Some Random Cards

In what is sure to be a letdown after yesterday's Jason Varitek bat knob card, I still have to show off other cards.  Nothing against these cards at all, because any Red Sox cards are welcome additions to my collection.  

This was a trade package from one of the forums: 

The first two cards are my favorite.  The first one shows David Ortiz after presumably hitting one of his many, MANY walkoff home runs.  The second is even better, showing Ted Williams, in uniform, fishing (presumably this is a photo shoot).  Williams of course, was an avid fisherman and is in the International Game Fish Association's Fishing Hall of Fame.

The rest of the cards are a random assortment of base and parallels.  I do like the pink refractor of Ian Kinsler though, which was the original card that got this trade off the ground.

It is Here

My wife grabbed the mail on her way out of town this evening, so I had to wait several more hours to get it, but the big thing is here.

This is the packaging:

Any guesses?  

Well, here it is:

THAT is a bat knob card of Jason Varitek.  A 1/1 of course, and the most significant card in my collection now.  

The Big Thing Should be Here Today

 I am very excited.  I will even show it off when I get it then do another post later.

My First Verdugo Auto

DISCLAIMER:  This is not the big thing I talked about the other day.

Well it makes sense to show a Verdugo card a day after showing Jeter Downs.  Verdugo of course was the big piece in the Betts trade.  I decided to get ahead of things and grab the first auto that came out, which leads me to this:

This is from Panini Absolute.  Verdugo has kind of an ugly signature, and honestly, the card is pretty ugly too.  But, it is my first Verdugo autograph.  

So how is that trade looking?  Well, Betts has been Betts and is a contender for the N.L. MVP for the Dodgers.  Verdugo has been the best player for the Red Sox though and is having a very good season himself.  As of today, Verdugo is hitting .318/.376/.509 with six home runs and 14 RBIs.  The RBIs are a little low because Verdugo is hitting out of the leadoff spot and, well Boston's bottom half of the order is kind of terrible this year, so there's rarely anyone on base when he comes up.  I have been really impressed with his defense.  Verdugo has a cannon for an arm and has seven assists from the outfield.  He looks like a potential Gold Glove outfielder.

There is room for improvement in Verdugo's game.  He could develop a little more power and probably walk a little bit more, but he looks like a very good, young player.  And hey, he is still 24.  Verdugo should be a player Boston builds around, as well as Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers.  And I absolutely love his fire.  He plays hard and gets excited about the game.  Teams need a guy like that.

Jeter for the Red Sox

 Meet Jeter Downs:

Downs was the big prospect the Red Sox received in the Mookie Betts trade, and this is the first card I have seen of him in a Red Sox uniform (whether or not it is photoshopped, I do not know).  Downs is, of course, named after the legendary Yankees shortstop and plays shortstop himself, though it is more likely that he will be moved to second base, both due to his abilities and because Boston has Xander Bogaerts at short.  He has developed some decent power the last couple of seasons in the minors and was expected to play in AA and maybe get the call to AAA this year.  That of course didn't happen with the lost minor league season, but he has been playing at the Red Sox alternate site all season.  He could still get a call-up next season.  He is currently either the #2 or #1 prospect in the organization, depending on which source one checks.  I am looking forward to seeing him in Boston because he will be the big test in determining whether the Betts trade works out or not.  We already know Alex Verdugo is a very good player.  If he and Downs can play All Star-caliber baseball, this trade is not so bad.  

Something Big is Coming

 It is going to be good...

Diamond King Roundup: 1990

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.

 KANSAS CITY ROYALS: BO JACKSON

Jackson made his only All Star team in 1989 and was at the height of his fame.  Jackson led the Royals in home runs (32) and RBIs (105) by a fairly wide margin.  He hit .256/.310/.495 while also stealing 25 bases.  Jackson only led the league in strikeouts (172) but he finished tenth in MVP voting.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  The Royals' best player was Bret Saberhagen, who won his second Cy Young Award in 1989.  Saberhagen led the league in wins (23-6), winning percentage, ERA (2.16), complete games (12) and innings pitched (262.1) while striking out 193.  Jackson was sixth on the team in WAR behind Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza (15-11, 3.04 ERA), Jeff Montgomery (1.37 ERA, 18 saves), Tom Gordon (17-9, 3.64 ERA) and Jim Eisenreich (.293/.341/.448).

GRADE: B.  I get this choice.  Jackson was one of the biggest stars in the game.  Saberhagen would have been the best choice, but Jackson was not a bad one. 

NEW YORK YANKEES - STEVE SAX

Sax was in his first season with the Yankees after signing as a free agent and led the league in at-bats (651).  The second-baseman hit .315/.364/.387 with 88 runs, 205 hits, five home runs, 63 RBIs and 43 stolen bases.  Sax led the Yankees in hits, stolen bases and batting average and was named to the All Star team.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Sax was the team's WAR leader (4.4) by a slim margin over Don Mattingly.  Mattingly hit .303/.351/.477 with a team-leading 23 home runs and 113 RBIs.  Roberto Kelly also had a decent season, hitting .302/.369/.417 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs while stealing 35 bases.

GRADE: A.  Sax had a great season in his first year in New York and was the best player on the team.

TEXAS RANGERS - RUBEN SIERRA

Sierra was in his fourth Major League season and finished second in the MVP race while being named an All Star and winning the Silver Slugger.  Sierra hit .306/.347/.543 with 29 home runs and a league-leading 119 RBIs.  He also led the league in triples (14), slugging percentage and total bases (344).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Sierra was a young superstar at this point in his career and came very close to winning the MVP, not to mention being the best player on the team.  Julio Franco finished second on the team in WAR after hitting .316/.386/.462 with 13 home runs, 92 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.  From the pitching staff, Nolan Ryan had a big season, going 16-10 with 3.20 ERA and a league-leading 301 strikeouts in 239.1 innings.

GRADE: A.  Sierra was just 23 years old and looked like a huge star at this point.  He was certainly the best player on the Rangers.

SEATTLE MARINERS - KEN GRIFFEY JR.

19-year-old Griffey was in his rookie season in 1989 and played in 127 games.  He came in third in the Rookie of the Year vote after hitting .264/.329/.420 with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.  He also notched 61 runs, 120 hits and 23 doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Griffey was a rookie, and certainly a promising one, but he was not yet the best player on the team.  He actually finished fourth in WAR.  Scott Bankhead was the team's WAR leader after going 14-6 with a 3.34 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 210.1 innings pitched.  Harold Reynolds had a nice season, hitting .300/.359/.369.  Alvin Davis may have been the best choice as he hit .305/.424/.496 with 21 home runs and 95 RBIs, leading the Mariners in most offensive categories.

GRADE: B.  Again, this is one that I understand.  Griffey was a huge phenom and was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career.  Alvin Davis would have been a better choice for this distinction though.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES - MICKEY TETTLETON

The Orioles' catcher was an All Star and won his first Silver Slugger Award in 1989.  Tettleton hit .258/.369/.509 with 26 home runs and 65 RBIs.  He led the team in home runs and OPS (.877) and was second in walks (73), while also accumulating 72 runs, 106 hits and 23 doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Looking only at offensive numbers, yes.  Tettleton was second on the team in WAR though behind Cal Ripken Jr.  Ripken hit .257/.317/.401 with 23 home runs and led the team with 93 RBIs, 166 hits and 30 doubles.  Ripken also was better defensively.  Gregg Olson might have been a decent choice as well as he won the Rookie of the Year as he was 5-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 27 saves and 90 strikeouts in 85 innings.

GRADE: B+.  Ripken may have been a better choice and Olson also would have been a good pick, but there is nothing really wrong with the Tettleton choice.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS - DAVE STEWART

Stewart was an All Star for the only time in his career in 1989 and was the World Series MVP for the A's.  He led the league in starts (36) and batters faced (1,081).  Stewart had a 21-9 record with a 3.32 ERA and struck out 155 batters versus 69 walks in 257.2 innings pitched.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Stewart was not even the best pitcher on the team, though he was certainly notable due to his World Series MVP Award.  Mike Moore had a 19-11 record, a 2.61 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 241.2 innings pitched.  As far as hitters go, Carney Lansford had a great season, hitting .336/.398/.405.  Dennis Eckersley had another great season as well as the closer, saving 33 games with a 1.56 ERA.

GRADE: C.  Stewart was a 20-game winner and was the World Series MVP, but he was not the best player on the team.  He was not even the best pitcher, despite his record.  Moore would have been a better choice.

HOUSTON ASTROS - JIM DESHAIES

The southpaw Deshaies had a 15-10 record with a team-leading 2.91 ERA in 1989.  He pitched 225.2 innings, striking out 153 while walking 79.  He pitched six complete games and three shutouts, which led the team.  Deshaies was second on the team in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Deshaies was fourth on the team in WAR, though he was first among pitchers.  Ken Caminiti was the team's WAR leader, though due to his .255/.316/.369 line, most of his value came from his defense.  Glenn Davis had a terrific season though as he hit .269/.350/.492 with 34 home runs and 89 RBIs while finishing in the top ten in the MVP vote.

GRADE: B.  Deshaies seems like kind of a weird choice, but he was a decent one at this time.  Davis, the 1989 Diamond King, would have been the best choice, but Deshaies is probably second. 

ATLANTA BRAVES - JOHN SMOLTZ

Smoltz was in his first full Major League season and was named to the All Star team in 1989.  He had a 12-11 record with a 2.94 ERA and 168 strikeouts versus 72 walks in 208 innings pitched.  Smoltz led the team in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts and also pitched five complete games.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Smoltz was certainly noteworthy in that he had such an impressive season in his first full season, but he was five wins below the WAR leader.  Lonnie Smith had a terrific season in 1989, hitting .315/.415/.533 with 21 home runs, 89 runs scored, 79 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.  He led the Braves in average, home runs, stolen bases and led the league in on-base percentage.  Tom Glavine led the team in wins (14) and had a 3.68 ERA.

GRADE: B+.  Smoltz was very good in 1989, but Lonnie Smith had a monster season and had never been a Diamond King before.  Smith might have been the better choice. 

CHICAGO CUBS - MIKE BIELECKI

Bielecki led the Cubs pitchers in winning percentage (.720) while compiling an 18-7 record.  He was second in ERA (3.14) and strikeouts (147) while walking 81 in 212.1 innings pitched.  He also pitched four complete games and led the Cubs in shutouts (three).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Um, no.  Bielecki was not even the Cubs best pitcher.  There was still some guy named Greg Maddux, who while still young, nevertheless had a record of 19-12 with a 2.95 ERA and 135 strikeouts versus 82 walks in 238.1 innings pitched.  Ryne Sandberg was the Cubs' best player as he hit .290/.356/.497 with 30 home runs, 104 runs scored and 76 RBIs.  The Cubs also had the N.L. Rookie of the Year in Jerome Walton, who hit .293/.335/.385.

GRADE: B.  Bielecki had a good year, but not compared to Sandberg or Maddux.  I am not sure what Maddux had to do to become a Diamond King, but he deserved it over Bielecki.  Walton would have been an understandable choice too. 

CALIFORNIA ANGELS - BRIAN DOWNING

Downing was in his 17th Major League season in 1989 but was still a very good hitter.  The designated hitter hit .283/.354/.414 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs.  Downing led the Angels in on-base percentage.  He also picked up 59 runs, 154 hits and 25 doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  As a designated hitter, it is not surprising that Downing was fairly far behind in WAR.  He was tenth.  The Angels' WAR leader was Bert Blyleven, who was coming off of a 17-5 record, a 2.73 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 241 innings pitched.  Chuck Finley was second as he was 16-9 with a 2.57 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 199.1 innings pitched.  Among hitters, Chili Davis had the best season as he hit .271/.340/.436 with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs.

GRADE: D.  Downing was decent, but somewhat ordinary.  What saves this choice from being an F is Downing was at least a decent hitter.  But the Angels had a lot of good pitchers, any of whom would have been better picks.  And among hitters, Davis would have been a good choice.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - KEVIN MITCHELL

Mitchell won the N.L. MVP for the N.L. Champs.  He was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger.  Mitchell hit .291/.388/.635 and led the league in home runs (47), RBIs (125), slugging percentage, OPS (1.023) and total bases (345).  Mitchell also scored 100 runs and had 158 hits and 34 doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Technically he was second on the team in WAR behind Will Clark, whose defense probably helped him out.  Mitchell had better offensive numbers though.  Clark hit .333/.407/.546 with 23 home runs and 111 RBIs.  Clark also led the team in runs (104) and hits (196).  Among pitchers, Scott Garrelts had the best season as he went 14-5 with a 2.28 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 193.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: A.  I am going to give this to Donruss.  Mitchell was the MVP and he had a monstrous offensive season in 1989.  Clark was much better defensively, but did not have the huge stats.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS - KELLY GRUBER

Third-baseman Gruber hit .290/.328/.448 with 18 home runs and 73 RBIs.  He also stole ten bases.  Gruber was named to the All Star team for the first time in 1989.  He was second on the team in average and tied George Bell for second in home runs.  He also scored 83 runs and had 154 hits and 24 doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Gruber was second on the team in WAR and did not lead the Jays in any major offensive category.  Fred McGriff was the team's best player as he hit .269/.399/.525 with 36 home runs and 92 RBIs with 98 runs scored.  Among pitchers, Tom Henke had the best season even though he was a closer.  Henke had an 8-3 record with a 1.92 ERA and 20 saves with 116 strikeouts in just 89 innings pitched.  

GRADE: B.  McGriff was a clearly better choice, but Gruber was probably the second best choice.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - JOE MAGRANE

Magrane finished fourth in the N.L. Cy Young vote in 1989.  The Cardinals' left-hander had a record of 18-9 with a 2.91 ERA.  He struck out 127 batters and walked 72 in 234.2 innings pitched.  He completed nine games and threw three shutouts.  Magrane led the team in wins and ERA.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Tough to say.  Magrane was fifth on the team in WAR, but he did appear to have the more impressive traditional stats.  Ozzie Smith led the team in WAR, though that was primarily due to his defense as he hit just .273/.335/.361.  Jose Oquendo was second in WAR, but was also a better defensive player as he hit .291/.375/.372.  The best offensive season probably belonged to Pedro Guerrero, who hit .311/.391/.477 with 17 home runs and 117 RBIs, but was a poor defensive player.

GRADE: B.  Guerrero might have been a slightly better choice, but I can understand the Magrane pick.

CINCINNATI REDS - JOHN FRANCO

Franco was the Reds' closer in 1989.  He pitched in 60 games and was an All Star for the third time in his career.  Franco had a 4-8 record with a 3.12 ERA and saved 32 games.  He pitched 80.2 innings, striking out 60 and walking 36.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Franco had other better seasons.  1989 was not one of his best years.  The team's leader in WAR was Barry Larkin, though he played in just 97 games.  Larkin hit .342/.375/.446.  Rob Dibble tied Larkin for the team high.  He had a 10-5 record with a 2.09 ERA, striking out an incredible 141 batters and walking 39 in just 99 innings.  Eric Davis also had a great season, hitting .281/.367/.541 with 34 home runs, 101 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.

GRADE: D.  Franco was not even the Reds' best reliever with the year that Dibble had.  He was not bad, but he was not particularly good, other than the saves number.  I think Dibble would have been the best choice since Larkin only played in 97 games.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX - OZZIE GUILLEN

Shortstop Guillen hit .253/.270/.318 with one home run and 54 RBIs.  He also gathered 63 runs scored, 151 hits, 20 doubles and eight triples.  He led the team in triples and stolen bases (36).  Guillen was third on the team in hits and runs and fourth in RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Um, maybe.  Guillen was definitely a weak hitter who gained almost all of his value from his defense.  He was fourth on the team in WAR.  Carlton Fisk was first, even though he played in just 103 games.  He hit .293/.356/.475 with 13 home runs and 68 RBIs.  Harold Baines was third and was having a great season, hitting .321/.423/.505, but he finished the season with the Rangers.  And Eric King was second, but he had a record of 9-10 with a 3.39 ERA.  

GRADE: B.  Fisk would have been the better choice, but the White Sox did not really have many good ones.  With the lack of options, Guillen is probably fine, even if he was less-than-impressive with the bat.

DETROIT TIGERS - LOU WHITAKER

Whitaker hit .251/.361/.462 with a team-leading 28 home runs and 85 RBIs.  He tied Gary Pettis for the team lead in runs scored with 77.  Whitaker also led the team with 128 hits and 21 doubles.  Finally, Whitaker led the team in games played and at-bats and walked more than he struck out (89 to 59).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Whitaker was pretty much the only choice.  Alan Trammell was second on the team in WAR, but he hit just .243/.314/.334 with five home runs and 43 RBIs.  Mike Henneman was the team's only All Star as he went 11-4 with a 3.70 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched as a reliever.  He saved eight games.

GRADE: A.  Whitaker was far and away the best choice for the Tigers in 1989.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES - JOHN SMILEY

Southpaw starter Smiley went 12-8 with a 2.81 ERA in 1989.  Smiley tied for the team lead in complete games (eight) and strikeouts (123).  He was second on the team in wins, innings pitched (205.1) and shutouts (one) while being third in games started (28).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Smiley was the #2 starter on the team and was sixth on the team in WAR.  Barry Bonds was the team's WAR leader by a fairly wide margin.  Bonds hit .248/.351/.426 with 96 runs scored, 19 home runs, 58 RBIs and a team-leading 32 stolen bases.  He also walked 93 times.  Bobby Bonilla was the team's top hitter as he hit .281/.358/.490 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs.  Doug Drabek was the best pitcher with a record of 14-12 with a 2.80 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 244.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: C.  Smiley was good, but he did not pitch as much, or quite as well as Drabek.  Bonds would have been the best choice though.

NEW YORK METS - HOWARD JOHNSON

Johnson led the team in pretty much every offensive category in 1989.  The third-baseman hit .287/.369/.559 with 164 hits, 104 runs scored, 41 doubles, three triples, 36 home runs, 101 RBIs and 41 stolen bases.  He was an All Star, won the Silver Slugger and finished fifth in the MVP race.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Easily.  Johnson was the team's WAR leader by more than two wins and led the team across the board in offense.  Darryl Strawberry was second in WAR as he hit .29 home runs and drove in 77 runs, but hit just .225/.312/.466.  Sid Fernandez was the team's best pitcher, with a record of 14-5 and a 2.83 ERA with 198 strikeouts in 219.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: A.  Johnson was definitely the right choice here.  He had an incredible season that was that much better in the context of what the rest of the team did.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - WILLIE RANDOLPH

The Dodgers and Yankees essentially swapped second-basemen in 1989 and both players were their team's respective Diamond Kings.  Randolph hit .282/.366/.326 with 62 runs scored.  He also had two home runs, 18 doubles and 36 RBIs.  Randolph led the team in average and hits and was an All Star.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  With his defense added in, Randolph was probably the best choice among the position players.  Orel Hershiser was the team leader in WAR as he had a 2.31 ERA and 178 strikeouts and 77 walks in 256.2 innings pitched.  His record was just 15-15 though so Donruss probably discounted that.  Closer Jay Howell had a great year with 28 saves and a 1.58 ERA.  Eddie Murray hit 20 home runs and drove in 88 runs, but hit .247/.342/.401.

GRADE: B+.  Hershiser might have been a better choice, but there is nothing wrong with Randolph here.  

MILWAUKEE BREWERS - CHRIS BOSIO

Bosio was the Brewers' best starting pitcher in 1989.  Bosio had a 15-10 record with a 2.95 ERA.  He struck out 173 batters versus just 48 walks in 234.2 innings pitched.  He started 33 games, pitched eight complete games and two shutouts.  He led the team in most major pitching categories.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No, but he was at least close.  Robin Yount though was the A.L. MVP in 1989.  Yount hit .318/.384/.511 with 21 home runs, 101 runs scored, 195 hits, 38 doubles, nine triples, 103 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.  He was the team's WAR leader.  Paul Molitor was second with a line of .315/.379/.439 and a team-leading 27 stolen bases.  Bosio was third in WAR.  Dan Plesac was the team's only All Star as the reliever picked up 33 saves and a 2.35 ERA.

GRADE: C+.  This is another one that looks kind of weird, and Yount and Molitor would have been better choices, but those were the previous two Diamond Kings for the Brewers.  Yount was the MVP, so points off for passing him up.  Bosio was an acceptable choice, but sort of odd.  

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - TOMMY HERR

Second-baseman Herr hit .287/.352/.364 with two home runs, 27 RBIs and ten stolen bases.  Herr led the team in at-bats (561), hits (161), triples (six, tied with John Kruk (?!)).  Herr also led the team in batting average and was second in doubles (25).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Von Hayes was the team's WAR leader, hitting .259/.376/.461 while leading the team in runs (93), doubles (27), home runs (26), RBIs (78), stolen bases (28) and walks (101).  Closer Roger McDowell had an extremely impressive 1.11 ERA in 44 games.  Shortstop Dickie Thon hit .271/.321/.434 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs.  

GRADE: C+.  Hayes was clearly the team's best player by a wide margin.  Herr was a decent contact hitter, but not much else.  Hayes should have been the pick.

MINNESOTA TWINS - DAN GLADDEN

Left-fielder Gladden hit .295/.331/.410 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs.  He scored 69 runs and had 136 hits, 23 doubles and three triples.  He led the Twins in stolen bases (23) and tied for second with Greg Gagne in runs.  He was third in average.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely not.  Gladden was 12th on the team in WAR.  Among players with better arguments were Kirby Puckett (.339/.379/.465 with nine home runs, 215 hits and 85 RBIs), Kent Hrbek (.272/.360/.517 with 25 home runs and 84 RBIs) and Brian Harper (.325/.353/.449).  Allan Anderson also had a good season, going 17-10 with a 3.80 ERA in 196.2 innings pitched.

GRADE: F.  Gladden had a decent batting average and led the team in stolen bases, but neither category was particularly impressive.  He was a slightly above-average hitter and there were several better candidates.  He was a 1.4 WAR player, which is not that great.

BOSTON RED SOX - ELLIS BURKS

Burks played in just 97 games for the Red Sox in 1989, but led the team in stolen bases with 21.  The center-fielder hit .303/.365/.471 with 121 hits, 73 runs scored, 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 61 RBIs.  He was second on the team in triples (six).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Burks was fifth on the team in WAR, due primarily to injuries limiting his season.  Wade Boggs (.330/.430/.449, 51 doubles) and Mike Greenwell (.308/.370/.443, 14 home runs, 95 RBIs) were the top hitters again.  Roger Clemens (17-11, 3.13 ERA, 230 strikeouts in 253.1 innings pitched) had another great season as a pitcher.  The most interesting choice would have been Nick Esasky, who hit .277/.355/.500 with a team-leading 30 home runs and 108 RBIs.

GRADE: C.  Burks had very good numbers, but missed a chunk of the season.  He was looking like a very good, young player.  Esasky would have been the best choice among players who had not previously been Diamond Kings.  

CLEVELAND INDIANS - PETE O'BRIEN

O'Brien was acquired by the Indians from the Rangers prior to the season along with two others for Julio Franco.  O'Brien had been a decent run producer for Texas and hit .260/.356/.372 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs for the Indians.  He also scored 75 runs and had 144 hits with 24 doubles.  He led the team in walks (83).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  O'Brien was 11th on the team in WAR and had a fairly pedestrian season, especially for a first-baseman.  Tom Candiotti was the team's WAR leader as he went 13-10 with a 3.10 ERA in 206 innings pitched.  Greg Swindell was an All Star who went 13-6 with a 3.37 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 184.1 innings pitched.  Second-baseman Jerry Browne, who was acquired in the same deal, outhit O'Brien by slashing .299/.370/.390 and led the team in runs (83), hits (179) and doubles (31).  Then there is Joe Carter, who was never terribly good at getting on base, but who hit 35 home runs and drove in 105 runs to lead the team.  Carter had never been a Diamond King to this point.

GRADE: F.  O'Brien was just very ordinary in 1989, though he had been pretty good in previous seasons with the Rangers.  The Indians had several better candidates.  I am really not sure how Donruss kept ignoring Carter, especially in a season like 1989.

MONTREAL EXPOS - BRYN SMITH

The veteran Smith had a 10-11 record with an ERA of 2.84.  He threw 215.2 innings and struck out 129 batters while walking 54.  He pitched three complete games and one shutout while recording the best WHIP on the staff (1.071).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Smith was maybe the third best pitcher on the staff (though he was second in WAR, the three were very close).  Mark Langston, who pitched his first ten games of the year in Seattle, was the team's WAR leader as he went 12-9 with a 2.39 ERA and 175 strikeouts versus 93 walks in 176.2 innings pitched.  Dennis Martinez had the best record and most wins as he was 16-7 with a 3.18 ERA, 142 strikeouts and 49 walks in 232 innings pitched.  As for position players, how was Tim Wallach never a Diamond King?  The third-baseman hit .277/.341/.419 with 13 home runs and 77 RBIs and was fantastic defensively.  He also led the league in doubles with 42.

GRADE: C.  He had a good ERA and a low WHIP, but he had a losing record and there were two arguably better, and certainly higher-regarded, pitchers on the same team.  

SAN DIEGO PADRES - ED WHITSON

Whitson pitched to a record of 16-11 and led the team with a 2.66 ERA.  He notched 117 strikeouts and 48 walks in 227 innings.  Whitson also led the team in wins and WHIP (1.084) and was second in complete games (five), shutouts (one), strikeouts and innings pitched.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Whitson did lead the team in WAR by a slim margin over newly-acquired Bruce Hurst.  Hurst turned in a very similar season, going 15-11 with a 2.69 ERA and a team-leading 179 strikeouts in 244.2 innings pitched with ten complete games.  The Padres also had the 1989 N.L. Cy Young winner in closer Mark Davis, who saved a league-leading 44 games and had a 4-3 record, a 1.85 ERA and 92 strikeouts versus 31 walks in 92.2 innings pitched.

GRADE: B+.  Whitson probably was the best pick, though it is sort of odd that Davis did not get picked.  Davis probably should have been the pick, though Whitson had the higher WAR.

RECAP

This was sort of a weird year for the Diamond Kings.  A lot of these were not really bad picks in the context of 1989, but they did not age well.  Few of these players were really superstars for more than the briefest of periods.  Of particular note is the fact that there are only two future Hall of Famers (Smoltz and Griffey), though Whitaker belongs in the Hall of Fame and it is a travesty that he is not in.  Also odd is the fact that only one of the major award winners from 1989 was selected (Mitchell).  

BEST PICK:  Kevin Mitchell.  Mitchell was the N.L. MVP while leading the league in home runs and RBIs, but also tied for the highest WAR of any player chosen.  The player he tied with was Howard Johnson, who is my runner-up.

WORST PICK:  Pete O'Brien.  O'Brien just did not do anything notable.  His numbers were barely above average and 12 home runs out of a first-baseman are not anything to be excited about at all.  Dan Gladden had a slightly lower WAR, but his average and steals were at least somewhat notable.

BIGGEST SNUB:  Bret Saberhagen.  Saberhagen had the highest WAR in the game (9.7) and won the Cy Young Award with a terrific season, yet lost out to Bo Jackson.  Runner-up is probably A.L. MVP Robin Yount.

WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY:  Mike Bielecki.  Despite a 14-year career in the Majors, Bielecki's career numbers were 70-73 with a 4.18 ERA and 5.9 career WAR.  He was never an All Star and never led the league in any category.  The runner-up is possibly Jim Deshaies, who was also never an All Star, and only led the league in games started in 1994 (25), as well as earned runs and home runs allowed that season.  His career WAR was 11.9 over 12 seasons and he had a career record of 84-95 with a 4.14 ERA.

Quick Trade Package

I have slowly been making a few more trades on the forums.  Nothing huge yet.  This was just a quick one with some random base and inserts I needed.

1.  2019 Topps Holiday Metallic David Price.  I am not huge on these holiday releases.  There is little difference between them and the flagship set.  Meaning that there are no four basically identical sets with flagship, Chrome, Opening Day and Holiday and very little that makes them unique other than some slight changes to the design.  It all just feels superfluous.

2.  2019 Topps Fire Flame Chris Sale.  I really liked Topps Fire a few years ago, but the last couple years have been kind of boring.  Plus, the size of the set seems to have decreased dramatically, so a lot less interesting from a player selection standpoint.

3.  2017 Topps Chrome Update Sam Travis.  Travis did not last long with the Red Sox.  They just never gave him much of a shot.  He had a little bit of a look last year, making it into 59 games, but hitting just .215/.274/.382 with six home runs.  At one time he looked like the first-baseman of the future for Boston.

4.  2019 Topps Fire David Price.  I liked Price, even though he did not really live up to his contract.  I particularly liked him in the 2018 postseason when he proved all of the naysayers wrong about his ability in the clutch.  

5.  2020 Topps WARriors of the Diamond Pedro Martinez.  The point of this insert set is to highlight some of the biggest seasons by WAR.  Martinez's 11.7 came in 2000 when he was 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA and 284 strikeouts in 217 innings.  His 1999 had better counting stats (23-4, 313 strikeouts), but he was better in 2000.

6.  2020 Topps 1985 David Ortiz.  I kind of liked the 1985 set design.  Maybe it's the big team name plastered across the front.  It was a neat design.  1983 and 1984 were better, but the 1985 design is fine.

7.  2019 Topps Allen & Ginter Gold J.D. Martinez.  Man, Martinez has been struggling this season.  I suspect he will not opt out of his deal because I doubt any other team will pay him more than he is making right now with Boston.  It has been a lost season for Martinez.

Barnes Auto

With Brandon Workman traded to the Phillies, Matt Barnes has taken over as the team's closer.  And I just recently added this auto to my collection:

Barnes has been with the Red Sox since 2014 and has primarily been a setup man during his career.  He is being given a chance to prove himself as a closer with one year left before free agency.  Barnes has always been a high-strikeout pitcher, but he also tends to walk too many batters and is a bit prone to the longball.  Barnes currently has a record of 26-21 with a 4.12 ERA in 319 games, covering 332 innings pitched.  He has walked 157 batters, but struck out 432.  He has eleven career saves, with his five thus far this year being a career high.  Time will tell how good he can be in the closer role, but I am not terribly optimistic.  

The Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #962 (Hope Diamond Edition)

One of the most stunning parallels in recent years was the Hope Diamond parallel of 2011 Topps.  At the time, I was not as focused on my Jason Varitek collection as I had been previously and so that set kind of slipped by me.  I was not sure I would ever find it.  Until just recently:

Yes, I have added the Hope Diamond parallel to my Jason Varitek collection bringing me to within 38 cards of my goal.  The scan does not do this card justice.  This is a very beautiful parallel.  It is serial-numbered to just 50 and is the third Hope Diamond parallel in my Red Sox collection (joining Josh Beckett and Alfredo Aceves).

More Total

Recently, I received a couple of packages in the mail containing a number of the recent Topps Total Red Sox cards.  Included among them was a bunch of other random cards, which actually contained a card I needed.  That would be the Stat Kings saves leader card from 2019 Topps Big League and featuring Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel who finished second with 42 saves in 2018..  

And then there are the Total cards, three of which were first-time players in my Red Sox collection.

1.  Kevin Plawecki.  The backup catcher is having a big season after being non-tendered by the Indians and replacing Sandy Leon.  Plawecki is currently hitting .354/.404/.500 with four doubles, a home run and eleven RBIs.  He has also pitched two-thirds of an inning, walking a batter.

2.  Chris Sale.  Sale is obviously fairly large in my collection, closing in on 100 cards.  Sale has not and will not pitch this season due to Tommy John surgery in April.

3.  Jose Peraza.  Peraza has been a disappointment.  He was signed to take over second base and looked like a low risk, high reward signing.  Well, at least he was low risk.  Peraza has hit .225/.275/.342 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, eight RBIs and one stolen base.  He has recently been sent to the minors and looks like he has played his last game in Boston.

4.  Josh Taylor.  Taylor was acquired in the deal that sent former first round pick Deven Marrero to Arizona.  Taylor was a pleasant surprise last year when he went 2-2 with a 3.04 ERA and 62 strikeouts versus 16 walks in 47.1 innings.  He has struggled this season, but missed a chunk due to illness.  He has shown signs of coming around though and could be a top lefty in the bullpen next season.

One-Game Wonder?

 

One of the more intriguing Spring Training stories in Red Sox camp this year was the signing of Jonathan Lucroy.  The former All Star catcher with the Brewers had fallen on hard times in recent years.  But he had surgery in the offseason and seemed optimistic about coming back.  And he hit well in the preseason so it looked like he might be a factor on the team.  Boston had two other catchers though, so Lucroy was probably going to be used sparingly.  

Lucroy made the Opening Day roster, but Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki were hitting well.  Lucroy made an appearance as a defensive replacement on July 24 and did not have a plate appearance.  The next day he was designated for assignment.  There was no other interest and so he stayed with the organization, but he has been at the alternate site since with no real indication that Boston will bring him back up.  

It would be fairly disappointing if Lucroy's only experience in Boston was as a defensive replacement in one game.  At least there are some cards of him out there already, including this card.  

Diamond King Roundup: 1989

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.

 BOSTON RED SOX - MIKE GREENWELL

Greenwell broke through in 1988 and made his first All Star team while finishing second in the A.L. MVP vote.  He also won a Silver Slugger Award.  Greenwell hit .325/.416/.531 with 22 home runs and 119 RBIs, while also stealing 16 bases.  He led the league in intentional walks (18) and tallied 86 runs, 192 hits, 39 doubles and eight triples.  Greenwell led the team in home runs, RBIs and triples.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Not quite.  By WAR and OPS, Greenwell finished a little bit behind Wade Boggs, but I will give a bit of extra credit for finishing second in the MVP vote.  Boggs won the batting title by hitting .366/.476/.490 with five home runs, 214 hits, 45 doubles, 128 runs and 58 RBIs.  He led the league in runs and doubles.  Roger Clemens also had a dominant season, going 18-12 with a 2.93 ERA and led the league in complete games (14), shutouts (eight) and strikeouts (291).

GRADE: B+.  I do understand this selection.  Greenwell was a breakout star and looked like a superstar on the rise in 1988.  Boggs was still a little better, but there is nothing wrong with the Greenwell pick.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES - BOBBY BONILLA

Bonilla was named to his first All Star team in 1988 and also received some down-ballot MVP consideration.  The Pirates third-baseman hit .274/.366/.476 with 24 home runs and 100 RBIs.  Bonilla led Pirates hitters in RBIs (tied with Andy Van Slyke) and notched 87 runs and 160 hits.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Andy Van Slyke, the 1988 Diamond King, still led the team in WAR when he hit .288/.345/.506 with a team-leading 25 home runs, 100 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.  The only thing Bonilla had over Van Slyke was on-base percentage.  Barry Bonds also had a big season, hitting .283/.368/.491 with 24 home runs and 58 RBIs, also stealing 17 bases.  Due to defense, Bonds also had a higher WAR than Bonilla.

GRADE: B+.  Again, this pick is fine.  Van Slyke was a clearly better choice, but Bonilla was a breakout star.  There is something to be said for that.

TEXAS RANGERS - PETE INCAVIGLIA

Incaviglia was in his third Major League season in 1988 and led the league in strikeouts with 153.  The slugger hit .249/.321/.467 with 22 home runs and 54 RBIs.  Incaviglia played in just 116 games, but he still ranked second on the team in home runs.  He also notched 104 hits, 19 doubles and 59 runs.  Incaviglia led the team in OPS (.788).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Probably not.  The top two players by WAR were Steve Buechele and Scott Fletcher, both of whom derived most of their value from their defense.  Buechele hit .250/.342/.404 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs, numbers that do not really jump off the page.  Fletcher hit .276/.364/.328.  Charlie Hough also had a higher WAR as he was 15-16 with a 3.32 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 252 innings.  Again, not obviously better.  I would argue the best pick would have been Ruben Sierra, who hit .254/.301/.424 with a team-leading 23 home runs and 91 RBIs and was second in stolen bases with 18.  Sierra had an identical WAR score to Incaviglia.

GRADE: B.  Incaviglia was okay, but he missed a lot of games.  Who knows how many times he might have struck out otherwise.  Sierra was probably the best choice.  This is not terrible, it is just kind of unexciting.

CINCINNATI REDS - CHRIS SABO

Third-baseman Sabo was the N.L. Rookie of the Year and an All Star in 1988.  Sabo hit .271/.314/.414 with eleven home runs, 74 runs, 146 hits, 40 doubles, 44 RBIs and 46 stolen bases.  Sabo led the team in doubles and stolen bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Sabo was third on the team in WAR behind Barry Larkin and Kal Daniels.  Larkin would have been the best choice as the shortstop took home the Silver Slugger Award after hitting .296/.347/.429 with 12 home runs, 56 RBIs and 40 stolen bases.  Daniels, the 1988 Diamond King, hit .291/.397/.463 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs.

GRADE: B+.  Once again, we have a breakout player selected, and Sabo was the Rookie of the Year.  Larkin was better though and had not been a Diamond King before.  He would have been the best choice.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS - ROBIN YOUNT

Yount played every game in 1988 and led the league in triples with eleven.  The Brewers center-fielder hit .306/.369/.465 with 92 runs, 190 hits, 38 doubles, 13 home runs, 91 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.  He led the team in hits (tied with Paul Molitor), doubles, RBIs and slugging percentage.  He received some minor MVP consideration.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Teddy Higuera was the team's WAR leader by about two wins over Yount.  Higuera went 16-9 with a 2.45 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 227.1 innings pitched.  He led the league in WHIP (0.999).  Yount was the best hitter on the team.  Molitor came close though as he hit .312/.384/.452 with 13 home runs and 60 RBIs while stealing 41 bases and scoring 115 runs.  

GRADE: B+.  Higuera would have been the better pick, but Yount was damn good once again.  

SAN DIEGO PADRES - TONY GWYNN

Gwynn played in just 133 games in 1988, but it was enough to qualify for the batting title, which he won while hitting .313/.373/.415.  He led the team in hits (163) and stolen bases (26) while also accumulating 64 runs scored, seven home runs and 70 RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Somewhat surprisingly, Gwynn did not lead the Padres in WAR.  Presumably this is due to missing 30 games and the defensive prowess of the number one player at a more premium position.  That player was Roberto Alomar.  Alomar hit .266/.328/.382 with nine home runs, 41 RBIs and 24 stolen bases and scored 84 runs.  Not numbers that jump off the page.  Gwynn was second in WAR.  Third was closer Mark Davis, who had a 2.01 ERA, 28 saves and 102 strikeouts in 98.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: A.  I know Alomar led in WAR, but Gwynn's offensive numbers were significantly better and he won the batting title, his third.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX - CARLTON FISK

Fisk was still going strong in 1988, though he played less than half of the season due to injuries.  Fisk played in just 76 games, but still hit 19 home runs and drove in 50 runs.  Fisk hit .277/.377/.542 and would have led the team in OPS and OPS+ had he played more often.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  I am really torn here.  It bothers me that Fisk played less than half the season, but he was clearly the best hitter the team had.  He was not the team's WAR leader, that went to shortstop Ozzie Guillen, though not for his hitting.  Guillen hit .261/.294/.314 with zero homers, 39 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.  This might have been a good time for a career achievement Diamond King for Jerry Reuss, who was 39 years old and went 13-9 with a 3.44 ERA in 183 innings pitched.  He led the staff in victories.  

GRADE: B.  This one is really hard.  Like I said, I hate the fact that the team's Diamond King played less than half the season, but there really was no standout choice here.  Most of the other players were kind of rough.

CLEVELAND INDIANS - CORY SNYDER

Snyder led qualifying Indians hitters in slugging percentage and OPS.  The right-fielder hit .272/.326/.483 and was second on the team in home runs (27) and RBIs (75).  He also had 71 runs, 139 hits and 24 doubles.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  It is sort of hard to argue against Snyder being the best of the hitters, but the WAR leader was Greg Swindell, who had a legitimately good year.  Swindell had an 18-14 record for a mediocre team and had a 3.20 ERA and 180 strikeouts in 242 innings pitched.  Tom Candiotti was second in WAR as he went 14-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 216.2 innings pitched.  Another player with a good year was closer Doug Jones, who saved 37 games and had a 2.27 ERA.  It is kind of surprising the Indians were not better than they were with these pitchers.

GRADE: B.  Snyder was decent and was still a popular player due to his home run output.  Still, Swindell would have been the best pick, with Candiotti and Jones being other legitimate picks.

NEW YORK METS - DAVID CONE

In Cone's first full season in the Majors, he made a big impact by leading the league in won-loss percentage (.870) and being named to the All Star team.  He had a 20-3 record with a 2.22 ERA and struck out 213 batters while walking 80 in 231.1 innings pitched.  Cone led Mets pitchers in wins, strikeouts and ERA.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Cone finished third in the Cy Young vote and tenth in the MVP vote and was the WAR leader.  The runner-up would have been Darryl Strawberry, who finished second in the MVP race after he led the league in home runs (39), slugging percentage and OPS.  Strawberry hit .269/.366/.545 and drove in 101 runs while also stealing 29 bases.  Kevin McReynolds also had a big season as he hit .288/.336/.496 with 27 home runs and 99 RBIs.

GRADE: A.  Strawberry was the big name, but Cone had a better season, slightly.  Donruss made the right choice here.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS - KEVIN SEITZER

In Seitzer's second full season in the Majors, he hit .304/.388/.406 with five home runs and 60 RBIs with ten stolen bases.  He tied George Brett for the team lead in runs (90) and second in hits (170) and third in doubles (32).

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  The Royals' best player in 1988 was starter Mark Gubicza who finished third in the Cy Young vote.  Gubicza had a 20-8 record and had a 2.70 ERA while striking out 183 and walking 83 in 269.2 innings pitched.  George Brett had a big season as he hit .306/.389/.509 with 24 home runs and 103 RBIs and led the Royals in hits (190).  Charlie Liebrandt also had a higher WAR as he went 13-12 with a 3.19 ERA with 125 strikeouts in 243 innings.

GRADE: C+.  Seitzer was a decent hitter, but sort of a poor man's Brett.  He had kind of an empty batting average, which was still not as high as Brett.  But as good as Brett was, the pick should have gone to Gubicza who had a huge season.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - RICK REUSCHEL

At 39 years of age, Reuschel had one of his best seasons as he had a record of 19-11 with a 3.12 ERA.  He led the league in games started with 36.  Reuschel struck out 92 batters, while walking 42 in 245 innings pitched.  He led Giants pitchers in innings, wins, ERA and complete games (seven).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Reuschel was fourth in WAR on the Giants.  Brett Butler was first as he hit .287/.393/.398 with 109 runs scored and 43 stolen bases.  Second was Will Clark, who probably had the most eye-popping numbers as he hit .282/.386/.508 with 29 home runs and 109 RBIs.  Third was Robby Thompson, whose numbers were accentuated by his defense as he hit .264/.323/.384 with seven home runs and 48 RBIs.

GRADE: B.  I would argue Clark was the best pick with Butler second and Reuschel third.  Butler and Clark definitely had big seasons.  Reuschel had a good record and a decent ERA, but he did not strike out many batters, so his WAR did not quite match up to his traditional numbers.  He was certainly crafty though.

CALIFORNIA ANGELS - JOHNNY RAY

Second-baseman Ray hit .306/.345/.429 while accumulating 75 runs scored, 184 hits, 42 doubles, seven triples, six home runs and 83 RBIs.  Ray led the Angels in hits, doubles, triples and average.  He was third in RBIs and fourth in runs scored.  Ray was an All Star for the only time in his career.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Ray had a nice season and traditional stats would certainly seem to support his choice, but he was actually sixth on the team in WAR.  Dick Schofield (.239/.303/.429, six home runs, 34 RBIs, 20 stolen bases) and Devon White (.259/.297/.389, 11 home runs, 51 RBIs, 17 stolen bases) were the first two, with their scores being improved significantly based on their impressive defense.  Wally Joyner was next as he hit .295/.356/.419 with 13 home runs and 85 RBIs.  Next was Bob Boone, who hit .295/.352/.386 with five home runs and 39 RBIs.  And then came Brian Downing, who hit .242/.362/.442 with 25 home runs and 64 RBIs.  

GRADE: B.  Ray is certainly the most random player to be a Diamond King twice.  He was the Pirates' Diamond King in 1986.  He had a good year, but I think Boone or Downing would have been the better picks.  Boone would have been a decent career achievement pick as he had an impressive season at the plate, which was rare, and won another Gold Glove.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES - DAVE SCHMIDT

Despite only starting nine games, Schmidt pitched enough innings (129.2) to qualify as the team's ERA leader (3.40).  Schmidt had a record of 8-5 and pitched in 41 games, finishing eleven of them and notching two saves.  He struck out 67 batters and walked 38.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Good lord, no.  Schmidt was seventh on the team in WAR and was more of a long man/spot starter than anything.  The team's best player was Cal Ripken Jr., who had been a Diamond King twice before and hit .264/.372/.431 with 23 home runs, 81 RBIs and walked 102 times.  Eddie Murray also had a big season as he hit .284/.361/.474 with 28 home runs and 84 RBIs.  Several other players also had higher WAR scores.

GRADE: F.  This one is just bizarre.  Schmidt was not a particularly impressive pitcher at any time in his career and the entire reason he was named the Diamond King is the fact that he led the team in ERA, which was not even that impressive a number.  Murray or Ripken would have been the best picks, and were clearly better than Schmidt.

MONTREAL EXPOS - ANDRES GALARRAGA

First-baseman Galarraga made his first All Star team, finished seventh in the MVP race and won the Silver Slugger in 1988.  Galarraga hit .302/.352/.540 and led the league in hits (184), doubles (42) and total bases (329).  He also hit 29 home runs, drove in 92 runs, scored 99 and stole 13 bases.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Galarraga probably should have finished higher in the MVP race and he was the WAR leader on the Expos.  Second place belonged to Pascual Perez, who had a 12-8 record, a 2.44 ERA and struck out 131 while walking 44 in 188 innings pitched.  Hubie Brooks also had a good year, hitting .279/.318/.447 with 20 home runs and 90 RBIs.

GRADE: A.  Galarraga had a great season and deserved this Diamond King selection.  It certainly helps that there were really no other clearly great candidates.  Kind of hard to mess this one up.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - KIRK GIBSON

In his first year in L.A., Gibson won the N.L. MVP award and the Silver Slugger.  Gibson hit .290/.377/.483 with 25 home runs, 106 runs scored, 157 hits, 25 home runs, 76 RBIs and 31 stolen bases for the World Champions, as well as an epic pinch-hit home run in the Series.  Gibson led the Dodgers in doubles, home runs and the slash categories.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Not really.  Gibson won the MVP, but the Dodgers also had the Cy Young Award winner in Orel Hershiser, and Hershiser's year was even better.  Hershiser had a record of 23-8, a 2.26 ERA and 178 strikeouts versus 73 walks in 267 innings pitched.  He set a record by pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings.  Hershiser led the league in wins, innings pitched, complete games (15) and shutouts (eight).  Tim Leary also had a good year, going 17-11 with a 2.91 ERA and 180 strikeouts in 228.2 innings pitched.

GRADE: B+.  Hershiser would have been the better choice, but Gibson was the MVP so it is hard to argue too much.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS - FRED MCGRIFF

McGriff received some down-ballot MVP consideration in 1988, but probably deserved more.  The first-baseman hit .282/.376/.552 with 100 runs scored, 151 hits, 35 doubles, 34 home runs and 82 RBIs.  McGriff led the Blue Jays in runs, home runs and slugging percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  McGriff was the team's WAR by one win over the next-best choice.  Kelly Gruber, the third-baseman, was second.  Gruber hit .278/.328/.438 with 16 home runs and 81 RBIs while stealing 23 bases.  George Bell had a big year, hitting .269/.304/.446 with 24 home runs and 97 RBIs following up on his MVP season.

GRADE: A.  McGriff was just 24 years old and already looked like a superstar.  He was clearly the best choice.  

CHICAGO CUBS - MARK GRACE

Grace finished second in the N.L. MVP race.  The Cubs first-baseman hit .296/.371/.403 with seven home runs and 57 RBIs.  He scored 65 runs and gathered 144 hits with 23 doubles and four triples.  He walked more than he struck out with 60 walks and 43 strikeouts.  Grace was third on the team in batting average and led the team in on-base percentage.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Grace was actually 11th on the team in WAR.  Sure, it was his rookie season and it was an impressive one, but there were several better choices.  Greg Maddux was the team's WAR leader as he went 18-8 with a 3.18 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 249 innings pitched.  Andre Dawson hit .303/.344/.504 with 24 home runs and 79 RBIs.  Ryne Sandberg hit .264/.322/.419 with 19 home runs, 69 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.  Rafael Palmeiro hit .307/.349/.436 with eight home runs, 53 RBIs and 12 stolen bases and made the All Star team for the first time.

GRADE: D.  Grace was ultimately fairly one-dimensional in 1988.  He could get on base, but that was pretty much it.  He had very little power.  The Cubs had a lot of better selections.  I could have failed this selection, but decided against it because Grace was a rookie who finished second in the ROY vote.

DETROIT TIGERS - JEFF ROBINSON

In Robinson's second Major League season, he emerged as a very good starting pitcher.  He missed some time due to injury but had a record of 13-6 with a 2.98 ERA.  He struck out 114 and walked 72 in 172 innings pitched.  He led the league in hits per nine innings (6.3).  He led the team in ERA.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Robinson was second on the team in WAR, somewhat surprisingly.  Alan Trammell was the best choice as he hit .311/.373/.464 with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs.  Lou Whitaker had another good season, hitting .275/.376/.419 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs.  Chet Lemon hit .264/.346/.436 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs.

GRADE: B.  If he had been healthy, Robinson might have had even better numbers.  Trammell or Whitaker would have been better selections, but Robinson was next in line.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - VINCE COLEMAN

In 1988, Coleman made his first All Star team.  The speedster hit .260/.313/.339 with 77 runs scored, 160 hits, 20 doubles, ten triples, three home runs and 38 RBIs.  He led the league in stolen bases (81) and times caught stealing (27).  Coleman was second on the team in runs scored and led the team in triples.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Definitely not.  For a player whose sole asset was his ability on the base paths, he certainly did not get on base nearly enough.  Coleman did not even rank in the Top 10 on the team in WAR.  Ozzie Smith was once again the team's WAR leader as he hit .270/.350/.336, stole 57 bases and played his usual outstanding defense.  Jose DeLeon had a 13-10 record for a bad team and had an ERA of 3.67 while striking out 208 batters in 225.1 innings pitched.  The best hitter was probably Tom Brunansky, who hit .245/.345/.429 with 22 home runs and 79 RBIs.

GRADE: D.  This is another one I could have failed, but since Coleman led the league in stolen bases and was an All Star, I gave him a little extra credit.  Coleman was definitely not a good player outside of his base stealing in 1988.  Several other choices would have been better.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS - DAVE HENDERSON

Henderson, the A's center-fielder, received some minor MVP consideration in 1988.  He hit .304/.363/.525 with 24 home runs and 94 RBIs.  He had 154 hits, 100 runs scored and 38 doubles.  Henderson led the team in doubles and was second in batting average and third in home runs and RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  By WAR, Henderson was the second-best player on the team.  Jose Canseco was the A.L. MVP and hit .307/.391/.569 and became the first player to have a 40/40 season as he hit 42 home runs and stole 40 bases.  Canseco had 124 RBIs.  He led the league in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage.  Dave Stewart also had a big year for the A.L. Champs as he went 21-12 with a 3.23 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 275.2 innings pitched.

GRADE: B.  Henderson really had a very good season, but Canseco's season was historic.  Henderson was the second-best player on the team, but it was a pretty wide gulf between him and Canseco.

SEATTLE MARINERS - HAROLD REYNOLDS

In 1988, second-baseman Reynolds was an All Star and won a Gold Glove while leading the league in triples (11).  He hit .283/.340/.383 with four home runs and 41 RBIs.  He led the team in hits (169) and stolen bases (35) while also scoring 61 runs and walking 51 times versus 51 strikeouts.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Despite winning the Gold Glove, Reynolds was not really that good defensively (led the league in errors) and was a league-average hitter by OPS+.  Also, he led the league in times caught stealing (27), which is a pretty bad ratio for someone running that much.  Mark Langston, the 1988 Diamond King, was the team's best player as he went 15-11 with a 3.34 ERA and 235 strikeouts in 261.1 innings pitched.  Alvin Davis was the team's best hitter as he hit .295/.412/.462 with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs.  

GRADE: C+.  Reynolds's traditional numbers were fine, if unimpressive.  The Mariners did not a wealth of options though and Langston and Davis had been Diamond Kings before.  Reynolds does represent new blood.

ATLANTA BRAVES - GERALD PERRY

The Braves' first-baseman was named to the All Star Game for the first time in 1988.  Perry hit .300/.338/.400 with eight home runs and 74 RBIs.  He led the team in hits (164) and stolen bases (29).  He was second in doubles (28) and third in runs (61).  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  I am going with no.  His WAR was 0.2, primarily because he was kind of awful defensively.  His traditional offensive numbers were not bad, though he had very little power.  The team's WAR leader was Pete Smith, who was 7-15 with a 3.69 ERA and 124 strikeouts versus 88 walks in 195.1 innings pitched.  Rick Mahler was 9-16 with a 3.69 ERA and 131 strikeouts versus 42 walks in 249 innings.  It is important to note the Braves were pretty much awful in 1988, explaining the bad records of Smith and Mahler.  The best pick might have been Ron Gant, who hit .259/.317/.439 with 146 hits, 85 runs scored, 28 doubles, eight triples, 19 home runs, 19 stolen bases and 60 RBIs.

GRADE: C.  I am not going to come down too hard on this, because the Braves did not have a lot of good options.  Perry certainly had a decent batting average and stolen base total, but he was not really that good in reality, since he was below-average at getting on base, had very little power and was terrible defensively.  Gant probably would have been the best choice.

MINNESOTA TWINS - FRANK VIOLA

Viola was the 1988 Cy Young winner in the American League, primarily based on leading the league in wins and winning percentage (.774).  He was also an All Star and finished tenth in the MVP vote.  Viola had a record of 24-7 with a 2.64 ERA and notched 193 strikeouts versus 54 walks in 255.1 innings pitched.  

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  It is so close between Viola and Puckett by WAR that I am inclined to say yes, with the Cy Young as the deciding factor.  Puckett had a monstrous season though as he hit .356/.375/.545 with 24 home runs and 121 RBIs.  He led the league in hits (234) and total bases (358) and finished third in the MVP vote.  Allan Anderson also had a big season, going 16-9 with a 2.45 ERA in 202.1 innings pitched.

GRADE: A.  Puckett was probably slightly better, but Viola did win the Cy Young Award so I am inclined to give this to Donruss.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - STEVE BEDROSIAN

Coming off of his 1987 N.L. Cy Young Award, Bedrosian went 6-6 with a 3.75 ERA as the closer for the Phillies.  He pitched in 57 games, throwing 74.1 innings and struck out 61 while walking 27 batters.  Bedrosian saved 28 games.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Absolutely not.  The Phillies were pretty bad in 1988, but they had a lot of players that had better seasons than Bedrosian.  Kevin Gross led the team in WAR as he was 12-14 with a 3.69 ERA, striking out 162 and walking 89 in 231.2 innings pitched.  Middle reliever Greg Harris also had a better season than Bedrosian, putting up a 2.36 ERA in 107 innings pitched over 66 games.  Phil Bradley was the team's best hitter as he hit .264/.341/.392.

GRADE: F.  This is one of those Diamond Kings that was a year late.  Bedrosian was okay, but not really that great in 1988.  He was not the most deserving of Cy Young winners anyway, but he was definitely better in 1987 than his very ordinary season in 1988.  

HOUSTON ASTROS - GLENN DAVIS

Davis finished eighth in the N.L. MVP race in 1988.  He hit .271/.341/.478 and led the team in home runs (30) and RBIs (99).  He also accumulated 78 runs scored, 152 hits and 26 doubles.  Davis was second on the team in hits and third in runs scored.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  Yes.  Davis had big power and could have done even more had he played in a more hitter-friendly environment.  Davis tied for the team lead in WAR with Mike Scott.  Scott went 14-8 with a 2.92 ERA, striking out 190 and walking 53 in 218.2 innings pitched.  Jim Deshaies also had a nice season as he went 11-14 with a 3.00 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 207 innings pitched.

GRADE: A.  The Astrodome was a pretty terrible place to hit, so it is very impressive that a player managed to hit as many home runs as Davis did.  

NEW YORK YANKEES - DON MATTINGLY

Mattingly was an All Star and won the Gold Glove in 1988, but his numbers had actually declined somewhat.  He still hit .311/.353/.462 with 18 home runs and 88 RBIs.  Mattingly scored 94 runs and had 186 hits and 37 doubles.  He led Yankees hitters in runs and tied for the lead in doubles.  He was third in home runs and RBIs.

WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE?  No.  Dave Winfield had a monster season for the Yankees, hitting .322/.398/.530 with 25 home runs and 107 RBIs.  He finished fourth in the MVP race.  Rickey Henderson also had a great year, hitting .305/.394/.399 and stole 93 bases.  

GRADE: C+.  Mattingly was decent, but this was not one of his better seasons.  Winfield had a great year on the other hand, though he had been a Diamond King twice before already.  Henderson also would have been an excellent choice.  Mattingly was the third-best option on the team. 

RECAP

BEST PICK:  Frank Viola.  Surprised?  Viola had the highest WAR of any player selected and was a deserving Cy Young winner.  Offensively, the best season probably belongs to Andres Galarraga.

WORST PICK:  Dave Schmidt.  I simply do not understand this choice.  Schmidt was a long reliever/spot starter and had a decent ERA, but nothing else.  By WAR, the worst choice was probably Gerald Perry, but his average at least looked decent.

BIGGEST SNUB:  Jose Canseco.  He had a historic season, becoming the first 40/40 man in history and easily winning the A.L. MVP.  Orel Hershiser is also a pretty big snub, setting a record with 59 consecutive scoreless innings, but he lost out to the MVP winner, so it does not feel like as big of a snub.

WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY:  Gerald Perry.  Perry had a 13-year career in the Majors, was an All Star once and had a career WAR of -0.2.  Yes, a negative WAR.  Runner-up goes to Jeff Robinson who spent six seasons in the Majors and had a career WAR of 1.4.