March 7, 2008  

Welcome to a brand-new edition of Rookie Watch with Phil Plantier!

We have quite a rookie class for 2008. There are 123 rookies eligible for play next season, which is the second-highest total since we started doing Rookie Watch in 2002. (Last year set the record with 148 rookies.) The rookie class includes 46 batters, 38 starting pitchers, 36 relief pitchers and three swing men.

This year's youngest rookie is Phil Hughes, who was born June 24, 1986, meaning he will be 21 years old until almost midway through next season. Even before he was eligible, Hughes was a member of the Sardine City Straphangers, who took the starting pitcher as an ineligible prospect with the 16th pick in last year's draft. Just two months older than Hughes is 1B Billy Butler (4/18/86), who also already was on a roster -- he was drafted as a prospect by Hillsborough last year in the 13th round (#176 overall). The third-youngest rookie, SP Yovani Gallardo (2/27/86), also is already gone -- Philly took him in the 10th round (#133). Obviously our owners have a thing for young boys! This year's oldest rookie is 33-year-old reliever Lee Gardner, who celebrated his 33rd birthday in January. Gardner was taken in the 7th round (#95 overall) by Tampa Bay.

Never Give Up!

We won't know until after the season who will win the Pat Listach Rookie of the Year Award, but we do know who will take home the Jeff Reboulet Perseverance Award, which unofficially recognizes the Diamond Mind Baseball League rookie who has finally achieved eligibility after logging the most MLB service time. (To paraphrase Crash Davis, it's "a dubious honor.")

The Reboulet was first awarded, fittingly enough, to Jeff Reboulet, who in 2004 -- at age 39 --  finally became eligible for the DMBL, after toiling for 11 seasons, 925 games and 1,968 at-bats in "the minors," aka MLB. Reboulet still holds the record, as far as we know, for most seasons, games played and at-bats before achieving DMBL eligiblity.

This year there were a number of candidates for the award, but none approached Reboulet's numbers in terms of years played, at-bats or games played. However, one player stood out as being the most eagerly anticipated out of this year's rookie class. OF Jack Cust has been drafted four times by four different owners, starting with Arkansas in 2000, but never came close to achieving eligibility. Finally, this year, Cust went undrafted -- and sure enough, he's eligible! He made his MLB debut in 2001, and, over five seasons, had 70 games and 144 at-bats. The closest he came to eligibility, and it wasn't very close, was 84 plate appearances in 2003. The 29-year-old outfielder hit .256 (but with a .912 OPS). Newark took him in the first round (#14 overall) and obviously expects him to be a big part of their run for an unprecedented fifth straight championship.

Other candidates we considered for this year's award: SP Mike Bacsik (2001: 4 seasons, 22 G, 98.0 IP); RP Ryan Bukvich (2002: 5 seasons, 48 G, 46.2 IP); SP Buddy Carlyle (1999: 3 seasons, 21 G, 54.2 IP); RP Clay Condrey (2002: 3 seasons, 39 G, 89.1 IP); P Lenny DiNardo (2004: 3 seasons, 43 G, 81.1 IP); 3B Greg Dobbs (2004: 3 seasons, 100 G, 222 AB); SP Jeremy Guthrie (2004: 3 seasons, 16 G, 37.0 IP); 2B/SS Brendan Harris (2004: 3 seasons, 52 G, 110 AB); SP Edwin Jackson (2003: 4 seasons, 42 G, 111.2 IP); 1B Casey Kotchman (2004: 3 seasons, 114 G, 321 AB); OF Ryan Ludwick (2002: 4 seasons, 104 G, 334 AB); SP Sergio Mitre (2003: 4 seasons, 51 G, 161.2 IP); and RP Bobby Seay (2001: 5 seasons, 76 G, 71.2 IP).

Not This Year...

Then we have those players for whom the Reboulet -- and DMBL eligiblity -- remains out of reach. The usual candidates are utility infielders, back-up catchers and speedy outfielders -- guys who are useful to have on the bench but don't play nearly enough to become eligible for the DMBL. Exemplifying this point is infielder Donnie Sadler, who made his MLB debut in 1998 but has yet to become eligible for the DMBL. Sadler has appeared in at least one MLB game in eight of the last 10 seasons, racking up 768 at-bats over 418 games -- but has never been eligible. The closest he came was 2001 when he had 211 plate appearances between Cincinnati and Kansas City.

Others who have played at least five MLB seasons, including 2007, but are still waiting for a chance: P John Bale (1999: 5 seasons, 53 G, 118.2 IP); OF Hiram Bocachica (2000: 8 seasons, 272 G, 535 AB); SS Eric Bruntlett (2003: 5 seasons, 320 G, 472 AB); C Jamie Burke (2001: 5 seasons, 123 G, 247 AB); C Kevin Cash (2002: 5 seasons, 126 G, 359 AB); 3B Howie Clark (2002: 5 seasons, 130 G, 294 AB); RP Brian Falkenborg (1999: 5 seasons, 39 G, 53.1 IP); OF Todd Linden (2003: 5 seasons, 270 G, 502 AB); C Corky Miller (2001: 7 seasons, 101 G, 275 AB); 2B Augie Ojeda (2000: 6 seasons, 235 G, 486 AB); 3B Pablo Ozuna (2000: 6 seasons, 241 G, 581 AB); C Josh Paul (1999: 9 seasons, 321 G, 713 AB); 1B Robb Quinlan (2003: 5 seasons, 313 G, 800 AB); C Humberto Quintero (2003: 5 seasons, 93 G, 223 AB); SS Cody Ransom (2001: 5 seasons, 133 G, 140 AB); OF Mike Restovich (2002: 6 seasons, 152 G, 268 AB); C Mike Rivera (2001: 5 seasons, 119 G, 352 AB); SS Jason Smith (2001: 7 seasons, 235 G, 523 AB); 2B Jorge Velandia (1997: 7 seasons, 164 G, 229 AB); and OF Dewayne Wise (2000: 5 seasons, 183 G, 339 AB)
.

Phil Plantier, one of the top prospects of the last decade, was picked by baseball guru Bill James in 1991 as the player most likely to lead the majors in HRs during the 1990s. In 1994, at age 24, he hit 47 round-trippers with 118 RBIs for the Charleston Chiefs, his first and last DMBL season. He's currently an analyst for Fox Sports Net. Click Here for past articles.