http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ News and Features from Baseball America Fri, 09 May 2008 22:13:32 EST en-us http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/baonlinelogo.gif http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ 96 9 1 http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2008/266055.html Ben Badler answered your Prospect Hot Sheet questions. Fri, 09 May 2008 17:26:46 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2008/266055.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/high-class-a/2008/266054.html There is only one stadium in the nation where from late February to the end of August you can see baseball virtually every night, and that's in Jupiter, a small town on the northern edge of South Florida. Fri, 09 May 2008 17:15:42 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/high-class-a/2008/266054.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/independent-audit/2008/266018.html This July, it counts. Usually independent league all-star games are rather tepid affairs, most notable for bringing most of the league's best players together as a one-stop shop for affiliated baseball scouts. But league bragging rights will be in play on July 15 when the United League's all-stars play host to the Golden League's best at San Angelo's ballpark. Fri, 09 May 2008 16:04:45 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/independent-audit/2008/266018.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2008/266015.html Quarterback in the NFL or shortstop in the major leagues—dream question right? "I think I could play either," was the answer from Florida prep baseball and football standout Casey Kelly. The thing is, he might be right. Fri, 09 May 2008 15:53:54 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/draft-dish/2008/266015.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/column/2008/266014.html No club has anything less than unwavering support for its 2007 first-round pick. Yet if that draft were being held 11 months later, the top 10 choices would look radically different than they did last June. David Price clearly established himself as the best prospect in the 2007 draft—lefthanders with a plus-plus fastball/slider combination and outstanding feel and command tend to do that—and the Rays locked in on him early as the No. 1 overall pick. But as easy as that decision was at the time, he wouldn't go first if the draft was restaged. Fri, 09 May 2008 15:50:29 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/column/2008/266014.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/column/2008/266019.html We recently celebrated another anniversary here at Baseball America. Now usually you just mark the big ones, like the 20th and 25th in issues of recent years, but the odd-numbered ones are no less important. For 27 years we've been doing exactly what founding editor Allan Simpson set out to do in the fall of 1980, when he decided he wanted to start a baseball publication that covered the game with a depth that no one had ever attempted. We always cite the de-emphasis of baseball at The Sporting News as an important factor in our birth—and it was—but the fact is that Allan's original vision outstripped TSN's coverage of baseball even at its most comprehensive Fri, 09 May 2008 15:07:44 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/column/2008/266019.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/independent-audit/2008/266017.html Feel like playing the odds? You can go put a dollar down on a Powerball ticket, or you can try to make the jump from independent baseball to the major leagues. There may be nothing more inspiring than Chris Coste's story. Undrafted out of college as a third baseman, he went to the Northern League, where Fargo-Moorhead manager Doug Simunic helped make him a catcher. After five years in independent ball, he made it to affiliated ball. After six more years in the minor leagues, he got the call to Philadelphia, where he's now in his third year as a catcher for the Phillies. He carries a career average of .314 in 363 major league at-bats, so it's clear that he's a case of a true talent who had been overlooked. It's a great story, but it's also about as rare as a big league knuckleballer. Fri, 09 May 2008 15:00:51 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/independent-audit/2008/266017.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2008/266053.html Padres left field/third base prospect Chase Headley had a slow start to the season, but after a strong week, the Portland Beaver leads off this week's Prospect Hot Sheet. Fri, 09 May 2008 11:32:31 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2008/266053.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/weekend-preview/2008/266051.html Georgia visits Vanderbilt in a showdown of the Southeastern Conference's best two teams, while Nebraska and Texas A&M square off in a similar situation in the Big 12. Aaron Fitt breaks down those series, the NCAA tournament picture for the Pac-10, a key ACC matchup and the nation's only undefeated team in the latest Weekend Preview. Fri, 09 May 2008 08:06:52 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/weekend-preview/2008/266051.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/independent-audit/2008/266052.html Mike Veeck, one of the architects of the modern independent baseball movement, has fully returned to the independent game by selling his ownership stake in three minor league clubs that are affiliated with major league organizations. Thu, 08 May 2008 23:15:16 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/independent-audit/2008/266052.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/high-school/high-heat/2008/266016.html With the draft just around the corner, news and information on the top prospects isn't hard to find. Guys like Pedro Alvarez, Brian Matusz and Eric Hosmer will be all over headlines and covers until they're picked. There are plenty of guys flying under the radar, however, that could be marquee picks in the early rounds of the draft on June 5. Outfielder Jaff Decker has simply dominated his competition in Peoria, Ariz., while righthander Tyler Sample has bounced back from Tommy John surgery to be a legitimate option coming out of Colorado. Thu, 08 May 2008 15:57:08 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/high-school/high-heat/2008/266016.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/news/2008/266049.html Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez have given the Reds a pair of solid young starters for the first time in years. Thu, 08 May 2008 14:35:07 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/news/2008/266049.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/prospect-pulse/2008/266048.html Here's a look at five players who missed the Baseball America Top 100 list who have some helium going forward after their strong starts. Thu, 08 May 2008 12:55:56 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/prospect-pulse/2008/266048.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/draft-dish/2008/266045.html The 2008 draft is unusual and exciting for scouting director Jack Zduriencik and the Brewers. Because Class A free-agent relievers Francisco Cordero (Reds) and Scott Linebrink (White Sox) signed with other clubs last winter, the Brewers picked up four extra picks before the end of the second round. A team that usually lacks picks has plenty of choices this year. Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:59 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/draft-dish/2008/266045.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/double-a/2008/265992.html Known more for his glove than his bat, Alcides Escobar fits the old-school profile of a defense-first shortstop. Thu, 08 May 2008 10:59:47 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/double-a/2008/265992.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/espn-chat/2008/266046.html Jim Callis handled a lot of draft questions in our weekly ESPN chat on May 7. Wed, 07 May 2008 15:01:33 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/espn-chat/2008/266046.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/low-class-a/2008/265995.html Ten days into the new season, Dayton Dragons teammates Todd Frazier and Brandon Waring were not just hitting opponents, they were clobbering them. Frazier, the shortstop out of Rutgers in his home state of New Jersey, failed to get a hit in one official at-bat in the opener, then connected in eight straight games to lift his batting average to .394. At one point, he was hitting .476. Wed, 07 May 2008 14:06:24 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/low-class-a/2008/265995.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/draft-dish/2008/266044.html Pedro Alvarez remains No. 1 in the new Draft Tracker, but several players are climbing draft boards, including Florida State catcher Buster Posey. Wed, 07 May 2008 10:06:25 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/draft-dish/2008/266044.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/college/column/2008/266020.html The Atlantic Coast Conference ain't what it used to be. The league expanded this decade in two stages, from a nine-team league to a 12-team super-conference. Football drove the expansion, of course, as Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech joined the league. Since then, Wake Forest—one of the smallest Division I football programs in the country—has played in the Bowl Championship Series, while Miami and Florida State (added in 1992) have slipped from national powers to mediocrity. Tue, 06 May 2008 13:11:06 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/college/column/2008/266020.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/triple-a/2008/266006.html The Padres place absolute faith in second baseman Matt Antonelli's ability and athleticism, even as he's started slowly with Triple-A Portland. Tue, 06 May 2008 08:49:03 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/minors/classification-reports/triple-a/2008/266006.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/prospect-bulletin/2008/266028.html After struggling through the first two games against Carolina, West Tenn center fielder Michael Saunders cranked it up a notch in the final two games against the Mudcats. Tue, 06 May 2008 08:33:02 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/prospect-bulletin/2008/266028.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/trade-central/2008/266027.html The Tigers shipped righthanded reliever Jason Grilli to the Rockies for minor league righthander Zach Simons in a May 1 trade. Mon, 05 May 2008 18:00:07 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/trade-central/2008/266027.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/chat/2008/266026.html We're getting close to tournament time, which makes every week's games even more important. Aaron Fitt answered questions about who's in and who has work to do. Mon, 05 May 2008 16:51:39 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/chat/2008/266026.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25-tracker/2008/266025.html Miami remains No. 1 for another week as Aaron Fitt recaps what happened in college baseball this weekend. Mon, 05 May 2008 13:59:51 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25-tracker/2008/266025.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/2008/266024.html Miami swept St. Mary's to improve its record to 39-5 and remain atop the Baseball America Top 25 Rankings for the fifth straight week. Arizona State won its series on the road against Pac-10 opponent UCLA to move up to the No. 3 spot. The Sun Devils were followed by Florida State, winner of a pair of games on the road against Clemson, and Nebraska, who swept Louisiana-Lafayette, at the Nos. 4 and 5 spots. Stanford lost a pair of midweek games against Santa Clara and UC Davis to slip to No. 6. Mon, 05 May 2008 12:13:28 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/2008/266024.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/news/2008/266023.html Salt Lake is not your typical Triple-A outfit. For one thing, they started the season by winning 23 of their 25 April contests, and for another, they've done it with young players. But according to manager Bobby Mitchell, winning and player development are intertwined. Mon, 05 May 2008 10:02:52 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/news/2008/266023.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2008/266022.html Why do teams adhere to MLB bonus slotting? What's the track record of recent high school catchers drafted in the first round? What's the upside for 2007 supplemental first-rounder Jackson Williams? Sun, 04 May 2008 21:03:45 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2008/266022.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/high-school/high-heat/2008/266047.html Once the high school season concludes toward the end of the spring, the summer showcase circuit will kick into gear. Underclassmen from all over the country will make their stops at camps in an effort to hone their skills and get noticed by college recruiters or professional scouts. However, some high school players will bypass the circuit and head to the beautiful beaches of the Dominican Republic to play on the diamonds and experience the culture of the baseball-rich Caribbean island. Sun, 04 May 2008 12:19:35 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/high-school/high-heat/2008/266047.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/organization-reports/new-york-yankees/2008/266005.html The Yankees reaffirmed their faith in righthander J. Brent Cox by moving him to Double-A Trenton a year after he had Tommy John surgery. Sat, 03 May 2008 15:29:30 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/organization-reports/new-york-yankees/2008/266005.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/organization-reports/new-york-mets/2008/266004.html Nick Evans was one of three Binghamton Mets vying for the organization's attention in case the club parts ways with first baseman Carlos Delgado. Sat, 03 May 2008 15:24:25 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majors/organization-reports/new-york-mets/2008/266004.html