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Expansion Era Minor League All-Star Rosters – Cubs

Derek Bain
Kris Bryant

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 Chicago Cubs

Kris Bryant (#1, 2013) claimed 2015 NL Rookie of the Year honors and earned an MVP award in his sophomore season following a monster campaign in the upper minors. “Sparkles” split 2014 between Tennessee (AA) and Iowa (AAA), blasting 34 doubles and 43 round-trippers while recording 118 tallies and batting .325 with a .661 SLG.  Catcher/ first baseman John Boccabella (.365/30/92) played in parts of 12 MLB seasons after destroying opposition offerings at Pocatello (A) where he slugged .749 and registered 178 RC/140 in his professional debut (1963). Brothers Corey and Eric Patterson form a power-speed combo at the top of the lineup. Corey, the Cubs’ first selection in the 1998 Amateur Draft, produced a .320 BA with 35 two-base hits, 20 jacks and 33 steals for the Lansing Lugnuts in his age-19 campaign (1999). Second-sacker Eric pilfered 43 bags, tallied 95 runs and batted at a .325 clip between the Peoria Chiefs (A) and West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA). Geovany Soto secured the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year award subsequent to pummeling Pacific Coast League pitching to the tune of a .353 BA while slugging .652 with 26 long balls and 109 rib-eye steaks. Slick-fielding middle infielder Javier Baez (#1, 2011) swatted 37 big-flies and drove in 111 baserunners in 2013 with Daytona (A+) and Tennessee (AA). Carmelo Martinez (.334/27/93) reached the century mark in runs scored and rapped 35 doubles for Midland (AA) in ’82. The cousin of two-time batting champion Edgar Martinez compiled 108 home runs in nine MLB seasons.

The trio of Joe Carter, Mel Hall and Pat Tabler attained star status with the Indians during the mid-1980’s following productive minor league careers in the Cubs organization. Carter surpassed the century mark in RBI ten times as a big leaguer after battering Texas League hurlers in 1982 (.325/25/98). In the same year Hall (.329/32/125) scored 116 runs and blasted 34 two-baggers for Iowa (AAA) , then placed third in the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year balloting. A former number-one draft pick for the Yankees in 1976, Tabler slashed .342 / .444 / .580 against American Association (AAA) competition in ’82 before being packaged in a six-player swap with the Pale Hose in January 1983. Dwight Smith nabbed 60 bags, batted .337 and tallied 111 runs for Pittsfield in ’87. Two years later he finished runner-up to teammate Jerome Walton in the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year vote.

Burt Hooton (19-10, 2.71) placed second to Gaylord Perry in the 1978 NL Cy Young balloting seven years after requiring only 12 starts to graduate to the big leagues. Commencing his professional career with Tacoma (AAA) in 1971, “Happy” hurled 9 complete games and struck out 11.9 batters per nine innings while composing an ERA of 1.68 and a WHIP of 0.902. Scott “Snakeface” Downs prevailed in 13 of 14 decisions and yielded an ERA of 1.55 while splitting the 1999 campaign between the Daytona Cubs (A+) and the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA). Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13) finished third in the 2016 NL Cy Young race. “The Professor” posted a 10-5 mark with a 3.61 ERA at Iowa (AAA) prior to making his MLB debut in July 2014.

Starting Lineup Age Year Teams Levels POS RC140 BA HR RBI OBP SLG
Eric Patterson* 22 2005 PEO,WTN A,AA 2B 112.8 0.325 13 73 0.400 0.517
Corey Patterson* 19 1999 LNS A CF 124.4 0.320 20 79 0.358 0.592
John Boccabella 22 1963 PCT A 1B 178 0.365 30 92 0.429 0.749
Kris Bryant 22 2014 KNX,IWA AA,AAA 3B 140.3 0.325 43 110 0.438 0.661
Karl Pagel* 22 1977 MDL AA RF 139.9 0.334 28 104 0.451 0.637
Geovany Soto 24 2007 IWA AAA C 137.8 0.353 26 109 0.424 0.652
Carmelo Martinez 21 1982 MDL AA DH 130.6 0.334 27 93 0.433 0.600
Roosevelt Brown* 25 2001 IWA AAA LF 134.3 0.346 22 77 0.381 0.626
Javier Baez 20 2013 DYT,KNX A+,AA SS 107.5 0.282 37 111 0.341 0.578
Bench Age Year Teams Levels POS RC140 BA HR RBI OBP SLG
Pat Tabler 24 1982 IWA AAA 3B 124.7 0.342 17 105 0.444 0.580
Pete LaCock* 22 1974 WCH AAA 1B 123.3 0.327 23 91 0.422 0.552
Mel Hall* 21 1982 IWA AAA OF 122.9 0.329 32 125 0.377 0.612
Dwight Smith* 23 1987 PFD AA OF 120.9 0.337 18 72 0.415 0.542
Brian Dopirak 20 2004 LNS A 1B 119.2 0.307 39 120 0.363 0.593
Jason Dubois 25 2004 IWA AAA OF 119.2 0.316 31 99 0.389 0.630
Bud Zipfel* 22 1961 HSN AAA 1B 118.5 0.312 21 62 0.413 0.548
Micah Franklin# 26 1998 IWA AAA OF 118.1 0.329 29 95 0.437 0.655
Spencer Scott 24 1963 PCT,WEN A C 116.6 0.340 19 70 0.454 0.562
Wade Rowdon 26 1987 IWA AAA 3B 116.5 0.337 18 113 0.404 0.555
Brandon Guyer 24 2010 KNX AA RF 115.8 0.344 13 58 0.398 0.588
Joe Carter 22 1982 MDL AA OF 113.3 0.319 25 98 0.358 0.583
Bo Porter 26 1999 IWA AAA OF 112.6 0.292 27 64 0.396 0.556
Kevin Collins* 23 2004 LNS A OF 112.4 0.290 33 86 0.369 0.615
Bobby Morris* 21 1994 PEO A 2B 111.3 0.354 7 64 0.443 0.508

 

Starters Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Scott Downs* 23 1999 WTN,DYT AA,A+ 2.35 13-1 1.55 1.062 2.7 10.0
Ryan Williams 23 2015 KNX,SBN AA,A 2.48 14-3 2.17 0.899 1.1 6.2
Burt Hooton 21 1971 TAC AAA 1.65 7-4 1.68 0.902 1.7 11.9
Rich Hill* 26 2006 IWA AAA 1.67 7-1 1.80 0.83 1.9 12.2
Michael Rucker 23 2017 MYR,SBN A+,A 2.44 5-5 2.38 1.038 1.8 9.7
Relievers Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Ed Campusano* 23 2006 PEO,WTN A,AA 1.77 25 1.47 0.998 2.8 13.2
Chad Ricketts 23 1998 DYT,WTN A+,AA 1.84 25 2.25 1.170 2.1 10.1
Eric Brown 23 2002 DYT,LNS A+,A 1.92 18 0.89 0.689 1.3 9.9
Jerry Blevins* 23 2007 KNX,DYT AA,A+ 1.69 9 1.02 0.925 2.2 11.7
Zac Rosscup* 25 2013 KNX,IWA AA,AAA 1.93 3 2.12 1.196 4.4 14.6
Bench Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Preston Morrison 22 2016 SBN,MYR A,A+ 2.49 12-4 2.11 1.133 2.3 8.6
Trey McNutt 20 2010 PEO,DYT A,A+ 2.55 10-1 2.48 1.120 2.9 10.2
Kyle Hendricks 24 2014 IWA AAA 2.67 10-5 3.61 1.184 2.0 8.5
Chris Huseby 21 2009 PEO A 1.94 18 1.83 0.981 1.7 12.2
Fernando Zarranz 23 1988 PEO,IWA A,AAA 1.97 21 1.82 1.030 1.7 10.0
Joe Kraemer* 21 1986 PEO A 1.99 14 1.09 1.044 2.6 10.6

Honorable Mention

Mark “Amazing” Grace finished second in the 1988 NL Rookie of the Year voting and captured 4 Gold Glove awards in a 16-year MLB career. The lifetime .303 hitter clubbed 30 doubles, drove in 95 baserunners and compiled a .342 BA in his inaugural minor league campaign with the Peoria Chiefs in ’86. Brendan Harris (.328/15/65 in 2002) and Matt Murton (.343/9/49 in 2005) fleetingly realized starting roles in the Majors.

Batter Age Year Teams Levels POS RC140 BA HR RBI OBP SLG
Ryan Gripp 22 2000 LNS A 3B 112.3 0.333 20 92 0.416 0.526
Brendan Harris 21 2002 DYT,WTN A+,AA 3B 112.1 0.328 15 65 0.389 0.533
Mark Grace* 22 1986 PEO A 1B 112.1 0.342 15 95 0.417 0.520
Matt Murton 23 2005 WTN,IWA AA,AAA LF 111.4 0.343 9 49 0.405 0.499
Dan Vogelbach* 23 2016 IWA AAA 1B 110.9 0.318 16 64 0.425 0.548
Jim Tracy* 23 1979 MDL,WCH AA,AAA 1B 109.3 0.328 19 85 0.434 0.519
Jack Upton 24 1981 MDL AA 1B 109 0.328 16 84 0.397 0.516
Randolph Crews 23 1971 QUI A 1B 108.5 0.323 15 76 0.423 0.523
Ray Sadler 20 2001 LNS A OF 108 0.341 10 50 0.378 0.508
Randy Kapano 22 1992 WSM,IWA A+,AAA OF 107.6 0.318 14 66 0.425 0.545

 

Pitcher Age Year Teams Levels FIP WLSV ERA WHIP BB9 SO9
Tony Duenas* 22 1988 CHL,WSM A 2.69 6-12 2.37 1.202 2.5 8.2
Trevor Clifton 21 2016 MYR A+ 2.70 7-7 2.72 1.160 3.1 9.8
Bear Bay 20 2004 LNS A 2.71 11-9 3.11 1.166 1.6 7.4
Pedro Araujo 23 2017 MYR,KNX A+,AA 2.02 10 1.77 0.921 2.4 11.8
James Farris 24 2016 KNX,MYR AA,A+ 2.12 13 2.59 0.985 2.3 10.1
Steve Rain 20 1995 RFD A 2.24 23 1.22 1.032 3.5 10.1

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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