From Worst to First

[NYY #23]

Well, it was worth a try to attempt to repeat with the Detroit Tigers, but it didn't end well. We finished 5 games back in an injury riddled season, losing Willie Mays, amongst others for the season. I guess it just wasn't meant to be, but it was worth a try.

See you in Los Angeles in a couple years!

[NYY #23]

Since I've been gone the Detroit Tigers went on to win three straight World Series, which is a little bit bittersweet. I had so many troubles with injuries, players underperforming, etc, etc. Since I left they've just rolled right along. But there is no sense looking in the past.

Chapter 2 of my saga begins today - the Bob Smith, Jr. saga. My reputation is once again a Greenhorn, as opposed to a Very Good GM, but I suppose that is all cosmetic. The first order of business, the expansion draft, coming up tomorrow. While waiting I took a look at some of the free agents, and in this era free agents = players released from their existing teams. The plus is they should all come cheap. The minus is they all really aren't too much of a catch. I submitted a couple of offers on some players that caught my eye, for one reason or another:

MR - Arnold 'Hook' Carter - a 42 year-old lefty reliever who the Tigers cut lose.
2B - Gene Mauch - 34 years old and coming off a season in which he hit .106
C - Joe Garagiola - 34 years old who's best days are behind him, but is still decent defensively
C - Les Moss - 35 years old and decent with the glove still, but atrocious with the bat
C - Choo Choo Coleman - 23 years old without much of a future, but again with a decent defensive rating. I don't want all three, but one of the three as backup catcher would be nice
MR - Ned Garver - 34 year old righty reliever. He puts up good numbers in the minors, and bad numbers in the majors, but just might be an emergency starter
2B - Jerry Coleman - 36 year old I would describe as a utility infielder
2B - Jack Dittmer - 32 years old, and can also play all infield positions.

I'm not sure why I bothered much with free agents, outside of seeing what was out there (not much), and figuring it can't hurt to offer some contracts.

As for my coaching staff here they are:
Manager - Esteban Melendez - a rookie manager with no prior experience
Bench Coach - Albert Major
Hitting Coach - Nicholas Bergeron
Pitching Coach - Adam Johnson
Scouting Director - Cullen Bland
Team Trainer - Gus Watkins

I honestly don't know where they came from, although I wouldn't have hired any of them except Bergeron. Since they all have long term contracts I'll let them be for now.

[NYY #23]

I've never had the pleasure of doing an expansion draft before, and I suppose there are two ways of doing this -

1-Prepare, prepare, and prepare some more
2-Fly by the seat of my pants

I spent about five minutes looking at the players that are available, and based on who is available I'm going to chose option 2. Maybe that is a long term mistake, but given the talent, or lack of talent available I don't think it'll make much difference. My plan is to take the best available player, regardless of position, at least for the first 10-15 rounds and worry about fielding a team in the late rounds, or through trades.

With that said, the Senators selected SP George Witt with their first available pick. At 26 years old he has won 10 or more games in each of the last five years, and I have to admit I'm a little disappointed we couldn't select him.

1 - SP Roger Craig - 31 years old - a former 20 game winner, who spent last year in the minors after losing 9 games in 11 starts. I'm going to call him ace.
2 - SP Curt Barclay - 29 years old - a career minor leaguer
3 - 2B Tom Satriano - 20 years old, hit .201 for Pittsburgh
4 - LF Jim Greengrass - 32 years old - a AAAA star, but hit .288 with 5 home runs in 18 games
5 - SS Milt Bolling - 30 years old - decent numbers .266/.344/.384 with a good glove
6 - 3B Bob Sadowski - 23 years old - hit 1.000 last year in AAA, his first season (1-1)
7 - C Joe 'The Immortal Azcue' Azcue - 21 years old, and with a nickname of immortal he's got to be good, right?
8 - SP Ed Hobaugh - 26 years old - went 6-5 with a 2.40 ERA in his minor league career
9 - RF Bill Virdon - 29 years old - a former Tiger, who posted a career high 16 homers in 1957, but has never started in the majors (until now most likely)
10 - CF Carl Warwick - 23 years old - hit .208 in his first year last season with the Orioles
11 - 1B Gail Harris - 29 years old - low average, 10-20 home run potential, decent glove
12 - MR Vinegar Bend Mizell - 30 years old - was 15-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 1957, but has worked out of the bullpen the past three years. A potential starting pitcher, or at least emergency starter
13 - MR Danny McDevitt - 27 years old - had success in the rotation previously (16-12, 2.65 ERA), but is coming off an elbow injury. Low risk, high reward
14 - MR Jack Urban - 31 years old - an emergency starter based on his ratings, but should be able to give us some innings.
15 - SP Larry Jackson - 29 years old - has proven to be effective in small doses
16 - CL Bob Miller - 21 years old - good potential, but never pitched in the majors
17 - 1B Tim Harkness - 22 years old - has never made an out in the majors (2-2). Worth taking a flyer on
18 - C Chris Cannizzaro - 22 years old - best case he'll be a backup catcher
19 - 2B Bob 'Rabbit' Saverine - 19 years old - speedy utility infielder type
20 - LF Bud Zipfel - 21 years old
21 - RF Bob Farley - 22 years old
22 - SP Joe Margoneri - 30 years old
23 - 2B Lou Klimchock
24 - RF Barry Shetrone - 22 years old
25 - 1B Preston Ward - 33 years old
26 - SS Jerry Buchek - 18 years old
27 - 3B Kenny Kuhn
28 - 1B Frank Torre - 28 years old
29 - CF Frank Thomas - 31 years old
30 - C Lou Berberet - 30 years old
31 - LF Ted Tappe - 29 years old
32 - MR Barry Latman - 24 years old
33 - 2B Chuck Hiller - 26 years old
34 - RF Jack Reed - 27 years old
35 - SP Curt Raydon - 26 years old and I noticed his best pitch was a forkball

And that is the 1961 Los Angeles Angels!

My owner thinks we have weaknesses at catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, right field, the rotation, and the bullpen. I think that about covers it well.

[NYY #23]

Today is a special day for the Los Angeles Angels, our first game in the history of our franchise. We hit the road for Baltimore to take on the Orioles, and something tells me heading into this game that we'll never be closer this year to first place than we are today. Just a hunch.

In a day of firsts, Milt Bolling collected the first home run, first hit, scored the first run, and drove in the first run all in the same at-bat. Unfortunately for us that came in the 8th inning. We didn't get a base runner those first seven innings, but solo homers by Bolling and Bob Sadowski put us on the board.

Sure the wind may have been blowing out to center at 15 mph, but we scored. We also gave up a bunch of runs and lost 9-2, but our first game was in the books. Danny McDevitt took the loss (2 1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 8 R).

Our first game in the books, and it'll only get better.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Tall order with the Angels. Should be fun to follow though.

[Terpripken]

Time to work your magic with the Halos. Something tells me this will test all of your Gm'ing skills. Is that a word?

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by EMSoccerCoach

Tall order with the Angels. Should be fun to follow though.

Part of me thinks it was worth the wait, part of me thinks I should have just taken the last place team after winning with Detroit. Looking forward to the amateur draft has new meaning now.

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by Terpripken

Time to work your magic with the Halos. Something tells me this will test all of your Gm'ing skills. Is that a word?

If not it should be. This will definitely be a challenge, but hopefully fun building a team!

[NYY #23]

One thing that I'm not opposed to is trading any of our "talent". We have a bad team, and I know it, but if someone comes knocking on my door for a trade I'll entertain those offers. I've gotten a lot of interest in SP Larry Jackson, who is 2-8 with a 3.86 ERA for us so far. I didn't like any of the offers, but I shopped him around and found some interesting proposals.

The Athletics made a good offer, proposing either 20 year old catcher Joe Torre, or 22 year old shortstop Leo Cardenas. I was greedy enough to want them both, and asked them what it would take, and they wanted 24 year old 3B Bob Sadowski. Sadowski has shown some pop with 7 home runs, but I wish him will in Kansas City.

Honestly I could care less if we lose the rest of our games if we get some good young players to build around. So I shopped our other best starter, Danny McDevitt and the Cardinals proposed 27 year old first baseman Jim Gentile. Gentile has seen his numbers decline sharply this year, but his reputation as a leader is something I'd like on my team. Two deals done and on to the draft.

The beauty of being an expansion team is the first pick in the draft. I wanted a starting pitcher, and my scout did too, but I really didn't like what we saw. There wasn't the best player available who will become the face of the franchise out there. Instead we selected LF Willie Stargell first overall.

In the second round we selected CF Don Lock, then CF Ken Berry in the third. A bullpen arm, Tony Balsamo came in the fourth round, and we rounded out the draft by picking reliever Cecil 'Slewfoot' Butler.

Lots of activity for a 15-49 team.

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by EMSoccerCoach

Tall order with the Angels. Should be fun to follow though.

Let me second that. I'll be reading...

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by mirrf

Let me second that. I'll be reading...

Thanks!

[NYY #23]

With the benefit of running an expansion team, I figure now is the perfect time to trade, and trade often as we slowly fill our long term holes.

Even though we just acquired Jim Gentile, he is perhaps one of my best trade chips, so I was willing to shop him around for the right package of players. The Minnesota Twins expressed interest in acquiring him for 26 year old starting pitcher Joe Gibbon. It wasn't quite enough, so I asked for minor league starting pitcher Sam McDowell as well, and to seal the deal we included LF Jim Greengrass.

It was tough moving Gentile, as his stats since we acquired him (.315/.449/.685, 9 HR, 27 RBI) were very good. Replacing a first baseman is easier than getting a good starting pitcher, and I hope one or two of my new additions work out in the rotation.

We also shopped around shortstop Milt Bolling, and the Indians offered 25 year-old starting pitcher Dick Drott. Drott's ERA is on the wrong side of 5, but he can provide some innings.

And finally, we shipped off our slugger, Ted Trappe who was hitting .266 with 21 home runs, to the St. Louis Cardinals for 18 year old starting pitcher Joe Moeller. I'm not sure Moeller qualifies as a prospect, but he could turn into a back of the rotation type pitcher.

In this lost season our record stands at 35-69, 28 1/2 GB.

[NYY #23]

A season score of 1, and a 65-97 record finishing just 37 games back. We finished strong though, with a 18-9 September, and a 1-0 October. Maybe too strong, as we passed out the Kansas City Athletics, who finished 2 games behind us. Injuries caught up to the A's it looks like. We also finished 1 game behind the Senators.

We should take a look at what went right -

• Moving Jack Urban into the rotation. He finished with a 11-13 record and 3.67 ERA in 52 games and 23 starts
• Joe Torre - .335/.385/.561, 29 HR, 94 RBI
• Willie Stargell - .247/.310/.559, 27 HR, 64 RBI
• Both Sam McDowell and Joe Moeller pitched well in the minors since coming over, and could both get a call-up to the majors next year.

We lost four players in the expansion draft -
1B - Gail Harris
LF - Bud Zipfel
LF - John Wojcik
3B - Lou Klimchock

[NYY #23]

We haven't given our fans much to cheer about yet, but Dick Drott picked up the win and pitched a no-hitter against my former team the Detroit Tigers in a 3-0 win. Drott also got 12 strikeouts in the victory. I feel like I should give him a bonus or something for beating my former team!

For the year we are 10-19 and looking forward to the amateur draft when we pick fourth overall.

[NYY #23]

Picking fourth we were left with a tough dilemma. The choices on the board were Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Rico Carty, and Dick Allen. Of course I couldn't get past the annoying announcer and cheater for the first two, which are pretty poor reasons to not draft someone, but it came down to Carty or Allen.

I went back and forth, and back and forth. I don't need a left fielder, but I could move Stargell to either right field or first base, and I do need a third baseman. In the end I selected Rico Carty, based on slightly better ratings.

I was pretty shocked with Pete Rose was still on the draft board in the second round. I wouldn't have put money on that, pun intended. I overlooked his faults and selected him, since he was by far the best player on the board at that point. LF Ken 'Hawk' Harrelson was my third round pick. Jim Duckworth and Garry Roggenburk were the relievers who rounded out the draft.

Our 22-37 record is the worst in baseball.

[Terpripken]

Looks like you had a pretty good draft.

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by Terpripken

Looks like you had a pretty good draft.

Thanks! I'll definitely take all the help I can get, and three potential starters will go a long way for the Halo's.

[NYY #23]

My number one rule with the Angels has been to deal anything that can give us back long term value. SP Joe Margoneri has been good for us this year, but he is 32 years old. Sure he is pitching good, maybe even our ace, and definitely our most popular player, but I don't see him around when we celebrate our championship. The Orioles offered 22 year old Ron Santo who has managed to hit .182, .245, and .213 in his three seasons in the majors.

Sure I'm a sucker for the big names, but it is worthwhile to see if Santo can turn things around for us.

With Santo on board, 3B Jack Dittmer became expendable, and we dealt him to the Phillies in exchange for former Tigers starting pitcher Don Gross. Sure he is a few years removed from being a good pitcher, but we'll give him a shot.

And finally we shipped off my other top veteran starting pitcher Jack Urban, and RF Bill Virdon to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for CF Willie Davis. I'll take a chance on his potential like Santo, and hope he turns around his downward trend over the last three years (.248, .231, .220).

The Angels are 39-65 for the year.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Like the deals...Davis always tremendously underrated. And Santo needs no description. You need to build a core before you can succeed...you're on your way to that.

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by EMSoccerCoach

Like the deals...Davis always tremendously underrated. And Santo needs no description. You need to build a core before you can succeed...you're on your way to that.

Thinks are definitely feeling pretty good with the Angels. The real life Angels had better immediate success, but I'm hoping a good core will get us to the playoffs before they did in 1979.