1. Hank Conger, c, Angels
   
2. Jeremy Jeffress, rhp, Brewers
   
3. Cedric Hunter, of, Padres
   
4. Marcus Lemon, ss, Rangers
   
5. Brent Fisher, lhp, Royals
   
6. Matt Sweeney, 3b/1b, Angels
   
7. Sharlon Schoop, ss, Giants
   
8. Kyler Burke, of, Padres
   
9. Jason Taylor, 3b, Royals
   
10. Vladimir Veras, rhp, Angels
    
11. Brent Brewer, ss, Brewers
    
12. Gerardo Avila, 1b, Mariners
    
13. Luis Durango, of, Padres
    
14. Jose Ceda, lhp, Cubs
    
15. Manuel Cabez, rhp, Giants
    
16. Derrick Robinson, of, Royals
    
17. Nick Van Stratten, of, Royals
    
18. Carlos Peguero, of, Mariners
    
19. Warner Madrigal, rhp, Angels
    
20. Felix Carrasco, 3b, Padres

Where's Alex Liddi?

in the draft, as their status BEFORE the draft occured. I think they're something like this

1. Volstad
   
2. Pawalek
   
3. Kershaw
   
4. Jeffress
   
5. Willems
   
6. Kiker
   
7. Anderson

Im sure I'm forgetting a guy from last year's. This years draft seemed to have a little more depth but not the high side. I could also be a moron and completely wrong.

Frank Boal (KC's FOX) reported that according to Lincoln's advisor that he had been assured that his client would be the overall #1 pick in the draft tomorrow.

I dunno I am torn. I keep telling myself everyone but me thinks that Andrew Miller is the best pitcher in the draft, but the more I read up and check out Brad Lincoln, I think he's better. Either way the Royals win as I think their value is about the same and Miller is much more expensive. Maybe those darned Miller 8 figure demands are true and he can fall to my Cubs, but I'm smoking the  biased train.

Anyone know what's happened to David Price of late? A few weeks ago it looked like he was the best college prospect for the 07 draft - right up there with Joe Savery and a few others.

4/14 - 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER vs UGA
4/22 - 6.1 IP, 10 H, 8 ER vs Bama
4/28 - 6.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER vs UK
5/5 - 3.1 IP, 9 H, 8 ER vs Tenn

Granted, this is the SEC but Price is a talentled lefty with three good pitches and good command. Is he hurt or something? Or is he doing his best Ian Kennedy impersonation. His ERA was like 1.70 a month ago.

I know this is not minor league related, and not even 2006 draft related but I do know we have some avid college baseball fans across the country who visit here.

Oh what a 6.61 ERA in 3 AAA starts can do for Guzman. His ERA was inflated by a bad start where he allowed 3 HR in Albequerque, but he had a fabulous 23:3 K:BB in 16.1 IP. Jerome Williams was sent down after a horrible start. Guzman is in the bullpen for todays game, so it is unknown whether or not Guzman will make the start on Wednesday.

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A bit of a shocker. He's made a grand total of 10 starts in AA and zero in AAA not to mention just 22 above the Midwest league. Oh well, the Cubs are agressive promoters. He's also never made more than 16 starts in a season (sounds like a lot of Cub starters), but a couple of the injuries are more freak in nature.

Sean Marshall came into the Spring with about a 10% chance of getting 1 start before June, at best. He made just 4 starts in West Tenn last year and was seventh or eigth on the Cubs depth chart. Since then  Jerome Williams forgot how to strike out people. While it's true he was never good, but 2 K's in 18 innings is flat out awful. Williams may have pitched himself to Iowa for the start of the season, maybe longer. Mark Prior continued to be glass, and who knows when he will back. Kerry Wood's been hurt, but who knows. Rich Hill struggled mightily with the command of his duece in early spring, although he's been a bit better. Voros McCracken be damned, Sean Marshall has given up 3 hits in 10.2 IP, with a 9:6 K:BB and 0 runs allowed.

Most Cub radio stations have pretty much pegged him in as the #4 starter. Jerome Williams has appeared to have been demoted to having a chance to get the #5 spot when needed. If he can't get his act together Guzman or Hill will burn ahead of him. Now it looks as if Marshall will making his debut against Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen, Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Yeah, let's throw into the dogs. Dunno if LaRussa will pitch Carpenter on normal rest skipping Ponson.

Last week Daisuke Matsuzaka had a solid outing against the Mexican National Team. I wrote up a simple scouting report on it. For the championship game I did the same thing. Even though he had a 95 pitch count to work with, Dai-san only went 4 innings. Shunsuke Watanabe was brought in after, and deservedly so.

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We can all read his linescore, but I decided to look at what he did from a pitch to pitch level.

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It doesn't look like he'll get a chance to face the United States at all, in Round 2  or even the semis if both teams make it there.

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And it could not have been better. I went to the Minute Maid Classic today, featuring Rice vs Texas and TCU vs Houston. The UT/Rice game had half a dozen potential first round draft picks. They did not disappoint, that's for sure. I've been to LCS games, but no game I have ever been to had the vibe and atmosphere of this game. Over 27,000 people showed up for the UT Rice game, the 4th largest crowd in NCAA history (includes CWS games). The crowd was split down the middle as well. The game featured 2006 potential first rounder Kyle McCulloch against 2007 potential #1 overall pick Joe Savery.

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