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09-21-2025, 03:58 PM
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#321 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,629
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Oakland A's., 78-84, 4th AL West
1973 Recap: The A's, not exactly a franchise with a long history of success, opened the year super strong, finishing April with 11 wins in 12 games and a 15-5 record. Then the bottom pretty much dropped out and they looked like a .500ish team the rest of the way. Unfortunately for them, even though .500ish was good enough to stay within a game of the AL West in 1972, in 1973 it put them deep in the back of the division, in the "second division" even (is that a thing anymore with 6-team divisions?). The pitching was dead last in the AL in strikeouts and struggled all year long, and the offense, in spite of a 4th-in-the-AL average (.262) struggled as well. 1974 Outlook: In spite of the 90 win season 2 years ago this just isn't a team with a lot of big upside, at least that we can see. They're not super young on offense (the pitching staff does, to be fair, have its share of youth), the influx of veterans last year - they helped pick Cleveland pretty clean - didn't pan out super-hugely, and the pitching staff outside of Vince Akright is not it. It's hard to see this team getting far enough over the hump to contend in the West now that there are two legit teams in there. Vince Akright RHP No. 2 SR, 5'9" 187 lbs. Born 1943-06-06 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TEX MLB | 18 | 13 | 0 | 2.25 | 37 | 37 | 13 | 295.1 | 234 | 88 | 74 | 86 | 195 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 14 | 17 | 0 | 2.95 | 35 | 35 | 10 | 256.0 | 220 | 88 | 84 | 91 | 201 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 19 | 10 | 0 | 2.70 | 36 | 35 | 12 | 266.0 | 245 | 93 | 80 | 86 | 152 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Akright's Ks were down but the thing that wasn't down for him - in fact, the thing he is known for more than anything else - was his ability to get weak outs in the field. In that respect, things were "down" for him as much as ever, as in down in the strike zone. His HR rate, which is never high, was only 11 in 266 IP last year, his lowest total since 1968 when he threw 84 fewer innings to get 9 HR allowed. Akright doesn't have insane stamina but he doesn't throw very many pitches in your average inning and that allows him to pretty consistently finish about a third of his starts. Ks were down across the board last year so we do expect those to rise back up a bit. Akright is a guy who leads by example: he's got an extensive workout regimen and while he's not a guy to call other players in to work out with him, other pitchers see his success and want to emulate it. He's still only 30 and his career 110-95 record underestimates his real value to a team: he's a legitimate #1 starter. Lee Barnard LHP No. 10 LL, 6'2" 199 lbs. Born 1943-07-19 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 OAK MLB | 11 | 13 | 0 | 3.45 | 35 | 35 | 8 | 250.0 | 240 | 112 | 96 | 80 | 150 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 15 | 12 | 0 | 2.61 | 35 | 35 | 6 | 255.0 | 207 | 79 | 74 | 67 | 153 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 11 | 11 | 0 | 4.73 | 35 | 30 | 4 | 201.2 | 231 | 107 | 106 | 69 | 98 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Barnard has never quite generated the Ks you'd expect a guy with his profile to get but, well, he's already generated more than 4.4. Even in a down year for strikeouts league-wide, that's getting close to "you have to replace this guy now" level. And indeed the rest of his stats reflected the awfulness: the second worst opponents' BA in the AL (.293, behind just KC's Chris Regan), the 3rd worst ERA (behind Regan (5.54) and Baltimore's William Hart (4.97)), and the 2nd most HRs allowed with 40, behind only the "historical" season of Edgsar Molina. Barnard could really be on his last legs in Oakland. Within the space of a year he went from a good, solid, middle of the rotation guy to one of the worst pitchers in the league. To say he needs to turn that around is underselling how dire his situation is. Alex Canales 1B/3B No. 38 SR, 6'1" 200 lbs. Born 1945-03-01 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SD MLB | .260 | 144 | 572 | 73 | 149 | 24 | 0 | 14 | 72 | 43 | 79 | 0 | | 1972 SD MLB | .296 | 23 | 81 | 11 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .263 | 120 | 422 | 35 | 111 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 54 | 51 | 46 | 2 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .265 | 131 | 475 | 52 | 126 | 20 | 1 | 13 | 60 | 48 | 67 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + As a hitter, Canales tries to hit the ball to all fields but sometimes falls a little too much in love with the low inside fastball. The 7 triples he hit in 1972 seem to have been a huge blip and in fact last year he seemed reticent to even stretch singles into doubles a lot of the time. All the power and that are... fine, probably not enough for a first baseman but he's not killing the A's or anything. Canales played 29 games at third base although 11 errors and an .875 fielding average probably put the end to that experiment (and might even cost him the GG at first base this year). Canales is in the prime of his career and just kind of is who he is at this point: a 5/6 order hitter who's a little bit above average at everything and the best fielder in the AL at first base. Mithun Chakraborty RHP No. 46 RR, 6'1" 175 lbs. Born 1950-06-11 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 APP A | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | | 1971 ASH AA | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4.42 | 29 | 8 | 3 | 75.1 | 81 | 39 | 37 | 41 | 47 | | 1971 TUC AAA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | | 1972 KNO AA | 12 | 8 | 0 | 3.63 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 188.1 | 197 | 85 | 76 | 110 | 89 | | 1972 TUC AAA | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4.79 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 30.0 | 34 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 14 | | 1973 TUC AAA | 9 | 8 | 0 | 3.30 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 166.0 | 186 | 68 | 61 | 69 | 91 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4.16 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 71.1 | 82 | 38 | 33 | 28 | 32 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Chakraborty throws gaaaaaaaaas. Scouts say that if he works at it, he could one day hit triple digits on the radar gun. So far his offerings have been a bit too straight for the majors; he'll definitely want to work with major league pitching coaches to try and add a bit of "pizazz" to his repertoire. He also had a liiiitle bit of a problem keeping his pitches out of the dirt, which is almost to be expected from a guy whose primary exposure to bat-and-ball games is the one where you get to throw the ball on a hop (cricket). With that stuff, you could definitely see this guy moving into short relief if starting doesn't work out for him. Ian Charleson RHP No. 19 SR, 6'0" 183 lbs. Born 1949-08-09 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 APP A | 3 | 6 | 0 | 4.23 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 89.1 | 81 | 48 | 42 | 37 | 61 | | 1971 ASH AA | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7.65 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 20.0 | 23 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 7 | | 1972 KNO AA | 6 | 11 | 0 | 3.07 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 152.0 | 118 | 60 | 52 | 88 | 63 | | 1972 TUC AAA | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2.17 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 74.1 | 52 | 19 | 18 | 32 | 34 | | 1973 TUC AAA | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2.26 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 95.1 | 77 | 26 | 24 | 29 | 59 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 4 | 10 | 0 | 3.53 | 24 | 24 | 3 | 165.2 | 170 | 82 | 65 | 64 | 68 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + The more concerning thing, frankly, about Charleson was his ability, or rather lack thereof, to get major leaguers to swing and miss at his pitch offerings. Charleson throws a fantastic circle change and a curveball with some good late break which, combined with a cut fastball that hits the high 80s, ought to create at least *some* swings and misses. It really didn't and it seemed like things got worse as the year progressed. It also left him having to play a really close-run game out there, nibbling at the edges like an old veteran and doing his best to avoid long hits (which to his credit he did: just 7 HRA in the majors). Charleson threw 10 wild pitches last year, 10th most in the AL, which might indicate that he won't be able to keep up the control if left in games for longer. The A's clearly want him to be a future part of their rotation but if he's going to be that guy for them he needs to do more. Willis Chavez LHP No. 25 LL, 6'1" 198 lbs. Born 1939-01-04 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 WAS MLB | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | | 1971 OAK MLB | 10 | 5 | 18 | 2.33 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 77.0 | 70 | 27 | 20 | 36 | 34 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 7 | 4 | 27 | 2.74 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 95.0 | 86 | 34 | 29 | 45 | 66 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 9 | 11 | 23 | 2.90 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 80.2 | 65 | 33 | 26 | 37 | 46 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Chavez doesn't throw very fast but, in a weird move for a reliever, throws 5 pitches, 4 of them consistently for strikes. Last year he held opponents to a .223 batting average and he hasn't allowed one higher than .250 in the 1970s. With his profile and his stamina - Chavez has the "bounce-back" ability to appear in multiple innings in consecutive games - you'd have thought he'd be a starter but it just neer worked out that way for him and he's doing well enough in his current role, isn't he? Last season the A's heeeeavily relied on him to get them out of jams: he inherited *49* baserunners last season, more than 50% higher than his previous career high (30 in 1971), and for the 2nd straight year he had a leverage index of at least 2. Chavez isn't getting any younger and I don't know that I want to call him "reliable", exactly, but he's a huge cog in the engine of this pitching staff. Fans love it when he comes in because they know things are going to be exciting for good or for bad. Doug Ellis RHP No. 34 RR, 6'0" 200 lbs. Born 1945-05-21 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 WIC AAA | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | | 1971 CLE MLB | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2.81 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 11 | | 1971 TUL AAA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2.34 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 15.1 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 8 | | 1971 OAK MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | 1971 STL MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | | 1972 TEX MLB | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1.18 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 60.2 | 41 | 8 | 8 | 22 | 38 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.90 | 39 | 5 | 0 | 78.1 | 87 | 37 | 34 | 20 | 45 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Ellis throws a mix of pitches that includes a nice curveball and a good 2-seamer. What he doesn't do particularly well is last long into games. It's curious that the A's chose to start him as much as they did; even the 2 spot starts he made later in the year required him to rest for a quite a while to get back up to snuff afterwards. In many ways the raw numbers you see above, which already aren't that good (a league-average ERA for a reliever?) tell a better tale than what actually happened, as Ellis came into games inheriting 39 runners and allowed more than half of them - 20! - to score. By the end of the season Ellis was finding himself pitching in some of the lowest of low leverage situations the A's could find. That's not a great trend for a guy who cost them so much and who should be in his prime. At least some of the blame should be placed on the manager for starting him 5 more times than he ever should start. Still, you have to go by the results and the results were not great. Matt Evenson 2B/SS No. 11 RR, 6'2" 201 lbs. Born 1946-02-21 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OAK MLB | .257 | 125 | 381 | 23 | 98 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 44 | 41 | 76 | 0 | | 1972 IOW AAA | .250 | 10 | 32 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 0 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .271 | 41 | 96 | 6 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 0 | | 1973 TUC AAA | .250 | 56 | 152 | 15 | 38 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 23 | 25 | 1 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .203 | 39 | 69 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Everyone needs a guy like this on their roster. This was Evenson's last option season so the A's won't be to let him ride on the train again. If he can hit like he did last year or the year before he's a solid change of pace from the good-field, no-hit Wilcox. Sean Gabel 3B No. 8 RR, 6'2" 202 lbs. Born 1944-05-11 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHC MLB | .290 | 144 | 601 | 80 | 174 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 46 | 19 | 61 | 30 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .280 | 148 | 626 | 71 | 175 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 38 | 19 | 60 | 28 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .284 | 124 | 503 | 61 | 143 | 29 | 7 | 3 | 44 | 8 | 46 | 3 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .286 | 17 | 70 | 7 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Gabel still has good natural speed on the basepaths that he can use to beat out base hits although truth be told everything that comes off his bat goes in a straight line so he's not a big leg-out-grounders guy. In Chicago it looks like they got tired of his caught stealing mistakes - he had 19 of them in 1972 and at the time of his traade to Oakland he was 3/11 on steal attempts - so hey, you know, maybe Chicago just nailed his foot to the bag. He was 3/3 in Oakland. Gabel doesn't hit for power and doesn't draw all that many walks so the average is pretty much all you're going to get. Well, that's unfair: Gabel is also a 5-time Gold Glove award winner at third - perhaps a 6th if the NL doesn't feel too sore about his leaving - with an 80-grade arm and soft hands that led to only 14 errors in 139 starts between two teams and a .965 FA. Gabel will face a challence in the spring from Bobby Scott (see below) because he's at a point in his career where he can't keep his job for granted but if the A's are at all wise, it'll be his name in the lineup every day. Zackery Hadley LF/RF No. 18 RR, 5'8" 199 lbs. Born 1939-01-04 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SD MLB | .254 | 95 | 362 | 47 | 92 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 27 | 62 | 30 | | 1972 SD MLB | .273 | 67 | 176 | 22 | 48 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 15 | 32 | 19 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .385 | 9 | 26 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 8 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .237 | 91 | 266 | 39 | 63 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 21 | 44 | 19 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hadley also isn't a really good defender for all of that speed. You'd expect a guy like this to be Gold Glove level or at least pretty decent but Hadley just plain doesn't get a good jump in the outfield and although he tries to study hitters to make up for it, he just seems to have a lot of natural clumsiness out there that makes him a minus fielder even in the corners. If 1973 wasn't already Hadley's final chance, 1974 will surely be if he doesn't suddenly hit a whole lot better than he did this year. Ray Hawkinson 1B/PH No. 36 LR, 5'12" 201 lbs. Born 1942-10-03 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MIL MLB | .333 | 26 | 45 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | | 1971 OAK MLB | .369 | 51 | 179 | 28 | 66 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 33 | 11 | 24 | 3 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .250 | 66 | 132 | 11 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 19 | 0 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .264 | 86 | 197 | 26 | 52 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 29 | 8 | 25 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + He's an okay defensive 1B I guess. On the other hand, for a guy who is barely hanging onto a job, he sure talks a big game in the locker room. This is a guy still riding the laurels of what was clearly a fluke 1971 and probably won't be around much longer. Brian Jackson RF No. 14 RR, 5'11" 205 lbs. Born 1944-06-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .285 | 114 | 473 | 59 | 135 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 50 | 35 | 43 | 8 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .267 | 131 | 524 | 65 | 140 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 50 | 45 | 38 | 10 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .258 | 61 | 233 | 20 | 60 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 24 | 18 | 2 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .283 | 49 | 180 | 28 | 51 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 11 | 6 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Jackson is a guy who always tries to make the most out of RBI opportunities. He's one of the hardest men to strike out in baseball - actually, by the numbers, he was *the* hardest with a 5.3% K rate (Minnesota's Matt Highfield was 2nd with a 5.8%). He might benefit from hitting a little further down in the order, as last year he hit just 245/318/355 in the 3 hole. With all the good hitters on the Athletics roster that shouldn't be a problem. Jackson won a Gold Glove last year for his work with Pittsburgh but it was one of those sneaky Gold Gloves you win when there aren't 3 truly amazing fielders in the league. He's certainly the best defensive corner outfielder on his current team, at least. Jackson's been something of a stolen base threat in years past but it looks like he slowed up a bit last year with just 4 steals in 8 tries. The speed and his predilection for line drives did help to cut down his GIDP rate; just 9 last year in spite of all those balls in play. Jackson is maybe just a bit below the level where you'd call a guy a star but he's still a really good player and getting him for cash was a major coup for the A's. Ben Lamar RHP No. 20 RR, 5'12" 189 lbs. Born 1947-07-12 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CHW MLB | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2.51 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 64.1 | 51 | 22 | 18 | 25 | 59 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 6 | 1 | 6 | 2.42 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 78.0 | 49 | 21 | 21 | 30 | 56 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5.61 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 73.2 | 74 | 51 | 46 | 39 | 46 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Lamar is still only 26 and could really easily bounce back. That bounceback might not come with the A's; Charlie Finley has as big a reputation as a miser as the White Sox do. Josh Lewis C/DH No. 5 SR, 6'4" 203 lbs. Born 1948-08-23 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OAK MLB | .293 | 128 | 508 | 62 | 149 | 31 | 1 | 14 | 66 | 35 | 49 | 0 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .288 | 119 | 480 | 58 | 138 | 19 | 1 | 18 | 73 | 39 | 32 | 3 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .290 | 128 | 500 | 60 | 145 | 30 | 4 | 10 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Lewis lost a bit of the power he'd established his first two seasons but he still had some and overall it's hard to be anything but impressed by his hitting ability as a catcher. Lewis was unquestionably the best player on the team. Whatever small advantages Tommy Pron or Casey Satterfield might have provided at the plate, Lewis made up for by playing one of the hardest positions in the field. He improved his walk totals for a 3rd straight year and now seems to be a much more selective hitter than the "hit everything that moves" guy he was as a prospect. He's slow but come on, he's a catcher. As a fielder, too, he's come into his own: he won the last 2 Gold Gloves, which is more of a sign of the lack of truly great backstops in the AL, but he was just as good this year. Lewis handles pitchers well, doesn't get on the bad side of umpires, and also blocks the plate pretty well, all of which help to make up for an only average throwing arm (average for a catcher! Still great for anyone else!). Lewis only turned 25 in August and likely has another decade in this league at least. How many All-Star Games will this man play in when all is said and done? David Mesa CF No. 30 LL, 6'0" 201 lbs. Born 1948-05-04 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 IOW AAA | .333 | 7 | 27 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | | 1971 OAK MLB | .282 | 67 | 252 | 32 | 71 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 16 | 45 | 9 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .231 | 100 | 407 | 46 | 94 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 23 | 66 | 14 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .259 | 99 | 413 | 47 | 107 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 20 | 57 | 18 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Mesa's a solid centerfielder. He's never going to win a Gold Glove but he won't kill you out there either. Possibly he looks a bit less than "all right" because the A's have a bad habit of surrounding him with guys who don't cover a lot of ground; however, it needs to be remembered that when a ball lands on the right-field side of right-center, even if Mesa is the closest guy to it, it's probably on the right fielder for not getting to that ball before it hits the wall. Mesa killed 14 baserunners in just 97 starts in center last year. Unfortunately for all the flash Mesa hasn't shown an ability or willingness to work on his obvious offensive flaws and even at the young age of 25 he's probably a "what you see is what you get" guy for this roster. Tommy Pron RF/LF No. 9 LR, 6'1" 202 lbs. Born 1942-08-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CLE MLB | .273 | 136 | 494 | 51 | 135 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 48 | 65 | 52 | 0 | | 1972 CLE MLB | .326 | 141 | 506 | 77 | 165 | 18 | 1 | 16 | 58 | 73 | 51 | 0 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .304 | 138 | 493 | 62 | 150 | 27 | 0 | 12 | 76 | 85 | 41 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Pron is a liability on defense. Weirdly, since it usually goes the other way around, he's a bigger liability in left than in right because in right he gets to use his cannon of an arm. Last year he only threw out 7 baserunners in 82 RF starts as runners just plain know not to run on him. The A's issue is that their stadium is so, so big that a guy who lacks range and natural speed like Pron is going to be giving up a lot of extra base hits wherever he plays, and for now DH is owned by an even worse fielder in Casey Satterfield. Pron is very slow and hasn't stolen a base since 1969 (when he had 1); he's 0-6 in attempts since then. Pron provides a good amount of leadership to a clubhouse as well. Although the A's slipped a bit last year they definitely benefitted from his experience and hitting ability. Bobby Scott 3B/OF No. 35 LR, 5'12" 191 lbs. Born 1947-12-13 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ASH AA | .191 | 36 | 110 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 29 | 0 | | 1971 TUC AAA | .253 | 71 | 162 | 20 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 40 | 32 | 1 | | 1972 KNO AA | .224 | 34 | 107 | 13 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 27 | 22 | 0 | | 1972 TUC AAA | .196 | 58 | 51 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 0 | | 1973 TUC AAA | .253 | 72 | 194 | 26 | 49 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 50 | 1 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .300 | 65 | 200 | 30 | 60 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 33 | 34 | 47 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + With this performance and the fact that the A's finally cut bait on Chase Jones (.207, 2, 15) in September, Scott looks like a contender for the starting 3B job or, failing that, something in the outfield. Jagadguru Rambhadracharya 1B/DH No. 12 LR, 6'1" 200 lbs. Born 1950-01-12 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 LEW S A | .337 | 72 | 255 | 39 | 86 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 61 | 54 | 60 | 1 | | 1972 LEW S A | .340 | 77 | 297 | 53 | 101 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 63 | 35 | 47 | 0 | | 1973 BIR AA | .307 | 54 | 199 | 40 | 61 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 30 | 36 | 24 | 0 | | 1973 TUC AAA | .330 | 35 | 91 | 10 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 0 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .227 | 23 | 66 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Rambhadracharya is, it should be said, a guy who tends to insist that his methods of physical fitness are the best and that was reportedly something that annoyed his teammates in the minors. As he gets older, perhaps he'll get a bit less... strident. Still, if that's the worst you can say about the guy, he's still looking pretty good to me. Casey Satterfield DH/OF No. 39 RR, 5'12" 204 lbs. Born 1946-02-24 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 STL MLB | .302 | 144 | 526 | 72 | 159 | 30 | 4 | 13 | 70 | 71 | 80 | 2 | | 1972 STL MLB | .270 | 110 | 440 | 57 | 119 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 56 | 45 | 53 | 0 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .219 | 34 | 128 | 12 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 22 | 0 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .261 | 153 | 579 | 70 | 151 | 26 | 1 | 19 | 82 | 56 | 93 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Although he played just 12 games all year in the field, Satterfield actually set personal highs in games and plate appearances last year, and, thanks to that, RBIs. 82 is still a low-ish total for a cleanup hitter in our book but even the 19 HRs worth of power was by far the best on the team so perhaps it was the park that suppressed the ribbies. Only Tommy Pron and Josh Lewis truly hit better than he did, even with the awful September. Satterfield could probably play left field if he had to but he's very slow and doesn't do anything special in the outfield to make up for that. He's willing to do whatever the A's want him to do though. Satterfield has a core spot in the middle of the lineup every single day. Hopefully that September isn't a harbinger of things to come... Alberto Sepulveda 2B/SS No. 15 RR, 6'1" 196 lbs. Born 1948-08-29 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 STP A | .348 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1972 OKC AAA | .293 | 119 | 440 | 57 | 129 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 57 | 38 | 49 | 8 | | 1973 BIR AA | .141 | 17 | 71 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0 | | 1973 TUC AAA | .243 | 91 | 333 | 36 | 81 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 32 | 10 | 30 | 3 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .350 | 34 | 103 | 14 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It seems like the most wishful of wishful thinking to think that this guy will hit anywhere near .350 again but scouts do think he has at least above-average contact, his minor league stats from this season notwithstanding. The A's aren't really headed anywhere any time soon; perhaps this is a good opportunity to take a season to see what they have in the Columbian. Rick Shelton RHP No. 16 LR, 5'11" 189 lbs. Born 1940-12-09 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 OAK MLB | 15 | 15 | 0 | 3.71 | 36 | 36 | 6 | 259.1 | 227 | 125 | 107 | 144 | 174 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 5 | 6 | 1 | 4.43 | 35 | 15 | 0 | 130.0 | 124 | 66 | 64 | 62 | 94 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 11 | 14 | 0 | 4.34 | 33 | 30 | 9 | 215.1 | 223 | 108 | 104 | 77 | 111 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Shelton throws heat and in the past has been able to use that velocity to rack up a lot of strikeouts. His fastball seemed a bit straighter than it's been in the past few years and the results weren't pretty: a K rate that was his lowest since he was put into rotations and a career-high 29 HRs allowed. The one upside, I guess, is that where Shelton has a reputation for being really, really wild sometimes - he even led the league in BBs in 1970 with 141 - his walk rates were pretty close to league average last year. Shelton's now 32 years old and has pretty clearly established himself as a below average back of the rotation starter. The A's could probably still use his veteran presence but if he can't hitters to miss his pitches or if his control goes bye-bye again, his career could be coming to an end soon. Cat Stevens CF/RF No. 29 SR, 6'2" 205 lbs. Born 1948-07-13 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 LEW S A | .334 | 79 | 302 | 56 | 101 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 44 | 56 | 35 | 25 | | 1972 LEW S A | .348 | 76 | 319 | 67 | 111 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 48 | 29 | 22 | 24 | | 1973 TUC AAA | .234 | 48 | 171 | 16 | 40 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 5 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .268 | 79 | 276 | 39 | 74 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 32 | 47 | 4 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Stevens stole only 4 bases in 11 tries and probably will not ever have true leadoff man speed. That said, he does things that David Mesa and Hoss Hadley simply don't or can't do, namely get on base. Stevens posted a .343 OBP last year, which is "only" above average but looks fantastic compared to those guys. He also has an interesting amount of power for a guy who mostly excels in slapping at the ball and legging out base hits. Defensively he's a stud: in addition to covering a lot of ground in center, like David Mesa he caught a lot of runners as they tried to take extra bases on him: 8 OF assists in just 57 starts in centerfield (he had another 12 starts in the OF corners but somehow didn't record any further assists). Stevens will lay down a bunt to move his fellows along but strangely isn't very good at dropping a good drag bunt to help get himself on base. You look at a guy with this kind of history and that early cutdown and you think "oh no, he must be a problem". All I can think is, the Angels hate peace and holy rollers. Stevens' lively play is already winning him fans locally. Frederick Sumaye OF/2B No. 22 SR, 5'12" 163 lbs. Born 1950-06-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 BUR A | .333 | 10 | 33 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 1 | | 1971 BIR AA | .264 | 51 | 182 | 32 | 48 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 3 | | 1971 IOW AAA | .185 | 68 | 243 | 30 | 45 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 44 | 53 | 2 | | 1972 BIR AA | .148 | 8 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | | 1972 IOW AAA | .271 | 124 | 435 | 77 | 118 | 30 | 3 | 25 | 100 | 60 | 109 | 2 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .091 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | | 1973 TUC AAA | .236 | 75 | 276 | 38 | 65 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 35 | 33 | 46 | 5 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .343 | 20 | 70 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Sumaye is, well, a prospect. It's easy to project him into 20 HRs, which would be some real power for a middle infielder. One could just as easily project him into going back to his native Tanzania and starting a long career in politics. Philip Trapasso LHP No. 26 LL, 6'4" 200 lbs. Born 1944-03-07 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 IOW AAA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.97 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 27.1 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 23 | | 1971 OAK MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | | 1972 IOW AAA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.25 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 20 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.48 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 59.1 | 41 | 23 | 23 | 36 | 63 | | 1973 OAK MLB | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2.35 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 49.2 | 38 | 16 | 13 | 34 | 25 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Trapasso could definitely - maybe should - get a look-see in the rotation even though he doesn't have much experience there. The dancer is a hard pitch to capture and harder to capture when you're only pitching an inning or so every outing. Brian Wilcox SS No. 3 RR, 5'10" 190 lbs. Born 1942-03-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 NYM MLB | .230 | 110 | 365 | 36 | 84 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 31 | 31 | 67 | 5 | | 1972 STL MLB | .182 | 109 | 302 | 24 | 55 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 26 | 29 | 50 | 8 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .093 | 22 | 43 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .219 | 132 | 406 | 31 | 89 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 44 | 19 | 78 | 18 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + 1. Khalil Tabb, C NYY 54 2. Mike Perez, C KC 62 3. Brian Wilcox, SS OAK 63 4. Justin Ramey, SS MIN 64 5. Justin Hearl, CF PIT 66 Most if not all of those guys are in serious jeopardy of losing their job next year, as well they should. The reason Wilcox stays in the lineup, of course, is the defense. At 31, he's a 5 time Gold Glover who could probably win one in the AL if it wasn't for the reputation of Oniji Handa. He's got the softest of hands, with just 16 errors all year and a .977 FA, and wound up with a +24.7 zone rating at short, which, frankly, is a lot, enough all by itself to turn a replacement level to worse than that bat into a league average player or better. Wilcox is surprisingly not great at laying down the bunt; you'd think with his offensive "abilities" that would be something he works on. He is pretty fast; in spite of just 10 doubles and triples, he actually stole a career high 18 bases last year. Wilcox is an offensive black hole but is an awwwwfully good defensive player. This is far from the weakest link on this team. Emanuel Zamarripa RF/LF No. 15 RL, 6'1" 194 lbs. Born 1948-03-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 DEC A | .260 | 37 | 123 | 10 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 27 | 0 | | 1971 AMA AA | .235 | 76 | 162 | 9 | 38 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 40 | 1 | | 1972 AMA AA | .273 | 76 | 183 | 26 | 50 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 37 | 40 | 29 | 2 | | 1972 PHO AAA | .333 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | | 1973 TUC AAA | .261 | 44 | 115 | 16 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 3 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .289 | 28 | 76 | 8 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's really hard to project stardom or even a long major league career out of this man but stranger things have happened to guys without his work ethic.
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1973 Recap: The Rangers - look, this is an evil team in an evil city, there's just no two ways about it - was in the catbird seat as of the end of July with a 63-40 record and a 3 game lead on the Chicago White Sox in the AL West. Everything was coming up Milhouse, as in Richard Milhouse Nixon, for the former Washington Senators who were also celebrating their first season in their new division. Sadly for their fans but happily for everyone else, the Rangers went 13-17(! 30 games!) in August and 15-14 in September to lose a total of 5 games to the Chisox, who weren't exactly amazing (16-13 and 16-12) but did keep their heads above water at least. You'd expect a park located in the mdidle of Texas - at least one where they play their games outside - to favor hitters but nope, that's not the case for Texas. Arlington Stadium's HRs allowed rate was a stingy 0.88, with base hits being about average in the (fairly) roomy (I guess) park (alleys to 380 ft, 330 down the lines). Point being, the NARRATIVE is that this was the best defense in the AL (3.05 ERA) but the league worst offense (630 runs scored). That's already pretty crazy for a contending team but... at least it can be said that maybe the pitching wasn't *quite* as good and the offense ways maaaaybe not the worst. 1974 Outlook: The rotation is young, with Chad Daugharty the "old man" of the staff at 28, and the hitting... can't be as bad two years in a row, right? You've got to think these Rangers will be right there again in '74. John Bonham C No. 1 SR, 6'2" 202 lbs. Born 1948-05-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PFD AA | .256 | 49 | 164 | 10 | 42 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 0 | | 1971 DEN AAA | .206 | 43 | 141 | 18 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 0 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .258 | 92 | 302 | 37 | 78 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 45 | 28 | 62 | 0 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .267 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .224 | 85 | 210 | 15 | 47 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 36 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The best thing about Bonham is athleticism behind the plate. He doesn't have the kind of arm that would win you Gold Gloves - kind of a big "but" for a catcher - but otherwise he's as good as anyone in the league at framing pitches, handling bunts, preventing wild pitchees, and so on. The vagaries of the game are such that he caught 30% of all stealers, 2% more than batterymate Andres Gamez, but that's just because guys ran on him a lot more. He does a good job as a field general as well, perhaps informed by his "day job" drumming for some English blues band named Led Zeppelin or something or other. Bonham could easily play in the league for the next decade and if that doesn't sound ominous I don't know what to tell you. Robbie Coltrane SP No. 20 RR, 6'5" 201 lbs. Born 1950-05-30 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 JAX AA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1.28 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 28.0 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 18 | | 1971 WIC AAA | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2.24 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 192.1 | 145 | 63 | 48 | 57 | 101 | | 1971 CLE MLB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3.33 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 56.2 | 60 | 29 | 21 | 14 | 34 | | 1972 CLE MLB | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3.71 | 28 | 28 | 9 | 208.1 | 208 | 92 | 86 | 39 | 140 | | 1973 CLE MLB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5.20 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 36.1 | 40 | 21 | 21 | 7 | 11 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 21 | 8 | 0 | 2.51 | 34 | 34 | 16 | 275.2 | 213 | 84 | 77 | 68 | 170 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Coltrane throws a mid-90s fastball and likes to mix in a forkball that comes in looking just enough like the heater that pitchers swing over it a lot. Last year, in spite of spending a month with another team, Robbie finished just 6 Ks behind Chad Daugharty for the team lead (and finished 5th overall with 181). Unlike most power pitchers, "Hagrid" gets those whiffs without wildness, having finished 2nd and 4th in the league in fewest walks per 9 innings in his 2 full years as a starter. Coltrane prides himself on being a "doer" more than a "thinker", although reporters don't ask him a lot of questions because that Scottish brogue of his can be impenetrable. I kind of wrote up Crystal and Daugharty before getting to this guy and I have to say, he might just be their top pitcher right now. 1974 will tell us for sure. Billy Crystal SP No. 23 LR, 5'11" 187 lbs. Born 1948-07-01 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 IOW AAA | 9 | 17 | 0 | 3.35 | 27 | 27 | 15 | 217.0 | 193 | 97 | 81 | 102 | 106 | | 1971 OAK MLB | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.89 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15.2 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | | 1972 TEX MLB | 13 | 15 | 0 | 2.85 | 34 | 34 | 10 | 255.0 | 197 | 85 | 81 | 94 | 164 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 18 | 18 | 0 | 2.85 | 37 | 37 | 18 | 286.2 | 261 | 106 | 91 | 122 | 156 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Crystal did wear down from all the use, admittedly, finishing the season 1-5, 3.55 and 3-4, 3.78 as the team fell apart around him. At one point he was 14-7, 2.48, and that All-Star choice he got was much deserved. Crystal hypes himself up before entering games by telling himself that "you look mahvelous", which might be a bit but even if so it's endearing to fans. Still just 25 years of age, one more little move forward in his development makes him the top pitcher on this loaded staff. Josh Damon LF/RF No. 15 RR, 5'11" 195 lbs. Born 1940-10-29 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ATL MLB | .259 | 122 | 459 | 61 | 119 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 61 | 44 | 67 | 3 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .261 | 115 | 387 | 48 | 101 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 47 | 37 | 42 | 2 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .264 | 118 | 435 | 53 | 115 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 43 | 30 | 40 | 11 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Somehow Damon once upon a time earned the nickname "Dynamo" but there's really nothing hugely dynamic about his game. He's a good enough fielder to play some center if needs arose but with Norm Hodge as one of the best men in the game at the position, the needs didn't arise for that. Instead, he played some really, really nice left field, nice enough that he might have won the Gold Glove if I awarded it on a per-position basis instead of just handing it to the top 3 defensive outfielders in each league. Damon was one of three Rangers to top double figures in steals, albeit barely, and was... fine, I guess. I wouldn't exactly call Josh Damon a leader per se but he's a good enough player that even with the diminishing power he should be able to do this for Texas for a few more years. Chad Daugharty SP No. 35, RR 6'4" 201 lbs. Born 1945-03-01 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TEX MLB | 16 | 14 | 0 | 3.46 | 36 | 36 | 8 | 273.0 | 245 | 112 | 105 | 88 | 164 | | 1972 TEX MLB | 18 | 10 | 0 | 2.36 | 34 | 34 | 15 | 266.0 | 223 | 74 | 70 | 77 | 144 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 18 | 15 | 0 | 3.03 | 39 | 39 | 9 | 290.2 | 275 | 114 | 98 | 110 | 176 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Daugharty does a good job of holding runners and had 10 men caught stealing under his watch in 25 attempts. He's not the best guy in the world at defending the bunt but then I guess he's not the worst either. He's not really the leader-y type, exactly, but when you're considered the first man up all year, you kind of are whether you like it or not. Look for another good, solid year for Daugharty in 1974 although he miiiight just lose his #1 starter mantle. Donald Fagen IF No. 14 RR, 5'12" 194 lbs. Born 1948-01-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 BIR AA | .270 | 59 | 233 | 28 | 63 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 32 | 1 | | 1971 IOW AAA | .226 | 86 | 261 | 32 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 41 | 31 | 0 | | 1972 BIR AA | .296 | 24 | 81 | 13 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 20 | 9 | 1 | | 1972 IOW AAA | .294 | 32 | 109 | 16 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 0 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .237 | 30 | 93 | 7 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 0 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .217 | 42 | 143 | 17 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .179 | 73 | 173 | 13 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 24 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hey, there's a use for a guy like this. If he comes back next year with 40 HR power or something, you'll know that the creator got tired. William Faure LF/RF No. 27 RL, 5'10" 176 lbs. Born 1949-07-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ORL AA | .297 | 56 | 175 | 23 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 2 | | 1972 REN A | .333 | 131 | 465 | 104 | 155 | 24 | 1 | 25 | 108 | 106 | 64 | 2 | | 1972 SPO AAA | .095 | 5 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | | 1973 SPO AAA | .328 | 70 | 122 | 20 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .227 | 21 | 66 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Here Faure is a corner outfielder with nice pop who, like Tom Petty, got rushed a bit and maybe didn't show all that he's capable of in the major leagues last year. He's a bit older than Petty and he's got those old man skills so he'd probably better show things quickly if he's going to stick around. Andres Gamez C No. 33 RR, 6'3" 203 lbs. Born 1948-07-16 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ATL MLB | .318 | 81 | 173 | 22 | 55 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 15 | 30 | 1 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .278 | 121 | 449 | 41 | 125 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 44 | 20 | 73 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .197 | 105 | 314 | 22 | 62 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 19 | 37 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + In the past, Gamez has been adept at going with the pitch and concentrating more on getting the ball into gaps than ever hitting for power. What little power he had in the past just plain disappeared in Arlington Stadium last year and what used to be line drives or hard ground balls off his bat turned into a lot of pop-outs. Gamez still did a decent job of avoiding strikeouts but, like, is that really so great when the end result is a quiet out anyway? Defensively he's in the upper tier of catchers. He only threw out 28% of base-stealers last season but that was arguably due to his staff. He's not a guy to hype pitchers up but his calmness even when fans are screaming can be contagious. Gamez has to be considered a backup going into this year. With John Bonham not exactly burning down the house last year, that's still an open question. Dennis Green 3B/SS/OF No. 22 LR, 6'1" 209 lbs. Born 1949-02-06 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 AND A | .312 | 77 | 292 | 42 | 91 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 45 | 28 | 73 | 2 | | 1971 PFD AA | .375 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | | 1972 PFD AA | .328 | 35 | 119 | 16 | 39 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 10 | 19 | 0 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .323 | 45 | 167 | 27 | 54 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 23 | 36 | 1 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .248 | 65 | 210 | 27 | 52 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 35 | 37 | 44 | 0 | | 1973 SPO AAA | .297 | 71 | 212 | 26 | 63 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 29 | 17 | 23 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .200 | 33 | 70 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Roberto Hernandez 1B/3B No. 13 RR, 5'11" 201 lbs. Born 1942-04-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CLE MLB | .252 | 63 | 127 | 13 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 7 | 17 | 0 | | 1972 CLE MLB | .319 | 82 | 207 | 21 | 66 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 6 | 17 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .269 | 150 | 579 | 64 | 156 | 22 | 4 | 14 | 81 | 13 | 66 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hernandez swings at most anything that looks like it could one day be a strike. He's an especially big fan of pitches above the waist and on the inside half of the zone but he's not patient enough to wait for that particular pitch. He'll still get those just often enough to remind pitchers of his power. He's got a gun and really the only reason he's not the starting 3rd baseman is that the front office preferred to keep Bobby Ramirez in a regular, every day role. He's got good hands, which does well for him at either spot, and it's a lack of range that keeps him from playing the middle infield. For a guy who doesn't walk, he's awfully smart out there. I'm not saying he'll pull the hidden ball trick on someone, but he could. Hernandez fills a role for this team. First base / DH is a prime spot for an upgrade, at least on paper, but Hernandez is clutch and gets the job done. Norm Hodge CF No. 4 LL, 6'0" 202 lbs. Born 1941-10-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CAL MLB | .232 | 138 | 488 | 52 | 113 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 48 | 36 | 75 | 21 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .206 | 116 | 437 | 38 | 90 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 26 | 71 | 15 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .247 | 120 | 470 | 62 | 116 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 43 | 39 | 100 | 17 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hodge isn't, like, "Death to Flying Things" levels of centerfield play but the 8 time Gold Glove Award winner is still very good, probably good enough to get number 9 in a couple weeks. He's still got excellent range - outstanding range, really, for a 31 year old - good hands and a great arm that led to 12 baserunner kills in center. Speed-wise he's not the demon on the paths that he used to be but 17/21 is pretty, pretty good for steals. About the only thing he can't do that you'd expect a guy with his skills to do is bunt: Hodge is just not good at it either to move runners along or to get on base himself. Any year now you could see Hodge take that final step where he turns into a merely above average CF or a downright bad instead of just kind of below average hitter. Some thought it would be 1973 already. Curtis Hope OF No. 30 LR, 6'0" 195 lbs. Born 1945-10-16 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 NYM MLB | .287 | 152 | 565 | 80 | 162 | 33 | 8 | 22 | 85 | 67 | 109 | 11 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .211 | 145 | 508 | 55 | 107 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 46 | 56 | 130 | 22 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .190 | 31 | 79 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 11 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .224 | 21 | 58 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Bill Iverson CF No. 28 RR, 5'11" 188 lbs. Born 1945-01-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 DEN AAA | .269 | 124 | 443 | 50 | 119 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 38 | 49 | 60 | 12 | | 1971 TEX MLB | .167 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .289 | 52 | 197 | 31 | 57 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 24 | 9 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .240 | 52 | 171 | 18 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 18 | 28 | 5 | | 1973 SPO AAA | .300 | 56 | 140 | 10 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 1 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .213 | 26 | 80 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Nate Kemp MR No. 12 LL, 6'3" 201 lbs. Born 1948-10-26 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PFD AA | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2.76 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 81.1 | 81 | 28 | 25 | 17 | 41 | | 1971 DEN AAA | 10 | 9 | 0 | 3.60 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 179.2 | 179 | 77 | 72 | 44 | 90 | | 1971 TEX MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.92 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14.0 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | | 1972 DEN AAA | 6 | 10 | 0 | 3.94 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 139.0 | 149 | 63 | 61 | 27 | 70 | | 1972 TEX MLB | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3.93 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 50.1 | 52 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 19 | | 1973 SPO AAA | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2.12 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 67.2 | 63 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 25 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2.34 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 61.1 | 47 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 34 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Kemp's still just 24 and the fact that he pitched so much in relief was due less to any lack of stamina or pitches that can carry him through games and more of a straight-up numbers game. When he did get the chance to start in the majors, he was excellent: 3-1, 1.67 with 2 complete games and a shutout in 4 starts in June and July. Really, you've got to look at this guy as a starter next year, either with these Texas Rangers or with a new team after Texas send him out to shore up something on their offense. Pr they'll keep him. Yeah, look at me, Mister Commitment. It's just, he's the only lefty in the bullpen and this team needs a lefty reliever something awful. Tanzan Kihara CL No. 17 SR, 6'2" 200 lbs. Born 1940-09-20 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CAL MLB | 2 | 7 | 10 | 3.49 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 77.1 | 78 | 33 | 30 | 18 | 71 | | 1972 CAL MLB | 8 | 8 | 18 | 3.69 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 70.2 | 62 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 57 | | 1973 CAL MLB | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1.19 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 1 | 3 | 18 | 3.40 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 42.1 | 40 | 19 | 16 | 7 | 35 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Kihara throws gas which he mixes with a 12-to-6 curve that keeps hitters from sending everything they can make contact with out of the park. Arlington probably helps out a bit too. He still allowed 6 HRs in 42.1 IP during his time in Texas - 5 of those dingers were on the road! - so this was and is an issue for the 33 year old. His 25 saves combined were far and away a career high; Kihara, who came up with the Angels all the way back in 1963, wasn't even really considered for the closer role until midway through 71. At this point, the Rangers will probably ride him for as long as that fastball holds up. Michael Luna SS No. 25 RR, 6'3" 200 lbs. Born 1947-11-05 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PFD AA | .241 | 68 | 228 | 34 | 55 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 34 | 45 | 1 | | 1971 DEN AAA | .255 | 63 | 216 | 28 | 55 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 33 | 37 | 1 | | 1971 TEX MLB | .203 | 25 | 74 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 0 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .230 | 136 | 440 | 43 | 101 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 38 | 47 | 86 | 2 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .224 | 139 | 402 | 42 | 90 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 42 | 41 | 79 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + If he gets right - or maybe he just has to get good, period - Luna was kind of sort of close to a league average hitter in '72, which is good for a shortstop. He also had a bit of an off season in the field, speaking of which, with under 100 DPs turned (95) in 132 starts and a negative ZR (which hey let's pretend that's a thing people know about in the 70s) along with 18 errors. He's a guy you ideally want to kind of set and forget in his role, which isn't so great if he's not good enough to start. For now though, it's either him or Donald Fagen and somehow even Luna's a better hiter than that. He's currently one of the few Rangers who played in Washington, which is saying something about the roster turnover. Robert Mchugh MR/CL No. 19 RR, 6'0" 174 lbs. Born 1946-12-22 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TUL AAA | 6 | 13 | 0 | 2.73 | 22 | 22 | 10 | 171.0 | 132 | 74 | 52 | 91 | 119 | | 1971 STL MLB | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4.60 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 27.1 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 25 | | 1972 DEN AAA | 15 | 9 | 0 | 3.45 | 26 | 26 | 9 | 200.2 | 169 | 79 | 77 | 62 | 214 | | 1972 TEX MLB | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2.21 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 44.2 | 28 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 44 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 15 | 15 | 0 | 3.44 | 34 | 34 | 12 | 251.0 | 225 | 112 | 96 | 95 | 170 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + McHugh posted a nearly 2-1 K/W ratio on the basis of a splitter that hitters tend to miss instead of top out - he had a GB rate of just 44% last year - and a fastball that moves a lot and is trickier than the high-80s velo might suggest. The K rate was actually 4th in the league. He's got the reputation for holding runners well but man oh man the stats do not back that up: he allowed 18 out of 23 would-be base thieves to get their new sack. McHugh is another Senators/Rangers acquisition, being part of the trade that sent Raul Mendoza (17-12, 3.14) to St. Louis. Mendoza has turned into the staff ace in the Gateway City but as a salary dump for an owner looking to sell his team, this move still worked out pretty, pretty well. Billy Munoz MR No. 3 RR, 6'1" 200 lbs. Born 1941-06-11 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 STL MLB | 10 | 6 | 24 | 2.69 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 100.1 | 86 | 30 | 30 | 35 | 80 | | 1972 STL MLB | 6 | 6 | 17 | 3.29 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 87.1 | 76 | 39 | 32 | 39 | 50 | | 1973 STL MLB | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3.17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 22.2 | 25 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 14 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.76 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 39.0 | 41 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 15 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + The Rangers, presumably, have learned the lesson to not use this guy, who I guess technically can throw three pitches (a 2-seam fastball, a change, and a slider, although the change only comes out when he has to pitch more than an inning), in the starter role. If anything, his success in the middle relief role might entice them to use their pen more in general. Kojiro Nakazawa POS No. 18 RR, 6'1" 193 lbs. Born 1946-06-12 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 BOS MLB | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3.21 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 75.2 | 65 | 30 | 27 | 14 | 54 | | 1972 NYY MLB | 3 | 8 | 11 | 4.47 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 50.1 | 55 | 26 | 25 | 13 | 35 | | 1972 TEX MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 6 | 3 | 8 | 4.22 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 55.1 | 45 | 26 | 26 | 17 | 37 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + As a reliever, Nakazawa mixes low to mid 90s heat with a solid enough slider. He hasn't started in a couple years now but he's got a couple of change of pace pitches he mixes in when that happens. Last year that slider sometimes didn't slide and the fastball, while good, just isn't the kind of pitch he can rely on all by itself. He also throws from a steep angle and might be more suited as a guy who faces righty hitters only. That's, um, not a role in the 1970s so instead Nakazawa might find himself out of a job if he can't figure things out. Tom Petty OF No. 56 LL, 5'10" 172 lbs. Born 1950-10-25 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1972 PAR R | .354 | 74 | 268 | 59 | 95 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 55 | 64 | 50 | 17 | | 1973 SPO AAA | .298 | 107 | 383 | 57 | 114 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 55 | 74 | 3 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .252 | 41 | 119 | 10 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 24 | 20 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Petty played a bunch of centerfield in the minors, enough to convince the organization that Norm Hodge's job is safe for now (at least from a Petty-sized challenge). He's got decent range for a corner guy although his arm probably slots him into left field if not DH. He's also flashed good speed, albeit with less than great judgment - in 1972 he stole 17 bases in 36 attempts down in the rookie leagues. He works as hard as he sings and Tom Petty sings hard. Pretty soon you can expect to see baseballs free falling off his bat and he won't back down. Okay, I'll stop now. Bobby Ramirez 3B No. 29 LR, 5'12" 189 lbs. Born 1947-11-27 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CLE MLB | .344 | 142 | 515 | 84 | 177 | 20 | 10 | 15 | 67 | 66 | 54 | 32 | | 1972 CLE MLB | .241 | 132 | 435 | 62 | 105 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 56 | 52 | 47 | 27 | | 1973 CAL MLB | .368 | 33 | 114 | 20 | 42 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 11 | 8 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .312 | 119 | 445 | 68 | 139 | 26 | 7 | 8 | 49 | 67 | 40 | 28 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + I'd say the trade worked out really, really well for the Rangers. Although Ramirez, the 1971 AL batting champ, lost out this year to Seek, he still finished 2nd in the league with a .327 average and - especially notable on a team with so many agressive hitters - led the AL in on-base percentage with a .415 mark. He also finished in the top 10 in hits (181, 9th), total bases (264, 10th), walks (90, 7th), and OPS (.888, 3rd). His numbers aren't necessarily MVP-like but he could legitimately make a case for best player in baseball. The one real downside of Ramirez, I guess, is that he's only kind of an average fielder; if the Rangers keep Roberto Hernandez on, they'll probably flip-flop their positions (in Cleveland, of course, first was occupied by one Ernesto Garcia). Ramirez, true to his nickname, loves to run, and has a pretty extensive program he follows in the offseason. It must be nice! Somehow he never went to the All-Star Game before this season. Surely this won't be the last time. Geoffrey Rush 2B No. 16 RR, 5'11" 176 lbs. Born 1950-06-08 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WIL A | .333 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1971 AND A | .315 | 62 | 248 | 40 | 78 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 20 | 44 | 14 | | 1972 PFD AA | .303 | 80 | 310 | 34 | 94 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 29 | 34 | 28 | 11 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .333 | 48 | 192 | 30 | 64 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 11 | 27 | 4 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .303 | 18 | 66 | 12 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 3 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .317 | 137 | 536 | 73 | 170 | 30 | 12 | 10 | 54 | 28 | 69 | 8 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + I don't *think* Rush's 1972 counts as his rookie season so he's a great choice for ROY of 1973. Everything that comes off his bat is a line drive and his swing seems especially well made for Arlington Stadium with all the long hits into both the right-center and left-center gaps. He's decently fast but was just 8/16 last year in steals. That might be a bit lower than it ought to be thanks to the Rangers trying to generate offense with the hit and run but still, that's not the greatest percentage. He's a very good fielder, maybe a touch worse than teammate Donald Fagen but pretty solid in his own right with plus range and a good knack for the pivot. People often tell Rush he looks familiar, which I guess is a good quality to have for an actor. As a second baseman, he finds baseballs familiar I got nothin'. He went to the All-Star Game this year and could punch his ticket to 10 more if things play out right. Amir Sudler MR No. 6 RR, 5'12" 181 lbs. Born 1945-06-15 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 SLC AAA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1.66 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 43.1 | 25 | 10 | 8 | 33 | 30 | | 1971 CAL MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | 1972 SLC AAA | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2.84 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 7 | | 1972 CAL MLB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.99 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 16 | | 1973 STL MLB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.22 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 27.2 | 29 | 15 | 13 | 25 | 18 | | 1973 TEX MLB | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6.55 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 23.1 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 11 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + 1974 will be a real make-it-or-break-it year for the 28 year old. His splits are kind of crazy - even though lefties hit only .237 against him (.234 vs righties), he allowed all 6 of his HRs against that side and a .500 SLG (all six of those HRs were on the road as well). Conclusion? This team needs a lefty specialist. Or at least Nate Kemp needs to get used a lot more... Philippe Toussaint RF/LF No. 11 LL, 6'2" 203 lbs. Born 1949-06-25 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WH A | .243 | 50 | 185 | 19 | 45 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 25 | 36 | 5 | | 1971 GAS A | .223 | 28 | 103 | 10 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 0 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .360 | 24 | 86 | 11 | 31 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 2 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .268 | 103 | 332 | 43 | 89 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 38 | 41 | 56 | 4 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .284 | 146 | 514 | 69 | 146 | 26 | 13 | 14 | 72 | 60 | 80 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Toussaint swings hard like a slugger but hasn't developed the power yet. It's hard to say whether he'll find that or not. As it stands, though, he'll gladly take a base and seems destined for a lineup slot near the top of the order, or at least higher up than 7th, where he spent most of last year. Toussaint's solid, if not necessarily special, as a right fielder. A first step is apparently not something you learn from golf. He's got decent speed though to make up for that. A potentially bigger issue is some stony hands last year: he had 9 errors in 149 games in right for a .967 fielding average. He also didn't learn to bunt in Belgium... but why would you ask this man to bunt? Toussaint seems pretty content finding his fame as a golfer and not a baseballist. If he doesn't watch out he might find fame in both. Jimmy Washington DH/RF No. 34 LL, 5'11" 202 lbs. Born 1943-04-25 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 NYM MLB | .254 | 119 | 456 | 62 | 116 | 22 | 1 | 17 | 66 | 29 | 69 | 0 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .100 | 17 | 50 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .271 | 135 | 498 | 60 | 135 | 24 | 2 | 19 | 75 | 50 | 60 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Washington tantalizes you by showing an ability to hit the ball in any part of the zone and striking out less than you'd expect a middle of the lineup slugger to strike out. Sadly, he just hits the ball really hard to second base insteead - he grounded into 22 double plays last year. After years of the Mets just kind of living with his fielding, Washington made the transition to the new DH position and not only didn't look mediocre in the field anymore, he also for the most part avoided injury. Washington turned 30 this year, which sounds about right. It seems... unlikely that he'll make it to another All-Star Game unless things turn back around in a big hurry, but hey, maybe playing at the new "designated hitter" position will do that. In the meantime, he'll need to deal with a sudden glut of good young Texas players at the corner outfield spots.
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01-15-2026, 12:49 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,629
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Atlanta Braves (83-78, 2nd NL West)
1973 Recap: Atlanta had gone in winning 3 out of the past 4 division championships in the West but something was really amiss: they'd won just 81 in 1972 and weren't really looking like that was going to be an outlier year. And as it turned out, it wasn't. The Braves finished 2nd but were very rarely ever in the actual lead, mostly going behind San Francisco early before they completely fell apart and then at the end of the year San Diego just ran away with things. The once-vaunted offense seemed beatable and the pitching, while better than it has been, was just plain not enough to make up for that.
1974 Outlook: Rumors are swirling that Atlanta is trying to deal away RF Henry Riggs, the all-time HR leader who has missed significant time over the last two years. If he goes, will the Braves embark on a full-scale rebuilding effort? Or will they try to be just good enough to contend yet again? Michael Lee Aday OF No. 9 LL, 5'10" 193 lbs. Born 1947-12-01 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAV AA | .247 | 88 | 275 | 35 | 68 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 27 | 59 | 8 | | 1971 RIC AAA | .246 | 17 | 65 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 5 | | 1971 ATL MLB | .000 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | 1972 RIC AAA | .266 | 31 | 109 | 16 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 19 | 5 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .281 | 93 | 349 | 38 | 98 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 33 | 50 | 13 | | 1973 RIC AAA | .230 | 52 | 200 | 27 | 46 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 22 | 28 | 7 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .229 | 34 | 131 | 14 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + This is I'm sure something I've said 8,000 times already but 1974 is a real make or break season for Meat Loaf. Pedro Almodovar SS/IF No. 10 RR, 5'9" 168 lbs. Born 1949-09-29 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAV AA | .324 | 41 | 139 | 16 | 45 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 11 | 18 | 2 | | 1971 RIC AAA | .256 | 36 | 121 | 17 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 16 | 3 | | 1972 RIC AAA | .238 | 89 | 344 | 33 | 82 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 33 | 18 | 58 | 1 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .191 | 26 | 68 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .254 | 118 | 355 | 34 | 90 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 32 | 43 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Almodovar's biggest asset is a plus-plus glove that will almost certainly win him multiple Gold Gloves if he's allowed to play enough to earn them. The only downside to his defensive game is an only good arm; everything else - his hands, his range, and his ability to pivot - are great. Offensively it's a different story: he doesn't look like Jon Timonen out there (who was a member of this Braves team for a while!) but he's never going to be even a league average hitter. Somehow he stole 31 bases in his senior year in college but that speed seems to have stayed in the academic world. Almodovar thinks he's the best thing since... tapas (look, he's Spanish). He might not be all that but he is, um, a bag of chips. Wolf Blitzer RF/LF No. 67 LL, 6'4" 201 lbs. Born 1948-03-22 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAV AA | .277 | 56 | 159 | 22 | 44 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 29 | 34 | 0 | | 1971 RIC AAA | .223 | 54 | 166 | 17 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 2 | | 1972 RIC AAA | .314 | 76 | 274 | 35 | 86 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 52 | 28 | 44 | 1 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .322 | 49 | 115 | 18 | 37 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 11 | 20 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .263 | 102 | 266 | 33 | 70 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 34 | 32 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Blitzer has got some big, big shoes to fill. I don't think he's really going to fill them if I'm being honest. T.C. Boyle CF/OF No. 4 RR, 6'2" 195 lbs. Born 1948-11-29 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAV AA | .220 | 96 | 309 | 42 | 68 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 41 | 81 | 14 | | 1971 RIC AAA | .283 | 12 | 46 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 2 | | 1972 SAV AA | .275 | 19 | 69 | 11 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 19 | 13 | 6 | | 1972 RIC AAA | .200 | 56 | 145 | 19 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 41 | 4 | | 1973 RIC AAA | .282 | 11 | 39 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 3 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .257 | 83 | 288 | 48 | 74 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 32 | 45 | 70 | 16 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Boyle works hard and should be a regular in this lineup next year and for years to come afterwards. Felix Carranza SP No. 31 RR, 6'0" 184 lbs. Born 1944-04-21 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 ATL MLB | 16 | 9 | 0 | 3.92 | 35 | 32 | 8 | 238.2 | 247 | 108 | 104 | 75 | 138 | | 1972 ATL MLB | 16 | 11 | 0 | 3.14 | 35 | 35 | 11 | 257.1 | 236 | 104 | 90 | 75 | 155 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 11 | 14 | 0 | 4.02 | 34 | 33 | 6 | 228.0 | 256 | 113 | 102 | 69 | 131 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Carranza throws six pitches for strikes. Some would say he should concentrate on fewer but the past couple years it could be said that this was working for him and so one shouldn't mess with it. His fastball gets into the low 90s but is kind of straight and so he really does have to rely on a "wide variety" - his detractors would say slop - to get things done. He has one of the best pickoff moves in the game. He's not a super great fielder, although he only committed 2 errors last year, and as a hitter he's... fine, actually; last year, he hit for a .200 average which, trust me, is good for a guy like this. Carranza seems destined to sit in the back of this Braves rotation or even find himself in a swingman situation if they decide they like one of their prospects. He's a guy who will be a Brave until the team decides they don't need him anymore. Ernesto Carrillo CL No. 21 RR, 6'6" 202 lbs. Born 1944-01-31 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 NYM MLB | 21 | 10 | 0 | 3.16 | 39 | 39 | 8 | 289.2 | 219 | 109 | 102 | 156 | 252 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 9 | 15 | 1 | 4.02 | 32 | 30 | 3 | 208.0 | 160 | 105 | 93 | 145 | 186 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 5 | 4 | 19 | 3.48 | 58 | 2 | 0 | 85.1 | 74 | 37 | 33 | 41 | 58 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Carillo is in the prime of his career and throws gas, although he doesn't throw a 4 seamer so the MPH looks a little lower (he does throw both a cut and a sinking fastball). His big out pitch is a filthy slider that, as a reliever, he's able to throw a larger percentage of the time now. As noted, control has always been an issue; the 4.1 BB/9 he allowed last year was a career low for Carillo and of course as a relief pitcher he was never going to lead the league in wild pitches the way he did 2 of the previous 3 years (with over 20 both of those seasons!). He's only average at holding runners and his hard throwing motion leaves him way off balance in the field when it comes to come-backers to the mound. Carillo is not the brightest tool in the shed when it comes to the thinking man's game of baseball and it was considered that just sticking him in a role where he could throw nothing but smoke would be good for him. So far, it's been... okay at least. You'd love to see him get back to that comnbined 41-22 record he posted back in 1970-71 but it seems like the Braves are pretty content with keeping him in this role. William Jefferson Clinton 3B/SS No. 6 RR, 5'11" 201 lbs. Born 1946-05-20 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 RIC AAA | .256 | 65 | 223 | 34 | 57 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 34 | 30 | 3 | | 1971 ATL MLB | .250 | 28 | 60 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 0 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .229 | 93 | 288 | 27 | 66 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 24 | 33 | 56 | 4 | | 1973 RIC AAA | .231 | 102 | 308 | 29 | 71 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 35 | 21 | 73 | 3 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .182 | 27 | 77 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Will Clinton even be on this team in 1974? The world may never know (the world will know by Opening Day). Kevin Dwyer 2B No. 2 RR, 5'12" 193 lbs. Born 1939-02-17 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ATL MLB | .314 | 125 | 509 | 89 | 160 | 29 | 5 | 19 | 77 | 44 | 47 | 1 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .329 | 137 | 516 | 91 | 170 | 29 | 4 | 18 | 77 | 65 | 49 | 2 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .290 | 143 | 576 | 68 | 167 | 34 | 1 | 12 | 71 | 59 | 70 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Dwyer's always been a guy who dives in early and often at pitches. This past year he swung and missed at pitches more often than ever before, although the 15 of those career high 70 strikeouts came during that hard June and the Braves feel that he'll be back to normal in 1974. Perhaps Atlanta would be better suited sitting him when such flare-ups arise but on the other hand he's a hard guy to take out of the lineup. Dwyer used to have 20+ HR power and even belted 30 dingers in 1970 (how he didn't win the MVP that year, I don't even know) but that seems to be a thing of the past now, not that 12-18 HRs a year is anything for your average second baseman to sneeze at. If there's any real sign that Dwyer is starting to get old, it's in his fielding. Dwyer has never been a fantastic second baseman but he really struggled afield in 1973, committing 20 errors (to be fair he's committed as many as 33 in a year in years past) and lacking some of the range that made up for an erratic arm. He's never been a threat to steal and that's not something that stands to change as he gets into his mid 30s. Dwyer has never laid down a sacrifice bunt in his entire big-league career and probably isn't going to start now. You'd assume that a return to a more set lineup in 1974 will cause Dwyer's clutch numbers to climb back up. He's the Braves' team captain and is instrumental to any offensive success that they have. Frank Evans SP No. 33 RR, 6'1" 187 lbs. Born 1948-02-10 Code:
| yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PEN AAA | 9 | 10 | 0 | 2.68 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 191.1 | 160 | 70 | 57 | 83 | 79 | | 1971 MON MLB | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3.89 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 62.1 | 61 | 33 | 27 | 21 | 29 | | 1972 MON MLB | 14 | 9 | 0 | 2.73 | 32 | 28 | 7 | 214.0 | 188 | 71 | 65 | 85 | 102 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 11 | 15 | 0 | 3.40 | 31 | 31 | 10 | 222.1 | 197 | 89 | 84 | 110 | 121 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Evans, like teammate Colin Rose (although I swear I just noticed this), throws the knuckler, although unlike Rose his dancer behaves much more like you'd expect a dancer to... well, you don't expect a dancer to behave but you get the point. Rose only struck out 4.9 men per 9 innings but still managed to hold htiters to a .245 average and only 14 HRs. If you were to wipe away his horrible August (0-4, 6.47) when he was nursing an undisclosed injury, maybe you can even convince yourself that he's pretty good. Runners didn't go crazy on him the way they did in 1972 (19/20 steals!) but he wasn't super great at holding them (20/27 last year). There's some hope that Evans will learn from Rose how to throw his pitch more effectively. Time will tell. The upside of this is, he's also the youngest starter on the roster... Gianluigi Farinelli C No. 11 RR, 6'0" 200 lbs. Born 1941-09-23 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 DET MLB | .273 | 126 | 465 | 53 | 127 | 22 | 2 | 13 | 69 | 40 | 105 | 0 | | 1972 DET MLB | .197 | 123 | 366 | 34 | 72 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 45 | 42 | 83 | 0 | | 1973 DET MLB | .381 | 14 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .231 | 93 | 346 | 24 | 80 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 25 | 70 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Catching is a defense-first position, to be sure, but Farinelli is also not particularly great defensive catcher. He does have a deceptive arm that led to a 47% RTO% last year and soee kind of impressive numbers in his past but truth be told it's only average and he's unlikely to win throwing contests. He's only adequate at blocking balls in the dirt and isn't quite as smart and strategic as he thinks he is when it comes to calling games. He's turrible slow although that describes most catchers so it's hard to hold that against him at least. It's just... he carved out a role with the Tigers as a good-hit, okay-field backstop and now that that good hitting seems to have eroded as he gets into his mid 30s, he seems like a backup at best. The Braves gave their 1970 1st round pick Christopher Guest (.282, 0, 7) a trial at the end of the year and liked what they saw, so chances are Farinelli will be competing with Dan Rigdon for the backup job this year. Peter Frampton 1B No. 25 LR, 6'2" 200 lbs. Born 1950-04-22 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SPA A | .300 | 104 | 377 | 54 | 113 | 19 | 0 | 12 | 52 | 54 | 72 | 0 | | 1971 REA AA | .226 | 10 | 31 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 1972 SAV AA | .375 | 9 | 32 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 0 | | 1972 REA AA | .241 | 24 | 87 | 11 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 0 | | 1972 RIC AAA | .349 | 73 | 289 | 46 | 101 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 50 | 27 | 60 | 0 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .308 | 47 | 172 | 21 | 53 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 28 | 22 | 23 | 0 | | 1973 RIC AAA | .287 | 33 | 122 | 16 | 35 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .267 | 61 | 225 | 32 | 60 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 28 | 38 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Frampton's shown the ability to hit for a .300 average or better in the minors, which is really what he needs to do to be a good major league baseball player. Although he hit 16 HRs in a half season at Richmond in 1972 after coming over from the Philadelphia organization, scouts don't think that power will translate and early ML results seem to agree. He does seem to have some issues with off-speed stuff - youngsters just don't see a lot of good breaking pitches in the minors after all - and there's some hope he'll work that out. Frampton is a better fielder than Hernandez - not that that's a high bar - but might be even slower on the bases even though he's 7 years younger. He's a born musician who just doesn't think much about baseball. It's hard to say if Peter Frampton is Mr. Right for the Braves or merely Mr. Right Now. This year should be very informative. Bob Geldof SP No. 15 LR, 5'9" 187 lbs. Born 1949-03-25 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 GRW A | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3.51 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 87.0 | 99 | 43 | 34 | 28 | 85 | | 1971 SAV AA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3.29 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 54.2 | 48 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 38 | | 1972 RIC AAA | 14 | 6 | 0 | 3.64 | 28 | 28 | 3 | 202.1 | 189 | 88 | 82 | 93 | 119 | | 1973 RIC AAA | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2.53 | 27 | 27 | 5 | 199.0 | 150 | 66 | 56 | 82 | 122 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.65 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 44.1 | 43 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 23 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Geldof seems on the verge of being something special either as a baseball player or as a spokesman of some variety. Justin Henderson SS No. 43 RR, 6'0" 195 lbs. Born 1938-08-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHW MLB | .233 | 115 | 317 | 23 | 74 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 27 | 50 | 2 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .229 | 88 | 271 | 23 | 62 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 33 | 46 | 1 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .248 | 49 | 125 | 8 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + If this is it for Henderson, hey, it was a good career - more than 4,000 career at-bats and 1,285 games, and the lack of any hitting accolades only underscores how good of a fielder he was in his prime. He's no Hall of Famer and he never stuck around on any one team long enough to make a team HOF; still, he's in the Hall of Pretty Good Guys. Jon Hernandez 1B/C No. 12 LR, 5'10" 197 lbs. Born 1943-04-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 BAL MLB | .261 | 123 | 399 | 44 | 104 | 19 | 1 | 9 | 52 | 53 | 77 | 1 | | 1972 BAL MLB | .254 | 127 | 401 | 56 | 102 | 31 | 2 | 13 | 67 | 58 | 101 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .216 | 116 | 273 | 33 | 59 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 30 | 47 | 62 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hernandez classically likes anything high in the zone. He's had issues with lefties in the past and so it seemed like a good idea to put him into a platoon situation; Hernandez had just 36 plate appearances vs left-handers. In spite of that, his tendencies to swing and miss at pitches that drop in the zone seemed even more pronounced than before and to make matters worse Hernandez seemed to stop hitting those screaming line drives into the gap that are so much a part of his game when he's hot. Defensively he's never going to be much of an asset and this level is probably as good as it's going to get. He's got the speed of a converted catcher, which is to say not much, and somehow managed to ground into 9 double plays last year in spite of the part-time ABs and all those whiffs. Hernandez, who hit well enough to be a 3 time All-Star when he caught, is facing a real make or break year in 1974... assuming he gets the chance in the first place. This already might have been it. George House SP No. 7 RR, 6'6" 200 lbs. Born 1942-11-17 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 ATL MLB | 23 | 9 | 0 | 3.11 | 38 | 38 | 9 | 277.2 | 259 | 114 | 96 | 69 | 195 | | 1972 ATL MLB | 14 | 10 | 0 | 3.16 | 31 | 31 | 8 | 219.0 | 187 | 84 | 77 | 56 | 149 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 13 | 14 | 0 | 3.51 | 35 | 35 | 10 | 253.2 | 243 | 106 | 99 | 71 | 188 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + House throws 4 pitches for strikes although the split-finger he likes to throw didn't get over quite as often as it has in the past, which created some issues for him in terms of allowing the longball. The good news is that 3 years removed from the torn tendon in his elbow that caused him to miss almost all of 1970, he's showing no signs of lingering injury. House had the 2nd highest games started and completed totals of his career and was just a couple innings off from having the 2nd highest raw IPs. He's always been a guy who wins with movement rather than speed and if anything his cut fastball is slightly faster than it was when he was moving up through the minor leagues. House won't hurt himself in the field, although he is a terrrrrible hitter, the kind of guy you point to if you're a fan of the DH. By the end of the year it was starting to look like House lost his longtime "ace of the staff" role to the knuckleballing Colin Rose. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise for the 30 year old former Cy Young Award winner, as now he'll get more matchups against teams' middle of the rotation pitchers and with that, perhaps a bit more run support. Rick Legere MR No. 22 RR, 5'10" 184 lbs. Born 1944-10-29 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 STL MLB | 7 | 4 | 8 | 2.54 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 77.2 | 76 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 45 | | 1972 TID AAA | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.84 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4.46 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 38.1 | 32 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 23 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2.01 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 53.2 | 40 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 37 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Legere should at least fill a similar role for 1974. Ideally there will be more opportunities for him. Vladimir Matorin IF No. 38 RR, 6'0" 194 lbs. Born 1948-04-30 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 FL A | .294 | 36 | 136 | 21 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 6 | | 1971 WH AA | .263 | 92 | 346 | 40 | 91 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 35 | 35 | 51 | 4 | | 1972 WH AA | .300 | 9 | 40 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 0 | | 1972 SYR AAA | .276 | 99 | 373 | 43 | 103 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 34 | 26 | 64 | 3 | | 1972 NYY MLB | .270 | 43 | 148 | 17 | 40 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 23 | 0 | | 1973 SYR AAA | .272 | 33 | 114 | 8 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 2 | | 1973 NYY MLB | .143 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .313 | 34 | 83 | 12 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Matorin is a second baseman who, like David Oddson below, probably won't see a lot of time at his natural position and so his versatility will really help him out in Atlanta. His best asset is a good arm so he can get by at third and short. He'll swing at everything that is near the plate and so rarely gets to 3 balls, let alone 4, but the approach seems to lead to a decent amount of singles and doubles. Matorin might be a little up and down for 1974 - he still by my count has one option left - but he certainly fills a role in this organization. Frank Menner OF No. 42 RR, 6'2" 194 lbs. Born 1943-04-06 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHR AAA | .225 | 10 | 40 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | | 1971 PIT MLB | .189 | 15 | 37 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .228 | 55 | 92 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 20 | 2 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .300 | 11 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .205 | 71 | 239 | 29 | 49 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 32 | 30 | 61 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Menner most certainly won't get 239 at-bats again in 1974 unless there are some severe injury issues on this team. Mike Morrison 3B/1B No. 17 RR, 5'11" 202 lbs. Born 1941-06-12 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 STL MLB | .260 | 59 | 215 | 21 | 56 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 0 | | 1971 MIL MLB | .303 | 56 | 234 | 23 | 71 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 14 | 15 | 1 | | 1972 BAL MLB | .300 | 20 | 40 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .294 | 117 | 462 | 46 | 136 | 23 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 10 | 34 | 5 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Morrison is also a plus fielder. At 32, perhaps he's no longer a Gold Glove contender but a gun for an arm and soft hands make for a guy who's part of the solution rather than part of the problem in the infield. Like so many other guys on this team, Morrison is getting into his 30s now and whatever speed he might have had in the past is pretty well gone now, in spite of a career-high 5 steals. He got soft platooned a bit, sitting vs. some righty pitchers, and that's probably a good way forward for him in the future even if he does avoid the injury bug like he did last year. All in all, this Braves team isn't getting any younger but Morrison was a nice bargain basement pickup who should still have a few years left in the tank. David Oddsson 1B/2B/LF No. 13 RR, 6'2" 188 lbs. Born 1948-06-24 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAV AA | .258 | 28 | 97 | 13 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 23 | 3 | | 1971 RIC AAA | .339 | 73 | 221 | 31 | 75 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 46 | 19 | 26 | 1 | | 1971 ATL MLB | .400 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | | 1972 RIC AAA | .300 | 51 | 160 | 27 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 13 | 37 | 1 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .200 | 36 | 95 | 13 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 4 | | 1973 RIC AAA | .255 | 92 | 318 | 30 | 81 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 33 | 23 | 81 | 2 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .259 | 27 | 81 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 18 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's hard to say what place, exactly, the 25 year old Icelander will play in 1974. It's clear he'll get in somewhere for this team though. Bobby Orr LR No. 35 LR, 6'0" 200 lbs. Born 1948-03-21 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 GRW A | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.85 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 34.0 | 32 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 25 | | 1971 SAV AA | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2.07 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 21.2 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 23 | | 1972 RIC AAA | 6 | 3 | 10 | 2.42 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 59.1 | 51 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 42 | | 1972 ATL MLB | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4.37 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 | 28 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 18 | | 1973 RIC AAA | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3.28 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 60.1 | 48 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 43 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3.30 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 62.2 | 52 | 27 | 23 | 15 | 47 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Should Orr decide to take baseball as seriously as he's been taking hockey for several years now, the Stanley Cup champion might find that he's a pretty decent starting pitcher. If not, he'll probably still stick around for a few years as guys like this don't exactly grow on trees. Dan Rigdon C No. 46 RR, 6'3" 212 lbs. Born 1943-08-23 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 HOU MLB | .268 | 128 | 496 | 58 | 133 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 52 | 33 | 81 | 0 | | 1972 HOU MLB | .193 | 119 | 378 | 27 | 73 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 30 | 64 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .132 | 18 | 38 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .241 | 35 | 116 | 13 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 9 | 19 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Rigdon seems to have found his stroke in Atlanta but now looks like a backup option as he enters his 30s. He's still getting paid like a starter and if the rumors of an Atlanta rebuild are true, perhaps he'll also find his way out of the South. Henry Riggs LF/RF No. 32 LL, 6'2" 199 lbs. Born 1935-09-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ATL MLB | .299 | 149 | 559 | 112 | 167 | 35 | 1 | 43 | 119 | 93 | 78 | 0 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .263 | 105 | 396 | 57 | 104 | 18 | 0 | 22 | 59 | 59 | 65 | 0 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .306 | 92 | 307 | 52 | 94 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 56 | 58 | 43 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Riggs has always been a guy who has power to all fields. Even though he has the most HRs in MLB history he's simply not your standard dead-pull power hitter. He's still only 2 years removed from his 3rd of 3 MVP campaigns and although the 20 HRs are his lowest since 1964 he's still got middle of the order power, and NL teams know it: even with missing 70 games, Riggs still had 8 intentional walks, 3 off from his league-leading 11 in 1972. At age 38 he's now a liability in left field; he catches most everything he gets to but he just doesn't get to a lot. He's still got that cannon that got him more than 20 outfield assists 3 times in his career, although last year runners just didn't run on him. The rumors abound that it's the Milwaukee Brewers, the city Riggs called home from 1954 until his team moved after the 1967 season, who are the main suitors for his talents. A move to designated hitter seems like the best use of Riggs at this point his career, as he can very much still hit but probably shouldn't play in the field any longer. Could he last another 5 years and wind up with, say, 650 HRs? He has 565 now... and also 2,951 hits - he should be the first to 3,000 if he doesn't get hurt next year - 1,617 RBIs, and 5,148 total bases, all of which are the most in MLB history. Colin Rose SP No. 14 RR, 6'1" 187 lbs. Born 1944-04-01 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 RIC AAA | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3.92 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 91.2 | 82 | 43 | 40 | 27 | 31 | | 1971 ATL MLB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.94 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 23.2 | 27 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 6 | | 1972 ATL MLB | 11 | 11 | 0 | 3.55 | 27 | 27 | 8 | 202.1 | 175 | 86 | 80 | 64 | 107 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2.02 | 37 | 30 | 15 | 253.1 | 205 | 62 | 57 | 80 | 184 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Rose baaarely has a fastball to speak of, throwing a pitch that looks an awful lot more like a forkball the way it dips when he needs a strike. He's had control issues in the past but he really seems to have gotten all of that under control the past two seasons. He looks like he could throw the ball all day long out there and indeed he was 3rd in the NL in complete games, finishing fully half the games he started. He's a solid defender who will charge down a bunt if teams try to pull that strategy on him, and he's a lot better than you think he should be at holding runners. Last year only 6 out of 15 guys who tried stole bases on him. He's very bad as a hitter, maybe even worse than teammate George House and that's saying something. Rose turns 30 at the start of the year but 30 is practically a spring chicken in knuckleballer terms. He could do whatever it is that he does for the next decade, easily. Ron Shepherd MR No. 16 LL, 6'0" 193 lbs. Born 1943-03-12 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TEX MLB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3.03 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 32.2 | 34 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 20 | | 1972 TEX MLB | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2.56 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 59.2 | 51 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 33 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 3 | 8 | 8 | 3.85 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 70.0 | 74 | 33 | 30 | 23 | 49 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Shepherd throws a 4 seamer and a splitter exclusively. The fastball, like the fastball of a lot of lefties, doesn't get all that up in velocity but he makes up for it with a lot of movement. The split-finger "fastball" is his out pitch and it does a decent job of keeping balls from being hit a long distance although Shepherd's groundball rate - 46% last year - has always been a bit lower than what you'd expect coming from a guy who throws that "dippy" (as the kids like to say) (look, it's 1973) pitch so much. I guess on the other hand a 4 seamer, even one that isn't thrown hard enough to rise per se, is going to counteract that effect. There's no reason why Shepherd won't be the team's main man when it comes to getting lefties out again in 1974. Will he share the closer's duties? It's hard to say. Chris Ward RF/LF No. 37 LL, 5'9" 186 lbs. Born 1946-05-21 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ATL MLB | .296 | 124 | 456 | 86 | 135 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 47 | 50 | 67 | 56 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .267 | 107 | 438 | 69 | 117 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 36 | 58 | 35 | | 1973 ATL MLB | .274 | 139 | 551 | 80 | 151 | 15 | 5 | 14 | 53 | 45 | 65 | 21 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Ward is pretty good at hitting the ball down when his team needs a single, at least when he does make contact. For a leadoff guy, Ward does have an issue with the K at times. He's also got deceptive power and clocked a career-best 14 HRs and 53 RBIs in 1973, the latter being a pretty impressive total for a guy who played mostly leadoff. His fielding leaves a lot to be desired: in spite of all that speed, Ward doesn't get a great jump on the ball and sometimes tries to make a splashy play in the field that only leads to extra bases. He's got a good enough arm that the Braves put him in right field for most of the year as they tried to transition Henry Riggs to left. Ward is what they call a locker room lawyer and was reportedly unhappy that he wasn't allowed to run as much as he has in the past. He does still have every bit of the speed he had when he stole 56 bases in 1971 so maybe he's got something there.
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,629
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Chicago Cubs (77-83, 4th NL East)
1973 Recap: The Cubs run of perennial second-gunners seems to have come to an end with their 2nd losing record in 3 years sandwiched around a rather meh 84-71 campaign. Probably more detrimental to any hopes this team might have had was the sudden rise to power of the Phillies in the division. It's going to be really, really hard for this team to move past that.
This is a team whom you expect to be built on clubbing their opponents to death 3 homeruns at a time but they're kind of not: the Cubs hit just 107 HRs last year, 9th in the NL, en route to a kind of paltry 616 runs scored. The pitching, or should I say the defense, is what stepped up last season: in spite of being dead last in the NL at striking opposing hitters out, the Cubbies post 615 runs allowed, one fewer than they scored. They committed the fewest errors in the league and also featured some of the best range. 1974 Outlook: This is a team that has some young core pieces to it and isn't, as a whole, hugely old, so that's nice at least. The Phillies aren't old either though - I will talk about them when I get to them, and these Cubbies really need some comeback seasons from guys like 1B Antonio Lopez and SS Jeremy Taylor if they're going to even have a hope at challenging Philadelphia in 1974 or the forseeable future. Charles Bradley SS No. 2 RR, 6'1" 197 lbs. Born 1948-11-11 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAL A | .289 | 21 | 90 | 7 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 1 | | 1971 MIA A | .246 | 52 | 175 | 24 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 23 | 33 | 8 | | 1971 MID AA | .125 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | | 1972 ROC AAA | .286 | 30 | 105 | 17 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 20 | 13 | 19 | 1 | | 1972 BAL MLB | .308 | 43 | 107 | 14 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 2 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .221 | 41 | 136 | 15 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 14 | 27 | 1 | | 1973 WIC AAA | .224 | 34 | 125 | 19 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 13 | 21 | 1 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .180 | 58 | 161 | 12 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 31 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + There's still some hope, I guess, that as Bradley learns the NL style of pitching he'll cut down on the whiffs enough to become a major league regular. If he's going to make that turn, he'll need to do so quickly. Raul Bueno PH/OF/1B No. 23 RR, 6'3" 197 lbs. Born 1938-06-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OAK MLB | .278 | 67 | 90 | 19 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 6 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .291 | 97 | 127 | 15 | 37 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 7 | | 1973 TEX MLB | .284 | 72 | 155 | 14 | 44 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 13 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .317 | 35 | 41 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Bueno, now 35 years of age, isn't done yet, although he's probably better suited for the American League and a situation where he can maybe play some first base and DH and help a team with both his bat and his foot speed. Antonio Carpio C No. 13 RR, 5'11" 200 lbs. Born 1949-10-26 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 REN A | .323 | 8 | 31 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | | 1971 ORA A | .270 | 10 | 37 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | | 1971 JAX AA | .349 | 71 | 192 | 22 | 67 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 27 | 9 | 0 | | 1971 WIC AAA | .250 | 10 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | | 1972 MID AA | .405 | 12 | 42 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .370 | 80 | 146 | 20 | 54 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 10 | 19 | 1 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .263 | 41 | 133 | 10 | 35 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Carpio is a hit-first catcher who's just plain not the equal of Greg Darrow afield. He's slower to get out in front of pitches in the dirt than the starter and has a below average arm. As a hitter he should be a legitimate .270 or so hitter, although .300+ might be asking a lot. He showed a lot more power in the minors than the none he displayed last season so that ought to improve as well. Teams looking for a hit-first catcher would do a lot worse than to acquire this guy at the right price. Ryan Clements CF/RF No. 7 RR, 5'11" 185 lbs. Born 1943-07-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TAC AAA | .206 | 132 | 475 | 56 | 98 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 37 | 58 | 62 | 22 | | 1971 CHC MLB | .000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .249 | 107 | 341 | 50 | 85 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 50 | 38 | 55 | 22 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .160 | 16 | 50 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 2 | | 1973 WIC AAA | .169 | 25 | 83 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 5 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .269 | 96 | 327 | 41 | 88 | 19 | 2 | 11 | 44 | 34 | 47 | 19 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Clements was a speed demon in the minors and while he's lost a step or two that's still the biggest part of his game. The past couple years he's also started to hit for decent power in AAA and that new wrinkle followed him into the major leagues. He can control the bat throughout the strike zone and as a potential leadoff hitter can foul off enough of them to eventually draw a cheeky walk. He covers a ton of ground in center, enough to where a full season out there could earn him a Gold Glove if everything broke right. Clements already did way more in 1973 than anyone hoped he could. The comedown and crashout in 1974 is inevitable but hey it was a fun time while it lasted. Jon Cooley 2B No. 8 RR, 6'3" 200 lbs. Born 1948-04-06 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 LOD A | .262 | 123 | 466 | 72 | 122 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 50 | 67 | 87 | 14 | | 1971 HAW AAA | .333 | 6 | 21 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | | 1972 ASH AA | .309 | 45 | 152 | 20 | 47 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 36 | 20 | 7 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .263 | 94 | 331 | 39 | 87 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 30 | 45 | 55 | 11 | | 1973 WIC AAA | .265 | 68 | 200 | 24 | 53 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 29 | 0 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .274 | 72 | 223 | 30 | 61 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Chance Cooper OF No. 26 LR, 6'1" 192 lbs. Born 1947-08-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TAC AAA | .239 | 24 | 67 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 8 | 2 | | 1971 CHC MLB | .248 | 59 | 153 | 24 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 31 | 35 | 3 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .280 | 73 | 271 | 55 | 76 | 10 | 4 | 27 | 64 | 47 | 63 | 5 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .202 | 61 | 193 | 29 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 26 | 34 | 37 | 5 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .216 | 119 | 385 | 55 | 83 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 44 | 87 | 83 | 5 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Cooper has a big swing and misses too many pitches to hit for a good average. He's got really good power, although that kind of went missing last year, and pitchers are afraid of it enough that he'll also draw a lot of walks to make up for those low averages. Last year he managed to collect an OBP of .359 in spite of the .216 average. Even though he has good speed, that swing of his leads to as many popups as strikeouts and so it doesn't come into play all that often. He has no instincts for the outfield, either, making said speed more of a neat answer to a trivia question at this point than an actual baseball skill. If Cooper can exhibit some of that glorious power he's shown in the minor leagues in the majors, he could be an All-Star. Given that he's already in Wrigley and is now 26, there's an awfully good chance that what you see is what you get. Bill Daniels SS No. 7 RR, 5'12" 199 lbs. Born 1944-11-14 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WIC AAA | .216 | 131 | 408 | 44 | 88 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 38 | 35 | 61 | 4 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .218 | 40 | 124 | 15 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 6 | 39 | 0 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .269 | 19 | 26 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | | 1973 WIC AAA | .136 | 17 | 44 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .139 | 38 | 79 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Greg Darrow C No. 33 RR, 5'10" 203 lbs. Born 1943-12-09 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHC MLB | .256 | 130 | 507 | 42 | 130 | 32 | 0 | 13 | 75 | 23 | 71 | 0 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .247 | 122 | 433 | 43 | 107 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 43 | 27 | 46 | 0 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .277 | 125 | 491 | 40 | 136 | 28 | 2 | 11 | 67 | 21 | 73 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Greg Darrow specializes in hitting line drives into the gaps. He prefers the ball high and inside but doesn't absolutely have to have the ball there to do anything with it. For a catcher he doesn't walk much but he still manages to get on base with all the singles and doubles he collects. Don't expect many triples or steals though: Darrow is catcher-slow. He won the Gold Glove in 1971 in spite of a below average arm and even now it must be said that Darrow benefits greatly from a pitching staff with good pickoff moves: he managed to catch - well, his pitchers managed to catch - 33 would-be basestealers for a 44.6% CS rate. He's good with young pitchers and has done good job coaxing the last bits of stuff from vets like Martinez and Moon. Yeah, no question Darrow's the brainy leader of this team and the starting catcher for the forseeable future. Scott Coffey SP No. 14 LL, 6'1" 189 lbs. Born 1942-07-12 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TAC AAA | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4.57 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 114.0 | 115 | 65 | 58 | 48 | 63 | | 1971 CHC MLB | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3.99 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 112.2 | 111 | 53 | 50 | 36 | 76 | | 1972 CHC MLB | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3.68 | 34 | 33 | 5 | 244.1 | 246 | 105 | 100 | 80 | 152 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 15 | 8 | 0 | 4.52 | 32 | 28 | 2 | 189.0 | 205 | 104 | 95 | 75 | 109 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Coffey is a slow pitching lefty with a 12 to 6 curve. It unfortunately isn't as heavy as one would like; in his last 2 seasons as a full-time starter, Coffey's allowed 49 HRs, which in turn isn't I guess horrifically bad but it's not exactly great. He's also been trending steadily downwards in his ability to strike guys out, although last year... well, it's weird because his worst overall months were also the ones where he recorded the highest K rates, possibly because balls that plays were made on in April and September turned into base hits in those months. Coffey did get better at allowing the ding-dongs as the season progressed: he had 11 HRs by the end of May with an over-6 ERA but recovered after a stretch in long relief in June. It would be a mild shock to see Coffey lead the Cubs in wins again in 1974. He could improve/recover a lot of his game and still wind up with a reverse of that 15-8 record. John Hughes SP No. 36 RL, 6'1" 185 lbs. Born 1950-02-19 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 SAL A | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2.65 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 129.0 | 124 | 44 | 38 | 53 | 104 | | 1971 MID AA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | | 1972 MID AA | 11 | 11 | 0 | 3.61 | 24 | 24 | 15 | 201.2 | 166 | 87 | 81 | 115 | 94 | | 1972 WIC AAA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.57 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 49.0 | 36 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 25 | | 1973 WIC AAA | 10 | 8 | 0 | 3.74 | 22 | 22 | 3 | 156.1 | 149 | 72 | 65 | 52 | 98 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3.89 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 74.0 | 75 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 34 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + If Hughes has a good spring training he could very well break camp with this team. He could also use another year of seasoning in AAA. He's been rushed to the majors almost as hard as the big 2 in front of him and there's not really a pressing need to make him into a stud just yet. Jesse Kelly CL No. 9 LL, 5'11" 195 lbs. Born 1937-10-15 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 NYY MLB | 8 | 7 | 12 | 4.89 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 68.0 | 75 | 38 | 37 | 10 | 50 | | 1972 CHC MLB | 8 | 5 | 28 | 2.75 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 111.0 | 99 | 35 | 34 | 31 | 85 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 7 | 9 | 22 | 3.36 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 99.0 | 103 | 41 | 37 | 24 | 90 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Kelly's strongest asset is a rubber arm that, when he's pitching well enough that you want to use him, allows him to pitch multiple innings every other day and sometimes even more often. He managed to collect a lot of whiffs last year - 8.2 Ks/9, which trust me, is really good for this era - although it should be said that his best K month - August, when he recorded 21 of them in 15.2 IPs - was also the month where he gambled and lost the most with the longball (4 HRs allowed). His HR rates were actually down last year. Stat nerds say the real reason he had an off season was because the defense that induced outs for everyone else did a bad job for him. Are you gonna listen to a stat nerd? Kelly isn't your classic "come in late and throw smoke" guy but he's good at what he does and even at 35 he should be well able to continue in the role. Scott Lammers RF/LF No. 25 SR, 5'12" 202 lbs. Born 1941-11-14 Code:
| yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHW MLB | .233 | 51 | 172 | 27 | 40 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 27 | 39 | 41 | 0 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .342 | 10 | 38 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .125 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | | 1973 SF MLB | .186 | 48 | 102 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 0 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .074 | 11 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Mike Larsen SP No. 11 RR, 5'11" 191 lbs. Born 1940-03-03 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 MIN MLB | 14 | 12 | 0 | 4.01 | 34 | 34 | 8 | 239.2 | 283 | 116 | 107 | 69 | 96 | | 1972 MIN MLB | 17 | 8 | 0 | 2.85 | 35 | 34 | 9 | 262.0 | 243 | 89 | 83 | 71 | 91 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 13 | 13 | 0 | 2.88 | 31 | 31 | 10 | 237.0 | 235 | 86 | 76 | 66 | 112 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Larsen throws just about every pitch you can conceive of a pitcher throwing, with his bread and butter pitch a circle change that lefty hitters have more problems tracking than righties do. He doesn't throw particularly fast, although he's far from the slowest pitcher in the league, and everything hits the corners and the bottom half of the strike zone. In Minnesota he was one of the hardest pitchers in the league to hit HRs against; in Chicago, his 17 HRs allowed last year were the highest of his career since his rookie campaign back in 1963... but 17 HRs is still not a lot at Wrigley. Larsen's a pretty good hitter for a pitcher so that was a nice little side effect of moving to the Senior Circuit - I'm not saying that a man with a career .166 average is anything super exciting but hey, it's something of a plus for him and he even hit his first homerun in almost a decade last season. Larsen is a crafty guy with a mean pickoff move that led to 7 caught stealings in just 16 attempts on him last year. Yeah, "crafty" is the right word for him. He'll be a solid #2 starter for this Cubs team, no doubt. Antonio Lopez 1B No. 10 LL, 6'3" 202 lbs. Born 1945-11-16 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHC MLB | .312 | 161 | 631 | 105 | 197 | 34 | 2 | 42 | 125 | 67 | 92 | 0 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .290 | 152 | 576 | 79 | 167 | 28 | 2 | 27 | 68 | 81 | 95 | 2 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .259 | 128 | 491 | 57 | 127 | 20 | 1 | 15 | 72 | 52 | 57 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + When Lopez is on, he can make contact with just about anything and turn it into a line drive. He'll still foul off enough pitches to draw a decent amount of walks and supplemented that last season by getting hit by pitches a league-high 11 times. That method of getting on is probably not something the Cubs would prefer to see more of in 1974. Last year an awful lot of those line drives turned into weak popouts and midrange flies instead of doubles and homeruns. It's hoped that a full year of full health will help arrest the poor play in the 2nd half of last year. Lopez is defensively speaking a hit-first guy; his best attribute in the field is relatively soft hands and he lacks the speed or arm to play in the outfield. Lopez is prone to running his mouth to reporters and that does not exactly endear him to fans, who treat him more as an inevitability than a fan favorite. Last year when the HRs weren't as inevitable the boos came raining down. Here's to a bit less of the booing in 74. Antonio Martinez MR No. 17 SR, 5'9" 200 lbs. Born 1935-07-22 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CHC MLB | 4 | 5 | 10 | 3.35 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 67.0 | 65 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 49 | | 1972 WIC AAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1972 CHC MLB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.84 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3.20 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 53.1 | 50 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 16 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Martinez won't have the kinds of career numbers that you look at and go "wow, this guy was awesome". As of this writing he has a career ERA under 3 (2.90) and that's nice at least. Suk-min Moon MR No. 20 SR, 5'9" 197 lbs. Born 1935-11-05 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CHC MLB | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2.33 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 73.1 | 59 | 21 | 19 | 34 | 54 | | 1972 CHC MLB | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3.22 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 58.2 | 54 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 46 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3.57 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 50.1 | 56 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 28 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + I suspect Moon, who fans have also granted a "sugar" based nickname ("Sug"), will still stick around for another season or two whereas this is the last we'll be seeing of Martinez. Bill Nighy 3B No. 1 RR, 6'2" 201 lbs. Born 1949-12-13 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAL A | .262 | 32 | 122 | 17 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 0 | | 1971 MIA A | .278 | 9 | 36 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 0 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .286 | 79 | 325 | 48 | 93 | 19 | 0 | 12 | 36 | 27 | 55 | 1 | | 1973 WIC AAA | .264 | 113 | 405 | 46 | 107 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 65 | 44 | 4 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .259 | 28 | 85 | 10 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 12 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's in the air whether or not Nighy can stick at third base. If he can, he'll be a good solid starter for years. If not, he's still got value as a corner infielder and maybe an outfielder as well in a backup role. Javy Obregon SP/LR No. 85 RR, 6'0" 202 lbs. Born 1939-11-25 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TAC AAA | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1.74 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 67.0 | 49 | 18 | 13 | 21 | 33 | | 1971 CHC MLB | 5 | 9 | 0 | 5.66 | 22 | 19 | 0 | 130.1 | 155 | 86 | 82 | 51 | 58 | | 1972 CHC MLB | 16 | 8 | 0 | 3.90 | 32 | 32 | 7 | 221.1 | 214 | 100 | 96 | 79 | 114 | | 1973 WIC AAA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.07 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8.2 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 8 | 9 | 1 | 5.01 | 32 | 15 | 2 | 127.1 | 135 | 76 | 71 | 38 | 71 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Obregon throws slow, so slow that his best pitch is a really deceptive change. That pitch also meant righties hit him better (.285 BAA) than lefties (.259). His fastball has trouble breaking glass but he does, at least, throw strikes. Even when times are going well, he gives up HRs and he seemed like an especially bad fit for the park last year with 16 HRA in his 127.1 innings. Obregon managed to catch 3 of 6 baserunners last year but the 14/19 rate he allowed in 1972 is probably closer to his true ability in terms of holding runners. What's next for Obregon? You usually want to reserve long relief for younger players. Chicago could I guess take another chance with him at the back of the rotation if they're feeling particularly superstitious. More than likely he'll be with someone else if not out of baseball entirely next year. Juan Perez 2B No. 6 LR, 6'2" 198 lbs. Born 1938-06-04 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHC MLB | .248 | 67 | 202 | 20 | 50 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 22 | 30 | 0 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .286 | 122 | 454 | 66 | 130 | 16 | 3 | 26 | 72 | 45 | 66 | 3 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .295 | 60 | 224 | 34 | 66 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 37 | 24 | 27 | 7 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Perez provides plus power from a position where you don't often get a lot of pop. Last year the Cubs mostly played him in the 2 hole because, you know, he's a 2nd baseman and also because they have Jeremy Taylor and Antonio Lopez on the team but with both of those guys regressing a bit he could easily move into the power part of the order... if he stays healthy, of course. Perez is also fast enough to beat out base hits and is pretty selective at the plate - he sported a .370 OBP last year, one more reason to stick him at 2nd. Defensively he's a wizard and it's very surprising that Perez has never won a Gold Glove in his career. I took a look and it's just a case of there always being one guy better than him in the NL - Justin Henderson for a few years, Pedro Ortiz the last 3. But Perez is really, really good and could have been a good shortstop had things broken just a little differently. If, again, he's healthy then Juan Perez is one of the best second basemen in baseball. He's 35 now so probably the health is not something you can count on anymore. Aurelio Rodriguez UT No. 30 RR, 5'11" 191 lbs. Born 1947-12-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 REN A | .354 | 23 | 82 | 20 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 5 | | 1971 JAX AA | .206 | 107 | 393 | 42 | 81 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 39 | 46 | 69 | 4 | | 1971 WIC AAA | .229 | 12 | 35 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 0 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .290 | 111 | 404 | 62 | 117 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 47 | 47 | 71 | 6 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .298 | 16 | 47 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2 | | 1973 WIC AAA | .323 | 21 | 62 | 6 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 0 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .230 | 86 | 265 | 29 | 61 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 45 | 4 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + I kind of love utility guys like this, not gonna lie. Jason Sanders SP No. 35 RR, 6'2" 200 lbs. Born 1940-04-26 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CHC MLB | 16 | 11 | 0 | 3.44 | 32 | 32 | 9 | 240.1 | 221 | 105 | 92 | 95 | 154 | | 1972 CHC MLB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.45 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 31.0 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 19 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 8 | 7 | 0 | 3.47 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 134.2 | 132 | 55 | 52 | 58 | 71 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + When he did pitch last year, Sanders lacked a lot of the movement and unhittability that characterized his arsenal in the past. He still throws harder than the rest of the rotation - not that that's a big accomplishment - and at least tries to keep the ball down but last year he did have a worrying tendency to miss both outside of the zone and over the plate (18 HRs allowed). With this team fielding that was still good enough but the K rates have been dropping every year since 1970 and now it's getting into the danger zone. Sanders is a rarity among pitchers, a natural leader, and will do the little things to help his team win even if they hurt his batting average. Sanders should be fully rehabbed from his elbow by spring training in 1974. The real question though is how good is he going to be? Mike Schurke OF No. 24 SR, 5'10" 193 lbs. Born 1947-06-14 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OAK MLB | .280 | 54 | 189 | 19 | 53 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 13 | 23 | 3 | | 1971 CHC MLB | .368 | 10 | 38 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | 1972 WIC AAA | .216 | 34 | 111 | 16 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 3 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .209 | 39 | 110 | 18 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 1 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .293 | 140 | 549 | 77 | 161 | 35 | 5 | 3 | 46 | 46 | 50 | 16 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Schurke is a slap hitter who specializes in hitting the ball on the ground and beating out hits with his feet. He's not a world class speedster but he's got a ton of hustle and is rarely if ever at anything other than 100% when he's on the field in any fashion. Last season that hustle led him to finish in the top 10 in the NL in hits (9th), doubles (5th), and batting average (10th) and he actually co-led the league in hit by pitches (11). Power is not part of his game although he'll sometimes hit some long drives into the gaps. Schurke did get caught 13 times in 29 attempts last year and it does seem like when he's allowed to run a lot he'll make a few too many hard plays out there. On the other hand, in spite of putting the ball into play on the ground so much, he hit into just 6 double plays all season. Defensively he's an excellent left fielder who can also play in center or right depending on need. Now that he's in an established role, there's no reason why Schurke won't be able to stay in it for the next 5 seasons. Gordon Summer SP No. 16 RR, 5'11" 179 lbs. Born 1949-12-05 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 MIA A | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3.82 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 37.2 | 36 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 39 | | 1971 SAL A | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5.31 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 40.2 | 53 | 29 | 24 | 23 | 38 | | 1971 MID AA | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3.60 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 67.1 | 68 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 36 | | 1972 MID AA | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2.76 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 26.0 | 29 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 16 | | 1972 WIC AAA | 12 | 7 | 0 | 3.13 | 21 | 21 | 5 | 158.0 | 141 | 60 | 55 | 47 | 92 | | 1972 CHC MLB | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4.24 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 46.2 | 46 | 23 | 22 | 15 | 24 | | 1973 WIC AAA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1.92 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 42.0 | 33 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 28 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2.62 | 26 | 26 | 9 | 198.2 | 166 | 64 | 58 | 87 | 137 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Sting doesn't throw all that fast but the thing that got him drafted 13th overall in 1971 and then fast-tracked is a big, knee-buckling curveball that's already considered one of the best in baseball. Sting just needs to learn to get it over the plate a bit more often, is all. He does have a history of throwing strikes in the minors and it's possible that he was just a bit overwhelmed / tried to be a little bit too fine in his second taste at the bigs. He's solid at holding runners although they were 4/4 when they did steal on him; there's only so much that a watchful eye and a solid pickoff move can do when you throw as slow as Summers does. He hit .209 last year and so is one of the best hitting pitchers in the league, too. Sting will more than likely stay in the league for a long time to come and constantly torment guys who swear that "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" just came out a few years ago. Jeremy Taylor SS/RF No. 19 RR, 5'10" 196 lbs. Born 1944-08-14 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHC MLB | .268 | 145 | 537 | 82 | 144 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 85 | 51 | 99 | 9 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .246 | 145 | 561 | 84 | 138 | 19 | 5 | 35 | 100 | 46 | 99 | 16 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .245 | 100 | 363 | 46 | 89 | 15 | 0 | 16 | 56 | 54 | 77 | 14 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + When he's on his game, Taylor is a pre-eminent power hitter, so good in fact that the Cubs tried moving him out of shortstop for a while so he wouldn't have to worry about defense as much. He'll go after anything as long as it's high in the strike zone. He's got good speed, not that he gets to use it that often in the heart of the Cubs' order, and his long, uppercut stroke means that double play balls are very rare. Taylor would make a decent second baseman but 2B isn't really open and as a shortstop his somewhat stony hands (20 errors last year, a .949) make him a guy you employ in spite of rather than because of the glove. Taylor is still very much an MVP type player, assuming all the power returns. A move back to the outfield might also be in the cards although then the issue becomes who'd replace him at shortstop. Alex Vallejo RF/CF No. 12 LL, 5'11" 187 lbs. Born 1943-06-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OAK MLB | .301 | 66 | 249 | 40 | 75 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 10 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .315 | 88 | 349 | 46 | 110 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 35 | 36 | 9 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .338 | 53 | 198 | 34 | 67 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 18 | 11 | 10 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Vallejo has a career .306 average in spite of having so much of the healthy part of his career happen during the dead ball era. The contact hitting seems to be there as much as ever. Vallejo will make contact with the ball high or low in the strike zone and turn it into a line drive. The injuries also don't seem to have affected his speed that much although he doesn't attempt steals quite as often as other guys as fast as he is do. Really, you'd hope that this was out of some newly found conservative play but no, Vallejo plays at one speed and one speed alone and has little regard for himself in the field. That includes on defense - let's just say that he's a very, very bad guy to put out in a field that still has literal brick walls. It would surprise nobody to know that Vallejo is also a fan favorite - for the 60 or so games he does play every year, nobody is more fun to watch. He's 30 years old now and, much as it pains me to say it, a good candidate to get traded to the league that doesn't require him to literally run into walls every few games. Max Weinberg SP No. 27 SR, 6'2" 192 lbs. Born 1949-07-11 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 REN A | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11.11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.2 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | | 1971 JAX AA | 6 | 9 | 0 | 2.66 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 135.1 | 129 | 50 | 40 | 69 | 74 | | 1971 WIC AAA | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.68 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12.2 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 4 | | 1972 MID AA | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5.48 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 42.2 | 44 | 26 | 26 | 33 | 27 | | 1972 WIC AAA | 8 | 9 | 0 | 5.05 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 142.1 | 152 | 86 | 80 | 70 | 93 | | 1973 WIC AAA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 40.0 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 33 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3.37 | 29 | 23 | 6 | 176.0 | 151 | 72 | 66 | 92 | 99 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Weinberg, like Sting and like, it seems, every other starter on this staff, is not a guy with a blazing fastball but instead a guy who throws breaking pitches with a ton of movement. In his case he throws a good - not Sting levels but still good - curve and an even better split-fingered "fastball" that he uses as a change of pace. He also mixes in a regular 4-seamer that hits 90 on a good day, a 2-seamer, and that crazy "cut" fastball the kids are using so much nowadays. Weinberg had some real issues finding the plate in the second half, allowing 41 walks in his last 70 IPs vs 43 strikeouts. That's got to improve if he's going to rise to Sting's level. One thing he's ahead of Sting at is hitting: Weinberg hit .288 last year and was called on to actually hit a lot more than to lay down the sacrifce. He's not super fantastic at fielding balls in front of him but he'll get the job done, and he could also learn to hold runners a bit better. Weinberg is still only 24 years old himself. No, his future doesn't look Sting levels of bright but you should wear, I don't know, light prescription sunglasses when looking at this guy's future. Elijah Wright OF No. 29 LL, 6'1" 200 lbs. Born 1946-08-23 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 IOW AAA | .247 | 110 | 388 | 60 | 96 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 63 | 52 | 17 | | 1971 OAK MLB | .444 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 1972 IOW AAA | .243 | 73 | 230 | 31 | 56 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 23 | 32 | 5 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .000 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1973 CHC MLB | .269 | 56 | 134 | 19 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- +
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01-18-2026, 01:34 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2004
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Cincinnati Reds (81-81, 4th NL West)
1973 Recap: Cincinnati had that fun run in 1970 that was followed by two last-place finishes. In 1972 they showed new signs of life, even leading the NL West for a few days in mid to late August, before a season-ending tailspin (10-17 in September, 11-21 to end the year) took them all the way down to needing to beat the lowly Giants on the final day of the year to finish with an even record.
The tale of this season was of some great front-line play, highlighted by RF Jaden Weaver (.258/38/117) and SP Steve Waiters (19-13, 3.34), covering over poor team defense and and iffy pitching. Normally you expect a stars-and-scrubs type setup from a larger market team. 1974 Outlook: This team does not look like they're going to become the Big Red Machine of real life any time soon. They just need an awful lot of secondary help in tne lineup - after Weaver and #2 guy RJ Dominguez their 3rd place man in RBIs was leadoff hitter Pedro Ortiz with 50 - and around 4 or 5 more pitchers. Rodrigo Aguilar SP No. 32 LL, 6'4" 191 lbs. Born 1942-04-27 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 SD MLB | 11 | 10 | 0 | 3.47 | 27 | 27 | 5 | 196.2 | 198 | 83 | 76 | 68 | 59 | | 1972 SD MLB | 18 | 9 | 0 | 3.57 | 32 | 32 | 7 | 242.0 | 198 | 100 | 96 | 89 | 96 | | 1973 SD MLB | 5 | 6 | 0 | 4.61 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 80.0 | 82 | 44 | 41 | 28 | 29 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 6 | 7 | 0 | 4.72 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 99.0 | 96 | 53 | 52 | 42 | 40 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Aguilar is now 5 time double-digit winner with 4 of those years coming with an expansion team. It can't all have been luck, can it? Veit Bieler C No. 20 RR, 5'11" 200 lbs. Born 1946-10-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 DEN AAA | .236 | 57 | 157 | 23 | 37 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 0 | | 1971 TEX MLB | .229 | 14 | 48 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 0 | | 1972 PFD AA | .250 | 36 | 88 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 0 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .155 | 21 | 58 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 0 | | 1973 IND AAA | .288 | 24 | 66 | 6 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 0 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .198 | 53 | 121 | 6 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 23 | 30 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Bieler wound up losing out on catching opportunities because his mate behind the plate Leron Lee is a better defensive catcher. Bieler has a poor arm and caught only 27.3% of runners attempting to steal on him last year. He's okay at getting in front of wild pitches but he'll never be anything close to a Gold Glover back there. He's as slow as you'd expect a catcher to be and in fact just about the only skill he did show in 1973 was some pretty nice pitch recognition that pulled his OBP all the way up to .322 in spite of an average below the Timonen Line. If Bieler could add even a little bit of power or cut down on the strikeouts he could be a solid performer. Those are kind of big things to need to add, and if nothing else Cincy has a couple of interesting looking guys, Keke Roosberg (.284/7/23 at Indianapolis) and an as-yet-unnamed top 200 prospect in AAA (.317/11/23 in 59 games at that level) who will compete for the job. Dennis bin Naim OF No. 13 LL, 6'2" 201 lbs. Born 1947-02-14 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TR AA | .264 | 59 | 220 | 28 | 58 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 35 | 26 | 9 | | 1971 IND AAA | .194 | 22 | 67 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 4 | | 1971 CIN MLB | .269 | 27 | 67 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 0 | | 1972 IND AAA | .265 | 32 | 132 | 18 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 8 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .213 | 79 | 268 | 30 | 57 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 32 | 38 | 5 | | 1973 IND AAA | .203 | 50 | 172 | 16 | 35 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 25 | 30 | 7 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .277 | 52 | 141 | 17 | 39 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 25 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's hard to really say for sure what bin Naim's future is with this team. He doesn't field well enough to play a lot of center and he doesn't hit anywhere near well enough to play in the corners... plus, the Reds already have the corners pretty well full. A new city might be the best course of action for this guy. R.J. Dominguez LF No. 33 RR, 6'0" 198 lbs. Born 1944-12-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 KC MLB | .284 | 150 | 518 | 99 | 147 | 24 | 1 | 26 | 85 | 124 | 91 | 2 | | 1972 KC MLB | .251 | 113 | 394 | 49 | 99 | 20 | 2 | 19 | 77 | 62 | 72 | 3 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .279 | 156 | 566 | 96 | 158 | 37 | 8 | 25 | 100 | 98 | 68 | 4 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Dominguez is more of a line drive hitter than a guy with a big uppercut swing and he manages to keep his average relatively high by avoiding easy strikeouts on breaking pitches. He's studied the game pretty hard and won't dive out of the way of a curveball thrown by a same-handed pitcher, to the point that last year he actually hit RHPs better than LHPs (.286 with 20 of his 25 HRs coming off of northsiders). He was hitting close to .300 before a late-season slump pushed his average down to .279, which is still great for what the Reds want him to do; still, a longer look at his stamina might be in order for 1974. Defensively Dominguez has one of the best outfield arms in the league, although it's somewhat wasted in left field (the argument for Weaver in right is a. he's a bit rangier and b. that's just where he plays). Dominguez is an absolute stud and he and Weaver make one of the best 1-2 punches in the game today. MC Gainey 1B No. 44 LL, 6'1" 200 lbs. Born 1948-01-21 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ASH AA | .220 | 89 | 314 | 40 | 69 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 38 | 55 | 65 | 3 | | 1971 TUC AAA | .222 | 37 | 99 | 23 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 17 | 1 | | 1972 IND AAA | .307 | 112 | 323 | 42 | 99 | 15 | 1 | 18 | 64 | 45 | 57 | 0 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .214 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | | 1973 IND AAA | .204 | 36 | 93 | 11 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 0 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .264 | 102 | 356 | 47 | 94 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 45 | 58 | 87 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Gainey's best attribute is that he loves to take a pitch that's out of the zone. Sometimes he'll take a pitch inside of the zone as well and in fact he will swing and miss a bit too often to hit for a good average. Still, that plus some possibly 20+ HR power can make him an above average starter at first base. He's neither fast nor a good defender but that's not really why you have a guy like this in your lineup. For a guy who likes the high inside fastball as much as Gainey does, he did a pretty decent job of hitting across the splits last year with a .269 average vs RHPs and a .250 vs lefty throwers. With the former first baseman Alonzo Rivera (.322, 8, 79) gone to Kansas City, finding a guy like MC Gainey on the scrap heap - the swamp heap? - was a really fine turn of events for these Reds. Robert Hopkins OF No. 17 RR, 6'0" 199 lbs. Born 1945-07-26 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TR AA | .302 | 29 | 86 | 12 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 0 | | 1971 IND AAA | .348 | 52 | 132 | 14 | 46 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 5 | | 1971 CIN MLB | .000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1972 IND AAA | .237 | 13 | 38 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 1 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .254 | 46 | 118 | 11 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 1 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .242 | 73 | 207 | 19 | 50 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 16 | 36 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Cincinnati had some huge issues with team defense last season and Hopkins playing 49 games in center was, quite frankly, one of them. With the continued development of Manny Trillo, the Reds hope to not have to use Hopkins as much next season. Alonzo Huanosta 1B No. 29 RR, 6'2" 202 lbs. Born 1941-01-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CLE MLB | .261 | 141 | 591 | 80 | 154 | 27 | 4 | 13 | 57 | 46 | 70 | 2 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .276 | 142 | 537 | 69 | 148 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 63 | 45 | 62 | 11 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .273 | 48 | 187 | 34 | 51 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 16 | 23 | 9 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + First base was actually a transition spot for Huanosta; he's a natural outfielder with more than 1000 games in the 3 OF positions in his career. He could move back there, I guess, although the Reds' outfield is pretty full as well. As a hitter, Huanosta carries a .303 career average including a batting title in 1970 (.345/20/92). He hasn't hit higher than .276 since then though and that power in particular appears to be a thing of the past. Huanosta has good speed and doesn't strike out much. He also doesn't walk a massive amount and what power he does have goes to the gaps rather than over the walls. He didn't prove to be a very good defensive first baseman but is at least historically speaking adequate in the outfield corners should he return to those spots. It seems too early for the 32 year old Huanosta to be relegated to a new career as a pinch-hitter and backup. Where do you put him though? With MC Gainey at first, you have the team's two best hitters in RJ Dominguez and Jaden Weaver in left and right. Another trade seems like the most viable option. Tracey Larazabal SP/LR No. 14 LR, 6'0" 201 lbs. Born 1945-01-20 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TR AA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3.17 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 56.2 | 53 | 25 | 20 | 18 | 22 | | 1971 IND AAA | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6.49 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 34.2 | 46 | 26 | 25 | 15 | 12 | | 1972 IND AAA | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3.85 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 149.1 | 163 | 76 | 64 | 44 | 78 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5.49 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 36.0 | 46 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 20 | | 1973 IND AAA | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3.92 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 59.2 | 42 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 42 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 1 | 8 | 0 | 4.20 | 24 | 13 | 2 | 107.0 | 117 | 58 | 50 | 38 | 59 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Larazabal is as hard a worker as anybody on this team. Is that enough? Right now I'd say no but I guess stranger things have happened. Leron Lee C/1B No. 18 LR, 6'0" 199 lbs. Born 1948-03-05 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TR AA | .226 | 67 | 230 | 16 | 52 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 19 | 48 | 0 | | 1971 IND AAA | .259 | 26 | 81 | 11 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 10 | 0 | | 1972 IND AAA | .285 | 95 | 319 | 36 | 91 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 43 | 33 | 73 | 0 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .216 | 15 | 37 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .258 | 113 | 325 | 26 | 84 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 26 | 71 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + There's a great chance that 1973 will be the high water mark of Lee's career but backup catchers live forever so he also probably won't be going away any time soon. Jake Leone CF No. 28 LL, 6'1" 200 lbs. Born 1946-02-07 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TUL AAA | .253 | 22 | 83 | 11 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 3 | | 1971 STL MLB | .156 | 14 | 45 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 2 | | 1971 SD MLB | .249 | 68 | 269 | 42 | 67 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 29 | 33 | 55 | 12 | | 1972 HAW AAA | .228 | 74 | 259 | 30 | 59 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 33 | 33 | 51 | 15 | | 1972 SD MLB | .202 | 29 | 109 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 4 | | 1973 IND AAA | .209 | 65 | 230 | 24 | 48 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 21 | 67 | 15 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .172 | 34 | 99 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It'd be cool to see Jake Leone learn some pitch recognition. Stranger things have happened I guess. Erico Liserio 3B/2B No. 9 RR, 5'11" 199 lbs. Born 1945-11-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TR AA | .257 | 28 | 105 | 12 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 0 | | 1971 IND AAA | .197 | 78 | 213 | 19 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 27 | 31 | 3 | | 1972 IND AAA | .260 | 125 | 419 | 55 | 109 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 52 | 44 | 71 | 4 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .375 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 1973 IND AAA | .235 | 52 | 183 | 23 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 31 | 16 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .261 | 61 | 184 | 18 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 40 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The Reds don't have a lot going on at third in their minor league system. There's Roberto Duran (307/6/39 at AA TR), who got promoted aggressively this year and hits more like a shortstop than a third sacker, 27 year old non-prospect Nick Weber (.231/18/55 at AAA Indy), who at least has some pop in his bat, and a few guys who aren't ready yet. It's not impossible that Liserio will open the year as the team's 3B. Theodore Long 3B/IF No. 5 LR, 6'2" 204 lbs. Born 1947-09-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TAM A | .243 | 116 | 416 | 39 | 101 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 25 | 54 | 0 | | 1971 TR AA | .216 | 12 | 37 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | | 1972 TR AA | .293 | 29 | 99 | 12 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 0 | | 1972 IND AAA | .324 | 77 | 299 | 32 | 97 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 32 | 16 | 21 | 0 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .269 | 24 | 78 | 5 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 0 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .241 | 61 | 170 | 12 | 41 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 4 | 22 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Pete Lynn SU No. 8 RR, 6'1" 202 lbs. Born 1945-10-02 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 MIN MLB | 6 | 9 | 19 | 3.31 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 100.1 | 93 | 49 | 37 | 29 | 92 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 6 | 11 | 11 | 2.95 | 55 | 4 | 1 | 94.1 | 90 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 80 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2.66 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 77.2 | 67 | 29 | 23 | 21 | 59 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Lynn himself is still just 28 in spite of a 4 1/2 year career as a closer, so he's still got time for a career change. Bastien Maurice LHR No. 41 RL, 6'2" 204 lbs. Born 1944-08-23 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 IND AAA | 11 | 7 | 0 | 2.41 | 22 | 22 | 2 | 156.1 | 133 | 53 | 42 | 70 | 62 | | 1971 CIN MLB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4.66 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 46.1 | 42 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 23 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.07 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 | 25 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 21 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5.21 | 45 | 1 | 1 | 48.1 | 53 | 31 | 28 | 16 | 34 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Bastien did get to start a game last year but his role on Cincinnati is something like a left-handed one out guy. In 1973 you can't just be a one out guy, though. Dusty McCully SS/3B No. 38 RR, 6'0" 193 lbs. Born 1946-06-07 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 STL MLB | .253 | 149 | 549 | 53 | 139 | 19 | 3 | 9 | 58 | 35 | 73 | 0 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .242 | 138 | 496 | 43 | 120 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 50 | 41 | 75 | 0 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .259 | 123 | 486 | 54 | 126 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 43 | 21 | 89 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + McCully is a pull hitter who has a tendency to swing at everything which, in spite of not bad power for a shortstop, will serve to keep him towards the bottom of the order. He laid down 13 sacrifice bunts last year but in spite of the volume he's not really very good at making contact with the ball on bunts. He's surprisingly slow afield so the tendency to pull the ball and hit it into the air isn't as bad for him as you might think. He's got a good first step and a nice arm at shortstop that make him an above average fielder as well as a guy who could possibly make the move to 3rd base later in his career (that would require some improvement as a hitter though). McCully is probably not going to be making a trip to the All-Star Game any time soon but it wasn't a coincidence that the bottom fell out of the team defense when he was laid up in September. He and Ortiz make up one of the better double play combinations in the league. Pedro Ortiz 2B No. 21 RR, 5'11" 181 lbs. Born 1943-10-05 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CIN MLB | .265 | 148 | 622 | 77 | 165 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 43 | 68 | 79 | 28 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .258 | 146 | 594 | 64 | 153 | 31 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 62 | 46 | 35 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .248 | 153 | 630 | 97 | 156 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 67 | 69 | 23 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Cincinnati fans call him "Speedy Ortiz" and for good reason: he led the league in steals in 1972 and he's finished in the top 10 in that category ever since he started playing 2nd for Cincy in 1967. Now 30 years old he's still as fast as ever on the basepaths. He's got a smooth swing that's geared more for line drives than groundballs, although last year there were a few more popups thrown into the mix, especially during a midseason slump that lasted throughout June (207/0/7) and much of July (237/0/10) and pulled his batting average to the lowest of Ortiz's career. Ortiz has the mentality of a leadoff man and will often foul off a pitch and coax a long at-bat just to let his teammates see a pitcher's stuff. He's a good defensive player, perhaps not worthy of having won the past 3 Gold Gloves but he does go out there every day and that counts. Ortiz should rebound with the bat and be at least a .270 hitter in 1974. That should also give him another pass to the All-Star Game. Graham Panarello SP/LR No. 7 RR, 6'0" 202 lbs. Born 1944-10-31 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CIN MLB | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3.82 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 75.1 | 69 | 32 | 32 | 39 | 47 | | 1972 IND AAA | 4 | 7 | 0 | 5.29 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 88.1 | 86 | 56 | 52 | 38 | 59 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 8 | 9 | 0 | 4.58 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 125.2 | 118 | 69 | 64 | 58 | 91 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 11 | 5 | 0 | 3.20 | 35 | 23 | 6 | 193.2 | 175 | 73 | 69 | 83 | 130 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Panarello was very good in low leverage long-relief situations, which make his year look a little better than it was (he was 0-1, 2.12 in 29.2 relief innings). Still, 11-4, 3.40 is nothing to sneeze at as a back of the rotation starter and Panarello showed some signs that he could pitch late into games when asked to. Panarello throws in the low to mid 90s and has a very good curveball and change. He can get into spells where he has trouble controlling his breaking pitches and when that happens he turns into a 2-pitch pitcher and boom, there goes the ability to last. Still, he had 15 quality starts in 23 tries, which is pretty good overall. He's a career .218 hitter who managed to hit .254 with 8 RBIs last year - nice for a pitcher. If Panarello can locate his curve just a little bit more often he could easily be a middle of the rotation guy for this team in 1974 and in years to come. Manny Trillo CF No. 12 RR, 6'1" 184 lbs. Born 1950-12-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1972 TAM A | .250 | 13 | 56 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 5 | | 1973 TR AA | .246 | 33 | 126 | 21 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 25 | 4 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .236 | 68 | 212 | 22 | 50 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 20 | 46 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Trillo is still very young and very raw. He's got a good head on his shoulders and was named the #4 prospect in all of baseball at midseason so everyone sees the potential. Bill Vanover SP No. 24 SR, 5'12" 173 lbs. Born 1941-06-12 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CIN MLB | 13 | 14 | 0 | 3.77 | 32 | 32 | 6 | 231.1 | 250 | 110 | 97 | 48 | 94 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 13 | 15 | 0 | 3.44 | 32 | 32 | 10 | 238.0 | 221 | 98 | 91 | 41 | 107 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 16 | 11 | 0 | 3.11 | 34 | 34 | 9 | 251.0 | 225 | 91 | 87 | 60 | 153 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Vanover's stuff is relatively easy to track; if anything, his fastball is his best pitch for the velocity alone and everything else, including a slider, change, curve, and occasional cutter, just kind of come along for the ride. That said, Vanover is very, very good at keeping pitches both in the strike zone and on the corners. He's led his league in lowest BB/9 rate 5 times and finished 2nd this year. He also had the 10th lowest HR rate in 1973, with only 12 HRs allowed all season long. Cincinnati is not exactly a bandbox but it's not Dodger Stadium either. Vanover managed to lead the team in complete games due to teammate Steve Waiters sometimes having troubles staying out there. He got there with economy rather than endurance. Vanover's one real weakness outside of just throwing pretty straight is that he sometimes forgets there are runners on base. Last year he allowed 23 men to steal on him in 32 tries. If Steve Waiters is a prototypical ace, Bullet Bill is a prototypical #2 starter. Steve Waiters LL, 6'4" 202 lbs. Born 1943-11-20 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CIN MLB | 21 | 12 | 0 | 2.74 | 38 | 38 | 12 | 294.2 | 261 | 101 | 90 | 83 | 200 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 11 | 13 | 0 | 2.59 | 31 | 31 | 13 | 242.2 | 192 | 73 | 70 | 74 | 164 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 19 | 13 | 0 | 3.34 | 35 | 35 | 7 | 261.0 | 243 | 103 | 97 | 71 | 179 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Whichever way you cut it, Waiters is one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in all of baseball. He throws a 2-seam fastball that hits the low and occasionally mid 90s and dips in and out of the zone, a good changeup, and a 12 to 6 curveball that does what it's advertised to do. He throws all three of those pitches for strikes and indeed consistently has one of the best K/BB ratios in the league (10th last year, 2.52). He did allow a career high 23 HRs last year but by and large, and in sharp contrast to most strikeout artists, "The Hulk" is not a feast-or-famine guy at all. He's got a herky jerky motion that puts him off balance in his follow through. If you can make contact, Waiters can be bunted on. He did fall below 10 complete games for the first time since 1967, which is one potential red flag going forward, although the stat nerds tell me that he was still throwing 111 pitches a game last year, comparable to 1972's 113 and just behind the 118 and 117 he threw in 70 and 71. Waiters is the classic case of a guy who you trot out there every 4th or 5th day and expect wins. However he does it, he'll get you there. Jaden Weaver RF No. 3 LL, 6'2" 199 lbs. Born 1942-07-11 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 HOU MLB | .303 | 131 | 501 | 77 | 152 | 27 | 2 | 37 | 104 | 52 | 85 | 1 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .234 | 132 | 495 | 73 | 116 | 20 | 1 | 32 | 88 | 54 | 90 | 1 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .256 | 149 | 559 | 78 | 143 | 25 | 2 | 38 | 117 | 68 | 103 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Weaver is your classic pull hitting power hitter. If you give him anything inside and on the upper half of the plate, you had better get your binoculars out because that ball is going a long, long way. He eclipsed the century mark in strikeouts for the first time since 1970 although that was less of an issue with his actual K rate and more of a consequence of him playing more than he has the last couple years. Breaking .300 again seems unlikely but you'll take a slightly lower average when it means you get all of these HRs - which, speaking of, Weaver is 21 dingers away from 400 in his still-young career. He's got deceptive speed although he rarely steals. Defensively he's probably better suited for left than right but Weaver is a creature of habit and the Reds feel it best to keep him where he is. Weaver once hit 48 HRs in the Astrodome. 48! The National League HR record is 65. Can Weaver get there? Mike Wendt SS/OF No. 25 RR, 6'1" 201 lbs. Born 1944-04-05 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CIN MLB | .236 | 143 | 471 | 44 | 111 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 54 | 26 | 83 | 17 | | 1972 CIN MLB | .202 | 42 | 124 | 11 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 27 | 5 | | 1973 CIN MLB | .242 | 55 | 128 | 15 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 30 | 10 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The Reds could and probably should trade Wendt but let's be honest, he probably doesn't have a lot of options anywhere eise either. At this point in his career he's no more than a backup. Brian Yates CL No. 30 SR, 6'2" 191 lbs. Born 1944-09-02 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TR AA | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1.66 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 21.2 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 18 | | 1971 IND AAA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6.13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 9 | | 1971 CIN MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 3 | 4 | 9 | 2.45 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 66.0 | 54 | 19 | 18 | 33 | 56 | | 1973 CIN MLB | 9 | 8 | 26 | 1.70 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 84.1 | 58 | 23 | 16 | 45 | 63 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Yates has that Kaz Sasaki arsenal - a 4 seamer and a splitter that comes out looking like the 4 seamer until it slows down and dips out of the strike zone. He had some problems keeping the split-fingered "fastball" in the strike zone but that's part of the charm of that pitch and of the way you want a stopper to throw. The one mark against him as a 2nd year guy is that Yates hasn't proven to be a guy who can give you 2+ innings when you need him. He'll never be a guy you'll want to send through a lineup more than once unless he learns a 3rd pitch but he's thrown just 19 and 21 pitches per outing in his 2 years in the bigs and that can improve. You wouldn't expect a guy who throws as hard has he does to leave himself in a position to field well and he does not. Yates is a late bloomer and is already 29 years old in spite of having just 118 appearances to his name so far. He lacks that fiery attitude you expect from a stopper but what he lacks in the tude he makes up for with the heater.
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01-21-2026, 01:26 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,629
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Houston Astros (83-79, 3rd NL West)
1973 Recap: I admit that I have a hard time reconciling this team with the modern-era Evil Team of Evil. No, I'm not talking about the Dodgers. Why would I care about the Dodgers? I'm talking about the cheatin' Astros. Except that during the Astrodome era they're... I don't know, quirky? Bill James always brought up these guys in the context of a team whose stadium meant they had to play a completely different brand of baseball than the rest of the league. It's them, KC, and St. Louis, but the Astrodome is far and away the most extreme version of that.
All that said, this team has not gotten that memo. The Astros rode the 2nd best offense in the league - 3rd in homeruns (126)! - to 83 wins and a 3rd place finish in the NL West. They were even leading the division going into late June before their pitching started to bring them down. Which... yeah, the pitching was kind of awful for an Astrodome team - 9th in runs allowed, and with middle of the pack defensive numbers. They even finished 2nd in the NL in strikeouts with 981 but they also finished with just 7 fewer walks allowed than the expansion Expos (well, we're 5 years on; maybe it's time to stop making excuses, especially given that their counterpart Padres just won this division). 1974 Outlook: This is, weirdly, an older team built on power. They're really not a great fit for their park, like, at all and .500ish seems about their proper level at this point. Still, the Pads weren't that much better than the rest of this division: they could get hot in September of 74 themselves and be the sacrificial lamb for the Phillies powerhouse if everything works out. On the other hand, they were just 40-43 from July onwards; a second-division finish is also not out of the realm of possibility. Ernie Alvarez SP No. 7 LR, 6'4" 193 lbs. Born 1944-07-02 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 STL MLB | 16 | 18 | 0 | 4.40 | 39 | 38 | 6 | 263.2 | 286 | 140 | 129 | 81 | 139 | | 1972 HOU MLB | 14 | 9 | 0 | 3.04 | 37 | 37 | 9 | 272.1 | 246 | 94 | 92 | 92 | 138 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 17 | 17 | 0 | 3.56 | 38 | 38 | 14 | 278.0 | 259 | 121 | 110 | 88 | 164 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Alvarez throws a 4 seam fastball that climbs into the mid 90s and has nice movement, a decent enough curveball, and a "show me" slider. He's never been a big strikeout king but under the tutelage of 2nd year pitching coach John Albarez he set a career high in whiffs as well as K/9 rate (5.3). Alvarez cuts against the grain of the team a little by being more of a finesse pitcher. He did have some real issues with the longball last year, finishing with the 8th most HRs allowed in the NL in spite of the Astrodome's effects. He's not super great at keeping runners on: he allowed 26 steals, 2nd worse in the National League (to San Francisco's Obke Olthof, who allowed 31) on 32 attempts. Some of that can be blamed on the weak arm of the starting catcher but truth be told, Alvarez just doesn't concentrate on runners all the time. Alvarez is not a good hitter, even for a pitcher. Alvarez finished 5th in the league in complete games and it would probably be better for the right-hander if, as he enters his 30s, he's asked to do that less often. At the same time, Houston's bullpen forces their hand a lot of the time. Rowan Atkinson SP No. 16 RL, 6'2" 184 lbs. Born 1950-06-11 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 AND A | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2.91 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 83.1 | 79 | 29 | 27 | 39 | 88 | | 1971 WIL A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.40 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 22.0 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 23 | | 1971 PFD AA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 18.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | | 1972 PFD AA | 12 | 12 | 0 | 2.70 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 233.0 | 183 | 75 | 70 | 94 | 139 | | 1972 DEN AAA | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4.97 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 47.0 | 46 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 50 | | 1973 DEN AAA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2.43 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 55.1 | 42 | 15 | 15 | 22 | 57 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 14 | 7 | 0 | 3.38 | 27 | 27 | 5 | 189.0 | 187 | 82 | 71 | 70 | 138 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Atkinson throws Anglican levels of gas. I don't know what that means. He throws fast even though he puts a little cut into his fastball that allows lefties to track it a bit better than righties. His out pitch against LHPs especially is a knee-buckling curveball. Atkinson wasn't called on to finish games a lot in his rookie season but he's shown the ability to throw a lot of pitches in games - you can see that 1972 spent in Pittsfield, and bear in mind that that's the stadium where everyone has to take half an hour off for sunset because the field's built in the wrong direction (note: the game doesn't track that; just thought I'd share)! One thing that did keep him from going longer - he actually threw more pitches per game than teammate Ernie Alvarez - was sometimes iffy control, coupled with a desire to strike everyone out that extended at-bats. Atkinson lays down a mean bunt and hit .250 last year - 17 hits in 68 at-bats. Rowan Atkinson probably isn't going to supplant Tony Rivera as the team ace but he fills a sorely needed spot in this rotation. A full season plus just a little more control could see him become one of the pre-eminent strikeout artists in baseball. Allen Bailey SP No. 5 RR, 6'1" 196 lbs. Born 1948-06-03 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 WAT AA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3.31 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 35.1 | 34 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 15 | | 1971 OMA AAA | 9 | 10 | 0 | 3.28 | 26 | 26 | 10 | 205.1 | 179 | 91 | 75 | 78 | 88 | | 1971 KC MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.99 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 1972 OKC AAA | 10 | 9 | 0 | 3.46 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 166.1 | 178 | 72 | 64 | 34 | 101 | | 1972 HOU MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.84 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14.2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | | 1973 DEN AAA | 7 | 6 | 0 | 2.59 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 142.1 | 108 | 44 | 41 | 39 | 99 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.67 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 94.1 | 81 | 34 | 28 | 38 | 54 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Bailey should have a lock on one of the spots in the back end of this rotation. If the Astros go with a 4-man, then he's #4 after Rivera, Alvarez, and Atkinson. Adam Eastin CL No. 34 RR, 6'0" 201 lbs. Born 1939-12-03 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 OKC AAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 1971 HOU MLB | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.82 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | | 1972 HOU MLB | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2.86 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 53.1 | 44 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 26 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 5 | 7 | 15 | 3.08 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 67.0 | 67 | 26 | 23 | 35 | 35 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Eastin's got a long history in this league and Houston hoped that his veteran presence would close things out. Instead, he blew 7 out of 22 save opportunites and, frankly, the main reason he's still on the books as this team's closer is that the Astros don't have anyone better at the moment. George Foreman CF No. 31 SR, 6'4" 226 lbs. Born 1949-02-08 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OKC AAA | .309 | 94 | 320 | 61 | 99 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 45 | 73 | 29 | 14 | | 1971 HOU MLB | .380 | 56 | 208 | 42 | 79 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 39 | 24 | 27 | 8 | | 1972 HOU MLB | .313 | 144 | 553 | 90 | 173 | 33 | 3 | 19 | 76 | 74 | 54 | 20 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .310 | 147 | 558 | 93 | 173 | 35 | 4 | 23 | 94 | 70 | 42 | 15 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Foreman manages to toe the line between hitting for a lot of power - he actually led the NL in doubles in 1972 and finished 5th this year - and making good, consistent contact with the ball. That means he's a pretty sure bet to finish up among the leaders in average every season. Last year he finished 4th. 94 RBIs are actually good clutch numbers for Houston, ahead of the next best guy by 15, so if you were looking for a weakness you're not gonna find it there. He's also a good baserunner, good enough, actually, to hit leadoff if it wasn't for that massive power. In centerfield, you don't want to get in the way of this man; he'll charge that ball and use his natural talent to get to a lot even if he doesn't get the greatest jump in the universe. The Rumble in the Jungle won't happen until next October so there is zero bloom off of this man's rose, none whatsoever. In baseball terms this man isn't even 25 yet, he's a multi-time All-Star, and he even gets to play for his hometown team (Foreman hails from Marshall, Texas, a small town near the border between Texas and Arkansas). Life is good! Jason Gilmer MR No. 4 RR, 6'1" 201 lbs. Born 1941-08-08 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 SD MLB | 14 | 16 | 0 | 3.69 | 31 | 31 | 13 | 231.2 | 233 | 104 | 95 | 93 | 116 | | 1972 HOU MLB | 12 | 13 | 0 | 3.48 | 38 | 38 | 6 | 271.1 | 270 | 115 | 105 | 129 | 141 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 4 | 9 | 3 | 4.58 | 52 | 9 | 2 | 110.0 | 124 | 69 | 56 | 42 | 69 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Gilmer is also not too pleased about the move. I guess from his perspective he's been a pretty capable middle of the rotation starter going back to the mid-1960s. You can see Houston's side too, though, as he clearly was not working out in the rotation this year. What will become of Gilmer in 1974? Will it even be spent in Houston? Jordan Green 2B/SS No. 1 RR, 5'11" 205 lbs. Born 1945-10-22 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 HOU MLB | .277 | 140 | 527 | 64 | 146 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 60 | 48 | 87 | 0 | | 1972 HOU MLB | .258 | 144 | 551 | 71 | 142 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 57 | 58 | 65 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .297 | 128 | 509 | 64 | 151 | 22 | 2 | 12 | 60 | 46 | 74 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Green doesn't have any really special hitting style or approach to the plate. He just approaches each at-bat aggressively and takes advantage of pitchers who try to sleep through his slot in the order. Green spent the first part of the season batting lower in the order but when the Astros decided he was worth hitting leadoff he excelled in that role to the tune of a 288/347/410 triple slash. As implied by that slugging average, Green has solid pop for a middle infielder, too. He doesn't have the kind of speed or baserunning ability you'd expect from a leadoff hitter and with Pete Little holding down the 2 hole it does seem like a move down in the order is coming up. Still, you want to give your best players the most at-bats, right? Defensively Green has a great arm and could transition to third base later in his career. That arm of course is wasted at 2nd, where he played most of the year last year. Green isn't one to come up and tell you how good he is but... he's good, definitely one of the plusses on this team. Masanori Hattori SS/2B/OF No. 6 RR, 5'12" 200 lbs. Born 1945-10-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 HOU MLB | .290 | 78 | 252 | 31 | 73 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 41 | 20 | 34 | 3 | | 1972 HOU MLB | .223 | 126 | 376 | 44 | 84 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 42 | 59 | 3 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .236 | 79 | 267 | 25 | 63 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 37 | 21 | 39 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hattori treats baseball like a job rather than a way of life. While we appreciate people who can think like this, it also means that the 27 year old is never going to be a star or even an above average player. Dusty Hill SS/2B No. 24 RR, 5'12" 191 lbs. Born 1949-05-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MOD A | .333 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | | 1971 CR A | .337 | 23 | 86 | 6 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 2 | | 1971 ARK AA | .283 | 47 | 187 | 24 | 53 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 25 | 6 | | 1972 PFD AA | .280 | 93 | 353 | 38 | 99 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 25 | 37 | 11 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .447 | 11 | 38 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | | 1973 DEN AAA | .274 | 30 | 106 | 9 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .289 | 86 | 322 | 30 | 93 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 37 | 8 | 31 | 4 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Yeah, look for this, ah, sharp dressed man in these writeups in the future. Jonathan Hyde C No. 23 RR, 5'11" 198 lbs. Born 1948-05-01 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CR A | .204 | 94 | 314 | 30 | 64 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 34 | 71 | 0 | | 1971 ARK AA | .241 | 17 | 58 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 0 | | 1972 TUL AAA | .297 | 47 | 155 | 19 | 46 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 19 | 27 | 0 | | 1972 STL MLB | .213 | 41 | 141 | 7 | 30 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 25 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .216 | 111 | 342 | 23 | 74 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 31 | 35 | 78 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hyde seems like a career backup or AAAA guy at best and the faster the Astros realize this the better off they'll be. Justin Jensen RF No. 33 RR, 6'3" 201 lbs. Born 1935-07-21 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1972 HOU MLB | .206 | 106 | 326 | 29 | 67 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 33 | 58 | 103 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .263 | 137 | 475 | 78 | 125 | 15 | 1 | 21 | 79 | 80 | 136 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Jensen got a late start to his career and is now close to 40. Every year he produces at this point should be considered unexpected. He's got just over 1,100 hits and 311 HRs so no, the HOF is not in the cards for this guy. He looked awfully, awfully good sometimes though and that should be remembered. Pete Little 3B No. 43 RR, 5'10" 187 lbs. Born 1944-11-14 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 HOU MLB | .230 | 138 | 499 | 64 | 115 | 19 | 1 | 15 | 69 | 58 | 92 | 1 | | 1972 HOU MLB | .283 | 143 | 519 | 45 | 147 | 25 | 1 | 6 | 62 | 63 | 78 | 3 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .282 | 146 | 577 | 70 | 163 | 35 | 1 | 10 | 63 | 70 | 76 | 5 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Little is a guy you just plug into the lineup and let him do his work. He now seems like a sure bet to hit .280ish whether the league is hitting .240 or .260. In 1972 that .283 average was actually 5th in the NL(!). He managed to find his way home 70 times, a high-water mark since 1969, which granted is mostly thanks to the big hitters behind him but it's nice to see for Little too. Little is good enough to win a Gold Glove and maybe he'll start his own streak now that 5-time winner Sean Gabel is no longer a Chicago Cub. He has one of the best infield arms in baseball and has some nice, soft hands. He isn't the greatest in the world at moving to his right but then, if he was he'd be a shortstop. Little isn't a big threat to steal in spite of playing a "speed" position in the lineup and gets caught a lot (5/10 last year) when he does. Little will be entering his 8th season with the team and is already their #2 man all-time in base hits with 927 (well behind #1 guy and recently departed John Lopez with 1,527). He should have that record by the time he's done... at least until George Foreman passes him. Nick Miller OF/1B No. 19 LL, 5'9" 179 lbs. Born 1945-05-25 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CIN MLB | .269 | 106 | 301 | 37 | 81 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 33 | 50 | 16 | | 1971 CLE MLB | .278 | 14 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | | 1972 HOU MLB | .250 | 108 | 312 | 35 | 78 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 38 | 34 | 47 | 16 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .242 | 100 | 186 | 26 | 45 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 19 | 37 | 7 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's not inconceivable to see Miller's role expand although he'll have to figure out how to cool down when he does earn a spot in the lineup if that happens. Alex Ochoa MR No. 27 RL, 5'12" 183 lbs. Born 1945-12-23 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 OKC AAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.89 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9.1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | | 1971 HOU MLB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1.25 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 28.2 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 22 | | 1972 OKC AAA | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2.84 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 44.1 | 33 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 52 | | 1972 HOU MLB | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.78 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 16.2 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 17 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.69 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 53.0 | 45 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 41 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + It's looking like Ochoa, a longtime minor league veteran ever since he was discovered out of the Dominican Republic in 1962, has made the transition from pitcher to thrower. With that, perhaps he can team up with Adam Eastin to provide this team with the late-inning pitching they so sorely need. Roberto Ortiz SP/MR No. 18 RR, 6'2" 189 lbs. Born 1946-01-29 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 OAK MLB | 13 | 17 | 0 | 3.70 | 36 | 36 | 5 | 242.2 | 197 | 111 | 100 | 164 | 260 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3.66 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 108.0 | 78 | 45 | 44 | 71 | 104 | | 1972 ATL MLB | 5 | 7 | 0 | 4.45 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 103.0 | 94 | 55 | 51 | 62 | 93 | | 1973 ATL MLB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 8 | 13 | 0 | 4.70 | 31 | 27 | 2 | 178.0 | 162 | 103 | 93 | 108 | 150 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Ortiz throws one of the fastest, if not the fastest ball in the league. He technically throws 4 other pitches but that's pretty much it and it's been enough to strike out 260 batters in 1971. He actually led the NL in strikeout rate but a lack of ability to pitch deep into games meant he didn't even reach the top 10 in that category. He's also led his league in walks 3 times, including this year. Last year he also allowed 27 HRs playing in the Launching Pad but he seems to have benefitted from the Astrodome and lowered that number to 15. Still, the control was a real issue and outside of the Dome he was just plain bad: 3-5, 5.33 on the road last season. Ortiz finished the year mostly on the bench as the Astros looked at different, if not necessarily more talented, pitchers. You might think that a move to the bullpen would suit this guy the best, as he has exactly the right profile for a lights-out closer. Ortiz walked 13 men in 11 relief innings last year so that might not work out either. Elijah Patton 2B/SS No. 41 RR, 6'2" 196 lbs. Born 1938-01-29 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 HOU MLB | .225 | 40 | 80 | 7 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 0 | | 1972 HOU MLB | .224 | 44 | 49 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .306 | 27 | 72 | 5 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Patton seems like a great bet to be a coach if you ask me. Tony Rivera SP No. 13 LL, 6'0" 195 lbs. Born 1943-07-31 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 HOU MLB | 25 | 9 | 0 | 3.20 | 42 | 42 | 13 | 328.2 | 307 | 124 | 117 | 128 | 207 | | 1972 HOU MLB | 23 | 13 | 0 | 2.57 | 41 | 41 | 20 | 328.2 | 275 | 99 | 94 | 106 | 189 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 20 | 9 | 0 | 2.30 | 37 | 37 | 15 | 293.0 | 225 | 78 | 75 | 93 | 203 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Rivera only hits the low 90s on the radar gun but has one of the best changeups in the league and an awfully good curveball to boot. Oppenents hit just .211 against him last season and neither lefties (.206) nor righties (.213) had much of an edge. He had some control issues in April and May with more than 4 BB/9 both months but seems to have completely solved that in the second half. The non-stat nerds will cite that he was "only" 4-3 in the final two months (when the team was 4 games under .500) but here I have to side with the nerds: he also posted a 2.23 ERA in that time and even that includes a terrible outing at Atlanta on the 2nd to last game of the season when the division was decided (3.2 IP, 5 ER in an 11-3 blowout loss to the Braves). Rivera also allowed just 7 HRs all season. You can give some of that over to the Astrodome but not all of it. Nobody in baseball has won more games over the last 3 years than Tony Rivera. His only issue, really, is that he can't do it all by himself. John Rohrbough OF No. 14 LR, 5'11" 192 lbs. Born 1947-09-08 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OKC AAA | .264 | 22 | 87 | 12 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 1 | | 1971 HOU MLB | .280 | 86 | 257 | 38 | 72 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 35 | 30 | 39 | 4 | | 1972 STL MLB | .204 | 71 | 93 | 4 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 0 | | 1973 TUL AAA | .242 | 37 | 120 | 11 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 4 | | 1973 STL MLB | .360 | 12 | 25 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .258 | 67 | 213 | 30 | 55 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 16 | 24 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The more I look at Rorbough the more I'm convinced that he'll carve out a spot in this lineup in 1974, especially with old men Jason Workman and Justin Jensen currently projected to start in the OF corners. He's easily the best defender of the three and the Astros desperately need to upgrade their defense if they're to contend next year. Latimer Roy C No. 2 LR, 5'11" 203 lbs. Born 1947-11-29 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SAV AA | .283 | 82 | 276 | 32 | 78 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 41 | 30 | 55 | 0 | | 1971 RIC AAA | .247 | 48 | 150 | 28 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 31 | 18 | 0 | | 1972 RIC AAA | .273 | 94 | 256 | 29 | 70 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 37 | 33 | 50 | 1 | | 1973 CBS AA | .167 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | | 1973 RIC AAA | .242 | 27 | 62 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 0 | | 1973 DEN AAA | .315 | 26 | 92 | 10 | 29 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 1 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .269 | 43 | 104 | 13 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 20 | 26 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Latimer Roy seems like he's going to be a guy with a solid hit tool for a catcher. His biggest attribute is quick, strong wrists and the ability to lay off a pitch outside of the strike zone. He'll be batting down in the order and so a lot of those walks will be intentional - 8 of them last year - but he demonstrated that ability in the minor leagues too. He's shown an improved ability to make contact in the past couple years, although when he came up to the major leagues it seemed like said contact came at the expense of power. A rare lefty-batting catcher, Roy saw basically no time vs LHPs last season; with the other guy on this team being Jonathan Hyde, there's a better than even chance he'll see a lot more southsiders and it's an open question as to whether or not he can hit them. He will never be confused with a Gold Glove quality catcher but Roy does have a better arm than his current backstop-mate (although the stats don't show it - he only caught 26.6% of runners). Roy has a better chance than Jonathan Hyde to be the team's long-term catcher. It's still not a great chance. A platoon role might be the edge of what he can do. Joshua Waltenbery 1B No. 81 LL, 6'2" 200 lbs. Born 1940-08-05 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 NYM MLB | .313 | 154 | 588 | 112 | 184 | 41 | 4 | 25 | 99 | 91 | 75 | 0 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .245 | 149 | 518 | 71 | 127 | 18 | 1 | 24 | 78 | 96 | 79 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .274 | 148 | 555 | 95 | 152 | 26 | 3 | 22 | 74 | 86 | 77 | 13 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Waltenbery is no longer a guy who can completely change the course of a season from the middle of the lineup but as the veteran slugger he still very much has a role. He split his PAs between 3rd and 4th in 1973; with all the times he draws walks, 3rd might be the better slot for him even as he gets further away from those .300+ seasons. He showed some crazy new-found life on the basepaths last year: the Mets never asked him to steal more than 4 times in a season but with the deadball era stadium, I guess, he tried taking the base 24 times last season. Defensively he lacks range and committed 8 errors on balls he did get to but look, this man isn't in there for the defense. Time marches on for the now 10-time All-Star. Waltenbery is sitting on 1,914 hits so he's not far off from reaching a batting milestone. He still has a few years left. Chris Wilson RP No. 11 RR, 6'1" 199 lbs. Born 1936-07-08 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 OAK MLB | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1.69 | 43 | 4 | 0 | 85.0 | 54 | 18 | 16 | 40 | 68 | | 1972 OAK MLB | 9 | 9 | 1 | 3.95 | 39 | 16 | 1 | 136.2 | 119 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | | 1973 CHC MLB | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.73 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 29.2 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 14 | | 1973 HOU MLB | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.45 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 28.2 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 23 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Chris Wilson ought to provide the Astros with another 40ish games and 60ish innings in 1974, plus some pitching-oriented veteran leadership. Jason Workman LF/1B No. 12 LL, 6'4" 201 lbs. Born 1937-03-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHC MLB | .248 | 147 | 565 | 75 | 140 | 18 | 1 | 26 | 84 | 38 | 57 | 0 | | 1972 BAL MLB | .245 | 40 | 155 | 19 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 2 | 18 | 0 | | 1972 CHC MLB | .264 | 65 | 235 | 25 | 62 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 30 | 10 | 30 | 0 | | 1973 BAL MLB | .221 | 74 | 267 | 33 | 59 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 31 | 9 | 29 | 0 | | 1973 HOU MLB | .279 | 42 | 136 | 11 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 4 | 12 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Workman made 4 All-Star Games in his career and that along with the MVP makes him a candidate for the Hall of Very Good, not the Hall of Fame. A highly theoretical return to his power profile of old could see him hit 300 HRs - he has 267 - but that seems like yesterday's news.
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Hall Of Famer
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Los Angeles Dodgers, 66-95, 6th NL West
1973 Recap: The bottom finally dropped out on this proud franchise in 1973. The Dodgers have won 9 pennants since the end of World War 2 and were still competitive in the NL West as recently as last year. However, they hadn't reached the playoffs since 1968 and have yet to win a division title since we moved to the division format, and whether the fans were ready or not the rebuilding began in 73. Offensively they were the worst team in all of baseball, scoring just 502 runs. Hey, at least we're no longer at the point to where "worst offense" might also mean "worst offense of all time" so that's nice! Anyway, the pitching wasn't horrific - 7th - but there was absolutely no way they were ever going to make up for the offensive woes.
Crazily enough LA started the year 12-10 and were only a game below .500 at 24-25 as of the end of May. With the rock of the lineup Justin Stone out during most of that time, there was even hope that maybe they could contend again. But no. They went on to lose 20 games in both June and August and not even a late-season swoon from the rival Giants was enough to keep them from finishing in the cellar of the division. 1974 Outlook: I said "rebuild" but does a team like the LA Dodgers ever truly rebuild? Retool, maybe, repurchase success, maybe more. I have no idea what's coming up but I'm pretty sure they won't win 95 games next year, and they'll probably be better in ways that the rest of the National League will hate. Fernando Apolonio SP No. 23 LL, 5'10" 180 lbs. Born 1940-12-24 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 LAD MLB | 18 | 11 | 0 | 3.00 | 33 | 33 | 11 | 263.2 | 211 | 106 | 88 | 77 | 132 | | 1972 LAD MLB | 20 | 10 | 0 | 1.84 | 32 | 32 | 15 | 258.1 | 178 | 61 | 53 | 66 | 140 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 14 | 17 | 1 | 2.79 | 36 | 32 | 14 | 251.1 | 237 | 94 | 78 | 65 | 158 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Apolonio mixes his 4 pitch arsenal well and has a deceptive delivery that allowed him to deliver a new career high in strikeouts last year. His cut fastball rarely even hits 90 but oh boy do all of his pitches dip in and out right where he wants them to. Apolonio is also a master of control and oh by the way he also keeps the ball down as well. He was chasing that ERA record for a reason and even in this "off year" Apolonio posted a sub-3 ERA. Lefties and righties find about the same level of ease to hitting him, which is to say not much. Apolonio led the NL in ground ball rate; 57% of his outs in play were on the ground. He has good stamina although thanks to that control he doesn't have to use it very often. He's even an ace at holding runners, allowing just 5 successful steals on 16 attempts. I know I just said that Tony Rivera is the best lefty in the NL. Well, he does deserve those kudos. Man, this league is blessed with left-handed front-line pitching. Apolonio is plenty good enough and could go right on back to 20 wins in 1974. Andres Castillo SU/SP No. 35 RL, 5'12" 189 lbs. Born 1936-11-24 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 LAD MLB | 15 | 12 | 0 | 3.01 | 33 | 30 | 12 | 232.2 | 229 | 101 | 78 | 68 | 176 | | 1972 LAD MLB | 10 | 11 | 0 | 3.34 | 30 | 30 | 7 | 226.0 | 193 | 86 | 84 | 86 | 175 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 10 | 9 | 2 | 3.27 | 49 | 20 | 6 | 181.1 | 176 | 75 | 66 | 57 | 122 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Is this the new route for the veteran? Castillo has lost several miles off his fastball in recent years; in his prime he was regularly hitting the mid 90s whereas now sometimes his heater sits at 90 even, especially when he's starting. For an inning or two at a time though it sure looks like hitters can still be fooled by his stuff. He also has 202 wins and you just kind of hope that maybe he can recapture the magic somehow... Alec Cosby RP No. 32 RR, 6'2" 197 lbs. Born 1944-10-03 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 LAD MLB | 6 | 7 | 23 | 2.62 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 99.1 | 76 | 35 | 29 | 33 | 81 | | 1972 LAD MLB | 7 | 5 | 32 | 1.84 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 97.2 | 66 | 22 | 20 | 35 | 57 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 7 | 10 | 7 | 4.50 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 94.0 | 112 | 55 | 47 | 34 | 66 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Cosby mixes a mid-90s fastball with a split-finger fastball and change of pace that lacked movement in 1973. More than anything else, though, he had a lot of issues keeping the ball down, allowing 12 HRs in just 94 IPs last season. Things got way, way worse on the road: 9 of those dingers came in 40.2 road innings and contributed to a ghastly 5.98 ERA away from the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium. Cosby's got a long record of success with this team, especially after he transitioned out of the rotation in 1970. He was so, so, so bad last year though. Can the Dodgers ride the wave and give him another shot, or will they (more likely) trade him to someone else to try to reclaim the 29 year old? Ray Costa RF No. 5 RR, 5'11" 191 lbs. Born 1945-11-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 LAD MLB | .228 | 149 | 548 | 69 | 125 | 24 | 3 | 20 | 75 | 68 | 103 | 6 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .208 | 118 | 423 | 30 | 88 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 50 | 38 | 77 | 2 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .244 | 98 | 295 | 23 | 72 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 42 | 54 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Scouts still think Costa has at least 50 grade power, perhaps better. He's not as bad as you'd think a guy with his big, looping swing would be at tracking down pitches but he still gets his fair share of strikeouts thanks to his proclivity to work pitchers deep into counts. Pitchers mostly threw to him, no longer afraid of the power, so a lot of the time that meant fouling off pitch after pitch. He's slow but gets a good jump off the ball and he's a natural right fielder with a nice arm that allowed him to record 6 OF assists in roughly half a season's worth of play in RF last year. The right-hander also got used quite a bit in a pinch-hitting role, racking up 15 at-bats, mostly against lefties in spite of not great reverse splits against them (only .213 vs LHP vs a .257 average vs RHPs). Costa's 27 so the injuries at this point might just have to be a thing the Dodgers have to live with. It'd be interesting to see if he still has that 20 HR power if he could actually play for a full year. Jason Davis C No. 3 RR, 6'0" 205 lbs. Born 1945-02-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 LAD MLB | .252 | 121 | 337 | 32 | 85 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 37 | 56 | 0 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .195 | 109 | 318 | 18 | 62 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 31 | 41 | 0 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .226 | 66 | 195 | 15 | 44 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Davis does work hard and you know what they say about backup catchers. It's really hard to see him play 100 games in a season again unless multiple players somewhere get injured. Ben Ernst CF No. 12 LL, 5'11" 190 lbs. Born 1946-06-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 LAD MLB | .267 | 103 | 412 | 46 | 110 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 45 | 43 | 56 | 8 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .229 | 108 | 397 | 52 | 91 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 55 | 66 | 8 | | 1973 ALB AAA | .307 | 59 | 202 | 15 | 62 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 1 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .326 | 30 | 95 | 12 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + What am I saying? Ernst is 27 and as likely to hit .140 in 1974 as .326 again. Still... what if? Danny Fager 2B No. 29 RR, 5'9" 177 lbs. Born 1941-10-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 BAL MLB | .293 | 130 | 498 | 66 | 146 | 25 | 4 | 12 | 60 | 37 | 52 | 14 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .226 | 79 | 288 | 27 | 65 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 17 | 32 | 12 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .278 | 123 | 474 | 56 | 132 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 36 | 30 | 48 | 24 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Fager is a plus contact hitter who pulls everything and occasionally comes through with his batting-cage power; in a regular season he's good for double digits HRs which is pretty nice for a middle infielder. He's also got nice speed, finishing 4th in the NL in stolen bases, and if defenses are playing too deep on him he'll occasionally lay down a bunt single. One thing that makes him a better 2 hole hitter than a leadoff man is his aggressive approach at the plate, whcih is great for the hit and run but not so great when teams want to see a starter's arsenal - Fager is as likely to swing at and put in play the first pitch as to let it go by. He's a fine second baseman who won 2 Gold Gloves during his time in Baltimore. Only an average arm and the presence of John "Lucky Number" Blevins prevented him from playing shortstop. Fager's 32 and at that age where guys like him start dropping off. Unlike a lot of guys his age, he puts a lot of extra work into his game both during the regular season and the offseason. The Dodgers will stick with him for as long as he can play. Robin Gibb 3B/1B No. 28 RR, 6'3" 201 lbs. Born 1949-12-21 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WR A | .284 | 57 | 229 | 35 | 65 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 28 | 23 | 34 | 2 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .260 | 145 | 565 | 67 | 147 | 28 | 1 | 13 | 49 | 39 | 87 | 3 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .258 | 138 | 519 | 59 | 134 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 57 | 36 | 80 | 9 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Gibb is a solid fielder at third whose track to potential Gold Gloves will be blocked by erratic play. Last year he committed 24 errors at third for a .933 fielding average. Not great! He did get into 10 games at first and looked really good there but with Justin Stone on this roster that is not his path going forward. Gibb displayed plus speed last year; if he can cut down on the strikeouts and raise that average a bit he could rack up double digit steals. As a musician, Gibb is happy to sit in the background of his brother. As a baseball player, he's also a guy who does his thing and goes him, not a lot more. It's still good enough to start for LA but they're really going to want to see some improvement going forward. Ken Hansen SP No. 27 RR, 5'12" 191 lbs. Born 1946-04-14 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CAL MLB | 12 | 11 | 0 | 3.09 | 37 | 31 | 9 | 241.1 | 210 | 93 | 83 | 86 | 144 | | 1972 CAL MLB | 14 | 16 | 0 | 2.46 | 33 | 33 | 15 | 266.2 | 199 | 81 | 73 | 86 | 160 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 7 | 15 | 0 | 3.69 | 32 | 30 | 6 | 211.2 | 205 | 102 | 87 | 84 | 121 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Hansen even threw a lot fewer pitches per start in 73 compared to 72 - 108 vs 119. A lot of that was probably because the Dodgers simply didn't trust him late in games. The 6 complete games were a long ways off from the league-leading 15 the season before. To his credit, when he was on he did hold opponents to a .218 average from innings 7+. Hansen was also downright terrible away from Dodgers Stadium: at home opponents hit 236/305/330 with 81 strikeouts in 133.2 home innings. On the road he gave up a triple slash of 277/355/388 and carried a 1-8 record. I can't imagine LA's going to make him a home-only guy so this is a potential real issue going forward. Hansen does not help himself at the plate, although he is as good as anyone at laying down a proper bunt. Hansen is still only 27 but he'll enter 1974 needing to get a whole, whole lot better if he wants to continue his career in Tinseltown. J.D. Heil CF No. 24 RR, 5'9" 181 lbs. Born 1945-09-13 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ALB AAA | .231 | 41 | 156 | 29 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 14 | 21 | 6 | | 1971 LAD MLB | .288 | 47 | 153 | 23 | 44 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 21 | 11 | 25 | 4 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .200 | 51 | 140 | 14 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 5 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .195 | 50 | 169 | 11 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 28 | 7 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + This should be the last we see of Heil; then again, I'm sure I said something similar last year. Mario Juarez MR/SP No. 40 LR, 6'6" 196 lbs. Born 1944-10-22 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 ALB AAA | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3.18 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 42.1 | 38 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 20 | | 1971 LAD MLB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4.15 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 52.0 | 57 | 26 | 24 | 16 | 35 | | 1972 ALB AAA | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2.15 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 113.0 | 100 | 35 | 27 | 43 | 64 | | 1972 LAD MLB | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2.91 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 58.2 | 54 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 34 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3.02 | 39 | 12 | 1 | 110.0 | 102 | 47 | 37 | 37 | 73 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Juarez is 28 now and past the point to where anyone can expect a big leap forward from him. With just 2 complete games in 20 tries in his big league career - both shutouts - it really looks like middle to short relief is in this man's future. Hennie Kuiper SS No. 15 RR, 5'9" 182 lbs. Born 1949-02-20 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 BAK A | .238 | 74 | 281 | 30 | 67 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 32 | 64 | 4 | | 1971 DB A | .150 | 5 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | | 1972 EP AA | .256 | 108 | 386 | 52 | 99 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 64 | 46 | 48 | 5 | | 1972 ALB AAA | .111 | 5 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | | 1973 BAK A | .326 | 25 | 95 | 22 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 26 | 15 | 18 | 1 | | 1973 WAT AA | .289 | 73 | 277 | 33 | 80 | 21 | 2 | 9 | 36 | 11 | 41 | 3 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .258 | 45 | 163 | 16 | 42 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 23 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + There's a good chance Kuiper will start for this team in 1974. If he's still the starter by 1976, it'd surely be underneath a new general manager because it would mean that the current one failed spectacularly. Tommy Martin SS No. 6 RR, 6'0" 189 lbs. Born 1946-12-30 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 RIC AAA | .228 | 137 | 474 | 58 | 108 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 47 | 57 | 13 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .233 | 85 | 258 | 18 | 60 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 6 | | 1973 WAT AA | .141 | 32 | 92 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 1973 ALB AAA | .278 | 35 | 126 | 12 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 21 | 0 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .114 | 29 | 88 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Tommy Martin can't possibly be really and truly this bad - hell, he rebounded pretty well in Albuquerque in the second half of the season - but an actual good player generally doesn't put up a .114 average. I'll give it about 90% that this will be the final write-up of his career. Gary McCord C No. 21 RR, 6'2" 210 lbs. Born 1948-05-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 BAK A | .352 | 22 | 71 | 19 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 0 | | 1971 DB A | .235 | 15 | 51 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 0 | | 1971 EP AA | .279 | 78 | 272 | 28 | 76 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 46 | 32 | 37 | 1 | | 1972 EP AA | .246 | 42 | 138 | 17 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 26 | 11 | 0 | | 1972 ALB AAA | .219 | 87 | 301 | 22 | 66 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 0 | | 1973 ALB AAA | .241 | 39 | 145 | 12 | 35 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 15 | 0 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .278 | 97 | 353 | 24 | 98 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 44 | 16 | 51 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + McCord isn't going to be headed to the Hall of Fame but if we looked back 10 years from now and he was a decade-long starter, I don't think anyone would be surprised. Lou Morgenstern LF No. 41 RR, 5'11" 201 lbs. Born 1939-10-14 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MIN MLB | .247 | 149 | 559 | 73 | 138 | 24 | 12 | 19 | 69 | 74 | 100 | 3 | | 1972 CAL MLB | .228 | 140 | 504 | 57 | 115 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 60 | 68 | 96 | 8 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .234 | 121 | 397 | 40 | 93 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 52 | 59 | 58 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Morgenstern is still canny enough to work out a walk and if you put the ball too far over the plate on the inside half he'll pull it a long way. For a guy who has a low contact-hitter profile - he's hit under .250 every year since 1970 - he's actually got pretty decent bat control and he's got average speed to boot. He probably should be at least more of a .260 hitter (coincidentally his lifetime average) than a .234 one. At this point, though, maybe he just is who he is. Morgenstern used to be a pretty functional if not otherworldly centerfielder but time has sapped his range and now he's just a good, solid corner man. One thing that might help Morgenstern is to give him a single spot in the lineup and the chance to acclimate himself to it. The Dodgers gave him significant at-bats at cleanup, 5th, and 6th last year with a smattering at 3rd and 7th as well. We're not, obviously, saying to put him in the 4 hole all year but, like, 5th wouldn't be terrible... Philippe Petit OF No. 8 RR, 5'12" 171 lbs. Born 1949-08-17 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SJ A | .315 | 88 | 340 | 49 | 107 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 50 | 28 | 43 | 14 | | 1971 WAT AA | .310 | 43 | 100 | 10 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 7 | 17 | 2 | | 1972 WAT AA | .318 | 68 | 179 | 30 | 57 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 7 | 19 | 6 | | 1972 OMA AAA | .286 | 9 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | | 1973 WAT AA | .337 | 28 | 92 | 18 | 31 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 17 | 2 | | 1973 ALB AAA | .299 | 52 | 144 | 16 | 43 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 7 | 22 | 4 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .230 | 29 | 113 | 13 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + At the same time, the Dodgers farm team is really, really bare in the outfield, so Pettit specifically will see more, not less time in 1974. And the Dodgers will continue to be... weird. Ross Poynor CF/RF No. 31 LR, 5'12" 200 lbs. Born 1943-06-08 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MIL MLB | .257 | 79 | 284 | 31 | 73 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 20 | 39 | 8 | | 1971 NYY MLB | .220 | 40 | 91 | 10 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 0 | | 1972 MIL MLB | .252 | 118 | 457 | 49 | 115 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 37 | 39 | 77 | 17 | | 1973 MIL MLB | .340 | 12 | 47 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .241 | 117 | 410 | 27 | 99 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 41 | 74 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Poynor's 30 now and like so many other players on this roster the only thing keeping him in the lineup most days is a lack of anyone who can be reasonably expected to take over for him. Mahfuzur Rahman Khan SP No. 19 LR, 6'3" 190 lbs. Born 1949-05-13 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 EP AA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.49 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 54.0 | 46 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 43 | | 1971 ALB AAA | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3.03 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 62.1 | 45 | 26 | 21 | 43 | 24 | | 1972 ALB AAA | 9 | 10 | 0 | 2.80 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 183.0 | 155 | 64 | 57 | 94 | 89 | | 1972 LAD MLB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7.08 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 20.1 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 8 | | 1973 ALB AAA | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2.23 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 108.2 | 86 | 36 | 27 | 34 | 62 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 4 | 9 | 1 | 3.06 | 21 | 17 | 2 | 120.1 | 99 | 52 | 41 | 55 | 70 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Rahman Khan is out here to earn a pile of cash and take it back to his homeland to make movies. In order to do that, he's still got to improve a bit. Gustavo Reyna 3B/SS No. 17 RR, 5'12" 184 lbs. Born 1947-10-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 EP AA | .246 | 51 | 183 | 16 | 45 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 25 | 2 | | 1971 ALB AAA | .224 | 83 | 299 | 35 | 67 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 38 | 31 | 2 | | 1972 EP AA | .377 | 16 | 53 | 10 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 1 | | 1972 ALB AAA | .187 | 106 | 379 | 27 | 71 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 48 | 54 | 4 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .292 | 91 | 209 | 19 | 61 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 29 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Reyna's another guy on this team who basically found his ceiling in playing time with a last-place team. The Dodgers might try to carve out a bigger role for him in 1974 given that average but that seems like a bad idea. Rogelio Salinas SP No. 4 LL, 6'2" 198 lbs. Born 1943-02-25 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 LAD MLB | 9 | 14 | 0 | 3.85 | 32 | 30 | 7 | 224.0 | 199 | 104 | 96 | 76 | 190 | | 1972 LAD MLB | 14 | 8 | 0 | 3.56 | 31 | 31 | 6 | 222.0 | 174 | 95 | 88 | 84 | 185 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 14 | 17 | 0 | 2.51 | 32 | 30 | 12 | 225.1 | 178 | 74 | 63 | 63 | 165 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Salinas has had some real issues with his breaking pitches occasionally failing to break; historically when that happens hitters send balls a long, long way. Last year he allowed only - "only" 24 of them, his lowest allowed since 1968. That's a nice improvement after 4 straight years of giving up 30+. If you can keep the ball in the park in Dodger Stadium you will have a lot of success and that's what Salinas did - he actually led the NL in walks plus hits per inning pitched (1.07). Stamina-wise he's a great reason for the team slavishly adhering to the 5-man; even though he completed 12 games last year he's never been known for his ability to throw 120 or more pitches. Salinas suffered an off year at the plate last year, hitting just .149 after 2 straight years over .200. He's still considered a good hitter for a pitcher. Salinas has a lifetime 101-78 record with a 3.04 ERA. That record seems closer to .500 than the ERA indicates it should be. Just the law of averages states that he should win 20 next year, right? Right? Justin Stone 1B No. 25 LL, 6'7" 201 lbs. Born 1939-08-04 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 LAD MLB | .293 | 152 | 564 | 94 | 165 | 20 | 1 | 38 | 112 | 92 | 82 | 10 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .257 | 145 | 538 | 82 | 138 | 28 | 4 | 33 | 95 | 75 | 82 | 12 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .298 | 131 | 494 | 78 | 147 | 18 | 4 | 30 | 75 | 49 | 72 | 20 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Stone even runs more and better than you'd expect a first baseman in his mid 30s to. He's not a great fielder and tends to save himself for the offensive side of the plate. Do not expect diving stops at first with this guy in the lineup. It's probably a good strategy for a guy like Stone. In an effort to drive in more runs last year, Stone got a bit more aggressive at the plate and dropped his walk rate to its lowest since a 1969 season where he only played in 41 games. Those clutch numbers, then, they look low but trust us, Stone was trying his best. The Dodgers right now just don't give their cleanup hitter a lot of opportunities to drive runs in. Stone is sitting on 495 homers so he'll probably become the second man to break 500 in April. I'm not going to say he's "showing no signs of slowing down" when he's put up seasons like .371/58/169 (1964) and .349/48/132 (1965) but even the current iteration is plenty good enough, maybe even good enough to track down a 7th MVP year. Ben Toscano 2B/IF No. 14 RR, 5'10" 183 lbs. Born 1944-07-31 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ALB AAA | .255 | 134 | 478 | 64 | 122 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 46 | 53 | 67 | 3 | | 1971 LAD MLB | .240 | 7 | 25 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | | 1972 ALB AAA | .261 | 90 | 280 | 21 | 73 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 27 | 29 | 3 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .303 | 33 | 76 | 8 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 1 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .225 | 55 | 138 | 16 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 35 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Going forward, the lack of contact will keep him from playing that much in the major leagues. 140ish plate appearances for a last place team is probably the extent of his ability to play in this league. Omar Vergara OF No. 7 LL, 6'4" 199 lbs. Born 1946-01-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ALB AAA | .202 | 98 | 326 | 44 | 66 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 41 | 69 | 53 | 8 | | 1971 LAD MLB | .174 | 8 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 0 | | 1972 ALB AAA | .217 | 72 | 138 | 13 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 24 | 0 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .217 | 24 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | | 1973 ALB AAA | .301 | 44 | 113 | 22 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 1 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .176 | 65 | 131 | 10 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 21 | 25 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The Dodgers' outfield prospects, such as they are, are still a couple years away - and they have just one outfielder in the BNN top 200 anyway, who's still in A ball. There's a good chance that their LF of the future is still in college. All of which is to say, don't be surprised if Vergara gets a second chance to swing and miss at big league curveballs. Rich Wilson MR No. 66 RR, 5'9" 200 lbs. Born 1938-05-24 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 LAD MLB | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2.56 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 59.2 | 59 | 23 | 17 | 22 | 59 | | 1972 LAD MLB | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2.87 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 65.2 | 49 | 23 | 21 | 37 | 50 | | 1973 LAD MLB | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4.31 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 48.0 | 45 | 28 | 23 | 21 | 30 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Guys like Wilson tend to keep pitching until they aren't effective anymore. Maybe someone will give him another, final shot. It's unlikely to be the Dodgerrs. Ronney Yitzhaki SS/OF No. 13 RR, 6'2" 201 lbs. Born 1946-09-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 BAK A | .278 | 19 | 79 | 10 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 2 | | 1971 EP AA | .241 | 110 | 378 | 48 | 91 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 32 | 24 | 65 | 9 | | 1972 EP AA | .293 | 21 | 75 | 15 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 4 | | 1972 ALB AAA | .208 | 38 | 144 | 13 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 23 | 4 | | 1972 LAD MLB | .272 | 82 | 298 | 30 | 81 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 29 | 19 | 41 | 5 | | 1973 LAD MLB | .247 | 128 | 454 | 45 | 112 | 16 | 2 | 11 | 39 | 19 | 69 | 4 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Yitzhaki has the range to play shortstop although last year he committed 20 errors in 63 games, which made putting him out there problematic at times. He's got solid range in the outfield as well. Last season when he played out there he mostly played in the corners - just 2 games in centerfield - but he gets a solid jump on the ball. Yitzhaki has good if not great speed. For a guy who is asked to bunt as often as he is - Yitzhaki laid down 8 sacrifice hits last year - he has trouble making proper contact with the bunt sometimes and will find himself in an 0-2 hole when the team just wanted him to push a runner forward. Yitzhaki is a guy who tries hard for everything he gets. As with so many other players on this team, there's a real question as to whether trying hard is enough. He finished the year on the bench, indicating that perhaps the answer is "no".
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Montreal Expos, 68-94, 6th NL East
1973 Recap: Montreal had yet to put up a .500 or even mediocre season in 4 tries going into 1973 but they'd at least been riding a small upward trend, going from "maybe the worst team ever" levels in 1969 to merely bad in 1971 and 1972. In 72, in fact, they even managed to finish ahead of the hapless Mets.
Well, so much for moving forward, as the Expos won 2 fewer games in 1973 than they had in 72 in spite of getting to play 6 more of them. Montreal's hitting was up to the task or at least league avearge but the pitching staff allowed a league worst 765 runs scored to put them right back into the NL East cellar and they only escaped holding the worst record in the National League as a whole because of the horrible performance by the Dodgers. It was just wall-to-wall bad for les Expos - 5-13 in April, 9-14 in May, and pretty much ensconsed in last place by the time they had to play a league-record 32 games in July (12-20, which, in spite of the 20 losses isn't even that bad). They actually finished the season 30-29 but I would not be fooled by the "dead cat bounce". 1974 Outlook: Offensively the Expos have a few interesting pieces who haven't come into their own yet but should any day now. Their pitching is another matter. Their best pitcher DJ Fletcher tore his labrum at the end of September and might not be back in time for spring training. They do have 4 prospects in the BNN top 100 - yay! - but they're all position players - boo! This is a team who stands to get worse before they get better. I was about to type "a lot worse" except I don't think you can get a lot worse... I should point out though that even though he didn't qualify for the write-up, this team also includes MY DAD Richard Craven. I'm told that he might have gotten some kind of spooky injection going into 1974 on account of he is my dad and I can do what I want. Jose Agudo SP No. 13 RR, 6'1" 179 lbs. Born 1945-04-04 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 EUG AAA | 4 | 7 | 0 | 3.98 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 101.2 | 84 | 51 | 45 | 64 | 65 | | 1971 PEN AAA | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4.19 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 92.1 | 70 | 48 | 43 | 67 | 56 | | 1971 PHI MLB | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7.49 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 4 | | 1971 MON MLB | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12.46 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13.0 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 5 | | 1972 PEN AAA | 17 | 10 | 0 | 4.11 | 29 | 29 | 10 | 220.2 | 205 | 107 | 101 | 107 | 174 | | 1972 MON MLB | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2.91 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 37.0 | 32 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 18 | | 1973 PEN AAA | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3.63 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 158.2 | 151 | 69 | 64 | 54 | 127 | | 1973 MON MLB | 5 | 7 | 0 | 3.60 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 85.0 | 76 | 37 | 34 | 42 | 50 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + The nominally good season means Agudo will get another chance at cracking the rotation in 1974. He's now coming off a torn labrum injury which will make it harder. You'd also think that maybe a move to the bullpen is the best long-term idea; imagine an Expos pen with all of these hard-throwing arms... Jake Cari SP No. 18 RR, 6'0" 189 lbs. Born 1944-09-16 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 ATL MLB | 11 | 12 | 0 | 3.55 | 29 | 29 | 3 | 197.1 | 200 | 88 | 78 | 71 | 105 | | 1972 RIC AAA | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4.42 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 38.2 | 39 | 19 | 19 | 12 | 34 | | 1972 ATL MLB | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2.15 | 22 | 13 | 3 | 117.0 | 89 | 30 | 28 | 37 | 77 | | 1973 MON MLB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4.01 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 40.1 | 40 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 29 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + When Cari is available he throws 4 pitches, the best of which is a curveball that shoots straight down due to his over-the-top pitching angle. He doesn't throw particularly fast but good news, Expos fans, the 90ish reading on the radar gun in September wasn't any slower than we've seen in the past. He's got decent but not great stamina. Really, his game overall just screams mid-rotation starter. That feels like not enough for Evans following his 14-win 1972 season but if he can do it for a full season - something he's managed to do basically one time in his career - Montreal will be ecstatic. Phil Collins 3B/IF No. 4 RR, 6'2" 190 lbs. Born 1950-03-21 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WPB A | .217 | 5 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 1 | | 1971 QUE AA | .263 | 67 | 255 | 37 | 67 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 34 | 69 | 12 | | 1971 PEN AAA | .263 | 5 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | | 1972 WPB A | .270 | 20 | 74 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 29 | 2 | | 1972 QUE AA | .266 | 70 | 263 | 32 | 70 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 24 | 41 | 59 | 5 | | 1973 PEN AAA | .320 | 33 | 122 | 30 | 39 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 21 | 16 | 40 | 2 | | 1973 MON MLB | .332 | 81 | 307 | 53 | 102 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 50 | 46 | 58 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Is Collins a legit .300 hitter? That's the $64,000 question. He's definitely a good one who added power to his game for the first time in 1973. He's also a wizard - some may say he has an invisible touch - at coaxing walks off of opposing pitchers and with the newfound slugging that should only improve with time. One thing that might cut into his average is his tendency to pull anything and everything he comes into contact with. Defenses were already beginning to play him to left field late in the year and he 'only' hit .300 in September as a result. Really, though, he responded to a lot of the defensive shading by hitting the ball over everyone: 11 of his 14 major league HRs came after August 1st. He's an adequate defender at both 2nd and 3rd although a scattershot arm means that he's probably never going to be a Gold Glove contender. Collins is the real deal as a singer, songwriter, and now a third baseman. Norman Engelman C No. 17 RR, 6'0" 207 lbs. Born 1943-12-20 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TOL AAA | .258 | 115 | 364 | 47 | 94 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 49 | 59 | 70 | 0 | | 1972 MON MLB | .249 | 122 | 390 | 33 | 97 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 34 | 44 | 86 | 0 | | 1973 MON MLB | .226 | 109 | 354 | 29 | 80 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 48 | 90 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It sure feels like this will be the year Engelman hands the job off to one of Montreal's younger options at the position. It kind of seemed that way last year too but it never materialized. Catching is hard. D.J. Fletcher SP No. 6 RR, 6'6" 201 lbs. Born 1948-01-21 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 MON MLB | 12 | 11 | 0 | 2.90 | 32 | 32 | 7 | 232.2 | 197 | 89 | 75 | 72 | 139 | | 1972 MON MLB | 10 | 15 | 0 | 3.68 | 30 | 30 | 5 | 212.2 | 185 | 93 | 87 | 96 | 107 | | 1973 MON MLB | 12 | 12 | 0 | 3.38 | 31 | 31 | 5 | 207.1 | 205 | 91 | 78 | 65 | 118 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Fletcher has only okay stuff, with a fastball that doesn't break 90 and a decent change of pace as his out pitch. It's easy to see why the Astros let him go for so little, although I should point out that he was legitimately on prospect lists before the 1970 trade that brought him into Montreal. When everything is clicking he paints the corners well. Last year he did a good job of not missing off the plate or too far over it. Fletcher will also keep the ball down pretty well: last year 55% of his outs in play were of the groundball type and he only gave up 11 HRs as well. Stamina has been and will continue to be an issue for him and last season he actually averaged just under 100 pitches per start (99). Fletcher is... fine. He's best suited as a middle of the rotation guy instead of the staff "ace" but it's not really his fault that 5 years in, he's the best the Expos have to offer. Hector Giron SP/MR No. 10 SR, 5'11" 168 lbs. Born 1941-05-16 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 BAL MLB | 12 | 15 | 0 | 4.05 | 32 | 31 | 7 | 217.2 | 243 | 111 | 98 | 51 | 99 | | 1972 BAL MLB | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4.52 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 53.2 | 52 | 29 | 27 | 19 | 24 | | 1973 BAL MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.14 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 15.2 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | | 1973 MON MLB | 7 | 9 | 1 | 3.97 | 32 | 19 | 5 | 147.1 | 171 | 76 | 65 | 54 | 59 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + The Expos are probably best suited to use a guy like this, should they use him at all, in middle relief. That would also require the Expos to actually have the pitching to put in the rotation, which... it doesn't really look like they have that at the moment. Expect this guy to start again. Jeff Graton LR/SP No. 33 RR, 5'9" 190 lbs. Born 1939-10-14 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 HOU MLB | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4.03 | 46 | 8 | 2 | 109.1 | 114 | 56 | 49 | 45 | 64 | | 1972 MON MLB | 8 | 11 | 0 | 4.17 | 39 | 20 | 4 | 163.2 | 169 | 79 | 76 | 39 | 73 | | 1973 PEN AAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 1973 MON MLB | 2 | 13 | 0 | 4.11 | 31 | 12 | 2 | 100.2 | 113 | 64 | 46 | 26 | 54 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Graton was never a particularly hard thrower and at 33 years of age - he turns 34 on October 14 - his stuff barely breaks a pane of glass. Even when he was leading the Pilots in innings pitched he barely had a positive K/BB ratio at 85/78. Last year he put up a 2-1 rate there, the best of his career, but it came with allowing 19 HRs in just 100.2 IPs as hitters teed off on him in the first 3 months of the year. His home field did him no favors: 1-5, 4.40. At this point in his career though he's going to need to take what he can get. Graton's career may already be over with. It was a nice little run from a guy who once went 4-23 in one season in the minor leagues. Ernesto Hernandez MR No. 5 RR, 6'2" 196 lbs. Born 1944-08-30 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 MON MLB | 5 | 13 | 22 | 3.66 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 105.2 | 95 | 45 | 43 | 41 | 61 | | 1972 MON MLB | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.32 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 100.2 | 69 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 72 | | 1973 MON MLB | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4.81 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 67.1 | 77 | 40 | 36 | 16 | 50 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Undoubtedly the Expos will be looking at Hernandez with a more skeptical eye going into 1974. Is that fair to him? Absolutely not. Is it baseball? Yes. Brian Hunter IF No. 12 RR, 6'2" 198 lbs. Born 1939-11-25 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MON MLB | .198 | 31 | 96 | 9 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 3 | | 1972 PEN AAA | .397 | 26 | 58 | 12 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 2 | | 1972 MON MLB | .325 | 26 | 80 | 9 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 1 | | 1973 MON MLB | .261 | 75 | 180 | 13 | 47 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 25 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hunter is now 33 and isn't getting any younger, but as for now he's carved out a niche for himself. Mike Johnston SP No. 14 RR, 6'4" 200 lbs. Born 1936-08-09 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 IND AAA | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 19.2 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | | 1971 CIN MLB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3.52 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 92.0 | 95 | 36 | 36 | 51 | 55 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4.87 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 48.0 | 47 | 28 | 26 | 13 | 31 | | 1972 MON MLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.99 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | | 1973 MON MLB | 9 | 13 | 0 | 4.35 | 32 | 29 | 4 | 200.1 | 210 | 116 | 97 | 80 | 115 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Johnston still has much of the low to mid 90s velocity he had when he was in the Cardinals' rotation in the 60s and helped them to win 4 World Series. He's never had particularly great stuff and needs to hit the corners in order to survive. He was off and on with that last year. I should note that in one respect 1973 was a really great season for him: the 29 starts were his highest since his salad days with the Cards - since 1967 Johnston had never been able to pitch more than 18 times in any given season, but last year he lasted the entire year without injury as the Expos made a point to not use him too much. The overall stats are marred a little bit by a September spent spot starting and filling in in long relief: he had a 5.13 ERA that month, including 5.79 in 3 relief appearances. Relief isn't really a great place for the aging junkballer to be. I'd be absolutely shocked if Johnston lasted the whole year in 1974 and the Expos may not consider that they actually need him for all of that either. He was a pretty good player with some stretches of greatness in his prime. At this point, rounding out the back of the worst rotation in the league seems about right for him. Paul Kahl RF No. 21 RR, 5'11" 169 lbs. Born 1944-04-16 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 HAW AAA | .000 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 1971 SD MLB | .273 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | | 1972 MON MLB | .247 | 130 | 457 | 65 | 113 | 19 | 7 | 11 | 44 | 52 | 76 | 11 | | 1973 MON MLB | .268 | 148 | 585 | 65 | 157 | 22 | 6 | 17 | 72 | 57 | 92 | 11 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Kahl does a little bit of everything on offense: he's got good power, can hit line drives into the gaps with some regularity, and will steal the occasional base as well... although last year he was just 11/24 on steals so he may find his foot nailed to the bag more in 1974. He does strike out a bit more than you'd like and a bit more than you'd expect given his compact swing; if he could cut down on those he could be a really fine top of the order hitter. The Expos mostly hit him 3rd or 4th because they lacked a really great option there - the two men on the team who finished ahead of Kahl in homeruns are better suited for lower down in the batting order due to both of their tendencies to never, ever walk. Kahl had a really nice year in the field and is coming off of winning the Gold Glove for his play in RF in 1972 so there's a great chance that there's going to be some repeat action going on there. Paul Kahl at this point in his career is mostly a "set it and forget it" guy. At 29 years of age and still producing as well as ever, there's a solid chance he'll continue to be a major contributor to this team when they're ready to contend in 2-3 years. Kenny Loggins CL No. 23 LR, 5'10" 184 lbs. Born 1948-08-19 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 QUE AA | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.35 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | | 1971 PEN AAA | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2.99 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 42.0 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 25 | 42 | | 1971 MON MLB | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.70 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 25.2 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 18 | | 1972 MON MLB | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2.67 | 46 | 9 | 1 | 124.1 | 92 | 38 | 37 | 55 | 74 | | 1973 MON MLB | 6 | 6 | 25 | 2.07 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 95.1 | 83 | 29 | 22 | 50 | 77 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Kenny Loggins throws a 2 seam fastball that climbs into the mid to upper 90s and a 12 to 6 curveball that murders hitters when it stays in the zone and sometimes when it doesn't. He just straight up did not allow HRs last year, literally just the 1 the entire season. He's got control issues otherwise but that's to be expected with his stuff. In 1972 he started 9 games and that might turn out to be his career starts total: Loggins is far, far better suited for relief. The sky is the limit for this 25 year old pop singer. DANGER ZONE Anton Mendoza CF No. 34 RL, 5'11" 179 lbs. Born 1945-08-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MON MLB | .288 | 103 | 386 | 41 | 111 | 17 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 14 | 29 | 4 | | 1972 MON MLB | .216 | 114 | 408 | 31 | 88 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 26 | 40 | 5 | | 1973 MON MLB | .266 | 108 | 425 | 45 | 113 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 34 | 13 | 39 | 7 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Anton Mendoza probably has a few years left as a 4th or 5th outfielder but it's hard to project much more from him. He just turned 28 last month and already his center field defense has degraded to the point of unplayability, and, frankly, the Expos have better options (well, one better option in particular). Willie Morales 1B No. 15 LL, 6'2" 199 lbs. Born 1944-02-06 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MON MLB | .268 | 142 | 533 | 62 | 143 | 32 | 1 | 27 | 89 | 34 | 94 | 0 | | 1972 MON MLB | .242 | 138 | 505 | 56 | 122 | 17 | 1 | 17 | 58 | 33 | 76 | 1 | | 1973 MON MLB | .237 | 143 | 482 | 60 | 114 | 14 | 2 | 21 | 64 | 38 | 93 | 4 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Of course, with guys like this the long slumps are as much a part of the game as the homerun binges are. Morales is a dead pull hitter who will hit a high inside fastball a country mile if you're dumb enough to toss one into him. If you throw him a slider that comes out looking like a meaty high-inside fastball, he will swing and miss at it like he was in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. The question of whether or not pitchers really fear him or not is kind of a moot point since Morales gets into stretches where he swings and often misses at everything anywhere near the strike zone. Last year he had only 30 unintentional walks and ended with an OBP under .300 (.295). Defensively he's a very good first baseman, so good that he won the Gold Glove in 1971 and is a contender for it this year. Morales seems like he ought to be a platoon bat at best. He had 102 at-bats vs LHPs and was really, really bad: .167/2/10 with just 2 walks. With Montreal he's asked to fill a bigger role than he probably ought to. Willie Ortega LF/1B No. 9 RL, 6'4" 201 lbs. Born 1943-12-28 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PEN AAA | .209 | 67 | 177 | 17 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 26 | 0 | | 1971 MON MLB | .171 | 27 | 76 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 0 | | 1972 PEN AAA | .307 | 50 | 163 | 23 | 50 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 33 | 4 | 29 | 0 | | 1972 MON MLB | .265 | 51 | 147 | 18 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 6 | 18 | 0 | | 1973 MON MLB | .241 | 134 | 489 | 59 | 118 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 74 | 9 | 53 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Ortega is a guy who's looking for a payday. It feels like he's probably not going to get it. He's an interesting guy to have on your team but there are just too many holes in his game to entrust a lot of PAs to. Steve Perry C No. 28 RR, 5'11" 196 lbs. Born 1949-01-24 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WPB A | .292 | 28 | 96 | 8 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 1 | | 1971 QUE AA | .203 | 22 | 74 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 0 | | 1972 QUE AA | .227 | 97 | 220 | 26 | 50 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 20 | 28 | 1 | | 1973 PEN AAA | .290 | 108 | 369 | 41 | 107 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 60 | 50 | 53 | 0 | | 1973 MON MLB | .205 | 22 | 78 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Perry will get every chance there is to get to take the starting job in spring training. Will he take advantage? I don't have a crystal ball. Richard Pulido MR No. 31 RL, 5'12" 195 lbs. Born 1945-08-08 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 DEN AAA | 7 | 5 | 1 | 3.16 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 108.0 | 94 | 44 | 38 | 35 | 36 | | 1971 TEX MLB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.37 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16.0 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | | 1972 DEN AAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.43 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | | 1972 TOL AAA | 11 | 5 | 0 | 2.71 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 149.0 | 131 | 48 | 45 | 32 | 85 | | 1972 DET MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | | 1973 MON MLB | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3.17 | 58 | 2 | 1 | 82.1 | 82 | 31 | 29 | 25 | 39 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + There's no reason why Pulido can't continue in this particular role for some time to come. Maybe he'll even be a trade chip for some nice prospect coming in from a team who needs a good reliever much more than the Expos do. Erik Schnipke MR/SP No. 36 LR, 5'11" 200 lbs. Born 1942-10-19 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 NYM MLB | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3.42 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 84.0 | 80 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 66 | | 1972 MON MLB | 4 | 6 | 23 | 2.94 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 97.2 | 63 | 36 | 32 | 46 | 70 | | 1973 MON MLB | 3 | 7 | 0 | 4.71 | 37 | 12 | 2 | 105.0 | 116 | 69 | 55 | 71 | 67 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Schnipe throws 4 pitches for strikes, his best of which is a pretty solid curveball. He's got the stamina at least to start although last year he lacked the kind of consistency you need from a starter. He doesn't really have the kind of velo you normally want from your closer anyway so maybe middle relief would be better... although as noted, Schnipke seems to require regular playing time to really excel and middle relief in the early 70s is not going to get you there. His K rate has been going down over each of the last 4 years now. Not the greatest trend! Where does Schnipke go in 1974? He wasn't very good but neither were a lot of Expos and he at least has a history of doing better. Allen Scurry CF No. 30 RR, 6'1" 204 lbs. Born 1945-11-30 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 KC MLB | .242 | 131 | 425 | 54 | 103 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 57 | 66 | 68 | 7 | | 1972 KC MLB | .222 | 76 | 176 | 20 | 39 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 26 | 26 | 4 | | 1973 PEN AAA | .259 | 21 | 81 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 0 | | 1973 OMA AAA | .222 | 23 | 81 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 0 | | 1973 MON MLB | .175 | 24 | 80 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 0 | | 1973 KC MLB | .224 | 18 | 49 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Scurry seems a great bet to begin the season either at Peninsula or released from the roster entirely. At 27 he seems just about out of big league chances. Victor Serna 3B No. 26 RR, 5'10" 184 lbs. Born 1940-10-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PHI MLB | .200 | 142 | 509 | 66 | 102 | 19 | 3 | 22 | 71 | 73 | 115 | 4 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .142 | 36 | 120 | 13 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 2 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .189 | 47 | 127 | 13 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 15 | 28 | 4 | | 1973 PEN AAA | .200 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | | 1973 MON MLB | .318 | 31 | 110 | 18 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 17 | 27 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Serna surely still has value left, even if he's unlikely to hit even within a hundred points of the .318 average he put up last year. He's played a grand total of one game at first base in his career but he's a good enough fielder overall that he could surely pick the position up quickly enough to be a platoon mate for Willy Morales. In the meantime he can still pick it at both 2nd and 3rd. He's a decent clubhouse guy although ideally you want to give him a set role as he doesn't react to change well. I don't think Serna's major league career is over just yet. Matt Shaver SP No. 16 RR, 5'11" 187 lbs. Born 1945-01-04 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TID AAA | 7 | 16 | 0 | 4.69 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 197.1 | 172 | 111 | 103 | 172 | 125 | | 1972 PEN AAA | 12 | 11 | 0 | 5.38 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 189.0 | 190 | 122 | 113 | 123 | 172 | | 1973 PEN AAA | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2.27 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 103.0 | 88 | 32 | 26 | 41 | 94 | | 1973 MON MLB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4.46 | 18 | 13 | 1 | 88.2 | 80 | 48 | 44 | 55 | 56 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Shaver throws a nice forkball and a good 2-seamer that conspire, especially when he's pitching in relief, to keep the ball inside of the park. Last year he was a loooot worse in relief (8.44 ERA coming out of the bullpen - yuck!) but that was due to his real issue, control. If anything, the Matt Shaver you see today is significantly improved as a pitcher (as opposed to a thrower) than 2 years ago when he walked 7.8 men per 9 innings in AAA Tidewater while in the Mets organization. He still walks way too many guys. The wild stuff is kind of exactly what you'd want in a short reliever and perhaps at 28 it's time to make a transition like that - on the other hand, ain't no way he's supplanting the DANGER ZONE at that spot. If you could handle platooning better, Shaver's a guy who absolutely shuts down right-handed hitting, holding them to a 223/308/346 triple slash and yeah, not even walking *that* many guys. You just can't avoid lefties in this era though and so Shaver's compromised. Harry Turtledove OF/1B No. 47 LR, 6'0" 197 lbs. Born 1949-06-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WPB A | .282 | 64 | 238 | 21 | 67 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 31 | 43 | 2 | | 1971 QUE AA | .306 | 12 | 49 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 | | 1972 QUE AA | .302 | 59 | 199 | 22 | 60 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 25 | 2 | | 1972 PEN AAA | .331 | 77 | 275 | 49 | 91 | 16 | 3 | 9 | 44 | 42 | 37 | 0 | | 1973 PEN AAA | .322 | 65 | 239 | 38 | 77 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 26 | 29 | 34 | 0 | | 1973 MON MLB | .273 | 76 | 264 | 35 | 72 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 48 | 34 | 32 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Scouts do think that 12 HRs is about the extent of Turtledove's power potential. He doesn't appear to be a guy who's going to lead the league in average either, although he had approximately one full season in AAA Peninsula between getting sent up from AA Quebec in 1972 and getting promoted to the majors where he hit well over .300, so maybe the scouts are wrong about that. Turtledove does have good plate discipline and strike zone recognition, but he's neither hawkish enough at avoiding Ks nor fast enough to beat out hits to ever be a .300 man... so the scouts say. He's a good solid corner outfielder, good enough to maybe even play center in a pinch if somebody got hurt or something. Despite the fast track to the majors, there's nothing really about Harry Turtledove's game that screams superstar in the making. He ought to be pretty decent and doesn't have the kind of hype surrounding him that would make fans disappointed about this. Omar Villegas C No. 32 RR, 6'2" 200 lbs. Born 1948-09-04 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 QUE AA | .279 | 17 | 61 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 0 | | 1971 PEN AAA | .236 | 58 | 195 | 27 | 46 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 28 | 37 | 33 | 0 | | 1971 MON MLB | .190 | 37 | 79 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 24 | 0 | | 1972 QUE AA | .294 | 31 | 102 | 12 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 1 | | 1972 PEN AAA | .270 | 88 | 311 | 41 | 84 | 19 | 2 | 12 | 51 | 38 | 63 | 0 | | 1973 MON MLB | .210 | 49 | 119 | 13 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 21 | 25 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + I suspect Villegas will be supplanted by Steve Perry, although Perry didn't exactly wow anyone with his own big league showing last year. He's certainly in the mix. Danny Waters 2B/3B No. 1 LR, 5'10" 194 lbs. Born 1946-01-26 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 NYM MLB | .224 | 92 | 254 | 34 | 57 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 34 | 56 | 1 | | 1972 PEN AAA | .302 | 20 | 63 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 13 | 0 | | 1972 MON MLB | .187 | 72 | 171 | 22 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 21 | 38 | 2 | | 1973 PEN AAA | .272 | 46 | 151 | 23 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 35 | 17 | 39 | 1 | | 1973 MON MLB | .250 | 72 | 180 | 25 | 45 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 29 | 35 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + 1973 saw Waters play significant time at both 2nd and 3rd base. He can also play left field as well as shortstop in a pinch or first base, although you'd want him to hit a whole lot better than he does to do that with any regularity. Even though the lefty hitter was mostly used in a platoon role he managed to hit same-handed hitters better than righties (.286 vs .243, granted that small sample size abounds). Overall, Waters turned in a solid season, but is it too late in his career for him to turn that into a starting job? Hudson Watts 2B/SS No. 27 RR, 5'10" 185 lbs. Born 1947-05-17 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PEN AAA | .293 | 26 | 99 | 10 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 9 | 4 | | 1971 MON MLB | .230 | 51 | 174 | 14 | 40 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 16 | 34 | 6 | | 1972 PEN AAA | .302 | 16 | 53 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 3 | | 1972 MON MLB | .257 | 123 | 471 | 61 | 121 | 23 | 3 | 11 | 48 | 63 | 60 | 11 | | 1973 MON MLB | .287 | 98 | 338 | 63 | 97 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 34 | 50 | 54 | 15 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's hard to believe that people are actually a little disappointed by Watts' play so far in his career. I guess that's what happens when you're the first overall pick (as he was in 1970); if you aren't one of the top few players in the league, some think you're a bust. A more realistic assessment shows that he's a stud, one of the best second basemen in baseball and the protoypical 2-hole hitter. He's got an easy swing that generates lots of line drives. Last year he chose to swing for the fences quite as often; the result was fewer homers but more singles and doubles (at least on a per at-bat basis). Watts has got solid bat control and enough speed to keep pitching honest when the middle part of the order comes to bat. He can sometimes commit some unforced errors in the field but otherwise is a solid defender. The one thing he doesn't really do that a #2 guy should do is bunt well; he did lay down 2 sacrifice hits but it's not a forte of his. Watts is less of a clubhouse leader and more of a guy who sits in the locker room and fulfills his role. If the Expos do climb into contention or even average-ness over the next few years, Hudson will be a big part of why. Arsene Wegner CF No. 19 RR, 5'11" 180 lbs. Born 1949-10-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 VIS A | .217 | 6 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | | 1971 PB A | .242 | 41 | 161 | 17 | 39 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 31 | 11 | | 1971 MEM AA | .193 | 34 | 119 | 14 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 23 | 7 | | 1972 QUE AA | .297 | 44 | 158 | 26 | 47 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 21 | 16 | 7 | | 1972 PEN AAA | .242 | 85 | 351 | 62 | 85 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 40 | 29 | 66 | 15 | | 1972 MON MLB | .235 | 13 | 51 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 1 | | 1973 PEN AAA | .271 | 106 | 409 | 56 | 111 | 21 | 6 | 8 | 41 | 31 | 59 | 11 | | 1973 MON MLB | .243 | 43 | 181 | 21 | 44 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 29 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Offensively he's... fine. I'm reminded of Texas Rangers CF Norm Hodge: when you save as many runs as he does in the field, you don't necessarily need to put up gaudy offensive numbers to make your mark. Nevertheless Wegner had 49 extra-base hits between AAA and the major leagues and that's nothing to sneeze at. It'd be really ideal if he improved his pitch recognition skills and walked a little bit more, but even at that Wegner, shall we say, supplemented his on-base abilities by leaning into pitches and getting hit by them 12 times last year. He stole 35 bases in college - sure, yeah, college, he totally played baseball in college - but hasn't seen his obvious speed translate to being a plus-plus baserunner in the pros. At 24, that's probably not going to happen. Wegner's a guy you really should just install at one spot and leave. Fortunately for him and for Montreal, it should be pretty easy to stick him in CF every day and bat... well, I guess that's the question there. You probably don't want to hit him at the top of the order but you don't really want to be thinking about pinch-hitting for him a lot either. Where to bat this guy? George Yarbor SS No. 7 SR, 5'11" 200 lbs. Born 1946-06-05 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MON MLB | .249 | 124 | 438 | 51 | 109 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 41 | 48 | 70 | 7 | | 1972 MON MLB | .227 | 110 | 365 | 38 | 83 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 39 | 57 | 6 | | 1973 MON MLB | .243 | 147 | 519 | 50 | 126 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 37 | 48 | 96 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Yarbor batted 7th and 8th for most of the season but just on the basis of playing every day accumulated anough games played to finish 8th in the NL in strikeouts. He just doesn't hit well enough to overcome that and the team was lucky that he even hit .243. He combines that average, such as it is, with a pretty low walk rate - 5 of those 48 walks were intentional and he OBPed only .309 on the season - and not a lot of hard liners to the gaps at all. Defensively his arm is better suited for second base but the Expos already have a stud at that position in Hudson Watts and frankly this bat can barely justify shortstop as it is. Speaking of which, though, scouts graded him as one of the worst in the league, a step above the guys who are there purely for their bat like Jeremy Taylor of the Cubs and Tony Shannon of the Phillies but several steps behind the mediocre ones like Houston's Masanori Hattori. The Expos saw a bit of 23 year old Barbadian politician Owen Arthur (.250, 1, 7 and .293, 5, 44 at AAA Peninsula) in September. They liked what they saw enough to let him compete in spring training for the job. Will this finally be the end of the line for Yarbor? Tune in and find out!
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02-13-2026, 01:34 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,629
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New York Mets (73-87, 5th NL East)
1973 Recap: The Mets had been out of contention for three years following their miracle 1969 season. Frankly, there was not a great deal of hope here either; in the offseason they traded away their (former) superstar first baseman Joshua "Superman" Waltenbery (.284, 22, 74 with Houston last year), getting only prospects in return. They did acquire 3B Vicente Luna but realistically he was never going to be the same .300 hitting stud that he'd been in years past, not at age 36. Pitching-wise, you can never count out a team that includes Geoff Saus, but everyone around him wasn't fantastic.
So yeah, all things considered this is a team that pretty much performed exactly as they should have. Sorry, disappointed Mets fan, another Miracle was just not going to happen, even if the Phillies hadn't run away with the division this year. They were over .500 as of the end of May (23-20) and then the bottom started to drop out. I guess all that said they were still 65-68 as of the morning of September 1st until an 8-19 end to the season stuck them all the way back into 5th place. The story throughout the year was more or less league average pitching (6th in runs scored, 631) being let down by a very bad offense (554 runs scored, 11th) that had basically 2 1/2 good players and a lot of... less. 1974 Outlook: This team is a weird mix of young, attractive offensive players, an entire starting rotation full of finesse pitchers, and Geoff Saus. You don't see a lot of 87 loss teams that have 4 guys pitching 200+ innings and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. It would take a lot of those offensive guys coming through all at once for us to see another Miracle season. Gerry Adams C No. 49 RR, 5'11" 196 lbs. Born 1948-11-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MEM AA | .268 | 70 | 261 | 29 | 70 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 39 | 12 | 34 | 0 | | 1971 TID AAA | .303 | 32 | 119 | 11 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 0 | | 1971 NYM MLB | .302 | 17 | 53 | 7 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .297 | 46 | 138 | 13 | 41 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 0 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .270 | 41 | 148 | 12 | 40 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Adams' best role, let's be honest, is probably as a trade piece for something that can help them now or in the future. He's not going to displace Bushon behind the plate and surely someone could use a catcher who hits .270. Noah Bando SP No. 80 SR, 6'1" 193 lbs. Born 1948-07-13 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 JAX AA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.82 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35.0 | 28 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 23 | | 1971 WIC AAA | 15 | 9 | 2 | 2.76 | 30 | 23 | 9 | 185.2 | 162 | 64 | 57 | 59 | 84 | | 1971 CLE MLB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14.0 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 9 | | 1972 SPO AAA | 12 | 11 | 0 | 2.48 | 24 | 24 | 11 | 199.0 | 150 | 56 | 55 | 53 | 97 | | 1972 CLE MLB | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2.73 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 49.1 | 47 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 23 | | 1973 TID AAA | 6 | 7 | 0 | 2.49 | 19 | 19 | 4 | 144.0 | 123 | 45 | 40 | 40 | 101 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 5 | 7 | 0 | 3.56 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 93.1 | 89 | 45 | 37 | 29 | 73 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Bando's still a bit of a dark horse to make the rotation but he provides a lot that the "big" four don't, namely strikeouts and youth. Lindsey Buckingham CF No. 6 RR, 6'1" 191 lbs. Born 1949-10-05 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 VIS A | .188 | 65 | 192 | 12 | 36 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 24 | 59 | 2 | | 1971 PB A | .118 | 21 | 51 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 0 | | 1971 MEM AA | .167 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | | 1972 PB A | .311 | 22 | 90 | 12 | 28 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 18 | 2 | | 1972 MEM AA | .237 | 59 | 173 | 17 | 41 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 32 | 28 | 6 | | 1972 TID AAA | .200 | 19 | 70 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 0 | | 1973 TID AAA | .274 | 50 | 168 | 18 | 46 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 17 | 32 | 1 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .284 | 79 | 303 | 42 | 86 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 31 | 35 | 50 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Buckingham could hit .300 if he could corrall his strikeouts. He likes the low, inside fastball that he sometimes tries to golf a little bit too much. When his swing is working for him though he's got good 10+ HR pop and enough wrist strength to work his way late into counts. You'd really like to also see this still-young guy - Buckingham just turned 24 a week ago - cash in on his natural speed; last year he was just 2/7 trying to steal in the majors and right now it seems more likely that his coaches will nail his foot to the bag than give him the green light. Where the speed does show out is in the field, where his range makes him a solid centerfielder and better than solid corner man should the need arise. Buckingham hit leadoff almost exclusively in the major leagues last year. That feels like the right place for him even with the lack of steals. Jason Bushon C No. 9 RR, 5'12" 200 lbs. Born 1943-07-07 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 NYM MLB | .219 | 124 | 416 | 57 | 91 | 15 | 2 | 14 | 57 | 70 | 77 | 1 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .245 | 120 | 433 | 53 | 106 | 16 | 6 | 19 | 71 | 58 | 68 | 2 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .292 | 124 | 459 | 55 | 134 | 28 | 5 | 7 | 70 | 53 | 65 | 20 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Bushon is, it should be said, awfully good at what he does. He's been the National League's starter in the Midsummer Classic for 4 years straight now. He'll fight off pitches and draw walks based on guile and ingenuity. Last year he shortened his stroke, costing him some power but adding a whole lot of newly found contact ability; paradoxically this coincided with him hitting 4th and 5th for most of the year. Look, I will not complain about this kind of production from my catcher, however he decides to do it. Bushon saved his best performance when the game was on the line, hitting .306 with 37 RBIs in high-leverage situations. He's a good, effective catcher who threw out 47% of runners last year. That could be enough for his first Gold Glove, who knows - since Emmanuel Costa won his 4th GG at catcher back in 1974, a different receiver has won it in the NL each and every year. Bushon is the real deal. He's not even unclutch, he just didn't hit for the power that the Mets expected him to last season. Do not mess with a good thing, New York! Barry Cooper OF No. 5 LR, 5'11" 188 lbs. Born 1943-07-20 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SF MLB | .258 | 109 | 445 | 44 | 115 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 34 | 27 | 59 | 20 | | 1972 SF MLB | .340 | 14 | 53 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 3 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .259 | 128 | 514 | 48 | 133 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 44 | 24 | 60 | 15 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .289 | 141 | 547 | 56 | 158 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 59 | 20 | 50 | 17 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Cooper hits just about everything near the zone and goes wherever the pitch may take him, equally able to turn on an inside fastball as push an outside pitch - outside of the strike zone, even! - into left field for a base hit. He had some dissatisfying clutch numbers last year in spite of hitting 3rd the entire season. It's probably not the best space for him although he did hit .294 in the role and in high-leverage situations his average flew up to .349. The big issue with putting him in the middle of the order is the lack of power. There are younger and putatively faster players in the lineup but Cooper is honestly faster in pure baseball terms than John Henry or Lindsey Buckingham. He has the range to be a good to great corner outfielder if not a plus-plus arm. Now 30 years old, the 3-time All-Star Cooper feels more like a placeholder who will move aside when the Mets' next big thing (Dean Shek?) is ready to go. On the other hand, if he hits .330 again, all bets are off. Jim Davis 1B/OF No. 8 LL, 6'3" 200 lbs. Born 1945-06-11 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OMA AAA | .229 | 66 | 205 | 40 | 47 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 41 | 50 | 60 | 0 | | 1971 KC MLB | .207 | 69 | 213 | 37 | 44 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 30 | 57 | 67 | 0 | | 1972 OMA AAA | .250 | 17 | 44 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 0 | | 1972 KC MLB | .164 | 85 | 159 | 26 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 31 | 63 | 0 | | 1973 OMA AAA | .250 | 32 | 92 | 15 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 21 | 21 | 34 | 0 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .230 | 111 | 348 | 60 | 80 | 9 | 0 | 25 | 55 | 88 | 100 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Davis is about as full-on a Three True Outcomes guy as you get in the early 70s. In spite of a .230 average he maintained a .388 OBP thanks to all the walks... and in turn all the walks came because the word from the American League was out and pitchers were afraid to throw to him. Davis has a big, looping swing and when he makes contact the ball goes a long, long way. Last year the Mets called him up in May and made him their cleanup hitter immediately. He was kind of the opposite of Jason Bushon, hitting just .191 with 2 HRs in 68 at-bats in high leverage situations. Hopefully he'll get clutchier as he gets acclimated to the league. The Mets tried unsuccessfully to train Davis in the outfield in the minors before calling him up to play first base. He's a pretty solid defender at the position although the bar is pretty low. Davis will surely be a lightning rod for criticism for as long as he plays. A cursory glance would make you think he's comparable to Dave Kingman but that's not a great one: Davis gets on base far more often and, working in a journalism-adjacent career himself, he's far, far, far less likely to mail rats to reporters. Also he'd just feed said rat to his cat. Trevon Dean SP No. 10 LR, 6'2" 187 lbs. Born 1942-02-28 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 ATL MLB | 8 | 7 | 0 | 4.47 | 32 | 19 | 2 | 148.2 | 145 | 78 | 74 | 57 | 62 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4.25 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 137.1 | 141 | 69 | 65 | 50 | 44 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 6 | 15 | 0 | 4.03 | 35 | 29 | 6 | 214.0 | 213 | 104 | 96 | 69 | 136 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + So what went wrong with Dean? It looks like two separate beasts depending on the month. In August his curve started hanging a lot and led him to allow 6 HRs in 37 innings pitched. The longball can be an issue for him but for the most part he did a decent job of preventing them last year. In September he was banished to the bullpen after 2 bad starts out of 3 - it's easy to blame bad luck for that but when you give up a lot of runs, you give up a lot of runs. Somehow, even though he's a classic "kitchen sink" finesse guy, he actually did pretty well in relief, allowing just one run in 12.2 innings in September, although it was off of pitching to even more contact than he did as a starter (5.9 K/9 in starts, 2.8 in relief, although he also had only 1.4 BB/9 in relief too). 1973 was hard to make a lot of sense of. Probably Dean gets his starters' job back just because the late September call-ups didn't look ready. That was not a year that makes anyone happy or satisfied. Bora Dugic 2B/SS No. 79 RR, 6'2" 200 lbs. Born 1949-06-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CLI A | .261 | 78 | 241 | 28 | 63 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 26 | 42 | 2 | | 1971 LAK A | .274 | 37 | 95 | 18 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 16 | 1 | | 1972 TOL AAA | .267 | 133 | 487 | 75 | 130 | 21 | 1 | 17 | 57 | 57 | 79 | 0 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .249 | 110 | 346 | 27 | 86 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 39 | 48 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Dugic did better than anyone expected adjusting to the big leagues, although we'd stop before saying he was "good". Scouts believe that .249 average is about what you should expect from him year to year. He's not particularly fast so he's not going to beat out a lot of hits with his speed, but I don't know, he looks like he should be somewhere around league average with contact. He did hit 17 HRs in 1972 so there's some hope he'll find power in the major leagues. Scouts are a bit more sanguine about his future abilities to draw walks: he doesn't have a lot of history playing this game and yet he's already showing good pitch selection skills. Dugic is not a good fielder, lacking the range to play 2nd base. He was used in 6 games at shortstop and was kind of a disaster there. Bora Dugic has managed to find his way into getting a lot of playing time. He's nothing special but he should probably get even more of it in 1974. Mark Hamill 3B/IF No. 12 RR, 5'11" 191 lbs. Born 1949-06-09 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 VIS A | .378 | 11 | 45 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | | 1971 PB A | .264 | 15 | 53 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | | 1971 MEM AA | .250 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | | 1971 NYM MLB | .250 | 67 | 268 | 30 | 67 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 36 | 0 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .258 | 98 | 322 | 31 | 83 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 37 | 14 | 44 | 1 | | 1973 TID AAA | .252 | 110 | 416 | 48 | 105 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 36 | 14 | 63 | 0 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .262 | 32 | 107 | 12 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hamill was drafted 12th overall in 1971 and rushed to the major leagues. He's never really shown anything to justify the rush since then. He's got okay pop in his bat at best, tries to pull every pitch that he sees, and if he's anything but a .250 hitter with 8 HRs in a full season it would be a surprise. He's not anything special on defense either, just not too old to play the position. That's unfair: he's got one of the best 3rd base arms in the game, which he combines with okay if not great range to his left to make him an average to above average defender. Hamill is a guy who has "bust" written all over him. I hope he has a good second career because the baseball one doesn't seem like it's going to work out. John W. Henry OF No. 27 RR, 5'11" 195 lbs. Born 1949-09-06 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PB A | .286 | 34 | 133 | 19 | 38 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 21 | 5 | | 1971 MEM AA | .232 | 50 | 168 | 16 | 39 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 18 | 46 | 6 | | 1972 MEM AA | .240 | 46 | 167 | 17 | 40 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 7 | | 1972 TID AAA | .303 | 85 | 284 | 40 | 86 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 31 | 33 | 48 | 10 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .190 | 17 | 63 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 1 | | 1973 TID AAA | .176 | 10 | 34 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .311 | 98 | 347 | 39 | 108 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 30 | 27 | 50 | 7 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Henry has a swing that other hitters can watch tape of to improve their own skills. He doesn't have a huge amount of power, at least not yet, but the 24 year old hits balls that fly into the gaps at Shea Stadium. Unlike a lot of speed merchants, Henry absolutely battered left-handed pitching to the tune of a .358/390/555 triple slash. He still hit right-handed pitching well so this has to be an asset not a liability. He carries an aggressive approach to the plate which does mean he doesn't walk a lot but if he gets on base with singles and doubles and triples instead, that doesn't matter so much, does it? Henry stole 36 bases his last year in college but that speed hasn't translated to the pro levels yet. You do see it in his play afield; scouts are a big fan of his range as a corner outfielder and if it wasn't for the fact that they already have Lindsey Buckingham in center, Henry might be able to play there in the pros. This guy sure looks like the real deal to me. Henry works hard, has a good head on his shoulders, and ought to be in this league for years. Bill Heyen 2B No. 23 RR, 5'11" 196 lbs. Born 1943-08-31 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 MON MLB | .281 | 148 | 616 | 72 | 173 | 26 | 15 | 2 | 55 | 35 | 95 | 11 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .219 | 137 | 525 | 53 | 115 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 26 | 41 | 57 | 10 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .255 | 74 | 243 | 23 | 62 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 23 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Heyen at this point in his career is seemingly the opposite player to Bora Dugic: where Dugic can be classified as good (well, average) hit, no field, Heyen is good field, no hit. Heyen won the Gold Glove at second base with San Francisco in 1969 and still has plus range, hands, and pivot ability - only the lack of a quality arm prevented him from playing shortstop in his prime. At the plate, though... the Mets hoped Heyen would bounce back from a very, very rough 1972 and while his average did improve it came at the cost of the aforementioned gap power: Heyen had just 14 extra base hits and his .321 SLG was well below his already not super high career .356. Heyen is decent at laying down a bunt as you'd want/need a guy at the bottom of your order to be. When he manages to get on base he still has good speed although in 1973 he stole only 2 bases in 5 tries, breaking a 6 season streak of 10+ steals. Heyen just turned 30 but already the starter part of his career is most likely over. It's hard to project him as even a heavy role player at short or third given his lack of a quality arm and it's hard to be a utility guy when you really only can play one position so it might be the end of his career too. Larry Hilbert MR/CL No. 7 RR, 6'4" 201 lbs. Born 1943-05-29 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 NYM MLB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3.62 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 49.2 | 36 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 23 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3.55 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 50.2 | 44 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 22 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2.46 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 54.2 | 52 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 33 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + If Larry Hilbert has latent clutch pitching abilities to unlock, that would be cool. Improbable, yes, but cool. Roy Holm MR No. 36 LL, 6'1" 201 lbs. Born 1935-09-02 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 NYY MLB | 10 | 11 | 0 | 4.07 | 40 | 22 | 3 | 174.1 | 142 | 88 | 79 | 79 | 158 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 5 | 6 | 0 | 3.27 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 88.0 | 73 | 33 | 32 | 38 | 90 | | 1972 NYY MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 28 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2.98 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 81.1 | 75 | 35 | 27 | 36 | 58 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + That said, at this point in his career his fastball is no longer as fast as it used to be and the Ks aren't quite so quick in coming along. His ideal role seems to be to shut down lefty hitting; last year Holm gave up a .216 BA vs left-handed batters vs a .261 vs righties. He still walks a lot of guys and that still gets him in trouble, and last year when the Mets tried to use him as a spot starter over the summer the results were not great: 0-3, 4.45, with 7 HRs allowed in just 30.1 IP. Holm is 38 now and really middle relief is a a role he ought to go into and not go out of. Kjell Isaakson OF No. 13 RR, 5'9" 161 lbs. Born 1948-02-26 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 VIS A | .368 | 5 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | | 1971 PB A | .226 | 25 | 84 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 2 | | 1971 MEM AA | .453 | 15 | 53 | 8 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4 | | 1972 TID AAA | .314 | 71 | 239 | 34 | 75 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 30 | 23 | 43 | 9 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .149 | 20 | 67 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 1 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .248 | 82 | 327 | 35 | 81 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 17 | 34 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Isaakson should "compete" with Lindsey Buckingham for the starting centerfield job but I expect the Fleetwood Mac guitar player to have the easy inside track. Ethan Keesee OF No. 19 LL, 6'1" 199 lbs. Born 1947-07-22 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ARK AA | .351 | 14 | 57 | 9 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 2 | | 1971 TUL AAA | .261 | 68 | 249 | 27 | 65 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 21 | 10 | | 1971 STL MLB | .358 | 43 | 106 | 15 | 38 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 9 | | 1972 NYM MLB | .258 | 97 | 302 | 36 | 78 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 25 | 36 | 11 | | 1973 TID AAA | .305 | 40 | 151 | 25 | 46 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 10 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .223 | 69 | 184 | 13 | 41 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 18 | 7 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The scouts aren't completely done with Keesee - they still think he's a solid contact hitter - but he's got to do better than a very empty .223 to survive in the majors. An average 50 points higher might not be enough with that lack of power. Keesee got his only real chance to start in June and hit .130 that month. That'll do it. He got to a point where he was swinging at everything and although he's good at avoiding strikeouts he needs to work harder at creating hits with his speed. Defensively he can play all three outfield positions, although again with the bat he showed last year you'd need to play shortstop or catcher to justify a lot of at-bats. Keesee is still only 26 so he can rebound, although 2 very mediocre seasons makes you think that it was 1971 and not the time since then that was the fluke. Vicente Luna 3B No. 14 RR, 6'1" 190 lbs. Born 1936-05-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ATL MLB | .260 | 119 | 504 | 64 | 131 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 58 | 34 | 62 | 6 | | 1972 ATL MLB | .248 | 142 | 581 | 67 | 144 | 17 | 1 | 15 | 69 | 41 | 70 | 5 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .274 | 125 | 463 | 49 | 127 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 47 | 15 | 48 | 21 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Luna is a contact hitter. In his prime he was one of the best in the game. He no longer has that ability to spray line drives into the gaps that he showed in the 60s when the Braves were still playing in Milwaukee, and his power also seems to have stayed at the Launching Pad when he moved to New York City. He did steal a career-best 21 bases even though he turned 37 during the season, which was nice, don't get me wrong. Overall he was just kind of meh and he's been that "meh" level for the last 3 seasons now. Defensively Luna was never super fantastic with the glove and at this point in his career if a ball is hit to his left then you can count on it being a single. He's got sure hands so playing him at third will just raise batting averages, not make you look stupid, necessarily. Luna doesn't hit well enough to play first or DH and can no longer field at third. Maybe he has a year or two left as a pinch hitter. John Mash SP No. 35 SR, 5'12" 179 lbs. Born 1937-03-25 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 NYM MLB | 9 | 18 | 0 | 3.93 | 36 | 36 | 10 | 253.2 | 258 | 116 | 111 | 86 | 136 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3.75 | 28 | 16 | 2 | 117.1 | 111 | 51 | 49 | 23 | 45 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 11 | 12 | 0 | 3.28 | 31 | 31 | 7 | 214.0 | 209 | 86 | 78 | 62 | 115 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Mash's specialty is nailing the bottom half of the strike zone. His fastball has 2 seams and his outpitch is a forkball. Even though he hits 90 on a good day at his best, he throws a heavy ball that doesn't go far. Mash has neve allowed more than 20 HRs in a single season and 1973 was no different even with the recent explosion in power: he allowed 18 HRs including just 8 over the final 3 months. Mash has pinpoint control and is really stingy at allowing walks. He's never been a strikeout artist but nowadays he's pure, full-on finesse. Last year he managed to complete 7 of 31 games in spite of barely averaging 100 pitches per game (101). Like a lot of crafty old-timers, Mash has also developed a nasty pickoff move and these days runners just don't bother to steal on him: disregard the 67% stolen base percentage allowed and pay more attention to the fact that only 12 men attempted to run on him all of last year. Mash is a guy who won't lead you to a World Series all by himself - although he did very well for the Miracle Mets (15-10, 2.93) - but could still be a piece of that puzzle. You'd love to see him get onto a winning team with a good defense behind him to see him win 20 a couple times late in his career. Josh Mullett SP No. 65 RR, 5'11" 201 lbs. Born 1944-05-29 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 HOU MLB | 15 | 14 | 0 | 4.44 | 39 | 30 | 4 | 220.2 | 242 | 124 | 109 | 111 | 107 | | 1972 CIN MLB | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6.79 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 51.2 | 51 | 39 | 39 | 41 | 25 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3.24 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 36.0 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 13 | 9 | 0 | 3.12 | 33 | 30 | 9 | 222.0 | 199 | 97 | 77 | 92 | 127 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Mullett's always had an issue with control but almost kept his pitches in the zone last year, compiling a 3.7 BB/9 that was his lowest mark since said 1968 (3.5). When he gets average control he's got not great but good enough stuff to survive, including a 2 seam fastball that breaks into the mid 90s sometimes and a shifty knuckle curve. He's also been very off and on over the years in terms of allowing longballs. Last year he was... kind of average with it, allowing 23 HRs. 13 of those came on the road and Mullett allowed a .399 SLG outside of Shea Stadium so he definitely pitched to his home park. He once again was a bit lucky - or can we just call it good? - at giving up weak contact; at this point in his career he's got a .263 BABIP (.257 last year) so maybe my thoughts that he's a year away from getting blown up are misplaced. Mullett's not going to win a Cy Young or sneak into the Hall of Fame. He's still somehow only 29 but has a 79-60 career record. He does have some excellent bounce-back ability and if there's one other thing he's "good" at it's been avoiding injury in the 70s. He could be a mid-rotation guy for anyone and if the Mets use him as their Opening Day starter, well... that's more on the Mets than on Mullett. John Ratzenberger SP No. 20 RR, 6'0" 191 lbs. Born 1947-06-13 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 TID AAA | 4 | 8 | 0 | 4.20 | 16 | 16 | 1 | 102.2 | 116 | 53 | 48 | 35 | 50 | | 1971 NYM MLB | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4.57 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 98.1 | 94 | 50 | 50 | 37 | 67 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 11 | 12 | 0 | 2.41 | 32 | 32 | 9 | 227.0 | 184 | 74 | 61 | 70 | 122 | | 1973 TID AAA | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4.23 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 95.2 | 95 | 45 | 45 | 20 | 57 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4.50 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 72.0 | 86 | 38 | 36 | 29 | 34 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + When you have a guy like Geoff Saus behind you, hey, maybe you can live with being a 6 inning pitcher... but do the Mets have Geoff Saus behind their rotation in 1973? And even if so, what does Ratzenberger provide that someone else doesn't? The scouts have really, really cooled on him according to the latest report and he'll need to prove them wrong. Julio Sandoval SP No. 97 RR, 6'0" 202 lbs. Born 1942-01-17 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 ATL MLB | 13 | 15 | 0 | 3.87 | 37 | 37 | 7 | 253.0 | 289 | 127 | 109 | 72 | 101 | | 1972 ATL MLB | 10 | 12 | 0 | 3.25 | 28 | 28 | 7 | 199.0 | 195 | 96 | 72 | 65 | 72 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 11 | 12 | 0 | 3.14 | 30 | 29 | 8 | 214.1 | 204 | 80 | 75 | 68 | 111 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Sandoval has only made a single All-Star Game back in 1967 but he's had some real ups and downs in his career, ranging from leading the league in ERA and finishing 2nd in Cy Young voting in 1969 (18-7, 2.60) to being so bad with the Mets the next season (2-9, 5.68) that Atlanta was able to acquire him for cash in midseason. Sandoval for what it's worth was 31-31, 3.37 during his time with the Braves. Sandoval has a three pitch arsenal that includes the classic anti-lefty weapon the circle change. He's a finesse guy as opposed to a power guy and ideally - as last year - he forces you to beat him with a series of base hits instead of one big mistake. He has to nibble around the corners a bit more as he enters his 30s and with that the pinpoint control is no longer a thing, although it's still well above average. Opponents got on base at only a .311 clip overall. Speaking of hitting, Sandoval is historically a good hitter, with a lifetime .183 average, but has hit .132 and .123 the last couple years - maybe that's also a thing that's gone away with age. Sandoval is, seemingly like the rest of this rotation, a guy. A team so far out of contention would prefer a pitching staff to be more top-heavy, and it seems unlikely that this rotation as it stands will survive into the Mets being competitive again, but as the kids say, it is what it is. Geoff Saus ST No. 17 RR, 5'10" 199 lbs. Born 1941-07-09 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 NYM MLB | 11 | 12 | 34 | 2.91 | 75 | 1 | 0 | 117.1 | 102 | 44 | 38 | 43 | 112 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 8 | 5 | 27 | 1.58 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 119.1 | 66 | 21 | 21 | 28 | 100 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 12 | 9 | 24 | 3.47 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 114.0 | 113 | 47 | 44 | 31 | 82 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Saus has led the league in games pitched in each of the last 3 years. Before this injury, he had the most bounce-backiest rubber arm in baseball. Saus throws a cut fastball and a curve that he keeps in the bottom part of the zone, creating not just a lot of swings and misses but a lot of ground balls when hitters do make contact. As a result, even with his up and down 1973 season he only allowed 4 HRs all yaer long. If anything was the culprit for the rough months it was... gah, I hate to call it luck but it wasn't even BABIP this time (Saus had a .263 mark, which is well above average), it was sequencing. He left 93.1% of runners on base in 1972 and just 70.3%, his lowest mark of his career, last year. Mind you, he still prevented most of his inherited runners from scoring (15/47, about in line with his career numbers) so all of those runners who happened to come in to score were charged to him. In most cases I'd say hey, expect a good bounce-back season from Saus; I mean, the 6 time All-Star barely needs to bounce back in the first place. The rotator cuff changes everything though. Joe Sherritt MR No. 16 RR, 5'11" 191 lbs. Born 1940-09-10 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PHI MLB | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2.96 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 60.2 | 56 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 24 | | 1972 PHI MLB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4.57 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 19.2 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3.54 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 58.1 | 62 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 27 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Sherritt is... again, a guy. Like Vardaman below, he's probably a bad season away from his career being over. Mark Spitz SS/3B No. 4 RR, 6'1" 192 lbs. Born 1949-02-10 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PB A | .271 | 103 | 336 | 40 | 91 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 44 | 64 | 72 | 1 | | 1971 MEM AA | .231 | 27 | 78 | 8 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 0 | | 1972 MEM AA | .268 | 128 | 422 | 36 | 113 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 91 | 68 | 0 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .265 | 116 | 404 | 44 | 107 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 31 | 60 | 70 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The Mets have a decent-ish run of younger players coming up now and in the next few years. They've also spent 1st round picks on 3rd basemen and shortstops the last 3. That means that Spitz will need to compete for a role. He's gotten as far as he has by competing though and I can't say he won't win something. Jeremiah Vardaman MR No. 86 RR, 6'3" 200 lbs. Born 1939-03-23 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 SLC AAA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.99 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18.0 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 10 | | 1971 CAL MLB | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4.10 | 22 | 8 | 2 | 72.1 | 77 | 37 | 33 | 27 | 46 | | 1972 TID AAA | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3.24 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 66.2 | 69 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 44 | | 1972 NYM MLB | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.99 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | | 1973 NYM MLB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3.18 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 59.1 | 51 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 39 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Vardaman could stick around, if not on this exact roster than on somewhere. He's probably one bad year away from his career coming to an end but it hasn't heppaned just yet. Bubba Wilson LF/PH No. 3 LR, 6'0" 201 lbs. Born 1944-10-23 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 WAS MLB | .292 | 150 | 603 | 78 | 176 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 45 | 53 | 91 | 11 | | 1972 DEN AAA | .320 | 60 | 228 | 36 | 73 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 26 | 39 | 10 | | 1972 TEX MLB | .212 | 58 | 212 | 16 | 45 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 23 | 34 | 6 | | 1973 NYM MLB | .235 | 86 | 149 | 14 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 25 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's hard to project a lot more playing time with Wilson unless he gets back to hitting a lot better. He probably needs playing time to hit better. It's a paradox.
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02-20-2026, 02:20 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,629
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Philadelphia Phillies, 104-58, 1st NL East, Lost NLCS
1973 Recap: I'd like to say I saw this coming but... the Phillies were competitive in 1972 and in fact had finished in the top half of the NL West every year since 1970. I saw them being competitive and I thought the Pirates were due for a fall (and the NL in general was Parity League 5000 in 72). I could have made a case for them pulling out a hard-won division and overcoming whoever was in the West to compete in the World Series, sure. 104 wins though? Yeah, this came out of nowhere. Even going into June... as of May 27th the Phillies were just 23-20 and in 5th place, albeit still only 2 1/2 games out. If anyone expected them to go 81-38 the rest of the way... come on now, you didn't.
Then of course all of that good will got shattered immediately when they got upset in the NLCS by the Padres. What a sad ending to a great year. The Phillies combined a great offense (1st in the league with 759 runs scored) and a very good defense (3rd in runs allowed, 570). 100+ win teams just about always outperform their records based on run differential but the Phightin' Phils only did so by 2 games. This was legitimately an excellent team (and the #2 the Cards were not... but more on them in a bit). They had the odds-on bet for MVP in the outfield in Alberto Juantorena and a guy with an excellent case for the Cy Young in Ringo Starr. This was an incredibly good team and frankly I hope they get back because they deserve the hardware and the memorializing that comes with that. 1974 Outlook: This is still an awfully good team who is the super-hard frontrunner to repeat as NL East champs. The next best team, the Cardinals, were a full 17 games behind them in the standings. Yeah, I imagine Vince "The Eligible" Bachler and "young" Richard "Ringo Starr" Starkey won't repeat their amazing seasons, but it would take a loooot of tumbling combined with a great deal of St. Louis improvement to make this a close race. Will this team be a dynasty? They have to win a title first... but it seems likely. On the downside, you can see where this a team who put everything together a year or two earlier than expected. That's mostly a good thing, right? Well... it also means that they've got a thousand good, young outfielders and only 3 slots to put them in but some real holes in the infield. They traded for Mike Brookes last offseason hoping that he'd become their long-term power-hitting solution at third but he just wasn't it and they shipped him off to the Angels for peanuts in the summer. Now they find themselves needing to engineer a similar trade or two; hopefully this time that will work itself out. Vince Bachler SP No. 31 RR, 5'11" 199 lbs. Born 1946-08-29 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 STL MLB | 14 | 15 | 0 | 3.43 | 35 | 35 | 7 | 233.0 | 218 | 110 | 89 | 102 | 148 | | 1972 PHI MLB | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2.90 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 127.0 | 110 | 44 | 41 | 62 | 100 | | 1973 EUG AAA | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3.87 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 79.0 | 72 | 36 | 34 | 28 | 66 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 16 | 7 | 0 | 1.91 | 25 | 25 | 7 | 188.0 | 135 | 51 | 40 | 80 | 145 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Bachler, who, yes, I gave him a Bermanized nickname, sue me, hits the low to mid 90s on his 4 seam fastball and combines that with a nasty forkball and good straight change to pick up a good amount of strikeouts. The curve surprisingly hangs very little and Bachler's knack to keep the ball in the bottom half of the strike zone led him to allow just 4 HRs all year long, the lowest rate in baseball. His control has historically been more off and on; last year it was relatively on in Vince Bachler terms. The one knock on him - "knock" - is that he tires himself out relatively quickly. 5 of those 7 complete games Bachler threw were shutouts; when he's not literally shutting his opponents down he's a 6-7 inning starter at best. Bachler will spend the entire year in the major leagues this year. Missing those first 2 months probably cost him the Cy Young but if he keeps this up, 1974 is a real possibility. Lester Bangs 3B No. 6 LR, 5'11" 194 lbs. Born 1948-12-17 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SPA A | .241 | 87 | 294 | 43 | 71 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 44 | 5 | | 1971 REA AA | .286 | 17 | 56 | 11 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 2 | | 1972 SPA A | .275 | 65 | 182 | 25 | 50 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 35 | 3 | | 1972 REA AA | .211 | 5 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | | 1973 EUG AAA | .274 | 72 | 201 | 23 | 55 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 22 | 23 | 8 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .214 | 27 | 70 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Bangs nevertheless will fight for the job in spring training next year. The Phillies, for being a 104 win ballclub, are surprisingly short at the position. Ed Begley Jr. 1B No. 37 RR, 6'4" 222 lbs. Born 1949-09-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TC S A | .389 | 33 | 126 | 24 | 49 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 22 | 17 | 0 | | 1971 SPA A | .385 | 6 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | | 1972 SPA A | .318 | 85 | 333 | 54 | 106 | 16 | 0 | 19 | 62 | 28 | 57 | 0 | | 1972 REA AA | .239 | 41 | 138 | 18 | 33 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 27 | 12 | 1 | | 1973 EUG AAA | .327 | 103 | 391 | 56 | 128 | 24 | 2 | 17 | 55 | 51 | 33 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .326 | 54 | 187 | 24 | 61 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Ed Begley Jr. looks like a movie star and plays like one on the field. That's not fair; William Bendix was a movie star and looked completely out of place. Begley Jr. looks like a ballplayer. Like Coffey, he doesn't strike out, ever. Unlike Coffey, everything that comes off of his bat turns into a line drive and it's easy to see how this could translate into multiple batting titles as his career progresses. He's got that same 15-18 HR power that Coffey does or at least did... but the point is, he still has it. Begley's even slower than Coffey afield and hit into a combined 25 GIDPs between AAA and the major leagues. That will probably always be an issue with him. He does do a decent job at first base, compensating for the lack of speed and range with relatively soft hands. At this point you can fill Ed Begley Jr.'s name into the lineup with a pen. He mostly hit 5th and 6th last year but I'd expect him to move up to 3rd for 1974. The only bad news is, he exceeded rookie requirements this season. John Belushi RF No. 4 LL, 5'6" 206 lbs. Born 1949-09-04 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 SPA A | .265 | 23 | 83 | 15 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 22 | 2 | | 1971 REA AA | .316 | 81 | 307 | 52 | 97 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 39 | 43 | 8 | | 1971 PHI MLB | .333 | 21 | 66 | 16 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 0 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .263 | 122 | 414 | 63 | 109 | 19 | 10 | 15 | 58 | 54 | 78 | 9 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .307 | 25 | 75 | 7 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Wherever Belushi winds up in 1974, his new team should still see a good, solid player, albeit one who's now missed an entire year of development. He was never likely to keep up the .343 average he was holding in April and scouts are skeptical that he actually turned a corner as a contact hitter but if he did, that could be a thing that transforms him from league-average to better. The 15 HRs Belushi hit in 1972 were a career high, so don't expect too much power. He had good speed before the kneecap injury which helped him both in the field and on the bases. Spring training will be where we'll really be able to see if that injury robbed him or not. I guess it's physically possible that the Phillies send, for example, Bryant Tarala out and keep Belushi on the team. He seems much, much better suited both for this club and for his own development to move on to someone who can live with the growing pains and, hopefully, wind up with a guy who is as talented as he is naturally funny. Lee Citro C No. 13 RR, 5'10" 198 lbs. Born 1938-05-26 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PHI MLB | .254 | 49 | 134 | 9 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 17 | 25 | 0 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .251 | 102 | 327 | 41 | 82 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 47 | 34 | 56 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .292 | 63 | 154 | 16 | 45 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Citro was only the Phillies' starter for one year in the 4 since he was traded away from the Cardinals after the 1969 season. Sam Rahn was their starter from 1970-71 and now he's given way to Volkoff. Citro's the kind of guy to complain publicly about just about anything but as long as the Phillies are winning 100 games a year, they can kind of tune that out. Josh Coffey 1B No. 14 RR, 6'2" 198 lbs. Born 1943-06-20 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PHI MLB | .302 | 156 | 632 | 85 | 191 | 26 | 0 | 18 | 76 | 59 | 67 | 1 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .261 | 154 | 610 | 63 | 159 | 22 | 1 | 14 | 79 | 59 | 57 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .258 | 125 | 431 | 47 | 111 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 45 | 29 | 39 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The easiest thing is to just look at the statline: Coffey stopped hitting for power. That really only explains 1973 though. He's never been a huge power guy but prior to 1973 he had 15-ish HR power at least. He's also always been a guy to swing at everything and last year pitchers just plain didn't give him anything really meaty, knowing he'd drop an outside pitch into play anyway. Coffey is slow on the basepaths so the lack of strikeouts make him a double play machine: he grounded into 20 of them last year and that was actually the lowest total of his 4 year starting stint. He's not a great fielder and fans should not expect him to move out into the outfield even if there's potentially a place for him (there isn't in Philly anyway): it's first or DH for this guy. At this point in his career, Coffey could probably use a change of venue. He's got the potential to be a nicer, slightly less liable to commit a huge error in the World Series version of Bill Buckner. Billy Buck was a .290 guy, not a .260 guy. Tom Grohs CL No. 22 LL, 6'0" 192 lbs. Born 1942-09-18 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PHI MLB | 9 | 7 | 20 | 3.54 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 86.1 | 84 | 41 | 34 | 25 | 60 | | 1972 PHI MLB | 6 | 4 | 20 | 2.25 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 80.0 | 63 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 63 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 3 | 10 | 27 | 3.03 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 80.0 | 94 | 38 | 27 | 23 | 45 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + The scouts point out that while Grohs once got into the low to mid 90s on his fastball he now doesn't even hit 90 anymore. That's kind of a big deal for a guy who basically only throws fastballs (his "change of pace" is a 2 seamer). Expanding on this idea, it took hitters a couple of years to figure it out but they really did last year, with Grohs losing a career-high 10 games while blowing 8 of 35 save chances (I guess in fairness he's always been a bit mercurial when it comes to save situations; in 1972 for example he was only 20/31). Grohs allowed a .291 average as well; maybe the "democratize the 9th" approach would work for a good defensive team but the Phillies' porous infield is not it. Grohs is a lefty so if he loses the closer job he might still fit in as a good LOIGY type. He had reverse splits last year but there's nothing about his stuff that indicates this should be the case; instead what probably happened was the only lefties who stayed in to face him were the cream of the crop. Leaving him as the closer seems untenable. Bryant Gumbel 2B No. 2 RR, 6'2" 202 lbs. Born 1948-09-27 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 REA AA | .296 | 101 | 415 | 55 | 123 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 35 | 47 | 2 | | 1971 EUG AAA | .330 | 28 | 112 | 15 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 1 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .239 | 98 | 309 | 25 | 74 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 41 | 6 | | 1973 EUG AAA | .300 | 89 | 327 | 35 | 98 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 16 | 19 | 2 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .253 | 52 | 174 | 15 | 44 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Gumbel probably isn't going to be a .300 hitter in the major leagues but he could hit .270 to .280. Unlike Rowe he does a decent job at avoiding Ks and he's got decent enough foot speed to turn the occasional groundout into a single, although the speed he flashed in college (30+ steals 2 straight seasons) seems to be a thing he left in the dormitory. Gumbel has no power to speak of and to his credit he understands this, generally taking an approach at the plate to go with the pitch. Defensively he is great at getting out of the way of sliding baserunners on DP tries and turned 114 of them between AAA and the major leagues. That number would have been 3rd best in the NL had it all happened in the bigs. Gumbel was never ranked highly as a prospect and at this point probaby doesn't have a lot left to add to his game. He should be enough until 22 year old Japanese director / prospect Mamoru Oshii (.299, 4, 16 at A Rocky Mount) is ready to go. Alberto Juantorena LF No. 23 LL, 6'4" 201 lbs. Born 1950-11-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 ASH AA | .260 | 43 | 169 | 15 | 44 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 14 | 12 | 0 | | 1971 TUC AAA | .277 | 93 | 350 | 54 | 97 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 47 | 39 | 30 | 6 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .264 | 93 | 292 | 37 | 77 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 42 | 39 | 30 | 27 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .330 | 67 | 276 | 54 | 91 | 12 | 3 | 21 | 55 | 25 | 23 | 21 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .311 | 155 | 585 | 126 | 182 | 38 | 14 | 29 | 113 | 84 | 55 | 38 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Juantorena led the NL in total bases, extra base hits, triples, runs scored, on-base percentage, and slugging, and finished in the top 10 in... everything. It would probably be faster to list any category he didn't top 10. Sacrifice hits? The ball simply flies off his bat and he likes to hit it to all fields. The White Sox' trade of him for backup catcher Zach Delisle (now retired) has got to go in the books as one of the worst trades of all time. Yikes. I noted that he's an Olympic sprinter - he runs the 400 and 800 meters for his native Cuba - and for once that speed does translate onto the bases. Juantorena is a good if not great left fielder who lacks a great first step to take advantage of that speed. This, it feels like, only serves to remind everyone of how great he is at everything else. Pitcher Steven Tyler (17-10, 2.83 this year) won the Rookie of the Year award over Juantorena last season owing to the fact that he played the whole year and Juantorena did not. Will that be the greatest ROY snub of all time? It'll surely be up there. Juantorena will just have to content himself with multiple MVP awards and, let's just predict it now, 10+ All-Star trips by the time his career is over. Greg Lake RF/CF No. 25 LL, 6'2" 196 lbs. Born 1947-11-08 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 REA AA | .208 | 58 | 221 | 37 | 46 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 24 | 40 | 5 | | 1971 EUG AAA | .237 | 77 | 283 | 34 | 67 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 30 | 30 | 39 | 6 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .260 | 105 | 365 | 48 | 95 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 64 | 37 | 46 | 7 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .255 | 28 | 51 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 1 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .294 | 140 | 486 | 71 | 143 | 31 | 9 | 18 | 90 | 43 | 66 | 9 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Lake will turn on the high inside fastball and crush it but unlike a lot of power guys he won't look for that pitch to the detriment of everything else. His 18 HRs tied a career high at any level of baseball and scouts... just aren't listing his power for some reason so that's probably about as good as it'll get. Lake has got some pure speed although he needs to learn to control it, going just 9/19 in steal attempts last year. That speed absolutely translates into the field though where he's got 80 grade range and the only reason he's not in CF already is the presence of Bryant Tarala over there. In fact, right does highlight one of Lake's few issues out there: he has an only average arm and didn't even manage to get a baserunner kill in 101 starts at the position last season (he did ace 3 runners in 19 starts in CF). Lake is the 3rd best outfielder in the best outfield in baseball. Whatever issues the Phillies' infield might have, when you have three guys this good... man oh man. Tim Natalie MR/LR No. 16 LL, 6'6" 203 lbs. Born 1946-03-20 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 EUG AAA | 10 | 10 | 0 | 2.85 | 27 | 27 | 15 | 205.0 | 177 | 74 | 65 | 84 | 61 | | 1971 PHI MLB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.80 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 25.2 | 22 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 11 | | 1972 EUG AAA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.80 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35.0 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | | 1972 PHI MLB | 11 | 10 | 0 | 3.68 | 29 | 29 | 6 | 200.1 | 198 | 84 | 82 | 57 | 93 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2.89 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 65.1 | 55 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 34 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Natalie did a decent job of shutting down both lefties and righties in relief, inducing a good amount of groundball outs in spite of a pitching arsenal that has been downgraded from lowkey really good when he was the #12 prospect in the game in the late 60s to barely adequate for the major leagues now. Still, if relief works for him, it works for him, right? Mark O'Connor CF No. 17 LL, 5'10" 185 lbs. Born 1944-08-19 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PHI MLB | .198 | 33 | 81 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 2 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .191 | 42 | 115 | 11 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 3 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .250 | 16 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | | 1973 EUG AAA | .333 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .173 | 45 | 75 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + O'Connor was the team's 5th or 6th outfielder for around the first half to two-thirds of last year. Then guys like Billy Ocean and John Belushi got called up and his services were no longer needed. He's still on the roster at this point because... the roster is 40 men in size, I guess. I can't think of a better reason. Chris Olivares SP No. 20 RR, 5'11" 190 lbs. Born 1947-01-13 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 MIL MLB | 9 | 15 | 0 | 4.17 | 32 | 30 | 10 | 217.2 | 219 | 112 | 101 | 73 | 125 | | 1972 MIL MLB | 8 | 19 | 0 | 3.45 | 31 | 31 | 12 | 234.1 | 228 | 92 | 90 | 64 | 137 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 19 | 4 | 0 | 2.83 | 31 | 30 | 8 | 228.1 | 197 | 77 | 72 | 56 | 166 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Oliveras's big out pitch is a nice curveball that breaks straight down thanks to his over-the-top demeaner. In addition to that and the aforementioned 4 seamer he also throws both a straight change and a splitter to keep hitters off guard. He's got excellent control, arguably the best in the rotation and that's potentially saying a lot. He was 17-34 the previous two seasons with Milwaukee but that was mostly due to a lack of support, especially in 1972. In 1971 the Brewers also might have tried to stretch him a bit too far into games but Olivares sure looked like he could handle what the Phillies did with him last year - even in September he was 5-0, 2.92. This is a good team when it comes to hitting and Olivares is part of that: he hit .241 last year and has a lifetime average of close to .200 (.195). Olivares went from leading the AL in losses in 1972 to leading the NL in winning percentage in 1973. That's a nice turnaround. Billy Ording SP/LR No. 38 RR, 6'2" 201 lbs. Born 1943-10-16 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PHI MLB | 10 | 15 | 0 | 4.21 | 33 | 33 | 4 | 213.1 | 208 | 105 | 100 | 87 | 121 | | 1972 PHI MLB | 11 | 6 | 0 | 3.72 | 30 | 22 | 3 | 169.1 | 166 | 72 | 70 | 63 | 97 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 10 | 8 | 1 | 4.01 | 33 | 22 | 3 | 159.0 | 158 | 77 | 71 | 63 | 92 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + The other downside of using Ording as a relief pitcher is that it takes away his single biggest asset as a pitcher: his hitting. Ording is a career .286 hitter with 7 HRs and 52 RBIs in 381 career at-bats and that's even with an off year in 1973 (.214, 1, 6). As a pitcher, though, Ording... the Phillies care most about his, you know, pitching. Ivan Perez SS/2B No. 47 RR, 5'11" 191 lbs. Born 1944-06-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CAL MLB | .238 | 23 | 63 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 0 | | 1972 CAL MLB | .186 | 51 | 102 | 11 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 27 | 1 | | 1973 CAL MLB | .237 | 47 | 131 | 15 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 36 | 1 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .238 | 15 | 42 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + If Perez does get regular playing time it'll be because the Phillies have a real need for something productive in the infield aside from Tony Shannon. Defensive excellence is one way of producing. Danny Plaunt SP No. 45 RR, 6'3" 201 lbs. Born 1944-10-25 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 MIL MLB | 6 | 6 | 23 | 3.42 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 97.1 | 88 | 38 | 37 | 28 | 70 | | 1972 MIL MLB | 15 | 10 | 0 | 3.08 | 32 | 32 | 9 | 236.1 | 204 | 87 | 81 | 90 | 132 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3.61 | 35 | 35 | 9 | 246.1 | 236 | 110 | 99 | 84 | 151 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + The Phillies acquired Plaunt as a more stable option to the up-and-down Gaddi and that's pretty much what he got. In his 2nd straight season since moving back into the rotation he equalled his 22 quality starts from the year before and even though the numbers say his ERA climbed by half a run, a 3.61 in the Vet is still pretty solid. Plaunt throws a circle change that keeps his platoon splits about equal (.248 vs LHs to .255 against righties). He can sometimes be prone to miss a little more than a top-line pitcher might and he had a pretty rough April (1-3, 4.89) as a result, but when everything is working well he's solid. Plaunt has finished in the top 10 in lowest HRA rate and that includes a 0.37 mark last year - just 10 HRs allowed all season long. He's a career .176 hitter with 3 HRs and 20 RBIs, so for a pitcher isn't a guy you can just ignore. Plaunt will likely slide right back in as thee #4 starter again in 1974. The only real alternative would be to replace Tom Grohs as the team's stopper. I think he's got more value as a starter than a reliever. Aaron Rhoades RF No. 43 RR, 5'9" 199 lbs. Born 1944-02-13 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TUC AAA | .529 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | | 1971 CHW MLB | .203 | 35 | 59 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .244 | 78 | 172 | 25 | 42 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 25 | 16 | 8 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .500 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .196 | 33 | 97 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Rhoades has to be super bummed that his team didn't advance any further than the NLCS this year; this was clearly his best shot at winning a World Series ring and probably his last gasp of significant PAs in the major leagues. Nate Rowe 2B/IF No. 24 RR, 6'1" 200 lbs. Born 1945-03-20 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PHI MLB | .337 | 80 | 276 | 39 | 93 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 54 | 20 | 35 | 1 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .254 | 150 | 595 | 63 | 151 | 17 | 3 | 16 | 70 | 56 | 103 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .216 | 95 | 329 | 38 | 71 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 45 | 34 | 49 | 2 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + You obviously can't blame Rowe for the abrupt end to the Phillies' year. There are some very legitimate questions to be had about this player though. Rowe strikes out too much to be a .330 hitter; in fact, .250 is likely closer to his expected batting average. He did show some nice power for a middle infielder in 71 and 72 but last year tried to choke up on his swing to avoid the Ks and that just lost the power without giving him any contact back. He's zero threat to steal and still wants to pull everything. Whoever winds up as Rowe's hitting coach, whether it's Philadelphia's Matt Robinson or someone else, will have a lot to work on. Rowe has sure hands and filled in adequately at short and third last year; obviously with the way he hit you don't want to put him at 3B for long. He could practically teach a class on how to bunt. Rowe is a natural born leader although in baseball guys tend not to rally behind .216 hitting utility infielders. A change of venue seems like the way to go for him, especially with Bryant Gumbel around. Omar Sanchez SU No. 29 LR, 6'5" 201 lbs. Born 1942-06-10 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PHI MLB | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2.70 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 56.2 | 46 | 20 | 17 | 10 | 40 | | 1972 PHI MLB | 6 | 1 | 6 | 2.24 | 54 | 1 | 1 | 76.1 | 56 | 20 | 19 | 13 | 51 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4.04 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 62.1 | 65 | 28 | 28 | 16 | 46 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Sanchez was the team's closer in 1969 but at 31 that probably isn't a move he's ready to make. Barring another July collapse (and to his credit, recovery), you should expect him to provide solid setup innings in 1974. Tony Shannon SS/2B No. 1 RR, 6'1" 202 lbs. Born 1945-07-06 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PHI MLB | .330 | 150 | 575 | 100 | 190 | 30 | 4 | 14 | 76 | 92 | 79 | 39 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .281 | 122 | 469 | 68 | 132 | 19 | 4 | 12 | 43 | 83 | 66 | 26 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .280 | 143 | 547 | 96 | 153 | 27 | 13 | 8 | 61 | 72 | 68 | 18 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Offensively Shannon had his worst season since his first year with the Phillies in 1970. It's still pretty great. He has all the tools on offense: speed, contact, plate discipline, and power. Shannon concentrated more on line drives to the gaps compared to previous seasons; his combined 40 doubles and triples were a career high and he finished 2nd in the NL in triples, 1 behind teammate Alberto Juantorena. He moved around between the top 3 slots in the lineup and for good reason: he's got natural leadoff tools, he's got the bat control to hit 2nd, and he has that pure contact to hit 3rd. That said, the 3 hole was a bit of a sore point for him: even though Shannon hit over .300 batting 1st or 2nd he dropped to .232 hitting 3rd. The Phillies tried Jose Singleton last year and it didn't work out well at all. This year they have Cecil Womack (.252, 6, 37 with AAA Eugene but 3-30 with 1 RBI in a September call-up) and former Angels utility man Ivan Perez to try and fill in. Jose Singleton SS/2B No. 17 RR, 6'2" 194 lbs. Born 1944-01-30 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 EUG AAA | .234 | 122 | 380 | 53 | 89 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 32 | 72 | 60 | 7 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .192 | 22 | 26 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .165 | 31 | 79 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 2 | | 1973 EUG AAA | .319 | 15 | 47 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 3 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .178 | 49 | 135 | 13 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 40 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + I sincerely doubt we'll see Singleton again in one of these writeups, unless, like, the league expands to 60 teams next year. Richard Starkey SP No. 36 LL, 6'2" 179 lbs. Born 1949-05-29 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PHI MLB | 19 | 8 | 0 | 3.51 | 36 | 36 | 10 | 258.1 | 237 | 111 | 101 | 68 | 139 | | 1972 PHI MLB | 18 | 9 | 0 | 2.91 | 30 | 30 | 11 | 231.1 | 200 | 81 | 75 | 72 | 125 | | 1973 PHI MLB | 23 | 12 | 0 | 2.44 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 317.0 | 298 | 111 | 86 | 86 | 184 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Starkey got all those Ks - 6th in the NL - from all the work to be honest. He's actually a bit of a finesse pitcher who's best pitches are a forkball that can break into the dirt and a 12-to-6 curve. He tends to get more groundouts than strikeouts with that selection. You do need to have some pinpoint control to be as successful has Ringo has been since he broke through to the major leagues in 1971 and he has; in fact, he even improved slightly on his walk rate in his 3rd year, dropping from 2.8 BB/9 to 2.4. Occasionally that forkball will break off a bit too hard and will go back to the backstop; Starkey has thrown 30 wild pitches in his 3 year career including a league-leading 14 last season. That said, he sure doesn't miss much, not outside of the strike zone or over the plate, as he allowed just 14 HRs all year long too. Starkey is the real deal. The one thing he might lack, being a drummer from Liverpool as opposed to a guy with a long and storied baseball career, is an intuitive knack for the game. He definitely needs a good batterymate to help him there. Fortunately both of the Phillies' backstops, Lee Citro and Nikolai Volkoff, understand the game in and out. Bryant Tarala CF No. 41 LR, 6'0" 197 lbs. Born 1942-01-12 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PHI MLB | .224 | 123 | 446 | 81 | 100 | 13 | 4 | 17 | 58 | 87 | 96 | 24 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .233 | 101 | 326 | 46 | 76 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 37 | 54 | 73 | 11 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .239 | 125 | 457 | 91 | 109 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 50 | 83 | 108 | 22 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Tarala is a man with a big uppercut swing who likes to sit and wait for his pitch and knock it 50 miles. He's been coached in the past to try to use his prodigious speed but he's never become a particularly good bunter and at 31 and with his offensive profile, can you blame him? What Tarala does instead of collecting a lot of singles (and doubles and triples) is coax pitchers into walks. Even as a leadoff guy, where he sat for most of the season, Tarala walked 78 times for a .356 on-base percentage that's especially nifty compared to that low batting average. Once he's on base he's not necessarily a threat to lead the league in steals anymore (like he did in 1968) but he does have 20+ steals a year in him any year he stays healthy. Tarala's a Gold Glove quality centerfielder; in fact, he's won two of them in 1969 and 1971 and could very well add a 3rd this year. You just plain can't expect Bryant Tarala to stay healthy again in 1974. The Phillies do have Greg Lake as a more than adequate replacement plan when (not if) he gets hurt. But for as long as he is healthy... I just realized that the tandem of Tarala and Lake is an insanely rangey, lockdown defensive duo, maybe the best CF/RF combo of all time when it comes to chasing down flies. Nelson Vargas OF No. 50 RL, 6'4" 199 lbs. Born 1943-02-16 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CAL MLB | .249 | 108 | 410 | 49 | 102 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 31 | 36 | 56 | 7 | | 1972 CLE MLB | .290 | 139 | 552 | 88 | 160 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 54 | 52 | 70 | 11 | | 1973 EUG AAA | .333 | 5 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .317 | 45 | 123 | 22 | 39 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + It's a mark of how incredibly strong the Phillies' outfield is that they don't have a place for Vargas anymore. A .296 hitter, he's finished in the top 10 in his league in hitting twice and is always a dark horse to win a batting title. He's got good speed and hits a lot of line drives. That combined with a low K rate - even with the injuries and the new league, Vargas struck out less than once every 10 at-bats - makes him one of the better contact hitters in the game. His hitting profile is more spray-hitting contact guy than pull-hitting slugger but he does have the ability to punish a pitcher if they disrespect his power. On defense he's played all three outfield positions in his career and gives you the versatility of an adequate centerfielder, a solid right fielder, and a guy who'd win Gold Gloves in left field if they gave out Gold Gloves specifically for that position (which, I know the game does but I don't differentiate). Nelson Vargas has trade chip written all over him. It would be extremely surprising and a sign of a serious lack of ambition in the Philadelphia front office if he's not moved along somewhere in exchange for infield help by Opening Day of 1974. Marco Villafana 3B/1B No. 12 RR, 5'12" 184 lbs. Born 1945-11-08 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 DAN A | .286 | 30 | 112 | 20 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 1 | | 1971 EVA AAA | .258 | 13 | 31 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 0 | | 1971 PHO AAA | .211 | 31 | 76 | 9 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 0 | | 1971 MIL MLB | .172 | 15 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .228 | 114 | 346 | 30 | 79 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 30 | 36 | 56 | 1 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .240 | 96 | 300 | 42 | 72 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 46 | 22 | 64 | 6 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Theoretically Villafana has 20+ HR power but that comes with the big caveat that he has to make contact with those pitches in order to smash them. Last year's .240 average feels like a high water mark rather than something to expect, and his relative lack of ability to draw walks left him at a .295 OBP even in a good year. When he does get on base, Villafana is something of a threat to steal and doing it successfully: he was 6/7 in that role. He's a solid defensive third baseman who can also play some first if you need him to. Villafana is practically in the dictionary as "Mister Right Now", if dictionaries contained colloquialisms that is. 26 year old Darius Broom (.261, 6, 17 in AAA Eugene) and 24 year old music critic Lester Bangs (.274, 2, 15 at AAA) will push him for the starting job in 1974 if Philadelphia doesn't acquire someone else. Nikolai Volkoff C No. 39 RR, 6'4" 225 lbs. Born 1947-10-17 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 REA AA | .223 | 96 | 282 | 32 | 63 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 64 | 57 | 0 | | 1971 EUG AAA | .244 | 29 | 90 | 8 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 0 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .182 | 108 | 296 | 24 | 54 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 50 | 61 | 1 | | 1972 PHI MLB | .250 | 11 | 28 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | | 1973 PHI MLB | .238 | 121 | 362 | 40 | 86 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 41 | 58 | 87 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Volkoff is a defense-first catcher. He strikes out too much to hit for average and doesn't back that up with a lot of power. He does do a pretty OK job at waiting for his pitch.... although that just makes the lack of power look even worse if you think about it. He's athletic behind the plate, quick to get out and block pitches in the dirt, and somehow, we don't know how, gets the job done calming pitchers down when he has to visit the mound. He has a good if not great arm although him and backup Lee Citro combined to throw out nearly 50% of runners last year (Nikolai had a 48.6% RTO%). Volkoff runs like a catcher, which is to say he doesn't. He's really slow and that plus the fact that he hits a lot of groundballs meant he hit into 18 double plays in 362 at-bats last season. Catchers last forever in this league and there's nothing at least defensively to indicate that Volkoff won't be one of those decade-plus guys. It's hard to project him into the All-Star Game but hey, maybe he'll pop in a good year or two, who knows?
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02-28-2026, 03:58 PM
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Hall Of Famer
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Pittsburgh Pirates, 86-75, 3rd NL East
1973 Recap: The Pirates entered 1973 having won 2 out of the last 3 division titles and looking like a pretty solid, if very one-sided, contender for the division. In 1972 they allowed a tiny 2.51 ERA, the 2nd best mark in NL history and just 0.01 points behind the 1968 Giants for best ever. This did help to hide an offense that was average at best and maybe even a bit below average, but you know what the saying is: pitching wins championships.
The pitching did regress, although the Pirates still finished 2nd in the league in runs allowed, but the real culprit here was the hitting. Even with the rest of the league exploding offensively, Pittsburgh only increased their runs scored from 540 to 573 last year for the 3rd worst performance in all of baseball. They were dead last in batting average (.243) and combined both a lack of power (89 HRs, 11th) with a lack of speed (42 steals, also 11th). Just about the only thing they did do well was draw walks, which raised their on-base percentage to 5th in the NL. Because of all of this, the Pirates were never close to contention and even the 86-75 record and 17 1/2 GB looks closer than things really were, as they finished the season 23-12 (including a 20-11 - 31 games! - September) that raised their record from 63-63. 1974 Outlook: This is not a particularly young team and their 2 top-100 prospects are pitchers. They've got a couple of younger guys in Hank Williams Jr. and Jerry Snerk plus prospect Huey Lewis (.373, 15, 41 in AA Sherbrooke) who look like they might do some damage one day but that lineup in particular is rough. Even if the Phillies collapse, it's hard to see a path for this team in 1974. Looking over this roster in more detail... what I said above. This is a bad offensive roster with very little on it to make you think it's going to become good any time soon. If you like pitchers who throw 7 or 8 innings a night, finish with ERAs at or below 3, and still have losing records, this is the team for you. Santos Arango SP No. 21 LL, 6'0" 187 lbs. Born 1943-03-31 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PIT MLB | 24 | 8 | 1 | 2.50 | 41 | 40 | 16 | 316.1 | 255 | 96 | 88 | 75 | 227 | | 1972 PIT MLB | 20 | 15 | 0 | 2.63 | 42 | 42 | 17 | 331.1 | 273 | 101 | 97 | 82 | 197 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 15 | 13 | 0 | 2.67 | 34 | 33 | 14 | 266.0 | 237 | 86 | 79 | 64 | 176 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + After leading the league in games started and innings pitched in 1972, the Pirates shut Arango down in mid-September, half to give the youngsters a chance but half as a precautionary measure to avoid using up all of his arm in meaningless games. Arango has a big, breaking curveball that buckles the knees of left-handed hitters, plus a great circle change and a sinker that can get into the mid-90s. After a year where his K rate went down a bit (though you wouldn't know it from the raw totals), Arango was back up to his customary 6+ Ks/9 last year. He's stingy with walks and long hits. A herky-jerky throwing motion often leaves him off-balance when a ball is hit back through the box and he can be bunted on. Although he maybe has a touch less pure stamina than teammate Jeremy Battaglia, Arango has got plenty and has led the NL in complete games 3 times. Still just 30 years old, Santos Arango is more than halfway to 300 wins with a 154-112 record. Will we actually see a 300 game winner, or will OOTP injuries and poor luck also make him bow out in the 230s? More importantly, will the Pirates actually score enough runs for him this year? Jeremy Battaglia SP No. 36 LL, 6'5" 199 lbs. Born 1943-04-14 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PIT MLB | 22 | 14 | 0 | 2.61 | 39 | 39 | 14 | 316.2 | 293 | 104 | 92 | 61 | 164 | | 1972 PIT MLB | 16 | 15 | 0 | 2.10 | 39 | 39 | 15 | 321.0 | 242 | 83 | 75 | 61 | 154 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 15 | 13 | 0 | 2.35 | 38 | 38 | 12 | 301.2 | 271 | 87 | 79 | 74 | 185 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Battaglia throws a low to mid 90s cut fastball that he mixes in with a curve and a change. His stuff isn't going to wow you but he hits the corners as well as anyone in the game and uses his home ballpark to keep HRs down. Battaglia hasn't allowed an opposing BA over .250 since 1968. Last year it was .242. He finished 9th in the NL in WHIP (1.14), the old roto stat, which if anything was high for him - he's led the league in that category twice. Battaglia finished 2nd in the NL in innings pitched and surely could have completed a lot more games than he did but the Bucs have Paz Lemus to pitch the late innings. He's pretty non-descript in terms of his offense and his pickoff move is only average. Battaglia is 30 now and has surprisingly little red ink given how obviously great of a pitcher he is. One of these days the Pirates are going to figure out how to score runs behind him and he'll win 25 games. Brian Bruno MR/SP No. 3 RR, 5'10" 200 lbs. Born 1942-07-16 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PIT MLB | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3.42 | 31 | 9 | 0 | 102.1 | 102 | 44 | 39 | 20 | 68 | | 1972 PIT MLB | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2.60 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 76.0 | 59 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 69 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4.32 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 79.0 | 80 | 39 | 38 | 23 | 43 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + That'll almost certainly be Bruno's only AS game unless the AI acts really screwy again. He's... fine. The Pirates tried him as a starter at the end of the year with poor results (3-2, 4.29) so that's probably not in his future here. Carlos Carrera OF No. 15 RR, 5'12" 193 lbs. Born 1945-12-03 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .284 | 35 | 67 | 7 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 0 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .215 | 30 | 79 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .250 | 31 | 68 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Carrera now has 371 career at-bats in the majors leagues and has slashed 253/333/437. That's probably useful to somebody if not the Pirates. D.J. Cheeves SP No. 11 RR, 6'1" 196 lbs. Born 1940-05-16 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PIT MLB | 7 | 16 | 0 | 3.71 | 31 | 31 | 8 | 218.0 | 207 | 100 | 90 | 77 | 143 | | 1972 PIT MLB | 22 | 9 | 0 | 2.48 | 37 | 37 | 13 | 290.0 | 221 | 85 | 80 | 91 | 184 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 11 | 15 | 0 | 3.37 | 36 | 35 | 9 | 258.2 | 251 | 104 | 97 | 79 | 150 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Cheeves has a 5 pitch arsenal with no one pitch really sticking out. His heater hits the low 90s. It's fine, down from the mid to high 90s he hit when he came out of Harvard University as the 10th overall pick in 1962 but still fine. He's a corner-painter, although his lack of commanding stuff means that he has to be a bit more exact than the big two guys who pitch in front of him and that does lead to more bases on balls. In 1972, in spite of the career-best 2.48 ERA Cheeves also allowed 24 HRs, the 2nd highest total of his career. He's normally pretty good at inducing groundballs over gopher balls and in 1973 he was back to that, allowing only 14 dingers all season long. Cheeves considers himself a Pittsburgh Pirate for life. If the Pirates accommodate him, he'll also probably be a losing pitcher for life, in spite of a pretty decent 3.38 career ERA. Doug Connally C No. 19 RR, 5'11" 201 lbs. Born 1944-08-21 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .264 | 87 | 314 | 39 | 83 | 15 | 2 | 8 | 34 | 53 | 54 | 1 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .223 | 120 | 394 | 39 | 88 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 56 | 55 | 86 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .246 | 116 | 402 | 46 | 99 | 22 | 2 | 9 | 42 | 75 | 80 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Connally is a medium contact, medium power hitter who makes himself a bit above average in terms of his ability to produce for his team with his ability to pick out pitches and work hitters for walks. Connally has strong wrists, although he can be coaxed into chasing breaking pitches from time to time. The Pirates tried using him in a semi-platoony basis with prospect Miklos Nemeth this year, which cut into his PAs; on the other hand, he handles RHPs much better than LHPs (.268 BA vs .229) so that's probably a good use of him should the team find a lefty-hitting catcher who can actually hit (which, granted, those are unicorns). Defensively he won the Gold Glove at catcher in 1972 by default but truth be told is only okay defensively and surely someone else will take that hardware home this year. Connally is a good, solid starter for the Pirates who, on a good offense, would make fans happy at the bottom of the order. If Pittsburgh rooters are disappointed by him it's only because they expect too much. Luke Dunnahoe 2B/IF No. 2 RR, 5'9" 191 lbs. Born 1942-02-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .272 | 69 | 180 | 24 | 49 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 0 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .241 | 68 | 187 | 18 | 45 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 25 | 31 | 2 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .233 | 58 | 150 | 18 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 17 | 23 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + With lefty-hitting Tyler Webster falling apart last season, the 31 year old Dunnahoe's role is in some jeopardy as well. He still has the legs to keep playing though. Alex Flores 3B No. 33 RR, 5'11" 187 lbs. Born 1944-04-11 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHR AAA | .245 | 42 | 155 | 25 | 38 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 2 | | 1971 PIT MLB | .271 | 46 | 133 | 18 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 25 | 1 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .215 | 107 | 302 | 24 | 65 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 48 | 48 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .246 | 124 | 451 | 40 | 111 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 38 | 45 | 88 | 12 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + I didn't write much about Flores even though he was a starter. What is there to write about? He sucks but it's not his fault he played so much. OH RIGHT, there's Hank Williams Jr. He'll save the day! Israel Gaytan 2B No. 29 RR, 5'11" 183 lbs. Born 1947-07-16 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 OAK MLB | .291 | 147 | 602 | 67 | 175 | 34 | 2 | 6 | 51 | 15 | 56 | 1 | | 1972 OAK MLB | .292 | 111 | 421 | 45 | 123 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 47 | 19 | 30 | 1 | | 1973 OAK MLB | .220 | 55 | 182 | 19 | 40 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 1 | | 1973 CHR AAA | .164 | 24 | 61 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .324 | 10 | 37 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Gaytan has a soft inside-out swing that leads to a lot of balls put into play and a high batting average. He's never been a big walking man or a power threat and his issue at both Oakland and Charleston this year seemed to be that he was hitting too many pop-ups and too many automatic outs. Gaytan was asked to bunt a great deal in Oakland; he's good, not one of the all-time greats, at it but in just 201 1973 PAs with his old team he laid down 12 sacrifice hits. He didn't bunt once with Pittsburgh; then again, he also didn't walk a single time so the .324 average, nice as it was, was kind of empty. Gaytan is not a great defensive second baseman and that might have been reason #1 why the Pirates didn't just drop him into the lineup with Tyler Webster struggling all season long. His range is decidedly below average, which makes him a guy you really can't use at shortstop, and his arm isn't good enough for third base. Gaytan will be in the mix for the starting job in 1973. He should easily be the best hitter of the bunch but also the worst defender. Justin Hearl CF No. 28 LL, 6'2" 204 lbs. Born 1943-09-02 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .261 | 150 | 578 | 62 | 151 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 49 | 66 | 84 | 31 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .251 | 100 | 374 | 44 | 94 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 25 | 71 | 10 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .228 | 123 | 465 | 54 | 106 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 47 | 84 | 12 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Ever since he came into the league in 1969 the now-30 year old Hearl has been a slap hitter who relies on his speed to reach base. He tries to drive everything into the ground. Last year outfielders cheated towards the gaps on him and he saw a distinct lack of doubles and triples, too. In seasons past he's been a useful enough leadoff man but in 1973 he had a .298 OBP in that role as he began to have troubles turning around on the fastball and tied a career-worst 84 strikeouts (in more than 100 fewer at-bats, too). Hearl still has good speed when he does get on base. Bench coach Ben Krahling looooooves to lay down bunts, I guess, so he also picked up 16 sacrifice hits last season. Defensively, yeah, he's got a lot of range. That's why he's kept the starter job even as his hitting has begun to fall off. Hearl will certainly face challenges for the job in 1974. Michio Kaku (.197, 2, 4) once again failed to hit in 61 September at-bats but he'll be in the mix. George Macchia played in 40 games at the position but was a disaster so probably not him (see above). The high minors seem pretty clear of good prospects. That leaves the Rule V draft, trades, or free agency. Timothy Higgins C No. 4 RR, 6'1" 199 lbs. Born 1948-04-06 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PEN A | .286 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | 1972 EUG AAA | .168 | 50 | 107 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 24 | 0 | | 1973 CHR AAA | .222 | 64 | 216 | 25 | 48 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 34 | 30 | 57 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .229 | 24 | 83 | 6 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 22 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Higgins and Nemeth will duke it out in spring training for the backup catcher job. To be honest it's probably less a physical battle between the two and more of a question as to whether or not Nemeth can learn to hit major league pitching. The Pirates also have 24 year old prospect and 1970 2nd round pick Brent "Data" Spiner waiting in the wings, although he spent the year in AA Sherbrooke (.290, 1, 6) and may have fallen out of favor with the front office. Clyde Jones SP No. 12 RL, 6'4" 203 lbs. Born 1947-05-26 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CHR AAA | 14 | 10 | 0 | 1.87 | 28 | 28 | 11 | 225.1 | 173 | 55 | 47 | 61 | 143 | | 1971 PIT MLB | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3.31 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 35.1 | 29 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 32 | | 1972 CHR AAA | 13 | 8 | 0 | 2.95 | 24 | 24 | 10 | 194.2 | 179 | 68 | 64 | 52 | 200 | | 1972 PIT MLB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.19 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 41.0 | 25 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 32 | | 1973 CHR AAA | 10 | 10 | 0 | 2.58 | 21 | 21 | 10 | 177.2 | 136 | 57 | 51 | 43 | 145 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3.58 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 70.1 | 64 | 28 | 28 | 18 | 49 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Jones has earned himself a shot at the major league roster for the whole entire season in 1974. Justin Lawson RF/LF No. 9 RR, 6'4" 201 lbs. Born 1941-02-16 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .250 | 147 | 576 | 59 | 144 | 24 | 1 | 24 | 98 | 43 | 71 | 0 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .272 | 147 | 570 | 78 | 155 | 27 | 2 | 19 | 84 | 63 | 100 | 1 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .302 | 91 | 344 | 34 | 104 | 15 | 4 | 8 | 52 | 29 | 40 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Credit where it's due: when Lawson did play he improved on his All-Star 1972 in many ways, hitting for his highest average since 1966 without losing too much of his power. When he came back from the hamstring injury in July, Jerry Sherk was pretty well entrenched in both left field and the 4 hole so instead Lawson played right and hit 3rd. He got a lot of opportunities to hit with runners in scoring position and did well, slashing 302/404/442. Defensively he was not a good left fielder and has an average arm, which isn't so great for his long-term prospects in right. Also moves against the grain in the defensive spectrum rarely work out. All that said, Lawson wasn't good in RF last year but he wasn't a complete disaster at least. There were definitely worse OFers in the league in 1972. Lawson returns to the heart of the Pirates' order in 1974. If he hits at the rate he did last year a 3rd All-Star berth is a possibility, as is his 1500th hit as a Pirate (he has 1,365). Paz Lemus ST No. 18 RR, 6'2" 200 lbs. Born 1943-02-27 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 PIT MLB | 11 | 12 | 25 | 3.69 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 114.1 | 115 | 56 | 47 | 49 | 83 | | 1972 PIT MLB | 9 | 4 | 25 | 2.31 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 108.2 | 71 | 28 | 28 | 41 | 66 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 12 | 5 | 25 | 2.02 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 115.2 | 95 | 27 | 26 | 32 | 95 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + For all of his ability to create strikeouts, Lemus doesn't actually throw that fast. His 4 seam fastball hits 90 on a good day. What he does instead is throw a curveball that's practically unhittable and he gets good movement on the heater and a change of pace as well. In spite of having a curve as his out pitch, he had bsaically no platoon split in 1973 (.220 BAA vs RH, .223 vs LH) and overall opponents hit like a banjo-hitting shortstop when he's on the mound - 429 ABs, 14 doubles, 4 triples, 3 HRs, and a triple slash of 221/276/294. In another world Lemus theoretically has the stamina to start and finish games but when you can give up barely 2 earned runs per 9 innings in 110 of the highest-leverage innings your team has, you do that instead. Lemus doesn't get the gaudy save totals that guys like Montay Luiso or Geoff Saus get because he pitches whenever the Pirates need him, not just in save situations. Nevertheless he's still 9th all-time in saves with 177 with a good chance to pass John Winn, who has 191 but missed all of the 1973 season with a blown elbow ligament. George Macchia OF No. 34 RR, 5'12" 199 lbs. Born 1945-11-11 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHR AAA | .220 | 88 | 295 | 51 | 65 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 34 | 86 | 52 | 14 | | 1971 PIT MLB | .333 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | | 1972 CHR AAA | .177 | 33 | 113 | 18 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 7 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .196 | 28 | 46 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 9 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .248 | 45 | 145 | 22 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 29 | 33 | 9 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Macchia's best role would seem to be "on another team"; he'd make a below average corner outfielder too but at least he'd probably get on base often enough to make up for it. At 27 and coming off the season he did it's unlikely that he'll be worth all that much in trade though. If he sticks with Pittsburgh he'd be a 4th outfielder who unfortunately bats from the same side as the two corner OF incumbents. Arturo Martinez 2B/SS No. 23 RR, 5'10" 198 lbs. Born 1944-01-15 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHR AAA | .256 | 117 | 391 | 44 | 100 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 53 | 53 | 45 | 10 | | 1971 PIT MLB | .414 | 10 | 29 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | | 1972 CHR AAA | .231 | 102 | 334 | 36 | 77 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 30 | 64 | 8 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .204 | 17 | 49 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 0 | | 1973 CHR AAA | .260 | 79 | 262 | 18 | 68 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 15 | 29 | 5 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .254 | 41 | 126 | 11 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 3 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + The Pirates seem to have an embarrassment of these kinds of players. They do have Huey Lewis as well, who just missed making the 75 PA cut to get an appearance out here, but the jury's out as to whether or not the prospect is just a younger version of this player type. Miklos Nemeth C No. 24 LR, 5'11" 198 lbs. Born 1948-01-26 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHA A | .271 | 45 | 133 | 17 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 23 | 33 | 1 | | 1971 SHE AA | .162 | 31 | 68 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 0 | | 1972 SHE AA | .333 | 20 | 39 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | | 1972 CHR AAA | .278 | 30 | 90 | 10 | 25 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 0 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .198 | 27 | 81 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 21 | 0 | | 1973 CHR AAA | .222 | 44 | 135 | 13 | 30 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 18 | 25 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .179 | 29 | 78 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + If Nemeth could juuuuust turn into a .240ish hitter he could survive for years as a platoon partner in this league. This seems about as likely as pigs learning how to fly. Danny Perez SU/SP No. 22 RR, 5'9" 179 lbs. Born 1945-07-10 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CHR AAA | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3.53 | 18 | 18 | 6 | 135.0 | 121 | 62 | 53 | 72 | 60 | | 1971 PIT MLB | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3.69 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 56.0 | 62 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 38 | | 1972 PIT MLB | 15 | 8 | 0 | 3.03 | 25 | 25 | 4 | 177.2 | 158 | 70 | 60 | 72 | 84 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 4 | 7 | 2 | 3.29 | 32 | 11 | 0 | 106.2 | 106 | 41 | 39 | 55 | 72 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Is this sustainable? I mean, a sub-1 ERA is never sustainable, but... maybe a little, I don't know. Perez throws a 4-pitch mix where nothing really stands out but in relief he can rely on good velocity on his cut fastball to get strikeouts. The other thing we saw was that cutting down on the number of pitches he throws seemed to have a really positive effect on his control: he was barely 1:1 in K/W ratio as a starter (51-45) but better than 2-1 in relief (21-10). Perez throws from an over-the-top motion so his "slider" basically breaks straight down: hitters never have hit a lot of HRs off of him and that didn't change last year. The main obstacle for Perez in relief is that the Pirates already have Paz Lemus out there to take in many of the highest leverage innings. Still, if he's effective they can run basically a 7 man pitching staff and that's saying something. Jerry Sherk LF No. 5 RR, 6'4" 257 lbs. Born 1948-07-07 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 TR AA | .278 | 19 | 54 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 0 | | 1971 IND AAA | .167 | 66 | 54 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 0 | | 1972 IND AAA | .277 | 88 | 83 | 12 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 0 | | 1973 CHR AAA | .292 | 13 | 48 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .277 | 130 | 501 | 57 | 139 | 33 | 1 | 22 | 89 | 50 | 94 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Sherk is your classic power hitter with a long, looping swing that leads to a lot of strikeouts but also a lot of long hits. In Three Rivers those hits are as likely to be line drives into the gap as HRs and Sherk did a good job of adapting to the field. He was cut by the Reds organization in October of 1972 after they tried to use him as a AAA pinch-hitter. That feels like a severe dereliction of duties; a guy like Sherk needs to stay in the lineup every day and swing through his streaks and slumps. He hits enough line drives to keep his average at a reasonable level even though he has very little speed. Said lack of speed does make him a liability defensively, which maybe is why he got cut from Cincy. The 25 year old Sherk is in the running for the NL Rookie of the Year (although I think that will go to San Diego's Dr. Phil McGraw). He was a great find and should anchor the middle of this lineup for years to come. Rick Springfield SP No. 96 RR, 6'0" 186 lbs. Born 1949-08-24 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1971 CHA A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.05 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 39.1 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 25 | | 1971 SHE AA | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2.70 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 96.2 | 84 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 36 | | 1972 SHE AA | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2.08 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 69.0 | 51 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 44 | | 1972 CHR AAA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7.31 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 | 30 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 14 | | 1973 CHR AAA | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1.81 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 89.1 | 61 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 72 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2.79 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 93.1 | 73 | 37 | 29 | 31 | 57 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + I wouldn't project stardom on Springfield, at least not on the pitching mound, but he might have a one-hit-wonder season in his future. Chris Tyree OF No. 10 RL, 5'12" 196 lbs. Born 1943-11-04 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CAL MLB | .326 | 98 | 396 | 39 | 129 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 45 | 10 | 29 | 13 | | 1972 CAL MLB | .289 | 57 | 228 | 25 | 66 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 10 | 23 | 10 | | 1973 CAL MLB | .256 | 48 | 172 | 19 | 44 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 4 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .254 | 22 | 71 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Tyree is a better candidate than teammate Carlos Correa to be the 25th man off the bench. It's really tough to predict much more than that out of him. Abi*lio Valdivia PH/1B No. 31 RL, 6'5" 200 lbs. Born 1932-05-18 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .298 | 101 | 302 | 32 | 90 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 34 | 37 | 1 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .245 | 42 | 98 | 6 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 0 | | 1973 CHR AAA | .000 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .260 | 61 | 127 | 16 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Henry Villar SS No. 26 LR, 5'11" 193 lbs. Born 1943-03-29 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .274 | 151 | 580 | 74 | 159 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 34 | 59 | 84 | 4 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .236 | 141 | 526 | 51 | 124 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 59 | 92 | 2 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .268 | 107 | 385 | 33 | 103 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 48 | 59 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Villar, unlike a lot of of the guys I've written about, should easily keep his job next year. In fact, the Pirates would love for him to get back to 140+ games. Tyler Webster 2B/SS No. 14 LR, 5'9" 192 lbs. Born 1944-07-23 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 PIT MLB | .240 | 69 | 217 | 17 | 52 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 27 | 32 | 40 | 0 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .254 | 119 | 370 | 51 | 94 | 15 | 2 | 18 | 57 | 45 | 84 | 2 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .209 | 124 | 412 | 45 | 86 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 31 | 60 | 112 | 1 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Webster has a patient approach at the plate that would be great if he could get around on major league fastballs, but the former 5th overall pick (1966) never has been able to do that. This past year was really the low water mark as attempts to shorten his swing just robbed him of the one thing he does that kind of evens the game offensively, hit HRs. Webster's 18 HRs in 1972 was a career high; the 8 he hit was a career low as a starter, and as a result he had his worst year at the plate by far. Scouts say he's an "excellent" defender; I wouldn't go that far - his range is absolutely not what I'd call "excellent" - but he does all the right things at second base and if he hit at all he has the arm to play third. This could easily be the last time Webster appears here. He's 29 now and already his best years seem to be behind him. The only thing keeping him in a potential battle for a job is his pedigree, sure, but also the fact that the Pirates are a bit low at this position. Hank Williams Jr. 3B/LF No. 25 LR, 5'8" 182 lbs. Born 1949-05-25 Code:
+ ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | yrtmlvl | avg | g | ab | r | h | 2b | 3b | hr | rbi | bb | so | sb | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + | 1971 CHA A | .296 | 69 | 230 | 37 | 68 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 30 | 44 | 56 | 1 | | 1971 SHE AA | .250 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | | 1972 SHE AA | .208 | 57 | 149 | 19 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 29 | 31 | 0 | | 1972 CHR AAA | .325 | 24 | 83 | 10 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 0 | | 1972 PIT MLB | .250 | 61 | 164 | 20 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 42 | 36 | 0 | | 1973 CHR AAA | .222 | 33 | 117 | 11 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 0 | | 1973 PIT MLB | .261 | 69 | 188 | 28 | 49 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 45 | 36 | 0 | + ------------ + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + -------- + ------- + ------- + ------- + Hank Williams Jr. isn't as rowdy as he makes himself out to be - I guess to be fair he has rowdy friends who are "here on Monday night" more than he's rowdy himself - but instead carves out a spot for himself by fouling off pitch after pitch after pitch until the opposing pitcher gives up and allows him to reach base. Williams now has 443 major league plate appearances to his name and he's a career .256, 10, 43 hitter but with 87 walks and a .404 career on-base percentage. Last September it was actually over .500 (.516)! Williams is average at best as a fielder, making up for a lack of range with a nice arm that also serves him well when he spot-starts in the outfield. With all that on-baseness you'd hope he'd have some speed but nope, there's none of that. Williams has to be penciled in to start at third base in 1974. There's no other good choice. Let's hope he can hit above the Timonen Line. Viktor Yanukovych SP/LR No. 16 RR, 6'0" 192 lbs. Born 1950-07-07 Code:
+ ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | yrtmlvl | w | l | sv | era | g | gs | cg | ip | h | r | er | bb | k | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + | 1972 MAG MLB | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5.23 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 43.0 | 42 | 25 | 25 | 13 | 50 | | 1972 SHE AA | 3 | 13 | 0 | 3.51 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 148.1 | 138 | 60 | 58 | 49 | 60 | | 1972 CHR AAA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.52 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15.1 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | | 1973 SHE AA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.64 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 34.0 | 29 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 14 | | 1973 CHR AAA | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2.72 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 92.1 | 72 | 29 | 28 | 20 | 78 | | 1973 PIT MLB | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4.28 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 56.2 | 65 | 27 | 27 | 22 | 40 | + ------------ + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + ------- + ------ + Yanukovych projects as a mid-rotation starter and temperament-wise he projects as a New York Yankee.
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