Random Debut League 1901-??

[Highlander]

With all of the different ways I’ve played OOTP, I’ve never done a full history (from 1901) replay using random debut. Well, it’s time for that to end and I thought I’d share the results here along the way. I kept most everything on the default settings, but I did switch over to the development engine for how players progress…..so we should get a few surprises along the way with how different players come out. I kept it to players from 1901 on and I am not controlling any teams….I’m just along for the ride to watch and see what happens.

I’ll start off by introducing each team and which players from throughout history will be joining us for this inaugural season. First up will be the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore Orioles

With these team introductions, I’ll start with the pitching staff and then move on to the regular lineup, followed by the bench guys. The numbers in parentheses are their “age of import”.

SP1- Mike Caldwell (22)- Mike was a 4th round pick and imports in his rookie year. His career was in the 70’s and 80’s and his best season came in 1978 at 29 years old, going 22-9 with a 2.36 ERA for Milwaukee. He may struggle as a #1 pitcher.

SP2- Juan Pena (21)- Another really young pitcher, Pena was a 9th round pick and also imports as a rookie. His career amounted to 2 starts and 13 innings for the Red Sox in 1999. He was really good in those starts, though, so anything could happen here. Apparently, he was set to be the 5th starter for the Red Sox in 2000, but took a line drive off of his elbow in Spring Training that tore his MCL and he was never able to make it back to the majors. Here’s hoping he gets a good shot at a second chance here!

SP3- Eric Erickson (24)- A round 5 pick, Erickson is pretty close to his playing days. He pitched from 1914-1922. His later career wasn’t much, but his early seasons showed some promise, so maybe he develops.

SP4- Freddy Peralta (27)- Freddy was picked in the 7th round and is the veteran of this group. A modern day guy who has pitched his whole career for the Brewers and has been pretty successful. We’ll see how he does in 1901.

MR- Ken Rowe (31)- Ken was a 12th rounder who had a pretty limited career in the 1960’s, although he did pitch some on the great 1963 World Champion Dodgers team.

MR- Curt Lyons (21)- Curt was drafted very late in the 30th round. He continues the trend of young pitchers for this Baltimore team. His career amounted to 3 pretty pedestrian starts with the Reds back in 1996.

Reserve- Bill Cristall (25), Anthony Misiewicz (27), Brandon Morrow (29), Pedro Payano (24), Bob Ross (22…word is he has a nasty pitch he calls the “paintball”), Daniel Wright (25)

C- Duane Josephson (27)- An 8th round pick, Duane played from 1965-1972 with both the White and Red Sox. Not a great hitter or catcher at first glance, but could surprise.

1B- Beau Bell (29)- Beau was the 2nd pick for Baltimore and looks like a real star. He played from 1935-1941 and was a bit of a late bloomer. His first two full seasons for the Browns were fantastic and that is what his ratings here are based on it seems. We’ll see if he can keep it up longer than he did his first time around.

2B- Sonny Jackson (23)- A 15th round pick, Sonny played from 1963-1974 and had some success with the Astros and Braves.

3B- Jim Gantner (31)- Jim was a 14th round pick and is generally better at 2B, but the Orioles are moving him to 3rd. He played from 1976-1992, all with the Brewers. Lots of former Brewers on this team!

SS- Johnny Burnett (27)- A 10th round pick who is also playing at his worst position. He could be a better 2B or 3B, but is being used at SS. Weaker pitching and defense doesn’t seem to bode well for this team. Johnny played from 1927-1935, mostly with Cleveland. He only played a couple of seasons with over 400 AB, but they were actually pretty solid.

LF- Corbin Carroll (23)- The 3rd player taken by Baltimore, Corbin is a current player who has good potential. Not sure he is a star in the making the way he was imported, but he’s got a lot of solid tools for sure.

CF- Felix Mantilla (26)- A 6th round pick, Felix’s best position is LF, but he’s pretty solid in CF as well. He can also play multiple IF positions, although not very well. He played from 1956-1966 with a number of teams. He didn’t play consistently through his career, but did have one season where he hit 30 HR, so we’ll see how he develops.

RF- Fred Snodgrass (22)- The #1 pick of the Orioles, Fred imported REALLY well compared to what his numbers look like. He played from 1908-1916, but was no more than just a decent player. We’ll see which Fred Snodgrass we get!

Bench
C/1B- Eliezer Alfonzo (27)...Round 19…. 2006-2011
1B- Randall Simon (28)....Round 16…. 1997-2006
2B/3B- Juan Bonilla (25)....Round 22….1981-1987
IF- Luke Boone (25)....Round 21….1913-1918
2B/3B- Ken Boswell (30)....Round 18….1967-1977
IF/LF- Larry Raines (27)....Round 23….1957-1958
IF/LF- Ildemaro Vargas (25)....Round 17….2017-present
2B/3B- Doug Strange (31)....Round 24….1989-1998
LF- Gene Roof (25)....Round 25….1981-1983
OF- Matt Angle (25)....Round 27….2011
IF/OF- Chick Fewster (22)....Round 20….1917-1927

Reserve- Eury Perez (23), Tommy Irwin (25), Jose Valdivielso (25), Ryan Minor (27), Fred Andrews (24), Walter Barbare (23), Roy Grover (27), Buzzy Wares (27), Steve Korcheck (22),

[Highlander]

Boston Americans


SP1- Curt Simmons (20)- Boston focused on pitching with Simmons as their #1 pick. He had a really long career from 1947-1967 and had some pretty solid years. He seemed to import even better than he was at this point in his career so we’ll see how he turns out.

SP2- Mario Soto (26)- Boston continued their pitching focus by taking Soto with their 2nd round pick. He was a lifelong Cincinnati Red from 1977-1988. A great strikeout pitcher, it will be interesting to see how that translates to the 1901 era.

SP3- Ed Whitson (35)- A 9th rounder, Ed put up a great season for the Padres in his age 35 season back in 1990. It was his last full season however, so the Americans may not get much bang for their buck here.

SP4- Miguel Batista (35)- Miguel was a 26th round pick. I guess that’s what happens when your first two picks are pitchers….you have to wait a while for some of your other pitchers! Miguel played from 1992-2012 and was 41 when he retired so he may last a little longer….but not be very good while he does.

MR- Jeff Nelson (27)- Jeff was a 5th round pick…pretty early for a reliever in this era, but Jeff was a good one. He played from 1992-2006, including being a big part of some great Yankees teams.

LR- Matt Garza (33)- Matt was a 27th round pick and did have some success earlier in his career. However, by this point he struggled and hopefully won’t need to pitch much for this team or they will be in trouble. He played from 2006-2017….lots of more modern guys on this staff.

Reserve- Phil Ortega (29), Cecil Ferguson (26), Al Fitzmorris (29), Andy Hansen (26), Al Tedrow (22), Paul Thormodsgard (25), Hank Wyse (32)

C- Bob Kearney (27)- Bob was an 18th round pick who played his career from 1982-1987. He was more of a backup when he played and doesn’t hit much, but he has a solid arm and good framing skills…although I don’t think that will help much in 1901.

1B- Felipe Crespo (28)- A 19th round pick was used to get Felipe, who can play all over the field but will spend the most time at 1st base. He played pretty sparingly from 1996-2001 and it will be a surprise if he isn’t one of the worst 1B in the league.

2B- Pedro Florimon (28)- Another starter who was taken very late in the draft, Pedro wasn’t selected until round 29. He played from 2011-2018, but only had one season over 150 AB and it wasn’t very good. Also, he only has skills at SS, so will be learning 2B to start the season. It does seem he will be better there than SS, though.

3B- Jeff King (29)- Finally a guy who might actually hit for this team, Jeff was still only an 11th round player. He would be best suited at 1B, but should hold his own at 3rd. He had a solid career from 1989-1999 and has some good power.

SS- Luis Aparicio (33)- Our first HOF player in this league, Luis was drafted in the 6th round. This 33 year old version of Luis is unfortunately not a great one…even as a fielder. His career went from 1956-1973, but it seems like Boston won’t really get the HOF version here.

LF- Alejandro De Aza (27)- A 4th round pick, Alejandro had a career from 2007-2017. There were a lot of ups and downs through his career, but he imports at a perfect time here, so we might see a more consistent version. He may translate pretty well to this era.

CF- Tony Scott (27)- Tony’s career is all about speed and defense. He was only a 20th round pick, but may be better suited to 1901 than the 1973-1984 career he had.

RF- Dave Martinez (31)- Dave played from 1986-2001 and was imported here at a time when he was pretty solid. He was a 7th round pick, so he will be counted on for some pretty good offense.

Bench
C- Ben Huffman (22)....Round 15….1937
1B/OF- Dick Smith (24)....Round 21….1963-1965
2B/SS- Ed Abbaticchio (26)....Round 17….1897-1910
3B- Steve Mesner (23)....Round 30….1938-1945
OF- Roger Bernadina (24)....Round 24….2008-2014
OF- Bob Brower (29)....Round 12….1986-1989
OF- Kerry Robinson (29)....Round 25….1998-2006
OF- Buddy Bradford (28)....Round 13….1966-1976
OF- Brett Butler (25)....Round 3….1981-1997….Yes, that is right. Butler is not a starter, but is set to play a lot in both LF and CF. Strange to have your 3rd pick on the bench though!
OF- Chick Fullis (30)....Round 8….1928-1936…..Another pretty solid guy on the bench. I am seeing a few trades in this team’s future!
OF- Earl McNeely (26)....Round 14….1924-1931

Reserve- Bill Ludwig (25), Alex Hernandez (23), Al Baird (21), Skeeter Kell (22), Dan Costello (23), Anse Moore (28), Dante Powell (27), Michael Reed (22)

[Highlander]

Boston Beaneaters


SP1- Charles Nagy (22)- Nagy imported in his rookie year as a 5th rounder. He pitched from 1990-2003 and had some good seasons, but also some subpar ones. Not sure about him as a #1 starter.

SP2- Buck O’Brien (28)- Buck only pitched from 1911-1913, but was very good when he was in there. Boston took him with their 4th pick, so they must think he will pan out. One caveat is that he profiles as “fragile” so injuries could be an issue.

SP3- DJ Herz (23)- An 8th rounder, DJ is the 3rd guy the Beaneaters took for their rotation in their top 10 picks. DJ is a bit of an unknown, as 2024 was his first season in the majors. There is some decent potential here, so he may be a sneaky pick.

SP4- Russ Kemmerer (24)- Russ pitched from 1954-1963, but wasn’t very good as a starter. He was a 14th round pick, but hopefully Boston isn’t looking for too much from him.

MR- Russ Meyer (33)- A 16th round pick, Russ played from 1946-1959. He had some good years in there, but by this age, he was pretty much done.

MR- Joe Barlow (27)- Joe played from 2021-2023 and was a closer for the Rangers for some of that time. He was picked in the 11th round, so Boston is hoping he can be a solid bullpen guy for them. He was effective at times, so maybe?

LR- Bert Cunningham (35)- Bert is an interesting addition to the league, as he played from 1887-1901. His last year was our first….and it looks like he doesn’t have much left. Boston took him in the 26th round and he’s on the active roster so they must see something?

LR- Bill Stoneman (23)- Taken in the 10th round, Bill is the unprecedented (so far) 4th reliever on this team. No other team so far has more than 2. He pitched from 1967-1974 and had some very good years. He may develop into another solid starter with some luck.

Reserve- AJ Griffin (28), Crese Heismann (22), Don hendrickson (31), Ed McNichol (25), Joe Saunders (25), Clay Smith (23), Carl Yowell (21)

C- Frank Chance (25)- Better known as a 1B, Chance is our 2nd HOF player in the league. He was the 1st pick for the Beaneaters and the 2nd overall pick in the draft. It’s likely he switches back to 1st base at some point as he is much better there and will let his bat stay in the lineup more, but for now, he will be a really good hitting catcher…..if not a very good catcher. His speed and OBP potential could lead to some huge SB numbers.

1B- It looks like Boston is using a platoon at 1B for now, although both guys hit from the right side of the plate. The strong side of the platoon will see Xavier Nady (29) get the majority of the time. He was a 6th round pick and played from 2000-2014. He definitely had some good seasons, but I’m not sure how he will do in 1901. On the week side, it will be Rusty Ryal (26). He was a 12th round pick who played from 2009-2010. He can play a lot of positions and may be a sleeper for a good season.

2B- Neifi Perez (25)- Perez was a 7th round pick who played from 1996-2007. He should be in the running for a Gold Glove at 2B and could be pretty good at SS as well. Hitting may be so-so, however.

3B- Chelsor Cuthbert (22)- Chelsor had a career from 2015-2020. He was a 15th round pick. He might be solid at 3rd, but based on his limited career, I wouldn’t expect too much from him.

SS- Greg Gagne (26)- Gagne and Perez should be one of the best “middle of the infield” in the league. They are both very good fielders. Gagne played from 1983-1997. He was a 9th round pick for Boston and seems like a good deal at that pick.

LF- Another platoon situation here with two pretty solid players. The lefty is Elmer Smith (23). He was their 2nd round pick and when he’s done developing, he could be really good…he should be at least pretty good as he is. He played from 1914-1925 and was a very up and down player so his development is up in the air. The other side of the platoon is Jo-Jo Moore (21) who was a 13th rounder. He’s got a lot of development potential left as well. His career went from 1930-1941 and if he meets his potential, he’ll be a very solid player. This is definitely a platoon to watch.

CF- Sam Langford (25)- Sam had a very short career from 1926-1928 and was a 23rd round pick here. I’d guess one of the LF platoon guys may overtake him in the next season or two, but maybe Sam Holds his own.

RF- Brandon Moss (29) was a 3rd round pick and played from 2007-2017. His game is all about power, which may not translate real well to this era. He is a good fielder with a strong arm and can get on base, so he should produce, but his 30-HR power may only translate to 10 at best in 1901.

Bench
C/1B/OF- John Russell (27)....Round 21….1984-1993
1B- Will Craig (26)....Round 22….2020-2021
IF- Wilson Delgado (23)....Round 27….1996-2004
IF/RF- Scott Moore (24)....Round 18….2006-2012
OF- Steve Pegues (26)....Round 25….1994-1995
CF- Felix Mackiewicz (25)....Round 24….1941-1947
1B/OF- Gary Hancock (24)....Round 20….1978-1984

Reserve- Luis Rosado (24), John Mercer (19), Mickey Klutts (21), Dave Oliver (26), Matt Tuiasosopo (29), Ted Schreiber (24), Don Rader (27), Larry Chappell (26), Kerry Dineen (23)