Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-5

[Bambis Bombers]

Ash has high hopes for draft pick

ROBERT MACLEOD

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
June 17, 2008 at 10:49 PM EDT

LINK (while active)

MILWAUKEE - Gord Ash can remember growing up in Toronto when some kids experienced difficulty finding a decent place to play baseball.

"I think the elite player has many more opportunities now in Canada," the Toronto-born assistant general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers said last night. "There were places I knew when I was growing up in a city like Toronto where you had to travel outside your neighbourhood to find a place to play."

The landscape, Ash noted, has changed dramatically and you only have to witness the recent successes of Justin Morneau with the Minnesota Twins and Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers - both born and bred Canucks - to realize the country can no longer be ignored when it comes to scouting baseball talent.

Morneau, the New Westminster, B.C., native who won the 2006 American League most-valuable-player award, was a third-round pick of the Twins in 1999. Martin, a National League all-star in 2007 who was born in Toronto, was a 17th-round selection of the Dodgers in 2002.

"Thirty years ago there were pockets of high quality baseball in Canada, but it wasn't widespread at all," Ash said.

And the Brewers think they have found another potential Major League Baseball star in high-school prospect Brett Lawrie, a native of Langley, B.C., whom the Brewers chose with the 16th pick over all in the first-year player draft earlier this month.

Lawrie, who was a standout on Team Canada which won the bronze medal at the recent World Junior Championships, became the highest Canadian position player ever selected in the draft.

The Brewers took Lawrie just before the Blue Jays picked at No. 17. Toronto took first baseman David Cooper from the University of California at Berkeley.

"It was a no-brainer," Ash said of Milwaukee's decision to draft Lawrie. "We've been following him for quite some time. We liked not only his skill, but his makeup. And we believe he can catch, which is a position of need for us.

"We like him a lot and actually we were surprised he was still there when our pick came around."

Ash said the Brewers would not be averse in freeing up Lawrie to play for Canada at the upcoming Olympics in Beijing, if he was selected.

Ash said the upswing in grass roots baseball in Canada began when the Montreal Expos began play in the National League in 1969 and really picked up steam when the Jays were admitted to the American League in 1977.

"The games were nationally broadcast, both on radio and television and I think they spurred a lot of interest in the game," Ash said.

Ash, the Blue Jays general manager from 1995 to 2001, said the vision of former team president Paul Beeston and former GM Pat Gillick, was also a key factor in the growth of the Canadian game at the grassroots level.

Beeston and Gillick, Ash said, both realized the importance of developing baseball at the amateur level in Canada and continually funnelled money, time and effort to make sure it prospered.

"I think one of the most important things that the Blue Jays helped accomplish, with a lot of leadership from Pat and Paul, is understanding what would make the game better going forward and that was trying to improve the coaching," Ash said.

He said the Blue Jays worked tirelessly with such amateur organizations as Baseball Ontario, Baseball B.C., and Baseball Canada, providing their own coaches and players from the professional ranks, to help train amateur coaches.

[Bambis Bombers]

Jack Z. speaks to the Journal Times about 1st round pick Brett Lawrie

 

Zduriencik hits another homer

If you're an avid reader of this column, you undoubtedly know my feelings about Jack Zduriencik, the Brewers scouting director. To me, he is the single-biggest reason why the Brewers are relevant again.

Zduriencik's brilliant drafts have transformed the Brewers into a certifiable playoff team. After all, it was Zduriencik who chose Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Yovani Gallardo and Corey Hart.

And it was Zduriencik who chose outfielder Matt LaPorta and third baseman Mat Gamel, two Brewers minor league hotshots.

Which brings us to Zduriencik's selection of Brett Lawrie with the team's first pick in this year's draft. Lawrie is a catcher from Langley, British Columbia, whom the Brewers made the 16th overall selection in the draft.

I asked Zduriencik where he and his Brewers' scouts had ranked him.

"In theory, he was the 16th best player," Zduriencik said before adding, "In theory."

Zduriencik then laughed and said, "We haven't signed him yet, so let's leave it at that."

Zduriencik said Lawrie, a multi-positional player, is adamant about being a catcher in the majors. Yet, even if Lawrie doesn't make the grade at that position, Zduriencik has no doubts that Lawrie will succeed with his bat.

Said Zduriencik: "With his hitting, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with."

[Bambis Bombers]

Attached is a video highlight from the Highland vs. Crystal Lake Central state semi-final game where Jake Odorizzi scores the winning run.

 

 

[Bambis Bombers]

Rivals.com writer for the University of Kentucky baseball team gives the impression that second round pick Seth Lintz will be signing with the Brewers.

 

The well-wishers have come out of the wood work in every form and fashion. Text messages, phone calls, e-mails - you name it and people have used them to reach out to Gary Henderson.

 

When you land the head coaching job at a Southeastern Conference program everyone wants you to know how excited they are for you. The problem for Henderson has been he hasn't had time to thank any of his supporters.

 

Such is life as a head baseball coach. More importantly, Henderson has gone to work trying to keep as much of the Top 5-rated class Kentucky signed for 2008 intact. He has already lost infielder Corban Joseph, who was selected by the New York Yankees, in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft, and is on the verge of seeing pitcher Seth Lintz (2nd round - Brewers) and Kentucky native Daniel Webb (12th round - Diamondbacks) ink pro deals.

 

Still, there are six other signees who have until Aug. 15 to determine whether to attend UK or sign professional contracts.

 

"We talk to those guys every 15 minutes," Henderson said. "We are in constant communication with those people. It's an ongoing find-the-balance thing. We're constantly in the middle of that. When you sign as many high-profile players as we did you know they won't all show up, it just doesn't happen. Our world of college baseball just doesn't work that way, but at this point in time we feel extremely good about the core of that group. The reality of it is though we have to get to August 15th."

 

The most high-profile recruit is Lexington's Robbie Ross. A left-handed flamethrower, Ross was taken in the second round by the Texas Rangers and faces a difficult decision. The Cats are also attempting to hold onto pitcher Blake Brewer (11th round - Marlins), pitcher Alex Meyer (20th round - Red Sox), infielder Andy Burns (25th round - Rockies), and several others.

 

Henderson said he is fully aware of the process but if UK can get those guys to show up at Cliff Hagan Stadium the Cats will still have a top recruiting class.

 

"That's part of the deal on the front end," Henderson said. "You know the business and you know they don't all show up but your job as a coach is to get as many families in your program as you can that value education. Once that happens the pendulum starts to swing your way a little bit. Sometimes $4 or $5 million takes the decision out of the family's hands a little bit and there is nothing you can do but wish them the best."

 

Sometimes, indeed, money talks.

 

RUSIN'S DECISION

Incoming freshmen are not the only people who have Henderson and his staff holding their collective breath. The Cats are also sweating out the decision of junior pitcher Chris Rusin, the Cats' top pitcher during the 2008 season.

 

Rusin, who suffered a minor arm injury and missed the SEC Tournament before struggling in his lone NCAA Tournament appearance, was selected in the 23rd round by the Oakland Athletics and must choose whether to return to UK for his final season or turn pro.

 

"Chris is in the middle of rehabilitation and will be for another month. He's fine," Henderson said. "It's a relatively minor injury and there is no surgery required or involved or anything like that, it's basically a pulled muscle.

 

"He'll take some time to get healthy and he's certainly thinking about both of his options and we are in the middle of that decision with him. It takes time."

 

UK's Friday night starter Rusin finished the season 6-3 with a 3.33 earned run average (which was under 3.00 most of the season) in 83.2 innings pitched. He struck out 65 batters, allowed 89 hits and walked just 19 for the year.

 

RECRUITNIKS

Henderson is known in baseball circles as a master recruiter, as are assistants Brad Bohannon and newly hired Brian Green. The trio plans to continue their aggressive and honest approach in that area.

[Bambis Bombers]

Adam McCalvey provides us with an update on the negotiations between Brett Lawrie and the Brewers.

Unsigned Lawrie to join Team Canada

Brewers' top Draftee to play in world junior games, then go pro

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

ATLANTA -- Indications from all sides are that a deal will be struck before the Aug. 15 deadline, but it appears Milwaukee's top Draft pick will play for his country before he signs with the Brewers.

Last week, catcher Brett Lawrie was named -- as expected -- among the 25 players selected for the Canadian junior team's July 13-23 national tour. It is Team Canada's final tune-up for the World Junior Baseball Championship.

The Brewers, who selected Lawrie with the 16th overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft, had hoped to sign Lawrie as early as possible and send him for a few weeks of work with Minor League catching coordinator Charlie Greene before the Team Canada workouts begin. Now, it appears Greene will have to wait to get his hands on Lawrie, an 18-year-old converted infielder who remains somewhat raw behind the plate.

"You hope he doesn't get hurt along the way and cost himself a year of service time," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said on Wednesday.

Lawrie also remains a strong candidate to play in the Summer Olympic Games. The baseball program is scheduled for August 13-23 in Beijing, but Canada has yet to finalize its squad.

If he is selected for the Olympics in addition to the juniors tournament, Lawrie would get six weeks of top-notch, wooden-bat International competition. He likely would travel from Edmonton to North Carolina around Aug. 4 to catch the end of Team Canada's "training camp" against Team USA, then would head to Asia for the Olympics. At some point along the line, Lawrie would have to pass a physical and sign his Brewers contract.

Professional players are eligible for International competition if they are not on a 25-man Major League roster.

Major League teams face an Aug. 15 deadline to sign their Draft picks. Last summer, the first year the signing deadline was in place, many of the top high school picks waited until the final hours to sign, and that could be the case again this year. Unsigned players of interest to the Lawrie camp include No. 15 overall selection Ethan Martin, a high school right-hander from Georgia.

Neither Brewers amateur scouting director Jack Zduriencik, who generally does not discuss negotiations with Draft picks, nor Dan Lawson, Lawrie's agent, would comment on the record.

The Brewers have already signed eight of their first 10 Draft picks, with the holdouts being Lawrie and Tennessee high school right-hander Seth Lintz. The team is closing in on a deal with Lintz, according to a club official.

But the top target remains Lawrie, who came out of high school in Langley, British Columbia, and sealed Milwaukee's interest this spring when he batted .486 (17-for-35) with eight home runs and 24 RBIs in the Dominican Republic against professional summer league teams.

On Draft day June 5, Lawrie was asked whether he intended to sign quickly.

"That's going to be up to my family and the people in my corner as well as my advisor," Lawrie said. "Obviously, I want to get going, but we'll see when that time comes."

[battlekow]

Alex Eisenberg at the Hardball Times grades Odorizzi and Frederickson, including video:

 

Odorizzi has a very short arm action from hand break to when the arm reaches a cocked position; this shortness imparts a sneaky quality to his fastball...the Brewers might want to clean up his arm action-not overhaul it, but make it more efficient...I love Odorizzi's upside...I love pitchers who are also athletes, and that picture fits Odorizzi...Given the combination of athleticism, three potentially average or better pitches and good command, Odorizzi gives the Brewers excellent value at No. 32.

 

Grade - B+

I'm not sure what they're doing at the University of San Francisco, but they seem to excel at finding big left-handed pitchers with poor mechanics and mediocre velocity and turning them into pitchers who can pump out 97-mph fastballs...The mechanics shown in the above video do not generate fastballs in the upper 90s-not even close. Too awkward, too long of an arm action, and too inefficient a chain of kinetic events...However, what did not change in Frederickson was the very poor control...Since the velocity here is so far off from what has been reported, I can't give Frederickson a grade until I see him as the pitcher he is reputed to be.

 

Grade - Incomplete

[brewmann04]

the brewers papers have said we have 19 of our first 20 digned but i count our #1 and #18 not signed.

Have they signed our 18th pick Blake Billings? ,there was talk that he had to wait for Seth to sign first since they have the same agent.

[splitterpfj]

I believe they were saying 19 of the first 20 picks had signed, not rounds 1-20.

[brewmann04]

thank you i was a bit confused there

[battlekow]

the brewers papers have said we have 19 of our first 20 digned but i count our #1 and #18 not signed.

Have they signed our 18th pick Blake Billings? ,there was talk that he had to wait for Seth to sign first since they have the same agent.

It was the same scout, not the agent. I'll try to catch up with Billings to see if he's signed yet.