1981 Rookie Draft

[leecemark]

Draft Lottery
--The Boys hit the jackpot in the draft lottery, jumping up from 7th position to claim the top spot in the draft - and a golden opportunity for an elite franchise player. The Tyrants woefull season netted them 2nd position and also a chance to nail down a top franchise player. The Badgers held serve for 3rd position. The Iron dropped 2 places to 4th, but their sister club the Hard Cider jumped from 9th to 6th. Wedged in between are the Gamblers who held 5th position.
--The Gold Sox moved up one spot from 7th to 8th. The Angels had the lottery's biggest slip, dropping from 4th to 8th. The Dust Bunnies slipped from 8th to 9th and the Legends get the 10th pick.

--Tie breaker for draft seeding is run differential (worse goes first)

1st Round
1) Maloy Boys: Cal Ripken JR
2) Windy City Tyrants: Ryne Sandberg
3) Buppers Badgers: Chili Davis
4) Milwakee Iron: Kent Hrbek
5) Las Vegas Gamblers: Mike Witt
6) Mac's Hard Cider: Jesse Barfield
7) Iron from Gold Sox: Johnny Ray
8) Legends from Angels: Von Hayes
9) Angels from Dust Bunnies: Tom Neidenfuer
10) Lew's Legends:Eric Show
--------------------------
11) Chautauqau County LumberJaxx: Bryn Smith
12) Tyrants from Corsairs: Alejandro Pena
13) Thunder from Beavers: Brett Butler
14) Leecemark Knights: Steve Sax
15) Angels from Skipjacks: Steve Bedrosian
16) Iron from Thunder: Jody DAavis
Second Round
17) Tyrants: Bob Brenley
18) Beavers from Iron: Tom Brunansky
19) Badgers: Gary Gaetti
20) Angels: Greg Harris
21) Thunder from Gamblers: Bud Black
22) Angels from Gold Sox: Ray Searage
23) Boys: George Bell
24) Thunder from Dust Bunnies: Atlee Hammacker
25) Hard Cider: Dave Schmidt
26) Jaxx: Dave Henderson
27) Legends: Mike Marshall
28) Tyrants from Corsairs: Ted Power
29) Beavers: Luis DeLeon
30) Legends from Knights: Mel Hall
31) Skipjacks: Pat Tabler
32) Boys from Thunder: Andy McGaffigan

Third Round
33) Tyrants: Scott Fletcher
34) Iron: Bob Stoddard
35) Knights from Badgers: Dave Engle
36) Angels: Reggie Patterson
37) Angels from Gamblers: Bryan Clark
38) Gold Sox: Tim Leary
39) Skipjacks from Boys: Steve Balboni
40) Angels from Dust Bunnies: Frank DiPino
41) Hard Cider: Brook Jacoby
42) Jaxx: Gene Nelson
43) Thunder from Legends: Tom Gorman
44) Legends from Corsairs: Luis Sanchez
45) Beavers: David Green
46) Gamblers from Knights: Terry Leach
47) Angels from Skipjacks: Juan Agosto
48) Angels from Thunder: Tom Brennan

Fourth Round
49) Tyrants: Dave Rucker
50) Angels from Iron: Kevin Hickey
51) Angels from Badgers: Jerry Reed
52) Angels: Brad Havens
53) Angels from Gamblers: Angel Moreno
54) Angels from Gold Sox: Len Whitehouse
55) Angels from Boys: Steve Fireovid
56) Angels from Dust Bunnies: Alan Wiggins
57) Angels from Hard Cider: Ron Roenicke
58) Jaxx: Chris Bando
59) Legends: Juan Bonilla
60) Angels from Corsairs: Gene Roof
61) Beavers: Wayne Tolleson
62) Iron from Knights: Daniel Boone
63) Skipjacks
64) Legends from Thunder

Supplemental Picks
65) Iron from Dust Bunnies:
66) Iron from Knights:

[leecemark]

--This looks like a pretty strong draft class based on my earlier scouting. Not that it will matter much to me. The Corsairs have no picks in this draft. The Knights have their first rounder and thats it for them.

[Sockeye]

--This looks like a pretty strong draft class based on my earlier scouting. Not that it will matter much to me. The Corsairs have no picks in this draft. The Knights have their first rounder and thats it for them.

A good time to have 16 draft picks!! *rubbing hands together*

[catcher24]

Guess the Legends didn't get lucky again this year. Too bad. But at least we do have a couple of extra picks.

[Windy City Fan]

The Tyrants have 6 of the first 36 picks, so they'll be able to continue to reload the farm system. The Thunder on the other hand have only one pick, the 43rd overall pick.

[catcher24]

I finally took a quick look at the rookies last night - better late than never, I guess. Some really huge names out there. It will be interesting to see who Dan takes: Ripken, Gwynn or Boggs - or maybe a total surprise. Of those three, Gwynn would probably be my pick - although Ripken really shines for those first ten full seasons, and plays a more difficult position. Wonder how his glove rates over that time frame? He's excellent and very good for the three seasons I have ratings for him, and he does take the gold glove in 91, so he's definitely got to be in the mix as well. have to consider Boggs, too, as he probably has the best bat over the first ten years. Seasons with 130 OPS+ over the first ten full ones: Ripken, 3; Gwynn, 4; Boggs, 7. Gwynn is by far the best AFTER 1991; using seasons of 120 OPS+ after 1991: Ripken, 1 (partial in 1999); Gwynn, 9; Boggs, 1.

You have a tough choice to make Dan , but I wish I had the same problem. I also wish these three guys had been on the table when the Legends lucked into the second pick last year. I would gladly have taken any of them over Fernando Valenzuela. And of course, there are other guys out there that had a terrific five to ten year run, too. I think any first round pick will land a top notch player for at least a half dozen seasons. Surprisingly, no really top notch pitchers in this draft though.

[Windy City Fan]

I think you've somehow combined 81 and 82. Ripken debuts in 81, but Boggs and Gwynn debut in 82.

[leecemark]

--Yeah, I thought maybe I'd really missed big time in overlooking Gwynn and Boggs. They would have elevated this draft from good to best since 67. Ripken is a pretty easy #1 for me, but 2nd pick is pretty darn good too - especially for a guy from the Windy City. It would be a tougher choice at number 3 for me, but I see 2 guys who would be really strong choices there. And I haven't even started scouting pitchers yet. Might be that the top of my draft board will need some adjusting. Of course, for me its the 14th best player who is of real interest. There are 10 position players I'd be happy with at that spot. Hoping there will be at least 4 pitchers worthy of a first rounder as well. Particularly since that is the only pick I have in the whole draft.

[catcher24]

I don't know how I did that. Did a sort at bb-ref, and got some years mixed up. Without those two, Ripken is the easy number one pick. I still don't recall seeing any pitchers though who would go really high, but I could have messed that up as well. Taking another quick look, guys like Bud Black, Steve Bedrosian, Eric Show, Mike Witt and similar pitchers are about the best.

[scubadan]

With the soon to be signing of SS Cal Ripken, I will be looking to trade Dickie Thon. Thon doesn't play much in 1981 but is full time in 1982 and 1983. If I remember right his OPS+ those seasons are 110 and 127. Of course I could keep him as backup for the iron man but that might be a waste so I'll move him in the right situation. I'd like a 2nd rounder or a similar player peaking after 1981. I could use position players at C, 1B and 2B or starting pitching.

[Erik Bedard]

Clear some inbox space so I can send you a PM!

[catcher24]

I know why the Angels took the biggest drop in the lottery - the Legends own that pick! I had forgotten all about it until I started putting together my draft list, saw that I owned that pick, and then thought "didn't the Angels take the biggest drop in the lottery?". Sure enough. I did get lucky in last year's draft, but other than that the lottery positioning hasn't been particularly kind to the Legends.

That being said, having two of the first ten picks in this draft is not a bad thing.

[scubadan]

Clear some inbox space so I can send you a PM!

I didn't realize there was a max. I have room now.

[jaybird_1981]

I believe the Iron have dropped in every lottery and never moved up.

[scubadan]

I know the draft doesn't begin until Friday but if I don't think there is any doubt who the first pick will be. Should I start the draft process now or wait until Friday?

[Sockeye]

I know the draft doesn't begin until Friday but if I don't think there is any doubt who the first pick will be. Should I start the draft process now or wait until Friday?

In the past we've always went ahead and started the draft early but didn't go to a clock until the official starting time (friday).

[scubadan]

In the past we've always went ahead and started the draft early but didn't go to a clock until the official starting time (friday).

Then I'll go ahead and start things off by officially announcing that Cal Ripken is the #1 pick in the 1981 draft.

[Sockeye]

I don't know how I did that. Did a sort at bb-ref, and got some years mixed up. Without those two, Ripken is the easy number one pick. I still don't recall seeing any pitchers though who would go really high, but I could have messed that up as well. Taking another quick look, guys like Bud Black, Steve Bedrosian, Eric Show, Mike Witt and similar pitchers are about the best.

The top 12 players in this draft in terms of career WAR are all position players. So it is definitely a position player friendly draft. It wouldn't surprise me at all if there is but 1 or maybe 2 pitchers selected in the 1st round. The top 7 or 8 will almost certainly be position players.

[Sockeye]

Then I'll go ahead and start things off by officially announcing that Cal Ripken is the #1 pick in the 1981 draft.

Gasp.......!

[Windy City Fan]

In another shocking move, the Tyrants will take a middle infielder as well ... Ryne Sandburg.

[Sockeye]

The next pick will be interesting. A case could be made for about 4 different players here. All playing different positions. Guess it could come down to the best fit for the Badgers.

[Windy City Fan]

I see two guys who are above the rest. After that there are 12 or so players that could go in almost any concievable order depending on team need and philosophy. And yeah, this is a position player heavy draft. There isn't a lot of front line pitching, but loads of solid position players.

[leecemark]

--I lean more towards Garry's view of a bigger group of reasonable choices for the next pick, based on team need. I know who I would take if I had the pick, but I can see the case for half a dozen other, including one pitcher.
--I guess since the draft has already gotten rolling I should get the full draft list posted too. Hopefully we won't have any controversy over traded picks or at least f we do its resolved before we get to that pick.

[catcher24]

The top 12 players in this draft in terms of career WAR are all position players. So it is definitely a position player friendly draft. It wouldn't surprise me at all if there is but 1 or maybe 2 pitchers selected in the 1st round. The top 7 or 8 will almost certainly be position players.

I'm a bit hesitant to use WAR as my primary criteria. Maybe not as much here as in the 1901 draft, since top notch fielders are accounted for with the DM created seasons, whereas that didn't appear to be quite so much the case with the 1901 "home brew" season. WAR was one component I used, but it wasn't my primary component. Also, career WAR would be rather deceiving for most of the top guys, since their careers normally extend well beyond the six year team controlled period. I use the player's WAR over the first six seasons, with some rather surprising results some times.

[leecemark]

--Complete draft order with trades included has been editted into post one of this thread. Please take a look and address any concerns about your picks ASAP>