quote:I would say that any college team with a number 1 overall type pitcher, (price, miller, etc) would have a chance at beating any minor league team
Respectfully disagree with you on this one. I do believe that a quality college pitcher and team could beat some of the lower level minor league teams ... rookie (many high school age players), short season (many college level players), and maybe even some low A teams where there are a lot of young players. But beyond that, I really don't think a college program with even the best pitcher is quite ready to beat 'any' minor league team. We have to remember that the minor league levels, especially AA and AAA, are stacked with very mature players, some in their late 20's as well as younger players who have been playing pro ball since they were 16 or 17 (speaking here of the Latin players).
Mr FB.M and I were just discussing this Sat over dinner while watching a super regional and despite how good these college teams are, how good their pitching is, the level of competition at high A, AA, and AAA is considerably higher than the best college baseball ... IMHO. The speed of the game, the savvy of the players, the plate discipline, the pitchers' physical maturity, etc., takes a giant leap at the higher levels of pro ball ... kind of like fielding a freshman high school team against a varsity team made up of only top senior players. The physical and mental maturity means a lot.
Again, JMHO FWIW