Hit or Be Hit
Fri, Jun 6, 2008
by Geoff Young
I had some computer issues this morning, and I’m still wading through draft material, so I’ll save my thoughts on how the Padres did until Saturday or Monday — then we’ll have the entire draft to look at anyway. Based on the information at my disposal (which obviously is much, much less detailed than what the Padres have), I’ve upgraded my initial assessment of the Allan Dykstra pick (”Man, that stinks” were my exact words) to “Not what I would have done, but I’m beginning to understand the thought process behind it.”
John Sickels had the Padres taking Dykstra at #42. I’d targeted Dykstra at #42 or #46 in the mock draft I participated in, but the Diamondbacks (administered by R.J. Anderson of Beyond the Boxscore) nabbed him at #26. I guess what I’m trying to say is that if the Padres felt like Dykstra was their guy and he wouldn’t be available with their next pick (a reasonable assumption), then I can see the case for taking him at #23. I’m not defending the move — I would have preferred Zach Collier — just trying to understand the reasoning behind it.
Again, I’ll have more thoughts on all this in the coming days. Meanwhile, I highly recommend perusing Paul DePodesta’s blog for more information on the drafted players as viewed through the organization’s eyes.
* * *
Turning to Thursday night’s game, was that the most aggravating way to win or what? The Padres had runners in scoring position in each of the final eight innings of the game and only managed to plate two of them. Heck, they only won because Scott Schoeneweis forgot how to throw strikes.
In case you missed it, here’s the final, exhilarating sequence:
S Hairston walked.
B Giles walked, S Hairston to second.
A Gonzalez grounded out to pitcher, S Hairston to third, B Giles to second.
K Kouzmanoff intentionally walked.
P McAnulty hit by pitch, S Hairston scored, B Giles to third, K Kouzmanoff to second.
If that isn’t going to convince folks that baseball is exciting, by golly, then I don’t know what will.
On a more serious note, wins all count the same, so we’ll take what we get. And we’ll be grateful that we’re not Mets fans right now. As irritating as it was for us to watch that game, at least it had a happy ending. If I were a Mets fan, I’m not sure my television would be operational at this point.
A few quick notes on the contest:
- Josh Banks looked great. That fluttering change-up thing he throws is beautiful. He made Carlos Delgado look ridiculous in the second and did the same to Ryan Church in the fourth.
- Speaking of ridiculous, Banks throws eight different pitches? Yowza. I enjoyed Bob Scanlan’s post-game demonstration of how Luke Carlin flashed signs (please, don’t show us the middle finger).
- Tadahito Iguchi had some terrific at-bats, spraying the ball all over the place before separating his right shoulder while unsuccessfully trying to avoid a ball off the bat of Kevin Kouzmanoff. Iguchi is expected to miss four weeks, with Craig Stansberry being the most likely candidate to replace him on the roster.
- Brian Giles drew four more walks. He’s walked in 16.5% of his plate appearances this year, as compared to 11.6% last year. His overall offense is at or above 2004 levels. With a healthy knee, Giles has become a force again at age 37.
- Carlin absolutely crushed that ball in the fourth. He hit it off the padding at the top of the wall in deepest right-center and just beat the throw to third. That’s a homer in almost every other ballpark. Carlin’s track record suggests he’s not a big-league hitter, but I like what I’ve seen of him and think he could have a career as a backup catcher, which is more than the vast majority of us can say about ourselves.
- It’s really good to see Justin Hampson back in action.
- Trevor Hoffman, who as we all “know” doesn’t pitch well in non-save situations, picked up the victory with a perfect ninth.
- Scott Hairston’s plate appearance to start the ninth was brilliant. He fell behind in the count, 0-2, but came back to draw the leadoff walk and eventually score the winning run.
The division remains up for grabs. The Padres, believe it or not, have the best record in the NL West over the past month. Granted, that record is 13-16, but the point is, nobody’s really doing much. Might as well be us, right?
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
June 6, 2008 at 8:35 am
I wonder if we’ll see a lot of pitching drafted today. I kind of like the offense-heavy draft, as that is absolutely a need within the organization. Perhaps the FO believes that they can keep finding suitable starting and bullpen help through trades, waivers, etc. and that they need to acquire impact bats through the draft.
Overall, I’m fairly pleased with our draft. It seems like our lower picks really made up for some of the perceived mistakes of our first few.
June 6, 2008 at 8:43 am
I’m not a Guru but I actually liked most of the picks yesterday, the Padres clearly drafted the player who they felt was the most talented on the board at the time and that’s really what I was hoping for. The Dykstra pick does not bother me, Adrian’s contract is up in 2 years and who knows what his demands will be for his first FA contract.
June 6, 2008 at 8:48 am
#255: William Weems, SS from Baylor University. Swtich hitter
June 6, 2008 at 8:51 am
Doesn’t seem to be too impressive: http://baylorbears.cstv.com/sp.....mer00.html
“Named league’s 85th-best pro prospect by Perfect Game Crosschecker … Hit .257 with 37 hits, nine doubles, 11 RBI, 13 runs scored and five stolen bases in 40 games.”
June 6, 2008 at 8:54 am
“The Padres, believe it or not, have the best record in the NL West over the past month.” Awesome. (I’m forcing myself to ignore the next sentence.) Get that poll question out of here!!!!
- Agreed, Giles has been a very pleasant rebound, makes what to do with him next year a more difficult question.
- I’ve liked Carlin so far as well, think he plays great defense too.
- Josh Banks, why was this guy on waivers? If the answer to that question is that he’s not very good, my next question is how long will that version of Josh stay away from the Padres?
June 6, 2008 at 8:58 am
#285: Kyle Thebeau, RHP, Texas A & M.
June 6, 2008 at 9:00 am
Info on Thebeau: 62.2 IP in 2008, 46 H and 30 BB to 68 SO. 1.867 ERA
June 6, 2008 at 9:00 am
Jordan Danks, Cole St. Clair, Brett Hunter, Ryan O’Sullivan, Nick Maronde, Brett Moonyham, Harold Martinez, Kyle Russel and Alex Myer are all names that I think are still available at the moment that I think might be good buys at this point.
June 6, 2008 at 9:07 am
#315: Andrew Albers, LHP from U of Kentucky.
June 6, 2008 at 9:09 am
Info about Albers: No 2008 stats. 2007 - 72.1 IP, 95 H and 17 BB, 51 SO. 4.85 ERA.
This doesn’t look great.
June 6, 2008 at 9:11 am
I’m pretty fond of the draft so far as well. The biggest question is what they did with their very first pick; Collier has very good power as well, and he has everything else you’d look for in a baseball player. It seems obvious that the Padre draft board for the first round didn’t include tough signs, because kids like Melville and Meyer are hypertalented. But they don’t have that supreme, Porcello-ish combination of physique, skills, and upside, and they are going to be very rough to get under contract.
They went a very interesting route with draft-eligible sophomores. It’s as close as you can come anymore to the draft and follow route. They are not likely to be cheap.
I’d have liked one of the HS arms who dropped, and Brett Hunter in the later rounds, if he’ll take that money, seems like a good value buy.
June 6, 2008 at 9:13 am
#8@KRS1: Good names, but many of them are going to require 1st round money to skip college. Don’t see us doing that.
I like Hunter and Danks, too. Danks has to be wondering if a bird in the hand is worth coming back for his senior season.
June 6, 2008 at 9:20 am
A little review of the Padres’ first round.
http://baseballanalysts.com/ar.....ons_on.php
June 6, 2008 at 9:20 am
#345: Tyson Bagley, RHP from Dallas Baptist U
June 6, 2008 at 9:23 am
A thought occured to me today while reading about our first pick:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....draft.html
Do hitters traditionally make it to the big leagues (or even get promoted through the minors) at a faster rate than pitchers? Anyone have any knowledge about that?
June 6, 2008 at 9:23 am
If anyone’s interested, my thumbnail sketch of the first day:
The Good: Lots of power and hitting ability, some athleticism (although hidden in some cases), no overdrafting of pitchability college arms.
The Bad: Nothing really bad. It’s disappointing that, as Fuson admits, the loss of Havens scrambled their board. Seems like there should have been a deeper plan. But notice there’s no “The Great” category at all.
The Meh: Dykstra. There are lots of questions about his swing. It seems - seems, mind you - that his statistical profile at Wake Forest played a very large role in his selection. Plate discipline that appeared to be there in college can evaporate in the pros (Khalil Greene walked a bunch at Clemson) if the other guys find the holes in your swing.
I’d have rather popped Collier over Dykstra, and they could have gone several ways in the 1st supplemental, but they didn’t reach on another Brad Chalk type, so that’s good.
June 6, 2008 at 9:25 am
#13@Didi: Thanks for this, Didi. It seems like the Padres made some very sly picks that could turn out to be great ideas.
June 6, 2008 at 9:26 am
12: yeah, that’s my thought too on lots of these dropping highly ranked prospects.
Isn’t TJ House still on the board too? He’s going to Tulane, I read somewhere.
Is Brett Hunter hurt or something?
June 6, 2008 at 9:27 am
#375: Matthew Clark, 1B from Louisiana St. U. Left-handed batter.
June 6, 2008 at 9:30 am
#13@Didi: Thanks for the link, Didi.
It’s that particular definition of “upside” in reference to Decker that I don’t like (and my new best pal Paul DePodesta doesn’t either). His upside isn’t limited by his size. Bill James brings this up in his last Abstract; a lot of very good hitters have a squat physique. His upside is limited if he doesn’t have a lot of power; he could be more in the Paul McAnulty mold, with better defense. But I’m not sure we can say he doesn’t have significant power.
June 6, 2008 at 9:31 am
Wow, the Pirates took three Bulldogs pitchers in the first round. Interesting.
June 6, 2008 at 9:33 am
1B Matt Clark hit 25 HR’s this year, another power hitting first basemen. I guess we don’t have enough of those.
June 6, 2008 at 9:33 am
#18@Didi: Hunter had a sore arm this spring. If he’d take the offer, let him sit in Arizona getting massages all summer.
June 6, 2008 at 9:34 am
The Nationals nabbed Pecina of the Toreros. I saw him pitch three times this season and he was busting hitters inside. GY and I liked what we saw in one game. Another local kid picked. Good luck to Ricardo.
June 6, 2008 at 9:37 am
#405: Erik Davis, RHP from Stanford.
June 6, 2008 at 9:40 am
#19@Phantom: Seems like we are creating a log jam in the minors of 1B…power log jams are good.
My hypothosis is that they are going to take one or two of them and convert to either catcher or corner OF…
June 6, 2008 at 9:40 am
20: I thought that was weird comment about his size. It’s like the whole Doug Flutie thingy when he was picked. Or Lincecum being a starter.
June 6, 2008 at 9:46 am
#435: Robert Musgrave, LHP from Wichita State U.
June 6, 2008 at 9:48 am
DePos thoughts on rounds 7 - 11:
Adam Zornes, C, Rice U - A red-shirt junior, Adam is a strong defensive catcher with a plus arm that holds down the running game. Offensively, he’s not a high average hitter, but he has power and can do damage.
Beamer Weems, SS, Baylor U - A slick fielder, Beamer is known as one of the best defensive shortstops in this draft with great hands, a plus arm, and above average range. Offensively, he’s a switch-hitter who is more of a contact hitter who does a good job of controlling the strike zone.
Kyle Thebeau, RHP, Texas A&M -A strong RHP, Kyle’s fastball normally sits around 92 mph. Used primarily as a reliever, Kyle features a fastball/slider combination, and both pitches grade out as above average at times.
Andrew Albers, LHP, U Kentucky - A left-hander with a deceptive delivery, Andrew is a good strike-thrower who keeps the ball down in the zone and generates groundballs and strikeouts. He has both started and relieved for Kentucky.
Tyson Bagley, RHP, Dallas Baptist U - A 6′8″, 250 reliever, Tyson has an above average fastball. In the past two seasons Tyson has struck out 108 batters in 74 innings while yielding just 48 hits. Given his size and arm, he offers a lot of projection.
June 6, 2008 at 9:50 am
#20@Tom Waits: This is a great point about size and something I’ll address when I’ve finally got my thoughts together. Seven of the Padres’ first 12 picks are 6′0″ or shorter. Could be a market inefficiency at work here…
June 6, 2008 at 9:55 am
#30@Geoff Young: It would be nice. The team really does seem to have a plan in this draft, so maybe they’re bucking some CW here.
June 6, 2008 at 9:56 am
#5@Flash: Matt and Tony were wondering why the Blue Jays had given up on Banks as well. When the Padres made the claim, Keith Law contacted me and said (unsolicited) that it was a nice move on our part. It’s too soon to tell, but Banks may be another Towers gem.
#11@Tom Waits: Yeah, this is about how I see our draft as well. Figueroa was an uncharacteristically aggressive pick. I hope we can sign him.
#13@Didi: Good stuff, thanks!
June 6, 2008 at 9:58 am
#465: Brett Mooneyham, LHP from Buhach Colony HS. This should make some of you guys happy. According to the MLB.com scouting report:
A big, imposing lefty with the potential to have some plus stuff is always interesting, but Mooneyham’s lack of command may cause some to pause. He’s got serious arm strength and should develop three average or above offerings in the future. The combination of wildness, a concern over whether he’s mentally ready to make the leap to pro ball, a commitment to Stanford and having Scott Boras as an advisor all make Mooneyham a bit of a wild card for Draft day.
June 6, 2008 at 10:03 am
Seems like there’s a break in the drafting. Anyone’s quick thoughts on today’s picks? Mooneyham seems like he could be a great pickup - if we can sign him.
June 6, 2008 at 10:09 am
#33@Phantom:
I am truely excited about this pick!
Overall I am starting to warm to this class. I still would have probably gone a different way over Dykstra but since I still liked him as a player for the 42 spot or 46 spot so I suppose I am ok with it. I sure hope Collier and Hewitt don’t shove it in our faces.
In a way I am sorta wondering if Dykstra has potential to become a Adam Dunn type. If his bat comes around and we can get his swing straightened out I could see them giving him a go at left.
June 6, 2008 at 10:09 am
DePos thoughts on rounds 12 to 15.
Matt Clark, 1B, Louisiana St U - At 6′5″ and 230 lbs, one would expect that Clark has big power, and he doesn’t disappoint. Matt hits tape measure home runs and is a threat every time he steps in the box. I don’t have all of the updated stats after regional play last weekend, but Matt was in the top five in the country in home runs.
Erik Davis, RHP, Stanford U - The Friday night starter for Stanford, Erik matched up against all of the other top starters in the Pac 10 this year. His fastball ranges from 86-90, but what separates him is his changeup. He can throw the changeup for strikes any time in the count, and he does a great job of keeping hitters off balance.
Rob Musgrave, LHP, Wichita St U - Rob is another pitcher with very good command and an excellent changeup, which is a true plus offering. Over the past two years Rob has allowed just 35 walks in 200 innings while also striking out 173.
Brett Mooneyham, LHP, Buhach Colony HS, CA - Brett is 6′5″, 215 lbs, throws up to 94 mph and has a plus curveball. Furthermore, Brett’s dad, Bill, was a first round pick in 1980. Sounds pretty good, huh? That’s why Baseball America rates him as one of top 100 prospects in the draft, and many people believe that he is the best left-handed high school pitcher in the country. At this point, though, Brett is planning to attend Stanford in the fall.
June 6, 2008 at 10:18 am
#495: Thomas Davis, RHP from Fordham U.
June 6, 2008 at 10:22 am
33: Like the name already.
June 6, 2008 at 10:22 am
I love these rounds - the scouting reports are all fairly general and everyone sounds like a great pickup. I’ll wait until they start playing. I do like the fact that Depo is giving us up-to-the-minute reports on the players, at least his posts are a little more specific in what they like about a guy.
Like the Mooneyham pick if they can sign him. . .
June 6, 2008 at 10:22 am
Beamer Weems is now my favorite Padre. . .what a name.
June 6, 2008 at 10:27 am
#525: Derek Skunk, SS from Villanova U. Bats righty.
June 6, 2008 at 10:38 am
#555: Nick Vincent, RHP from CSU Long Beach.
June 6, 2008 at 10:47 am
#585: Robert Lara, Catcher from University of Central Florida. Bats righty.
June 6, 2008 at 10:50 am
They have a Skunk and a Beamer (as well as a Jaff)? That’s pretty impressive. Here’s my question to Kevin Goldstein of BP:
Tom (San Diego): Huge disappointment in San Diego after the Dykstra pick. Obviously, with a team with as poor of a track record as the Padres, any pick is going to be suspect but how much of a reach was Dykstra?
Kevin Goldstein: Well, obviously it’s all subjective at this point, but I like many of their picks AFTER Dykstra, while not being a huge fan of the Dykstra pick personally. As far as where they were taken, I like the Forsythe and Darnell selections more, and Blake Tekotte was one of the few college centerfielders in the draft who can actually play the position.
Didn’t really answer the question but he likes a lot of the picks which is good, I guess.
June 6, 2008 at 10:58 am
#615: Jason Codiroli, CF from North Carolina State University. Bats lefty.
June 6, 2008 at 11:03 am
#44@Schlom: I guess as long as we get solid players, it doesn’t really matter how we draft them, eh?
June 6, 2008 at 11:08 am
#645: Joseph Railey, 2B from Univeristy of San Francsico. Bats lefty.
June 6, 2008 at 11:15 am
#46@Phantom: Yes and no. If Dykstra either busts or players drafted around him turn out to me much better it was a wasted pick, regardless of how the other players turn out.
That would be like saying (if Blanks turns out to a contributor for the Padres) that the 2004 Draft was successful because they got one major leaguer out of it which is more then usual.
Talking about the 2004 Draft (again!), who was in charge of that draft, does anyone know? I hope that person still isn’t with the organization since that was a seriously bad draft:
http://www.baseball-reference......ype=junreg
Blanks was a draft and follow, correct?
June 6, 2008 at 11:17 am
#675: Chris Wilkes, RHP from Dr Phillips HS.
June 6, 2008 at 11:19 am
#48@Schlom: It would appear from the majority of the picks we saw come in yesterday that the Padres were targetting bats above all esle. Many people think that Dykstra was one of, if not the best, bat in the draft.
June 6, 2008 at 11:27 am
#705: Nick Conway, RHP from no school listed.
June 6, 2008 at 11:37 am
#735: Eric Gonzalez, RHP from University of South Alabama.
June 6, 2008 at 11:39 am
48: How many of a sure thing are there in this draft? Or in any draft for that matter?
The Padres wanted Havens and didn’t get him.
How could it be a wasted pick if Dykstra turns out to be a major leaguer starting hitter? Or become coveted enough by other organizations to net a major leaguer that fills the need of the Padres in the future?
Let’s not be hasty and feel disappointed already. This is only the beginning of the road for these guys.
June 6, 2008 at 11:46 am
#765: Logan Power, CF from University of Mississippi. Bats righty.
June 6, 2008 at 11:47 am
#48@Schlom:
I think you are going a little overboard in bashing the pick. If Dykstra continues to rake it will be a fine. It could even be a great pick. I definitely wanted a different player at 23 but Dykstra was still on the radar. You are acting like the pick is the most off the wall reach and I just don’t think it was all that bad. It has been stated all over the place that the Padres wanted Havens but he went at 22. Dykstra was still a late 1st, supplemental or early 2nd round talent so it’s not like we drafted some stiff out of nowhere. We may have reached a bit but I don’t think it is nearly that bad.
I think if we can sign the sophmore SS Figueroa from Florida and Moonyham this could be one of the best drafts of the year. We’re a little short on athleticism (though it sounds like Tekotte can really play Center) but the bats appear to be legit and there is room for some steals if we are willing to pay a couple guys over their slot.
June 6, 2008 at 11:54 am
#55@KRS1: I pretty much agree with all of this. Nobody has pointed to us as the worst pick or picks of the draft, either. Actually, a lot of people think we’ve potentially stolen some good talent in the mid rounds.
June 6, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I don’t understand how anyone can bash an individual pick in the baseball draft, and especially if you’re not a scout who’s seen most of these guys.
Bash a philosophy if you like, bash a track record, but a pick? You and I have no clue how these guys are going to turn out.
As for Dysktra and our draft in general, I do like the shift to power this year. We’ve had too many players without ML-level power and they usually can’t retain their walk rates without it.
June 6, 2008 at 12:20 pm
#795: Dean Ana, SS from Ball St. U. Bats lefty.
#825: Aaorn Murphee, RF from U Arkansas Fayettevilee. Bats rights.
June 6, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Padres draft pick Musgrave is pitching on ESPN2 right now. Posey (#5 overall pick) just absolutely rocked his changeup.
June 6, 2008 at 12:28 pm
#855: Nick Schumacher, RHP from Wayne St. Col.
June 6, 2008 at 12:28 pm
58: Is that one of the Gilda Radner character?
June 6, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Musgrave’s throwing fastballs (lots of them elevated) at 88-89 and the changeup at 77. And that’s about it this inning.
Just did a nice job striking out a guy with the bases loaded. Went with the high fastball. And just got out of a bases loaded, 1 out jam.
June 6, 2008 at 12:33 pm
#59@Paul R: Nice find! He just worked his way out of a bases loaded 1 out jam.
June 6, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Lot’s of Shortstops. I like it!
June 6, 2008 at 12:39 pm
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=335
and
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=244
on Jaff, yes, Jaff Decker.
June 6, 2008 at 12:39 pm
#885: Omar Gutierrez, RHP from Texas A&M
June 6, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Holy crap!!! Best record in NL West over last month!!!!! I’m actually excited about that. What do you say we get Peavy and Young back and take the division???
June 6, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Also, Miami plays Arizona tonight on ESPN. A chance to see one of our favorites from the draft (Tekotte). Games at 4
June 6, 2008 at 12:43 pm
#65@Didi: Thanks for the info. It’s too bad the club wants to use him as a position player, he sounds intriguing as a pitcher.
June 6, 2008 at 12:43 pm
#57@Alan: I would bash a pick if it is believed that he is a 3rd rounder that would have slipped to a later pick.
For the record, I don’t think that is the case with Dykstra.
June 6, 2008 at 12:52 pm
#915: Robert Verbick, OF from Sam Houston State U. Bats righty.
June 6, 2008 at 12:55 pm
BTW, Phantom, thanks for posting all these picks.
I’m glad somebody is picking up for that slacker Geoff Young.
No, really, Phantom. Thanks, dude.
June 6, 2008 at 12:55 pm
How many rounds does this thing go? I’ve been liveblogging this biotch all morning.
June 6, 2008 at 12:56 pm
#72@Didi: No problem, it’s been a slow week at work. I just wish I had like a BA subscription or something so that I could post some relevant information.
June 6, 2008 at 1:02 pm
#945: Sean Gilmartin, OF from Crespi Carmelite HS in California. Bats lefty.
June 6, 2008 at 1:03 pm
The problem is that no one else thought that Dykstra was the 23rd best player available in the draft. Now with some organizations the “expert’s” thoughts wouldn’t really matter but since the Padres have done so a horrible job of drafting over the years, those evaluations have greater weight. Again, when a team with a draft record as poor as the Padres makes what others think is a “reach” pick, we have a right to be worried. Remember, this is a team that had one of the worst draft years (2004) ever, certainly since the 1991 Yankees.
It also matters when a player is drafted. For example, in 2004 the Padres only good pick was Kyle Blanks. Does that mean the Padres should have drafted him #1 overall? In theory, yes, but in reality, absolutely not.
June 6, 2008 at 1:04 pm
OT, but the Mavericks are playing LE tonite. Should I watch for anyone in particular? I’ll obviously keep my eyes on Cedric, but is there anyone else I should try to pay particular attention to? It’s going to be a crazy game (Fridays always are) so I’m not sure how much of a scouting report I can offer, but I’ll watch as best as I can. Looks like Culp is going for the Storm.
Oh, and we’re throwing Anderson Garcia. Guy was a gas can in his first start. I expect this to be a high scoring game in favor of LE.
June 6, 2008 at 1:07 pm
#76@Schlom: I just read a UT article that said the Padres expected the D-Backs to pop Dykstra if they didn’t. So clearly, there WERE other teams in the draft who thought Dykstra was also late 1st round talent. Keep in mind that the D-Backs are picking 3 behind us. So the difference between 23 and 26 is not that great.
Would you prefer us to switch with AZ (Schlereth)? Because it’s not likely they would have drafted Collier or one of the HS pitchers if they had passed on Dykstra. They wanted Havens and they didn’t get him. Dykstra was next on their board.
June 6, 2008 at 1:09 pm
#78@Phantom: This is the article I’m talking about: http://www3.signonsandiego.com.....pitch-sim/
June 6, 2008 at 1:12 pm
#975: Kyle Heyne, RHP from Ball State University.
June 6, 2008 at 1:23 pm
#1005: Dan Robertson, CF from Oregon State University. Bats righty.
June 6, 2008 at 1:25 pm
77: Probably the usual prospects: Miller, Canham, Sogard, Kulbacki. Culp is supposed to be better but who knows. Hey, isn’t Cesar Carillo set to join the Storms?
When Geoff and I went to see them, we were surprised by Kulbacki’s good play in RF so I’ll keep an eye out for how he plays there. He’s also strong and hit a long out but he seemed to be late on pitches that day.
Javis Diaz is the only Dominican on the team and he’s a contact and speed guy. He’s also 23-yrs old. He may need to be excellent to move up quickly.
And there is Axelrod from UCIrvine, just because I went there.
June 6, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I’m not the only one questioning the pick. Check out the poll for the 1st Round’s most surprising pick on Baseball America:
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....1212705036
Again, if I had faith in the Padres drafting I wouldn’t question it so much. Remember last season, Grady Fuson claimed that the Padres had Nick Schmidt above Porcello on their board. So they don’t always know what they are doing.
June 6, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Oh, Phantom, it’s supposed to be 50 rounds of draft.
June 6, 2008 at 1:31 pm
#82@Didi: I’ll try to keep them in mind. The OF at Mavericks Stadium is pretty large and the win can make for some interesting fly balls. I’ll definitely have to keep an eye on Cedric and Kulbacki out there.
Any relievers on the team that are of interest? I usually have a bit of time to chat with them since I coordinate our run with the mascot across the OF. We let the kids in right at the visiting bullpen.
June 6, 2008 at 1:33 pm
#1035: Matthe Gaski, 2B from UNC Greensboro. Bats lefty.
June 6, 2008 at 1:35 pm
#82@Didi: UT said Carrillo is supposed to be with Lake Elsinore beginning the 15th. that’s exciting!
June 6, 2008 at 1:35 pm
83: And this poll has bearing on what? The poll is for the reader not a pool of experts. There is no such thing as the consensus 23th best player in the any draft. Most predictions are that, predictions.
June 6, 2008 at 1:38 pm
#33@Phantom: Great pick.
#50@Phantom: I haven’t seen one person suggest that he might have been the best bat in the draft. He’d have been ranked a lot higher if he was. There are many questions about whether his swing and approach will work against pro pitchers. It wasn’t a big reach, if it was a reach at all, but I’d have preferred Collier’s ability to hit the ball a long way and do many other things. Still, this time next year Dykstra could be sitting on 15-20 HR for Lake Elsinore.
#67@Oside Jon: Anything can happen. Using Ledezma / Baek for 20-40% of our starts won’t help.
June 6, 2008 at 1:45 pm
#1065: Logan Gelbrich, Catcher from USD. Bats right.
Can anyone give us a scouting report on Gelbrich since he’s from USD?
June 6, 2008 at 2:04 pm
83: Having Schmidt above Porcello does not prove that they don’t know what they’re doing. Neither pitcher is a successful major leaguer, so it’s tough to argue that point yet. I’m inclined to agree with you, but if you’ll look at Porcello’s stats thus far, they’re a bit underwhelming. He’s only struck out 36 in 62 innings and there are concerns that he’s not the pitcher that he was perceived to be when he was selected.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb.....8806030391
June 6, 2008 at 2:06 pm