Off Topic
Like the rest of the BBA movers and shakers, the Yellow Springs Nine front office is off in some exotic place making selections that will restrict the professional freedom that several young players will be able to exert for the next decade or so of their lives. Draft day is always a gala event, filled with a mix of bravado and despair usually made in equal parts—with some, however, suggesting this class my be more on the despair and less on the bravado.
Time as always, will tell.
Fervent Nine fans can’t be bothered to wait for time, though, which is good for us because then we can rake in the big bucks by selling this swill we’re calling a draft review.
Enough with the pre-game festivities, though. There’s a pool out back, and a margarita with my name on it waiting.
Let’s take a look at the Nine’s “haul,” moving now to the third round:
Three Picks, No Games
ROUND 3 SELECTION: Edgar Gary (LF)
Gary, who is one of those guys with two first names, like Justin Niles, maybe? Dunno, was listed as a first baseman, but is expected to get a shot at playing in the outfield with the Nine. Given his feet come clad in cement, we’re not sure this is a particularly good idea, but then again—like all the other players the Nine are selecting this draft, Edgar Gary comes with a Tabula rasa for a history, so I guess we can make up whatever crap we want to here and it’ll play. That’s right: third Nine pick, third high schooler, third guy without a single stat to go by.
Makes you wonder what’s in the stuff the Nine are smoking.
Regardless, many people tell me that the kid can manage to catch what gets hit to him, and is an astute enough student of the game to be able to position himself well enough to get your average high school fly ball hitter out. So, good on you Edgar Gary. Or Gary Edgar. Whatever. Offensively, his 6’0”, 180 pound frame gives some idea that he might be able to move a bit, and word that he’s the Firestone Fire’s local tiddlywinks champion suggests that his hand-eye coordination might be above average enough to be worth a shot. If he can’t hack the outfield, there exist a few scouts who say he might successfully stand somewhere in the vicinity of first base.
We can also say that he’s listed as a left-handed batter, which seems like it could be intriguing. Who knows, right? This is like the Nine’s shot at a Phantom of the Opera draft, though. In this world, merely knowing Gary hits from the left side seems like a golden nugget.
Contact Gap Power Eye AvK SP ST 1/6 1/6 1/4 1/4 1/7 2 1 Projection: Assuming he can actually play baseball, Gary fits an organizational need for outfielders lower in the organization. At present, one would think he’ll need a little help from the development-o-beast in order to make a real impact, but the team thinks his bat should play to some degree simply because some scout somewhere said it looks like his plate discipline is pretty fair even if he doesn’t walk a ton.
Defense Scouted Range 6 Error 7 Arm 7
Yeah. Right.
Regardless, at 18 years old, fans in R-Alamogordo can look forward to trying to remember if his name is Gary Edgar or Edgar Gary.
Last Word: The team was apparently sold on Gary when advance scouts visited his apartment and saw a photo of the kid wearing the spiffy red uniform of his Firestone alma mater. “He looks good in red and black,” said one marketing intern. “We should sell tickets like mad.”
