BLB - Booms & Busts

[Clay]

So... the whole question of the day thing has been going OK... so I thought I'd continue it to try to kill sometime for people like me who are working on this Friday.

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Simple one that we've probably done in one way shape or form in the past....

Who is your biggest Draft bust? Maybe you spent a high pick on him. Maybe you traded away a BLB player to make room for him. Which one of your drafted players has caused you the most heartache.

Who is your biggest Draft boom? A late rounder who blossomed? I guy you traded up for? Maybe a MR you turned into a Starter?

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[Clay]

The Bust is easy for me....

1981 - Pick 1.4 - Yan van den Adel (CF)

The kid was a complete 5 tool guy. He looked like a future superstar to my scouts. Everyone of them agreed straight across the board. He could hit for power... average... plus plus plus speed and instincts... defense.... Ugh. Heartbreaking.

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Biggest Boom pick is a little harder....

I think Larry Headington at 9.9 has turned into a nice 1-trick pony power guy, but he's in Baltimore.

At 3.4 in 1981, I'm very happy with Alberto Hernando. He got a ratings boost in '87. Won a Glove Wizard in '86. Feasts on the gaps at my stadium.

Maybe my favorite up-side guy is someone like Artie Montgomery. 12th Rounder in '82. Went Pro last season and looks like an above average bullpen arm.

[Guest]

Busts: Howard Haydon, Ken Henshall, Manny Hernandez, Anibal Soto, Gary Boivin, Pat Brown (all 1st round picks)

Booms: Joe Nazaire, Pete Hampton, Zhi-peng Zhao, Kip Higgins, Angelo Rodriguez

[Lintyfresh85]

Bust

I don't really have a huge bust that I've drafted... having said that, I do seem to have trouble finding any talent in Round 3 of the drafts.

1982: 3.3 - Chet Parker (Released in 1986)
1983: 3.5 - Raúl Cedeño (Currently in AA)
1984: 3.4 - Mario Arseneau (Currently in A ball; taken multiple talent hits)
1985: 3.20 - Rex Wilkins (Released in 1987)

As for California's all time biggest bust? I've got to go with Cade Roberts at 1.5 in 1978. I think Pat told me people thought he'd be a Greg Maddox type with great control. He still has decent control but his stuff rating is a 2 and his movement isn't much better.

It also appears that California had rough time with their first round picks before I showed up in 1982.

1978: 1.5 - Cade Roberts (AAA for Wilmington)
1979: 1.6 - Pete LaClair (Released in 1985, retired in 1986)
1980: 1.2 - Nick Duncan (AAAA type player, currently in AAA)
1981: 1.2 - Steve Boyd (AAA for Syracuse)

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Boom

Once again, don't really have any boom's either. The guys that were expected to be good, generally have, and the later round picks have been minor league roster filler as expected.

I guess if I had to choose someone, I'd go with SP - Chip Snow who I drafted in the 11th round in 1984. He's now worked himself up to a Top 75 prospect.

He went 17-1 with a 2.14 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a 172/32 K/BB rate this season in stops with my A ball and AA team.

[Riverman]

It also appears that California had rough time with their first round picks before I showed up in 1982.

1978: 1.5 - Cade Roberts (AAA for Wilmington)
1979: 1.6 - Pete LaClair (Released in 1985, retired in 1986)
1980: 1.2 - Nick Duncan (AAAA type player, currently in AAA)
1981: 1.2 - Steve Boyd (AAA for Syracuse)

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That is a helluva draft record, going 0 for 4 on 4 consecutive top 6 picks.

It is lucky for you that you have never made a bad trade or it would have take a lot longer than it did to recover from that streak.

[Clay]

Virginia arguably missed on 4 straight....

78 - Delmar Oyos - Probably the borderline miss. Has been decent at times, so tough to call a bust, but he was a 1st Rounder.

79 - Simone Bertetto - Miss

These were both GIGGAs drafts....

80 - Mar - My first draft, loved this kid, but moved him in the deal that brought me Carlton and Greenham. He never really developed. Still hasn't played in the Majors.

81 - Yan the Man

[BradZ]

This is a bit hard for me since I've only been on the job for 15 minutes, but I did take a look back through the draft history and came up with two potential "booms". Each of these guys is at the very beginning of their BLB careers, but both appear ready to become anchors of our bullpen.

Cristian Correa (RP) - 10.10 (1983) - Just capped off an excellent rookie year (made the All-Star team) and was probably the most important part of our bullpen

Chet Clark - 11.10 (1983) - Will be a full time member of the Freedom BP next year. Had success in a limited opportunity this year.

Adding two bullpen arms with picks in back to back late rounds in the '83 draft seems fairly significant. Good job Z.

[Riverman]

Most of the high picks that I have made that are in the majors now and looking good are playing for other teams - Seagerra, Shannon and Carbajal. My two Ivans, Arellano and Solis, were both late 1st rounders in 1982 and are both coming off good years, but I am skeptical that either will be able to repeat the year they just had.

Late 1st round picks that looked at least decent a year or two ago but now look like busts are Thad Souders and Jared Fields. Souders, who received a few third place 1985 New Brew votes after a 10-8, 3.49 campagn has won just 3 games in 17 starts and 23 relief appearances since then. I was close to waiving him a couple of times this year but he did pitch better out of the pen and will likely start the year there next season.

The only late round picks of mine that have done reasonably well are relievers that are now scattered around the league. I do have one of those in AAA who looks like he will make the team next season.