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Tedd's IAL 2004 DRAFT REVIEW

 

1)          AURORA GAMBLERS – Brandon Webb P: Todd needed to do something drastic to rebuild his pitching staff after trading Ace Kevin Brown.  He pulled off a blockbuster with the rebuilding Molly Putts Rocket Fire.  Then Mr. Ventresca pulled no punches when he selected Brandon Webb.  There hasn’t been a rookie hurler to burst onto the scene this big in quite a while.  Webb pitches inside, strikeout batters, what’s not to like?  This kid is the real deal!

2)          CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – Miguel Cabrera OF: The Champions decided rebuilding was in order after being bounced from the playoffs in the 1st round.  Offense has been lacking, which is uncharacteristic when you look at Champion teams of years gone by.  Cabrera is raw, but has all kinds of talent!  Miguel will be one of the best pure hitters in this league for years to come.  I’d compare him to Mags, but with more power & less speed.

3)          AURORA GAMBLERS – Dontrelle Willis P: Aurora doesn’t know how to do anything half way and their rebuilding of a pitching staff is no exception.  Dontrelle is a throw back.  He’s very flashy on the mound, but that doesn’t take away from his ability.  Willis is a funky lefty that likes to have fun on the mound.  This southpaw is destined to become a fan favorite.

4)          CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS – Rafael Soriano P*: Soriano is as dominant as they come out of the pen.  When Jorge Julio experienced arm trouble in winter ball, the Highlanders shipped him off to the Upperdeckers and replaced him with this flamethrower.  He looks even better than Julio.  There has even been some talk of moving him to the rotation in the future (following Pedro’s footsteps), but for now he just might be what’s needed to put this team over the top. 

5)          GREEN ROCK BOMBERS – Jerome Williams P: This is where at least three IAL teams got screwed up.  Two stubborn managers locked horns and refused to do the right thing and as a result everybody lost out.  First off let me acknowledge that Jerome Williams is a horse and should fit in nicely on a staff that already has Livan, Carlos, & Sidney, as heavyweights in the rotation.  Williams throws a heavy ball, ala Rick Reuschel.  But Mike should have jumped at the offer of Damaso Marte for this pick, not that Marte is better than Williams, but because the Bombers needed a closer.  Then the Champions should have humbly accepted the counter offer of this pick & Marquis for Marte & a #5DC.  This would have gotten the Champions Teixeira, the Bamm Beanos Williams, & the Bombers Marte.

6)          RISING BAMM BEANOS – Mark Teixeira 1B: Last year the Bamm Beanos were praised for selecting Josh Phelps with this very pick.  I still believe in Phelps, which makes the selection of Teixeira all that much more puzzling.  Mark is the 2nd best hitter in the draft, which ain’t bad at all.  He’s a big switch hitting power hitter with a huge upside, just would have thought a quality starting pitcher should have been taken here, even if Williams was gone.

7)          MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Jose Reyes SS: I had Jose ranked as the 3rd best position player available, so it shouldn’t have shocked me that he was taken here. When I saw this kid in person at Shea over the summer I knew he was something special.  This is an excellent pick!  Reyes is slated to move to 2B, should develop into a Robby Alomar type, and will be an All Star year in and year out.

8)          COLONA UPPERDECKERS – Frankie Rodriguez P*: Already dubbed KROD, it’s no surprise that Mark should snatch up a hard throwing reliever.  The only question was whether Don would be able to resist the temptation of selecting the Halo Hurler.  KROD is just a kid, but only one word describes him, NASTY!

9)          CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – Alex Cintron SS: AC is a pure hitter.  The last pure hitting SS the Champions picked was Julio Lugo, not so long ago.  Still Alex seems to be better than Lugo both in the field & at the plate.  It’s not that Cintron isn’t a good hitter it’s just that the Champions thought KROD, Teixeira, or Reyes would be there.  I guess we all read the same books.  It was a tough decision between AC and Berroa.  Cintron was picked for his versatility, even though Berroa looks to be the better all around SS.

10)       MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Rocco Baldelli OF: Don not only gets all the good players, he also gets all the cool names.  ROCCO BALDELLI fits right in there with Ichiro!  Besides his cool name Baldelli is a kid who can do it all.  Saying he’s Joe D might be a stretch, but he’s a good one.

 

11)       NORTHSIDE HITMEN – Angel Berroa SS: The rich get richer.  After winning four straight league championships the Hitmen select the best SS in the draft just when their phenomenal SS is moving to 3B.  Berroa can hit for power, steals bases, and should be a 9 more often than not.  Angel is a real steal!

12)       CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – Miguel Olivo C: Even though the Champions already have one of the best defensive catchers in the league, Olivo was a good pick.  Miguel has a cannon behind the plate, hits for power, and is a fast runner on the bases.  Olivo will be a 9 very soon!  Victor Martinez has a much better bat, but would have made it tight behind the plate and there is no question who’s better defensively.

13)       MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Hideki Matsui OF: I liked him when he was a blocking back for Payton and I like him now.  Don was a little light in the OF going into the draft, but not anymore after taking Baldelli & Matsui.  Mr. Smith went back to the Japanese OF well and plucked out another good one.  Godzilla is a little older, but should add power to his game.  In all honesty I questioned whether Hideki would be drafted at all.  This is a deep draft with lots of outfielders better than Matsui.

 

14)       NORTHSIDE HITMEN – Oscar Villarreal P*: Chuck only had one pick but needed more than one thing and that’s where the brilliance of his trade with the Highlanders comes in.  Villarreal could be a starter in the future, but right now will be a quality setup man for Smoltz.  Oscar appeared in the most games ever by a hurler from Mexico, passing the mark set by Enrique Romo (remember him, Don?).  Besides his grade, Villarreal is a quality pitcher.

15)       MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Jose Contreras P: Speaking of Don, because of his wheeling dealing he had the next three picks.  Although Contreras is ten years older than Villarreal, this Cuban is solid.  George is paying this nasty hombre lots of lettuce to pitch in the Bronx and he should be in the Rocket*Fire rotation for the next five years.

16)       MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Rich Harden P: All the books had this kid up at the top of the list.  #1 he’s in the A’s rotation and that makes him good right there.  Call me nuts, but I’m not a fan.  I think Harden will have arm problems and a shorter career than Contreras. 

17)       MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Victor Martinez C: Martinez can flat out hit!  Victor may end up moving out from behind the plate if he doesn’t get better behind the dish.  He seems to have improved defensively, but it’s hard to tell in 40 games.

18)       CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – Julio Mateo P*: After having Jorge Julio turn up lame the Champs were forced to return him in exchange for Tony Clark, the Champs needed bullpen help.  Mateo will serve well as the setup man for Marte. 

19)       TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS – Jose Valverde P*: Tom picked a quality closer in Valverde.  Jose is a little wild, but his strikeout pitch is devastating.  Possibly Ayala would have been a better selection for the contending T*Chix, but Valverde will be better in the long run.                         

20)       NORTHSIDE HITMEN – Chase Utley 2B: Last year I got all over CLUKE when he picked Hank Blalock.  And although I think Brandon Phillips & Antonio Perez would have been better picks I’m not gonna say nothing this year.  Way to go Chuck!  Nice pick!  Hey, who the heck is Chase Utley?

21)       GREEN ROCK BOMBERS – Luis Ayala P*: With the rotation the Bombers have all they needed was a closer.  After selecting Ayala they still need one.  Ayala came out of nowhere from the Mexican League.  He’s young, throws hard, and has good control.  Still it’s hard to picture him closing games for a playoff contender, especially when you look at the lack of pen depth on the Bombers.  

22)       RISING BAMM BEANOS – Juan Rincon P*: It’s puzzling to me how a team with such a weak rotation could continue to ignore this glaring need.  Bonderman, Gobble, Ramirez, or Seo would have been much better picks.  Although even though Rincon doesn’t have overpowering stuff he does get batters out.

23)       AURORA GAMBLERS – Josh Bard C: Josh did a nice job for the Tribe and although everyone is saying the catching job is Victor Martinez’ to lose, don’t count out Bard.  Todd needed Bard’s at bats to cover CJ, but don’t be surprised if this guy doesn’t kick around for a while.

24)       CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – Jeremy Bonderman P: The Champions traded away starting pitchers Kip Wells, Jon Garland, & Jake Peavy and needed a couple of replacements.  Jeremy has been compared to Bret Saberhagen, which would be okay in my book.  Bonderman throws strikes and eats up innings.  This young right-hander will get better with age.

25)       CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – Jimmy Gobble P: Here is the complement to Bonderman from the left side.  There were thoughts the Champs possibly should have taken Ramirez and Seo rather than Bonderman and Gobble, but I think the right pitchers were taken here.  Gobble has come out of nowhere and he has a cool name.  GOBBLE! GOBBLE! GOBBLE!

26)       GREEN ROCK BOMBERS – Robby Hammock C: Robby can hit, but has yet to establish a position in the field.  He is a good fit for the Bombers who needed a catcher and Jason Phillips would have left them tight behind the plate.  The Bombers already have Piazza and Gil as backstops, so there was no need to get anyone good here.    

27)       RISING BAMM BEANOS – Aquilino Lopez P*: HEY JOHN YA NEED A STARTER!!!  Was that subtle enough???  Ramirez and Seo were still available.  Maybe John didn’t see the pile with the starting pitchers in there.  Lopez had a nice year for the Jays, but lied about his age and will be 29 this year.

28)       MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Brad Lidge P*: Why has it taken this nasty boy so long to make it to the bigs?  One word, injuries!  Lidge slowed down after the All-Star game and I doubt will ever be carded again.  He’s an arm injury waiting to happen.

29)       CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – Laynce Nix OF: Somehow the Champs always seem to fall for the lefty hitting OF with speed, good d, yadda yadda yadda.  This might be Rich Becker reincarnate.  Hopefully he’ll make Texas’ opening day roster.  Seriously though the Champs got rid of two really good outfielders and needed to replace them.  Somehow I don’t know if Cabrera & Nix can replace Griff Junior & Igor Gonzalez.  Only time will tell.

30)       TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS – Jody Gerut OF: Jody might be the hardest working player in the draft.  Gerut is an overachiever, who is loved by his manager for his efforts.  Gerut also has a potent bat, decent glove, and some speed, although he is a little old for a rookie. 

31)       MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE – Mark Hendrickson P: This kid is known for the longball, both when pitching and hitting.  Mark’s much more of a suspect than a prospect at this point.  Ramirez & Seo are much better pitching prospects at this point.  Maybe it would have been better to have taken one of them over Contreras, or both over Contreras & Harden, then this would have been a free pick.  Taking Hendrickson is pretty much a waste, unless you take into consideration he has control and can hit homers.

32)       AURORA GAMBLERS – Scott Podsednik OF: Here is another guy I never thought would be taken.  Podsednik is a hard worker, a hustler, and provides the team with an excellent leadoff man, however Tike Redman or Marlon Byrd might have been better choices at this point.

33)       CHICAGO CHAMPIONS – A.J. Burnett P: Nipple rings aside, this guy can pitch.  The only way he became available was because of an arm injury.  The Champs are so confident in his ability that they are willing to hold onto him uncarded.  Now why didn’t they do that with Halladay & Padilla?  Kinda like closing the barn door after the animals are running down the road.

34)       COLONA UPPERDECKERS – Marlon Byrd OF: Byrd is a little old for a rookie, but he is a good one.  Marlon should be a 3, steal bases, and hit for power.  He has more ability than Matsui, Gerut, & Podsednik.  If you need an outfielder Byrd is a good one, however there were some quality rookies that were not drafted.

 

 

A+ NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Berroa, Villarreal, & Utley – Angel Maria Berroa is the perfect fit for Chuck.  Villarreal pitches lots out of the pen and will be the perfect setup man this year.  I liked Blalock last year, just not for the Hitmen.  Utley might be a regular secondbaseman, but I can’t see it.

A AURORA GAMBLERS: Webb, Willis, Bard, & Podesednik – Webb & Willis are a perfect one-two punch at the head of the Gambler rotation.  Cutting down on the number of picks allowed Todd to get both of the pitchers he wanted.  I can only see Podsednik being a good leadoff man for two to three years, which ain’t all bad.

A CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Cabrera, Cintron, Olivo, Mateo, Bonderman, Gobble, Nix, & Burnett – Miguel Cabrera was the best player taken in the draft, he can flat out PLAY!  Should have done whatever to have a shot at Teixeira.  AC can hit, but Berroa was the better choice.  Olivo will be the Champs starting catcher soon.  Mateo will be a solid setup man for the next 5 years.  Bonderman & Gobble don’t have the grades of Webb & Willis, but might over perform them.  Hopefully they’re better than Seo & Ramirez.  Nix is young and talented, needs to cut down his K’s.  Keeping Burnett was a no brainer!

A- CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Soriano – Rob selected just what he needed.  Last year I said Rob Moore wouldn’t need a closer anytime soon, barring injury.  And now one year later I’m grading the Highlanders with an A* for taking another A*.  He got just what he needed.

B+ COLONA UPPERDECKERS: Rodriguez & Byrd – KROD is a killer!  What an outstanding relief pitcher!  Byrd gives Marc a solid backup outfielder.

B TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS: Valverde & Gerut – Valverde will be closing games for the T*Chix for years.  Gerut gives the T*Chix a power hitting outfielder off the bench.

C- MOLLY PUTTS ROCKETFIRE: Reyes, Baldelli, Matsui, Contreras, Harden, Martinez, Lidge, & Hendrickson – Reyes & Baldelli are outstanding ballplayers!  Although Martinez will be a good hitter and Contreras should be a solid starter for five year, the rest of Don’s draft didn’t impress me.  If Harden & Lidge stay healthy they will be good.  There’s no chance with Lidge.  Hendrickson’s a bum looking for a park bench.

D- RISING BAMM BEANOS: Teixeira, Rincon, & Lopez – Teixeira is a BIGGER MONSTER than last year’s MONSTER Phelps.  Both Rincon & Lopez should have been passed for starting pitchers.  And it seems a waste to select Teixeira after picking Phelps last year, even though Teixeira is the real deal!

F GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Williams, Ayala, & Hammock – Mike needed a bullpen and after the draft he still needed a bullpen.  Still Jerome is a horse!  Ayala will be good enough to blow saves this year and this is probably as good as it gets for him.  Hammock’s bat off the bench might help, but will never be more than a backup backstop.

Inc STATE STREET SLUGGERS: NO DRAFT PICKS

 

OVERLOOKED ROOKIES

1) Hee Seop Choi 1B: Hee will get an opportunity to play every day in Florida.  Choi has all the tools, all he needs is a chance to play.

2) Horacio Ramirez P: It’s a big surprise this classy lefthander wasn’t taken.  Ramirez had a fine rookie year in Atlanta and will be a B more often than not.  This kid knows how to pitch.

3) Caladio Vargas P: Vargas has some big shoes to fill in Montreal, but from how he pitched in his rookie year Claudio shouldn’t have a problem.  He can be overpowering at times, just needs to harness that ability.

4) Tony Armas, Jr. P: Armas got off to a fine start last year before injuries shut him down.  This guy’s a big strong kid that should bounce back and become dominant.

5) Antonio Perez 2B: Antonio might not be a regular this year, but he played hurt and just enough to be eligible for the draft (125 at bats).  He’ll be a fine secondbaseman.

6) Tike Redman OF: It took Tike a little while to max the show, but he showed what he could do last year when he tore the cover off the ball.

7) Mike MacDougal P*: MacDougal made the MLB All Star Game.  You can’t do better than that.  Yet he was overlooked when all those relievers were selected, go figure.

8) Brandon Phillips 2B: Talent wise this kid can play.  Phillips can do it all, but sometimes his ego & lack of a good work ethic get in the way.

9) Juan Rivera OF: Juan might get a chance to start in Montreal.  He has a good arm and can hit for power.  Rivera should hit 30+ long balls playing every day.

10) Jon Lieber P: Jon was one of the best pitchers in the game before injuries shut him down.  Still BIG George signed him, which is good enough for me.  Lieber has pinpoint control.  He might have 4 good years in his surgically rebuilt arm.