Harry Lyerly and the Denver Brewers of the WPK

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers get off to an early lead in Game 2 of the 1974 WPK World Series when they score 2 first inning runs thanks to an Andrew Kennedy double that scored both Ryan Rodgers and Joe McPhillips.
But the lead was short-lived and the Wolf Pack tied the game in the 2nd inning, took the lead in the 5th inning, and then stretched that lead to 6-2 in the 8th inning.
Erik Sloan just couldn't retire Jacksonville center fielder Greg Koenig in this one, in spite of the fact that Koenig normally struggles to hit left-handed pitching. Koenig doubled and homered off Sloan on his way to a 3 for 4 day. The veteran Brewers lefty Sloan gave up 4 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings pitched to suffer the loss.
The Brewers made a strong effort to get back even in the bottom of the 9th, keyed by a Mike Foster home run, but fell short and now head to Jacksonville knowing that they need to win at least 1 game on the road to bring this series back to Denver, barring winning all 3 in Jacksonville and celebrating in front of the Wolf Pack crowd.



Bobby Erbakan's slump continues and the Brewers will need him to break out of it if they are likely to win this series. On the plus side, young Joe McPhillips continues to shine, both at the plate and in the field, and he went 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored in this one.

[BirdWatcher]

Steve Green probably had the biggest game of his career so far. The Brewers right-hander not only pitched an 8-inning gem in Fidelity Financial Stadium, giving up just 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 7 and walking just 1 batter, but he also contributed two doubles in the game, scoring once and driving in one run.



The Brewers entered Jacksonville knowing they would need at least one road victory to have a chance in the series, and they got it out of the way quickly and decisively, winning 9-1. Bobby Erbakan finally busted out of his slump, going 2 for 5 with 3 RBI and hitting a 3rd inning 2-run home run that put the Brewers up 4-0. Ryan Rodgers is having a fine series and went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and a double in this one. And the Brewers got good production from the bottom of their order (and not just from pitcher Green) as Oscar Vargas, getting the start at second base, went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI and Kevin Curtis went 2 for 5 with a run scored.

[BirdWatcher]

Game 4 of the 1974 WPK World Series was a great pitcher's duel into the 7th inning, as Jacksonville left-hander Sam Pichardo and Denver left-hander Hector Hard battled to a scoreless tie through 6 innings. Both teams had scoring opportunities in the early going but the starters showed a lot of heart and wiggled out of some tough spots.

But as was predicted prior to the series starting, any games that came down to a battle of bullpens was likely to give the edge to the Brewers. The Wolf Pack have been relying heavily on their veteran closer Jeremy Jankowski while the Brewers have used their deep bullpen rather democratically. Jankowski has now given up 2 runs in each of his last two appearances.



The Brewers scored the first run of the game off starter Pichardo when Oscar Vargas, having a great series in the absence of the injured Jonathan Koch, tripled with 1 out. He was in danger of being stranded until Chad Brown hit a clutch 2-out single to drive him home and give the Brewers a lead they would not relinquish. Jankowski came in and shut down the rally.

But he would not be so successful in the 8th, when Bobby Erbakan hit a 1-out double off of him and then, with 2 outs, Andrew Kennedy came in as a pinch-hitter. With the speedy Erbakan at second the Brewers manager admitted later he was really just hoping that the great contact hitter Kennedy would single him home or at best line a gapper for an easier RBI double. After letting a ball pass him by to start the at-bat, Kennedy went one better, and slammed the next pitch into the right field stands to put the Brewers up 3-0.

Jaden Francis and Liann-wei Hua then combined to preserve the shutout-and the win- over the last 2 innings.

And just like that, the Brewers take the first two at Jacksonville to get within one victory of their second WPK championship.
But they are keenly aware of what a formidable opponent this Jacksonville team is, and know that last win will be the hardest.

[Palaaemon]

Time to bring it home!

[BirdWatcher]

Well, okay, that wasn't supposed to be quite so easy.


The Brewers offense roared early in this one as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead on the way to a 10-6 victory to be crowned the WPK Champions of 1974.

Give the Wolf Pack credit for fighting back and trying to make this one interesting, but after the Wolf Pack drew to within three the Brewers bullpen went into action and shut them down and the Brewers added an insurance run in the 8th for good measure.

In spite of starting only a single game in the series and having just 7 at-bats total, Andrew Kennedy was named the series MVP for his pivotal hits.
But really, this was a whole team effort. The starting pitching was mostly solid, with a spectacular performance by Steve Green and a strong start by Hector Hard. The bullpen was magnificent and everyone got in the act. And the offense just kept doing what they have done all season.

In this final game the 2-4 hitters (Joe McPhillips, Ryan Rodgers, Bobby Erbakan, and Mike Foster) went 10 for 21 with 6 runs scored, 7 RBI, 1 double (Foster) and 1 HR (Erbakan).

For the second time in Brewers history, they are the WPK champs, and for the second time they do it by defeating the Jacksonville Wolf Pack in the World Series, 4 games to 1.

Let the celebrations begin!

[BirdWatcher]

The trophy and the troops:
(Please note: I'm not sure who that imposter is pretending to be Jordan Stephens. That's not Jordan Stephens (Something happened a little while ago and the Facegen for Stephens changed and I haven't figured out how to fix it yet. For one thing, Jordan Stephens isn't a white dude.))

[BirdWatcher]

Oh boy, this could be fun. Or a disaster.
(Should I have disabled this part of league evolution?)

[BirdWatcher]

Okay- I'm getting ahead of myself a bit and will be reporting the rest of the 1974 awards tomorrow but I had to post this one right now as it came as a bit of surprise to me.





I was convinced a Brewer would win this award, but I was pretty sure it would be the veteran superstar Ryan Rodgers.

But no, his teammate Joe McPhillips just barely beat him out for the honor. With his late-season slump Bobby Erbakan dropped to 4th in the voting with no first place votes. Portland's great shortstop Chris Tobin finished in 3rd with 4 first place votes, to Joe's 10 and Ryan's 8. Among Brewer players Mike Foster also got some votes.

(Okay, I'll give away a few secrets. Bobby Erbakan may not have won the MVP but he did claim his 6th straight Gold Glove and won his first Silver Slugger award.)

[Palaaemon]

I think that the voters got it right. Joe is a 5 tool player is he not? In this current environment a player like that will get votes from all over. He had a great year certainly a career year for him. His overall numbers across the board are very strong. Ryan while being perhaps one of, if not the best batsman, and most definitely THE most accomplished on baseman? of his generation also had a great year and perhaps not even a career year for him. That being said Joe was just a bit better overall than Ryan and that is why he won the award. What I find interesting is that Ryan ends up tied with Tobin. I wish my statement here had more facts and substance but I do not have access to all of the data. I am just speaking from what I have gathered from along the way.

As far as Bobby I am a little disappointed. Disappointed because his slump in late September. After seeing the numbers on the voting I don't believe that anything really would have changed much even if he would have say exploded that last week or two. Perhaps he might have switched places with Tobin best case scenario, but that was entirely unlikely and ultimately did not happen. In any case I am very proud of what he accomplished individually, what everone else achieved and of course the ultimate goal winning the WPK Championship Series over the Jacksonville Wolf Pack 4 games to 1. When looked back upon, what an incredible season for the ages for the Denver Brewers!

Palaaemon

[Palaaemon]

Bird,

GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Seriously though get out of my head. I have been working on several scenarios concerning expansion for the WPK this past month. I was not sure about your desire for expansion but thought that it couldn't hurt to bring up the idea and different scenarios. I am a bit shocked that you used league evolution as most people like to have control and you can do all of those things yourself. The "advantage"? is that everything happens randomly. Which I know you are a fan of.

So you have taken the first step. I assume you are going to currently stay with the SJL and MJL both single sub leagues of 11 teams each for now correct? I ask this to see if you currently have any further plans scheduled before I submit anything to you. Also if you have any guidelines that you want followed let me know also. I might cough*RodRod*cough follow them.

Seriously now, you know I am always happy to see what the Mad Doctor of the WPK™ comes up with next. I also love to see what I can do to help you evolve this world of yours.

Anyhooway. Have a good night. Congratulations on a great season an another well deserved championship!

Palaaemon

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Palaaemon

I think that the voters got it right. Joe is a 5 tool player is he not? In this current environment a player like that will get votes from all over. He had a great year certainly a career year for him. His overall numbers across the board are very strong. Ryan while being perhaps one of, if not the best batsman, and most definitely THE most accomplished on baseman? of his generation also had a great year and perhaps not even a career year for him. That being said Joe was just a bit better overall than Ryan and that is why he won the award. What I find interesting is that Ryan ends up tied with Tobin. I wish my statement here had more facts and substance but I do not have access to all of the data. I am just speaking from what I have gathered from along the way.

As far as Bobby I am a little disappointed. Disappointed because his slump in late September. After seeing the numbers on the voting I don't believe that anything really would have changed much even if he would have say exploded that last week or two. Perhaps he might have switched places with Tobin best case scenario, but that was entirely unlikely and ultimately did not happen. In any case I am very proud of what he accomplished individually, what everone else achieved and of course the ultimate goal winning the WPK Championship Series over the Jacksonville Wolf Pack 4 games to 1. When looked back upon, what an incredible season for the ages for the Denver Brewers!

Palaaemon

Yes, I also think the positional importance thing was a factor. Bobby is a great defensive first baseman, which isn't exactly the sort of thing that holds a high premium. And while he had a fine season at the plate, he doesn't quite have the power, while playing at a power position, that McPhillips has.
And Joe and Ryan are both great defensive outfielders, but Joe does it in center field, while Ryan plays both corners and just occasionally fills in for Joe in center these days.
Still, Ryan did beat out Joe, by just a bit, in WAR.
Overall, though, I agree. Joe can beat you so many ways. He certainly deserves this and I hope it is just the beginning of great things to come.

Ah, that's interesting about the tie between Ryan and Tobin. I didn't even notice this last night as this was the last thing I did before going to bed. I just noticed the advantage in 1st place votes for Ryan. Tobin did have a great season and got stronger as the season progressed.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Palaaemon

Bird,

GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Seriously though get out of my head. I have been working on several scenarios concerning expansion for the WPK this past month. I was not sure about your desire for expansion but thought that it couldn't hurt to bring up the idea and different scenarios. I am a bit shocked that you used league evolution as most people like to have control and you can do all of those things yourself. The "advantage"? is that everything happens randomly. Which I know you are a fan of.

So you have taken the first step. I assume you are going to currently stay with the SJL and MJL both single sub leagues of 11 teams each for now correct? I ask this to see if you currently have any further plans scheduled before I submit anything to you. Also if you have any guidelines that you want followed let me know also. I might cough*RodRod*cough follow them.

Seriously now, you know I am always happy to see what the Mad Doctor of the WPK™ comes up with next. I also love to see what I can do to help you evolve this world of yours.

Anyhooway. Have a good night. Congratulations on a great season an another well deserved championship!

Palaaemon

So, this. Subject for a far longer post than probably most would want to read, so I'll try to boil it down a bit.

The upshot is that you are exactly right about me wanting some randomness in this whole process. In this OOTP universe at least, I mostly have no interest in the divinity role. (With the possible exception of the relative player creation process and obviously the former player death process, but even with those I built in as much random chance as possible so that it wasn't me making the decision but rather, well, dice and charts mostly.)
I made an early decision with the WPK to let league evolution happen without my interference. Though as I recall about the only thing I ruled out is the institution of a DH rule. And even that I am flexible on for the future and may eventually allow it.

I have read here about how broken expansion is (or at least how it can produce unwanted results.) And what I'm not sure about is if people are mostly talking about user-initiated expansion or AI-initiated expansion or both. I am hoping that when you just the let the program do its thing it works out all right. That's what I'm counting on, I guess.

At this point the program seems to have placed both expansion clubs in the SJL. I have gotten the impression that having an odd number of teams in a league can cause real scheduling issues, so I guess I see why it was done this way. And I don't have a problem with it really, particularly if it is just the first step and two teams will also be added to the MGL soon. I assume that division play isn't far away as it gets a little crazy when 12 teams are fighting it out for a single post-season slot. But again, I'm good with the mystery of it, with not having control over these things, and just seeing what happens.

Also, with the Brewers having just won their 2nd WPK title, I think this is a great time for a new challenge for me running the team. I get very attached to the players I develop and now I have to decide which one's not to protect from the expansion draft. And while that is difficult, I also welcome the challenge and the opportunity for change. Admittedly, I will also probably leave a few players unprotected who I was somewhat planning on sending packing this off-season anyway (Kevin Curtis, I'm looking at you.)

(Oh, and about RodRod. Turns out he produced absolutely no value in the WS in his small handful of pinch-hit at-bats. Then again, he didn't really hurt us either. And we won, which is what matters most. So I guess that one was a wash. )

[BirdWatcher]

So the Brewers don't have much more time to make some very tough decisions about who to protect from the upcoming expansion draft.

Each team can protect 25 players and any players in the system who have less than 3 years of professional experience (and haven't made the bigs yet) are exempt. So for the reigning WPK champs that means they will at least be able to retain the majority of their 1974 club for the 1975 season. And with some decent prospects in the minors from the last two drafts- and most especially third baseman Jose Figueroa, who many in the organization consider the most important prospect in the system- they are protected.

Let's get the obvious out of the way first.
These players are certainly going to be on the Brewers protection list: Starting pitchers Cheol-han Lee, Erik Sloan (more on him a bit later), and Steve Green. Relievers Jaden Francis, Liann-wei Hua, and Jordan Stephens. Catcher Zacarias Martell. Infielders Bobby Erbakan, Jonathan Koch, Mike Foster, and Chad Brown. Outfielders Andrew Kennedy, Joe McPhillips, and Ryan Rodgers.
That's 14 sure things.

And conversely, these players who wore a Brewers uniform this past season will not make the cut: Starting pitchers Sekien Hamasaki, Jack Hinkel, and Raul Melendrez. Relievers Mike Lizarraga, and Brian Murray.

With the 14 sure things in place we still have 11 protection slots to fill. Ignoring for a moment minor league prospects with more than 3 years of service (we'll get to them), let's see what is left from 1974 Brewers.
Starting Pitchers: Okay, what about Harry Lyerly? I mean, he's the namesake of this thread, right? He's gotta be a sure thing, no? Well, maybe. If not, he's probably the last cut. He had his worst season in 1974 and allowed the most HR's in the league. But overall his numbers weren't really that horrible. There were many far worse starting pitchers in the league in 1974. And maybe he bounces back in 1975. He is still young, he still throws hard. But he's trending in the wrong direction and he could be a free agent at the end of the 1975 season. Let's leave him right here for now. Justin Peacock? He could still turn into a pretty valuable 4 or 5 but he's probably out. Matt Helm? Heck, he's our fearless captain and he had a career year in 1974. Yes, but. He's always a candidate for a serious injury (Fragile). And he likely out-performed his talent this season. And he's also soon to be a free agent candidate. He sits with Harry in purgatory for now. Hector Hard? The 31-year old lefty gave the Brewers some fine starts after coming over to the club in late July. And while he will be arbitration eligible at the end of the season the club has several years of control left. If things start heading downhill he's easy to cut ties with, if he pitches well we can keep him for awhile. He doesn't pitch very deep into games but he's a good guy who fits in well in the clubhouse.
Lyerly, Helm, Hard. Probably can't protect them all. Let's say we protect 2 of 3 and not worry right now about who odd man out is.
That gets us to 16.

Relief Pitchers: I have to imagine we protect young lefty Eric Marino (much promise, pitched great late in season and in WS) and young righty Ben Flynn (again, much promise, and can HIT!). What about lefty Jeremy Walker, who came into his own this season? I'd like to keep him. Does that mean Sam Pruiett is left unprotected? Well, yes, probably. I was considering trading him this off-season anyway.
Let's be generous for a moment and say that we keep Marino, Flynn, AND Walker, but leave Pruiett dangling.
That gets us to 19.

Catchers: Kevin Curtis? Fan favorite, 3-time Gold Glover, team leader. Yeah, sorry, Kev. Hope you can help an expansion team be a little less rotten than they otherwise would be. So if Kevin is out, who is Martell's backup? Better protect defensive specialist Kirk Patnode.
We are up to 20.

Infielders: What to do with Oscar Vargas? We just signed a contract with him for 1975, avoiding arbitration. He can be a free agent at the end of next season. He's an absolute genius with the glove at three infield positions. And a good guy. And comes up with some great clutch hits. Really want to protect him. Probably can't. Joe Willemse? Oscar Vargas lite. But cheap and under team control for several more years. He's likely on the list. Rodrigo Rodriguez? Okay, I think it's pretty clear that RodRod is a favorite of mine. I gotta find a way to include him. So, sorry David Bennett. You don't make the cut. So let's say we keep Willemse and RodRod and put a Vargas decision on hold for now.
Now we are at 22. Not much room left.

Outfielders: Josh Schaeffer and John Flores? Hard not to keep both of them. If I am forced to choose, I probably keep Flores, even though Schaeffer is the more highly regarded player. Let's say we keep them both. We have only 1 spot left.

At this point we need to talk about minor league prospects who we can lose if not protected. Most importantly outfielder Jorge Gonzalez, starting pitcher John Weaver, and reliever Tim Reinecke. Gonzalez is very talented but has makeup issues. And we are never short on outfield prospects. If Gonzalez is picked, so be it. We can survive that. Reinecke could become a dominant reliever. Then again, the same can be said of Marino and Flynn, who are closer to turning it into reality. If Reinecke is gone, ah well. John Weaver might never be much more than a decent back-end of the rotation starter. But he is still developing, has good potential, and great makeup. If we keep 1, we keep him.

So who gets left out among the question marks still?
Lyerly, Helm, Hard? We can keep 2, as it stands.
Sam Pruiett? (Or do we leave lefty Walker unprotected?)
Oscar Vargas?

These are the primary decisions the Brewers brain-trust needs to make. It's not fun. (But, well, it also kind of is fun, in a way.)

[pauwoo]

I have a core group of guys that I would freak out about losing in an expansion draft - but I make so many trades that staying below the protection number would be pretty easy for me. Fantastic write-up of the decisions you’re mulling over - pulling for Harry to make the cut, but totally understand if he doesn’t.

Congrats on the championship too - what a great season. I think that the pitching staff would be where I’d have the most trouble on my team - it can be hard to find serviceable talent at the 3-5 spots. You just never know what you’re gonna get there.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

I have a core group of guys that I would freak out about losing in an expansion draft - but I make so many trades that staying below the protection number would be pretty easy for me. Fantastic write-up of the decisions you’re mulling over - pulling for Harry to make the cut, but totally understand if he doesn’t.

Congrats on the championship too - what a great season. I think that the pitching staff would be where I’d have the most trouble on my team - it can be hard to find serviceable talent at the 3-5 spots. You just never know what you’re gonna get there.

Looking things over tonight I think Harry might just make the cut as it appears that, for reasons not entirely obvious to me, John Weaver might not need to be protected.
And thanks for the kind words. I agree about the challenges in putting together a decent starting rotation, which is why I'll probably protect pretty much everyone in it. The Brewers rotation wasn't the best in the league this year but some of that can be chalked up to pitching home games in a great hitters park. It's still a pretty deep and talented rotation. Our owner has asked me to extend veteran lefty Erik Sloan, who will be eligible for free agency at the end of the 1975 season, and I'm thinking that even though Sloan is 31 years old it isn't the worst idea in the world. He is a fan favorite, has been injury free for years, and is still a pretty talented pitcher with a wicked screwball.

[BirdWatcher]

So before we head into the excitement of the WPK's first expansion draft, let's take a look at the rest of the awards handed out for the 1974 season.

We'll start with the Gold Glove awards.

Here are the winners for the SJL:



There are 4 first-timers on this list- starting pitcher Jose Mendoza and his teammate, first baseman Josh Schultz, Seattle's second baseman Barry Baars, getting a lot more playing time this season with injuries sidelining star Mike Robinette for chunks of the season, and his keystone combination teammate Mike Silveira, and Boston right fielder Justin Vargas. Silveira and Vargas have been established stars in this league for several years, but this is the first time they have been honored for their defensive chops.
For third baseman Juan Mendoza, who is one of the most spectacular defenders in either league, this is his second straight GG award. Superstar catcher Erik Buonopane nets his 5th as does center fielder Bill Adams. Adams is pretty much the poster boy for no-hit, great-glove center fielders. And Curtis Horah, just days before turning 26, earned his 7th Gold Glove.

And now for the MGL:



First timers in the MGL include all three outfielders (keep an eye on Gutierrez, this will surely just be the first of many for him, and he figures to be at the center of many barroom arguments about who the greatest CF'er in the game is- Gutierrez or McPhillips- for many years to come). Shortstop Blackmore also gets his first GG. A couple of second timers here: catcher Greg Foster and third baseman Kevin Reed. Brewers management is thrilled that Bobby Erbakan got another well-deserved GG, but they are convinced that Foster got this one on reputation and his great bat skills and that the true Gold Glove catcher this year was Zacarias Martell. The numbers seem to indicate that they have a point, though Foster did catch 20 more games than the rookie Martell and did lead the league in CERA. (Let's remember though that the Spinners play in one of the great pitcher's parks in the league and have a tremendous rotation.) For Jose Santos it was GG # 3 in his career. Former Brewer Arturo Baca gets his fourth. And Bobby Erbakan, as mentioned, wins his 6th in a row.

[BirdWatcher]

The SJL Reliever of the Year is 28-year old Tim Shore, who pitched for the Boston Berserkers this season but is likely to be on another team in 1975 as a free agent signee. Shore is a 4-time All-Star and has two championship rings in his possession (both coming when he was a member of the Columbus Whalers) but this is his first Reliever of the Year honor.



Let it be recorded that on his way to the Hall-of-Fame, 33-year old Jamel McNeil, the most hated man in the game, won his 6th Reliever of the Year award, and nearly unanimously. He garnered every first place vote except one, and that one went to Brewers lefty Liann-wei Hua, who led the league in Holds with 21.




The Iron Man McNeil threw just over 131 innings, the 10th straight year in which he has exceeded 100 innings pitched as reliever. He shows no signs of slowing down and even with his horrible reputation for being a disruption (to put it mildly) in the clubhouse, as a free agent he is sure to get another lucrative contract from some team that needs that extra boost to get to the post-season.

[BirdWatcher]

In his distinguished and consistent career, 35-year old slugger Nate Bennett has often been in the shadow of the more flashy superstars of the WPK. But the calm and diplomatic veteran has just continued to put up impressive numbers year after year and after a tremendous 1974, in which he led the league in home runs and RBI's for the second time in his career, SLG for the 3rd time, and OPS for the 4th time, there are those around the WPK who are starting to wonder aloud if the steady Bennett might just be a Hall-of-Fame candidate after all. He does after all lead all contenders in career HR's and total bases. He is also an 8-time All-Star and has now won 9 Silver Slugger awards in his career. He is slow and not a great defender- although earlier in his career he primarily played right field, where he possessed an excellent arm, he is almost primarily stationed at first base now, where he is merely adequate.
Still, he's one of the finest power hitters in league history and a few more seasons like this past one and it will be hard to keep him out of the Hall.

Other notable SJL Silver Sluggers: third baseman Jamison Bash wins his 6th at age 38, catcher Erik Buonopane gets his 5th, 27-year old center fielder Lazaro Lowndes his 4th, and the hard-working veteran right fielder Ricky Salinas, who has received 4 Gold Gloves, been an All-Star 3 times, owns 3 championship rings, and one World Series MVP title, finally wins his first Silver Slugger award.

[BirdWatcher]

Several days before he got the exciting news that he had been named the MGL MVP for 1974, the Brewers 25-year old center fielder Joe McPhillips did find out he had earned another honor- his first Silver Slugger award. His teammate, Bobby Erbakan, also walked away with his first Silver Slugger trophy.

L.A. veteran Travis Johnson, on the other hand, is old hat at this, having now won 7 times. Phoenix' slugging right fielder Ju-ao Ju picked up his 6th. And the great Jesus Hernandez somehow has only received 4 Silver Slugger awards with this year's win. Portland's 28-year old Chris Tobin, who was a strong candidate for the MVP award, also earned his 4th Silver Slugger.

[BirdWatcher]

The Philadelphia Mud Hens surprised everyone (perhaps even themselves) when they hung in with the Jacksonville Wolf Pack until the last few days of the season and nearly won the SJL. One reason they did was the exciting play of rookie right fielder Danny Martinez, who earned the 1974 SJL Rookie of the Year award for his fine play.



In the MGL, Charlotte's 23-year old center fielder Jose Gutierrez, who only turned 23 four days before the award was announced, unanimously won the Rookie of the Year award. The youngster is already his team's captain and should have a very bright future ahead of him in the WPK. The Brewers Hector Hard, who came to the WPK as an international free agent out of Cuba, finished 3rd in the voting while catcher Zacarias Martell finished a distant 5th.