Official 8th Baseball ATD Thread (Picks Only)

[Tecumseh]

With the 416th pick overall in the 21st round, the Brooklyn Robins select C Elston Howard

14 year career

.274/.322/.427/.749
108 OPS+
1,471 hits
218 doubles
167 home runs
Career 44% caught stealing percentage (led the league in 1962 with 55% caught stealing)
9x All-Star
3x finished top 10 in MVP voting
2x Gold Glove
1963 AL MVP
1956, 1958, 1961, 1962 World Champion

A great defensive catcher, excellent game-calling ability, vast knowledge on the league's hitters, and a calming presence that helped his pitchers. Also known to come through at crucial moments for his team. He will slot in nicely as our backup catcher next to fellow Yankee Jorge Posada.

 

[Voight]

Black Sox pick C Brian McCann to give even more offence behind the plate.

#DefenceShmefence

 

[Winger for Hire]

With the 18th pick in the 21st round (418th overall), the Homestead Grays select, Shortstop/Second Baseman, Rabbit Maranville

Standing only 5'5" and weighing a good deal less during the Deadball Era than his listed playing weight of 155 lbs., Rabbit Maranville compiled a lifetime batting average of just .258 and is known as much for his zany escapades and funny stories as for anything he accomplished on the diamond, but his outstanding glove work kept him in the big leagues for 23 seasons and eventually earned him a plaque in Cooperstown. "Maranville is the greatest player to enter baseball since Ty Cobb arrived," said a Braves manager. "I've seen 'em all since 1891 in every league around the south, north, east, and west. He came into the league under a handicap--his build. He was too small to be a big leaguer in the opinion of critics. I told him he was just what I wanted: a small fellow for short. All he had to do was to run to his left or right, or come in, and size never handicapped speed in going after the ball."

"Going up Peach Tree Boulevard on our way to the park, a player who I don't remember right off hand told me I was to play shortstop that afternoon as Bues came down with a sore throat," Rabbit recalled. "We left Bues in Atlanta as he was a very sick boy and came into New York to open the season with the Giants. Game time came along and Stallings yelled down the bench at me, 'Rabbit, you're playing shortstop today.' I said, 'Yes, and you will never get me out of there.'"7 Maranville picked up three hits against Christy Mathewson and never looked back.

He came up with many big hits during the Braves' pennant drive, but none was more important than the game-winning home run he belted in the tenth inning on August 6--even though he was suffering from a severe hangover from drinking too much champagne at a dinner party the night before. "In the clubhouse while I was undressing Stallings came over to me and said, 'You go back to choking up; you are no home-run hitter,'" Rabbit remembered. "Truthfully, I never did see the ball I hit, and years later Babe Adams, who was the pitcher that day, asked me if it was a curve or a fastball I hit over the fence. I told him I never saw it and he said, 'I know darn well you never did.'"

Career Highlights.Stats

5 Top 10 MVP finishes (2 Top 5 finishes)
1 World Series Ring
1954 HoF Inductee
3 time SS Fielding% Leader (13 time Top 10)

2670 Games
11254 At Bats
.258/.318/.340
.685 OPS (82 OPS+)
2605 Hits
380 Doubles
177 Triples
28 Home Runs
291 Stolen Bases
839 Walks
756 Strikeouts

42.8 bWAR
30.8 dWAR- 7th All-Time
29.6 oWAR

Postseason Stats

8 Games
.308/.379/.346
.725 OPS
3 RBI
3 Runs Scored
3 Stolen Bases

 

[Vegeta]

The Tigers select OF Chuck Klein

 

[le_sean]

With the 420th pick the Montreal Royals select 3B Darrell Evans

Accolades

58.5 career WAR
2× All-Star (1973, 1983)
World Series champion (1984)
414 HRs (4th all-time by 3B)
1605 BBs (12th all-time)​

Bill James called Darrell Evans the most underrated baseball player in history. Factors such as being a good all-around player (as opposed to being a specialist), a batting average of .248 (but an OBP almost 120 points higher at .361), and never playing in a big market. Evans was the first player to hit 40 HRs in both leagues and led the AL in HRs as a 38 year old. He hit 20 HRs or more in 10 seasons and drew over 100 walks in 5. He was also a good defensive 3B.

 

[le_sean]

With the 421st pick the Montreal Royals select 1B Orlando "Baby Bull" Cepeda

Accolades

BBHOF (1999)
7× All-Star (1959–1964, 1967)
NL MVP (1967)
NL Rookie of the Year (1958)
NL HR leader (1961)
2× NL RBI leader (1961, 1967)
World Series champion (1967)
San Francisco Giants #30 retired​

A noted humanitarian, Orlando Cepeda was also one of the most dangerous hitters of the 1960s. The start of his career was reminiscent of Hank Aaron, but a knew injury curtailed what could have been. He still had a very good career. 12 times he hit over 20 HRs and he had an OPS+ of 133. Cepeda was also the first Puerto Rican baseball player to start an All Star game.

 

[Vegeta]

Detroit will take LHP Mike Cuellar

 

[Winger for Hire]

With the 3rd pick in the 22nd round (423rd overall), the Homestead Grays select, First Baseman, Steve "Mr Clean" Garvey

Garvey is one of only two players to have started an All-Star Game as a write-in vote, doing so in 1974. That year he won the NL MVP award, and had the first of six 200-hit seasons. Only 15 players in all of Major League Baseball history have had six or more 200 hit seasons (as of the end of 2010).

In the 1978 National League Championship Series, which the Dodgers won over the Philadelphia Phillies, Garvey hit four home runs, and added a triple for five extra base hits, both marks tying Bob Robertson's 1971 NLCS record and earning him the League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award. He also holds the National League record for consecutive games played (1,207).

Led by Garvey, winning his second National League Championship Series MVP award, the Padres won their first National League pennant over the Chicago Cubs in 1984. Game 4, "the best game of the series, and one of the best games in memory," provided a particularly notable effort by Garvey. His hot bat provided excellent insurance for the top of the order, including future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who drew an intentional walk that Garvey converted into one of his four crucial RBI. After supplying critical hits in the third, fifth, and seventh innings, Garvey capped off his efforts with a two-run walk-off home run off future all-time saves leader Lee Smith in the 9th inning.

Career Highlights/Stats

1 MVP Award (1974)
6 Top 12 MVP finishes (1 2nd Place finish)
10 time All-Star
1 World Series Ring (1981)
2 time NLCS MVP (1978, 1984)
4 time Gold Glove Winner
2 time All-Star MVP

2332 Games
8835 At Bats
.294/.329/.446
.775 OPS (117 OPS+)
2599 Hits
1143 Runs Scored
1308 RBI
440 Doubles
272 Home Runs
83 Stolen Bases

Postseason Stats

55 Games
222 At Bats
.338/.361/.550
.910 OPS
75 Hits
8 Doubles
3 Triples
11 Home Runs
31 RBI
32 Runs Scored
2 Stolen Bases

 

[Voight]

Black Sox pick P Derek Lowe

 

[Tecumseh]

With the 425th pick overall in 22nd round, the Brooklyn Robins add, as the long relief option out of the bullpen, LHP Chuck Finley

17 year career

200-173
3.85 ERA
115 ERA+
63 complete games (led the league with 13 complete games in 1993)
15 shutouts
2,610 strikeouts
7.3 SO9
58.5 WAR (73rd on JAWS)
5x All-Star
5x top 10 finishes in WAR among starting pitchers (3x in top 5)
10x top 10 finishes in strikeouts (7x in top 5)

Much like Doug Jones, Chuck Finley has been underappreciated due to the fact that he played on non-playoff teams throughout his career and never won 20 games in a season. He only appeared in 4 playoff series in his career, once as a rookie and three times in the final two years of his career. A model of consistency throughout his entire career his best year came in 1990 when he recorded an 18-9 record, 2.40 ERA, 158 ERA+, 177 strikeouts, and a 7.6 WAR. He finished 7th in Cy Young voting that year and only Roger Clemens had a higher WAR than him.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Steamrollers select RP Paul Lindblad with the 426th pick

68-63
3.29 ERA
1.270 WHIP

Behind Rollie Fingers in the A's bullpen, Lindblad was an important cog in the Oakland dynasty, serving as a lefty setup man and alternate closer that made any lead nearly untouchable in the late innings during their dynasty. Also had a solid postseason record, including picking up the win by pitching two scoreless innings in a crucial Game 3 (extra innings) of the '73 series.

 

[ryan callahan]

The San Francisco Giants are happy to select RP Kenley Jansen. He will slot in nicely as one of my setup pitchers

 

[Pwnasaurus]

The St. Louis Cardinals are pleased to select lefty NEL great, SP - Bill Foster to round out our rotation. Foster was a power pitcher who won 2 championships with the Chicago American Giants and adds another big lefty arm to the mix.

- BBHOF (1996)
- Major League Equivalent career totals: 205 Wins, ERA+ of 125
- ERA+ would be tied with Jim Palmer, John Smoltz and Dazzy Vance

 

[Dr Pepper]

Sioux City selects Maury Wills, SS.

 

[Gootie]

Whales select C Jason Kendall

 

[ImporterExporter]

I'll take a HOF catcher to back up Molina. Gives me a lot more offense and not bad defensively from what I can tell.


Roger Bresnahan C

 

[td_ice]

With the 433rd pick, The Pittsburgh Pirates are pleased to select, LF, Charlie Keller.


156 OPS+


46 WAR in only 1170 games. about 7 full years.


.286/.410/.518 career slash reg. season

Nicknamed "King Kong Keller". Unfortunately, injuries limited Keller's career. He started out his career splendidly, with consecutive WAR seasons of 4.0, 4.6, 5.8, 6.3, 6.0. 2.0, 5.8


.309/.367/.611 for an OPS of .978 in 79 playoff AB's



5x's All star, despite playing in only 6 years in which he had over 490 AB's.


3 times World series champion.

Yankee fans can thank Keller as he was the MVP for the Yankees in two world series, before the award was established. Helping the Pinstrippers win the 1939, and 1941 world series. And he was also on the 1943 World champion Yankees team.

He will be a nice power bat off the bench.

 

[bluesfan94]

I'll take IF Toby Harrah. In his prime, he was a solid 20/20 guy capable of playing anywhere but first base.

 

[darko]

435 - New York Yankees select - 2B, Willie Randolph

19.4 dWAR
2210 career hits
110 wRC+

 

[UL Washington]

Brooklyn Bridegrooms select Dave Stieb

Will use Stieb as my long relief/spot starter guy.

176-137
3.44 ERA (122 ERA+)

Got completely jobbed out of possibly multiple CyYoungs.

From 1982-1984, he led the league in WAR for pitchers and finished 4th in voting in 82, 7th in 84 and received no votes in 83. In 1985, he finished 2nd in WAR and led the league in ERA and finished 7th in voting.

 

[Elvis P]

I need a backup catcher so how about a switch hitter we missed last year, C Mickey Tettleton.

2x All-Star
3x Silver Slugger
122 OPS+

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Been swamped with work. I'll add RP - Norm Charlton

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Toronto BJ's are happy to select the 1991 AL Rookie of the Year, Chuck Knoblauch.

1991 AL ROY
4X All-Star
2X Silver Slugger
1997 2B Gold Glove winner (Yes, that is how we will remember his defense)

 

[Elvis P]

2B/SS/1B Julio Franco

111 OPS+
5x Silver Slugger, 4 at 2B
3x All-Star
1990 AS MVP
1991 AL batting_title

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Toronto BJ's are proud to select Brian Giles

2X All-Star

Ummm... like that's it... I mean he also sued a guy over an engagement ring once. Oh stats? Yeah, ok. How come Pron* only gave me the bench players to pick? Like WTF???

The guys is like the most underrated player of all time. 287 HR. .400 OBP .902 OPS. 136 OPS+. Dude was a reeeeeally good player. Excellent addition as 4th OF.

162 687 572 98 166 36 5 25 95 10 4 104 73 .291 .400 .502 .902 136 288

You can figure out the rest