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Mar. 1, 1999 • Rookie Draft Edition

1999 Draft Review
Or "I'd Buy That For a Dollar" by Sean Holloway

Remember that if you need stats, go to baseball-reference.com; everything and anything you want is there. I will make an effort to rate both the individual 1st round pick by itself as well as give an idea as to how this player may fit – or not fit – into a team’s strategic approach, as appropriate. I may pull in picks from other rounds, but note that I simply cannot evaluate every single pick a team makes (unless you do something egregious like drafting Jeter, which will force me to go into copious detail for every pick you made). Finally, remember that even though it’s hard to believe, I swear all of the below Fun Facts are true. Well, some of them are at least…

One last side note. This reporter was underwhelmed in general by the quality of this year’s draft class, and he felt as if he was watching Python’s Summarize Proust competition. And yes, I firmly believe that even if we take all the players from Round 1 as a whole, they have not fully presented the quality one would expect. As such, I am doing the same thing as Terry Jones at the end of this sketch.

#1 MPS – LF Lance Berkman
#2 MPS – SP Tim Hudson

I’m still not quite sure what happened and how the Fridley Fox ended up with not only the top, but the TWO top picks in this year’s draft. What I do know, though, is that Foxy Steve was looking for a replacement for Isringhausen, and Hudson seems to be very close to filling his shoes after Izzie bolted – er, was traded – to MON essentially for SS Tejeda. Now, with SS locked up, Haugh replenished his rotation. With Berkman, he gets a guy who can do just about everything a position player should be able to do. The question for Big Puma is how fast he can be ready to help Haugh with his plans to rule the world. Love these two picks.

Did You Know?

•Big Puma won a WS with STL in 2011, when he was also voted Comeback Player of the Year.

•Hudson won a WS with the Giants in 2014.

•FUN FACT: Berkman in the offseason tours with Dread Zepplin and adopts his alter ego, Fat Elvis, to help Tortelvis as necessary.

•FUNNER FACT: Hudson’s Uncles are The Hudson Brothers.

•FUNNEST FACT: whoever knows about these guys is old.

#3 PUE – CF Vernon Wells

GM Lima, the only expansion team GM to keep his pick, chose wisely by landing one of the two premier CFs in this year’s draft. Typically, an expansion team is in dire need of quality at every position. Lima, if one has not noticed, has assembled a very interesting team, and one that may surprise folks this year, as his lineup is solid. However, the one area where he was hurting was center, and while some could argue that Jacque was the CF to take, I don’t see how one could go wrong with Wells, either. They are so close to each other ratings-wise that all I can say is I’d take either one.

Did You Know?

•Three-time GG and hit 20+ HR eight times.

•FUN FACT: directly related to Orson Welles.

•FUNNER FACT: Will sell no wine before its time.

•FUNNEST FACT: the first one is easy and for Andy; let’s see if he understands the second.

#4 KEY – LF Carlos Lee

This is a great pick and possibly a not-so-great pick at the same time. But wait! How can that be? On one hand, I really like Lee. Can play both 1B and LF well, and he’s an 8/7/8 at the plate and nearly developed. Those numbers should result in Lee being able to hit for power and being an OBP hound as well. At the same time, though, it appears GM Kalish was reminiscing a bit too long about playing football in his youth, as Kalish did NOT grab CF Jacque Jones. While Jones is only a 7/7/5, which means Kalish would have been giving up a bit offensively, Jones’ defensive numbers are plain stupid. As such, I will have to ding Mr. Kalish a bit on this one, as I would posit that Jones’ defense would make up for any lag offensively.

Did You Know?

•Hit 20+ HRs 16 times in his career.

•FUN FACT: Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Carlos Lee!

•Challenge! Did anyone watch enough TV decades ago to know from where I got that?

#5 BOS – SP A.J. Burnett

The Feds have a solid line-up; where they are hurting a bit is on the mound. With the addition of Burnett, their mound may not be hurting as much (heehehehehehehe!) now. Burnett does have considerable development risk, but he possesses five pitches, stamina and could end up being a 20, which in this new world of IM knee-capping SPs as often as he can means Burnett could end up being one of the better pitchers in the League.

Did You Know?

•Won a WS with the Yankees in 2009.

•FUN FACT: in the offseasons, rides around with T-Bone Burnett and BJ “and the Bear” Ryan, cruising music festivals, looking for chicks, and best of all doesn’t worry about paying property tax.

#6 MAN – 1B Erubiel Durazo
The Gray Sox have a problem in that they have an aging and expensive power-hitting 1B Big Hurt in their lineup. What’s the best solution? Finding a young and upcoming and cheap power-hitting 1B and putting this guy in your line-up! At 7/8/6, Durazo is just what MAN needs, and he’s very close to being fully developed. As such, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here when I say that we should be seeing Durazo sooner rather than later. Really like this pick for MAN.

Did You Know?

•Won a WS with the Diamondbacks in 2001.

•FUN FACT: Cousin of Enrico Pallazo. Andy?

#7 WAS – RF Jacque Jones
When someone passes on a guy that maybe should have been taken earlier, there’s always a shark around to take advantage of the situation. And in this case, the shark goes by the name of Mark Waller. Jones, as I’ve already touched upon, does not have offensive numbers as good as Wells, but crikey, have you seen his defensive ratings? Waller already has Andruw Jones in CF, so gee, he’ll just have to put Jones, who’s a 10 in LF and RF, with his 9/8/8 ratings, in LF or RF. Damn, that’s just a horrible predicament. I have no idea how he’s going to sleep well at night. Wait! I hear the train a-comin! It’s rolling round the bend! That’s right, folks! It’s the Swoop Train coming to let you know that this is the steal of the round. Great pick by Waller!

Did You Know?

•Only man named Jacque (without the ‘S’) to ever play MLB.

•FUN FACT: When young, he loved to watch The Undersea World of Jacque Cousteau.

#8 LA – CF Chris Singleton
#11 LA – SP Doug Davis
#13 LA – SP Wade Miller
TurboTimBROLA GM Widholm went on a tear with LA’s rebuild. If one reviews LA’s offense, one will discover that it’s solid – albeit staffed by players that are a bit, ahem, long in the tooth, and as we know, better to be long in the Thon than long in the tooth. As such, Widholm was looking to inject youth into his lineup, and it seems he was able to land that money shot with these picks. Singleton is a great OF and fully developed, so he can immediately step into a role and likely play every day. Davis and Miller are picks which should – if they develop – set LA’s fabled starting rotation into a rebuild, as pitching has been an issue for the team the past couple of seasons, and seeing how this draft is a bit short on quality, I believe these picks were just what LA needed.

Did You Know?

•Singleton was on the 1999 Topps All Star team; Davis made an almost complete pause when pitching with no one on base. He lifted his right foot to start his motion, then stopped with the foot in mid-air before resuming to throw; Miller is the only player to come out of Alvernia University.

•FUN FACT: Though unrelated to 1970s major league outfielder Ken Singleton, Chris Singleton chose to wear the same number 29 that Ken Singleton wore during his career as an Oriole.

•FUNNER FACT: Davis’ favorite Python sketch is, of course, The Ministry of Silly Walks.

•FUNNEST FACT: Alvernia is a private Franciscan university in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded as Alvernia College in 1958 by the Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis, the school gained university status in 2008

#9 DET – 2B Adam Kennedy
How does GM Holloway do it? Every year Griffins fans believe that there’s a chance the team will rise above, but their dreams are then crushed as the team settles back into overwhelming mediocrity. Well, it’s due to picks like this. On top of that, the Griffins already have more middle IFs than one can shake a stick at, so it’s unclear if Kennedy even plays a part in the supposed “Griffin resurgence”. Kennedy isn’t exactly an offensive force, so if Holloway is to get anything from him, he’ll have to hope Kennedy’s defense contributes. As Holloway has let his middle IF slip in past seasons, in that way maybe this pick is a solid one.

Did You Know?

•Won the WS with the Angels in 2002.

•FUN FACT: One prevalent theory for “shake a stick at” suggests that the phrase relates to counting animals. A herdsman might use a stick to point at each animal as they are counted.

#10 GG – SP Freddy Garcia
#17 GG – CF Dave Roberts
#21 GG – RP Byung-hyun Kim
The last of our 1999 expansion teams finally enters the 1999 Draft with the above picks. Having traded away the overall #1 to Fridley, some fans were aghast and already wondering if Qualls was the right man for the build that the team faces. Qualls, though, got a solid haul from the Fridley deal, nabbing 1B Konerko and two SPs in Vasquez and Wright, plus the #10 and #17 picks, and he put those to good use here. Garcia still carries some development risk but could end up an 18 with five pitches, while Roberts is yet another outstanding defensive CF in this draft, and we all know how much Charlie loves defense, especially at a premium position. And through Kim, GG has picked up one of those RP/SP types who is very young and could end up with outstanding stuff good enough to start. Yep, I like these picks, especially when taken into consideration along with what Charlie’s Golden Gate Breakers (CGGB) got in the Fridley deal.

Did You Know?

•Garcia won a WS with the White Sox in 2005; Roberts is half-American and half-Japanese; Kim won a WS with the Diamondbacks in 2001.

•FUN FACT: Garcia and Roberts have a punk band in which they play and tour the country in the offseason; their first gig was at CGGB’s.

•FUNNEST FACT: Byung-Hyun Kim operates German sausage restaurant Metz Hannam in Seoul’s Yongsan District.

#12 FLO – LF Alfonso Soriano
#16 FLO – CF Rick Ankiel
The Pink Birds are hoping that their future is bright with the hiring of their new GM, David Bright (ahahahahahahahshahha – ahem). Don’t let the sun get into your eyes, but Bright’s first pick as a UL GM could be a swoop or one that causes fans to shudder. The Flamingos already have Ben Grieve in LF, which is Soriano’s position. But Soriano can also play CF and RF, AND he can play 2B, so if the dude actually develops, Bright has a 7/8/5 guy that he can move around as he deigns. Ankiel is more of a worrisome pick, as although the guy can play the OF, he is so young and has so far to go to reach his full potential that Bright may watch as Iron Mike bludgeons Ankiel into oblivion. With the OF the Flamingos have, there’s no real rush for either guy, so the jury is out for another 2-3 years on these picks.

Did You Know?

•Soriano hit 20+ HRs 12 times; Ankiel may have the most famous history of the Yips ever (sadly).

•FUN FACT: Soriano has one of the best adult contemporary selling albums of all time “Soriano and the Swallows at Capistrano”, which is a live recording of Soriano’s concert at Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, CA.

•FUNNER FACT: Ankiel and Richard Kiel, who is most recognized as Bond villain “Jaws” are 4th cousins twice removed (or is it second cousins, four times removed?)

#14 STL – SP Randy Wolf
He’s back! Jason Gudim cannot stay away from the UL! After packing up and moving from BOS to STL, Gudim takes over a team that has considerable firepower and is loaded: Batista, Chipper, Bonds, Jefferson, and Tucker, oh, my! While the Maroons may score 10 runs a game, if they don’t do something about their rotation, opponents may score 11. As such, Gudim wisely takes Wolf, an SP that fully developed would be a 17 with five pitches, which, in this new era of OOTP, is pretty darn solid. Good pick by Gudim.

Did You Know?

•Was followed by rabid supporters nicknamed “The Wolf Pack”.

•FUN FACT: Unknown relative of J. Geils frontman Peter Wolf.

•FUNNER FACT: During intense moments in games, his blood runs cold.

•FUNNEREST FACT: When he doesn’t know what to say to reporters, claims his memory has just been sold.

•FUNNEST FACT: Showed up two hours late for practice and then told the manager that he “must of got lost somewhere down the line”.

#15 DEN – RP B.J. Ryan
The Commish was in a tricky spot at #15. Decent guys abound, but just decent, and it seems The Commish was trying to balance team needs with fiscal considerations, as in the UL, paying a 1st round pick can be expensive and not worth it, especially if said pick is just “meh”. As such, with DEN’s pen being solid but not outstanding, The Commish looked for that RP that can shut down opposing hitters while also adding the added value of being a leader, something that the 14ers need as well. While still a bit of a lottery ticket due to development, if Ryan does, he should be among the top RPs in the UL.

Did You Know?

•Had 30+ saves three times.

•FUN FACT: In the offseason, drives a semi around the country with his chimpanzee, Bear.

#18 TOR – C Ramon Hernandez
The Polar Bears are loaded for bear this year (ahahahahahahahaha – ahem), with a solid line-up from top to bottom except for catcher. Yes, Snyder can still crush the ball – if he hits it – and unfortunately, at 75 years old, he’s just not a defensive wizard behind the plate. And while Dr. C. has Mark Johnson in Ottawa, he’s not exactly an offensive force. Hernandez is nearly fully developed and gives TOR a force behind and at the plate. Great pick.

Did You Know?

•Was the 1995 MVP for the Arizona League AZL Athletics.

•FUN FACT: Currently working for the A's as a staff assistant and interpreter

#19 ATL – RP Joe Nathan
New UL GM Pickle Rick wasted no time in showing that he loves pitching as much as former ATL GM Andy Chaney. Nathan, with four pitches, is another RP that, if he develops, could be devastating. At this point in the draft, and with other positions filled and the pen being bereft of a stud RP, I like this pick.

Did You Know?

•Had 30+ saves 9 times in his career.

•FUN FACT: I cannot wait until the Hilltoppers have “Pickle Rick” bobblehead night….yeah, there’s gonna be something bobbing then.

#20 SEA – SP Francisco Cordero
The Rainiers long playoff run last year is testament to GM Brandon’s patient approach to developing a team, and while it took some time, SEA fans are now reaping the rewards. With Dempster and Saunders cooking in the minors, why not add a RP like Cordero to a pen that already includes Mariano Rivera, Rich Loiselle, and Hipolito Pichardo? Solid pick.

Did You Know?

•Had 30+ saves seven times in his career.

•FUN FACT: Wil Cordero’s little brother; Wil has never forgiven Francisco for stealing one of the second “L” from his first name when they were young.

Draft Picks?

We Don’t Need No Stinking Draft Picks!

By Sean Holloway, Beat Reporter in Residence and Detroit Griffins GM
People new to the UL may not understand how one GM has success no matter where he is. Regardless of the team, regardless of the owner, regardless of the state of a team, there’s one man you call when your team needs a rebuild: Pep Guardiola. Wait! That’s the guy, but you also essentially need a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund willing to dump as much money as it will take to illegally buy the best players in the world. If you want to do it by the books, you call Glen Reed.

Reed is known for his ability to take a team that is foundering and in a matter of a couple seasons turn it into a juggernaut capable of man-handling others in the League. But just how does he do it? Strategically, Reed is clearly on the side of dealing. The guy is a killer, and he has made it very clear that he places very little value on potential, developing players or the minor leagues. Why waste time waiting when one can create a dream team in as little time as the offseason by trading like mad? It’s not for nothing that Reed wailed at a presser at UL HQ a couple of weeks ago “Don’t make me draft!” while offering up deals on guys galore.

As such, let’s all pretend we are as smart as Glen while we regale him with song! And in addition to that, it’s about time we honored Jeff Lynne as well.

Draft’s got me runnin', goin' out of my mind

Rooks got me thinkin' that I'm wastin' my time

Don't make me draft!

No, no, no, no, no, po-ten-tial!

I'll tell you once more before that guy’s off the board

Don't make me draft!

I wanna stay out and it’s almost year end

I'm tellin' you the minors are a dead end

Don't make me draft!

No, no, no, no, no, po-ten-tial!

I'll tell you once more before that guy’s off the board

Don't make me draft!

Don't make me draft – Woot!

Don't make me draft!

What happened to the pick about which you’d crow?

Now you find his growth’s a big “no go” (maybe some EET is in order?)

Don't make me draft!

No, no, no, no, no, po-ten-tial!

I'll tell you once more before that guy’s off the board

Don't make me draft!

You're always talkin' 'bout his crazy heights

One of these days you'll see Jeter ain’t right

Don't make me draft!

No, no, no, no, no, po-ten-tial!

I'll tell you once more before that guy’s off the board

Don't make me draft!

Don't make me draft – Woot!

Don't make me draft!

BRO’s lookin' good, just like a snake in the grass

Opening Day my vets will kick your ass

Don't make me draft!

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, po-ten-tial

I'll tell you once more before that guy’s off the board

Don't make me draft!

Your ‘spects are awesome; yeah, they’re taking down names

But who really cares if your pros can’t win games?

Don't make me draft!

No, no, no, no, no, po-ten-tial!

I'll tell you once more before that guy’s off the board

Don't make me draft, draft, draft, draft, draft, draft!

I'll tell you once more before that guy’s off the board

Don't make me draft!

1999 Schedule Released
Homecomings and Debuts Abound
At Conference Room U at UL Headquarters compound, the league unveiled its much-anticipated 1999 schedule. It will be the first to feature 21 clubs and rotating 3-day byes for idle teams. As in past seasons, the bulk of the season will consist of a balanced schedule (120 games), with the final group of 36 games between divisional opponents.

The schedule is packed with intriguing matchups, with one-third of clubs with either new or relocated GMs. New GMs include: Rick Smart (ATL), Ken Parker (CLE), and David Bright (FLO), while relocated GMs include Charlie Qualls (GG), Andy Chaney (POR), Jo Lima (PUE), and Mark Waller (WAS). Expansion and relocation brings with it several new regional rivalries, including Puerto Rico vs. Florida, Seattle vs. Portland, Golden Gate vs. Los Angeles, and San Diego vs. Los Angeles, not to mention rivalries between expansion GMs and their former clubs: Jo Lima (PUE-FLO), Charlie Qualls derby (GG-CLE) and Andy Chaney (POR-ATL).

Some highlights include:

April 1-3 - Brooklyn at Boston - First-year GM Brian Manwaring make his UL debut at home at Fenway Park against the defending champions.
April 1-3 - Puerto Rico at Manhattan - thousands of Puerto Rican fans expected to descend on Ferraro Field at Hudson Yards when the Cocodrilos make their first visit to the Big Apple.

April 1-3 - Florida at Keystone - First-year GM David Bright makes his UL debut at New Shibe Park.

April 1-3 - Atlanta at Denver - First-year GM Rick Smart makes his UL debut at Ralph Carr Field against his pickleball nemesis.

April 1-3 - Chicago at Golden Gate - home opener for the Breakers, replacing the departed San Francisco Spiders, who left for Minneapolis in 1995.

April 1-3 - Montreal at Portland - home opener for GM Andy Chaney’s expansion Portland Ospreys in the historic Civic Stadium, which Chaney was rumored to be planning to demolish before a group of 3,000 fans signed a petition in one day to preserve the old ballpark

April 1-3 - Cleveland at Los Angeles - First-year GM Ken Parker makes his UL debut at Arroyo Seco Stadium.

April 1-3 - St. Louis at San Diego - relocated Havana Leones play their first home game at Jack Murphy Stadium.

April 4-6 - Seattle at Washington - Homecoming for GM Mark Waller, who returns to the helm of the Mons after a six-year stint in Boston.
April 7-9 - Boston at Atlanta - first meeting of rookie managers, as Brian Manwaring's Feds take on Rick Smart's Toppers.

April 10-12 - Golden Gate at Cleveland - Charlie Qualls faces the club he managed for 48 years.

April 13-15 - Puerto Rico at Portland - first meeting of expansion teams

April 16-18 - Portland at Seattle - first meeting of Cascadia rivals

April 23-25 - Seattle at Brooklyn - first meeting of last year’s World Series teams

April 26-28 - Golden Gate at Los Angeles - first meeting between California rivals

April 29-May 1- Portland at Atlanta - Portland skipper Andy Chaney makes his return to Aaron-Antonelli Stadium, where he led the Toppers from 1980-1998

May 12-14 - Golden Gate at Puerto Rico - first meeting of expansion teams

May 27-29 - Puerto Rico at Florida - GM Jo Lima returns to Miami, where he led the Flamingos from their inception in 1990 until last year, to initiate a new rivalry between the league’s two tropical teams.

June 3-5 - Portland at Golden Gate - first meeting of expansion teams

June 3-5 - San Diego at Los Angeles - first meeting of Southern California rivals

July 2-4 - Montreal’s Stade Olympique - Third installment of the All-Star Classic, a three-game series between USA and World All-Star Teams.

July 28-30 - Washington at Boston - GM Mark Waller returns to Fenway, where he led the Boston Federals from 1993-98

Oct 2-4 - First “6/7 Series” under expanded playoff format. Two lowest wildcard teams face off in best-of-three series for the final spot in the Hex Series.