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, Ron Santo is listed on the Cubs roster for the duration of his career while the Dodgers declare Steve Garvey and the Diamondbacks claim Justin Upton. 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 1997 Boston Red Sox          OWAR: 63.7     OWS: 317     OPW%: .583

Based on the revised standings the “Original” 1997 Red Sox outperformed the Yankees, seizing the American League pennant by ten games. Boston led the circuit in OWS and OWAR. GM Lou Gorman acquired 28 of the 36 ballplayers (78%) on the 1997 Red Sox roster.

Jeff Bagwell (.286/43/135) finished third in the MVP balloting and established personal-bests in RBI and stolen bases (31). Brady Anderson followed his 50-homer campaign in ’96 with 39 doubles and 18 jacks. Nomar Garciaparra (.306/30/98) merited the 1997 AL Rookie of the Year Award as he topped the charts with 209 base knocks and 11 triples. Mo “Hit Dog” Vaughn delivered a .315 BA with 35 round-trippers. John Valentin contributed 29 two-baggers and a .296 BA while third-sacker Wade Boggs managed a .292 average as a part-timer.

Bagwell and Boggs rate fourth among first and third basemen, respectively, according to Bill James in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.” Teammates listed in the “NBJHBA” top 100 rankings include Roger Clemens (11^th-SP), Garciaparra (T-17^th-SS), Vaughn (51^st-1B), Anderson (63^rd-CF) and Burks (77^th-CF).

LINEUP	POS	WAR	WS
Brady Anderson	CF	3.44	25.97
John Valentin	2B	4.45	21.03
Jeff Bagwell	1B	7.47	30.58
Nomar Garciaparra	SS	4.19	25.54
Mo Vaughn	DH/1B	3.2	22.31
Scott Hatteberg	C	2.21	6.4
Wade Boggs	3B	1.26	11.37
Ellis Burks	RF/CF	1.03	13.6
Phil Plantier	LF	-0.02	2.24
BENCH	POS	WAR	WS
John Flaherty	C	1.26	12.67
Tim Naehring	3B	1	8.1
Todd Pratt	C	0.63	4.46
John Marzano	C	0.05	2.39
Walt McKeel	C	-0.04	0
Jose Malave	LF	-0.08	0.04
Ryan McGuire	1B	-0.12	3.98
Michael Coleman	CF	-0.27	0.11
Jody Reed	2B	-0.46	1.52
Scott Cooper	3B	-0.47	0.78
Danny Sheaffer	3B	-0.71	0.79

 

Roger Clemens (21-7, 2.05) paced the Junior Circuit in victories, ERA, complete games (9), shutouts (3), strikeouts (292) and WHIP (1.030). The “Rocket” collected the fourth of seven Cy Young Awards and made his sixth All-Star appearance. Curt Schilling struck out a career-high 319 batsmen and fashioned a record of 17-11 with a 2.97 ERA. Paul Quantrill led a bullpen-by-committee, posting a 1.94 ERA along with 6 wins and 5 saves.

ROTATION	POS	WAR	WS
Roger Clemens	SP	12	32.22
Curt Schilling	SP	5.93	22.29
Frankie Rodriguez	SP	0.93	5.97
Aaron Sele	SP	0.64	6.71
Jeff Suppan	SP	0.24	3.72
BULLPEN	POS	WAR	WS
Paul Quantrill	RP	2.64	11.66
Ron Mahay	RP	0.71	3.4
Joe Hudson	RP	0.42	2.93
Shayne Bennett	RP	0.34	1.51
Erik Plantenberg	RP	0.06	1.07
Josias Manzanillo	RP	-0.17	0.28
Brian Rose	SP	-0.17	0
Reggie Harris	RP	-0.22	1.37
Greg Hansell	RP	-0.24	0
Cory Bailey	RP	-0.33	0.21
Ken Ryan	RP	-1.09	0

The “Original” 1997 Boston Red Sox roster

NAME	POS	WAR	WS	General Manager	Scouting Director
Roger Clemens	SP	12	32.22	Haywood Sullivan	Eddie Kasko
Jeff Bagwell	1B	7.47	30.58	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Curt Schilling	SP	5.93	22.29	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
John Valentin	2B	4.45	21.03	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Nomar Garciaparra	SS	4.19	25.54	Dan Duquette	Wayne Britton
Brady Anderson	CF	3.44	25.97	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Mo Vaughn	1B	3.2	22.31	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Paul Quantrill	RP	2.64	11.66	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Scott Hatteberg	C	2.21	6.4	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Wade Boggs	3B	1.26	11.37	Dick O’Connell
John Flaherty	C	1.26	12.67	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Ellis Burks	CF	1.03	13.6	Haywood Sullivan	Eddie Kasko
Tim Naehring	3B	1	8.1	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Frankie Rodriguez	SP	0.93	5.97	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Ron Mahay	RP	0.71	3.4	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Aaron Sele	SP	0.64	6.71	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Todd Pratt	C	0.63	4.46	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Joe Hudson	RP	0.42	2.93	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Shayne Bennett	RP	0.34	1.51	Lou Gorman	Wayne Britton
Jeff Suppan	SP	0.24	3.72	Lou Gorman	Wayne Britton
Erik Plantenberg	RP	0.06	1.07	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
John Marzano	C	0.05	2.39	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Phil Plantier	LF	-0.02	2.24	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Walt McKeel	C	-0.04	0	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Jose Malave	LF	-0.08	0.04	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Ryan McGuire	1B	-0.12	3.98	Lou Gorman	Wayne Britton
Josias Manzanillo	RP	-0.17	0.28	Haywood Sullivan	Eddie Kasko
Brian Rose	SP	-0.17	0	Dan Duquette	Wayne Britton
Reggie Harris	RP	-0.22	1.37	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Greg Hansell	RP	-0.24	0	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Michael Coleman	CF	-0.27	0.11	Dan Duquette	Wayne Britton
Cory Bailey	RP	-0.33	0.21	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Jody Reed	2B	-0.46	1.52	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Scott Cooper	3B	-0.47	0.78	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko
Danny Sheaffer	3B	-0.71	0.79	Haywood Sullivan	Eddie Kasko
Ken Ryan	RP	-1.09	0	Lou Gorman	Eddie Kasko

 

Honorable Mention

The “Original” 1912 Red Sox             OWAR: 55.1     OWS: 317     OPW%: .591

Boston sailed to the pennant by a 13-game margin over the Athletics and Senators. Tris Speaker delivered an MVP season, notching League-bests with 53 doubles, 10 round-trippers and a .464 OBP. “The Grey Eagle” batted at a .383 clip, registered 136 tallies and posted career-highs in base hits (222) and stolen bases (52). Smoky Joe Wood (34-5, 1.91) dazzled opposition batsmen, twirling 10 shutouts and completing 35 of 38 starts. Larry Gardner contributed a .315 BA and legged out 18 three-baggers. Buck O’Brien recorded 20 victories with a 2.58 ERA in his only complete season in the Major Leagues. Hugh Bedient matched O’Brien’s win total and fashioned a 2.92 ERA in his rookie campaign. Duffy Lewis rapped 36 doubles and established a personal-best with 109 ribbies.

On Deck

The “Original” 1969 Reds

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