[pauwoo]

2074 Season (Amateur Draft)
At 33-26, Phoenix is in a good way. 2074 has been good to us, so, having the #1 pick in the draft after finishing 2073 with a .352 winning percentage (our lowest in 10 seasons) is pretty radical. Having me at the helm to navigate the draft? Well, that’s pretty sketchy – especially in the later rounds when I start using the coolness factor of each players name as a tie-breaker.

Round 1, Pick 1: SS Ray Gerhold (Pennsylvania Quakers) – A slick-fielding, double-play machine at SS and a pull-hitter with solid discipline at the plate and a demonstrable ability to avoid K’s, Ray’s got the speed, personality, and facial hair to be a mainstay in Phoenix for years to come. He’s also got the intangibles (works hard, never set up a twitter account) that I look for – and – he’s a proven winner who played an integral role in helping the Quakers win the NCAA championship in 2074.

Round 2, Pick 32: SP Russell Harper (UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs) – He already has a big-league fastball but will need to continue to work on his changeup if he is to be a difference maker in the Majors. His will be a tough signature for us to get, but with his upside and high moral fiber, I felt it was worth the risk.

Round 3, Pick 54: LF Jeff Melanson (Kansas) – He has a reputation for being hesitant to commit and is wary of change, but looks like a guy who will hit for contact and avoid K’s. He also has above average range in the outfield, though his arm out there is suspect. We think he will develop some power as well, so, if our staff in Tucson is worth a darn, Melanson is a future big leaguer.

Round 4, Pick 79: CF Ervin Brown (Penn State) – A slick-fielding outfielder with fantastic range and a good arm, Ervin has shown a superior work ethic and could develop good discipline at the plate. We aren’t projecting him as a future starter, but a good utility man is always welcome on the big club.

Round 5, Pick 103: SP Ivey Lochner (Ridgemont Community College) – This cat’s a dude – people like him, he knows how to party without taking it too far and his handlebar mustache is the stuff of legend. He has solid stuff with a major league fastball, though he’ll need to work on his slider and sinker if he hopes to ever make the big club. He may be the most skilled sacrifice bunter we’ve ever drafted.

Round 6, Pick 127: LF Simon Leech (PCU)… 20/35
Round 7, Pick 151: CF Richie Glow (South Carolina)… 20/26
Round 8, Pick 175: CF Jimmie Howe (Houston)… 20/26
Round 9, Pick 199: RP Tyler Silva (Texas)… 20/29
Round 10, Pick 223: SS Paulo Hill (Tennessee)… 20/20

Overall Draft Grade: I dunno, B-? I got some solid talent up top, was so-so in the middle rounds (analysis paralysis is a heck of a thing), and got a couple of solid ‘name’ guys at the end there… I think that Russell Harper was a steal, so I have that going for me.