PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKER'S DAILY TOP TEN LIST
WEEK 10: 4/9/07 - 4/15/07
 
Friday, April 13, 2007
With Major League Baseball formally recognizing the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s 1947 debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on Sunday, we thought it would be appropriate to highlight the career record which African-American players have had the greatest impact: the all-time home run record.

The chase for 755 is all the more relevant this year with Giants slugger Barry Bonds expected to overtake Hank Aaron later this season.

Following are the top 10 African-American career home run leaders, with their rank on the all-time list noted in parentheses.
 
Career Home Run Leaders, African-Americans
 Player (All-Time Rank)HR's
1. Hank Aaron (1) 755
2. *Barry Bonds (2) 735
3. Willie Mays (4) 660
4. Frank Robinson (6) 586
5. *Ken Griffey Jr. (T-10) 563
6. Reggie Jackson (T-10) 563
7. Willie McCovey (T-15) 521
8. Ernie Banks (T-17) 512
9. Eddie Murray (20) 504
10. Fred McGriff (T-21) 493
*Still active
-- Allan Simpson
 
Thursday, April 12, 2007
On Wednesday, we identified the four baseball drafts in which every one of the first 10 players selected reached the big leagues. In contrast, there have been two drafts in history (1975 and 2000) which yielded only four big leaguers among the initial 10 selections. Appropriately, those drafts have been widely panned as the weakest ever.

The book has not been closed yet on 2000 as there are still three players active in the minor leagues, but none has played in the big leagues after eight seasons in the minor leagues. Only Mike Stodolka, who went 20-39, 4.93 in six years as a pitcher before converting to first base, is given a realistic shot. He opened the 2007 season at Double-A Wichita.

Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the first overall pick, and Devil Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli are the only players selected in the first 10 in 2000 currently in the big leagues. Among those who washed out was high school righthander Matt Harrington, who did not sign with the Rockies as the seventh overall pick that year despite a bonus offer that approached $4 million. Harrington spent his entire career in independent ball before signing with the Chicago Cubs late last year. But Harrington never pitched a game in the Cubs organization as he was released late in spring training.
 
Top 10 Draft Picks, 2000
  2007 Team
1. *Adrian Gonzalez, 1b, Marlins San Diego
2. *Adam Johnson, rhp, Twins Out of baseball
3. Luis Montanez, ss, Cubs Norfolk (AAA)
4. Mike Stodolka, lhp, Royals Wichita (AA)
5. *Justin Wayne, rhp, Expos Out of baseball
6. *Rocco Baldelli, of, Devil Rays Tampa Bay
7. Matt Harrington, rhp, Rockies Out of baseball
8. Matt Wheatland, rhp, Tigers Out of baseball
9. Mark Phillips, lhp, Padres Out of baseball
10. Joe Torres, lhp, Angels Winston-Salem (A)
*Played in major leagues
-- Allan Simpson
 
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
There have been only four drafts in history (1976, 1981, 1984 and 1986) where the first 10 players selected went on to play in the big leagues. By that standard, the 1986 draft qualifies as the most successful as the first 13 players drafted became big leaguers, including Gary Sheffield, who is the only remaining active player from that group. Sheffield, then a 17-year-old shortstop, was selected sixth overall that year by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Following are the first 10 players drafted in 1986 and their signing bonuses. The number of big league seasons they played is indicated in parentheses.

For the record, the 11th, 12th and 13th players drafted in 1986 were Thomas Howard, Scott Hemond and Ryan Bowen.
 
Top 10 Players Drafted, 1986
1. Pirates. Jeff King, 3b, U. of Arkansas (11) $180,000
2. Indians. Greg Swindell, lhp, U. of Texas (17) $165,000
3. Giants. Matt Williams, ss, UNLV (17) $157,500
4. Rangers. Kevin Brown, rhp, Georgia Tech (19) $174,500
5. Braves. Kent Mercker, lhp, HS—Dublin, Ohio (17) $100,000
6. Brewers. Gary Sheffield, ss, HS—Tampa (20) $142,500
7. Phillies. Brad Brink, rhp, USC (3) $145,000
8. Mariners. Patrick Lennon, ss, HS—Whiteville, N.C. (6) $120,000
9. Cubs. Derrick May, of, HS—Newark, Del. (10) $100,000
10. Twins. Derek Parks, c, HS—Upland, Calif. (3) $130,000
-- Allan Simpson
 
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Texas sophomore outfielder Kyle Russell moved into the national home run lead over the weekend by slugging his 20th home run of the season. In the process, he tied the Texas single-season school record, originally set by first baseman Jeff Ontiveros in 2002.

Unlike Russell, who is expected to be a first-round draft pick in June, Ontiveros was never drafted and didn’t reach the big leagues in a four-year minor league career with the Boston Red Sox that peaked out in high Class A in 2005. The accompanying list of the Longhorns’ top 10 single-season home run leaders produced three future first-rounders (Brooks Kieschnick, Scott Bryant and Danny Peoples), but only two future big leaguers (Kieschnick and Scott Coolbaugh).

With the 2007 season little more than halfway finished, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Russell has a chance to shatter the school home run record.
 
Top 10 Single-Season Home Run Leaders
1. Kyle Russell, 2007 20
  Jeff Ontiveros, 2002 20
3. Brooks Kieschnick, 1993 19
4. Scott Bryant, 1989 18
5. Mark Cridland, 1998 17
  Danny Peoples, 1996 17
7. Scott Coolbaugh, 1987 15
  Chris Abbe, 1992 15
9. Jay Searcy, 1986 14
  Jeff Ontiveros, 1999 14
  Brian Johnson, 1988 14
-- Allan Simpson
 
Monday, April 9, 2007
The 2007 college season is approximately at the halfway point. Beginning Tuesday, PG Crosschecker will take a close-up look at the top players in each class this season in our midseason All-America checklist. We’ll present one class per day.

It’s safe to say that most players on the following list of the 10 players with the best slugging percentage in college baseball this season will be prominently represented.
 
Top 10 College Players, Slugging Percentage
1. Matt LaPorta, Florida Sr. 1B .918
2. Kyle Russell, Texas So. OF .915
3. Brandon Waring, Wofford Jr. Jr. 3B .902
4. Tony Thomas, Florida State Jr. 2B .839
5. Logan Johnson, Louisville Sr. 2B .826
6. Brett Wallace, Arizona State So. 1B .822
7. Brian Rike, Louisiana Tech Jr. OF .818
8. Todd Frazier, Rutgers Jr. SS .816
9. Ryan Lavarnway, Yale So. 1B .806
10. Corey Brown, Oklahoma State Jr. OF .800
-- Allan Simpson