Bravoyeur

There are a lot of things perhaps more stimulating than the MLB Draft, but with that said I still get rather enthusiastic about it. Players across the country that have worked their entire lives towards a dream find out if a team wants them. Not to mention it’s all done in a great, I pick you, I hope I don’t get picked last sort of classic backyard fashion.

I got a little more interested this year though because I have begun to watch college baseball a lot closer, seeing as how Appalachian State University has had a kicking baseball team since Coach Chris Pollard took over.

Anyhow, here are my small-time kudos to centerfielder David Rubinstein, who was drafted in the second pick of the eleventh round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. As well as to outfielder Jason Rook, who was picked up by the Baltimore Orioles in the eleventh round, followed closely by relief pitcher Garrett Sherrill, who was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers. You see my closeness to their being drafted is I’ve published their boxscores all season, not to mention I wrote a feature on Sherrill not too far back.

 Enough with ASU achievements, however; afterall this is a blog predominantly about the Braves. So switching A’s here are the draft picks so far….

Brett DeVall – From NIceville High School in Fla., go figure the Braves take a southpaw on the first draw. According to the scouting report DeVall has the chance to have three outstanding pitches, and seems to have consistent mechanics.

Robert Stovall – Another High School guy from Hokes Bluff High School in Ala. and once again, we’re looking at a left-handed pitcher.

Ezekiel Spruill – From Kell High School in Ga. the scouts claim the switch-hitting, right-handed pitcher has a lot of work to do but has already shown he can throw up to 94 mph.

Craig Kimbrel - A junior at Wallace State Community College. Kimbrel is a right-handed pitcher standing in at 5′11″ and weighing 205 lbs.

Braeden Schlehuber – Now that last name is a mouthful. He’s a junior at the College of Southern Nevada, where he plays catcher.

Jacob Thompson – Junior right-handed pitcher from the University of Virginia.

Adam Milligan – Junior outfielder from Walters State Community College.

Paul Clemens – Junior right-handed pitcher from Louisburg College.

Brett Oberholtzer - Left-handed pitcher from Seminole Community College.

Kyle Farrell – Right-handed pitcher from Western Nevada Community College.

 James Hoover – Right-handed pitcher from Calhoun Community College.

Are we starting to see a trend yet?

Richard Sullivan - Southpaw from the Savannah College of Art and Design (They have a baseball team?)

Ross Francis - Also from Walters State Community College, this kid is drumroll please…a right-handed pitcher.

Travis Adair - A SHORT-STOP, sorry for the enthusiasm, all of the pitchers were getting a little too routine. He plays at Cleveland State Community College.

Jason Hanson – A third-baseman from Sabino High School all the way in Arizona.

William Hiller – An outfielder from Binn College.

Billy Burns – An outfielder from Walton High School in Ga.

Mark Pope – Nicely enough, a teammate of Burns, as well as a right-handed pitcher from Walton High School in Ga.

Michael Palazzone – Right-handed pitcher from Lassiter High School in Ga. Scouting reports claim he’s a viable starter consideration.

Zachary Fuesser – Southpaw from York Comprehensive High School.

Robert Brooks – Short-stop from Lurleen B Wallace State Junior College.

Tyler Barnett – Short-stop out of Eastern Kentucky University.

Bryan Carter – A senior third-baseman out of Texas A & M.

Daniel Hodges – A senior right-handed pitcher from Mt. Olive College.

Shane Moody – A senior short-stop from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (*hand clapping*, I’m a bit of a fan already.)

Nicholas Fuller – Right-handed pitcher out of . . .Walters State Community College (Doesn’t that make that three from there now?)

Calvin Culver – A right-handed outfielder from Los Angeles Pierce College, and hey guess what! Him and I were born on the same day…weird.

Anyway, that’s where the Braves stand as of the 26 round of the draft. I’ll close it up after it ends. At least we now know that the Braves haven’t been looking at second-basemen, first-basemen or catchers really (besides the one.)  It all just makes me so happy and optimistic. Maybe we just drafted the next John Smoltz? Okay now I’m over-romanticizing.