50 thoughts on “2020 WGOM Draft: Round 15”

  2. Looking at relief pitchers gets to be a bit challenging, since so many of them are converted starters. Trying to capture value on their time only a reliever can pose a bit of a challenge. Eventually I'll want a guy who did both, but for now, I still want a pure elite reliever. So I'll take:

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    It was a close call between him and another recently retired pitcher. I was originally going to go with the other one (and had even typed out his name here), who had a bit more longevity and durability. But then I looked at post-season performances, because I want a reliever who can get the best of the best out (Especially against some of the lineups y'all have put together!). Papelbon thus strikes me as one who could get everyone out, not just feast against middle-tier players. Not that that's what the other guy did, but... Papelbon seems like the more intimidating pitcher, and that's what I want in my bullpen.

    1. Oh man, of all the steaming piles of feces who have played baseball this century, he might be the steamiest.

      2. I have to admit a general lack of familiarity with (or a having forgotten about) this particular awfulness. I was trying to avoid players who were awful. Maybe Clemente will have a good influence on him.

        1. He's a guy who once choked Bryce Harper in his own dugout (after Harper asked him to stop throwing at opponents knowing Harper would be the one targeted in response). And he shockingly actually earned an ejection from Joe West for this. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

          2. It's hard to make Cowboy Joe the sympathetic character, but Papelboner was up to it.

  4. This was the pitcher I wanted to be when I was a little kid. Much like Maddux, I liked that he didn't look like a big giant tough guy, but always got the job done. Plus, I was a fan of the Dodgers for a while as a kid. I literally picked them as my NL team because I liked their hat, but late 1980's was a pretty good time to cheer for the Dodgers.

    Looking at his numbers now, he had three outstanding seasons in 1987, 88, and 89, including winning a Cy Young (and probably should have won a second as well) and a world series, along with World Series and NLCS MVP. Plus, holds the record for the most consecutive scoreless innings. After that dominant three year stretch, he got hurt, and was never the same again. He had a few more effective seasons with Cleveland, but nothing like his peak.

    Round 15, pick 3 SelectShow
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    He is 8th all-time in WAR7 for first base. He had a monster year in 1922, but had a very serious case of sinusitis and sat out 1923. The doctors thought that he would never play again. He returned in 1924 and played 7 more seasons but clearly wasn't the same and was barely more than a league average hitter. The first half of his career was still good enough to get him elected to the Hall of Fame.

  7. One more Pitcher.

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    Being a fellow Dean, I always liked this guy as a kid (not that I was alive when he pitched). Also I'm putting together a fun-loving bunch of guys and this pitcher will fit right in. (well except for Drysdale, you need an SOB in the mix as well)

    1. I wasn't alive when he pitched, but I can remember when he broadcast the Game of the Week.

  9. Round 15, pick 7 SelectShow

    I guess I'll get a relief pitcher... nope, he's taken. Yep, he's taken as well. And he's gone...

    So I'll take a modern guy that might not have the longest career but honestly, he's just got insane numbers. His career K/9 sits at 15.3. Plus, he's kinda goofy.

    3. Everyone is a relief pitcher if you try long enough and (now) with a large enough deficit.

  10. Time for a fourth outfielder.

    Trivia time! Out of all the position players in the modern MVP era (meaning, those whose careers started after 1924), who accumulated the most career rWAR without ever gaining so much as a single down-ballot MVP vote?

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    Higher career rWAR and JAWS than Puckett (admittedly their circumstances weren't the same, but his WAR7 is almost the same, as well). He got 1 single HOF vote.

    2. He was one of those players that was good in a lot of areas but not really great in any other than maybe defense, which wasn't as quantifiable then.

      1. About 50% of his 55 rWAR is playing time. Another 17% is his fielding compared to 38% from good bat. I think his walks were underappreciated along with his fielding.

        That's above 100% because he lost 2% from below average baserunning and 3% from his position.

  11. I guess at some point I have to finish my infield and starting lineup.

    I have been hemming and hawing on hot corner guys ever since Mike Schmidt got taken way back when.

    It boiled down to a great glove guy, a solid facial hair guy, or a guy better known today for having been a front office guy.

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    Looks like I am cornering the market on Jewish stars from the 50s and 60s. Like my other Hebrew Hammer, he was an unanimous MVP. He was a four-time All Star, led the league in HRs and RBI twice each, and missed a triple crown by one hit. And he took no shit from Jew-baiting a-holes.

  12. I didn’t expect that initial run on catchers to go quite so deep so quickly, so I’m going to get out front and draft my back-up now. My pick is essentially Carlton Fisk, and then some: He was a full-time catcher from age 21–42, then played three more seasons in a part-time role. Over his career he caught 2921 games. He won a Triple Crown and played on multiple pennant winners. And yet, he was so poorly known compared to contemporary stars that his own adopted stepson had to look up his stepfather in record books to get an idea of how good he really was. During his last eight seasons as a regular he was the primary catcher, cleanup hitter, and player-manager. Becoming a full-time manager after his playing days, he was ahead of his time, embracing intelligent, data-driven baseball; as a result, he won five pennants and three championships.

    Round 15, Pick 10 SelectShow
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  13. He still has more time to add to his totals, and his first seven years as a professional pitcher were out of this world, and he was still only 24 after that. Plus, he's one of the best baseballers at Twitter

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  15. We will draft a Canadian:

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      1. Dido. I was a big John Hiller fan as a kid, in part because of the comeback. I have his bb card around somewhere. Not sure which year, but might be after his Fireman of the Year award in 1973.

        Also, TIL that he sold insurance in Duluth after he left baseball.

  16. Ok, now it's my turn. I'm going to start working on the bullpen and to do that, I'm probably going to upset everyone here (myself included):

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    I'll be a lock in the playoffs if I were to go up against whoever has the most Twins drafted.

      2. One of my best friends in grad school grew up in Anaheim as an Angels fan. Said friend made sure I was reminded of him regularly.

  18. Need a lefty for the bullpen.

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    A noted clubhouse prankster in his playing days, he was known for sneaking into the locker room during games to sit naked on birthday cakes prepared for teammates, leaving the imprint of his posterior on the frosting. As a world class practical joker, he engaged in creative pranks like putting goldfish in the dugout water cooler and ordering pizzas to be delivered to the other team's bullpen.

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