Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20 -- Latest: 15th-rounder Bates turned down significant bonus

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Shut down

By Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com

Canada’s Cinderalla story has come to an unhappy ending at the World Junior Baseball Championship in Thunder Bay.

 

With 5,000 or so fans looking on, Chinese-Taipei plated a pair of runs in the seventh inning of Saturday’s semifinal to knock off the host country 3-1 and earn a berth in Sunday’s gold medal game against Australia.

 

Canada, instead, will fight for bronze against a Cuban team that beat them 3-0 during round-robin play.

 

Out-hit 10-3, manager Greg Hamilton said his troops simply couldn’t master the pitching of Lo Kuo Hua, who went the distance, striking out 10, the only run he allowed coming in the fourth when Dalton Pompey’s fielder’s choice proved enough to score Alex Calbick from third.

 

“Their guy on the mound was outstanding,” Hamilton said. “You tip your caps sometimes. We had one kick at him and we couldn’t get him. What it really came down to was he was real good.”

 

The Canadian's best opportunity, other than the run they scored, came in the eighth, trailing by a pair.

 

Rowan Wick, the two-homer hero against Italy the night before, doubled to start the inning. Justin Atkinson followed with a walk. Hamilton pored over his stats and then called on Emmanuel Forcier to move them over.

 

But after pulling back from two bunt attempts and working a 2-0 count on a struggling Hua, Canada left the bunt sign on. Forcier laid down a perfect sacrifice, moving the runners, but gave up an out.

 

Calbick, who took over the lead-off spot for Canada, struck out and then Brandon Dailey was walked intentionally to load the bases for two-time hero Dalton Pompey. This time fate was against the Toronto Blue Jays' draft pick and a ground ball to third made easy work of Dailey at second.

 

The loss was a devastating one, said a disheartened Kellin Deglan, choking back tears during the post-game scrum with media.

 

“Their pitcher threw a really good game,” he said, stepping back to regroup his thoughts.

 

Regrouping is exactly what the team plans to do on Sunday the Canadian catcher added, aware the Cubans don’t like to lose and have that much more reason to win having lost a title they felt already belonged to them.

 

“We should be all right. We’ve got some pitching left. We’ve got (Tom) Robson who will probably go tomorrow. We’ll be ready for tomorrow, so we’ll come out hard and play a good game.”

 

A shot at gold just wasn’t meant to be, said DH Philip Diedrick, who leads Canada with 10 RBI during the world juniors.

 

“We had our chance late in the eighth inning, but we kind of blew it, so there was nothing we could do about it,” said Diedrick, who authored an 0-for-3 night at the plate.

 

“It just comes down to (Hua) made his pitches and we didn’t really adjust to the curveball he was throwing. Unless you adjust to it, that’s the way things are going to turn out.”

 

Like Australian James Murphy earlier, Hua was perfect through three, but ran into trouble in the fourth when Calbick doubled and Dailey singled, leading to the game’s first run. But with runners on first and second, Diedrick hit into an inning-ending double play.

 

Chinese-Taipei evened it up in the fifth, manufacturing a run when No. 9 hitter Ou Ya-Tsung walked off Canadian starter Evan Grills and stole second, then scored on Lin-Tzu Wei’s single, his second of four hits on the day.

 

Grills was equally effective in five innings of work, allowing just three hits and one run before giving way in favour of Mike Ellis.

 

Canada avoided further trouble in the sixth, thanks to some brilliant defensive work by Deglan. Back-to-back singles had Chinese-Taipei runners on first and second. Lin-Chih Hsien followed with a single of his own to load the bases, but Ko-Chih Wei was nailed at the plate when Deglan blocked his access and laid the tag after a perfect throw from Calbick. Deglan then nailed Yang-Hong Sheng trying to steal third, deflating the threat.

 

The Chinese-Taipei team took its first lead in the seventh off Ellis, who would be saddled with the loss, giving up a pair of unearned runs.

 

Lin-Chia Ching reached on a one-out error by Atkinson and rounded third and scored on Lin Ting-Yen’s double down the left-field line.

 

“I was very happy, I was very excited,” Ching said through an interpreter. “I was very nervous.”

 

Wei, who is hitting .607 for the tournament, said he’s told his teammates not to put too much pressure on themselves heading into the gold medal game.

 

Win or lose, they’ve already achieved the goal they set out for themselves, he said.

 

“If we can win a championship, that’s good,” he said through an interpreter. “But if unfortunately we lost, I told them to let it go, not think too much.”

 

Game time Sunday night at Port Arthur Stadium is 4:30 PM (3:30 Central). Canada and Cuba will play for bronze at 12:00 PM (11:00 AM Central). Fans can watch both games by visiting: http://www.ibaf.org/en/ar...a-4891-abf3-2f25bcd59461 for details (ESPN3.com for U.S. audiences).

[Mass Haas]

Chinese Taipei defeated Australia, 8-4, to take the World Juniors' Championship.

 

Joel Pierce struck out the lone batter he faced and Rowan Wick had a tough day (0-for-5, two K's), as Canada fell to Cuba in the consolation game, 8-2.

 

Canada box score

[battlekow]

Rowan Wick had a tough day (0-for-5, two K's), as Canada fell to Cuba in the consolation game, 8-2.http://ibaf.prod.kgroup.eu/stats/2010/canada/games/45.htm#GAME.CMP

He did apparently have a nice outfield assist, though.

[battlekow]

Baseball America scouting report on Andrew Morris:

A 44th-round pick of the Brewers in 2009, Morris has an average fastball

in the 88-91 mph range, touching 92, and relies on his split-finger

fastball as his primary secondary offering. His curveball has some depth

and lacks power.

[crewcrazy]

Jim Callis says Joel Pierce is preparing to go to Coastal Carolina, rather than start his pro career. Obviously nothing official yet, but still disappointing to hear.

[crewcrazy]

Callis with another tweet, this time saying Pierce has signed. Guess the Brewers made it worth his while to skip college for now:

 

Brewers signed 7th-rder Joel Pierce for $175,000 plus enhanced scholarship package. Projectable Canadian RHP.

 

This leaves Covey as the only one of the Brewers' top 12 picks to not sign yet.

[Mass Haas]

Of course, I had to get to the topic on our minds -- will they be signing with Milwaukee? The sides have until August 15th to come to terms, the final game of the World Tournament is August 1st. Pierce's eyes seemed to light up in a big way as he flashed a Tiger Beat smile (my teenage daughter is probably sorry she wasn't there, heck I'd have her marry into the Brewer family via this route) when I asked if there was anything to his Coastal Carolina college commitment. He could only say so much, naturally, but my own indication would be that the Brewers would really have to undercut any offer for Pierce not to sign. He seemed very ready to get on the route to Miller Park.

Yes! My instinct was A-OK!

 

Welcome aboard, Joel! Long road for a still 17-year-old, but it'll be fun to follow.

[colbyjack]

The Brewers haven't had a top 10 pick go unsigned since Jemile Weeks in 2005. Before that it was Jarrad Page and Steve Kahn in '02, the year they gave Parra $1.6M or so and gave Prince $2M+ as the #7 overall pick.

 

Their first unsigned pick the last four years have been in rounds 21, 23, 21 and 17. The Brewers do a good job signing the players they select, meaning if Michael White (13), Chris Bates (15), Andrew Morris (16) or even Rowan Wick (19) don't sign by the 16th, it will be somewhat of a rarity given the team's recent talent procurement efforts.

[jjfanec]

The Brewers haven't had a top 10 pick go unsigned since Jemile Weeks in 2005. Before that it was Jarrad Page and Steve Kahn in '02, the year they gave Parra $1.6M or so and gave Prince $2M+ as the #7 overall pick.

 

Their first unsigned pick the last four years have been in rounds 21, 23, 21 and 17. The Brewers do a good job signing the players they select, meaning if Michael White (13), Chris Bates (15), Andrew Morris (16) or even Rowan Wick (19) don't sign by the 16th, it will be somewhat of a rarity given the team's recent talent procurement efforts.

Of that unsigned group who seems the most likely to sign and who seems like the hardest sign?

[colbyjack]

Bates, being the high school kid, is probably the toughest sign with a college commitment and obvious potential for improvement. I don't know their situations individually, but I'm guessing Morris' and White's are roughly the same, both with a couple of years of juco ball under their belt.

[battlekow]

According to his Facebook page, Rowan Wick broke his pinkie running into a fence against Cuba but will only miss two weeks of action (well, one now, since it was a week ago).

[uwisfan]

ugh, a pinkie injury might affect his signability

[madbad2000]

"Brewers signed 7th-rder Joel Pierce for $175,000 plus enhanced scholarship package"

 

What is the difference between enhanced scholarship package and just paying for school like a lot of draft picks get?

[1e Corbeau]

What is the difference between enhanced scholarship package and just paying for school like a lot of draft picks get?

Jim Callis (I think) addressed this via twitter a few days ago [sorry, no link]. It seems that education packages can range from simply covering 4 years of tuition to living expenses, extra semesters, and, I would imagine, different caps on how much tuition will be covered, etc.

 

I'd love to know more about this, too, though!

[UeckerPowell]

I don't know if it means anything but the Brewers 19th round pick Rowan Wick just change his facebook picture to the St John's emblem and his status is 8 days till New York. If I had to guess he is not going to sign and is going to go to St John's.

[battlekow]

Books before pro baseball

Chuck Slater/North County News

 

It was a decision many baseball-loving youngsters would not make.

 

Ossining's Chris Bates was drafted this spring, a 15th-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers. The tall youngster was the first left-handed pitcher Milwaukee chose and just the 17th high-school pitcher picked at that point. The Brewers then offered a signing bonus well beyond 15th-round status — "Way up there" according to Bates' father, also Chris Bates.

 

Chris Bates, 18, did not take the money and run. Instead, he took a baseball scholarship to the University of Richmond.

 

"He's an academic student," said Chris Bates Senior.

 

Indeed, he is. In four years at Regis High School in Manhattan, an academically strong all-boys Catholic school, Chris Bates had a 3.5 GPA and hopes to study medicine or engineering.

 

But that is not his only impressive number; pitching for Regis for four varsity seasons, he compiled a 14-2 record. His senior year, the earned run average was under 1.00 plus he had a 9-1 strikeout-walk ratio. And for the OTB Pirates, a crack amateur team whose home field is Rockland Community College, he compiled a 9-0 record this summer.

 

And then he left for college, not the pros.

 

"The decision was mostly my choice," said the Ossining teenager. "I need an education. You can't get by on athletic talent alone; one day it will run out."

 

But does he want to play pro ball some day?

 

"Definitely," he said. "And I think pitching is the best position in all of sports.

 

"But I don't think I have my best shot at it now. I plan on getting better. I still haven't filled out."

 

The Brewers thought so, too. They drafted the 6-5, 180-pound southpaw on his potential.

 

"Mentally he's ready, physically he has a way to go," said Chris Bates, the father. "X-rays show he's still growing; he'll probably beef up to about 6-6 and 220 pounds."

 

And, beef his fastball up to the low 90s.

 

"He is extremely intelligent and extremely gifted, both physically and mentally," said Mike Rooney, the head coach for the OTB Pirates.

 

Rooney, a pro pitcher for seven seasons, made it as high as triple-A baseball. It was he who told his brother, who is part of the Brewers' scouting organization, of this lefty with the big upside.

 

"Yes, Chris is improving - he wasn't even a pro prospect as a junior," said Rooney. "But through hard work he became one. He has great mound presence and composure and a tremendous work ethic."

 

Young Chris Bates also has a knee-buckling curveball, a fastball now in the 88-90 range, a changeup and super control. Plus a knack for being at his best against the best competition.

 

"We took second overall at the top-level amateur tournament in California this summer," Rooney related. "We faced really good competition and Chris was phenomenal. He went 3-0."

 

And there is room to keep improving. "He has a very easy delivery and very good arm action," Rooney said.

 

"When the time comes to go pro, I'll be better than I am now," Chris Bates promised.

 

And he probably will not have the arm problems which have plagued so many talented young pitchers who were pushed to do too much too soon.

 

His father is making sure of that.

 

"I played in the Atlanta Braves organization after being drafted in the 26th round in 1985," said Chris Bates Senior.

 

A right-handed pitcher, Bates had excelled at Port Chester High and Florida Atlantic College. He went to rookie ball as a pro and ruined his arm that first year.

 

"A torn scapula (a bone in the back of the shoulder)," he related. "The Braves told me I had gone from being an asset to being a liability."

 

Goodbye, pro baseball. From the time young Chris started baseball at age 5 and particularly when he gravitated to pitching shortly before he was 14, his father has worked to make sure the same thing does not happen to his son.

 

A lot of long-tossing. A lot of time between starts. A strict pitch count.

 

"Regis was more academic than athletic so there was no pressure to pitch too much," said the younger Bates. "And I was on a pitch count, sometimes 75, never more than 90."

 

Still, the college scouts saw the same potential the Brewers did. There were, both Chris Bates agree, many big-name college teams eager to put the tall lefty on their squad. The father was pleased with what the coaches at Richmond said.

 

"They told me they would protect his arm," Chris Bates Senior said.

 

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/ncnlocal.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/9/2c/961/92c961c2-abb1-11df-9666-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c6d6054ac968.image.jpg

(Linda Bates)

[colbyjack]

Since I think this applies more to his draft standing than his current standing, since this occurred prior to him signing, I'll add this here...

 

Rafael Neda was recently ranked the #15 prospect in the California Collegiate summer league by Perfect Game. He was also named the league's top defensive player, with this quick note (longer scouting report to come):

 

Had solid three-year career at New Mexico on both sides of ball, 10th-rounder, signed at end of summer; makes catching look easy

[battlekow]

From the University of Richmond's student newspaper (go Spiders!):

In addition to the experienced seniors, another weapon of this year’s team is the group of talented freshmen. Some of these freshmen are competing for starting positions, including Chris Bates, Andrew Brockett and Mike Small.

Bates, a freshman pitcher, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers but decided to come to Richmond. He said that he chose Richmond instead of the major leagues because he did not want to abandon his academic career, and he wanted to put his “best foot forward” in baseball.

“Trust me, it was really hard not to sign that contract,” he said. “Playing baseball for a living, that’s what everyone wants to do.”