Diamond King Roundup: 1988

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.

 OAKLAND ATHLETICS - MARK MCGWIRE

The 1987 A.L. Rookie of the Year set a then-record with 49 home runs as a rookie.  He was named to his first All Star game and hit .289/.370/.618, collecting 161 hits, 97 runs scored and 118 RBIs.  He led the team in home runs, runs, RBIs and slugging percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Not only was he a huge draw from a hobby standpoint as a rookie phenom, but he did lead the A's in OPS (.987) and OPS+ (164).  He was second on the team in WAR, but only by a tenth of a point (5.1 to 5.2).  Carney Lansford led the team in WAR, primarily because he was a much better defender.  He hit .289/.366/.455 with 19 home runs and 76 RBIs.  Otherwise, Dave Stewart had a great season, going 20-13 with a 3.68 ERA and 205 strikeouts in 261.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: A.  Easily the best choice, from several standpoints.

MONTREAL EXPOS - TIM RAINES

Raines did not play the first month of the season due to archaic free agency rules (and collusion), but still managed to hit .330/.429/.526 with 18 home runs, 68 RBIs and 50 stolen bases (versus just five times caught stealing).  He led the league in runs (123) and also contributed 34 doubles and eight triples while being named to the All Star team and finishing seventh in the MVP race.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Despite that missed time, Raines led the team in WAR (6.7), OPS (.955) and OPS+(149).  Second place probably goes to third-baseman Tim Wallach, who hit .298/.343/.514 with a team-leading 26 home runs and 123 RBIs.  From a pitching standpoint, Tim Burke had a great year as the closer, going 7-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 18 saves.

GRADE: A.  Raines could have been the N.L. MVP had he not missed the first month of the season.

SAN DIEGO PADRES - BENITO SANTIAGO

The 1987 N.L. Rookie of the Year was also a Diamond King.  The Padres catcher won the Silver Slugger after hitting .300/.324/.467 with 33 doubles, 18 home runs, 64 runs scored and 79 RBIs.  He had some speed for a catcher as well, swiping 21 bags.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Not really.  Santiago was a very good all-around player, but he did not lead the team in any major category.  Now, he was a rookie and a catcher, so that is not shocking.  Tony Gwynn was the Padres' best player as he won the batting title hitting .370/.447/.511 and led the league in hits (218) while also stealing 56 bases.  The power bat in the lineup was John Kruk, who hit .313/.406/.488 with 20 home runs and 91 RBIs.  Randy Ready also had a great season, hitting .309/.423/.520.

GRADE: B+.  I will give Donruss extra points because Santiago was the Rookie of the Year and had a great season as a catcher.  Gwynn would have been the best choice though.

DETROIT TIGERS - ALAN TRAMMELL

Trammell finished second in the A.L. MVP race, and probably should have won it.  He was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger after hitting .343/.402/.551 with 28 home runs and 105 RBIs.  He led the team in all three slash categories, as well as hits (205).  He also scored 109 runs, hit 34 doubles and stole 21 bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Trammell was one of the best players in the league and was easily the best player on the team.  Jack Morris was second on the team in WAR after going 18-11 with a 3.38 ERA and 208 strikeouts in 266 innings.  Darrell Evans led the team in home runs (34) and drove in 99 runs.

GRADE: A.  Trammell had a great season and was easily the best player on the team.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS - DANNY TARTABULL

In his first year with the Royals after being acquired in a trade with the Mariners, Tartabull hit .309/.390/.541 with 34 home runs and 101 RBIs.  He also collected 95 runs, 180 hits, 27 doubles and nine stolen bases.  Tartabull led the Royals in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.  While Tartabull's numbers were certainly impressive, context matters.  1987 was a huge offensive season, so Tartabull's WAR was actually only 2.2.  The best player on the team was Bret Saberhagen, who had a record of 18-10 with a 3.36 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 257 innings.  Charlie Leibrandt was 16-11 with a 3.41 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 2401.1 innings.  Kevin Seitzer had a huge rookie season, leading the league in hits (207) while hitting .323/.399/.470 with 15 home runs and 83 RBIs and stole 12 bases.

GRADE: B+.  I get this choice, because Tartabull's numbers certainly stand out on the team, they just maybe were not quite as impressive in the context of the big numbers around the league.  Seitzer might have been the better choice.

NEW YORK METS - RON DARLING

Darling had a record of 12-8 and an ERA of 4.29.  He struck out 167 and walked 96 in 207.2 innings pitched.  He had a WHIP of 1.343.  Darling led the Mets staff in starts, innings pitched and strikeouts.  He also pitched two complete games.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  The Mets' best player was Darryl Strawberry, who had a big season, hitting .284/.398/.583 with 39 home runs and 104 RBIs while stealing 36 bases.  Howard Johnson gave the Mets two players who had 30/30 seasons as he hit .265/.364/.504 with 36 home runs, 99 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.  Dwight Gooden had a 15-7 record, 3.21 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched.

GRADE: F.  This is a bad pick.  Darling was not the best pitcher on the staff, nor even close.  He was an innings eater only.  Darling's WAR was 0.9, behind Gooden, Sid Fernandez, Rick Aguilera and reliever Terry Leach on the pitching staff alone.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS - PAUL MOLITOR

Despite splitting the season between second base, third base and designated hitter, Molitor finished fifth int he MVP vote and won the Silver Slugger for designated hitter.  He hit .353/.438/.566 with 16 home runs, 75 RBIs and 45 stolen bases.  He led the league in runs (114) and doubles (41).  He led the team in all three slash categories and stolen bases as well.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It's close, so I will give it to Donruss.  Ted Higuera had the highest WAR on the team, but only by 0.3 over Molitor.  Higuera was 18-10 with a 3.85 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 261.2 innings pitched and finished sixth in the Cy Young vote.

GRADE: A.  I get picking Molitor over Higuera, particularly with the 39-game hitting streak he had.

CALIFORNIA ANGELS - DEVON WHITE

In White's rookie season, he hit .263/.306/.443 with 24 home runs and 87 RBIs while stealing 32 bases.  He collected 103 runs, 168 hits, 33 doubles and five triples.  White led the Angels in hits, doubles, triples and stolen bases.  He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year vote.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably.  Due to his outstanding defense, White led the Angels in WAR.  Wally Joyner had another impressive season, leading the team in most major offensive categories, hitting .285/.366/.528 with 34 home runs and 117 RBIs.  Brian Downing had a big year as well, hitting .272/.400/.487 with 29 home runs and 77 RBIs.  

GRADE: A.  White was another impressive rookie.  His value went beyond his hitting stats and he was the best overall player on the team.

CHICAGO CUBS - ANDRE DAWSON

Dawson was the N.L. MVP in 1987 after leading the league in home runs (49), RBIs (137) and total bases (353).  Dawson hit .287/.328/.568 and scored 90 runs while notching 178 hits and 24 doubles.  Dawson was also an All Star while winning the Silver Slugger and the Gold Glove.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  I am giving this one to Donruss, but Dawson was not the WAR leader, primarily due to the context of the season and his low on-base percentage.  Dawson was the N.L. MVP and that still means something.  Rick Sutcliffe actually led the team in WAR as he went 18-10 with a 3.68 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 237.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: A.  It is hard to ignore 49 home runs and an MVP Award.  Dawson had a pretty quick turn-around time since his last Diamond King in 1986, but he did change teams, so Donruss was likely okay with it.

CLEVELAND INDIANS - JULIO FRANCO

Shortstop Franco hit .319/.389/.428 with 158 hits, 86 runs scored, 24 doubles, eight home runs and 52 RBIs.  He also stole 32 bases.  Franco led the Indians in batting average and was second in stolen bases.  He walked more than he struck out (57 to 56).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Franco played in just 128 games and was third on the team in WAR.  Brett Butler was the WAR leader after hitting .295/.399/.425 and stealing 33 bases while playing better defense in center than Franco did at short.  Brook Jacoby was second after hitting .300/.387/.541 with 32 home runs and 69 RBIs.  Joe Carter had the eye-popping 32 home runs, 106 RBIs and 31 stolen bases.

GRADE: B.  Franco had a high batting average and a lot of stolen bases, but that was pretty much it.  Other players were better.  Jacoby would have been the better choice.

TEXAS RANGERS - SCOTT FLETCHER

The Rangers shortstop hit .287/.358/.374 with five home runs and 63 RBIs.  He also notched 82 runs, 169 hits, 28 doubles, four triples and 13 stolen bases.  Fletcher led the Rangers in batting average, on-base percentage and tied for the team lead in hits.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.  Fletcher was second on the team in WAR to Pete O'Brien and had an OPS+ of 95.  O'Brien hit .286/.348/.457 with 23 home runs and 88 RBIs.  As for more traditional eye-opening numbers, the Rangers had two hitters reach 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in Ruben Sierra (30 home runs, 109 RBIs) and Larry Parrish (32 home runs, 100 RBIs).

GRADE: D.  This is a really weird pick.  It is made somewhat better when looking at his WAR due to his defensive value, but he was a below-average hitter as he simply had no power and was only slightly above-average at getting on base.  I might have given it a lower grade, but there were not a lot of better choices.  O'Brien would have been the best pick.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS - TONY FERNANDEZ

Fernandez was an All Star, won the Gold Glove for shortstop and finished eighth in the MVP vote.  The Blue Jays shortstop hit .322/.379/.426 with 90 runs scored, 186 hits, 29 doubles, eight triples, five home runs, 67 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.  He walked 51 times versus 48 strikeouts.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  The A.L. MVP was teammate George Bell, who hit .308/.352/.605 with 47 home runs and a league-leading 134 RBIs.  Jimmy Key was the team's WAR leader as he went 17-8 with a league-leading 2.76 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 261 innings.  He also led the league in WHIP (1.057) and finished second in the Cy Young vote.  

GRADE: C+.  Fernandez was very good, but Donruss missed the MVP and the runner-up in the Cy Young vote by picking him.  That is really a questionable choice.  Key would have probably been the best choice.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - SHANE RAWLEY

Rawley had a 17-11 record with a 4.39 ERA.  He led the league in games started (36) and pitched 229.2 innings with four complete games.  He struck out 123 batters versus 86 walks and had one shutout.  Rawley led the Phillies in wins and innings and was second in strikeouts.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely not.  Mike Schmidt was the team's best player as he hit .293/.388/.548 with 35 home runs and 113 RBIs.  Juan Samuel had a huge season, hitting .272/.335/.502 with 28 home runs, 100 RBIs, 15 triples  and 35 stolen bases while scoring 113 runs.  Closer Steve Bedrosian won the Cy Young Award after going 5-3 with a 2.83 ERA and a league-leading 40 saves while striking out 74 and walking 28 in 89 innings pitched.

GRADE: F.  I am shocked by this pick.  Rawley was a below-average pitcher (ERA+ was 97) who happened to pitch a lot of innings and games.  He had the worst ERA among the team's four starters.  Schmidt would have been the best pick, with Bedrosian also a decent choice, even if he was not really the most deserving of Cy Young winners.  

CINCINNATI REDS - KAL DANIELS

Daniels played in 108 games in 1987, but hit .334/.429/.617 and hit 26 home runs while also stealing 26 bases.  Daniels collected 73 runs, 123 hits and 24 doubles.  He led the team in all three slash categories and had an OPS of 1.046 and an OPS+ of 169.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Eric Davis was the best player on the team, though he was the 1987 Diamond King.  Davis hit .293/.399/.593 with 37 home runs, 100 RBIs and stole 50 bases.  He was also the WAR leader, primarily due to playing in more games and being a better defensive player.  John Franco had a decent season, saving 32 games with a 2.52 ERA.

GRADE: B+.  Daniels had some great numbers, though he missed more than 50 games.  I can certainly understand picking him, but Davis would have been the best choice.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - JACK CLARK

Clark finished third in the N.L. MVP race and was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger.  He led the league in walks (136), on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS (1.055).  Clark hit .286/.459/.597 and hit 35 home runs while driving in 106 runs.  He scored 93 runs and had 120 hits.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.  Clark was second on the team in WAR and the player who finished above him finished just above him in the MVP vote.  Ozzie Smith hit .303/.392/.383 and led the team in hits (182), doubles (40) and drove in 75 runs and stole 43 bases while playing outstanding defense at short.  Elsewhere, Vince Coleman stole 109 bases.

GRADE: B+.  Smith would have been the better choice, but Clark had an outstanding season.  I can certainly understand picking him.

BOSTON RED SOX - DWIGHT EVANS

Evans was an All Star in 1987 and split the season between first base and right field as a result of the emergence of several young outfielders in Boston.  Evans hit .305/.417/.569 with 34 home runs and 123 RBIs.  He also collected 109 runs, 165 hits, 37 doubles and 106 walks.  He led the team in home runs, RBIs, runs and walks.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Evans was terrific in 1987, but Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens were better.  Clemens led the team (and the league) in WAR and won the Cy Young Award.  He had a record of 20-9 with a 2.97 ERA and 256 strikeouts and 83 walks in 281.2 innings pitched.  He also led the league in complete games (18) and shutouts (seven).  Boggs had a great season, hitting .363/.461/.588 with 24 home runs and 89 RBIs.  He led the league in average, on-base percentage, OPS (1.049) and collected 108 runs, 200 hits and 40 doubles.

GRADE: B.  Evans was very good, and did lead the team in several major categories.  Boggs and Clemens were just better.  Clemens would have been the best choice, though he was the Diamond King the previous year.

NEW YORK YANKEES - TOMMY JOHN

At 44 years of age, John was still going strong in 1987.  He had a 13-6 record and a 4.03 ERA, striking out 63 and walking 47 in 187.2 innings pitched.  He pitched three complete games and one shutout.  John led the Yankees staff in starts, shutouts (one) and innings pitched.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely not.  Rick Rhoden had a better season as a starter as he went 16-10 with a 3.86 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 181.2 innings pitched.  The team's WAR leader though was Don Mattingly, who hit .327/.378/.559 with 30 home runs and 115 RBIs.  John actually finished seventh on the team in WAR behind Mattingly, Willie Randolph, Rickey Henderson, Charles Hudson, Rhoden, and Ron Guidry.

GRADE: F.  This is one of those career achievement Diamond Kings.  John had a decent season, but not a great one.  It was more interesting that he was still able to pitch well into his mid 40's.  But he was nowhere near the best player on the team.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES - ANDY VAN SLYKE

In his first season in Pittsburgh, the center fielder hit .293/.359/.507 with 21 home runs and 82 RBIs.  He also scored 93 runs with 165 hits, 36 doubles, eleven triples and 34 stolen bases.  Van Slyke led the Pirates in hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, stolen bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It is very close between him and Barry Bonds, with Bonds having a slightly higher WAR, but Van Slyke having better traditional numbers, so I am going to give this one to Van Slyke.  Bonds hit .261/.329/.492 with a team-leading 25 home runs, while driving in 59 runs and stealing 32 bases.  Rick Reuschel also had a decent season, going 8-6 with a 2.75 ERA in 177 innings.

GRADE: A.  I am giving this one to Donruss.  Bonds had a slightly better WAR, but Van Slyke's other numbers were better.

MINNESOTA TWINS - GARY GAETTI

Gaetti was a Gold Glove-winning third-baseman for the World Champion Twins.  He hit .257/.303/.485 with 31 home runs and 109 RBIs while stealing ten bases.  Gaetti also had 95 runs, 150 hits and 36 doubles.  He led the team in doubles and RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Frank Viola was the team's WAR leader as he went 17-10 with a 2.90 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 251.2 innings pitched.  Bert Blyleven also had a great year, going 15-12 with a 4.01 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 267 innings.  Kirby Puckett was the team's best hitter as he hit .332/.367/.534 with 28 home runs and 99 RBIs.  Kent Hrbek also hit .285/.389/.545 with 34 home runs and 90 RBIs.

GRADE: D.  Gaetti had some power and was good defensively, but he was nowhere near the best player on the team.  As a hitter, he was one-dimensional.  The Twins had several players with similar home run numbers.  Viola or Puckett would have been the best picks, with Hrbek in the mix.

SEATTLE MARINERS - MARK LANGSTON

Langston was an All Star, finished fifth in the Cy Young vote and won the Gold Glove in 1987.  He led the league in strikeouts with 262, the third time he led the league in that category.  He had a record of 19-13 with a 3.84 ERA and 14 complete games, pitching 272 innings.  He led the Mariners in every major pitching category.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Langston was the team WAR leader by a fairly significant margin.  Other players who had good seasons were Phil Bradley (.297/.387/463, 40 stolen bases), Ken Phelps (27 home runs, 68 RBIs) and Alvin Davis (.295/.370/.516, 29 home runs, 100 RBIs).

GRADE: A.  Langston was easily the best player on the team.  The Mariners were not a great team, but Langston was a terrific pitcher.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - WILL CLARK

Clark finished fifth in the N.L. MVP race as the Giants first-baseman hit .308/.371/.580 with 35 home runs and 91 RBIs.  He also scored 89 runs and collected 163 hits and 29 doubles.  He led the Giants in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Clark was the team WAR leader.  In second place was utility man Mike Aldrete, who managed to lead the Giants in average and on-base percentage.  Aldrete hit .325/.396/.425.  Candy Maldonado also had a good season, hitting .292/.346/.509 with 20 home runs and 85 RBIs.

GRADE: A.  Clark was the team's best player and had a big, breakout season.

ATLANTA BRAVES - GLENN HUBBARD

Hubbard hit .264/.378/.381 with five home runs and 38 RBIs.  The Braves shortstop also hit 33 doubles and two triples among his 117 hits and scored 69 runs.  He walked more than he struck out (77 walks versus 57 strikeouts).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, definitely not.  Dale Murphy was the team's best player by a significant margin.  Murphy hit .295/.417/.580 with 44 home runs and 105 RBIs.  Dion James hit .312/.397/.472 with 37 doubles, ten home runs and 61 RBIs.  Hubbard was tied for second in WAR with James behind Murphy.

GRADE: F.  Hubbard was a very good defensive shortstop, but he was not a very good hitter.  Donruss probably did not want to make Murphy a three-time Diamond King, but the Braves did not have a ton of options and Murphy was a much better choice than Hubbard, whose OPS+ was 99.

HOUSTON ASTROS - BILLY HATCHER

Hatcher hit .296/.352/.415 with eleven home runs and 63 RBIs.  He led the Astros in runs (96) and stolen bases (53), as well as being the team's batting leader.  He also notched 167 hits, 28 doubles and three triples.  Hatcher was second on the team in hits and third in doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Houston's best player was still undoubtedly Mike Scott, who was 16-13 with a 3.23 ERA with 233 strikeouts.  Nolan Ryan had 270 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA, but had a record of 8-16.  Closer Dave Smith had 24 saves and a 1.65 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched.  Among hitters, Kevin Bass had a better year, hitting .284/.344/.449 with 19 home runs and 85 RBIs, along with 21 stolen bases.  Glenn Davis hit 27 home runs and drove in 93 runs.  

GRADE: D.  Hatcher really was not a horrible pick, but he was not good either.  Houston's pitching was much better than its hitting.  Hatcher was among the hitting leaders, but the Astros pitchers would have been significantly better picks, particularly Scott or Ryan.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - BOB WELCH

Welch had a 15-9 record with a 3.22 ERA.  In 251.2 innings pitched, he struck out 196 batters, while walking 86.  He led the team in shutouts (four) and pitched six complete games.  Welch also led the team in strikeouts and was second in wins.  Welch finished eighth in the Cy Young vote.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Welch was the team's WAR leader, just slightly over fellow pitcher Orel Hershiser.  Hershiser had a record of 16-16 and led the team in ERA with 3.06 and had 190 strikeouts in 264.2 innings.  Pedro Guerrero was the team's best hitter as he hit .338/.416/.539 with 27 home runs and 89 RBIs.  

GRADE: A.  Welch and Hershiser were very close, with Welch slightly in the lead.  Either pick would have worked, but Welch was a little bit better.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX - IVAN CALDERON

In his first full season in the Majors, Calderon hit .293/.362/.526 with 28 home runs and 83 RBIs.  He also had 93 runs scored, 159 hits, 38 doubles and ten stolen bases.  The right-fielder led the team in most major offensive categories, including runs, hits, doubles, home runs and all three slash categories.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Calderon was the team's WAR leader as well as OPS and OPS+.  Shortstop Ozzie Guillen was second in WAR, primarily due to defense, as he hit just .279/.303/.354.  Harold Baines also had a good season, hitting .293/.352/.479 with 20 home runs and 93 RBIs.  

GRADE: A.  Calderon was the best player on the team in 1987, and it was not really close.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES - CAL RIPKEN JR.

Ripken continued his consecutive games streak and appeared in the All Star game.  The shortstop hit .252/.333/.436 with 27 home runs and 98 RBIs, while scoring 97 runs.  He also had 157 hits and 28 doubles.  Ripken led the team in RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Ripken was second on the team in WAR to Eddie Murray.  Murray hit .277/.352/.477 with 30 home runs and 91 RBIs.  The best offensive player on the team though was probably left-fielder Larry Sheets, who hit .316/.358/.563 with 31 home runs and 94 RBIs.  Sheets led the team in most offensive categories.

GRADE: C+.  Ripken really did not have that great of a season, particularly in the context of the great offensive numbers around the league.  Murray was an obviously better choice and Sheets would have been as well.

RECAP

Just a note before beginning.  It is weird how many of these players played for the Red Sox in 1993.  Andre Dawson, Scott Fletcher, Billy Hatcher and Ivan Calderon were all on that team.  Jack Clark was released just before the season.

BEST PICK: Alan Trammell.  He finished second in the A.L. MVP vote, but probably should have won it.  Mark McGwire is probably a very close second given his 49 home runs as a rookie.

WORST PICK: Ron Darling.  There are some really questionable picks, but Darling was a 0.9 WAR player, not even among the top ten players on the Mets alone, and behind several other pitchers on the staff.  This pick was really bizarre.  Tommy John was also a bad pick.

BIGGEST SNUB: Roger Clemens.  Clemens had been the Diamond King the previous season, but he had the highest WAR in the league, significantly higher than Red Sox pick Dwight Evans.  George Bell, the A.L. MVP, was also a big snub.    

WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY:  Billy Hatcher.  Hatcher spent 12 seasons in the Majors, never appeared in an All Star Game, never led the league in any category and had a career WAR of 3.9.  I liked him with Boston, but he was really not a good player for most of his career.  Ivan Calderon (11.9 WAR), Kal Daniels (16.9 WAR), Shane Rawley (20.8 WAR) and Glenn Hubbard (19.2 WAR) are also kind of odd to look back on, with Calderon as probably the strangest.  

Topps Series 2 Blasters

I am seriously considering stopping buying packs this year.  I may have no option in this actually.  Cards have been extremely hard to come by at all in my area lately.  I think for the last three or four weeks, there has not been anything on the shelves at all.  The other issue is that I am having a really bad year for pulling Red Sox cards.  My luck tends to ebb and flow normally, but apart from a couple of blasters, I have been pulling barely anything this year.  The below is the results from two Series 2 blasters.  

Yep.  Just two cards in two blasters.  Each one with about 80 cards total.  That is pretty bad.  I do like the Turkey Red Roger Clemens insert though.  And Martin Perez has been a nice surprise in the pitching staff this season.  He was hammered last night, but until then he was the most consistent starter on the staff.  He may have even played himself into being decent trade bait for some team needing pitching.  I fully expect the Red Sox to move a ton of players and basically reload for next season.  Perez might bring in a prospect, albeit one that is either not a top prospect or one that is further away.

COMC Order and the Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #s 953-960

I recently went a bit nuts on COMC, primarily after discovering a number of Jason Varitek cards I shockingly still needed.  That and finding some of the oddball Yawkey Red Sox oddball cards.

Here are the results:

 

1.  Xander Bogaerts.  There have been some rumblings that Xander could be traded.  That would be a massive mistake, particularly after trading Mookie Betts.  

2.  Craig Kimbrel.  I feel like I am getting more cards of Kimbrel now than I did when he was active with Boston.  That happens sometimes.  Victor Martinez was another player that it seemed like I appreciated more after he was gone.  Of course Martinez replaced my favorite player, so there is that.

3.  Jason Varitek.  Here is #953, another parallel from 2016 Topps High Tek.  Of course he would be in a set sharing his nickname.

4.  Babe Ruth.  This is an insert from a Diamond Kings set recently.  I always enjoy picking up Ruth cards depicting him with Boston.  Yankees cards are another story.

5.  Eduardo Nunez.  One of the nice things about COMC is finding Topps Now cards I missed out on.  This card celebrates the Opening Day inside-the-park home run he hit in 2018.

6.  Jason Varitek.  #954.  This is a parallel mini back from 2009 Topps 206.

7.  Luis Tiant.  I love Tiant cards.  Easily one of the most charismatic players in Red Sox history.  I imagine he was a lot of fun to watch.

8.  Felix Doubront.  Doubront was the subject of one of my very short-lived mini player collections.  Steven Wright and currently Tzu-Wei Lin have been others.

9.  Dennis Eckersley.  Eckersley spent eight seasons in Boston, primarily as a starter (his last season in the Majors was as a reliever for Boston in his second stint).  He had a record of 88-71 with a 3.92 ERA.  He threw more innings for Boston than any other team.

10.  Jason Varitek.  #955 is from 2019 Allen & Ginter X.

11.  Bobby Doerr.  Here is the first of the Yawkey Red Sox cards, but not the most exciting.  The nice thing about the set is the player selection.  Doerr is in plenty of other sets.

12.  Dick Stuart.  I am not sure why I did not have this card before.  Stuart was a great hitter who was born too early to take advantage of the designated hitter role.  He was an atrocious fielder who was nicknamed Dr. Strangeglove.  He hit 42 home runs for Boston in 1963.

13.  Ski Melillo.  Melillo spent the last three seasons of his career in Boston after spending much of the time with the Browns.  He cost them Moose Solters, so maybe not the best trade ever.

14.  Jack Russell.  Russell is sort of an odd inclusion in this set.  He originally came up with Boston in the 20's, and was one of the better pitchers on the team.  His best season was in 1928 when he was 11-14 with a 3.84 ERA for a really bad team.  He was brought back in 1936 but was less than good.

15.  Luis Tiant.  Tiant was another player I picked up heavily in this order.

16.  Rube Walberg.  Walberg was acquired in the same deal as Max Bishop and Lefty Grove.  He had been a great pitcher in the past, but was well past his prime by the time he joined the Red Sox.

17.  Dusty Cooke.  A rare player who actually played better with the Red Sox after being acquired from the Yankees.  Cooke did not have much power, but hit .284 over four seasons with the Red Sox.  

18.  Bucky Harris.  Harris was a manager for the Red Sox.  I needed this card for an upcoming post.

19.  Pinky Higgins.  Higgins is mostly known for being an unapologetic racist as a manager for the Red Sox in the 1950's.  He was once a pretty good hitter though, hitting over .300 and driving in more than 100 runs in his two seasons with Boston in the 1930's.  He was reacquired for the 1946 stretch run and had a couple of RBIs in the World Series.

20.  Jimmie Foxx.  Another Hall of Famer from the Yawkey Red Sox set.

21.  Roy Johnson.  Johnson hit .313 over four seasons with the Red Sox and drove in 119 runs one year.

22.  Mike Lowell.  Lowell was the 2007 World Series MVP.

23.  Luis Tiant.  Same picture as the above Tiant, but still, a new Tiant card.

24.  Jason Varitek.  #956.

25.  Johnny Pesky.  If only Pesky hadn't missed three seasons due to military service.  He led the league in hits in each of his first three seasons, and the military time was in between those seasons.  He was never quite as good after those first three seasons.

26.  Jason Varitek.  #957.

27.  Sandy Leon.  Had to grab one of the few Leon cards available.  He was never as good as he was in 2016, but that was not really surprising.

28.  Jason Varitek.  #958.

29.  Jason Varitek.  #959.

30.  Jason Varitek.  #960.

31.  Babe Ruth.  Sort of an interesting insert set.  2019 Panini Diamond Kings had this insert where it picked Diamond Kings for 1919.  Ruth was the obvious pick for the Red Sox as he set a then-record with 29 home runs.  It would have been better if each team had been represented with one card, but that was not quite what happened.  

32.  Norm Siebern.  Siebern had three pinch-hit at-bats in the 1967 World Series for Boston, with a hit and an RBI.  He was sent by the Yankees to the A's in the deal that brought Roger Maris to New York.

33.  Xander Bogaerts.

34.  Johnny Pesky.  Not sure why I did not have this card either.  This is from Pesky's managerial stint.

An Utz-erly Appreciated PWE

Kenny, the Zippy-Zapper and sole member of the Luis Torrens Fan Club, sent me a PWE recently.  It contained this Utz card of Xander Bogaerts.  I have lamented previously that these are a regional issue and unavailable in Nebraska.  So he sends me one every once in awhile, which is greatly appreciated.  Bogaerts is probably the current Face of the Franchise, and one player who is having a good season this year.  

Thanks Kenny!

 

Topps Series 2 Blaster

My local stores are always so slow to get stuff in.  I only recently was able to find Series 2.  So I grabbed a blaster, even though my Red Sox pulls have been somewhat uninspiring.

And that is what happened again.  I pulled just two base cards.  Brandon Workman was the first.  I think it is extremely likely that Workman will no longer be with the team by the end of the season.  He is the most likely player in fact, to be dealt.  Chris Sale will still be in Boston though, only because it is virtually impossible to trade a pitcher coming off of Tommy John surgery.  So, nothing too exciting here, but at least I pulled something.

Waiting Until Next Year

Recently Tom from the Cubs-centric blog Waiting 'til Next Year contacted me about making a trade regarding some Big League cards.  We quickly worked out some details, and my cards arrived, knocking off a bunch of needs from my wantlist.

His blog title is certainly appropriate for the Red Sox season.  They recently snapped a nine-game losing skid.  Almost halfway through the season, they are in bad shape.

Lots of stuff there, including base cards, blue parallels, orange parallels and even a foil parallel.  It leaves me with a few base cards left on my wantlist.  Of the photos, the Chavis is my favorite as it shows a double play in progress against the Yankees.  That is Aaron Hicks by the way.  Eduardo Rodriguez is the big winner of this lot, as he appears on three cards.  I'm good with that.  I was disappointed he was not going to pitch this season, though I certainly understand the reasons.

Thanks Tom for the great package of cards!

The Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #952

 

This is actually the first of the Archives Signature buyback cards I have picked up of Varitek.  And it is #952 in my Jason Varitek collection.  This is from the Allen & Ginter United States insert set.  I have no idea how many autograph cards of Varitek I now have.  One of these days I should count them.

Absolute Blaster Break

I found blasters of Absolute recently at Walmart, and despite the fact that there were only about ten cards in them, I took a chance.  

The first one resulted in pulling the base card of Alex Verdugo.  The second one did not get me any Red Sox cards.  I am reasonably satisfied.  There was not much chance at pulling any Red Sox and I got one.  Verdugo has been pretty good so far, and the signs are certainly there that he could be an impact player.  So I am happy with this. 

Diamond King Roundup: 1987

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.

1987 introduced a new concept to the Diamond Kings: repeated players!  

 CALIFORNIA ANGELS - WALLY JOYNER

In his rookie season, Joyner was an All Star and finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote and eighth in the MVP race.  He hit .290/348/.457 with 22 home runs, 100 RBIs, 82 runs scored and 172 hits.  He led the team in hits, RBIs and batting average and was second in home runs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Mike Witt was the Angels' best player.  Witt finished third in the Cy Young vote when he was 18-10 with a 2.84 ERA and 208 strikeouts versus 73 walks in 269 innings pitched.  Witt was the team's WAR leader.  Among hitters, Brian Downing had a better OPS as he hit .267/.389/.452 with 20 home runs and 95 RBIs, walking 90 times, more than his 85 strikeouts.

GRADE: B+.  It is kind of hard to fault Donruss for selecting Joyner, who made a big splash in his rookie season.  But both Witt and Downing would have been better selections.  

BOSTON RED SOX - ROGER CLEMENS

Clemens won both the A.L. MVP and the Cy Young Award and started the All Star Game.  His biggest moment was recording the first ever 20 strikeout game.  Clemens led the league in wins, winning percentage (24-4) and ERA (2.48).  He struck out 238 batters and walked 67 in 254 innings.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely.  Clemens had a huge season, culminating with winning two major awards.  He was also the team's WAR leader (8.8).  His nearest competition was Wade Boggs who had another terrific season by hitting .357/.453/.486 with 207 hits.  He led the league in average and on-base percentage.

GRADE: A.  This one is just obvious.  Clemens had a monstrous season and was easily the best player on the team.

ATLANTA BRAVES - DALE MURPHY

Murphy was an All Star and won a Gold Glove for the Braves in 1986.  He led the team in runs (89), hits (163), doubles (29), triples (seven) and home runs (29).  He was second on the team in RBIs (83) and hit .265/.347/.477.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Eh, maybe.  Murphy was fourth on the team in WAR, behind David Palmer, Ken Oberkfell and Gene Garber.  Palmer was 11-10 with a 3.65 ERA and 170 strikeouts versus 107 walks in 209.2 innings.  Oberkfell hit .270/.373/.360 with five home runs and 48 RBIs, and must have been a hell of a defensive player.  Garber, the closer, was 5-5 with 24 saves and a 2.54 ERA.  None of the three really had outstanding seasons.  Murphy is more impressive from a traditional stats standpoint.

GRADE: B+.  I don't know, this one is fine.  He didn't have the high WAR, but the guys that did were not that great.  Maybe Garber should have been the Diamond King, but this is fine.  Murphy is, by the way, the very first repeat Diamond King.

NEW YORK METS - DARRYL STRAWBERRY

Strawberry was an All Star and a dynamic all-around player for the World Champion Mets.  He hit .259/.358/.507 and led the Mets in home runs (27), RBIs (93) and slugging percentage.  He also stole 28 bases (second on the team).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.  Strawberry was a very impressive player, but he was not the team's best player.  The team's WAR leader was Keith Hernandez, who also led the team in OPS+.  Hernandez hit .310/.413/.446 with 13 home runs and 83 RBIs and played a stellar first base.  Another player with an outstanding season was Bob Ojeda, who went 18-5 with a 2.57 ERA and 148 strikeouts versus 52 walks in 217.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: B.  Strawberry was very good, he just maybe was not the best choice.  Personally, I would have given it to Ojeda.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - OZZIE SMITH

Smith was an All Star and won the Gold Glove Award for his defensive abilities at shortstop.  He hit .280/.376/.333 and led the team in hits (144) and batting average.  He also knocked 19 doubles, four triples, scored 67 runs and drove in 54 while stealing 31 bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  By WAR, yes.  Smith was a decent contact hitter, even though he possessed virtually no power, and an exceptional defensive player at a premium position, which leads to a high WAR value (5.6).  The Cardinals were pretty mediocre.  Cases could have been made for Andy Van Slyke (.270/.343/.452, 13 home runs, 61 RBIs, 21 stolen bases) or Vince Coleman (107 stolen bases).  The best competition though was probably 1986 Rookie of the Year Todd Worrell who was 9-10 with a 2.08 ERA and led the league with 36 saves.

GRADE: B+.  I would have probably considered Worrell over Smith, but this is probably the right choice.  Just not by a significant margin.  Smith is another repeat Diamond King, though he was a Padre the first time.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS - JOSE CANSECO

The 1986 A.L. Rookie of the Year, Canseco led the A's in RBIs (117) and runs (85) and was named to the All Star team.  He hit .240/.318/.457 and was second on the team in home runs (33).  He had 144 hits, 29 doubles and 15 stolen bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It is close enough by WAR to use the Rookie of the Year award to push him over the edge.  Technically, several players, including Tony Phillips, Carney Lansford, Mike Davis, Dwayne Murphy, and Alfredo Griffin, had higher WAR values.  But Canseco had the higher OPS and OPS+.  Dave Kingman hit 35 home runs and drove in 94 runs.

GRADE: A.  Extra credit here because Canseco was such a huge player in the hobby at this time.  

TEXAS RANGERS - CHARLIE HOUGH

The knuckleballer Hough was an All Star for the first (and ultimately only) time in his career in 1986.  He led the Rangers in most major pitching categories, including wins (17-10), ERA (3.79), complete games (seven) and innings pitched (230.2).  He also notched 146 strikeouts versus 89 walks.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Hough was pretty good in 1986, but using a combination of WAR and traditional stats, it looks like Pete O'Brien was Texas's best player.  O'Brien hit .290/.385/.468 with 23 home runs and 90 RBIs.  The team's WAR leader was actually Scott Fletcher, who hit .300/.360/.400 with three home runs and 50 RBIs, but was a very good defensive shortstop.

GRADE: B.  Hough was fine.  O'Brien would have been the better choice though.

CLEVELAND INDIANS - BROOK JACOBY

Third-baseman Jacoby was an All Star for the first time in his career for the Indians.  He hit .288/.350/.441 with 17 home runs and was second on the team with 80 RBIs.  Jacoby scored 83 runs and notched 168 hits with 30 doubles and four triples.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  I am not really sure how Joe Carter was missed.  Carter was the team's WAR leader and hit .302/.335/.514 with 108 runs, 200 hits, 36 doubles, nine triples, 29 home runs, 121 RBIs and 29 stolen bases.  He led the team in all of the mentioned stats except batting average and on-base percentage.

GRADE: C.  Missing Joe Carter is a pretty big mistake.  Jacoby was good, just not nearly as good as Carter.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES - FRED LYNN

Despite missing a chunk of time due to injury, Lynn was second on the team in home runs (23) and third in RBIs (67).  Lynn hit .287/.371/.499 and had 67 runs scored and 114 hits.  Lynn did have the highest OPS (.869) and was second in OPS+ (137).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Lynn missed too much time.  The team's WAR leader was Cal Ripken Jr., who of course was in the midst of his consecutive games streak.  Ripken hit .282/.355/.461 with 25 home runs and 81 RBIs.

GRADE: C+.  Ripken was better and was much healthier.  Lynn maybe would have been a better pick had he played more.  Lynn is a repeat Diamond King, but was a Tiger the first time.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES - RICK RHODEN

Rhoden was an All Star in 1986, finishing fifth in the Cy Young vote, and won his third Silver Slugger Award.  Rhoden had a 15-12 record and had 12 complete games and a 2.84 ERA.  In 253.2 innings pitched, he struck out 159 and walked 76.  At the plate, Rhoden hit .278/.298/.411 and had nine doubles, a home run and ten RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Rhoden was the top Pirates player by WAR.  Third-baseman Jim Morrison had a decent season, hitting .274/.334/.482 and led the team in home runs (23) and RBIs (88).

GRADE: A.  The Pirates were pretty awful in 1986, but Rhoden was definitely a bright spot.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - CHRIS BROWN

Third-baseman Brown was the Giants' leading hitter, despite missing some time.  He played in just 116 games, but hit .317/.376/.421.  Brown contributed 57 runs, 132 hits, seven home runs and 49 RBIs.  He also stole 13 bases.  Brown was an All Star.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Once again, Donruss picked a player who missed quite a bit of time.  The best pick, and one I would think would be obvious, would be Mike Krukow.  Krukow was a 20 game winner, going 20-9 with a 3.05 ERA and 178 strikeouts versus 55 walks in 245 innings.  Krukow was an All Star and finished third in the Cy Young vote.

GRADE: D.  How do you miss a 20 game winner in favor of a guy who missed a third of the season?  Brown was decent, but Krukow was great. 

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - VON HAYES

Hayes finished eighth in the league in the MVP vote and led the league in runs (107) and doubles (46).  Hayes was the team's leading hitter and had the most hits.  Hayes hit .305/.379/.480 with 19 home runs and 98 RBIs and also stole 24 bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Hayes got MVP votes, but the N. L. MVP was teammate Mike Schmidt.  Schmidt led the league in most power categories, including home runs (37) and RBIs (119), while hitting .290/.390/.547.

GRADE: C.  I could have been much meaner, but Hayes was very good.  Still, Schmidt was better.  And Donruss was repeating players now.  There is no excuse not to repeat Schmidt.

DETROIT TIGERS - JACK MORRIS

Morris was fifth in the Cy Young vote and led the league in shutouts (six).  Morris was 21-8 with a 3.27 ERA and threw 267 innings with 15 complete games.  He struck out 223 batters and walked 89.  He led the Tigers staff in most pitching categories.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Possibly not.  It's very close between him and shortstop Alan Trammell.  Trammell was the WAR leader, hitting .277/.347/.469 with 21 home runs, 75 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.  Trammell also scored 107 runs.

GRADE: B+.  Trammell was probably slightly better, but Morris had one of his best seasons and was a 20 game winner.  It is kind of hard to argue against this one.

SAN DIEGO PADRES - KEVIN MCREYNOLDS

McReynolds led the Padres in home runs (28) and RBIs (96).  He hit .288/.358/.504 with 89 runs scored, 161 hits, 31 doubles and eight stolen bases.  McReynolds also led the team in OPS (.862) and OPS+ (138).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  This one is pretty close with Tony Gwynn.  Gwynn was the team WAR leader as he hit .329/.381/.467 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs while stealing 37 bases.  McReynolds had more power, but Gwynn was the better hitter.

GRADE: B+.  This one is fine.  Gwynn was better, but it is so close that it does not make a big difference between the two.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS - GEORGE BRETT

Despite playing in just 124 games, Brett tied for the team lead in WAR.  Brett was an All Star in 1986 and hit .290/.401/.481.  He hit 16 home runs and drove in 73 runs.  Brett scored 70 runs and notched 128 hits with 28 doubles and walked 80 times versus 45 strikeouts.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Brett tied for the WAR lead, and if he played the full season, it would have been an easy choice.  Frank White though has a pretty good argument.  White hit .272/.322/.465 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs, 154 hits and led the team with 37 doubles while playing outstanding defense at second.

GRADE: B+.  I might have given this to White personally.  Brett was great, as usual, but White played more.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS - TED HIGUERA

In his second season in the Majors after coming over from Mexico, Higuera was an All Star and finished second in the Cy Young vote.  Higuera was 20-11 with a 2.79 ERA.  In 248.1 innings pitched, he struck out 207 batters and walked 74.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Higuera led the league with a 9.4 WAR.  The Brewers were not very good in 1986, and Higuera was the big bright spot.  Robin Yount had a decent season, hitting .312/.388/.450.  Rob Deer was the big power hitter, knocking 33 home runs and driving in 86, but hitting .232/.336/.494.

GRADE: A.  This one is easy.  The Brewers did not have a lot of standouts, but Higuera was definitely a big one.

MONTREAL EXPOS - HUBIE BROOKS

Brooks was an All Star and Silver Slugger at shortstop for the Expos in 1986, despite playing only 80 games.  Brooks hit .340/.388/.569 with 14 home runs, 18 doubles, five triples and 58 RBIs.  He had 104 hits and 50 runs scored.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Brooks was really good.  Even great.  But he only played half the season.  What does Donruss have against Tim Raines, who was once again the best player for the Expos?  Raines hit .334/.413/.476 with nine home runs and 62 RBIs while stealing 70 bases.  He won the batting title and led the league in on base percentage.

GRADE: F.  This one is pretty bad.  Sure Brooks won the Silver Slugger and was undoubtedly great, when he was healthy.  But he missed half the season.  Raines won the batting title and had never been the Diamond King before.  This makes no sense.  

HOUSTON ASTROS - MIKE SCOTT

Scott was the N.L. Cy Young winner, an All Star and also finished tenth in the MVP vote.  He led the league in ERA (2.22), shutouts (five), innings pitched (275.1) and strikeouts (306!).  Scott had a record of 18-10.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  By far.  The Astros won their division and Scott was the biggest reason why.  The only players with reasonable arguments were Kevin Bass (.311/.357/.486, 20 home runs, 79 RBIs, 22 stolen bases) and Glenn Davis (.265/.344/.493, 31 home runs, 101 RBIs).

GRADE: A.  Scott was a head above anyone else on the team.

MINNESOTA TWINS - KIRBY PUCKETT

Puckett broke through in 1986 to finish sixth in the MVP vote while being named to the All Star team and winning both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.  Puckett hit .328/.366/.537 with 31 home runs, 119 runs, 223 hits, 96 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  I'm going to go with yes.  Technically, Gary Gaetti was the team's WAR leader (5.8 to 5.7), but Puckett was the more dynamic player.  Gaetti hit .287/.347/.518 with 34 home runs and 108 RBIs.

GRADE: A.  This one is very close, but I am giving this one to Donruss.  Puckett was terrific in 1986, Gaetti's defense might have carried him slightly above Puckett.  

NEW YORK YANKEES - DAVE WINFIELD

Winfield was an All Star in 1986 and tied for the team lead in triples (five).  He hit .262/.349/.462 and hit 24 home runs.  He was second on the team with 104 RBIs.  Winfield scored 90 runs, had 148 hits and 31 doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Winfield was decent, but this was not one of his better seasons.  Don Mattingly was still the Yankees' best player as he hit .352/.394/.573 with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs.  Mattingly finished second in the MVP vote as he led the league in hits (238), doubles (53) and slugging percentage.  Rickey Henderson also had a good season (.263/.358/.469, 28 home runs, 87 stolen bases).

GRADE: C.  Winfield was fine, but Mattingly was much better.    

TORONTO BLUE JAYS - LLOYD MOSEBY

Moseby was an All Star for the only time in his career in 1986 and led the Blue Jays in stolen bases with 32.  Moseby hit .253/.329/.418 and had 89 runs scored, 149 hits, 24 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs and 86 RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, he was the team's third-best outfielder and finished eighth on the team in WAR.  The best player was Jesse Barfield, who hit .289/.368/.559 with a league-leading 40 home runs and also drove in 108 runs.  George Bell hit .309/.349/.532 with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs.  Mark Eichhorn had an incredible season in the bullpen, going 14-6 with a 1.72 ERA and 166 strikeouts versus 45 walks in 157 innings pitched.

GRADE: F.  Moseby was basically an average player in 1986.  Barfield was significantly better and led the league in home runs.  Bell was also great.  Even Eichhorn would have been a better choice.

CINCINNATI REDS - ERIC DAVIS

In his first full season, Davis led the Reds in runs (97), stolen bases (80), on-base percentage and slugging percentage.  Davis hit .277/.378/.523 with 27 home runs (second on the team) and 71 RBIs (third on the team).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Davis led the team in WAR (5.3).  Other impressive seasons belonged to Dave Parker (.273/.330/.477, 31 home runs, 116 RBIs) and Buddy Bell (.278/.362/.445, 20 home runs 75 RBIs).

GRADE: A.  Davis was a very good, exciting young player and was the best player on the team, despite missing 30 games.

SEATTLE MARINERS - JIM PRESLEY

Presley was an All Star third-baseman for the Mariners in 1986.  He led the team in home runs (27) and RBIs (107), as well as hits (163, tied), doubles (33) and was second in runs (83).  Presley hit .265/.303/.463.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.  Phil Bradley led the team in WAR and was second in OPS+.  Bradley hit .310/.405/.445 with 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.  The OPS+ leader was Ken Phelps, who hit .247/.406/.526 with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs.

GRADE: B+.  Ultimately, this one is pretty close.  Bradley had the better analytical stats, but Presley had more home runs and RBIs and was an All Star.

CHICAGO CUBS - KEITH MORELAND

Moreland led the Cubs in runs (72) and RBIs (79).  He hit .271/.326/.384 and also contributed 159 hits (second on the team), 12 home runs, 30 doubles (also second) and three stolen bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Not even close.  Jody Davis was the team's WAR leader as the catcher hit .250/.300/.428 and tied for the team lead in home runs (21) and was third in RBIs (74).  Ryne Sandberg hit .284/.330/.411 with 14 home runs and was second on the team in RBIs (76) while leading the team with 34 stolen bases.  Lee Smith had another impressive season, going 9-9 with a 3.09 ERA, 31 saves and 93 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched.

GRADE: F.  Most of Moreland's lead in runs and RBIs can be explained by his ability to stay on the field.  But Moreland did not even rate in the top ten in WAR for the team and had an OPS+ of 90.  That is not good.  He was a below-average regular player.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX - GREG WALKER

First-baseman Walker played in just 78 games in 1986.  Had he maintained his numbers over a full season, he would have ranked first on the team in OPS (.838) and OPS+ (122).  Walker hit .277/.345/.493 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  The White Sox were pretty bad in 1986 so despite missing more than half the season, Walker was third on the team in WAR.  Donruss should have gone with Harold Baines though, who hit .296/.338/.465 with a team-leading 21 home runs and 88 RBIs.  

GRADE: D.  Walker had decent numbers, but played less than half the season.  Baines was better.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - STEVE SAX

Sax was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger Award at second base for the Dodgers in 1986.  He led the league in plate appearances (704).  Sax led the Dodgers in runs (91), hits (210), doubles (43), triples (four) and all three slash line categories (.332/.390/.441).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, but he's close.  Fernando Valenzuela was the Dodgers' best player in 1986.  Valenzuela led the league in wins (21-11) and complete games (20).  He struck out 242 batters and walked 85 in 269.1 innings.  He finished second in the Cy Young vote.

GRADE: B+.  Sax was damn good.  Valenzuela was just a little bit better.

RECAP:

BEST PICK:  Roger Clemens.  I am going with the guy who won the Cy Young Award, MVP and All Star Game MVP all in the same season.  He was the Sporting News Player of the Year and set a record when he struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game.

WORST PICK:  Keith Moreland.  Moreland was a below-average player with a 90 OPS+.  His numbers were very ordinary, especially for a corner outfielder.  I debated between Moreland, Hubie Brooks and Greg Walker.  While Brooks and Walker only played half the season, they were pretty good players.  Moreland was not a good player.

BIGGEST SNUB:  Don Mattingly.  I debated this one between Mattingly and Mike Schmidt.  While Schmidt was the MVP, the Phillies choice was Von Hayes, who was a better player than the Yankees pick, Dave Winfield.

WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY:  Chris Brown.  I did not want to pick on Moreland twice.  Brown only lasted two full seasons in the Majors.  He was good during those seasons and was even an All Star, but he simply did not last.  I doubt many people even remember him.