I recently returned to Dallas after a spring break that took me to Scottsdale and Farmington to visit the people I love as well as to visit a residency that hopefully I will be a part of once I graduate from dental school.  During my time off I was able to watch several Cactus League games at the finest baseball venue on the planet: Salt River.  Holy shit.  That place makes Camelback look like a JV complex.  After a decade in Tucson, the Rox and Diamondbacks deserve this place.

When I got home Griff allowed me to work out his C-Team guys in the infield and at the dish for a couple of days.  I was able to watch his guys play Durango (CO) High’s C squad a couple times later in the week.  A friend and former teammate of ours manages the DHS boys, and that entire program is doing a terrific job in no small part due to what he brings to the lower levels.  It was a great little break from the daily grind of dental school, and it reminded me of what makes this time of year so special.

I was fortunate enough to watch some of the younger guys for Arizona and Colorado take part in an afternoon Minor League contest on some of the practice fields at Salt River, and it was easy to see in their faces how grateful they were to be doing what they were for a living.  They were nearly all around 3 or 4 years, if ever, from breaking camp with the big club, but that was nowhere to be seen in the way they carried themselves regardless of the fact that it was Minor League Spring Training.

Over on the big field, Colorado utility guy and fellow New Mexican, Jordan Pacheco, was demolishing Cactus League pitching as he has done all spring.  It would take a real group of idiots to send this guy back to Triple-A.  He represented the state, as he has always done, spectacularly.  With upwards of five New Mexican players cracking Major League rosters this spring, there’s never been a better time to grow up a ballplayer back home.

As I worked out Griff’s boys, it was obvious how into the game the youth around Farmington is today.  Farmington High and Piedra Vista are the two best AAAA teams in the state and probably the two best regardless of class.  Shilo McCall (PVHS) is now the top draft prospect statewide following an Alex Bregman (Abq. Academy) hand injury.  PV defeated several very high quality teams in Phoenix last week including nationally ranked Santa Fe High (OK), and both Farmington schools are poised for what will prove to be a dogfight of a district season.

Perhaps the one thing that stuck out in my mind the most vibrantly while I was home was the generational aspect of the game.  Several of Griff’s kids have family members that I either played with or against or even watched as a kid myself.  Two good friends and former teammates watched the births of their first children this month as well.  This time of year reminds us all to look positively toward the future and toward the upcoming months and to treat today as exactly what it is: an opportunity to grow within the game and within life that we will never get back.  It reminds us that last season, last month, and yesterday are all distant memories and that today and every single day after it deserve to be approached positively.  Also, the weather in the desert southwest in March cannot be beat.

Perhaps the most accomplished position player in the history of San Juan County, Piedra Vista HS and Strike Zone Cardinal CF, Shilo McCall, has verbally committed to Arkansas.  McCall is an excellent student with elite tools across the board.  At 6-foot-1 and 210-pounds, and just 17 years of age, Shilo is one of the more imposing players on any diamond he plays.  His mechanics have always been sound as he takes a very direct path to contact with excellent weight transfer.  Everything Shilo does on the offensive side of the ball is exceptional as he also has run 60’s in the 6.5 to 6.6 range.

Shilo still has room to grow as a player, particularly on the defensive end.  His actions in the outfield are representative of a player who is still somewhat new to an everyday outfield role.  Some have suggested that his tools play better in left, but with obvious speed and the ability to improve in terms of jumps on the ball, there is no reason that Shilo cannot stay in center.  There is also no reason that his arm can’t tick up to a point that he can be an everyday right fielder.

I’ve heard from pretty reliable sources that Shilo has a chance to get inside the top three rounds of the draft, so hopefully he is left with a very difficult choice to make this summer.  Now that he has a career in the SEC as leverage, something tells me that his stock is rising.  Good luck and congratulations!

As far as tools go, it is blatantly obvious why Albert Almora is regarded so highly as a prospect.  Everything he does is fluid and athletic.  His arm was only tested once, but he fired a rocket to third on a liner headed into the right-center gap.  He got a terrific jump on a deep drive straight back that he was able to reach effortlessly and in stride at the track for the out.  His bat appeared very average Friday night, however, against South Troy’s Dave Roseboom, who is here for the second time as he was a member of the Dodgers as a rising junior in 2009 as well.  Roseboom never allowed Almora to square up a pitch as he was 86-89 mph with excellent fade, a plus change, and a useable curveball, all with outstanding command.  Roseboom will join the Spartans of South Caroline-Upstate in the fall and demonstrated far more polish than is typically seen from a starter here at the CMWS.

David Thompson had more success against the southpaw, but has several noticeable flaws at the plate and in the field.  Thompson lands heavily and leaks a lot against his front side.  As a result his swing is all arms against secondary stuff or even fastballs with moderate fade.  He does not take a direct path to contact and has a tendency to hit around pitches from underneath pitches.  He hit the ball hard a couple of times, but never hit anything to the forehand side of the 3B as a result of his arcing bat track.  In the field he had the softest 3B arm of the night with a low slot and poor carry.  His hands and feet are fine there, but his slot will have to come up some to stay at third professionally.  Nevertheless, only one hitter Friday night showed more bat speed than Thompson, and it was Farmington’s own Shilo McCall.  McCall displayed a plus arm during pregame infield and plus range on a ball into the left-center gap that he snagged on a sprint over the shoulder near the track.  He showed the ability to drive the ball both ways at the plate as well.

The Cards’ Dillon Bibo went deep the other way to give them the lead and also beat out an infield single in his first AB.  Mike Bernal showed the feet, glove, and arm necessary to stay on the left side of the infield.  Joe Cervantes crushed a ball the other way against a same-side arm for extra bases and showed an arm capable of staying at third.  Dominic Moreno’s fastball flashed 90 mph a couple of times, but worked mostly in the 86-88 mph range with quality command to the bottom of the zone with arm-side life and sink.  His secondary stuff was not as accurate as it can be, but he never really needed it to be more against Puerto Rico.  More impressive performances are sure to come as Ricketts is scheduled for three games on Saturday.

Last year’s Connie Mack World Series featured perhaps the finest collection of amateur pitching the tournament has ever featured.  This group of horses included Lucas Jackson of the Florida Legends (Rangers-supplemental round, 2010), Jake McCasland of the Strike Zone Cardinals (UNM, offered and turned down 2^nd round money), Adrian Houser of the Strike Zone Cardinals (Astros-2^nd round, 2011), Dylan Bundy of the DBAT Mustangs (Orioles-4^th overall, 2011), Dillon Howard of Midland (Indians-2^nd round, 2011), Archie Bradley of DBAT (Diamondbacks-7^th overall, 2011), and Daniel Norris of the East Cobb Yankees (Blue Jays-2^nd round, 2011).  Last year’s pitcher heavy CMWS produced plenty of low-scoring games and a disproportionately high amount of strikeouts.  It was very exciting as a coach and fan to witness these talented arms knowing that a finer group of prep pitchers had likely never been in Farmington before.  Which players have the highest ceiling at this year’s CMWS?

As mentioned previously, the Legends return with new management and a new financial situation, but the talent level is still through the roof led by Albert Almora and David Thompson, both 2012 HS grads and both committed to Miami.  Almora is an easy plus hitter with terrific speed and an arm capable of a RF job professionally, where his foot speed will play up a bit.  Almora has a projectable frame and enough loft in his swing currently to hit for plus power in the future.  Long story short, I highly doubt he falls out of the first round come June.  Thompson is a tougher player to call because he likely will be a 3B in the pros despite playing a number of innings at both left-side infield spots as a prep player.  He may not have the arm to be on the left side of the infield professionally, but his hit and power tools are both good enough to slide to left.  Personally, I’d prefer that he gets a shot to stay at short until he absolutely must move, but that’s how I feel about just about everyone who has even a semblance of a shot to stay at short.  Thompson is easily one of the best rising seniors in the United States.

Midland is bringing a pair of giants who both project as top of the draft arms in 6’8” lefty Matt Smoral (committed to UNC) and 6’10” righty Taylore Cherry (also committed to UNC).  Cherry and Smoral can both reach the mid-90s with live fastballs with good bite on breaking pitches.  Cherry throws more of a 10/4 or 11/5 true curveball while Smoral throws a low to mid-80s slider due to a lower slot.  Both are good athletes who repeat their deliveries well, and those bodies are worth millions in signing bonus dollars, although Smoral has the more projectable build. Both pitchers will be heavily scouted this year prior to the draft, and Farmington is sure to appreciate their quality arms.

DBAT righty Jack Moffitt can reach the low-90s with his fastball with great arm-side action and good command.  His delivery is clean and consistent with an athletic ¾ slot.  His curveball is tight and more of the 11 to 5 variety.  His changeup is behind the breaker, and he tends to slow his delivery a bit with it, but it has a chance to be an effective third pitch.  Rising junior infielder Niko Buentello is also an exciting young player with a lot of upside in the field and with the bat.  He is the only 16-year old on the DBAT club and one of the few in the entire tournament.

The Strike Zone Cardinals possess a potential helium guy in Shilo McCall. McCall turned a lot of heads when he ran a 6.6 60 at the Perfect Game Nationals as a 6’1”, 205 lb. 16-year old.  He will be one of the youngest draft eligible players at the CMWS and nationwide.  His hit tool and power tool are very strong with a lot of projection.  Shilo’s arm is at least a 50 now with a chance at a 55-60 in the future, which means he could slide to right as well.  Shilo has quality makeup and the talent and head to achieve a lot in the game.  He is without question the best position player Farmington has produced since Casey Andrews (FHS 2001) and quite possibly the best yet.

The CMWS has helped launch the careers of a lot of young players as they attempt to take their games beyond the prep ranks, and 2011’s tourney will surely be no different.  The Series is not typical of national recruiting events because the scores of the game actually matter.  The national showcase circuit has its pros and cons, but the biggest con is the fact that there exists no team atmosphere at many of these events.  Baseball is a sport to be won and lost as a team beyond anything else, and the CMWS reflects this more than any other club tournament in the United States, year after year.  These are just a handful of the most highly regarded participants in 2011’s Series with likely dozens of other top recruits and draft prospects also gearing up for the week ahead.  I’m psyched.

With the Connie Mack World Series slated to begin Friday night at Ricketts Park, the city of Farmington is once again beginning to stir with baseball anticipation.  The tournament is again loaded with a collection of national powerhouse clubs including the Legends from Miami, the Midland Redskins, South Troy Dodgers, and Arizona Firebirds.  The Series is also welcoming several newcomers like the Murfreesboro Diamondbacks, who accomplished the near impossible last week in the Southeast regional when they knocked off both the East Cobb Yankees and Florida Bombers.

The East Cobb Yankees organization has a tremendous following in Farmington, a product of the tourney’s host family tradition, and the fact that they have been here practically every August since the mid-90’s.  They surely will be missed, but Farmington always welcomes talent regardless of what uniform it is wearing, and the town is very excited to watch the group of 17-year olds from Tennessee that were able to win one of the toughest regionals in the country.  Also headed to the Series for the first time are the Arecibo Lobos from Puerto Rico, who open up Friday in the nightcap against the host Strike Zone Cardinals from Farmington and Farmington’s own Dominic Moreno, who will be on the mound for the home squad.

Moreno is no stranger to the World Series spotlight as he took the ball last year for the Cards against the Firebirds in an elimination game.  Moreno, signed at 2009 JUCO national champion Howard College, features a fastball that reaches the low-90s and two quality secondary pitches in the form of a breaker and changeup – the latter of which is the pitch to get excited about.  While the Legends take on South Troy in the early game Friday, there is a realistic chance that the best arm of Friday night will belong to Moreno.  Saturday’s match ups include Midland vs. the Danville Hoots, Murfreesboro against Sam Carpenter’s D-BAT Mustangs, and the Firebirds taking on the Ann Arbor Travelers, a newcomer but with a coaching staff that is no stranger to Farmington.

Travelers’ coach Jordan Banfield was a member of the Ann Arbor Braves, the last group from Ann Arbor to make it to Farmington, in 2005.  That squad featured 2005 Gatorade Player of the Year Zach Putnam, currently a reliever in Triple-A for Cleveland.  This Ann Arbor bunch features similar talent and several major conference signees, including three early commits in Daniel McKinney, Travis Maezes, and Jason Gamble.  Of these three, Maezes has the highest ceiling featuring at least three average or better tools in the form of his bat, feet, and arm as a position player, and a low-90s fastball on the bump.

Sam Carpenter is once again on his way to Farmington for his zillionth CMWS appearance despite missing last year’s event.  Instead the top 17-year old DBAT squad was able to win the tough 2010 South Plains regional.  That group featured Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley, the 4^th and 7^th players selected in June’s MLB draft.  Neither has signed yet, but they will both make well over $5 million.  This year’s DBAT Mustangs are essentially last year’s team minus those two arms.  They still feature premier talent like CF Adam Toth, who is signed at Baylor.  They will not, however, be featuring last year’s SS, Mike Bernal.  Bernal of El Paso instead is the SS for the host Cardinals.  Bernal (signed at OK State) hits third for the Cards in front of CF Shilo McCall, who could very well also commit to a major conference university in the next couple of months.

The Redskins again feature a tremendous pitching staff of nothing but flamethrowers; three pitchers 6’8” or over (Chase Mullins, Matt Smoral, Taylore Cherry), who feature fastballs that reach the mid-90s, as well as Dillon Howard, Cleveland’s 2^nd round pick.  Danville is making its second trip in three years after qualifying in 2009, the first time a team from northern California had done so in decades at the time.  Since winning the West in 2009, Danville has emerged as a premier national organization with appearances in many of the top club events.  Their lineup features lefty and University of San Diego commit Robert Martinez, who got the win in the regional final against the 2001 West regional champs, the Orange County Renegades.  Martinez features excellent command of a high-80s fastball with decent arm-side action as well as a tight bender, which also can command well to both sides of the plate.  His changeup lacks fade, but he maintains arm speed with it, and a commandable changeup is a must to win in the high elevation in northern New Mexico.  He very well could take the ball against Midland at noon on Saturday.

The Dodgers from South Troy have become the premier organization in the northeastern United States, as have the Arizona Firebirds in the desert southwest.  The Dodgers won a nail-biter in the regional finals against last year’s CMWS representatives, the Ontario Blue Jays, 5-4.  The Firebirds won one of two national qualifier events in Phoenix, thereby bypassing the formidable West regional.  The other national qualifier took place in New Jersey and was won by the Florida Legends, who bypassed the Southeast Regional in the process.  The Dodgers, Legends, and Firebirds all know what it takes to play deep into the week here in Farmington as Arizona won the CMWS in 2006, South Troy played for the title in 2000, and the Legends have played into the semifinals three times.  This year’s Legends group is under new management and has a new financial situation, but the talent is still there.  The 2011 Legends feature 3B David Thompson, who is headed to Miami, and CF Albert Almora, who has a chance at the 2012 first-round and is also headed to Miami.

This is going to be a tremendously exciting week of baseball as it always is.  I can’t wait.  We here at the Sombrero will certainly miss Griffin Phelps managing the host squad.  He led last year’s Cardinals to the finest showing a host team had produced in a decade, but hopefully the Cardinals can continue to succeed in the way they did under Griff.  With players like Bernal, Moreno, and Shilo McCall, they certainly have the talent.  Best of luck to all of the tournament’s participants!

Go Cards!