2002 Rookie Debut Thread

[Jistic]

SP Travis Neal
Neal has been near the top of the prospects list for years now. Many scouts thought he was ready to debut in 2000, now he gets his chance
at age 25. A very "seasoned" rookie if there ever was one.


SP Javier "Abnormal" Gonzalez
Some scouts call him lazy which in part has led to Abnormal's slide in the prospect rankings over the years. Currently at #41 surviving two major injuries we believe he will be a solid mid-late rotation starter.


SP Edgar Mejia

Mejia since being with the organization since 1996 has been anticipated for what seems like forever. Given 5 years at A ball alone he was a slow learner at first. Now he seems ready to pounce. Although there are some concerns he may get over whelmed at first we believe he'll have a solid season and an outstanding career.


1B Frank Zamora
Zamora our 2nd round pick in '97 is not a prototypical power hitting first baseman. He has the potential to be an elite contact hitter with plus baserunning skills.


CF JJ Caplan

6th pick overall in 1997 we've been waiting a long time for JJ. His minor league career was illustrious capped off by winning the AAA best hitter award last year. Still growing how will he fare in the BLB? We're looking for something like .280 with 20+ HR's this year with multiple All-Star seasons in the future being the hope.


LF Victor Robles
Robles was just drafted in 2000. We weren't expecting him to grow as quickly as he has but we don't believe in holding a player back either. He's hit over .300 at every level he's been at. We expect him to start out in a platoon role but eventually blossom into an every day player.

[funclown]

SP Travis Neal
Neal has been near the top of the prospects list for years now. Many scouts thought he was ready to debut in 2000, now he gets his chance
at age 25. A very "seasoned" rookie if there ever was one.


SP Javier "Abnormal" Gonzalez
Some scouts call him lazy which in part has led to Abnormal's slide in the prospect rankings over the years. Currently at #41 surviving two major injuries we believe he will be a solid mid-late rotation starter.


SP Edgar Mejia

Mejia since being with the organization since 1996 has been anticipated for what seems like forever. Given 5 years at A ball alone he was a slow learner at first. Now he seems ready to pounce. Although there are some concerns he may get over whelmed at first we believe he'll have a solid season and an outstanding career.


1B Frank Zamora
Zamora our 2nd round pick in '97 is not a prototypical power hitting first baseman. He has the potential to be an elite contact hitter with plus baserunning skills.


CF JJ Caplan

6th pick overall in 1997 we've been waiting a long time for JJ. His minor league career was illustrious capped off by winning the AAA best hitter award last year. Still growing how will he fare in the BLB? We're looking for something like .280 with 20+ HR's this year with multiple All-Star seasons in the future being the hope.


LF Victor Robles
Robles was just drafted in 2000. We weren't expecting him to grow as quickly as he has but we don't believe in holding a player back either. He's hit over .300 at every level he's been at. We expect him to start out in a platoon role but eventually blossom into an every day player.

They all look pretty lazy to me. Some are fat even.

[Spear]

They all look pretty lazy to me. Some are fat even.

It's all that deep dish pizza and Playboy tapes in the locker room.

[Delandis]

]
Travis Straub-SP
Drafted 2.2 in 1997, Syracuse

I hate trading for players who never get a chance in the league, so we're going to give Travis his chance this year. At 6-5-4, my scouting team thinks that he's at full potential. Travis will likely play in relief role for most of the year, with starts sprinkled in here and there to just reduce the load on the normal starters.

[funclown]

Just wanted to shout out on him incase he never returns again and get him on record,



SP Tom Vaccarella -24
1996 Round 2.1 Carolina

Didn't flash very good numbers in AAA, but showed enough improvement where needed. A junk ball pitcher, so we actually looked past the ERA knowing he had a crappy defense behind him in AAA. The defense here in the big show we assumed he would thrive.

We were right. In 8 starts Tom played as well as any rookie starter could be expected too.

Stat line- 3-1 / era 2.76/ 13walks- 26strikeouts / 1.12 WHIP and a complete game to boot.

Sadly, Tom will be shut down til mid 2003 with a "minor" damaged elbow ligament issue.

Obviously this sucks, but...... junk ball pitcher and only 24 plus our doctor saved Manny Ocampo before so we are hoping "Doctor Jimbo" can perform the same miracle. Second major injury so were expecting a "wrecked" tag when he comes back probably redebuting in 2004 at 26.

[BradZ]

Hate to see that. I've been intrigued by Vaccarella for a while now.

[Jimmy]

Hate to see that. I've been intrigued by Vaccarella for a while now.

It reads like a eulogy.

[Pat]

Pat Ladd. Lorenzo Campos.

You've been warned.

[Lintyfresh85]

I know some people might have given up after losing three guys you valued and thought you had protected but apparently forgot to export... but that's part of the game I suppose. Hope I can continue supplying the league with accidental talent for years to come.

"California" Rookie debuts in 2002


Ian Bloodworth - SP/RP
10 G, 1-0, 2.81 ERA, 1.50, 17/13 K/BB
Drafted Round 1.19 by Virginia

Ian Bloodworth, 25, was a product of the second great paperwork disaster in the California front office, much like Rod Phillips many years before, a clerk in the California front office forgot to file the proper paper work regarding Rule 5 roster moves and the Kodiaks winded up losing four players, none more important than rising pitching prospect Ian Bloodworth. Coming off a 16-6 record in AA in 2001, Bloodworth was swept up by the savvy Colonials front office. Look for Bloodworth to emerge as a viable starting pitcher in the years to come.

Negussu Sadiki - RP
11 G, 0.71 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 12/2 K/BB
Drafted Round 1.8 by Batavia

Sadiki, 25, had been the AAA closer for the Kodiaks the past two seasons posting 46 saves while refining his control. Likely to make his BLB debut this year, his timetable was pushed ahead by being selected by the Muckdogs in the 2002 Rule 5 draft. Showing great skills, Sadiki looks like a steal, and a mainstay in the Muckdogs pen for years to come.

R.J. Scarfo - OF
19 G, .255/.309/.471/.780, 2 HR, 10 RBI
Drafted Round 1.9 by New Orleans

Scarfo, 24, was selected for the second time in the Rule 5 draft, as he was selected with the 5th pick in the 2001 draft by the Pittsburgh Millers before ultimately failing to make the team. After being returned to California, Scarfo suffered through an injury plagued season and was unable to improve his stock. That didn't stop teams from lining up to give him a second chance when the Rule 5 draft rolled around again this year. Starting the year collecting hits in his first four at-bats with the Dukes, Scarfo has started to carve out a role for himself in the DL.

Jamie Watson - 2B
37 G, .234/.298/.396/.694, 3 HR, 13 RBI
Drafted Round 1.24 by Baltimore

Watson, 26, would have been exposed to the Rule 5 draft regardless of careless secretaries or not... but I was still surprised to see his name on the draft list when Baltimore selected him, even more surprised to see him make the Opening Day roster. Watson has been toiling about in AA the past two years with his partner in crime Ed Grandley. While Grandley was part of the 40 man roster, Watson was not and now he is enjoying a major league salary with the Bulldogs.

[Clay]

We just took Bloodworth for the mutton chops. I agree. I think he has 4/5 potential in a couple seasons. Not convinced, but i think we'll keep him.

[Jake]

1B Bobby Tiscareno was our 6th round pick a shade under two years ago in the 2000 draft. Our scout loved Tiscareno at 6-7-5-4-4, but OSA hated him and he didn't overly impress with his international stats. Certainly worth a 6th round flyer however, we took him and he lit up A ball over the next 12 months. Closing out 2001 in impressive fashion in AA with 1.079 OPS, Tiscareno started to fly up our organizational charts and our scout found him ready for AAA where he hit .329 with a .910 OPS in 155 AB's this year. After Rex Morgan went down, the 23 year old Tiscareno made his BLB debut two sims ago. Through two weeks and 25 AB's, Bobby T is hitting .480 with a 1.199 OPS.

And the dude never even got a sniff from Delandis.

[Jake]

SP Robby "Shameless" Aten finally makes his BLB debut after 6 1/2 injury spackled seasons in the minors. Pick 1.5 in the 99 draft, Aten recently turned 24 after recovering from a torn UCL last season. Surprisingly unaffected in the eyes of my scout and with his AAA performance, Aten will make the leap to the BLB at 6-6-4 with 665 potential, surely to end up 6-6-3 by 2003. But in the meantime we'll see how the kid can do.

[Clay]

Great nickname

[Pat]

Great nickname

One step further...

Best nickname in BLB history.

[Clay]

One step further...

It may be the best standalone nickname. ..though Ironfist is pretty damn good. However, I think best nickname within the full name (total package) may be Efrain 'Gadget' Gray.