Hardball Retrospective – The “Original” 2002 Toronto Blue Jays by DerekBain June 9, 2015 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 48th at the keystone position in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract” and Olerud ranked 53rd 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 We hoped you liked reading Hardball Retrospective – The “Original” 2002 Toronto Blue Jays by DerekBain! Please support FanGraphs by becoming a member. We publish thousands of articles a year, host multiple podcasts, and have an ever growing database of baseball stats. FanGraphs does not have a paywall. 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