Baseball Prospectus 1996
But the rules insist Czar Bud field a team, and so the AL Central is five strong. In keeping with previous franchise history, the team is in a second cycle where the new manager impresses everyone with his hustle and leads the team to a surprisingly good season, to be followed by years of mediocrity. It worked for Tom Trebelhorn, and now it's working for Phil Garner. There is one important difference: Phil Garner has proved to be very willing to mix up the labor mess by solidly coming down on his employer's side. Amidst the generally low expectations for the Brewers' '95 season, Phil Garner was extremely willing to talk about the handicaps and dangers of a small market: "The worst thing that happens is you finish second. You're better off finishing last and everybody having a bad year than you are finishing second and everybody having a pretty good year or great year... [if that happens] you're going to get hammered in arbitration, and its not going to be reflected in the increased attendance." That was Phil Garner, management philosopher. In part, his statement was colored by his experience his first season, 1992, when the team finished second and Chris Bosio, Paul Molitor, and Dan Plesac left as free agents. Now, the entertainment value of a good team competing probably deserves better consideration than Phil gave it, but are these statements any way to rally the team in the wake of the strike, or to lead the players in its aftermath? In something of a self-fulfilling prophecy on the difficulties of winning in a small market, the Brewers carried the second lowest payroll in the AL.
One way or another, the low expectations didn't prevent the Brewers from giving the season the old college try. Although Cleveland probably squelched any Beertown delusions of grandeur by about the middle of May, the Brewers were a surprising factor in the wild card race up until September. This remarkable accomplishment was the product of the contributions of a rotation that had to be almost completely rebuilt by the end of May, as Cal Eldred, Angel Miranda, and Bob Scanlan burned out, and Bill Wegman simply pitched badly. Only Ricky Bones remained, and the Brewers were forced to turn to their minors to patch together the remainder of a staff. Sid Roberson, Steve Sparks, Scott Karl, Brian Givens and Jamie McAndrew were all brought up or handed rotation jobs at various points of the season, and all of them showed some talent. The Brewers reached a high-water mark on August 24, when they were only a half-game behind the Yankees in the hunt for the wild card. From that point on, however, the season went to pieces, as the Brewers lost shortstop Jose Valentin to injury, and suffered a general breakdown of the pitching staff as Bones, Roberson, and Sparks all pitched poorly in September. The Brewers won only seven of their final 32 games.
Given the remarkable success of the team, the Brewers are naturally inclined to chalk up their season-ending pratfall to... you guessed it, the difficulties of being a small market team. Rather than look at the sources for teams' successes and failures, Phil Garner was quick to point out that while Boston was acquiring Rick Aguilera, Baltimore was getting Bobby Bonilla, Seattle was trading for Andy Benes and Vince Coleman, and the Yankees were picking up David Cone, Milwaukee had to stand pat. "We couldn't do anything and we watched everybody else shoot right past us." This nice, tight little theory of "woe is us, we're so poor" is flat-out wrong, and denies the Brewers' role in their own season. Bobby Bonilla didn't help Baltimore do much at all, Andy Benes and Vince Coleman did nothing to really help the Mariners that the people they replaced hadn't done better, and Rick Aguilera certainly didn't make the difference for Boston.
But beyond that cosmetic argument, which boils down to Cleveland was probably going to beat everyone anyway, the Brewers had a lot of say in how their season wound up, instead of being passive victims on the road to the postseason. What was it that effectively went down the tubes for the Brewers down the stretch? More than anything, it was the pitching staff, that staff of replacements, journeymen, and untried rookies. Where had they come from, and how had the Brewers come to rely on them in the first place? Why did they fall apart down the stretch? This collection of castoffs had only become the rotation as a result of the collapse of the original rotation. How did that happen? Phil Garner has a well-deserved reputation for placing a heavy workload on his starting pitchers, to the point that it was very nearly conventional wisdom not whether Cal Eldred was going to break down, but when after a 1993 season when he lead the AL in starts, innings pitched, and batters faced. Although the characterization that Garner works his pitchers hard appears superficially untrue in light of his recent tendency towards quick hooks, I'd argue that's a case of locking the henhouse after the wolves have come and gone. After you've already damaged a pitcher's arm, but you're still trying to use him, even the most sadistic manager is going to pull him sooner than he usually would. Ricky Bones broke down after enduring the heaviest workload of his career during 1994 and the first three months of the '95 season, averaging almost 30 batters per start. Steve Sparks, as a rookie, averaged over 30 batters per start, in addition to pitching in relief six times. He was also asked to start on three days' rest six times. Few managers work their starters as hard, especially ones just breaking into the majors.
There should be a level of accountability. The Brewers feel they suffer from a handicap compared to big market teams when it comes to acquiring talent. But if the cry of poverty was at all meaningful, wouldn't it mean that the Brewers would handle their own talent better? When the pitching staff broke down, was that the Orioles' or Mariners' fault? How did the Yankees' money injure the Brewers starting pitchers? Obviously, the Brewers need to take a good look at themselves before they start wailing about circumstance.
THE FRONT OFFICE: Sal Bando has graduated from being a huge fan favorite in Milwaukee during the late '70s to being the team's dour general manager. In keeping with the grim determination of his master, Salvatore runs the organization as humorlessly as possible. He'll patiently explain why he thought letting Troy O'Leary go was a good idea, or why he thinks offering Bill Wegman and some change is a fair deal for Jose Canseco, without taking the time to listen to himself. The team can be cheap in ways other than free agent shopping: when Darryl Hamilton was nearing incentive bonuses for playing time in '95, he was benched down the stretch. Hamilton vociferously complained, sealing his fate; there was no way the Brewers would think about re-signing him for '96. Now, in the wake of the strike, it seems free agents are consciously avoiding signing with the Brewers. They've lost in bidding on Paul Molitor, B.J. Surhoff, Jeff Reed, Greg Myers, Tom Gordon, and Bobby Witt, despite making higher offers for these players than the ones they accepted from the teams they signed with. As Bando has put it, "we're losing guys for reasons we can't control... what's knocking us out of the chute are personal quirks." Then there's the issue of whether or not these players would do the Brewers any good, which is more than a matter of taste.
Like having to play for Czar Bud while wondering about a management philosophy that prefers last place to second, perhaps? And wondering if you'll be kept from making your playing time incentives?
The Brewers have a firm commitment to putting together winning or at least competitive teams in their minors, and as a result have fielded an winning record as an organization for 14 consecutive years. Unfortunately, that hasn't translated into major league success or major league talent. The Brewers usually do a lot of shopping among six-year minor league free agents. There isn't a prospect in the system that you'd call a top-notch prospect, the kind of player who instantly impacts a franchise, at any level. The team also has a commitment to taking advantage of the Rule V draft, particularly to help the pitching staff, where the Brewers have acquired Graeme Lloyd, Jose Mercedes, and now Tyrone Narcisse.
THE MANAGER: I've already buried Phil Garner, so let me praise his strengths, for he does have a few. He runs an active bench, using defensive replacements and flip-flopping his lineup card in all sorts of contortions in-game. He pinch-runs more than anyone else in the league, and his reputation for liking the running game is well-deserved. To be fair, he prefers to go for the steal with two outs, which might be the best option. He brags about his faith in the bunt and the squeeze, and his team did pull of the most squeezes in the league (8). With the ouster of Gene Lamont, he's probably the most outspoken and frequent practitioner of the play. Garner was a reputation for toughness, both with his players and with opposing managers, as his brawl with Terry Bevington shows. The usual local rivalry between the Sox and the Brewers has a new nasty aspect, and much of that is probably a product of Phil Garner's ill temper.
On the other hand, he shamelessly regurgitates the organizational line that its somebody else's fault if the team doesn't win.
BRIAN BANKS 1971 OF/UTIL YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1994 BLT 146 28 2 1 2 5 1 1 .192 .219 .260 .153 22 5 1994 BLT 236 58 7 1 5 21 6 1 .246 .307 .347 .236 56 24 1994 STO 250 50 6 1 2 29 2 4 .200 .283 .256 .183 46 15 1995 ELP 429 111 23 5 9 65 9 5 .259 .356 .399 .266 114 59 1996 PRJ 466 108 17 2 11 47 7 4 .232 .302 .348 .230 107 46A switch-hitter who had definitely enjoyed hitting in El Paso, making the Texas League All-Star team while leading the league in doubles and walks and finishing eighth in batting average. Banks doesn't have power, and can't play center, so his future is limited. He also put in time at first, third, and as an emergency catcher.
TIMOTHY BARKER 1968 UTIL YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SAN 403 105 15 2 2 61 21 8 .261 .358 .323 .251 101 48 1992 SAN 359 93 15 2 1 30 19 6 .259 .316 .320 .234 84 36 1993 HAR 187 53 6 1 3 25 5 3 .283 .368 .374 .266 50 25 1993 OTT 168 35 3 1 1 23 5 2 .208 .304 .256 .201 34 12 1994 NWO 437 112 18 4 5 70 39 14 .256 .359 .350 .262 114 59 1995 NWO 264 63 7 3 1 27 12 7 .239 .309 .299 .219 58 23Doesn't really have the arm to play short or third, so he has a future as a utility infielder.
CHUCK CARR 1969 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TID 248 45 5 1 1 12 23 6 .181 .219 .222 .163 40 11 1992 ARK 111 25 3 1 1 8 6 1 .225 .277 .297 .212 24 9 1992 LOU 376 111 7 6 3 28 50 9 .295 .344 .370 .273 103 53 1992 STL 65 16 4 0 0 9 10 2 .246 .338 .308 .255 17 8 1993 FLA 550 145 16 2 3 49 60 22 .264 .324 .316 .241 133 61 1994 FLA 426 107 12 1 2 23 35 8 .251 .290 .298 .223 95 38 1995 FLA 308 72 11 1 3 46 27 12 .234 .333 .305 .237 73 34 1996 PRJ 391 113 18 3 2 52 38 13 .289 .372 .366 .274 107 57Proof that some teams don't learn. The Brewers would like to keep pretending that they can win with speed and little ball tactics, so acquiring a speed-bug like Carr is the natural end result of a mindset that refuses to give Troy O'Leary a chance so that it can look at guys like David Hulse, Alex Diaz, or Turner Ward. Carr is a good defensive center fielder, although he takes a lot of risks that turn into the occasional triple. He set a career high in OBP last season, which probably means its all downhill from now on.
JEFF CIRILLO 1970 3B/2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 BLT 455 110 12 1 7 58 10 6 .242 .327 .319 .232 105 45 1993 ELP 246 72 8 1 6 22 2 2 .293 .351 .407 .267 66 32 1993 NWO 216 62 9 2 2 27 2 1 .287 .366 .375 .266 57 28 1994 NWO 236 73 12 1 9 25 4 0 .309 .375 .483 .301 71 40 1994 MIL 124 29 4 0 3 10 0 1 .234 .291 .339 .218 27 11 1995 MIL 320 86 14 4 7 42 9 2 .269 .354 .403 .270 86 45 1996 PRJ 571 165 26 5 16 70 5 3 .289 .367 .436 .282 161 87Cirillo's breakthrough this year was one of the reasons for the Brewers' relative success during the year. He's a solid third baseman, aggressively starting double plays with the best of them. A major slump in September (.192/.315/.269) took some of the luster off his season. Right now, the speculation is that he'll eventually be moved to second to make room for Antone Williamson at third. In 24 starts at second in '95, he seemed to have poor range.
KEN FELDER 1971 LF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 BLT 100 15 1 1 2 7 1 1 .150 .206 .240 .131 13 3 1994 STO 437 104 11 1 7 22 3 2 .238 .275 .316 .207 90 32 1995 ELP 359 82 14 1 9 38 3 3 .228 .302 .348 .228 82 35A "potential" guy, as in "he isn't a very good baseball player." Nevertheless, scouts never run out of things to say about him, because of his college football experience at Florida State. He's considered a poor outfielder, and he'll probably get a cup of coffee sometime because of who he is instead of what he's done.
LAURO FELIX 1970 SS/2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 SOR 24 7 2 0 0 5 1 0 .292 .414 .375 .294 7 4 1992 MAD 207 34 1 0 1 20 3 3 .164 .238 .184 .118 24 4 1993 MOD 303 47 5 1 1 49 4 2 .155 .273 .188 .149 45 11 1994 MOD 141 29 6 1 2 11 3 1 .206 .263 .305 .199 28 10 1994 TAC 129 18 3 0 0 15 1 3 .140 .229 .163 .078 10 1 1995 ELP 215 49 8 1 2 36 4 1 .228 .339 .302 .233 50 22He'd earned a reputation as an erratic fielder with no bat in the A's chain, but he was given a shot a regular playing time in his hometown El Paso, he showed some good patience.
JOHN FINN 1968 2B/OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STO 227 47 5 1 1 29 9 4 .207 .297 .251 .197 45 16 1991 ELP 225 55 6 1 2 9 5 2 .244 .274 .307 .206 46 17 1992 ELP 443 105 11 4 1 62 21 7 .237 .331 .287 .228 101 43 1993 NWO 335 90 6 1 1 31 32 9 .269 .331 .301 .241 81 36 1994 NWO 229 64 6 0 2 32 15 8 .279 .368 .332 .256 59 29 1995 NWO 117 36 3 1 2 12 10 2 .308 .372 .402 .286 33 18Mimicking the organization's perceived strength at the major league level, Finn's career has been an exhibition of patience, speed, and the bunt. Injuries and the need for playing time for younger players have cut into his playing time.
JAVIER GONZALEZ 1969 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 WPT 153 22 3 0 4 7 1 0 .144 .181 .242 .116 18 3 1992 TID 121 25 4 0 3 3 0 0 .207 .226 .314 .182 22 7 1993 BIN 258 54 4 0 7 19 0 0 .209 .264 .306 .196 51 17 1994 NBR 90 16 2 0 1 8 0 1 .178 .245 .233 .148 13 3 1994 NOR 43 10 2 0 0 1 0 0 .233 .250 .279 .180 8 2 1995 NWO 113 28 8 0 4 6 0 0 .248 .286 .425 .246 28 13
DAVID HULSE 1968 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PCH 325 91 5 4 2 27 24 5 .280 .335 .338 .253 82 38 1992 TUL 357 92 11 2 3 19 13 6 .258 .295 .325 .223 80 32 1992 OKL 30 6 0 1 0 1 2 2 .200 .226 .267 .167 5 1 1992 TEX 93 31 4 0 0 3 4 1 .333 .354 .376 .269 25 12 1993 TEX 408 124 7 9 1 23 35 8 .304 .341 .373 .266 109 53 1994 OKL 99 28 4 1 0 5 6 0 .283 .317 .343 .250 25 11 1994 TEX 309 80 6 3 0 18 22 2 .259 .300 .298 .228 71 29 1995 MIL 335 82 8 5 2 13 18 3 .245 .273 .316 .218 73 28 1996 PRJ 254 66 8 4 1 11 19 5 .260 .291 .335 .233 59 25Any organization that would rather have David Hulse than Troy O'Leary must be specializing in something other than baseball. Hulse has a poor arm and adequate range, and those are his better points. Despite being asked to bunt a lot, he's not very good at it.
JOHN JAHA 1966 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ELP 469 137 18 1 21 55 8 4 .292 .366 .469 .290 136 76 1992 DEN 266 77 12 1 13 43 6 3 .289 .388 .489 .302 80 48 1992 MIL 135 35 2 1 3 12 12 0 .259 .320 .356 .259 35 17 1993 MIL 514 141 19 1 18 47 16 8 .274 .335 .420 .265 136 69 1994 NWO 62 25 6 1 1 11 2 0 .403 .493 .581 .377 23 16 1994 MIL 286 67 11 1 9 28 4 3 .234 .303 .374 .236 68 30 1995 MIL 307 94 19 2 16 32 2 1 .306 .372 .537 .308 95 56 1996 PRJ 437 119 25 3 19 76 3 2 .272 .380 .474 .295 129 76Going into '95, the Brewers were speculating that they would have to replace Jaha, who hadn't lived up to his promise. In response, he showed surprising discipline, hitting to the opposite field and taking a few more walks. Unlike many Brewers, Jaha hit much better on the road (.344/.415/.650). Since he's fine defensive player, and his hitting got better as the season went along, he may be capable of continuing to be an important offensive player for the Brewers.
KEVIN KOSLOFSKI 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MEM 296 92 10 1 8 25 8 4 .311 .364 .432 .282 83 44 1991 OMA 95 27 3 1 2 12 4 1 .284 .364 .400 .276 26 14 1992 OMA 280 84 9 3 4 18 8 2 .300 .342 .396 .266 74 36 1992 KCR 133 35 3 2 2 12 2 1 .263 .324 .361 .244 32 15 1993 OMA 390 99 15 3 5 40 17 6 .254 .323 .346 .243 95 43 1993 KCR 26 7 0 0 1 3 0 1 .269 .345 .385 .246 6 3 1994 OMA 306 63 5 2 5 34 9 3 .206 .285 .284 .203 62 23 1995 NWO 321 65 13 2 6 33 5 2 .202 .277 .312 .206 66 25After years in the Royals chain, Koslofski moved on. He still has his great throwing arm, and was selected as the best defensive outfielder in his league, but his hitting and speed have seriously deteriorated with age.
TODD LANDRY 1973 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 BLT 148 36 1 0 3 1 2 2 .243 .248 .311 .193 29 9 1994 STO 358 84 6 3 6 19 3 1 .235 .273 .318 .208 74 27 1995 ELP 498 122 17 2 12 25 9 4 .245 .281 .359 .226 113 46 1996 PRJ 546 139 28 2 11 30 10 6 .255 .293 .374 .235 129 56Another El Paso slugger, Landry has shown poor plate discipline, and has played his way out of the outfield. He's adapted to first well enough (he was chosen as the Texas League's best defensive first baseman), but he's a light hitter for the position.
PAT LISTACH 1968 2B/SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ELP 183 37 4 1 0 18 8 1 .202 .274 .235 .185 34 11 1991 DEN 284 63 9 2 1 36 19 5 .222 .309 .278 .220 62 26 1992 MIL 591 190 19 8 1 54 62 18 .321 .378 .386 .284 168 90 1993 MIL 355 90 12 1 3 35 22 8 .254 .321 .318 .235 84 37 1994 MIL 53 15 2 0 0 2 2 1 .283 .309 .321 .228 12 5 1995 MIL 330 71 4 1 0 21 16 4 .215 .262 .233 .179 59 18 1996 PRJ 194 48 6 2 0 18 15 3 .247 .311 .299 .232 45 19Speed players who suffer bad knee injuries don't bounce back. Listach has poor mechanics on the deuce, so he's not an ideal second baseman, and he doesn't hit well enough to be useful at any other position. He was the inspiration for the team's hot streak during a 17-13 slugfest on June 29, when Rob Dibble laid him out with he pitch, after which he dusted himself and came tearing out onto the mound. Inspiration or not, he played his way out of the leadoff slot and the lineup.
ROD LOFTON 1968 INF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HAG 438 109 7 3 2 32 32 7 .249 .300 .292 .224 98 40 1992 HAG 172 37 4 0 1 5 8 4 .215 .237 .256 .172 30 9 1992 ROC 133 29 2 1 0 7 9 3 .218 .257 .248 .185 25 8 1993 CHT 28 3 0 0 0 5 1 0 .107 .242 .107 .066 2 0 1993 ELP 198 45 5 2 2 11 10 1 .227 .268 .303 .211 42 16 1994 ELP 350 102 14 2 3 20 15 3 .291 .330 .369 .255 89 41 1995 NWO 239 48 3 0 1 15 11 3 .201 .248 .226 .166 40 11Lofton had that out-of character season in the pitching hell of the Diablos home field, and the Brewers decided to retain and promote him, only to see he is what he's been, a utility infielder.
PEDRO LOPEZ 1969 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 WLO 352 83 7 1 6 30 2 2 .236 .296 .312 .214 75 29 1992 WIC 322 74 5 2 6 13 3 2 .230 .260 .314 .199 64 22 1993 RCU 101 19 4 0 1 17 0 0 .188 .305 .257 .197 20 7 1993 WIC 145 27 4 0 3 19 2 0 .186 .280 .276 .195 28 10 1994 WIC 132 30 4 0 1 12 0 1 .227 .292 .280 .198 26 9 1994 LVG 46 8 0 0 1 0 0 0 .174 .174 .239 .106 5 1 1995 ELP 212 55 9 1 3 14 1 2 .259 .305 .354 .231 49 20Another career minor league backup who enjoyed a career year in El Paso.
ROBERTO LOPEZ 1972 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1995 ELP 405 104 15 4 1 62 7 2 .257 .355 .321 .247 100 46A solid second baseman and a patient switch-hitter, Lopez was one of the strengths at the top of the Diablos' order. He'll move up to New Orleans, but after that, his future will depend on Mark Loretta's success or failure.
MARK LORETTA 1972 SS/2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 STO 197 59 1 1 3 12 4 1 .299 .340 .360 .254 50 23 1994 ELP 299 81 8 3 1 22 6 3 .271 .321 .328 .233 70 29 1994 NWO 138 28 5 0 1 11 2 1 .203 .262 .261 .179 25 8 1995 NWO 478 130 14 3 6 32 11 9 .272 .318 .351 .237 113 49 1995 MIL 49 13 1 0 1 3 1 1 .265 .308 .347 .230 11 5A Northwestern graduate (leading to inevitable talk about being a "heady" player), Loretta has handled second, short, and third, and has shown the ability to hang in the box in important situations. Loretta was second in the American Association in RBI. He'll get first crack at the starting job at second base in spring training.
MIKE MATHENY 1971 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 STO 335 61 7 1 5 20 1 1 .182 .228 .254 .154 51 13 1993 ELP 335 69 14 1 1 15 1 2 .206 .240 .263 .165 55 15 1994 NWO 177 39 7 1 3 15 1 1 .220 .281 .322 .210 37 14 1994 MIL 52 11 2 0 1 3 0 1 .212 .255 .308 .187 10 3 1995 MIL 164 40 6 1 0 9 2 1 .244 .283 .293 .203 33 12Matheny made the team as the backup to Joe Oliver, and got most of July to start while Oliver recovered from a broken wrist. He definitely benefitted from regular playing time, but he's never going to hit well enough to start regularly. He has a good defensive reputation, but had obvious problems with Steve Sparks' knuckler. With Oliver's departure, the Brewers have shown a realistic appreciation of Matheny's limitations. They've acquired Kelly Stinnett and Matt Nokes to help handle the catching load, and they've also signed Don Wakamatsu to either catch knuckleballer Steve Sparks, or to teach Matheny and Stinnett how to do it.
MATT MIESKE 1968 RF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HDS 480 129 18 2 10 59 18 6 .269 .349 .377 .261 125 62 1992 DEN 513 122 19 6 15 34 13 7 .238 .285 .386 .235 121 53 1993 NWO 220 57 10 2 6 25 8 4 .259 .335 .405 .261 57 29 1993 MIL 58 15 2 0 2 4 0 2 .259 .306 .397 .235 14 6 1994 MIL 255 64 10 1 8 18 4 5 .251 .300 .392 .239 61 27 1995 MIL 262 64 11 1 10 24 3 5 .244 .308 .408 .245 64 30 1996 PRJ 270 70 13 1 11 24 5 4 .259 .320 .437 .262 71 36He's turned out to be the new Gary Roenicke, within his limits. Earl Weaver would love him: he's a good outfielder with a great throwing arm, he can pound lefties, and he even chipped in a pair of three-run home runs off the bench. What, you were expecting Gary Sheffield?
TOM NEVERS 1972 INF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ASH 453 93 9 1 10 32 5 6 .205 .258 .296 .188 85 28 1992 OSC 465 107 14 3 9 20 4 1 .230 .262 .331 .207 96 35 1993 JAC 185 44 4 1 1 14 5 1 .238 .291 .286 .209 39 14 1994 JAC 451 111 15 1 7 25 8 3 .246 .286 .330 .219 99 38 1995 JAC 297 65 4 1 7 19 4 1 .219 .266 .310 .202 60 21 1995 ELP 116 24 3 0 1 8 2 1 .207 .258 .259 .177 21 6The Astros got frustrated with more first-round flops than just Phil Nevin last year. They also gave up on '90 pick Nevers, even after he had a very good AFL campaign in '94. He's been a shortstop most of his career, but last year he was moved to third, and he was ghastly. Where he winds up, and whether or not he can put a career together, is open to question.
DAVE NILSSON 1970 DH/OF/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ELP 236 83 12 1 5 17 3 1 .352 .395 .475 .307 72 40 1991 DEN 94 19 5 0 1 14 1 0 .202 .306 .287 .211 20 8 1992 DEN 233 65 10 4 3 20 9 3 .279 .336 .395 .262 61 30 1992 MIL 167 43 7 0 5 16 2 2 .257 .322 .389 .249 42 19 1993 NWO 61 21 3 0 1 5 0 1 .344 .394 .443 .291 18 9 1993 MIL 295 79 10 2 6 35 5 5 .268 .345 .376 .254 75 36 1994 MIL 390 105 22 3 9 29 1 0 .269 .320 .410 .256 100 47 1995 MIL 258 70 10 1 10 20 2 0 .271 .324 .434 .265 68 34 1996 PRJ 507 154 21 1 25 52 1 0 .304 .369 .497 .299 152 86After hearing about Dave Nilsson's affliction last season, baseball fans are probably the most Ross River Fever-knowledgeable demographic on the planet. Anyways, it cost him strength, producing a shift from behind the plate when he was finally ready to play last season. A successful move to the outfield isn't out of the question, since it was Nilsson's position in Australia. He showed good progress hitting lefties, so he may simply become an outfield regular or full-time DH. As a hitter, Nilsson is one of those left-handed hackers who's good at hitting to the opposite field.
MATT NOKES 1964 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 NYY 457 128 18 1 24 24 4 2 .280 .316 .481 .274 125 65 1992 NYY 384 90 11 1 22 36 0 1 .234 .300 .440 .253 97 48 1993 NYY 218 58 6 1 10 15 0 0 .266 .313 .440 .261 57 28 1994 COH 38 11 2 0 3 2 0 0 .289 .325 .579 .301 11 7 1994 NYY 79 24 4 0 6 4 0 0 .304 .337 .582 .307 24 14 1995 CSP 36 7 0 0 3 2 0 0 .194 .237 .444 .230 8 4 1995 BAL 49 6 1 0 2 3 0 0 .122 .173 .265 .121 6 1I've pulled for Matty for several years now, and I thought he got a raw deal in Baltimore, but let's look at the facts: he's picked fights with his managers or his coaches each of the last two seasons when criticized for his glove work, and he's suffering from a slow bat. But he's a catcher, and if all it takes to succeed is be as dangerous at the plate as Mike Matheny, Matty will keep get opportunities. The Brewers have signed him to a minor league deal, and Nokes should pray he isn't asked to catch Sparks.
JOE OLIVER 1966 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CIN 271 61 11 0 11 18 0 0 .225 .273 .387 .229 62 26 1992 CIN 492 144 22 1 14 38 2 3 .293 .343 .427 .269 132 66 1993 CIN 482 117 19 1 14 28 0 0 .243 .284 .373 .230 111 46 1995 MIL 331 89 15 1 10 22 3 5 .269 .314 .411 .251 83 39After missing '94 with synovitis, Oliver recaptured his status as a regular with his season in Milwaukee. Although he's usually had better against LHPs, last year was the best of his career against right-handers. As a defensive player, he has a better reputation than he probably deserves because of his frequent snap pickoff throw attempts. He had a bad month in August as he tried to come back from a wrist injury. He's become more of a flyball hitter with age, so he can really help certain teams in some ballparks.
CECIL RODRIQUES OF 1972 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 BLT 353 68 9 1 6 29 10 6 .193 .254 .275 .182 64 21 1994 BLT 116 27 2 0 2 9 5 2 .233 .288 .302 .213 25 10 1994 STO 207 48 6 1 3 18 9 2 .232 .293 .314 .222 46 19 1995 STO 174 39 2 1 3 8 2 4 .224 .258 .299 .188 33 11 1995 ELP 239 53 5 4 2 11 4 1 .222 .256 .301 .195 47 16Speedy slap hitter who hasn't learned how to steal consistently.
KEVIN SEITZER 3B-1B 1962 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 KCR 235 66 10 3 1 29 5 1 .281 .360 .362 .262 62 30 1992 MIL 550 165 33 2 7 56 16 11 .300 .365 .405 .272 150 77 1993 MIL 161 49 5 0 7 16 3 0 .304 .367 .466 .293 47 26 1993 OAK 256 70 9 2 4 25 6 7 .273 .338 .371 .248 64 30 1994 MIL 302 93 18 2 3 25 2 1 .308 .361 .411 .274 83 41 1995 MIL 478 146 23 2 4 57 2 0 .305 .379 .387 .276 132 66 1996 PRJ 553 158 23 2 10 60 1 1 .286 .356 .389 .265 147 72The human barcalounger afield showed signs of life, at least throwing those balls that hit his glove to other fielders to start the occasional double play. He's probably Garner's favorite player, because he's adept at the hit-and-run and the sacrifice, and can get on base at any time. He's a useful part of any team, as long as the team can expect to find power at positions he can't play.
DUANE SINGLETON CF 1973 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 BLT 393 91 6 3 4 23 20 10 .232 .274 .293 .204 80 29 1992 SAL 71 18 3 1 1 3 2 1 .254 .284 .366 .230 16 7 1992 STO 387 93 11 5 4 21 17 7 .240 .279 .326 .218 84 33 1993 ELP 453 83 13 3 1 29 17 9 .183 .232 .232 .154 70 18 1994 STO 135 34 2 0 3 14 10 4 .252 .322 .333 .241 32 15 1994 ELP 138 35 8 2 1 16 7 3 .254 .331 .362 .250 34 16 1994 NWO 133 36 4 3 0 17 6 3 .271 .353 .346 .253 34 16 1995 NWO 355 88 7 2 3 37 36 14 .248 .319 .304 .234 83 37 1995 MIL 31 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 .065 .094 .065 **** -5 -2A "prospect" with all of the physical tools: he can run, and his throwing arm was rated the best in the American Association. Sadly, that batting part of his job is considered important, and he's lousy at it. On top of that, he's earned several suspensions from the team, so it came as no surprise when he was released in January. Picked up by Detroit
DAVE STATON 1B 1968 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 LVG 364 82 9 1 15 33 1 0 .225 .290 .379 .233 85 37 1992 LVG 326 81 8 1 16 25 0 0 .248 .302 .426 .252 82 39 1993 RCU 215 58 9 1 10 18 0 0 .270 .326 .460 .271 58 30 1993 LVG 36 9 1 0 4 2 0 0 .250 .289 .611 .293 11 6 1993 SDP 42 11 2 0 5 3 0 0 .262 .311 .667 .312 13 8 1994 LVG 258 58 6 1 7 37 0 0 .225 .322 .337 .233 60 26 1994 SDP 66 12 2 0 4 10 0 0 .182 .289 .394 .234 15 7 1995 NWO 326 80 7 1 15 43 1 3 .245 .333 .411 .257 84 42Since his brief fling with prospect status in the Padres' chain, Staton has managed to remain a useful power source at the AAA level. Unfortunately, he's a poor defender and an unlikely major leaguer.
MIKE STEFANSKI C 1970 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 BLT 393 82 4 0 4 37 4 2 .209 .277 .249 .181 71 22 1993 STO 341 93 10 1 7 30 3 1 .273 .332 .370 .250 85 39 1994 ELP 311 72 4 2 7 26 3 2 .232 .291 .325 .216 67 26 1995 NWO 227 53 6 1 2 14 2 0 .233 .278 .295 .202 46 16He isn't expected to be given a shot at the major league job, and if he sticks in the organization, he'll either be backing up Bobby Hughes at New Orleans or fighting for playing time in El Paso.
GLENN SUTKO C 1968 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CHT 65 18 0 0 3 7 0 0 .277 .347 .415 .268 17 9 1991 NAS 135 27 2 1 2 19 1 0 .200 .299 .274 .202 27 10 1992 CHT 200 36 4 0 7 15 3 1 .180 .237 .305 .185 37 12 1994 BLT 188 33 3 1 3 26 2 1 .176 .276 .250 .180 34 11 1994 NWO 77 17 3 0 1 7 0 1 .221 .286 .299 .200 15 5 1995 ELP 116 27 4 1 3 16 1 0 .233 .326 .362 .244 28 13 1995 NWO 101 20 4 0 3 7 0 0 .198 .250 .327 .197 20 7A big catcher, but with Hughes' expected progress, and the Brewers' signings of Nokes and Wakamatsu, and the trade acquisition of Stinnett, Sutko is probably job hunting.
SCOTT TALANOA 1B 1970 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 BLT 366 68 5 0 9 32 4 2 .186 .251 .273 .177 65 20 1993 BLT 263 66 6 0 14 52 3 2 .251 .375 .433 .281 74 42 1994 ELP 430 101 11 1 20 63 1 1 .235 .333 .405 .257 110 55 1995 NWO 98 13 3 0 1 6 0 0 .133 .183 .194 .050 5 0The slugging Samoan? Talanoa was a dramatic flop at New Orleans and had to go down to El Paso, where he quickly injured his knee and ended his season. He's absolutely gigantic, so the knee injury is particularly threatening for his future.
TIM UNROE 3B-1B 1971 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 STO 382 81 10 3 8 19 6 5 .212 .249 .317 .195 74 26 1994 ELP 470 131 20 3 13 33 11 4 .279 .326 .417 .262 123 60 1995 NWO 369 92 15 2 4 18 5 0 .249 .284 .333 .221 81 32A mediocre fielder at third, and a poor hitter for first, he has no chance of cracking the majors with Seitzer and Cirillo ahead of him and Williamson coming up behind. He won the Texas League MVP in 1994, but that's probably as good as it will get for Unroe.
JOSE VALENTIN SS 1970 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 WIC 447 100 10 2 14 38 6 4 .224 .285 .349 .221 99 40 1992 DEN 483 101 14 7 2 46 8 3 .209 .278 .280 .196 94 33 1993 NWO 390 94 14 3 8 44 13 9 .241 .318 .354 .237 93 42 1993 MIL 53 14 1 2 1 6 1 0 .264 .339 .415 .268 14 7 1994 MIL 280 64 13 1 9 34 14 3 .229 .312 .379 .249 70 34 1995 MIL 333 71 20 3 9 32 20 9 .213 .282 .372 .232 77 35 1996 PRJ 456 111 25 4 11 44 22 10 .243 .310 .388 .248 113 54Although there are a lot of good reasons for Brewers fans to despair when it comes to Phil Garner, at least the manager really appreciates what Valentin can contribute to a team, even when Jose opened the year in a terrible slump. He's an excellent defensive shortstop, particularly tough on the double play. As a hitter, he can't make LHPs break a sweat, but against righties, what would you rather have as a manager: a slap hitter like Ozzie Guillen, who at best will spank an occasional wicked single, or a hitter with genuine power, like Valentin? It was expected that Mieske was the key player in the Sheffield deal, but its turned out that Valentin is by far the more important part of the Brewers' future.
GREG VAUGHN DH-LF 1966 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MIL 542 137 24 5 27 60 3 2 .253 .327 .465 .272 147 78 1992 MIL 510 129 19 3 26 59 18 14 .253 .330 .455 .268 137 73 1993 MIL 566 156 27 2 29 85 12 6 .276 .370 .484 .293 166 97 1994 MIL 362 89 18 1 16 46 11 6 .246 .331 .434 .265 96 50 1995 MIL 384 84 14 1 15 50 13 5 .219 .309 .378 .242 93 44 1996 PRJ 390 102 19 2 16 53 18 8 .262 .350 .444 .278 108 60When the season began, Greg Vaughn talked about how much he looked forward to playing DH regularly, so that he wouldn't have to worry about his reconstructed shoulders. After an awful season, he talked about how much he needed to play the field to get his stroke back. More than anything, it sounds like Vaughn's casting about for excuses. To be fair, he was much stronger in the second half, so he may bounce back to where he was.
FERNANDO VINA 2B-SS 1969 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CMB 510 111 12 2 5 25 17 10 .218 .254 .278 .186 95 30 1992 SLU 432 112 13 3 2 28 22 9 .259 .304 .317 .227 98 40 1993 NOR 288 63 5 2 3 7 16 9 .219 .237 .281 .183 53 17 1993 SEA 45 10 2 0 0 4 7 0 .222 .286 .267 .233 11 5 1994 NYM 123 31 4 0 0 12 3 1 .252 .319 .285 .219 27 10 1995 MIL 283 71 5 6 2 19 7 4 .251 .298 .332 .224 63 26 1996 PRJ 321 82 8 3 2 16 6 4 .255 .291 .318 .216 69 26Vina got a shot starting at second after Listach showed he has little left. He wasn't the best defensive player, but with some speed and a lefty bat, he'll have a good future as a utility infielder. As a hitter, he's the perfect nemesis for old-time headhunters like Bruce Kison or Dave Stieb. He dives relentlessly into the strike zone like a salmon flinging itself upriver to spawn, and gets hit with enough pitches that he seems to ignore making the "reasonable effort" to get out of the way.
DEREK WACHTER OF 1971 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 BLT 370 82 7 4 7 27 3 3 .222 .275 .319 .206 76 28 1993 STO 417 105 11 1 14 40 2 2 .252 .317 .384 .246 102 47 1994 ELP 115 40 6 2 1 11 2 0 .348 .405 .461 .309 36 20 1994 NWO 221 62 11 1 4 22 3 0 .281 .346 .394 .265 58 29 1995 NWO 382 93 14 1 7 37 3 2 .243 .310 .340 .230 88 37The Brewers look at his career and think that hot month in El Paso in '94 is his level of ability, to the point that they're reuniting him with his hitting instructor from that brief time. They're going to be really, really disappointed.
TURNER WARD OF 1965 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CSP 50 8 0 0 1 5 2 1 .160 .236 .220 .150 8 2 1991 SYR 216 67 8 2 6 38 9 4 .310 .413 .449 .305 66 39 1991 CLE 101 25 7 0 0 10 0 0 .248 .315 .317 .225 23 9 1992 SYR 285 67 8 2 8 39 7 4 .235 .327 .361 .244 69 33 1992 TOR 29 11 3 0 1 4 0 1 .379 .455 .586 .341 10 6 1993 KNX 23 5 1 0 0 6 2 0 .217 .379 .261 .256 6 3 1993 TOR 166 32 3 2 4 22 4 3 .193 .287 .307 .207 34 13 1994 MIL 360 81 12 2 6 47 7 2 .225 .314 .319 .227 82 35 1995 NWO 33 8 2 1 0 4 0 0 .242 .324 .364 .243 8 4 1995 MIL 126 32 2 1 3 13 7 1 .254 .324 .357 .251 32 15For six Bazooka Joe wrappers, you could probably have gotten Turner Ward from the Blue Jays. Only the Brewers take that as a sign of talent.
WES WEGER INF 1971 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 STP 120 25 3 1 1 13 2 1 .208 .286 .275 .197 24 8 1993 ELP 465 111 13 2 4 27 7 4 .239 .280 .301 .205 95 34 1995 ELP 157 33 7 1 0 7 1 1 .210 .244 .268 .171 27 8 1995 NWO 233 64 7 1 2 10 0 2 .275 .305 .339 .226 53 21Another beneficiary of the distorting effect of El Paso, in that the Brewers think Weger is a shortstop with some power, when he's just another utility infielder.
ANTONE WILLIAMSON 3B 1974 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1994 STO 86 17 2 0 2 5 0 1 .198 .242 .291 .175 15 4 1994 ELP 48 10 1 0 1 6 0 0 .208 .296 .292 .206 10 4 1995 ELP 381 100 20 3 5 37 2 1 .262 .328 .370 .247 94 43He'll be a breath of fresh air if/when he makes the majors: a big, beefy, jowly kind of player, the kind of guy who has to count his chins, just like the Brewers we remember fondly, like Gorman Thomas or Pete Vuckovich. Williamson was the Brewers' top '94 pick. Tendinitis cut short his minor league season, his AFL assignment, and hurt his defense, which was already questionable. He's still struggling with a slow bat and adapting to wood. But for those Rick Reuschel good looks, here's hoping he makes the adjustments.
TIM IRELAND Manager 1953 year team League Record Place 1992 Stockton California 83-53 1st 1993 El Paso Texas 76-59 1st 1994 El Paso Texas 88-46 1st 1995 El Paso Texas 68-68 4thAs Clay Davenport noted in 1994:
"Perhaps the best prospect in the Brewers farm system. The third-place finish in the league in 1993 was still the best in his division for that half, so in three years as a manager he has won his division title every single time. His 1993 team featured exactly zero players named a League Top 10 prospect by Baseball America. His 1994 team had the league Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable Pitcher, and six members of the All-Star team, but still no top 10 prospects. Unfortunately for him, he appears to be stuck in the managerial hierarchy behind Chris Bando, who, operating one level above Ireland each of the past three years, has finished third three times. He also just happens to be the brother of Milwaukee's General Manager, Sal Bando."
Ireland suffered through a mediocre '95 in El Paso, but he wasn't given much to work with, and I consider fourth to be a hell of an accomplishment. With Chris Bando's move up to majors to coach third for Garner, Ireland has been promoted to New Orleans. He's one of several managers and coaches who played in the Seniors League for retired players a few years back, and Ireland was a dominating middle infielder in that league.
Organizational Pitching Report
OPR Points: 15 Rank in MLB: 25th (T) Rank in AL Central: 5th
Name Lvl Age IP Work H/G K/BB K/G ERA Adj Ttl Grade D'Amico, Jeff 0 5 6 0 6 8 6 5 0 36 A Browne, Byron 6 0 6 0 5 1 5 3 +1 27 C- Tollberg, Brian 0 0 6 0 4 8 5 3 0 26 D+ Ganote, Joe 7 -2 7 0 2 5 2 3 +1 25 D Rodriguez, F 6 3 7 0 0 2 6 0 +1 25 D Kloek, Kevin 6 0 8 0 0 5 3 0 +1 23 D- Best Prospect in 1994: Scott Karl & Wagner Arias (C) Best Rookie Starter in 1995: Steve Sparks (NR)
As you can see, the farm system appears empty of major prospects. This list reflects the number of reasonably talented pitchers who deserted the farm for the majors during the 1995 season. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the list is the absence of anyone from New Orleans (AAA), despite the park's reputation as not being too tough for pitchers.
The Zephyrs did lose Sid Roberson, Scott Karl, Brian Givens, and Mike Ignasiak to the Brewers for most of the season, as well as supplying Jamie McAndrew to the big club. The Zephs wound up second in the American Association in runs allowed, despite finishing last in strikeouts and sixth in walks allowed. The team was left with few reliable starters. Mike Farrell and Marshall Boze have both been generally well-regarded, although Boze's shortcomings have led to a conversion to relief. Farrell is an extreme soft-tosser, and probably doomed to a long life in AAA. Joe Ganote was successful at both El Paso (no mean feat in the toughest park in the Texas League), and at New Orleans. Mark Kiefer was wasted in middle relief in Milwaukee after being promoted, when he wasn't injured.
It's an important reflection of Tim Ireland's talent as a manager that most of the pitchers on this list were on his staff, despite pitching in El Paso, where the only diablos are in the batters box, whichever team they're on. Byron Browne is one of those scouts' wet dreams, 6'7" of power. Unfortunately, he's wild and has hurt his shoulder in the past. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Frankie Rodriguez (not to be confused with Minnesota's Frankie Rodriguez) is 5'9", but he matches Browne "K" for "K". He's something of a power-groundball type, a personal favorite of mine. Kevin Kloek doesn't make any prospect lists, but he's been useful to Ireland for three straight seasons, so don't be surprised if he enjoys some success in New Orleans in '96.
In the low minors, the Brewers have some promising talent. Jeff D'Amico is a first rounder from '93 who missed the '94 season with elbow and shoulder problems. 1995 was his professional debut, and he didn't disappoint as he mowed down the Midwest League with a great heater and solid curve. He pitched two shutouts in the league playoffs, leading the team to the championship. Don't be surprised if he skips Stockton and goes directly to El Paso. On the downside, he's growing very quickly, sprouting to 6'7" (yes, another one) and battling a weight problem. Another promising prospect was Brian Tollberg, the number two starter in Beloit behind D'Amico. His success in the Midwest League has been attributed to his changeup and college experience. You'll also hear about Kelly Wunsch from time to time; he's another giant, a gangly power lefty who split time between Beloit and high-A Stockton in the California League.
KURT ARCHER 1969 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 STO 41.7 50 39 6 29 18 8.42 1 4 10.80 6.26 3.89 1992 STO 68.0 82 31 4 30 39 4.10 4 4 10.85 3.97 5.16 1993 ELP 93.7 144 66 13 47 39 6.34 3 7 13.84 4.52 3.75 1994 ELP 71.3 94 39 9 18 46 4.92 3 5 11.86 2.27 5.80 1995 NWO 58.3 61 22 5 19 39 3.39 3 3 9.41 2.93 6.02
RICKY BONES 1969 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 LVG 128.7 138 67 15 40 88 4.69 6 8 9.65 2.80 6.16 1991 SDP 53.7 62 33 4 19 34 5.53 2 4 10.40 3.19 5.70 1992 MIL 160.0 202 102 31 48 81 5.74 6 12 11.36 2.70 4.56 1993 MIL 200.7 230 104 26 57 72 4.66 9 13 10.32 2.56 3.23 1994 MIL 168.3 179 66 13 38 63 3.53 11 8 9.57 2.03 3.37 1995 MIL 198.0 218 83 19 72 84 3.77 12 10 9.91 3.27 3.82Bones survives on movement and location, and he simply isn't strong enough to effectively handle the workload that Phil Garner gave him in the past season. He doesn't fool many batters with his penny fastball, an overhand curve, and the change. As mentioned above, once he consistently started seeing thirty batters per start, he started losing ground on the successes he gained in '94.
MARSHALL BOZE 1971 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 BLT 127.0 158 84 17 99 80 5.95 4 10 11.20 7.02 5.67 1993 STO 79.0 99 42 7 38 42 4.78 4 5 11.28 4.33 4.78 1993 ELP 79.0 86 40 8 40 38 4.56 4 5 9.80 4.56 4.33 1994 NWO 163.0 195 95 20 78 80 5.25 7 11 10.77 4.31 4.42 1995 NWO 105.7 141 61 10 50 45 5.20 4 8 12.01 4.26 3.83The team likes his fastball and his "makeup," so he was switched to relief for the AFL, where he was shellacked. What the team does with him at this point is anyone's guess.
JEFF BRONKEY 1966 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OKL 9.7 14 10 4 4 6 9.31 0 1 13.03 3.72 5.59 1992 TUL 66.3 64 38 3 31 47 5.16 3 4 8.68 4.21 6.38 1992 OKL 14.7 28 12 1 7 10 7.36 0 2 17.18 4.30 6.14 1993 OKL 36.0 27 9 2 8 19 2.25 3 1 6.75 2.00 4.75 1993 TEX 35.3 39 16 4 10 20 4.08 2 2 9.93 2.55 5.09 1994 MIL 20.3 22 9 2 11 14 3.98 1 1 9.74 4.87 6.20 1995 MIL 12.0 14 5 0 6 6 3.75 1 0 10.50 4.50 4.50Missed most of the year with a shoulder injury, he's been released.
BYRON BROWNE 1971 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 BLT 117.3 135 111 23 140 70 8.51 2 11 10.36 10.74 5.37 1993 STO 127.0 133 80 16 123 85 5.67 5 9 9.43 8.72 6.02 1994 STO 58.0 49 31 8 33 48 4.81 2 4 7.60 5.12 7.45 1994 ELP 26.7 28 12 4 14 26 4.05 1 2 9.45 4.72 8.78 1995 ELP 115.7 93 44 10 81 99 3.42 8 5 7.24 6.30 7.70The Brewers have tried everything to get him to think positively and suddenly "have" control, from coaching to a "positive imagery professional." He's still wild as a donkey with a burr in its britches. He had an ERA under three away from unforgiving El Paso, so he should succeed at New Orleans this season.
GINO CARUSO 1970 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 SOR 17.3 19 10 0 23 14 5.19 1 1 9.87 11.94 7.27 1994 STO 96.7 106 57 9 53 64 5.31 4 7 9.87 4.93 5.96 1995 ELP 65.3 75 41 9 37 47 5.65 2 5 10.33 5.10 6.47Lefties with these kind of strikeout rates are few and far between, so don't be surprised if Ireland gives him some use at New Orleans.
JUAN CASTILLO 1970 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CMB 134.3 198 110 18 105 89 7.37 3 12 13.27 7.03 5.96 1992 SLU 140.3 167 75 25 39 62 4.81 7 9 10.71 2.50 3.98 1993 BIN 155.3 181 93 37 59 98 5.39 6 11 10.49 3.42 5.68 1994 BIN 101.7 121 49 8 49 65 4.34 5 6 10.71 4.34 5.75 1994 NOR 27.0 40 25 8 16 8 8.33 1 2 13.33 5.33 2.67 1994 NYM 11.7 17 8 2 5 1 6.17 0 1 13.11 3.86 .77 1995 JAC 62.0 77 45 9 30 37 6.53 2 5 11.18 4.35 5.37 1995 TUC 37.0 55 35 5 27 20 8.51 1 3 13.38 6.57 4.86Since he's an ex-Met, you'll no doubt hear he's a prospect somehow.
PAT COMBS 1967 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SWB 24.7 40 20 1 15 13 7.30 1 2 14.59 5.47 4.74 1991 PHI 64.0 71 41 9 45 45 5.77 2 5 9.98 6.33 6.33 1992 SWB 118.0 146 72 13 46 71 5.49 5 8 11.14 3.51 5.42 1992 PHI 19.0 21 15 1 13 12 7.11 0 2 9.95 6.16 5.68 1993 SWB 79.0 111 61 10 31 54 6.95 2 7 12.65 3.53 6.15 1994 SWB 128.7 171 93 16 79 63 6.51 4 10 11.96 5.53 4.41 1995 NWO 14.0 20 10 1 14 10 6.43 1 1 12.86 9.00 6.43 1995 SWB 52.0 79 37 7 30 34 6.40 2 4 13.67 5.19 5.88Serious arm injuries ruined what was a great slider.
CHIP DUNCAN 1965 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 MEM 74.3 90 43 15 28 45 5.21 3 5 10.90 3.39 5.45 1992 MEM 69.3 79 54 14 28 42 7.01 2 6 10.25 3.63 5.45 1994 REA 71.0 89 42 11 37 49 5.32 3 5 11.28 4.69 6.21 1995 TUL 33.0 36 14 2 19 29 3.82 2 2 9.82 5.18 7.91 1995 NWO 32.3 46 24 6 20 22 6.68 1 3 12.80 5.57 6.12
CAL ELDRED 1968 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 DEN 175.3 185 89 20 83 160 4.57 8 11 9.50 4.26 8.21 1991 MIL 15.7 21 8 1 6 11 4.60 1 1 12.06 3.45 6.32 1992 DEN 134.7 127 47 11 44 100 3.14 9 6 8.49 2.94 6.68 1992 MIL 98.3 92 25 4 22 76 2.29 8 3 8.42 2.01 6.96 1993 MIL 254.0 241 103 31 85 205 3.65 15 13 8.54 3.01 7.26 1994 MIL 176.3 170 84 20 78 107 4.29 9 11 8.68 3.98 5.46 1995 MIL 23.0 24 10 2 9 20 3.91 2 1 9.39 3.52 7.83As a result of the overuse he had to endure, he isn't expected to be back in Milwaukee until late in the '96 season, if then. He had to have a Tommy John-style ligament transplant, and what he's got left after the surgery is a big question.
MIKE FARRELL 1969 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 BLT 32.7 44 18 5 7 25 4.96 2 2 12.12 1.93 6.89 1992 STO 83.7 111 41 10 13 53 4.41 4 5 11.94 1.40 5.70 1992 ELP 99.7 102 45 10 31 51 4.06 5 6 9.21 2.80 4.61 1993 NWO 145.3 183 93 24 35 65 5.76 5 11 11.33 2.17 4.03 1994 ELP 26.3 42 19 5 5 13 6.49 1 2 14.35 1.71 4.44 1994 MIL 87.3 118 58 7 23 56 5.98 3 7 12.16 2.37 5.77 1995 NWO 134.7 182 78 20 43 71 5.21 6 9 12.16 2.87 4.75
MIKE FETTERS 1965 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 EDM 56.7 63 34 8 26 41 5.40 2 4 10.01 4.13 6.51 1991 CAL 44.0 59 28 4 28 28 5.73 2 3 12.07 5.73 5.73 1992 MIL 62.0 46 17 4 24 53 2.47 5 2 6.68 3.48 7.69 1993 MIL 58.3 61 25 4 21 26 3.86 3 3 9.41 3.24 4.01 1994 MIL 45.0 45 14 0 25 34 2.80 3 2 9.00 5.00 6.80 1995 MIL 33.7 39 15 1 18 36 4.01 2 2 10.43 4.81 9.62One of the Angels' version of the "four aces," along with John Fritz, who didn't exactly turn out quite as well as expected. He's got one of the best forkballs I've seen recently, but he pays for it. A tender elbow kept him from carrying a heavy workload the last two seasons, and whether or not he'll ever be ready for more action is an open question.
JOE GANOTE 1968 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 MYR 107.0 124 74 25 50 77 6.22 4 8 10.43 4.21 6.48 1991 DUN 23.3 35 15 3 10 10 5.79 1 2 13.50 3.86 3.86 1992 DUN 126.3 184 98 28 55 79 6.98 3 11 13.11 3.92 5.63 1993 KNX 126.7 162 69 15 57 71 4.90 6 8 11.51 4.05 5.04 1994 KNX 62.0 57 31 7 29 37 4.50 3 4 8.27 4.21 5.37 1994 SYR 74.3 86 40 7 44 50 4.84 3 5 10.41 5.33 6.05 1995 SYR 10.0 16 13 5 4 3 11.70 0 1 14.40 3.60 2.70 1995 ELP 47.7 36 15 4 16 36 2.83 3 2 6.80 3.02 6.80 1995 NWO 78.0 93 33 6 24 54 3.81 5 4 10.73 2.77 6.23He found control suddenly, so something may have clicked. More likely, fear after his release caused him to get serious about his future.
RON GERSTEIN 1969 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 ROK 43.7 75 43 6 33 25 8.86 1 4 15.46 6.80 5.15 1993 STO 74.3 116 61 4 64 38 7.39 2 6 14.04 7.75 4.60 1994 ELP 149.0 197 90 14 76 72 5.44 6 11 11.90 4.59 4.35 1995 ELP 116.0 137 67 18 60 61 5.20 5 8 10.63 4.66 4.73It wouldn't surprise me if a soft-tossing lefty like Gerstein is especially hurt by El Paso; if he gets a promotion to New Orleans, he may suddenly look a lot more effective.
BRIAN GIVENS 1966 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CLG 14.0 15 7 2 6 8 4.50 1 1 9.64 3.86 5.14 1993 MEM 33.0 40 22 6 12 24 6.00 1 3 10.91 3.27 6.55 1994 BIR 101.7 113 61 14 62 95 5.40 4 7 10.00 5.49 8.41 1995 NWO 74.0 71 28 2 37 72 3.41 5 3 8.64 4.50 8.76 1995 MIL 105.7 116 55 9 48 80 4.68 5 7 9.88 4.09 6.81He's had surgery on his left elbow five times, so his chances of long-term success are probably slim. If he stays healthy, he could wind up having a big season, since he's an extreme groundballer backed up by a pretty solid defense.
JAMES HURST 1967 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 GAS 46.7 57 28 2 13 27 5.40 2 3 10.99 2.51 5.21 1992 PCH 49.0 77 42 8 17 39 7.71 1 4 14.14 3.12 7.16 1992 TUL 14.7 13 3 0 4 10 1.84 2 0 7.98 2.45 6.14 1993 TUL 46.3 47 25 10 15 35 4.86 2 3 9.13 2.91 6.80 1993 OKL 87.0 98 38 9 29 58 3.93 5 5 10.14 3.00 6.00 1994 TUL 74.3 101 56 17 29 48 6.78 2 6 12.23 3.51 5.81 1994 OKL 24.3 38 25 3 17 13 9.25 0 3 14.05 6.29 4.81 1994 TEX 10.3 15 8 1 7 5 6.97 0 1 13.06 6.10 4.35 1995 OKL 43.7 69 33 6 27 39 6.80 1 4 14.22 5.56 8.04 1995 ROC 18.0 18 7 3 5 16 3.50 1 1 9.00 2.50 8.00The victim of one owner's prank pulled on another: he was traded to the Orioles after he had scabbed in the spring. He was about to be called up until Angelos found out about Hurst's pre-season work, which led to his immediate release. Those owners, such a bunch of cut-ups.
MIKE IGNASIAK 1966 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 DEN 131.3 135 73 22 55 98 5.00 6 9 9.25 3.77 6.72 1991 MIL 12.7 7 5 2 8 11 3.55 1 0 4.97 5.68 7.82 1992 DEN 87.7 85 35 7 35 65 3.59 6 4 8.73 3.59 6.67 1993 NWO 56.3 29 12 6 22 63 1.92 5 1 4.63 3.51 10.07 1993 MIL 36.3 33 15 2 20 32 3.72 2 2 8.17 4.95 7.93 1994 NWO 20.3 26 12 0 5 16 5.31 1 1 11.51 2.21 7.08 1994 MIL 46.7 55 22 4 11 26 4.24 2 3 10.61 2.12 5.01 1995 NWO 17.7 9 5 3 9 18 2.55 1 1 4.58 4.58 9.17 1995 MIL 38.7 50 21 3 21 28 4.89 2 2 11.64 4.89 6.52The organization seriously misuses him, shifting him from the rotation to being a closer and back again. Despite all of that, he's been reasonably solid in every role. His future with the organization may be coming to a close, as he's endured an awful winter league. In spring training with Boston.
STACY JONES 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 HAG 27.7 30 12 2 15 22 3.90 2 1 9.76 4.88 7.16 1991 ROC 47.3 54 20 4 18 44 3.80 3 2 10.27 3.42 8.37 1991 BAL 11.0 11 5 1 5 11 4.09 0 1 9.00 4.09 9.00 1992 FRD 31.3 39 18 6 5 22 5.17 1 2 11.20 1.44 6.32 1992 HAG 65.3 70 34 4 29 38 4.68 3 4 9.64 3.99 5.23 1993 FRD 11.3 28 20 8 1 5 15.88 0 1 22.24 .79 3.97 1993 SHV 45.0 63 25 3 23 22 5.00 2 3 12.60 4.60 4.40 1994 SHV 57.7 97 34 2 12 53 5.31 2 4 15.14 1.87 8.27 1995 ELP 12.7 10 5 0 5 13 3.55 1 0 7.11 3.55 9.24 1995 NWO 45.3 54 18 2 14 37 3.57 3 2 10.72 2.78 7.35
SCOTT KARL 1972 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 ELP 165.3 194 76 14 46 74 4.14 9 9 10.56 2.50 4.03 1994 ELP 51.7 47 22 4 16 40 3.83 3 3 8.19 2.79 6.97 1994 NWO 84.7 99 38 8 35 53 4.04 4 5 10.52 3.72 5.63 1995 NWO 44.0 50 18 3 14 28 3.68 3 2 10.23 2.86 5.73 1995 MIL 122.3 141 50 7 43 65 3.68 8 6 10.37 3.16 4.78One of the positives of the pitching staff's early wipeout is that it forced the Brewers to look at guys who can pitch, like Karl, who they may not have wanted to look at since they were busy preferring Bob Scanlan.
MARK KIEFER 1969 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ELP 70.0 59 28 7 43 58 3.60 4 4 7.59 5.53 7.46 1991 DEN 95.3 119 58 11 40 65 5.48 4 7 11.23 3.78 6.14 1992 DEN 154.7 171 86 29 68 146 5.00 7 10 9.95 3.96 8.50 1993 ELP 48.0 52 31 8 23 34 5.81 2 3 9.75 4.31 6.38 1993 NWO 27.0 31 20 5 19 24 6.67 1 2 10.33 6.33 8.00 1994 NWO 119.7 119 58 19 51 115 4.36 6 7 8.95 3.84 8.65 1994 MIL 10.3 16 10 3 8 9 8.71 0 1 13.94 6.97 7.84 1995 NWO 67.3 64 22 6 21 50 2.94 5 2 8.55 2.81 6.68 1995 MIL 48.7 37 15 5 25 45 2.77 3 2 6.84 4.62 8.32See above, because it applies to Kiefer as well. He's old enough that he can probably survive a Garner workload if he's given the chance.
KEVIN KLOEK 1971 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 BLT 83.3 109 49 14 29 48 5.29 3 6 11.77 3.13 5.18 1993 ELP 123.0 163 80 17 66 76 5.85 4 10 11.93 4.83 5.56 1994 ELP 51.7 49 26 6 20 29 4.53 3 3 8.54 3.48 5.05 1995 ELP 145.7 176 78 10 48 108 4.82 7 9 10.87 2.97 6.67He's improved each of the last three years at El Paso, no easy feat.
CORY LIDLE 1972 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1994 BLT 62.7 82 30 7 11 43 4.31 3 4 11.78 1.58 6.18 1994 STO 38.0 67 30 3 12 27 7.11 1 3 15.87 2.84 6.39 1995 ELP 101.0 116 42 7 36 70 3.74 6 5 10.34 3.21 6.24Traded to the Mets for Kelly Stinnett. He was fifth in the Texas League in ERA pitching mostly as a long reliever.
GRAEME LLOYD 1967 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 DUN 53.3 74 33 6 28 31 5.57 2 4 12.49 4.72 5.23 1992 KNX 86.3 86 32 4 29 53 3.34 6 4 8.97 3.02 5.53 1993 MIL 62.7 66 21 5 12 35 3.02 4 3 9.48 1.72 5.03 1994 MIL 46.0 53 24 3 13 34 4.70 2 3 10.37 2.54 6.65 1995 MIL 32.0 28 12 4 7 14 3.38 2 2 7.88 1.97 3.94The other half of the occasional all-Aussie battery the Brewers can throw out there, when Nilsson's up to catching duties. Big gangly pitcher with an intimidating overhand curve.
JAMIE McANDREW 1968 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ABQ 144.3 171 100 17 78 88 6.24 5 11 10.66 4.86 5.49 1992 SAN 46.3 59 31 5 23 28 6.02 2 3 11.46 4.47 5.44 1992 ABQ 27.0 40 17 2 13 9 5.67 1 2 13.33 4.33 3.00 1993 NWO 158.7 193 80 19 50 100 4.54 8 10 10.95 2.84 5.67 1995 NWO 99.3 107 46 9 49 60 4.17 5 6 9.69 4.44 5.44 1995 MIL 35.7 37 16 1 11 21 4.04 2 2 9.34 2.78 5.30A damaged goods survivor of the Dodgers chain, McAndrew scabbed in '95 for the same reason Givens did: he needed to rehab, and with his injury history, didn't feel he could say no without ending his career. He suffered a knee injury soon after his callup.
JOSE MERCEDES 1971 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 KNE 43.3 47 32 5 16 28 6.65 1 4 9.76 3.32 5.82 1993 BOW 134.0 195 91 18 71 63 6.11 4 11 13.10 4.77 4.23 1994 NWO 17.3 21 10 2 8 7 5.19 1 1 10.90 4.15 3.63 1994 MIL 30.3 24 9 2 15 12 2.67 2 1 7.12 4.45 3.56A Rule V pick out of the Orioles chain, the Brewers seem to think they see something. He missed most of '95 with a bum elbow.
ANGEL MIRANDA 1970 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ELP 69.0 53 24 4 41 70 3.13 5 3 6.91 5.35 9.13 1991 DEN 11.0 11 9 0 18 13 7.36 0 1 9.00 14.73 10.64 1992 DEN 151.0 187 89 19 80 123 5.30 6 11 11.15 4.77 7.33 1993 NWO 17.7 12 8 4 11 25 4.08 1 1 6.11 5.60 12.74 1993 MIL 118.3 104 45 12 49 100 3.42 8 5 7.91 3.73 7.61 1994 BLT 8.7 14 4 0 1 10 4.15 0 1 14.54 1.04 10.38 1994 NWO 12.3 12 5 0 7 9 3.65 1 0 8.76 5.11 6.57 1994 MIL 45.3 42 24 7 26 26 4.76 2 3 8.34 5.16 5.16 1995 MIL 73.0 82 36 6 45 49 4.44 4 4 10.11 5.55 6.04Tosses a mean screwball when he's healthy, and thats the key: if his knee is healthy, he can drive the screwball in for strikes. When his knee is wonky, like it was last year, he really struggles. If healthy, he should seize a rotation spot.
NORM MONTOYA 1971 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 QUD 34.7 66 30 6 11 14 7.79 1 3 17.13 2.86 3.63 1991 PSP 95.0 145 77 22 14 32 7.29 3 8 13.74 1.33 3.03 1992 PSP 39.7 44 20 6 17 35 4.54 2 2 9.98 3.86 7.94 1993 PSP 56.7 92 36 1 15 27 5.72 2 4 14.61 2.38 4.29 1994 STO 15.7 13 7 2 3 11 4.02 1 1 7.47 1.72 6.32 1994 ELP 11.3 11 5 0 4 6 3.97 1 0 8.74 3.18 4.76 1995 ELP 70.7 82 29 6 17 39 3.69 4 4 10.44 2.17 4.97
TYRONE NARCISSE 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 ASH 141.7 194 99 25 73 71 6.29 5 11 12.32 4.64 4.51 1994 OSC 135.0 164 92 17 62 71 6.13 4 11 10.93 4.13 4.73 1995 JAC 152.3 160 91 14 65 89 5.38 6 11 9.45 3.84 5.26This year's Rule V pick. Narcisse has a blistering fastball and nothing else, so he'll probably get used in middle relief. He'll definitely be on the team since the Brewers have gone out of their way to keep their Rule V picks.
DAN RAMBO 1967 RTSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SHV 136.0 176 83 21 38 87 5.49 5 10 11.65 2.51 5.76 1991 PHX 12.7 17 7 1 6 9 4.97 0 1 12.08 4.26 6.39 1992 SHV 55.3 66 28 5 24 35 4.55 3 3 10.73 3.90 5.69 1992 PHX 38.7 47 25 4 14 32 5.82 1 3 10.94 3.26 7.45 1993 SHV 93.7 114 55 4 34 48 5.28 4 6 10.95 3.27 4.61 1993 PHX 46.7 68 32 5 33 26 6.17 1 4 13.11 6.36 5.01 1994 ELP 23.3 27 9 2 4 16 3.47 2 1 10.41 1.54 6.17 1995 NWO 35.0 40 21 7 11 21 5.40 1 3 10.29 2.83 5.40Injury-prone Giants refugee.
AL REYES 1971 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ROK 10.3 17 10 3 1 7 8.71 0 1 14.81 .87 6.10 1992 AGA 24.3 31 20 1 15 19 7.40 1 2 11.47 5.55 7.03 1993 BUR 69.7 59 40 15 29 51 5.17 3 5 7.62 3.75 6.59 1994 HAR 64.0 87 34 6 13 49 4.78 3 4 12.23 1.83 6.89 1995 MIL 32.7 19 7 3 17 32 1.93 3 1 5.23 4.68 8.82Last year's Rule V pick, Reyes had 35 saves at Harrisburg in '94, then suffered an injured elbow with the Brewers.
RON RIGHTNOWAR 1965 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 LON 23.0 31 13 1 7 15 5.09 1 2 12.13 2.74 5.87 1991 TOL 27.3 32 14 3 14 5 4.61 1 2 10.54 4.61 1.65 1992 TOL 54.3 70 39 13 19 29 6.46 2 4 11.60 3.15 4.80 1993 TOL 55.3 60 30 4 21 28 4.88 2 4 9.76 3.42 4.55 1994 NWO 85.0 67 25 10 22 78 2.65 6 3 7.09 2.33 8.26 1995 NWO 28.7 40 16 2 10 21 5.02 1 2 12.56 3.14 6.59 1995 MIL 36.0 35 18 3 16 24 4.50 2 2 8.75 4.00 6.00Scab.
SID ROBERSON 1972 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 STO 154.0 190 80 15 17 68 4.68 7 10 11.10 .99 3.97 1994 ELP 166.3 210 72 8 51 94 3.90 9 9 11.36 2.76 5.09 1995 NWO 12.0 21 10 1 10 8 7.50 0 1 15.75 7.50 6.00 1995 MIL 83.3 101 43 10 32 44 4.64 4 5 10.91 3.46 4.75Diminutive curveballer, he faltered badly down the stretch and will probably go back to New Orleans.
FRANK RODRIGUEZ 1973 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1994 STO 138.7 156 70 10 54 89 4.54 7 8 10.12 3.50 5.78 1995 ELP 130.7 137 68 11 82 115 4.68 6 9 9.44 5.65 7.92Like Roberson, a very short pitcher (5'9"), but a power pitcher. Scouts are usually frightened by small fastball pitchers, so it will be interesting to see if that bias holds against Rodriguez. He enjoyed a very strong winter season in Australia.
BOB SCANLAN 1967 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 IOW 17.3 16 9 0 10 14 4.67 1 1 8.31 5.19 7.27 1991 CHC 110.3 121 57 7 42 48 4.65 5 7 9.87 3.43 3.92 1992 CHC 87.0 87 36 6 32 48 3.72 5 5 9.00 3.31 4.97 1993 CHC 74.3 79 37 7 30 46 4.48 4 4 9.57 3.63 5.57 1994 MIL 101.0 126 46 8 24 71 4.10 5 6 11.23 2.14 6.33 1995 NWO 11.0 18 7 0 3 5 5.73 0 1 14.73 2.45 4.09 1995 MIL 82.0 100 50 7 39 32 5.49 3 6 10.98 4.28 3.51One of those guys who throws a straight-as-string, hittable 90 MPH fastball, but people get caught up on that speed gun reading instead of the results. Another elbow injury victim, Scanlan has signed with the Tigers as an NRI for '96.
FRANK SEMINARA 1967 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 WIC 162.0 197 91 18 64 89 5.06 7 11 10.94 3.56 4.94 1992 LVG 75.7 90 40 5 30 47 4.76 3 5 10.70 3.57 5.59 1992 SDP 100.3 99 42 7 48 68 3.77 6 5 8.88 4.31 6.10 1993 LVG 106.3 120 59 18 53 85 4.99 5 7 10.16 4.49 7.19 1993 SDP 45.7 52 26 6 23 23 5.12 2 3 10.25 4.53 4.53 1994 NOR 95.0 126 59 13 33 40 5.59 4 7 11.94 3.13 3.79 1994 NYM 17.0 20 11 2 9 7 5.82 1 1 10.59 4.76 3.71 1995 ROC 33.7 34 13 3 15 18 3.48 2 2 9.09 4.01 4.81 1995 NWO 35.3 56 32 4 15 18 8.15 1 3 14.26 3.82 4.58One of the ripple effects of having to promote most of the Zephyrs rotation is that somebody had to be brought in. In this case, the leftovers of Frank Seminara.
JOE SLUSARSKI 1967 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TAC 44.0 45 21 6 9 24 4.30 2 3 9.20 1.84 4.91 1991 OAK 107.3 133 65 14 51 70 5.45 4 8 11.15 4.28 5.87 1992 TAC 53.3 73 30 8 16 26 5.06 2 4 12.32 2.70 4.39 1992 OAK 74.3 93 50 17 26 46 6.05 2 6 11.26 3.15 5.57 1993 TAC 104.7 135 62 8 42 54 5.33 4 8 11.61 3.61 4.64 1994 REA 21.7 28 15 3 5 14 6.23 1 1 11.63 2.08 5.82 1994 SWB 36.3 51 32 10 10 26 7.93 1 3 12.63 2.48 6.44 1994 TAC 35.3 47 27 7 12 23 6.88 1 3 11.97 3.06 5.86 1995 BUF 15.0 19 12 3 5 9 7.20 0 2 11.40 3.00 5.40 1995 NWO 46.7 39 12 3 13 29 2.31 4 1 7.52 2.51 5.59 1995 MIL 14.7 21 9 2 5 7 5.52 1 1 12.89 3.07 4.30See Frank Seminara, with special emphasis on "leftovers."
STEVE SPARKS 1966 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 STO 156.7 200 84 10 96 98 4.83 7 10 11.49 5.51 5.63 1991 ELP 15.3 27 16 2 8 8 9.39 0 2 15.85 4.70 4.70 1992 ELP 130.7 166 98 21 60 61 6.75 4 11 11.43 4.13 4.20 1993 NWO 171.7 196 91 17 87 107 4.77 8 11 10.28 4.56 5.61 1994 NWO 175.7 196 95 26 71 104 4.87 8 12 10.04 3.64 5.33 1995 MIL 200.0 210 85 13 75 105 3.83 11 11 9.45 3.38 4.72With the triumphant return of Wakefield, and the major league debuts of Sparks and Dennis Springer, it looks like the knuckler is making a small comeback. Sparks throws the fastest knuckler around (around 75 MPH), and changes speeds with it. He also has an average fastball, and he induces a ton of grounders. I like his future.
PAUL SWINGLE 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 PSP 51.0 59 44 5 43 45 7.76 1 5 10.41 7.59 7.94 1992 MID 139.0 166 89 25 62 80 5.76 5 10 10.75 4.01 5.18 1993 VAN 63.0 83 55 8 34 54 7.86 1 6 11.86 4.86 7.71 1993 CAL 42.7 44 22 7 14 47 4.64 2 3 9.28 2.95 9.91 1995 NWO 41.3 44 24 8 17 39 5.23 2 3 9.58 3.70 8.49
MIKE THOMAS 1970 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CMB 35.3 39 22 4 36 37 5.60 1 3 9.93 9.17 9.42 1991 SUM 23.0 31 15 1 21 18 5.87 1 2 12.13 8.22 7.04 1992 ROK 100.3 122 67 21 59 67 6.01 3 8 10.94 5.29 6.01 1993 WPB 24.3 22 16 2 27 24 5.92 1 2 8.14 9.99 8.88 1993 HAR 29.3 40 20 4 21 34 6.14 1 2 12.27 6.44 10.43 1994 ELP 61.0 60 36 10 46 46 5.31 3 4 8.85 6.79 6.79 1995 NWO 31.3 38 16 2 20 27 4.60 1 2 10.91 5.74 7.76
BILL WEGMAN 1963 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 MIL 191.0 184 67 16 37 102 3.16 13 8 8.67 1.74 4.81 1992 MIL 256.0 300 119 32 54 157 4.18 13 15 10.55 1.90 5.52 1993 MIL 118.7 140 60 13 30 57 4.55 6 7 10.62 2.28 4.32 1994 MIL 113.3 151 55 10 20 65 4.37 6 7 11.99 1.59 5.16 1995 MIL 69.0 89 35 9 17 55 4.57 3 5 11.61 2.22 7.17He's been pitching like an old man since his debut in '87, and he constantly breaks down. Last year he was healthy, but couldn't dent bread with his fastball and was extremely hittable. He supposedly rallied as a reliever, but he had a 4.50 ERA out of the bullpen, so I wouldn't call him a good risk unless he signs in a huge pitcher's park.
KEVIN WICKANDER 1965 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 CLE 40.0 40 15 1 28 45 3.38 2 2 9.00 6.30 10.12 1993 CIN 24.7 31 17 4 19 21 6.20 1 2 11.31 6.93 7.66 1995 TOL 11.7 13 5 1 6 8 3.86 1 0 10.03 4.63 6.17 1995 DET 16.7 17 5 0 8 10 2.70 1 1 9.18 4.32 5.40