PLAYERS OF THE WEEK -- 9/17-9/24

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Steve Wynn is the Player of the Week. He went 29/80 for a batting average of .362 and hit 10 homeruns in 19 games. Wynn also drove in 22 runs, stole 3 bases and made 1 good play.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Vicente Trevino is the Pitcher of the Week. He gave up 7 earned run(s) in 34 innings for an ERA of 1.85. He went 3-0 over a span of 4 games. This included 1 complete game. Trevino struck out 24 while only walking 12.

Shoeless Joe S5 Draft - First Round Recap

Season Five here in Shoeless Joe just seems to be flying by, doesn't it? This morning, the Amateur Draft was held. All 32 teams selecting the best of what their scouts can find, to try and build up the organization's future. There was tremendous value in some of the picks. There were picks that left some scratching their heads. Here's a recap of the first round, minus the compesnation picks.


(1) COOKIE FOX, RF: A nice power hitting RF with decent speed and good makeup. He'll fit in nicely in Austin. Once he signs, that is. B+

(2) BRANT JACKSON, SS: A real good looking SS prospect, will be a future stud player. Durability could be an issue. A-

(3) HAYWOOD HOWARD, SS: Solid, all-around player. Listed at SS, but more of a CF/3B type. He'll be a solid pro. B+

(4) HOOKS WEBSTER, P: He's is a bonafide stud SP. Superstar in the making. KC just needs to give him the cash he wants to make it happen. A

(5) ZACK HERNANDEZ, SS: A legit power-hitting prospect. May not have the range to play SS, but either way, he's a keeper. B+

(6) JEFF SWEENEY, P: A good prospect with great pitches. He'll see some All-Star games before his career ends. B

(7) OTIS WARDEN, P: A superb looking LR/SP prospect. Stamina and college are his only issues. A-

(8) CHICK LANGFORD, P: Decent looking SP prospect. Needs a better first pitch. B-

(9) NERIO KENDALL, P: Nice right-handed SP prospect who'll be a mainstay in their rotation for years. B

(10) PHIL SISLER, RF: Not a bad future everyday RF. Will need time to develop. C

(11) SADIE KRAUSE, 2B: Solid power-hitting 2B taken here. Can he play everyday when he's ready though? B

(12) KEN OWENS, P: Nice value at this pick. Future All-Star SP. B+

(13) FELIPE MIRANDA, SS: Slick fielding SS with a nice bat to boot. Health and durability could be a problem. B

(14) WILKIN ROMERO, 2B: Nothing flashy about this guy. He's all-around solid. B-

(15) JEFF SHEETS, SS: Not sure if he'll play SS at the ML level, but he'll find his way into the lineup. B

(16) BRANDON HOWELL, CF: Ratings aren't available for this player because he wasn't scouted well enough. INCOMPLETE

(17) STEVE MOORE, P: Could be one of the league's best future closers, if he was more durable. B

(18) GRADY DIAZ, P: Not a bad setup reliever. Good value at 18. B-

(19) EARL SHAW, P: Philly bolstered their future bullpen with this setup/closer type. He'll excel wherever he goes. B

(20) AUBREY HENRY, 1B: You need power? Henry's your man. Speed? Eh, not so much. B-

(21) ADAM GREY, CF: Nice looking defensive CF, but he probably won't sign. LV will take the extra comp pick. C+

(22) LYLE UPSHAW, P: He's as average as it gets. Santa Fe could have done a lot better with this pick. C

(23) SAL FELLER, P: A LR prospect who fits in Atlanta's long term plans. He'll be a decent bullpen option. B-

(24) AARON LEACH, P: Decent control SP who's a nice pickup at 24. Has some nice pitches. C+

(25) FAUSTO LIRIANO, SS: A legit SS with a good bat? With the 25th pick? Can't beat it. A-

(26) FERGIE POWER, 1B: An everyday 1B who'll eventually find his way permanently into the Redhawk lineup. B-

(27) PETE CROSS, P: Another solid SP picked late in the first round. His signability remains an issue. B-

(28) DAMIAN ZHANG, SS: This guy is a fielding machine. Just don't ask him to bat against righties. C+

(29) GENE HUGHES, C: Decent platoon C with a nice bat. If used correctly, will be extremely valuable. C

(30) ALLIE SIMMONS, RF: Decent fielding 2B who excels against righties with the stick. Could get lost in Salem's minors. C

(31) JUNIOR DASILVA, CF: Nice looking 2B/CF type who can flat out fly. B-

(32) BERNIE PADILLA, P: This guy eats innings. As long as he stays healthy, that is. C

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK -- 9/9-9/16

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Nicholas Lanier is the Player of the Week. He went 32/85 for a batting average of .376 and hit 16 homeruns in 20 games. Lanier also drove in 37 runs and stole 12 bases.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Pat Yang is the Pitcher of the Week. He gave up 8 earned run(s) in 29 innings for an ERA of 2.48. He went 5-0 over a span of 5 games. Yang struck out 29 while only walking 7..

EARLY TRIPLE CROWN WATCH

The season is very early so far, but Arizona's Nicholas Lanier is simply on fire! Lanier is a definite MVP candidate for this season. Here are his season totals so far:

.362 avg (4th), 24 HR (1st), 54 RBI (1st)

We'll be keeping an eye on Lanier as the season continues.

Welcome to the very first installment of "The Rumor Mill". If there's a hot rumor out there in the Shoeless Joe world, you can bet we'll find it and put it on this page. Once this comes out, let me know which setup you like better. Whether it's individualized articles on each rumor, or all the rumors put onto here. So without further adue, here they are.

The Salem Lights have made it known to virtually everybody in the world that they are continuing their search for a legitimate ML SP. They have big time prospects to trade as well, with examples being Bill Barkley, Dennys Rando, and Bob Lambert. If you have one to trade, give rootgargle a TC.

Another team looking for ML SP? Add Pawtucket to that list. And their search is serious, folks. How serious is it? They are dangling super IF prospect Billy Fitzgerald as trade bait. That's pretty serious, folks. If you're interested, give hwaters397 a TC.

The need for SP is extremely serious. Add St. Louis as well to this list. We've gotten word that the Soul are willing to deal Kevin King plus another ML SP to upgrade their rotation. If you are interested, send a TC over to rcktchamp.




So again, let me know which setup you guys like more. If you want the Rumor Mill to continue, get those rumors to me ASAP!

PITCHING STUDS FOR SALE!!

1130 AM - THE FAN out of Minnesota is reporting that the Minnesota 10,000 Lakes have put up arguably the top three pitching arms in their ML rotation: Toby Blasingame, Rudy Dingman, and Bunny Howard. At least ONE of these arms is available, possibly more. We briefly talked to owner Indiansrck27, and he says it all depends on the offers he gets.

"Two of them have pitched like crap all season, Howard is doing good though. But all 3 are studs and all 3 are available. I dont want anyone over the age of 25, and I dont make an offer unless you are serious. Looking for any and all positions."

If you are seriously interested in one of these pitching arms, send a TC over to Indiansrck27.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK -- 9/1-9/8

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Tony Prieto is the Player of the Week. He went 33/74 for a batting average of .445 and hit 5 homeruns in 18 games. Prieto also drove in 21 runs.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Mac Griffith is the Pitcher of the Week. He gave up 1 earned run(s) in 10 innings for an ERA of 0.90. He went 1-0 over a span of 10 games including 9 saves. Griffith struck out 11 while only walking 4.

Report: Blue Bombers Looking to Move Two

There is a report coming out of Los Angeles that Cole Lord and Taylor Weeks are currently being shopped around the league.

The two became expendable when Los Angeles acquired Bailey Howard from New York.

If you are interested in either of these two, send a TC over to TooQuick2421.

AL West Team Needs SP/LR

One-half of last year's World Series teams is in need of a pitcher.

The Salem Lights, who last season represented the American League in the Season 4 World Series, is officially in need of a legit Starting Pitcher/Long Relief Pitcher. The pitcher must have excellent control, great splits, and superb first-two pitches.

Elite prospects can be had for the right pitchers, and they include the likes of Dennys Rando and Bob Lambert.

All interested parties, please send a TC or sitemail to Rootgargle.