In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Consequently, Frankie Frisch is listed on the Giants roster for the duration of his career while the Indians declare Rocky Colavito and the Mariners claim David Ortiz. I calculated revised standings for every season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition.  Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Expanding on my research for the book, the following series of articles will reveal the finest single-season rosters for every Major League organization based on overall rankings in OWAR and OWS along with the general managers and scouting directors that constructed the teams. “Hardball Retrospective” is available in digital format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GooglePlay, iTunes and KoboBooks. The paperback edition is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here.

Terminology

OWAR – Wins Above Replacement for players on “original” teams

OWS – Win Shares for players on “original” teams

OPW% – Pythagorean Won-Loss record for the “original” teams

Assessment

The 1969 Cincinnati Reds          OWAR: 58.1     OWS: 362     OPW%: .619

Based on the revised standings the “Original” 1969 Reds recorded 100 victories and claimed the National League Western Division by 14 games over the Giants. Cincinnati topped the circuit in OWS and OWAR. GM Gabe Paul acquired 27 of the 40 ballplayers (68%) on the 1969 Reds roster.

Pete Rose (.348/16/82) notched his second straight batting title and paced the League with 120 runs scored. “Charlie Hustle” rapped 218 base knocks including 33 doubles and 11 triples while establishing personal-bests in OBP (.428) and SLG (.512). Jim Wynn aka the “Toy Cannon” unleashed 33 bombs, nabbed 23 bags, tallied 113 runs and topped the circuit with 148 bases on balls. Frank “The Judge” Robinson (.308/32/100) registered 111 aces and finished third in the MVP balloting. Third-sacker Tony “Big Dog” Perez belted 37 round-trippers, knocked in 122 runs and merited his third consecutive All-Star invite. “The Little General” Johnny Bench swatted 26 big-flies and drove in 90 runs during his sophomore season. Lee “Big Bopper” May crushed 38 moon-shots and plated 110 baserunners to earn his first appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic.

Johnny Bench places runner-up to Yogi Berra in the All-Time Catcher rankings according to Bill James in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.” Teammates listed in the “NBJHBA” top 100 rankings include Robinson (3^rd-RF), Rose (5^th-RF), Wynn (10^th-CF), Perez (13^th-1B), Vada Pinson (18^th-CF), Curt Flood (36^th-CF), May (47^th-1B), Leo Cardenas (50^th-SS), Johnny Edwards (53^rd-C), Tommy Harper (56^th-LF), Cookie Rojas (69^th-2B), Cesar Tovar (79^th-CF), Tony Gonzalez (82^nd-CF) and Tommy Helms (99^th-2B).

LINEUP	POS	WAR	WS
Pete Rose	LF/RF	4.83	36.77
Cesar Tovar	2B/CF	3.37	20.31
Jim Wynn	CF	7.36	36.09
Frank Robinson	RF	5.31	31.84
Tony Perez	3B	5.77	30.41
Johnny Bench	C	5.69	29.93
Lee May	1B	3.31	25.11
Leo Cardenas	SS	2.81	23.74
BENCH	POS	WAR	WS
Art Shamsky	RF	2.61	16.22
Curt Flood	CF	2.14	19.71
Johnny Edwards	C	1.94	14.95
Tony Gonzalez	LF	1.89	17.19
Tommy Harper	3B	1.78	16.64
Brant Alyea	LF	0.62	6.52
Joe Azcue	C	0.61	6.49
Don Pavletich	C	0.5	4.96
Vada Pinson	RF	0.11	10.97
Chico Ruiz	2B	0.03	2.68
Clyde Mashore	–	-0.01	0
Bernie Carbo	–	-0.04	0
Vic Davalillo	RF	-0.21	2.26
Fred Kendall	C	-0.26	0.31
Gus Gil	3B	-0.64	1.8
Cookie Rojas	2B	-0.66	2.56
Len Boehmer	1B	-0.91	0.58
Tommy Helms	2B	-0.93	5.57
Darrel Chaney	SS	-1.23	1.8

Mike Cuellar (23-11, 2.38) earned the Cy Young Award while fashioning the lowest WHIP (1.005) of his career. Claude Osteen (20-15, 2.66) delivered career-bests in victories, innings pitched (321), strikeouts (183) and WHIP (1.143). Jim Maloney contributed a 12-5 record with a 2.77 ERA and Casey Cox (12-7, 2.78) furnished strikingly similar statistics. Diego Segui anchored the bullpen with 12 wins, 12 saves and a 3.35 ERA.

ROTATION	POS	WAR	WS
Claude Osteen	SP	5.09	24.65
Mike Cuellar	SP	4.91	24.57
Jim Maloney	SP	3.93	14.63
Casey Cox	SP	2.14	12.03
Gary Nolan	SP	1.71	7.02
BULLPEN	POS	WAR	WS
Diego Segui	RP	1.38	11.3
Billy McCool	RP	-0.04	2.88
Dan McGinn	RP	-0.04	6.86
John Noriega	RP	-0.19	0
Jack Baldschun	RP	-0.3	3.57
Mel Queen	SP	0.37	1.17
Sammy Ellis	SP	-0.33	0
Jose Pena	RP	-0.68	0

 

The “Original” 1969 Cincinnati Reds roster

NAME	POS	WAR	WS	General Manager	Scouting Director
Jim Wynn	CF	7.36	36.09	Bill DeWitt
Tony Perez	3B	5.77	30.41	Gabe Paul
Johnny Bench	C	5.69	29.93	Bill DeWitt
Frank Robinson	RF	5.31	31.84	Gabe Paul
Claude Osteen	SP	5.09	24.65	Gabe Paul
Mike Cuellar	SP	4.91	24.57	Gabe Paul
Pete Rose	RF	4.83	36.77	Gabe Paul
Jim Maloney	SP	3.93	14.63	Gabe Paul
Cesar Tovar	CF	3.37	20.31	Gabe Paul
Lee May	1B	3.31	25.11	Gabe Paul
Leo Cardenas	SS	2.81	23.74	Gabe Paul
Art Shamsky	RF	2.61	16.22	Gabe Paul
Curt Flood	CF	2.14	19.71	Gabe Paul
Casey Cox	SP	2.14	12.03	Bill DeWitt
Johnny Edwards	C	1.94	14.95	Gabe Paul
Tony Gonzalez	LF	1.89	17.19	Gabe Paul
Tommy Harper	3B	1.78	16.64	Gabe Paul
Gary Nolan	SP	1.71	7.02	Bob Howsam
Diego Segui	RP	1.38	11.3	Gabe Paul
Brant Alyea	LF	0.62	6.52	Bill DeWitt
Joe Azcue	C	0.61	6.49	Gabe Paul
Don Pavletich	C	0.5	4.96	Gabe Paul
Mel Queen	SP	0.37	1.17	Gabe Paul
Vada Pinson	RF	0.11	10.97	Gabe Paul
Chico Ruiz	2B	0.03	2.68	Gabe Paul
Clyde Mashore	–	-0.01	0	Bill DeWitt
Billy McCool	RP	-0.04	2.88	Bill DeWitt
Bernie Carbo	–	-0.04	0	Bill DeWitt
Dan McGinn	RP	-0.04	6.86	Bob Howsam
John Noriega	RP	-0.19	0	Bob Howsam
Vic Davalillo	RF	-0.21	2.26	Gabe Paul
Fred Kendall	C	-0.26	0.31	Bob Howsam	Jim McLaughlin
Jack Baldschun	RP	-0.3	3.57	Gabe Paul
Sammy Ellis	SP	-0.33	0	Gabe Paul
Gus Gil	3B	-0.64	1.8	Gabe Paul
Cookie Rojas	2B	-0.66	2.56	Gabe Paul
Jose Pena	RP	-0.68	0	Bob Howsam
Len Boehmer	1B	-0.91	0.58	Gabe Paul
Tommy Helms	2B	-0.93	5.57	Gabe Paul
Darrel Chaney	SS	-1.23	1.8	Bob Howsam

 

Honorable Mention

The “Original” 1974 Reds                 OWAR: 52.6     OWS: 336     OPW%: .557

Cincinnati scrapped with Atlanta in the final weeks of the season. The Braves emerged with the division crown by two games while the Reds paced the National League in OWAR and OWS. Johnny Bench (.280/33/129) scored a career-high 108 runs and topped the RBI charts. Jim Wynn walloped 32 circuit clouts, drove in 108 baserunners and amassed 104 tallies. Pete Rose’s batting average dipped below .300 for the first time in ten years. All the same, “Charlie Hustle” paced the circuit with 45 doubles and 110 runs scored. Dave Concepcion earned his first of five Gold Glove Awards and contributed a .281 BA with 14 wallops and 41 steals. Hal McRae (.310/15/88) responded with 36 doubles after earning a full-time role. Ross “Scuz” Grimsley furnished an 18-13 record with a 3.07 ERA.

On Deck

The “Original” 1939 Yankees

References and Resources

Baseball America – Executive Database

Baseball-Reference

James, Bill. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York, NY.: The Free Press, 2001. Print.

James, Bill, with Jim Henzler. Win Shares. Morton Grove, Ill.: STATS, 2002. Print.

Retrosheet – Transactions Database

Seamheads – Baseball Gauge

Sean Lahman Baseball Archive