National League First Basemen without Positive Draft Value

Quick Key to the tables:
AB = At-bats.  H = Hits.  BA = Batting Average.  HR= Home Runs.
RBI = Runs Batted In.  SB = Stolen Bases.  R = Runs.  B = Bats.  T = Throws.
Position(s) = Positions listed with 20 or more 2001 appearances.
4x4 = BA, HR, RBI, and SB in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
5x5 = BA, HR, RBI, SB, and R in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
DV = Draft Value.  DTCD = Draft Total Category Dollars.
AV = Actual Value.  ATCD = Actual Total Category Dollars.
LABR/Tout = 2001 Expert League prices; LABR for 4x4. Tout Wars for 5x5.

A brief review of what our dollar values mean:
Draft Value is how much a player should have gone for on draft day.
DTCD is the highest acceptable draft day price without a value loss.
Actual Value is how much a player earned this year.
ATCD is the highest price at which you could have owned a player without a value loss in leagues with an in-season salary cap.

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest.

22.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Rico Brogna		206	51	.248	3	21	3	15	1B-67
ATL Braves		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:L	4x4:	0		1		1		1		6
2001 Age: 31	5x5:	0		2		0		1		12

Nothing about this season should have been a surprise to anyone who understands the fluke of Brogna's starting jobs. His season actually crossed into the mildly ironic realm in that after spending most of four years weighting down the Phillies with below average production at first, he helped deaden Atlanta's offense to allow Philadelphia a fighting chance in the first half of the season. Of course the Braves righted themselves after Brogna retired, and "solved" their first base problems by finding someone much older and with even less recent major league success for the playoffs. Rico's already found a minor league coaching job, and maybe he can teach some kids how not to bat at the major league level.

23.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Tim Bogar		15	5	.333	2	2	0	4	1B-3
LA Dodgers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	0		1		0		1
2001 Age: 34	5x5:	-1		1		0		1

Bogar's never showed any talent for hitting at the major league level, so I'm not surprised that he was stuck in the minors for most of the year after leaving his Hoston utility job (a good decision considering the failure of utilities in Houston). All Bogar really has going for him is some ability to field several different infield positions and one damn fine first name.

24.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
J.T. Snow		285	70	.246	8	34	0	43	1B-92
SF Giants		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:L	4x4:	0		1		0		1		13
2001 Age: 33	5x5:	1		2		1		2		14

His skills indicate room for a major rebound if Baker keeps Snow in a straight platoon, taking advantage of his bat against lefties and using his defensive abilities whenever convenient. Snow had some extremely unhappy injuries this season, including a chest bruise, bilateral groin strain, and severe gastroentritis. Aside from giving him the ability to manually power his transportation, these problems must have distracted his focus away from hitting. I think he'll put together at least another decent season or two, and he should earn a profit for any bids under $10.

25.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Julio Zuleta		106	23	.217	6	24	0	11	1B-35
CH Cubs		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	-1		0		0		0		2
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	-1		1		-1		0		1

The Cubs sent him down for no apparent reason even after his Zoodoo bat magic was credited by many with helping the Cubs go from an eight-game losing streak in May right into a thirteen game win streak that put them in the middle of the playoff race. Zuleta's skills are limited to mashing the ball against lefties, but this remains a useful skill to have around on most clubs. I don't understand why the Cubs haven't moved him, as they seem very reluctant to let him play even part-time. They should probably seek value for him now from an AL club desperate for a right-handed DH.

26.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Wes Helms		216	48	.222	10	36	1	28	1B-77
ATL Braves		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	-1		0		0		0		Res
2001 Age: 25	5x5:	-1		1		0		1		1

We saw Helms have a great season in a game at Miller Park this year when he went 3-for-5 with a triple and two homers, seven RBI, and three runs. Atlanta seems determined to play him every day to see if he really can start in the majors despite all the empirical evidence that says otherwise. While he has some power potential, his lack of plate discipline leaves his BA at too much risk to roster in anything other than a backup role for your team.

27.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Kevin Witt		27	5	.185	2	5	0	5	1B-9
SD Padres		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:R	4x4:	-1		0		-1		0
2001 Age: 25	5x5:	-2		0		-1		0

Even back in his days as a Toronto "prospect", all Witt ever did well was hit the ball far when he managed to make contact. His plate discipline is horrible, and there's no reason to think he'd improve in the majors. If given the choice between Helms and Witt, stay with Helms since after someone like Witt leaves their original organization, other teams are much more reluctant to give them a chance to succeed, as they likely have their own power-hitting strikeout machines.

28.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Jorge Toca		17	3	.176	0	1	0	3	1B-3
NY Mets		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	-2		-1		-1		-1
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	-2		0		-2		0

The Mets apparently remain convinced that he'll have some success in the future despite falling slugging averages and no indication of any plate discipline development in the minors. They need to pawn him off on the first team that shows any interest. There's no reason for you to think that he could help your team, so stay away from him if he somehow makes the Mets.

29.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
John Wehner		51	10	.196	0	2	2	3	1B-11
PIT Pirates		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	-2		-1		-1		-1
2001 Age: 34	5x5:	-3		0		-2		0

Wehner was supposed to retire after helping close out Three Rivers in 2000. He somehow made it back to help keep the Pirates down for another year. Maybe the Pittsburgh native will finally take a hint and retire from a very unspectacular career. His skills are way too inconsistent to pick up if he doesn't.

30.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Ken Caminiti		171	38	.222	6	16	0	12	1B-33
ATL Braves		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	-2		-1		-2		-1
2001 Age: 38	5x5:	-3		-1		-2		0

I had a Little League coach with the last name of Caminiti, and to this day I have no idea if he really is Ken's brother, cousin, a more distant relation, or no relation at all. Some guys made jokes at the time, but no one really cared since Ken was relatively unknown back in those days. Ken has as much business on a major league field right now as I have on one of those small little T-ball diamonds, and you should only draft him if you'd want to pick me for your Ultra team.

31.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Mark McGwire		299	56	.187	29	64	0	48	1B-90
HALL OF FAME		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:R    T:R	4x4:	-3		-2		-2		-1		29
2001 Age: 37	5x5:	-1		1		-1		1		28

All I remember from 1998 is a pouting McGwire hating every single microphone shoved in his face until about Flag Day. Sammy brought McGwire out of his self-induced doldrums and taught him how to have fun with the press, and now it seems Mac gets all the credit for that year. I still have a hard time accepting that McGwire, by every acceptable statistical measure, should have been MVP. He was more sullen for more of that season than Bonds this year, and no one remembers that in the flashbulb-chronicled, hug-a-thon haze brought on by the intervening time.

32.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Bobby Bonilla		174	37	.213	5	21	1	17	1B-33
STL Cardinals		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	-3		-2		-2		-1		1
2001 Age: 38	5x5:	-3		-1		-2		-1		1

After putting up extremely sweet numbers for much of rotohistory, it's a shame for Bobby Bo to head out like this. He doesn't really have the skills to help out any team, and remains an afterthought on the both the free agent and roto markets. There's still the possibility that he could rebound with a brief burst of heroics, but he's just as likely to join Harold Baines in the forced retirement line this offseason.

33.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Felipe Crespo		107	20	.187	4	15	1	9	1B-18
SF / PHI		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:S    T:R	4x4:	-3		-2		-2		-2
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	-3		-1		-2		-1		Res

Crespo has a little bit of offensive talent, but I don't have to tell you that he wasn't worth giving up the potential upside of Wayne Gomes, even if his stats have dropped considerably. The Phillies had superior talent in their minors with guys like Kevin Orie. To deal their cheap average relievers for nothing and then give up guys like Bruce Chen to acquire expensive average relievers are not the moves of a solid General Manager. Just because he got lucky with the performances of his 2000 free agent reliever troika doesn't give him a free pass for managing the rest of his roster.

34.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Damon Minor		45	7	.156	0	3	0	3	1B-11
SF Giants		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:L	4x4:	-3		-2		-2		-2
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	-4		-2		-3		-1

Minor has both solid power and good command of the strike zone. Despite his somewhat advanced age, the Giants would be quite pleased with his performance in a platoon with Pedro Feliz. With San Francisco looking to cut payroll at every corner, a Minor/Feliz platoon would gain them a significant platoon advantage at a very low cost. Spend a buck if he makes the team, since he could easily return double-digit value with a couple hundred at-bats.

35.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R		Position(s)
Larry Sutton		42	5	.119	1	3	0	3	1B-11
STL Cardinals		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
B:L    T:L	4x4:	-4		-3		-2		-2
2001 Age: 40	5x5:	-4		-2		-3		-1

Sutton has good plate discipline without any of the necessary power for a first basemen and corner outfielder-type. He really shouldn't hurt you with values like those above, but there's no telling what a small sample size can do to a player's worth. Unfortunately he doesn't have the skills required to hold a job as anything other than a September pinch-hitter, so avoid him unless he walks into an apparent starting position.

All today's list really includes is a bunch of guys who are retired, should be retired, are lucky to be in the majors, and potential roto bargains J.T.Snow, Julio Zuleta, and Damon Minor. Stash the last two away on your sleeper lists if they find platoon work anywhere during spring training.

We'll review NL minor league free agents and AAA/AA prospects tomorrow.

Today's Fantasy Rx: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring opens tomorrow. We already have our midnight tickets and will finally make our way to one of these crazy premiers to be the "first" people to see it. Of course, that just means we're among the first people not in the Eastern time zone, or at any of the official premieres, or critic screenings, or any of the other hundred thousand who've already had the opportunity to criticize changes in the adaptation. At least we'll be surrounded by critic wannabes like ourselves. Feel free to join us in spirit if you can afford the lack of sleep.