2006 Official MLB Draft Thread (Day 1)

[edabbs44]

Florida loves pitching.

[jmcclain19]

Stubbs was considered a borderline first-round talent coming out of high school in 2003. He would have signed with the Astros for $900,000 as a third-rounder if Major League Baseball hadn't persuaded Houston owner Drayton McLane not to exceed its bonus recommendation. Had he turned pro then, scouts wouldn't have to fret over his bat now. The best athlete in college baseball, Stubbs is a potential Gold Glove center fielder with plus raw power, plus-plus speed and an average arm. Though he has improved his approach and is using the whole field more as a junior, scouts believe his bat is far from a sure thing. He has struck out roughly once a game throughout his Longhorns career, and his contact rate hasn't improved this spring. He also hit a soft .304 with wood bats while on Team USA last summer. He still ranks second behind only Evan Longoria among position prospects in 2006. In last year's draft, which was much deeper in hitters, Stubbs would have lasted until the late first round. But with a scarcity of position players this year, he could go as high as No. 6 overall to the Tigers and probably won't get past the top 10 picks.

[Red Leader]

Twins take 1B Chris Parmelee at #20.

[xerplastic]

Its okay guys.

From Stubbs Bio http://www.texassports.com/index.php...7&member_id=16

Batted .362 and .363, respectively, with runners on base and in scoring position.

Obviously this was the impetus behind drafting him.

[savafan]

Drew Stubbs #13
Height: 6-4
Weight: 201
Class: Jr.-2L
Hometown: Atlanta, TX (Atlanta)

Considered one of the top all-around college players in the country … a 2005 All-American as well as Academic All-American ... a five-tool player who can not only hit for both power and average, but also possesses tremendous speed and a plus outfield throwing arm … expected to be UT’s starting center fielder for a third straight year in 2006.

SOPHOMORE (2005)
· Third-Team All-American - Collegiate Baseball
· ABCA First-Team All-Central Region
· First-Team All-Big 12
· Austin NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
· ESPN The Magazine Third-Team Academic All-American
· ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI
· First-Team Academic All-Big 12
· USA Baseball National Team Member
· First-Team Preseason All-American - Baseball America
· Third-Team Preseason All-American - Collegiate Baseball & NCBWA
· Fall 2004 & Spring 2005 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

2005 Season
· Texas’ starting center fielder in all 72 games who reached base safely in 65 of those contests and hit safely in 56 games.
· Batted .311 overall to rank sixth on the club in hitting.
· Ranked among the top 10 conference players in steals (32 - 1st), runs (67 - 3rd), doubles (20 - t4th), hits (88 - 4th), total bases (149 - t5th) and home runs (11 - t9th), while pacing the Horns in sacrifice hits (21), home runs, runs scored and stolen bases.
· Second on the club in hits (88), RBI (46), doubles, triples (4), total bases, multi-hit (26) and multi-RBI (15) contests.
· Recorded a 19-game hitting streak to mark a career-best and tie for the fourth longest streak in University of Texas history.
· Batted .362 and .363, respectively, with runners on base and in scoring position.
· Owned seven game-winning RBI to go along with 23 two-out RBI.
· Hit .283 during conference action to rank sixth on the team. Also ranked among the top 10 league hitters in Big 12 play with 10 steals.
· Swiped a team-best eight bases and posted a club-high nine sacrifice hits, while ranking second on the team in on-base percentage (.432), runs scored (15) and doubles (3) during postseason action. Also hit .281 with eight RBI and one home run in 17 postseason contests.

2005 Highlights
· Named a Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Player of the Week, the NCBWA/Pro-Line Cap National Player of the Week and Big 12 Player of the Week after hitting a combined .556 with four home runs, six runs scored, a pair of steals and 11 RBI during UT’s game with UTSA (2/15) and series with No.5 Stanford (2/18-20). Notably, he also tallied all three game-winning RBI against the Cardinal while also connecting on inside-the-park home runs in consecutive games (2/19-20) to become the first UT player to record an inside-the-park home run since Omar Quintanilla versus Arizona on March 9, 2003.
· Went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored at No. 4 Nebraska (4/10).
· Hit a team-best .545 over a three-game series with Oklahoma (4/15-17) while scoring three runs, connecting on two home runs (including a walk-off blast over the Disch-Falk Field scoreboard in extra innings on April 15) and amassing five RBI, three steals and two game-winning RBI en route to being named the Big 12 Player of the Week on April 19.
· Combined with teammate Seth Johnston on back-to-back, ninth-inning home runs at Oklahoma State (4/23).
· Recorded at least one hit in each of Texas’ three games versus No. 14 Missouri (4/29-5/1) while also scoring two runs and swiping two bases.
· Batted .421 (8-for-19) over Texas’ five games during the Austin NCAA Regional (6/3-6/6) while tallying eight runs scored, seven RBI, three doubles, one triple, one home run and four stolen bases en route to being named to the All-Tournament Team.
· Set a new College World Series (CWS) record with five sacrifice bunts during UT’s five games in Omaha, while also making a game-saving catch against No. 4 Baylor (6/22) during the semifinals to help the Horns capture their sixth overall National Championship.
· Batted .304 with five runs scored, three doubles, six RBI and one steal in 19 games for the USA Baseball National Team under the direction of head coach Steve Smith in the summer of 2005. Also aided the Americans in winning their final 11 games to end the summer campaign with a 16-4 overall record.

FRESHMAN (2004)
· Freshman All-American - Baseball America & Collegiate Baseball
· Big 12 Freshman Player of the Year
· First-Team All-Big 12
· USA Baseball National Team Member
· Austin NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
· Midseason All-American - Baseball America
· Fall 2003 & Spring 2004 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

2004 Season
· Started 70 of the 71 games in which he appeared in center field.
· Headlined the Horns and tied for second in the league with 28 steals.
· Finished fourth on the team in batting (.301) while ranking among the top five on the club in runs (51-2nd), hits (80-2nd), doubles (16-t3rd), triples (3-t2nd), home runs (8-2nd), RBI (47-4th), total bases (126-2nd), slugging (.474-2nd), walks (28-t5th), multi-hit games (24-2nd), multi-RBI contests (13-2nd) and two-out RBI (24-1st).
· Tallied four game-winning RBI and a 12-game hitting streak.
· Batted .303 or higher with runners on base and in scoring position.
· Became UT’s all-time freshmen hits leader (80), while pacing all league freshmen in home runs, steals, triples and slugging.
· Started 24 of Texas’ 26 conference games and hit .277 while totaling a team-best 19 runs scored, three doubles, one triple, a pair of home runs, 12 RBI, a .394 slugging percentage and a club-high 10 steals, which placed him fourth among Big 12 players during league action.
· Lead the team with 18 RBI, five steals, and two triples during postseason action while batting .317 and tallying three home runs and four doubles.

2004 Highlights
· Accumulated six hits in 13 at bats (.461) while scoring four runs, driving in four more, doubling once, connecting on one home run and stealing two bases during a three-game set at Hawaii (1/30-2/1).
· Hit .444 over Texas’ three-game series with San Diego State (2/27-29) as he went a combined 4-for-9 while also swiping three bases, tallying two RBI and scoring twice. Also became the 27th player in stadium history to hit a home run over the center field wall during that series on Feb. 29.
· Went 3-for-7 with two steals over two games versus No. 17 Cal St. Fullerton (3/5&7).
· Blasted his third home run of the year at No. 3 Rice (3/9).
· Posted a career-high four RBI versus Eastern Michigan (3/13).
· Hit .500 with four RBI over three games with Oklahoma State (3/26-28).
· Went 2-for-2 with two steals and one RBI versus No. 3 Rice (4/13).
· Turned in a 2-for-4 effort that included a home run, a pair of steals, two runs scored and two RBI during the series opener at Baylor (4/16). Also swiped three bases and scored five runs during the series with the Bears.
· Netted his first career three-hit performance during the opening game of UT’s series opposite No. 16 Nebraska (4/23) while also accounting for one double, a stolen base, one RBI and a run scored in that tilt.
· Batted .350 during the Big 12 Tournament while also driving in five runs and scoring twice. Additionally, he turned in a 2-for-5 tourney effort that included one run and three RBI versus No. 10 Texas A&M (5/27).
· Collected two multi-hit as well as multi-RBI efforts while also accounting for one home run, a .385 average, one triple and two stolen bases during the Austin NCAA Regional Tournament (6/4-6).
· Went a combined 4-for-8 with five runs scored, five RBI and two home runs, including his second over the center field wall at Disch-Falk Field to become the third player to ever hit two round-trippers over the 20-foot-high wall and the first freshman to do so, during NCAA Super Regional action versus No. 15 Vanderbilt (6/11-12).
· Started all five of Texas’ College World Series games in center field while collecting four hits, scoring two runs and tallying three RBI.
· Made 18 center field starts out of the 20 games in which he played for the USA Baseball National Team under the direction of head coach Frank Cruz during the summer of 2004. Aided the Americans in posting an 18-7 record, including an unblemished 8-0 mark during the FISU World University Championships in Taiwan to capture the Gold Medal.
· Held the fourth-highest batting average on Team USA by hitting at a .319 clip for the summer season (22-for-69) while scoring 14 runs, connecting on six doubles and one triple, tallying nine RBI, tying for the team lead with five stolen bases and boasting a .435 slugging percentage.
· Batted .407 during the FISU Championships to rank second on the club in hitting while playing in all eight games, making seven starts, scoring six runs, amassing five RBI and accounting for a .593 slugging mark as well as a .500 on-base percentage. Also delivered the game-winning, two-run triple in the fifth inning of the gold medal game in which the Americans came from behind to claim a 4-2 victory over Japan.

HIGH SCHOOL
· A four-sport star at Atlanta High School who lettered all four years in baseball and three times in football, basketball and track (1999-2003). Also captained each of those squads at least once during his career and was twice named the captain of the baseball team.
· Tabbed an All-District performer three times as a center fielder for head coach Randy Raley’s Rabbits and helped lead Atlanta High School to three district championships during his tenure (2000, 2002 and 2003).
· Followed a freshman season in which he batted .328 overall with 11 runs scored and seven RBI, with a sophomore campaign that saw him hit .393 while scoring 24 runs and driving in 18 RBI behind 26 hits, including five doubles, one triple and one home run.
· Garnered All-State honors as a junior in 2002 after tallying 23 RBI and 35 runs scored to go along with a career-high .486 batting average, eight doubles, one triple and five round-trippers.
· Capped his four-year career with a 2003 campaign in which he batted .407 with 30 runs scored, 20 RBI and 37 hits, including four doubles and five home runs, to his credit. Was also named to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association (THSBCA) North All-Star Team as a senior.
· A two-time All-District (2001 and 2002) and first-team Academic All-State performer (2002) as a quarterback and free safety for head coach Ben Scharnberg’s Rabbits who helped Atlanta High School claim district football titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
· Earned second-team All-District recognition as a senior forward for head coach Jared Boston’s basketball squad and aided the Rabbits in winning consecutive district titles in 2002 and 2003.
· Helped head coach Lance Bernard’s Atlanta High School track team win four straight district crowns and back-to-back state titles (2002-2003) by claiming individual state championships in the 400 and 1600 relays and becoming a state qualifier in the 300 intermediate hurdles as well as the triple jump.
· The salutatorian of his graduating class who was also a Caps Scholar and was recognized as Atlanta High School’s top English, math and Spanish student. Was also a member of the National Honor Society and named a Superintendent’s Scholar during each of his four years.
· Participated in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Calculus Club, Young Republicans, the Spanish Club, United Methodist Youth Fellowship, the History Club and the Big Brothers Program during high school.
· Selected in the third round (No. 89 overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Houston Astros.
· Played center field for head coach Pat Cauley’s Texarkana Indians (Texarkana, Texas) over the summers of 2002 and 2003. Batted .475 with seven home runs and 45 RBI for the Indians following his junior season and not only picked up state tournament MVP honors that year, but also helped Texarkana win its league and finish second in the state.

PERSONAL
Born Robert Andrew Stubbs on Oct. 4, 1984, in Texarkana, Texas … parents are Rick and Katherine Stubbs … has two brothers, Jody and Clint … his father, Rick, attended Louisiana Tech University and ran track from 1970-74 … a management major ... Member of the UT Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

[NewEraReds]

Wow Bruce and Stubbs in Dayton. Our pitchers got to love that because they will catch everything.

i doubt stubbs starts in dayton. sarasota at the lowest

[Red Leader]

Yankees take Ian Kennedy at #21.

[NC Reds]

My disagreement with the pick has nothing to do with Stubbs. I think Linecum and Scherzer made a lot more sense when looking at the organization's needs.

[redssouth]

I cant believe the thought process on this board... you take the best available player... you dont address big league current needs throught the amatuer draft. Obviously Stubbs was a higher rated prospect on the reds draft board than any available college pitcher. Reaching for needs is how you butcher the draft. This is this administrations first draft, give them the benefit of the draft.

[membengal]

So...reading between the lines on everyone's unhappy comments, it appears that Stubbs is a defensive whiz with a good bat who Ks a lot and a college pitcher could have helped and helped soon.

Looking at WK in his first draft, with one of the thing's he says he looks for is defensive prowress, should we assume that part of the appeal of Stubbs was his glove?

[traderumor]

Everyone is pissing and moaning and it may well be justified but give us some reasoning instead of monosyllabic grunting.

I went on record having no problems with Stubbs, but then I did not have my little heart set on a college pitcher. I thought they might take Lincecum, but I'm guessing they had visions of injuries dancing in their heads, as did others apparently, from the sounds of some possible overuse in college.

[Doc. Scott]

I'd push Szymanski to Sarasota and start Stubbs at Dayton.

[Red Leader]

Nats take Colten Willems at #22.

[NewEraReds]

Its okay guys.

From Stubbs Bio http://www.texassports.com/index.php...7&member_id=16

Batted .362 and .363, respectively, with runners on base and in scoring position.

Obviously this was the impetus behind drafting him.

lets see what he does with a wood bat. he may be great, but like i said, it still wasnt better than taking 1 of the pitchers available, even if he does hit well with the wood bat, IMO

[cincyinco]

Ian Kennedy to the Yanks.

Colton Williams to the Nats