AL All Star Voters Out at 1B

So far at the All Star ballot box, American League fans have gotten a lot of things right. Jerome Mancuso and Pedro Franco have been the best hitters at their positions and lead in All Star voting. The latest in sabremetric analysis shows that at First Base and Right Field, the other ‘offensive’ positions, the voting results have so far been, well, offensive. At First and in Right, vote leaders Sean Holt and Javier Rios have done well this season posting weighted on base averages (wOBA) and Wins Above Average (WAA*) of and .390 and 1.85 and .380 and 1.44 respectively. The problem is that other hitters have done better, and it’s not really close. Making matters worse, the voters’ second choices of Pablo Rosa and Juan Baez are even farther off the mark.
Pawtuckett 1B Ajax Warley shouldn’t have All Star weekend off. Yet to win any major award, he is the best hitting First baseman the AL, worth about 2.4 WAA with a wOBA of 417. It’s not as though the fans are taking park factors into account either; Tacoma’s Jude Harris has a wOBA of .397 and 2 WAA playing in a very pitcher friendly environment.
In Right Field, Javier Rios trails 4 other Right Fielders on offense. Norfolk’s Fernando Rojas has accounted for 2.48 WAA – a full win more than current vote leader Rios - and has a wOBA of .419, but hasn’t been a factor in the All Star Voting.
No fault of the fans but worst of all, Quilvio Suarez, whose big bat has been worth 3.6 WAA so far this season – the second best in the AL – is squeezed out of the only DH spot by Pedro Franco’s 5.41 WAA monster first half.

Season 19 Draft Recap

Carlton Greely III - Special to Cobb Times Herald from Baseball Nerd Weekly

Welcome to the Cobb World Draft Recap.  Following suggestions from our subscribers, we have contracted out our draft recaps to Baseball Nerd Weekly, who bring their expertise and Specialized Talent Universal Draft Analysis (STUD Analysis) to the Cobb Times Herald.  So without further ado, here is this seasons draft recap, in team and pick order.

STUD Analysis Note: Players are rated on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest. Players are rated relative to their position and how they would perform at the ML level, with a 5 being average.  N/A means the player hasn't signed and therefore has no rating.

Round	Pick	Fran	Player	Pos	Age	STUD Rating
1	5	BUR	Jolbert Picasso	P	19	8.2
3	115	BUR	Mendy Punto	SS	19	6.4
4	147	BUR	Joe Lanning	CF	19	3.8
5	179	BUR	Bobby Cosby	LF	22	3.6
						Team Grade: C+
1	18	CH1	Hank Ankiel	C	18	8.4
1	20	CH1	Chuck Foster	P	22	6.9
1	58	CH1	Alexander Siebert	P	20	6
2	95	CH1	Sam Greenberg	P	21	N/A
3	128	CH1	Jason Brooks	P	20	3.8
4	160	CH1	Bernie Corbin	P	22	4.7
5	192	CH1	Joe Sadler	P	19	3
						Team Grade: C+
1	24	CHA	Sam Bowles	P	18	N/A
1	61	CHA	Pepe Pena	P	18	N/A
1	70	CHA	Elmer Haynes	1B	18	7.2
2	99	CHA	Dan Sadler	CF	19	6.4
3	132	CHA	James Riley	P	19	4.8
4	164	CHA	Willie Diaz	P	22	3.8
5	196	CHA	Lawrence Martin	SS	20	3.3
						Team Grade: D+
1	8	CHR	Stephen Hubbard	1B	18	9.4
1	11	CHR	Josh Porter	P	19	6.9
1	29	CHR	Duke Terry	SS	18	7.5
1	35	CHR	Naoto Hong	1B	21	6.8
1	55	CHR	Buck Melton	P	18	6.8
2	87	CHR	B.J. Houston	2B	19	6
3	120	CHR	Jerrod Hall	RF	18	5.1
4	152	CHR	Harry Mendoza	CF	18	4.8
5	184	CHR	Nicholas Thurston	P	19	3.2
						Team Grade: A-
1	6	CHY	Alex Koh	P	18	9.1
1	52	CHY	Yusmeiro Jimenez	CF	22	7.5
1	67	CHY	Sean Stark	LF	19	6.8
4	148	CHY	Roy Thurman	SS	20	5.7
5	180	CHY	Joel Kelly	P	18	5.4
						Team Grade: B
1	19	CLB	Kris Dougherty	CF	18	8.2
2	94	CLB	Al Gomez	C	21	N/A
3	127	CLB	Robert Powell	P	20	2.4
4	159	CLB	Huston James	P	20	3.6
5	191	CLB	Del Sherman	P	18	N/A
						Team Grade: C
2	105	CLE	Graham Willits	P	18	6.1
3	137	CLE	Stevie Ingram	C	19	4.8
4	169	CLE	Daniel Sappelt	P	18	4.4
5	201	CLE	Yorrick Miller	P	22	3.2
						Team Grade: D-
1	4	CSP	Cody Bryant	2B	18	9.1
2	81	CSP	Omar Cornejo	LF	19	5.8
3	114	CSP	Nicholas Brandt	LF	22	N/A
4	146	CSP	Bruce Zavada	3B	18	N/A
5	178	CSP	Harry Klein	P	22	4.1
						Team Grade: C+
1	21	DOV	Shaggy Summers	C	21	8
1	38	DOV	Jerome Berger	SS	19	7.7
1	59	DOV	Tim Laxton	P	22	6.4
1	69	DOV	Matthew Cannon	SS	21	7.1
2	96	DOV	Zephyr Bradshaw	CF	19	6.1
3	116	DOV	Philip Hampton	RF	19	5.1
3	129	DOV	Wilfredo Bennett	P	18	3.4
4	161	DOV	Charley Townsend	C	19	4
5	193	DOV	Craig Smart	RF	22	5
						Team Grade: B+
1	28	ELP	Tomas Berroa	P	18	7.3
1	31	ELP	Casey Mordecai	CF	18	7.9
1	46	ELP	Russ Adcock	P	18	6.9
1	49	ELP	Weldon Howard	CF	18	6.8
1	50	ELP	Joe Ojeda	P	18	7.8
1	65	ELP	Brook Banks	P	18	6.4
1	72	ELP	Brian Roth	P	18	6.2
1	75	ELP	Pedro Calvo	P	18	6.1
2	103	ELP	Sal Meares	3B	18	5.2
2	109	ELP	Miguel Carrasquel	SS	18	6.6
3	141	ELP	Steve Hinske	3B	18	5.4
4	173	ELP	Clyde Randall	P	18	N/A
5	205	ELP	Ernie Burns	P	18	N/A
						Team Grade: B
1	42	FLA	Gabe Titan	CF	21	7.4
1	64	FLA	Rico Seanez	P	22	7.2
1	71	FLA	Britt Murray	P	18	1.2
1	74	FLA	Jermaine Berry	P	19	4
2	104	FLA	Tex Staley	P	19	6
3	136	FLA	Eddie Johnson	P	22	4
4	168	FLA	Nate Quinn	P	19	3.8
5	186	FLA	Alton Purcey	C	22	4.9
5	200	FLA	Abraham Metcalfe	SS	19	5.2
						Team Grade: C
1	1	HOU	Gill Cochrane	P	18	9.6
2	76	HOU	Marcus Booker	2B	18	N/A
3	111	HOU	Bernard Cepicky	CF	20	N/A
4	143	HOU	T.J. Lyons	3B	21	N/A
5	175	HOU	Ned Reddick	2B	19	N/A
						Team Grade: C+
1	25	IA	Luther Silvestri	P	18	5.5
1	27	IA	Jake Powell	LF	18	5.4
1	41	IA	Vin Morris	P	18	6.6
2	101	IA	Dante Joseph	C	18	5.8
3	133	IA	Trevor Thomas	2B	18	5.7
4	165	IA	Paul Tobin	SS	18	5.8
5	197	IA	Kid D'Amico	P	18	4.7
						Team Grade: D+
1	9	JAC	Nerio Donnelly	C	18	7.9
1	54	JAC	Charlie Schlehuber	P	20	6.9
2	80	JAC	Chin-Hui Kuo	P	22	5.4
2	85	JAC	Nolan Perkins	P	18	6.9
3	118	JAC	Jerome Reid	C	18	4.8
4	150	JAC	David Nelson	2B	18	3.7
5	182	JAC	Ryan Valentin	SS	18	N/A
						Team Grade: B-
1	15	KC	Ray Plesac	RF	22	7.9
2	91	KC	Donovan Payton	P	22	7.2
3	124	KC	Kris Creek	SS	19	6.7
4	156	KC	Sammy Coleman	SS	21	6.4
5	188	KC	J.T. Lansing	P	18	3.8
						Team Grade: B-
1	23	LAA	Rico Olmeda	RF	18	7.6
1	40	LAA	Albert Benavente	P	20	7
1	48	LAA	Elmer Duffy	RF	21	7.6
1	60	LAA	Andres Tavarez	CF	18	7.2
2	98	LAA	Keith Gonzales	SS	18	5.8
3	122	LAA	Humberto Vazquez	C	19	5.3
3	131	LAA	Billy Getz	SS	21	5.6
4	154	LAA	Joe Gwynn	P	21	6
4	163	LAA	Phillip Cooper	2B	22	4.8
5	195	LAA	Juan Alomar	SS	19	3.2
						Team Grade: B
1	32	MNT	Bobby Merritt	P	18	6.4
1	33	MNT	Brad Burns	SS	18	6.8
1	45	MNT	Derek Whitaker	2B	18	5.1
2	108	MNT	Matty Sosa	3B	18	5.9
3	140	MNT	Angel Ozuna	SS	18	N/A
4	172	MNT	William Rucker	C	18	6.7
5	204	MNT	Jon Burns	1B	18	N/A
						Team Grade: C-
1	63	NY2	Gary Branson	LF	18	N/A
4	167	NY2	Kenny Carlson	3B	18	5.2
5	199	NY2	Jerrod Dixon	P	18	4
						Team Grade: F
1	17	OMA	Derek Maranville	P	22	7.9
1	57	OMA	Wilton Jenner	RF	20	6.8
1	68	OMA	Eddie Rolls	LF	18	6.9
2	93	OMA	Pedro Baez	3B	20	5.9
3	126	OMA	Derrik Sparks	2B	19	5.1
4	158	OMA	Adam White	P	19	4.9
5	190	OMA	Doug Adams	P	22	2.6
						Team Grade: C+
1	13	PAW	Joey Stewart	P	18	8.1
2	100	PAW	Einar Maduro	P	21	N/A
						Team Grade: C
1	3	PIT	York Coleman	P	22	8.1
3	113	PIT	Gail Young	P	18	6
4	145	PIT	Julian Galvez	P	22	4.4
5	177	PIT	Johan Lintz	P	18	3.8
						Team Grade: C+
1	7	ROC	Arlie Pecina	P	21	8.1
1	53	ROC	Andrew Stokes	P	22	7.6
2	84	ROC	Corky Palmer	P	20	7
3	117	ROC	Esmailyn Ordonez	SS	21	N/A
4	149	ROC	Denny Cheng	P	19	4
5	181	ROC	Carlos Vargas	C	18	4.1
						Team Grade: B-
1	12	SEA	Junior Martinez	CF	18	8
1	56	SEA	Pedro Rijo	CF	22	N/A
2	88	SEA	Garret Miceli	P	20	N/A
3	121	SEA	Tris Balboa	1B	21	4.6
4	153	SEA	Bret Hogan	P	18	N/A
5	185	SEA	Brett Ulrich	P	20	3.9
						Team Grade: C *
1	10	SF	Archie Prokopec	P	18	6.9
2	86	SF	Terrence Yerkes	P	18	7.1
3	119	SF	Raul Sosa	P	20	5.6
4	151	SF	Stan Flores	P	18	5
5	183	SF	George Capps	P	18	4.9
						Team Grade: C-
1	26	SXF	Mendy Jensen	1B	20	7.6
1	62	SXF	Giovanni Butler	SS	18	7.6
2	102	SXF	Ernest Sheets	3B	19	6
3	134	SXF	Bernard Hoffpauir	CF	18	6.1
4	166	SXF	Artie Collier	RF	19	5.4
5	198	SXF	Glendon Brown	P	20	N/A
						Team Grade: B-
1	14	SYR	Bill Munoz	CF	21	8.7
1	36	SYR	Felix Perry	P	20	6.8
2	83	SYR	Hugh Newman	3B	18	7.1
2	90	SYR	Bryan Cedeno	P	18	7
3	123	SYR	Lonny Tracy	2B	22	5.2
4	155	SYR	Kouhei Kojima	LF	22	5.2
5	187	SYR	Diego Canseco	C	19	4.8
						Team Grade: B+
1	44	TAC	Fergie Boone	SS	18	N/A
2	107	TAC	Bernie James	SS	18	6.5
3	139	TAC	P.T. Coleman	P	18	N/A
4	171	TAC	Ichiro Masaoka	2B	18	N/A
5	203	TAC	Kenji Ono	3B	18	N/A
						Team Grade: D-
1	2	TB	Greg Carillo	1B	22	9.5
1	51	TB	Dennis Lewis	LF	22	8
2	77	TB	Carlton Wheeler	RF	19	6.8
2	78	TB	Curtis Swann	2B	20	6.1
3	112	TB	J.P. Torres	P	19	N/A
4	144	TB	Javy Quintero	P	20	N/A
5	176	TB	Lou Richardson	3B	18	N/A
						Team Grade: A
1	16	TOR	Haywood Brown	P	20	8.5
1	37	TOR	Jimmie Little	P	21	6
2	82	TOR	Chris Ward	P	18	6.2
2	92	TOR	Scott Gibbons	P	20	4.9
3	125	TOR	Matty Benavente	P	22	5.3
4	157	TOR	Todd Krause	SS	19	5
5	189	TOR	Blake Rogers	P	18	3.1
						Team Grade: C+
1	22	TRE	Alex Gomez	SS	18	7.9
1	39	TRE	Gerald May	P	19	8.2
2	89	TRE	Einar Noesi	P	18	N/A
2	97	TRE	Benjamin Magee	P	18	5.2
3	130	TRE	Dale Nichols	P	21	6.3
4	162	TRE	Steve Counsell	2B	22	5
5	194	TRE	Chance Hampton	LF	18	5.3
						Team Grade: B
1	34	VC	Karl Ramirez	P	21	7.9
1	47	VC	Johnnie Sinclair	P	18	6.1
1	66	VC	Perry Tipton	CF	20	6.9
1	73	VC	Clarence Adcock	P	19	6.8
2	110	VC	Gerrit Nixon	P	21	N/A
3	135	VC	Jake Sweeney	P	21	N/A
3	142	VC	Randy Briggs	SS	19	6.7
4	174	VC	Paul Delmonico	SS	21	5.2
5	206	VC	Rob Gilmore	P	22	4.1
						Team Grade: C+
1	30	WIC	Trot Tracy	P	21	7.1
1	43	WIC	Kent Jurrjens	C	22	7.1
2	79	WIC	Rick Meares	P	22	6.5
2	106	WIC	Nick Sutton	SS	20	5.8
3	138	WIC	Hoss St. Clair	2B	19	4.6
4	170	WIC	Lewis Spencer	P	20	6.1
5	202	WIC	Macbeth Upshaw	CF	22	5.1

*SIM Draft/AWOL Owner