopper, making 76 appearances and throwing 137.2 innings. He finished 11-8 with 10 saves, but his 5.30 ERA (81 ERA+) and 1.93 WHIP were far less impressive. He walked 115 hitters and allowed 11 homers, but still managed to strike out 87. Unfortunately the 1945 season was even worse, as his ERA and WHIP rose to 7.04 (58 ERA+) and 2.02. He spent most of his innings in middle relief, walking 71 and striking out 40 in 85.2 innings pitched. With the war now over, Quinn saw the writing on the wall, and the Georgia native once again retired. This time: for good.

3rd Round, 34th Overall: RHP Johnny Walker
School: Berkely Bears
Career (FABL): 6-7, 16 G, 105.1 IP, 5.04 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 47 BB, 60 K, 87 ERA+, 0.4 WAR
Career (AAA): 46-27, 98 G, 678.1 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 268 BB, 380 K, 124 ERA+, 10.7 WAR
Career (AA): 45-24, 78 G, 638.2 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 264 BB, 345 K, 123 ERA+, 8.0 WAR

I was always a big fan of Johnny Walker, and I really thought he was going to be an excellent big league pitcher. What made Walker so exciting was not only his stuff, but how well he commanded it. He put up huge strikeout numbers in high school with very low walk totals, and that was something he kept up most of his career.

Everything started out great, as he went 13-3 in 19 starts with the Lions. He had a sterling 2.14 ERA (151 ERA+) and 1.09 WHIP with 148 strikeouts in 159.2 innings pitched. He walked just 50 and then earned a promotion to San Jose. He didn't do great (2-4, 7.58, 19), but quickly improved in 1930 (4-0, 2.65, 34), and spent most of 1931 in Lincoln. Again, he impressed, going 11-6 with a 3.58 ERA (114 ERA+) and 3.43 FIP (84 FIP-). He walked just 53 and struck out 159, and his 1.12 WHIP in 150.2 innings was most impressive. His 3.0 K/BB matched his impressive mark set in C ball, and when he returned to Lincoln the next season, he was absurd. Walker had a miniscule 1.69 ERA (221 ERA+) and 0.94 WHIP with 194 strikeouts in 165.1 innings pitched. He set a personal best with a 4.6 K/BB, striking out nearly 30% (29.6) of the hitters he faced. He finished 9-4 with a 2.29 FIP (61 FIP-), and finally earned a much deserved promotion to AA.

Walker seemed to hit a wall there, as the last 10 starts of his year were not impressive at all. He did go 5-4, but that came with a 5.19 ERA (86 ERA+) and 1.55 WHIP. The issue came in his walks and strikeouts, as he allowed 47 free passes with just 46 strikeouts in 85 innings. His 9.5 BB% and 11.9 K% were career worsts, but I was hoping it was just due to his highest workload (250.1 IP) of his career. After a good offseason, Walker returned to the Mobile rotation, and threw 20 strong starts before another midseason promotion. The 22-year-old went 11-9 with a 3.19 ERA (135 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP. the walks were still high, as his 9.6 BB% was in line with last year, but his K% rose from 11.9 to 15.5, which was still lower then in the past. After the promotion, however, the whiffs returned, setting a new personal best 34.1 K% by setting down 102 in just 67.2 innings pitched. He was an even 3-3 with a respectable 3.86 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.40 WHIP, but with added strikeouts came an abundance of free passes. He walked 49 hitters (16.4 BB%), and because of all the walks, he returned to AA for the 1933 season. That's where 25 of his 31 starts came, as he went 19-6 with a 3.28 ERA (128 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP. Walker's strikeouts deserted him, just 97 in 217 innings, leading to a less desirable 10.6 BB/9.

1934 was the season he finally got a shot in our rotation, as after 24 starts he got his contract purchased. Despite just 77 strikeouts in 164.1 innings, the overall results were good, as Walker went 10-6 with a 3.56 ERA (129 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP. He got four starts in our disappointing Wilcox-less season, going 1-2 with 30 hits, 16 runs, 15 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. Walker returned to Milwaukee for 1935, but had his most success at the level. He went 9-6 in 20 starts, working to a 3.75 ERA (141 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP with 37 walks and 81 strikeouts. His 2.2 K/BB was the first above 2 since his 11 starts in AAA back in 1932, and he again earned a shot to claim a rotation spot. He started 8 of his 9 appearances, finishing 4-5 with a 4.53 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.58 WHIP, 28 walks, and 37 strikeouts. While better then last year, it wasn't enough to keep hold of the rotation spot, and he again found himself starting the season in Milwaukee. He did go 10-8 in 21 starts, but ended up with a 4.14 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 62 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 150 innings. This was the first sample he walked more then one batter then he struck out, and just the second time he didn't strikeout more hitters then he walked. He still got one last chance to pitch in the big leagues, but the former 3rd Rounder allowed 26 hits and 13 runs in 16.2 innings. He did strike out 9 with just 4 walks, and he was DFA'd early in the 1937 season.

For some reason I released him instead of outrighting him, and he spent the next two seasons bouncing around the independent circuit. In 1938 he was excellent for the San Antonio Missions, going 10-5 with a 2.79 ERA (132 ERA+) and 1.44 WHIP in his 23 starts. He did walk (85) about as many batters as he struck out (87), and his 3.81 FIP (103 FIP-) was actually a bit below average. He was released after the Texas League finished despite finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Two weeks later he retired, pitching 105.1 FABL innings across three seasons for us.