Where Are They Now? - Part 1

With the season 23 amateur draft coming up, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at the first 10 draft picks from 20 and 15 seasons ago to see how those draftees panned out.

Season 3:

1. Jim Aurelia (P - drafted by Charlotte Minors / Boston Minutemen) - solid career with a 226-135 record and 3.81 career ERA.  Still active as a member of the St. Louis Hill bullpen.  Five All Star selections and one Cy Young Award in his trophy collection.  Should get serious consideration for the HOF upon retirement.
2. Gene Hayes (P - Jacksonville Seminoles / Atlanta Blue) - long but somewhat mediocre career with a 188-177 career record and 4.31 ERA.  Three All Star selections and one World Series ring.  Still kicking around as a member of the Scranton Apollos pitching staff.
3. Greg Wolf (CF - St. Louis Perfectos / Oakland Polish Hammers) - solid career with .282/.365/.473 (.838 OPS), with 327 career home runs, 1,297 RBIs and 1,436 runs scored.  Two All Star appearances, three Silver Slugger Awards as a center fielder, and a World Series ring.  Currently being disrepected by being forced to toil in AA in the San Diego Seagull system.
4. Darryl Morgan (MIF - Toledo Mud Hens / Pittsburgh Pandas) - enjoyed a 12 season major league career, finishing with a respectible .279/.342/.447 (.789 OPS) along with 263 home runs, 1,065 RBIs and 1,144 run scored.  Also stole 282 career bases.  One All Star appearance, a pair of Gold Gloves as a second baseman, a Silver Slugger as a shortstop, and one World Series ring.  Currently owns a moderately successful beer distributorship in his hometown of Greenfield, WI.
5. Lawrence Brown (2B - Durham Bulls) - spent his entire career as a member of the Durham Bulls.  Carrer numbers of .303/.372/.584 (.956 OPS), with 611 home runs, 1,746 RBIs, 1,543 runs scored.  Six All Star appearances (one All Star Game MVP), and one Silver Slugger as a 2B.  Elected to the Hall of Fame in season 23.
6. Joel Baldwin (P - Cincinnati Red Stockings / New Britain Blood Brothers) - ten year career, with a 102-80 record and a 4.91 ERA.  No awards, no rings.  Currently works in a tattoo parlor in St. Louis.
7. Luis Soriano (P - Colorado Prarie Dogs / Albuquerque Roadrunners) - 13 year career, with a 151-158 record and 4.69 ERA.  One All Star appearance, one World Series ring.  Currently attending law school, with the intent of becoming a mass tort litigation lawyer specializing in pharmaceutical cases.
8. Todd Ward (3B/SS - Anaheim DeadPools / San Diego Seagulls) - unimpressive 4 year career.  .274/.330/.408 (.738 OPS).  One All Star selection.  Left organized baseball to pursue a musical career.  Currently touring Europe with his death metal band, "Toxic Phlegm".
9. Alex Colon (P - Colorado Springs Mile High Marines) - enjoyed an 8 year career as a reliever for Oklahoma City.  1.34 WHIP and a 4.24 ERA.  No awards, no rings.  Now working as an advanced scout for the Power Failure.
10. Glenallen Davis (P - Louisville Beaners / Little Rock Cigars) - mediocre 5 year career, with a 52-66 record and 5.84 ERA.  No awards, no rings.  Currently employed as a Subway "sandwich artist" in Covington, KY.

Season 8:

1. Bill Hewson (3B - Tuscon Plateau / San Diego Seagulls) - has enjoyed what should be a Hall of Fame career with the Mighty Men (now Mini Men).  .305/.370/.562 (.932 OPS), 550 home runs, 1,657 RBIs, 1,300 runs scored.  Six All Star appearances (with one All Star Game MVP), four NL MVP awards, three Gold Gloves at 3B, three Silver Slugger awards at 3B, and one World Series ring he's got the hardware to merit a first-ballot election to the HOF upon retirement.
2. Sean Mailman (RF - San Juan Crazy Latinos / Pittsburgh Pandas) - now in his twelvth ML season and currently playing with the St. Louis Owls, he's had a solid career.  .275/.347/.513 (.860 OPS), with 393 home runs, 1,123 RBI's and 1,493 run scored.  He's also stolen 472 bases.  Three All Star selections, one AL MVP award, three Silver Sluggers at RF, and two World Series rings.
3. Kip Sosa (3B/SS - Oklahoma City Power Failure) - 13 major league seasons, all with OKC.  .272/.340/.478 (.818 OPS), with 387 home runs, 1,238 RBIs and 1,157 runs scored.  His only hardware is a Silver Slugger at 3B.  Currently playing out the final year of his contract in AAA for the Power Failure.
4. Omar Siquieros (1B - Durham Bulls) - currently in his 13th major league season, all as a Bull.  .298/.383/.577 (.960), with 527 home runs, 1,385 RBIs and 1,280 runs scored, he's an offensive machine.  Rookie of the Year, six time All Star, one NL MVP award, two Gold Gloves at 1B, and one Home Run Derby championship.  He should also garner some serious HOF consideration upon retirement.
5. Scott Hall (RF/CF - Baltimore Blast / New York Pickpockets) - now in his 13th major league season, currently as a member of the Little Rock Cigars.  .286/.364/.536 (.900 OPS) with 250 home runs, 981 RBIs and 1,288 runs scored.  He's also stolen 707 bases in his career.  Three All Star selections, one Gold Glove in RF, three Silver Sluggers (one in RF, two in CF). one Home Run Derby championship, and one World Series ring.
6. Omar Espinoza (CF/RF - Rochester Rockets / New York Apples) - now in his 10th major league season, currently with the Apples after spending the first half of his ML career in San Diego.  .291/.356/.468 (.824 OPS), with 182 home runs, 687 RBIs and 758 runs scored.  One All Star appearance and one World Series ring.  A solid career to date.
7. Alex Cortes (2B/CF/RF - New York Metros / Washington D.C. Metros) - now in his 11th major leagues season, he's had a decent but unspectacular career.  .273/.348/.425 (.773 OPS) with 183 home runs, 708 RBIs and 954 runs scored.  One All Star selection and two Silver Sluggers (one at 2B and one at CF).
8. Dave Heredia (2B - Hartford Hell Cats / Rochester Rochy Road Rochstars) - now in his twelvth major league season, most of which as a member of the Scranton Apollos.  .284/.344/.465 (.809 OPS), with 218 home runs, 819 RBIs and 972 runs scored.  He's also stolen 235 career bases.  One Gold Glove at 2B.
9. Marco Thompson (C - Tampa Bay Legends / New Britain Blood Brothers) - never signed after coming out of college.  Rumored to have undergone transgender surgery and is now living as "Marcia Thompson", a dental hygienist in Butte, MT.
10. Juan Fernandez (P - St. Louis Cardinals / St. Louis Owls) - the first pitcher selected in the season 8 draft, he is now in his twelvth major league season, currently a member of the Detroit Tigers rotation.  A mediocre career, with a 125-126 record and 4.16 ERA.  One All Star selection.

Season 23 Hall of Fame Voting Results

Here are the complete results for Hall of Fame voting for season 23:

1. Erick Hatcher - 24 (Elected)
2. Lawrence Brown - 22 (Elected)
3. Sherm Roberts - 20 (Elected)
4. Russ Feller - 18 (Elected)
5. Domingo Pizzaro - 9
6. Paul Ishii - 7
7. Rob Becker - 6
8. Derek Taylor - 3
9. Joseph Yoshii - 3
10. Albert Lecuona - 3
11. Philip Ray - 1
12. Howie Curtis - 1
13. Jim Tatum - 1
14. John Blake - 1
15. Esteban Tejada - 1
16. Victor Vargas - 1
17. Fausto Sanchez - 1
18. Marc Holmes - 1
19. Cam Lincoln - 1
20. Carlos Gonzalez - 1

Commissioner's Challenge Award (S22)

The "Commissioner's Challenge Award" is given to the team that had the most wins during the season without making the playoffs.

I'm happy to announce the season 22 winner of a $5 WIS Gift Certificate is repsher of the Detroit Tigers, whose 86 wins was a mere two games short of earning a post-season appearance.

1) 86 wins - Detroit Tigers (repsher)
2) 85 wins - San Diego Seagulls (ericsomsel)
3) 83 wins - New Britain Blood Brothers (malewell)
4) 80 wins - Trenton Titans (KGS77)
5t) 79 wins - San Francisco Oles (evegoe)
5t) 79 wins - Washington D.C. Metros (jmaese)
7) 78 wins - Charlotte Moose Hunters (jmil397)
8t) 77 wins - Scranton Apollos (tecwrg)
8t) 77 wins - Milwaukee Suds (battmann)
10) 76 wins - Oakland Polish Hammers (goodtymes31)
11) 74 wins - Little Rock Cigars (shanklsa)
12) 73 wins - Buffalo Blizzard (sir_slamalot)
13) 71 wins - Jackson Bootleggers (rugrat)
14) 70 wins - Sacramento Sunshine (hbdgirl)
15t) 67 wins - Durham Bulls (bertrand93)
15t) 67 wins - Oklahoma City Power Failure (coneheads)
17) 65 wins - Albuquerque Bleeding Noses (tedwmoore)
18) 64 wins - Monterrey Sugar Kings (drichter)
19) 63 wins - Colorado Springs Mile High Marines (brendanjod)
20) 54 wins - Jacksonville Seminoles (mbooker)

Season 22 Hall of Fame Voting Results

Here are the complete results for Hall of Fame voting for season 22:

1. Felix Ellis - 20 (Elected)
2. Julio Lee - 14
3. Sherm Roberts - 12
4. Bart Kirby - 11
5. Erick Hatcher - 10
6. Lawrence Brown - 9
7. Domingo Pizzaro - 7
8. Russ Feller - 6
9. Bey Meacham - 5
10. Sal Stark - 3
11. Stew Frazier - 2
12. David Santayana - 2
13. Albert Lecuona - 2
14. Jay Carmona - 2
15. Derek Taylor - 2
16. Cookie Holt - 1
17. Matt Flair - 1
18. Steve Burks - 1
19. Philip Ray - 1
20. Marc Hodges - 1
21. Jim Tatum - 1
22. Raul Santos - 1
23. Cam Lincoln - 1
24. Odalis Lopez - 1
25. Miguel Vazquez - 1
26. Fausto Sanchez - 1

Updated Win Minimum Rules Adopted

After a fair amount of discussion in the World Chat that the original Win Minimum rules were too weak, and therefore ineffective, it was proposed that the rule be changed from 110 wins over two consecutive seasons to a four season rule of 55/120/185/260. What this means is that there would be a minimum of 55 wins required each season. A minimum of 120 wins over any two consecutive seasons. A minimum of 185 wins over any three consecutive seasons. And finally, a minimum of 260 wins over any four consecutive seasons. Failure to meet these minimums would result in forfeiture of a franchise for an owner.

Yes - 21 votes (77.8%)
No - 6 votes (22.2%)
No preference - 5 votes (not included)

Results: PASSED - rule to be adopted starting in season 22, with season 22 as the first of the four seasons

Commissioner's Challenge Award (S21)

The "Commissioner's Challenge Award" is given to the team that had the most wins during the season without making the playoffs.

I'm happy to announce the season 21 winner of a $5 WIS Gift Certificate is tomq of the Chicago Black Sox, whose 89 wins was a mere two games short of earning a post-season appearance.

1) 89 wins - Chicago Black Sox (tomq)
2) 87 wins - Rochester Rochy Road Rochstars (indiansrck27)
3) 86 wins - Minnesota Mighty Men (raidersfan)
4) 82 wins - Milwaukee Suds (battmann)
5) 81 wins - Washington D.C. Metros (jmaese)
6) 80 wins - Little Rock Cigars (shanklsa)
7t) 78 wins - Jacksonville Seminoles (mbooker)
7t) 78 wins - Scranton Apollos (tecwrg)
9) 76 wins - Charlotte Moose Hunters (jmil397)
10) 75 wins - San Diego Seagulls (ericsomsel)
11) 74 wins - Sacramento Sunshine (hbdgirl)
12t) 73 wins - Colorado Springs Mile High Marines (brendanjod)
12t) 73 wins - Vancouver Fighting Skeletons (diryn)
14) 72 wins - Scottsdale Fighting Artichokes (MikeT23)
15) 71 wins - Albuquerque Isotopes (sculley)
16) 69 wins - Jackson Bootleggers (rugrat)
17) 67 wins - Buffalo Blizzard (sir_slamalot)
18) 66 wins - Oklahoma City Power Failure (coneheads)
19t) 60 wins - Monterrey Sugar Kings (drichter)
19t) 60 wins - Pittsburgh Pandas (silentpadna)

Season 21 Hall of Fame Voting Results

Following up on what I did last season, I sent a ticket to WIS to get the vote totals of the Hall of Fame voting for this season. Here are the results:

1. Kevin Mullins - 21 (Elected)
2. Julio Valenzuela - 21 (Elected)
3. Brent Meche - 17 (Elected)
4. Julio Lee - 14
5. Bart Kirby - 12
6. Domingo Pizzaro - 11
7. J.D. Acosta - 9
8. Andy Scott - 4
9. David Santayana - 3
10. Bey Meacham - 3
11. Cam Lincoln - 2
12. Miguel Vazquez - 2
13. Bob Mays - 2
14. Albert Lecuona - 1
15. Marc Holmes - 1
16. Fausto Sanchez - 1
17. Stephen Ball - 1