The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The Brooklyn Aces get a fine start from veteran Shannon Petrik and a strong two innings from their 23-year old emerging star closer Edgar Cruz to take game 1 in Denver. Steve Green took the loss for the Brewers, having given up 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out 8 and walking just 1. Rich White, as always a great first half of the season player, went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and hit his 5th triple of the season. Antonio Acuna went 2 for 4, hitting his 3rd double and driving in a run.

Game 2:



And the next day the Brewers found a way to defeat the great Aaron McNally in extra innings and their secret weapon (quickly becoming not so secret) was Antonio Acuna, who came off the bench in the 9th inning with his team trailing 4-2 and hit a 2-out, 2-run home run to tie the game. It was Acuna's 6th home run of the season. Erik Sloan started for the Brewers and gave up 4 runs on 11 hits over 8 innings pitched. Ben Flynn had one of his better outings to get the win after having come in as a pinch-hitter in the 9th (and not coming through.) Joe McPhillips went 3 for 5 and hit his 9th double of the season. He also picked up his 6th stolen base.

Game 3:



And the Brewers got an excellent start from young Bryant Cox, who had a no-hitter going into the 5th inning when he gave up a lead-off double to rookie Brooklyn center fielder Craig D'Urso, who then stole third and came home when Zacarias Martell threw the ball into left field. And that was pretty much it. Cox lasted 7 innings, giving up just that 1 run and also just that 1 hit, while striking out 4 and walking 1. Sadly, he didn't get the win as the game was 1-1 until the Brewers plated 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning. Javy Bermudez, who has pitched really well this season coming off a season-ending torn rotator cuff injury in 1978, pitched the final 2 innings for the win. Jake DiCesare hit a 3-run homer in the 8th to key the winning rally, his 5th homer of the season. And Joe McPhillips, who had been off to a slow start, heated up in this series, going 3 for 4 in this one and hitting his 4th home run of the season.

Notes from around the league:



Oklahoma City outfielder Bill Ramiro appears to be the classic late bloomer. Having been selected in the supplemental 1st round of the 1968 draft (out of Aurora College), Ramiro settled into a modest career starting at age 23 in 1970. From 1970 through 1976, his age 29 season, Ramiro had WAR seasons ranging from 0.4 (1974) to 2.9 (his rookie season) with most seasons just sitting a bit north of 2 WAR. And while his early 30's hasn't necessarily seen a dramatic change, he did put up 3.9 WAR in 1977 and then 4.4 last season and is off to a good start this year, though he projects to get 3.6 WAR on his current pace. He will be 34 in a little over a month and he is no speedster but he remains a solid defensive left fielder, he is durable, and he's a dangerous hitter. He is slated to be a free agent at the end of this season so it will be interesting to see if he can cash in on his recent successes.

In the MGL, the Denver Brewers now sit atop the standings at 32-13 with Detroit, having lost the last 2 games, now a game back with a 31-14 mark. Los Angeles remains in 3rd place at 28-17, 4 games back. And the Brooklyn Aces, having lost the series in Denver, fall to 9 1/2 game back with a 22-22 record, but narrowly hold onto 4th place. Phoenix, as one would expect, pull up the rear with a 15-30 record.

And the San Antonio Keys have pulled ahead now in the SJL, with a record of 32-13 also. Columbus is now 2 games behind them at 29-14, with Philadelphia and Boston tied for third with identical 24-20 marks, 7 1/2 games off the pace.

[BirdWatcher]

Having played for several years in old East Lake Park on an interim basis while their new stadium was built, the Detroit Falcons, on an upward trajectory seemingly, also had a well-timed christening of a beautiful brand new ballpark this Spring.

We are long overdue reporting on this, but with the Denver Brewers now heading to Detroit for the first time this season it is a good time to introduce you to Conway Park, the new home of the Detroit Falcons.




Early indications are that Conway will favor pitchers, at least slightly, which is probably a good thing for Detroit given that their four top prospects are all pitchers. It has also helped fuel a good start to the season for some of their veteran starting pitchers who are bridging the gap until the youngsters are ready to take over. It doesn't look like a great park for power hitters, especially those who bat right handed but with the youngest hitting stars on the team being more contact than power oriented (John Hemmah, Byron Whitehead, in particular) this isn't necessarily a bad fit either. And somehow the Falcons have managed to hit the 4th highest number of homers in the league thus far, so the new park hasn't hurt that much in this regard. (Their biggest slugger, veteran right fielder Roberto Camacho, has hit 7 of his team-best 10 home runs on the road.)




Conway Park doesn't seat quite as many fans as East Lake did but with the rising level of play and with Conway being a much more attractive place to watch a baseball game, the feeling is that the Falcons will draw more and more fans to come out to see them play and, if things go as planned, this park will be were Detroit fans will finally see the club raise a pennant and, with a little luck, be crowned WPK Champions.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:




Game 1:



Things didn't look good at all for the Denver Brewers headed into the 9th inning of their first game in Detroit's new Conway Park but a 5-run rally in the top of the 9th propelled them to victory over their nearest rival in the MGL standings. A Ben Flynn pinch-hit 3-run double keyed the big inning and Val Guzman, who went 3 for 4 in the game, drove in what proved to be the winning run. Sadahige Kawasaki got the start but not the decision, having allowed 4 runs on 11 hits in his 7 innings pitched. Walter Hackler pitched an inning for the win and Tim Shore came on to close it out for his 12th save of the season.

Game 2:



And for the first time this season Tim Shore blew a save as the Brewers drop the middle game of the series to Detroit. Shore came on in the bottom of the 9th with Denver in possession of a narrow 3-2 lead and after giving up a leadoff double to Ren-qing Leong, Roberto Camacho hit a massive 2-run walk-off homer into the right field stands on a 3-2 pitch to end the game and Shore's run of flawless pitching. Tough break for Jim Atwell, who had allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits over his 7 2/3rds innings pitched. Brett Taranto went 3 for 5 in the loss and hit his 8th double of the season. And Joe McPhillips lone hit of the game was his 5th home run.

Game 3:



But in game 3 the Brewers get a solid win to take the series from the upstart Falcons. Steve Green was very good, lasting 8 innings while giving up 2 runs on 6 hits. Detroit rallied in the bottom of the 9th but Walter Hackler came on to face one man and got the strikeout to end the game with two runners in scoring position. The big hit for the Brewers was a Jake DiCesare Grand Slam in the 3rd inning. It was DiCesare's 6th home run of the season. Joe Willemse continued hit trend of maximizing his potential whenever he gets a rare chance to be in the starting lineup, going 3 for 5 in this one.

Notes from around the league:



Joe Barbour of the Portland Wild Things is a young pitcher to watch for the future. The 23-year old right-handed starter was the Wild Things 5th round draft pick in 1977 and is emerging as possibly one of the biggest steals of that draft. Even at so young an age, Barbour has become the strongest leader in the clubhouse for the rebuilding Portland club and is considered the undisputed captain of the squad. Barbour combines a wicked slider with an excellent changeup to play up a not spectacular fastball (his average velocity is in the high 80's) for nasty stuff with good movement. Once his control develops a bit more Barbour has a chance to be one of the more effective starters in the league, if not quite a pure ace. Along with a few other pitching prospects (Matt Jenkins and Justice Harper, especially) and the 20-year old defensive phenom shortstop Willie Romero, who is off to tremendous start and is an early Rookie of the Year contender, Barbour hopes to lead this struggling franchise back to better days. It will be a tall task, but he seems like a young man equipped for the challenge.

Looking at the MGL standings, the Brewers now hold a 2 game lead over Detroit with Los Angeles 5 games back at 29-19. The 4th place Brooklyn Aces are just a game over .500 (24-23) and a rather distant 9 1/2 games back.

In the SJL, San Antonio has surged ahead now with a 34-14 mark, opening a 3 game lead over Columbus (30-16). Boston is now 7 1/2 back with a record of 26-21, and just behind them are the somewhat surprising Milwaukee Cadets at 26-22 (8 games out of 1st.)

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



As if the Boston Berserkers lineup didn't already have enough firepower, what with the likes of Justin Vargas, Kasey O'Neil, Chase DiMascio, and the Captain, Cody Kane, but now add 26-year old Chase Moeller to the list. Getting his first chance to be the starting first baseman for the club (taking over from veteran slugger Joe Black, now on the bench), Moeller is also hitting cleanup and is now your SJL Batter of the Month for May.

MGL:



The ever disappointing Brooklyn Aces enter the month of June with a .500 record and have reached double digits in games behind the leaders in the MGL. But you can't blame the slow start on veteran slugging first baseman Danny Salvador, who is on pace for an 8.2 WAR season, which would be the best of his career.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



The ageless Jesse Hartong is certainly enjoying playing on a winning team, one with not only a prodigious offense but also two of the best defensive players in the game in the middle of the infield. While there are many reasons that the San Antonio Keys enter June with a 3 game lead over their nearest competitors in the SJL, the way veteran Iron Man Hartong has pitched is not an insignificant factor.


MGL:



He is the reigning MGL Pitcher of the Year and he is building a good case to win it again this season.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



Jack Hettinger's path to the Houston organization is a strange case to solve. After having been selected 2nd overall in the 1975 draft by the Chicago Fire, he was mysteriously released by the club shortly thereafter. And after that he joined and was subsequently released by several other big league organizations until finally the Houston Cavaliers picked him off the waiver wire from Philadelphia. There are no known issues with his personality and the current take on him is that he gives an honest effort each day and displays high adaptability. Then again, we suppose he would have to after all that yo-yoing he's undergone in his young career thus far. Well, everyone else's loss is Houston's gain as Hettinger is one of the young prospects they will be counting on (along with center fielder Chris Heisler and starting pitcher Jacob Whittemore, both currently in single A) as they try to climb their way into respectability.

MGL:



Willie Romero, who the Wild Things signed as a 16-year old out of the Dominican Republic back in September of 1974, is thought by many to have the skills set to become the best fielding shortstop, and maybe the best fielder period, in the game. He is an unusual case of a youngster with low raw speed but amazing quickness and rates out in all infield categories at top of the scale. What nobody expected was for him to hit like this in his first few months as a big leaguer. While he profiles as having a big league power, at least above average if not better, his bat to ball skills have been questionable in the eyes of most scouts. If he can hit even half as good as he has thus far (with a .411 BABIP his current numbers are surely unsustainable) the young man who leaped from AA to the WPK this season could become a major star in this game. And he's a still one week away from his 21st birthday!

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



The San Antonio Keys finished the month of May strong, winning 8 of their last 10, and have taken a 3 game lead over the Columbus Whalers, who just never run out of good young starting pitchers (this year Jay Crosby and Kevin DeRouen are both starring in the rotation while Bill Thompson and Jean Auge both patiently await their turn in the bullpen). Philadelphia and Boston both suffer from underperforming (or just not good enough) pitching staffs dragging their clubs downwards towards the .500 mark in spite of their potent lineups. And the reigning WPK champs, the El Paso Dawgs, just can't get going this year as their offense sputters and their bullpen pours gasoline onto any fires they encounter. A team ZR of -0.8 and the highest number of errors in the league certainly don't help either.

MGL:



In spite of having scuffled a bit at the end of May and now finding themselves 3 games behind Denver in the MGL, the Detroit Falcons have been the most impressive club this season, certainly in terms of Run Differential as well as compared to their pre-season expectations. Having a new home park seems to have helped as they have the best home record in the MGL (and second best to San Antonio in all of the WPK). The first place Brewers have excelled on the road and in extra inning and 1-run games, as they aren't earning a lot of easy wins but do seem to have a knack for the dramatic. As always, the Brooklyn Aces are underachievers. As always, hard to say why. And don't ever count out the Los Angeles Spinners, who are the most well-financed team in the game.

[Andrej72]

As I see El Paso, as reinging champion, is still suffering.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Andrej72

As I see El Paso, as reinging champion, is still suffering.

Yes, the Dawgs continue to underperform this season, though of course there is a lot of time left for them to turn things around.

Having said that, it is true that the SJL has been the more competitive league the past few seasons and it is probably the more difficult league to compete in at this time with a greater concentration of top-end talent, at least among hitters, than the MGL.

The Dawgs weren't a great run scoring team last year but largely won the SJL on the strength of good pitching and great defense. Their starting rotation remains good this year but it is arguable that a few of the starting pitchers were better than expected in 1978 and some regression to the norm was to be expected. Basically it is a deep rotation with 5 pitchers who could be pretty solid #3 guys on most teams but no real top of the rotation arms.

The bullpen is quite poor this season. But by far the biggest difference between the El Paso Dawgs of 1978 and the team this season is defense. (And, obviously, the pitching is directly affected by this.) El Paso had the best defensive club in the SJL last season, both in terms of range and lack of errors. This season, with largely the same starting position players, they are near the bottom in both categories (well, actually, they are at the bottom in errors). It is hard to figure. They have good defensive outfielders whose fielding numbers this season are still solid. They have an excellent defensive catcher in spite of losing their starting catcher from last season to free agency. They are decent on the right side of the infield. Their veteran third baseman and captain Trevor Leach has become a bit of a liability in the field, though not by a large margin. And their shortstop, Brennan Anderson, for some reason continues to underperform his defensive ratings. And they even have a few very excellent defensive backups on the bench.

My guess is that some of this has to even out a bit and they will likely climb back up the standings somewhat before the season ends. Though I'm also guessing they will fall short of a repeat. To complicate things though they are a very injury prone team, with two of the most important members of their starting rotation considered wrecked and another fragile, and two of their greatest veteran position players- left fielder Curtis Horah, probably the greatest defensive player of this generation, and the aforementioned Trevor Leach- wrecked and fragile, respectively. Their best prospect, starting pitcher Abel Kissel is also fragile, though their next two best prospects in the system, pitcher Brandon Walker and shortstop Arturo Uscanga, are durable. But both Walker and Uscanga are far from being big league ready (they are 19 and 21 and both are in single A ball) and both have some personality defects that could get in the way of their development.

While it was great to see this formerly beleaguered club make it to the top last season my sense is that it might be a short lived success and a rebuild might not be far away. (The other time this happened in the WPK was with the Charlotte Sting of 1972, who went from 7 straight losing seasons to a 101-win WPK Championship season only to revert to 71-91 and 8th place the following season. Although the Sting bounced back to 91-71 in 1974 and a 3rd place finish, they haven't had another winning season since.)

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:




Game 1:



The Brewers fail to hold a lead in game 1 but find a way to tie the game back up in the bottom of the 9th and then got the walk-off win the next inning. Erik Sloan continues his strong start to this season though he was denied a win in this one, having worked 7 2/3rds innings, allowing 2 runs on just 4 hits. Javy Bermudez blew the save opportunity but Walter Hackler came in and pitched a strong inning and a third for his second win of the season. Joe McPhillips scored the tying run in the 9th after leading off the inning with a single and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th. Ben Flynn scored the winning run after having hit a pinch-hit double with one out in the inning. Brett Taranto went 2 for 5 and hit his 10th double in the win.

Game 2:



The Brewers drop the middle game of the series when a late rally falls short. Rookie right-hander Bryant Cox has a tough start, allowing 7 runs on 9 hits over his 5 1/3rd innings pitched. Bobby Erbakan and Joe McPhillips each hit their 6th homer of the season and Val Guzman hit his 2nd but it wasn't enough to overcome the Wild Things who got a big game from their dynamic rookie shortstop Willie Romero.

Game 3:



But the Brewers bounce back to get the series win behind staff ace and reigning MGL Pitcher of the Year Sadahige Kawasaki, who got the 5-hit shutout while striking out 7 batters and walking nary a one. Kirk Patnode went 2 for 4, scoring once and driving in a run to help lead what little offense there was in this game. (Lead, in Patnode's case, having many layers as he is, with former team captain Matt Helm no longer on the team, probably the foremost leader in the clubhouse.) Val Guzman (another emerging team leader) went 2 for 4, driving in a run, drawing a walk, and hitting his 10th double of the season.

Notes from around the league:



Tony Knighton is another veteran player in the WPK who seems to be blossoming a bit late (by baseball standards) though he is also a player whose baseball card stats probably don't do justice to his impact on a team. Although he is putting up some flashy numbers this season, his rather non-attention getting numbers last year gave him a 6.4 WAR due to his wonderful defense at second base, his ability to get on base, and his line drive swing that leads to plenty of extra base hits.
This hitting streak did come to an end at 21 straight games but the Pittsburgh Roadrunners are certainly getting their money's worth with this off-season free agent signing.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, they are currently just trying to stay within contact of the SJL leaders and sit in 5th place, 8 1/2 games back. In first place it is still the San Antonio Keys (36-15) with Columbus 3 games back with a 32-17 record. Boston and Philly are tied for third, both with a 28-22 mark, and are 7 1/2 games off the pace.

In the MGL, the Brewers hold a 3 game lead over the recently slumping Detroit Falcons (33-18) and a 5 game lead over the recently hot Los Angeles Spinners (31-20). Brooklyn is next at 25-25, 10 1/2 games back.

[BirdWatcher]

Well, kids, it's that time of year again, as we get our first good look at the possible future stars, starters, role players, scrubs, cup-of-coffee recipients, and career minor leaguers in the WPK universe. Mostly that last bit, of course. But at this point everyone drafted can hope to become a future Hall of Fame player and every team's fans can hope that at least several players picked by their team will become greats of the game.
(I won't lie to you- I absolutely love draft day!)


So without further ado let's take a look at the first five players chosen in this year's draft:

Houston Cavaliers, 18-year old outfielder Alex Raymos.



Due to their recent activity in the free agency market the Houston Cavaliers didn't have another pick in the draft until the beginning of the 5th round after this, the very first pick of the draft. Fortunately for the Cavaliers there was one generational player available in this draft and they were smart enough to choose him with the first pick. It isn't that Alex Raymos is a perfect player in every way. He isn't very fast, for one thing, and he probably won't win any Gold Gloves. But for a kid this young to have this advanced a hit tool with this high a ceiling AND to be a natural born leader, well, watch out WPK, Alex Raymos is on the way. And it might not take long. Playing in Houston's Bell Park, which is not friendly to power hitters, might drag down his numbers a bit, but given that he has a well-rounded hit tool he still should provide great value. And with Chris Heisler on the verge of being ready for the big leagues and superstar Lazaro Lowndes signed through 1983, the Houston outfield trio could soon be one of the most feared in the league.
Houston didn't get a great deal more though they were able to add a few low ceiling but not terribly low floor pitchers in the 5th through 8th rounds so at least one of them might become a back-of-the-rotation or decent bullpen arm eventually.

Phoenix Speed Devils, 21-year old starting pitcher Ricardo Becerra.



Unlike the Houston Cavaliers the Speed Devils play in probably the greatest hitters park in the league. And they made the somewhat controversial decision to focus on pitchers this draft, starting with the talented Ricardo Becerra, who many are concerned might be injury prone and end up a bust. Phoenix also got 19-year old Mike DeBlanc in the supplemental first round and a pair of prep pitchers at the top of the 2nd round in Jonathan Riechman and Craig Gibby. It's a bit of a risky move but the Brewers scouting staff was also high on at least a few of these pitchers and it could work out.

Jacksonville Wolf Pack, 22-year old starting pitcher Alex Canty.




Canty has some potential to be a dominant pitcher with explosive stuff but at lot depends upon him developing his changeup and given his age and how far that pitch is from being usable there is a good chance he ends up a reliever. Jacksonville also had the 16th pick in the first round and with that one they got collegiate outfielder Nick Cooney, who has great defensive skills, excellent speed, strong leadership skills, and an underwhelming hit tool. In the supplemental first round, though, the Wolf Pack perhaps made their best pick, getting prep starting pitcher Miles Gately, who has a good shot at becoming at least a solid mid-rotation arm.

Detroit Falcons, 22-year old second baseman Gene Moore.



The Falcons went with a safe, high floor, modest ceiling pick in collegiate second baseman Gene Moore. He has a good and already pretty well-developed contact hit tool, good speed and running skills, and solidly above average defensive chops. He doesn't look like a future star, but he's unlikely to be a bust either. With their 2nd round pick they went a bit more risky, drafting a prep outfielder named Cameron Walters, but like Moore his best skill is his contact first bat.

Charlotte Sting, 21-year old starting pitcher Gil Garcia.



Although there isn't the same concern about Garcia's durability as there is with the 2nd pick Ricardo Becerra, there were certainly teams put off by the fact that Garcia is currently experiencing a pretty severe case of elbow inflammation. There is no doubt the right-hander out of Buffalo College has the potential to be a member of a big league rotation before long, but some felt the Sting might have reached a bit picking him here. Charlotte took a prep outfielder with good defensive skills but not a great hit tool and some concerns about his makeup and work habits with their supplemental 1st round pick and then took another currently injured (and reportedly fragile) pitcher in the 2nd round. Their other 2nd round pick was collegiate right-handed starter Gary McLaughlin who has good stamina, a 5-pitch repertoire, and a great reputation for his drive, determination, and dedication. His skills are far from elite, but his floor is high and he likely will earn a back-end-of-the rotation spot before long and this pick may have saved the Sting from having a disastrous draft.

[BirdWatcher]

Having finished with the best record in the WPK last season meant the Brewers had to wait until the very end of the 1st round to make their first pick.

Round 1, #22 overall, 18-year old starting pitcher Stephen Brooks.



Not an exciting first pick for Brewers fans but the scouting staff thinks that the young, durable right-hander with a knack for inducing ground balls and high stamina could be a good fit for the organization which has increasingly shown an ability to develop young arms.

Round 2, #64 overall, 21-year old starting pitcher Jose Corpeno.



Another durable arm, Corpeno had an impressive collegiate career at Worcester College and has a well-developed curveball with the potential to become an out pitch and a good cutter. He will probably give up a good number of home runs and he doesn't look like a future front-end-of-the rotation guy but he could provide some big league depth.

Round 3, #86 overall, 18-year old catcher Carlos Valdivieso.



This was a pick where the head scout won out in the argument about who to chose. There are other members of the front office who aren't thrilled about this one, but at least it is felt that this young catcher with his strong defensive skills (other than his weak arm) and intelligence will help to develop the Brewers pretty large stable of pitching prospects. With his potential power bat and strong arm it is always possible he will eventually earn a back-up role at the big league level in spite of his bat-to-ball weaknesses.

Round 4, #108 overall, 19-year old relief pitcher Adrian Whitney.



The Brewers don't have as good a track record at developing relievers as they do with starting pitchers. Will Whitney be an exception to the rule? Eh, maybe.

Round 5, #130 overall, 18-year old left fielder Jesse Lopez.




The fifth round is historically when the Brewers tend to find a hidden gem and they are hoping they have done it again. (Jim Atwell, for instance, was a 5th round pick when the Brewers realized that this two-way player that most teams were scouting as a first baseman would be much better suited to a job as a starting pitcher. And the rest, as they say, is history. Well, history still in the making anyway.) Jesse Lopez is a young man who lives in the Denver area and has been a high school outfielder, but the Brewers saw him, with his 6'4", 215 lb frame, a hit tool with some promise, and strong leadership, and knew immediately that they would move him to first base and then see how the young man develops.

The draft isn't quite finished yet, with the last six rounds still to be completed. Thus far the Brewers have rounded out their picks with a number of outfielders (rounds 6-8), a small handful of relief pitchers, a slick fielding, light hitting shortstop in round 10, a young strong-armed third baseman in the 14th round, and a small group of other starting pitchers, etc.

[BirdWatcher]

Having just completed the 15th annual WPK amateur draft, this seems like a good time to look back on how earlier drafts have turned out. For now let's just look at the first five drafts. Even though the full extent of the outcome of these drafts is still unknown, with many of the players chosen still active, we are far enough along to have a pretty good idea about how things turned out.

One of the things I track in the WPK is the progress of all 1st round draft picks. For the purposes of comparison, I restrict this to the 1st round proper, not the supplemental 1st round. I do also try to keep track of players chosen in later rounds who have significant big league careers, which generally translates to putting up 10 career WAR or above.

So let's see how things have gone so far.

1965 Amateur Draft:

1st round picks total WAR: 212.8

#1 overall pick: Kyle Bidwell, 18-year old right-handed pitcher out of A&M Consolidated High School (College Station, Texas), selected by the Portland Wild Things.
Bidwell has put up 28.1 WAR over the course of his nearly 10 year career. He is a 3-time All-Star who has gone 109-129 with an ERA of 3.67 while playing most of his career (thus far) with an often very bad Portland club. He pitched for L.A. last season and is a Spinner this season as well and at age 32 has an excellent sinker and very fine movement but underwhelming stuff and really only two effective pitches. He will surely add a bit more to that career WAR but will fall far short of Hall of Fame credentials.

Best player (thus far, by WAR): Hector Alvares, 18-year old outfielder out of West High School in Madison, Wisconsin, chosen by the Jacksonville Wolf Pack with the 7th pick of the draft.
Alvares has put up 46.9 WAR over his 10 plus year career, all with Jacksonville. He is a 2-time Gold Glove winner and 2-time All-Star and led the league in runs scored and walks during the 1971 season. At age 32, Alvares is still a fine corner outfielder with good base-stealing abilities and a perhaps slightly above league average hit tool.
A close runner up would be second baseman Mike Silveira, who was chosen as an 18-year old by the Seattle Alligators with the 12th pick and has put up 44.8 WAR in his career. After his first seven seasons as one of the biggest stars in the game with Seattle, Silveira has since played for San Francisco and has seen his production pretty sharply decline. He is a 2-time Gold Glover, 4-time All-Star, and 3-time Silver Slugger, but his glory days may be well in the past.

Biggest Bust: Billy Schaetzle, 18-year old right handed pitcher out of Toppenish High School in Toppenish, Washington, picked #4 overall by the Pittsburgh Roadrunners.
Although three players chosen in the first round never made the big leagues at all, it is probably fair to say that Schaetzle, who did put together a 6-year big league career, is still the biggest bust of the draft. Schaetzle never developed the necessary pitch repertoire to be a starter and was not a very good reliever, putting up a career record of 19-16 with 6 saves and a 3.60 ERA and 1.49 WHIP for a career WAR of 1 over 195 appearances in the WPK. And perhaps even more than that, Schaetzle was despised by teammates, fans, and opponenets.

Best of the rest (non-1st round picks):
Jeff Tribble, 18-year old starting pitcher out of Sacred Heart H.S. in Kingston, Massachusetts, chosen by Milwaukee (2nd round, #27)- 41.2 WAR (and counting.)
Erik Buonopane, 18-year old catcher drafted out of Auburn College by San Antonio (4th round, #68)- 35.4 WAR (and counting.)
Luis Gonzales, 18-year old first baseman out of Dallas Baptist College, chosen by Washington (2nd round, #23)- 33.3 WAR (and counting.)

1966 Amateur Draft:

1st round picks total WAR: 294

#1 overall pick: Mike Stagner, 22-year old right handed pitcher out of San Antonio College, chosen by the Milwaukee Cadets.
Stagner was the SJL Pitcher of the Year in 1973 when he went 20-10 with a 2.94 ERA for Milwaukee. He is a 4-time All-Star and 1-time Silver Slugger. At age 35, he is considered durable and is still one of the better pitchers in the league. After 7 seasons with Milwaukee, he pitched for 1 season in L.A. and now is in his 4th season with San Francisco. He has put up 53.9 WAR and while he is not likely to be Hall of Fame bound he will certainly get some votes and might last at least a few ballots.

Best player (thus far, by WAR): Justin Vargas, 18-year old outfielder out of Deer Valley H.S. in Glendale, Arizona, chosen by the Los Angeles Spinners with the 13th pick.
The Spinners got a real steal with the 13th pick but unfortunately for them they didn't seem to realize it and they traded him away to Boston the following offseason. Vargas is likely headed to the Hall of Fame, having put up 66.1 WAR over his 9 plus year career, all with the Berserkers, and currently being among the best 2 or 3 players in the game at age 31. He is 2-time league MVP, 9-time All-Star, 1-time Gold Glover, 2-time Silver Slugger. The Los Angeles Spinners have been the second winningest team in the MGL, behind your Brewers, since the league started. Just imagine how many more games they could have won with this guy in their lineup!

Biggest Bust: Kirk Sullivan, 18-year old right-handed pitcher out of the University of Texas, Arlington, chosen by San Francisco with the 11th pick.
It would have been tempting to pick prep shortstop Ray Mahony who was chosen 8th overall by Brooklyn and only played one season in the minor leagues before leaving the game under mysterious circumstances.
But Sullivan, the 11th overall pick, stuck around in the minors for 9 seasons, never getting higher than A ball, and putting up a career minor league record of 22-20 with a 3.64 ERA. It's hard to say what doomed the popular and reportedly very intelligent young man's career, but it seems that injuries may have played a role.

Best of the rest (non-1st round picks):
Kasey O'Neil, 18-year old third baseman out of the University of Minnesota, chosen by the Columbus Whalers (supplemental 1st round, #22)- 47.5 WAR (and counting.)
Josh Schultz, 18-year old first baseman out of University of Florida, chosen by the Milwaukee Cadets (3rd round, #59)- 41.5 WAR (and counting.)

Another noteworthy player picked in the 1st round of this draft was shortstop Gary Roop, who was chosen with the 12th pick by San Antonio and was a pretty fine player for them for parts of 6 seasons before leaving the game due to deciding to donate a kidney to his ailing brother.

1967 Amateur Draft:

1st round picks total WAR: 347.7

#1 overall pick: Edgar Lira, 18-year old left-handed pitcher out of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, chosen by the Detroit Falcons.
Lira has put up 13.8 WAR in his 7 plus year big league career, having pitched for the Falcons for small parts of 3 seasons and now for Oklahoma City for the past 4 seasons (including the current one.) He has had 16, 16, and 17 wins in his last 3 seasons with the Diamond Kings, so he's turned into a pretty good starting pitcher with a reputation for durability. He also has a reputation as a disruptive force in the clubhouse.

Best player (thus far, by WAR): Curtis Horah, 18-year old outfielder out of West Hills H.S. in Santee, California, chosen by the Boston Berserkers with the 4th overall pick.
Horah, the greatest defensive player of his generation, has put up 82.3 WAR over the course of slightly more than 12 seasons, winning 11 Gold Gloves (a career ZR of +303.2 as a left fielder), and being a 9-time All-Star. At age 30 he is considered wrecked and it is hard to say how far into his 30's he can play, but he's already at least a borderline Hall of Famer, if not a sure thing just due to his dominant position atop any lists of great defensive players in the game.

Biggest Bust: Damian Cantu, 18-year old right-handed pitcher out of Redlands College, chosen by Philadelphia with the 6th overall pick.
Cantu was the 17th best prospect in the WPK headed into the 1968 season but a series of injuries destroyed his big league chances. He stuck around the minors for parts of 6 seasons, putting up a 24-16 record with a 3.39 ERA, but never rose above AA.

Best of the rest (non-1st round picks):
Randy Keisel, 18-year old shortstop out of Cox H.S. in Harvey, Louisiana, chosen by the Baltimore Lords (supplemental round 1, #31)- 36.3 WAR (and counting).
Josh Schaeffer, 18-year old outfielder out of Blue Valley Northwest H.S. in Overland Park, Kansas, by the Denver Brewers (2nd round, #45)- 28.6 WAR (and counting.) (While Josh has been overshadowed during his career by teammate Joe McPhillips, who was the Brewers first round pick (#5 overall) in this same draft, Schaeffer isn't that far behind McPhillips in WAR (Joe has 35.3).)

1968 Amateur Draft:

1st round picks total WAR: 356.7

#1 overall pick: Craig Luther, 21-year old right-handed pitcher out of El Paso College, chosen by the El Paso Dawgs.
The Dawgs chose the New York City born and raised right-hander having seen him pitch for the nearby El Paso College Catfish for four very excellent seasons. Luther only pitched for the Dawgs for one full season (after having a single appearance in 1971). Since then he has been a member of the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings. He is considered an Iron Man and is certainly not a bad pitcher to have somewhere lower in your rotation but as a number 1 overall it is fair to say he has been a disappointment. (15.7 WAR.)

Best player (thus far, by WAR): Jared Hancock, 21-year old second baseman out of Worcester College, chosen by the San Antonio Keys with the 5th overall pick. Hancock is a 7-time All-Star and 3-time Silver Slugger who has put up 47.8 WAR over his 9 plus year career, all with the team that drafted him.

Biggest Bust: Jon Jackson, 21-year old outfielder out of Brooklyn College, chosen by Philadelphia with the 18th pick.
In one of the best drafts yet in WPK history, only one player chosen in the first round never made it to the big leagues. And how Jackson, who had some pretty fine minor league seasons over the course of his 7-year professional career, following on the heels of a respectable 4-year collegiate career, never at least got a cup of coffee in the WPK is hard to fathom. He was never a premium prospect but he reportedly had a good attitude, was a fine defender in his early years in the minors, and wasn't a bad hitter. Perhaps just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Best of the rest (non-1st round picks):
Pat Davis, 21-year old outfielder out of Aurora College, chosen by the San Francisco Velocity (supplemental round 1, #24)- 28.4 WAR (and counting).
Teams did a great job identifying 1st round picks and while there are several good picks beyond that- players in the 20-25 WAR range- the best players were definitely picked early.

1969 Amateur Draft:

1st round picks total WAR: 273.2

#1 overall pick: Lienhart Brown, 18-year old right-handed starting pitcher out of Oral Roberts University.
Brown, a native of Herzberg, Germany, possesses a fantastic knuckleball. And a propensity for injury. The latter has basically destroyed his promising career. He has put up 9.6 WAR over the course of 6 big league seasons, but at this point he is laboring at AAA and doesn't look likely to have much of a WPK career going forward.

Best player (thus far, by WAR): Bud Lindsay, 18-year old shortstop out of the University of Arizona, chosen by the San Antonio Keys with the 11th overall pick.
It is a bit hard to believe that ten players were chosen ahead of Bud Lindsay, the best player in the WPK universe. Then again, it should be noted that one of them was Aaron McNally, probably the best pitcher in the WPK, who was chosen 2nd overall. Lindsay has won the last 3 SJL MVP awards and is on a good pace to pick up a 4th consecutive MVP award this season. He is considered wrecked in terms of injury proneness so at age 28 it is hard to say what his 30's might look like. Still, if he retired tomorrow he'd still be a serious Hall of Fame candidate. And he's one of the best leaders- a team captain- in the game to boot.

Biggest Bust: Joe McCracken, 21-year old right-handed pitcher out of Austin College, chosen by the Seattle Alligators with the 4th overall pick.
The 6'6", 235 pound hard throwing, hard working, collegiate star with a tremendous sinker certainly looked like a safe pick for the Alligators here. And at one point he was considered the 28th best prospect in the WPK. But things just didn't work out, and as is often the case with young pitching prospects, a major injury likely played a big role. In mid-August of 1971, having gotten his first taste of the big leagues earlier that season, McCracken suffered a ruptured tricep tendon. He came back and appeared in 18 games, all but one in relief, with the Alligators in 1972, but he no longer had his electric stuff and he never got another chance in the bigs, finally calling it quits after the 1976 season.

Best of the rest (non-1st round picks):
Jeremy Patterson, 21-year old shortstop out of Las Vegas College, chosen by the Washington Night Train (supplemental round 1, #31)- 32.6 WAR (and counting.)
Jim Norris, 18-year old left-handed pitcher out of Northeastern H.S. in Manchester, Pennsylvania, chosen by the Columbus Whalers (7th round, #157)- 27.2 WAR (and counting) (also a 2-time SJL Pitcher of the Year and probably the best left-handed starter in the game).
Several other non-1st rounders (or non-main 1st round, anyway) players are also building impressive careers, including catcher Elvis Iniquez (4th round, #86), starting pitcher Shannon Petrik (2nd round, #55), and the reigning MGL MVP Brett Taranto (supplemental round 1, #28).

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



Brett Taranto powered, quite literally, the Brewers to a win in the series opener. Brett hits 3 homers after having hit only 1 all season up until this game. Josh Schaeffer also hits a long ball, his 2nd of the season. Jim Atwell gets the victory, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits over 8 innings pitched. Antonio Acuna went 2 for 5, scoring a pair of runs and picking up his 5th stolen base of the year.

Game 2:



Steve Green has a strong start, allowing just 1 run and that one in the 9th inning as he was tiring (1 out solo homer). Green goes the distance, scattering 7 hits, striking out 6 and walking 2. Jose Figueroa (.347/.365/.389) was 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored in the game and Jake DiCesare (.282/.316/.435) was 3 for 4, hitting his 9th double of the season.

Game 3:



And veteran Mike Stagner pretty much shut down the Brewers in game 3 to help the Velocity avoid being swept. Erik Sloan pitched a bit better than the box score indicates, as he wasn't helped out much by reliever Walter Hackler, who came in with a runner on and two outs in the 7th inning and promptly gave up a an RBI double and then a single to drive in another run. Sloan was charged with 4 runs allowed on 10 hits over 6 2/3rds innings pitched. Brett Taranto (.349/.387/.461), Bobby Erbakan (.258/.312/.411), and Rich White (.305/.372/.454) each collected 2 hits in the game, with one of Bobby's being his 7th double of the season.

Notes from around the league:



A day after the Brewers Brett Taranto hit 3 home runs, the Washington Night Train's veteran first baseman Luis Gonzales also completed the feat. Gonzales does have 189 career homers so a 3-homer game from him isn't terribly surprising but it is the first time in his 9 plus year career he has done this.
The Night Train haven't had much to cheer this year as they currently sit in a tie for 11th place with the Houston Cavaliers in the SJL with a 21-33 record. The SJL leaders are still the San Antonio Keys who have a robust 39-15 record. Columbus is 2nd, at 34-18, 4 games out. And the Boston Berserkers sit in 3rd place, 30-23, 8 1/2 games out.

Over in the MGL, the Brewers are still in 1st place, now 4 games ahead of both the Los Angeles Spinners and the Detroit Falcons, who each have a 34-20 mark. The Brooklyn Aces are a distant 4th, with a 27-26 record, and 10 1/2 games behind Denver.

[BirdWatcher]

The Philadelphia Mud Hens have lost probably their best starting pitcher from last year, who was also off to a pretty solid start in 1979, when 28-year old left-hander Tristan Russell suffered a torn back muscle two days ago which will require at least five months recovery time.



Philly has been falling in the standings and are currently fighting to at least stay within reasonable striking distance of the leaders (they are now in 7th place, 11 1/2 games out, and 2 games over .500) and losing one of the mainstays of their rotation is going to be challenging for this team that has relied on their strong rotation but are lacking some depth at the position.

[BirdWatcher]

Apparently an ownership group can only stomach losing, even with an expansion team, for so long. With the Chicago Fire off to a 15-41 record in this their fifth season of existence and ranked in last place in nearly every offensive category and near the bottom in most pitching categories, GM Dan Ghuman and manager Joel Rieden were both let go.






No word yet on who will be running the front office or managing the team on the field for the time being, though their very experienced bench coach Johnny Kroll is most likely to serve as interim manager while they search for a replacement.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers have several players who are arbitration eligible at the end of the season as well as at least a few key players (Steve Green, Josh Schaeffer) who will be free agents in the offseason if not extended before then.

Wanting to get a head start on clarifying the roster for 1980, the club reached agreement with three of their arbitration eligible players on one-year extensions in the past few days: backup catcher Kirk Patnode, who has become the key leader in the clubhouse and is also getting more playing time with Zacarias Martell experiencing some decline in production, long-time utility infielder Joe Willemse, who is such a smart little player who provides sterling defense at three positions and a clutch bat, and superstar first baseman Brett Taranto.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:




Note that the Spinners have the best catching tandem in the game.


Game 1:



The Brewers and Spinners both get great pitching performances from their starters in the opening game of the series, with Bryant Cox working 7 1/3rd innings for the visiting Brewers, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits. For L.A. veteran Kerry Krieg went the distance and he got the win when the Spinners scored the walk-off winning run in the bottom of the 9th thanks to a Jake DiCesare 2-out error. Javy Bermudez took the loss though the lone run he allowed was, of course, unearned. Bobby Erbakan, not having a great season at the plate, did go 4 for 4 and hit his 8th double in this one.

Game 2:



Another brilliant outing from reigning MGL Pitcher of the Year Sadahige Kawasaki got the Brewers back on a winning footing in game 2. Sadahige allowed just 5 hits and no walks while striking out 2 in the shutout over the Spinners. Jose Figueroa, starting to force his way into the lineup more frequently, went 3 for 5 with a run scored an another driven in while also picking up his first stolen base of the season. Rich White, always a great first half of the season hitter, went 3 for 4 and hit his 5th double. Val Guzman and Brett Taranto each hit their 11th double in the win.

Game 3:



And the Brewers get the road series win against a tough opponent behind Jim Atwell's strong performance in the rubber match. Atwell worked 8 innings, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits for his 8th win of the season. Tim Shore worked the 9th for his 13th save. Antonio Acuna was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and swiped his 7th base in the win. Val Guzman didn't get a hit but walked twice and stole 2 bases to raise his team high total to 13.

Notes from around the league:



In the first game of the series between Denver and Los Angeles, the Brewers held veteran great third baseman, and sure future Hall of Famer, Jesus Hernandez hitless to break his 24-game hitting streak, the longest such streak in the WPK thus far this season. Although Hernandez power numbers are down a bit in 1979, he remains a force in the game and continues to add to his HOF credentials.
His team, having dropped the series to Denver, falls back to 3rd place in the MGL, 5 games behind the Brewers and just 1 game behind the second place Detroit Falcons (36-21). Brooklyn remains in 4th place, with a record of 30-26, 9 1/2 games off the pace.

In the SJL, San Antonio (41-16) maintains a 4 game lead over Columbus (36-19) and are 9 1/2 games ahead of Boston (31-25.)

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The visiting Speed Devils jumped out to an early lead in game one of the series and the Brewers were unable to catch them before the end of the regulation nine innings. Steve Green took the loss, having given up 5 runs on 7 hits, including 2 home runs, over his 6 innings pitched. Ben Flynn pitched the final 3 innings, in probably his best appearance of the season. He also collected a pinch-hit RBI single with a 10-pitch at-bat in the 6th inning. Brett Taranto went 4 for 5 and scored a run and Zacarias Martell was 3 for 4 in the loss.

Game 2:



In the middle game of the series, Phoenix again jumps out to an early lead which they do not relinquish. Erik Sloan takes the loss, having given up 3 runs on 7 hits while striking out 6 and walking none. Ben Flynn pitched a scoreless (though he did give up 2 hits) inning and hit his 1st home run of the season and Val Guzman hit his 3rd homer as part of a 2 for 4 game. Bobby Erbakan went 3 for 5 and hit his 3rd triple of 1979.

Game 3:



Phoenix completes the road sweep, the first time the Brewers have been swept in a series this season. Phoenix once again jumped off to an early lead but this time the Brewers came back to take a 5-4 lead headed into the 8th inning, but the bullpen was unable to hold it. Rookie starter Bryant Cox lasted 5 2/3rds innings, giving up 4 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits while striking out 6 and walking 2. Young left-handed reliever Rand Pinti gave up 3 hits and 1 run while recording just a single out and with an ERA of 10.80 and was demoted to AAA shortly after the game. Joe McPhillips (.273/.374/.429) went 2 for 3 with a run scored and 2 driven in, while walking twice, hitting his 10th double and 7th home run of the season. Brett Taranto (.352/.386/.456) went 2 for 5 with an RBI.

Notes from around the league:



I thought it worth noting that Washington's veteran first baseman, the SJL's Player of the Week, collected 14 hits on the week, and fully half of them were home runs.

In the SJL, San Antonio (42-18) remains in 1st place, 3 games ahead of Columbus (38-20), and 8 1/2 games ahead of Boston (33-26).

The Brewers see their lead shrink a bit in the MGL but are fortunate that their two closest competitors, Detroit and Los Angeles are also scuffling a bit. The Brewers have a 3 game lead on Detroit (37-23) and 4 game lead over L.A. (36-24). Brooklyn is getting back in the race and is now 7 1/2 games back in 4th place with a 32-27 record.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:




Game 1:



The Brewers get a big win to break their 3-game losing streak behind another dominant start from Sadahige Kawasaki, who gets his third straight shutout and 7th complete game victory of the 1979 season. Kawasaki allowed just 4 hits while striking out 6 and walking 1. As has often been the case this season the two young outfielders, Val Guzman and Antonio Acuna, lead the way offensively. Guzman, in the leadoff slot, went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI, hitting his 12th double of the season. Acuna was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI and he hit his 7th home run. Joe McPhillips went 2 for 4 and his 2 hits were both doubles to get him to 12 for the season.

Game 2:



The Brewers come from behind in game 2 to get another win, with veteran reliever Javy Bermudez continuing his fine season getting the win with a hitless inning of relief in which he struck out 2 batters. Tim Shore got the final 2 outs of the game for his 14th save. The Brewers spread the offense around well, but let's note Val Guzman's 2 for 4, 2 RBI game in which he collected his 13th double and Jake DiCesare's 2 for 3, 2 runs scored, 1 walk game. Jim Atwell got the start for the Brewers and other than a control-challenged 1st inning in which he walked 3 batters and allowed 4 runs pitched pretty well, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits while striking out 4 and walking 5 batters.

Game 3:



Having just lost a home series against the lowly Phoenix Speed Devils, the Brewers come into Baltimore and sweep the 5th place Lords. Steve Green got the start and the win for Denver, working 7 innings while giving up 3 runs on 8 hits. Brandon Veach pitched the final inning and two thirds and was fantastic, striking out 2 batters and allowing just 1 hit and he gets his first save of the season with Denver. Josh Schaeffer (.222/.404/.340), who has had a poor season at the plate (other than, as usual, having a great propensity for drawing walks), was the Player of the Game in this one, going 3 for 4, and hitting a home run to lead off the game (Rich White had done the same in the previous game). Jake DiCesare (.299/.335/.456) stays hot, going 3 for 5 in this one.

Notes from around the league:



Oklahoma City's young left-handed starting pitcher Joe Shetler might be the most dynamic young pitcher the MGL and is a real fan favorite. Shetler possesses an elite level changeup and fantastic curveball which leads to a high strikeout rate. Although his control is merely average and his propensity to give up home runs a problem, he is capable of dominant performances and certainly at this point of his career these are not infrequent occurrences.
His team, though, after having looked like they might be on the rise for a few seasons, is currently in 8th place with a poor 26-37 record.
The Brewers continue to lead the league, now with a 4 game lead over Detroit (39-24) and a 5 game lead over L.A. (38-25). Brooklyn remains in 4th place with a 33-29 record, 9 1/2 games back.

In the SJL, San Antonio (45-18) remains in first, 4 games ahead of Columbus (40-21), with Boston (36-26) in third, 8 1/2 games out.