Quote:
Originally Posted by ifspuds
Let's hope Josh Gibson doesn't suffer the same curse as other notable Beavers' draftees you alluded to earlier. One game out! Go Beavs!
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The Beavers have had a mixture of hits and misses with their first round draft picks over the years. Let's look at the players on whom the Beavs have spent their first round choices:
Code:
YEAR PLAYER POS DP MAJOR LEAGUE STATS STATUS
1920 Dutch Henry P 8 3-20, 7.08 Retired in 1929
1921 Ken Holloway P 14 3-3, 3.24, 4 SV Minneapolis (AAA)
1922 Earl Whitehill P 9 114-129, 4.14 Minneapolis (AAA)
1923 Ted Radcliffe C 7 .294-58-482 San Francisco*
1924 Ownie Carroll P 8 --- Minneapolis (AAA)
1925 Adam Comorosky LF 16 .289-13-142 Retired in 1931
1926 Wes Ferrell P 1 36-59, 5.76, 10 SV Omaha (STL/AA)
1927 Chuck Klein RF 2 .377-227-693 Portland
1928 Art Herring P 11 7-7, 4.91 Utica (AA)
1929 Pat Caraway P 8 44-49, 4.16 Portland
1930 Josh Gibson C 2 .256-5-35 Portland
1931 Bill DeLancey C 12 --- Minneapolis (AAA)
1932 Ray Dandridge 3B 4 --- Minneapolis (AAA)
- Henry was an absolute bust. He wasn't even good in the minor leagues. Grade: F.
- Holloway has been just fine on the rare occasions he's been given a chance. He's been successful both as a starter and a reliever, and I think he deserves at least one more opportunity. Grade: D.
- Whitehill was a good choice. He developed into a front-line starter, and that's not a bad return for the #9 overall pick. He's at the end of the line now, but he shouldn't be ashamed of his career. Grade: B+.
- Radcliffe couldn't beat out Henry Harris, who has a .331 average and will make the Hall of Fame. That's no knock on Double Duty, whom the Beavers traded to the Seals in 1927. However, the Beavs should have gotten more for him than Jason Steele, a utility man who never got more than 223 at-bats in a single season. Grade: A- if they'd kept him; D because they didn't.
- Carroll is a fixture in Minneapolis, but your first round pick shouldn't be an organization man. Grade: F.
- Comorosky was a starter for three years, but his talent took an unexpected, precipitous fall, and that was that for Adam. Grade: C-.
- Ferrell's travails have been recounted already. Grade: F.
- Klein is the face of the franchise, and is the best player in the American League. Grade: A+.
- At age 26, Herring had an excellent season in 1932. He tore up two minor league levels and went 4-1, 3.38 in five starts for the Beavers. The jury's still out on this one. Grade: Incomplete.
- Caraway, 26, appears on the Top Twenty Pitchers list every year. The definition of the "stylish lefty," Pat looks like he's going to stick around a while. Grade: B+.
- Gibson stuck with the big club all year as Harris' backup. In 166 at bats, he hit .271-5-31...not bad at all for a 20-year-old. His skills are developing nicely, and he'll force his way into the lineup before long. Grade: A (so far).
- Drafting another catcher in the first round the year after taking Gibson might have been a mistake. DeLancey has been hurt a lot, but he projects as a solid backup with a bit of pop. Grade: Incomplete.
- Dandridge is one of the top five prospects in the game. He looks like he'll hit for a high average and get on base regularly, and he is a superb fielder. He has a long way to go, but the upside is fantastic. Grade: Incomplete.
I might have been a bit generous with Holloway, and if the Beavers don't let him have another shot, we'll downgrade that pick to an F.