Brewers' Second Round Pick - Yovani Gallardo, HS RHP

[950opsLHcatcher]

Yovani Gallardo is a high school righty from a Texas high school.

[Vgmastr]

MLB.com says:

 

TALL, LEAN, ATHLETIC BODY. SLENDER TORSO. STRONG, WELL DEVELOPED THIGHS & REAR. SIMILAR TO ESTEBAN LOIAZA. NO WINDUP, HIGH 3/4 DELIVERY. LIVE FB, MOST PLUS VELOCITY BORING INTO RHH, SINK WHEN DOWN, OCCAISIONAL CUT ACTION. TIGHT ROTATION, DOWN 3/4, SNAPPING CB. ALSO THROWS STRAIGHT CHANGE. REPEATS DELIVERY WELL. CLEAN, BALANCED DELIVERY. LOOSE, VERY QUICK ARM W/ GOOD EXTENTION. AGGRESSIVE, COMPETITOR. MAINTAINS VELOCITY. FUTURE 15-20 GAME ML WINNER.

[filthyfrog]

I'll say it before David gets a chance:

 

It looks like the strategy this year is 5 pitchers, 5 position players, 5 pitchers, 5 position players. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[EdgarDiazRocks]

WELL DEVELOPED THIGHS & REAR

 

Well there's something you don't read everyday.

[madbad2000]

I believe the Yankees took Brett Smith??? The lady said it was a reselection

[colbyjack]

Is Cordier still on the board?

 

I really like the pick of Gallardo. Great fastball-curve combo. Nice job so far Jack!

[batman]

Why, oh why, didn't they take Billy Buckner?

 

~Bill

[madbad2000]

Cordier still on the board Patrick...as well as Jaramillo

[colbyjack]

I'm bummed that they didn't take Cordier, or Jaramillo, but Gallardo is still a great pick at that spot. In one of my mock drafts I had him going 10th overall to the Rangers.

 

Who knows, maybe Cordier will slide to our 3rd round pick, although he shouldn't based on his talent. How 'bout 3 prep righties with our first 3 picks? David will like that http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

[batman]

Jaramillo just went to the Phillies.

 

Cordier just went the next pick to the KC Royals.

 

~Bill

[batman]

I'm watching Yovani Gallardo's scouting video and he looks good... better than Rogers, even http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Reminds me a little of Wilhelmson. He's got a bit of a funky "toe tap" in his windup but he's got a high leg kick and a very fluid delivery and extended follow-through.

 

I would still rather have chosen Cordier, Jaramillo, or Buckner (or Symanzski), but them's the breaks.

 

~Bill

[bjkrautk]

Since I finally got into BA... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eyes.gif

 

Quote:

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Gallardo struck out 25 in a March victory against Fort Worth crosstown rival North Side High, but scouts were shaking their heads because he needed 11 innings and 148 pitches to do so. His workload has been more reasonable since, easing concerns about the co-outstanding pitcher at the Perfect Game/Baseball America World Wood Bat Championship last October. Six-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Gallardo uses a strong leg drive to launch 91-94 mph fastballs, and his three-quarters breaking ball is a plus pitch at times. On the season, he went 5-4, 1.38 and struck out 143 in 61 innings. He has committed to Texas Christian but is expected to sign as an early second-rounder.

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[Al the Thinking Man]

Sounds like the Crew is one of those "gutsy" teams willing to take HS pitchers.

[emunney]

So why did he fall? Concerns about HS pitchers? Signability? I noticed Szymanski went two picks later to the Reds. Why would a five-tool college player fall out of the first round?

[batman]

Sports Network Draft Profile of Yovani Gallardo:

Quote:

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Position: RHP

High School: Trimble Technical (Fort Worth, TX)

College: None

Height: 6-2

Weight: 190

 

Is projected as a late first-round or early second-round selection...Led the team in every offensive category and was the best pitcher...Even though he was 5-4 with a 1.38 ERA this season and gave up 26 runs, he was hurt by errors as only 12 runs were earned...Had 143 strikeouts against just 10 walks in 61 innings...Topped the team in average (.53http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/glasses.gif , homers (7) and RBI (36)...Fastball consistently tracked at 91-92 mph and tops out at 96 mph...Head coach Michael Frick noted Gallardo has a good curve ball and is still working on his change-up, but has improved that drastically this year...Also played shortstop this season and had a .925 fielding percentage...Weakness can be work ethic and will have to stick to a schedule...Committed to TCU, but not likely to attend if he receives the right contract.

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~Bill

[batman]

"Advisers Calling Signals For Prospects," The Dallas Morning News, Byline Chuck Carlton, June 7, 2004, Sports

Quote:

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They might be lawyers, former players or the next-door neighbor.

 

They can bring expertise that clarifies the confusing annual crapshoot known as the amateur baseball draft. Or they can muddy the waters further.

 

For better or worse, advisers are as much a part of baseball's grass-roots cast of characters as scouts and can't-miss prospects. Under NCAA rules, players may have family advisers and retain amateur eligibility.

 

Coppell, Texas, shortstop Seth Garrison, who could go in the early rounds of Monday's draft, has former Ranger pitcher Bobby Witt advising him.

 

"It's helped me a lot with what I should and shouldn't do," Garrison said. "I don't think I'd be anywhere close to where I am now knowing about the draft and what goes on. He's given me a lot of insight on what to look for, what's going to happen."

 

Advisers are not reimbursed for their services. No contract can be signed.

 

Players aren't allowed to receive benefits from their advisers, be it meals, transportation or use of a cellphone.

 

Nor are they allowed to negotiate.

 

The advisers hope that when the players eventually turn pro, they'll be retained as agents. Nothing is guaranteed. The players could eventually sign with a different firm.

 

The advisers' attraction: money, with top draft picks commanding $1 million bonuses.

 

Players and their families receive, well, advice.

 

Free.

 

"Ultimately, we try to provide the family with comparables, what guys have done in previous drafts," Witt said. "They will be the ones ultimately making the decision. We do not try to interfere. We try to make sure we give them the best possible advice and that they see every different angle."

 

Since retiring in 2002 after 16 seasons, Witt has worked for CSMG, a major sports management firm. He still lives in Colleyville.

 

Among the players he's advising are Garrison and Fort Worth Trimble Tech pitcher Yovani Gallardo.

 

Witt, the third player taken in the 1985 draft, knows the process first-hand.

 

He has company. Most of the significant sports management firms are involved _ IMG, Octagon, Scott Boras _ as well as smaller firms.

 

Jack Giesey of Plano, Texas, advised Plano East's Wes Bankston, who was Tampa Bay's fourth-round pick in 2002.

 

"They try to keep a watchful eye on everybody involved in that area," Giesey said. "You don't see shoe deals, and you don't hear of the kickbacks. . . . I think you ought to protect the kid, who obviously has a big future or else people wouldn't be paying attention to him."

 

The market is competitive.

 

Pam Clark, the mother of highly ranked Rockwall catcher Preston Clark, said her family interviewed seven firms over a three-month period last year. They picked Diamond Talent, a relatively new firm.

 

"People say you don't need anybody, but this is a huge process," Pam Clark said. "Preston has been contacted by 27 of the 30 different (Major League) teams. He's been told different things, so it's nice to have someone to bounce things off."

 

In the best-case scenario, everyone benefits.

 

Sometimes it doesn't work.

 

Duncanville coach Bob Rombach has seen 25 of his players drafted in

 

the past two decades. Few had designated advisers.

 

"I'm not sure that people who have kids who are in that draftable situation think of the adviser being a negative. They always think of the adviser being a positive," Rombach said. "In some cases, these advisers give bad advice. Probably in the case of Bobby Witt, he knows what he's talking about. His reputation precedes him.

 

"I suspect all across the country, maybe not just around here, there are advisers giving kids bad advice."

 

Sometimes the goals of the adviser can conflict with the coach, especially with pitchers. Everything from usage to pitch counts can be a flash point.

 

Coppell's Don English coached Bankston and Garrison. He said he did not have problems with either adviser.

 

"Honestly, I don't care if Cy Young questions my pitch-calling or how I handle pitchers," English said. "If I was a young coach, that might be a negative, and I may feel some pressure. But I have full confidence in what I know."

 

Witt and English talked in the fall about everything from Garrison to the new Texas Collegiate League.

 

"He's helping Seth with the future and pro baseball if it comes along and really did not interfere with our team, Seth and my coaching," English said. "I'm not sure if that's always the case."

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~Bill

[batman]

"Who's To Say When Enough Is Enough," The Dallas Morning News, April 23, 2004

Quote:

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Fort Worth Trimble Tech pitcher Yovani Gallardo is a major league prospect. Scouts expect Gallardo, a 6-2, 190-pound senior who has signed with TCU, to be selected in the first three rounds of the Major League Baseball draft in June. The son of Mexican immigrants, Gallardo, whose fastball is consistently clocked between 91 and 94 mph, raised eyebrows by throwing 148 pitches in a game this season. He understands that his arm could make him rich, but how much throwing is too much?

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~Bill

[batman]

"Fast And Loose," The Dallas Morning News, Byline Tim MacMahon, April 23, 2004

Quote:

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The folks in the dugouts and bleachers at Buck Sansom Park buzzed with anticipation when Yovani Gallardo toed the rubber on this Sunday afternoon in early April.

 

It isn't often that a major league prospect pitches in a men's amateur league.

 

Gallardo was playing shortstop when a towering home run trimmed his team's lead to two runs. It was enough to make him march to the pitcher's mound, take the ball and seize control of the game.

 

Gallardo made some past-their-prime men, which describes most of the players in this league, look ridiculous in the process of recording five outs for the save. He also took quite a risk with his precious right arm, pitching less than two days after throwing 101 pitches in a game for Fort Worth Trimble Tech.

 

"I don't think it's a good thing," said Bobby Witt, a former Rangers pitcher who is Gallardo's adviser. "I think I'm going to have to talk to Yo about it. It's kind of hard to get across to Yo because he just loves to play the game of baseball."

 

Gallardo, like many elite pitching prospects, faces a predicament. Scouts, coaches and other baseball experts preach that protecting his arm should be his top priority. Such caution goes against his competitive nature. He wants to win - whether it's a sandlot or select game - which means he wants the ball.

 

Scouts expect Gallardo, a 6-2, 190-pound senior who has signed with TCU, to be selected in the first three rounds of the Major League Baseball draft in June. The son of Mexican immigrants, Gallardo said he understands that his arm could make him rich. But he looks at baseball as a game, not a business.

 

A study by a committee that included renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews determined that an 18-year-old should rest his arm a minimum of four days after throwing 90 or more pitches. Why would Gallardo jeopardize his arm in a game that means nothing, save for some neighborhood bragging rights?

 

Gallardo, a shy, modest type, offered little more than a shrug for an answer. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, just a kid having a little fun.

 

Witt wasn't aware that Gallardo played - much less occasionally pitched - on a team full of family members in the amateur league. And it's not the only instance that caused Witt to worry about Gallardo's arm this year:

 

*Gallardo pitched four innings of relief four days after starting a game. He pitched poorly in the second outing, a loss to Fort Worth Western Hills.

 

*Gallardo pitched 11 innings in a March 23 win over Fort Worth North Side. He struck out 25 but threw 148 pitches.

 

Trimble Tech coach Michael Frick caught flak after allowing Gallardo to go the distance against North Side. Frick had never handled a premier pitching prospect before coaching Gallardo.

 

After the fallout from the North Side game, Frick vowed not to endanger Gallardo's future in pursuit of the program's first playoff bid since 1995. Frick has since limited his ace to 100 pitches and one outing per week. Trimble Tech has since fallen from contention.

 

"I don't want to win a game so bad that I'll blow his career," Frick said. "We all want to win. But he's got a million-dollar arm."

 

College or pros?

 

Gallardo doesn't have to search far for evidence of the effects of overuse on a pitcher's arm. His father, Jorge, cannot straighten his right arm.

 

While growing up in southwestern Mexico, Jorge Gallardo and his seven brothers worked on the family farm six days a week and played baseball in open fields on Sundays - selling corn, beans and eggs in the crowd to pay for the balls.

 

Jorge, a hard-throwing right-hander, occasionally would pitch two games in a day.

 

A welder who immigrated to Fort Worth 15 years ago with his wife and young son, Jorge pitched until he felt a painful pop in his elbow about eight years ago. He never bothered to see a doctor.

 

"Mostly because of money, but I also never had an interest to do so," Jorge said through an interpreter. "My youth already passed."

 

Yovani, on the other hand, has a bright future in baseball. He cemented his status as a top prospect with several spectacular showings in select ball last year, earning co-MVP honors at an elite 75-team tournament.

 

TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said he wouldn't be surprised if Gallardo opted to take a big-league team's money instead of playing college ball in his hometown.

 

There is no pressure from Gallardo's parents, who say they aren't even sure whether they'd move with their other three children out of their apartment if Yovani received a big signing bonus.

 

"I've got to wait for the draft and see how it goes," Gallardo said. "We'll deal with it when it gets here."

 

If Yovani gets to the majors, Jorge said, "it would be a surprise. I don't want to have any illusions."

 

Smooth delivery

 

Scouts armed with radar guns sit in clusters behind the backstop at Trimble Tech games when Gallardo pitches, regardless of the level of competition.

 

For example, a dozen scouts watched Gallardo throw a five-inning, 15-strikeout no-hitter at Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt. And 27 scouts showed up for a scrimmage against Fort Worth Dunbar.

 

"I wasn't worried about that," Tony Vital, Gallardo's catcher and close friend, said of the scouts. "I was worried about my hand, wondering what it was going to look like after the game."

 

Gallardo's fastball is consistently clocked between 91 and 94 mph and has reached as high as 96.

 

Scouts consider Gallardo's curveball above average. His changeup, while a work in progress, is good enough to make hitters thinking fastball look foolish.

 

Gallardo, who has 117 strikeouts in 50 innings this season, impresses scouts with his smooth delivery. Scouts said his effortless motion reduces the likelihood of the arm trouble that makes high school pitchers the biggest draft risks.

 

One of the guys

 

Of course, throwing 148 pitches in a game certainly increases the odds of injury.

 

Gallardo told Frick he'd had enough after striking out the side in the 10th inning against North Side. He changed his mind after his team took the lead in the top of the 11th.

 

"I just wanted to win the game, I guess," said Gallardo, whose teammates encouraged him to pitch the final inning.

 

Frick defended his decision to let Gallardo pitch on by pointing out that Gallardo didn't pitch again for 10 days. Frick also said he consulted Gallardo and the pitcher's father before letting him finish the game.

 

Witt and Schlossnagle said it's the coach's responsibility to protect a prospect.

 

"I couldn't look that kid's parents in the eye after a surgery and say, 'Well, he told me'" he was OK, Schlossnagle said.

 

There are no outward signs that Gallardo's right arm is damaged. His fastball was consistently in the low 90s in his last start, a 17-strikeout shutout of O.D. Wyatt. He has moved up Baseball America magazine's rankings of high school prospects from No. 24 to No. 8 since the season began.

 

Gallardo seems embarrassed by all the attention. He doesn't have a superstar's persona. He's most at ease after practice when he's hanging with the boys at the Jack in the Box a couple of blocks from school.

 

Gallardo prefers being just one of the guys to being put on a pedestal. He acknowledges, however, that he will have opportunities that his teammates can only dream about.

 

"I know my arm is going to get me somewhere," Gallardo said.

 

As long as he takes care of it.

 

--

 

Other Notes from the pictures:

 

Yovani Gallardo, 18, is a hard-throwing right-hander - just as his father was in his youth. Jorge Gallardo, who sometimes pitched two games in a day, was eventually sidelined by elbow trouble.

 

Scouts are a common sight at Trimble Tech games.

 

Fort Worth Trimble Tech pitcher Yovani Gallardo throws in the low-to mid- 90 mph range and has struck out 117 batters in 50 innings.

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~Bill

[batman]

"High School Baseball Preview," The Dallas Morning News, Byline David McNabb, February 24, 2004

Quote:

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At many of Fort Worth Trimble Tech's games this year, pro scouts may outnumber spectators. Trimble Tech, a downtown high school next to Harris Hospital, is home to fast-rising pitching prospect Yovani Gallardo.

 

For Tech's first scrimmage this season, four pro teams wanted to watch Gallardo throw to nine batters.

 

"It started the summer before last," Gallardo said. "I could throw the ball harder. It just happened."

 

A 6-2 right-hander, Gallardo's fastball has been timed at 95 mph. TCU signed him in November, but Gallardo's reputation has spread quickly. Baseball America rates Gallardo the 24th-best pro prospect in the country.

 

Tech will be hard-pressed to stay in the middle of Fort Worth's usually strong 4A district.

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~Bill

[TheRightAnswerInFlushing]

This guy will have a better career than Rogers.

[tyguy20204]

Hopefully they'll monitor his throwing very closely.

 

Seems like a good guy and good prospect.

[scoop53714]

Flushing, why do you think he will have a better career than Rogers?? Is he a top of the rotation prospect?? Will he also have a better career than Baily??

[hscoach]

I coached him his junior year and he is a great guy. Very coachable and will work hard, I have always been a Braves fan but since they drafted Yo go Brew Crew!!!!

[The Big Cheese]

Does anyone have any pictures of Gallardo from him pitching in a game? I'd really like to see how he looks and I can't access the MLB scouting video.

 

So if anyone has any pictures of Yovani please post them!

[hardytheman]

I coached him his junior year and he is a great guy. Very coachable and will work hard, I have always been a Braves fan but since they drafted Yo go Brew Crew!!!!

 

 

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so we have you to blame for throwing 148 pitches in a game?