Chisoxfn

Heres a pretty informative list on some of the top high school prospects and where they are going to college. Might give you an idea why a particular guy slides, plus gives a little brief scouting report on each of the players.

Here's a really interesting article with a guy that takes a statistical approach based upon the college players past history. AJ Pollack, one of my favorites, looks really good based upon this guys analysis. http://projectprospect.com/article/2008/12...-quantitatively Another guy I like ranks fairly high on the list as well, Josh Fellhauer from Fullerton, although I wouldn't take him in the first couple ruonds of the draft. Another interesting part of the article is where he talks about how he expected Josh Fields to not live up to expectations based upon his collegiate statistics.

BA On Viciedo

Per the White Sox Twitter, JD is appealing his suspension and will be in the lineup tonight.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 15, 2009 -> 11:37 AM) I believe intent was factored in, imagine if he intended to hit the ump with a helmet. He'd be out a few weeks or longer, even as classy as he is. I don't think so. Maybe another game or two, but look at what Milton Bradley got.

QUOTE (lostfan @ May 15, 2009 -> 11:31 AM) 5 cool points to whoever gets my reference btw. Eastbound and Down?

That is a little ridiculous, considering there was no intent. This better get reduced to a game via appeal. Especially when you consider Dye's history (ie, being a classy ballplayer).

No word on whether he will appeal the suspension or not.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ May 15, 2009 -> 10:59 AM) Not CF, but defintely LF or RF. Mostly RF. Well I guess you answered my next question.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ May 15, 2009 -> 10:58 AM) He covers ground well enough in the outfield. He gets to ball sometimes that I think he's not going to get. Would he at all be able to even play a mediocre center? I believe he played there a bit in college.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ May 15, 2009 -> 10:56 AM) Yes, he has a rightfielder's arm. Yes, he has power to ALL fields. Tremendous power the opposite way. He's faster than he looks. He's a hell of a good guy as well. He's big and strong, I've never noticed any serious flaws with him. He does look at a lot of pitches, so that accounts for a lot of his K's. Its a bad comparison, but he kind of has that Vladdy build to him (think 2 years ago Vladdy). Where he's a pretty big guy, but finds a way to move well. And no, I'm not at all comparing him to Vladdy the player.

QUOTE (Cali @ May 15, 2009 -> 10:53 AM) How's his Defense? Solid defensive player. Don't know how he'd be able to handle CF, but projects as a solid defensive outfielder with a plus arm. By all means I'm not saying we have a star, but he's the type of guy that if he got a shot, might just be a pretty solid all around ball player or at least a solid bench player. And since the Sox might have some big holes in the outfield and not many major league ready replacements in the outfield, this might be a good year for Gartrell to get his chance.

QUOTE (BearSox @ May 15, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) Right now, I'd love for our first three picks to be: 1 (23) - Mike Leake, SP Arizona St. 1b (38) - A.J. Pollack, OF Notre Dame (could also potentially play either 2B or 3B as well) 2 (610 - Aaron Miller, OF Baylor Mike Leake is someone who can progress quickly and be a real solid no. 3 (if not better) for a long time. He doesn't have dominant stuff, but he has good stuff and knows how to pitch. Great poise, great command and is a true baseball player. Pollack is a great baseball player and can play all 3 OF spots, and could potentially move back to 2B or 3B. He has good speed, and can hit. Very solid player and another true baseball player. Miller is a bit raw, but also another very solid baseball player. Get him to focus on just his offensive game, and he can be the next Andre Ethier. Got a sweet swing, and again, a true baseball player. I guess you see the theme with my draft, and it goes right with what Ozzie said, good, true baseball players. 3 guys who could progress through the system rather quickly and become solid players for us. I like Leake, but I think he's a bit of a reach with the 23rd pick. I'd like to see the Sox take someone with more upside, but Leake is a guy that has done nothing but excel in his collegiate career. That said, I just don't buy him having the stuff to be an impact pitcher and I think he falls in a similar mold as a Lance Broadway/Kyle McCulloch. I'd put him more in the Broadway range since Broadway was pretty damn good in college and had a plus spike curve coming out of college, but at the same time Leake's a bit "meh" to me. If you got him with the supplemental pick, I'd be excited and I honestly would love that draft as you'd be getting two outfielders with baseball ability and solid tools all across the board. I absolutely love Pollack and while he might be a bit of a reach at 23, would have no problem if we grabbed him. Miller is a pretty toolsy guy with a very strong arm. I still like Trout a whole heck of a lot and I've heard a lot of noise about him being a pretty strong bet to go somewhere in the 20's. Basically put, love the selections, but I'd much rather go with the best collegiate pitcher still on the board cause I really think you'll find a power arm there at 23. It probably wont' be Brothers but a guy like Paxton would look damn good too. Not near as close to the sure thing Leake is, but he possesses the ability to eventually turn into a top 10-20 prospect in all of baseball and when you have 5 picks this early, you should take some chances.

You'll also fine a ton of good info on him in the AAP section. A top 50 senior who was drafted later in the draft because college seniors can fall as teams found and drool over younger guys. But Gartrell has tools and the big thing scouts seem to boast is that he has a cannon arm and good speed (not great speed). http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52137

Despite the title, that is a video of Stephan Gartrell hitting a homer off of McGee. It was a 94MPH fastball that he belted out of the park.

I'd say he's still on the outside looking in, but he has a very good skill-set, one that I believe Ozzie Guillen would like. In fact, if the Sox can't find anything in the outfield, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Gartrell got a shot. He really seems to be putting things together and he is definately a prospect. Top 10, probably not, but he's a guy that if you give him a shot might earn himself a major league job.

This is a pretty good draft to have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds as most experts would tell you that outside of a few guys, there are a whole hell of a lot of players who bundled together and grade out similarly. These are guys that all would be considered fringe 1st to 2nd round picks, but with some uspide and this bodes particularly well when you have a ton of picks in a range where similar players will be available because it will allow the Sox to really build up a lot of depth and talent in the minors. If they do things right and don't go on the cheap, they could easily be on there way to having a farm system much like the Red Sox and in this economy that is a big big thing.

Below is an article from Merkin regarding the Sox draft:

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 15, 2009 -> 09:52 AM) How are they going to do that? How is Bob Sanders going to stay healthy?

Very sad...RIP.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ May 14, 2009 -> 09:21 PM) Peyton has been running the show for a while. He has a billion page playbook memorized I wouldn't be betting the Colts this year. They lost one of the best head coaches in the league, one of the best oline coaches in the league, and arguably the best offensive coordinator in the league. This is all after they somehow made the playoffs despite playing awful football most of the season (I know a Colts fan will probably jump on me for saying this, but I watched most of the Colts game last year and they were not a playoff caliber football team, nor were the Chargers).

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 15, 2009 -> 09:05 AM) Well this 2 man team is nowhere near being anything like the Bulls dynasty. Not even the same planet. I'm not really saying it is, but for a chunk of this season they looked like locks to win the NBA title. Of course that was often times with a healthy Bynum.

Laker fans and the players seem to be reaming Bynum. I think now is the time the Bulls try to swing a deal to get the Lakers big man. I don't think you'd have to give up as much, given the questions surrounding his knee and the fact that the Lakers might have to change things up. OBviously this conversation changes if the Lakers go on to win the title or if Bynum gets back into a groove in the playoffs. Plus acquiring Bynum shouldn't kill the clubs chances of being able to get a franchise player in 2010. I think a Hinrich/Tyrus Thomas for Bynum and filler deal would work. Lakers needs a point guard, Hinrich could fill that roll, and Tyrus Thomas is an athletic big that could play along side Gasol. Maybe they'd prefer Noah, but I'd probably do that as well, even though Noah really played strong down the stretch.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 15, 2009 -> 08:33 AM) Denver over Seattle and it isn't even close. This LA team is a 2 man team with a bunch of role players. They're highly overrated and I'm a Lakers fan. The Bulls were a two man team with a bunch of role players and are widely regarded as one of the greatest dynasties ever.

QUOTE (bighurt4life @ May 14, 2009 -> 10:41 PM) He throws pure filth but was just crazy wild in college. He had trouble finding the strike zone some last year too but seems to be putting it together. Reportedly he sits in the upper 90's with his fastball and has a curve that is just a hammer. His curve is one of the nastiest curves I've seen the past year or two. Its a big time hammer, but his delivery is a wreck and this spring I talked to my friends and basically we all thought there was pretty small odds on him ever being able to repeat that thing. But if he does, wow. And his velocity is a bit over the place or at least it was this spring, one game he'd be upper 90's and unhittable, next game low 90's. However, thats the spring. And if he at all finds command, look out.