Odd Birds

As word is breaking out about 40+ participants already signed up for next year's 4th Annual Greater Michigan APBA Baseball Tournament (GMABT IV), people are picking the teams they feel have the best shots at next year's title.

2018's GMABT theme will be 'Only 1973-Present American League Teams (DH Era)'

I was late a few times on my selection, I turned in my slip for the 1987 Detroit Tigers at the event, to find out, I just missed out on them by a half-hour. I got home, and the very next morning I saw that the 2001 Seattle Mariners were still open (or I thought) -- the list just wasn't updated yet, my friend Darren Schulz beat me to the punch.

The Picking Process

Tough Choice: Hosmer & KC out.

It's strange where choices lead to, I just bought both the 1993 & 1997 APBA Baseball Season sets recently off of GMABT III Finalist & APBA HOF'er Greg Wells for a total of twenty bucks. While I was digging through Baseball Reference for my A.L. choice, I looked over numerous teams, I glanced over the 1979 Milwaukee Brewers and the 1981 Detroit Tigers (which I acquired the 1981 APBA Baseball set off of my good friend Kenneth Heard)... The Tigers offense lacked punch, while the Brew Crew had plenty of punch, but a B-C-C rotation would be tournament suicide.

I looked over other teams, and I never really even got to 2000 & beyond on Baseball Ref, I think I knew I wanted something prior to 2001, except I did look awfully long at the 2015 Kansas City Royals, but I remember numerous people that have played that team have had some bad luck. 

While looking over the Royals, my newly acquired 1997 set was in front of me, and I quickly noticed the Baltimore envelope in front of me, went through the packet and noticed plenty of 22-7 & 44-7's at the top part of the order, decided to go back to Baseball Ref and see if the stats were great, and the top 6 of the lineup is exactly how I remembered it, this could be a fun & gritty team.

The Roster

A deep veteran-laced ball club that is strong in fundamentals, led by Cal Ripken (left).

All B rotation with 2 Z's, led by Mike Mussina's B-XZ, plus 3 'A' relievers in Armando Benitez, Jesse Orosco & Randy Myers, plus a B reliever in Arthur Rhodes.

The lineup will likely go as follows / Fielding 41 when Mussina pitches:

1. Brady Anderson (CF) - .288 AVG, 18 HR, 73 RBI & 18 SB (.863 OPS)
2. Robby Alomar (2B) - .333 AVG, 14 HR, 60 RBI & 9 SB (.890 OPS)
3. Harold Baines (DH) - .301 AVG, 16 HR, 67 RBI (.832 OPS)
4. Rafael Palmeiro (1B) - .254 AVG, 38 HR, 110 RBI (.815 OPS)
5. B.J. Surhoff (LF) - .284 AVG, 18 HR, 88 RBI (.803 OPS)
6. Cal Ripken (3B) - .270 AVG, 17 HR, 84 RBI (.733 OPS)
7. Chris Hoiles (C) - .259 AVG, 12 HR, 49 RBI (.794 OPS)
8. Jeffrey Hammonds (RF) - .264 AVG, 21 HR, 55 RBI & 15 SB (.809 OPS)
9. Mike Bordick (SS) - .236 AVG, 7 HR & 46 RBI (.601 OPS)

47 combined All-Star appearances for the above, and that's not counting the fact that Chris Hoiles never played in an All-Star Game, while Mike Bordick & Jeffrey Hammonds has. It is pretty astonishing that Hoiles never got such an honor, while his career produced 23.4 WAR & .833 OPS!

Geronimo Berroa will be an interesting bench option, he will not split time at DH with Baines, but if I do get in desperate need for some offense, I would sacrifice defense by taking Bordick out of the lineup, move Surhoff from left to third, Ripken from third to short & place Berroa in left. 

The lineup is fielding, a fielding 2 when Key & Erickson pitch regardless -- by taking Bordick out of the lineup, the team is still a fielding 2. I may just play Bordick, when Mike Mussina pitches.

Geronimo Berroa's 1998 Leaf Baseball Card.

Lineup with Geronimo Berroa (minus Bordick):

1. Brady Anderson (CF) - .288 AVG, 18 HR, 73 RBI & 18 SB (.863 OPS)
2. Robby Alomar (2B) - .333 AVG, 14 HR, 60 RBI & 9 SB (.890 OPS)
3. Harold Baines (DH) - .301 AVG, 16 HR, 67 RBI (.832 OPS)
4. Rafael Palmeiro (1B) - .254 AVG, 38 HR, 110 RBI (.815 OPS)
5. B.J. Surhoff (3B) - .284 AVG, 18 HR, 88 RBI (.803 OPS)
6. Geronimo Berroa (LF) - .283 AVG, 26 HR, 90 RBI (.836 OPS)
7. Cal Ripken (SS) - .270 AVG, 17 HR, 84 RBI (.733 OPS)
8. Jeffrey Hammonds (RF) - .264 AVG, 21 HR, 55 RBI & 15 SB (.809 OPS)
9. Chris Hoiles (C) - .259 AVG, 12 HR, 49 RBI (.794 OPS)

The remarkable thing with this lineup (above), is that there are only two players (Ripken & Hoiles) who are below an .800 OPS... this lineup has the strength to rake, as long as I am rolling hot.

The Bench

1. Eric Davis (OF) - .304 AVG, 8 HR, 25 RBI & 6 SB (.883 OPS) in 158 at-bats.
2. Jerome Walton (OF) - .294 AVG, 3 HR & 9 RBI (.775 OPS) in 68 at-bats.
3. Aaron Ledesma (IF) - .352 AVG, 2 HR & 11 RBI (.937 OPS) in 88 at-bats.

Aaron Ledesma's card is very interesting with 22-7, 44-7 & 55-7, plus a 42-9, 35-9 & 62-14, providing 3 trips to second columns, with 8 1's. Eric Davis & Jerome Walton are single-column cards that provide good pop (Davis: 11-5, 33-5, 66-1 & 22-6).

The rotation will feature: 

1. Mike Mussina (B-XZ): 15-8, 3.20 ERA, 218 K / 54 BB & 1.117 WHIP (224.2 IP)
2. Scott Erickson (B-Z): 16-7, 3.69 ERA, 131 K / 61 BB & 1.259 WHIP (221.2 IP)
3. Jimmy Key (B-Y): 16-10, 3.43 ERA, 141 K / 82 BB & 1.375 WHIP (212.1 IP)

Erickson, Mussina & Key stretching out their legs & preparing for 2018.

It appears that Manager Davey Johnson went 4 strong with Mussina, Erickson, Key & Scott Kamienicki for most part -- The 5th slot of the rotation was numerous APBA tourney rejects; Unfortunately Kamienicki does not make the cut as a flat Grade C Starter, I have no real reason to have him on the roster, it would be something else if he was a lefty, I could use him in that role (but not necessary). With Ledesma's hot J-4 card, I will also leave vet infielder Jeff Reboulet off the roster -- Reboulet by far is the better fielder, but is a liability at the plate with his .636 OPS.

The Bullpen

• Arthur Rhodes (B*-XYZ): 10-3, 3.02 ERA, 1 SV, 102 K / 26 BB & 1.059 WHIP (95.1 IP)
• Armando Benitez (A*-XYW): 4-5, 2.45 ERA, 9 SV, 106 K / 43 BB & 1.255 WHIP (73.1 IP)
• Jesse Orosco (A*-XW): 6-3, 2.32 ERA, 46 K / 30 BB & 1.172 WHIP (50.1 IP)
• Randy Myers (A&C*-X): 2-3, 1.51 ERA, 45 SV, 56 K / 22 BB & 1.156 WHIP (59.2 IP)

My strategy with the bullpen will come down to what part of the lineup that I am facing in late-game situations, if its the weaker part of the lineups, I will have the W's (Orosco & Benitez), while I will have Rhodes battle more with the tougher outs. The goal is no easy base-runners, simple outs.

The Challenge

When I look more & more at this team, and while I have been putting this blog piece together even, I feel very comfortable about my 2018 GMABT IV pick. I know my pick of the 1997 Baltimore Orioles wasn't ideal, nor were they a personal favorite. Sure... I didn't go for safer choices, I feel picking teams like this, really makes you a better APBA manager & gives a manager a bigger challenge.

There are some participants that pick strictly 'safe' choices every single tournament & then they play 'APBA-Ball' by placing lineups that were completely not used by those actually teams, placing all their OBP & OPS at the very top of the lineup.... to me, that's just completely unrealistic, while at the same time, how can that even be satisfying?

I think this team could be very similar to my choice of the 1993 Atlanta Braves, I have pretty set lineups, rotations & solid pens. 

1997 Orioles are looking forward to celebrating in March 2018.

I found out after my first few tournaments with the 1912 New York Giants & 1917 Chicago White Sox, that juggling lineups while in the middle of tournament action does not lead to any consistency, I feel when I have played with consistent lineups in the past, I have had far better luck.

The main goal is to always have fun at these tournaments, but I would be lying (and others would be lying) if I was to say that winning it all, is not on my agenda.

Forever Linked: GMABT II Champion