White Sox draft day one thread

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Just glancing through Danish's twitter, he seemed pretty pumped about the draft, but he also has a TON of Florida Gators stuff there too, including his bio saying he plays baseball at Florida. Wonder if Hahn is going to overslot this one.

[Noonskadoodle]

Whats wrong with Ryan Boldt....seems like I saw him higher on some mocks?

[Cerbaho-WG]

Just glancing through Danish's twitter, he seemed pretty pumped about the draft, but he also has a TON of Florida Gators stuff there too, including his bio saying he plays baseball at Florida. Wonder if Hahn is going to overslot this one.

 

More often than not, money talks. I'd be shocked if he doesn't sign.

[fathom]

More often than not, money talks. I'd be shocked if he doesn't sign.

 

Yep, hard to picture him going too much higher after 3 years in college given his mechanics.

[Jake]

More often than not, money talks. I'd be shocked if he doesn't sign.

 

Right. We drafted him a round early just for this reason.

[Chicago White Sox]

My sentiments exactly. Perhaps the Sox are now truly picking who they think is the BPA as opposed to what's relatively safe and will move through the system fast. Certainly seems that way with Hawkins, Anderson, and now Danish. Walker and Mitchell to an extent as well. One also wonders if this is alluding to the dismantling of the major league roster, as these certainly aren't reinforcements that are going to contribute soon.

Last year was definitely a big change in direction. They took 7 high school players in their first 18 picks. Obviously Hawkins & Barnum were their first two picks, but they also took Basto in the 5th, Barraza in the 7th, and went overslot with Ayala in the 17th. It's going to be fun seeing guys at Bristol who are finally age appropriate for their league and actually have some talent. They may not be able to contribute in the pros for a good five years, but I'll take their potential any day of the week over some college seniors with little chance of being more than organizational filler.

[Noonskadoodle]

Right. We drafted him a round early just for this reason.

 

Was just thinking the same thing.

 

............

 

Not gonna lie with Coop around you have to feel VERY comfortable with a pick like this.

[DirtySox]

Was just thinking the same thing.

 

............

 

Not gonna lie with Coop around you have to feel VERY comfortable with a pick like this.

 

Yea. The organization is one that seems to have a pretty good handle on developing pitchers and not having arms explode. They wouldn't have picked Danish this early if they had significant concerns over his mechanics. Either that or they think they can fix any issues that have them worried. I guarantee there is going to be a wide range of opinions on him. I know Law hates the arm action, but he also disliked Sale for similar reasons.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Yea. The organization is one that seems to have a pretty good handle on developing pitchers and not having arms explode. They wouldn't have picked Danish this early if they had significant concerns over his mechanics. Either that or they think they can fix any issues that have them worried. I guarantee there is going to be a wide range of opinions on him. I know Law hates the arm action, but he also disliked Sale for similar reasons.

 

Sale and Danish's mechanics aren't even close to similar. Really, no one has mechanics like Danish.

[Jordan4life_2007]

This is one of the better threads in a while on PHT. I was totally ignorant to this class before today. Lots of good info and analysis up and down this thread.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Jordan4life

[Noonskadoodle]

Sale and Danish's mechanics aren't even close to similar. Really, no one has mechanics like Danish.

 

That could arguably be a good thing.

 

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

This is one of the better threads in a while on PHT. I was totally ignorant to this class before today. Lots of good info and analysis up and down this thread.

 

It's my favorite thread every year. I love seeing people comment on players before we draft them. Gives a much truer idea of what they REALLY think before we draft a RP with our 2nd pick, and everyone loves him.

[danman31]

This is one of the better threads in a while on PHT. I was totally ignorant to this class before today. Lots of good info and analysis up and down this thread.

Most of the less knowledgeable people simply stay away from the draft thread.

 

As for Danish, I can't help but think reliever. Potentially fast rising one, but I always cringe when I hear guys have a plus fastball/slider combo and need to develop the change to remain a starter.

[dasox24]

This is a story my buddy did on the local news down in Mississippi...

 

[thxfrthmmrs]

I just saw some of highlights of the Twins Pick Kohl Stewart. He's a high schooler at St. Pius X High School in Houston. For some reason their school uniform is exactly the same as the Sox's black and gray uni's. Yet their mascot is the Panthers. Anyone know if we sponsor any high school down there?

Edited June 7, 2013 by thxfrthmmrs

[caulfield12]

Most of the less knowledgeable people simply stay away from the draft thread.

 

As for Danish, I can't help but think reliever. Potentially fast rising one, but I always cringe when I hear guys have a plus fastball/slider combo and need to develop the change to remain a starter.

 

 

Replacement for Reed when we parlay him into Puig/Cespedes, lol.

[kitekrazy]

Most of the less knowledgeable people simply stay away from the draft thread.

 

As for Danish, I can't help but think reliever. Potentially fast rising one, but I always cringe when I hear guys have a plus fastball/slider combo and need to develop the change to remain a starter.

 

That's because they are working for Jerry.

 

[Eminor3rd]

Some video via Kiley McDaniel:

 

 

Also here:

 

 

Damn, he's got a good second gear...

[Jerksticks]

Damn, he's got a good second gear...

 

Swing's pretty too. Tight through the zone.

 

[2nd_city_saint787]

Really liking this Danish kid....Looks to be someone who could have a bit of a chip on his shoulder after reading this article about his father who was his coach before being sent to and dying in jail.

 

http://tbo.com/list/news-columns/draft-day...ish-b82499461z1

 

A 0.00 era in 94 innings is rather amazing no matter what level of baseball you're playing.

Edited June 7, 2013 by 2nd_city_saint787

[Jake]

Really liking this Danish kid....Looks to be someone who could have a bit of a chip on his shoulder after reading this article about his father who was his coach before being sent to and dying in jail.

 

http://tbo.com/list/news-columns/draft-day...ish-b82499461z1

 

A 0.00 era in 94 innings is rather amazing no matter what level of baseball you're playing.

 

This almost moved me to tears:

 

He was perfect. Today could be perfect. Only it won’t be.

 

“Nothing is, ever,” Tyler Danish said, through his tears.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Well, heres to hoping Danish can stay healthy long enough to become a RP for the Sox in 3-4 years.

[Chicago White Sox]

http://m.mlb.com/cws/news/article/2013060649835322/

 

CHICAGO -- Tim Anderson's name was read by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig on Thursday night around 7:45 p.m. CT, and to be honest, the 19-year-old's immediate reaction turned to shock.

 

It wasn't so much shock that the White Sox made the multi-talented shortstop their first selection at No. 17 overall. It was more shock that a player who had as many offers to play basketball as he did to play baseball coming out of high school two years ago, which would be one, now was a first-round selection.

 

"I never thought I would be here some day," Anderson said on a conference call.

 

"We had him lined up with pretty much college pitching and guys in the middle of the field we felt were impact type," said White Sox director of amateur scouting Doug Laumann of Anderson, who was their top-rated middle infielder and has Larry Reynolds as his family advisor. "It turned out where we got the one we felt was the biggest impact."

 

Anderson was named a First-Team NJCAA Division II All-American in 2013 as a sophomore for East Central Community College in Mississippi, the one school that made him a baseball offer. The right-handed-hitting shortstop stands as a finalist for the NJCAA Division II Player of the Year after hitting .495 with 62 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. He added 10 homers, 11 triples, 18 doubles, 45 RBIs, a .563 on-base percentage and an .864 slugging percentage.

 

As a freshman in 2012, Anderson was not thrown out in 30 steal attempts.

 

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn warmly welcomed Anderson during a post-selection phone call, telling him that a number of White Sox people watched him play and "each one came back more excited than the next."

 

In selecting Anderson, the White Sox took the best player available, as Laumann had talked about prior to the Draft. They also filled a major middle-infield need and added another athlete to the mix.

 

"There were probably more tense moments this year than we had in the past," Laumann said. "The guys went that we thought were going to go. It was a little bit different order than what we expected in a few cases, but I'm not going to shy away from saying he was our target. He was the guy we felt was the best guy. We are certainly happy to get him and get him started."

 

"I'm not a complete player yet, but one day I will be in the White Sox organization," said the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Anderson. "I'm not a power guy, but a gap-to-gap guy with potential to have a lot of power as I get stronger. I don't swing and miss a whole lot."

 

With those self-described set of qualities, Anderson loosely has been projected as a top-of-the-order guy and will be given every chance to prove himself as a shortstop. Anderson knows there are people who doubt he can play that position at a higher level, but he's ready to take on the doubters.

 

Laumann mentioned that Anderson has the bat to move positions, possibly to the outfield, and that some White Sox people who watched him thought he could even fit as a No. 3 hitter. Some of the pre-Draft comparisons mention Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, but when asked on Thursday night, Anderson went with the Blue Jays' Jose Reyes.

 

"We have the same tool package," said Anderson of Reyes. "I'm tough to beat if I'm giving it my all every play. This year, I had a great year. It was very exciting. Showing up at the games and there were a bunch of scouts there. I'm just happy to be a White Sox."

 

"One thing he can do is he can change a game," said Laumann of Anderson, who was scouted by executive vice president Ken Williams, assistant general manager Buddy Bell and all the White Sox supervisors. "His ability to get on base with his on-base percentage as well as his ability to take extra bases, that's one of the things that we thought was really exciting about him."

 

Day 2 of the Draft continues with Rounds 3-10, streamed live on MLB.com on Friday, beginning with a preview show at 11:30 p.m. CT And Rounds 11-40 will be streamed live on MLB.com on Saturday, starting at noon.

 

MLB.com's coverage includes Draft Central, the Top 100 Draft Prospects list and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of Draft-eligible players. You can also keep up to date by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.

 

Joining Anderson among White Sox Day 1 picks was Tyler Danish, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-handed pitcher out of Durant High School in Plant City, Florida, who was taken at No. 55 in the second round. Danish finished his senior year at 15-1 with no earned runs allowed in 94 innings pitched.

 

When outfielder Courtney Hawkins was taken by the White Sox at No. 13 in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, he did a back flip in full suit and dress shoes during his MLB Network interview. Anderson passed on the same reaction Thursday, partially because he was in a state of happy shock over the pick and partially because he couldn't execute the move.

 

At some point in the not too distant future, the White Sox hope to flip over the duo's performance in Chicago.

 

In the Pipeline

Alexei Ramirez currently is stationed at shortstop for the White Sox, in the second season of a four-year, $32.5-million deal, while Gordon Beckham capably holds down second base. Carlos Sanchez is one of the club's few middle-infield prospects at Triple-A Charlotte, but as Laumann pointed out, the one-time standout basketball player, who had an offer to play hoops at Itawamba Community College, could fit outside the current middle-infield projection.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Chicago White Sox

[Chicago White Sox]

Sounds like Anderson was the BPA when the Sox selected him and that they would have taken him over J.P. Crawford. Glad to see they weren't just targeting a SS with their pick and that they actually wanted Anderson all along.

[Cerbaho-WG]

It's my favorite thread every year. I love seeing people comment on players before we draft them. Gives a much truer idea of what they REALLY think before we draft a RP with our 2nd pick, and everyone loves him.

 

Spare us. You're not a talent evaluator and you have no idea if the Sox will change his mechanics. Posters here are just happy we took a high school pitcher.