[Westheim]

RACCOONS DRAFT HISTORY (as of June 11, 1992)

Players in bold = players currently in the Coons' system (majors or minors).
Players underlined = active major leaguers or players that have played in the majors this season.
Listed are the first five rounds from every draft, plus meaningful drafts from later rounds. Meaningful approximates players that played for the Furballs in the majors, or went on to careers worth mentioning elsewhere.

1977

Round 1 - LF/RF Daniel Hall – Franchise poster boy! Slowed down my slews of injuries, he still ranks as one of five players with 200+ home runs in ABL history with 202 (5th). Has held the left field job for 13 years.
Round 2 - SP Jose Garcia – retired without reaching the majors.
Round 3 - 1B Matt Workman – Retired. Played 595 games at 1B for the Raccoons, including 404 straight starts before being traded with prospects for Tetsu Osanai. Never landed another job in the starting lineup elsewhere, and last appeared with the Wolves in 1988. Career stats: .271/.327/.390, 61 HR, 327 RBI in his career.
Round 4 - MR Miguel Bojorquez – Retired. Appeared in 39 games for the Raccoons between 1980 and 1985, before being claimed on waivers by the Blue Sox. Bounced around in the Federal League as a third-string lefty reliever until 1990. Career stats: 147 G, 11-7, 2 SV, 4.93 ERA
Round 5 - SP/MR Jorge Rodriguez – Retired. Was traded before the '83 season and has been with Boston in '83, L.A. in '85, and Oklahoma in ‘87. Career stats: 67 G, 0-2, 1 SV, 7.02 ERA.
Round 7 - MR Jason White – who was traded after the 1985 season for Marcos Costello, and has not pitched in the majors since ’86 (MIL). 264 career games with a 4.14 ERA.
All others from this year are retired.

1978

Round 1 - MR Richard Cunningham – Nasty right-handed setup man with a career WHIP of 1.16 so far and over 9 K/9 in 732 games. Was traded to the Stars in the 1988 fire sale.
Round 2 - MR Gary Simmons – Was beaten up as a starter with the Raccoons in 1980-81, and was traded to Nashville after the 1982 season. The Blue Sox and later the Knights use him as reliever exclusively, and he has found his niche there. With the Knights since 1987. 578 G (64 GS) with a 3.42 ERA.
Round 3 - 1B Johnny Snow – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - MR Marvin Large – 14 years as a professional player, never pitched in the majors, currently in the Loggers system.
Round 5 - C Eric Gregory – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 7 - LF/RF Fernando Perez – Retired. Had four hits in 26 AB’s for the Coons between 1982 and 1984, was claimed by the Pacifics in 1985, but never appeared in the majors again.
All others from this year are retired.

1979

Round 1 - MR Grant West – Local boy from Portland, is the Raccoons' closer for more than a decade. Has a 1.90 ERA and 432 SV (t-2nd all time). He's outright nasty to hitters, even righties.
Round 2 - SP Pepe Acevedo – Was shipped off to Cincinnati in the Jack Pennington trade before the 1981 season, and was in the majors for the Cyclones and Indians between 1984 and 1989 with a 43-37 record and 3.80 ERA, but has not appeared in the Bigs since.
Round 3 - MR Fletcher Kelley – Not the best of righty relievers, but often good, he was traded to Nashville in the Raúl Herrera trade, where he's won two rings. Bounced between teams after 1987 and has not appeared in the Majors after 1990. Has appeared in 415 games in the majors, he is currently in the Cincy system.
Round 4 - LF/RF Gary Carter – Retired. Had nine AB’s for the 1983 Coons, going hitless. Never played anywhere else.
Round 5 - C Dave Stewart – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 6 - MR Gilberto Soto – Retired. Pitched for the 1984-85 Coons. 59 G, 4-2, 1 SV, 4.81 ERA.
All others from this year are retired.

1980

Round 1 - SP Carlos Gonzalez – Riddled by injuries, he has not become the star pitcher he was projected to be. Shipped out after 1989, he pitched two years for the Titans and is now a free agent. 48-57 with a 3.91 ERA.
Round 3 - SP Ray Willis – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - 1B/2B Darren Campbell – Retired. Only had 86 AB’s for the Raccoons from 1985 to 1987 and never played for another big league team. Career stats: .209/.253/.244 with 0 HR, 7 RBI.
Round 5 - LF Jose Perez – Retired. Was taken by the Scorpions in the 1984 rule 5 draft and played for them from 1985 to 1987. Career stats: .221/.297/.277 with 1 HR, 20 RBI.
All others from this year are retired.

1981

Round 1 - 3B/2B Orlando Lantán – Retired. Hurt his knee shortly after being drafted and spent short stints with the Coons in 1985 and 1986, after which he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Sox, but never played for any other team. Career stats: .200/.261/.248 with 1 HR, 10 RBI.
Round 2 - C Greg Thornburg – Retired. Great defense, but never much of a batter. Had his 15 minutes of fame with the 1986 Aces, getting four AB’s with a double.
Round 3 - OF Kelly Weber – Retired. Backup outfielder 1984-1988, was traded to the Gold Sox for 1989, but only appeared in six games for them. Career stats: .251/.298/.320 with 5 HR, 112 RBI.
Round 4 - MR Pedro Vazquez – right-handed fireballer with severe control issues, he has made 61 appearances for the Raccoons since 1986 with a 3.87 ERA. Is with our AAA team.
Round 5 - CL Emerson MacDonald – has 100 appearances between Portland, Los Angeles, and Indy in the Bigs with a 3.96 ERA; currently with the Indians’ AAA team.
Round 7 - C Andy Reed – Retired. Had limited exposure with the Raccoons and Dallas as backup catcher. Career stats: .267/.341/.371 with 2 HR, 9 RBI.
All others from this year are retired.

1982

Round 1 - LF/RF Alejandro Lopez – Fearing a bust, we shipped him off in an 8-player deal with the Blue Sox in 1985. Has become an outfielder, although he keeps sliding back into bench roles, first with the Blue Sox and now with the Condors. .256 hitter with 62 home runs.
Supp. Round - INF Carlos Miranda - Versatile infielder, who was with the Coons from ’85 to ’89, batting .234 in 266 AB. Free agent.
Supp. Round - OF Matt Olson – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 2 - MR Jason Bentley – Mainstay in the Raccoons bullpen from 1985 until a dismal 1989 season through him out of the majors. Free agent with a 4.01 ERA in 238 games.
Round 3 - C Odwin Garza – The Aruban appeared for the 1986 and 1987 Raccoons with mixed success. Had a few games with the Warriors in 1988 and 1990. Career .222 batter and currently a free agent.
Round 4 - 1B Mariano Duarte – In our system through 1988, but only made the Bigs with the Thunder in 1989 and then for one at-bat in 1991. Career .288 batter in 52 AB.
Round 5 - RF/LF Paul Blake – Retired. Only appeared for the 1986 Raccoons. Career stats: .220/.265/.308 with 1 HR, 5 RBI.
All others from this year are retired.

1983

Round 1 - SP Scott Wade – Solid installment in the Raccoons rotations for several years now after debuting in 1985. 95-58 with a 3.30 ERA, and doesn’t feel like stopping.
Supp. Round - C Miguel Carrasco – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - LF Wilson Martinez – free agent, never appeared in the majors.
Round 8 - 1B/3B Jose Lopez – was released in 1985 and bounced around before making his debut for the 1991 Knights, going 2-18 at the plate.

1984

Round 1 - MR Juan Santos – Shipped out for the in Portland short-lived Jose Sanchez after 1987, he didn’t make his debut until 1989 with the Scorpions. Has not appeared after 1990. 5.23 ERA in 64 games.
Supp. Round - 1B Billy Mitchell – Traded after the 1988 season, in which he was a September call-up, being blocked by Tetsu Osanai. Has appeared for the Capitals and Falcons, and currently starts at first for the latter. Has 56 homers and a .885 OPS.
Round 2 - OF Hector Medina – free agent, never appeared in the majors.
Round 3 - RF Jose Correa – free agent, never appeared in the majors.
Round 4 - MR Jorge Cavazos – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 5 - LF/RF Jose Vega – free agent, never appeared in the majors.

1985

Round 1 - 1B/3B Joe Jackson – debuted in 1988, but was traded to the Falcons after that season for Justin Reader. Is a regular starter for them since 1990, but the projected power has never materialized with only 13 dingers for him in 1,266 AB’s.
Supp. Round - 1B Gabriel Ramirez – traded to Cincy after ’86 for Glenn Johnston, which has paid off for the Coons, since Ramirez has yet to appear in the majors.
Round 2 - MR Jose Mendoza – free agent, never appeared in the majors.
Round 3 - LF/RF Antonio Morín – in A ball for the Gold Sox, no big league experience.
Round 4 - 1B/2B Dennis Gray – Retired without reaching the majors.
Round 4 - SP/MR Gerald Hickman – released in 1991, never appeared in the majors.
Round 5 - 3B/2B Bartolo Ayala – currently in the Crusaders organization, no big league experience.
Round 6 - MR Mike Shaw – appeared in 37 games for the 1986 and 1988 Coons, logging a 5.40 ERA. Currently in the Warriors organization.

1986

Round 1 - SP Miguel Martinez – was included in the deal for Neil Reece in the 1988 sales, which was another big W for the Coons. Has made appearances for the 1988 Buffaloes and 1989-91 Thunder, but those amount to 22 games (13 starts) with a 3.05 ERA. Still in the Thunder organization.
Round 2 - SP/MR Eugene Scott – weak reliever stuck in AA ball.
Round 3 - 1B Vincente Rodriguez – part of the deal for Jorge Salazar before the 1990 season, he has since appeared in 145 games for the Indians with a .272 average, but only ten homers.
Round 4 - RF/INF Ben Nash – in AAA, may make the majors at one point as a utility infielder.
Round 5 - MR Keith Jefferson – average reliever in AAA, and with the way we are loaded in the pen, he will probably not appear for the Raccoons.

1987

Round 1 - 2B/3B Hector Gonzalez – Gobbled up all of nine AB’s in AA ball before tearing his labrum, missing the rest of his rookie season. Since being included in the Neil Reece deal in the 1988 sales, he has made the majors with the Buffaloes, batting .254.
Supp. Round - MR Albert Matthews – Debuted in 1989 and even fought his way into the setup role, before inexplicably exploding this year. He was demoted back to AAA, but should come back on the strength of his track record, a 2.76 ERA in 153 games.
Round 2 - C Bob Armstrong – primarily a defensive catcher, he has fought his way up to AAA.
Round 3 - INF/LF/CF Terry Miller – defensive wizard on the brink of a call-up last year. This year batting .193 in AAA.
Round 4 - SP Dennis Fried – appeared in 16 games for the Coons in 1990, before being included in the ill-fated Raul Castillo deal in 1991 (Castillo only played in three games for Portland due to injury). The Blue Sox have used him primarily as a reliever in 1991-92. 4.04 ERA in 29 appearances.
Round 5 - MR Walter Weber – released in 1989, currently in the Bayhawks system.

1988

Round 1 - LF Edgar Morris – struggled as 17/18-year old in A ball, but is now batting .333 in AA, and would be in AAA already if not for injuries.
Round 2 - INF Steve Caddock – can’t bat for his life, stuck in A ball.
Round 3 - MR John Smith – southpaw with some chance at a bullpen job, currently in AAA.
Round 4 - C Freddy Lambert – his exceptional catching abilities are suffering from an inability to hit more than his weight in AA ball.
Round 5 - LF/RF Chih-tui Jin – moved to AAA this year, where he’s batting .274, but fanning much too often.

Somebody, I think, wanted to be informed of 10th-round pick Sterling Burns’ progress. Well, there hasn’t been any. He’s sucking the air out of his roster spot in A ball. Still.

1989

Round 1 - SP Eduardo Salazar – currently 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in AAA, and he might be ready for the majors, if we just had a spot for him in the rotation. Has had his share of injuries already, though.
Supp. Round - CL Gabriel De La Rosa – doing a great job closing games in AAA, with a 2.81 ERA. He’s a right-hander, which limits his call-up chances.
Round 2 - 1B Ruben De La Rosa – No enthusiasm here. While the power is here (14 HR in AA this year), most everything else is not.
Round 3 - OF/1B Rodrigo Correa – was released in 1991 for being awful in A ball, has since been taken on by the Miners and is batting .171 in AA for them.
Round 4 - SP Brendon Bell – his 3-9 record and 4.76 in AA ball this year may not be indicative of his final performance. He’s only 20 and has some time.
Round 5 - MR Rafael Vazquez – still in A ball, where he has been superseded by younger guys and only appeared seven times this year.

1990 (note: this was the first draft over 12 rounds)

Round 1 - MR Daniel Miller – Shot through the minor leagues to make his debut in 1991, which he started with 15(?) innings without an earned run allowed. By now, after 31 games, his ERA is a much more pedestrian 3.32, but he could become a setup man or closer down the road.
Supp. Round - SS/2B Jayson Kelley – struggling to bat .200 in AA, which negates any good defensive abilities he has.
Supp. Round - C Marcos Lozano – another guy failing to bat .200 in AA. His catching also leaves things to be desired.
Round 2 - MR Leon Wright – the potential is here, definitely, but so far he is suffering from terrible control and is still in A ball.
Round 2 - LF/CF Francisco Reyes – another potential bust, batting .228 in AA ball, without any power to speak of.
Round 3 - SP António Donís – scouts are raving about his stuff, but his control has to be ironed out. He’s currently walking more than five per nine innings in AA ball, assembling a 4.68 ERA.
Round 4 - 1B Mark Logan – power has vanished, batting in the low .200’s in A ball.
Round 5 - 1B/2B/LF Michael Martin – 30% of his hits this year in AA ball have been over the fence. Bad news: he’s batting .195.

1991

Round 1 - SP Gerárdo Ramirez – dominated A ball in ’91, but was whacked in AA. Back in A, he is crafting a solid year so far with a 3.44 ERA. At age 21, he still has a chance.
Supp. Round - LF/RF Paco Martinez – took a violent ratings drop, but is batting .287 in AA ball. Development could go either way, but might go so without home run power.
Round 2 - 2B Pat Parker – batting .253 in AA ball, progress points upwards, a bit at least.
Round 2 - INF Michael Lloyd – was recently promoted to AAA after killing AA pitching with an .850 OPS despite lacking any home run power.
Round 3 - MR Fred Carlton – stuff is there, control is not, resulting in a 6.23 ERA in AA.
Round 4 - 1B Steve Stevens – is basically blind at the plate, and while he has doubles power and OPS’ing .788 in A ball, he has also 36% strikeout ratio.
Round 5 - MR Pancho Padilla – decent work so far in A ball, although his 4.23 ERA this year is too high.

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This took literally hours to assemble. The last edition was from before the 1988 draft.

It also shows that while I grabbed into the dirt with Lantán, six of my first seven first-round picks have become either stars with Portland (Hall, Cunningham, West, Wade) or at least semi-competent players (Gonzalez), even if only elsewhere (Lopez). The next three drafts (1984-86) have turned out to be terrible.

Another notable thing is that I have traded away many of my top picks from the years after 1986, while bringing in key players who were then often just prospects themselves, but have clicked phenomenally, like Glenn Johnston and Neil Reece.