Impossible Dream???

[bigpapi]

1976 Amateur Draft

1. Wade Boggs, 3B, San Diego Padres--Hit .462/.620/.744 with a rediculous 48/5 BB/K ratio. Added some power (6 homeruns) and 11 doubles. Projects to a .300 hitter with 10-15 HR and 40 double power for years to come. There are questions about his glove however, he does need work.
2. Rickey Henderson, LF, Kansas City Royals--.344/.531/..664 as a senior with 9 HR and 27 RBI. His real strength is his speed however as he stole 23 bases as a senior and 77 bases in high school while being caught just 10 times. Also posted a 52/15 BB/K ratio as a senior. Should hit 20 HR's a year and steal upwards of 50 or 60 bases.
3. Julio Franco, SS, Montreal Expos--Hit a whopping .532 as a senior without a lot of power, hitting just 3 homeruns while driving in 47. He projects to be a doubles machine, with a BA well above .300. Excellent eye as well, posting a 103/57 BB/K ratio throughout high school.
4. Orel Hershiser, P, Milwaukee Brewers--The first pitcher taken in the draft posted a 5-2 2.14 ERA as a senior. Started 11 games, pitching 75.2 innings, allowing just 66 hits while putting up a 91/12 K/BB ratio and allowed opponents to hit just .165 against him. Hershiser projects to be a future ace for the Brewers.
5. Gary Gaetti, 3B, Minnesota Twins--Gaetti was the first real power hitter taken, hitting 10 homers as a senior after busting out and hitting 16 as a junior. Also added hitting for average as a senior, posting a mark of .438 up from .294 as a junior. Projects to a middle of the lineup hitter and should hit 25-30 HR's a year.
6. Dave Henderson, OF, Oakland Athletics--Some felt Henderson should have been taken ahead of Gaetti after he hit .404/.527/.952 15-40 as a senior. Also showed an excellent eye putting up a 26/13 BB/K ratio. Henderson should hit close to .300 with 20 homeruns.
7. Willie McGee, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates--McGee is a hitting machine. He hit .443 as a senior and .535 as a junior. Won't hit for a ton of power, should hit 10-15 a year, but should hit 35+ doubles, steal 30+ bases and play stellar defense.
8. Alan Trammell, SS, Houston Astros--Very solid pick by the Astros as Trammell does everything well. He should hit for average (.430 as a senior), power (6 HR's), great eye (35/11 BB/K ratio) and field (only 3 errors). Houston should be very happy with what Trammell becomes.
9. Mike Scioscia, C, Cleveland Indians--The first catcher picked in the draft, Scioscia brings the intangibles to the table, fantastic eye, posting a 34/6 BB/K ratio, as well as being able to hit the long ball 5 homeruns, and a great feel for calling games behind the plate. If the Indians are patient, they could have a superb player on their hands.
10. Tim Leary, P, Cincinnati Reds--3-2 1.85 as a senior. Started just 7 games on the year, pitching 63 innings, allowing 45 hits and just 9 walks while striking out 56. If he lives up to his potential, you can add another great arm to an already improving Reds rotation.
11. Frank Williams, P, Philadelphia Phillies
12. Von Hayes, RF, Atlanta Braves
13. Walt Terrell, P, Chicago Cubs
14. Bruce Hurst, P, Detroit Tigers
15. Luis DeLeon, P, Baltimore Orioles
16. Jeff Calhoun, P, Chicago White Sox
17. Mike Madden, P, San Fransisco Giants
18. Carlos Diaz, P, California Angels
19. Marty Bystrom, P, New York Yankees
20. Dave Righetti, P, St. Louis Cardinals
21. Mark Huismann, P, New York Mets
22. Bill Doran, 2B, Boston Red Sox--Struggled as a senior, hitting just .279 5-24, but with a 35/12 BB/K ratio. Those struggles cost him draft position, but the Red Sox should be very happy with the end results and he and Ozzie Smith should be the starting middle infield for the Sox in about 4 years. Solid fielder as well, committing just 3 errors all year.
23. Dave Van Ohlen, P, Texas Rangers
24. Teddy Higuera, P, Los Angeles Dodgers


Other Sox picks:

2nd Round (46th overall) Dan Petry, P--5-1 2.48 in 11 starts as a senior. Threw 72.2 innings, allowing 55 hits and 18 walks while striking out 58. Ground ball pitcher who allowed just 1 homerun in his final year.
3rd Round (70th overall) Dickie Thon, SS--Solid third round pick, as Thon hit .402 with 8 homeruns and 24 RBI as a senior. Put up a 24/12 BB/K ratio as a senior and even stole 6 bases. Needs work on his fielding as he committed 9 errors in 35 games.
4th Round (94th overall) Ron Kittle, LF--Big time power hitter in the mold of Gorman Thomas, as he hit .320 with 15 HR and 37 RBI as a senior after hitting .254 16-30 as a junior. Not a good fielder, so hopefully his bat can carry him.
5th Round (118th overall) John Shelby CF--A bit of a reach here, but if he can improve his hitting, he could be a 4th outfielder type. Shelby hit .364 7-26 as a senior, but his real strength is hit fielding as he committed no errors in his final year.
6th Round (142nd overall) Mike Stenhouse, LF--Not expecting much here. Reminds scouts of another Sox minor leaguer in Dave Bergman. Hit .270 with 7 HR but just 18 RBI as a senior. He does have a good eye though, putting up a 43/18 BB/K ratio. Will probably never see the big club.

[bigpapi]

May 27,28,29 at New York Yankees (28-23)

May 27-Dan Driessen hit a bases clearing double in the top of the 10th inning to break a 5 all tie, giving Boston an 8-5 win over the Yankees. Rico Carty had 3 hits, including 2 doubles in the win. (35-15)
W-Tom Hall (3-2) L-Rick Sawyer (3-4)

May 28-Bob Hansen hit a 3 run HR, and Derek Pritchard pitched 8 innings of 1 run ball, striking out 9 helping New York beat Boston 4-1. (35-16)
W-Derek Pritchard (7-4) L-Fergie Jenkins (7-3) S-Greg Thayer (7)

May 29-5 different Yankees drove in runs, and New York held off a Boston comeback, as Don Gullett pitched 3 1/3 of perfect ball in relief as the Yankees took two of three from Boston, winning 5-4. (35-17)
W-Wayne Simpson (5-3) L-Roger Moret (4-3) S-Don Gullett (1)

May 31, June 1,2 v Detroit Tigers (29-26)

May 31-An 8 run 4th inning, capped by a 3 run HR from Gorman Thomas and bases clearing double from Billy Grabarkewitz handed Boston an 11-2 win over the Tigers. Ron Guidry pitched 7 shutout innings in the win. (36-17)
W-Ron Guidry (2-0) L-Jim Rooker (1-2)

June 1-Rick Mahler pitched 7 innings, allowing just 1 unearned run, and Dwight Evans had 2 hits and an RBI as Boston squeaked past Detroit 3-2. (37-17)
W-Rick Mahler (8-2) L-Mike Krukow (8-4) S-Tom Hall (18)

June 2-Ted Simmons went 3-3 with a HR and 3 RBI and Billy Conigliaro added 3 RBI in support of Vern Ruhle who pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5 as Boston completed the sweep, hammering Detroit 11-0. (38-17)
W-Vern Ruhle (5-5) L-Pat Dobson (3-4)

MLB Trade News:

San Fransisco sends C Barry Foote (71/84)
Milwaukee sends RP Mike Marshall (82)
Not a bad deal for the Brewers as Foote is a solid prospect, albeit blocked by Yeager. Marshall wasn't going to help them get to .500.

MLB Milestones:
Brooks Robinson of the Kansas City Royals became the 11th player in Major League history to record 3,000 hits as "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" picked up his 3,000th, an infield single off Tigers P Jim Rooker in a 5-4 Royals win on May 27th. Boxscore and Play-By-Play below:

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers
May 22, 1976

                     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +  R  H  E
        Royals (KCR) 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0    4 10  1
        Tigers (DET) 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1    5 10  0

KANSAS CITY          ab  h bb  r hr bi  k sb     avg
D. Augustine (CF)     5  2  0  2  0  0  0  1    .304
D. Anderson (SS)      5  2  0  1  0  0  1  0    .287
B. Robinson (3B)      5  3  0  1  0  3  1  0    .278
W. McCovey (1B)       3  0  1  0  0  0  0  0    .231
J. Callison (RF)      4  1  0  0  0  1  2  0    .188
M. Lopez (C)          3  0  1  0  0  0  0  0    .189
L. Sullwold (LF)      3  1  1  0  0  0  1  0    .128
J. Beniquez (DH)      4  1  0  0  0  0  1  0    .341
T. Ragland (2B)       4  0  0  0  0  0  3  0    .269
TOTALS               36 10  3  4  0  4  9  1

   2B:  J. Callison (4)
   3B:  B. Robinson (2)
   GIDP:  M. Lopez

     KANSAS CITY   ip  h bb hr  r er  k pit    ERA
       J. Hannan  5.1  6  6  0  4  4  4 118   7.17
       S. Thomas  2.2  4  2  0  1  1  3  49   4.86
          TOTALS  8.0 10  8  0  5  5  7 167

DETROIT              ab  h bb  r hr bi  k sb     avg
R. LeFlore (CF)       3  1  2  1  0  1  0  0    .315
K. Szotkiewicz (SS)   5  0  0  0  0  0  1  0    .317
B. Christian (RF)     3  2  1  1  0  1  1  0    .364
W. Horton (LF)        5  1  0  0  0  0  1  0    .258
P. Jata (1B)          4  1  1  0  0  1  2  0    .292
G. Scott (DH)         2  1  2  2  0  0  0  0    .252
W. Garrett (3B)       3  2  1  1  0  1  1  0    .229
G. Lamont (C)         4  2  0  0  0  1  0  0    .370
J. Knox (2B)          3  0  1  0  0  0  1  0    .270
TOTALS               32 10  8  5  0  5  7  0

   2B:  W. Garrett (6), R. LeFlore (8), W. Horton (5)
   GIDP:  K. Szotkiewicz, W. Horton

         DETROIT   ip  h bb hr  r er  k pit    ERA
       J. Rooker  4.1  9  1  0  4  4  4  92   4.86
         L. Cain  3.2  1  2  0  0  0  4  64   2.16
    W. Twitchell  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  1  13   4.70
          TOTALS  9.0 10  3  0  4  4  9 169

     WP: W. Twitchell (2-2)
     LP: S. Thomas (0-3)

     Temperature: 57F
     Wind: Calm
     Attendance: 37,723
     Time: 3:17

TOP OF THE FIRST
Jim Rooker takes the mound for the Tigers.
Dave Augustine singled through the hole. <--1>
Dwain Anderson flied out to center field. <--1>
The Royals put on the hit and run.
Dave Augustine stole second. <-2->
Brooks Robinson singled to left, scoring a run. <--1>(2,999)
Willie McCovey popped up to second. <--1>
Johnny Callison doubled down the left field line, scoring a run. <-2->
Marcus Lopez flied out to center. <-2->
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
In the middle of the first, Kansas City leads 2 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE FIRST
Jim Hannan takes the mound for the Royals.
Ron LeFlore walked. <--1>
Ken Szotkiewicz grounded to the pitcher, forcing the runner at second. <--1>
The Tigers put on the hit and run.
Bob Christian singled through the right side. <-21>
Willie Horton grounded to second, forcing the runner at second. <3-1>
Paul Jata struck out. <3-1>
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 2 left on base.
At the end of the first, Detroit trails 2 to 0.

TOP OF THE SECOND
Lance Sullwold flied out to left. <--->
Juan Beniquez flied out to center. <--->
Tom Ragland struck out. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the second, Kansas City leads 2 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE SECOND
George Scott walked. <--1>
Wayne Garrett struck out. <--1>
Gene Lamont flied out to left field. <--1>
John Knox grounded to the third baseman. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the second, Detroit trails 2 to 0.

TOP OF THE THIRD
Dave Augustine lined out to the shortstop. <--->
Dwain Anderson struck out. <--->
Brooks Robinson hit an infield single to second. <--1>(3,000)
Willie McCovey lined out to center. <--1>
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.

Up next for the Sox are 3 games in Texas against the first place Rangers followed by 4 games on the west coast to face the Angels.