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#Post#: 2575--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: Tom Hudson
Date: April 21, 2011, 10:05 am
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I don't remember what the reaction was here when the Cubs
drafted Jackson. Was it as unenthusiastic as when they drafted
Vitters or Colvin? Or was there more love for that pick?
#Post#: 2584--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: JR
Date: April 21, 2011, 10:25 am
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--- Quote from: craig link ---
>
> I know some of the nsbb guys are mad that he's leading off, a
waste of his power being the idea, I think, and wanting him to
perhaps be groomed to become a high level #3 hitter.
>
--- End Quote ---
I think Jackson's a fine prospect, but there's hardly any
guarantee he's going to be that level of an impact player where
he's a legit #3 hitter in the majors. He may be nothing more
than another Fukudome for instance, and of course, there's
always the possibility that he'll be completely baffled by major
league pitching and not make it at all.
Whomever these guys at NSBB are need to take a chill pill. If
anything, leading him off means he gets more at bats than anyone
on the team, and that can't be anything but good for a top
prospect. Just because they're leading him off in the minors
doesn't mean they don't want him to hit 25-30 homers a year down
the road. And I'd agree with you craig, if he turns out to be a
15 HR power tops player, he's not a waste at the top of the
order.
#Post#: 2586--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: davep
Date: April 21, 2011, 10:32 am
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"I think Jackson's a fine prospect, but there's hardly any
guarantee he's going to be that level of an impact player where
he's a legit #3 hitter in the majors. He may be nothing more
than another Fukudome for instance, and of course, there's
always the possibility that he'll be completely baffled by major
league pitching and not make it at all"
JR - Can't you say that about EVERY prospect still in the
minors?
#Post#: 2590--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: craig
Date: April 21, 2011, 10:42 am
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Tom, my perceptions are colored by my own views, so I might be
way off. But I think with Jackson the response was much milder.
For a couple of reasons.
First, he was picked in the 30's instead of at 3 or in the low
teens. So expectations for perfection were moderated. Second,
being picked in the 30's, posters didn't have their hearts set
on other players. Who knew who was better? NObody is both
perfect and high-ceiling in the 30's. Different with
Vitters/Wieters. Third, Jackson's name had been on the radar,
so he didn't seem like a surprise pick or a reach, and he'd been
projected higher than that earlier during the spring. It was
understood that his ceiling was pretty high.
That said, there were naturally a lot of doubts, since he'd been
such a K-king in college, and hadn't actually been that
productive for long in college. For me personally, I thought a
guy who'd K'd so much seemed a pretty unsafe pick. One thing
that helped is that he signed quickly, quoted well (in contrast
to Vitters who came across so poorly), produced really well
during his draft summer, and got reviews suggesting that he was
really a big-league CFer defensively, and wouldn't need to hit
with LF power. So his fast production worked against having
much extended complaint, and muted concerns about his game
pretty quickly.
In the case of Vitters, I think there were a couple of posters
who were big Wieters believers both before and after. When
Wieters started blazing and Vitters didn't, that inflamed the
complaints. But I honestly think that for many of us/most of
us, at the immediate time of the pick Vitters got mostly
favorable reactions. We'd had enough pitchers who got hurt, and
players where hitting was not their best tool and they were
taken more for defense or speed (Corey) or batting-practice
power (Harvey.) So for posters like JR and myself, I think we
were pretty optimistic about Vitters as a guy whose first tool
was hitting and might become a high-average pure-hitting
middle-of-the-order power bat. I think it was mostly later,
after he wasn't really hitting that well, or fielding well, and
he was was such a flagrantly anti-walk hacker, that the whipping
grew. But I don't think it was very widespread during his draft
summer.
#Post#: 2591--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: sam hannam
Date: April 21, 2011, 10:44 am
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Peoria Chiefs pitcher Hayden Simpson.
HTML http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x1410202717/Chief-hurler-has-something-to-build-on
#Post#: 2600--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: grrrrlacher
Date: April 21, 2011, 11:06 am
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For me, the Jackson pick was fine. Like Craig said it was in
the 30s so I didn't have any high expectations because the Cubs
were terrible at drafting long shots. But what else are you
getting in that position? The only thing I was worried about
was his k'ing, but to his credit he also walked a lot. So I
thought it was a pretty good risk.
On Vitter/Wieters, I was a big Wieters fan. I think you know
more what you are getting from a big time college program than a
HS player. Plus Wieters was a switch hitting catcher with power
and patience. What was not to like? Seemed like a logical
pick.
#Post#: 2607--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: JR
Date: April 21, 2011, 11:25 am
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I have to admit, I don't think I remember anyone liking the
Jackson pick. Everyone at the time was scared of the high
strikeout totals he had at Cal and thought Wilken was making
another "old school" scouting pick.
I don't think it was so much that anyone had someone better in
mind than Jackson for that pick. I think everyone saw those
high K totals he had in college and automatically thought for
sure he wouldn't be able to handle professional pitching.
#Post#: 2610--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: Tom Hudson
Date: April 21, 2011, 11:44 am
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Thanks for the recollections, guys. I honestly didn't remember,
and I guess memories vary. That's not surprising.
As is pretty much always the case, we'll have to wait to see how
all these guys (Jackson, Vitters, Colvin, Simpson) turn out - as
well as how their competition turns out.
After a very disappointing year in 2010, Wieters is off to a
better start this year, as far as power, at least, and he's
certainly young enough (24) that he can still live up to the
lofty expectations that many had for him. Wieters is three years
older than Vitters, so Vitters has a while before he can be
fairly compared to Wieters, as far as major league readiness.
Vitters is off to a very encouraging start this year - he may
well figure things out at least as soon as Wieters, in terms of
age. But of course, he may still be a bust.
I think it's perfectly natural that people disagree about the
likelihood of various prospects succeeding. What I don't quite
understanding is the cock-sure certainty that some people have
about guys the Cubs pick being busts - before they have a chance
to prove themselves.
#Post#: 2611--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: Deeg
Date: April 21, 2011, 11:53 am
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Weren't we told by some genius this spring that Wieters was
officially a bust? Well, he has 3 HR, 11 RBI and a 57% CS% so
far this season.
#Post#: 2612--------------------------------------------------
Re: On the Farm
DIR By: ticohans
Date: April 21, 2011, 11:59 am
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regarding jackson's discipline (someone mentioned his selection
was a sign of an evolving draft perspective favoring patience)
jackson k'd a TON in college, and while he drew some walks, they
were not nearly enough to balance out the k's. if anything,
jackson strikes me as a quintessential wilken pick: up the
middle, athletic, toolsy guy. jackson was not selected because
of his performance, but because of his projection. wilken was
pretty adamant that jackson's k's were going to come down, and
it's that kind of evaluation (toolsy guy with projection) that
led to his selection. many industry talking heads were quite
concerned about his k profile.
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