From November 9-16 is the National Letter of Intent early signing period for NCAA D1 and D2 programs that participate in the NLI program.  During this period the college programs are sending out the Letters of Intent, along with scholarship papers.  They can mail them, express mail them, send them by courier, fax them, email them or the player could even get an NLI while on campus on an official visit or unofficial visit.  Players have to sign and send back the NLI (can be faxed back or emailed as an attachment as long as it is signed) and scholarship agreement in the early signing period, which for this year is November 9-16th.  Players have 14 days to sign the NLI, from the date of issuance, provided it was received within the early signing period.

Ok, that is a bit about National Letter of Intent.  If you have more questions or want more information, go to www.National-Letter.org and you can get your fill of info.

If you are a player who signs this year or are the parent or coach or friend, whatever, of a player who will sign and I don't have that player in the D1 commitment list at www.BayAreaWorldSeries.com, please drop me a line to let me know. 

Good luck and congrats to all who sign and have realized a dream.  To those who are still in the recruiting process, STAY PATIENT!  Be Proactive and make yourself known by having a great spring and working to get the attention of coaches.

Ok, so I live in Northern California and you likely care a whole lot more about the Giants, for good reason.  Heck, you might even like the A's and if so, good for you.  However, I am a Cubs fan and they have issues, BIG issues, and those issues are on my mind.  Lots of talk about them signing Prince Fielder but I think that would be a mistake, not because he isn't a great run producer, he is, but because for as much as it will cost to sign him, they could spread that money around and be a better team.  Plus, if you are giving $23M to a 1st baseman, I want that guy to also win a gold glove and not just be a serviceable defender. 

Here is the plan... and I really have no idea if the finances would work but I think more quality depth is built with this plan than throwing $23M at Fielder.

SS - They are set with Starlin Castro but they need a better fielding 1st baseman due to his throwing errors. 

C - Apparently they are set with Geovany Soto but I wish they weren't. 

LF - Like it or not, Soriano is there, but put a good team around him and he is a good player to have.  Have him as the focal point and well... he isn't that player. 

CF - Currently Marlon Byrd is there and though I have no real issues with Byrd, I would rather see a better defender there and one who could hit at the top of the order.  Coco Crisp would be interesting but he doesn't have great OBP% skills.  Would LOVE Byrd as the 4th OF and play him almost as a semi-regular, spelling Soriano and Beltran and Crisp... each of whom tends to get hurt (more on Beltran later).

2B - It looks like Darwin Barney is penciled in at 2nd base and I like Barney but they need more from that position on offense.  He is a contact hitter and a good one but doesn't steal bases and without a lead-off guy who can get on, well Barney's strengths are useless in the 2-hole.  Maybe he is fine if he is in the 8-hole. 

Rotation - Dempster is back, I think.  Garza is back and is a legit #2 with #1 stuff.  Zambrano and Wells are under contract and I think if the team is strong enough then Zambrano's issues kind of go away.  Then again, he has a ton of mileage and is morphing into a crafty guy as opposed to a power pitcher.  Would like to see them sign some legit sinkerballers like Garland or Pineiro or even Marquis and though he is overrated and going to be too expensive, CJ Wilson would be a good fit in Wrigley.  Wells, well, blah.

3B - No one on the active roster is good enough.  Go sign Michael Cuddyer.  He is a good run producer and is known as a great clubhouse guy.

1B - Bring back Carlos Pena.  Great fielder, good clubhouse guy, LHH power and if he can be put in the 5 or 6-hole, he fits.

RF - Would like to see some LHH power in that spot.  Colvin doesn't seem like he will make it and though I think he is a detriment defensively, Jason Kubel would be good there and though I worry about the health and age, Carlos Beltran would be an interesting guy for RF.

Bullpen - They are committed to Marmol so a good new pitching coach is a major key (more on that in a bit)... Wood would come back on the cheap and he is fine as a 7th inning guy.  Marshall is good, no issues there.  I would be interested in seeing Ryan Madson in a Cubs uniform.

Manager - This is where they could skin two cats with one guy... Mike Maddux.  They get him, they sign Wilson, and they then let Maddux go to work on Marmol, Samardzija, Cashner, Mateo, Wood, Zambrano and in bringing out the ace that is within Matt Garza. 

Line-up

1. Crisp (S) - CF

2. Barney (R) - 2B

3. Castro (R) - SS

4. Beltran (S) - RF (Kubel as a 2nd option)

5. Cuddyer (R) - 3B

6. Pena (L) - 1B

7. Soriano (R) - LF

8. Soto (R) - C

Rotation - Garza, Wilson, Dempster, Zambrano, Garland (or Pineiro or Marquis)

Bullpen - Closer/Madson, 8th/Marmol, 7th/Marshall-Wood, Samardzija, Cashner (he could also factor into the rotation), Maine

Bench - Byrd, DeWitt, Hill, Baker, Colvin, Campana

After the early signing period, the following players remain unsigned and/or uncommitted.

Of course the players I have listed are not the only good players who are uncommitted.  These are just many that played in BAWS 2011 and some others that were on the NTIS team I coached in North Carolina in September. 

- RHP Chris Sauls, Central Catholic HS – Sauls is one of my favorite pitchers to scout.  He is a relentless competitor and he is an attacking type of pitcher who knows how to use his high quality secondary pitches to finish hitters.  I’ve seen his FB peak at 88 but with his arm speed/strength and quarterback background, I expect the velocity to come along soon. UPDATE: Saw him Nov. 6 and though he has been playing QB all fall and not pitched, he came out and was 84-85 mph and as always, brought that great CB with him.  Frankly, of 96 pitchers at the showcase, he had one of the top 2-3 breaking balls, no doubt and though his grades are not Stanford worthy, he was noticed by the Stanford coach I was sittting next to.

- RHP Brett Solano, Westmont HS – Solano is not the biggest pitching prospect but he has one of the quicker arms in the 2012 class.  His fastball peaked at 88 mph last June and as he physically matures, there is certainly low-90s in that arm someday.  His secondary stuff is also projectable and as he learns to slow down a bit and just execute good pitches, he could really take off.

- RHP/1B Cameron Stewart, Valley Christian HS – Stewart is one of the more noticeable prospects in the area, with his 6’8” athletically built frame.  I am not sure yet whether I like him more on the mound or as a hitter.  Generally very tall hitters really struggle as they move up to higher levels, which makes me think pitching is more likely in his future.  He does have raw power and a nice swing though and from the left side.  As for the pitching, he can get into the mid-upper 80s but the promise of more to come.

- LHP/1B/OF Matthew Valencia, Escalon HS – Valencia is a good player, no matter where he is on the field.  He is a good pitcher, despite lacking BIG velocity and he can carve up a good, aggressive line-up with his FB command, solid change-up and excellent breaking ball.  Offensively he has some pop from the left side and good timing at the plate.  As a defender he is versatile, with the ability to play both 1^st base and a corner outfield spot in at least average fashion.  VERY good and underrated player.

- 2B/OF Jake Villa, Las Lomas HS – Villa is a good hitting prospect because he is a good present day hitter.  There really aren’t many more kids in the 2012 high school class who I feel better about with the bat than him.  See him on his best days and you feel he has “hitterish” qualities.  The question is whether you can play him at 2^nd base, where he would really fit nicely.  However, he has some work to do to be a serviceable 2^nd baseman beyond the high school level.

- SS/OF Orey Wafford, Aptos HS – Wafford falls into the tweener category for prospects.  He is a good athlete but not a standout one.  He runs well but is not a plus runner.  He has a good arm but not a plus arm. He is a solid infielder and outfielder but you tend to think he has work to do to stick in the infield.  He has bat speed but is still gaining strength.  All that adds up to a player who HAS tools that could POP in about his second year of college and make us all notice him.

- RHP Jimmy Wallace, Bellarmine Prep - Wallace has a good arm and has been pretty well known to college coaches since he was a freshman.  He hasn't done a lot since then to really turn those same coaches on but he does have talent, good size, and his fastball has enough on it to fairly project him.  There is certainly something there to work with and a good pitching coach could do some good things with Wallace at the college level.

- SS Marcus Williams, Bishop O’Dowd HS – Williams is a smooth glove man who knows what to do with the bat.  He is still not as physically mature as many of his peers but as he gets stronger his game is going to come on and with that he will bring his steady, smooth infield play, which is already strong.  Williams goes about his business like a young pro and provides a calming influence in the infield and in the dugout.  He was on our NTIS team for his glove and he didn’t disappoint defensively while also providing more offense than we expected.

After the early signing period the following players remain unsigned/uncommimtted.

- C/1B Tyler Kiefer, Wilcox HS - To me, Kiefer is the most impactful high school hitter in the 2012 class.  Having seen him at BAWS two years in a row, he routinely squared up pitches and consistently drove the ball to all fields.  He is a big kid but a good athlete with light feet.  His tools translate well to the catching position but he can also be serviceable, maybe even above average, at 1st base.

- C Conner Martin, Willow Glen HS - As a big, powerful lefthanded hitting catcher, Martin HAS to be getting recruiting attention.  He also possesses a strong arm so he has the two things pro scouts look for in catchers, power and a strong arm and furthermore, he hits from the left side.  He isn't the best defender behind the plate and I am not sold on his ability to hit for average but he has talent. UPDATE: Saw him Nov. 6 and he struggled, with the glove and really struggled against LHP.  Tools remain the same though.

- OF Dylan Mayer, Menlo School - Mayer reminds me of former Bellarmine & Cal outfielder Mark Canha.  He is a strong, sturdy player with some power and some speed and the ability to play good outfield defense.  Mayer is a tremendous student and from what I am told by those around him, he is a very good athlete.  I do think he will hit and hit for some power in college.

- 1B/OF Travis McDow, St. Ignatius Prep - McDow has a couple of things going for him that are sorely needed on a college baseball team... he has legitimate raw power and he brings leadership qualities that have come from being a highly integral part of a good high school football team for a couple seasons.  McDow has a GREAT physical presence and when he gets a chance to play baseball exclusively I think he will take off.  There is some development time that will have to be put into him during college and the reward could be a 4-5 hole hitter with POWER.

- INF Nick McGrew, Valley Christian HS - McGrew is a highly talented athlete and that athleticism really transfers to his defensive play.  McGrew has a chance to make an immediate impact with his defense at the college level and he has enough offensive ability to survive early in his career before he settles in. 

- C Nolan O'Such, Los Altos HS - Much like Martin, O'Such has tools that stand out for a catcher.  He has power (R/R) and has a strong arm.  He is a fairly good receiver and I like his hands.  All young catchers can be better with their technique and as O'Such gets coached and continues to shape his big frame, he certainly has a chance to be an impactful player at the college level.

- INF/OF Dylan Parks, Petaluma HS - Of all the uncommitted players in the 2012 class, I think Parks bat has a chance to be the most impactful  He has great hitting hands, he has plus bat speed and he has power to all fields.  Parks creates leverage in his swing and knows how to control the bat head.  He is a SS for his high school team and his arm fits there but his footwork might eventually have him somewhere else.  Bet on his bat and worry about the rest later.  He is a high level football player and brings that mentality to a baseball team, which I like. UPDATE: Saw him Nov. 6 and though he has been really banged up during a grueling football season and not played baseball all fall, he came out and had two highly competitive at-bats while facing two tough RHP.  He is not always pretty but he competes at the plate and has a chance to do damage each time up.  He reminds me of former USF star Stefan Gartrell when Stef was a high school senior.  Very similar hitters at that age.  Stef is now in AAA with Atlanta and has been hitting LOTS of homers in the minors the last 3-4 years.  Parks is a talent and with 3.7 GPA, 1720 SAT and some AP courses, he is a great combo of a true student-athlete.

- MIF Chris Robertson, Monte Vista HS - After the 2016 college baseball season is over I think we will have learned that Robertson was a VERY good college player.  He does all that we look for from a 2nd baseman at the college level.  As a lefthanded hitter he can handle the bat and be part of a good offense.  He runs pretty well and is an above average defensive player and with his OUTSTANDING academics, I would think colleges would be lining up to have Robertson part of their programs.  He might not be a star but he is a winning type of player.

After the early signing period, all of these players are still not signed or committed.  Some are because of academics and I understand that but for a couple of them, for instance Ti DeMeo, I have no idea why they remain unsigned. 

- OF B.J. Boyd, Palo Alto HS - Boyd is one of the most tooled high school players in the area and for that matter, one of the most tooled players regardless of high school or college players.  He is also an outstanding football player and that could be complicating matters for the baseball programs.  Boyd will also be scouted heavily for the draft next June.  I have been told that his grades are an issue but can't confirm that.

- RHP James Carter, San Ramon Valley HS - Carter is one of the harder throwers among uncommitted seniors but his lack of a consistent breaking ball has likley put him on the "wait and see" list for many schools.  However, I would not be surprised to see him have a chance to sign this fall. UPDATE: had email with Carter, he said he has heard from many schools but his grades have been a factor.

- 3B Daniel Comstock, Petaluma HS - Comstock is not a household name and doesn't really make a college coach leap out of his seat but having seen him play quite a bit, I know he can hit and is a solid defender.  I actually think he is as good a bet to be a good college hitter as just about any high school player in the 2012 class. UPDATE: Saw him on Sunday Nov. 6 and he was catching (looked good) and again showed that he can handle the bat. 

- OF Ti DeMeo, Santa Cruz HS - Speaking of tooled players, DeMeo is among the most toolsy and physically gifted players in the area.  He also has the type of body that gets attention.  When all is said and done, he might be favored MORE by the scouts than the colleges.  DeMeo reminds me of former Aptos HS centerfielder Bobby Crocker, who went high to the A's out of college. UPDATE: Saw him on Sunday Nov. 6 and still for the life of me can't figure out why he is uncommitted. Was talking to a part-time MLB scout and he was FLOORED to know that DeMeo was uncommitted and he 100% agreed with the Crocker comparison.

- RHP Ben Eckels, Davis HS - Eckels is among the most talented HS pitchers in the area and good enough to sign with any D1 program in the nation.  His academics are not quite the caliber of his talent so many schools haven't been about to recruit him.  I would think there are a few though that are able to get him into school and if he does go to school, well, he has All-American caliber ability.

- 1B David Elzig, Alameda HS - Like Comstock, Elzig is not real well known but he CAN HIT and he does it from the left side.  He is also a good fielder and really knows how to play the game.  For me, Elzig compares VERY favorably to a player who many schools were after heavily, De La Salle HS 1B/C Mitchell Kranson, who played in the summer for NorCal.  Though Elzig played for the Hoots, a well known and reputable summer program, somehow he has not been liked enough to get an opportunity yet. 

- 2B Chris Fornaci, De La Salle HS - There isn't anything particularly sexy about Fornaci other than his consistent hitting production, both at the high school level and in summer ball, where he has routinely out-hit his more highly recruited teammates, many of whom will be signing in two weeks.  Word is that Fornaci has started to grow and physically mature some more this fall and is really hammering the ball now.  UPDATE: Saw him Nov. 6 and he IS more physical and the ball was coming off his bat well.  I think this kid will have a BIG spring with the bat.

- OF Steven Golden, San Lorenzo HS - One of the more athletically gifted players in California, Golden drew lots of attention during the summer and was seen quite a bit last year when he was at St. Francis HS.  He can really run, has bat speed and athletically he is very projectable.  He can be better as an outfielder.  It very well could be that colleges are scared off because he is not quite ready yet (lacks polish) but more than likely it is because it is very likely that Golden is going to be heavily scouted by scouts in the spring and colleges might believe he won't end up in school.  I have no idea what his grades are like.

- OF Michael Jenkerson, Willow Glen HS - Jenkerson is one of the very best defensive outfielders in Northern CA and he is a good athlete (WR in football and a good one) who has the capabilities to become a very solid contact hitter at the college level.  He might fall just a bit short of having the tools to be an early sign guy but he has very real value. UPDATE: Saw him Nov. 6 and he was STELLAR on defense, played with great energy (was beating the 2nd baseman off the field) and showed his short, contact oriented stroke, reaching base twice in two strike counts, once with a LD to center and once with an infield hit.  Though he doesn't have the grades for Stanford, the Stanford coach noticed his play and mentioned it to me.

- RHP Daniel Jensen, Redwood Christian HS - The BAWS Most Outstanding Pitcher remains uncommitted and it is likely because he wasn't in the upper-80s range with the FB when seen at BAWS 2011 last June and like it or not, that darn radar gun tends to get way too much attention from an awful lot of college coaches.  Jensen is a good pitcher with good size and hopefully does his thing in the spring and gets his opportunity.  - NOTE: Jensen emailed me the other day and said he has started to get around the 89-90 mph range (says it happened last weekend and says he peaked at 92 in a bullpen... I cannot confirm that however.  Like I said, he sent me an email).

At the end of August the USA 16U National Team took down Cuba, 9-0, to win the gold medal at the 2011 IBAF World 'AA'/16U Youth Championships in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico.  The 16U team had five players from Northern California and among the regular position players one of them had the highest batting average, INF Bryson Brigman (2014) of Valley Christian HS.

The other players on the team were RHP Joe DeMers (2015) of College Park HS, RHP Steven Farinaro (2013) of Head-Royce, OF Hunter Mecado-Hood (2013) of De La Salle HS, and INF Dom Nunez (2013) of Elk Grove HS.  The team had 20 players on it which means that 25% of the team was from our area.  Quite impressive, no doubt. Farinaro and Nunez have both already given verbal commitments to UCLA.

Here is a link to the cumulative stats of the team.  Brigman hit .583 in 36 at-bats, with two doubles, a triple and 12 RBI.  He tied for the team lead in runs scored with 16.  He was 5-5 in stolen bases and didn't strike out even once.  Mercado-Hood hit .400 in 10 at-bats.  Having seen Nunez play, I am surprised to see that in 25 at-bats (8 games played) he hit only .200, though he did have a double and a triple.  Then again, 25 at-bats is a small sample size and he did walk eight times, with only four strikeouts.

As for the pitchers, DeMers threw four innings and though he gave up four runs, only one was earned, for a 2.25 ERA.  He did give up seven hits and walked three so it would appear he was consistently having to pitch around trouble.  He struck out five in those four innings.  DeMers did go 2-3 at the plate too.  Farinaro pitched in two games and started one of them.  He threw six innings, gave up eight runs, six earned, for a 9.00 ERA.  He walked three and struck out five and the big issue for him was that he gave up three doubles and a triple.  

Congrats to all five players for making that team, a tremendous accomplishment itself and furthermore, for helping the team bring home the gold medal!  What an experience that had to be for those kids.

In September (9th-11th) I had the opportunity to be one of the coaches of a 17U team that competed at the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series tournament at the USA Baseball complex in Cary, North Carolina.  Team Northern California went 3-0 in the event, defeating North Texas, Midwest, and Northwest.  Our team was made up of players chosen from the 17U NTIS Prospect Games (Northern CA), which took place at Cal State Monterey Bay (Seaside, CA) August 12-14.  The other coach with me was Nate Trosky, of Trosky Baseball.

Pitching was a strength of our team and two of our pitchers were selected to compete in the 18U National Team trials next summer (only 8 players from the 17U tourney were selected), 2012 RHP Chris Flexen (Newark Memorial HS) and 2012 RHP Ben Eckels (Davis HS).  Flexen will be signing with Arizona State in during the early signing period and as of right now, Eckels is uncommitted, though not because of a lack of talent.

Both Flexen and Eckels are going to get top 10 round draft attention too, based on their ability.  Both have full repertoires, including feel and usability of their breaking balls and change-ups.  Eckels peaks a little higher with a fastball up to 93 mph and Flexen generally peaks around 90-91 mph on his best days. Both are HIGHLY competitive kids and both have strong pitching/baseball IQs.  Both are EXTREMELY fun to watch pitch and I would have both on any team or in any organization I was associated with.

However, when all is said and done, the pitcher on our team who has the highest physical ceiling was 2013 RHP Eric Nielsen (Dublin HS).  Nielsen is a 6'8" 230 lb young man who is a reportedly a pretty good basketball player but he has a chance to be an exceptional pitching prospect.  He sat in the 90-94 mph range (two outings, three total innings, unscored on) and he only drops down near 90 when his delivery timing is off... and therein lies some of the intrigue or issue with Nielsen as a prospect, depending on your perspective (a college coach might shy from him a bit while a scout can look past the present flaws a little easier).  Yes, his fastball is hard, hot and HEAVY.  He throws it easily, basically falling to the plate and letting his arm throw those bolts.  However, he has a well below average breaking ball and I don't recall a change-up of any significance.

Nielsen can POUND the zone pitch after pitch at times but the second he loses his release point, even on just one pitch, it can take him awhile to get it back... if he does.  When he keeps it simple and just focuses on staying between the catcher's knees, he is fine, but he can't consistently spot up or locate at this time in his development.  I think the fastball command will be fine because he is a pretty athletic big kid, not just a big kid with a good arm.  The real challenge for him will be the secondary stuff, particularly the breaking ball.  In time I can see a coach teaching him a split-finger fastball.  He has big hands, long fingers and the more aggressive he is with his arm, the better off he is.  The splitter is a pitch thrown aggressively and he is well-suited for it.  Normally I don't say that for high school pitchers. 

Aside from some of his flaws, Nielsen remains a tremendous prospect.  Could he evolve into a Jameson Taillon type of high school talent?  On talent alone, yes, but he obviously lacks the polish and feel to be considered an elite prospect... for now.  We had two other elite 2013 talents on our team and I think both are going to be VERY well known by the time next summer is over.  I know that some colleges have already started to get turned onto the first one I will mention, Erceg.

INF/RHP Lucas Erceg (Westmont HS) is a 6'1" 165 lb L/R infielder who is best suited for 3rd base but can play at 2nd and no matter where he plays, he is a tremendous young hitter.  So where will he play?  Hmmm, how about in the 3-hole!  He has fast hands, hitterish instincts and the ball just leaps off his bat.  To consider the bat speed he has and the way the ball carries, it is very exciting to consider how much more he has in the tank when he is physically developed.  Erceg is not just a talented hitter either.  He is a baseball rat.  He loves to play, he has a high baseball IQ and you can see it in his at-bats and the adjustments he makes from at-bat to at-bat (email me and I will relate a couple of exceptional at-bats he had). 

The one thing Erceg doesn't do is run well.  Oh well.  Hey, for good measure he is a strike throwing, 3-4 pitch mix pitcher who can run his fastball into the 90-91 range.  He has a ton of fun on the mound too and it really shows.  This kid is currently not all that well known in Northern California but by the end of next summer he will be known and regarded as one of the top five overall players in Northern California.

The other tremendously talented 2013 grad on our team was outfielder Jordan Paroubeck (Pair-a-beck) from Serra HS.  Before I get college coaches too excited, you should know that he has verballed to Fresno State.  Paroubeck is a 6'2" 180 lb switch-hitter with tools.  He has a plus arm.  He has plus bat speed.  He runs well, though I hesitate to say he is a plus runner.  He can get a little pull conscious from the left side but he is going to develop above average if not plus raw power from that side.

Aside from all of his physical gifts and impressive body (he is rock solid and perfectly proportioned), Paroubeck is an incredible kid.  Being in the dugout with these kids for a few days really gives a scout insight that you obviously can't get from the stands.  Paroubeck is polite, handsome, humble and confident, soft spoken but only because he only says what he needs to say.  He is very respectful, is a no-nonsense and mature kid with a professional approach to the game but also has fun with his peers, and overall there is just a sense about him that he has special things ahead of him, and not just in baseball, but in life.  Paroubeck seemed about as "squared away" as any teenager I have ever been around.  His make-up reminds me of Kenny Diekroeger, Tony Renda, Mark Appel, and Robbie Erlin, four of the most mature and squared away kids I have ever known.

Disclaimer... I DO NOT LIKE THE CARDINALS.  I am a Cubs fan.  Period. End.  I take pleasure in watching the Cardinals lose (because I am a bitter Cubs fan) and that is even with two players on that team with Bay Area connections, local product Daniel Descalso and Cal alum Allen Craig.  Then again, as a USF guy, rooting for a Cal guy, especially one who is a Cardinal, well, that isn't easy but I still like to see players with local ties doing well.

Furthermore, Matt Holliday is my nephew's favorite player and a fan favorite in my family for a variety of reasons. 

All that being said, I STILL DO NOT LIKE THE CARDINALS and the Rangers fed my "fury" last night... that is until they pulled out the win.

In the 7th inning last night my blood boiled (red no doubt) after Craig got another big time hit.  Not because Craig got a hit but because of the approach of Alexi Ogando and Mike Napoli in that at-bat.  When Craig came to the plate, facing Ogando for the second night in a row in essentially the exact same situation, I figured we would see a different approach from the night before.  But NOOOOO... Ogando goes with first pitch fastball and Craig was RIGHT on it, fouling it straight back.  So what does Ogando do?  He goes with the fastball AGAIN and once again, he goes AWAY with it, where Craig had already seen at least five Ogando fastballs. 

Hey, I am ok going with the fastball from a guy who throws 96-98 mph, but hello, how about the inside part of the plate or up?  For all the intelligence and experience on a big league field and in a big league dugout, man, they sure are dumb sometimes.  How about a slider off the plate, change the rhythm, change eye level and/or the timing of the hitter... you know, PITCHING. 

How about a fastball up or up and in or just hard in to push Craig off the plate a little and make him STOP diving and looking outside?  Honestly, the concepts I am suggesting here are ELEMENTARY, yet in the biggest game of the year, which is whatever current World Series game is being played, the Rangers continued to just feed Allen Craig pitches to hit and haven't made him the least bit uncomfortable.  They didn't try to upset his timing one bit.  Didn't change his sightline in the at-bat even one time.  Didn't do anything different and expected a different result.  Foolish.

I am glad the Rangers won but come on Rangers, you have to be better than that.

CoachLisle.com presents...

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Thanksgiving Break Baseball Camp

• Mon, Nov 21 ~ Wed, Nov 23
• 9am – 12pm
• College Park High School
• Ages: 7 – 13

To register via credit card and apply online: CLICK HERE
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Bay Area Baseball Camps offers several FUNdamental baseball skills camps throughout the year. The youth camps are specifically designed to teach younger players the fundamental skills of the game of baseball and ranges from grades 1 thru 8.

Other camps include skill-specific instructional camps for players in grades 8 through 12.

We welcome students of all skill levels. Our high coach-to-camper ratio guarantees the individual attention required by the beginner and potential All-American. Campers will be grouped by age, size and ability to assure maximum competition and enjoyment. We put a big emphasis on the FUNdamentals of baseball. We want our campers to get a great balance of sound instruction and have a lot of FUN in the process.

If you follow baseball you know the Cubs have been working on bringing Red Sox GM Theo Epstein to Chicago.  Because Epstein is still under contract with Boston, the Sox have the right to ask for compensation from the Cubs.  Speculation is that the Sox will get a prospect or two from the Cubs and a name familiar with us here in the Bay Area, Brett Jackson, has been a name mentioned.

Here is a link to a blurb on the MLBTradeRumors.com blog.

Seems that Brett will stay put with the Cubs and hopefully that means he gets to roam the grass of centerfield at Wrigley Field next year!

As a Cubs fan and as a Brett Jackson fan, I would NOT have given up Jackson for a GM who spent recklessly and poorly the last couple of years and will be going to a team where he (and his new GM Jed Hoyer) won't have the same financial resources as they had in Boston.  No chance.  If Epstein could run or hit or pitch, maybe, but he can't, so good idea for the Cubs to not include Jackson.