[ayaghmour2]

1st Round, 7th Overall: SS Skipper Schneider
School: Northwestern
Career: .484/.532/.671, 826 PA, 38 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 98 RBI, 47 SB

After a quick scare as the auto-draft accidentally took a player for me before I had a chance to select, we were almost stuck with OSA's finest Bob "The Ragin' Cajun" Miller. He's not bad per say, but the Shreveport native turns 23 in May, and Tom thinks he's just a .250 hitter compared to OSA's dreams of .330. Add on the fact that he's a corner outfielder, and you can imagine my panic when I wake up to see that he was the 7th Overall Pick. Unfortunately for Boston, who made Schneider the 8th Pick, we were able to roll back the draft, and I was able to secure one of my top targets and Weinstock's #5 player. His 1, 2, 3 were already taken, but the 4 will probably stay undrafted for a while. I debated grabbing a pitcher, but the two I really wanted (Carroll and Magnum) were already taken, and the other two pitchers he really likes have huge question marks. We even had a little hiatus with our comissioner getting sick that held up the draft, but after what turned out to be just a day, the draft was back on track.

That leaves us with the player I actually took, the versatile teen from Detroit, Skipper Schneider. Not only does he have an A+ name for an A+ prospect, he's one of three triplets, and the first of back-to-back-to-back Schneider brotehrs to be selected in the draft. Skipper hits left handed and has experience playing at second, third, left, and right, as well as his natural shortstop. He's set to be a four year starter at Northwestern, his local school in Detroit, and has always hit better then a .478/.524/.664 line. He's a tiny guy, just 5'6'', even shorter then another versatile infielder in Ducky Jordan, and almost a full foot shorter then SS/1B Stu Stasny, who I grabbed from the Gothams in the Oscar Morse trade. Myself, OSA, and Tom all love Schneider's defense, OSA declaring him a defensive marvel and Tom think's he'll be one of the best defensive shortstops in the league. Add in the versatility and he already has a low floor of a utility player. And lucky for us, there is much more upside then that, as he's pretty handy with the bat too. He projects to be a consistent .300 hitter who attacks the ball at the plate. He's a little aggressive at the plate, but as he develops, he'll learn more about which pitches he can handle and which he should let go past. Even without an increase in eye, however, he makes enough contact that he won't strike out very much, but then he may be one of the those slap hitters who rely on BABIP luck and their speed to reach base. Schneider is a hard worker and that should help him in reaching his potential. The sky is the limit for him, and I can see him becoming a definite force at the plate and in the field. Sure, Billy Hunter has short locked up, but Skipper is six years younger, so when he turns 22, Billy will be closing in on 30. I think Schneider is the better defender too, so Hunter could move to third or second, where our vets "Jack the Ripper" and "Frederick the Great" will stay until age (in Lawson's case) or injury (for Jones, of course) get in the way. Plus with Skipper's versatility, he should be able to force himself in somehow when the time is right.

2nd Round, 23rd Overall: CF Danny Goff Jr.
School: Hempstead
Career: .357/.413/.483, 606 PA, 30 2B, 15 3B, 3 HR, 109 RBI, 70 SB

There were just so many reasons I absolutely could not pass up on Danny Goff Jr. I almost took him with my first pick, and I was anxiously waiting for the last couple of hours, but I wanted to give Brooklyn a few more shots to take him before I did. Son of current Kings bench coach and longtime New York Pitcher, Danny seems likely to be a star. His father pitched 4,565.2 big league innings, almost all of them coming with the Gothams or Kings. He was 252-248 with a 3.40 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 1,096 walks, and 1,851 strikeouts while being worth 80.4 WAR in 611 games. Goff threw over 2,000 innings with both the Gothams and the Kings, but his last big league action came in 1927 with the Cougars. He went 6-8 with a 5.74 ERA (69 ERA+), 1.88 WHIP, 79 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 16 starts and 15 relief appearances. He then took a Manager job in 1929 with the Kings organization, starting at Class B Tampa towards the end of the season. He managed the next two full season before a promotion to AA Knoxville the following season. He led them to a Dixie League championship, and then during the following season he was named bench coach for the Kings. As a manager he was 319-211, and was .500 or better at each stop. The Kings have won 90 or more with him as the bench coach, and then he got his first career ring last year.

It would be unfair to expect anything like that for his son, but the younger Goff is an extremely talented prospect. In two seasons with Hempstead, a college in New York, Goff has hit .357/.413/.483 and swiped an impressive 70 bases against good competition. Primarily a center fielder, he's also gotten time at first, left, and right. He's got good defensive skills, likely allowing him to stay in center, but he may not be one of the best defenders out there. Like he did in college, Goff Jr. should be able to bat well over .300, potentially challenging for a batting title or two in his career. He's a smart hitter who doesn't chase much, but he doesn't offer much power either. His speed is a huge asset and may be one of his best tools, but you know the real reason I couldn't pass up the Brooklyn boy? I love a two way player! He hasn't pitched in college, but I think he can follow in his dad's footsteps and start a few FABL games. A three pitch pitcher, he features a nice changeup, a 87-89 mph fastball, and a passable curve. He may struggle with the longball, but he has excellent command of his pitches. Control is his biggest strength, as his stuff may never be much more then average. I think his future is definitely in the outfield, not on the mound, but I love me some two way players!