Miller Park Pre-Draft Workout

[Mass Haas]

colbyjack wrote:

 

The Brewers pre-draft workout was held earlier today. I went and had lunch at Fridays and took in the action for a couple of hours. Out of respect for the Brewers scouting department, I am not going to say which players were there that I recognized, but I will say there's a good chance the team targets college pitching early.

***

 

If it's online, it's fit to print. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Lakewood Ranch's Ohlman enjoys visit to big-league clubs

By RYAN T. BOYD

rboyd@bradenton.com (Florida)

 

The baseball came across home plate like no other Michael Ohlman had caught before. It wasn't offered from the high school pitchers that the Lakewood Ranch star catcher has backed up the past four seasons.

 

On Friday, the heater zipped across the plate from Tampa Bay Rays All-Star pitcher Scott Kazmir.

 

It was Ohlman's second stop on a three-city workout tour with the Seattle Mariners (Thursday), the Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

 

Those were his final auditions on the eve of the Major League Baseball 2009 First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday.

 

"Kazmir asked me to catch for him," said Ohlman, the Herald's All-Area Baseball Player of the Year. "So I did it. It was cool. It was the highlight of my day."

 

The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder can add that to his high-point list of talking to Tampa Bay designated hitter Pat Burrell, playing simulated games at Tropicana Field and Safeco Field, the Mariners' home ballpark, and watching Seattle's All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki from a distance.

 

Ohlman's nationwide trip is a result of being considered one of the best high school baseball players in Florida.

 

Ohlman capped his high school career this spring by hitting .550 with three home runs, 28 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. Ohlman, who recently graduated from Lakewood Ranch, even threw out 64 percent of baserunners.

 

He put up these numbers while being pitched around a large amount and with a young, inexperienced Mustangs team.

 

Ohlman is not sure where he will be drafted next week, but it's already been a great start to June following his trip to three big-league parks.

 

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Ohlman said Friday over the phone while sitting in Tampa International Airport waiting for his flight to Milwaukee. "All high school baseball players would die for this opportunity. I am pretty tired, though."

 

In Seattle and St. Petersburg, Ohlman threw, stretched, took batting practice and played in practice games with at least 30 other potential draft picks from around the nation.

 

"I'm ready for it," Ohlman said. "I've been preparing for this my whole life. There's nothing really to stop me from doing it."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Baseball Player of the Year: Prepared for launch

Mustangs all-everything catcher looks ahead to Miami, draft

By RYAN T. BOYD

rboyd@bradenton.com

LAKEWOOD RANCH - When the baseball exploded off Michael Ohlman's bat, Phil Olson was convinced. A strong wind was blowing in, and Ohlman, Lakewood Ranch's star catcher, still launched a blast that landed in the bushes behind the left-field fence.

 

Olson, Southeast's skipper, had one thought: WOW!

 

"I said right then, 'This kid has to be the best player in Manatee County,' " Olson said. "The wind was blowing hard, and he still hit it out. The kid is good."

 

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound man-child is the 2009 Herald All-Area Baseball Player of the Year.

 

"I wanted to win player of the year and make the all-star team for the state," said Ohlman, who signed a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Miami last year. "I wanted to do my best, work hard and see what happens."

 

He made it happen.

 

Ohlman batted .550 with three home runs and 28 RBIs to lead a young Mustangs team that came on strong near the end of the season.

 

Even more impressive is that Ohlman stole 23 bases in 24 attempts.

 

"He ran bases like a center fielder," Lakewood Ranch coach Mike Mullen said. "He's, by far, head and shoulders above the rest with his ability to run bases. He was thrown out once, and I believe he was safe. That's just one of his statistics that go unnoticed. He runs from first to third about as well as anybody."

 

Add that to his prowess of throwing out base stealers (64 percent) and his ability to block balls, and you have a bona fide star.

 

"Behind the plate this season, (Ohlman) must have saved us about 15 runs," said Mullen, a former high school catcher.

 

"That makes it a lot easier on any pitcher."

 

More importantly, Ohlman wanted to make his senior season easier on himself. That's why he chose a college before the season started. So he could avoid the plethora of phone calls from college coaches.

 

That's why he visited Sandlot@5Tools, batting cages and a workout facility owned by Manatee High coach Dwayne Strong, as often as possible to improve his batting average, his power and his strength entering this season.

 

And, ultimately, that's why he was the unquestioned leader of the Mustangs.

 

"Last year, I was pressing a lot, because I had nowhere to go," Ohlman said. "Now, there's a lot relief taken off your shoulders, and you can play like you are eight years old again. That made this year a lot more fun for me."

 

This Friday, Ohlman will play in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Game in Sebring, which was his other goal.

 

Besides the high school all-star game and a scholarship in South Florida, there's a good chance Ohlman could be a high pick in June's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

 

He's excited the chance to play professional ball, but Ohlman is guarding himself from getting caught in the hype.

 

"People say stuff, but you actually don't know where you are going until June rolls around," Ohlman said. "But you can never have this opportunity again, so I'm making the best of it."

 

For now, Ohlman elects to relish being regarded as the best baseball player in Manatee County.

 

"I'm just having fun right now and soaking it all in," he said.

 

PAUL VIDELA / pvidela@bradenton.com Lakewood Ranch High School senior Michael Ohlman hit .550 and drove in 28 runs for the Mustangs. He stole 23 bases in 24 attempts and threw out 64 percent of those who tried to steal on him.

 

http://media.bradenton.com/smedia/2009/05/27/23/146-20090527-234340-pic-475525328.standalone.prod_affiliate.69.jpg

[NastyTwig]

So who was all there Colby? I'm assuming Heckathorn and Arnett? Any insight?

[colbyjack]

I confirmed that Arnett was there earlier. I didn't see Heckathorn, but I didn't stick around to see each and every pitcher toss. He wasn't among the group of college arms that were all huddled together in left field for the first half of the workout.

 

I'll provide the entire list after the draft has been completed in full, again, out of respect for the Brewers scouting dep't.

[colbyjack]

I just checked the list of players selected, and figured I would share the players I saw in attendance at the pre-draft that went elsewhere:

 

Sandwich round (three college LHP):

Aaron Miller, #36 to the Dodgers

Mike Belfiore, #45 to the D-Backs

Matt Bashore, #46 to the Twins

 

The Brewers picked Heckathorn at #47, so this pick could have been different had either lefty Belfiore or Bashore fell an extra spot or two.

 

Second round:

Blake Smith, #56 to the Dodgers

Robert Stock, $67 to the Cardinals (as noted, as a catcher)

 

One interesting note, Texas A&M RHP Alex Wilson, one player identified more by fans as a good fit for the Brewers went three picks after the team took Walla & Garfield back-to-back in the 2nd.

 

Third round:

Bryan Morgado, #102 to the White Sox

 

This pick was made three ahead of Josh Prince.

[battlekow]

Jonathan Meyer, the sole draftee in the supplemental third round (#111 overall to the Astros), was at the workout.

[TheCrew07]

was that a mis link there battlekow? the link is another Stock brother article.

 

Never mind, I skimmed it the first time and then found the single line about the invitation upon closer inspection...

[battlekow]

Yeah, I found the Meyer tidbit by accident while looking up stuff about Richard Stock.