Hail Szczur

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Kenny Williams fell for the banana in the tailpipe

Tyler Colvin's OPS: .375
Cubs' win pct: .397

Never imagined his bottom was THAT low. Makes Juan Pierre look like Albert Pujols.

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Team Cutler.

Unless Barney improves his OBP/Walks, I don't think he's going to be a top of the order guy.

His OBP is basically his batting average. Also, he has a +300 BABIP, so reasonable to assume that his BA is going to drop. He's a #8 hitter on a competitive team. Cubs aren't, so he bats 2nd.

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Team Cutler.

My general pessimism towards all things Cubs currently.

Plus, you can't compare Castro to Barney. Castro was tearing up the AFL when he was 18. While Barney was barely a top 20 organizational prospect two years ago.

I agree that Barney could improve his patience and be a solid #2 hitter, I'm just not even really expecting him to.

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Team Cutler.

Cubs drafted Wayne Gretzsky's son, Trevor, in the 7th round out of high school

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Team Cutler.

And then promptly traded him to the Hawks when they realized he only plays hockey.

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Drafted a kid named Ezekiel in the third round. IMU will be pissed.

Also drafted Shawon Dunston, Jr... so in a few years we will have a flame out rookie-of-the-year on the roster.

Just read the Cubs fifth round pick was 5-3 with a 2.97 ERA in HS this year.... those numbers are not fifth round worthy. More like 50th round.

Cubs draft results so far: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2011/drafttracker.jsp?p=0&s=100&sc=pick_number&so=ascending&st=number&ft=TM&fv=chc

I said this draft would show a lot about what direction the organization was heading. Drafting a shit ton of high school kids at the front of the draft says they're not heading forward anytime soon. Sit back relax and strap it down. It's gonna continue to be a bumpy ride.

I wonder how many of these kids are going to give the cubs a big FU and go to school instead. It will show how much money they are willing to invest and it will show what players and agents think of this organization. I wouldn't be shocked if alot of them don't sign. I doubt Baez will turn down 1st round money because it will still be good regardless of how much they lowball him....but you never now. He could be at the U.

I honestly think Ricketts pushed for the drafting of Gretzky and Dunston because those are big time names that will sell season tickets.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Actually it is a ride straight downhill into the abyss of major league baseball. All Ricketts cares about is pinching pennies in drafting high school kids in the early rounds.

Really depends on the amount the Cubs get signed. I'm pretty pessimistic at this point.

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Team Cutler.

Not really because they didn't draft the most talented available players on the board. They let those guys go and drafted safe/cheap high school players. Pretty clear sign of where the organization is heading.

So much for Ricketts and his "build through the minor leagues" rhetoric. What a lying piece of shit he is. This nightmare just gets worse and worse. Ricketts could care less about winning via stocking up in the draft. It is obvious he has no philosophy whatsoever except selling Bison Burgers and hiring no name never where but cheap, ass kissing zombie managers.

The guy on yahoo gave them a D:

2011 MLB Draft Report Card: D's

Chicago Cubs
The Pick: Javier Baez, SS.
The Buzz: The Cubs have made some reach picks in recent drafts and this one adds to the list. Baez, by himself, is a solid draft pick - he has a good bat and, while listed at shortstop, will have to work on his defense and move to third base. However, taking him inside the Top 10 was questionable. It is pretty clear the organization fell in love with the player and went way off the board grabbing him. Many had Baez on the fringe of the first round, if not lower.

for real? theres a Dunston Jr?

oh boy...we are fucked

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I can't believe all Ricketts is concerned with is stupid secondary shit like food and urinals....as if stuff like that is really going to win the fans over. Newsflash you fucking idiot.....fans want to see a successful organization that consistently competes for a playoff spot at the major league level. If this were a class organization that won at the big league level no one would care if they had to piss in the empty cup they just enjoyed a warm special export out of.

Things are already really bad....they are going to get worse....there is no indication that anything will every get better. I can deal with a down year every now and then and I thought this year was going to be rough. I was not prepared for this display of incompetence by every single fucking person in this organization to the level that it is entirely possible that this team will lose 100 games per year for the next decade.

I swear....right before the sale of the team went down old man Biff jumped in the delorean and did something to create this alternate universe that the Cubs organization now resides in. This organization is hopeless and it starts from the top.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

this is what I said last year and I got ridiculed for it...I told u so

I also think padding the benches was a dumb move...trying to be trendy

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So far he's (Tim Wilken) drafted Colvin, Vitters, Cashner, Brett Jackson and Simpson in the 1st round. Not total busts yet but no stars so far either.

Given the Ricketts penny pinching, I wonder when he will resign and go to a real organization.

Depends who you are reading at least with Baez.

The most generous I've seen have him around 8-15, some of the harsher late 1st early 2nd. Definitely a bit of an upside pick, but I don't think it's galling. He's the type of guy Tim Wilken goes for, for better or worse. Character issues were a big flag with him I guess.

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Team Cutler.

It's clear Wilken has been "told" not to draft any guys demanding to be paid, so now we have to get lucky with the Baez's of the world as opposed to proven collegiate talent that could help the major league team quickly. What a fucking joke this franchise has become.

I'm not saying Baez is a bad player.

I left a space there so everyone can see that. I even went back and put it in bold print.

What I'm saying is with the 9th pick in this talent heavy draft he was not the most talented player on the board and the reason the Cubs chose him is purely financial.

I don't think the entire draft was going on the cheap, unless they drafted a few players with no intent of signing them whatsoever. Which I guess I can't put past them. I'm not as familiar with MLB draft and strategy as I really should be

Dillon Maples is a guy apparently wanting 3 million at least to sign or he's going to UNC to pitch and kick for their football team

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Team Cutler.

Cubs draft power, speed, first pitchers on Day 2
Big lefty first baseman Vogelbach selected at No. 68
By Alex Ruppenthal / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- The Cubs know the damage Prince Fielder has done to them since joining the Brewers in 2005. So on Tuesday, the Cubs drafted a player that has drawn comparisons to the burly first baseman who has more than 200 home runs in his first six-plus big league seasons.
After drafting shortstop Javier Baez with their first pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft on Monday, the Cubs selected two more position players with their second and third picks.

With the 68th overall pick, the Cubs selected Daniel Vogelbach, a left-handed-hitting first baseman from Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Fla. Vogelbach, who is committed to the University of Florida, is 5-foot-11 and 250 pounds, though he was formerly 280. His build and power have led to obvious comparisons to Fielder.

The Cubs drafted another Florida native -- center fielder Ezekiel DeVoss -- in the third round with the 98th overall pick. DeVoss is a switch-hitting center fielder from the University of Miami. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound sophomore hit .340 with 13 doubles, three triples and two RBIs for the Hurricanes this season, stealing 32 bases in 42 attempts. DeVoss, who goes by Zeke, was drafted by the Red Sox in the 38th round of the 2009 Draft.






In the fourth and fifth rounds, the Cubs drafted their first two pitchers, right-handers Tony Zych and Tayler Scott.

Zych, who attended St. Rita High School in Chicago, had a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings of relief for the University of Louisville during his junior season. He struck out 30 and walked 14. Last summer, Zych, who is 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, was named a Cape Cod League All-Star.

Scott is from Notre Dame High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA during his senior season, striking out 58 in 46 1/3 innings. Scott, 6-foot-3 and 165 pounds, also played shortstop and outfield and is committed to the University of Arizona.

Live coverage of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft resumes at 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday on MLB.com, where fans will receive exclusive coverage of Day 3, featuring a live pick-by-pick stream, expert commentary and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of every Draft-eligible player. You can also keep up to date at Draft Central and by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.

Below are the Cubs' picks from rounds 6-30:

• Neftali Rosario, C, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School (sixth round, 189 overall): Rosario, 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, is from the eastern Puerto Rican city of Caguas, 20 miles from the capital of San Juan.

• Trevor Gretzky, 1B, Oaks Christian (Calif.) High School (seventh round, 219 overall): The son of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, Trevor is a left-handed first baseman. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder worked out for Cubs scouts June 4 in Arizona in advance of the Draft. Trevor, 18, hit .341 with two home runs and 33 RBIs in his junior year at Oaks Christian. He suffered a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder last September and was limited to DH duties his senior year.

• Taylor Dugas, CF, University of Alabama (eighth round, 249 overall): Dugas, a left-handed outfielder, was a two-time All-American in three years at Alabama. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Dugas hit .349 with eight home runs, four triples and 41 walks this season.

• Garrett Schlecht, RF, Waterloo (Ill.) High School (ninth round, 279 overall): Schlecht, who throws and bats left-handed, hit .326 with two home runs, 20 RBIs and 12 steals as a junior. He also pitched.

• Daniel Lockhart, SS, Hebron Christian (Ga.) Academy (10th round, 309 overall): The son of former big league second baseman Keith Lockhart, Daniel hit .403 as a freshman and .513 as a sophomore in high school. Daniel, 5-foot-1 and 165 pounds, holds Hebron Christian's school records in hits and RBIs.

• Shawon Dunston Jr., CF, Valley Christian (Calif.) High School (11th round, 339 overall): The son of former Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston is 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds.

• Jacob Lindgren, LHP, St. Stanislaus (Miss.) High School (12th round, 369 overall): The 5-foot-11, 180-pound left-hander led his school to Mississippi's Class 4A State Championship and is committed to Mississippi State.

• Trey Martin, CF, Brookwood (Ga.) High School (13th round, 399 overall): Martin, a 6-foot-2, 188-pound outfielder, hit leadoff for Brookwood.

• Dillon Maples, RHP, Pinecrest (N.C.) High School (14th round, 429 overall): The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Maples ended his high school career with a 20-strikeout game in the North Carolina state playoffs. Maples' father, Tim, was a professional ballplayer and reached Baltimore's Triple-A team.

• Justin Marra, C, Michael Power/St. Joseph (Ontario, Canada) High School (15th round, 459 overall): Marra, 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, performed in front of 21 scouts in Canada the week before the Draft.

• Rafael Lopez, C, Florida State University (16th round, 489 overall): Lopez, 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, hit .325 with seven home runs, 18 doubles and 36 RBIs for the Seminoles in his senior season.

• John Andreoli, RF, University of Connecticut (17th round, 519 overall): Andreoli hit .319 with 31 RBIs and 22 stolen bases for the Huskies during his junior season. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Andreoli is the cousin of Daniel Bard, a Red Sox reliever.

• James Pugliese, RHP, Mercer County (N.J.) Community College (18th round, 549 overall): The 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-hander gave up 11 runs and 34 hits in 65 2/3 innings during his freshman year at Mercer, striking out 77 and walking 25.

• Danny Hoilman, 1B, East Tennessee State University (19th round, 579 overall): Hoilman hit a team-leading 22 home runs during his senior season. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder hit .313 with 22 doubles and 50 RBIs.

• Ben Klafczynski, OF, Kent State University (20th round, 609 overall): The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Klafczynski led Kent State in batting average (.368), hits (91), RBIs (57) and doubles (19). He also hit 10 homers.

• Andrew McKirahan, LHP, University of Texas (21st round, 639 overall): McKirahan had a 3.05 ERA in 20 2/3 innings of relief in his junior season. He struck out 13, walked five and gave up 19 hits.

• Ethan Elias, RHP, Grand Trunk (Alberta, Canada) High School (22nd round, 669 overall): The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Elias led Alberta to the bronze medal at the Baseball Canada Cup last summer.

• Bradley Zimmer, OF, La Jolla (Calif.) High School (23rd round, 699 overall): Zimmer, 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, led La Jolla in batting average (.452), RBIs (26) and triples (five). His older brother, Kyle, is a pitcher at the University of San Francisco.

• George Asmus, RHP, Ohlone College (24th round, 729 overall): The 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-hander threw multiple complete games for Ohlone during his sophomore season in 2011.

• Roderick Shoulders, INF, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota (25th round, 759 overall): Shoulders, 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, was drafted by the Red Sox last season. He was named to the Florida Community College Activities Association All-State team.

• Michael Jensen, RHP, Hartnell (Calif.) Junior College (26th round, 789 overall): Jensen, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, went 6-3 with a 2.00 ERA in 2011 and was selected as a Junior College All-American by coaches.

• Taiwan Easterling, OF, Florida State University (27th round, 819 overall): Easterling hit .302 with 17 RBIs in 2011. Easterling did not play baseball in 2008 or 2009 as he focused on football. He was a wide receiver on the Florida State football team from 2008-10 and finished with 43 receptions and 551 receiving yards in 2010.

• Christopher Garrison, RHP, Western Nevada Community College (28th round, 849 overall): The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Garrison transferred from the University of Oregon. He was named the 2011 Scenic West Athletic Conference Relief Pitcher of the Year.

• Drew Weeks, INF, Clay (Fla.) High School (29th round, 879 overall): Weeks is committed to the University of North Florida. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder also played wide receiver.

• Arturo Maltos-Garcia, RHP, Lamar (Colo.) Community College (30th round, 909 overall): Maltos-Garcia, 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, was 11-1 in his sophomore season at Lamar.

Alex Ruppenthal is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Per Bruce Levine:

Outside the box: Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts flew to Mesa Ariz. and rolled up his sleeves in the draft room with general manager Jim Hendry and scouting director Tim Wilken. Two noteable Cubs’ draft picks were Trevor Gretzky, son of Wayne Gretzky, in the seventh round and Shawon Dunston Jr. in the 11th round.


So he made sure to pinch every penny possible by being on site.

5-foot-1? Good God. What the hell is the point of that? He'd be the 2nd shortest player in the history of baseball.

Unless he plans to grow 6 inches, he'll never play in the majors.

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You know me like that.

that has to be a typo. 5'1" 165 would be a pretty hefty fella to have at SS.

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They are going to trade him to the Bears so he can play corner back.

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