66 - 88, .428 pct. 5th in Cum Posey Division, 25 games behind.
Overall
What a miserable year for the Monarchs. They were expected to contend, and just collapsed, despite the presence of some elite offensive players (most notably, of course, Stan Musial).
They converted some key veteran talent into a lot of pieces, so perhaps the franchise can bounce back quickly, but for now they rival the Black Yankees for the biggest disappointment in the league.
What Went Right
The offensive core of this team is very solid. At 22, Stan Musial spent most of the season on the fringes of the MVP discussion and at 21, Albert Pujols showed the kind of potential that could put him there. Even though both hit late season slumps, Boog Powell and Ducky Medwick were both solid, and Lou Brock and Willie McGee were virtually interchangeable, each with OPS’ around .810 and over 40 steals. Add in Ted Simmons‘ above-average production as a C, and the Monarchs should continue to score runs for a while.
Steve Evans never stopped hitting, demanding a closer look with the team next year.
Luke Hamlin had some of the most dominant starts in the league. Bob Gibson and Adam Wainwright both showed some serious potential and Jeff Pfeffer impressed as a closer–a challenge on a team that was very rarely close at the end of games. Craig Kimbrel and Trevor Rosenthal were good out of the pen as well.
ALL STAR SELECTIONS 2B Rogers Hornsby; OF Stan Musial; SP Andy Pettitte
What Went Wrong
Robinson Canó cooled off after seeming to step directly into Rogers Hornsby‘s shoes. Ozzie Smith was the worst offensive performer in the league to qualify for the batting crown (although, it must be said, he was in the argument for the gold glove at SS).
Ultimately, the team lacked pop. They hit for average, but at the end of the day, there was a bit too much of the McGee / Brock, base-at-a-time model.
Luke Hamlin had some of the worst starts in the league, and the rest of the staff ranged from inconsistent to horrible.
A lot of top tier talent–most notably Hornsby and Andy Pettitte–was traded away.
Trade Evaluations
March
OF Jim Edmonds to House of David for IF Robinson Canó
Sure.
June
2B Rogers Hornsby, OF Vince Coleman & 4th Round Pick to Portland for P Smoky Joe Wood and C Devin Mesoraco
Troubling. Wood struggled a lot, although he is only 20, and Mesoraco is likely never more than a backup backstop.
July
P Connie Johnson & 5th Round Pick to Baltimore for OF Merv Rettenmund, P Gene Garber & 2nd Round Pick {Jack Quinn}
Johnson has a world championship ring, so we’re happy for him for that. Maybe Garber turns into something?
P Andy Pettitte to Birmingham for C Dale Murphy, P A. Rube Foster, 2nd Round Pick {Matt Morris}, 5th Round Pick {Heliodoro Hidalgo}
Absolute steal, just about makes up for the rest. Pettitte was fantastic for Birmingham, and won the ERA crown, but Murphy has the scouts drooling, even if C is unlikely to be his final home, and A. Rube Foster has a great arm.
Looking Forward
SP
The future holds Bob Gibson, Adam Wainwright, and A. Rube Foster, which could be excellent. Pair that with José Rijo and a resurgent Smoky Joe Wood and the rotation could be quite strong. Could be.
RP
Craig Kimbrel and Jeff Pfeffer are strong, and there is some talent–Gene Garber, Jeff Reardon–behind them.
C
Ted Simmons has this locked for a while, and between Devin Mesocoro and Salvador Pérez, there is some depth as well.
1B
On the one hand there is no real claim here; on the other Albert Pujols, Dale Murphy, and even Stan Musial will probably drift towards this as well.
2B
Canó is possible, but there is hope that he gets some competition from the group of Kolten Wong, Dave Cash, and Frankie Frisch.
3B
Albert Pujols for now, but this may be an area of need down the road.
SS
Ozzie Smith for a while, at least as long as his defense compensates for his weak bat.
LF
Lou Brock looks solid here.
CF
Willie McGee was great this year, and there are hopes that Cool Papa Bell emerges here eventually–but can a team really succeed with both Brock and Bell?
RF
Stan Musial forever.
The Rookie Draft
Rounds 1-4
A difficult choice. With the #3 overall pick, the Monarchs took a player who was a bit of a surprise, but also counts as a franchise selection, SP Hilton Smith. Smith sort of fit just right: he’ll help sooner than, say, Clayton Kershaw, but has a higher ceiling than most other pitching prospects.
With 3 picks in the 2nd round, the Monarchs started with the player least likely to stick around for a while, CF Earl Averill. It’s not clear how Averill fits into Kansas City’s plans, but his talent is undeniable. They followed that with 22 year old P Matt Morris, who (a) is a franchise pick and (b) may fight for a rotation spot this season. Finally, they added 25 year old Jack Quinn, who may join Morris at the WBL next season.
In the 3rd round, the Monarchs picked up IF Carlos Baerga, clearly believing that by the time he is ready for the majors, their 2B/3B situation will be clearer.
Rounds 5-8
Kansas City is looking to add some specific positional depth, specifically at 1B, SS, and CF.
With their final franchise exception, they take Heliodoro Hidalgo, who should help at CF. That begins to limit their options, making OF Wade Johnston a reasonable choice in round 6 and IF Polly Mongin a good fit in round 7. OF Ray Blades joins in the 8th round for some more OF depth.
Rounds 9-12
IF Dink Mothel; P Doug Bair; P Giovanny Gallegos; and P Larry French.