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Goodness...........Just when you think we cant shoot ourselves in the foot again......
The Pirates drafted 1st round pitchers in the past 15 year span. Kris Benson, Clint Johnston, Bobby Bradley, Jon VanBenschotten, Bryan Bullington, Paul Maholm, Sean Burnett, and Brad Lincoln. The pitchers they drafted except for Kris Benson had little or no success in the majors. Benson, Bradley, Burnett, Lincoln, Bullington and VanBenschotten had arm problems in the past.
Starting with 1999, the Pirates drafted Bobby Bradley with the #8 pick. They missed out on Barry Zito who was the 9th overall pick and Ben Sheets who ended up at #10. Bradley was a high school pitcher while the next two picks came out of college.
In 2000, Sean Burnett was picked. As of this year he was not a major league contributor...2000 was not a really strong draft especially in the first round.
In 2001, Van Benschotten was picked and was a two-way player in college. (NCAA Homerun Leader...Our Pirates made him a pitcher Only...Notable names from the 2001 Draft that were picked after JVB were Kevin Youkilis, Jeremy Bonderman, David Wright, Bobby Crosby and Ryan Howard.
2002 was even worse as they picked another pitcher with the #1 pick as Brian Bullington was drafted ahead of B.J. Upton, Prince Fielder, Jeff Francis, Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Scott Kazmir, Jeff Francoeur, Cole Hamels and Matt Cain in Round 1.
The Pirates drafted 1st round pitchers in the past 15 year span. Kris Benson, Clint Johnston, Bobby Bradley, Jon VanBenschotten, Bryan Bullington, Paul Maholm, Sean Burnett, and Brad Lincoln. The pitchers they drafted except for Kris Benson had little or no success in the majors. Benson, Bradley, Burnett, Lincoln, Bullington and VanBenschotten had arm problems in the past.
Starting with 1999, the Pirates drafted Bobby Bradley with the #8 pick. They missed out on Barry Zito who was the 9th overall pick and Ben Sheets who ended up at #10. Bradley was a high school pitcher while the next two picks came out of college.
In 2000, Sean Burnett was picked. As of this year he was not a major league contributor...2000 was not a really strong draft especially in the first round.
In 2001, Van Benschotten was picked and was a two-way player in college. (NCAA Homerun Leader...Our Pirates made him a pitcher Only...Notable names from the 2001 Draft that were picked after JVB were Kevin Youkilis, Jeremy Bonderman, David Wright, Bobby Crosby and Ryan Howard.
2002 was even worse as they picked another pitcher with the #1 pick as Brian Bullington was drafted ahead of B.J. Upton, Prince Fielder, Jeff Francis, Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Scott Kazmir, Jeff Francoeur, Cole Hamels and Matt Cain in Round 1.
The scouts are gettin' busy...
If they get into baseball who will run the 7/11 chain ??
Jerseydad, I feel bad for Jerseyson. I'm sure he took Spanish in high school to prepare for life in pro ball, so he could converse with more of his teammates. Turns out he should've studied Sanskrit!
BTW, although USA Today says one of them recently threw 93, my local paper report says neither were able to claim the contest's grand prize of $1 million, which would have required them to throw a strike at 85 mph or higher.
I wonder where the 93 mph ball went? ("Juuuuuust a bit outside"?)
If the Pirates are suddenly interested in guys who cannot throw strikes harder than 85, I know a few tens of thousands of U.S. boys who'll take their money.
But I would suggest they stick with Jerseyson instead.
I wonder where the 93 mph ball went? ("Juuuuuust a bit outside"?)
If the Pirates are suddenly interested in guys who cannot throw strikes harder than 85, I know a few tens of thousands of U.S. boys who'll take their money.
But I would suggest they stick with Jerseyson instead.
There must be some prospects on those Somali pirate ships. I think Infidel's photo is showing just such a scouting trip.
quote:Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Jerseydad, I feel bad for Jerseyson. I'm sure he took Spanish in high school to prepare for life in pro ball, so he could converse with more of his teammates. Turns out he should've studied Sanskrit!
Nah, he just needs to watch The Simpsons.
If MLB is dumb enough to offer 1 million for what could have been done for 10 thousand or less you really have to wonder about MLB top brass.
I think cricket people should go after US pitchers. They can hit the sticks at 90+ moh. Might have to get metal bats and open up a new market for the US bat industry.
I think cricket people should go after US pitchers. They can hit the sticks at 90+ moh. Might have to get metal bats and open up a new market for the US bat industry.
quote:I think cricket people should go after US pitchers. They can hit the sticks at 90+ moh. Might have to get metal bats and open up a new market for the US bat industry.
That's funny BHD. How many rupees would these kids be looking at for a signing bonus? Could N. American rocket launchers be the next industry outsourced to Asia?
It's the Asians that invented fire works.
Do you know how many of them there are compared to us?
Do you know how many of them there are compared to us?
quote:Originally posted by Krakatoa:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/pirates/2008...-pitchers-sign_N.htm
The Pirates are clueless in the draft. I'm sure PEnn's 3rd senator, Vice-President Elect Biden will be interested, though.
Joe Biden on Indian Immigration
quote:Do you know how many of them there are compared to us?
Enough of them that if they each pitched in a couple of yuan they could easily buy the US, or do they already own US?
According to your VP , just the 7-11 s so far.
SOMEONE...
...signed the first Cuban;
...signed the first Dominican;
...singed the first Venezuelan;
...signed the first Japanese and Korean;
...and we all remember Branch Rickey.
SOMEONE...
...has to make the first step!
...signed the first Cuban;
...signed the first Dominican;
...singed the first Venezuelan;
...signed the first Japanese and Korean;
...and we all remember Branch Rickey.
SOMEONE...
...has to make the first step!
Do they play cricket ?
Actually I love their curries. Banglor Paul brings tears to my eyes.
Actually I love their curries. Banglor Paul brings tears to my eyes.
quote:Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Jerseydad, I feel bad for Jerseyson. I'm sure he took Spanish in high school to prepare for life in pro ball, so he could converse with more of his teammates. Turns out he should've studied Sanskrit!
Just added Rosetta Stone Sanskrit version to the Christmas list for jerseyson... should make for an interesting spring training.
For a few thousand dollars each, why not take a shot.
quote:Originally posted by Krakatoa:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/pirates/2008...-pitchers-sign_N.htm
This type of thing just confirms what i've said more than once here. MLB and other major sports care very little about putting the best players on the field.
Their continued effort to pull in
I wonder if the cricket leagues in India will be sending scouts to America and holding a contest for our boys? Of course they won't, they have more respect for their own people than our leaders do.
I guess as long as we are going to lie back and take these continued slaps in the face, we shouldn't expect anything to change.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
quote:Originally posted by Dear old Dad:quote:Originally posted by Krakatoa:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/pirates/2008...-pitchers-sign_N.htm
This type of thing just confirms what i've said more than once here. MLB and other major sports care very little about putting the best players on the field.
Their continued effort to pull inforeign talentforeigners at the expense of our boys should be roundly criticized on this site as it is extremely damaging to our own flesh and blood. But I am not feeling the resentment much on this site.
I wonder if the cricket leagues in India will be sending scouts to America and holding a contest for our boys? Of course they won't, they have more respect for their own people than our leaders do.
I guess as long as we are going to lie back and take these continued slaps in the face, we shouldn't expect anything to change.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Kind of ironic that this be posted on Thanksgiving Day isn't it? To the best of my knowledge the Pilgrams weren't exacly native americans.
My son will literally be competing with these guys for jobs however I would like to think that the fact that they are from another country won't give them any advantage over any other player. At the end of the day I think MLB could care less where someone is from, they are looking for the best players... period.
It would be rather brazen to call it a "World Series" if foreign-born players were excluded.
That would be kind of like claiming the teams of the pre-Jackie Robinson era were the greatest when they didn't allow a substantial part of our own population to compete.
Personally I'm proud to see other countries embracing what is clearly OUR GAME.
One thing I think you do see is an increasing emphasis on recruiting from societies where a $50,000 bonus still turns heads. In the U.S., every kid thinks he's worth a million. In the Dominican, a million will get you 20 guys to look at in your system for a while before you make a big financial commitment.
Which is another way of saying, MLB is a business, and if native labor prices itself well above foreign labor, MLB will do exactly what manufacturers, telemarketers, and other mobile businesses do -- look elsewhere.
On the flip side, recruiting a foreign athlete who's never played the game has lower odds than buying lottery tickets. Michael Jordan was one of the greatest athletes of our era, and he couldn't hack it in AA. This is a complex game best learned incrementally. You don't hear stories about the guy who was tending bar last week suddenly finding himself on the field next week, the way you do in the NFL every now and then. All of which is to say, I have nothing against foreign players, but I think the Pirates are throwing their money away, however little (in a relative sense) it might be.
And their coaches' time would be better invested in Jerseyson!
That would be kind of like claiming the teams of the pre-Jackie Robinson era were the greatest when they didn't allow a substantial part of our own population to compete.
Personally I'm proud to see other countries embracing what is clearly OUR GAME.
One thing I think you do see is an increasing emphasis on recruiting from societies where a $50,000 bonus still turns heads. In the U.S., every kid thinks he's worth a million. In the Dominican, a million will get you 20 guys to look at in your system for a while before you make a big financial commitment.
Which is another way of saying, MLB is a business, and if native labor prices itself well above foreign labor, MLB will do exactly what manufacturers, telemarketers, and other mobile businesses do -- look elsewhere.
On the flip side, recruiting a foreign athlete who's never played the game has lower odds than buying lottery tickets. Michael Jordan was one of the greatest athletes of our era, and he couldn't hack it in AA. This is a complex game best learned incrementally. You don't hear stories about the guy who was tending bar last week suddenly finding himself on the field next week, the way you do in the NFL every now and then. All of which is to say, I have nothing against foreign players, but I think the Pirates are throwing their money away, however little (in a relative sense) it might be.
And their coaches' time would be better invested in Jerseyson!
Between the summer sun and the rainy season, MLB and the MLBPA will make a killing in merchandising hats and jackets throughout India.
MLB has found through their signings in China, Japan, and Korea that there is justifications for "token" signings and it may not be on the field.
MLB has found through their signings in China, Japan, and Korea that there is justifications for "token" signings and it may not be on the field.
I wouldn't want to cut one of them, the crowds in India seem a bit unrully based on yesterdays events.
Jerseydad and Midlodad pretty much summed it up.
I don't think that teams care where the players come from, they are just looking for the best players.
They also need players to field teams, and as ND says, since we all feel our kids are worth a million, they head off to college first.
I know that many of you feel that signing players that are not american born is unfair. No where in the words Major League Baseball do I see the world american or that this game is just played here. There's a lot of talent out there, and they will search it out to make the game better.
The Pirates probably signed these players because most of your kids wouldn't even consider the money that was offered. Some teams just can't afford what our kids demand. some teams can't get players to sign, and you need players to support your milb teams.
I don't think that teams care where the players come from, they are just looking for the best players.
They also need players to field teams, and as ND says, since we all feel our kids are worth a million, they head off to college first.
I know that many of you feel that signing players that are not american born is unfair. No where in the words Major League Baseball do I see the world american or that this game is just played here. There's a lot of talent out there, and they will search it out to make the game better.
The Pirates probably signed these players because most of your kids wouldn't even consider the money that was offered. Some teams just can't afford what our kids demand. some teams can't get players to sign, and you need players to support your milb teams.
I can tell you there are many , many , many players that leave the college ranks every year that would jump at the opportunity for no more than a plane ticket and a pack of nabs. If the Pirates want to sign some kids from India I could careless. But there are alot of kids graduating from high school and college that would jump at the opportunity to get a shot at pro ball regardless of the amount of money offered or not offered. The ones that turn down the money have options they believe are better at the moment. But you can bet they dream of getting that shot one day.
Gotta agree with rz1 and Coach May.
There are thousands of kids either right out of HS or college who would gladly sign for next to nothing for a chance to play pro ball.
I have absolutely nothing against these young men, but if it's true that neither of these boys throw near 90, IMO it seems this is more of a novelty thing. It wouldn't be the first time.
There are thousands of kids either right out of HS or college who would gladly sign for next to nothing for a chance to play pro ball.
I have absolutely nothing against these young men, but if it's true that neither of these boys throw near 90, IMO it seems this is more of a novelty thing. It wouldn't be the first time.