Rounds 11-15: LeClerq, Albers, Ayala, Richardson, Johnson

[SoCalBrewfan]

Pitchers are scary, and we've got a lot of them in this draft. It's very possible that we get nothing for our efforts...they all blow out. Still, the system is in an enviable position, where there's enough depth that a lot of high-risk/high-reward picks might make some sense. That's been the Braves' philosophy for a while now, and they have done reasonably well...including the use of Wainright to get JD Drew.

 

Of course, there's two ways to evaluate the draft...pick by pick, see who's chosen vs. who's on the board, look at tools, performance, whatever your poison...or you can look at the global trends....high picks on HS arms, not many middle IF. It's very possible that colby can see a B looking at the details and that greg can see a D looking at the trends...but both points of view may well be incomplete. The baseball draft is such a crapshoot, they might both be right as well. In some cases, one guy can make a draft worthwhile...and it could be Salome or some DFE, or a risky HS pitcher.

 

Bottom line for me: I used to get pretty worked up about the draft. For a lot of reasons, I just watch out of the corner of my eye now, with interest, but without much excitement or rancor. It'll be fun to watch these guys, whatever comes...and of course it may be that we've got our own Beckett, or just a bunch of Tyrone Hills.

 

In a completely unrelated thought, I think it's very cool that the second rounder is named 'Yo'

[danzig6767]

The Gammons article stated from 1988-1999

 

62% of first round college pitchers made it to the bigs and 43% of HS pitchers did the same.While that obviously shows the odds favor the college guys,it's hardly enough to predict near sure gloom and doom like Greg stated.The team essentially assumed about an extra 20% risk to draft a guy they thought had a higher ceiling,i can live with that.

 

As it is,plenty of those college arms drafted in the first 2 rounds will be either busts or midling major league pitchers.In your gambling analogy you likened it it to gambling without knowing the odds and percentages.Well playing the percentages will over the long haul is in your best interests,but each hand or race your betting on is it's own entity.Sometimes you place your bet on the the riskier choice in hopes of a bigger payoff.Those bets while not ALWAYS prudent,can payoff big.I trust Jack Z enough that i dont think he just randomly bet the trifecta instead of the quinella without reason.Now if i felt he took a hit with 20 showing,i'd be in your camp.

[MassBrew]

Link while live, text below:

 

www.tribstar.com/articles...orts01.txt

 

Lenny Leclercq drafted

Vikings' shortstop picked in 11th round by Milwaukee Brewers

By Andy Amey/Tribune-Star

 

There was an unusual guest at the West Vigo High School spring sports banquet Monday night -- Milwaukee Brewers scout Mike Farrell.

 

Farrell, the former Indiana State University pitcher and part-time Tribune-Star sports reporter of a few years ago, was there for more than a free meal. His team was in the process of drafting Viking shortstop Lenny Leclercq in the 11th round of Monday's Major League Baseball draft.

 

"I had a good idea [being drafted] was going to happen," Leclercq admitted in a telephone interview later Monday. "It's still exciting though."

 

"He's pretty excited," said Coach Steve DeGroote of his shortstop. "Everybody is."

 

Leclercq is the first Viking drafted by the majors since Casey DeGroote, the coach's son, was taken by the New York Yankees, also in the 11th round, in 1998. Former Terre Haute South pitcher Jason Hickman was drafted out of Ball State in the eighth round of the 2000 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

Leclercq hopes to help the Vikings defeat Brebeuf at 7 p.m. today in a Class 3A regional game at West Vigo, then play three more games before getting the information necessary to decide between signing with the Brewers or using his scholarship at Indiana University.

 

"[Farrell] said he can't talk any financial stuff with me because I'm still playing [high school baseball]," Leclercq said. "Hopefully June 20 [one day after the state finals] I can make my decision."

 

"God's given him some tools, and he's taken advantage of them," DeGroote said of Leclercq. "Now he has a big decision to make."

[MassBrew]

Came across this interesting "almost pick" from the Round 11-15 time frame, thus placing this in this thread...

 

Fort Myers (FL) News-Press:

 

Jeff Corsaletti?s Major League Baseball draft experience didn?t leave him with good feelings.

 

But a few more bucks could change that.

 

The Cleveland Indians chose the University of Florida junior outfielder in the 22nd round Tuesday.

 

Problem was, Corsaletti was led to believe he?d be chosen Monday.

 

?Leading up to the draft, the Milwaukee Brewers were most interested,? said Corsaletti, a Charlotte High School graduate. ?During the ninth round, they called and said, ?We want to sign you in the 11th. Will you sign?? I told them yes, but they didn?t take me.

 

?The (Colorado) Rockies also called me in the 13th round but didn?t pull the trigger.

 

?I learned a big lesson. It?s a crapshoot. You can?t trust anybody, and you can?t go on what scouts say.?

 

Cleveland drafted Corsaletti despite the fact he said he wouldn?t sign for their first offer of a $30,000 bonus or their second of $40,000.

 

?They called back and said, ?Jeff, we?ll try to get you as much we can get you.? ? Corsaletti said.

 

?The money has to be right. I have a lot to go back to. Coach (Pat McMahon at Florida) is a great guy.?

 

Corsaletti is hitting .328 for Florida with five homers, 43 RBI and 11 stolen bases heading into this weekend?s super regional against Miami.

[MassBrew]

Although from February, this detailed profile of 14th round pick Grant Richardson, 3B out of Washington State, is worthwhile:

 

(Haven't researched how much third base vs. first base Richardson played this spring...)

 

Linked here while active, text follows:

 

www.sportstricities.com/s...8126c.html

 

A stroke of power for Richland's Richardson

This story was published Wednesday, February 11th, 2004

By Eric Degerman

 

For the second straight season, Grant Richardson expects to fight it out with a friend.

 

Last year, the starting first baseman at Washington State University faced a constant battle from former Richland High teammate Steve Mortimer.

 

This winter, Richardson said he'd been competing with Shawn Evenhus, a 21-year-old redshirt sophomore from East Wenatchee.

 

"We're best friends, so it's kind of similar, but my improvement at first base last year was mostly because of Steve," Richardson said. "Last year, it was not as awkward as a lot of people think because we went to high school together. But it was kind of interesting."

 

Richardson, a junior who bats and throws right-handed, started 52 of 56 games last season for WSU. The 6-foot, 210-pounder led the Cougars in home runs (13), RBI (50) and slugging percentage (.564). He was third on the team with a .318 average and a .395 on-base percentage.

 

"Professional scouts look to see if you can hit and hit with power, and Grant can do both," said WSU head coach Tim Mooney. "He has a good approach to his at-bats. He looks for pitches he can hit and not hit pitches out of the strike zone.

 

"It's a real credit to him and that shows a real growth as a hitter," Mooney added. "As a freshman, he struck out a little more and would take some called third strikes."

 

The junior season for any collegian is exciting because they are eligible for the major league draft for the first time since their senior year in high school. His cousin, Kevin Richardson, plays in the Texas Rangers organization.

 

Grant said he's focusing on what he can do to help the last-place Cougars improve on their record -- 19-37 overall, 7-17 in the Pacific-10 Conference.

 

"I don't really believe in setting number goals. I just want to go out and do better than the day before," he said. "The key is to not let the 0-for-4 game, which is going to happen, get you down and don't feel too good after the 4-for-4 game. Baseball is a funny game."

 

And the offseason preparation for the regular season is not much different from other sports. These days, it's nearly a year-round proposition.

 

"I'm just trying to improve on my strength, quickness and speed," he said. "I do the hitting and the fielding all the time, but you also have to go out and lift the weights. I enjoy it because you start to notice the change. It's fun because you get to see the ball go a little bit farther."

 

About the only knock against Richardson is his speed, which affects his range at first base and on the basepaths.

 

"He's working on that too, but it's not as big as a concern at first base," Mooney said. "Besides, if you hit the ball as far as he does, it goes over the fence and you can trot. And he has gotten a lot better defensively."

 

Richardson showed he takes his glove work seriously, committing only two errors in 366 chances at first base last season. Yet it's his overall approach to the sport that seems to really impress Mooney.

 

"He always has a smile on his face," Mooney said. "Even when he's working, he's enjoying it, so that attitude always comes through. I think that reflects on his parents."

 

Richardson and Mooney also said it's a reflection upon the program that Ben Jacobs has developed at Richland, which won the 4A state title in 1999 with both Mortimer and Richardson as stars.

 

"I had a great coaching staff in high school," Richardson said. "Coach Jacobs made the game fun. You always wanted to come to practice and come to the games. And Tim Ruane is still my hitting coach. During Christmas break, he came and threw to me over at Marvin Benard's place."

 

But it sounds as if Ruane hasn't helped out Richardson when it comes to steelhead fishing with some Richland coaches, which include his dad -- the boys golf coach -- and boys basketball coach Earl Streufert.

 

"I don't like to talk about it," Grant said. "My dad and Ruane tell me how I'm a good netter, but it's still fun going out on the river. I just started off a couple of years ago."

 

The baseball landscape at WSU has changed a little a bit for Richardson. Last fall, Don Marbut of Edmonds Community College replaced infielder coach Mike Cummings.

 

"There's been some ups and downs, but I've always had a way to have some fun in the hard times," Richardson said.

 

There's no doubt that it takes a while before baseball weather heats up in Pullman, which makes gearing up for the season a real grind.

 

"It's a lot tougher than people think," Richardson said. "You practice 3-4 hours a day and come back to your room after lifting weights. By that time, you don't want to study, but you have to."

 

His field of study is psychology.

 

"I want to be a high school counselor like my dad," he said. "That's my goal right now."

 

He already knows how to resolve conflicts on the field with friends.