Sickels' top 20 Ranger prospect list revisited

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 19, 2008 10:07 AM CDT Comment 45 comments

John Sickels takes a look back at his pre-season Ranger top 20 prospect list...

And to clarify, these aren't new rankings, but looking at how he ranked everyone in the offseason, and then looks at how they are doing now...

I deleted the diary because it was a cut-and-paste of the article with no link going back to John's site...

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The link was at the bottom and the article is on the front page

by laxtonto on Aug 19, 2008 10:10 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Cutting and pasting

an entire article is normally frowned on. You normally cut and paste small excerpts, and post the link.

What's the secret to a long life? "I masturbate a lot"-Ernest Borgnine. http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008/08/14/icymi-ernest-borgnine-reveals-his-secret-for-everlasting-youth/#onepage

by DJCahill on Aug 19, 2008 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hurley

needs a change of scenery? I think John is going to be dropping Hurley a few slots.

Nolan Ryan should be the Rangers president, GM, manager and pitching coach.

by RangerMad on Aug 19, 2008 10:17 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Almost reads as jilted love…I know Sickels was high on him in the recent past, and then Hurley stubbed his toe on AAA a little. With the flyball tendencies though, the player’s going to have to mind the homer.

He seems to still like JMJ a lot. To think, he’s pushing 25 and still “raw.”

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Aug 19, 2008 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sickels - Mayberry

I don’t get it.

Warner Madrigal makes Ezequiel Astacio look downright handsome.

by tricer on Aug 19, 2008 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

4 months shy of 25

with a dad who is a big leaguer, and was able to go to one of the finest baseball colleges in the country, in AA, and still raw.

When I think of someone who is “raw”, I think of a kid from the jungles of Brazil who saw a baseball for the first time 2 weeks ago.

What's the secret to a long life? "I masturbate a lot"-Ernest Borgnine. http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008/08/14/icymi-ernest-borgnine-reveals-his-secret-for-everlasting-youth/#onepage

by DJCahill on Aug 19, 2008 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Yes, he did try to

hacky-sack the baseball, so you would think his plate discipline leaves something to be desired. But boy can he run and throw!"

Offense doesn't doubt me, but my first and primemost thing is defense and punt return and kickoff return

by Brett Perryman on Aug 19, 2008 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hurley has not been good YET in AAA

and as for majors…small sample size

Every pitch thrown to Josh Hamilton is recorded as an E1. -- clark

by knockoutking on Aug 19, 2008 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That list

seemed odd at the time, and seems even more so now.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Aug 19, 2008 10:27 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

This teams top 20 can be any number of things at the beginning of the year.

Don’t forget BA, Newberg, Sickels, DMN, no one had same guy at #1. Holland not being there speaks volumes for his meteoric rise. It should be nice to see how it shapes up at end of the year.

by gamerabcd on Aug 19, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

JMJ 7th and Teagarden first? With Omar Poveda ahead of Feliz and Beavan and Brendan Garr rounding out the top 20? It somehow feels like there wasn’t a whole lot of work put into the compilation of that list back in November.

A Lonestar in California

We need to hire Chuck Norris to kick the ass of any Ranger fan caught booing one of our young pitchers at the RBiA.

by lonestarJon on Aug 19, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sickels

is one of those guys who favors results over projection. given that many of our top prospects at the time were either ’07 draftees or very young players (Beavan, Main, Andrus, Beltre, Feliz, etc.) he had a certain bias against them..

At least that’s the only reason I can see for the odd list…

What's the rumpus?

by Hypo-Luxa on Aug 19, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, he had Tommy Hunter 17th...

A Lonestar in California

We need to hire Chuck Norris to kick the ass of any Ranger fan caught booing one of our young pitchers at the RBiA.

by lonestarJon on Aug 19, 2008 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

College

To further the performance over potential idea, College >> High school

What's the rumpus?

by Hypo-Luxa on Aug 19, 2008 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

that comment

directed at Hypo-Luxa

by thedudeabides on Aug 19, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah Sickels is a notoriusky hard grader that gave out like 20(?) A's total for all the minors

Its extremely high praise to get anything from Sickles if your in Low A. Beltre only got a C from Sickels nad he was mentionin several top 100/150’s.

by laxtonto on Aug 19, 2008 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What is that photo of in your avy?

I’ve seen it before and can’t recall where

by thedudeabides on Aug 19, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the photo

it’s a funny picture of a Dutch kid showing his true devotion (Feyenoord’s his club) as he flips off someone on the field or in the crowd or something…Never get tired of seeing that picture. I think i’ve seen it on here once or twice in one incarnation or another.

What's the rumpus?

by Hypo-Luxa on Aug 19, 2008 2:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't figure out

…why nobody is using that picture of One Man Five Tools from Evan Grant’s post last week where he was kissing a lobster. Classic.

by FuturePants on Aug 19, 2008 4:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the revision is hardly insightful

or worth the read

by Goyogringo on Aug 19, 2008 9:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What do the grades mean?

How does Perez get a B- and a comment like “one the best prospects in baseball”?

by mc80aea on Aug 19, 2008 10:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The grade and rank was from the pre-season ranking

the comments are just an update. This is just to show which prospects have gained or lost standing in his eyes this year.

Godwin's Law Version 2.0 (Rangers Edition)
"As a Ranger discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Danks, Volquez, or Young approaches one."

by LBBRangerFan on Aug 19, 2008 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

I thought the grades were being update as well…

by mc80aea on Aug 19, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perez?

by JBImaknee on Aug 19, 2008 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

he means Feliz

My theory is that people confuse the name Neftali Feliz with Neifi Perez.

by naropean on Aug 19, 2008 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gaahhh

Suck. my bad. Thanks.

by mc80aea on Aug 19, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I do it intentionally sometimes

just to mock those who can’t seem to get it right, including those in the local media.

Someone did it for the DMN not too long ago.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Aug 19, 2008 3:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

I think I remember the DMN “Perez” sighting. Ever since my dad started calling Volquez “Vazquez” (and still does, after a few years of correcting him), I can’t help but speak up about these kinds of things.

by naropean on Aug 19, 2008 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

So he reprints his winter list with some stats and half a sentence of “insight” per prospect.

Thanks, I guess.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Aug 19, 2008 11:04 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He's been doing this for all the teams lately.

I guess it helps as filler for the dog days.

Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!

by DerekSTheRed on Aug 19, 2008 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, that and i think in a way its a way for him to fish to make sure he isnt screwing anything up royally.

This way, he will get the people who actually follow a particular group to chime in and argue one way or another instead of having to do every piece of analysis dry.

by laxtonto on Aug 19, 2008 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right, some

and I think he’s smart to do that. Some people on that blog follow prospects slavishly, and occasionally provide insight or news. Most just go “are you kidding?!?”

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Aug 19, 2008 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dont fault him one bit for doing it

Hell his current 2008 book is 460 pages long with over 1200 player covered. Regardless how much you see or how many reports you read, its good to see some form of analysis to double check.

You know how easy it would be to miss that player “X” has been playing through an injury and drop a guy to fringe status because so. Just a great way to make sure your evaluations for next year are on track

by laxtonto on Aug 19, 2008 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sickels...huh?

He has Villalona number 1 for the Brewers, but then he says this about Beltre…

Oh, I should have put him on there. He was a Grade C in the book, a grade for which I took much flak….but I thought people were really overreacting to Boston and Texas propaganda about how great he would be. He looked like another raw tools guy with strike zone problems to me.

and this…

Beltre is a raw tools outfielder who could barely hit .200 in the Gulf Coast League. He did better after the trade, but there are a LOT of raw tools guys out there. Why is he so special? Grade C with higher potential. I want to see him hit outside of Arizona.

Then he says this on Villalona this past week…

248/.298/.400 with 13 homers, 18 walks, 111 strikeouts in 407 at-bats for Augusta in the Sally League. Horrible strike zone judgment, but just 17 years old most of this season.

Am I missing something here, or is that a little inconsistent?

to me, abortion is not a religious issue, it's a common sense one...

by Longhorn on Aug 19, 2008 12:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Sickles seem to be a big Twins fans, so he is overly casutious with anything that comes from Bos or NY

I guess that includes alot of the hype about Beltre as a prospect.

by laxtonto on Aug 19, 2008 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

meh

but, he must be pissed off about the Johan trade…what a waste that was/is.

to me, abortion is not a religious issue, it's a common sense one...

by Longhorn on Aug 19, 2008 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

CC

anyone mention anything about his game yesterday?

C Sabathia 130-88.

The Brewers are going all Stanford with John Hudgins on him…

to me, abortion is not a religious issue, it's a common sense one...

by Longhorn on Aug 19, 2008 2:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Stupid

Even stupider than the pitch count itself is the fact that they sent him back out with a huge lead. The game is won, don’t kill him before the playoffs even arrive.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Aug 19, 2008 3:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If they are truly pulling a Stanford

then Sabathia will also start Wednesday’s game and then pitch in relief a couple more times this week. As much as I love college baseball, there are a bunch of coaches that don’t give a damn about their pitchers health.

by uthornfan on Aug 19, 2008 3:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i don't doubt that may happen if the brewers get to the playoffs

to me, abortion is not a religious issue, it's a common sense one...

by Longhorn on Aug 19, 2008 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep

I saw an interesting tidbit that the Rangers 2008 draftee from UCLA Tim Murphy threw 142 pitches in a game this season.

This is the Texas Rangers, professional destroyers of hope, we're talking about. - BAC

by nikpin on Aug 19, 2008 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think

straight to pros is probably a better development path for a young pitcher. I don’t think some schools, like Rice for example, have done their students much good.

What's the secret to a long life? "I masturbate a lot"-Ernest Borgnine. http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008/08/14/icymi-ernest-borgnine-reveals-his-secret-for-everlasting-youth/#onepage

by DJCahill on Aug 19, 2008 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

you mean?

an organization that specializes developing youth for the purpose of contributing to the major leagues is better for a pitcher long term than an amateur program that could care less about what happens to your long term dev after you graduate?

shocking…

"I’m sure you’ve seen Kiker before but I’ll just reiterate that the kid is mean on the mound. He is only 5’10’’ but he is an intimidator. He looks like he hates hitters. He has the juice for pressure situations."
-Jason Parks on Jul 22, 2008 10:08 PM

by Jayslick on Aug 19, 2008 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep

Kenny Baugh threw 171 pitches in a game against Nebraska while he was at Rice. That is certainly a little far over the line, like say 50-60 pitches too many. I don’t know how much Graham contributed to it, but Humber, Niemann, Townsend, Skaggs and Baugh (the five first round pick starters I can think of off the top of my head) have all had surgery since leaving Rice.

If I had a kid who was good enough to go pro or go to college, I would suggest pro ball all the way. He may still get hurt, but the team is concerned with only one thing, getting him to the big leagues which means keeping him healthy. The college coach is paid to win games. Not saying that means all coaches will win at all costs, but some of them certainly do feel that way.

by uthornfan on Aug 19, 2008 3:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs