Slug This...The Hopkins Era...2009 3.7 Hopkins picks Hopkins
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:12 pm
"GM, How are you?"Louisville owner Bob Elliott asks the MBBA's resident genius, as he walks into his office at the Locust Grove.
"Great, Bob, just great...I just got off of the horn, the Sluggers have just officially made their 2009 amateur draft second round selection."
"That's great news GM! Tell me who you picked! No, no, wait...lets see if I can guess!"
"Go for it."
"Hmmm..was it two-time all high-school all-star, last season's top glove in centerfield in all of high school ball, Rob Cramer?"
"No, but good guess. It very nearly was him. He's got all the tools...I just wasn't ultimatley sure if he had the drive to make the most out of them."
"Ok...let's see...it must be Michael Gamble! You went out to see him a couple of times last year. You were always talking about taking his sweet glove and teaching him to play second base."
"Thats true Bob, I DO really like Gamble. But you know I'm not fussy on unknown high-schoolers."
"Well...you did grab Walden with the first pick..."
"I'd hardly call the best pitching prospect in baseball, probably for the last three seasons, unknown!"
"That IS true...hopefully he'll make employing all those bums last season in our pitching staff last year worth it...Ok...let me see...I know who it is! You're always going on about how we need a decent shortstop...Stevie Watkins!"
"Good guess again Bob, but no, not Stevie...I love his intangibles...but for a twenty-one year-old, he's got a distinct lack of history...I really didn't want to make a pick based on one crummy season of 200 at-bats...hell, I'm not even sure where he played last year!"
"Ok, GM, I've got one more guess, and I think I've got it...this guy has a great track record...a FIVE year collegiate career, he's won a collegiate championship, and its all Baseball Amercia can do, to not splooge all over itself when it talks about his intangibles...catcher Benedict Patton!
"It's true Bob, I LOVE guys like Patton...but he was missing one small thing."
"Really? What's that?"
"Nickname...he's got no nickname...how can you spend 5 years in college, and not have a nickname? His first name is Benedict, for chrissakes! The possibilities are endless! And obvious! What is his deal?"
"Good point GM...that's why I pay you the big bucks...there MUST be something wrong with him. Okay, who did you pick?"
"Well...actually..you know him...he's been in these hallways, in this office."
"Hmmm...you didn't draft one of your secretaries did you? HaHa! Ha...ha? You didn't...did you?"
"Well....you did catch him last summer, WITH one of the secretaries last summer...in YOUR office."
"You didn't! Dammit GM!"
"What? The kid can play ball."
"Do you have any idea how bad that looks? Drafting your son?"
"Ahh...don't sweat it Bob...he'll make us all look good."
"This is ridiculous...this is nepotism at its worst!...And I don't recall him having a nickname!"
"Oh...he does...Baseball America has got it printed right here."
"Give me that! (READING FURIOUSLY, LIPS MOVING) Satan's whelp? But wouldn't that make you..."
"How ya doing, Bob?"
"Great, Bob, just great...I just got off of the horn, the Sluggers have just officially made their 2009 amateur draft second round selection."
"That's great news GM! Tell me who you picked! No, no, wait...lets see if I can guess!"
"Go for it."
"Hmmm..was it two-time all high-school all-star, last season's top glove in centerfield in all of high school ball, Rob Cramer?"
"No, but good guess. It very nearly was him. He's got all the tools...I just wasn't ultimatley sure if he had the drive to make the most out of them."
"Ok...let's see...it must be Michael Gamble! You went out to see him a couple of times last year. You were always talking about taking his sweet glove and teaching him to play second base."
"Thats true Bob, I DO really like Gamble. But you know I'm not fussy on unknown high-schoolers."
"Well...you did grab Walden with the first pick..."
"I'd hardly call the best pitching prospect in baseball, probably for the last three seasons, unknown!"
"That IS true...hopefully he'll make employing all those bums last season in our pitching staff last year worth it...Ok...let me see...I know who it is! You're always going on about how we need a decent shortstop...Stevie Watkins!"
"Good guess again Bob, but no, not Stevie...I love his intangibles...but for a twenty-one year-old, he's got a distinct lack of history...I really didn't want to make a pick based on one crummy season of 200 at-bats...hell, I'm not even sure where he played last year!"
"Ok, GM, I've got one more guess, and I think I've got it...this guy has a great track record...a FIVE year collegiate career, he's won a collegiate championship, and its all Baseball Amercia can do, to not splooge all over itself when it talks about his intangibles...catcher Benedict Patton!
"It's true Bob, I LOVE guys like Patton...but he was missing one small thing."
"Really? What's that?"
"Nickname...he's got no nickname...how can you spend 5 years in college, and not have a nickname? His first name is Benedict, for chrissakes! The possibilities are endless! And obvious! What is his deal?"
"Good point GM...that's why I pay you the big bucks...there MUST be something wrong with him. Okay, who did you pick?"
"Well...actually..you know him...he's been in these hallways, in this office."
"Hmmm...you didn't draft one of your secretaries did you? HaHa! Ha...ha? You didn't...did you?"
"Well....you did catch him last summer, WITH one of the secretaries last summer...in YOUR office."
"You didn't! Dammit GM!"
"What? The kid can play ball."
"Do you have any idea how bad that looks? Drafting your son?"
"Ahh...don't sweat it Bob...he'll make us all look good."
"This is ridiculous...this is nepotism at its worst!...And I don't recall him having a nickname!"
"Oh...he does...Baseball America has got it printed right here."
"Give me that! (READING FURIOUSLY, LIPS MOVING) Satan's whelp? But wouldn't that make you..."
"How ya doing, Bob?"
