Baseball Prospectus 1996
What do baseball owners want to do? Make money, and as long as that's being accomplished, perhaps win a few games. Well, to make money, it's usually a pretty good idea to get people through the turnstiles, then charge them four bucks for beer that's as appealing as Danny DeVito's "personal" lint. So how did the Yankees set about this daunting task? By deriding the neighborhood around the park, of course. "It's not safe!" "There's no parking!" "Muggers, murderers and rapists, oh my!" Hell, sign me up for a game or two. Live the adventure. Come to a Yankee Game! Stab wound? You're in for half price!
Of course, all this is just the ceremonial whining before the team threatens to move, extorts the local taxpayers and builds a new stadium/movie theater/tanning booth. So we'll let that one ride for now. How about personnel moves? "We're very proud to add Darryl Strawberry and Ruben Sierra to the Yankee Family of Stars." Do I really need to comment on this? Sierra's an expensive lump of flesh, sinew, and baldness, and Strawberry, although once a great hitter, is on the bad side of 32, and hasn't played enough to keep his once formidable skills. But hey, we're winning, right?
Hey, is that Joe Torre I see on the horizon? Boy, he's certainly a big step up over, um, Showalter, isn't he? I mean, he turned a promising catcher into an ignorable 3B, managed to allow pitchers to maintain their injury histories, and um, well, did lots of neat stuff.
I won't even get into five bonus years of Don "Albatross" Mattingly. At least not yet. Perhaps I'll mention him in the player section below. In fact, I think I'd bet on it.
Sometimes, organizations are able to overcome their own incompetence. The Yankees have spent several years concentrating on what their prospects can't do, rather than what they can. Billy Masse sat in favor of Luis Polonia. Dave Silvestri was sent packing to free up shortstop time for Tony Fernandez. Just like a bunch of other organizations, the Yankees have been exceedingly risk-averse, choosing guaranteed dishwater over potential champagne.
Despite their aversion to youth, however, the Yankees are again bursting with talent. Derek Jeter looks to lead a new breed of shortstops he's probably as good as all the hype. In addition to being a "tools" player, Ruben Rivera appears to actually have a fair amount of talent, and you can't swing a dead cat in the Yankees' farm system without hitting three live arms.
At the time of this writing, the Yankees signed Wade Boggs to a 2-year deal, which is probably a smart, if a bit expensive move. The Yankees have decent prospects at several positions, and looking at some of the other teams, I would expect they're the envy of most organizations. Of course, knowing Joe Torre, he'll manage to send Derek Jeter down for some much needed "seasoning" and talk the Jim Frey clone of the month in the GM chair to trade for David Howard, Mike Bordick, and tickets to "Cats."
RICHARD BARNWELL 1968 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 FTL 311 87 9 1 8 34 16 5 .280 .351 .392 .268 83 43 1992 ABY 449 115 21 5 2 40 33 13 .256 .317 .339 .240 108 49 1993 ABY 468 128 17 4 9 63 22 9 .274 .360 .385 .267 125 65 1994 ABY 221 51 7 2 3 12 6 2 .231 .270 .321 .211 47 17 1994 COH 113 20 0 1 1 11 7 2 .177 .250 .221 .168 19 6 1995 COH 129 26 2 1 1 12 6 2 .202 .270 .256 .189 24 8
TODD BENZINGER 1963 OF/1B/Occupant of Space YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CIN 124 24 3 2 1 10 2 0 .194 .254 .274 .183 23 7 1991 KCR 294 91 14 3 2 17 3 6 .310 .347 .398 .260 77 36 1992 LAD 298 79 16 2 6 17 2 4 .265 .305 .393 .242 72 32 1993 SFG 179 54 5 2 6 13 0 0 .302 .349 .453 .280 50 26 1994 SFG 327 89 10 2 8 17 2 1 .272 .308 .388 .246 80 36 1995 COH 49 12 1 0 1 2 0 0 .245 .275 .327 .210 10 4Has capitalized on every opportunity he's had to demonstrate he can't play this game. A low average, no power guy who can play 1B or the corner outfield spots. "We'll call you." Any sane GM.
WADE BOGGS 1958 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 BRS 549 192 39 3 8 87 2 2 .350 .439 .475 .323 177 106 1992 BRS 517 143 22 4 8 72 1 3 .277 .365 .381 .265 137 68 1993 NYY 562 182 19 2 2 70 0 1 .324 .399 .375 .281 158 79 1994 NYY 362 128 15 1 8 57 2 1 .354 .442 .467 .323 117 70 1995 NYY 450 148 18 3 3 68 1 1 .329 .417 .402 .296 133 72 1996 PRJ 528 169 17 2 6 101 1 1 .320 .429 .394 .299 158 88Will probably have some delicious Cajun-saut‚ed chicken and mushrooms the night before he enters the Hall of Fame. Not only a very gifted player, but one who has obviously worked extremely hard to improve with the bat and the glove. Smart hitter, smart fielder, durable, and tough. He and Rickey Henderson have been dueling for the "Player of the Generation" honors for about ten years. Spent too long in the minors, due to frightening levels of cognitive dissonance.
ROGER BURNETT 1970 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ONE 236 49 4 1 2 7 1 2 .208 .230 .258 .158 37 9 1992 PRW 348 55 8 2 0 17 1 2 .158 .197 .193 .078 27 3 1993 PRW 54 9 0 0 1 5 1 0 .167 .237 .222 .149 8 2 1993 SBR 240 54 6 0 4 13 2 1 .225 .265 .300 .196 47 16 1994 ABY 199 38 5 1 0 12 1 2 .191 .237 .226 .143 28 6 1995 NRW 366 81 9 1 3 21 3 2 .221 .264 .276 .186 68 21
BUBBA CARPENTER 1969 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PRW 244 62 7 1 5 28 2 1 .254 .331 .352 .243 59 27 1992 PRW 250 70 10 1 3 27 3 2 .280 .350 .364 .255 64 30 1992 ABY 228 53 7 3 5 21 2 2 .232 .297 .355 .228 52 22 1993 ABY 53 15 2 0 2 6 1 1 .283 .356 .434 .274 15 8 1993 COH 201 51 5 0 4 26 2 2 .254 .339 .338 .241 48 22 1994 ABY 386 103 9 1 9 47 7 3 .267 .346 .365 .255 98 47 1995 COH 372 82 8 2 8 36 11 4 .220 .289 .317 .217 81 32Why does Bubba work in the minors while Todd Benzinger bounces from $300K contract to $300K contract? Damned if I know. Bubba deserves a shot, and I can't help but root for a guy named Bubba.
NICK DELVECCHIO 1970 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 ONE 253 57 5 1 6 24 0 0 .225 .292 .324 .216 55 21 1993 GRB 498 114 13 1 13 55 2 2 .229 .306 .337 .226 113 47 1994 TAM 96 26 1 0 6 9 0 0 .271 .333 .469 .276 27 14 1995 NRW 447 121 17 2 18 60 2 1 .271 .357 .438 .277 124 66 1996 PRJ 582 162 24 1 18 108 4 2 .278 .391 .416 .287 167 93I'm sorry, but sometimes my own projection system is just on drugs. Andy Van Slyke had no prayer of doing what Vlad thought in 1995, and Nick DelVecchio just ain't gonna do that. No chance.
MARIANO DUNCAN 1963 IF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CIN 335 89 6 3 13 12 5 3 .266 .291 .418 .247 83 38 1992 PHI 581 168 42 3 11 21 24 3 .289 .314 .429 .266 155 76 1993 PHI 494 140 23 3 10 14 7 5 .283 .303 .403 .248 123 55 1994 PHI 347 96 19 1 7 17 12 2 .277 .310 .398 .255 88 41 1995 CIN 69 21 3 1 2 5 0 1 .304 .351 .464 .279 19 10 1995 PHI 194 55 10 1 2 0 1 2 .284 .284 .376 .231 45 18 1996 PRJ 403 109 18 1 8 15 4 5 .270 .297 .380 .237 96 41Stop the presses. In each of the team sections, there's at least one baffling acquisition. The Pirates have more than their share. Drew 0 walks in almost 200 AB with the Phillies. If there's one thing every team needs, it's a modern-day Rob Picciolo.
ROBERT EENHOORN 1968 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PRW 111 23 3 1 1 10 0 0 .207 .273 .279 .190 21 7 1992 FTL 209 57 4 1 4 17 4 1 .273 .327 .359 .247 52 23 1992 ABY 200 46 9 2 1 8 2 1 .230 .260 .310 .198 40 14 1993 ABY 315 81 16 2 5 16 2 3 .257 .293 .368 .231 73 30 1994 COH 343 76 5 1 4 11 2 2 .222 .246 .277 .176 61 18 1995 COH 315 70 7 2 4 18 2 3 .222 .264 .295 .192 60 20
KEVIN ELSTER 1965 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 NYM 353 90 18 2 6 40 2 2 .255 .331 .368 .247 87 40 1993 SAN 40 11 0 1 0 3 0 0 .275 .326 .325 .233 9 4 1994 ABY 138 31 4 0 2 17 1 0 .225 .310 .297 .216 30 12 1995 OMA 42 9 3 0 0 4 0 0 .214 .283 .286 .197 8 3 1995 PHI 53 11 3 1 1 6 0 0 .208 .288 .358 .224 12 5Greg Gagne lite. Greg makes $5,467,196 from the Dodgers, and Kevin doesn't. If there's one thing that jumps out at you while looking through this myriad of players, it's the role of plain ol' luck.
TONY FERNANDEZ 1962 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SDP 570 168 30 5 4 55 22 8 .295 .357 .386 .268 153 76 1992 SDP 627 182 35 4 5 60 21 18 .290 .352 .383 .259 163 79 1993 NYM 174 40 4 2 1 25 6 2 .230 .327 .293 .226 39 17 1993 TOR 349 107 16 9 3 29 18 7 .307 .360 .430 .281 98 52 1994 CIN 364 103 15 5 7 44 14 7 .283 .360 .409 .273 99 52 1995 NYY 380 95 15 2 4 38 8 7 .250 .318 .332 .230 87 37 1996 PRJ 454 118 16 3 3 39 8 9 .260 .318 .328 .229 104 43My prescription: keep this guy out of New York. The Hudson River is killing him much more quickly than it is the rest of the residents. Check out that dropoff when located in Le Pomme. He goes from being a good hitting shortstop to being Ozzie Guillen. (Well, maybe not that bad, but he still rots )
MIKE FIGGA 1971 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PRW 179 31 2 0 3 12 1 1 .173 .225 .235 .141 25 6 1992 FTL 253 39 7 0 2 11 2 1 .154 .189 .206 .091 23 3 1993 SBR 303 68 7 1 14 6 1 2 .224 .239 .393 .216 66 26 1994 TAM 423 110 9 2 15 17 2 0 .260 .289 .397 .241 102 45 1995 NRW 412 115 15 3 12 34 1 0 .279 .334 .417 .264 109 53
CARLTON FLEMING 1972 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 GRB 244 65 3 1 0 21 4 3 .266 .325 .287 .220 54 21 1993 PRW 457 113 6 2 0 64 14 6 .247 .340 .269 .224 102 42 1994 ABY 386 84 4 1 1 42 15 6 .218 .294 .241 .193 75 25 1995 NRW 129 39 2 1 0 9 4 2 .302 .348 .333 .248 32 14 1995 COH 86 16 5 0 0 7 0 1 .186 .247 .244 .156 13 3
ANDY FOX 1971 SS/3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PRW 433 89 12 1 8 59 9 7 .206 .301 .293 .209 90 35 1992 PRW 488 102 10 1 5 41 18 9 .209 .270 .264 .189 92 31 1993 ABY 238 60 9 1 3 26 8 4 .252 .326 .336 .238 57 25 1994 ABY 481 98 14 1 8 50 18 8 .204 .279 .287 .201 97 36 1995 NRW 180 39 2 3 5 15 7 1 .217 .277 .344 .224 40 17 1995 COH 299 95 12 3 7 38 18 3 .318 .395 .448 .304 91 53Has earned his trial, certainly. Last year looks like a fluke, but flukes at age 24 have been known to be "massive improvements" when viewed with the distance of a few years. If he can play 2B, he may find his way onto the Yankee roster, or could possibly help another team. Skills are almost all secondary. Kind of a new version of Dave Silvestri, but with less power.
JOE GIRARDI 1965 "C" YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 IOW 36 7 1 0 0 4 2 0 .194 .275 .222 .186 7 2 1991 CHC 47 9 3 0 0 6 0 0 .191 .283 .255 .184 9 3 1992 CHC 274 81 2 1 2 21 0 2 .296 .346 .332 .242 66 28 1993 CSP 28 11 1 0 1 0 1 0 .393 .393 .536 .328 9 5 1993 COL 289 74 11 3 3 22 6 4 .256 .309 .346 .232 67 28 1994 COL 323 85 7 3 3 21 3 3 .263 .308 .331 .226 73 29 1995 COL 449 106 11 2 6 28 3 3 .236 .281 .310 .206 93 33 1996 PRJ 407 105 13 0 5 25 0 1 .258 .301 .327 .222 90 35When I spellchecked this document, one of the potential replacements for Girardi was "giardia", an infection often caused by the accidental ingestion of bacteria from beaver feces. But anyway this organization has the chutzpah to lose Mike Stanley, arguably one of the top two or three catchers in the AL, replace him with this out with a pulse, and call it "improvement behind the plate." On some level, you have to admire the gall. A truly execrable hitter. He'd have to save 50 runs a year over an average catcher to be worth the roster spot, much less the money. This man's agent should go into the Hall of Fame right now.
LEW HILL 1969 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 GRB 443 83 7 1 5 44 15 8 .187 .261 .242 .173 77 23 1992 GRB 383 104 7 3 11 19 13 8 .272 .306 .392 .246 94 43 1993 PRW 466 101 12 1 8 22 9 4 .217 .252 .298 .192 89 30 1994 ABY 261 56 7 1 7 19 3 3 .215 .268 .330 .206 54 20 1995 COH 142 34 2 0 3 5 6 4 .239 .265 .317 .206 29 11
ROBERT HINDS 1971 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 ONE 276 60 3 1 1 23 8 4 .217 .278 .246 .184 51 16 1993 GRB 517 91 6 2 1 48 23 11 .176 .246 .201 .149 77 19 1994 TAM 409 108 9 2 2 25 17 7 .264 .306 .311 .225 92 37 1995 NRW 460 116 7 1 1 39 22 8 .252 .311 .278 .217 100 39
TROY HUGHES 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 MCN 415 105 14 1 7 20 10 7 .253 .287 .342 .222 92 37 1992 DUR 459 98 10 2 10 36 8 4 .214 .271 .309 .203 93 34 1993 GRN 382 90 13 2 10 35 5 2 .236 .300 .359 .232 89 38 1994 GRN 90 26 2 0 3 10 3 0 .289 .360 .411 .279 25 13 1994 RIC 230 46 5 1 1 25 5 2 .200 .278 .243 .182 42 13 1995 GRN 200 45 5 1 4 15 3 4 .225 .279 .320 .207 41 15 1995 NRW 57 19 1 1 1 3 0 2 .333 .367 .439 .272 16 8
DION JAMES 1963 OF/PH YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 NYY 145 40 6 0 4 21 1 0 .276 .367 .400 .273 40 21 1993 NYY 344 122 18 2 7 29 0 0 .355 .405 .480 .311 107 60 1995 NYY 207 61 4 1 1 17 5 1 .295 .348 .338 .252 52 23 1996 PRJ 268 75 9 1 5 27 3 1 .280 .346 .377 .259 69 33This, not Dave Hansen, is the sort of guy who should be coming off the bench to poke line drives. Really looks awkward with the glove in the OF, and doesn't hit enough to keep a DH job. Kind of a super-deluxe version of Gerald Perry.
DEREK JETER 1974 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 GRB 39 8 1 0 0 5 0 0 .205 .295 .231 .181 7 2 1993 GRB 524 123 8 5 4 38 9 5 .235 .286 .292 .204 107 38 1994 TAM 295 91 11 5 2 18 19 2 .308 .348 .400 .276 82 41 1994 ABY 124 44 5 2 1 12 9 2 .355 .412 .452 .313 39 22 1994 COH 126 41 4 1 2 17 9 3 .325 .406 .421 .299 38 22 1995 COH 481 135 20 5 2 55 18 8 .281 .354 .356 .257 124 59 1995 NYY 48 12 4 1 0 2 0 0 .250 .280 .375 .229 11 5 1996 PRJ 515 155 19 9 4 43 12 2 .301 .355 .396 .271 140 69Another young turk shortstop, and most definitely the real thing. Does everything well except walk, and he's shown flashes of doing that for a few weeks at a time. Will win an AL batting title right around the turn of the century or so, and twenty years from now, people will be arguing over whether or not he or Rodriguez was a better player. Supposedly has a problem making the long throw from the hole to first, but who cares, and how much of problem is that anyway? I've seen him make that throw, and I don't see an appreciable difference between his arm and a dozen other shortstops.
JIM LEYRITZ 1964 C/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 COH 270 69 15 1 10 29 1 1 .256 .328 .430 .263 71 36 1991 NYY 77 15 3 0 0 13 0 1 .195 .311 .234 .187 14 5 1992 NYY 144 38 4 0 8 14 0 1 .264 .329 .458 .269 39 20 1993 NYY 260 86 12 1 14 35 0 0 .331 .410 .546 .326 85 53 1994 NYY 248 69 10 1 15 32 0 0 .278 .361 .508 .296 73 43 1995 NYY 260 71 8 1 6 34 1 1 .273 .357 .381 .262 68 33 1996 PRJ 383 100 15 1 11 48 1 0 .261 .343 .392 .261 100 49A poor man's Mickey Tettleton a great hitter for a catcher, but can't really catch very well. Can fill in 1B or DH. A good player to have as insurance and to use as a DH/PH. Should have a couple of good years left before he turns into either a pumpkin or Dan Pasqua.
MATT LUKE 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 ONE 279 54 7 3 1 12 2 1 .194 .227 .251 .154 43 10 1993 GRB 557 135 14 2 14 28 6 2 .242 .279 .350 .222 123 49 1994 TAM 226 67 6 1 14 22 3 1 .296 .359 .518 .299 68 39 1994 ABY 240 64 6 1 6 22 5 3 .267 .328 .375 .249 60 28 1995 NRW 374 98 12 3 8 14 5 3 .262 .289 .374 .233 87 37 1995 COH 76 21 3 1 2 2 1 1 .276 .295 .421 .248 19 9
KEVIN MAAS 1965 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 NYY 501 117 14 1 23 82 6 1 .234 .341 .403 .262 131 68 1992 NYY 286 74 11 1 11 24 3 1 .259 .316 .420 .257 74 36 1993 COH 105 28 4 0 3 17 0 1 .267 .369 .390 .266 28 14 1993 NYY 151 33 5 0 9 24 1 1 .219 .326 .430 .259 39 20 1994 IND 281 80 12 1 16 27 2 3 .285 .347 .505 .289 81 46 1994 LVG 87 18 2 1 3 7 1 0 .207 .266 .356 .218 19 8 1995 COH 160 41 5 1 7 20 0 0 .256 .339 .431 .268 43 22 1995 MIN 57 11 4 0 1 6 0 0 .193 .270 .316 .201 11 4 1996 PRJ 245 56 6 1 8 29 0 0 .229 .310 .359 .235 58 25A highly entertaining player to watch. Studied at the Dick Stuart school of infield defense, the Rob Deer school of hitting, and the Dudley Do-Right school of jawbone. Worse players have jobs.
TINO MARTINEZ 1968 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CLG 422 116 19 2 13 64 3 2 .275 .370 .422 .278 118 63 1991 SEA 112 24 3 0 4 11 0 0 .214 .285 .348 .220 25 10 1992 SEA 462 125 19 2 17 40 2 1 .271 .329 .431 .265 122 61 1993 SEA 406 112 19 1 18 42 1 3 .276 .344 .461 .276 112 60 1994 SEA 324 84 15 1 17 25 1 2 .259 .312 .469 .266 86 44 1995 SEA 512 153 33 3 27 55 0 0 .299 .367 .533 .305 156 92 1996 PRJ 592 165 32 2 29 57 0 0 .279 .342 .486 .285 169 93An interesting acquisition. Has the burden of following Don Mattingly, which would have been a curse in 1985, but is just a relief now. Very impressive glovework. Watch him play defense when there's a runner on first. Gets lower to the ground than most first basemen, and gets his hips in position almost as if he were playing the outfield. All that, and his bat won't kill you. The short porch in Yankee Stadium may keep his HR totals up over 25, but he's unlikely to perform at quite the same level he did in '95 with the bat. Had a big reverse platoon split in '95 he hit like Mark McGwire vs. lefties.
BILLY MASSE 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ABY 364 101 10 1 11 57 6 3 .277 .375 .401 .276 100 53 1992 COH 362 93 9 2 10 46 7 5 .257 .341 .376 .253 92 44 1993 COH 407 124 23 2 15 74 17 6 .305 .412 .482 .312 127 79 1994 COH 222 53 10 0 4 27 2 5 .239 .321 .338 .229 51 22 1995 COH 165 33 4 1 3 21 3 2 .200 .290 .291 .204 34 13 1996 PRJ 331 89 14 2 8 41 6 4 .269 .349 .396 .264 87 44Should have been in Yankee Stadium instead of Luis Polonia. No longer really has a shot at being a regular, but might catch on as a fourth outfielder. That sentence has never been more true than now. Thanks to Coors Field, Gary Coleman can potentially get lucky and get a 4th OF spot.
DON MATTINGLY 1961 1B/Icon YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 NYY 589 179 25 2 10 44 3 0 .304 .352 .404 .270 159 77 1992 NYY 640 191 29 2 17 37 3 0 .298 .337 .430 .270 173 85 1993 NYY 532 165 26 2 17 58 0 0 .310 .378 .462 .294 156 86 1994 NYY 369 116 16 1 4 56 0 0 .314 .405 .396 .288 106 57 1995 NYY 453 134 27 2 5 34 0 2 .296 .345 .397 .262 119 56 1996 PRJ 297 83 16 0 6 32 0 0 .279 .350 .394 .264 78 38Back injuries. Has become a drag on the team, and has been for years. Everyone, myself included, would love to see him get a ring, but if he gets one now, it won't be as a starter, and probably not as a Yankee. Yankee fans don't want to hear this, but he probably wasn't ever the best player on his own team. Overrated, but a class act.
Despite the above, which is all true, Mattingly was a joy to watch for years. He remained above the late '80s/early '90s morass that was Yankee baseball, and even when the back injuries had taken away most of his ability, gave fans like me a reason to come to the Stadium. Thanks for the memories, Don.--ed.
KEVIN NORTHRUP 1970 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 JAM 75 19 2 1 2 5 4 1 .253 .300 .387 .248 19 9 1993 WPB 474 132 14 1 9 56 7 4 .278 .355 .369 .259 123 59 1994 HAR 341 101 11 1 7 27 5 2 .296 .348 .396 .265 90 44 1994 OTT 104 29 6 1 2 14 2 0 .279 .364 .413 .278 29 15 1995 SLU 65 17 1 1 0 2 1 1 .262 .284 .308 .208 14 5 1995 HAR 154 45 7 0 2 7 0 1 .292 .323 .377 .247 38 17 1995 EDM 43 6 2 0 0 5 0 0 .140 .229 .186 .106 5 1 1996 PRJ 298 84 13 2 5 29 2 1 .282 .346 .389 .282 78 38This guy can play, if he gets the shot. He's not going to be a star, but he'll be Joe Orsulak or Dave Gallagher for a lot less money, and has a potential upside that could make him a lot of money. A Rule V ping pong ball at this point, not unlike Doug Jennings.
PAUL O'NEILL 1963 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CIN 537 143 29 1 30 73 12 6 .266 .354 .492 .289 155 90 1992 CIN 505 136 17 1 18 81 6 3 .269 .370 .414 .277 140 75 1993 NYY 500 165 28 2 21 41 3 4 .330 .381 .520 .308 154 89 1994 NYY 363 135 19 1 18 68 6 5 .372 .471 .579 .357 129 88 1995 NYY 452 138 28 4 18 65 1 2 .305 .393 .504 .308 139 83 1996 PRJ 528 148 24 1 22 72 3 3 .280 .367 .455 .285 151 83A rare player whose peak came late in life, and a fine ballplayer. His career from here on out will look a bit like Harold Baines at the same age. Kills right-handed pitching, drops off significantly against lefties.
TONY PEREZCHICA 1966 IF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PHX 187 49 6 1 7 13 1 0 .262 .310 .417 .255 48 23 1991 SFG 49 13 4 1 0 2 0 1 .265 .294 .388 .233 11 5 1992 CSP 70 11 0 0 2 2 1 1 .157 .181 .243 .117 8 1 1994 ABY 168 54 6 3 6 11 1 1 .321 .363 .500 .297 50 28 1994 COH 102 28 4 2 2 6 2 1 .275 .315 .412 .255 26 12 1995 COH 355 82 9 2 5 16 3 2 .231 .264 .310 .200 71 24
JORGE POSADA 1972 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 GRB 353 87 12 1 9 41 6 3 .246 .325 .363 .244 86 40 1993 PRW 423 99 15 1 10 53 12 4 .234 .319 .345 .238 101 45 1994 COH 314 71 8 2 8 27 5 4 .226 .287 .341 .220 69 28 1995 COH 367 85 22 2 7 48 4 3 .232 .320 .360 .239 88 40 1996 PRJ 401 100 19 3 13 43 4 2 .249 .322 .409 .256 103 50There are worse catching prospects...in front of him on the depth chart.
TIM RAINES 1960 LF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CWS 612 173 19 5 5 82 65 16 .283 .367 .355 .272 167 88 1992 CWS 559 178 23 10 8 80 49 6 .318 .404 .438 .309 173 103 1993 CWS 412 130 14 4 15 61 25 6 .316 .404 .478 .312 129 78 1994 CWS 380 103 11 4 8 56 15 0 .271 .365 .384 .274 104 55 1995 CWS 498 147 20 4 10 64 17 2 .295 .375 .412 .284 142 76 1996 PRJ 548 156 22 5 15 105 22 1 .285 .400 .426 .299 164 96One of the seven or eight best left fielders to ever play the game, and that's pretty impressive when you consider he's spent time in center and at second. Rickey Henderson lite, and that's a darn shame, because it may keep him out of the Hall of Fame. Second- or third- best basestealer I've ever seen, behind Eric Davis. Rickey Henderson was probably a bit better, because he'd try to steal all the time, everyone knew he'd go, and he still stole 75%+; but Raines picked his spots better, and the turf probably hurt his legs a bit. Good acquisition for another team; in New York, I'm not convinced he's going to help more in the short term than Rivera.
RUBEN RIVERA 1974 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 ONE 208 49 2 2 7 22 6 3 .236 .309 .365 .238 50 22 1994 GRB 411 109 11 1 18 35 22 4 .265 .323 .428 .269 110 57 1994 TAM 135 33 3 1 5 6 9 3 .244 .277 .393 .240 32 15 1995 NRW 266 80 13 6 8 30 15 7 .301 .372 .485 .296 79 46 1995 COH 173 44 6 1 11 23 8 3 .254 .342 .491 .285 49 29 1996 PRJ 561 151 26 5 20 54 27 5 .269 .333 .440 .275 162 84I don't know anyone that doesn't think this guy's going to be nearly as good as the hype. You may include me in that bunch. Steady improvement, 22 this year, will take a walk, and hits the snot out of the ball.
JASON ROBERTSON 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PRW 528 123 15 4 3 34 18 6 .233 .279 .294 .206 109 40 1992 PRW 263 56 2 2 4 23 9 4 .213 .276 .281 .198 52 18 1992 ABY 208 44 10 1 3 8 7 2 .212 .241 .312 .196 41 14 1993 ABY 487 102 21 2 5 34 24 8 .209 .261 .292 .199 97 35 1994 ABY 440 89 6 4 8 40 16 7 .202 .269 .289 .197 87 31 1995 NRW 470 131 21 7 7 32 18 10 .279 .325 .398 .256 120 58
MARC RONAN 1970 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SAV 355 67 7 1 0 21 4 1 .189 .234 .214 .139 49 10 1992 SPR 382 66 9 1 4 13 2 2 .173 .200 .233 .123 47 8 1993 STP 87 24 1 0 1 5 0 0 .276 .315 .322 .228 20 8 1993 ARK 284 55 8 1 5 23 1 2 .194 .254 .282 .180 51 16 1994 LOU 266 58 6 1 2 11 3 1 .218 .249 .271 .178 47 14 1995 LOU 223 42 5 0 0 14 5 3 .188 .236 .211 .141 31 7Name sounds a bit like John Orton. Coincidence?
TATE SEEFRIED 1972 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ONE 271 53 5 0 5 18 6 2 .196 .246 .269 .177 48 14 1992 GRB 547 117 11 2 14 33 5 4 .214 .259 .318 .199 109 38 1993 PRW 474 112 12 2 13 39 7 5 .236 .294 .352 .227 108 45 1994 ABY 452 98 9 1 19 38 2 3 .217 .278 .367 .222 101 42 1995 NRW 283 66 13 1 5 24 0 1 .233 .293 .339 .221 62 25 1995 COH 109 16 3 0 1 1 0 0 .147 .155 .202 **** -6 0 1996 PRJ 392 91 10 1 15 26 5 4 .232 .280 .378 .229 90 38There are certainly worse 1B prospects. Lee Stevens. That steady .22X EqA speaks volumes, but he's young enough to improve, I guess.
RUBEN SIERRA 1966 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TEX 666 217 43 5 26 54 20 4 .326 .376 .523 .311 207 122 1992 OAK 102 30 5 1 3 14 2 0 .294 .379 .451 .294 30 17 1992 TEX 505 150 30 6 16 29 13 4 .297 .335 .475 .282 142 76 1993 OAK 633 158 21 6 22 48 30 5 .250 .302 .406 .254 161 78 1994 OAK 426 119 19 1 20 18 10 6 .279 .309 .469 .268 114 58 1995 NYY 213 57 11 1 6 19 1 0 .268 .328 .413 .260 55 27 1995 OAK 265 75 16 1 11 20 5 5 .283 .333 .475 .276 73 39 1996 PRJ 587 169 24 3 24 36 11 5 .288 .329 .462 .275 162 84I can't be even slightly objective here. Was the majority of the sack of wet mice acquired by the Oakland A's in exchange for Jose Canseco on Aug. 31, 1992. Anything other than the most superficial of analyses indicated that acquiring him would be a disaster, and then the A's justified the move by signing him for $1M less per annum than Barry Bonds. A lousy fielder, and occasionally decides that he's going to swing at a particular pitch when he's still in the on-deck circle.
DARRYL STRAWBERRY 1962 OF/DH YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 LAD 516 148 21 4 30 75 10 7 .287 .377 .517 .303 156 95 1992 LAD 160 43 7 0 7 20 3 1 .269 .350 .444 .277 44 24 1993 LAD 101 15 1 0 5 15 1 0 .149 .259 .307 .194 20 7 1994 SFG 92 23 4 1 3 19 0 3 .250 .378 .413 .268 25 13 1995 COH 83 23 2 1 5 13 1 1 .277 .375 .506 .298 25 15 1995 NYY 86 24 2 1 3 9 0 0 .279 .347 .430 .272 23 12 1996 PRJ 287 74 5 0 15 38 0 0 .258 .345 .432 .271 78 41Can still help a team a little. If he gets 300 PA, the last 150 will surprise people.
PAUL THOUTSIS 1965 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 NBR 334 77 17 2 4 20 1 3 .231 .274 .329 .208 70 26 1993 NBR 216 58 7 1 1 22 0 1 .269 .336 .324 .236 51 21 1993 PAW 213 61 4 1 3 22 1 1 .286 .353 .357 .254 54 25 1994 PAW 303 61 6 1 7 32 2 0 .201 .278 .297 .200 61 22 1995 COH 129 24 2 1 0 4 1 0 .186 .211 .217 .124 16 3
BRIAN TURNER 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 GRB 439 94 9 1 5 37 4 5 .214 .275 .273 .188 83 27 1992 FTL 467 96 9 1 7 39 3 4 .206 .267 .274 .184 86 27 1993 SBR 393 103 9 1 13 28 2 1 .262 .311 .389 .246 97 44 1994 TAM 428 97 13 1 11 53 2 1 .227 .312 .339 .230 98 42 1995 NRW 321 96 17 2 4 18 3 2 .299 .336 .402 .261 84 40 1996 PRJ 373 99 19 2 16 42 4 3 .265 .340 .456 .275 103 55
BERNIE WILLIAMS 1969 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 COH 305 84 10 3 8 29 9 6 .275 .338 .407 .261 80 40 1991 NYY 321 80 19 4 3 47 13 5 .249 .345 .361 .254 82 40 1992 COH 369 110 18 7 7 46 19 7 .298 .376 .442 .289 107 60 1992 NYY 261 76 14 2 5 28 8 6 .291 .360 .418 .272 71 37 1993 NYY 569 163 30 5 11 50 12 9 .286 .344 .415 .266 151 76 1994 NYY 406 122 24 1 10 56 20 10 .300 .385 .438 .290 118 67 1995 NYY 554 173 25 8 15 67 10 7 .312 .386 .468 .297 164 93 1996 PRJ 562 174 39 5 19 88 22 15 .310 .403 .498 .309 174 107I wrote in 1991 that "The Yankees should lock this guy up to a seven year deal for a million bucks a year." They had their chance; unless he shares an agent with Jody Reed, that won't happen now. Can do it all, and does it all well. Some clown on usenet at the time was trying to convince me that Gerald Williams was the real prospect because of all that power and speed. For the nth time, folks, you can't outrun age. If someone can hit major league pitching even passably well at 21 or 22, he's probably gonna be a good one.
GERALD WILLIAMS 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ABY 178 48 9 0 5 12 12 6 .270 .316 .404 .255 45 22 1991 COH 198 48 6 2 2 11 8 3 .242 .282 .323 .218 43 17 1992 COH 552 153 23 4 14 33 35 13 .277 .318 .409 .260 144 71 1993 COH 336 89 15 3 6 19 28 10 .265 .304 .381 .249 84 40 1993 NYY 67 11 2 3 0 1 3 0 .164 .176 .284 .159 11 3 1994 NYY 86 26 6 0 4 3 1 4 .302 .326 .512 .272 23 12 1995 NYY 180 45 17 2 5 20 5 2 .250 .325 .450 .268 48 26Good spare part to have. Can help a team as a defensive sub or a PH, and has good speed. Not a great basestealer, though.
THOMAS WILSON 1971 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ONE 250 46 6 1 2 20 2 2 .184 .244 .240 .156 39 10 1992 GRB 412 73 9 1 5 49 1 0 .177 .265 .240 .168 69 20 1993 GRB 409 82 6 1 7 65 1 2 .200 .310 .271 .204 83 31 1994 ALB 414 90 11 1 5 47 4 4 .217 .297 .285 .204 84 31 1995 TAM 50 7 0 0 0 8 1 0 .140 .259 .140 .111 6 1 1995 NRW 87 13 3 0 0 15 0 0 .149 .275 .184 .143 12 3 1995 COH 62 14 2 1 0 8 0 0 .226 .314 .290 .214 13 5
Organizational Pitching Report
OPR Points: 25 Rank in MLB: 15th (T) Rank in AL East: 4th
Name Lvl Age IP Work H/G K/BB K/G ERA Adj Ttl Grade Ricken, Ray 3 3 9 -1 8 5 6 5 -1 37 A Drews, Matt 3 5 9 -1 6 5 3 5 -2 33 B Wallace, Kent 7 0 7 0 3 6 2 3 -1 27 C- Medina, Rafael 1 3 6 0 4 5 8 2 -1 27 C- Schlomann, B 0 3 9 0 3 5 6 2 -1 27 C- Ojala, Kirt 8 -1 7 0 3 4 3 2 0 26 D+ Musselwhite, J 6 1 6 0 2 6 3 0 0 24 D Beverlin, Jason 0 1 7 0 4 5 4 2 0 23 D- Mendoza, Ramiro 7 1 4 0 3 3 2 3 0 23 D- Shoemaker, S 1 0 4 0 7 1 7 4 -1 23 D- Best Prospect in 1994: Scott Standish (A-) Best Rookie Starter in 1995: Andy Pettite (B-)
JOE AUSANIO 1966 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 BUF 28.3 38 20 5 20 25 6.35 1 2 12.07 6.35 7.94 1992 BUF 80.0 75 40 7 43 69 4.50 4 5 8.44 4.84 7.76 1993 HAR 21.0 20 5 1 4 25 2.14 2 0 8.57 1.71 10.71 1994 COH 58.3 48 21 6 16 63 3.24 4 2 7.41 2.47 9.72 1994 NYY 15.3 17 8 3 5 16 4.70 1 1 9.98 2.93 9.39 1995 COH 10.3 13 10 2 5 17 8.71 0 1 11.32 4.35 14.81 1995 NYY 36.7 45 22 6 21 40 5.40 1 3 11.05 5.15 9.82
BRIAN BOEHRINGER 1969 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 UTI 17.0 18 11 2 9 12 5.82 1 1 9.53 4.76 6.35 1992 SBN 75.3 111 68 14 47 37 8.12 2 6 13.26 5.62 4.42 1993 SAR 107.0 130 67 8 61 81 5.64 4 8 10.93 5.13 6.81 1993 BIR 37.3 48 23 5 16 24 5.54 1 3 11.57 3.86 5.79 1994 ABY 159.3 185 90 15 62 116 5.08 7 11 10.45 3.50 6.55 1995 COH 97.3 113 41 7 35 54 3.79 6 5 10.45 3.24 4.99 1995 NYY 17.0 25 22 5 21 11 11.65 0 2 13.24 11.12 5.82
MIKE BUDDIE 1971 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 ONE 56.3 90 45 7 45 49 7.19 1 5 14.38 7.19 7.83 1993 GRB 140.0 163 134 48 107 93 8.61 3 13 10.48 6.88 5.98 1994 TAM 138.3 158 80 16 73 94 5.20 6 9 10.28 4.75 6.12 1995 NRW 140.0 158 89 8 83 87 5.72 5 11 10.16 5.34 5.59
MARK CARPER 1969 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 FRD 78.3 103 65 12 55 34 7.47 2 7 11.83 6.32 3.91 1992 ABY 68.7 77 32 7 35 31 4.19 4 4 10.09 4.59 4.06 1992 HAG 53.3 68 31 3 42 32 5.23 2 4 11.48 7.09 5.40 1993 ABY 145.7 162 100 16 77 82 6.18 5 11 10.01 4.76 5.07 1994 COH 111.3 135 63 11 51 53 5.09 5 7 10.91 4.12 4.28 1995 COH 99.0 124 62 13 62 58 5.64 4 7 11.27 5.64 5.27
TOMMY CARTER 1970 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 GRB 66.0 92 49 5 33 38 6.68 2 5 12.55 4.50 5.18 1992 FTL 33.0 39 37 7 37 18 10.09 1 3 10.64 10.09 4.91 1993 PRW 130.3 180 95 19 66 72 6.56 4 10 12.43 4.56 4.97 1994 ABY 84.0 143 65 11 30 58 6.96 2 7 15.32 3.21 6.21 1995 NRW 88.7 133 59 6 47 53 5.99 3 7 13.50 4.77 5.38 YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9
BILLY COLEMAN 1969 RRP 1991 ONE 44.7 57 28 5 35 22 5.64 2 3 11.49 7.05 4.43 1992 GRB 64.0 68 47 11 62 43 6.61 2 5 9.56 8.72 6.05 1993 GRB 63.3 71 35 12 26 53 4.97 3 4 10.09 3.69 7.53 1994 TAM 15.7 14 10 3 7 18 5.74 1 1 8.04 4.02 10.34 1994 ABY 22.3 111 47 0 5 10 18.94 0 2 44.73 2.01 4.03 1995 NRW 68.7 55 44 9 60 53 5.77 3 5 7.21 7.86 6.95
DAVID CONE 1963 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 NYM 231.3 201 80 17 75 256 3.11 16 10 7.82 2.92 9.96 1992 NYM 196.0 161 67 17 86 236 3.08 14 8 7.39 3.95 10.84 1992 TOR 52.0 45 17 4 29 57 2.94 4 2 7.79 5.02 9.87 1993 KCR 250.0 220 92 20 108 219 3.31 17 11 7.92 3.89 7.88 1994 KCR 170.0 137 50 12 47 144 2.65 13 6 7.25 2.49 7.62 1995 NYY 98.0 88 36 10 43 99 3.31 7 4 8.08 3.95 9.09 1995 TOR 129.0 115 41 10 34 112 2.86 9 5 8.02 2.37 7.81An exceptionally talented and durable starting pitcher. I'm a bit concerned about those high inning numbers year after year, but some would view that as a positive. Probably the safest bet to be a good pitcher in 1996 besides that guy in Atlanta. Then again, you could have said the same thing about Jose Rijo in 1994, right?
ANDY COOK 1968 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ABY 74.7 110 51 5 24 39 6.15 2 6 13.26 2.89 4.70 1991 COH 74.7 73 38 2 37 39 4.58 3 5 8.80 4.46 4.70 1992 COH 94.3 109 55 12 41 55 5.25 4 6 10.40 3.91 5.25 1993 COH 111.3 161 88 17 55 42 7.11 3 9 13.01 4.45 3.40 1994 COH 75.3 93 34 5 27 44 4.06 4 4 11.11 3.23 5.26 1994 SLC 14.0 16 11 3 4 7 7.07 0 2 10.29 2.57 4.50 1995 COH 53.0 59 25 3 21 26 4.25 3 3 10.02 3.57 4.42Has earned a shot, at the very least. Guys that don't strike out more men than this aren't good long term bets, but once in a while, one of them turns into Steve Ontiveros for a couple of years. Cook's performed well enough to merit a shot at the #5 spot in a rotation somewhere in the league.
DAVE EILAND 1967 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 COH 56.7 64 25 7 3 18 3.97 3 3 10.16 .48 2.86 1991 NYY 72.0 85 40 10 22 20 5.00 3 5 10.62 2.75 2.50 1992 LVG 60.3 77 37 7 8 31 5.52 2 5 11.49 1.19 4.62 1992 SDP 27.0 33 19 3 6 11 6.33 1 2 11.00 2.00 3.67 1993 CHR 33.3 49 25 8 14 12 6.75 1 3 13.23 3.78 3.24 1993 OKL 34.3 36 13 1 9 15 3.41 2 2 9.44 2.36 3.93 1993 SDP 47.3 58 29 6 18 15 5.51 2 3 11.03 3.42 2.85 1994 COH 134.3 151 68 15 33 76 4.56 7 8 10.12 2.21 5.09 1995 COH 102.7 121 46 2 25 58 4.03 5 6 10.61 2.19 5.08 1995 NYY 10.0 17 9 1 2 7 8.10 0 1 15.30 1.80 6.30Control pitcher, has been bumping his strikeout rate up the last couple of years, after bouncing from organization to organization.
RON FRAZIER 1969 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 GRB 153.7 184 91 29 39 78 5.33 6 11 10.78 2.28 4.57 1992 PRW 52.3 64 35 17 12 38 6.02 2 4 11.01 2.06 6.54 1993 PRW 93.7 91 43 9 29 74 4.13 5 5 8.74 2.79 7.11 1993 ABY 74.0 106 45 8 16 54 5.47 3 5 12.89 1.95 6.57 1994 ABY 56.3 59 32 8 23 23 5.11 2 4 9.43 3.67 3.67 1994 COH 98.3 114 54 11 45 56 4.94 4 7 10.43 4.12 5.13 1995 COH 51.0 58 33 5 26 29 5.82 2 4 10.24 4.59 5.12
DWIGHT GOODEN 1965 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 NYM 189.0 183 67 16 57 159 3.19 13 8 8.71 2.71 7.57 1992 NYM 205.7 196 83 17 74 160 3.63 13 10 8.58 3.24 7.00 1993 NYM 206.0 188 80 19 67 157 3.50 13 10 8.21 2.93 6.86 1994 NYM 41.3 46 28 9 15 41 6.10 2 3 10.02 3.27 8.93The time off may have been the best thing ever to happen to him. He's moving into a situation where he could really thrive, and he's only 31 years old. Sometimes arms heal up given the chance. He's moving into a pretty big ballpark (in left) with a CF who can chase the ball down. I certainly hope he stays clean, and I expect he will. Objectively, I think he's got four more years of a sub 3.50 ERA in him, but I don't know when they'll start. I'm predicting a late career shining, and eventually an Hall of Fame career, but I'm in the minority.
STEVE HOWE 1958 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 COH 16.7 14 4 0 8 13 2.16 2 0 7.56 4.32 7.02 1991 NYY 48.0 39 10 1 6 38 1.88 4 1 7.31 1.12 7.12 1992 NYY 21.7 10 2 2 3 14 .83 2 0 4.15 1.25 5.82 1993 NYY 49.7 61 27 7 9 22 4.89 2 4 11.05 1.63 3.99 1994 NYY 39.7 30 7 2 5 20 1.59 3 1 6.81 1.13 4.54 1995 NYY 48.3 70 27 4 14 31 5.03 2 3 13.03 2.61 5.77Wasn't handled particularly well last year; faced 141 right-handed batters and only 80 lefties. When he had a good fastball, that was acceptable; in 1995, right handers hit .376/.448/.584 against him. May have a future in ticket-taking.
MARK HUBBARD 1970 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1994 GRB 132.3 197 85 16 55 90 5.78 5 10 13.40 3.74 6.12 1995 TAM 63.0 67 31 6 24 32 4.43 3 4 9.57 3.43 4.57 1995 NRW 67.7 85 34 3 25 32 4.52 4 4 11.31 3.33 4.26
MARK HUTTON 1970 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 FTL 136.3 131 84 19 75 93 5.55 5 10 8.65 4.95 6.14 1992 ABY 154.0 177 93 14 76 111 5.44 6 11 10.34 4.44 6.49 1993 COH 127.3 107 54 18 60 100 3.82 7 7 7.56 4.24 7.07 1993 NYY 21.7 25 15 2 16 14 6.23 1 1 10.38 6.65 5.82 1994 COH 33.0 33 15 6 13 25 4.09 2 2 9.00 3.55 6.82 1995 COH 49.3 67 49 11 27 21 8.94 1 4 12.22 4.93 3.83A gigantic right-hander, roughly the size of Ted Hendricks. Control comes and goes, and that's really hindered his development. Longshot.
SCOTT KAMIENIECKI 1964 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 COH 72.3 72 28 3 17 57 3.48 5 3 8.96 2.12 7.09 1991 NYY 54.7 53 21 6 21 38 3.46 3 3 8.73 3.46 6.26 1992 COH 12.3 8 2 1 5 11 1.46 1 0 5.84 3.65 8.03 1992 NYY 184.3 205 92 15 72 105 4.49 9 11 10.01 3.52 5.13 1993 NYY 151.3 173 65 13 55 82 3.87 9 8 10.29 3.27 4.88 1994 NYY 115.3 120 44 7 54 77 3.43 7 6 9.36 4.21 6.01 1995 NYY 88.3 89 37 6 45 48 3.77 5 5 9.07 4.58 4.89I don't like the way his career has developed thus far; strikes me as a player who needs a change of scenery. There are a lot of players like this at younger ages; Scott could still bloom into a very good starter, or he could fade. He hasn't been overworked, and watching him pitch, you can tell he really knows what he's doing, so I still think he's a good gamble to have a decent career, perhaps as a swingman in the pen, or a 100-120 inning guy/emergency starter. I expect him to have at least two more good years.
JIMMY KEY 1961 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TOR 205.3 242 89 12 43 147 3.90 12 11 10.61 1.88 6.44 1992 TOR 212.3 232 91 27 58 142 3.86 12 12 9.83 2.46 6.02 1993 NYY 232.7 233 75 23 37 198 2.90 17 9 9.01 1.43 7.66 1994 NYY 165.0 185 57 6 45 106 3.11 11 7 10.09 2.45 5.78 1995 NYY 29.7 43 17 2 4 16 5.16 1 2 13.04 1.21 4.85A very smart pitcher, a la John Tudor. I could have sworn it used to be "Jimmie", though. I'm not convinced his injury will ever fully heal, but he doesn't throw hard enough to dent bread anyway. Just now beginning a probable 18-month transition period in which he tries to heal up and learn to pitch again. He'll make it back for flashes of brilliance, but I don't see him as a reliable starter for at least two or three more years, and it may be too late by then.
JOE LONG 1971 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 GRB 90.7 120 74 21 37 41 7.35 2 8 11.91 3.67 4.07 1994 TAM 44.0 68 29 4 22 17 5.93 2 3 13.91 4.50 3.48 1995 NRW 74.3 107 46 4 49 28 5.57 3 5 12.96 5.93 3.39
JOSIAS MANZANILLO 1968 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 NBR 46.3 41 28 1 29 30 5.44 2 3 7.96 5.63 5.83 1991 PAW 96.0 119 69 18 51 63 6.47 3 8 11.16 4.78 5.91 1992 OMA 128.7 153 78 15 76 118 5.46 5 9 10.70 5.32 8.25 1993 NOR 80.0 87 39 4 29 70 4.39 4 5 9.79 3.26 7.88 1993 MIL 16.7 22 15 2 10 11 8.10 0 2 11.88 5.40 5.94 1993 NYM 11.7 8 6 2 10 12 4.63 0 1 6.17 7.71 9.26 1994 NOR 11.7 14 6 1 6 9 4.63 0 1 10.80 4.63 6.94 1994 NYM 47.0 34 13 4 13 49 2.49 4 1 6.51 2.49 9.38 1995 NYM 16.0 18 13 3 7 14 7.31 0 2 10.12 3.94 7.88 1995 NYY 16.7 21 7 0 8 12 3.78 1 1 11.34 4.32 6.48A common theme among pitchers in this book is that they're one walk per nine innings away from being very good, or at least a lot better. Given that, don't you find it surprising that hitters don't get more credit for drawing walks? Has about two years left to find the strike zone a bit more than he has, or else he'll be battling for jobs in AAA. His arm motion always looks to me like it's going to cause him problems.
JIM MECIR 1970 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SBR 62.0 83 43 7 36 34 6.24 2 5 12.05 5.23 4.94 1992 SBR 55.3 73 35 11 22 39 5.69 2 4 11.87 3.58 6.34 1993 RIV 132.0 172 85 8 49 65 5.80 5 10 11.73 3.34 4.43 1994 JAX 73.7 81 33 6 41 45 4.03 4 4 9.90 5.01 5.50 1995 TAC 65.7 65 27 4 30 47 3.70 4 3 8.91 4.11 6.44
RAMIRO MENDOZA 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1994 TAM 124.3 150 59 15 38 92 4.27 7 7 10.86 2.75 6.66 1995 NRW 84.0 93 36 6 33 56 3.86 5 4 9.96 3.54 6.00 1995 COH 13.3 11 4 0 2 12 2.70 1 0 7.43 1.35 8.10Tall, skinny right hander who looks dominating at times, and has good command of the strike zone. Everything about him looks pretty good to me. If he spends the entire year in Columbus, he'll bump up that K rate a bit, and will make a good case for jumping into the 1997 Yankee rotation. The Yankees don't have a great track record in terms of giving their prospects adequate time or training, though. In a pinch, he might be called up midseason and worked as a #5 starter. He might well be ready by then.
JIM MUSSELWHITE 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 ONE 17.3 19 10 1 11 10 5.19 1 1 9.87 5.71 5.19 1993 GRB 60.0 79 40 10 27 39 6.00 2 5 11.85 4.05 5.85 1994 TAM 103.0 94 55 19 25 89 4.81 5 6 8.21 2.18 7.78 1994 ABY 27.7 33 9 0 5 25 2.93 2 1 10.73 1.63 8.13 1995 NRW 125.0 143 68 17 31 79 4.90 6 8 10.30 2.23 5.69
JEFF NELSON 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 JAX 26.0 29 9 1 10 27 3.12 2 1 10.04 3.46 9.35 1991 CLG 29.7 37 16 2 15 24 4.85 1 2 11.22 4.55 7.28 1992 SEA 79.3 73 30 7 43 54 3.40 5 4 8.28 4.88 6.13 1993 SEA 59.0 58 25 5 32 69 3.81 4 3 8.85 4.88 10.53 1994 CLG 24.3 19 7 1 7 28 2.59 2 1 7.03 2.59 10.36 1994 SEA 41.7 32 12 2 18 47 2.59 4 1 6.91 3.89 10.15 1995 SEA 77.7 55 15 3 23 105 1.74 8 1 6.37 2.67 12.17I'm exceptionally impressed with this guy, and he may help the Yankees more than Martinez. Gets slightly better each year, and seems to really be in control on the mound. Bullpen depth is a really nice luxury to have, and if Nelson's healthy, he's a guy I'd really like to build a bullpen around. The Yankees did well to get him as part of the deal.
KIRT OJALA 1969 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 PRW 142.3 160 76 12 65 81 4.81 7 9 10.12 4.11 5.12 1992 ABY 140.7 158 88 21 93 101 5.63 5 11 10.11 5.95 6.46 1993 COH 118.0 158 83 15 79 74 6.33 4 9 12.05 6.03 5.64 1994 COH 140.3 168 73 14 47 74 4.68 7 9 10.77 3.01 4.75 1995 COH 137.3 151 76 20 61 99 4.98 6 9 9.90 4.00 6.49
DAVE PAVLAS 1963 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 IOW 91.7 107 54 8 43 52 5.30 4 6 10.51 4.22 5.11 1992 IOW 35.7 43 17 5 8 34 4.29 2 2 10.85 2.02 8.58 1995 COH 56.0 47 21 3 23 47 3.38 4 2 7.55 3.70 7.55
MELIDO PEREZ 1966 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CWS 133.3 138 57 16 53 153 3.85 8 7 9.32 3.58 10.33 1992 NYY 243.0 226 87 19 91 261 3.22 16 11 8.37 3.37 9.67 1993 NYY 160.0 183 91 22 59 169 5.12 7 11 10.29 3.32 9.51 1994 NYY 149.3 140 61 13 52 119 3.68 9 8 8.44 3.13 7.17 1995 NYY 68.3 75 39 8 28 49 5.14 3 5 9.88 3.69 6.45A dead ringer for Delroy Lindo if he were to shave his head. Will he rebound? Throws fairly hard, and has pretty consistent control. Probably a year away from being able to contribute again.
ANDY PETTITTE 1972 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ONE 28.3 41 22 4 18 19 6.99 1 2 13.02 5.72 6.04 1992 GRB 149.3 177 72 14 62 84 4.34 8 9 10.67 3.74 5.06 1993 PRW 145.0 167 79 12 60 88 4.90 6 10 10.37 3.72 5.46 1994 ABY 69.3 67 35 8 19 40 4.54 3 5 8.70 2.47 5.19 1994 COH 91.7 110 39 4 21 56 3.83 5 5 10.80 2.06 5.50 1995 COH 11.3 8 0 0 0 7 .00 1 0 6.35 .00 5.56 1995 NYY 173.0 196 74 12 54 127 3.85 10 9 10.20 2.81 6.61Big Left-Handed Kid [tm] who has decent and improving control, is slowly improving his K rate, and hasn't been overworked at a young age. Good thing Dallas Green doesn't have control over this kid, or he'd be proving his manhood by throwing 180 pitches for a few starts, and then licking a cheese grater real hard or something. This is a very good prospect, and he will probably become a multimillionaire in this game.
MARIANO RIVERA 1970 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 GRB 102.3 134 65 7 37 76 5.72 4 7 11.79 3.25 6.68 1992 FTL 56.3 46 25 13 9 32 3.99 3 3 7.35 1.44 5.11 1993 GRB 34.7 42 18 1 18 21 4.67 2 2 10.90 4.67 5.45 1994 TAM 33.7 39 15 3 13 23 4.01 2 2 10.43 3.48 6.15 1994 ABY 59.3 67 23 6 8 31 3.49 4 3 10.16 1.21 4.70 1994 COH 29.3 36 20 6 10 21 6.14 1 2 11.05 3.07 6.44 1995 COH 28.7 28 11 3 4 28 3.45 2 1 8.79 1.26 8.79 1995 NYY 66.0 76 37 9 27 57 5.05 3 4 10.36 3.68 7.77Skinny swingman who has good control of the corners of the strike zone. His K rate seemed to jump up a little as of late, and if that's development rather than a fluke, this kid could really be something special. Looks way too skinny to be durable, but you never know.
KENNY ROGERS 1965 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TEX 107.7 123 66 14 59 83 5.52 4 8 10.28 4.93 6.94 1992 TEX 77.3 77 26 6 24 82 3.03 6 3 8.96 2.79 9.54 1993 TEX 205.0 210 87 17 65 158 3.82 12 11 9.22 2.85 6.94 1994 TEX 165.3 158 63 19 43 127 3.43 10 8 8.60 2.34 6.91 1995 TEX 206.3 189 65 19 64 153 2.84 15 8 8.24 2.79 6.67Not a signing I'm nuts about. Rogers is a consistent pitcher, and there's actually good reason to be optimistic if you look at his performance trend, but I'm just filled with a feeling of impending doom about him for some reason. Reminds me a bit of a left-handed Ken Hill, but hasn't show the decay in K rate that preceded Hill's implosion. One of the Bermanisms that convinced me that Bermanisms should come to a stop now.
DARYL SMITH 1961 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OMA 88.3 94 42 14 32 89 4.28 5 5 9.58 3.26 9.07 1993 BOW 21.0 16 8 2 12 19 3.43 1 1 6.86 5.14 8.14 1995 COH 48.0 59 31 7 23 21 5.81 2 3 11.06 4.31 3.94
KENT WALLACE 1971 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 ONE 72.7 102 45 8 13 31 5.57 3 5 12.63 1.61 3.84 1993 GRB 60.0 82 42 6 11 32 6.30 2 5 12.30 1.65 4.80 1994 TAM 73.0 68 27 5 24 51 3.33 5 3 8.38 2.96 6.29 1995 NRW 89.3 100 38 11 22 60 3.83 5 5 10.07 2.22 6.04 1995 COH 48.0 49 20 8 12 29 3.75 3 2 9.19 2.25 5.44
JOHN WETTELAND 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ABQ 57.7 51 23 7 26 53 3.59 3 3 7.96 4.06 8.27 1992 MON 83.0 72 30 9 39 113 3.25 5 4 7.81 4.23 12.25 1993 MON 84.3 62 18 5 31 121 1.92 7 2 6.62 3.31 12.91 1994 MON 63.3 48 21 5 22 70 2.98 4 3 6.82 3.13 9.95 1995 NYY 61.0 43 19 6 11 74 2.80 5 2 6.34 1.62 10.92That 1991 was wasted in Albuquerque. A great pitcher, very unlikely to collapse, probably the second best reliever in the American League behind Troy Percival. Neither lefties nor righties can hit off of him. I don't think he's best suited for a closer role, though. Regular work for more than one inning per appearance might allow him to best utilize his skills. Closers are an artifice, anyway. A guy who gives you 100 great innings of middle relief might help your team win a lot more games. If anyone doesn't think saves are overrated, they might want to contact Bobby Thigpen.
BOB WICKMAN 1969 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SAR 39.7 58 24 5 12 25 5.45 1 3 13.16 2.72 5.67 1991 BIR 121.0 166 93 12 54 67 6.92 3 10 12.35 4.02 4.98 1992 COH 148.7 169 82 17 62 102 4.96 7 10 10.23 3.75 6.17 1992 NYY 49.3 54 23 3 20 25 4.20 2 3 9.85 3.65 4.56 1993 NYY 137.3 165 72 12 66 80 4.72 6 9 10.81 4.33 5.24 1994 NYY 69.3 56 22 3 25 61 2.86 5 3 7.27 3.25 7.92 1995 NYY 79.3 82 33 4 30 57 3.74 5 4 9.30 3.40 6.47This is the kind of guy you want to cut costs on. He'll be a pretty safe bet for soild bullpen help, but he's likely going to cost you a lot more than someone out of the minors who's likely to be just as good. Is best noted for being the voice of Lionel Hutz, attorney-at-law on the Simpsons.