Didn't Jeter come from New Jersey?

He was born in Jersey, but grew up in Michigan.

I think there might be some bias against players from colder weather areas, but mostly it's that scouts don't get to see them as much and don't get to see them against the top competition as much. It's more that the scouts have a lower level of confidence in their rankings of those players. I have no idea whether this was a factor with Trout. It's just as likely, in fact probably much more likely, that Trout just made a significant improvement after he was drafted. There are lots of guys in every draft who have incredible upside, but most fail to reach it. Trout seems to have reached his.

I have no idea whether this was a factor with Trout.

It was, as I recall.

As a Brewers fan, I will never be able to hear about Mike Trout and not think about Eric Arnett. Milwaukee was reportedly very interested in Trout and likely to take him with the 26th pick, but the Angels had the 24th and 25th picks. Further complicating things is that the Brewers should have had the 25th pick--the one the Angels used on Trout--but the flawed Elias rankings had Mark Teixeira higher than CC Sabathia, and so the Brewers were stuck with receiving as compensation the Yankees' second-round pick rather than their first-rounder.

We'll never know if, had they had only the 24th pick, the Angels would have taken Trout or Randal Grichuk, the player they used the actual 24th-overall selection on, and Arnett was a perfectly cromulent selection whom I was excited about but who just hasn't worked out. But damn.

The thing is that Mike was expected to go in the first round and was invited to attend the draft telecast. Baseball knew about him.

Mike Trout vs. Mike Carp, discuss....

Mike Trout vs. Mike Carp, discuss....

Now you're just trolling.

The thing is that Mike was expected to go in the first round and was invited to attend the draft telecast. Baseball knew about him.

No, if the Angels hadn't drafted him there he would have fallen to the 37th round.

How about Trout vs Salmon?

Mike Trout vs. Kevin Bass?

Mike Trout vs Andre Dawson? Dawson wins that one easily.

Andre Dawson vs. Astroturf?

baseball people sometimes engage in groupthink

No way!

Bane, who is now a major-league scout with the Tigers, says a number of teams simply could not believe that a kid as good as Trout could be from Jersey.

#### them all so much.

We'll never know if, had they had only the 24th pick, the Angels would have taken Trout or Randal Grichuk,

They would have taken Trout. I think that was fairly well known at the time.

The Kings ended up with Anze Kopitar for a similar reason. Scouts knew what he could do, but they didn't trust the idea that you could get a really good player from Slovenia.

Mike Trout vs. Steve Trout?

I'd ask Richard Brautigan, but it seems his phone is disconnected.

Trout looks a real damn good player, btw. It's nice to have a position player on the team that's worth a damn.

Mike Trout vs. Kristen Wiig vs. Al Trautwig?

They would have taken Trout. I think that was fairly well known at the time.

Yes, because only the biggest idiot ever would have taken Randal.

It's nice to have a position player on the team that's worth a damn.

Shows how important the draft is, since they've had no luck getting position players worth a damn when they spend 20+ million a year on them.