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ayaghmour2 · 12-06-2023, 10:19 PM

There will still be a weekly recap tonight, although very late, and before touching on the rest of our picks I want to mention a trade we made with the Dynamos. I want to shake our roster up, and I made the first move, shipping Hal Sharp to the Dynamos for Floyd Van Hoven. Sharp was in the midst of a brutal season, hitting just .251/.330/.287 (66 OPS+) with a homer and 11 RBIs in just shy of 200 trips to the plate. This was not what we were used to, as he had a WRC+ of 130 or higher in each of the last five seasons, but he's now 35 and very unhappy. He was going to lose his spot in the lineup sooner or later, and we were at least able to add a depth arm to replace him. Sharp gave us three consistently good seasons, and will end his Cougar career with a batting line around .314/.375/.439 (128 OPS+).as well as 45 homers and 205 RBIs. Its an unceremonious end for a reliable hitter, but I think this (and a few other moves) gives us the best chance of turning things around this.

There will be more...

Not sure of what, but our roster may look a bit different a month from now...

16th Round, 253rd Overall: RHP Jack Armstrong
School: Grange College Mustangs
1949: 5-8, 119.2 IP, 5.94 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, 95 BB, 92 K
Career (COL): 13-22, 333 IP, 5.43 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 223 B,, 279 K
Career (HS): 31-11, 433.1 IP, 2.08 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 166 BB, 517 K

Grange College may have been #1 in the nation, but it wasn't because of Jack Armstrong. A three year starter, Armstrong set career worsts in nearly every category, but his bests aren't too impressive either. I'm leaning heavily towards letting him return for his senior season, as I'm not sure he offers much to the organization. If I let him go, he may be drafted a third time, as he moved up four rounds from when the Wolves took him in the 20th.

17th Round, 269th Overall: CF Dick Poplaski
School: Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes
1949: .288/.360/.386, 270 PA, 10 2B, 5 3B, HR, 38 RBI, 31 SB
Career: .279/.353/.389, 518 PA, 21 2B, 10 3B, 3 HR, 72 RBI, 71 SB

A two year starter at Texas Gulf Coast, Dick Poplaski didn't really do much in college, hitting .279 with 3 homers and 46 steals. He is a decent defender and can cover all three positions, and at the plate he does give professional at bats. Dixie Marsh thinks he "show a good knack for barreling the ball with a compact, clean swing, helping him to spray the ball around the field." Without much power, he'll want to stick in center, and Dixie believes in him. He's much higher on Poplaski then some of our other picks, which leads me to believe he's worth tendering a contract. Outfield isn't a position of need, but the mix of speed, eye, and potentially bat is enticing. Depending on what we have left he may not make the cut, but if we can get all the important guys in, Poplaski will get a shot to stick as a bench player.

18th Round, 285th Overall: LHP Darius Merlet
School: Shelton Wolves
Commit School: Darnell State
1949: 8-2, 102 IP, 1.50 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 28 BB, 138 K
Career: 33-7, 417 IP, 1.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 129 BB, 529 K

A native of Sarnia, Ontario, Darius Merlet's family moved to Nebraska so he could pitch for the Shelton Wolves varsity team. He game them 53 starts, going 33-7 with a 1.83 ERA 1.06 WHIP. A three pitch pitcher, Merlet may eventually struggle with the longball, but he has a slider that's especially nasty against left handed hitters. But as exciting as that may be, I doubt he'll ever start in the big leagues, and we'll let him fulfil his commitment to Darnell State.

19th Round, 301st Overall: RHP Doug Hensley
School: Windber Ramblers
Commit School: Topeka State
1949: 4-1, 62.1 IP, 1.59 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 20 BB, 83 K
Career: 7-2, 108.1 IP, 1.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 32 BB, 135 K

Already 19, Doug Hensley didn't pitch varsity until he was a junior at Windber in Pennsylvania. He did improve from season one to two, as he set bests in every category except walks (12 to 20) and walk percentage (6.0 to 7.2). The improved command will be nice for Topeka State, as we have no real interest in the righty. He does have a solid knuckle curve, but that won't be enough to make up for the lack of command. I don't think he has the stuff to beat even average big leaguers, but he has a chance to sharpen his repertoire on a pretty good college team.

20th Round, 317th Overall: CF Jim Mathews
School: Muncie Cardinals
Commit School: Carbondale
1949: .455/.523/.750, 131 PA, 15 2B, 6 3B, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 11 SB
Career: .444/.507/.741, 345 PA, 41 2B, 11 3B, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 39 SB

Another center fielder, Jim Mathews (yes, not Matthews), was a three year starter at Muncie in Indiana, and is now set to join the Carbondale Wildcats, a college team who doesn't play too far from us. He would get lost in the shuffle here, so I thought it was worth giving him a chance to improve his draft stock. He's got a good eye and is quick, but we have plenty of other guys of that profile that just do it better.

21st Round, 333rd Overall: LHP Israel Gutierrez
School: Darby Yellow Jackets
Commit School: Long Island Maritime College
1949: 6-3, 98 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 45 BB, 65 K
Career: 28-9, 377.2 IP, 3.03 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 165 BB, 300 K

All you need to know about Israel Gutierrez is that his 3.86 ERA against high schoolers is higher then every one in our rotation except Duke Bybee (4.20). He isn't cut out to pitch minor league baseball and he's not too bright or hardworking. The only thing going for him is he's 6'4'' and could maybe one day throw the ball hard.

22nd Round, 349th Overall: RHP Cy Hobbs
School: Central Ohio Aviators
1949: 4-9, 132.2 IP, 5.77 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 63 BB, 53 K
Career: 15-25, 11 SV, 417.1 IP, 5.76 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 204 BB, 160 K

A senior at Central Ohio, Cy Hobbs did not have the most successful collegiate career, but he was taken two rounds earlier this year after being a 24th Round Pick of the Stars last year. His best season came when he spent most of the year as the team's stopper, but there's still not much to like about a 5.54 ERA and more walks (32) then strikeouts (26). We'll eventually sign him, but his time in the organization may be short. He doesn't excite, but he's the type who's comfortable not being the guy.

23rd Round, 365th Overall: RHP Russ Hughes
School: Spring City Democrats
Commit School: Johnstown State
1949: 8-1, 91.2 IP, 2.16 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 45 BB, 115 K
Career: 25-6, 306.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 120 BB, 349 K

Russ Hughes' prep career got off to a solid start, as the sophomore went 9-3 with a 1.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts. He never came close to that production again, posting ERAs above 2 while failing to reach the 110.1 innings he threw at 15. He doesn't do too much well right now, so there's no need to cause him to break his commitment to Johnstown State. "Rusty" could use the extra seasoning, as he's not ready to start facing minor league hitters yet.

24th Round, 381st Overall: SS Johnny Oliver
School: West Newbury Sachem
Commit School: Brandywine
1949: .393/.463/.570, 123 PA, 10 2B, 3 3B, HR, 22 RBI, 15 SB
Career: .405/.485/.590, 466 PA, 33 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 94 RBI, 61 SB

Hitting .393 as a senior isn't great, so Concord native Johnny Oliver seems destined to fulfil his commitment to Brandywine. For some reason OSA thinks he can hit .310 in the majors, and I find that truly hard to believe. He'll be lucky to hit .310 next season, and I'm curious to see how much earlier he will be selected when he becomes draft eligible again.

25th Round, 397th Overall: C Ted Wheeler
School: San Francisco Tech Unions
1949: .288/.327/.356, 222 PA, 8 2B, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 2 SB
Career (COL): .290/.329/.370, 754 PA, 24 2B, 3B, 10 HR, 112 RBI, 7 SB
Career (HS): .431/.493/.636, 485 PA, 46 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 107 RBI, 29 SB

Rounding out our class is the only catcher from the AI portion in San Francisco Tech backstop Ted Wheeler. This is the second time he's been taken in the final round, as the Stars took him seven picks earlier three drafts ago. I haven't decided what we'd do with him, as he had decent offensive skills and you never know when you need an emergency catcher. We do have Danny Noonan, so bringing Wheeler in isn't a necessity. Players with two sentence scouting reports generally don't have much of a future, but if one of our catchers gets injured long-term I'll bring Wheeler in to take their place.

12-06-2023, 10:19 PM	#1279
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1949 Draft: Rounds 16-25 There will still be a weekly recap tonight, although very late, and before touching on the rest of our picks I want to mention a trade we made with the Dynamos. I want to shake our roster up, and I made the first move, shipping Hal Sharp to the Dynamos for Floyd Van Hoven. Sharp was in the midst of a brutal season, hitting just .251/.330/.287 (66 OPS+) with a homer and 11 RBIs in just shy of 200 trips to the plate. This was not what we were used to, as he had a WRC+ of 130 or higher in each of the last five seasons, but he's now 35 and very unhappy. He was going to lose his spot in the lineup sooner or later, and we were at least able to add a depth arm to replace him. Sharp gave us three consistently good seasons, and will end his Cougar career with a batting line around .314/.375/.439 (128 OPS+).as well as 45 homers and 205 RBIs. Its an unceremonious end for a reliable hitter, but I think this (and a few other moves) gives us the best chance of turning things around this. There will be more... Not sure of what, but our roster may look a bit different a month from now... 16th Round, 253rd Overall: RHP Jack Armstrong School: Grange College Mustangs 1949: 5-8, 119.2 IP, 5.94 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, 95 BB, 92 K Career (COL): 13-22, 333 IP, 5.43 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 223 B,, 279 K Career (HS): 31-11, 433.1 IP, 2.08 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 166 BB, 517 K Grange College may have been #1 in the nation, but it wasn't because of Jack Armstrong. A three year starter, Armstrong set career worsts in nearly every category, but his bests aren't too impressive either. I'm leaning heavily towards letting him return for his senior season, as I'm not sure he offers much to the organization. If I let him go, he may be drafted a third time, as he moved up four rounds from when the Wolves took him in the 20th. 17th Round, 269th Overall: CF Dick Poplaski School: Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes 1949: .288/.360/.386, 270 PA, 10 2B, 5 3B, HR, 38 RBI, 31 SB Career: .279/.353/.389, 518 PA, 21 2B, 10 3B, 3 HR, 72 RBI, 71 SB A two year starter at Texas Gulf Coast, Dick Poplaski didn't really do much in college, hitting .279 with 3 homers and 46 steals. He is a decent defender and can cover all three positions, and at the plate he does give professional at bats. Dixie Marsh thinks he "show a good knack for barreling the ball with a compact, clean swing, helping him to spray the ball around the field." Without much power, he'll want to stick in center, and Dixie believes in him. He's much higher on Poplaski then some of our other picks, which leads me to believe he's worth tendering a contract. Outfield isn't a position of need, but the mix of speed, eye, and potentially bat is enticing. Depending on what we have left he may not make the cut, but if we can get all the important guys in, Poplaski will get a shot to stick as a bench player. 18th Round, 285th Overall: LHP Darius Merlet School: Shelton Wolves Commit School: Darnell State 1949: 8-2, 102 IP, 1.50 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 28 BB, 138 K Career: 33-7, 417 IP, 1.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 129 BB, 529 K A native of Sarnia, Ontario, Darius Merlet's family moved to Nebraska so he could pitch for the Shelton Wolves varsity team. He game them 53 starts, going 33-7 with a 1.83 ERA 1.06 WHIP. A three pitch pitcher, Merlet may eventually struggle with the longball, but he has a slider that's especially nasty against left handed hitters. But as exciting as that may be, I doubt he'll ever start in the big leagues, and we'll let him fulfil his commitment to Darnell State. 19th Round, 301st Overall: RHP Doug Hensley School: Windber Ramblers Commit School: Topeka State 1949: 4-1, 62.1 IP, 1.59 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 20 BB, 83 K Career: 7-2, 108.1 IP, 1.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 32 BB, 135 K Already 19, Doug Hensley didn't pitch varsity until he was a junior at Windber in Pennsylvania. He did improve from season one to two, as he set bests in every category except walks (12 to 20) and walk percentage (6.0 to 7.2). The improved command will be nice for Topeka State, as we have no real interest in the righty. He does have a solid knuckle curve, but that won't be enough to make up for the lack of command. I don't think he has the stuff to beat even average big leaguers, but he has a chance to sharpen his repertoire on a pretty good college team. 20th Round, 317th Overall: CF Jim Mathews School: Muncie Cardinals Commit School: Carbondale 1949: .455/.523/.750, 131 PA, 15 2B, 6 3B, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 11 SB Career: .444/.507/.741, 345 PA, 41 2B, 11 3B, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 39 SB Another center fielder, Jim Mathews (yes, not Matthews), was a three year starter at Muncie in Indiana, and is now set to join the Carbondale Wildcats, a college team who doesn't play too far from us. He would get lost in the shuffle here, so I thought it was worth giving him a chance to improve his draft stock. He's got a good eye and is quick, but we have plenty of other guys of that profile that just do it better. 21st Round, 333rd Overall: LHP Israel Gutierrez School: Darby Yellow Jackets Commit School: Long Island Maritime College 1949: 6-3, 98 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 45 BB, 65 K Career: 28-9, 377.2 IP, 3.03 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 165 BB, 300 K All you need to know about Israel Gutierrez is that his 3.86 ERA against high schoolers is higher then every one in our rotation except Duke Bybee (4.20). He isn't cut out to pitch minor league baseball and he's not too bright or hardworking. The only thing going for him is he's 6'4'' and could maybe one day throw the ball hard. 22nd Round, 349th Overall: RHP Cy Hobbs School: Central Ohio Aviators 1949: 4-9, 132.2 IP, 5.77 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 63 BB, 53 K Career: 15-25, 11 SV, 417.1 IP, 5.76 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 204 BB, 160 K A senior at Central Ohio, Cy Hobbs did not have the most successful collegiate career, but he was taken two rounds earlier this year after being a 24th Round Pick of the Stars last year. His best season came when he spent most of the year as the team's stopper, but there's still not much to like about a 5.54 ERA and more walks (32) then strikeouts (26). We'll eventually sign him, but his time in the organization may be short. He doesn't excite, but he's the type who's comfortable not being the guy. 23rd Round, 365th Overall: RHP Russ Hughes School: Spring City Democrats Commit School: Johnstown State 1949: 8-1, 91.2 IP, 2.16 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 45 BB, 115 K Career: 25-6, 306.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 120 BB, 349 K Russ Hughes' prep career got off to a solid start, as the sophomore went 9-3 with a 1.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts. He never came close to that production again, posting ERAs above 2 while failing to reach the 110.1 innings he threw at 15. He doesn't do too much well right now, so there's no need to cause him to break his commitment to Johnstown State. "Rusty" could use the extra seasoning, as he's not ready to start facing minor league hitters yet. 24th Round, 381st Overall: SS Johnny Oliver School: West Newbury Sachem Commit School: Brandywine 1949: .393/.463/.570, 123 PA, 10 2B, 3 3B, HR, 22 RBI, 15 SB Career: .405/.485/.590, 466 PA, 33 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 94 RBI, 61 SB Hitting .393 as a senior isn't great, so Concord native Johnny Oliver seems destined to fulfil his commitment to Brandywine. For some reason OSA thinks he can hit .310 in the majors, and I find that truly hard to believe. He'll be lucky to hit .310 next season, and I'm curious to see how much earlier he will be selected when he becomes draft eligible again. 25th Round, 397th Overall: C Ted Wheeler School: San Francisco Tech Unions 1949: .288/.327/.356, 222 PA, 8 2B, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 2 SB Career (COL): .290/.329/.370, 754 PA, 24 2B, 3B, 10 HR, 112 RBI, 7 SB Career (HS): .431/.493/.636, 485 PA, 46 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 107 RBI, 29 SB Rounding out our class is the only catcher from the AI portion in San Francisco Tech backstop Ted Wheeler. This is the second time he's been taken in the final round, as the Stars took him seven picks earlier three drafts ago. I haven't decided what we'd do with him, as he had decent offensive skills and you never know when you need an emergency catcher. We do have Danny Noonan, so bringing Wheeler in isn't a necessity. Players with two sentence scouting reports generally don't have much of a future, but if one of our catchers gets injured long-term I'll bring Wheeler in to take their place.