BadgerBC
2005-06-30 17:29:28 UTC
Damon Oppenheimer did the draft this year after Newman took over (again),
and I'm not sure what happened to Lin Garrett (maybe he's been in George's
doghouse along with Stick Michael and his mentor Gord Blakeley). Some
interesting things that reveal about how the management looks at the draft
process.
http://yankees.scout.com/2/277340.html
PinstripesPlus: The Yankees have a reputation for drafting big boys with big
bats. Is that still true?
Garrett: I don't feel that is necessarily so. We are looking for hitability.
For youngsters who have projectible bodies. Guys who can grow into major
league hitters with power. Nick Johnson is a case in point, he was a tall
skinny teenager who we felt will develop power, and he did. And as long as
we have that short rightfield porch in Yankee Stadium, we always look for
lefty power guys.
PinstripesPlus: The Yankees don't seem to stress speed in drafting a
youngster. Is that true?
Garrett: We are looking for speed up the middle at second base, shortstop,
and centerfield. Also in the corner outfield positions. But speed is only
piece of the puzzle for us. There's power and defense. We are looking for
defense in all corner positions. Althoughif they offer two of three, power
and speed, we will overlook his defensive liabilities. Perhaps if we were a
National League team we would take a different approach.
PinstripesPlus: Most of the Yankee top pitching prospects have come down
with arm injuries. Have the Yankees changed their approach in drafting
pitchers?
Garrett: We have. We are trying to do a better job at pinpointing potential
problem areas, identify poor mechanics, find out more about their
background. Injuries are down. And if you look at all our pitchers,
including the ones we traded away, we will have the same amount of injuries
as any other organization. We do realize with the depletion of our pitching
corps, through trade and injury, pitching was the area we wanted to work on
in the 2004 draft. Six of our first seven picks, and two of our three first
round picks, were pitchers.
PinstripesPlus: With success comes drafting way back in the 1st round, and,
if they signed other team's free-agents, not until the supplemental, or 2nd
round. Is it tough to watch youngsters you are interested in get taken by
teams drafting ahead of you?
Garrett: This year (with 3 draft picks before the 2nd round) I was a kid in
a candy store. We were real happy that the Angels took Jared Weaver clearing
the way for us to select Philip Hughes (RHP from Foothills HS , Santa Ana,
CA). We are very happy to get him. And though we were concentrating on
pitching this year, we decided to go for a young projectible hitter in Jon
Poterson (Chandler (Az) HS) in the supplemental round figuring the other
pitchers we wanted would still be on the board. They were (Jeff Marquez -
RHP - Sacramento CC and Brett Smith - RHP - UC Irvine Poterson in the 2nd
round). Poterson is a special hitter who has a lot of room to grow as he
played mostly against poor competition. He's a catcher but won't go behind
the plate until the mini-camps in the fall. In the Gulf Coast League he'll
DH and play some LF.
PinstripesPlus: Who do you feel is the sleeper in the draft?
Garrett: Jesse Hoover (RHP from Indiana Tech) in the 5th round pick and Nate
Phillips (SS Grace Prep Academy - Roanoke, TX) in the 6th round. Hoover came
from a small college and we didn't really know what to expect from him. He
has been so impressive in the Staten Island bullpen we are seriously
thinking of moving him into the rotation.
and I'm not sure what happened to Lin Garrett (maybe he's been in George's
doghouse along with Stick Michael and his mentor Gord Blakeley). Some
interesting things that reveal about how the management looks at the draft
process.
http://yankees.scout.com/2/277340.html
PinstripesPlus: The Yankees have a reputation for drafting big boys with big
bats. Is that still true?
Garrett: I don't feel that is necessarily so. We are looking for hitability.
For youngsters who have projectible bodies. Guys who can grow into major
league hitters with power. Nick Johnson is a case in point, he was a tall
skinny teenager who we felt will develop power, and he did. And as long as
we have that short rightfield porch in Yankee Stadium, we always look for
lefty power guys.
PinstripesPlus: The Yankees don't seem to stress speed in drafting a
youngster. Is that true?
Garrett: We are looking for speed up the middle at second base, shortstop,
and centerfield. Also in the corner outfield positions. But speed is only
piece of the puzzle for us. There's power and defense. We are looking for
defense in all corner positions. Althoughif they offer two of three, power
and speed, we will overlook his defensive liabilities. Perhaps if we were a
National League team we would take a different approach.
PinstripesPlus: Most of the Yankee top pitching prospects have come down
with arm injuries. Have the Yankees changed their approach in drafting
pitchers?
Garrett: We have. We are trying to do a better job at pinpointing potential
problem areas, identify poor mechanics, find out more about their
background. Injuries are down. And if you look at all our pitchers,
including the ones we traded away, we will have the same amount of injuries
as any other organization. We do realize with the depletion of our pitching
corps, through trade and injury, pitching was the area we wanted to work on
in the 2004 draft. Six of our first seven picks, and two of our three first
round picks, were pitchers.
PinstripesPlus: With success comes drafting way back in the 1st round, and,
if they signed other team's free-agents, not until the supplemental, or 2nd
round. Is it tough to watch youngsters you are interested in get taken by
teams drafting ahead of you?
Garrett: This year (with 3 draft picks before the 2nd round) I was a kid in
a candy store. We were real happy that the Angels took Jared Weaver clearing
the way for us to select Philip Hughes (RHP from Foothills HS , Santa Ana,
CA). We are very happy to get him. And though we were concentrating on
pitching this year, we decided to go for a young projectible hitter in Jon
Poterson (Chandler (Az) HS) in the supplemental round figuring the other
pitchers we wanted would still be on the board. They were (Jeff Marquez -
RHP - Sacramento CC and Brett Smith - RHP - UC Irvine Poterson in the 2nd
round). Poterson is a special hitter who has a lot of room to grow as he
played mostly against poor competition. He's a catcher but won't go behind
the plate until the mini-camps in the fall. In the Gulf Coast League he'll
DH and play some LF.
PinstripesPlus: Who do you feel is the sleeper in the draft?
Garrett: Jesse Hoover (RHP from Indiana Tech) in the 5th round pick and Nate
Phillips (SS Grace Prep Academy - Roanoke, TX) in the 6th round. Hoover came
from a small college and we didn't really know what to expect from him. He
has been so impressive in the Staten Island bullpen we are seriously
thinking of moving him into the rotation.