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reds1 · 02-19-2020, 11:36 PM

KINGSTON, Dec. 6 – Like Sherburn Tigers’ GM Jack Clayton last year, this will be Hespeler Stars’ GM Marcello Bonaddio’s first Amateur Draft for his new club. But he is not a rookie, having spent 11 seasons as the Downie Chiefs’ general manager from 1937 to 1946. Although he was no longer with the Chiefs when they won the United Cup in 1949-50, his fingerprints were all over that team, with the drafting of such stars as CF Alfonso León, 2B Dominic Dudding, RHP Kelii Pelanekelina and RHP Carl Luscombe that have become mainstays in Downie. Bonaddio hopes to accomplish the same thing with Hespeler, starting with this year’s draft. It’s a day he eagerly looked forward to each year as Downie’s GM and it was hard for him to conceal his excitement at being back, this time with the Stars.

“It’s a day you always circle on the calendar as a general manager, for sure”, remarked a smiling Bonaddio, as he fielded questions from reporters on the floor of the Royal Exhibition Hall in Kingston, where this year’s Draft is being held. “It’s a culmination of months of hard work by your scouts and coaches, yet it’s the start of a new chapter for an organization. One we hope will be the beginning of bigger and better things for the Stars.”

‘Bigger and better things’ is something that the Hespeler Stars are still searching for after 15 seasons in the United Leagues. They have yet to qualify for the United Cup playoffs and have not enjoyed a winning season since their inaugural year. That may in part be due to trades involving their first-round draft picks that proved to be lop-sided. Players like OF Steven Winstanley, C Aaron Skidmore and RF Marcus Peyto, who Hespeler originally drafted in the first round, were shipped off to become stars with other clubs in return for players that had nowhere near the same impact. It has left the Stars a perpetual second-division team with seemingly no traction or game plan to escape their endless futility. Bonaddio is determined to steer the organization out of its playoff ‘desert’ and towards greener pastures.

“Trying to go for quick fixes – that’s a dangerous strategy and you only short-change yourself in the end”, explained Bonaddio. “It’s a simple matter of trusting your scouts and choices. Players are traded all the time, it’s true. But you can’t put a price on that cornerstone centerfielder or future ace you just drafted. They’re the bedrock you build upon. You ship them out and all your hard work that you built on top of them is all for naught. That’s my thinking anyway.”

But all is not bleak for the Stars. Hespeler already boasts the No. 1 farm system coming into the draft and some of that burgeoning talent is finally making its way onto the major league roster. And with the Hespeler Stars in possession of the No. 1 pick this year, it should only make their farm system even deeper and just perhaps, their future brighter.

--------

Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round:

1st Pick – Hespeler Stars:

SS Apia Yarrah (33/67) – 23-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH.

The Stars use their first overall pick to select the speedy Yarrah from American Samoa. Yarrah is a terrific defensive player with a great arm and an above average ability to put the ball in play. He should have no problem getting his share of hits and be an anchor on defense for years to come when he reaches the big leagues.

--------

2nd Pick – Cambria Cannons:

OF Kilipeka Makeko (20/64) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 160 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

An American Samoan is selected second overall as well, as the Cannons select Makeko from Pago Pago. Makeko has tremendous raw power potential which could develop into plus-plus power. He has elite speed but will need to work on his stealing ability a bit more. He has good hands that should make difficult plays look easy, although his position ratings are not the greatest.

--------

3rd Pick – Sherburn Tigers:

IF/OF Dwayne Vick (38/73) – 23-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

The first Braelander selected, the Wellington-born Vick is a phenomenal defensive player, both in the infield and outfield. Offensively, his greatest strength will be making contact. Scouts feel that he could be a .330 hitter one day.

--------

4th Pick – Stratford Barons:

IF/OF Ronald Hollinshed (33/80) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 200 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

From the small town of Stirling, Perth, the versatile Hollinshed should soon be comfortable at the plate, being able to hit to all fields with his unorthodox, but effective short swing. He’s projected to be a solid defender with impressive speed. Scouts are high on his future as a major leaguer.

--------

5th Pick – Brunswick Legends:

OF Quincy Woolescroft (32/64) – 23-years old; 6’-2”, 215 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.

The Legends select the speedy Woolescroft from Basildon, England. Like Hollinshed selected before him, Woolsescroft should develop into a strong contact hitter with good gap power and range.

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6th Pick – Balmoral Giants:

IF Hayden Gunton (24/54) – 23-years old; 6’-0”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

The Giants select Gunton from Norwood, Dunwich, an elite defender who should do a good job of working the count. But he is a bit of free swinger who will need to develop better command of the strike zone.

--------

7th Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings:

OF Malcolm Wise (20/68) – 18-years old; 6’-3”, 200 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.

The young Wise from Braeland City just might be the most formidable hitter selected in the first round this year. Wise boasts a quick bat with above average raw power and great strike zone recognition. He should handle any fastball that comes his way although off-speed stuff could challenge him. Wise is projected to be an elite big league right fielder.

--------

8th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs:

SP Johnny Hunter (32/61) – 19-years old; 6’-2”, 185 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.

The first pitcher selected this year, the Monarchs go with Hunter from Belpre, Ohio. His three-pitch repertoire should have plenty of movement, helping to keep the ball in the park. His best pitch at this point is his sinker. When fully developed, Hunter should be a sturdy option in the rotation.

--------

9th Pick – Queensland Eagles:

SP Wayne O’Reilly (20/58) – 20-years old; 6’-0”, 185 lbs.; Bats SH/Throws RH.

Queensland selects the second pitcher in the first round, this time the 20-year old O’Reilly from Brunswick. In many ways, O’Reilly is similar to pitcher Johnny Hunter selected immediately before him: a three-pitch repertoire that features a decent sinker and impressive movement potential. He projects one day to be a mid-rotation starter. The Eagles have promoted O’Reilly to their AAA farm club.

--------

10th Pick – Embro Suns:

RP & 1B Rob Gladstone (41/76 & 20/29) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 205 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

Embo selects a two-way player, Rob Gladstone, from Cambria. When fully developed, his repertoire should include an above average sinker and a solid slider. He can pound the zone and has good movement on his pitches. As a pitcher, he is best suited as a reliever and has the ability to become one the better stoppers in the game.

As an offensive player, Gladstone has shown promising pitch recognition but has limited bat-to-ball skills. He will get his start with Embro’s AAA farm team, the Birmingham Comets.

--------

11th Pick – Downie Chiefs:

IF/OF Oscar Kennedy (23/54) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

The Chiefs go with the versatile Kennedy from Pulberry. He is a very smooth defender with above average speed. He has improving pitch recognition and projects to have a .290 batting average. He should one day become an above average everyday big-league player.

--------

12th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:

IF/OF Uki Edewada (20/56) – 20-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH.

The third American Samoan is selected in the first round, this time, Uki Edewada by Fort Richmond. Edewaka’s calling card is his blinding speed with great range and respectable batting skills. He has improving pitch recognition with the ability to hit into the gaps. He should one day be a regular starter as well.

--------

13th Pick – Wellington Athletics:

OF Noel Johnston (24/55) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

Wellington takes as their first pick, Noel Johnston. The native Australian possesses tremendous power potential with good recognition of ball and strikes. He should also be a respectable fielder in left field. Johnston has the potential of being a formidable force at the plate.

--------

14th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:

3B Jorge Ramos (20/47) – 18-years old; 5’-9”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

The Trolleys select Ramos from the Dominican Republic. Ramos is blessed with plus power potential and has shown an advance approach to the plate. He should also draw his share of walks. He will need some further seasoning on his footwork, but he should become a competent fielder.

--------

15th Pick – Kingston Pelicans:

IF/OF & SP Jonathan Brookins (20/56 & 20/66) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

The second two-way player is selected by Kingston, Jonathan Brookins from Stratford. As a fielder, his best position should be in right field, with an excellent throwing arm and range. He has a quick bat and should handle most fastballs. However off-speed stuff may challenge him. When he matures, he should have an above average eye and draw his share of walks.

As a pitcher, he should induce a lot of ground balls with fantastic movement on his sinker and cutter, his two best pitches. Although he may one day develop into a starter, scouts currently project him as a top reliever or stopper.

--------

16th Pick – Wolseley Unions:

CL Danny Pye (29/71) – 18-years old; 6’-1”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

With the last pick of the first round, the Unions go with Danny Pye of Melbourne, Australia. Pye, too, should be able to keep the ball in the park with fantastic movement and good control. However, he has developed only one good pitch thus far. His sinker looks like it will be a quality pitch, but the same can’t be said of his changeup. His best chance at making the major leagues will be as a reliever, so it will be interesting to see how he fares relying on one quality pitch.

02-19-2020, 11:36 PM	#563
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	KINGSTON, Dec. 6 – Like Sherburn Tigers’ GM Jack Clayton last year, this will be Hespeler Stars’ GM Marcello Bonaddio’s first Amateur Draft for his new club. But he is not a rookie, having spent 11 seasons as the Downie Chiefs’ general manager from 1937 to 1946. Although he was no longer with the Chiefs when they won the United Cup in 1949-50, his fingerprints were all over that team, with the drafting of such stars as CF Alfonso León, 2B Dominic Dudding, RHP Kelii Pelanekelina and RHP Carl Luscombe that have become mainstays in Downie. Bonaddio hopes to accomplish the same thing with Hespeler, starting with this year’s draft. It’s a day he eagerly looked forward to each year as Downie’s GM and it was hard for him to conceal his excitement at being back, this time with the Stars. “It’s a day you always circle on the calendar as a general manager, for sure”, remarked a smiling Bonaddio, as he fielded questions from reporters on the floor of the Royal Exhibition Hall in Kingston, where this year’s Draft is being held. “It’s a culmination of months of hard work by your scouts and coaches, yet it’s the start of a new chapter for an organization. One we hope will be the beginning of bigger and better things for the Stars.” ‘Bigger and better things’ is something that the Hespeler Stars are still searching for after 15 seasons in the United Leagues. They have yet to qualify for the United Cup playoffs and have not enjoyed a winning season since their inaugural year. That may in part be due to trades involving their first-round draft picks that proved to be lop-sided. Players like OF Steven Winstanley, C Aaron Skidmore and RF Marcus Peyto, who Hespeler originally drafted in the first round, were shipped off to become stars with other clubs in return for players that had nowhere near the same impact. It has left the Stars a perpetual second-division team with seemingly no traction or game plan to escape their endless futility. Bonaddio is determined to steer the organization out of its playoff ‘desert’ and towards greener pastures. “Trying to go for quick fixes – that’s a dangerous strategy and you only short-change yourself in the end”, explained Bonaddio. “It’s a simple matter of trusting your scouts and choices. Players are traded all the time, it’s true. But you can’t put a price on that cornerstone centerfielder or future ace you just drafted. They’re the bedrock you build upon. You ship them out and all your hard work that you built on top of them is all for naught. That’s my thinking anyway.” But all is not bleak for the Stars. Hespeler already boasts the No. 1 farm system coming into the draft and some of that burgeoning talent is finally making its way onto the major league roster. And with the Hespeler Stars in possession of the No. 1 pick this year, it should only make their farm system even deeper and just perhaps, their future brighter. -------- Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round: 1st Pick – Hespeler Stars: SS Apia Yarrah (33/67) – 23-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH. The Stars use their first overall pick to select the speedy Yarrah from American Samoa. Yarrah is a terrific defensive player with a great arm and an above average ability to put the ball in play. He should have no problem getting his share of hits and be an anchor on defense for years to come when he reaches the big leagues. -------- 2nd Pick – Cambria Cannons: OF Kilipeka Makeko (20/64) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 160 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. An American Samoan is selected second overall as well, as the Cannons select Makeko from Pago Pago. Makeko has tremendous raw power potential which could develop into plus-plus power. He has elite speed but will need to work on his stealing ability a bit more. He has good hands that should make difficult plays look easy, although his position ratings are not the greatest. -------- 3rd Pick – Sherburn Tigers: IF/OF Dwayne Vick (38/73) – 23-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. The first Braelander selected, the Wellington-born Vick is a phenomenal defensive player, both in the infield and outfield. Offensively, his greatest strength will be making contact. Scouts feel that he could be a .330 hitter one day. -------- 4th Pick – Stratford Barons: IF/OF Ronald Hollinshed (33/80) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 200 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. From the small town of Stirling, Perth, the versatile Hollinshed should soon be comfortable at the plate, being able to hit to all fields with his unorthodox, but effective short swing. He’s projected to be a solid defender with impressive speed. Scouts are high on his future as a major leaguer. -------- 5th Pick – Brunswick Legends: OF Quincy Woolescroft (32/64) – 23-years old; 6’-2”, 215 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. The Legends select the speedy Woolescroft from Basildon, England. Like Hollinshed selected before him, Woolsescroft should develop into a strong contact hitter with good gap power and range. -------- 6th Pick – Balmoral Giants: IF Hayden Gunton (24/54) – 23-years old; 6’-0”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. The Giants select Gunton from Norwood, Dunwich, an elite defender who should do a good job of working the count. But he is a bit of free swinger who will need to develop better command of the strike zone. -------- 7th Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings: OF Malcolm Wise (20/68) – 18-years old; 6’-3”, 200 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. The young Wise from Braeland City just might be the most formidable hitter selected in the first round this year. Wise boasts a quick bat with above average raw power and great strike zone recognition. He should handle any fastball that comes his way although off-speed stuff could challenge him. Wise is projected to be an elite big league right fielder. -------- 8th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: SP Johnny Hunter (32/61) – 19-years old; 6’-2”, 185 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. The first pitcher selected this year, the Monarchs go with Hunter from Belpre, Ohio. His three-pitch repertoire should have plenty of movement, helping to keep the ball in the park. His best pitch at this point is his sinker. When fully developed, Hunter should be a sturdy option in the rotation. -------- 9th Pick – Queensland Eagles: SP Wayne O’Reilly (20/58) – 20-years old; 6’-0”, 185 lbs.; Bats SH/Throws RH. Queensland selects the second pitcher in the first round, this time the 20-year old O’Reilly from Brunswick. In many ways, O’Reilly is similar to pitcher Johnny Hunter selected immediately before him: a three-pitch repertoire that features a decent sinker and impressive movement potential. He projects one day to be a mid-rotation starter. The Eagles have promoted O’Reilly to their AAA farm club. -------- 10th Pick – Embro Suns: RP & 1B Rob Gladstone (41/76 & 20/29) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 205 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Embo selects a two-way player, Rob Gladstone, from Cambria. When fully developed, his repertoire should include an above average sinker and a solid slider. He can pound the zone and has good movement on his pitches. As a pitcher, he is best suited as a reliever and has the ability to become one the better stoppers in the game. As an offensive player, Gladstone has shown promising pitch recognition but has limited bat-to-ball skills. He will get his start with Embro’s AAA farm team, the Birmingham Comets. -------- 11th Pick – Downie Chiefs: IF/OF Oscar Kennedy (23/54) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. The Chiefs go with the versatile Kennedy from Pulberry. He is a very smooth defender with above average speed. He has improving pitch recognition and projects to have a .290 batting average. He should one day become an above average everyday big-league player. -------- 12th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals: IF/OF Uki Edewada (20/56) – 20-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH. The third American Samoan is selected in the first round, this time, Uki Edewada by Fort Richmond. Edewaka’s calling card is his blinding speed with great range and respectable batting skills. He has improving pitch recognition with the ability to hit into the gaps. He should one day be a regular starter as well. -------- 13th Pick – Wellington Athletics: OF Noel Johnston (24/55) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Wellington takes as their first pick, Noel Johnston. The native Australian possesses tremendous power potential with good recognition of ball and strikes. He should also be a respectable fielder in left field. Johnston has the potential of being a formidable force at the plate. -------- 14th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys: 3B Jorge Ramos (20/47) – 18-years old; 5’-9”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. The Trolleys select Ramos from the Dominican Republic. Ramos is blessed with plus power potential and has shown an advance approach to the plate. He should also draw his share of walks. He will need some further seasoning on his footwork, but he should become a competent fielder. -------- 15th Pick – Kingston Pelicans: IF/OF & SP Jonathan Brookins (20/56 & 20/66) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. The second two-way player is selected by Kingston, Jonathan Brookins from Stratford. As a fielder, his best position should be in right field, with an excellent throwing arm and range. He has a quick bat and should handle most fastballs. However off-speed stuff may challenge him. When he matures, he should have an above average eye and draw his share of walks. As a pitcher, he should induce a lot of ground balls with fantastic movement on his sinker and cutter, his two best pitches. Although he may one day develop into a starter, scouts currently project him as a top reliever or stopper. -------- 16th Pick – Wolseley Unions: CL Danny Pye (29/71) – 18-years old; 6’-1”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. With the last pick of the first round, the Unions go with Danny Pye of Melbourne, Australia. Pye, too, should be able to keep the ball in the park with fantastic movement and good control. However, he has developed only one good pitch thus far. His sinker looks like it will be a quality pitch, but the same can’t be said of his changeup. His best chance at making the major leagues will be as a reliever, so it will be interesting to see how he fares relying on one quality pitch. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 02-20-2020 at 11:00 AM.