Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 21-50

[colbyjack]

Please use this thread to share your thoughts, links, stories, pictures and anything else on the Brewers picks on draft day from rounds 21 through 50. Please do not start separate threads to discuss the individual picks.

[Madtown Bomber]

Picks so far as of 1:40 PM CST:

 

Round 21: Lucas Luetge, LHP, Rice University

Round 22: Benjamin Jeffers, RHP, Chipola Junior College

Round 23: Marcus Knecht, OF, St. Michaels College School

Round 24: Brandon Richie, RHP, Grand Rapids Community College

Round 25: John Delaney, SS, Quinnipiac University

[Herm]

I'll be the first to jump on "Leutge for LOOGY" bandwagon.

 

I expect bumper stickers and t-shirts in the bf.net store tomorrow!

[Chio151]

I'll be the first to jump on "Leutge for LOOGY" bandwagon.

 

I expect bumper stickers and t-shirts in the bf.net store tomorrow!

Yes, but please use his full name "Lucas Luetge for LOOGY 2010".

[Madtown Bomber]

Adam Frost just went to the Detroit Tigers in the 21st round. The St. Norbert SS will likely sign in the next 48 hours, or so I am told by the guy sitting next to me. Look for the Tigers, Dodgers, and the Reds to be the major players for the Wisconsin players this draft.

[Madtown Bomber]

I guess we should rename this the first year pitchers draft for the Milwaukee Brewers. Good lord!

[Madtown Bomber]

Jake Long finally went in the 23rd to Chicago. Sounds like he'll be going to FSU.

[beckyjean69]

Cubs drafted a kid in the 24th that I loved last year. David Cales, P, St. Xavier. The kid got a save last year in the Regionals for UIC and then got kicked off the team in the fall and wound up at St. Xavier. Spent his first year at Missouri. His name wasnt even on their roster at year end (Xavier). Glad to see the kid has some sort of chance left in his life. I hope he takes great advantage of it.

 

So far only one Wisconsin kid. Down year. The reports about Schreiber throwing 90 must have been exaggerated it appears. Does he have a commitment somewhere?

[battlekow]

So far only one Wisconsin kid. Down year. The reports about Schreiber throwing 90 must have been exaggerated it appears. Does he have a commitment somewhere?

He has a scholarship to Iowa.

 

[battlekow]

The Brewers drafted Eric Decker in the 39th round. Decker is the Minnesota WR famous for kicking Jack Ikegwuonu in the last place you want to be kicked.

 

article about Decker playing both football and baseball

[jjfanec]

Is there anyway Decker signs? It is a win two-fold. We get a young player and the badgers dont have to face him anymore. It would take me a little while to forgive and forget the Ike incident, but I am sure I could root for him, not that it really matters if I am not a fan of him.

[splitterpfj]

Marcus Salmon, Round 48 is interesting. He was a 10th round pick out of HS, and is now committed to Jackson State, I don't know a thing about him, but there must be more there than your typical 48th round selection.

 

The team doubled up a lot this year, I see two players from Virginia Military Institute, 2 from East Carolina, 2 from Hillscrest HS in Alabama, and of course, several Canadian players.

[tbbrewers]

I coached high school basketball against Michael the past two season. He could shoot the three pretty well and had a couple of good dunks in games that I scouted. He seems like a good kid and he has a live arm. I do not believe he has pitched a lot until this season. He caught the attention of scouts last summer when he started throwing in the low 90's. I could be wrong but I do not believe he is 190(probably lighter than that).

Brewers' offer sounds appealing to White

By Jesse Smithey (Contact)

Saturday, June 7, 2008

There is now a sure-fire way to make Michael White's right throwing arm fall limp: Tell the former Anderson County High School standout he's just been drafted into the big leagues.

White, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound Walters State signee, was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 33rd round Friday.

The news, delivered by his dad's phone call, caught him off guard like a pinch-runner napping at first base.

"I was driving and he told me (the news) and I couldn't drive any more," said White. "My arms went limp. I started sweating and going crazy. It was the best feeling ever."

White said the Brewers will keep track of his progress this summer and make an offer after doing so. White added that the Brewers have promised to pay for his education, and if they keep that promise he'd take the offer and forego his college plans for the time being.

Brewers regional scout Joe Hodges kept tabs on the White since the 2006 Class AA state tournament, White said.

"He told me I had potential," said White. "And he said, 'I'll put in a word for you if you put in the work.' "

White said he never thought his draft day would happen this soon, however.

"I was going to get on the Internet tonight. I don't know (Milwaukee's) minor league teams and I was going to look them up and order me some hats," said White. "I was going to order one for my papaw, my dad, my nanna. They were all the ones who called me today."

[Mass Haas]

Link

 

Catalina Foothills (AZ) High School pitcher Kayvon Bahramzadeh was picked by Milwaukee in the 47th round but said he'll "probably end up going to college" at Kansas State next year.

[Mass Haas]

Link

 

Starting pitcher and the Cypress SUN Player of the Year Tommy Collier was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 29th round, and will be meeting with team representatives on Monday. He will be deciding to either accept the Brewers contract offer or to attend San Jacinto Junior College, and re-enter the draft next year.

[Mass Haas]

Cal-State Fullerton SS Joe Scott was also drafted by the Brewers last year (39th round) -- 41st round in '08.

[Mass Haas]

Link

 

Air Academy High School pitcher Dexter Price was picked in the 43rd round by Milwaukee. Price said he had signed to pitch at Auburn but would check into the Brewers' offer.

[igor67]

Sounds like the Brewers might be trying a different sort of draft and follow type process. Not a bad way to try and sort through some of those arms.

[splitterpfj]

Interesting about Tommy Collier, I read in two places that he had committed to TCU, now I see that he's headed to JUCO if he doesn't sign.

[LouisEly]

Is there anyway Decker signs? It is a win two-fold. We get a young player and the badgers dont have to face him anymore. It would take me a little while to forgive and forget the Ike incident, but I am sure I could root for him, not that it really matters if I am not a fan of him.

He didn't look like he had that great of numbers playing baseball, so I think the Badgers should pay the Brewers to sign him just before the deadline and then cut him on December 1st, so he never plays a game for the Brewers or the Gophers. Teach that punk a lesson.

 

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Two-sport star says he won't leave U yet

By CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune

 

Gophers two-sport star Eric Decker has been telling people the past few months that he intends to return to school this fall so he didn't expect to be selected in the major league baseball draft this week.

 

But the Milwaukee Brewers took Decker in the 39th round Friday, allowing him to realize one childhood dream, even if it seems unlikely that he will sign with the team.

 

"I was kind of surprised, to be honest," Decker said.

 

Decker, a junior who is expected to be one of the top wide receivers in the Big Ten this season, said his plan is to play one more season of college football and baseball and then consider his options next spring.

 

Decker said he isn't sure how much the Brewers might offer as a signing bonus, but it's doubtful that it would be enough to entice him to give up football.

 

"I still think I can improve in football, and I'm looking forward to this season," said Decker, who caught a school-record 67 passes last season and returned to the football team last week for offseason workouts. "I'm definitely coming back for one more season in football and baseball."

 

Decker resumed his baseball career this spring after a three-year hiatus and became the Gophers' starting left fielder. He hit .329 with three home runs and 28 RBI.

 

The Brewers will lose their rights to Decker if they don't sign him by Aug. 15.

[Mass Haas]

This article suggests 43rd round pick Dexter Price will be heading to Auburn --

Stay in school.

It's overwhelmingly what Coloradans are planning to do after a 2008 season that was considered pedestrian by professionals in terms of senior talent. More pencils, more books and professors' looks are more realistic than beating the bushes in the minor leagues to chase their fields of dreams.

After the 59th season in state annals, recent graduates agree the college route is the way for them, a nice, overall batch that includes two-time player of the year Andy Burns of Rocky Mountain (Kentucky), and Ron Burton Jr. (Pacific) and Dexter Price (Auburn) of Air Academy. The exception may be Mullen product Tyler Sample, who has signed with Arkansas, but was selected 80th in the MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals.

 

[Bambis Bombers]

Looks like 31st rounder Brandon Rapoza will be signing with the Brew Crew

 

Barnett, Rapoza taken in MLB draft

 

Braves pick Barnett; Rapoza to Brewers

 

By STUART KORFHAGE

stuart.korfhage@staugustine.com

Publication Date: 06/07/08

Tyler Barnett started his day cleaning boats at Camachee Cove marina. He finished it as a professional baseball player.

The former St. Augustine High School star was one of two local players to be selected in the major league's First-Year Player Draft on Friday. Barnett went in the 21st round (640th overall) to the Atlanta Braves, and former Bartram Trail and Flagler College pitcher Brandon Rapoza was taken in the 31st round (938th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers.

"I was going to work this morning at 6:30, and I was thinking this could be a great day or this could be a bad day," Barnett said.

It turned out to be a great day for Barnett, who honestly didn't know if he'd even be drafted. He had a chance to be a draft-and-follow player after high school -- teams sometimes draft players and wait until they have played a season in junior college baseball before signing them.

Instead, the son of Flagler baseball coach Dave Barnett played two years at Lake-Sumter Community College followed by two seasons at Eastern Kentucky. The shortstop was a second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a junior but slumped a bit this year (.264, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 11 SB).

There was no chance Barnett would be taken in the draft's first day, so Friday was when he knew his baseball fate could be decided.

The pressure made it hard for Barnett to get much sleep the previous night, which might explain why he was asleep on the couch Friday afternoon when the selection was made.

"I ended up falling asleep, and next thing I know my dad's going crazy," Barnett said. "I was thinking it was one of my teammates."

No, it was Barnett the Braves wanted. They were one of two teams that expressed strong interest before the start of the season, but Barnett said he hadn't talked with any of their scouts since the winter.

Although he was prepared to make calls and find a free-agent tryout if necessary, Barnett said it was a huge relief to be taken in the draft and know he'll have a chance to work his way to the majors if he's good enough.

"It's an awesome feeling; I was expecting the worst," Barnett said. "It was an exciting day. I always dreamed of it, but I never thought it'd come."

One of the first people Barnett talked to after being drafted was Braves scouting director Roy Clark, who assured him the selection was no favor to his father but was based on the organization's belief in his ability.

He'll get a chance to show what he can do on the field soon enough. He'll be in Orlando next week at a training camp for draftees and will start playing later this summer for the Gulf Coast League Braves in Kissimmee or the Danville (Va.) Braves of the Appalachian League -- both are rookie league clubs.

For Rapoza, Friday was a long, stressful day as well. The Flagler College closer said he followed the draft for a while before growing annoyed and going out with some friends. When the Brewers called his name, Rapoza wasn't even by his computer. He found out about his pick when a friend called him. And then the calls kept coming in, congratulating him on the accomplishment.

"It's real nice. I can't even really explain it," he said. "Honestly, I just wanted to keep playing."

Rapoza said he's meeting with a member of the Brewers organization today and expects to sign a contract.

It will mark a whirlwind courtship by the organization, which didn't really scout Rapoza during the season. However, when the team learned that others were interested in him, Rapoza was asked to throw in the bullpen for a scout. Clearly, they liked what they saw from the 6-foot-1 right-hander who throws in the 90s.

With the senior season Rapoza had, it's no wonder he drew interest. He had nine saves with an ERA of 0.97. He struck out 42 in 37 innings of relief.

"He's a competitor; he really goes after hitters," Dave Barnett said. "He certainly deserves the opportunity. He was pretty much lights out if we were ahead late in ballgame."

It's the second straight year a Flagler player has been drafted. Wade Lamont was selected in the 29th round by the Detroit Tigers last year. The last Flagler pitcher to be drafted was Chris Holt in 2002 by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 21st round.

[PeaveyFury]

The Brewers have signed 24th rounder Brandon Ritchie- always nice to see the Brewers win out on guys with options regardless of round.

[Mass Haas]

Frequent Brewerfan poster and BrewCrewBall stalwart, battlekow, with an excellent interview with 36th round pick Evan Bronson

 

BCB: So despite falling a little bit, do you think you'll sign?

EB: It's possible; [the Brewers] are going to watch me up in the Cape [Cod League] for a few weeks. I would definitely like to sign.

 

With my own proximity to the Cape League (and the New England Collegiate Baseball League, gaining in respectability to the Cape League), I'm always interested in catching any Brewer "draft-and-follows", which is what they would be, except for only a few weeks, not into 2009 under the new rules. I don't see Bronson on a Cape League roster, so please keep me posted for him or any others I may have missed, thanks.