United Leagues of Braeland - Page 44

reds1 · 10-11-2025, 02:51 AM

January 1, 1959

Looking Back: The 1948-49 Amateur Draft

What a class. The amateur class of 1948-49 has all the hallmarks of being the deepest in United Leagues’ history. The first round has produced no less than five players whose career trajectories are on course for the Hall of Fame. Three of those players are starting pitchers. This was quite the turnaround, as the previous draft class produced no high quality pitchers.

But this draft was more than just the first round. There were a number of quality players in the subsequent rounds that could have been singled out. I’ve limited myself to two along with one bust to go along with the five outstanding selections.

Cream of the Crop:

OF Matthew Floyd – 1st overall pick by the Wellington Athletics

Major League Career: .319/.398/.549, 1283 G, 4884 AB, 1558 H, 280-2B, 68-3B, 236 HR, 862 RBI, 898 R, 634 BB, 420 K, .947 OPS, 161 OPS+, 160 wRC+, 61.0 WAR

Fielding – LF: .972 PCT, 2.67 RNG, +45.8 ZR, 1.020 EFF

Achievements:

7-time All-Star
1-time EL Babe Ruth Award winner (1957-58)
Rookie of the Year (1949-50)
5-time Batter of the Month
3-time Rookie of the Month
14-time Player of the Week
1-time Top-Rated Position Player in the ULB
1 selection to the All-Braeland Team

What the original scouting report said:

“Floyd is projected to be a fearsome hitter, with an ability to put a charge into the ball each time he steps up to the plate. If he works on his strength a little more, he will be a phenomenal contact hitter to go along with his formidable gap power. He is also a well-above average base runner whose best position in the field is in right.”

Comments: Floyd proved to be a sure-fire no-doubter, tearing up Double-A before being called up to the majors after just 67 games. By October 1949 he was considered the top prospect in the ULB and won the 1949-50 Eastern League Rookie of the Year. By his second full season, he emerged as a perineal all-star and was rated as the top leftfielder in 1952-53. He no doubt would have been rated no. 1 in more seasons if not for the emergence of Pulberry’s Aidan Thirkettle. The 1953-54 season proved frustrating for Floyd as he suffered a broken elbow and missed the last four months of the season. But he bounced back the following year and has been one of the very best position players in the ULB. His best season was in 1956-57 where he batted .346/.440/.672, 33-2B, 49 HR, 115 RBI, 96 BB, 6 SB, 202 OPS+, 208 wRC+, 11.0 WAR. Although he came in second in the Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting that season (behind only Cobourg’s CF Raymond Williams) he finally won the Award the following season, hitting .334/.413/.585, 25-2B, 37 HR, 102 RBI, 73 BB, 12 SB, 176 OPS+, 182 wRC+, 9.5 RC/27, 8.2 WAR. This season he entered as the top position player in the United Leagues for the first time as well. He currently holds the season records for total bases (379) and home runs (49) as well as the career mark for batting AVG (.3190) among all leftfielders.

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OF Sam Tite – 2nd overall pick by the Cambria Cannons

Major League Career: .285/.389/.528, 957 G, 3511 AB, 1002 H, 169-2B, 31-3B, 207 HR, 665 RBI, 640 R, 584 BB, 309 K, 40 SB, 38 CS, .917 OPS, 158 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 43.3 WAR

Fielding – CF: 518 G, .989 PCT, 3.81 RNG, +5.8 ZR, .998 EFF
Fielding – RF: 444 G, .981 PCT, 2.72 RNG, +2.9 ZR, 1.004 EFF

Achievements:

3-time All-Star
7-time Batter of the Month
8-time Player of the Week
1-time WL Babe Ruth Award winner (1957-58)
1-time All-Star Game MVP (1956-57)
1 United Cup Championship
2 selections to the All-Braeland Team
Holds ULB record for most home runs in a regular season (59, 1957-58)

What the original scouting report said:

“Tite has the potential to develop into a big-time hitter with impressive gap power and patience. But while he has some running ability and a decent arm, defense will be a challenge for him.”

Comments: Selected immediately after Matthew Floyd, the Winnipeg, Canada born Tite took considerably more time to develop his craft in the minors than Floyd, not reaching the minors until the 1950-51 season. But Tite was the real deal, ranking as the No. 2 prospect (behind only Floyd) in October 1949, then No. 1 overall the following October. His rookie campaign was cut short after just 41 games due to post-concussion syndrome, but it proved to be just a temporary setback. The following season, he emerged as a solid all-around player with his defense not proving to be a challenge after all. But in 1956-57 he kicked things into high gear, establishing himself as the United Leagues’ top power hitter. After setting a then record of 49 home runs (tied with Floyd) in 1956-57, he bested that mark last season with 59, becoming the only player to hit 50 or more home runs in a season. He also became the first player (and to date, the only player) to surpass the .700 mark in SLG (.7045) in a season. He has been ranked as the top right fielder for the past three seasons and holds five other single season batting records among all right fielders – OPS (1.1277), Runs (116), TB (379), RBI (144) and WAR (10.47). He is easily on course to becoming one of the all-time great outfielders – just like Matthew Floyd.

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RHP Logan Belsey – 4th overall pick by the Queensland Eagles

Major League Career: 333 G, 333 GS, 163-127, 3.24 ERA, 2731.0 IP, 1070 BB, 1989 K, 191 CG, 33 SHO, 1.26 WHIP, .270 BABIP, 3.14 FIP, 69.8 WAR, 123 ERA+

Fielding: .950 PCT, 1.43 RNG, +2.3 ZR, 1.170 EFF

Achievements:

7-time All-Star
9-time Pitcher of the Month
1-time Player of the Week
2-time EL Satchel Paige Award winner (1952-53, 1954-55)
4-time Top-Rated Pitcher in the ULB
1 selection to the All-Braeland Team

What the original scouting report said:

“Belsey is blessed with above-average stuff with great movement and average control. With four solid pitches and terrific stamina, he should develop into a front-line starter.”

Comments: In a draft class exceptionally deep in pitching, Logan Belsey emerged as the first one selected that delivered on his promise. He was not the first pitcher selected however; that distinction belongs to LHP Larry Kovnats (272 G, 268 GS, 106-115, 1 SV, 4.18 ERA, 1985.0 IP, 1326 BB, 1440 K, 94 CG, 1.55 WHIP, .271 BABIP, 4.21 FIP, 19.9 WAR, 95 ERA+ with the Hespeler Stars and Braeland City Monarchs), who while not a bust, has not had the career one would have expected from a 3rd overall pick.
Belsey, however, spent no time in the minors, but hit the ground running, immediately entering the Eagles rotation and starting 20 games that initial season. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until 1951-52, his 4th season, that he began to find his groove. He picked up his first all-star selection that year, the first of seven consecutive selections. He has established himself as the United Leagues’ top strike-out artist, holding the single season pitching marks for strikeouts (266), K/9 IP (8.36) and WAR (11.07), while leading the ULB in career strikeouts (1989 and counting) after just 10+ seasons.

He is just one of two pitchers who have struck out 15 or more players in a game and the only pitcher to have done so more than once. Wolseley’s RHP Theo Morse struck out 16 Downie Chief batters in February 1957. But Belsey was the first, striking out 16 Downie Chief batters in March 1955. He has since struck out 15 batters in a game three times (against Embro, Cobourg and Downie again).

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LHP Bill Budd – 6th overall pick by the Cobourg Red Stockings/Redlegs

Major League Career: 306 G, 305 GS, 148-103, 3.13 ERA, 2377.2 IP, 943 BB, 1453 K, 121 CG, 26 SHO, 1.26 WHIP, .259 BABIP, 3.41 FIP, 50.9 WAR, 128 ERA+

Fielding: .966 PCT, 1.50 RNG, +12.5 ZR, 1.025 EFF

Achievements:

5-time All-Star
5-time Pitcher of the Month
1-time EL Satchel Paige Award winner (1956-57)
1 selection to the All-Braeland Team

What the original scouting report said:

“Bill Budd from Rutherglen, Perth has the potential to be another solid young pitcher in the ULB especially if he works on his delivery mechanics. He has great movement and control with three solid pitches.”

Comments: ‘Solid’ is the perfect word to describe Budd. While he didn’t skip the minors like Logan Belsey did, Budd did skip Double-A and spent just a season and a half in Triple-A before being called up to the majors. Budd made an immediate impact on a Cobourg ballclub that was in short supply of quality arms and immediately entrenched himself as the Red Stockings/Redlegs’ ace. He has made the All-Star team five times, including the last three seasons and won the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award in 1956-57, the third pitcher selected in this draft to win it. The runners-up that year were Logan Belsey and Robin Wadsworth, who will be discussed next.

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LHP Robin Wadsworth – 16th overall pick by the Stratford Barons

Major League Career: 250 G, 226 GS, 119-74, 3 SV, 3.29 ERA, 1762.2 IP, 693 BB, 1008 K, 86 CG, 23 SHO, 1.30 WHIP, .268 BABIP, 3.50 FIP, 33.3 WAR, 119 ERA+

Fielding: .963 PCT, 1.48 RNG, +0.8 ZR, .981 EFF

Achievements:

4-time All-Star
4-time Pitcher of the Month
1-time EL Satchel Paige Award winner (1955-56)
1 United Cup Championship (1954-55)
1 selection to the All-Braeland Team

What the original scouting report said:

“Wadsworth is a borderline starter that can take the next step if he develops his changeup (30/55). Otherwise, he has passable stuff with good movement and decent control, to go along with a fastball (40/50) and slider (40/50).”

Comments: Wadsworth became more than just a ‘borderline starter’ and did indeed develop his changeup (currently 80/80, by far his best pitch). The Wolseley-native spent just one game in Double-A, a 6-hit, 1-run complete game effort before being promoted to Triple-A. After spending the equivalent of nearly two full seasons in the minors, Wadsworth was promoted to the majors, late in the 1950-51 season. But it was three seasons later at the age of 24 that Wadsworth became the Barons’ ace. The following season, he picked up the first of so far four straight All-Star selections. Then in 1955-56, he won the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award, nudging out Logan Belsey in a close race (90 points to 85 points). Unlike Belsey and Bill Budd however, Wadsworth is no longer considered Stratford’s top pitcher. But he remains a close second.

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Later-Round Standouts

As mentioned earlier, this was a particularly deep draft class and it hard to narrow this down to just a couple of players. Other players I could have highlighted were: RF Aidan Trembath (Rd 1, 15th overall pick, 6 All-Star selections, SS Kieron Bradridge (Rd 2, 25th overall pick, 3 All-Star selections, 2 Ball Hawk Awards), LF Carl Patton (Rd 3, 45th overall pick, 2 All-Star selections, 3 Ball Hawk Awards) and C Min-gook Lee (Rd 4, 50th overall pick, 2 All-Star selections, 1952-53 United Cup MVP). As fine as they are all, here are the two that I particularly wanted to single out:

OF Jim Mars – 19th overall pick (Round 2, Pick 3) originally by the Hespeler Stars.

Major League Career: .309/.369/.447, 1183 G, 4344 AB, 1341 H, 213-2B, 67-3B, 85 HR, 593 RBI, 650 R, 427 BB, 276 K, .816 OPS, 124 OPS+, 126 wRC+, 32.1 WAR

Fielding – CF: 482 G, .984 PCT, 3.86 RNG, -16.2 ZR, .981 EFF
Fielding – RF: 587 G, .973 PCT, 2.50 RNG, +18.2 ZR, 1.016 EFF

Achievements:

7-time All-Star
3-time Player of the Week
1-time Rookie of the Month
EL Rookie of the Year (1950-51)
1 selection to the All-Braeland Team

Comments: Mars may have not been a 1st-round pick, but its fair to say that he emerged as the best player selected afterwards and in fact, outshone some of those that were taken in the initial round. Picked by the Hespeler Stars, Mars was ranked 38th overall among prospects in October 1949 and was working his way through the minors when he was suddenly included in a trade that sent him to the Wellington Athletics. Wellington gave up an outstanding player in SS Zhao-hui Qian (6-time All-Star, 3 Ball Hawk Awards) but they must have liked what they saw in the 24-year Mars as he was already developing into a dynamic outfielder. When he reached the majors in 1950-51, he did not disappoint. He took over centerfield and led the team in batting AVG, OPS, singles and triples and went on to win the Eastern League Rookie of the Year that season. The following year, he became an All-Star, the first of seven consecutive selections. In 1954-55, he moved to rightfield and greatly improved his defensive play and helped form one of the finest outfields in the ULB, along with LF Matthew Floyd (7-time All-Star, 1 Babe Ruth Award) and CF Greg Yates (2-time All-Star). Alas, it appears that he lost his starting job at right field last season to 23-year-old Wan-hua Gu (75/79), who is off to a sensational start this year and is ranked as the 6th best player in the United Leagues and 2nd overall among all right fielders.

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C Ronald Armstrong – 127th overall pick (Round 8, Pick 15) originally by the Braeland City Monarchs

Major League Career: .259/.339/.440, 398 G, 1299 AB, 336 H, 65-2B, 4-3B, 65 HR, 213 RBI, 181 R, 162 BB, 221 K, .804 OPS, 124 OPS+, 128 wRC+, 12.5 WAR

Fielding – C: 349 G, .989 PCT, 5.58 RNG, +4.4 ZR, 1.013 EFF

Achievements:

2-time All-Star
1-time Player of the Week

Comments: Armstrong was not a highly rated prospect when he was selected in the 8th round by the Monarchs and seemed destined to spend his career in the minors. In December 1952, the Iowa-native was traded to the Kingston Pelicans in exchange for C Hayden Billyard. But then he finally started to develop. After being rated 20/20 in August 1950, he began progressing to point that he was scouted as 47/61 in October 1953. He finally reached the majors later that season, but it wasn’t until the 1956-57 season that he became the Pelicans’ full-time catcher at age 26. That season he became a solid all-around player, leading the club in HR (27), RBI (91), BB (63) and Total Bases (230). He earned his first All-Star selection and picked up 55 votes for a 7th place finish in the Western League Babe Ruth Award voting that year. He is currently ranked 5th overall among all catchers in the ULB. Not bad for an 8th-rounder.

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Biggest Draft Disappointment

Despite the bevy of talent, there was not a shortage of candidates from the first round that proved to be a bust. The three candidates that were taken in picks 11 through 13 all proved to be a disappointment. It was a tough choice, but ultimately, I went with Owen Claridge:

OF Owen Claridge – 13th overall pick by the Wolseley Unions

Major League Career: .239/.287/.358, 816 G, 2869 AB, 693 H, 124-2B, 51-3B, 39 HR, 339 RBI, 324 R, 202 BB, 168 K, 19 SB, 21 CS, .645 OPS, 81 OPS+, 74 wRC+, 6.2 WAR

Fielding – CF: 629 G, 620 GS, .980 PCT, 4.01 RNG, +27.9 ZR, 1.027 EFF
Fielding – RF: 154 G, 147 GS, .978 PCT, 2.84 RNG, +9.4 ZR, 1.035 EFF

Achievements:

3 United Cup Championships

What the original scouting report said:

“Claridge projects be a .330 hit who will be great at avoiding strikes (65/80), but with an average eye and little power (25/35). He will be one of the fastest players in the leagues (80) and thus very good at stealing and baserunning (55-65). Claridge will be very versatile in the field and solid defensively. He can play 3B (45) and SS (55), as well as anywhere in the outfield (80-75-65).”

Comments: Claridge was selected by his hometown team and spent just 36 games in the minors. After playing three games in Triple-A to start the 1949-50 season, he was up with the big club for good. He took over centerfield that season and played outstanding defense. The following season though, he suffered a setback, losing his starting position and playing time for reasons not entirely clear to me. It was not due to any injury, as he suffered only a mild oblique strain that year that affected him for just a week. But he came back as a starter the following season, leading the team in triples (17) and enjoying his best season yet (.275/.318/.443, 10 HR, 78 RBI, 66 R, 36 BB, 18 K, 116 OPS+, 109 wRC+, 2.5 WAR). Alas, it proved to be the high water mark of his career. He severely regressed in 1951-52. Although his defense in centerfield was still top notch, he appeared lost at the plate. It was all downhill after that. He began playing in rightfield more often and was demoted to Triple-A to try and work things out. But his defense was never an issue, and he seemed to regain his form as a hitter while in the minors. But each time he returned to the majors, he suddenly lost his form. Wolseley finally released him in October 1957. Although the Hespeler Stars gave him a shot, he never returned to the majors and was released again in January 1958. In April of that year, he officially retired.

10-11-2025, 02:51 AM	#861
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,925	January 1, 1959 Looking Back: The 1948-49 Amateur Draft What a class. The amateur class of 1948-49 has all the hallmarks of being the deepest in United Leagues’ history. The first round has produced no less than five players whose career trajectories are on course for the Hall of Fame. Three of those players are starting pitchers. This was quite the turnaround, as the previous draft class produced no high quality pitchers. But this draft was more than just the first round. There were a number of quality players in the subsequent rounds that could have been singled out. I’ve limited myself to two along with one bust to go along with the five outstanding selections. *Cream of the Crop:* OF Matthew Floyd – 1st overall pick by the Wellington Athletics Major League Career: .319/.398/.549, 1283 G, 4884 AB, 1558 H, 280-2B, 68-3B, 236 HR, 862 RBI, 898 R, 634 BB, 420 K, .947 OPS, 161 OPS+, 160 wRC+, 61.0 WAR Fielding – LF: .972 PCT, 2.67 RNG, +45.8 ZR, 1.020 EFF *Achievements:* 7-time All-Star 1-time EL Babe Ruth Award winner (1957-58) Rookie of the Year (1949-50) 5-time Batter of the Month 3-time Rookie of the Month 14-time Player of the Week 1-time Top-Rated Position Player in the ULB 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team What the original scouting report said: “Floyd is projected to be a fearsome hitter, with an ability to put a charge into the ball each time he steps up to the plate. If he works on his strength a little more, he will be a phenomenal contact hitter to go along with his formidable gap power. He is also a well-above average base runner whose best position in the field is in right.” *Comments:* Floyd proved to be a sure-fire no-doubter, tearing up Double-A before being called up to the majors after just 67 games. By October 1949 he was considered the top prospect in the ULB and won the 1949-50 Eastern League Rookie of the Year. By his second full season, he emerged as a perineal all-star and was rated as the top leftfielder in 1952-53. He no doubt would have been rated no. 1 in more seasons if not for the emergence of Pulberry’s Aidan Thirkettle. The 1953-54 season proved frustrating for Floyd as he suffered a broken elbow and missed the last four months of the season. But he bounced back the following year and has been one of the very best position players in the ULB. His best season was in 1956-57 where he batted .346/.440/.672, 33-2B, 49 HR, 115 RBI, 96 BB, 6 SB, 202 OPS+, 208 wRC+, 11.0 WAR. Although he came in second in the Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting that season (behind only Cobourg’s CF Raymond Williams) he finally won the Award the following season, hitting .334/.413/.585, 25-2B, 37 HR, 102 RBI, 73 BB, 12 SB, 176 OPS+, 182 wRC+, 9.5 RC/27, 8.2 WAR. This season he entered as the top position player in the United Leagues for the first time as well. He currently holds the season records for total bases (379) and home runs (49) as well as the career mark for batting AVG (.3190) among all leftfielders. -------- OF Sam Tite – 2nd overall pick by the Cambria Cannons Major League Career: .285/.389/.528, 957 G, 3511 AB, 1002 H, 169-2B, 31-3B, 207 HR, 665 RBI, 640 R, 584 BB, 309 K, 40 SB, 38 CS, .917 OPS, 158 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 43.3 WAR Fielding – CF: 518 G, .989 PCT, 3.81 RNG, +5.8 ZR, .998 EFF Fielding – RF: 444 G, .981 PCT, 2.72 RNG, +2.9 ZR, 1.004 EFF *Achievements:* 3-time All-Star 7-time Batter of the Month 8-time Player of the Week 1-time WL Babe Ruth Award winner (1957-58) 1-time All-Star Game MVP (1956-57) 1 United Cup Championship 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team Holds ULB record for most home runs in a regular season (59, 1957-58) What the original scouting report said: “Tite has the potential to develop into a big-time hitter with impressive gap power and patience. But while he has some running ability and a decent arm, defense will be a challenge for him.” *Comments:* Selected immediately after Matthew Floyd, the Winnipeg, Canada born Tite took considerably more time to develop his craft in the minors than Floyd, not reaching the minors until the 1950-51 season. But Tite was the real deal, ranking as the No. 2 prospect (behind only Floyd) in October 1949, then No. 1 overall the following October. His rookie campaign was cut short after just 41 games due to post-concussion syndrome, but it proved to be just a temporary setback. The following season, he emerged as a solid all-around player with his defense not proving to be a challenge after all. But in 1956-57 he kicked things into high gear, establishing himself as the United Leagues’ top power hitter. After setting a then record of 49 home runs (tied with Floyd) in 1956-57, he bested that mark last season with 59, becoming the only player to hit 50 or more home runs in a season. He also became the first player (and to date, the only player) to surpass the .700 mark in SLG (.7045) in a season. He has been ranked as the top right fielder for the past three seasons and holds five other single season batting records among all right fielders – OPS (1.1277), Runs (116), TB (379), RBI (144) and WAR (10.47). He is easily on course to becoming one of the all-time great outfielders – just like Matthew Floyd. -------- RHP Logan Belsey – 4th overall pick by the Queensland Eagles Major League Career: 333 G, 333 GS, 163-127, 3.24 ERA, 2731.0 IP, 1070 BB, 1989 K, 191 CG, 33 SHO, 1.26 WHIP, .270 BABIP, 3.14 FIP, 69.8 WAR, 123 ERA+ Fielding: .950 PCT, 1.43 RNG, +2.3 ZR, 1.170 EFF *Achievements:* 7-time All-Star 9-time Pitcher of the Month 1-time Player of the Week 2-time EL Satchel Paige Award winner (1952-53, 1954-55) 4-time Top-Rated Pitcher in the ULB 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team What the original scouting report said: “Belsey is blessed with above-average stuff with great movement and average control. With four solid pitches and terrific stamina, he should develop into a front-line starter.” *Comments:* In a draft class exceptionally deep in pitching, Logan Belsey emerged as the first one selected that delivered on his promise. He was not the first pitcher selected however; that distinction belongs to LHP Larry Kovnats (272 G, 268 GS, 106-115, 1 SV, 4.18 ERA, 1985.0 IP, 1326 BB, 1440 K, 94 CG, 1.55 WHIP, .271 BABIP, 4.21 FIP, 19.9 WAR, 95 ERA+ with the Hespeler Stars and Braeland City Monarchs), who while not a bust, has not had the career one would have expected from a 3rd overall pick. Belsey, however, spent no time in the minors, but hit the ground running, immediately entering the Eagles rotation and starting 20 games that initial season. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until 1951-52, his 4th season, that he began to find his groove. He picked up his first all-star selection that year, the first of seven consecutive selections. He has established himself as the United Leagues’ top strike-out artist, holding the single season pitching marks for strikeouts (266), K/9 IP (8.36) and WAR (11.07), while leading the ULB in career strikeouts (1989 and counting) after just 10+ seasons. He is just one of two pitchers who have struck out 15 or more players in a game and the only pitcher to have done so more than once. Wolseley’s RHP Theo Morse struck out 16 Downie Chief batters in February 1957. But Belsey was the first, striking out 16 Downie Chief batters in March 1955. He has since struck out 15 batters in a game three times (against Embro, Cobourg and Downie again). -------- LHP Bill Budd – 6th overall pick by the Cobourg Red Stockings/Redlegs Major League Career: 306 G, 305 GS, 148-103, 3.13 ERA, 2377.2 IP, 943 BB, 1453 K, 121 CG, 26 SHO, 1.26 WHIP, .259 BABIP, 3.41 FIP, 50.9 WAR, 128 ERA+ Fielding: .966 PCT, 1.50 RNG, +12.5 ZR, 1.025 EFF *Achievements:* 5-time All-Star 5-time Pitcher of the Month 1-time EL Satchel Paige Award winner (1956-57) 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team What the original scouting report said: “Bill Budd from Rutherglen, Perth has the potential to be another solid young pitcher in the ULB especially if he works on his delivery mechanics. He has great movement and control with three solid pitches.” *Comments:* ‘Solid’ is the perfect word to describe Budd. While he didn’t skip the minors like Logan Belsey did, Budd did skip Double-A and spent just a season and a half in Triple-A before being called up to the majors. Budd made an immediate impact on a Cobourg ballclub that was in short supply of quality arms and immediately entrenched himself as the Red Stockings/Redlegs’ ace. He has made the All-Star team five times, including the last three seasons and won the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award in 1956-57, the third pitcher selected in this draft to win it. The runners-up that year were Logan Belsey and Robin Wadsworth, who will be discussed next. -------- LHP Robin Wadsworth – 16th overall pick by the Stratford Barons Major League Career: 250 G, 226 GS, 119-74, 3 SV, 3.29 ERA, 1762.2 IP, 693 BB, 1008 K, 86 CG, 23 SHO, 1.30 WHIP, .268 BABIP, 3.50 FIP, 33.3 WAR, 119 ERA+ Fielding: .963 PCT, 1.48 RNG, +0.8 ZR, .981 EFF Achievements: 4-time All-Star 4-time Pitcher of the Month 1-time EL Satchel Paige Award winner (1955-56) 1 United Cup Championship (1954-55) 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team What the original scouting report said: “Wadsworth is a borderline starter that can take the next step if he develops his changeup (30/55). Otherwise, he has passable stuff with good movement and decent control, to go along with a fastball (40/50) and slider (40/50).” *Comments:* Wadsworth became more than just a ‘borderline starter’ and did indeed develop his changeup (currently 80/80, by far his best pitch). The Wolseley-native spent just one game in Double-A, a 6-hit, 1-run complete game effort before being promoted to Triple-A. After spending the equivalent of nearly two full seasons in the minors, Wadsworth was promoted to the majors, late in the 1950-51 season. But it was three seasons later at the age of 24 that Wadsworth became the Barons’ ace. The following season, he picked up the first of so far four straight All-Star selections. Then in 1955-56, he won the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award, nudging out Logan Belsey in a close race (90 points to 85 points). Unlike Belsey and Bill Budd however, Wadsworth is no longer considered Stratford’s top pitcher. But he remains a close second. -------- Later-Round Standouts As mentioned earlier, this was a particularly deep draft class and it hard to narrow this down to just a couple of players. Other players I could have highlighted were: RF Aidan Trembath (Rd 1, 15th overall pick, 6 All-Star selections, SS Kieron Bradridge (Rd 2, 25th overall pick, 3 All-Star selections, 2 Ball Hawk Awards), LF Carl Patton (Rd 3, 45th overall pick, 2 All-Star selections, 3 Ball Hawk Awards) and C Min-gook Lee (Rd 4, 50th overall pick, 2 All-Star selections, 1952-53 United Cup MVP). As fine as they are all, here are the two that I particularly wanted to single out: OF Jim Mars – 19th overall pick (Round 2, Pick 3) originally by the Hespeler Stars. Major League Career: .309/.369/.447, 1183 G, 4344 AB, 1341 H, 213-2B, 67-3B, 85 HR, 593 RBI, 650 R, 427 BB, 276 K, .816 OPS, 124 OPS+, 126 wRC+, 32.1 WAR Fielding – CF: 482 G, .984 PCT, 3.86 RNG, -16.2 ZR, .981 EFF Fielding – RF: 587 G, .973 PCT, 2.50 RNG, +18.2 ZR, 1.016 EFF *Achievements:* 7-time All-Star 3-time Player of the Week 1-time Rookie of the Month EL Rookie of the Year (1950-51) 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team *Comments:* Mars may have not been a 1st-round pick, but its fair to say that he emerged as the best player selected afterwards and in fact, outshone some of those that were taken in the initial round. Picked by the Hespeler Stars, Mars was ranked 38th overall among prospects in October 1949 and was working his way through the minors when he was suddenly included in a trade that sent him to the Wellington Athletics. Wellington gave up an outstanding player in SS Zhao-hui Qian (6-time All-Star, 3 Ball Hawk Awards) but they must have liked what they saw in the 24-year Mars as he was already developing into a dynamic outfielder. When he reached the majors in 1950-51, he did not disappoint. He took over centerfield and led the team in batting AVG, OPS, singles and triples and went on to win the Eastern League Rookie of the Year that season. The following year, he became an All-Star, the first of seven consecutive selections. In 1954-55, he moved to rightfield and greatly improved his defensive play and helped form one of the finest outfields in the ULB, along with LF Matthew Floyd (7-time All-Star, 1 Babe Ruth Award) and CF Greg Yates (2-time All-Star). Alas, it appears that he lost his starting job at right field last season to 23-year-old Wan-hua Gu (75/79), who is off to a sensational start this year and is ranked as the 6th best player in the United Leagues and 2nd overall among all right fielders. -------- C Ronald Armstrong – 127th overall pick (Round 8, Pick 15) originally by the Braeland City Monarchs Major League Career: .259/.339/.440, 398 G, 1299 AB, 336 H, 65-2B, 4-3B, 65 HR, 213 RBI, 181 R, 162 BB, 221 K, .804 OPS, 124 OPS+, 128 wRC+, 12.5 WAR Fielding – C: 349 G, .989 PCT, 5.58 RNG, +4.4 ZR, 1.013 EFF *Achievements:* 2-time All-Star 1-time Player of the Week *Comments:* Armstrong was not a highly rated prospect when he was selected in the 8th round by the Monarchs and seemed destined to spend his career in the minors. In December 1952, the Iowa-native was traded to the Kingston Pelicans in exchange for C Hayden Billyard. But then he finally started to develop. After being rated 20/20 in August 1950, he began progressing to point that he was scouted as 47/61 in October 1953. He finally reached the majors later that season, but it wasn’t until the 1956-57 season that he became the Pelicans’ full-time catcher at age 26. That season he became a solid all-around player, leading the club in HR (27), RBI (91), BB (63) and Total Bases (230). He earned his first All-Star selection and picked up 55 votes for a 7th place finish in the Western League Babe Ruth Award voting that year. He is currently ranked 5th overall among all catchers in the ULB. Not bad for an 8th-rounder. -------- Biggest Draft Disappointment Despite the bevy of talent, there was not a shortage of candidates from the first round that proved to be a bust. The three candidates that were taken in picks 11 through 13 all proved to be a disappointment. It was a tough choice, but ultimately, I went with Owen Claridge: OF Owen Claridge – 13th overall pick by the Wolseley Unions Major League Career: .239/.287/.358, 816 G, 2869 AB, 693 H, 124-2B, 51-3B, 39 HR, 339 RBI, 324 R, 202 BB, 168 K, 19 SB, 21 CS, .645 OPS, 81 OPS+, 74 wRC+, 6.2 WAR Fielding – CF: 629 G, 620 GS, .980 PCT, 4.01 RNG, +27.9 ZR, 1.027 EFF Fielding – RF: 154 G, 147 GS, .978 PCT, 2.84 RNG, +9.4 ZR, 1.035 EFF *Achievements:* 3 United Cup Championships What the original scouting report said: “Claridge projects be a .330 hit who will be great at avoiding strikes (65/80), but with an average eye and little power (25/35). He will be one of the fastest players in the leagues (80) and thus very good at stealing and baserunning (55-65). Claridge will be very versatile in the field and solid defensively. He can play 3B (45) and SS (55), as well as anywhere in the outfield (80-75-65).” *Comments:* Claridge was selected by his hometown team and spent just 36 games in the minors. After playing three games in Triple-A to start the 1949-50 season, he was up with the big club for good. He took over centerfield that season and played outstanding defense. The following season though, he suffered a setback, losing his starting position and playing time for reasons not entirely clear to me. It was not due to any injury, as he suffered only a mild oblique strain that year that affected him for just a week. But he came back as a starter the following season, leading the team in triples (17) and enjoying his best season yet (.275/.318/.443, 10 HR, 78 RBI, 66 R, 36 BB, 18 K, 116 OPS+, 109 wRC+, 2.5 WAR). Alas, it proved to be the high water mark of his career. He severely regressed in 1951-52. Although his defense in centerfield was still top notch, he appeared lost at the plate. It was all downhill after that. He began playing in rightfield more often and was demoted to Triple-A to try and work things out. But his defense was never an issue, and he seemed to regain his form as a hitter while in the minors. But each time he returned to the majors, he suddenly lost his form. Wolseley finally released him in October 1957. Although the Hespeler Stars gave him a shot, he never returned to the majors and was released again in January 1958. In April of that year, he officially retired. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland