Hunter world was my first world and the Cheese Grits were my first team. It's my favorite franchise, even though my only pennants and WS title reside in another world. In celebration of the 20th season of Hunter, I thought I would name my all time 20th anniversary Grits team. It would be cool if other original owners did the same.
Catcher:
I think if I do a 25th anniversary team, this answer will change to Rick Briggs, but it's Giles for now. Giles was my very first FA signing, and he did not disappoint, going .299/.363/.555 with 37 HR and 126 RBI and 110 runs scored. He was a terrific defensive C and game caller. For 5 seasons, he called the shots and carried a good to great stick. His PC ability kept him in the majors until his 40's.
First Base:
Willie Reagan still holds some franchise records, but Aldridge was the superior player. In 6+ seasons in Atlanta, he led the franchise to their best seasons. He put up a .292/.399/.514 line with 196 HR and 632 RBI while playing in Atlanta. He grabbed 3 top 5 MVP finishes in his Atlanta years. His career .404 OBP and 410 career HR should merit some HOF consideration.
Second Base:
The ultimate no-brainer, Mendy Clemens is one of the few players to be enshrined in Hunter's Hall of Fame. He played the first 5+ seasons in Atlanta before being traded to New York for Gene Fitzgerald (not one of my better decisions). He was brought back as a LF for his last 3 seasons. In his years in Atlanta, he put up a .310/.392/.539 line with 200 HR, 850 RBI, 1044 runs, 196 SB and 1560 hits. He racked up 7 Silver Sluggers and 5 All Star Games in his entire career.
Shortstop:
While Yoshii was capable, at best, at the plate, he was a wizard with the glove. Signed as an IFA out of Japan, Yoshii won 4 Gold Gloves and made 2 All Star teams in his 9 seasons in Atlanta. In his career, he has 147 + plays and only 5 minus plays. He'd have more + plays, but the mods didn't fix fielding stats until after he had played 3 seasons. His batting stats in Atlanta were a respectable .261/.321/.361. I'll take that all day long from a Gold Glove SS.
Third Base:
While the Clemens trade wasn't one of my best, I did manage to spin Fitzgerald after one lousy season into a number of good players in a trade with Colorado. I received George Baker, Al Canizaro, Jerome Moore and Hansen. These players helped build the foundation for my 2 100+ win seasons. Hansen was a good defensive 3b with speed and some power. In 9 seasons in Atlanta, he batted .284/.339/.481 with 187 HR, 332 2b, 848 runs, and 226 SB. He won 4 Silver Sluggers and made 3 All Star teams.
Left Field:
Left field has been a problem spot for Atlanta, which is odd, because it should be one of the easier positions to fill. This is very true in other worlds, but it has not been the case, for me, in Hunter. I've managed to find a lot of veteran stop gaps to give me nice seasons, but no good permanent solutions. Valdes was my first LF and my best. His first 2 seasons were monster seasons, and his glove work was always great. He won 3 Gold Gloves and made 2 All Star teams. In 5 seasons in Atlanta, he hit .295/.356/.459 with 88 HR, 185 2B, and 531 RBI. His skills faded fast as I had no idea what training was good for in those early days and he retired at a very young age after I let him walk.
Center field:
You know what's freaking hard? Finding a CF who can play CF well and hit worth a damn. Not easy. My last 2 seasons, I've had J.R. Cox, who is Willie Mays with the glove, but not so much with the bat (You may run like Hayes, but you hit like sh*t.") Still, you could make a case for Cox, given the assorted junk I had in CF for my first "decade". However, I think Aspromonte has to get the nod here. Hub was a good defender in CF, with his 89 range and 81-83 level glove. He had some pop and was a switch hitter to boot. In 6+ seasons in Atlanta, he posted .252/.317/.435 with 120 HR and 463 RBI. His best season (S12), he put up a .286/.348/.497 line with 21 HR and 92 RBI. Not bad.
Right Field:
Here is another answer that will change with the 25th anniversary team. Joshua Mays will certainly take over this spot at some point, but for 2+ seasons, Hernandez was pure brilliance. He is my sole AL MVP award winner, and boy did he earn it. He hit .309/.386/.619 in S12 with 43 HR, 145 RBI, 121 runs, 26 2b, 11 3b and 30 SB. Oh yeah, he was an above average RF as well. I let him walk after S12 to LA, where his skills declined rapidly (hello training budget!) The compensatory 1st rounder I got turned into Silver Slugging Catcher Rick Briggs. The gift that kept on giving.
Designated Hitter:
DH has been a bit of a revolving door. I've had a lot of players put up 2 good to great seasons in this spot. Aldridge spent some time here, as well. Marc Diaz, Dweezil Van Pelt, and Ralph Hunt were all good hitters. I chose Borchard as he had the best 2 season impact and played on my best teams. He hit .333/.399/.585 and .308/.382/.552 in his 2 full seasons in Atlanta. He hit 36 HR with 115 RBI in the first season and 35 Hr with 115 RBI in his second. That's consistency.
Right Handed Starting Pitcher:
This is a tougher call. Ignacio Cruz won one of my franchises 2 Cy Young awards, George Baker the other. Bob Creek has had 2 very good seasons, but that's not enough. I have to go with Burnett due to his talent and results. He's a short inning starter, which limits his value somewhat, but when he's on the mound, he's great. In 7 seasons in Atlanta, he's posted a 3.07 ERA in 1112 IP with a 1.13 WHIP. He's held opponents to a .279 OBP. He gets a lot of no decisions, but is still 81-45. Does Cruz' value and innings over 4 seasons best Burnett's superior pitching over 7 seasons? I don't think so, but I could be persuaded, I suppose.
Left handed Starting pitcher:
Wakeland is Mr. Cheese Grit. He was 17 years old in S1 when I started my team. He broke into the majors for good in s5 after a massive elbow injury delayed his arrival. He made an immediate impact, winning the Rookie of the Year award by posting a 15-1 season with a 2.90 ERA in 24 starts. There was a fair bit of mediocrity mixed in, as he was backed by some very bad defenses for a while. He turned it around in S10 as the Grits got good again. He peaked in S11, posting a 21-8 record with a 2.84 ERA in 225.1 innings. Another elbow injury in S13 ended his ability to be a good starter, and he's muddled through since. He is still active and pitching, even now, and won his first WS ring with Philly in S18. He pitched 15 seasons in Atlanta and posted a 148-119 record with a 4.26 ERA.
Relief Pitcher:
I drafted Canizaro in the 2nd (!) round in S3. I dealt him to Colorado for Carlos James, but then I reacquired him in the massive Fitzgerald deal mentioned above. During his 7 season tenure in Atlanta, he made 4 All Star Teams and won a Fireman of the Year award. He saved 208 of 231 chances in 351 games, posting a 3.18 ERA.
It's been a fun ride so far and I'm looking forward to writing another one for my 30th anniversary.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Pittsburgh Studdabubbas S19 Wrap-Up
The Studdabubbas made huge strides in Season 20. They won 67 games (12 more than last year) and they are no longer the worst team in the league—they are 6th worst. Yippee!
Those 12 wins can probably all be traced back to the swell rookie season that 1B Matt Buchanan put together. He hit 44 homers and for a .316 average. His .992 OPS was second-best in Studdabubba histroy (Willie Drew had 1.067 in season 11). Buchanan was voted the NL rookie of the year by the owners. Surprisingly, this isn't new territory for the Studdabubbas.
What probably isn't surprising to you is that none of these ROYs are pitchers. Pittsburgh is still the black hole of pitching. You hear these pitcher's names on draft day and never again. Take a moment to bask in your Studdabubba's history of pitchers chosen in the first round of the draft.
For the first time in recent memory, the Studdabubbas actually tried to address the pitching issue last season. They acquired 25 y.o. Daryl Isringhausen from LA who went 12-8 for the Studdabubba's big team, which is an accomplishment in this town. They also acquired 21 y.o. Alejandro Gomez from Atlanta and, in true Pittsburgh fashion, he suffered and elbow injury which put him on the DL for a year and set him back pretty far on all of his best assets. Some things never change.
It's probable that we will get to see Butch Griffith and, set-up guy, Seop Pan get called up in Season 20. But after that, the cupboard is pretty bare. And that goes for the young position players, too. Besides Buchanan, the young ML hitters aren't world beaters. Don't be fooled! Even though it's been going on for 5 seasons already, the Bubbas are still in rebuild mode.
Those 12 wins can probably all be traced back to the swell rookie season that 1B Matt Buchanan put together. He hit 44 homers and for a .316 average. His .992 OPS was second-best in Studdabubba histroy (Willie Drew had 1.067 in season 11). Buchanan was voted the NL rookie of the year by the owners. Surprisingly, this isn't new territory for the Studdabubbas.
Pittsburgh Studdabubbas Rookie of the Year winners:
1B - Matt Buchanan (S19)
1B - Nate Girardi(S11)
LF - Willie Drew (S6)
SS - Juan Aguilar (S5)
What probably isn't surprising to you is that none of these ROYs are pitchers. Pittsburgh is still the black hole of pitching. You hear these pitcher's names on draft day and never again. Take a moment to bask in your Studdabubba's history of pitchers chosen in the first round of the draft.
Who the crap are these people?
S1 - Danny Owen - 0 ML years
S2 - Sean Ratliff- 0 ML seasons in Pitt - pitched poorly for LA and Chicago
S2 - Hector Gonzalez - 0 ML seasons in Pitt - stunk in other cities
S3 - Kenneth Carson - 4 ML seasons in Pitt - 4.92 career ERA
S3 - David Cradle - 1 ML Season in Pitt which was at the end of his lousy career (5.30 ERA)
S6 - Quentin Lary - 0 ML seasons in Pitt - The Bubs make a good pick (28th) but wisely trade him away before they can screw him up - 3.05 ERA, 1.17 WHIP in SF and Col.
S11- Stephen Moore - 2 ML seasons in Pitt - sadly, still with team - nobody will claim him - 4.26 ERA
S14 - Greg Baptist - 3 ML seasons in Pitt - 5.07 ERA, 15-45 career record
S15 - Ronny Boyd - 23 y.o.- average AAA starter.
S17 - Butch Griffith - 25 y.o.- good AAA starter
S19 - William Casey - 19 y.o. - First overall pick last year...Dude had better be good!
For the first time in recent memory, the Studdabubbas actually tried to address the pitching issue last season. They acquired 25 y.o. Daryl Isringhausen from LA who went 12-8 for the Studdabubba's big team, which is an accomplishment in this town. They also acquired 21 y.o. Alejandro Gomez from Atlanta and, in true Pittsburgh fashion, he suffered and elbow injury which put him on the DL for a year and set him back pretty far on all of his best assets. Some things never change.
It's probable that we will get to see Butch Griffith and, set-up guy, Seop Pan get called up in Season 20. But after that, the cupboard is pretty bare. And that goes for the young position players, too. Besides Buchanan, the young ML hitters aren't world beaters. Don't be fooled! Even though it's been going on for 5 seasons already, the Bubbas are still in rebuild mode.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Studdabubbas Take a Trip to the Fountain of Youth
After last season’s debacle, at least we can say that your favorite Pittsburgh baseball team (yes, still ahead of the Pirates) aren’t standing pat. The Studdabubbas will welcome 6 rookies to their Big League roster—3 of whom will start right out of the gate. Plus, the Studdabubbas have been making some deals to get some much needed arms into their system. You may not recognize your team in Season 19, but making wholesale changes to the worst team in the league sure seems to make sense.
Rookie Matt Buchanan is the guy who chased Nate Girardi to Atlanta in free agency. Pittsburgh fans are calling him the next Willie Drew. Management is expecting more.
Second baseman Duffy Strong was traded to Atlanta for a promising starting pitcher named Alejandro Gomez who was assigned to Pittsburgh’s AA team. This opened the door for rookie Tim Dresden who will start on opening day.
At short, 31 year-old Frank Turner, who played for Kansas City for the last 6 years, was claimed off the Waiver Wire after Wilton Martin was let go and Wascar Blanco messed-up his back.
In right field, rookie Hong-Gu Suh will get the call because last year’s starter, Fernando Hernandez, was asking for too much money. Currently, Fernando is on Detroit’s AAA team.
The Studdabubba’s had been toying with the idea of trading Aaron Bennett for years and finally pulled the trigger. Bennett and a couple pitching prospects returned SP Daryl Isringhausen from Los Angeles. Last season’s back-up catcher, Arthur Anderson, will likely be the starter but the Bubbas have some depth here. It looks like they might try rookie Jimmie Henriquez as a backup but not because he is a good catcher.
Those are the changes in the field as Buzz Abernathy (3B), Charlie Bird (CF) and Tony Grove (LF) remain the starters from last year. Another rookie, Pablo Andino, has also been called up to the Bigs as a utility guy.
The pitching seems to have improved a little this season but that’s not saying a whole let. Brand new starter Darly Isringhousen will also be joined in the rotation by J.J. Scott who, along with releiver Jesus Diaz was acquired from salary-conscious Scranton for two prospects.
Francisco Delgado was the lone free agency signing for the Studdabubbas this season (way to spend that money, ownership) but he, and rookie Cole Rossy, should help solidify the horrific bullpens of Pittsburgh past.
It may seem even longer, but it's been a long 5 seasons since the Pittsburgh Studdabubbas made the playoffs. In seasons 9-14 they won the NL North 5 out of 6 times. Hopefully, the young nucleus of this club are a step in the right direction to being a relevant, competitive team in Hunter again.
Rookie Matt Buchanan is the guy who chased Nate Girardi to Atlanta in free agency. Pittsburgh fans are calling him the next Willie Drew. Management is expecting more.
Second baseman Duffy Strong was traded to Atlanta for a promising starting pitcher named Alejandro Gomez who was assigned to Pittsburgh’s AA team. This opened the door for rookie Tim Dresden who will start on opening day.
At short, 31 year-old Frank Turner, who played for Kansas City for the last 6 years, was claimed off the Waiver Wire after Wilton Martin was let go and Wascar Blanco messed-up his back.
In right field, rookie Hong-Gu Suh will get the call because last year’s starter, Fernando Hernandez, was asking for too much money. Currently, Fernando is on Detroit’s AAA team.
The Studdabubba’s had been toying with the idea of trading Aaron Bennett for years and finally pulled the trigger. Bennett and a couple pitching prospects returned SP Daryl Isringhausen from Los Angeles. Last season’s back-up catcher, Arthur Anderson, will likely be the starter but the Bubbas have some depth here. It looks like they might try rookie Jimmie Henriquez as a backup but not because he is a good catcher.
Those are the changes in the field as Buzz Abernathy (3B), Charlie Bird (CF) and Tony Grove (LF) remain the starters from last year. Another rookie, Pablo Andino, has also been called up to the Bigs as a utility guy.
The pitching seems to have improved a little this season but that’s not saying a whole let. Brand new starter Darly Isringhousen will also be joined in the rotation by J.J. Scott who, along with releiver Jesus Diaz was acquired from salary-conscious Scranton for two prospects.
Francisco Delgado was the lone free agency signing for the Studdabubbas this season (way to spend that money, ownership) but he, and rookie Cole Rossy, should help solidify the horrific bullpens of Pittsburgh past.
It may seem even longer, but it's been a long 5 seasons since the Pittsburgh Studdabubbas made the playoffs. In seasons 9-14 they won the NL North 5 out of 6 times. Hopefully, the young nucleus of this club are a step in the right direction to being a relevant, competitive team in Hunter again.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Pittsburgh Studdabubbas S18 Wrap-Up
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The Studdabubbas thought S18 was the year that they, at least, would get the ship facing in the right direction. Last season, they came on strong at the end of the season. So, this year, they spent some money in free-agency for the first time in years and thought they had some young players who were ready to break-out. In response, Pittsburgh had their worst record in their 18-season history, 55-107.
The pitching was a disaster again. The free agent signing of Del Hernandez was expected to strengthen and nurture the young pitching staff but Del quickly fell into the same funk that has plagued all Pittsburgh pitchers throughout time. The best starter on the team was not Hernandez (7-10, 4.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) but arguably the 23-year-old Rule 5 pick Vin Franco. He had a 3.90 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP and lost 6 out of 6 games (That’s right, the Studdabubba’s best starter won 0 games). He probably could have lost even more games if he wasn’t injured for the first three quarters of the season.
The other free agents (Buzz Abernathy, Alberto Cordero, Fernando Hernandez) were stop-gap players and they hardly accomplished that. Buzz Abernathy hit .280 and hit 21 HRs and, sadly, was the Studdabubba’s best slugger (.454).
After a horrible start where he was benched for a few games, Nate Girardi somehow got his average up to .291 but only got 77 RBIs batting 3rd and 4th—easily his worst production of his career. Nate is in the last year of his contract and will likely look for a new team.
If we needed to choose a S18 MVP, it would have to be 35-year-old set-up man, Darryl Ogea. He had a WHIP of 1.12 and went 7-3 on a team that only won 55 games. Ogea probably isn’t quite ready to retire and Pittsburgh would be stupid to let any competent pitcher go but will Ogea want to stay?
There may be some hope in Pittsburgh, though. The ‘Bubba’s AAA team is in the World Series and has 3 or 4 position players who will likely get called-up at the beginning of next season:
1B - Matt Buchanan - He was a first round pick in S16 and will be 22-years-old next season. Matt has been demolishing Minor League pitching hitting 33, 46, and 47 home runs in the last 3 seasons. He is the main reason Nate Girardi may not be a Studdabubba next season.
2B - Tim Dresden - Dresden will battle Duffy Strong for the 2b starting spot but, since he can play many positions, he will likely be called-up even if he doesn’t beat-out Strong. Dresdon was a S15 compensatory pick.
SS - Pablo Andino - Coming to the Studdabubbas in S16 as a compensatory pick, Pablo isn’t exactly ripping up the minors but, with the Studdabubbas weakness at SS, Andino will probably be asked to replace Wilton Martin as backup SS or even start if the ‘Bubbas don’t resign Wascar Blanco.
RF - Hong-Gu Suh - An International signing in S15, Suh probably still needs another year in the minors but may get the call if there is an injury or more benchings.
Needless to say, there aren’t any blue-chip pitchers who are likely to make a mark in the Majors any time soon. Ronny Boyd is probably closest but he’s probably a S20 hopeful. Cole Rossy may also get a shot but that’s mostly due to the lousy shape the the ML bullpen is currently in.
The pitching was a disaster again. The free agent signing of Del Hernandez was expected to strengthen and nurture the young pitching staff but Del quickly fell into the same funk that has plagued all Pittsburgh pitchers throughout time. The best starter on the team was not Hernandez (7-10, 4.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) but arguably the 23-year-old Rule 5 pick Vin Franco. He had a 3.90 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP and lost 6 out of 6 games (That’s right, the Studdabubba’s best starter won 0 games). He probably could have lost even more games if he wasn’t injured for the first three quarters of the season.
The other free agents (Buzz Abernathy, Alberto Cordero, Fernando Hernandez) were stop-gap players and they hardly accomplished that. Buzz Abernathy hit .280 and hit 21 HRs and, sadly, was the Studdabubba’s best slugger (.454).
After a horrible start where he was benched for a few games, Nate Girardi somehow got his average up to .291 but only got 77 RBIs batting 3rd and 4th—easily his worst production of his career. Nate is in the last year of his contract and will likely look for a new team.
If we needed to choose a S18 MVP, it would have to be 35-year-old set-up man, Darryl Ogea. He had a WHIP of 1.12 and went 7-3 on a team that only won 55 games. Ogea probably isn’t quite ready to retire and Pittsburgh would be stupid to let any competent pitcher go but will Ogea want to stay?
There may be some hope in Pittsburgh, though. The ‘Bubba’s AAA team is in the World Series and has 3 or 4 position players who will likely get called-up at the beginning of next season:
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1B - Matt Buchanan - He was a first round pick in S16 and will be 22-years-old next season. Matt has been demolishing Minor League pitching hitting 33, 46, and 47 home runs in the last 3 seasons. He is the main reason Nate Girardi may not be a Studdabubba next season.
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2B - Tim Dresden - Dresden will battle Duffy Strong for the 2b starting spot but, since he can play many positions, he will likely be called-up even if he doesn’t beat-out Strong. Dresdon was a S15 compensatory pick.
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SS - Pablo Andino - Coming to the Studdabubbas in S16 as a compensatory pick, Pablo isn’t exactly ripping up the minors but, with the Studdabubbas weakness at SS, Andino will probably be asked to replace Wilton Martin as backup SS or even start if the ‘Bubbas don’t resign Wascar Blanco.
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RF - Hong-Gu Suh - An International signing in S15, Suh probably still needs another year in the minors but may get the call if there is an injury or more benchings.
Needless to say, there aren’t any blue-chip pitchers who are likely to make a mark in the Majors any time soon. Ronny Boyd is probably closest but he’s probably a S20 hopeful. Cole Rossy may also get a shot but that’s mostly due to the lousy shape the the ML bullpen is currently in.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Hall of Fame Candidates
Below is the list of HOF eligible candidates. I decided to rank the top 20 candidates not yet in the hall.
1. Mendy Clemens
Seasons 1-13
Stats: 1584 R (4th All-time), 334 HR, 1405 RBI, 297 SB, .304 AVG, .915 OPS
Awards: 6-Time 2b Silver Slugger, 5-Time All-Star, 1-Time LF Silver Slugger & 1 World Series Ring.
Pros: Unless we want a HOF consisting of only DH/1b/LF and SP we need to start factoring the positions of the nominee. Clemens is probably the best 2b in the history of Hunter, I think it’s safe to say the best at any position should be in the HOF. Unlike some other nominees that played up the middle out of position Clemens was a bone fide 2b until season 9 and then a passable defender until season 11. As a top of the order batter he got the job done with a .385 OBS and huge run totals which put him in the top 5 all-time. Also Clemens was 24 when the world was created and looking at his initial ratings he could have been a ML contributor as early at 22. A final pro for Clemens is when I roughed out this list I had him 4th or 5th but the more I looked at him the further he climbed.
EDIT: M. Clemens was the starting 2b for the All-Hunter AL Decade team
Cons: To nitpick he was only had average range for a 2b but did have a plus glove
EDIT: When review his SB success that could be the 2nd knock on Clemens while he stole 297 based he was thrown out over 150 times.
2. Kevin Coleman
Seasons 1-14
Stats: 166-91 2383 IP 1843K 3.66 ERA 1.24 WHIP
Awards: 3-Time All-Star, 3 Time Cy Young winner , 1 World Series Ring, 1 Silver Slugger
Pros: Authored a career 3.66 ERA despite pitching in Colorado/Tucson for four combined seasons, has the most Cy Young awards of any retired pitcher not named Bournigal. Posted a career winning % of .645 despite spending 7 of his 14 seasons on non-playoff teams.. For the first 10 seasons of Hunter the league average ERA ranged from 4.92.-5.45 Coleman’s ERA was about a run and a half lower than (3.66) than the league average. His ERA becomes even more impressive when put into the following context. he pitched 22% of his career innings in Coors field, He pitched 400 innings in Tucson’s Electric park which is the third best hitting park (behind Coors and Sante Fe) and for those 400 IP he averaged an ERA of 3.18. So during his extended prime Coleman was clearly an elite pitcher he just had some factors working against his overall stats. In the one season he spent on a quality team in a pitcher’s park he went 18-5 with a 1.98 ERA. Perhaps a glimpse into what he could have done had he been put into better situations.
EDIT: Also forgot to mention that Coleman made the All-Hunter NL Decade team as one of three Starting Pitchers
Cons: Only averaged 11.8 wins for his career, only 3-All star appearances however this is likely explained by the low win totals playing for bad teams. As allstar voting tends heavily favour win totals
3. Mark Meng
Seaosns 1-14
Stats: 212-99 (2nd All-Time) 2765 IP (4th All-Time) 1988K (5th All-Time) 3.39 ERA 1.24 WHIP
Awards: 7-Time All-Star & 1 World Series Ring
Pros: As stated above for Coleman the ML average for ERA over the first 10 seasons ranged from 4.92-5.45. So Meng’s career ERA was a full two runs lower than the league average in some instances. Most agree a sub 4 ERA for a season is a very good year and a sub 3 ERA is a fantastic year. Meng had ten sub 4 ERA seasons and had four sub 3 ERA seasons. When Meng signed in with Scottsdale after Season 7 he inked the largest contract ever handed out to a pitcher (5 years/ 80M). This signing paid immediate dividends for Scottsdale leading a franchise that had previously never been to the playoffs to a championship. While pitching 40 playoff innings with an ERA of 2.95. Meng was the definition of a winner, teams he played for made the playoffs 12/14 season. Along with Coleman, Meng was named one of the 3 starters to the All-Hunter NL Decade team and just missed being named to the AL team as well
Cons: Despite being top 5 in several major pitching categories Mark Meng never won a Cy Young. After coming to the AL he played in the shadow of Feliepe Bournigal however he never took home the big trophy in the AL. Also nitpicking he only had one 20W season.
4. E. Molina
Seasons 1-14
Stats: 1591 R (3rd All-Time) 255 HR 1146 RBI 459 SB (2nd All-Time) .312 AVG .910 OPS
Awards: ROY, 3-Time RF Silver Slugger, 6-Time All-Star & 2-Time Gold Glove winner
Pros: Molina was a model of consistency over the first ten seasons of Hunter. In his first ten seasons he only batted below .300 once and hit between 20-29 HR eight times. It wasn’t till his 12th season that he failed to reach the 100 run plateau. Molina was a perfect top of the order hitter with a little bit of pop, great speed and the ability to get on base. That ability to get on base let him touch home plate more than all but two men (Angel Bolivar & Garret Biggio) in Hunter history. In addition to his bat he also played good enough defense to win two gold gloves in RF. Mr. Molina was also the extremely loyal sort playing every inning of his ML career for the same franchise. I believe that would be a first among all Hunter HOFs (provided he beats Rich Peters in…..more on him to follow). Like the three listed above him E. Molina also made the All-Hunter Decade team. He was a reserve for the NL, having been beaten out by Frank Zhang for the starting spot in RF.
Cons: Molina lacked the typical power found in an OF corner spot he is also the first player on this list to have never won a title.
5. D. Miller
Seasons: 1-11
Stats: 1131 R 283HR 1083 RBI 164 SB .306 AVG .953 OPS
Awards: 5-Time Silver Slugger SS, 5-Time All-Star & 3 World Series Rings
Pros: Miller is a 5-time AL Silver slugger winner and did so in only 6 full AL seasons. Some will point to Miller’s defense as being better suited for 2b or 3b myself included. However, it’s tough to argue with the Generals success with Miller manning SS, the Washington Franchise won it’s three titles with Miller at SS. If his defense didn’t hinder a championship team it’s difficult to hold it against his HOF candidacy. Miller was nearing the end of his prime when the world was generated (his fielding skills began to detiroate after season3), despite this fact Miller was still able to reach 1000R and 1000 RBIs for this career. While Miller’s stats won’t be as godly as some players on this list he fact he played an up the middle position on 3 championship teams makes him Hall Worthy in my books
Cons: Fielding skills were always below average for a a SS. For his career he had 35 negative plays vs. 4 positive plays at short. He was basically done as a ML hitter by Season 9, which brings up the question of how to evaluate hitters that were older when the world was generated. I think it’s safe to say most understand that CF/SS will have shorter careers as fielding ratings fall off a cliff early in a players 30’s
6. Derek O’Keefe
Seasons 1-13
Stats: 163-78 2301 IP 1824 K 3.15 ERA 1.18 WHIP
Awards: 1 Cy Young & 5 All-Star Appearances
Pros: Previously with Mark Meng, I mentioned sub-4 and sub-3 ERA seasons, I will do so once again with O’Keefe. O’Keefe had eleven seasons with a sub 4 ERA and three seasons with a sub 3 ERA. Those numbers seem pretty ridiculous in themselves but when you dig deeper you’ll see that for 10 of his 13 seasons his ERA was sub 3.4 Unlike other pitching greats O’Keefe didn’t tail off dramatically at the end of his career. In fact at age 41 he gave the TB (now Houston) franchise 128 innings of 3.09 ERA ball. O’Keefe managed all of the above despite being 29 when Hunter was created.
Cons: He never managed to win a championship however that didn’t mean he wasn’t in demand, he played for 10 different organizations in his career. His one Cy Young was likely a by-product of several seasons being split between two leagues.
1. Mendy Clemens
Seasons 1-13
Stats: 1584 R (4th All-time), 334 HR, 1405 RBI, 297 SB, .304 AVG, .915 OPS
Awards: 6-Time 2b Silver Slugger, 5-Time All-Star, 1-Time LF Silver Slugger & 1 World Series Ring.
Pros: Unless we want a HOF consisting of only DH/1b/LF and SP we need to start factoring the positions of the nominee. Clemens is probably the best 2b in the history of Hunter, I think it’s safe to say the best at any position should be in the HOF. Unlike some other nominees that played up the middle out of position Clemens was a bone fide 2b until season 9 and then a passable defender until season 11. As a top of the order batter he got the job done with a .385 OBS and huge run totals which put him in the top 5 all-time. Also Clemens was 24 when the world was created and looking at his initial ratings he could have been a ML contributor as early at 22. A final pro for Clemens is when I roughed out this list I had him 4th or 5th but the more I looked at him the further he climbed.
EDIT: M. Clemens was the starting 2b for the All-Hunter AL Decade team
Cons: To nitpick he was only had average range for a 2b but did have a plus glove
EDIT: When review his SB success that could be the 2nd knock on Clemens while he stole 297 based he was thrown out over 150 times.
2. Kevin Coleman
Seasons 1-14
Stats: 166-91 2383 IP 1843K 3.66 ERA 1.24 WHIP
Awards: 3-Time All-Star, 3 Time Cy Young winner , 1 World Series Ring, 1 Silver Slugger
Pros: Authored a career 3.66 ERA despite pitching in Colorado/Tucson for four combined seasons, has the most Cy Young awards of any retired pitcher not named Bournigal. Posted a career winning % of .645 despite spending 7 of his 14 seasons on non-playoff teams.. For the first 10 seasons of Hunter the league average ERA ranged from 4.92.-5.45 Coleman’s ERA was about a run and a half lower than (3.66) than the league average. His ERA becomes even more impressive when put into the following context. he pitched 22% of his career innings in Coors field, He pitched 400 innings in Tucson’s Electric park which is the third best hitting park (behind Coors and Sante Fe) and for those 400 IP he averaged an ERA of 3.18. So during his extended prime Coleman was clearly an elite pitcher he just had some factors working against his overall stats. In the one season he spent on a quality team in a pitcher’s park he went 18-5 with a 1.98 ERA. Perhaps a glimpse into what he could have done had he been put into better situations.
EDIT: Also forgot to mention that Coleman made the All-Hunter NL Decade team as one of three Starting Pitchers
Cons: Only averaged 11.8 wins for his career, only 3-All star appearances however this is likely explained by the low win totals playing for bad teams. As allstar voting tends heavily favour win totals
3. Mark Meng
Seaosns 1-14
Stats: 212-99 (2nd All-Time) 2765 IP (4th All-Time) 1988K (5th All-Time) 3.39 ERA 1.24 WHIP
Awards: 7-Time All-Star & 1 World Series Ring
Pros: As stated above for Coleman the ML average for ERA over the first 10 seasons ranged from 4.92-5.45. So Meng’s career ERA was a full two runs lower than the league average in some instances. Most agree a sub 4 ERA for a season is a very good year and a sub 3 ERA is a fantastic year. Meng had ten sub 4 ERA seasons and had four sub 3 ERA seasons. When Meng signed in with Scottsdale after Season 7 he inked the largest contract ever handed out to a pitcher (5 years/ 80M). This signing paid immediate dividends for Scottsdale leading a franchise that had previously never been to the playoffs to a championship. While pitching 40 playoff innings with an ERA of 2.95. Meng was the definition of a winner, teams he played for made the playoffs 12/14 season. Along with Coleman, Meng was named one of the 3 starters to the All-Hunter NL Decade team and just missed being named to the AL team as well
Cons: Despite being top 5 in several major pitching categories Mark Meng never won a Cy Young. After coming to the AL he played in the shadow of Feliepe Bournigal however he never took home the big trophy in the AL. Also nitpicking he only had one 20W season.
4. E. Molina
Seasons 1-14
Stats: 1591 R (3rd All-Time) 255 HR 1146 RBI 459 SB (2nd All-Time) .312 AVG .910 OPS
Awards: ROY, 3-Time RF Silver Slugger, 6-Time All-Star & 2-Time Gold Glove winner
Pros: Molina was a model of consistency over the first ten seasons of Hunter. In his first ten seasons he only batted below .300 once and hit between 20-29 HR eight times. It wasn’t till his 12th season that he failed to reach the 100 run plateau. Molina was a perfect top of the order hitter with a little bit of pop, great speed and the ability to get on base. That ability to get on base let him touch home plate more than all but two men (Angel Bolivar & Garret Biggio) in Hunter history. In addition to his bat he also played good enough defense to win two gold gloves in RF. Mr. Molina was also the extremely loyal sort playing every inning of his ML career for the same franchise. I believe that would be a first among all Hunter HOFs (provided he beats Rich Peters in…..more on him to follow). Like the three listed above him E. Molina also made the All-Hunter Decade team. He was a reserve for the NL, having been beaten out by Frank Zhang for the starting spot in RF.
Cons: Molina lacked the typical power found in an OF corner spot he is also the first player on this list to have never won a title.
5. D. Miller
Seasons: 1-11
Stats: 1131 R 283HR 1083 RBI 164 SB .306 AVG .953 OPS
Awards: 5-Time Silver Slugger SS, 5-Time All-Star & 3 World Series Rings
Pros: Miller is a 5-time AL Silver slugger winner and did so in only 6 full AL seasons. Some will point to Miller’s defense as being better suited for 2b or 3b myself included. However, it’s tough to argue with the Generals success with Miller manning SS, the Washington Franchise won it’s three titles with Miller at SS. If his defense didn’t hinder a championship team it’s difficult to hold it against his HOF candidacy. Miller was nearing the end of his prime when the world was generated (his fielding skills began to detiroate after season3), despite this fact Miller was still able to reach 1000R and 1000 RBIs for this career. While Miller’s stats won’t be as godly as some players on this list he fact he played an up the middle position on 3 championship teams makes him Hall Worthy in my books
Cons: Fielding skills were always below average for a a SS. For his career he had 35 negative plays vs. 4 positive plays at short. He was basically done as a ML hitter by Season 9, which brings up the question of how to evaluate hitters that were older when the world was generated. I think it’s safe to say most understand that CF/SS will have shorter careers as fielding ratings fall off a cliff early in a players 30’s
6. Derek O’Keefe
Seasons 1-13
Stats: 163-78 2301 IP 1824 K 3.15 ERA 1.18 WHIP
Awards: 1 Cy Young & 5 All-Star Appearances
Pros: Previously with Mark Meng, I mentioned sub-4 and sub-3 ERA seasons, I will do so once again with O’Keefe. O’Keefe had eleven seasons with a sub 4 ERA and three seasons with a sub 3 ERA. Those numbers seem pretty ridiculous in themselves but when you dig deeper you’ll see that for 10 of his 13 seasons his ERA was sub 3.4 Unlike other pitching greats O’Keefe didn’t tail off dramatically at the end of his career. In fact at age 41 he gave the TB (now Houston) franchise 128 innings of 3.09 ERA ball. O’Keefe managed all of the above despite being 29 when Hunter was created.
Cons: He never managed to win a championship however that didn’t mean he wasn’t in demand, he played for 10 different organizations in his career. His one Cy Young was likely a by-product of several seasons being split between two leagues.
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