Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20

[colbyjack]

I'm having a hard time getting a read on Khris Davis. He's obviously got some power since he led Fullerton in homers, but colby said he had a big arm in right, while Bryan Smith said he didn't have the arm for right. BA says he has a quick bat and plays above his average tools, but colby says he has a long swing and and is a very good athlete with good speed.

 

Just because he has a long swing doesn't mean it isn't quick. He does have good bat speed, but he has a tendency to swing for the fences. He did a great job changing his approach this year, especially with two strikes (as I noted in my writeup). I got to see him play 3-5 times this spring, and watching him you could tell he had a very different approach.

 

As for his arm, I need to change my write up, because he does have a bad arm and it caused him to be used as a DH. He has work on his arm strength and accurary, but he's a LF at the next level.

[Mass Haas]

Bruce Seid on Del Howell:

The Brewers' 15th round selection, Alabama left-hander Del Howell, also dropped much lower than expected after suffering a bout of mononucleosis early in the season and struggling afterward (5-3, 6.33 in 11 starts).

"But just because we drafted him 15th, that doesn't mean he'll sign for 15-slot money," Seid said.

 

Link (no other relevant text)

Howell, of Tuscaloosa, went 5-3 with a 6.53 ERA in 11 starts this season for the Tide. He set the Alabama single-game record with 14 strikeouts (7-inning game) against Alabama A&M on March 17.

"I'm happy to be drafted, but I had hoped for a little better," junior left-hander Howell said. "It's an honor to be drafted by the Brewers. They have a good organization. I will sit down with everyone and look at things and see what happens as the summer progresses."

[rousieboy]

Is Burgos actually Ballouli part 2?

[battlekow]

Sounds like Sean Halton will sign:

Halton was selected in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 406th pick overall, while Peale was the 23rd round pick of the Florida Marlins, and the No. 698 pick overall. Both players are expected to sign minor league contacts with the two organizations.

[battlekow]

Somebody likes Pokorny, at least. Sporting News blogger Michael Huang:

The Brewers get a good one in Kent State lefty Jon Pokorny. His fastball is a solid 88-91-mph and he has a plus slider that comes in at 74-76 from a three-quarters arm slot. He has pitched mainly out of the bullpen but could start.

His coach at Kent State is optimistic Pokorny will sign:

"I think with Brad and Pokorny, things will work out with their teams," said Stricklin. "When you get drafted that high, before the 10th round, usually something has already been worked out. I anticipate those getting done.

[battlekow]

MC's Stang taken in 8th round by Brewers

Len Hayward

 

Even more than six hours after Chad Stang received the call from the Milwaukee Brewers that he'd been drafted, his cell phone and home phone were still ringing off the hook at his home in British Columbia.

 

Wednesday was just that kind of day for Stang, a sophomore at Midland College. Stang was taken by the Brewers in the eighth round as the 256th overall pick in Major League Baseball's 2009 Entry Draft, and is ready for whatever may happen in his future.

 

"It's been a mad house in here," Stang said late Wednesday afternoon.

 

http://adsys.townnews.com/44021966/creative/mywesttexas.com/sports+top_stories+instory/18519w-1243351266.jpg

Now, Stang has a tough decision to make -- sign with the Brewers or go to college baseball powerhouse Louisiana State University. Stang said he had already received an offer from the Brewers, and there is a "very good chance" he will sign.

 

But Stang said he has no time table to make a decision and just wants to do what is best for his career.

 

"I feel going into it, it's a win-win situation," Stang said. "If I don't get what I want or what feels right, I've got a great school to go to. It's one of the best programs out there."

 

Stang, a sophomore, finished his sophomore season at Midland College hitting .363 with 11 doubles, six home runs and was second on the team in RBI with 37.

 

He said he was expecting to go a little bit higher, saying that the New York Mets and Brewers were interested and said he had a solid workout at a Brewers' pre-draft workout. But said he was happy with the eighth round.

 

"In the eighth round, they are going to give you a pretty good offer," Stang said.

 

Stang, a native of Surrey, British Columbia, said playing at Midland College gave him the opportunity to show his skills, and give him the chance to be drafted.

 

"Midland College is one of the best things that happened to me," Stang said. "I enjoyed it so much. The program was great, the city was great and the people were amazing to me. The exposure was great and it gave me so much opportunity."

[battlekow]

Brewers draft Cerro Coso's Franklin Romero, Jr.

The Daily IndependentCerro Coso's Franklin Romero, Jr., was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 20th round (616 overall), becoming the second in as many years to have his name called in MLB's First Year Player Draft.

 

"My heart just stopped for a minute," said Romero in a phone interview. "I didn't know what to do. I was out of my mind."

 

Coyotes coach Dick Adams said he was ecstatic for Romero, who had scouts looking at his outfielder the entire 2009 season.

 

"This is a good day for us and a good day for him," Adams said.

Romero was named to the first team All-Foothill Conference and sported a batting average of .417 for the 2009 season. His freshman year, he batted .341.

 

Adams said Romero had another team looking at him to possibly convert him to an infielder, but was taken as an outfielder with the Brewers.

 

Romero said it has always been his dream to move on to play professional ball, and had been hoping to make that leap last year after his freshman season at Cerro Coso.

 

But after that didn't pan out, he dedicated himself to making the adjustments and refining his tools in order to attract the major league clubs.

 

Romero's former teammate Fred Bello was picked up by the Seattle Mariners last year, who was also taken in the 20th round (612 overall). He is the third player to be drafted directly out of Cerro Coso, with Brandon Ward going to the Cubs in 1996.

 

There have also been around a dozen other players who have moved on from four-year schools, including Jason Mackintosh and Sam Christensen.

 

After seeing his teammate drafted, Romero said that motivated him to work harder to have the same experience as Bello.

 

"That motivated me. I saw the joy in him, I saw how happy he was," Romero said. "He worked very hard at Coso. ... I (said I) wanted to have that next year."

 

Romero said he wasn't hoping for a specific club, but he is now a Brewer and will work hard as such. He didn't immediately know where he was going to be assigned.

 

The Brewers have two Rookie League affiliates: The Arizona League Brewers out of Phoenix and the Helena Brewers, which is the advanced rookie league affiliate.

 

http://athletics.cerrocoso.edu/baseball/articles/di_2008-2009/pics/g13c000f5008fba3136259e867a92c6ed3362f0ba4ec9d7.jpg

[Mass Haas]

14th round second baseman Mike Brownstein among three New Mexico Lobos drafted and interviewed in the sports office in this video.

[battlekow]

Undersized scrapper selected in MLB draft

Ryan Tomari

 

He's listed as 5-feet-10-inches, but Mike Brownstein played with more stature than his frame suggests.

 

And it's why the Milwaukee Brewers took the former Lobo in the 14th round of the 2009 MLB Draft. Brownstein was one of six UNM players taken in this year's amateur draft.

 

Most notably, relief pitcher Cole White was selected. He went to the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round.

 

Power hitter and Albuquerque native Brian Cavazos-Galvez was the second UNM player taken. Cavazos-Galvez was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and, if all goes well, he could have an opportunity to play for the Albuquerque Isotopes in the future. John Hesketh, Cameron Monger and Dane Hamilton were also drafted.

 

Brownstein was the third Lobo taken.

 

Still, Brownstein knows he's not built to blast home runs over the fence. He said he's a scrapper, similar to David Eckstein or Dustin Pedroia.

 

He makes his living doing all the little things right, even though he said he never thought he looked like anything special on the field.

 

"I won't baffle anyone with my appearance or what I look like in a uniform," Brownstein said. "I am going to have to work my way up and prove myself on the field. You never master the game, and as a player, you are looking to make yourself better any way you can. I have to continue to move up the ladder to become a better baseball player. I have to grind it out and take whatever it is I can learn about the game."

 

Brownstein perfected the college game, though.

 

In his junior year, he racked up several Mountain West Conference awards. Among those awards were Second Team All-MWC and MWC All-Tournament team. Brownstein also rode a 17-game hitting streak in 2008.

 

In his final year at UNM, Brownstein was second in batting average on the team, hitting .414. He had 101 hits in 244 at bats. He started all 57 games and had the second-best fielding percentage at .984.

 

Even though Brownstein is happy with what he has accomplished during his college career, he said getting drafted is a dream come true.

 

"You know, you play all your life and now this is my opportunity to play professionally," he said. "All the weight is taken off of your back when you get drafted."

 

If anything, though, Brownstein knows the weight is still on him. After all, he has to overcome his physique - and that's no small task.

 

Yet he said he's optimistic, for himself and for all his ex-teammates that got the call up to the pros.

 

"These guys are like my brothers," Brownstein said. "It was awesome to see these guys get drafted and it just makes this past season so much more special. It's like the cherry on top to see everyone else drafted."

 

http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper344/stills/juo65k84.jpg

Gary Alderete / Daily Lobo

[battlekow]

Patience pays off for Jones County standout Tyler Roberts
Jonathan Heeter

GRAY - Tyler Roberts had his patience tested June 10.

The Jones County catcher waited through nine rounds of the Major League Baseball draft to hear his name called by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 10th round. The recent graduate thought he could be drafted as early as the third round, so the wait wore on him.

But Roberts, the Telegraph's All-Middle Georgia GHSA baseball player of the year for the second straight year, was accustomed to being patient.

Roberts started getting walked regularly as a sophomore, and the trend continued through the past two years. He walked nearly a third of the time he stepped to the plate this season. It meant that he had to focus on driving that one good pitch he might see in a game.

"A lot of games, I knew I was going to get one at bat where I'd see good pitches," Roberts said. "It was usually the first at bat, and then I would get walked two or three times."

But as the season went on, Roberts got more opportunities as Zack Blount developed into a dangerous clean-up hitter.

"It was a big stress relief," Roberts said. "Zach started making people pay for walking me. I still got walked, but not as much as before."

Roberts finished the season hitting .584 with six doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBI and 37 walks. Roberts led Middle Georgia in batting average, home runs and RBI.

"It's almost like watching Barry Bonds," Jones County head coach Barry Veal said. "You have all the walks, and then when he sees a pitch and hits a single up the middle, you think, 'That's it?' It just shows you what everyone expects to see out of him."

Jones County fans grew accustomed to watching Roberts hitting tape-measure blasts around the railroad tracks that sit more than 400 feet behind centerfield. He hit 46 home runs in his prep career, standing alongside Justin Tyler and Rondell White as one of the greatest hitters in school history.

"I've been coaching high school baseball for 20 years, and this is by far the best offensive season I've ever seen," Veal said. "He is such a great hitter and never gets frustrated. He stays patient and produces."

Roberts also stood out defensively.

Veal said Roberts only yielded 10 stolen bases during the past two years. He averaged about one pickoff at first base per game and picked up multiple runners at second base.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Napa Valley College's Cravy signs with Brewers

By Marty James

FOR THE WEEKLY CALISTOGAN

 

Tyler Cravy said it's always been his dream to get drafted and play professionally.

 

Cravy can stop dreaming.

 

The Napa Valley College freshman pitcher was chosen last week by Milwaukee in the 17th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. He agreed to terms and signed with the Brewers late Friday.

 

"Baseball's only going to give you one chance in life and it's real hard to pass it up," Cravy, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, said Sunday before leaving town.

 

He was assigned to the Brewers' rookie league team in Phoenix, which opens its season June 21.

 

"It wasn't even really the money - it wasn't even that big of an issue to me," said Cravy. "All I've ever really wanted to do is play baseball. This is the first step."

 

Cravy said he will receive a $75,000 signing bonus and $25,000 for college, if he returns to school when he's done playing.

 

Cravy agreed to the contract after meeting with Justin McCray, a Brewers scout. The Napa resident was the 526th overall selection.

 

"I feel like I'm able to play at that level," said Cravy. "I'm going to get better and have good coaches there that know a lot about the game. I feel like I'm ready. I want to pitch as good as I can, get stronger and stay healthy.

 

"I just want to show them that I can pitch with any of the guys, hopefully show them how much that I want to play."

 

Milwaukee announced the signing Sunday.

 

Cravy, who had a record-setting season as a starting pitcher, was named to the Community College Baseball All-America team.

 

Cravy, a pitcher-infielder, was chosen as the Bay Valley Conference's Player of the Year as the Storm (22-18 overall, 16-11 BVC) took third place, missing out on the Northern California regional playoffs.

 

"I felt like I had a pretty good year," he said. "I worked hard and did my best."

 

It was his first season with the Storm after taking the 2008 season off.

 

"To be an All-American and the Player of the Year in our conference is really something special," said Storm coach Bob Freschi. "He was a pleasure to coach and fun to watch."

 

Cravy was 8-3 in 15 appearances with a 2.99 earned-run average. He broke Phil Simpson's school record, set in 1988, by striking out 110 batters in 90 1?3 innings.

 

Simpson had 108 strikeouts.

 

"We're very proud of him and excited for him," said Freschi. "We want what's best for each player - Tyler has that opportunity to live out a boyhood dream. He's going to do it.

 

"Tyler's a special talent and he had a phenomenal year for us, both pitching and offense."

 

Opponents batted .188 off Cravy, a righthander, who went to Hogan High School-Vallejo. He made 12 starts with three complete games. He throws in the 88- to 90-mph range with good control.

 

Cravy also starred as a shortstop, first baseman and hitter, batting .335 with three home runs, 10 doubles, five triples and 40 RBIs.

 

"I'm very proud of him," said Warren Brusstar, the Storm's pitching coach.

 

"The biggest adjustment for him going into pro ball is that you're going to be at the ballpark every day. I'm sure he will be one of the top five guys, arm-wise, that they will have there."

 

Cravy was a Day 2 selection during the draft. He said he had no idea that he'd be where he is today.

 

"I didn't really expect to have a standout year," said Cravy, 19.

 

"I was just getting back into baseball. I just wanted to play again, I missed playing a lot. I ended up having a good year."

 

Following the season, Freschi began getting calls from different four-year colleges wanting to know about Cravy, who has very good arm strength.

 

His make-up, body type, and the movement on his pitches got the attention of pro scouts.

 

"The ball just gets on you as a hitter," said Freschi. "It's just a matter of him developing and progressing. He's just going to get better and develop and hopefully stick around for a while."

 

Cravy's fastball explodes out of his hand, said Brusstar, and he showed very good consistency from start to start.

 

The righthander also throws a curveball and changeup for strikes.

 

"He still has a long ways to go, but he will do nothing but get better," said Brusstar. "The body's there, the arm's there - that's what they're looking for.

 

"The best of luck to him."

 

Richard Bruns photo

http://images.townnews.com/weeklycalistogan.com/content/articles/2009/06/18/sports/local/doc4a39393df1669101335465.jpg

[battlekow]

Former Eagle Chad Stang Ready For Pro Career

Two former Glens Falls Golden Eagles from the 2008 team, which went 31-10, were chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first 10 rounds of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Starting pitcher Eric Arnett (Indiana) went in the first round at No. 26, while outfielder Chad Stang (Midland College) went in the eighth round at No. 256. Three other 2008 Golden Eagles-Benjamin Carlson (Missouri State), Jonathan White (Vanderbilit), and Anthony Giansanti (Siena)-were taken in the 2009 MLB Draft.

Stang, the British Columbian native, played 53 games for the Midland College Chaparrals this season, batted .370 with 64 hits, a .623 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, six homeruns, 43 RBI, and led the team with five triples.

After waking up early and listening to Day Two of the MLB Draft, Stang said he felt relieved once he heard his name called. he was thinking he'd be drafted a little higher.

"It was a nerve-racking experience at first, but when I heard my name called I was shocked. I actually thought I'd be taken a little higher." Stang said. "We're in contract negotiations now, but with a fair deal, I'll be signing for sure."

Of course, if things don't turn out the way Stang anticipates, he'll be heading to the Louisiana State University Tigers as he signed a letter of intent to play outfield for the perennial men's college baseball powerhouse.

"I'll have an opportunity to start in center for sure," Stang said. "Nothing will he given to me and I'll have to work hard for a starting spot, but I'm definitely ready to play Division-I college baseball if that's what happens."

"He's a 'tools' type player who runs extremely well, has a good baseball body, and is a super kid but still very raw," Glens Falls Golden Eagles head coach John Mayotte said. "I hope he plays at least one year at LSU before he turns pro."

Stang credits some his success at Midland and his draft stock status to Chaps head coach David Coleman and his constant constructive criticism.

"He pushed me the right way," Stang said. " At times he was really hard on me, but I knew why he was doing it and by the end of the year I got to a point where I needed to be as a player."

In his first year with the Chaps, they finished .500 and in sixth place in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference, which isn't something Stang or his teammates wanted to experience again.

Though, in his second season with the Chaps, Stang and company finished 16 games over .500 but ran into a streaking Howard Bison team, who ended the Chaps 2009 postseason run sooner than Stang and his teammates expected.

"I've never been on a team that had the chemistry, drive, and talent our team had this season," Stang said.

During the 2008 playoffs, Stang, played in all eight Golden Eagles postseason games, batted .273, led the team with three doubles, and scored the second most runs for the team with five.

Stang's sacrifice RBI in the second game of the League Finals against the Brockport Riverbats in 2008, put the Glens Falls on top 1-0, before Brockport took the lead in the sixth and eventually won the league title.

"Coach Mayotte showed me the type of player I could become hitting with a wood bat," Stang said. "He had the trust in me that I could do the job even though I was a freshman from a Junior College playing with all those Division-1 guys."

In the 2008 regular season, Stang finished with the team's second best batting average (.315), leading the team in hits (45), doubles (7), triples (3) and walks (22). Toward the end of the regular season and on into postseason play, Stang managed a 20-game hit streak.

Starting in the outfield for nearly every game during the 2008 season and leading-off in most of them, Stang can't thank Coach Mayotte and his staff enough for the faith they had in him and how the harder he worked the more his game would improve.

"He has a great upside, however, capable of being a superb all-around player and contributing in a variety of ways, Mayotte said.

http://www.glensfallsgoldeneagles.com/profiles08/Chad%20Stang.jpg

[battlekow]

Roberts drafted by Brewers

Kyle Sears

 

As the 10th round and the 316th pick of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft came around June 10, Jones County High senior catcher Tyler Roberts had taken his eyes off the draft board for a few minutes.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers were on the clock, and Roberts had spoken with representatives from the club twice already that day.

 

The first time, they made him an offer that he refused, telling them that he thought he could play a year of junior college ball, be selected higher in next year's draft, and get more guaranteed money.

 

The second time, they called and offered less money than they had earlier.

 

So, when his dad Micah called to let him know he was on the board with the pick, Roberts was surprised to say the least.

 

"I was thinking, 'I just told them no,'" Roberts said.

 

That night in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott in Macon, however, the Brewers revised their offer to their 10th-round pick, and Roberts signed, setting into motion a rapid chain of events that would lead to him becoming a professional baseball player.

 

After signing, Wednesday, he did an interview with a local radio station, Thursday, and signed some autographs around town and at the conclusion of his alma mater's summer baseball camp, Friday.

 

Amidst all of those appearances, he made as much time as possible with his friends and family before a Sunday flight to Glendale, Ariz., for the start of rookie-league ball.

 

He said upon his arrival in Glendale, he and a roommate would be put up in a room in the Marriott hotel that sits right beside his team's training facility.

 

Roberts met with the training staff of the Arizona League Brewers for a physical, Monday, and was on the field, Tuesday, just six days after putting his name on the dotted line.

 

Roberts said he is expected to spend the rest of this season in Glendale, before hopefully moving up to Helena, Mont., at the beginning of next season.

 

Those two rookie-league teams should prepare him for single-A ball in either West Virginia or Florida, AA in Alabama, and AAA in Tennessee.

 

"Hopefully I'll make my major-league debut within five years," he said.

 

Roberts said he did his homework concerning the Brewers farm system and found that they have two catchers in the minors with batting averages below .200.

 

"As long as I go in and do what I need to do, I might move up through the ranks pretty quickly," he said.

 

Roberts had some previous experience with the Brewers organization, as he played on their East Coast Pro Showcase team in Florida last summer.

 

"They were watching me play during summer ball, and after I had a great game, they came up to me and said, 'Hey, we want to put you on this team. You get to play in front of nothing but major league scouts,'" Roberts said.

 

"I was like, 'Yes sir, I'll be there on the first ticket out.' It was fun."

 

The senior then put together probably the most prolific offensive season in Jones County High history with a .584 batting average, 13 home runs, and 51 runs batted in, despite drawing an average of more than one walk per game and facing constant evaluation by major league scouts.

 

"To be honest with you, he probably handled the draft process better than anybody else we've had get drafted," Greyhounds coach Barry Veal said.

 

In 16 years as head coach, Veal has seen Rico Washington go in the 10th round of the 1997 draft, Eddie Young go in the seventh round of the 2000 draft, and more than a handful of other players go between the 30th and 40th rounds in various years.

 

After this past season, Roberts made trips to four different major league ballparks, working out for the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and Washington Nationals, as well as several other teams, including the Brewers.

 

"He took his trips and did it the right way," Veal said. It was a chance to go take the field at Turner Field and Yankee Stadium.

 

"Hopefully he'll be doing that all the time in five years, but even if he doesn't, he got to do something a lot of players don't. I say this in a good way, but I'm envious. As a ball player, I haven't ever been on Turner Field or at Yankee Stadium to take batting practice."

 

Veal said he personally expected Roberts to go between the fifth and eighth rounds, but this year's draft proved to be a top-heavy one for catchers, which likely hurt the Jones County High standout's stock a little.

 

"It doesn't matter as long as you go somewhere in the 10th to 12th rounds," Veal said. "It's about just getting a chance, and Tyler's got his chance."

 

Despite a scholarship to Meridian Community College, one of the country's premier junior college baseball programs, in hand and four more chances to be drafted if he chose to go that route, Roberts said he could not turn down this chance for a couple of reasons.

 

"The biggest factor is I was scared I'd never get another chance," he said. "I'm sitting right here now as an 18-year-old kid about to go play professional ball. I could easily go to college and blow out my knee and never have the opportunity again.

 

"Plus, I had to make sure the pro team was going to pay for my college. They're paying for all four years of college. I can do it while I'm playing or when I get done playing."

 

Though he has spent his whole life playing this game of adjustments, Roberts likely has more of them on his hands now than he has ever faced before at one time.

 

One of the biggest challenges he expected was that he would not know anyone.

 

With the exception of Braxton Lane, a teammate on his Atlanta Blue Jays summer ball team who was selected in the seventh round by the Texas Rangers and also sent to Glendale, Roberts probably does not know anybody else in the whole state of Arizona.

 

He also anticipated the challenge of the increased competitiveness.

 

"I'm definitely ready to get back out there. I've been sitting out too long," he said. "I'm a little anxious, but I'm nervous at the same time, because I'll be playing with 20- to 25-year-old grown men. They said I'm one of the youngest kids out there, so I guess I've got to show them why I'm there."

 

Finally, Roberts said he will have to maintain a level of self-confidence and self-motivation like never before.

 

"I probably won't ever have another coach Veal, who always helped me there and pushed me to go to the next level. Now it's on my own," he said.

 

"He's going to find out that it's not all glory. It's not all what you see on TV. He's going to run into some brick walls when he's been on the field three or four weeks from 7 a.m. to basically 7 p.m. in that Arizona heat," Veal said.

 

"But I think with Tyler's love of the game of baseball, he's going to do all right. He has a love for the game that very few people have."

 

"I'm just ready to put up numbers and play the game like a little kid like I always have," Roberts said. "I want to say thank you to all the fans in Jones County and the Middle Georgia area for helping me and being there with me."

[brewmann04]

I seen the above post by Bruce Seid and was Just wondering.What type of Money will it take to get Del Howell - LHP signed he could be a sleeper who hopefully won't get away.

[battlekow]

Chad Stang hopes to sign tomorrow.

[battlekow]

Chad Stang hopes to sign tomorrow.

Here's my interview with him.

[battlekow]

Stang is signing his contract Friday morning.

[Minigoon]

Khristopher Davis has signed and is in the Helena line up tonight at the DH.

[brewmann04]

I was wondring if Howell can return to college and is that the hang up with Del not signing yet with the Crew.

[TheCrew07]

Most college players are draft eligible as Juniors, some as Sophomores, so the vast majority can go back to college.

[brewmann04]

thanks for the Info Crew

[battlekow]

Chad Stang's bonus was $125K.

[battlekow]

Del Howell still deciding on his future

Tommy Deas

TUSCALOOSA | Del Howell isn't sure what to do. There's no baseball to plan his summer around.

The University of Alabama's left-handed pitcher has been taking some time off from the diamond since the Crimson Tide's season finished at the end of May with a two-and-out performance at the NCAA Regional in Clemson, S.C.

'I'm having a summer,' he said. 'This is the first time I haven't played summer ball since I was 6 or 7.

'I've been going out to the lake, hanging out with friends, just staying here and working out. I'm having fun, but I feel like I'm missing something.'

What may be missing for the former state Mr. Baseball, who led American Christian Academy to three consecutive state championships and started five years for the Patriots, is a solid grasp of what the future holds. He was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 15th round of June's amateur draft as the 466th overall pick, but hasn't heard much from the major league club since.

Whether Howell returns for his senior season at Alabama depends on what kind of offer Milwaukee puts together. A source familiar with the situation said Howell was contacted by the Brewers in the early rounds of the draft with a six-figure offer.

Howell will not comment on specifics of the negotiations other than to say they haven't gone very far.

'I talked to them, but not much since the draft, not much money talk,' said Howell, who said he is handling his own negotiations with Milwaukee. 'As of right now, I'm planning on coming back (to Alabama).

'I haven't heard anything. Nothing has changed. I'm just waiting to hear back.'

Howell went 5-3 at Alabama this spring as a junior, starting 11 games and striking out 68 batters in 58 1/3 innings with 32 walks. He also batted 2-for-11 with a home run in spot duty at the plate, but wasn't himself for much of the season.

He came down with mononucleosis, a viral infection, at some point in the offseason, but the condition wasn't diagnosed until the day before the season opener. His weight fell about 25 pounds to 181 early in the season, and his struggles to recover made for an inconsistent campaign.

'The SEC (portion of the season), I started to get my weight back,' he said. 'At times I felt like I was good, and then the next day it would be, 'Dang, it's back again.''

Howell is not playing summer ball after a standout performance last summer in the Texas Collegiate League. He was voted top prospect in that wooden-bat league, posting a 2-2 record and 2.41 earned-run average with four saves in 14 appearances.

Instead, he has worked youth camps in recent weeks and gotten his weight back up to around 210 pounds.

'Usually I'm playing every night and working out in the mornings,' he said. 'Now I'm just working out and throwing a couple of bullpens a week.'

Howell has also stayed in touch on an almost daily basis with UA head coach Jim Wells. The coach may not know for sure until mid-August whether Howell will be back for his senior season.

Out of high school, Howell was a 17th-round selection by the New York Yankees, but turned down a substantial offer to play at Alabama.

'He understands what's going on,' Howell said of Wells. 'We're kind of both behind the eight-ball now.

'It's been my goal from day one when I started playing to get to the major leagues. It's just a matter of waiting and seeing what happens.'

http://www.tidesports.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=TL&Date=20090708&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=907079919&Ref=AR&Profile=1011

Tuscaloosa News

 

[TheCrew07]

Well that's disappointing to say the least... he's the one pick after the 10th that I really wanted to sign who hasn't yet.

[brewmann04]

well maybe the Brewers ar just taking there time and trying to get their Early Picks finished up.

I still think the crew will get him signed.