Fogelberg (written by Ry) – The number nine position on the field hosts some of the greatest hitters to ever play the game. When you look at the names available you would think it was a deep position, but names aren’t everything in ASB.
There is one name that means business every time he spins. Babe Ruth. Of course his career disc will never play in the Classic, as he will most certainly always be drafted (when available) first or second. This year the Bears or Sketchers have the option of picking what is, in my humble opinion, the best disc in ASB.
The next three names are players that could go either in the single season draft or early in the career. Ty Cobb, Billy Hamilton and Roy Cullenbine are all available this year to play in right with Hamilton also available to play center and left. Cullenbine can play left and Cobb can play center, which makes them very valuable. Cobb and Hamilton are two of the best on base guys in the game, either single season or career, and the new guy Cullenbine can drop bombs and walk at an amazing pace. I would be surprised if all of these guys are taken in the single season draft so keep your eye on one or all of these players when the career draft starts.
Tony Gwynn is another guy who will get some playing time in this years classic. His singles are out of this world. The only drawback with Gwynn is his lack of walks. Unlike Hamilton and Cobb, Gwynn is purely a single and doubles guy. Larry Walker is also in this next tier of player with a disc that is very balanced. His total bases are really nice with his home runs and his nice big 11 spot (doubles). He would make a great five hole for a lot of teams.
The next three names are baseball royalty. Mel Ott, Stan Musial and Hank Aaron are Hall of Fame big leaguers that each led their respected teams to World Series Championships. This is where the name doesn’t necessarily equate to great ASB player. All three have played in Classics before and have performed well, but I see these guys as mid to late picks in the career disc draft. Musial can play left field and first base as well which might interest some managers and we all know that the sun rises and sets with Mel Ott, so my guess is he will be playing.
Harry (call me Harvey) Heilmann is a player that has performed well in recent major tournaments and is a nice stick that can move runners lower in your batting order. Tony Phillips makes another appearance in a draft preview thanks to his utility status. The rest of the players at right are just bench players in my opinion with some nice power that you might want late in the game if you need a home run (Reggie Jackson, Juan Gonzalez, Eric Davis).
It will be interesting to see how right field plays out in the early rounds. If you start to see the draft trending towards right, you might want to think about acting quickly. Remember, names don’t mean anything in ASB. It’s all about the numbers.
