Well something that Harry Austin of the Indians is calling the curse of the Indians. The Indians lose star propect pitcher John Burkett SP. John was selected 27th overall in the 1987 draft. John's career was ended by a Rupture Disk in the Back. Being the star prospect left in the Indians minor leagues and was looking to be promoted to Cleveland next season. John had a career record of 6-10 in two seasons. Mr Austin is wondering who is next to fall from the minors as he is trying to make the Indians a championship contender again.
The second month of the season saw the contenders gradually begin to separate themselves from the pretenders and one team firmly establish themselves as the top team in the CDL for years to come.
1) Minnesota Twins (39-12, last month: 1)
The White Sox came crashing down to earth this month with a barely-over-.500 performance, but the Tigers couldn't keep up with their Pythagorean record with a dismal 1-14 record in one run games. The Brewers and Royals are exciting young teams, but nobody holds a candle to the ruthless powerhouse that is the Minnesota Twins. John Candeleria, Frank Pastore, and Alan Wirth are a combined 27-6, and they have proven themselves the class of the AL's starting rotations. Randy Johnson and Mike LaValliere were absolutely on fire last month, which saw only two regulars post an OPS below the magical .800 mark.
2) Pittsburgh Pirates (36-16, LM: 2)
First things first: the Buccos are not the Twins. Having said that, they may be even better. It is hard to predict at this point in the season who would win in an October matchup between the two franchises, but this looks like Sam Stauder's best chance to win a world title and as close as "The Quiz" is going to get at playing a major role on a championship team. Roger Clemens, Mark Guzibica, and Scott Sanderson can match up with any top three in either league, as of right now. If Wallach, Baines, Gwynn, and company can keep it up, there are few reasons the Pirates shouldn't be basking in World Series glory -- and soon.
3) Seattle Mariners (32-20, LM: Unranked)
The M's may very well be the class of a strong division. Last year, both the Rangers and the Angels made the playoffs, and the Rangers made quite a bit of noise in the process. This year, even with ace Tony Ghelfi struggling a bit, the team is still powering up for a little run into the postseason. With 30 RBI in May, Floyd Rayford certainly was the team's offensive spark, and the pitching has been doing the talking for themselves.
4) Boston Red Sox (31-21, LM: 3)
The Boston Red Sox may play in a division in which a .500 record is an accomplishment, but don't let that fool you into thinking that they are a weak team. The Sox are stacked, top to bottom, although they are a bit weak on the mound, especially when compared to their offense, which is second only to that of the Pirates. One can only imagine what the Red Sox would be like if the likes of Harold Baines and Tim Wallach still lined up alongside Domingo Ramos and Jim Eisenreich.
5) Houston Astros (31-21, LM: UR)
The Astros replace their fellow Texans in the fifth slot on the list by virtue of their supplanting of the Giants as the team to beat in the NL West. Although this season in particular is lost to the Pirates and their dominant season, they will soon rank high on the list due to their strong pitching now and in the future, even if their offense is extremely old even following their "rebuilding" process.
Teams to Watch
The Giants and Rangers fell off the Power Rankings list this month, although neither had particularly bad months. California should make a run at the wild card if Seattle sews up the division. Atlanta is still behind Philadelphia, although Philly does look like the real deal. San Diego is still in the mix, and one can only wonder what 1988 would be like without Barry Larkin's cruel injury.
May's All-Stars
Catcher: Gary Carter had a weak month for him, so Marv Foley (.333, 19 RBI) has his moment in the sun.
First Base: New York's Gerald Perry hit .371 with 12 doubles to take away Mattingly's crown.
Second Base: With Thompson down for the count, Johnny Ray (.361, 2, 21) took his crown for the time being.
Third Base: Floyd Rayford came out of nowhere to drive in 30 runs and become the second third baseman to be the CDL Monthly MVP.
Shortstop: A .400 month will win you this award without fail, and that's what Boston's Domingo Ramos put together.
Outfielder: Ruppert Jones is back in a big way after posting a .363 average and 19 RBI in May. Lenny Dykstra showed why he is one of the top young CDLers with his .362 average, even if he failed to homer all month. Gary Roenicke has been better than Jones, with 26 RBI to go with his stellar .396 batting average.
Pitcher: Don Robinson and John Candeleria both went 6-0 in May with sparkling ERAs of 1.27 for Robinson and 1.51 for the Candyman. After a rough April, Dave Steib deserves mention as he went 5-0 with a 1.71 ERA. Mike Witt is going the way of Mike Scott and finally shining after so many disappointing seasons. As for relievers, rookie Rob Dibble of Milwaukee saved 7 games in 7 chances, allowing just 6 hits in 14 innings pitched.
All-CDL Frontrunners
C - Gary Carter, Bill Fahey
1B - Gary Thomasson, Dave Bergman
2B - Jody Reed, Jose Oquendo
3B - Tim Wallach, Floyd Rayford
SS - Alan Trammell, Tony Fernandez
LF - Clint Hurdle, Ruppert Jones
CF - Lenny Dykstra, Oddibie McDowell
RF - Harold Baines, Jose Canseco
SP - John Candeleria, Dave Rozema, Don Robinson, John Fulgham, Bryn Smith, Mark Guzibica, Willie Hernandez, Fernando Valenzuela
RP - Rob Dibble, Mike Walters
That's May in a nutshell!
Beyond the numbers is the first of a possible series of articles that will do an in depth analysis of various teams throughout the leauge. If you like the article I will do more, but if you think it is too much, let me know. But enough with the formalities, lets get Beyond the Numbers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are having a great year compared to the dismal performance in '87. This is due in part to new ownership, but most of the credit should be given to the new improved pitching staff of the Dodgers. Of the 5 full-time starters for LA last year, only 2 remain on the team, and only 1 has seen any time on the mound.
--Pitching
LA's Starters - June '88
Danny Jackson - 4-3 3.73 ERA
Jay Tibbs - 4-3 3.13 ERA
Pascal Perez - 3-4 3.42 ERA
Andy Rincon - 1-8 5.23 ERA
Jamie Moyer - 0-3 6.51 ERA
Kirk Mccaskil* - 4-0 3.16 ERA
*Kirk is now with the Mets
The LA starters havnt been great, but are a far cry better than the mess that once was the LA pitching staff. Matt Young is the only full time Starter from the '87 Dodgers still on the team, and he has been given bullpin work. Jay Tibbs is having a great turnaround season, he was 2-7 in 16 starts last year, so far he is 4-3 in 10 starts this year. Danny Jackson, Pascal Perez, and Andy Rincon are new additions to LA. Pascal and Rincon were aquired through free agency while Jackson was one of 3 players involved in the LA/Toronto trade. LA fans have not been impressed with Rincons performance, rumor has it that he will be sent down to Calabasas for a while to try and work himself out of the current slump he is in. The only real impressive starter for the Dodgers was traded to the Mets in a deal to get SS Ozzie Guillen. Kirk has been pitching in AAA, waiting to be called to the bigs.
The real star of the LA pitching staff has been the steller performance by the bullpin
LA Bullpin - June '88
George Frazier - 5-0 2.29 ERA - 35.1 innings
Chuck Cary - 3-0 1.95 ERA - 32.1 innings
Ricky Wright - 0-1 1.27 ERA - 28.1 innings
Matt Young - 1-1 1.13 ERA - 16 innings
Eduardo Rodriguez - 0-1 5.23 ERA - 10.1 innings
CL Charlie Kerfeld- 0-1 4.42 ERA - 18.1 innings 100% sv%
A few others have pitched a couple of innings for the Dodgers, but have been less than effective. Altogether the bullpin accounts for about 40% of the wins for the Dodgers this season, Kerfeld was untouchable in April and halfway through May, but has gotten rocked recently.
Only Matt Young, Chuck Cary, and Jay Tibbs remain of the '87 pitching staff. Judging from the farm system of the Dodgers it appears that LA is in the middle of a complete rebuilding of their pitching staff. 4 decent prospect starters are pitching in LA's minors and have been doing a great job. MR Dwayne Henry has been closing in AAA for the Calabasas Chaos, and has shown alot of improvement in his control, and in getting hitters out. In a few years he could build into a dominant closer for the Dodgers.
--Hitting and Defence
The Dodgers offence has been mediocre at best so far this year, but...just like the pitching staff, is better than '87. 7 Rookies have been brought into the squad, with 4 of them being in the starting lineup.
LA Lineup - June '88
1 - CF Stan Javier* - .274 avg 17RBI .340 slg 36SB
2 - 2B Jody Reed* - .318 avg 20RBI .428 slg 22 doubles
3 - 1B Ricky Jordan* - .268 avg 33RBI .393 slg 4HR
4 - RF Randy Bush - .321 avg 30RBI .489 slg 7HR
5 - LF Rob Deer* - .235 avg 7RBI .618 slg 4HR
6 - SS Ozzie Guillen - .230 avg 10RBI .275 slg 17R
7 - 3B Kelly Gruber - .242 avg 12RBI .427 slg 5HR
8 - C Darryl Cias - .286 avg 10RBI .403 slg .409avg vs Lefty
*Indicates Rookie Year
Many changes have been made to the LA lineup so far this season, Rob Deer was taken as a free agent, and after lighting up AAA pitchers, he was given a shot on the LA active, and has not dissapointed. 3B Nick Esasky and SS Harry Chappas were once a part of the dodgers lineup and performing well, but their defence kept them from having a spot on GM Chris Daley's "New Dodgers." Defence seems to be the key word for this lineup, Reed, Gruber, Guillen, and Jordan make for a damn fine defensive squad. The improved LA defence has helped the pitching staff out of numerous jams, and has brought fans back to Dodgers Stadium to witness the incredible Dodgers infeild. The outfeild of the Dodgers still has a few holes in it though. Randy Bush might as well be a tree out in right feild, he has almost no range and has only 1 assist so far this season. Stan Javier has the range, but a weak throwing arm has prevented him from making some key plays. Rob Deer is new to the squad and seems to be one of the better defensive outfeilders of the Dodgers, but his "close your eyes and swing" method of hitting the ball wont cut it in the majors, he needs to step up his hitting if he wants to stay with LA.
--Farm System
LA isnt a bad team right now, and will only get better with time. Already 2 of LA's rookies this year have made a huge impact, and will be great producers for the Dodgers in years to come. Not yet playing for LA, but sure to make an impact on the offence is 3B Matt Williams (recently aquired from the White Sox), 1B Mark Grace, and RF Darryl Hamilton. All 3 of these players have tremendous talent and could possibly outperform LA's current rookie duo of Reed and Javier. Catcher Tom Paggnozi is a great defensive catcher and should be a reliable catcher in the future, but his bat leaves something to be desired.
RF Darry Hamilton 23- .333 avg .414 obp in A
3B Matt Williams 22 - .283 avg .503 slg in AA
1B Mark Grace 23 - .376 avg .441 obp .528 slg in AAA
C Tom Pagnozzi 25 - .225 avg .281 slg in AAA
Pitching wise, LA is stocked. Young Starters David Wells, Jamie Moyer, and Eric Hanson have been oustanding in AAA. Cris Carpenter and Todd Stottlemyre are bluechip prospects that LA is hoping develop into dominant starters in the future.
Eric Hanson 23 - 4-1 2.03 ERA AAA
David Wells 25 - 3-2 2.33 ERA AAA
Jamie Moyer 25 - 1-2 3.26 ERA AAA
Todd Stottlemyre 23 - 2-2 3.06 ERA AA
Cris Carpenter 23 - 1-2 2.87 ERA AA
--Problems the Dodgers Face
The Dodgers have alot of good young talent, but only half of them will likly be solid producers in the majors. LA will have to stay on top of the ball when it comes to their youth.
The LA farm system is full of decent starters, but has no solid MR specialists. Kerfeld and Henry should be quality pitchers for a while, but the rest of the Dodgers bullpin will be getting old soon. LA will have to pick up a few more MR's before this team sees the playoffs.
The OF of the Dodgers is pretty weak. A major change will need to happen, and LA will need a big name player in their outfeild if they want to compete in the NL West.
LA's top 3 problems, Houston, San Francisco, and San Deigo. The NL west is quite possibly the toughest division in the leauge. Overcoming these 3 teams will be a challenge.
--Future Predictions
If even half of LA's prospects pan out and become key players in the majors, LA should make a few decent runs for the division title. The Dodgers are a young team, so should have no problem staying competitive for quite some time. Wether or not they will actually get the title will be a different story. As stated before, the NL west is a tough division, and LA's offence is gonna have to step it up if they want to win it all.
Milwaukee's Edgar Martinez won his 2nd rookie of the month when he hit .365 with 5 doubles, & 12 RBI in 96 at bats. For the year, Edgar leads the AL with his .378 batting average and is second with a .456 on base percentage.
Also considered were Toronto's CF Ty Gainey (.265, 6 doubles, 2 triples) and Oakland's MR Don Heinkel (3.00 ERA, 27 IPs, 18 games).
In the NL, Montreal's Lenny Dykstra claimed his first rookie of the month hitting .362 with 6 doubles and 3 triples in 94 at bats. Dykstra was Montreal's first round pick, 11th overall, in 1985.
As it was a strong month for NL rookies several others were considered including Montreal's Kevin Brown (4-1, 3.43 ERA), New York's Roberto Kelly (.319, 94 at bats), Los Angeles' Stan Javier (.312, 12 RBI), Los Angeles' Jody Reed (.305, 11 doubles, 12 RBI), & Houston's Jay Bell (.295, 8 doubles, 12 RBI).
With Christian's schedule getting a bit hectic, I thought it important to carry on his monthly column. I just hope I can do as good a job as he has.
In the AL the April rookie of the month is Milwaukee's Edgar Martinez. In 92 at bats, Martinez hit .391 with 6 doubles and 11 RBI. He was the number 1 overall pick in the 1987 rookie draft.
Also considered was Cleveland's Joey Cora (.286 in 98 at bats) and Kansas City's Greg Maddux (2-2, 1.99 ERA)
In the NL the April rookie of the month is the Cub's Gary Thurman. Thurman came from no where to post a .402 average in 87 at bats with 6 doubles, 3 triples, & 11 RBI. Remarkably, he was the 94th overall pick of the 1987 draft.
Also considered were Los Angeles' Jody Reed (.333, 11 doubles, 96 at bats), and three Expos...Lenny Dykstra (.287, 2 HRs, 13 RBI), Ruben Sierra (.281, 1 HR, 17 RBI), and Kevin Brown (2-1, 2.51 ERA, 28.2 IPs)
Here are the best of the best from the first month of the season that saw three teams dominate and pull into the front and select few others actually finish above .500...
1) Minnesota Twins (17-8, last month: 2)
To start off, we head to the team with the best record thus far in 1988. John Candeleria and Alan Wirth have been dominant for the team with the best CDL pitching this season. Though the moundmen may eventually come back to earth, the offense which has been relatively struggling this year in the middle of the pack should break away Alvin Davis and Mickey Tettleton should be expected to up their performance quite a bit in the coming months as these twins search for another title. Aside from the surprising Chicago White Sox, no AL Central team is stepping up to stop the Twinkies this season, although Detroit is likely to improve drastically.
2) Pittsburgh Pirates (17-9, LM: 3)
The struggles of the San Francisco Giants have opened up the National League for teams like the young and talented Pittsburgh Pirates. Tim Wallach, Harold Baines, and Dale Murphy have all been spectacular in their first full seasons with the Buccos. Mark Guzibica and Roger Clemens anchor the staff with the league's best ERA, but the Pirates really need to stop giving up the unearned runs if they want to compete. However, with all the talent they have on offense, competing shouldn't be a problem for a while. Wallach and Baines might be a bit over their heads, but most of the starting staff should get even better, and Julio Franco has proven he can hit better than he is right now.
3) Boston Red Sox (16-9, LM: Unranked)
New acquisitions Andy Van Slyke and Cecil Fielder are not playing up to their potential right now, but the pitching staff is allowing fewer hits than any other staff in the bigs right now, and the team discipline and speed have been exemplary. Dave Rozema is paid like a superstar and definitely has pitched like one so far this season. The combination of pitching and hitting is likely enough to keep the Sox afloat in the weakest division in the weaker league.
4) San Francisco Giants (13-11, LM: 1)
Sure, the Giants have not been what they were cracked up to be, or even close to what they were last year, but the pitching and plate discipline are still top-notch, and only a fool would write off the Giants as of right now. The pitching will only get better, with Juan Agosto getting better with age and Darwin coming up and up and up. New Giant Dan Pasqua looks ready to break out, and as he does, he will do so in a very, very big way. The Giants are loaded with talent, and it will take more than a bad month to drop them off my list. There may be four nonranked teams with better records than the Giants, but don't let that fool you.
5) Texas Rangers (14-10, LM: 5)
The Rangers should have better pitching as the year progresses, and if the window of the California Angels has finally closed, then they should win the division with ease, although Oakland, Seattle, and California are all very tough teams. The Rangers should finish in the top two in the American League in pitching, if not because of their talented hurlers then because of their talented defense.
Teams to Watch
The Atlanta Braves fell off the list this month due to a weak couple of weeks that landed them in third place behind the mediocre clubs in Philadelphia and Montreal. Montreal should have a good team in a few years, but they're not quite there. Houston is leading their division and may for quite a while, but whether or not they can get over the hump remains to be decided. Seattle has a good shot at the wild card if the White Sox come back to earth.
April's All-Stars
Catcher: Gary Carter held on to his title by leading all catchers in batting average and RBI.
First Base: Don Mattingly is no small part of the South Side renaissance (Sox are south, right?), leading in RBI and hitting .341 with only 6 K's.
Second Base: Robby Thompson of St. Louis is having a breakout year in 1988 and could establish himself as the best of a weak class.
Third Base: Wallach is the CDL's Player of the Month and has been outstanding on both sides of the ball.
Shortstop: Alan Trammell may be 8th among shortstops in batting average, but he's got 8 HR and 24 RBI thus far and is the only reason Chicago's got a shot.
Outfielder: This will change from month to month, but there are two relative unknowns and a big name. New Blue Jay Glenn Braggs is hitting .368 and leading the AL in OPS. Clint Hurdle is a big part of Houston's early success, and Harold Baines is our second Pirate on the list, although Tony Gwynn may want to dethrone him. Kirk Gibson deserves an honorable mention, but since Braggs may never have a month like this again, he gets the nod.
Pitcher: Bob Tewksbury has walked two men this year and given up only three extrabase hits, but his low hit rate will not last. With two more wins and almost twice as many innings, John Candeleria is the pitcher of the month in April, however. Pat Underwood is keeping the Mariners afloat, and Mike Scott, although he's 2-2 this season, has been quite good and may finally live up to his potential. Bobby Thigpen has been the year's best reliever with his OAVG below .100 and his WHIP below 0.50
All-CDL Frontrunners
C - Gary Carter, Bill Fahey
1B - Don Mattingly, Jason Thompson
2B - Robby Thompson, Harold Reynolds
3B - Tim Wallach, Kevin Seitzer
SS - Alan Trammell, Tony Fernandez
LF - Clint Hurdle, Glenn Braggs
CF - Lenny Dykstra, Jeffery Leonard
RF - Harold Baines, Gene Roof
SP - Bob Tewksbury, John Candeleria, Pat Underwood, Mike Scott, Dave Rozema, Alan Wirth, Bryn Smith, Greg Maddux
RP - Bobby Thigpen, Mike Hennemen
That's April in a nutshell!
Just when you think it’s safe to trade, the ATR returns to ensure that all your poor traders are properly embarrassed in front of the entire league for your actions. With that in mind, let’s analyze some deals.
Texas receives SS Spike Owen
Toronto receives Texas’s second round Amateur draft choices in 1988 and 1989.
The ATR would like to go on the record and state that Toronto has engaged in the stupidest rebuilding I have ever seen. This deal is a symbol of that. Owen is 27 and before taking a talent loss to hitting for average this season, was exactly the kind of player that teams should be building around. He is cheap, talented and young enough to be a quality player for the next five seasons. A pair of second round draft choices, towards the end of the round at that, are not steps in the right direction when they are received for quality players in their prime. Setting the losses record without purpose and giving away talent makes no sense. NONE!!!!!!!
Winner: Texas
San Francisco receives CF Jesse Barfield
Toronto receives San Francisco’s second round Amateur draft choice in 1989.
I could just cut and paste the same analysis of the last trade, only changing the names. Barfield is a little older, mashes lefties and now resides in Kansas City. He isn’t a perfect outfielder, but would still be an asset to a lot of teams in solid role. A late second round pick won’t produce a player worth sending Barfield to San Francisco for. Toronto’s talent base is eroding faster than the American industrial base.
Winner: San Francisco
California receives C Mike MacFarlene, P Luis Leal and OF Tom Brunansky
Toronto receives California’s second and third round Amateur draft choices in 1989.
See above. I mean, seriously MacFarlene isn’t even ready for the big leagues, but should be a fine catcher in a few years. You can’t tell me that trading him and a few other players with some decent talent for some late draft picks helps rebuilding? I don’t buy it and neither should anyone else. I think that the Blue Jays need to be reclassified from baseball team to charity.
Winner: California
St. Louis receives P Manny Sarmiento and CF Chili Davis.
San Francisco receives LF Pete Incaviglia and St. Louis’s first round Amateur draft choice in 1988.
A deal between two competing parties…what a pleasure for me to write about. It’s odd, I expect the Giants to add pieces to add another title, not allow the rest of the pack to catch up to them. Chili Davis is a first rate center fielder, something the Giants could desperately use this season as they appear vulnerable to a couple of teams that were horrible last season. While Davis is a FA to be, he is the type of player you resign, not pack off. Sarmiento has been a key member of the Giants’ bullpen for years. While so far, moving him elsewhere hasn’t hurt so far, it could in the future. Sarmiento has a great contract as well, making this move all the more puzzling.
In exchange for these two Giants, San Francisco acquired a mediocre young outfielder in Pete Incaviglia. Incaviglia has great power, but doesn’t bring much else to the table. The first round pick was taken and traded for a decent young reliever and a mediocre catcher. So, the Giants get younger, but lose some talent. The Cardinals could put it together this year and make a real run in the NL Central.
Winner: St. Louis
Milwaukee receives P George Cappuzzello
Toronto receives Milwaukee’s third round Amateur draft choice in 1989.
The Toronto removal of talent continues. Though to be honest, Cappuzzello’s value comes from being a closer and not from his pitching talent. Cappuzzello actually has extraordinarily talent at avoiding hits, but equals that with his horrific inability to throw strikes. Cappuzzello is a so-so pitcher, who luckily cost the Brewers almost nothing in talent and only $2,750,000 in money for this season. Sadly, this is the best trade the Blue Jays made in this ATR, mostly because Cappuzzello isn’t much of a player. Nonetheless, the streak continues.
Winner: Milwaukee