[Westheim]

2032 DRAFT POOL ANALYSIS

I couldn’t help but dislike the selection in the 2032 draft pool. The Raccoons, picking ninth in every round, were unlikely to get a sterling prospect simply for the lack of those. The new trend also seemed to be for young boys to be too occupied with their phones so they wouldn’t find time to learn a third pitch… this was one of those drafts were I found it hard to even come up with a hotlist of healthy size (but one is still below). There were 109 players on the shortlist.

And here is that hotlist (* indicates high school player; ^ indicates SP with only two promising pitches):

SP Brandon Williams (13/12/12) * - BNN #4
SP Joe Feltman (12/13/10) – BNN #7

SP^ Damon DeOrio (12/14/12) *
SP^ Tariq Staggers (10/15/12) * - BNN #10

3B/2B Dusty Mahaney (9/10/10)
1B Justin Hatcher (8/11/11)

OF/2B Justin Nelson (10/12/11)
OF Mike Dahl (9/10/9)
OF Ryan Phillips (10/8/16) *

One interesting case in there was Mahaney. Like all batters on the hotlist, OSA and his school stats indicated he was better than what our grumpy head scout… I should just call him Grumpy, really. Mahaney looked pretty dim on his papers, but OSA ranked him a more optimistic 10/11/12, and he had some good range and a strong arm to play third base. He was hitting .326 with 11 homers for his college, which was … and we had to consult a map here; Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL. He is apparently not very smart because he seems to have failed the gardener’s exams last year and is now trying his hand on the course to become a CCS – a certified city sweeper.

I also wonder why Joe Feltman – a right-hander and rather bright student playing baseball on a biochemistry scholarship rather than the other way round – had the nickname “Stump”. Do we have anything on that, Mr. Scout? – An accident with a rice husker as a child? How do you get your foot in there? – But it’s not his landing foot?

It will be *fine*. It’s always fine ‘round here, isn’t it? (takes another handful of pills to stay calm)