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ayaghmour2 · 07-26-2024, 01:30 AM

RHP Bobby Crooks (116th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1951)
Draft: 2nd Round, 26th Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Ypsilanti Cougars

The centerpiece of the John Moss trade, Bobby Crooks is actually a former Cougar as well as a current Cougar, as he went to Ypsilanti High School in Michigan, and they are also nicknamed the Cougars. He also spent 10 starts with the San Jose Cougars, and even though he just turned 20 on October 15th, he may end up in Lincoln next year. He pitched in Class B in the Chiefs system too, going a combined 12-4 with a 3.26 ERA (121 ERA+) and 1.69 WHIP. That's pretty solid, especially the ERA, but Crooks has one glaring weakness: his pitches are crooked. I know, I know, so funny, but when you walk 123 guys in 173.2 innings, you have to have some humor. A three pitch pitcher who according to Dixie Marsh "lacks any real command," Crooks has solid stuff, and with good movement generates a lot of groundball outs. His fastball isn't too fast, sitting in the mid 80s, but his curve and slider are very nice. Even better, he has the perfect makeup of a pitcher who walks a lot of guys, as he's cool and composed on the mound, but can still take it up a notch when he needs to. He's confident in his stuff that when he has guys on base, he can either strand them or double them up, and considering this was his first season as a starting pitcher, he honestly looked really good. Experience is going to help, but if we can either get him throwing in the 90s or hitting his spots, there's the potential of a solid middle of the rotation arm who can limit the longball and record huge outs.

2B Andy Robinson (131st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1950)
Alma Mater: Fredericksburg Chargers

It's crazy to think that for a few months Andy Robinson was a top 20 prospects, but after upgrading from 24 to 25 a lot of that excitement wore off. I'm not sure it's necessarily deserved, especially considering he's one of the few teens in La Crosse to play well. While still below average, the still 18-year-old Robinson hit .279/.390/.454 (90 OPS+) with a 96 WRC+ in 218 trips to the plate. The former 12th Pick added 9 doubles, 7 homers, 23 RBIs, and 32 runs, getting some reps at first while playing excellent defense at second. His 1.5 zone rating and 1.041 efficiency are both above average as he put in a ton of over the offseason trying to improve his defense. The classic "baseball rat," Robinson is always looking for extra work and putting in hours in the cage and on the dirt. It's what allowed him to hit well above .500 in high school, and while Dixie doesn't see a .300 hitter, it's hard to imagine him ever hitting below .275. He's got good speed, good pop, and a great approach at the plate, leading to a lot of hard hit balls and extra base hits. Expect a second season in La Crosse for him, but if he hit like he did to start the '51 season, he'll get a chance to play in San Jose before the end of next year.

3B Buddy Byrd (133rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1951)
Draft: 1st Round, 9th Overall (1949)
Alma Mater: Lane Knights

Another piece of the George Oddo/Jimmy Isgro trade, Buddy Byrd was the earliest draft pick, taken 9th in 1949. He spent all last season in the Kings organization, but it didn't go well. To be fair, it happened in Class B and he was 19, but a .212/.250/.251 (31 OPS+) line is hard to spin in a positive way. You could say the same of his .215/.337/.401 (66 OPS+) line in La Crosse, but it's twice as good as when he was overmatched last season. It also came with 9 homers, 28 RBIs, 32 runs, and 32 walks. The best part is the stolen base success, as he swiped 19 in 21 attempts. Playing all around the infield, solid speed is huge, as it can give him value if the power doesn't improve. We're working on finding a position for him, I'm hoping it's third, but that's the worst position he played. He started at each of the four infield spots for more then 90 innings and fewer then 115. The only position with plus defense was second, his natural position, but "Tweety" should have strong range with his speed. The speed is his best tool, followed by his contact tool, and if both can be close to elite, that's all he'll need. I'd lover power, or eye, or low strikeouts, but Byrd could be the perfect leadoff man, and he's a baseball guy through and through.

CF Jeff King (140th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 40th Overall (1948)
Alma Mater: Millville Middies

A third round pick a few seasons ago, Jeff King finally got his way to San Jose, but ended up finding his way back to La Crosse. He hit just .234/.342/.272 (65 OPS+), with just a single extra base hit a piece in 184 trips to the plate. He did walk 23 times, adding 20 runs, 11 RBIs, and 8 steals. In La Crosse he was a bit better, hitting .283/.456/.417 (98 OPS+) with an excellent 120 WRC+. That came from the similar 22.8 BB% and 29.1 K%, and he actually had an extra extra base hit in over 100 fewer plate appearances. A versatile 21-year-old, King spent time at all positions except catcher, pitcher, and second, though he didn't start at first. The majority came in right, where he had a nice 1.1 zone rating and 1.062 efficiency in over 200 innings in San Jose, so at least the poor offense came with good defense. An ideal utility outfielder, he's got natural instincts on the grass, and I'm sure he's got great range on the infield dirt too. The arm is good too, so third is an option, but I've liked the work he does in right. At one point his future looked to be in a lineup, but even if he ends up on the bench, he could carve out a nice career for himself.

CF Curt Neville (141st Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1951)
Draft: 3rd Round, 47th Overall (1950)
Alma Mater: Dwight Tigers

The other main piece of the John Moss trade, Curt Neville was a 3rd Round pick last season and cracked three top 100 prospect lists before falling down to the 100s in the midseason rankings. At the time of the trade, Neville was doing great with the Chiefs' Class B team, but it didn't translate like it did with Bobby Crooks. Neville went from hitting .318/.371/.408 (105 OPS+) to .265/.319/.324 (73 OPS+), all in the same lead. Between the two spots he gathered 18 doubles, 4 triples, 47 runs, 68 RBIs, and 34 walks, ironically with 17 at each location, but all three of his homers and his steal came in Tacoma. Luckily, the defense was always good, as Neville had a near identical 6.6 and 6.5 zone rating with a 1.046 and 1.045 efficiency. Despite the lack of homers, he projects to be a solid power hitter, giving us a nice power/speed combo to look forward to. Recently 20, he's got a lot of bulking up to do, but there's plenty of time for him to fill in. We need to work on getting him to put the ball in play more often, but a full season in our organization should help, and we'll look to get him back on track with San Jose next year.

07-26-2024, 01:30 AM	#1491
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	Top Prospects: 16-20 RHP Bobby Crooks (116th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1951) Draft: 2nd Round, 26th Overall (1949) Alma Mater: Ypsilanti Cougars The centerpiece of the John Moss trade, Bobby Crooks is actually a former Cougar as well as a current Cougar, as he went to Ypsilanti High School in Michigan, and they are also nicknamed the Cougars. He also spent 10 starts with the San Jose Cougars, and even though he just turned 20 on October 15th, he may end up in Lincoln next year. He pitched in Class B in the Chiefs system too, going a combined 12-4 with a 3.26 ERA (121 ERA+) and 1.69 WHIP. That's pretty solid, especially the ERA, but Crooks has one glaring weakness: his pitches are crooked. I know, I know, so funny, but when you walk 123 guys in 173.2 innings, you have to have some humor. A three pitch pitcher who according to Dixie Marsh "lacks any real command," Crooks has solid stuff, and with good movement generates a lot of groundball outs. His fastball isn't too fast, sitting in the mid 80s, but his curve and slider are very nice. Even better, he has the perfect makeup of a pitcher who walks a lot of guys, as he's cool and composed on the mound, but can still take it up a notch when he needs to. He's confident in his stuff that when he has guys on base, he can either strand them or double them up, and considering this was his first season as a starting pitcher, he honestly looked really good. Experience is going to help, but if we can either get him throwing in the 90s or hitting his spots, there's the potential of a solid middle of the rotation arm who can limit the longball and record huge outs. 2B Andy Robinson (131st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 12th Overall (1950) Alma Mater: Fredericksburg Chargers It's crazy to think that for a few months Andy Robinson was a top 20 prospects, but after upgrading from 24 to 25 a lot of that excitement wore off. I'm not sure it's necessarily deserved, especially considering he's one of the few teens in La Crosse to play well. While still below average, the still 18-year-old Robinson hit .279/.390/.454 (90 OPS+) with a 96 WRC+ in 218 trips to the plate. The former 12th Pick added 9 doubles, 7 homers, 23 RBIs, and 32 runs, getting some reps at first while playing excellent defense at second. His 1.5 zone rating and 1.041 efficiency are both above average as he put in a ton of over the offseason trying to improve his defense. The classic "baseball rat," Robinson is always looking for extra work and putting in hours in the cage and on the dirt. It's what allowed him to hit well above .500 in high school, and while Dixie doesn't see a .300 hitter, it's hard to imagine him ever hitting below .275. He's got good speed, good pop, and a great approach at the plate, leading to a lot of hard hit balls and extra base hits. Expect a second season in La Crosse for him, but if he hit like he did to start the '51 season, he'll get a chance to play in San Jose before the end of next year. 3B Buddy Byrd (133rd Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1951) Draft: 1st Round, 9th Overall (1949) Alma Mater: Lane Knights Another piece of the George Oddo/Jimmy Isgro trade, Buddy Byrd was the earliest draft pick, taken 9th in 1949. He spent all last season in the Kings organization, but it didn't go well. To be fair, it happened in Class B and he was 19, but a .212/.250/.251 (31 OPS+) line is hard to spin in a positive way. You could say the same of his .215/.337/.401 (66 OPS+) line in La Crosse, but it's twice as good as when he was overmatched last season. It also came with 9 homers, 28 RBIs, 32 runs, and 32 walks. The best part is the stolen base success, as he swiped 19 in 21 attempts. Playing all around the infield, solid speed is huge, as it can give him value if the power doesn't improve. We're working on finding a position for him, I'm hoping it's third, but that's the worst position he played. He started at each of the four infield spots for more then 90 innings and fewer then 115. The only position with plus defense was second, his natural position, but "Tweety" should have strong range with his speed. The speed is his best tool, followed by his contact tool, and if both can be close to elite, that's all he'll need. I'd lover power, or eye, or low strikeouts, but Byrd could be the perfect leadoff man, and he's a baseball guy through and through. CF Jeff King (140th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 40th Overall (1948) Alma Mater: Millville Middies A third round pick a few seasons ago, Jeff King finally got his way to San Jose, but ended up finding his way back to La Crosse. He hit just .234/.342/.272 (65 OPS+), with just a single extra base hit a piece in 184 trips to the plate. He did walk 23 times, adding 20 runs, 11 RBIs, and 8 steals. In La Crosse he was a bit better, hitting .283/.456/.417 (98 OPS+) with an excellent 120 WRC+. That came from the similar 22.8 BB% and 29.1 K%, and he actually had an extra extra base hit in over 100 fewer plate appearances. A versatile 21-year-old, King spent time at all positions except catcher, pitcher, and second, though he didn't start at first. The majority came in right, where he had a nice 1.1 zone rating and 1.062 efficiency in over 200 innings in San Jose, so at least the poor offense came with good defense. An ideal utility outfielder, he's got natural instincts on the grass, and I'm sure he's got great range on the infield dirt too. The arm is good too, so third is an option, but I've liked the work he does in right. At one point his future looked to be in a lineup, but even if he ends up on the bench, he could carve out a nice career for himself. CF Curt Neville (141st Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Chiefs (1951) Draft: 3rd Round, 47th Overall (1950) Alma Mater: Dwight Tigers The other main piece of the John Moss trade, Curt Neville was a 3rd Round pick last season and cracked three top 100 prospect lists before falling down to the 100s in the midseason rankings. At the time of the trade, Neville was doing great with the Chiefs' Class B team, but it didn't translate like it did with Bobby Crooks. Neville went from hitting .318/.371/.408 (105 OPS+) to .265/.319/.324 (73 OPS+), all in the same lead. Between the two spots he gathered 18 doubles, 4 triples, 47 runs, 68 RBIs, and 34 walks, ironically with 17 at each location, but all three of his homers and his steal came in Tacoma. Luckily, the defense was always good, as Neville had a near identical 6.6 and 6.5 zone rating with a 1.046 and 1.045 efficiency. Despite the lack of homers, he projects to be a solid power hitter, giving us a nice power/speed combo to look forward to. Recently 20, he's got a lot of bulking up to do, but there's plenty of time for him to fill in. We need to work on getting him to put the ball in play more often, but a full season in our organization should help, and we'll look to get him back on track with San Jose next year.