I saw that Wong was mocked to the Cardinals. From this write-up I'm pretty excited to see what he can do.

Do you think La Russa would view him as a "total guy" ala Schumaker or Theriot?

http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/03/20/kolten-wong-draft-profile/


Hard to find any negative comments about the kid, TK. Kidding about Tone's proclivities aside, I'd say he's the type of player Tony loves, only with more talent.

tkihshbt wrote:

Better stow the sunshine and lollipop talk because the Armchair Scouts are out in full force calling this a horrible pick.

Let me guess. Keith Law?

I don't know if Law wrote this or someone else, but this is ESPN Insider's scouting report and it ain't necessarily pretty.

Wong is a one-tool player, but fortunately for him, it's the tool that matters most, the ability to hit, something he's done well over the last year between the Cape and his junior spring.

He has very good hand-eye coordination and lets the ball travel deep on him, loading his hands well behind his shoulder and producing line-drive contact without much loft in his swing. He's a below-average runner who can stay at second base but isn't likely to be more than average there; you could see him move behind the plate at some point, as he has the body for it but not the plus arm most converts to catcher have. He was completely overmatched as an underclassman trying out for Team USA in 2009, and declined the chance to try out in 2010, perhaps fearing a repeat performance.

Because he has hit so well in school and on the Cape last year, Wong will probably go off the board in the top two rounds, but his upside is limited compared to some of the toolsier options on the board.

Only having seen him play in the NCAA tournament last year, I can't really judge whether he'll make it or not, but the thing I like is he was MVP of the Cape League last summer. That's a good wood bat league.
The obvious question is where you play Cox and Wong in the same infield, but I guess if you worry about that when you have to.

forsberg_us wrote:

Aren't they still projecting Cox as a third baseman?

You're right. He's played third exclusively in the minors.
.225/1/5 with 14 Ks in 47 plate appearances so far in Springfield. Four errors in 33 chances. Maybe the sun was in his eyes?

forsberg_us wrote:

Is he scrappy?

That's not for me to say. Hrabosky is the arbiter of scrappiosity.

forsberg_us wrote:

Luhnow:  "I look three, four years into the future and if we have Cox at third and Wong at second, I'll be a happy man."

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_d32a3e25-584c-5eb0-baca-8c2ac4da8d93.html

Why do I have a feeling that an infield of Cox and Wong could require Cardinal games to be broadcast on satellite radio if Shannon is still handling broadcast duties?

another LOL!.  remember those stories about the pitcher named bong, and the announcer who liked to say, "that's another hit off bong"?

Gaviglio is Oregon State's ace. A steal in the fifth round.


2. Charlie Tilson, 79th overall. Tilson is an athletic center fielder with great speed and power scouts are divided on. MLB.com compares him to Jacoby Ellsbury. Me? I compare every athletic 5'11" center fielder with power that may or may not develop later to Ray Lankford. He's the next Ray Lankford!

3. C.J. McElroy, 109th overall. Another ath-u-lete, a high school center fielder with bloodlines—his father, Chuck McElroy, was an MLB pitcher, grandpa Sylvester played in the Negro Leagues, and Cecil Cooper is his uncle. McElroy is supposed to play outstanding defense, and as a late bloomer he might surprise with his power in the minor leagues.

4. Kenny Peoples-Walls, 140th overall. Another ath-u-lete. He possesses an "intriguing speed/power mix", according to his internet clips, and is currently a shortstop, although he's likely to move to second base as he bulks up.

5. Sam Gaviglio, 170th overall. The first pitcher, if you were counting—a little small for a starter, with a college background and the usual Dave Duncan repertoire of sinkers and double-play balls.

6. Adam Ehrlich, 200th overall. A finished product as a catcher, his skills at the plate rather than behind it are currently a mystery. But he's left-handed!

7. Nick Martini, 230th overall. Stop me if you've heard this one before: He's an undersized center fielder who's surprisingly athletic and able to hit for contact. This one's a college boy—from Kansas State.

8. Danny Miranda, 260th overall. One of the strangest picks of the draft, Miranda is a left-handed closer with a sub-nineties fastball who put up outstanding numbers for the University of Miami as a sophomore and junior.

9. Tyler Mills, 290th overall. Another college pitcher—a hard-throwing former outfielder who's had some inconsistent results as a pitcher for the University of Michigan.

10. Lance Jeffries, 320th overall. Blazingly fast outfielder who "prides himself on being able to get on base." He distinguishes himself from the earlier blazingly fast outfielders by being a local product and a real, live Cardinals fan. Also by breaking the six-footer barrier.

Capsule reports for the next 20 picks are available courtesy Austin Laymance of MLB.com.

11. Michael Maness, RHP East Carolina

12. Danny Stienstra, 1B San Jose State

13. Kolby Byrd, C Coplah-Lincoln CC

14. Kevin Medrano, 2B Missouri State

15. Matthew Williams, SS Liberty

16. Travis Miller, RHP University of Miami

17. Dutch Deol, RF Aliso Niguel HS

18. Kyle Hald, LHP Old Dominion

18. Nick Gillung, LHP Mercyhurst College

20. Aramis Garcia, Pembroke Pines HS

21. Christopher Kirsh, LHP Lackawanna College

22. William Kamplain, LHP Walker HS

23. Patrick Deese, RHP Western Carolina

24. Jonathan Cornelius, LHP Florida Tech

25. Todd McInnis, RHP Southern Miss

26. Brett Graves, RHP Francis Howell HS

27. Gary Apellan, RF Santa Ana College

28. Ryan Sherriff, LHP West Los Angeles College

29. Christopher Matulis, LHP Central Florida

30. David Bergin, RHP Tennessee Wesleyan

Early pick for best name of the draft: Dutch Deol.