In-Draft Thread - 2008

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Surprise, the Yanks take Gerrit Cole.

[Vic Sage]

Ike and Reese.
Good baseball names.
I LIKE IT!

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Vic Sage wrote: Ike and Reese. Good baseball names. I LIKE IT!

You like "Ike"?

[Vic Sage]

as a ballplayer or a general.
as a president, not so much.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Mets draft right-handed starter Brad Holt from UNC-Wilmington. He's 6'4", 195, and looks like a 35-year old high school Geometry teacher.

[Vic Sage]

It appears that, so far, we've missed out on a Buster, a Shooter and a Casey.

Heck, i'd take any of those guys over an Ike or a Reese, much less a Brad... a BRAD, for chrissakes!

[A Boy Named Seo]

Shooter's nice, no doubt, but I'm just fine with Ike and Reese. Those are heavy-hitting names, both attached to complimentary last names.

Brad could be worse. At least we didn't land a Lance.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Reese Havens, apparently skilled in "Duck Hunt"

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Steve Holt!

I mean, Brad Holt!

[Guest OlerudOwned]

But can he be our Beatrice?

[Guest AG/DC]

Wow. We drafted young Brian Wilson.

[Frayed Knot]

# 18 - Ike Davis, 1B, Arizona State
L/L, 6'4" 215, 21 y/o
Scouting Report (from BA):
The son of former big league reliever Ron Davis, Ike was not a scouts' favorite coming into his junior season. A decorated high school career that included a star turn with Team USA's youth national squad and an MVP award at the 2004 Aflac Classic, and his pitching family pedigree, had most scouts regarding him as a pitcher out of high school. He decided to go to Arizona State rather than sign as a Rays 19th-round pick, and he started on the mound and batted cleanup in his first game as a Sun Devil. He struggled with wood in the Alaska League in 2006 and in the Cape in 2007, when he cut his summer short to have right wrist surgery. He returned to the mound as a closer in 2008 and played first base to keep his arm fresh. He also worked to incorporate his lower half more and was having a banner season, leading the Sun Devils in the triple crown categories as well as saves, before missing time with a ribcage injury. Davis has excellent raw power, comparing to former ASU star Jeff Larish, but he's a much better defender with a better swing and better pitch recognition. Davis is above-average at first base and should be able to play an outfield corner as well due to his plus arm; his below-average speed could limit him to left.



#22 - Reese Havens, SS,South Carolina
L/R, 6'1" 195, 21 y/o
Coming off a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer when he hit .314 with five home runs, Havens positioned himself to be one of the top middle infielders in this draft class. Steady and durable, Havens has been a fixture in the middle of the diamond for the Gamecocks since his freshman year. His consistency in always being in the lineup parallels his consistent improvement offensively and defensively every season since arriving in Columbia. Drafted out of high school by the Rockies in the 29th round, Havens has improved his range, hands and agility and now has the defensive ability and arm strength to stay at shortstop in the professional ranks. He makes up for his lack of foot speed with proper routes to the ball and advanced instincts. At the plate, Havens changed his hand position this season, moving them lower to an unconventional location around the bellybutton. Scouts have split opinions on his new batting style, but he he has hit for better power and average and leads off for a strong South Carolina lineup. He has great makeup and is a prototype "baseball player" with all the intangibles.


#33 - Brad Holt, RHP, UNC-Wilmington
Holt shows consistent arm strength and holds it through his starts as well as any starter in this draft, sitting 93-96 mph every week from his first inning to his last. The velocity is easy; the ball comes out of his arm well and has good downhill plane and some life to it. He pitches almost exclusively off his fastball, throwing offspeed stuff less than 25 percent of the time. His curveball, which has a short downward break and moderately tight rotation, is his best secondary pitch; it could become an average offering, but it�s a one-plane pitch. He has a changeup, but he guides this mediocre offering to the plate.
He takes a long stride forward off the mound, holding his velocity even from the stretch when he doesn�t stay over the rubber at all, and has just a little bit of violence at the end when his head snaps slightly. If he had a better changeup or could handle a splitter � his arm slot might be too low for it � he�d have a chance to be a back-end starter. But as a one-and-a-half-pitch pitcher, he�s more likely to work in the bullpen when he reaches the majors."

#68 - Javier Rodriguez, OF, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
Rodriguez was one of the top talents in Puerto Rico last month heading into the Excellence Tournament, which attracts a plethora of scouts, crosscheckers and scouting directors. Rodriguez improved his stock there further, showcasing excellent bat speed, athleticism and pure hitting ability to establish himself as the top prospect on the island.

#100 - Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF, Azuza Pacific Univ

#134 - Sean Ratliff, OF, Stanford

#164 - Dock Doyle, C, Coastal Carolina Univ

#165 - Anthony Bass, RHP, Wayne State Univ

Not quite sure how we wound up with consecutive picks in round 5 there.

[DocTee]

Dock Doyle-- best name of the bunch. And a catcher, to boot.

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

="Frayed Knot"] #68 - Javier Rodriguez, OF, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy Rodriguez was one of the top talents in Puerto Rico last month heading into the Excellence Tournament

What the hell is an Excellence Tournament? Was that name picked by 7 year old kid back in the 80's? Do they have things like shark tossing and laser motorcycle dinosaur racing?

[Vic Sage]

I don't know anything about any of these guys, but, in looking at the various prospect rankings and mock drafts available on the internet, it looks like we "reached" on all our top picks, taking them well ahead of their projected rankings. Holt wasn't even listed on many prospect lists.

That being said, picking prospects is more art than science, and more luck than art. So picking these guys well above their rankings may not mean anything, of course, but it doesn't fill me with excitement either.

It's especially annoying to see the Yanks get Gerrit Cole, who fell to them way lower than his projections would've indicated, and seems to be viewed as a "bargain" at #28. But his agent is Boras, so we'll see what kind of "bargain" he ends up being.

And i've got to admit a certain thrill at being able to root for a catcher named Dock Doyle. Sounds like a superhero's sidekick.

[seawolf17]

="Frayed Knot"]#165 - Anthony Bass, RHP, Wayne State Univ Not quite sure how we wound up with consecutive picks in round 5 there.

MLB's draft tracker has Bass going to San Diego with that pick.

[Guest AG/DC]

Cutter Dykstra to the Brewers.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Oh well.

We can still hope for Casey Hodges.

[Guest AG/DC]

As the winning pitcher in the Division II championship, he won't fly under too many radars.

[Guest AG/DC]

Here's a kinda strange over-the-top gesture.

Major league teams plan to "draft" living Negro leagues players as an honor to these players who were once denied entry into the major leagues. The ceremonial round will begin at 1 p.m. ET Thursday and will be carried live on MLB.com.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Scott Boras is probably trying right now to represent as many of them as possible.

[Guest AG/DC]

Some poor 91-year-old is going to have to survive a final indignity of either going undrafted or being the last one drafted.

Not to mention, drafting isn't really an honor, but just another way of taking away a player's rights.

Too bad Double Duty Radcliffe died in 2005. You know Val really would've loved the Mets to gobble him up.

[Benjamin Grimm]

"Cool Papa" Bell would have looked nice on the all-time Mets roster, along with Jay and Heath and Gus and Derek.

[seawolf17]

With the 538th pick...

http://sbuchris.blogspot.com/2008/06/with-538th-pick-in-2008-mlb-draft.html

Seawolves SP Tom Koehler! Yay, Tom!

[seawolf17]

Pick #1158, 38th Round: Arizona selects RHP Jesse Orosco. Has to be Jesse O's son, right?

Pick #1242, 41st Round: Seattle selects OF Henry Cotto.

[Guest AG/DC]

Casey Hodges goes to the Braves in the 23rd round.

That's a fumble. Maybe we'll get somebody named "Jackie Seaver."

[Frayed Knot]

The Braves draft list is amazing - almost all HS or Comm Coll players and fully half the list from either Georgia or a neighboring state.
It's like they do their shopping by ignoring all the major department stores and instead buy their gifts at small boutiques in their immediate area on account of a limited travel budget.
But they do the same thing almost every year and somehow make it work better than most.

The full Met list
Any friends of yours? Two New Yorkers and a handful of Connecti-kiters.

[Guest AG/DC]

Could Brian Valenzuela (LHP) be a Fernandospawn?

Check out the numbers available on him:

http://www.maxpreps.com/FanPages/Player.mxp/AreaID-8e11e7d4-d3fa-4e6f-827f-652c29439d27/AthleteID-4d5091cb-f616-44f6-9155-64d59cfa980e/SchoolID-c595f6e0-233d-44b6-bb0d-586d4f6ea320/Boys_Varsity_Baseball_Spring_07-08/California

[Fman99]

Interesting. Ninth round RHP pick Eric Beaulac attended LeMoyne College, located about 20 minutes from where I live. I have not heard of him though I do not follow college baseball or much of the draft-related stuff.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ron Hodges doing the Tomahawk Chop. Urghh

]Five Trojans have dreams come true in MLB draft MOUNT OLIVE -- Hollywood couldn't have scripted it any better. From winning a national championship to getting drafted all in a week's time, the past seven or eight days have been a whirlwind of emotions for five member's of Mount Olive's baseball team. Seniors Erik Lovett, Casey Hodges, Ryan Schlecht, Michael Williams and David Cooper had lifelong dreams come true on Friday when they were each selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Lovett, Mount Olive's first baseman, hit .403 with 21 homers in 2007 and anticipated getting drafted. The draft came and went and dashed the Southern Wayne grad's hopes in the process. Returning to Mount Olive with a chip on his shoulder, Lovett, the 2007 Daktronics Division II National Player of the Year, proceeded to bat .371 with 18 home runs and 77 runs batted in this season. Lovett's efforts were rewarded when the New York Yankees selected him in the 39th round by the New York Yankees. "Things work out for the best," Lovett said. "I was pretty bummed out about not getting drafted. To come back and get a ring and then get drafted, it's been a great week." Lovett leaves Monday for the Yankees training facility in Tampa, Fla., and expects to be assigned to the Staten Island Yankees, New York's short-season Class A affiliate, perhaps as early as next weekend. Hodges, a right-handed pitcher from Rocky Mount, Va., was selected in the 23rd round by the Atlanta Braves. The son of former Mets catcher Ron Hodges, Casey finished the 2008 season with 10-1 record and a 2.53 ERA. Despite being a lifelong Mets fan, Hodges was quick to embrace his new club. "I put the Braves hat on pretty proudly," Hodges said. "There might be some tension in the house but it didn't take long for my dad to do the Atlanta Braves chop." Hodges got the start on the mound for the national championship game as Mount Olive defeated Ouachita Baptist 6-2 to clinch its first national title. That experience should pay dividends as Hodges begins his professional career. "It certainly helps you deal with nerves," Hodges said. "When you're pitching in the national title game you have to be calm. It helps you prepare for minor league baseball when you'll be pitching in parks with several thousand fans." Hodges will report to Danville, Va. on Monday and will spend the summer about an hour from his parents home playing for the Danville Braves, Atlanta's rookie-league affiliate. Schlecht, a first team All-American from Scottsdale, Ariz., tied for first in the nation in wins with a 13-0 mark. The 2008 Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year, Schlecht was chosen in the 34th round by the Texas Rangers. "I didn't sit around and I didn't look at a computer all day," Schlecht said. "I went golfing with (assistant coach) Aaron Akin. When I finally found out I had been drafted it kind of hit home." Schlecht will report to Surprise, Ariz., about 30 minutes from his parents home before being assigned to a minor league squad. Williams, a left-hander from Myrtle Beach, S.C., recorded an 8-2 record with a 4.10 ERA in 2008. The transfer from Francis Marion was selected in the 44th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. "This is probably the best feeling I'll have in my life," Williams said. "To just be able to tell my kids in the future that I won a national championship and that I was also was drafted is just awesome." Williams was uncertain of when and where he'll report to begin his minor league career. Cooper, a three-time all-region and all-conference selection from Edmonton, Alberta, was the Trojans' leadoff batter in each of his three years at Mount Olive. He finished his career with 102 stolen bases and set all career, single-season and single-game school records for stolen bases and triples. Those performances garnered the attention of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the club that selected Cooper in the 44th round. "I'm just pretty excited," Cooper, an Edmonton, Alberta native said. "This is what I've been working for since I got to Mount Olive. It's just a dream come true." Winning a national championship and witnessing five of his players continue their baseball futures has left Mount Olive head coach Carl Lancaster feeling like a proud parent. "Every one of them is very deserving," Lancaster said. "This is something they've wanted all their lives, not only to win a national title but to have an opportunity to see what they can do in professional ball. With the success of this club and the one's over the last few years we're now talking to and getting responses from more quality athletes in our recruiting." By Andrew Stevens Published in Sports on June 8, 2008 12:42 PM