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The inaugural American Baseball League draft is complete, as teams are preparing to begin Spring Training in less than a week. This month we’ll offer team by team recaps, highlighting each team’s top picks, potential sleeper picks, and each team’s mistakes. We’ll also recap this month’s transactions, and highlight the winners and losers in each deal. Without further delay, here is what each team did right, and wrong.

Eastern League-East Division

Bronx Bombers

Top Picks
1-SP Tom Seaver,29
2-2B Rod Carew,28
3-CF Bake McBride,24

The Sleepers
4-RF Claudell Washington,19
9-C Thurman Munson,26
11-1B John Mayberry,24

The Duds
6-RF Sean Revis,30
7-SP Jim Perry,38
13-SP Mike Cuellar,36

New York Skyliners

Top Picks
1-SP Jim Rooker,31
2-1B Willie McCovey,35
8-SP Mel Stottlemyre,32

The Sleepers
10-SS Rick Burleson,22
11-3B Ron Cey,25
28-1B Nate Colbert,27

The Duds
7-SS Lonnie D'Anvers,33
9-C Doug McGurk,39
14-CL Joe Hoerner,37

Baltimore Renegades

Top Picks
1-SP Jon Matlack,23
2-SS Mike Schmidt,24
3-1B Cesar Cedeno,22

The Sleepers
5-3B Steve Garvey,25
7-SP Doc Medich,25
9-LF Greg Gross,21

The Duds
8-SS Rick Auerbach,23
11-LF Roy White,30
16-C Jules Robitaille,29

Philadelphia Freedom Eagles

Top Picks
1-SP Jim Palmer,28
2-SP Don Sutton,28
3-C Johnny Bench,26

The Sleepers
6-3B Darrell Evans,26
19-MR Pedro Borbon,27
32-CF Juan Beniquez,23

The Duds
5-2B Ronald Smith,31
11-1B Davey Johnson,30
12-CF Willie Davis,33

Boston Pilgrims

Top Picks
4-2B Davey Lopes,28
6-C Steve Yeager,25
8-1B Jim Fregosi,31

The Sleepers
12-CL Al Hrabosky,24
15-RF Bernie Carbo,26
22-RF Charlie Spikes,22

The Duds
2-CF Jimmy Wynn,31
5-SP Oleos Calzada,31
7-SP Dula Mapira,35

Eastern League-Central Division

Detroit Mustangs

Top Picks
2-LF Ralph Garr,28
3-CF Mickey Rivers,25

The Sleepers
9-C Gary Carter,19
26-RF Ken Griffey,23
30-CF Ron LeFlore,25

The Duds
5-1B Tommy McCraw,33
7-SP Steve Renko,29
11-3B Wayne Garrett,26

Chicago Colts

Top Picks
1-SP Bart Johnson,23
4-SS Toby Harrah,25
7-3B Richie Hebner,26

The Sleepers
8-RF Dave Winfield,22
10-LF Bruce Bochte,23
20-1B Bob Watson,27

The Duds
2-SP Bill Hands,33
3-3B Bob Bailey,31
17-MR Bob Veale,38

Chicago Storm

Top Picks
1-SP Bert Blyleven,22
2-1B Reggie Smith,28
3-2B Bobby Grich,24

The Sleepers
9-MR Doyle Alexander,23
18-SS Bill Russell,25
30-SS Bill Almon,21

The Duds
5-SP Jack Anderson,32
6-LF Billy Williams,35
14-CF Stanley Cox,35

Cincinnati Locomotives

Top Picks
1-SP Vida Blue,24
2-SP Steve Carlton,29
7-LF Lou Brock,34

The Sleepers
6-C Milt May,23
10-1B Dan Driessen,22
25-RF Cesar Geronimo,25

The Duds
5-3B Lus Reinapena,32
8-SP Nelson Briles,30
13-MR Orlando Pena,40

St. Louis Redbirds

Top Picks
3-LF Willie Horton,31
6-RF Oscar Gamble,24
10-CF Gorman Thomas,23

The Sleepers
12-C Dave Rader,25
17-MR Wayne Garland,23
18-MR Dick Pole,23

The Duds
1-SP Ken Brett,25
2-SP Marty Pattin,30
9-2B Tony Taylor,38

Western League-Southwest Division

Houston Stars

Top Picks
1-SP Catfish Hunter,27
2-2B Joe Morgan,30
6-SP Jerry Koosman,31

The Sleepers
7-1B Mike Hargrove,24
10-RF Dwight Evans,22
11-3B Graig Nettles,29

The Duds
5-SS Bert Campaneris,31
16-SP Jim Merritt,30
28-LF Manny Mota,35

Dallas Mavericks

Top Picks
1-SP Nolan Ryan,26
3-RF Jeff Burroughs,22
4-C Ted Simmons,24

The Sleepers
8-LF Joe Rudi,27
14-MR Sparky Lyle,29
32-1B Cecil Cooper,24

The Duds
7-CF Carlos Marrero,27
22-1B Joe Torre,33
30-SP Bruce Dal Canton,31

San Antonio Wranglers

Top Picks
1-SP Frank Tanana,20
4-CF Fred Lynn,21
8-SP Dick Tidrow,26

The Sleepers
11-3B George Scott,29
17-LF Bill Buckner,24
22-CF Garry Maddox,24

The Duds
2-MR Bill Butler,26
3-1B Ron Blomberg,25
5-SP Fred Norman,31

Austin Westerners

Top Picks
4-3B Bill Madlock,23
6-SP Ed Figueroa,25
7-CF Amos Otis,26

The Sleepers
8-SP Rick Reuschel,24
16-MR Rich Gossage,22
18-SP Bill Lee,27

The Duds
1-SP Clay Kirby,25
2-MR Burt Hooton,23
5-1B Frank Robinson,38

Fort Worth Cowboys

Top Picks
1-SP Tommy John,30
2-1B Willie Stargell,33
3-LF Hank Aaron,39

The Sleepers
5-CF Elliott Maddox,26
15-RF Dusty Baker,24
25-RF Ben Oglivie,24

The Duds
6-SP Pat Dobson,31
7-2B Augusto Ramrez,34
13-MR Lindy McDaniel,38

Western League-West Division

Los Angeles Titans

Top Picks
2-RF Reggie Jackson,27
4-SP Fergie Jenkins,31
5-SP Phil Niekro,34

The Sleepers
8-LF Gary Matthews,23
11-1B Dave Kingman,25
19-C Rick Dempsey,24

The Duds
13-SP Jim Barr,25
26- Al Kaline,39
28-1B Rico Carty,34

Los Angeles Wildcats

Top Picks
1-SP Don Gullett,22
3-3B Carl Yastrzemski,34
7-RF Bobby Bonds,27

The Sleepers
12-1B Don Baylor,24
17-MR Rawly Eastwick,23
27-SP Ed Sprague,28

The Duds
2-MR Ray Sadecki,33
14-SP Ron Reed,31
11-3B Rico Petrocelli,30

San Francisco Sky Sox

Top Picks
2-SP Gaylord Perry,35
3-1B Dick Allen,31
5-CF Ken Henderson,27

The Sleepers
4-MR Bruce Kison,23
11-LF Greg Luzinski,23
12-C John Ellis,25

The Duds
1- SP-Ron Bryant, 26
8-SP Juan Montao,35
15-CL Dave Giusti,34

San DiegoSea Wolves

Top Picks
1-SP Wilbur Wood,32
2-C Carlton Fisk,26
3-LF Richie Zisk,24

The Sleepers
9-1B Andre Thornton,24
10-SP J.R. Richard,23
25-RF Dave Parker,22
27-1B Keith Hernandez,20

The Duds
6-2B Len Randle,24
14-SP Al Fitzmorris,27
15-C Ed Herrmann,27

San Jose Bees

Top Picks
2-SP Luis Tiant,33
5-SS Dave Concepcion,25
9-3B Pete Rose,32

The Sleepers
12-C Barry Foote,21
21-RF Bobby Murcer,27
29-LF Jim Nettles,26

The Duds
4-C Marcus Teck,35
8-SP Juan Marichal,36
17-CL Diego Segui,36

Transactions

The American Baseball League continues to take shape, as teams continue to assess their talent, and make the necessary moves to get ready for the season.

The first trade in the history of the American Baseball League took place last week between the Fort Worth Cowboys and the Los Angeles Wildcats. The Cowboys sent CF prospect Cornelius Reed and a player to be named later to the Wildcats for 3B Rico Petrocelli. Cowboys General Manager Roland Hemond said, “We felt we had a hole at third base that we needed to plug. We are not looking to trade prospect, but feel Rico will help the team, and are excited to have him.”

Edge: Los Angeles

The San Antonio Wranglers sent 3B Doug Rader to the Boston Pilgrims for catcher Steve Yeager. Joe Burke, the Wranglers GM, explained the reasoning behind the deal, “It is important for San Antonio to be the best team in Texas, and win the division. We couldn’t sit idly by and watch our rivals improve.”

Edge: San Antonio

The Los Angeles Titans also made a couple of moves, sending 3B Art Howe to the St. Louis Redbirds, getting back CF Paul Blair. They also shipped LF Johnny Grubb to the Boston Pilgrims for 1B Terry Weber.

Edge: Los Angeles, Boston

In the Bronx, new owner George Steinbrenner instituted a new policy that all players and coaches must be clean shaven. The rule drew protests from several players, including catcher Thurman Munson, who issued the following statement, “I don’t think it is anybody’s right to say whether or not I need to shave to play baseball. It’s a stupid rule.” The comments drew the ire of Steinbrenner, who issued an order that Munson be traded. General Manager worked out a deal swapping Munson with 1B Al Oliver of the New York Skyliners.

Edge: New York

The Fort Worth Cowboys making another move, sending 1B Manny Sandoval to the Cincinnati Locomotives for 2B William Lintz.

Edge: Even

The Austin Westerners also parted company with veteran Frank Robinson and catcher Alan Ashby, sending them to the Houston Stars for veteran outfielder Manny Mota.

Edge: Austin