colbyjack

Prince Fielder's funk has deepened even more since Brewerfan FanFest -- colbyjack, what did you do to him during that sit-down interview?! Prince needs Rickie Weeks and Anthony Gwynn around him ASAP Sorry guys. The kiss of death I guess http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . I could see Beloit's offense exploding with a bat like Week's plugged into it & a tablesetter like Gwynn at the top of the order. With that pitching staff, they could easily clinch the 2nd half title if everything else stays as is.

But, I guess that's what makes me a player development guy and Patrick a scouting guy. Scouting is everything http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

Ok, how 'bout Hank Aaron http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . He too started his career as a middle IF. I can appreciate a hatred for Sheffield as a Milwaukee Brewer, so why not compare him to one we all like!

I hereby outlaw all comparisons of Weeks to Gary Sheffield. Don't these people realize that's just plain offensive? I don't think it's that bad, as long as you're comparing Gary Sheffield when he was drafted Rickie Weeks today. While everyone thought Gary Sheffield could be a very exciting offensive player, just like with Weeks now, I don't think anyone dared to project that he would be a 40+ HR hitter. Plus, he was drafted as a SS, and obviously has some questions about his defensive skills, moved to 3B and eventually to the OF. For their pure athleticism, it sounds as though Weeks & Sheffield are very similar, with extremely quick hands through the zone that goes a long way making quick decisions at the plate. So, while comparing Weeks to Sheffield today may be unfair, comparing him to Sheffield's physical makeup is not. And I'm not talking about his character.

Listening to Jack Z. I got the feeling that they didn't feel great about there being a lot of true position 'baseball players' in this draft, so they went with a lot of athletes. That's a pretty good call deeswan. Jack did say that the talent available was pretty disappointing, so when in doubt, why not focus on taking a bunch of athletic guys? With the law of averages, you should be able to get a major leaguer or two from this group if their production catches up with their skills. Of course, that's a big if, but as you noted focusing on athletes has worked for guys like Krynzel, Hardy & even Hart.

Justin Wilson was drafted by us back in '01 out of HS I believe.

Thanks a bunch IIAY.

If someone is able to, could you please update the picks on day 2? I'm unable to load the draft page, I'm assuming due to high traffic as it loaded just fine earlier today. Thanks in advance.

Struggling with bat? MLB needs to do their homework. SoCal, good call, as Opdyke is very comparable to Belcher as a catcher. Hopefully he can stay behind the plate. Not sure what happened to him, but at one point he was projected as one of the top 10 prospects for this year's draft. I haven't had much time to research the reason, as it's back to work for this guy http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

??? No surprise, a catcher early, and yet another from the college ranks. I'm sure he was at the pre-draft workout, I'll try to dig up some info on him. The radio guys said he is an extremely athletic guy, and I think I know which guy it is from last Saturday.

I just read an article in BA Magazine that rips Moneyball. In the article it mentions that Beane wanted Sheets in 1999 but settled for Zito because of signability. Zito was a bargain pick because the A's signed catcher Gerlad Laird just before the '99 draft as a DFE for over a million I believe. That led them to look for a bargain pick, and in this case, they really struck gold. As much as Beane (& others) liked Zito, even he has admitted that he had no idea how good Zito would turn out to be. The A's did really like Sheets, and would have taken him if it weren't for the signing of Laird. If that were the case, the Brewers reportedly would have taken now Phillies RHP Brett Myers, & Zito likely would have fallen to the the 2nd half of the first round at best.

Don't get too worked up with the doubters Big Cheese, is our nature. Most of us wouldn't be here is we didn't/couldn't 2nd guess every thought, comment & observation out there. I think it really comes down to a gut feeling for most people. Some think Weeks is the guy to go with, others Young, and even a few such as DHonks I believe prefers Kyle Sleeth. If we simply accepted the good without looking at the bad, we would have ended all draft conversations back in February. Southern beat Southern Mississippi today in the regionals, and Weeks had a big day: PA #1: K-only time he didn't get on base PA #2: HBP, SB PA #3: RBI single PA #4: 2-run HR PA #5: BB And you can't argue about his level of competition here. This could be a huge advantage for Weeks as his season continues.

BA America is hosting a mock draft on MLB radio, as the different beat writers are taking their turn to pick for their respective teams. The D-Rays guy ended up taking Rickie Weeks, even though he said the real D-Rays may end up taking Delmon Young. This prompted Drew Olson to take Young, although he stated that the Brewers are poised to take Weeks. Olson also noted that there are some rumblings in the organization that the Brewers would take Weeks as a CF despite the presence of David Krynzel & the overall organizational need for a 2B. Interesting indeed. He did seem to make it pretty clear that the Brewers would take one of either Young or Weeks, as most of us have guessed since Loewen signed.

Might as well keep an existing thread moving... Q: Connor from Hartford, CT asks: With Young seemingly becoming the consensus #1 pick, could Richie Weeks fall to the Tigers at #3 and would the Brewers be crazy to pass him up at #2? A: Jim Callis: Crazy to pass on him at No. 2? No. He has a lot of upside, but he also hasn't faced much quality competition, he's not very big and his defensive position is a little uncertain. The Brewers could opt for a college pitcher like Sleeth or Stauffer. I do think they'll take Weeks if Young goes No. 1. Q: Butchie from Motown asks: Another media outlet is reporting that Milwaukee will be picking Kyle Sleeth with the second pick and that Rickie Weeks will be picked by the Tigers, is this what you are hearing? A: Jim Callis: We've heard Weeks, Sleeth and Stauffer as the three names. Brewers scouting director Jack Zduriencik is famous for not tipping his hand, so we'll probably have to wait until Tuesday to know for sure.

mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...p&c_id=mlb While Harvey would be a considered a slight stretch at #1, who knows, maybe they'll go for the hometown kid especially knowing he won't cost as much as Young & Weeks.

Take your pick...who is the worst first-round pick from the 90s?

The MJS staff is taking a shot at a draft preview in a 4-part series. Today was part #2, focusing on the drafts over the past 10 years: www.jsonline.com/sports/b...144388.asp From that story that pretty much sums it up: The Brewers have paid dearly for their mistakes of the 90s. On their current 25-man roster, only Jenkins and Sheets were acquired via the draft. Man that's sad, and that's exactly why draft day is so incredibly important. Next Tuesday & Wednesday is extremely critical for the future of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Isn't this Sarfate's 3rd dominant start in a row, all starting with his FanFest performance?

From a poster over at T1: 6-4, 220 pound RHP out of Itawamba CC in Mississippi. He has been red hot this spring and undefeated with a 13-0 record. Signed for $600,000. And for a refersher, here's what BA had to say about him as ranked as the #15 prospect from Mississippi: The Brewers selected RHP/C Tim Dillard in the 15th round in 2001 and the 34th round a year ago, and hope to sign him as a draft-and-follow. If he doesn't turn pro this time he'll head to the University of Mississippi, where his father Steve starred en route to the major leagues. Dillard has good catch-and-throw skills but teams want to use his strong arm on the mound. He touches 94-95 mph and is solidly built at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. $600,000 is a shock, if that figure is indeed right. I would have guessed that he would have signed to a number with one less zero. That's 2nd round money, and maybe it is indeed a typo. If not, the Brewers must really, really like this guy.

For one, I'm not convinced the D-Rays will take Young. Two, I also don't buy Weeks' bonus aspirations. And while the Brewers have been strapped for cash for quite some time, I really don't believe that will scare them off. And Weeks is a heck of a ballplayer.

RyDogg, check the Wisconsin Pride thread, Jordan Timm was the #4 prospect from WI: pub123.ezboard.com/fbrewe...=317.topic Otherwise, I haven't seen or heard anything on the boys from Oshkosh.

Dillard signed as a RHP.

I guess i just fear drafting a high school player this high,even if Young has scary talent.Of the two if you were drafting No.1 would u take Weeks over Young?? I would take Young, because the power potential is greater. Weeks could hit for that kind of power, but likely will be closer to 20 HRs a year vs. 40. That's not to say either one of them will come anywhere close to hitting those kinds of numbers, but I'm just using it as an easy comparison. I think Young is more polished than your typical prep prospect & Weeks is more raw than people would think as a college player alone. So that aspect in my mind is a wash. Here's my main problem with the attitude that he'll move thru the system quickly. If he can't learn to hit the breaking ball it could take him just as long as a HS standout to make it to the majors and he could be another Wes Helms (production-wise) if he never does learn to hit a breaking ball. There are plenty of guys in the big leagues that thrive off of the fastball. I don't have any easy examples, but most of your better power hitters are dead-red fastball hitters. I think most batters will tell you that the fastball is the easiest pitch to hit, which stresses the importance of getting to a hitter's count. Basically that means a count where a hitter knows he's likely to get a fastball right down the pipe because the pitcher HAS to throw a strike. The key is laying off of the breaking stuff if you know you can't hit it. I think the saying goes to hit breaking balls up in the zone & fastballs down, or is it the other way around...http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ?

He has played for TeamUSA the past couple of years and there are mixed opinions. Some say he doesn't hit the good teams well but knocks the weakers teams of the world all over the place. Others have said that he hit everyone just fine, and some of his struggles can be chalked up to a position switch (last summer he started out in the OF before being moved to 2B). Southern is in the SWAC, and pretty weak conference. However, his numbers are pretty impressive regardless of what league he's playing in. Looking at his stats probably is comparable to looking at a high schooler's numbers, because it's dangerous to use them properly. He is expected to hit for a high average with good to great bat speed & a level swing. Balls do jump off of his bat, and he's explosive on the basepaths. When teams stopped throwing him strikes, he started taking more walks & stealing more bases. When he did get strikes, he crushed them. That said, he does play against some better D1 Louisiana teams before the conference seasons start, including LSU, and has always fared well against better competition. There are some questions about his D', but most think he can stick at 2B with the proper repetitions & instruction. If not, he should hit well enough to be a center fielder or even a corner outfielder. His athleticism plays anywhere. I personally would leave him at 2B until he proves me wrong since his bat would be well above average at the position. With his bat, OhioScout among others have chimed in that he needs to learn to hit the breaking ball better, but really, who doesn't, especially at that level? Weeks also is a high character pick that is extremely hard working. He hits the weight room every day, and I've even read a story of him working out after the team had won the SWAC last year instead of celebrating. A very focused, driven individual that has the chance to be a superstar.

I have been informed that both Tim Dillard & Simon Beresford have been signed as DFEs. That's 5 total signings using the draft & follow process. Nice work by the Milwaukee Brewers scouting staff to add 5 more talented ballplayers into the system.