colbyjack

Patrick, were there any comments on what pitches Sheets was throwing or velocity? Thanks in advance. No, not that I caught. Nashville's announcer was pretty dry and undescriptive from what I heard.

Tim Smith went unsigned by the Brewers as a draft & follow candidate, which made him eligible to be drafted again this June. No one drafted Smith this year, so no one controls his rights at this point in time. I forgot to mention above that Smith is heading for offensive powerhouse Arizona State in the fall. Kudos to him, but usually there is a reason why a team doesn't sign a player as a DFE, especially when no one else drafts that player at all (including the Brewers).

Sheets is pitching very well tonight for the Sounds. The last 3-4 innings have gone very quick as he's recording a lot of fast outs. The game is starting to have a big-league feel as Seth Etherton and Donovan Osborne have pitched in relief for Omaha. de la Rosa so-so at AA: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 3 K, 1 BB What an awesome appearance by Jeffress. Just throwing this out there how about nominating Drew Anderson for a sneaky good performance, so far this year. LouisEly mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, and Anderson has always been somewhat of a sleeper prospect that I like to mentioned every so often. While he doesn't have much power (or at least hasn't hit for much power), he has always hit, drawn walks and shown decent offensive potential at each level he's played at. The Brewers drafted him when he was a little older, so he's never been considered a prospect, but I could definitely see him having a big-league career similar to a left-handed hitting reserve corner OF/1B like Mark Sweeney.

I wanted to add this earlier before my job called me away from posting (how dare they) that a couple of former Brewer draft picks are impressing this summer. Jemile Weeks reportedly has continued his spring success while playing for Team USA. As noted above, Team USA's site is under construction, so there are no stats available, but he hasn't missed a beat playing against some of the top talent in the world. Tim Smith is currently seventh in the Northwoods League in hitting, batting .309. He is also tied for first in hits (50, with one of my faves from the '05 draft pool, Charlie Cutler). Smith has been playing CF and batting leadoff for the Mankato Moondogs, and is 11 for 14 in stolen base attempts. He only has six extra-base hits, but that's not really that bad in a wood-bat league, especially when the fifth-best slugger in the league (Cutler) is slugging .399.

Numerous summer showcases have already been held, as scouts are already looking ahead to the 2007 draft. The Cape Cod League and Team USA are also in full swing. The Perfect Game National, one of the biggest scouting events of the summer, was held in mid-June, while the WWBA East Cobb tourney was conducted just a couple of weeks ago. Time to tour some pertinent links... The Brewers Area Code rosters (California based players) have been announced. Robert Stock and Eric Goeddel are the big names to watch here: Brewers Area Code Games rosters The Aflac All-American Classic has released their final roster. Michael Main is currently the top rated prep player, with a high 90s heater and equal promise as a 5-tool outfielder. Props to Blazer25 for former Midwest Blazer D.J. LeMahieu's inclusion. Aflac All-American Classic roster release Unfortunately, I do not think I will be able to attend this year's Aflac game. My Perfect Game associates Allan Simpson, David Rawnsley and others continue to post solid information on this past year's draftees while looking ahead to next year as well at PG Crosschecker: PG Crosschecker BaseballWebTV.com continues to post videos from the summer's events: BaseballWebTV Keep an eye on Perfect Game's site where I'll have some thoughts on the Northwoods League in my next column, hopefully posted by the end of the week. The NWL All-Star Game was held last Wednesday in La Crosse. The Cape Cod League All-Star Game will be held the weekend of July 28th, and probably will be televised as it was a year ago. Team USA's website is currently being revamped, but you can read thoughts on Team USA on PG Crosschecker.

Wow, that's an embarassingly bad assessment. He doesn't have the "intent" or mechanics to supposedly throw 100 mph? I think he needs to step away from the computer screen, hop on a plane to Arizona and go see Jeffress pitch for himself. This comment is the best: He at least has the potential to develop more velocity I guess. Don't quit your day job. EDIT: I shouldn't be so hard on the writer, as he obviously has a passion for watching the younger players, but his analysis makes it pretty clear that you shouldn't rely on the MLB videos to make an assessment of these players.

Bump up Gillespie. He didn't enter the system with the same fanfare as Braun, but after about the same number of ABs Braun had with Helena a year ago, Gillespie is more than proving that he can handle Pioneer League pitching. The only reason he stays there for the rest of the year is to try and lead the H-Crew to a playoff spot. Otherwise, the WV outfield should not be blocking him.

While the GM is involved with the draft, it's usually the scouting director and his team of scouts that deserves credit for the players brought into the system. Baseball America actually has a handy-dandy executive database that you can look to see who was the GM & scouting director when & where. Here's a link to the Mets' page: www.baseballamerica.com/t...p?team=NYM

Don't base your hopes on UNLV's roster. I've yet to see a college baseball team update their roster for the next year the July beforehand. School hasn't even started, so it's impossible to determine his fate now.

1e Corbeau already summed it up pretty well, but the baby Brewers don't have much of a pitch count at Arizona. I seem to remember them being on a pitch count of 40, and looking at Jeffress' performance today, that seems about right given the amount of men he put on base. Also as already noted, the raw fireballers such as Jeffress, Rogers and Jones seem to burn through that pitch count pretty quick since they aren't (or weren't) particularly refined. I'm sure the Brewers are trying to get Jeffress to throw all three pitches more effectively. Similar to Rogers last year, Jeffress may see WV next season, but it certainly wouldn't hurt him to bring him along more slowly. No need to stretch it out at this stage of his career, especially since he already has thrown quite a few innings at the HS level this spring.

Ok, laugh away...I mentioned a few weeks ago that Gillespie's presence alone would affecct the way the rest of the Helena lineup got pitched to. So, is it coincidence that Errecart & Rowe hit their first HRs of the season during Gillespie's first game? Ok, a stretch, but I'm serious, I think his inclusion means much better things from here on out for the H-Crew. An interesting note that Gillespie, Rowe, Errecart and Clem were four of the more feared hitters in the Pac-10 this year. If Clem doesn't go on the DL (I just checked the transaction thread to see if I missed something), along with another college (non-Pac-10) outfielder Chuckie Caufield, the team doesn't have enough spots for those four Pac-10 sluggers to play everyday together at the same time. Which makes me wonder if Gillespie might be moving up with a strong month of July (although WV's outfield doesn't seem to have any openings either). As always, it's a good problem to have.

See, nothing to worry about http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

His teammate, Rowe, I'm sure was just happy to get a contract since he wasn't even drafted. I don't think the two are connected in any way, really. I'm not going to worry about it now. If he's not signed in another week or two I might get concerned, but I still believe it will get done. Unless we find out his agent is Boras or something like that, I just can't see him not signing and getting into pro ball within the next week or two.

A prime example of why all minor league stats are to be taken with a grain of salt. No, not all, as that would assume every play is outlandish. You do have to consider the circumstances, which I think everyone around here does when reading box scores, but more often than not the numbers don't lie. On that note, since I have been hard on Braun, since I don't care for needless excuses trying to explain why someone's stats may not be a clear indication of how they're performing, let his three-hit day be an indicator of things to come. I was a big proponent of Braun in the draft last summer, and I just want to see him succeed.

Patience. Gillespie is likely just taking a couple of weeks to bask in the glory of winning the CWS. He'll be in the system soon enough.

Somewhat related to the topic at hand, John Manuel of BA has a nice story on some of the more intriguing names available on the Latin American free agent market, which opens tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how much the Brewers get involved this year. www.baseballamerica.com/t...61865.html International Signing Season Set To Open Top prospects seeking seven-figure signing bonuses By John Manuel As the July 2 start date for international free agent signings approached, word continued to spread through the scouting community that clubs were ready to spend significant amounts once again in Latin America for premium talent. That would leave the industry picking up where it left off last year, when clubs such as the Braves, Rockies, Brewers, Rangers and Mets were among those using six- and seven-figure signing bonuses to sign players out of the primary Latin American hotbeds of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. The Mets made the biggest splash last year, signing outfielder Fernando Martinez ($1.4 million) and righthander Deolis Guerra ($700,000) for two of the largest bonuses of the year. This year's top targets include some big names, both in terms of length and in terms of big league name recognition. Dominican catcher Francisco Pena has received the most attention, as the youngest son of former big leaguer Tony Pena, now a coach with the Yankees. Pena has been pursued by teams such as the Yankees, Mets, Nationals and Reds, and rumors swirled that he was expected to sign for a bonus as large as $2 million. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Pena has power and arm strength behind the plate, like his father. He's not considered as athletic as his dad or brother, Tony Pena Jr., now a shortstop in the Braves system. One international scouting director termed Pena's body as "heavy and thick." Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo, who knows the Pena family well, told the Kansas City Star in a recent interview that Pena "throws almost as well as me, and he has good size. I knew from seeing him he would be a professional. Tony Pena has baseball in his blood, and his kids are the same." Another big name involved is Scott Boras, the agent whose domestic clients so often are major factors in the draft. Boras takes much the same approach to Latin America as he does to the draft, signing only a few players his talent evaluators consider to be elite talents. The player he represents generating the most talk this year is infielder Carlos Truinfel, a shortstop with a large body at 6-foot-2 and present offensive potential. Boras also represents righthander Jose Luis Areas, a 6-foot-8 righthander who Boras said already throws in the low 90s, and third baseman Carlos Villanoa, though he said they were still waiting on paperwork to determine the proper spelling of Villanoa's name. "We call him Big V," Boras said jokingly. "What I do know is he is the best third baseman we've seen in the Dominican since Adrian Beltre," another Boras client. Boras added that while Martinez set the top end of the market last year at $1.4 million, he expected at least Truinfel (if not his other players) would garner at least as much if not more in this year's market. One international scouting director said the asking price he'd heard for Truinfel was $3 million. Three other names that had emerged as hot prospects who could sign significant contracts were Venezuelan third baseman Balbino Fuenmayor, Nicaraguan righthander Danilo Alvarez and Venezuelan catcher Jesus Montero. While Alvarez and Montero have been making the rounds since spring training with workouts for clubs, Fuenmayor was garnering the most interest because of his line-drive bat and excellent hands, which work well at the plate and in the field. Fuenmayor's speed is below-average, likely limiting him to first or third base. "Of that group, Fuenmayor probably has the best chance to be something special," another international scouting director said. "He reminds me a little of (Angels infielder) Kendry Morales in that he doesn't have good range and is limited defensively, but unlike Morales, I think he has enough power, arm strength and soft hands to stay at third. "I like Montero's bat some, but I don't know if he can catch long term. He's kind of stiff-bodied and probably winds up moving to first or maybe right field. Pena's definitely the better catcher of the two."

I remember when people said the team went cheap last year, and how they went cheap in '02 when guys like Page, Hernandez, White, etc. all went to (or back to) college despite the team dropping $2.4 million in Prince (whom they thought they could sign for $2.2 million, thanks a heap Detroit Tigers/Scott Moore for driving up the slot value) and $1.55 million in Manny Parra. The Brewers have never been cheap when it comes to the draft under Jack Zduriencik, and the trio of Seidel, Clark & Haydel could be a similar trio to Drew Bowman, Ty Pryor and Sean Morgan two years ago, a year when they dropped over $5 million in Rickie Weeks. I've been told directly that the money from one year doesn't automatically roll over to the next year. The draft budget changes from year to year, and with the Brewers being more successful at the big-league level and drafting lower, a million rolled over into the big-league club could be the difference for picking up a key reliever at the deadline. As plowjockey noted, the team could continue to spend big on the international market, or they could be saving for a rainy day next year if they have a few extra picks to invest in. I will say for all of the risks in regards to potential the Brewers scouting department takes, they certainly don't take many risks when it comes to selecting & signing players in the top 10 rounds.

I think Jim noted the other day that we're not used to following a lackluster Helena squad, and I think the arrival of Cole Gillespie will be exactly what the team needs. He's the type of hitter opposing teams pitch around, which should give the necessary protection ahead and behind him to give his mates some good pitches to hit. The pitching seems to be pretty good (without looking at the numbers, and looking beyond Braddock's shaky start tonight), so a little better offense could make for a much better team. Inman roolz.

Patrick, do you think I am seeing things when I see Gillespie as a RH version of Brad Wilkerson, at least tools-wise? Obviously, he didn't flat-out destroy the way Wilkerson did at UF, but watching him play a handful of times the past couple weeks reminds me of Wilkerson. I think that's a solid comp brett, I agree with your assessment. Similar to Wilkerson's versatility (he can play CF, although he's better at a corner OF spot or 1B), it has been suggested that Gillespie could play 2B or even 3B. I personally think he's a LF for life given his arm strength, but his bat is his ticket anyway.

I too am a big fan of the Gillespie pick, which I've made evident before. It's pretty amazing that the Brewers already have 22 of their draft picks signed, and most of those came within days of the draft. It's clear they targeted players they knew they could get into their system quickly at the slots they selected them. Gillespie should be in the fold within a week or two (if that long) from tomorrow, the final game of the CWS. I think they may convince Chad Robinson to go the JC route, meaning 16th round pick RJ Seidel will probably be the first player these lose (I don't think they talk him out of his Arkansas commitment).

I guess I expected him to be larger...he looks athletic...but almost small. Good bat speed though. I missed this earlier this morning, probably because you posted a minute before my reply, but you think Gillespie looks small? I thought he looked like a man among boys on the field, and physically reminds me of Jeff Kent or Sean Burroughs with those dramatically sloped yet strong shoulders. He has a good build IMO, and from what I've heard he has worked really hard to get as big as he has the past year or two.

Gillespie will be a Brewer regardless of the outcome of the CWS. I'm sure he will take a few days after the CWS to catch his breath from a long season and will report to Helena within a week or two of his season being over.

I just want to add that the home run Gillespie hit was off of Andrew Miller.

That's a great assessment of Jemile Weeks Stevo. I watched him play a good half dozen times this spring, if not more, and he is more of a true leadoff type hitter and should have no problem sticking at 2B.

Pogo, I just caught up with your first-hand report. Thanks so much, it's great hearing about the guys first-hand. With so much attention on Braun, Yo, etc., you got me excited again for Escobar (I haven't heard Jim mention how young he is recently http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ).