Orioles top 20 Prospects going into 2000

[Prayin4Reign]

These really jog your memory.  As I was scanning the list I saw Steve Bechler at 14.  Instantly I thought, "Didn't he die due to some strange event?"  Sadly yeah, 2003 Spring Training in Ft. Lauderdale.  Collapsed during conditioning drills, body reached 108 degrees.  But it was a combination of things, pre-existing liver condition, Ephedra, Florida heat.  

Reading about it I found out his wife had his ashes scattered on the pitcher's mound at Camden Yards.  

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Prayin4Reign said:

These really jog your memory.  As I was scanning the list I saw Steve Bechler at 14.  Instantly I thought, "Didn't he die due to some strange event?"  Sadly yeah, 2003 Spring Training in Ft. Lauderdale.  Collapsed during conditioning drills, body reached 108 degrees.  But it was a combination of things, pre-existing liver condition, Ephedra, Florida heat.  

Reading about it I found out his wife had his ashes scattered on the pitcher's mound at Camden Yards.  

Mike Flanagan did a great job of handling that situation, which as I recall, happened on the first day of Spring Training in Flanny’s first year as co-GM.   Talk about getting off to a rough start!   And Bechler was a very well-liked guy.  

[Can_of_corn]

45 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Mike Flanagan did a great job of handling that situation, which as I recall, happened on the first day of Spring Training in Flanny’s first year as co-GM.   Talk about getting off to a rough start!   And Bechler was a very well-liked guy.  

I've used ephedra, nasty stuff.  The main issue is you can't trust the manufacturing, any given bottle might have a much lower or higher dose than what is listed.

It's been banned in the US since 2004.

[Gurgi]

3 hours ago, Prayin4Reign said:

These really jog your memory.  As I was scanning the list I saw Steve Bechler at 14.  Instantly I thought, "Didn't he die due to some strange event?"  Sadly yeah, 2003 Spring Training in Ft. Lauderdale.  Collapsed during conditioning drills, body reached 108 degrees.  But it was a combination of things, pre-existing liver condition, Ephedra, Florida heat.  

Reading about it I found out his wife had his ashes scattered on the pitcher's mound at Camden Yards.  

Wow......I want my wife to try that.  Dont think she can run fast enough anymore. 

[SemperFi]

Boy reliving the 1999 draft is depressing.  What a chance to change the direction of the franchise with 7 first round picks and you hit on one-Brian Roberts-the last pick.  

13 Parades  18 Stahl  21 Bigbie  23 Reed  34 Cenate  44 Rice  50 Roberts  

I truly believe a drunk monkey throwing darts could have done a better job than Wren.

And yes I know about Bedard but that doesn't excuse the total whiffs in there.

And that led us to the dysfunction that was Syd Thift who gave us Beau Hale, Tripper Johnson and the incadescent Chris Smith-maybe the worst, ill concieved Orioles pick of all Rowell a close second).  In slight defense of Wren those players had to then "develop" under Thrift system.

 

[Frobby]

27 minutes ago, SemperFi said:

Boy reliving the 1999 draft is depressing.  What a chance to change the direction of the franchise with 7 first round picks and you hit on one-Brian Roberts-the last pick.  

13 Parades  18 Stahl  21 Bigbie  23 Reed  34 Cenate  44 Rice  50 Roberts  

I truly believe a drunk monkey throwing darts could have done a better job than Wren.

And yes I know about Bedard but that doesn't excuse the total whiffs in there.

And that led us to the dysfunction that was Syd Thift who gave us Beau Hale, Tripper Johnson and the incadescent Chris Smith-maybe the worst, ill concieved Orioles pick of all Rowell a close second).  In slight defense of Wren those players had to then "develop" under Thrift system.

 

It wasn’t as bad as some make out.  There were 51 first round picks that year and combined they produced 220 WAR, about 4.4 per player.  With 7 picks, that would equate to about 31 WAR for the Orioles.  Our group produced 31.8.  Also, of the 220 WAR drafted in the first round, 131 was from the first 12 players drafted, all before the O’s made a pick.  So, you could say we had 7 out of 39 picks and got 31.8 of the 89 WAR selected in that part of the first round.  

Also, you can dismiss the later Bedard pick if you want, but that made it a 50 WAR draft.  The average team only has one 50 WAR draft every 7 years.  The O’s only got about 55 WAR from the 2000-2005 drafts combined.  

So, while we did miss some opportunities that year, we actually had many drafts worse then that one even when you account for all the no. 1 picks.  


 

[now]

31 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It wasn’t as bad as some make out.  There were 51 first round picks that year and combined they produced 220 WAR, about 4.4 per player.  With 7 picks, that would equate to about 31 WAR for the Orioles.  Our group produced 31.8.  Also, of the 220 WAR drafted in the first round, 131 was from the first 12 players drafted, all before the O’s made a pick.  So, you could say we had 7 out of 39 picks and got 31.8 of the 89 WAR selected in that part of the first round.  

Also, you can dismiss the later Bedard pick if you want, but that made it a 50 WAR draft.  The average team only has one 50 WAR draft every 7 years.  The O’s only got about 55 WAR from the 2000-2005 drafts combined.  

So, while we did miss some opportunities that year, we actually had many drafts worse then that one even when you account for all the no. 1 picks.  


 

Ah, the magic of numbers! Dang Frobby, puncturing our uninformed assumptions!

Quite the rabbit you pulled out of that beat-up old hat. 

Edited December 27, 2023 by now

[btdart20]

10 hours ago, Frobby said:

It wasn’t as bad as some make out.  There were 51 first round picks that year and combined they produced 220 WAR, about 4.4 per player.  With 7 picks, that would equate to about 31 WAR for the Orioles.  Our group produced 31.8.  Also, of the 220 WAR drafted in the first round, 131 was from the first 12 players drafted, all before the O’s made a pick.  So, you could say we had 7 out of 39 picks and got 31.8 of the 89 WAR selected in that part of the first round.  

Also, you can dismiss the later Bedard pick if you want, but that made it a 50 WAR draft.  The average team only has one 50 WAR draft every 7 years.  The O’s only got about 55 WAR from the 2000-2005 drafts combined.  

So, while we did miss some opportunities that year, we actually had many drafts worse then that one even when you account for all the no. 1 picks.  


 

Thanks for the context.  It's not as bad considering the available field.  The reality isn't as bad as my emotional anchor.  Which, unfortunately, is tied to the hope that comes with 4 first round picks and 3 supplemental picks.  And then losing for the next 10 years...  "What if..." 

[Tony-OH]

On 12/25/2023 at 3:28 PM, Prayin4Reign said:

These really jog your memory.  As I was scanning the list I saw Steve Bechler at 14.  Instantly I thought, "Didn't he die due to some strange event?"  Sadly yeah, 2003 Spring Training in Ft. Lauderdale.  Collapsed during conditioning drills, body reached 108 degrees.  But it was a combination of things, pre-existing liver condition, Ephedra, Florida heat.  

Reading about it I found out his wife had his ashes scattered on the pitcher's mound at Camden Yards.  

Beck was a good kid and one of my favorites to interview and talk with back in the day. He was always smiling and having a good time.

 

[Chaka Garcia]

Surprise, we didn’t hit on any our OF prospects. I was sure either Matos or Bigbie would be a star- they both had that star swagger.

[Jim'sKid26]

Steve Bechler, RIP.

[Jim'sKid26]

@Tony-OH you were spot on with your assessment of BJ Ryan. He was a remarkably effective closer for the O's. Great memory, thanks!

[Jim'sKid26]

Had they not had Matos, Biggie, McDonald and Reed in the OF they may have realized the Jayson Werth was an outfielder and not a catcher!