The Franchise: AL Central

Jason Michael Barker

Superstar. Fan favorite. The Franchise. "The man." Team MVP. Marquee player. You've heard all the clichés. Even if you're a casual fan you can probably name your favorite team's franchise player, though sometimes you might have trouble explaining exactly why he is. While most teams have a clear-cut franchise player: Ken Griffey Jr. in Seattle; Barry Bonds in San Francisco. Other times it's not so clear. What's a fan to do? Enter strikethree.com.

Today, it's the AL Central. These selections are based mostly on pure statistics, but in a few special cases stats don't tell the whole story. Intangibles such as leadership, fan following, health and age also play a role. The statistics you'll see are three-year averages for 1995-1997.

Manny Ramirez, Cleveland

Manny Ramirez
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
26	146	532	93	168	37	1	30	102	80	110	5	5	.405	.559	.315

This was one of the tougher choices in the league, but I'm going with Ramirez over teammates Lofton and Thome. He gets the nod over Lofton because of his age (26 to Lofton's 31) and over Thome because of his relative value. Ramirez is the best right fielder in baseball, while Thome isn't even the best first baseman in his own division. Such a combination of power (.547 career slugging%) and plate discipline (.392 career OBP with an average of 82 walks per season) is rare in a player this young. The scary thing about Ramirez is that because he's young, he has room to improve, especially in the field and on the basepaths. He's an MVP candidate this year, and should be for years to come.

Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox

Frank Thomas
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
30	144	517	107	173	29	0	38	123	118	71	2	1	.457	.615	.335

Another no-brainer. "The Big Hurt" (incidentally, that's the best nickname in baseball) is the best hitter of this decade, maybe even of the last 50 years. His 1.080 career OPS (through 1997) is fourth all-time in history. The top three? Perhaps you've heard of them: Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Lou Gehrig. Thomas ranks ahead of (to name a few) Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roger Hornsby... you get the idea. If that's not enough for you, stop and think about the following numbers. In a full season, Thomas has never: had less than 100 RBI, scored less than 100 runs, walked fewer than 100 times, posted an OBP lower than .426, slugged less than .536, or played in less than 140 games. OK, now go back and read them again. They're that impressive. Why he's only won one MVP is beyond me.

Justin Thompson, Tigers

Justin Thompson
Age	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	ERA
25	22	22	2	0	141.0	125	59	53	14	49	98	8	9	0	3.35

The Tigers are another team lacking a superstar, and the young lefty is the closest thing they've got. You could make a case for slugger Tony Clark, but his value in relation to other first basemen is low. Need proof that Thompson is the real deal? He struck out Ken Griffey, Jr. the first six times he faced him. He might have been in the majors sooner than his 1996 debut if not for nagging injuries throughout his minor-league career, but the Tigers have found him to be well worth the wait. The ace of the staff, Thompson logged 223.1 innings in 32 starts last season, finishing the year 15-11 with a 3.02 ERA. All this at the tender age of 25, when many pitchers are just learning to control their pitches. He's had no problem controlling his 94 mph fastball, with a better than 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio. If he can stay healthy, Thompson should be considered a Cy Young candidate for the next several seasons.

Kevin Appier, Royals

Kevin Appier
Age	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	ERA
30	32	32	4	1	216.0	190	91	87	18	76	196	13	11	0	3.62

On a team with not much to choose from, Appier stands out as the only marquee player in Kansas City. He's pitched for the Royals his entire career, beginning in 1989, and for whatever reason has never shown any inclination of signing elsewhere. He's never pitched for a contender, but you'll never hear any complaints from Appier. He's content to take the hill every five days, throw smoke, and collect his paycheck. He probably could make more with a big market club, but he seems happy with the Royals, who are grateful to have his 200 innings and ~3.50 ERA at the top of their rotation each season. Off the field, he won the 1996 Kansas City Roberto Clemente Award for service in the community.

Paul Molitor, Twins

Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
41	142	574	74	177	35	5	11	87	54	67	14	3	.365	.444	.308

He's no longer the best player on his team, and hasn't been for some time, but franchise players don't always earn their status through statistics alone, and Molitor is such a player. The St.Paul, MN native and future Hall of Famer is the most popular player the Twins have had since Kirby Puckett. Molitor chose to close out his career in his hometown after winning a World Series title with Toronto in 1993. With nearly 3200 hits in his illustrious career, he really has nothing left to prove in baseball. He figures to retire after this year, and he'll be missed by Twins fans and baseball fans alike.

Jason Michael Barker was packing his bags to answer an emergency call-up to the Seattle Mariners' bullpen, but it looks like they've worked things out. If you're looking for an extra arm with plenty of innings left in it, contact Jason at jmb@strikethree.com.