Comments on: DFR 3/29/08

By: alyssa

alyssa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:51:38 +0000

Please stop referring to Barden as a AAAA guy.

By: the red baron

the red baron — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:23:04 +0000

Thanks for the response, Chris. Thanks also FGC, for the tip on finding the video. I went over and took a look at it; he looks pretty good to me. Not as solid and repeatable as a Kopp or one of those guys yet, but his pitching elbow stays down and he finishes nicely, so I’m encouraged. Thanks guys.

By: Mike G.

Mike G. — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:03:13 +0000

There is nothing inconsistent between Strauss saying that the most teams had Kozma rated a second rounder and the fact that some teams, including the Cardinals, rating him higher. We’ll find out eventually whether the Cardinals were right, but Erik’s pointing out that other teams were prepared to draft Kozma in the first round and that Baseball America had him tabbed to go 21-30 does not make Strauss wrong about how most teams rated him. Finally, just because the issue has become a “dead horse” to Eric does not mean that Strauss should be precluded from mentioning in the context of a broader article on the organization’s approach to drafting. In my view, his perspective on the issue is worth having.

By: Chris O'Leary

Chris O'Leary — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:33:23 +0000

“Chris, if you can share with us, who do you like in the upcoming draft?”

Sorry, but I can’t say right now.

Normally, I wouldn’t have commented on Aaron Crow but the people singing his praises for his mechanics forced me to act.

By: picklefork

picklefork — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:31:24 +0000

Why you rely on the scouts and crosscheckers and not a spreadsheet.

By: fewgoodcards

fewgoodcards — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:25:49 +0000

i wouldn’t base my drafting on averages, i would try to look at who i thought was the best player at that spot. if the scouts and scouting director thought phil hughes was the best player available with the 19th pick in the 2004 draft, they should have taken him. who cares if college pitchers on average make it more than high school pitchers, base your judgments on the individual players.

By: Chris O'Leary

Chris O'Leary — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:06:48 +0000

If you play the percentages, then ON AVERAGE you will find that college pitchers are less risky than HS pitchers.

However, as was the case with Hughes, because you are counting on averages, you will sometimes get burned.

That doesn’t mean the strategy doesn’t make sense on average.

By: Forsch31

Forsch31 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:58:26 +0000

On Phil Hughes…aren’t stories a little mixed about that? My understanding is that Ludhow–being in charge of the scouting department–was the one who came up with Hughes in the first place, after being asked by Mozeliak to come up with a pick after their guy was suddenly taken.

‘Course, Joe Strauss and accuracy are kinda like oil and water.

By: Chris O'Leary

Chris O'Leary — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:20:41 +0000

“You want to look at a mess of a pitching motion…check out Deryk Hooker’s. Great results…but it looks like he lost a bet with somebody and now has to use that motion.”

Hooker’s arm action isn’t bad. His problem is that he flies open with his glove, which probably affects his consistency. At first I thought he was tipping his pitches (which he may) but he mostly seems to be all over the place with his glove-side arm.

That could be fixed relatively easily.

“Everyone’s body is diff..what feels right for Joe, might feel wrong for John….if you have gotten this far with that, with those results and health…why change it? Perfect mech’s are subjective…what might be ideal for one, might be harmful to another.”

Many people hold this idea, and I think it’s why more progress hasn’t been made to date.

The truth is that some things are safe and some things are dangerous. The reason is that, while there is some individual variation, people’s bodies are basically the same.

By: Chris O'Leary

Chris O'Leary — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:15:14 +0000

“Have you seen any video of Brett Zawacki’s mechanics? I haven’t come across any, but I’ve heard varying reports from different sources. I was curious if you had any insights. The kid’s a very intriguing talent; I just hope he has a decent long term outlook.”

I couldn’t go through the clip frame by frame, so I can say whether his timing is good, but Zawacki looks good. His arm action looks solid and he’s got good tail on his FB.