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Definitely a bittersweet year for the Bats. After missing the playoffs entirely in '89, the Bats returned to the top of the best division in baseball, with the best record in the BLB, 101-61. This group was very, very consistent. In their best month, June, they went 20-8. In their worst full month, August, they went 17-11. There were a bunch of injuries, but none too devastating that it really effective. I had a lot of All-Stars, a few award winners and there was very few players that actually had a "bad" year.
With all that said, this team came up short of it's main goal, to win it's 3rd Brewmaster's. Even worse, was losing to the Wild Card team in the ILCS, despite homefield and beating that team in the season series. I'm not really surprised, however. This team needs to be more patient at the plate and really could have used another legit SP to pitch behind Carlton. This team was good, top to bottom, but far from great.
The biggest name leaving in Free-Agency is Britt Bovey and he was only a 1/2 season rental anyways. There is a decent amount of budget room but this years Free-Agent crop looks like a bunch of old-timers and the Bats will likely decline to make a big splash. Carlton, Villazon, Alveraz and Simonds, are all getting up there in years and most likely only have two "good" years left. The pitching staff has two youngsters in Tucker and Brooks, but beyond that, it remains to be seen who is next in line. What was once an organization known for it's pitching, the 90's will likely be a hitting era in D.C. Murdock, Abbott (x2), Nago, MAP, Johnston, Fitz, are all relatively young. The team will look very similar in 1991 to what we saw in 1990, but hopefully ending with a better result.
Starters
C - Mike Murdock - Grade: B+ IL Batter of the month in June. 1990 IL All-Star. However, it wasn't Murdock's best season. From his debut in '86 until this season, he had improved year by year in (almost) every single statistical category. This year, his power numbers were a little down. He also missed a handful of games due to injury. For the first time in his BLB career, Murdock started 20+ games at another position besides catcher. He played a little 1B this season allowing more at-bats for IL Refreshing New Brew...
1B - Tyrone Abbott - Grade: A+ Only 90 games but those were some damn good 90 games! Immediately after the Triple-A All-Star game, Abbott was called up to the BLB. He won Rookie of the Month twice and dominated the polls for ROY despite only a half season. Playing mostly 1B the rook also played some C and LF. Although he didn't qualify, he lead my team in average at .331 (next highest was .314).
2B Robert Abbott - Grade: B+ Same last name, only a few months apart in age but Robert is a completely different player than Tyrone. Split time at 2B and 1B this year. Missed a month due to injury. Set a career high in OBP this year as the primary leadoff hitter. Not sure why, but the guy could not hit lefty pitching (he is a RH) all year, .337 vs. .262. He should hit .350+ versus lefties.
SS Clint Johnston - Grade: B I didn't expect this. Johnston was an All-Star and after a dissapointing rookie year, really broke out....in the first half. The day before his All-Star selection, he injured his shoulder and missed a month. After hitting .330 in the first half, he hit about .230 after the injury.
3B RA Grounds - Grade: B+ Old reliable. Grounds played everywhere again this year, first, second, third and short. For the first half (pre-Tyrone Abbott) he played secondbase while Robert (not Tyrone) Abbott played first. Then Grounds switched to third. Although he missed almost two months due to injury, he had his second highest OPS, at .772 and even tied a career high in homers, with 12.
OF - Miguel Angel Padilla - Grade: A Power. House. MAP hit 40 homeruns and 131 RBI this season. He also struckout 152 times in 157 games. Playing either corner OF spot, MAP has overcome the "injury prone" label by playing 150+ games the past two seasons.
OF - Michio Nago - Grade: A- Very solid year for the #2 hitter. Nago set career highs in walks, OPB, doubles and his highest hit total since 1985.
OF - Britt Bovey - Grade: C Acquired in a mid-season trade, Bovey really never found his stroke in D.C. after leaving Carolina. With the Tobs, he hit .304 with an .883 OPS. With the Bats, just .255 and .799. He still provided a much needed lefty bat and was acquired only as a rental.
Key Bench
UTL - Clement Montgomery - Grade: B+ Even though he only played in 88 games and had an OPS of just .703, this was Montgomery's best season of his career. After six seasons in Windy City, Montgomery was the super utility/defensive replacement/pinch runner for the Bats playing all infield positions at a very high level.
3B - Tex Briggs - Grade: B After two great years in Pittsburgh, Briggs struggled out of the gate in 1990. After a trade that sent David Robbins (finally!) packing, D.C. brought in the struggling lefty 3B. After hitting .205 with the Millers, Briggs hit .281 with the Bats. After spraining his ankle in late July, causing him to miss four weeks, it basically cost him his season.
OF - Carlos Bamentos - Grade: D After two years as the 4th OF, a steady improvement in batting numbers and continuous complaints about how he wants to start, I gave Bamentos the chance. He failed. He hit .216 on the year and by the end of the season was the 5th OF and limited to defensive replacement and pinch hitting/pinch running. His failure eventually lead to the trade for Britt Bovey.
OF - Larry Fitzsymons - Grade: B+ After Bamentos failed to lockdown the 3rd OF spot, Fitzsymons was given the chance. He struggled against righties (enter Bovey) but remained as the CF versus lefties for the rest of the year. I was rewarded with a .300 average and a .796 OPS. He was re-signed on a three-year extension in July and likely will be a regular starter in '91.
Pitching Staff
SP - Martin Carlton - Grade: A Since moving to the starting rotation, in three years, Carlton has won two IL Pale Ales. Has there ever been a better three year span for a pitcher?! After a 16-4 season, he raises his career Bat record to 55-11! Heading into '91, Carlton will be playing for a contract extension after signing a two-year agreement for $37,000,000 back in '89.
SP - Bill Faircloth - Grade: A- Tell me if you have heard this before...the Bats acquire an average BLB starter and he has a career year. This time around, it was former-Bulldog Bill Faircloth. A career 4.50 ERA, in Baltimore and Wilmington, Faircloth immediately took over the #2 spot in the rotation. A career best 3.16 ERA and only his second winning season (11-7) of his career. Pretty impressive year for a guy that I acquired (along with SP Tommy Lang) for a 3rd, 5th and 8th round pick.
SP - Derek Tucker - Grade: B+ I tried to be careful with Tucker. Strict pitch counts. Sixth starter in the rotation. After 160 IP in 1989 (between Double-A, Triple-A and BLB) I was lucky enough to limit him to 180 this season (between regular season and playoffs). Only 22-years-old, I think Tucker should be able to handle 200 innings next season. If his playoff performance is any indication (1.77 ERA, .98 WHIP, 25 K, 20 IP) his '91 season could be something special.
SP - P.J. Brooks - Grade: B What a crazy season for Brooks. For the third straight season, Brooks has told me he would prefer to be a starter. The first season, I didn't budge, he was one of my very best RPs in '88. The following year, I gave him a taste of starting duties, but he struggled. Out of the gate this season, his frustrations boiled over to the point that he was pitching worse than I had ever seen out of the pen. I gave in, moved him to SP and the rest is history. His 3.71 ERA (likely sub 3.00 as a SP) was 3rd lowest amongst starters, behind Carlton and Faircloth. He has control issues and doesn't strikeout a lot of batters, but good luck hitting.
SP - Cristofor Villazon - Grade: B- Strange season for Villazon. By his standards, actually pretty poor. He had a career worst 4.00 ERA but still had a great WHIP (1.14). He has problems giving up the long ball (career worst 29) but after three injury plagued years, he finally proved to stay healthy.
SP - Tommy Lang - Grade: C+ Acquired in the Faircloth trade, I expected a better season out of the 32-year-old. But I can't really complain too much about a 12-6 record. I gave him the ball every sixth day and he keep my rotation, and often my bullpen, fresh. Just don't put him anywhere near the bullpen...guy does not fit that mold.
The Bullpen
MR - Ivan Garcia - Grade: B I fear Garcia might be injury prone. After blowing out his arm last season (10 months, elbow), he came back this season as a reliever instead of a starter. He dominated April, May, June and July...and then he tore his bicep and missed the next three months. When he plays, 1.08 ERA .96 WHIP, he is dominant. Will he ever stay healthy?
MR - Caleb Alston - Grade: A- Not much to complain about here. A 3-0 record and a 2.21 ERA. "Tigger" is entering his prime and should be a staple in mid-relief for the next few years.
MR - Roger Simonds - Grade: C Started the year as the closer then missed four months due to injury. Upon his return he was moved to middle relief. He pitched ok but a farcry from his $6,000,000 salary he earned in the previous years. Next year is very likely his last in D.C.
SU - River Matthews - Grade: B Career high in innings...and ERA and WHIP. Matthews struggled this year with the long ball. After giving up seven in his first four BLB seasons, he gave up eight this year. Hopefully, it's not a sign of things to come.
SU - Cristian Ramirez - Grade: A My only lefty (besides closer) specialist. Ramirez doesn't strikeout a lot of guys but man is he valuable. This is his 3rd straight season pitching in 70 or more games. That's almost every other game he is pitching in.
CL - Joe Alveraz - Grade: B+ After the Simonds injury, Alveraz moved to closer and flourished. A big improvement over his '89 debut with the Bats. His "stuff" isn't what it used to be but Alveraz was one of the best closers in the IL this season.
Definitely a bittersweet year for the Bats. After missing the playoffs entirely in '89, the Bats returned to the top of the best division in baseball, with the best record in the BLB, 101-61. This group was very, very consistent. In their best month, June, they went 20-8. In their worst full month, August, they went 17-11. There were a bunch of injuries, but none too devastating that it really effective. I had a lot of All-Stars, a few award winners and there was very few players that actually had a "bad" year.
With all that said, this team came up short of it's main goal, to win it's 3rd Brewmaster's. Even worse, was losing to the Wild Card team in the ILCS, despite homefield and beating that team in the season series. I'm not really surprised, however. This team needs to be more patient at the plate and really could have used another legit SP to pitch behind Carlton. This team was good, top to bottom, but far from great.
The biggest name leaving in Free-Agency is Britt Bovey and he was only a 1/2 season rental anyways. There is a decent amount of budget room but this years Free-Agent crop looks like a bunch of old-timers and the Bats will likely decline to make a big splash. Carlton, Villazon, Alveraz and Simonds, are all getting up there in years and most likely only have two "good" years left. The pitching staff has two youngsters in Tucker and Brooks, but beyond that, it remains to be seen who is next in line. What was once an organization known for it's pitching, the 90's will likely be a hitting era in D.C. Murdock, Abbott (x2), Nago, MAP, Johnston, Fitz, are all relatively young. The team will look very similar in 1991 to what we saw in 1990, but hopefully ending with a better result.
Starters
C - Mike Murdock - Grade: B+ IL Batter of the month in June. 1990 IL All-Star. However, it wasn't Murdock's best season. From his debut in '86 until this season, he had improved year by year in (almost) every single statistical category. This year, his power numbers were a little down. He also missed a handful of games due to injury. For the first time in his BLB career, Murdock started 20+ games at another position besides catcher. He played a little 1B this season allowing more at-bats for IL Refreshing New Brew...
1B - Tyrone Abbott - Grade: A+ Only 90 games but those were some damn good 90 games! Immediately after the Triple-A All-Star game, Abbott was called up to the BLB. He won Rookie of the Month twice and dominated the polls for ROY despite only a half season. Playing mostly 1B the rook also played some C and LF. Although he didn't qualify, he lead my team in average at .331 (next highest was .314).
2B Robert Abbott - Grade: B+ Same last name, only a few months apart in age but Robert is a completely different player than Tyrone. Split time at 2B and 1B this year. Missed a month due to injury. Set a career high in OBP this year as the primary leadoff hitter. Not sure why, but the guy could not hit lefty pitching (he is a RH) all year, .337 vs. .262. He should hit .350+ versus lefties.
SS Clint Johnston - Grade: B I didn't expect this. Johnston was an All-Star and after a dissapointing rookie year, really broke out....in the first half. The day before his All-Star selection, he injured his shoulder and missed a month. After hitting .330 in the first half, he hit about .230 after the injury.
3B RA Grounds - Grade: B+ Old reliable. Grounds played everywhere again this year, first, second, third and short. For the first half (pre-Tyrone Abbott) he played secondbase while Robert (not Tyrone) Abbott played first. Then Grounds switched to third. Although he missed almost two months due to injury, he had his second highest OPS, at .772 and even tied a career high in homers, with 12.
OF - Miguel Angel Padilla - Grade: A Power. House. MAP hit 40 homeruns and 131 RBI this season. He also struckout 152 times in 157 games. Playing either corner OF spot, MAP has overcome the "injury prone" label by playing 150+ games the past two seasons.
OF - Michio Nago - Grade: A- Very solid year for the #2 hitter. Nago set career highs in walks, OPB, doubles and his highest hit total since 1985.
OF - Britt Bovey - Grade: C Acquired in a mid-season trade, Bovey really never found his stroke in D.C. after leaving Carolina. With the Tobs, he hit .304 with an .883 OPS. With the Bats, just .255 and .799. He still provided a much needed lefty bat and was acquired only as a rental.
Key Bench
UTL - Clement Montgomery - Grade: B+ Even though he only played in 88 games and had an OPS of just .703, this was Montgomery's best season of his career. After six seasons in Windy City, Montgomery was the super utility/defensive replacement/pinch runner for the Bats playing all infield positions at a very high level.
3B - Tex Briggs - Grade: B After two great years in Pittsburgh, Briggs struggled out of the gate in 1990. After a trade that sent David Robbins (finally!) packing, D.C. brought in the struggling lefty 3B. After hitting .205 with the Millers, Briggs hit .281 with the Bats. After spraining his ankle in late July, causing him to miss four weeks, it basically cost him his season.
OF - Carlos Bamentos - Grade: D After two years as the 4th OF, a steady improvement in batting numbers and continuous complaints about how he wants to start, I gave Bamentos the chance. He failed. He hit .216 on the year and by the end of the season was the 5th OF and limited to defensive replacement and pinch hitting/pinch running. His failure eventually lead to the trade for Britt Bovey.
OF - Larry Fitzsymons - Grade: B+ After Bamentos failed to lockdown the 3rd OF spot, Fitzsymons was given the chance. He struggled against righties (enter Bovey) but remained as the CF versus lefties for the rest of the year. I was rewarded with a .300 average and a .796 OPS. He was re-signed on a three-year extension in July and likely will be a regular starter in '91.
Pitching Staff
SP - Martin Carlton - Grade: A Since moving to the starting rotation, in three years, Carlton has won two IL Pale Ales. Has there ever been a better three year span for a pitcher?! After a 16-4 season, he raises his career Bat record to 55-11! Heading into '91, Carlton will be playing for a contract extension after signing a two-year agreement for $37,000,000 back in '89.
SP - Bill Faircloth - Grade: A- Tell me if you have heard this before...the Bats acquire an average BLB starter and he has a career year. This time around, it was former-Bulldog Bill Faircloth. A career 4.50 ERA, in Baltimore and Wilmington, Faircloth immediately took over the #2 spot in the rotation. A career best 3.16 ERA and only his second winning season (11-7) of his career. Pretty impressive year for a guy that I acquired (along with SP Tommy Lang) for a 3rd, 5th and 8th round pick.
SP - Derek Tucker - Grade: B+ I tried to be careful with Tucker. Strict pitch counts. Sixth starter in the rotation. After 160 IP in 1989 (between Double-A, Triple-A and BLB) I was lucky enough to limit him to 180 this season (between regular season and playoffs). Only 22-years-old, I think Tucker should be able to handle 200 innings next season. If his playoff performance is any indication (1.77 ERA, .98 WHIP, 25 K, 20 IP) his '91 season could be something special.
SP - P.J. Brooks - Grade: B What a crazy season for Brooks. For the third straight season, Brooks has told me he would prefer to be a starter. The first season, I didn't budge, he was one of my very best RPs in '88. The following year, I gave him a taste of starting duties, but he struggled. Out of the gate this season, his frustrations boiled over to the point that he was pitching worse than I had ever seen out of the pen. I gave in, moved him to SP and the rest is history. His 3.71 ERA (likely sub 3.00 as a SP) was 3rd lowest amongst starters, behind Carlton and Faircloth. He has control issues and doesn't strikeout a lot of batters, but good luck hitting.
SP - Cristofor Villazon - Grade: B- Strange season for Villazon. By his standards, actually pretty poor. He had a career worst 4.00 ERA but still had a great WHIP (1.14). He has problems giving up the long ball (career worst 29) but after three injury plagued years, he finally proved to stay healthy.
SP - Tommy Lang - Grade: C+ Acquired in the Faircloth trade, I expected a better season out of the 32-year-old. But I can't really complain too much about a 12-6 record. I gave him the ball every sixth day and he keep my rotation, and often my bullpen, fresh. Just don't put him anywhere near the bullpen...guy does not fit that mold.
The Bullpen
MR - Ivan Garcia - Grade: B I fear Garcia might be injury prone. After blowing out his arm last season (10 months, elbow), he came back this season as a reliever instead of a starter. He dominated April, May, June and July...and then he tore his bicep and missed the next three months. When he plays, 1.08 ERA .96 WHIP, he is dominant. Will he ever stay healthy?
MR - Caleb Alston - Grade: A- Not much to complain about here. A 3-0 record and a 2.21 ERA. "Tigger" is entering his prime and should be a staple in mid-relief for the next few years.
MR - Roger Simonds - Grade: C Started the year as the closer then missed four months due to injury. Upon his return he was moved to middle relief. He pitched ok but a farcry from his $6,000,000 salary he earned in the previous years. Next year is very likely his last in D.C.
SU - River Matthews - Grade: B Career high in innings...and ERA and WHIP. Matthews struggled this year with the long ball. After giving up seven in his first four BLB seasons, he gave up eight this year. Hopefully, it's not a sign of things to come.
SU - Cristian Ramirez - Grade: A My only lefty (besides closer) specialist. Ramirez doesn't strikeout a lot of guys but man is he valuable. This is his 3rd straight season pitching in 70 or more games. That's almost every other game he is pitching in.
CL - Joe Alveraz - Grade: B+ After the Simonds injury, Alveraz moved to closer and flourished. A big improvement over his '89 debut with the Bats. His "stuff" isn't what it used to be but Alveraz was one of the best closers in the IL this season.