Knuckle Curve » baseball america http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve Major League Baseball News from Spring Training to the World Series Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:57:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #41-50 http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-41-50/ http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-41-50/#comments Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:19:52 +0000 Geoff Young http://www.knucklecurve.com/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-41-50/ Post from: Knuckle Curve

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California bans smoking in bars and restaurants, 19 countries in Europe forbid human cloning, the Unabomber enters a guilty plea — and that’s just in January! You guessed it, we’re looking back at 1998 again. In this installment, we enter the top half of Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects. Sit back, relax, and try not to think about George Michael getting arrested in a park restroom…

  1. Francisco Cordero, RHP, Detroit Tigers. Cordero always had a great arm — when it was healthy, that is. After bursting onto the scene in ‘97 at Western Michigan (54.1 IP, 0.99 ERA, 4.47 K/BB), Cordero appeared in 18 games the next season before blowing out his elbow. He bounced back strong in 1999 and then was traded to the Rangers that November as part of the package that brought Juan Gonzalez to Detroit. Cordero’s first full big-league season didn’t go so well (77.1 IP, 5.35 ERA, 1.02 K/BB), and then he missed most of the following year due to injury. Cordero came back in 2002 and pitched well in the second half. Since then, he’s been one of the more effective relievers in baseball. Cordero, who turns 33 in May, signed a big contract with Cincinnati this past off-season. Over parts of nine seasons, he is 26-27, with a 3.29 ERA (146 ERA+) and 177 saves.
  2. A.J. Hinch, C, Oakland A’s. The A’s selected Hinch out of Stanford in the third round of the 1996 draft. He appeared to be on the fast track when, in his first pro season, he hit .328/.408/.568 in 520 plate appearances between Single- and Triple-A. Hinch claimed the starting job in Oakland the next year and batted .231/.296/.341 (69 OPS+) in 391 plate appearances. That was really his only shot at a regular gig in the big leagues, as he yielded first to veteran Mike Macfarlane and then to fellow prospect Ramon Hernandez. Hinch kicked around for a few more years before retiring in 2005. Over parts of seven seasons, he hit .219/.280/.356 (65 OPS+) in 1075 plate appearances. Among his career highlights: On August 10, 1999, Hinch launched a homer off Roger Clemens. Since his playing days, Hinch has stayed in the game and currently is working in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
  3. Carlos Lee, 3B, Chicago White Sox. It may be difficult to imagine that Lee started out as a third baseman, but he did. He also hit at every level, which made his move off the hot corner more palatable. The questions with Lee were whether he would ever learn to draw a walk and how much power he would develop. His minor-league numbers (.306/.343/.463 in 2338 PA) suggested a good hitter who figured to derive much of his value from batting average. His rookie season with the Sox did nothing to dispel that notion: he hit .293/.312/.463 (with a remarkable 13 BB in 517 PA). After a couple more solid but unspectacular campaigns, Lee broke out in 2002, batting .264/.359/.484 (120 OPS+). Lee more or less has maintained that level ever since. Now with the Houston Astros, Lee owns a career .288/.342/.499 (114 OPS+) line in 5726 plate appearances. His list of comparable players through age 31 includes Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Dave Winfield, as well as contemporaries Paul Konerko, Shawn Green, and Derrek Lee.
  4. Luis Rivera, RHP, Atlanta Braves. Rivera’s minor-league credentials are impressive. For his career, he compiled a 3.47 ERA and fanned 10.51 batters per 9 innings. The trouble is, he worked a total of 280 innings during that time. Rivera made seven big-league appearances for Atlanta and the Baltimore Orioles in 2000, going 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA.
  5. John Patterson, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks. Taken by Montreal with the fifth pick overall, Patterson became one of the “loophole free agents” when the Expos failed to offer him a contract in the time allotted. The Diamondbacks then signed him for $6 million. Although Patterson showed signs in the minors (most notably in ‘98, when he posted a 2.83 ERA at High Desert, a notorious hitters park), he didn’t dominate with any kind of consistency. He made cameos with the big club in 2002 and 2003 before being shipped back to Montreal for journeyman left-hander Randy Choate. In 2005, his first full big-league season, Patterson went 9-7 with a 3.13 ERA (130 ERA+) in 198 1/3 innings. Since then, he’s mostly been hurt. Over parts of six seasons, Patterson is 18-25 with a 4.32 ERA (100 ERA+).
  6. Ricky Ledee, OF, New York Yankees. The Yankees tabbed Ledee in the 16th round of the 1990 draft. He didn’t play until ‘92 and didn’t reach Double-A until ‘95. When he finally got there, Ledee hit a ton and quickly advanced to Triple-A. In 1996, he hit .305/.380/.576 at two stops. A groin injury limited Ledee to 50 games the next year, but George Steinbrenner refused to part with him in the Hideki Irabu deal (the Padres settled for Ruben Rivera instead). In his 1998 Minor League Scouting Notebook, John Sickels compared Ledee to Paul O’Neill. Unfortunately reality had other ideas. Ledee has spent parts of 10 seasons in the big leagues and only once amassed as many as 300 plate appearances in any one of them. For his career, he’s hit .243/.325/.412 in 2307 plate appearances. His biggest claim to fame probably lies in once being traded for David Justice.
  7. Derrek Lee, 1B, Florida Marlins. Lee was taken by the San Diego Padres with the 14th pick overall in the 1993 draft — two picks after the Astros picked Billy Wagner and one before the Blue Jays snagged Chris Carpenter. The Padres wasted no time with Lee, sending him to High-A Rancho Cucamonga the following year at age 18. Not surprisingly, the youngster struggled (.267/.331/.373) and repeated the level in ‘95, with much better results (.301/.363/.494). Lee continued to post big numbers as he moved up the ladder, receiving a brief audition in San Diego toward the end of 1997. He even knocked his first big-league homer in the season’s final contest — a game-winning three-run blast off the Giants’ Corey Bailey in the 11th inning. That December, Lee was traded to Florida, where the Marlins were busy dismantling the team that had just won the World Series. Kevin Brown headed to San Diego, and Lee enjoyed a few productive seasons in Miami before moving onto the Cubs. With Chicago, the rangy first basemen became a serious MVP candidate in 2005 thanks to a .335/.418/.662 performance. In parts of 11 seasons, Lee owns a .281/.367/.502 (124 OPS+) batting line. Among members of his draft class, only Alex Rodriguez, Scott Rolen, Jermaine Dye, and Richie Sexson have hit more homers. Wow, that was quite a draft class (and we’re not even counting Corey Dillon, picked by the Padres in the 34th round).
  8. Alex Gonzalez, SS, Florida Marlins. Not to be confused with a slightly older shortstop of the same name, this Alex Gonzalez bears strong resemblance to — well, the other Alex Gonzalez. The Gonzalez who was a prospect in ‘98 showed some power in the minor leagues but little else. Although he hit 19 homers in Double-A at age 20, his overall line was just .254/.296/.434. After a similarly lackluster campaign at Triple-A, Gonzalez took over for the departed Edgar Renteria and hit .277/.308/.430 (91 OPS+) in 591 plate appearances. Gonzalez suffered through a Punto-esque sophomore season before rebounding somewhat in 2001. After several more interchangeable seasons with the Marlins, Gonzalez spent a year in Boston and played for the Reds in 2007. Over parts of 10 seasons, he owns a .248/.295/.399 (80 OPS+) batting line.
  9. Ben Davis, C, San Diego Padres. Davis was taken with the second pick overall in the 1995 draft — after Darin Erstad and before Jose Cruz Jr. Sent to the California League at age 19, Davis was overmatched, batting .201/.266/.286 at Rancho Cucamonga in ‘96. He repeated High-A the next year and his numbers improved. In 1998, Davis moved up to Double-A Mobile and hit .286/.349/.460. Davis split the following season between Triple-A Las Vegas and San Diego; he hit .244/.307/.361 during his stint with the big club. After shuttling between Vegas and San Diego again in 2000, Davis took over as the Padres everyday catcher in 2001, hitting .239/.337/.357 in 526 plate appearances. That December, Davis was shipped to the Mariners, but his career stalled in Seattle. He never could overtake Dan Wilson as the #1 catcher and eventually was traded to the White Sox in June 2004. Davis hasn’t been seen in the big leagues since that season. He owns a career line of .237/.306/.366 (78 OPS+) in 1698 plate appearances. Davis spent 2007 back at Las Vegas (now a Dodgers affiliate), where he hit .218/.281/.282 in 36 games. Now 31 years old, Davis appears to have missed his opportunity at a big-league career.
  10. Willie Martinez, RHP, Cleveland Indians. Martinez never posted eye-popping numbers in the minors. His best season came in 1997, when at age 19, he went 8-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 137 innings. On June 14, 2000, he made his only big-league appearances, working three innings against the White Sox. He allowed one hit (Jeff Abbott) and recorded one strikeout (Frank Thomas). Martinez’ final season came in 2002, when he got into four games for Double-A Chattanooga in the Reds organization. He was out of baseball by age 24.

As always, thanks for joining me in our look back at the top prospects of ‘98. Our next installment includes a Cy Young Award winner and a home-run champ, among many others. Until then…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-41-50/feed/ 3 Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #61-70 http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-61-70/ http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-61-70/#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:55:04 +0000 Geoff Young http://www.knucklecurve.com/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-61-70/ Post from: Knuckle Curve

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Where were we? Ah yes, Terry Kennedy was being named Minor League Manager of the Year; Jay Gibbons was busy winning the Pioneer League MVP; and 41-year-old Dave Stieb, after a 5-year layoff, was making a comeback and earning “best control” honors in Baseball America’s “best tools” survey.

It must be 1998, the year that neither of the two first baseman playing for the Savannah Sand Gnats ranked among baseball’s top 100 prospects. Perhaps you have heard of Travis Hafner and Carlos Pena?

Meanwhile, back at the list…

  1. Enrique Wilson, 2B, Cleveland Indians. Originally signed by the Minnesota Twins in 1992, Wilson came to the Indians toward the end of spring training in 1994. As a minor leaguer, his primary offensive attributes were an ability to make contact (he struck out every 12.8 plate appearances) and middling power (.135 ISO). Wilson hit .262/.310/.352 over 368 plate appearances in 1999, his first full big-league season. He hung around a few years as a utility player and got into some World Series games with the New York Yankees in ‘01 and ‘03. Over parts of nine seasons, Wilson hit .244/.288/.350 (64 OPS+). His list of most comparable players is uninspiring; the best match currently active in MLB is St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.
  2. Damian Jackson, SS, Cincinnati Reds. Jackson’s chief asset coming up through the minors was his youth. He had an everyday job in Double-A at age 20 and performed reasonably well (.269/.343/.371). Jackson was fast but his swing was way too long for a guy without much power. He didn’t see any big-league action in 2007, but over parts of 11 seasons, he owns a .243/.323/.356 (81 OPS+) line in a shade over 2500 plate appearances. The active player most similar to Jackson is Minnesota Twins shortstop Adam Everett. I have four enduring memories of Jackson from his time in a San Diego Padres uniform:
    • In May 2001, Jackson got plunked by A.J. Burnett. He missed several weeks thereafter due to a broken wrist (Burnett, meanwhile, tossed a no-hitter, adding insult to injury).
    • In June 2005, he inexplicably knocked two home runs in a game at Petco Park against the Seattle Mariners
    • He once hit a broken-bat grand slam in Houston.
    • I can’t find documentation for this one, but he almost made the most spectacular catch I’ve ever seen climbing over the center-field fence at Petco Park.
  3. Corey Lee, LHP, Texas Rangers. Lee made one big-league appearance, in the 11th inning of a game against the New York Yankees on August 24, 1999. He faced six batters, including Tino Martinez, who hit a game-winning three-run homer off of him. Since 1901, 21 big leaguers have allowed one homer in exactly one career inning of work. Many of those — Sean Burroughs, Mark Grace, Bobby Bonilla, Rick Leach, Leon Roberts, Tom Hutton, Alvin Dark, et al. — were position players forced by circumstances to take the mound.
  4. Lance Berkman, OF, Houston Astros. Another disappointment who — oops, Berkman actually did something. In fact, he’s done quite a bit. The former first-round pick out of Rice has hit .300/.412/.559 in 5127 career plate appearances. Coming into the 2007 season, Berkman has 259 homers to his credit to go along with four All-Star appearances. He is, at the risk of getting overly technical, a beast. Berkman’s list of comps through age 31 would make a nice wing in the Hall of the Very Good: Larry Walker, David Ortiz, Mo Vaughn, Jason Giambi, etc. Heck, one of these guys (Willie McCovey) is in the Hall of Fame, and at least two others (Albert Belle, Fred McGriff) could make a reasonably strong case for themselves.
  5. Abraham Nunez, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates. See Wilson and Jackson. Signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1994, Nunez never hit in the minors (.274/.339/.342 in 1769 PA). Not surprisingly, he’s never hit in the big leagues either (.242/.313/.314 in 2802 PA). Sort of on par with Tom Veryzer and Curtis Wilkerson as a hitter. That’s not good.
  6. Joe Fontenot, RHP, Florida Marlins.. Fontenot made eight big-league starts, all in 1998 at age 21. He lost seven of them, receiving a no-decision in the other (which Florida also lost). Originally a first-round pick of the San Francisco Giants, Fontenot came to the Marlins in a November 1997 trade that sent Robb Nen to the Bay Area. Fontenot returned to Triple-A in 1999 and made eight starts at Calgary before disappearing. Alas, Fontenot never got a chance to become the new Terry Felton.
  7. Shawn Chacon, RHP, Colorado Rockies. A third-round pick in 1996, Chacon had a decent season for Asheville (11-7, 3.89 ERA, 8.28 K/9) in the South Atlantic League the following year at age 19. Then he kind of stalled out at High-A before blossoming in 2000 at Carolina (10-10, 3.16, 8.90). Chacon enjoyed marginal success with the big club as a rookie in 2001 and made the National League All-Star team in 2003. The next season, he had one of the most remarkable seasons ever, saving 35 games despite a 7.11 ERA (69 ERA+). Chacon and Todd Worell (35 SV, 73 ERA+) are the only men in big-league history to have recorded 30 or more saves in a season while recording an ERA+ of 80 or lower, demonstrating yet again the silliness of the save statistic. Chacon continues to bounce from team to team. Over parts of seven seasons, he owns a 43-58 record and a 4.98 ERA (96 ERA+), with 36 saves. His list of comparable players through age 29 includes some pitchers who became solid relievers after failing as starters — LaTroy Hawkins, Jose Mesa, and Jim Gott, to name a few.
  8. Robbie Bell, RHP, Atlanta Braves. Like Chacon, Bell also was selected in the third round — of the ‘95 draft. Bell put up some nice numbers at Danville (7-9, 3.29 ERA, 9.96 K/9) of the Carolina League in 1998. The Braves traded him to Cincinnati after the season, along with Denny Neagle and Michael Tucker, in a deal that brought Bret Boone and Mike Remlinger to Atlanta. In 2000, Bell surfaced with the big club and made 26 starts, showing an alarming case of gopheritis acutis (2.05 HR/9) in the process. When he proved that his malady was no fluke, the Reds shipped him to Texas for Ruben Mateo and Edwin Encarnacion. From there, Bell has made stops in Tampa Bay and Baltimore, but never found a home. Over parts of seven seasons he is 34-37 with a 5.71 ERA (81 ERA+). During his career, Bell has allowed a home run once every 21.7 at-bats, which is roughly as often as Moises Alou hits one.
  9. Brent Butler, SS, St. Louis Cardinals. Would you believe, another third-round pick? The Cards nabbed Butler with the 68th pick overall in 1996 (not a good draft for St. Louis — only Butler and Braden Looper ever did anything, unless you count Stubby Clapp’s 26 plate appearances in 2001). Butler batted .306/.387/.485 as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League in ‘97, and then it all kind of went downhill from there. Traded to Colorado after the 1999 season, Butler saw action in parts of three seasons with the Rockies. He hit .248/.285/.380 in 597 plate appearances from 2001 to 2003. Since then Butler has been hanging out at Double- and Triple-A in the Braves and Rays systems. He doesn’t really hit anymore, he doesn’t really play shortstop anymore, and he’s 30 years old. Butler needs five more RBI to reach 500 for his career… in the minors.
  10. Preston Wilson, OF, Florida Marlins. Stepson of Mookie, chaser of breaking balls. The New York Mets took Wilson in the first round of the 1992 draft and traded him to Florida in May 1998 as part of the Mike Piazza deal. Wilson’s career minor-league numbers (.258/.304/.470 in 2395 PA) are fairly pedestrian, but he’s had better success in the big leagues (.264/.329/.468 in 4436 PA). He had a real nice run from 1999 to 2003, batting .269/.337/.491 during that stretch. For a guy who has so much trouble making contact, Wilson has enjoyed a remarkably productive career. He even won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2006.

There it is. Thanks again for joining me in this little sojourn to the past. Next time we’ve got a couple of All-Star outfielders scheduled, along with a bunch of guys who never quite made it. Until then…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-61-70/feed/ 6 Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #71-80 http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-71-80/ http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-71-80/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:29:33 +0000 Geoff Young http://www.knucklecurve.com/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-71-80/ Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> Previously…

Welcome back to 1998. Dante Bichette led MLB with 219 hits, Jose Offerman led with 13 triples, and Mike Piazza signed a record-setting 7-year/$91 million deal with the Mets. Our latest re-examination of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects from that year shows yet again how few of the best minor leaguers convert their potential into great big-league careers.

There’s a reason for that, of course: baseball is a lot harder than it looks. So is predicting which guys will make it and which ones won’t. To the list:

  1. Mike Lowell, 3B, New York Yankees. Selected in the 20th round of the 1995 draft, Lowell was a late bloomer. His breakout season as a prospect came in 1997, when he hit .315/.401/.562 between Double-A Norwich and Triple-A Columbus. Lowell spent the following year back at Columbus, earning a late cup of coffee with the big club. In February 1999 the Yankees shipped him to Florida for three prospects who never made it. Lowell’s first season with the Marlins was underwhelming, as he hit just .253/.317/.419 — not the sort of performance one might hope for out of a 25-year-old. Lowell improved the following year and settled in as a solid run producer for a few years before taking another step forward at age 29. Florida traded Lowell to the Boston Red Sox after the 2005 season in the deal that brought Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins. Lowell isn’t a superstar, although the fact that he now plays in a large and visible market sometimes causes people to think he is. Over parts of 10 seasons, Lowell has hit .280/.344/.468 (110 OPS+). His most similar players through age 33 are Paul O’Neill, Ron Cey, Doug DeCinces, Ken Caminiti, and Todd Zeile.
  2. Rafael Medina, RHP, New York Yankees. Medina threw hard but didn’t do much else. The Yankees traded him to the San Diego Padres on April 22, 1997, as part of the package that landed them Hideki “Fat Toad” Irabu. I actually got to see Medina’s debut in the Padres organization. Nearly eight months later, the Padres shipped Medina and Derrek Lee (who will appear in a future edition of our series) to Florida for right-hander Kevin Brown. Over parts of two seasons, Medina went 3-7 with a 5.96 ERA in 90 2/3 innings. Command was the big problem, as he walked 7.15 per 9 innings during his career. Medina spent 2000 in the Toronto system and 2001 in the St. Louis system. He hasn’t pitched for a big-league organization since, but did make a few appearances for Victoria of the independent Canadian League in 2003 at age 28.
  3. Jarrod Washburn, LHP, Anaheim Angels. The Angels took Washburn with the first pick in the second round of the 1995 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. This school also produced former big-league second baseman Jim Gantner and current big-league left-hander Jack Taschner. Washburn made his big-league debut on June 2, 1998, working 6 1/3 strong innings and leading the Angels past Kansas City, 7-5. He finished his rookie season with a 6-3 record and 4.62 ERA in 74 innings. After bouncing between the minors and majors in 1999 and 2000, Washburn established himself permanently the following year and has made 25 or more starts in each of the past seven seasons. In 2006 he signed with the Seattle Mariners. Although he hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success there that he did in Southern California, Washburn continues to soak innings. Over parts of 10 seasons, he owns a 93-86 record and 4.07 ERA (110 ERA+).
  4. Ramon Hernandez, C, Oakland A’s. Hernandez wasn’t even his organization’s best catching prospect in 1998. That honor belonged to A.J. Hinch, whom we’ll discuss in a future installment. As for Hernandez, he first garnered attention following a monster ‘97 season at High-A Visalia in which he hit .361/.422/.572 before faltering in a late-season promotion to Double-A. Hernandez came up to the big club toward the end of June 1999 and hit .279/.363/.397 during his rookie campaign. After three pedestrian seasons with the A’s, he exploded in 2003 at age 27 with a .273/.331/.458 performance. That November, the A’s traded Hernandez to San Diego along with outfielder Terrence Long for outfielder Mark Kotsay. Hernandez enjoyed two solid seasons with the Padres before signing a 4-year, $27.5 million deal with Baltimore. Hernandez set career highs in many offensive categories in 2006 before regressing badly — as will happen with catchers in their thirties — in 2007. Over parts of nine seasons, Hernandez has hit .263/.328/.423 (97 OPS+) in 3932 at-bats. Among his most comparable players through age 31 are several other catchers who aged badly, including Jody Davis, Terry Kennedy, Charles Johnson, and Mike Lieberthal.
  5. Ramon Ortiz, RHP, Anaheim Angels. Three years is the difference between good and great. According to the Baseball America 2002 Almanac, Ortiz was born March 23, 1976. By the 2003 Almanac, the date had been amended to March 23, 1973. (Do you suppose he got to celebrate all those birthdays at once?) Ortiz had one very nice season in 2002, when he went 15-9 with a 3.77 ERA. At the time, he appeared to be poised for a breakout. Then he got old more quickly than anyone could have guessed and it never happened. Ortiz has been a reasonably dependable starter over parts of nine seasons, compiling an 84-80 record and a 4.90 ERA (91 ERA+) in a little under 1400 innings. My personal favorite game of his came on June 14, 2002, against the Dodgers, when he went the distance and allowed just four hits — all solo home runs.
  6. Wade Miller, RHP, Houston Astros.. It’s a little scary to think just how good the Astros might have been if Miller had remained healthy. He and Roy Oswalt at the top of that rotation for all those years… But alas, reality had other plans. After spending parts of 1999 and 2000 in Houston, Miller stuck with the big club in ‘01 and fashioned a slick 16-8, 3.40 season. He followed that with a 15-4, 3.28 showing. Miller’s performance slipped in 2003, but at age 26, it appeared to be a blip on the radar. Then came the injuries. Miller worked 187 1/3 innings in ‘03; he’s worked a total of 215 innings since. Over parts of nine seasons, Miller (now 31 years old) owns a 62-46 record with a 4.10 ERA (110 ERA+). His list of top comps through age 30 includes several pitchers whose careers have suffered because of injuries, notably Cal Eldred, Juan Guzman, and Kris Benson.
  7. Karim Garcia, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s easy to forget that Garcia was an absolute monster prospect. In his 1996 Minor League Scouting Notebook, John Sickels ranked Garcia #8 among all prospects in baseball. That’s right behind Jason Schmidt and ahead of Scott Rolen if you’re keeping score at home. By ‘98, Garcia’s stock had fallen to the point that the Los Angeles Dodgers left him unprotected for the expansion draft. Arizona snatched him up and he proceeded to hit .222/.260/.381 for the Snakes in his first full big-league season at age 22. That December, he was involved in one of the most lopsided trades in recent memory. The Diamondbacks shipped Garcia to Detroit straight up for Luis Gonzalez, who became the face of the franchise and led the club to its first World Championship in 2001. Garcia, meanwhile, fizzled for the Tigers and soon found himself bouncing around the league. He last played for the Baltimore Orioles in 2004 at age 28. Over parts of 10 seasons, Garcia owns a .241/.279/.424 line (82 OPS+) in 1560 plate appearances. He spent 2006 in Japan, hitting .249/.302/.412 for the Orix Blue Wave, and spent this past winter trying to make his way back to the big leagues. Sounds crazy, but it just might work: the Phillies signed him in January.
  8. Sidney Ponson, RHP, Baltimore Orioles. Ponson had a great ‘96 season in the Carolina League at age 19, and everyone went nuts over him. The following year didn’t go so well, but he still had youth on his side. Despite having worked just 82 innings (not terribly effective ones at that — 5.06 ERA, 1.79 K/BB) above A-ball, Ponson spent most of 1998 with the big club. Not surprisingly, he struggled, going 8-9 with a 5.27 ERA in 135 innings. Ponson was roughly league average each of the next two seasons before injuries limited him to 23 starts in 2001. Ponson bounced back the following year and then enjoyed his best season in 2003, when he went 17-12 with a 3.75 ERA for Baltimore and the San Francisco Giants. He has been unable to duplicate that success and has spent the past several years bouncing around from team to team. Over parts of 10 seasons, Ponson owns an 82-101 record and a 4.94 ERA (91 ERA+). Knighted in his native Aruba, Ponson also has had his share of legal troubles in the past.
  9. Robinson Checo, RHP, Boston Red Sox. Checo was a Dominican-born right-hander who spent some time pitching for the Hiroshima Carp in the Japan Central League before coming to the U.S. Checo made just 21 starts in the minors before making his big-league debut on September 16, 1997, in Yankee Stadium. The game didn’t go so well for him or the Red Sox. Checo spent most of ‘98 in the minors, making just two forgettable starts for the big club. Boston let Checo go after the season and in February 1999, the Detroit Tigers signed him. Two months later, they shipped him off to Los Angeles in a deal for Dave Mlicki and Mel Rojas. Checo’s stint with the Dodgers didn’t go so well either, and after spending 2000 with their Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, he called it a career. His final big-league line: 36.2 IP, 7.61 ERA (59 ERA+). For more on Checo, see his entry at the BR Bullpen.
  10. Lorenzo Barcelo, RHP, Chicago White Sox. Barcelo provides yet further evidence that a lot can go wrong for a young pitcher. Barcelo established himself as a top prospect in 1996, when he went 12-10 with a 3.53 ERA for Burlington of the Midwest League. The numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he also had a 3-to-1 K/BB rate. Oh, and he was 18 years old. The following year, Barcelo was a key part of the “White Flag Trade.” His numbers took a slight hit in ‘97, but then injuries limited him to just 74 innings over the next two seasons. Barcelo made it up to the big club in 2000 and pitched well (4-2, 3.69 ERA over 39 innings) out of the bullpen. Unfortunately, his arm woes returned and Barcelo worked only 63 innings over the next three seasons before retiring at age 25 with a career line of 5-3, 4.50 ERA (108 ERA+) over 66 innings.

Wasn’t that fun? Our next installment includes a few marginal big-league talents and one stud switch-hitting outfielder. Until then…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-71-80/feed/ 4 Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #81-90 http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-81-90/ http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-81-90/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:44:47 +0000 Geoff Young http://www.knucklecurve.com/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-81-90/ Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> The year is 1998. Alex Rodriguez and Roberto Alomar homer to help lead the American League to victory in the All-Star Game at Coors Field. Larry Doby and Don Sutton are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Pat Burrell is the first pick in the amateur draft, while the #50 pick is an outfielder out of New Caney High School in Texas who hit five home runs and stole 32 bases as a senior: his name is Adam Dunn.

In our first installment, we revisited the careers of Orlando Cabrera and Geoff Jenkins, as well as others who didn’t enjoy their level of success. This time we find a similar mix of studs and duds. To the names:

  1. Derrick Gibson, OF, Colorado Rockies. Dripping with tools, but lacking in skills need to use them, Gibson batted .286/.327/.449 over 52 plate appearances in 1998 and 1999. For as big and strong as he was, Gibson never put up monster numbers once he got out of A-ball. Lack of plate discipline was his primary downfall, as he averaged just 32 walks per 500 plate appearances in the minors. He last played in 2005 in the Atlanta Braves system and owns a .279/.325/.465 career line over 11 minor-league seasons.
  2. Gil Meche, RHP, Seattle Mariners. Regular readers know that I lampooned the Royals’ December 2006 signing of Meche, but the fact is, the guy has a big-league career. Between injuries and ineffectiveness, he’s had exactly one good season in seven. Meche owns a career record of 64-57 with a 4.44 ERA. His ERA+ is 101, or roughly league average, and his list of top comps through age 28 includes Jason Schmidt and a lot of mid-rotation types: Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis, Todd Stottlemyre, etc.
  3. Javier Vazquez, RHP, Montreal Expos. I know some very smart people who looked at Vazquez’ 2001 season (particularly his gaudy peripheral numbers) and assumed that at age 24, he was on his way to even bigger and better things. It didn’t work out that way, of course, but he’s been a solid big-league starter for a decade now. Vazquez has made 32 or more starts every year except 1999 (when he had “only” 26 starts), and is 115-113 with a 4.28 ERA (105 ERA+) for his career.
  4. David Ortiz, 1B, Minnesota Twins. The Seattle Mariners traded Ortiz, then known as David Arias, to the Twins for Dave Hollins in September 1996. After a few decent years in Minnesota, Ortiz appeared to have a breakout season in 2002, at age 26, when he hit .272/.339/.500. The Twins did what any team starved for hitting would do and released Ortiz that December. The Boston Red Sox snatched him up and he’s been one of the best hitters of our generation ever since.
  5. Nelson Lara, RHP, Florida Marlins. Lara began pitching professionally in 1995, at age 16. Poor control (6.94 BB/9 over 349 minor-league innings) kept him from reaching the Show. Lara last pitched in affiliated pro ball in 2002, mostly with the High-A San Jose Giants. He also spent some time with Trois-Rivieres in the indy Canadian League the following year, before disappearing altogether.
  6. Juan Melo, SS, San Diego Padres. Wow, a young Padres shortstop who never made it. Those are hard to find, kind of like water in the ocean. On September 7, 2000, while with the San Francisco Giants, Melo singled to center against the Padres’ Carlos Almanzar to drive home the final run of a 13-0 victory over his former team. That was his only big-league hit. Now 31 years old, Melo spent 2007 playing for the Nationals’ Double-A club in Harrisburg. He owns a .282/.324/.409 career line in 4892 minor-league plate appearances, and has also played in Taiwan and the independent Golden Baseball League.
  7. Todd Dunwoody, OF, Florida Marlins. Dunwoody was a toolsy outfielder out of an Indiana high school who drew comparisons to Brady Anderson and Todd Hollandsworth. Unfortunately he had no concept of the strike zone and hit just .233/.277/.348 in 948 plate appearances from 1997 to 2002. In 2005, his final season as a player, Dunwoody batted .247/.290/.370 in 96 games with the Twins’ Triple-A club in Rochester. The following year he served as hitting coach for the Midwest League’s South Bend Silver Hawks, an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate.
  8. Chris Reitsma, RHP, Boston Red Sox. What a long, strange trip it’s been for Reitsma. The former first-round pick missed significant chunks of time in the minors due to injuries, was taken by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 Rule V draft, given back to Boston the following March, traded to the Cincinnati Reds that August for an aging Dante Bichette. In Cincy, Reitsma was a decent starter for two years, then a decent reliever for one. He’s been hurt for much of the past two seasons. In 338 big-league games, Reitsma owns a 32-46 record, with a 4.70 ERA (93 ERA+) and 37 saves. His most comparable pitcher through age 29 is Dan Miceli.
  9. Valerio de los Santos, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers. A hard-throwing left hander with command and injury issues, de los Santos spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Brewers. He last pitched at Triple-A Charlotte (Chicago White Sox) in 2006. De Los Santos finished his big-league career with a 9-12 record and a 4.54 ERA (95 ERA+) over 233 career appearances.
  10. Jeff Wallace, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates. Wallace was a more extreme version of de los Santos. Live arm, spotty command and health. In four big-league seasons he went 3-3 with a 4.20 ERA (108 ERA+) over 119 appearances. Wallace last pitched for Triple-A Pawtucket (Red Sox) in 2002, at the ripe old age of 26.

There you have it. Next time we’ll take a look at a late-blooming third baseman, a solid catcher and starting pitcher, and a whole lot of disappointment. Until then…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-81-90/feed/ 5 Ready for the 2008 Draft? http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/ready-for-the-2008-draft/ http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/ready-for-the-2008-draft/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:03:41 +0000 Geoff Young http://www.knucklecurve.com/ready-for-the-2008-draft/ Post from: Knuckle Curve

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   Photo by Mayr, some rights reserved

I know it’s only February, but some of us live for the draft. Maybe not as much as in football or basketball, but last year’s TV coverage was a good first step in getting folks more involved. (Yeah, the coverage could have been better, but at least there was something.)

Jim Callis at Baseball America did a draft preview chat that will help familiarize us all with some of the names to watch for in ‘08. Here are a few highlights.

On the quality of this year’s crop:

Scouting directors are enthused about this year’s draft, probably as much about any draft this early in the year that I can remember. There are college sluggers, college arms, good high school talent. It’s a very well-balanced crop of players.

On the slotting system:

I don’t think the union is ever going to agree to any kind of cap or official slotting on the draft. I’ve often wondered why MLB doesn’t think about getting rid of free-agent compensation (which doesn’t keep salaries down), which might end the union’s right to have a say-so with the draft.

On Scott Boras “advisees” (wonder if the A-Rod fiasco will change things for him at all?):

It’s still early, and not everyone is locked up. Confirmed Boras advisees include Vanderbilt 3B Pedro Alvarez, Florida HS 1B Eric Hosmer (the best bat in the HS class), California RHP Gerrit Cole and Georgia RHP Joshua Fields.

On Georgia prep shortstop Tim Beckham:

Beckham is a legit athlete with the arm, range and hands to stay at shortstop. A lot of times, a high school shortstop is the best athlete on his team if not a pro shortstop. That was the case with [Adrian] Cardenas. B.J. Upton had the tools to play shortstop, but throwing accuracy became a problem. [Brandon] Wood could play shortstop, but the Angels may have a bigger need at 3B. [Matt] Bush can definitely play shortstop, but he couldn’t hit at all.

Callis also mentions a couple of left-handers — Brian Matusz and Josh Romanski — from my alma mater (USD) as being potential early picks. I’ve seen both pitch, and I’m looking forward to watching them again this year (in less than two weeks!).

Anywho, just a little something to whet your appetite for the draft…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/ready-for-the-2008-draft/feed/ 1 Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #91-100 http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-91-100/ http://www.everyjoe.com/knucklecurve/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-91-100/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:09:16 +0000 Geoff Young http://www.knucklecurve.com/where-are-they-now-top-prospects-of-98-91-100/ Post from: Knuckle Curve

]]> Ten years doesn’t seem so long ago. The Big Lebowski hit the silver screen, That ’70s Show debuted on TV, and Baseball America released its list of top 100 prospects for 1998.

Lebowski became a cult classic, while That ’70s Show has seen its share of success over the years. But how about those prospects? What ever happened to them?

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, we now have instant access to all BA top 100 lists dating back to 1990. Over the next several weeks, we’ll revisit the top prospects of 1998 and see how they fared.

Our first installment covers the bottom 10:

  1. Dennys Reyes, LHP, Cincinnati Reds. The stocky southpaw never made it as a starter, but has enjoyed sporadic success as a situational reliever. Reyes is 29-32 wth a 4.43 ERA in 460 appearances over 11 seasons, including a Murphy-esque fluke with the Minnesota Twins in 2006.
  2. Orlando Cabrera, 2B, Montreal Expos. Cabrera split time between second base and shortstop as a minor leaguer, but has been a full-time shortstop for most of his big-league career. He owns a .273/.321/.403 line in 5803 plate appearances and has won two Gold Glove Awards.
  3. George Lombard, OF, Atlanta Braves. Lombard has had several cups of coffee, most notably getting himself into 72 games with the 2002 Detroit Tigers. When a team that loses 106 games can’t find a use for you, that’s not a good sign. Lombard is a career .220/.281/.340 hitter in 388 plate appearances over parts of six seasons.
  4. Lariel Gonzalez, RHP, Colorado Rockies. Gonzalez worked a perfect ninth in his only big-league appearance on September 22, 1998, against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gonzalez later spent some time in the Mets and Cubs systems before retiring in 2001 at age 25.
  5. Geoff Jenkins, OF, Milwaukee Brewers. Not only does the former first-round pick out of USC have a cool name, he’s had a pretty good career as well. In 10 seasons with the Brewers, Jenkins has hit .277/.347/.496 in 4932 plate appearances. He made the National League All-Star team in 2003 and ranks second only to Hall of Famer Robin Yount with 212 home runs in a Brewers uniform.
  6. Geoff Goetz, LHP, Florida Marlins. Hey, there’s that name again. It didn’t work as well for Goetz, who is probably most famous for being part of the package that brought Mike Piazza to the New York Mets. (For those scoring at home, Preston Wilson and Ed Yarnall were the other players who headed to the Marlins.) Goetz never made it past Double-A and retired in 2004 at age 25 with a 3.37 ERA over 350 minor-league innings.
  7. Daryle Ward, 1B, Houston Astros. The son of former big-league outfielder Gary Ward doesn’t have a defensive home, but his bat has been potent enough to give him a career that stands at 10 seasons and counting. Ward, who played with the Chicago Cubs in 2007, owns a .265/.321/.449 batting line in 2343 plate appearances.
  8. Jackson Melian, OF, New York Yankees. Believe it or not, Melian is still playing. And he’s only 28 years old. Melian, in case you missed it, was one of the most coveted amateur players ever to emerge from Venezuela. Unfortunately the toolsy outfielder never refined his game and was unable to meet lofty expectations. In 11 minor-league seasons, Melian has hit .259/.321/.403 in 4090 plate appearances.
  9. Kevin Witt, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays. Like Lombard, Witt has ties to a terrible Tigers team from the early 21st century. He got into 93 contests for the 2003 squad that lost 119 games. Witt owns a career .233/.267/.376 line in 424 plate appearances over parts of six seasons. He also has launched 269 home runs in the minor leagues. Now 32 years old, Witt spent 2007 playing for the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Central League, where he batted just .174/.267/.348 in 40 games.
  10. Chris Enochs, RHP, Oakland A’s. A first-round pick out of West Virginia University in 1997, Enochs reached Double-A the next year and then stayed there until late 2002, when he finally reached Triple-A, where he remained until retiring in 2005 at age 29. Enochs went 45-52 with a 4.91 ERA in 250 appearances over nine minor-league seasons.

Next week, we’ll catch up with a man who once was released by the Minnesota Twins before becoming a perennial MVP candidate. Until then…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

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