I have heard today that Andy Van Slyke's son, Scott, has been told by the Dodgers that they will be drafting him somewhere in the first five rounds.

Scott Van Slyke was considered a pretty sure bet to go to college, since he is not as good now as he is expected to become as his 6-foot-5 frame fills out.

Not Draft Related:

A review of 'Independent Lens — Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story.'

http://tinyurl.com/awcex

Alot of you probably know this story, but some won't.

Just wanted to post a quick comment about the cry baby, Braves. That railroad of a hit Darrin Erstad laid on Estrada last night was old school. Braves players(Franco) are whining that is was cheap and unnessary. Well tell your catcher to get off the plate if he doesnt want to get leveled. Good job Erstad, thats the way you play ball, with a football mentality.

As commenter Christina and I pointed out last night, going for a guy's head in football is illegal. It was over the top (literally), and I don't recall Dave Parker or any other old schoolers going above the neck in a home-plate collision.

2- I have the book of Don Normark photos of Chavez Ravine and it's wonderful.

Fred Claire is on the mlb.com draft show. I have no opinion about this.

But I think he's also a Snoop neighbor, or at least used to be.

Hey, I don't think Erstad intended for the head, he went right shoulder first, trying to jar the ball loose. That was his only shot. How about Brian Jordan's collision a few years back with the Dodgers, you can't tell me you didnt enjoy that. Go Dodgers!!!!
I think I need some cream for this itch.

I second the endorsement for the Don Normark book. It's terrific.

Note that the ubiquitous Fred Claire is once again employed as MLB.com's draft analyst this year. Also coming soon from MLB.com, Rick Majerus' dieting tips and Albert Belle on "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

Excerpt from John Sickels' mock draft:

"Los Angeles Dodgers
1S---40---Tyler Herron, RHP, Wellington, FL HS
2---51---Vance Worley, RHP, McClatchy HS, Sacramento CA
2---74---Jeff Lyman, RHP, Monte Visa HS, Alamo CA
3---106---Scott Van Slyke, OF, St. Louis Missouri HS
4---136---Ryan DeLaughter, OF, Corinth Texas HS
5---166---David DiNatale, OF, Stoneman Douglas HS, Parkland FL
COMMENT: This looks very much like a recent Dodgers draft, full of young athletes from high school, possibly undervalued due to the emphasis more clubs are putting on college talent. Herron at 40 represents high upside, and would have been a pure first round pick ten years ago. Likewise Worley and Lyman, lively high school arms who will have to be bought away from college, but who offer excellent long-term potential. There is lost of risk here, but the Herron/Worley/Lyman trio would cause most scouting directors and GMs to drool. Van Slyke is another college bound guy who will want $$$. He's toolsy, but I think a possible overdraft in this slot by a round or two. DeLaughter is also toolsy, offering more power but less speed than Van Slyke. He should be easier to sign. DiNatale is sort of a compromise prospect, with a skill set in between DeLaughter and Van Slyke. If you are willing to take chances on high school players, it is hard to beat this group."

After watching the video several times I have to agree with #7. Estrada was just a little lower then Erstad expected. He would have no reason to go for the head, he needed to jar the ball loose.

Fred Claire - greatest FA signing in Dodger history and worse trade in Dodger history. Gave us a World Championship with Gibson and we can only ponder how many we lost without Pedro. Still I liked the class way he stood up to Fox after the Piazza trade and the fact that he always took the heat for the Pedro trade. Anyone here ever take his class at USC?

Given the news on Scott Van Slyke above, a question:

Why do the Dodgers appear to be so disproportionately in love with Missouri high school players? DeWitt, Elbert, and now Van Slyke. Do they just trust Mitch Webster more than all their other scouts, or what?

I'm not sure whether drafting the son of the most quotable player in baseball history is a good or a bad thing. But I'm sure Simers will love it.

I'm looking forward to the documentary, but the whole Chavez Ravinve story is so filled with politics and overwrought emotions, that's it hard to figure out just who is right or if anyone was right.

Hey, Eric, just to let you know, I was the Dodgers' "scouting director" in John Sickels' mock draft. That was a lot of fun.

"Estrada was just a little lower then Erstad expected."

I'm open-minded to this, but how would you derive this conclusion?

I would have to echo Jon and Christina's comments last night about the Erstad-Estrada play. The play may have been legal in baseball, but it did seem like Erstad was going for the head and the play just seemed too aggressive. If this was football or hockey, the player would have been thrown out of the game for a hit like that. Perhaps this wasn't possible because Erstad couldn't anticipate where Estrada was going to catch the ball, but it seems he could have slid to the right side of home plate and would have had an even better chance of being safe. I think sometimes there is a fine line between being aggressive and going too far and my initial impression is that Erstad's play was a bit too far.

Penny agrees to extension

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050607&content_id=1079139&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

*Brad Penny, whose career was uncertain only a few months ago because of a rare arm injury, has reached a tentative agreement on a contract extension with the Dodgers.

Penny, who has not missed a start since returning to the rotation April 24, will receive a deal for three years plus a fourth year option/buyout that could push the total value of the deal from $26 million to around $33 million. He has a physical exam scheduled Wednesday, after which the deal could be announced.

"Anytime you make that kind of money, you feel like you should perform at the top level of the game," said Penny, 26. "They gave up a lot to get me and I feel I have something to prove."

Penny was acquired with Hee-Seop Choi and Minor League pitcher Bill Murphy last July 31 from Florida in a deal for Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota and Juan Encarnacion.

A World Series hero with the Marlins in 2003, he threw eight shutout innings in his first Dodger start, only to suffer a rare bruised nerve in his pitching arm in his next start. He attempted to return in a September game in San Diego, but left in the fourth inning with a recurrence of the nerve injury.

Returning after a slow recovery in the winter and spring, he has emerged as the most reliable starter in the rotation and is 3-2 with a 3.67 ERA. He also has changed his diet, increased his physical conditioning regimen and said he's in the best shape of his life. He is earning $5.1 million this year and would be eligible for free agency at the end of the season.*

I'm a bit shocked the Dodgers gave him the deal right now. His dominance has really fallen from his prior levels but I guess they figure that will come with time. At least we now have a rotation next year.
O Perez/D Lowe/B Penny

Just to be flip, could it be that Erstad was just trying to knock the extra `A' off of Estrada?

#17 Assuming Perez can return health and be some semplance of his 2004 form, then that seems to be the start of a good rotation.

In the latest update of All-Star voting, Cesar Izturis has moved up to fourth behind Garciaparra, Eckstein, and Furcal.

Kent has a huge lead at second base and no other Dodger is on the radar screen. Bradley is 9th and Drew 11th among outfielders.

#17 - The longer the Dodgers wait on an extension, the higher his price (assuming he continues to remain healthy and get stronger). Its obviously a gamble on several fronts for LA:
- that he will remain healthy and therefore productive
- that the Dodgers remain in contention this year. He would've made a very attractive trade piece in July if they aren't in the race.

Of course, getting a commitment from a 26-yr old "ace" at that price is a bargain. See Kris Benson for a comparison in contracts.

Penny's stats so far this year are kind of weird... his strikeout rate has taken a big hit, but he's cut his walks in half (actually a little bit less than half). Can't complain about the results, though.

My browser won't let me watch the Draft Show and post anything here, which is just as well since I have to go to work.

Here is a Scott Van Slyke story:

http://tinyurl.com/a8vg3

"He would've made a very attractive trade piece in July if they aren't in the race."
-------

Disagree with this. Even if the Dodgers are noncontenders this year, they still couldn't afford to let Penny get away if they want to contend in future years. The free agent pitcher market this offseason is crap, crap, and more crap.

Listening to the MLB show, wondering if I misheard:

"Cartman went 3-for-3, while Costanza had a homer..."

What is this, the June Sitcom Draft?

What time does it start?

Are they giving live updates now pick by pick?

Wasn't it as recent as 2 or 3 years ago that the draft results weren't released for a good 24 hours?

Supposedly it started at 12:30 EST, but no picks have yet been made.

They are doing the live audio broadcast, as they have for several years now. Nothing like listening to a drunken Lasorda pick 50 players from "the great state of [insert your state here]"

They always would release first round. Then they started adding more rounds. Now they release the whole thing.

I think it had something to do with college coaches and not wanting to give them a recruiting tool. If Coach Jones over at State saw the Sammy Shortstop went in the 65th round to the Astros, he might be ablet to entice Sammy to come to State instead of playing A ball for four years.

I believe the draft starts at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Check out the links at the top of this post for updates. I just added a new one for MLB.com's Draftcaster - which appears to work something like Gameday.

And yes, I can remember my days as a sportswriter calling around different athletes to find out who drafted them, since MLB itself didn't publish draft results beyond the first round.

Quick cut on the all-star voting. If your at the game you can put out around 250 ballots between innings if you only vote for Izzy. I did 100 in 3 innings. I figure if I do 100 per game this hometrip I will have done my job.

#24 - Just depends on how queasy the Dodgers feel about his nerve problem. If its behind him, then full steam ahead.

If Depo is a little unsure about it, I'm sure he could've spun Penny off to someone for an attractive package. Barring Clemens or Wood unexpectedly going somewhere, Penny would be the top starter available in July.

Great timing on the extension if the Dodgers are 100% committed to him. This is as cheap as he's going to get.

None of the MLB.com guys have Mel Kiper Jr. hair.

How can you have a serious draft without a pompadour?

"How can you have a serious draft without a pompadour?"
----

I think that's why Ali refused to go to Vietnam. ;)

I don't think Erstad meant to go for the head. At most, rumbling down from third base, he had about 2 seconds of reaction time to decide "slide or collide", and upon deciding to go for the collision, he only had a fraction of a second to brace for impact. I don't think there was enough time for him to make a conscious choice to knock Estrada in the head.

That said, one of these days a catcher is going to have his neck broken by an unfortunate collision. Just make the slide into home mandatory on a play at the plate.

The distance in voting between Nomah and Izturis is now "just" 53,000 votes. The margin between Pujols and the second-best 1B is six times that -- 313,000.

"Just make the slide into home mandatory on a play at the plate."
-----

Uh, let's not. What is this, little league?

The draft has begun with Arizona's selection of Upton.

Yes: http://tinyurl.com/ak4q8

Sure goes faster then the NBA draft. Clement goes 3 to Seattle. Could have a fast track to majors.

Wow, those picks go by quickly.

Do we know anything about the Dodger's draft mentality? I thought I heard that the scouting director had the picking authority (blessing) from DePo, although it'd be crazy to assume that it would be without input from the Laptop, right?

Some MLB draft reading material

some columnist from the daily bruin had some interesting rants about how sucky it is that you have teams drafting based on signability instead of how good a player they think someone is... and how much it sucks to be a small market team...
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=33669

in case you care about ucla baseball... here's a link from the daily bruin about how they hope their best players aren't drafted...
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=33668

"Do we know anything about the Dodger's draft mentality? I thought I heard that the scouting director had the picking authority (blessing) from DePo, although it'd be crazy to assume that it would be without input from the Laptop, right?"
--------

Last year's draft was a healthy mixture of obvious Logan White picks (Elbert, DeWitt, Guerra) and obvious DePo picks (Batz, Dunlap, Raglani). DePo seems comfortable turning over the first few rounds of the draft to White for high-ceiling HS players, then picking up undervalued college players in the middle rounds.

The baseball draft is one long conference call.

They pick fast because the rate for one of those things is really expensive.

Hansen and Hochevar are dropping like stones... should L.A. take either of them if they drop that far? We seem to have a decent relationship with Boras.

Couldn't they just hold it in the comments on Toaster - our rates are cheap!

Braves draft a college player for maybe the first time ever... and a closer. Been nice knowin' ya, Dan Kolb.

Mmm.... sandwich picks mmm.....

45 - Not knowing anything about those, I was wondering what the reason for their non-picked status was. Shining light ensues. Boras is one tough cookie eh.

Since White is picking the first rounds for us, is our competition not from A's, RSox, and Jays, since they're also "Moneyball" teams?

Well, Boston took Hansen (with the Dodgers' pick)... funny

Ken: Need Cookies for commenttoggle. Please.

Picking must be like boxing, with a break between rounds.

You've got to be kidding me. Why isn't Izzy first in balloting at SS. What a crying shame so many ignorant voters out there have left off the best NL SS this year by far.

Nosemar(I left my groin at homeplate) Garciaparra, David(I throw like a little girl)Eckstein, and Raphael(I'm one more DUI from going to prison for a long time)Furcal are all ahead of Izturis.

All I have to say is that Izturis better get voted on by the managers. It's mind boggling.

Izturis will end up starting, no matter what, IMO. If Nomar gets elected, Izturis is the obvious replacement. If Barmes gets elected, Izturis is the obvious replacement. If Izturis gets elected, well, no replacement necessary.

Izturis as "by far the best shortstop in the league" is an opinion I'm sure we all share, but which is not backed up by the stats. Neifi Perez actually has slightly better stats than Izzy, but he's also Neifi Perez. He ain't no all-star.

Can someone please tell me why the Yanks get the #17 pick for losing Type B FA Jon Lieber while the Dodgers only get the 40th pick for losing Beltre? Furthermore, why did the Dodgers lose a true 1st rounder for signing Lowe but only get a supplemental for losing AB?

30. If you have that kind of time to kill, then just fill out your all-star ballots online at mlb.com and you can probably get a couple hundred more votes in for Izturis. I try to get 25 per day for Grabowski.
vr, Xei

You can't lose any Top 15 pick for compensation reasons. Mariners had #3 pick, so we get their next pick after that plus a sandwich.

...that had better be a good sandwich...:)

If he were really ambitious, Xeifrank would write an automated program that can vote hundreds of times, sort of like the programs people have written to manipulate eBay and Ticketmaster.com.

"...that had better be a good sandwich...:)"
------

Well, it wouldn't take much of a sandwich to be better than Beltre's been this year... maybe like a turkey and swiss on rye. Mmm...

Which reminds me, it's lunchtime.

We got screwed when AB signed with Seattle.

"Just make the slide into home mandatory on a play at the plate. "

I don't know if this is the solution, but I think the whole collision at home plate thing is not that great. Some sort of ruling needs to happen. The play is kind of exciting, but it really has nothing to do with the way the rest of the game is played. It seems out of place, usually. This kind of thing can't happen at any other base, so why at home plate?

Hochevar still available. 5 more picks and then we can spend the money on him like we had a 1st rounder.

Thanks Eric. That explains the Dodgers only getting the supplemental pick for losing Beltre (although it seems unfair that they are penalized just because the team that signed AB is so bad).

I still can't understand how the Yankees got the 17th pick for losing Type B FA Leiber.

Looks like we might have a shot at Jed Lowrie... Jon will be happy if that happens.

Will the Astros or Twins pony up the cash to sign him? If not, he could be ours.

MMM...Hochevar sandwich...

Trevor Bell goes to the Angels. Sweet

We get Hochevar!!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Luke Luke Luke

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Luke Luke Luke

Ooh, ooh, a pick! Pick me! Pick ME!

The collision at homeplate is very exciting. I have fond memories of that Angel manager blocking our plate like a CHAMP.

The collision at homeplate is very exciting. I have fond memories of that Angel manager blocking our plate like a CHAMP.

Hell yeah.

The Penny signing is a decent one for the same reasons the Perez signing was (is?). The price of lesser pitchers on the free agent market (see e.g. Ortiz, Benson, Wright) was comparable or higher than Perez and Penny will be making.

Three years with a possible fourth pretty much gets us Penny's good years, much like Perez.

This signing pretty much became necessary once Jackson starting showing that he might never be even a major leaguer, much less the future star he was supposed to be. Good thinking on that one, rejecting the chance to trade Jackson for Adam Dunn 2 years ago. Way to go.

Luke Hochevar ... anyone know how much he'll be demanding? i mean boras will be demanding?

The Rockies were making noise about taking Hochevar with the 7th pick (article from the RMN last Sunday)... he's a local kid made-good at UofT. In the end, they had decided to forego him because he is represented by the Evil One... this will really be a test of the McCourt commitment. If they can get deal done inside of 6 months it will be amazing...

BA Scouting Report:

"1. LUKE HOCHEVAR, rhp (National rank: 6)
School: Tennessee.
Hometown: Fowler, Colo.
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 205. Birthdate: Sept. 15, 1983,
Previously Drafted: Dodgers 2002 (39).
Scouting Report: Hochevar comes from an athletic family, with a father who was an accomplished basketball player and junior college baseball coach and a sister who is a professional volleyball player. Hochevar should turn out as the most accomplished of the three, if his luck holds out. He missed part of his sophomore season when he was struck by a batted ball on two separate occasions, once on the leg and once on the head. He still finished 2004 strong, though, dominating in the Southeastern Conference tournament and finishing the summer as Team USA's top starter, winning the gold-medal game of the World University Championship in Taiwan against Japan. He started 2005 with a strong outing at Minute Maid Park and was the most consistent starter in the nation for much of the season, putting together an eight-game win streak. At his best, Hochevar has a fastball that sits in the 93-95 mph range with a mid-80s slider, but more often he pitches at 89-92 with his fastball and in the low-80s with the slider. He also throws a changeup and curveball for strikes, and both can be average pitches. He commands his pitches well thanks to an athletic frame and smooth delivery. His combination of stuff, his knack for pitching and a loose, long frame that offers hope of still more projection makes him one of the top two pitching prospects in the draft. A Scott Boras client, he's a candidate to be the Diamondbacks' selection with the No. 1 overall pick."

Ivan de Jesus ss; chip off the ol' block?

Jackson and who for a big two?

Scouting report on our #2 pick:

"1. IVAN DE JESUS (National rank: 108)
School: Puerto Rico Military Academy.
Hometown: Guaynabo, P.R.
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 175. Birthdate: May 1, 1987.
College Commitment: None.
Scouting Report: With a resume that includes a polished bat, a big league father and a lack of a strong college commitment, De Jesus could be drafted well and a bit higher than his talent might warrant. De Jesus' father Ivan was a shortstop for the Cubs and Phillies in the 1970s and '80s but with a different type of game from his son. Where the father was a slasher and speed player, the son fits the modern game better with more power in his bat and average speed (4.3 seconds to first base). The current De Jesus model has a good idea at the plate, and his bat gets above-average grades from scouts in the 55-60 range (on the 20-80 scale), projecting him to be a .280-.300 hitter. Whether De Jesus hits for power will determine his ceiling. He has some present jolt in his swing due to strong wrists and forearms. Scouts are mixed on him defensively. He has good hands and instincts, and he could handle second base easily. Whether he has enough arm to consistently make the play in the hole will determine whether he plays shortstop in the big leagues like his father. "

62. If you are going to force runners to slide into home plate, then you are going to have to make a rule against blocking the plate. I think if you are going to make a rule disallowing crashing of the catcher, then you should make the catcher wear a pretty pink dress.
vr, Xei

How does a kid ranked so high end up the 40th pick??? The Boras factor must be wearing thinner than I thought... I'm not sure if this good or bad.

There is already a rule against blocking the plate; it's just never enforced.

85. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it legal to block the plate if you have the ball, but illegal to block it without the ball?
vr, Xei

86 - Yes, that's right, XF.

Hochevars' scouting report doesn't indicate the second coming of Kerry Wood.

88. Is that really such a bad thing?

At this point, if Hochevar's mechanics are better than say, Wood, or Darren Dreifort, that'd be enough to make me happy with the rest of the package.

It might indicate he's more signable than say, Jered Weaver. And definitely not command Wood type money.

Seriously, Scott Boras needs to be driven out of town with his head on a pike. I hope the kid never signs. Don't give him the satisfaction. Boras is the worst of the worst. (Think Ari on Entourage, only more of a bastard.)

Ooh, another pick coming!

BA reports that this is the second time we've drafted Hochevar. We picked him in the 39th round 3 years ago. At the time we failed to sign him, Logan White was quoted as saying "he'll be a first rounder three years from now."

Eric - see updates up top.

Hey, a legacy! Ivan's pop was signed by the dodgers in '69.

Last night's plate collision was clean. I can understand the Braves complaining in the heat of the moment but after they've watched it a few times I think they'll realize it was clean.

Anyone who remember who it was that plowed over Yeager and knocked him unconscious in a play at home plate? That was the most incredible play, esp. cause he held onto the ball.

Joshua Wall RHP Central Private School, LA

"4. JOSH WALL, rhp (National rank: 63)
School: Central Private HS.
Hometown: Walker, La.
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 190. Birthdate: Jan. 21, 1987.
College Commitment: Louisiana State.
Scouting Report: Wall had a chance to go in the first round based on his early performance. He struck out 12 in a heavily scouted 2-0 loss to Aaron Thompson in April, and at that point he had been regularly working with a 90-93 mph fastball and a solid curveball. Wall's stuff dipped toward the end of his season, though, and he pitched at 86-88 mph and had a less effective curve. He kept winning, allowing one earned run in two playoff games as Central Private capped a 38-1 season with a championship in the Mississippi Private School Association (which includes teams from both Mississippi and Louisiana). While Wall probably will go in the second round now, he's still one of the most projectable pitchers available. He has a lot of room for to add muscle to his frame, and when he does should have more success maintaining a plus fastball. Wall's size also makes him a power threat at the plate, as he tied a school record with 19 homers this spring. "

96. dave parker.

74th pick - Josh Wall - RHP, High School.

BA has him as a #63 prospect.

BA has a nice profile of Hochevar here:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/050109hochevar.html

John Sickels is also quite high on him:

"A complete pitcher with above-average attributes in all categories, including a low 90s fastball and a power slider. One thing I really like about him is his athletic background: his dad was a pro basketball player, his sister plays pro volleyball, and his mom played basketball in college. Athleticism is a very important attribute for pitchers, as it helps them repeat their mechanics and stay healthy. Talent-wise, he could go in the first five picks, but his bonus demands may scare some teams off. Unlikely to last past the mid-first round in any event. 6-5, 205 pounds."

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2005/5/20/203428/378

Al, I think it was Dave Parker.

62/85. So if a catcher has the ball in his glove and is blocking the plate, or a portion of it, the runner should slide? Many times a catcher will give the runner what looks like a portion of the plate to slide into, only to have the catcher move his leg over to block the runner and then apply the tag. If you are in a 2-2 game like Erstad was, what would you do? Crash the catcher or slide knowing you will most likely be a dead duck? I have no problem with him crashing the catcher, and no problem with this rule, or lack of a rule. I do think it was unfortunate that he hit the catcher above the shoulders. I have no idea of knowing if he did that on purpose. It's a very dynamic play, both players are moving and concentrating on doing a job, it's not like the catcher was a tackling dummy and Erstad only focussed on his head. Catchers are usually pretty big boys and more often than not are the ones who dole out punsihment in a collision at the plate. Hard to say that the play last night was anything other than a rough play and that the hit above the head was an accident. Only Erstad knows.
vr, Xei

Oops, scooped from Japan!

Anyway, about blocking the plate: I believe the rule is that you have to have possession of the ball or be in the process of receiving the ball. It's that latter part that Scoscia used to work so artfully, setting himself while the throw was still in the air.

DougS, you're right. It was Parker. I recalled it was a Pirate built like a linebacker and that's sure an accurate description. I imagine the LA stations could be replaying that hit lately. I'm in London though so I haven't seen it in years! Now that was a hit!

more junk about josh wall

http://www.perfectgame.org/2005/stories/draft_prospect_watch/05_20_05_josh_wall.cfm

I wonder if some of this year's mid season trade budget can be applied to draft choice signing bonuses.

The Dodgers pick has leverage as a junior, so he might be even harder to sign then Jered Weaver. I wonder if he could be enticed with a guaranteed major league call-up this September and other incentives.

Weaver was a junior too, and was a better college pitcher. We shouldn't give Hochevar more than what Weaver got.

Somehow, I don't get too excited about MLB drafts. What are the odds that these kids will actually step foot in Dodger stadium and play in a big league game? Baseball drafts are such crapshoots, there aren't any "can't misses". Too many things can go wrong along the way, injuries or poor performance. And in what other sport do you see guys drafted in the 60th round have hall of fame careers. A guy gets drafted in the top 3 of the NBA draft and there's probably a 98% chance or so that the guy is going to make an impact. A guy gets drafted in the first round of the NFL and the guy is most likely going to make an impact (of course injuries can happen to anybody). It's just in MLB players have to survive a couple of years in the minors, just to have a shot in the bigs. Nothing wrong with the system, and the draft is important, just hard to get too excited about it.
vr, Xei

60 -

If someone were really ambitious, they'd call up Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and inform him on the USG's efforts to supress recognition of Venezuelan sports figures. He could then jump on TV and urge Venezuelans to vote for their countryman.

I doubt that it'll have the Yao Ming effect, as I'd assume that there is a substantially less amount of internet ready computers in Venezuela than there are in China.

Or howabout a little more primative of an approach. Next game you go to purchase one of those Dodger blankets (if they carry Dodger duffle bags get one of those). Toss every single available allstar ballot in and when you get home, stack 'em up and aim the nail gun right above Izzy's soon-to-be-annihilated chad.

Players who are drafted can recieve bonuses, but I've heard talk of major league deals. Are there situations where agents can negotiate contracts that will pay their players millions of dollars while they're still in the minors (on a yearly basis?).

"What are the odds that these kids will actually step foot in Dodger stadium and play in a big league game?"
-------

The odds are about 100% that at least a few of them will.

Fred Claire is mind-numbingly awful as a draft analyst... he says the same thing about every player.

Fred Claire, quit reading off the damn Q cards. Get an opinion of your own. Do some research.

Holy Cow, an Anteater got drafted! Chris Nicoll, RHP, to the Royals.

If he was reading off the cue cards at least there might be something interesting coming out of his mouth.

He's been talking for two hours now, and his next worthwhile comment will be his first.

110 - Speaking of things not to get excited about, I'm not sure I get the impulse to ballot stuff for Izturis. If he's deserving, Izturis will probably make the All-Star team, as he would be only the Dodgers' second representative after Kent, and plays a thin position in the NL to boot. And if he doesn't make it, life goes on.

115. I didn't even know UCI revived its baseball program.

It must be only a matter of time before a banana slug is drafted.

They just started playing ball down there like three or four years ago. I'm surprised they have two (one left) draftable talents already.

That or EVERY college ball-player in the country is on that list of Kens.

Well, I have to take credit for Izturis' jump to 4th in the All-Star voting. Unfortunately it cost me every one of my 25 ballots. Hey, the price you pay for justice.

Logan White is the man.

117 - How about stuffing for Grabs? On a scale of 1 to 10, how funny would he be sitting on the bench in Detroit?

120. You can vote more than 25 times online, just change your name and email address.

121. I've probably voted for Grabowski 200 times of the past couple of weeks.

112. Like I said it's a crapshoot. Put all the names in a barrell and let a monkey choose them and you could come to the same conclusion.. "The odds are about 100% that at least a few of them will." :)
vr, Xei

117. If Grabs got voted in, Commisioner Bud would dust off the "best interest of the game" clause to make sure he got nowhere near the Motor City.

I meant to reference 121 before.

Somebody on BTF pointed out the following MLB.com scouting report:

"Derek Antelo Nova Southeastern U RHP R/R 6'2" 0 1982-11-30 4YR
COMMENT: Medium build. Durable pitcher's body. Similar to Darren Dreifort. Throws a heavy FB w/ life late in zone. Slider has a tight break w/ some bite when down. 3/4, tight rotating CB, thrown for strikes. Deceptive change-up when down in zone. Mature pitcher. Goes after hitters."

Does Penny's new contract supercede the one he's playing on now? As of the day of signing, or like starting next season?

4 years 32 million is an average just above what Lowe is getting, representing a good value in my mind, and making Odalis look like a Dollar store bargain in comparison.

122 -- so it's like Jim Tracy making a lineup card! (Bang! Zoom! I'll be here all week folks.)

It's a pain to deal with Boras. A big pain. But if you're looking at, say, next year's pitching free agent market, and you're going to have to spend 5 million on whatever Larry, Moe and Curly with 5 ERAs are left over, seems like you might as well go through the Boras Gauntlet anyway.

And I love that this was the sandwich pick we got for Beltre. Sweet, poetic justice.

Actually, I just see no downside to this. The other option was resigning Weaver.

More picking imminent.

With Barmes out, Izturis is guaranteed to make the team. The NL just doesn't have anyone else to go. That said, if Kent wins 2B there will be 3 Dodgers at the game, if not, only two. Izturis and Gagne.

Somehow skepticism set in when I saw Dreifort and "durable" in the same paragraph.

Gagne is hardly a lock this season.

I really don't understand why the players union and owners can't agree on a limit on signing bonuses. No one currently in the union would be hurt, and owners certainly would benefit. I'd set the limit at $1 or $2 million.

This is WAY OT but I am watching BBC world now and the thought occured to me. They are playing Queen's "Best friend" as they talk about the fact that Blair and Bush, despite clear their idealogical differences, remain "special friends." Is this similar to the relationship between JD Drew and Jeff Kent?

BA on our #106 pick:

"OF Sergio Pedroza (50) is one of the best college hitters on the West Coast. At .341-12-46, he led the Titans in all three triple-crown categories. He has a nice, loose swing with quick hands and power to all fields. But at 5-foot-10, he's not tall enough to be an early-round pick and his other tools are below-average, except his arm strength."

This year's Dan Batz, apparently.

With the abundance of Blown Saves early in the season, I bet Gagne still gets the nod over Hoffman to close out the game yet again.

Hoffman: You can be my setup man anytime.

Gagne: BS; you can be mine!

I don't see Gagne coming close to the All-Star team this year.

Kent and Izturis will be it.

Gagne will make it based upon star power, not based upon his stats this year. People want to see him pitch. LaRussa would be crazy not to pick him.

LaRussa isn't going to care about that.

LaRussa isn't picking most of the team anyway, the players are. That's a new thing this year.

Players have consistently proven themselves idiots when it comes to voting which among them are the best. (See: Hall of Fame voting) So scrappy Neifi might well end up on the team for all we know.

LaRussa is old school, from back on the Eck kind of day. He'd go for Gagne if he doesn't pick Isringhausen to close.

So then the pitching selections become a popularity contest among the players? How does Gagne not get selected, then?

I agree with Mark... Gagne will be there unless he either gets hurt again or seriously blows up.

141 - I'm guessing it'll be 'cause (french) canadians are not too popular?

RE: 138. Nope, you're right about that Jon, but if Gagne is back on his game, what manager wouldn't take him?

I mean, he's Cy Young. Not too many relievers of that caliber. Period.

How can you justify NOT taking him, based on awards and the fact that he's perfect through this year.

Re: Luke Hochevar... Signing this guy very quickly would be the ultimate thumbed nose in the "battle for Los Angeles".. If he's in quick enough for a September call-up, it shows a team with a plan and resources to execute them.
I love that the Blue keep going after blue-chip pitching prospects with high choices.. we need to find a true, homegrown, ace.

And I mean 'you' in a general way, I'm NOT asking anyone in particular.

133 - I don't think Kent and Drew have clear ideological differences. Kent's dad's a cop, he looks like he's a member of the Minuteman Project, and he owns a truck. Drew's from a red-as-hell state.

I'm sorry if I hurt anyone with these comments.

All I said was that Gagne wasn't a lock. That's all. He might make it. But he has pitched only 10 innings this year, and there's a perception that he isn't 100 percent. So even the dumbest player might think this is the year to give another reliever a chance. Isringhausen, Hoffman, Cordero, Wagner, Jones are among those that have lower ERAs and higher save totals than Gagne right now.

146 - What are the odds of signing a player if it's the second (or multiple) time you've picked him.

Does it show loyalty and commitment, or throwing good picks after bad?

How can you justify NOT taking him
----

Plenty of ways. Like the fact that, in 2005, he's been not only not the best closer in the league, but not even the best on his own team.

It is the 2005 All-Star Game, after all. And if the qualifications are past accomplishments, then Gagne needs to get in line behind Trevor Hoffman, John Franco and others.

The only way he has a case is if you believe the criteria should be a blend of 2005 and past performance. Even then, he's far from a lock.

143 - Reminds me. I wonder how Delgado and his lack of national anthem participation are faring with fans in FL.

After all, flavor of the half-season Dan Kolb made the team last year, right?

And Beltre didn't.

Gagne may not get the marquee closer role on the All-Star Team, but I'm betting he goes.

I've always wondered why All Star reserve decisions are based on 2.5 months worth of results. I would argue that a more proper gauge is what has happened since the previous all star game.

151 - You mean Brazoban, right? True he has the benefit of more work than Gagne so far this year, but Ghame Over is far from lights out. Gagne has (again, limited to 10 IP) a much better K/BB and K/9 ratios.

They have the same BAA and WHIP though, so Gagne isn't infallible either.

151 - You mean Brazoban, right? True he has the benefit of more work than Gagne so far this year, but Ghame Over is far from lights out. Gagne has (again, limited to 10 IP) a much better K/BB and K/9 ratios.

I believe the opposite is true if you look at their respective time as closers, which is what I was referring to.

Of course, I'm not advocating that Brazoban make the all-star team -- just saying Gagne shouldn't, either.

156 - People are welcome to take that into account. But the calendar year concept has a powerful hold on folks.

The Giants have their first pick coming up at 132.

Someone give Sabean a lifetime contract.

Dodgers are on the clock.

BA on Dodger pick 116. Right on the money!

"10. JOSH BELL, 3b (National rank: 116)
School: Santaluces HS.
Hometown: Lantana, Fla.
B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 205. Birthdate: Nov. 13, 1986.
College Commitment: Florida Atlantic.
Scouting Report: At the outset of the season, Bell was considered one of the country's most intriguing prospects. He made a name for himself last summer at the East Coast Showcase, where he displayed plus raw power and ranked as one of the event's top 10 prospects. But he never looked comfortable at the plate this spring. His approach changed from game to game and he homered just twice in 106 at-bats. Bell has much more power than his stats indicate. When he widens his stance and remains balanced, his swing from both sides of the plate generates good leverage and he hits to all fields with loft. He doesn't figure to hit for a high average, but his plus power tool might entice a team to draft him in the first five rounds. He played shortstop in high school, but his speed and range profile better at third base. Scouts were disappointed that he had not improved his body during the offseason, as his lower half hinders his mobility. He has plenty of arm and his hands are adequate. Consensus suggests he's ready to begin his pro career. "

Surprisingly (to me), the best reliever on the Cards is Reyes, not Isringhausen (who is way wild).

Hoffman has better stats than Gagne right now, but maybe a blown save.

It was pick #136, not #116, but close enough.

164 -- dang it, I knew that sounded too good to be true.

LaRussa will want to win the All-Star game this year so Gagne will stay home. Not only has he not pitched enough to go this year he has not been as dominating. With closers I do think you go with the flavor of the year as oppossed to starting pitching and position players. The Dodgers will get two all-stars this year in Kent/Izzy and that is all a 3rd place team deserves.JMO

1st ever Boras client to sign on draft day already happened so maybe we won't have such a long drawn out process as the Angels did.

How many times do I have to say it, LaRussa isn't picking the all-stars this year.

I hate the all-star game. Who are the guy's who I'd like to see get three days rest? Kent and Isturis. Which Dodgers will probably be on the team? Hmmm...

I haven't paid much attentikon to the actual game since Rose went all Erstad on Ray Fosse.

Okay, the NL will want to win this game so Gagne stays home. Is that better?

BA on Dodger pick 166:

"11. JOHN MELOAN, rhp (National rank: 190)
School: Arizona.
Hometown: Houston.
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 225. Birthdate: July 11, 1984.
Previously Drafted: Never.
Scouting Report: As a hard-throwing high school senior in Houston in 2002, Meloan wasn't drafted even though he led area schools in strikeouts per inning and threw a 20-strikeout no-hitter, the third of his career. He managed to get lost in the shuffle in a year when the Houston prep ranks had a pitching class for the ages, producing first-rounders Clint Everts (Expos), Scott Kazmir (Mets) and James Loney (Dodgers, who developed him as a first baseman), along with projected 2005 first-rounder Mark McCormick, who would have been a first-rounder had he not been committed to attending college. Meloan's problem in high school was wildness. He would just as easily walk eight or nine hitters a game as strike out 16. He still averages a walk every two innings, but scouts say he's now effectively wild and over the last two years as the ace of the Wildcats staff, he has gone 18-2. He's always had good stuff and has four average, nearly equal offerings, including a 90-91 mph fastball that touches 93-94, along with a knuckle-curve, cutter and changeup. In 91 innings, he had 49 walks and 108 strikeouts. Meloan is well built for a pitcher, and scouts say he is almost too strong for his own good. If anything, he needs to work at losing weight to get lighter and looser. "

MLB.com scouting reports on our first 6 picks: (Note that you can watch video of 5 of these guys on MLB.com)

Luke Hochevar U Tennessee RHP R/R 6'5" 205 1983-09-15 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: Body similar to Kevin Brown. Heavy sinking FB w/ arm side run, disappears from strike zone. Hard 11-5 CB. Tight, sharp, late-breaking slider w/ some downward tilt. Good arm speed on sinking changeup. Smart, wants the ball, goes after hitters.

Ivan De Jesus American Military Academy SS R/R 5'11" 176 1987-05-01 HS 56K | 350K
COMMENT: Plays w/ a lean, athletic build. Line drive hitter w/ gap power. Aggressive approach at the plate, but has a good eye to keep from being overly aggressive. Great arm for a deep throw. Good instincts in the field. Makes the difficult play look easy.

Joshua Wall Central Private School RHP R/R 6'6" 190 1987-01-21 HS 56K | 350K
COMMENT: Similar frame to A.J. Burnett. Keeps his throws downhill w/ loose, easy arm action. FB has some run and hop in the zone. Two-seamer comes in at high-80s. CB sweeps across and is tough on RHH. Also has a straight change. Could turn into something big.

Sergio Pedroza Cal St Fullerton RF L/R 5'11" 180 1984-02-23 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: Short, quick w/ compact stroke. Make consistent hard contact. Uses the whole field. Has decent amount of pop. Strong RF arm, could make transition to catcher. Extremely tough out.

Joshua Bell Santaluces HS 3B S/R 6'3" 205 1986-11-13 HS
COMMENT: Body similar to Carlos Lee. Strong switch-hitter w/ power to all fields. Quick hands through zone. Throws have on-line carry. Profiles at third or first for future role.

Jonathan Meloan U Arizona RHP R/R 6'3" 225 1984-07-11 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: Massive physical specimen. Country strong. Pitches aggressively. FB touches 90, can put it anywhere he wants. Out pitch is a big CB w/ late bite.

Considering the state of voting right now, the NL could potentially run out there with a lineup like

SS Eckstein
CF Beltran
1B Pujols
DH Cabrera
3B Glaus
LF Edmonds
2B Kent
C Piazza
RF Griffey

This is a team that is not that much better than the Red Sox. Does that scare anyone else?

Just in case anyone wants to put too much stock in scouting reports, note the contradictions between BA and MLB.com on our most recent pick.

BA: "Meloan's problem in high school was wildness... He still averages a walk every two innings, but scouts say he's now effectively wild"

MLB: "Can put it anywhere he wants."

Glaus, Cabrera, Pujols, and Edmonds are better than any hitter on the Sox except Manny Ramirez.

I'd argue that Ortiz is better than Glaus and Edmonds.

Ortiz is waaaay better than Glaus.

#16: Hi Eric. Thanks for all the info. I'm really excited about Hochevar and Wall. Where are the MLB.com scouting reports / videos?

#171: Hi Eric. Thanks for the info. I'm really excited about Hochevar and Wall. Where on the MLB.com site did you find the scouting reports and videos? Thanks.

Doh. My browser wasn't refreshing, so I thought my first post got lost in the ether.

Fearing,
to see the videos, go here (you have to look up each player by name):

http://tinyurl.com/99cus

175 -

Yeah, I forgot he existed. Whoops.

Still, two of the listed 4 NL hitters are peers, or close to it, of the Red Sox best hitters.

Comparing a full time DH to a 3b does not compute to waaaay better in my mind.

I love the description, "Country strong." I picture a combination of Paul Bunyan, Merlin Olsen and the old Brawny Paper Towel guy.

182 -

Yeah, but this is in the context of an All-Star game, so Glaus would get compared to A-Rod, I suppose, instead of Ortiz. Who's the better hitter, without factoring position or otherwise equivocating? Ortiz. But I would hesitate to add the 'waaay' tag, because they are both such valuable power hitters.

181.

True, I'm not actually saying that the Red Sox are a better team, but, considering this is supposed to be an All-Star team, it's relatively close.

Also consider that the NL would be much worse if the DH wasn't the best player out of the player/coach selections, and was instead left to the fans. That would most certainly mean Cabrera wouldn't be on the team.

"Ivan De Jesus American Military Academy"

What sort of compensation do the Dodgers get if the US Government takes their draft pick away?

And also, this comment wins the Grabowski Post Award of the Month: "Okay, the NL will want to win this game so Gagne stays home." Sorry, molokai.

Will the AL All-Star team also have the Red Sox bullpen too? If so, I think the NL batters will have a feast.

Which NL teams will get token selections?
San Francisco - Edgardo Alfonzo
Colorado - They need a new token, since Barmes is hurt
Milwaukee - Carlos Lee
Chicago - Derek Lee, although I fear the presence of Neifi
Pittsburgh - Jason Bay? Mark Redman? Freddy Sanchez?

There's a new Prospectus Today article up on BP analyzing the White Sox. One of the paragraphs discusses Guillen's managing approach, and I thought it was interesting in the context of the Tracy discussion yesterday:

"This is perhaps the best example yet of a manager who is so determined to implement a particular philosophy that he's completed ignored his personnel in doing so. There's this ingrained idea in baseball that the "right" way to play is this small-ball, out-wasting approach, and teams that embrace the notion get handled with kid gloves. The fact is, there are lots of ways to succeed, but the single best way is to make sure you fit your strategies and tactics to your personnel. The White Sox aren't doing that right now, and there's an emperor's new clothes aspect to the entire situation. Maybe it's something in the water in Chicago."

Colorado - Looking like Jeff Francis at the moment. Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe might be other options. Of course, Helton could go on a tear at any moment.

Milwaukee - Brady Clark is also worthy of consideration

Pittsburgh - At the moment, I would have to say Joe Table

San Fransisco - Jason Ellison has been their best player statistically. Alfonso, Alou and Feliz are also possibilities.

Bob, Colorado's token player becomes Helton. Chicago is getting Nomar voted in, and Derek Lee will get selected. Pittsburgh gets Jason Bay, because the infield is already pretty stocked.

#186 I'll take any award you want to throw my way.
Gagne All-Star record
3 games, 3 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 2 home runs, 4 runs allowed, 12.00 ERA

Don't forget Nick Johnson. Either he or Chad Cordero have to be the Nationals player. Currently Nick the Stick is 5th in baseball in Win Shares in 2005.
David Ortiz and Troy Glaus both have 8.

I don't see how Carlos or D Lee can be considered tokens. If the outfield is full, then Doug Davis could be an option for the Brewers. He's been fantastic in the last month and would be the ace of our staff as hard as that is to believe.

I'm saying the Lees are tokens in the sense that I think Chicago and Milwaukee will only get one reprsentative.

Ultimately, Nomar will not win the shortstop race. I think Eckstein or Furcal will prevail. But this is one of the greatest all-star scares since the year that Rey Ordonez almost won.

# 193 My mistake.

Back to the draft. John Sickels thinks our 3rd round pick of Pedroza was solid and in browsing all the sites, everyone thinks we stole the show with Luke. If we sign him it would be just like being in the NBA lottery. Not just a top player, but a junior in college who can't be that far from contributing. For a day that I thought would be very dull for Dodger fans this has been a great day. Cudo's to White/Depo/McCourt for having the balls to draft him and now let's sign him.

What is everyone's opinion of agent Scott Boras? A tough negotiator with a track record of getting top notch dollar for his clients? Or a shark who causes problems by bidding up salaries of unproven players and often uses tactics such as holding players out to get top dollar?

Whether you like him or not, put yourself in the place of one of these top prospects. Would you trust your fate to the skillfull negotiator Scott Boras?

I think one way for teams to break Scott Boras would be to do what the Angels did, and make a fair offer or two but don't cave in to Boras. If he decides to sit one of his players out, then let him. Eventually players will realize that that is not in their best interest and choose a different agent or force Boras to soften his tactics. It's almost gotten to the point that only the rich teams can draft a Boras client early in a draft. This also leads into the problem MLB has always had but is now magnified of certain teams being able to afford the top market players.

vr, Xei

I remember how we stole the show when we got Darren Dreifort. Those were the days.

By the way does anyone know a good way to learn stick shift? The driver's ed teacher got mad at me after I almost destroyed his clutch and refunded my lesson today.

"Token" was the wrong word, should have just said "sole".

"Token" will describe the Royal or Devil Ray who makes it to the All-Star game.

Anyone want to play "Guess the Devil Ray All-Star"?

Here are the past D-Rays in the All-Star game:
Rolando Arrojo
Jose Canesco and Roberto Hernandez (1999)
Fred McGriff
Greg Vaughn
Randy Winn
Lance Carter
Carl Crawford

How many rounds are there to the draft?

Phew, glad we got some scrap replacement factor going.

Seattle should have stuck to their guns and skipped that Rodriguez kid. He wasn't ever going to amount to anything anyway.

199. The draft never ends. Last years draft is still going. :)
vr, Xei

199 - 68 I believe is what they said. 18 today, 50 tommorow. I'm only about 50% sure on this.

198 - Alex Sanchez somehow has the line .349/.381/.476, but I think the steriod issue might set him back.

Scott Kazmir is down to a 3.86 ERA with 52 strike outs.

Aubrey Huff has a history of heating up in June, and could easily surpass the rest of the candidates within a month.

#194: Sickels also likes our pick of Josh Bell ("Good value pick if he signs") and Jonathan Meloan ("I like Meloan a lot for the Dodgers"). I haven't seen anyone comment on our DeJesus selection. My impression from reading the scouting reports is that it was little early for him to go.

50 rounds or until everyone quits.

You're allowed to quit making picks whenever you think you've got enough players, but you can't jump back in after quitting.

The technicak term is "pass."

You want to learn to drive a stick? Learn like the rest of us? Stall the car in the middle of a busy intersection! The collective ire of other motorists will spur you to learning quickly.

Seriously though, you just need to find less traveled streets. And then you need to get used to knowing when the clutch engages. That's the hardest part.

I haven't driven a stick in a long time, but I imagine I could still handle it. But it was a lot of trial and error. It's much harder to destroy a clutch than you think. And I tried.

You're more likely to burn up the brakes.

Try this:
1) Start the car. Just see if you can get in to first. Drive on a quiet street for a block or two. You won't be able to go more than 5-10 mph. Then when you feel comfortable, try for second. Just add one gear at a time. Avoid intersections.

If the car has fifth gear, ignore it unless you're cruising on a highway.

I take it no one knows then. hehe, that'll get someone to tell me. The know it alls on this site can't resist getting the correct answer.

My Dad, whom I love dearly, taught me to drive stick shift in a manner reminiscent of Lou Gossett, Jr. in an Officer and a Gentleman. It worked very well.

But there were road bumps, so to speak. I was in a hurry to learn because I had a date with the head cheerleader (more about my young dating life!) and wanted to use my brother's '81 Scirocco. I took her, of course, to a Dodger game. Who knew that there were inclines in the parking lot? Did not get a second date.

Thanks Bob, I think I'm just going to rent a stick car, and try it on an empty parking lot early in the morning. The trick will be getting it from the rental office to the parking lot. I might hire a tow truck.

#202: It looks like (up to) 50 total rounds is the limit based on the Draft Tracker. At any point a team can pass and opt out of all future selections. The draft may end before 50 rounds if all teams opt out.

Is Lasorda announcing our picks like he did last year? If it goes that long he's liable to fall asleep.

195- Scott Boras and his ilk are destroying the spirit of the "Baseball Team". Period.

Dodgerkid- there are 50 rounds of madness. Driving a stick is easy... my Dad taught me to visualize yourself climbing up stairs with your right hand on the bannister. Press in with left foot, reach with your right hand to shift, then release with left foot and press in with your right foot onto the gas.

Bob- Someone else is going to name Hideo Nomo, so my pick will be Scott Kazmir -- there just aren't a whole lot of infield spots available for token players in the AL.

I think it should be easy too. My teacher was an old German man who said I was shifting the car like a Russian tank, and that my continued stallings were "hurting him". Then he ended the lesson early. I'm going to contact the better business bureau!

Two things I've never understood people's fascination with: the All-Star Game, and the draft. In any sport, not just baseball.

DodgerKid make sure you test your new skills on empty hills before you take on Dodger Stadium. Learning to drive a stick is an easy skill. The hard part is the 1st 5 minutes. Then it will be easy until you hit your 1st hill and start rolling back until you can see the whites of the eyes of the driver behind you. Get to know your parking brake in the beginning. That will be your best friend.

Last year Carl Crawford was a legitimate pick. In a few years this topic will be considered silly when D Young/Upton/Neiman/Crawford will have numerous All-Star games under their belt.

Dodgerkid,
In my opinion the best way to learn stick is like this:

Contrary to what some people think, you can let out the clutch without using any gas from a stopped position. You just have to do it EXTREMELY slowly. Once you are successful very very slowly letting it out and it engages, you will begin to feel how the clutch works. Once you can do it that way start adding a little gas and speeding up your release of the clutch (speeding it up relative to your first success, not normal speed.) Hope that helps and makes sense. Worked for me.

Dodgerkid,
It's pretty hard to find a standard transmission to rent in the U.S. The big companies don't like to rent cars that most people can't drive. Of course, if you go to Europe, it's the other way around.

My dad's small pickup truck was a stick so I had to learn because I had to drive it to go work at his store sometimes. My mother couldn't drive it, but she couldn't reach the stick because her right arm was about six inches shorter than her left.

Maybe you can find a really, really, really old car that has the stick shift on the steering column. These were known as "Three on the tree", which later turned into "Four on the floor". Fifth gear is usually an overdrive.

213. All-Star game is just a show and celebration of the sport. Kind of like the Academy Awards or Oscars. Which I'm not really all that interested in. The draft on the otherhand is very important as that's where each team's future lies, atleast most teams, some teams can just buy any player they want so let's not count them. Players that are drafted turn into prospects, prospects who will play a role on your team in the future and can be used for trades. I've mentioned before that I think the MLB draft is pretty much a crapshoot with maybe a very few exceptions. I have to admit I have very little interest in the MLB draft, wake me up when they are ready to be called up to the bigs. Plus you have no idea which players will make it and which won't. In the NBA and NFL you know that players taken in the first round and usually in the 2nd round are going to have some kind of immediate impact, even if it is as a backup, atleast they will make the team 99% of the time.
_
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\ \ / / '| \ // _ \ |
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213,
We are also equally fascinated by people learning to drive stick shifts.

214 - Young/Upton et al. will have multiple All-Star games under thier belt assuming the Devil Rays don't follow their normal buisness plan and go sign Bernie Williams, Kenny Lofton and Jeff Conine.

Toby Hall has the 4th highest AL Vorp at catcher this year so he would be my pick. His VORP would make him number 2 in the NL behind Ramon Hernandez who is way ahead of everyone else in the NL.

I loved driving stick - which I had until 2002. Whenever I went to San Francisco, the adrenaline would start churning. Loved it.

215- Actually, only forgiving cars will let you do that. My first car, a blazing-fast Nissan Pulsar (why that thing had a fifth gear is beyond me, as the gears were so tall you'd only hit fifth at 80mph, which is the point at which the car shook itself to pieces) wouldn't let you let the clutch out without revving it to at least 2500 RPM. Anything else, from a standing position, and you'd be toast. Trust me, I tried to get the thing to creep by just barely letting it out. No dice-- once it engaged, the engine had to be roaring.

#216
Bob is correct. When I went to France I was surprised to find myself in a stick. Hadn't driven one in 20 years but it came back quickly and then I remembered how much I loved driving a stick. As soon as I got back I bought a Miata.

Good luck in finding someone to rent you a stick. You may have to go to Ugly Duckling rentals.

The Dodgers drafted a kid from Crenshaw High, Trayvon Robinson.

Let's hope he turns out better than the last Crenshaw High player on the Dodgers.

#216: Ah yes, my '56 Chevy is "three on the tree".

I would have thought that Jon only drove minivans now.

You know, to tote around all the youngins

In my area everyone learned to drive a stick at the same place. The Santa Anita race track parking lot.

I learned on a bright orange VW camper, in backcountry Minas Gerais. Mom got scared 'cause I was not avoiding the potholes sufficiently.

In 2002, just before my daughter was born, I donated my '85 Scirocco - running marvelously - to fight Lou Gehrig's Disease. (This was not the result of any urging from Bobby or Mr. Rick Monday.) The Weismans now have two four-door cars on lease - next year will be minivan year for my wife. I'm sort of interested in the Prius, but who knows.

The car I drive now is my first automatic transmission model. I have to say, I don't miss the clutch.

When I bought my first car my Dad went with me. It was a beautiful '68 Bug that I wish I still had. Anyway, I had my license for sometime and was comfortable driving the '69 Country Squire. My Dad asked if I wanted him to drive it home and I could follow in the CS: thanks anyway Dad, I'll take it from here... flash to post 205!

I was never so relieved and exhausted by the time I got home in my life; but, by my street I was beginning to get comfortable with it. The Volkswagon clutch was pretty durable as I recall.

I can't imagine what I would have done had reverse been required or I had any steep hills to negotiate.

Find a nice, empty, flat parking lot with plenty of room to turn-around...

220 -

This isn't directed at you specifically, but I find the idea of the players choosing All-Stars based on VORP or WS to be pretty amusing.

Can you imagine Toby Hall yelling at his teammates, trying to get votes?

"MY VORP IS 14.3! C'MON! 14.3!!!"

It reminds me of Will Ferrel shouting "I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!"

My first car was a 66 Beetle. I got it before I got my driving license. I learned to drive the stick by going back and forth in my parents long driveway. This went on for two months and then I got my license. Two days later I totalled the car when I wrapped it around a light pole where the Glendal Galleria now sits. All that driving back and forth didn't prepare me for handling a turn in the rain.

DodgerKid, graduation is driving up La Cienega towards Sunset, at Tower Records. If you make it, you're ready for anything.

While perusing the Vorp files I found that Damon Hollins of Tampa Bay has the 2nd highest VORP for AL centerfielders. Not bad for a 31 year old rookie who no one had ever heard of before this year.

That's "former Dodger" Damon Hollins by the way.

232 - was the Stratus a stick?

Addenum to Dodgerkid: Don't sweat it, it's really no harder than learning to ride a unicycle :)

221 - I've driven a stick my entire life and even the hills in SF scare me sometimes. There are streets where I will just refuse to drive on. If you can drive a stick here, you can drive one anywhere. Here's to you SF, SF.

I'll try Ugly Duckling rentals. They might have one.

Meant, of course, addendum.

I drove an automatic on the hills of San Francisco and it scared me.

Mrs. Robinson will no longer be able to try to seduce us.

Anne Bancroft passed away in New York yesterday at age 73.

The Dodgers 12th round pick is named Kristopher Krise. Quite a name.

242 - It can be fun sometimes. I can handle most of the hills, but I hate it when the car behind me stops 2 inches from my rear bumper. It doesn't matter how great you are with a stick you are going to roll back a little bit.

Here's to you Mrs. Robinson....

Driving up hills takes a certain amount of faith that there are objects in the forward blind spot. Kind of like landing a taildragger.

243 - Oh, that's very sad news.

I drove a stick my one year I lived in Berkeley. I didn't worry about hills. I worried more about the car being a piece of junk that tended to stall for reasons not related to the clutch.

It also liked to have warning lights come on only when I was driving on one of the bridges.

The Dodgers just selected Scott Van Slyke, son of Andy Van Slyke, in the 14th round.

Bob,

Is that your car that is being used as a place to sleep by some local hippies in a park off of Telegraph?

I think Anne Bancroft's last on screen appearance might have been her turn on last season's finale of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" where she played herself.

Doug, wouldn't you agree that `Berkeley Bob' has sort of a nice ring to it?

My old Buick Skyhawk I assume has long been sent to the wrecking yard. It would have been like "Seinfeld", you couldn't have paid someone to steal that car.

253 - It does.

The other options are:
Granada Hills Bob
Westwood Bob
Pasadena Bob
South Pasadena Bob

How about CPL Bob, for your workplace? Then we can call you "The Corporal."

The Dodgers just drafted Scott Van Slyke in the 14th round. It will be interesting to see if he signs after saying he would only sign if he was drafted in the first five rounds. (Link to pertinent article by Tom Timmerman buried deep in the above comments.)

I guess only Bob Edwards will be Colonel Bob.

TNick Robertson vs Derek Thompson tonight. Both pitchers have a rather poor K/BB ratio, but have managed to avoid giving up too many home runs (Thompson's sample size being very small).

The Over/Under for Derek Thompson's innings pitched tonight has been set at 5 2/3 IPs, his highest line of the year so far.

Please feel free to make your virtual bets, remembering that the Overs have won 3 of the last 4 games, and probably no coincidence that the Dodgers have done pretty well of late.
vr, Xei

I say over, Derek Thompson 6 1/3 innings 3 earned runs. Comes out in a 3 to 3 tie. Please JT, don't bring in Gio in a close game.

Will we see Osorio tonight????????????

I'll take the over as I'm just about to head out to the game. Hoping to catch BP for the 1st time this year.
Saw Franquelis Osoria in the bullpen last night. Looks alot like Brazoban but shorter.

Back to draft stuff here... Does anyone think signing Luke right away, for a slightly higher contract than Jered Weaver signed, would be a double win?
You make the Angels look bad.
You might be able to fast track the kid and thus hedge bets on signing another starter in the offseason.

Of the 16 picks for the Dodgers so far, 7 have been from college and 9 from high school. A good mix of DePodesta and White picks.

If anyone is sitting field level right behind the dodger dugout and dugout club, watch out for this usher named Dick. His name says it all. He is one. He will triple check you tickets to make sure your in the right seats. The guy was yelling at two teenage girls in the braves series for sitting in the wrong row. Watch out.

Actually his name is Richard, but I call him Dick.

I could not care less about making the Angels look bad. If Hochevar's worth X dollars, then let's get him signed and on the big league track if his demands are in the ballpark. If what he's asking isn't justified, then caving in is no answer. There are no absolutes when it comes to this sort of thing.

What league does Hochevar slot into if he is signed tomorrow?

AA then Arizona Fall League?

Here's a question for everyone. I'm sorry it doesn't have anything to do with the draft. But I have to get this off my chest.

Does Jeff Weaver look a little feminine when he's running to first and does the 10 foot hop and lunge in the air when he touches first. I've noticed it on a few occasions, and I bust up laughing every time.

Jacksonville is what I was thinking as well, but there's quite a logjam there. Edwin Jackson is likely heading down there at some point, since he doesn't seem to be figuring things out in Las Vegas. Broxton, Billingsley, Stults, and Hull are all pitching well, but not necessarily well enough to be moved up to Las Vegas. Hanrahan is also in the Jacksonville rotation and isn't pitching very well, but I don't know what to do with him. Additionally, at least Orenduff and probably Tiffany look like they're ready for increased competition based on their stats in Vero Beach. To top it all off, Greg Miller should be coming back soon though I expect him to start off at Vero Beach.

269. I wonder what the average sign time is for a Boras client who is considered a first round pick. Anyone care to make an over/under on how long it takes to sign our #1 pick? 10 months?
vr, Xei

#273: I think Boras was left with a little egg on his face over the Drew and Weaver fiascos. My guess is that he'll try to push hard for quick signings, though still at top dollars. I also think the Dodgers are willing to be flexible. I'd say he's in the minors in a little over a month.

Boyd Nation had the following to say about the Dodgers' 8th round pick, under the heading "Who to pick after all the guys you scouted have already been picked":

Best Pitcher with a Really Offensive Park Factor: Dave Horlacher, Brigham Young, 3.80 ERA, 94.2 IP, 82 K, 28 BB, 11 HR, 140 PF. We probably ought to call this one the Jamie Vermilyea Award, under the theory that if you ever spot a pitcher with an ERA under 5.00 in New Mexico, you take him. There aren't any of those this year, but Horlacher has a well-below-national-average ERA up in the mountains (it's not just BYU, most of the Mountain West Conference is up from Denver).

Elsewhere, Erstad just had a pitch thrown inside to him. The home plate umpire immediately warned both teams.

I'm rooting for a BRAWL tonight!

Corporal Random Dodger Game Callback, you're on.

Under: 2 months to sign Hochevar.
Under: I'd like to think Thompson will go 6, but my gut tells me he will have trouble the 2nd time through the lineup.