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, Roy Halladay is listed on the Blue Jays roster for the duration of his career while the Braves declare Joe Torre and the Brewers claim Prince Fielder. 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 2005 Los Angeles Angels      OWAR: 48.2     OWS: 309     OPW%: .560

GM Bill Bavasi acquired 43% (17/39) of the ballplayers on the 2005 Angels roster. 32 team members were drafted by the club. Based on the revised standings the “Original” 2005 Angels battled the Athletics down to the wire as Oakland seized the pennant by a lone game. The Halos earned the Wild Card entry as a consolation prize.

Jim Edmonds (.263/29/89) anchored the third slot in the lineup and played flawless defense in center field to earn his eighth Gold Glove Award. Troy Glaus manned the hot corner and batted cleanup for the Halos, thumping 37 round-trippers and knocking in 97 baserunners. Bengie Molina supplied a career-high .295 batting average along with 15 jacks and 69 ribbies. Darin Erstad triggered the offense with 33 two-base hits from the leadoff slot.  Garret Anderson (.283/17/96) cracked 34 doubles and merited his third All-Star selection. Eduardo Perez (.255/11/28) and Mark Sweeney (.294/8/40) provided additional power potential while platooning as the designated hitters.

LINEUP	POS	WAR	WS
Darin Erstad	1B	0.53	14.21
Damion Easley	2B	0.98	8.91
Jim Edmonds	CF	6.29	25.6
Troy Glaus	3B	3.11	22.95
Garret Anderson	LF	0.33	13.54
Bengie Molina	C	2.4	16.09
Mark Sweeney	DH/1B	1.61	10.05
Orlando Palmeiro	RF/LF	0.65	5.6
Alfredo Amezaga	SS/3B	-0.02	0.08
BENCH	POS	WAR	WS
Aaron Guiel	CF	0.6	3.37
Eduardo Perez	1B	0.57	5.98
Casey Kotchman	DH	0.48	4.35
Dallas McPherson	3B	0.42	5.15
Jamie Burke	1B	-0.01	0
Jeff Mathis	C	-0.01	0.09
Trent Durrington	3B	-0.06	0
Todd Greene	C	-0.11	1.88
Robb Quinlan	3B	-0.14	2.26

John Lackey compiled a record of 14-5 with a 3.44 ERA and a personal-best 199 strikeouts. Jarrod Washburn fashioned a 3.20 ERA but failed to earn a decision in 13 of his 29 starts. Ervin Santana accrued 12 victories in his rookie campaign despite an ERA of 4.65.

Francisco J. Rodriguez (2.67, 45 SV) captained the Halos’ sensational bullpen. “K-Rod” whiffed 91 batsmen in 67.1 innings. Roberto M. Hernandez (8-6, 2.58) and Scot Shields (10-11, 2.75) locked down the late-inning threats. Matt Wise contributed a 3.36 ERA and a WHIP of 0.964 to round out the relief corps along with Bobby Jenks (50 K’s in 39.1 IP) and Scott Schoenewis (3-4, 3.32).

ROTATION	POS	WAR	WS
Jarrod Washburn	SP	4.34	13.76
John Lackey	SP	4.3	16.12
Ervin Santana	SP	0.8	6.51
Chris Bootcheck	SP	0.4	1.46
Ramon Ortiz	SP	0.01	4.02
BULLPEN	POS	WAR	WS
Francisco Rodriguez	RP	2.06	13.83
Roberto Hernandez	RP	2.31	9.39
Scot Shields	RP	1.58	13.3
Matt Wise	RP	1.04	6.19
Scott Schoeneweis	RP	0.77	5.47
Bobby Jenks	RP	0.6	5.71
Matt Perisho	RP	0.46	1.72
Brian Cooper	SW	0.4	1.46
Shigetoshi Hasegawa	RP	0.09	3.5
Greg Jones	RP	-0.14	0
Seth Etherton	SP	-0.21	0
Joe Saunders	SP	-0.21	0
Brian Anderson	SP	-0.33	0
Troy Percival	RP	-0.4	1.68
Jake Woods	RP	-0.47	0.77
Pedro Liriano	RP	-0.6	0

 

The “Original” 2005 Los Angeles Angels roster

 

NAME	POS	WAR	WS	General Manager	Scouting Director
Jim Edmonds	CF	6.29	25.6	Mike Port	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Jarrod Washburn	SP	4.34	13.76	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
John Lackey	SP	4.3	16.12	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Troy Glaus	3B	3.11	22.95	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Bengie Molina	C	2.4	16.09	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Roberto Hernandez	RP	2.31	9.39	Mike Port	Larry Himes
Francisco Rodriguez	RP	2.06	13.83	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Mark Sweeney	1B	1.61	10.05	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Scot Shields	RP	1.58	13.3	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Matt Wise	RP	1.04	6.19	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Damion Easley	2B	0.98	8.91	Mike Port	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Ervin Santana	SP	0.8	6.51	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Scott Schoeneweis	RP	0.77	5.47	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Orlando Palmeiro	LF	0.65	5.6	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Aaron Guiel	CF	0.6	3.37	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Bobby Jenks	RP	0.6	5.71	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Eduardo Perez	1B	0.57	5.98	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Darin Erstad	1B	0.53	14.21	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Casey Kotchman	DH	0.48	4.35	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Matt Perisho	RP	0.46	1.72	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Dallas McPherson	3B	0.42	5.15	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Brian Cooper	SW	0.4	1.46	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Chris Bootcheck	SP	0.4	1.46	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Garret Anderson	LF	0.33	13.54	Mike Port	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Shigetoshi Hasegawa	RP	0.09	3.5	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Ramon Ortiz	SP	0.01	4.02	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Jamie Burke	1B	-0.01	0	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Jeff Mathis	C	-0.01	0.09	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Alfredo Amezaga	3B	-0.02	0.08	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Trent Durrington	3B	-0.06	0	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Todd Greene	C	-0.11	1.88	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Greg Jones	RP	-0.14	0	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Robb Quinlan	3B	-0.14	2.26	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Seth Etherton	SP	-0.21	0	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Joe Saunders	SP	-0.21	0	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Brian Anderson	SP	-0.33	0	Dan O’Brien	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Troy Percival	RP	-0.4	1.68	Mike Port	Bob Fontaine Jr.
Jake Woods	RP	-0.47	0.77	Bill Stoneman	Donny Rowland
Pedro Liriano	RP	-0.6	0	Bill Bavasi	Bob Fontaine Jr.

Honorable Mention

The “Original” 1997 Angels               OWAR: 40.3     OWS: 313     OPW%: .547

Los Angeles outdistanced Seattle by a seven-game margin, taking the Western Division title with a record of 89-73. Tim “Kingfish” Salmon (.296/33/129) recorded a personal-best in RBI. Damion Easley joined the 20-20 club as he swiped 28 bases and belted 22 long balls while scoring 97 runs. Roberto M. Hernandez registered 10 victories and saved 31 contests with a 2.45 ERA. Darin Erstad posted a .299 BA, tagged 34 doubles and pilfered 23 bags. Jason Dickson (13-9, 4.23) made his lone All-Star appearance and finished third in the 1997 A.L. Rookie of the Year balloting.

On Deck

The “Original” 2002 Blue Jays

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