[Clay Buchholz]

I think it would take a ton to get Bucholz away from Boston--as it should. He had a lousy year last year but has dominated everywhere else and is still young.

[Hershiser's Take on Jared Mitchell]

Do you guys think we could have had Mitchell with our second pick?

 

He would have been long gone by #38 (or whatever number the Phegley pick was).

[Draft Signings]

FS writeup on Buch.

 

http://futuresox.com/frontpage/?p=256

 

 

I'm liking this pick the more I read about Buch, with two legit plus pitches including a FB that can occasionally hit 95. He seems like the kind of guy that could really blossom in a relief role.

[Sox Win]

AWESOME game be Danks...certainly his bst since the end of last season.

[Since Flowers is pretty much ready...]

If Flowers is ready...then here's what's likely to happen with him. He'll stay in the minors through September 1, and he'll be added to the 40 man and given a callup in September when the rosters expand. He'll be expected to play some winterball, and he'll have a shot to take the backup/RH catcher role out of ST next year. With AJ under contract they'll be patient and allow him to platoon, to get at bats and adapt to the bigs without being dumped in, and hopefully he'll learn some stuff about the pitching staff and defense from AJ while he's still here. It's possible they could look in to keeping AJ around as a part time player in 2011 if AJ is cheap enough.

 

I think that is a great plan. Flowers is going to be a great asset to the team, even if he never hits for a good average. How has his D been in B-ham? It gets asked all the time and I don't think I've ever seen an answer from someone who watches the Barons consistently.

[The Best Trade that Never Happened]

I would still make that trade.

 

Me too. In a heartbeat.

[6/14 Games]

Why'd Danks get pulled? Because of the score?

 

I know he got hit by a pitch...not sure if that is why he got yanked.

[Jim Thome]

Didn't Toby Hall play 1B during ST before?

 

Whenever I think that it would make sense to let Thome play some first, I think of Toby Hall.

 

Ozzie is right to sit him. Let's face it, at this point in the season Thome's biggest value to us is as trade bait, and that value goes to nil if he's injured.

[Wise - "Keep Booing Me"]

OK, as long as you keep sucking we will!!

[SOXTALK DRAFT THREAD, DAY TWO]

Looks like Morgado has the most velocity, but this guy isn't far behind. Looks like a solid pick.

 

You're right. Hardest throwing right-hander at least. I like the last two picks.

 

Volz is still out there.

[SOXTALK DRAFT THREAD, DAY TWO]

Ryan Buch from Monmouth U in Jersey.....nationally the #90 overall prospect according to baseball america

 

 

Buch broke out in 2007, when he went 9-2, 2.44 as a freshman at Monmouth and ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Atlantic Collegiate League that summer. He's always had a prototype pitcher's frame and an excellent curveball, but his stock soared in April along with his velocity. Buch has reached the low 90s with his fastball since he was a freshman, and he has still pitched in that range for most of this spring. More recently he had run his fastball up to 95, sitting at 92-93. The velocity on his sharp, downer curveball has also spiked, reaching 84-85 mph. Even when he throws it slower—and some scouts report seeing a 74-77 breaker, while others have seen it at 81-82— it's still a true above-average offering. But when he throws it harder, it can rate as a 70 or better pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. Buch is refining his fastball command, and he does not have a lot of feel for his changeup. But scouts can dream on him, and he seems likely to be drafted in the first two rounds in June.

 

He may be the hardest thrower we have selected yet.

[SOXTALK DRAFT THREAD, DAY TWO]

6th Round

Justin Collop RHP U. of Toledo

 

Here's his stat line for the year:

ERA W-L G GS CG IPs H R ER BB K

38 COLLOP, Justin... 6.51 4-7 13 13 1 76.0 96 58 55 19 63

 

In his defense, he was in the same conference as powerhouses Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan, among others.

[THE OFFICIAL SOXTALK 2009 MLB DRAFT THREAD]

Bulls***. It is about more than failed prospects.

 

Danny Wright is a perfect comparison. Wright was a guy who had horrible ERA and W-L at the college level, but had great strikeout numbers. They took and him and made a couple of mechanical changes, and he became an effective major leaguer until be blew out his shoulder. It would have really been interesting to see what Wright did if his shoulder didn't give out.

 

Wyatt Allen, 2001, Jr Tennessee

ERA IPS BB K

6.32 104 59 110

that's good K numbers and a lousy ERA. I couldn't find stats for Purvis and Biddle but both were hard throwers that hadn't performed all that great in college.

 

And calling Wright an effective major leaguer is a biiiiig stretch. Career ERA: 5.65

[THE OFFICIAL SOXTALK 2009 MLB DRAFT THREAD]

Sounds a lot like Danny Wright.

 

And Wyatt Allen.

 

And Rob Purvis.

 

And Rocky Biddle.

 

Etc.

[THE OFFICIAL SOXTALK 2009 MLB DRAFT THREAD]

we've done a great job of developing pitchers with very good stuff but were projects... well, at least in the past 2 years.

 

Like whom? Carter? Hudson? Just because they haven't washed out of Kanny or W-S doesn't mean they were great picks. They may be in time, but unless past performance is no indicator of future success all of them are long shots..longer shots than your typical 1-10 round draft choice.

[THE OFFICIAL SOXTALK 2009 MLB DRAFT THREAD]

Morgado in 2009: 52 IPs, 55 H, 36 BB 75 K 6.36 ERA. Beautiful.

[THE OFFICIAL SOXTALK 2009 MLB DRAFT THREAD]

I really, reaaly, really hope I am wrong, but I fear Mitchell is a wasted pick. I just don't know of any college hitter who strikes out 30% of his ABs having success in the majors. Hopefully Mitchell will step inj and prove me wrong...I just don't see it.

[SI: MLB Team by Team Draft Rankings Past 10 Years]

I think Borchard at $5.3M is a bigger bust than Stumm at $1.75M.

 

Last years draft looks strong; let's hope that is the start of a trend.

[THE OFFICIAL SOXTALK 2009 MLB DRAFT THREAD]

Arms like his are rare, but doesn't his recent stress fracture in his shoulder make you concerned? That would be a HUGE gamble IMO.

 

That was Kyle Gibson who had the stress fracture, not Tanner Scheppers.

[2009 MLB Pre-Draft Discussion]

If anyone can show me a player who struck out 30% of his ABs in college and then went on to have a successful major league career I am all for drafting Mitchell. If not, there will be plenty of power arms availible at 23.

[Josh Fields questions future with White Sox]

Welcome to the doghouse Mr. Fields. If you weren't sure about your future with the Sox before...

 

Seriously, what a whiny little skirt. His average balloons all the way to .248 and he's complaining about playing time. I used to always be in favor of keeping him in the lineup and hoping he could at least get clsoe to his '07 form...not anymore.

[Sigh]

Honestly, I'd rather have Lillibridge. At least the guy could take a walk and provided a late inning PR who could steal a base.

 

Let's don't get carried away Although it would be close I think Lillibridge might actually be worse than Wise.

 

That being said, we do need to take a blowtorch to this team. We stink.

[6/7 Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox 1:05 CDT - CSN]

Walker has got to go. I hate saying it because he was one of my favorite players when I was a kid, but this team has the most pathetic approach to hitting I have ever seen. We drew 8 walks today and still were swinging at every crappy pitch that came up there. In my opinion, that we especially suck at hitting unkown pitchers and at situational hitting underscores the fact that there is something fundamentally wrong with the approach and preparation going on with the Sox. I don't know if you can lay all of that at Walker's feet, but he does have to share some of the blame, and since we aren't going to fire Ozzie (nor should we) nor are we going to make significant roster changes, I don't see what else we can do to shake things up that could potentially have the same positive impact.

[2009 MLB Pre-Draft Discussion]

Come on now, I never said he was going to be as bad as Jerry Owens, but his stance is extremely similar. That's the last of the reason's I wouldn't want him at 23.

 

I completely agree. Mitchell has 61 Ks in 203 ABs. There may be a player who had as poor of a K rate in college who went on to have a successful major league career, but off hand I can not think of one. For comparison, in their senior seasons Joe Borchard had 57 Ks in 255 ABs, Josh Fields had 45 in 243, Jordan Danks had 50 in 234, and Brian Anderson had 42 in 232. When you consider that Mitchell is supposed to be a top of the lineup guy...no thanks. There are plenty of other players who will be available at 23 with less question marks. In fact, I wouldn't take Mitchell before round 3 and only if you knew he would sign for slot or near-slot money. College hitters with that many Ks just do not translate into successful big leaguers often enough to justify that high of a pick.

 

[2009 MLB Pre-Draft Discussion]

Still stand by my statement that Jared Mitchell will be our first pick.

 

Mitchell doesn't do it for me...a good-but-not-great .333 BA, limited history of success (.297, 15/49 BB to K last year), and most of all 58 K's in 195 ABs this year. He did greatly improve his walk rate this year (50 BBs), but overall he reminds me of a mildly improved version of another lefty-hitting centerfielder who also played WR in college...Jerry Owens.