There's a Great Story Trying to Happen in the 2013 Draft

[splitterpfj]

As we get closer, I'll provide updates...the young man is knocking bats out of hands right now...

 

http://www.baseballintheblood.com/?p=551

[HiAndTight]

As we get closer, I'll provide updates...the young man is knocking bats out of hands right now...

 

http://www.baseballintheblood.com/?p=551

 

 

Forgive me for my ignorance, but is this YOUR site, a friends, or someone you know personally? Because if this is just an article you found, it sounds a little ridiculous. If this is someone you KNOW....it's obviously interesting as it has merit.

[splitterpfj]

OK, I'll forgive your ignorance...that is my site, and I'm writing about a kid I've known since he was two.

[splitterpfj]

The quick story...this is a kid who finished high school throwing in the high 80s with good command of multiple pitches...a nice little story that turned into a D-2 scholarship.

 

The thing is, this kid was an August baby, the youngest kid in his class...and he wasn't done growing. Now six-two and solid, he's now consistently throwing 93 MPH, and he's hit 95.

 

The real reason this is a story, in my world, is my connection to him. His father was one of my best friends...his father died 2 1/2 years ago.

 

I had gotten this young man introduced to a few scouts, and I was able to get him invited to pitch in a big tournament in Jupiter, FL, where he was seen by dozens of scouts, leading his D-2 deal. His dad went with him to that tournament, calling me when they got home to tell me how proud he was of his son, and to thank me for helping him along.

 

Before his dad died, this kid had already committed to his college, and his dad was beaming, calling me to tell me about workout regimens, strength-building, and the occasional call from a scout. Honestly, I thought the kid had a shot at a late-round draft selection coming out of high school, but it didn't happen.

 

When his dad passed, I promised his mom that I'd be here if they needed me, and I made sure the kid new how to reach me, and that I was in his corner.

 

This summer, he's pitching in a wooden bats league, and he's been told he'll likely be taken in the first ten rounds next June.

 

We'll see what happens....

[splitterpfj]

I chatted online with the kid a few nights ago, and it's funny, even though the MLB Scouting Bureau has told him he's a prospect, and added him to their database - he doesn't believe it. In his own words, "It's every kid's dream, I guess I just don't know what to think."

 

After our conversation, I contacted a friend who scouts for Seattle, and one who scouts for the Yankees - they gave me the same answer, "Any kid who's been labeled a prospect by the MLB Scouting Bureau will be followed by all teams."

[TooLiveBrew]

Can't wait for the big reveal on draft day!

[splitterpfj]

This is fun! The Reds came to watch him throw, and they liked him, so they gave him a questionnaire to fill out, essentially, a psychological profile.

 

He reached out to me last night, and told me some of the questions that were on it. Whatever happens, I'm having a good time helping him deal with scouts, paperwork, etc.

[splitterpfj]

My subject has been voted, "Preseason Pitcher of the Year", by the coaches in his conference. He's heard from 8-10 MLB teams now...it's really been fun to have a close look at this process.

[splitterpfj]

The kid had a bad start today, everything was up and he gave up 6 in 6. There were several scouts there - some of them waited to talk to him after the game.

 

To his complete surprise, they were happy with the way he threw. They like the repeatable mechanics, the fastball that was consistently 92, and the change he could throw for strikes in any count.

 

He's down tonight because he feels he let his team down, but he's learning that scouts look for a lot more than today's box score.

[James Zumstein]

That's exciting about the scouts comments. I'm sure he was very dissapointed, but I'm sure the scouts have a way of smoothing things over for a young kid. Tell him to keep his chin up!

[splitterpfj]

MUCH better, he retired the first 18 batters he faced tonight, en route to a 2-1 victory. 0 BBs, 10 Ks...and one big smile.

[splitterpfj]

Today was a great day, he pitched a complete game, allowing only five runners...in front of a crosschecker for an NL team.

 

I've never been through this before, so I'll leave it at that, but that crosschecker was there specifically to see him today...that can only be a good thing!

[Bombers]

This is fun! The Reds came to watch him throw, and they liked him, so they gave him a questionnaire to fill out, essentially, a psychological profile.

 

He reached out to me last night, and told me some of the questions that were on it. Whatever happens, I'm having a good time helping him deal with scouts, paperwork, etc.

Out of curiousity what were some of the questions?

 

This is a great story ... interested to see where he lands in June.

[splitterpfj]

I'll call and ask him, so I get the wording right.

 

Basically, the questions are all variations of, "If we draft you, will you sign?", and, "If you sign, how hard will you work to get where we need you to get?"

 

It's stuff like, "What do you expect to get out of pro ball?"

 

I know this sounds insane, but I've had lots of former players tell me how surprised they were when they first got to the minor leagues. There's kids who would do anything for one day in the majors, but there's also guys who assume they'll make it, so the effort isn't there, and there's guys who have decided they can't make it, so they're content to just play out the season where they're at and have some fun.

 

I think every player I've ever met or interviewed has said something along those lines, they all say how every player on the team in high school, college, etc, is trying to win at all times, and then pro ball is full of mixed agendas.

 

The teams don't want to waste a pick on a kid who won't sign, but they'd rather do that than sign a kid who isn't prepared to work hard, all the time, win or lose.

[splitterpfj]

I talked to him tonight. As the draft gets closer, this is getting more interesting. In the past few days, three teams have asked him how much it will take for him to sign.

 

I know which three teams they are, and I know of a fourth that is coming to watch him again in his next start. He has not heard from Milwaukee.

[splitterpfj]

He was named Conference Pitcher of the Year today, after having been the preseason choice for the same award. Naturally, he got hit around today in the team's first playoff game.

[splitterpfj]

This is really crazy, I could see him going in the 10th round, or not being picked at all. The teams are coming at him fast...the Mets were all over him, but now they say they're out. The Reds are in, as are the Blue Jays and Mariners, he did a private workout for the Dodgers today, and has another with the Angels in a few days.

 

When it gets this close, the activity really picks up, and he's handling it with great poise. His college coach was a 9th round pick once, and there are a couple of retired players in his area, including Frank Catalanotto, who have given him great advice.

 

He absolutely rolled for six weeks, throwing four different pitches well, but then in the opening round of the playoffs he was up in the zone and he got hit...that's the game the Mets' crosschecker saw.

[LouisEly]

Thanks for sharing. This is an example of why the MLB draft is the biggest crap-shoot of all professional sports drafts. With 1200 players picked (30 players for 40 rounds), teams have to scout hundreds of players. There's no way they can watch more than a couple of games for all but their first and maybe second round picks. If a team sees a player on an off-night it may turn them off of a player, but if another team sees the same player on a good night they may draft him in the 10th round or higher. I'm curious as to how many teams have sent scouts to watch him on more than one occasion.

 

Maybe... check that, hopefully... his performance in front of the crosschecker on 4/19 gets him drafted early. If teams are asking what it will take for him to sign, that's a pretty good sign...

[splitterpfj]

I know the Mets, Reds and Blue Jays have been to see him multiple times, I believe Seattle has as well.

 

He's reached the point where teams want to know what it'll take to sign, and now he's doing private workouts, so the interest is obvious. Until the Mets backed off, I hadn't heard anything negative at all.

 

There have been other scouts and coaches who heard the Mets told him no, and they've all told him the Mets organization is a mess, and it wouldn't have been a good situation for him anyway. I don't know if that's accurate, but several people have said it to him.

[splitterpfj]

One other thing, to give the kid a lot of credit, here's what he said to me about not being drafted out of high school:

 

"I got a break. I had one pitch then, the fastball, and it was 89. I had a curve and a change, but they weren't ready for pro ball, so I would have gotten behind the hitters, and I would have had to throw 89 mile an hour fastballs, which would have been crushed. Now, I'm at 92 every day of the week, my curve is my best pitch, I added a slider which has really worked well, and I have the change, I wouldn't be afraid to throw any of them against pro hitters now. You control what you can control, and forget the rest, I didn't get picked, so I went to college and got bigger and stronger, and now I'm ready."

[3and2Fastball]

The kid had a bad start today, everything was up and he gave up 6 in 6. There were several scouts there - some of them waited to talk to him after the game.

 

To his complete surprise, they were happy with the way he threw. They like the repeatable mechanics, the fastball that was consistently 92, and the change he could throw for strikes in any count.

 

He's down tonight because he feels he let his team down, but he's learning that scouts look for a lot more than today's box score.

 

From what I understand, once a kid is labeled a prospect, the scouts look much more at mechanics. attitude and overall makeup than they do at the immediate results of a particular game

[splitterpfj]

3and2, you're right in general, but then you have what the Mets did.

 

The Mets sent a "bird dog", who liked him and sent him up the ladder, then the area scout liked him and sent him up the ladder, then the crosschecker came to watch him. That was the one, the crosschecker would have recommended him to be drafted, but he had his first bad game in two months that day, and the Mets told him they're out for this year.

 

It's obvious the teams don't all work the same. Oakland has called now, and up until just now, he had never even known they had scouted him. When the Angels asked for a workout, it was the first he'd ever heard from them too. Some of these other teams have been in touch for months.

[3and2Fastball]

That was the one, the crosschecker would have recommended him to be drafted, but he had his first bad game in two months that day, and the Mets told him they're out for this year.

 

Interesting. Although we don't know: did he have a bad game because his mechanics were off or did he just have one of those "baseball days" where everything was right in terms of mechanics but the game just didn't work out?

 

I was scouting a kid a few days ago (it's something I do as a hobby but have aspirations to be a coach or scout professionally someday), and he's a sophomore starting on a varsity high school team. He went 0 for 3 that day: smoked a line drive to the warning track that the LF caught, and struck out twice. Also failed to drop down a bunt when his coach called for it. It wasn't a good day but his mechanics, approach at the plate and attitude were off the charts great. His team was losing by 5 runs late in the game and he was being a great team leader, getting the dugout going and making focused plays in the field.....

[splitterpfj]

That day, he came out and warmed up for the game, and then rain hit, so they delayed the start of the game. He went back out and warmed up again, but he just didn't "have it" that day...everything up in the zone. First batter of the game was a walk, next guy, BOOM, 2-run-shot, welcome to the ballgame.

 

I wasn't there, so I can't comment on his mechanics, but I know the Mets are the only team that has backed off. It's just one of those things, he had possibly his worst game of the season that day.

[splitterpfj]

His workout for the Angels today must have impressed someone, they've asked to see him again on Saturday.