| Moneyball
I started reading this book today, and I've gotta say it's pretty damn interesting. The coolest part is reading stories about players who were just prospects at the time, but are major leaguers now.
DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN READING THIS BOOK AND DONT WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!
This is probably the most interesting story:
They talk about the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft in great detail. The A's have the 16th overall pick. People are generally sure of wh the first 15 picks will be. Billy Beane is confident that Nick Swisher, a player that Beane is absolutely obsessed with, will fall to the A's. Just then, Beane gets a call that a 17-year old outfielder from Colorado has told the Rockies, who have the 9th pick and intend to pick him, that he won't play for them unless they offer him a ridiculous $2.4 million contract. Just then, his stock drops like crazy, and he's expected to go in the late first round, maybe later.
As a result, the Rockies decide they will take pitcher Jeff Francis. The Mets, who pick one spot before the A's have the following players on ther radar: Francis, Zach Greinke, and two other pitchers who I've never heard of. The Royals are determined to take Greinke, and the Reds and Expos are determined to take the other two pitchers. So, the Mets look for their 5th choice, which is Russ Adams, who is expected to go one spot earlier to the Blue Jays. At which point the Mets are forced to settle for their 6th choice: Nick Swisher.
Billy Beane throws a fit, and scares all his scouts and assistants shitless. A few minutes later he gets a phone call from Steve Philips, Mets GM, telling him that they're taking a high school pitcher named Scott Kazmir. Beane is ecstatic because he believes taking high school players, especially pitchers, is way too risky, and his research shows that college players make it to the majors more than high school players.
So, the Mets take Kazmir (who ends up panning out, albeit for Tampa Bay instead), and the A's get their guy: Nick Swisher.
Also, one of the players that they think about taking before they get Swisher back is Prince Fielder
Pretty cool how they talk about all these guys who are in the majors now |