More Stuff

Queens:

They will represent 18 percent of a list compiled for The Sporting News by a blue-ribbon panel of voters that included 13 Hall of Famers, 13 Cy Young Award winners and 12 league MVPs among a jury 150 strong. The rules stressed that the "greatest" designation only applied to current stars, not players still active but in the twilight of great careers. So, if I was starting the first argument, the question would be: How the hell does Mets outpatient Carlos Delgado weigh in at No. 47? The old warhorse can still launch a fastball but has averaged just 143 games over the past five seasons.

But I'll give you Delgado and throw down a bigger mace. How does the team that plays in BrokeBank Field (thanks go to an e-mailer) lead this august assembly of living and breathing stars with six current players? I guess Choke Factor didn't make it onto the ballot. But Mets Meltdown '08 was certainly not the fault of lefthander Johan Santana, No. 3 on the list. The Mets shriveled in the stretch like George Costanza in the Seinfeld classic "Shrinkage" episode. The other Mets are David Wright (13), Jose Reyes (22), Carlos Beltran (23), Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez (34) and Delgado.

Hopefully, the blue-ribbon panel missed the Dodgers' three-game sweep of manager Jerry Manuel's Hollywood revival of the Keystone Kops. The only thing missing from the end game of the second game of the series was calliope music and a ringmaster. Players were provided by Hertz Rent-a-Clown.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/conlin_list_of_top_50_players_arguable



International:

The United States can watch the amazing performance of Zack Greinke. Japan has their own version of Greinke, though Masahiro Tanaka doesn’t have as exciting a personal story. He did pitch in the high school Koshien tournament and threw 742 pitches in six appearances, throwing one out under 53 innings. His 458 strikeouts in high school surpassed the record that had been held by Daisuke Matsuzaka. He also hit 13 homeruns, including a homerun in four games in a row. In 2007 he was voted the Pacific League Rookie of the year. Shoulder problems limited his 2008 season to 24 games.

This year he has started six games, completed five of them and thrown three shutouts. His ERA stands at 0.87 with 47 strikeouts in 52 innings, but only 24 hits given up. He was taken off the roster for a couple weeks for a tired shoulder so that will have to be watched. He throws a fastball clocked at 91 to 93, a sharp slider with a nasty downward bite, forkball and curveball. The one thing he needs to improve on is holding runners.

http://myworldofbaseball.com/wordpress/?m=200905


Mets Alumni:

Ex-Mets pitchers drafted with the first pick of the draft:

1994: Paul Wilson, RHP, Florida State (Mets, 1st overall) 40-58 (.408), 4.86 ERA, 88 ERA+, 942 innings.

1996: Kris Benson, RHP, Clemson (Pirates, 1st overall): 69-74 (.483), 4.38 ERA, 101 ERA+, 1222 innings.

http://www.minorleagueball.com


Draft:

Jonathan Mayo’s Top 10 picks for the Draft:

1. Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State.
2. Seattle Mariners: Dustin Ackley, 1B/OF, North Carolina
3. San Diego Padres: Mike Minor, LHP, Vanderbilt
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: Alex White, RHP, North Carolina
5. Baltimore Orioles: Aaron Crow, RHP, Fort Worth Cats
6. San Francisco Giants: Michael Trout, OF, Millville Senior HS, N.J.
7. Atlanta Braves: Zack Wheeler, RHP, East Paulding HS, Dallas, Ga.
8. Cincinnati Reds: Kyle Gibson, RHP, Missouri
9. Detroit Tigers: Tyler Matzek, LHP, Capistrano Valley HS, Mission Viejo, Calif.
10. Washington Nationals: Chad Jenkins, RHP, Kenesaw State