Thursday, April 30, 2009

Draft Report: Minnesota, Monterrey, New Orleans

Minnesota Draft Report
1st Rnd, 28th, Todd Foster Remains unsigned and at an asking price of 5 million will probably stay that way.

1st Rnd, 36th, Willie Alexander Very powerful RF that will probably see time as a 4th OF/ CIF.

2nd Rnd, 74th, Bubba Gilmore A strong two pitch pitcher that has solid control. May not have the stamina to be a starter, but will be a welcome addition to most staffs.

3rd Rnd, 85th, Benny Ryan Another potential SP, 3 big league pitches and good splits with solid control. Could fill in as 4 or 5 very nicely.

3rd Rnd, 106th Alberto Dominguez Another powerful bat, is a step below Willie Alexander with the bat but is a superior fielder.

Grade: C+ lots of helpers but no stars, this is not a draft to plan your future around.

Monterrey Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 4th Reid Bagwell Looks to be a top flight closer option in a few years. At only 18 he is a few years away at least.

2nd Rnd, 50th, Todd May A pretty good SP prospect. Makes up for his lackluster pitches with solid splits and very good control.

3rd Rnd, 82nd, Rafael Duran LR-mop up pitcher that will be on the bus back and forth from AAA and the Bigs.

Grade: B-, Grabbed themselves a very good closer option and a solid SP, beyond that they didn’t get much else.

New Orleans Draft Report
1st Rnd, 31st Fred Wells Drafted as a catcher but is clearly destine to be a DH. Could easily hit .320 with 35+homers if he meets his projections. Is also a solid baserunner who could steal close to 10 a year.

1st Rnd, 38th Pokey Hudson Good looking SP prospect that while he only has one great pitch, he uses it effectively against both lefties and righties.

2nd Rnd, 62nd Yonder Rivera Hard throwing left hander that mixes in a very good curve and a change. Will battle for a spot at the back of the rotation.

2nd Rnd, 77th Willie Franco Another hard thrower, is somewhat erratic but will for sure see some time as a SP thanks to his blazing fastball.

3rd Rnd, 109th Dario HudsonVery smooth fielding SS that has enough pop that he can play at least part time. Probably only plays against lefties at the big league level.

Grade: B, a top notch bat and 3 potential SP pitchers with a solid bench player that can field anywhere.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Draft Report Card: Iowa, Louisville, Mexico City

Iowa Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 7th, Kelvim Erving Two excellent pitches and solid control. He is a lefthander that is very tough on lefties but will have his problems with right handers. Could still succeed at the major league level if he reaches his other projections.

1st Rnd, 40th, Charles Hill This 18 yr-old pitcher has quickly climed his way to High A ball and is doing great. 6-0 with 1.65 ERA in just under 44 innings of minor league ball. He projects to be a solid middle of the rotation pitcher with 4 solid pitches and ability to get righties out consistently.

Grade: C, got themselves two very good pitches but lost there 2nd and 3rd round picks to compensation. These two better pan out or they might be kicking themselves in a few years.

Louisville Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 3rd, Robert Merrick Hard hitting, fast running shortstop. Will be adequate in the field but will probably be moved to another spot in the field at some point. His bat though looks very solid as he projects to be a 20-20 man with the potential to hit around .300 every year.

2nd Rnd, 49th, Johnny Conway A soft tossing rightie with an incredible sinker. Will probably end up in the bullpen as he really doesn’t have the stuff to last more then 5 innings or so. That being said will be a welcome addition to the Louisville bullpen.

3rd Rnd, 81st, Felix Bolden Could probably take a turn at the end of most teams rotations, but will more then likely find the glut of his innings coming as a LR pitcher. Not a bad find at 81.

Grade: C+, got themselves an everyday player that can field up the middle which is a huge find in any draft. Other then that they really only grabbed a few arms for the pen.

Mexico City Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 15th, Alex Granger Strong fundamental player that does the little things very well. Has an excellent eye, stong base running skills and bunts like Brett Butler. Will be a solid but not spectacular Major league 2nd baseman.

2nd Rnd, 61st, B.J. Cheney Hard throwing leftie how will most likely take a spot in the big league rotation in a few years. Keeps his balls low and mixes up his 5 pitches very effectively. Is probably about 2 years away from playing in the majors.

3rd Rnd, 93rd, Morgan Mirabelli Should be a solid bullpen pitcher despite fairly average pitches. His durability and great control will serve him well as a left handed arm out of the pen with ability to pitch more then 1-2 innings every time out.

Grade: B-, An everyday position player, a SP and a solid RP. No stars for sure but I see three players that have big league skills no doubt.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Players of the Week #5

Player of the Week #5
This former 1st round, 10th pick overall has been on a tear lately. 10 homers in 17 games and batting over .400, if he is able to keep up his hot hitting the Fish might still be able to make the playoffs this season.

Pitcher of the Week #5
In just his 2nd full season, Byrne is starting to make waves already. Winning 4 straight games while allowing only 5 earned runs over 25 innings. At only 25 years of age, the Coat Factories have plenty to look forward to out of his arm.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Season 7 Hall of Fame Vote Results

A very close vote this year, with Lefty Appier coming up just 5 percent short. The players listed directly below will return on next years ballot headed by Appier in his last attempt.

Lefty Appier ** 70%
Horacio Frias 60%
Mo Munro 60%
Wayne Diaz 40%
Cesar James 40%
Terry Witt 40%
P.T. Baez 30%
Art Collins 30%

The players listed below here will not be on next years ballot as they either came in below the required 25% or in Osvaldo Guerreros case have used up their 3 chances.

Osvaldo Guerrero *** 40%
John Munoz 20%
Rico Ordaz ** 20%
Placido Gutierrez 10%
Miguel Martin 10%
Vin Moreno 10%

Draft Report Card: Florida, Helena, Honolulu

Florida Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 29th, Vic Harvey Drafted as a shortstop, but will most likely move to 2nd base. Has solid range but his arm is really not up to playing Short. Is a solid hitter and a very good baserunner, if given a full season should him hitting .270 with 15 homers and around 25-30 steals.

2nd Rnd. 75th, Russell Dye A quality bench player that will see time in CF/2nd and even 3rd if needed. Solid fielder and blazing fast, his bat is the only thing that will keep him from being an everyday player.

Grade: C-, While I do like Harvey and to a much lesser extent Dye, neither of them are going to be difference makers for Florida. Also factor in that they were unable to get any quality players after the 2nd pick this becomes a rather weak draft class for the Fish.


Helena Draft Report:

1st Rnd, 23rd, Jose Santiago Should be a solid contributor at the major league level in about three seasons. Solid splits and good blend of pitches to keep the hitters off balance. Will probably end up in the about the 3 spot of a solid rotation.

2nd Rnd, 69th, Josh Smith This 18 year old has looked almost unhittable in Rookie ball posting a 4-0 record with minuscule 0.30 ERA. As a major leaguer probably only projects to a #5 SP. His sometimes shaky control and ineffectiveness against lefties will keep him from stardom.

3rd Rnd, 101st, Davey Rijo Another useable SP. Might only make it to the bullpen though as his splits and pitches are less then those of an average major league SP. Good control and durability might help him see some time with the big club.

Grade: C+, Got themselves 2 major league starting pitchers but after that didn’t do anything to help themselves at any of the offensive positions. Rijo very easily could have not been drafted in place of some sort of position player.

Honolulu Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 30th, Sid Scheffer A very nice late 1st round pick, Sid might be able to take a spot at the top of most rotations. Is averaging almost a K per inning at rookie ball, probably wont be Major league ready for another 3-4 seasons.

1st Rnd, 37th, Grover Appier Hard throwing right hander, will compete eventually for a chance to close at the big league level. Two excellent pitches and dazzling control should make up for fairly average splits.

2nd Rnd, 76th, Alvin Hawkins A crafty left hander that has one of the best looking sliders ever. Might not have the stamina to start every fifth day but could be a nice contributor as a LR/Spot starter.

3rd Rnd, 89th, Mike Hines, Has yet to sign but if they can convince him it would be a huge coup as he could be a Solid SuA maybe even a Closer.

4th Rnd, 140th, Gregg Willis At his best might one day be a back up SS who hits well enough to not embarrass himself. At his worst will never get past AAA and make a fine 1st base coach one day.

5th Rnd, 172nd, Oscar Lee A lanky cat behind the plate that is an excellent game caller. Not a real power threat at the plate, but does hit lefties well enough that playing him part time is a very viable option.

Grade: B, got a bit of everything, some very solid pitchers and a two decent batters if even off the bench. If they do manage to sign Mike Hines there grade could get bumped up to an A-.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Draft Report Card: Detroit, Durham, El Paso

Detroit Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 11th, J.R. Gray A difficult player to project, very fast but a poor baserunner, great range and glove but a weak and erratic arm, a great eye but little power. Not sure how he will be used in the long run, could end up be a very good jack of all trades as his weaknesses will be less apparent if he doesn’t spend to much time in one position.

1st Rnd, 46th, Vin Hudson Looks to be a serviceable role player. Has ability to play the corner infield and outfield spots but will never hit well enough to start at any of those positions.

4th Rnd, 121st, Timo Sanders Another potential bench player that can play up the middle real enough to spell a 2nd baseman. Isn’t great with the bat but is smart player that runs well and can be of some value.

Grade: C+, While two of the picks look like bench material, Gray does have enough potential that I can’t really count him out. Ask me again in 5 years and I will give you a different answer.

Durham Report Card:
1st Rnd, 1st , Craig Velandia Not to many people were surprised when he was taken 1st overall. Has all the offensive tools needed to succeed in the major leagues. His defense is nothing special but will hold his own in LF. At AA is batting over .400 with 7 homers in about 90 at bats.

2nd Rnd, 47th, Hod Boudreau A bit of a surprise pick here, Hod does project to be major league quality pitcher. Just not sure what his spot on the staff will be. Not really good enough to close but could be a very solid SuA or B if he reaches his projections.

3rd Rnd, 79th, Dernell Spivey Another set up man here who has the type of arm that will have him pitching about 60-70 games a year. Probably a SuB, but will be a welcome addition to the Bears staff.

Grade: B-, no doubt the best player in the draft goes to the Bears, beyond that though it is bullpen pitchers at best. Extra draft preparation would have helped in the later rounds of this draft.

El Paso Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 6th, Claude Seaton He will never be a star, but with the lack of quality major league SS in the league anytime you can get a solid fielding, above average hitter you take him.

2nd Rnd, 52nd, Fernando Romero A very nice pick for the 2nd round. Romero looks like a very nice mid-rotation pitcher who will be able to eat up a lot of innings and post a winning record with even modest offensive support behind him.

3rd Rnd, 84th, Russ Mills A work horse out of the bullpen, wont post great numbers…but will be the type of guy that can eat 2 even 3 innings almost every game out of the pen.

5th Rnd, 148th, Matty Cedeno A bit of a risk because of his dodgy durability and health which are both around 40 right now. His power is undeniable though. Will very easily hit 40 homers a year even if he only gets about 400 ab’s. A great pick up for the 5th round.

Grade: B+, A very solid draft for The Alamo from top to bottom. They addressed offense, defense and both the starting rotation and the Bullpen. No super-stars were had, but in what was considered a relatively weak pool they did very well.

Players of the Week 4

Player of the Week #4
Over the past 3 and a half seasons Allen has been one of the most consistently dominate batters in all of baseball. In the past 10 games he has been even more dominate, 8 homers 21 rbi and batted .405 to keep the twinkies in the hunt for 1st place in the AL North.

Pitcher of the Week #4
Freddy won 4 straight starts including a CG shutout against the Clippers in helping the Hawaiians to there best season since #3 when they won 91 games. Usually known for his strong glove work Forrest is having his best season overall on the mound he is starting to finally merit the large contract given to him a few years back.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Draft Report 2, Buffalo, Burlington, Cleveland, Columbus

Buffalo Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 19th, Trever Stratton This New jersey native projects to be a lights out closer, 2 A+ pitches, excellent splits with solid control. Is already throwing in the mid-90’s at the age of 18.

2nd Rnd, 65th, Justin Affeldt Drafted as a SS, will probably end up playing the Hot Corner though as his defensive abilities are far below that of a quality SS. Will hit for solid average (.275) and good power (15-20 homers) but may not be enough to be a starter.

Grade: C, One very good player (Stratton) and a solid Major league role player (Affeldt), beyond that there is nothing that will help this team in the long run.

Burlington Draft Report:

1st Rnd, 27th, Maverick Foster He is not quite a TOP GUN prospect, but he will have some value in a few years as a bench/situational player. His defense is good enough to play some 3rd, while not a smart base runner he is quick enough to pinch run, doesn’t hit for much power but hits lefthanders well enough that he could platoon.

2nd Rnd, 73rd, Roland Douglass He is playing 2nd base right now but could reach the majors as a very solid utility player with the ability to play 2nd/3rd and maybe even SS in a pinch. Hits lefties better then righties and runs well enough to not clog up the bases.

4th Rnd, 137th, Jarrod Rossy Is a pretty big long shot but does have two quality pitches and solid control. Will give up a lot of hits but could see some time in the bigs as a SuB.

Grade: C-, I don’t see a starter, but there are three potential Major leaguers here. Nothing to get too excited about though.

Cleveland Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 24th, Red Maxwell The pride of upstate New York. Has a lot of trouble with right handers but still has a very good chance at being in the starting rotation. 3 very good pitches and pinpoint control will help him overcome his weaknesses.
2nd Rnd, 70th, Bob Long A highschool SS, that has found a new home at 2nd base. Will never be a starter but could be a solid bench player where his lack of power/speed/and ability to hit for a high average won’t be as noticeable.

3rd Rnd, 102nd, Carlton Roberts His Slider and Changeup are already major league ready. Wont log many innings but could be a good set-up man or lefthanded specialist.

Grade: C+, a touch better then Burlington. If Red Maxwell can get his stuff together he could be a very nice pick up for Cleveland.

Columbus Draft Report:
1st Rnd, 13th, Royce Singleton A interesting pick here, Singleton is not going to win any awards for offense or defense…but he is a solid backstop that will hit for pretty good average. This strong armed catcher will be able to play almost every game as his ability to hit lefties and righties is pretty much equal.

2nd Rnd, 59th, Marlon Hairston Will be able to make a living with his glove but wont steal anyones job as his bat and legs aren’t good enough to start more then once or twice a week.

3rd Rnd, 91st, Alan Bell Molded in the shape of a young Kirby Puckett. Doesn’t possess any of the hall of famers other qualities though. At best will play left field and bat around .260 with 8-10 homers and even less steals.

4th Rnd, 123rd, Happy Stahl Normally I wouldn’t write about a batter with such low contact ratings…but the power he has makes him at least noting of a long shot at the major league level.

5th Rnd, 155th, Eddie McGee Looks like a solid fielding 3rd baseman with enough offensive ability to keep him out of the starting lineup.

Grade: C+, Columbus has loaded up on bench players, Singleton the 13th pick overall will start but isn’t really the type of player that will win you a championship.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Draft Report 1, Arizona, Boise, Boston

Arizona Draft Report Card:
1st Rnd, 12th, Fausto Velazquez Very good SP prospect, Solid control with better then average splits, 2 pitches that will be good enough to get almost anyone out. Health could be a factor. Top end Rotation.

2nd Rnd, 58th, Kiki Seguignol 6 million is a lot of money for a defensive CF’er. Could end up winning a Gold Glove but will bat no higher then 9th for any team that that wants to win. Is ripping up Rookie Ball already.

3rd Rnd, 90th, Danny Collier Another CF’er, will probably break some Minor league stolen base records.

Grade: B, Velazquez is an A pitcher and Seguignol is a ML potential Gold Glover, the later rounds really brought nothing extra to an Arizona franchise that is trying to rebuild after several years of success.

Boise Draft Report Card:
1st Rnd, 32nd, Al Richardson He does have some tools but probably not enough to ever be more the a LR pitcher at the big league level. Could find a home at the tail end of a rotation of a team looking for an inning eater.

1st Rnd, 39th, Stu WunschMaybe the best fielding SS this reporter has seen in sometime, it’s a shame he will have trouble hitting above the AA level. Could find the majors on a team that just needs a glove and a .200 avg.

2nd Rnd, 57th, Ryan Lawrie Another slick fielding SS, does have blistering speed and some solid pop. I think he is a better bet to have a major league career then Wunsch.

2nd Rnd, 78th, Deacon West Looks like a 4th outfielder with solid defensive skills and bat that will see him hit around .280. His lack of power and patience will have him on the bench more often then not.

3rd Rnd, 110th, LaTroy Carver Could be a solid SuB…or just as easily could never get past AAA. Will give up a fair share of hits but wont hurt himself with many walks.

Grade: C, there are pieces here, but none of them is a lock or even a legit starter. Grade could become a D if they all don’t make the majors.

Boston Draft Report Card:
1st Rnd, 21st, Andrew Giles…Unsigned. Powerful and fast outfielder that is looking for at least 5 million to sign which is two million more then Boston has left after buying 2 internationals for 17 million.

1st Rnd, 42nd, Julius Powell…Unsigned. Smooth fielding fleet footed SS that for whatever reason has yet to sign with Boston…could he be refusing?

The next 5 picks also have yet to sign with Boston.

Grade: On actual talent drafted? B. Giles and Powell would be welcome additions to almost any team. On actual talent Drafted and signed? F, this is one of the biggest duds ever. Jumbo Moya and Alex Yoshii are solid International signings but are not worth anything close to 17 million total. That money would have been better spent on signing Giles and Powell.

Players of the Week 3

Players of the Week #3
Newfield has quietly become one of the most solid batters in Addicted Users and that is saying a lot considering the talent in this world. Leading Columbus to the best record in the AL, Newfield has been on fire lately. Raising his season average to .370 while scoring over 60 runs and driving in close to 70, all before the all-star break.

Pitcher of the Week #3
Finally a pitcher not from the LuauDawgs. This perennial all-star and 2 time Cy Young winner has been hot recently. He rattled of 4 wins in 5 starts including a CG 4 hitter versus Wichita. At 8-5 he is a long shot to repeat as a Cy Young again but could be one of the first pitchers to get to 200 career wins.

Mid-Season Report-Over/Under Achievers

Well, I'm back from vacation. California and Hawaii were great. Lots of great weather and poor golf. Back in NY to lousy weather and paying more attention to my teams before grissom97's Clippers completely run away with the AL East division. We are about midway thru season 11, so it's time to take a look at who is doing what in the American League.

AL EAST

The Columbus Clippers have been the cream of the division and the league so far. As of this writing, they sport a league best 56-26 record and hold a commanding 9 game lead over the NY Torrones. Sadly for the rest of the division, they are playing almost exactly at their expected pace(.683 exp/.682 act). They are 2nd in the league in RS(runs scored) and RA(runs against). That's a pretty lethal combo. Let's see if they can keep it up for the remainder of the season. My Torrones are a distant 2nd. With only 11 more RS than RA, we are actually playing well above our Exp(.512) at an Act pct of .573. Looks like we may be fighting it out with the rest of the league for a WC spot. The Norfolk Warheads are currently 4 games over .500 at 43-39(.524), which is slightly below their Exp of .533. This is disappointing for chrishoiles club, because they actually have the lowest RA in the league. The 'O' is not holding up it's end, however, at 2nd least RS in the league. Last year's division champs have a new owner(Korrupt Kings) and a new name, the Boston Greenwell Gators. Unfortunately, they also have a new W-L record. Currently 20 games under .500 at 31-51, their .378 Act pct is about at their .371 Exp, which is not a good thing. At over 130 less RS than RA, a Dover-like rise from last to 1st, as happened last season, does not look likely.

AL NORTH

Goldenboy69's Toronto Toros are making their yearly playoff run. Currently sporting a 1 game lead, they are playing well above their Exp pct(.549). At 50-32, gb69 has his club at an Act pct of .610, 5 games better than their RS/RA would suggest. Good job. The always tough Minnesota Twinkies are right on the Toros tail, but are playing a bit below expectations(.598 Act/6.14 Exp). They have scored the 3rd most runs in the league, so this looks like it will be it's usual battle to the end between these two clubs. The Philadelphis Flyin' Hawaiians are still in the hunt at only 7 games back, but are playing a bit below Exp(.556) at .524 Act. The Wichita Waffle House Posse are bringing up the rear at 12 games back and are a little off their Exp(.480) at .463.

AL SOUTH

Last season's AL champs, the New Orleans Freebeads are leading the South by 4 games. They are right about on target with their expectations(.552 Exp/.561 Act). 2nd place Florida Fire Sailfish are currently playing over their heads. They've given up 69 more runs than they have scored, which should work out to a .427 pct, but jmercer77 has his team playing at a .512 pace, a tribute to his managerial skills(or blind luck!). The Monterrey Cheeseheads are 14 games back with a .390 pct, which is only a bit worse than their .401 Exp. davidbutler9 is one of the most involved owners in the league and he's trying hard, but so far has no seen results commensurate with his efforts. His Louisville Sluggers have given up a league worst 594 runs and have scored the least(369), 37 runs less than the next worst team. Lots of work still to be done here, but david is committed to the job(or maybe he should just be committed!).

AL WEST

The Vancouver Villains and the Boise Browncoats are currently neck & neck for the division lead at 45-37. The Villains are playing slightly over their heads(.549 Act/.529 Exp). Boise, however, is the most underachieving team in the league to this point(.549 Act/.635 Exp). Last years surprise team, the San Jose Giants may be paying the price for some of last seasons big FA signings(Price) and trades(Brown), who are not performing at last season's levels. They are currently4 games under .500 and have scored the 3rd fewest runs in the league. optistrat's Tucson Desert Rats are scoring runs, but are giving up way too many. Even so, their .390 Act is well below their .428 Exp pct.