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#201 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
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Denver Brewers September 1st Update
Looking at some of the basic stats for the Denver Brewers as we head into the final month of the 1985 WPK regular season:
The starting rotation has been a mess, other than Austin Bond. And now Eric Maisch, who has mostly had a very disappointing campaign in spite of on paper being the most talented member of the staff (and one of the most talented in the game), had to leave his most recent start (one in which he was pitching quite well) and it is unclear the extent of his injury. Veteran workhorse Jim Atwell has looked bad often but in reality his FIP of 3.78 and FIP- of 86 indicate that he has been better than his primary stats would lead one to believe. He's not going anywhere and is likely to have a bounce-back season in 1986. That's probably even more true of Maisch, with his FIP of 3.49 and FIP- of 79, assuming he can stay healthy and depending upon the severity and length of his current injury. But what the rotation looks like next year after Atwell, Maisch (if healthy), and Bond is up in the air. Stephen Brooks (6-7, 5.22), Eric Fehrenbacher (8-5, 5.55), Alex Canty (3-4, 5.32) and Jose Corpeno (3-4, 5.46), all with potential of varying degrees and all who had moments where they showed it, mostly were bad in their Denver stints this season (and all went back-and-forth between Denver and AAA Chester). Corpeno is out of options after this season and has the most big league experience of these four and likely won't be back. Canty might be best suited to the bullpen. Brooks and Fehrenbacher are thought of highly enough to be given another chance to prove themselves next season, but they might soon find themselves being pushed by the next wave of pitching prospects- particularly 23-year old's Bernie Lopez and Jim Evans. The bullpen has been mostly quite strong this year, with a pair of veterans who are almost surely not returning in 1986- likely future Hall of Famer Tim Shore and Brewer team captain Ben Flynn- dragging down the overall numbers. (Shore's 6.84 ERA comes in 25 innings pitched and he also has a 1.76 WHIP, while Flynn has an ERA of 6.00 in 33 IP, with a WHIP of 1.36.) Dan Folk missed a big chunk of time early in the season with an ankle injury but he has electric stuff and should anchor the 'pen for years ahead (he is 24). Willie Ramirez also has nasty stuff (an elite slider), great stamina, durability, and strong leadership with a high baseball IQ, and is also 24 with a seemingly bright future ahead of him. Veteran former Rule 5 draft pick Paul Johnson has had a tremendous season (2.28 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 55.1 IP) and at age 27 (and also durable and smart) he's not going anywhere either. Lefthanded veteran and fan favorite Rand Pinti got off to a difficult start but has been great since May and although his stuff is average he has great movement and fine control. Fellow lefty Diego Lopez went in the opposite direction- excellent through June but with some struggles since then, but he's likely to stick around for at least one more season. And Shore and Flynn likely being gone will clear up some space for some good young relievers in B.J. Adams (21 and the Closer in AAA this season), Cesar Perez (22 and doing the same in AA), and top pitching prospect (he has risen to the #6 top prospect in the WPK this year) Mike Warner, who profiles as borderline starter, with 4 pitches but only 2 of them better than mediocre. Warner is only 20, has great stamina and durability, is a hard worker, and an extreme groundballer, with potentially elite control combined with above average stuff and movement. Whether he ends up being a top of the rotation starter, as the scouting staff sees his potential, or a multi-inning reliever, he should be a valuable arm. The Brewers current catchers are veteran Willie Ortega (.257/.325/.371 in 118 plate appearances after missing 3 months of the season with a fractured ankle), a very fine defender and fan favorite with a slightly below average bat at his position and 25-year old rookie Joe Sandwell (.259/.305/.332 in 236 PA's), who is a left-handed hitting sparkplug with strong catching ability and a weak arm who is still developing defensively but has an above average contact batting profile. This is the most likely tandem for 1986, with good-hitting, average defensive Omari Williams still possibly in the mix (having had his first small taste of the WPK this season at age 26) and top catching prospect (in the Brewers system, that is) Rich Fugate at AA and at age 25 looking like a right-handed hitting version of Sandwell, but without the great makeup (Fugate is just blah in terms of personality- "likes to fish in his spare time"). The infield looks mostly set for 1986 with this year's rookie surprise Chris Romines (.361/.392/.526, 4.2 WAR) a lock at first base, 29-year old Justin Banks (.316/.336/.479, 3.5 WAR) set to return at second, 29-year old star third baseman Ryan Campbell (.324/.424/.489) also returning, and hopefully with his power-bat returning as well (he hit 29 homers last season and 23 the year before), and probably 27-year old, speedy shortstop Roberto Costocurta (.239/.294/.350) at least being penciled in as the starter in 1986. Costocurta's defense hasn't been as advertised (-3.1 ZR this year) and he likely profiles better at this point as a third baseman or second baseman, and with his weak bat even more so as a utility multi-position backup infielder, but it isn't clear yet who could take his place. With more experience, Marty Crumbley (.375/.419/.581, 1.5 WAR in 148 PA's) probably has the range to play short, and he certainly has the contact bat to fit into the lineup on a regular basis. He's also smart and could develop average home run power to go with plus gap power, but his average speed is combined with horrible savvy on the base paths. He is the 56th best prospect in the WPK and his strengths may outweigh his weaknesses. At age 24, this upcoming season might be his chance to shine. Another 24-year old, Gene "Basher" Brasher, will also be given a chance to stick on the big league roster as the back-up first baseman and right-handed power hitter off the bench. Brasher biggest impediment as a prospect, other than his utter lack of footspeed and the ability to play any defensive position but first, is Chris Romines emergence as a star player. The outfield may be seeing some changes. Veteran right fielder Joe McPhillips (.276/.360/.490, 1.6 WAR in 292 PA's) has continued to be a solid producer when healthy and remains a force on the base paths and one of the harder workers on the team. But he is 36 years old, fragile, and his contract ends when this season does, and the thought is that (in spite of the owner's demands) he will be allowed to test free agency, with the Brewers hovering around .500 and looking to get younger. Antonio Acuna (.281/.318/.473, 0.5 WAR in 277 PA), a 3-time MVP, isn't happy about his much diminished playing time, but while he has a player option that he can exercise it isn't available until the end of next season. It looks like the team and Acuna might be stuck with each other for one more season at least. If he doesn't opt out after the 1986 season, he is under contract through 1991, so with his diminishing batting and defensive skills this could become a very tricky situation for the club. On the other hand, the only slightly younger left fielder Val Guzman (Acuna is 32 and turns 33 in the off-season, while Val is 31 but turns 32 on September 11th) is signed through 1987 and has remained very valuable. Guzman (.297/.388/.555, 3.7 WAR in 412 PA) is leading the team in home runs (18) and has 18 stolen bases and 28 doubles. He has a great work ethic, has a good eye and approach at the plate even though his contact skills are perceived by the scouts as being below average at this stage of his career, and while he isn't great defensively, he doesn't hurt the team much in left (-2.4 ZR, 1.91 RNG, 2 outfield assists, 3 errors). It does look like he will be gradually giving way though to future left fielder Javier Hernandez (.373/.448/.633), who as a 26-year old rookie who was an 11th round draft pick profiles much like Val Guzman in his prime. Hernandez has plus plus speed with elite base-stealing and base-running skills, has good contact hitting skills with an advanced approach at the plate (plus eye, plus avoid K), and he's a sparkplug. He's a good defensive left fielder, not a great one, and he has been called on to play center quite a bit this year too, which is a admittedly a stretch. His .390 BABIP in 195 big league plate appearances clearly indicates that his offensive numbers thus far are unsustainable, but he has hit well at every level of pro ball and should be a solid starter in left field for the time being. Finally, in center field, Myles Ford has had an okay season, but certainly a step back from last year when he put up 4.5 WAR. He is hitting .273/.324/.398 with 18 doubles, 9 home runs, and 11 stolen bases. He is by far our best defensive option in center field and even at that his ZR is -3.7 (he does have 12 outfield assists this year, though also 10 errors) but our next best center fielder at this point is Javier Hernandez, who has a ZR of -3.6 in far fewer innings played out there. The Brewers are not as outfield rich as an organization as they generally have been in the past, and while we do have some very good hitting but less defensively talented corner outfielders coming up the ranks, a true defensive center fielder is not on the near horizon in the organization (although this year's first round draft pick, John Bittner, has the potential to develop into at least a plus defender in center, but with a weak arm).
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 Last edited by BirdWatcher; 03-12-2022 at 10:49 AM. |
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#202 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
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A few September call-ups, etc.
With the September 1st active roster expansion, the Brewers called up a few players from AAA Chester who are getting their first taste of the big leagues.
Chester is in the midst of a potential championship run, with a 92-46 record with 6 regular season games remaining, so not everyone who might have been called up was, but with a few AA prospects being ready for AAA, at least a few Chester players were considered expendable for the Big Stick stretch run and post-season. Relief pitcher B.J. Adams, just one of a handful of excellent bullpen prospects in the Brewers system, earns his first taste of WPK play. The 21-year old Adams, who was a 6th round draft pick in 1983 out of Phoenix College, features a tremendous curveball and plus fastball, which he throws in the mid-90's, is an extreme groundballer, and has the stamina to be a multi-inning reliever. He is thought to have plus plus stuff, decent and still developing movement, and average control. He profiles quite similar to setup man Willie Ramirez, though perhaps with a slightly lower ceiling and less stellar makeup. (Adams is fine makeup-wise, but Ramirez is special in that regard.) Also joining the club for the first time is second baseman Mike Garcia. Garcia, the Brewers 2nd round pick in the 1983 draft, tore up AAA this year, hitting .343/.411/.570 to put up 5.3 WAR. And while this was his most successful minor league season, he hit well at pretty much every level of the organization on his way up. He is considered a bat-first second baseman but his defense is more than adequate and he is very good on the pivot. He has below average speed and won't steal many bases but his base running skills are a bit above average. His average contact skills are enhanced by an above average approach at the plate (good Eye and Avoid K), and he has both plus gap power and above average home run power. If there is a knock on him it that he lacks baseball IQ. But his bat alone means he will be given a long look at the big league level and will compete for a spot on next year's Opening Day roster, and could be the future starting second baseman. Adams and Garcia are the only first time Brewers to come up so far, but good hitting catcher Omari Williams does return after a short stint earlier this season, for his second taste of the WPK. Williams is by far the best hitter among Brewers catching prospects but his defensive abilities are only above average. It's not clear yet whether there is a future for him in Brewers purple, but he could make good trade bait before long. (He was the Brewers 3rd round draft pick in the 1981 draft.) This seems like a good time to talk about a trend that I am noticing. After several years where the Brewers farm system was ranked at least in the top 10 in the WPK, primarily due to a high number of well-thought of starting pitching prospects, it is starting to appear that the idea of the Brewers organization as a pitching factory might not have been completely accurate. If anything, it seems like it may be a hitting factory, with so many unheralded prospects turning into offensive weapons. Take for example the tale of Chris Romines, a 7th round draft pick who is currently 2nd in all of the WPK in batting average and has an OPS+ of 127 and 4.2 WAR. Or Javier Hernandez, an 11th round pick, who is hitting .368/.443/.654 and just recently saw an 8 game streak of collecting at least one extra-base hit end. Hernandez has an OPS+ of 173 and has put up 2.6 WAR in just 213 plate appearances. It is too early to know what might happen with first baseman Gene "Basher" Brasher, but the slugging 8th round draft pick (1982) is off to a decent big league start, hitting .290/.333/.419 and profiles as the best pure power hitter on the team with a plus eye and average contact hitting skills. Marty Crumbley was not a Brewer draft pick, but rather was obtained in a trade with Boston last summer (along with Roberto Costocurta), but he is also emerging as an elite hitter. He has hit .387/.433/.600 over the course of 164 PA's for Denver this year, and if he can develop his defensive chops just a big more, he has a good chance of becoming the everyday shortstop in 1986. Now, when you add in Mike Garcia to the mix, a picture starts to emerge of the Brewers organization as being particularly good at spotting and developing hitters. And we haven't even mentioned a pair of corner outfielders who tore up single A this season: Wayne LaCross and Bill Tucker. LaCross, the Brewers 2nd round pick in 1984, hit .367/.421/.581 with 5.6 WAR at Bainbridge before getting called up to AA Nashville recently, where he is also off to a good start. He profiles as both a plus plus contact hitter and at least a plus power hitter. He isn't particularly fast (and won't run the bases well at all) and his defense is merely adequate for the corner outfield spots (his future could be at first base), but in two minor league seasons he has a combined slash line of .373/.425/.598 and has accumulated 16.7 WAR. Tucker, who was picked in the 16th (!) round of the 1983 draft, does not have the same over-the-fence power that LaCross has, but is a good contact hitter with great speed, a slightly better outfielder who has the arm to play right field, and has a great work ethic. He hit .352/.415/.475 at single A Bainbridge this season for 3.6 WAR and is also off to a good start at AA Nashville. While his minor league offensive numbers aren't quite as eye-popping as LaCross's, they are still very good and don't count out this late round draft pick's chances of becoming a solid big league starter.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#203 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
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September 15th WPK Update & First No-Hitter of 1985 Season
At the half-way point of the month, it doesn't look like it will be a good season for those who love tight pennant races.
The Chicago Fire have essentially wrapped things up in the SJL West, with only San Antonio not mathematically eliminated among their divisional opponents. And that will likely change in a few days, with the Fire's magic number down to 2. The Philadelphia Mud Hens have had a strong second half of the season and at least are trying to give Washington a bit of competition, but it's still unlikely that they will catch up to the Night Train. Everyone else has been eliminated from contention in the SJL East. San Francisco, after a very strong first half of the season, continues to be lackluster in the second half, but they still look like they will easily take the MGL West pennant over Denver and L.A. This division has been the weakest in the WPK this season, which is unusual, and only one team (the St. Louis Redbirds) are officially out of contention. And over in the MGL East, the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings, led by their deep and talented starting rotation, should easily win the division for the 3rd time in the past 4 seasons. Baltimore is clinging to the slimmest of hopes while everyone else has already had hope extinguished. The other day the WPK saw its first No-Hitter since mid-August of the 1984 season (there were 3 no-hitters in '84, including a Perfect Game for Jon Harrington). Chris Sheehan, a two-way player probably more known for this bat, speed, and Gold Glove level play in center field, got his first career no-no, and the 4th in Charlotte Sting franchise history (2 of the first 3 were hurled by Mike Hiatt), in a victory over St. Louis. Speaking of fine pitching performances, the Brewers Eric Fehrenbacher, one of several starting pitchers trying to make an impression down the stretch as they compete for slots in next year's rotation, has had two strong starts in September thus far, including a 6-hit shutout gem against Detroit yesterday. With Stephen Brooks continuing to struggle and Jose Corpeno getting blown out in his most recent start two days ago (and out of minor league options after this season), Fehrenbacher and hard-throwing Alex Canty currently seem to be the front-runners to at least get the first shots at filling out the 1986 rotation. Eric Maisch's most recent injury turned out to be an elbow strain, concerning but not at this time serious, and he is just now considered ready to pitch again after sitting out for two weeks. Speaking of Denver starters, Austin Bond saw his 16-game Quality Start streak end in his most recent start, and even that one saw him last 7 innings and give up just 4 runs with 3 K's and no walks, although he did allow 13 hits and the Brewers lost to Detroit 4-1.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#204 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
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Oklahoma City clinches MGL East!
One quarter of the post-season picture is now in place.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#205 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
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Velocity sweep Denver, clinch MGL West, Chicago claims SJL West
The first place San Francisco Velocity came into Denver and beat up on the Brewers in the first two games of a three game series and then just eked out a narrow come-from-behind win in the third game to clinch the MGL West pennant.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Fire earned their first divisional pennant and now will head to the first post-season berth in their franchise history. Chicago beat San Antonio 6-2, led by 27-year old second baseman Dave Kurka, who was 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 4 RBI in the win to keep the Keys from sweeping Chicago and finally eliminating the Keys from playoff contention.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#206 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Chris Tobin joins exclusive 3,000 hit club!
Chris Tobin yesterday became just the third player in WPK history to collect as many as 3,000 hits during his big league career.
Tobin turned 39 a few weeks ago and remains one of the best players in the WPK and even before reaching the 3,000 hit mark was a sure first ballot Hall of Famer. This season he has a slash line of .299/.369/.523, has hit 32 home runs and 22 doubles, has 84 RBI- a number that would be considerably higher if he wasn't in the middle of a very mediocre lineup in Columbus- has scored 98 runs, and has put up 6.4 WAR. And while he won't be winning any Gold Gloves, at his advanced age he remains a capable third baseman (he played shortstop for much of his career) with a 0.0 ZR and only 8 errors committed. In addition to his 3,000 career hits, Tobin has also hit 331 home runs while stealing 339 bases. He is under contract through 1987, and given that he has not had a season in which he put up less than 5 WAR in now five straight seasons, and he has now accumulated at least 6 WAR in 3 of the past 4 seasons, the real question is how much more he will add on to his already sterling Hall of Fame credentials. The two hitters who are ahead of him in career hits are both now retired. Felix Lopez leads the way with 3,148 and Lazaro Lowndes is next at 3,118. Considering that Tobin has averaged a bit over 170 hits the past six seasons, it is quite likely that he retires as the hit king in the WPK. And while he won't catch either of those two in the stolen base category (Lopez' 656 SB's being the most ever, Lowndes' 568 is third), he has hit a ton more home runs (Lopez-50, Lowndes- 40).
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#207 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
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Final Standings, 1985 regular season, and some playoff previews
The 1985 WPK regular season has come to an end and here are the final standings:
In the end, the Philadelphia Mud Hens gave the Washington Night Train a run for their money, and Washington didn't clinch the SJL East until the penultimate day of the regular season. No team, as you can see, won as many as 100 games and two teams- the Montreal Royals and Milwaukee Cadets- lost 104 games, the only teams to reach triple digits in losses. The Houston Cavaliers got hot towards the end of the season to move into second place in the SJL West, which Chicago easily won. The Los Angeles Spinners and Phoenix Speed Devils also finished strong, and the Denver Brewers fell in the final week of the season to finish in 5th place in the MGL West, with the 3rd worst record in the MGL (although, it should be pointed out, only 2 games below .500). Oklahoma City ran away with the MGL East. Looking towards the playoffs, if you like underdogs, you might want to be pulling for the Chicago Fire, even though they did finish tied for the best regular season record. The 1975 expansion club won 88 games two seasons ago, and up to now that was their high-water mark. They are a small budget team, tied for 20th highest budget and with the 19th highest payroll. They have below average fan loyalty and only slightly above fan interest, though that certainly should be improving soon. They are a well-balanced team, having finished with the 2nd highest run total in the SJL and also allowing the 2nd fewest runs. They have a fine starting rotation and excellent defense (+35.6 ZR). They aren't a power-hitting club, having finished 11th in home runs with 127, but they get on base (best in OBP at .359), they steal bases (3rd with 139), and they had the second best team batting average- while playing their home games in an extreme pitchers' park- at .269. They will face a definite over-dog in Washington in the SJL Championship Series. Washington has the 3rd biggest budget in the league (they historically have generally been 1st in this area), they play in a huge market, have good fan loyalty and very high fan interest. They were one of the dominant teams in the SJL in the first decade of the WPK and are looking to be one of the dominant teams as we get the third decade going. They won championships in 1967 and 1971 and have made the playoffs now for the 4th straight year, though they don't have a third championship to show for that yet. They were first in the SJL in both home runs (194) and stolen bases (161), and scored the 3rd most runs in the SJL. They were 6th in the SJL in runs allowed, but their starting rotation was 1st in ERA at 3.93 collectively. The bullpen is a weakness, though (11th, with a 4.72 ERA). Their defense is mediocre at best (+3.9 ZR). In the MGL, San Francisco, like Chicago, play their home games in a great pitchers' park and this suppresses their offensive numbers. Although they have a deep and talented lineup, they finished 4th in the MGL in runs scored and 3rd in batting average, with their young second baseman, Seth Garone, winning the batting title with a .365 average. They don't hit homers (86, 12th most in the MGL) but they are a pretty good base stealing team (5th, 131) and a quite good base running team (3rd, +23.6). The fact that they finished 3rd in runs against in the MGL is a bit surprising, given their home park advantage in this regard, and the presence of Ace, and 2-time Harris/Lee award winner (the past 2 seasons), Jon Harrington at the top of the rotation, and a very good bullpen led by veteran closer Joe Hall (a 2-time Reliever of the Year). Their defense wasn't great (7th, +2.9 ZR). The Oklahoma City Diamond Kings have the best starting rotation in the game (arguably). They do play their home games in a good pitchers' park but Chickasaw Brickyard Ballpark isn't nearly as offense suppressing as San Fran's Bank of the West Ballpark. Oklahoma City finished 1st in fewest runs scored, 1st in starting pitching ERA (3.36) and 1st in bullpen ERA (3.01). They were 3rd in Zone Rating at +26.1. Don't look for the MGL Championship Series to be a slugfest. The Diamond Kings were 5th in the MGL in runs scored and 11th in home runs (105). They did finish 2nd in batting average (.277) and OBP (.335) and they were 1st in stolen bases (185) so they can generate some runs, perhaps enough to support their great pitching staff. As for health/significant injuries going in the postseason, Chicago is probably best off, with only 24-year old reliever Beau Fundingsland, who will be unavailable for the entire post-season with recurring back spasms. Fundingsland has decent potential but he isn't a significant member of the bullpen yet. Washington lost veteran starting pitcher Parker Rayfield back in early June with a torn UCL. He was off to a great start to the season at age 35, but they were without him more than half the season so while it would be great for them to have him available this shouldn't hurt them much. More concerning is that their staff ace, and the likely SJL Harris/Lee award winner this offseason, Rich Freeman, is currently nursing a back injury (herniated disc). He is scheduled to start Game 3 but the Night Train will need him to be at 100%. They also lost 36-year old reliever Ozzie Gonzales at the end of August with shoulder inflammation but he had a 6.55 ERA at the time, so not a real problem that he won't be back. San Francisco is without veteran reliever Jeff Chaffee, a 2-time Reliever of the Year, as he suffered a torn flexor tendon in late May and is still expected to be out for another 8 months. Chaffee is a jerk (disruptive) but has remained a pretty useful bullpen arm, even if not as good as at his peak. And Oklahoma City isn't sure when they might have full health for 25-year old Gold Glove right fielder Juan Hernandez. He has been dealing with a strained oblique since September 7th and while he's considered day-to-day and is on the post-season roster, he is not in optimal health at this time.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#208 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
B.J. Adams wins King Bedlecom League (AAA) Reliever of Year award
B.J. Adams is one of several promising relief pitching prospects in the Denver Brewers system and yesterday it was announced that he had won the King Bedlecom League (KBL) (AAA) Reliever of the Year award.
Adams got the call up to the big league club in September and certainly didn't look over-matched at the WPK level in his 6 appearances, during which he pitched 8 scoreless innings, giving up 5 hits, striking out 4 and walking one batter. The expectation is that veteran relievers Tim Shore and Ben Flynn won't be back in 1986 and Adams is first in line to take one of those spots in the Brewers 'pen.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#209 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Chicago, San Francisco advance to Kinsella Classic Series
The Chicago Fire continue their storybook year as they overcame the Washington Night Train 4 games to 1 and now head to the Kinsella Classic Series with their eye on claiming the first championship in team history.
And they will face the San Francisco Velocity, who also won 4 games to 1, with the clinching win coming in a great pitcher's duel between San Francisco's ace Jon Harrington and Oklahoma City righty Mike Piles, which went to Harrington by a score of 1-0. San Francisco not only moves on to the KCS, the first in their history after making the playoffs for the first time in 1984 but not advancing past the MGL Championship series, but they also announce the contract extension of veteran reliever Ben Bakeman.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#210 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Chicago Fire 1985 WPK Champs!
And the Chicago Fire, in their very first trip to the post-season, are the WPK champions!
Veteran first baseman Jose Flores was not only the SJL Championship Series MVP but also won the MVP for the Kinsella Classic Series.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#211 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Denver Brewers 1985 season basic wrap-up
I'm not going to go into great detail right now about the 1985 season for the Brewers but here are some of the basics:
In somewhat happier news, the Brewers top prospect, pitcher Mike Warner, is now considered the 3rd best prospect in the game.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 Last edited by BirdWatcher; 03-17-2022 at 09:59 AM. |
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#212 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Bobby Erbakan steps away from baseball as player
Sorry, Palaaemon, but your boy Bobby has called it quits after being unsigned all season long in 1985.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#213 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
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Awards Season: Relievers of the Year
In the Shoeless Joe League:
Edgar Cruz wins his 2nd career Reliever of the Year award and has now won one in each league. He won his 1st in 1980 as a member of the expansion Montreal Royals (their first season). Cruz is a power-pitching sidearmer with a devastating fastball-changeup combination. He is an Iron Man and a humble dude. Easy guy to root for. Runner-up Rich Davis won this award in 1982. He's considered a selfish player. He does have an excellent curveball, good stamina, and combines plus plus stuff and movement. At age 29 (a year younger than Cruz) he remains one of the better closers in the game. But if you are looking to the future, put your money on 21-year old Chicago closer Bill Johnson. Johnson has a 4-pitch repertoire and plus stamina and may move to the rotation before long, but really only 2 of his pitches are out pitches, so he might stick in the bullpen, where he should dominate. His 2 out pitches are both elite- a changeup and a forkball- and give him plus plus stuff (an understatement perhaps), which he combines with plus and still developing movement, and plus control. He's an extreme groundballer with a decent sinker he throws mid-to-upper 90's. And he's a likeable teammate. The future is bright for this one. In the Moonlight Graham League: Michael Tucker is a fan favorite and this is his 3rd Reliever of the Year award. He's a bit of a soft-tosser (89-91 mph) but his sinker is terrific and he has a deceptive fastball. Great stuff, good control, average movement. He also has multi-inning stamina out of the 'pen. And he's still only 25 years old. Nate Liuzzo's another extreme groundballer with an excellent sinker-curveball combo. He has some of the best stamina among relievers in the game and plus plus movement to go with plus control and above average stuff. He has a prickly disposition but he's not such a bad character as to negate his pitching prowess. 22-year old Steve Hensgens of Phoenix has a good chance to win this award at least a few times in the future, with elite stuff based solely on maybe the best sinker in the game. He is basically a 1-pitch guy, (he has a pretty useless changeup), so that might hold him back. But he did lead all of the WPK in saves this year with 47, so it didn't hold him back much in 1985. He's considered a smart, adaptable kid and has good stamina. He is one of the young arms transforming the reputation of the Speed Devils, in spite of their hitters' haven home park. And 31-year old veteran Joe Hall is a 2-time Reliever of the Year and potential Hall of Famer. He has a great curveball and a nasty fastball, is durable and has tremendous stamina, and he's one of the smarter guys in the game.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#214 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Awards Season: Rookies of the Year
The Shoeless Joe League:
Milwaukee's Kusuma Kartosuwiryo was the runaway winner of the SJL Rookie of the Year award and one of the only bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for the Cadets. At the tender age of 22, the 9th overall pick in the 1983 draft (out of Boston College) is already a fan favorite. He is a tremendous hitter with great power, good contact skills, and an above average eye at the plate. He isn't likely to win any Gold Gloves for his defensive prowess but he does possess a cannon for an arm out in right field and collected 14 outfield assists in his rookie season. Boston center fielder John Purkis, the 23rd pick of the 1981 draft, does have Gold Glove potential. He is not only a rangy center fielder but he has great speed and although he only stole 12 bases while being caught 10 times this season, he has the potential to develop into a real weapon on the basepaths and to potentially lead the league in steals in the future. At the plate he is mostly a contact-oriented hitter but he will rarely strike out and he has the potential to develop something like average home run power in the future. Casey Van Fossen was considered the top prospect in the game this past year and although he pitched exclusively in the Wolf Pack 'pen in 1985 watch for him to break into the rotation before long, where he could be a future Harris/Lee award contender. Houston's 26-year old Greg Wink got a late start in the bigs and is much less likely a future Harris/Lee winner but the fragile lefty could earn a spot at the back end of the rotation. The Moonlight Graham League: There was no question about how this would turn out, with Cuban import Alex Afandor a legitimate league MVP candidate as well. The 23-year old right fielder/third baseman isn't one to always make contact at the plate and he strikes out a ton but when he does connect he has tremendous power, both gap and over-the-fence power. And his plus plus eye means he's one of the best OBP guys in the game too (just don't expect much value from him while on the bases). Denver's Chris Romines finished with the 2nd best batting average in all of the WPK last season among qualifiers (narrowly edging out SJL batting champ Pat Thompson) and while he didn't get any first place votes here he does come out best of the also-rans. Right fielder Doug Davis of Montreal combines good power with excellent defense (very strong arm netted him 16 outfield assists) and a selfish attitude with disruptive potential. He is also very fast and a savvy runner and with some experience should improve on his stolen base success rate (he swiped 29 bags but was caught an unconscionable 23 times). And don't sleep on 22-year old St. Louis center fielder David Cabreja. The highly coachable and humble young man has strong all-around skills even if no one area of his game stands out. What does stand out is that he has no real discernable weakness in his game (though if one wants to quibble, he's not the most gifted base runner in spite of his plus plus speed).
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#215 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Awards Season: Harris/Lee (Best Pitcher) Awards
The Shoeless Joe League:
As was expected since at least mid-season, Washington's Rich Freeman walks away with the Harris/Lee in the SJL. He led the league in wins, ERA, innings pitched, WAR, and HR/9, among other categories where he was at or very near the top of the leader boards. The 24-year old lefthander who was a 4th round draft pick in 1979 has a plus plus curveball as his best pitch, induces a high rate of groundballs, has great stamina and really shuts down the running game of the opposition. Don't be surprised if this isn't his last Harris/Lee hardware. Jacksonville's David Parker is only 22 years old, throws his devastating fastball up to 100 mph, and has a high baseball IQ. He also possesses a plus plus slider and changeup in his 3-pitch mix. Another young pitcher with a great future. It is no surprise that two Chicago starters got votes, led by 28-year old righty Joe Sykes, who mitigates average stuff with plus movement and control and a sparkplug attitude and work ethic. He induces groundballs, which is a plus with a great infield defense behind him, and has very good stamina. His 26-year old teammate Mike Low would appear to have an even higher ceiling with three elite pitches (curveball, changeup, sinker) and plus plus stuff. Low is also one of the leaders of the club, particularly in keeping things light and fun (prankster) and has strong baseball smarts. Nice to see veteran Columbus left-hander Luis Ramirez, almost surely a future Hall of Famer, have yet another fine season, even though with a poor team around him he no longer gets rewarded with winning records (he went 15-15 this year). At age 33 he remains one of the most talented arms in the game and profiles as an Iron Man. Rounding out the voting was another Night Train starter, fan favorite Eric Bisbey, who gets lost in the shuffle sometimes in the SJL but put up his second straight 15 win season with an ERA in the mid-3's. The Moonlight Graham League: Through July or so it looked like Jon Harrington of San Francisco, who won this award the past 2 seasons, was going to add another Harris/Lee to his trophy case. But then Oklahoma City's Matt Greene went on a tear, going from 7-7 with a 3.32 ERA on July 2nd to finish 19-8 with a 2.50 ERA. He led the league in wins, innings pitched, WHIP, and WAR. The 24 year old durable sparkplug lefty is just getting started too. Not that Jon Harrington exactly fell to earth- he still led the league in ERA (2.49) and finished the season with 7.2 WAR and a record of 15-10. He is 31 now but is an Iron Man and isn't showing any signs of decline yet. Portland's Matt Jenkins has taken advantage over the years of having a home park that favors pitchers (rivaling San Francisco's Bank of the West Ballpark for best pitchers' park in the MGL). The not very well liked and reportedly unmotivated 29-year old is soft-tossing lefty who uses deception to induce weak contact from hitters (his 2 best pitches are a changeup and a circle change and he also has a plus curveball), often getting them to ground out. He doesn't profile as anything special but he has led the league in lowest BABIP for 2 years running now (last year he led the league with 21 wins) and it is hard to see that as just good luck. Detroit's Ryan Rystrom was at one time considered the 4th best prospect in the game but his big league career has mostly been disappointing. Up until this season, that is. Rystrom went 12-8 with a 2.71 ERA for a poor Detroit club in 1985. He is considered very baseball smart and durable. On the other hand he really only has two plus pitches and his other two offerings aren't even average. At age 29, this may have just been his career year. Still nice to see him finally start to live up to earlier promise. Brad Stephens was last year's MGL Rookie of the Year and Greg Grieve was in the running for that same honor this year. Watch for 23-year old Andy Boudreaux to very possibly be the next Oklahoma City starter to win a Harris/Lee. Boudreaux just needs a bit more improvement on his now below average changeup to complement a tremendous sinker and solid slider and he could be a premiere ace in the game. He has great control to go with plus stuff and movement, he induces groundballs with his upper 90's to triple digit sinker and he has good stamina. Just another reason that the Diamond Kings rotation has a chance to be special for years to come. Nate Liuzzo is the only reliever to get some Harris/Lee votes. He pitched just under 91 innings this year, going 11-7 with 38 saves (though he also blew 10 save opportunities) with a 2.58 ERA. He's not the easiest to get along with, but he is a valuable multi-inning arm out of the 'pen. And Phoenix Jonathan Riechman is likely to be in the running for this award in the future as well, in spite of pitching his home games in a hitters haven. The biggest weakness for Riechman might be that he is a flyball pitcher, in a park where home runs are abundant, and his movement is just above average. On the other hand, he has three out pitches (changeup, curveball, forkball) and a still developing cutter which is currently an average offering.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#216 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Awards Season: MVP's
The Shoeless Joe League:
Washington's multi-positional 25-year old Donovan Hickson emerged as one of the premiere sluggers in the game this season and earns his first league MVP award. He led the league in home runs, bases on balls, slugging percentage, OPS, and WAR in his first full season in the big leagues. Washington acquired Hickson from Philadelphia, who were their prime challengers for the SJL East crown this season, in a trade at the deadline in 1983 in exchange for third baseman Tony Koonce. Although Koonce is thought to have good overall tools he has yet to collect more than 1.2 WAR in a season at age 29. Imagine what might have been this season if Hickson was still a member of the Mud Hens. Another talented youngster, Chicago's 25-year old (just had a birthday 2 days ago) shortstop Pat Thompson, who led the league in batting average (.351), hits (238) and plate appearances (738), was the only other player to get a first place MVP vote. (I expected this to be closer.) Hickson's veteran teammate, center fielder Rick Downey, finished second in the voting in spite of not getting any first place votes. Downey led the league in runs scored with 135 and hit a career high 41 homers with 137 RBI. After that it was a mix of great veterans (slugging San Antonio first baseman John Freeman, future HOF'er Chris Tobin, underrated Philly center fielder Mike Florack, Washington speedster right fielder Myon-ki Choi, Jacksonville right fielder Tim Evans and his teammate, slugging third baseman Chris Brynteson, Chicago veteran third baseman/right fielder George Brown) and a handful of young stars on the rise (Chicago second baseman Dave Kurka and Gold Glove center fielder Kyle Hanly, Houston leftfielder Alex Raymos and his teammates second baseman Wilfredo Garcia, and slightly older and injury-prone center fielder Chris Heisler). The Moonlight Graham League: Former Brewer Eric Hammock took the honors in an extremely competitive MGL MVP vote, and I'm a bit surprised by this, though there can be no doubt it was a great season for the injury-prone 31-year old right fielder. I thought the top contenders would be MGL Rookie of the Year Alex Afanador, who led the league in home runs (41) and WAR (6.5) and San Francisco second baseman Seth Garone, who led all of the WPK in batting average at .365 and served as team captain at age 23. And indeed they were the other top vote getters, with Garone getting as many first place votes as winner Hammock. The only other player in the MGL to get a first place MVP vote was veteran Oklahoma City left fielder Frank Ortega, who had a career year at age 30 and for the second year in a row put up over 5 WAR (5.2 in '84, 5.8 this season). I won't go into detail about the crowded field for the MGL MVP, but it included L.A. first baseman David Tockstein, who at age 26 had his first full season in the WPK and led the league in RBI with 110, Oklahoma City Gold Glove third baseman Antonio Briones, who was the leading contender for this award early in the season but missed the majority of the last two months of the season with a sprained knee, Denver third baseman Ryan Campbell, who was a bit disappointing in terms of power production in his first year on the team but had a strong second half to finish with a team best 5.4 WAR and earned his 2nd Silver Slugger award, and 1983 MGL MVP Luis Olivez, who saw his offensive production drop again in 1985 but now has 3 straight seasons of at least 100 RBI and did hit a career-high 29 homers.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 Last edited by BirdWatcher; 03-19-2022 at 12:25 PM. |
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#217 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
San Francisco signs Ace Harrington to big extension
In spite of his age (31) this looks like a good move by the Velocity.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#218 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Denver signs Harry Lyerly as pitching coach at class A Bainbridge
Okay, I couldn't resist.
After our class single A Bainbridge pitching coach, Jerry Niemeyer, was poached by the Milwaukee Cadets to be their pitching coach (he isn't anything special and I didn't fight to keep him), I decided to go into commish mode and make the recently retired and former Brewer Harry Lyerly a coach. We will give him a try as a pitching coach for now but he also has some other coaching skills (Outstanding teach infield defense, excellent teach running and teach outfield defense) that mean we might eventually move him into another role.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#219 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Brewers make blockbuster deal to secure Gold Glove shortstop
Although I wasn't planning on making any big moves this offseason, when I saw that Portland had put Gold Glove shortstop Willie Romero on the trading block I had to go for it.
With Denver's defense having been subpar in 1985 and our theoretically strong pitching staff suffering likely largely as a result of this, and shortstop having been a weakness of the team for some time now, it was hard to pass up the chance to get the premiere defensive shortstop of his generation. While Bud Lindsay is the GOAT at this position and has been a great defender as well, having earned 7 Gold Gloves, his career ZR of 169.1 is dwarfed by Romero's 211.6 over the course of 7 big league seasons at shortstop. While Romero likely will never repeat his age 22 season (1981) when he had a phenomenal ZR of 51.5, he has won Gold Gloves now in 5 of his past 6 seasons, including this year, in which he had a 21.3 ZR. He is also only 27 years old and hit 26 bombs while playing his home games at a park that suppresses homers, especially for right handed batters like him. He moves to a park that is enhances home run power, especially for right handed batters (though that didn't work out so well this past year with Ryan Campbell). The Brewers send Portland an excellent contact hitter but not great defender in Marty Crumbley and a good pitching prospect in Jim Evans, who struggled this past season at AAA Chester and who has been surpassed by others in the Brewers system at his position. This past season's starter at short, Roberto Costocurta, who has been largely disappointing both offensively and defensively, was also sent packing to Portland. In addition to star shortstop Romero, Denver gets a decent right field prospect in Jerry Lillie, a switch-hitter with excellent power and plate discipline and a strong arm. Lillie hits better against right handed pitchers and will likely be given an opportunity to at least platoon with veteran right fielder Antonio Acuna, if not fully take over as the starter this season.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#220 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,263
|
Brewers sign newly acquired Romero to huge extension, Philly signs FA closer Arreola
So I guess I went all in. I might regret this but Willie Romero's contract would have been up after the coming season and I decided it might be good to lock him in now.
It was a back and forth negotiation and admittedly Romero kept pushing up the price but at least we were able to build in a couple of team options for his age 33 and 34 seasons. His complete lack of foot speed or discipline at the plate is a bit concerning (and he did have a couple of lengthy injuries that shortened his 1983 season) but on the other hand he has the skills to move to any other infield position when his ability to be a Gold Glove shortstop comes to an end (and in fact, with some experience, he even looks like he could be a Gold Glove right fielder). Anyway, again, whether it was a good decision or not, we are all-in with Romero now. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Mud Hens got an excellent reliever in 29-year old free agent Vinny Arreola. The only note of caution there is his injury proneness.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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