Post by Sha-Le Unique on Nov 17, 2013 15:07:45 GMT -5
The inaugural HOFFBL draft in 1954 brought in some highly touted draftees that could become superstars, as well as some solid role players as well. But how exactly did each team do in the draft? Let's see. Here we go!
Baltimore Orioles:
1st Round Pick: SP Don Cardwell
2nd Round Pick: CF Gary Geiger
3rd Round Pick: SS Andre Rodgers
4th Round Pick: SP Bill Kirk
5th Round Pick: SP Don Kildoo
6th Round Pick: MR Carl Duser
7th Round Pick: MR Paul Penson
In what is looking like a rebuild for the Orioles, Pete decided to use the fourth overall pick on starting pitcher Don Cardwell. Cardwell was arguably the second best pitcher on the draft board and Pete made a great pick there to give himself a potential ace for the future. He has good talents in all the important ratings, has a great 70% ground ball percentage and already has a 1 in runs, which only helps his development go faster. As for his other picks, the Orioles drafted four pitchers in rounds 4-7, but in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, Pete looked to boost his offense by drafting Gary Geiger and Andre Rodgers. Neither look to be particular studs just yet, but at the very least, they should be solid role players.
Orioles 1st Round Pick Grade: A
Orioles 1954 Draft Grade: A-
Boston Red Sox:
1st Round Pick: SS Luis Aparicio
2nd Round Pick: SP Dick Drott
3rd Round Pick: SP Don Rowe
4th Round Pick: RF Billy Williams
5th Round Pick: 2B Rod Kanehl
6th Round Pick: SP Marshall Renfroe
7th Round Pick: C Tom Yewcic
Break was able to get a steal by drafting Luis Aparicio 7th overall. One of the best hitters on the board, Aparicio should be an awesome leadoff hitter for many years and could very well become the best base-stealer in the league for the next 20+ seasons. Break recently increased Aparicio to Good in hitting. Aparicio also has A/B for running and stealing ability, A range at SS, and is loyal and durable for injuries as well. He's got just about everything you would want out of a leadoff hitting shortstop. Break's next two selections in Dick Drott and Don Rowe could be solid back-end starting pitchers in the future, but the rest of his picks were not particularly impressive. Nonetheless, Break had a very good draft overall.
Luis Aparicio should be able to set the standard for great leadoff hitters in this league.
Red Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: A+
Red Sox 1954 Draft Grade: B+
Chicago White Sox:
Round 1 pick: P Mudcat Grant
Round 2 pick: P Don Nottebart
Round 3 pick: SS Ken Hamlin
Round 3 pick: P Jim Doole
Round 4 pick: RF Bob Will
Round 5 pick: P Ray Rippelmeyer
Round 6 pick: LF Tom Clarkson
Round 7 pick: P Yusaku Akimoto
With the 8th eighth overall pick, Mark drafted Mudcat Grant to eventually become a solid No. 2 pitcher behind his ace Billy Pearce. Grant is a very good pitcher overall and should be able to be a notable contributor to the White Sox' future success. Dick Nottebart and Jim Doole should be decent contributors down the road, but no noticeable steals in the later rounds. Ken Hamlin should be an adequate infielder. A talent increase could make him even better.
White Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
White Sox 1954 Draft Grade: B
Cleveland Indians:
Round 1 pick: P Dick Stigman
Round 2 pick: 2B Roberto Barbon
Round 3 pick: P Tom H. Baker
Round 4 pick: 1B Ron H. Jackson
Round 5 pick: 1B Frank Leja
Round 6 pick: P Martin Garber
For having a late pick, Ashes made a great selection in the first round with Dick Stigman. With an 8 in velocity and Good in both hits and home runs, Stigman just needs a talent increase in walks and a SP duration increase to become an elite spect. He's also brilliant in strikeouts and has a decent ground ball percentage (53%). His next pick was a steal as well, with Roberto Barbon being a solid hitter with B/B running/stealing ability. He should become a solid role playing speedster at the very least. Tom Baker is another good pitching spect, Ron Jackson already looks major league ready and Leja and Garber aren't too bad themselves. Overall, Ashes had a great draft despite not having any spectacular selections.
Indians 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Indians 1954 Draft Grade: A
Detroit Tigers:
Round 1 pick: P Billy O'Dell
Round 2 pick: 3B Don LeJohn
Round 3 pick: SS Ruben Amaro, Sr.
Round 4 pick: C Charlie Lewis
Round 5 pick: P Tom E. Hughes
Round 6 pick: P Mel Nelson
Round 7 pick: C Al Stieglitz
The Tigers were one of the most unlucky teams last season as K's draft slot fell a few spots in the final sims. As a result, K was on pace to get a better pick, but ended up having the 5th pick, where he drafted Billy O'Dell. O'Dell is a very good pitcher, who is already 2 in runs, which means he could be ready within 3 seasons for sure. O'Dell already has a 5 in hits allowed, is brilliant in home runs and good in walks. He does not have the most velocity, but he has a good ground ball percentage to counter it. The only possible negative on O'Dell is his SP duration, which K could easily raise at some point. K unfortunately won't be able to raise O'Dell's marks in consistency and clutch, but hopefully O'Dell will be able to persevere through the most high pressured situations. K then drafted Don LeJohn in the 2nd round. LeJohn is good in triples, but is C/D for running/stealing ability, so I'm not sure whether to consider him a speedster or not. LeJohn looks major league ready so it will be interesting to see if K brings him up right away. Ruben Amaro Sr. isn't a great player, but could be a useful role player if K uses him right. Lewis and Hughes look mediocre, but Mel Nelson seems to be a steal for a 6th round pick. Stieglitz will probably be a career backup. Overall, a good, but not great draft for the Tigers.
Tigers 1st Round Pick Grade: B+
Tigers 1954 Draft Grade: B
If Tony Kubek's HOFFBL career becomes as successful as his real life post-playing announcing career, Chris could end up making quite a steal.
New York Yankees:
Round 1 pick: SS Tony Kubek
Round 2 pick: P Terry Fox
Round 3 pick: P Earl Francis
Round 4 pick: 2B Sammy Drake
Round 5 pick: P Lefty Hayden
Round 6 pick: 3B Minnie Mendoza
Being the defending champs, the Yankees did not exactly need more talent to be particularly better in the future. Chris selected Tony Kubek in the first round. Kubek is not exactly a stud, but is already quite versatile defensively, which is one aspects that some GM's tend to overlook. Offensively, Kubek has some speed and the Good in triples could help turn him into a leadoff hitter. But he will definitely need a talent increase in hits to become better. Terry Fox and Earl Francis both look to be good relievers in the future. When a team like the Yankees has so much starting pitching to work with, there is no reason why the bullpen should get overlooked. A PD increase in hits to Sammy Drake could make him into a good infielder, but at the very least, he could become a valuable utility backup. Lefty Hayden and Minnie Mendoza are both not particularly special. It's tough to have a great draft if you win a championship, but Chris did okay given the circumstances.
Yankees 1st Round Pick Grade: B
Yankees 1954 Draft Grade: C+
Philadelphia A's:
Round 1 pick: C John Romano
Round 2 pick: 3B Tony Taylor
Round 3 pick: P Dick Luebke
Round 4 pick: LF Leo Posada
Round 5 pick: P Leonard Lindborg
Round 6 pick: P Tom Brookshier
Round 7 pick: P Bill Oster
As the first team to undergo a change in ownership, the A's draft was not expected to be among the very best, but Steve1213 did the best he could. John Romano could turn into a very good catcher, and with the catching market usually on the thin side, having a solid homegrown catcher is definitely a bonus. Tony Taylor could turn into a potential leadoff hitter down the road and was another good pick. Dick Luebke is a good starting pitcher for a 3rd round pick. Leo Posada is decent, but the rest of the players the A's drafted are not too notable. The A's did well generally speaking in certain areas, but will need some PD luck to improve some of these players.
A's 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
A's 1954 Draft Grade: B-
The Senators made HOFFBL history by becoming the first team to make a Franchise Player Reservation in the slugging Harmon Killebrew.
Washington Senators:
Round 1 pick: 1B Harmon Killebrew
Round 2 pick: LF Lee Maye
Round 3 pick: Pick Forfeited
Round 4 pick: 3B Ramon Conde
Round 5 pick: 3B Jim Walton
Round 6 pick: C Ben Hines
Round 7 pick: P John Oldham
As the first team to ever use a Franchise Player Reservation, the Senators clearly made a great decision by reserving Harmon Killebrew. Killebrew will obviously need a talent increase in hits to become a complete hitter, but he's already brilliant in home runs and walks and will be a special player for a long time. Killebrew is somewhat versatile to start, but does not have much speed at all. But Killebrew is not getting paid to run. He's getting paid to hit home runs and be a run producer. And that is just what he should be doing for his entire career. There are not too many players in the Twins' real life history that are particularly worthy of getting an FPR, but if anyone is in the near future, it's Killebrew, who is arguably the greatest real life hitter in Twins' history. A talent increase in hits could also benefit the Senators' 2nd round pick, Lee Maye. Maye has decent speed and good defensive range, but is only an average hitter right now at the plate. Maye could become a useful role player later on. The rest of the Senators' selections are not that great, but this draft is all about Killebrew for the Senators, who now have their franchise player to build around. It will be fun to watch Killebrew's career unfold and see what kind of greatness he will be able to achieve.
Senators Franchise Player Reservation Grade: A+
Senators 1954 Draft Grade: B-
Stay tuned for Part 2 when I grade the drafts for the National League teams!
Baltimore Orioles:
1st Round Pick: SP Don Cardwell
2nd Round Pick: CF Gary Geiger
3rd Round Pick: SS Andre Rodgers
4th Round Pick: SP Bill Kirk
5th Round Pick: SP Don Kildoo
6th Round Pick: MR Carl Duser
7th Round Pick: MR Paul Penson
In what is looking like a rebuild for the Orioles, Pete decided to use the fourth overall pick on starting pitcher Don Cardwell. Cardwell was arguably the second best pitcher on the draft board and Pete made a great pick there to give himself a potential ace for the future. He has good talents in all the important ratings, has a great 70% ground ball percentage and already has a 1 in runs, which only helps his development go faster. As for his other picks, the Orioles drafted four pitchers in rounds 4-7, but in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, Pete looked to boost his offense by drafting Gary Geiger and Andre Rodgers. Neither look to be particular studs just yet, but at the very least, they should be solid role players.
Orioles 1st Round Pick Grade: A
Orioles 1954 Draft Grade: A-
Boston Red Sox:
1st Round Pick: SS Luis Aparicio
2nd Round Pick: SP Dick Drott
3rd Round Pick: SP Don Rowe
4th Round Pick: RF Billy Williams
5th Round Pick: 2B Rod Kanehl
6th Round Pick: SP Marshall Renfroe
7th Round Pick: C Tom Yewcic
Break was able to get a steal by drafting Luis Aparicio 7th overall. One of the best hitters on the board, Aparicio should be an awesome leadoff hitter for many years and could very well become the best base-stealer in the league for the next 20+ seasons. Break recently increased Aparicio to Good in hitting. Aparicio also has A/B for running and stealing ability, A range at SS, and is loyal and durable for injuries as well. He's got just about everything you would want out of a leadoff hitting shortstop. Break's next two selections in Dick Drott and Don Rowe could be solid back-end starting pitchers in the future, but the rest of his picks were not particularly impressive. Nonetheless, Break had a very good draft overall.
Luis Aparicio should be able to set the standard for great leadoff hitters in this league.
Red Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: A+
Red Sox 1954 Draft Grade: B+
Chicago White Sox:
Round 1 pick: P Mudcat Grant
Round 2 pick: P Don Nottebart
Round 3 pick: SS Ken Hamlin
Round 3 pick: P Jim Doole
Round 4 pick: RF Bob Will
Round 5 pick: P Ray Rippelmeyer
Round 6 pick: LF Tom Clarkson
Round 7 pick: P Yusaku Akimoto
With the 8th eighth overall pick, Mark drafted Mudcat Grant to eventually become a solid No. 2 pitcher behind his ace Billy Pearce. Grant is a very good pitcher overall and should be able to be a notable contributor to the White Sox' future success. Dick Nottebart and Jim Doole should be decent contributors down the road, but no noticeable steals in the later rounds. Ken Hamlin should be an adequate infielder. A talent increase could make him even better.
White Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
White Sox 1954 Draft Grade: B
Cleveland Indians:
Round 1 pick: P Dick Stigman
Round 2 pick: 2B Roberto Barbon
Round 3 pick: P Tom H. Baker
Round 4 pick: 1B Ron H. Jackson
Round 5 pick: 1B Frank Leja
Round 6 pick: P Martin Garber
For having a late pick, Ashes made a great selection in the first round with Dick Stigman. With an 8 in velocity and Good in both hits and home runs, Stigman just needs a talent increase in walks and a SP duration increase to become an elite spect. He's also brilliant in strikeouts and has a decent ground ball percentage (53%). His next pick was a steal as well, with Roberto Barbon being a solid hitter with B/B running/stealing ability. He should become a solid role playing speedster at the very least. Tom Baker is another good pitching spect, Ron Jackson already looks major league ready and Leja and Garber aren't too bad themselves. Overall, Ashes had a great draft despite not having any spectacular selections.
Indians 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Indians 1954 Draft Grade: A
Detroit Tigers:
Round 1 pick: P Billy O'Dell
Round 2 pick: 3B Don LeJohn
Round 3 pick: SS Ruben Amaro, Sr.
Round 4 pick: C Charlie Lewis
Round 5 pick: P Tom E. Hughes
Round 6 pick: P Mel Nelson
Round 7 pick: C Al Stieglitz
The Tigers were one of the most unlucky teams last season as K's draft slot fell a few spots in the final sims. As a result, K was on pace to get a better pick, but ended up having the 5th pick, where he drafted Billy O'Dell. O'Dell is a very good pitcher, who is already 2 in runs, which means he could be ready within 3 seasons for sure. O'Dell already has a 5 in hits allowed, is brilliant in home runs and good in walks. He does not have the most velocity, but he has a good ground ball percentage to counter it. The only possible negative on O'Dell is his SP duration, which K could easily raise at some point. K unfortunately won't be able to raise O'Dell's marks in consistency and clutch, but hopefully O'Dell will be able to persevere through the most high pressured situations. K then drafted Don LeJohn in the 2nd round. LeJohn is good in triples, but is C/D for running/stealing ability, so I'm not sure whether to consider him a speedster or not. LeJohn looks major league ready so it will be interesting to see if K brings him up right away. Ruben Amaro Sr. isn't a great player, but could be a useful role player if K uses him right. Lewis and Hughes look mediocre, but Mel Nelson seems to be a steal for a 6th round pick. Stieglitz will probably be a career backup. Overall, a good, but not great draft for the Tigers.
Tigers 1st Round Pick Grade: B+
Tigers 1954 Draft Grade: B
If Tony Kubek's HOFFBL career becomes as successful as his real life post-playing announcing career, Chris could end up making quite a steal.
New York Yankees:
Round 1 pick: SS Tony Kubek
Round 2 pick: P Terry Fox
Round 3 pick: P Earl Francis
Round 4 pick: 2B Sammy Drake
Round 5 pick: P Lefty Hayden
Round 6 pick: 3B Minnie Mendoza
Being the defending champs, the Yankees did not exactly need more talent to be particularly better in the future. Chris selected Tony Kubek in the first round. Kubek is not exactly a stud, but is already quite versatile defensively, which is one aspects that some GM's tend to overlook. Offensively, Kubek has some speed and the Good in triples could help turn him into a leadoff hitter. But he will definitely need a talent increase in hits to become better. Terry Fox and Earl Francis both look to be good relievers in the future. When a team like the Yankees has so much starting pitching to work with, there is no reason why the bullpen should get overlooked. A PD increase in hits to Sammy Drake could make him into a good infielder, but at the very least, he could become a valuable utility backup. Lefty Hayden and Minnie Mendoza are both not particularly special. It's tough to have a great draft if you win a championship, but Chris did okay given the circumstances.
Yankees 1st Round Pick Grade: B
Yankees 1954 Draft Grade: C+
Philadelphia A's:
Round 1 pick: C John Romano
Round 2 pick: 3B Tony Taylor
Round 3 pick: P Dick Luebke
Round 4 pick: LF Leo Posada
Round 5 pick: P Leonard Lindborg
Round 6 pick: P Tom Brookshier
Round 7 pick: P Bill Oster
As the first team to undergo a change in ownership, the A's draft was not expected to be among the very best, but Steve1213 did the best he could. John Romano could turn into a very good catcher, and with the catching market usually on the thin side, having a solid homegrown catcher is definitely a bonus. Tony Taylor could turn into a potential leadoff hitter down the road and was another good pick. Dick Luebke is a good starting pitcher for a 3rd round pick. Leo Posada is decent, but the rest of the players the A's drafted are not too notable. The A's did well generally speaking in certain areas, but will need some PD luck to improve some of these players.
A's 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
A's 1954 Draft Grade: B-
The Senators made HOFFBL history by becoming the first team to make a Franchise Player Reservation in the slugging Harmon Killebrew.
Washington Senators:
Round 1 pick: 1B Harmon Killebrew
Round 2 pick: LF Lee Maye
Round 3 pick: Pick Forfeited
Round 4 pick: 3B Ramon Conde
Round 5 pick: 3B Jim Walton
Round 6 pick: C Ben Hines
Round 7 pick: P John Oldham
As the first team to ever use a Franchise Player Reservation, the Senators clearly made a great decision by reserving Harmon Killebrew. Killebrew will obviously need a talent increase in hits to become a complete hitter, but he's already brilliant in home runs and walks and will be a special player for a long time. Killebrew is somewhat versatile to start, but does not have much speed at all. But Killebrew is not getting paid to run. He's getting paid to hit home runs and be a run producer. And that is just what he should be doing for his entire career. There are not too many players in the Twins' real life history that are particularly worthy of getting an FPR, but if anyone is in the near future, it's Killebrew, who is arguably the greatest real life hitter in Twins' history. A talent increase in hits could also benefit the Senators' 2nd round pick, Lee Maye. Maye has decent speed and good defensive range, but is only an average hitter right now at the plate. Maye could become a useful role player later on. The rest of the Senators' selections are not that great, but this draft is all about Killebrew for the Senators, who now have their franchise player to build around. It will be fun to watch Killebrew's career unfold and see what kind of greatness he will be able to achieve.
Senators Franchise Player Reservation Grade: A+
Senators 1954 Draft Grade: B-
Stay tuned for Part 2 when I grade the drafts for the National League teams!
