Dark Horse Met 2019

[G-Fafif]

1990: Daryl Boston

[G-Fafif]

Rick Reed's 1997 was as dark horse as it gets.

[G-Fafif]

Off the radar for five years and suddenly a platoon starter on a first-place club...Kelvin Chapman had to be the dark horse of 1984, even more than his fellow second baseman Wally Backman, who had fallen out of organizational favor pre-Davey Johnson but at least had been on the big club for a while every year since 1980.

[Edgy MD]

Chapman is dead on. Heck, the award should be called The Kelvin Chapman Award.

Edgy MD wrote: With respect to Bob Ojeda, Dark Horse 1986 has to be Ray Knight. He was a complete load in 1985, and in 1986, he was earning MVP votes.

Or am I shortchanging Rick Anderson here?

[MFS62]

When Kelvin Chapman returned, I wondered why, after all those years, they still hadn't found anybody better.

But then his '84 slash line was .289/.356/.401 and I realized they probably couldn't have.

Later

[G-Fafif]

Edgy MD wrote: Chapman is dead on. Heck, the award should be called The Kelvin Chapman Award. Edgy MD wrote: With respect to Bob Ojeda, Dark Horse 1986 has to be Ray Knight. He was a complete load in 1985, and in 1986, he was earning MVP votes. Or am I shortchanging Rick Anderson here?

Anderson is closer to the dark horse ideal, perhaps, but probably not a big enough contributor to the 1986 trajectory. They were already pretty close to death grip mode when Uncle Andy showed up and his most famous appearance came in a losing cause. When he returned, the division was safely tucked away.



Ojeda had a career year, and certainly rose above his projected maybe-fifth starter status, but given where he was coming out of ‘85, Knight might be premier candidate.

[Edgy MD]

So, we may have to put that one to a vote. Kevin Mitchell would be on that ballot too.

[G-Fafif]

Most dark horses seem to emerge as the season unfolds. Mitchell and Ojeda (and Knight) were big April factors. Of course in 1986, April practically was the season.

[Centerfield]

So I'm thinking JD Davis.



Dom Smith Honorable Mention?

[kcmets]

=Centerfield post_id=23700 time=1570138427 user_id=65]So I'm thinking JD Davis.

[LWFS]

It HAS to be JD.



2000: Mora, or Timo?

[Frayed Knot]

JDD is the dark horse by a Secretariat at Belmont margin.

[Edgy MD]

Damn, I had J.D. but I had to go and get cute and pick a dude that hadn't been taken yet. A doomed dude.



I think Melvin's Dark Horse award was won in the 1999 post-season. His equine eligibility was burned after that.

[G-Fafif]

It HAS to be JD. 2000: Mora, or Timo?

Mora's Dark Horse year was 1999. Today was his day.



http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2009/09/22/baseballs-most-magical-date/Still is.

[LWFS]

It HAS to be JD. 2000: Mora, or Timo? Mora's Dark Horse year was 1999. Today was his day. http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2009/09/22/baseballs-most-magical-date/Still is.

Fair.

[seawolf17]

I'm going to go way the hell out on a limb and pick Dario Pizzano. Who the hell is Dario Pizzano, you ask? I had no idea either until I looked at our https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/2019.shtmlspring training stats and thought "who the hell is Dario Pizzano?" Dude went .272/.348/.425 across two levels in 2017, and .285/.361/.433 in AA in 2018. Doesn't seem to do anything exceptionally well (averages <10 HR a season, doesn't steal bases), but he makes good contact (average K and BB numbers). Played college ball at Columbia, so he's not afraid of NYC. 28 years old in April, so it's time to take the next step. Rise to the occasion, Dario!

This kind of scouting is NOT going to get me the manager's job next year. Pizzano finished the season with the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League.

[HahnSolo]

=seawolf17 post_id=23735 time=1570193204 user_id=91]


This kind of scouting is NOT going to get me the manager's job next year. Pizzano finished the season with the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League.

[Centerfield]

If Ben Grimm were running this contest there would have been a ceremony.



Ben, do you have any interest in putting something together to honor JD? I can give you my list of caterers.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think there's some leftover shrimp somewhere from the last CPF Song Parody Contest. Hopefully it's not too rancid.

[seawolf17]

=HahnSolo post_id=23740 time=1570197785 user_id=63]
=seawolf17 post_id=23735 time=1570193204 user_id=91]


This kind of scouting is NOT going to get me the manager's job next year. Pizzano finished the season with the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League.