Complete list of drafted players
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jun 10, 2010 
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Baseball’s amateur drafted ended yesterday and already there are reports of the Phillies, Rangers and Rays having already agreed to terms with their top picks. The smart money seems to be on the Yankees following the same path with Cito Culver, who seems excited to sign and get into the organization.
All told, the Yankees took 50 players, 19 from high school and 31 from college
Right-handed pitchers — 21
Left-handed pitchers – 7
Catchers — 4
Infielders — 5
Outfielders — 13
1 (#32) Cito Culver SS
Irondequoit HS (N.Y.)
2 (#82) Angelo Gumbs SS
Torrance HS (Calif.)
3 (#112) Robert Segedin 3B
Tulane University
4 (#145) Mason Williams CF
West Orange HS (Calif.)
5 (#175) Thomas Kahnle RHP
Lynn University
6 (#205) Gabe Encinas RHP
St. Paul HS (Calif.)
7 (#235) Taylor Anderson CF
Woodlawn School (La.)
8 (#265) Kyle Roller 1B
East Carolina University
9 (#295) Taylor Morton RHP
Bartlett HS (Tenn.)
10 (#325) Benjamin Gamel CF
Bishop Kenny HS (Fla.)
11 (#355) Zachary Varce RHP
University of Portland (Ore.)
12 (#385) Daniel Burawa RHP
St. John’s University
13 (#415) Christopher Austin C
Heritage HS (Ga.)
14 (#445) Travis Dean RHP
Newton South HS (Mass.)
15 (#475) Chase Whitley RHP
Troy University
16 (#505) Evan Rutckyj LHP
St. Joseph’s HS (Windsor, Ontario)
17 (#535) Preston Claiborne RHP
Tulane University
18 (#565) Kevin Jacob RHP
Georgia Tech
19 (#595) Kevin Jordan CF
Northside HS (Ga.)
20 (#625) Michael Ferraro LF
University of San Diego
21 (#655) Dustin Hobbs RHP
Yavapai College
22 (#685) Trevor Johnson LHP
College of the Desert
23 (#715) Shane Brown C
Central Florida
24 (#745) Conor Mullee RHP
St. Peters College (N.J.)
25 (#775) Casey Stevenson 2B
University of Calif. – Irvine
26 (#805) Richard James Hively RHP
Santa Ana College (Calif.)
27 (#835) Martin Viramontes RHP
Loyola Marymount University
28 (#865) Josh Dezse RHP
Olentangy Liberty HS (Ohio)
29 (#895) Stewart Ijames LF
Louisville University
30 (#925) Zachary Nuding RHP
Weatherford College
31 (#955) James Gipson RHP
Florida Atlantic University
32 (#985) Kramer Sneed LHP
Barton College
33 (#1015) Michael Hachadorian RHP
San Diego Mesa College
34 (#1045) William Kish RHP
Germantown Academy (Pa.)
35 (#1075) William Oliver RHP
Palomar College
36 (#1105) Nick McCoy C
University of San Diego
37 (#1135) Cameron Hobson LHP
University of Dayton
38 (#1165) James Ramsay CF
Brandon HS (Fla.)
39 (#1195) Jaycob Brugman OF
Desert Vista HS (Ariz.)
40 (#1225) Michael Gerber CF
Neuqua Valley HS (Ill.)
41 (#1255) Tymothy Pearson CF
Columbia Basin CC (Ore.)
42 (#1285) Michael O’Neill CF
Olentangy Liberty HS (Ohio)
43 (#1315) Kyle Hunter LHP
Kansas State University
44 (#1345) David Middendorf LHP
Northern Kentucky University
45 (#1375) Tyler Johnson OF
Penn State University
46 (#1405) Nathan Forer RHP
Southern Ill. Univ. – Carbondale
47 (#1435) Frederick Lewis LHP
Tennessee Wesleyan College
48 (#1465) Alex Brown RHP
Amphitheater HS (Ariz.)
49 (#1495) Will Arthur OF
Abbotsford Sec. School (B.C.)
50 (#1525) James Rice C
Western Kentucky University
*Repost*
The 10 “best” fastballs in baseball(sorted by fangraphs pitch value), this season:
Player – Avg Velocity
Ubaldo Jimenez – 96.6
Jonathan Sanchez – 90.6
Doug Fister – 88.3
Jeff Niemann – 91.1
Phil Hughes – 92.5
Clayton Richard – 91.2
Tim Hudson – 91.0
Matt Cain – 91.2
C.J. Wilson – 90.5
Cliff Lee – 91.1
Ubaldo and Hughes are the only 2 pitchers on this list in the top 25 in avg fastball velocity. This is how little velocity matters.
It looks like the magic number is 90, once you get your fastball over that… you can be the best pitcher in baseball if you can control it.
Cool! Is there a site (preferably free) that tracks these draftees and if they sign and for how much and where they’ll start their pro career?
From the other thread……
Doreen,
The Yankees have poured a lot more money into their player scouting and development programs, both in the states and Latin America, the past several years.
They have hired more scouts, more crosscheckers, more advisors such as Towers and Livesey, and have upgraded their facilities.
They also now sponsor an area code team (which Culver played for) and have made it a point of emphasis to have their major league execs, not just their scouts, look at certain players.
More money and more attention to detail has been put into this part of the organization.
Its like planting seeds to grow something though. It takes time to bear fruit.
For impatient Yankee fans, they will just whine and complain.
For others who understand the concept of investing for the future, they will be more patient to give the process the time it needs to see consistent results.
There is no tougher pitch to hit in baseball than a well located fastball.
crawdaddy – maybe a well located cutter?
No need for this list — I already have it completely memorized.
Ten minutes to Wapner.
SJ44,
Don’t forget they have hired a couple of guys to interview different prospects to determine their fitness for professional baseball prior to the draft.
Irreverent,
A cutter is a fastball.
“There is no tougher pitch to hit in baseball than a well located fastball.”
And no easier than a badly placed one, (mostly) regardless of speed.
That is why fastball command is FAR & AWAY the more important tool to a pitcher.
I hope this forever places in perspective the importance of the 4th pitch.
It CAN be a tool, but it’s a relatively minor factor.
SJ, IMO Halladay is a freak – there is no one that can do what he can with a baseball; he doesn’t need to throw 95.
Irreverent, that list is incomplete if it’s listing best FB in terms of velocity. Buchholz is missing, so is Lincecum……..
For some reason I can’t copy my last responses on the last thread into this thread.
SJ44, Crawdaddy -
That’s excellent to hear.
I know many conversations in the past centered around this, especially with Randy l. And it makes sense. The Yankees have the money to do this right, and it’s satisfying to know that they are. And that they seem to build on their successes, minimize their failures by learning from them – what worked, what didn’t.
Cashman’s favorite word, “process,” seems to be the mantra of the organization at this point. And process does imply “patience.”
Lincecum’s fastball velocity has been down.
crawdaddy – if a cutter was “just a fastball” then everyone would throw cutters.
Also, Scott Kazmir is not an ace or even that great anymore. I would like Phil to become a #1 type pitcher – that’s what I’m talking about. Maybe we have different hopes or expectations for him, that’s fine.
Hughes fastball is so effective because he locates it well and it has terrific “late life”. The same is true of Mariano’s. If he tries to throw it harder, with greater velocity, it may straighten out and be LESS effective.
CC, when he is right, does what Halladay does with more velocity and from the left side…..which is tougher to do.
He’s not as much of a freak as you think. He’s just a very good pitcher……pitcher being the operative word.
“crawdaddy – if a cutter was “just a fastball” then everyone would throw cutters.”
When did I say it was “just a fastball”? Are you some kind of internet jerk?
We Are!
Ok, then we disagree about Halladay…..I think he’s a great pitcher and the best pitcher in the game.
Cut fastball
2 seam fastball
4 seam fastball
betsy – read what i posted again. its sorted by pitch value, as in, who has had the best fastballs that havent gotten killed this year. halladay isn’t on that list because he is throwing a below average fastball (-0.2 runs) this season. Just because it is fast doesn’t mean its working.
the velocity is irrelevant, and that is the point.
If you want to put halladay’s cutter on that list, fine. Here’s the same list with cutters… sorted by VALUE(top 5 cutters in baseball for SP)
Player – Avg Cutter Velocity
Halladay – 91.3
Lester – 89
Garcia – 85.2
Pettitte – 83
Hughes – 88.5
As you can see, velocity here means even less.
Tom,
Don’t forget the split finger fastball.
crawdaddy – grow up and get the point. a cutter is an entirely different pitch.
ID, excuse me, but I have no idea what you posted. I don’t know anything about pitch value……..
Yup, an internet jerk!
“Ok, then we disagree about Halladay…..I think he’s a great pitcher and the best pitcher in the game.”
Roy Halladay is averaging 92.5 MPH on his fastball this season.
See what I just did there…
Funny how some baseball fans don’t understand that there are different variations of a fastball.
betsy – you don’t have to know anything about it, that’s why i broke it down into this pretty little list for you. but fine, i give up. you clearly don’t want to “know” either.
Doreen-
I appreciated your question.
2 other things I would like to see the Yankees do, if they aren’t doing so already are :
1) focus on teaching the “fundamentals” of baseball in the Minors.
2) Instituting a pro-active more preventative approach to keeping players at all levels healthy (they may be doing this). Anything which could help minimize the attrition rate of their players and propspects is a good investment IMO.
I know that some are going to respond to this by saying the usual cliched sorts of things like “baseball is an inherently violent activity, etc.” , and that is true. However, preventative medicine and scientific
sports medicine have come a long way and would most certainly help.
That’s my 2 cents.
SJ, I believe you’d said (or was it CB) that Phil was the type of pitcher you build a rotation around for years……and I find it interesting now that you’d be content with Phil ending up with a Kazmir like career. Now, if I was wrong about that comment, then I apologize.
What is your point, Stuckey? Phil is not Doc………..he’s not Greg Maddux.
Phil has one thing that Kazmir doesn’t which is command.
Watching SF/Cin game right now. Rookie Mike Leake threw 22 pitches in the first inning. None were over 88 MPH. A rough inning for him. He gave up one run on a pair of 2 out hits. He’s winning in a hitter’s park. 5-0 with a 2.31 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 74 innings. Not bad for a 22 year old that’s never played in the minors. He reminds me a lot of Greg Massux, though he does walk a few more.
He reminds me a lot of Greg ***Maddux***, though he does walk a few more
Phil could throw harder if he wants to, but the late movement on his fastball would be lost, and he’d tire more easily over the course of seven or eight inning starts. There’s no point.
crawdaddy – thats the point everyone has been driving home for the last 2 hours. command > velocity.
Betsy, go to this page…
http://www.fangraphs.com/stats.....#pitchtype
Look at the numbers, see how Halladay’s velocity increased over the years, and despite a slight drop off right into Hughes wheelhouse, he’s remained ultra-effective.
His average fastball speed has been as low as 91.1.
I’d sooner be worried about Joba’s velocity than Phil’s. If a pitcher can be effective, I don’t really care if he throws 85 or 95.
For everyone who happens to be in Love with velocity alone I have one name for you.
Maddux.
Didn’t exactly light up the radar gun, especially in his later years.
Won a few games in spite of his pedestrian velocity, huh ?
Phil is an absolute HORSE and exactly the kind of guy you can build a rotation around. Kazmir’s a little tougher to that with, though, in the past the Yanks anchored rotations with Gomez, Ford and Gator, none of whom was a traditional horse like Phil or CC or Andy.
Tonight should be interesting going against a rookie in his 1st MLB appearance. Mid 90s fastball and control issues at times. Will the Yankees attack Jake Arrieta early in the count or try to wait him out?
“What is your point, Stuckey? Phil is not Doc………..”
Roy Halladay wasn’t Roy Halladay when he was 23 years old, is the point.
You’re spending the morning concerning yourself with Hughes velocity, wondering if it’s ace-worthy.
The pitcher you think is the best in the game throws with similar velocity and gained velocity during the course of his career.
I think the point should be apparent.
round and round in circles we go… will she get it? nobody knows.
GB-
Doesn’t matter what approach they take.
He’s gonna throw a no no because everyone knows that the Yankees can’t possibly hit someone they haven’t seen before.
You should know that.
6th best K rate in the AL. Better BB rate than 3 of the guys ahead of him. Same BB rate as Liriano. It sound like people who are dissatisfied with Hughes want something unobtainable. The fact that his BB rate is down this year is MUCH more encouraging news than a 1 MPH uptick in average FB velocity would be.
When Phil is on, his 94 MPH fastball low and to the corners is one of the most devestating FB in the game…not so much as a putaway, but as an establisher of pitch sequence and a means of getting ahead. It’s such a good pitch, in fact, that it may explain his overreliance on it in the two starts where he struggled.
But it’s just unfathomable that anything he’s done this year has left anyone with any margin for second guessing or “concern.” He’ll probably have more struggles, and maybe a bad stretch here and there, but nothing about the combination of that H/9 rate, K/9 rate and BB/9 rate says anything less than “elite.”
it would be nice if alex would go back to his “see the ball, hit the ball” approach, rather than guessing. i want homeruns, rios should not be leading my fantasy team in home runs
well GB, I was relieved the Yankees didn’t have to face Guthrie w/ his habit of hitting batters, and now you say Arrieta has control issues also? Just when I thought our guys were safe!
Philip Hughes is the brightest gem to come out of the Yankee farm system since Derek Jeter. Let’s all just enjoy the ride.
Betsy, you said that you thought Phil threw 92-95 … well he does! His average fastball velocity is 92.5 but he consistently hits 93, 94, 95 in most of his starts.
Nobody but misinformed fans have ever said that Phil sits at 95. He’s always been a guy that averages 92-93 and can touch 95. The reason he was the best pitching prospect in baseball was mainly because of his superior fastball command and movement. He also had a second plus pitch in his curve. As a matter of fact, at times many said it was a plus-plus pitch but at this time I’d say it’s good but not amazing.
Sorry Vblade but I think the brightest gem to come out of the Yankees system might still be in the Minors.
# MTU (aka GBURL) June 10th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Sorry Vblade but I think the brightest gem to come out of the Yankees system might still be in the Minors.
—————-
Hey, I’m all for more gems to come out of the Yankees system.
wow, just wow.
i just spent an hour in my office reading the last few posts. phil, cb, sj just bringing the heat!
it unbelievable that we have this forum to converse about all things yankees, and probably a little world cup for the next few weeks.
we should all take a moment to think about how awesome this blog is.
then we should be glad that we’re yankees fans, and not red sox fans. they’re buying into the ‘big name’ philosophy too much, the same one that got giambi that contract.
they next decade of yankee baseball has a serious shot to be better than the last one, which was really amazing. i doubt there are other winning teams who can say that
This wole thing has taken some sort of postmodern twist.
After years of reading about Betsy’s unwavering belief that Phil Hughes will be an ace she’s unconvinced he will reach that potential. Meanwhile, Phil Hughes is pitching like an ace.
Did Ian O’connor really make an apostate out of you?
Vblade-
He is named after a historic religious figure.
If the season ended today, given the (some would argue inappropriate) emphasis voters put in wins and winning %, Phil Hughes WOULD be a Top 4 vote-getter for AL Cy Young, and in my estimation, likely 2nd or 3rd.
That this discussion is even taking place, given the specific participants, is all sorts or ridiculous.
I haven’t seen Hughes with a plus-plus curveball since 2007. He needs to work on his command with that pitch. However, his fastball command is excellent this season.
# MTU (aka GBURL) June 10th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Vblade-
He is named after a historic religious figure.
—————-
The Messiah of Mash?
kd
I totally agree. The morning shift is usually the nicer time to be on this blog, but we don’t usually get the wisdom of CB and Phil at this time of day, its been a nice treat!
Vblade-
“The Messiah of Mash?”
They use his name in accounting for time periods.
Special insurance is required when comes to the plate.
crawdaddy – he used to throw his curveball 70mph, now it’s 75 so the effectiveness is reduced slightly. coupled with the replacement of the slider with a cutter and he’s kinda been pitching backwards. rather than trying to get swings and misses out of the zone with the curve, he’s planting it in there for strike 2 and then going back to cutter/fastball to put guys away. i don’t think the command on the curve is bad, he’s just using it differently now.
Great stuff today….Kudos to Phil The Thrill, CB & SJ…….Now we sit back and await the reports from GB…….See the LoHud can be a great place when the lunacy takes a back seat……..Good read guys…..
The name of the game is fastball command.
Jim Kaat was saying the other day about how Pudge thought that Strasburg could throw nothing but fastballs all game to ML hitters and still pitch a shutout. If you can throw an 87+ mph fastball with pinpoint control, that’s really all it takes to be successful. See: Rivera, Mariano.
MTU (aka GBURL) June 10th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Vblade-
He is named after a historic religious figure.
———————————————————————————————————————-
“Holy” Hannah Montana plays in the Yankee farm system?
and he wants to go to Venus
Pat M.-
Hey, what about me ? Don’t I at least deserve honorable mention ?
Or am I just one of those people you spoke about as being missing ?
Leaving Levon far behind
Tom in N.J. June 10th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Leaving Levon far behind
************
I HATE THIS SONG!!! LOL
MTU, My apology for the oversight….I’m rushing which leads to mistakes…….
7 AM to about 3 PM is usually the best time to visit Lohud….great stuff today.
When is sj gonna give his draft recap? We need his expert opinion.
Erica in NY June 10th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Tom in N.J. June 10th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Leaving Levon far behind
************
I HATE THIS SONG!!! LOL
—————————–
and it is now stuck in my head
Uncle did it first Erica, blame him!
Hisss?
Pat M. -
I may not be much of a baseball mind (or any mind).
And I may not be the most serious poster at all times.
But I do think I am one of the more imaginative ones.
And I ocassionally throw in a nice picture to boot.
Tom in N.J. June 10th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Uncle did it first Erica, blame him!
Hisss?
************
No, I will give you both a pa-ss.
I feel a little defeated today. I am not sure I could work up a HISSSS with enough feeling and emotion
Erica I can’t believe you hate any song from that era.
—————————————-
did not get the accounting reference made by MTU re the Jesus
It’s seems to me that the LoHud has just the right mix of the “sacred” and the “profane”.
mtu – i love walking that line :p
Uncle-
Think B.C., A.D.
Get it now ?
Uncle Ellsworth June 10th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Erica I can?t believe you hate any song from that era.
?????????????-
did not get the accounting reference made by MTU re the Jesus
*****************
That song loses me in the beginning when he says “garage” funny. (“In the garage by the motorway”)
To be honest with you, Elton John has never been one of my favorites. I like a few of his songs (usually the more obscure ones). But you’ll never catch me at a concert of his
FIFO?
age?
straightline depreciation?
Uncle E-
I missed the accounting reference. Where is it?
Btw- my other least favorite classic rock songs
Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann version (I like the Bruce original)
The Logical Song- SuperTramp
Erica – that’s what I call an “Eddie Money” attitude- kinda take it or leave it
I like the brit way he says garage
Uncle-
You called me cryptic in the past.
I can be. Maybe I being a little too much so this time.
B.C. = before Christ
Christ = Jesus Christ
Jesus= Jesus Montero
THE gem of the farm system.
Uncle Ellsworth June 10th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Erica ? that?s what I call an ?Eddie Money? attitude- kinda take it or leave it
***************
Speaking of, he is doing a free concert on Long Island soon. It always makes me a little sad when formerly big acts start doing free concerts
Erica see below
I like both versions and the logical song – to a degree
MTU (aka GBURL) June 10th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Vblade-
?The Messiah of Mash??
They use his name in accounting for time periods.
Special insurance is required when comes to the plate.
ID-
Then shall we continue in that vein in perpetuity or not ?
MTU – is that some kinda verbal suduko?
Uncle Ellsworth June 10th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Erica see below
I like both versions and the logical song ? to a degree
MTU (aka GBURL) June 10th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Vblade-
?The Messiah of Mash??
They use his name in accounting for time periods.
*******
Thats easy. BC and AC
Before and after christ aka Jesus
Uncle-
More like chop suey.
you guys most likely discussed this but is Culver the fruit of the Yankees cloning operation?
as is a Jeter clone?
Sterling will say in later years that Cito Culverized that one to the upper deck!
Cito puts one in the Seatos!
rayvt – that’s a good one, write that down.
Uncle-
One of my responsibilities on the blog, as has been assigned to me by certain unamed individuals, is to resolve gentic issues in my Lab.
As such I feel qualified to address your point with regard to one young Mr. Culver.
He is not in fact a “clone” , or any derivative whatsoever of Derek Jeter.
Jeter is not “clonable” due to the unique nature of his cellular structure.
This is not to say as a “variant” of some type that Young Culver might not also express the same winning gene as Jeter.
Over time we will know.
Patrick, there was just a lot of information on Phil on the web and I guess a lot of it is wrong. Don’t you think he needs more than one plus pitch to be a elite/ace/#1 pitcher?
Tom, not at all and calling me an apostate is hardly fair.
Betsy,
Phil has 3 plus pitches. Fastball, cutter, curve. If he works on it I think the change can be a plus pitch.
Only one of his plus pitches is truly elite – the fastball.
so, is there GTLU today?
if so:
SS Jeet
RF Swish
1B Tex
3B Alex
2B Robbie
DH Po
CF Grandy-man
C Cisco
LF Russo
thanks
ID, pitching backwards is what people criticized Buchholz for…….
I heard the Yankees cloning operation hit a snafu when they mistakenly produced several carbon copies of Kei Igawa.
how good is Culver?
Cool story anyway
vblade June 10th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
“Philip Hughes is the brightest gem to come out of the Yankee farm system since Derek Jeter. Let’s all just enjoy the ride.”
*****************************************************************
Hey, Wasup I’m Robbie Cano! Have you heard of me?
JM-
It not only hit a snafu it went fubar.
# champ809 June 10th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
vblade June 10th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
“Philip Hughes is the brightest gem to come out of the Yankee farm system since Derek Jeter. Let’s all just enjoy the ride.”
*****************************************************************
Hey, Wasup I’m Robbie Cano! Have you heard of me?
———————–
Who will have the better career, Robbie or Phil?
Champ-
Very, very good point. Shame on me for not saying it first.
Might have been limiting it to pitching though.
Phil will have more wins a better WHIP and a Lower ERA
but Robi willl have better power numbers
Patrick, how many elite pitches does a pitcher need to be a #1? In general, how many plus pitches do they need? Do you really think his cutter and curve are plus pitches at this point?
I have a feeling he could have a good change if he ever threw it, lol
Robbie certainly has the brightest smile
Anyone hear that the Marlins are going to use fish tanks as their backstop in their new park?
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fish_bytes/
Hughes( imo ) has an elite curve that he’s put on the backburner in favor of his cutter…when he had to go to his curve a couple of starts ago to get hitters of his cutter he threw some absolute hammers….
The curve is a “feel” pitch and as such needs to be thrown to increase it’s effectiveness. I’d like to see Hughes use it more as a putaway pitch in games. I think he needs to be reminded that it is an elite pitch when he has good feel for it.
Cano has a chance if he continues his current career arc to be top 3 or 4 2B of all time….Hughes maybe a great pitcher and I think he will but what are the chances that he ends up top 30-40 starters of all time?
upstate kate -
I am so out of it – tons of things going on and trying to sort out stuff with my daughter, I completely FORGOT about GTLU. Plus I got engrossed in the Phil the Thrill conversation.
GTLU is now Open for Business.
Doreen- I was waiting for you!!! LOL
Patrick, how many elite pitches does a pitcher need to be a #1? In general, how many plus pitches do they need? Do you really think his cutter and curve are plus pitches at this point?
I have a feeling he could have a good change if he ever threw it, lol
—
I have no idea. A.J. has two elite pitches but he’s still only a slightly above average pitcher.
His cutter is definitely a plus pitch. His curve, it’s a bit iffy right now. In the past it was a plus pitch, in the last 2 years he hasn’t thrown it enough for me to make a real judgement but based on the numbers it’s basically average.
Erica -
Some days I need a kick in the behind – I get distracted if I’m doing too much “multi-tasking!”
JM June 10th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
I heard the Yankees cloning operation hit a snafu when they mistakenly produced several carbon copies of Kei Igawa.
Yes, they used the Irabu-san mold! Abby normal!
Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Tex 1B
A-Rod 3B
Cano 2B
Posada DH
Granderson CF
Cervelli C
Russo LF
Betsy,
Johan Santana had two….fastball and changeup.
John Smoltz had two….fastball and slider.
Tom Glavine had two….two seamer and changeup.
Ron Guidry had two…..fastball and slider.
Randy Johnson had two….fastball and slider.
Nolan Ryan had two…..fastball and curveball.
My point is, its not the number of “elite” pitches you have. Its what you do with the pitches you have and how effective you are throwing them in any count.
Too many people are caught up with the two things that mean NOTHING when it comes to evaluating pitchers.
Velocity and the number of pitches they throw.
You can throw 8 different pitches like Dice-K. If you have command of none of them, you aren’t a very good pitcher. Like Dice-K.
Conversely, if you “only” have pitches, like the guys I highlighted above, and can throw them to all four quandrants of the plate at any time, you are an elite pitcher.
RE: the hardest pitch to hit
Ted Williams said the hardest pitch to hit is a “true slider.” A true slider, is a cutter.
When one of the greatest hitters of all time says it, it kind of makes sense why Mariano has been so dominant.
Doreen – GTLU Stuff & Photos June 10th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Erica -
Some days I need a kick in the behind ? I get distracted if I?m doing too much ?multi-tasking!?
********
I was about to inquire when Kate did…
I even checked your website to make sure yuo didn’t cancel it
Jeter SS
Swisher RF
Tex 1B
A-Rod 3B
Cano 2B
Posada DH
Granderson CF
Russo LF
Moeller C
GTLU-
Jeter SS
Swish RF
Tex 1B
ARod 3B
Robbie 2B
Jorge DH
Grandy CF
Velli C
Russo LF
A.J.- SP- complete game shutout 5hits/2walks/10ks….
I just have a feeling Joe G might give Cervs a day off in preparation for the weekend series. But that’s just a shot in the dark tbh.
A true slider and a cutter move differently….
A cutter has more side to side movement and a slider has more of a downward break to it…
Erica -
I’d like to believe I’d never cancel it without announcing it here first, but apparently, I’m not all that reliable.
Hi Doreen,
GTLU
Jeter-ss
Swish-rf
Tex-1b
Arod-3b
Cano-2b
Posada-dh
Granderson-cf
Cervelli-c
Russo-lf
SJ44,
Johan actually had 3 elite pitches, his slider should be in there as well. I believe he changed the way he threw it during his last year with the Twins and it’s been the same (average) ever since. I remember reading some stuff about how the slider was particularly dangerous to his arm so the Twins had him change the way he threw it. Similar to how Kerry Wood had to abandon one of his breaking pitches early on in his career.
Regardless, since 2007 it’s been a much lesser pitch than when he was winning Cy Youngs with the Twins.
And of course, you’re absolutely right, the number pitches a guy can throw matters very little as long as it’s more than 1… unless the guy is Mariano Rivera that is
“how many elite pitches does a pitcher need to be a #1?”
Phil only needed one. Of course that would be Phil Niekro.
Erica/upstate kate -
I really so totally lost track of the time. I looked at the clock at 12:20 and made a mental note that I had to open GTLU in 10 minutes and then totally forgot. I guess I really am 52.
Erica
What’s the dealio?
GTLU
Jeter – SS
Swisher – RF
Teixeira – 1B
Rodriguez – 3B
Cano – 2B
Posada – DH
Granderson – CF
Russo – LF
Moeller – C
Thanks Doreen!!!
Patrick,
I took the slider out of it for Johan since he doesn’t throw it anymore since he had his elbow surgery. More accurately, he throws it more infrequently and it doesn’t have the same tilt.
Command is everything in pitching. Those who have it are successful.
Those who don’t, aren’t, regardless of the radar gun readings.
SS Jeter
RF Swisher
1B Teixeira
3B Rodriguez
2B Cano
DH Posada
CF Granderson
C Cervelli
LF Russo
Thanks
Pat M -
Asked this the other day, if you answered already and I didn’t see it, I apologize. Have you gotten the chance to see any of the Cali draftees play? Particularly Gumbs or Encinas?
upstate kate June 10th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Robbie certainly has the brightest smile
**********************************
He certainly does.
Doreen
luckily you have us GTLU groupies to remind you
jete ss
swish rf
tex 1b
al 3b
rob 2b
po dh
grand cf
russo lf
moeller c
If a pitcher has pinpoint control, they don’t really need a “plus” pitch per se- like Mussina and Maddux (although some would argue that Moose’s knuckle curve and Maddux’s change were plus pitches).
More accurately, he throws it more infrequently and it doesn’t have the same tilt.
–
Yes exactly, that’s what I was getting at. It used to be a truly great pitch and when considering his other two amazing pitches he really was something to behold. Unfortunately now, it’s extremely average.
As much as we bust on Santana because he’s a Met, he really is a special player. He had some of the best stuff I’d ever seen when he was with the Twins and now with the Mets his stuff is very diminished but he still finds a way to dominate. Yes the NL helps him but he’s still an ace.
YankeesWFAN After tonight Yanks don’t see Orioles again until Labor Day. Lots of laboring for O’s between now and then.
SJ, then color me confused because one of the reasons people were iffy on Phil’s ceiling was that he only threw 2 pitches. What changed between ST and now? I don’t recall anyone ever throwing out those names and saying that it was ok for Phil to be a 2 pitch pitcher…….but now it IS ok?
I love his curve and if he threw it more often, I’m sure it would be a plus pitch.
I’m still behind the curve as it were re: his change. The Yanks and Phil made such a big deal out of it and he never throws it.
Hi Doreen,
My line-up
Derek SS
Swisher RF
Tex 1B
Alex 3B
Robbie 2B
Jorge DH
Curtis CF
Cisco C
Russo LF
Thanks
Betsy,
I think you are confusing things here. We are talking about all-time great pitchers and what their elite pitches were. All of the guys SJ44 lists threw other, lesser, pitches.
The same goes for Phil, he has only one truly elite pitch but he can throw 4 pitches.
Also, Phil doesn’t have any pitches that compare with any of those pitchers. Keep in mind, I’m not talking about him becoming a nice, solid, middle of the rotation pitcher; I’m talking about what is needed to become a real #1.
SS Derek Jeter
RF Nick Swisher
1B Mark Teixeira
3B Alex Rodriguez
2B Robinson Cano
DH Jorge Posada
CF Curtis Granderson
C Francisco Cervelli
LF Kevin Russo
SJ44 June 10th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
CC, when he is right, does what Halladay does with more velocity and from the left side…..which is tougher to do.
————————————————————————————————————
You just don’t get it. Eating 2 boxes of Oreo cookies isn’t good for CC’s guzzler gut. You don’t think his body clock is going to run out of time? The 30′s will take care of that.
# Betsy – Hughes rules (Pleading the Fifth) June 10th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Also, Phil doesn’t have any pitches that compare with any of those pitchers. Keep in mind, I’m not talking about him becoming a nice, solid, middle of the rotation pitcher; I’m talking about what is needed to become a real #1.
—————-
His fastball command is at the very least comparable to any of those guys, and it’s only going to get better.
GTLU
Jeter SS
Swish RF
Tex 1B
Alex 3B
Cano 2B
Posada DH
Grandy CF
Cervelli C
Russo LF
# tarantula June 10th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
SJ44 June 10th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
CC, when he is right, does what Halladay does with more velocity and from the left side…..which is tougher to do.
————————————————————————————————————
You just don’t get it. Eating 2 boxes of Oreo cookies isn’t good for CC’s guzzler gut. You don’t think his body clock is going to run out of time? The 30’s will take care of that.
——————-
David Wells sure declined sharply in his 30′s!
Oh wait, he didn’t.
SJ, you talk about the NYY and their homegrown players yet you say talk to me by September about Cervelli, Pena, Gardy, Hughsie. They will revert to little leaguers by then. You know that to be true.
Patrick, not really. His cutter gets hit a lot – not great; I LOVE his curve if he could just gain more consistency and he never throws his change – I don’t even count that at all.
It’s great that you think he can be a #1 ,but I’m trying to figure why that’s the case when he only has one elite pitch and the pitches you called plus it could be argued aren’t. Also, we’ve discussed this before. I know several posters have said that it’s fine for Phil to throw 2 pitches until the league shows it’s catching up to him. Well, the teams he’s faced more than once have adjusted, so he can’t throw only 2 pitches now.
SJ, CB or Pat M., what is considered an acceptable or good percentage of a teams scoring runs based on the number of base runners they have. NYY has about 890 base runners so far, figuring hits, walks, HBP and safe on errors. They’ve scored right at 37% of those runners.
School is out. First moron post of the day.
Betsy.
Hughes’ fastball is an elite pitch. He can throw it to all four quandrants of the plate in any count. That’s elite.
Read all the posts on here again discussing this and stop worrying about Phil Hughes.
He’s 8-1 with an ERA under 3 in the AL. He is probably going to the All Star Game.
Guess what? That’s elite.
Your concerns are unfounded.
Betsy you can say it all you want but Phil’s cutter is a plus pitch… Look at the stats they don’t lie…
I was thinking about Vells getting the day off tonight as well but went with him in the lineup
“”"David Wells sure declined sharply in his 30’s!
Oh wait, he didn’t.”"”
——————————————————————————————————
Um 2003 World Series not able to pitch because of his bad back not able to support his guzzler gut. Um, CC needs to put down the cookie jar.
If you think CC Sabathia’s physique is anything like David Wells’ you are utterly clueless.
# tarantula June 10th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
“””David Wells sure declined sharply in his 30’s!
Oh wait, he didn’t.”””
——————————————————————————————————
Um 2003 World Series not able to pitch because of his bad back not able to support his guzzler gut. Um, CC needs to put down the cookie jar.
————————
He was 40 in the 2003 postseason. Idiot.
“”"Read all the posts on here again discussing this and stop worrying about Phil Hughes.”"”
——————————————————————————————–
Oh yes your best friend forever Aroid told you to say this. What is up with Arod? Did he have to stop taking the juice? 8 hrs ? I guess without the juice he’s just old line drive dork.
The morons are back so it’s about time to head out.
Enjoy the game everyone.
Phil’s fastball is a plus pitch.
mick June 10th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Erica
What?s the dealio?
**********
Due to the crazy that broke out last night, my head hurts too much to think about trades. I will probably revisit by the end of the weekend when I have regained clarity
Doreen – GTLU Stuff & Photos June 10th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Erica -
I?d like to believe I?d never cancel it without announcing it here first, but apparently, I?m not all that reliable.
************
Nah, you are human.
I thought maybe you did cancel it and I missed it. I wasn’t sure if you would appreciate me starting it for you without prior consent
Seems to me that Rick Reushel, Mickey Lolich, Luis Tiant and Eddie Guardado did pretty well, dispite being somewhat “portly”.
“”"”Enjoy the game everyone.”"”
I wish your night shift in the sweat factory a success!!!!!!
One thing I have to admit I am worried about as CC gets older is the knee on his landing leg. That is a lot of weight/stress on a joint.
I told you guys…7AM- 3 PM (school hours) is nice at Lohud.
Due to the crazy that broke out last night, my head hurts too much to think about trades. I will probably revisit by the end of the weekend when I have regained clarity
—
I dunno, I kind of enjoy the crazy. Yes it makes my head hurt but it makes me laugh so much that it more than makes up for the pain.
I’m waiting with bated breath for another insane response.. I just don’t get how some people stumble through life being so utterly psychotic. Reading these emails is like watching a train wreck
Does any 1 have any info on Collin Curtis? I heard hes back from injury and everyone said had he not been hurt he would be the 1st of calll up. He was raking before the injury.THnx 4 the info!
All Phil needs to be a true #1 is time. He had an historically significant minor leaue career, made it to the bigs by age 20, got sidetracking by injuries and now he’s doing his thing again. Semantic descriptions of the pitches he has or hasn’t got are useless when you see the elite RESULTS the combinations of his pitches produce. They produced them all through the minors, through the pen and now as a starter. He’s that guy. A #1.
Thanks, Erica.
Betsy
Hughes has always thrown more than 2 pitches….and please stop looking for things to worry about with Hughes….
the question of whether he becomes an ace or a #1 won’t be answered for some time to come but by his performance so far he’s showing that he has the talent,stuff and makeup to be just that.
also most who know what they are talking about would grade Hughess stuff as plus to elite…he throws no “average” pitches save for maybe his change and that is more of a function of his reluctance to throw it or lack of confidence in it….but hey even the great Halladay just re-discovered his change this offseason and has begun to really use it more in games…at 34 yrs of age!
Jeter-SS
Swisher-RF
Teixiera-1B
AROD-3B
Cano-2B
Posada-DH
Granderson-CF
Russo-LF
Moeller-C
I think this issue has become way too complicated.
What makes an “ace” or an “elite” pitchers isn’t some threshold or combination of stuff/command/# of pitches.
It’s really much more simple than that.
Elite results = elite pitchers.
Hughes is getting elite/ace results. So long as he keeps getting them, he will be an elite/ace.
What else needs to be said?
SJ, believe it or not, I’m not worrying. Perhaps it looks like it to you, but I’m just analzying……..
Also, I never said his FB was not an elite pitch; that has nothing to do with the discussion of what it takes to be a #1.
Patrick, I have no idea how to read graphs and charts, but even if I could, I wouldn’t need to do so to tell me what I need to know. Phil gets beat on the cutter – a LOT. How is that a plus pitch?
Stuckey:
Don’t necessarily disagree, but would point out that Carlos Silva still ain’t an elite pitcher.
GB
ah Luis Tiant…”baseball been berry berry good to me”…I loved that guy, even if he was mostly a red sox
Champ, um, I’m not worrying – why would I worry about Phil? I am simply asking questions that I don’t know the answers to. It’s ok if you don’t want to answer them – no one is obligated to do so – but I am not worrying.
# blake June 10th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I told you guys…7AM- 3 PM (school hours) is nice at Lohud.
——————-
Yep, as soon as the kids from the back of the short bus arrive, the quality goes downhill.
And yes, thank you for your comments……..I appreciate them.
He doesn’t get beat on his cutter a “lot”.
Put it in perspective. You can’t be 8-1 with an ERA under 3 and get beat “a lot” with any one pitch.
He’s gotten beat with it a few times. So what? Its still a big swing and miss pitch for him and he’s still learning how it use it effectively.
Look at the results Betsy. The results will tell you what he is and what his ceiling can be.
How is that a plus pitch?
—
Because he also beats a lot of hitters using it.
The bad cutters stick in our minds but the good ones get overlooked. He gets a LOT of swing and misses using the cutter.
Betsy,
Hughes cutter is an elite pitch, he was just throwing it too much. He currently has 3 plus pitches.
Colin Curtis has been back for several games. His SLG is not where it was before he got hurt. OPSing just .737 now. Getting on base a fine amount, but not showing the power that developed last year.
Since I opened GTLU late, I will keep it open until the lineup comes or until I have to leave – whichever comes first.
Erica I got your message but for some reason I can’t figure out how to send private emails from the owners page. I’ll send you my response when I can spend more time looking around the page. I’m at work now
Betsy,
When you continually get the answers you are looking for, do not accept them and disagree with them, it comes off not as analysis but as worry.
The Following people have submitted lineups today:
upstate kate
Erica
vblade
champ809
rodg12
Erin
mick
Fran (the original)
RayVT
Unknown
austinmac
Did I miss anyone?
Patrick June 10th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Erica I got your message but for some reason I can?t figure out how to send private emails from the owners page. I?ll send you my response when I can spend more time looking around the page. I?m at work now
************
When you are at the message board, there is a drop down box to control who it is going to. Just select me
Phil the Thrill
Thanx agin 4 the info. Was just wondering if the Yankees would give him a shot before they go searching at the deadline for a DH/4th Ofer. Maybe when Moller gets DFA when Possada comes back to full catching duties we can bring him up give him a shot. I also hope no one claims Moeler so we can keep him with Montero .I like that kind of exp behind the plate.Realy think its a big advantage for Montero. Thnx Phil you the Man.
Betsy the other reason I’m telling you his cutter is a plus pitch is the pitch value according to fangraphs. It’s significantly above average.
According to their stats the top cutters in the league are Halladay, Lester, Jaime Garcia, Pettitte, Mo, Mike Adams(?) and Hughes.
I know that Halladay, Lester, Pettitte and Mo have great cutters so that makes a lot of sense to me that they are at the top of the leader board. Which leads me to conclude that if Phil is up there is cutter must be good.
Add my personal observation that he gets a lot of swing and misses w/ the cutter and I truly believe it’s been a plus pitch for him
I am not ready to call Phil’s cutter a plus pitch, yet. If the league sees him a few times and the results continue then I will.
I do consider his fastball and curve ball to be plus pitches.
Rays fan at work complained about the rumor that the NYY are pursuing Cliff Lee. He said why don’t you guys just get everyone? Asked me how I sleep at night. I told him I sleep just fine. I count those 27 World Championship trophies and I fall right to sleep. I told him maybe if Tampa spent some of the luxury tax money we give them on players instead of a fish tank in RF and black hair dye for Joe Maddon they’d win a WS once in a while.
Betsy, here’s something to ease your mind-great pitchers are great because they (1) have at least one plus pitch (2) can throw the ball where they want and (3) because they have the confidence in their stuff and ability to attack the hitters.
Phil has shown all of the above (and more)-barring injury he will win at least one Cy Young in his career and win tons of games for the Yankees. He is this generation’s Andy Pettitte, at least from the perspective of being consistent and staying with the club. He also has better stuff than Andy ever did…
upstate kate June 10th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
GB
ah Luis Tiant…”baseball been berry berry good to me”…I loved that guy, even if he was mostly a red sox
———————————————————————————————————————-
Kate, he was quite a pitcher that had to reinvent himself a couple of times because of injuries. He came up to the ML about 2-3 weeks before Stottlemyre did in ’64. Orlando Hernandez always reminded me of Tiant. I met him a few times here in Savannah a few years ago when he became Savannah College Of Art And Design’s (SCAD) pitching coach/head coach. Genuinely nice man and very funny. Never saw a more inventive pitcher in the game. Cazzie Russell was the head basketball coach at the same time.
Betsy
Why do you continue to lack confidence in Hughes while giving all this praise to Clay and Pelfrey ?
And I think Clay and Pelfrey are good pitchers but it seems like you don’t have much confidence in Hughes ability to become a number 1 starter.
Hi Doreen,
You forgot me.
Patrick from CT June 10th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Hi Doreen,
GTLU
Jeter-ss
Swish-rf
Tex-1b
Arod-3b
Cano-2b
Posada-dh
Granderson-cf
Cervelli-c
Russo-lf
thanks GB, I enjoy the historical perspective you provide
Patrick from CT:
:smackshead:
I’m sorry. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.
GTLU is now closed for today
Thanks for playing.
SS Jete
RF Swish
1B Tex
3B Alex
2B Robbie
DH Posada
CF Granderson
C Cisco
LF Russo
Jeremy,
Betsy likes 25 year old Clay & 26 year old Pelfrey better than 23 year old Hughes because she thinks they throw harder and it seams velocity means everything. That’s why 93-97 mph Guthrie is an Ace you know.
I got you, NYY626.
JakeRoberts
The funny thing about that notion. Clay and Pelfrey are not throwing harder than Hughes.
I want to thank everyone for being patient and answering all my questions; I truly appreciate it. I?m not trying to be a pest ,but I admit I?m an inveterate question-asker; I always need to know why and how and how come.
SJ, that?s a very good point??.I could probably use a little perspective. I suppose I?m acting like someone at a museum squinting to see every little bit of paint on a great work of art instead of stepping back and looking at the big pictures. Sorry, that?s the English major in me ? I love analogies, lol.
Patrick, thanks for your input about the cutter especially in terms of how it compares to others via the fangraphs thing. You?re very right ? and Phil is in good company with those fellas.
MG, that?s very nicely put. I don?t know why, but lately I?ve really been over the top with my over-analysis. I either need a good night?s sleep, a therapist or hypnotist- anything to get me to RELAX!
Rodg, when you put it like that, I can see how it looks like I?m worrying, lol.
Jeremy, I don?t know. I think I handled this all better when Phil being a starter was a fuzzy thing; it wasn?t real then, now it is. To be honest? I knew this was going to happen because I know myself. It?s really not a Phil thing more than it is an indication that I?m a tad overwrought at times, lol. It?s like every start, every pitch, is a referendum on how good he is ? that?s just dumb and I know it.
I think Betsy does a great job driving conversation on an otherwise boring afternoon.
Now if she can start a debate that is non-Phil related…
My pleasure, Kate. You can ask my questions any time. I’m full of it.
information, I mean.
I am on my way out, but…
There are no winners in today’s GTLU.
Wait till you see the lineup.
Betsy – Hughes rules (Pleading the Fifth) June 10th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
MG, that?s very nicely put. I don?t know why, but lately I?ve really been over the top with my over-analysis. I either need a good night?s sleep, a therapist or hypnotist- anything to get me to RELAX!
———————————————————–
Betsy, thanks, if I had told you on March 25th that Phil would be 8-1 with an under 3 ERA on June 7th would you have slept well that evening or been concerned that he wasn’t 9-0?
Thanks Doreen! I lost anyway, but thanks! LOL
GB-
Betsy,
A story on perspective…..
When I was a kid, I was a batboy for the West Haven Yankees (the Yankees AA farm system) one summer. Ron Guidry was on the team. Great guy.
He was a short, skinny guy who threw hard but had control issues.
A few years later, he’s in NY. In 1978, he is on his way to a 25-3 season.
All that was being said by the so called “experts” at the time was, “he will never hold up over the season. He will never have a good career. He’s not an upper echelon pitcher”, etc.
I remember an old writer telling a young writer in the press box who was opining about Guidry that night, “why don’t you just sit back and enjoy what you are seeing. Its giving you plenty to write about since he’s a great story”.
Its all about perspective.
My suggestion is that you do the same with Hughes. Enjoy what you are seeing and don’t get so caught up in media approval, velocity, whether has plus pitches, etc.
Just be happy a guy who follow so closely is doing so well.
You will enjoy the ride a lot more that way and not always be looking for dark clouds.
I don’t know about all of you but the last Baltimore game that Hughes pitched was to me the most impressive one because he did not have everything working. He was wild in the strike zone and out, and gave up hard hits and still 3 runs in 6 IP. A good measure of him having composure and being able to pitch well when all his pitches and command are not there.
All that Ace stuff. He’s never got to worry about that when CC is on the staff. CC is the man.
I was ticked at myself for not submitting a lineup which would have included the Cervelli crowd, but I guess it was good fortune in that no one won
“Anyone hear that the Marlins are going to use fish tanks as their backstop in their new park?”
———————————————————————————-
why does this make me think of Barbershop 2 ?
they meant to say, the Marlins will have a McFish banner, as their backstop in the new ball park.
I cant believe we drafted James Rice. No more making run down Sox idiots, Yankees. Well i guess if we’re going to get him. Might as well have him be the last guy picked on the team.
Have a good one fellas.
The lineup:
SS Jeter
RF Swish
1B Tex
3B Arod
2B Cano
DH Posada
CF Granderson
LF Thames
C Moeller
Pitching: AJ
Hi Doreen,
GTLU
Jeter-ss
Swish-rf
Tex-1b
Arod-3b
Cano-2b
Posada-dh
Granderson-cf
Cervelli-c
Thames LF
Thank you Doreen
Russo-lf
Hi Doreen,
GTLU
Jeter-ss
Swish-rf
Tex-1b
Arod-3b
Cano-2b
Posada-dh
Granderson-cf
Cervelli-c
Thames LF
Thank you Doreen. To correct previous mispost. Thanks,
Comet
Thank you Doreen
Betsy,
Why are you so emotionally invested in Hughes performance?
We are all Yankees fans and hope the players on our team do well, and most fans are more attached to home grown players, but over the past 3 years I would swear you were a family member of Hughes.
New Post w/lineup
Doreen Please ignore my submissions I missed the deadline. Sor
Comet
Just caught up from last nights chat. Thank you Phil, CB and SJ for your insights into the draft and your comparative analysis of the Yankees and Red Sox operating strategies.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
As I understand it, the Red Sox leak information in order to control the narrative and win the perception battle, right?
I suspect the reason is because they want to generate a positive buzz about their team in order to strengthen the fan base and build new allegiances among younger fans. Their marketing scheme is designed to constantly make them appear at the cutting edge of baseball fashion. Their trades and drafts and player personnel moves are viewed as fascinating and trendy.
As these energized fans follow the team with high hopes, the bottom line is in theory boosted on the business side of things.
Traffic to Red Sox sights goes up. Internet profits sail.
Merchandise flies off the shelf.
Fans flock to the stadium because they don’t want to miss a trick.
Radio revenues soar.
TV revenues follow the same hype.
The reason I think the Red Sox can get away with this empty hype is because of their history. Sure, they remain competitive enough to nurture all the craze that they generated in the first place.
But if their picks bust or plans faulter or trades backfire and they fall short of the wins they seemed to promise in the public eye, the fans forgive and forget because they have been numbed by their historic failures of the past.
GreenBeret7 June 10th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
My pleasure, Kate. You can ask my questions any time. I?m full of it.
information, I mean.
———————————————————————————–
Well if it isn’t Capain Obvious. I think we all know you’re full of it.
Follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rpimpsner for updates on the Yankees draft class and the Yankees minor leagues. I am currently the Yankees minor league reporter for BaseballDigest.com.