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ayaghmour2 · 12-15-2022, 10:25 AM

5th Round, 75th Overall: C Alex O'Dailey
School: Hartford Bulldogs
1944: .430/.492/.614, 131 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, HR, 32 RBI, 8 SB
Career: .441/.498/.652, 238 PA, 23 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 12 SB

Our first and potentially only catcher we will take in the human portion of the draft, Alex O'Dailey is a two year starter at Hartford. O'Dailey was about equally productive in each season, but the two years couldn't have been any different. As a sophomore he hit for more home run power and a higher average, but it came with fewer gap hits and walks. I'm hoping he'll take the step forward as a senior, but even if he doesn't, there is plenty to like about the 17-year-old backstop. He hits too many grounders, but has a nice swing that should lead to solid bat to ball skills. His eye is underdeveloped, but closer to his peak he'll start drawing more walks. In a class that already saw 10 backstops selected by FABL clubs, OSA and Tom Weinstock are surprisingly fond of him, with OSA viewing him as a "productive regular on a contending team" and Tom expecting him to be an "above average, everyday big league player." These are lofty projections I don't think he'll live up to, but he's a capable defender who can definitely hit average for a catcher. "Mr. Semi Automatic" Bill Martin will start the season as the everyday catcher in La Crosse, and while I'm not sure he's necessarily ready for San Jose yet, there's no one up there to get in the way of his playing time. Martin and O'Dailey will likely end up fighting for the right to be Eddie Howard's backup, but for now they'll both get every day at bats as they look to make their claim.

6th Round, 91st Overall: RHP Jim N. Smith
School: Georgia Baptist Gators
1944: 5-9, 131.1 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 80 BB, 108 K
Career: 5-9, 131.1 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 80 BB, 108 K

After Dutch Yoak, the remaining pitchers were all pretty interchangeable. There were some good ones, but I knew they wouldn't last 24 picks between our 2nd and 3rd. Despite that, I am actually very excited to add Jim N. Smith to our organization. To distinguish himself from the crowd, the N stands for "Noodles", which was the icing on the cake for selecting the Gators starter. Smith went just 5-9 as a sophomore, but he had a big offseason and really improved his stuff. A five pitch pitcher, Noodles won't overpower, but his bag of tricks houses five quality pitches. His change is the best offering, and really only his mid 80s cutter isn't effective. If he ups his velocity, it'll be a huge boost, but even if this is his cap he's got the chance to be a decent enough innings eater. Smith is one of those low ceiling, high floor pitchers that could end up a back-end starter, and he should be able to start his minor league career in Lincoln. It will be interesting to see how his junior season goes, as I'm sure it will be much better then his sophomore showing.

12-15-2022, 10:25 AM	#964
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1945 Draft: Rounds 5 and 6 5th Round, 75th Overall: C Alex O'Dailey School: Hartford Bulldogs 1944: .430/.492/.614, 131 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, HR, 32 RBI, 8 SB Career: .441/.498/.652, 238 PA, 23 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 12 SB Our first and potentially only catcher we will take in the human portion of the draft, Alex O'Dailey is a two year starter at Hartford. O'Dailey was about equally productive in each season, but the two years couldn't have been any different. As a sophomore he hit for more home run power and a higher average, but it came with fewer gap hits and walks. I'm hoping he'll take the step forward as a senior, but even if he doesn't, there is plenty to like about the 17-year-old backstop. He hits too many grounders, but has a nice swing that should lead to solid bat to ball skills. His eye is underdeveloped, but closer to his peak he'll start drawing more walks. In a class that already saw 10 backstops selected by FABL clubs, OSA and Tom Weinstock are surprisingly fond of him, with OSA viewing him as a "productive regular on a contending team" and Tom expecting him to be an "above average, everyday big league player." These are lofty projections I don't think he'll live up to, but he's a capable defender who can definitely hit average for a catcher. "Mr. Semi Automatic" Bill Martin will start the season as the everyday catcher in La Crosse, and while I'm not sure he's necessarily ready for San Jose yet, there's no one up there to get in the way of his playing time. Martin and O'Dailey will likely end up fighting for the right to be Eddie Howard's backup, but for now they'll both get every day at bats as they look to make their claim. 6th Round, 91st Overall: RHP Jim N. Smith School: Georgia Baptist Gators 1944: 5-9, 131.1 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 80 BB, 108 K Career: 5-9, 131.1 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 80 BB, 108 K After Dutch Yoak, the remaining pitchers were all pretty interchangeable. There were some good ones, but I knew they wouldn't last 24 picks between our 2nd and 3rd. Despite that, I am actually very excited to add Jim N. Smith to our organization. To distinguish himself from the crowd, the N stands for "Noodles", which was the icing on the cake for selecting the Gators starter. Smith went just 5-9 as a sophomore, but he had a big offseason and really improved his stuff. A five pitch pitcher, Noodles won't overpower, but his bag of tricks houses five quality pitches. His change is the best offering, and really only his mid 80s cutter isn't effective. If he ups his velocity, it'll be a huge boost, but even if this is his cap he's got the chance to be a decent enough innings eater. Smith is one of those low ceiling, high floor pitchers that could end up a back-end starter, and he should be able to start his minor league career in Lincoln. It will be interesting to see how his junior season goes, as I'm sure it will be much better then his sophomore showing. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 01-15-2023 at 12:09 AM.