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woodfeld · 05-27-2007, 02:29 PM

June 15, 1942
The middle of June brings temps in the 90’s and the annual draft to the MOBL. This year appears to be a pretty strong draft year with a consensus top pick that scouts have been drooling about.

1. Zanesville Engineers – SS Craig ‘Champagne’ Brockington, 18 years old – Scouts have been talking about this young infielder (plays 1B like a Gold Glover and can play 3B as well as he can play SS) for the past year. “He’s got everything you could possibly want in a baseball player except for speed. This is a potential multiple MOB-winning player and we couldn’t be more excited,” Zanesville head scout Eldric Weber said on draft day. While Weber is certainly correct in stating Brockington’s ability to hit and play defense, but he is slow and doesn’t exactly have the intangibles you look for (leadership, loyalty, work ethic). But make no doubt about it, when people nickname you ‘Champagne’ because all you know is winning, you’ve got a special player on your hands.
1940 1^st round pick – RHP Dan Lang – Now with AAA Newark, Lang (4-7, 6.08 ERA) will probably be a member of the Engineer staff next season. Most scouts agree that he’ll be a good pitcher in the MOBL, although most do not see him being anything more than a #3 in the rotation.

2. Traverse City Cherries – LF Manuel Manchacha, 20 years old – A bit of a wild card entering the draft, the young Costa Rican has all the tools to be a star in this league, but he has some work to do. He has the ability to be an excellent hitter, although probably never dominant, and the ability to run the bases well and play excellent defense. This is a very solid pick for a team that needs some strong young hitters in the system.
1940 1^st round pick – LHP Pancho Vargas – Rated as the top pitching prospect in the MOBL, Vargas (6-7, 3.87 ERA) is currently in A Cadillac, but could see some AA action later this season. Still young at 19 years old, he looks to be #2 guy in the rotation for sure, but could be a #1 if he really develops well.

3. Akron Red Irons – RHP Larry Hartwig, 23 years old – The hands down best looking pitcher coming into the draft was this big (6’6” 215 lbs.) righty from Hawaii. “Hartwig has everything you’d want in a top of the rotation starter. A four pitch arsenal, endurance to pitch all day and most importantly the intelligence it takes to be dominant,” a scout said entering the draft. He could make a quick ascension for this Red Iron team that could use a great young pitcher to market to their fans.
1940 1^st round pick – RF Jose Rodriguez – Still stuck in Short Season Oberlin, Rodriguez really needs to be playing every day at a higher level. He still looks like he could be a 5-tool superstar, or at least a poor man’s 5-tool superstar. Akron fans eagerly await the first ever draft pick of the MOBL to make it to the big dance.

4. Chillicothe Indians – 3B Augie Resto, 18 years old – If Brockington was considered to be the top pick available, then Resto was 1b in many scouts’ eyes. He has amazing potential to be a dominant hitter and an extremely powerful hitter. “Some of the tape measure shots he was hitting in high school had our scouts drooling,” Indians GM Will Bellew said. While he has some room for development in playing defense, the scouts also raved about his work ethic and leadership. With that being said, there are still some scouts that have questions about how good he can be at the MOBL level.
1940 1^st round pick – SS Antonio Amparan – Playing very well at AAA Lancaster, Amparan (.260, 5 HR, 24 RBI) is progressing exactly how the Indians’ front office thought he would. The Indians are in dire need of a leadoff type player and that’s exactly what Amparan will bring as he has very little homerun power. We could possibly see him called up soon as the Indians chase an OL West crown.

5. Youngstown Black Irons – 3B Joseph Harrison, 18 years old – The MOBL is going to have a number of excellent third basemen very soon, as the number of top players drafted into the league the past two years is staggering. Harrison looks to be a real solid contact hitter with the potential to be a strong, power hitter too. Could use some work on taking walks and avoiding strikeouts, but the Black Irons got a real solid player here.
1940 1^st round pick – LHP Anthony Boyd – Boyd (3-9, 3.86 ERA) has shown excellent ability in AAA Warren and has certainly excited all the Black Iron faithful that have seen a pitching staff in shambles this year. He’ll probably need this full year in Warren to develop more, but Boyd is a very exciting piece to the young puzzle the Black Irons have been putting together.

6. Lansing Capitals – RF George Hagin, 22 years old – This extremely powerful lefty from Texas looks to be a potential masher with speed and has very few peers who are as good defensively as Hagin is. “I really like that pick for them. Hagin looks like a sure bet to make the show and if he develops some contact skills, they have a dominant superstar,” a ML scout said post-draft.
1940 1^st round pick – 2B Clancy Samuels – One of the best looking prospects in many scouts’ eyes has not developed much since being drafted. He is 25 years old and is still only in A Mount Pleasant. Samuels (.252, 4 HR, 18 RBI) is still seen as having tremendous potential, but hasn’t been able to put it all together. Lansing fans are left wondering if he ever will.

7. Iron Mountain Miners – RF Edward Haye, 22 years old – Another player built in the same mold as Hagin, this sweet swinging lefty from Kansas has excellent power, runs very well and can play RF extremely well. He’s a step behind Hagin in all of those categories, but has better contact hitting skills. “A rivalry is born. Hagin and Haye both look similar and should enjoy similar careers….MOB potential for both,” an OL scout said.
1940 1^st round pick – RHP Bobby Lewis – Now 25 years old, Lewis has seen some action in A, but is back in Short Season ball and looks like nothing more than a career minor leaguer. Maybe he can turn himself into a serviceable middle reliever, but things aren’t looking promising for a MOBL career.

8. Mackinac Trolleys – LHP Nick Knowis, 18 years old – Another big pitcher (6’6”, 215 lbs), Knowis is a Californian known for his intangibles. Most scouts don’t see his ability as anything more than a #4 or #5 starter, but he has the innate ability to prove people wrong his entire life. He pitched brilliantly in his first start in Short Season Charlevoix as the Trolleys hope he continues to prove doubters wrong.
1940 1^st round pick – RHP David Massiter – The young (20 years old) Texan got the call from the big league club after dominating AAA (7-3, 3.12 ERA) and is holding his own thus far (2-2, 5.46 ERA). Known as a guy that nibbles the corners that just doesn’t walk batters, he is still developing his stuff as he could be a solid #2 starter if things go well.

05-27-2007, 02:29 PM	#76
woodfeld Minors (Double A) Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 198	June 15, 1942 The middle of June brings temps in the 90’s and the annual draft to the MOBL. This year appears to be a pretty strong draft year with a consensus top pick that scouts have been drooling about. 1. Zanesville Engineers – SS Craig ‘Champagne’ Brockington, 18 years old – Scouts have been talking about this young infielder (plays 1B like a Gold Glover and can play 3B as well as he can play SS) for the past year. “He’s got everything you could possibly want in a baseball player except for speed. This is a potential multiple MOB-winning player and we couldn’t be more excited,” Zanesville head scout Eldric Weber said on draft day. While Weber is certainly correct in stating Brockington’s ability to hit and play defense, but he is slow and doesn’t exactly have the intangibles you look for (leadership, loyalty, work ethic). But make no doubt about it, when people nickname you ‘Champagne’ because all you know is winning, you’ve got a special player on your hands. 1940 1^st round pick – RHP Dan Lang – Now with AAA Newark, Lang (4-7, 6.08 ERA) will probably be a member of the Engineer staff next season. Most scouts agree that he’ll be a good pitcher in the MOBL, although most do not see him being anything more than a #3 in the rotation. 2. Traverse City Cherries – LF Manuel Manchacha, 20 years old – A bit of a wild card entering the draft, the young Costa Rican has all the tools to be a star in this league, but he has some work to do. He has the ability to be an excellent hitter, although probably never dominant, and the ability to run the bases well and play excellent defense. This is a very solid pick for a team that needs some strong young hitters in the system. 1940 1^st round pick – LHP Pancho Vargas – Rated as the top pitching prospect in the MOBL, Vargas (6-7, 3.87 ERA) is currently in A Cadillac, but could see some AA action later this season. Still young at 19 years old, he looks to be #2 guy in the rotation for sure, but could be a #1 if he really develops well. 3. Akron Red Irons – RHP Larry Hartwig, 23 years old – The hands down best looking pitcher coming into the draft was this big (6’6” 215 lbs.) righty from Hawaii. “Hartwig has everything you’d want in a top of the rotation starter. A four pitch arsenal, endurance to pitch all day and most importantly the intelligence it takes to be dominant,” a scout said entering the draft. He could make a quick ascension for this Red Iron team that could use a great young pitcher to market to their fans. 1940 1^st round pick – RF Jose Rodriguez – Still stuck in Short Season Oberlin, Rodriguez really needs to be playing every day at a higher level. He still looks like he could be a 5-tool superstar, or at least a poor man’s 5-tool superstar. Akron fans eagerly await the first ever draft pick of the MOBL to make it to the big dance. 4. Chillicothe Indians – 3B Augie Resto, 18 years old – If Brockington was considered to be the top pick available, then Resto was 1b in many scouts’ eyes. He has amazing potential to be a dominant hitter and an extremely powerful hitter. “Some of the tape measure shots he was hitting in high school had our scouts drooling,” Indians GM Will Bellew said. While he has some room for development in playing defense, the scouts also raved about his work ethic and leadership. With that being said, there are still some scouts that have questions about how good he can be at the MOBL level. 1940 1^st round pick – SS Antonio Amparan – Playing very well at AAA Lancaster, Amparan (.260, 5 HR, 24 RBI) is progressing exactly how the Indians’ front office thought he would. The Indians are in dire need of a leadoff type player and that’s exactly what Amparan will bring as he has very little homerun power. We could possibly see him called up soon as the Indians chase an OL West crown. 5. Youngstown Black Irons – 3B Joseph Harrison, 18 years old – The MOBL is going to have a number of excellent third basemen very soon, as the number of top players drafted into the league the past two years is staggering. Harrison looks to be a real solid contact hitter with the potential to be a strong, power hitter too. Could use some work on taking walks and avoiding strikeouts, but the Black Irons got a real solid player here. 1940 1^st round pick – LHP Anthony Boyd – Boyd (3-9, 3.86 ERA) has shown excellent ability in AAA Warren and has certainly excited all the Black Iron faithful that have seen a pitching staff in shambles this year. He’ll probably need this full year in Warren to develop more, but Boyd is a very exciting piece to the young puzzle the Black Irons have been putting together. 6. Lansing Capitals – RF George Hagin, 22 years old – This extremely powerful lefty from Texas looks to be a potential masher with speed and has very few peers who are as good defensively as Hagin is. “I really like that pick for them. Hagin looks like a sure bet to make the show and if he develops some contact skills, they have a dominant superstar,” a ML scout said post-draft. 1940 1^st round pick – 2B Clancy Samuels – One of the best looking prospects in many scouts’ eyes has not developed much since being drafted. He is 25 years old and is still only in A Mount Pleasant. Samuels (.252, 4 HR, 18 RBI) is still seen as having tremendous potential, but hasn’t been able to put it all together. Lansing fans are left wondering if he ever will. 7. Iron Mountain Miners – RF Edward Haye, 22 years old – Another player built in the same mold as Hagin, this sweet swinging lefty from Kansas has excellent power, runs very well and can play RF extremely well. He’s a step behind Hagin in all of those categories, but has better contact hitting skills. “A rivalry is born. Hagin and Haye both look similar and should enjoy similar careers….MOB potential for both,” an OL scout said. 1940 1^st round pick – RHP Bobby Lewis – Now 25 years old, Lewis has seen some action in A, but is back in Short Season ball and looks like nothing more than a career minor leaguer. Maybe he can turn himself into a serviceable middle reliever, but things aren’t looking promising for a MOBL career. 8. Mackinac Trolleys – LHP Nick Knowis, 18 years old – Another big pitcher (6’6”, 215 lbs), Knowis is a Californian known for his intangibles. Most scouts don’t see his ability as anything more than a #4 or #5 starter, but he has the innate ability to prove people wrong his entire life. He pitched brilliantly in his first start in Short Season Charlevoix as the Trolleys hope he continues to prove doubters wrong. 1940 1^st round pick – RHP David Massiter – The young (20 years old) Texan got the call from the big league club after dominating AAA (7-3, 3.12 ERA) and is holding his own thus far (2-2, 5.46 ERA). Known as a guy that nibbles the corners that just doesn’t walk batters, he is still developing his stuff as he could be a solid #2 starter if things go well.