[ayaghmour2]

I'm not sure if I'm going to make weekend amateur reports part of the routine, but it does make the daily reports a little easier to write and gives me something to write about during our off days. For this one, I'll be covering some of the Chicago kids. I won't recap all of them, but I did write reports on most, including a potential first round pick:

LHP Nelson Bailey (Lake Zurich): Despite being born in Chicago, Bailey is a suburban kid who broke out as a senior at Lake Zurich. It was the only season he pitched, but he looked great in 14 starts. Bailey was 8-3 with a 1.77 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 34 walks, and 127 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched. He's a skinny six foot lefty with a mid 80s cutter, curve, and change. My scout doesn't think he has the stuff to start, with the changeup likely to be the pitch that holds him back. Still, his cut and curve may be enough to carry him to a rotation spot, but with one year of stats and a lot of question marks, I can't see Bailey getting a human selection.

RHP John Murray (Bedford): Another one year starter, Murray also doesn't go to school in the Chi, but he moved to Ohio as a kid and spent his prep years at Bedford. After going 9-3 with a 1.92 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 41 walks, and 151 strikeouts in 126.1 innings pitched, Murray announced he was committed to the prestigious Grange College which has been producing a lot of draftees in a short period of time. Murray has a higher ceiling then Bailey, projecting to be a dependable four pitch pitcher with his change featuring the arsenal. There aren't many pitchers coming out of Chicago this year, and unfortunately none of them look that great.

RHP Joe Stuart (Portland Tech): He's the only college arm from Chicago, and the bright young Joe Stuart was able to receive a full ride to Portland Tech. He didn't play as a freshman, but was roughed up against the toughest competition level as a junior and sophomore. In 220.1 innings he was 9-14 with a 6.13 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 131 walks, and 102 strikeouts. Obviously, not very encouraging numbers, but his 5.72 ERA this season was at least better then six of the twenty four other "great" pitchers eligible for this draft. One thing he has going for him is all three of his pitches are FABL quality, but my guess is Stuart won't ever amount for much.

3B Sam Christian (Lincoln College): While the college ranks may lack a suitable arm, there is a extremely reliable bat at Lincoln College in Sam Christian. The 21-year-old switch hitter hit .287/.401/.445 with 6 homers, 52 RBI's, and 31 steals in 305 trips to the plate. He got more time then he did as a sophomore, but he was able to nearly replicate his .282/.400/.431 line. He's shaping out to be an above average defender at third with the ability to work the count well and turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Christian doesn't project to be a top player at the next level, but his floor is a bench role and the ceiling potentially a Bill Ashbaugh type of player.

2B Hod Seagroves (Lake Park): Arguably the most talented of the Chicago eligible players, Lake Park senior Hod Seagroves is projected to be the first selection in the third round of this years' draft. The 6'2'' middle infielder just played 20 high school games, but hit an impressive .484/.548/.791 with 11 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 12 steals, and 24 RBI's. He's a natural defender who also spent some time at second, left, and center and I think his future may be in the outfield. At the plate, he'll hit a lot of his grounders to third and short so he can try to beat them out while his balls in the air tend to go all over the park. He was already on my scout list (I think I added him because he's from Chicago), but with him already projected as a 3rd Round selection, my guess is another team will take him before I do. I'm split on Seagroves right now, I'll want to scout him a little more, but of all the Chicago kids he looks to have the biggest gap between floor and ceiling.

RF Ed Stoddard (Pullman): If I was ordering this report by talent, none of these guys would rank ahead of Ed Stoddard. In fact, OSA ranks him as the 6th best draft eligible player. The lefty Stoddard was Pullman's best player, and after slashing .516/.596/.768 with 2 homers and 30 RBI's, he earned an offer to Noble Jones. I'm expecting Stoddard to be a first round selection, so chances are he won't spend a day on campus. He'll be 19 on draft day and has well above average contact potential with the potential to hit for significant power at the highest level. There is a lot of talent at the corner outfield spots, so perhaps he may fall like Chubby Hall did last season. I'm not big on corner outfielders, but if Stoddard is hanging around in the third round like Hall is, I won't hesitate to add the Chicago kid and watch him grow. His ceiling might be Mahlon Strong, and that's a pretty good player to be compared to.

3B Hugh Neal (Bluegrass State): I'm honestly a little shocked that Neal doesn't rank in the mock draft and my scout isn't all that high on him. A three year starter at Bluegrass State, Neal finished his junior year with 7 homers, 29 RBI's, and 25 walks with a .278/.381/.433 batting line in 220 trips to the plate. Interesting enough, he got into just 44 games after 58 and 62 his first two seasons. All together, Neal slashed .279/.377/.412 with 20 homers and 110 RBI's across 820 plate appearances. Neal has a great eye at the plate and should hit for at least an average average. If not, he's likely going to be relegated to the bench, but I see a lot of Jake Moore in him, and Moore was a decent starter for the Foresters before joining us as a bench bat.

SS Ted Goldsby (Cumberland University): Another three year starter, Goldsby and Neal faced off a lot as Cumberland and Bluegrass play each other frequently. Goldsby had a down junior year, batting just .259/.345/.328 in one more then 200 at bats. This brought his career line down to .277/.373/.362 as he added 70 steals, 34 doubles, 7 homers, and 111 RBI's. He'll be 21 tomorrow, Goldsby is quick in the field with the range to make plays that most fielders wouldn't even dream of. He doesn't hit too hard, but he's got a nice eye and projects to be a decent leadoff hitter. He's got the tools to contribute at the big league level, but I'm not sure if he'll end up a starter or more of a utility player.

RF Chick Browning (Joliet): A high school starter for three seasons, Browning hit .452/.523/.687 with 9 homers, 85 RBI's, and 13 steals in 70 games. The lefty can man all three outfield spots, with right field likely his final landing spot. He does have some issues making consistent contact, but he draws a lot of walks and will not have issues striking out. He profiles as a Mike Smith type bench bat and he might be able to latch on to a team because of his lefty swing and capabilities in the outfield.

3B Norman Houser (Crane): One of the few Chicago kids to stay home for high school (a lot went to the suburbs), "House the Mouse" had a decent three seasons at Crane where he hit .506/.559/.812 with 10 homers, 39 steals, and 107 RBI's across 378 plate appearances. He has elite speed and the potential to lead the league in stolen bases, which makes me think that he can play the outfield, not just first and third. He should be able to hit well over .300, but he's also just 5'6'' 140. Not sure if there is hope for the little guy to grow, but there is a reason he's called House the Mouse. I think there is a lot of upside here and I can see Houser's name in an FABL lineup card every day seven or eight years from now.