Spring training is right around the corner, but I had a little business on and off the field. Games will begin on Wednesday, and joining the roster is a GWL star that I always thought was FABL quality, but stuck in the rebel league, Clyde Zimmerman. A 5th Round Pick of the Saints, for some reason he lasted just one season, and was cut and quickly released before joining the independent ranks. Eventually, that got him to Oakland, where he spent the last four seasons. He was great in the inaugural GWL season, worth a whopping 6.8 WAR after hitting .287/.365/.417 (132 OPS+) with 390 doubles, 9 triples, 12 homers, 9 steals, and 79 RBIs. In total, he got into 499 games for the Grays, and hit .292/.359/.422 (126 OPS+) with 68 doubles, 16 triples, 55 homers, and 243 RBIs. Now 28, he'll have a chance to earn a bench spot to start the season, but with two options left, I expect him to start in Milwaukee.
More importantly though, after a long wait, I finally got to it! The retrospective of the 1929 draft class! I will have to bounce between these and Spring Training news, but it should be done by Opening Day. Today is all about Tom Barrell, who I drafted four full years ago[/URL] and honestly didn't have too much to say about. A lot of this was because I covered him so frequently during the college season, as it was back when the draft pool actually played against each other. You can read all the initial draft picks by clicking the links at the bottom of the post.
1st Round, 1st Overall: RHP Tom Barrell
School: Georgia Baptist Gators
1932 (CHC/BRK): 10-3, 15 G, 125.2 IP, 2.58 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 24 BB, 68 K, 173 ERA+, 3.6 WAR
1934 (BRK): 29-3, 38 G, 319.1 IP, 2.96 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 68 BB, 189 K, 142 ERA+, 8.4 WAR
1935 (BRK): 22-11, 37 G, 299 IP, 2.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 65 BB, 160 K, 153 ERA+, 7.6 WAR
1936 (BRK): 21-6, SV, 42 G, 306 IP, 3.41 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 55 BB, 158 K, 134 ERA+, 8.1 WAR
1937 (BRK): 12-6, 26 G, 176.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 26 BB, 95 K, 118 ERA+, 4.2 WAR
1944 (CIN): 11-8, 30 G, 166.1 IP, 2.92 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 51 BB, 33 K, 122 ERA+, 1.1 WAR
1945 (CIN): 16-5, 26 G, 188 IP, 3.26 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 66 BB, 53 K, 113 ERA+, 2.7 WAR
Career (BRK): 135-82, SV, 270 G, 2,075.1 IP, 3.72 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 489 BB, 1,055 K, 110 ERA+, 43.6 WAR
Career (CIN): 27-13, 56 G, 354.1 IP, 3.10 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 117 BB, 86 K, 117 ERA+, 3.8 WAR
Career (FABL): 179-111, 6 SV, 409 G, 2,722.2 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 724 BB, 1,257 K, 109 ERA+, 48.9 WAR
There are some people that you just cannot tell the story of baseball without them. Tom Barrell is one of those players.
Ever since he stepped foot on the Georgia Baptist Campus, it was obvious Tom was going to be a star. And I'll be honest, when I drafted him, I really thought he was going to the Hall-of-Fame on the first ballot. Instead, he got just 20% of the votes, and I'm not sure how much more he can get then that. Even with three 20-win seasons, 299-inning seasons, and Allen Awards, Tom had a three season peak that was sandwiched by inconsistency and injury. That held him to 179 wins, 2,722.2 innings, and a somewhat pedestrian 3.68 ERA (109 ERA+), despite having a peak that was higher then almost anyone. But let's start from the beginning:
Tom spent a full four seasons at Georgia Baptist, and he pretty much improved each season. As a freshman, he was 7-1 with a 2.78 ERA (164 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP with 23 walks and 100 strikeouts in 90.2 innings pitched. That was the lone season he got to throw to Fred, although he did plenty of that later in his career, but perhaps as the only Barrell he was able to fully shine. As a sophomore, he pitched a collegiate high 123 innings, making 15 starts and 4 relief outings, finishing 10-3 with a save, 3.07 ERA (166 ERA+) and 1.11 WHIP with 135 strikeouts to just 21 walks. That equates to a stellar 4.2 BB% and 27.2 K% and a personal best 6.3 K/BB. That's why his 3.27 FIP (63 FIP-) was even better then the 3.46 (75 FIP-) from the season before, so its no surprise he took a huge leap forward next.
He went 17-4 in his next two seasons, posting microscopic ERAs of 2.16 (188 ERA+) and 2.10 (220 ERA+) with matchup 0.92 and 0.80 WHIPs. He struck out 254 hitters while walking just 46 in 211.1 innings as an upperclassmen. Even crazier, his FIPs were 2.64 (64 FIP-) and 1.97 (42 FIP-), as he allowed just eight homers in that time. Tom wrapped up his college career 34-8 with a 2.54 ERA (182 ERA+), and he even had a 263/.342/.539 (131 OPS+) triple slash. He played a little first base, hitting 26 homers and 86 RBIs in 398 trips to the plate. Obviously the pitching was better, as its hard to top a 0.97 WHIP, 2.83 FIP (61 FIP-), and 489 strikeouts in 425 innings pitched. With numbers so impressive, it was a foregone conclusion he would be the first overall pick.
That came in 1929, which was the first and only time the Cougars have made the first selection of the Amateur Draft. I tried to move Barrell up the ladder quickly, as he started in Lincoln and had a strong 16 start sample. He went 9-6 with a 2.68 ERA (152 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP through 110.2 innings, striking out 114 while walking just 23. I was hoping he'd be ready for a promotion, and he got a five start audition, but the 22-year-old allowed 36 hits, 24 earned runs, and 16 walks with 12 strikeouts in 33.1 innings pitched. He started the next season in Mobile, but had to leave his start with an injury while a single out away from a shutout. That's when the worse case happened, as the young Commodore got the worst news he could hear: his season was over.
Lucky for Tom, the arm seemed fine, and he was up in Milwaukee and steamrolling anyone in his way. He made 11 starts, going 6-1 with a 1.42 ERA (319 ERA+) and 0.82 WHIP with 15 walks and 96 strikeouts. With an injury to Steve Castellini, we needed someone to cover starts, and Tom made three of them. They went well, as he was 2-0 after allowing 20 hits, 8 earned runs, and just 2 walks with 9 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. As good as that was, I for some reason demoted him when Castellini came back, before doing the one thing that everyone hear knows about and probably wonders if it will ever end?
You know... The
trade...
That's all I'll say here, as long story short, the Cougars couldn't finish and Tom went on a 8-3 run with a 2.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 2.8 K/BB (68-to-24) in 101.2 innings. He was obviously more then ready for FABL hitters, and the Kings looked like big winners right off the back.
Of course, that wasn't quite the case, as the young Barrell took a big step back in his first year as a starter, while a certain someone took home the 1933 Allen after a certain team blew a 2-0 lead in the WCS. Tom went 13-16 in his 32 starts, working to a 3.86 ERA (93 ERA+) and 4.01 FIP (111 FIP-) with a 1.38 WHIP in 247.1 innings pitched. He led the league with 22 home runs allowed, something he never did again, and ironically it was the first of many major categories he led his association in.
Wise readers know that that's not anywhere close to the way the story end, as 1934 began the start of the dominant and succinct Tom Barrell Era that made Brooklyn fans believe in the Kings for the first time in a while.
I wish I could remember 1934 as just that, and just for today I think I can manage. The runaway Allen Winner, Tom led the Continental Association in wins (29), starts (38), innings (319.1), strikeouts (189), WHIP (1.06), K/BB (2.8), FIP- (77), and WAR (8.4), with an outstanding 2.96 ERA (142 ERA+) and similar 3.26 FIP. As you might expect, he was an All-Star that season, the first of a run of three consecutive. Barrell followed up his dominant '34 season with a just as impressive '35 season. This time, the then 27-year-old led the CA with a 2.86 ERA (153 ERA+), to go with league leads in WHIP (1.14), strikeouts (160), FIP- (78), and WAR (7.6). The now two-time Allen Winner finished his season 22-11, coming an inning short of 300. As good as that was, it just wasn't quite enough, as for the second straight season the Kings came a game short of the pennant.
Tom wouldn't let that happen again, making an association high 39 starts in an association high 306 innings, though the association high 21 wins is a little less impressive considering he shared it with Cuck Cole (21-11, 4.33, 123) and former Cougar draftee Dean Astle (21-15, 2, 3.59, 90). But with the Kings finally getting over the hump and securing their long awaited Continental Association pennant, so the Allen Award seemed like a lock. After all, he had a 3.41 ERA (134 ERA+) and 3.50 FIP (76 FIP-), and the FIP-, WAR (8.1), and WHIP (1.16). And not only did he strike out a league high 158 batters, his 2.9 K/BB was almost a full strikeout (0.9; 2.0) higher then one of the craziest trio of pitchers you'd ever see for a K/BB leaderboard: longtime Miners ace and current Gotham Lefty Allen (17-11. 3.46, 122), who was just 22 and in his rookie season, the oft-injured Venezuelan David Abalo (17-10, 4.45, 117) who was 22 and in his third season with the Pioneers, and an often forgot about Jake Smith (13-13, 1, 4.31, 67), who may be best known for being part of the package that brought Fred McCormick to the Wolves a few seasons later.
One of the three Barrell brothers on the Kings, Tom took the mound for the first time in the postseason against the Chicago Chiefs, but it happened to be game one against Hall-of-Famer Rabbit Day (25-3, 2, 2.41, 156), who held the Kings to one run in a complete game victory. Tom didn't pitch well, allowing 8 runs, but considering half of those were unearned, its hard to be too mad. He allowed 7 hits, but just 1 walk with 6 strikeouts. Unfortunately, the Kings looked overmatched all series, and with elimination already on the line, he made the start in game four. and while he gave it his all, he only got two runs of support. That would have been enough, had the Kings not made three errors, as only one of his three runs were earned. Tom walked three and struck out five, but the big blunder came when opposing starter Ron Coles (15-5, 1, 3.82, 84) hit a surprising home run in the third that gave them a 1-0 lead they'd hold the rest of the day.
The embarrassing sweep put a chip on Tom's shoulder, and even today as a manager I don't think it left. He pushed himself too hard, with a strained hamstring interrupting his season, leaving him with just 26 appearances (23 starts) and 176.1 innings. While not as dominant as he has been in year past, he did manage to accumulate a 4.2 WAR with a 3.42 ERA (118 ERA+), 3.25 FIP (80 FIP-), and 1.21 WHIP. He struck out 95 and walked just 26, leading to a league high 3.7 K/BB. Again, the Kings took home the Continental Association pennant, but it took a game 145 to make it happen. You can thank another Cougar for that one, as Mike Murphy twirled a 4-hit shutout in a commanding 8-0 win. This allowed them to take on the Pittsburgh Miners, which meant that one of the league's longest droughts would be broken. The Kings had never won a World Championship Series, with their only past titles in the Border Association in 1889 and 1891, while the Miners hadn't won since 1901 as they did what the Bills couldn't do, and win a title after failing three years in a row.
This year it was not Tom on the mound in game one, but that made sense considering the Kings had the eventual Allen winner in Joe Shaffner (20-4, 2.32, 69) who more then filled in for Barrell atop the Kings rotation. But like him last year, Shaffner dropped the opener, leaving Tom on the mound for game two. Despite an early run in the first, the Kings failed to score runs for their reigning Allen winner. Or at least until the 8th, where they thrashed Lou "Cougar" Ellertson (13-4, 10, 3.46, 59) for seven runs. Tom was allowed to come back for the 8th, and he had no issues, leaving with 7 hits, 3 runs, and 4 strikeouts before Chicagoan Bob Cummings (2-6, 5.42, 54) finished off the ninth.
The Kings continued to roll, as trade-mate Mike Murphy (17-12, 3.52, 60) won game three and Joe Shaffner fought back with a 3-hit, 5-strikeout shutout to put the Kings and the former #1 pick a win away from history. The Miners jumped on Tom early, but the Kings battled back with four in the first and held a 6-2 lead through seven. Unfortunately, that's when things got real for the Miners, who got two in the 8th and chase Tom out with two outs, and a grand total of 8 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. That brought in FABL save leader Del Lyons (10-7, 20, 2.37, 41), who survived a pair of baserunners to capture the Kings first ever World Championship series.
The Kings did well to defend their title, capturing a third consecutive pennant, outlasting the Toronto Wolves by two games to repeat their title. Tom wasn't really a factor, but you can blame bad luck for that. Despite a CA best 81 FIP-, Tom was just 13-14 with a 4.33 ERA (91 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP. The walk and strikeout numbers were still good enough to continue leading the CA, with a 2.4 from 129 strikeouts and 54 walks. The Kings definitely recognized that Barrell was far better then what the numbers said, lining him up to face Rabbit Day (26-7, 3, 3.06, 120) -- the same guy who flexed on Tom two seasons prior. The vet rose the occasion, allowing just 4 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts with 11 strikeouts in the 4-1 complete game win. The Kings split the next two games, and the aggressive Powell Slocum brought him out for game four. Again, the Kings ace impressed, tossing 7.2 innings with 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. They needed just one more win, but recent Hall-of-Fame inductee Jim Lonardo (25-7, 1, 2.68, 81) and current Chief ace Al Miller (15-12, 1, 3.72, 140), who could end up there with him one day, were able to force a game seven.
Once more, it was Barrell vs. Day, but it was the game that nobody expected. Day didn't come out for the fourth, as he already allowed 8 hits and 5 runs, while despite 6 strikeouts Tom Barrell was chased out with two outs in the fourth, leaving with 6 runs, 4 hits, and 3 walks. The two teams traded runs through the sixth, where the Chiefs were holding on to a 11-10 lead. From that point on, Red Hampton (4-6, 3, 5.60, 24) and Joe Shaffner (16-14, 3.68, 85) traded zeros the rest of way, once again doing what the Chicago Cougars fail to do: close out a season.
As you might expect, Tom took the loss rather hard, and again his body paid the price. He tore his rotator cuff the following July, ending his season with 109.1 unlucky innings. His ERA+ (87) and FIP- (86) were almost identical, as his 4.94 ERA was over a full run higher then his 3.71 WHIP. But the strikeouts were down, as his 10.1 K% was a career low, and it came with a 5.6 BB% that was his highest since his sophomore slump. If he stays healthy, there's always the chance he rights the ship, with positive regression seemingly forthcoming. Instead, it seemed to be a cliff for the 31-year-old, one that it looked like he may never dig himself out of.
When Tom came back for the 1940 season, he was a shell of himself, throwing slower and the stuff just wasn't sharp. His walk rate jumped to 7.1 and his K% fell to 8.3, the first time he failed to strike out at least 10% of the batters he faced. He finished just 10-17, with an awful 5.50 ERA (73 ERA+) in 250.1 innings pitched. He did have a more respectable 4.48 FIP (111 FIP-), but that was still more then 10% below average, and his 1.55 WHIP was a career high. With his struggles, the team struggled too, and the Kings made the surprising move to part with one of their Barrell's that offseason. Tom was shipped off to the Miners for Gene Zavala and a 4th Round Pick, as the team Tom once bested in the postseason now wants to employ him in their rotation. The overall results weren't great, but he went 11-9 and started 22 of his 28 appearances, working to a 4.24 ERA (95 ERA+) and 1.47 WHIP, but he walked 65 with 71 strikeouts.
In 1942, the three-time Allen Winner didn't look great in camp, and ended up leaving early with back stiffness. He dealt with a strained abdominal muscle later, and when he returned to Pittsburgh, he was used strictly out of the pen. It couldn't have gone much worse, as the 34-year-old worked to a 4.88 ERA (73 ERA+) and 1.63 WHIP, and for the first time in his long career, walked (18) more hitters then he struck out (15). He threw 31.1 innings across 21 appearances, but aside from the return to double digit strikeout percentage (10.4), but as the war out east continued to drain the FABL ranks, there was still a roster spot for Tom in 1943.
That ended up his last season with the Miners, and he took a more prominent role in the pen. He threw 59.1 innings in 31 appearances, going 2-4 with a 3.79 ERA (95 ERA+) and 1.45 WHIP, although his 33-to-21 walk-to-strikeout ratio was beginning to be unplayable. Still, Barrell was back in camp for the Miners in '44, and right around Opening Day they sent him to Cincinnati for longtime Forester Moxie Pidgeon, who was on the ballot with Barrell for the hall this offseason.
Now 36, Tom functioned as a swingman, and actually made 17 starts with just 13 relief outings after 50+ consecutive outings in the pen. Rather surprisingly, he looked like a FABL pitcher once again, helping the Cannons secure their first pennant since they were in Baltimore back in 1914. Tom went 11-8, with an impressive 2.92 ERA (122 ERA+) that was not backed by his FIP (3.92, 109) or K/BB (0.6; 33/51). Still, he made his 8th and final playoff start that year, picking up a win with 10 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings pitched. The Cannons ended up winning the series, making the grizzled vet a two-time champion, but he wanted to run it back once more. Barrell broke camp as a 37-year-old starter, and started 23 of his 26 appearances. He pitched so well, that he was even named an All-Star, finishing the year 16-5 with a 3.26 ERA (113 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP, though he couldn't pitch in the Cannons title defense as he strained his hamstring in September and was not healthy for the postseason. The Cannons needed him, as the Keystones got revenge and prevented the threepeat. With players starting to trickle back from the war, and then the official end in Japan, Tom realized that his time was up, hanging up the cleats at the start of the offseason.
This ended his playing career, as Tom finished 179-111 with a 3.68 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 724 walks, and 1,257 strikeouts, but the 37-year-old was not done with baseball. He decided to take a position with the team he spent so much time with, as the Brooklyn Kings named him their manager for the 1946 season. Coming off a 61-93 season, growing pains were expected, but Tom did manage to increase the team's win total by two. The young Kings were much better in Barrell's sophomore season, the opposite of his playing career, as a team led by young Ralph Johnson (.318, 25, 108) and supported by John Moss (.270, 8, 79), Buddy Long (20-11, 3.41, 82), and Johnny Slaney (16-12, 3.13, 82) finished 82-72, good for third and just four out in a contested Continental Association.
It looked like the start of the new era of Kings, but the young squad believed they were not quite ready to compete, and continued their youth movement. This resulted in back-to-back 72-82 seasons, finishing 6th and 5th, but they have an enviable young core that should allow Barrell to contend in the 1950 season. It will be his fifth with the team, though he recently signed an extension that keeps him under contract through 1951.
As a baseball lifer, he has an advantage for the hall even if he falls off the ballot as a player, as a strong managerial career could sway the veterans committee a decade or more from now. The Brooklyn kid has really done it all, but there's always going to be the chorus of "what-ifs" when you think about the recently turned 42-year-old Barrell. A third championship would silence some of the critics who point to his missed potential, but he's done the incredible. Three Allen Awards, let alone three in a row, is a huge accomplishment, and he was worth nearly 50 wins above replacement in his FABL career. No pitcher from his draft class was worth more, with just position players Mel Carrol (72.84, still active), Chick Donnelly (55.37), and George Dawson (53.79) ahead of him. Even in a draft redo, I can't imagine Barrell gong anything but first.
You just hope the GM that ends up with him decides not to trade him...
Old Draft Writeups
Tom Barrell
Rounds 2-5
Rounds 6-25