Uncategorized Archives - Franchise Phenoms

2020 H.O.F. Ballot: Carlos Pena

Hall of Fame election season is upon us! As members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America begin to publicize their ballots, we will gain a clearer understanding of this winter’s landscape leading into a January announcement of the class of 2020.

Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system has become the closest thing to an accepted standard by which we can compare current candidates to players who have already been enshrined in Cooperstown.

In the coming weeks, we will break down the top-25 players on the 2020 Hall of Fame Ballot.

23. Carlos Pena

JAWS: 24.6 (54.8 Average HOF 1B)

Carlos Pena was drafted 10th overall by the Texas Rangers out of Northeastern University in Boston, MA in 1998. As a supremely talented left-handed hitter with excellent defensive chops, Pena quickly became regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball. He ranked in Baseball America’s top-100 prospects three times including top-10 rankings in 2001 and 2002.

Pena earned his first cup of coffee with the 2001 Rangers. Although he had shown excellent power and on-base skills in his minor league career, Texas elected to entrust their 1B/DH spots to a host of veteran sluggers. Following the 2001 season, Pena was traded to Oakland for a package of talented youngsters who ultimately made minimal impact in Texas.

Pena began his age-24 season as Oakland’s starting first baseman. After producing just 92 OPS+ through April and May, Pena was optioned back to Triple-A. With the team in the middle of a playoff race, the A’s used Pena as a key piece to land left-handed starter Ted Lilly in a three-team trade with the Yankees and Tigers.

Detroit

The rebuilding Tigers gave Pena a better opportunity to establish himself. Pena was an above-average hitter immediately upon his arrival in Detroit. Although he produced a cumulative OPS+ of 112 over parts of four seasons in Detroit, Pena was often viewed as a disappointment.

A miserable start to the 2005 season saw Pena sent back to Triple-A for half of his age-27 season. Although he rebounded in the second half, it was clear that Pena’s grasp on a job in Detroit was tenuous.

By 2006 the Tigers had built a roster that was prepared to contend for the post season. In a surprise move, the Tigers released Pena at the end of spring training. The Tigers moved forward with Chris Shelton and Marcus Thames as their primary 1B/DH options. The club won 95 games, a Wild Card berth, and ultimately the A.L. pennant. Pena was cast into the baseball wilderness.

The End?

Carlos Pena remained unemployed for three weeks following his release from Detroit. A month before his 28th birthday, Pena signed with the Yankees in April, 2006. Pena performed respectably at Triple-A Columbus until he was released in August. He latched onto the Boston Red Sox shortly thereafter and made a brief return to the big leagues late in the season.

Pena became a free agent after the 2006 season. In January 2007, he signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Tampa

The opportunity to reestablish his career in Tampa would transform Carlos Pena’s future. Entering his age-29 season, Pena was a former top prospect who appeared to be a bust. A career 111 OPS+ hitter who had produced just 5.5 bWAR over six years with four different clubs, Pena seemed every bit as likely to be out of the game in another year as he was to blow up into an MVP candidate.

2007 would be Carlos Pena’s career year. He hit .282/.411/.627, 172 OPS+ while setting career highs in homers (46), RBI (121), walks (103), and bWAR (7.2). Pena received MVP votes for the first time and won the Silver Slugger.

While he would never again match the heights of 2007, Pena remained productive in Tampa. From 2008-2010, he averaged .224/.353/.479, 122 OPS+, and 3.4 bWAR. He received MVP votes again in 2008 and also won the Gold Glove. In 2009 he made his only All Star team, and led the A.L. with 39 homers.

Carlos Pena was a key piece to some of the best teams in Tampa’s short history. His transformation from disappointing former top prospect to All Star mirrored the evolution of the entire organization. Tampa’s first winning season in its history came in 2008 (year 11). The club shocked the baseball world by winning 97 games, the A.L. East title, and the American League pennant. Carlos Pena was their best player. They won the division again in 2010 as well.

Act Three

A free agent after 2010, Pena left Tampa for one year with the Cubs. Although he essentially matched his average production from the previous three seasons, Pena was entering the year-to-year phase of his career.

He returned to Tampa for a disappointing reunion in 2012. Houston gave him a shot in 2013, but the magic had run out. He returned to Texas for a brief stint in 2014 before hanging them up for good.

Hall of Fame?

There are a number of similarities between Carlos Pena’s career, and that of ballot-mate Paul Konerko. Both players were first round picks who had to bounce around before reaching their potential with other clubs. Each was a former top prospect who was temporarily viewed as a disappointment before having a memorable career. All the way down to their identical JAWS scores, and ultimate destiny to fall short of Cooperstown, Konerko and Pena were very much in the same class.

Like Konerko, Carlos Pena will be remembered here as a Franchise Phenom as well. Pena will feature on the all-time Tampa Rays team upon its release.

Just A Bit Outside: White Sox

In Just A Bit Outside we examine the four best players who were not chosen for their franchise’s All-Time Team.

Wilbur Wood

Wilbur Wood signed with the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent prior to the 1960 season. He spent parts of four seasons with the Red Sox before he was sold to the Pirates in September 1964. Wood established himself as an effective reliever for Pittsburgh in 1965. The Pirates traded him to Chicago in October, 1966.

Wood relied on his knuckle ball to become a mainstay for the Chicago pitching staff from 1967-1978. He was incredible durable and versatile during his White Sox career.

Wood led the league in appearances three straight seasons from 1968-1970.

He shifted to the starting rotation in 1971. He immediately established himself as one of the best starters in the game, leading the AL with a 189 ERA+.

Wood also continued to eat innings at an elite level. During his White Sox career, Wood led the league in games started four times and innings pitched twice.

Beyond his durability, he remained an excellent pitcher for several seasons. He led the AL in wins twice with back-to-back 24-win seasons in 1972-1973.

Wood was a three-time All Star, finished in the top-five in the Cy Young voting three times, and received MVP votes in three seasons as well.

From 1967-1978, Wilbur Wood produced 50.3 bWAR, 7th best in franchise history.

With a career 116 ERA+ over 2524.1 innings, Wood is clearly among the best pitchers in White Sox history. He was the last player cut from the White Sox All-Time Team.

Eddie Cicotte

Eddie Cicotte signed as an amateur free agent with the Detroit Tigers before the 1905 season. He pitched just three games for the Tigers. His contract was then purchased by the Red Sox before 1908. He proved to be an effective starter during his five seasons with Boston. The White Sox purchased him from the Red Sox in July, 1912.

Cicotte broke out for the White Sox, posting a 186 ERA+ in 1913. His 7.5 bWAR was tied for third best among AL pitchers that year.

Cicotte remained a solidly above-average pitcher in his early 30s, averaging 123 ERA+ from 1914-1916.

1917 was his career year. He led the league in wins (28), ERA (1.53), and innings (346.2). His 11.5 bWAR was the best of his career, and tops in the American League that season. The 1917 White Sox won the American League, and defeated the New York Giants in six games to win the World Series. Cicotte was 1-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings during the fall classic.

1919

The White Sox returned to the World Series in 1919. Cicotte was again the team’s ace pitcher winning 29 games and finishing with a 176 ERA+ over 306.2 innings.

In the best-of-nine 1919 World Series, the White Sox took on the NL Champion Cincinnati Reds. The usually reliable Cicotte was drilled for six runs in 3.2 innings, and took the loss in the opener.

With the Sox trailing two games to one, manager Kid Gleason gave Cicotte the ball again in Game Four. This time it was two-unearned runs, resulting from his own fielding errors in the top of the fifth inning, that sealed his fate. The Reds won 2-0 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

In an attempt to redeem himself, Cicotte tossed a complete game gem in Game Seven, and the Sox won 4-1. Unfortunately, the team dropped the next game, and the series to the Reds.

In the aftermath of the series, rumors began to circulate that members of the White Sox team, including Cicotte, had conspired with gamblers to throw the series.

Cicotte won 21 games in 1920, his last season in the majors. As the season concluded, Cicotte became the focal point of an investigation into allegations that the 1919 World Series was a sham. Cicotte, and seven of his teammates, were indicted by a grand jury in Cook County Court for their role in the conspiracy. Although the players were acquitted in court, new MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned the players from ever again playing big league baseball.

Legacy

Cicotte’s playing career alone would place him firmly in consideration for the White Sox All-Time team. His 50.3 bWAR ranks 8th in franchise history. His 133 ERA+ is 5th in Sox history.

Unlike his Black Sox teammate Shoeless Joe Jackson, Cicotte was not selected for the White Sox All-Time Team. While both players were banned from baseball following the 1920 season, some historians have questioned Jackson’s true role in the scandal.

Cicotte’s involvement is beyond dispute. He offered an official confession to his guilt that was later lost by court officials. Unlike Jackson, his record of play in the series, including two suspect loses, offers no argument for his overall innocence. As a result, one of the most dominant pitchers in White Sox history is Just A Bit Outside the All-Time Team.

Doc White

Doc White was signed out of Georgetown University by the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 1901 season. White made 67 appearances, working to a 110 ERA+ in two seasons with the Phillies.

In 1903, the White Sox convinced White to jump to their club in the fledgling American League. White was an instant success in Chicago.

From 1903-1906, White was one of the best pitchers in the American League. He went 68-47 with a 142 ERA+ over his first 1007.2 innings with the White Sox.

1906

In 1906, the 27-year-old lefty had his career year. He posted league-best marks in ERA (1.52) and WHIP (0.90) over 219.1 innings. His 6.1 bWAR was the top mark for the pitching staff that led the White Sox to the World Series.

Along with Franchise Phenom, Ed Walsh, White anchored Chicago’s pitching staff against the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs.

In Game Two of the series, White was removed for a pinch-hitter after allowing four unearned runs in three innings. White was hung with the loss, and the series was tied after two games.

In Game Five, with the series tied at two games apiece, player/manager and Franchise Phenom, Fielder Jones rode Walsh and White to victory. Walsh battled through six innings, but shoddy White Sox defense (the team made six errors in the game), kept the Cubs chances alive. After surrendering a leadoff double in the bottom of the 7th, Walsh was pulled in favor of White. White allowed just one hit and a walk the rest of the way to earn the save, and secure the White Sox victory.

Back on the South Side the following day, Jones gave the ball to White yet again, this time to start. In a match-up of the best pitchers from their respective leagues, the Cubs countered with Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown. The Sox got to Brown early and often, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after two innings. White went the distance, scattering 11 runners, and allowing three runs. In just their sixth year of existence, Doc White helped pitch the White Sox to the first World Championship in franchise history.

After the Championship

White backed up 1906 with another solid season in 1907. He led the league in wins (27) and K/BB rate (3.71).

1908 was the first below-average season of White’s career at 90 ERA+, but he still won 18 games.

At age 30, White had one more strong season in him. He threw 177.2 innings at a 138 ERA+ in 1909.

Although he hung on for parts of four more seasons, he was slightly below-average overall during the final stretch of his career.

In 11 years for the White Sox, Doc White won 159 games, and pitched 2498.1 innings for an ERA+ of 114. His 37.6 bWAR is 14th in White Sox history.

George Davis

George Davis grew up near Albany, New York. He signed with the Cleveland Spiders of the National League before the 1890 season. In three seasons for Cleveland, he was a solid above-average regular, splitting his time between third base and the outfield.

In February, 1893, the Spiders traded Davis to the New York Giants for star slugger Buck Ewing. While Ewing’s best days were behind him, Davis would emerge as a star in New York.

From 1893-1901, Davis laid the groundwork for a Hall of Fame career with the Giants. He averaged .332/.394/.468, 132 OPS+, and 5.0 bWAR during that stretch.

White Sox Career

Like many players of his day, including Doc White, Davis became wrapped up in an emerging drama between the National League and the new American League. Despite the contractual reserve clause that bound players to their teams as long as the team chose to retain them, many players began jumping to teams in the other league whenever they wanted a new contract.

Davis jumped to the White Sox where he had a solid season in 1902. He attempted to return to the Giants in 1903, but the subsequent legal dispute limited him to just four games that season. He was returned to Chicago for 1904. The SABR Bio on George Davis outlines the drama well.

Davis then finished his career with Chicago from 1904-1909. Although his offensive production with Chicago slipped well below that of his peak with the Giants, Davis remained the regular shortstop for the bulk of his time with the Sox. Defensive metrics, applied retroactively to his career, view his work in the field very favorably.

From 1904-1907, bWAR paints the picture of a star shortstop who was among the league’s best at the position. Davis averaged 6.9 bWAR during that stretch, and was the best player on the 1906 World Champs.

All told, George Davis is one of the best shortstops in the histories of both the New York Giants, and the Chicago White Sox. His 33.0 bWAR is 16th in White Sox history. His 44.6 bWAR in New York ranks him 12th all-time for the Giants.

Franchise Phenoms Primer

The first wave of content presented on Franchise Phenoms will include 25-man rosters of the best players in the history of each of the 30 Major League Baseball franchises.

The process I used to select the players for these teams is not particularly complicated. Even so, I want to define the format for each team, and the criteria that were considered when choosing the players.

25-Man Rosters

Major League Baseball currently operates with a regular active roster of 25 players.

Modern rosters are constructed differently than the way teams were built 100 years ago.

I have taken the approach of selecting rosters largely as teams would be built in the modern day including 13-14 position players, and 11-12 pitchers.

While it’s true that in the past few years, teams have increasingly opted to carry additional relief pitchers, I made the decision to lean towards position players for the final spot or two on each roster.

All-Time Greats

As the purpose of this site is to track the greatest players in the history of each franchise, the selection process begins there.

I looked for the best possible combination of longevity, and elite performance during a player’s years with that franchise.

Players who had lengthy careers with the team are at a distinct advantage in this process. Those players likely accumulated the most value for the team over the course of their careers. My methodology rewards those long careers.

In other cases, a player exhibited extreme excellence for the franchise, but his career was cut short due to injuries, trade, or free agency.

Although I generally lean towards longevity, excellence over a shorter period often wins out in both selection to the team, and in role on the fictional team.

Hall of Fame players were given special consideration.

Starting Position Players

Each team page begins with the starting lineup arranged in a batting order of my choosing. Batting order was based largely on the player’s career OPS+ with the team. The specific nature of the player’s production including considerations of on-base percentage, power, and speed were considered near the top of the lineup.

Selection to the starting lineup is based heavily on the player’s average bWAR per 650 plate appearances during their career with the team. Other factors such as length of career, and intangible value to the franchise were also considered.

Whenever possible, I worked to include players at the primary positions they played during their time spent with the franchise.

Occasionally, starting players are listed at positions they played either secondarily, or perhaps not at all. Such decisions are based on the following considerations:

Some teams have had several elite players at the same position in their history.
In an effort to build the best possible rosters, players were sometimes moved into roles that differed from their actual playing careers.
Any player who appeared in 100 or more games at a defensive position in their career has that position listed next to their name.
For a player to have appeared that many times at a position, there is an implied basic level of competence at the spot.
Players were moved off their primary positions to secondary ones if I determined it would help field the best possible lineup.
All position changes were deemed realistic based on the player’s actual career. For example, outfielders were not moved to catcher if they did not have catching experience at the Major League level.

Bench Position Players

Reserve players are the remaining players who failed to make the starting lineup.

American League teams are given five bench spots for position players since they have a starting Designated Hitter.

National League teams are given five or six bench spots for position players depending on whether or not I saw fit to use the final roster spots on a hitter or pitcher.

All teams must have two players eligible to play catcher on their roster. In most cases, that means the second best catcher in franchise history as one of its bench players.

On most teams, the remaining four bench spots are divided equally between infielders and outfielders.

All decisions were made in an effort to include the best possible players from the franchise’s history while still building a realistic roster with respect to the defensive positions of the players.

Starting Pitching Rotation

Every team has a starting pitching rotation made up of the five best starters in franchise history.

Pitchers were evaluated primarily based on a combination of their career ERA+ with the franchise, and the number of innings pitched for the team.

The exact order of the rotation loosely reflects the ERA+ of its members. Sometimes, players who threw more innings for the team during the course of their careers are moved ahead of players with shorter careers.

Bullpen

Each team has at least six relief pitchers. Some National League teams have seven.

The general bullpen pecking order was determined by the ERA+ of the pitchers. In some cases, players with more career saves were given special consideration for the closer role.

The long relief spot was typically reserved for a player who had experience as both a starter and a reliever, but was unable to crack the team’s top five for the starting rotation.

Introducing Franchise Phenoms

This site is dedicated to tracking the greatest players in the history of every Major League franchise.

In the coming weeks, I will post 25-man rosters including starting lineups, five-man pitching rotations, reserve players, and bullpens made up of the all-time best players for each team in the Major Leagues.

We will also monitor news and current performances that could change the way we rank the best players in each team’s history.

About the Project

I have always enjoyed learning about baseball history. The process of determining and tracking each team’s best players has appealed to me since I began researching baseball’s greatest players in my spare time more than a decade ago.

This is the type of conversation that millions of people have with their friends and families every year. Every passionate baseball fan has spent hours debating the talents and careers of the game’s great players.

Franchise Phenoms is my way of contributing to that conversation, and connecting with fans who love the game and its history as much as I do.

About the Author

Bob Glover teaches U.S. History, World History, and Economics at Hobart High School in Hobart, Indiana. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Bob also serves as the Head Baseball Coach at Hobart.

He holds a BS in Social Studies Education from Ball State University, and an MS in Educational Administration from Purdue University.

Bob’s background in baseball includes a stint writing about prospects under John Sickels at Minor League Ball, and work as an Associate Scout for the Atlanta Braves.