Articles from April 2011

This Saturday I was able to see Josh Bell’s Jesuit Prep take on Richardson High at Jesuit, which is an absolutely immaculate baseball facility with a full turf playing surface, covered hitting tunnels, and a press box.  Clearly the tuition to attend the school must be through the roof.  I’m glad to see they are allocating funds appropriately.

While Texas 5A baseball is regarded as some of the finest high school ball in the country, aside from Bell, there was not a whole lot of interesting baseball being played, but I kind of figured that was going to be the case considering Jesuit was 23-5 and Richardson was 8-12 going into the game.  Nevertheless, Bell barreled up on three pitches, flying out to center in his first AB, grounding out sharply to short in his next, and lining through the right side for a single before drawing a bases-juiced BB.  He received no action defensively, but played center and was clearly the best athlete on the field today.  Bell is a product of the Dallas Patriots club system, so he has been raised in an environment capable of training a talent of this caliber.

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Kaleb Cowart entered the draft in 2010 as a guy who was perceived differently between organizations.  As is the case with all exceptional two-way guys, the question ultimately comes down to which spot will allow the player to reach the big leagues faster.  Here’s why: if the player can reach the bigs fast enough but then fails, the other option now becomes the only option.  Rick Ankiel, Tim Wakefield, Joe Savery, Matt Bush, and Mike Dunn all share a common history, they tried and failed to stick with the role their organizations drafted them to fill.  Now they all are seeing varying levels of success at roles the organizations did not initially feel fit the player or team best.

Cowart currently is trying his luck at third with the Angels and is likely to start the year in Single A.  As an 18-year-old, Cowart was one of the youngest players in his draft class and has terrific power and arm tools.  His hands at third play at average and his feet are good enough, but he is never moving back to a MIF position.  His hit tool grading lags behind the power, but he is athletic and has a chance to pick it up quickly now that he is a baseball player every day and not a student-athlete.

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The Golden Sombrero presents MLB Look-alikes: Jonny Gomes and Russell Hantz

Exactly why he was moved to the leadoff spot for Friday’s game

Top 1: Andrew McCutchen called out on strikes against Bronson Arroyo

Top 2: Called out on strikes against Arroyo

Top 4: Struck out swinging against Arroyo

Top 5: Struck out swinging against Matt Maloney

Top 8: Reaches on error by Edgar Renteria

Final Line: 0-5, 4 strikeouts

Notes: This is the second consecutive sombrero by a leadoff hitter

Total 2011 Sombreros: 7

The Los Angeles Angels drafted Kaleb Cowart with the eighteenth overall pick in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft.  In his senior year at Cook High School in Georgia, the 18-year-old put together a phenomenal season, both at the plate and on the bump, and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year.

A switch-hitter, Cowart hit .654 (second highest in state history) with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and 55 runs.  Futhermore, he posted a 1.206 slugging percentage and .721 on-base percentage — that’s right, a 1.927 OPS — while swiping 36/36 bags.

On the mound, the 6-foot-3 right-hander went 10-1 with a 1.05 ERA in 71 innings, amassing 116 strikeouts and recording a save.