Today is Draft Day...

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Hey! He's Lee Smith's kid!

[Guest sharpie]

]"John Holdzkom out of Salt Lake CC" And now a bigger Mormon.

He'll get along with fellow draftee Joseph Smith.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Agreed on the hobbies. Power-walking and line dancing? How old is he? 70?

[Frayed Knot]

"Hey! He's Lee Smith's kid!"

Ummm, not according to that picture he isn't.

[A Boy Named Seo]

17 going on 70 maybe.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Well, if he has a Mormon name he's bound to be a bit square.

His entrance song is more likely to be Lawrence Welk than Metallica.

[Elster88]

I'm surprised that college has guys designated as bullpen guys. Though I guess that was pretty much how we did it for high school too.

[Frayed Knot]

BA's Blog Notes:

Round 4:
The Mets took a flier on a high risk pitcher in the fourth round when they took John Holdzkom. This is what we wrote about John Holdzkom a year ago: "While Jason Neighborgall went in the third round, his high school equivalent did not go until much later. With their 15th round selection, the Mariners took Jonathan Holdzkom, a righthander out of Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) HS. A 6-foot-7 righthander, Holdzkom can already hit 93 mph, but was so wild he hardly got a chance to pitch when he was available. Holdzkom, whose older brother Lincoln is a pitcher in the Marlins system, was academically ineligible for the first few weeks of the season so he only threw a handful of innings. It was essentially a lost season for the flame throwing high schooler." Holdzkom never signed with the Mariners and went to Salt Lake CC but dropped out after an argument with his coach during a game.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

If Keith Hernandez doesn't mention that argument with the coach on tonight's telecast, he'll be hearing about it from Bob Raissman.

[Elster88]

Even worse...what if Howie mentions it just as Keith is having a sip of coffee and Keith doesn't comment at all?!?!?!

Luckily I think Ron is doing the game today.

[metirish]

Yeah Keith doesn't do the West Coast games.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Last I read on Jeffrey Maier is that he's a 2nd day guy at best: i.e. rounds 26-50. He's a major longshot to ever play in MLB.

Understood, which is why I think it's silly that The Washington Post made a front-page story out of him.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Stephen Holmes, Round Five:

mms://a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/2006/open/draft/prospects/holmes_steven_a_350.wmv?media_type=wms&av_type=video&event_pk=undefined&product=gen_video

RHP, 6'2" 205 lbs, University of Rhode Island.

"He's done nothing but win in college with average stuff and a bulldog mentality. He's got a deceptive fastball and two average breaking pitches."

[soupcan]

So we got one guy who had shoulder surgery, one guy was 3-8 in college, one tall guy with attitude problems and a guy with average stuff.

Whoo-hoo.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I dub thee Stephen "Long John" Holmes.

[Elster88]

soupcan wrote: So we got one guy who had shoulder surgery, one guy was 3-8 in college, one tall guy with attitude problems and a guy with average stuff. Whoo-hoo.

Well, we got two guys for their upside and one guy for his stats, and one guy for both but had surgery. There's something of a balance in there.

[Frayed Knot]

BA Blog:
The Mets drafted righthander Steve Holmes in the fifth round.
He led the nation with a 1.30 ERA in 104 innings at Rhode Island and
has the best feel for pitching of any player in the Northeast this year.


Position players anyone?
Anyone?, Anyone? Bueller?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Round six was another pitcher, future Schaefer PotG Scott Schaefer from Pasadena Memorial HS (Pasadena died?) in Texas. He's 6'1" 180 lb. and that's all I got.

Finally, they select the almost perfectly named Daniel Stengell, of, from Greenwood HS in Arizona in round seven. He goes at 6'3" and 180.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Did they mention that he's a future Schaefer POTG? Wow!

That name, Stengell, sounds a little familair. Too bad he has that extra L.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Pittsburgh selects Alexander Presley out of of Missiissippi. Kin to Elvis? Kin to Kirk?

[Guest Edgy DC]

I mispelled that. It's Stengall, with an A.

It seems to me that 20 years ago every third boy born in America was named Cody.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Now it refreshed, and it's Stegall. No N.

Or, more likely, my eyes don't work.

He apparently is also a prosepctive college quarterback.

Or, the way my eyes are working, a game warden. I don't know.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He's at least two-thirds marked with the number of the beast:

[Guest Edgy DC]

Oh, s'it! He's going to Miami!

[Elster88]

So the Mets just lose a pick then? Sucks, no?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Round eight, the Mets come back to their senses and draft a pticher: righthander Nathan Hedrick out of Missouri's Barton County Community College.

Watch out, Eric Hillman! He's 6'10" and 220!

I've got to check that scouting video out, and, you know what? So do you!

mms://a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/2006/open/draft/prospects/hedrick_nathan_j_350.wmv?media_type=wms&av_type=video&event_pk=undefined&product=gen_video

He doesn't look that big or that thin. Lotsa ball movement on that video.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]So the Mets just lose a pick then?

No, he can sign with the Mets and still play football at Miami and play pro ball in the summer.

[Guest Edgy DC]

We have a legacy! Ninth round pick is Jeremy Barfield, son of Jesse and brother of Josh. A two-way player who is moving toward hitting after previously focusing on pitching.

mms://a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/2006/open/draft/prospects/barfield_jeremy_l_350.wmv?media_type=wms&av_type=video&event_pk=undefined&product=gen_video

The video shows him in the outfield, but the report suggests he may be imited to first base if he doesn't pitch.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Looks like he's a lefthanded thrower/righthanded hitter.

He's listed at 6'5" 240, and also doesn't look that big.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Detroit just selected Lauren Gagnier. Lauren. His name is Lauren.