thomsonmi

I bruised my shin catching a 16 year old female fastpitch pitcher tonight.

Weenie!

Maybe Schoe will have better luck against these guys... Phillies vs. lefties AVG OBP SLG OPS .243 .332 .411 .743 vs. righties AVG OBP SLG OPS .263 .342 .439 .781

Ok, my hopes have now dwindled dramatically.

But, so can we... and I'm not throwing in the towel just yet.

In case there's any doubt, these Phillies can hit...

The hell with following him in the minors, give him the ball on Saturday as our #5!

I like the moxy in this kid. It might be insane to think he could jump from college to the majors like this but it's a good sign that he wants too. From www.whitesox.com... From early indications, the White Sox might also grow to like Lumsden's competitive streak before all is said and done. When told Monday afternoon that the White Sox were in need of a fifth starter Saturday, an area where the pitching staff has struggled all season, Lumsden immediately threw his hat in the ring. Of course, that's assuming the draft's 34th pick overall, a sandwich selection brought about by Bartolo Colon's free-agent departure to Anaheim, comes to terms with the White Sox over the next few days. The signs currently appear positive. "I'll tell them I'm ready if they need me," said Lumsden with a laugh. The southpaw finished 5-4 with a 3.98 earned run average in 15 games during his junior season for the Tigers, posting a team-high 88 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings and leading Clemson to a 39-25 record and a berth in the NCAA Regionals.

There's a good article on www.whitesox.com regarding how we stocked up on left-handed pitching. White Sox draft lots of lefties Sox brass giddy about pitching-heavy draft By Scott Merkin / MLB.com • White Sox conference call • White Sox draft picks CHICAGO -- In Tyler Lumsden, one of the five left-handed pitchers selected by the White Sox on Day 1 of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, the South Siders picked up a hard thrower who topped out at 97 mph while pitching for Clemson. From early indications, the White Sox might also grow to like Lumsden's competitive streak before all is said and done. When told Monday afternoon that the White Sox were in need of a fifth starter Saturday, an area where the pitching staff has struggled all season, Lumsden immediately threw his hat in the ring. Of course, that's assuming the draft's 34th pick overall, a sandwich selection brought about by Bartolo Colon's free-agent departure to Anaheim, comes to terms with the White Sox over the next few days. The signs currently appear positive. "I'll tell them I'm ready if they need me," said Lumsden with a laugh. The southpaw finished 5-4 with a 3.98 earned run average in 15 games during his junior season for the Tigers, posting a team-high 88 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings and leading Clemson to a 39-25 record and a berth in the NCAA Regionals. The selection of Lumsden made the early part of this year's draft look very similar to the 2003 draft's start for the White Sox. Third baseman Josh Fields was the team's first choice at No. 18 in the first round, but Lumsden was a first-round possibility for many teams, including the White Sox. When he slipped to the supplemental round between the first and second, the White Sox snagged him. In 2003, the White Sox selected outfielder Brian Anderson in the first round but picked up second-round outfielder Ryan Sweeney, another player with clear-cut, first-round potential. Duane Shaffer, the team's senior director of player personnel and the White Sox's coordinator of the draft, was more than happy to see Lumsden still available. He was equally thrilled when the organization grabbed 18-year-old left-handed pitcher Giovanny Gonzalez from Monsignor Pace High School in Hialeah, Fla., in a supplemental pick for Tom Gordon's departure at No. 38, left-handed UCLA pitcher Wes Whislerat No. 53 in the second round and left-handed pitcher Ray Liotta at No. 69 overall from Gulf Coast Community College. Despite the Hollywood familiarity of the final name in the list, Shaffer believes all of these left-handed hurlers eventually will be 'Goodfellas' for the White Sox. "We were surprised and very happy," said Shaffer of the left-handed pitching available. "We didn't waste any time taking them. We just gobbled up as many as we could. "This is a chance to get a lot of solid pitching and good players back into the system. (Chairman) Jerry Reinsdorf has been great about this. He said to take the best guys and that's what we did." Reinsdorf, who was in the team's war room during the early stages of the draft, was more directly involved this season because of the White Sox's six picks in the first two rounds. That total can add up to a hefty sum of signing bonuses, but the White Sox are said to be close to inking all of these early picks. Other names of note in the first eight rounds were fifth-rounder Brandon Allen, a power-hitting, 18-year-old outfielder from Montgomery High School in Texas, and eighth-rounder Nickolas Lemon out of BYU, one of the hardest throwers in the draft, but one who needs to fix a delivery problem and harness his control. The White Sox also selected Daron Roberts in the 12th round, from Cal State San Bernadino. He's cut out of the same cloth as Aaron Rowand, a full-speed ahead player at all times, and also the son of the Florida Marlins' national scout Dave Roberts. Michael Swain, a third baseman from Wabash Valley Community College taken in the 14th round, and Rockton Hononegah's right-handed hurler Brett Scarpetta (18th round) were the only local players picked. During Lumsden's freshman year, the left-hander pitched in two College World Series games for Clemson in Omaha. That experience was one of the greatest memories in his young life, but reaching professional baseball was the fulfillment of a goal. He joins White Sox closer Billy Koch and minor league hurler B.J. LaMura in making up the South Side's Clemson contingency. "I'm going in there with confidence and ready to do my best, in any capacity they need," said Lumsden, who throws a fastball, curve, cutter/slider and circle change. "Just being a lefty is a good quality in baseball." Shaffer doesn't need to be reminded about that fact. Five was his lucky number in that area on the draft's first day. "To be honest with you, I couldn't be happier with what we got," Shaffer said. "We have the impact guy in the first round, followed by four power left-handed arms. I don't want to short change anyone else, but realistically, I didn't think we had the chance." Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Abe Vigota, Your two cents are right on the money.

I'm not sure that link worked. If you want to see Adam Russell pitching (or for that matter any of the early draft picks) go to ... http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/draftday/y2004/trac...team_cha_1.html

Check it out for yourself at... http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/mediaplayer/frameset.jsp

Technically speaking, your closer can't pitch 162 games. I know that's a stretch but it's just a fact. You have to be able to count on the Mike Jackson's to wrap up six run leads. If you have to use your closer to wrap up a game that you lead by six runs then you've got some major problems.

The Sox definitely seem to like the big guys. I don't know anything about these last group of picks but they are almost all tall. How's that for Kiper-like draft insight?

Seven more pitchers... Round 39 JAMES LEIGH BRYANT HS LHP L/L 6'4" 185 1986-06-04 HS Round 40 JUSTIN ROELLE IOWA WESTERN CC LHP L/L 6'4" 180 1981-05-28 JR Round 41 MATTHEW ROZIER MERIDIAN CC RHP R/R 6'1" 230 1984-04-17 JR Round 42 MICHAEL SCHOWER RIVERVIEW HS LHP R/L 6'2" 160 1986-03-20 HS Round 43 IAN MURRAY JEFFERSON COL RHP R/R 6'5" 210 1985-01-14 JR Round 44 STEVEN MUCK COVINGTON CATHOLIC HS RHP R/R 6'5" 190 1986-05-22 HS Round 45 JASON SULLIVAN CROWDER JC RHP R/R 6'4" 205 1984-07-25 JR

Round 38 SHAUN SPEARMAN ST PIUS X SCHOOL SS R/R 0'0" 0 1985-10-21 HS

Round 37 ROBERT GRINESTAFF OKALOOSA WALTON CC C L/R 6'1" 195 1984-10-27 JR

Round 36 KENNETH WILLIAMS PLAINFIELD HS CF S/R 6'0" 180 1986-05-22 HS No Kidding!!!

More position players... Round 34 MARIO SUAREZ FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL U 3B R/R 6'1" 205 1982-12-06 4YR This one is interesting... Round 35 EVAN TARTAGLIA ELON U CF L/L 5'11" 165 1982-05-21 4YR COMMENT: MEDIUM FRAME, SLENDER. LOOSE, LIVE BODY. LEAN UPPER 1/2, SMALL WAIST. SOME PHYSICAL PROJECTABILITY. RESEMBLES SCOTT PODSEDNIK. NEAR SQUARE, CROUCH. WEIGHT BACK, DIAGONAL & STRAIGHT RIGHT LEG. SOME DIVE. GROUND BALL, LINE DRIVE STROKE. WILL INSIDE-OUT HARD STUFF IN. BUNTS FOR HITS. QUICK OUT OF BOX. ATTEMPTS TO USE SPEED TO AFFECT GAME. ARM ACCUARCY IMPROVING.

Well, the age works. It could be his son.

Round 33 brings us another big, burly right-hander... BRANDON COONEY BROWARD CC RHP R/R 6'5" 240 1985-08-02 JR

FYI, you've got "Hayward" where "Cooper" should be... [Cooper] showed good power at Cal State Hayward. He hit .340 with 17 homers and 72 RBI this past season. Both the homers and RBI totals were Cal State Hayward records. Unlike most power hitters, [Cooper] is a good contact hitter as evidence of his 20 strikeouts in 160 AB.

31st Round... ERIC SHERIDAN SADDLEBACK CC RHP R/R 6'0" 170 1983-09-22 JR COMMENT: LEAN, WIRY, MEDIUM FRAME. WELL PROPORTIONED, ATHLETIC BODY. SQUARE SHOULDERS. NARROW WAIST. LEAN, STURDY LEGS. LONG, SINEWY MUSCLES. NO WIND UP, HIGH 3/4 ARM. HIGH LEG LIFT. BREAKS HANDS AT WAIST. MAJOR LEAGUE FB W/ QUICK, LIVE ARM, MOST 90-91. HARD BITING MAJOR LEAGUE CB W/ LATE BREAK. SMOOTH, EASY, DELIBERATE DELIVERY. CHALLENGES HITTERS. CONTROL, STRAIGHT FB. MUST LEARN TO BE CONSISTENT W/ ALL PITCHES & IMPROVE CONTROL. PLAYS CF.

Is our 28th Round pick related to this Frank Viola? http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/violafr01.shtml

25th Round DANIEL JORDAN GULLIVER PREPARATORY 3B R/R 6'0" 190 1986-05-09 HS 26th Round LOGAN WILLIAMSON PENSACOLA JC LHP L/L 6'0" 190 1985-03-31 JR 27th Round GREGORY YOUNG DELAWARE TECH CC CF R/R 6'2" 190 1985-03-11 JR 28th Round FRANK VIOLA FLORIDA CC RHP R/R 6'4" 188 1984-06-19 JR 29th Round MATTHEW ZALESKI INDIANA ST U RHP R/R 6'0" 205 1981-12-02 4YR 30th Round NICHOLS WALTERS MOUNTAIN RIDGE HS LHP L/L 6'2" 170 1985-09-30 HS