O.G. Orioles...This Ain't Pretty

Reading this article by Matthew Namee at The Hardball Times got me thinking. Namee hypothetically returns all MLB players to the original organizations they signed with and takes a look at the rosters. He only covered the teams that could field competent major league rosters so, of course, the Orioles were left out of the article. You can guess what comes next.

If you aren't eating anything, take a look at the 2008/2009 Baltimore Orioles 25 man roster consisting only of players originally signed by the club.

The Starting Lineup

C Matt Wieters
1B Jayson Werth
2B Brian Roberts
SS Augie Ojeda
3B Brandon Fahey
RF Nick Markakis
CF Willie Harris
LF Nolan Reimold
DH Gregg Zaun

Wieters would have been rushed to the bigs and along with Roberts and Markakis would be the bright spots in the lineup. Fahey would be forced to play third and former catching prospect (and current Phillies outfielder) Werth would be converted to firstbase.

I figured that the organization would rush Reimold to the majors in lieu of trotting out Alex Ochoa in left. Current Nationals centerfielder Harris would be back in black and orange. Ditto at DH for Rick Dempsey's nephew.

The Bench

C Eli Whiteside
Util Jerry Hairston
Util Mike Fontenot

Whiteside would be the only available option for a backup catcher. Eeesh. Hairston could be the fourth outfielder and Fontenot would be a capable infield backup.

The Rotation

SP Mike Mussina
SP Erik Bedard
SP Daniel Cabrera
SP John Maine
SP Garrett Olson

It's not a great rotation but, given good health, it's better than we have right now! Brian Matusz would still be waiting in the minors for a shot to crack this rotation too. John Maine would be competent in the AL but not great and Mussina would be wrapping up an illustrious Oriole career.

The Bullpen

RHP Jim Johnson
RHP Hayden Penn
LHP John Parrish
RHP Chris Britton
RHP Radhames Liz
RHP Jim Hoey
LHP Arthur Rhodes
RHP Chris Ray

Liz and Penn take the Albers\Johnson route to the bigs and are probably better for it. But overall, the pen is shaky outside of Johnson and Ray. Welcome back Arthur Rhodes!

In conclusion, it's just another example of the Oriole's poor drafting over the years. The inability to develop corner infielders and corner outfielders is especially glaring since those prosepcts are usually to easiest to find!

Also, only two players on this list were signed from outside of the U.S. (Cabrera and Liz). That will have to change if the Orioles hope to return to contention.

Tomorrow, a check in with some of those players that we hope will change that!

Where Are They Now?: The 2002 Oriole Draftees

It's now been over 5 years since the 2002 draft and now it's time to check in to see...Where Are They Now!

1st Round - Adam Loewen - P - High School

It's early but so far this pick is right on schedule. The kid will be 24 next season and, if healthy, should be right there helping to anchor the rotation. Even while pitching through an injury early last season, Loewen performed well. So far, great pick.

2nd Round - Corey Shafer - C - High School

Shafer was quickly converted to an outfielder but hasn't distinguished himself in the minors, only rising as high as Class A Frederick. He did not play last year but I don't know whether that was due to injury or if he's been released. Not good either way.

3rd Round - Val Majewski - OF - Rutgers University

Majewski was on a fast track to the majors as of 2004 when he hit .307 with 15 homers at AA Bowie. Unfortunately, he tore the labrumin his left shoulder and missed all of 2005 due to injury. He has yet to regain his stroke and this season in Norfolk is probably his last chance to secure a future in this organization. So far, this is a push. there is no predicting injury.

4th Round - Tim Gilhooly - OF - University of the Pacific

Gilhooly never rose above low-A Aberdeen and last played in the organization in 2003 hitting .203 for his minor league career. Out of baseball.

5th Round - Hayden Penn - P - High School

Penn rocketed through the organization reaching Baltimore in only two years but still has yet to put it all together. He battled injury last season but has proven he can miss AAA bats. If healthy this year, he can restore his status in Norfolk and perhaps join the rotation in 2008. A push for now but good value for the 5th round.

6th Round - John Maine - P - UNC Charlotte

Maine was traded with Jorge Julio for Kris Benson prior to the 2006 season. Although he has enjoyed some modest success in New York, I have gone on record stating that it's all smoke and mirrors or more accurately all pitcher's park and stellar defense behind him. Anyway, I still think Maine may have projected as a serviceable long reliever for the O's and he was traded for a legitimate (if injured) major league pitcher. A good pick.

7th Round - Paul Henry - P - Ball State

Henry never had any success above low-A ball. Out of baseball.

8th Round - Ryan Hubele - C - Texas

Hubele spent most of the season at Bowie last year and may get a shot at holding a job in Norfolk this season. But at 27 with a career batting average of .248 in the minors, it is unlikely that Hubele will ever be a decent backup catcher in the majors.

9th Round - Trevor Caughey - P - High School

Caughey posted a 4.62 ERA over 5 seasons in the low minors. Out of baseball.

10th Round - Matt Boland - P - High School

Boland never made it out of the Gulf Coast League. Out of baseball.

It's too soon to really do a good assessment of this draft but with Orioles drafts during the Angelos years there isn't even glimpses of hope left among the top picks. Adam Loewen and Hayden Penn are pretty good prospects and poised to help this team in the near future. 12th round pick Brandon Fahey may turn out to be a serviceable utility player at the major league level. Compared to most drafts I've examined over the last year, this one isn't half bad.

Dodging a Bullet

"Today I didn't even have to use my A.K. I gotta say it was a good day." - Ice Cube

Yes, the not so subtle irony of Ice Cube's "Today Was A Good Day" really applies to the Orioles this morning.

First, the draft. I had to scrap my original post about how the Orioles have failed yet again to secure their top talent and continue to strangle the farm system but somehow, some way, at the last minute Matt Wieters signed his contract and the Orioles brought him into the fold.

"They got the deal done," said an elated Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan. "You can tell the city of Baltimore that the old evil owner stepped up and took care of things tonight. We had to fight to the end."

Hey, f you dude. As if we didn't have reason to be concerned. As if not signing the top pick hasn't happened before in the last three years. Yeah, we don't like the owner and he didn't step up and take care of anything tonight. We got lucky.

As far as I can tell, the O's front office didn't come close to Wieters' demand of $10 million dollars. They moved from $5 mil to $6 mil and seemingly made most of that money signing bonus but it's not like they met him halfway. the bottom line was this: Wieters didn't want to go back to school. At all. So he took the best offer he could get and the Orioles dodged a bullet.

We got lucky, O's fans. The end result today was good but we're still stuck in south central L.A. when it comes to the draft.

On the plus side, the Orioles did manage to sign 7 of 8 of their players drafted in the first 10 rounds when it looked like they might not sign 4 of them a couple of days ago. I am of the opinion that you need to get all of your players drafted in the first 10 rounds into the fold but occasionally a player jsut doesn't want to go pro yet. 10th round pick P Eryk McConnell went back to school and eludes the Orioles' grasp. I would usually give that a pass if it wasn't such a pattern for Baltimore. They have failed to sign at least one player in the first 10 rounds for the last five years (the exception being 2005...the year after the Wade Townsend fiasco).

The bottom line is, we're lucky we got him but we did get him. And 6 other guys who can lend a hand. We are better off than we were 24 hours ago even if the front office succeeded despite itself.

Where Are They Now?: The 1997 Oriole Draftees

I haven't done one of these in awhile so since there's an off-day, let's depress ourselves, shall we? Another Pat Gillick draft so brace yourselves...


Jayson Werth - C - High School - 1st Round

Werth is now in the Phillies organization and up until this point hasn't distinguished himself as anything more than a backup player at the major league level (he is a backup outfielder for Philadelphia now) but the O's traded him away for even less value than that. He was traded to Toronto in 2000 for P John Bale. Remember him? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. He pitched in 14 games in relief for Baltimore in 2001 and the O's miraculously were able to trade this marginal journeyman pitcher for Gary Matthews Jr. the next offseason. Matthews spent a year and a half with Baltimore before being released. The Orioles would've been better off just keeping Werth ultimately.


Darnell McDonald - OF - High School - 1st Round

McDonald spent 7 long years in the Baltimore organization and finally got a cup of coffee in 2004. He is now in the Minnesota organization. He has hit .269 and OPS'd .721 in 10 minor league seasons.


Ntema Ndungi - OF - High School - 1st Round

Ndungi rose as high as AA Bowie in 2001. Never hit much. Out of baseball.


Sean Douglass - P - High School - 2nd Round

Played bits of three seasons for the O's from 2001-2003 with an ERA over 6.00. Out of baseball.

Matt Riley - P - High School - 3rd Round

"He's got a million dollar arm and a five-cent head." They were referring to Nuke LaLoosh but they may as well have been talking about Riley. Injuries didn't help his development either. He was traded to Texas for RP Gabe White who was way past being an effective relief pitcher by then. Riley is pitching in relief for AAA Las Vegas.


Shannon Carter - OF - High School - 4th Round

Made it as high as AAA but never learned to hit above A ball. Out of baseball.


Rick Bauer - P - Treasure Valley Community College - 5th Round

Rick had some success as a reliever for Baltimore for a few seasons. He was 11-14 with a 4.34 ERA over 6 major league seasons. He's now reunited with Matt Riley pitching out of the pen in Las Vegas.


Baleb Balbeuna - P - Long Beach State University - 6th Round

Did not sign. Wasted pick. Drafted and signed the next year by Seattle. Out of baseball.


Ricky Casteel - P - Northeast Texas Community College - 7th Round

Casteel went 10-20 with a 4.22 ERA over 3 minor league seasons. Never rose above low A ball.


Jay Spurgeon - P - High School - 8th Round

Got a cup of coffee in 2000. Out of baseball.


Top Ten Draft Pick Stats

Number that are\were regular contributors for the O's: 1
Number still in the organization: 0
Number traded for regular contributors: 0
Number out of baseball: 6
Diamonds in the rough: 1


Conclusion

Next to some other drafts, this one doesn't look so bad (but it ain't great). The diamond in the rough was Jerry Hairston who was almost good enough to displace Brian Roberts at one point but the only other player that was of any use was Rick Bauer. Except for Werth.

Where Are They Now?: The 1998 Oriole Draftees

(No game last night so here's something a little different...)

The fourth installment of our continuing series of dismal tragedy and high comedy that is this organization's drafts under the Angelos Regime. Let's have at it!

Rick Elder - OF - High School - 1st Round

Elder tore up the Rookie Leagues but never adjusted to A ball. He got as high as Delmarva in 2001 and is now playing in the Independent leagues.

Mamon Tucker - OF - High School - 1st Round

Two first round picks on high school outfielders, two busts. He made it to A+ Frederick and was selected in the Rule V draft by Philadelphia. He bounced around the minors for a couple more years hitting .262 with 11 homeruns for his career. He's out of baseball.

Ben Knapp - RHP - High School - 2nd Round

Ben never really got it together, even in the low minors. He got to Frederick, briefly, in 2003 and was released. he played a year of independent league ball and now is out. he compiled a 23-27 record and a 4.65 ERA over 5 seasons.

Alex Hart - RHP - High School - 2nd Round

Drafted but never signed. A wasted pick. I'll include an 11th draftee to even things out.

Steve Bechler - RHP - High School - 3rd Round

We'll never know what Bechler could've been but signs pointed to him being a useful major league reliever someday. For those that don't know, Bechler died of a heart attack (probably brought on by ephedrine) during Spring Training of 2003.

Chris Davidson - P - Western Carolina University - 4th Round

Unclear on the reasons here but Chris Davidson never pitched professionally for anyone. Out of baseball.

Joshua Yarno - RHP - High School - 5th Round

Another guy who I can find no record of. Out of baseball.

Tim Raines, Jr. - OF - High School - 6th Round

Tim is no longer with the organization but was still kicking around the Nationals' minor league system last year. I don't want to spoil the rest of this list but with 75 games played and a .213 average in the Majors, Tim is the most successful member of this draft class. (sigh)

Tim Nelson - 3B - Allan Hancock College - 7th Round

Played two seasons at Bluefield and hung 'em up. Hit .226 over 34 games.

Randy Perez - LHP - High School - 8th Round

Randy never really distinguished himself at the lower levels and rose only as far a A+ Frederick. After 2003, he was out of baseball.

Francisco Monzon - C - High School - 9th Round

Monzon couldn't hit his way out of a wet paper bag in Rookie ball. That's as far as he got.

Top Ten Draft Pick Stats

Number that are regular contributors for the O's: 0
Number still in the organization: 0
Number traded for regular contributors: 0
Number out of baseball: 9
Diamonds in the rough: 0

Conclusion

I didn't think it was possible but now this draft is the worst I've ever seen and by a huge margin. Pat Gillick gets partial credit for Bechler I suppose, maybe. How bad was it? Out of the dozens of players selected by Baltimore that year only three made it as high as AAA: Tim Raines, Steve Bechler and a guy named Joey Hammond (and his stint was a cup of coffee). Dreadful.

And people wonder why we want Angelos gone. And why the farm system has been so bad

Where Are They Now?: The 1999 Baltimore Orioles Draftees

The Orioles had seven – that’s right, seven – first round draft picks in 1999. The first six never amounted to much, many flamed out fast. But the seventh was Brian Roberts and that fact alone makes this one of the better drafts in recent history. Here they are:

Mike Paradis – P - Clemson University – 1st Round

Paradis never pitched that well in the minors, compiling a 29-47 with a 5.25 ERA in 106 starts. He appears to be out of baseball.

Rich Stahl – P - High School – 1st Round

Rick made it all the way to AA Bowie last season and then ended up in the Reds organization, getting a cup of coffee in AAA Louisville. He has gone 27-39 with a 4.23 ERA in 96 minor league starts.

Larry Bigbie – OF - Ball State University – 1st Round

Bigbie was a good pick, not for what he did for the O’s but for who they were able to trade him for. Sadly, Eric Byrnes was not resigned to play left last year and the O’s got only a third of a season out of him and a poor third at that. No, Byrnes wasn’t a great player but he would’ve been better than any of the other candidates Baltimore had in left last year.

Oh, what happened to Bigbie? He eventually ended up in St. Louis but had a lot of injuries last year. He got released by the Cardinals but I imagine someone will pick him up on a minor league contract at least.

Keith Reed – OF- Providence College – 1st Round

Reed is very appropriately named because he is built like one. Tall and lanky, Reed never filled out or developed much power or plate discipline. Fast but never was able to translate that into steals. Has had a cup of coffee in the bigs but looks to be a AAA+ guy at this point.

Joshua Cenate – P- High School – 1st Round

Appears to have gotten hurt during or shortly after his first year in the rookie leagues. Surfaces again in 2003 as a batter for Bluefield and Aberdeen with exactly one AB in one game for each. Odd to say the least. Out of baseball.

Scott Rice – P- High School – 1st Round

Made it to AAA Ottawa last year and but up some average numbers. Went 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA but his K/BB ratio is not good.

Brian Roberts – SS – University of South Carolina – 1st Round

We all know Brian. All-Star second baseman.

John Kessick – C – Ball State University – 3rd Round

Hit .194 over three minor league seasons. Out of baseball.

Erik Bedard – P - Norwalk Tech University – 6th Round

Developed into a nice number two (or better) starter for the big club.

Dave Farren – P - High School – 7th Round

Reached as high as high A Frederick in 2003, compiled a 15-23 record with a 4.28 ERA. Out of baseball.


Number that are regular contributors for the Orioles: 2
Number still in the organization: 4
Number traded for regular contributors: 0
Number out of baseball: 4
Diamonds in the rough: 2


Wrapup

Even with a lot of guys that missed badly, you have to chalk this up as a very successful draft. The diamonds in the rough were Willie Harris (24th Round) and Aaron Rakers (23rd Round). Harris was traded for Chris Singleton, a decent glove guy who played centerfield for the O’s in 2001. I did not count Harris as one who was traded for a regular contributor since Singleton stayed just the one year. Rakers looked to be a factor in the bullpen before he hurt his shoulder and missed the 2006 season. He may still pay dividends in the future.

You’d like to have seen more than one of the first rounders develop into useful players but it only takes a couple of good players to make a sub-par draft a great one. The O’s got an All-Star caliber second baseman and a potential ace in their first 10 picks. If you do that every year, you’re a World Series contender. This was Frank Wren’s only draft for the O’s and you have to wonder why.

Where are They Now?: The 2000 Oriole Draftees

Get out your clothespin and clip tightly onto your nose. Behold the first draft of the new millennium!

Beau Hale – P – University of Texas – 1st Round
Looks like Beau had some injury problems. He reached AA Bowie in 2001 but missed the entire 2003 and 2004 seasons. In 2006 splitting time between Frederick and Bowie, he went 6-6 with a 3.33 ERA and 85 Ks in 116.3 innings.

Tripper Johnson - 3B - Newport High School – 1st Round
Tripper is still playing third for the O’s and has risen as high as AA Bowie. Over 7 minor league seasons, he has hit .265 and OPSed .741.

Richard Bartlett - P - Kamiakin High School – 3rd Round
Rose to A+ Frederick in 2003 and was then selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Dodgers. Last year in AA Jacksonville he went 3-3 with a 4.33 ERA

Tommy Arko - C - Cooper High School – 3rd Round
Only reached A+ Frederick by 2005. Hit .204 with 39 HR over 6 minor league seasons. Out of baseball.

John Skaggs – P - Rice University – 4th Round
Skaggs did not sign with the O’s. Eventually signed with the Yankees and was in AA last year.

Doug Gredvig - 1B – Sacramento City College – 5th Round
Rose as high as Frederick in 2004. Played in the Philadelphia organization in 2005 and played in an independent league in 2006.

Brandon Spillers - P - Tattnall Square Academy – 6th Round
Brandon pitched for Class A Delmarva last year. In 6 seasons in the minors, he is 11-11 with a 4.67 ERA.

BJ Littleton - OF - Lamar University – 7th Round
Reached AAA Ottawa in 2003. Now in A ball for the Phillies.

Jayme Sperrring – P - Rice University – 8th Round
Rose as high as Frederick. Out of baseball.

Mike Russell - C - Bothel High School – 9th Round
Got to Frederick in 2005. Now playing in the Frontier league for Kalamazoo.


Top Ten Draft Pick Stats

Number that are regular contributors for the Orioles: 0
Number still in the organization: 3
Number traded for regular contributors: 0
Number out of baseball: 2
Diamonds in the rough: 1

Wrapup

Wow. This is one of the worst drafts I’ve ever seen. The diamond in the rough is Kurt Birkins, the 33rd round draft pick who went 5-2 with a 4.94 ERA out of the bullpen for Baltimore. He is by far the best pick for the O’s in the 2000 draft. Thanks Syd Thrift. If you want to get really disgusted, go look at all the players who were selected in the 2000 draft by competent teams.

Where Are They Now?: The 2001 Oriole Draftees

“Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.” - Simon and Garfunkel

Where have you gone Christopher Smith? O’s nation trains its weary eyes on you.

Orioles fans love to vilify Peter Angelos for various reasons. I love to vilify Peter Angelos for continuing to ignore player development as part of the O’s plan for success. To be fair, the decline of the Baltimore farm system started many years before he took over but he has done nothing during this time to reverse the decay of what once was one of the premier minor league systems in baseball.

GM’s come and GMs go but Mr. Angelos remains. I’m going to shine a spotlight on various amateur drafts during the past 10 years or so to highlight the Orioles futility in replenishing their young talent. Young talent means cheap young talent. If you have a couple homegrown guys who can fill out your roster at $350,000 a year, leaves you a lot more money to chase the premier free agents, right?

Now, I know the draft is a crapshoot, you never know exactly how young players will develop (if they develop at all). For as much a disappointment as Jeffery Hammonds was, he was a success story given the long odds of even drafting a first rounder who will have a meaningful career. While Hammonds never developed into the star he was hailed as at draft time, he did play in the majors for 12 years, even if much of that was in a platoon capacity. (Cases like Hammonds BTW are a perfect example of why I never get too excited about the draft. I’d rather see a player’s progression through the minor leagues before I get my hopes up.)

I’m going to present the top ten draft picks of each year and see where they are now, try to assess what value they added to the organization and scan the rest of their draft to see if the O’s have any skill finding that diamond in the rough.

With that, I present the O’s 2001 Amateur Player Draft:

Christopher Smith – LHP – 1st Round
Yeah, I don’t remember this guy either. Drafted out of Cumberland University, he was often injured and over the course of 5 minor league seasons only pitched in 24 games. He rose as high as Class A Delmarva in 2005 and is now out of baseball.

Mike Fontenot – 2B – 1st Round
Drafted out of LSU, Mike was able to rise through the system, reaching AAA Ottawa in his third season. With Brian Roberts in his way, I guess the O’s thought he was expendable. They traded him with Jerry Hairston and Dave Crouthers to the Cubs before the 2005 season for one year of diminished Sammy Sosa. Had a cup of coffee with the Cubs in 2005. At age 26, hit .296-8-34 for AAA Iowa in 2006.

Bryan Bass – SS – 1st Round
Drafted out of high school as a shortstop, now moved over to third base. In his sixth season, he finally made it to AA Bowie last year. Hit .220-6-44 between Frederick and Bowie. He must be a hell of a fielder since he has only hit .228 with little power over his minor league career.

Dave Crouthers – RHP – 3rd Round
Traded for Sosa before the 2005 season. Went 30-25 with a 4.07 ERA over four seasons rising as high as AA Bowie in 2004. Out of baseball.

Rommie Lewis – LHP – 4th Round
After 5 seasons only has risen to high A ball in Frederick. Working in relief in 2006 he went 5-3 with a 2.09 ERA and 36 Ks in 51.2 innings .

Jamie Johnson – RHP – 5th Round
Drafted out of high school, Johnson spent the entire year in Bowie last year going 13-6 with a 4.44 ERA and 124 Ks in 156 innings.

Eli Whiteside – C – 6th Round
Rose to AAA Ottawa in 2005 and also had a call-up to Baltimore. Hit .241-11-47 for Ottawa in 2006.

Joe Coppinger – RHP – 7th Round
Went 2-3 with a 5.47 ERA over 9 starts for Delmarva in 2005. 18-20 with a 4.59 ERA fro his minor league career. Out of baseball.

Chris Britton – RHP – 8th Round
Pitched in Baltimore in 2006. The rookie went 0-2 with a 3.35 ERA in 52 appearances. 41 Ks in 53.2 innings. Traded to the Yankees in the off-season for Jaret Wright and cash.

Dustin Yount – 1B – 9th Round
Rose to AA Bowie last year after a nice start in Frederick. Hit .228-5-20 in 54 games for the Baysox.

Top Ten Draft Picks Stats

Number that are regular contributors for the Orioles: 0
Number still in the organization: 5
Number traded for regular contributors: 1
Number out of baseball: 3
Diamonds in the rough: 0

Wrapup

Fontenot and Crouthers were shipped to Chicago but I won’t count the lousy season from Sosa as getting production back for them. Britton would’ve been a regular contributor and if Jaret Wright is a quality middle of the rotation guy, you can call that pick a success as the organization got a good return on their investment. Almost six years later, none of the other prospects appear poised to take even a small role for the big club next year. Judge for yourself.