July 23, 1984
I have a trade proposal from Houston: SP Jerry Koosman for SS Craig Reynolds and CF Tracy Dophied.
This isn’t too bad a proposal. I need a shortstop for 1985, and Reynolds (age 31, 44/44) is a pretty good defender (60, +1.1 ZR, 1.032 EFF); plus, Dophied is a decent fourth outfielder type (age 24, 33/33). Plus-plus, it gets me out of the Koosman vesting option issue (he’s at 116 of a necessary 180 IP).
Still, I don’t know. I’d rather a bigger upgrade at shortstop for ‘85. This is a case of a deal that looks decent from the outside, but I know if I were to do it, I’d find myself wondering what the hell to do with Reynolds by next May. Pass.
I decide tonight I’ll start Mike Schmidt. He’s been hitting again. We’ll see how this Cubs series goes.
Game 1984-99: Veterans Stadium - Cubs 11, Phillies 4 / 43-56
Maybe I should trade Koosman after all; he gives up five earned, including a grand slam, in just 4.2 IP. Also, down 9-2 in the sixth but with the bases loaded and one out, Paul Owens keeps Steve Mura in the game to hit. I’m done with him. He’s gone after this season. Six strikes and you’re out.
July 24, 1984
Another trade overnight: Kansas City gets Cleveland RP George Frazier for SP Matt Crouch and 1B Joe Citari. Cleveland gets hosed. Woof.
Game 1984-100: Veterans Stadium - Cubs 7, Phillies 3 / 43-57
We’re starting to come completely undone. It’s tied in the ninth, but we give up four, and easily. Meanwhile, we constantly hit into double plays and fly outs, and make bad errors. It’s just maddening. A shame, too, because Juan Samuel hits two homers in this one.
July 25, 1984
Von Hayes and Juan Samuel are both getting tired; time to give them a rest. As for Schmidt, I’ll give him this last game against the Cubs, but I’m definitely sitting him one, if not two games after the off day. This lineup is fun:
- 3B Schmidt
- LF Diaz
- RF Wilson
- 1B Funderburk
- C Russell
- CF Stegman
- 2B Garcia
- SS de Jesus
- SP Gross
Why am I doing this? Why not.
Game 1984-101: Veterans Stadium - Cubs 18, Phillies 1 / 43-58
Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.
Let’s unpack this: Kevin Gross goes 4 IP and gives up five runs off eight hits. Then Ben Hayes comes in, because sure, and gives up four in two frames. Then comes Don Carman, who of course pitches as bad as he’s ever pitched (2 IP, 3 ER). Finally, Steve Mura allows six runs and records just two outs. My God.
More ridiculous is that we manage just two hits (!) against Jamie Moyer, who now has a 4.26 ERA. Those hits? A home run from Mark Funderburk (ha), and a John Russell single.
Look, I went with a weird lineup (sort of), but 18-1 is just unacceptable. Well, it’s time to do something.
July 26, 1984
It’s our off day. Texas has traded SP Frank Tanana to Cleveland for 3B Brook Jacoby and CF Bernardo Brito, which feels like a steal for the Rangers. And the Royals get RP Dan Spillner and cash from the Indians for SP John Davis. That’s a steal for Kansas City. No wonder Cleveland is in the basement.
Here’s the deal: Things aren’t good right now. We’ve been cratering while transitioning into the team I want to field for 1985. I’d like a new manager before then, but it feels slightly too early to dismiss Owens, though (I don’t know - the clubhouse is happy despite the losing, and we just made a slew of trades); instead, I feel like a coaching dismissal down the latter is a better first step. So I’ll be moving on from current hitting coach Juan Benavides (age 40, inexperienced). The team is hitting .241, dead last in the National League, while the OBP is .305 and 10th. We need to be better.
- MLB Hitting Coach Juan Benavides fired
- AAA Hitting Coach Bobby Hagan promoted to MLB Philadelphia
- AA Hitting Coach Dave Charbonneau promoted to AAA Portland
- Hitting Coach Chris Thomas offered position at AA Reading
As for Owens, I’ll give him another month. Then we’ll see where we’re at.
Meantime, I find out that, after last night’s drubbing, Juan Samuel called a players-only clubhouse meeting. “There are just some things that have been festering for a while that we need to take care of,” said Samuel, the only one to comment on the record about the meeting. This was before I made any moves with the coaching staff. Needless to say, I’m pretty proud of the rookie for stepping up like that. He’s impressing me more and more with each day.
Let’s talk the minors. At
AAA Portland, Bruce Fields is already out to a hot start. He’s in center field instead of left, playing good defense, and hitting two home runs early. Meanwhile, Jeff Stone is hitting .280/.311/.371 with 22 XBH in 380 PA, plus 29 SB and 7 CS. And while he’s been just OK offensively, Steve Jeltz has a +6.8 ZR and 1.058 EFF at SS.
On the mound, Kelly Downs has gone right back to pitching well in Portland, but his movement rating remains a 35. No dice right now. Then there’s SP John Machin (25.2 IP, 0.70 ERA, 18 K, 9 BB), who is just 22 and could be a September callup (I’m leaning no, though, as he needs a healthy and full offseason). And RP Rip Rollins (39 IP, 2.77 ERA, 27 K, 21 BB) has been good, though with a few too many walks. September possibility.
Right now, I have Kenneth Walker, Karl Best, and Chuck Cary each in Portland getting some reps, plus Rollins and 21-year-old standout Rich Gaynor (36.1 IP, 1.98 ERA, 22 K, 18 BB) all in line to reach the majors soon. We’ll see how it sorts out.
At
AA Reading, outfielders Kevin Ward (131 PA, .310/.389/.474, 11 XBH) and Todd Soares (198 PA, .267/.348/.489, 17 XBH) have stepped it up after slow starts, while 3B Chris James (417 PA, .292/.329/.489, 40 XBH, 20 SB, 3 CS) has been good enough to move to AAA Portland around September callups. That might not stick to start 1985, but it’s a good push for him. And top catching prospect Mike LaValliere has 342 PA, and is hitting .255/.371/.381 with 24 XBH. Defensively he needs some work still, with a +0.1 ZR and just a 29.5% CS rate. That’ll be what he needs to work on next year in AAA.
SP Mike Maddux has been fine (131 IP, 4.33 ERA, 80 K, 41 BB) and should get to AAA Portland by 1985, at the latest. The rest of the rotation is meh. In the bullpen, John McLarnan has been effective (33.1 IP, 2.70 ERA, 26 K, 8 BB, 20 SV). He’ll get to Portland before the year is out, and is a candidate to be in the ‘85 bullpen. That’s about it.
A Peninsula’s lineup has been tremendous all season. CF Ramon Sambo has been there the whole time with contact, defense, and speed (439 PA, .319/.383/.375, 12 XBH, 22 SB, 9 CS, +4.2 ZR). Another one to point out: Wilfredo Tejada (321 PA, .318/.340/.457, 26 XBH), who has been at C and DH all season. He’ll start in Reading next season.
My most interesting pitcher here is Steve Witt (109.1 IP, 2.96 ERA, 57 K, 32 BB), who deserves a bump to Reading before 1985; the issue, three of his pitches are sitting at 35, and I’d like one to cross into 40. Just one. Also close is 19-year-old John Powell (97.1 IP, 2.59 ERA, 64 K, 27 BB). He’s young for the league, so I’m a little wary about pushing him yet. RP Tony Evetts (37.1 IP, 3.86 ERA, 32 K, 8 BB, 16 SV) needs to develop his movement; if he does, he’s ready for Reading.
Here’s the issue: Sambo could be the CF in Reading next season, but then there’s Luis Polonia, in
A Spartanburg. My acquisition in the Ozzie Virgil trade is at 398 PA, .296/.354/.437, 29 XBH, 14 SB, 10 CS, +5.1 ZR, 1.015 EFF. He deserves to be the starting CF next year in AA. Sambo seems to profile more as a fourth outfielder, and that’s likely how it’ll work next year. Then there’s 19-year-old 1B Ricky Jordan, who’s at 400 PA, .345/.380/.541, 41 XBH. He can probably go to AA Reading next year, though because of his age, I might start him at A Peninsula. We’ll see.
On the mound, there’s Tim Belcher (129.1 IP, 2.37 ERA, 96 K, 40 BB). He’s 22 and should be ready for AA Reading, but his 25/45 control haunts me. Get it to 30, Tim, and you’re heading to Reading. Meanwhile, William Jester (117 IP, 2.54 ERA, 75 K, 29 BB) seems to be ready for Reading, as does Marvin Freeman (116 IP, 3.10 ERA, 86 K, 57 BB). Also: RP Darryl Menard (87.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 55 K, 11 BB, 11 SV) Might have to make those moves.
Who needs to move up from the
rookie leagues? There’s LF Shawn Dantzler (122 PA, .398/.451/.815, 20 XBH), CF Bart Kaiser (128 PA, .372/.445/.558, 11 XBH), plus most of the my pitching staff in Bend, and a few solid players including first-round draft pick Pete Smith (48.2 IP, 2.96 ERA, 32 K, 7 BB) and Michael Jackson (40.2 IP, 2.66 ERA, 20 K, 11 BB) in the GCL.
So then:
- SP William Jester promoted to AA Reading
- SP Harold Warner released
- RP Darryl Menard promoted to AA Reading
- RP Jim Reilly released
- SP Shawn Barton promoted to A Spartanburg
- SP Steve Labay promoted to A Spartanburg
- RP Jeff Gray promoted to A Spartanburg
- RP Scott Wright sent to A Peninsula
- RP Walter Nesbitt sent to A Peninsula
- SP Kevin Coker demoted to BC Bend
- RP Ramon Caraballo released
- RP George Creekmore released
- LF Shawn Dantzler promoted to A Spartanburg
- SS Sergio Perez promoted to A Spartanburg
- LF Fernando Soto promoted to A Spartanburg
- LF Todd Johnson released
- 3B Henry Smith released
- RF Wayne Dannenberg released