Libby Hill is buzzing with activity above Richmond this week, as all rostered players reported to the ballpark in preparation for the upcoming homestand opener against Providence.
After a disappointing 1906 run, the Red Rebels of Richmond saw a flurry of moves and signings this offseason aimed at improving offensive production and defense up the middle. The project saw success in the free agent market; Richmond signed frontrunner 3B Dwight Ford for a small fortune and divested a significant portion of their future in the upcoming draft to secure Tennessee Mears. Their corner outfield is far from complete, but the 1907 Rifles should see a much-improved defense and an extremely powerful offensive lineup that looks to exploit a low-run environment behind a formidable pitching corps.
The largest roster shakeup for years at Libby Hill, three new starters will take the field for the home opener vs. Providence on April 4th–four if one includes SS Scud Scranton, who spent the majority of his rookie season on the IR.
1907 is a metamorphic year for a ballclub that has long-resisted the deadball era, sinking to the bottom of the charts in defense and stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the rise of left-handed pitching dominance. A persistent tactic of trading organizational depth for aging talent is showing its own signs of old age. “Change” is not a word uttered freely around Libby Hill, where the organization sees itself as a model of consistency in its lineups and approach–which has, over time, been a consistency of mediocrity. With the announced retirement of inaugural General Manager Preston Kirby at the end of 1907, even the old bastion of Richmond must embrace a changing game or be consigned to former glories.
Pitching
Despite the loss of Billy Kynaston in the large offseason trade that brought in Tennessee Mears, the Richmond rotation looks very much the same.
Richmond has long-prided itself on superior pitching, despite an inefficient defense blunting the statistics of the rotation. Holiday, Jacks, Willis, and Maw each represent potent ability at the mound in a deadball era, with independent statistics to rival most franchises. The center cannot hold forever–though there is every indication that Richmond will continue to claim stong pitching into next year. Holiday is expected to retain his 1906 form, but the performances of the aging Maw and unproven Willis will be key to the organization’s success. Young Jellybean Jacks is a much-needed piece to provide consistency to an aging rotation. With an improved infield, the arsenal of Richmond should have no excuses not to perform in 1907.
SP Matthew Holiday: The reliable old record-setter, 36, will once again lead the Richmond card this season. He is among the most respected leaders and adored heroes of the LBL–certain to be cataloged as the greatest pitcher of the early era. Holiday accumulated the most WAR since his 1900 run last season, despite a slightly increased BA among his opponents. He heads into his fifth year with the Rifles in the golden years of a brilliant career.
SP Chester Jacks: 29-year-old “Jellybean” Jacks went 21-12 in his rookie season with 6.2 WAR. This welcome 1905 addition to the Rifles takes on the helm formerly owned by William Kynaston as the future of a proud pitching organization. Jacks boasts perhaps the best sinker in baseball with a + cutter. The heir apparent to the aging Holiday for Richmond, Jacks lacks the charisma of Holiday or dominant intellect of Maw, but carries the torch of respectable pitching for the “hurling-first” organization.
SP Albert Willis: After an excellent season in relief, Richmond is once again trying to exorcize the starting demons out of their only southpaw starter, who struggled in his opening season as a Rifle. Likely to fulfill a specialty role against those teams less suited to left-handed pitching. Willis, plagued by bad luck in his few starts for the ballclub, has never really had his fair shot after some bad games in 1905.
SP Ivy Maw: Old Iron Horse rides again. The heart and soul of the Richmond lineup; boys who first saw Iron Horse in his glory years now crowd the baselines as young men to watch him at the mound. He still claims some of the best movement and control in baseball, despite the decline in his velocity. Ivy is a finesse pitcher who is particularly vulnerable to bad infielders; his independent pitching statistics reveal similar results to Holiday and Jacks. His once-untouchable curveball has lost its flash, but old Iron Horse still gets outs and his unrivaled intelligence on the mound allows him to remain where lesser minds would have long faded. Perhaps no pitcher in the EL is more familiar with the batters he faces than old Iron Horse, 38, who enters his 12th year with the Richmond rotation.
RP Garrett Dixon: An inaugural member of LBAL and the #1 Rifles pick of 1904, Dixon posted 6.6 WAR in AAA last year as a 20-year old lefty. The clock is ticking for Richmond to determine the future of their pitching franchise, and Dixon is seen as the first who may break through. However, his control is a notable area of concern in a league that has no mercy for wild pitchers. His fastballs are far quicker than the average finesse pitcher, and he seems just a few upticks in Control away from true feasibility as a starter.
CL Price Thompson: The lefty closer returns after a dazzling 1906 tour. The fastball-curveball closer earned a repeat spot on the roster in 1907 with a likely reduced workload, as he was the persistent mid-inning partner to the low-stamina Kynaston in 1906.
Catchers
C Celestin Robley: “The Machine” will catch for his fifth season in Richmond, showing some age in his bat but still heralded as one of the top offensive Catchers of the EL. The 7-time Golden Bat is a respected leader in the organization and must work with other veterans to bring the reassembled team together. Robley will never return to his glory years, but he still sports acceptable defense and will go down as one of the best Catchers of the early era.
C Dennis Cropley: 37-year-old Cropley joined Richmond as a rookie to back up Robley. A late offseason acquisition, Cropley replaces the fading Josh Holmes as the second-string backstop for Richmond. Not likely to see many at-bats. Richmond has some depth at backup Catcher, so any signs of weakness from Cropley could see him swapped with 20-year-old Wheeler Dawson.
Infield
The campaign to transform the Richmond infield continues with the key acquisition of 3B Dwight Ford. Bennett is well-settled into his role at Second Base, and Scranton is certain to pay large dividends if he can stay healthy. The infield lacks platoon depth but shows all visible signs of significant improvement–even if First Base remains a glorified DH spot.
1B Lenoard Turner: A top-notch hitter with good speed on the basepaths, Turner isn’t known for his defense but is kept at First Base for his indispensable bat. A likable sparkplug with a superior knack for avoiding strikeouts.
2B Ralph Bennett: Bennett is well-settled into his move to second base at Libby Hill, entering his fifth season with the organization. His average suffered significantly along with the rest of the league, but his value to the organization is still premium with one of the better gloves at Second Base.
SS Scud Scranton: Fan favorite Scud Scranton is back from the devastating midseason injury that ended a historic rookie run. Scranton was on track for a 12 WAR season when he dislocated his shoulder on the basepaths last July and still finished second in Greenhorn Cup voting behind rookie sensation Robert Batkin. Scranton has a superior glove and is also quite comfortable in the outfield. Look for him to avenge the ghosts of a frustrating rookie season.
3B Dwight Ford: An “all-in” Free Agent for Richmond, Ford provides a much-needed defensive improvement for the Rifles. Only 26 with a superior bat, he is likely to remain in the hot corner for some time.
Outfield
The Richmond outfield continues to be their greatest liability, despite the acquisition of rookie sensation Tennessee Mears. The corner outfield at Libby Hill sees some improvement with the signing of Lyle Priddy; Right Field continues to be an unsolved puzzle. Mears is an acceptable Center Fielder, but likely belongs in the corners in a long-term solution. Look for some trades, if Richmond can muster the assets, to attack this weakness.
LF Lyle Priddy: The 36-year-old Florida native joins Richmond as a $3,500 offseason acquisition with above-average marks as a batter and middling defensive capability. Priddy replaces longtime Left Fielder Eric Carter, 35, who posted decent numbers in 1906 but continues to fade in his batting abilities. Carter may see a return to starting duties if Priddy is unable to perform.
CF Tennessee Mears: The bombshell acquisition from Pittsburgh won the Golden Bat in his debut season and cost the Rifles a small fortune to acquire. Replacing the venerable Robbie Salmon, who was shipped to the Oilers in the offseason trade of the year, Mears is a superior offensive player with good speed and an above-average glove.
RF: Frederic Hedley: Re-aligning Richmond’s corner outfield proved a bridge too far for the offseason. Still, Hedley hit slightly above average last year, and will not totally embarrass himself in the corners. Look for these corner positions to be explored and challenged in the coming months.
RF Clarence Parker: While not a downright liability in the outfield, the Clarence Parker experiment saw diminished returns in 1906 after a promising 1905 run. Unable to compete against a growing class of left-handed pitching, Parker is unlikely to see significant play time.
LF Eric Carter: Still one of the best defensive corner outfielders in the game, Carter is a ‘95er with two batting titles and–as I mention at each opportunity–the only LBL player I am aware of who has worn a uniform in every Division (he technically never started for his original team, the New York Kings, having been cut shortly after the first LBL season started). He may see some starts in Right Field, but at 35, with his bat diminishing despite a standout 1905, he may join longtime teammate Ezra Fisher in AAA.
Bench
3B Ryan Evans: After stepping up following the unexpected early retirement of Mat Dace in 1905, Evans enjoyed a decent offensive year in 1906 but lacks the defensive talent for a full-time infielder. However, he is serviceable all across the diamond and will share in part-time duties in 1907.
SS John Noden: Noden’s breakout season after the injury of Scud Scranton is a stupefying mystery to even the most superstitious analysts within the LBL. With the rise of deadball coinciding with a flush of young, high-stuff pitching, the only explanation one can find for the meekly-rated infielder’s immaculate bat last season is the corresponding increase in value for avoiding strikeouts and drawing walks. He’s an above-average middle infielder who performed, to put it mildly, terribly as a defender last season. If he continues to produce behind the plate, a move to 1B is not out of the scope of imagination.
Notable Prospects
Ranked the #5 farm in the LBL by a flawed OSA scouting system, Richmond is not without some depth in the newly-formed Madigan League. The loss of picks 1-3 in the upcoming draft is no doubt a blow to the farm–but Richmond has always favored talent now for talent later.
- SP Justin Little
A smart groundballer who performed well for an 18-year-old in AAA last season, Little has the makings of a great LBL pitcher and only saw improvement to his scouting card after the draft. While he lacks the velocity of some of his new-era peers, Little is nevertheless an explosive and dangerous pitcher who shattered the league ERA in his unaffiliated High School career. Look for Little to continue to improve in AA with a callup to AAA within the next year or two.
- RP Guadalup Bassick
Several forward-thinking franchises continue to experiment with relief pitching in the LBL, and Richmond is likely to follow suit. This young, left-handed flamethrower is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the game. Despite his underdeveloped control, Bassick improved drastically over the season and fits the Richmond strategy of high-velocity, left-handed relief pitching. If his movement and control continue to improve, he has all the makings of a dominant LBL Closer.
- C William Seymour
Lefty “Bulldog” Seymour went undrafted in 1905 and was signed by the Rifles the following fall. An acceptable defender behind the dish with superior Eye and Avoid K potential; will likely never dominate the newspapers but certainly has a future as a big-league backup or First Baseman who gets on base.
- LF Edward Beardsley
Beardsley has the makings of a starting outfielder in the LBL with a good bat and above-average defensive capability. Could easily hold down a LF spot with good speed on the basepaths. A smart player with good potential–look for the 19-year-old to enter AAA in 1909 with a potential callup in ‘10 or ‘11.
- 2B Okey Sibthorp
The overall 29th pick of the 1905 Draft, Sibthorp shows top-tier batting potential vs. LHP but will likely never start anywhere but 1B. Likely a future as a pinch hitter vs LHP who can manage at 1B in late innings. Expect a AAA debut in ‘8 or ‘9 with pinch hitting feasibility in the big leagues around 1911.
- CF Clarence Agney
Agney is a superior Center Fielder who just may be feasible for the LBL, despite his weaker bat, if he can develop his average vs. left-handed pitching. In a league starved for CF talent, it’s hard to ignore his elite defensive ratings.
CONCLUSION
Richmond took to the offseason with an aggressive model and achieved much of their desired end state. However, the Bakers continue to rise–and with the return of the dreaded Leo McKenzie in Philadelphia, much of Richmond’s fate in the Liberty will be consigned to the performance of the Brewers’ annoyingly consistent (but aging) rotation. There is no doubt that the Rifles lineup is fearsome, nearly from top to bottom, and some key defensive holes have been filled. An even compensation of batting splits makes for a particularly potent infield and a Top 6 in the batting order that will make even seasoned pitchers in the deadball era dread a trip to Libby Hill. The Rifles defense–particularly the outfield–is still incomplete, and the team’s formidable pitching staff isn’t getting any younger. Time will tell if the improvements were worth the cost to the farm as Richmond gazes out toward Philadelphia to avenge three consecutive seasons in Second Place.