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.
There were some interesting new aspects to the 1993 set. First of all, 1993 was the inaugural season for the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins. Both teams are represented here, despite the fact that the players herein obviously did not play for either team in 1992. Secondly, Donruss decided to give cards to each of the Rookies of the Year from 1992 separate from the regular team Diamond Kings. So those two teams each had two Diamond Kings. That was probably overkill, as we will see. Finally, Donruss started going for popularity and market and stopped thinking outside the box.
SEATTLE MARINERS - KEN GRIFFEY, JR.
Still just 22, Griffey played in his third All Star game and won his third Silver Slugger Award in 1992. He hit .308/.361/.535 with 83 runs scored, 174 hits, 39 doubles, 27 home runs, 103 RBIs and ten stolen bases. Griffey led the Mariners in home runs and RBIs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. As good as Griffey was, Edgar Martinez was better. Martinez won his first batting title and led the league in doubles (46), while hitting .343/.404/.544 with 100 runs scored, 181 hits, 18 home runs and 73 RBIs. He also stole 14 bases. Martinez won a Silver Slugger. Dave Fleming was the team's top pitcher, with a 17-10 record, 3.39 ERA and 112 strikeouts to 60 walks in 228.1 innings pitched. That performance led to him finishing third in the Rookie of the Year vote.
GRADE: B+. This is what I was talking about earlier. Griffey was massively popular, so even though his numbers mostly paled compared to Edgar Martinez, he gets named the Diamond King.
CHICAGO CUBS - RYNE SANDBERG
1992 was Sandberg's last truly great season. The Cubs second-baseman was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger while hitting .304/.371/.510. He led the Cubs in slugging percentage, runs scored (100), hits (186), triples (eight), home runs (26) and stolen bases (17). He also had 32 doubles and drove in 87 runs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Once again, no. Sandberg was great, but Greg Maddux was better. Maddux won the first of four straight Cy Young Awards, and his only one with the Cubs. Maddux led the league in wins (20-11 record) and innings pitched (268). He had a 2.18 ERA and struck out 199 batters versus 70 walks. Mike Morgan gave the Cubs two great pitchers, as he contributed a 16-8 record with a 2.55 ERA in 240 innings pitched. And Mark Grace had a good season, hitting .307/.380/.430.
GRADE: B+. Like with the Mariners, Sandberg is the big star and certainly had a good season. Maddux was just getting warmed up though, and for some reason still had not been a Diamond King.
BOSTON RED SOX - ROGER CLEMENS
Clemens finished third in the Cy Young vote, though he probably should have won it, in 1992. Clemens had a record of 18-11 for a last-place Red Sox team. He led the league in ERA (2.41), WHIP (1.074) and shutouts (five) while striking out 208 batters and walking 62 in 246.2 innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Clemens was really the only choice. He was the team WAR leader by a significant margin. Second place went to newly signed Frank Viola, who had a 13-12 record with a 3.44 ERA, striking out 121 and walking 89 in 238 innings pitched. Greg Harris had a nice season out of the bullpen with a 2.51 ERA in 107.2 innings pitched. The only regular Red Sox hitter with a decent season was Tom Brunansky, who hit .266/.354/.445 with 15 home runs, 31 doubles and 74 RBIs.
GRADE: A. This one was easy. Clemens had a terrific season and stood out on an otherwise very disappointing team.
MINNESOTA TWINS - KIRBY PUCKETT
Puckett was the runner-up in the A.L. MVP vote in 1992 and was an All Star while winning the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards. Puckett led the league in hits (210) and total bases (313). He hit .329/.374/.490 with 104 runs scored, 19 home runs, 110 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Puckett was the team's WAR leader. In second place was Shane Mack, who actually had a very similar season. Mack hit .315/.394/.467 with 101 runs scored, 189 hits, 16 home runs, 75 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. In third place was Chuck Knoblauch, who hit .297/.384/.358 with 104 runs scored and 36 stolen bases. John Smiley was the team's best pitcher, going 16-9 with a 3.21 ERA in 241 innings pitched.
GRADE: A. Puckett was the Twins' biggest star and had one of his best seasons in 1992. He deserved to be the pick.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - BILL SWIFT
Swift, who had been the Mariners' closer previously, came to the Giants in the Kevin Mitchell trade and surprised everyone by leading the league in ERA (2.08). Swift had a 10-4 record, and in 164.2 innings pitched, he struck out 77 batters while walking 43. He also notched a save before settling in as a starter.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Swift was the WAR leader on the Giants and his ERA title helped him stand out. Robby Thompson was in second, aided by his defense, as he hit .260/.333/.415 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs. Will Clark had a down season, but was in third place, as he hit .300/.384/.476 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs. Rod Beck had a terrific season out of the bullpen, with a 1.76 ERA and 17 saves.
GRADE: A. Okay, this one was a little outside-the-box. Swift came out of nowhere to lead the league in ERA. Surprisingly Donruss caught on and did not make Will Clark the Diamond King again.
MONTREAL EXPOS - LARRY WALKER
Walker had a breakout season in 1992, being selected for his first All Star Game and winning his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards. He hit .301/.353/.506 with 85 runs scored and 159 hits. He led the Expos in home runs (23) and RBIs (93). He also stole 18 bases and hit 31 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? I am going to go ahead and go with yes. He was second on the team in WAR, but was only 0.1 behind the leader, Marquis Grissom. And Grissom's offense was not as impressive, other than stolen bases. Grissom hit .276/.322/.418 with 99 runs scored, 180 hits, 14 home runs, 66 RBIs and a league-leading 78 stolen bases. Ken Hill (16-9, 2.68 ERA, 218 innings pitched) and Dennis Martinez (16-11, 2.47 ERA, 226.1 innings pitched) led the pitching staff.
GRADE: A. Like I said, I will go ahead and give this one to Donruss. Walker had a terrific season that stood out.
TEXAS RANGERS - JUAN GONZALEZ
Gonzalez was the A.L. home run champion in 1992 (43) and won his first Silver Slugger Award. He hit .260/.304/.529 with 152 hits, 77 runs scored, 24 doubles and 109 RBIs. He led the Rangers in RBIs and slugging percentage.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Gonzalez was fourth on the Rangers in WAR, primarily due to being a one-dimensional slugger. In first place was Kevin Brown, who led the league in wins (21-11 record) and innings pitched (265.2) and finished sixth in the Cy Young vote. Brown had a 3.32 ERA and 173 strikeouts. Rafael Palmeiro was second as he hit .268/.352/.434 with 22 home runs and 85 RBIs. Jose Guzman was third with a 16-11 record and a 3.66 ERA in 224 innings pitched.
GRADE: B. Gonzalez did lead the league in home runs, and once again, was the popular player on the team, but when he was not hitting home runs, he was not doing much else. This really should have been Kevin Brown.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS - WALLY JOYNER
Joyner signed a free agent contract to join the Royals for the 1992 season as part of a roster shakeup. Joyner hit .269/.336/.386 in his first season in Kansas City. He had 154 hits, 66 runs scored, nine home runs, 66 RBIs and eleven stolen bases. He tied for the team lead in doubles (36).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Not by a long shot. The Royals were not great in 1992, but they had several better options. Kevin Appier (who had never been a Diamond King) had a record of 15-8 with a 2.46 ERA and 150 strikeouts to 68 walks in 208.1 innings pitched. Jeff Montgomery had a great season in the bullpen with 39 saves and a 2.18 ERA. The team's best hitter was another new Royal, Keith Miller, who hit .284/.352/.389. Joyner was 12th on the team in WAR.
GRADE: F. This is the third straight F for the Royals. I really have no idea what Donruss is thinking at this point. Joyner was a big disappointment in his first season with Kansas City. Skipping Appier still is unforgivable.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES - ANDY VAN SLYKE
Van Slyke finished fourth in the N.L. MVP vote while also being named an All Star and winning the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards. He led the league in hits (199) and doubles (45), while hitting .324/.381/.505 with 103 runs scored, 12 triples, 14 home runs, 89 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. While Van Slyke finished fourth in the MVP vote, the Pirates had the player who won the award, Barry Bonds. Bonds led the league in runs scored (109), walks (127), on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He hit .311/.456/.624 with 34 home runs, 103 RBIs and 39 stolen bases. Doug Drabek was third on the team in WAR, with a 15-11 record, 2.77 ERA and 177 strikeouts to 54 walks in 256.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: B+. I am a little surprised by this pick, given Bonds's popularity at the time. It was also not the right pick, though Van Slyke was great in 1992. Bonds was just better.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX - ROBIN VENTURA
Ventura was named to the All Star team for the first time in 1992 and won his second Gold Glove Award. The third-baseman hit .282/.375/.431 with 85 runs scored, 167 hits, 38 doubles, 16 home runs, 93 RBIs and 93 walks to 71 strikeouts.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Ventura was third on the White Sox in WAR. Frank Thomas was first once again as The Big Hurt hit .323/.439/.536 with 108 runs scored, 185 hits, 46 doubles, 24 home runs and 115 RBIs. Tim Raines was second, hitting .294/.380/.405 with 102 runs scored and 45 stolen bases. Jack McDowell was the runner-up in the Cy Young vote, going 20-10 with a 3.18 ERA and 178 strikeouts to 75 walks in 260.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: C+. Ventura was decent, just not good enough to really stand out on this loaded White Sox team. This is another one that is kind of odd given Frank Thomas's popularity, though he was the Diamond King just the previous year.
CINCINNATI REDS - BIP ROBERTS
Roberts made the only All Star team of his career in 1992 and finished eighth in the N.L. MVP race. His first season in Cincinnati saw him hit .323/.393/.432 with four home runs and 45 RBIs. He led the team in runs scored (92), hits (172), doubles (34), triples (six) and stolen bases (44), as well as average and on-base percentage.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Roberts was fourth on the team in WAR. Jose Rijo had a 15-10 record, with a 2.56 ERA, striking out 171 and walking 45 in 211 innings pitched. Barry Larkin hit .304/.377/.454 with 12 home runs and 78 RBIs and was terrific defensively. Greg Swindell had a nice season, going 12-8 with a 2.70 ERA in 213.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: B. Roberts had a great season offensively, but was kind of limited defensively. Jose Rijo turned in yet another terrific season and still had never been a Diamond King.
NEW YORK YANKEES - ROBERTO KELLY
Kelly was named to his first All Star game in 1992. The Yankees center-fielder hit .272/.322/.384 with 81 runs scored, 158 hits, 31 doubles, ten home runs and 66 RBIs. He led the team in stolen bases with 28, while only getting caught five times.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Kelly was 12th on the team in WAR. Melido Perez was the team's WAR leader. He had a record of 13-16 for the bad team, but had an ERA of 2.87 and struck out 218 batters to 93 walks in 247.2 innings pitched. Danny Tartabull made an impression in his first Yankees season as he hit .266/.409/.489 with 25 home runs, 85 RBIs and 103 walks. Steve Farr had a terrific season out of the bullpen with 30 saves and an ERA of 1.56.
GRADE: F. Kelly was a below-average hitter ultimately, other than his stolen base number. His OPS+ was 99 and he had a WAR of 1.4. That is not a good player. Melido Perez or Danny Tartabull would have been much better choices.
CLEVELAND INDIANS - CARLOS BAERGA
Baerga settled into second base in 1992 after previously splitting time between second and third. The stability worked as Baerga was named to the All Star team for the first time. Baerga hit .312/.354/.455 with 205 hits, 92 runs scored, 20 home runs, 105 RBIs and ten stolen bases. He led the Indians in hits and batting average.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? By OPS+, yes. By WAR, he was in second, just 0.3 behind leader Kenny Lofton. I will go with yes. Lofton finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote when he hit .285/.362/.365 with 96 runs scored and league-leading 66 stolen bases. Charles Nagy was third in WAR behind his 17-10 record, 2.96 ERA, and 169 strikeouts to 57 walks in 252 innings pitched. Albert Belle was the big slugger, hitting .260/.320/.477 with 34 home runs and 112 RBIs.
GRADE: A. I am giving this one to Donruss as well. Baerga was not the WAR leader, but he was very close and his offensive stats carry him.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS - OREL HERSHISER
Hershiser had a 10-15 record in 1992, tied for the league lead in losses. He had a 3.67 ERA and led the Dodgers in innings pitched (210.2). Hershiser struck out 130 batters and walked 69. He threw one complete game.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Ugh, no. The Dodgers lost 99 games in 1992, so they did not have a lot of good picks, but Hershiser was fifth in WAR, and fourth among pitchers. The best player was 1992 Diamond King Brett Butler, who had another good season, hitting .309/.413/.391 with 86 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. Tom Candiotti was the team's best pitcher, with a record of 11-15, which tied him with Hershiser for the league lead in losses. Candiotti though, had an ERA of 3.00 with 152 strikeouts and 63 walks in 203.2 innings pitched. Kevin Gross had a record of 8-13 with a 3.17 ERA and led the team with 158 strikeouts in 204.2 innings pitched. Pedro Astacio pitched in just eleven games, but had an ERA of 1.98. The Dodgers did have the Rookie of the Year in Eric Karros, but we will get to that.
GRADE: D. I almost gave this an F. Hershiser was not very good in 1992, but he did pitch a lot of innings and the Dodgers were very bad. He still was fifth in WAR. Nevertheless, the Dodgers had much better options.
DETROIT TIGERS - CECIL FIELDER
For the third season in a row, Fielder led the league in RBIs, with 124. Fielder hit .244/.325/.458. He had 145 hits, 22 hits and 80 runs scored. He led the Tigers in home runs as well as, obviously, RBIs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Only Fielder's RBIs really stand out among Tigers hitters, as the team had three players hit more than 30 home runs. He was sixth on the team in WAR. Tony Phillips was the WAR leader, hitting .276/.387/.388 with 114 walks and leading the league with 114 runs scored. Mickey Tettleton hit .238/.379/.469 with 32 home runs and 83 RBIs. He led the league with 122 walks. Travis Fryman won the Silver Slugger at third base, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 96 runs. Rob Deer had the team's highest OPS, hitting .247/.337/.547 with 32 home runs and 64 RBIs. Lou Whitaker chimed in with a line of .278/.386/.461 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs.
GRADE: D. Fielder was the big name on the Tigers at this time, but other than leading the league in RBIs, he did not stand out at all among the heavy hitters in the Detroit lineup. And that had much more to do with hitting behind so many on-base machines.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS - ROBIN YOUNT
Yount collected the 3,000th hit of his career in 1992. He hit .264/.325/.390 with 71 runs scored, 147 hits, eight home runs, 77 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He led the team with 40 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Not at all. Aside from his personal highlight, Yount did little to deserve the Diamond King. Paul Molitor was once again the team's best player as he hit .320/.389/.461 with 89 runs scored, 195 hits, 12 home runs, 89 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. Bill Wegman was the best pitcher with a record of 13-14 and a 3.00 ERA in 261.2 innings pitched. Jaime Navarro had a nice season with a 17-11 record, and a 3.33 ERA in 246 innings pitched. Pat Listach won the Rookie of the Year, but will be covered later. Darryl Hamilton hit .298/.356/.400 and stole 41 bases.
GRADE: F. Yount's 1.7 WAR did not even rate among the team's top 12 players. This was very much a career achievement Diamond King.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - DARREN DAULTON
Daulton had a breakout season after several years in the Majors in 1992. He was named to the All Star team and won the Silver Slugger Award as a catcher and led the N.L. in RBIs with 109. Daulton hit .270/.385/.524 with 80 runs scored, 131 hits, 32 doubles, 27 home runs and eleven stolen bases. He finished sixth in the MVP vote.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes, Daulton was the WAR leader for the Phillies in 1992. In second place was third-baseman Dave Hollins, who hit .270/.369/.469 with 27 home runs and 93 RBIs and scored 104 runs. Curt Schilling was third with a record of 14-11 with a 2.35 ERA and 147 strikeouts to 59 walks in 226.1 innings pitched. He had a WHIP of 0.990.
GRADE: A. Daulton was terrific in 1992 after several seasons of toiling without much success.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS - MARK MCGWIRE
McGwire came back from a bit of a down season in 1991 to finish fourth in the A.L. MVP race. He was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger after hitting .268/.385/.585 with 42 home runs and 104 RBIs. He led the league in slugging percentage and OPS+ (176).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. McGwire was the team's WAR leader in 1992. In second place was Rickey Henderson, who hit .283/.426/.457 with 15 home runs, 46 RBIs and 48 stolen bases. Mike Bordick was third with a line of .300/.358/.371 and played outstanding defense at shortstop. The A's had the MVP and Cy Young winner, both in the form of Dennis Eckersley. The closer had a record of 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA with 93 strikeouts to eleven walks in 80 innings pitched. Eckersley led the Majors with 51 saves.
GRADE: A. I could have understood picking Eckersley, who had not been a Diamond King to this point, but just like I think he was not the best choice for the two awards he won, I do not think he was a better choice for Diamond King over McGwire.
ATLANTA BRAVES - TOM GLAVINE
Coming off of a Cy Young win in 1991, Glavine was the runner-up in 1992. He was an All Star and led the league in wins and shutouts (five). He had a record of 20-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 225 innings pitched. Glavine struck out 129 batters while walking 70. He also pitched seven complete games.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Glavine was third on the team in WAR. The 1991 N.L. MVP was the runner-up for the 1992 MVP as well. Terry Pendleton hit .311/.345/.473 with 98 runs scored, 21 home runs, 105 RBIs and led the league with 199 hits. He also won a Gold Glove Award and was an All Star. David Justice was second, hitting .256/.359/.446 with 21 home runs and 72 RBIs. John Smoltz turned in an impressive season, going 15-12 with a 2.85 ERA and led the team with 215 strikeouts in 246.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: B. This one maybe should have gone to Terry Pendleton. There is nothing wrong with Glavine as he had a great year, but Pendleton was better.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS - ROBERTO ALOMAR
Alomar finished sixth in the A.L. MVP race, won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, and was an All Star for the World Champion Blue Jays. He hit .310/.405/.427 with 105 runs scored, 177 hits, 27 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs, 76 RBIs and 49 stolen bases. He walked 87 times, versus 52 strikeouts.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Alomar was the team's WAR leader in 1992. Devon White was second with a line of .248/.303/.390 with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 98 runs scored and 37 stolen bases. Juan Guzman was third with a record of 16-5 and a 2.64 ERA with 165 strikeouts and 72 walks in 180.2 innings pitched. Two longtime veterans impressed in their first seasons in Toronto. Jack Morris had a 21-6 record and Dave Winfield hit .290/.377/.491 with 26 home runs and 108 RBIs. Joe Carter was the big slugger, hitting 34 home runs and driving in 118 runs.
GRADE: A. The Blue Jays were loaded in 1992, it is no wonder they won it all. Alomar though, was the team's big standout.
SAN DIEGO PADRES - GARY SHEFFIELD
Sheffield broke out in 1992 in a big way, challenging for the Triple Crown until late in the season. He ended up winning the batting title and was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger. Sheffield hit .330/.385/.580 with 33 home runs and 100 RBIs. He also had 87 runs scored, 184 hits and 34 doubles. He was third in the MVP race.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Sheffield had a huge season in 1992 and was the team's WAR leader. Fred McGriff was second after he hit .286/.394/.556 with 35 home runs (led the league) and 104 RBIs. Tony Gwynn was third after he hit .317/.371/.415 with 165 hits. Andy Benes was the team's best pitcher, with a record of 13-14 and a 3.35 ERA in 231.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: A. Sheffield had his first monster season after a Spring Training trade from Milwaukee. He was very impressive and was an easy choice.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - BOB TEWKSBURY
Tewksbury is another player who finally had a breakout season in 1992. He led the league in winning percentage (16-5, .762), finished third in the Cy Young vote and was an All Star for the first time. He had a 2.16 ERA and struck out 91 batters while walking just 20 in 233 innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. He was the WAR leader, though the team had several very good hitters in 1992. Ozzie Smith had another impressive offensive season to go along with his great defense. He hit .295/.367/.342 and stole 43 bases. Ray Lankford hit .293/.371/.480, stealing 42 bases and leading the team with 20 home runs, 40 doubles and 86 RBIs. Bernard Gilkey hit .302/.364/.427. Felix Jose gave the team three very good, young outfielders, hitting .295/.347/.432.
GRADE: A. The Cardinals had a lot of good players, but Tewksbury came out of nowhere to have the best season on the team.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES - BRADY ANDERSON
Anderson was yet another breakout player in 1992, after several seasons in the Majors. Anderson led the league in plate appearances (749) and hit .271/.373/.449 with 100 runs scored, 169 hits, 28 doubles, ten triples, 21 home runs, 80 RBIs and 53 stolen bases. He was an All Star for the first time and received some MVP consideration.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No, the Orioles had another breakout season from future Hall of Famer Mike Mussina. Mussina finished fourth in the Cy Young vote after going 18-5 with a 2.54 ERA, striking out 130 batters and walking 48 in 241 innings pitched. Anderson finished second in WAR to Mussina. In third place was Mike Devereaux, who hit .276/.321/.464 with 24 home runs and 107 RBIs.
GRADE: B+. Mussina would have been the better choice, but Anderson was a decent pick.
HOUSTON ASTROS - CRAIG BIGGIO
Biggio officially moved to second base from catcher in 1992 and made his second All Star game. He hit .277/.378/.369 and led the league in games played (162) and plate appearances (721). He had 170 hits, 32 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 39 RBIs and 38 stolen bases and led the Astros with 96 runs scored.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Biggio was third on the team in WAR behind Steve Finley and Jeff Bagwell. Finley hit .292/.355/.407 and led the Astros in hits (177) and stolen bases (44). He had 84 runs scored, 29 doubles, five home runs and 55 RBIs. Bagwell hit .273/.368/.444 with 18 home runs and 96 RBIs. Ken Caminiti turned in an impressive season, hitting .294/.350/.441 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. Doug Jones had a great season as the closer, as he turned in a record of 11-8, a 1.85 ERA and 36 saves.
GRADE: B. Biggio was good, but not great. Steve Finley meanwhile, had a very good season that was somewhat overlooked.
NEW YORK METS - EDDIE MURRAY
Murray hit his 400th career home run and drove in his 1,500th career run in his first season in New York. Murray hit .261/.336/.423 and led the team in runs scored (64), hits (144), doubles (37), triples (two) and RBIs (93). He hit 16 home runs, which was second on the team.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Murray was probably the best offensive player on a pretty bad Mets team, but there were several decent pitching options. Sid Fernandez was the top option, as he had a record of 14-11 with a 2.73 ERA. He recorded 193 strikeouts and 67 walks in 214.2 innings pitched. David Cone was second in WAR, but was traded to Toronto before the end of the season. Dwight Gooden had a 10-13 record with a 3.67 ERA and 145 strikeouts to 70 walks in 206 innings pitched. John Franco had a good season, though he was injured. He had 15 saves and a 1.64 ERA.
GRADE: C+. Murray was not great, though he led the team in a number of offensive categories. This probably should have gone to Sid Fernandez, who had a legitimately good season.
CALIFORNIA ANGELS - LUIS POLONIA
Polonia hit .286/.337/.329 in 1992 for the Angels. He was fourth in the league in stolen bases with 51 and led the team in average, hits (165), runs scored (83) and stolen bases. He led the league in times caught stealing (21). He also had 17 doubles and four triples with zero home runs and 35 RBIs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No, definitely not. The Angels lost 90 games and very little offense, but there were much better choices. Jim Abbott was the team's best player and had never been a Diamond King. He had a poor 7-15 record, which could be attributed much more to the team's lack of offense. He had a 2.77 ERA, striking out 130 batters and walking 68 in 211 innings pitched. Mark Langston had a 13-14 record with a 3.66 ERA and 174 strikeouts to 74 walks in 229 innings pitched. The Angels did have a glimmer of hope offensively with the emergence of Chad Curtis, who hit .259/.341/.372 with ten home runs, 46 RBIs and 43 stolen bases.
GRADE: F. Polonia had a decent batting average, but it was empty as he had next to no power and was not great at getting on base. He stole a lot of bases, but was caught a lot too. This really should have gone to Jim Abbott.
FLORIDA MARLINS - NIGEL WILSON
Wilson was the first pick by the Marlins in the 1992 Expansion Draft, the second overall pick. He did not play in the Majors prior to 1993 and was in the Blue Jays system. The outfielder was a top prospect for Toronto and hit .274/.325/.516 with 26 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Knoxville Blue Jays.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Tough to say. Wilson was a top prospect, but he had no Major League experience prior to his selection in the Expansion Draft. The Marlins best selection in the Draft ended up being Jeff Conine, who was also a top prospect. The team also picked up established Major Leaguers like Charlie Hough, Bryan Harvey and Benito Santiago going into the season.
GRADE: N/A. I have no idea how to grade this. I suppose acquiring a top prospect was a coup, but this would not work out well.
COLORADO ROCKIES - DAVID NIED
Nied was the first overall selection in the 1992 Expansion Draft by the Rockies. Unlike Wilson, Nied had played in the Majors in 1992, as a top pitching prospect for the Braves. He pitched in six games, making two starts, and had a 3-0 record with a 1.17 ERA, striking out 19 batters and walking five in 23 innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Again, tough to tell, but he did have a very good stint in the Majors at the end of the season. The Rockies also selected Charlie Hayes, Eric Young and Vinny Castilla in the draft and picked up Andres Galarraga and Dante Bichette in other deals.
GRADE: N/A. I like this pick better than the Wilson pick, but it is still tough to say since Nied did not pitch for the Rockies the previous season.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS - PAT LISTACH
Listach was the A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1992. The Brewers second-baseman hit .290/.352/.349 and had 168 hits, 19 doubles, six triples, one home run and 47 RBIs. He led the Brewers in runs scored (93) and stolen bases (54).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. I discussed the Brewers earlier. Listach was fourth on the team in WAR.
GRADE: B+. Listach was a significantly better pick than Robin Yount, but he still was not the best pick, even with the Rookie of the Year Award. Paul Molitor would have been the best pick, but Listach had an argument for second or third place.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS - ERIC KARROS
Karros won the N.L. Rookie of the Year. The first-baseman hit .257/.304/.426 and had 63 runs scored and 140 hits. He led the team with 30 doubles, 20 home runs and 88 RBIs, providing most of the team's power.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Karros had a 0.4 WAR since he was a fairly one-dimensional player. He was not a very good defensive player.
GRADE: C. I gave Karros some additional points since he was the Rookie of the Year, making him a better choice than Hershiser, but not by a lot.
RECAP:
The only reason any of the 1992 major award winners were present here at all was because Donruss specifically added on the Rookies of the Year, giving those teams two Diamond Kings. The Rookies of the Year would have been better selections than the other picks. There were nine future Hall of Famers here though, plus Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire, who could be soon.
BEST PICK: Roger Clemens. Clemens was third in the Majors in WAR (8.7) and should have won the Cy Young Award. Runner-up goes to Ryne Sandberg, who was sixth in the Majors in WAR.
WORST PICK: Luis Polonia. Polonia was just a very underwhelming pick. If not for his decent batting average and impressive stolen base total, he would not have caught any attention at all. Runner-up goes to Roberto Kelly, who had a down season and was also below-average offensively.
BIGGEST SNUB: Greg Maddux. Maddux won the N.L. Cy Young winner and the Major League WAR leader. Runner-up is Barry Bonds, who was second in the Majors in WAR and won the N.L. MVP.
WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY: Nigel Wilson. Wilson played in just 22 career games in the Majors over three seasons. He hit .086/.111/.257 with two home runs and five RBIs. He simply did not work out. Runner-up was the other expansion pick, David Nied, who was never able to recapture his promise in 1992. He pitched five seasons and had a record of 17-18 with a 5.06 ERA, striking out 146 and walking 105 in 241.2 innings pitched.
Great recap as always. I really like the look of this set.
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