Forgotten Fantasy Baseball Players on the Disabled List

Fantasy baseball is often a game of the “here and now”. Owners frequently concern themselves so much with notions like “what have you done for me lately?” that they can sometimes forget about those baseball players that are lurking in the shadows.

Every baseball season, there are a number of players that spend a significant amount of time injured on the disabled list and 2011 is certainly no exception. With the nature of fantasy baseball being what it is, these players are often ‘forgotten men’. However, taking a closer look at some of these injured players may shed some light as to when they may return to action and possibly give your fantasy baseball team the edge over your competition, whether for a victory this year or looking ahead to next season.

Johan Santana (NYM)
After undergoing surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder, Santana has missed the entire 2011 season so far. However, he is now fully recovered and on a rehab stint in high class A St. Lucie. In his first start, he hit 89 MPH on the gun causing his rehab pitching coordinator to state that Santana could pitch at the major league level yet this year, however, the goal for now is to build up arm strength. Both Santana and the Mets would like to see him pitch for the big league club this season but all parties are being cautious. Keep an eye on a possible September return to give your fantasy team a boost down the stretch.

Brandon Webb (TEX)
Arguably the best pitcher in the major leagues from 2006 through 2008, Webb has not thrown a pitch in the majors since opening day 2009. Often baffling training staff and doctors alike, Webb’s injury simply was not progressing as expected. At every junction, he experienced setbacks. Over 2 years after the original injury, Webb will now undergo arthroscopic surgery on his rotator cuff August 1st. If you have been stashing him or hoping he might return to help out your team, you can start looking elsewhere. Webb hopes to return to the majors one day but it won’t be in the foreseeable future.

Kendrys Morales (LAA)
The ‘S’ Morales added to the end of his first name this season does not stand for ‘sturdy’. After a fluke injury celebrating a home run last season, Angels manager Mike Scioscia rotated 9 players through the position in 2010. This season, Morales was expected to be ready to go for the season and return to his usual offensive production at first base for the Halos. After electing to undergo a second ankle surgery (which ended his 2011 season) on May 26 of this year, Morales has been replaced by Mark Trumbo with nice results. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Morales’ career in LA is in jeopardy but Trumbo looks like the cleanup hitter of the future. Morales’ contract is up at season’s end but he starts the first of his arbitration-eligible years. Wait and see what his status is rather than stashing him as a keeper for now.

Adam Wainwright (STL)
Entering this year, it could be argued that only Roy Halladay was a better option at starting pitcher than Wainwright from a fantasy perspective. However, a spring elbow injury required Tommy John surgery and changed his status for the 2011 season. Wainwright has returned to throwing and is even hopeful to return yet in 2011 should the Cardinals reach the post-season. Although there are several recent examples of pitchers returning successfully from this procedure (see Josh Johnson, Tim Hudson, Billy Wagner and others), experience dictates that the usual recovery period is 1 year. Often at that point, velocity is the first thing to return to the pitcher but control takes time. That being said, Wainwright may very well be worth adding to your team as a keeper for next season.

Stephen Strasburg (WAS)
Strasburg burst onto the scene last season for the Nationals and wowed just about everyone, especially fantasy owners. Then, he suffered an elbow injury requiring Tommy John surgery. As with Wainwright, Strasburg is hoping to return this season and it just may be a reality. September 3rd will mark the 1 year anniversary of his surgery and he has hit 95 MPH recently on the gun. It will take a minor league rehab stint to get him ready, but the phenom could return to the nation’s capital this season. Keeping in mind that a pitcher’s control is slower to return than velocity, Strasburg is still worth adding to your fantasy roster for a spot as a keeper for next season regardless of 2011 status.

Josh Johnson (FLA)
As frustrating as they come, Johnson may be the most talented pitcher in the game when healthy. Unfortunately for both the Marlins and his fantasy owners, Johnson just can’t stay on the mound. After missing time down the stretch in 2010 with back and shoulder issues, a further shoulder problem has shut him down for 2011. Although there is no apparent structural damage requiring surgery, Johnson is simply not worth the roster spot as a keeper for 2012. Leave him for another owner.

There are some players on the DL which offer an option for 2011, others that make for good 2012 keepers and some still that should be avoided. Knowing these players may just help set you up for fantasy baseball victory for this year and beyond.

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Chris McBrien is a baseball writer for numerous websites and may be found at Dear Mr. Fantasy. He may also be followed on Twitter @cmcbrien.

Cute Kid Cries When He Gets Baseball From Josh Beckett

This makes me chuckle. Cute kid.

Follow Matt on Twitter and Facebook for all his baseball and Fantasy sports updates! For every update here at The Dugout Doctors, follow our official Twitter account @DugoutDoctors.

The Sad Passing of Hideki Irabu

It was reported earlier this week that former Japanese baseball and Major League pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead on July 28th, at age 42, of an apparent suicide. A star pitcher in Japan who moved on to the Major Leagues, Irabu was disliked and ridiculed for much of his American playing career. His tragic death is a sad reminder of how the once promising pitcher was turned into a pariah by the baseball world, after a series of controversies, and his failure to live up to lofty expectations.

Irabu was a well known pitcher in the Japan’s Pacific League. He was a power pitcher who threw a fastball that reached as high as 98 MPH, and led his circuit in a variety of statistical categories between 1988-1996. However, in looking at his career in Japan, he was not the superstar many believed him to be. He went 72-69 with a 3.55 ERA and 1282 strikeouts in 1286.1 innings. He was solid, but not dominant. The big fastball and strikeout numbers are what intensified interest from American clubs. The success of Hideo Nomo with the Dodgers had opened the door for other Japanese pitchers, and a number of Major League clubs explored the possibility of signing the right-handed Irabu.

Because of his fastball and stocky build, Irabu was heralded as the “Japanese Nolan Ryan,” a nearly impossible comparison to live up to. In 1997 the San Diego Padres bought his contract from the Chiba Lotte Marines for nearly 13 million dollars. Irabu immediately began attracting bad press after he refused to sign with the Padres, insisting that he would only play in the United States for the New York Yankees. His public perception never seemed to recover from that stance, as many believed that he did not have the right to make such demands, and saw his actions as arrogant.

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner must have been very pleased when he heard that Irabu would only play for his team. The Yankees had just started their resurgence as annual championship contenders, and Steinbrenner was invested in stocking the franchise with premium talent. Having them demand to play for the Yankees like Irabu did was like a fisherman having fish jump into the boat. Thus, it was not a surprise when a trade was worked out that brought Irabu to the Yankees two months into the 1997 season.

Despite averaging better than a strikeout an inning, Irabu’s rookie season with the Yankees in 1997 was a disaster. He went 5-4 with a 7.09 ERA, and was particularly vulnerable to the long ball, giving up 15 home runs in just 13 games (9 starts). Over the next two seasons Irabu did pitch a little better, reaching double digits in wins in both 1998 and 1999, but never turned into the star that many believed he would become.

The New York media were brutal on Irabu because of his disappointing career with the Yankees combined with his perceived attitude. It seemed that anything that could possibly be construed as negative was jumped on by the press when it came to covering Irabu. Every minutiae was picked apart, most noticeably his weight, and the perception that he did not go hard on every play. His reputation was sealed during spring training of 1999 when Steinbrenner referred to him in the press as a “fat pussy toad,” after he had failed to cover first base on a play.

The Yankees knew after three seasons that Irabu was not going to pan out as they had hoped, and the environment he was playing in was never going to allow him to flourish. They traded him to the Montreal Expos, and he played for them in 2000 and 2001 with little success, before finishing his Major League career with the Texas Rangers in 2002. Irabu’s career totals of a 34-35 won/loss record with a 5.15 ERA were indicative of his mediocre American career, and seemed to justify all of the scrutiny he received while he played.

What didn’t show up in Irabu’s final stat line was a legacy built by the media to portray him as a caricature. He failed so miserably at cultivating his image as the “next great player” that he transitioned into more of a punch line in the baseball world. Unfortunately he played right into the media’s hands. His disappointing results, lack of hustle, perceived arrogance, and a number of run-ins with alcohol, seemingly reinforced the public disapproval that originated through the media. Irabu was climbing uphill from the moment he refused to pitch for the Padres. The only way he would have been able to overcome his initial impression on American baseball was to live up to the Nolan Ryan comparisons, which were unfair and inaccurate to a ridiculous degree.

After the Major Leagues, Irabu occasionally appeared in the news because of his run-ins with the law, and he even pitched briefly in the independent leagues in 2009. He was obviously troubled, and was never able to get past not living up to the huge expectations placed on his shoulders. Irabu certainly played a significant role in how he was portrayed in the media, but his is a cautionary tale about what can happen when a player is not ready for the spotlight. His legacy in baseball cannot be changed, but hopefully now Hideki Irabu can finally find some peace.

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Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

The Curious Case of AJ Burnett

Every once in a while, in the midst of 3 hours of commentary, a baseball analyst will say something that really stands out to the listener. Last night, as AJ Burnett finished up his 8th inning of work with the Yankees down 4-1, WCBS’s Suzyn Waldman looked at Burnett’s line (5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO, 2 HR) and made a simple statement to John Sterling that spoke volumes about Burnett’s season as a whole.

“I just don’t know, John, how you quantify what AJ did.”

Ms. Waldman is far from alone in this sentiment. Yankees fans are divided—passionately—over whether Burnett’s 2011 season has been one of a solid #2 starter who suffers from an anemic offense to back up his starts, or a colossal failure by a guy who is not earning his 5 year/$82.5 million contract. There really is no middle ground, and few players on the Yankees roster are more polarizing than Burnett. It seems as though half the Yankees fan base still hopes that everything will come together for Burnett while the other half has long since given up on him.

Those who have written Burnett off base their criticism largely on his ability to win games. A starter’s job is to go out and get the win, they argue, and Burnett does not get the job done. In 22 starts this season Burnett’s record is 8-9, or a .471 winning percentage. Adding to the din of dissenting voices is the fact that Burnett hasn’t won a game since June 29, going 0-2 with 3 no decisions in his 5 starts in July. True, looking at this Burnett’s win/loss statistics doesn’t make a favorable statement as to his value as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

But Burnett’s supporters look past this surface W/L statistic and maintain that it is not an adequate representation of his performance this season. Breaking down Burnett’s starts we can better see how he has performed.

- 8 of 22 starts (36.4%) have been quality starts; 3 were losses and 1 was a no decision

- In 16 of his starts (72.7%) Burnett has given up 4 or fewer runs; 4 of these games were losses while 4 were no decisions

- Burnett’s three best starts were April 25 (8.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER), May 11 (7.0 IP, 1R, 1ER), and June 13 (7.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER). In these games Burnett was 0-2 with a no decision as the Yankees were shut out twice and lost the third game in 11 innings.

In addition, the Yankees offensive juggernaut has largely failed to show up when Burnett is on the mound. Below is a chart of Yankees starters and the average run support they have received per start this season.

	W/L (Win %)	ERA	No. of Starts	Avg. Run Support/Start
Burnett	8-9 (.471)	4.23	22	4.14
Colon	7-6 (.538)	3.29	15	4.30
Garcia	9-7 (.563)	3.23	18	4.92
Nova	8-4 (.667)	4.12	16	5.87
Sabathia	15-5 (.750)	3.50	23	6.40
Hughes	1-3 (.250)	8.24	7	6.89

 
So with all of this information in mind, how exactly do we quantify what AJ Burnett has done this year?

The league average ERA for AL starters is 4.29 and Burnett is squarely in line with this number. While he does not have the .594 winning percentage and 3.94 ERA that he had during his stint with the Blue Jays from 2006-08, he is far from washed up.

	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
2006-08	8.3	1	3.3	9	2.75
2011	7.7	1.2	4.2	7.6	1.80

 
Yes, the rate at which Burnett gives up home runs is slightly up. As is his walk rate, while his strikeout rate has decreased. And while some of Burnett’s starts look ugly, the fact is that he is a solid, average-to-slightly-above-average pitcher who keeps his team in the game far more often than not. If Burnett were receiving the type of run support that Hughes, Sabathia, or even Nova have received, his season would look quite different and the barrage of criticism aimed at him would be tempered. Like it or not, Yankees fans must accept that this is the AJ Burnett they are going to get every five days. It is unfair to expect him to throw shut outs in 1-0 games when the offense fails to show up. But if he consistently pitches at this level and keeps his team in the game, the dominant Yankees offense is bound to come around and produce at the level of which it is capable.

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Robbie is the author of The Baseblawg and you can follow her on Twitter @clarkbar213.

I Already Miss Baseball Season

This time of year always makes me sad. Sure, we’re only midway through the summer, which for most of you is like living in an oven, but I’m in San Diego and the temperature is always ideal. In summer, we get longer ideal days. What’s so sad about that, right?

I’ll tell you why I’m sad: football season is here.

Now, perhaps a larger portion of the readers of The Dugout Doctors understand my plight better than the rest of the country because this is a baseball site. But I’m the type of guy who spends most of the winter longing for baseball season to begin. I get excited when the first tab on ESPN.com is “MLB”.

But if you look now, “MLB” has been bumped by the link to the NFL portion of the site, and the headlines are predominantly football-related. This guy is signing here, that guy signed there. Sign up for fantasy football today!

And oh-by-the-way-we’re-almost-at-the-baseball-trade-deadline.

I play fantasy football just like every other living, breathing organism on Earth, but a small part of me secretly hoped for an NFL lockout. I wanted people to care about all 162 games of the MLB season. Heck, even people in Pittsburgh are in on the action this year, but when (if?) the Pirates inevitably start to slip in the standings it will go virtually unnoticed, thanks to the NFL. And it’s not just Pittsburgh that’ll toss baseball on to the backburner like it was never around to begin with. The San Diego Padres, right here in my own back yard, may as well pack up now. Nobody cares once Phillip Rivers and friends don the Charger blue and gold.

I’ll be clicking all the fantasy football links around the internet soon enough as I scramble to come up with yet another hair-brained draft strategy that won’t work. I’ll be active on the waiver wire and with trades. I’ll lead my team to the playoffs only to choke in the post season, like always.

But right now I miss baseball season, and it’s not even over yet.

Joe Swaykos is the author of The Priceless Pursuit, a blog about baseball card collecting.

Jerry Meals Missed an Easy Call, Instant Replay Solves These Problems

Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

I feel compelled to write a few thoughts about the controversial call made by 14 year umpire Jerry Meals in the 19th inning of the Braves and Pirates game.

Meals ended the game by calling Atlanta runner Julio Lugo safe, when he was clearly tagged out by Pittsburgh catcher Mike McKenry, several feet before reaching home plate. It was not one of those calls where the umpire had a bad angle, or the play was too close for the human eye to catch. This was a simple call; completely black and white, and the umpire missed it. Even Lugo looked momentarily shocked by the call, until realizing he had been called safe, and then rushed off to celebrate with his teammates.

Now that the Pirates are relevant after the All-Star break after years of being doormats, this blown call could end up hurting them a lot. After the game they are now one game behind the National League Central leading St. Louis Cardinals. This one game swing against the favor of the Pirates has the very real possibility of impacting their postseason chances. It will be a complete shame if at the end of the season this game has any impact whatsoever on the Pirates and their chances of making the playoffs.

Baseball needs to do the right thing and replay the end of the game. Meals’ call was so bad that it goes beyond contradicting the judgment of an umpire. This isn’t like the infamous Jim Joyce blown perfect game from last year, where he missed a call on a bang-bang play at first. Meals’ safe call was an outright catastrophe that defied logic. There should have been no other verdict than calling Lugo out. It was the equivalent of somebody looking up at a blue sky and announcing that it was yellow.

Despite this latest controversy, I am still unsure if instant replay is necessary in baseball, but am starting to lean towards being for it. A big part of me says, “why not?” The game utilizes just about every other advantage, from conditioning (legal and other methods) to equipment made out of advanced materials. If technology exists that can make the game better, safer, and more modern, it makes sense to give it a shot. Instant replay would not change the essential rules of the game.

The downside of instant replay is lengthening games that are already too long in the context of professional sports. Ideally, two hours would be a perfect length of time for an audience that has an increasingly shrinking attention span. At approximately three hours per game, baseball is already well over that ideal. Perhaps if instant replay were implemented, it could be done in a similar fashion to how it is used in the NFL, with only certain plays being eligible for review, and only a certain number of challenges per game for each team.

If baseball is wary about instituting instant replay, how about letting teams have a certain number of plays per game where they can appeal to a second umpire? This would keep the flow of the game going and not significantly lengthen games, but allow a second set of eyes to weigh in on close plays. It might not be a perfect solution, but would give some recourse on incorrect calls if baseball is unwilling to use instant replay.

Although I am not calling for his firing, Meals must be disciplined in some way for what happened. Nothing suggests that his call was malicious or ill-intended, but at best it was lazy. If this were the NBA, such a call would be under even heavier scrutiny, given the sensitivity of controversial officiating calls now that the Tim Donaghy scandal has unfolded. Umpires who have reached the Major Leagues are supposed to be the best of the best, yet Meals’ safe call was the worst of the worst. To protect the integrity of baseball officiating, the best thing to do would be to constructively discipline Meals and make sure that he either move forward as a productive umpire, or decide that he is ill-suited to continue in that career track.

The final thought I have about this situation is perhaps the most important.

Various news outlets have reported that Meals and his family have been receiving threats and harassment over the past 24 hours. ESPN even reported that they found at least two internet message boards that had published his personal contact information.

Joyce received similar treatment last year when he was in the news. This type of behavior must stop. No amount of harassment will change what happened, and most importantly, it’s not right. Everybody makes mistakes at work, but nobody deserves to pay for those errors in their personal life. Hopefully the blockheads who apparently have nothing better to do than pester a family will receive their own just punishment in due time.

Ultimately, life will go on and baseball will continue. Meals’ inexplicable miscue will eventually pass into the annals of bad umpiring calls. Before this happens, I hope baseball takes notice and turns this into a lesson learned. Doing that will turn this from an unfortunate incident into something that could improve baseball for years to come.

President Obama Meets With 2010 World Series Champions San Francisco Giants

President Barack Obama welcomed the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants into the White House on July 25. After making the speech (video below), he accepted a few gifts from the team and posed for photos. Willie Mays was also in attendance. Obama singled out two players in his speech: Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson. Obama quipped that he does “Fear the Beard” when referencing Wilson. He had nothing but kind words for the Giants, except that he’d be rooting for the White Sox if the Giants happen to face them in the World Series although he said that was “not a sure thing.”

Follow Matt on Twitter and Facebook for all his baseball and Fantasy sports updates! For every update here at The Dugout Doctors, follow our official Twitter account @DugoutDoctors.

Sabermetrics 101: Using Sabermetrics to Get a Fantasy Baseball Edge

Chris McBrien is a baseball writer for numerous websites and may be found at Dear Mr. Fantasy. He may also be followed on Twitter @cmcbrien.

Most Fantasy Baseball leagues use basic statistical categories. Although league formats may differ (head-to-head, rotisserie, points), the categories remain the same. Most leagues will use the following offensive categories: Runs, Home Runs, Runs Batted In, Batting Average and Stolen Bases. For pitchers, the important categories are Wins, Saves, Earned Run Average, Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched and Strikeouts. However, when evaluating players for your team (draft, trades or free agency), it isn’t enough to concentrate on these categories alone.

Bill James and the statistical pioneers at the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR, the acronym from which sabermetrics draws its name) have created a series of empirical methods for player evaluation. Although the aforementioned categories remain in use for standard Fantasy Baseball leagues, by using key sabermetrics, owners can better understand or even predict trends in baseball statistics.

To help demystify some of the key sabermetrics statistics, the following is a run-down for the uninitiated:

Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP)
At its most basic, FIP takes into consideration the factors that a pitcher can control (home runs, hits and walks) and doesn’t consider the factors that a pitcher can’t control (how well his fielders actually field balls in play). It’s basically a version of ERA which considers how well a pitcher actually pitched. One of the nice uses of FIP is when pitchers change teams or see their current teams change defensive players behind them. The FIP stat can help you see how pitchers can be expected to perform independent of their teammates on the field around them. As the Hardball Times says, “”FIP helps you understand how well a pitcher pitched, regardless of how well his fielders fielded.”

Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP)
This is a version of FIP which ‘normalizes’ the home run component of the equation based upon league averages. Since home runs are basically related to fly balls allowed and home park, xFIP can be used to help determine a pitchers future ERA. This is particularly valuable to fantasy owners looking for an edge.

Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP)
Whereas batting average takes into account the percentage of at bats which become hits, BABIP takes this a step further to determine the percentage of balls hit into play which become hits. By removing strikeouts from the equation, BABIP can be a good indicator of how “lucky” either a pitcher or hitter has been, based upon the number of balls the opposing defence was able to handle (or mishandle as the case may be). Since baseball is comprised of a long season where statistics often regress to the mean, BABIP can often be used to predict a player’s future statistics. For a hitter with a BaBIP much higher than the league average, it may indicate a dip in batting average is due. Conversely, a pitcher with a low BABIP rate may be predicted to see an increase in hits allowed in upcoming games.

On-Base Percentage Plus Slugging Percentage (OPS)
One of the most popular sabermetrics statistics in use today as well as one of the simplest, OPS combines two of the best metrics in determining a hitter’s value to his team. On-Base Percentage (OBP) is the ability of a player to get on base and Slugging Percentage (SLG) is the ability of a player to hit for power. As a point of reference, .728 was the average OPS for MLB in 2010. In his essay titled, “The 96 Families of Hitters”, Bill James devised the following categories for OPS.

Great	.9000 and above
Moderate	.8333 to .8999
Above Average	.7667 to .8333
Average	.7000 to .7666
Below Average	.6334 to .6999
Terrible	.5667 to .6333
Atrocious	.5666 and ‘ower

 
For the sake of comparison, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista has a current OPS of 1.147. Chicago White Sox slugger and key offseason acquisition Adam Dunn’s current OPS is .592.

Value Over Replacement Player (VORP)
This statistic measures the total number of runs a player contributes to their team compared with a “replacement level” player at the same position. This can be a good point of reference in determining a player’s value to his team and thus see which players can be expected to get the lion’s share of playing time at a position. For hitters, the ‘counting stats’ of fantasy baseball (Runs, Home Runs, RBI, SB) are directly related to playing time. For pitchers, VORP is determined as a measure of how many runs that pitcher has prevented being scored against his team (in comparison to a replacement level pitcher). In either case, a player’s value to his team is the key measurable involved and can be useful in determining which players are more valuable than others on draft day or at the trade table.

Wins Above Replacement (WAR)
Similar to VORP, WAR takes into account the value a player has to his team. However, instead of using runs as the measureable statistic, WAR takes into account how many WINS a player contributes to his team in comparison to a replacement level player at his position. It can be useful in comparing players WAR metrics in determining how valuable a player is to his team (and thus how likely he is to receive playing time).

Isolated Power (ISO)
A rather simple metric, ISO is calculated by subtracting batting average from slugging average. This statistic represents a measure of a hitter’s raw power, or extra base hits per at bat. As a point of reference, Jose Bautista currently leads LB with a .356 ISO. The light-hitting Juan Pierre has a current ISO of .049.

Whether or not you perceive the alphabet soup of newfangled sabermetrics as being of any value to you in your fantasy baseball analysis, the bottom line is that these statistics certainly can’t hurt your chances. In fact, when it comes to competitive leagues, each and every little bit helps.

A Look at Homegrown Talent at the Trade Deadline

Robbie is the author of The Baseblawg and you can follow her on Twitter @clarkbar213.

The trade deadline is fast approaching and with it comes the annual debate over whether contending teams should trade a handful of top prospects for an established star. Or in other words, should a team mortgage the future in order to buy a championship today? Personally, I tend to be risk averse and side with holding on to the prospects in most cases. But regardless, this debate got me thinking: Just how much do teams rely on their homegrown talent?

Below is a chart of all 30 teams and the number of homegrown players that have played in at least one game this season. For the purposes of this chart my definition of a “homegrown player” is one that was drafted by his ball club or was signed as an amateur free agent and has played only for that major league club and its minor league affiliates. The list does not include players who were signed as free agents after playing professionally in another country.

No. of Homegrown Players	Teams  (division leaders in italics)
7	White Sox
8	A’s
9	Astros, Mariners
10	Diamondbacks
11	Brewers
12	Nationals, Pirates, Rangers
13	Blue Jays, Cubs
14	Indians, Mets, Orioles, Phillies, Rays
15	Marlins, Padres, Red Sox, Royals
16	Giants, Yankees
17	Dodgers
18	Braves, Tigers
20	Reds
22	Angels, Cardinals, Twins
24	Rockies

 
In case you’re wondering how the number of homegrown players on a roster translates into winning percentage, here is the answer in graph form.

As you can see, the majority of teams are clustered around the .500 mark with 13-15 homegrown players. Interestingly the White Sox (.490) and the Rockies (.475), who have the lowest and highest number of homegrown players respectively, have nearly identical win percentages.

Take notice of the division leaders. These teams are a bit more spread out with the lowest number of homegrown players being 11 (Brewers) and the highest being 18 (Tigers). The Phillies and Red Sox, who own the best record in their leagues, have 14 and 15 homegrown players respectively, which seems to fit nicely within the league average. What this chart doesn’t show are the Cardinals (22 players) and Pirates (12 players) who are both tied for first place in the NL Central. This wide difference in the number of homegrown players used by these teams demonstrates that the strength or weakness of a team cannot be determined simply by looking at the number of homegrown players on its roster. Instead, it reinforces the importance of roster depth and good scouting whether in the draft, free agency or trades.

For the most part the distribution looks pretty even, right? The NL West has the highest average with 16.4 homegrown players per team, which isn’t too surprising since the Rockies have the highest number of any team with 24. Despite the Angels’ 22 homegrown players, the AL West comes in with the lowest division average, largely because of the low numbers from the A’s (8) and the Mariners (9). The other divisions even out nicely, mostly because outliers like the White Sox (7 players) and Twins (22 players) balance each other out.

Obviously the question of how teams use their homegrown players lends itself to much more statistical analysis, but this surface analysis provides some interesting (and in many cases unexpected) results, particularly the wide differences within divisions, and the low number of homegrown players used by teams like the A’s and Mariners, who you would expect to rely more on the prospects they have developed.

Cito Culver Interview, Potential Future Replacement for Derek Jeter

Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit and declining production have made it painfully clear that the end of his career is quickly approaching. Though it may be hard for New York Yankee fans to accept, it is time to start thinking about who will replace the iconic shortstop. Replace is not a word that does justice to what Jeter has done for the Yankees. Instead, the Yankees should start looking at who their next starting shortstop should be. Right now, an 18 year old in the low minors is a good bet to be that player. His name is Cito Culver and he has prepared for the position for a while, even before he was drafted by New York.

Growing up, Culver idolized Jeter, and as he progressed through high school, he displayed the talent to play shortstop and pitcher. Culver had top skills in the field and at bat, and he also flashed a 95 MPH fastball and a feel for pitching. He hit .561 as a high school senior in Rochester, New York and the Yankees made him the 32nd overall selection in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft. Despite his pitching prowess, the Yankees made his selection in the draft with the thought that he was a promising shortstop, who if everything went well, would be ready for the Major League around the time when Jeter is ready to retire.

It is a pointless and unfair exercise to compare up and coming players to current or former players who have already established a legacy. Baseball players are unique in both their talent and their personality so making comparisons often leads to disappointment because nobody can ever really be the next “so and so.” Culver came to Vermont this past week with his team, the Staten Island Yankees, and I was able to see for myself exactly what New York has to look forward to. While it is obvious that Culver did well in choosing to closely follow Jeter, his game is not an exact replica, and several things came up over the three game series that made it obvious that Culver is an excellent prospect in his own ways.

Culver was impressive defensively. On top of his elite arm, which he showcased on a number of throws, he also made several plays snaring balls deep in the hole, including one that was done barehanded. While I am sure that particular play made some cringe due to possible injury, it was pretty cool to see. His rifle arm makes his fielding range all the more impressive, because it will allow him to make up time on some plays that are more difficult to reach.

Unless the player is Bryce Harper, it is pointless to talk about the hitting skills of a player as young as Culver. All that matters is that he is definitely more than holding his own at the plate this season and does not show any reason that he won’t continue to develop.He is a switch hitter and seems to possess enough speed that he will make a difference on the base paths each year. Within a couple of years it will become apparent what he will be able to contribute in the power department.

The most impressive aspect of Culver that came across was the way he carried himself on and off the field. It was apparent that despite being the youngest player on the team, he is a vocal leader and is someone teammates look towards. Off the field, I saw him sign numerous autographs, chat with fans, and he even gave my friend’s son Tyler a pair of his batting gloves after one game, taking the time to sign each one. If you want to talk comparisons, this is probably where Culver is closest to Jeter at this time. Jeter’s success has not just happened because of production. He has also been one of the most outgoing and personable players in baseball during his career. Seeing that Culver already seems to have mastered that skill, he is just one step closer to possibly taking over for the player he grew up watching and rooting for. But if that happens, he won’t be the next Derek Jeter; he will be the first Cito Culver.

Cito Culver Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
It has always been in my family. It’s what we did as a family, so that’s how I got interested.

I have read Derek Jeter is your favorite player. How did you come to look up to him?
It’s someone I always looked up to as I have come up through baseball. I mean, still to this day, he is my favorite player and I look up to him. He’s a really nice guy and I got to meet him, so that was a great experience for me.

What was the draft experience like for you?
It was wild. I mean it’s a once in a lifetime thing. Not a lot of people get to experience that. I had fun with it, and at some points it was overwhelming, but I had fun.

After you signed, did you do anything special for you or your family?
I just wanted to go and start playing as soon as I could. So I just left after graduation.

How does it feel to possibly be Derek Jeter’s replacement?
I don’t think about it like that. I just try to control what I can control, and just play well, and if that happens, it happens. Great if it doesn’t. I am still having fun out here.

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