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Montreal Expos Drafting Record Part 2: The Pitchers
Wednesday June.27/2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.
Drafted in 1985 by the Montreal Expos, Randy Johnson was erratic in his early days. After trading away Mark Langston to acquire the young fireballer, the Mariners worked him into the rotation and he developed into a Hall of Famer.
Chuck Booth (Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- When looking back at some of the pitchers that the Montreal Expos have had in their organization, you don’t have go down the list very far to find Randy Johnson. He is the ‘crown jewel’ of the draft history record for the club. It is unfortunate the ‘The Big Unit’ was traded to the Seattle Mariners with Brian Holman and Gene Harris to the Mariners for rental player Mark Langston and a player to be named later. To be fair to the Montreal Expos, they were in serious contention for the pennant in 1989 and were trying to chase down the Chicago Cubs. Langston was one of the top Left Handed Aces in the Majors and he was available. Johnson was completely wild in the Minor Leagues and the Expos had a lot of veteran pitchers like Dennis Martinez and Bryn Smith that were on the back end of their careers. The time to try and win was now and they could not wait for Johnson to come around. The Expos did not succeed in capturing the pennant and Langston moved onto the California Angels as a free agent while Johnson blossomed into the premier left handed pitcher in his generation. Speaking of Martinez and Smith, they won 100 and 81 games respectively for the club. While they were not drafted by the Expos, they are 2nd and 3rd on the all-time win list.
Along with Smith and Dennis Martinez (who threw a perfect game as an Expo in 1991 and note: Bill Stoneman also threw two no-hitters for the franchise), you have to factor in the career of Pedro Martinez as an Expo for guys that were great pitchers during their prime. Pedro was acquired prior to the 1994 season from the Dodgers in exchange for the Expos departed ALL-Star second baseman Delino DeShields. Martinez went 11-5 in the strike shortened year and formed an impressive 1-2 ace combination with Ken Hill. Pedro went onto a 55-33 record and a 3.06 ERA for his 4 year Expos career. Pedro’s best year with the club was 1997 where he was the NL CY Young with a 17-8 record and a 1.90 ERA. Martinez finished the year with 305 strikeouts and a ridiculous 13 complete games. Pedro ended up signing with the Boston Red Sox before the 1998 season and he ultimately won a World Series with the Beantowners in 2004. In his post game celebration, Martinez mentioned the Expos franchise and their fans. Pedro shared his triumph as a testament to them. It was talent like this that Expos could never afford to resign and would lose outright- or have to trade for prospects based on their economic viability. I will get more into this in Part 3 of the Article Series on Friday.
For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Hitters: click here
For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise: click here
For Part 4 of the Article Series, The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: click here
For Part 5 of the Article Series, The Nats Best 25 Man Roster 2005-2012 click here
The Montreal Expos Draft And Signing Record Was Outstanding: Part 1-Hitters
Friday June.22/2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.
Andre Dawson and Tim Raines were perennial ALL-Stars and always had the Montreal Expos in contention every year they played for the Canadian Club.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-I recently saw a bunch of old Montreal Expos had a celebration dinner to honor the late Gary Carter at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. This brought me back to when I was a little kid watching the Expos on the French Channel in Canada. I followed this team before any other in MLB. I was a catcher in little league because of Gary Carter. My friends and I all would ask for Montreal Expos hats and jerseys for Christmas. I would later move on to like the Yankees when Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson joined the club, but I always liked the Expos in the National League as my team. They were a consistent club from 1979-1995. They drafted extremely well and were above .500 for pretty much the entire time. At the end of this article today be sure to watch the documentary from youtube on the Expos Franchise that the Reports has linked for you.
It was unfortunate they had the 2 billion dollar monstrosity of what was Olympic Stadium as their home venue. It was a mistake from the beginning to build a baseball park so far away from the downtown core. The 1994 strike killed the franchises hopes to make their 1st World Series appearance. The team was leading the NL East with a 74-40 record and featured the outfield of Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom and Moises Alou. They had traded away their ALL-Star second basemen Delino DeShields prior to that year for some pitcher named Pedro Martinez. The economics of baseball were starting to catch up on the baseball club. When the lockout was lifted in 1995, gone were Walker, Grissom and great pitchers Ken Hill and John Wetteland. It began a constant cycle of Montreal grooming awesome talent, only to trade the players away before they had to pay them big money. The one constant of the team was an incredible draft record from 1985-2004. Today is part 1 of a 3 part article series in which we will look at the history of the Montreal Expos. I have listed 30 hitters drafted by the Expos Scouting Staff that went onto nice baseball careers. Next week I will look at the pitchers and the third week I will cover the dissection of the proud franchise before the move to Washington. Read the rest of this entry
Jay Bruce: The Reds Have a Young Budding Superstar in the Outfield
Wednesday May 30th, 2012
Brendan Henderson: Jay Bruce, the 25-year-old right-fielder for the Cincinnati Reds is quickly making a name for himself in the baseball world. Bruce is from Beaumont, Texas and he was selected as the 12th pick in the 2005 amateur draft by the Reds. Bruce is under contract with the Reds until 2017.
Bruce made his MLB debut with the Reds in 2008 at the young age of 21 years old. He batted .254 that year with 21 home runs and 52 RBIs. Jay Bruce finished 5th in Rookie of the Year voting that year, just behind his teammate, Edinson Volquez who finished 4th. Volquez has since moved on to San Diego, in a package for top starter Mat Latos.
Many people might be wondering at this point in his career: “Is Jay Bruce the next great MLB superstar?” I will answer why he may or may not be below. Read the rest of this entry
Reds Prospect on the Rise: Billy Hamilton is on the Verge of Greatness
Sunday May 13th, 2012
Photo Courtesy of Giants fan: Crystal Ramos
Sam Evans: Billy Hamilton is one of the most discussed players in the minor leagues. He might be the fastest player in baseball, but the rest of his game is far from finished. Reds fans probably won’t see Hamilton until at least late-2013, but he will be ready by that point to make an immediate impact in the majors. Let’s take a look at Hamilton’s tools and how they project in the future.
First of all, if you are unfamiliar with Billy Hamilton, then you’ve probably been hiding under a rock. If you are hiding under a rock, you should probably come out. Unless, of course, you have Bryce Harper’s haircut. Anyways, Billy Hamilton grew up in Mississippi and played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. Hamilton was drafted in the second round of the 2009 MLB Amateur draft by the Reds, and passed up a football scholarship to Mississippi State University. Hamilton stands six feet tall and weighs roughly 160 pounds. He is a switch-hitting shortstop who is currently playing for the Reds High-A affiliate, the Bakersfield Blaze. Read the rest of this entry
An Interview With Miller Park Expert Ben Warhle
Saturday April.22, 2012
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- I found Ben Wahrle’s website over a year ago. All of his MLB Park write-ups are highly detailed as you can find on the web. This young man has a strong future ahead of him in this business. I recently had a chance to interview Ben about Milwaukee, tailgating and other traditions at Miller Park.”
DB: “Welcome to the MLB Reports Miller Park Expert Interview Ben. Please tell us about yourself and then give us some information on your life as a Brewer fan?”
BW: “I am 19 years old and currently working as a professional pizza chef at a local pizzeria. I have been to 24/30 current MLB ballparks. My goal is to make to every MLB ballpark. On average I go to 28 games at several different ballparks a year. I am die-hard Brewers fan and have been to every home opener the last 6 years. I always try to make it to at least 4 Brewer road games.”
DB: “You have been to many of the MLB teams parks Ben, what is your favorite park outside of Miller Park?”
BW: “Fenway Park- The atmosphere and the surrounding area is like nothing else around in MLB. The crowd seems like it is into every pitch. As soon as you walk into Fenway Park or Wrigley Field as a baseball fan you admire the history of the park.”
DB : “Talk about what inspired you to create www.benwahrlebaseballparks.com?”
BW: “As I was going to more baseball games I wanted a way to track all the games and ballparks I had been to. It was also a great way to show my friends, family and the public about each park. My site has a lot of great detail and stories. It also shows my upcoming trips, and every time I go to a game I keep track of each player’s statistics.”
DB: “Miller Park is on everybody’s short list for the best tailgate ballpark in the MLB, what can you tell us about these pre-game rituals?”
BW: “It is a party like atmosphere whether it is opening day or the 40th home game of the season. Everyone enjoys the time with their friends by grilling out and playing beanie bag toss.”
DB: “What advice would you give for somebody experiencing Miller Park for the very first time?”
BW: “You have to tailgate at least once at Miller Park. Lastly if you go to a “hot” game make sure you buy parking in advance.”
DB: “What is your favorite method of transportation to Miller Park?”
BW: “Miller Park is very easy to get to unlike some parks where you have to take a train, cab or a bus. Miller Park is right off the interstate, so everyone drives to the park.”
DB: “What is the food like at Miller Park? What is your favorite ballpark food there?”
BW: Over the last couple of years they have done a great job of adding different foods like garlic fries, pasta, and many different kinds of sandwiches. My favorite ballpark food at Miller Park has to be the loaded nachos or the honey roasted nuts.”
DB: “What is your favorite all time game that you have been in attendance for at Miller Park?”
BW: “Hands down it is the Carlos Zambrano no-hitter vs Astros in 2008. In Houston a hurricane occurred, MLB decided to locate the game to Miller Park. I remember going to the game and it was supposed to be a home game for the Astros but I would say about 90% were Cubs fans. This was a home game basically for the Cubs.”
DB: “Bob Uecker is one of the best radio personalities in the game. In your own words, how does the city of Milwaukee like him?”
BW: “He is an inspiration to this city, the fans adore him for what he has done. Over 50 years in the booth is a great accomplishment.”
DB: “With Prince Fielder leaving, the Brewers were lucky that Ryan Braun did not have to miss the 1st 50 games for the PED scandal. Does this give the Brewers a chance to contend in the NL Central now?
BW: “I think all the facts need to come out first before we decide Ryan Braun guilty. Obviously no one can replace Prince and what he brings to the team day by day. Aramis Ramirez can make up some of the production. Ramirez had a terrific year last year hitting .306 with 26 home runs. This central division is wide open. The Brewers still have a good rotation in Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf. Also the bats of the NL MVP Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart, and Rickie Weeks. Even though the Cardinals lost the best player in the game- Albert Pujols , they are getting Adam Wainwright back. They will have a David Freese for a whole season with Matt Holliday. The Reds are another team with good pitching. The starters did not do a good job last year for the Reds. Acquiring Mat Latos was huge for the Reds this offseason. The Reds lineup has a lot of depth with Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Drew Stubbs. Overall I still like the Brewers chances of getting back to the postseason.”
***Thank you to our Miller Park Expert- Ben Warhle for participating in today’s article. If you would like to read more about Ben and his baseball travels click here ***
***Thank you to our Baseball Writer Chuck Booth for preparing today’s feature on MLB reports. To learn more about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames” and Chuck Booth, you can follow Chuck on Twitter (@ChuckBooth3024) and you can also follow Chuck’s website for his Guinness Book of World Record Bid to see all 30 MLB Park in 23 days click here or on the 30 MLB Parks in 23 days GWR tracker at the Reports click here. To Purchase or read about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames Book, ” please click here ***
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A Breakout Year is Coming for Brandon Phillips in 2012
Friday April 6th, 2012
Ryan Ritchey: Since entering the majors in 2002 Brandon Phillips hasn’t left the state of Ohio. He changed teams though, moving from Cleveland to Cincinnati in 2006. Originally drafted by the Expos in 1999, Phillips never did make it to Canada. There were many reports back in Cleveland that as a youngster, Phillips was trouble in the clubhouse and off the field. So Indians management decided to trade him. Rich Aurilia was the Reds starting second basemen in the ’05 season, who decided to find a better home, so the Reds picked up Brandon Phillips. From opening day in ’06 Phillips has given everything he has to be the best. From the moment he joined Cincy, Phillips has been nothing short of spectacular. A complete change from his reputation going into the trade. Now in 2012, this is the year I believe he will have has his breakout season for Cincinnati. Read the rest of this entry
Who are the Top Five Second Basemen in Baseball?
Wednesday February 29th, 2012
Bryan Sheehan (MLB Reports Intern):
5. Chase Utley: Utley, thought of as the hands-down best second baseman just a few years ago, makes this list after coming off an injury that caused him to have arguably the worst season of his career. Chase has seen a downward trend offensively since 2009, and his history of downplaying and withholding information about injuries to get more playing time and avoid the DL has in fact hurt his play. Though an amazing show of his dedication to the game, Utley’s willingness to play hurt has limited his hitting, as evidenced by his total 109 RBIs over the last two seasons. Coming into 2012, though, Chase seems 100 percent healthy, and may bring some of his 30 plus-home run power back with him. Add this to the fact that his all-star caliber fielding hasn’t shown any decline, and Utley stacks up as a great player.
4. Brandon Phillips: Speaking of defense, how about the two-time defending NL Gold Glove winner, Brandon Phillips? A complete monster in the field, Phillips committed just six errors in 2011, boosting his fielding percentage to a great .992%. But the Gold Glove was not the only hardware Phillips brought home last year: his .300 average and 82 RBIs helped him win the NL Silver Slugger at second base. The biggest part of Phillips’ game may be his consistency, as he is the only player to have at least a .260 average, 15 home runs and 10 steals in each of the last six seasons. When looking at Brandon, it is pretty much assured that he will bring contact, gold-glove fielding and a bit of power and speed to the Reds in 2012. Read the rest of this entry
Interview with Neiko Johnson: Houston Astros Prospect and Future Leadoff Man
Thursday December 22, 2011
Jonathan Hacohen: Today on MLB reports we are proud to feature Houston Astros Prospect: Neiko Johnson. Joining the Astros organization as a free agent this past year, Neiko started his career in the New York-Penn League, playing for the Tri-City ValleyCats. Neiko played all over the field in his first season, including outfield, shortstop, second base and third base. A speedster, Neiko successfully stole 21 bases in 25 attempts, playing in 57 games. Even more impressively, Neiko had a .397 OBP. With the ability to get on base and swipe bags in bunches, Neiko has a bright future as a MLB leadoff man. By taking 41 walks and striking out 37 times, Neiko showed a good eye at the plate. At the age of 23, we see a bright future for Neiko Johnson as the Astros answer to Tim Raines, Vince Coleman or even Rickey Henderson. The tools are clearly there for Neiko- now he just needs the time to sharpen his skills and work towards landing in Houston. Plus having Brandon Phillips as a close friend never hurts. Phillips plays the game “the right way” and clearly has had a positive influence on Neiko. The stars are aligned for this young man and we see big things ahead in his future!
Featured on MLB reports, I proudly present my interview with Nieko Johnson, Houston Astros Prospect:
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MLB reports: You played five seasons for the University of Kentucky. Tell us about that experience and why you chose Kentucky for your education?
Neiko Johnson: College was a great experience and I recommend it to all athletes. I believe college helps a young athlete grow into an adult, learn about themselves and many other parts of life. I learned how to manage my time and be more efficient in life, as well as becoming mentally stronger. I chose Kentucky because I wanted to play college for a big D-1 school and the SEC is the best conference in the nation. So it was an easy choice.
MLB reports: Did you have a favorite player growing up?
Neiko Johnson: Derek Jeter.
MLB reports: Which current MLB star do you most admire and why?
Neiko Johnson: Brandon Phillips because I am real close friends with him and he has helped lead me down the right path in baseball.
MLB reports: What are your goals going into the 2012 season?
Neiko Johnson: To become a better player every day and give 110% percent.
MLB reports: You were signed as a free agent by the Astros in June 2011. Tell us about that process.
Neiko Johnson: I worked out for the Houston Astros in my hometown Atlanta, GA. That same day they called back wanting to sign me which was a blessing and I’m very thankful for.
MLB reports: As soon as you signed you were off to Troy to play for the Tri-City ValleyCats. What the heck is a ValleyCat?
Neiko Johnson: HAHA honestly I have no idea what a ValleyCat is! But the fans were awesome and I really enjoyed the environment we played in.
MLB reports: How did you feel going from school to professional baseball? What was the transition like?
Neiko Johnson: I felt good going into pro ball. I was ready because I was mature and knew how to handle myself. The transition was a bit different because in college most things are taken care of for you such as food, housing, workouts, etc. In pro ball, you are basically on your own and you have to become a man in the real world. You have to figure things out as you go along because most things are not taken care of for you like they were in college.
MLB reports: You played all over the field this past season: including shortstop, third base, second base and outfield. What position do you see yourself at long-term?
Neiko Johnson: Whatever position the Astros want me to play is the position I can see myself playing long-term. I am willing to play anywhere as long as I am in the lineup.
MLB reports: What do you consider your greatest baseball skill(s)?
Neiko Johnson: My speed and awareness of the game.
MLB reports: What facets of your game do you most wish to improve upon?
Neiko Johnson: I wish to improve every facet of my game because I can improve in all areas all the time.
MLB reports: What do you need to do in order to be successful in this game?
Neiko Johnson: You have to love this game and work hard at it because nothing is given you. You have to earn it!
MLB reports: If you had to look into a crystal ball, when do you see your expected time of arrival in the big leagues and what do you think you need to do most to get there?
Neiko Johnson: I just need to continue to work hard and stay dedicated to the process. When the time is right I will eventually make it to the big leagues.
MLB reports: Favorite baseball movie of all-time?
Neiko Johnson: Major League.
MLB reports: Have you been to Houston yet? Do you own a cowboy hat and boots?
Neiko Johnson: HAHA… nope, not a big cowboy guy. But yes, I have been to Houston. Only once though. In college we played at Minute Maid Park in a tournament during my senior season.
MLB reports: Final Thoughts?
Neiko Johnson: Thank you for the opportunity to answer some questions about my life and career. I will continue to work hard and always keep a good image.
Thank you again to Neiko Johnson for taking the time to join us today on MLB reports. We highly encourage our readers to post at the bottom of the article any questions and/or comments that you may have for Neiko. You can also find Neiko Johnson on Twitter (@ThisIsNJJ)
***The pictures used in today’s feature were provided by Neiko Johnson from his personal collection***
Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)
Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.
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