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. Accordingly, Ken Griffey, Jr. is listed on the Mariners roster for the duration of his career while the Marlins claim Miguel Cabrera and the Nationals declare Vladimir Guerrero. 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. Additional information and a discussion forum are available at TuataraSoftware.com.

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 1992 Milwaukee Brewers    OWAR: 48.2     OWS: 290     OPW%: .587

GM Harry Dalton acquired 85% (29 of 34) of the ballplayers on the 1992 Brewers roster. All of the team members were selected during the Amateur Draft with the exception of Frank DiPino and Dave Nilsson (signed as amateur free agents). Based on the revised standings the “Original” 1992 Brewers finished eight games ahead of the Yankees and secured the American League pennant.

Gary Sheffield (.330/33/100) paced the Brew Crew with 32 Win Shares, collected the batting crown and placed third in the MVP race. Paul “The Ignitor” Molitor nabbed 31 bags, drilled 36 doubles and delivered a .320 BA. Fleet-footed shortstop Pat Listach earned Rookie of the Year honors, swiping 54 bases and scoring 93 runs while batting .290 from the leadoff spot. Center fielder Robin Yount slashed 40 two-base hits in his penultimate campaign. Darryl Hamilton contributed a personal-best 41 stolen bases and posted a .298 BA.

Yount placed fourth behind Honus Wagner, Arky Vaughan and Cal Ripken Jr. in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract” for the best shortstop of All-Time. Molitor (3B – 8^th), Greg Vaughn (LF – 68^th) and B.J. Surhoff (LF – 97^th) finished in the top 100 at their respective positions. 

LINEUP	POS	WAR	WS
Pat Listach	SS	4.67	22.88
Darryl Hamilton	RF	3.55	18.71
Paul Molitor	DH	4.87	28.44
Gary Sheffield	3B	5.92	32.28
Robin Yount	CF	2.29	19.45
Greg Vaughn	LF	1.7	14.43
B. J. Surhoff	C	1.58	13.54
John Jaha	1B	0.31	2.63
Jim Gantner	2B	-0.24	4.96
BENCH	POS	WAR	WS
Mike Felder	CF	0.93	10.14
Dion James	RF	0.45	4.29
Glenn Braggs	LF	0.31	6.9
Dave Nilsson	C	0.27	5.19
Kevin Bass	LF	0.26	10.84
Dale Sveum	SS	0.08	3.61
Bill Spiers	SS	0.05	0.58
Ernie Riles	SS	0.03	1.34
Russ McGinnis	C	-0.11	0.71
Bert Heffernan	C	-0.15	0.06
Randy Ready	DH	-0.21	2.92
Tim McIntosh	C	-0.66	0.62

Bill Wegman compiled a 1.169 WHIP while supporting a workload of 261.2 innings. Jaime Navarro topped the pitching staff with 17 victories and an ERA of 3.33. Chris Bosio (16-6, 3.62) fashioned a 1.154 WHIP. Rookie right-hander Cal Eldred notched an 11-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.987 WHIP subsequent to a promotion from the Minor Leagues in mid-July.

Doug Jones (11-8, 1.85) rebounded from an off-year in ’91, posting 36 saves and leading the AL with 70 games finished in 80 relief appearances. Jeff Parrett (9-1, 3.02) and Dan Plesac (5-4, 3.68) held opponents at bay.

ROTATION	POS	WAR	WS
Bill Wegman	SP	3.73	15.72
Jaime Navarro	SP	3.47	15.6
Chris Bosio	SP	2.41	13.26
Cal Eldred	SP	3.76	11.58
Mike Birkbeck	SP	-0.3	0
BULLPEN	POS	WAR	WS
Doug Jones	RP	2.6	17.59
Dan Plesac	RP	0.92	5.9
Jeff Parrett	RP	0.91	8.43
Frank DiPino	RP	0.31	1.29
Brian Drahman	RP	0	0.58
Doug Henry	RP	-0.71	5.72
Tim Crews	RP	-1.11	0.05
Chuck Crim	RP	-1.52	2.41

 The “Original” 1992 Milwaukee Brewers roster

NAME	POS	WAR	WS	General Manager	Scouting Director
Gary Sheffield	3B	5.92	32.28	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
Paul Molitor	DH	4.87	28.44	Jim Baumer	Dee Fondy / Al Widmar
Pat Listach	SS	4.67	22.88	Harry Dalton	Dick Foster
Cal Eldred	SP	3.76	11.58	Harry Dalton	Dick Foster
Bill Wegman	SP	3.73	15.72	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Darryl Hamilton	RF	3.55	18.71	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
Jaime Navarro	SP	3.47	15.6	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
Doug Jones	RP	2.6	17.59	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Chris Bosio	SP	2.41	13.26	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Robin Yount	CF	2.29	19.45	Jim Wilson	Jim Baumer
Greg Vaughn	LF	1.7	14.43	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
B. J. Surhoff	C	1.58	13.54	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Mike Felder	CF	0.93	10.14	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Dan Plesac	RP	0.92	5.9	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Jeff Parrett	RP	0.91	8.43	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Dion James	RF	0.45	4.29	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Frank DiPino	RP	0.31	1.29	Jim Baumer	Dee Fondy / Al Widmar
Glenn Braggs	LF	0.31	6.9	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
John Jaha	1B	0.31	2.63	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Dave Nilsson	C	0.27	5.19	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
Kevin Bass	LF	0.26	10.84	Jim Baumer	Dee Fondy / Al Widmar
Dale Sveum	SS	0.08	3.61	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Bill Spiers	SS	0.05	0.58	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
Ernie Riles	SS	0.03	1.34	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Brian Drahman	RP	0	0.58	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
Russ McGinnis	C	-0.11	0.71	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Bert Heffernan	C	-0.15	0.06	Harry Dalton	Dick Foster
Randy Ready	DH	-0.21	2.92	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Jim Gantner	2B	-0.24	4.96	Jim Wilson	Jim Baumer
Mike Birkbeck	SP	-0.3	0	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Tim McIntosh	C	-0.66	0.62	Harry Dalton	Dan Duquette
Doug Henry	RP	-0.71	5.72	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Tim Crews	RP	-1.11	0.05	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint
Chuck Crim	RP	-1.52	2.41	Harry Dalton	Ray Poitevint

Honorable Mention

The “Original” 1987 Brewers        OWAR: 46.1     OWS: 258     OPW%: .555

Milwaukee rallied to a 90-72 record and finished seven games ahead of Detroit to achieve its first pennant. Paul Molitor (.353/16/75) sparked the Brewers’ offense with a League-leading 41 doubles and 114 runs scored. He pilfered 45 stolen bases and placed fifth in the A.L. MVP balloting. Teddy Higuera whiffed 240 batsmen and registered an 18-10 mark in the course of a four-year run in which he averaged 17 wins, a 3.25 ERA and 192 strikeouts per season. Robin Yount (.312/21/103) tallied 99 runs and 198 base knocks.

On Deck

The “Original” 1999 Rangers

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 – Transaction a – Executive 

Seamheads – Baseball Gauge

Sean Lahman Baseball Archive