Baseball Prospectus 1996
1 1927 NY Yankees .2988 2 1930 NY Yankees .2980 3 1931 NY Yankees .2946 4 1976 Cincinnati .2937 5 1939 NY Yankees .2924 6 1933 NY Yankees .2918 7 1924 NY Giants .2908 8 1928 NY Yankees .2907 9 1902 Pittsburgh .2905 10 1905 NY Giants .2900 11 1932 NY Yankees .2900 12 1936 NY Yankees .2899 13 1910 NY Giants .2882 14 1911 Philadelphia A's .2882 15 1953 NY Yankees .2879 16 1913 Philadelphia A's .2878 17 1988 NY Mets .2877 18 1933 Philadelphia A's .2872 19 1974 LA Dodgers .2866 20 1952 Cleveland .2862 21 1995 Cleveland .2861 22 1953 Brooklyn .2857
Their pitching was also effective, though, leading the league in ERA and fewest walks, finishing second in hits and home runs allowed, and just 4 Ks short of finishing second in strikeouts. A deep and talented bullpen, led by Jose Mesa, was the key reason.
And no one can accuse them of buying their league championship. Their free agent signees (Martinez, Hershiser, Murray) were all aging veterans, well past their primes. Of the remaining players, Omar Vizquel was the only one who was an established major league player before joining the Indians. All the rest were acquired either in the draft or via trade while still in the minors.
The Indians pioneered the strategy of signing good young players to long-term contracts which would keep them in Indian uniforms through their arbitration eligibility. They continued that this winter by signing Manny Ramirez to a four-year deal and Julian Tavarez to a three-year contract. In the free-agent market, they let Paul Sorrento go (not a major player for them), acquired an aging veteran hitter (Julio Franco, back from Japan). They made a big splash by signing Jack McDowell, but for only two years. That's consistent with GM John Hart's philosophy of not signing starting pitchers to contracts he can't get out of in two years. (As he put it, "signing pitchers to long-term contracts is like playing Russian roulette with four bullets.") All of these are good, intelligent moves. The one questionable signing of the off-season was that of Vizquel. While it's not a bad signing in and of itself, signing a 29-year-old non-superstar player to a six-year contractis just silly. The likelihood that his hitting will decline from the .254 EQA he put up this year to the .230 he normally hits is high; the likelihood that it will be even lower by 2001 is also high. Still, that's a minor quibble.
One of the Indians' most important employees might well be Charlie Manuel, their hitting instructor. Many Indian hitters saw their production jump sharply in 1994 and 1995, since Manuel joined the Indian staff. He played in the majors for parts of six seasons, hitting just .198, but became a big star in Japan, hitting a then-American record 48 home runs one year and becoming the first American to win MVP honors, in 1979. Returning to the States in 1982, he spent several years working for the Twins organization as a scout and minor league manager. Since joining Cleveland in 1988, he spent four years managing their AAA affiliates (winning two league titles and running up a 318-213 record). Sounds like a good managerial candidate to me.
SANDY ALOMAR, JR. 1966 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CSP 33 11 1 0 1 3 0 0 .333 .389 .455 .298 10 5 1991 CLE 185 44 5 0 1 8 1 5 .238 .269 .281 .184 34 11 1992 CLE 298 76 9 1 4 12 4 3 .255 .284 .332 .217 65 25 1993 CHR 44 15 3 0 1 5 0 0 .341 .408 .477 .311 14 8 1993 CLE 216 62 6 1 6 10 4 1 .287 .319 .407 .258 56 26 1994 CLE 288 82 13 1 11 21 9 4 .285 .333 .451 .274 79 41 1995 CLE 203 64 6 1 8 4 4 1 .315 .329 .473 .281 57 29 1996 PRJ 384 107 13 1 13 20 5 3 .279 .314 .419 .258 99 47As always, Alomar's problem is staying healthy: knee injuries cost him the first two months of the season. Often cited as a player who hasn't lived up to his minor league reputation, his career has actually been a great match for his minor league performance: his full minor league numbers since 1988 show a .254 EQA on .274/.320/.402 hitting, while his major league career shows a .254 EQA on .283/.316/.403 hitting. You simply can't get much closer than that.
RUBEN AMARO 1965 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 EDM 452 120 26 3 3 48 27 12 .265 .336 .356 .251 113 54 1992 SWB 68 18 2 1 1 8 2 2 .265 .342 .368 .249 17 8 1992 PHI 379 91 16 6 9 40 12 5 .240 .313 .385 .247 94 44 1993 SWB 413 115 23 2 7 28 23 4 .278 .324 .395 .262 108 53 1993 PHI 48 16 1 2 1 6 0 0 .333 .407 .500 .315 15 9 1994 CHR 180 54 7 2 3 13 8 2 .300 .347 .411 .273 49 25 1995 BUF 215 65 12 2 5 17 7 1 .302 .353 .447 .284 61 33 1995 CLE 60 13 2 0 1 3 2 4 .217 .254 .300 .180 11 4Journeyman switch-hitting outfielder who can't hit from the left-hand side, at least not in the majors. Waived by the Indians after the season, he could be a useful player if properly spotted.
CARLOS BAERGA 1969 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CLE 599 186 25 2 12 46 4 2 .311 .360 .419 .276 165 83 1992 CLE 655 209 25 2 22 32 11 2 .319 .351 .464 .287 188 99 1993 CLE 627 213 26 6 21 30 18 4 .340 .370 .501 .304 191 107 1994 CLE 436 136 26 2 15 5 10 2 .312 .320 .484 .281 122 63 1995 CLE 556 183 25 2 12 28 15 2 .329 .361 .446 .288 160 84 1996 PRJ 664 224 28 4 26 24 18 5 .337 .360 .509 .303 201 112Often compared to Robbie Alomar as the best second baseman in the game, I'd respectfully rank him third, behind Robbie and Craig Biggio. His low walk rate means that his total offense just isn't quite on their level. I don't think is due to impatience, though; he only put the first pitch in play 25 times last year (an average player with his playing time would have done it 81 times), and batted ahead in the count 50% more often than average player. He just doesn't miss many pitches.
ALBERT BELLE 1967 LF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CSP 59 16 1 1 2 1 1 1 .271 .283 .424 .244 14 6 1991 CLE 465 141 29 2 30 24 4 1 .303 .337 .568 .304 141 83 1992 CLE 583 155 20 2 35 50 8 2 .266 .324 .487 .278 162 88 1993 CLE 596 183 36 3 38 73 29 11 .307 .383 .569 .319 190 122 1994 CLE 400 142 28 2 30 52 11 7 .355 .429 .660 .354 142 99 1995 CLE 542 179 46 3 47 67 7 3 .330 .404 .686 .352 191 134 1996 PRJ 617 184 39 3 42 82 5 2 .298 .381 .575 .320 197 126One of the more, um, controversial players in the game today, he did manage to make it through the season without being suspended for the first time since 1990. Of course, the name of the game is Baseball, and nobody gives you extra points for being nice. Belle is a hard worker, and takes careful notes after every at bat. That's made him one of the best hitters in the game today; only Frank Thomas has been better for 1994-95 combined. Mo Vaughn might have the MVP award, but Albert was the better player by far.
A lot has been made about his being the first player to have 50 doubles and 50 home runs in the same season. Its actually better than that: Hank Greenberg is the only other player to accomplish both feats in his entire career, let alone one season.
FRANK BOLICK 1966 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 JAX 483 117 11 1 14 68 4 3 .242 .336 .356 .245 118 55 1992 JAX 230 59 4 0 11 37 2 2 .257 .360 .417 .271 62 33 1992 CLG 264 67 10 2 13 31 3 3 .254 .332 .455 .269 71 38 1993 MON 214 46 11 0 4 23 1 0 .215 .291 .322 .216 46 18 1994 NHV 305 72 9 1 13 33 2 1 .236 .311 .400 .248 76 36 1994 BUF 96 25 4 0 2 25 0 1 .260 .413 .365 .279 27 15 1995 CSP 66 13 2 1 1 6 0 0 .197 .264 .303 .194 13 4 1995 BUF 65 16 4 0 3 3 0 1 .246 .279 .446 .244 16 7 1996 PRJ 214 53 9 2 6 26 0 0 .248 .329 .393 .254 54 26Played in the Texas-Louisiana League after being released by Colorado Springs, and hit .355/.462/.542. That earned him a new trip to Buffalo.
PAT BRYANT 1973 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CGA 336 57 3 0 5 32 12 4 .170 .242 .223 .156 52 14 1992 WTT 231 51 5 1 4 23 15 5 .221 .291 .303 .219 50 21 1992 CGA 156 29 9 1 1 22 5 1 .186 .287 .276 .202 31 12 1993 CGA 488 105 10 1 10 27 22 7 .215 .256 .301 .200 98 35 1994 CAN 385 84 8 1 9 39 19 9 .218 .290 .314 .217 84 34 1995 CAN 424 102 15 2 13 40 13 6 .241 .306 .377 .242 102 47 1996 PRJ 483 121 15 1 16 44 20 8 .251 .313 .385 .249 120 57Good combination of power and speed, but has too much trouble making contact to be a good player: has struck out more than a quarter of the time in the last three years.
JEROMY BURNITZ 1969 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 WPT 466 101 10 5 25 81 21 9 .217 .333 .421 .263 122 66 1992 TID 450 107 16 2 7 28 28 7 .238 .282 .329 .225 101 42 1993 NOR 258 58 12 2 6 23 11 6 .225 .288 .357 .228 59 26 1993 NYM 264 66 10 5 12 38 4 6 .250 .344 .462 .272 72 39 1994 NOR 321 78 11 3 12 43 17 5 .243 .332 .408 .264 85 44 1994 NYM 142 34 4 0 2 23 1 1 .239 .345 .310 .235 33 15 1995 BUF 448 127 20 5 16 47 17 5 .283 .352 .458 .284 127 70 1996 PRJ 491 136 22 3 19 68 22 4 .277 .365 .450 .289 142 81Burnitz has been a tough player to figure out, with his power and walks fluctuating wildly from one year to the next. Lefty with a big platoon split, fast, fair defense.
CASEY CANDAELE 1961 2B/SS/3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HOU 472 136 24 7 4 40 9 3 .288 .344 .394 .263 124 60 1992 HOU 326 79 13 1 2 26 7 1 .242 .298 .307 .218 71 28 1993 TUC 26 6 0 0 0 2 1 1 .231 .286 .231 .178 5 1 1993 HOU 121 29 4 0 2 11 2 3 .240 .303 .322 .217 26 10 1994 IND 508 138 22 4 4 29 8 5 .272 .311 .354 .237 120 51 1995 ABQ 26 5 0 0 0 4 0 1 .192 .300 .192 .154 4 1 1995 BUF 366 89 8 5 3 21 11 2 .243 .284 .317 .217 80 31Still hanging around as a AAA utility infielder.
TIM COSTO 1969 1B/OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CAN 194 48 9 2 1 9 1 1 .247 .281 .330 .214 42 16 1991 CHT 298 78 14 2 5 14 8 3 .262 .295 .372 .238 71 31 1992 CHT 430 100 10 1 23 43 4 3 .233 .302 .421 .249 107 52 1992 CIN 37 9 3 0 0 5 0 0 .243 .333 .324 .235 9 4 1993 IND 356 110 19 2 8 20 4 2 .309 .346 .441 .276 98 50 1993 CIN 98 22 4 0 3 4 0 0 .224 .255 .357 .212 21 8 1994 IND 36 7 2 0 0 6 0 0 .194 .310 .250 .196 7 2 1995 BUF 326 80 8 2 9 26 2 0 .245 .301 .365 .235 77 33A former SS, he's been tried at third base and the outfield and hasn't cut it. Has shown the ability to hit for power or average, but not both. Broken wrist in 1994 may have killed whatever chances he had left, since at his age he won't stick around without hitting.
MIKE CROSBY 1969 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 CGA 151 19 2 0 0 3 0 0 .126 .143 .139 **** -20 -4 1993 KIN 204 37 3 0 2 6 1 1 .181 .205 .225 .121 25 4 1994 CAN 163 33 5 1 1 3 1 1 .202 .217 .264 .154 25 6 1995 CAN 226 34 2 1 4 6 1 1 .150 .172 .221 .086 19 2A 26-year-old. In AA. Has never hit for an unadjusted BA above .222.
DREW DENSON 1966 DH/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 VAN 337 88 6 1 12 28 1 0 .261 .318 .392 .250 84 39 1993 NAS 509 139 21 1 19 43 0 0 .273 .330 .430 .265 135 67 1994 NAS 499 126 19 1 25 51 3 2 .253 .322 .445 .264 132 67 1995 IND 355 94 13 1 14 33 1 0 .265 .327 .425 .263 93 46Has hit well enough to be a borderline major league DH or 1B.
MARIO DIAZ 1962 IF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TEX 183 52 3 0 2 15 0 1 .284 .338 .333 .240 44 19 1992 CLG 50 11 3 0 0 0 1 1 .220 .220 .280 .166 8 2 1992 OKL 165 52 6 0 3 1 1 0 .315 .319 .406 .259 43 19 1992 TEX 31 7 2 0 0 1 0 1 .226 .250 .290 .174 5 2 1993 OKL 173 53 8 1 2 6 3 1 .306 .330 .399 .260 45 21 1993 TEX 206 60 9 1 2 6 1 0 .291 .311 .374 .245 50 22 1994 PAW 118 36 3 1 2 3 0 1 .305 .322 .398 .253 30 13 1994 FLA 75 24 2 2 0 6 0 0 .320 .370 .400 .276 21 10 1995 FLA 87 21 1 0 1 1 0 0 .241 .250 .287 .184 16 5Hits fairly well for a reserve middle infielder, but nothing to get excited about. Could compete with Espinoza for the backup infielder role, unless 1995 was the end of his hitting ability.
STEVE DUNN 1970 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 VIS 461 85 7 1 8 33 4 3 .184 .239 .256 .162 75 20 1992 VIS 482 123 15 1 18 20 4 2 .255 .285 .402 .240 116 51 1993 NAA 368 89 14 1 10 28 1 1 .242 .295 .367 .232 85 36 1994 SLC 315 82 11 1 10 19 0 0 .260 .302 .397 .245 77 35 1994 MIN 35 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 .229 .229 .371 .207 7 3 1995 SLC 389 110 14 1 11 26 3 2 .283 .328 .409 .259 101 48The former heir apparent to Kent Hrbek. His raw minor league numbers look impressive enough, but the DTs say it's not impressive and really hasn't progressed much since 1991. A big, lefthanded hitter, his power has been disappointing.
ALVARO ESPINOZA 1962 2B/3B/SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 NYY 481 130 21 2 5 15 5 1 .270 .292 .353 .230 111 45 1992 CSP 472 127 25 2 10 12 2 3 .269 .287 .394 .238 112 48 1993 CLE 264 78 9 1 5 7 3 2 .295 .314 .394 .250 66 29 1994 CLE 230 55 8 0 1 3 1 3 .239 .249 .287 .180 42 12 1995 CLE 144 39 2 0 2 0 0 3 .271 .271 .326 .203 29 10 1996 PRJ 162 42 5 1 1 2 2 2 .259 .268 .321 .207 33 12Hasn't hit a lick in two years, although the increased offense since 1993 has disguised the dropoff. Re-signed to a AAA contract for '96. Hit .374 in the Venezuelan league this winter.
MIGUEL FLORES 1971 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 KIN 433 102 13 1 5 20 16 5 .236 .269 .305 .207 89 33 1992 CAN 461 114 16 3 2 29 18 8 .247 .292 .308 .216 100 39 1993 CAN 440 118 15 3 3 48 24 6 .268 .340 .336 .250 110 51 1994 CHR 248 62 6 1 1 19 8 4 .250 .303 .294 .216 53 20 1995 BUF 113 31 6 1 0 5 6 0 .274 .305 .345 .244 28 12Fast, good range, hits at a reasonable infielder level in a good year: but with Baerga ahead of him, stuck in AAA.
JULIO FRANCO 1962? 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TEX 594 214 25 3 15 64 46 10 .360 .422 .488 .326 193 118 1992 TEX 108 27 5 0 3 15 1 1 .250 .341 .380 .254 27 13 1993 TEX 532 162 29 3 14 59 11 3 .305 .374 .449 .290 154 85 1994 CWS 427 139 16 2 16 56 9 1 .326 .404 .485 .312 133 79 1996 PRJ(59) 411 110 13 0 15 53 4 1 .268 .351 .409 .269 111 57 1996 PRJ(62) 569 172 22 1 19 70 13 2 .302 .379 .445 .293 167 93Back from Japan, where he hit .306 with 10 HR in what appears to have been a moderate-offense environment. The two sets of projections are for the two most likely years for Franco's birth, 1959 and 1962; given the performance in Japan, compared to some other American players there, I think the 1959-based projection is more likely for '96.
BRIAN GILES 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 KIN 406 108 7 1 4 48 11 4 .266 .344 .318 .241 98 43 1992 KIN 147 34 1 1 2 23 2 3 .231 .335 .293 .222 33 14 1992 CAN 75 15 3 0 0 9 2 1 .200 .286 .240 .185 14 4 1993 CAN 429 128 11 3 7 47 13 8 .298 .368 .387 .269 116 58 1994 CHR 434 128 13 2 11 47 7 4 .295 .364 .410 .274 119 61 1995 BUF 418 129 12 6 13 51 9 3 .309 .384 .459 .296 124 70 1996 PRJ 428 124 14 2 10 51 10 5 .290 .365 .402 .274 117 61With anybody else, he'd be a hot prospect, but the Indians have the best outfield in the game. There's a good chance that he and Perry will outplay Murray and Franco this year, which could end up pushing Belle to the DH spot. A left-handed hitter, he doesn't appear to suffer against lefties at all.
RAYMOND HARVEY 1969 OF-DH YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CGA 455 102 11 2 7 45 3 2 .224 .294 .303 .210 96 36 1992 KIN 341 84 5 0 3 27 1 1 .246 .302 .287 .208 71 26 1993 KIN 340 80 10 1 2 22 3 3 .235 .282 .288 .199 68 23 1993 CAN 42 10 0 0 0 5 0 1 .238 .319 .238 .190 8 3 1994 CAN 518 140 14 3 5 49 2 3 .270 .333 .338 .239 124 53 1995 CAN 446 103 12 1 3 33 1 3 .231 .284 .283 .196 87 2926-yo AA DH who can't hit spells "no prospect."
ERIC HELFAND 1969 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MOD 244 52 8 1 4 23 0 0 .213 .281 .303 .203 50 18 1992 MOD 246 59 6 0 7 31 0 0 .240 .325 .350 .239 59 26 1992 HUN 115 25 4 0 2 5 0 0 .217 .250 .304 .190 22 7 1993 HUN 309 68 11 1 8 36 1 1 .220 .301 .340 .225 69 29 1994 TAC 175 30 4 0 2 20 0 0 .171 .256 .229 .156 27 7 1995 EDM 55 10 3 1 1 8 0 1 .182 .286 .327 .206 11 4 1995 OAK 86 15 2 1 0 10 0 0 .174 .260 .221 .155 13 3 1996 PRJ 223 53 9 1 5 16 0 0 .238 .289 .354 .226 50 21Something of a fetish for Tony LaRussa last year, despite a total inability to hit. Naturally considered to be a good defensive catcher.
DANN HOWITT 1964 OF-DH YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TAC 443 107 19 2 12 38 4 2 .242 .301 .375 .237 105 46 1991 OAK 42 8 1 0 1 1 0 0 .190 .209 .286 .160 7 2 1992 CLG 172 46 6 2 6 8 3 0 .267 .300 .430 .257 44 21 1992 TAC 139 38 8 1 2 19 4 2 .273 .361 .388 .267 37 19 1992 OAK 48 6 1 0 1 5 0 0 .125 .208 .208 .104 5 1 1992 SEA 37 11 4 1 1 3 1 1 .297 .350 .541 .295 11 6 1993 CLG 321 75 7 1 14 31 6 4 .234 .301 .393 .242 78 36 1993 SEA 76 17 3 1 2 3 0 0 .224 .253 .368 .215 16 6 1994 NAS 228 55 10 1 6 18 4 0 .241 .297 .373 .238 54 24 1995 NAS 134 29 5 1 2 15 1 3 .216 .295 .313 .208 28 11 1995 BUF 120 36 6 3 3 14 0 0 .300 .373 .475 .294 35 20For the first time since 1989, he wasn't brought up for a cup of coffee. Exclusively a platoon player, even in the minors.
MIKE HUMPHREYS 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 COH 412 110 16 2 9 49 31 7 .267 .345 .381 .267 110 57 1991 NYY 40 9 0 0 0 9 2 0 .225 .367 .225 .232 9 4 1992 COH 414 112 12 4 6 53 35 12 .271 .353 .362 .263 109 56 1993 COH 333 89 11 1 4 47 18 11 .267 .358 .342 .253 84 41 1993 NYY 35 6 3 1 1 4 2 1 .171 .256 .400 .227 8 4 1994 COH 489 112 15 1 6 55 24 9 .229 .307 .301 .222 108 45 1995 TAC 35 7 1 0 0 3 0 0 .200 .263 .229 .161 6 1 1995 BUF 127 31 1 0 1 7 6 1 .244 .284 .276 .207 26 9Despite some good years in Columbus (where he holds the team record for all-time hits), he never managed to crack the Yankee lineup. Should probably call it quits.
DAMIAN JACKSON 1974 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 CGA 355 76 9 1 4 27 13 4 .214 .270 .279 .196 70 24 1994 CAN 541 134 19 3 4 48 29 11 .248 .309 .316 .229 124 52 1995 CAN 488 107 14 2 2 51 31 15 .219 .293 .268 .205 100 38Got hot in early 1994 and picked up a prospect label. A very fast player, he's got great range and terrible hands, racking up 90 errors in his two years in Canton. If he can learn to make better contact, and hold on to the balls he reaches, he could threaten Vizquel's position. But I wouldn't count on it happening this year. And in future years, he might have to hold back Enrique Wilson, who starred at SS for Kinston this year.
WAYNE KIRBY 1964 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CSP 372 87 10 2 1 24 21 9 .234 .280 .280 .204 76 28 1991 CLE 43 10 2 0 0 2 2 2 .233 .267 .279 .188 8 3 1992 CSP 455 141 13 8 12 25 38 9 .310 .346 .453 .287 131 71 1993 CHR 76 21 3 1 3 3 5 2 .276 .304 .461 .267 20 11 1993 CLE 460 132 17 5 6 34 21 5 .287 .336 .385 .262 120 58 1994 CLE 188 54 3 0 4 11 13 4 .287 .327 .367 .255 48 23 1995 CLE 189 41 8 2 1 10 13 4 .217 .256 .296 .203 38 14 1996 PRJ 226 56 8 1 3 16 14 6 .248 .298 .332 .229 52 22An outstanding defensive outfielder, exhibiting both great range and a fantastic arm. Struggled mightily at the plate this year, and as a result the club didn't pick up their option for '96. He'd have to fight to hold off Giles and Burnitz in any event.
JESSE LEVIS 1968 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CAN 387 93 12 2 6 27 1 3 .240 .290 .328 .215 83 32 1992 CSP 243 79 11 1 6 29 1 2 .325 .397 .453 .298 72 40 1992 CLE 43 12 5 0 1 0 0 0 .279 .279 .465 .257 11 5 1993 CHR 130 30 5 1 1 13 0 1 .231 .301 .308 .212 28 10 1993 CLE 63 12 2 0 0 2 0 0 .190 .215 .222 .126 8 1 1994 CHR 376 100 12 1 7 47 2 0 .266 .348 .359 .253 95 45 1995 BUF 199 62 8 1 4 30 1 3 .312 .402 .422 .289 58 31 1996 PRJ 309 81 12 1 6 32 0 0 .262 .331 .366 .248 77 35Called a can't-miss prospect after 1992, he's struggled with injuries and a bad defense label in recent years.
KENNY LOFTON 1967 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TUC 528 135 15 9 2 39 30 15 .256 .307 .330 .230 122 52 1991 HOU 75 17 1 0 0 5 2 1 .227 .275 .240 .180 14 4 1992 CLE 574 168 13 9 5 65 69 11 .293 .365 .373 .281 161 87 1993 CLE 571 196 20 8 2 77 84 13 .343 .421 .417 .317 181 110 1994 CLE 448 153 25 8 8 45 70 13 .342 .402 .487 .323 145 91 1995 CLE 479 154 17 12 6 34 71 19 .322 .366 .445 .296 142 82 1996 PRJ 621 195 20 10 11 65 73 20 .314 .379 .432 .296 184 106His walk rates have dropped alarmingly in the last two years, which may mean that he's getting away from his strength and trying to go for the long balls. Suffered from leg injuries in the early part of the season, which badly hurt his defense. Still a great all-around player.
LUIS LOPEZ 1965 DH/1B/3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CSP 168 48 8 2 1 6 0 0 .286 .310 .375 .243 41 17 1991 CLE 83 20 4 1 0 3 0 0 .241 .267 .313 .202 17 6 1992 CAN 83 19 1 0 0 2 1 0 .229 .247 .241 .165 14 4 1993 CAN 232 58 7 0 3 10 0 2 .250 .281 .319 .208 48 17 1993 CHR 241 73 8 1 9 6 0 0 .303 .320 .456 .271 65 32 1994 RIC 521 152 24 2 13 28 4 2 .292 .328 .420 .263 137 66 1995 BUF 457 119 15 1 14 29 1 1 .260 .305 .389 .243 111 49Veteran (12 years) minor league hitter.
TOREY LOVULLO 1966 2B/3B/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 COH 394 101 17 2 10 47 4 2 .256 .336 .386 .255 101 48 1991 NYY 51 10 1 0 0 5 0 0 .196 .268 .216 .158 8 2 1992 COH 475 138 24 3 17 57 9 4 .291 .367 .461 .288 137 76 1993 CAL 364 93 12 1 7 33 9 6 .255 .317 .352 .237 86 38 1994 CLG 201 49 9 1 7 28 2 1 .244 .336 .403 .259 52 26 1994 SEA 71 16 2 0 2 8 1 0 .225 .304 .338 .229 16 7 1995 BUF 480 123 14 3 14 66 4 1 .256 .346 .385 .260 125 61 1996 PRJ 439 115 17 3 16 51 5 2 .262 .339 .424 .268 117 60Can play pretty much every position, although not real well; hits OK, but nothing special. Randy Velarde lite.
MARC MARINI 1970 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 CGA 501 127 15 2 7 61 3 1 .253 .335 .333 .239 120 53 1993 KIN 451 115 20 2 3 50 5 3 .255 .329 .328 .235 106 46 1994 CAN 339 90 12 1 13 41 2 3 .265 .345 .422 .266 90 46 1995 CAN 310 86 18 1 3 23 3 2 .277 .327 .371 .248 77 35 1995 BUF 86 23 3 0 3 6 0 0 .267 .315 .407 .253 22 10Would look a lot more promising if he were 22.
PAT MAXWELL 1970 3B/2B/SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 WTT 56 7 0 0 0 1 0 0 .125 .140 .125 **** -8 -2 1992 CGA 274 57 1 0 2 11 3 1 .208 .239 .234 .154 42 10 1993 KIN 403 99 8 1 3 18 4 2 .246 .278 .293 .201 81 28 1994 CAN 259 60 2 0 1 12 6 3 .232 .266 .251 .180 47 14 1995 CAN 268 59 2 0 4 10 1 0 .220 .248 .272 .177 47 14Slick with the leather, ick with the wood.
LLOYD MCCLENDON 1959 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PIT 168 53 7 0 8 18 2 1 .315 .382 .500 .304 51 30 1992 PIT 194 54 9 1 4 30 1 3 .278 .375 .397 .270 52 27 1993 PIT 181 40 9 1 2 23 0 3 .221 .309 .315 .215 39 15 1994 PIT 92 23 2 0 4 4 0 1 .250 .281 .402 .234 22 9 1995 BUF 110 31 5 0 4 19 0 0 .282 .388 .436 .290 32 18Playing out the string.
EDDIE MURRAY 1956 DH/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 LAD 586 164 21 1 21 55 10 3 .280 .342 .427 .271 159 81 1992 NYM 566 166 36 2 22 71 4 2 .293 .372 .481 .295 167 95 1993 NYM 611 178 24 1 25 41 2 2 .291 .336 .457 .275 168 86 1994 CLE 428 108 16 1 14 26 10 4 .252 .295 .393 .242 104 47 1995 CLE 434 147 18 1 18 34 7 1 .339 .387 .509 .312 135 78 1996 PRJ 500 129 14 0 19 47 3 0 .258 .322 .400 .255 127 61If he can squeeze another 38 EPER out this season, he'll pass Lou Gehrig for the most career EPER by a first baseman. He needs 48 to become the 15th member of the 2000 EPER club. He never had the spectacular season to garner widespread fame, and his demeanor never made him a favorite, but I think it's between him or McCovey for the honor of best first baseman since WWII. Still a very effective hitter from the left side of the plate, but has slipped from the right side.
MIKE NEAL 1972 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 WTT 247 55 5 1 3 37 3 1 .223 .324 .287 .220 54 22 1994 KIN 383 85 11 1 2 30 6 7 .222 .278 .272 .189 73 24 1995 CAN 422 101 16 2 4 58 4 4 .239 .331 .315 .230 97 41A distant third on the depth chart behind Baerga and Flores.
TONY PENA 1957 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 BOS 464 111 21 2 5 36 10 3 .239 .294 .325 .221 103 41 1992 BOS 410 102 17 2 2 23 3 2 .249 .289 .315 .213 87 32 1993 BOS 302 54 9 0 4 23 2 3 .179 .237 .248 .155 47 12 1994 CLE 110 32 7 1 1 8 0 1 .291 .339 .400 .259 28 13 1995 CLE 263 73 11 1 4 11 1 0 .278 .307 .373 .241 63 27 1996 PRJ 233 51 6 0 2 16 0 0 .219 .269 .270 .185 43 13Seems to have rediscovered some hitting ability. A highly regarded, fiery handler of pitchers, serves as a sort of player-pitching coach.
HERB PERRY 1970 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 WTT 55 8 1 0 0 4 0 0 .145 .203 .164 **** -1 0 1992 KIN 462 117 8 1 12 34 7 1 .253 .304 .353 .235 109 46 1993 CAN 330 83 13 1 7 30 5 3 .252 .314 .361 .239 79 35 1994 CHR 375 115 13 2 10 35 8 3 .307 .366 .432 .283 106 56 1995 BUF 181 57 11 1 1 15 1 0 .315 .367 .403 .276 50 25 1995 CLE 161 54 10 1 3 11 2 4 .335 .378 .466 .289 47 25 1996 PRJ 278 80 9 1 8 22 2 5 .288 .340 .414 .262 73 36A quarterback and pitcher in college, Perry has had to overcome shoulder and wrist injuries to reach his current level of play. Although a little old, he certainly seems capable of playing first base at least as well as the departed Paul Sorrento, and at a much lower price. Doesn't have the power you expect from a first baseman, but hits for a very solid average.
SCOTT POSE 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CHT 414 103 6 4 2 55 13 8 .249 .337 .297 .230 95 40 1991 NAS 52 9 0 0 0 2 3 1 .173 .204 .173 .109 6 1 1992 CHT 535 164 19 5 2 55 19 14 .307 .371 .372 .266 142 70 1993 EDM 382 83 4 2 1 33 13 5 .217 .280 .246 .187 72 23 1993 FLA 41 8 2 0 0 2 0 2 .195 .233 .244 .135 6 1 1994 NWO 429 118 6 4 1 43 19 7 .275 .341 .315 .242 104 46 1995 SLC 196 52 3 1 1 25 12 3 .265 .348 .306 .246 48 22Journeyman minor league outfielder, signed to fill out the organization.
ALEX RAMIREZ 1975 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1994 CGA 459 94 9 1 11 18 4 3 .205 .235 .301 .181 83 26 1995 BAK 395 99 11 1 6 10 7 5 .251 .269 .329 .210 83 30 1995 CAN 133 29 4 3 0 3 3 3 .218 .235 .293 .179 24 7His raw Bakersfield numbers look amazing (.323/.355/.468), but it's a paradise for hitters. His power production has been excellent for his young age, but it's the result of an all-or-nothing swing: his 997 AB over the last two years have netted him 200 strikeouts and just 49 walks. Very disappointing autumn in Arizona.
MANNY RAMIREZ 1972 RF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 KIN 302 77 11 2 8 35 1 2 .255 .332 .384 .251 76 36 1993 CAN 347 111 17 1 14 37 2 1 .320 .385 .496 .305 106 61 1993 CHR 147 46 8 0 11 24 1 1 .313 .409 .592 .332 49 33 1993 CLE 53 10 1 0 2 2 0 0 .189 .218 .321 .180 10 3 1994 CLE 285 76 16 1 14 38 5 2 .267 .353 .477 .286 81 46 1995 CLE 480 155 23 2 28 69 8 7 .323 .408 .554 .323 155 99 1996 PRJ 578 175 30 3 31 82 6 1 .303 .389 .526 .314 181 112In one of the biggest bargains of the off-season, Manny signed a 4-year contract, with a club option for a fifth, for "just" $10 million. A fabulous package, hitting for average and power while taking the walks. Absolutely destroys left-handed pitching (.358/.448/.612 over two seasons).
ED SMITH 1969 3B/OF/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 BLT 221 47 7 1 3 12 3 1 .213 .253 .294 .190 42 14 1991 SAR 203 41 2 0 4 10 2 2 .202 .239 .271 .170 34 10 1992 STO 355 79 10 1 9 31 4 3 .223 .285 .332 .216 77 30 1992 ELP 86 22 2 0 2 7 0 1 .256 .312 .349 .230 20 8 1993 ELP 415 102 12 3 6 32 9 3 .246 .300 .333 .226 94 38 1994 ORL 403 94 8 2 13 33 4 6 .233 .291 .360 .225 91 38 1995 CAN 367 81 11 1 9 28 0 1 .221 .276 .330 .210 77 29 1995 BUF 31 10 1 1 2 3 0 1 .323 .382 .613 .317 10 6With his third AA club in three years.
DON SPARKS 1966 1B/3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 COH 152 37 4 2 0 8 0 0 .243 .281 .296 .202 31 11 1992 ABY 519 160 21 1 15 25 2 1 .308 .340 .439 .274 142 71 1993 COH 476 129 22 4 9 26 1 2 .271 .309 .391 .245 117 52 1994 COH 515 130 13 4 5 35 2 5 .252 .300 .322 .218 112 43 1995 COH 538 151 18 6 6 26 2 0 .281 .314 .370 .243 131 57Hits for a solid average, but with average power and few walks. A popular player, "good clubhouse presence" sort of guy.
JIM THOME 1971 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CAN 297 92 15 1 5 32 5 3 .310 .377 .418 .282 84 44 1991 CSP 146 34 6 2 1 9 0 0 .233 .277 .322 .209 31 11 1991 CLE 99 27 4 2 1 5 1 0 .273 .308 .384 .246 24 11 1992 CAN 110 34 6 1 2 21 0 1 .309 .420 .436 .301 33 19 1992 CSP 47 13 3 0 2 4 1 0 .277 .333 .468 .280 13 7 1992 CLE 117 25 3 1 2 9 2 0 .214 .270 .308 .205 24 9 1993 CHR 414 133 15 2 19 69 1 2 .321 .418 .505 .318 132 81 1993 CLE 154 44 9 1 7 29 3 1 .286 .399 .494 .308 47 29 1994 CLE 315 83 15 1 17 42 4 3 .263 .350 .479 .283 89 50 1995 CLE 447 147 28 3 22 91 5 4 .329 .442 .553 .338 151 101 1996 PRJ 519 173 40 2 30 115 5 3 .333 .454 .592 .353 183 129Whoa! I like Thome as much as any hitter in the league, but that projection looks awfully optimistic. He did spend a good part of this year hitting at that level, though, and was leading the league in EQA around the All-Star break. Left-handed, he has a large platoon advantage. He's carried a bad defense label, and he isn't particularly adept, having something of a wild arm.
CHAD TOWNSEND 1972 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 CGA 317 61 7 1 6 14 0 0 .192 .227 .278 .165 52 14 1994 HDS 242 58 5 1 6 13 1 1 .240 .278 .343 .217 53 20 1994 KIN 233 47 3 0 6 20 1 1 .202 .265 .292 .191 44 15 1995 CAN 405 96 12 1 8 23 3 1 .237 .278 .331 .214 87 33Doesn't look like a prospect.
OMAR VIZQUEL 1967 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SEA 427 104 15 4 1 44 9 2 .244 .314 .304 .224 96 39 1992 SEA 485 148 16 5 1 30 17 12 .305 .346 .365 .254 123 57 1993 SEA 558 147 12 2 1 46 16 13 .263 .320 .297 .221 123 49 1994 CLE 282 76 5 1 0 20 16 5 .270 .318 .294 .228 64 26 1995 CLE 541 151 16 1 6 52 39 14 .279 .342 .346 .254 137 66 1996 PRJ 591 152 18 1 3 45 19 8 .257 .310 .306 .224 132 53Signed to a six-year deal this offseason. Now, I have no doubt that he is a very good defensive SS. I have many doubts about his hitting abilities. His best offensive season is only about average, even if you only look at other shortstops. He's already had one serious knee injury, and plays a position that puts him in real jeopardy for another. Even so, by the time he's 35, the odds are high that he'll be slower, which means reduced range, with probably worse hitting, which means no value. I have great respect for what John Hart has done, but this looks like a very risky signing. It's superstar length for a merely good player, and there are prospects in the wings, in Jackson at AA and Enrique Wilson at A ball.
DON WAKAMATSU 1963 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 VAN 172 31 3 0 4 8 0 0 .180 .217 .267 .154 26 7 1991 CWS 31 8 0 0 0 1 0 0 .258 .281 .258 .187 6 2 1992 ABQ 161 45 4 0 3 11 0 1 .280 .326 .360 .242 39 17 1993 ABQ 169 44 4 0 5 12 0 1 .260 .309 .373 .238 40 17 1995 TAC 32 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 .156 .206 .156 **** -1 0 1995 CAN 144 35 4 0 4 13 0 0 .243 .306 .354 .232 33 14Journeyman catcher.
DAVE WINFIELD 1952 DH YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CAL 576 166 26 4 31 55 9 2 .288 .350 .509 .294 170 97 1992 TOR 587 181 32 4 28 81 3 3 .308 .392 .520 .311 183 110 1993 MIN 542 149 25 2 20 41 3 3 .275 .326 .439 .265 144 72 1994 MIN 291 74 12 3 8 27 2 1 .254 .318 .399 .251 73 34 1995 CLE 115 23 4 0 2 13 1 0 .200 .281 .287 .199 23 8He's still clinging to a narrow 10-EPER lead over teammate Eddie Murray on the active list, but seems likely to lose it one way or another next year. Retired in January. See you in upstate New York in 2001.
ERIC YELDING 1965 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TUC 41 13 3 0 0 3 3 1 .317 .364 .390 .276 11 6 1991 HOU 281 75 11 1 1 13 11 8 .267 .299 .324 .222 62 25 1992 TUC 214 55 6 3 1 9 13 6 .257 .287 .327 .223 48 19 1992 VAN 120 25 3 0 0 10 11 2 .208 .269 .233 .194 23 8 1993 CHC 108 22 3 1 1 11 3 2 .204 .277 .278 .194 21 7 1994 IOW 73 17 1 0 0 2 4 2 .233 .253 .247 .178 13 4 1995 CAN 37 12 1 0 0 0 2 0 .324 .324 .351 .256 9 4 1995 BUF 82 28 5 0 1 5 4 1 .341 .379 .439 .295 24 13Finished.
Organizational Pitching Report
OPR Points: 22 Rank in MLB: 19th (T) Rank in AL Central: 2nd (T)
Name Lvl Age IP Work H/G K/BB K/G ERA Adj Ttl Grade Colon, Bartolo 3 5 6 0 7 8 10 6 -1 44 A+ Roa, Joe 8 3 8 0 2 7 0 3 -1 30 C+ Delamaza, R 4 0 7 0 4 6 5 4 -1 29 C Wright, Jaret 0 5 6 0 7 1 5 4 -1 27 C- Whitten, Casey 6 1 5 0 4 4 4 3 0 27 C- Harris, Pep 7 3 5 0 3 2 0 5 0 25 D Cabrera, Jose 6 1 3 0 3 6 2 3 0 24 D Best Prospect in 1994: Daron Kirkreit (B+) Best Rookie Starter in 1995: Chad Ogea (B-)
PAUL ASSENMACHER 1961 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CHC 102.0 90 39 13 33 126 3.44 6 5 7.94 2.91 11.12 1992 CHC 67.7 82 36 9 29 77 4.79 3 5 10.91 3.86 10.24 1993 CHC 38.0 44 18 5 14 36 4.26 2 2 10.42 3.32 8.53 1993 NYY 17.0 11 5 0 9 13 2.65 1 1 5.82 4.76 6.88 1994 CWS 32.3 29 12 2 12 32 3.34 2 2 8.07 3.34 8.91 1995 CLE 38.0 34 11 3 10 45 2.61 3 1 8.05 2.37 10.66His job was to stop opposing left-handed hitters cold, and he did. Averaged only 3.4 batters per appearance. Quality pitcher, but doesn't get many wins or saves, so he's hardly noticed.
ERIC BELL 1964 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CAN 86.7 100 60 6 36 72 6.23 3 7 10.38 3.74 7.48 1991 CSP 23.0 25 9 1 11 15 3.52 2 1 9.78 4.30 5.87 1991 CLE 18.0 5 0 0 5 8 0.00 2 0 2.50 2.50 4.00 1992 CSP 129.3 161 56 11 24 55 3.90 7 7 11.20 1.67 3.83 1992 CLE 15.0 23 11 2 8 12 6.60 1 1 13.80 4.80 7.20 1993 TUC 98.0 124 48 8 40 46 4.41 5 6 11.39 3.67 4.22 1994 TUC 161.0 192 86 13 62 76 4.81 7 11 10.73 3.47 4.25 1995 BUF 153.0 191 75 15 53 83 4.41 8 9 11.24 3.12 4.88He's probably as good as a lot of major league pitchers, but his age and his lack of stuff means he won't get another chance to prove it.
BUD BLACK 1957 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SFG 213.3 216 101 32 75 113 4.26 11 13 9.11 3.16 4.77 1992 PHX 19.7 22 6 0 4 7 2.75 1 1 10.07 1.83 3.20 1992 SFG 176.7 191 89 30 64 92 4.53 9 11 9.73 3.26 4.69 1993 SFG 92.3 99 47 16 37 49 4.58 4 6 9.65 3.61 4.78 1994 PHX 14.3 14 6 1 7 8 3.77 1 1 8.79 4.40 5.02 1994 SFG 54.0 55 32 10 17 29 5.33 2 4 9.17 2.83 4.83 1995 CLE 46.3 66 35 6 14 38 6.80 1 4 12.82 2.72 7.38Released in July. Retired.
DICKIE BROWN 1971 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CGA 135.7 192 123 31 64 66 8.16 3 12 12.74 4.25 4.38 1992 CGA 68.7 89 45 7 61 44 5.90 3 5 11.67 8.00 5.77 1992 KIN 12.7 17 15 4 9 5 10.66 0 1 12.08 6.39 3.55 1993 KIN 72.3 97 52 10 53 43 6.47 2 6 12.07 6.59 5.35 1994 HDS 106.0 116 51 15 37 70 4.33 6 6 9.85 3.14 5.94 1994 KIN 39.0 36 22 7 16 30 5.08 2 2 8.31 3.69 6.92 1995 CAN 91.3 103 61 15 71 43 6.01 3 7 10.15 7.00 4.24
JOSE CABRERA 1972 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 CGA 138.0 178 90 22 62 70 5.87 5 10 11.61 4.04 4.57 1994 KIN 125.0 150 88 20 47 81 6.34 4 10 10.80 3.38 5.83 1995 CAN 79.3 101 38 8 20 52 4.31 4 5 11.46 2.27 5.90Throws hard, and appears to be winning the war against walks. Exclusively a starter in '93-'94, he appeared in relief for half of his games this year.
MARK CLARK 1968 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ARK 85.7 106 47 4 26 62 4.94 4 6 11.14 2.73 6.51 1991 LOU 43.0 45 16 4 13 27 3.35 3 2 9.42 2.72 5.65 1991 STL 22.0 19 10 4 12 14 4.09 1 1 7.77 4.91 5.73 1992 LOU 58.0 60 20 5 16 39 3.10 4 2 9.31 2.48 6.05 1992 STL 113.0 131 65 17 40 50 5.18 5 8 10.43 3.19 3.98 1993 CHR 12.3 11 5 1 2 11 3.65 1 0 8.03 1.46 8.03 1993 CLE 107.7 115 42 13 21 64 3.51 7 5 9.61 1.76 5.35 1994 CLE 125.7 126 43 10 34 64 3.08 9 5 9.02 2.44 4.58 1995 BUF 33.7 41 14 0 11 16 3.74 2 2 10.96 2.94 4.28 1995 CLE 123.0 151 65 10 35 76 4.76 6 8 11.05 2.56 5.56Clark struggled early in the year, but righted himself and finished the year like his normal self. He's basically an average pitcher, relying on a sinker/slider combination to make up for a mediocre fastball.
ROLAND DELAMAZA 1972 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 WTT 89.7 117 56 22 18 46 5.62 3 7 11.74 1.81 4.62 1994 CGA 104.7 127 78 27 30 64 6.71 3 9 10.92 2.58 5.50 1995 KIN 101.7 132 57 15 32 83 5.05 4 7 11.69 2.83 7.35 1995 CAN 35.0 41 20 6 19 23 5.14 2 2 10.54 4.89 5.91While these numbers look shaky, the raw figures that go with them a 2.77 ERA and a 31-6 record are nothing short of outstanding. He bears watching, if only to tell which set of statistics is lying.
ALAN EMBREE 1970 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CGA 139.7 144 96 14 88 83 6.19 5 11 9.28 5.67 5.35 1992 KIN 93.0 105 57 18 38 83 5.52 3 7 10.16 3.68 8.03 1992 CAN 73.7 77 32 5 32 49 3.91 4 4 9.41 3.91 5.99 1992 CLE 17.7 19 12 3 8 14 6.11 1 1 9.68 4.08 7.13 1994 CAN 143.7 211 114 23 71 65 7.14 4 12 13.22 4.45 4.07 1995 BUF 38.7 34 11 0 21 54 2.56 3 1 7.91 4.89 12.57 1995 CLE 24.0 24 14 2 15 26 5.25 1 2 9.00 5.62 9.75Came down with elbow problems in 1993. After struggling through the 1994 season with no zip on his fastball, he was converted to relief this year and appears to have regained his arm strength.
JOHN FARRELL 1963 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 VAN 80.3 84 42 11 30 63 4.71 4 5 9.41 3.36 7.06 1993 CAL 88.7 114 63 21 41 51 6.39 3 7 11.57 4.16 5.18 1994 VAN 57.3 64 24 4 17 34 3.77 3 3 10.05 2.67 5.34 1994 CAL 12.7 15 10 2 7 11 7.11 0 1 10.66 4.97 7.82 1994 CHR 75.7 83 57 17 22 51 6.78 2 6 9.87 2.62 6.07 1995 BUF 175.7 211 95 20 69 89 4.87 8 12 10.81 3.54 4.56Sort of resurrected his career after missing 1991 and 1992 with elbow trouble. He's not especially effective, but filled a lot of innings for the Bisons.
TODD FROHWIRTH 1963 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ROC 24.3 17 9 3 3 14 3.33 2 1 6.29 1.11 5.18 1991 BAL 95.3 66 21 3 27 88 1.98 9 2 6.23 2.55 8.31 1992 BAL 104.0 108 34 3 40 70 2.94 8 4 9.35 3.46 6.06 1993 BAL 94.7 99 43 7 41 58 4.09 5 6 9.41 3.90 5.51 1994 PAW 49.0 59 24 5 20 51 4.41 2 3 10.84 3.67 9.37 1994 BOS 26.0 37 25 3 16 14 8.65 1 2 12.81 5.54 4.85 1995 BUF 30.7 34 14 3 13 32 4.11 1 2 9.98 3.82 9.39When he can keep his sidearm fastball at knee-height, he's very effective. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the dip it used to have at the last second, and he's had trouble keeping it from floating up towards the belt. When that happens, it often floats over the fence.
JASON GRIMSLEY 1968 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SWB 48.0 49 25 4 36 41 4.69 2 3 9.19 6.75 7.69 1991 PHI 60.7 60 34 5 43 46 5.04 3 4 8.90 6.38 6.82 1992 TUC 116.3 141 62 8 50 87 4.80 5 8 10.91 3.87 6.73 1993 CHR 127.0 163 71 11 56 93 5.03 5 9 11.55 3.97 6.59 1993 CLE 41.7 49 19 3 18 30 4.10 2 3 10.58 3.89 6.48 1994 CHR 68.7 67 41 15 18 56 5.37 3 5 8.78 2.36 7.34 1994 CLE 81.3 87 33 5 29 62 3.65 5 4 9.63 3.21 6.86 1995 BUF 65.3 66 26 5 21 39 3.58 4 3 9.09 2.89 5.37 1995 CLE 33.7 38 20 3 31 28 5.35 1 3 10.16 8.29 7.49He's got a great arm, but he's not a good pitcher. He can't control any of his pitches very well. Besides averaging almost a walk an inning in Cleveland this year, he also averaged a wild pitch every five innings. Now in California, battling with a cast of dozens for the 5th starter spot.
PEP HARRIS 1973 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 CGA 78.7 121 77 24 64 39 8.81 2 7 13.84 7.32 4.46 1993 CGA 106.3 155 104 20 51 55 8.80 2 10 13.12 4.32 4.66 1994 KIN 31.0 23 15 2 18 27 4.35 1 2 6.68 5.23 7.84 1994 CAN 19.3 10 7 1 15 12 3.26 1 1 4.66 6.98 5.59 1995 CAN 77.7 94 38 7 22 35 4.40 4 5 10.89 2.55 4.06 1995 BUF 31.0 35 13 2 16 17 3.77 2 1 10.16 4.65 4.94A failure as a starting pitcher, Pep was converted to a relief role in 1994 and has been far more effective, despite not having great stuff. Also sent to California in the Brian Anderson felony, will start the year at AAA.
OREL HERSHISER 1959 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 BAK 10.7 6 2 1 0 4 1.69 1 0 5.06 .00 3.38 1991 LAD 111.3 121 42 4 34 79 3.40 7 5 9.78 2.75 6.39 1992 LAD 210.7 200 85 21 73 142 3.63 13 10 8.54 3.12 6.07 1993 LAD 212.7 205 98 20 79 150 4.15 12 12 8.68 3.34 6.35 1994 LAD 134.7 139 54 15 43 73 3.61 8 7 9.29 2.87 4.88 1995 CLE 165.7 160 64 17 43 124 3.48 10 8 8.69 2.34 6.74While he's no longer the dominating pitcher he was in the late '80s, he is still a better than average pitcher. An extreme groundball pitcher, he's especially tough on righthanded hitters.
DARON KIRKREIT 1973 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 WTT 31.3 44 20 4 15 25 5.74 1 2 12.64 4.31 7.18 1994 KIN 121.0 105 54 12 44 86 4.02 6 7 7.81 3.27 6.40 1994 CAN 42.7 60 37 8 28 44 7.80 1 4 12.66 5.91 9.28 1995 CAN 76.0 85 58 20 49 57 6.87 2 6 10.07 5.80 6.75A big (6'6", 225-pound) pitcher with a lot of heat, he's had problems both controlling the fastball and finding an off-speed pitch to complement it. Suffered a partial tear of his rotator cuff this year and underwent surgery.
STEVEN KLINE 1973 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 WTT 70.3 99 49 11 15 26 6.27 2 6 12.67 1.92 3.33 1994 CGA 166.7 234 94 21 43 115 5.08 7 12 12.64 2.32 6.21 1995 CAN 83.0 104 40 7 30 38 4.34 4 5 11.28 3.25 4.12Had a very unusual strikeout rate in 1994, compared to anything he's done before or since. Underwent elbow surgery this year.
JOE KLINK 1962 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OAK 61.0 66 28 4 21 39 4.13 3 4 9.74 3.10 5.75 1993 FLA 37.0 38 21 1 26 23 5.11 2 2 9.24 6.32 5.59 1995 BUF 37.3 34 14 1 17 31 3.38 2 2 8.20 4.10 7.47
LES LANCASTER 1962 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CHC 155.0 159 64 17 51 110 3.72 9 8 9.23 2.96 6.39 1992 DET 84.7 106 59 12 50 42 6.27 3 6 11.27 5.31 4.46 1993 STL 60.7 56 21 6 22 38 3.12 4 3 8.31 3.26 5.64 1994 SYR 84.7 105 43 7 26 63 4.57 4 5 11.16 2.76 6.70 1995 BUF 84.0 96 44 7 23 66 4.71 4 5 10.29 2.46 7.07
JIM LEWIS 1970 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 AUB 35.3 37 28 10 14 16 7.13 1 3 9.42 3.57 4.08 1992 OSC 73.0 65 26 3 42 50 3.21 5 3 8.01 5.18 6.16 1992 JAC 64.7 74 39 8 37 34 5.43 2 5 10.30 5.15 4.73 1994 OSC 59.3 68 38 7 17 27 5.76 2 5 10.31 2.58 4.10 1994 JAC 44.3 51 17 3 11 32 3.45 3 2 10.35 2.23 6.50 1995 BUF 89.3 110 41 7 28 48 4.13 5 5 11.08 2.82 4.84Injured in 1993 with, what else, arm trouble. Taken from Houston in the Rule V draft last year, he spent part of this year on the DL with more shoulder problems.
ALBIE LOPEZ 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 CGA 87.7 111 67 12 39 79 6.88 3 7 11.40 4.00 8.11 1992 KIN 57.7 67 33 9 32 32 5.15 2 4 10.46 4.99 4.99 1993 CAN 104.0 88 48 16 51 67 4.15 6 6 7.62 4.41 5.80 1993 CLE 49.0 46 25 7 30 28 4.59 2 3 8.45 5.51 5.14 1994 CHR 136.7 161 77 25 45 98 5.07 6 9 10.60 2.96 6.45 1994 CLE 17.0 19 8 2 5 19 4.24 1 1 10.06 2.65 10.06 1995 BUF 96.7 107 55 11 57 79 5.12 4 7 9.96 5.31 7.36 1995 CLE 23.0 18 7 4 6 25 2.74 2 1 7.04 2.35 9.78If the expanded-upwards strike zone is in fact a reality, a pitcher like Lopez could be a beneficiary. He likes to throw the high, hard fastball, and a lot of his troubles follow from giving up homeruns on those pitches. Pitched mostly from the pen after being called up, but was exclusively a starter throughout his career.
DENNIS MARTINEZ 1955 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 MON 220.7 211 74 13 65 134 3.02 16 9 8.61 2.65 5.47 1992 MON 225.7 191 82 18 66 166 3.27 15 10 7.62 2.63 6.62 1993 MON 221.7 226 110 31 72 148 4.47 11 14 9.18 2.92 6.01 1994 CLE 175.3 159 54 11 36 98 2.77 13 6 8.16 1.85 5.03 1995 CLE 185.3 185 61 13 37 110 2.96 14 7 8.98 1.80 5.34The new ageless wonder. 38-year-olds just aren't supposed to rebound from a season like 1993, and pitch better than before.
MIKE MATTHEWS 1974 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 WTT 8.3 15 8 0 11 3 8.64 0 1 16.20 11.88 3.24 1994 CGA 105.0 159 70 12 54 66 6.00 4 8 13.63 4.63 5.66 1995 CAN 69.3 93 65 10 46 32 8.44 1 7 12.07 5.97 4.15The former #2 pick suffered a torn rotator cuff in 1992 and still hasn't recovered.
JACK MCDOWELL 1966 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CWS 249.3 263 113 20 82 227 4.08 14 14 9.49 2.96 8.19 1992 CWS 255.7 277 96 21 73 216 3.38 16 12 9.75 2.57 7.60 1993 CWS 252.3 280 94 18 62 181 3.35 16 12 9.99 2.21 6.46 1994 CWS 178.0 202 73 9 35 140 3.69 11 9 10.21 1.77 7.08 1995 NYY 215.0 226 91 21 67 175 3.81 13 11 9.46 2.80 7.33He might not be as good as his reputation (few are). He may not really pitch to the score, as has been claimed of him, which is easily refuted by looking at the individual games. He may well be the beneficiary of unusually good run support. He's still an extremely durable, above-average pitcher, with a good fastball, great forkball and excellent control. A welcome addition to any staff.
JOSE MESA 1966 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ROC 48.7 36 22 7 29 45 4.07 2 3 6.66 5.36 8.32 1991 BAL 121.7 154 72 11 60 73 5.33 5 9 11.39 4.44 5.40 1992 BAL 66.3 85 40 10 27 27 5.43 2 5 11.53 3.66 3.66 1992 CLE 91.3 94 39 6 42 47 3.84 5 5 9.26 4.14 4.63 1993 CLE 205.7 222 91 19 55 132 3.98 12 11 9.71 2.41 5.78 1994 CLE 72.0 68 23 2 22 67 2.88 5 3 8.50 2.75 8.38 1995 CLE 63.3 53 11 1 14 65 1.56 6 1 7.53 1.99 9.24The Orioles were never able to get effective work from him, but he improved immediately after coming to Cleveland. After a year and a half of effective starting, he was moved to the pen in 1994. Without having to pace himself, able to just rear back and fire, his strikeouts climbed and his hits against fell.
CHARLES NAGY 1967 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CLE 208.7 217 77 14 62 122 3.32 14 9 9.36 2.67 5.26 1992 CLE 247.7 252 80 12 54 201 2.91 18 10 9.16 1.96 7.30 1993 CLE 48.0 63 28 6 11 33 5.25 2 3 11.81 2.06 6.19 1994 CLE 167.3 167 54 11 39 115 2.90 12 7 8.98 2.10 6.19 1995 CLE 175.7 206 80 15 51 155 4.10 10 10 10.55 2.61 7.94Could be a good example of overwork. After a 1992 season in which he faced 31 batters per start, he had to get rotator cuff surgery in 1993. He came back strong in 1994, and, incredibly for a pitcher coming off surgery, was again allowed to face 31 batters per start. He didn't go under the knife in 1995, but his effectiveness collapsed, despite a gaudy 16-6 record. Give credit to the offense, which supported him with a remarkable 8.1 runs per game. It remains to be seen whether he will recover from the somewhat milder use last year, or if the damage is long-lasting. Wright's rule, that facing more than 30 batters per start is hazardous to an arm's health, still holds.
CHAD OGEA 1971 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 KIN 127.3 164 73 11 33 89 5.16 5 9 11.59 2.33 6.29 1992 CAN 45.7 48 17 4 14 35 3.35 3 2 9.46 2.76 6.90 1993 CHR 173.0 196 102 33 62 122 5.31 7 12 10.20 3.23 6.35 1994 CHR 157.3 171 91 27 35 106 5.21 6 11 9.78 2.00 6.06 1994 CLE 16.0 19 8 1 9 11 4.50 1 1 10.69 5.06 6.19 1995 BUF 17.0 17 11 2 9 11 5.82 1 1 9.00 4.76 5.82 1995 CLE 105.0 101 33 9 24 63 2.83 8 4 8.66 2.06 5.40Sparkled for the Indians this year, especially in relief. He's been used exclusively as a starter in the past, so its hard to say whether he would benefit in relief the way that Mesa did.
ERIC PLUNK 1964 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 NYY 109.3 126 56 13 59 115 4.61 5 7 10.37 4.86 9.47 1992 CAN 14.7 14 6 0 6 17 3.68 1 1 8.59 3.68 10.43 1992 CLE 70.3 63 27 6 37 59 3.45 5 3 8.06 4.73 7.55 1993 CLE 70.0 58 22 5 28 86 2.83 5 3 7.46 3.60 11.06 1994 CLE 70.0 58 18 3 33 78 2.31 6 2 7.46 4.24 10.03 1995 CLE 63.3 51 16 4 25 79 2.27 5 2 7.25 3.55 11.23Another major part of the Indians' great bullpen, Plunk has been simply extraordinary for three years. Surprisingly, he's done poorly in save situations, so he'll continue to labor in anonymous situations.
JIM POOLE 1966 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OKL 12.0 5 0 0 0 13 .00 1 0 3.75 .00 9.75 1991 ROC 27.3 30 10 1 8 24 3.29 2 1 9.88 2.63 7.90 1991 BAL 35.3 20 8 3 9 39 2.04 3 1 5.09 2.29 9.93 1992 HAG 12.0 17 5 0 1 3 3.75 1 0 12.75 .75 2.25 1992 ROC 40.3 44 27 11 20 27 6.02 1 3 9.82 4.46 6.02 1993 BAL 49.7 33 16 3 20 33 2.90 4 2 5.98 3.62 5.98 1994 BAL 19.7 35 16 2 10 20 7.32 0 2 16.02 4.58 9.15 1995 CLE 49.7 42 19 6 15 46 3.44 3 3 7.61 2.72 8.34Left-handed specialist, abandoned by the Orioles after an injury-plagued 1994 season. Generally does very well against right-handed hitters as well, except for giving up the long ball. A classic crafty left-hander.
JOE ROA 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 MCN 127.7 157 80 19 31 61 5.64 5 9 11.07 2.19 4.30 1992 SLU 142.0 215 106 27 24 47 6.72 4 12 13.63 1.52 2.98 1993 BIN 155.7 213 82 14 22 61 4.74 7 10 12.31 1.27 3.53 1994 BIN 18.7 23 8 0 0 9 3.86 1 1 11.09 .00 4.34 1994 NOR 158.3 216 89 18 35 69 5.06 7 11 12.28 1.99 3.92 1995 BUF 157.7 181 71 11 34 90 4.05 9 9 10.33 1.94 5.14He doesn't have great stuff, but he certainly does have a knack for winning, going 61-29 over these five years, including a spectacular 17-3 with Buffalo this year. Excellent control, uses off-speed pitches for outs.
DARRYL SCOTT 1969 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 QUD 73.0 39 23 10 28 81 2.84 5 3 4.81 3.45 9.99 1992 MID 28.0 21 10 1 17 27 3.21 2 1 6.75 5.46 8.68 1992 EDM 33.7 37 16 3 20 46 4.28 2 2 9.89 5.35 12.30 1993 VAN 49.0 36 13 5 20 51 2.39 4 1 6.61 3.67 9.37 1993 CLF 19.7 20 11 1 10 15 5.03 1 1 9.15 4.58 6.86 1995 CSP 90.3 107 51 10 42 76 5.08 4 6 10.66 4.18 7.57
PAUL SHUEY 1971 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 CGA 68.3 87 56 6 59 49 7.38 2 6 11.46 7.77 6.45 1993 KIN 19.0 37 16 1 11 19 7.58 0 2 17.53 5.21 9.00 1993 CAN 56.3 83 50 16 40 34 7.99 1 5 13.26 6.39 5.43 1994 CHR 22.7 17 10 2 11 23 3.97 2 1 6.75 4.37 9.13 1994 CLE 11.0 13 8 1 11 17 6.55 0 1 10.64 9.00 13.91 1995 BUF 26.3 22 9 3 8 26 3.08 2 1 7.52 2.73 8.89Same old story: great stuff, poor control. Was being touted as the Indians closer of the future before Mesa took off. Spent much of the year on the DL with a stiff shoulder.
JULIAN TAVAREZ 1973 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 KIN 108.7 128 66 10 36 75 5.47 4 8 10.60 2.98 6.21 1993 CAN 18.0 17 3 0 1 9 1.50 2 0 8.50 .50 4.50 1993 CLE 36.3 50 22 5 12 21 5.45 1 3 12.39 2.97 5.20 1994 CHR 167.3 199 90 18 45 95 4.84 8 11 10.70 2.42 5.11 1995 CLE 84.0 81 31 5 17 76 3.32 5 4 8.68 1.82 8.14The best prospect in the organization, Tavarez is a rail-thin 6'2", 165-pounder who had always worked as a starter before being used as a setup man for Mesa this year. The Indians are, reasonably enough, concerned about his stamina as a starter, and may try to use him in relief until he fills out.
ANTHONY TELFORD 1966 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ROC 148.3 169 71 22 39 108 4.31 7 9 10.25 2.37 6.55 1991 BAL 26.3 27 10 3 6 27 3.42 2 1 9.23 2.05 9.23 1992 ROC 171.0 204 93 20 70 117 4.89 8 11 10.74 3.68 6.16 1993 ROC 85.7 108 51 12 37 59 5.36 4 6 11.35 3.89 6.20 1994 RIC 136.0 162 80 21 42 102 5.29 5 10 10.72 2.78 6.75 1995 EDM 34.3 47 28 7 17 17 7.34 1 3 12.32 4.46 4.46 1995 CAN 10.3 8 3 0 4 3 2.61 1 0 6.97 3.48 2.61 1995 BUF 37.3 38 15 1 11 23 3.62 2 2 9.16 2.65 5.54Journeyman AAA pitcher.
CASEY WHITTEN 1972 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 WTT 72.3 97 48 17 24 46 5.97 2 6 12.07 2.99 5.72 1994 KIN 143.7 142 83 28 72 109 5.20 6 10 8.90 4.51 6.83 1995 CAN 107.7 120 55 16 38 78 4.60 5 7 10.03 3.18 6.52
SLIM WILLIAMS 1965 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 PHX 147.3 180 98 23 93 64 5.99 5 11 11.00 5.68 3.91 1993 ORL 83.0 94 35 4 42 53 3.80 5 4 10.19 4.55 5.75 1993 IOW 74.0 77 29 4 40 49 3.53 5 3 9.36 4.86 5.96 1994 OTT 93.3 111 56 6 56 52 5.40 4 6 10.70 5.40 5.01 1995 NOR 99.3 104 48 4 64 83 4.35 5 6 9.42 5.80 7.52 1995 ROC 11.7 22 12 0 10 11 9.26 0 1 16.97 7.71 8.49Also known as Jimmy Williams, his control problems have kept him in the minors. Just around to flesh out the organization.