ORS

Two IF pops and a K. Nice dominant inning to start.

Hot and dry helps too.

I think Keowen is going to be interesting to follow.

Gameday go to s*** on anyone else? I had to turn mlb.tv on and listen to Kay.

I'm guessing the last time you checked wasn't this year. 0 HRs, .736 OPS vs. southpaws 11 HRs, 1.217 vs. RHP Youks 2 HR, .956 OPS vs. southpaws 6 HR, .968 OPS vs. RHP

They've got some signability picks there to make some hay with. From the 11th round on, they picked Grimm, Bailey, Presley, Grandal, and Tepesch, who all projected to go much higher based on talent. Be interesting to see who gets signed and who goes on to school.

BA 42. Yasmani Grandal, c School: Miami Springs (Fla.) HS. Class: Sr. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 205. Birthdate: 11/8/88. Scouting Report: Grandal was born in Cuba and moved to Miami when he was 11, and he started catching when he was 13 at the encouragement of his stepfather. He emerged as the country's top prep catching prospect last summer when he played in the Aflac Classic and committed to Miami. He has since been surpassed by Devin Mesaraco for top high school catching honors, and his all-around game is solid but not exceptional. He has soft hands and receives fine, and he has an above-average arm that produces quick throws with carry and accuracy. His ability to make contact from both sides of the plate enhances his value, but his bat speed is fringe-average. He makes sharper contact and drives the ball much more consistently from the left side. Grandal has good makeup and instincts, and should be taken no later than the second round.

Hitting Ability: There is a question to how much he'll hit at the next level. He guesses a lot and gives away the outer half of the plate. Right now, he's got a non-professional swing. He hit only left-handed in this game, though he took swings right-handed during batting practice. Power: Grandal does have some power potential, moreso from the left side of the plate, though his swing is longer from that side. His stroke from the right side is quicker, but doesn't produce as much power. Running Speed: He's a catcher and running isn't a part of his game. Arm Strength: Graded on pure strength, Grandal wouldn't get a plus mark. But he's got a good arm and a very quick release, making the entire "arm strength" package a plus. Arm Accuracy: Grandal is extremely accurate with his throws. That, combined with his quick release, make him very difficult to run on. Fielding: Grandal has excellent catching skills. He has good hands and centers the ball well. Range: He has very quick feet and moves very well behind the plate. Physical Description: Grandal is a strong, athletic backstop. Medical Update: Healthy. Strengths: A tremendous defensive package. He's a leader behind the plate, moves his feet well, has good hands, throws well. You name it, he can do it behind the plate. Weaknesses: His bat is behind his glove. If he can make adjustments, there is some potential there, but there are definite holes in his swing. Summary: Grandal is one of the, if not the, best defensive catcher in the draft class. He does everything well behind the plate, from throwing to handling pitchers. Unfortunately, his bat is behind his glove. The switch-hitter has some skills, but also has some holes. How much teams think they can fix that could help determine Grandal's ultimate draft status. Maybe I overstated it due to his need for work with the bat.

Hey, it's the "Soul of Sports". Nice over-slot pick at #834. Grandal. Open the wallet and sign that f***er.

Interesting project coming in with the #804. Deshaun Brooks, a 6-4 240 monster from the US Virgin Islands, was drafted out of Benedict College. That's his list weight, but he's down to 230 now, and is still losing weight after ballooning up to 260 when he dislocated a knee in JuCo. He lead NCAA DII with 18 homers and 80 RBI as a 3B. I don't know how well he plays it, or what position the scouts project him at, so take that with a grain of salt. BlackAthlete.net

574. Christopher Carpenter Commence the circle-jerk.

Austin Bailey might be another over-slot guy.

I think we are going to see the over-slot grabs in the next few rounds now. Grimm looks like the first.

A-10 competition, so, you know, grain of salt and all.

Pretty much. I'm not dishing out the $300+ Prospects Plus wants while my BA subscription is still good. I might do it next year.

204. Anthony Rizzo, 6-3 220, L/L 1B, M Stoneman Douglas HS Florida Sun Sentinel 234. David Mailman, 6-2 180, L/L 1B, Providence Sr HS North Carloina - Obvious fun with the name if he makes it Impact Baseball 264. Adam Mills, R/R RHP, 6-0 190, UNC-Charlotte (senior) Baseball Analysts 294. Kade Keowen, R/R CF, 6-5 215, LSU-Eunice (J3) All Things Valley League 324. Kenneth Roque, L/R SS, 5-11 162, PR Baseball Academy I got nothing 354. Thomas Pressly, R/R RHP, 6-3 175, Marcus HS, Texas News is getting hard to find, and I need to get back to work, others please pick up if you like.

While I agree about the meaninglessness of the off-field stuff, I always find it interesting how stupid these dolts can be. Take ARod and the tranny stripper in Toronto. The guy knows he's a lightning rod for media attention, yet he still gets seen in public with that woman - after tucking the tubage - all over town. While it may not be something we want to like or accept, the parasites that sell that stuff are part of the game now, and forgetting about them is just plain dumb.

So, the Warhorse took care of the rain and the worms yesterday. He ended the showers, brought forth the sun, and left the vermin squirmin'. New day, new challenge. Snakes suck. They are just glorified worms, and their time has come. http://tig.mu.nu/archives/88-yr%20old%20rattlesnake%20hunter-thumb.jpg Beckett vs. Does it matter? WIN.

Where are you getting a "no power" projection? From the report you listed and the one at BA, Dent has pop in his stroke, it's just not his best tool. That would be alarming if he were profiled as a corner player, but he's not. He's projected as a leadoff type hitter who will play somewhere up the middle with plus speed. Add pop to that type of player (at 18), and it's nowhere near as bad as you are trying to portray it. Also, you should know as well as anyone that you don't draft on need in the MLB draft. You take the best player available that you think you can sign. Most of these guys don't make it, so redundancy is needed, and if redundancy works out to where you have a performer on the big club and a hot prospect just below him, then you have real value in the trade market.

Gameday has Mackowiak's fly-out right at the wall. Did Proctor benefit from the 20mph winds blowing in that XM reported in the game forcast?

A committment to a school means nothing until they step in a classroom.

It's actually 3 weeks. I guess math is a soft spot out west. Come on, guy, you Dodger fans warned us about his streakiness. He hit about .350 for 6 weeks (.342 in ST), and he's gone cold since. Another hot streak like he had early and he's back to normal.

Hey, thanks for the trip to the land of the inane ramblings of Gom. Now, back to reality. I like the banter too. Most of my posts are in discussion with Jacko. The thing I'm taking issue with is the way you hit and run when things are going well. In other words, your statement about liking banter is BS, because your actions clearly show you are only interested banter when you are on the giving side.