Illowa APBA League

 1) SLUGGERS - RYAN HOWARD 1B: Ryan Howard is the Jackie Robinson of the State Street Sluggers.  Howard will become the 1st African American member of the starting lineup in recent memory, maybe since Albert Belle.  Howard is a little bit older for a rookie, but he sure can hit!  Expect 50+ homer seasons on a regular basis.

 2) GAMBLERS - SCOTT KAZMIR P: Scott Kazmir is a very talented lefthander.  Kazmir appears to have a smooth delivery that should help him avoid injury.  Despite not being a large guy he throws hard.  Scott strikes out alot, but he needs to refine his control.

 3) UPPERDECKERS - JOE MAUER C: Mauer is a throwback that reminds me of a lefthanded hitting Thurman Munson.  Joe is a homegrown Minnesota Twin.  Marc has a habit of choosing the best player available. 

 4) RISING BAMM BEANOS - ROBINSON CANO 2B: Robinson Cano is sloppy in the field & doesn't walk, but he is a secondbaseman with a good average & decent power.  Look for his rookie season to be the best of his career.

 5) HITMEN - JEFF FRANCOEUR OF: The rich get richer!  I thought Marc would've chosen Francoeur with the 3rd pick, but he fell to the Hitmen.  Jeff can really hit, field, & throw.  The only knock on him is that he doesn't walk, see Guerrero, Ordonez, & Ramirez. 

 6) THUNDERCHICKENS - HUSTON STREET P*: Since when has a fulltime rookie closer come into the league as an A&C?  Street was groomed to be a MLB closer in college at the University of Texas, same place the Rocket came from.  Huston looks to have a career ahead of him similar to Trevor Hoffman.

 7) RISING BAMM BEANOS - ZACK DUKE P: Not really a Zack Duke fan!  Duke is a groundball pitcher on a bad ballclub, very similar to a highly touted Zack chosen in last year's draft, Zack Greinke.  John, weren't you paying attention?

 8) MARAUDERS - FELIX HERNANDEZ P: Another case of the rich getting richer!  This kid is the 2nd coming!  Although Jesus could walk on water and cure the lame the Christmeister never had a fastball like King Felix, nor breaking stuff that falls off the table.  Saw this kid in spring training last year, then Don scouted him in Minnesota, never thought he'd have fallen to #8.  The Champions never would have traded their picks had they thought he'd have been there at #4.

 9) BOMBERS - GUSTAVO CHACIN P: Why would the Bombers select Gustavo Chacin when Joe Blanton was still on the board?  Besides Blanton having an easier name to pronounce for the Kayhill challenged Bomber skipper, he also has a physique like Livan & Ponson, and he's a better pitcher.  Chacin is a lefthanded sinkerball pitcher with Glaus playing 3B both in APBA & Toronto, not a good combination.

10) HIGHLANDERS - CHRIS SHELTON 1B: If the Highlanders would've won game #7 I'm sure Rob would've chosen Casey Kotchman over Shelton.  That said, Chris is a very good hitter in the mold of Mike Sweeney.  Shelton will provide more immediate gratification, while Casey might be the next Todd Helton.

11) SLUGGERS - JOE BLANTON P: Blanton's agent was seen crying along side Brandon Webb's & Jeremy Bonderman's agents when he learned he was selected by the Sluggers.  All kidding aside it looks like the Sluggers are putting together a pitching staff to go along with their hitters.  Blanton reminds me of Tim Belcher

12) GAMBLERS - GARY MAJEWSKI P: Majewski has a major league fastball, but doesn't strike out alot of batters.  Never in any scenerio did I see where Majewski would be taken over Turnbow.  This one's a real head scratcher.

13) UPPERDECKERS - EDWIN ENCARNACION 3B: This is another case of Marc taking the best player available.  Who am I to knock a strategy that got Little Bunch a ring a couple of years ago?  It's also a phylosophy that Rob Moore subscribes to.  E squared is a very powerful hitting thirdbaseman who is a little shakey in the field, reminds me of Aramis Ramirez.

14) RISING BAMM BEANOS - NICK SWISHER OF/1B: Nick Swisher strikes out alot, but he does have alot of power & does walk.  His game reminds me of Brad Wilkerson.  He may end up playing firstbase.

15) HITMEN - BRIAN MC CANN C: I LOVE this guy!  Chuck got two of the best rookies on a very good MLB team.  They are from the Atlanta area and are roommates with the Braves.  McCann is so cool to watch behind the plate, he really controls a game.  Brian reminds me of Jason Varitek.

16) RISING BAMM BEANOS - DERRICK TURNBOW P*: First saw Turnbow in 2000 when he was a Rule V player with the Angels.  Then Derrick blew out his arm and needed surgery.  The next thing he resurrects his career with the Brewers and is one of the most dominant closers in the game.  Nice pick!  Perfect compliment to setup man Juan Rincon.

17) MARAUDERS - ERVIN SANTANA P: Black Magic Woman!  Besides Ervin being a very talented pitcher, he pitches for the Halos, Don's favorite team.  Still I'm not sold on Santana.  Maybe it's his youth, but he tends to lose focus.  And I see arm trouble in his future.

18) BOMBERS - CHRIS YOUNG P: Maybe later Chris can try football or hockey.  He's tall, but that doesn't really help all that much out on the mound.  Young is going from Texas' hitters park to San Diego's Petco Field, but he tends to be very inconsistant.

19) THUNDERCHICKENS - JONNY GOMES OF: This kid is really fun to watch.  He is super aggressive in every facet of his game.  Gomes is from the school, swing hard in case you hit it.  Jonny hit some real bombs as a rookie.

20) GAMBLERS - RYAN DOUMIT C: The Gamblers should have taken Mauer with the 2nd pick in the draft.  Doumit is at best a backup catcher with nothing about his game that jumps out at you.  Ryan will save the Gamblers a pick next year when he'll be able to cover Zaun after Javy moves to 1B.

21) SLUGGERS - CHRIS RAY P*: There were three legitimate closers in this year's draft and it's hard to say who will be the best in the long run.  Chris Ray reminds me of Goose Gossage.

22) RISING BAMM BEANOS - J.J. HARDY SS: Hardy reminds me of Dick Schofield (father or son, your pick) without the speed.  And I actually like J.J.  I just don't think he should've been drafted.  Clint Barmes is a much better!  Or better yet Don probably would've swapped Juan Uribe for this pick and then he could have had both Santana & Weeks.

23) MARAUDERS - AARON HILL IF: Hill is a Punch & Judy hitter that will be Toronto's secondbaseman this year after playing all over the infield as a rookie.  Aaron seems to be another player that should not have been drafted.  That said Mark G is a very similar player that should not have been drafted and he was traded for the best young closer in the game this past off season.

24) BOMBERS - RICKIE WEEKS 2B: Weeks had a wrist injury that bothered him throughout his rookie year.  As a result he struck out alot!  Rickie also was bad in the field, making 20 errors in half a season at secondbase, he could come in defensively for Soriano.  His bat reminds me of Gary Sheffield and his feet remind me of Rickey Henderson, not a bad combination.  But look for Weeks to move to the outfield and have a career similar to that of Ron Gant. 

25) SLUGGERS - ANDREW SISCO P*: Sisco is a 6'10" lefthander whom the Cubs discarded.  That in itself is enough to earmark him for success, the Cubs also let go of Dontrelle Willis & Jon Garland.  Even though he wasn't ready for the majors Andrew got an A* as a rookie.  He may move to the rotation where the sky's the limit as far as his potential is concerned.

26) SLUGGERS - DIONER NAVARRO C: Not as bad a pick as Ken Huckaby.  At least this kid is young and is penciled in as the starter behind the dish for the Dodgers.

27) RISING BAMM BEANOS - KAMERON LOE P: Loe is a sinkerball righthander pitching in Arlington.  He'd better keep the ball down.  Brandon McCarthy or Jason Vargas would have been much better choices.

Overall Team Reviews

A+  SLUGGERS: Howard, Blanton, Ray, Sisco, Navarro - Traded Dunn for Webb, then backfilled 1B with Howard, and picked up Blanton.  Then added Ray & Sisco to his pen.  Needed Navarro to backup A.J. Pie.  Nick's a magician!  He's put the Sluggers in the playoff picture.

A+  HITMEN: Francoeur, McCann - Maybe they should've taken King Felix, but Francoeur & McCann will be solid everyday players for the Hitmen for years to come.  Getting Francoeur is especially important with Cabrera going to 3B and Bonds retiring.

A   MARAUDERS: Hernandez, Santana, Hill - Maybe everyday did enjoy DonS winning so much that they all decided to let him do it again & again!  DonS went all the way to Minnesota to scout his ace.  Anything you do after getting King Felix is irrelevant, Santana's not bad either.

B   UPPERDECKERS: Mauer, Encarnacion - Marc stuck with his plan of taking the best players available and he got two good ones.  Yet King Felix would have been a better pick especially considering this team's rotation.  Encarnacion can hit!

B-  THUNDERCHICKENS: Street, Gomes - When you lookup closer in the dictionary you'll see a picture of Huston Street.  He is the real deal and will be closing games for years to come.  That said, any time you can get King Felix you've gotta take him.  Gomes is a hustler that is a fun pick!

C   HIGHLANDERS: Shelton - The Highlanders needed a firstbaseman and Shelton put up good numbers as a rookie.  Chris will step right into the Highlanders powerful lineup.

C-  GAMBLERS: Kazmir, Majewski, Doumit - Should have kept Webb.  Should have taken Mauer, Turnbow, and Weeks.  Should have taken Kotchman rather than protecting the Big Hurt.  That said, Kazmir can pitch!

D-  BOMBERS: Chacin, Young, Weeks - Chacin is lefthanded, Young is tall, and Weeks can come in defensively for Soriano.

F   RISING BAMM BEANOS: Cano, Duke, Swisher, Turnbow, Hardy, Loe - All those picks and a grade of F.  That's tough!  They needed a secondbaseman and got a stop gap in Cano.  Turnbow is flat out nasty!  Other than that not a whole lot there.

INC CHAMPIONS: Traded all picks.  Had the Champs known how the draft would go they probably wouldn't have traded all their picks away plus Bonderman & Lowry for Buehrle & Beckett.  Yet there aren't any better young arms out there than the two guys they got.

2006 IAL OVERLOOKED ROOKIES

 1) MC CARTHY, BRANDON P: The only reason this kid wasn't drafted in the IAL Rookie Draft was because he's on the White Sox and I got rid of all my picks.  McCarthy has great stuff and will be a solid Major League starter, but because the White Sox have such depth in their rotation Brandon will work out of the bullpen in '06.  Reminds me of Jack McDowell.

 2) KOTCHMAN, CASEY 1B: Kotchman has a great bat and can really throw the leather.  He might have been the best all around rookie firstbaseman.  But 1B is a rich position in the IAL.  Look for a Todd Helton type career.

 3) MURTON, MATT OF: Matt Murton can Mash!  I was trying to figure out who his game reminds me of and I've been stumped.  Murton will hit .320 on a regular basis, with 25 homers, 80+ walks, and an average leftfielder.  Any way you slice it this kid can play.

 4) VARGAS, JASON P: I paid $100 for a last minute prime box seat ticket to see Vargas pitch against the Cubs last year.  While this southpaw doesn't have overpowering stuff, he's a competitor, and he can hit.  Can you say, Tom Glavine?

 5) BARMES, CLINT SS: I guess nobody needed a .300 hitting shortstop, with 20 homers, and 40 doubles.  If it weren't for his season ending fall down the stairs he would've been Rookie of the Year.  Look for Barmes to have a solid career for the Rocks.

 6) WANG, CHIEN-MING P: Wang is a hard thrower with a straight fastball, but he has exceptional control.  He has had arm trouble, but look for him to put up good numbers in the Bronx if healthy.

 7) JENKS, BOBBY P*: How much fun would it be to signal this guy in from the bullpen the way Ozzie Guillen did for the White Sox?  Bobby throws a 100+ MPH fastball and a knee buckling off spead pitch.  Some people question his makeup, but one thing's for sure, the Sox don't win the World Series without Jenks.

 8) THOMPSON, BRAD P*: Thompson is a sinker ball reliever with good control.  Brad will never be a stopper, but should get a B*Z out of the pen for years to come.

 9) TAVERAS, WILY OF: Taveras has blazing speed, can steal bases, and really cover the ground in CF.  Wily rarely walks and has very little power.  Putting his whole game together he did enough for the Astros to get them to the World Series.

10) DUFFY, CHRIS OF: This guy will be the regular centerfielder for the Pirates for years to come.  Duffy will be a .300 hitter, with 20 steals, and 10 homers a year.