Brett Cecil – Cecil grew up right where I live and pitched for my high school’s big rival: Dematha (a school that produced David Aldridge, Keith Bogans, Mike Brey, James Brown, Adrian Dantley, Joe Forte, Paul Rabil, Brian Westbrook and others). Cecil has the chance to be the best baseball player to ever come out […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Luke Hochevar – After high school, Hochevar was selected in the 39th round of the 2002 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. To hell with that, he said, I’m going to Tennessee to follow Arrested Development and Tee Martin. It turned out to be a darn good choice for Hochevar. In 2005, he set a […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Jesus Guzman – Over 11 years ago, in 2000, when Guzman was 16, he signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. The Venezuelan wouldn’t see real minor league action until 2004, when he debuted at A+ ball. He acquitted himself quite well, going .310/.393/.443. The following year he played entirely at AA ball. […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Carlos Quentin – He was that guy from your high school who was incredible at everything. He was Lance Harbor before the injury, or Jason Street. You name it, Quentin did it. He was an amazing football player, was on a state champion high school basketball team, and was the San Diego Male Athlete of […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Tim Stauffer – Way back when, Tim Stauffer was a stand-out hurler for the Richmond Spiders, sort of in my backyard. He was so good, the Padres made him the fourth pick of the 2003 draft. Stauffer started out well, dominating A+, AA and AAA (168 IPs, 2.89 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9 and 6.1 […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Michael Morse – If you weren’t diligently following baseball around Y2K, Michael Morse is a name you probably weren’t aware of until the end of last year. However, had fantasy baseball and the internet been as big as it is now five or so years ago, Morse would have been just another Dallas McPherson. Morse […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Adam Lind – I meant to write about Lind a few weeks ago, but then he got hurt. Still, I’d be remiss if I went through this series without discussing the topsy-turvy career of the Blue Jays’ 2004 3rd round draft pick. Lind has destroyed pitching throughout his minor league career (he batted under .300 […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Wilson Betemit – When Wilson Betemit was 15, the Atlanta Braves signed him to a contract. He hit .212/.270/.283 in his first year at rookie ball and .220/.301/.399 his second year. He was just 16. The following year he got his act together as an enterprising 17-year-old posting an admirable .320/.383/.463 line. He snuck into […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?B.J. Upton (162-game pace: 88 runs, 24 HRs, 95 RBIs, 25 SBs) In 2003, Bossman Junior was the 21st ranked prospect in all the land. Before the 2004 season, he rose up to the number two position (behind Joe Mauer). By the end of that season, Upton had played 69 games at AAA, posting a […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?In 2006, at 22, Alex Gordon played 130 AA games in the Texas League. He went .325/.427/.588 with 29 HRs, 39 doubles and 22 steals. He also struck out 113 times in 130 games. The Royals were impressed; the following year they invited Gordon up for an extended cup of coffee that would last three […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?