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. Therefore, Dan Quisenberry is listed on the Royals roster for the duration of his career while the Tigers declare Charlie Gehringer and the Senators claim Goose Goslin. 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 1977 Pittsburgh Pirates          OWAR: 53.6     OWS: 347     OPW%: .524

GM Joe Brown acquired all of the ballplayers on the 1977 Pirates roster. Based on the revised standings the “Original” 1977 Pirates tied for second place with the Phillies, one game behind the Cardinals. Pittsburgh topped the Senior Circuit in OWS during consecutive campaigns (1977-78).

Dave Parker (.338/21/88) collected his first batting title and paced the League with 215 base knocks and 44 two-baggers. “Cobra” merited his first All-Star nomination and Gold Glove Award while placing third in the NL MVP balloting. Mitchell Page (.307/21/85) pilfered 42 bags and finished runner-up in the Rookie of the Year vote. Don Money cracked a career-best 25 circuit clouts and received his third All-Star nod. Al “Scoop” Oliver contributed a .308 BA with 19 round-trippers. Richie Zisk clubbed 30 long balls and knocked in 101 baserunners. Willie Randolph laced 11 triples and tallied 91 runs.

Willie Stargell swatted 13 big-flies despite missing almost two-thirds of the 1977 campaign. “Pops” ranks ninth among left fielders according to Bill James in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.” Teammates enumerated in the “NBJHBA” top 100 rankings include Parker (14^th-RF), Randolph (17^th-2B), Oliver (31^st-CF), Manny Sanguillen (42^nd-C), Dave Cash (50^th-2B), Money (55^th-3B), Richie Hebner (56^th-3B), Zisk (69^th-RF), Freddie Patek (73^rd – SS), Bob Bailey (79^th – 3B), Tony Armas (89^th-RF) and Rennie Stennett (90^th-2B).

LINEUP	POS	WAR	WS
Willie Randolph	2B	4.69	20.08
Mitchell Page	LF	6.07	29.41
Dave Parker	RF	5.02	32.6
Don Money	3B/2B	4.11	21.87
Al Oliver	CF/LF	2.04	20.19
Richie Hebner	1B	2.7	16.01
Milt May	C	1.66	9.63
Freddie Patek	SS	1.55	14.76
BENCH	POS	WAR	WS
Rennie Stennett	2B	3.57	17.98
Art Howe	2B	1.83	13.91
Richie Zisk	RF	1.82	20.15
Tony Armas	CF	1.49	7.76
Dave Cash	2B	1.11	17.12
Frank Taveras	SS	1.01	13.78
Ed Ott	C	0.67	10.69
Willie Stargell	1B	0.63	8.47
Omar Moreno	CF	0.47	12.62
Craig Reynolds	SS	0.1	6.74
Gene Clines	LF	0.04	5.48
Bob Bailey	–	0.02	1.61
Jimmy Sexton	SS	-0.05	0.58
Mike Edwards	2B	-0.12	0.16
Miguel Dilone	LF	-0.33	0.32
Dale Berra	3B	-0.41	0.42
Manny Sanguillen	C	-0.44	10.27
Ken Macha	3B	-0.55	0.66
Mario Mendoza	SS	-0.58	1.22
Bobby Tolan	1B	-0.68	0.26

John “Candy Man” Candelaria earned his lone All-Star appearance with a 20-5 record along with a League-best 2.34 ERA. Dock Ellis supplied 12 victories and an ERA of 3.63. Rick Langford surpassed the 200-innings mark while losing 19 of 27 decisions. The bullpen subdued late-inning rallies by the opposition, co-anchored by Gene Garber (2.35, 19 saves) and Kent Tekulve (10-1, 3.06).

ROTATION	POS	WAR	WS
John Candelaria	SP	8.07	24.69
Dock Ellis	SP	2.37	16.07
Rick Langford	SP	1.02	8.44
Bruce Kison	SP	0.39	5.71
Timothy Jones	SP	0.64	1.73
BULLPEN	POS	WAR	WS
Gene Garber	RP	2.19	15.16
Kent Tekulve	RP	0.95	11.48
Bruce Dal Canton	RP	0.25	1.6
Doug Bair	RP	0.21	5.46
Al Holland	RP	-0.09	0
Ed Whitson	SP	0.27	1.21
Woodie Fryman	SP	0.08	1.95
Rick Honeycutt	SP	0.02	1.18
Silvio Martinez	RP	-0.22	0.07
Odell Jones	SP	-0.28	2.24
Bill Laxton	RP	-0.64	3.32
Ramon Hernandez	RP	-0.67	0.1
Larry Demery	SW	-1.04	2.06

The “Original” 1977 Pittsburgh Pirates roster

NAME	POS	WAR	WS	General Manager	Scouting Director
John Candelaria	SP	8.07	24.69	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Mitchell Page	LF	6.07	29.41	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Dave Parker	RF	5.02	32.6	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Willie Randolph	2B	4.69	20.08	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Don Money	2B	4.11	21.87	Joe Brown
Rennie Stennett	2B	3.57	17.98	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Richie Hebner	1B	2.7	16.01	Joe Brown
Dock Ellis	SP	2.37	16.07	Joe Brown
Gene Garber	RP	2.19	15.16	Joe Brown
Al Oliver	LF	2.04	20.19	Joe Brown
Art Howe	2B	1.83	13.91	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Richie Zisk	RF	1.82	20.15	Joe Brown
Milt May	C	1.66	9.63	Joe Brown
Freddie Patek	SS	1.55	14.76	Joe Brown
Tony Armas	CF	1.49	7.76	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Dave Cash	2B	1.11	17.12	Joe Brown
Rick Langford	SP	1.02	8.44	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Frank Taveras	SS	1.01	13.78	Joe Brown
Kent Tekulve	RP	0.95	11.48	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Ed Ott	C	0.67	10.69	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Timothy Jones	SP	0.64	1.73	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Willie Stargell	1B	0.63	8.47	Joe Brown
Omar Moreno	CF	0.47	12.62	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Bruce Kison	SP	0.39	5.71	Joe Brown
Ed Whitson	SP	0.27	1.21	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Bruce Dal Canton	RP	0.25	1.6	Joe Brown
Doug Bair	RP	0.21	5.46	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Craig Reynolds	SS	0.1	6.74	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Woodie Fryman	SP	0.08	1.95	Joe Brown
Gene Clines	LF	0.04	5.48	Joe Brown
Bob Bailey	–	0.02	1.61	Joe Brown	Rex Bowen
Rick Honeycutt	SP	0.02	1.18	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Jimmy Sexton	SS	-0.05	0.58	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Al Holland	RP	-0.09	0	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Mike Edwards	2B	-0.12	0.16	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Silvio Martinez	RP	-0.22	0.07	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Odell Jones	SP	-0.28	2.24	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Miguel Dilone	LF	-0.33	0.32	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Dale Berra	3B	-0.41	0.42	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Manny Sanguillen	C	-0.44	10.27	Joe Brown
Ken Macha	3B	-0.55	0.66	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Mario Mendoza	SS	-0.58	1.22	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson
Bill Laxton	RP	-0.64	3.32	Joe Brown
Ramon Hernandez	RP	-0.67	0.1	Joe Brown
Bobby Tolan	1B	-0.68	0.26	Joe Brown	Rex Bowen
Larry Demery	SW	-1.04	2.06	Joe Brown	Harding Peterson

 

Honorable Mention

The “Original” 2012 Pirates    OWAR: 46.1     OWS: 303     OPW%: .597

The Bucs seized the National League pennant with 97 victories and topped the circuit in OWS. Andrew McCutchen (.327/31/96) led the League with 194 base hits, earned a Gold Glove Award and finished third in the 2012 National League MVP balloting. Aramis Ramirez (.300/27/105) drilled a League-leading 50 doubles. Pedro Alvarez went yard 30 times while Jose A. Bautista launched 27 bombs in an injury-shortened campaign. Jeff Keppinger delivered a .325 BA in a utility role. Paul Maholm posted a record of 13-11 with a 3.67 ERA and fellow hurler Bronson Arroyo accrued 12 wins with a 3.74 ERA in 202 innings.

On Deck

The “Original” 1931 Athletics

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