Here is the 1986 CDL all-rookie team.
Catcher : Orlando Sanchez, Indians. 382 PA. ,253/,294/,334. 2 homeruns, 29 RBIs. 5th round pick, 110th overall in 1981.
Comment : One of the many rookies called up by the new management in Cleveland, Sanchez was the main part of a rookie platoon with Charlie O'Brien behind the plate. Sanchez is pretty old for a rookie at 30 and has no real upside, but catcher being a weak position in the league, he gave the Indians a solid season. Mickey Tettleton (Twins), with more plate appearances or more time behind the plate, would have won easily.
First base : Will Clark, Braves. 584 PA. ,261/,313/,404. 10 homeruns, 78 RBIs. 1st round pick, 9th overall in 1986.
Comment : Clark and Wally Joyner (Yankees) posted nearly identical stats, both decent but under their potential and the average production at 1B. Clark gets the edge for the clutch performance at the end of the year, with the Braves in a pennant race.
Second base : Robby Thompson, Cardinals. 628 PA. ,281/,330/,427. 12 homeruns, 66 RBIs, 14 triples. 2nd round pick, 30th overall in 1986.
Comment : One of the 4 rookies in the every-day lineup in St-Louis, Thompson will battle against his teammate Jose Canseco for the Rookie of the Year award. He started and finished the year on fire, but struggled in between. Mike Woodward (Indians) was a distant second.
Third base : Bobby Bonilla, Mariners. 504 PA. ,264/,325/,360. 3 homeruns, 53 RBIs. 1st round pick, 13th overall in 1986.
Comment : While there was a lot of good candidates last year, 3B is a weak position this year, with Bobby Bonilla just edging German Rivera (Angels). Bonilla has a lot of potential, showed good things and should only improve.
Shortstop : Greg Gagne, Cardinals. 453 pA. ,256/,300/,400. 4 homeruns, 44 RBIs. 2nd round pick, 51st overall in 1983 by San Francisco. Traded to St-Louis in the Pedro Guerrero deal.
Comment : Gagne just beat Jose Oquendo (Tigers), who hit a lot better but in limited playing time, and while playing below-average defense. Gagne started hot, got injured, than never came close to his lofty April averages (,309/,349/,526).
Outfielders : Jose Canseco, Cardinals. 537 PA. ,250/,326/,500. 22 homeruns, 82 RBIs, 23 SB. 1st round pick, 1st overall in 1985.
Kal Daniels, Twins. 434 PA. ,306/,380/,517. 10 homeruns, 71 RBIs, 34 SB. 1st round pick, 7th overall in 1986 by Cleveland. Traded to the Twins for draft picks.
Vince Coleman, Phillies. 329 PA. ,293/,340/,460. 18 triples, 39 RBIs, 27 SB. 2nd round pick, 29th overall in 1985.
Comment : Canseco and Daniels are good candidates for ROY honor, but both lost playing time, Canseco to injuries, while Daniels started the season in the minors. Canseco had rough sequences, being prone to strikeouts, but improved thoughout the season, especially against RHP. Daniels was on fire in his first months as a Twin. He cooled off afterwards, but remained solid. Coleman spent a lot of time in the minors, but afterward he made fans in Philly almost forget Darryl Strawberry with his blazing speed and strong debut. Cory Snyder (Yankees), Dan Gladden (Dodgers) and Barry Bonds (Blue Jays) also were considered.
Starting pitchers : Chuck Finley, Rangers. 16-10, 3,85 ERA. 227 IP, 107 BB, 148 K. 1st round pick, 10th overall in 1986.
Joe Johnson, Blue Jays. 9-5, 3,84 ERA. 150 IP, 28 BB, 56 K. 3rd round pick, 54th overall pick in 1985.
Doug Drabek, Tigers. 9-5, 4,01 ERA. 175 IP, 55 BB, 85 K. 1st round pick, 20th overall in 1986.
Comment : Finley won 16 games despite control problems. He's a the main opponent to Kal Daniels for the AL ROY. Johnson was good down the strech for the Blue Jays, after starting the year in the minors. Drabek went from the minors to the playoff rotation in a year. There were other good candidates, like Scott Garrelts (Expos) and Greg Mathews (Indians)
Relivers : Paul Assenmancher, Phillies. 4-6, 32 saves, 2,54 ERA. 60,1 IP, 23 BB, 42 K. 2nd round pick, 32nd overall in 1986.
Bobby Thigpen, Pirates. 7-5, 1 save, 2,55 ERA. 84,2 IP, 30 BB, 35 K. 2nd round pick, 27th overall in 1986.
Rob Murphy, Reds. 7-5, 5 saves, 3,63 ERA. 69,1 IP, 35 BB, 35 K. 1st round pick, 25th overall in 1985.
Comment : Assenmacher could win the NL ROY if the votes are split between Thompson and Canseco. He was lights out after the All-star break. Thigpen and Murphy gave quality innings to teams in contention. Other good candidates include Barry Jones (Braves), Wes Gardner (Twins) and Jeff Russell (Expos).
In short, here's the 1986 All-rookie team
C : Orlando Sanchez, Indians
1b : Will Clark, Braves
2b : Robby Thompson, Cardinals
3B : Bobby Bonilla, Mariners
SS : Greg Gagne, Cardinals
OF : Jose Canseco, Cardinals
OF : Kal Daniels, Twins
OF : Vince Coleman, Phillies
SP : Chuck Finley, Rangers
SP : Joe Johnson, Blue Jays
SP : Doug Drabek, Tigers
RP : Paul Assenmacher, Phillies
RP : Bobby Thigpen, Pirates
RP : Rob Murphy, Reds
Detroit Tigers' infielder Jose Oquendo and Atlanta Braves' first baseman Will Clark were named Rookies of the Month for the month of September, as both players helped their team clinch a playoff spot.
Oquendo, splitting his time between second and short, hit ,405/,463/,459 in 79 September at bats, collecting 9 RBIs and scoring 13 times. Oquendo, 23, hit ,338-3-26 in 275 at bats for the season. He was a 2nd round pick back in 1983.
He finishes ahead of two Blue Jays, Joe Johnson (3-0, 2,58) and Barry Bonds (,275-3-16). Cleveland's Mike Woodward (,317-07) and Milwaukee's Mike Felder (,297-2-19) also had good months.
Clark won the honor in the National League with a ,348/,398/,618 line un 89 at bats. He hit three homeruns and got 13 RBIs. After a slow start, Clark, the 9th player picked in the last draft, improved greatly in the second half and finishes his rookie season with a ,261-10-78 line.
St-Louis' Robby Thompson (,311-4-17) and relievers Paul Assenmacher (Phillies, 6 saves, 0,96), Bobby Thigpen (Pirates 3-1, 0,00) and Jeff Parrett (Cards, 2-0, 0,00) were also considered.
VENERABLE CDL GM'S Part 2
Matt Skutley formed the Cooperstown Baseball League over 2 real time years ago with veteran OOTP online league starter Mark Cooley, and during his time at the helm he has built up a tremendous amount of admiration from the OOTP online community, especially from the people that have been fortunate enough to be a part of the league. The CDL has been one of the most long running and consistent leagues going, and it's now in it's 3rd version of OOTP - a lion's share of that success has to go to our popular and fair Commish. He is well known for the amount of time and effort he puts into the league, but he also helps the league by delegating tasks well. As a result the league is stronger with a close knit cadre of highly knowledgable online league people acting as a sort of Board of Governors. One thing that Matt instituted in the CDL that he has kept up throughout the 15+ CDL years is a lightning fast sim schedule. This consistent pace sets the league apart from the johnny-come-lately and flash in the pan leagues that proliferate the online league landscape, and the CDL is now among the 10 longest running OOTP leagues in existence. A Miller time toast and tip of the hat to Matt.
Next week: Just who is the greatest artist/web designer in CDL history?
RED'S RESEARCH TEAM HOMEYS GET THE PROPS YO
Well dear reader, you saw it here first, the Braves took the NL East flag on the final sim just like we said they would. I am just amazed they did not win more games this season, they will next year though.
BEST OF THE '87 FREE AGENT$
If it seems like it was Free Agent time just a few weeks ago that's because it was - get used to the speed of the CDL mack! Anyway, with Free Agent season about to begin I thought I'd mention some of the standouts that will be receiving your hard earned cash next CDL spring. In the history of CDL Free agent drafts this can't be considered the best crop, but there are a lot of excellent pitchers available along with not so many batters and that seems to reflect CDL trends anyway.
Pitchers (in order of expected new income)
1. SP Frank Tanana - Yet another comeback season for the pitcher who refused to go away. At 33 we predict Tanana will garner the biggest paycheck of this years crop.
2. SP Willie Hernandez - His relative youth might make him almost as sought after as Tanana and Busby, possibly moreso.
3. SP Steve Busby - Greatest pitcher in CDL history is still good, and at 37 his price might be more affordable than ever before.
4. SP Ross Grimsley - Same age as Busby and you can bet he will be getting near as many bids.
5. MR Tom Dixon - At 31 he still has a lot of time to fulfill massive promise.
6. MR Mike Proly - Proly has never been dominating in the CDL, but those high ratings are too much to pass up. At 36 he likely has another year or 2 left in him.
7. MR Will Mcenaney - A checkered career but at age 34 you can expect him to be a bullpen force after a solid year with the Twins.
8. SP Bill Butler - You will be sorely tempted, but don't do it!
9. SP Mike Mcqueen - Only three things are certain, death, taxes, and Mike Mcqueen getting overpaid. Expect the heartbreaker to collect a cool 5+ million from a pitching starved club.
10. MR Sid Monge - With relievers being all the rage these days in the CDL you can bet that Sid will get paid far more than he deserves. Last years 3.93 ERA with Boston was one of his best seasons ever.
11. SP Rick Rhoden - Rick still has a little of the killer instinct in him after a 10 victory campaign for New York - he might be a steal too.
12. CL Rawly Eastwick - Eastwick might be a pitching steal if you don't have to pay him much - he seems to be off the OOTP radar and listed pretty far down. he has played most of his career in media-poor Seattle, but he has shown the ability to excel out of the pen in the past.
Batters (in order of expected new income)
1. OF Disco Dan Ford - A former CDL star with the Cubbies still can turn on the high hard one and is among the strongest power hitters in this years Free Agent class.
2. SS Roy Smalley - The slick fielding infielder had perhaps his best season last year, and good SS's are always in demand in the CDL. A devastating talent hit last year will lower his earning power but expect to see some very large bids regardless.
3. OF Omar Moreno - One of the most valuable hitters in the draft, and at 34 he still has a few years left in him - Omar is the guy if you want speed and high OBP from your corner outfielders. Some do, some don't but expect the some that do to bid upwards of 2+ million for Moreno.
4. DH Ron "Boomer" Blomberg - Too old to get the really big bucks, but Ron hit an intriguing .278 last year with 21 homers for the Blue Jays. In spite of his age he will likely be signed quickly for one more campaign.
5. OF Gene Richards - At 34 Gene could be a steal pick up in this years draft, but don't pay him a starters salary if you intend to use him on your bench. His extremely good speed and capable hitting prowess is what will drive the bids up, we estimate up to 1.5 million dollars.
OBLIGATORY CONGRATULATIONS
Go to the Minnesota Twins, who steam rolled over opposing playoff teams as if they were ... well, a steamroller. They should not get too proud though, last time I checked (a minute ago) there were 25 other clubs tied for first place. Ya' gotta' love baseball's time of hope - the spring. Even when the spring does take place in June.
YEAR OF THE TRIPLE
If you did not notice yet, the CDL record for total triples was shattered this year. The term shattered does not do it justice though, obliterated is more like it. Leading the triples charge were three American league vets - Bill North (Minnesota), Ozzie Smith (California), and Gary Redus (Texas) with a phenomenal 28 triples each. KC's Cesar Cedeno and Dickie Thon were close behind with 27 and 25 three baggers respectively. In an average CDL season there are about 1,400 triples hit - last year we saw 2,351! The cause? In this humble writers opinion the blame can be laid squarely on TV violence, heavy metal music, loss of family values, loss of family jewels, and the communists conspiring to pollute our precious bodily fluids through fluoridation. That and maybe a performance enhancing drug or eight. At this rate the speedsters will replace the HR hitters as the big RBI men of the future - we'll keep out eyes peeled on further development as this story unfolds. (Editors note: Even with the 3-bagger inflation, both the older CDL NL and AL triples records stood the test - barely.)
RED SQUARES
Free agent Mickey Rivers is only 91 hits away from 3000 .... Mike Schmidt is 44 HR's away from 500 .... Steve Busby is 19 wins away from Claude Osteens CDL record 343 victories .... Speaking of Buzz, only Burt Hooten has more no-hitters (3) than Busby's 2 .... Did you know there was a Slick Fielder Award in the CDL? Well Texas, California, and the Cubs probably knew - they each had 2 slick fielders last year ... Houston's Wade Boggs set the NL record last year with his .361 mark ... Cincinnati's Rich Chiles set the doubles record with 54 last year .... Tim Wallach's 149 RBI were the most ever in the AL .
MVP PIMPING PART 2
Did I fail to mention Seattle's Joe Carter for AL MVP last week? I think I did, and although I'd like to blame it on my editor I can't really do that since he is still giving me the gears about last weekends office party. The one that I decided to hold on my office desk. In the middle of the week, at 10:30 in the morning. Anyway, Joe Carter deserves high praise for both his phenomenal CDL season, and for his real life batting when he helped Canada's Blue Jays win their first World Series's way back in the early 90's. Fortunately for CDL Bo'Sox fans a solid final month pretty much places Tim Wallach in the "must win" category, so omissions of Joe Carter should be excused this one time. The playoff outcome will not have a major impact on the MVP race since most of the best candidates teams went down early anyway. Way to be valuable guys. Rickey Henderson (Seattle), Dave Henderson and Claudell Washington (both Detroit), and Harold Baines of Boston also deserve some mention.
The NL MVP race will be tough to call, it's hard to even get the batting candidates in the strong-armed NL. That said, with Houston's Series appearance Wade Boggs has got to be given very serious consideration for NL MVP. Although not a power hitter, he ended up 3rd in OPS, 1st in BA, 2nd in runs created, and 1st in OBP. His .361 average is far enough off the pack to really separate him and I expect the voters will recognize this. Veteran Astro slugger George Hendrick should really not be on the ballot, but he may get some sentimental votes if his name appears. Of the non-contenders Alan Trammel and Dale Murphy of the Cubs would be alright choices, and don't forget that a pitcher can win this award too.
CY YOUNG PART 2
The AL winner will have to be the Angels Don Robinson in spite of his playoff collapse. Votes sent elsewhere will likely be investigated as gambling on CDL awards has become a popular leisure activity for those of us who don't reach the playoffs. In the NL it will likely be the Astro's Jim Wright, although the Giants John Fulgham will give him a run for his award money.
Red Ruffensore Spotlight Of Fame: Mike Hargrove
37 year old Mike Hargrove is one of the reasons the CDL is so much fun. His batting prowess has not yet netted him any awards, but it certainly has got him the admiration of Cleveland fans and CDL baseball fans in general. He has spent his entire career in Cleveland, and he is yet to have a bad season after 13 full years in the bigs. His .402 lifetime OBP is among the best marks in CDL history for players that have played 10+ years, and his 1031 lifetime RBI's shows he can damage you with his bat as much as with his sharp batting eye.
#23 Mike Hargrove, First Base, 37 yrs, Cleveland Indians
Year G AB H 2B 3B HR RBI R BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS Teams
1974 141 500 154 19 8 3 92 49 58 54 0 0 .308 .380 .396 .776 CLE
1975 162 587 164 21 1 10 87 82 76 77 3 3 .279 .362 .370 .732 CLE
1976 162 579 175 23 4 10 83 75 86 63 2 1 .302 .392 .408 .800 CLE
1977 162 588 177 27 4 6 80 89 102 36 2 1 .301 .404 .391 .796 CLE
1978 159 555 174 25 2 9 91 77 111 34 2 0 .314 .428 .414 .842 CLE,AL
1979 159 594 186 23 8 9 88 79 100 38 4 8 .313 .412 .424 .836 CLE
1980 160 574 180 25 5 8 74 89 112 48 1 0 .314 .426 .416 .842 CLE
1981 162 620 190 36 4 6 83 84 109 43 14 2 .306 .410 .406 .817 CLE
1982 159 580 168 32 3 4 80 80 106 52 2 0 .290 .399 .376 .775 CLE
1983 157 568 181 26 7 7 58 89 107 42 0 1 .319 .427 .426 .853 CLE
1984 157 543 153 34 4 6 74 77 112 45 3 1 .282 .405 .392 .797 CLE
1985 159 558 170 26 1 13 74 88 95 60 2 0 .305 .406 .425 .831 CLE
1986 154 550 150 19 3 3 69 73 87 44 0 0 .273 .372 .335 .707 CLE
Total 2053 7396 2222 336 54 94 1033 1031 1261 636 35 17 .300 .402 .399 .801
Since taking over as General Manager for the California Angels back in 1983, GM Jim Van Dillen has enforced a "gag order" on the players and managers. Some detested it, most could care less. Regardless of the opinion, no one from the team has spoken to the media in three years. In fact, it was rumored on his first day Van Dillen was the one who pressured ownership into firing everyone in the public relations department. A move completely unheard of in today's growing "baseball business".
Now we know that rumor just wasn't gossip.
"Where I come from you don't open your mouth until you've proven yourself...you earn respect through actions. I've seen too many players, GMs and owners for that matter, flap their mouths and produce nothing. Now I feel like we've proven we're a force. Every aspect of this club stepped up this season and did something worth watching," describes Van Dillen.
This approach may seem too harsh for some, but the Halos GM is trying to build something more than just championships.
"I want to create a pure baseball environment for the players and fans in California, a sort of baseball mecca. When you play for this club all you'll have to worry about is the game. Newspapers, tv spots, advertisments ... none of these concern our players. The goal is to create a place where younger players can craft their game and vets can prove themselves once more," Van Dillen explains.
Van Dillen's dream may already be here.
Example #1 ... OF Dwight Evans. Dwight will turn 35 yrs. next month, but since being traded to the Angels he's been playing like never before. He had season career highs in batting average(.301) and RBIs(100) and lets not forget his All-Star appearance as well. A tough feat from a man that is suppose to be in his declining years.
Example #2 ... (OF Gary Roenicke) All-Star OF Ruppert Jones went down mid-season with a season ending injury. The Angels raced against the clock to fill his hole. Most Halo fans were outraged Van Dillen didn't go after OF Darryl Strawberry more aggressively, but then again those fans are now shouting "GAAAARRRRYYY" instead of Darryl.
Prior to coming to Cali, OF Gary Roenicke had loads of talent, but was having trouble making it all click. A true disappoint for most clubs and the kind of player that makes a patient GM itchy to pull the trade trigger. Since being added to the Angels roster, Roenicke's 2nd half numbers of the season have been outstanding:
.351AVG/12 HR/63RBI/48R/12K.
Example #3 ... 3B German Rivera. At first glance Rivera didn't look like much, but Van Dillen obviously saw something in the kid. His rookie numbers this year are fair, nothing to get too excited about, but German has shown growth offensively in the past few months and will be a solid 3B in the future. He'll have a quick bat and a good eye to match ... worth much more now then when first acquired via trade with St. Louis at the beginning of the year.
Example #4 ... SP Don Robinson. Enough said.
Example #5 ... OF Jim Dwyer. Jim is just 32 hits away from 2000 and 2 RBIs shy of 1000. This old man is having one hell of a year! It might be his last fulltime gig and he knows it. Look for Mr. Dwyer to take his game to a whole new level in the playoffs.
Young and old seem to develop under this new philosophy and it makes one speculate if Van Dillen's law is the real thing or if it's just good timing. Maybe there's something new in the water at Edison International Field ... or maybe, just maybe someone has finally figured out which path the California Angels need to tread in order to reach their paradise. Let us hope for the sake of the numerous veterans on the team, this is the year of the Halo.
With the recent deaths of Juan Berenguer and John Franco generally attributed to the outbreak of SARS in the Toronto area, officials are looking at the Toronto bullpen ventilation system... details to follow...
The Philadelphia Phillies have had 1st place covered for much of the season but with mediocrity at their sides they have slipped to 2 back of the Mets.
The Phils brought up rookie first baseman John Kruk early to hold down the right corner but on the hot corner Buddy Bell has been a complete bust.
There are a lot of reasons for Phillie fans to be optimistic though.
McGee,Raines,And Coleman in the OF which all three are rock solid on defense and speed. And all three are not even in their prime.
First base John Kruk and at second you have Herr and Whitaker.
Shortstop is Ripken.
Third is a black hole with Bell and Hebner.
Catching is still a mystery with Swisher and Heath.
The staff looks to have a solid future with Price and Johnson as the anchors.
Saberhagen and Ojeda learning on the job and Cone in AA and dominating.
Guidrys career looks to be at an end but he still gives it 110% every night.
The Phillies will have a nice selection in the upcoming draft and still look to shoot for the east title but if we dont make it I would put my money that they will be at or near the top next season for sure.