This is an ongoing multi-part series on the new ATB Negro Leaguers that will be available in our next draft. See here for the other parts.
Pretend for a moment we had the ability to take the batting average of Ross Barnes and meld it together with the home run prowess of Jimmie Foxx. We’ll take this player and sprinkle in the ability to hit doubles like Tris Speaker and take a walk like Joe Morgan. For kicks and giggles let’s add a bit of Ty Cobb, and let this player steal 45 of 65 bases each season.
You’d be left with a slash line of .338 / .442 / .625 to go alongside 49 doubles and 39 home runs per season. Oh, that reminds me, let’s also give this player Ex/55 defense with a Vg throwing arm and plop him down in the most demanding outfield position, Center Field.
That my fellow owners, is what you would call the new first overall draft pick. And that is exactly what we have in 1924-1925 Oscar Charleston.
His bio at the Baseball Hall of Fame says it all:
A multi-talented star, Oscar Charleston was renowned by those who saw him play as the finest all-around player in Negro league history. A barrel-chested, left-handed hitter, the fiery Charleston hit for both average and power while revolutionizing defensive play in center field. His blazing speed, aggressiveness on the base paths and focused intensity led many to compare him to Ty Cobb. In 60 league games in 1921, he batted .434 while leading the Negro National League in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases.
Corner outfielder and teammate Dave Malarcher once said, “Some people asked me, 'Why are you playing so close to the right-field foul line?' What they didn't know was that Charleston covered all three fields, and my responsibility was to make sure of balls down the line and those in foul territory.”
I believe Charleston is worthy of the top draft pick. Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds are plainly better hitters; and Ted Williams still has over 30 point lead in on base, but only at the sacrifice of 20 doubles. Last year owners mused that perhaps Mickey Mantle was the most deserving of future #1 overall draft picks. Charleston is better than Mantle, both with the stick and with the glove. According to the resim data, Charleston is now the third best hitter in ATB, but with such tremendous defense he is an overall gem, and an argument can be made that Babe Ruth has been supplanted.
He wasn’t the only center fielder worthy of starting role. Cristobal Torriente recorded an OPS of .819, Pete Hill managed .802, and Bullet Joe Rogan .794. For their part, Torriente and Hill are almost identical, and look like either a less powerful Ty Cobb or a more powerful Tris Speaker.
Center field just got a whole lot deeper.
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