Who's Your Favorite Player?

[Clay]

I'm thinking I'm not the only one... but do you have a Favorite Player in the BLB? The assumption is obviously that the player is on your team, but I guess he doesn't have to be. Is there one guy who you follow closer than others? The one guy you really want to see "make it" more than the rest? Maybe he's underappreciated... unknown...

Do you have a Favorite Player???

[Guest]

On my team: Gremades

On other team: Jeremy Windley (C, Los Alamos)

I don't know why, I just always liked his ratings and have always wanted to have him on my team. It's a weird pick to say the least.

[Pat]

Always had a hard one for R.A. Grounds. He was the first rookie I drafted to reach the bigs. I joined before the 1979 season, Grounds was drafted in 1980. He was regarded, by my scout, as a top 5 talent in the draft, and I luckily was able to land him at #10. I think even two-three other second basemen went before him.

But he was a very fast riser through the minors and was a September call-up in 1981. Since then, he has been the everyday 2B for the Bats. Two-time All-Star. Has now developed into a .280, .750+ OPS, 12-15 steal guy, who plays spectacular defense.

Ironically, despite being with the team since '81, Grounds was not part of the 1983 Brewmaster's Championship team. He broke his arm in August that year and missed the playoffs.

Plus, he is local. From Maryland. Plus, you always have to root for the black baseball player. Even if years ago he was white.

---

Today, I would have to say my favorite player is Michio Nago. Similar to Grounds, my scout was higher on Nago then majority of the players that went before him. 8th overall in the 1981 draft. He emerged, immediately after the draft, as the #10 overall prospect in the BLB, 3rd best to debut out of that draft behind Tardif and Chewning. Opposite of Grounds, he actually was on the Championship team. A September call-up to replace struggling Gary Lipincott as the everyday RF, and I think he hit something like .310 in the playoffs.

At the time I likened him to the BLBs version of Ichiro Suzuki. The contact hitter, capable of hitting .330+, not a ton of power, a lot of speed, leadoff type, left handed, hails from Japan and plays RF/CF at a very high level.

He is only 23...and if he continues to play to his potential...and OOTP doesn't turn him into a scrub...he might be in my starting outfield when the BLB reaches the new millenium.

[Guest]

Always had a hard one for R.A. Grounds. He was the first rookie I drafted to reach the bigs. I joined before the 1979 season, Grounds was drafted in 1980. He was regarded, by my scout, as a top 5 talent in the draft, and I luckily was able to land him at #10. I think even two-three other second basemen went before him.

But he was a very fast riser through the minors and was a September call-up in 1981. Since then, he has been the everyday 2B for the Bats. Two-time All-Star. Has now developed into a .280, .750+ OPS, 12-15 steal guy, who plays spectacular defense.

Ironically, despite being with the team since '81, Grounds was not part of the 1983 Brewmaster's Championship team. He broke his arm in August that year and missed the playoffs.

Plus, he is local. From Maryland. Plus, you always have to root for the black baseball player. Even if years ago he was white.

---

Today, I would have to say my favorite player is Michio Nago. Similar to Grounds, my scout was higher on Nago then majority of the players that went before him. 8th overall in the 1981 draft. He emerged, immediately after the draft, as the #10 overall prospect in the BLB, 3rd best to debut out of that draft behind Tardif and Chewning. Opposite of Grounds, he actually was on the Championship team. A September call-up to replace struggling Gary Lipincott as the everyday RF, and I think he hit something like .310 in the playoffs.

At the time I likened him to the BLBs version of Ichiro Suzuki. The contact hitter, capable of hitting .330+, not a ton of power, a lot of speed, leadoff type, left handed, hails from Japan and plays RF/CF at a very high level.

He is only 23...and if he continues to play to his potential...and OOTP doesn't turn him into a scrub...he might be in my starting outfield when the BLB reaches the new millenium.

When I was on the clock that year I narrowed it down to Nago or Perceval and went Perceval :(

[Pat]

When I was on the clock that year I narrowed it down to Nago or Perceval and went Perceval :(

A closer over the CF...thanks!

[Guest]

A closer over the CF...thanks!

My bullpen was shit at the time...that's about as good an excuse that I can give.

[Lintyfresh85]

Never draft need over talent in baseball... takes too long for the talent to develop.

[liquidcrash]

On my team right now- Shawn Gates. He's pretty much the only prospect I've drafted that's amounted to anything for my team. I thought I was fortunate to get him with the 15th pick and he's lived up to my expectations so far. He moved quickly through my minors, completely skipping AAA. If he hadn't struggled down the stretch last season, he had a good shot at New Brew.

I always really liked Joe Ponte, Casimiro Cabezas and Vincent Nino of course. They led me to the best success I've had in the league. Same for Nick Latham in his short stay in Carolina. Despite giving up a lot to get him, trading for Latham might be the best trade I've made. All those players are on different teams now, so they are my favorite players not on Carolina.

[Gyrodork]

Setting aside the man-crush I have on Donato Guardamagni (for obvious reasons); last season John Harbison became one of my favorite players. At 36, the NYC native played like he was 26. He just seems to deliver in the clutch; although I've never researched that. He's played for 8 different ML teams, and has fought his way into the starting lineup despite management's inclination to have him ride the pine. Decent leader, smart, works hard...Just seems like an old time baseball guy to me.

I'm also partial to guys who defy the scouts and manage to contribute at the ML level. This is the type of guy I look for in Rule V acquisitions...The Chad Pettys, Martin Nigos of the world.

[Clay]

I think that my "fandom" in the BLB has kind of changed in similar ways as it did when I was a kid. When I first took over the Colonials after the '79 season, I think I naturally gravitated to the "better" players on the team. I think Jimmy O'Laughlin was an obvious favorite of mine, as was Danny Nelson. However, the more I got into molding and shaping the team, as players became pieces in trades, retired or moved on in Free Agency, my interest changed. My favorite players now are always the guys I feel like I personally picked out. Maybe I saw someting in their game (ratings) and thought it would work in my park. Or I pursued them via trade. Naturally, drafting them gives an instant connection.

All that being said, I think my favorite Colonials right now is definately Dale O'Hegarty. When I make a mental connection of O'Hegarty to a real MLB player (am I the only one who does that?) I think of Curtis Granderson. Not flashy. Just does all of the little things right. Nice guy on an off the field type. He's definately the guy I think I root for most on my team.

***

On other teams, I think I equate "fan" to a guy I would love to have on my team. And I think bar none the player I've actively pursued season after season has been Donato Guardamagni from Los Lunas. I think he belongs in the conversation of the best pitchers in the league and I can't help but think he would be dominant in my park.

[Pat]

All that being said, I think my favorite Colonials right now is definately Dale O'Hegarty. When I make a mental connection of O'Hegarty to a real MLB player (am I the only one who does that?) I think of Curtis Granderson. Not flashy. Just does all of the little things right. Nice guy on an off the field type. He's definately the guy I think I root for most on my team.

Granderson? Really? O'Hegarty steals 40, walks 100 time and hits five homers. Granderson is nothing like that.

He has always reminded me of a Chone Figgins/Eric Young/Tony Womack-type. Really, his offensive game is Bobby Abreu without the homers.

[Clay]

Granderson? Really? O'Hegarty steals 40, walks 100 time and hits five homers. Granderson is nothing like that.

He has always reminded me of a Chone Figgins/Eric Young/Tony Womack-type. Really, his offensive game is Bobby Abreu without the homers.

No, it's Grandy to me. Yes, Curtis has more power... but it's the over all game I think. Gets a lot of doubles and triples. Steals bases. Yes, O'Hegarty's steals are a lot higher... but it's the one I like to compare him to. The hustle out of the box. The personality. Trust me, no one in Detroit expected Grandy's power to develop like it has.

***

OK... how about this one....

Josh Poling --> Matt Holliday

[Lintyfresh85]

I've got a couple... and like Clay its mostly due to me 'finding' the player and watching them become a contributing member of the ball club.

My favorite player has to be Oswaldo 'Cobra' Escarcaga.

Escarcaga, a SP who I picked up in the 1982 Rule V draft has been better than I ever expected him to be. Stuck in the rotation since day one, Escarcaga now holds pretty much every single pitching record the Wildfire/Kodiaks have. With a career record of 53-63, Oswaldo doesn't look much like an ace, but trust me, with some of the team I put out during some of the lean years in California; Escarcaga has had to battle to even have the record he does. A better measure of his success is certainly his 155.6 VORP in the six years since he has come to the club. This guy has been my constant through the thick and the thin. I rewarded him with a three year deal that should keep 'Cobra' with the team for the rest of his best playing years.

Second favorite player is Jake Fredrick

Jake, a RP, was a guy I traded for all the way back in 1982 when he was just in A ball at age 19. Nothing really stood out about his ratings but I loved his 75% GB rating. After a rocky spring training by the big league pitchers I foolish promoted Fredrick to the #5 spot in the rotation... Even wrote a pretty article about it... Here... Not knowing how OOTP really worked at the time (Some say I still don't) I brought a kid straight from A ball all the way to the bigs. Shockingly, it ended badly. Realizing it might be wise to send the kid down before ruining his career I shipped him off to AA where he posted solid numbers. Not learning from the mistake to push Fredrick to the BLB, I then moved him up to AAA for a few starts where he also bombed out. In 1983 I let him repeat AA to great results. Finally in 1984 I moved the kid up to AAA where he was just average... but thanks to an injury or two in the pen in the BLB I promoted him to just fill a spot and he took off. With lowered expectations I place Fredrick in the middle innings slot of the bullpen and ever since he's been a very solid player. No longer does he have a crazy GB rating, and his stuff rating is nearly non-existent, but he's now been in 126 BLB games, with only 5 starts and he's held his own posting a respectable 4.04 ERA with a VORP of 21.8. Pretty good for a kid I nearly destroyed in 1982.

Finally my third favorite player has to be Mack McMurdo.

Mack, a waiver claim in 1984 had been a starter for Hartford since the day the BLB opened. Although he was a constant member of their rotation, it didn't mean he was very good. With an ERA hovering in the 5's I decided to take a flyer on McMurdo because I liked his solid control and movement ratings and figured that his numbers would take a solid bump with a move to the pitcher friendly IL. I was worried that his age at the time (36) would play a big factor in his downfall but thankfully I was wrong. What I didn't expect was for McMurdo to be a borderline front of the rotation starter since coming over... and that's exactly what he has become. Each year since being here he has had a career year. Magically, he seems to be getting better with age. In 7 years and 202 starts with Hartford McMurdo only managed a 10 VORP. In his four years and just 63 starts with California, McMurdo has put up a 75.1 VORP. Like I said, never could I imagine this guy would blossom on the wrong side of 30.

I've got many more guys I could go on and on about... but these three guys are the ones I really have taken a liking to.

[Pat]

No, it's Grandy to me. Yes, Curtis has more power... but it's the over all game I think. Gets a lot of doubles and triples. Steals bases. Yes, O'Hegarty's steals are a lot higher... but it's the one I like to compare him to. The hustle out of the box. The personality. Trust me, no one in Detroit expected Grandy's power to develop like it has.

***

OK... how about this one....

Josh Poling --> Matt Holliday

I don't see it. 3B/1B vs. OF. Holiday strikes out way too much.

I see Poling as more of a Eric Chavez-Scott Rolen type...hopefully he is as healthy as those two as well...

[Lintyfresh85]

No, it's Grandy to me. Yes, Curtis has more power... but it's the over all game I think. Gets a lot of doubles and triples. Steals bases. Yes, O'Hegarty's steals are a lot higher... but it's the one I like to compare him to. The hustle out of the box. The personality. Trust me, no one in Detroit expected Grandy's power to develop like it has.

***

OK... how about this one....

Josh Poling --> Matt Holliday

Why do you keep comparing your IF's to OF's? Wouldn't it make more sense to compare Poling to someone like Edgar Martinez?