SB Nation User Blog: killa

Royals acquire Jacobs

killa — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:44:44 -0000

The Royals acquired Mike Jacobs from the Marlins for RP Leo Nunez. As a Royals fan, I like the deal. Granted, we have a perceived logjam at 1B, but among Gload/Butler/Shealy/Kila, absolutely ZERO of them have shown the ability to hit consistently at the major league level yet. GMDM has shown the ability to find good RPs on the cheap, so my general thought is any time you can add a guy who can hit 30HRs for a reliever, you have to do it. Jacobs isn't a stud, but he has shown more power than anyone currently on KC's roster has. Hopefully, Gload and Shealy can be moved, and Butler/Kila can fight for 1B/DH time.

Warning: Homer (KC) Post

killa — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:33:32 -0000

I don't know about the other Royals fans out there, but I kinda like the Royals top prospects, to the tune of Top 10 in the league....

1. Mike Moustakas-After a slow start, he's showing the bat that everyone expected. While he won't be an elite SS, I'm pretty sure that that's not unexpected.

2 Daniel Cortes- another guy who struggled at first but has quietly (as in he should be a Top 50 prospect), put up good numbers lately.

3. Eric Hosmer-Widely thought of as an elite HS power bat, he gets his first showing in the Top 10- time will tell which way he moves on the list, but the potential is there.

4. Carlos Rosa-Despite a bit of a high ARL, he's shown enough to have the upside of a #3 SP at the major league level. doesn't have incredible velocity, but his secondary pitches give him 3-AVG+ offerings, and the FB has deceptive movement.

5. Tim Melville- The guy wasn't ranked #1 on BA's HS rankings before the season for nothing. I'm willing to chalk his senior season up to extenuating factors, like his mom, who is probably the parent who gets thrown out of the T-Ball game. The skills are there, and he could develop into a #1 SP if everything goes right. If everything doesn't go right, it was a pretty good gamble fr the Round and price(Brett Tomko cost 2.5 times as much).

6. Danny Duffy- Yes, I'm surprised I don't have him higher, 19YO in Low-A, over 11K/9, a 2.35 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. We should see him in High-A with a late call-up to AA next year if things continue to go as incredibly. That said, I have a gut feeling that the callup to AA should be short, as I think rushing him would be bad- again, a gut feeling.

7. Kila Ka'aihue- If you don't know about this guy yet, you haven't been on the internet since April...Big Power, Big BB:K, big long swing and a probability of fizzling quickly. However, he has the best name (stole mine) and has a 1.098 OPS this year...33HR, 90 RBI, 92BB, 50K...The guy is putting up Playstation numbers, let's hope he can at least turn into what we thought Shealy would be....

8. Blake Wood-I've always been a bit of a doubter on Wood. Personally, I don't think his stuff will hold up at the major league level any more than Shawn Estes, Jason Bere, or Aaron Sele's stuff did. I think KC will see a useful year or 2 out of him, and he'll become replacable.

9. Matt Mitchell-This one may be surprising, but I really like the probability of him developing into a #4 SP. Not great upside, but his pitch selection could make him sneaky. If it was up to only my gut, he'd be ranked higher than Wood.

10. Joe Dickerson-31:48 BB;K ratio shows growth, Dickerson could put up Carl Crawford numbers in his prime

Just Missed:

Sam Runion-Youngster has a 11:40 K/IP ratio in Low-A...ouch

Edward Cegarra-Since his promotion, K's cut in 1/2, and everything else to the bad side. Good news is he's 19 and in A+....He should spend at least the first half of next year there as well.

BlakeJohnson- I'm seein' Adam Eaton after surgery as a peak, let's hope I'm wrong.

Adrian Ortiz-21 YO in A+ now, larning the game, but raw speed is there, power will determine success though.

Phillies get Blanton

killa — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:55:37 -0000

ESPN just reported on Sportscenter that The Phillies just acquired Joe Blanton from the A's in exchange for 3 minor leaguers. ESPN is now reporting that it's Cardenas, Outman and Spencer

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3494315

Filler Filler Filler a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

Project Prospect Top 150

killa — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:20:21 -0000

PP has released their Top 150, an interesting read:

http://www.projectprospect.com/2008-top-150-prospect-list/

1 Jay Bruce CF Power hitter who can rope the ball all over the field; potential all-star and a class act 20.8 CIN AAA
2 Colby Rasmus CF Has as much power as Bruce with better BB/K, just not as proven; highly focussed 21.5 STL AA
3 Evan Longoria 3B Good bet to be above-average bat; should hit 30 HR + reach base frequently in prime 22.2 TB AAA
4 Clay Buchholz RHP Overwhelming arsenal paired with finesse mentality could make him a No. 1 starter 23.4 BOS MLB
5 Joba Chamberlain RHP His stuff may be better than Buchholz's; needs to prove himself as full-season starter 22.3 NYY MLB
6 Clayton Kershaw LHP Walk rate is only thing holding him back; strong bet to headline this list entering 2009 19.9 LAD AA
7 David Price LHP Among top college arms in last decade; "wire-to-wire" consensus No. 1 pick for 2007 22.4 TB NCAA
8 Jake McGee LHP One of the top power pitchers in MiLB; his secondary will make him at least a No. 2 21.5 TB AA
9 Cameron Maybin CF Burner had .201 IsoP thanks to some huge power spurts last year; LD% is concerning 20.8 FLA MLB
10 Andy LaRoche 3B Should get chance to exhibit excellent power and patience in '08; Our pick for NL ROY 24.4 LAD MLB
11 Johnny Cueto RHP It's difficult to debate his success; No. 1-2 depending on how often he gives up XBH 21.9 CIN AAA
12 Homer Bailey RHP Supporters point to '07 injuries; doubters question BB% and how hittable he was 21.7 CIN MLB
13 Travis Snider RF Utter hitting prowess is balanced by DH body; powerful lefty could reach AAA in '08 20.0 TOR A
14 Matt Wieters C Top collegiate bat in his class; switch hitter with good power stroke, sound defense 21.7 BAL HWB
15 Rick Porcello RHP Extremely advanced prep arm; top-of-the-rotation talent who figures to move quickly 19.1 DET HS
16 Ian Kennedy RHP Good bet to become a No. 2; induces soft contact; has found success everywhere 23.1 NYY MLB
17 Daric Barton 1B Contact hitter who can draw walks and hit for power; expect smooth transition to bigs 22.4 OAK MLB
18 Chris Marrero 1B The kind of home-run hitter who gets pitched around when he's hot; just a bit streaky 19.6 WAS A+
19 Gio Gonzalez LHP Gets called out for being under 6-foot; has made strides limiting HR; could be a No. 2 22.4 OAK AA
20 Fernando Martinez OF Stayed more than afloat as teen in AA then broke hamate; expect modest improvement 19.3 NYM AA
21 Joey Votto 1B Line-drive machine excels at hitting the ball in the air and drawing BB; some speed, too 24.4 CIN MLB
22 Jacoby Ellsbury CF Unlikely to be above-average hitter; strengths are speed and defense; very polished 24.4 BOS MLB
23 Brandon Wood 3B Questionable contact abilities; but tolerable due to his power; could play SS in a pinch 22.9 LAA MLB
24 Andrew McCutchen CF May take a while for his game to translate to the bigs; plus speed with some power 21.3 PIT AAA
25 Mike Moustakas 3B Elite power hitter; good enough athlete to play SS in pro debut; could reach A+ in '08 19.4 KC R
26 Franklin Morales LHP Was better than ever once he reached the bigs; expect him to get hit a bit harder in '08 22.0 COL MLB
27 Wade Davis RHP Potential No. 2 does a great job limiting hard contact; really tired down the stretch 22.4 TB AA
28 Matt LaPorta LF Awesome power hitter; should ascend through minors quickly; still profiles best at 1B 22.9 MIL A
29 Angel Villalona 3B Fresh off promising debut (.344 wOBA); power's his calling card; lots of uncertainty 17.5 SF SS
30 Matt Antonelli 2B Excellent walk rates, low K, and good power could put him among the game's top 2B 22.8 SD AA
31 Jeff Clement C 2004's 3rd overall pick punishes LHP, solid against RHP; arm strength is questionable 24.4 SEA MLB
32 Josh Vitters 3B Considered top prep hitter in '07 by some; pro debut (55 PA) was uninspiring - 0 XBH 18.4 CHC R
33 Austin Jackson CF 2nd-half surge was no coincidence - learned to pull the ball; expect a breakout year 21.0 NYY A+
34 Reid Brignac SS Line-drive hitter with some pop; bat may only be average in bigs; should stick at SS 23.0 TB AA
35 Jose Tabata RF More consistent but hasn't flashed as much power as Fernando; also broke hamate 19.5 NYY A+
36 Nick Adenhart RHP Standout ability to keep ball in the park; limits hard contact well; good bet to be No. 2-3 21.4 LAA AA
37 Jarrod Parker RHP 2nd-best prep pitcher in his class; could move quickly...maybe surface as a No. 1-2 19.2 ARI HS
38 Carlos Gonzalez RF Good LD hitter; his '06 success came in Lancaster; bat may only be average in bigs 22.3 OAK AAA
39 Fautino de los Santos RHP Winston-Salem is tough to pitch in - he dominated; AA is next step; could be a No. 2 21.9 OAK A+
40 Jordan Schafer CF Broke out in '07 despite rigors of Myrtle Beach; promising power; D praised universally 21.4 ATL A+
41 Desmond Jennings CF Crazy fast contact hitter also drew walks in Low-A; unproven but high-upside talent 21.2 TB A
42 Jason Heyward RF Powerful 6'4'', 220-pounder lasted until the 14th pick of '07; top prep OF in his class 18.5 ATL R
43 Beau Mills 1B WAC star turned NAIA legend; improved K% and wOBA at each of three his pro stops 21.4 CLE A+
44 Aaron Laffey LHP Extreme-ground-ball pitcher is a very safe bet to be a No. 3; that can't be said of many 22.8 CLE MLB
45 Sean Gallagher RHP Matured from 12 rounder ('04) to good bet to be No. 3 starter; solid K%, good HR rates 22.1 CHC MLB
46 Aaron Thompson LHP Amazing GB pitcher; had shoulder tendonitis last year and has been in pitcher's parks 20.9 FLA AA
47 Bill Rowell 3B Just a day older than Moustakas; slowed by oblique injury in '07; cut him some slack 19.4 BAL A
48 Lars Anderson 1B Doubles hitter last year; stock could explode in Lancaster; AA totals will mean more 20.3 BOS A+
49 Trevor Cahill RHP Great at inducing soft contact - should translate well to A+AA; shot at being a No. 2 19.9 OAK A
50 Kevin Mulvey RHP Posted an amazing .076 IsoPA in '07 - 3.16 FIP; a good bet to become a No. 3 starter 22.7 MIN AA
51 Jed Lowrie SS Could easily be a league-average hitter; better fit at second than short - limits upside 23.8 BOS AAA
52 Elvis Andrus SS Myrtle Beach is known for surpressing power; expect breakout offensive year in '08 19.4 TEX A+
53 Brett Anderson LHP Picked apart Low-A hitters; reached A+ in first full season; a chance to be a No. 2-3 20.1 OAK A+
54 Michael Burgess RF Not sure how he slipped to 49th pick in '07; big power potential and he can draw a BB 19.3 WAS SS
55 Jair Jurrjens RHP Knows how to pitch; solid bet to be a No. 3 starter; 18.1% K combined in '07, 7.1% BB 22.0 ATL MLB
56 Geovany Soto C Guys don't accidentally hit like he did in '07; could be a league-average bat this season 25.0 CHC MLB
57 Justin Masterson RHP Sinkerballer has Brandon-Webb upside; still needs to prove durable enough to be a SP 22.8 BOS AA
58 Tyler Robertson LHP Exhibited mastery over 102.1 IP...29.2% K, 2.20 FIP; still far away but a potential No. 2 20.1 MIN A
59 Chase Headley 3B LD approach allows him to lace the ball all over; could become a league-average hitter 23.7 SD MLB
60 Chris Volstad RHP Good command, HR rates, GB tendencies; solid shot at being a No. 3, chance of No. 2 21.3 FLA AA
61 Matt Latos RHP 11th rounder ('06) signed for 1st round money, dominated SS hitters over 56.1 innings 20.1 SD SS
62 Steve Pearce 1B Annihilated A+, AA, and AAA last year; could become a 25+ HR guy in the bigs by '09 24.8 PIT MLB
63 Ross Detwiler RHP 6th pick in '07 has lots of upside; not the safest bet to harness it; high BB% in NCAA 21.9 WAS MLB
64 Greg Reynolds RHP Talented GB pitcher; shoulder injury limited him in '07 (50.0 IP); No. 2 if healthy return? 22.6 COL AA
65 Hank Conger C 25th pick from '06 managed to hit for power in MWL; should devour CAL pitching in '08 20.0 LAA A
66 Matt Dominguez 3B 12th pick in '07; said to be great defender; bat is the question...didn't hit much in debut 18.4 FLA SS
67 Michael Bowden RHP Likely only No. 3-4 but well on his way; K% rose every month from May-August in AA 21.4 BOS AA
68 Nick Weglarz LF Walks a lot, Ks a lot, hits for a lot of power; Totalled 8 HR and .473 wOBA in August 20.1 CLE A
69 Deolis Guerra RHP Made strides in command dept.; was limited then shut down due to shoulder tendonitis 18.8 MIN A+
70 Jesus Montero C $2.0 M Ven. signee was solid in 123 rookie PA; success could translate well to A-ball 18.1 NYY R
71 Madison Bumgarner LHP Young for his draft class (10th pick of '07); raw athlete with potential to be a No. 1-2 18.5 SF HS
72 Ryan Kalish CF Has mastered SS ball - great BB%, low K%, solid power; broke hamate bone in July 19.8 BOS SS
73 Sean O'Sullivan RHP Has allowed just 8 HR in 229.2 pro innings; isn't overpowering; could become a No. 3 20.4 LAA A
74 Cole Rorhbough LHP Signed for 2nd round money in '06; 40.3% K between rookie and A ball shows upside 20.7 ATL A
75 James Simmons RHP 26th pick in '07 was thrusted to AA then AFL in pro debut; command is his strength 21.3 OAK AA
76 Aaron Poreda LHP 25th pick in '07 was held in rookie ball in his debut - thrived there; still has lots to prove 21.5 CHW R
77 Adam Miller RHP His arm is spectacular when it's working; ranks this low because of injury concerns 23.2 CLE AAA
78 Phillippe Aumont RHP 11th pick of '07; raw with high upside; his HS (in Canada) didn't have a baseball team 19.1 SEA HS
79 Wladimir Balentien RF Vastly improved contact abilities ('06 to '07); could be close to a league-average bat 23.6 SEA MLB
80 Carlos Triunfel SS Teen reached A+ in debut; power is lacking, unproven on D, but a good contact hitter 17.9 SEA A+
81 Carlos Gomez CF One of the fastest runners in baseball; breakout season haulted by broken hamate? 22.2 MIN MLB
82 Anthony Swarzak RHP Good bet to be a No. 4; improved his walk rates last year (9.8 to 6.7%); good HR/TBF 22.4 MIN AA
83 Kosuke Fukudome RF We only see him as an average regular for a year or two; then we expect a decline 30.8 CHC INT
84 Will Inman RHP We love 25%+ K rate guys; but this one has had troubles staying strong for a full year 21.0 SD AA
85 Kasey Kiker LHP BB% and HR rate are concerning given he was in Low-A; 27.6% K shows his upside 20.2 TEX A
86 Chris Parmelee RF Showed impressive power (.175 IsoP) in full-season debut; 27.3% K is scary, though 19.9 MIN A
87 Blake Beavan RHP 17th pick of '07; 6'7'', 210-pound power pitcher has a lot of upside but unusual motion 19.0 TEX HS
88 Tim Alderson RHP Dazzled in pro debut: 5.0 IP, 12 K, 0 BB, 0 XBH; 22nd ('07) pick could reach A+ in '08 19.2 SF R
89 Jeffrey Locke LHP Masterful command + overpowering stuff; yet to pitch above rookie; very high upside 20.2 ATL R
90 Jaime Garcia LHP Shut down in mid-July - soreness in pitching elbow; injury may have been slowing him 21.4 STL AA
91 Jordan Walden RHP DNF from '06 signed a hefy bonus; mowed down rookie hitters; at least No. 3 potential 20.2 LAA R
92 Joe Savery LHP Two-way NCAA players can learn quickly; that's what we expect from '07's 19th pick 22.2 PHI SS
93 Esmailyn Gonzalez SS Big INT signee was decent in pro debut; good upside; shows how INT $ is deceiving 18.4 WAS R
94 Collin Balester RHP Improved BB% and K% last season; strong bet to be No. 4; .140 IsoPA is concerning 21.6 WAS AAA
95 Matt Harrison LHP Turf toe ended his '07 early; limits HR and hard contact; a solid bet to become a No. 4 22.4 TEX AA
96 Scott Elbert LHP Had shoulder operation in '07; could reestablish himself in '08; BB% still major concern 22.5 LAD AA
97 Tyler Colvin CF Was very strong in August (.362 wOBA, AA) but had 0 BB that month; 13th pick in '06 22.4 CHC AA
98 Kevin Ahrens 3B High-upside hitter who played SS in pro debut but will likely wind up playing third base 18.8 TOR R
99 Manny Parra LHP Has spent bulk of his career in AA and below; maybe a No. 3-4; durability is a concern 25.2 MIL MLB
100 Cody Johnson RF Another Braves' prospect being brought along carefully; crushed Appy pitchers in '07 19.4 ATL R
101 Chris Nelson SS Heated up in June, caught fire in July; '04's 9th overall pick; breakout coming in 2008? 22.4 COL A+
102 Taylor Teagarden C Glowing defense; bat was great in CAL League (A+) and AA - had lots of Ks, though 24.1 TEX AA
103 Chin-lung Hu SS Bulked up and broke out in '07; good contact hitter w some power; a stellar gloveman 24.0 LAD MLB
104 Chris Mason RHP Succeeds by limiting HRs and throwing strikes (6.6% BB since '05); potential No. 3-4 23.6 TB AA
105 Jeremy Jeffress RHP Partially met high expectations in Low-A - 26.0% K, 12.0% BB, 4.32 FIP; 16th pick ('06) 20.4 MIL A
106 Omar Poveda RHP Maintained a promising 24.9% K as a teen in A/A+; big jump in BB% from MWL to CAL 20.3 TEX A+
107 Steve Evarts LHP Exceptional GB pitcher so far - 80.0 pro innings without a HR; just 2.8% BB in '07, too 20.3 ATL R
108 Michael Main RHP 24th pick in '07 has quick, dangerous arm action - health concern; an amazing athlete 19.1 TEX SS
109 Chris Tillman RHP Good in MWL, not so much in CAL; solid K% poor BB% and HR rate; potential No. 4? 19.8 BAL A+
110 Mat Gamel 3B Strong FSL finish after slow start; amazing in HWB (1.000+ OPS); solid all-around bat 22.5 MIL A+
111 German Duran 2B Huge power jump in '07 (.225 IsoP in AA); but just a average runner and low walk rate 23.5 TEX AA
112 Dexter Fowler CF OBP threat without much power; projectability is a tough subject; eaten alive in AFL 21.9 COL A+
113 J.R. Towles C Only has 95 PA above AA; easy to get too caught up in a C who looks like he can hit 24.0 HOU MLB
114 Eric Hurley RHP Has allowed 42 HR over last 2 seasons; being brought along quickly; potential No. 4-5 22.4 TEX AAA
115 Oscar Tejeda SS Raw, high-upside talent who was solid in rookie-ball and short-season in his US debut 18.1 BOS SS
116 Engle Beltre OF Impressive power for a teenager in his first pro season; contact ability is questionable 18.2 TEX SS
117 Adrian Cardenas 2B Withstood pitcher-friendly Lakewood, FSL is next; OK contact hitter with some power 20.3 PHI A
118 Chris Davis 3B Mashed at home in CAL (.438 wOBA); continued success in AA - amazing 2nd half 21.9 TEX AA
119 Neil Walker 3B Hot Apr., May, June; steep drop in play from then on; enough bat to stick at third base? 22.4 PIT AAA
120 Ian Stewart 3B Great hitter in Colorado Springs but below-average on the road; bat may fit best at 2B 22.8 COL MLB
121 Wilmer Font RHP Excellent strikeout rates considering his age; BB% is a concern; still, a lot of upside 17.7 TEX R
122 James McDonald RHP Excellent K% (30.2 in '07), solid BB rate (6.7%); strong enough to make it as a starter? 23.3 LAD AA
123 Trevor Crowe CF Things may have finally started clicking late last year - hit .314/.384/.428 in the 2nd half 24.2 CLE AA
124 Bryan Anderson C 40.9% of his '07 XBH came in April; has potential to be an average hitter as a catcher 21.1 STL AA
125 Brett Cecil LHP Really limited XBH in R and NCAA - solid BB%, too; K% wasn't overpowering in NCAA 21.6 TOR SS
126 Daniel Cortes RHP May have turned corner in August - BB% way down, K% up; lots of upside (No. 2-3?) 20.9 KC A+
127 Max Sapp C Good contact and BB% in full-season debut - little power; makings to be an average C 19.9 HOU A
128 Carlos Carrasco RHP His success has come in favorable pitcher's environments; could be No. 4-5 or a RP 20.9 PHI AA
129 Gorkys Hernandez CF One of the fastest players in the lower minors; in a pitcher's park and league in '07 20.4 ATL A
130 Brad Lincoln RHP From 4th pick in '06 to TJ patient; little pro history; excellent NCAA arm; potential No. 2 22.7 PIT A
131 Clayton Tanner LHP Good GB pitcher with solid command and K rate; should be tested in CAL this season 20.2 SF A
132 Cedric Hunter CF Didn't power through the MWL by any means - but solid; enough speed to stick in CF? 19.9 SD A
133 Ben Revere CF Speedster was impressive in rookie ball after being selected 28th overall - .369 wOBA 19.7 MIN R
134 Henry Alberto Rodriguez RHP Has makings to be a dominant RP; .056 IsoPA, 25.3% K, 13.8% BB in full-season debut 20.9 OAK A
135 Casey Weathers RHP 07's 8th pick had stellar year as Vandy's closer (2 XBH in 49.1 IP); signed under slot 22.6 COL A
136 Nick Noonan 2B Was pretty solid across the board in debut - poor BB%; selected 32nd overall in '07 18.7 SF R
137 Oswaldo Sosa RHP A lot more dominant in FSL than AA; Ave. BB%, below-ave. K%; good IsoPA (.094) 22.4 MIN AA
138 Andrew Brackman RHP 2nd-highest upside of any NCAA pitcher in '07 draft?; '07 TJ patient and still very raw 22.2 NYY NCAA
139 Tony Thomas 2B Exploded on the scene as a Jr. at Florida; kept it up in the pros; 97th overall pick in '07 21.6 CHC SS
140 Tyler Herron RHP Great BB% and solid IsoPA; may not be more than a No. 5 but good bet to reach that 21.5 STL A
141 Kyle Lotzkar RHP Second-best prep arm out of Canada last year; solid pro debut; 53rd overall pick in '07 18.3 CIN R
142 Jon Niese LHP Substantial BB% improvement from '06 to '07, though he couldn't sustain K%; No. 4-5? 21.3 NYM A+
143 Edwardo Morlan RHP Among the top RP in the minors - 34.3% K, 6.9% BB; gives up a lot of extra-base hits 21.9 TB AA
144 Jeremy Hellickson RHP A potential No. 4-5; solid command (7.6% BB) and stuff (23.8% K) - 3.45 FIP last year 20.8 TB A
145 Alan Horne RHP Durability will decide if he's No. 5 or reliever; BB% rose every month from Apr. to Aug. 25.1 NYY AA
146 Max Ramirez C Had a .396 wOBA in Kinston and Bakersfield; traded in '06 and '07; OK power hitter 23.3 TEX A+
147 Drew Stubbs CF Couldn't get out of Low-A in full-season debut; big 2nd half; OK bet to reach bigs still 23.3 CIN A
148 Max Scherzer RHP Strong chance he's converted to a reliever; 12.5% BB in AA to go along with 23.8% K 23.5 ARI AA
149 Jack Egbert RHP Numbers are better than Horne's; potential No. 4-5 does great job limiting hard contact 24.7 CHW AA
150 Colton Willems RHP Excellent IsoPA (.085) says something about his ability to pitch; 12.3% K in '07, though 19.6 WAS SS

Whither the CP

killa — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:37:45 -0000

I'm pretty disappointed at the community's lack of commitment, and the apparent ballot stuffing earlier, of the CP list. Honestly, it was one of my favorite diaries last year. This year, it seemed to degrade into a mess-between bickering, ballot stuffing, and then a waning of interest.
I'm pretty disappointed that it seems this site can't even limp it's way to a finish at 75. What happened to this community? Did we really let a couple of Joba's end us? I've been thinking this for a while, and I know some of the people have bowed out out of disgust/boredom. However, I really think that the CP was a signature of the good voices here. I hope, if nothing else, that we can resurrect this for next year. I would be in favor of running a true list (I'm not much of a poster, and don't have the time) of starting a new list, or scrapping this one. The current 67-68 doesn't represent this community, and even as an infrequent contributor, I'm embarassed by it.
Again, I'm not a big voice here; but, I'm embarassed by the complete meltdown. You guys (I've read your posts for years) and us new guys should be capable of something better, something worthwhile, to contribute positively to this site.
So, that's my 2 cents, I am not a ballot stuffer, I am not an original member, I am just disappinted. Edit: Whence changed to Whither, thanks jpahk

Nationals' New Stadium

killa — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:57:53 -0000

I don't write diaries much, so apologize if we all know this, or aren't interested. I've read numerous prospect/major league reviews referring to RFK lately, and it seems some of us don't know about the new stadium, and that the pitcher's heaven and abysmal fan experience known as RFK (I'm fairly local) won't be used any more. In any case, here is the link to the new stadium:

http://www.jdland.com/dc/stadium.cfm Additionally, here is the virtual tour link for the stadium: http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ballpark/virtual_tour.jsp

BA Cubs Top 10

killa — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:10:51 -0000

Josh Vitters, 3b
Geovany Soto, c/1b
Tyler Colvin, of
Jose Ceda, rhp
Sean Gallagher, rhp
Donald Veal, lhp
Josh Donaldson, c
Jeff Samardzija, rhp
Tony Thomas, 2b
Kevin Hart, rhp

Best Hitter for Average Tony Thomas
Best Power Hitter Josh Vitters
Best Strike-Zone Discipline Sam Fuld
Fastest Baserunner Leon Johnson
Best Athlete Tyler Colvin
Best Fastball Jose Ceda
Best Curveball Casey Lambert
Best Slider Alessandro Maestri
Best Changeup James Russell
Best Control Mark Holliman
Best Defensive Catcher Welington Castillo
Best Defensive Infielder Josh Lansford
Best Infield Arm Josh Lansford
Best Defensive Outfielder Sam Fuld
Best Outfield Arm Kyler Burke

2001 Lineup
Catcher Geovany Soto
First Base Derrek Lee
Second Base Tony Thomas
Third Base Aramis Ramirez
Shortstop Ronny Cedeno
Left Field Alfonso Soriano
Center Field Felix Pie
Right Field Tyler Colvin
No. 1 Starter Carlos Zambrano
No. 2 Starter Rich Hill
No. 3 Starter Sean Gallagher
No. 4 Starter Ted Lilly
No. 5 Starter Donald Veal
Closer Carlos Marmol

I'm surprised not to see Eric Patterson anywhere here.

Midseason Honorable Mentions

killa — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 02:51:34 -0000

Figured I'd give it a whirl to get the HMs started, feel free to chime in with who I missed...

Carlos Gonzalez
Ian Kennedy
Matt Antonelli
Chase Headley
Jeff Miemann
Desmond Jennings
Joakim Soria
Greg Reynolds
Chuck Lofgren
Ian Stewart
Rick Vanden Hurk
Kevin Slowey
Troy Patton
Michael Bowden
Chris Lubanski
Elvis Andrus
Brandon Morrow
Josh Fields
Will Inman
Elvis Andrus