Tribe Draft Work...

[Hawaii007]

Drafting blues:

Baseball America's study of the 1999 draft is not kind to the Indians. They have only 10 players left in their system from the draft. The Indians didn't have a first-round pick that year, losing it to Baltimore as compensation for signing Alomar. Their second-round pick, Will Hartley, and third-round pick, Eric Johnson, are out of baseball. Jeff Baker, the fourth-round pick, didn't sign and is playing at Clemson.

This was a period when the Indians used young, inexperienced scouting directors Josh Byrnes and Lee MacPhail. Under veteran John Mirabelli, the team has had two solid drafts in 2000 and 2001, but they're still paying the price for their lack of direction in the late 1990s.


Contact Paul Hoynes at:

[email protected], 216-999-5754


Hmm...so whose fault is it that the late 1990s had some awful drafts? Any one person in particular, or just some a downturn in scouting? You guys should check out the total article...gives an interesting take on the Alomar trade. Also...there is a comment by Brown about Baez needing to be more consistent to be a good starter, something i totally mentioned earlier...he just seems ot be too much of a thrower still, and not a "pitcher".

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[teddysurf1]

link 007..??? id like to read that one

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[Hawaii007]

teddy,
It is an article in Cleveland.com. Think you would be able to find it in there? Under Indians as usual. I think it is one of the more recent columns written.

Kaiser,
I sure hope he is a pitcher, but he seems to be having problems hitting the bottom end of the strike zone with the fastball. I am just concerned...not pessimistic.

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[Wilhelm]

Kaiser disagrees with you, 007. Baez does pitch, don't be fooled by the fact that he really trusts his stuff.

Hard fastballers rarely get the 'pitcher' tag, instead they are labeled as 'throwers'. Does RJ even have a 3rd pitch?

Danys has 3 and if he can get an effective change it'll all be over for the AL. Lights out, Cy Young.

He uses his three pitches and works both sides of the plate. He is a pitcher and a damn good one. If he has the stamina to go 6-7 IP per game he'll win 20.

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[Wilhelm]

Didn't notice that. Kaiser will pay special attention to Baez getting the ball down in the zone.

Keep in mind, though, that the velocity of a fastball increases as it goes up in the zone. Guys like Jeter absoulutely feast on low heaters.

If Baez can't get his off speed pitches down in the zone though.....

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[Hawaii007]

That is true...I just don't feel like he has the "command" is all. I guess it is because of his build that it looks like he is really maxing on every pitch which is what scares me. I hope that it is just his style, but from what Brown said, he seems to think that Baez doesn't have a consistent delivery point either. I agree that keeping the ball down is sometimes overrated, but if he wants it down and it stays up, that is where I am afraid because that usually means a lower K/BB ratio.

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