By John Klima
May 18, 2012
Corey Black was throwing 95 one night in San Diego in 2011 and was out the door the next. I wasn’t there and I don’t what happened, but I do know that this guy has a lot of Tim Hudson in him. He has a good arm and he has good stuff. He will get his shot in pro ball this season after the big season he has had as the lone California guy at NAIA Faulkner University in Alabama, proving once again that future major leaguers can come (and go) from anywhere.
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Category: '12 Videos |
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Tags: Corey Black, Corey Black Video
By John Klima
May 17, 2012
Aaron Jones is a guy I liked out of high school. Now it seems like I am not alone. He should go pretty good out of Oregon this year, maybe 5th round would be my guess. You’d need to polish him up as a pro to keep him behind the plate, where I think he’d have more value than in right field. I will give Jones this — many moons ago, after a high school game in his senior year (and I hope, Jones, you remember this, back when we were Baseball Beginnings), we walked back to the parking lot after that playoff game against Hedges. That day, Jones told me he was was bound and determined to blow past the two Area Code catchers, Sabol and Hernandez. I’d say he’s gone a long way toward meeting that goal.
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Category: '12 Videos |
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Tags: Aaron Jones, Aaron Jones Video, Oregon
By John Klima
May 16, 2012
Another one of my “first time I saw this guy stories,” – Wareham, 2009, George Springer was a skinny, shy freshman right out of UCONN. I remember he was in the same BP group with Alex Dickerson. There were a lot of better known guys than Springer on that team, but I remember standing behind the cage and seeing his loose, wispy hands rocket some balls out to the metal football stands in left field.
Later on, I saw him quite a bit as a sophomore and junior because UCONN spent so much of their time barnstorming Southern California. So here’s Springer, a year later, in pro ball, at Lancaster. How ya’ doin George? Good to see you again. Baseball Beginnings remembers you well. But buddy, I’m telling you, you gotta fix that collapsing back leg.
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Category: 2012 Minor Leagues |
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Tags: George Springer, George Springer Update, George Springer Video, Houston Astros
By John Klima
May 15, 2012
Jimmie Sherfy, have you ever shook hands with this guy? I swear, the Newbury Park guy has the longest fingers I have ever seen in my life. I’m serious. The guy has fingers like E.T. I’m shocked his fingertip doesn’t light up when he grips the baseball. But he does seem to be lighting up hitters this season anyhow. I remember well that night he pitched against Covey. Truthfully I was split at first. Then I saw him pitch at Newbury Park and I understood why I should like him — the sinking fastball and live arm. And I’m telling you, the E.T. fingers have a lot to do with that. They should put him in a basket and let Horton peddle him out of the bullpen and over the moon when he comes into the game. The E.T. theme should be his walk-on music. Hey, think I’m joking? OK, you get in there and face him, because I want no part of him. He probably will hate seeing some video of him in this look at UCLA, but hey, not all looks can be out of this world, right?
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Category: '13 Videos |
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Tags: Jimmie Sherfy, Jimmie Sherfy Video, Oregon
By John Klima
May 15, 2012
The last time I saw Jon Meyer, he was hitting after a Simi Valley High game for about 30 scouts back in the days when (ahem) “private” workouts were legal. Ah, I miss the good old days, but nowadays what the CIF doesn’t know won’t kill them.
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Category: 2009 Draft, 2012 Minor Leagues |
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Tags: Houston Astros, Jonathan Meyer, Jonathan Meyer Update, Jonathan Meyer Video
By John Klima
May 14, 2012
Seems like only yesterday I was watching Jack Marder one dusty afternoon taking a mean BP at Newbury Park on a non game day, then going kamikaze nuts on ground balls at short, ranging for balls most other guys would have given up on. Then, the Oregon years, when he sold me the time I saw him get his hands inside the good Gerrit Cole gas. He had a brutal last year in college – and he’ll tell you that – but he moved to catcher and I’ve never seen anyone move so effortlessly behind the plate. He was banged up that year – bad ankle, bad hand – and I watched everyone I knew give up on him. Pissed me off. You either sink or swim with your opinion on a guy, but don’t flip flop. Have the courage of your convictions. Marder said, OK, went to the Cape, got his money, and off he went. The Mariners have blown some picks over the years, but he’s going to make them look good in the 16th round of 2011.
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Category: 2012 Minor Leagues |
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Tags: Jack Marder, Jack Marder Update, Jack Marder Video, Oregon, Seattle Mariners
By John Klima
May 14, 2012
Luke Eubank is a guy who went out and made a name for himself as a senior at Newbury Park in 2012. I first saw him in the Fall of his junior year when he throwing more traditionally 3/4. I caught up to him as a senior and found he had lowered his slot. I usually am not a big fan of pitchers changing natural arm slots, but so far this arm angle has played to his strengths, giving his ball a lot of life. I’m looking forward to tracking his progress in the coming years.
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By John Klima
May 11, 2012
Ths guy is a breaking ball away from being a poor man’s Dan Haren. He’s got average major league fastball velocity with plus fastball control, which alone will give him a shot to succeed in the big leagues. He’s got an improved change-up he uses well. You can get to the big leagues and get paid to do that, so make a run for it.
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Category: '12 Scouting Reports, '12 Scouting Updates, '12 Videos |
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Tags: Jon Moscot, Jon Moscot Update, Jon Moscot Video, Pepperdine
By John Klima
May 10, 2012
Stephen Piscotty is seen here one last time. Somebody will draft him and try him at third. If that doesn’t work, they’ll turn him around and try him on the bump.
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Tags: Stanford, Stephen Piscotty, Stephen Piscotty Video
By John Klima
May 9, 2012
Barrett Barnes is seen here as a freshman on the Cape back in 2010, and you could sure dream on the guy. He had that loose, strong body and those hands. He gave you bat speed, gunshots with wood. His other tools played just fine. I have not seen him since his first year on the Cape, but he was the most talented freshman outfielder I had seen on the Cape since I stumbled onto Jackie Bradley Jr. as a freshman at Hyannis in 2009. He should go good here in 2012.
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Category: '12 Videos |
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Tags: Barrett Barnes, Barrett Barnes Video, Texas Tech
