Punch and Judy Garland

they like to do that, I think Kazuo Matsui was pretty high last year. They go by likelihood of reaching a ceiling, so I guess technically they are right. Here's the whole list if it hasn't been posted yet. Pretty good love for the Sox, considering that our farm system has been depleted by trades. I'm sure people around here will whine anyways though 1. Joe Mauer, c, Twins: "We had some concern from the start that he was bigger than the normal catcher. But Joe Mauer is not normal, from his mind to his tools to his heart." -- Twins scouting director Mike Radcliff. 2. Felix Hernandez, rhp, Mariners: "He's the best I've seen in the last three or four years, and he's right up there with the great stuff guys I've ever seen." -- National League scout. 3. Delmon Young, of, Devil Rays: "He changes the outcome of every game with his power and his arm." -- Charleston (W.Va.) manager Ken Joyce. 4. Ian Stewart, 3b, Rockies: "He's athletic and he's got some juice in his bat, and I like his haircut." -- Savannah manager Bob Henley. 5. Joel Guzman, ss, Dodgers: "He's Juan Gonzalez waiting to happen." -- American League scout. 6. Casey Kotchman, 1b, Angels: "He's such a good hitter and he's still developing. I think he'll easily hit 30-plus homers in the majors." -- NL scout. 7. Scott Kazmir, lhp, Devil Rays: "You'll know why we traded for him when you see him pitch. He's got outstanding stuff." -- Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar. 8. Rickie Weeks, 2b, Brewers: "He has the tools, he's smart, he's a good person and he has the work ethic. He's going to be outstanding." -- NL scout. 9. Andy Marte, 3b, Braves: "There's nothing not to like about Andy Marte. He's an outstanding defender with a chance to be an impact player offensively." -- Birmingham manager Razor Shines. 10. Hanley Ramirez, ss, Red Sox: "What a young talent. He makes the game look so easy." -- Fort Myers manager Jose Marzan. 11. Lastings Milledge, of, Mets: "He's a double threat because of his power and his ability to leadoff and make things happen on the bases." -- Greensboro manager Steve Phillips. 12. Dallas McPherson, 3b, Angels: "Every mistake we made, he made us pay for. He has an easy swing and natural power." -- San Antonio manager Dave Brundage. 13. Matt Cain, rhp, Giants: "With his stuff and maturity level, you look at that package and think front-of-the-rotation starter." -- AL scout. 14. Jeff Francoeur, of, Braves: "He has it all and his makeup is off the charts." -- AL scout. 15. Prince Fielder, 1b, Brewers: "I think he'll be a more complete hitter than his dad was, especially if he avoids losing control of his body." -- NL scout. 16. Adam Miller, rhp, Indians: "He was dirty. His fastball and slider were more than plus." -- Lakewood manager P.J. Forbes. 17. Jason Kubel, of, Twins: "I call him Mr. Doubles. He hits the ball low and uses all fields, so he's going to hit a lot of doubles." -- Rochester broadcaster/former big league manager Joe Altobelli. 18. Jeremy Hermida, of, Marlins: "He's a hitter. That's a beautiful swing." -- Sarasota manager Todd Claus. 19. Chad Billingsley, rhp, Dodgers: "He's just a kid with an overpowering fastball and overpowering slider. He's mature beyond his years." -- Dodgers scouting director Logan White. 20. Jeff Niemann, rhp, Devil Rays: "He's truly unique because he's got four pitches and he can use those pitches, yet he's a power guy." -- Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar. 21. Brian Dopirak, 1b, Cubs: "When the ball comes off his bat, it's like hitting a golf ball with an aluminum bat." -- Kane County manager Dave Joppie. 22. Carlos Quentin, of, Diamondbacks: "He improved in every phase. He didn't need to improve in some." -- Diamondbacks assistant general manager Bob Miller. 23. Jeff Francis, lhp, Rockies: "His fastball seems like it's going 97, he's throwing it downhill and does it so easy." -- Arkansas manager Tyrone Boykin. 24. Nick Swisher, of, Athletics: "He walks but he's not passive. He wants to hit and makes you throw him his pitch." -- AL scout. 25. Jose Capellan, rhp, Brewers: "Capellan throws in the high 90s, and it is effortless." -- Chattanooga manager Jayhawk Owens. 26. Chris Nelson, ss, Rockies: "His bat is further along than B.J. Upton's was at the same time." -- NL scout. 27. Ryan Howard, 1b, Phillies: "When you have power like him, you don't have to pull it. It's not like any park can hold him." -- New Hampshire manager Mike Basso. 28. J.J. Hardy, ss, Brewers: "He's a special kid in terms of what's between his ears and his heart." -- Brewers scouting director Jack Zduriencik. 29. Mike Hinckley, lhp, Nationals: "What separates him is the makeup, work ethic, preparation. The physical tools are there, and all those intangibles are there already." -- Nationals farm director Adam Wogan. 30. Edwin Jackson, rhp, Dodgers: "He had a rough year but I'll take him any day of the week. He's dominant when he has his command." -- AL scout. 31. Felix Pie, of, Cubs: "He's got five tools and all of them have a chance to be above-average. The sky is the limit." -- Sarasota manager Todd Claus. 32. Daric Barton, 1b/c, Athletics: "I love his approach. It's what you try to teach kids." -- AL scout. 33. Jeremy Reed, of, Mariners: "He's another Mark Kotsay. I love the way he plays and I root for him." -- AL scout. 34. Zach Duke, lhp, Pirates: "You look at him and you think, 'What does this kid have to work on?' He's just so polished." -- Altoona manager Tony Beasley. 35. Gavin Floyd, rhp, Phillies: "He's had that big league curveball since high school. He just needs more fastball command." -- NL scout. 36. Eric Duncan, 3b, Yankees: "His work ethic reminds me of Todd Helton. He's not a guy who falls out of bed and hits. He's a guy who falls out of bed and works, and that's why he hits." -- Battle Creek manager Bill Mosiello. 37. Brian Anderson, of, White Sox: "He's Jeremy Reed with a lot more power potential. He made the White Sox realize that Reed was expendable." -- NL scout. 38. Scott Olsen, lhp, Marlins: "He's a horse when he's out on the mound. He tries to do anything he can to use his fastball." -- Jupiter manager Luis Dorante. 39. Erick Aybar, ss, Angels: "He's the perfect combination of fundamentals and flashiness." -- Rancho Cucamonga manager Bobby Meacham. 40. Conor Jackson, of, Diamondbacks: "He doesn't swing at bad pitches and he doesn't miss good ones." -- Inland Empire manager Daren Brown. 41. Michael Aubrey, 1b, Indians: "The one thing he's always been able to do i**** a fastball. You can see him seek it out." -- Indians farm director John Farrell. 42. Ryan Sweeney, of, White Sox: "This guy is special. I've been in baseball a long time, and I've never seen a kid like this." -- White Sox farm director Dave Wilder. 43. Dan Meyer, lhp, Athletics: "He's a big-game pitcher. He pitches every game with that same level of intensity -- as if it was the last game of the season with it all on the line." -- Richmond manager Pat Kelly. 44. Brian McCann, c, Braves: "All he does i****, and no one talks about how good he was defensively last year. He was one of the better catchers in the minors in a year when there weren't many good catchers." -- AL scout. 45. Josh Barfield, 2b, Padres: "The kid understand****ting. It's just rare to see a young hitter who understands how to stay inside the ball so well." -- Padres scouting director Bill Gayton. 46. Yusmeiro Petit, rhp, Mets: "I just can't hit him. You just can't pick the ball up off him." -- Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss. 47. Anthony Reyes, rhp, Cardinals: "Besides Jose Capellan, no starter in the Southern League had a better arm, and Anthony has better command than Capellan." -- Tennessee manager Mark DeJohn. 48. Homer Bailey, rhp, Reds: "He's the epitome of a pure projection pitcher. He has plus stuff with a good breaking ball, and he even has a little change-piece now." -- NL scout. 49. Brandon McCarthy, rhp, White Sox: "He's got exceptional command for a tall guy. He creates such good angles and works down in the zone." -- Lynchburg pitching coach Scott Lovekamp. 50. Philip Humber, rhp, Mets: "His performance is pretty consistent, which matches his personality. He's pretty controlled, and I love his curveball." -- NL scout. 51. Shin-Soo Choo, of, Mariners: "He does a lot of things well. He's a pretty complete player and is always involved when they win." -- El Paso manager Scott Coolbaugh. 52. Thomas Diamond, rhp, Rangers: "He's a big, strong horse who comes from a good program. The package is there." -- Former Rangers scouting director Grady Fuson. 53. Kyle Davies, rhp, Braves: "He's got great stuff and is very athletic. The thing that sets him apart is that changeup." -- Wilmington manager Billy Gardner Jr. 54. Franklin Gutierrez, of, Indians: "He has enough bat speed and power to be an impact player." -- AL scout. 55. Mark Rogers, rhp, Brewers: "What we like about him is his package of skills: his size, his mental makeup, and what we think he's going to bring to the table. When you put the whole package together, we thought this kid had an upside." -- Brewers scouting director Jack Zduriencik. 56. Edwin Encarnacion, 3b, Reds: "He hits the ball so hard, he will hit for power. He's not as good as Miguel Cabrera, but he has a similar approach." -- NL scout. 57. Curtis Granderson, of, Tigers: "It seems like all of his tools have gotten better since he signed." -- AL scout. 58. Merkin Valdez, rhp, Giants: "His arm works so easy; it doesn't look like it's upper 90s, but the ball just explodes on hitters." -- NL scout. 59. John Danks, lhp, Rangers: "He has a chance to be a No. 1 or 2 starter in the big leagues. He throws three pitches for strikes, and they're all plus pitches." -- Cedar Rapids manager Bobby Magallanes. 60. Chris Burke, 2b, Astros: "He's a baseball guy. I see him as a Mark Loretta with more speed." -- AL scout. 61. Sergio Santos, ss, Diamondbacks: "He has power and makes all the plays at shortstop. I think he can stay there." -- AL scout. 62. James Loney, 1b, Dodgers: "He can really swing it, and he's really smooth over there at first. He will save his team runs. If he has power it will be a bonus." -- NL scout. 63. Jesse Crain, rhp, Twins: "What was already a really good out pitch for him became even better than what I saw last year. That was the best slider in the International League." -- Indianapolis manager Cecil Cooper. 64. Aaron Hill, ss, Blue Jays: "He's going to be a major league power hitter and he's going to be a very productive major league hitter." -- Blue Jays roving hitting instructor Merv Rettenmund. 65. Nick Markakis, of, Orioles: "You've got to remember he was never a full-time hitter before last year. He gets better every second." -- AL scout. 66. Ryan Harvey, of, Cubs: "He hit two home runs off us that went about 900 feet combined." -- Vancouver manager Dennis Rogers. 67. Jeff Mathis, c, Angels: "If you miss on Mathis' bat, he's still a catcher with great makeup. I love the guy. He's hard not to." -- AL scout. 68. Javier Herrera, of, Athletics: "He can do it all tools-wise. If he were American, he would have been a certain first-round pick." -- AL scout. 69. Brandon League, rhp, Blue Jays: "Everybody knows about that fastball, but his slider is always in the back of your mind. He'll show it to you once outside the zone, but he's just setting you up for later on." -- Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. 70. J.D. Durbin, rhp, Twins: "He could go to the bullpen right now and throw fastball-breaking ball and pitch in the big leagues, but I believe the Twins want him to develop into a starter, and to do that he's going to have to learn to slow the ball down a little." -- Grand Canyon coach Jose Marzan. 71. Cole Hamels, lhp, Phillies: "His changeup is one of the better ones I've seen. He has tremendous arm action and the ball just tumbles to the plate." -- Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal. 72. Brandon Moss, of, Red Sox: "He's refined his overall approach at the plate and really worked hard to become a better hitter." -- Red Sox farm director Ben Cherington. 73. Clint Nageotte, rhp, Mariners : "He has one of the best sliders I've ever seen." -- AL scout. 74. Andy LaRoche, 3b, Dodgers: "He's got bat speed, strength in his hands and is a true profile at third base, offensively and defensively." -- AL scout. 75. Billy Butler, 3b, Royals: "He can do a lot of damage if he gets his pitch to hit. And every time we were there, when he did get his pitch to hit, he was able to do something with it." -- Royals scouting director Deric Ladnier. 76. Kendry Morales, of, Angels: "He's a middle-of-the-order hitter that's getting ready to play in the big leagues. He's on the big-league roster going into camp with a chance to win a job." -- Angels scouting director Eddie Bane. 77. Joaquin Arias, ss, Rangers: "One of the more exciting players around. Very high ceiling, but a long way to go." -- Bakersfield manager Arnie Beyeler. 78. Fred Lewis, of, Giants: "He's a tremendous athlete, but now he's also a baseball player." -- AL scout. 79. Guillermo Quiroz, c, Blue Jays: "He looks like a baby Pudge Rodriguez. He'll shut down the running game, and he has some power." -- NL scout. 80. Ezequiel Astacio, rhp, Astros: "Everything got better and more consistent last year. His fastball and curveball got harder, and he picked up a splitter overnight." -- NL scout. 81. Neil Walker, c, Pirates: "You wonder if he might be too athletic to stay behind the plate. He could play practically anywhere on the field." -- GCL Pirates manager Woody Huyke. 82. Ubaldo Jimenez, rhp, Rockies: "I drool at the mention of his name. He was right there with Matt Cain and Felix Hernandez in the Cal League before he got hurt." -- AL scout. 83. Brandon Wood, ss, Angels: "He's slender but he can jolt the ball, and he makes the plays at shortstop." -- AL scout. 84. Brad Snyder, of, Indians: "He's a strong, physical athlete that's going to be a tremendous big league player. He's the complete package that stands up and demands your attention." -- Kinston manager Torey Lovullo. 85. Mark Teahen, 3b, Royals: "He was probably the best third baseman in the Texas League. He's got the whole package as a guy who can hit and plays good defense at third." -- Frisco manager Tim Ireland. 86. Kyle Sleeth, rhp, Tigers: "This kid has a funky delivery, but he has great life on his fastball. He's got an idea of how to pitch." -- Tampa manager Billy Masse. 87. Joey Gathright, of, Devil Rays: "He's the kind of leadoff hitter that you don't run into much anymore." -- Buffalo manager Marty Brown. 88. Angel Guzman, rhp, Cubs: "He just needs to get healthy. He'll show you three plus-plus pitches at times." -- NL scout. 89. Russell Martin, c, Dodgers: "He's very advanced in all aspects defensively, but the thing we really got excited about was the way his bat came around in the Arizona Fall League." -- Dodgers scouting director Logan White. 90. Jeremy Sowers, lhp, Indians: "He locates everything well, especially the fastball. He automatically becomes one of the most polished pitchers in a system deep with arms." -- NL scout. 91. Jon Papelbon, rhp, Red Sox: "Papelbon may not be getting his due credit after such a strong year. On most nights, he features three plus pitches." -- Red Sox assistant general manager Josh Byrnes. 92. Jake Stevens, lhp, Braves: "He's got the fastball and changeup, but that curveball is so good that's the pitch you've got to watch for." -- Augusta manager Chad Epperson. 93. Richie Gardner, rhp, Reds: "He might have been the best guy I saw all year in terms of changing speeds." -- AL scout. 94. Hayden Penn, rhp, Orioles: "He can run his fastball inside, and broke a lot of bats. He had a lot of polish for the Sally League." -- Charleston (W.Va.) manager Ken Joyce. 95. Josh Fields, 3b, White Sox: "He was one of the better athletes available in the draft. We think he will be an impact guy at the major league level." -- White Sox senior director of player personnel Duane Shaffer 96. Tadahito Iguchi, 2b, White Sox: "The way he goes about the game, he's a perfect fit for what we need at the top of the order. He plays the game the right way. He plays it hard." -- White Sox general manager Ken Williams. 97. Huston Street, rhp, Athletics: "His velocity surprised me, and obviously his makeup is just off the charts." -- AL scout. 98. Ian Kinsler, ss, Rangers: "I managed Hank Blalock in the minors and Kinsler has the same approach." -- Clinton manager Carlos Subero. 99. Anthony Lerew, rhp, Braves: "He was up to 96, and it was an easy 96. It's easy power like Jose Capellan." -- Lynchburg pitching coach Scott Lovekamp. 100. Greg Miller, lhp, Dodgers: "He's going to be fine. We're going to make some corrections to make him more comfortable in his delivery." -- Dodgers farm director Terry Collins. -------- PROSPECT BREAKDOWN TOP 100 PROSPECTS BY ORGANIZATION 7 Dodgers 6 Angels, Braves 5 Athletics, Brewers, Indians, White Sox 4 Cubs, Devil Rays, Mariners, Rangers, Rockies, Twins 3 Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Giants, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox, Reds 2 Astros, Marlins, Orioles, Pirates, Royals, Tigers 1 Cardinals, Nationals, Padres, Yankees BY ORIGINAL ORGANIZATION 9 Braves 8 Dodgers 6 Angels, White Sox 4 Athletics, Brewers, Cubs, Indians, Mets, Phillies, Rangers, Rockies, Twins 3 Blue Jays, Devil Rays, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Red Sox 2 Cardinals, Giants, Marlins, Orioles, Pirates, Reds, Tigers, Yankees 1 Astros, Nationals, Padres, Royals BY NATION 78 United States 11 Dominican Republic 5 Venezuela 2 Canada 1 Cuba, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico BY HOW THEY WERE SIGNED 48 High school draft picks 29 College draft picks 19 International free agents 4 Junior college draft picks BY DRAFT ROUND 43 First 5 Supplemental first round 10 Second 3 Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, 17th 1 Eighth, Ninth, 11th, 12th, 15th, 20th, 32nd, 39th BY OPENING DAY AGE 24 age 21 22 age 22 16 age 20 14 age 23 9 age 19 8 age 24 3 age 18, age 25 1 age 30

Let me say this: I no longer believe that Edwrds is goign 4 and Williams 7 to Minnesota. Everyone knows that the Vikes are enamored with Williams so I think someone is going to want to move into the top 6 to nab the second receiver(whichever one it ends up as). You can't really be too disappointed if the Bears wen dup with Bray/Williams or ROnnie Brown. You get an impact player either way. This may have been posted but this is very impressive: In the most impressive scene so far at this year's combine, Michigan WR Braylon Edwards elected to bench-press despite the fact that wide receivers -- along with quarterbacks, kickers and punters -- are not required to. Edwards simply walked into the designated weightlifting board room when the second group of running backs was in the middle of the lifting process and began to warm up as if he was supposed to be there. Edwards ripped off 22 reps in front of a confused, yet energetic crowd. Scouts and coaches in attendance were so impressed they gave him a raucous ovation as he departed the room, which is a rarity in this relatively subdued process.

actually, some have stated (sorry can't remember who in the media) that were it not for it being week 17, grossman would have missed about 3 weeks with that finger. He's not injury prone yet, but if he gets hurt this year, its time to ring in another young guy. Not yet though.

you guys need to get over it. Too much paranoia around here. If you haven't figured out we are the secondary team in town in terms of popularity, then you must have listened to games on the way home from schoo with Bartman headphones on the short bus

It took Thomas a while to grow up and realize what it took to be an NFL player. There's no doubting that he mishandled things in Arizona. But, Arizona has proven to be a place that is better to leave than to be. He's not the only guy that needed a change of scenery from there. What didn't he do on the field last year. He had a 4.0 ypc on one of the worst lines (due to health) in the NFL. No team in the league, including Pittsburgh, was forced to run the football so predictably due to circumstances outside of Jones' control. Listen, if you don't like the guy-that's understandable. Some guys rub you the wrong way, like Aaron Rowand and Kurt Warner for me. I can respect your opinion on this. I just think that Thomas Jones can be that Priest Holmes type weapon. He's not there yet, but look at the strides he made over a full year here. If Ronnie Brown really did run a 4.3, as some unofficial timers had him at, then maybe we could use both guys.

I'm pretty sure Braylon is 6'3

Thomas Jones is superior to Anthony Thomas. He was very good last year for the Bears. get him a serviceable line to run behind and a passing game that takes away extra guys out the box, and you turn those 950 yards into 1250 along with his receiving skills.

we would have a better city classic for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, number one is that everyone (present company exlcuded) is a cubs fan.

It's 6 years but it's probably really a 2-3 year deal in practice. I think Rolle is too slow, unless he shows otherwise this weekend. I think Pac-Man is an intriguing way to go, but Rolle would be overdrafted at 4. THis certianly does give the BEars mor eoptions. Being Muhammed is 31, it might still be int he best interests of the team long term to draft a young, elite receiver.

I think what hurts the Bears-Packers rivalry is that Bear fans like Brett Favre. It kinda lessens it. Just like the Broncos-Chiefs rivalry was more intense when Marty was there, as opposed to Vermeil who is so likeable. Now, as far as the Radiers go......

We have a solid rivalry with the Twinkies. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Th Sawx Yanks is the biggest because it has the most history. plain and simple.

I still think it was a bad idea. Hopefully I will be proven wrong in the long run but it'd be pretty foolish to call this move a big success in February.

There's no question that Jon isn't long for this organization. He won't be here in 07 for sure. That said, given the awful market, it made more sense to keep him.

does anybody else find this oddly depressing? I hate to have to LEARN to hate Cubs. With Sosa and Alou, it was so natural. I knwo that have Dusty, Zambrano, and Wood but it's just not the same. Especially without the worst announcer of all time yelling "He gone" after a sox player strikes out.

who cares who are rep is? I concur that this was the most frightening title of all time. I thought we might have dealt Buehrle for David Eckstein and a grinder to be named later

yeah they added Grudz. It was a pretty misguided choice to turn down a multi-year deal to play with his best friend, Albert Pujols. I'd love to have Polanco here, btu short of bringing him into play thrid, there really isn't a place.

I'm sorry Krush that my comp skills aren't up to your approval. Dee is going to be a much better pro than people around here realize. Nobody thought Boykins or Luke Ridnour would be productive pros and they have been. Dee is going to be a pretty good point guard in the league. The point of bringing up Carmelo is that it doesn't matter what a guy says until it's time to make the decision. I agree that the tourney outcome may influence Brown. I just htink with HEad and Williams leaving, Dee is going to realize that it's time to get out.

Yeah Carmelo Anthony said he wasn't leaving too. It doesn't mena much until the emotion of the season is passed, imo.

My 3 sweethearts are 1 Pac-Man Jones. name a team in the league that can't use another corner? 2. David Pollack. Not sure if heart is enough to to make sacks in the nlf, but this guy is a warrior. One fo the better college performers int he draft 3. David Greene. I think he is going to be like Chris Simms in that he won't be picked in round 1 but will emerge as the qb of the future for someone.

Here's my logic. Win with no excuses. Sure, you don't cry over the misfortunes of other teams, every team is going to have some bad luck. However, I think this team needs to beat a healthy Minnesota team almost as a test. Just winning the division isn't the endgame. If we are good enough to beat a competitive Twins team, then we are good enough to at least be on the field with NY and Boston. Plus, I still like to think of baseball as a gentleman's game (not that it ever really was).

I take no pleasure in this. If we are going to beat them, we are going to have beat them even up

I think Dee and Deron are both gone. I don't know what the Q ripping is all about. I'd be willing to bet that Phoenix as a team shoots mroe shots than most teams, and a big part of their game (outside of Amare) is from downtown. I think it's also foolish to call Deron a 2nd round pick. It';s not like he's chris duhon. He has a league body.

You don't have to have a mlb ace to win. I can think of the old Indians teams of the 90's, the 02 Angels, and the 04 Cards as great teams without a major ace. It'd be nice to have a Jason Schmidt, but it's more of a luxury

I don't think the cocaine or pot thing really would surprise anyone. It's really amazing how he's never really had to explain the vagueness of the wild days talk.

I see him challenging for the league lead in saves what is Mo Rivera going to hang it up? IT will take 55 sves to beat Rivera, imo.