[The_Myth]

Oct. 31, 1984

Happy Halloween. I still don’t have a manager, but the first-year player draft is tomorrow. With the team escaping the hotel conference room and getting just a little sleep last night, it’s time to unveil a draft board.

First, our budget seems to be about $2.756M for the draft. That means I won’t be blowing all the money on talent seeking big bonuses. I will, however, take calculated risks when I deem necessary.

Also, I prefer college bats > college pitchers > high school bats > high school pitchers. And generally, offensively I want athletic kids (speed) who understand the strike zone. I may take a flier or two on guys with big raw power or high contact tools.

With pitching, I like control with projectable stuff and/or movement, plus more than two pitches when possible.

With that said:

[Key: Blue = Certain MLB starter/reliable pitcher / Green = Likely MLB starter/reliable pitcher / Magenta = Likely MLB contributor / Orange = Uncertain MLB future / Red = Unlikely MLB future]

Draft Board - Top 40

1. Barry Bonds - RF/CF/LF - Total package with speed, range, and an already great bat. He should be in the majors by 1986, if not right away. $1.1M bonus.
2. Odibe McDowell - CF/LF - Already an outstanding defender with 75 speed and an average-to-plus eye. Majors by 1986. $900K bonus.
3. Barry Larkin - SS - College bat is about a year from producing, though he has 65 gap power already. 65 speed but needs to harness it better. Defense work in progress, but bat could be special. $850K bonus.
4. Gregg Jefferies - SS/3B/2B - HS. Top high school bat. 75 speed. Good infield range. Puts the ball in play, should be able to hit gappers. $500K bonus.
5. Rafael Palmeiro - LF/RF/1B - Probably stuck at LF or 1B but the bat plays as an all-star (65 raw power potential). Good speed and baserunning, too. Diva. A risk, but if he drops, I’m in. Slot.
6. Brady Anderson - RF - Okay outfielder (70 error, 50 range) who already has a terrific eye (70), speed (70), and 25-HR power. Slot.
7. Randy Johnson - LHP - Phenomenal stuff (70 potential) but current 25 control. A minor project out of college, but of all the arms, you can dream on his. $460K.
8. BJ Surhoff - C - Smart but weird kid who puts the ball in play and can be an all-star down the line. Defensively he’s a good catcher. 65 speed and 80 baserunning. He should make the show, but how he succeeds is question. $1M bonus.
9. Roberto Alomar - 2B/SS - HS. At 16 he already has projectable plus contact and gap power, plus bat-on-ball and near-plus eye. Defense is work in progress. 65 speed. My kind of guy but three years away at best. $750K bonus.
10. Chris Jelic - C/CF/1B/3B - The kind of ballplayer you want. Hard worker. 65 eye already with 55 speed and 75 baserunning. Can switch to CF and move quickly. $340K bonus.
11. Will Clark - 1B - ETA is 1986 if not midseason ‘85. Should be a .280-ish hitter with 20-25 HR soon enough. Can steal some bags and be smart out there. Defense lacks so much that he’s just an average 1B. That’s the problem; you’re committed to one position. $750K bonus.
12. Blaise Ilsley - LHP - 70 stuff and already 40 control for this college arm. Three plus or near-plus pitches already (fastball, cutter, change) with a working forkball. Kid could be a top-line starter. Slot.
13. Mike Stanley - C/1B/3B - Plus eye and plus gap power. Will strike out but should be a decent middle-order guy at peak. OK speed. Good but not great C defense. Still room to grow. Slot.
14. Joey Cora - 2B/SS - HS. Needs to work on defense, but leadership qualities and a good eye. Puts the ball in play. 70 speed. Slot.
15. Carlos Quintana - LF/1B - HS. 55 speed and 60 eye, but the bat speed isn’t there yet. Needs to bulk up. Might be confined to bad defense. Slot.
16. Mike Deveraux - CF/RF - Has everything already, and the gap power and raw power are still developing. 75 speed. Decent CF with room to grow. All-star one day? $370K bonus.
17. Mike Huff - CF/LF/1B - 21-year-old a borderline starter right now. 70 speed and a 60 eye, but worries he lacks bat speed. $360K bonus.
18. Bruce Ruffin - LHP - Safe college arm. Can probably be in majors by 1986 with three average pitches and nearly plus movement. Coward’s way out. $290K bonus.
19. Ken Caminiti - 3B - Kind of guy that could put together two to three all-star years but otherwise have weird stats. 30 HR here, .230 there. Speed is OK and he’ll steal, but not reliable. Average at 3B. Power is the key. Slot.
20. Randy Verlarde - LF/2B/3B/SS/RF - Plays a lot of positions and probably a decent second baseman at end of day. Good speed, plus-plus baserunner. Probably won’t put the ball in play enough; kind of a project. $420K bonus.
21. Shane Mack - RF/LF - Worries he’ll be a three-true outcomes type with only plus gap power. 65 speed and 55 RF defense, but has lapses in outfield. A college kid who’s a little bit of a project. $400K bonus.
22. Craig Worthington - 1B/3B - HS. Already has it together for high school. Average eye and power, plus gap power. 55 speed. He’s in the majors, albeit on the bench, by age 21.
23. Bill Swift - RHP - Nearly Ruffin out there with 50 potential control and a bunch of average pitches. Back-end type. Slot.
24. Bernard Gilkey - LF - HS. Wish he played more than left field, but he’s just average out there. Plus-plus speed and plus eye at age 17. Everything else is on its way. Can be a stunner. $300K bonus.
25. David Justice - LF/RF -HS. Young but already has plus power and eye. Speed is decent. Role player, maybe middle-of-order if it all breaks right. Defense is working. $550 bonus.
26. Scott Bankhead - RHP - Plus stuff from a plus slider and near-plus sinker and change. Probably gives up home runs. Slot.
27. Ramon J Martinez - RHP - HS. 16-year-old Dominican has plus potential stuff from fastball and circle change. Would take a chance over some of these average college arms. Slot.
28. Aubrey Waggoner - CF/LF/RF - HS. Plus-plus speed and plus eye; everything else is project, but the gap power can be a 45. Something to think about. Slot.
29. Bobby Witt - RHP - Plus fastball slider. He throws six pitches. Control is 30. Could be a great reliever soon but still projects as a starter. No relation to our prospect Steve. Slot.
30. Jeff Carter - 2B/RF/3B/SS - Plus-plus speed and baserunning. A good eye. He’ll make the show before his bat comes around. Maybe utility, maybe maybe a starter. $240K bonus.
31. Bryan Harvey - RHP - Awesome plus fastball and forkball already. Control is bad (20). He’ll need seasoning though he has tons of dazzle. Slot.
32. Jeff Gardner - 2B/3B/SS - Has a decent bat and will put the ball out there. Good eye, too. 70 stealing. Decent 2B defense, too. Slot.
33. Chad Kreuter - C - Solid defensive catcher with a plus eye. Possible quick mover. A Daulton clone but worse. $350K bonus.
34. Dennis Cook - LHP - Just fine. Maybe more a reliever with three decent pitches. Slot.
35. Chris Knabenshue - LF/RF - 80 name. Plus eye with good power potential. Plus-plus speed. Not the smartest. $210K bonus.
36. Billy Bates - 2B - All-around decent hitter, like a .260/.330/.400 type. Plus speed and baserunning. Just one position, though. Slot.
37. Steve De Angelis - LF/RF/CF - Gap power is there. Raw power is plus. Decent eye. Will strike out. Speed plays at 55. Could factor in quickly. Slot.
38. Walt Weiss - SS - Could be a good slap hitter down the line. 55 speed. Decent defense at shortstop; reason to believe it’ll improve. $310K bonus.
39. Chuck Finley - LHP - As a rule I don’t prioritize relievers early, but he has a plus fastball and near-plus change, and a working curve. Control should be decent. Slot.
40. Brian McRae - CF/2B/RF/SS - HS. Son of Hal McRae has the makings of a starter at his peak, but all project. 75 speed. Plus gap potential. Could make a difference. $280K bonus.

Draft Board - Highlights

• Steve Gasser - RHP - HS. A 17-year-old at 6’3” who tops at 95 and is named Gasser. He’s the no-control play. Plus fastball, then slider, forkball. Loads of potential. Slot.
• Chris Lombardozzi - 2B/3B/SS - HS. Plus-plus eye and everything else is a project. 45 speed. Slot.
• Brad Bierly - CF/1B/3B/RF - Already has home run power and eye. Should be useful out there. Decent CF. Slot.
• Mark Gardner - RHP - 22 and needs a team. Fastball-curveball with a working change. Control is fine. Slot.
• Jeff Manto - 1B/3B/2B - Has the eye already and the power is on its way (potential plus). Could use defensive work. $380K bonus.
• John Ludy - RHP - HS. Already formed. Not very much potential, but he could be useful this season. Slot.
• Clay Parker - RHP - College kid with good stuff and average control. Basically a young man’s Kelly Downs. Slot.
• Jeff Ballard - LHP - Old school type with good control. Good changeup. Organizational probably. Slot.
• Rich Thompson - RHP - Two-pitch guy and both are still a ways away. But maybe he’s a throw-in with plus movement. Slot.
• Flavio Alfaro - 2B/SS - Already 23 with no contact and high strikeout rates, but he walks and has 70 speed and 80 baserunning. Might be a flier. Slot.
• Andrew Anthony - LF/RF - The kind of kid I like with a great eye and good speed, baserunning. Plays decent corner, too. Needs work elsewhere. Slot.
• Gary Eave - RHP - College guy with good curve and working fastball, sinker, change. 25 control. Bullpen play. Slot.
• Tom Cantrell - CF/2B/SS - HS. Would waste pick on him, likely, as he seems to want to go back. 70 stealing. Plus eye. A lot here to project. Unknown demand.

I'm at 1-10. I'm not getting Bonds (who is going 1-1 to Texas, according to whispers), and I'm not getting McDowell (who should go early, too), but teams aren't very excited about committing to the high school bat. I could have a crack at Jefferies then, and I imagine one or two other names in my top-10. At least to start.