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All-Time Indians RCF Fantasy Draft

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With the 11th overall pick, the Wailing Wahoos select: Albert Belle, Outfielder

View attachment 2303

Career w/ Cleveland: 1989-1996
Career Stats w/ Cleveland: .295 BA, .949 OPS, 242 HR, 223 2B, 751 RBI, 62 SB, 150 OPS+, 27.4 WAR

Albert Belle is one of the all-time great sluggers in Cleveland history.

For me, he had two God-like offensive seasons with the Indians, and it's kind of hard for me to pick between the two so I'll talk about them both a bit.

In the strike shortened year of 1994, Belle was hitting .357/.438/.714/1.152 with 36 HR, 35 2B, 101 RBI, 194 OPS+, and a 5.7 WAR over 106 games before the season was called. Nobody knows what his numbers would have looked like if he was able to finish the season, but good lord, he was an absolute madman over those 106 games. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that season behind Frank Thomas (who was also destroying the American League) and Ken Griffey Jr.

The next season in 1995, Belle had the iconic season that most baseball fans remember him for. His infamous 50/50 season saw him hit .317/.401/.690/1.091 with 50 HR, 52 2B, 121 R, 126 RBI, 177 OPS+, and a 7.0 WAR. Somehow, Belle didn't win MVP this year due to reporter bias, so he finished 2nd to the infinitely inferior Mo Vaughn. Belle was top-3 in MVP voting in 1994, 1995, and 1996, and also finished top-10 in 1993 and 1998 (that season was with Chicago). For my money, one of the biggest MVP highway robberies in MLB history.

Where did Belle struggle? Metrics for the day suggest that he wasn't a great fielder, as even at his peak, he had multiple seasons with a negative dWAR, even though he did have an above average arm. He wasn't the fastest runner ever either, but still stole 23 bases in 1993 and went 11-11 in steals in 1996. Still, when you can hit like this guy did, you look past these other flaws to his game so that he can bat cleanup for you.

@JDailey23 is on the clock for back to back picks

I had season tickets all those years. For at least the first year or two, Belle's introduction song was AC/DC's Hell's Bells. There was nothing quite like Early Jake, guys on base, you'd hear those huge bell tones ringing ominously, and out would stroll Belle. It was freaking terrifying. The sold-out Jake would just explode. Every bad guy rolled into one, but playing for us. So awesome.

Phenomenal 2-strike hitter. Guy could work the count back up incredibly well.

Also....

Wake up @sportscoach !
 
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Sorry peeps, I feel asleep after work then woke up to go back to work again lol I swear ill stay up this time
 
OKay I will edit this later, my next pick is...

CF Earl Averill and his 1936 season was one for the ages!
 
With my fourth round pick, the Wailing Wahoos select Sam McDowell, Starting Pitcher.

Sudden Sam.jpg

Wanted to give myself a second ace behind Corey Kluber, and plenty of guys came to mind, such as Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, and Trevor Bauer, but I decided to throw in my first real retro pick of this draft and go with Sudden Sam McDowell.

Career w/ Cleveland: 1961-1971
Career Stats w/ Cleveland: 122-109, 3.17 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 42.5 WAR, 6x All-Star, 5x Strikeout King, 1x ERA Leader

Sam McDowell, flat out, was one of the greatest pitchers of the 1960s. As one of the best lefty pitchers of his era, he led the league in (all w/ CLE):
  • Total strikeouts (twice eclipsing 300 Ks) - 6x
  • K/9 - 6x
  • FIP - 3x
  • HR/9 - 2x
  • ERA & ERA+ - 1x
  • Shutouts - 1x
For his Cleveland career, McDowell:
  • Is 2nd all time in strikeouts (2159)
  • Is 5th all time in pitcher WAR (42.5)
  • Is 8th in shutouts (22)
  • Has the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th highest single season strikeout seasons in franchise history
  • Has the 6th and 10th highest single season K/9 rates in franchise history; everybody else in the top-10 did it in the past five years (Salazar, Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer, Bieber) in today's insane swing and miss league - not even Feller cracks this list
  • Has the 3rd, 5th, and 6th highest single season H/9 rates in franchise history
So as one of the most prolific strikeout guys, and for my money, the best left handed starter in Indians history, why has McDowell fallen to the fourth round? One word - walks. Arguably more wild than Bob Feller, McDowell was a real life Wild Thing Vaughn on the mound. In his eight full seasons with the Indians, McDowell led the league in walks five times. He led the league in both walks and strikeouts three times, and was consistently among the league leaders in pitch counts.

Sadly, McDowell's career was pretty much over by age 30. There was a falling out between him and Indians management and he was traded (for Gaylord Perry, not a bad trade for us by any means) to San Francisco where his production took a major nosedive. He was retired by age 32, and drank himself into a divorce, a failed business venture, and poverty. He eventually turned his life around, got an Associate's degree, remarried, and seems to be back on course today at almost age 77.

Two seasons for McDowell really stand out for me (1965 & 1970), but I'm going to select his '65 campaign as his best. That year, he finished 17-11 with a 2.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 325 K, 161 ERA+, 2.08 FIP, 5.9 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 10.7 K/9, 14 CG, and 8.2 WAR. He was still wild this season (4.4 BB/9), but I feel like you can live with the walks when he's barely giving up any hits or home runs. He led the league in ERA, K, ERA+, FIP, H/9, HR/9, and K/9 that season.

Sudden Sam McDowell - didn't get to see him play, but an article I read about him describes him as "electric, polarizing, wild, and insane - Rick Vaughn before Rick Vaughn". Probably sums him up pretty well.

@JDailey23 is on the clock for back to back picks.
 
If anybody needs a sleeper pick...

'59 Tito Francona had the second highest WPA in team history. What a random great year for an otherwise forgettable player.
 
I want to secure the back end of my bullpen early, so that I know I have a dominant and reliable threat whenever I need him, so with my fifth round pick, the Wailing Wahoos select Andrew Miller, reliever.

Miller.jpg

Career w/ Cleveland: 2016-2018
Career Stats w/ Cleveland: 10-7, 2.22 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 120 G, 7 SV, 5.4 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 13.3 K/9, 1x All-Star

He didn't have the longest career in Cleveland, but Andrew Miller was simply the most dominant relief force in the history of Cleveland Indians baseball, bar none. None of us will ever forget his importance in our 2016 World Series run and how he would come on and just wipe out all-star batter after all-star batter and make them look stupid with his nasty slider. His career numbers with Cleveland are phenomenal on paper, and are even brought down a bit due to a poor 2018 campaign where he suffered from injury.

Taking away his injury riddled 2018 campaign, Miller's time with Cleveland saw him post the following numbers: 8-3, 1.47 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 13.8 K/9, 4.4 H/9, 4.5 WAR

I'm not going to choose a specific season for Miller here. He had one and a half absolutely dominant years here, and one injury riddled one. His postseason run in 2016 was absolutely incredible. Some may see a reliever in the 5th round equivalent to taking a kicker in the 5th round in fantasy football, but I'm glad to have the best reliever in Indians history guaranteed to be on my roster.

@sportscoach is on the clock
 
I want to secure the back end of my bullpen early, so that I know I have a dominant and reliable threat whenever I need him, so with my fifth round pick, the Wailing Wahoos select Andrew Miller, reliever.

View attachment 2322

Career w/ Cleveland: 2016-2018
Career Stats w/ Cleveland: 10-7, 2.22 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 120 G, 7 SV, 5.4 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 13.3 K/9, 1x All-Star

He didn't have the longest career in Cleveland, but Andrew Miller was simply the most dominant relief force in the history of Cleveland Indians baseball, bar none. None of us will ever forget his importance in our 2016 World Series run and how he would come on and just wipe out all-star batter after all-star batter and make them look stupid with his nasty slider. His career numbers with Cleveland are phenomenal on paper, and are even brought down a bit due to a poor 2018 campaign where he suffered from injury.

Taking away his injury riddled 2018 campaign, Miller's time with Cleveland saw him post the following numbers: 8-3, 1.47 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 13.8 K/9, 4.4 H/9, 4.5 WAR

I'm not going to choose a specific season for Miller here. He had one and a half absolutely dominant years here, and one injury riddled one. His postseason run in 2016 was absolutely incredible. Some may see a reliever in the 5th round equivalent to taking a kicker in the 5th round in fantasy football, but I'm glad to have the best reliever in Indians history guaranteed to be on my roster.

@sportscoach is on the clock
His half season in 2016 with us was so far superior to anything else he did in Cleveland (even his very good 2017 campaign) that I would be tempted to just take '16 Miller out of the wine cellar
 
I want to secure the back end of my bullpen early, so that I know I have a dominant and reliable threat whenever I need him, so with my fifth round pick, the Wailing Wahoos select Andrew Miller, reliever.

View attachment 2322

Career w/ Cleveland: 2016-2018
Career Stats w/ Cleveland: 10-7, 2.22 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 120 G, 7 SV, 5.4 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 13.3 K/9, 1x All-Star

He didn't have the longest career in Cleveland, but Andrew Miller was simply the most dominant relief force in the history of Cleveland Indians baseball, bar none. None of us will ever forget his importance in our 2016 World Series run and how he would come on and just wipe out all-star batter after all-star batter and make them look stupid with his nasty slider. His career numbers with Cleveland are phenomenal on paper, and are even brought down a bit due to a poor 2018 campaign where he suffered from injury.

Taking away his injury riddled 2018 campaign, Miller's time with Cleveland saw him post the following numbers: 8-3, 1.47 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 13.8 K/9, 4.4 H/9, 4.5 WAR

I'm not going to choose a specific season for Miller here. He had one and a half absolutely dominant years here, and one injury riddled one. His postseason run in 2016 was absolutely incredible. Some may see a reliever in the 5th round equivalent to taking a kicker in the 5th round in fantasy football, but I'm glad to have the best reliever in Indians history guaranteed to be on my roster.

@sportscoach is on the clock

He was my next pick and one of my personal favorite Indians. That photo of him still gives me goosebumps, as the dude was superhuman in the 2016 postseason.
 
Well hmm..... I think ill stay on the same theme, so my next pick...

C Jim Hegan

During his era one of the best catchers behind the plate. Never was a great hitter, but honestly I am looking to build a solid team and you need a good battery. Couldn't ask for more out of catcher!

@daddywags you are on the clock!
 
Hegan off the board before Victor Martinez!!!

This thread has jumped the shark.

Hegan isn't even a top 10 Indians catcher
 
Hegan off the board before Victor Martinez!!!

This thread has jumped the shark.

Hegan isn't even a top 10 Indians catcher

I didn't pick Martinez since he isn't a good fielding C, but I doubt he makes it much longer, just I prefer defensive catchers over pure offensive.
 

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