Official Draft Thread

[Flash Tizzle]

I disagree with this drafting of Ken Williams Jr., it's just not a good idea for a lot of reasons. A whole heap of extra pressure just landed on this young man and taking the GM's son reeks of nepotism. To pick him on the 2nd day is not a big deal but there is every reason to believe taking him in the 6th round is a major overdraft.

 

Now, I hope Kenny Williams Jr. goes out and proves me completely wrong.

 

The other picks ... I could care less if they have a scouting video on mlb.com or if they've been hyped and rated highly by Baseball America. None of that matters. Supposedly they have a bunch of new scouts so you let those scouts do their job and you trust them. If in the rearview mirror it doesn't work out, you go and find new scouts or new front office people or whatever. How many so called draft experts on this board said the White Sox would snag Jordan Danks just as soon as they could? Well that didn't happen and maybe just maybe these scouts know something about these players that me (definitely) and most everyone else on this site (highly likely) do not.

My issue with drafting Williams Jr. in the 6th round is whether the previous selections (aside from Beckham) were justified. That is, were scouts with extensive knowledge of players responsible for the first several picks, and maybe, Williams just pushed his opinion past the others in the 6th round? Or maybe Williams has a lot more say than we may believe. Either way, it doesn't seem like the best decision to make for your ballclub.

 

I may not know much about players past the first round, but I'm fairly sure Williams Jr is not the 180th best draft available player.

[29andPoplar]

My issue with drafting Williams Jr. in the 6th round is whether the previous selections (aside from Beckham) were justified. That is, were scouts with extensive knowledge of players responsible for the first several picks, and maybe, Williams just pushed his opinion past the others in the 6th round? Or maybe Williams has a lot more say than we may believe. Either way, it doesn't seem like the best decision to make for your ballclub.

 

I may not know much about players past the first round, but I'm fairly sure Williams Jr is not the 180th best draft available player.

The questions/speculation you pose don't have answers. Maybe the whole decision making process will come out in the press, I would expect it would. Even then, who knows if we're hearing the truth.

 

As mentioned in another post I made, I completely agree it's not a good idea to draft the GM's son except in highly unusual circumstances. On the surface, and by anyone's reasonable judgement, this looks like an overdraft. We'll see how it pans out. That's all we can do.

[Heads22]

Laumann on CSN now.

[Buehrle>Wood]

My issue with drafting Williams Jr. in the 6th round is whether the previous selections (aside from Beckham) were justified. That is, were scouts with extensive knowledge of players responsible for the first several picks, and maybe, Williams just pushed his opinion past the others in the 6th round? Or maybe Williams has a lot more say than we may believe. Either way, it doesn't seem like the best decision to make for your ballclub.

 

I may not know much about players past the first round, but I'm fairly sure Williams Jr is not the 180th best draft available player.

 

All that's great and all but get in chat already.

[Heads22]

Laumann said it was Beckham or Alonso for us.

[fathom]

Laumann said it was Beckham or Alonso for us.

 

I thought he said Beckham or Alonso for the Reds.

[daa84]

Laumann said it was Beckham or Alonso for us.

no he said it was beckham or alonso for cincy...and they thought cincy would take beckham since they have votto at 1b, but they went with alonso anyways, so they were surprised

[Heads22]

My mistake.

[daa84]

sounds like they really liked oneills sink....what was it...only 3 ground outs and 40 something air outs? thats pretty crazy

[Rex Hudler]

What about Buster Posey? Sounds like the newest teen pop star or something....

 

Sounds like a bad porn name to me

[Kalapse]

The FSU vs Wichita State Super Regional Playoff game is going to be on ESPN2 at 1pm CT tomorrow. Should be a good opportunity to see KW2 in action (as well as Buster Posey.)

[fathom]

Due to my knowledge (and everyone else) that the Sox desperately wanted G. Beckham, I did the unthinkable and rooted for UGa to beat GT last weekend because I wanted to see Beckham on tv this weekend.

[chimpy2121]

The FSU vs Wichita State Super Regional Playoff game is going to be on ESPN2 at 1pm CT tomorrow. Should be a good opportunity to see KW2 in action (as well as Buster Posey.)

 

I can not wait for that game. It's going to be so damn hot though. Interesting note that no one here cares about: Posey and WSU 3B Conor Gillaspe were both drafted by the Giants (Gillaspe was 37th overall).

 

 

And for those hating on the Buster name. Would you rather it be Gerald Posey?

[DaTank]

Just got home - did Jordan Danks get drafted yet?

[Heads22]

no

[fathom]

I was told tonight that Boras let teams know that if they weren't willing to give Danks first round money, then they might as well not draft him.

[whitesoxfan101]

I was told tonight that Boras let teams know that if they weren't willing to give Danks first round money, then they might as well not draft him.

 

 

Good luck with that.

[False Alarm]

The questions/speculation you pose don't have answers. Maybe the whole decision making process will come out in the press, I would expect it would. Even then, who knows if we're hearing the truth.

like you said. (trib blog.)

The most curious of the White Sox's first five selections in the amateur draft was Wichita State outfielder Kenny Williams Jr., son of the Sox's general manager.

 

But scouting director Doug Laumann emphasized their sixth-round selection wasn't done as a favor.

 

Williams was batting in the high .300 range before a late slump and an illness dropped his batting average to .325 with 16 stolen bases for the Shockers.

 

“Kenny was not in the room when we picked," Laumann said. "He basically struggled with it, just like any of us would. Do you want to put the extra pressure on his son and stick him in the organization? He said, 'All I want you guys to do is stick him on the (draft) board where you think he belongs.'

 

“We gave him an update where he was fourth or fifth and we were a round and a half away and if it happens (Thursday), it happens. If it doesn’t happen, he’s near the top Friday. The board fell apart and he was our pick in the sixth round.”

 

Laumann stressed the Sox need athletes of Williams' caliber.

 

"He's a very good athlete, a switch-hitter, has a lot of strength and power and he might be a guy who comes on later because of the lack of baseball he has played the last couple of years,” Laumann said of Williams, who hardly played his first two years at the University of Arizona and was declared ineligible last season at Wichita State.

 

"He’s a plus runner who has a solid arm, bat speed and is somewhat of a project. He’s a high-risk, high-reward type of guy and there was a board full of fourth and fifth outfielders. You can always go the safe route, or you can roll the dice on somebody who might be an impact guy and we felt he had a chance to be an impact guy.”

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune....-day-draft.html

[BearSox]

My grades so far based on first impressions for the first day of the draft:

 

1-008) MI Gordon Beckham, Georgia

While he might not possess the pure hitting tools that Smoak does, he does possess athleticism and a good bat none-the-less. I don't think he will be anywhere near the type of hitter he was in college in the MLB, but I could see him as a 15-20 homer guy, with a .280+ average, .350+ OBP, and plus defense at 2B (or average to below average D at Short). I think Smoak should have been the pick here due to his pure power from both sides of the plate, but you can't argue too much about this pick as hard nosed players like Beckham with his ability don't grow on trees either. GRADE: A-

 

3-086) 3B Brent Morel, Cal Poly

He might be some-what un-known, but from watching his video, he seems like a decent prospect. While you can't tell much from the scouting video they give you, it looks like he will have the ability to stick it at third, plus he looks to possess the athleticism to play SS, 2B, and the OF as well, IMO. His bat looks pretty good, but I wouldn't expect much power from him. He's not also going to give you a high OBP, but he's going to put the ball in play a lot as he does not K a lot. Bit of an overdraft in the 3rd round, but he seems to be a pretty decent ball-player. GRADE: C+

 

4-120) RHRP Andrew O'Neil, Penn St.

I can't really say a lot about this pick as there is no scouting video for him, but based on what I've read, he seems like a pretty promising relief pitcher in the mold of Joe Smith. If the article is correct, he has a low 90's fastball from a sidearm arm angle that he can sometimes get up to about 94-95. Also, the article said his fastball has some real nice natural sinking motion, and that could be evident by his GO-AO ratio. If he is as good as hyped, I could see him progressing quickly through the system. GRADE: B-

 

5-150) RHP Dan Hudson, Old Dominion

This pick I really like. The video didn't show much of his breaking stuff, but it did show he has a very good fastball. It sits in the lows 90's which is plenty fast with the amount of movement his fastball has. I think this is a very good pick, and Hudson can be someone who surprises. However, I wish they showed more of his breaking stuff. GRADE: B

 

6-180) OF Kenny Williams Jr., Wichita St.

What a f***ing horrible pick. What a horrible pick when the organization is in need for such need. This was a selfish pick by Kenny Williams and the whole world knows we picked him because of who his dad is. It's one thing drafting family later on, but in the 6th round when there are still plenty of top talents out there? Give me a break. This pick brought down the grade of the whole first day for us dramatically, IMO. GRADE: F

 

FIRST DAY GRADE: D+

Edited June 6, 2008 by BearSox

[BearSox]

like you said. (trib blog.)

 

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune....-day-draft.html

lol if anyone actually believes that garbage.

[BearSox]

well, I got 7 picks correct in my final mock draft. Not too bad.

[SoxFan1]

well, I got 7 picks correct in my final mock draft. Not too bad.

You're the man.

[BearSox]

On a different site, someone I know who is real good with prospects and such compiled his own short list of who he feels it the "best of the rest."

 

Harold Martinez, INF, Florida HS

Nate Recknagel, 1B, Michigan

Isaac Galloway, OF, California HS

Quinton Miller, RHP, New Jersey HS

Gabe Jacobo, INF, Sacramento State (SS Maybe?)

Brett Warren, OF, Iowa HS

Anthony Ferrara, LHP, Florida HS

Xavier Scruggs, 1B, UNLV

Eric Thames, OF, Pepperdine

Sonny Gray, RHP, Tennessee HS (not signing)

Jason Ogata, INF, Oregon State

Jordan Danks, OF, Texas

Greg Fischer, INF, New York HS

 

Nate Recknagel seems like he could be a good option in round 7 as the power hitting 1B/DH we have lacking in our system. However, of everyone on that list, I'd prefer Eric Thames. He's fallen due to an injury, but he's a legit prospect. I'd love to see us draft him and pay him the money he wants.

 

And I wouldn't mind if we take a flier on Danks later on as well.

[Flash Tizzle]

On a different site, someone I know who is real good with prospects and such compiled his own short list of who he feels it the "best of the rest."

Wow, looking at Galloway reminds me of a point in early draft projections where he was in the Top 10. Damn has he fallen.

[whitesoxfan101]

The paper in Dekalb said NIU's junior shortstop, Bobby Stevens, is a projected 6th-15th round pick. He's a nice little player and I've seen him play probably a dozen times if not a few more, but if that is accurate, then I am not the guy a scouting department is looking for because I'd have never guessed he'd be close to that high a pick. We've got a pitcher the Royals took last year that should be picked tomorrow as well.

 

In relevance to the thread though, I talked to a couple scouts earlier this year at an NIU game and they both LOVED our 4th round pick, O'Neil from Penn State, enough to mention him as one of the top relief arms they've seen this year. Supposedly in the Joe Smith mode as BearSox accurately said, and he could move through the system very quickly.

Edited June 6, 2008 by whitesoxfan101