Atlanta Braves Select Sean Gilmartin With The First Pick In The 2011 MLB Draft
by gondeee on Jun 6, 2011 9:43 PM EDT
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PrintWith their first overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft the Atlanta Braves have selected Florida State left-handed pitcher Sean Gilmartin. The Braves make him the 28th overall selection.
This is a safe pick by the Braves, but a pitcher who could move quickly with his refined approach, much like Mike Minor. Many of the high school pitchers the Braves were eying had already been selected by the time Atlanta selected. Below is what the experts had to say about Gilmartin:
Baseball America, ranked him 48th overall in the draft:
Gilmartin isn't flashy, but his total package should take him off the board in the first 50 picks as one of the draft's safest selections. A two-way talent out of a California high school, he attended a camp at Florida State and wound up being one of the Seminoles' rare cross-country recruits. He has pitched on Fridays for three seasons and helped lead Florida State to the College World Series last season, though he struggled putting hitters away in the second half of the season and last summer with USA Baseball's college national team. Gilmartin has improved significantly in the last year and become a scouts' darling with his combination of good size (6-foot-2, 192 pounds), clean arm action and solid athleticism. He has pushed his fastball into the average velocity range at 88-91 mph, his changeup remains a plus pitch and his slider has improved to average. Gilmartin knows how to use his stuff, particularly his changeup, how to set up hitters and how to keep them off-balance. His 10-1, 1.35 season includes four double-digit strikeout efforts. Scouts compare Gilmartin favorably to Vanderbilt southpaw Mike Minor, who went seventh overall to the Braves in 2009 and reached the majors a season later.
Keith Law of ESPN, who ranked Gilmartin 71st:
Gilmartin's a college performer with adequate stuff but who may need to find another gear to be more than a fourth or fifth starter in the big leagues.
He'll pitch with a fringe-average fastball, mostly 88-89 but touching a 91, and has a big, slow curveball that might work against lefties but wouldn't be a weapon against better right-handed batters. His best pitch is his changeup, 76-78 mph with good arm speed and some late fading action, although he uses it a lot and I'd like to see him pitch more off his fastball. He's a good athlete who can even swing the bat a little bit. He stays over the rubber well and pronates his arm very early after showing the ball to the center fielder.
This is what I thought Mike Minor was in college -- a command lefty with a good changeup but an average fastball and no plus breaking ball. Minor added some muscle after signing and upped his velocity, at least temporarily, and I suppose Gilmartin could do the same.
A safe pick by the Braves, clearly, and a player who should sign for slot and sign quickly. As far as a strategy of getting the best available player on the board, Gilmartin was likely not the best guy out there. If this was a money thing, then there were other more projectable players who would have been easy to sign. The Braves must have a feeling about Gilmartin, that they can get him in their system and mold him into a higher ceiling talent, (again) much like they did with Minor. It continues a string of safe drafts for the Braves, with Lipka and Minor both safe and easily signable players.
In addition to the Mike Minor comps for Gilmartin, there have also been a lot of Tom Glavine comps. Tony DeMacio, the Braves scouting director who runs the Atlanta draft room, was the scout who originally signed Glavine way back in 1984. So he could be trying to rekindle some of that magic.
The larger strategy here could be that by drafting a guy like Gilmartin, who should move quickly to the Majors in the next couple of years, the Braves signal that they may be willing to trade some of their current stock of pitching talent. One thing is for certain, they're building quite a stable of young arms -- several staffs worth.
The Braves will not pick again until late in the second round, which begins Tuesday at noon.
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Not a big fan
With the amount of arms we have coming through the system that will be ready for the bigs in the next 2 years we don’t need another one clogging the pipeline. I would rather have taken someone with higher upside that was a little further away if we were going to select a pitcher. Surprised we didnt go after a positional player.
Also seems that the team has gone very safe with their picks the last 3 years. Not sure why. Maybe financial constraints from Liberty.
How exactly does a minor league prospect "clog the pipeline?"
Follow me on Twitter: @hashtagbaseball
My point was that with all the talent we will have knocking at our rotations door in a year or two we didn’t really NEED another pitcher in that same class. It would have been nice to have someone 4 years away.
by drumzalicious on Jun 7, 2011 12:03 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I agree. I think the big league team is maxed out on payroll. Maybe we won’t go for signability next year.
That Heyward guy is pretty good.
by another simpsons avatar on Jun 6, 2011 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought Wren and Shierholtz (sp?) set the budget, not Liberty. Whatever, they are not on MLB’s list of teams with too much debt. Somebody is doing a good job, considering the empty seats at the Ted.
"Bunting's my favorite." Fredi G
Liberty signs the checks at the end of the day
they set the budget, and tell wren and co. to make it happen.
I strongly doubt that Liberty is controlling how we draft late in the first round. That kind of micromanagement would never take place in a conglomerate that has 0 external baseball knowledge. They might set a payroll guideline but we have a bunch of people in our front office whose job is purely to make it profitable. And really that’s all a conglomerate like Liberty Media cares about.
If I am somehow wrong then I am terrified in the path our team would be on. I doubt it. Why the hell would anyone buy a team with the history of the Braves just to let them rot. I hear the Astros are available….
It was a throw in
as a tax rideoff.. they didn’t really buy the braves
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
Not sure how I feel.
I mean, he’s just like Minor. I feel we could have drafted a better player. Gotta trust the FO, though.
Don't you know?
Baseball America wasn’t that high on either one and they are NEVER wrong
There were
Better players on the board that would’ve signed for slot. I don’t hate the pick, but I’m not thrilled with it.
No,
I’m giving my opinion. That IS what this board is for, isn’t it? I’m sorry I don’t like the fact we drafted Minor with less stuff all over again.
Fair enough...
It’s not about what they look like now, it’s what they can develop into. Mike Minor cracked the major league rotation within 2 years…
That's my other problem,
The Braves are good at developing arms, so why grab a college guy without the projectable stuff? It just doesn’t make much sense to me.
Remember when Mike Minor didn't have projectable stuff
Then suddenly he started throwing 2-3 MPH faster once he got into the Braves system?
And a LHP with a plus change-up already has projectable stuff. If you add in just an average fastball and breaking into that package, you’re already talking about a #3 starter.
I guess I could have explained that better
People unfamiliar with prospects always seem to think college pitchers are finished developing velocity while HS pitchers will continue to add it. The truth of the matter is that both groups as a whole tend to stay the same or lose some velocity. Velocity has much more to do with mechanics than it does with adding weight, despite what most people seem to think.
Gilmartin doesn’t need to add any velocity to be a solid starter in the majors as long as the change is a plus pitch and he has some sort of usable breaking ball.
And couldn’t hold that velocity deep in to games and then the gain disappeared altogether in 2011? I remember those parts
"It's going to be strange watching There's Something About Mary again, knowing Brett Favre was the biggest stalker of them all"
by jeg on Jun 7, 2011 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions
He supposedly sat 88-90 according to draft scouting reports
Even if he doesn’t have quite the velocity he had at his peak last year, he’s still averaging 90.9 MPH in his MLB career, which is much better than people expected.
It’s been a little better but he was pretty consistently 89-92 at Vandy and with USA baseball. Seems that he lost about 2/3 of the velo gain. Holding the velocity throughout the game is the larger issue anyway but he’s got good separation FB-CH.
"It's going to be strange watching There's Something About Mary again, knowing Brett Favre was the biggest stalker of them all"
by jeg on Jun 7, 2011 1:31 AM EDT up reply actions
BA reported lower numbers before the draft
I do think he was probably closer to 89-91 at Vandy, but BA painted it as if he wasn’t cracking 90 much in their scouting report which was part of the reason people were down on him. I don’t think he’ll sit 92-94 later into games, but hopefully he might be able to reach back for the extra couple ticks when he needs it. My larger point was that HS pitchers aren’t really much better bets to add velocity than college guys and the plus change is much more important than the FB velocity for LHP.
If you told me that you can pick between 2 players. One, who has the prototypical size and projectable stuff to be an Ace…but may take 4-5 years to learn how to pitch and develop and still only has a 40% shot of making your big league rotation. Or Two, the experienced college pitcher with decent stuff, maybe even a single plus pitch, that may take 2-3 years to develop and have a 60% chance of cracking your big league rotation.
Which do you choose?
well
depends.. which could get us more in a trade, thus which has a higher floor
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
I just think its funny that you say "there were better players on the board"
The Braves picked the top player left on their board that would sign for around slot. Sure, you might think there are some players that are better, but I’ll stick with the Braves. I defended the Minor pick when it happened too and that one’s looking great right now.
In my opinion,
There were better players left. I said earlier “gotta trust the FO,” so it’s not like I don’t. Just doesn’t make sense to me right now.
Like most people you undervalue a LHP with a plus change
Luckily the Braves don’t.
Maybe this will make sense after a trade or something,
but I just don’t see it, at the moment.
I never like this reasoning
You don’t make draft picks based on anything other than who your organisation thinks most highly of. I don’t care if you’re already have 8 MLB ready starters, if the top guy on your board is an advanced college pitcher you draft him and figure out where he fits later on. Prospects are assets. You don’t select a less valuable asset just because you already have more of another. You select the more valuable asset and if need be you sell off some assets to buy what you need down the road.
no you select the player with the most potential and one most likely not to bust out. Gilmartin is gonna be a solid 3 or 4 in the rotation. I would never waste a first round pick on a back of the rotation pitcher. This is why the Braves will never win a World Series again with the cheapskates up top.
Guys with the most potential are the most likely to bust out
You really can’t have it both ways. If you can get a guaranteed starter at the end of the first round you should take it without looking back. And perhaps the Braves wouldn’t be so cheap if more people showed up to the games.
Not everyone
Likes boring, inconsistent offenses with power hitters OPS-ing .552. Can’t say I blame them.
I don't think anyone available at our pick...
Could OPS better than .552 at the MLB level right now either, so I don’t really see the connection. Because of our focus on pitching we have the arms to deal for any available bat we’re interested in.
Players you think are better
The Braves are great at drafting guys the sort of players that their player development guys are best are working with. We saw it a few years ago with Minor and we may very well see it again this year with Gilmartin. LHP with plus change ups always seem to turn out better than people expect. Not like he’s a soft tosser either. Seems to at least hit 90-91 a good bit on video.
This.
Ultimately, drafts, especially baseball drafts, are crap shoots. Didn’t we just pick up a player drafted in the 2nd round by the Cubs in 2008 for basically nothing? It’s a crap-shoot.
As I said above, part of me thinks the Braves will ultimately move some of their top arms (maybe even Minor). Thus, I see no harm in getting a Minor-clone.
"Insert witty and/or funny quote here" ~ The Person Who Spoketh Said Quote.
I thought we would have gone with a high schooler with more upside
but a safer bet can still turn out to be a good trade chip
figures...
your name is Jay. I dislike Jay’s. Go to a game and then say something please. :D
Would have loved a bat...
GSO
"I'd rather jerk off a tiger in a phone booth than draft Cam"
-Mel Kiper, Jr.
you guys are like a bunch of pirahnas
by chop goes da weazel on Mar 31, 2011 12:32 PM PDT
I thought the bats were weak...
Maybe we trade a current arm for a proven bat…
"Insert witty and/or funny quote here" ~ The Person Who Spoketh Said Quote.
wish we had a load of money and could throw so much at Josh Bell that he would sign
that woulda been SICK…but alas…that was a pipedream anyways
"My everything, or nothing. My everything, or nothing. WE gonna fight, til we can't fight no more. We gonna lie down, and bleed a while. Gonna get up, and fight again." -Tashard Choice
by SouthernPanther on Jun 6, 2011 10:00 PM EDT reply actions
If you remember Minor was projected as an end of the rotation guy but now he's projected as a #2 Starter. Have faith in the system fellas
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 10:02 PM EDT reply actions
Thanks for the link. Looks like we have another —y…Gilly. Was Bobby in the draft room?
I'm ashamed of what I've done for a Klondike bar.
by bwellnjonesco on Jun 6, 2011 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I live in Tallahassee and go to Fsu...
his nickname is Gilly.
Any idea what happened to the idea of drafting Henry Owens?
by Southern IN Chopper on Jun 6, 2011 10:12 PM EDT reply actions
Well, he’s still on the board, so I guess other teams weren’t first round impressed with him either. Now that I say that, I bet the Nats pick him next.
I'm ashamed of what I've done for a Klondike bar.
by bwellnjonesco on Jun 6, 2011 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions
He came to FSU as an OF
Ive watched him for 3 years and he still amazes me. Hopefully he can keep doin his thang.
Maybe we'll keep stocking up on arms
Which would make me feel pretty good about dishing out Vizcaino and perhaps Hoover or whoever for a big ole bat
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 10:20 PM EDT reply actions
This.
I pray to Jason Heyward every night
by JasonHeywardisGod on Jun 6, 2011 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions
You don't draft for need
Picks generally take at least a couple years to help your MLB team. By that time chances are your needs will be completely different than they currently are. Besides, you can always trade young arms for bats.
Exactly....
Our best starter Mr Hanson was drafted in about the 25th round.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Bats (even Heyward) take at least 3-4 years to develop into Major Leaguers
Minor has and hopefully Gill will get to the Bigs in a hurry. We can use some of our other ridiculous pitching depth thats farther behind to get a legit bat. Besides we really dont have hardly any LHPs on the farm at all.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions
college bats don't take as long
Mahtook could have been a good pick for us as well. I don’t have a problem w the pick, but I think we can all agree our system could use more bats
You are allowed to trade arms for bats
Just saying…that’s why you draft the best player instead of drafting for need
I'm sure you do too huh?!
I didn’t like the Minor pick but I watched enough Vandy games to know his mechanics were messed up, did I know he would gain velocity? No but even with that velocity he still hasn’t did much at the ML level, honestly i’d trade him while his value is still high JMO
I don't hate Minor
I just personally don’t think he’s going to be a good ML pitcher
You're in the extreme minority with that opinion
Why exactly do you feel that way?
He’s posted elite number in AAA and very good peripherals in the majors. He’s 23 years old with less than 2 years of professional experience. He’s got very good stuff. I don’t see what’s not to like.
Um
Maybe his ML numbers, he flashes “potential” but who’s to say that he ever gains consistency at the ML level? There have been many pitchers who have dominated the mL and didn’t have success at the ML
His FIP and xFIP are both below 4.00
You’re really going to hold less than 60 MLB innings against a 23 year old with less than 2 years of professional experience in spite of the fact that his peripherals are excellent?
what's his record?
That my sir is the most important question
I never claimed I did
I’m not the one claiming they didn’t draft BPA
This is a good pick, but I would have gone with Owens or Mahtook over Gilmartin but he could be a fast riser
But why?!
Why do the Braves need another “fast riser”?! They already have a logjam now even if they trade 2 or 3 top guys we’d still have a logjam, I wish they had gone for a HS pitcher or better yet a hitte Mahtook and Goodwin were there both guys were signable and we’re lacking in the OF, This was not a good pick even if he signs tonight!
Cause pitchers close
are worth more in trades then players not close
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
The thing is
He’s really not close though and besides he couldn’t be traded until this time next year! I’m just not a fan of taking a signable, “safe” pitcher, the last time the Braves went big was when they drafted Heyward and honestly that really wasn’t big because it was expected since he was a GA kid and wasn’t going to be an issue to sign
The Braves don't go significantly over slot in the first
Actually, most MLB teams don’t really either. I just don’t think the Braves believe the guys are far enough ahead of other guys to make them worth the extra money.
we wouldnt be able to trade anyone until this time next year
there are rules against it
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
Not trying to be smart but
I said that above
i read it wrong
i thought you were saying not being able to trade him until next year because of projection etc
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
unless the pitcher
are #4 starters.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Jun 7, 2011 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
you are over reacting
I agree, I would have gone with Mahtook but this is a good pick.
I'm sorry this isn't a good pick
And I don’t care if he becomes the next Mike Minor my issue is the Braves not willing to spend in the draft to get who the really want
how do you know who they really want?
Is the first round, calm down
When they drafted Minor
They came out and said that they had other players rated higher but there was a strict budget
Link?
I don’t remember them saying that, but they certainly could have. I’d actually like to see how it was worded. Its not just a question of who you think is better. You may think prospect A is better than prospect B, but if prospect A is asking for 3-4 times as much money prospect B may very well be the better investment
What would I even google?
Mike minor drafted and skim through every article until I see a quote about liking other guys more? Do you at least know where it was from?
I read a report on his mound presence
A scout said his mound presence reminded him of Nolan Ryan. He’s a leader and has no fear of going after batters. The Braves are putting a huge emphasis on strong character pitchers that attack hitters. Its easier to find that in college players than high schoolers due to maturity and its a safer pick in early rounds when you find this attribute.
Pitches like Glavine Gets paid like Nolan...I like it
Gilmartin’s repertoire begins and ends with his changeup. It has deceptive movement, that coupled with his slider, has the magic of making opposing hitters swing at it at will. I mean, I don’t mean to sound like Gilmartin’s spokeperson, but for real, the pitch dances better than any changeup I’ve seen — since Tom Glavine’s.
FSU pitching coach Jamey Shouppe said after Monday’s game, Gilmartin is "a professional." "He’s just got the professional approach that a guy like Nolan Ryan, as a 10- or 15-year veteran, had," Shouppe said. Shouppe was around Ryan briefly as a player in the mid-1980s when he played professionally in the Houston Astros organization.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 10:32 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
This is what scares the crap out of me.
Glavine was amazing. He made a Hall of Fame career out of marginal talent, with a combination of great location, knowledge, and pure moxie. Everytime I hear a Glavine comparison to a young pitcher, I think disaster. Glavine was a once in a generation kind of guy, he got more results out of worse peripherals than just about anyone. Remember that the last “next Tom Glavine” was Horatio Ramirez. Hopefully, he can build his stuff like Minor has.
Very True
But Horatio didnt have the XP from playing big time college ball and I doubt he was a “professional”. Hopefully that and/or a couple added MPH will make him a darn good ball player.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope so, too...
…as I said. The Glavine reference is thrown around too often, but it usually plays out badly. If the stuff is Glavine-esque, that is bad, if the knowledge and moxie is, that is good.
Since he went to FSU...
saying he’s a professional is true on several levels.
by TBuzz on Jun 6, 2011 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Okay
That’s funny.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
Free Shoes for all.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
like that.
"It's simply beyond words. It's incalculacable."
by Bravely going forward on Jun 6, 2011 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions
My thought is this has the look of a pick with an ulterior motive. Like Minor, a SEC proven, soon to be ML ready lefty starter.
I’m thinking a package of pitchers for a big bat, sooner (trade deadline) or later (off season).
They're the two best conferences right now
The SEC is probably deeper, while the ACC is probably stronger at the top. I don’t think either is clearly ahead of the other.
why UVa and UNC (the best teams) at the bottom of that list?
hmmmmmm
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Jun 7, 2011 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
this is the first season that any conference other than the ACC has more than three teams in the playoffs
The twitter
Anfield Asylum, sbnation's very own open zoo for the most dangerous game: Liverpool fans
"Voetbal is pas totaal als je wint"- Coach Adun
"The greatest sin is to spurn the gift"- Coach Alistair
what a shitty pick, so disgusted with the dirt cheap organization. ugh this is terrible. tony demacio needs to be put in his fucking place
we don't have Ted Turner pumping $$$ into the organization anymore
like it or not, Liberty Media has made us a team that will operate on a budget
which is why it’s an imperative to sign Lowe for 60MM and KK for 20MM. but going dirt cheap in the draft is the way to go!
by Resentment on Jun 6, 2011 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
certainly those moves were a terrible overreaction to how bad our pitching had become and no defense for those
but they also threw out the most $$$$ of any team to sign Julio Teheran
and they threw the most money
at salcedo and betancourt
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
who by the way are not pitchers
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
Pretty widely reported that Teheran had higher dollar figures out there but preferred to sign with Atlanta b/c of personal relations with a scout (uncle I think). Guess that makes up for Felix Hernandez spurning our higher offer to sign with SEA.
"It's going to be strange watching There's Something About Mary again, knowing Brett Favre was the biggest stalker of them all"
by jeg on Jun 7, 2011 1:33 AM EDT up reply actions
We have...
The 15th highest payroll.
We’re 14th in attendance.
Seems reasonable to me.
"Insert witty and/or funny quote here" ~ The Person Who Spoketh Said Quote.
I mean I guess we can look forward to Josh Willingham coming via trade. Then again, Liberty Media might be afraid of a good hitter!
I'm not sure if you're aware...
But Norris and Howard are still undrafted, and were passed over by the Yanks, BoSox, Phillies, and several other teams. There is something else going on here. Gilmartin is certainly not looking bad, and I trust the scouts.
by OrangeBravo on Jun 6, 2011 11:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Short scouting vid of Sean.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=18674140&content_id=14893579
His off-speed pitches look great and, as mentioned, his change-up looks unhittable. I like what I see.
Veni, Vedi, Vici, Venters.
OK
Now you’re in-depth analysis (frustration) is starting to get out of hand…
It leads you down a very scary road...
To be an organization that caves into an individual player’s selfish demands…
(i.e., Josh Bell)
Mahtook wasn’t an awesome hitter either. They should have just reached on a good catcher and saved McCann’s knees.
i thought mahtook was great, but then i got too excited. Wasn’t Owens on the board when the Braves picked?
Owens is a LHP with questionable FB velocity as well
He’s young and he’s tall so everyone seems to give him a pass. I’m fine with the guy who already has a plus change. You can’t understand how important that is for a LHP. I’ll take a LHP who throws 90 with a plus change over a LHP that throws 95 with a mediocre change.
The Bravos are using the money they have very wisely
Easily signable low risk college players. We could have dished out a lot in the draft for some power but we signed Uggla….
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:05 PM EDT reply actions
That deal
Is going to be like a barbed wire bolo on this organization for the foreseeable future.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
"Small sample size"
loves to get thrown around. When does small sample size turn into huge effing mistake? Its getting hard to stay optimistic.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions
You're right...
A career .800+ OPS hitter over 5 seasons in a sea-level cavernous ballpark who has mysteriously forgot how to put bat to ball…we’re doomed!
You should consider
Taking a few deep breaths.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
He was
I was reacting to him trashing my pov, yet again.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
No offense...
I hate short-sighted language like this…
“That deal
Is going to be like a barbed wire bolo on this organization for the foreseeable future"
When every player eventually deals with career slumps. I realize it’s hard to believe that he will come out of it and start living up to his contract…it just will require patience.
Just mentally add "I'm afraid that..." to the start of the sentence.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
Will do...
right after I mentally delete that picture of PeMo…
I'm planning on changing it in a little while
I need something to go with the new sig and the joke, while great, has sort of run it’s course.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
Let them bitch, I’m not too worried about Uggla. Swing mechanics are obviously out of whack, he’s flying open and his timing is screwed. If his bat looked slow, I’d be worried.
"It's going to be strange watching There's Something About Mary again, knowing Brett Favre was the biggest stalker of them all"
by jeg on Jun 7, 2011 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions
2B don't age well and he already had old player skills
If he lost a little bat speed he was going to be in trouble. Hopefully he can get it back or figure out how to adapt, but I’m certainly starting to get scared.
He's not striking out at an alarming rate tho...
His timing for whatever reason is off.
No, but the GB rate is up, the LD rate is down, and the HR/FB rate is down
His BB rate is also down significantly which is very worrying. I think all those things are happening because he doesn’t have the same bat speed anymore, but hopefully I’m wrong.
You’d think after what happened with Minor, people wouldn’t go all ballistic in criticizing the pick that our front office wanted to make. All of the speculation about it being a cheap pick is ridiculous. Yeah, we weren’t going over slot because of Schuerholz’s position on the reform committee, but there hasn’t even been an indication that we picked this guy over anyone else for money reasons.
It’s one thing to second guess a front office’s decisions about major league players that most everyone has the same information on, but to get bent out of shape (and go beyond even mere disagreeing) about amateur players that you know so much less about than our scouting department is beyond ridiculous.
I love how much more popular the baseball draft is now, but it seems like people almost don’t know how to deal with it. They pick up a whiff of information about a player off a couple mocks and a series of tweets and want to consider themselves an expert who absolutely would have made a better pick than our scouting department and front office, glistening scouting reputation and all.
the thing is: there’s a reason people aren’t that happy with the pick. Nobody said Sean G was terrible, some people just feel a better player could have been found for a price. The system is stacked with pitching all over the place. Time to address a need in the system, not just the major league lineup
I’d say that people are reacting as though it was a terrible pick, or a pick made out of cheapness, or both. If you asked me to pick whether I would prefer this pick or somebody else, I would answer “somebody else,” but I defer to what our organization has done in the past.
What gets me is the tone that people take about the pick, like they are so sure of who we should pick in the lower part of the Major League Baseball draft. You’d think they’d watched every player in person or something. As far as the unevenness of pitching vs. hitting in our system, I, like everyone will be very curious to see what we do as all of our studs come of age and we need hitting more than pitching. I don’t think that this draft pick has a huge affect on that though, most people who are unhappy with it probably expected us to go with a pitcher, just an “upside” hs arm instead of a college guy.
All true
The Baseball draft is a lot closer to the NHL (where they’re drafting 16 year olds from Prague) than it is the NBA or NFL drafts.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
It's a mild exaggeration
I still have a mental picture of Jagr looking like he was in the Backstreet Boys when he was drafted originally.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
Cool.
From what I’ve seen and heard, it’s one of the great cities of the world.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
why do less people start coming to the braves games? I don’t live in Atlanta so could someone please tell me?
They're scared of big fiberglass cows.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
Lots of reasons of varying validity
Unlike most people I have no problem taking MARTA, so I make it out to quite a few games, but I understand why others don’t.
Never Marta for me again, please.
No thanks. That’s some mean streets.
And before anybody cries foul, I attended Talladega College for a term without discomfort. But that Marta business is a different animal.
The city of Atlanta draws a large portion of it’s residents from out of state. Many people have previous allegiances to other teams, or just not too interested in Braves baseball in general.
I'm ashamed of what I've done for a Klondike bar.
by bwellnjonesco on Jun 6, 2011 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Is Albert Belle available?
I hear hes got plus power
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Really?
Great!! Another arm!! Hey I got an idea…why don’t we draft someone that can hit!!!
Why don't we draft someone that can hit?
Because drafting for need when you don’t reap the rewards for ~3 years is retarded?
Well
We should’ve skipped over Heyward according to you
I just asked you
Was Gilmartin the BPA, Bell was clearly the BPA here but the Braves didn’t take him
Who knows
Maybe he would’ve enjoyed the thought of playing with Heyward and signed for less than he was asking
the same guy who sent a letter to all the teams telling them not to draft him because he was going to Texas
isn’t going to sign for less to play with heyward
The dreaded Van Poppel maneuver
the same guy who sent a letter to all the teams telling them not to draft him because he was going to Texas isn’t going to sign for less to play with heyward
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
Bell isn't even close to Heyward in his draft year
Bell wants way more money and doesn’t compare nearly as well to the rest of his class. Heyward was seen by almost everyone as a top 10 prospect at worst that wasn’t a difficult sign. Bell seems to be ranked more in the 15-20 range by those that like him and is a very tough sign. Everyone seems to be passing on him (unless I missed his name getting called), so we’re not the only ones that don’t think he’s worth the asking price.
agreed
I don’t understand how Grant Balfour was a type A free agent, and no one should get compensation for Brad Hawpe or Olivo
I'm sorry but
This kids bat and glove are very comparable to Heyward’s, Plus Bell is a switch-hitter with Mike Stanton type power from both sides, he also doesn’t have the injury concerns that Heyward has
That's the most ridiculously optimistic scouting report I've ever seen
So he’s a switch hitter with Heyward’s bat and glove, but Stanton’s 80 power? That mythical player may very well have gone ahead of Bryce Harper last year. Bell on the other hand hasn’t gotten picked in the draft’s first 60 picks. Perhaps all the team’s passing on him know a little more than you?
by nixa37 on Jun 7, 2011 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I also think the Braves believe Bell was the BPA for his price
I don’t know the draft prospects well enough to disagree with their assessment. People really underrate how important it is to find guys that your player development people can work with. Its better to have a kid with less raw talent that your player development can build up than a kid with more raw talent that you can’t develop.
Dont know anything about his character but we tend to pick hard working mature guys
Rather than have to babysit young guys with big heads
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 7, 2011 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions
It leads your organization down a destructive road...
to indulge players with selfish demands.
Theres plenty of teams out there with good bats and CRAP pitching
because they dont draft pitching like we do. We’re a pretty darn good team with our current draft strategy.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:37 PM EDT reply actions
not at all. we can’t win in the playoffs like this. look at texas, they have bats everywhere and even if they don’t win it all they still go deeper than our shitty lineup
really? Texas is your comparison?
Texas, that just made the World Series for the 1st time ever last year? that Texas?
Pretty rare scenario and their pitching isnt that bad.
Its a proven fact you need 3 dominant starters, (see Giants 2010). Their offense just happened to be good enough and get timely hits. Of course we need some bats but everybody knows Good Pitching>Good Hitting.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions
We’re a pretty darn good team with our current draft strategy
As long as our staff holds them to 2 runs or less
by Big time fan on Jun 6, 2011 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions
We've got a winning record.....
The bats will come around……
I believe in hope, change and all that other Obama stuff
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Which is why every offseason we are looking for offense.
by drumzalicious on Jun 7, 2011 12:21 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
People need to get out of the NFL draft mindset. Only a very small handful of players drafted this year are going to make it to the majors. If this guy is ready for the majors middle of next year (which is unlikely) then we have another trade piece. Think of it this way next year is the last guaranteed year for Hudson, and the last year period for Lowe. Hanson will also start getting more expensive. Jurrjens is arb. eligible for the second time in 2012 also.
I expect at least one of our starters to be traded so he fills a spot.
Ive been trying to make this point all night
But the consensus is…..we needz battz.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions
In 2013 we could very well have a rotation of
Teheran
Minor
Beachy
Delgado
Medlen
And be fine. Not to mention the possibility of guys like Vizcaino, Hoover, Perez, etc.
by drumzalicious on Jun 7, 2011 12:06 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
JJ will cost 10-15ish by then
We arent FW, and he doesnt even know exactly what the hell is gonna happen by then.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 7, 2011 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions
He was saying how players would be expensive so I made a rotation of cheap arms
by drumzalicious on Jun 7, 2011 2:02 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Which is why we stock pile pitching and then dump some
Some folks cant understand the complexity
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 6, 2011 11:56 PM EDT reply actions
however
the problem lies in the fact that we HAVE NO POSITIONAL DEPTH IN OUR MINORS. It’s ALL PITCHING. hopefully we’ll address the depth aspect in the coming rounds. IF so, I’ll be happy. But Owens was on the Board and he seemed like a Braves-type pick.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Jun 7, 2011 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Perhaps the Braves don't see him adding velocity
As it stands now, he’s got a little more velocity than Gilmartin without the plus change. As I said earlier, I’ll take a plus change over significantly more velocity (or in this case a little extra velocity and a better breaking ball).
A not so well placed CU
Goes a long way just ask Minor! I’ll take a potential Clayton Kershaw(Owens) over Ted Lilly(Gilmartin)
Comparing Gilmartin to Ted Lilly is inherently ridiculous.
You are only comparing the two to bolster your otherwise absurd argument.
Yeah Minor is having big troubles with HRs so far this year
Kershaw sits 93-95, which is well beyond the 90-92 that Owens is currently at, so that’s not really the best comparison. The biggest thing Owens has going for him is height, which I don’t think is nearly as big of a positive as most people.
If you don’t think a change is the most important pitch for a LHP you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about.
THIS!!!
I can guarantee it’s a money thing!
I don't think you get the whole money thing
Its not always about sticking to slot or whatever (though the majority of teams picking in the first do), but whether you think its worth spending the extra money on a player you might think is only marginally better. That extra can go a lot further i picking up multiple over slot guys in later rounds as opposed to getting one slightly better guy in round 1.
I’m also not completely sold that not picking Owens was a money thing. I’m not sure why Owens is a Braves type pick. The biggest thing with the Braves is they choose SE guys because they know them the best and Owens is a CA kid. They also seem to place more focus on the change than the breaking ball, while Owens best pitch is his curve. More importantly, they were supposedly ready to take Stephenson, and I haven’t heard that much talk about Owens being a tougher sign than him.
You keep saying players were “slightly” better than Gilmartin! Bell, Mahtook, Owens and Goodwin were all better according to scouts
The Braves don't pick according to what BA and other team's scouts think
I’m not saying that those players were even slightly better than Gilmartin in the Braves eyes. I’m simply saying that even if they thought someone was slightly better, they might not being willing to pay him over slot instead of getting similarly talented player at slot even if they were afforded that ability.
Bell is still sitting there 60 picks into the draft. This is going beyond just being your normal tough sign at this point. Either he’s completely unsignable or he’s not nearly as good as the build up had people like you thinking. Either way, the Braves passing on him is proving not to be a mistake at this point.
Its possible that
Lipka, Simmons, and Salcedo could all be major leaguers or at least good trade bait eventually. They all wont play SS. Salcedo to 3rd, maybe Lipka to CF or 2nd gives a tad more depth. But you are 100% correct, Im just trying to stay optimistic amidst all the pessimism.
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 7, 2011 12:16 AM EDT reply actions
You can stop
Cause the pick is what it is, he’s a Brave and I love and support the Braves even if I don’t like the pick! You don’t have to like everything your favorite team does! That being said Sean Gilmartin is a Brave and I’m gonna root for him like I do all Brave players!
No need to get riled up big boy
by 5InningsofChuckJames on Jun 7, 2011 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
his
. is messed up on his phone so he has to use !’s
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
no problem
i like the !’s though, makes you seem really optimistic
People are like at least I'm not that guy on stage. That guy on stage is like at least I'm not that guy in the looney bin. The guy in the looney bin are like at least I'm an orange
Not that thrilled with the pick
Feel like they could’ve gotten a better player, but it is a safe pick nevertheless.
I know Gil isn't his middle name...
but I suggest calling Sean simply “SGM”.
by TBuzz on Jun 7, 2011 12:45 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Oh well...
Good pick I guess. Only time will tell. I was shocked Mahtook and Goodwin were still around. Even more shocked we didn’t take one of them. I thought Mahtook was a good fit for us. I guess not.
I like the pick.
Not to rosterbate in public*, but this may allow us to move an arm for a bat.
Is Colby Rasmus untouchable?
If we moved a few arms for Rasmus, I’d like this pick even more.
*Okay. Sorry for that horrid display in public. I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
"Insert witty and/or funny quote here" ~ The Person Who Spoketh Said Quote.
Not with St. Louis leading the Central.
I'm ashamed of what I've done for a Klondike bar.
by bwellnjonesco on Jun 7, 2011 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't hate the pick
But it is honestly about as boring a pick as they could have made
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. - Muhammad Ali
How do I feel? Like f**king sucess - Jordan Schafer
Keith Law doesn't like the pick
Moves I question
Atlanta Braves
The picks: Sean Gilmartin (28)
Summary: Sean Gilmartin as your lone pick of the day? I like Gilmartin for what he is, an athletic, competitive, back-end starter, but there were a number of higher-upside guys on the board, and the last thing Atlanta needs is a low-ceiling starter.
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. - Muhammad Ali
How do I feel? Like f**king sucess - Jordan Schafer
He didn't like Minor, either.
Which he was honest and candid enough to acknowledge in his earlier remarks.
"Word on the street is that McCann tried to call Posey to apologize, but that Brian Sabean has taken out a contract on McCann’s life.".- Craig Calcaterra on BMac's overtaking of Posey in the ASG voting.
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