Sic Transit Gloria

For some reason, every year baseball analysts, reporters, and fantasy baseball "advisers," love to over-hype every single prospect that has had a few good major league appearances the year before. The following list is a number of players that don't seem to be able to live up to their lofty expetations--at least not yet. Many of these guys will be good or even All Star players, but many of them also will disappear into the minors or become career reserves/journeymen. To Lindy's Fantasy Baseball Analysts-- Remember, only about a quarter (a third if you're lucky) the the top 100 prospects will become good or All Star MLB players. Simply put, someone has gotta fail.

2. Kei Igawa, LHP, New York Yankees- The Yankees poor scouting in Japan really cost them some dough. Igawa is a downright BAD pitcher, even out of the bullpen. A guy that can't control a 85-88 mph fastball is not a guy that you want on your team. His slider isn't bad, but again, he can barely keep it in the strike zone, much less spot it. The Yankees took him off the 40-Man Roster for 2008, and still nobody has touched him on waivers. He wins the number one spot, because he has the worst pay-production ratio and promise of any of these guys. At least Bush and Patterson still have a shot at being decent. He's doing well in AAA, but don't let that--or his first name-- fool you, he's am absolutely abominable pitcher.

3. Matt Bush, RHP/INF, Toronto Blue Jays/Free Agent- Bush, the first pick of the 2004 draft, is the owner of the largest San Diego Padres signing bonus (for a draft pick) in team history. He has fantastic tools, and can throw 95, but his behavior issues and downright poor game-knowledge killed his career. His stats as a position player were horrid, and he never made it past A-Ball in his three active seasons. Now converted to a pitcher Bush has soon a glimpse of success (seven innings worth) but he then blew out his elbow, got suspended twice more (now three times in total in his career)) for drinking-related fighting/incidents, and now once again looks hopeless. I hope he does well, because he's not a bad guy, he just has problems with stress and booze. One day he could come up as a Jose Veras type pitcher, but certainly won't ever be a star Short Stop.

4. Bryan Bullington, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates- Bullington was one of the more puzzling no.1 picks of the recent decade. The Pirates passed up Prince Fielder, Matt Cain, Nick Swisher, B.J. Upton, Scott Kazmir, Joe Blanton, Jeremy Hermida and Jeff Francouer for a guy that has done absolutely nothing noticeable in the minors or majors.

5. Alex Escobar, OF, Free Agent- Escobar's failure was really just bad luck. The kid has always had the tools to be Ken Griffey Jr, but a slew of shoulder and knee injuries have ruined his promise. The Mets organization were convinced that they had a Carlos Beltran on their hands, but now turning 31, Escobar has finally lost the confidence of every team in the league. His tools are still there, but as it stands, he probably won't ever be anything more than a MiLB journeyman.

6. Sean Burroughs, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays/Free Agent- Drafted 9th, in the first round of the 1998 Amateur draft, Burroughs looked to be a star. His batting average has always been decent, but his power completely dissapeared once he started playing professionally. His .358 slugging percentage in professional ball just plain isn't going to get it done--especially for a third basemen. He's not exactly a AAAA player either. His slugging percentage in the minors was still only .437, and even though he had a strong arm and good range, his career fielding percentage was just 93.8%. He's finally done, but I personally think he could still serve as a solid, low-end bench INF in the MLB. Hell, if Wil Nieves is still getting job offers than why shouldn't Sean Burroughs.


7. Timo Perez, CF, Detroit Tigers/Free Agent- Every Met fan remember's "Timo Time" running across the Shea scoreboard. Unfortunately for Timo, however, his time never came. Like Gabe Kapler, Timo is a perfect example of a AAAA player. His career MiLB numbers--a .322 batting average and an .873 OPS-- are sexy, no doubt, but his ability to play in the MLB is obviously lacking. T.P. are perfect initials for Timo, as he's an asswhipe.

8. Sidney Ponson, SP, Kansas City Royals- Ugh, the fatman really sucks. He had sooo much promise but his body/weight problems have finally made him a journeyman/veteran spot starter.I'm not going to lie, I was on Ponson's bandwagon in 2002/2003 when he got it together and started pitching like an ace. But he then proceeded to gain about 20 pounds of fat and put up a league leading 265 hits and 127 earned runs in 2004. Since then he has been below average on every one of his stops around the US. The classic "I already have my money so why should I work hard?."


9. Corey Patterson, CF, Washington Nationals- Patterson used to be the Cubbies favorite baby bear. Drafted 3rd overall in 1998, Patterson has had SOME MLB success, but is finally looking like he's toast. He's awful at getting on base (.291 career OBP) and his career .407 SLG doesn't exactly justify this weakness. He is a victim of WTP. He does have some speed, and can get hot with the bat, but seriously guys, do you think this guy will ever be a 20-20 player again? He'll probably never even be a regular again.


10. Eric Duncan, 1B, New York Yankees- It was either Duncan or Andy Marte here, and I honestly think Duncan is more doomed than Marte--at least Marte could be a Wilson Betemit some day. Eric Duncan was the cream of the Yankees crop before their recent wave of high powered prospects. Every "real" fan of the Yankees knows this guy, and although he didn't have the hype that Drew Henson did, he was highly touted by the organization's management. Now, after 6 seasons in the minors, his career numbers look pretty lousy for a crappy-fielding first baseman. A .247 batting average and his .416 slugging percentage are pretty much the best stats out of his career MiLB stat- line...Ouch.


11. Carlos Gomez, CF, Minnesota Twins- Sure, the kid is very young--going on 24-- but as of right now, he looks like a future, decent backup rather than a star player. Gomez's numbers last year were aweful, and they downright hurt the Twins. 614 plate appearances of .296 OBP, and .360 SLG, baseball is unacceptable for an outfielder...Even a rookie. He's shown know improvement for 2009, and is currently sporting a stomach-churning, .529 OPS. He has zero plate discipline, has never hit 10 homers or hit .300 at any level and isn't exactly a whiz on defense either. Does this sound like a future star to you? It doesn't even sound anything close to a future leadoff man to me...Much less an All Star. Phil Humber, Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra and some other stiff for Johan Santana. Fair.

12. Daniel Cabrera, SP, Washington Nationals- Now entering his 6th season in the MLB, and turning 28 in May, it's finally obvious that Cabrera will never be Josh Beckett. The guy's control is horrible, and he isn't a winner. He gives up with men on base, and even though the Orioles weren't great, they still gave him some support. His 18 Losses in 2007 should have been enough for the Orioles to get rid of him, but to their credit they stomached it for one more season. In his career he has put up more walks (486) than strike outs (480)--and that should be enough to convince you that he's garbage. He may become a decent reliever, but nothing more than a Brian Bruney or Kyle Farnsworth if that ever happens.


Takes the Cake...

1. Drew Henson, 3B, New York Yankees- Because the Yankees tend to have the most hyped and often over-hyped prospects in the game, they also tend to have the biggest busts. Drew Henson is likely the loudest bust of the past decade. He ended his minor league career with a fielding percentage a hair above .900, and had an OPS of just .728. He did manage to set a record for strikeouts (at the time) in the International League with 151, with less than a full season's worth of at bats. He quickly switched to football, after costing the Yankees millions. He faired no better, and finally retired in 2008. Nice guy, great athlete, simply couldn't put it together professionally.

The New York Yankees- Cash Crops Part II

2.) The New York Yankees, 4 WS, (56%)

Considering the Yankees' minor league system is responsible for some of the best current players in the game--Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, Robinson Cano--it's hard to believe that they lost sight of the importance of homegrown youngsters for much of the early 2000's. Brian Cashman finally got a say in the whole thing, and has reverted back to the model that work for the Yankees in the mid to late-nineties.

1. Mariano Rivera, CL- In my opinion, Mariano Rivera is THE best Closer of all time, and certainly the best modern reliever. Yes Trevor Hoffman is great, but his change and sinker don't come close to striking the fear that Rivera's 94 mph cutter (really a slider) does on opposing batters. Rivera's resume is sparkling. He's been an All Star 9 times and counting, won the AL Rolaids Relief four times, has been both an ALCS and World Series MVP and has led the league in saves three times. He's also the best post-season reliever of all time.

2. Derek Jeter, SS- Jeter was a large part of the four World Series that Torre's Yankees won in the mid-late-1990's (and 2000). He holds numerous post-season hitting records, has a .316 career batting average, has been in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, has won three silver sluggers, has three gold gloves, and has made the All Star team nine times. You can say what you want about his fielding, but you can't deny that Jeter is deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame.

3. Jorge Posada, C- It's hard to find a more reliable catcher than Posada. He'll probably just miss the Hall, but his numbers still put him as one of the top twenty catchers of all time. Besides his postseason success, Posada has made the All Star team five times and has won three silver sluggers. He's the true leader of the Yankees, and certainly a VERY large factor in their success.

4. Andy Pettitte, LHP- Andy Pettitte has been an absolute horse for the Yankees. He's third all-time on the Yankees' list of Wins (by a pitcher), and is ahead of stars like Ron Guidry. His career record is something you'd see in a Hall of Fame pitcher's line-- 216-116 with a 63% win-loss percentage. 179 of those wins (and counting) were with the Yankees, and at age 36 he may be old, but certainly isn't done.

5. Bernie Williams, CF- Bernabe Williams, along with Jeter, carried the Yankees on his back--offensively--to the post-season year in and year out. During their streak, the Yankees were known for their pitching, bullpen and defense--but usually didn't sport more than 3 All Star batters at once. Bernie's career .297 batting average, .380 OBP and .477, although very good, don't do justice to how valuable he was to those winning teams. For a guy that has won a Batting Title, four Gold Gloves, been to the All Star game five times, was an ALCS MVP and won a Silver Slugger, Bernie doesn't get a lot of Hall consideration. He may not be Hall-Worthy, but he certainly should be considered to be one of the best hitters in recent history.

6. Joba Chamberlain, RHP- At age 23, Joba Chamberlain hasn't had the chance to amass a long MLB resume. What he has on his resume, however, is extremely promising. Joba has the stuff, star-personality, and name to be one of THE BEST pitchers in the AL for years to come. With many of the Yankees hanging up their cleats over the past few years, and with more doing so in the next few years, Chamberlain is poised to be the Yanks' Pitching Staff leader for the next decade. Basically, he's Francisco Liriano without the elbow trouble.

7. Alfonso Soriano, 2B- Soriano only had 3 full seasons with the Yankees, but will forever be the name tied to the most famous (infamous) trade of all time--A-Rod to the Yankees. Soriano played like an MVP for 2 of the three years he started at second for the Yankees, going 39-41 in 2002 and then 38-35 in 2003. If the MLB was on the steroids-thing earlier, then he would've won an MVP in one of those years. Regardless, Soriano is a hell of a player, and even if his time with the Yankees was relatively short, his worth gave the Yankees the best hitter of the modern era.

8. Robinson Cano, 2B- Cano wasn't bad in 2007, he was actually above the league average as far as batting for a second basemen. For a guy that hit .306, .342 and .297 in the previous three years, however, his numbers were a disappointment. The kid has a bright future ahead of him, and probably a batting title (or a few) if everything goes as planned.

9. Chien-Ming Wang, RHP- Wang is about to fill the void that Pettitte is leaving behind as he slides into retirement. At age 29 Wang is a young horse. In his young career Wang has already started 98 games, pitched over 634 innings, and won 54 games. His foot injury has made some question his future.

10. Ramiro Mendoza, LRP/SP- During his time in the bigs, Mendoza was a very valuable tool. His fantastic sinker made him a great reliever to bring in with men on base--regularly inducing a double play. His ability to provide a quality starts when any of the Yankees top five went down was irreplaceable. When one of their starter's heads to the DL, most teams have to make due with rookies, or veterans from the scrap-heap. Torre's Yankees however, had an above average starter basically acting as a 6th man in the rotation.

Cash Crops Part II

3) Oakland Athletics

Clearly the Red Sox have been the best at constructing a championship team with their farm system. However, in the time of Mr. Billy Beane, the most influential figure on the business-side of baseball, it's hard to overlook the Oakland Athletics' Success over the past decade using their farm. Beane created a mainstream statistical system by which to measure baseball players. Although some of the stats he used were made before him, like "On-Base-Percentage", (OBP) he was the guy that first put these once obscure measurements to use. Now General Managers like Theo Epstein (Red Sox), Jim Bowden (Washington Nationals), Mark Shapiro (Cleveland Indians) and J.P. Ricciardi use the system that Beane assembled and are creating similar teams to the early 2000s Oakland Athletics.

Even though the Athletics haven't won a World Series in two decades, Beane's ballclub had a League Division Series streak of four years (2000-2003) and made the AL Championship Series in 2006. The impressive part isn't this team's ability to make the playoffs however. The impressive part is that the Oakland Athletics had between the third and fifth lowest payroll in the MLB during most of this timespan. Even in 2006, when Beane was allowed to open the wallet (a little) the Athletics still sported a payroll that ranked 22nd in the league. Below are the players that--from the 1990s until now--have made the Oakland Athletics the second most successful farm-based franchise.

1. Tim Hudson, SP, Atlanta Braves- Ricky Henderson was probably the best thing to come out of the Oakland System in the last 30 years, however Tim Hudson isn't a too-distant second. In 10 seasons, (6 with the Athletics) Hudson has posted a 3.48 career era, over 2000 innings pitched, 146 wins to just 77 losses, and a 1.25 WHIP. In his 6 seasons with the Athletics, from 1999-2004, Hudson posted an ERA of just over 3.30, 92 wins and pitched 1,240 innings over 183 games started. Hudson wasn't only an ace, but he was Oakland's work horse. Before C.C. Sabathia came Tim Hudson. Now 10 years after coming up with the Athletics, Hudson has the 13th best ERA among active pitchers, has started for the Athletics in the ALDS and ALCS, has made two All Star games and is ranked 9th in shutouts.

2. Miguel Tejada, SS, Houston Astros- Tejada was the emotional leader of the Athletics, along with Eric Chavez, for seven seasons. Between 1997 and 2003, Tejada drove in 604 runs (average over 100 rbi per 600 AB), hit 156 bombs and slugged about .460. In his career, Tejada has now made 5 All Star games, has won 2 silver sluggers, an MVP Award and is 17th among active players in homeruns. Now with the Astros, Tejada's star is finally fading at age 35 (in May). However, during the half of his career that he played in Oakland, Tejada led his team to the playoffs and was their most talented position-player since Rickey Henderson.

3. Eric Chavez, 3B, Oakland Athletics- Eric Chavez is to the Athletics what Mattingly was to the Yankees in the 80s. Drafted by Billy Beane in 1996 out of highschool, it took Chavez less than three seasons to make the MLB roster. Now after 11 seasons, Chavez is still with the Athletics and is poised to make a comeback in 2009 after his shoulder surgery in 2006. Between 2000 and 2006 Chavez hit 199 homers, won 6 Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and batted in 660 runs. Throughout his career Chavez has been a rock for the Athletics. Although Scott Rolen is considered one of the best (if not the best) third basemen in the NL in last 20 years, Eric Chavez is very close to first with the same amount of Silver Sluggers (one), only one less Gold Glove (6), and has even averaged 2 more home runs per 162 games (29 vs. Rolen's 27). Only two years older than Chavez, Rolen still leads the two in All Star Appearances (6 to 0), Gold Gloves, homeruns, batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. However, if Chavez can recover in 2009, he'll certainly give Rolen "a run for his money" through the final years of their careers.

4. Jason Giambi, 1B, Oakland Athletics- After an eight-season stint with the Yankees, Giambi returned to the Athletics in 2009. Although steroid allegations have put a dent in Giambi's reputation, it is undeniable that he was still one of the best power-hitters since 1990. In his career Giambi has a .942 OPS, a .408 OBP, 396 home runs and over 1,270 rbi. Yankees fans never truly appreciated what Giambi brought to the team due to the team's overall lack of postseason success in the 2000s. Not counting his two off years, Giambi has hit 183 home runs, average about 100 rbis and an OPS consistently above .900 during his time with the Yankees. His trophy case, although lacking a World Series Ring, includes 5 All-Star games, an MVP award, two Silver Sluggers and the Major League's "Hutch Award going to the league's most productive hitter. Now 38, Giambi is about ready to put his fourteen-year-old career to rest.

5. Barry Zito, LHP, San Francisco Giants- Early in his career, Zito was one of the top five pitchers in baseball and the best in the AL at certain times. Even though Zito is only 30 years old, he was used to the point of complete burn-out by the Oakland Athletics. Now with the Giants, he's not the pitcher he used to be. How can a pitcher be so "done" by age 30? Easy. The Athletics completely relied on the shoulders of three young pitchers-- Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder-- for most of their playoff run in the early 2000s. For his career, Zito has already pitched only a season short of 2,000 innings (1,807 ip) and has started 287. With the Athletics, between 2000 and 2005, Zito had a 3.53 ERA, won 102 games, pitched 1,430 innings, posted a 1.25 WHIP, made 3 All Star appearances and won the American League's Cy Young Award (2002). Not only are those numbers impressive, but they certainly help explain why I'm rating this team's pitching-development as one of the best in the MLB.

cont'd 4/10/09

Nationals Finalize Roster

The Nationals, along with the rest of the MLB, are finally done with putting together their active roster. Finally, the Nationals look like they could be a .500 baseball very soon, if not next year. Billy Beane and Theo Epstein are both hailed as the best GM's in the majors, and they probably are, but Jim Bowden is right there with them. Bowden has used the draft and has picked up a nice group of players while trading away--or letting go of-- fairly useless spare parts like Ryan Church, Emilio Bonifacio, Luis Ayala and Brian Schneider. Below is the Nats' lineup, roster and depth chart for 2009--with projections and grades of course.

Washington Nationals, 76-86 in 2009

Lineup B+

CF Lastings Milledge (B), .275, 15 hr, 30 sb, 90 runs
SS Cristian Guzman (B-), .290, 7 hr, 90 runs
1B Nick Johnson (B), .285, 16 hr, 80 rbi, .370 OBP
3B Ryan Zimmerman (B/B+), .275, 25 hr, 100 rbi, 80 runs, GG
LF Adam Dunn (B+), .250, 36 hr, 95 rbi, .370 obp
RF Elijah Dukes (B+), .270, 20 hr, 20 sb
C Jesus Flores (B), .265, 12 hr
2B Anderson Hernandez (C), .260, 50 runs, 5.5 rfg
P John Lannan

Bench B

INF Ronnie Belliard (B-), .275, .450 slg
Util Willie Harris (C+), .255, .430 slg, 10 sb
C Josh Bard (C/C+), .285, .360 obp
OF/1B/C Josh Willingham (B-/B), .260, 18 hr, .465 slg, .350 obp
SS Alberto Gonzalez (C), .265, .380 slg, 4.5 rfg
OF Austin Kearns (B-), .265, .450 slg, .350 obp
CI Kory Casto Minors, (C-), .230, .380 slg

Rotation B-

1. John Lannan (B), 10-12, 3.85, 200 ip, 120 k
2. Scott Olsen (B), 12-11, 4.10, 200 ip, 115 k
3. Daniel Cabrera (C/C+), 6-10, 4.90, 170 ip, 110 k
4. Shairon Martis (C+/B-), 6-8, 4.60, 140 ip, 100 k
5. Jordan Zimmerman (B/B+), 8-8, 3.90, 150 ip, 110 k

Bullpen B

CL Joel Hanrahan (B), 3.50, 25 saves, 80 ip, 85 k
SU Joe Beimel (B+), 2.90, 60 ip
SU Saul Rivera (B), 3.90, 70 ip
MR Garret Mock (B/B+), 3.85, 65 ip, 65 k
MR Steve Shell (B), 3.40, 60 ip
LS/LR Mike Hinckley (B-), 4.10, 65 ip
RP Terrell Young (B-), 4.30, 40 ip

Minors B-
--> Note- Letter grade is potential for minors players.

LRP Julian Tavarez (C)
SP/CL/LHP Ross Detwiler (B+/A-)
SP Collin Balester (B)
SP/LR Wil Ledezma (C+)
SP Jack McGeary (B+)
SP Jason Bergmann (B-)
LR Luis Atilano (C+)
MR Marco Estrada (B-)
SP Mike O'Connor (C)
SP Tyler Clippard (B-)
SU/MR Justin Jones (B-)
SU J.D. Martin (B+)
MR Ryan Wagner (C)
DL Matt Chico (C+)


C Luke Montz (B-)
OF Michael Burgess (B+)
1B Chris Marrero (B)
SS Esmailyn Gonzalez/Carlos Alvarez (B+)
OF Justin Maxwell (C+/B-)
OF Roger Bernadina (C+)
OF Destin Hood (B-/B)
SS Ian Desmond (C+/B-)
1B Dmitri Young (C+)
OF Leonard Davis (C+)
INF Joel Guzman (B-)
C Gustavo Molina (C+)
C Wil Nieves (F)
OF Corey Patterson (B-)
INF Jose Castillo (C+)
1B Brad Eldred (C-)
1B Matt Whitney (C+/B-)
MI Freddie Bynum (C)

Other/Non 40-Man Roster

LHP Gustavo Chacin
SP/LR Josh Towers
SP Kip Wells
LR/SP Jorge Sosa



Overall B-



The Nationals probably won't get to .500 because of their iffy pitching staff, lack of experience and tough division. However, a respectable record, somewhere in the realm of .500 is very possible. Their pitching staff gets a lot of guff but I believe its a little bit underrated. John Lannan and Scott Olsen are both very solid pitchers, Jordan Zimmerman is a future front-of-the-rotation-starter, Daniel Cabrera still has plenty of potential and Shairon Martis has shown consistency and flashes of brilliance at times. If one of these guys performs poorly or gets injured, then the Nats have prospect Collin Balester and veteran Jason Bergmann waiting in the minors. Shawn Hill will be trying to come back from injury as well. All and all the rotation is looking pretty decent.

The bullpen has been rebuilt and actually looks like a good one. Rule 5 draftee, Terrell Young is underrated and could be a good set up man some day. Steve Shell and Garret Mock are both good relievers. Mock has power stuff and racks up strikeouts while Shell is a reliable late-inning reliever. The closer, Joel Hanraham, has a repetoire that consists of a mid 90's fastball and a biting slider. He'll be solid. Saul Rivera is a nice veteran to have with this young bullpen and can be relied upon for some quality, but not spectacular, innings. Newly signed Joe Beimel is a very good lefty, capable of getting very tough hitters to pop-out. Mike Hinckley will dabble in long relief as well as a LOOGY role. In the minors Wil Ledezma, Jesus Colome, Julian Tavarez and Jason Bergmann will all get a look by the All Star break.

The lineup and bench are the Nats' strength. Adam Dunn is an established star, and likely the most underrated player in the majors. Ryan Zimmerman, Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge all project to be future All-Stars and possibly Silver-Slugger and Gold Glove (Dukes and Zimmerman) winners. Nick Johnson is a solid as they come, and can get on base, produce runs and hit 20 homers. Cristian Guzman is a consistent veteran, and is good for a .280-.300 average and solid all-around play. Anderson Hernandez and Alberto Gonzalez will share time with Willie Harris at second base, and all of them will compete for the starting job well into the season. Hernandez and Gonzalez are very good defenders while Harris has a solid bat and is fast. Ronnie Belliard can play both of the corners and second base, and although his defense is sub-par, he provides a .450 slugging percentage and a good average off of the bench. Austin Kearns is a favorite of Bowden and will look to bounce back in 2009. He could find his stroke again, especially now that Adam Dunn is his teammate once again. He plays very good defense, and when he's hot, he's an All Star caliber hitter. Wil Nieves will play a backup role in the minors because of his experience with young pitchers, but he has the worst bat AAA ball much less the majors. Josh Bard will take over the backup role, and has the potential to bat near .300- Mike Redmond type.


The Nationals' prospect pool is fairly average, overall. The brightest prospects they have are still in the top stack of MiLB prospects and can compete with many of the top 100. The brightest stars in their MiLB system are Carlos Alvarez (Esmailyn Gonzalez), Ross Detwiler, Collin Balester, Jack McGeary, J.D. Martin, Destin Hood, Chris Marrero and Michael Burgess. Detwiler will replace Zimmerman as the top pitching prospect in their system, and will flourish once he is inevitably converted to a closer in the mold of Billy Wagner. Destin Hood is a good athlete, but is super young and raw, and won't even sniff the MiLB until 2012 at least. Jack McGeary has good stuff and struck out 64 batters in 59 ip in 2008, but needs much more experience. Alvarez (formerly Gonzalez) could be a .300 hitter in the majors some day, and will probably also be able to steal 30 or more bases. Now that J.D. Martin has been converted to a setup man, he is one of the top relief prospects in the MiLB. Collin Ballester has a very good curve, two good fastballs and a decent change and could be a solid (but not spectacular) MiLB pitcher by 2010. Both Marrero and Burgess have a ton of power and nice potential, but neither fields or makes good contact. They have a long way to go until they're MLB ready. Ian Desmond and Luke Montz are also prospects and both have power--neither are particularly good at making contact however. Montz will push for a backup catcher's role if Bard fails or gets injured while Desmond has a shot at some at MLB reps in the middle infield. Shairon Martis, Terrell Young, Alberto Gonzalez, Mike Hinkley, Anderson Hernandez and Jordan Zimmerman have all made the MLB roster for 2009.

Role Models and Real Men

I'm going to take a brief break from my and my editor's articles to to tell you a little bit about myself. I was born in Hartford Connecticut, on Waterford Street in the South end, to Peter and Maryalice Kelley. Until he passed when I was twelve, I had a live-in grandfather. It was an old-world set-up but I liked it. While my father went to Law School in New Orleans, my grandfather took over many of the fatherly duties-- teaching me to play ball, how to fight and how to be a proper gentleman. My grandfather was one of the most-if not the most--influential figure in my development toward adulthood. He also taught me about baseball.

Hailing from CT, with parents from Hartford and New York, I was naturally born a Yankees fan. However, my favorite ballplayer is Ted Williams--my grandfather's favorite as well. The "Splendid Spitter" was a gruff, tough, "throwback." He was the best hitter of his time, and probably of all time, yet never wanted any more recognition than the average player. He was modest, and like Gehrig, never sought the Press's eye. He was also an American hero, sacrificing nearly half of his baseball career to fly and teach flight in World War II and then Korea. When his plane was struck with flack, he was even able to "limp" it back to friendly territory. The best part of Williams' story is that he was given a special recommendation by the US Government to stay out of World War II and Korea and play baseball-- he didn't accept the offer. For sure, if he didn't sacrifice these years for the greater good, his stats would better support his label- the greatest hitter of all time.

My grandfather liked Ted Williams because he went about his business with his best effort and never sought out any recognition. The man was humble and quiet, but never let his modesty appear snobbish. My grandfather was the same way. He had a man-of-few-words, masculine, gruff about him that didn't take kindly to wise-guys, wusses, cowards, lazies or half-wits. If he was to do something, he made damn sure that it was going to be done right and through. Unlike the Curt Schillings and the Barry Bonds that seek the media's attention every time they simply step on the field, these men did their job better than anyone else and still gave no indication that they were the least bit satisfied when they were finished.

My grandfather also respected Ted Williams and Joe DiMAggio because they were real men--choosing not to stay home and collect their huge paychecks during World War II and Korea. Sgt. Edward Sullivan, my grandpa, was once a soldier as well. He fought the Germans on Doom's Day, and was part of the first wave to storm Utah Beach. He would never discuss the War, but I do know that he was shot in this battle, but still chose to continue to fight for another year (four years in total) anyway. Sometime after this he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, just one of his many medals, for rescuing a British pilot from his crashed and burning "Cricket" airplane, that was also taking enemy fire. The one thing he always said about soldiers is a quote that I put on his gravestone and I keep in my heart-- "Old soldiers never die... They just fade away..."

The early part of his life was on par with a major league prospect's life in the 1920's. Edward Sullivan was a fantastic baseball player that hit for a ton of power and was at the top of his highschool in batting--regularly having college scouts surrounding him. For his skill he was given a full-scholarship to the University of Southern California, as well as Columbia, to play baseball. My mother would later tell me that my grandfather would turn down these scholarships because he had to support his family. He saw his father die after being electricuted while working for General Electric, and with two younger sisters and a sick mother, he had to take on the role of male-bread-winner. In those days, women weren't give jobs, so it was up to him to stay in Hartford and feed his family. Instead of the lavish and awesome lifestyle of Professional Baseball, or even just a college degree from a top University, he drove an ice truck, volunteered for the Army and then became a firemen. He never told me about his scholarships for baseball-- my mother did. She found the letters in his deceased sister's attic.

It may sound like I'm simply "blowing up" my family into somewhat of a dream.However, that's not the case. Edward Sullivan was a great baseball player, even better than those that were born to his family after him. He played with both Lou Gehrig and Goose Goslin as a young man, and then would play with Gehrig when the Yankees' first basemen would visit his wife's family in Hartford, Connecticut. He would regularly attend his church with Gehrig as well. He also played a lot of ball against Goslin. By the way, before Goslin was a Hall of Fame outfielder, he was a pitcher. Anyway, my grandfather regularly smashed doubles and home runs off of him. Again, he never would talk about fantastic baseball-gift, out of modesty. Nearly everything I've found out about him has been from friends, family, and documents I found in his family's attic.

You rarely see these type of men anymore, and even more rarely find these traits in a baseball player. Modesty, honor and bravery are rarely put together into one package. I wish my grandfather, Gehrig and Williams were still walking on this earth--and maybe they are...After all, old soldiers never die.

Best of the Rest

Quite a few very good prospects were left out of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects for 2009. Below are the top 15 "other" prospects including a rating (number) and potential (letter grade).

1. Jake McGee, LHP, Tampa Bay rays, (92), A: Before David Price there was McGee. The kid is recovering from Tommy John Surgery for 2009 and that is the ONLY reason he's not in BA's Top 100. In 485 career innings pitched (through AA), McGee has struck out 553 batters and has posted a 3.39 era. Possibly most impressive is the fact that he's given up just 27 homers in that span--that's about 12 per season. His curveball is the best in the minors, and rivals a young Barry Zitos. His two fastballs both sit in the low 90s and his 4-seamer can touch 94-95 on occasion. When he comes back he'll be MLB ready.

2. David Robertson, RHP/SU, New York Yankees, (90), A: Robertson isn't in the top 100 because of his major league experience in 2008. However, he's much better than both James McDonald and Scott Elbert, and wields a 95 mph fastball and a near unhittable 12-6 curve. His change and 2-seamer are both developing into good pitches as well. In his minor league career he has pitched 178 innings, giving up just 73 hits and has struck out 190. His career ERA is a very sexy 1.24 and his 0.93 WHIP suggests that he is MLB Ready. Melancon gets the hype but Robertson may very well be the heir to Rivera. A future All Star reliever/closer.

3. Dellin Betances, RHP, New York Yankees, (88), A: Betances has a solid arsenal consisting of two plus-plus pitches and one decent change. His knuckle curve has evolved in to an out pitch and his 93-98 mph fastball rides and has enough life on it to also strike out even the quickets of bats. Last year with the River Dogs, Betances struck out 135 batters in 115 innings and gave up just 87 hits. Probably a future All Star.

4. Nick Hagadone, LHP, Boston Red Sox, (87), A: Hagadone is a hard throwing lefty capable of dialing up his fastball to the 96-98 range. His 82 mph slider is also a plus pitch and his changeup is developing into a good tertiary offering. He has very good control and in between College and the Rookie Leagues in 2007 he had an above 4.00 K/BB ratio. Any lefty that throws that hard is definitely worth a spot in the top 100. Also probably a future All Star.

5. David Hernandez, RHP, Baltimore Orioles, (84), A-: David Hernandez has elite stuff, striking out 166 in 141 innings pitched with AA Bowie. In a hitters' level he posted a very good 2.68 era and gave up just 112 hits. His 93 mph fastball and low-mid eighties slider are both plus pitches, and sporting them in highschool helped him set Consumne Rivers' (high school) strikeout record.


6. David Huff, LHP, Cleveland Indians, (83), A-: Huff is another hard-throwing lefty that has put up sparkling numbers in the minors.In 214 career innings pitched he has a 2.69 era and is 15-7 with a K/BB ratio nearly at 4.00. He has one of the best changeups in the minors; A true plus-plus pitch.

7. Angel Salome, C, Milwaukee Brewers, (82), A-: Salome batted .360 in 2008 and won the batting title in the Southern League (AA). He has a career .322 batting average and an .867 OPS in the minors. His slugging percentage has been on the rise every single year since 2003 and sits at about .500. He is only 5'9", but Pudge Rodriguez isn't exactly a hulk and he put up some nice career numbers, right?

8. Kila Ka'aihue, DH/1B, Kansas City Royals, (82) B+: Before 2008 Killa Kila was an average prospect. In 2008 however everything clicked and K.K. posted an OPS over 1.080, 37 homers and 104 walks in just 401 at bats between AA and AAA. He doesn't play good 'D and will be like Billy Butler and probably be a full time DH at some point. The problem here however, is that both he and Butler play on the same team...

9. Kellen Kulbacki, OF, San Diego Padres, (81), A-: Kulbacki doesn't have a big frame for a kid that can hit like Vlad Guerrero. The kid from James Madison University in Virgina had an absolutely insane 1.017 OPS, a .332 batting and 20 homers in 304 at bats in 2008 while playing in the California League. He has a near-perfect line-drive swing and has some of the best plate vision/discpline in the minors-- walking 47 times and striking out a near-equal 52 times. The Padres are thin on prospects so Kulbacki is a very valuable guy to have in their system.


10. David Freese, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals, (78), B+: Freese doesn't have the potential that fellow prospect Brett Wallace does, but he's a better defender with a bat just a few ticks off from Wallace. He has a career .307 batting average, a .529 slugging percentage and a .917 OPS in 1,229 minor league at bats. He hit 26 homeruns in 2008 in just 464 at bats. He seems to clash with LaRussa and wasn't given a fair shot to compete with Mather for the 3B job in 2009. Either way though, he has the potential to hit like Paul Konerko and field at least as good as Troy Glaus.


11. Esmailyn Gonzalez, SS, Washington Nationals, (77) A- Gonzalez, like Furcal and El Duque was a young player that not only gave a fake name but also claimed to be younger. He's still not 20 years old however and has a career. .307 batting average and a .417 on-base percentage in the Gulf Coast League. He's stolen 13 bases vs. only 4 caught-stealing and has the potential to hit .300 and steal 30 bases in the majors. Think Orlando Cabrera jr.


12. Ross Detwiler, LHP, Washington Nationals, (76) A: Detwiler has the potential to be one of the best closers in the NL, or even a frontline starter. His numbers in 2008 were poor and he gave up too many walks and more hits than innings pitched. Still, he's a lefty that can hit 98 on the gun and has one of the best splitters in the minors. If he's converted to a reliever, or learns a better delivery-motion he'll be very, VERY good.

13. Tyson Ross, LHP, Oakland Athletics, (73) B+: Ross got lost in the mix of awesome Oakland Prospects and hasn't yet drawn anyone's eye outside of Billy Beane & co. The 6'6" Ross wields a very good 87-94 mph fastball that he can knock off a humming bird's c*ck if he is ever called on to do so. His slider and changeup are both developing into plus pitched and his numbers at California were awesome. He only has 19 Professional Innings, but Jason Castro is in the same boat and he made the top 100. Ross should be there over Brackman.

14. Austin Romine, C, New York Yankees, (73) B+: Romine has the best arm in the minors among catchers and with a little bit of touch he'll be Ivan Rodriguez-good at throwing out base-stealers. He hit an even .300 in 2008, with 10 homers and 24 doubles in 407 at bats in Charleston Single A. He needs to learn to block pitches in the dirt better, but his arm and his bat could develop him into--at the very least-- an A.J. Pierzynski. Right now his potential looks like a carbon copy of Kurt Suzuki.

15. Josh Reddick, CF, Boston Red Sox, (72) B+: Reddick is a very toolsy player sporting a very strong arm, good speed and a great bat. He had a .968 OPS and .343 batting average in 2008 while playing for single A Lancaster. He hit 23 homeruns and stole 15 bases in total in 2008 as well. He walks at an average rate, 34 times in a little bit over 450 at bats in 2008, but with a bit more patience he could easily get on base 37% of the time.