Royals @ Yankees - 6/6-6/9

AMJets · Jun 5, 2008

Friday: Davies vs Rasner
Saturday: Bannister vs Pettitte
Sunday: Greinke vs Chamberlain
Monday: Hochevar vs Mussina

AMJets · Jun 5, 2008

First day of the draft. There were only 6 rounds today, so the final 44 will begin tomorrow at 11AM EST.

Yankees picks so far:

1st round. Gerrit Cole RHP Orange (Calif.) Lutheran H.S.

Cole is the best righthander out of Southern California since Phil Hughes starred at Santa Ana's Foothills High in 2004. Cole's four-seam fastball ranges from 93-96 mph, occasionally peaking at 97-98. He adds a hard, late-breaking curve which shows bite, tilt and depth. Cole used his changeup sparingly early in the season, though he used it more later. Adding to Cole's considerable appeal to scouts is his tall, lanky and projectable frame, which is nearly ideal for a prep righthander. Scouts are split over whether Cole profiles as a starter or closer. He maintains velocity and pitch movement deep into games, but his inconsistent command and tendency to run up high pitch counts may move him to the bullpen. Some scouts have compared him to Mariners closer J.J. Putz. Cole does bring mechanical concerns. He lands on a stiff front leg, and he recoils his arm during his follow-through. Both hurt control and raise injury concerns. Complicating the situation, Cole's adviser is the Scott Boras Corp., which may eliminate many clubs from consideration. Cole also hasn't endeared himself to scouts or teammates with what one scout described as his immature mound demeanor.
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This is a great pick; he fell to the Yankees for financial reasons. Cole has the best arm among the prep pitchers in the draft. He has a loose, quick arm. He has the best fastball of the high school pitchers; it tops out 97 mph. He needs more consistency on the breaking ball. And he needs to just throw his changeup instead of guiding it. He's a high-ceiling arm that could be a No. 1 starter. If that doesn't work, he could be a dominant reliever.
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Cole may have the best teenage arm in this draft. He throws a four seamer that peaks at 97-98 and a heavy two seamer that runs in the low-90s. Baseball America has ranked his fastball at the top of the high school class. There are two questions that have dogged Cole this spring: (1) his makeup and (2) his signability, as he is represented by the Scott Boras Corporation and has committed to UCLA. Slot money probably won’t do the trick here. The tall righthander could slide like Rick Porcello last year, but it is unlikely that he will receive a signing bonus approaching Detroit’s first pick in the 2007 draft.
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Oppenheimer on Cole:

“Gerrit has a big, strong, projectable body with a high ceiling. He throws a power fastball with sink in the 94-98 range and has also developed a good changeup. He’s a competitor every time he takes the mound, and he pitches with a lot of confidence. We were really pleased with both of our first two selections.”
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1st round (supplemental). Jeremy Bleich LHP Stanford

Bleich, a Louisiana native, returned from his elbow strain in late May and could move into the first five rounds with a strong NCAA postseason. At his best, he sits in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball that has natural lefty movement, complemented by a solid curveball and a plus straight change.
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Jeremy Bleich: Bleich (pronounced Blishe) began the year as Stanford’s No. 1 starter before suffering an elbow injury that sidelined him for almost the entire Pac-10 schedule. The tendinitis went away and he returned in the last half of May. Has a fastball in the upper 80s to low 90s with good movement and deception. Also throws a curveball and changeup. Known for his competitiveness on the mound. Had a 4-2 record with a 2.44 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 44.1 innings in the Cape Cod League last summer. Bleich has never been drafted before.
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Bleich’s idol as a pitcher is Andy Pettitte. Like Andy, he is from Louisiana.
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One of our blog readers, as it turns out, is Wyndam Makowsky. He’s a New York City native and a senior sports writer for the Stanford Daily who covers baseball.

Here’s an interview we conducted with him via e-mail this afternoon:

Bleich was not projected to go this high. Why do you think he did? This was a bit of a reach, but the Yankees are desperate for lefty talent. It is certainly a need pick. Now, why Bleich instead of someone else? He has a nice, three pitch arsenal: his curveball and change up both have good movement. Additionally, his velocity has gotten better over the course of his career. He consistently throws his fastball in the low 90s whereas previously, he would stay in the high 80s and only scrape 90. Lefties with good fastballs and two put-out pitches aren’t easy to come by, and so while the Yankees may have extended themselves a bit here, it isn’t as much of an odd selection as it initially appears.

What are his strengths? Bleich is very smart and knows how to alternate well between his pitches. He is fairly calm on the mound, and has shown an ability to get out of bad situations. His biggest weakness was always maintaining control, but that has become less of an issue over the past year. Since returning from injury late last month, he has been lights-out.

Can you compare him to anybody in the majors now? A nice comparison is Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies. They have a similar repertoire, although Hamels has a better change up. Both have battled through injuries. Hamels, though, is supposed to be the Phillies’ fixture at the top of the rotation. I doubt that’s where Bleich projects. I see him as either a fourth or fifth starter, or as a top left-handed reliever. He dabbled in relief pitching when he came back from injury, and did very well out of the bullpen.

Did this pick come as a surprise to you and the Stanford coaches? I was surprised both as a Stanford beat writer and a Yankees fan. I thought they would pounce on Tim Melville. I have yet to speak to Coach Mark Marquess and the rest of his staff about this choice, but it seemed like the consensus was that after Jason Castro went in the first round, the next Stanford players off the board would be staff ace Erik Davis and center fielder Sean Ratliff — maybe even former Yankees draftee Drew Storen. Even they weren’t projected to go until the second round, at best. So while the Cardinal may be pleasantly surprised with Bleich’s selection, they are probably just that — surprised.
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2nd round. Scott Bittle RHP Mississippi

Taken by the Yankees in the 48th round of last year’s draft, Bittle elected not to sign and transferred to Ole Miss this season from Northwest Texas CC. He was thrown into the closer’s role for the Rebels and has dominated SEC hitters all season, putting up Nintendo type numbers. He has tallied an almost 5 to 1 K/BB ratio, striking out close to two batters per inning pitched.

Uncharacteristic for a closer, Bittle’s fastball is just an average pitch, with velocity between the 88-91 mph range. However, Bittle pitches mainly off his cut fastball — a devastating late breaking pitch in the mid-80s that has two-plane movement similar to a slider. Bittle is able to command this pitch down in the zone and creates a ton of swings and misses by starting it just above the knees and having it drop just below the strike-zone. He also effectively mixes in a changeup, freezing unsuspecting hitters.

At 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, and without an above-average fastball, Bittle does not fit the typical closer’s profile in the major leagues. He will most likely be a long relief or setup man in the pros. Once signed, he should move quickly as his command and stuff are close to major league ready.
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http://www.nomaas.org/draft/?p=26

Old friend to NoMaas, Mr. Patrick Ebert of both PerfectGame and Brewerfan shared a quick thought about the Mississippi reliever:

Scott Bittle is a guy who doesn’t profile as a true closer, but has one of the nastiest pitches (a cutter, which I’m sure is of interest to Yankees fans since Mariano Rivera has established himself as the best closer of all-time with this pitch) of all draft-eligible pitchers.

Ebert told me before the draft that Bittle was a candidate to be a riser in the draft.
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3rd round. David Adams 2B Virginia

Ranked as the No. 67 prospect in the 2005 draft by BA, Adams lasted until the 21st round, when the Tigers took him, because of a strong commitment to Virginia. He followed through on the commitment with the expectation that he would be the successor to Ryan Zimmerman at third base, though he has spent most of his time at second instead. After productive freshman and sophomore seasons at Virginia and in the Cape Cod League, Adams seemed to be on his way to possible first-round consideration. But he has had a disappointing junior year, batting .281—more than 100 points lower than his sophomore season. A gap-to-gap hitter with occasional power, Adams profiles as a second baseman at the pro level as well. He's an experienced hitter with an advanced approach and has a good track record of hitting with wood, though he has an unorthodox swing and scouts are unsure if it will play at the next level. In the field, Adams is fairly athletic and has the potential to be average defensively. He's also regarded as a good all-around baseball player with advanced instincts.
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AMJets · Jun 5, 2008

4th round. Corban Joseph SS Tennessee HS

In a competitive field, shortstop Corban Joseph distinguished himself as the top prep position player in the state because he plays a premium position and swings lefthanded. Joseph has plus bat speed and routinely squares balls up, hitting for power and average to all fields with a short swing. Joseph is an average runner, but speed will never be his game. He has a chance to stay at shortstop but will always be known for his offense than his defense.
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Corban Joseph is a 2008 SS/2B with a 6'0'', 170 lb. frame from Franklin, TN, who attends Franklin High School. Top Prospect Team, athletic, lean and long, agile defensively, range, quick first step, plus feet, soft hands, body control, can throw on the move, good bat speed, line drive hitter, quick hands, stays inside ball, advanced young hitter, must follow, good student.
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He's very likely to sign: http://www.nomaas.org/draft/?p=27

A NoMaas source who has spoken with Joseph since his selection by the Yankees indicates that he will likely sign despite being committed to Kentucky.

Some other points from our source on Joseph:

* He has played shortstop the last three years, but likely will be groomed to play second, where he played his freshman year. The biggest area he needs to work on is his fielding.

* He throws righty and bats lefty. He had tried early on to be a switch hitter but couldn’t generate enough power from the right side.

* “He’s a good kid.”

* His high school team went to the state tournament in every year he was there but this year, and he started all four of those years.

* He’s a guy who is a perfectionist when it comes to studying and managing his swing. “Think Tony Gwynn and breaking down film on video.”
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http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/SPORTS07/806040402
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5th round. Chris Smith LF Compton Centennial HS

http://www.maxpreps.com/FanPages/Pl...Boys_Varsity_Baseball_Spring_07-08/California

.700 AVG and 2.000 OPS. Sick.
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http://www.nomaas.org/draft/?p=25

Smith is 6′2″, 200 lbs, and committed to USC. He’s a lefty with a nice power stroke, but the impressive thing here is that he hit .708 for Centennial High School in Compton, CA this past season.

That’s not a typo.

I’ll spell it out just to make certain. He hit Seven-Oh-Eight.

Smith looks like he could be a diamond in the rough, and his coach certainly thinks so:

http://www.wavenewspapers.com/defau...ame=&pform=&sc=1019&hn=wavenewspapers&he=.com

“He’s a terrific hitter,” Centennial coach Gerald Pickens said. “When he hits, the team gets inspired because they know the scouts are watching and try to piggyback on that.”

Pickens coached current Angel farmhand Andrew Toussaint at Centennial and Boston Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp with his C-BATs Academy team, so he knows something about talented prospects.

“Chris does things they couldn’t do,” he said. “He has dynamite strength and the ability to hit with power to all fields. They had power to only one field.”

“My strength is my bat,” said Smith, who feels his best position is left field, but has been showcased at other spots, including first base, for the benefit of scouts.

Although a talented quarterback who passed for 2,700 yards for the football team this past fall, baseball is his first priority.

“Baseball is my passion,” he said. “I’ve just loved the game since I started playing T-ball at 4 at Gonzalez Park.”

This kid could be a major find. It seems He’s got a good head on his shoulders to go with the skills:

Smith’s reputation extends beyond his teammates. His talent has made him an icon to baseball-playing youngsters in the Compton community.

“Chris is bringing baseball back to the inner-city because the kids at the parks are looking up to him,” Pickens said. “Some of these kids don’t know who Kobe Bryant or LeBron James is, but they know who Chris is.”

“It makes me feel good being a peer to these kids,” Smith said. “It’s an honor and a big responsibility to be a role model.”
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6th round. Brett Marshall RHP Texas HS

87 BRETT MARSHALL, RHP, Sterling HS, Houston
Marshall presents a conundrum to scouts. After working at 88-91 mph with his fastball last summer, he jumped up to 96 mph at the outset of his senior season. His slider still needs some refinement, but it topped out at 86-87 mph. And his initial college commitment was to San Jacinto (Texas) JC, indicating that he could be fairly easy to sign. But since generating a lot of early season excitement, Marshall has backed up a little. He was sitting at 91 mph and topping out at 94 mph as the draft drew closer, and his slider wasn't as crisp. While he's wiry strong, he's also just 6 feet and 185 pounds and has some effort in his delivery, which also compromises his ability to repeat it and throw strikes. There's also talk that he's exploring the possibility of attending Rice, which could make it tougher for him to turn pro. There are a lot of differing opinions on Marshall, but he could be signable if a team likes him enough to take him in the second round.
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http://www.nomaas.org/draft/?p=28

With a Rice scholarship awaiting him, the Oswalt-sized Texan is looking to cash in if he’s going to pass up the renowned baseball powerhouse.

“We try to set some numbers right about a million dollars,” Eddie Marshall, Brett’s dad, said. “If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, you don’t.

“I think he’s worth it. Of course, I’m his dad. But I know what kind of person he’ll be. He’s going to play in the big leagues.”

It also turns out that the Yankees had him at a private workout recently, and his team’s playoff schedule prevented other MLB teams from following suit.

But Marshall says he is no longer considering San Jac an option.

“I was thinking about that route, going to San Jac,” he said, “but not a lot of people get that opportunity to go to Rice and get that education.”

The education Marshall and his family are getting now is in the ways of big league ball.

Marshall and his mother flew to Tampa, Fla., over the weekend, so Brett could audition in person Monday at the New York Yankees’ spring training facility.

“He put on one hell of a show this weekend,” Eddie Marshall said of his son. “That was his first visit, because of (Sterling’s long run in) the playoffs. The Astros, Mets, Phillies, he had invitations to all of them, but he couldn’t make it because of the playoffs.

“He was supposed to be at an Astros deal Sunday, but he couldn’t because he was at the Yankees.

“Just about everbody wants him, but making the right offer’s another thing.”

This could be a very interesting process, although it looks to me that Marshall will end up signing with the Yankees. Obviously if I hear anything from NoMaas sources I will let the draftniks know.

By the way, if this doesn’t excite you about this kid, I don’t know what will:

A lot of on-line scouting reports talk about how Marshall came from out of nowhere to land a spot among the country’s top 100 prospects – Baseball America magazine has Marshall ranked No. 87 – because his fastball did likewise, getting 10 mph faster in a year.

Sterling coach Paul Tadlock says Marshall hit 93 mph on the radar gun in a playoff game at Deer Park last year. And he points out Marshall finished the 2007 season strong and earned a first-team all-district selection.

“Last year, I topped out at 94 and I was consistent in the 90s,” Marshall said. “My goal this year was to top out at 95. I did that in our first scrimmage. When I got up to 97 …
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Wants $1M to stay away from Rice. Sounds like Angelini last year.
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Hofstra Jet · Jun 5, 2008

i think yanks have advantages in all 4 games.. and hope they win all 4.. anything less then 3 wins is a huge let down.. this is the yankees time to turn all around.. i cant wait for monday to be over so we can really see the state of the yankees..

EcKo151 · Jun 6, 2008

Hey do you have an update on Andrew Brackman? I remember him having an elbow? injury, possibly even TJ surgery? But ARod was happy to see him drafted by the Yanks...

And lastly, JJ Henry? The SS who was possibly the "heir" to Jeter? I haven't kept track of him, but was happy to see Hughes and Joba start in Tampa and work their way up.

dwalsh · Jun 6, 2008

NYJ EcKo151 said: ↑

Hey do you have an update on Andrew Brackman? I remember him having an elbow? injury, possibly even TJ surgery? But ARod was happy to see him drafted by the Yanks...

And lastly, JJ Henry? The SS who was possibly the "heir" to Jeter? I haven't kept track of him, but was happy to see Hughes and Joba start in Tampa and work their way up.
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Brackman is recovering from TJ surgery.

JJ Henry was traded to the Phillies in the Abreu deal, sucked, asked to be released, and is back with the yankees. I believe he is now playing OF and struggling. He was also one of the picks before Oppenheimer, so before the Yankees started to dominate the draft

AMJets · Jun 6, 2008

It's CJ Henry, actually, and he's hurt right now. But he wasn't lighting the world on fire before that.

AMJets · Jun 6, 2008

Very odd second day for the Yankees, they waited much longer than usual for signability guys. Big steal of the day might be LHP Chris Dwyer in round 36. First round talent, probably the second best player the Yankees drafted. Signing him will be incredibly difficult, but it's a must.

AMJets · Jun 6, 2008

YANKEES
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Molina C
Cabrera CF
Rasner RHP

Nothing wrong with Posada, he'll catch Saturday and Sunday.

Yisman · Jun 6, 2008

holy smokes, check out the line on tonight's game.

Scikotic · Jun 6, 2008

Its only the Royals, rest Posada so he can come back with authority. Dont need him getting hurt trying to throw out Gathwright...

Scikotic · Jun 6, 2008

Has Arod turned a new leaf? Is he sucking during the season so he can bust out in the Playoffs? Someone should tell him were in the cellar, and that the playoffs are nowhere in sight.

killin me Arod!

JetFanInTampa · Jun 6, 2008

Getting shutout by some freaking garbage pitcher. What else is new.

AMJets · Jun 6, 2008

Giambi takes the pitch and he strikes out swinging.

Good job, ump.

jonnyd · Jun 6, 2008

what a fuckin disgraceful call

jonnyd · Jun 6, 2008

hopefully we have some more ninth inning magic tonight

JetFanInTampa · Jun 6, 2008

Another pathetic loss

jonnyd · Jun 6, 2008

under .500 again.....asshole pettitte tomorrow.........wat a sickening fuckin miserable bunch of cunts I root for.

jonnyd · Jun 6, 2008

The royals are bad ass

jonnyd · Jun 6, 2008

you can pretty much count on the fact that if youve never heard of the pitcher whos going up against the yankees, theyre gonna lose

Royals @ Yankees - 6/6-6/9

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