With those ties severed, Rickie Weeks and C.C. Sabathia now stand as the only links to the ’06 team, the first playoff entrant in club history. As a new chapter opens, the time is nigh to look back at a Mohawk Valley all-time team.
All statistics run through the 2012 season.
Tenure: 2002-07.
Playoff Teams: Two.
Acquired: Drafted in 1999; inherited from previous regime.
Performance (for Mohawk Valley only): .245/.310/.465 in 2,535 PA (326 runs created).
Perhaps only Casey Stengel with the early-’60s Mets endured more bad baseball than Wilson did in the five seasons from 2000 through ’04. The center fielder played for clubs that lost an average of 118 games per season—and never fewer than 111. The nadir: 139 losses. That's not a typo—the Oklahoma City Cannon Dealers won 23 games and finished 81 games out of first place in 2000.
Those early Mohawk Valley clubs for which Wilson played featured a few worthwhile lineup fixtures—himself, third baseman Corey Koskie and left fielder Carlos Lee—but the secret to the Jive's poor showing in their inaugural ’02 campaign becomes apparent when you see the pitchers most responsible for the 5.77 team ERA: Bobby Jones, Brian Tollberg, Mac Suzuki, John Thomson, Paul Byrd, Dan Reichert, Danny Wright and Blake Stein. All made at least 10 starts.
Wilson occupies a unique position in Mohawk Valley franchise history as the only player inherited by the current front office who stuck around long enough to play for the first playoff team in ’06. For that he's earned the right to stand on the top step of the dugout and cuss at umpires.
Tenure: 2007-09.
Playoff Teams: Two.
Acquired: Second-round pick (33rd overall) in 2007 draft.
Performance: .283/.324/.446 in 1,169 PA (151 runs created).
Franchise Record: 8.3 SO%.
Johjima stabilized a problematic position for Mohawk Valley—anyone remember Kevin Cash, Toby Hall or Josh Paul?—and provided three years of quality offensive production and a strong arm. He hit .310/.354/.470 with 17 homers in 455 at-bats in ’08, but his production cratered the following season, preceding a trade to the Roadrunners for veteran reliever Chad Durbin.
Others: Toby Hall (184 RC), Rod Barajas (99 RC), Ryan Hanigan (78 RC).
Tenure: 2004-12.
Playoff Teams: Five.
Acquired: First-round pick (1st overall) in 2004 draft.
Performance: .266/.353/.515 in 6,141 PA (954 runs created).
Franchise Records: 1,427 G, 900 R, 1,443 H, 312 2B, 325 HR, 958 RBIs, 6,141 PA, 2,792 TB, 954 RC.
Mohawk Valley passed on Miguel Cabrera and Jose Reyes to select Teixeira at the top of the ’04 draft The owner of nine franchise records, he's proven to be a reasonably defensible pick (47.8 career WAR) when viewed in light of Cabrera's defensive limitations (48.4) and Reyes's injury history (31.4). Teixiera hit .310/.419/.594 with 44 homers, 118 RBIs and 112 walks in 616 at-bats in ’09, setting a single-season franchise standard for on-base percentage. He also has the two highest single-season runs created totals in club history, with 152 in ’09 and 136 in ’06.
Others: Shea Hillenbrand (274 RC), Steve Cox (109 RC), Tony Clark (90 RC).
Tenure: 2006-12.
Playoff Teams: Five.
Acquired: First-round pick (2nd overall) in 2006 draft.
Performance: .250/.349/.417 in 2,741 PA (330 runs created).
Though he's never received a range rating better than 4, Weeks has generated his share of runs with a bat in his hands. See 2011 when he hit .298/.401/.571 with 34 homers and 100 RBIs in 497 at-bats or ’12 when he batted cleanup (and played DH) in the World Series after belting 26 homers and posting an .876 OPS during the regular season.
Others: Omar Infante (218 RC), Kelly Johnson (185 RC), Freddy Sanchez (171 RC), Marlon Anderson (154 RC).
Tenure: 2009-12.
Playoff Teams: Two.
Acquired: First-round pick (15th overall) in 2009 draft.
Performance: .256/.334/.393 in 1,835 PA (214 runs created).
Headley had shown defensive chops and on-base ability in the past, but he's adding power to his portfolio this season—enough to bump that career slugging percentage north of .400. His maturation into a first-division regular may have stabilized a position that has featured few highlights, but many lefthanded bats, for Mohawk Valley through the years.
Others: Corey Koskie (151 RC), Mark Teahen (147 RC), Ian Stewart (121 RC).
Tenure: 2006-09.
Playoff Teams: Three.
Acquired: Trade with Montreal Miracle after 2005 season.
Performance: .267/.323/.441 in 2,796 PA (364 runs created).
Franchise Record: 101 SB.
Though generally on-base deficient, Rollins at his peak offered a 1 defensive rating and double-plus power for the position. Case in point: he hit .297/.348/.548 with 29 homers, 43 doubles and 18 triples in 663 at-bats in ’08, the year he set the franchise single-season records with 124 runs with 152 RBIs.
Others: Erick Aybar (201 RC), Angel Berroa (122 RC), Desi Relaford (97 RC).
Tenure: 2003-11.
Playoff Teams: Four.
Acquired: First-round pick (1st overall) in 2002 draft.
Performance: .232/.352/.483 in 5,846 PA (818 runs created).
Franchise Records: 834 BB, 1,640 SO, 14.3 BB%, .252 ISO.
The three true outcomes champ for all times, Dunn either walked, struck out or hit a home run in 48 percent of his plate appearances for Mohawk Valley. He went deep 317 times in total for the Jive, slamming a franchise single-season record 46 bombs in 2010, the year he hit .243/.355/.527 in 592 at-bats.
If ever you bemoan a first-round selection you've made, then consider that in his first draft, Mohawk Valley GM Matt Eddy passed on Albert Pujols to select Dunn with the first overall pick. Per Baseball-Reference, Pujols has been worth approximately 76 more wins above replacement than Dunn since then.
Others: Nolan Reimold (117 RC), Gary Sheffield (87 RC).
Tenure: 2006-12.
Playoff Teams: Five.
Acquired: Second-round pick (22nd overall) in 2006 draft.
Performance: .277/.364/.527 in 3,625 PA (602 runs created).
Franchise Records: 75 3B, .364 OBP, .527 SLG, .891 OPS.
Granderson took an active role in propelling Mohawk Valley to its first World Series appearance in 2012, breaking a scoreless tie with a ninth-inning home run—the game winner—in Game Six of the semifinals versus Cape Cod. The owner of four franchise records, Granderson turned in a stellar ’08 season, batting .341/.413/.674 with 23 homers, 35 doubles, 23 triples and 111 RBIs in 469 at-bats. That year he set single-season club records for batting average, triples, slugging percentage, OPS (1.086) and isolated power (.333).
Others: Preston Wilson (326 RC), Chris Young (230 RC).
Tenure: 2003-09.
Playoff Teams: Three.
Acquired: First-round pick (2nd overall) in 2003 draft.
Performance: .236/.307/.396 in 994 PA (356 runs created).
Right field has been a revolving door of mediocrity for Mohawk Valley through the years, as evidenced by the position's honor roll. Only once in seven seasons with the club did Kearns draw even 500 plate appearances, as injuries and platoon-split trouble with righties limited his utility. For two shining seasons, however, he lived up to his billing as the second pick in the ’03 draft—ahead of Josh Beckett. In 2007 and ’08, Kearns batted .294 and slugged .556 versus lefties, and an acceptable (when one considers his 2 range rating and -3 arm) .289 and .445 against righties.
Others: Jermaine Dye (215 RC), Will Venable (108 RC).
Tenure: 2006-12.
Playoff Teams: Five.
Acquired: Trade with California Roadrunners during 2006 season.
Performance: 3.72 ERA, 7.8 SO/9, 1.24 WHIP in 1,488 IP (340 runs saved above replacement).
Franchise Records: 95 W, 211 GS, 59 CG, 10 SHO, 1,488 IP, 3.17 SO/BB.
Sabathia has made 31 or more starts in each of his six full seasons in Mohawk Valley, turning in individual efforts virtually indistinguishable from the others. He won 20 games for the first time for M.V. in 2012, but with a 4.17 ERA that was just about league average. Sabathia's ERA actually was lower when he had losing records in ’08 (12-13, 3.67 in 218 IP) and ’10 (13-17, 3.56 in 245 IP).
Tenure: 2006-09.
Playoff Teams: Three.
Acquired: Trade with Bethlehem Beaz during 2006 season.
Performance: 3.31 ERA, 7.1 SO/9, 1.21 WHIP in 840 IP (231 runs saved above replacement).
Franchise Records: 3.31 ERA, 1.21 WHIP
A shoulder injury cut down Webb in the prime of his career, but he led three straight Mohawk Valley teams to the postseason as staff ace. At his peak in 2007 and ’08, he went a combined 36-19 with a 2.92 ERA over 490 innings.
The twin acquisitions of Webb and C.C. Sabathia during the ’06 season signifies a clear line of demarcation in franchise history. The four-year rebuild was officially over. From 2002 through ’05, Mohawk Valley went 215-433 (.332), but in the seven seasons that followed, the club went 633-501 (.558) and finished with a winning record each year.
Tenure: 2005-06 and 2008-12.
Playoff Teams: Four.
Acquired: First-round pick (3rd overall) in 2005 draft.
Performance: 4.32 ERA, 7.3 SO/9, 1.29 WHIP in 1,313 IP (197 runs saved above replacement).
Mohawk Valley had its heart set on acquiring either David Wright (No. 1 overall) or Joe Mauer (No. 2) in the ’05 draft, though after early-career fits and starts, Greinke proved to be more than just a consolation prize at No. 3. He turned in the finest pitching season in franchise history in 2010, going 20-7, 2.54 in 33 starts and establishing single-season club records for wins, ERA, strikeouts (259), WHIP (1.01), home run rate (0.68 HR/9), walk rate (1.65 BB/9) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.63-to-1).
Tenure: 2010-12.
Playoff Teams: Two.
Acquired: First-round pick (11th overall) in 2010 draft.
Performance: 3.97 ERA, 7.9 SO/9, 1.26 WHIP in 595 IP (117 runs saved above replacement).
Price pushed aside C.C. Sabathia as top lefty starter on the staff in 2012, going 18-9, 2.93 in 33 starts while notching a 3.4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 243 innings. He placed a capstone on his breakout season by tossing 16 1/3 scoreless innings in the semifinal series against Cape Cod. Price's erfort in the deciding Game Six (7 1/3 scoreless) helped push Mohawk Valley to its first World Series.
Others: Jonathan Sanchez (79 RS), Jake Peavy (45 RS), Paul Maholm (42 RS), Derek Holland (41 RS), Jose Contreras (36 RS), Jason Jennings (34 RS).
Tenure: 2006-09.
Playoff Teams: Three.
Acquired: First-round pick (17th overall) in 2006 draft.
Performance: 2.40 ERA, 10.5 SO/9, 0.89 WHIP in 191 IP (76 runs saved above replacement).
Franchise Records (Relievers): 2.40 ERA, 73 SV, 0.89 WHIP, 6.27 H/9, 1.74 BB/9, 10.46 SO/9, 6.00 SO/BB
Papelbon has one of the two 30-save seasons in Mohawk Valley club history, which he recorded in ’07 (36 saves) when he finished with a 2.06 ERA, 5.46-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.82 WHIP in 60 appearances. Chris Perez saved 32 games in 2011, but generally the club relies on two or even three relievers to protect ninth-inning leads. For instance, the 2012 club featured three relievers—Perez (14), Chris Sale (nine) and Steve Cishek (five)—with multiple saves. Critics continue to insist that the wide saves distribution is merely a ploy to keep reliever salaries in check during arbitration.
Tenure: 2005-10.
Playoff Teams: Three.
Acquired: Sixth-round pick (120th overall) in 2005 draft.
Performance: 3.83 ERA, 7.1 SO/9, 1.25 WHIP in 378 IP (82 runs saved above replacement).
Franchise Records (Relievers): 31 W, 318 G
Qualls collected 22 saves for the 2010 club, but his key trait was unusual durability in a profession where most of his colleagues burn fast and hot. He made 50 or more appearances in five consecutive seasons, 2006 through ’10, though his strikeout (5.6 SO/9) and home run (2.1 HR/9) rates got ugly at the end.
Tenure: 2004-07.
Playoff Teams: Two.
Acquired: Fifth-round pick (81st overall) in 2004 draft.
Performance: 3.40 ERA, 9.5 SO/9, 1.24 WHIP in 299 IP (73 runs saved above replacement).
Franchise Record (Relievers): 0.69 HR/9.
An early bullpen star for the club, Rincon notched 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratios every season from 2005 to ’07 but an untimely injury and drug suspension cut short his budding career.
Others: Aaron Heilman (63 RS), Esteban Yan (49 RS), Kyle McClellan (48 RS), Chris Perez (46 RS), Nick Masset (41 RS), Francisco Cordero (37 RS).
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