It's Groundhog Day, and you know what that means ... it's time for 2003 pre-season nominations for the Annual Batter's Box Joaquin Andujar Award.
Okay, so it's not realistically possible to call anything "first annual," and since we've never done this before, it's pretty likely that you don't "know what that means." Besides, if we learned anything from Andujar, it was his credo that the best one-word description for baseball was "you never know."
So sit back, relax, enjoy -- and participate in -- this inaugural edition of an award nomination process that will someday be known more familiarly as the "YouNeverKnows."
Since the Anaheim Angels clinched last year's World Series title -- does that still look strange when you read it? -- there have been more than three hundred player moves by the wacky conglomeration of independent businesses we call "Major League Baseball teams."
Pudge Rodriguez is a Marlin. Sure, you know that. Jim Thome is in Philly, Fred McGriff is in Los Angeles. You know that, too. You probably even know that Kevin Millar is in Japan somewhere, trying to buy a plane ticket to Logan International Airport in Boston.
The very fact that these types of moves have been dissected to the molecular level by media everywhere disqualifies them from nomination for an Andujar.
To be eligible for pre-season Andujar consideration, a player must have signed as a free agent -- either a major or minor league contract is acceptable -- with a new team in the off-season; players who have been traded are not eligible. No player who has been a legitimate All-Star -- paving the way for dozens of former Brewers, Pirates, Devil Rays and Royals to still be considered -- can ever win an Andujar.
The player who will eventually be awarded the 2003 Andujar will be the epitome, in retrospect, of a low-risk, high-reward transaction; think of Anaheim signing a shortstop named David Eckstein to a minor league deal a while back. The eventual winner may not even be on this list; check back in mid-season to see what former scrap-heap pitcher Don Gullett has resurrected in Cincinnati, for instance.
The completely scientific and statistically sound parameters by which nominees are identified involve nothing remotely sabermetric; instead, the process consists of the Andujar committee, made up entirely of the guy who thought up the idea, scanning the off-season transaction lists and picking out 25 items that, at least briefly, bring pause to the thought, "Hey, that might just work out ..."
In other words, "YouNeverKnow."
The early favorite to host the post-season Andujar Award Presentation Show is Cleveland, where the Indians have nabbed former Arizona lefty Brian Anderson, who may end up the team's #2 starting pitcher, and liberated OF/1B/DH Shane Spencer from the Bronx, where the injury bugaboo and the team's great love of veterans kept the powerful former late-season phenom on the bench too often.
If Gullett were up the river in Pittsburgh instead of up a creek in Cinicinnati, he might be drooling over the possibilities of adding Rolando Arrojo, Jeff Suppan and Julian Tavarez to a Buc rotation that already has a few useful parts. Any team that could've added Arrojo, Suppan and Tavarez five years ago would have been lauded as "building for the future." Now, only Suppan has a guaranteed contract.
While Arrojo's career fell apart in Boston, the Red Sox are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle by re-habbing former top-notch setup man Chad Fox and teaching Devil Ray castoff -- how's that look on a resume, anyway? -- Ryan Rupe to throw strikes. The Sox have also inked former Brewer All-Star (see above loophole) Dave Nilsson to a contract to compete for time at 1B/DH with David Ortiz, Jeremy Giambi and a cast of others who can't move well enough to play anywhere else. Theo Epstein has received a lot of press since becoming the game's youngest GM, but Boston fans might be legitimately concerned if the Fox and Nilsson signings foreshadow a run on acquiring former Brewers.
Speaking of Bud's Brew Crew, they seem to be taking a page out of Cleveland's book by hooking up with a middling starting pitcher who couldn't handle the big city and a former Yankee OF who couldn't earn enough playing time to stay sharp. But instead of Anderson and Spencer, the Brewers came up with Todd Ritchie and John VanderWal. The latter is a legitimate hitter -- cue everyone's favorite phrase, "he's a professional hitter" -- while Ritchie hopes to duplicate the small-market, bottom-of-the-standings success he had in Pittsburgh.
Everybody's looking for pitching, of course, and familiar names are popping up in the agate type recently. The Royals lost their top two pitchers in Suppan and Paul Byrd, so quickly inked former White Sox top-of-the-rotation guy James Baldwin, who believe it or not may be their Opening Day starter.
The Royals signed a veteran pitcher to stabilize that thing they call a rotation; the Tigers went the other direction and signed veteran catcher Bill Haselman, whose reputation as excellent working with pitchers precedes him back to the Motor City, where he's had a previous stint. Haselman probably won't play enough to stay on the nominee list throughout the season, but his behind-the-scenes effect is likely to be felt by Andy Van Hekken, Franklyn German and the other young Tiger hurlers.
While A's fans are probably still celebrating the re-acquisition of 4-A batting star Billy McMillon, who will outperform both Chris Singleton and Terrence Long in spring training before ending up in Toledo, the signing of division rival Seattle's soft-tossing lefty John Halama could pay off down the road, especially as Ted Lilly makes his annual trip to the DL. As noted in this space previously, Halama has the look of potentially being a young -- relatively speaking -- Jamie Moyer.
The Mariners picked up former Brewer -- that phrase sure is getting a workout -- Jamey Wright to fill Halama's roster spot, and revamped their bench with veteran sticks Greg Colbrunn and John Mabry. Colbrunn may prove especially useful if Edgar Martinez continues his age-driven slide toward fringe Hall of Fame ballot status. Both Colbrunn and Mabry are nice players, but the Mariners probably would have been better off with Orlando Palmeiro, who landed in St. Louis red.
If Frank Thomas decides to join Edgar down that winding, sliding path, the White Sox' under-the-radar acquisition of Brian Daubach could be the difference in the American League Central. Other former Red Sox hoping to get into a pennant race are Troy O'Leary with the Cubs (who might) and John Valentin with the Orioles (who, uh, might not).
The remaining pitchers in our list of 25 nominees are Ron Villone, providing depth for an aging Arizona staff; lefty specialist Mike Venafro, replacing an overrated Chris Hammond in Atlanta; and proof that an injured bird can just change his feathers, Chris Carpenter swooping from the Blue Jays to the Cardinals for further rehab.
Our three remaining candidates all hope to latch on as utilitymen and establish themselves in the mold of former Tiger do-everything Tony Phillips. The best bet to do so is underrated Tyler Houston, who can play corner infield, corner outfield and catch for the resurgent Phillies. But keep an eye on Phillie reject Marlon Anderson, who may play every position except pitcher, catcher and first base for the not-so-resurgent Devil Rays.
Finally, a real darkhorse ... remember Louisiana State College World Series hero, Warren Morris? After a nice start to his career with Pittsburgh -- following a trade there from Texas -- Morris has seemingly fallen off the map completely. Now he's in Detroit, with as good a chance as anyone to nab a roster spot, on a team that has at least been a waystation for players with promise finally realizing it. If Morris follows the path of, say, Phil Nevin, Luis Gonzalez, and more recently Karim Garcia, you'll want to keep an eye on him wherever he lands after leaving Motown.
Let's take a minute to recognize some of those players not quite making the cut for the pre-season nominations. We love knuckleballers, and have heard Jared Fernandez compared to Joe Niekro, but he's not likely to duplicate the younger knuck-brother's success in Houston. Clubhouse leadership may be an underrated unmeasureable, but Texas isn't likely to win enough to make a big deal out of bringing back Ruben Sierra. And any time the Rockies acquire an otherwise ordinary player with a little pop, it's tempting to overreact, but Chris Stynes … I knew Vinny Castilla, Vinny Castilla was a fantasy baseball friend of mine. And Chris, you're no Vinny Castilla.
There are still seven players on ESPN's Top 50 Free Agents list who have yet to sign a 2003 contract, but let's face facts. If you just assigned Reggie Sanders, Kenny Rogers, Chuck Finley, Kenny Lofton, David Justice, Rick Helling and Robert Person to the Devil Rays or the Royals, they'd still finish last. And besides, all except Person have big enough "names" to be disqualified from consideration.
Batter's Box authors and readers are invited to cast their ballots for the top five candidates listed as nominees for the 2003 Andujar; write-in votes are welcome. Points will be tabulated on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and balloting will close at midnight on Monday, February 17. Tell your friends to vote early and vote often.
Because YouNeverKnow.
Mick Doherty's Ballot
1. Shane Spencer
2. Tyler Houston
3. John Halama
4. Brian Daubach
5. Todd Ritchie
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20030202073328999