Slog - Comments on On the Major League Baseball Draft http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft As astute readers may have surmised, Fnarf and I, along with Dylan and a few other commenters, are devout Seattle Mariners fans. And don't think our fandom's restricted to watching FSN, reading the fishwrap, and mentioning the Mariners once or twice on Slog. Fnarf and Dylan are loyal readers of the fine, well-written and researched Mariners blog USS Mariner. I pop in there and get in arguments with Dave CamERRRRRR, offer some commentary from time to time, but my Mariners blog of choice is Lookout Landing, run by a young, prolific writer named Jeff Sullivan who has also helped popularize... Copyright 2008 Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:46:36 -0800 Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:01:49 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Mr. Poe I agree! Even though I only read about 10 words on this post.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738492 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738492 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:57:59 -0800 Comment by N in Seattle Right as rain.

The idea that there could be a Mel Kiper-equivalent for the dozens of rounds of baseball draft selections is almost too frightening to contemplate.

]]> N in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738497 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738497 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:02:23 -0800 Comment by Fnarf The reason that the MLB draft is so long is because baseball has to stock its own minor league system, while football and basketball have hundreds of alleged "universities" do it for them.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738513 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738513 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:10:59 -0800 Comment by frederick r Whatevs. Aumont was a good pick with a fun name.

]]> frederick r http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738535 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738535 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:17:46 -0800 Comment by Katelyn Haha, I read about ten words too. Thanks for bolding the important parts... Here's something I've never really understood: why are the kids on the draft deemed more stable and more likely not to have a nervous breakdown than normal 18 year olds? How can they possibly be worth so much money and so much buzz when they could completely flip out at any moment? Maybe talented athletes are just super-human.

]]> Katelyn http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738539 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738539 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:20:02 -0800 Comment by Gomez LOL. Yep, that's why I bolded the key points. Hit the bullet points, and anyone who wants to read the rest can.

And yeah, I get pretty long winded.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738542 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738542 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:22:54 -0800 Comment by Laurie Comaid I have to agree with you the Draft was long and the pool is way to large. The draft makes people feel connected with who their team picks. Do you think it was good for the MLB to put the draft on t.v.?

]]> Laurie Comaid http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738548 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738548 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:24:34 -0800 Comment by N in Seattle Aumont may be a great pick indeed. But as I mentioned in the comments to Fnarf's Morning News, and as better analysts than I have demonstrated repeatedly, TNSTAAPP.

]]> N in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738556 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738556 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:26:37 -0800 Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale And listening to Aumont speak on the radio this morning and hearing what I'd call his stereotypical Frenchy-ass accent, I can still nonetheless credit his country of origin with having two official languages.

]]> Lloyd Clydesdale http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738570 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738570 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:34:50 -0800 Comment by Cook i have no idea about baseball, but i know that dante's inferno had 9 circles of hell...

]]> Cook http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738644 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738644 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 12:13:17 -0800 Comment by N in Seattle Sez Cook:
i have no idea about baseball, but i know that dante's inferno had 9 circles of hell...
OK, but if God and Satan haven't reached a decision on the fate of your immortal soul, do they go into extra innings?

Let's play two!

]]> N in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738818 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c738818 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:17:17 -0800 Comment by Gomez 7. I think the big killer, of all the problems I listed, was the mandatory 5 minutes between picks. The interviews also backfired: most of these kids aren't very well versed in public speaking and there wasn't much the interviewers could do to coax answers out of kids who honestly had no idea who was going to pick them.

And that's another factor: unlike the other drafts, it's almost impossible to project what team these kids will go to. And then given the minor leagues' many levels, there's no way the kid, on the spot, will have any idea how he fits into the team's plans. An on-the-spot interview doesn't work for that reason.

But as it stands... it's not a draft that lends itself to TV well. The top picks lack the notoriety of the top picks in other sports.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c739127 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c739127 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:23:26 -0800 Comment by Fnarf 11: no, they go to penalty kicks.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c739201 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c739201 Sports Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:49:29 -0800 Comment by Emmett O'Connell Plus, we're only talking about amateurs from the US and Canada. All of the Latin American kids (think Felix, Edgar, our entire current infield minus Sexson) and Asian stars (Kaz, Ichiro, our catcher, and who is that guy in Boston) aren't even considered in this draft.

]]> Emmett O'Connell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c739476 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c739476 Sports Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:46:18 -0800 Comment by Bill MSN I NIIPET
MSN

]]> Bill http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c741474 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c741474 Sports Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:01:25 -0800 Comment by Bill MSN I NIIPET
MSN

]]> Bill http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c741476 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/on_the_major_league_baseball_draft#c741476 Sports Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:01:49 -0800