[ayaghmour2]

1st Round, 10th Overall: RHP Bob Allen
School: Pullman Engineers
1945: 9-2, 109 IP, 1.32 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 26 BB, 156 K
Career: 18-3, 203 IP, 1.20 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 45 BB, 292 K

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

HE WENT THE PICK BEFORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TO A TEAM THAT ALREADY DRAFTED SOMEONE AT HIS POSITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*Sighs*

*Recomposes*

*Exhales*

Okay...

I'm okay...

So obviously, I didn't get the guy. That was Chicago baseball superstar Yank Taylor, who joins the equally talented Danny Taylor, as the future right fielder of the Boston Minutemen. At a total loss, I had to burn my entire draft plan as it all hinged on getting Yank.

It took some convincing, but I finally settled on a young 17-year-old who my scout thinks is the best pitcher not named John Stallings available. I should also make it clear, that this pool is very deep and Allen is a good player, but it's been over an hour of real life time since my pick and I still haven't gotten over missing out on Yank. So believe me, if it sounds like I'm not excited about Allen, it's not a knock on him.

I just really wanted Yank... :/

In actuality, Allen may be the better player, and Tom Weinstock ranks him two spots higher then Yank in his top 10. Don't let his size fool you, as despite weighting just 145 pounds and standing at just 5'9'', this kid is glowing with potential.18 in May, the California native has spent the past two seasons in the Sonora rotation, going 18-3 with a 1.20 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 45 walks, and 292 strikeouts. He started all 28 of his appearances and averaged over seven innings a start, sporting an excellent mix of stuff and control. He can pitch deep into games and attacks even the best hitters, and he should be able to come up when it matters most. In terms of fall back options, there aren't too many better then Allen.

Both OSA and Tom Weinstock rave about Allen's potential, labeling him an anchor of a rotation. Other then the built in risk of being a high schooler and a starter, it's hard to find a flaw with the young righty. A four pitch pitcher, Allen is an extreme groundball pitcher, and that's exactly the type of pitcher you want on the mound when you have the one and only Skipper Schneider at short. And with Allen, it's not a Dick Lyons or Art White type who doesn't get whiffs, it'll come with huge strikeout numbers. He's not a hard thrower, just 86-88 right now, but he has a devastating slider that could be one of the best in the games. That pitch alone is enough to earn him starts at the highest level, but he commands his fastball very well and it's a tough pitch to square up. The curve and change could use some work, but with his excellent control, he won't hang either over the center of the plate. Allen is a golden arm with crazy potential, but he's extremely raw and hasn't quite dominated the high school level. His senior year will be a big one for him, and a growth spurt or velocity boost could take him to the next level. He's smart and composed under pressure, and he's got grit you don't always see in young arms. I know we have plenty of talented young pitchers; Duke Bybee, George Oddo, Mike Thorpe, Joe Swank, and Bert Rogers, but hey! You can never have too many!

And maybe, one of them can turn into Yank Taylor! Just maybe...