| PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKER'S DAILY TOP TEN LIST |
| WEEK 3: 2/19/2007 - 2/25/2007 |
| |
| Friday, February 23, 2007 |
| The quality of the high school arms that attended Perfect
Game’s annual Indoor Showcase in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Feb. 17-18 was
considered the best ever. The catchers that attended the event were a superior
group, too. Here are the top 10, ranked on the basis of arm strength (velocity
in mph): |
| |
| Top 10 Catchers, PG Indoor Showcase |
|
| Player | Grad Year | Velo (mph) |
| 1.
|
Ian Tomkins, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. |
2007 |
82 |
| 2.
|
Brad Lamberti, Southeast Polk HS, Runnells, Iowa |
2009 |
81 |
| 3.
|
Shane Blair, Rock Falls (Ill.) HS |
2008 |
79 |
| 4.
|
C.J. Rose, Fort Zumwalt HS, O’Fallon, Mo. |
2008 |
78 |
| 5.
|
Justin Hunt, Pius XI HS, Milwaukee |
2008 |
78 |
| 6.
|
A.J. Demarco, Downers Grove (Ill.) North HS |
2008 |
78 |
| 7.
|
Brian Padove, Marian Catholic HS, Chicago Heights |
2008 |
76 |
| 8.
|
Trevor Edwards, Taddle Creek Academy, Toronto |
2008 |
76 |
| 9.
|
Bart Steponovich, Hickman HS, Columbia, Mo. |
2008 |
75 |
| 10.
|
Kevin Schuver, Marion (Iowa) HS |
2007 |
75 |
|
| -- Wes Penick |
| |
|
|
| Thursday, February 22, 2007 |
| Washington righthander Tim Lincecum led NCAA Division I
pitchers with 199 strikeouts in 2006, but the total didn’t crack the all-time
single season top 10. Here are the 10 best strikeout totals in D-I history: |
| |
| Top 10 Stikeout Totals in D-I History |
|
| Player | Year | IP | SO |
| 1.
|
Derek Tatsuno, Hawaii |
1979 |
174 |
234 |
| 2.
|
Gary Gentry, Arizona State |
1967 |
174 |
229 |
| 3.
|
Mike Loynd, Florida State |
1986 |
164 |
223 |
| 4.
|
Evan Thomas, Fla. International |
1996 |
147 |
220 |
| 5.
|
Floyd Bannister, Arizona State |
1975 |
157 |
217 |
| 6.
|
Jered Weaver, Long Beach State |
2004 |
144 |
213 |
| 7.
|
Floyd Bannister, Arizona State |
1996 |
186 |
213 |
| 8.
|
Eddie Bane, Arizona State |
1972 |
144 |
213 |
| 9.
|
Brian Barnes, Clemson |
1989 |
146 |
208 |
| 10.
|
John Hoover, Fresno State |
1984 |
177 |
205 |
|
| -- Allan Simpson |
| |
|
|
| Wednesday, February 21, 2007 |
| Perfect Game held its annual Indoor Showcase Feb. 17-18 at
its home base in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The event attracted top prospects from
several states and Canada. Here are the top 10 pitchers in attendance, on the
basis of fastball velocity (ties broken on best average fastball): |
| |
| Top 10 Fastballs At PG Indoor |
| 1.
|
Cody Scarpetta, rhp, Rockford, Ill. (2007) |
94 mph |
| 2.
|
Casey Crosby, lhp, Elburn, Ill. (2007) |
94 mph |
| 3.
|
Justin Grimm, rhp, Bristol, Va. (2007) |
92 mph |
| 4.
|
Leslie Williams, rhp, Toronto (2007) |
92 mph |
| 5.
|
Chris Wakefield, rhp, Green Bay, Wis. (2008) |
92 mph |
| 6.
|
Tony Zych, rhp, Monee, Ill. (2008) |
91 mph |
| 7.
|
Kyle Ayers, rhp, Oswego, Ill. (2007) |
90 mph |
| 8.
|
Michael Kaczmarek, lhp, Tinley Park, Ill. (2007) |
90 mph |
| 9.
|
Charles Ghysels, rhp, Springboro, Ohio (2008) |
90 mph |
| 10.
|
Brett Huber, rhp, Belleville, Ill. (2008) |
89 mph |
|
| -- David Rawnsley |
| |
|
|
| Tuesday, February 20th, 2007 |
The average first-round signing bonus in the 2006 draft was
$1,893,102, with lefthander Andrew Miller (Tigers, sixth overall) setting the
pace at $3.55 million. Twenty-five years ago, the average first-round bonus was
$82,442, with No. 1 overall pick Shawon Dunston (Cubs) showing the way at
$135,000. Dunston’s bonus, however, was only the second largest that year as
the White Sox paid their future general manager, third-round pick Kenny
Williams, $165,000 to play baseball while also pursuing a college football
career at Stanford.
Following are the top 10 signing bonuses from the 1982 draft. All were
first-round picks with the exception of Williams and Edward Allen, a
third-round pick of the Royals. |
| |
| Top 10 Signing Bonuses, 1982 |
| 1.
|
*Kenny Williams, of, White Sox |
$165,000 |
| 2.
|
*Shawon Dunston, ss, Cubs |
$135,000 |
| 3.
|
*Dale Sveum, ss, Brewers |
$107,500 |
| 4.
|
*Jimmy Jones, rhp, Padres |
$102,500 |
| 5.
|
Edward Allen, of, Royals |
$100,000 |
| 5.
|
Scott Jones, Reds |
$100,000 |
| 5.
|
*Sammy Khalifa, ss, Pirates |
$100,000 |
| 5.
|
*Spike Owen, ss, Mariners |
$100,000 |
| 5.
|
*John Morris, of, Royals |
$100,000 |
| 10.
|
*Bob Kipper, lhp, Angels |
$92,500 |
| 10.
|
Augie Schmidt, ss, Blue Jays |
$92,500 |
| *Played in major leagues |
|
| -- Allan Simpson |
| |
|
|
| Monday, February 19th, 2007 |
| Of the 1,243 players that played in the big leagues in
2006, a total of 894—or 71.9 percent—were born in the United States. Nineteen
other countries produced the remaining 349 players, including the likes of
Aruba, England, Guam and Vietnam, which produced one player apiece. Here are
the top 10 foreign producers of big league talent in 2006: |
| |
| Top 10 Foreign-Producing Nations |
| 1.
|
Dominican Republic |
145 |
| 2.
|
Venezuela |
72 |
| 3.
|
Puerto Rico |
40 |
| 4.
|
Canada |
21 |
| 5.
|
Mexico |
18 |
| 6.
|
Japan |
10 |
| 7.
|
Cuba |
9 |
| 8.
|
Panama |
8 |
| 9.
|
Korea |
7 |
| 10.
|
Colombia |
3 |
| 10.
|
Curacao |
3 |
| 10.
|
Germany |
3 |
|
| -- Allan Simpson |
| |
|
|