LAST TO FIRST;
THE 1997 SCRUBS
Think the 1969 Mets were amazing? The 1980 USA hockey team a miracle??
They were nothing compared to the rise of the 1997 Scrubs franchise. When 1996
ended the Scrubs were in eleventh place with 40 points. How did a franchise
that never finished better than 10th place pick up 68 points and climb all the
way into FIRST place? Lets take a look back and analyze how it happened.
The Scrubs had some talented players. Chipper Jones (21/111/100) as a middle infielder;
an injury prone free saver in Mark McGwire (58/123/86); Manny Ramirez (26/88/99) in the outfield;
and a catcher with outstanding pop in Todd Hundley (30/86/78). The pitching staff had some solid,
yet unspectacular arms in Pat Hentgen (+5/3.68/1.23), Kevin Appier, Hideo Nomo, and Trevor Hoffman (37/2.66/1.02).
The rest of the roster was weak; remember this team did finish in 11th place!
the foundation
The most significant offseason change was the addition of Tim Barnes as a partner.
Scrubs founder Paul Cerami was an experienced roto owner but was having a tough time managing
some of the unusual categories that exist in the N.J.R.B.L., especially On Base Percentage
and Total Bases Plus Stolen Bases. The formation of the partnership added valuable experience along with a hands on
management style that was previously missing. Tim credited the team's success to "solid contributions from each
partner".
The new partnership meshed immediately and set out to improve the team's 12
savers before the March 1, 1997 deadline. The roster clearly had some talent and valuable draft
picks; but improvements needed to be made. Long time Barnes favorite Chili Davis was the first player
acquired by the new partnership. The offseason deals netted:
key offseason additions
Denny Neagle: 20-5; 2.97; 1.08
Mike Mussina: 15-8; 3.20; 1.12
Troy Percival: 27; 3.46; 1.19
Chili Davis: .279; .388; 30/90/71
Ron Gant: .229; .309; 17/62/68
Moving off the Scrubs roster were Kevin Appier, Joey Hamilton, Hideo Nomo, John Olerud,
Mark Grudz, and Mark Lewis. The deals were not blockbusters, however they did add quality without sacrificing
core players.
The Scrubs started to pick up momentum on draft day. The strategy of trading down picks to avoid forcing selections
while increasing quantity worked to perfection. Some of the players added were:
solid draft picks
#1 Todd Stottlemyre: 12-9; 3.88; 1.22
#17 Jeff Kent: 29/121/90
#44 Willie Greene: 26/91/62
#45 Mike Lansing: 20/70/86
#111 Shawn Estes: 19-5; 3.18; 1.30
The team was ready to contend, but a championship still seemed to be a reach.
Bad news struck when Robin Ventura broke his leg late in spring training. The Scrubs overcame this early adversity
and added significant talent in late April when JT Snow (28/104/81) was claimed and slow starting Mariano Rivera
was acquired via trade.
The 1997 edition of Thoughts from the Throne recognized that the
Scrubs were the "team to watch in the N.J.R.B.L.". The prediction warned fellow owners
not to "under estimate the value of hands on new ownership" and that "1997 was looking
like a breakout year".
The team's crowning moment came with the announcement of two late season trades. Ivan Rodriguez (20/77/98)
and Ray Lankford (31/98/94) were added for Rivera, and Larry Walker (49/130/143) was picked up in a swap for
Percival and Gant. These moves solidified the team's hitting and all but guaranteed the 1997 championship.
the clinchers
The franchise transacted effectively throughout the season; finishing near the top in At Bats, and earning a remarkable
16 points in the Innings Pitched/Saves categories. This attention to detail meant additional points and turned what could
have been a close race into a runaway victory.
Last to First; the 1997 Scrubs. The story of a downtrodden franchise making a championship run. The foundation was in place,
but the structure came together through a variety of methods. Preseason deals, to solidify the 12 savers;
a solid draft to fill out the team; and inseason managing with claims and trades to fill holes and maximize categories.
The 1997 N.J.R.B.L Champion Scrubs; testimony that anything is possible with effort, sound decisions, and a little luck.
