November 1, 1967
LOOKING AT THE 1967 DRAFT CLASS AND TOP PROSPECTS
In an effort to stay abreast of who the top stars may be in the game once 1975 rolls around and human GMs return, here is an update on the first round picks both from the current June 1967 draft and from that of the last few year. As was the case a year ago we are listing below the 20 players selected in the opening round of the latest draft and showing where they slot on the OSA prospect pipeline as of the end of their first professional season.
Here are the 1967 first rounders and where they rank on the current pipeline, along with the 1965 and 1966 first rounders with an update on how each has progressed through the pipeline.
OSA TOP TEN PROSPECTS
October 1967
For the dual purpose of staying up to date with who the top FABL players are as we move towards 1975 while also doing a bit of an assessment on the volatility of top prospects in OOTP26, here is our annual look tracking the prospect pipeline's top 10 over the past few years.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CURRENT TOP TEN
1: EDDIE YANDOW - RHP, Detroit Dynamos, age 22: Selected third overall by Detroit out of Springfield State, Randow had a great debut as a pro. Assigned immediately to AAA Atlanta, he posted a 12-5 record and a 2.83 era in 20 starts. OSA says Yandow "has the makings of a future ace."
2: PETE ROSENBAUM - RHP, Dallas Wranglers, age 20 - Cracks the top ten for the second year in a row. The 1965 second overall draft pick split his first full pro season between rookie ball and Class A. Like Yandow, the OSA believes Rosenbaum has a chance to be an ace.
3: JIM WHITE - RHP, New York Imperials, age 20 - A fifth round pick in 1965, White is a surprise breakout pitcher that OSA feels "should rank among the best pitching prospects in any organization."
4: HOWIE WESTON - RHP, New York Imperials, age 19 - The first overall pick of the 1965 draft jumped all the way from rookie ball to AAA in 1967. Another of the many elite righthanders that OSA sees on the rise.
5: DON PERRY - RHP. Chicago Cougars, age 22 - Selected in the first round of the 1967 draft by the Gothams, Perry was dealt to the Cougars a couple of weeks ago. The former Arkansas A&T hurler made his pro debut at AAA in July and went 8-7 with a 3.41 era. OSA says he has a "golden arm".
6: BILL ALDRICH - RHP, Toronto Wolves, age 21 - The much travelled Aldrich becomes the sixth straight righthander to top the prospect list. A second round pick of Kansas City in the 1963 draft, he was dealt to the Chicago Chiefs organization a year later. The Chiefs waived him after a year and he signed with Toronto. A strong development program in Toronto helped boost Aldrich into the top ten. Despite the promise and five years in the minors Aldrich has still not pitched above Class A. OSA believes he can "become a great starting pitcher."
7: NICK PARKER - OF, Dallas Wranglers, age 19 - A return member to the top ten, the 1966 first rounder was 8th on the top ten list at this time last year. He profiles as an "everyday left fielder who can make an impact on a top-tier team."
8: JAKE POOLE- 2B, New York Imperials, age 20 - First overall selection in the 1965 draft, Poole is the third Imperials player to crack this year's top ten. Poole has not played above A ball yet but OSA feels he can "fill a key role for a contending team."
9:JIM PERRIN- RHP, Los Angeles Suns, age 20 - A Chicago native selected 4th overall out high school in the 1965 draft, Perrin was included in the top ten prospect list two years ago but slipped to 13th last year before returning to the top ten. OSA sees an Allan Award or two potentially in Perrin's future.
10: PEDRO ORTIZ - RHP, Detroit Dynamos, age 20 - Selected 7th overall in 1966, Ortiz immediately became the prize jewel in the Dynamos growing collection of prospects until passed in June with the drafting of Eddie Yandow, who tops the current prospect list. OSA feels Ortiz can be a top of the rotation arm, but he spent all of last season in rookie ball so needs time to grow.
TRACKING THE DYNAMOS FIRST ROUNDERSSince 1962 we have been tracking the yearly progress (or lack thereof) for the Detroit Dynamos first round selections in the annual June draft. The Dynamos were a power in the Federal Association not all that long ago but have been getting progressively worse each season, bottoming out (hopefully) at 66-96 in 1966. The just completed 1967 season saw a rebound of sorts as the Dynamos posted their best record since 1963 in going 78-84.
The team also moved on from one of its former first round picks as 1959 16th overall selection Ed MacNaughton was traded to Washington last fall. MacNaughton was a three-time all-star with Detroit so the Dynamos certainly need at least one of the three youngsters they received from the Eagles in return to pan out. Detroit did get a major leaguer in the deal in 25-year-old catcher Harvey Van Orden but he is far from a replacement for MacNaughton's bat as Van Orden slashed just .245/.309/.373 but did become the Dynamos number one catcher. Two of the prospects were first rounders by Washington in Buddy Ensey and Bill Tubbs. Both are outfielders. Ensey is 20 and is ranked 102th on the pipeline in October of 1967 after being selected 13th overall in the 1965 draft. Tubbs was the 14th pick in 1966 and the 19-year-old is 176th on the pipeline.
Detroit's top pick this year may just be the kind of player that can jump start a franchise revival. That would be Eddie Yandow, a 22-year-old pitcher selected third overall out of Springfield State. Detroit has not selected as high in the draft since 1948 when the Dynamos picked Ralph Capriotti with the third pick. Capriotti, an outfielder, was a bust, only making the majors because of expansion and he played 119 career games for Minneapolis. Perhaps a better sign for Yandow is the fact that Billy Hasson, the three time Allen Award winner from the St Louis Pioneers, is also a former Springfield State pitcher.
As for Yandow, he shot right to the top of the prospect pipeline and is number one after an outstanding 12-5, 2.83 showing in 20 starts at AAA. I expect him to be in the Dynamos rotation next year. Yandow is joined in the top ten by another Detroit hurler as last year's first rounder Pedro Ortiz now 20 years of age, spends his second season near the top of the prospect pipeline. He is 10th. Led by those two the Dynamos minor league system moves up one spot from a year ago, jumping into third best among the 20 FABL ballclubs.
Here is a look at how 1967 went for recent Detroit first round selections followed by a list of the organization's current top prospects.
1962 1st Rounder: SKIPPER ATKINS, HS RHP, 7th overall
1964 recap: Atkins is not a great prospect according to OSA, ranked 144th at the end of the 1964 season and 7th in a weak Dynamos farm system. OSA projects him to have a future in the back of the rotation. Now 20, he split the '64 season between A and AA, going 10-7, 3.90 at Terre Haute before moving up to Akron where he was 5-1 but with a subpar 83 ERA+. He dropped off as OSA had the Philadelphia native as the #45 prospect on Opening Day 1964.
1965 recap: Now 21, Atkins fell further in the eyes of the league scouting service, who now rank him 249th despite a solid showing at AA (6-4, 2.85) and moderate success in his first taste of AAA (4-4, 4.24). OSA says perhaps he could fit into the back of a rotation, but probably not someone you want to guarantee a spot to.
1966 recap: He held relatively steady on the OSA list in his age 22 season, checking it at 251st on the pipeline and is considered Detroit's 13th best prospect. OSA still believes his ceiling is the back end of a rotation after Atkins spent the entire year in AAA Atlanta, going 9-12 with a 4.05 era. He is still young enough that we hope he can contribute at some point but it is becoming more and more clear he will not deliver first round results should he get to the big leagues.
1967 recap: Well Skipper made it to Detroit. After going 9-7 with a 1.98 era in 26 starts for Atlanta, he was a September call-up and made four big league starts, going 2-0 with a 4.35 era. Skipper is now 23 and still projects poorly according to OSA, which calls him a "spot starter" but his September showing does give us reason for cautious optimism.
1963 1st Rounder: SAM MacDONALD, HS RHP, 18th overall
1964 recap: Like Atkins, MacDonald is a righthander drafted out of high school ball in Philadelphia. Born in Baltimore, OSA admits he is very raw but feels he does have a shot at being a top of the rotation arm someday. Ranked 65th in the end of 1964 prospect pipeline and #2 in Detroit's system behind only 1964 second round pitcher Danny Wilson. MacDonald can be a high strikeout pitcher but needs to harness his control which is almost non-existent after a year and a half at class C where he walked 109 in 142 innings.
1965 recap: He suffered a big drop in the eyes of OSA as well, falling all the way to 297th overall and 28th in the Detroit system. It feels like he didn't get a fair shake as MacDonald was not injured, but dumped back to Class C for a third season and only pitched 47 innings, going 2-2 with a 106 ERA+. Seems like he has been written off by Detroit management.
1966 recap: MacDonald does not come close to cracking the OSA top 500 anywhere and shows as the 62nd ranked prospect in Detroit's organization. It seems like the AI Dynamos management has given up on him completely as MacDonald pitched just 28 innings in 1966 and was beat up pretty badly in his only two starts at the Class A level. OSA still thinks he warrants a look with a ceiling of someone who might challenge for a depth starting spot but it is probably best at this point the Dynamos just cut ties with him.
1967 recap: MacDonald held steady and remains the 62nd ranked Detroit prospect according to OSA. He clearly does not factor in the long range plans for the Dynamos as 1967 was another wasted season with MacDonald throwing just 7 innings all year, at the rookie league level. He has not been injured but has been used for just 35 innings over the past two years. OSA seems to still have hope in MacDonald, calling him a back of the rotation starter. My fear is the Dynamos GM does exactly what he did with Danny Wilson as Detroit released the pitcher who was ranked 16th overall a year ago and he signed with the Kansas City Kings.
1964 1st Rounder: DON AYERS, HS OF, 16th overall
1964 recap: Nicknamed Funky, the Cleveland native was another high school first rounder taken by the Dynamos. Detroit has had a lot of busts in drafting corner-OF/1B types (see Tommy Allenby, John Morrison, Dino Sharp, Joe Fulgham or Ralph Capriotti) and early indications are Ayers can be another name to add to that list. Scouting report says Ayers could still be a productive regular on a contender, but the scouting service ranks him at #194 on the prospect pipeline so I am not holding out hope. He did put up some decent numbers in 55 games at Class C after being drafted (.333/.421/.400) so perhaps there is a chance he pans out.
1965 recap: He also dropped, falling to 267th overall and 26th among Detroit prospects. Still just 18 but he was also overlooked, playing just 12 games all season despite being healthy. Ayers made the most of his limited chances, slashing .438/.438/.750 but clearly feels like he does not fit into Detroit's plans.
1966 recap: Another bust and it is frustrating to see the AI management just bury these high draft picks and never give them an opportunity to play. Ayers, now ranked 348th overall and 22nd among Detroit prospects, is just 19 years old and he needs to play but instead languished on the bench all season, appearing in 34 games and getting just 93 plate appearances split between rookie ball (which class C has been renamed) and Class A. He did not do much with the limited opportunity he was given but Ayers is clearly going to be another bust.
1967 recap: Ayers slipped further, falling to 404th on the pipeline and has now turned 20. He played at three levels in 1967, ranging from rookie ball to High A, but only slashed .236/.384/.348 in 70 games. OSA feels he is on the bubble for holding down a big league role but we feel pretty confident he is yet another first round outfielder who turned out to be a bust.
1965 1st Rounder: PETE MORRIS, College OF, 6th overall
1965 recap: Finally a top ten pick again for the Dynamos but you know their track record with drafting corner outfielders. OSA says he has the tools to make an impact in the majors and at 22nd overall, he is Detroit's third highest ranked prospect at the moment. He came out of San Francisco Tech and went straight to AAA, but had a learning curve to deal with in batting just .229 with 3 homers in 89 games.
1966 recap: Promising. Now 24 years of age, Morris is considered Detroit's fourth best prospect and #43 overall. He spent the entire season in AAA Atlanta, batting .277 with 15 homers and 57 rbi's. Morris hit for the cycle in an April game and his 126 OPS for the season gives fans some hope he will eventually contribute in Detroit. OSA feels Morris has the tools to be a first division starter but the only red flag is Morris is said to lack ambition.
1967 Recap: With MacNaughton shipped out to Washington, Morris made the jump to Detroit as a reserve. The 25-year-old hit .233 in 146 big league at bats and while the clock has to be ticking rapidly, OSA still believes Morris can become an above-average big league outfielder.
1966 1st Rounder: PEDRO ORTIZ, High School Pitcher, 7th overall
1966 recap: The 19-year-old from Brooklyn is drawing rave reviews from OSA, which immediately named him the Dynamos top prospect and he presently slots in at #4 overall. Ortiz is one of two Detroit pitchers in the top 16 (1964 second rounder Danny Wilson is the other one) and the scouting service raves that Ortiz has a golden arm and should be a top of the rotation pitcher. We can hope as the Dynamos certainly are in need of one. Ortiz went 5-5 with a 4.30 era (124 ERA+) in 12 starts at rookie ball after his high school season came to an end. He earned a late season promotion to Class A and was dominant going 2-0 with a 0.56 era and a 797! ERA+. OSA says Ortiz could be in the big leagues sometime next season which is a Carl Potter like pace and if Ortiz can become anything close to what Potter did in his first six seasons in Detroit back in the 1940s Dynamos fans will be in for a treat.
1967 recap: Ortiz remains in the OSA top ten prospect list for a second year, slotting in right at #10 this time. He repeated rookie ball in his age 19 season, going 7-3 with a sparkling 1.22 era in 13 starts after reportedly doing an outstanding job over the winter increasing his endurance on the mound. OSA believes Ortiz can be an impact starter and I would like to see Detroit challenge him with high A or perhaps even AA next year.
1967 1st Rounder: EDDIE YANDOW, College Pitcher, 3rd overall
The highest draft pick Detroit has had in 17 years certainly seems to be a home run as Yandow not only immediately became Detroit's top prospect but OSA calls him the best prospect in the game at the moment. A Chicago native drafted out of Springfield State, the recently turned 22-year-old went 12-5 with a 2.83 era after debuting at the AAA level. In a perfect world he joins Detroit's rotation in April of 1968 and contends for the Kellogg Award. OSA raves about his command and says Yandow "has the makings of a future ace." I love taking college arms early in the draft and with a little luck, the Dynamos have landed a future all-star.
CURRENT (OCT 1967) TOP DETROIT PROSPECTS
Next up will be the conclusion of the 1967 recaps, as we look at the pro and college football campaigns.