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Growing pains:
The 1919 expansion draft

The BVL was less complicated 27 years ago than it is today. The established six owners ran their clubs like men, their players were paid nothing, the rules were fast and lose -- and the Mighty Diamonds always won. ¶ But the Villalba’s father-and-son struggle for ownership of New England after the 1918 season gave birth to the idea of expansion. Also, Jon Simonds’ petition drive gained momentum. In quick time, the league would grow to 8 clubs. ¶ Originally, this was to occur after the 1920 campaign. But the Expansionists, Indianapolis (owned by Andy Villalba Jr.) and Cleveland (Simonds), played hardball -- and cried a lot.

In the end, the Establishment agreed to 1919. For the new clubs on the block, the accord came at a high price. They accepted, without question, to a 35-player protected list (and not 15), and to begin their draft after the 5th round of the Free Agent Draft. ¶ “As a result, they (Indianapolis and Cleveland) were guaranteed to suckdom,” said historian Al Luplow. “Their lack of patience proved costly, especially for Cleveland. They have never won.” ¶ Quoted in the 4e48, Joe Foys owner, Jesus Diaz, had this to say, “They won’t be competitive. That’s what we [the owners] wanted. They will rot for a very long, long, long time.”

How would they do?
No genius needed to answer this. Indy and Cleveland were pretty, pretty bad. Their 1919 records:

div-club _ w-l _ pct _ gb
n-Indianapolis _ 13-41 _ .241 _ 21
a-Cleveland _ 19-30 _ .396 _ 11.5

The following year, Cleveland finished a woeful 9-45, 26 games out. It's the worse record in BVL history; Indy improved, 18-36.


» Protected/Unprotected lists
Here is a club-by-club listing of players protected and unprotected prior to the 1946 Expansion draft.
Clubs were allowed to protect 15 players plus players in Single A and Double A during the 1945 season.


bold: player drafted; red: player protected.

(Updated March 12)

AMERICAN DIVISION
       
Banksville Bulldogs   Brick Church Joe Foys   LES Con-men   Toronto Monarchs
protected unprotected   protected unprotected   protected unprotected   protected unprotected
Bogaerts, X.
Correa, C.
Harper, B.
Lamb, Ja.
Mazara, N.
Rizzo, A.
Shaw, T. (1)
Trout, M.
Turner, Tr. (2)
Wong, K.
Bumgardner, M.
Darvish, Y.
Strasburg, S.
Betances, D.
Miller, A.
AA
Arroyo, C. -2
Bell, J. (1)
Benintendi, A. (1)
Giolito, L. -4
Machi, J. -3
Margot, M. (1)
Olivera, H. -3 a
Rosario, Am. -2
Ryu, H-J. (3)
Sanchez, G. (2)
Senzel, N. -2 a
Swanson, D. (2)
Torres, Gl. -2 a
Soler, J. -1
Travis, D. -4
Bruce, J.
d'Arnaud, T. (1)
Fowler, D.

Frazier, T.
Freeman, F.
Jones, Ad.
Lucroy, J.
Pedroia, D.
Reddick, J. (3)

Tulowitzki, T.
Walker, N.
Wieters, M.
Starters
Syndergaard, N. -1
Maeda, K.
Teheran, J. (2)
Relievers
Melancon, M. -1
Santiago, H. -2
Chapman, A.
Dull, R. (1)
Hand, B.
  Arenado, N.
Bour, J. (1)
Cozart, Z.
Goldschmidt, P.
Inciarte, E.
Ozuna, Ma. (2)
Panik, J. (1)
Schoop J.
Simmons, An.
deGrom, J.
Keuchel, D. (1)
Nola, A. (3)
Paxton, J.
Sale, C.
Jansen, K.
AA
Goins, R. (1)
Bellinger, C. (1)
Hunter, Tom. (2)
McCullers, L. (1)
Renfroe, H. (1)
Smith, C. -2
Taylor, M. (2)
Thames, E. (1)
Cano, R.
Castillo, We. (1)
Cron, C.J. (2)
Cruz, N.
Dickerson, C. (2)
Duffy, M. -3 a
Gonzalez, Ad.
Gonzalez, C.
Grichuk, R. (1)
Heyward, J.
McCann, J. (1)
McCutchen, A.
Profar, J. -1
Ramos, W. -1
Rupp, C.
Span, D.
Starters
Moore, M. (3)
Price, D.
Quintana, J.
Taillon, J.
Zimmerman, J.
Relievers
Britton, Z. -1
Davis, Wa.
Duke, Z. -3
Dyson, S.
Logan, B. -1
Osuna, R.
Watson, T. (1)
Wilson, A. (2)
  Abreu, J. (1)
Blackmon, C.
Buxton, B. (3)
Gordon, D. (1)
Gyorko, J.
Healy, R.
Lindor, F.
Marte, S.
Martinez, J.D.
Parra, G. (1)
Arrieta, J.
Santana, Er.
Walker, T. (2)
Neshek, P. (2)
Neris, H.
AA
Blanco, A. -2
Bonifacio, E. -3 a
Boxberger, B. -4
Colabello, C. -2 a
Gallo, J. (3)
Rodriguez, Fe. -2 a
Thornton, M. -2 a
Aoki, N.
Cabrera, Mi.
Coghlan, C. -3
Escobar, Y.
Hundley, N.
Leon, S.
Maldonado, M. (1)
Martinez, V. (2)
Mercer, J. (3)
Napoli, M. (1)
Pederson, J. -4
Polanco, Gr. -4
Reyes, J.B.
Valencia, D.
Villar, J.
Starters
Estrada, M.
McHugh, C. -3
Rodon, C. -2
Wright, S. -1
Relievers
Blanton, J.
Bush, M.
Clippard, T.
Diekman, J. -1
Jones, N. -1
Rondon, H. (1)
Shaw, B. (1)
Wilhelmsen, T. -3
  Davis, K.
Duvall, A.
Flowers, T.
Gregorius, D.
Hosmer, E.
LeMahieu, D.J.
Pillar, K. (1)
Santana, C.
Suarez, E. (3)
Turner, Ju. (1)
Kershaw, C.
Carrasco, C. (1)
Hill, R.
Kluber, C.
Stroman, M. (2)
AA
Chafin, A. (1)
Chirinos, R. (2)
Ethier, A. -2
Joseph, C. (1)
Jungmann, T. -2
Moncada, Y. -4
Barnhart, T.
Cabrera, Me.
Dietrich, D. (2)
Dyson, J.
Franco, M.
Gordon, A.
Harrison, J.
Martin, L. -1
Miller, B. (1)
Naquin, T. -2
Norris, De. -2
Ramirez, Al. (25%)
Trumbo, M.
Zobrist, B.
Starters
Salazar, D.
Ross, J. -4
Samardzija, J. (2)
Montgomery, M.
Relievers
Cahill, T. -1
Herrera, K.
Jepsen, K. -2 a
Kontos, G. (1)
Layne, T. -3
Otero, D.
Romo, S. (1)
Rosenthal, T. (1)
Smith, J.M. (2)
Thornburg, T. -1 a
                     
NATIONAL DIVISION    
Brooklyn Bruisers   Homestead Greys   Indianapolis Ice Cubes   New England Hawks
protected unprotected   protected unprotected   protected unprotected   protected unprotected
Baez, J.
Betts, M.
Castro, St. (1)
Nunez, E. (1)
Perez, Sa.
Puig, Y. (2)
Santana, Do. (3)
Segura, J.
Moreland, M.
Castro, Ja. (2)
Iglesias, J.
Archer, C.
Duffy, D.
Gonzalez, G.
Pomeranz, D.
AA
Devers, R. -3 a
Crockett, K. -4 a
Flaherty, R. -2
Hanigan, R. -4
Medlen, K. -4
Papelbon, J. -1
Ramirez, N. -3
Reed, A.J. -3 a
Street, H. -2 a
Upton, J.
Hechavarria, A. (2)
Diaz, A.
Ahmed, N. -1
Belt, B. (1)
d'Arnaud, C. -2
Gomez, C.
Holt, B. -2
Kemp, M.
McCann, B.
Molina, Y.
Odor, R. (2)
Ortiz, D. -1 a
Pence, H. (1)
Peraza, J. (2)
Starters
Buchholz, C. -1
Hellickson, J. -4
Kazmir, S. -2 a
Nova, I. (3)
Odorizzi, J.
Tillman, C. -3
Relievers
Bedrosian, C.
Brach, B.
Robles, H. (1)
Storen, D. (2)
Treinen, B.
Uehara, K.
Wood, T. -1
  Altuve, J.
Bryant, K.
Conforto, M. (3)
Myers, Wi.
Posey, B.
Ramirez, Jo.
Springer, G.
Stanton, G.
Story, T.
Yelich, C.
Greinke, Z.
Martinez, C.
Sanchez, Aa. -1
Scherzer, M.
Kimbrel, C.
AA
Brinson, L. -3
Crawford, J.P. -4
Dahl, D. -2 a
Garcia, Y. -2 a
Glasnow, T. -4
Kopech, M. -2 a
Lorenzen, M. (2)
Severino, L. (2)
Urias, J. -3 a
Wheeler, Z. -3
Carpenter, M.
Castellanos, N. (2)
Cervelli, F.
Crawford, B.
Davis, C. (1)
Gomes, Y. (2)
Hamilton, B.
Herrera, O. (1)
Kepler, M. (1)
Longoria, E.
Rosario, E. (2)
Russell, A. -4
Suzuki, I. -1
Starters
Bauer, T. (3)
Graveman, K. (1)
Hernandez, F. (25%)
Smyly, D. -3 a
Tanaka, M.
Wacha, M. (1)
Relievers
Colome, A.
Diaz, Ed.
Reed, Ad.
Soria, J.
Strickland, H.
Strop, P.
  Alonso, Y.
Beltre, A.
Bradley Jr., J.
Braun, R.J.
Donaldson, J.
Dozier, B.
Encarnacion, E.
Escobar, A. (1)
Galvis, F.
Murphy, Dan.
Suzuki, K.
Kiermaier, K. (3)
Cashner, A. (2)
Cole, G.
Hendricks, K.
AA
Barnes, B. -4 a
Brantley, M. -2
Duda, L. (2)
Lagares, J. (2)
Mesoraco, D. -3
O'Day, D. (1)
Putnam, Z. -3 a
Swihart, B. -2 a
Young, C. (1)
Marisnick, J. (1)
Gattis, E.

Burns, B. -3 a
Calhoun, K.
Flores, W.
Forsythe, L. -4
Headley, C. -4
Navarro, D. -4 a
Prado, M. -2
Valbuena, L. (1)
Werth, J.
Starters
Cueto, J.
Guerra, J. -1
Iwakuma, H. -2
Matz, S. -4
Porcello, R.
Relievers
Barnette, T. (1)
Belisle, M.
Familia, J. -1
Gregerson, L. (3)
Grimm, J. (1)
Howell, J.P. -2
Jennings, D.
Law, D.
Phelps, D.
Quackenbush, K. -2
Sipp, T. (1)
  Cespedes, Y.
Contreras, W.
Drury, B. (1)
Hicks, A. (1)
Lowrie, J. (3)
Machado, M.
Owings, C. (2)
Seager, C.
Souza, S.
Votto, J.
Bundy, D. (1)
Fulmer, M. (1)
Verlander, J.
Allen, C.
Devenski, C.
AA
Breslow, C. -3
Arroyo, B. -4
Brothers, R. -4
Byrd, M. -3 a
De La Rosa, R. -4
Doumit, R. -4
Ellis, A. J. -4
Plawecki, K. -4
Richards, G. -2
Wood, A. (1)
Phillips, B.
Barney, D.
Bautista, J.
Blanco, G.
Cuthbert, C. -2
Desmond, I.

Kipnis, J. (1)
Martin, R.
Orlando, P. -1
Perez, C. -2
Ramirez, Ha.
Rodriguez, S. -1
Teixeira, M. -1 a
Starters
Leake, M. (1)
Fernandez, Jo. -1 a
Gallardo, Y.
Hamels, C.
Lester, J.
Roark, T.
Shields, J.
Shoemaker, M. -3
Relievers
Barraclough, K.
Benoit, J.
McAllister, Z. (2)
Oh, S.H.
Salas, F. (1)
New York Knights    
protected unprotected    
Andrus, E.
Cain, L.
Eaton, A. -1
Garcia, Av. (1)
Gennett, S. (2)
Gonzalez, Ma.
Hernandez, C.
Rendon, A.
Seager, K.
Anderson, Ch. (3)
Gray, S. (1)
Happ, J.A.
Giles, K.
Harris, W.
Warren, A. (1)
AA
Arcia, Or. (2)
Choo, S. (1)
Harvey, M. -2
Judge, A. (2)
Latos, M. -2 a
Pollock, A.J. (1)
Schwarber, K. (1)
Cabrera, As. (2)
Grandal, Y. (2)

Kang, J.H. -2 a
Kinsler, I.
Pearce, S.

Piscotty, S.
Realmuto, J.T.
Sano, M. (1)
Tomas, Y. -1
Vogt, S, (1)
Starters
Chavez, J. (2)
Colon, B. (3)
Eickhoff, J.
Garcia, Ja. (1)
Gonzalez, Mi.
Hammel, J. (2)
Lackey, J.
Volquez, E. -3
Relievers
Bowman, M.
Buchter, R.

Maurer, B. (3)
Miller, S. -3 a
Rodriguez, Fr. -2
Siegrist, K. (1)