The Crane Pool Forum

So Al, do you realize that if you the foresight to have a lefthanded kid he'd likely have gone 1st overall. So do you feel bad about costing him so much bonus money?

I don’t know if the Wilpons will pony up to sign…

Oh, wait.

Willets Point wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 8:24 pm No relation to John, I hope?

We suspect not, but are still waiting for all the DNA evidence to come back from the lab.




btw, this is Papa Rocker, a short-time NFL'er but a College FB HoF'er
Mom's lineage is from India


P.S. I've now got these draftees' parents younger than I am

Ted Berg channeling my energy.

And who knows what kind of pro Kumar will end up being, but I’m glad this team drafted a player that everyone thinks is a great arm with a short path to the big leagues and they weren’t afraid of “signability”.

One last bad joke about his name ...

When asked why he stayed at home for the draft rather than go to the draft room all duded up in a fancy suit, Kumar said it's because he's not a mod, he's a rocker.

I'm just hoping they pick a guy named Harold with their next selection.

WHITE CASTLES FOR EVUHBODY!

If the Mets hadn't lost the last meaningless game of last season to WSH then WSH would have picked 10th and Rocker would be with them.

Most strikeouts in Div. 1. Consistent college track record. Droolworthy, Pitching Ninja-lovable stuff. Former pro athlete as parent.

What's not to f'ing like?

Neither of his parents are obscure-but-working actors? Didn't go to Harvard-Westlake? Doesn't have a hyphenated surname that wraps around his shoulders from hip to hip? WHAT'S TO LIKE?!?!

Really, Kumar seems like a lovely pick, and one with the closest-to-the-big-leagues tag, but had the Nats gone first and grabbed him, I'd be plenty psyched about Brady House.

It seems like a good, safe pick.
But I had one "uh-oh" moment when the talking heads were evaluating the pick. One of them said (I paraphrase) "sometimes his fastball isn't a swing and miss pitch". And his tone seemed cautionary. There was no explanation. Does that mean his fastball is straight (no movement)? Does that mean he loses velocity as he goes deeper into games? Does that mean he loses command of location? Is it something that can be corrected with coaching?
I wish the person had explained it instead of just dropping it in there.

Later

MFS62 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 8:13 am It seems like a good, safe pick.
But I had one "uh-oh" moment when the talking heads were evaluating the pick. One of them said (I paraphrase) "sometimes his fastball isn't a swing and miss pitch". And his tone seemed cautionary. There was no explanation. Does that mean his fastball is straight (no movement)? Does that mean he loses velocity as he goes deeper into games? Does that mean he loses command of location? Is it something that can be corrected with coaching?
I wish the person had explained it instead of just dropping it in there.

Later

I think they covered that last night, too. He's hit as high as 99 and dropped as low as 93. The colleges work these kids a lot and now that he's not free labor, I'm sure he'll be on strict work loads to keep him fresh and protect that arm.

Rocker is big, almost of a fatbody concern.

Not such a safe pick.

Throws a great chase slider and not much else

Grade C

ashie62 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:36 am Rocker is big, almost of a fatbody concern.

Not such a safe pick.

Throws a great chase slider and not much else

Grade C

Real scouts tend to disagree.

Round 2 starting NOW!!! with the Pirates at pick #37 overall. Mets next pick is at 46.

Mets draft Calvin Ziegler, the best prospect in all of Canada, eh. He's an 18-year old, right-handed fireballing hoser who has committed to Auburn. MLB had him ranked as the #123 best prospect, so maybe an under slot dude here?

Edit: nice stirrups, kid.

They don't even have footage of him, that's a good sign!

That slot thing-- saving money to bowl over Rocker-- HAS to be it, right? With plenty of more visible prep talent and good college hitters out there-- South Carolina's Ethan Wilson, e.g.-- reaching for this Canuckleballer doesn't seem to make much sense, otherwise.

i wonder if they'd have grabbed Jaden Hill (a scary, scary 6'4' who was a top-5 prospect this year before Tommy John) had he fallen a few more slots.


EDIT: A work friend of mine who's plugged into area high school ball/scouting in the area just texted me to say we REALLY missed out not getting funky, funky NJ lefty Solameto (Bishop Eustace HS).

To hear these MLBTV dudes talk, it's impressive how many "pure hitters" were seemingly bred in eugenics labs 18-21 years ago.

LWFS wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 1:28 pmEDIT: A work friend of mine who's plugged into area high school ball/scouting in the area just texted me to say we REALLY missed out not getting funky, funky NJ lefty Solameto (Bishop Eustace HS).

Funk is fun, but I think it terrifies organizations in the early rounds.

At pick #81, the Mets picked up Dominic Hamel, a 22-year old right-hander who is the "darling of teams that favor analytics because his fastball, slider and curveball all have high spin rates." MLB had him ranked #96 so this seems in the right neighborhood for him.

Coal-black Hamel, more than a little Lugo-ish

Three pitchers in three rounds, two of them at college graduation age.

He looks a little like Ron Darling.

Wow, Kumar already inked for $6M. The extra dough likely explains the second round pick.

Fucka da slots.