Looking Back at Big Deal

Pujols had a huge impact on my team in the 2000's.

The great thing for me, is that I benefited in my buddy Jeff Tritthart's APBA League (IGAL), a league full of Navy buddies, I acquired Pujols in 2002, during our 2002 IGAL Season (Pujol's 2001 rookie season). The funny thing he was already traded once, he ended up playing with three teams that season, he would first be drafted by the Dublin Fighting Irish - #2 overall behind Ichiro Suzuki (drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals). Then in March 2002, a four-team trade (yes, a four-team trade) that involved the Humble Warriors (then known as the Peaches), Cleveland Tribal-Thunder, Dublin & Philadelphia.

Let me first say, a long time back we had three teams each, and I created the name for the Dublin Fighting Irish, we added owners, and I ditched that team, which really was my 3rd team. At this point, the team was being ran by our friend Neil Barney's brother, who kept the team name (and yes, the logo was basically Notre Dame's logo). Plus not really sure how involved Neil's brother was in the first place, since Neil was basically the GM of that team. This was happening during a time of transition for the league, looking back...

Humble acquired 5 total players, with Magglio Ordonez, being the main acquisition along with 3 relievers in Mike Remlinger, Pedro Borbon Jr., and Scott Williamson -- plus a fringe player in Brian Daubach (1B). Cleveland acquired Andruw Jones & Lance Berkman (Berkman will still be a stud for some time, we would find out Jones had far less gas in the tank), reuniting real-life teammates Andruw & Chipper. Jones & Berkman, were acquired along with outfielder Shannon Stewart who would just sputter out basically with Travis Phelps (RP). Dublin really got hurt on this deal, they gave up Albert Pujols & the 3 relievers (Remlinger, Borbon & Williamson) to Humble & got back in return a 2003 1st Round Draft Pick - #2 Overall (from Philadelphia), OF-Dmitri Young, SP-Frank Castillo & RP-Dave Veres -- the #2 overall pick would end up being Mark Prior for the Dublin Fighting Irish (who needed plenty of pitching), which seemed great at the time for new owner (little brother Christopher Baier) who took over Dublin -- but we would find out that Prior's career would be short-lived.

Dublin's cursed bad luck in drafting Prior.

Philadelphia was the winner in that deal (well for at least 3 months), acquiring Pujols, plus RP-Kazzuhiro Sasaki (who I believe was the #1 or #2 overall pick, the year before) from Humble & OF-Johnny Damon from Cleveland.

The thing is the winner in the deal would be the ultimate loser a few months later, my Atlanta Braves came off their first IGAL World Championship, but I had to bolster up my bullpen in 2002, so while I was visiting my buddy Neil Barney in California, I asked about his relievers Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill & Jeff Tam. He was looking at my roster and was asking whether I would trade either Richie Sexson & Raul Mondesi, which is funny because I believe Jeff asked about Sexson as well, around the time of the annual rookie draft. I would tell Neil that I would think about it, over dinner or hanging out I mentioned almost off-handily how I really like this Pujols kid in St. Louis (now in his second season), and that I believe he is going to be a constant beast. I was not even thinking of acquiring Albert, but Neil came back with an offer that included my Braves acquiring Pujols, Gordon, Quantrill & Tam in exchange for (both) Sexson & Mondesi, plus Odalis Perez (who by the way was having a great season in 2002 -- ending up 15-10 with a 3.00 ERA & 155 K's in 222.1 innings & the fact that Neil loved his Dodgers) & Chuck Finley (which 2002 would be the end of the line for his career).

This deal went down on June 5th, 2002 -- A year & 4 months after I acquired John Smoltz - no card [NC] (at career crossroads, soon to be reliever) & Alex Rodriguez, along with 3 draft picks. A-Rod joined what was already a stellar lineup that included Todd Helton, Sammy Sosa & Javy Lopez. Quantrill & Gordon was the beginning of what would become a great consistent bullpen with relievers Brad Lidge, Damaso Marte, and a few other consistent guys that just got the job done -- my rotation was not great though (it would become a force later in the decade with Roy Halladay & Tim Lincecum).

For Philly, Richie Sexson, would have 3 more good seasons in the majors -- but his range of .263 to .274 BA doesn't hold well in a smaller league format in APBA where you are often going up against A & B pitchers -- so he never got a legit chance to put up his majors numbers; Raul Mondesi was going through a down 2002 at the time of the deal, and would bounce back a little in 2003 with respectable numbers & okay season in 2004 -- he was never an impact in the deal. We would find out for Odalis Perez that 2002 was as good as it got, as his next lowest ERA season would be 4.32 during his final season in the MLB (2008 for Washington).

It is easy to at times to look back at deals and see the flaws or mistakes by one party, but at the time it may seem to have made sense for both teams. I have had my duds through the years as anyone else, but it's beautiful when you pull off a beauty of a deal.

Not So 'Even Steven'

So I was messing around my 2008 APBA Baseball Card Set, and forgot that I put my BBW (Baseball for Windows) WABL Atlanta Braves team into a ready-to-play APBA Card set. My WABL (World APBA Baseball League) Braves were 5-time World Champions (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2009 -- yes, we call them the "Every Other-Year Champs" dynasty).

The 2009 WABL Champions (2008 MLB Season) was one of my most impressive teams, having the lineup and pitching on top of their game --- but it was funny how it all came together, since it does have a few one-year wonder power-years by Milton Bradley, Carlos Quentin & starting pitcher Edinson Volquez that usually weren't in the mix to previous teams. Bradley usually was an occasional starter, DH, bench-guy for me.

Two big early career moves that paid dividends.

My usual lineup that season (and their OPS's)

1. Brian Roberts - 2B     (.828)

2. Nick Markakis - CF     (.897)

3. Albert Pujols -1B     (1.115)

4. Alex Rodriguez - 3B     (.965)

5. Milton Bradley - DH     (.999)

6. Carlos Quentin - RF     (.965)

7. Corey Hart - LF     (.759)

8. Yunel Escobar - SS     (.767)

9. Ivan Rodriguez - C     (.713)

The funny thing is that this was the first year in quite a few years that Carl Crawford didn't regularly start for me, his OPS was only .719, he was banged up for Tampa during their A.L. Championship campaign, and only had 25 steals & 8 HR's in 443 at-bats. He would start occasional with Adam Jones, Jones was sent to the minors in support for another arm from the bullpen in the playoffs -- plus he didn't even play up to his .711 OPS. He might have got just a little over 100 at-bats even.

Bench

Yorvit Torrealba - C

Adam LaRoche - 1B

Alberto Callaspo - IF

Ramon Santiago - SS

Carl Crawford - OF

Really not one of my best benches in recent years here, Mark Kotsay was a guy that usually made the roster, Alberto Callaspo emerged for this season & was really valuable & versatile; Torrealba is my career back-up Braves' catcher, the guy does what I ask him to do & that's give my #1's a break from time to time. Mark Reynolds was an occasional DH, backup 3B for A-Rod & pinch-hitter from time to time during the season -- he hit 28 HR's for the D-Backs in 2008. Edgar Renteria's bad 08' knocked him out of his usual place in the lineup & roster all together.

Rotation

1. Roy Halladay     B-XZ

2. Tim Lincecum     A-XY

3. Ben Sheets     B-YZ

4. Edinson Volquez     A-XYW

5. Ricky Nolasco     B-XZ

Joe Saunders     B-Z

Roy Halladay has now been my ace for a few years, Ben Sheets was the one while the rotation was in transition years back, and Randy Johnson was the ace from 1998-2004. Tim Lincecum was a 2nd-round steal for me, I used to tout Edinson Volquez as one of my biggest draft steals (2006 WABL Draft - 7th Round, 85th overall) -- turns out that 2008 was as good as it will get. There was also Shaun Marcum, Adam Wainwright & Dustin McGowan in the minors for me as well. 

Bullpen

Keiichi Yabu     B*

Brian Fuentes     B*-K

Jonathan Broxton     B*-K

Jim Johnson     A*

Brad Lidge     A&C*-KW

Not one of my best bullpens actually, and I also used a young Sergio Romo B*-XYZ, Michael Wuertz B*, Andrew Brown B*-YW & the once-promising Joel Zumaya B*-XW.

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Bingo DeMoss - One of the better 2B's in Negro League history.

So I decided to play them, in a dice-game exhibition against the Negro League "Stripes" team as part of my Negro League barnstorming tour experiment to see if I should throw these teams into a GTOP scenario or what not, after this... these All-Star Negro teams probably won't be used like this, and only in this form for this exhibition tour.

WHY?

Because they demolished the 2008 WABL Braves, the Stripes would get their first 9 batters all on base, and rack up 7 runs against "Doc" Halladay! It was Halladay (B-XZ) vs. Lefty McKinnis (B-Z), their #4 starter. Plus Cool Papa Bell had the day off, sure the Stripes had 7 Hall of Famers in their starting nine, but I felt the teams were quite "Even Steven"... 

Not so much.

The Braves would get outscored 16-0, while being outhit 20-4, Albert Pujols had 2 singles. Willard Brown went 4-for-5 against the Braves, with a 2B & 3 RBI & Bingo DeMoss went 3-for-5 with a HR, Steal & 4 RBI. Pete Hill added a 2-run blast as well. The Stripes scored 7 in the first & 6 runs in the 6th, while McKinnis pitched a complete-game shutout.

And I thought it would be a good, back & forth match-up -- Boy, was I wrong!

For more about my WABL Braves history, I am currently working on another post.