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, Jim Edmonds is listed on the Angels roster for the duration of his career while the Astros declare Rusty Staub and the Athletics claim Lefty Grove. 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. Additional information and 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 2002 Toronto Blue Jays         OWAR: 51.4     OWS: 312     OPW%: .572

GM Pat Gillick acquired 65% (35/54) of the ballplayers on the 2002 Blue Jays roster. 43 team members were drafted by the club. Based on the revised standings the “Original” 2002 Blue Jays captured the American League Eastern Division title by nine games over the New York Yankees and topped the Junior Circuit in OWAR and OWS.

The middle of the Blue Jays’ batting order was stacked. Shawn Green (.285/42/114) scored 110 runs and placed fifth in the MVP balloting. Jeff Kent (.313/37/108) laced 42 doubles and recorded a career-best in home runs. Carlos Delgado tallied 103 runs scored and blasted 33 round-trippers in the midst of a ten-year streak with at least 30 home runs per season (1997-2006). John Olerud (.300/22/102) rapped 39 two-base knocks and garnered his second Gold Glove Award. Shannon Stewart contributed a .303 BA and registered 103 tallies from the leadoff spot. Alex S. Gonzalez slashed 27 doubles and clubbed 18 circuit clouts while fellow shortstop Chris Woodward batted .276 with 13 dingers. Vernon Wells produced a .275 BA with 23 four-baggers and 100 ribbies.

Kent placed 48^th at the keystone position in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract” and Olerud ranked 53^rd among first sackers.

LINEUP	POS	WAR	WS
Shannon Stewart	LF	2.37	18.47
Alex Gonzalez	SS	2.78	14.36
Shawn Green	RF	6.18	32.07
Jeff Kent	2B	6.04	29.93
Carlos Delgado	DH/1B	4.76	25.97
John Olerud	1B	4.64	25.92
Vernon Wells	CF	0.83	16.7
Greg Myers	C	0.57	5.57
Chris Stynes	3B	-0.02	3.46
BENCH	POS	WAR	WS
Chris Woodward	SS	2.17	11.74
Josh Phelps	DH	1.46	9.8
Orlando Hudson	2B	1.17	5.89
Craig Wilson	RF	0.95	10.78
Jay Gibbons	RF	0.59	11.97
Ryan Thompson	LF	0.14	2.84
Felipe Lopez	SS	0.08	5.8
Pat Borders	DH	0.06	0.36
Abraham Nunez	2B	0.04	4.88
Casey Blake	3B	-0.11	0.11
Kevin Cash	C	-0.14	0.08
Mike Coolbaugh	3B	-0.17	0.16
Brent Abernathy	2B	-0.44	4.99
Michael Young	2B	-0.63	10.72
Cesar Izturis	SS	-0.68	3.77
Joe Lawrence	2B	-0.83	1.48

Roy “Doc” Halladay (19-7, 2.93) led the American League with 239.1 innings pitched and merited the first of eight All-Star invitations. David “Boomer” Wells equaled Halladay’s win-loss record. Billy Koch amassed 11 victories and saved 44 contests while Jose Mesa closed out 45 games with a 2.97 ERA. Steve Karsay (3.26, 12 SV) and Ben Weber (2.54, 7 SV) provided solid relief in the late innings.

ROTATION	POS	WAR	WS
Roy Halladay	SP	6.74	21.67
David Wells	SP	3.99	14.79
Woody Williams	SP	3.2	9.65
Mark Hendrickson	SP	1.23	4.01
Chris Carpenter	SP	0.41	2.73
BULLPEN	POS	WAR	WS
Steve Karsay	RP	2.01	11
Billy Koch	RP	1.44	18.37
Ben Weber	RP	1.33	10.48
Jose Mesa	RP	1.28	12.4
David Weathers	RP	1.02	6.68
Mike Timlin	RP	1	8.04
Giovanni Carrara	RP	0.62	6.77
Kelvim Escobar	RP	0.53	9.14
Carlos Almanzar	SW	0.24	0.94
Jim Mann	RP	0.18	1.02
Jose Silva	RP	0.11	1.38
Brian Bowles	RP	0.04	1.37
Gary Glover	SP	0.03	4.54
Mark Lukasiewicz	RP	0	1.17
Aaron Small	RP	-0.08	0
Pasqual Coco	RP	-0.13	0
Tom Davey	RP	-0.36	0.17
Todd Stottlemyre	SP	-0.38	0
Scott Cassidy	RP	-0.43	1.67
Mike Smith	SP	-0.45	0
Bob File	RP	-0.47	0
Graeme Lloyd	RP	-0.53	1.89
Pat Hentgen	SP	-0.54	0
Brandon Lyon	SP	-0.56	0

 The “Original” 2002 Toronto Blue Jays roster

NAME	POS	WAR	WS	General Manager	Scouting Director
Roy Halladay	SP	6.74	21.67	Gord Ash	Bob Engle
Shawn Green	RF	6.18	32.07	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Jeff Kent	2B	6.04	29.93	Pat Gillick
Carlos Delgado	1B	4.76	25.97	Pat Gillick
John Olerud	1B	4.64	25.92	Pat Gillick
David Wells	SP	3.99	14.79	Pat Gillick
Woody Williams	SP	3.2	9.65	Pat Gillick
Alex Gonzalez	SS	2.78	14.36	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Shannon Stewart	LF	2.37	18.47	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Chris Woodward	SS	2.17	11.74	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Steve Karsay	RP	2.01	11	Pat Gillick
Josh Phelps	DH	1.46	9.8	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Billy Koch	RP	1.44	18.37	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Ben Weber	RP	1.33	10.48	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Jose Mesa	RP	1.28	12.4	Pat Gillick
Mark Hendrickson	SP	1.23	4.01	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Orlando Hudson	2B	1.17	5.89	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
David Weathers	RP	1.02	6.68	Pat Gillick
Mike Timlin	RP	1	8.04	Pat Gillick
Craig Wilson	RF	0.95	10.78	Gord Ash	Bob Engle
Vernon Wells	CF	0.83	16.7	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Giovanni Carrara	RP	0.62	6.77	Pat Gillick
Jay Gibbons	RF	0.59	11.97	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Greg Myers	C	0.57	5.57	Pat Gillick
Kelvim Escobar	RP	0.53	9.14	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Chris Carpenter	SP	0.41	2.73	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Carlos Almanzar	SW	0.24	0.94	Pat Gillick
Jim Mann	RP	0.18	1.02	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Ryan Thompson	LF	0.14	2.84	Pat Gillick
Jose Silva	RP	0.11	1.38	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Felipe Lopez	SS	0.08	5.8	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Pat Borders	DH	0.06	0.36	Pat Gillick
Brian Bowles	RP	0.04	1.37	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Abraham Nunez	2B	0.04	4.88	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Gary Glover	SP	0.03	4.54	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Mark Lukasiewicz	RP	0	1.17	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Chris Stynes	3B	-0.02	3.46	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Aaron Small	RP	-0.08	0	Pat Gillick
Casey Blake	3B	-0.11	0.11	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Pasqual Coco	RP	-0.13	0	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Kevin Cash	C	-0.14	0.08	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Mike Coolbaugh	3B	-0.17	0.16	Pat Gillick
Tom Davey	RP	-0.36	0.17	Pat Gillick	Bob Engle
Todd Stottlemyre	SP	-0.38	0	Pat Gillick
Scott Cassidy	RP	-0.43	1.67	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Brent Abernathy	2B	-0.44	4.99	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Mike Smith	SP	-0.45	0	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Bob File	RP	-0.47	0	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Graeme Lloyd	RP	-0.53	1.89	Pat Gillick
Pat Hentgen	SP	-0.54	0	Pat Gillick
Brandon Lyon	SP	-0.56	0	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Michael Young	2B	-0.63	10.72	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Cesar Izturis	SS	-0.68	3.77	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken
Joe Lawrence	2B	-0.83	1.48	Gord Ash	Tim Wilken

Honorable Mention

The “Original” 2001 Blue Jays           OWAR: 51.5     OWS: 297     OPW%: .547

Toronto outpaced Boston to claim the A.L. East by a four-game margin. Shawn Green dialed long distance 49 times and plated 125 baserunners. John Olerud (.302/21/95) earned his second All-Star nod. Carlos Delgado launched 39 moon-shots and Jeff Kent drilled a career-high 49 two-baggers.

On Deck

The “Original” 1953 Braves

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