PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKER'S TOP TEN LIST
WEEK 2: 1/14/08 - 1/20/08
 
SHOWDOWN LOOMS IN ARIZONA
Thursday January 17, 2008
It’s been 22 years since a team from Arizona won the College World Series, but that drought could come to a screeching halt this season as Arizona is ranked No. 1 in Perfect Game Crosschecker’s pre-season ranking of the nation’s Top 100 college teams, while arch-rival Arizona State is hot on its heels at No. 2. Both teams have power-packed lineups and could easily produce 25 draft picks between them in June, including numerous early-round selections.

Before the state’s recent dry spell, the Wildcats and Sun Devils were two of the dominant programs in college baseball, winning eight national titles between them from 1965 to 1986. The Arizona-Arizona State rivalry was also the best in college baseball during that span and it’s possible the Arizona schools could not only reassert their dominance on the college baseball landscape this season, but rekindle their once-fierce rivalry.

From No. 1-ranked Arizona to No. 100-ranked Richmond, PG Crosschecker has ranked the nation’s top 100 Division I college teams to kick off its coverage of the 2008 college baseball season, which begins with a new Feb. 22 uniform starting date. We’ve provided a list of the top 10 teams here, but the entire list of 100 teams can be found by clicking on the link below.

We’ll provide a thorough analysis of all 100 teams in early February. In addition to a brief team overview and X-Factor (a key, yet subtle development that might significantly impact a team’s fortunes), we’ll identify each team’s top prospects. We’ll also include projected starting lineups along with a ‘best tools’ breakdown in a number of batting, fielding, base running and pitching categories.

While this additional insight will be provided at a later date, we’ve provided a sneak preview of No. 1-ranked Arizona to give you an idea of the depth of coverage we’ll provide. Just click on the Arizona link to get the in-depth preview for the Wildcats.

Here’s how we see the nation’s top 10 college teams:
 
Ranking. Team 2007 Record
1. ARIZONA 42-17
2. ARIZONA STATE 49-15
3. TEXAS 46-17
4. MIAMI (Fla.) 37-24
5. VANDERBILT 54-13
6. SOUTH CAROLINA 46-20
7. UCLA 33-28
8. SAN DIEGO 43-18
9. MISSISSIPPI 40-25
10. MISSOURI 42-18
COMPLETE TOP 100 LIST
-- Allan Simpson Top Ten List Archives
TIGERTOWN STILL THE STANDARD
Wednesday January 16, 2008
Much has been made of the impending departure of the Los Angeles Dodgers from their long-time spring training home in Vero Beach, Fla. The Dodgers—then the Brooklyn Dodgers—began training in Vero Beach in 1948 and this spring will mark their final camp there as they prepare to move to a new facility in Glendale, Ariz., in 2009.

While this will be the 61st year that the Dodgers will train at their fabled Dodgertown complex, the record for a major league team training in one city actually belongs to the Detroit Tigers, who have been training in Lakeland, Fla., since 1934. The Tigers temporarily moved their spring training site to Evansville, Ind., from 1943-45, as a three-year, war-time sabbatical, but still hold the record for longest continuous time in one location.

Though not the oldest, Vero Beach has been the most storied spring training site in the game for years. The Dodgers were persuaded to begin training there at the behest of Bud Holman (the main stadium in Vero Beach, which opened in 1953, is named after Holman), a local entrepreneur and Eastern Airlines director, who convinced Buzzy Bavasi, then the farm club director for the Brooklyn Dodgers, to consolidate spring training for his sprawling 30-team farm system in Vero Beach. A former Naval base was converted into Dodgertown, which remains open throughout the year as a conference center. It is likely that Dodgertown will attract a new major league tenant for the 2009 season.

The Dodgers will play their final game at Dodgertown on March 17, before they trek to Arizona for six games and move on to California for a game against the Los Angeles Angels and three more against the Boston Red Sox—including one at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Dodgers home from 1958-61.

Following are the 10 longest-standing relationships between a major league team and a spring training host city:
 
Ranking. Team Spring Training Site First Year
1. Detroit Tigers *Lakeland, Fla. 1934
2. Los Angeles Dodgers Vero Beach, Fla. 1948
    Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater, Fla. 1948
4. Pittsburgh Pirates Bradenton, Fla. 1969
5. Toronto Blue Jays Dunedin, Fla. 1977
6. Chicago Cubs Mesa, Ariz. 1979
7. Oakland Athletics Phoenix, Ariz. 1982
    San Francisco Giants Scottsdale, Ariz. 1982
9. Houston Astros Kissimmee, Fla. 1985
10. New York Mets Port St. Lucie, Fla. 1987
* Tigers relocated to Evansville, Ind., from 1943-45 as a wartime sabbatical
-- Allan Simpson Top Ten List Archives
MATUSZ TOP RETURNING STRIKEOUT ARTIST
Tuesday January 15, 2008
Vanderbilt’s David Price led the NCAA Division I college ranks in strikeouts a year ago, fanning 194 in 133 innings on his way to becoming the first overall pick in the 2007 draft. No. 2 on the list was San Diego sophomore lefthander Brian Matusz, with 163 strikeouts in 123 innings. Matusz is the early favorite to be the first college pitcher drafted this year.

Statistics for college players can often be deceiving in predicting the professional worth of a player, but strikeouts by pitchers—both the raw total and strikeouts per nine innings—is often an accurate indicator of a player’s true ability. The last eight pitchers to lead the nation in strikeouts have gone on to become first-round picks.

In addition to Price, that list includes the likes of Washington righthander Tim Lincecum (199 in 2006), USC righthander Ian Kennedy (158 in 2005), Long Beach State righthander Jered Weaver (213 in 2004), Rice righthander Wade Townsend (164 in 2003), Houston righthander Brad Sullivan (157 in 2002), USC righthander Mark Prior (202 in 2001) and Cal State Fullerton righthander Adam Johnson (166 in 2000).

Matusz, the top returning strikeout pitcher this year, is projected by PG Crocchecker to be the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft. Led by the 6-foot-4 San Diego lefthander, here are the top 10 returning strikeout pitchers in Division I, their 2007 innings/strikeouts and their projected round in this year’s draft:
 
Ranking. Player, Pos., SchoolIPSOProjection
1. Brian Matusz, lhp, San Diego 123 163 1st
2. Preston Guilmet, rhp, Arizona 135 146 4th-6th
3. Lance Lynn, rhp, Mississippi 123 146 Supplemental 1st
4. Anthony Shawler, rhp, Old Dominion 115 130 4th-6th
5. Mike Stutes, rhp, Oregon State 133 129 6th-8th
6. Ryan Berry, rhp, Rice 123 125 Not eligible
7. Tyson Ross, rhp, California 116 120 1st
8. Mitch Harris, rhp, Navy 88 119 3rd-4th
9. Josh Satow, lhp, Arizona State 134 119 10th-12th
10. Scott Gorgen, rhp, UC Irvine 137 117 3rd-5th
-- Allan Simpson Top Ten List Archives
CLAYTON LAST SURVIVOR FROM 1988
Monday January 14, 2008
In the 43-year history of the baseball draft, the 1988 draft holds distinction because it was the last year before first-round signing bonuses took a quantum leap forward. That year’s first overall pick, righthander Andy Benes, received a then-record $235,000 bonus to sign with the San Diego Padres, a pittance by today’s first-round standard.

Twenty years later, only one first-rounder remains active: shortstop Royce Clayton, who is a free agent but spent the latter part of the 2007 season with the Boston Red Sox—ironically, earning his first World Series ring despite getting only six late-season at-bats after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the season. In 17 big league seasons, Clayton is a career .258 hitter with 110 home runs. Other first-rounders that year were Steve Avery (Braves, 3rd overall), Jim Abbott (Angels, 8th overall), Robin Ventura (White Sox, 10th overall) and Tino Martinez (Mariners, 14th overall). Eight first-rounders never reached the big league’s from that year’s draft.

Clayton is one of only 15 players from the 1988 draft who remained active in 2007. Interestingly, some of the lower-round selections from that year that are still active are 4th-rounder Luis Gonzalez, 7th-rounder Jim Edmonds, 8th-rounder Tim Wakefield (drafted as a first baseman) and the granddaddy of all overlooked picks in draft history: Mike Piazza, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as their 62nd and final pick for $15,000.

Oddly, the New York Yankees drafted more players in 1988 that reached the big leagues (15) than any other team, despite forfeiting their first three picks that year for signing Jack Clark, Jose Cruz and John Candelaria as off-season free agents. But the most successful big leaguer of the 15, Deion Sanders, was a player who had considerably more success in a second sport.

Following are the 10 highest draft picks from 1988 who were still active in 2007, along with their original signing bonus. For The Record, the remaining ’88 draft picks that were still active 20 years later are: Paul Byrd (Reds, 13th round), Woody Williams (Blue Jays, 28th round), Damion Easley (Angels, 30th round), Orlando Palmeiro (Yankees, 43rd round) and Piazza.
 
Ranking. Player, Pos., Team (Round)Signing Bonus
1. Royce Clayton, ss, Giants (1) $180,000
2. Darren Oliver, lhp, Rangers (3) 50,000
3. David Weathers, rhp, Blue Jays (3) 37,500
4. Luis Gonzalez, 1b, Astros (4) 35,000
5. Tom Martin, lhp, Orioles (6) 23,000
6. Tim Laker, c, Expos (6) 41,000
7. Rheal Cormier, lhp, Cardinals (6) 15,000
8. Jim Edmonds, of, Angels (7) 22,500
9. Tim Wakefield, 1b, Pirates (8) 15,000
10. Scott Hatteberg, c, Phillies (12) Did not sign
-- Allan Simpson Top Ten List Archives