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07-29-2019, 11:23 PM
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#41 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Sept. 10, 1984
Before starting a series at Wrigley Field, time to make some offers to minor league coaches. Of course, that means deciding on our major league coaches’ futures, too. Paul Owens will not be coming back to manage the Phillies in 1985. His bench coach J.P. Dissmore won’t be here, either. Since becoming hitting coach, Bobby Hagan hasn’t necessarily inspired great hitting. Then there’s Juan Casado, who’s been OK as pitching coach (we’re 4th in the NL in pitching WAR, middle of the pack in everything else, and I blame defense for some of our problems), so I may keep him on board. Essentially, our front office has decided on an organizational philosophy built on speed and defense. If you’re not stealing bases and being aggressive on the basepaths, you’re not winning in 1984. Speed is available right now, and we have some of the best speed in baseball; meanwhile, teams aren’t prioritizing defense like they used to, and we can take advantage of it. Down on the farm, that philosophy has to pervade, though I’d like a diversity of thought. I know I’m ready to clean house in AAA and AA, bringing in a whole new group that stresses speed and defense but, more than anything, has reputation. Then there’s Peninsula, a successful affiliate, where manager Tim Terzic has done well while stressing power over speed. He’s very traditional, but he’s been good. If affordable, I’ll probably keep him, maybe giving him another year at Peninsula. In R Bend, manager Nick Friedrich has done well emphasizing speed and small-ball approaches. But that’s about it; most of my coaches are old-school holdovers who prefer homers over anything. I’ll have to pick and choose. (Also, I won’t go through all the offers I’m making; too tedious.)  Game 1984-144: Wrigley Field - Phillies 10, Cubs 1 / 62-82 Rick Reuschel allows just four hits in eight innings en route to his second win as a Phillie (he’s now 9-10 over three teams). Dave Stegman and Mike Diaz (who caught) both hit home runs, while Ivan de Jesus raps a double and a triple. Sept. 11, 1984 Game 1984-145: Wrigley Field - Phillies 4, Cubs 3 / 63-82 Hey, no 100-loss season for us! Stegman hits a homer in his second-consecutive game, and it gives us the lead in the eighth. Jeff Stone triples again, and Juan Samuel doubles again. Good stuff. We finish the road trip 5-2. Sept. 12, 1984 Von Hayes has been a positive in left field (+1.7 ZR, 1.011 EFF), but just to get Jeff Stone a couple more at bats, I’m going to move Hayes to right field for a couple games before the season ends. At the least I know Hayes is in left field this year. Just have to see what I have here.  Game 1984-146: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 3, Cardinals 2 / 64-82 It’s about time for us to have one of these games. Down 2-1 in the eighth, we get two runs. How? A mother-f’ing Juan Samuel walk, followed by a mother-f’ing Jeff Stone triple, followed by a mother-f’ing Mike Schmidt double. Also, Stone went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .500. Hey - found out tonight that Peninsula took the Carolina League title! They won the series 4-2, with shortstop Ken Jackson (.474/.600/.842, 2 HR, 5 RBI) taking home MVP honors. Also, the Reading Phillies’ season ended with a 70-70 record. Portland has another week and a half to play, but the reinforcements are heading west from Reading while a couple Beavers move up to Philly.
Jeltz, who hit .242/.330/.319 with 12 SB (but also had a +9.2 ZR and 1.051 EFF) in AAA Portland, will get to start a decent number of games before the season ends. Funderburk is just going to hang out on the bench. I’ll move to a six-man rotation to give my veterans more rest and get Young a couple starts down the stretch, while Cary hopefully gets a couple innings in before we close out. And how about a scouting report for Cary, who’s making his major league debut: He throws mostly fastball and curveball, with the charlie nearly a plus pitch (50/55). The fastball comes in at about 90 and could be less straight. He also tosses in a mediocre sinker, but it could become a decent pitch in time (40/45). His command is OK but could also use work. Essentially he’s prone to giving up some home runs, but might be able to hack it as a middle reliever right now. Sept. 13, 1984 The kids haven’t yet arrived from Portland, but we continue on with Jeff Stone, a lefty, getting a start against a lefty, while Hayes sits for a night. Game 1984-147: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 3, Cardinals 2 / 65-82 Seven straight wins! Stone triples again! His fourth-straight game with a triple, and now I’m begging STATS Inc. to find out if it’s a record. Mike Schmidt hits homer No. 25, too. Bad news: Steve Carlton leaves in the fifth with a thumb injury, but it’s a day-to-day ailment. No time to miss. Sept. 14, 1984 STATS Inc. informs me Jeff Stone has broken the Phillies record for most consecutive games with a triple. The all-time MLB record is five games, set by the Pirates’ Harry Davis in 1897, and the Pirates’ Chief Wilson in 1912. So Stone is on the verge of doing something that hasn’t been done in 72 years. Hell yeah!  Game 1984-148: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 1, Expos 0 / 66-82 Our eighth-straight victory is Charles Hudson at his best: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 3 BB. Don Carman picks up his third save with a spotless ninth. As for Jeff Stone? He hit a solid gapper in the first, but it wasn’t deep enough to get him three bags. Just a double, and the only RBI of the game. And with that, we’re now a game above the Cubs, out of the NL East basement. Meanwhile in the AL East, Detroit scored six in the eighth to fly past Toronto, 8-2, and win its fifth-straight game and 13th in its last 14. The Tigers have suddenly opened up a three-game lead over the Blue Jays, who on July 15 had a 6.5-game lead in the division. But in other news, Kansas City now has just a 2.5-game lead over Seattle, who has never reached the postseason. They’re also playing this weekend. Sept. 15, 1984 Game 1984-149: Veterans Stadium - Expos 5, Phillies 2 / 66-83 It’s bound to happen. I let Mike Diaz play third base and bench Von Hayes, and here’s a five-hit performance from the offense. Naturally, Jeff Stone has two of the hits. Tug McGraw gives up two runs late. After beating the Reds in Cincinnati, the Dodgers sew up the National League West division title. It’s Los Angeles’ fifth division crown in eight seasons (between 1976 and ‘83 we also won five division flags). And in the Northwest League championship series, the Bend Phillies tied the series with a 13-0 thrashing of Bellingham. Sept. 16, 1984 Game 1984-150: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 3, Expos 1 / 67-83 We stay hot, with John Denny going 7.2 shutout innings, striking out three. Chuck Cary’s first work (one out) is successful, while Kenneth Walker gives up a run-scoring double to Tim Raines but saves the game - his first career save. Jeff Stone watch: 1-for-2 with a walk. And, ha, we’re 14th in the power rankings. The new top-five: 1. Detroit Tigers - 99-50 2. Pittsburgh Pirates - 90-60 3. Seattle Mariners - 86-64 4. New York Yankees - 81-68 5. Toronto Blue Jays - 94-55 The Jays are falling apart. The Tigers swept them out of Detroit and now hold a commanding five-game lead in the AL East. The Mariners are just 0.5 back of the Royals in the AL West after taking two of three against them. Coming up, Seattle has to play a bad Cleveland team and the .500 White Sox, while Kansas City faces California and Oakland, two of the worst teams in baseball. |
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07-31-2019, 02:34 AM
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#42 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Sept. 17, 1984
Tonight, Curt Young makes his Phillies debut against the Mets’ Ron Darling. Luckily, we miss Dwight Gooden in this series.  Game 1984-151: Veterans Stadium - Mets 4, Phillies 3 / 67-84 Young allows four runs in four innings, while walking three and striking out two. Not gonna cut it. Darren Daulton homers, and Jeff Stone gets another hit; he now has a 10-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 11 of 13 games. Sept. 18, 1984 No Von Hayes tonight, as I continue to let Jeff Stone wreak havoc on National League pitching. Game 1984-152: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 10, Mets 1 / 68-84 Kevin Gross and Juan Samuel put on a show. The former goes all nine, giving up just three hits and a walk while striking out eight over a tidy 97 pitches. The latter smacks two home runs (he now has 17) and a double (his 36th) in a 4-for-4 outing, capping it off by swiping two bags (he now has 63). One bit of bad news: The Jeff Stone hit streak has ended at 10. Over in the Northwest League championship series, Bend and Bellingham are back tied at 2-2. Sept. 19, 1984 Game 1984-153: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 2, Mets 1 / 69-84 What a nice win. Steve Carlton surrenders an early run, and we have trouble getting on the board, but in the eighth, Von Hayes doubles, Juan Samuel singles, and Mike Diaz singles home the winning run. That winning run, by the way, is Jeff Stone, who pinch runs for Glenn Wilson, steals second and gets to third on a groundout. Speed in ‘85, baby. Sept. 20, 1984 The current standings, featuring only the teams that remain in contention: AL East Detroit - 102-50 Toronto - 96-56 (6 GB) AL West Kansas City - 87-65 Seattle - 87-66 (0.5 GB) Minnesota - 82-69 (4.5 GB) NL East Pittsburgh - 91-61 St. Louis - 85-67 (6 GB) New York - 84-69 (7.5 GB) NL West * Los Angeles - 89-63 We get the Pirates next; the way we’re playing, we might be able to make it interesting at the top of the East. Meanwhile, those Tigers are amazing: Since July 15, they’re 45-18. Sept. 21, 1984  Game 1984-154: Three Rivers Stadium - Phillies 2, Pirates 1 / 70-84 Win No. 70. Von Hayes hits a homer, then Jeff Stone singles home the winning run in the eighth. Charles Hudson goes 6.1 innings with 7 K, while Kenneth Walker helps the bullpen finish it off, earning his second-career save. Tough news out of Washington: Bellingham beat Bend to take the Northwest League championship. That ends our playoff season, with two of our farm teams winning titles and a third getting to the championship series. Not bad. Sept. 22, 1984 I wake up to bad news for our free-agent hopes: LF Kirk Gibson has signed a four-year, $3.62 million pact with the Tigers. Shoot. That means 32-year-old Fred Lynn is the top outfield free agent. He does play a good right field (65, +10.7 ZR, 1.053 EFF), but his 1984 shows a decline not unlike Mike Schmidt’s (654 PA, .252/.337/.405, 46 XBH). Behind him is Gary Ward (53/53) before a large gap. Not a lot of options. If I wanted to pivot, Paul Molitor (62/66) is the top free agent. He’s exceptional in the field, but he only plays third base. Could I really move Mike Schmidt to first base? We’ll return to all of this soon enough. Meanwhile, John Denny has kidney stones. Poor dude. We’ll skip his next start. Game 1984-155: Three Rivers Stadium - Pirates 5, Phillies 4 / 70-85 Mike Diaz’s three-run home run in the eighth ties it, but Tug McGraw allows three singles in the ninth to win it for Pittsburgh, who stays four ahead of a hard-charging St. Louis. Sept. 23, 1984 Today we have Curt Young against John Candelaria (220 IP, 2.43 ERA, 180 K, 34 BB). While Candelaria is suffering from a strained forearm, I still expect a loss. Game 1984-156: Three Rivers Stadium - Pirates 8, Phillies 3 / 70-86 More reason to fire Paul Owens: Kevin Gross (and not Young) started this game, and as he was still recovering from his last start, he went just 3.2 innings and allowed five runs. Great. Anyway, Juan Samuel went 3-for-5 to raise his average to .303, while Mike Diaz added two more hits and three RBI. The power rankings have us at 18th. The top-five: 1. Detroit Tigers - 104-51 2. Toronto Blue Jays - 99-57 3. Pittsburgh Pirates - 93-63 4. Seattle Mariners - 90-66 5. St. Louis Cardinals - 89-67 The latest standings: AL East Detroit - 104-51 Toronto - 99-57 (5.5 GB) AL West Seattle - 90-66 Kansas City - 88-67 (1.5 GB) Minnesota - 84-71 (5.5 GB) NL East Pittsburgh - 93-63 St. Louis - 89-67 (4 GB) NL West * Los Angeles - 90-66 The Mariners! An eight-year-old franchise that has never finished above sixth place (!) is now 1.5 up with six to play! The Mets have been eliminated, and amazingly, the Blue Jays are a loss and a Tigers’ win from being ousted, too. |
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07-31-2019, 08:11 AM
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#43 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,526
Infractions: 0/1 (1)
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Good read! Huge Phils fan, and remember these days "not so" fondly.
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07-31-2019, 11:38 PM
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#44 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Sept. 24, 1984
We’re giving Larry Andersen, Bill Campbell, and Tug McGraw the rest of the season off. I want to see the young relievers over these final six games. Game 1984-157: Shea Stadium - Phillies 8, Mets 1 / 71-86 Top of the lineup: Hayes, single; Samuel, triple; Stone, double; Schmidt, groundout; Diaz, double. 3-0 lead. Schmidt adds a three-run homer later. In all, 11 hits, and Curt Young puts together a masterful eight-inning outing with four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Toronto stays in the race with a win and Detroit loss, while Seattle opens up a 2.5-game lead on Kansas City. A Pirates win or Cardinals loss seals the deal for Pittsburgh. Sept. 25, 1984 Game 1984-158: Shea Stadium - POSTPONED Ah, come on. But in other news, the Pirates and Tigers are in the postseason. What an enormous second half from Detroit, while the Pirates take the crown because of superb starting pitching. Sept. 26, 1984 Doubleheader today, which means every one is playing. Every. One. Game 1984-158: Shea Stadium - Phillies 2, Mets 0 / 72-86 What a duel. Steve Carlton goes 6.2 innings, allowing just four hits and a walk, while Dwight Gooden goes all nine and strikes out 11. It’s 0-0 in the ninth: Mike Schmidt double, Len Matuszek intentional walk, Juan Samuel sacrifice bunt, Darren Daulton intentional walk (to load the bases) … Ivan de Jesus single to score two. We win. Game 1984-159: Shea Stadium - Phillies 6, Mets 2 / 73-86 We sweep the doubleheader and the series! Wow! In the nightcap, the Mets take a 2-1 lead off John Denny, but a seventh inning that includes a three-run Steve Jeltz home run (!) gives us the win. Relievers Karl Best and Chuck Cary continue to register great numbers in their short stints up in the majors. Meanwhile, we avoid 90 losses. Hell yeah. Sept. 27, 1984 And in the only race that matters, Seattle (90-68) has a 0.5-game lead over Kansas City (89-70). The Mariners have four against the 77-81 White Sox, while the Royals visit the 65-94 Athletics for three. This first one in Seattle is big. Sept. 28, 1984 We find out early in the morning that Seattle won the first game against Chicago, 8-4, putting them two games up with three to play. They could actually win the division today. Meanwhile we start our final three against the Pirates. I’ll start Juan Samuel and Von Hayes today, sit them Saturday, and think about getting them in Sunday. Mike Schmidt will sit today. Game 1984-160: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 5, Pirates 0 / 74-86 Charles Hudson throws a two-hitter in his final start of 1984. It’s his best start - 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB - and it finishes his season at 227.1 IP and a 3.13 ERA. Hell of a 6.1-WAR season for young Charlie Hudson. So psyched for him. And Von Hayes hits two home runs - one to lead off our side of the game, and one in the eighth to put it to bed. We blank John Candelaria. So great. Sept. 29, 1984 What a night in the American League West. Down 4-1 in the ninth in Oakland, the Royals mount a comeback … but fall just short. Meanwhile in Seattle, the Mariners are up 4-3 in the ninth, three outs from their first postseason, when Ron Kittle slugs his 24th home run off Ed Vande Berg, a solo shot to tie it. In the 10th, Harold Baines puts the Sox up one with a homer, but the Mariners come back on a two-out Dave Henderson single. Then, in the 11th, the Sox get back in the lead thanks to a Greg Luzinski single. But in the bottom half, it’s an Edgar Martinez single, followed by a Danny Tartabull base hit, that wins it for Seattle and sends them to the postseason. It’s the first division crown for Seattle, who will take on Detroit. Meanwhile in the NL, Pittsburgh gets the Dodgers. Game 1984-161: Veterans Stadium - Pirates 5, Phillies 3 / 74-87 John Tudor turns in a phenomenal eight innings (13 strikeouts) in a Buccos win. Dave Stegman goes 2-for-4 with a triple and home run. No big deal. Meanwhile, the Tigers continue the party as Darrell Evans hits his 300th lifetime homer, capping off a career-best season at age 37 (.261/.358/.487, 38 HR, 115 RBI). Sept. 30, 1984 Last game of the season. Time to give the fans what they want. The final lineup: RF Hayes 2B Samuel LF Stone 3B Schmidt 1B Diaz CF Maddox C Russell SS Jeltz SP Young I want Garry Maddox to go off on a good note, as he won’t be returning to Philadelphia in 1985. Not a great season, but no big deal now. Curt Young gets the ball. Get ‘em kid. Game 1984-162: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 8, Pirates 7 / 75-87 Schmidty. The guy has probably his best game of the season on its last day: 4-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 3B. Jeff Stone: 3-for-5, RBI, 3B. In that first inning, Stone and Schmidt hit back-to-back triples, like poetry. Speaking of: Garry Maddox drives in three. See ya, Secretary. We finish 75-87, going 19-9 in September (and 17-5 in our last 22). We end up five games ahead of the Cubs and in sixth place in the NL East (22 behind Pittsburgh). Seven teams have worse records than us (Texas, Baltimore, Oakland, California, Houston, San Francisco, Chicago), while we tie with Atlanta and Milwaukee at 75 wins. Moreover, September was the Jeff Stone awakening. Not sure how he factors into the ‘85 squad yet, but I imagine he’ll play a role down the line. |
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08-05-2019, 10:06 PM
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#45 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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It's offseason time, so my updates may be just one-day long, while others might be more than a week of action. All depends on what happens day by day.
Oct. 1, 1984 With the season over, time to review performances and give out some grades. I’ll hold off on looking ahead. Catcher
The bat hasn’t been there yet for Daulton since being promoted to Philadelphia, but he gets on base (a 100-point difference between AVG and OBP is good), and his defense has been quite good for a 22-year-old. Russell has been a passable backup with decent power. Wockenfuss spent the entire second half in AAA. First Base
After a great first half, Matuszek laid an egg and put up a rather pedestrian line, though his defense remained solid. His leadership was lauded all season. Second Base
What a second half for the rookie, who found his home run swing and put more balls in play, mostly to great results. Tons of doubles and triples - among league leaders in extra-base hits. His defense is and will be bad, but the offensive production speaks for itself. Electric season. Third Base
A down year for Schmidt, though he remains a solid middle-of-the-lineup bat. Diaz played more first base than anything and was fine, but he needs to show more power if he’s going to grab an everyday spot somewhere. James had a good season in AA and will head to AAA. His defense at third remains shaky; otherwise, he’s a left fielder. Shortstop
Somehow de Jesus had an even worse second half than his first half. Garcia was pretty darn bad, too, but at least he had a glove. Meanwhile, what little I saw of Jeltz showed me he’s more of a backup middle infielder type, though his defense was poor in a short sample. Left Field
After moving Hayes to left field, he thrived defensively while still keeping up his great offensive game. Wilson, at best, was forgetful. Stone came on late to excite everyone, pushing Hayes to RF often so he could get more time. Fields was acquired in the Sixto Lezcano trade, and I can probably give him one more season in AAA, though I’d rather not. Center Field
Stegman’s numbers with the Phils weren’t as hot as his totals with Chicago, but his defense was fine. Maddox is probably done, and it shows. Right Field
Lefebvre had a bad second half, though his defense was stellar. Starting Pitcher
Boy, what a surge from Hudson, who is becoming one of the top young pitchers in the game. Gross isn’t far behind, either, though he gives up a few too many flies. Carlton had a good season but was victim to our bad defense, while Denny was pretty consistent - a good but not elite starter. Reuschel did yeoman’s work after being acquired. Young showed a flash or two, while Maddux had a hard time adjusting to AAA. Downs? He was bad, though not so much in AAA. Relief Pitcher
Campbell blew a few too many games in the second half. McGraw did his job. Andersen was much improved as the season went on, rounding into a top setup arm. Mura couldn’t be trusted and was sent down, while Wehrmeister was nothing more than the last man in the ‘pen. Carman proved effective in his rookie campaign, while of the young guys, Walker showed the most potential. Oct. 2, 1984 I said I was doing it, and now it’s time:
I also cleaned house in my farm system, gutting the top levels almost completely. Time to reinvigorate the organization in my likeness. Meanwhile, let’s go over the league leaders. Hitting Batting Average AL - Wade Boggs - BOS - .370 NL - Jose Cruz - HOU - .335 Home Runs AL - Dave Winfield - NYY - 41 NL - Darryl Strawberry - NYM - 43 Runs Batted In AL - Jesse Barfield - TOR - 129 NL - Darryl Strawberry - NYM - 127 On-Base Percentage AL - Wade Boggs - BOS - .450 NL - Keith Hernandez - NYM - .419 Slugging Percentage AL - Greg Walker - CWS - .584 NL - Darryl Strawberry - NYM - .557 Stolen Bases AL - Rickey Henderson - OAK - 69 NL - Gary Redus - CIN - 67 WAR AL - Wade Boggs - BOS - 9.2 NL - Pedro Guerrero - LAD - 6.6 Pitching Wins AL - Jack Morris - DET - 22 NL - Alejandro Pena - LAD - 20 Earned Run Average AL - Jack Morris - DET - 2.51 NL - Dwight Gooden - NYM - 2.13 Strikeouts AL - Dave Stieb - TOR - 211 NL - Dwight Gooden - NYM - 300 Saves AL - Dan Quisenberry - KC - 35 NL - Jeff Reardon - MTL - 48 WAR AL - Bert Blyleven - CLE - 6.5 NL - Dwight Gooden - NYM - 10.5 Juan Samuel was the only player of mine who registered more than once or twice on these lists. He finished third in the NL in slugging, fourth in OPS, seventh in hits, second in SB, third in triples, second in doubles, second in runs, and second in strikeouts. By the way, Reardon set a new single-season record for saves, which was previously set just last year by Quisenberry (45). And I imagine it’s Boggs for MVP and Morris for a hard-charging Cy Young in the AL, along with Strawberry for MVP and Gooden for Cy Young in the NL. Finally today, the draft pool was released. We’re about a month from draft day (it’s Nov. 1), so let’s look at who’s out there: 1. Barry Bonds - CF - age 20 2. BJ Surhoff - C - age 20 3. Gregg Jefferies - SS - age 17 4. Brady Anderson - RF - age 20 5. Rafael Palmiero - LF - age 20 6. David Justice - LF - age 18 7. Will Clark - 1B - age 20 8. Randy Velarde - SS - age 21 9. Robert Alomar - SS - age 16 10. Randy Johnson - LHP - age 21 Surhoff and Clark were among U.S. national players, and they should easily translate into decent players in the majors. Bonds is the son of Bobby Bonds - who retired in 1981 - and has plenty of athleticism. The high schoolers are all projectable bats. Johnson is a 6’10” monster with good stuff, and a lefty. Easy to see a hell of a pitcher here. And as I pick 10th, I can bet on getting one of these guys, though my actual draft board will materialize just before the draft. |
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08-06-2019, 11:50 PM
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#46 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Oct. 3, 1984
Last night in the NLCS, Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead over Los Angeles, thanks to speedster Joe Orsulak (3 RBI). Found out today that John Wockenfuss is retiring. The 35-year-old didn’t exactly perform well in AAA Portland (.225/.281/.319), and his usage seemed to have outlived him. See ya, Johnny. Great trade, Giles. That reminds me: His trades were bad (so far). I came in after he picked up Wockenfuss and Glenn Wilson for Detroit - neither performed well for me. Meanwhile, RP Willie Hernandez put up a 1.18 ERA in 68.2 innings for the Tigers. That said, Hernandez blows it in the ninth for the Tigers in game one against Seattle. The Mariners are up 1-0 by stealing a big one at Tiger Stadium. And tonight, Pittsburgh moves up 2-0 over the Dodgers as Lee Mazzilli knocks home Jim Morrison with a single in the ninth. Oct. 4, 1984 A second-straight blown loss for Hernandez! The Mariners are up 2-0 with another 3-2 win! Feisty M’s! Oct. 5, 1984 More bullpen blow-ups in the playoffs, as the Dodgers get one after a two-run ninth at home. Series between Pittsburgh and LA is at 2-1 Buccos. Oct. 6, 1984 Bobby Grich has expressed wanting out of California. He’s a 1B first, hitting .259/.372/.402 last season. He’s also a free agent after 1985. I’m intrigued, as I’m looking into potential upgrades at 1B, plus in the outfield, at SS, SP, and RP. The Mariners are incredible! Seattle beats Detroit 3-1 at Kingdome, as Matt Young goes 8.2 innings, giving up just two hits and two walks against an awesome Tigers lineup. And the Pirates go up 3-1 on the Dodgers after an 11-1 win at Dodger Stadium. We’re a day away from seeing a Mariners vs Pirates World Series in 1984. Oct. 7, 1984 24-year-old Mark Langston hurls a four-hit shutout against Detroit to win the Seattle Mariners its first American League pennant. The upstart M’s win 2-0 and sweep the mighty, 108-win Tigers. Langston wins series MVP. Over in the National League, the Pirates take the flag after a 5-0 win over the Dodgers. Jose DeLeon pitches awesomely, striking out nine in eight innings, and Lee Lacy strikes three hits en route to being named series MVP. Oct. 8, 1984 Seattle Mariners vs. Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1984 World Series. It starts tomorrow. Oct. 9, 1984   The Pirates beat the Mariners, 7-1, in Game 1 of the World Series. John Candelaria goes all nine, striking out nine, while Eddie Vargas and Johnny Ray slam home runs. Oct. 10, 1984 The Pirates are up 2-0 after taking down the Mariners, 4-1, in an extra-inning classic at Kingdome. Tied 1-1 through most of the game, it goes to the 13th, when Jason Thompson hits a three-run home run off Dave Geisel. Oct. 11, 1984 Day off. Oct. 12, 1984 The Mariners get one back, taking down the Pirates 2-1. The key hit: a Spike Owen triple off Kent Tekulve in the ninth to give Seattle the lead. Oct. 13, 1984 The Pirates are a win away from a sixth world championship after beating the Mariners 3-0 at Three Rivers Stadium. Larry McWilliams goes 7.1 innings and gives up just five hits and two walks, while Jason Thomspon hits a two-run homer, and that's all they need. John Candelaria goes for them tonight to clinch the series. Oct. 14, 1984 And there it is: The Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1984 World Series after beating the Mariners, 6-2, at Three Rivers Stadium. Jason Thompson wins the MVP award, hitting a third-inning home run that basically puts the game away. Last edited by The_Myth; 08-06-2019 at 11:53 PM. |
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08-07-2019, 11:35 PM
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#47 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Oct. 15, 1984
The offseason has begun. And we have a lot to get through. First, Bill Giles extended my contract: three years and $75,000 per season. That gets me through 1987, which is an invisible target for me to win a National League pennant. Meanwhile, I have new goals:
That’s far different from the original goals Giles set for me. This is basically “rebuild.” With this in mind, I won’t go nuts with trades, instead targeting players who I think can be decent (or good!) upgrades, while building up my farm system. No organizational-hurting moves. Not only that, but the team focus is “rebuild.” I have an $18 million budget for 1985, giving me about $6 million for free agents. That certainly gives me some room to work, and I’m confident I can field a good team next season while still keeping focus on the farm. Oct. 16, 1984 Around the league, big news: Dick Howser was axed in Kansas City. He immediately becomes a candidate in my managerial search, though he doesn’t necessarily believe in the things I want. The Giants also let go of Frank Robinson, who is all about power and offense, so again, not the speed and defense guy I want. But also again, a candidate. As for my roster, Tug McGraw has vested, meaning he’ll be paid $380K to pitch for me in 1985. And finally, a message that a Phillies player is retiring … Garry Maddox. The 35-year-old finishes with 1,701 lifetime hits and a .284 average, plus 244 steals and 108 home runs. Defensively, he was exceptional. His final career WAR: 28.6. Thanks, Secretary. Maddox said he may be interested in joining the broadcast booth. Interesting proposition. Oct. 17, 1984 Had a night to think more about Bill Giles’ goals. The big thing is to have a top-five farm system, and he’s looking at the list that’s published annually. That list rewards teams with high-level prospects (and not necessarily depth); so, essentially, I need to draft or acquire a few top-25 prospects. He also wants me to draft good players who will reach the majors. I can do both, and they can be the same thing, possibly. Of course, the worse I fare in the season, the better the draft picks afterward. So what do I do? Tank for better draft position while selling my top-value players (John Denny, Juan Samuel, Von Hayes, Charles Hudson, maybe Mike Schmidt) for prospects? I think that’s foolish with this group; while I’m not against selling for prospects, this isn’t the right group for that. I already have a solid number of young, exciting players just entering their primes. I need to creatively work the margins to improve my team for 1985 (get to .500 and hopefully beyond) while keeping a strong eye at developing youth. Finally today, I was informed that Mike Schmidt attended a leadership seminar last week. “I want to be able to more effectively pass down the knowledge I’ve obtained to the younger guys, so we all get to see some better ball.” Hear, hear, Mike. Oct. 18, 1984 Geoff Zubal, GM of the Reds, called me this morning, proposing to trade me Cesar Cedeno for Darren Daulton and Don Carman. I laughed in his face. Also, Inquirer writer Jayson Stark made his award picks for the league today. Gave Juan Samuel a sixth-place MVP vote, plus a 2B Silver Slugger. Also put down Mike Schmidt as his 3B Silver Slugger (no real competition this year), and why not, gave Charles Hudson a fifth-place Cy Young vote. Oct. 19, 1984 Some new scouting intel has come in. Big findings:
I don’t buy too hard into fluctuating ratings, but Schmidt’s dropoff is alarming, especially at third base. Maybe I have to be in the Paul Molitor sweepstakes, after all. Meanwhile, I have a few players in arbitration:
I’ll tender contracts to Matuszek, Lefebvre and Stegman and am considering an extension for Hayes. Meanwhile, SP Rick Reuschel (35, 49/49) is a free agent with Type B compensation attached to him; I think I’ll offer him the $287.5K arbitration. If he accepts, I have a fifth starter (before going out and potentially signing a better starter), and if he declines, I get an additional draft pick in December '85. Minor league free agents include LF Bruce Fields (who suddenly is just a 50 in LF, sheesh) and C Mike Ibarra. Will probably bring back Fields (though he wants a major league deal) because I need to show more from that Sixto Lezcano trade. Offered contracts:
Matuszek and Lefebvre are off a little right now, and considering both have declined, I’m not chomping at the bit to come to terms right away. Stegman? He doesn’t want to talk contracts. Whoa. With Hayes, I’m willing to go $345K in arbitration. He wants $404K for one year in a guaranteed deal, but I’d like to go into 1987, maybe ‘88 with a deal, as his final arb year is 1986. I’d start with a four-year extension. The Lonnie Smith contract (three years, $2.05M) and Willie Randolph deal (four years, $2.7M) are templates for me. Hayes deserves more than Smith, but if I can sign him for under Randolph’s number, I feel good. I call Hayes' agent, who's local, and say I want to talk extension. He wants to know what I'm thinking, so I start with my low-ball offer of $1.79M.
The agent says that won't cut it, so I ask for dinner or drinks. He wants a steak. Very well then. At dinner, I talk about how much I love Von, how I think he's a potential MVP candidate. The agent says Von wants to stay in Philly - great news. It's a good dinner, ending with some napkin math (for show) and this down-the-middle offer.
That’s four years and $2.16M, right in the spot between Smith and Randolph. Hayes’ agent says it’s fair and will talk to Von. Sounds good to me. |
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08-09-2019, 09:48 PM
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#48 |
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Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 286
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There is some witty humor in this post. It had me laughing. QUOTE=The_Myth;4520676]Sept. 10, 1984
Before starting a series at Wrigley Field, time to make some offers to minor league coaches. Of course, that means deciding on our major league coaches’ futures, too. Paul Owens will not be coming back to manage the Phillies in 1985. His bench coach J.P. Dissmore won’t be here, either. Since becoming hitting coach, Bobby Hagan hasn’t necessarily inspired great hitting. Then there’s Juan Casado, who’s been OK as pitching coach (we’re 4th in the NL in pitching WAR, middle of the pack in everything else, and I blame defense for some of our problems), so I may keep him on board. Essentially, our front office has decided on an organizational philosophy built on speed and defense. If you’re not stealing bases and being aggressive on the basepaths, you’re not winning in 1984. Speed is available right now, and we have some of the best speed in baseball; meanwhile, teams aren’t prioritizing defense like they used to, and we can take advantage of it. Down on the farm, that philosophy has to pervade, though I’d like a diversity of thought. I know I’m ready to clean house in AAA and AA, bringing in a whole new group that stresses speed and defense but, more than anything, has reputation. Then there’s Peninsula, a successful affiliate, where manager Tim Terzic has done well while stressing power over speed. He’s very traditional, but he’s been good. If affordable, I’ll probably keep him, maybe giving him another year at Peninsula. In R Bend, manager Nick Friedrich has done well emphasizing speed and small-ball approaches. But that’s about it; most of my coaches are old-school holdovers who prefer homers over anything. I’ll have to pick and choose. (Also, I won’t go through all the offers I’m making; too tedious.) Game 1984-144: Wrigley Field - Phillies 10, Cubs 1 / 62-82 Rick Reuschel allows just four hits in eight innings en route to his second win as a Phillie (he’s now 9-10 over three teams). Dave Stegman and Mike Diaz (who caught) both hit home runs, while Ivan de Jesus raps a double and a triple. Sept. 11, 1984 Game 1984-145: Wrigley Field - Phillies 4, Cubs 3 / 63-82 Hey, no 100-loss season for us! Stegman hits a homer in his second-consecutive game, and it gives us the lead in the eighth. Jeff Stone triples again, and Juan Samuel doubles again. Good stuff. We finish the road trip 5-2. Sept. 12, 1984 Von Hayes has been a positive in left field (+1.7 ZR, 1.011 EFF), but just to get Jeff Stone a couple more at bats, I’m going to move Hayes to right field for a couple games before the season ends. At the least I know Hayes is in left field this year. Just have to see what I have here. Game 1984-146: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 3, Cardinals 2 / 64-82 It’s about time for us to have one of these games. Down 2-1 in the eighth, we get two runs. How? A mother-f’ing Juan Samuel walk, followed by a mother-f’ing Jeff Stone triple, followed by a mother-f’ing Mike Schmidt double. Also, Stone went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .500. Hey - found out tonight that Peninsula took the Carolina League title! They won the series 4-2, with shortstop Ken Jackson (.474/.600/.842, 2 HR, 5 RBI) taking home MVP honors. Also, the Reading Phillies’ season ended with a 70-70 record. Portland has another week and a half to play, but the reinforcements are heading west from Reading while a couple Beavers move up to Philly.
Jeltz, who hit .242/.330/.319 with 12 SB (but also had a +9.2 ZR and 1.051 EFF) in AAA Portland, will get to start a decent number of games before the season ends. Funderburk is just going to hang out on the bench. I’ll move to a six-man rotation to give my veterans more rest and get Young a couple starts down the stretch, while Cary hopefully gets a couple innings in before we close out. And how about a scouting report for Cary, who’s making his major league debut: He throws mostly fastball and curveball, with the charlie nearly a plus pitch (50/55). The fastball comes in at about 90 and could be less straight. He also tosses in a mediocre sinker, but it could become a decent pitch in time (40/45). His command is OK but could also use work. Essentially he’s prone to giving up some home runs, but might be able to hack it as a middle reliever right now. Sept. 13, 1984 The kids haven’t yet arrived from Portland, but we continue on with Jeff Stone, a lefty, getting a start against a lefty, while Hayes sits for a night. Game 1984-147: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 3, Cardinals 2 / 65-82 Seven straight wins! Stone triples again! His fourth-straight game with a triple, and now I’m begging STATS Inc. to find out if it’s a record. Mike Schmidt hits homer No. 25, too. Bad news: Steve Carlton leaves in the fifth with a thumb injury, but it’s a day-to-day ailment. No time to miss. Sept. 14, 1984 STATS Inc. informs me Jeff Stone has broken the Phillies record for most consecutive games with a triple. The all-time MLB record is five games, set by the Pirates’ Harry Davis in 1897, and the Pirates’ Chief Wilson in 1912. So Stone is on the verge of doing something that hasn’t been done in 72 years. Hell yeah! Game 1984-148: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 1, Expos 0 / 66-82 Our eighth-straight victory is Charles Hudson at his best: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 3 BB. Don Carman picks up his third save with a spotless ninth. As for Jeff Stone? He hit a solid gapper in the first, but it wasn’t deep enough to get him three bags. Just a double, and the only RBI of the game. And with that, we’re now a game above the Cubs, out of the NL East basement. Meanwhile in the AL East, Detroit scored six in the eighth to fly past Toronto, 8-2, and win its fifth-straight game and 13th in its last 14. The Tigers have suddenly opened up a three-game lead over the Blue Jays, who on July 15 had a 6.5-game lead in the division. But in other news, Kansas City now has just a 2.5-game lead over Seattle, who has never reached the postseason. They’re also playing this weekend. Sept. 15, 1984 Game 1984-149: Veterans Stadium - Expos 5, Phillies 2 / 66-83 It’s bound to happen. I let Mike Diaz play third base and bench Von Hayes, and here’s a five-hit performance from the offense. Naturally, Jeff Stone has two of the hits. Tug McGraw gives up two runs late. After beating the Reds in Cincinnati, the Dodgers sew up the National League West division title. It’s Los Angeles’ fifth division crown in eight seasons (between 1976 and ‘83 we also won five division flags). And in the Northwest League championship series, the Bend Phillies tied the series with a 13-0 thrashing of Bellingham. Sept. 16, 1984 Game 1984-150: Veterans Stadium - Phillies 3, Expos 1 / 67-83 We stay hot, with John Denny going 7.2 shutout innings, striking out three. Chuck Cary’s first work (one out) is successful, while Kenneth Walker gives up a run-scoring double to Tim Raines but saves the game - his first career save. Jeff Stone watch: 1-for-2 with a walk. And, ha, we’re 14th in the power rankings. The new top-five: 1. Detroit Tigers - 99-50 2. Pittsburgh Pirates - 90-60 3. Seattle Mariners - 86-64 4. New York Yankees - 81-68 5. Toronto Blue Jays - 94-55 The Jays are falling apart. The Tigers swept them out of Detroit and now hold a commanding five-game lead in the AL East. The Mariners are just 0.5 back of the Royals in the AL West after taking two of three against them. Coming up, Seattle has to play a bad Cleveland team and the .500 White Sox, while Kansas City faces California and Oakland, two of the worst teams in baseball.[/QUOTE] |
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08-09-2019, 10:51 PM
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#49 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Oct. 20, 1984
Was in New York for a meeting with our new commissioner, who said we shouldn’t be thrifty with player contracts. This is an opportunity, he said, to grow the game in groundbreaking new ways. “Don’t hold back the talent.” (A little different from what really happened around this time; collusion isn’t happening here.) *** Time to get the managerial search going. If I had a favorite kind of candidate, it would be: neutral vets-prospects/neutral pitching-hitting/speed over power/defense over offense/OBP over AVG. I can give or take in either direction, though. I want my organization to take advantage of speed and defense (considering we have the former and have to improve on the latter). Top candidates:
Of this group, here’s who I like: Dick Howser - 48 - neutral/neutral/power/offense/OBP The former Royals skipper who had a .526 winning percentage with Kansas City but wasn't able to get his squad over the hump. He loves power, but he also loves speed. He won’t let me do much tinkering, though I’m OK with that if he produces. He would be good for the clubhouse, except apparently for Mike Schmidt. Weird. Maybe he’s just too much a veteran manager for Schmidty. Mike Garcia - 44 - veterans/pitching/speed/offense/neutral The manager of the 103-41 Miami Marlins of the Florida State League, Garcia is a hot name. He can be a bit of a disciplinarian, and while he likes speed, he doesn’t ask for steals too much. He’d rub my hitters the wrong way; not sure if that’s the best idea. Kevin Campbell - 47 - neutral/hitting/power/defense/OBP The Braves’ bench coach is apparently not great as a tactician. He’ll hook pitchers quickly, which means I’ll need a heck of a bullpen for him. He’s also aggressive on the basepaths, which I like. He wouldn’t have a good influence on players, but he would get along with just about everyone, sans veteran pitchers (who, again, he’d hook). Francisco Martinez - 56 - prospects/hitting/power/defense/OBP The bench coach of the Blue Jays, Martinez is fiery and makes a lot of moves. He likes to steal bags and loves defense. He wouldn’t be a good influence for players, as he’s more of a no-frills guy, and he wouldn’t get along as well with my veteran pitchers. But he’d be great to keep the kids in line. Frank Robinson - 49 - prospects/hitting/offense/power/OBP Long-time skipper with the Giants and Indians hasn’t had much success, but he’s really friendly and would let us do whatever we want with the club. He’d have a good relationship with everyone (in fact, excellent). He’d basically be an extension of our front office (since he'd let us do whatever we want), which is intriguing. Jose Vasquez - 46 - prospects/neutral/speed/offense/OBP Finally, the Red Sox’ bench coach is more a players’ manager. He loves offense, will steal some, and is more a prospects guy. He wouldn’t have an influence on players, but he’d get along with our younger pitchers, especially. Now, I like Howser, obviously, plus Martinez and, as a third choice, Robinson. We've heard that Howser is demanding more than $330K, while Martinez wants very little (it seems $40K or so), and Robinson wants $150K or so. The Howser demand seems too high, but let’s bring him in for an interview and see if I can get him for fewer than $300K. If not, I may pivot to Robinson, who I know would just work with me. Oct. 21, 1984 Time to interview my candidates. Oct. 22, 1984 Howser and Vazquez came in yesterday for managerial interviews. Today it’s Robinson and Campbell. Oct. 23, 1984 Managerial interviews today with Martinez and Garcia. Amid the interviews, a phone call today from Von Hayes’ agent: Hayes is on board! Four years and $2.1M total. Welcome in, Von. Good to have you until 1988. Oct. 24, 1984 We announce the Hayes extension with a press conference, and that goes over well with everyone. Also, we win no Gold Glove awards. *** After a bunch of afternoon meetings, we feel Dick Howser is a step above the competition, but I still want him at less than $300K per season. In speaking with his agent, I offer him $285K per season for three years and give him a couple weeks to mull it over. *** Meantime, new offers to arb-eligible players:
Dave Stegman is out right now, and looks to want to go to arbitration. Matuszek and Lefebvre are considering my final offers; honestly, these two guys are backup plans right now. |
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08-12-2019, 11:30 PM
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#50 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Oct. 25, 1984
Rolaids Relief Man of the Year! American League: Dave J Schmidt - TEX - 19 SV, 2.72 ERA (over Quisenberry, who finished fifth!) National League: Jeff Reardon - MTL - 48 SV, 0.75 ERA. He was nearly unanimous. Meanwhile, I offered Bruce Fields a minor league contract extension. Fully awaiting him to decline it. And this was our first day of a week filled of draft planning, since we’re about a week away from that. Hunkering down in a hotel conference room with rotating pots of coffee, Tastykake treats, and the occasional Canadian Club. Giddyup. Oct. 26, 1984 Silver Sluggers are announced, and Juan Samuel gets one! But amazingly, Mike Schmidt (.253/.351/.452, 26 HR) loses his bid to Bob Horner, who hit .263/.328/.463 with 32 HR. I guess. Boy, I hope the decline isn’t real. Oct. 27, 1984 Rookie of the Year! American League: Tony Fernandez - TOR - .338, 9 HR, 82 RBI (over Danny Tartabull). National League: Dwight Gooden - NYM - 18-8, 2.13 ERA, 300 K. Juan Samuel finished in second place with two first-place votes! Hey! Oct. 28, 1984 Phone calls have been received: Len Matuszek and Joe Lefebvre are on board for 1985. Cool. Manager of the Year! American League: Bobby Cox - TOR National League: Chuck Tanner - PIT Kinda weird seeing Cox get the award while Seattle stormed into the postseason after never finishing above sixth place. Oh well. Oct. 29, 1984 Cy Young! American League: Jack Morris - DET. Unanimous! National League: Dwight Gooden - NYM … not unanimous! Fernando got a first-place vote; also, Charles Hudson got one vote (Jayson Stark’s)! Also, Bruce Fields signed my minor league deal. Kind of shocked! Oct. 30, 1984 MVP Award!  American League: Wade Boggs - BOS - .370. Enough said. He beats Kirk Gibson and Don Mattingly (?) National League: Darryl Strawberry - NYM - .302, 43 HR, 127 RBI. Beats his teammate Gooden, plus Pedro Guerrero and Fernando. Juan Samuel finished seventh in voting! Meanwhile, teams keep proposing us trades where we give up Darren Daulton and Don Carman for a first baseman. That’s why I’m not moving Daulton. *** Next time: A look at our 1985 (December 1984) First-Year Player Draft Board. |
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08-13-2019, 11:48 PM
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#51 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Oct. 31, 1984
Happy Halloween. I still don’t have a manager, but the first-year player draft is tomorrow. With the team escaping the hotel conference room and getting just a little sleep last night, it’s time to unveil a draft board. First, our budget seems to be about $2.756M for the draft. That means I won’t be blowing all the money on talent seeking big bonuses. I will, however, take calculated risks when I deem necessary. Also, I prefer college bats > college pitchers > high school bats > high school pitchers. And generally, offensively I want athletic kids (speed) who understand the strike zone. I may take a flier or two on guys with big raw power or high contact tools. With pitching, I like control with projectable stuff and/or movement, plus more than two pitches when possible. With that said: [Key: Blue = Certain MLB starter/reliable pitcher / Green = Likely MLB starter/reliable pitcher / Magenta = Likely MLB contributor / Orange = Uncertain MLB future / Red = Unlikely MLB future] Draft Board - Top 40
Draft Board - Highlights
I'm at 1-10. I'm not getting Bonds (who is going 1-1 to Texas, according to whispers), and I'm not getting McDowell (who should go early, too), but teams aren't very excited about committing to the high school bat. I could have a crack at Jefferies then, and I imagine one or two other names in my top-10. At least to start. Last edited by The_Myth; 08-13-2019 at 11:51 PM. |
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08-15-2019, 11:20 PM
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#52 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Nov. 1, 1984
Welcome to the 1985 First-Year Player Draft. (Note: I'm calling this the 1985 Draft (or the December 1984 Draft), though the following players were actually drafted in June 1985.) Huge day. I fully expect the Texas Rangers to pick Barry Bonds with 1-1. I can see Mike Stanley, Will Clark, BJ Surhoff, Barry Larkin, Roberto Alomar, and Odibe McDowell going after him before I pick at 1-10. After that it’s anyone’s guess. I could end up with my lone top-10 pitcher, Randy Johnson, or find myself looking at Gregg Jefferies, Rafael Palmeiro, or Brady Anderson. My board says Jefferies, but he won’t be an impact for a while. We have 35 rounds this year. Let’s do it. Round 1 1. Texas - CF Barry Bonds 2. Baltimore - C Mike Stanley 3. Oakland - LF Rafael Palmeiro First shocker of the draft, with Oakland going for the slugger to team up with Jose Canseco and last year’s first-rounder, Mark McGwire. The A’s love power. 4. California - 1B Will Clark 5. Houston - SS Barry Larkin 6. Chicago Cubs - CF Odibe McDowell 7. San Francisco - C BJ Surhoff 8. Milwaukee - SS Roberto Alomar Here’s where the draft can turn quite a bit. 9. Atlanta - C Mike Macfarlane I didn’t have him on my board because I wasn’t high on him, but Atlanta sure liked him. I’m on the clock. My board is telling me to get Gregg Jefferies, and trailing him are Brady Anderson and Randy Johnson. Anderson is right down my pipe, a Von Hayes clone, the guy I like. Great speed and eye, and everything else is on its way. OK defensive right fielder but needs work. Jefferies is a $500K commitment and a high schooler - nothing guaranteed - but he could be better than Anderson with more speed and contact. Johnson is nearly $500K and injury-prone. Also a pitcher. A reach. Anderson is the safer move, but Jefferies is just calling me. We do our final run-through as the clock ticks, and the team agrees on a pick. Bill Giles signs off. 10. Phillies - SS - Gregg Jefferies Anderson goes next to Cleveland. As we proceed, Oakland nabs Chris Jelic (my No. 10) in the second round. Damn. But Blaise Ilsley (my No. 12) falls to pick 36, and I’m giddy. I think this kid has ace talent. My scouting director likes Philly product John Marzano, but I don’t see it. We take a vote, and he’s singled out. 36. Phillies - LHP - Blaise Ilsley We’re rejoicing in the war room, and even the scouting director joins in. Still, “You’re gonna regret not gettin’ Johnny, he’s BOOK-smart.” A few picks later, Marzano goes to Boston. Meanwhile, Toronto gets Jeff Carter, another tough one for us, as we thought he’d fall to the third round, at least. Craig Worthington and Chris Knabenshue also get selected. But at 62, it looks like our No. 28, Aubrey Waggoner, is available. Let’s do it. 62. Phillies - CF/LF/RF - Aubrey Waggoner Two high school bats already. We’re surprised, but that’s our board. Back around to 88, and Billy Bates is out there. We lock in. 88. Phillies - 2B - Billy Bates Coming back around, and our top-40 is gone. That brings us to Steve Gasser, who we can imagine falling a few rounds, but at the same time, some team might just snag him. We love him, and when you love a guy ... 114. Phillies - RHP - Steve Gasser That’s three high schoolers so far, and we’re just stunned. And as we come back around, our next guy happens to be a high schooler. Alright then. 140. Phillies - 2B/3B/SS - Chris Lombardozzi Jeff Ballard is out there, but we’re thinking about a college bat right now. We like Bill Geivett, an infielder with plus speed and plus eye. Of course. 166. Phillies - 3B/2B - Bill Geivett We’re close to taking a chance on Tom Cantrell, but I’d rather wait one round, if we can. 192. Phillies - LHP - Jeff Ballard Well, the Rangers picked up Tom Cantrell to lead off round 9. Makes sense. Flavio Alfaro is out there, but my scouts want me to grab a 22-year-old lefty reliever with good stuff. I’ll throw a bone. 218. Phillies - LHP - Ed Merklen From here on, the rest of the picks: 244. Phillies - C/CF/3B - Linton Dyer 270. Phillies - RF/CF - Bernie Anderson 296. Phillies - LHP - Zach Crouch 322. Phillies - 2B/SS - Flavio Alfaro 348. Phillies - RF - Tom Eccleston 374. Phillies - C - Rob Thomson 400. Phillies - SS - Neder Horta 426. Phillies - RHP - Mike Carista 452. Phillies - 3B - Carlo Colombino 478. Phillies - SS/3B - Scott Gray 504. Phillies - SS - Glenn Fairchild 530. Phillies - RHP - Paul Abbott 556. Phillies - RHP - David Blakley 582. Phillies - RHP - Roger Huff 608. Phillies - 1B/C - Anthony Buglione 634. Phillies - C - Robert Canepa 660. Phillies - RHP - Steve Searcy 686. Phillies - RHP - Darren Pearson 712. Phillies - 2B/SS/3B - Ray Crone 738. Phillies - RHP - Bob Tabeling 764. Phillies - LF - Johnny Celis 790. Phillies - LF/RF - Carmelo Green 816. Phillies - CF - John Van Ahnen 842. Phillies - LHP - Ken Patterson 868. Phillies - RHP - Kevin Nelson 894. Phillies - CF/1B/RF - Mark Ban Negotiation shouldn’t be hard; by taking Ilsley at the $207K slot, we’re saving about $83K, which will go toward Jefferies’ demand, and we should be able to meet his $500K. Down the draft, Crouch and Nelson want big pay days. I don’t forsee either happening. |
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08-16-2019, 04:13 PM
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#53 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,526
Infractions: 0/1 (1)
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I like:
Howser Martinez Vasquez Robinson Good luck!!! |
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08-16-2019, 06:16 PM
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#54 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 153
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Hopefully Jefferies has a good career for the Phightin Phils!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk |
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08-17-2019, 12:44 AM
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#55 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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At least I'm getting him a couple years early!
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08-17-2019, 12:52 AM
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#56 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Nov. 2, 1984
No news today, and still waiting on Dick Howser. We’re happy with our draft. One thing to keep in mind for 1985: We no longer have a GCL club (Bend is now our only rookie squad), while we just added a third A-level team, the Clearwater Phillies. Here’s how we’re defining the system:
Advanced draftees (college kids, mostly) will start in Spartanburg. If we’re high on a kid, we’ll move him to the more competitive Clearwater squad (the Florida State League is better than the Carolina League). Peninsula is for players we’re still sorting out. This will change some things. Primarily, someone like Luis Polonia, who we originally tabbed for Reading, will now probably start in Clearwater to get his feet wet there. Nov. 3 , 1984 Still quiet. Nov. 4, 1984 Second-round draftee Blaise Ilsley has agreed to his signing bonus. The 20-year-old lefty will start in Spartanburg. Nov. 5, 1984 A phone call from Dick Howser’s representative: He wants to meet us in Philly for dinner tomorrow. Giddy up. Nov. 6, 1984 It’s arbitration hearing day, but we’re preoccupied with Dick Howser, who flies in and meets with us in the afternoon. Just before our arb hearing with Dave Stegman, we have a nice chat, and Howser is in. Of course, we knew it all along. Dick Howser is the new manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. He’ll make $285K per season through 1987. We call a press conference for the next day, a Wednesday, which just so happens to be the day before free agency filings. Perfect timing. As for Stegman, he demands … ahem … $172,000. We propose $90,000. The arbitrator rules in our favor. Good win for us. Good, good win. How should we celebrate? How about a steak dinner with vintage 1936 wine (his birth year) with our new skipper Dick Howser? Nov. 7, 1984 We call the 11 a.m. press conference. A chipper mood at Veterans Stadium today, with all the press assembled (the 4-5-1 Eagles aren’t necessarily swallowing all the air). Howser speaks about starting anew in Philly, watching the Phils compete from afar, the allure of managing Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton, and how much potential we have throughout the organization. He’s a good speaker, a calming influence, and should lead us with a steady hand. I’m excited about him. |
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08-17-2019, 07:58 AM
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#57 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,526
Infractions: 0/1 (1)
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Ilsley spent years in the minors before finally making his MLB debut with the Cubs in 1995 at the age of 30. And then for just 10 games.
Waggoner never made it to the "show", his last stint with the Pawtucket Red Sox at the age of 28. Will be interesting to see how they make out in OOTP. Phillie fans are never patient, but you're making good moves during your rebuild. Getting Howser was huge!! Last edited by progen; 08-17-2019 at 07:59 AM. |
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08-19-2019, 10:22 PM
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#58 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Nov. 8, 1984
Free agency has begun. Rick Reuschel decided against our arbitration offer, so we could score a 1986 supplemental pick if he goes elsewhere. Also, there was a trade: Houston sent RF Kevin Bass to Milwaukee for C Bill Schroeder and RHP Rich Buonantony. Houston lost their catcher, Ron Hassey, to free agency. Interesting way to make up for that. But now, let’s talk strategy. It’s an important offseason for us. Taking stock of the roster, here’s how I’d break down our assets: Likely contributors to a contending team 2B - Juan Samuel 3B/1B - Mike Schmidt LF/RF/CF - Von Hayes SP - John Denny SP - Charles Hudson SP - Kevin Gross SP - Steve Carlton RP - Larry Andersen RP - Bill Campbell RP - Tug McGraw Unknown assets C/1B - Darren Daulton C/1B/LF/RF - John Russell C/1B/LF/RF/3B - Mike Diaz SS/2B/3B - Steve Jeltz LF/RF/CF - Jeff Stone RF/LF - Glenn Wilson SP - Curt Young SP - Kelly Downs RP - Don Carman RP - Chuck Cary RP - Karl Best RP - Kenneth Walker Low-value assets 1B/LF/3B - Len Matuszek RF/LF/3B - Joe Lefebvre CF/LF/RF - Dave Stegman If I’m going to contend, I need more than Schmidt, Samuel, and Hayes as likely offensive contributors. I’m not quite there yet on Daulton, but I believe he can be a contributor in 1985. I don’t want to count on any of the other unknown or mediocre assets to make the leap, though. So, let’s say I need at least two players I feel confident about as contributors in 1985. With the pitching staff, I’m a bit more assured. I could use at least one more good reliever, though two and an additional starter would be terrific. That means, at minimum, if I’m to be competitive in 1985, I’ll need two hitters and one reliever. Additional parts may increase my chances. Positions I could upgrade include catcher (low), first base (high), shortstop (high), corner outfield (high), and center field (medium). At baseline - without additions - those spots would be filled by Daulton, Matuszek, Jeltz, Wilson and Lefebvre, and Stegman. So I need better than that. Organizationally we prefer speed and defense. A plus eye and/or contact would be great. Power isn’t necessary but welcome. On the mound, we want control first, then decent stuff and movement. Let’s go through the free agent market piecemeal. Regardless of position, here are the top speed assets out there:
Conventional wisdom says I should be targeting Almon as a shortstop. He’s 31, spending his last two seasons in Oakland. Career he’s a .258/.302/.341 hitter but had his best slugging season last year with the Athletics, hitting .250/.285/.374 with 11 home runs. Not the best offensive profile, but his defense is good. Essentially, with shortstops, there's a top tier with players like Cal Ripken Jr., Ozzie Smith, Tony Fernandez, Alan Trammell, Dickie Thon, and Robin Yount. (Whether you want to put those guys in sub-tiers is another matter.) After that top layer, there's the start of a large field of shortstops, and Almon is probably atop that group. So we're talking the best second-division shortstop available, and there are no first-division guys out in the market. Glancing at the trade market, there isn’t a shortstop (who isn’t worth an arm and a leg) that I would go after that would be better than Almon on a short-term deal. Only one player makes sense in the long run, and that’s Minnesota’s Greg Gagne (39/53, 60/60/60, 60 SS). But Gagne is unproven in the majors, getting only 29 plate appearances in 1983 and 45 last season. He could break out in 1985, but again, I can’t have a ton of unknown assets. Almon has 45 contact but 50 eye, and he has 55 gap and raw power, so maybe I’d get him at the peak of a power surge. As he’s leading the middle of the pack, he'd be fine for, say, two years guaranteed. He wants $700K and is a Type B free agent; I think I can make it work. Otherwise, I like UL Washington enough as a stopgap. He’s a 43/43 but plays good defense and has a 50 eye. He’s also a Type B, but he’d only want $390K. Also on this list, I’m intrigued by Wiggins, who was in my rundown for center fielders but is more a 1B now and is out for seven months with a knee injury. He’s super fast and puts the ball in play, though his contact rating is just a 45. Still, he’s a $160K gamble, apparently, so if I don’t have any good 1B options, I may take a flier. Finally, Landreaux is an option at a corner spot. He doesn’t strike out much, and he does get his bat on the ball a bit with 50 contact. He’s probably more a fourth outfielder type, so maybe I don’t need him, but is he better than Glenn Wilson? Not sure. Top positional defenders (non-catcher) include:
Nothing here that I’d really want. Maybe Paciorek, but he’s 38 and a bit of an afterthought right now. Finally, top contact hitters include:
Lest I forget the big names on offense:
Any one of these players would be an instant offensive upgrade, but outside of Molitor, I’m not sure I’d get a great return on investment. Lynn is 32 and in decline, while Johnson is 37 and a Type A. Molitor is 28 and a Type B, though he’s apparently a diva. Is that worth it? I might get in early to gauge the market. I like Beniquez a lot, who last season in California hit .325/.360/.416 with 22 XBH in 446 PA. The guy can hit and might be had on a one-year deal with an option. I’d take that. Also, no compensation. As for pitching, here are the top control arms:
Welch is the top dog on the market and wants more than $1 million. He’s also a Type A. I’m trying to avoid signing any and all Type A guys right now, as I need to continue to stock my farm system and need first- and second-round picks. I like Sanderson, who is out up to three months with a UCL injury. Outside of that he has two decent pitches (fastball, curveball) and a third that works (slider). He has strikeout stuff, but he’s also a finesse guy. I believe in him. Also, I like Darwin. He pitched well for a bad Rangers team in 1982 and ‘83, though he slipped a shoulder injury in ‘84. He has three pitches, all decent enough. He’s a Type B. On the relief side I want to stay away from Quisenberry, even if Howser obviously loves him. My reports say Q only has the slider left in the tank, and he struck out just 15 in 55 innings last season; plus, he’s Type A guy. I’d rather look at Donnie Moore, a no-compensation setup-quality arm with a good fastball and forkball. Moving to good movement, I like Tim Stoddard (RP, 53/53, 65 STF, 55 MVM, 40 CTR), who struck out 50 in 57.2 innings for Baltimore in 1983, then lost all of ‘84 with a UCL injury. Since my pitching staff is in good shape, give me the injury comebacks. Before the day ends, I check up on my targets: Paul Molitor - In the conversation for now. His agent Ron Simon says anyone interested should fly out to visit, so I'll be heading to Minnesota to visit with the third baseman in a couple days. I’m thinking about a three-year deal with fourth-year option totaling $3.5M, though I may have to go another year with him. I’ve heard he wants four guaranteed. We can find common ground, but if it gets out of hand, I'm easily out. Bill Almon - I’m serious about my interest here. He wants five years and $3.5M. I’d rather do two guaranteed, full stop, but I’ll keep the annual at his $700K annual demand. I submit the offer. Fred Lynn - I go for a year with an option, fearing any long-term deal here. He wants six years right now. We’ll hold off. Juan Beniquez - He wants three years and $2.1M. Not bad, but I’d rather do the same one and one. It doesn’t take too much leg pulling, as he goes for $550K in year one and a $650K option in year two, with a buyout of $125K. I’m hesitant to give in so early, so I’m gonna take my chances and wait a few days here. I’ll wait on pitching until Welch and Quisenberry set the markets. Nov. 9, 1984 Beniquez’s agent wants to talk. Thirsty, I see. I’ll give it another two days. Nov. 10, 1984 Just checking out my depth, and looking toward minor league free agents, I know I’d like another starting pitcher, two relievers, a veteran catcher or two, a middle infielder, and a corner infielder, at least. So I offer some minor league contracts to:
Nov. 11, 1984 Flying out to Minnesota this morning to meet with Paul Molitor and his agent Ron Simon. A quick two days and one night out there. Meanwhile, still no movement on the market. Checking back in with Beniquez, I can do $520K in year one and an option of $635K in year two. No offer yet. Going to hold. After landing I go back to Lynn, and another conversation about a year with an option leads to frustration. He wants at least three years with a player option. Agent says they have other teams on the line and may be moving on from us. Okay. We’ll wait a little longer. |
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08-20-2019, 11:00 PM
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#59 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Nov. 12, 1984
Had a fine afternoon hang and dinner meeting yesterday with Paul Molitor. We don't talk money, only what he's looking for out of a home. He wants to compete but doesn't necessarily love the spotlight. I tell him we're building a team that won't require him to carry the load. After checking back in for coffee, I head back to Philadelphia. Meanwhile, at the airport I got some good calls: Gregg Jefferies, Billy Bates, and Steve Gasser have all come to terms on contracts. They're now in the organization. Big stuff. As I'm not looking to give bonuses to Zach Crouch or Kevin Nelson, I'm done with my 1984 draftees. Thirty-three of 35 are in place. That's good. Nov. 13, 1984 The Giants hire Jamie Taylor, a relative unknown, to be their manager. And we're finished with interviews for bench coach, hitting coach, and trainer, which took place last week. Here are our offers: Bench coach - Doug King / poor reputation Hitting coach - Dan Stone / average reputation Trainer - Gil Duran Nov. 14, 1984 Trade proposal from Cincinnati: LF Cesar Cedeno and C Danny Lamar for SP Charles Hudson. Pass. Nov. 15, 1984 Paul Molitor's agent Ron Simon calls to check in. He says meetings with teams have gone well, and his client really wants that fourth guaranteed year. I'm not necessarily hesitant … more playing the game. Still going to hold. Hoping we can really get things going at the Winter Meetings in about 10 days. Nov. 16, 1984 The Mets ask for a bad deal. I'm not even going to dignify it here. By the way, this is interesting: I've gained the second-most WAR this season because I lost 1.6 bad WAR. Addition by subtraction! Nov. 17, 1984 Texas trades SP Charlie Hough to Detroit for RHP Mike Henneman, 2B Jim Walewander, and C Bob Melvin. Looks like the Rangers are going full tank. Nov. 18, 1984 Still very little going on. Time to check back in with Freddy Lynn, and now he'll do three years with a fourth-year option. Getting closer. Not going to offer yet. Nov. 19, 1984 Bill Almon comes back wanting a little more, his agent saying the Yankees made him a good offer. Ugh. Yankees. I don't want to do more than two years (he says he wants four now), so I'll go $950K in year one and $1M in year two. He doesn't like that. I come back with $1M in year one and $1.1M in year two, but he's still against it. I decide to take a couple days off from Almon and call his bluff. Big risk here. Nov. 20, 1984 Still nothing new. Nov. 21, 1984 Still waiting. Made a few offers to minor league coaches. That's about it. Nov. 22, 1984 Dan Stone is in as my new hitting coach. Good deal. Also, happy Thanksgiving. Nov. 23, 1984 Here we go. Detroit swipes Dave Stieb with a six-year, $8.58M contract, setting the pitching market. Texas trades C Marv Foley for CF Barry Jones and 2B Mark Lemke. Go Rangers, huh? Time to check back in on Almon: No movement. Standing pat still. Sweating bullets. Nov. 24, 1984 Gil Duran is my new trainer. Cool. Back to Freddy Lynn: Same as before. And Molitor: He's back to wanting five years at $1.2M per season. Meh. I come back with three, again, at $1.1M per, with a $1.25M option fourth. Same as Almon with one more year. Nope, back to five years. I am not giving him five. Anyway, time to pack for the Winter Meetings, this year in Houston. Last edited by The_Myth; 08-20-2019 at 11:02 PM. |
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08-21-2019, 11:21 PM
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#60 |
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Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: World
Posts: 172
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Nov. 25, 1984
After my 10 p.m. flight to Houston, I wake up in a hotel suite by some new high-rises. My front office team and I have some events at the hotel meeting rooms and lobby, but most of our work will be done here in the suite. Basically we want to finalize Almon on our terms, figure out how else we can upgrade the offense, and maybe start talking pitching. I don’t imagine making any trades. Meanwhile, we learn that the Astros made a splash to start the party they're hosting, signing pitcher Jim Beattie to a two-year, $1.22M deal. Feels like we can get a good arm or two with these prices. Bigger news: The Orioles trade for Bert Blyleven. They send two prospects, including RF Larry Sheets, to Cleveland. This is all the Indians wanted? I should’ve asked. Damn. Also, Thad Bosley goes to Pittsburgh from the Cubs. Chicago gets SS Sam Khalifa in return. Into the night, I go back to Almon with two years at $1.1M per year, adding a third-year option at $1.25M. So it’s two years and $2.2M, with a third option to make it three and $3.45M. More than I want to do, but I’m trying not to lose him now. Then I hear back from his agent: No. He wants three years guaranteed, and he’s apparently on his last nerve. Jesus. I talk to U.L. Washington’s agent, just to try something else. He wants $600K over two years. Suddenly I’m wondering if Almon is worth five times this price. Heh. Washington had a 74 wRC+ last season. He struck out 12.6 percent of the time (in line with recent years) and walked 5 percent of the time (down from last few seasons). That said, he played only a third of the Royals’ games last season, primarily as he was ousted from the starting job. As for Almon, who had an 85 wRC+, his walk rate was at a recent low of 4.6 percent last season, and his strikeout rate was at 14.3 percent, about in line with recent trends. I don’t know. I have about $6.3M to play with (after my draft budget closed), so even if I spend what’s likely for my top targets, I’d still have nearly $3M to work with for a shortstop. That said, paying Almon the kind of money reserved for the top-10 salaries in the game? Ridiculous. I’m going to stop chatting with his camp right now. Before heading to bed, I want to start conversations with available pitchers. With Scott Sanderson, the injury has to play a factor. He wants two guaranteed years at $1.42M, which seems high for someone coming off an injury. I want one and a team option, so I do $385K in year one, $485K in the option year ($870K total). I also throw in a minimum-innings bonus (180 IP) and an all-star bonus. And he’s receptive, telling me he’s going to consider it. SP Scott Sanderson - 2Y/$870K including team option (considering) Next is Donnie Moore, who says the Yankees have a solid offer on the table. He’s looking for three guaranteed years, which I’m wary about, so I use my trusty friend the team option and give him a little more annual than what I believe the Yankees are offering: $400K in year one, $445K in year two, $515K in team option year three. He’s receptive. RP Donnie Moore - 3Y/$1.36M including team option (considering) It’s late. Or early. Time for bed. Nov. 26, 1984 The Tigers are stocking up on pitching, signing SP Bob Welch (a Detroit native) to a three-year contract with a fourth-year option at $4.32M total. He joins Dave Stieb, Cy Young winner Jack Morris, Charlie Hough, and Milt Wilcox in the Detroit rotation. Meanwhile, RP George Frazier goes to Toronto on a three-year, $1.184M contract. I’d be paying Moore a bit more, but that’s no issue here. Also, Atlanta got C Ron Hassey for five years and $4.15M, and Baltimore overpaid for C Ernie Whitt at five years and $3.65M. Finally, Oakland dealt CF Dwayne Murphy to the White Sox for LF Rudy Law and prospect Doug Drabek. (Law was on my semi-short list of center fielders last season.) I check up on Paul Molitor’s agent Ron Simon, seeing if anything has changed. Nope, his client wants security. Honestly, I’m not against five years completely, but I worry about his defense eroding quickly, plus it’s a long contract, you know? So I chat with my team a bit more; after some thought, we decide that four and an option could work if our AAV is good. Essentially, we think Molitor would be a major boost to our offense (and defense) for the next three years, at least. Plus, he’ll be a fan favorite. I have late-night drinks with Ron Simon. My offer: $1.13M, $1.185M, $1.23M, $1.285M, $1.385M (team option). With incentives. We’re using Doug Decinces’ contract (4Y/$4.5M) as a template for us, thinking Molitor is currently worth just a little more. But after drinks, Simon calls back and says it’s not enough. Paul wants a contract within the top 30 in the game. So now we look at Carney Lansford’s contract, which is 6Y/$6.825M and is among the top 30 out there. If we can get five years at $6.65M, with an option, we’ll do it. That’s a higher AAV than Lansford (which makes sense), but doesn’t have us committing so many years. So: $1.428M, $1.228M, $1.228M, $1.528M, $1.238M (team option). With incentives. We figure we have room to work in year one, can use some space in years two and three to make additions as our team improves, and by year four (1988), we can go bigger as Mike Schmidt’s contract is possibly off the books. Simon calls back: The offer is staying on the table. Holy crap it’s on. 3B Paul Molitor - 5Y/$6.65M including team option (considering) I meet with my front office team in the early morning over final drinks; no further talks, just planning. We want to talk outfield options—not completely sold yet on Beniquez, though he’d provide us insurance. Also, I decide I'll call Schmidty after waking to let him know there could be a move from third to first. Just to think about it. Nov. 27, 1984 The Tigers continue to spend, grabbing Fred Lynn for four years and $4.32M (fourth year is an option). Fine. Didn’t want him at that price and length, anyway. I call Mike Schmidt and let him know we’re talking with Paul Molitor’s camp, so there’s a possibility he moves to first base in 1985. All in all, Mike takes it in stride. He wants to win. He’s trying to be more of a leader. It’s all great news and confirms in us that we’re doing something bold and potentially game-changing. After our group meeting last night, we think there may be one player to trade: John Russell. Essentially we’re worried about his ability to catch, as our scouts noted that he made a few errors back there last season and his pitcher relationships weren’t the best (he had a 5.06 catcher ERA, as opposed to Darren Daulton’s 3.35 mark). We think we might be selling Russell at a good time, so I divvy up responsibilities and have my folks call other general managers about him. And what do you know: We get bites. Mostly decent but not elite prospects (RF Henry Cotto of the Cubs, 2B Rex Hudler of the Yankees, RF Steve Lyons of the Red Sox, CF Rock Coyle of the Athletics, RP Jeff Heathcock of the Astros, RP Bill Long of the Padres). Regulars offered include relievers like Steve Howe and Luis DeLeon, and starter Bruce Berenyi - effective but nowhere near sure things. And veterans are mostly ineffective players and overpriced older guys with long contracts (Jeffrey Leonard, George Foster). We start scouring clubs with top-rated prospects, and we finally come across Atlanta, who is willing to give up relief prospect Paul Assenmacher (38/51). But they want another prospect (CF Tim Knight, who’s been in AAA and probably won’t make it up to the majors at this point). I’d like more, so I’m able to coax out of them catcher Tommy Thompson, age 27, 34/38, who is a very good defender and hit .283/.344/.363 in 424 PA last season in AAA. I would absolutely start the season with him as my backup catcher. We’re also able to grab a starting pitcher in Joe Johnson, age 23, a 34/34 who put up a 4.17 ERA last season in AAA. Sounds good to me. Trade To Atlanta Braves LF/RF/1B/C John W. Russell - 23 CF/RF Tim Knight - 26 To Philadelphia Phillies RP Paul Assenmacher - 23 C Tommy Thompson - 27 SP Joe Johnson - 23 If Russell becomes a star, that’s on me, but I don’t have room for him anymore. I like this deal. That’s definitely the end of our wheeling and dealing at the Winter Meetings. Nov. 28, 1984 The Yankees offer us another catcher for some reason; meanwhile, the Mets move LF Danny Heep and prospect Desmond Brooks to the Padres for 3B Gerry Davis and 2B Steven Garcia. We’ll be boarding a plane back to Philadelphia tonight, but in the meantime, we call around about Bill Almon’s status. Nothing. He’s apparently still tied to wanting more than $1.2M per season. |
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