Diamond King Roundup: 1984

I am doing something a little different with this series.  I have mentioned before that the Diamond Kings subset is one of my favorites of all time.  The purpose of the subset is to highlight one player from each team who has made a big impact on the team.  It is also true that sometimes the choices were a little suspect.  I wanted to go through and look at the choices each year and determine which are the strangest choices.  Then I will grade the picks in the context of the team, only.  For this series, I only want to examine the years when there was one pick per team.  In the mid 1990's, the set kind of went off the rails.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS - ROBIN YOUNT

Coming off of an MVP season, Yount's power numbers declined somewhat, but he still hit .308/.383/.503 with 17 home runs and 80 RBIs, as a shortstop.  He was an All Star and led the league with ten triples.  Yount was first on the team in batting average, on base percentage and second in home runs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  He was certainly the most complete player.  Cecil Cooper has an argument for being the biggest power threat (30 home runs, 126 RBIs) and hitting .307/.341/.508, but Yount had the higher WAR.

GRADE: A.  Sometimes giving the Diamond King to a player a season removed from an award is not the best decision.  Yount though was still the Brewers' best player.

CINCINNATI REDS - DAVE CONCEPCION

Concepcion was in his 14th season with the Reds in 1983.  He hit .233/.303.280 with one home run, 47 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.  He notched 123 hits and 54 runs.  He made 13 errors and had a .979 fielding percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yeesh.  No.  Definitely not.  By OPS+, Concepcion was the worst player on the team.  So, literally any other player would have been a better choice.  The best choice would have been Mario Soto, who 17-13 for a bad team and had a 2.70 ERA and 242 strikeouts while leading the league with 18 complete games.

GRADE: F.  This is one of the career achievement Diamond Kings for a player who was always pretty good, but never close to Hall of Fame-worthy.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS - DWAYNE MURPHY

Murphy led the A's in home runs (17, tied with Davey Lopes) and RBIs (75).  He won his fourth Gold Glove Award in 1983.  Murphy hit .227/.314/.380 and had 107 hits and 55 runs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Murphy had the biggest power numbers on the team, though to be fair it was not a great year for that.  Several other players turned in better seasons, with Rickey Henderson being the best.  Henderson hit .292/.414/.421 and stole 103 bases.  Henderson though was the Diamond King the previous season.  Carney Lansford hit .308/.357/.475 with ten home runs and 45 RBIs.

GRADE: D.  Murphy had been better in the past but this was a pedestrian season for him and Henderson was much better.  The card back reads that Murphy is "considered to be the player who makes the A's go", which is just blatantly not true in a lineup with Henderson.

MINNESOTA TWINS - JOHN CASTINO

Castino was the Rookie of the Year in 1979 and turned in a decent year in 1983.  He hit .277/.348/.403.  He hit eleven home runs and drove in 57 runs, stealing four bases and hitting 30 doubles, scoring 83 runs and gathering 156 hits.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not, but he is not a bad one.  Castino was the WAR leader on the Twins, primarily due to his defense.  Kent Hrbek had the best year though, hitting .297/.366/.489 with 16 home runs and 84 RBIs.  

GRADE: B.  Castino was a steady, dependable player, and was the WAR leader, though no one knew what WAR was at the time.  Hrbek would have been a better pick.

CHICAGO CUBS - LEON DURHAM

Durham was in his fourth season in 1983 and was an All Star for the second time.  Durham played in just 100 games, but hit .258/.381/.466 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs.  He stole 12 bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.  He was the OPS+ leader, but played only two-thirds of the season.  He had been better in the past, and deserved the Diamond King the previous year, but injuries took their toll on him in 1983.  Lee Smith was the Cubs' best player as he saved 29 games, struck out 91 in 103.1 innings and had a 1.65 ERA.

GRADE: C+.  The Cubs were not stacked with great choices and Durham did have a decent year, when he was healthy.

NEW YORK METS - RUSTY STAUB

Staub played in 104 games and had just 132 plate appearances in 1983.  In other words, he was a pinch hitter more often than he actually played in the field.  He hit .296/.371/.426 with three home runs and 28 RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely not.  How about Darryl Strawberry who was the Rookie of the Year after hitting .257/.336/.512 with 26 home runs, 74 RBIs and 19 stolen bases?  Jesse Orosco had a 1.47 ERA as a closer, and Keith Hernandez hit .306/.424/.434.

GRADE: F.  Staub was a pinch hitter.  This is the definition of a career achievement Diamond King.  He hit well enough, but he was not even a regular player.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - JACK CLARK

Clark finished third on the Giants in most major offensive categories.  He hit .268/.361/.441 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs, notching 132 hits and 82 runs scored.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Clark deserved it in previous seasons, but his numbers dropped somewhat and he was the third most productive hitter on the team.  The eternally underrated Darrell Evans hit .277/.378/.516 with 30 home runs and 82 RBIs.  Jeffrey Leonard was second on the team with 21 home runs and 87 RBIs.  Atlee Hammaker had a 2.25 ERA.

GRADE: C.  Clark was good, but his numbers declined and there was one clearly better choice, and a couple of other choices that would have been just as good.

SAN DIEGO PADRES - DAVE DRAVECKY

Dravecky had the lowest ERA on the Padres staff among pitchers with at least 120 innings.  He had a 14-10 record with a 3.58 ERA and struck out 74 versus 44 walks in 183.2 innings pitched.  He was second on the staff in wins and fourth in strikeouts.  He was an All Star in 1983.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Terry Kennedy, the Diamond King the previous season, was still the team's best player, by a significant margin.  He hit .284/.342/.434 and led the team with 27 doubles, 17 home runs and 98 RBIs, as a catcher.  

GRADE: C+.  Donruss did not like to repeat Diamond Kings at this point.  I guess Dravecky is probably the second best choice, though his numbers were hardly standouts.

MONTREAL EXPOS - AL OLIVER

Oliver followed up his first batting title by hitting .300/.347/.410.  He led the league in doubles (38) and was an All Star for the seventh time in his career.  Oliver had 184 hits, eight home runs and 84 RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Oliver was decent, and probably deserved to be the Diamond King the previous season, but Andre Dawson and Tim Raines were clearly better.  Dawson hit .299/.338/.539 with 32 home runs, 113 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.  Raines hit .298/.393/.429 and stole 90 bases to lead the league.

GRADE: C.  Oliver had a decent season, but Dawson and Raines had seasons that would help lead them to the Hall of Fame.

NEW YORK YANKEES - DAVE RIGHETTI

Righetti's biggest achievement was pitching a no hitter in 1983, but he turned in a 14-8 record, a 3.44 ERA.  He led the team in strikeouts (169), versus 67 walks in 217 innings pitched.  He was third on the staff with seven complete games.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, he was not even the best pitcher on the staff.  Ron Guidry, who was the 1983 Diamond King, went 21-9 with a 3.42 ERA, striking out 156 in 250.1 innings.  Guidry was also the only player with a higher WAR than Righetti.  Donruss did not like to repeat Diamond Kings, but Guidry was a Diamond King when he should not have been and now could not be used when he should have been.

GRADE: C.  Righetti gets points for leading the team in strikeouts and pitching the no hitter, but Guidry was quite a bit better.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS - HAL MCRAE

The year before, McRae led the league in doubles and RBIs, but in 1983 his numbers slipped a little bit.  He hit .311/.372/.462, which was a better slash line, but his power numbers dipped to 12 home runs and 82 RBIs.  He led the team in batting average and doubles (41).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  George Brett was still the best player on the team, as he hit .310/.385/.563 with 25 home runs and 93 RBIs, almost universally better numbers.  Dan Quisenberry actually led the team in WAR when he led the league in saves (45) and had a 1.94 ERA, and finished second in the Cy Young vote.

GRADE: B.  McRae was good, but he was better the previous season and Brett was clearly better than McRae.  Quisenberry also has a good argument.

HOUSTON ASTROS - RAY KNIGHT

Knight had been an All Star the previous season, but he was even better in 1983, even though he was not named to the team.  Knight hit .304/.355/.444 with nine home runs and 70 RBIs.  He led the team with 36 doubles. 

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Jose Cruz hit .318/.385/.463 with 14 home runs and a team-leading 92 runs.  Dickie Thon had the highest WAR, hitting .286/.341/.457 with a team-high 20 home runs and drove in 79 runs, as a shortstop.

GRADE: C.  Knight was decent, but he was not a standout player.  Thon would have been the better pick, and Cruz was also better.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - BRUCE SUTTER

The Cardinals closer, Sutter pitched in 60 games and had a 9-10 record, with a 4.23 ERA.  He saved 21 games.  He notched 64 strikeouts versus 30 walks in 89.1 innings pitched.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Those are frankly not good numbers for a closer.  Pick a player, and they likely had a better season.  Darrell Porter led the team in WAR, hitting .262/.363/.421 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs and was a great defensive catcher.  George Hendrick had the best stats, hitting .318/.373/.493 with 18 home runs and 97 RBIs.  

GRADE: F.  Sutter was not even good in 1983.  This one makes no sense.

ATLANTA BRAVES - BOB HORNER

Horner missed some time with injuries in 1983, only playing in 104 games.  He had a very good season when he was healthy, hitting .303/.383/.528 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs.  Despite missing time, he led the team with 25 doubles.  He even received some down-ballot MVP votes.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Horner received MVP votes, but teammate Dale Murphy was the MVP when he hit .302/.393/.540 with 36 home runs, 30 stolen bases and a league-leading 121 RBIs.  Murphy was the Diamond King the previous season.

GRADE: B.  Murphy was clearly better, but Horner would have likely had a similar season had he not missed so much time due to injuries.  

DETROIT TIGERS - LANCE PARRISH

Parrish, the team's catcher, led the team in the major power categories, hitting 27 home runs, 42 doubles and driving in 114 runs.  Parrish hit .269/.314/.483.  He was an All Star and won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and finished ninth in the MVP voting.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  I am going to go with yes.  A couple players probably had better slash lines, with Alan Trammell hitting .319/.385/.471 and Lou Whitaker hitting .320/.380/.457, but Parrish had significantly more home runs and RBIs.  And Parrish also played a demanding defensive position.

GRADE: A.  He did not have the highest WAR or OPS+, but those power numbers from a catcher make it hard to deny Parrish as the Diamond King.

SEATTLE MARINERS - MATT YOUNG

Young was in his rookie season in 1983 and led the Mariners staff in most major pitching categories.  He had an 11-15 record (for a 102 loss Mariners team), a 3.27 ERA and 130 strikeouts (second on the team) in 203.1 innings.  Young was an All Star and led the team in WAR (5.1).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  This is weird as a Red Sox fan who remembers him losing a game in which he gave up no hits, but yes, Young was the best choice.  He was clearly the team's best pitcher and their only good hitter, Steve Henderson, hit .294/.356/.450 with ten home runs and 54 RBIs.  Pat Putnam led the team with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs.

GRADE: A.  This one looks weird, but Young was pretty clearly the best player the Mariners had in 1983.

CALIFORNIA ANGELS - FRED LYNN

Lynn was the All Star Game MVP in 1983 when he hit a grand slam off of Atlee Hammaker.  Lynn led the team in triples (3), home runs (22) and RBIs (74), despite only playing in 117 games.  Lynn hit .272/.352/.483.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It's probably pretty close.  Bobby Grich was probably a better player, hitting .292/.414/.460 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs, while playing terrific defense at second base.  Lynn's better power numbers and All Star MVP are points for him, but he did miss quite a few games.

GRADE: B+.  Points off because Lynn missed a chunk of time, but he had a very good season and this one is pretty close.  Grich might have deserved it slightly more though.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX - RON KITTLE

Kittle was an All Star and won the Rookie of the Year in 1983.  He only led the league in one statistical category, strikeouts (150), but he hit .254/.314/.504 with a team-leading 35 home runs and 100 RBIs.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It's complicated.  Kittle had the best power numbers on the team, but as a one-dimensional slugger, he was not close to the best WAR.  LaMarr Hoyt won the Cy Young Award, going 24-10 with a 3.66 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 260.2 innings, but may not have been the best pitcher on the team.  Richard Dotson was 22-7 with a 3.23 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 240 innings.  Carlton Fisk hit .289/.355/.518 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs, lesser power numbers, but a much better slash line, and Fisk was a very good defensive player at an important position.

GRADE: B.  It is hard to ignore the Rookie of the Year and I will give Donruss credit for that, but power numbers aside, Kittle was not really great.  They did ignore the Cy Young winner and a pitcher who might have been better as well as some better hitters.  

TORONTO BLUE JAYS - JIM CLANCY

Coming off of an All Star season in 1982, Clancy was part of a good, young pitching staff with Toronto.  He was second on the staff in wins (15), ERA (3.91) complete games (11) and innings pitched (223).  He had a 15-11 record and struck out 99 versus 61 walks.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  He was not the best pitcher on the team as Dave Stieb had him beat in virtually every pitching category when he was 17-12 with a 3.04 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 278 innings.  Willie Upshaw was probably the team's best hitter, with a slash line of .306/.373/.515 with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs.  Lloyd Moseby also hit .315/.376/.499 with 18 home runs and 81 RBIs and was a great defensive outfielder.

GRADE: D.  Clancy just does not stand out at all on a good, young team.  Stieb was a significantly better pitcher and they had a couple very good hitters.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES - BILL MADLOCK

Madlock won his fourth batting title in 1983 and was an All Star for the third time.  The Pirates third-baseman hit .323/.386/.444 with 12 home runs (tied for third on the team) and 68 RBIs (fourth on the team).  He had 153 hits and scored 68 runs (second on the team).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably.  Madlock did win the batting title and had the highest OPS and OPS+ on the team.  Johnny Ray had the highest WAR due mostly to his defense, as he hit .283/.323/.399 with five home runs.  John Candelaria had a 15-8 record with a 3.23 ERA.

GRADE: A.  Madlock had the best traditional stats and highest OPS, even if his WAR was not the highest.  

TEXAS RANGERS - LARRY PARRISH

Parrish, no relation to Lance, hit .272/.326/.474.  He led the team in home runs (26) and RBIs (88), while also recording 76 runs, 151 hits, and 26 doubles.  He also led the team in OPS (.800) and OPS+ (121).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably.  Parrish's stats were not eye-popping, but he was the best hitter on the team.  He had a lower WAR because he was fairly one-dimensional.  The highest WAR belonged to Buddy Bell, who hit .277/.332/.411 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs, but was great defensively.  Charlie Hough was second with a 15-13 record, 3.18 ERA and 152 strikeouts.

GRADE: A.  The Rangers were fairly underwhelming and Parrish had significantly better power numbers.  

BALTIMORE ORIOLES - EDDIE MURRAY

Murray finished second in the AL MVP vote in 1983 and was an All Star for the fourth time.  He led the team in home runs (33), RBIs (111), on base percentage (.393), slugging percentage (.538), OPS (.930) and OPS+ (156), while hitting .306.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Surprisingly, no.  Murray was second in the MVP vote...to teammate Cal Ripken Jr.  Ripken did not quite have the power stats, but he hit .318/.371/.517 with 27 home runs and 102 RBIs while playing a more demanding position and led the league in WAR (8.2).

GRADE: B+.  Sure, they missed the AL MVP, but Murray was second, and had a great season, leading the team in most offensive categories.  

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - MIKE SCHMIDT

Schmidt was third in the NL MVP vote and was an All Star, Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger.  He led the league in home runs (40), walks (128) and on-base percentage (.399).  He hit .255/.399/.524 and led the team in RBIs (109).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Surprisingly not.  Schmidt was second in WAR on the team to Cy Young winner John Denny.  Denny was 19-6, leading the league in wins, with a 2.37 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 242.2 innings.

GRADE: B.  Denny kind of came out of nowhere while Schmidt was clearly heading for the Hall of Fame.  Schmidt had a great season, Denny was just slightly better.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - PEDRO GUERRERO

Guerrero was fourth in the NL MVP race and was an All Star for the second time.  He hit .298/.373/.531 with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs while stealing 23 bases.  Guerrero led the team in doubles (28), home runs, RBIs, and all three slash line categories, registering a .904 OPS and 150 OPS+.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Clearly yes.  Bob Welch was second on the team in WAR when he was 15-12 with a 2.65 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 204 innings pitched.  

GRADE: A.  This one is very easy.  Guerrero had a fantastic season and was well ahead of anyone else on the team.

CLEVELAND INDIANS - ANDRE THORNTON

Thornton was the Indians' primary power threat.  He tied for the team lead in home runs with Gorman Thomas, hitting 17.  Thornton hit .281/.383/.439 and had 143 hits and 78 runs, driving in 77.  Thornton led the team in slugging and OPS (.822).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Tough to say.  No one on the Indians had eye-popping stats.  Advanced metrics show Thornton as a somewhat poor choice, and this was not his best season.  The WAR leader was Lary Sorensen, a pitcher with a 12-11 record and a 4.24 ERA in 222.2 innings.  Rick Sutcliffe was 17-11 with a 4.29 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 243.1 innings.

GRADE: C+.  I don't know.  Thornton was kind of ordinary in 1983 and had been much better in the past, but there just are not many standouts from this team.  I guess if I had to pick who I think it should have been, I would go with Sutcliffe.

BOSTON RED SOX - WADE BOGGS

Boggs won his first batting title and his first Silver Slugger Award in 1983.  He also led the league in on base percentage.  Boggs hit .361/.444/.486 with five home runs and 74 RBIs.  He led the team in hits (210), runs (100), walks (92), and OPS (.931).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Boggs did not have much power, but he was an exceptional hitter and truly great at getting on base.  The closest competitor was Jim Rice, who hit .305/.361/.550, while leading the league in home runs (39) and RBIs (126).

GRADE: A.  Boggs was the best player on the team, even if his power numbers paled in comparison to Rice.  

RECAP:

BEST CHOICE:  I think I will go with Pedro Guerrero here, with Wade Boggs a close second.  Both players had outstanding seasons, with Guerrero a bit better all-around.  

WORST CHOICE:  I think Dave Concepcion was the worst pick, with Bruce Sutter and Rusty Staub coming close.  Concepcion was just a bad pick with an extremely low slash line.  Staub was decent, but barely played, and Sutter had a bad year.

BIGGEST SNUB:  Dale Murphy.  The Braves' representative the previous season was the MVP once again, but lost out to Bob Horner who had a decent season, but Murphy was much better and played a lot more.

WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY:  Matt Young.  He deserved it for a bad Mariners team, but this seems so odd, particularly for a Red Sox fan who has odd memories of Young.  Beats out John Castino, who at least was a Rookie of the Year at one point, and Jim Clancy, who was a decent pitcher for several seasons, but rarely great.

Red Sox Autographs: Frank Viola

I am showing off one of the Topps Archives Signature buyback cards.  This one is of "Sweet Music" Frank Viola.  This is my first autograph of Viola.  It is a buyback of his 1993 Topps card.

Frank Viola was the first player I remember being excited that the Red Sox acquired.  I started watching baseball in 1991 and he was signed as a free agent during the offseason, so he was really the first major player the Red Sox acquired since I was a fan.  Viola had been an All Star three times, including each of the previous seasons with the Mets.  In 1990, he went 20-12 with a 2.67 ERA, striking out 182 in a league-leading 249.2 innings.  He won the Cy Young Award in 1988 with the Twins when he went 24-7 with a 2.64 ERA, striking out 193.  Viola was 31, so he was a little past his prime, but he should have had a few good seasons left.

Boston signed Viola to a three-year deal to be the number two starter they lacked since Mike Boddicker left as a free agent to join the Royals after the 1990 season.  His first season in Boston was decent, as he went 13-12 with a 3.44 ERA and struck out 121 in 238 innings.  Unfortunately, pitching was not the problem for Boston in 1992.  The team's two best players were Roger Clemens and Viola.  Unfortunately, the offense was terrible, leaving the team in last place.

1993 was another decent, if injury-plagued season.  Viola pitched in six fewer games and threw 183.2 innings.  He was still the team's second-best pitcher, this time behind Danny Darwin who turned in a shockingly good season.  Clemens had the worst season of his career.  Viola had a record of 11-8 with a 3.14 ERA and struck out 91.  Despite the injuries, it was actually a slightly better season for Viola.  It would be his last productive season.

Viola had Tommy John surgery in 1994, his last season with Boston.  As a result, he pitched in just six games and was 1-1 with a 4.65 ERA.  He returned to the Majors in 1995 with the Reds, but pitched in just three games.  He then signed a deal with the Blue Jays to try to resurrect his career, but pitched in just six games with them and had a 7.71 ERA.  It was the last time he appeared in the Majors.

I have seen Frank Viola's contract with the Red Sox listed as a bust in the past.  I simply do not see that as true.  For two seasons, Viola gave the Red Sox exactly what they were expecting, innings and a low ERA, though he was a loss in the last season.  He was an effective number two.  Just because he did not win 20 games does not mean he was bad.  The offense was a problem, not Viola.

Five Box Team Break

Recently, I bought into a few multi-box breaks from Ebay, of course buying the Red Sox cards and tuning in to the box breaks.  The first such break included boxes of Bowman, Gypsy Queen, Diamond Kings, Inception and Tribute.  Unfortunately, there were no Red Sox cards in Inception or Tribute.  But there were some impressive pulls.

Up first are the new cards from 2020 Bowman:

Primarily, this box just gave me a bunch of prospect cards.  I am excited about Jarren Duran, who could make his Major League debut later this year.  He looks like an intriguing player, a contact hitter with a lot of speed.  The best card from the box is the Talent Pipeline insert with Triston Casas, Bobby Dalbec and Duran.  Casas is currently Boston's top prospects, a big slugger who could be up next year.  Dalbec is likely trade bait, in my opinion.

Up next is Gypsy Queen:

This was the best break for me.  Of course there were a couple of base cards, but then there is the Ted Williams short print, featuring a photo I have not seen before, a Michael Chavis insert and then, the big hit of the entire break for me, a Michael Chavis autograph.  I do not pull too many Red Sox relics and autos myself, so it is exciting to essentially get an autograph in a pack here.  Chavis is headed into a make-or-break season this year.  His versatility is important, and if he continues hitting with power, he may soon become a regular player.

And finally, Diamond Kings:

I only needed two base cards from the Diamond Kings set: Jimmie Foxx and Tris Speaker.  I got them both.  I also got a parallel of Foxx.  I still really want the Ted Williams All Time Diamond King card.

So, not bad breaks.  Gypsy Queen was definitely the highlight.

Tzu-Wei Lin Card #114

Lin has been impressive in summer camp leading into the season.  His versatility looks like it will pay off and he should be on the 30 man roster to start the season.  New manager Ron Roenicke has been impressed by his ability to handle all of the infield positions (including making some nice plays at first) and in the outfield.  It looks like Lin will take over the super-utility role Brock Holt held the last several seasons.

This is the red parallel of the online-only Topps Total card.  It is serial-numbered to just 10.

Vintage Red Sox: Clyde Engle

Today's vintage Red Sox card to show off is a little bit interesting.  This is an original T205 card that was collected by Topps and framed as part of the 2003 Topps 205 set.  It was an interesting idea and I always wanted one of them.  There was one I was watching a few years back, but the price was never right.  I am pretty sure it was Jake Stahl.  Well, I ended up with this one:

'

Clyde Engle spent eight seasons in the Major Leagues, five of those years coming with Boston.  He was originally with the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) and was sold to Boston early in his second season.  Engle played all over the diamond and seldomly settled on one position in a season, except in 1913 when he was the team's primary first-baseman. 

Engle was not a real good hitter, even for the Deadball Era.  He did have a very good year in 1913 when he was a regular player though.  That season, he hit .289/.363/.384 with 17 doubles, 12 triples, two home runs and 50 RBIs.  He did have some decent speed too as he stole 28 bases that season. 

In 1914, Engle was sold to Buffalo of the short-lived Federal League.  His total numbers with Boston included 512 games with a slash line of .265/.341/.338 with 55 doubles, 25 triples, six home runs, 163 RBIs and 80 stolen bases.  Not great numbers, but decent for a utility player.

Big League Blaster Break

Finding new card releases has been somewhat difficult lately.  I have noticed stuff selling out quickly before I have a chance to get anything.  Must be a lot of bored people out there these days.  Even in my area of the country which has not been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.  

Well I did manage to get my hands on a blaster of Topps Big League finally and had a pretty decent break from a Red Sox perspective:

Of course there are a bunch of league leader trio cards featuring Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers.  There are the base cards of Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez and Bogaerts.  I am thrilled about the Benintendi card because I have seen it on a few blogs already and love the action shot.  And then I pulled an orange parallel of Eduardo Rodriguez and an insert of Devers.  So this was a decent break for my collection.

The Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #951 (Also, Darnell McDonald)

Today, I present two Sega Card-Gen cards from Japan.  These are not the easiest cards to find, and both of them were high on my list to track down (I still need Dan Wheeler).  Recently, a seller had a bunch of these available and I grabbed them.  The seller was located in Japan and this was right as COVID was beginning.  It took a very long time to receive the cards and I was beginning to think they were lost in the mail. 

There's not much to say about Varitek that I have not already said.  He has been making a name for himself as a potential manager.  I think if he wants the job at some point, the Red Sox will likely give it to him.

Let's talk about Darnell McDonald.  McDonald spent parts of three seasons with the Red Sox as an extra outfielder.  In 2010, he had his best season and played quite a bit due to injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew and Mike Cameron.  He played fairly well too, making it into 117 games, playing in center a little more often than right or left.  He hit .270/.336/.429 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs and nine stolen bases.  He played well enough to stick with the team as a reserve the next two seasons, but diminishing returns each year eventually led to his release.  He caught on with the Yankees, for whom he played in four games without a hit, then played well with the Cubs in 25 games for his last year in the Majors.  McDonald was a former first round draft pick who was not really able to make the leap to the Majors despite having a few good years in the minors.  He was past his prime by the time he got a real shot. 

Total Hernandez

Just a quick one-card post this time, as I am eagerly anticipating what is sure to be an incredibly bizarre baseball season.  This is the 2020 Topps Total card of Darwinzon Hernandez, who was one of three Red Sox players this season who has tested positive for COVID-19 and is thus likely to miss a part of the early season.

Hernandez was anticipated to be a major part of the pitching staff this season, but that now seems in doubt given the fact that he has just recently arrived in Boston with just a few days left before the season begins.  With a 60 game season, missing even ten games is a pretty big loss.  Hopefully he can get ready quickly because he had a very impressive rookie season last year.

Vintage Red Sox: Max Bishop

Today I am showing off a recent pickup, a 1934-1936 Diamond Stars card of infielder (mostly second base) Max Bishop:

Bishop had a 12-year career in the Majors, spent primarily with the Philadelphia Athletics.  He spent the last two seasons of his career with the Red Sox.  Bishop in many ways was well ahead of his time, he was a player who knew how to get on base.  Nicknamed "Camera Eye", Bishop drew 100 or more walks in eight straight seasons with the A's.  He was not a great hitter, as his .271 lifetime batting average and his .366 lifetime slugging average will attest.  But he was really good at getting on base.  His lifetime on-base percentage was an extremely impressive .423.  He was so good that he was typically the A's leadoff hitter, despite not being much of a base stealer (40 lifetime stolen bases).  That was strange for this time period.

Bishop was part of the package the Red Sox received when they acquired Lefty Grove from the A's in 1934.  He was coming off of a season in which he hit .294/.446/.399.  Unfortunately, Bishop did not have much left in the tank when he was acquired.  He played in just 157 games for Boston over the next two seasons.  His hitting declined, though he was still able to get on base, particularly in the first season.  Bishop hit .251/.424/.320 for the Red Sox and saw time at three infield positions.  His career was over after the 1935 season.

Max Bishop's skills were largely unnoticed due to the time period in which he played.  If he were playing today, he would be a much bigger name.

Diamond King Roundup: 1983

I am doing something a little different with this series.  I have mentioned before that the Diamond Kings subset is one of my favorites of all time.  The purpose of the subset is to highlight one player from each team who has made a big impact on the team.  It is also true that sometimes the choices were a little suspect.  I wanted to go through and look at the choices each year and determine which are the strangest choices.  Then I will grade the picks in the context of the team, only.  For this series, I only want to examine the years when there was one pick per team.  In the mid 1990's, the set kind of went off the rails.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - FERNANDO VALENZUELA

Coming off a season in which he was named both the NL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award winner, Valenzuela had another impressive season in 1982.  He was 19-13 with a 2.87 ERA, striking out 199 batters and walking 83 in 285 innings.  He was an All Star and finished third in the Cy Young vote.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably.  Only Pedro Guerrero has a good argument as he had a huge year, hitting .304/.378/.536 with 32 home runs and 100 RBIs.  Guerrero beats Valenzuela in WAR, but I think the slight edge goes to Valenzuela.

GRADE: A.  A lot of players here will be guys who should have been the Diamond King the previous year, but Valenzuela was still a great pitcher in 1982 and one of the hottest stars in the game.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS - ROLLIE FINGERS

Like Valenzuela, Fingers was a big award winner in 1981.  That year he was the MVP and Cy Young winner in the AL.  In 1982, Fingers was an All Star, appearing in 50 games with a 5-6 record, striking out 71 versus 20 walks in 79.2 innings.  He saved 29 games, third in the league, and had a 2.60 ERA.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely not.  This is more to make up for not being the previous year's All Star.  Pete Vuckovich won the Cy Young in 1982 with an 18-6 record, but the best choice was AL MVP Robin Yount who hit .331/.379/.578 with 29 home runs and 114 RBIs.  Several hitters had great seasons as well, including Cecil Cooper, Paul Molitor, Gorman Thomas and Ben Oglivie.

GRADE: D.  So Donruss made up for not selecting the AL MVP/Cy Young winner from 1981 by not selecting the AL MVP or Cy Young winner from 1982.

CALIFORNIA ANGELS - REGGIE JACKSON

Jackson was in his first year with the Angels after signing a free agent contract.  He led the Major Leagues in home runs with 39 and hit .275/.375/.532 with 101 RBIs.  He was an All Star and finished sixth in the MVP race and won a Silver Slugger.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not, but he was the highest profile star and did lead the league in home runs.  Doug DeCinces was probably the Angels best player as he hit .301/.369/.548 with 30 home runs and 97 RBIs and led the team in WAR by a significant margin over Jackson.  DeCinces was a better all-around player too.

GRADE: B.  I get it, even if DeCinces was the better player, Jackson was a high profile star who switched teams, and he did lead the Majors in home runs, so there is that.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES - JIM PALMER

Despite getting up there in years, Palmer was still a very effective pitcher.  He finished second in the AL Cy Young vote in 1982 with a 15-5 record and a 3.13 ERA, striking out 103 and walking 63 in 227 innings.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, but it is reasonably close.  Eddie Murray finished second in the AL MVP vote and had the highest WAR as he hit .316/.391/.549 with 32 home runs and 110 RBIs.  Cal Ripken Jr. won the Rookie of the Year when he hit 28 home runs as a shortstop.

GRADE: B.  Murray and Ripken would have been better choices, but Palmer was a decent choice as the runner-up in the Cy Young vote.

DETROIT TIGERS - JACK MORRIS

Morris led the Tigers staff in innings pitched (266.1), complete games (17) and strikeouts (135).  He had a 17-16 record with a 4.06 ERA and walked 96 batters.  Morris was certainly the workhorse of the team's rotation.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely not.  This was a fairly pedestrian season for Morris and Dan Petry had a better season as a starter.  The best choice probably would have been catcher Lance Parrish who hit .284/.338/.529 with 32 home runs and 87 RBIs.  Other better choices include the double play combination of Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker.

GRADE: F.  Other than innings, Morris really did not provide much in 1982.  His ERA was average and his record was barely over .500.  The team had several good hitters and even a better pitching choice.

NEW YORK METS - GEORGE FOSTER

After a great season for the Reds in 1981, Foster was dealt to the Mets.  He hit .247/.309/.367 with 13 home runs and 70 RBIs.  He was second on the team in each of the latter categories and was also second on the team in hits with 136.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Dave Kingman, who was the previous year's Diamond King deserved it more for his 1982 season.  Kingman led the league in home runs (37) and drove in 99 runs.  Foster is a career achievement Diamond King and the back of the card talks about his career before 1982.

GRADE: F.  Foster had a legitimate argument for the 1981 season, but he really was not very good in 1982.  The Mets did not have a lot of options, but they did have at least one clearly better one.  A major power hitter hitting 13 home runs in 151 games just is not going to do it.

TEXAS RANGERS - JIM SUNDBERG

Sundberg was a well-regarded defensive catcher who had won five Gold Glove awards, though he did not win one in 1982.  He hit .251/.322/.383 with ten home runs, 22 doubles and drove in 47 runs.  He tied for the team lead with five triples.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Buddy Bell was the previous year's Diamond King and was again the team's best player when he hit .296/.376/.426 with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs.  Donruss did not like to repeat players at this time though.  Charlie Hough had a good year in the rotation.

GRADE: C+.  The WAR is close, primarily due to Sundberg's defense, but Bell was clearly better at the plate and was a damn good defensive player as well.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES - WILLIE STARGELL

Stargell was in the final season of his Hall of Fame career.  He played in just 74 games with just 85 plate appearances, barely more than once per game, meaning he was not a regular player and hit .233/.318/.411 with three home runs and 17 RBIs.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Are you kidding?  This is the very definition of a career achievement Diamond King.  Stargell played less than half of the season.  Jason Thompson hit .284/.391/.511 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs and Bill Madlock hit .319 with 19 home runs.

GRADE: F.  I can understand wanting to do a career achievement player once in awhile, but Stargell did not have a good year and spent most of the season on the bench.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS - DAVE STIEB

Stieb is one of the most underrated pitchers of the 1980's.  He finished fourth in the Cy Young vote and had a 17-14 record with a 3.25 ERA.  He struck out 141 batters and walked 75 in 288.1 innings pitched.  Stieb led the league in innings pitched, complete games (19) and shutouts (5).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Toronto was not very good in 1982, but had some decent pitching.  Jim Clancy was the only player who came close to Stieb as he went 16-14 with a 3.71 ERA.

GRADE: A.  Clearly the best choice here. 

HOUSTON ASTROS - JOE NIEKRO

Niekro's brother was the Braves' Diamond King in 1982 and Joe joins him the next season.  In 1982, Niekro was 17-12, leading the team in wins, ERA (2.47), innings (270), complete games (16) and shutouts (5).  Niekro notched 130 strikeouts and walked just 64.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Niekro had a very good season in the rotation, though he was not as flashy as Nolan Ryan, he had better numbers.  He also led the team in WAR, tied with Dickie Thon who was helped more by his defense.  Ryan was 16-12 with a 3.16 ERA, though he had 245 strikeouts.

GRADE: A.  Niekro turned in great numbers in a lot of work.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS - RICKEY HENDERSON

Henderson had a historic season in 1982 as he stole a Major League record 130 bases.  He was an All Star for the second time and hit .267/.398/.382 with ten home runs and 51 RBIs.  He also led the league in walks with 116.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Besides being a historic season, Henderson was also the best player on the team.  Dwayne Murphy (27 home runs, 94 RBIs) and Tony Armas (28 home runs, 89 RBIs) had more power, but Henderson was the better player.

GRADE: A.  No doubt about this one.

ATLANTA BRAVES - DALE MURPHY

Murphy was the NL MVP in 1982 and was an All Star, Gold Glover and Silver Slugger.  He hit .281/.378/.507 with 36 home runs and a league-leading 109 RBIs.  Murphy also stole 23 bases, making him a 20/20 player as well.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  He was the league MVP and clearly the best player on the team.  Phil Niekro was very good on the mound, going 17-4 with a 3.61 ERA, but Murphy was easily the better player.

GRADE: A.  He was the league's MVP.  Of course he is a good choice.

CLEVELAND INDIANS - TOBY HARRAH

Third-baseman Harrah was an All Star in 1982 and received some down-ballot MVP votes.  He led the team in runs (100), hits (183), doubles (29), triples (4) and slash line (.304/.398/.490).  He also contributed 25 home runs and 78 RBIs

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Harrah was the best all-around player on the Indians, though Andre Thornton had more power, leading the team in home runs (32) and RBIs (116), but he was a one-dimensional slugger. 

GRADE: A.  Harrah had the highest WAR on the team and had a great all-around season.

CHICAGO CUBS - BILL BUCKNER

Buckner led the team in RBIs with 105, hits with 201, doubles with 34 and led the league in at-bats (657).  He hit .306/342/.441 with 15 home runs and also stole 15 bases.  Buckner also contributed 93 runs and struck out just 26 times.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Leon Durham was the Cubs' best player, hitting .312/.388/.521 with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs.  He also stole 28 bases.  Durham was also an All Star and won the Silver Slugger.  He was better in virtually every category.

GRADE: C.  Buckner was pretty good, but Durham was better.  At virtually everything.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS - WILLIE WILSON

On a team with professional hitters George Brett and Hal McRae, it is surprising that it was Wilson that led the team (and the league) in batting average.  He hit .332/.365/.431 with a league-leading 15 triples.  He hit three home runs with 46 RBIs, but power was not his game.  He stole 37 bases.  Wilson was an All Star for the first time.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  He narrowly beats out Brett (.301/.378/.505), who had more power, but Wilson was the batting champ.  Hal McRae led the league in RBIs (133) and hit 27 home runs, but was a one-dimensional slugger.

GRADE: A.  Wilson had the best season on the team, though other players had significantly more power. 

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - STEVE CARLTON

Carlton won the NL Cy Young Award and was an All Star by leading the league in wins (23), complete games (19), shutouts (6), strikeouts (286) and innings pitched (295.2).  Carlton had a 23-11 record with a 3.10 ERA.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Mike Schmidt had a higher WAR as a result of his .280/.403/.547 slash line and 35 home runs, but Carlton's Cy Young award gives him enough ammunition to call this one too close to call.

GRADE: B+.  Schmidt might have been a little bit better, but Carlton did win the Cy Young.

NEW YORK YANKEES - RON GUIDRY

Guidry was an All Star in 1982 and led the Yankees in wins (14) and innings pitched (222).  He was 14-8 with a 3.81 ERA and 162 strikeouts versus 69 walks.  He pitched six complete games with a shutout.  Guidry also won a Gold Glove award.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  The WAR leader for the Yankees in 1982 was Goose Gossage who saved 30 games and had a 2.23 ERA.  Dave Winfield (1982 Diamond King) hit .280/.331/.561 with 37 home runs and 106 RBIs.  I am going to go with no.

GRADE: D.  Winfield and Gossage would have been better choices.  Guidry had a nice season, but it was not a standout season.

MONTREAL EXPOS - STEVE ROGERS

Rogers was the runner-up to Carlton in the Cy Young vote and was an All Star.  Rogers went 19-8 with a 2.40 ERA, striking out 179 and walking 65 in 277 innings.  His ERA was tops in the National League.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  An argument can be made that he was the third best choice behind the terrific season from catcher Gary Carter, who was the 1982 Diamond King, or Al Oliver.  Carter hit .293/.381/.510 with 29 home runs and 97 RBIs.  He led the team in home runs.  Oliver hit 22 home runs and led the team with 109 RBIs.  He led the league in batting average (.331/.392/.514), hits (204) and doubles 43.

GRADE: B.  Carter and Oliver would have been better, but Rogers was not a bad choice at all.

MINNESOTA TWINS - KENT HRBEK

Hrbek was the runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year vote and was named to the All Star team.  He hit .301/.363/.485 with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs.  He led the team in RBIs, batting average and slugging percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It is very close between Hrbek, Tom Brunansky (20 home runs, 46 RBIs) and Gary Ward (28 home runs, 91 RBIs).  Hrbek has the edge in batting average though and was a rookie.

GRADE: B+.  It is close, but Hrbek has a narrow edge probably.  

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - KEITH HERNANDEZ

Future Seinfeld star Hernandez won the Gold Glove Award and received some MVP consideration.  Hernandez hit .299/.397/.413 with seven home runs, 94 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and 100 walks.  He led the team in on-base percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It is pretty close, but probably not.  Lonnie Smith hit .307/.381/.434 with eight home runs and 69 RBIs, leading the team in hits (182) and stealing 68 bases.  Joaquin Andujar was 15-5 with a 2.47 ERA.

GRADE: B.  Hernandez was a very good player on a team with a lot of them.  Maybe he was not the best choice, but it is pretty close between him, Smith and Andujar.  Close enough that any choice would be fine.

SEATTLE MARINERS - FLOYD BANNISTER

The southpaw Bannister was an All Star and led the league with 209 strikeouts.  He had a record of 12-13 with a 3.43 ERA and led the team with 247 innings pitched.  He also had five complete games and three shutouts.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  The Mariners were not good in 1982 and Bannister led the league in a significant category.  Richie Zisk had the big hitting stats (.292/.354/.477 with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs), but he was the 1982 Diamond King.

GRADE: A.  Bannister was a good choice for a bad team.

CINCINNATI REDS - JOHNNY BENCH

Bench was another future Hall of Famer close to the end of his career.  He spent most of the season at third base, instead of catcher.  Bench hit .258/.320/.396 with 13 home runs (second on the team) and 38 RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, this is another career achievement award.  The Reds were not full of great hitters, but Dan Driessen hit 17 home runs and drove in 57 runs.  Mario Soto would have been the best choice as he was 14-13 with a 2.79 ERA and 274 strikeouts in 257.2 innings.

GRADE: D.  Soto had a great year for a bad team and should have been the choice.  Bench had pedestrian numbers and was clearly a career achievement pick.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX - BRITT BURNS

Burns was in his third season in the Majors.  He finished the season with a record of 13-5 with a 4.04 ERA and 116 strikeouts versus 67 walks in 169.1 innings pitched.  He led the team in winning percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, and it is not remotely close.  The White Sox had a much better pitcher in LaMarr Hoyt who was 19-15 with a 3.53 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 239.2 innings and completed 14 games.  Harold Baines hit 25 home runs and drove in 105 runs.

GRADE: D.  Burns had a really good season in 1981, but he was maybe the third best pitcher on the team in 1982.  He was not bad, but he was not close to the best on the team.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - JOE MORGAN

Morgan was another player close to the end of his career, but unlike Stargell and Bench, he still had plenty left in the tank.  Morgan hit .289/.400/.438 with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs and even stole 24 bases.  He was second on the team with an .838 OPS.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.   Jack Clark hit .274/.372/.481 with 27 home runs and 103 RBIs, though his OPS was only a little higher than Morgan's due to Morgan's OBP.  Closer Greg Minto led the team in WAR as he had 30 saves and 1.83 ERA.

GRADE: B.  I am fine with this choice.  Morgan was still a very good player and the Giants did not have a lot of them.  I get the career achievement pick here because he still had enough left.

BOSTON RED SOX - CARL YASTRZEMSKI

Yaz was yet another player coming to the end of his career in 1982.  He held on for one more season.  He spent the season primarily at designated hitter and hit .275/.358/.431 with 16 home runs and 72 RBIs.  He walked more than he struck out (56 to 50) and contributed 22 doubles.  Yaz was an All Star.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  This is another career achievement pick, but Yaz was still at least decent, finishing with a 111 OPS+.  Dwight Evans (1982 DK) was the best player on the team with a .292/.402/.534 line, 32 home runs and 98 RBIs.  Jim Rice hit .309/.375/.494 with 24 home runs and 97 RBIs.  Bob Stanley had the second highest WAR on the team when he was 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in relief.

GRADE: D+.  Another career achievement pick ignoring great seasons from Evans and Rice.  Yaz was a better pick than Stargell, Bench or Foster, but not as good a pick as Morgan.

SAN DIEGO PADRES - TERRY KENNEDY

Kennedy had a good season as the Padres catcher, hitting .295/.328/.486 with 21 home runs and 97 RBIs.  He led the team in doubles, (42) average, home runs and RBIs.  Kennedy received some MVP consideration.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It is reasonably close between him and Sixto Lezcano.  Lezcano has the higher WAR as a result of a significantly better OBP (.289/.388/.472), but only had 16 home runs and 84 RBIs.

GRADE: A.  I think Kennedy probably wins out here, particularly because he played a more demanding position.

RECAP:

BEST CHOICE: I am going with Dale Murphy here.  The NL MVP actually got to be a Diamond King.

WORST CHOICE: Willie Stargell was nothing more than a bench player by this point in his career.  I get the career achievement aspect, but he did not have close to a good year.  Among players who were not done in recognition of a great career, Britt Burns was a bizarre choice.

BIGGEST SNUB: AL MVP Robin Yount had a great season and was not picked in favor of the previous season's MVP Rollie Fingers.

WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY:  Britt Burns.  I did not even know who he was before I looked into this.