1) THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Ryan Braun 3B – I liked him the first time I saw him in the AFL. Makes Prince look like a Punch & Judy hitter. Fielder, Dunn, & Braun in one lineup? Can you say POWER? There oughta be a law.
2) TWIN CITIES THUNDERCHICKENS: Troy Tulowitzki SS – This kid is a leader on whose shoulders championships are built. Tulo has a cannon for an arm and rockets fly off his bat into the Denver sky. An MVP waiting to happen.
3) THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Dustin Pedroia 2B – Dustin is a winner, who batted over .400 in college, while playing SS. Looked awful last spring, but showed up when it counted in the Fall Classic. Pedroia is a natural born leader. I liken his career to that of Mark Loretta.
4) CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Justin Upton OF – This kid has as much upside as anyone in the draft. Don’t know what I was thinking, cuz it makes sense for Moore to grab him, shoulda swapped with Todd, as I don’t think Rob woulda taken Pedroia. Look for Upton to be the next Vladimir.
5) CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Tim Lincecum P – Even though it made sense for Moore to grab Upton, I still thought he was gonna take Lincecum (having traded Tim Hudson for the pick), leaving Justin for me. I know I should have taken Soria to help in the pen, once Upton was gone, but I couldn’t overlook the best pitcher in the draft, The Franchise. Can’t make up my mind if he reminds me of Oswalt or Hershiser.
6) NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Hunter Pence OF – Before the season a scout tipped Rob Taylor off to two players, Ryan Braun & Hunter Pence. Pence is a little awkward, he reminds me of a more talented Eric Byrnes. Hunter gets the added bonus of batting in Houston.
7) CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Chris Young OF – Kenny Williams hung onto Jerry Owens & Brian Anderson, while shipping this stud off to Arizona. Young Chris can do it all, except hit for average, we’ll have to see if that will come with time.
8) MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: Yovani Gallardo P – Marc always seems to have a knack for drafting talent. Gallardo throws a heavy ball that reminds me of Rick Reuschel. Plus anytime a playoff contending team can add a B starter that’s a good thing.
9) STATE STREET SLUGGERS: Peter Moylan P* – This is the first whore pick of the day, an older sidearmer, he could be good, but then again, he could be crap. One thing’s for sure he’s an A*Z with lotsa pen innings this year.
10) GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Josh Hamilton OF – Thug/burnout pick of the draft. Hamilton had it all, lost it all, and came back to have an impressive rookie year. Can it last?
11) RISING BAMM-BEANOS: Alex Gordon 3B/1B – Gordon has loads of talent, seriously reminds me of George Brett. His average was down a little bit in his rookie season, don’t look for that to continue.
12) RISING BAMM-BEANOS: Daisuke Matsuzaka P – It seems as though Johnny B is tired of being the doormat of the IAL. I always say, Buy American, but when a Japanese import has all the features of Dice-K, it’s hard to pass up. Look for Matsuzaka to be one of the best once he settles into the USA.
13) NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Joakim Soria P* – No wonder the Hitmen win. They need an outfielder they grab the best one out there (Pence), they need a reliever they take the best one there (Soria). Joakim was a Rule V pitcher chosen by KC from SD, he was great in the Mexican League as a starter before coming to the Royals becoming their closer.
14) CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Phil Hughes P – Why draft Lincecum when you can gobble up Hughes with this pick. Phil fits perfectly into the Highlanders plan of taking the best talent available. Maybe Rob won’t win it all this year, but championships are in the Mooreman’s future, that’s for sure! Hughes is a big guy at the head of the Yankees rotation.
15) RISING BAMM-BEANOS: Matt Garza P – Brando seems to be changing his thoughts on loading his rotation with soft tossing lefties to stocking up on hard throwing righties. Garza is nasty and will get plenty of opportunity to show his stuff in Tampa.
16) TWIN CITIES THUNDERCHICKENS: Dustin McGowan P – McGowan took a little longer to reach the bigs than some other rookies. Still he had a good rookie campaign. He may have a couple of decent years at the end of the rotation, but not much beyond that. What you see is what you get.
17) GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: James Loney 1B – Some injuries sidelined this fast track rookie, but he seems to be right on now. I saw this kid before injuries slowed him, reminds me of Don Mattingly. Nice pick!
18) THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Brian Bannister P – I’m always hesitant about soft tossing righties. Bannister was cruising along to a B, but then got hit. I think this will pretty much be what the future has in store for him.
19) GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Jarrod Saltalamacchia C/1B – Hopefully for Bunchie his career will be as long as his name. Mike can room him with Mark Grudzielanek. He’s a switch hitting catcher who was blocked by Brian McCann in Atlanta. Don’t think the Braves traded away a good one this time.
20) NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Micah Owings P – This kid can hit, unfortunately he’s a pitcher. Still he reminds me of Don Robinson and Skipper Lucas was Robinson’s manager in another lifetime. No better than a C.
21) TWIN CITIES THUNDERCHICKENS: Kyle Kendrick P – Tom, this guy didn’t really get traded to Japan. That was just Brett Myers punking him. Seriously, he’s still in the bigs, and in danger of being graded again and again and again. This C rating looks to be the highpoint of his career.
22) MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: Rafael Perez P* – Was a starter throughout his minor league career, seems to have found life out of the pen, might have tired late in the season. Should see a few years as a B*Z or better relief pitcher, nice stuff!
23) CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Miguel Montero C – The first player chosen that people responded with, "Who?" Then again I didn’t know much about Chase Utley when Chuck picked him. Still I like Kurt Suzuki of Oakland better than this kid. But then again, Rob only has to checkout the Arizona boxscore to see all his hitters (Upton, Young, Drew, Montero).
24) GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Hideki Okajima P* – Started with Zumaya, ended with Okajima. Hideki came over without the fanfare of Dice-K, and all he did was get the job done, getting the ball to the Red Sox closer. He’ll be closing for the Bombers.
25) THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Lee Gardner P* – After trading away his bullpen Todd needed to bring in a rookie he could turn to. Even though he’s an A*Z rookie with 70+ innings, I’m not impressed. A one year fix, at best.
26) MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Yunel Escobar SS – This is a real head scratcher! Don already has one of the best young shortstops in the game in Jose Reyes. Then the Marauders traded for Rafael Furcal, and now they draft Escobar. Maybe it’s because the Halos traded away their SS Orlando Cabrera. I thought if MP would draft a SS it would be Erick Aybar.
27) NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Matt Lindstrom P* – Chuck got another quality reliever to go along with Rauch & Soria. Lindstrom is a hardthrower that fits in perfectly. Good pick!
28) TWIN CITIES THUNDERCHICKENS: Felix Pie OF – Cherry, Dutch Apple, Strawberry Rhubarb, French Silk, let the pies rain down, ala the Bleacher Bums. Pie has all the talent, but can he hit? Kinda reminds me of Julio Ramirez, if this kid ever learns to hit DJ he’s gonna be a good one. Still I like Felix and think he’ll hit & will be good!
29) GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Brendan Harris 2B – I HATE you Mike Bunch! I never even considered Brendan Harris until I noticed Harris was unlimited at 2B-8. But I seriously thought his 2B-8 rating might be overlooked cuz he was rated SS-7 on his card first. I thought Brendan would fall to me in the extra round, but I was wrong as Papa Bunch nabbed him. Still other than a couple of good hitting months in his rookie season, he was a journeyman at best.
30) GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Norris Hopper OF – It took this rookie 28 years on the planet to reach the show. But when he got there, he hit. Hopper has no power, but can field. Total opposite of Chris Duncan, another older rookie chosen by the Bombers last year. Not a fan.
31) THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Jensen Lewis P* – Jensen Lewis experienced some success out of the bullpen for the Tribe after being a starter in the minors. His success was brief, as will his career, lack o talent will catch up to him. Can you say, Gary Majewski?
32) NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Pedro Martinez P – How could I not like CLuke reclaiming his future HOF hurler for one last go around with the Hitmen. Pedro proved there was plenty left in the tank at the end of last year with the Mets. Martinez will be dealing for the Northside long afer alot of prospects have seen cold stark realities.
33) CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Jeremy Guthrie P – Guthrie was a high draft choice for Cleveland, disappeared, only to resurface in Baltimore. He has good stuff, is an innings eater, but don’t look for Jeremy to be a long term solution.
34) MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: Asdrubal Cabrera 2B – Marc was giggling at this kid’s name the first time he heard it. Now he’s got Asdrubal on his team. Reminds me of Placido Polanco with the glove, not a bad thing, but will the Indians end up moving him to shortstop.
35) THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Matt Chico P – It’s always tough to gauge soft tossing lefties. Chico does have control, strikes out a few guys, and will get the ball often with the Nats. Not enough support to get a grade based on wins, so Matt will have to keep his ERA down if he wants to be graded.
36) CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Andrew Miller P – The rich get richer. Moore got Hughes & Miller. Andrew has a 95 MPH heater and knows how to use it. The Tigers rushed him last year, should show his stuff with the Fish this season.
37) MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Jeff Keppinger SS – WHY? Keppinger is SS #4 for the Marauders, if you’re counting. And DonS still doesn’t have the guy he wanted (Erick Aybar). Then there’s the matter of letting Rich Harden go just when he finall may have his arm glued on, but how long can you bark up that tree? With LaRoche at firstbase, I like Billy Butler alot here! That said, Keppinger can hit.
38) CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Tony Abreu INF – What were the Champions thinking? He wasn’t even on the team’s top 50 players to be chosen. Things started going wrong when they cut Jose Castillo rather than cutting their losses and releasing Josh Barfield, why didn’t they choose Dan Uggla or Ian Kinsler one year ago? Then Upton was taken right before they picked in the 1st round, and then they took (want) Lincecum over (need) Soria. And then they thought they’d get Harris or Cabrera, which got them thinking infielders rather than corner men. That said, with B.J. Upton playing secondbase this year, who’s gonna play there next season? So to make a short story long, that’s why they chose Tony Abreu. Abreu, who the heck is Abreu? Tony was taken over Josh Fields, Kevin Kouzmanoff, & Mark Reynolds, but the Champs do have ARod. What a disaster!
REPORT CARDS
A+ CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Upton is the next Vladimir Guerrero! Young is a very good defensive centerfielder, with pop & speed. Hughes is the head of the rotation guy this team needs to replace an aging Rocket. Montero is a serviceable backup to Rodriguez, who ain’t going anywhere just yet. Guthrie looks like a mirage, but should provide some pitching until the kids are ready to step it up. Miller is the perfect complement to Hughes at the top of the rotation, what a righty/lefty combo. This might go down as the best draft ever, reminds me of when Rob drafted Miguel Tejada & Adrian Beltre.
A NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Chuck shopped just like a guy. He knew what he wanted, went in there, and got it! Pence might not walk, but that’s like looking for flaws in a masterpiece, this kid can do it all. Soria never relieved before in his life, but you’d never know it the way this Rule V pitcher stepped into the closer’s role in KC, ice water running through his veins. Owings will fill in nicely at the back of the rotation, his bat is a plus! Lindstrom flat out throws hard, doesn’t back down, and gets the job done. Martinez like the rest of us is getting old, but unlike us he seems to be getting better, well that might be stretching it, but he’s got gas left in his tank.
B RISING BAMM-BEANOS: Gordon is a thirdbaseman ready to step into Scott Rolen’s shoes, will be a star for many years. Matsuzaka Dice-K, what a perfect name! Is a bigtime pitcher, ready to assume that role for the Bamm-Beanos. Garza has nasty stuff and will be a solid pitcher in this league. Some people say, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, well all you have to do is look at John to see this just ain’t so. Brando does as much research as anybody in the league and it’s starting to payoff. John has decided to turn away from the soft tossing lefties in favor of the hardthrowing righties. This team will be right there!
B- MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: Marc is a guy who knows how to retool for the playoffs, without forgetting about the future. Gallardo throws a heavy fastball and knows how to pitch & win. Perez came out of nowhere, but sometimes lefty relievers do that, and last a long time. Cabrera can pick it with the best of them, however that’s a big part of his game, his bat is a question mark, no speed.
C+ STATE STREET SLUGGERS: Moylan Nick likes sidearmers, this kid can work everyday. The Sluggers are going for it and nothing says that more than this whore of a pick.
C THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: This is like the tale of two drafts. The first two picks are great, the rest leave much to be desired. Braun has the perfect home run swing, without sacrificing average, what a MONSTER! Pedroia can field, can hit, can scrap, can win. Bannister has to be perfect with control to get a grade in KC, not gonna do it with wins. Gardner is a journeyman relief pitcher, sure he’s got a good grade, but he’s not a closer. Lewis throws hard, but nothing else, YIKES! Chico has a spot in Washington’s rotation, he’s a lefty, will be aroound, which’ll either be a good thing or a bad thing.
C TWIN CITIES THUNDERCHICKENS: Tulowitzki can really field & can really hit, can you say grounded superstar?! McGowan isn’t overly impressive, solid, not flashy. Kendrick really isn’t going to Japan, which woulda made him a better pick, a soft tossing righty, not a fan. Pie can flatout fly and I think he’ll hit, maybe Corey Patterson. But who doesn’t like pie ala mode?
D- GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Six picks is a lot to do nothing with, and I’m not just giving Bunchie this low grade cuz I HATE him, but it helps. Hamilton is a question mark, hitting in a good hitting ballpark, who will wear out his welcome before long. Loney is the real deal, Don Mattingly, even a blind nut finds a squirrel every once in a while. Saltalamacchia has a long name, but not much else going for this switch hitting catcher. Okajima is an OLD portsider from Japan, a nice half year. Harris had two good months in his rookie year, the only thing that makes him a regular is Minnesota’s budget. Hopper even though he hit well as a rookie with the Reds, is being challenged for a starting job in Cincinnati by Corey Patterson & Ryan Freel, that says it all.
SS MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Not that I have to understand everything in life, but this draft looked like one of mine, made no sense. Both players will add punch off the bench, but look to get little playing time with Reyes & Furcal ahead of them. The Marauders are going for it, have pretty much everything else, so maybe bench strength makes sense. Escobar is a very good hitter, with a great glove, and outstanding range. Keppinger line drives just jump off his bat, should win the everyday job in Cincinnati. All that said, DonS is never gonna live down the day he passed on Erick Aybar. Also Kouzmanoff, Reynolds, & Fields would have provided pop off the bench, and a guy ready to step in for Lowell in the future.
F CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Hope I don’t get grounded for not studying. This is my 2nd straight F and I’m the one handing out the grades. Seriously, I wonder if the hair dye seeped into my brain. Lincecum is the real deal and if healthy will be around for years to come with many A’s in the Franchise’s fututure. That said, the Champs should have traded with the Gamblers, then we could’ve gotten Upton and Pedroia would have been there for Todd. Abreu secondbase seems to have been this club’s Achilles Heel for years, but this pick was flat out ridiculous!
OVERLOOKED ROOKIES
1) Billy Butler 1B/OF: He can’t run & he can’t field, but he can hit! Butler is a line drive hitter with good home run power. Look for Billy to hit .350 with 30 HR’s.
2) Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B: The first pitch Kevin saw in the big leagues he knocked over the fence for a grand slam. That’s pretty impressive, but even more so is the way this guy plays all out in SD’s pitcher friendly ballpark. His take no prisoners attitude, shows me that he’ll only get better.
3) John Danks P: All the talent in the world, yet he didn’t impress. Has never been a winner at any level of his career. He’s a tweener, not a soft tosser or a flame thrower. Yet it’s hard to write off a young lefty with his kinda stuff, with a spot in the rotation.
4) Josh Fields 3B/OF: I laughed when the Hawkeroo compared him to Harmon Killebrew. So maybe he’s not the Killer, there’s still lotsa room in there for this kid to be an outstanding home run hitter. He will be the Sox thirdbaseman before the year’s out, and after seeing Ventura & Crede improve at the hot corner, there’s no reason Josh won’t be a 5.
5) Erick Aybar INF: This kid will make Halo fans forget all about Orlando Cabrera. He can pick it, very fluid in the field. With his work ethic he should develop into a .300 hitter, with 20 homers. No, I’m not high.
6) Kurt Suzuki C: I like everything I see about this kid. Nothing flashy, just goes about his job the right way. Handles pitchers well, and has a knack for hitting in the clutch.
7) Mark Reynolds 3B: He strikes out alot, but doesn’t let that get him down. Reynolds plays in a good hitter’s park in Arizona and won the starting spot from Tracy as a rookie, big time pop.
8) Carlos Gomez OF: Carlos can fly both on the bases and in the field, but will he hit enough to be the leadoff man in Minnesota? I think the Twins got a gem in Gomez. While he might not make Twins fans forget about Torii Hunter, he’ll be a good one.
9) Kevin Slowey P: Normally this control pitcher racks up plenty of K’s. I normally don’t like soft throwing righties, but I’ll make an exception with Slowey, he reminds me of Brad Radke.
10) Ubaldo Jimenez P: A 100 MPH fastball can’t be taught. Jimenez showed alot of raw talent last year for the Rockies, but still he pitches in Colorado. It’s tough to take a pitcher from the Mile High City, even one as talented as Ubaldo.