Jim Thome Hit A Bunch Of Home Runs

Minnesota Twin's legend Jim Thome can still hit the ball pretty far for a 40-year-old. In Detroit Monday night, Thome hit home run number 599 and 600 to become just the eighth member of that particular round number club. While the Interwebs are abuzz with Thome Hall of Fame articles today, his march for the milestone wasn't met with much fanfare. Well, at least not as much gusto as Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit but I blame that on Thome for not dating a ton of hot, young actresses.

Thome has had an amazing career spanning 21-years and five teams (who can ever forget the four hits he had for the Dodgers in 2009?). Even though he has hit 600 home runs and has a career .403 OBP, Thome's 71.0 fWAR (Fangraphs wins above replacement) is only good for 81st in between Dwight Evans and Andruw Jones. Thome is obviously hurt by his positional value (first base and now DH) but that just shows how prolific a hitter he was/kinda is.

I realize everybody is writing something about Thome's Hall of Fame candidacy or Thome being such a nice guy or Thome's marvelous career (which Joe Posnanski, of course, already nailed) so I won't bore you with redundancy. Dude hit a bunch of home runs. Fact.

I'll always remember Jim Thome for hitting two home runs for me when I had my wisdom teeth pulled on June 25, 1998. I assume he got my AOL email on that magical day.

Time To Discuss Gary Sheffield And The HOF

Gary Sheffield officially hung them up on Thursday after a 22 season career. My initial reaction, after a cursory glance at his stats, was that he is Hall of Fame worthy.
See? I guess now would be a good time to show my work even though I might not agree with my original thesis anymore. The stats are there. The 509 home runs are good for 24th all time. His .292/.393/.514 line is solid. While he never won an MVP, he did have three top five finishes and six top 10s. According to Baseball-Reference, similar batters to him include Mel Ott, Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle.

But then, against the advice of my therapist, I went digging through some Wins Above Replacement data. Sheffield finished with a 65.8 WAR which is right in that 60-70 HOF bubble. Larry Walker finished with a 72.2 WAR and received 20.3% of the 2011 Hall of Fame voting. So we might not want to start betting on which hat Sheff will be enshrined in just yet.

Sheffield won't even have the highest WAR of first time eligible outfielders in five years. Jim Edmonds also just retired after not being healthy enough to try one last run with the Cardinals. I already wrote about Edmonds' HOF candidacy and I was leaning toward imaginary voting yes. So I guess I'm leaning yes on Sheffield too. His case just isn't as slam dunk as I initially thought. I mean, look at the WAR Graph people.


Of course, if Tim Raines and Jeff Bagwell aren't in by then, the whole system is broken anyway.

My first draft of this post was longer and nerdier. But I accidentally erased that one and lost interest in writing it again. Deal with it.

MLB Draft Signing Deadline: Zach Lee Edition

The MLB draft signing deadline has come and gone with only 3 of the top 50 picks not signing. It was not big surprise that Bryce Harper and Manny Machado signed at the very last minute. But Zach Lee, that one I didn't see coming. Let's take a look at some of yesterday's highlights while I try to reign my Dodger hatred in a little...

Nationals
In no surprise, the Nationals were able to sign Bryce Harper right before the 11:59 p.m deadline last night. It's the second straight year the Nationals have signed once-in-a-lifetime prospects according to Super Agent Soctt Boras. Harper got a 5-year deal worth $9.9 million including a $6.5 million signing bonus. The power hitting 17-year-old will be transitioned to the outfield from catcher to expedite his arrival to the majors. Keith Law Tweeted that the Nats might even send Harper to the AFL in October.

The Nationals also signed 2nd round pick left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis for a $1 million bonus and 4th rounder right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole for a $2 million bonus. Quite the nice haul for the Nationals who are putting together a good core of young players. I've technically been a big fan of theirs since they signed Vladimir Guerrero in 1993 so I don't want to hear any lip about hopping on the bandwagon.

Pirates
Pittsburgh continues to be the biggest spender come draft time. It helps if you're constantly one of the worst teams in baseball but that's just a theory I'm working on. The second overall pick right-handed pitcher Jameson Tallion signed for around a $6 million bonus. Fellow right-handed pitcher Stetson Allie tumbled all the way to the second round before the Pirates drafted him. Allie probably has the most uside of any pitcher in the draft other than Tallion and the Pirates opened up their wallet and paid out $2.25 million for him. Impressive draft.

Orioles
Baltimore gave a $5.25 million bonus to short stop Manny Machado minutes before the deadline.

Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks reached a deal with 6th overall pick pitcher Barret Loux but his physical revealed arm damage. The D-Backs were able to void the contract and, it turns out, Loux will become a free agent. Loux will be able to sign with any team (Diamondbacks?) and the Diamondbacks will receive the 7th pick in next year's draft as compensation.

Padres
The Padres reportedly offered 9th pick overall pitcher Karsten Whitson a $2.1 million bonus but Whitson held out for more and never signed. $2.1 million with a chance to eventually live in San Diego and pitch in a massive pitchers park? Doesn't seem bad to me but I live in New Orleans where the temperature is Fire but with a lot of humidity.

Brewers
The 14th overall pick Dylan Covey declined to sign for a different reason. The pitcher was on his way to signing when his physical revealed Covey has Type 1 diabetes. The Brewers were still interested in signing him but Covey decided it would be better to attend the University of San Diego which is close to home. I wish the kid the best of luck. And if he ever wants to have me out to watch a game and maybe hit a party, my email is on the right of the page.

Angels
The Halos were able to reach a deal with 2-way star Kaleb Cowart. They'll likely give him a chance to play third base before moving him to a full time pitcher.

Rockies
The 26th pick in the draft struck a deal right before the deadline. Outfielder Kyle Parker signed a $1.4 million contract allowing him to still quarterback the Clemson Tigers. By choosing to play football, Parker probably left close to $1 million on the table.

Dodgers
Buckle in kids, I have a lot of venom built up for this one. It was already a bad day for LSU when Anthony Renaudo and LSU commit Lucas LeBlanc ended up signing with Boston. But it got worse when future quarterback, Zach Lee signed with the Dodgers. I was convinced the Dodgers had a near zero percent chance of signing Lee away from LSU as I wrote here and more recently here.

It took $5.25 million to buy Zach Lee out of his LSU commitment and love for football. Where did the Dodgers, tied up in the McCourt divorce, get that kind of cash? I can't be certain, but this has Alyssa Milano written all over it. Lee was already enrolled at LSU and even practiced with the football team that afternoon before signing. Lee might have even had a shot at starting by the end of the season considering the track records of incumbent QBs Jarett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. Of course, the LSU baseball team also suffers losing Lee from their rotation.

The Lee bonus more than doubles Clayton Kersaw's $2.3 million in 2006, the Dogers' former largest bonus. Despite the fate of the franchise being in limbo because of the divorce, the Dodgers both added payroll at the trade deadline and gave out one of the largest bonuses of the draft. I have a feeling this will make me angry for quite some time. Or until Thursday, my attention span isn't very...oh my god, that dog is wearing a hat.

Ricky Romero Extended: A Look At The 2005 Draft

Toronto lefty Ricky Romero signed a 5-year, $30.1 million extension with the Blue Jays today. The 25-year-old pitcher broke into the bigs last season with the Jays with mixed reviews. He's sporting a 3.53 ERA which seems sustainable considering his 3.60 xFIP and .301 BABIP. Is a 25-year-old left handed pitcher with a 3.50 ERA worth a $30 million extension? It seems like a good deal to me from the Blue Jays side. The draft pick at the time was criticized since the Jays passed up Troy Tulowitzki in order to draft Romero. Let's hop in the way back machine and take a look at some of the other first round picks from 2005...

1. Justin Upton
Upton broke out in 2009 hitting 26 homers with a .300/.366/.532 line mixing in 20 stolen bases. He's having a disappointing season thus far to the tune of .272/.359/.449 but he is still just 22-years-old and has many more All Star appearances in his future.

2. Alex Gordon
The cornerstone of the Royals franchise has been anything but that in his young professional career. Gordon has managed 42 career homers and a .248/.328/.414 with the Royals while bouncing up and down between the minors. Plus he's already been moved to the outfield from third base. I still believe he can be a solid regular but not what the Royals thought they were getting with the second overall pick.

3. Jeff Clement
Bust.

4. Ryan Zimmerman
Zimmerman ended up being everything the Nationals expected. Zimmerman got a cup of coffee the year he was drafted and never looked back. The 25-year-old had his offensive breakout last season slugging 33 homers on his way to a .292/.364/.525 line. He's been even better this year hitting 22 homers with a .301/.390.540 line. Did I mention he might be the best fielding third baseman in baseball too?

5. Ryan Braun
Braun is the offensive juggernaut that everyone thought he'd be but he's godawful at defense. He was drafted as a third baseman but after posting a -27.7 UZR in 2007 he was quickly moved to left field. Last year he posted a -13.4 UZR there and is aiming to top that this year already sitting at a -10.7 UZR.

6. Ricky Romero

7. Troy Tulowitzki
If Tulo could stay healthy for a full season, he would rival Chase Utley as the player I feel gets no MVP love. In 2009, Tulo played a full season and hit 32 homers with a .297/.377/.552 line while playing a respectable short stop. The injury bug got him again this year but when active he's hitting .321/.382/.512.

They also got drafted...

9. Mike Pelfrey
Pelfrey is putting together a nice season for the Mets this year with a 3.94 FIP and might end up being a front of the rotation starter.

11. Andrew McCutchen
I was shocked to see that McCutchen's outfield UZR is -8.4 this year. The 23-year-old still figures to be one of the few exciting things Pirates fan have to look forward to in the immediate future.

12. Jay Bruce
While Bruce is still just 23-years-old, his major league career hasn't lived up to the hype surrounding him. But I'm pretty jaded considering I draft him every year for fantasy baseball.

23. Jacoby Ellsbury
The speedy Red Sox outfielder hit the disabled list for the third time this season. Boston has been snakebitten all year.

25. Matt Garza
Garza has been the Rays second best starter since the Twins gave him up for the underwhelming Delmon Young.

28. Colby Rasmus
Rasmus is on his way to being one of the key players for the Cardinals and picked up the rare reverse Golden Sombrero yesterday going 0-0 with 4 walks.

Trade Deadline Movers And Shakers

Today's trade deadline has come and gone and was a little uneventful. Most of the major deals were made prior to Saturday. No surprises, no insane rumors. None of my wild and careless trade ideas came to fruition. I will say that with Twitter and the MLB Network, it was a lot of fun to follow but I'm starting to realize how much of a nerd I am. Let's take a look at who did the best moving and shaking this trade deadline season...

1. Texas Rangers
Kind of funny how the one bankrupt team in the MLB was the most active and added the second most payroll during trade season, huh? I know this is Bud Selig's doing. There's a conspiracy theory here somewhere. I'll figure it out after my third drink.

The Rangers started the real trade season by dealing for Bengie Molina on July 1st. Of course, the big winner in that trade was the Giants and not for what they got in return. By finally moving Molina, blog favorite Buster Posey was unleashed on National League pitching. Then the Rangers made their real move by trading for Cliff Lee. The Rangers did have to build their package around their top prospect Justin Smoak. But at least Texas will get two draft picks for Lee when signs with the Yankees in the offseason.

Recently the Rangers traded for Jorge Cantu and Cristian Guzman in separate deals. Cantu adds depth and Guzman is just a stopgap for an injured Ian Kinsler. Otherwise these deals have no consequence on the playoff race or playoffs. Unless they have a scientist to mash Chris Davis and Jorge Cantu into one platoon-free player.

2. Orange County Angels
Yeah, I stole that name from Rob Neyer, what of it? Is this a biased pick on my part? Maybe a little. The Angels did acquire the second best player available before the deadline. The Angels came out of nowhere to deal for Dan Haren and all they had to surrender was Joe Saunders and 3 prospects. If Tyler Skaggs is the PTBNL, he's the only prospect in the top 100. The Angels also swung a deal for Alberto Callaspo whose best skill is he isn't Brandon Wood.

While the Angels are still long shots to catch Texas, they will have Dan Haren under control for the next few seasons under a below market contract.

3. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phils acquired the third biggest name to be had. The addition of Roy Oswalt gives the Phils a dangerous 1-2-3 pitching rotation. It also also gives them the Roy-iest rotation in the league and I appreciate the little things. Like the Haren deal, the Phillies traded a back end rotation guy in J.A. Happ and a couple of not-Domonic Brown prospects. Also like the Haren deal, the Phils will have Oswalt for the next couple of seasons. Unlike the Haren deal, this might actually help the Phillies catch the Braves.

4. New York Yankees
I'm not saying that playing for the Yankees will turn their over-the-hill careers around but going the best team in baseball might give Lance Berkman and Kerry Wood a little boost. In trading for Berkman, Wood and Austin Kearns, the Yankees severely upgrade their depth. Kearns gets you a platoon for Granderson because, shhh!, Curtis Granderson is a platoon player. And the Yanks grabbed Wood and Berkman because, well, they could. If this was 2002, the Yankees would win the rest of their games all the way through the World Series.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers
I didn't think the Dodgers could spend any money either but here we are. The Dodgers traded for Scott Podsednik, Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot and Octavio Dotel in three seperate deals. By my count, all they gave up was Blake DeWitt but I'll admit I don't know their farm system that well. Lilly is, I suppose, the only real difference maker of the bunch.

Other Winners:

Padres picked up Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick.

The Nats got one of the best catching prospects, Wilson Ramos, for Matt Capps. I think I have a crush on the Nats.

The Diamondbacks got a younger, cheaper version of Edwin Jackson in Dan Hudson for Edwin Jackson.

The Blue Jays bought low on Yunel Escobar by selling high on Alex Gonzalez.

Wild And Careless Trade Speculation

In full disclosure, I have no inside information or contacts. Unless you count the left field security guard at Turner Field. Even then, Rodney can really only tell me what the bat boy schedule looks like. Since we're a general baseball blog, I also don't know your team's specific needs and minor league system as well as you do. But let's do some wild and careless trade speculation anyway.



Adam Dunn
The slugger finally gets dealt from the Nats to the White Sox for Edwin Jackson. I know this one isn't exactly wild or careless but I promise they're coming. I don't like Edwin as much as the Nats do but then again neither does anyone else but his parents. Dunn loves Washington for some reason and could be brought back in the offseason.

Cody Ross
While not available, he gets dealt to the Braves for a prospect package built around one of the Braves top 10 pitching prospect. I don't understand why teams are fawning over Ross and his 94 OPS+ but I guess he can play all 3 outfield spots. The Braves could use another outfielder after sending Nate McLouth to AAA for being as terrible as we all expected.

Carlos Zambrano
The Cubs trade their clinically insane former ace to the South Side where Kenny Williams doesn't mind bringing on bad contracts of formerly good pitchers. Zambrano is so bad though, the Cubs will still eat a good bit of the contract and receive only a broken pitching machine and a tarp that has several gaping holes in it.

Scott Downs
This one has also been rumored but seems wild. Toronto deals Downs to the Yankees for Joba Chamberlain. The Yanks would basically be replacing Joba's role with Downs. Toronto would be buying low again with Joba and maybe they could give him another turn at starting. They couldn't screw him up any worse than the Yankees did.

Mike Lowell
The Red Sox finally deal the oft-injured hitter to my backyard Wiffle Ball team. We were short on power and were convinced he could still play third. We end up being wrong and regret sending the 80 buffalo wings and gallon of daquiris to Boston.

Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui
The Angels send the pair to the Yankees for old time's sake. After the Yanks acquired Lance Berman, they decide to go get all of the remaining old players who can't play the outfield anymore. In exchange, the Angels receive a ball signed by Mickey Mantle and George Costanza.

Prince Fielder
The Brewers trade the massive slugger to the Angels for all of their minor league pitchers who weren't drafted over the past two years. The Angels swoop in out of nowhere again and pay the big fella arbitration next season while he DH's and Morales comes back to play first base. The Angels forgo signing Fielder to an extension after he rediscovers his love of meat and leaves a wake of destruction at every In-N-Out Burger in Southern California.

Wilson Betemit, Andy Marte
Are not only traded for each other but are then immediately traded back for each other. Derwood writes 2,000 words about it.

Ted Lilly
Despite being bankrupt and not allowed to add any payroll, the Rangers swing yet another deal to add Lilly to their rotation. Then sign him to a massive extension. I never know what they're doing down there.

Our Required All Star Snubs Post

Derwood isn't a big fan of the All Star game or the Angels. So it makes perfect sense that he will be traveling to the Big A to watch the game this year while I sit at home and curse him under my breath. He also despises the All Star selection process but I find it fascinating and infuriating. So I'll be your guide through this Joey Votto/Jered Weaver fueled rant. Buckle up kids, it might get nerdy.

Joey Votto: This is the one everybody is up in arms over and it's deserved. All of Votto's counting stats are right there with Pujols. I know the players and especially Charlie Manuel aren't looking at advanced metrics but I sure am. In wOBA, Votto (.424) is crushing Pujols (.409) and more importantly Ryan Howard (.363). Don't like/understand wOBA? Everybody likes WAR and Votto (3.6) is still better than Pujols (3.1) and much better than Howard (1.2).

Votto is at least the best first baseman in the National League this season and deserves to be an All Star. But hey, Omar Infante and his 0.5 WAR might come in handy if you need a 5th short stop in the 14th inning. Actually, you'd probably be better off playing Votto at short stop and not even letting him take the field.

Jered Weaver: Obviously, this one bothered me the most. Weaver was asked to take over the ace role for the Angels and not only did he handle it, he has become one of the best pitchers in the league. Oh yeah, the All Star game is also in his home park.

As Keith Law pointed out yesterday, only 2 of the top 10 pitchers in WAR made the AL squad. But hey, if you look at FIP, 3 of the top 10 made it! Fine, don't like advanced metrics? Weaver leads the AL in strikeouts (124), 9th-ish in least walks (26), 6th in ERA (2.82) and his BABIP is a perfectly sustainable .299. I went a little nerdy there at the end, huh?

CC Sabathia: 1.9 WAR, 3.94 FIP, 93 strikeouts, 37 walks = All Star

Fransisco Liriano: I have him on my fantasy team and didn't realize how good of a season he's having. He leads the AL in WAR (4.2), FIP (2.10) and tied for 3rd in strikeouts (116). I might be crazy but I would rather have Liriano available to close a game than, oh say, Jose Valverde.

Kevin Youkilis: Shame on you Joe Girardi. Youk should be in there over A-Rod and especially over David Ortiz. Youkilis is easily one of the top 10 players in the AL if you look at any stat except for batting average (.299) but you have to get Jose Bautista (.236) in there.

Stephen Strasburg: I'm not calling him a snub so much as I have a problem with Evan Meek. Seriously, would you rather have Strasburg for an inning or Evan Meek. I'll save you the trouble of looking up which team Meek plays for, he's the Pirates lone rep. Simple solution: pull Corey Hart, plug in Andrew McCutchen, pull Meek and put in Strasburg. Everybody is a winner. Well, except for Meek and Hart.

Anybody but Omar Infante: *head explodes*

I could go on but I'd like to actually watch some baseball but I'll leave you with this...

Actual NL Lineup: C Yadier Molina, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Chase Utley, 3B David Wright, SS Hanley Ramirez, OF Ryan Braun, OF Jason Heyward, Of Andre Ethier

WAR NL Lineup: C Brian McCann, 1B Joey Votto, 2B Chase Utley, 3B David Wright, SS Troy Tulowitzki, RF Andres Torres, CF Marlon Byrd, LF Matt Holliday

Actual AL Lineup: C Joe Mauer, 1B Justin Morneau, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Derek Jeter, OF Ichiro, OF Josh Hamilton, OF Carl Crawford, DH Vlad Guerrero

WAR AL Lineup: C Joe Mauer, 1B Justin Morneau, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Adrian Beltre, SS Alex Gonzalez, RF Ichiro, CF Alex Rios, LF Carl Crawford, DH Vlad Guerrero

Weekly Cup Of Joe: Gold Glove Edition

I prefer to think of this as more of a tribute to Fire Joe Morgan than a blatant ripoff. But who are we really kidding here?

Look at me, I actually remembered that 1) it's Tuesday and 2) there's a Joe Chat over at the Four Letter. I've been watching soccer for what feels like the past three months. The conclusion I've come to is that their rules are more confusing than Joe Morgan in a broadcast booth. Today's nugget of wisdom forced me to do some actually research so excuse me if I get a little grumpy...

conshymatt (philly)

Who is the best defensive player in baseball?

Joe Morgan (11:18 AM)

That's a tough question. I think there are a lot of good defensive players. You have to rate them by position. One demands more than another. Catcher demands more than, say, second base. I think they've done a good job the last few years, if you look at the gold glove winners. There might be one or two exceptions, but I think they've done a good job.

Gold Gloves might be one of the most worthless awards in all of sports. Once you win a couple, you're pretty much locked in for a good stretch. Just go ask Ichiro, Jeter and Torii Hunter. I'm not saying the voters are lazy but, oh no, that was what I was saying.

The other problem is that defensive metrics are still being improved upon. Big strides have been made though and we don't have to rely on Fielding Percentage anymore. So I accept your challenge, Joe. I will find more than a couple of exceptions in Gold Glove winners.

*Warning* It's about to get pretty nerdy. So if you don't like numbers, you might want to go work out like you've been talking about or go get a Double Whopper like we both know you're going to and then come back in a little while. *Warning*

I'm just going to look at 2009 so I can get back to writing nonsense at some point today. I think most of us are fairly comfortable with UZR. Since UZR is a counting stat we'll use UZR/150 to equal out playing time. I couldn't get my hands on 2009 Dewan +/- stats but I will sprinkle in some of last year's Fielding Bible winners.

NL 2B Winner: Orlando Hudson -3.4 UZR/150

Hudson was perceived as a great fielding second baseman but 2009 was the fourth straight year he posted a negative UZR/150. The more deserving second baseman was, of course, Chase Utley and his 12.2 UZR/150. Utley has been the best fielding second baseman for three years now. I still can't figure out how he doesn't get more MVP love.

NL SS Winner: Jimmy Rollins 5.0 UZR/150

Rollins wasn't a bad choice and he was really good in 2008. But in 2009 J.J. Hardy was better with a 9.2 UZR/150. I was actually surprised to see how well UZR has rated Hardy over the years.

NL OF Winners: Michael Bourn 9.9, Matt Kemp 3.7, Shane Victorino -5.7

Bourn was at least sixth in NL in UZR/150. The top three though were Nyjer Morgan 34.7, Randy Winn 17.6 and Colby Rasmus 14.0. Morgan and Rasmus are a little skewed because they only played around 1000 innings so you could plug Mike Cameron, Hunter Pence or Bourn in for those guys.

AL 1B Winner: Mark Teixeira 0.5 UZR/150

Justin Morneau 7.6 and Kendry Morales 7.4 simply had much better seasons. The Fielding Bible had Albert Pujols as the top fielding first baseman in the league. UZR wasn't quite so high on Pujols.

AL SS Winner: Derek Jeter 8.0 UZR/150

This was Jeter's best season by far since UZR data has been recorded since 2002. But who didn't see this coming? If you've ever met me, you'd know I'm one of those guys who harps on about how overrated Jeter is at short. Jeter has a career UZR of -38.0. But hey, he dove into the stands. Elvis Andus played a much better short with a 13.5 UZR/150. The Fielding Bible had Jack Wilson as the best short in the league and UZR agrees if you combine his AL and NL stats.

AL OF Winners: Ichiro 8.8, Torii Hunter -2.0, Adam Jones -8.2

The top three UZR/150 in the AL were Franklin Gutierrez 28.9, Ryan Sweeney 23.8 and Carl Crawford 18.6. The big loser here Gutierrez who was sensational in center for the Mariners and was great in right before that in Cleveland. The Fielding Bible had Gutierrez, Crawford and Ichiro as the best outfielders in the league.

Recap: By my count, Gold Gloves went to 8 wrong fielders out of 14 (excluding pitchers and catchers) in 2009. That's not very good, Joe.

I know UZR isn't the perfect defensive metric and that it is best used over the course of several seasons. But it's better than a lot of other ways to judge fielding. Plus I couldn't get Dewan's 2009 +/- stats, Bill James' DER and I was to lazy go through all of B-R's advanced stats.

I'll try to make up for this post with something mind numbing later. Sorry.

Half Way Through The First Round...

There was no surprise in the first three picks.

1. Bryce Harper, Nats, outfielder

2. James Tallion, Pirates, RHP

3. Manny Machado, Orioles, SS
I'd like to formally dub him Manny "Macho Man" Machado. Sure, I like alliteration. What's it to you?

4. Christian Colon, Royals, SS
The first surprise of the draft was, surprise, Kansas City. Although, Keith Law called this pretty early today.

5. Drew Pomeranz, Indians, LHP

6. Barrett Loux, DBacks, RHP
Another bit of a surprise but Keith Law and Jim Callis had it.

7. Matt Harvey, Mets, RHP
The Angels drafted him out of high school but wouldn't pony up the proverbial fat cash, jerks.

8. Delino Deshields, Astros, 1987
8. Delino DeShields Jr, Astros, CF
Astros reach here because they didn't think he'd be there at 19. Doesn't make it right though.

9. Karsten Whitson, Padres, RHP
Keith Law loves this guy. Sometimes my analysis skills even blow my mind.

10. Michael Choice, Oakland, OF

11. Deck McGuire, Blue Jays, RHP
One of my favorite names in the draft. Next to Tanner Fudge, of course.

12. Yasmani Grandal, Reds, C

13. Chris Sale, White Sox, LHP
Sale slid out of the top five to the Sox here. Great value.

14. Dylan Covey, Brewers, RHP
The Angels war room is in disbelief. They didn't know other teams were allowed to draft Southern California high school kids.

15. Jake Skole, Rangers, OF

16. Hayden Simpson, Cubs, RHP
Barely cracked Baseball America's top 200. My first reaction, "Who's running the Cubs now, Will Farrell's Harry Caray?"

17. Josh Sale, Rays, OF

18. Kaleb Cowart, Angels, 3B/P
I guess the Angels are willing to spend. Signability is an issue and Cowart wants to be a third baseman even though he projects better as a pitcher.

19. Mike Foltynewicz, Astros, RHP

20. Kolbrin Vitek, Red Sox, 2B

21. Alex Wimmers, Twins, RHP
The last two picks seemed like locks at the beginning of the day.

22. Kellin Deglan, Rangers, C
Remember when the Rangers had TOO many catching prospects?

23. Christian Yelich, Marlins, OF

24. Gary Brown, Giants, CF

25. Zack Cox, Cardinals, 3B
The Cardinals get the steal of the night saving Cox from his Jimmy Clausen-esque free fall. Cox was a projected top ten pick.

Okay, 25 more picks to go including the sandwich round. Mmmm, sandwiches...

The MLB Draft's 23rd Pick

With Major League Baseball's amateur draft starting on Monday, people like to look back at the top picks from the past decade. Well, we also happen to care about the 23rd pick. But should we? Also check out the fourth pick and the tenth pick.

2000
23. David Espinosa, Reds, SS

The Reds, in their never ending quest to replace Barry Larkin, did a little reaching for Espinosa. After two years of A ball, he made his way to the Tigers minor league system. Then there was some independent ball. Now there's a little Mariners' minor league system action. Up next, drug muling and Mexican stickball. By the way, Mexican stickball has nothing to do with baseball.

Verdict: We should not care

2001
23. John-Ford Griffin, Yankees, RF

Griffin had a career batting average of .427 at Florida State. After a year in the Yankees' system, he was part of a three team trade that landed him in Oakland and Jeff Weaver in New York. Around seven months later, Griffin was dealt to the Blue Jays. Released, signed by the Dodgers, released, signed by the Dodgers, released, signed by the Cubs, released. Now, I hear he just walks around in a revolving door at the Woodfield Mall all day.

Verdict: We should not care

2002
23. Jeff Francoeur, Braves, OF

Where to begin, where to begin. In 2006, Francoeur played in 162 games, hit 29 home runs and had 103 RBI. He also struck out 132 times, walked 23 times and registered a .293 OBP. The next season was his best when he, again, played 162 games while hitting 19 home runs and .293/.338/.444. He has a career OBP of .312 which seems a little high to me. The Braves eventually dumped the local boy off to, wait for it, Omar Minaya. I'm not sure that guy would know OBP if it punched him in the groin. While Francoeur is technically a major leaguer...

Verdict: We should not care

2003
23. Brandon Wood, Angels, 3B

This is going to be painful and biased. Full disclosure, I am an Angels fan. This is the first season he was given a full shot at third base. But in his random 346 plate appearances in his major league career, he has 9 home runs and averaged .179/.203/.277. Yikers! In eight minor league seasons, he hit 160 home runs and averaged .284/.352/.538. I'm afraid Brandon feels too much pressure to succeed with the Angels and will need a change of scenery to reach his major league potential. And for that...

Verdict: We should care

2004
23. Philip Hughes, Yankees, RHP

Hughes, at one point, was considered the number one pitching prospect in baseball. Then he was rumored to be involved in Johan Santana trade discussions and then jerked around between the rotation and the bullpen. In 2010, the Yankees finally gave Hughes a guaranteed spot in the rotation. So far, he is 7-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 64 strikeouts against 20 walks. Full disclosure, I hate the Yankees. But...

Veridct: We should care

2005
23. Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox, CF

Boy, is the jury out on his defense. UZR has his metrics all over the place. All I know is that the Sox do seem to play better defense when he's playing. He led the AL in stolen bases in 2008 (50) and 2009 (70). The kid is fast and will probably get a cameo in Fever Pitch 2: Tahmmy Takes A Wicked Pissah On Hollywood.

Verdict: We should care

2006
23. Maxwell Sapp, Astros, C

I plugged Maxwell Sapp into Baseball-Reference and it laughed at me and contacted the authorities.

Verdict: We should not care

2007
23. Nick Schmidt, Padres, LHP

Schmidt missed all of the 2008 season with the dreaded elbow reconstructive surgery. When I have my first left handed pitcher son, I'm getting him Tommy John surgery for his 13th birthday. Something will have to make up for his poor genetics. Schmidt now pitches for my favorite baseball logo, the Lake Elsinore Storm. But at 25-years-old and in high A, I'm afraid...

Verdict: We should not care

2008
23. Allan Dykstra, Padres, 1B

The Padres draft a player who has a famous sounding last name for the second year in a row. The 23-year-old first baseman/DH is also at high A Lake Elsinore. He doesn't look like much of a prospect.

Verdict: We should not care

2009
23. Jared Mitchell, White Sox, OF

Mitchell is a freak of an athlete. He played on both the LSU football and baseball teams and was the Most Outstanding Player for LSU's 2009 College World Series championship team. He's raw and, unfortunately, will miss the entire 2010 season after tearing a tendon in his ankle during spring training. He has all the tools to be a very good major league outfielder. And before you ask, I am an LSU homer.

Verdict: We should care

Recap: 6 We should not care, 4 We should care

Summary: I've wasted both your time and mine.

Good luck on Monday, boys. The draft is like evens and odds. And I don't appreciate it when you use the middle finger to represent one.

The MLB Draft's 10th Pick

With Major League Baseball's amateur draft starting on Monday, people like to look back at the top picks from the past decade. Well, we also happen to care about the tenth pick. But should we? Also check out the fourth pick.

2000
10. Joe Torres, Angels, LHP

Torres never made it past A ball with the Angels and battled injuries early in his career. Since then he has bounced around with the Rangers and White Sox, all in the minors. Fun fact, Joe Torres played Danny Lightfoot on Nickelodeon's Hey Dude in 1991. I have fact checkers working on if it's the same guy. I'm guessing yes.

Verdict: We should not care

2001
10. Chris Burke, Astros, SS

Burke played four years in Houston averaging .249/.319/.377 before being traded to Arizona in a package for Jose Valverde. He played sparingly in 2008 with Arizona and even less so in 2009 with San Diego. In 2010, he signed with the Reds and broke his finger in spring training. He can play all over the field but can't really, um, hit.

Verdict: We should not care

2002
10. Drew Meyer, Rangers, SS/2B

In 2006, Meyers got 15 plate appearances with the Rangers. He got 3 hits and struck out 8 times. He currently drives a bus in the Astros' minor league system. Or plays in the Astros' minor league system. It's unclear what's going on with the Astros' minor league system.

Verdict: We should not care

2003
10. Ian Stewart, Rockies, 3B

At 25-years-old, Stewart is the everyday third baseman for the Rockies. In his first full season in 2009, Stewart played second, third and the outfield while hitting 25 home runs and .228/.322./464. Obviously, you'd like to see more out of the average and OBP but he's young and this is the first season he will be set at one position.

Verdict: We should care

2004
10. Thomas Diamond, Rangers, RHP

In 2005, the Ranger's highly touted pitching prospect trio, DVD, was being hyped as the greatest thing since the Snuggie. I'm not good with time frames. Thomas Diamond was considered by some to be the best prospect out of himself, Edison Volquez and John Danks. Danks is now a stud for the White Sox and Volquez got a Rookie of the Year vote in his second full season. Meanwhile, Diamond pitches for ears of corn in Iowa for the Cubs.

Verdict: We should not care

2005
10. Cameron Maybin, Tigers, CF

Maybin was the crown jewel in a package that landed the Tigers Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in 2007. Maybin is still only 23-years-old and the future center fielder for Marlins but his bat isn't developing as most expected it would. He has 56 strikeouts and 14 walks this season. Cameron Diaz could do that. But I still believe in his tools.

Verdict: We should care

2006
10. Tim Lincecum, Giants, RHP

You might have heard of Timmy. In his first two seasons, he won two Cy Youngs. He occasionally likes to smoke pot. He's 5'11 and 170 pounds and led the league in strikeouts in 2009 (261) and 2008 (265).

Verdict: We should care

2007

10. Madison Bumgarner, Giants, RHP

There has been some recent concern about Bumgarner's loss of velocity. While it is puzzling, he is still pitching pretty well in the minors and he was considered the best pitching prospect in the minors just a couple of seasons ago. Oh, and he's 21-years-old. Are you watching this, Pittsburgh? This how you do well picking in the same spot year after year.

Verdict: We should care

2008
10. Jason Castro, Astros, C

The Astros' minor league system is well in the bottom half of the league and it's a franchise heading in the wrong direction. That said, Castro is the 'Stros best prospect. While he doesn't project as a power guy, he should be a pretty good receiver and high OBP guy. He also finished fourth on American Idol season 7. My ex-girlfriend used to vote for him because he played the "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

Verdict: We should care

2009
10. Drew Storen, Nationals, RHP

The Nats had to take Storen here after they drafted Stephen Strasburg with the first overall pick. They had to backup the dump truck filled with gold bars and blood diamonds to Scott Boras' front lawn to sign Strasburg. So with the 10th pick, they drafted a kid who would sign for slot and make it to the majors quickly. Which he did. In 2010, he's pitched 9 innings, given up 2 runs, struck out 6 and walked 5. He's 22-years-old and the heir apparent to the closer role.

Verdict: We should care

Recap: 6 We should care, 4 We should not care

Summary: I've wasted both your time and mine.

Good luck on Monday, boys. The draft is like a coin flip. Sometimes you come out ahead, other times you just fall on your ass.

The MLB Draft's 4th Pick

With Major League Baseball's amateur draft starting on Monday, people like to look back at the top picks from the past decade. Well, we also happen to care about the fourth pick. But should we?

2000
4. Mike Stodolka, Royals, LHP

Stodolka made it as high as AA as a pitcher and as high as AAA as a hitter. Pro career seems to have ended in 2008. He is currently, I assume, a goat farmer in East California.

Verdict: We should not care

2001
4. Gavin Floyd, Phillies, RHP

Floyd was drafted one spot before fellow high school teammate Mark Teixeira. How good was that team? The Phillies traded Floyd and Gio Gonzalez in 2006 to the White Sox for Freddy Garcia. In his four seasons with the White Sox, Floyd is 31-30 with a 104 ERA+. Solid back end of the rotation guy.

Verdict: We should care, but not too much

2002
4. Adam Loewen, Orioles, LHP

Loewen reached the majors in 2006. After 29 starts over the next three seasons, Loewen posted a 85 ERA+ and a 1.26 strikeout to walk ratio. Then he developed control problems. He tried to transition to a positional player and was signed by the Blue Jays in 2008. He's currently barbacking in a Toronto strip club.[citation needed]

Verdict: We should not care

2003
4. Tim Stauffer, Padres, RHP

Stauffer has been up and down with the big club over the past five seasons. During that stretch, he's started 32 games with an 83 ERA+ and a 1.74 strikeout to walk ratio. Tim turned 28 just three days ago. Happy belated!

Verdict: We should not care

2004
4. Jeff Niemann, Rays, RHP

Niemann got a cup of coffee in the bigs in 2008 but really broke in last season. In 2009, Niemann tossed 180 innings with an ERA of 3.94 and an ERA+ of 115. This year he is 5-0 in 11 starts with a 2.79 ERA and a 154 ERA+. Does struggle with basic shaving concepts.

Verdict: We should care

2005
4. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals, 3B

Zimmerman actually got 62 plate appearances in 2005 and has been the Nationals everyday third baseman ever since. He plays Gold Glove defense (whatever that means) and his bat became special last season. In 2009, he hit 33 home runs and .292/.364./525. This year through 197 plate appearances, he's got 11 home runs and a .309/.411/.594 slash line. Fellow third baseman and first pick overall, Alex Gordon, toils in the minors looking for a new position.

Verdict: We should care

2006
4. Brad Lincoln, Pirates, RHP

We're now entering the Pittsburgh Pirate portion of this segment. Go get your "we should not care" shirts on. Go ahead, I'll wait. Lincoln is 25-years-old and has decent stats in AAA. It's hard to care because Clayton Kershaw went 7th and Tim Lincecum went 10th.

Verdict: We should care, but not too much

2007
4. Daniel Moskos, Pirates, LHP

Moskos is 24 and in his second year of AA. I suppose it's too early to tell but they did pass up Matt Wieters. I'll cut them a little slack since a bunch of other teams also passed on Jason Heyward in the first round.

Verdict: Too early to tell, but I'm not happy about it

2008
4. Brian Matusz, Orioles, LHP

Matusz pitched 44 innings last season and 61 so far this year. The stats aren't pretty but his stuff in nasty. Considering he's been pitching against the AL East, I think the kid has a bright future. Plus, he's only 23-years-old. Now if he can just do something about that whole, being on the Orioles thing.

Verdict: We should care

2009
4. Tony Sanchez, Pirates, C

Sanchez crushed the ball at Boston College and it's too early to tell anything about last year's crop of draftees. I'm not entirely sure why I even included 2009.

Verdict: Too early to tell

Recap: 3 We should not care, 3 We should care, 3 We should care, but not too much, 2 Too early to tell

Summary: I've wasted both your time and mine.

Good luck on Monday, boys. The draft is like a box of chocolates and every third one is filled with toothpaste.