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ayaghmour2 · 02-28-2023, 03:47 PM

As a team without any money to spend on players, the Rule-5 Draft was our only real shot at adding to the big league roster. Even though I later released Lyn Trease (for some reason he's still a Rule-5 Pick even though he spent 90 days in Chicago his draft year), I only would have wanted one player, as our roster is pretty full. Our addition could be a big one, as we added 33-year-old infielder Jim Beard from the Sailors. Even better, no one was lost!

Taken 3rd Overall way back in 1930, there was a time I believed the "The Flatbush Flash" would be the best shortstop in the entire FABL, and before settling on Ollie Page, I tried to poach the young shortstop from the Eagles before the 1935 season. They inserted Jim Beard into the starting lineup themselves, and the 22-year-old appeared in 106 games and hit .290/.371/.398 (102 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 triples, 4 homers, 10 steals, and 39 RBIs. Beard added to his games played total in each of the next three seasons, and had a huge breakout in 1937. Beard was worth a personal best 6.3 wins above replacement to go with a .360/.426/.462 (136 OPS+) batting line. He stole a league high 55 bags in 88 attempts, and tallied 27 doubles, 6 triples, 8 homers, and 89 RBIs. It was his second of two All-Star seasons, but after coming back down to earth the next year, his time in Washington was coming to a close. Beard hit .311/.382/.407 (110 OPS+) in 529 games in the Fed before being sent to the Sailors for Jack Bush and Brad Manguson.

Beard has been a Sailor ever sense, and played nearly every inning for them at the hot corner. His first season in Philly may have been his best there, hitting .303/.359/.420 (108 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 10 triples, 6 homers, 85 RBIs, and 19 steals. He took a step back in 1940 with similar production in '41, but the then 28-year-old endured a nightmare of a season in '42. While he did appear in a career high 152 games, Beard hit just .228/.303/.283 (75 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 10 steals, and 60 RBIs. In a non-war environment, that may have been his last chance as an everyday player, but the Sailors showed confidence in the Brooklyn native and returned him to third. He hit much better, worth nearly 4 WAR while slashing .263/.318/.368 (105 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, 6 steals, and 64 RBIs. He won't start for us, with Hank Barnett locked in at third net season, Skipper at short forever, and Clark Car holding second with Billy Hunter in the mix for games whenever guys need some rest. Instead, Beard will be a very strong, league minimum bench piece. Not only is he fast, but arguably the best baserunner in the game, and has swiped 161 bags in 1,245 games. He's not going to put up 20+ anymore, but having him replace Barnett on the bases in a do-or-die situation is major. Tom Weinstock still thinks he's an above average starter, but I'll be happy with some help on the bases and a veteran presence in the clubhouse. The fans really like him too, and he's a favorite among the youngsters. He should be able to hold a roster spot all season long, and is excellent injury insurance if the ailments pile up on us.

A lot is going on elsewhere, with a "Rebel" league founded by Thomas X. Bigsby is getting started, which is great for all the free agents who think they're FABL-quality players. Once this gets underway, I'll report a little on some familiar faces joining the squads. We also have the draft to worry about, which will happen sometime between Thursday and next week. Our system could use a little jolt, as while it is still deep, a lot of our top prospects are either graduated or on the 40. The pool looks to be fairly deep, and as always, the draft should bring a lot of fun. We have an extra 4th from the Art White trade, and while I'd love to add more picks, my guess is there won't be many available. We're picking 12th in the non-lottery rounds, but have a good chance of picking a bit earlier in the lottery ones. I can't see us top five again, but there will be plenty of exciting players available when our number comes up.

02-28-2023, 03:47 PM	#1026
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,042	Rule-5 Draft As a team without any money to spend on players, the Rule-5 Draft was our only real shot at adding to the big league roster. Even though I later released Lyn Trease (for some reason he's still a Rule-5 Pick even though he spent 90 days in Chicago his draft year), I only would have wanted one player, as our roster is pretty full. Our addition could be a big one, as we added 33-year-old infielder Jim Beard from the Sailors. Even better, no one was lost! Taken 3rd Overall way back in 1930, there was a time I believed the "The Flatbush Flash" would be the best shortstop in the entire FABL, and before settling on Ollie Page, I tried to poach the young shortstop from the Eagles before the 1935 season. They inserted Jim Beard into the starting lineup themselves, and the 22-year-old appeared in 106 games and hit .290/.371/.398 (102 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 triples, 4 homers, 10 steals, and 39 RBIs. Beard added to his games played total in each of the next three seasons, and had a huge breakout in 1937. Beard was worth a personal best 6.3 wins above replacement to go with a .360/.426/.462 (136 OPS+) batting line. He stole a league high 55 bags in 88 attempts, and tallied 27 doubles, 6 triples, 8 homers, and 89 RBIs. It was his second of two All-Star seasons, but after coming back down to earth the next year, his time in Washington was coming to a close. Beard hit .311/.382/.407 (110 OPS+) in 529 games in the Fed before being sent to the Sailors for Jack Bush and Brad Manguson. Beard has been a Sailor ever sense, and played nearly every inning for them at the hot corner. His first season in Philly may have been his best there, hitting .303/.359/.420 (108 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 10 triples, 6 homers, 85 RBIs, and 19 steals. He took a step back in 1940 with similar production in '41, but the then 28-year-old endured a nightmare of a season in '42. While he did appear in a career high 152 games, Beard hit just .228/.303/.283 (75 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 10 steals, and 60 RBIs. In a non-war environment, that may have been his last chance as an everyday player, but the Sailors showed confidence in the Brooklyn native and returned him to third. He hit much better, worth nearly 4 WAR while slashing .263/.318/.368 (105 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, 6 steals, and 64 RBIs. He won't start for us, with Hank Barnett locked in at third net season, Skipper at short forever, and Clark Car holding second with Billy Hunter in the mix for games whenever guys need some rest. Instead, Beard will be a very strong, league minimum bench piece. Not only is he fast, but arguably the best baserunner in the game, and has swiped 161 bags in 1,245 games. He's not going to put up 20+ anymore, but having him replace Barnett on the bases in a do-or-die situation is major. Tom Weinstock still thinks he's an above average starter, but I'll be happy with some help on the bases and a veteran presence in the clubhouse. The fans really like him too, and he's a favorite among the youngsters. He should be able to hold a roster spot all season long, and is excellent injury insurance if the ailments pile up on us. A lot is going on elsewhere, with a "Rebel" league founded by Thomas X. Bigsby is getting started, which is great for all the free agents who think they're FABL-quality players. Once this gets underway, I'll report a little on some familiar faces joining the squads. We also have the draft to worry about, which will happen sometime between Thursday and next week. Our system could use a little jolt, as while it is still deep, a lot of our top prospects are either graduated or on the 40. The pool looks to be fairly deep, and as always, the draft should bring a lot of fun. We have an extra 4th from the Art White trade, and while I'd love to add more picks, my guess is there won't be many available. We're picking 12th in the non-lottery rounds, but have a good chance of picking a bit earlier in the lottery ones. I can't see us top five again, but there will be plenty of exciting players available when our number comes up.