Rounds 16-20: Periard, Cain, Ford, Brady, Garcia

[950opsLHcatcher]

More excitement.

 

Round 16: Alexandre Periard, HS RHP, L/R 6'1" 180 1987-06-15, POLYVALENTE DEUX MONTAGNES in Quebec

 

Round 17: Lorenzo Cain, HS Left Fielder, R/R 6'2" 165 1986-04-13, Madison, FL

 

Round 18: Darren Ford, HS Center Fielder, Vineland, NJ

 

Round 19: Josh Brady, College Left Fielder, Texes Tech, Linden, UT

 

Round 20: Jose Garcia, CC RHP, Indian Hills CC

[bjkrautk]

BA has nothing on our first two Canadians...but guy in the sixteenth round is their # 2 prospect from the Great White North. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif

 

Quote:

---

Periard has been well known to Canadian scouts for awhile, but he improved his stock after he performed well at an elite 2003 junior camp in Montreal. An impressive showing with Team Canada on a trip to Florida in March elevated his status further, as he flashed three average pitches and showed a much improved curveball and change. Periard will be one of the youngest players in this year's draft, as he won't turn 17 until June 15. He has a large frame but a slender build with lots of room for development. He has a no windup delivery, and a quick arm from a high three-quarters slot. His fastball sits in the 88-91 mph range with late tailing life, but seems much harder because the ball gets on hitters in a hurry. He complements his fastball with a curve that has good depth and bite and a change with sink and fade. Periard is aggressive with mound presence beyond his years. He projects to have plus command and control of all his pitches, but will need minor mechanical adjustments.

---

[batman]

Canada, eh? We seem to be drafting aboot all the Canucks we can, eh?

 

~Bill

[950opsLHcatcher]

Periard could spent 9 years in the minors and still get to the big leagues at the same age Mike Adams arrived.

[nikip43]

thats what Im talking about...ALEXANDRE PERIARD is 16 years old with mound presence beyond his years. He sounds like a baller I can live with unlike some of the previous picks. This kid should be one to watch and would be a neat sign.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Ain't he a little french sounding? It's almost treasonous, I tell ya...

[madbad2000]

I agree SoCal...so I'm going to reverse the names to create:

 

Erdnaxela Drairep

 

 

Any better?

[nikip43]

link

 

I found an article looking up our latest canadian pitcher and it really doesn't have anything to do with the guy in general, but it has to do with Canadian baseball including a few quotes from the Brewers (including Doug Melvin).

 

interesting read

[bjkrautk]

No BA info on Cain, and no profile for Ford (although he is listed as the # 30 player in N.J.).

[batman]

Nice job today, Toby... you 'da man.

 

~Bill

[colbyjack]

Thanks to everyone for posting the names, links, info, etc. I'm going to start posting profiles on all of our picks, with a few of them already done.

[950opsLHcatcher]

Darren Ford, incognito

http://www.vineland.org/athletics/vhssite03/images/S%20plainfield/d.-ford-sp.jpg

 

Yes, that does say "Fightin Clan".

[batman]

As the picture was loading, I thought to myself "Does that say Fightin' Clan?". Then it finished loading, and I read this:

 

Yes, that does say "Fightin Clan".

 

You're frighteningly preemptive like that, Toby. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

He looks a bit like Willis McGahee to me. Anyone else see that?

 

~Bill

[950opsLHcatcher]

On Lorenzo Cain, from the Tallahassee Democrat earlier this season:

 

Madison County senior outfielder Lorenzo Cain, who will play at Tallahassee Community College next season

 

There's one potential DFEer.

[MassBrew]

On 18th round outfielder Darren Ford from thedailyjournal.com:

 

Darren Ford got his first glimpse of the big-league dream late Thursday night, as he and his mother, Carla, pulled into a Milwaukee hotel after a 14-hour drive.

 

For Ford, a Vineland High senior, the dream was being fulfilled at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Ford, a center fielder, is one of the best baseball players in the (Vineland, New Jersey) area. Last week he participated in pre-draft workouts in preparation for the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, which begins at 1 p.m. today.

 

The draft is 50 rounds, and Ford has received a lot of attention this spring from pro scouts.

 

"I try to block them out," Ford said of the scouts. "I try to play my game the way I know how to play it. But it's real hard. I just have to go out there and do my best. That's what they're looking for."

 

The Brewers, Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves have shown interest in Ford, according to Vineland head coach Tom Ryder. Ford is one of the fastest athletes in the state. He runs the 60-yard dash (the standard tool for measuring baseball speed) in 6.6 seconds.

 

"Rather obviously, in Darren, they saw raw speed," Ryder said. "He's probably the fastest kid I've ever observed."

 

While Ford has big-league dreams, turning professional isn't always the best option.

 

"Most of these kids think they're going to get thousands and thousands, even millions, of dollars," Ryder said. "That just isn't going to happen that many times. ... It's not the big money everyone envisions for some reason."

 

Ryder has been encouraging Ford to consider the junior college route, especially if those big-money dreams don't come true right away.

 

"Imagine how many guys in Major League Baseball who run a 6.6," Ryder said. "It's just a big adjustment. I know on occasion he thinks I'm tough on him, but imagine when someone gives him money to play. Then, it's no longer a game. It's a job you have to succeed in every day."

 

Vineland center fielder Darren Ford, shown diving back into first base -- Staff photo/Barbara Errickson

 

http://www.thedailyjournal.com/news/stories/20030426/localsports/186332-66042.jpg

[MassBrew]

More on the sweet 16-year-old, drafted in Round 16, this from ottawa-online.net on June 1st :

 

Alexandre Periard?s biggest dream is about to come true: since he was 7 years old, he fantasized about playing major-league baseball. Following a series of exhibition games in Florida against college and professional rookie-league teams, Baseball America has ranked the right-handed pitchers as the 50th best draft-eligible high school player.

 

The 16-year-old from St. Eustache has attracted the attention of over 20 major-league teams with his 90 mile-per-hour fastball.

 

He remains modest about his successes; though he admits he enjoys the jolt of adrenaline he experiences when he sees the scouts charting his pitches with their radar guns. ?I?m trying not to put too much pressure on myself. And I shouldn?t, because it would show,? he states.

 

In his first game against the North Iowa Community College Trojans, he struck out five batters in his first two innings, despite it being his first taste of American competition.

 

?In my head, I like to challenge hitters. Just because they were pros didn?t mean I was going to change that,? he says.

 

In games against the rookie-league teams of the Expos, Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets, hitters scored an average of 14 runs against Academie de Baseball Canada pitchers. Despite this slightly dismal statistic, Periard was able to discern some positive knowledge from the experience:

 

?When you pitch against those guys, you learn quick.?

 

Because of his age, Periard is in a unique position?if he doesn?t like where he gets drafted, he can play another year in Quebec and re-enter next year?s draft. This is unlikely, as Periard has his sights set on the pros.

 

?My goal is to be playing pro next year,? he said, adding that if goes later than the 10th round, he would consider re-entering next year.

[bjkrautk]

I think this is the name I heard for pick # 19:

 

Quote:

---

Texas Tech, whose Dan Law Field is the Coors Field of the Big 12 Conference, has its usual share of position players putting up big numbers. The top prospects are 1B Josh Brady (.356-19-84, 30 steals) and OF Michael Mask (.325-14-66). Both are short, stocky guys with compact strokes that feature some uppercut. Brady, part of a national championship team last year at the CC of Southern Nevada, ranked fourth in Division I in RBIs entering the NCAA regionals.

---

 

The Brewers wanted him listed as LF, but I'm pretty sure it was Brady.

 

No info on Jose Garcia, the Iowa / CC player the Brewers took with their 20th pick.

[MassBrew]

Link now, while live; text follows:

 

www.thedailyjournal.com/n...95474.html

 

McConnell, Ford picked on first day

By Geoff Dodd

Staff Writer; gdodd@thedailyjournal.com

 

An area high school baseball player got to live out a childhood dream Monday, as Vineland center fielder Darren Ford was selected on the first day of the 2004 Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers grabbed Ford with the fifth pick of the 18th round (526th overall).

 

Ford is generally considered one of the fastest players in the state, and he used his speed to become one of the state's most dangerous leadoff hitters. He stole 40 bases in 41 attempts, and also scored 31 runs for the Fighting Clan, who finished 21-5 and advanced to the South Jersey Group IV title game for the first time in four years.

 

"It's a dream," Ford, 18, said. "I've been playing baseball since I was 6. It just feels good."

 

Ford still considers college his top option. He will likely attend either Salem County College or Gloucester County College and re-enter the draft next year.

 

"It's great for the kid, though," Vineland coach Tom Ryder said. "Anybody who's ever held a baseball hat has that dream."

 

Look for Ford to be among the many draft-and-follow high schoolers playing JUCO ball next spring -- MassBrew.

[batman]

"Talented transfers pay off for Tech," Dallas Morning News, Byline Brian Davis, June 4, 2004

Quote:

---

Saddled with NCAA probation in April 1998, Texas Tech baseball coach Larry Hays shifted into what he called "survival mode."

 

Losing nine scholarships over three years could cripple a baseball program, which gives out an NCAA maximum of 11.7 scholarships per year. The Red Raiders used junior college transfers as crutches, and they continued qualifying for NCAA regionals from 1999-2002.

 

This year's Tech squad has 20 former junior college players, and many play prominent roles. The Red Raiders (38-19) are back in the NCAA regionals and face Mississippi State today in Atlanta. But Hays wants to better balance the number of junior college and high school recruits in the future so there's no appearance that Tech is simply Transfer U.

 

An NCAA investigation revealed that 81 Tech athletes from eight different sports competed while academically ineligible from 1990-97. The school was penalized 36 scholarships in various sports. Baseball lost three scholarships each year from 2000-02, but no baseball coach was deemed at fault.

 

While on probation, school officials did not want the program to dip dramatically. High school athletes generally need more development. Going the junior college route was the best way to remain competitive until probation was over, Hays said.

 

"It worked every year but one," Hays said, referring to last year's team that finished 30-25 and did not make the playoffs. "Now we're kind of getting through that. We've got about five high school kids coming that we think are going to play right off."

 

Tech coaches beat the junior college bushes and brought in 14 new junior college players this year. Six more transfers were held over as seniors. Only five players on Tech's 25-man playoff roster were recruited from high school.

 

Slapping nametags on everyone's uniforms might have helped the get-to-know-you process.

 

"Everybody was scrapping for their jobs, so there weren't really any friendships in the fall," said junior pitcher Dallas Braden, who transferred from American River College in Sacramento, Calif.

 

"But once we got past the fall, it was pretty easy to form those friendships and those bonds."

 

Several transfers have lived up to their impressive credentials.

 

First baseman Josh Brady played at Community College of Southern Nevada, which won the Junior College World Series last year. Shortstop Cameron Blair of Highland Park played at Grayson College, which finished fourth at the JCWS. Second baseman Jose Delgado was a JUCO All-American at Porterville (Calif.) College.

 

Brady and Blair are the Red Raiders' top hitters with 33 home runs and 161 RBIs combined. Delgado has 10 doubles and is 22-for-26 in stolen bases.

 

Despite their various backgrounds, players are comfortable around Hays because of his laid-back coaching style, junior transfer Matthew Coco said.

 

Hays, who has 1,388 victories in 34 years, outlines what needs to be done and expects results. Players have said over the years that he's not an in-your-face screamer. Hays is an elder in the Green Lawn Church of Christ.

 

"He tells you how it is, and if you don't like it, you need to go somewhere else," said Coco, who is originally from Brisbane, Australia, and transferred from Seminole (Okla.) State College. "There's no messing around."

 

Tech finished third in the Big 12 this season. Now, this team with mish-mashed backgrounds is just five victories away from reaching the College World Series.

---

~Bill

[batman]

"Brady's Perfection Earns Him Recognition," University Daily, Byline Joey Kirk, February 11, 2004

Quote:

---

At 23 years old, first baseman Josh Brady is already experiencing success as a student, a husband, a soon-to-be father and a Texas Tech baseball player. When he thought his life could not be any more perfect, he got a hit every time he stepped up to the plate Friday.

 

In the three-game series against Campbell last weekend, Brady had a perfect second game, going 5-for-5 with four runs and six RBI. This season he is ranked third in batting for Tech with a .571 average, a total of 11 RBI and two home runs.

 

With those statistics, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association believed no other player more deserved to be named the player of the week. Along with that honor, Brady received the Big 12 nomination as its player of the week.

 

In his first year playing for the Red Raiders and after only three games, Brady said the feeling is overwhelming.

 

"It's quite the accomplishment," he said. "This is my third year in college ball."

 

Prior to joining Tech's team, Brady played at the Community College of Southern Nevada for two seasons. After hearing about the Red Raiders from former and current teammate, junior catcher Cooper Fouts, Brady said he wanted to come play for head coach Larry Hays.

 

"I played with [Cooper] my freshman year, and he came up here and I'd heard a lot about it," he said. "He enjoyed it, and being from Utah, I still heard things although it is so far away."

 

Now wearing the red and black, Brady has one season of eligibility after the 2004 campaign. With several written goals, he said there is one that tops the list.

 

"My No. 1 goal is to have fun," Brady said. "That's just one thing. I want to take advantage of things that go my way."

 

Lately things have aligned perfectly for Brady. After getting married in June, he said he and his wife, RaKelly, are already expecting their first child.

 

"I've got a good vibe from the rest of the team about it," Brady said. "It's exciting for me. It makes it a lot easier, in my mind, to have more fun out here."

 

With both Brady and his wife being busy during the days, he said Hays makes it easier with time off at night.

 

"She makes it easy on me and on my free time," Brady said. "She works as well during the days so she's pretty busy."

 

On the diamond, Brady had to adjust to playing first base rather than originally planned. Because of injuries, Hays said Brady stepped in to fill the spot and has shown potential to keep him there all season long.

 

"We didn't intend him to play there. He was gonna play in the outfield and back up in the infield," he said. "It may just work out for him, though. He's done a good job and added depth to our lineup."

 

At the plate, Hays said Brady has enough mental toughness to play well at Tech and against top competitors in the nation.

 

"He had a great weekend. He's a good hitter, and we hope that he has a lot of those streaks," he said. "He's doing those things and hopefully that's the kind of player he is."

 

Getting ready for his at-bats, Brady said slowing down the pace of the game was important to his success.

 

"I was taught to slow my thoughts," he said. "I slowed down my body and slowed down the game and it worked perfectly."

 

For the future and what it holds, Brady said he does not know but hopes his success continues to be as sweet.

 

"I've worked hard and I just have to keep my composure," he said. "It's a humbling game and it can bite you at anytime."

---

~Bill

[MassBrew]

From Lindon, Utah, hometown of 19th round OF Josh Brady out of Texas Tech:

 

Pleasant Grove's Josh Brady was taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 19th round. Brady just finished his junior year at Texas Tech and must now decide whether or not to take a shot at professional baseball. Brady hit .365, with 20 home runs and 88 RBI.

 

"I know the biggest reason I went so late was because of my age (23). I know that if I turn it down, I will be turning (professional baseball) down for good," Brady said. "I just had a daughter two weeks ago and I've got to decide if that's what I want to do. I'm excited to come back to school too, so either way."

 

Brady says he's three semesters away from graduating and looks forward to getting a degree in accounting.

 

If Brady does sign with the Brewers he will likely start his career with Helena in the Pioneer League, which means he would play against the Provo Angels.

 

"That would be fun to play (in Provo)," Brady added. "But it all depends on what they come up with."