[USML Announce] MLB Amateur Draft

Fri Jun 6 06:51:51 EDT 2008

All fair points Jeff, but you (and Mark B) seem not to apply healthy
discounts to the siren song of young pitchers.  Even the highest grade beans
take longer to be productive at the major league level.  As for your
comments about age, that just makes so very clear how much older we're
getting and how are kids aren't doing enough to generate income for their
families relative to those go-getters snapped up in the draft.  I admonished
Joseph just last night to spend less time on his school work and silly
thoughts about college and more time on the baseball diamond.

  _____  

From: announce-bounces at usml.net [mailto:announce-bounces at usml.net] On Behalf
Of jhwinick at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 10:59 PM
To: announce at usml.net
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] MLB Amateur Draft

With all due respect to the Red Hots and their bonus babies, the real winner
in this year's minor league draft was, as I predicted, Mark Blocker.  Brian
Matusz is an experienced college pitcher that could be ready to contribute
in the majors as soon as next year.  Team that up with David Price who is
now over his injury and tearing up the minor leagues and you're looking at a
team that could threaten as soon as next year.  Tim Beckham and Eric Hosmer
are less than 4 years older that Jason, Joseph, Ben or Ezra and their
combined ages are no less than 5 years less than the youngest member of our
league.  If these guys had been drafted by Brad Lee, the over/under on the
number of times that they would be moved between USML teams before they were
playing in the major leagues would be no less than 5 times.  Of course, they
weren't drafted by the Riptorns, they were drafted by the Red Hots, which
moves the over/under to 1.  Anticipated a rrival somewhere between
2011-2013.

My hearty congratulations to Mark Blocker on a job well done.  In
recognition of this fine effort two years in a row, I am pleased to offer
DUMP membership to Mr. B and am prepared to let bygones be bygones.  Welcome
Mark!

The King

-----Original Message-----
From: springkerb at aol.com
To: announce at usml.net
Sent: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 10:16 pm
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] MLB Amateur Draft

Let's start with Ellsbury, and we can talk about throwing in some college
boys after that.  Shall we negotiate this publicly?  I've always thought
that might be fun.  Kind of like an auction! 

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard E. Robbins <RERobbins at iTinker.net>
To: 'USML Announcements' <announce at usml.net>
Sent: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 8:32 pm
Subject: RE: [USML Announce] MLB Amateur Draft

In addition to Beckham and Hosmer, you can add Dennis Raben to the
collection of Red-Hots draft picks landing in the AL.  Dennis was taken in
the second round by the Mariners.  For those not familiar with Raben, here's
what Baseball America says:

Lefthanded power hitters are always in demand, and with this draft class
being low on quality college outfielders, Raben satisfies two areas of
desire. A 49th-round draft pick by the Mariners in 2005, Raben chose to
attend Miami and helped lead the Hurricanes to the College World Series as a
freshman. Following his sophomore year, Raben played in the Cape Cod League
for Orleans, hitting six home runs and earning all-Cape Cod League honors. A
preseason All-American, Raben was recognized as one of the top hitting
outfield prospects in the upcoming draft. Raben has a strong build at
6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. He is aggressive at the plate and can often times
get caught chasing pitches out of the zone. His swing has some length, but
Raben has tremendous power that translates to the game. In the outfield, he
is a below-average runner but does have good instincts and takes proper
routes. However, Raben cou ld be moved to first base at some point in his
professional career.

That makes me three for three today.  Gentlemen, I am open for business and
playing for this year.  There are no untouchables on my roster. 

  _____  

From: announce-bounces at usml.net [mailto:announce-bounces at usml.net
<mailto:announce-bounces at usml.net?> ] On Behalf Of Blocker, Mark B.
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 2:47 PM
To: announce at usml.net
Subject: [USML Announce] MLB Amateur Draft

Colleagues: 
  For teams like mine that our annually out of the running for the USML
title by June 1, the baseball amateur draft brings a much-needed level of
excitement into my hum-drum USML existence.  Since the first dozen or so
picks are now in the books, I thought I would look at the winners and losers
among USML league members:
1.  Big Winners:  Mighty Red Hots 
  Noted Bean Watcher Rich Robbins scores biggest, correctly predicting two
names from the first three picks in the draft, and both of them (Beckham,
Hosmer) went to AL teams.  Kudos to Rich.  Message to Beckham/Hosmer: don't
expect to be going anywhere anytime soon.
2.  Smaller Winners:  Nukes, Bombers 
  I think Kerber actually chose Smoak two years ago and reserved him this
year; is that right?  Anyway, Kerber's patience pays off (and he "Smoaks"
the rest of us), as J. Smoak goes to the 1B-light Rangers.
  The Bombers were of course roundly criticized for taking Brian Matusz, but
the powerful lefty goes to the pitching-starved Orioles with the 4th pick,
making this two years in a row that the Bombers taking home the top pitching
prize in the draft (amateur).
3.  Losers:  Berliners 
  Bummer for Jeff:  his picks were excellent, but unfortunately, the
roulette wheel stopped on the Pirates (P. Alvarez) and the Reds (Y. Alonso),
both in the NL last time I checked.  Jeff, the silver lining is that you
just had two spots open on your roster!
  -- Mark B. 
Sidley Austin LLP mail server made the following annotations on 06/05/08,
14:47:19:

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