Category: Prospects

RULE V: DRAFT DAY MAKES ME HAPPY

One of my favorite days of the baseball year is the Rule V Draft Day. Call me weird, alot of people do, but there are gems out there, and I can’t help but wonder what diamonds in the rough will become household names of tomorrow. Some of yesterday’s Rule V selections have gone on the become superstars of today, guys like Joakim Soria, Johan Santana, Dan Uggla, and bad boy Josh Hamilton. Interestingly enough Hamilton was selected by the Chicago Cubs out of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, now the Cubs are looking for a lefthanded hitting outfielder, funny how that works, wonder if they’d like to have Josh back, rather than picking him, and trading him off? Wonder if he might’ve gotten the Rays over the hump, if he’d been protected, but the Rays were in the process of getting rid of bad boys, like Delmon Young & Elijah Dukes.

This year’s first round selection was a righthander out of the Cincinnati Reds organization named Terrell Young, selected by the Washington Nats. On June 12th he allowed five runs without retiring a batter, after the All Star game, he posted a 1.86 ERA, with 20 strikeouts in 29 innings. Advice to DC don’t pitch him on 6/12, seriously though, he has a live arm, but needs to stick with big league club if Nationals are to keep him.

With the 16th pick in this year’s draft the Milwaukee Brewers selected the big Cuban Eddie Morlan out of the Tampa Bay Rays organization. I’ve seen this guy pitch, he can really bring it. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t stick with the Brewers, and help them win some games out of their pen.

The San Diego Padres might’ve stolen one away from the NY Yankees, Ivan Nova is a 21 year old 6’4″ 210 pound righthander that may still be growing into his body, right now he’s not a big strikeout pitcher, but that may come, he has good control for a youngster, San Diego might be able to hide him away on their rebuilding big league roster.

It’s always a crap shoot in the Rule V, what better place to do it, than Las Vegas, BABY!!!

WHITE SOX INK VanBenschoten

It was announced the Chicago White Sox have signed righthander John VanBenschoten, and invited him to spring training. I know alot of you are like, John VanWHO? But I have to admit I’ve been following this guy ever since the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him out of Kent State with the 8th pick in the 2001 amateur entry draft. See he was born April 14th, my birthday, although many years after me. I’ve always been interested in following guys born on my birthday, Pete Rose, Greg Maddux, David Justice, Steve Avery, Kyle Farnsworth, Gregg Zaun, Jesse Levis, and many others, only guy born on my exact birth date was lefthander Bobby Sprowl.

Well now the White Sox have VanBenschoten, now what? John was a very successful two way star for Kent State, it was highly debatable as to whether he was a pitcher or a hitter, after all he batted .440 with 31 long balls, leading all Division I, as a junior. But his electric mound stuff won out, and the Buccos made him a fulltime pitcher. On the hill, he struckout 63 batters in 48 innings, posting a 2.81 ERA. Although back then he worked almost as much out of the bullpen as he did as a starter.

His best success as a pro occurred in 2002 at Hickory in the SAL, Class A ball. John started 27 games, pitching 148 innings, striking out 145, amassing an 11-4 record, with a nifty 2.80 ERA. More success was in the cards as he was moved up to high Class A ball, where he started off 6-0 with a 2,22 ERA, before moving up to Class AA ball midseason. In Altoona he was only 7-6 with an earned run average of 3.69.

Van Benschoten has had reconstructive surgeries on both his shoulders, costing him nearly two full seasons of action before his return in 2007. He, started the 2007 season at Indianapolis (10-7, 2.56 ERA), would go back to Indianapolis, and would be recalled later during the season only to finish the season with no wins and seven losses for Pittsburgh. Again he would start the 2008 season with the Indianapolis Indians and remain on the inactive roster for the Pirates. After posting a 4-0 record and a 1.88 ERA with the Indians, he was called up by the Pirates on April 27 to be on the active roster. He currently holds the all-time major league record for highest career ERA with at least 75 innings pitched.

Van Benschoten, a 28-year-old starter, went a combined 2-13 with a 9.20 ERA in 26 appearances, including 19 starts, with the Pirates in 2004, ’07 and ’08. Call me a dreamer, but I still believe in this kid. I just called the Chicago White Sox congratulating them on signing him and suggesting they either make him a hitter or use him out of the bullpen. I believe shoulder injuries have taken their tole on this talented, oft-injured pitcher.