OT: MLB DRAFT JUNE 7th

[NYKnSTILL!]

Coming this June: The MLB draft on TVESPN.com news services
Updated: May 7, 2007, 3:12 PM ET

The NFL and NBA drafts have been televised for years. Now, Major League Baseball is joining the trend.

For the first time in its history, the baseball entry draft will be aired live on ESPN2. Coverage will begin on Thursday, June 7th at 2 p.m. ET from Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. The broadcast will end at 6 p.m. ET.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said the telecast, "will give fans access to see this critical function of an organization's development. This is an idea whose time has come."

Each team's first round pick will be televised and all clubs will have a maximum of five minutes to make their selections.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will have the first selection. The San Francisco Giants will have three picks in the first round, while the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers will each have two first round choices.

The draft will have 50 rounds and will conclude after all 30 teams have passed on a selection or after the final selection of the 50th round, whichever comes first

Hey guys I wanted to start something original in this forum and what better than a new thread devoted to our farm system and future baseball talent yet to be signed. In this thread I want to know who you may want to draft who's the guy that you see our Yankees GM/scouts should pay immense attention to.

I'll add my first choice.
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Danny Almonte LHP 20 yrs

"Two different major league scouts, whose opinions I value greatly, gave me excellent reports after seeing him throw recently. There are not too many young lefties with his quality of stuff sitting out there. He has a 90s-plus fastball and an excellent slider. From our conversations, Danny is a quiet and shy young man who just wants a chance to showcase his talents. This will just be the start to his professional career."

His reputation is going to shy teams away from him imo he belongs in pinstripes , he's humble and the kid has alot of talent in that arm, one thing you gotta love about him he competes at every level. He'll probably be a 5th - 11th round pick imo just like Betances was but absolutely should be considered.

[34Celtic]

Almonte went through the draft last year, undrafted. Signed with an independent league team in March, after rumors he would sign with the Mets. This all makes him a free agent I believe, available to any team

[NYKnSTILL!]

Almonte went through the draft last year, undrafted. Signed with an independent league team in March, after rumors he would sign with the Mets. This all makes him a free agent I believe, available to any team

Dailynews saids he's entering this years draft I got the draft class link , but I can't post it in a presentable way , can you do me that favor 34C ?

http://soxprospects.wikispaces.com/2007+Draft+Watch

[cmaff051]

Two very good sites for info on the draft

http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewDraftArchive.do?draftId=5
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... mc=jackson

Two guys I am interested in are Justin Jackson and Neil Ramirez.

[NYKnSTILL!]

1
David Price
lhp
Vanderbilt
6'6" lefty's fastball touches 98 mph, filthy secondary stuff

2
Matt Wieters
c/rhp
Georgia Tech
Best college hitter in draft. Scott Boras client.

3
Rick Porcello
rhp/ss
Seton Hall Prep (NJ)
6'5" Fastball clocked in mid 90s, good change-up, excellent SS as well. Seaver potential. NJ native.

4
Josh Vitters
3b
Cypress HS (CA)
Top power potential in his class, excellent tools

5
Sean Doolittle
lhp/1b
Virginia
2006 ACC Player of the Year; 93 mph fastball with good slider. NJ native.

6
Nick Schmidt
lhp
Arkansas
Mixes mid-90s fastball with tough curve

7
Andrew Brackman
rhp
North Carolina St.
7'0" pitcher with fastball topping out at 99. Also plays hoops. Boras client.

8
Matt Harvey
rhp
Fitch HS (CT)
2006 AFLAC All-American, fastball clocked in mid 90s

9
Julio Borbon
of
Tennessee
Speedy and athletic OF

10
Cole St. Clair
lhp
Rice
Closest to majors - closer mixes mid 90s fastball with plus curveball

11
JP Arencibia
c
Tennessee
Well rounded hitter needs some work on defense to retain high draft value

12
Joe Savery
lhp/1b
Rice
Fastball sits around 93 mph with great movement with a stunning slider

13
Todd Frazier
ss
The Rutgers
Athletic five-tool shortstop. American hero. NJ native.

14
Blake Beavan
rhp
Irving HS (TX)
Good makeup, mid 90s sinking fastball, plus decent curve, slider, and change

15
Josh Fields
rhp
Georgia
Elite closer with mid 90s fastball and plus slider

16
Josh Horton
ss
North Carolina
Awesome approach at the plate, but average power and speed, defense is also not a strong point

17
Neil Ramirez
rhp
Kempsville HS (VA)
Great command and makeup, fastball hits 94 mph

18
Robert Stock
rhp/c
Agora HS (CA)
Baseball diehard, great tools as either pitcher or catcher. 95 mph fastball

19
Michael Main
rhp
Deland HS (FL)
Fastball sits in the low 90s, can hit 99, complemented by nasty breaking stuff. If he goes to college it would be Florida State, but it's looking like he'll go pro.

20
Justin Jackson
ss
Roberson HS (NC)
Top notch defensive shortstop with great athletic ability and good plate discipline

21
Matt Dominguez
3b
Chatsworth HS (CA)
Awesome raw power potential, above average defensively

22
James Adkins
lhp
Tennessee
Fastball sits in low 90s with little movement, but possesses awesome secondary stuff

23
Michael Burgess
lhp/rf
Hillsborough HS (FL)
Has all the tools, including arm strength, power, and athleticism.

24
Brad Meyers
rhp
Loyola Marymount
Effective righty paints corners with his high 80s fastball

25
Kentrail Davis
of
Theodore HS (AL)
Powerful and athletic outfielder with real baseball grit

26
Michael Taylor
of
Stanford
Great size, speed, power, and arm, yet to put up elite numbers

27
Beau Mills
3b
Lewis-Clark State College
Top power hitting NCAA freshman in 2007

28
John Tolisano
ss/3b
Estero HS (FL)
Tolisano is a potential five tool infielder

29
Josh Smoker
lhp
Calhoun HS (GA)
Good delivery - 93 mph fastball with well-rounded arsenal of secondary stuff

30
Wes Roemer
rhp
CS-Fullerton
Smaller pitcher with pinpoint control but average stuff has dominated NCAA, rarely tops 90 MPH

[NYKnSTILL!]

Two very good sites for info on the draft

http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewDraftArchive.do?draftId=5
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... mc=jackson

Two guys I am interested in are Justin Jackson and Neil Ramirez.

Jackson sends me some warning signals the lack of range and loopy swing doesn't help also, I like Neil Ramirez and Josh Smoker
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... ?mc=smoker

[cmaff051]

-= original quote snipped =-



Jackson sends me some warning signals the lack of range and loopy swing doesn't help also, I like Neil Ramirez and Josh Smoker
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... ?mc=smoker

We've gotten burned on 5-tool very raw players before like Tim Battle and C.J. Henry, so I guess Justin Jackson was a bad choice. We need some lefties in this farm system and Smoker would be a good choice. However, I would still draft the best player available regardless of need.

[NYKnSTILL!]

lefties that are power throwers w/pinpoint stuff should not be questioned , that is a need and the best types of rare talent available

[34Celtic]

Magical whirl series





Ex-Oceanside Little Leaguers relish memories of 2001's grand show
By Kevin Gemmell
UNION-TRIBUNE COMMUNITY SPORTS WRITER

May 8, 2007


Here's the latest


Each year before the start of the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., the massive hill that overlooks historic Lamade Stadium is green and lush. Then fans begin sliding down on cardboard boxes, leaving the hill brown and barren by the end of the two-week event.
In 2001, members of the Oceanside American Little League team wanted so badly to join in the tradition and slide down that hill.



JOHN GIBBINS / Union-Tribune
Former members of 2001 Oceanside American Little League team include, from left: David Carroll, Richard Cranford, Tyler Varnals, Matt Cerda and Bobby Shore.

[34Celtic]

Southern Illinois Miners manager Mike Pinto promises players when he signs them that he'll do everything he can to help them advance their careers. He only has one request in return. If a player signs with an affiliated club, he asks the player to send back signed hats from the teams he plays for as he moves up the ladder.

In the Miners' brand new clubhouse this spring, there will be a hat rack with caps from Pinto's former players who are playing affiliated ball. There's a sign above it that says "You Could Be The Next One."

Baseball's most famous Little Leaguer is hoping to add to Pinto's cap collection.

After being skipped over in last year's draft, Danny Almonte, the star of the 2001 Dominican Little League team who was later proven to be two years too old, has signed with the independent Frontier League team.

"Under Frontier League rules, 12 of 24 players have to be rookies," Pinto said. "I thought about it, it could be worse than to be the guy to get Danny Almonte into pro baseball."

If the reports on Almonte are accurate, he could prove to be one the better arms in the league. According to a scout who called Pinto last October, the lefthander showed a 91-93 mph fastball, an 83-85 mph slider with good tilt and depth, some feel for a changeup and a quick arm action. Another scout who has seen him recently told Pinto that he was sitting at 87-88 mph this winter, several ticks off the 91-93 of the first report, but still enough to give a more than adequate fastball for a lefty.

"It wasn't a game situation, but I'll still take a 87-88 mph lefty," Pinto said.

When Pinto first heard about Almonte last October, there was talk that he would sign with a junior college, but Pinto placed a call to feel him out. He found that Almonte wasn't sure what he was going to do, so Pinto told him he'd check back later. When January rolled around, Almonte didn't sign with a junior college, so Pinto stepped up his phone calls. He wasn't the only independent league manager who was checking in with Almonte, but he did have an advantage.

"I had Danny's direct number and no one else did," Pinto said. "In light of everything that had gone on, I wanted to talk to Danny the person. If I had a hard time communicating with him, if he sounded like a punk, I didn't need that. But he's a nice kid."

So Pinto signed him sight unseen.

Almonte will report with a chance to win a spot in the Miners rotation. While the Frontier League emphasizes development and does not allow any players older than 27, Almonte will be one of the youngest and least experienced players in the league; most Frontier Leaguers sign after college careers.

"Lets face it, there aren't a ton of 19-year-old lefties with that kind of live arm," Pinto said. "As a result, if he were to come in and do well, what it would show some scouts is that he has the ability to get older guys out. He's facing guys with a little more experience."

Because he was not drafted last year, Almonte is eligible to sign at any time without having to back through the draft.

[throwbackewing33]

http://www.scarletknights.com/baseball/roster/roster-detail.asp?ID=3213

We need to start filling our farm with talented position players. I played against Todd all through middle school and high school. Everyone remembers Toms Rivers run to the little league world series, but Todd has dominated college baseball and is a top prospect.

[34Celtic]

Matt LaPorta from Florida .428 17 HR 43 RBI
Nick Schimdt Jr LHP Arkansas 9-1 2.69 ERA 93 K's 97 IP

[34Celtic]

Andrew Brackman
rhp
North Carolina St.
7'0" pitcher with fastball topping out at 99. Also plays hoops. Boras client.

Not for NC St

[cmaff051]

Brackman committed to North Carolina State for basketball under Herb Sendek, but when Herb Sendek moved on to Arizona State and Sidney Lowe became the new coach of NC State, he asked out of his letter of intent at NC State and decided to focus on baseball full time.

[34Celtic]

Brackman committed to North Carolina State for basketball under Herb Sendek, but when Herb Sendek moved on to Arizona State and Sidney Lowe became the new coach of NC State, he asked out of his letter of intent at NC State and decided to focus on basketball full time.

Gotcha, was he any good?

[cmaff051]

-= original quote snipped =-



Gotcha, was he any good?

He was a very highly rated center coming out of high school. I don't know why he decided to stay with baseball...he probably has more of a future at the next level with baseball than he does with basketball.

[moocow007]

http://www.scarletknights.com/baseball/roster/roster-detail.asp?ID=3213

We need to start filling our farm with talented position players. I played against Todd all through middle school and high school. Everyone remembers Toms Rivers run to the little league world series, but Todd has dominated college baseball and is a top prospect.

Yeah I agree.

[moocow007]

Guys that look interesting...

Justin Jackson - 5-tool SS who should be ready right around when Jeter is winding down his HOF career

Blake Beaven - big potential laden RHP

Joe Savery - hard throwing LHP

Cole St. Clair - a big hard throwing lefty closer

Julian Sampson - big hard throwing HS pitcher that already throws mid-90's.

Tanner Robles - yep, another big hard throwin HS pitcher (this one a lefty) with high potential.

Michael Taylor - a big (6'6" 250lb) toolsy OF prospect (starred in basketball and track and leads the Stanford Cardinals in triples).