Alfred Warren - The Most Hated Man In Duluth, June Pitcher Of The Month?
July 1st, 1987
His name -- or at least the one that appears officially on his birth certificate, is Alfred Warren. Although if you were to be present in the audience at General Mills Park at any point during the last few seasons, the titles bestowed upon him would've had a far harsher connotation.
When Alfred Warren was selected with the second overall pick in the 1982 first-year player draft, it was the first managerial move in the career of Danger GM Gavin Giles. Warren was a flame-thrower from the
University of Wisconsin, coming off a senior season in which he went 9-3 with a 2.20 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 12.09 K/9 ratio. Scouts were projecting stardom for the young phenom, as was the Duluth fan-base.
The following season, without even a single game of seasoning in the minor leagues, Warren was promoted to begin his career in the Heartland Baseball League -- a decision that would later haunt Giles five years later.
Though the demise of Alfred Warren as a public enemy in Duluth can largely be attributed to poor decision making on behalf of the Danger staff, baseball has taught us time and time again that it's fans do not allow much room for sympathy and understanding. The inexperienced Warren struggled in his rookie season with a 6-12 record, 5.01 ERA, and 1.77 WHIP. When Giles at last opted to demote Warren to Triple-A in 1984, it was too late -- the damage to the former #9 Overall Prospect's development had already taken it's toll.
"I felt like the weight of the world had been placed on my shoulders. The year before I got drafted, Duluth was a last place team. They called me up because they wanted an immediate impact, and I just wasn't ready to deliver for them. The fans gave me hell. I received death threats. It was an ugly ordeal." - Warren, via phone-interview with ESPN
Warren spent the next few seasons being bounced back and forth between Duluth's bullpen and starting rotation, with several brief stints in the minor leagues leading up to 1987. Now on the verge of his 27th birthday, his potential may have finally been realized.
As the month of June 1987 came to a close and monthly awards were handed out, Alfred Warren's name stood atop the candidates, having been named the
North League Pitcher Of The Month following a month in which he boasted a 4-1 record, 2.16 ERA, and 37 strikeouts. On the season, Warren is currently 7-3 with a North League leading 2.68 ERA as of July 1st. Warren also currently showcases the lowest H/9 ratio in the North at 6.94 and opposing batting average at .207.
"I've always felt somewhat responsible for the flack that Warren received from the fans. I never should've called him up when I did. The fans demanded that he essentially carry a last place team to the championship, and that's simply not realistic. You can't expect that out of a kid fresh out of college." - Duluth GM Gavin Giles