PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKER'S TOP TEN LIST
WEEK 26: 10/15/07 - 10/21/07
 
Thursday, October 18, 2007
ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL TOPS LIST
There is a short list of colleges that have produced six or more big leaguers at a time, but rarely is that the case at the high school level. But Tucson’s Canyon del Oro High is an exception.

The Dorados hold the unique distinction of having produced a half dozen players that performed in the big leagues this season, including outfielders Brian Anderson (White Sox), Chris Duncan (Cardinals), Shelley Duncan (Yankees) and Scott Hairston (Padres), second baseman Ian Kinsler (Rangers) and righthander Jason Stanford (Indians). Chris Duncan, Anderson, Hairston and Kinsler all started in the field together when Canyon del Oro lost in the quarter-finals of the Arizona 5-A playoffs in 1999.

Following are the U.S. high schools that produced at least three 2007 big leaguers:
 
  High School Big Leaguers
1. Canyon del Oro HS, Tucson 6
2. Cherry Creek HS, Englewood, Colo. 4
  Harrison HS, Kennesaw, Ga. 4
  John F. Kennedy HS, Granada Hills, Calif. 4
  Lake Brantley HS, Altamonte Springs, Fla. 4
  La Quinta HS, Westminster, Calif. 4
  Servite HS, Anaheim 4
8. Bellaire (Texas) HS 3
  Bishop Amat HS, La Puente 3
  El Dorado HS, Placentia, Calif. 3
  Fallbrook Union HS, Fallbrook, Calif. 3
  Fountain Valley (Calif.) HS 3
  Granada Hills (Calif.) HS 3
  Hillsborough HS, Tampa 3
  Lamar (Colo.) HS 3
  Parkview HS, Lilburn, Ga. 3
  Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego 3
  St. Francis HS, La Canada, Calif. 3
  Sarasota (Fla.) HS 3
  South Kitsap HS, Port Orchard, Wash. 3
  Southridge HS, Miami 3
--ALLAN SIMPSON
 
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
BRAVES TOPS IN HOME-DEVELOPED TALENT
With the cost of free agents at an all-time high and big league teams trending towards signing and developing their own talent, it’s almost ironic that the six most productive teams in terms of drafting and signing the 1,279 players who played in the big leagues in 2007 didn’t reach the postseason.

The Atlanta Braves, who missed the playoffs for the second straight year, signed more big leaguers (61) than anyone, followed by the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays with 55 each. At the opposite end of the spectrum were the Milwaukee Brewers (22), Cincinnati Reds (25) and San Diego Padres (28). Predictably, none of the 12 poorest-producing teams reached the playoffs.

Following are the top 10 organizations that originally signed the most 2007 big leaguers:
 
  Club Big Leaguers
1. Atlanta Braves 61
2. Oakland Athletics 55
  Toronto Blue Jays 55
4. Los Angeles Dodgers 52
5. Pittsburgh Pirates 50
  Seattle Mariners 50
7. *Arizona Diamondbacks 49
  *New York Yankees 49
9. *Cleveland Indians 48
10. *Boston Red Sox 47
*2007 playoff team
--ALLAN SIMPSON
 
Monday, October 15, 2007
USC LEADS WITH 17 BIG LEAGUERS
It’s been nine years since Southern California won the last of its 12 College World Series championships, and the Trojans have had losing records the last two seasons—25-33 in 2006, 27-29 in 2007.

But USC has the distinction of having more former players in the big leagues this season than any other college. Seventeen ex-Trojans dotted major league rosters—three more than fielded by Cal State Fullerton and Louisiana State, two other teams with lengthy CWS resumes. Between them, USC (12), Louisiana State (5) and Cal State Fullerton (4) have combined to win 21 College World Series titles.

Here are the colleges that produced the most big leaguers in 2007:
 
  College Big Leaguers
1. Southern California 17
2. Cal State Fullerton 14
  Louisiana State 14
4. Long Beach State 11
  Stanford 11
6. Arizona State 9
  UCLA 9
  Florida State 9
  South Carolina 9
10. Auburn 8
  Oklahoma 8
  Oklahoma State 8
--ALLAN SIMPSON