Raw panic gripping the baseball world!...Joe Garagiola Jr. and Chuck LaMar sightings!
When Byrnes took over as the Diamondbacks’ general manager in October 2005, he inherited a team in bad shape. Arizona was coming off two straight losing seasons, including a 2004 team that posted the worst record in franchise history—and one of the worst in recent MLB history—at 51-111.
Backed by an aggressive ownership group led by Jerry Colangelo, GM Joe Garagiola Jr. was the team’s first GM and had whiffed on many personnel moves leading up to that point, including several big-ticket contracts larded with deferred compensation that plunged the team into debt. The front office had also misfired on a number of trades, dealing away veteran stars too early (Curt Schilling), shipping out top young talent before it ripened (Brad Penny) and acquiring past-their-prime former stars who were nearing the end of the road (Shawn Green).
...The list of names below shows that of the D-backs’ top 29 players who’ve seen time at the major league level or are on the disabled list awaiting return, 14 were drafted, traded for or otherwise acquired by Byrnes (15 if you count the new GM’s signing of Justin Upton after a long wait at the end of the previous regime). The list includes three-fifths of the starting rotation, three of the eight starting position players and a flurry of great talent snagged in December 2005, right after Byrnes’ hire. Those are impressive totals, given the new guy’s only been at it for two and a half years.
Still, save some acclaim for Garagiola, whose scouting and player development staff drafted and developed the two best players (year-to-date) on the current D-backs squad (Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and likely All-Star Conor Jackson), future MVP candidate Upton and several other key contributors.
Repoz
Posted: May 07, 2008 at 12:44 AM |
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1. Nobody ##### with DeJesus Posted: May 07, 2008 at 01:04 AM (#2771351)Yes, the 1st pick in all sports is littered with busts. It only seems automatic since April 2008. It didn't even seem that automatic in April 2007, if I recall, he struggled in A ball for a time.
It was pretty automatic then too. During the 2004 season me and my roommate consoled ourselves with the knowledge that if the team lost enough they would be able to get Upton in the draft.
Had Joe Jr. pulled a Towers and drafted Matt Bush 2.0 I would have renounced my fandom on the spot.
2005 was an absolutely stacked draft year, but even then Upton was first by a mile.
This is absurd. You should get credit for picking such a great player. There were many players just as touted and projected to dominate like Griffey or A-Rod that many have never heard of. If Upton was such a lead pipe cinch, then why didn't he hold out for $10 million? You'd think just one of the 100% would have said, "Hey kid, everyone thinks you are a lock to be a superstar, ask for $10 million, and you will get it."
A great pick is not only limited to a a surprise.
Who? Bryan Bullington? Phil Nevin?
Using Baseball America as a proxy for how well regarded a player was... Only three players have ever been rated by them as the #1 prospect in all of baseball before playing a single game as a professional: Griffey, A-Rod, and Upton.
This might not be the perfect metric of how much hype/tout/projection a guy has, but there have not been "many players" like this who we've never heard of. There have not been "many players" like this period. Justin Upton was "special" player even by #1 overall pick standards.
A replacement level GM would have drafted Upton in that spot. Hell, Bill Bavasi might have even drafted him.
On the Dodgers, yeah, I'm impressed as well. That bullpen is lethal and their defense is very solid. That team and the D-backs are the class of the NL.
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