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ayaghmour2 · 04-09-2024, 09:03 PM

3rd Round, 42nd Overall: RHP Bill Ross
School: Providence HS Hawks
1936 (MON): 12-14, 31 G, 237 IP, 4.18 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 63 BB, 82 K, 109 ERA+, 2.7 WAR
1941 (MON): 9-16, 2 SV, 38 G, 218.2 IP, 4.12 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 40 BB, 75 K, 96 ERA+, 2.6 WAR
1943 (MON): 13-8, 31 G, 239 IP, 2.52 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 49 BB, 66 K, 134 ERA+, 4.2 WAR
1944 (MON): 14-11, 32 G, 238.2 IP, 3.85 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 40 BB, 61 K, 94 ERA+, 3.9 WAR
Career (MON): 94-118, 2 SV, 317 G, 2.015.2 IP, 4.12 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 420 BB, 647 K, 19.6 WAR
Career (FABL): 97-120, 2 SV, 332 G, 2,073 IP, 4.14 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 431 BB, 666 K, 94 ERA+, 19.9 WAR

Only two pitchers from the 1930 draft finished their career with more then 15 FABL WAR. Bill Ross was one of them.

A veteran of thirteen years, I was always enamored with Ross' command, so it's no surprise he received multiple entrants to the league's top 100 list before his big league debut. He didn't start there, but once he was named the 87th ranked prospect on Opening Day in 1932, and responded with a 3.41 ERA (121 ERA+), 3.55 FIP (85 FIP-), and 119 strikeouts that did not deserve the 3-12 record that came with it. He stayed on those list until his eligibility was lost, but that came after the end of his Cougar career. He spent three and a half seasons with us before the ill-fated Joe Masters/Dave Rankin trade sent Ross and eight others to the Chiefs in a 100% panic move as we weren't playing well and I wanted to defend our pennant with more then a .500 showing.

Ross then made four starts for the Class A Cedar Rapids Chiefs before an elbow injury ended his season in July. While this was his most severe injury until an eventual torn labrum last year, Ross dealt with injuries throughout his career, though this one seemed to not impact him much talent wise. The Chiefs stuck him in AA for 1935, and the 22-year-old went 4-2 with a 3.94 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP in a strong 12 start sample. What stood out was the 2.8 BB%, as he walked just 9 hitters while striking out 41 in 77.2 innings pitched. Always aggressive with promotions, the Chiefs noticed the impressive command, and challenged him with a promotion to AAA Fort Worth. Our former third rounder met the challenge and then some, working to an elite 2.86 ERA (185 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, and 4.5 K/BB in 85 innings pitched. I know this looks great as is, but the Century League had a very high scoring year, so a 4.10 FIP (77 FIP-) is still over 20% average. For comparison, team innings leader and longtime Wolf Bob Walls had a 4.35 ERA, and that was still 22 percent better then the adjusted league average pitcher.

Again, the Chiefs were aggressive with his promotion, and Ross finished the season in their rotation, giving the south siders six solid starts. The top 100 prospect looked like a rotation mainstay already, going 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP in 46 innings. Even Fed hitters couldn't work him for many walks, as Ross allowed just six free passes. He struck out 17, but what hurt him was the seven home runs that inflated his ERA. Chiefs stadium is as homer friendly as ours, and I know all too well how easy it is for young pitchers to give up longballs here, and perhaps the Chiefs were worried about that too. They sent him and trade mate Red Moore (6th Round, 1932) to the Saints in a deal that should/could net the Chiefs a Hall-of-Famer in Tom Bird.

For Ross though, the deal was probably a good thing, as he got to move to the spacious Parc Cartier where there was a rotation spot ready and waiting for him. The 23-year-old had an excellent go through the Saints rotation, going 12-14 with a 4.18 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts. He did walk 63 batters, though in 237 innings that equates to a more then respectable 6.0 BB% that led qualified pitchers on his staff. Ross was evened named an All-Star that season, a rare accomplishment for a pitcher of his age.

He made himself at home in Montreal, starting 25 or more games in seven of the next eight season. His best season came in 1943, where he finished 13-8 with a 2.52 ERA (134 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP. It was his sixth season with a K/BB above 1.5, and he set a personal best with 4.2 wins above replacement. Ross earned his second All-Star nod that year as well, and that 2.52 ERA is the lowest for a Saint in a single season since the human era began.

Like many ballplayers, Ross missed some time serving his country, as he spent 1945 in the Navy. When he returned he wasn't quite the same, and ended up demoted to the bullpen in 1936. Just 11 of his 26 appearances were starts, and he had a poor 4.23 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 112.2 innings pitched. His formerly stellar command disappeared, and in stints of this long or more, his 7.3 BB% would be a career worst. Granted, he still struck out (38) two more hitters then he walked (36), keeping that streak alive in Montreal. Ross pitched one more season with the Saints, making 28 appearances, but they left him off the Opening Day roster for 1948. He finished his Saints career 94-118, ranked tenth in Saints history for wins. He's also six in BB/9 (1.9), starts (264), and innings (2,015.2) and tenth in strikeouts (647). While not quite an ace, he was a reliable and consistent pitcher who gave you good innings, even if he was somewhat susceptive to the longball.

It's impressive to lead the league in homers three times as a member of the Saints!

Ross did not go unclaimed, as he was picked up by the Miners to fill their pen. It didn't go well, as Ross allowed 22 hits, 10 runs, 2 homers, and 5 walks in just 11.1 innings, and was cut before June ended. He spent a few months as a free agent, but he came back to the Cougars and threw an inning in September. He was back, though down in Lincoln for 1949, and left his first and only appearance with a torn labrum. That ended his season then, but he stuck around until this year's Opening Day when he was one of the final roster casualties.

Much to my surprise, the Des Moines Bears snapped him up, and he has a week left in his season. Ross has made 26 starts, 8-10 with a 3.74 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP. He's back to walking (21) far more batters then he strikes out (70), and he's managed 5 WAR and a 2.72 FIP (71 FIP-) through 171 innings. I'm curious to see if he sticks around for 1951, but it's safe to stay that his FABL career is over. Especially in terms of this class, Ross was a huge success, and the clear most valuable member of our 1930 class. I hit it on the head with his writeup, great control, middling pitches, and he turned into a solid back-of-the rotation arm. I definitely expected more then that, but the stuff was just a tad too hittable, and better hitters could punish him. Even then, he always battled back, and did what he could to give his team a chance to win. It's just too bad it was with past Saints teams, and not a lineup like the one we're stuck facing currently and in the future.

4th Round, 58th Overall: LF Bill Alexander
School: St. Pancras Lions
Career (AA): .281/.330/.386, 204 G, 644 PA, 34 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 92 RBI, 8 SB, 93 WRC+, 2.7 WAR
Career (A): .272/.333/.414, 629 G, 2,089 PA, 80 2B, 21 3B, 48 HR, 246 RBI, 56 SB, 101 WRC+, 8.0 WAR

A center fielder in his three seasons at St. Pancras, Bill Alexander played a lot of left field both in and outside the organization, though he made more then a handful of starts in center and right. Never one of our highest touted prospects, he did get a chance to pave a career for himself. In year one, he hit decent in Lincoln, but the 22-year-old hit a pitiful .192/.249/.281 (48 OPS+) in 520 trips to the plate with San Jose. He did swipe 16 bases, but he was caught 13 times, adding 13 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, and 40 RBIs while striking out 146 times in 126 games.

Alexander posted below average offensive numbers in full seasons with Lincoln (136 G, 72 WRC+) and Mobile (138, 94 WRC+), giving him three seasons as an everyday player. That's when it ended, at least in his Cougar career, as he made just 28 starts across three levels in three seasons. Alexander was cut mid-August of the 1937 season, and he spent a few weeks as a free agent before joining the Tulsa Roughnecks.

He made 12 appearances down the stretch, but then started 60 or more games in each of the next four seasons. He looked best in 1939, where he hit .330/.413/.481 (140 OPS+) in 395 trips to the plate. In 103 games he totaled 16 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, 14 steals, and 59 RBIs. and his 3.5 WAR that season was larger then the rest of his Roughneck career combined. In total, the 4th Rounder hit .288/.352/.423 in 424 games for the independent club, knocking 63 doubles, 18 triples, and 25 homers with 28 steals, 125 walks, 182 runs, and 168 RBIs. Tulsa cut him in December of 1941, and while he did return to our organization for three months of the offseason, he was cut before the 1942 minor league season started, and retired after receiving no offers during the season.

5th Round, 70th Overall: RHP Fred Collins
School: Henry Hudson Explorers
Career (AAA): 15-25, 2 SV, 66 G, 383.2 IP, 4.81 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 124 BB, 151 K, 92 ERA+, 2.9 WAR
Career (A): 14-28, 3 SV, 73 G, 406 IP, 4.43 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 104 BB, 194 K, 96 ERA+, 5.6 WAR

Our first of two fifth rounders, Fred Collins was acquired with the second of two picks received for Heinie Bretz, the other being Mel Leonard in the second round. Unlike Leonard, Collins never cracked a big league staff despite a very strong start to his minor league career. It was just six starts, but in 1931 he had a 1.71 ERA (220 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and just 8 walks. He followed that up with 9 more the following season, this time 2.12 (200 ERA+), 1.06, 9 and, 66. Clearly ready for a promotion, he again dominated in San Jose, going 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA (199 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 7 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 8 more.

Unfortunately for Collins, things got tougher in A ball, where his final 9 starts came. It was just average, as even though he was 1-4, his 3.86 ERA (101 ERA+) was slightly above average, and he struck out 48 with 17 walks in 58.1 innings. He then spent all of the 1933 season there. The 6-10 record looks worse then it is, as his 3.86 ERA (105 ERA+) and 3.66 FIP (90 FIP-) are both above average. The issue was the drop in strikeouts, as after K% of 18.8 or higher, it was cut to just 7.2 in 140 innings. This signaled the symbolic end for Collins, as what made him so successful early was how many batters he could set down without running victim to free passes.

He did spend two more seasons in the rotation, with a majority of his outings coming in Mobile, but he was demoted both to the pen and Lincoln for the 1936 season. He pitched well, back to miniscule ERA's (1.27, 338), but it came in just 21.1 innings. He was cut before 1937, and then bounced around the independent circuit. From 1937 to 1939, he made stops at Pueblo (A), Richmond (AAA), and Sacramento (AAA) before calling it quits. He spent a lot of time in Sacramento's rotation, going 15-22 in 29 starts and one relief outing. He did give the Governors decent innings, but he had ERA+ of 92 and 94, and was cut following the 1939 season. Interesting enough, Collins waited all of 1940, 1941, and 1942 before finally calling it quits at 33.

5th Round, 74th Overall: RHP Billy LeBeau
School: Boulder State Grizzlies
Career (AAA): 15-12, 23 SV, 225.2 IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 59 BB, 69 K, 104 ERA+, 1.9 WAR
Career (A): 29-27, 25 SV, 442.2 IP, 3.48 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 88 BB, 125 K, 119 ERA+, 6.6 WAR

After Bill's in the third and fourth round, we added a Billy with our 5th, obtaining what ended up being the definition of an organizational player. Billy LeBeau spent fifteen seasons in our system, making all five of the usual stops. Initially a starter, LeBeau started his first 66 appearances, but the next 298 games came as a reliever. Unfortunately for him, his best work came as a starter, especially his time with the San Jose Cougars. Split between two seasons, LeBeau was an unlucky 6-10, working to a 2.76 ERA (150 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP with an excellent 102-to-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 150 innings pitched.

After that, he somewhat stalled out in Lincoln spending parts of three seasons with the Legislators before earning a promotion to AA. When he got it, it was a relief spot, and he never pitched well enough to make his way into the rotation. It was just 19.1 innings, but he allowed 23 hits, 13 runs, and 10 walks with 6 strikeouts. He then pitched sparingly with the Blues and Commodores in 1934, but the 1935 season was the first real chance for LeBeau to showcase his stuff. He pitched 102.2 innings that season, with 85 of them coming with the Blues. As bad as a 5.08 ERA (108 ERA+) looks, it was slightly above average in the Century League, and he did finish 5-3 with 10 saves. The 6.08 FIP (114 FIP-) painted a gloomier pitcher, as he walked and struck out 23, and 13 balls left the yard when he was on the bound.

Home run issues were actually a rare occurrence for LeBeau, who allowed just 9 homers the rest of the career, including five stints of 40+ innings and a sixth one away at 39. That came in his last year in the organization, as even at 35 he was a member of the 1944 Century League Champion Milwaukee Blues. He had a 3.00 ERA (119 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP, as not a single batter that faced him managed to clear the fences. Satisfied with his title, LeBeau decided to call it quits, as we probably would have let him stick around for the 1945 season had he wanted. He gave us 991 innings, decent mileage from a 5th Rounder, as for every Jack Elder, Chink Stickels, and Dave Rankin there's an avalanche of guys out of the game by 30. I wish I rewarded LeBeau with a cup of coffee for his service, but I try not to pad my stats, and he was never quite good enough to earn a spot on merit.

04-09-2024, 09:03 PM	#1392
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,033	A Look Back at the 1930 Draft: Part 2 3rd Round, 42nd Overall: RHP Bill Ross School: Providence HS Hawks 1936 (MON): 12-14, 31 G, 237 IP, 4.18 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 63 BB, 82 K, 109 ERA+, 2.7 WAR 1941 (MON): 9-16, 2 SV, 38 G, 218.2 IP, 4.12 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 40 BB, 75 K, 96 ERA+, 2.6 WAR 1943 (MON): 13-8, 31 G, 239 IP, 2.52 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 49 BB, 66 K, 134 ERA+, 4.2 WAR 1944 (MON): 14-11, 32 G, 238.2 IP, 3.85 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 40 BB, 61 K, 94 ERA+, 3.9 WAR Career (MON): 94-118, 2 SV, 317 G, 2.015.2 IP, 4.12 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 420 BB, 647 K, 19.6 WAR Career (FABL): 97-120, 2 SV, 332 G, 2,073 IP, 4.14 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 431 BB, 666 K, 94 ERA+, 19.9 WAR Only two pitchers from the 1930 draft finished their career with more then 15 FABL WAR. Bill Ross was one of them. A veteran of thirteen years, I was always enamored with Ross' command, so it's no surprise he received multiple entrants to the league's top 100 list before his big league debut. He didn't start there, but once he was named the 87th ranked prospect on Opening Day in 1932, and responded with a 3.41 ERA (121 ERA+), 3.55 FIP (85 FIP-), and 119 strikeouts that did not deserve the 3-12 record that came with it. He stayed on those list until his eligibility was lost, but that came after the end of his Cougar career. He spent three and a half seasons with us before the ill-fated Joe Masters/Dave Rankin trade sent Ross and eight others to the Chiefs in a 100% panic move as we weren't playing well and I wanted to defend our pennant with more then a .500 showing. Ross then made four starts for the Class A Cedar Rapids Chiefs before an elbow injury ended his season in July. While this was his most severe injury until an eventual torn labrum last year, Ross dealt with injuries throughout his career, though this one seemed to not impact him much talent wise. The Chiefs stuck him in AA for 1935, and the 22-year-old went 4-2 with a 3.94 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP in a strong 12 start sample. What stood out was the 2.8 BB%, as he walked just 9 hitters while striking out 41 in 77.2 innings pitched. Always aggressive with promotions, the Chiefs noticed the impressive command, and challenged him with a promotion to AAA Fort Worth. Our former third rounder met the challenge and then some, working to an elite 2.86 ERA (185 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, and 4.5 K/BB in 85 innings pitched. I know this looks great as is, but the Century League had a very high scoring year, so a 4.10 FIP (77 FIP-) is still over 20% average. For comparison, team innings leader and longtime Wolf Bob Walls had a 4.35 ERA, and that was still 22 percent better then the adjusted league average pitcher. Again, the Chiefs were aggressive with his promotion, and Ross finished the season in their rotation, giving the south siders six solid starts. The top 100 prospect looked like a rotation mainstay already, going 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA (111 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP in 46 innings. Even Fed hitters couldn't work him for many walks, as Ross allowed just six free passes. He struck out 17, but what hurt him was the seven home runs that inflated his ERA. Chiefs stadium is as homer friendly as ours, and I know all too well how easy it is for young pitchers to give up longballs here, and perhaps the Chiefs were worried about that too. They sent him and trade mate Red Moore (6th Round, 1932) to the Saints in a deal that should/could net the Chiefs a Hall-of-Famer in Tom Bird. For Ross though, the deal was probably a good thing, as he got to move to the spacious Parc Cartier where there was a rotation spot ready and waiting for him. The 23-year-old had an excellent go through the Saints rotation, going 12-14 with a 4.18 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts. He did walk 63 batters, though in 237 innings that equates to a more then respectable 6.0 BB% that led qualified pitchers on his staff. Ross was evened named an All-Star that season, a rare accomplishment for a pitcher of his age. He made himself at home in Montreal, starting 25 or more games in seven of the next eight season. His best season came in 1943, where he finished 13-8 with a 2.52 ERA (134 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP. It was his sixth season with a K/BB above 1.5, and he set a personal best with 4.2 wins above replacement. Ross earned his second All-Star nod that year as well, and that 2.52 ERA is the lowest for a Saint in a single season since the human era began. Like many ballplayers, Ross missed some time serving his country, as he spent 1945 in the Navy. When he returned he wasn't quite the same, and ended up demoted to the bullpen in 1936. Just 11 of his 26 appearances were starts, and he had a poor 4.23 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 112.2 innings pitched. His formerly stellar command disappeared, and in stints of this long or more, his 7.3 BB% would be a career worst. Granted, he still struck out (38) two more hitters then he walked (36), keeping that streak alive in Montreal. Ross pitched one more season with the Saints, making 28 appearances, but they left him off the Opening Day roster for 1948. He finished his Saints career 94-118, ranked tenth in Saints history for wins. He's also six in BB/9 (1.9), starts (264), and innings (2,015.2) and tenth in strikeouts (647). While not quite an ace, he was a reliable and consistent pitcher who gave you good innings, even if he was somewhat susceptive to the longball. It's impressive to lead the league in homers three times as a member of the Saints! Ross did not go unclaimed, as he was picked up by the Miners to fill their pen. It didn't go well, as Ross allowed 22 hits, 10 runs, 2 homers, and 5 walks in just 11.1 innings, and was cut before June ended. He spent a few months as a free agent, but he came back to the Cougars and threw an inning in September. He was back, though down in Lincoln for 1949, and left his first and only appearance with a torn labrum. That ended his season then, but he stuck around until this year's Opening Day when he was one of the final roster casualties. Much to my surprise, the Des Moines Bears snapped him up, and he has a week left in his season. Ross has made 26 starts, 8-10 with a 3.74 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.33 WHIP. He's back to walking (21) far more batters then he strikes out (70), and he's managed 5 WAR and a 2.72 FIP (71 FIP-) through 171 innings. I'm curious to see if he sticks around for 1951, but it's safe to stay that his FABL career is over. Especially in terms of this class, Ross was a huge success, and the clear most valuable member of our 1930 class. I hit it on the head with his writeup, great control, middling pitches, and he turned into a solid back-of-the rotation arm. I definitely expected more then that, but the stuff was just a tad too hittable, and better hitters could punish him. Even then, he always battled back, and did what he could to give his team a chance to win. It's just too bad it was with past Saints teams, and not a lineup like the one we're stuck facing currently and in the future. 4th Round, 58th Overall: LF Bill Alexander School: St. Pancras Lions Career (AA): .281/.330/.386, 204 G, 644 PA, 34 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 92 RBI, 8 SB, 93 WRC+, 2.7 WAR Career (A): .272/.333/.414, 629 G, 2,089 PA, 80 2B, 21 3B, 48 HR, 246 RBI, 56 SB, 101 WRC+, 8.0 WAR A center fielder in his three seasons at St. Pancras, Bill Alexander played a lot of left field both in and outside the organization, though he made more then a handful of starts in center and right. Never one of our highest touted prospects, he did get a chance to pave a career for himself. In year one, he hit decent in Lincoln, but the 22-year-old hit a pitiful .192/.249/.281 (48 OPS+) in 520 trips to the plate with San Jose. He did swipe 16 bases, but he was caught 13 times, adding 13 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, and 40 RBIs while striking out 146 times in 126 games. Alexander posted below average offensive numbers in full seasons with Lincoln (136 G, 72 WRC+) and Mobile (138, 94 WRC+), giving him three seasons as an everyday player. That's when it ended, at least in his Cougar career, as he made just 28 starts across three levels in three seasons. Alexander was cut mid-August of the 1937 season, and he spent a few weeks as a free agent before joining the Tulsa Roughnecks. He made 12 appearances down the stretch, but then started 60 or more games in each of the next four seasons. He looked best in 1939, where he hit .330/.413/.481 (140 OPS+) in 395 trips to the plate. In 103 games he totaled 16 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, 14 steals, and 59 RBIs. and his 3.5 WAR that season was larger then the rest of his Roughneck career combined. In total, the 4th Rounder hit .288/.352/.423 in 424 games for the independent club, knocking 63 doubles, 18 triples, and 25 homers with 28 steals, 125 walks, 182 runs, and 168 RBIs. Tulsa cut him in December of 1941, and while he did return to our organization for three months of the offseason, he was cut before the 1942 minor league season started, and retired after receiving no offers during the season. 5th Round, 70th Overall: RHP Fred Collins School: Henry Hudson Explorers Career (AAA): 15-25, 2 SV, 66 G, 383.2 IP, 4.81 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 124 BB, 151 K, 92 ERA+, 2.9 WAR Career (A): 14-28, 3 SV, 73 G, 406 IP, 4.43 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 104 BB, 194 K, 96 ERA+, 5.6 WAR Our first of two fifth rounders, Fred Collins was acquired with the second of two picks received for Heinie Bretz, the other being Mel Leonard in the second round. Unlike Leonard, Collins never cracked a big league staff despite a very strong start to his minor league career. It was just six starts, but in 1931 he had a 1.71 ERA (220 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and just 8 walks. He followed that up with 9 more the following season, this time 2.12 (200 ERA+), 1.06, 9 and, 66. Clearly ready for a promotion, he again dominated in San Jose, going 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA (199 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 7 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 8 more. Unfortunately for Collins, things got tougher in A ball, where his final 9 starts came. It was just average, as even though he was 1-4, his 3.86 ERA (101 ERA+) was slightly above average, and he struck out 48 with 17 walks in 58.1 innings. He then spent all of the 1933 season there. The 6-10 record looks worse then it is, as his 3.86 ERA (105 ERA+) and 3.66 FIP (90 FIP-) are both above average. The issue was the drop in strikeouts, as after K% of 18.8 or higher, it was cut to just 7.2 in 140 innings. This signaled the symbolic end for Collins, as what made him so successful early was how many batters he could set down without running victim to free passes. He did spend two more seasons in the rotation, with a majority of his outings coming in Mobile, but he was demoted both to the pen and Lincoln for the 1936 season. He pitched well, back to miniscule ERA's (1.27, 338), but it came in just 21.1 innings. He was cut before 1937, and then bounced around the independent circuit. From 1937 to 1939, he made stops at Pueblo (A), Richmond (AAA), and Sacramento (AAA) before calling it quits. He spent a lot of time in Sacramento's rotation, going 15-22 in 29 starts and one relief outing. He did give the Governors decent innings, but he had ERA+ of 92 and 94, and was cut following the 1939 season. Interesting enough, Collins waited all of 1940, 1941, and 1942 before finally calling it quits at 33. 5th Round, 74th Overall: RHP Billy LeBeau School: Boulder State Grizzlies Career (AAA): 15-12, 23 SV, 225.2 IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 59 BB, 69 K, 104 ERA+, 1.9 WAR Career (A): 29-27, 25 SV, 442.2 IP, 3.48 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 88 BB, 125 K, 119 ERA+, 6.6 WAR After Bill's in the third and fourth round, we added a Billy with our 5th, obtaining what ended up being the definition of an organizational player. Billy LeBeau spent fifteen seasons in our system, making all five of the usual stops. Initially a starter, LeBeau started his first 66 appearances, but the next 298 games came as a reliever. Unfortunately for him, his best work came as a starter, especially his time with the San Jose Cougars. Split between two seasons, LeBeau was an unlucky 6-10, working to a 2.76 ERA (150 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP with an excellent 102-to-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 150 innings pitched. After that, he somewhat stalled out in Lincoln spending parts of three seasons with the Legislators before earning a promotion to AA. When he got it, it was a relief spot, and he never pitched well enough to make his way into the rotation. It was just 19.1 innings, but he allowed 23 hits, 13 runs, and 10 walks with 6 strikeouts. He then pitched sparingly with the Blues and Commodores in 1934, but the 1935 season was the first real chance for LeBeau to showcase his stuff. He pitched 102.2 innings that season, with 85 of them coming with the Blues. As bad as a 5.08 ERA (108 ERA+) looks, it was slightly above average in the Century League, and he did finish 5-3 with 10 saves. The 6.08 FIP (114 FIP-) painted a gloomier pitcher, as he walked and struck out 23, and 13 balls left the yard when he was on the bound. Home run issues were actually a rare occurrence for LeBeau, who allowed just 9 homers the rest of the career, including five stints of 40+ innings and a sixth one away at 39. That came in his last year in the organization, as even at 35 he was a member of the 1944 Century League Champion Milwaukee Blues. He had a 3.00 ERA (119 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP, as not a single batter that faced him managed to clear the fences. Satisfied with his title, LeBeau decided to call it quits, as we probably would have let him stick around for the 1945 season had he wanted. He gave us 991 innings, decent mileage from a 5th Rounder, as for every Jack Elder, Chink Stickels, and Dave Rankin there's an avalanche of guys out of the game by 30. I wish I rewarded LeBeau with a cup of coffee for his service, but I try not to pad my stats, and he was never quite good enough to earn a spot on merit.