02-25-2009, 04:45 PM
<!--quoteo(post=20186:date=Feb 25 2009, 01:06 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Feb 25 2009, 01:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=20169:date=Feb 25 2009, 11:52 AM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Feb 25 2009, 11:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=20152:date=Feb 25 2009, 10:13 AM:name=Butcher)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Butcher @ Feb 25 2009, 10:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Anyway, Vitters will probably be pretty good (knock on wood), but you should never draft to fill a position on the field -- you just take the best guy available (which wasn't Vitters).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You say that now. Look at the scouting reports I put up earlier. There were plenty of people that thought Vitters was a better prospect than Wieters. One was the best high school hitter, and one was the best college hitter. Wieters could end up better, but you simply can't say the Cubs decided NOT to take the "best guy available", when at the time they easily could have thought Vitters WAS the best guy available.
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Because the draft is such an inexact science, you try and eliminate as much risk and guesswork as possible. A college player is much closer to the finished product than a high school player. So, if a high school hitter and a college hitter are both projecting about the same, and they are both available, then you take the college hitter.
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True. But only true if both are projecting about the same. If you project those 2 now, Wieters is the obvious choice. If you were projecting a year ago, the Cubs could have easily thought Vitters had the higher ceiling.
Let me try a different angle here. In February of 2008, how many people would have taken Phil Hughes over David Price? Hughes was basically ready for the majors, and Price was 22 and playing in A ball. Wouldn't Hughes have been the "obvious" choice? Which guy would you take now? Hell, I've seen lists created 365 days ago which ranked Homer Bailey over David Price.
I'm not saying that Vitters will be better than Wieters. I'm simply saying that taking their status now, and retroactively applying it to a decision Wilken had to make at the time is unfair. It's only "obvious" now. And the fact neither of them have done anything in the majors yet would indicate it's certainly at least possible it won't be so obvious in 12 months.
You say that now. Look at the scouting reports I put up earlier. There were plenty of people that thought Vitters was a better prospect than Wieters. One was the best high school hitter, and one was the best college hitter. Wieters could end up better, but you simply can't say the Cubs decided NOT to take the "best guy available", when at the time they easily could have thought Vitters WAS the best guy available.
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Because the draft is such an inexact science, you try and eliminate as much risk and guesswork as possible. A college player is much closer to the finished product than a high school player. So, if a high school hitter and a college hitter are both projecting about the same, and they are both available, then you take the college hitter.
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True. But only true if both are projecting about the same. If you project those 2 now, Wieters is the obvious choice. If you were projecting a year ago, the Cubs could have easily thought Vitters had the higher ceiling.
Let me try a different angle here. In February of 2008, how many people would have taken Phil Hughes over David Price? Hughes was basically ready for the majors, and Price was 22 and playing in A ball. Wouldn't Hughes have been the "obvious" choice? Which guy would you take now? Hell, I've seen lists created 365 days ago which ranked Homer Bailey over David Price.
I'm not saying that Vitters will be better than Wieters. I'm simply saying that taking their status now, and retroactively applying it to a decision Wilken had to make at the time is unfair. It's only "obvious" now. And the fact neither of them have done anything in the majors yet would indicate it's certainly at least possible it won't be so obvious in 12 months.
I wish that I believed in Fate. I wish I didn't sleep so late. I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders.