Breaking News -- 6th Round Pick Wooley Signs!

[BrewDude]

Oh where could he be? Wasting his time holding out when he could be helping the baby Bs!! Anyone heard anything yet?

[MassBrew]

From his hometown Indiana paper Sunday:

 

Robbie Wooley, Taylor, co-MVP

 

Wooley reigned as the king of the hill again this season, and finished with an 11-1 record and 0.90 ERA. In 77 2Ú3 innings of work, he racked up 149 strikeouts and allowed just 34 hits and 22 walks.

 

"Every kid on every opposing team wanted to be able to say they hit the ball off Robbie Wooley. That is a lot of pressure, plus he had the pressure of having pro scouts at every one of his games. Every game he pitched, he was under the gun -- but he handled it all beautifully and he performed great," Phares said.

 

Wooley helped the Titans finish with a 22-7-1 record which included MIC and Sheridan Sectional championships. He earned the Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year award, and the Milwaukee Brewers called his name in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft. He has not made his choice yet between the Brewers and the University of Cincinnati.

 

Wooley also topped the all-county team as a junior, and he is the first player to make the all-county team all four years of his career. He finished with a bevy of outstanding career statistics including a 41-6 record, 1.21 ERA and 497 strikeouts -- ranking third in state history in wins and eighth in strikeouts.

 

"I imagine it will be a long time before we see someone dominate like Robbie has for four years," Phares said. "He was a coach's dream in that you didn't have to worry about his work ethic or commitment to the game -- he always worked year round which was a big reason he had a fabulous career."

 

What we're likely looking at:

 

A parallel to last year's deadline signing of RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, just before classes begin -- Tom saw his first pro action this year and is doing well. What's so glamorous about the University of Cincinnati? Heck, the Brewers are offering Helena, Montana -- Big Sky country, baby! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[cressj]

slot-wise I would say Wooley should be in the $160,000 - $165,000 range. He would be foolish to turn that kind of money down as an 18 year old.

[BrewDude]

I agree with you Cress!! I would have jumped at that chance at cash like that. Just hope we can get him signed before too long, so we don't have another Tom Wilhemson deal. I want him to get some reps this season.

[MassBrew]

Picks 2-12 now signed:

 

Link:

May require registration, see photo here, article also pasted below...

 

www.kokomotribune.com/story.asp?id=8587

 

By BRYAN GASKINS

Kokomo Tribune sportswriter

 

FORT WAYNE -- Taylor High School baseball standout Robbie Wooley spent the last five weeks mulling over an enviable win-win decision: He could either sign a pro contract with the Milwaukee Brewers or continue his career at the University of Cincinnati.

 

"It was off and on. One day I'd say I was going to college, the next day I'd say I was going pro," Wooley said of his mindset during the negotiation process with the Brewers. "I just wanted to make a decision, because that felt like the longest month of my life. I knew there was no wrong answer -- I just had to go with what felt right."

 

Wooley leaned toward pro ball all along, and he made his decision official here Sunday at Indiana Tech when he signed with the Brewers in a ceremony at home plate following the final game of the 29th annual Indiana All-Star Series. He pitched three innings of no-hit relief for the North team and came away with the win in the game.

 

Wooley wore a big smile and a Brewers hat after signing his pro contract.

 

"This is a dream come true," he said. "I had a lot of pressure on my back as I went through the decision process. Now, I am looking forward to the future."

 

Milwaukee selected Wooley in the sixth round of the 50-round draft last month. He will report to the Brewers' rookie team in Phoenix, Ariz., either Tuesday or Wednesday for his first taste of pro ball. The Arizona Brewers' schedule has about six weeks remaining.

 

Milwaukee area scout Mike Farrell is eager to see how Wooley fares in the rookie league.

 

"I think Robbie is a guy who has a legitimate chance to pitch in the big leagues. I think that [his talent and mental makeup] maybe allows him to do that fairly quickly," Farrell said. "There is a possibility he could be sitting on the doorstep in a few years.

 

"I think he may be a guy who throws harder in the future, and I think the breaking ball and changeup are both going to be [key] pitches for him," Farrell added. "What he is right now is pretty good -- but we're talking about an 18-year-old who has the chance to improve. In that respect, I feel really comfortable with his pro potential."

 

Wooley finished his Taylor career with a 41-6 record, 1.21 ERA and 497 strikeouts -- ranking third in state history in wins and eighth in strikeouts. Now, he is eager to see how he fares against tougher competition.

 

"Challenge is my middle name," he said. "I am going to keep my work ethic at 100 percent, and I am never going to slack off because I am going to be doing something I love. Not every kid gets this chance. I want to make the most of my chance."

 

Farrell loves that attitude.

 

"The wonderful thing about him is that we know he is going to work hard, and guys who work hard and really want this thing are the ones who have success," he said.

 

Wooley closed his prep career in style, helping the North team win two of three games against the South team in the All-Star Series. He also received the state pitcher of the year award Friday during an All-Star banquet.

 

"State pitcher of the year is a great accomplishment," he said. "There are a lot of guys who could have won that award. I feel honored they chose me."

 

The North and South teams split a pair of games Saturday, with the North winning the opener 6-4 and the South rallying for an 11-10 win in the nightcap. Wooley was called on for an unexpected relief appearance in the second game, and his wild pitch allowed the winning run to score.

 

He bounced back to pitch three innings of no-hit relief Sunday to help the North beat the South 2-1. He struck out three, walked two and came away with the win. He also received a taste of pro ball in the game -- hitters had to use wooden bats in the finale of the series.

 

"One of the highlights of the weekend for me was when I went back to the hotel [saturday] after we lost the second game. A lot of guys were keeping me up, which shows the loyalty among Indiana players," Wooley said. "Florida, Texas and California have awesome players, but not all of them have heart. Indiana players have so much heart. I tip my hat to everyone of these players out here."

[colbyjack]

Great news. Thanks as always for your tireless web searching & sharing Jim.

 

Signing our first 12 picks is pretty impressive, as I think everyone is pretty confident that Weeks will eventually sign, even if it's taking a while. We have now signed 24 of our 50 draftees. Some of the remaining are bound to get away (Zink, Ayers, Maday, probably Meier), as many as 18 by my count are DFE candidates, and I'm guessing the Brewers will still sign 2-3 more guys. Garrett Bussiere remains at the top of my wish list (past Weeks of course).

 

At this point in time a successful '03 draft for the Brewers.

[nikip43]

the kid sounds like a player

 

another arm added to the system...great work management

[danzig6677]

Hey Colby why didnt he get drafted sooner??

 

Was his height his big drawback since it sounds like he throws pretty hard along with having decent secondary pitches.

[colbyjack]

Yeah, I'm sure height played a part in him "falling" until the 6th round. He may not even be 6' tall, but plenty of pitchers these days are proving you don't have to be 6'5" to pitch effectively.

 

However, going in the 6th round isn't that bad of a thing, as picks in the top 10 rounds are generally pretty well thought of. If he did indeed fall, he probably didn't fall that much further than expected.

 

Plus, I remember reading that he was considered signable, and therefore teams might have let him slide figuring they could always sign him if they took him later. He was committed to the University of Cincinnati, and while Cincinnati I'm sure is a fine school, it doesn't have the calling of a North Carolina, Rice, Duke or Stanford.

 

Of course, being considered signable can work 2 ways. A signable player might also be taken earlier than expected because they're viewed as cheap. This seems to be similar to how Tom Wilhelmsen was handled last year, who also figured to go earlier than the 7th round. As Tom himself told me, teams seem to think that he too was pro-bound almost regardless of where he was taken, and therefore they let him slide down the charts a little bit to see if they could get him later. Obviously, there were no concerns about Wilhelmsen's stature, which is why I'm still surprised why no one took him earlier. I have heard that some scouts had concerns with Wilhelmsen's delivery & overall mechanics, and there may have been similar issues with Wooley.

 

When & if the bonus figure is released, we'll probably see that number be slightly more than slot value.

[danzig6677]

You follow this draft stuff more closely Colby,explain this fear of drafting short pitchers,i just dont get it.

 

If a guy is 5'10-5'11 and throws 95 and another guy is 6'2 and also throws 95 with both having an equal curveball,why will the shorter guy often get drafted at least a few rounds later or maybe even more than a few rounds later??

 

What am i missing here??

[PeaveyFury]

What am i missing here??

 

I'm certainly not an expert, but it has something to do with the release point of the ball from the pitcher's hand. I.E. the taller a pitcher is, the less time a batter has to pick up the ball, it's movement, etc because it's being released at a point closer to the plate.

[MattFlair]

Well I was going to say that I thought I heard that the short guys get injured more, but I'm not sure if thats right or not.

 

Matt

[NastyTwig]

From what I've heard, taller pitchers have longer ligaments over which to disperse the force required to throw a baseball. This results in less injuries. Probably not right, but it sounds pretty good.

[BrewDude]

Just glad to have Wooley signed. It will be interesting to see him throw and what kind of makeup he will have against pro competition.

[colbyjack]

Peavey, MattFlair & NastyTwig all hit on good points.

 

Taller pitchers are expected to be able to throw harder & be more durable in the process because their stature & limbs are longer, typically have more space for muscle mass & longer ligaments & tendons to take on the stress.

 

The release point is also a big key. A 6'6" guy is going to be releasing the ball closer to home plate than a 6'0" or shorter. As we all know, that matter of inches could be a huge advantage for a pitcher.

 

Plus, a shorter pitcher is also going to be throwing from a flatter plane. This is where you hear about really tall pitchers throwing from a natural downward plane, because all of their pitches appear as though they're sinking hard.

 

Of course, this isn't always the case, and in fact, far from it. Jimmy Haynes has the perfect pitcher's build & throws one of the straightest fastballs I've ever seen, regardless if it sits in the low 90s. Then you have Roy Oswalt, who reportedly is 6'0" on a good day yet has some of the nastiest stuff you've ever seen. A's heralded RHP prospect Rich Harden also is only 6'1", and I've heard that is a generous measurement, yet he can touch 98 with good movement & also throws a nasty breaking pitch.

 

And tall guys are naturally what scouts call more projectable, in that they have more room to grow. A stocky 6'0" guy has less room to grow, and therefore has likely maxed out on his potential to add more velocity. Of course, if the guy is already throwing 94 with a good curveball & changeup, they already have pretty good stuff, while mechanics can always be tinkered with.

 

All of this is thrown out the window with lefties. Obviously, you would prefer to have a 6'6" lefty over a 6'0" lefty, but if you find a southpaw that can throw in the mid-90s, such as Scott Kazmir, teams could care less how tall he is.

 

So, if all things are even, teams more often than not are going to take the guy with the height advantage.

[mls4]

Is there ever a sport that is biased towards small, short people?

 

I guess I could be a jockey. That's about it.

[xisxisxis]

So, if all things are even, teams more often than not are going to take the guy with the height advantage.

 

We can discuss all the theories we want, but it just comes down to the fact that chicks dig tall pitchers.

[Katuluu]

Is there ever a sport that is biased towards small, short people?

 

Short track speed skating. The sport of kings and midgets.

[pogokat]

go cart racing....the smaller the man, the faster the cart

[tlpc4]

dwarf bowling?

[950opsLHcatcher]

If popping out of the womb was a sport...

[mothershipconnection]

Is there ever a sport that is biased towards small, short people?

Wizard of Oz re-enactment tournaments.

http://cache.eonline.com/News/Photos/h/hank.angry.dwarf.090501.jpg

http://www.hankthedwarf.com/images/hank-beetle.jpg

EDIT: sorry, had to add this pic, it's one of the greatest pictures ever.

[deeswan]

Man, it is amazing how fast a thread can deteriorate around here.

[Al the Thinking Man]

Many soccer players are petite. The only sport that comes to mind that you actually see short people do well consistently is distance running. And, when you get to world class, I assume longer strides give the advantage to tall folks as well.

[MassBrew]

Yeah, I'm picturing Robbie Wooley's parents being excited about finding Brewerfan.net, the 2003 draft forum, and then this thread.

 

And then Hank the Angry Dwarf shows up, among others.

 

By the way, I live in a suburb of Fall River, Massachusetts, Hank's hometown, and married a Fall River girl. Yes, his passing was headline news here.

 

Plenty of room for the other stuff in the Off-Topic forum, guys.