2008 MLB Draft LiveBlog
Coming at you live through the Mets' two first-round picks (18 and 22), at least, and probably the sandwich guy as well. Mmm ... sandwich.
2:00 p.m. --- "Tampa Bay Rays in the house!" declares a fan in huge sunglasses and an even larger neon blue wig. Indeed. This draft is taking place at something called The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Gary Sheffield cannot be pleased.
2:01 p.m. -- Karl Ravech also can't believe he's working from something called the Milk House. (The ESPN crew: Ravech, Gammo, former Oriole Chris Singleton, and the GM Steve Phillips). Jim Callis from Baseball America (that bespectacled geek) and Keith Law are on speed dial.
2:05 p.m. -- Phillips: "Players are graded on a two to eight scale, two being poor, eight being excellent, five being average. Scott Kazmir was a 23."
2:08 p.m. -- Gammo, on the unpredictability of college stats: "What I'm hearing right now is that teams are evaluating players based on how they do on Friday." I.e., if they can play well while high, they must be good. (No, seriously, it's because college teams pitch their best guys on Friday, usually.)
2:11 p.m. -- Here comes Bud Selig, wearing a sharp gray windowpane suit and a dotted red tie. He looks like hell, and sounds even worse. He still comes across a million times better than John McCain did the other night.
2:16 p.m. -- The Rays' fans are in the house! Tampa takes George high school shortstop Tim Beckham with the first overall pick, going for the best player rather than need (Florida State catcher Buster Posey was the other projected choice). Beckham apparently has lightning-quick wrists, highly projectable power, and is dating a Spice Girl. Weird.
2:22 p.m. -- The Pirates snag Pedro Alvarez, the slugging 3B from Vanderbilt, at No. 2. Cheddar's roomie, a Commodore himself, presumably approves.
2:27 p.m. -- Has anyone actually used the Dial 7 Car and Limousine Service? I have nothing against these folks, and their ads don't actually annoy me that much. You also can't beat the ease of use factor.
2:28 p.m. -- The Royals spring for Florida high school first baseman Eric Hosmer, a Scott Boras client who was all set to go to Arizona State if he didn't get a huge bonus. Presumably, Kansas City is going to lay out that bonus.
2:34 p.m. -- University of San Diego southpaw Brian Matusz goes to the Orioles at No. 4, the first pitcher off the board. Matusz is fairly familiar with the city of Baltimore already, as relatives of his have been smuggling drugs into town through the docks for years.
2:38 p.m. -- Sound the alarm! The Giants appear to have made a smart move! They take Posey, the USC catcher, at No. 5, despite his reported $12 million price tag. Posey allegedly profiles as the next Jorge Posada, or something like him, which is the kind of upside you want when you're batting Benji Molina at cleanup (hot start notwithstanding).
2:44 p.m. -- Apparently not scared by his girly-ass name, the Fish grab the next-best catcher, Cali high schooler Kyle Skipworth, at No. 6.
2:46 p.m. -- Quick check on the Jays and the Yanks. Whoops! Toronto is whaling on the Bombers, 7-2, with Wang already out of the game in the fifth inning. Just showed a quick shot of him in the dugout, and he looks sadder than I've ever seen him. Awww. And wait. Now Ross Ohlendorf seems to be growing a mustache as well. What the hell is this? Only the white guys on the Yankees get to grow the 'stache? This requires an investigation.
2:50 p.m. -- In another money-related surprise, Yonder Alonso, first baseman from the University of Miami, goes to the Reds at No. 7. All the small-market teams, splashing the cash. Ravech tells us that Alonso is a workout partner of Alex Rodriguez, which makes me think he should immediately be tested for 'roids.
2:52 p.m. -- A discussion of the relative merits of high school v. college ensues. Singleton likes collegiate development, whereas Phillips believes that you'll get the best instruction from pro coaches, and encourages players to go pro out of high school. Which makes sense. If Phillips can't be educated, he doesn't want anyone else to be either.
2:55 p.m. -- The ChiSox take the second shortstop Beckham, UGA's Gordon. Ravech can't resist comparing him to Jeter, "a guy you appreciate more when you see him every day." Phillips trips over himself to agree. Shit, I see Jeter practically every day, and I appreciate him less for it. Maybe because he's on my fantasy team. Callis then rambles for a solid minute, blinking and rocking his head back and forth like Dustin Hoffman. "His bat plays at second. His bat plays at second. I'm a good driver."
3:00 p.m. -- The Nats select University of Missouri righty Aaron Crow, who played in high school under the name "Eric Draven." Heh. In a telephone interview with Ravech, he certainly SOUNDS dead.
3:05 p.m. -- The Top 10 rounded out by Houston, who opt for the third catcher of the day, Stanford's Jason Castro. Ravech makes an "American Idol" joke that completely escapes me. Everyone immediately agrees the pick is a big reach. Coming from Houston, that's no surprise.
3:11 p.m. -- The University of South Carolina's Justin Smoak goes 6-foot-4, 215, has soft hands at first base, switch hits, and has power to all fields. Ravech compares him to Mark Teixeira; Gammo compares him to Chipper Jones. I don't care if the Braves don't have a first-round pick; I still can't believe they didn't land him somehow. Anyway, Texas has him.
3:13 p.m. -- In a video interview live from the Port of Miami, Yonder Alonso takes the opportunity to thank God. His Lord has not prevented him, however, from sporting Jim Carrey's haircut from "Dumb and Dumber." Not a common Cuban look.
3:16 p.m. -- More 'Canes! Billy Beane and Co. take Rickie Weeks' lil' bro, Jemile (rhymes with "The Green Mile" or "Jimmy Rollins is infantile"). Also a second baseman. This was a guy the Metsies had been linked with.
3:21 p.m. -- Big-assed Arizona State first baseman Brett Wallace goes to the Cards at No. 13. If you're in college and your body looks like Matt Stairs', you need to make changes. Also, speaking of blocked, where the hell is this guy going to play?
3:24 p.m. -- Singleton tries to spin Wallace's tubbiness as "determination to play the game your way." Not buying it.
3:27 p.m. -- Minnesota opts for two-way Cali high school talent Aaron Hicks, a graduate of the Compton baseball academy in L.A. I should have saved that "Friday" joke. Gammo immediately goes weepy on us, somewhat unnecessarily. Look. I like the idea of MLB investing in inner-city academies, and I believe they need to do more for high school ball. There's an obligation there, and I think even if there weren't it would be good for the sport in the long run. But let's be real -- this is far from an Obama moment here.
3:37 p.m. -- The Dodgers want high school third baseman Ethan Martin, who might go play quarterback at Clemson. And here's Gordon Beckham on the video link! He's got Ringo Starr's haircut circa 1964, and a gentle Southern lilt. Ravech asks him about winning the Cape Cod League home run title, and Beckham compliments the league, even name-checking known Cape fanatic Gammo in the process. That draws a laugh from the ESPN crew, who aren't used to players demonstrating anything like, you know, personality or good humor. And now the Brewers reach for Canuck catcher Brett Lawrie at No. 16.
3:43 p.m. -- The Jays, currently in the process of blowing it against the Yanks, take first baseman David Cooper out of Cal. Mets up next.
3:48 p.m. -- More Sun Devils! New York takes Arizona State first baseman Ike Davis at No. 18. First thought -- I will be able to root for a guy named Ike pretty easily. Law sez he's a "25, 30, 35 home run guy in the big leagues," which is something of a wide range. He kind of looked like crap on the Cape last summer (.246/.308/.296 in 57 ABs for the Wareham Gatemen), but he's hit 16 homers this college season.
3:55 p.m. -- Cubbies take a reliever from TCU. Eh.
3:59 p.m. -- The Mariners, currently in meltdown mode, make another mistake by taking UGA reliever Josh Fields at No. 20. I saw Cyle Hankerd, formerly of USC and currently in the D-Backs' system, hit a bomb of a home run off this guy in the NECBL All-Star Game a couple of years back. Law calls it a bad pick "philosophically."
4:05 p.m. -- The Tiggers take 'Zona righty Ryan Perry, a Cape league all-star. Mets on deck again.
4:10 p.m. -- And ... it's Reese Havens, a shortstop out of the University of South Carolina. Phillips calls him "gritty" and "a baseball player." Ick. Gammo suggests he'll be moved to catcher at some point as "the next Russell Martin," which is the sort of thing I'd be interested in. Hit .315 in the Cape league, which is excellent, and has a .359/.486/.645 line with 18 HR, which at least suggest he'll be able to do something at the plate in the bigs.
4:13 p.m. -- That's it for me, folks. The Mets have a sandwich pick to go.
2:00 p.m. --- "Tampa Bay Rays in the house!" declares a fan in huge sunglasses and an even larger neon blue wig. Indeed. This draft is taking place at something called The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Gary Sheffield cannot be pleased.
2:01 p.m. -- Karl Ravech also can't believe he's working from something called the Milk House. (The ESPN crew: Ravech, Gammo, former Oriole Chris Singleton, and the GM Steve Phillips). Jim Callis from Baseball America (that bespectacled geek) and Keith Law are on speed dial.
2:05 p.m. -- Phillips: "Players are graded on a two to eight scale, two being poor, eight being excellent, five being average. Scott Kazmir was a 23."
2:08 p.m. -- Gammo, on the unpredictability of college stats: "What I'm hearing right now is that teams are evaluating players based on how they do on Friday." I.e., if they can play well while high, they must be good. (No, seriously, it's because college teams pitch their best guys on Friday, usually.)
2:11 p.m. -- Here comes Bud Selig, wearing a sharp gray windowpane suit and a dotted red tie. He looks like hell, and sounds even worse. He still comes across a million times better than John McCain did the other night.
2:16 p.m. -- The Rays' fans are in the house! Tampa takes George high school shortstop Tim Beckham with the first overall pick, going for the best player rather than need (Florida State catcher Buster Posey was the other projected choice). Beckham apparently has lightning-quick wrists, highly projectable power, and is dating a Spice Girl. Weird.
2:22 p.m. -- The Pirates snag Pedro Alvarez, the slugging 3B from Vanderbilt, at No. 2. Cheddar's roomie, a Commodore himself, presumably approves.
2:27 p.m. -- Has anyone actually used the Dial 7 Car and Limousine Service? I have nothing against these folks, and their ads don't actually annoy me that much. You also can't beat the ease of use factor.
2:28 p.m. -- The Royals spring for Florida high school first baseman Eric Hosmer, a Scott Boras client who was all set to go to Arizona State if he didn't get a huge bonus. Presumably, Kansas City is going to lay out that bonus.
2:34 p.m. -- University of San Diego southpaw Brian Matusz goes to the Orioles at No. 4, the first pitcher off the board. Matusz is fairly familiar with the city of Baltimore already, as relatives of his have been smuggling drugs into town through the docks for years.
2:38 p.m. -- Sound the alarm! The Giants appear to have made a smart move! They take Posey, the USC catcher, at No. 5, despite his reported $12 million price tag. Posey allegedly profiles as the next Jorge Posada, or something like him, which is the kind of upside you want when you're batting Benji Molina at cleanup (hot start notwithstanding).
2:44 p.m. -- Apparently not scared by his girly-ass name, the Fish grab the next-best catcher, Cali high schooler Kyle Skipworth, at No. 6.
2:46 p.m. -- Quick check on the Jays and the Yanks. Whoops! Toronto is whaling on the Bombers, 7-2, with Wang already out of the game in the fifth inning. Just showed a quick shot of him in the dugout, and he looks sadder than I've ever seen him. Awww. And wait. Now Ross Ohlendorf seems to be growing a mustache as well. What the hell is this? Only the white guys on the Yankees get to grow the 'stache? This requires an investigation.
2:50 p.m. -- In another money-related surprise, Yonder Alonso, first baseman from the University of Miami, goes to the Reds at No. 7. All the small-market teams, splashing the cash. Ravech tells us that Alonso is a workout partner of Alex Rodriguez, which makes me think he should immediately be tested for 'roids.
2:52 p.m. -- A discussion of the relative merits of high school v. college ensues. Singleton likes collegiate development, whereas Phillips believes that you'll get the best instruction from pro coaches, and encourages players to go pro out of high school. Which makes sense. If Phillips can't be educated, he doesn't want anyone else to be either.
2:55 p.m. -- The ChiSox take the second shortstop Beckham, UGA's Gordon. Ravech can't resist comparing him to Jeter, "a guy you appreciate more when you see him every day." Phillips trips over himself to agree. Shit, I see Jeter practically every day, and I appreciate him less for it. Maybe because he's on my fantasy team. Callis then rambles for a solid minute, blinking and rocking his head back and forth like Dustin Hoffman. "His bat plays at second. His bat plays at second. I'm a good driver."
3:00 p.m. -- The Nats select University of Missouri righty Aaron Crow, who played in high school under the name "Eric Draven." Heh. In a telephone interview with Ravech, he certainly SOUNDS dead.
3:05 p.m. -- The Top 10 rounded out by Houston, who opt for the third catcher of the day, Stanford's Jason Castro. Ravech makes an "American Idol" joke that completely escapes me. Everyone immediately agrees the pick is a big reach. Coming from Houston, that's no surprise.
3:11 p.m. -- The University of South Carolina's Justin Smoak goes 6-foot-4, 215, has soft hands at first base, switch hits, and has power to all fields. Ravech compares him to Mark Teixeira; Gammo compares him to Chipper Jones. I don't care if the Braves don't have a first-round pick; I still can't believe they didn't land him somehow. Anyway, Texas has him.
3:13 p.m. -- In a video interview live from the Port of Miami, Yonder Alonso takes the opportunity to thank God. His Lord has not prevented him, however, from sporting Jim Carrey's haircut from "Dumb and Dumber." Not a common Cuban look.
3:16 p.m. -- More 'Canes! Billy Beane and Co. take Rickie Weeks' lil' bro, Jemile (rhymes with "The Green Mile" or "Jimmy Rollins is infantile"). Also a second baseman. This was a guy the Metsies had been linked with.
3:21 p.m. -- Big-assed Arizona State first baseman Brett Wallace goes to the Cards at No. 13. If you're in college and your body looks like Matt Stairs', you need to make changes. Also, speaking of blocked, where the hell is this guy going to play?
3:24 p.m. -- Singleton tries to spin Wallace's tubbiness as "determination to play the game your way." Not buying it.
3:27 p.m. -- Minnesota opts for two-way Cali high school talent Aaron Hicks, a graduate of the Compton baseball academy in L.A. I should have saved that "Friday" joke. Gammo immediately goes weepy on us, somewhat unnecessarily. Look. I like the idea of MLB investing in inner-city academies, and I believe they need to do more for high school ball. There's an obligation there, and I think even if there weren't it would be good for the sport in the long run. But let's be real -- this is far from an Obama moment here.
3:37 p.m. -- The Dodgers want high school third baseman Ethan Martin, who might go play quarterback at Clemson. And here's Gordon Beckham on the video link! He's got Ringo Starr's haircut circa 1964, and a gentle Southern lilt. Ravech asks him about winning the Cape Cod League home run title, and Beckham compliments the league, even name-checking known Cape fanatic Gammo in the process. That draws a laugh from the ESPN crew, who aren't used to players demonstrating anything like, you know, personality or good humor. And now the Brewers reach for Canuck catcher Brett Lawrie at No. 16.
3:43 p.m. -- The Jays, currently in the process of blowing it against the Yanks, take first baseman David Cooper out of Cal. Mets up next.
3:48 p.m. -- More Sun Devils! New York takes Arizona State first baseman Ike Davis at No. 18. First thought -- I will be able to root for a guy named Ike pretty easily. Law sez he's a "25, 30, 35 home run guy in the big leagues," which is something of a wide range. He kind of looked like crap on the Cape last summer (.246/.308/.296 in 57 ABs for the Wareham Gatemen), but he's hit 16 homers this college season.
3:55 p.m. -- Cubbies take a reliever from TCU. Eh.
3:59 p.m. -- The Mariners, currently in meltdown mode, make another mistake by taking UGA reliever Josh Fields at No. 20. I saw Cyle Hankerd, formerly of USC and currently in the D-Backs' system, hit a bomb of a home run off this guy in the NECBL All-Star Game a couple of years back. Law calls it a bad pick "philosophically."
4:05 p.m. -- The Tiggers take 'Zona righty Ryan Perry, a Cape league all-star. Mets on deck again.
4:10 p.m. -- And ... it's Reese Havens, a shortstop out of the University of South Carolina. Phillips calls him "gritty" and "a baseball player." Ick. Gammo suggests he'll be moved to catcher at some point as "the next Russell Martin," which is the sort of thing I'd be interested in. Hit .315 in the Cape league, which is excellent, and has a .359/.486/.645 line with 18 HR, which at least suggest he'll be able to do something at the plate in the bigs.
4:13 p.m. -- That's it for me, folks. The Mets have a sandwich pick to go.
posted by Cheddar Ben at 1:57 PM
5 Comments:
Posey is reportedly asking for 12M too. That's obviously an issue for the Rays.
Horace Mann kids in the city everywhere (well, mostly in Midtown East and Gramercy: buildings with doormen) must be ecstatic.
WTF IS CIN DOING?
WHY TAKE AN IMMOBILE 1B WHEN YOU HAVE VOTTO? WHY NOT TAKE SMOAK IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT BLOCKAGE?
weird pick
PLS GOD LET CRISTIAN FRIEDRICH FALL TO US AND LET US PICK HIM PLS
MELVILLE IS OK TOO
NO RELIEVERS!
good stuff cheddar
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