Was Nevin Griffith's stock actually rising anywhere other than on Sickels' blog? He went pretty much exactly where you'd expect a flawed HS pitcher with a live arm and willingness to sign to go. The amount of hype Sickels gave him strikes me as some kind of bizarre sociological experiment.

Just some thoughts on the guys that piqued my interest...

That's a hell of a swing on Kyle Russell. I can't even imagine what his power potential would be like when he puts some meat on his frame. He swings so hard in that clip it seems like his torso is going to break off from his lower body. I'll follow his development, for sure.

Brian Rike looks like one of those hitters who can spray hits into gaps all over the field. I like that swing. And if he's as well-rounded a player as I'm led to believe... Just think: a Holliday, Hawpe, Rike outfield at Coors. The return of the Blake Street Bombers? A man can dream, can't he...?

Good lord, Nevin Griffith. I'll freely admit I'd never heard of the kid prior to your article, and my first thought was, "Does he really pitch like that? Hitters would pick up on his pitches in a nanosecond." Guy seems flexible, if nothing else, but man. He needs to make some big adjustments.

I like the comparison of Kellen Kulbacki's swing to that of Palmeiro's. I can see it in him. Of course, no way to tell if 500 HR and 3,000 hits are in his future, but he's got a pretty swing.

Is it me, or does Clayton Mortensen's push off from the rubber look a little awkward? He looks like he's about to fall over from his finish to begin with, but I was thinking if he could push his leg more "forward" instead of how it looks — it looks like he's pushing "up" and "forward" with his leg, and that seems to make him unstable. That's what I noticed when you mentioned his "forced" finish. Or, maybe I just have Lincecum on the brain and that's how I wish he would finish.

Funny thing, I hadn't looked at Andrew Cumberland, and then I did when finishing this post. I saw his swing and thought, "Now there's a guy who's almost making his move to first base as he swings." I could be imagining things. He looks like he's a "slap" hitter who can be a bit hacktastic. He'll probably get profiled as a guy with no power, since he's a middle infielder and has speed. I'm with you — let him swing the bat. His results will speak.

I liked browsing this list. It's always a good thing to take some time to look at the underappreciated picks — and there are many. Enjoyed reading this, and again, I learned some new things.

The amount of hype Sickels gave him strikes me as some kind of bizarre sociological experiment.
I know. It just baffles me, just baffles me.

Brian Rike looks like one of those hitters who can spray hits into gaps all over the field.
I agree....

"Now there's a guy who's almost making his move to first base as he swings." I could be imagining things. He looks like he's a "slap" hitter who can be a bit hacktastic.
This is what I was getting at. It seems like he's been typecast as a guy with speed, so he needs to "put the ball on the ground" and all that crap. Man, you see his BP swings and even some of his game swings, and you say to yourself "Let this kid swing the freaking bat, cuz he certainly can. Ben Revere ha a slap hitter's swing, so let hi be THAT guy. Cumberland? Let him hack in a Curtis Granderson kinda way...LOL

Middlebrooks was actually drafted as a position player; the draft tracker is incorrect.

FWIW, I love Griffith too.

Does Rike's swing remind you of Wendell Fairley's at all? Similar path and little noise. What kind of power can you expect from both of these guys?

Rike's swing is more polished right now. He stays behind the ball better, his swing is shorter and has a better hand path than Fairley. It's really difficult to predict what major league power both of these guys will have, but Fairley (if he develops lift in his swing) could be a LEGIT power guy in the 35+HR category because he seems to be more explosive than Rike. Rike I see as a 20-25 HR guy, but again, this is just guessing here.

Brian Rike is one of those hitters who can spray hits into gaps all over the field.

More good stuff, could you please oh please do Lidge sometime soon? Has there been a bigger fall/potential rebound?

Thanks for the breakdown on Russell. While not what I expected that swing looks like it could generate a tremendous amount of power. Not sure about the strikeout rate though. Still, could be a goot TTO player.

cbw, there's a short article in the boston herald on nick hagadone (<a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/redSox/?m=20070607">link<a>) ... a paragraph towards the end that made me think of your work:

"* If there’s a question about Hagadone, it’s his delivery. Washington coaches eschew the traditional teachings of balance point and staying back in favor of being quick to the plate. While Hagadone’s arm action is fairly long and fluid, the rest of his delivery will likely need to be lengthened."

Thanks for the link. I hope that the Sox DON'T slow him down. Like I said in the article, The Red Sox should work on having Hagadone keep his back shoulder over the rubber while his hips lead him forward to create that shoulder tilt yet keep his body moving forward. That said, I would first leave the friggin kid alone and let him chuck it. I hope the Sox read my articles.....