Growing Baseball Worldwide: A Business Dynasty

[BigRed75]

I must say, I am enjoying this universe a lot. And I'm a little bit jealous that I didn't think of the idea first! But you're doing such a good job with detailed updates that it's like I'm right there watching it unfold on your computer scene.

Okay, that sounded a bit creepy. But you know what I meant, hopefully.

Anyway, I can't wait to continue following this and seeing what the IBF looks like in the year 2105 and beyond!

[CivicEvo]

The Stats



Analysis

- First, a quick reminder that all players highlighted in yellow are retired.

- Darby Duncan (PHI - USA) has switched back to third base after Philadelphia tried an experiment with him last year at 2B. This comes at the expense of Landon Harper (PHI - USA), who is listed above, and has since been relegated back to being a bench player.

- There is a very clear top tier here between Duncan, Danny Ratzlaff (DAL - USA) and Calvin Miller (CHI - USA), all who have been profiled earlier. Duncan profiles as a potential future Hall of Famer, with Ratzlaff and Miller currently holding outside shots.

- Fred Jordan, with a career 0.1 WAR, retired after the 2002 season and is now the manager of the Dallas club. He has a 27-35 career record there.

- Jose Gonzalez (NY - USA) is the most recent breakout star of the group. His 2004 season consisted of a .966 OPS with 11 HR and 36 RBI in 50 games. He won the 2004 All-Star award at the position.

- I'm not actually sure how Reynaldo Cruz (DAL - USA) is still in the league. His 2002 season with Philadelphia was one of the worst of all time - a .104 average and .280 OPS in 114 plate appearances. He rebounded in 2004 with the expansion San Francisco team to the tune of a .225 average and .603 OPS, landing him a bench role in Dallas for 2005.

And now, for some history...

Previous All-Star Winners

2000: Calvin Miller (CHI)
2001: Darby Duncan (NY)
2002: Darby Duncan (NY)
2003: Darby Duncan (PHI)
2004: Jose Gonzalez (NY)

Best 3B By Team (Primary Position for Team as 3B) - Historical

Chicago: Calvin Miller (6.1 WAR)
Dallas: Danny Ratzlaff (7.3 WAR)
Los Angeles: Ray Phillips (0.7 WAR)
New York: Darby Duncan (5.0 WAR)
Philadelphia: Darby Duncan (3.3 WAR)
San Francisco: Reynaldo Cruz (0.8 WAR)

---

Standings Update - July 20, 2005

[CivicEvo]

Name: Dave Ortiz
Position: Center Field
Number: 9
Club Team: San Francisco (2004-2005), Los Angeles (2003), Philadelphia (2001-2002), Dallas (2000)
Date of Birth: December 18, 1972
City of Birth: Cockeysville, Maryland, USA


Despite not having as much star power as others, Dave Ortiz has been a consistent contributor in the USABL for six years. His career 6.6 WAR is the highest among all centerfielders in history - in large part because he's been one of the most durable players in league history. Since 2000, he has missed just two games, completing full seasons from 2001-2004 (and all of 2005 to date). He led the league in doubles in 2001 and triples in 2003. Ortiz also added to his trophy case with the 2002 All-Star award as a member of Philadelphia. Now in his second year in San Francisco, Ortiz has become a team leader as he looks to take the club back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season.


Awards:

USABL Position All-Star (CF): 2002

Salary:

2000: $1,000
2001: $710
2002: $720
2003: $770
2004: $1,720 (first year of 2-Year San Francisco contract)
2005: $1,720
TOTAL: $6,640

Complete Batting Stats:



Leaderboard Appearances:



--
Standings Update - July 24, 2005

[CivicEvo]

A combination of the flu and the NHL Playoffs have derailed me from updating this, but I should be good to go again now
---

---

2003 USABL Champions
2004 USABL Champions



Starting Lineups & Pitching Staffs





Top 5 Players by WAR

Ricky Garrison - LF - USA - 9.0 WAR

Bill Evans - SP - USA - 7.1 WAR

Calvin Miller - 3B - USA - 6.4 WAR

Gerardo Alvarez - SP - USA - 6.3 WAR

John Lee - RF - USA - 5.2 WAR

Batting and Pitching Leaders





Award Winners

MVP

2001 - Milo Hoover (C): .372/.442/.825 - 18 HR - 3.4 WAR

Rookie of the Year

2000 - Ricky Garrison (LF) - .220/.342/.415 - 7 HR - 1.0 WAR

Wild Card MVP

2004 - Ricky Garrison (LF)

Championship MVP

2003 - John Lee (RF)
2004 - John Lee (RF)

All Stars

Catcher

2001 - Milo Hoover: .372/.442/.825 - 18 HR - 33 RBI - 3.4 WAR

Second Base

2004 - Mark Crawford: .269/.371/.328 - 0 HR - 15 RBI - 1.3 WAR

Third Base

2000 - Calvin Miller: .204/.317/.437 - 8 HR - 18 RBI - 0.9 WAR

Shortstop

2003 - Josh Hampton: .277/.389/.480 - 7 HR - 16 RBI - 1.7 WAR
2004 - Josh Hampton: .268/.321/.412 - 7 HR - 17 RBI - 1.6 WAR

Left Field

2002 - Ricky Garrison: .281/.373/.525 - 9 HR - 30 RBI - 2.1 WAR

Center Field

2000 - Mark Harvey: .246/.307/.500 - 6 HR - 14 RBI - 0.8 WAR

Right Field

2002 - John Lee: .307/.409/.509 - 8 HR - 27 RBI - 2.1 WAR
2003 - John Lee: .353/.387/.609 - 7 HR - 21 RBI - 1.8 WAR

[CivicEvo]

Forgot to add this to the Chicago team history post - this is where things are about halfway through.

Looks like we have a four horse race between Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.

Would not surprise me to see Dallas and San Francisco start to sell some assets off. San Francisco, by the way, is trying to avoid a historically bad season...

Coming up next: The next player profile, and then the yearly mid-season update of all of previously profiled players.

[CivicEvo]

Name: Buddy Humphrey
Position: Starting Pitcher
Number: 16
Club Team: Los Angeles (2000-Present)
Date of Birth: November 6, 1977
City of Birth: Livermore, California, USA



Buddy Humphrey has been a lifelong member of the Los Angeles team, after being selected 12th Overall in the 2000 Inaugural Draft. Since then, he led LA to the playoffs in 2001, has led the league in innings pitched in 2002-2003 and wins in 2003. He also won the Pitcher of the Year in 2003. His 7.5 WAR ranks 3rd all time for Starting Pitchers behind Mike Cooper and Nolan Griffin. Prior to the 2005 season, Humphrey signed an extension through 2010 for $22,940, showing his commitment to Los Angeles as he tries to lead them to the playoffs for a second time.

Awards:

USABL Pitcher of the Year: 2003
USABL Position All-Star (SP): 2003

Salary:

2000: $370
2001: $620
2002: $1,063
2003: $1,560
2004: $2,320
2005: $2,640 (first year of six year extension)
TOTAL: $8,573

Complete Pitching Stats:



Leaderboard Appearances:



--

Standings Update - July 31, 2005

[CivicEvo]

Well, we have reached about the halfway mark of the season, so let's check in with how the guys that have been profiled are faring so far this season:



Mike Cooper (SP - USA) - 12 IP, 0-1 Record, 3.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 13 K, 0.5 WAR



Darby Duncan (3B - USA) - 24 GP, .314 AVG, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB, .823 OPS, 1.0 WAR



Ricky Garrison (LF - USA) - 21 GP, .360 AVG, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB, 1.128 OPS, 1.0 WAR



Nolan Griffin (SP - USA) - 33.2 IP, 3-2 Record, 3.48 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 33 K, 1.3 WAR



Josh Hampton (SS - USA) - 14 GP, .176 AVG, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, .508 OPS, 0.2 WAR



Milo Hoover (C - USA) - 24 GP, .346 AVG, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 0 SB, 1.155 OPS, 1.7 WAR



Buddy Humphrey (SP - USA) - 41.1 IP, 4-1 Record, 2.83 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 36 K, 1.2 WAR



Aaron Klink (C - USA) - 24 GP, .348 AVG, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 0 SB, 1.032 OPS, 1.5 WAR



Reid Landry (LF - USA) - 24 GP, .298 AVG, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 4 SB, .836 OPS, 1.4 WAR



John Lee (RF - USA) - 24 GP, .303 AVG, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 0 SB, .865 OPS, 1.5 WAR



Calvin Miller (3B - USA) - 24 GP, .348 AVG, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 0 SB, .983 OPS, 1.0 WAR



Dave Ortiz (CF - USA) - 24 GP, .367 AVG, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, .963 OPS, 1.8 WAR



Danny Ratzlaff (3B - USA) - 24 GP, .284 AVG, 7 HR, 15 RBI, 0 SB, .939 OPS, 1.1 WAR

[CivicEvo]

Standings Update - August 5, 2005



Some major action on the trade front - San Francisco has begun the process of basically selling every legitimate USABL player they have and have landed three top 100 Prospects for their efforts - Pepe Pineda (SP - MEX - #3), Roy Jackson (SS - USA - #86), Luis Maldonado (SP - CRC - #96). They've also added 10 other prospects as well, all ranking between 100 and 200 on the list. Gone from the team are Dave Ortiz, Ed Grabowski, Paul Hester, and Martin Harris.

Other blockbusters!

New York has moved long time starting rightfielder Paul Parker (USA) to Dallas for below average starter Pedro Morales and the #18 prospect, Jesus Garza (1B - MEX).

Chicago traded elite starting pitcher Gerardo Alvarez (SP - USA) to Philadelphia for Landon Harper (3B - USA) and Hugh Blue (SS - USA). The key of this trade is that A) Philadelphia is really going for a championship and B) Blue, just 20 years old, has now started for two top tier teams already - he's a stud. But he did play last year for Chicago, who already let him go once. Interesting career path so far.

The only other deal of note is that Jeffrey Coates (RF - USA) got moved back for a second stint in New York (allowing them to trade Parker, really). Going back to Los Angeles in the deal was George O'Bryan (1B - USA) and Jesus Ordonez (RP - MEX). NY had two starting caliber 1B so they were dealing from strength. Ordonez is notable as he was the first international player in USABL history.

The trading deadline is 3 days away, so more action could be on the horizon. And outside of San Francisco and Dallas (to a lesser degree), the race is close!

Personally, I am hoping for Philadelphia. Good fans there, and they're the only team to not make the playoffs yet!

More coming Saturday, where we will highlight players from the first state alphabetically, Alabama.

[CivicEvo]

Analysis

- To date, five players have played a regular season game in the USABL that were born in Alabama. That is 2.09% of all players over the five year history of the league.

- Mike Cooper and Aaron Klink headline this list. Both players have over 9.0 career WAR and both currently rank in the top 7 in career JAWS. Both players are on pace to have legitimate Hall of Fame worthy resumes.

- The latter three players have not done too much over the course of their careers to date..

- Shawn Ward is only 23 but has played the last three years in the Chicago organization. He was acquired by CHI from Los Angeles for reliever Terence Hahn. However, the future is bright for Ward as he has currently been starting for the seemingly bound Chicago team due to some injury issues. He is hitting .158 with 0 HR and 2 RBI in 57 AB so far this year.

- Greg Fry was originally signed by Dallas in 2000, but was traded to Philadelphia near the 2002 trading deadline for reliever Jack O'Connor. Fry was named the #89 overall prospect heading into the 2005 season. He's currently a bench player for Philadelphia and is hitting .154 with 0 HR and 3 RBI and 4 SB in 26 AB so far this year.

- Ed Peterson was the 12th overall pick in the 2000 draft. He was a fairly quick riser through the Los Angeles system, but hasn't pitched in the majors since 2003. His career record to date is 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA and 8 K in just 10 career innings.

--

Standings Update - August 8, 2005



Outside of San Francisco, looks like we're going to have one hell of a pennant race this season! From here, just 20 games to go...

[darkcloud4579]

Just seeing this and super intrigued by the concept and execution. Heck of a job. Keep it up!

[CivicEvo]

Name: Brad Lange
Position: Right Field
Number: 27
Club Team: Philadelphia (2003-Present), Los Angeles (2000-2002)
Date of Birth: October 6, 1974
City of Birth: Bristol, Tennessee, USA



Lange has been a serviceable player in the USABL since the league began in 2000. Selected 5th Overall in the 2000 Inaugural Draft by Los Angeles, Lange has never missed a game in his career, and has only come off the bench once during that time. His 7.1 career WAR ranks second all-time for right fielders behind John Lee. Lange, who was born on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky, has now been with Philadelphia for three years after signing a 5 year deal with the club prior to the 2003 season. For his career, he has finished in the top 5 for homeruns twice, ranking 5th all time with 42. At just 30 years old, he still has a long career ahead of him.


Awards:

None
Salary:

2000: $578
2001: $750
2002: $910
2003: $830
2004: $830
2005: $830
TOTAL: $4,728

Complete Batting Stats:



Leaderboard Appearances:



---

Standings Update - August 12, 2005



Still no separation with 17 games to go...

[CivicEvo]

Wanted to circle back on the 2000 Draft and give some updates on some of the players picked:

Analysis

- Dan Gibson leads the pack with 3.8 WAR during the course of his 3 year career. After breaking out with Los Angeles in the 2004 season, Gibson is having another sensational season, hitting .369 with 6 HR and 28 RBI in 2005 as the star left fielder for LA. After winning the 2004 All-Star (LF) Award, he's on track to repeat that performance in 2005 with 2.0 WAR so far this year.

- Joseph Warren was picked 2nd overall by Los Angeles in the draft, but was moved to Dallas as an undervalued asset after the 2002 season. He hasn't had a great career to date, going 4-8 with a 5.33 ERA, but still has decent potential ratings. At just 22 years old, Dallas seems to be sticking with him as a member of their rotation.

- Richard Woodard, of Los Angeles, has perhaps the best stats of any pitcher from this draft. Woodard has played for LA for parts of 4 seasons after being selected 7th Overall in 2000. He's having somewhat of a breakout season in 2005, with a 3-2 record, a 3.65 ERA, and a 9.5 K/9 rate in 7 starts so far. The Iowa native has a career 1.2 WAR, which ranks 3rd in this draft class.

- Jim Cobb made his debut for his hometown New York team in 2002 and has since become a mainstay in their bullpen. The Long Island native is a two-time champion and has 11 holds during his 4 year career.

- John Koster was perhaps rushed to the big leagues as a 21 year old in 2003, but he's finally starting to show promise now in 2005. Though he is still a bench player, Koster has an .833 OPS in 33 plate appearances this year, showing a great eye and playing a great CF as a defensive replacement. Scouts are still very high on his potential; not bad for the 25th Overall pick.

- Greg Martin, now with New York, is playing for his third organization in five years, but is finally showing signs of a breakout. He's now starting in rightfield for NY, after a strong start allowed the club to trade veteran star Paul Parker to Dallas in an advantageous position. Martin has a .267 average this year with 8 RBI, but has shown great maturity and has become a young leader for New York.

- Francisco Garcia, a Texas native that was moved from Dallas to Los Angeles after the 2004 season, has found a niche coming off the bench for LA in 2005. After hitting .210 with a .613 OPS in 2004 as a starter, Garcia has come back to hit .292 with a .917 OPS including 2 HR in 27 plate appearances so far this year. He's also shown great versatility playing CF, RF, SS, and 1B so far this season.

- Rod Wallace, one of the expansion Philadelphia's first draft picks (11th Overall), has struggled at many points of his career so far. Formerly a starter for PHI in 2002 and 2004, he was moved to the bullpen mid-2005 despite a 4-1 record due to his 5.70 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Scouts think he's still pretty far from his potential, but has some promise going forward. With Philadelphia moving closer to becoming a contender, rumors are swirling that he could be released after the year.

--

Standings Update - August 16, 2005



Well, it's still really complicated atop the standings with 14 games left. Five teams fighting for three spots and only San Francisco, who went full tank, has been eliminated. Heading down to the wire - below is the amount of playoff appearances each team has made throughout the years:

New York: 5 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
Chicago: 2 (2003, 2004)
Dallas: 2 (2000, 2002)
Los Angeles: 1 (2001)
San Francisco: 1 (2004)
Philadelphia: 0

[BigRed75]

Why is San Francisco so bad?

It'd be heartbreaking if Philly can't get over the line and into the playoffs.

[CivicEvo]

Originally Posted by BigRed75

Why is San Francisco so bad?

It'd be heartbreaking if Philly can't get over the line and into the playoffs.

Totally agree about Philly! I generally haven't rooted much for teams/players in the beginning, but now that a history is starting to unfold, I am really hoping they get in.

San Francisco... oh man. They're a mess. I actually thought they went out and improved their team in the off-season, for the most part. But Mike Cooper, who is their ace (and probably the best pitcher to date in this game) has missed all but 2 starts (he went 11-2 last year). They also lost two solid starters in Jerry Carter and Bill Padgett in free agency, replacing them with a bunch of meh players.

Things were bad, obviously, but at the deadline they legitimately sold almost half their team. At this point they are running with mostly 20-23 year old kids and a handful of vets. I can't blame them, they've picked up a TON of prospects.. but will be interesting to see how many of them they can keep after the year.

To be honest, I have no real issue with the tank. I was *stunned* they made the playoffs as an expansion team last year. Guess it really was smoke and mirrors. Should be interesting to see how they look next year with a new team incoming.

[CivicEvo]

Since last time the drafted USA players were covered pretty in-depth, I figured now would be the appropriate time to talk through the 2000 IFAs, especially since a few of them have since debuted.

As a reminder, the class consisted of players from the following countries:

Mexico - 8
Canada - 5
Costa Rica - 1
Curacao - 1
Dominican Republic - 1
Japan - 1
Panama - 1

Of that group, the six players that have debuted are either from Mexico (4) or Canada (2). Here are some of their stories:

Analysis

Henry Swerdlow (CAN) leads the pack in WAR, with a 0.1 mark in 14 career games, all with San Francisco. Swerdlow is a catcher from Saskatchewan and is currently backing up Carlos Aguilaz (more below). In 31 plate appearances, he is hitting .290 with 1 HR and 5 RBI.

Bob Peyton (CAN) has perhaps the weirdest story of anyone in this group. The Halifax native has played in 16 games for Dallas in his rookie year, backing up All-Star Aaron Klink. The thing is, he has never been to the plate! All of his appearances have come late as a defensive replacement.

Alejandro Salinas (MEX) started the year in the Dallas bullpen, but just recently made his first start for the team. The Mexico City native has a 6.98 ERA and a 1.97 WHIP in 11 games, but does have a 9.3 K/9 rate in 19.1 innings. He has decent potential and has done everything the team has asked of him.

Jesus Ordoñez (MEX) made history last year as the first non-American player to ever play in any IBF league (which includes the USABL, of course). Ordoñez pitched in 5 games for New York, going 0-1 with 1 save. He had a 3.68 ERA and 1.64 WHIP, striking out 6 in 7.1 innings. He's currently on the Los Angeles reserve roster.

Pepe Pineda (MEX) has the most potential of any Mexican pitcher in this class. He started the year with Los Angeles, putting up a 0.82 ERA in 8 relief outings before getting dealt to San Francisco in a deal for All-Star centerfielder Dave Ortiz. Since the trade, San Fran has jerked his role around, but he seems to have landed in the bullpen for now, where he has a 5.40 ERA for the club so far.

Carlos Aguilaz (MEX), who has just a -0.6 WAR for San Francisco, has also played the most of anyone in the group so far. Initially a Chicago team member, Aguilaz was released prior to the 2005 season due to spatial issues on the reserve roster. He signed with San Francisco shortly after and quickly won the starting catcher job. To date, he is hitting just .191 with 1 HR and 9 RBI with a .437 OPS in 135 plate appearances. He still has very good potential, which is likely why San Francisco is sticking with him for now.

--

Standings Update - August 19, 2005



Now 11 games to go and... yeah good luck trying to parse through this mess at the top! Poor San Francisco though...

After the next update, I'll start to look at the final series/matchups for each of these teams left.

And as of today... it'd be Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York in the playoffs. Poor Philadelphia!

[CivicEvo]

Name: Bill Evans
Position: Starting Pitcher
Number: 5
Club Team: Chicago (2000-Present)
Date of Birth: February 26, 1974
City of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA



Bill Evans has been a leading staff member of the two-time champion Chicago team for a long period of time. He is tied for 1st in wins in Chicago history, has started the most games, has the most innings pitched, has the most strikeouts, and the highest WAR for starting pitchers in the team's history. In short, he is the best pitcher to ever play for the club. In terms of the overall career, his career 8.2 WAR ranks fourth all time, and his 376 strikeouts rank 2nd all time. While he has never won Pitcher of the Year, he did come in 3rd during the 2003 season, the first of consecutive championship years for Evans.

Awards:

None

Salary:

2000: $1,400
2001: $1,500
2002: $1,500
2003: $1,600
2004: $1,600
2005: $1,600
TOTAL: $9,200

Complete Pitching Stats:



Leaderboard Appearances:

[CivicEvo]

With 8 games to go, we're starting to see a little bit of separation in the standings. Dallas, at 22-20, is looking less and less likely as a playoff contender as they have about a 13% chance to get in.

That leaves four teams left for three spots, and all of them have a really good shot at this point. The favorite at this point is New York, who seems to have a 97.2% chance to clinch their sixth consecutive playoff berth.

And speaking of New York, their catcher and 3-time MVP Milo Hoover is on another planet right now! On his way to MVP #4, Hoover has hit 6 HR in his last 7 games, giving him 20 on the season with 52 RBI and a 4.2 WAR. All of these are USABL records! The 33 year old is having his best season yet, and it's a huge reason why New York looks primed to find themselves back in the playoffs yet again.

Speaking of catchers, it might be the strongest position in the league. The next update will focus on them.

[CivicEvo]

We've taken a look at some of these guys before, but with so many great catchers in this league, I thought it'd be a good time to update some of their stories.

Analysis

- Milo Hoover is obviously the class of this group. Widely considered the best player in the league's 5 year history, Hoover has thrived with New York since 2002, with a 11.3 WAR in that time with the team. His 78 home runs rank first all time, his 15.6 WAR ranks first all time, and his 209 RBI ranks first all time. In 2005, he is yet again the heavy favorite to win his 4th MVP with a record setting 20 home runs. He is by far the biggest reason New York is currently the leader in the standings with a 26-16 record. He is without question heading straight to the Hall of Fame when his career is up.

- Aaron Klink gets really overshadowed when catchers are brought up by pundits in this league. The 2000 MVP and All-Star at catcher has a career 9.8 WAR with 45 HR and 139 RBI in 204 games. He's played his entire career in Dallas and has become a mainstay in the cleanup spot of their lineup. The Alabama native is under contract through 2007 and has would undoubtedly have more awards to his name if not for the aforementioned Hoover.

- John Chambers is a name that we have not touched upon too much throughout this story. However, he's turned into quite a player for the Philadelphia franchise. Since his debut in 2001, Chambers has hit .297 with 14 HR and 74 RBI in 171 games. He's also accumulated a quiet 5.3 WAR, which is good for third all-time amongst catchers.

- John Webber has had a pretty interesting career in the IBF. He debuted in 2000 as the starter in Los Angeles and played there through 2003. He was a productive player in that time, including a magical 2001 season where he hit 18 homeruns with a 2.8 WAR. Since his release from LA, he's toiled in Chicago and Dallas only playing 17 games in the last two seasons. He's since announced that he will be retiring at the end of the 2005 season, at age 37.

- Carlos Williams has had quite the journeyman career. I believe he is the only player in USABL history to play for all six franchises over the course of the 6-season history of the league. He's played all roles from backup to starter, and has been a positive influence everywhere he's been. His 2.4 WAR ranks 5th all time among catchers. As for his future, when the next team enters the league, that's a good bet on where he will end up!

- Kevin Horton has had a late breakout, but it's come at the right time for a Chicago team that's fought injuries all year. After playing just 12 games from 2000-2001, Horton took over the starter's job in 2002 and has had an up and down career. However, this year, he is hitting .311 with 10 HR and 42 RBI in 41 games. It's been quite a year for him, and he's since been rewarded with a 4 year extension from the club that will take him through 2008 (player option for 2009). The 29 year old seems to be here to stay.

- Jason Austin is a player that took a while to find his way, but he's found a home in Los Angeles over the last three season. In 2005, he got his first starter's job with LA and has contributed a .233 AVG with 0 HR and 9 RBI. For his career, he ranks 7th All-Time in WAR with 1.3, mostly all coming with his time in LA.

- Lou Wilson pretty much got a raw deal in his time in the league. After backing up Jerry Hale in 2000 with New York, Wilson got a chance to start in 2001 and played well contributing a .305 AVG with 2 HR and 10 RBI in 32 games. However, New York smelled blood and made a huge blockbuster trade for Milo Hoover after the season. Since then, Wilson has played for Dallas and Philadelphia and has played in just 34 games since the 2001 season. What was once a promising career seems to have stagnated. Very unfortunate.

- Bryan Hernandez will be the last player we outline - a once promising player, Hernandez suffered through inconsistent offense, leading to a lack of interest after the 2004 season. His time in Dallas and Los Angeles was driven by his defense, where he had a 50% caught stealing rate and a +3.1 zone rating for his career. Perhaps he will catch on again when the league expands, but it's clear his career .198 average is a deterrent at this time.

--

Standings Update - August 30, 2005



Oh man! A big 3 game losing streak from Chicago coupled with a 3 game winning streak from Philadelphia means that the two have switched spots with just 5 games to go for the two clubs!

Playoff Chances

New York: 99.8%
Los Angeles: 97.4%
Philadelphia: 80.8%
Chicago: 19.6%
Dallas: 2.5%

Dallas is just barely holding on, but they are still technically in it. And remember, if Chicago misses, the USABL WILL have a new champion for the first time in three seasons. Just one update to go before the final 2-3 games are played!

[CivicEvo]

Thought it'd be fun for this update to take a look at the 34 players who debuted in the USABL in 2001. This was an interesting year for the league, with it being the first year of the expansion Philadelphia team. As such, there's very clearly a ton of players on this list who have shuffled through Philly along the way. But to take a look at the top 10, here's the analysis:

Analysis

- John Chambers is so unheralded at this point, it's almost comical. The 2001 Rookie of the Year leads the pack with 5.5 career WAR, all coming with Philadelphia. He's developed into an extremely valuable catcher, with a career slash of .296/.361/.429 in 174 games with 14 homers and 75 RBI. After Milo Hoover and Aaron Klink, a case can easily be made that Chambers is the 3rd best catcher of all time. Luckily for him, he was rewarded in 2002 with the All-Star Award at catcher, when he hit .337 with an OPS of .867 and 1.4 WAR.

- Andrew McKinney pretty much came out of nowhere to become a starting player in this league. The only player to win an All-Star award at two separate positions (2B, 2001; CF, 2004), McKinney has 3.1 career WAR as a contributing member for Los Angeles and Dallas. The Oregon native has a career .254 average with 11 HR and 71 RBI in 213 games.

- Ray Phillips broke out on the scene as the starting 3B for the 2003 New York team, when he hit .272 with 3 HR and 16 RBI in 179 plate appearances. After that season, he signed with Dallas before being moved to Los Angeles, where he has 1.2 WAR in just 77 games for the club. For his career, Phillips has 12 HR in 176 games while playing a solid third base.

- Travis William never really got much of a chance before he signed with the expansion Philadelphia team in 2001 as a 31 year old. Not really expected to contribute much, William has spent the last 5 years carving out a nice career for himself starting for parts of four seasons with Philly, Dallas, and San Francisco. His career 1.8 WAR ranks 4th amongst the 2001 class. He's now back in Philadelphia as a bench player, likely in the twilight of his career.

- Umair bin Wasim came out with two huge years for Dallas in 2001 and 2002, leading the league with 6 wins in 2002 (and a 2.01 ERA!). He signed with his hometown Philadelphia club in 2003, where he was a total disaster, shocking everyone around the city. He's since bounced around in California for two years, with mixed results at best. For his career, he is now just 14-13 with a career 4.74 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. Still, his 1.2 WAR ranks tied for 5th for 2001 debuts.

- Abel Floyd has spent his entire career with Chicago, after originally being picked by the club in the 24th round of the Inaugural Draft in 2000. He's been used generally as a utility pitcher, starting or relieving whenever the team needs him to do so. He has a career 9-8 record with a 4.13 ERA and 2 saves over his 5 year career. Now 27, the Atlanta native finds himself back in the rotation as he goes for his 3rd consecutive championship with the club.

- Bill Baird is one of those players that has found himself around the league in back again. Over the last 5 years his career path has been: Philadelphia -> Los Angeles -> Chicago -> San Francisco -> Los Angeles. Still, he's carved a niche out for himself playing in 168 games and hitting 13 HR with a .760 OPS in that time. His 1.1 career WAR ranks 7th all-time for 2001 debuts. He's currently backing up George O'Bryan on LA's bench as they push for their 2nd franchise playoff appearance.

- Landon Harper started his career in Chicago as an undrafted free agent in 2001, playing only sparingly. In fact, from 2001-2002, he only had 26 combined plate appearances! Harper was then moved to Philadelphia in a blockbuster for ace Mike Cooper, where he really got his start in the league. He's been solid since, even getting traded back to Chicago this year in the surprise trade for ace Gerardo Alvarez. Since his return, Harper is hitting .387 with an .876 OPS in 35 plate appearances backing up star Calvin Miller at 3B.

- Allen Pierce is another one of those players that has floated around the league for much of the last 5 years. He's a solid starter, despite playing for a plethora of awful teams. His career 8-15 record is nowhere indicative of his performance, despite a lower strikeout rate (5.4/9 IP). Now with San Francisco (located near his hometown San Jose!), Pierce has a 2.04 ERA in 7 starts - though unfortunately that has not translated into the win column this year.

- Timothy McDaniel is the last player to be outlined in this update. McDaniel has played 4/5 seasons with Los Angeles, taking only a small detour to Dallas in 2003. Largely a middle reliever, McDaniel has a career 6-4 record with 2 saves and a 4.25 ERA in 70 appearances for his career. He currently remains in a similar role with LA in 2005.

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Standings Update - September 4, 2005



Just three games to go for everyone, here's where we stand:

Both Los Angeles and New York have CLINCHED playoff spots, but not the division. This will be Los Angeles' 2nd playoff appearance, and New York's 6th (they have never missed the dance).

Dallas and San Francisco have both been eliminated. Obviously, San Francisco just wants to forget about this year by now...

Philadelphia leads Chicago by 3 games in the standings with 3 games to play. What this means is one win by Philadelphia OR one loss by Chicago, and Philadelphia will clinch their FIRST trip to the playoffs.

The two teams do NOT play each other in the final three games. Philadelphia plays LA, SF, NY.
Chicago plays DAL, LA, SF.

In addition, all non-eliminated teams but Chicago can still win the division. If Chicago gets in, they will be in the 2 out of 3 first round series. If Philadelphia gets in, they could still win the division and clinch the first round bye. What this means is that the playoff matchups have not been determined at all to this point!

Next? The last update of the regular season coming, where we will see if Philadelphia can seal the deal for the first time in franchise history. And if they can, will they win the division? Who will they play? Who will win the regular season and get the bye?

[BigRed75]

Exciting, down to the wire action!