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Expansion Era Minor League All-Star Rosters – Red Sox

Derek Bain

Founded on my research for the “Minors vs Majors” chapter in my book, “Hardball Retroactive” paired with complementary articles “Minors vs. Majors: The Top Minor League Batters in the Expansion Era” and “Minors vs. Majors: The Top Minor League Pitchers in the Expansion Era“, the ensuing series will reveal the Minor League All-Star rosters for every MLB franchise based primarily on single-season statistics in Runs Created / 140 Games (batters) and Fielding Independent Pitching (pitchers).

Selection Criteria

 

Terminology

 

RC – Runs Created – using the basic formula devised by Bill James:

((H + BB) * TB) / (AB + BB)

Note: I utilized the basic formula as opposed to the Technical Version due to

incomplete GIDP and IBB data.

RC/140 – Runs Created per 140 Games as Minor League ballplayers

RC / (G / 140)

FIP – Fielding Independent Pitching – “Fielding Independent Pitching converts a pitcher’s three true outcomes into an earned run average-like number. The formula is (13*HR+3*(HBP+BB)-2*K)/IP, plus a constant (usually around 3.2) to put it on the same scale as earned run average.

FIP is a component ERA inspired by the work of Voros McCracken on defense-independent pitching statistics, but has become more widely used because of the ease of computation – it requires only four easily-found box score stats, uses only basic arithmetic operations and has four easily-memorized constants. It was conceived of by both Tom Tango and Clay Dreslough, the latter of who called it Defense-Independent Component ERA.” (definition courtesy of Baseball Prospectus Glossary).

((13*HR+3*(HBP+BB)-2*K)/IP)+3.2)

 

Assessment

 

The Boston Red Sox 

Tony Conigliaro led the American League with 32 round-trippers in 1965 following a phenomenal campaign as an 18-year-old at Wellsville (A) two years earlier where he delivered a .363 BA, 42 doubles and 24 jacks while posting the highest single-season RC/140 (167.8) in the last 55 seasons for the Sox franchise. Selected in the 39th round of the 2005 Amateur Draft, outfielder Bubba Bell slashed .337 / .420 / .584 as he split the 2007 campaign between the Lancaster JetHawks (A+) and the Portland Sea Dogs (AA). Carmen Fanzone clubbed 20 long balls over a half-decade of part-time play for the Cubs and Red Sox after producing a .356 BA and slugging .620 with 106 runs scored between Wellsville (A) and Winston-Salem (A) in ’64. Mookie Betts, runner-up for the 2016 AL MVP award, crafted a .346 BA with 30 two-baggers and 33 steals to merit a promotion to the Majors in the summer of 2014. Sam Horn (#1, 1982) launched a moon-shot every 11.2 at-bats in his big league debut (1987) following a call-up from Pawtucket where he mashed 30 taters and slugged .649. Yoan Moncada rapped 31 two-base hits and swiped 45 bags while dividing the 2016 season among Salem (A+) and Portland. The Red Sox packaged Moncada and three other prospects in exchange for ace southpaw Chris Sale in December 2016.

Brandon Moss supplied a .353 BA and registered 111 ribbies in 2004 while playing for Augusta (A) and Sarasota (A+). Jim Rice (#1, 1971) finished runner-up to fellow Sox outfielder Fred Lynn in the 1975 AL Rookie of the Year balloting and captured the 1978 AL MVP award. Rice advanced to the big leagues in August ‘74 after posting a .337 BA with 25 big-flies for Pawtucket (AAA). Rafael Devers combined for 30 round-trippers and 90 ribbies between the upper minors and a two-month stint in Beantown during the 2017 season. Two-time All-Star Clay Buchholz (#1, 2005) capped a sensational 2007 campaign (2.44 ERA, 12.3 SO/9 in the upper minors) with a no-hitter in his second MLB start.

Starting Lineup Age Year Teams Levels POS RC140 BA HR RBI OBP SLG
Mookie Betts 21 2014 PRT,PAW AA,AAA CF 129.1 0.346 11 65 0.431 0.529
Bubba Bell* 24 2007 LNR,PRT A+,AA DH 144.5 0.337 26 105 0.420 0.584
Tony Conigliaro 18 1963 WVL A RF 167.8 0.363 24 74 0.409 0.730
Carmen Fanzone 22 1964 WVL,WSM A 3B 139.1 0.358 26 90 0.446 0.620
Zach Daeges* 23 2007 LNR A+ LF 138.7 0.330 21 113 0.423 0.579
Sam Horn* 23 1987 PAW AAA 1B 123 0.321 30 84 0.389 0.649
Mark Wagner 23 2007 LNR A+ C 117.5 0.318 14 82 0.406 0.533
Al Montreuil 20 1964 WLO A SS 115 0.328 15 63 0.463 0.513
Yoan Moncada# 21 2016 SAL,PRT A+,AA 2B 109.5 0.294 15 62 0.407 0.511
Bench Age Year Teams Levels POS RC140 BA HR RBI OBP SLG
Chih-Hsien Chiang* 23 2011 PRT AA RF 128.2 0.340 18 76 0.402 0.648
Adam Hyzdu 24 1996 TRE AA OF 125.6 0.337 25 80 0.424 0.618
Aaron Bates 23 2007 LNR,PRT A+,AA 1B 120.7 0.306 28 101 0.435 0.560
Craig Brooks* 23 1980 WSM A OF 120.3 0.327 24 83 0.457 0.559
Rudy Pemberton 26 1996 PAW AAA OF 118.9 0.326 27 92 0.375 0.616
Jerry Dorsch 22 1965 WVL,WSM A 1B 117.5 0.307 29 87 0.391 0.620
Brandon Moss* 20 2004 AUG,SAR A,A+ OF 117.4 0.353 15 111 0.411 0.519
Jim Rice 21 1974 PAW AAA OF 116.5 0.337 25 93 0.391 0.579
Damian Sapp 20 1996 BTC A C 116.4 0.322 18 52 0.395 0.570
Bryce Brentz 22 2011 SAL,GRV A+,A RF 115.8 0.306 30 94 0.365 0.574
Raul Gonzalez 25 1999 TRE AA OF 115.2 0.335 18 103 0.394 0.523
Dave Schmidt 22 1979 BRI AA C 115.1 0.332 19 73 0.453 0.571
Rafael Devers* 20 2017 PRT,PAW AA,AAA 3B 114 0.311 20 60 0.377 0.578
Jon Still 22 2007 GRV,LNR A,A+ C 112.9 0.291 25 98 0.429 0.532
Tony Granadillo 22 2007 LNR,PRT A+,AA 2B 109.3 0.326 8 67 0.410 0.489

 

Starters Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Clay Buchholz 22 2007 PRT,PAW AA,AAA 2.31 8-5 2.45 0.975 2.5 12.3
Scott Taylor* 22 1990 LBG,NBR A+,AA 2.08 5-8 2.48 1.223 3.3 11.4
Bob Heffner 23 1962 YOR A 2.29 13-10 2.68 1.214 2.8 9.8
Seung Song 21 2001 AUG,SAR A,A+ 2.36 8-4 1.90 0.975 2.6 9.9
Andy Hazlett* 22 1998 SAR A+ 2.36 11-7 3.20 1.117 1.4 7.6
Relievers Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Jeff Taglienti 22 1998 BTC A 1.07 30 1.89 0.933 2 13.1
Dan Giese 24 2001 AUG A 1.35 9 2.19 0.986 1 11.6
Robert Remson* 19 1970 WHV A 2.12 3 1.76 1.118 2.6 8.8
Bobby Poyner* 24 2017 PRT,SAL AA,A+ 2.17 15 1.50 0.932 2.5 12.6
Kevan Cannon* 21 1996 BTC,SAR A,A+ 2.23 5 2.55 1.243 2.6 9.1
Bench Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Rene Miniel 22 2001 AUG A 2.45 8-4 2.73 1.074 2.8 8.4
Mike G. Brown 23 1982 BRI AA 2.48 9-6 2.45 1.155 2.9 9.2
Rob Snow 24 1966 WSM A 2.54 20-2 1.75 0.916 1.9 7.7
Jake Cosart 22 2016 GRV,SAL A,A+ 2.23 2 1.79 1.125 4.6 13.3
Jim Corsi 23 1985 GBO A 2.25 9 4.26 1.496 2.6 9.7
Cesar Cabral* 21 2010 SAL,GRV A+,A 2.33 9 3.64 1.226 2.4 9.1

 

Honorable Mention

 

Two-time All-Star corner infielder Shea Hillenbrand paced the Michigan Battle Cats (A) in batting average (.349), doubles (33), home runs (19) and RBI (93) as a backstop in ’98. Brewers’ first-sacker Cecil Cooper averaged .320 with 25 dingers and 107 ribbies over a five-year span (1979-1983) nearly a decade after carving up the Carolina (A) and Eastern (AA) league opposition (.354/16/86 in ’71). Butch Hobson rewarded the Boston faithful with 30 round-trippers and 112 RBI from the hot corner in ’77 subsequent to posting a .286 BA and slugging .558 for Pawtucket (AAA) in the previous campaign. Trot Nixon (#1, 1993) produced a .310 BA and dialed long distance 23 times for the Pawtucket (AAA) squad in ’98, then topped the century mark in runs scored during his third MLB season (2001). In the wake of three mediocre years with the Pirates (9-14, 5.44), Bronson Arroyo aka “Saturn Nuts”, “Smokey”, “Tacks”, “Dirty”, “BroYo” or “Free Love” returned to the Red Sox attempting to salvage his big-league career. Arroyo prevailed in 12 of 18 decisions and fashioned a 1.146 WHIP against International League (AAA) competition, then averaged 30 starts and 12 wins annually over the next decade for Boston and Cincinnati.

 

Batter Age Year Teams Levels POS RC140 BA HR RBI OBP SLG
Lars Anderson* 20 2008 LNR,PRT A+,AA 1B 112.1 0.317 18 80 0.417 0.517
John Maddox 23 1963 WVL A OF 112 0.315 24 101 0.387 0.558
Jose Malave 23 1994 NBR AA OF 111.1 0.299 24 92 0.369 0.563
Stefan Bailie 24 2004 SAR,PRT A+,AA 1B 110.5 0.307 19 76 0.376 0.576
Shea Hillenbrand 22 1998 BTC A C 110.2 0.349 19 93 0.383 0.546
Ryan Lavarnway 23 2011 PAW,PRT AAA,AA C 109.9 0.290 32 93 0.376 0.563
Cecil Cooper* 21 1971 PAW,WSM AA,A 1B 109 0.354 16 86 0.406 0.517
Ted Cox 22 1977 PAW AAA 3B 108.6 0.334 14 81 0.396 0.531
Butch Hobson 24 1976 PAW AAA 3B 108.3 0.286 25 72 0.341 0.558
Trot Nixon* 24 1998 PAW AAA OF 108.3 0.310 23 74 0.400 0.513

 

Pitcher Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Casey Fossum* 23 2001 TRE AA 3 3-7 2.84 1.109 2.2 10
Rich Rundles* 20 2001 AUG A 3 7-6 2.43 1.035 0.8 7.4
Bronson Arroyo 26 2003 PAW AAA 3 12-6 3.44 1.146 1.4 9.3
Mitch Herold* 23 2009 GRV A 2 4 1.93 1.258 3.3 9.8
Ben Taylor 23 2016 SAL,PRT A+,AA 2 8 2.96 1.076 2.5 11.2
Noe Ramirez 24 2014 PRT AA 2 18 2.15 1.075 2.1 7.5

 

References and Resources

Baseball-Reference

Bill James Baseball Abstract

Seamheads – Baseball Gauge

 

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com along with digital eBook format at GooglePlay.com. 

“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.

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital formats through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace.

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