Morning Links: Huntington on Harper

[BigBen2112]

What are you saying Benny? To me it sounds like you are trying to cover every angle and you can't do that.

DO you think Harper is the best player in the draft? and why?

Do you know that most of baseball is not as high on Bryce Harper as Sports Illustrated and random Pirates fans that have bought the hype?

DO you think that if the Nationals don't draft him the Pirates should despite there perhaps not being a consensus #2 (if possible).

I'll think of more questions.

If you don't answer :

No
Ignore or spin
Yes

Then my previous post stands and I don't need to reread what you previously posted

Q1: No, I do not think he's the best player. I think its a pitcher heavy draft and I have no reason to draft and sign a kid at 17 who is completely unproven and could be someone I could get out of DR for 1/10 of the price. I think he's well hyped and could prove to be a great prospect...but I dont think there is value in drafting him #2 for the Pirates.

Q2: I do know that most of baseball is not high on him, but I ALSO know that there ARE scouts and teams who are. That's why I characterized the situation as I have.

Q3: I dont know. I think the Pirates should draft Ranaudo...However, the backlash if they DONT draft Harper would be significant, so I dont know...they probably should. This is something that I have (MISTAKENLY) stated an affirmative of before...but I am pretty unsure. I think they HAVE to...but I am not sure that they SHOULD.

[Daskid]

However, the backlash if they DONT draft Harper would be significant, so I dont know...they probably should. This is something that I have (MISTAKENLY) stated an affirmative of before...but I am pretty unsure. I think they HAVE to...but I am not sure that they SHOULD.

If there is anything that this management team has proven, it's that they do not do things based on fear of public backlash.

[PittFaninVa]

See, I disagree. [HIGH-LIGHT]Just about most baseball people and scouts aren't as high on Harper as Sports Illustrated is.[/HIGH-LIGHT] I fully believe Benny that you have bought into the Harper hype, but you are by far the number 1 person that I would expect to bye into hype, you always have... which is fine... just that the rest of baseball hasn't and that's what Huntington is really talking about. Nobody really knows where Harper is going to go and some respected baseball people have Harper slotted below where we pick at the early stages. (I have seen it mentioned that Harper is at #5 on someone's list at BP, I think I've seen #9 thrown out there).

Basically just like NH, Harper isn't in the same league as Strasburg and that's he's not a consensus #1 pick already by baseball minds (not SI) tells me that he's not this can't miss guy that the Pirates need to sign.

Wants sad and pathetic is that in some of my readings around the net world I'm already finding a TON of so-called "Pirates fans" already making Harper out to be exactly what some schmuck from Sports illustrated attempted to make him out to be so that they can have a good reason to ***** about Bob Nutting and Neal Huntington if the Pirates don't draft Harper (which I believe is pretty likely to be honest)

Exactly my point. The only people who have Harper as the lock #1 is the media. It’s a good thing that real baseball people don’t listen to the media and will wait until his season is over to anoint him baseball's savior. NH has already said that Harper isn’t in his top 10 now. If he dominates at the JC level his stock will undoubtedly go up in the eyes of those who count.

[Kipper]

Q1: No, I do not think he's the best player. I think its a pitcher heavy draft and I have no reason to draft and sign a kid at 17 who is completely unproven and could be someone I could get out of DR for 1/10 of the price. I think he's well hyped and could prove to be a great prospect...but I dont think there is value in drafting him #2 for the Pirates.

Q2: I do know that most of baseball is not high on him, but I ALSO know that there ARE scouts and teams who are. That's why I characterized the situation as I have.

Q3: I dont know. I think the Pirates should draft Ranaudo...However, the backlash if they DONT draft Harper would be significant, so I dont know...they probably should. This is something that I have (MISTAKENLY) stated an affirmative of before...but I am pretty unsure. I think they HAVE to...but I am not sure that they SHOULD.

Ok... i dig most of your answers

I wouldn't get too attached to any pitcher int eh First Round. Now... I have a feeling that Huntington would perhaps go with a College arm early rather than a HS arm that high in the draft but he really appears to (like the post and such I made in the other thread) value hitters much more in the first round and would possibly take who they think is the better hitter (without being a defensive liability) in the 1st.

That's me. That's how I'm really reading into it. I can see that angle. Hitter are the better choice high up in the draft where we'll be picking than pitchers unless it's a Strasburg type.

I completely 120% disagree with your #3. The moment that Neal Huntington makes 1 single decision to appease what the fan base wants is the moment that we start reverting back to the Littlefield bull****. Right decision or wrong, I want Neal Huntington to make the choice he feels is best with absolutely ZERO input from the fan base. I mean, that awful "editorial" piece that Vandy posted is exactly WHAT I don't want Neal Huntington pandering to and that is what he'd definitely be pandering to if he took Harper for reasons you cited.

We still have a long ways to go. It took until closer to the draft for the consensus to be of Ackley at #2 last year, so there's time to go. Harper might end up the consensus #2, we'll have to see. he's performed decently in his JUCCO debut thus far. Personally he's not performed up to what I would consider hype worth thusfar in JUCCO.

[Kipper]

Exactly my point. The only people who have Harper as the lock #1 is the media. It’s a good thing that real baseball people don’t listen to the media and will wait until his season is over to anoint him baseball's savior. NH has already said that Harper isn’t in his top 10 now. If he dominates at the JC level his stock will undoubtedly go up in the eyes of those who count.

It was probably one of those NH mistakes where he spoke before thinking in addressing the Bryce Harper questions. He basically just gave a big portion of the fan base a full can of gasoline and a box of matches with his comments on Harper. That part of the fan base don't know anything about Harper outside of what the mainstream tells them and it's been hype city. Huntington's response was like poking sticks at a big hornets nest.

Eventually Huntington might learn to pick and choose things better or maybe he just lies ****ing people off

I completely agree with his JC performance and touched on that slightly in my last post in this thread. He's going to have to really dominate JC. so far he's hitting respectively. I think he's around .300 with a HR but to me that's not dominating. His JC perfomance is going to be very telliing

[BigBen2112]

Ok... i dig most of your answers

I wouldn't get too attached to any pitcher int eh First Round. Now... I have a feeling that Huntington would perhaps go with a College arm early rather than a HS arm that high in the draft but he really appears to (like the post and such I made in the other thread) value hitters much more in the first round and would possibly take who they think is the better hitter (without being a defensive liability) in the 1st.

That's me. That's how I'm really reading into it. I can see that angle. Hitter are the better choice high up in the draft where we'll be picking than pitchers unless it's a Strasburg type.

I completely 120% disagree with your #3. The moment that Neal Huntington makes 1 single decision to appease what the fan base wants is the moment that we start reverting back to the Littlefield bull****. Right decision or wrong, I want Neal Huntington to make the choice he feels is best with absolutely ZERO input from the fan base. I mean, that awful "editorial" piece that Vandy posted is exactly WHAT I don't want Neal Huntington pandering to and that is what he'd definitely be pandering to if he took Harper for reasons you cited.

We still have a long ways to go. It took until closer to the draft for the consensus to be of Ackley at #2 last year, so there's time to go. Harper might end up the consensus #2, we'll have to see. he's performed decently in his JUCCO debut thus far. Personally he's not performed up to what I would consider hype worth thusfar in JUCCO.

You know, and disagree--which is more than fine--that I am a fan of Ranaudo...if he has the year he had last year again this year...we should be happy to draft him.

Like you said, of course, there is a LOT of time left so we'll see.

I agree with you that [HIGH-LIGHT]I dont think the FO should draft to appease fans[/HIGH-LIGHT]...

I disagree, though, with the FO that there wasn't another player worthy of #4 last year. I have discussed this a plethora of times, though.

[PittFaninVa]

You know, and disagree--which is more than fine--that I am a fan of Ranaudo...if he has the year he had last year again this year...we should be happy to draft him.

Like you said, of course, there is a LOT of time left so we'll see.

I agree with you that I dont think the FO should draft to appease fans...

I disagree, though, with the FO that there wasn't another player worthy of #4 last year. I have discussed this a [HIGH-LIGHT]plethora[/HIGH-LIGHT] of times, though.

plethora......nice

[BigBen2112]

It was probably one of those NH mistakes where he spoke before thinking in addressing the Bryce Harper questions. He basically just gave a big portion of the fan base a full can of gasoline and a box of matches with his comments on Harper. That part of the fan base don't know anything about Harper outside of what the mainstream tells them and it's been hype city. Huntington's response was like poking sticks at a big hornets nest.

Eventually Huntington might learn to pick and choose things better or maybe he just lies ****ing people off

I completely agree with his JC performance and touched on that slightly in my last post in this thread. He's going to have to really dominate JC. so far he's hitting respectively. I[HIGH-LIGHT] think he's around .300 with a HR but to me that's not dominating.[/HIGH-LIGHT] His JC perfomance is going to be very telliing

I believe he was 3-15 with a HR. The HR was impressive, so I have heard...I haven't looked yet obviously.

He also played 3B, RF, and C...so he has that all going for him too. *shrug* Its going to be wait and see though too.

[BigBen2112]

plethora......nice

Yeah...the 60K per year almost paid off there...except I knew that in like 8th grade. **** it!

[Kipper]

You know, and disagree--which is more than fine--that I am a fan of Ranaudo...if he has the year he had last year again this year...we should be happy to draft him.

Like you said, of course, there is a LOT of time left so we'll see.

I agree with you that [HIGH-LIGHT]I dont think the FO should draft to appease fans[/HIGH-LIGHT]...

I disagree, though, with the FO that there wasn't another player worthy of #4 last year. I have discussed this a plethora of times, though.

I don't disagree that there was another player at #4 last year. All Ive said was that there was far from being a consensus #4 and that many scouts and GM's mentioned it was anything goes until the 30-40 picks. Maybe Sanchez wasn't the best player at #4, but without any consensus it becomes a matter of personal opinion and at that point.. i really don't give a **** who someone else liked but I've discussed this a plethora of times as well, effe

I like Ranaudo. I don't think he's a consensus #2 but he's a good looking pitcher. I also don't have a belief until I see it that Huntington will draft a pitcher in the 1st round. Like Sanchez I think he's going to go with who they think has the best bat along with good defense and other key attributes sometimes not stated by the Keith Laws

Basically.... I'm fully prepared for the Pirates fan base to light their torches and circle PNC... ok wait, they don't have the sac for that... circle the internet I see a draft similar to 2009's than 2008's cause the make up is very similar

[BigBen2112]

I don't disagree that there was another player at #4 last year. All Ive said was that there was far from being a consensus #4 and that many scouts and GM's mentioned it was anything goes until the 30-40 picks. Maybe Sanchez wasn't the best player at #4, but without any consensus it becomes a matter of personal opinion and at that point.. i really don't give a **** who someone else liked but I've discussed this a plethora of times as well, effe

I like Ranaudo. I don't think he's a consensus #2 but he's a good looking pitcher. I also don't have a belief until I see it that Huntington will draft a pitcher in the 1st round. Like Sanchez I think he's going to go with who they think has the best bat along with good defense and other key attributes sometimes not stated by the Keith Laws

Basically.... I'm fully prepared for the Pirates fan base to light their torches and circle PNC... ok wait, they don't have the sac for that... circle the internet I see a draft similar to 2009's than 2008's cause the make up is very similar

You and I are a little different--although I would not say one approach is better than another, you might LOL.

I dont care what Keith Law says...I do think that Ranaudo will become one of the best 3-4 players at the top of the draft and the Pirates should draft one of them...and b/c I like what he brings and I think we need a dominant #1 for the future I CHOOSE to say we should draft him. I do not always look at what teams WILL do, but I think for myself and say what they SHOULD do...in some ways it puts me more out on the line, but oh well...I am ok with that.

I think that the Pirates COULD have spent MORE on the draft last year...and could have drafted a legitimate (to me) prospect #4 last year and STILL signed who else they signed. I am OK that you disagree.

I think you could be correct that NH will go with a bat and draft value pitchers later in the draft...but that is not the way I would go, nor do I think that is the way we SHOULD go. I have no influence in the matter, but I DO have informed opinions and I voice those opinions. Sometimes I am right, sometimes I am wrong (I've obviously had more experience with the NFL draft and have had more "success" in that realm).

[jnn123]

This doesn't have anything to do with Huntington's comments, but I just saw that Harper is currently playing in a wooden bat conference. It's an interesting choice. Probably deflates his stats this year, but also gives scouts a better idea of what he can do with the wood.

[BigBen2112]

This doesn't have anything to do with Huntington's comments, but I just saw that Harper is currently playing in a wooden bat conference. It's an interesting choice. Probably deflates his stats this year, but also gives scouts a better idea of what he can do with the wood.

I mean I will give the kid credit...and NH said this too...IF this kid can produce pretty well...with ALL the HYPE and PRESSURE on him...then maybe he will be successful...furthermore, he's attempting to make more choices and challenge himself...he's facing people 2-3-4 years older than he is...its tough. I wish him the best, though.

[PittFaninVa]

This doesn't have anything to do with Huntington's comments, but I just saw that Harper is currently playing in a wooden bat conference. It's an [HIGH-LIGHT]interesting choice[/HIGH-LIGHT]. Probably deflates his stats this year, but also gives scouts a better idea of what he can do with the wood.

Interesting and very smart....that's why the Cape Cod League has a lot of clout.

[BigBen2112]

Interesting and very smart....that's why the Cape Cod League has a lot clout.

He's got good advisors...that is for sure. He seems to be dealing with it all pretty well too.