I'm pointing out this article not to say that Matt Kemp is Stan Musial. All things are relative. Just found it interesting.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/one-month-late/

In other news, Paris Hilton has already been released from jail. Sounds fair to me.

3 Well it is county jail, not the federal system. Bacca's gotta make room for all the other real criminals who will be serving 1/10th of their sentences.

2
For starters, Matt Kemp doesn't play the harmonica.

Will Carrol will be reprinting a correction about his Chad Billingsley injury prone comment sometime today.

Bad news about Elbert but we knew it was coming.

Let me see if I understand this. So, if they send me to jail, and I tell them that jail affects my health, they let me out?

Well you got to assume that someone like Paris doing 2-3 days in jail will have the same effect of being in there longer. Granted shes an idiot, but just being there for one day would have to be terrifying for someone who's been living in fantasyland their whole life.

8 - Is being alone in a room for 2 - 3 days terrifying?

Paris Hilton is a piece of trash, and so is anyone that cares about what is going on her life. What has she ever done to deserve any kind of notoriety besides be an heiress? Yet people still insist on talking about her like she is a "celebrity" or someone else of perceived importance. It's as ridiculous as our society that is sooooooooo fascinated by people who are projected on a screen of some fashion and speak words that other people wrote. Then we shower them with compliments and awards at pointless award shows that are treated with more reverence then a mass being recited by the pope! I don't get it. I never will. I just can't wrap my head around it.
I read today that Little has hinted at a lineup change tonight. Let's hope it doesn't include JP or if it does, let's hope he's popping out from the 8 hole.

With Rule 5 and several others in mind:

There are 20 million illegals driving without license or insurance.

So yeah. When police start ticketing them and judges start jailing them they can enforce a suspended license sentence.

I'd be willing to let Paris Hilton lead off tonight if it meant sitting Slappy McPop-up down for a game.

Another zero for four yesterday.

Another zero for four yesterday

I'm confused about that. Some folks are saying he went 0-4, but the box scores I've seen tell me he went 1-4.

10 You mean like some people do with "athletes"? Who cares about "celebrity"; Paris Hilton is a very good looking woman and I like looking at her for that reason. I couldn't care less about the rest of her life. She and the atletes were born with something that makes people envy them and give them money. No more, no less...

I have my season seats up for grabs for Saturday night. They aren't great seats, top deck, section 3 on the aisle, right behind home plate. Row L. But I'll give them away.

I am in Palmdale. You can pick them up for free. They can also be emailed, but they charge $2 a ticket to do that. Anyone want them?

13
The scorer must have given him a hit for the 8th inning dribbler to third that the was thrown past second base. That was an error in my opinion. I guess Juan was given a hit.

It was officially determined that the fear of Pierre's speed on the basepaths induced the misplay.

14
Exactly like people do with athletes as well.

She and the atletes were born with something that makes people envy them and give them money.

Ok, I'll give you that some athletes are born with "natural talent" but how do you explain guys like David Eckstein or any long snapper in the NFL? And what was Paris born with besides a silver spoon in her mouth? Amazing good looks? That's a matter of opinion. I for one see what I deem as better looking women than Pars in the course of everyday life. But then again that's just my opinion of what constitutes pretty or beautiful.

David Eckstein was born with likeability. Maybe we should dislike him because of it.

14 Believe it or not, David Eckstein still has a ton of natural talent, relative to the general population.

Oops, my last post was in response to 18

Between Paris Hilton and illegal immigration, I don't like where this thread is going.

Uh, whom will the Dodgers draft today?

22
AGREED! Let's talk Dodger draft!

I just wanted to point out that, after attending last night's game, I have personally endured eight consecutive Dodger losses to the Padres.

The last game the Dodgers beat the Padres with me in attendance was April 20, 2005, a 3-1, 10-inning victory that capped a 12-2 start for the 2005 71-win juggernaut.

I will not be attending tonight's contest, so even though they are facing Jake Peavy the Dodgers have a chance to win! (slightly better than Lloyd Christmas's chance with Mary Swanson)

A few years ago, my Dad and I got tickets for a Freeway series game (I think somebody gave them to us). Joel Guzman played in that game and was, by far, the most thoroughly baffled hitter I think I've ever seen. He missed pitches like I miss left-handed free throws.

That's the only time I've ever soured on one player based on one game. He just looked so terrible...

24. Hey, arguably the worst team in the NL has beaten him twice, maybe the Dodgers could do the same thing.

Yeah, can we not talk about the P's please? (Paris, Pierre and Peavy?) Well, okay, we can talk about tonight's game. I'm looking forward to the draft, too. I'm TiVo-ing it because I'll be at work all day so I may not log in here 'til tonight. I want all the excitement and suspense that comes with not knowing! As much excitement and suspense as there can be from watching the baseball draft.

24 It's okay, Eric, we only partially blame you. ;-)

26.
We arguably have one of the worst players in the NL batting lead off and playing CF so I am in agreement.

"They can't wait on him," Goldstein said. "It seems Marte's development has been on hold for a couple of years from now, to the point where people think he's not as good as people think he is."

Man, what a clumsy sentence. More like, "his reputation has declined."

Speaking of which, I didn't see anyone mention this here yet, here's what Tony Jackson wrote in his last entry:
"Grady hinted at changes in tomorrow's lineup. I wouldn't be surprised if Pierre goes to seventh or eighth for a while. I WOULD be surprised if Grady tries Russell Martin in the leadoff spot, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't make sense. He has everything you look for in a leadoff man"

Just the first part of that makes my ears perk up...

29 - It's not like he wrote it.

How about bringing up Mike Easler to be batting coach when they finally do bring up Matt Kemp? (Or even before.) Seriously, while I think hitting coaches get too much blame or credit, it wouldn't surprise me to see them say sayonara to Eddie Murray within a month. Especially given Jackson's comments last night to that effect, and how some of the D's hitters just seem to be fundamentally "off" right now.

If the lineup changes don't involve benching Pierre and/or Nomar, I won't be too interested.

Picking from the 20th spot let up hope the Dodgers channel the Indians in 1998 and get someone like CC Sabathia.

The 20th spot has not been very kind. Since 1998 only 3 players are in the majors with only CC and Chad Cordero being noteworthy.

If Kershaw does become an Ace does Depo get credit for tanking the 2005 season and putting us in the position to draft him?

How about moving Pierre to the #10 slot?

Nomar definitely needs to rest more, too. I like Saenz and all but would prefer that it be Loney that is doing the subbing for him. (Sigh. Sorry to beat dead horses again.) Good to see at least Kent looking alive again last night. I don't worry as much about his bat.

33 Come on, man. If The Player moved to the eight spot, that would be a tremendous victory. Benching him is not happening. It's just not. So moving him way down is as good as we're going to get.

[So moving him way down is as good as we're going to get]

I don't deny that, but I'm still not very interested. For one thing, his "defense" in centerfield is presumably independent of his place in the lineup, and he'll still get way too many PAs. That being said, it's certainly true that PJ batting 8th is better than PJ batting 1/2.

Gurnick also has an article at dodgers.com about possible lineup juggling by Grady.

But moving Pierre down to the eight spot solves nothing. It would be a hollow victory in my opinion. It might gain the Dodgers one extra baserunner every 25 games. Pierre needs to be OUT of the lineup.

Anyone think maybe Grady puts Russell Martin in the 3 spot tonight and Nomar in the 6th?

Let's try to figure out what the juggled lineup might look like, keeping all the same players and using our impression of Grittle's logic rather than our own. Here goes:

Furcal
Martin
Nomar
Kent
LuGo
Abreu/Betemit
Ethier
Pierre
Pitcher

Furcal
Abreu
Martin
Kent
Lugo
Nomar
Ethier
Pierre
Kuo

Interesting rumor on Foxsports.com about the Dodgers being interested in Miguel Cabrera. I would pull a trade for him in a heartbeat.

Who would you guys be willing to trade for him?

Also, this isn't exactly the first time we've heard the Dodgers say they needed to "change things."

38 Yes, moving our starting CF out of the lineup would be ideal, and should happen. But he was given 44 million dollars over five years, and he will get every opportunity in the world to fail (and he will, because he stinks).

He's not leaving the everyday lineup, so trade talks, benching wishes, etc, to me, is pointless. It's not that I disagree...But it's like wishing for a Pujols trade or a Santana trade or vintage Gagne coming back. Bullethead moving to 8th is like getting pecan pie. It's not my favorite, but hey, it's still desert!

42. For M Cabrera? I believe many of the people here have already said they would trade nearly anyone.

42 Name any three players or prospects. Any of them. Billingsley, Loney, and Kemp? Done.

But I have a Cabrera fetish unmatched in human history. I'm not the best judge of such things.

I'll be somewhat surprised if Loney and/or LaRoche are not included in whatever trades Ned makes this season.

Loney, LaRoche, and Meloan would fill needs for the Marlins and could probably get it done.

42 If you're referring to the LA Times article, it's pure speculation posted in a mailbag column, not anything from inside the organization. Although I'm sure the Dodgers would be interested, it doesn't mean there is even any internal discussion.

Yeah I definitely believe Cabrera is one of those players its fine to dump prospects for as Cabrera is what you want those prospects to eventually become, except he makes more money. But since we're LA and not Kansas City that isn't a problem.

I would assume the Marlins would want more pitching than anything, correct? They would probably ask for any of Billinglsey, LaRoche, Meloan, Loney, Kershaw, Broxton.

How about Loney, LaRoche, Meloan, Pierre, and $40 million?

According to the lineup analysis tool, if Pierre keeps hitting as badly as he is, dropping him to eighth and Martin to the two hole will give the Dodgers over two wins over the course of the year.

However, Pierre should progress so the actual effect won't be nearly as big.

45

aside from Martin & maybe Kemp, i pretty much agree with you.

44

Yeah, I know he's not going to be benched.

But it's like wishing for a Pujols trade or a Santana trade

Is it also like wishing for a Cabrera trade?

About this Cabrera trade "rumor", it looks to me like LAT writer Baxter decided that such a trade would make sense, not that he heard from anyone that the teams were seriously talking about a Cabrera trade.

If I'm Florida I ask for Billingsley, Kemp and Broxton and no less. They'd probably ask for more than that. Cabrera is a future HOF.

Would he even want to play on the West Coast?

51 - Done and done.

For Cabrera, I'd give anyone other than Bills, Martin, Kemp and Kershaw.

36 - Nope. Live the dream.

I think there's definitely a difference in the possibility of Pierre getting traded vs. Pierre getting at least temporarily rested.

But I've made the point too many times.

57 Most teams request that you actually give up good talent to acquire one of the four best players in the game.

52

Really? Two wins? I'm impressed it's that much.

Can one of those "extra" wins be tonight? ;-)

By the way, the Mets and Red Sox are on longer losing streaks than the Dodgers. It would be peculiar if facing or losing to Jake Peavy became some sort of watershed moment for the team.

watching womens softball is such an aphrodisiac (sp?)

59-The Dodgers have TONS of good talent other than those names I mentioned.

Broxton, Loney, LaRoche, etc.

Didn't Cabrera just injure his hamstring?

I flipped on the Phils/Mets game last night and I must say that the Mets fans make some of the Dodger fans look tame. It was nice to watch a game in HD...no thanks to KCAL and there Time Warner only mantra blah

Did anyone watch any of the WCWS Softball this week? It was good stuff.

57 So you wouldn't trade a .310 hitting catcher with marginal pop for a player whose comparables are Mickey Mantle, Henry Aaron, and Frank Robinson.

I would have Russell's children, but I'd trade him in a nanosecond for Cabrera. You dream that Kemp becomes 85% of what Cabrera already is. Not wanting to trade pitching, I understand.

53. Oh, I'm not suggesting we actually do that, just trying to remember what everyone here has said in the past. Martin is my favorite Dodger now, so I couldn't trade him.

The Marlins want young cheap talent, so I assume that definitely means prospects. Maybe we could get off trading Loney or Mitch Jones with Meloan and then probably LaRoche.

I don't think the Marlins would necissarily want Broxton as they just reacquired Benitez. Not that he is that great, but they would then have a glut of relievers. I'd imagine they would want a starter.

Also, do you think we could get a "throw in" with Cabrera who might be able to contribute? Josh Johnson, the injured starter? One of their top AAA starters? Or is that asking for too much? Could we get away with only 2 blue chips instead of 3?

63 If someone offered you that for Miguel Cabrera, would you take it?

Lets play "List MLB players who are superior hitters to Cabrera".

Cabrera's "similar batters"

1. Hideki Matsui (910)
2. Earl Webb (908)
3. Kal Daniels (905)
4. Jason Bay (904)
5. Mark Teixeira (894)
6. Monte Irvin (889)
7. Bob Cerv (889)
8. Matt Holliday (887)
9. Del Bissonette (879)
10. Hank Blalock (878)

61

Yeah, it's just one game. But the Dodgers aren't as good as the Mets or Red Sox, and I really don't want the Dodgers to suddenly be 2.5 games out of first place, especially to a team that appears to be a bit better than them.

I think Martin, Kuo, and Kemp are where the Dodgers would need to start in order to acquire Cabrera. I have to imagine that there are several other teams that would offer a comparable package.

67-If I was a small market team looking to save money before Cabrera's value explodes in arby, yes I would take the offer.

65 (Scandalized) What a blasphemous reduction of what Russell Martin brings to the field everynight!!

The New York Times features Chatsworth High (via L.A. Observed)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/07/sports/baseball/07draft.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

69 Most similar by age:

21-Henry Aaron
22-Henry Aaron
23-Henry Aaron

Little Known Fact: Henry Aaron hit 755 home runs. Just throwing that out there.

65 - I wouldn't trade Martin for Cabrera.

They're both NL best at their positions this year, but our backup plans (as far as I know) at catcher aren't nearly as good as our 3B prospects. Russel's under contract longer, seems happy in LA, and (dare I say this) might have a positive impact on pitching.

This is all not counting the outrage that would occur if he was traded. I don't think people put Cabrera in the Pujols realm (well, they obviously don't based on the theoretical trades I've seen here) so there'd be some unhappy Dodger fans.

I would - if an extension was worked out - send Kemp, La Roche and whatever pitching other than Bills, Brox, and CK.

I wonder if the fish would want a Brad Penny for Cabrera. Granted he makes $8-9m, but pitchers are expensive today and they would have him at a similar rate for next season.

Speaking of Russ, Marc Normandin has a player profile on him up today. (You can thank me for giving him the idea :)).

78 link?

Cabrera's PECOTA comparables (which are for more advanced than B-Ref's).

Jim Ray Hart(?)
Jack Clark
Ellis Valentine
Cal Ripken
Del Ennis

Also on there
Sheffield
Frank Robinson
Vlad
Pujols
Bagwell
A-Rod
Eddie Murray
Rocky Colavito

What if the Dodgers draft Matt LaPorta? Loney could be included in a package for Cabrera instead of Matt Kemp?

77. is an interesting idea. I like the idea of trading Penny for star talent just before the All-Star break. Kind of what I'm trying to do in my fantasy league.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6323

76 While the trade-anybody-for-Cabrera argument makes complete sense to me, I also wonder if I would trade Martin for him. He's an All-Star talent at catcher, where talent is hard to find....

On the other hand, the difference between what Cabrera and (say) LaRoche at 3B might be a lot greater than the difference between Martin and a Kelly Stinnett-type replacement talent, so maybe I'm letting emotion get in the way.

70 - You need a thicker constitution if you can't handle being 2 1/2 games out in June.

69 80 No, no no. You're not cherry picking the good players, like I am. Only cherry pick the Hall of Famers. It's much better, and helps my argument.

Thank you.

How long is Cabrera locked up for. Would hate to give up 5 years of a couple of good prospects for 1 1/2 years of most anyone.

87 Well, 1 1/2 years and presumably the inside track on signing the guy to many more, like the Cardinals did with Pujols.

87. Right, where is the point where we give up too much? For me, I would trade anyone but Martin and Billingsley. But I'm an emotional guy.

Russell Martin - eighth-most-valuable player in baseball.

http://mvn.com/mlb-stats/2007/06/05/top-position-players-so-far/

84 shorter: I don't want to trade Martin, but I'll get over it when the Cabrera-led Dodgers win, um, three consecutive World Series.

76

i've been watching him since AA Jax so my emotional attachements would deem me to be very upset.

76
Can't look at it like that. Miggy will be a 1st baseman by next year.
What does Florida need? Really only outfielders and catching. They probably have the best stable of prospect pitchers in baseball.
1st - Jacobs, young, cheap, productive
2nd - Uggla, young, cheap, productive
SS - HRAM - young, cheap, incredibly productive
C - Olivo - young, cheap, lousy
OF - Hermida - young, cheap, should still become an offensive force but looks to be injury prone and is taking his time in meeting the high expectations
CF - big hole
LF - Jeff Willingham - young, cheap, productive

Looks like a deal would need to be Martin/Kemp/Meloan

No way for me do I trade Martin. If Miggy is just going to be a 1st baseman I don't see enough of the upgrade. This guy isn't driven like Pujols and wouldn't surprise me if he plateaus. The hitting numbers may compare with the Hammer at the same age but not the body type or desire. I was a big fan last year, not so much this year. Martin has a VORP this year of 22.7 and Miggy 26. Martin has become to important to this team. I love Miggy, but Martin is the centerpiece.

Any talk of trading either Russell Martin or Clayton Kershaw ends the talk for me personally. But if we're talking Cabrera any of the other guys (though not all of them for heaven's sake) mentioned are fair game. But ONLY for Cabrera. I'd rather trade them a veteran like Penny than Billingsley, but that's just me. And this is all basically "fantasy baseball talk" anyway.

If we can make it La Roche/Kemp/Meloan then I couldn't do the deal fast enough.

74
Yet the high school with more City Championships than Chatsworth and three active major leaguers is ignored.

93 Yeah, I wouldn't trade Martin either. I'm just saying that I would, if I had to.

So basically, I would, but I wouldn't. I don't know. I just love Cabrera. Love him so much.

{Swoons}

Hands up for anyone who thought Magglio Ordonez would be leading the league in VORP on June 8th.

Daily News did a great write up today of Valley ballplayers over the last 30 years. Kennedy was prominent.

97 So basically your maincrush on Cabrera exceeds that for Russell? Sorry, that's where we part company. I heart Russell first.

its hard to imagine beinfest pulling the trigger on a deal without a bills/kemp type prospect. wouldnt that be sweet if we could somehow squeeze tomko or hendy in! say tomko, broxton, loney/laroche would be ideal. to quote the great brian wilson, wouldnt it be nice.

I think the Marlins would look to move Dontrelle too. He is nearing the end of his contract and hasn't lived up to expectations lately.

I think that Dontrelle and Miggy for Kuo, Bills, LaRoche, and Kemp or Loney would be a blockbuster trade that the Marlins have been capable of making in the past.

They made a great trade with Juan Pierre to the Cubs for three major league arms. They seem to trade players they know they won't be able to sign for cheap young talent.

I think Martin can't be included in the trade. Maybe Broxton if the Dodgers pick up a reliever in return, even Benetiz (not that I want him). Maybe not though, the Gnats are paying his salary this year.

mancrush, that is. Your maincrush is reserved for Alyssa Milano, I'm sure.

102 You lost me with mention of Benitez there. ;-) I'd rather not trade Kemp, too. Loney, Laroche and Kuo or Penny. There, done.

So we got the draft starting at 11 today? Are the picks going to be flowing fast and loose or is it going to be drawn out forever so ESPN2 can run crappy video packages of all the picks?

102 I'd take matt lindstrom or maybe tankersley. benitez is blasphemous.

85

Since when does not wanting the Dodgers to be 2.5 out of first mean one has a thin constitution?

I can handle it just fine.

103 Never a big Alyssa Milano fan. But she's grown on me throughout the years. Just knowing that a broad that hot can love baseball that much...I dunno...Sort of restored my faith in the world.

Are there any other dead beat contracts the Marlins have other than Benetiz (whom they are not paying)?

93 - I'm saying that I would not trade Martin in spite of them both being top in NL at their position. If Cabrera moves to 1B that makes me that much more opposed to a trade.

107 - Sorry I misread your comment.

108 Sorry, me too, I just wanted to throw a gal's name out there and for some reason hers was the first that came to mind. You can fill in your own blank there. Er, you know what I mean.

Okay, gotta take off. Will catch up on Dodgers' draft report later in the day. Check in with y'all after them.

108
Alyssa might not appreciate being referred to as a "broad".

108 "How many times do I have to tell you not to call chicks 'broads'?"

108,113 If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's never call chicks "broads".

Beaten to the punch by robohobo.

111

I'm thinking about this, and you may be right after all. I have been overreacting to these games, and I've made this game tonight into a watershed game when it's really not. That's why I was so defensive about your initial comment calling for perspective on tonight's game, which wasn't aimed at me, after all. I wrote elsewhere that I feared the Dodgers would never see first again if they lose tonight, which is certainly possible, but is also an overreaction.

So, after all, you're right. I do need a thicker constitution. These games need to be approached in the right way, or they'll be no fun. :-)

We have a beach near where I live called "Chick's Beach". I don't think "Broad's Beach" would be as popular, but who knows.

105 From what I've heard, it's going to get artificially drawn out. I think it's going to take a couple hours to get to the supplemental round.

I don't think they'd be likely to trade Kemp for Cabrera because we're desperate for outfielders, not because we think he will be that great. Loney, LaRoche, Abreu,any pitchers, yes but not Kemp. I would love to throw in Pierre and $40 million, make it Tomko and Hendrickson and we'll make it an even $50 million. They want cheap players, we can let them have Martinez, Brady, and Saenz.

117 - Kobe? Donovan?

116. I think that line was used in Weird Al's opus, "UHF".

117 - It's totally cool. And as someone said yesterday, nothing is automatic in baseball. There's almost something exciting about the fact that the deck seems so stacked in San Diego's favor tonight. And I like to think a combo of Kuo/Billingsley/Broxton vs. the San Diego lineup is being underestimated.

117 I can't see San Diego keeping up their 14-4 clip all season. Theyre absolutely on fire. So is Arizona. Lets hope they peak early.

Mayo now has us taking HS 3B Matt Dominguez.

will Dominguez fall that far?

Who was the last former USC baseball player to play for the Dodgers?

Who was the last former UCLA baseball player to play for the Dodgers?

126 Moustakas, Vitters, Mills and Ahrens are all 3B too, so it´s possible but I don´think it will happen.

Long time Reader, 1st time posting. The only reason Ive never posted is because I knew it would distract me at work, but sacrifices needed to be made (I wish Grady would do that with Juan every once in a while). Looking foward to great intellectual baseball conversations!

129 - Welcome!

127
I don't know. Ask Bob.

UCLA - Dave Roberts?

This is great. My old co-worker is a huge padre fan. So we of course have been going back and fourth....

"I forgot to mention…When I was in Vegas a couple of weekends ago, We went to a AAA game…Dodgers AAA (51's) vs Pads AAA (Beavers). Dude, it doesn't look good for the young Pads. I don't think that team had one guy over .300. The Dodgers have a stud down there named Matt Kemp. Do you know who he is? Keep an eye on that kid! I forget the guy that pitched for you, but he had a no-no through 5 and was pulled for some reason…maybe an injury."

uh, thanks for the lead on Matt kemp buddy and stop trying to make me feel good cause I am just not feeling it right now! LOL

Someone posted that it is harder to evaluate hitters than pitchers for the draft; with that in mind... I assume that there are always more prspective players than the teams actually draft because of limitations in minor league positions to use and develop them. So why doesn't one or several teams put, say $5 million, into a development project similar to the training camps they have in Central America? $5 million is peanuts to a major league ball club. We have a facility, let's say Dodgertown in Vero Beach, 8 or 10 old ballplayers for instructors. We "hire" undrafted kids out of high school and college that we think might have some talent, pay them $30 grand a year for a year or two to see if they start showing us something. At some point we either fire them because they'll never make it, or sign them as free agents into our regular minor leagues. The cost would be extremely low and if even one player out of 20 makes it to the majors, it was worthwhile.

UCLA- Karros??

129
To fit in here, you must now post
"Juan has to go. Kemp needs to called up. We need Nomar to show some power. And we want Miggy or ARod for Tomko and Ramon Martinez"

Dave Roberts is the last Bruin/Dodger.

The last Trojan is a bit harder.

136 You forgot he has to repeatedly say how stupid Colletti is.

135 I think you are correct.

All you need to do to fit in by me is to talk about catcher's interference or start discussing the minutiae of a Dodgers-Astros game from 1975.

Roberts last year with the Dodgers was 2004. Karros last year with the Dodgers was 2002.

Last USC Dodger: John "Don't Call Me Candy" Cummings?

129, 138 I would love for Juan to go, but we all know thats not happening anytime soon. Matt Kemp should definately be in San Diego tonight roaming the outfield at Petco. I think those twins are reaking havoc on Nomar and even though Ned has made some head scratching signings (Pierre), I still think he is an incredible upgrade over Depo.

136 - Let's not go down that route, even in jest.

142
Correct!

Now how about the last Stanford Cardinal to don Dodger blue?

144
I'm not sure I understand what you mean Jon. I didn't intend to be inappropriate or anything of the sort. Did I offend?

146 - I just don't like spreading the idea that there's only one viewpoint to be had here.

145 - I wore a blue shirt just the other day.

145 Pedro Guerrero?

I have a hypothetical question.

For the July 21 Dodger Thoughts Day, are the "Thank You For Not..." rules in full effect? I ask because I was quite inwardly and negatively sarcastic at last night's ballgame.

150 - Rules 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 (in a manner of speaking), 10, 11, and 12. Until I hear about any kids coming, Rule 1 will be suspended for those in attendance.

147
Got it. There certainly are many opinions here. I was of course joking but I understand your concern.

No biggie. Now let's get Miggy. The Angels have Figgy. With Saenz we have a Piggy. Juan is like Ziggy.

It seems strange that on the one day Nate looks forward to all year, he is not here to comment on the draft. But he has another hour before the Dodgers pick so he has time to jump in.

152 Folks have been calling Miggy a piggy recently.

There is nothing like listening to Steve Phillips telling us how all these other GMs are screwing up.

I will certainly be wearing my long-sleeve white Dodger Thoughts T-shirt on July 21, but I think it would be hilarious if we either:

(a) all wore a #9 jersey to the game
OR
(b) all wore a Dodgers cap about 2 sizes too large

FYI: I think "Bad Altitude" will be live-blogging the draft.

really nice SI column Jon but i'll go to my grave thinking that judging players in game situations is more effective than simply judging them on FP & BP I love everything Logan White has don for us but I think he's kind of wrong on what i just mentioned or am i misreading Jon's quote on him?

I want Porcello!!

158 If he falls to #20, wouldn't the Dodgers have to bury the hatchet with Boras?

Wouldn't they?

[crickets]

145 hilarious

I can't accept that the Dodgers would simply avoid dealing with Boras clients in the future. It's just a bad business practice.

meant 149 in response to 145, sorry

The things you find out when you tune in during work... Alex Gordon is "just" a home run away from hitting for the cycle.

Watching the espn show via mlb.com. Instead of standard commercials they have commercials produced by all of the teams and theyre pretty great. I especially liked the A's commercial because it had indie cred. They kinda make ours look bad. The only team commercial we have that I really like is the Jeff Kent toast one.

157 I think that can be said in all sports, Football is notorious with its combine, reportedly, Kevin Durant had one of the worst workouts in recent history (some said he was 79th out 80 at a recent workout and couldn't bench press 185 lbs).

That's when you here things like that guy is a (fill in the blank) player.

157 - I think he says he prefers game situations but that's not enough. You need to see more of a player than game situations. He's not suggesting you value BP over games.

159
I hope so.

164
This is probably the worst crop of A's commercials in awhile too.

I believe there are three Boras clients on the current 25-man roster.

TB takes David Price
Royals take Moustakas!

Jim Callis called this one, Moustakas, in his last blog item this morning on BaseballAmerica.com.

So the Royals will have to deal with Boras and his college commitment to USC.

I wonder what position Moustakas will end up at. I am guessing outfield.

Cubs are ready to take Vitters.

166

that's what i figured, i have 2 friends that made it as high as AA & they've told me scouts prefer GS.

172 I don't know about that, for value, catching is always an option. What do you think ToyCannon?

MLB has a long way to go before the draft reaches the cultural touchstone level of the NBA or NFL drafts. This broadcast is not exactly scintillating television. The most entertaining thing about it is the commercials (although I suppose you could say the same thing about the Super Bowl).

BTW - Jon nice column today, it must be fun to talk to those guys and get their insights, glad to hear that Logan is such a good guy.

173

Hos did you know that? (they just picked him)

178

should be, how did you now that.

The Pirates pick is going to tell us if they are willing to pay the piper. The best player is Porcello (sp.) but some think they will go for a position player, that would be Wieters, both are Boras guys so they could go for catcher Devin Mesoraco.

BH is clairvoyant.

175
BP thinks he may end up at 2nd. I asked a scout about him catching and he said he didn't think it was a good idea because his bat is so special that you wouldn't want to slow down his progress to the bigs. At only 6ft, 2nd might be the best bet.

Well I certainly was not expecting that.

So, that's a Yellow Alert for the cycle for Gordon.

179 ESP and every mock Draft on BaseballAmerica, Baseball Prospectus and MLB.com saying that if given the chance, the Cubs will take Vitters.

The Pirates are so risk adverese, its a shame their scouting department has taken on their manager's personality.

If I was a Pirates fan I would be so upset!!

Gosh I am so excited about July 21 and to get a chance to put names with faces.

I am happy it's a day game so I can cruise up solo. My wife is due (first) Nov 8 and it's like I didn't want to hear her moan all day about how hot it is.

Real curious what the Brewers are going to do now with Moustakas gone. Wonder if they will take his partner?

The Orioles will not take a Boras client. Ross Detwiller or Aumont here.

Everyone thinks that the Nats will spend bucks and deal with Boras so maybe Wiethers to the Nationals.

If Weiter falls to the Giants and they take him I'll be bummed. I'd rather they take their chance with a HS arm.

118 They do have Braun and I am not Dominguez will be the best player on the board when they draft.

I will be leaving July 21st for vacation. I was looking forward to meeting you all, but it will have to wait.

I heard rumors that Angelos has taken away the Boras ban, but thankfully they took the player I did not want.

Is there some accepted theory as to why college baseball isn't popular?

I've watched major league baseball my entire life but never really knew or even cared to know how the College World Series format worked until this year because my alma mater (UC Irvine) is in the Super Regionals.

I always found it weird that I was so disinterested in it.

Nice pick by the Orioles.

If the Nats take Porcello, that will change a lot of draft boards.

The July 21 game is a day game?

194
College baseball's worst selling point is:

PING!!!

197 Yep.

The Nats did not want to deal with Boras.

The funniest part of this is that the crowd does not know anyone aside from Price.

The Brewers may go for Devin Mesoraco here.

The other problem that college baseball has is that it is often played after classes end for most schools.

Also for most college teams, when you get past the first 3-4 pitchers on the staff, you've got some pretty marginal talent.

From the last Dodgers.com recap: "They started one Hall of Famer and finished it with another," Little said after Greg Maddux got his 338th win and Trevor Hoffman his 500th save. "That's the way the game is supposed to be played."

Even when he doesn't mean to, he cracks me up.

Wow, LaPorta went high. He is going to be ready to play soon too.

Nate isn't around..?

I wanted to know what the situation was with Nick Akins. I'm assuming we didn't sign him.

Matt LaPorta.

Wow, no one saw that coming a Boras client, a guy who people think can only play first and a Boras guy.

That just opened up a lot of things.

205 Nope, he is playing summer league ball in Oregon, he'll be drafted again but not today.

205 Nope.

Wow, Steve Phillips is saying what I was thinking is going on in those "war rooms." Okay, he didn't really say that but I am sure he wanted to say that.

Not that many care, but the last Stanford Cardinal to play for the Dodgers was Brian Johnson.

Other former Stanford players to play for the Dodgers include Al Osuna, Sandy Vance, and Chuck Essegian.

I don't know all that much about the draft, but the Pirates completely screwed up their first pick, right?

211
They took a lower ceiling guy and they took a pitcher which was very surprising.

And now the first pick for an NL West team.

Weathers, a college closer, was expected to go somewhere between this pick and No. 11, again not a guy the Dodgers are interested in.

so none of you guys has mentioned Madison Bumgarner yet in this thread?

I hope the D-Backs don't feel like spending money.

A day game works out much better for me. I may have to work early Sunday morning.

211 that seems to be the opinion on minorleagueball.

214 Shhhh.

We will let you know in 4 years.

Benny P (MLB.COM) works these things right? i wonder if he's at a top draft picks house right now.

he's the BP guy's projection....headline practically writes itself:
"Bums Garner Bumgarner"

215 They could be going to the Great White North for their pick.

So... who am I rooting for to fall to the Dodgers? I resolve to know more about amateur ball next year.

Give me a list so I know if I should be happy or sad.

Rockies take a relief pitcher. Yeah, that should help:)

The Pirates took a relief pitcher at #5.
So yeah, that is screwing up a draft.

Rockies drafting relievers? In the top 15?

Parker, a good solid high school pitcher. Some saw him going as high as No. 3 but that was based on signability issues.

If Dominguez ends up in Arizona I may have to switch my alliance.

Crossing my fingers they go safe and take Schmidt

Bum, they got Parker. Nice pick.

So... who am I rooting for to fall to the Dodgers? I resolve to know more about amateur ball next year.

Give me a list so I know if I should be happy or sad.

seriously, who are we picking??

Could the Giants take another pitcher named Schmidt.

Giants pick LHP Madison Bumgarner

Lousy Giants.

That was the guy that was being projected to the Dodgers. He may want a 2.3 million dollar bonus.

"Tremendous pick for the Giants" - Keith Law

There it is the first use of the term "war room"

BOB!! Ravech just said we're gonna go into the Mariners' "war room" after this break!

229 Blake Beavan, if it makes it past the Rangers, he may be the Dodgers pick.

If they show the Padres' War Room, I hope we get a shot of Depo and The Laptop.

Goldstein doesn't like him and thinks it is an overdraft. Maybe Nate will hit it on the head and we end up with Alderson with Bumgarner gone.

236 We're up to an hour for 10 picks. I hope that this thing isn't televised after this year.

Goldstein doesn't like him and thinks it is an overdraft. Maybe Nate will hit it on the head and we end up with Alderson with Bumgarner gone.

T.J. Simers always mocks James Garner by calling him by his birthname, Bumgarner.

I wonder if the Dodgers would go for Harvey or Porcello?

lol Mariners got to love Aumont's response.

Gammons just called Martin the best defensive catcher in the game.

244 Speaking of Canadian guys, Kyle Orr, the Dodgers fourth round pick from last year should debut in Ogden I would guess though he could go to GCL first.

151 11? No one's allowed to have beer at the game? Or if they do, no comments? Hmmmm. Or maybe "under the influence" means a rather extreme version of same, rather than what CHP has in mind? Yeah, I guess that would hold.

So Matthew Dominguez goes to FL.

So Matt Dominguez goes to the Marlins, will he be the heir apparent to Miggy. He probably fields the ball as well as anyone in this draft. He is a Pepperdine signee, I believe.

He is a Pepperdine signee, I believe

Not many care, but who was the last Pepperdine grad to play for the Dodgers?

The Braves will take Heyward if the Indians don't take him.

250 Bob?

Argh, so close to the Dodgers' pick but I have to go to a job site.

Well, there goes my hometown boy Mills, I was hoping we could pick him up

Look for Smoker to be the Braves pick.

That's good for the Dodgers, Beau Mills is the Indians next DH.

251
Alright, I will take that.

I saw Matt Dominguez doing fielding drills when i went to Dodger Stadium & the guy looks like he can play 3rd base in his sleep (really nice soft hands) he also had a nice short hop DP during the Chatsworth vs Cleveland game. TC & BHSportsguy were also there from what i've read.

There's a Lewis and Clark college in Idaho? I thought it was in Portland, Oregon.

253 He could only play first and that would be an adventure, most think he needed to go to an AL team.

257 Yeah, that double play was smooth though his throw was a little loopy.

sorry, guys, my bad: "Bums Fail to Garner Bumgarner"....

Kevin Goldstein said that Dominguez might be a better fielder than Miggy right now.

Again, I ask, will the Dodgers pick Porcello?

ESPN snubs Hollandsworth - the scroller at the bottom mentioned 4 consecutive Dodger ROYs

263
Hopefully!

263 If they think he is the best player available, and if they think he is worth the money that he's asking for, then they should.

If they don't just because he's a Boras client and they don't want to deal with Boras, that's insane.

Maybe we get a chance at Smoker if we do not go with Porcello.

This was the only sure thing if he was available after the Price pick.

Heyward, a Georgia high school kid, don't think he can play center but a good corner outfielder prospect.

Someone please get a hold of people in the Dodger brass and tell them to take Porcello.

If we take Porcello I promise not to say one bad thing about Pierre for the rest of the year.

That was a projected pick as the Reds were expected to take a position player. The Blue Jays will probably take a position player too.

260

he made a casual throw your right, but there little 2nd baseman has a pretty good arm. I guess he knew that & decided to lobe it.

269 I guess the thing about Porcello is that some think no matter what happens, he is going to go to North Carolina next year.

Julio Borbon is still available and he is a CFer.

Its nice when one of your guys is the comp for draftees e.g. a "Russell Martin" type.

272
They thought that about Andy LaRoche too. Just imagine Kershaw and Porcello. Give Boras what he wants.

273 Logan White never drafts for need, in baseball, its almost impossible to do that.

If Beavan slides past the Rangers, he could be the Dodgers pick.

Look for Nick Schmidt, the last college lefty worthy of a first round pick to go here.

Well no Beavan for us.

bye bye beaven. : ( .....hello porcello!! :)

Beavan won't get past the Rangers, unless they are determined to take Porcello. We won't take Porcello because nobody wants a repeat of the Hochevar fiasco. I think we will get Josh Smoker, but I would prefer Michael Main. I could see Main going to the Phillies, though.

Cards pick Peter Kozma

anyone know what smoker's bonus demands are?

282 - Lung Cancer?

The Cards take a bigger and better version of David Eckstein.

282 Smoker should not be a problem to sign.

282 -- I'm sure Smoker will sign for slot money, which should be about $1.5 million if we take him.

We'll see if the Phillies don't take Main or Smoker, than we can see which way White and the Dodgers will go here.

285- bumgarner territory?

Think the Phillies take Porcello?

The Dodgers won't draft Porcello (Boras factor)

it is Joseph Savery, LHP from Rice

We are on the clock.

Do it Logan, do it!!

to the Phils, that is

Selig said "Los Angel-EEEZ"

I think the Dodgers didn't have any interest in Savery...again. Seems kind of high for the Phillies to pick him.

Bud Selig just said "The Los Angel-eez Dodgers are on the clock"

Two things, that means two pitchers seletced 3 years ago by the Dodgers were first round picks.

Now, both Michael Main, Josh Smoker and Tim Alderson (Nate's pick in the mock draft) are available for the Dodgers.

I swear I thought I heard some booing on the Phillies pick right there.

wow savery huh? another in the long line of rice pitchers? i thought it was a little more than minor labrum surgery.

289 -- The Phillies won't draft Porcello because they hate Boras as much as we do. If the Phillies don't take Main I want the Dodgers to take him.

Here's our chance at Porcello, not that we'd take him or anything.

I am too antsy right now.

Dodgers pick Chris Withrow

Whaaaaaaaaa??????

no porcello! bah!

no porcello! bah!

I guess Smoker wasn't a family friendly name.

Great, Porcello will be a Yankee. Ugggh.

Of all the names being bandied about the last couple weeks, I never remembered hearing Withrow's name. Looks like a pretty good player, but still quite a surprise.

6'3" 190-pound righthander.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - Chris Withrow (RHP, high school-TX): Scouts like his smooth delivery and ability to throw three pitches for strikes. He has the athletic/projectable frame that could spell more velocity and knows how to work hitters. His 89-93 MPH two-seam fastball is heavy in the strike zone and he also shows command of his 74-78 MPH curveball and 79-81 MPH change-up. With his pitching intellect and style of pitching, he could give fits to lower level hitters, and was making huge jumps leading up to Draft day

So, no banner that looks like this?

http://tinyurl.com/yvlyee

Who is this Withrow character?

Chris Withrow, rhp
School: Midland (Texas) Christian HS. Class: Sr.
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 195. Birthdate: 4/1/89.
Scouting Report: Withrow first boosted his stock last summer at the Texas Scout Association showcase, and he has continued to rise up draft boards this spring. He has a projectable 6-foot-3, 195-pound body and plenty of present velocity. He was reaching 93-94 mph as the draft approached and consistently pitching at 88-92 mph. He has a clean delivery, no surprise for someone whose father Mike pitched at Texas and reached Double-A in the White Sox system. Mike is also his pitching coach at Midland Christian High. Withrow doesn't always finish his curveball, but it's a promising pitch with bite and has improved this spring. He should get drafted high enough to pass up the opportunity to attend Baylor, but if he does go to college he'll be a two-way player. He has some hitting ability and the athleticism to play an outfield corner.

I endorse the Withrow pick completely. I just didn't know we were interested in him. I prefer him to Smoker. Low 90's fastball touching 93-94, thrown with good command, good curve, smooth easy delivery. Decent size at 6'3, 185.

Logan sure loves those high-schoolers. Withrow sounds like he could make a decent addition to the 2012 Dodgers.

JP Ricciardi is partial to JP's.

In the minorleagueball.com mock draft he was chosen 52nd, FWIW

He has some hitting ability and the athleticism to play an outfield corner

A-ha!

314 He was moving up the draft boards, Callis had him going 19th ahead of the Dodgers in his mock draft he put out this morning.

If the Giants are going to take a chance, here is where they could go for broke with Porcello or Harvey, no risk for them, if they don't sign him they get the 22nd pick next year.

I prefer him to Smoker.

That's high praise indeed.

What do you think of Smoker?

Vin's gonna love talking about Withrow's April Fools' Birthday. :)

318 Remember that draft did not consider signability.

Wow, I had no idea Heyward was going to go to UCLA.

Giants take Tim Alderson

Giants are going with the tallest picks possible.

The Giants keep taking guys that were rumored to go to us - that scares me a bit.

What were the chances anybody was going to pick Withrow before the Dodgers sandwich pick?

323- That's a pretty daunting prospect. You think we're cheaping out?

That was a point of contention, he only throws out of the stretch.

These picks are not Tim Lincecum, Zito will probably be in his 4th year of his deal before they sniff the garlic frys at AT&T.

321 -- I would have been satisfied with Smoker too. Excellent curveball. But his velocity tailed off at the end of his high school season, and Withrow has the better delivery. I also think that after taking Kershaw last year taking another southpaw this year with our first pick might be a bit much.

I'm kind of surprised (and disappointed) that the Dodgers passed on Tim Alderson. I had read some great stuff about him the past few weeks. Nice pick by the Giants. Still, I think Logan White knows what he's doing.

It's not like you're going to take a high school kid who has a bad curveball and give him a plus curveball through instruction.

why?

i can understand how fastballs, once you refine mechanics, which could get you maybe a couple extra MPH at the most, is mostly about physical ability... but isn't a curveball largely about skill? grip and arm motion and the like? sure, there is SOME physical variability, but i don't see why this isn't something that could be improved by teaching. if someone could explain it to me i'd appreciate it.

The last Pepperdine Wave to play for the Dodgers was Randy Wolf.

I believe it was last night.

What overall pick is our supplemental one?

[317] we've got a certain center fielder with those initials that's all his if he wants him...

I think both Harvey and Porcello as high scholl pitchers with high bonus demands and pretty committed to pitch at North Carolina and being Boras guys scared off most teams.

One thing, if they don't get picked by the end of the first round, who knows where they go because teams do not get replacement picks if they don't sign their compensation picks.

Nick Schmidt a safe college pitcher for the Padres.

333 For most guys it takes a long time to master any secondary pitch, so if you're counting on having a guy pick it up in the minors it really stalls their development. It only takes a bullpen session or two to actually teach a guy how to throw the pitch, but having a guy get a consistent feel for it is pretty difficult.

331 We don't really have a righty in the system with a high ceiling.

McDonald could be a good guy but he is still in High A ball.

328 -- I had heard the White Sox were quite interested in Withrow at #25, and the Phillies were interested in him as high as #19, but obviously somebody was available whom they prefered. I don't think Withrow would have lasted to our supplemental pick, though I told Nate to use our supplemental pick in the mock draft to take Withrow if he was available there. Withrow was available, and Nate took somebody else.

Alright, I'll wait to see who we get with the 39th pick, but then I need to get a haircut! Someone tell these guys they don't have to take the full five minutes for each pick ;)

Besides Wolf, three other Waves have played for the Dodgers:
Gail Hopkins
Chad Kreuter
Mike Fetters

Schmidt's ceiling is a back end starter according Bryan Smith of BP.

[339] i've heard of plenty major leaguers adding pitches to their repertoire during their careers... if a player already throws a curveball and it just isn't very good, i just don't see why it can't improve through refinements in technique. with difficulty, perhaps, but is it something that's circumscribed by physical limitations?

336-that instantly came to mind, Ricciardi loves those speedy low OBP guys.....lol.

On a completely different subject, does anyone know where I can get a video of Lou Pinella throwing the base when he managed the Reds?

Thanks

347 I always just search YouTube, you never know what's there.

345 Athleticism plays a part in it, but some pitches are just easier to throw than others. A slider isn't all that hard, but you have to be able to throw it hard for it to be effective. A really sharp curveball is something that depends a lot on arm action. A good change-up is the hardest to develop because you have to have a very fundamental delivery to harness it.

Basically, it's a lot easier to hone a guy's skills than to attempt to give him new ones. Anyone can throw a curve, but if it's not very good coming out of high school then it's questionable whether it can ever become an option.

349 - What about Brad Penny?

For our supplemental round pick at #39, I am hoping we can get one of Kyle Blair or Nevin Griffith, both high school RHP's, but both of them could be gone by that point.

350 Penny's curve is effective because he has a very over-the-top delivery and good height so he can really get on top of the ball and get a good break. What else does he throw, a change-up?

North Carolina has to be pretty excited, they know Oakland and Minnesota are not taking Porcello or Harvey. Detroit is probably going to spend less than last year when they took Miller and the Giants have to take a position player sometime. That leaves the Yankees and they can't take both of them.

Hmmm, this is going too slow...haircut time!

is there any video of Chris Withrow? maybe a website

Tigers pitching could be scary!

Tigers pick Porcello

Detroit is going to make the Commissioner's office very unhappy if they pay what he wants.

But perhaps not a bad pick, if they don't get him, they get another draft pick next year.

Here is Logan White's thoughts on Chris Withrow:
http://tinyurl.com/yozgl2

"With Chris, he's tall and rangy. He's a kid with a good body and he's athletic. He's got good mechanics and there's not any real flaws in his delivery and mechanics. He's got a real loose, easy arm. In my mind, it's one of best arm actions I've seen in a long time.

"He's ranges from 88-94 mph and pitches at 91-92. He's got a plus curveball with the makings and the hard rotation on it that can make it very much a plus pitch. He's a very smart kid, an intelligent kid who competes along the lines of the kind of players we've tried to target in the past. He's a quality person with good character but the main thing that impresses you about him is his size, mechanics, and his secondary pitch"

Withrow giving up a double.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XeGMSNH4-g

i had to run an eran when our pick was chosen.

360

wow, that ball was smoked but it looks like he does have a smooth delivery.

Chris Withrow* in "Kung Fu Teenage Bigfoot."

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1955384034268192850&

*may be some other guy with the same name

If the Giants take Smoker, it could complete a trifecta for pitchers that were mentioned going to the Dodgers.

But I think maybe Justin Jackson, the prep SS for them.

Giants take Wendell Fairley

So the Twins like gritty small ball players, huh? I know of a player who is a vocal leader, one of the fastest players in baseball, and leads by example. He has a tremendous work ethic (he gets to the ball park 5 hours early) and is a gritty grinder. A high character guy who is a proven winner. He could replace Torii Hunter in center field next season.

Will the Yankees take Harvey or Brackman with this pick.

Steve Phillips really likes the Giants picks. They must be doomed to failure.

Andrew Brackman for the Yanks

The Giants will probably be spending less money for their three picks in the first round than Porcello or Weiters will cost their teams for the one pick.

That said, they will spend about 4.5 - 5 million in bonus money for his round, look for college players to be picked by the Giants in their supplemental picks so they can sign them and then go to sleep for a long time (they don't pick after the No. 51 pick until the 5th round.)

366

get 'er done!

I wonder if Hendrickson would be a good pitcher if he could throw 97 MPH.

Withrow's mlb.com video

http://tinyurl.com/39aytu

Time to waste an hour talking about the first round.

The Red Sox/A's game is an interesting game to follow while watching the draft.

I always think Sabean sounds a little like Ned or maybe the other way around.

Seems odd to take a right handed pitcher that sits at 91-92 mph. I guess they believe he'll continue to develop and work with a quality strength and conditioning coach. Still, 91-92 for a first round, right handed high school pitcher is...Not outstanding.

I wonder if Josh Smoker could still be available for us at #39? Eight picks till that point. Smoker, Blair, or Griffith. And I just about forgot Neil Ramirez, another HS RHP. I would be delighted with any of those four, but if it is somebody else, I will just have to see if it is somebody I like. Travis Mattair, 3B, I definitely want, but I would prefer to wait to see if we can get him with our third pick today.

Man, I should have just stayed and continued watching the draft, I accidentally got my head shaved

If we can still get Smoker, I will be happy.

Who the heck is cutting your hair?

380 - Smoker to the Nats

377 -- I think you have to look at the whole package, Greg. He has the kind of body that makes one think he could still add velocity, he has a nice curveball, he has a change-up (not every HS pitcher does), the delivery is very good and he repeats it better than several pitchers chosen ahead of him, including Bumgarner, whom the Giants picked at 10.

377 Its been reported that he hits 93-94 and again, I always think that it is the second pitch that makes the fastball really effective.

Borbon to Rangers.

383 384 You guys are absolutely right. You know, you just think about those high ceiling high school righthanders as monsters. He sounds like a pretty polished pitcher as a HS kid, so that's nice.

Logan White is no slouch, so I'm not complaining.

381 Same people that always do, but apparently my haircutting nomenclature is a bit off

I guess it was time for a change after having the same haircut for 26 years

Borbon to Rangers.

Aww no. Refreshing problem again.

For those who haven't noticed, there's an interesting game going on in Oakland today

390 and it would be VERY interesting if it weren't for a certain old friend

I can't even see the game and I live in the Bay Area.

Dodgers are up.

Holy crud, we took a college pitcher.

James Adkins.

Is that a LOOGy with the sandwich pick?

Logan White needs to go back to being scouting director. What the heck, a friggin LOOGY.

386 -- Yes, after taking Kershaw last year I realize there is something comparatively "unsexy" about Withrow as our first rounder, but this is what happens when you go from picking 7th overall to picking 20th overall. Michael Main would have been the more exciting pick, and I would have applauded it, as Main's velocity is better and therefore his ceiling is higher, but Main also has a delivery that makes him very unlikely to be a major league starter without serious modification. Of course, I would have hoped the Dodgers, had we taken him, could get him to improve his delivery, but that doesn't always work. Right now, barring changes in his delivery, Main looks like a future closer, and I don't really endorse using a first round pick on a guy you know is going to be a closer.

Tell me we did not just take a freaking reliever.

397 Well, he was a starter at Tennessee, he just projects as a LOOGY.

Adkins numbers at Tennesse: 122 IP, 133 K, 44 BB, 11 HR. He really like to his numbers to have the same digits.

Left-handed one-out specialists are hard to find. It's not like our farm system needs some slugging prospects, or anything.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it unlikely that anybody picked from here on out will make the majors at all? Wouldn't his making the majors -- even as a LOOGy -- be considered a success?

In general, if a prospect makes the majors it is a success, but we should not be drafting like the A's and Padres.

399 That's not a ton of strikeouts. You'd like a sandwich pick to miss a few more bats now and again.

Rangers get Neil Ramirez.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS - James Adkins (LHP, Tennessee): A finesse, four-pitch hurler, he derives outs by mixing his pitches, pitching backwards, and hitting spots. He throws an 85-90 MPH two-seam fastball and has two breaking pitches (78-80 MPH slider and 73-79 MPH curveball) at his disposal, though his 77-81 MPH change-up is a below average offering. His tall/projectable frame is ideal, but scouts don't predict an increase in velocity. He finished the season with a 7-7 record, 2.80 ERA, a 3.0 Cmd, 9.8 K/9, and a .230 oppBA. There is a history of shoulder problems, with a minor, shoulder impingement surgery in 2006. With his low ¾ slot, he would make a solid, situational reliever if his fastball and stamina won't allow him to cut-it as a starter.

Red Sox-A's still interesting after 8 innings.

What is pitching backwards?

407 The pitcher faces second base, see...

He uses his off-speed pitches to set up his fastball.

405 Again the Dodgers don't pick until No. 86 and they have to who in the next 46 picks that they project is a player that they want. Adkins was probably a second round pick so it is not a huge reach.

The interestingness level of the Red Sox-A's game is now critical, btw.

407 Throwing offspeed stuff in fastball counts to set up your fastball.

It's something thumbers do. He's a four pitch poo-slingin' thumber.

401

LOOGies are a dime a dozen. We shouldn't need to draft pitchers this highly that project to be guys who come in for 1/3rd of an inning.

Wow, he has shoulder problems too? Did Tommy accidentally give them the wrong name?

A terrible pick. No, Adkins' is not a LOOGY, though he could end up that way. He profiles as a fifth starter who could move fast through the minors. Good command, mediocre stuff. This is a clasic A's/Blue Jays'/Padres' pick. A "safe" college guy. I do not believe White made this choice. White must have told Hallgren that he would make the first pick himself and after that it is Hallgren's show. Fire Tim Hallgren.

401 That is true to some extent, but you let other teams draft LOOGYs and then acquire them through waivers or as trade throw-ins or similar situations. If you must draft them, take them in the 10th round, not the supplemental round. Plus we drafted a LOOGY in the 6th round last year, Garrett White (who has very good numbers for Great Lakes, and really needs to be promoted, as he's 23).

mlb.com is offering a free watch of the rest of the extremely interesting game in Oakland.

BTW - I think MLB needs to produce their draft telecast in conjunciton with Baseball America and other people who follow this year round.

MLB.com doesn't believe in rule 9.

It's all up to Shannon Stewart

Wahtever happened to Eric Chavez? Remember when he was a really good offensive player?

Awww, what a bummer

I am happy he did not get it.

Shannon Stewart breaks up the no-no with a two out, ninth inning single.

Curt's blog will have a different entry today.

Wow a hit with two outs in the ninth.

421
That one season?

It would be hilarious if the next guy hit a 2-run homer walk-off homer

Shannon Stewart, base hit. No interesting game for Curt Schilling.

420 And he delivers, interestingness is over.

his blog should be an interesting read later today

uhhh, too many homers in there

Oh well, he still has his Bloody Sock™

dang it.I kind of wish Stweart had bunted, just so I could read Schilling's blog afterward.

Quality Start for Schilling...!

Did you see Schilling shake off Varitek's pitch selection?

415 I doubt that, Logan White said that a pick won't leave the room unless it is a consenus pick and he has veto power over it.

lol the Lugo blaming starts already.

Now we can go back to talking about why we decided to draft Rheal Cormier.

He threw exactly 100 pitches. Also, if Drew wasn't so lazy, he would have caught that line-drive.

437 If Lugo doesnt botch the play, the final out of the game would have been from Kendall, the batter before Stewart.

440 Lugo. Of the two ballplayers I hate, I hate him second-most.

Well looks like Harvey is going to go UNC.

So, are we really going to see a new lineup tonight?

436 From Tony Jackson's article on 5/29/2007.

"Timmy and I worked well together in the past," White said. "Timmy will run the room and set up the boards and all that. I'll still be involved, but this will allow Timmy to have some new experience and freedom with player selection. But it's really no change for us. We're really pretty much in sync as a group."

And the tiebreaking vote, should one be needed, will be cast by ...

"That will still be mine," White said.

443- im keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

436 -- Just because someone has veto power doesn't mean he will use it. White likes Hallgren and must have been serious about not making "Scouting Director" a meaningless title. White said he would personally look at only about 50 players this year. I guarantee you Adkins was not on that list of 50. White said the Dodgers would draft "high-ceiling players" when he talked to Gurnick. Neither White nor anybody else in scouting is dumb enough to think that Adkins is a high-ceiling player. White had to have given Hallgren the right to make our second pick, and Hallgren went the route of "low-ceiling" all the way.

Nice, A's drafted Corey Brown.

Quick question: What does LOOGy stand for?

I wish I did not get so excited for drafts, they never turn out like I want in any sport.

448 Lefty One-Out Guy

448 Left-handed One Out Guy.

Or Juan Pierre.

444 -- Exactly, "Timmy" would hardly be getting "freedom in player selection" if White overruled him. The veto is a completely hollow threat, unless White wants Hallgren to resign because he feels like a puppet with a meaningless title.

With the money were saving in the draft maybe we can get a real CF in Fukudome
http://japanesebaseball.com/players/player.jsp?PlayerID=1064

446 On what basis can you make that statement? Logan White is the Asst. GM, Scouting. Even if it was the area scout's, cross-checker's and Hallgren's calls, his name is attached to whoever they pick and of course, ultimately, it falls to Ned.

I know its hard to be critical of Logan White here and I am not sure you even can be since the guy was just picked but to say that he just let the Dodgers waste the 39th pick because he likes Hallgren would be so unprofessional, Logan White should be fired not Hallgren.

448. Also has connotations of not being good enough to make it as a starter or closer.

So why wasn't it a perfect game up until the 9th? Who made an error?

Lugo made an error.

He is the gift that keeps on giving.

456 - Julio Lugo.

453 - "With the money were saving in the draft maybe we can get a real CF in Fukudome"

That's getting a little close to a rule 1 violation.

Plus, you know they have their own scouts, that they trust better than Law or BP, or whatever. Until White proves otherwise, I'm willing to give him (and his staff) the benefit of the doubt.

Oh snap! I still can't believe what a non-entity Lugo was last year, especially since we gave up someone who was then one of our prize prospects for him.

I also don't understand how Boston can bat him in the leadoff spot when his average is well under .250. It's as if they and Oakland are dueling for who can have the worst table setter in baseball... perhaps we can challenge with ours?

And I am not saying that its a good pick or a bad one. Its the statement that White just let it pass because there is no way he could have signed off on that pick, well yes he could and he did because this what he does for the Dodgers.

I was glad to see that Grady Little realizes that things aren't working for the offense right now, and that repeating something that isn't working is not an ideal situation. That's a start! He says he is very close to juggling things around, and by that I assume he means a lineup change. A lineup change really won't make THAT big of a difference, but if it's one step closer to benching some of the non performing players, then that is a bit of good news. vr, Xei

453 Is that the ballpark that sold its naming rights to Eminem?

Paris Hilton got let out of jail because she refused to eat.

I have a feeling that would not work if I tried it.

453
I am not all that high on Fukudome. Whom I always thought should have played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in the Fukuoka Dome (now called the Yahoo! Dome).

453- those stats are amazing. ichiro with more pop. is he available?

Maybe DePodesta has dirty pictures of White and a [insert as nasty an image as you prefer], and forced him to pick the LOOGy. I mean, just because he's out of the organization is no reason not to blame him for making White pick a player Canuck doesn't like.

454 -- We know what Logan White likes early in the draft and what he avoids based on a five year record. If he hands over the Scouting Director title to somebody else, and promises him "freedom of selection," and we take somebody 39th overall that White's record indicates he would NEVER take so high, it is just deductive reasoning that gives one the conclusion that the new Scouting Director made the "un-White-like" pick and White let him do it. "Freedom" isn't freedom if White execises this alleged veto to disallow what Hallgren freely chooses to do. It would be like Ned re-writing Grady's line-up card. The Dodgers don't do that sort of thing.

465
Were you high on Iwamura?

The Dodgers' offense right now is average. The average National League team has played 59 games and scored 260 runs, and the Dodgers are just shy of that (59/256).

Average offense is not a problem so long as you're getting above-average pitching, which the Dodgers are, to the tune of half-a-run in ERA.

Of course, every team should continually be looking for ways to make itself better. In the Dodgers' case, the only way to do that is with different personnel on the major league roster.

So: things are OK right now and will continue to be OK so long as the pitching holds up. Rearranging the lineup will neither improve the situation nor make it worse. If the Dodger brass truly want to shake things up, they know what to do.

I just got in and I haven't even looked at the draft yet, which I will now do, but I had this thought. A guy like Jake after seeing our offense for two nights may think --just throw strikes! This could make him more effective or vulnerable. I'm afraid I'm thinking more effective at this point, unless several people are under real threat of reduced playing time if they don't come through.

Fukudome is hitting just .287 this season with 9 home runs. Teammate Tyrone Woods already has 20 and old friend Nori Nakamura has 11

468, I don't follow you.

Can you be more specific on why you think Adkins is so out of line with White's past picks?

469
I was not high on Iwamura and we still don't have a big enough sample to judge how good he will be.

467 Canuck's not exactly the only one who doesn't like the pick. I will gladly concede that Logan White knows a hell of a lot more about these things than I do, but never in a million years would I have predicted he'd use a first-round pick on a soft-tossing college LOOGy with recent shoulder surgery.

470
The problem is that the Padres have a much better combo of scoring/not allowing runs.

467 -- You joke, at my expense of course, but DePo is far from the only guy in baseball who prefers college players. Most teams do. I always believed White's success came from gettng the younger guys the college player-inclined teams avoid and let fall to us. Hallgren ran a draft once, for Texas in 2001, and his choices in that draft do not make him look like he shares White's preferences, but prefers the polished college guys. The fact is White said we would target high-ceiling players, and yet I see nobody trying to argue Adkins is a high-ceiling player. The only logical way to resolve the contradiction is to say that White turned over the reins to Hallgren for that pick. I just hope White takes back the reins for the next one.

Does anybody like the pick?

I just meant to liken it to Canuck's blaming DePodesta for what he calls the Hochevar fiasco.

Just for giggles, here's the BA profile of the guy the Cubs selected at #48, the pick we gave them for signing Juan Pierre.

48. CHC Josh Donaldson, c, Auburn Univ.
After a prolific high school career in Mobile, Ala., where Donaldson played football and basketball and starred as a shortstop and pitcher, he has developed into a dependable, steady player for the Tigers. He played third base as a freshman in 2005, began catching as a sophomore and boosted his reputation with a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer. A right thumb injury limited his action behind the plate as a junior, but he had not missed a game dating back to his freshman season. He's a work in progress defensively, but shows passable catch-and-throw skills with a solid-average arm. He's a hitter first, and has relied on plus bat speed and an aggressive approach to pace Auburn in several offensive categories, including double-digit home runs in back to back years. His swing is unorthodox, and a hard front step that triggers his swing should be toned down to improve his timing and balance. He's susceptible to good breaking balls. But Donaldson can murder good fastballs, and did it with wood last summer when he hit .302 with 15 extra-base hits. He'll go off the board as early as the supplemental round and no later than the third round.

473 -- Eric has already answered this, really, but anyway, Adkins is a soft-tossing college lefty who doesn't even have any plus breaking pitches. White's record shows a strong preference for hard-throwing HS pitchers with plus breaking pitchers, and White has said in as many words he likes hard-throwers with plus breaking pitches. When we pick the opposite of that, and really early in the draft to boot, I just think it is obvious that White purposely let somebody else have their way. And it is even more clear when White is on record as saying he is giving somebody else "freedom of selection."

If we agree that there is little chance Adkins was actually a Logan White pick, why are we blaming it on Hallgren and not Colletti? When DePo was here, everybody was wondering about how he would impact the Dodgers' draft choices, and when the Dodgers took college players like Batz, Ruggiano, Dunlap, and Orenduff, it was assumed that DePo had some influence on those choices.

I guess my question is, why does everybody assume that DePo had significant input into the draft choices while also assuming that Colletti does not?

480 What I'm seeing is that Adkins has an out of this world slider and little else. Where are you seeing that he doesn't have any plus breaking pitches?

476 That's definitely true. Right now, the Padres are playing very, very hot -- right now, they're better than the Dodgers. All I meant was: I'm not too excited about any lineup jumble. If it happens, great, if not, whatever. If the time has come to make a big change to improve the team, let's make that change, but a lineup jumble -- meh.

474
Curious how you quote me Fukudome stats for this season yet use the small sample size on Iwamura. Wouldn't Fukudome's full season numbers be more indicative of his talent then what he has accomplished this season?

I wasn't claiming the man was Willie Mays just that I wouldn't mind him manning CF for me.

482 I'm very weary of college breaking pitches. Adkins k's a tick better than a batter an inning (basically a batter an inning) at the college level, sits at 85, and has arm trouble.

All the makings of a chuck and duck lefty. And the antithesis of a Logan White pick. Maybe it is Ned and not the scouting department. I'm certainly open to criticizing Ned. Whether it's his fault or not.

It's settled. Let's blame The Mustache!

Well, I'm not like some of you that follow scouting reports, etc. I think Adkins has starter potential. His slider is flat out nasty at times. He seems bigger in person that whatever is listed. Not that that matters, but it seems White and team like big hoss type pitchers. He also fits the excellent control angle. If the Loogy thing is all that's bothering you, I think that's underestimating his potential. Just my opinion.

Now he's not Price, who I've also seen, but Villanueva is not Gallardo, either, and I think he'd improve alot of teams including the Dodgers. Maybe not a great comparison as Villanueva went undrafted, but if they like Adkins I don't think he would have gone undrafted.

I can see that there were other more interesting picks, I just don't see exactly why it's a sure thing that White wouldn't like Adkins.

Is Logan White really this bulletproof?

I'm also wary of college pitches, in addition to being weary of them.

Women get weary
Yes, they do get weary

I'm very weary of college breaking pitches

By "weary", I suspect you combined "wary" and "leery". It's a common mistake.

Dodgers are on the clock, it looks like.

478 -- Andrew, the very day we picked Hochevar, I swore up and down on boards that White could NOT have made that pick. It just wasn't in his character, I said, but I did not blame DePodesta at the time (intentionally, as I thought maybe it could be McCourt, as some owners do meddle in the draft). It was only much later that Bill Shelley, Gurnick, and Tony Jackson separately REPORTED that DePodesta forced Hochevar on White. My instincts were proved correct. But of course the DePo fans really seem to think anything negative said about DePo has to be a manufactured lie.

485
Wow, that pretty much sums up my feelings too.

According to mlb.com's scouting report, Adkins has a slider that is "off-the-charts" good. He also has a fb 88-92 and good command. I'll admit it's not sexy, but it's not as if Logan White doesn't like 6'5'' left-handers. I would be very suprised if the Dodgers see him as a LOOGY. My guess is that they find him projectable.

The main point is, though, that no one here is as smart as the people making the picks and White's success in the past should leave us trusting him and his staff's judgement. It seems silly for one of us to claim that they made a mistake.

I have no problem with drafting college players as long as they are high ceiling. I do not like drafting low ceiling anything in the first few rounds.

482, his slider can be plus, plus. Maybe it's because he pitches backwards that people think he doesn't have a decent fastball, I don't know. I also thought his fast ball touched 90-91 (and I may remember that wrong) he has been hurt, but all I know about was shoulder and he's pitched very well since. So, again, just my take having seen him twice in person. He's also a local boy like Price.

Try a Little Tenderness?

We drafted a local pitcher named Michael Watt.

Anyone have some info on him?

485 I'm not saying that's a bad assessment, I'm just saying that the only thing that is getting mentioned about this guy is his slider, which doesn't agree with the "doesn't have any breaking pitches" statement.

DePo fans also think that anything negative said about them has to be a manufactured lie. Ill mannered cusses, the lot of them.

489 Hey man, I fixed it. Cut me some slack.

who's Micheal Watt?

Watt was a reach, really a pick out of left field. MLB.com doesn't even have a scouting report on him. BA doesn't list him among their top 200 draft prospects. Watt was the #86 pick in the draft but BA lists him as the 86th best player in California.

Here's what they had to say about him:
"Some scouts like Michael Watt as a lefty who touches 91 mph and has shown a good curveball, but most believe he'd be better served with three years at Long Beach State and respected pitching coach Troy Buckley. Watt has recoil in his delivery, cutting off his natural velocity and throwing his command off, but he could throw harder with some mechanical adjustments."

So far this draft is Logan White's version of the 2001 Moneyball A's draft. The Dodgers are overdrafting guys that few other teams want and that relatively nobody has even heard of.

Mike Watt is a punk rock bassist.

Maybe the Dodgers like Firehose?

Maybe there is an order not to spend money on this draft.

504 - It's the only logical explanation.

Well now that we can't even draft anymore just fire the whole front office. I was bummed that I was going to miss the draft only to find out I missed us picking the next Brett Tomko and Joe Beimel, if we're lucky.

We have money, how about using some of it on the draft. They've raised ticket prices and parking and are still getting 45,000 people a game, so why did we just cheap out on the draft?

Also might explain why we have completely given up on drafting McGeary.

Logan loves his lefties. Maybe we are projecting a future where more hitters bat from the wrong side and he's just preparing the Dodgers for this future of wrong sidedness.

Regfairfield, my statement about the breaking pitches is based on Baseball America's write-up, which describes what Adkins throws and calls Adkins a #5 starter. My obsolete computer isn't set up for video, but I am at least happy that there is some video out there that shows him throwing a plus slider. I am still not hearing aything that really separates Adkins from Eric Stults, whose plus change-up could be the counterpart to Adkins' slider.

A post-draft interview with White would be an interesting read.

506 Personally, he dropped down my draft board after the stint with Iggy and the Stooges. I felt like his mechanics had gotten sloppy and he projected to be injury prone.

509 Made me laugh.

502- in his scouting video, he's throwing 85-87 and occasionally touched 88. He threw a pretty good curveball a few times. His changeup looked average. I'm guessing that he has great command. Doesn't seem like a high upside pick, though it's very hard to tell when judging solely from the scouting reports and videos.

484
If we can't bend statistics to our own will, what good are they.

Of course, by just mentioning the name of Iwamura, we are going to be subjected to a 700-word treatise the next time he goes 2 for 4.

Is Logan White really this bulletproof?

Only to a select few.

The Dodgers are overdrafting guys that few other teams want and that relatively nobody has even heard of.

White's done that the last few years.
DeJesus and Preston Mattingly come immediately to mind.

512 - Agreed, but he is more of a Moneyball pick anyway. He has a proven track record of solid contributions and if he can overcome his age and injury concerns he can be a solid back of the band contributor (kind of like John Entwisle).

515- If it can take out Terry A.'s record for word count in a sentence, it'll be worth it.

JoeyP should at least be happy about Adkins. He has a new Moneyballer to root for in the absence of Pedroza.

518 except, you know, alive.

521 - 80% of success is just showing up

i know this is sow 8AM ago, but Paris Hilton getting so much media attention is almost laughable, i just don't get it.

516 I knew when I wrote that, I would be hearing from you.

474-Norihiro!

Now I am just rooting for us to draft people with sweet names.

Come on Hunter Ovens and Seqouyah Stonecipher.

520- Speaking of whom, let's all go over to the Vero Beach Devilray's MiLB site and stuff their poll:

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t457

Charge!

Well, maybe now I can see why we drafted Watt. According to this page, he struck out 44 batters in one game:
http://tinyurl.com/2v9m3f

Any chance calling up Matt Kemp for a 2-3 weeks CF experiment and using Pierre as an expensive PH/PR?

Any chance Pierre can bat 8th ahead of the P, who can sacrifice, and move up Nomar to 2nd, followed by Ethier, Martin, Gonzo, Kent...

????????

didn't think so....

Let's turn this draft negativity to something positive. Josh has good news at ItD... if you consider the CF in the lineup an upgrade, I suppose.

Did this get posted yet?

Furcal, SS
Abreu, 3B
Nomar, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzalez, LF
Coltrane, C
Ethier, RF
Clark, CF
Kuo, P

Tony J's response on bringing up Kemp in his blog.

"The problem with bringing up Matt Kemp isn't bringing up Matt Kempt. It's an issue of creating a roster spot for him, which would be easy if I were the GM, but I'm not, and the current regime is still afraid to let Wilson Betemit get away on the waiver wire.

Frankly, I don't see what the problem is. Even if Betemit DOES go somewhere else and blossom, so what? He is NEVER going to blossom here (at least not as long as Eddie Murray is the hitting coach), so it amounts to a wasted roster spot."

531
Woo hoo!

532 Players I would be willing to dump to call up Matt Kemp, in order of dumpiness:

1) J.P.
2) Brady Clark
3) Brett Tomko
4) Mark Hendrickson
5) Nomar (hey, it's only money)

Somehow, Juan taking one day off, which I am sure is the spin that will be tossed out by Grady, does not excite me that much.

Soto, the infielder Nate liked, just got taken by the Reds.

532- Well, I think we can all join together as one, and stick our tongues out at that. Thanks, Tony Jackson; you're a uniter, not a divider.

534 I was surprised he went with Wilson, he probably doesn't think there is shot of sitting Pierre down.

The Minute Men were one of my favorite groups. Logan White rocks!

520--I'd rather have LaPorta or Brackman.
A Loogy isnt a moneyballer.

IsoPedrozza's line at VB: .271/.374/.465

IsoPedrozza's line, tinkered with to normalize for BABIP as a function of LD%: .215/.327/.410

540
They both were already drafted by the time we took Adkins.

531--Switch Nomar and Martin, and I think that'd be the optimum lineup given the Dodgers current roster.

And we draft...

A high school third baseman named Glen Gallagher. Any info?

531 Better defense but Clark is likely to hit less than Pierre, given his rustiness.

Hit less than Pierre? The mind boggles.

He can't walk less.

The Angels take Matt Harvey.

542--Thats true, but the Dodgers could have taken Brackman at #20. 6'11, throws 97mph, very few innings on his arm since he was a basketball player. I just hope they draft some power hitting players that have an ETA of 3 yrs or less.

Maybe the Dodgers can find a Mark Reynolds in the later rounds.

If they can sign him, a big get for the Angels.

549- they were talking about brackman needing surgery. steve phillips i believe was saying something about TJ, although i still would have liked that pick.

hmmm the angels doing a detroit tigers impersonation?

Glenn Gallagher is an okay name.

No one has any info on Gallagher?

What state was Gallagher drafted from? We can't track him down on BA if we don't know the state.

Pennsylvania.

I wish Pierre's "night off" wasn't VS Peavy- a game we will likely have a tough time scoring in anyhow, and thus negatively reinforcing the positive decision of sitting Pierre, at least in Grady's mind.

554- Gallagher's* Amazon profile makes him an instant favorite for Bob and Brock: "When I'm not reading, working, or hanging out with my family, I'm sleeping (about 12 hours a day). One of my biggest role models in life is my cat, who manages to sleep 20 hours a day."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3I9DM8V0M6U6H

*May be some other guy with the same name

BA lists #116 Gallagher as the third best prospect in Pennsylvania but not in the top 200 prospects overall. I guess Pennsylvania is not the greatest state for high school baseball.

Here are their comments:
"There is not another player in the state in the class of Mesoraco, though a pair of South Carolina signees rank as the next-best prospects. Austin Gallagher always dreamed of playing at Clemson like his father Glenn, who played football and baseball for the Tigers before being drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1981 June draft. But he ended up committing to the rival Gamecocks instead. Austin is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound third baseman who was considered by most scouts to be unprepared for professional pitching right now. There were at least a handful of clubs, however--including the Reds, Pirates, Dodgers and Yankees--that could feel otherwise. Their main attraction is likely Gallagher's plus raw power from the left side and physical frame. His bat speed isn't exceptional, nor are his instincts for the game, and Gallagher has a tendency to collapse his back side in his swing. The loft and leverage are evident in batting practice and he has considerable room for improvement. He's a good athlete who was also a basketball player, quarterback and righthander for Manheim Township, compiling an 8-0, 0.90 record for one of the state's most competitive high school teams. He'll probably have to be offered slot money in the fifth round or earlier in order to skip college."

Looks like his stage name is Austin Gallagher.

559
Interesting. He is the definition of a raw prospect.

543 My dream-within-the-realm-of-possibility lineup/roster:

Furcal
Abreu
Martin
Kent
Kemp
Gonzalez
Garciaparra
Ethier

Lieberthal
Pierre
Betemit
Saenz
Clark

Penny
Lowe
Schmidt
Wolf
Kuo

Billingsley
Broxton
Saito
Beimel
Seanez
Meloan
Tomko, I guess...

He looks a little like Eric Byrnes!

http://local.lancasteronline.com/5/205228ijcz_Austin_J6

2007 Draft: This Ain't No Picnic

In light of the "veterans" Colletti has traded for, why doesn't anyone think he made that pick?

Hallelujah time! Yes, you can hear the children singing. Hallelujah time! Yes, as they go singing by and by. Let them sing; never let them cry.

Come on Clark. Maybe even steal a bag just to rub it in.

He made the same face in 2001, when he was leading his team to a Midget Title, whatever that means.

http://tinyurl.com/2uubtc

Clearly Pennsylvania is the place to be if you hate political correctness.

More on Gallagher: "On Monday night, he was in Los Angeles, working out in Dodger Stadium.

" 'He even got hitting tips from Tommy Lasorda,' Glenn Gallagher, Austin's dad, said Tuesday night from L.A."

http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/205290

So the draft ticker confused him for his dad.

570- Maybe; maybe his name is Glenn Jr., and he prefers to go by Austin.

Buck's Dugout spiel on him:

http://www.bucsdugout.com/story/2007/6/5/17825/29609

570 -- Austin's first name is probably the same as his Dad's, and he "goes by" his second name. When they were drafted, Scott Elbert was listed on MLB.com as "Timothy Elbert" and Bryan Morris was "Avery Morris."

Wow, that kid is a hoss. 6'5" 225, with room to grow man muscles. Left handed power hitter who plays third base. He's going to cost some money.

At least he isn't Rheal Cormier redux.

The Lancaster New Era thinks he could go for slot money. They also think he'll have to move across the diamond.

Yes, I do get all my scouting and prospect analysis from Lancaster New Era. Why do you ask?

146th pick we take RF Andrew Lambo from Newbury Park HS in CA.

Nice to get a real Andrew in the system. None of this Andy stuff.

Pick #146 Andrew Lambo is ranked by BA as the #29 prospect in California.

"29. Andrew Lambo, 1b/of (National rank: 162)
School: Newbury Park (Calif.) HS. Class: Sr.
B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 200. Birthdate: 8/11/88.
Scouting Report: Last summer, Lambo proved his ability to rise to the occasion last fall, when he pitched his Reds scout team to the World Wood Bat Association championship in Jupiter, Fla. Lambo was on the team for his hitting prowess, and he's a prospect for his bat, but his pitching career has been impressive as well, including nine complete games this spring. Offensively, Lambo has been one of SoCal's best hitters for several years thanks to a smooth lefthanded swing and solid-average power performance. Scouts doubt his power down the road due to a level swing path. Defensively, Lambo's athletic enough for an outfield corner and plays a solid first base. Most scouts grade his tools average across the board, with his hit tool being above-average. Talent isn't Lambo's problem; makeup is. He's at his second high school after being kicked out of the first school, and he turned off scouts with his immaturity in numerous interviews this spring. His bat still might be enough to get him picked in the first three rounds."

Angels take Trevor Pippin. That is a good name.

Great an Andrew that is a jerk. Here come the jokes.

Pippin is my dog's name. After the Hobbit. Not the Scotty.

You need Andrew Lambo information, and the Thousand Oaks Acorn is there. As it always is.

http://www.toacorn.com/news/2006/0323/Sports/061.html

Detroit takes Charles Furbush.

I ain't touching that name.

581 I was assuming it was after the sheriff in "Young Guns."

Wow, you don't expect the Dodgers to take a player cited for bad make-up, but obviously they disagree that he has bad make-up. Lambo's tools sound about right for the 4th round. Watt and Gallagher seem like real reaches for their rounds, but not guys I wouldn't want. So far only Withrow has made me happy, and that is not likely to change after the 4th round.

The Yankees got Brad Suttle with their end-of-the-third-round pick. That's a steal.

582- Looking at the picture, I've decided to avoid the Christmas rush and just start calling him Andrew "Dawson", now.

Do Middlebrooks and Kentrail Davis have signability issues?

Talent isn't Lambo's problem; makeup is. He's at his second high school after being kicked out of the first school, and he turned off scouts with his immaturity in numerous interviews this spring. His bat still might be enough to get him picked in the first three rounds.
Sounds good. I'm tired of all of these talentless choir boys (Juan Pierre, Brett Tomko, Lucille). This team could use another Milton Bradley.

586 was supposed to say fourth.

From Brock's article:
"'It was pretty much stupidity,' Lambo said. 'I was doing stupid things in class. I was doing stupid things outside of class. It kind of all just caught up to me. I was really kind of losing it, hanging with the wrong crowd, doing bad things and following the wrong people.'
...
Lambo is a student of the game. He keeps notes on opposing pitchers and doesn't shy away from reading a decent baseball novel."

Great, a guy who learned to hit from Philip Roth.

Suttle is a draft-eligible sophomore, so he will stay in college unless the Yankees pay him way over slot, and since they are the Yankees, they will no doubt do that.

The Acorn (as well as the main Thousand Oaks newspaper) did a big spread on me when I was trying out for jr. olympic national team for Soccer. I was 17. I was an alternate, never made it past Regional camp. I played with many national team playes and played high school ball with two mainstays of US Soccer (Cobi Jones/Eric Wynalda). It was my first and last interview. It was pretty cool, my quotes were taken totally out of contex!

NPUT

Red Sox draft Middlebrooks.

With 176th pick the Dodgers take Kyle Blair!!

Russell Martin was on am570 about an hour ago, it was a nice interview.

Looks like we got a steal with Kyle Blair in the 5th round. Signability issues, but we should be able to afford him. Ranked the 9th best player in California by BA:

"9. Kyle Blair, rhp (National rank: 50)
School: Los Gatos (Calif.) HS. Class: Sr.
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 200. Birthdate: 9/27/88.
Scouting Report: Blair was one of California's top high school pitchers last year, leading Los Gatos High to a sectional championship and throwing a perfect game along the way. He has been the state's top prep pitching prospect this season even though his team struggled, and he was getting better as the year progressed. Blair's best pitch is a curveball that gets solid 60 grades from scouts on the 20-80 scale thanks to its depth, mid-70s velocity and tight spin. Blair has solid control of the pitch and of his lively fastball, which was sitting 89-91 mph early in the year but had increased as the draft approached, touching 94-95 and sitting in the low 90s. Blair's athletic, strong build--which helped make him an all-conference water-polo player--makes him a candidate to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter, provided his changeup continues to come along and he continues to progress with his command. His makeup is universally lauded. He's committed to San Diego."

i guess Grady Little is letting all of L.A. know that Pierre is in his dog house.

How many 600-post threads have there been in DT history?

He's committed to San Diego

What does that mean?

i guess Grady Little is letting all of L.A. know that Pierre is in his dog house

If this is just a night off for Pierre, I don't see much point.

601. university of san diego

oo0o0o0o0o0o a protest!!!

600 This is the second one this week.

I'm confused how bringing up Kemp means letting Betemit go or does Ramon Martinez not have a spot on our team.

If the Dodgers actually sign Kyle Blair then it will have made this draft much more interesting but he'll probably be just another guy headed to college who becomes a top 10 pick in two years.

601

nah, i think Grady is getting wise towards Pierres antics, I mean have you seen him taking 1st or 2nd pitch hacks all year long!!

Peavy goes for a no no tonight. Can I talk about it before it happens?

We better sign Blair. The 5th round is too early for just an "insurance pick" -- i.e., a guy we INTEND to only sign IF a higher pick spurns signing with us and we have extra money to spend.

If we get Blair signed, then all is forgiven for Adkins. We can just PRETEND that we took Blair in the first supplemental round (which I wanted) and we took Adkins in the 5th. I have no problem with Adkins as a 5th rounder.

My theory: White promised Hallgren he could make the second pick by himself, Hallgren screwed it up, and an appalled White decided we had to make up for it, so we pop Blair in the 5th round, knowing it will take more than slot money. Don't let the kid take the wheel again, Logan!:)

So let me get this right, 90-92 is a soft tosser?