With the 28th selection in the 4th round, the Indianapolis Clowns select
C Roy Campanella
Contrary to what this photo suggests, our Roy Campanella will have fully functional arms and legs.
10 year career (ML only)
.276/.360/.500/.860
123 OPS+
1,161 hits
178 doubles
18 triples
242 home runs
34.1 WAR
5x led the league in caught-stealing percentage (
69% in 1951,
67% in 1948,
65% in 1952,
63% in 1950, and
59% in 1949)
Lifetime CS%:
57%
8x All-Star
1951, 1953, 1955 NL MVP
1955 World Champion
Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 on his seventh ballot receiving 79.4% of the vote
Until his entry into major league baseball, Roy Campanella was widely thought by many of his teammates and competitors to be a prime candidate to break baseball's color barrier. He began his professional career at the age of 14, first appearing with the Bacharach Giants. His abilities were soon recognized by the great catcher, Biz Mackey, and was recruited to play for him with the Baltimore Elite Giants. He eventually replaced the aging Mackey. For 10 years, he patiently waited for the call from a major league team. Once he made it to the majors, he established himself as the premier catcher in baseball. Although whether he was the best catcher in the majors is a matter of dispute (only one name can possibly challenge his), he was unquestionably the best catcher in the National League.
He could hit the ball to all fields with tremendous power and, at the very least, proficient average. He won 3 MVP awards in his shortened career, a feat that no Dodger, Brooklyn or elsewhere, could replicate. He was one of the very best defensive catchers to ever play the game. Although base stealing was not as prominent as in Johnny Bench's time, for example, Campanella's efficiency in throwing out base runners was unprecedented. One reported summed up his poise behind the plate rather perfectly: " More than one observer has likened Campanella’s quickness behind the plate to that of a cat. He can pounce on bunts placed far out in front of the plate and he gets his throws away with no waste motion. He had not only a rifle arm but an accurate one."
And with the 29th selection in the 5th round, the Indianapolis Clowns select
SP Phil Niekro
24 year career
318-274
3.35 ERA
115 ERA+
245 complete games
45 shutouts
3,342 strikeouts
97.2 WAR
5x All-Star
5x Gold Glove
1967 ERA Leader (1.87, did not factor in Cy Young voting)
Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 on his third ballot receiving 80.3% of the vote
It never hurts to have the gold standard for knuckleball pitchers in your starting rotation. Cursed with playing for a lot of mediocre teams, Phil Niekro's award closet is sadly devoid of much individual and team hardware. Niekro only received serious consideration for the Cy Young in his two 20-win seasons although those were not his best pitching years. Throughout his long career which ended past the age of 48, there was hardly a season when he was not one of the most dependable pitchers in baseball. Consistency and a filthy knuckleball will keep hitters on their toes and hopefully also falling over.
His knuckleball can be seen here, although the video quality is pretty awful:
"Trying to hit him is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks." -Bobby Murcer