Rays of Light

The Tampa Bay Globe Trotters and Other Stuff

So the Devil Rays are considering playing a few regular season games in Orlando. The thinking behind this appears to be that it would extend the team’s fan base by 90 miles. Matt Silverman had this to say on mlb.com:

“We’re exploring a number of ways to make an impact in Central Florida and grow our fan base. And one of those involves moving some games outside of St. Petersburg. This fits well in our model.”

This business rhetoric is really starting not to fit my “model.” I understand that as a fan sitting in the stands at the Trop I am nothing more than a dollar sign to these people. But having the pleasure of watching my team play on their home field taken out of my summer plans is not just frustrating; it is offensive - even if it is just for a few games.

It trivializes the team, the teams’ hometown, and Major League Baseball. But above all, it is not necessary. The best route to expanding a fan base is to win baseball games; make it to the playoffs and I guarantee you the popularity of the team will spread without actually having to cart the players all over the state.

And why keep a team that plays so horrifically on the road, on the road? Remember, this 101-loss team was over .500 (41-40) at Tropicana Field in 2006 and was 20-61 in places other than home. If Sternberg and Co. are truly making winning their first priority, then decreasing the number of games this team plays at the Trop should be the goal of our opponents, not our ownership.

Thankfully, watch for this one not to fly. Tampa Bay fans are dead serious about their teams, and I suspect that Wacky Stu’s Travellin’ Rays Road Show will not go over well. Maybe the team will sell a few thousand caps in Orlando, but it’s not worth running the risk of alienating an already wary home town fan base. Not to mention the season ticket holders. They are a loud and powerful bunch.

As for Hee-Seop Choi, as reported by the SP Times:

“First baseman Hee-Seop Choi, who played parts of four seasons in the big leagues, signed a minor-league contract that reports in Korea said could be worth $1.95-million over two years if he plays in the majors. Choi, 27, has a .240 career average and hit 15 homers in 2004 with Florida and again in 2005 with the Dodgers. He spent 2006 at Triple-A Pawtucket, hitting .207 with eight homers and 27 RBIs in 66 games.”

Web Gems

A 2003 article about Julio Lugo that I found interesting

A 2003 article that Julio Lugo found interesting

Leave it to the Royals to produce the least interesting offseason move in the history of offseason moves

The Orioles continue their aggressive winter

Royce Clayton makes progress in accomplishing his goal to play for every team before he’s 40

Mariner’s fans get in on the dream of landing Crawford (2nd question)

My favorite move so far this winter comes from the Rockies

The Rockies’ situation sounds a lot like the Rays

The Yankees limit their search for pitching to every player on Earth

Pujols makes the ever-regrettable decision to whine about not winning MVP

Adam Kennedy will not win a World Series for at least 3 years

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Accounting for Hee-Seop Choi

Way back before the business side of baseball became common knowledge, being a baseball fan was much less confusing. Covering myself in statistics and standings and who was hot and who stunk was second nature. Each year the season would unfold its great story and I tried to hang on for every word. In the offseason I would sit back and watch the wheelings and dealings and try to calculate how all this commotion would impact my team and the 29 others come spring.

The dollar side of baseball emerged as a bonus topic for me. The astronomical contracts served as a great source of numbers when the real numbers I craved were in hibernation: Those temporarily unchanging statistics dormant in the history books of winter. News of these unfathomable contracts came as a novelty act to me at first. The numbers were huge and interesting, but I had enough trouble balancing my own checkbook, let alone the finances of a baseball team. Slowly things began to change.

The business of baseball became readily available, and most accessible was the team payroll. It was a big, easy number that crept into my conscious when evaluating the parity of teams. It created nightly David and Goliath scenarios that went beyond the athletes. A cellar-dweller pushing around a division leader became an upset in the sense that not only had a team with an inferior record prevailed, but also, as is often the case, a team with an inferior payroll had prevailed.

So the obsession was born. Salaries became as common to discuss as batting averages. Statistics became available that could tell you how much it cost for each team to score each run. And now it seems like in order to purchase your teams colors you must first provide proof that you have at least a working knowledge of accounting.

Since when did the word ìproductî become a common fan term in reference to a baseball team? In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the last 10 times I have used the word ìproductî it has been in reference to a baseball team. I never say, ìI am going to the store to purchase a product.î But what I will say is that, ìUltimately attendance revenue will have a positive affect on the on-field product.î Who have I become? My childhood favorite Dale Murphy was the member of a baseball ìteam.î Products were for hair.

Now with every move I find myself crunching the dollar figures as they pertain to the product. Back in the day, simply knowing that the Devil Rays were apparently acquiring Hee-Seop Choi would disappoint me plenty just because he is not a good baseball player. I know this statistically and in that he does not excite me in any way and I will not like it when he is on the field. I liked it when it was this simple.

But now I canít help weighing his statistics against the Raysí sickeningly-famous, limited payroll. I try to rationalize the $1.95 million the organization is accused of paying for him. But this one for me, even as one of the thousands of self-appointed team accountants, is a stumper. Why is Choi, who made $725,000 in 2006 as a backup first baseman, who got hurt and was sent down to AAA for the season where he hit .207, in line for such a raise? Stumped.

On the bright side, if this rumor does hold, I think that admitting I am stumped at this point may be the first step in the liberation from my self-inflicted immersion in the speculative and masochistic world of Devil Ray finance.

So allow me to say that, as a baseball fan and with no regards to whatever business sense I thought I had, I find it frustrating watching our division rivals the Baltimore Orioles attacking their bullpen issue with such success while I write about Hee-Seop Choi. This week the Orioles signed relievers Danys Baez, Chad Bradford and Scott Williamson to bolster their ailing ëpen; to potentially hold leads that they have against the Devil Rays.

Do you think that there is a Baltimore fan on Earth concerned with the Raysí signing Hee-Sop Choi? Why should the Oís concern themselves with a career .240-hitter when they spent the winter putting together a better bullpen? And why are the Rays still focused on their ever-crowding infield when their bullpen should be, as it was for the Orioles, their first priority? Now letís not allow the rational thinking of concerned baseball fans get in the way. Letís break out the calculator, as we always do, to find the excuse.

The Oís signed ex-Ray Danys Baez to a 3-year, $19 million gig. Bradford received 3 years at $10.5 million. Scott Wiliamson got 1-year at $900,000.

Okay. So the market has driven the price of relievers through the roof and $19 million for Baez is absurd. But so is $1.95 million for Hee-Seop Choi. And it is this weary blogger’s opinion that every penny that goes into Choi will be a penny wasted.

It is true that my appreciation of the business side of baseball has created an element that I have come to enjoy quite a bit. But I also have learned that I must be careful not to let this element dictate my expectations as a fan, or else I am running the risk of unwarranted acceptance of a team’s mismanagement. Acceptance of Choiís contract would come only if it is non-guaranteed/incentive based and that it does not hinder the pursuit of pitching. Better yet would be learning the whole thing was nothing more than a rumor.

I am not hitting the panic button for the Rays this offseason just yet. There is still plenty of time to deal and hopefully Hee-Seop Choi will make me look bad for questioning bringing him in. But the Oriolesí recent signings have me envious. Baltimore pulled off exactly the kind of bullpen overhaul that the Rays need to make. Doing so would make for a much more enjoyable…product?

Soriano mayhem according to Rotoworld:

“Alfonso Soriano has full no-trade protection and a $300,000 bonus for winning the MVP award included in his eight-year, $136 million contract with the Cubs. Soriano gets an $8 million signing bonus, $9 million next year, $13 million in 2008, $16 million in 2009 and then $18 million per season in each of the final five years of the deal. Also, he gets a suite in Cubs road games and is guaranteed six premium tickets for each home game during spring training, regular season and the postseason ó and for the All-Star game if he is selected. He gets $250,000 for collecting most All Star votes, $350,000 if he is selected the World Series MVP, $250,000 for the league championship series MVP, $300,000 for the MVP award and $75,000 for a Gold Glove.î

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You paid how much?!? For WHO?!?

I decided to take the week off from recapping the drafts. The series will continue on Monday with the 1993 draft, which features a HUGE number one pick. Instead, I’d like to try to make the case for what many believe is the most ludicrous signing of the off-season to this point. In case you’ve been living under a rock, former Cub, Gary Mathews Jr. was signed by the Angels to a deal worth $50 million over the span of five years. Just about everywhere I read, people are up in arms about this signing. Can it really be that bad? I say no, and i’m going to make my case.

Reason # 1 - The Free Agent Market Got Inflated
Blame whoever you want on this one (Jim Hendry), but the fact of the matter is, with the signing of Alfonso Soriano early in the off-season, the tone was set and there was no going back. The Angels got it in their head that they needed a CF. With Soriano, not a proven CF anyway, off the market, it left Juan Pierre, Gary Mathews or some old farts like Dave Roberts and Kenny Lofton. Pierre and is not an upgrade and neither are the other old men. Mathews, assuming he duplicates the numbers he put up last year fills the need the Angels want to fill. I’m sure $10 million per season is not ideal for them, but when Soriano falls early, what other price can you expect to pay? The bar was already set.

Reason # 2 - Free Agency is Better than Plan B
Yes, the Angels did have a plan B. All last season, the Angels made no secret that they were in the market for a “top notch” outfielder. The biggest names on their list were Carl Crawford and Miguel Cabrera. They were prepared to deal a huge package of talent to get one of those guys. Luckily for the Angels, no one took them up on the offers that were floating around the rumor mill. One of the biggest rumors I heard was the following:

Ervin Santana - SP
Scot Shields - MR
Brandon Wood - SS

For Carl Crawford or Miguel Cabrera.

For those of you who don’t follow the minor leagues, Brandon Wood is a MAJOR prospect. In 2005 playing for high A ball, Rancho Cucamonga, Wood put up monster numbers:

43 HR with 115 RBI and averages of .321 / .383 / 1.055

When you have a SS prospect putting up those kind of numbers, you DO NOT offer him in any kind of deal. By going out and getting an OF like Mathews via free agency, rather than dealing guys like Wood and Santana, you assure yourself of a future, even if your $50 million investment turns out to be a bust.

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Fresh Sqeezed Baseball and a Side of Links

Okay. The tryptophan buzz has worn off and baseball is back. So Carlos Lee is the latest $100 million man. This one makes sense. The Astros have been wasting arguably the best rotation in baseball the last few years with their terrible lack of run support. Roger Clemens posted ERA’s around 2.00 in 2005 and 2006 (1.87! in 2005) and has 20 wins combined to show for it. If he had more offense behind him, he could have pushed 30 wins between 2005/2006, even with his shortened effort in ‘06. Lee should be a tremedous help in the run-support category.

The Mariners continue to be perhaps the most confusing team in baseball by signing Willie Bloomquist (.247/.320/.299 ) through 2008. Why they didn’t elect to just put a hat on a 55-gallon drum and roll it onto the field is beyond me. They would get the same performance for far cheaper. The Mariners are a wealthy team in a huge market. Why they are such minor players so far this offseason is confusing. Then again they do have to figure out what to do with Richie Sexson’s bad (literally) self.

Devil Rays: The Envy of Baseball?

Marlins writer Joe Frisaro discusses Baldelli (Last question)

Metsblog talks about Baldelli and Crawford

Boston rationalizes the Daisuke Matsuzaka’s negotiations

The Giants are apparently considering some interesting moves.

The Brewers and D Backs trade big

Baez Back in the AL East

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Retro-Rays: A Look Back at Great Devil Ray Games

Box Score

The season was half over and the Rays were twelve games below .500 (35-47). The Red Sox (50-29) were in 1st place, four games ahead of the Yankees.

Fans were upset. The Rays were floundering and the season had yet to become a future stars showcase for 2007. Jonny Gomes was already well into his injured freefall. Jorge Cantu’s season was just about to take it’s terrible dive. Aubrey Huff was taking his usual three months to warm up. Russell Branyan was hitting .212 and most fans around the Bay were still indifferent towards Ty Wigginton.

Conversely, Rocco Baldelli had been back only a month but was on fire at the plate batting .355 his first month back. Julio Lugo and Carl Crawford were proving to be a serious 1-2 punch as they were hitting .294 and .320 respectively. Now with Baldelli finally back and hitting third, and Rays’ fans expecting Huff to start heating up, Tampa Bay’s one-through-four hitters were shaping up to be a formidable band of offense.

However, the song and dance was still very much the same on the mound. At this point, fans were looking at every fifth game on the schedule to watch the Rays have a real shot at looking like a complete team. Any and all confidence bestowed upon Rays’ pitching was held by 22-year-old Scott Kazmir. He already had some great games under his belt, but he’d yet to throw a shutout, or a complete game for that matter.

The Red Sox lineup was in full swing and an absolute typification of an AL East offensive monster mold. Many of Boston’s offseason moves were paying off and the Manny/Ortiz combo was again having pitchers singing “…if the right one don’t get you, then the left one will” on their way to the showers. And most of the 26k+ fans had come to see just that. However, tonight, these satellite fans of first place fashion would have to straighten out their tilted hats and television swagger and walk out quietly…Only to forget their ill-timed trip on the bandwagon as soon as they got back into their lowered cars, turned up their stereos and crawled back on to Central Ave., cruising up and down the strip, smoking bad pot and casting hate-filled if ineffectual gazes upon pedestrians who couldn’t care less. Sorry, it’s hard not to rant when I think of this.

Kazmir was in complete control all night. He gave up only two hits and two walks while striking out 10. It took him 120 pitches to get through all nine frames, but he was easily up to the task. Behind two solo shots by Wigginton and one from Branyan, Kazmir reminded us all why we put so much confidence into that arm of his.

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Time to Dangle Baldelli

Alfonso Soriano lands an 8 year, $136 million contract to play outfield for the Cubs and it sounds a little strange. Juan Pierre lands a $44 million, five-year contract with the Dodgers and you begin to realize how nuts this market is. But when Gary Matthews Jr. is landing a 5 year, $50 million dollar contract to play centerfield for the Angels, itís time to break out the smelling salts.

Sure the numbers may fit in with some others that have been flying around, but the only catch to this contract is that Gary Matthews Jr. is not very good. Okay, so heís an above average fielder and a fair batter. But is he a 5-year, $50 million dollar man? Hardly.

He had a breakout season in 2006 at age 32 when he hit .313/.371/.495. But compare 2006 to his career line of .263/.336/.419 after 7 seasons, and another word comes to mind: fluke.

Good pitching will always be a strong market. But it could be quite a while before such a strong market for centerfielders cycles back. And with the Devil Raysí outfield depth, particularly with Elijah Dukes beginning his inevitable rise to the Bigs, it is a bad idea not to see what Rocco Baldelli could bring on board. In fact he may never be worth more.

The remaining centerfielder free agents resemble a baseball geriatric ward. Thereís the 41-year old Steve Finley, the 39-year old Kenny Lofton, the 34-year old Dave Roberts and the 34-year old Jay Payton. Roberts and Payton will probably creak out a few more good seasons, but at 25, Baldelli, who is in a $32 million contract that could have him with the Rays through 2011, is just getting started.

In 2006 Baldelli put together a .302/.339/.533 season. Remember, the $50 million dollar man Gary Matthews looked like .313/.371/.495. Baldelliís drawback came in that he only played in 92 games due to health. But much of his bench time was precautionary, and he seemed to get stronger as the season wore on. In August he batted .342 and in September and October he batted .309. He was also successful in stolen base attempts 10/11 times. This number should grow as his health becomes more certain and heís given the green light more often.

So where to look? The Marlins seem like a good fit. They need a centerfielder, they donít like to spend big and they have the most talented young pitching staff in the National League. Not to mention that if they have proven anything over the years, itís that they arenít afraid to trade. Forget Josh Johnson or Anibel Sanchez, the Marlins know better than to let those guys go. But someone like Ricky Nolasco would be worth consideration on both sides.

With Brian Anderson being a disappointment and the great Scott Podsednik crash of 2006, the White Sox become another pitching rich/outfield poor team. Then there’s the Mets and their talented bullpen. And this is just off the top of a tired head. There are plenty teams that would be interested in good, cheap help in centerfield; teams looking to skirt the market that has been driven astronomically high.

As much as I like Baldelli and as good as I think he will be, the recent signings of Pierre, Matthews and Soriano have shed light on just how valuable Baldelli may be in the trade market; too valuable for the Rays not to seriously consider the option.

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1992 Draft - Part III

Here is where the meat of the draft comes. Not in the first round, but the later rounds. This draft produced a good number of serviceable Major League starters in the later rounds, including one hall of fame player.

21. Jamie Arnold - P (ATL / Stats) - Born on my birthday, March 24th if you plan on sending me a present, Arnold did not get his first shot at the bigs until 1999 with the Dodgers. He was eventually traded to the Cubs for Ismael Valdez.

22. Rick Helling - P (TEX / Stats) - Helling competed for the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and went to Stanford University. His days are virtually over as a starting pitcher. He’s pitched lately out of the pen for Florida and Milwaukee and done a serviceable job. In his career, Helling has a career 93-81 record with an ERA of 4.68

23. Jason Kendall - C (PIT / Stats) - This is my favorite catcher in the game today. He also ranks very high on my list of overall favorite players of all time. I love his true grit attitude behind the plate. He always leads the majors in games caught and continues to hit the ball well as well as run. He is also almost always among the league leaders in hit-by-pitch. A three-time All Star, he has been in the top ten in batting three times. The year 2006 is his first year on a division-winning team. In my mind, there is no question that he will be a hall of fame inductee.

24. Eddie Pearson - 3B (CWS) - Never reached the majors after poking around in the Sox farm system for awhile.

25. Todd Steverson - OF (TOR / Stats) - Drafted out of Arizona State University. Only had 43 AB’s in the major leagues. Last I checked, he spent some time coaching with the Peoria Chiefs.

26. Dan Serafini - P (MIN / Stats) - Drafted out of high school. Played for the Cubs for one year. Career ERA of 5.98 in his major league career.

27. John Burke - P (COL / Stats) - Rockies first pick gives them two bad years and is never heard from again. Not a good start. I’m not sure why Colorado and Florida were given the last two picks though.

28. Charles Johnson - C (FLA / Stats) - Everyone raves about CJ, but it’s certainly not for his bat. His 162 game average as a Catcher is .245 / .330 / .433 with 23 HR and 78 RBI. His strength has always been his fielding. He’s a 4-time NL Gold Glove winner, winning from 1995 to 1998. He was also part of the 1997 World Series winning Marlins team.

Beware of Doug and Other Stuff

Doug ìThe Earned Run Collectorî Waechter got the axe. It was a long time coming and I am not willing to spend too much of my life reflecting on the life and times of Doug Waechter, but hereís the skinny:

He began 2006 as a starter. He went 1-6 with a 6.20 ERA. He was sent to Durham where he went 1-12 with an 8.32 ERA before being diagnosed with a torn labrum. He underwent surgery for said tear on October 11th and was given a recovery time of between 8 and 10 months. With the recent addition of Mitch Talbot, Elliot Johnson and Elijah Dukes to the 40 man, the Rays had 41 and one player had to go. That one would be Doug Waechter.

So Waechter goes on waivers, which he should clear with flying colors, and could possibly be signed to a minor league contract by the Rays. Heís been with the organization since 1999, has shown glimmers of potential, and could eventually find a place in the bullpen. Good luck with all that.

The Twins are good. They have the 2006 batting champion, the 2006 MVP and the 2006 Cy Young winner. They quite possibly could have had the 2006 Rookie of the Year had Francisco Liriano stayed healthy and on target. They also had the lowest bullpen ERA in all of baseball. What went wrong? Liriano got hurt and they collectively choked in the division series against they Aís. Itís not if you play good. Itís when you play good. Or something like that.

As for Justin Morneau getting the MVP, the sick side of me likes to hear the Yankee fans whine. But I really do believe Derek Jeter deserved it. I think they got it right with Ryan Howard in the NL.

The free agency bonanza hit comical proportions with the Cubs signing of Alfonso Soriano for 8-years for $136 million. Prediction? The Cubs are trying to dump this one inside 5 years.

Granted the Cubs are a tremendously wealthy franchise, but why tie up a 30 year old for 8 years? Why tie up $136 million on one offensive player with so many holes in the pitching staff? Would it not make more sense to sign a couple solid free agent pitchers to a couple of 2 year contracts and start winning?

If the Cubs organization is indeed rich enough to offer such a contract (not to mention Aramis Ramirezís $73m puzzler) and still compete in the free agent pitching market, congratulations. But unless Mark Prior recovers and at least two pitchers are added to the rotation, 2007 could be an expensive losing season.

Another baffler was Moises Alou getting signed to $8.5 million, one year deal with the Mets. Moises Alou is about as durable as a 1973 Daihatsu Charade with 3 tires. Why the Mets would pick him to potentially replace another rickety outfielder in Cliff Floyd is beyond me. I was looking forward to Alou spending a season at DH for some AL team and perhaps getting in contention for Comeback Player of the Year in 2007. Instead heís going to struggle to play 90 games with that aching back of his and Iíll wince every time I see him try to run down a ball.

The final questionable signing of the week goes to the Dodgers and Juan Pierre. Pierre stole a $45 million, 5 year contract from them. While I have always been a sucker for the amazing work ethic, play every game type, a leadoff hitter with a .330 OBP is not worth this kind of money. If he gets that thing up around .360, it will sound a little better.

Did you know that underneath Raysí mascot Raymond is a woman named Kelly Frank who is 25 years old? This may be the Nyquil talking, but I have always thought Raymond kind of had a thing for me.

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1992 Draft - Part II

Yesterday we looked at the first 8 picks of the 1992 draft, which on the whole appears to be an alright draft, especially in the later rounds. Here is the next piece of the puzzle.

9. Preston Wilson - OF (NYM / Stats) - Something I didn’t know about Preston Wilson, who was picked out of high school, was that he played SS in high school and is the stepson of former Major Leaguer Mookie Wilson, who is the reigning Mookie of the Year Award, narrowly edging out Mookie Blalock from the NBA. Wilson had a great rookie year and finished 2nd in the ballot, behind Scott Williamson. For the most part, he has failed to live up to the hype and yet is still considered a major player in the league. The fact of the matter is, he doesn’t get on base at a high enough clip and strikes out way too much to be considered a major player. The Mets made a great move in trading him to the Marlins for Mike Piazza.

10. Michael Tucker - SS/2B (KC / Stats) - Played for the US in Barcelona. Tucker was picked out of Longwood University, which has produced no other major league talent. He’s had a serviceable career, his best year coming with the Giants in 2004.

11. Derek Wallace - P (CHC / Stats) - The pitcher out of Pepperdine University never even saw the field for the Cubs. They shipped him to Kansas City in a deal to bring in Brian McRae, who my friend Rob used to say was the “smartest player in baseball”. Unfortunately, I often wonder if Rob was a heavy drinker. =)

12. Ken Felder - OF (MIL) - Attended Florida State University but never made it to the Majors

13. Chad McConnell - OF (PHI) - competed for the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but never reached the major leagues, spending his entire professional career with either the Reading Phillies or the Clearwater Phillies. He debuted with the 1993 Clearwater team and hit .240/~.350/.377. In 1994 he batted .317/.410/.525 for Clearwater and .232/.308/.356 with Reading. The 1995 season was spent with Reading, where McConnell hit .276/~.332/.423. He finished his career with that club in 1996 with a .247/~.318/.444 with 119 strikeouts.

14. Ron Villone - P (SEA / Stats) - Competed for the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Villone attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which has also produced the wonderful Jeff Reardon who was found not guilty by reason of insanity to the charge of armed robbery in 2005. Villone has spent time as a starter and as a reliever, most recently with the Yankees this past year.

15. Sean Lowe - P (STL / Stats) - Attended Arizona State but was not special in his major league career. Out of baseball by 2003.

16. Rick Greene - P (DET / Stats) - Attended LSU and pitched in only one major league game but his minor league career stretched from 1993 to 2000. He competed for the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

17. Jim Pittsley - P (KC / Stats) - I don’t know much about this guy other than the fact that he was selected out of Dubois Area High School in Dubois, PA. He was a FA Compensation pick from the San Diego Padres.

18. Christopher Roberts - OF / P (NYM) - Competed for the United States at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. As a college senior that year he hit .286 with 12 homers and went 8-4 with a 2.34 ERA. He allowed one run in three innings in the Olympics. Currently, Roberts is a pitching coach at North Carolina State University.

19. Shannon Stewart - OF - (TOR / Stats) - Picked out of high school where he was a three-sport standout in track, baseball, and football. As a senior, he was an All-Dade County selection in baseball. As a junior, he was an All-Dade County selection in football. Stewart has been criticized for his poor arm in the outfield and his dwindling aggression on the bases, largely as the result of continued hamstring injuries. Shannon is often seen as a liability in the field; opposing base runners frequently take bases they might not take if another fielder were playing his position.

20. Benji Grigsby - P (OAK) - 9-3 in 26 games at San Diego State University in 1992 with 7 saves in 26 games and 107 SO in 79 IP. He never reached the Major Leagues.

Check back tomorrow for the rest of the 1992 draft…

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1992 Draft - Welcome COL & FLA

After the turd 1991 draft, I was excited to get into a different year and do some research. 1992 appears to be a profitable draft in the first round. We also get our first look at the draft of Colorado and Florida as they enter the league thanks to expansion. In case you missed the other two drafts in the series, here are some links for you.

1990 Draft - Part I / Part II
1991 Draft - Part I / Part II / Part III

1. Phil Nevin - 3B (HOU / Stats) - I’m not sure what the hype was on Phil Nevin. My guess is that he was the most talented of all the college players in the eyes of the scouts. Five straight college players were taken to start the draft. None of them had as successful a career as Nevin. What I wonder though is what was the scouting report on Derek Jeter, who would be drafted out of high school and fall all the way to number 6 by the Yankees. How do five teams pass him up. He had to be talented. Nevin has gone on to be an oft-injured journeyman hot corner guy. He’s not going to make the hall of fame and he has never really been a difference maker. I wonder what things would have been like for the Astros had they selected differently.

2. Paul Shuey - P (CLE / Stats) - Picked out of on of my top three most hated universities, North Carolina, Shuey seems like a waste of a number two pick. Even if he went on to play to his hype, why waste a pick on a middle reliever when there are hitters and starting pitchers on the board. I’m confused on that one.

3. B. J. Wallace - P (MON) - Selected out of Mississippi State University, Wallace competed for the United States at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Unfortunately, shoulder issues prevented him from ever reaching the big leagues.

4. Jeffrey Hammonds - OF (BAL / Stats) - A teammate of Mike Mussina at Stanford, Hammonds competed for the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where he batted .414. Was the first 1992 draftee to make the Majors. Hammonds was selected in the 9th round of the 1989 draft by the Blue Jays but opted to attend Stanford instead. He would play for the Orioles, Reds, Rockies, Brewers, Giants, and end his career in 2005 with the Washington Nationals.

5. Chad Mottola - OF (CIN / Stats) Mattola played for the University of Central Florida, which has produced Mike Maroth and Esix Snead. He played sparingly in the majors, never really making a splash. He’s been signed and released his fair share of times and even saw some action in 2006 for the Blue Jays.

6. Derek Jeter - SS (NYY / Stats) - The Yankees get the prize of the Draft and it comes as the first high school player picked in this year’s draft. They were great in the 1990 draft as well. Now, they get another. In my mind, Jeter is a first ballot Hall of Fame player if he retired right now. He’s got four World Series rings, an 8 time all-star, 1996 Rookie of the Year in the AL, just to name a few of his accomplishments. He’s got 2150 hits and a career average of .317 and on base % of .388. Oh yeah, he’s only 32 years old.

7. Calvin Murray - OF / 3B (SF / Stats) - Another olympian for the US team in 1992. Murray played for the University of Texas, which for the most part tends to be a powerhouse in the College baseball scene. The biggest name to come out of the school is probably Roger Clemens, unless you want to make a case for Pinky Higgins. I’m a little surprised that they haven’t produced more hall of fame type players in their history. Murray hasn’t amounted to much, but he did spend a brief time with the Cubs. He fit right in, hitting .200 in five at bats.

8. Pete Janicki - P (ANA) - Selected out of the University of California, Janicki never made it to the majors.

Part II tomorrow…

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