723 Comments
User's avatar
bucsws2024's avatar

Cruz had a respectable evening. Good for him. I had Dumper winning it all along.

Expand full comment
StatsCbl's avatar

More than respectable, especially from an entertainment perspective.

Expand full comment
theobserver's avatar

Ahem. That's BIG Dumper.

Expand full comment
bucsws2024's avatar

We're good friends. Don't need the 'big'.

Expand full comment
theobserver's avatar

Is he really a dumper if he's not a Big Dumper?

Expand full comment
theobserver's avatar

So we got the Oneil Cruz we expected in the second round. Stoopid power when he gets under it, but . . . Still, quite entertaining.

Expand full comment
bucsws2024's avatar

I was hoping for a longer groove, something where he could recall the muscle memory. Not enough lift on most of the balls in 2nd round, but those line drives could also get to the wall. Was simply hoping this exhibition would help him find his power swing again.

Expand full comment
theobserver's avatar

You never know who might be sitting there watching him swing and go, "Oh!" Baseball players love to talk shop. And the ASB is nothing if not an opportunity to network with future teammates.

Expand full comment
Robert Kasperski's avatar

Still may have helped him find it. We shall see starting Friday. 😁

Expand full comment
bucsws2024's avatar

Surprised Buxton's kid is bigger than Ham Porter.

Expand full comment
Robert Kasperski's avatar

The Great Hambino!!!!

Expand full comment
pskell02's avatar

Anyone else sad the draft is over?

Expand full comment
Cobra 39's avatar

Very much so. Love all the mocks and discussions leading up to it.

Expand full comment
WTM's avatar

There are 65 games of Cherington baseball to look forward to.

Expand full comment
JRC21's avatar

And the trade deadline. Gulp. Can we put Justin Horowitz in charge of the trade deadline as well?

Expand full comment
WTM's avatar

Ya got my vote.

Expand full comment
Scott Kliesen's avatar

Cruz just hit one like Pops used to.

#500footclub

Expand full comment
StatsCbl's avatar

This is new for Cruz playing in front of a big crowd being surrounded by star players cheering him on. Not to mention, the opportunity to make a million dollars in one day.

Expand full comment
pskell02's avatar

Golf clap Cruz. I was nervous he was gonna hit like 5 in the round.

Expand full comment
Scott Kliesen's avatar

Deserves more than a golf clap for hitting 513 feet big fly.

Expand full comment
StatsCbl's avatar

Pretty exciting.

Expand full comment
Hoffmark 83's avatar

Don't know if it was mentioned here but 13th rd pick Dylan Mathiesen graduated from Montour HS outside of Pittsburgh. A hometown boy.

Expand full comment
rhd's avatar

It looks like Oneil Cruz is good at baseball.

Expand full comment
bucsws2024's avatar

i think Cruz fails to get to 10

Expand full comment
bucsws2024's avatar

we using this thread for the HR Derby?

Expand full comment
bmcferren's avatar

how to watch this derby?

Expand full comment
bucsws2024's avatar

espn

Expand full comment
Tim's avatar

Is baseball NIL really that high at an SEC school? Seems football and basketball will take mst of it. Perhaps a baseball only school will have NIL but Vandy, Clemson, etc? With the House settlement schools are setting aside 20 mil ( if they can). Football and Basketball are going to suck the life out of that.

Expand full comment
Melkel's avatar

Auburn, Tennessee, Texas, Texas a&m, Florida, LSU, Arkansas and a couple others put a good bit into the baseball programs. Vandy is more the type they recruit but they have money for baseball as well.

Expand full comment
Aurorus Borealus's avatar

Yeah... so the coaches in those programs know how to work with budgets and basic accounting stuff. These college baseball programs are not fly-by-night little-league outfits. These are professionally run and staffed organizations. One of these coaches might make a good GM for the Pirates, you know?

Expand full comment
theobserver's avatar

Also, the athletic director works with everybody across all the sports so the skills and benefits thereof transfer. It's not just "SEC, yay football." It translates across all sports.

Expand full comment
bucsws2024's avatar

Dave Benedict (AD) and Jim Penders (coach) are guys who are used to adversity, yet still able to field competitive teams. UConn is an independent in football, in a non-P4 in other sports, and in the middle of nowhere in a cold climate for baseball. thus on the road a ton, yet consistently in the field of 64 in NCAA baseball. UConn is even now competitive in football, and, well, y'all know the hoops success. Got three guys selected in the draft this year, plus dudes like George Springer and Ben Casparius. Perfect guys for the Pirates!

Expand full comment
Aurorus Borealus's avatar

I just think that the idea when hiring Cherington was right; the Pirates need a top-notch development and amateur talent guru running the organization, because they have to hit on more prospects and develop talent internally at a better rate than larger-market teams.

Instead of hiring a BS-artist who claims to be able to do this, why not hire someone who has an actual track record of doing exactly this in a competitive environment against other people trying to do the same: building an organization that recruits and develops amateur talent?

Expand full comment
theobserver's avatar

Did you reply to the wrong comment?

I was talking about ADs in college sports.

Expand full comment
agent00's avatar

sup everyone what did I miss??

Expand full comment
AdministrativeSky236's avatar

Not much

Expand full comment
agent00's avatar

sad!

Expand full comment
MWT's avatar

I would imagine Gwost and Frusco honor their commitments and go play college ball.

Expand full comment
WTM's avatar

Post-rd-10 ended being pretty crazy. Sure hope they have the $$ calculated carefully.

Expand full comment
SouthernBuc's avatar

I'm hoping they are confident in at least one HS draftee and I think getting 2 is a big win. I just can't see how they could get all 4 from those last 10 rounds. With the new roster limits I think I'd rather take this path and not sign a few vs. just getting a 25K college player.

Expand full comment
Melkel's avatar

Yep, the only way they get more than 2 is if they saved on Murf, Carmichael, Guzman, and a couple of the others and are right at slot for the early prep players. The 5% overage gives them around $700,000 to start with for over slot.

Expand full comment
Steven Flamm's avatar

Sometimes these guys take less than you think. Like Braylon Bishop

Expand full comment
Joshua Johnson's avatar

Man they really went hard in the paint with the preps post round 10…let’s see who they sign!

Expand full comment
Melkel's avatar

Maybe they saved more in the first 10 rounds than thought, I hope so.

Kinda reminds me of the early Huntington drafts with all the prep arms.

Expand full comment
Aurorus Borealus's avatar

Seems like they might have had some talks with Cervantes, Grey, and Carmichael over the course of the day and thought they might have more bonus money available than they initially projected.

Expand full comment
WTM's avatar

I figure one P and the OF. Beyond that, Seth H would have to sign below slot.

Expand full comment
Melkel's avatar
4dEdited

I think they must have him near slot, it would still be more than any other prep right hander, I think it was mentioned in this thread. $7.23 million for Hunter Greene.

Expand full comment
Aurorus Borealus's avatar

From the sounds of it, they had been in constant communication with Hernandez and already had a number worked out if he slipped to #6.

Expand full comment