2003 Draft Breakdown: 10-1

[Chisoxfn]

2003 Draft Breakdown: 10-1

By Randy Brace, Chris Conger, Mike Doyle, and Jason Gage

July 28, 2003

FutureSox.com

 

10. Fraser Dizard, 21 – LHP – USC (Senior – California)

Throughout his collegiate career, Fraser Dizard has always been able to overcome injuries, but one emotional injury almost derailed his entire life. In 2002, Gary Dizard, Fraser’s father, was diagnosed with a brain tumor that was rapidly spreading and threatened his life. Dizard asked his father what he should do and his father told him to play. Dizard had a sub-par year in 2003, but who can blame him. The Sox drafted Dizard in the 10th round, and could have come away with a huge steal. Dizard possesses two plus pitches, an 89-90 MPH fastball and a nasty curveball. Dizard has signed and is pitching for Great Falls ®.

 

9. David Cook, 22 – CF – Miami (Ohio)

David Cook was born on July 21, 1981. He stands 5’11 190 pounds. Rated as the 44th best draft-eligible corner outfielder by Baseball America, Cook played all the outfield positions at Miami. Started every game as a junior, finishing with an impressive .559 OBP in a team-leading 247 at-bats. As a senior, Cook hit .345 with a .428 on base percentage and .599 slugging percentage. He totaled 15 homers, 17 doubles, one triple and 60 RBIs. His K:BB ratio was 40:33 and he was 21 of 24 in stolen bases. He has average tools across the board. After four years in college, he has already signed and will start at Great Falls of the Pioneer League. The MAC is not one of the top three conferences in college baseball, but the competition level would be a little better than that of the Pioneer League. David Cook has always been discounted due to a lack of size/speed, but he has a terrific work ethic and a will to succeed. His future is definitely as a corner outfielder, most likely left as his arm is not right-field quality. He will have quite a few prospects ahead of him and a long road to hoe if he is to make it to the majors. If he does make the majors, his future is likely as a fourth outfielder. His lack of outstanding speed or power will make it difficult for a team to find a place for him.

 

8. John Russ, 20 – RHP – Franks Phillips College

John Russ isn’t known as a knuckleballer, but its one of the pitches in his arsenal. The big thing that distinguishes from being a knuckleball pitcher is his fastball, which has been clocked as high as 96 MPH. In the past his fastball was a mid-to-high-80s pitch, but this spring his velocity jumped into the low-to-mid-90s. His fastball has good sinking action while the knuckler has a lot of bite. Russ also features a good curveball and a developing changeup. For a young pitcher he has good control and was a strikeout pitcher in college. Despite the great stuff, Russ had a rather high 4.50 ERA, but he also had a whopping 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. While Russ has great stuff, he is a project. Russ committed to Texas A&M but has signed with the White Sox, who sent him Great Falls ®.

 

7. James Casey, 18 – RHP – Azle High School (Texas)

In the lucky seventh round, the White Sox selected James Casey from Azle High School in Texas. Casey was a senior right handed starter who gave up football to continue with his baseball career. Due to football conditioning Casey brings nice size to the bump at 6'3, 200 pounds. MLB scouts rated Casey a 57 on the 20-80 scouting scale which put him among the state's top prep right-handers. His fastball stays around 88-89 mph and his breaking pitches aren't bad either. He projects to be a starter but could end up as a closer also. Casey has signed and is playing for Bristol ®.

 

6. Chris Kelly, 21 – R/R – 1st/LF – Pepperdine (Senior - California)

After an atrocious season where he only hit .254, Christopher Kelly rebounded nicely for the Waves this year by leading the team in batting with a .337 average. Kelly also led Pepperdine in doubles, home run's, slugging percentage and total bases. The only downside to Kelly’s game seems to be his plate discipline, as he had a 43-13 K:BB ratio. Compared to other outfielders drafted by the Sox, this pick looks like a bit of a reach. Kelly has signed and has been sent to Great Falls ®

 

5. Matt Nachreiner, 18 – RHP – Round Rock High School (Texas)

Nachreiner was born on November 17th, 1984 and is 6’2 and 175 pounds. He is the high school teammate of ninth overall (Rangers) pick John Danks. He posted a better W-L record (12-0) and ERA (0.91) than Danks, but posted a lower K:BB rate (96:40) in 77 innings than Danks’ (135:22) in 72 innings. Nachreiner only gave up 26 hits in those 77 innings. He was committed to the University of Arizona, but has already signed. Rated the 49th overall draft-eligible right-handed pitcher by Baseball America, Nachreiner has a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a sinker and slider, which he throws in the 88-92 mph range. He was clocked at 92 at the Perfect Game showcase. His high talent level, probably top second to third round, was overshadowed by a big medical uncertainty. As a freshman in high school, it was discovered that the cartilage in his knees had degenerated to the point that doctors told him he only had a short time until he would be forced to give up baseball. He had surgery with the hopes of continuing his baseball career and lasted through high school. Nachreiner has a somewhat slight build and his reported 175 pounds looks to be accurate, pretty similar in stature to Roy Oswalt. Orthopedics has come a long way in the past 15-25 years, and hopefully the Sox can keep his knees healthy. Even still, he is a high school pitcher with pre-existing injury issues, a slight build and has been throwing a slider for several years. The track record for these types of pitchers is not very good. He has the talent to make it in the big leagues. Health, time and the development of a serviceable change-up or curve will be the deciding factors.

 

Quote from the Tucson Citizen:

Sox Scouting Director, Doug Laumann: "(Nachreiner) is a kid on the fast track. This is a kid who has an explosive arm. He has as good a life and sink on his fastball as you will see."

 

4. Robert Valido, 18 – R/R – SS – Coral Park High School (Florida)

Robert Valido was one of the many Sox draft picks that could of went much higher. Entering the season Valido was thought by some as the best high school shortstop in the country. Some scouts questioned his bat, leading him to slide a bit. Despite the slide he was still rated as the sixth best shortstop in the country and the 16th best prospect in the state of Florida by Baseball America. Valido is the typical five-tool player. He has a very strong arm, soft hands and is thought of as having “gold-glove” potential. Offensively he also has a lot of potential, but he also has some things to work on. Despite questions about his offense Valido was a career .370 hitter with 48 RBIs. His teammate, and fellow infielder, Guillermo Martinez was drafted by the Sox in the 17th round. As Valido matures he should develop good power and has the potential to fill the Sox vacancy at short. Valido has signed and is playing for Bristol ®.

 

3. Clint King, 20 – L/R - OF – Southern Miss (Senior)

The Southern Mississippi star led his team in hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases and slugging percentage. King also tied for the team lead in homers with fellow "Bash Brother" Jeff Cook, who was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the fifth round. Among the many awards King recieved were: first-team All-American by USA Today/Baseball Weekley, third-team selection by Collegiate Baseball and a Verizon Third-Team Academic All-American, King, first-team All-Conference USA, and the Conference USA Tournament Most Valuable Player. Clint King projects as a five-tool player with suprising pop for a player his size(6'0 190 pounds). King signed and was sent to Great Falls ®.

 

2. Ryan Sweeney, 18 – L/L – OF – Xavier High School (Iowa)

A surefire bet to be a first-round selection, Ryan Sweeney somehow evaded numerous teams and fell right into the hands of the Sox with the 52nd pick. Baseball America rated Sweeney as the 24th best prospect in the draft, three ahead of Sox first-round selection Brian Anderson. Sweeney has four outstanding tools, but his speed was labeled as only “plus”. Many teams considered drafting Sweeney as a pitcher, but his huge power potential convinced the Sox to draft him as an outfielder. Sweeney recently signed with the White Sox and was sent to Bristol ®.

 

1. Brian Anderson, 21 – R/R – OF – University of Arizona (Senior)

Brian Anderson is 6’3 and 200 pounds. Born on March 11, 1982, he throws and bats right-handed. As of mid-February, Brian Anderson was considered a borderline top-50 college draft-eligible prospect. After a disappointing first three years at Arizona, he had failed to realize the immense potential his natural talent suggested. However, his impressive senior year vaulted him from a second rounder to a mid-first round pick.

 

Recruited as a pitcher as well as a centerfielder, he had a terrific freshman year, batting .370 in 181 AB (48 games), collecting nine doubles, six triples, four homers and 38 RBIs, with 18 walks and 25 strikeouts. In addition to this impressive freshman season at the plate, he was also quite successful on the mound, posting a 2.27 ERA with three saves and 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings. He was named Collegiate Baseball First-Team Freshman All-American.

 

Anderson's sophomore season brought the dreaded sophomore slump. He spent 15 games on the disabled list with a sprained left knee. Pitchers took advantage of a long swing and he struggled to adjust, hitting only .275 in 160 AB (40 games) with five doubles, four homers, 30 RBIs, and a 31:25 SO:BB ratio. His speed and quickness were never quite there after the knee injury and it showed in his lack of triples and only six stolen bases, both number down noticeably from his freshman numbers. On the mound, his numbers were also down, finishing with a 7.40 ERA in 11 1/3 innings and collecting four saves.

 

Anderson finally showed he could put a complete season together, building on his impressive freshman year and learning from his disappointing sophomore season, he spent the offseason working with Arizona Head Coach Andy Lopez to rebuild his swing from scratch. He shortened his stroke and changed his approach at the dish resulting in much better power. He hit .366 in 232 AB (57 games) and posted terrific power numbers with 12 doubles, eight triples, 14 homers and 62 RBIs, with a 42:24 SO:BB ratio. He also took advantage of his above-average speed (especially for his size) with 17 stolen bases out of 21 attempts. Brian did not pitch his junior year.

 

Anderson has been signed and is currently in Great Falls of the Pioneer Rookie League. A promotion to Kannapolis at some point this season would not be unexpected. He has been called a five-tool player by many scouts. He projects as a good hitter with good plate discipline and 30-homer potential in center field. Anderson has quite a bit of excess motion yet in his swing. He sways back and forth as he anticipates the pitch. Professional pitchers will quickly take advantage of this by throwing his balance and timing off, although it should be easily correctible. His speed is not exceptional, but he is fluid in the field and has excellent instincts and an arm that would rate 70+ on the 80 point scouting scale, demonstrated when he was clocked at 94 as a pitcher his sophomore season. He will probably steal 30-40 bases a season on average in the minor leagues, with that translating to around 20 a season in the majors. Speed is probably his most average tool in terms of centerfielders. Many expect him to stay in center and proceed to AA by the end of next year. As a major-leaguer, he has borderline All-Star potential, but should have a long and productive career. Overall, this was a safe pick by the White Sox.

 

Quotes from the Tucson Citizen:

Sox Scouting Director, Doug Laumann: "Being from the University of Arizona, we had an opportunity to watch Brian play an awful lot. We targeted Brian for a while. You are thrilled when you get the guy you really want. We think he is going to be a big asset to our organization."

 

Brian Anderson on not being drafted out of Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson: "Out of high school, I would have been overmatched at the plate. I think I am much better prepared after three years at Arizona."

[dasox24]

I'm really glad we drafted Fraser Dizard and John Russ. I don't know what it is, but something about both of them makes me feel like they're both gonna be good pitchers.

And, thanks to everyone who worked on making these draft reports possible. Y'all did a great job!!

[MnSoxFan]

Cook and Kelly were real stretches, not sure why we did that. Oh well.

[southsider2k5]

So all of our top 10 in the kids we drafted this year? Is our minor league system in that much trouble where all of our upper levels are that barren???

[delben91]

So all of our top 10 in the kids we drafted this year?  Is our minor league system in that much trouble where all of our upper levels are that barren???

This was a "draft recap" I believe, not a minor league system analysis.

[southsider2k5]

This was a "draft recap" I believe, not a minor league system analysis.

D'oh, nevermind

[Chisoxfn]

I like Russ and Dizzard a lot. Russ is still pretty raw but he has an amazing arm.

 

For some reason I think Dizzard is gonna turn into a stud lefty, just a hunch.

[LDF]

I like Russ and Dizzard a lot.  Russ is still pretty raw but he has an amazing arm. 

 

For some reason I think Dizzard is gonna turn into a stud lefty, just a hunch.

i have a feeling that dizzard is going to surprise alot of club and people out there next yr.

[LDF]

here is the scouting rpt on juss from ba

 

 

John Russ, rhp

 

School: Frank Phillips (Texas) JC. Class: So.

Hometown: Westlake, La.

B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 175. Birthdate:

Previously Drafted: Never drafted.

College Commitment: Texas A&M U.

 

Scouting Report: Russ emerged as the top Texas juco prospect not already under control to a big league club. His fastball started to catch up to his projectable 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame. After throwing 87-90 mph in the past, he improved to the low 90s with a high of 96 this spring. He throws strikes, shows a good curveball on occasion and averaged 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. However, he wasn't been able to dominate juco hitters, posting a 4.50 ERA and allowing more hits than innings. Still a project, he could go as high as the third round and can fall back on a Texas A&M scholarship if he doesn't sign.

[Spiff]

i have declared myself the official futuresox proofreader B)

[LDF]

i have declared myself the official futuresox proofreader B)

and????

[Spiff]

and changes have already taken place.

[LDF]

and changes have already taken place.

you have a lot of time on your hands uh

[Spiff]

you have a lot of time on your hands uh

it only takes like 10 minutes to proofread an article.

[LDF]

it only takes like 10 minutes to proofread an article.

ohhh i thought you were going to do the msg board, i figure you wouldn't have enuf time doing my post.

 

 

[Spiff]

ohhh i thought you were going to do the msg board, i figure you wouldn't have enuf time doing my post.

 

 

haha no, the website. i actually do stuff for it already, like roster and stat pages.

 

good god i can't even imagine proofreading a message board.

[southsider2k5]

ohhh i thought you were going to do the msg board, i figure you wouldn't have enuf time doing my post.

 

 

haha no, the website. i actually do stuff for it already, like roster and stat pages.

 

good god i can't even imagine proofreading a message board.

What is the proper spelling and context of shizzle my nizzle anyway?

[Spiff]

ohhh i thought you were going to do the msg board, i figure you wouldn't have enuf time doing my post.

 

 

haha no, the website. i actually do stuff for it already, like roster and stat pages.

 

good god i can't even imagine proofreading a message board.

What is the proper spelling and context of shizzle my nizzle anyway?

As far as I know, it can be either "shizzle my nizzle", "shizzle mah nizzle", or "fo' shizzle mah nizzle".

 

Another way of saying "Fer sure, dude!"

 

[Chisoxfn]

ohhh i thought you were going to do the msg board, i figure you wouldn't have enuf time doing my post.

 

 

haha no, the website. i actually do stuff for it already, like roster and stat pages.

 

good god i can't even imagine proofreading a message board.

What is the proper spelling and context of shizzle my nizzle anyway?

As far as I know, it can be either "shizzle my nizzle", "shizzle mah nizzle", or "fo' shizzle mah nizzle".

 

Another way of saying "Fer sure, dude!"

 

Either way, I want to hear Hawk say it.

 

Sounds great Spiff...you've been doing awesome with futuresox

[southsider2k5]

ohhh i thought you were going to do the msg board, i figure you wouldn't have enuf time doing my post.

 

 

haha no, the website. i actually do stuff for it already, like roster and stat pages.

 

good god i can't even imagine proofreading a message board.

What is the proper spelling and context of shizzle my nizzle anyway?

As far as I know, it can be either "shizzle my nizzle", "shizzle mah nizzle", or "fo' shizzle mah nizzle".

 

Another way of saying "Fer sure, dude!"

 

Nicely played

 

just be on guard because I may challenge you again

[Cerbaho-WG]

'Tis Dizard, not Dizzard.

[LDF]

'Tis Dizard, not Dizzard.

not like eddie