[ayaghmour2]

I tried my best to pick up extra picks and even ended up costing myself one, so we picked 12th in each of the next five rounds. This was a tough draft with the switch to the no feeders, so I really wanted to experiment with picks. I have no idea if any of of these guys are going to be any good, but they are going to be really good players to watch. One current undrafted player, Ray Tracy, is a lock for my 11th Round Pick as he is the guy that went to my school. I would have waited later, but since every player gets drafted this year, I had to make sure I got Tracy. Anyways, here is the rest of the human picks in this years draft:

6th Round, 92nd Overall: SP Sam Hodge
School: St. Matthew's University

I think this kid is going to be good. Scouts really hate pitchers, so "hopes are at the back end of the rotation" is not as bad as it sounds. He actually thinks Hodge might be a big league pitcher! I do to, as Hodge worked hard this offseason and added 3 miles to his cutter and fastball. Standing at 6'4''. he also throws a curve, slider, and change. I think he's going to improve on his junior year against the toughest competition. He was 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 38 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 114 innings. This was all before the work in the offseason, which makes me think Hodge would do much better if he went back for his senior season. Instead, he's set to sign with us and will likely head to San Jose to begin his Cougar career.

7th Round, 108th Overall: SP Harry Parker
School: Bushwick (NY)
Commit School: Portland Tech

No, not my 1927 23rd Round Pick who also happened to be my Rule-5 pick this year that I returned. This is a different Harry Parker who is developed well beyond his years. At 19 my scout actually thinks he can start in the big leagues right now. I'm not going to let him test that theory out, but man I am excited. He's a big guy, standing 6'6'' with an impressive six pitch arsenal. He sits in the 90-92 mile per hour range with his fastball and cutter while also boasting a curveball, slider, changeup, and splitter. I like everything about this kid, and he struck out 111 hitters in 100.1 innings. My scout isn't the biggest fan, but I'm trusting my evaluations here. He has a ton of strikeout potential and appears much more developed then other high school pitchers I've seen. Once he signs I'm intrigued to see where my scout thinks he should play.

8th Round, 124th Overall: C Johnnie Williamson
School: Rainier College

I went back to my scout to grab my first catcher of the class. Playing at the elite Rainier College, Williamson hit .290/.367/.355 with a homer, 13 steals, and 48 RBI's in 281 trips to the plate. I would like to see some power here, but the high average is encouraging. My scout likes his defense abilities and thinks he could be a dependable backup catcher. He likes his contact potential, but Williamson will never hit for power. Behind Harry Mead, we really don't have any other catching prospects, so Williamson will not have too much in his way.

9th Round, 140th Overall: SP Jim Miller
School: Indiana A&M

In 30.1 innings out of the pen, Jim Miller saved 16 games with a 3.26 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. So why would I select a guy like this? And why is he listed as a stating pitcher? Well, I think Miller is going to be our best 9th Round Pick since World Series Champion Dean Astle.

So why am I excited for Miller?

Well, he had a three pitch arsenal in the spring: a fastball, sinker, and slider. The slider is pretty good and gets a lot of swings and the sinker breaks well and rolls up a ton of double plays. But I can just tell that the fastball sucks. Why else would this guy not start a single game?

Well, fast-forward to October and our Midwest college scout lets us know that Miller spent Summer workouts working on a new pitch; a knuckle curve! The lefty now has three serviceable pitches and is listed as a starting pitcher potential instead of borderline starter, and his teammates love him. I'm hoping this means he puts the fastball on the side and it will help limit his walks. I'm going to start him in the rotation and I'm hoping to see him take off.

10th Round, 156th Overall: CF Red Looney
School: Indianapolis Tech

Had to end the human portion with a Chicago kid! My scout really likes him too, and loves his speed and defensive ability. He works the count well, has some power, and will steal a ton of bases. He hit .294/.380/.475 with 10 homers, 40 steals, and 56 RBI's in 307 trips to the plate for Indianapolis Tech. He looks to strike out a lot, but I don't think it is going to matter. He's hitting a ton of homers, drawing a ton of walks, and stealing a ton of bases. He's even an awesome defender! But both Marv and OSA view him as more of a bench player then a starter, but I think Looney has a ton of talent. The issue may be his personality, as "teammates avoid Looney after a loss," but I'd love to see the Chicago kid get a chance with his home town team.

6th to 10th Round Picks can be very valuable and I've had some decent ones in the past. In 1925, it produced two big leaguers in Clyde Hinzman (6th) and Rabbit Forrest (7th) while Curt Ross (10th) technically is a big leaguer two due to a 2 game cup of coffee in 1933. 1926 saw current Foresters Ben Turner (9th) and Bobby Allen (10th). 1927 as the previously mentioned Astle as well as 6th Rounder George DeForest who debuted with the Kings this year and was part of the big Wilcox deal. No one from 1928 has debuted yet, but 1929 produced two Cannons rookies Jim Hatfield (6th) and Billy Marshall (10th).