My Mom Always Taught Me......

...that when you have nothing to say, just steal it from someone else.

First-Round Projection Feb. 8

The Senior Bowl and Super Bowl have both come and gone, which means it's time to update my projections for the first round of the NFL draft.

Utah quarterback Alex Smith still looks like the No. 1 pick, but there are some new entries on the list. Washington offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, Troy outside linebacker Demarcus Ware and Georgia wide receiver Reggie Brown have all worked their way into the first round while LSU defensive end Marcus Spears makes his debut all the way up at No. 10.

In all, there are 11 underclassmen among my first 32 picks, including a pair of third-year sophomores. Auburn and Oklahoma each have three players on the list -- including two of the top 10 for the Tigers -- while Texas, USC, Florida State and Wisconsin all have two players on my firsr-round board.

Here's how they fall into order:

1. San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith (jr.), QB, Utah

A smart player who will pick up an NFL system quickly, Smith has good size, is mobile enough to hurt teams with his running ability and is also an efficient passer who can make all the necessary throws.

2. Miami Dolphins: Cedric Benson, RB, Texas

A strong, tough runner with good speed for his size, Benson would help fill the void left by the retirement of Ricky Williams. But there is speculation the Dolphins will attempt to fill their running back need through trade, perhaps for Buffalo's Travis Henry, so stay tuned.

3. Cleveland Browns: Aaron Rodgers (jr.), QB, California

Rodgers is a smart, accurate passer with a quick release. His arm strength is adequate and he is a better prospect at this point in his career than former Cal QB Kyle Boller, now the starter for the Baltimore Ravens.

4. Chicago Bears: Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan

Edwards has the size, speed and athleticism to take over games, and he did that several times in 2004. He also significantly cut down on dropped passes and concentration lapses this past season, pushing his stock even higher.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Carnell Williams, RB, Auburn

A creative, deceptive runner with tremendous natural skills. Williams can get tough yards inside despite lacking ideal size, a point illustrated by his 29 rushing TDs over the last two years. Was also coached by Tampa head coach Jon Gruden in the Senior Bowl.

6. Tennessee Titans: Adam Jones, CB, West Virginia

A good cover man who will also contribute as a kick returner, Jones has very good closing speed and is a willing tackler in run support. That may be his most important quality with the NFL hurting pass defenses by focusing on downfield infractions by defensive backs.

7. Oakland Raiders: Dan Cody, DE, Oklahoma

A fiery, intense player who always goes all-out, Cody is similar to former NFL standout Kevin Greene in his ability to play on his feet as an outside linebacker, or in a three-point stance as a defensive end.

8. Arizona Cardinals: Ronnie Brown, RB, Auburn

Perhaps the most complete back in the draft, Brown can carry or catch the ball with equal skill. He has size, instincts and quickness that allowed him to put up excellent numbers at the college level.

9. Washington Redskins: Mike Williams (jr.), WR, USC

Williams did not play in 2004 but dominated the college game for two seasons while at USC. His 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame gives him a big advantage over defensive backs, and he has excellent hands. Would be a great help in the development of quarterback Patrick Ramsey and help take some pressure off Clinton Portis in the running game.

10. Detroit Lions: Marcus Spears, DE, LSU

Spears boosted his stock immensely with an outstanding performance at the Senior Bowl. He showcased his speed, strength and athleticism against some of the best offensive linemen in the nation, and his size would make him a welcome addition for a team that needs to boost its pass rush.

11. Dallas Cowboys: Travis Johnson, DT, Florida State

Spends a lot of time in opposing backfields after collapsing the pocket or gaining penetration against the run. Came on strong and raised his stock significantly during his senior year.

12. San Diego Chargers (from NYG): Derrick Johnson, OLB, Texas

Has the speed and strength to chase ballcarriers from sideline to sideline and make things happen when he gets to the ball.

13. Houston Texans: Troy Williamson (jr.), WR, South Carolina

Perhaps the fastest wideout in the draft, Williamson would be a nice complement to budding superstar and physical wideout Andre Johnson.

14. Carolina Panthers: Alex Barron, OT, Florida State

With light feet for a player his size, Barron is a consistent blocker who is equally adept in both the pass and run games.

15. Kansas City Chiefs: Shawne Merriman (jr.), DE/OLB, Maryland

A workout warrior who would help shore up a defensive line that had trouble pressuring the quarterback last season. Expect Kansas City to commit nearly its entire draft to the defensive side of the ball.

16. New Orleans Saints: Brodney Pool (jr.), S, Oklahoma

A complete safety who excels in coverage and is more than adequate in run support, Pool has excellent size, covers a lot of ground and shows good anticipation in diagnosing plays.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Roddy White, WR, UAB

A big-play wideout who averaged 20.0 yards per catch last season, White's combination of size and speed is in the elite category.

18. Minnesota Vikings: Shaun Cody, DL, USC

A versatile lineman who can play end or tackle, and was a leader on the nation's best rush defense..

19. St. Louis Rams: Erasmus James, DE, Wisconsin

Has to answer questions about his durability, but when healthy, James was a force along the line who commanded double-team blocks on a regular basis.

20. Dallas Cowboys (from BUF): Antrell Rolle, CB, Miami

A good cover man who did not see a lot of balls thrown his way in 2004, Rolle was still a force in run support and is adept at blitzing off the corner.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars: Khalif Barnes, OT, Washington

Another player who raised his stock at the Senior Bowl, where he answered questions about a wrist injury that sidelined him for the final six games of 2004. Excellent in both run and pass blocking and earned the respect of Iowa DE Matt Roth at the Senior Bowl, with Roth calling Barnes the best tackle he faced all season.

22. Baltimore Ravens: Mark Clayton, WR, Oklahoma

Has excellent speed and is one of the best in years at running after the catch, making Clayton a big-play threat who would give young QB Kyle Boller another option on the outside.

23. Seattle Seahawks: Matt Roth, DE, Iowa

A tremendous natural pass rusher who has fire and intensity, Roth's outstanding consistency this season helped raise his stock.

24. Green Bay Packers: Thomas Davis (jr.), OLB, Georgia

A punishing tackler who played safety in college, Davis has the size and speed to become a force in the front seven at the pro level.

25. Denver Broncos: Demarcus Ware, OLB, Troy

Needs to add a little bulk to his frame, but his quickness would give a boost to a Denver pass rush that was lackluster in 2004.

26. New York Jets: Carlos Rogers, CB, Auburn

A physical player who is an asset in run support and also has the speed to be an outstanding cover man. Rogers was the best player on a very good Auburn defense thanks to his consistency and durability.

27. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Browner (so.), CB, Oregon State

With his good size and speed, Browner is a consistent cover man who would be a nice complement to last year's top pick, fellow CB D'Angelo Hall.

28. San Diego Chargers: Roscoe Parrish (jr.), WR, Miami

A speedy guy who would round out a receiving corps bolstered this season by the addition of Keenan McCardell and the emergence of TE Antonio Gates. Parrish would also be an asset in the return game.

29. Indianapolis Colts: Anttaj Hawthorne, DT, Wisconsin

His combination of size, strength and athleticism make Hawthorne an ideal 4-3 defensive tackle. He knows how to handle double-team blocks and can create lost-yardage plays.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Heath Miller (jr.), TE, Virginia

A tremendous pass receiver and a willing blocker along the line, Miller would give young quarterback Ben Roethlisberger another weapon to complement his wide receivers and also be a help to the Pittsburgh running game.

31. Philadelphia Eagles: Reggie Brown, WR, Georgia

Has excellent size and hands and gained plenty of attention with a good Senior Bowl showing. Would be a nice addition to a receiving corps led by Terrell Owens.

32. New England Patriots: Channing Crowder (so.), MLB, Florida

Crowder immediately became one of the best linebackers in college after setting foot on campus. He has all the skills and instincts to be a tremendous middle linebacker at the next level.

Borderline first-rounders

The players below are on the very fringe of the first round and depending on how things shake down some, all or none of them could ultimately end up being taken off the board in the first 31 selections:

Darryl Blackstock, OLB, Virginia

Jammal Brown, OT, Oklahoma

Jason Campbell, QB, Auburn

Charlie Frye, QB, Akron

Bryant McFadden, CB, Florida State

David Pollack, DE, Georgia

Justin Tuck (jr.), DE, Notre Dame

* * *

Jerry Crasnick goes over his top ten bargains of the off-season. The Mets stop in at #2 with Miguel Cairo for $900,000. The top spot was owned by Juan Gonzalez for $600,000 and Ricky Bottalico checked in at #8.

I still think the Mets should have inked Bottalico if it cost less than a million dollars.

The Soxaholix had this link in their last post. Let me warn you, it is bizarre. I'm talking Puppy Bowl 2005 bizarre. For those of you who did find the Puppy Bowl last Sunday during your channel surfing, it was three hours of puppies. No commercials, just puppies on a small football field doing puppy things. If they pooped or peed, some guy came out, blew a whistle, threw a flag, and cleaned it up. They even had a slow motion replay hump. It was weird. It's almost as if they gave up trying to compete with the Super Bowl pre-game show and said screw it. Let's just put puppies and TV. Anyway, this Korean cartoon rivals it. I have no idea what it says, but it's funny and weird. The David Ortiz/Shrek character, the Johnny Damon/Jesus character, and the Pedro Martinez/Alien character. If anyone knows what the hell it actually says, let us know.

If the young players want to learn how to snort coke and beat hookers, they are in luck. Daryl Strawberry is coming on as a development instructor for the a few days during spring training.

Mr. Intangibles is at it again. If it cannot be quantified, Derek does it the best. THE BEST! There is no doubt he's a heads up player, but enough already. I cannot wait until he's in the HoF for his intangibles. Why don't they start putting people in for their good looks and style too.

Jeffy Wilpon speaks....

"The big question for everyone is middle relief," Jeff Wilpon acknowledged. "But Omar and Jim [general manager Minaya and senior vice president Duquette] are very confident they'll be able to fill that need. Either somebody is going to step up, or they'll be able to fill that need.

"The ultimate goal is to win, and the ultimate goal is to do it the right way," Wilpon said. "It's great to get free agents. We want to build the farm system ... You have to be able to have the David Wrights and Jose Reyeses to win. You can't fill every spot by going out and getting a free agent."

Any farm building is just going to have to wait until the 2006 draft with only one early pick this draft.

Add Joe Cubas to the list of slimy agents (cough..David..cough...Sloane...cough).

Miami-based agent Joe Cubas has been suspended by the union because the MLBPA concluded he withheld immigration papers that would allow Soler to complete the visa process and enter the United States, an executive said

He DEFINITELY needs to get to work with the Mets. They gave him a Major League contract and by him not showing up to spring training on time would only further delay his arrival and just waste money. Are agents really necessary?

Oh, the good memories.

"The allegations in this book are absolutely false," Giambi said in a release put out by SFX, the agency that represents the troubled slugger. "When that ball bounced off Jose's head and into the stands not only was it a home run but it apparently knocked out the ability to distinguish fact from fiction.

"When the facts come out it will be proven this book is full of errors and, if anything, it will end up on the best-selling fiction list."

College Prospects, Part III (Sleepers)

This college prospects thing I'm doing reminds me of that time I decided to pluck some hair on the my chest. I didn't really have enough to shave, but I wanted to fix what I had. After about 20 mintues I was wondering what I got myself into, but I started..so I had to finish. Like the grooming of my chest, I have to complete this too. So if you are not sleeping yet, you will be after this.

These are some guys that are on the outside looking in and could push their way up with a strong junior season.

* * *

SP: RICKY ROMERO JR. Cal State Fullerton

Ricky Romero is regarded as one of the best big game pitchers in college. He throws a low 90’s fastball with one of the best curveballs in the country. According to BA, he can throw the curveball for strikes at will. As with many lefties not named Randy Johnson, Johan Santana, or Scott Kazmir, Romero relies on control and lucky enough for him, he has some of the best command in the country. In 2004, he threw five complete games and two shutouts.

Year	W	L	G	IP	H	H/9	R	HR	BB	BB/9	K's	K/9	K/BB	ERA
2003	3	0	23	56	48	7.7	20	4	18	2.9	46	7.4	2.55	3.20
2004	14	4	22	155	146	8.5	58	9	42	2.4	126	7.3	3.04	3.37

He may not have put up better numbers than lefty prospect like Cesar Ramos or Ryan Mullins, but he has a lot of heart and knowledge on how to pitch. This past summer for Team USA, someone forgot to tell him that Hochevar and Pelfrey were the cream of the crop and the top two starters on the team. Romero was the best starter on the team tying for the lead in wins, having the best starter’s ERA, lowest BAA out of all starters and the 2nd lowest on the team with .137, allowed no homeruns, and owned a 3.33 K/BB ratio. He allowed the fifth lowest hit total on the team despite being 2nd in innings pitched en route to a .77 WHIP. Ricky’s reputation as a gamer and his success on TEAM USA combined with a big 2005 could translate into him sneaking up the draft board and being the top left handed prospect in college baseball. He'll never make scouts drool or project higher than a #3 starter because of his tools, but he could turn into a front end guy.

* * *

SP: RYAN MULLINS Jr. Vanderbilt

Mullins is a big 6-6 left hander that could take the place of ex-teammate Jeremy Sowers as the most polished pitching in the 2005 draft. In the Cape Cod League over the summer, he had a 1.82 ERA and ridiculous 9.1 strikeout-walk ratio. He posted a 8.94 K/9 while only walking 7 batters and gave up only one homerun on 54.1 innings. He posted a sub 1.00 WHIP and finished with at 5-1 record, which tied many others for the lead in the Cape in wins.

Year	W	L	G	IP	H	H/9	R	HR	BB	BB/9	K's	K/9	K/BB	ERA
2003	3	8	15	88	96	9.8	34	6	19	1.9	64	6.6	3.47	3.48
2004	9	3	17	112	104	8.4	32	8	20	1.6	98	7.9	4.93	2.58

Mullins owns three good pitches. He keeps his fastball in the 86-91 mph range, a slider, and a changeup. At this point, he might be a first round pick and could elevate his status to that of a Jeremy Sowers and push himself up to a status of mid-first rounder. Mullins seems like a really safe pick as being more polished means less time floating around the minors. He could move quickly towards the majors and could be an interesting choice for someone eyeing up a lefty in a relatively weak year for left-handed pitching prospects.

* * *

OF: DANIEL CARTE Winthrop

Like Travis Buck, Daniel Carte did nothing to hurt himself by using a wooden back in the summer league. Carte was BA's Summer Player of the Year after leading the Cape Cod League in homers, RBIs and slugging percentage while also swiping 13 bases and hitting .318 to cap an MVP season. Carte did all that after going 0-for-19 to start the season as well. He could be a legit 30/30 threat and has hit over 10 homeruns in each season he’s played since coming to college, including in the Cape Cod league in 43 games.

"He's not a real big guy, but he's strong, really strong," an NL scouting director said. "The ball really comes off his bat well. His tools are all there: he ran well, he threw well, pull power and plus bat speed."

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	54	203	56	70	20	12	53	24	40	.345	.439	.631
2004	60	230	54	78	14	10	54	34	49	.339	.436	.548

While he will need to have a huge year to even be considered by the Mets, he could make people think if his homerun total jumps. He proved his skills with the wooden bat and outperformed every other top prospect in the Cap. He was tied with the highest batting average out of anyone who played more than 35 games and was the only player to hit double digits in homeruns and only one of two to hit more than five. What he did in a pitcher’s league is pretty impressive and Carte brings the entire package of skills and is a very dynamic player that basically does everything well.

* * *

OF: BRIAN BOGUSEVIC Tulane

If you want to try and get the best of both worlds and cannot decide if you want a pitcher or an outfielder, Brian Bogusevic is your man. You can draft him and figure out later what you want to do with him. He possess a 93-94 MPH fastball and he is a southpaw to boot. According to BA, he shows flashes of bat speed and power potential, and has the average speed and defensive abilities to play right field.

"We like him better as a pitcher, some like him better as a hitter," an AL scouting director said. "As a lefthander, he shows a good arm, the makings of a slider that's average to a tick above average at times. He's very athletic, runs about a 6.6 (seconds in the 60-yard dash) and shows some power, though his swing can get long."

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	55	193	35	62	10	4	36	15	40	.321	.372	.559
2004	62	236	51	80	14	10	68	28	36	.339	.413	.559

Year	W	L	G	IP	H	H/9	R	HR	BB	BB/9	K's	K/9	K/BB	ERA
2003	3	2	13	34	38	10.0	13	1	12	3.2	26	6.8	2.1	3.41
2004	9	6	17	112	128	10.3	55	9	25	2.0	84	6.8	3.4	4.19

While his stuff seems great as a lefty pitcher being he can bring the heat, he was certainly hittable thus far in his college career. I think this year he’ll have to show a large improvement in terms of getting people out since it only gets harder from here on out. He shows decent plate discipline and pounded 28 XBHs out of 80 hits for a .559 SLG. He has some speed as he swiped nine bases and if he continues to progress with the bat he just may force his hand for himself to be pegged as an outfielder instead of a pitcher. Although, I’m sure a lefty with a mid 90’s fastball will draw some interest not matter what numbers he puts up. It’s good to know he’s got options should he fail at either one. One thing he has going against him is that he hit .183 with no homers and five RBIs in his exposure to wooden bats which may be too tough for him to overcome and break to the top 20 if he does not absolutely tear it up in 2005.

* * *

2B: WARNER JONES JR. Vanderbilt

At 5’10”, Jones is not exactly a scouts dream. There are definite concerns about his size, but he is regarded as on of the nation’s best hitters. He led his conference in doubles and RBIs while hitting in 25 consecutive games. While Jones is an excellent hitter at college and manages to keep his K Rate down, he does not walk much at all. In 119 college games, he’s walked a Jose Reyes-like 19 times (actually that is better than Jose). In the Cape Code League, he hit well by putting up a .303 average, but he walked five times in 44 games while striking out 34 times. He also posted a .399 SLG and did not hit one homerun thought he did drive in 21 RBIs, which was good for 7th in the league and smashed 15 doubles, which lead the league. The closest person to him had 10 doubles and only two people managed to hit double digits in that area.

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	55	227	22	70	10	3	25	3	28	.308	.315	.410
2004	64	268	55	111	27	11	74	11	25	.414	.445	.660

BA does not even project Jones to go in the first round in the 2005 draft. There are concerns that his production was byproduct of being sandwiched in between two very good players and there will be a lot of eyes on him to see how he responds in 2005. With another campaign like last year and some more patience, he could push his way up the draft though he would be pegged as an extreme long shot at this point.

* * *

Another guy who could be lumped into the sleeper category is Mark McCormick from Baylor. According to BA, his fastball sits in the 94-98 range and touched 101 in the Cape Cod League, but he's yet to put much of anything impressive together in his college seasons. His lowest ERA at Baylor was 4.70 and his highest K/9 is 9.2. He's posted BB/9 of 7.0 in both seasons as well and has a career whip of 1.53.

"He's got to refine his stuff," an AL scouting director said. "Great arm, one of the best arms in the draft. He'll flash you a well above-average breaking ball. He can go five, six pitches and be with anybody in the big leagues and then go five, six pitches and not be ready for the Gulf Coast League."

He did dominate in five starts in the Cape Cod League with a 2-1 record in five starts and had a 0.93 ERA with 47 K's in 38.2 innings. He managed to keep his WHIP slightly below one finally put up some numbers that look more like what he should be putting up. Rick Peterson loves guys like this and he wanted Justin Verlander first, and Phil Humber second in last year's draft. If Ricky has a say in things, it might just be McCormick.

* * *

The Kansas City Star looks ahead to the draft and suspects that John Mayberry Jr. may get chosen as high as #2 with the Royals pick.

One opposing coach said recently of Mayberry, “When you watch him take batting practice, the sound of the ball coming off the bat is very different from anyone else's. The word explosive comes to mind.”

4 years $38 million? Yankee fans better put their #(&$)* back in the pants. No Santana for you, so stop talking about it.

The Rangers are thinking about Cliff Floyd as a possible DH for them for the next two seasons. I wonder what the Mets could possibly get in return? They have some nice relievers, but I cannot see much come back in the way of something really productive.

College Prospects, Part II

The next two guys are going to heavily figure into the Mets equation come draft day. Mayberry provides the type of player they are looking for with the versatility to fill one of two needs in the Mets organization and Zimmerman might just force the Mets hand if he shows some power this season and proves he is a complete package.

OF: JOHN MAYBERRY JR. Stanford

John Mayberry has a combination of power and speed. He plays first base for Stanford, but a shift to the outfield in pro ball is not out of the question due to athleticism. Despite his lack of success with Team USA and wooden bats, scouts are expecting him to pump out a lot of homeruns in the future. He only hit .254 with two homeruns and nine RBIs and only logged three XBHs for a Mientkiewcz-like .373 SLG. That’s not exactly what you like to see from a power hitter and those doubts could pop into potential suitors minds in the future.

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	57	194	R	58	6	4	33	12	29	.299	.346	.454
2004	56	194	53	72	11	16	62	30	35	.333	.419	.625

Mayberry took big strides in improving his game from 2003 to 2004. He almost knocked twice as many doubles, scored 20 more runs, almost doubled his RBI total, quadrupled his homeruns, more than doubled his walks, and even almost doubled his steals. Will Kimmey of BA said he was an athletic wonder. Even with his lack of success with the wooden bat, another strong year for him combined with his total package will assuage most of the concerns about his Team USA performance and could drive him to picked up in the top 10 by the Mets. He has the ability to fill either 1B and the outfield and he projects to have major power, which the Mets certainly need.

3B: RYAN ZIMMERMAN U. of Virginia

When BA polled scouts and coaches about who was the best fielder third baseman, Ryan Zimmerman’s name came up as the cream of the crop. Regarded as the best fielding third baseman in college, he plays a power position and he has yet to hit for much power despite being thought of as being one of the best hitters in college. In his first 113 games of college ball, he’s hit exactly one homerun. However, in truly bizarre fashion, he managed to hit four homeruns after switching to wooden bats for Team USA this past summer to tie for the team lead in that category.

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	54	221	28	68	13	0	45	11	28	.308	.340	.376
2004	59	249	49	90	16	1	45	11	18	.361	.395	.454

Despite the lack of power thus far, his .468 average in Team USA proves he can rake and do it with a wooden bat. He is regarded as one of the best hitters in the country and he does not walk much, but he does not strike out much either. If you project his K rate in 2004 into a 150 game season, he would be on pace to strike out only 43 times. However, he would only be on pace to walk a dismal 28 times as well. While Zimmerman is already a top talent all around and will not be hanging around long before he’s picked, if he can carry that power surge over to his 2005 season, he will elevate his stock even more and eradicate the only knock on his game. With the Mets possibly having Mientkiewcz for two more seasons at the most, Zimmerman would be an intriguing pick since BA said he could be ready by opening day 2007 and it would seem he has the glove to excel at first base as well. If he never gains his power stroke, then the Mets will be used to have a light hitter at first and could act as a great #2 guy if Matsui parts ways too.

* * *

The next two guys figure to be on the fringe of the first round and would have to really do something spectacular in 2005 to crack the top 10. However, Jed is a power hitting second baseman with a solid all around game and I think it's more likely he will move up than Travis Buck.

2B: JED LOWRIE Stanford

Jed Lowrie, who is a switch hitting second baseman, came within a home run of winning the Pacific-10 Conference's triple crown last season. Lowrie was probably the most improved player in the universe from 2003 to 2004 and had what I guess can be classified as a breakout season in 2004. He hit 17 homeruns, which was up from zero in 2003, he pounded 40 more RBIs, walked 31 more times, had a .107 increase in average, a .153 increase in OBP, and a .385 increase in SLG. He posted a ridiculous OPS of 1.239 and had a nutty .505 OBP.

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	60	212	24	62	12	0	28	19	25	.292	.352	.349
2004	60	233	72	93	19	17	68	50	40	.399	.505	.734

"You love his makeup; he works his rear end off," an AL scouting director said. "I didn't necessarily see a first-round package. The wood bat exposed some things with his swing in terms of strength, and the results bore that out. He really wasn't driving the ball the way you expected."

Enter the bad news. In 51 Team USA at-bats, he hit .230 with one homerun. The good news is he still managed to finish 6th in RBIs and was third team in walks despite having the 2nd least at-bats on the entire team. Jed is solid defensively and will not be a liability. Overall, Lowrie looks like a good player, but not one the Mets will be drafting. There will be better talent on the board when they pick, but he’s a guy to keep on eye on nonetheless as power hitting second baseman are certainly enticing and if he tears up pitching again, people may rethink their position.

OF: TRAVIS BUCK Arizona State

Travis Buck is a lefty that projects to have a bit of pop and he has pretty good speed. According to BA, he projects as a left fielder due to his lack of arm strength, but may be able to stick in right because of his sound fundamentals and speed.

"He's a really instinctive player," an NL scouting director said. "The question is 'Where does he play?' I think he'll end up on a corner. You like him because he's athletic, has some strength and size."

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003r	66	239	59	78	13	4	46	35	28	.326	.432	.456
2004	59	225	64	84	16	9	58	41	34	.373	.486	.573

Travis sure looks like an all around player who does everything well. If you average his 2004 season out to 150 games, he was on pace to walk over 100 times while knocking 22 homers, stealing 33 bases, and driving in 147 RBIs. While some people hurt themselves with their exposure to wood bats, he did nothing but reinforce the idea that this kid is a professional hitter. He hit .412 with 2 homers and 14 RBIs while leading the team in walks with 14 in 24 games. As for the Mets picking him, it seems like a stretch. He does not have a big power projection and more athletic than he is powerful, which seems like a bad trait for guy who might play left. He may be a safe bet and a guy who you can count on to be a fundamentally sound and productive major leaguer who will do a lot of things right.

* * *

DIPS, VORP, Marcel, Pecota...Damien and Eric have it all covered. The future performance predictors do not seem to like the Mets staff so much. To them and there stupid formulas, I say screw you. Zambrano, Glavine, Traschel, and Benson will outperform their predications. Well, at least 3 out of the 4 will.

Eric...seriously. No need to put Kazmir up there. That's like showing me a picture of my X that left me for broke.

I am not kidding. Do NOT click on this if you are squeamish, under 18, at work, or prefer not to gouge your eyes out.

Feel free to forward this link to your friends with the subject "hot chick". It's like a car accident. I just kept looking....I just kept looking.

As a peace offering for those who looked at the above link, I offer this.

How the hell do these shoe string, feminine arms throw that ball 95 mph.

"This is my first year with the Mets and I need to be here for whatever they need me to do," Martinez said last month. "After this year, I'll probably say I'm training; but this is my first year here and I want to show up for you guys."

At least he is preempting everyone for his absence for next year's spring training.

Kevin C. predicts the Mets lineup, rotation and bullpen amongst other things.

Mientkiewicz: Acquired in a trade with Boston, the slick-fielding first baseman gives the Mets their best glove man on the right corner of the infield since Keith Hernandez. He won't add much in the way of power or run production, but by the same token, he'll do little to hurt in those areas. Mostly, he'll anchor and nurture a young infield that could turn out to be the best in the league.

I completely agree with the idea that MienthitslikeMcEwingicz won't add much, but he'll be solid in the 8th spot.

College Prospects, Part I

The Draft is usually about trying to get the best possible talent regardless of the position they play. The latter rounds may be about filling organization holes, but the first few rounds are about getting bang for your buck. Having a guy like David Wright does not preclude you from drafting a third baseman if he is the best talent available because a player takes three or four years to develop and reach the major league level and a lot can change between now and then. They can also be valuable trading chips down the line as well or you can try, fit them in at another position, etc.

As far as this year's draft goes, there will be loads of talent at positions the Mets actually need to fill organizationally. I'm not partial to drafting high school or college kids, but this year and where the Mets are drafting, it looks like college players are the best bet. I'm not a moneyball person by any means, but there are some guys that have very good plate discipline with some power from the left side of the plate and those are certainly a few areas the Mets could stand to improve upon in their system. The position players coming out of college are one of the stronger fields in recent years the Mets will most likely capitalize off that. Of course the draft is near impossible to predict, but I see the Mets going college in first round with their 9th overall pick. With that said, I'll be lining out a few guys that could be a good fit for the Mets and that I'll be following throughout the year to see if they make more progress in their development. I've left off some guys since they will almost certainly be off the board by the time the Mets turn comes around, but I've also added some guys that can possibly push their way up the draft board with another huge year though they are not at a level where they would go in the top ten right now. Try not to fall asleep....here's Part I.

1B: STEPHEN HEAD Mississippi

Stephen head is first baseman who throws and bats from the left side. According to BA, he is very athletic and agile and could possibly play the outfield if a move is warranted.

"He has very good raw power," the AL scouting director said. "I saw mostly pull power. He really looks for inside pitches; he showed that he can cover the outside half, too. He showed me a better swing (than Mayberry)."

Stephen more than doubled his homerun output from his freshman year to his sophomore year and is expected to increase his output again this season and perhaps push 20 homeruns. Head is also said to have prototypical left handed swing and is a very polished hitter that should be able to hit in pro ball immediately.

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	58	208	31	70	10	6	44	23	33	.337	.385	.490
2004	60	228	41	79	13	13	53	23	37	.346	.419	.583

Head fits the need for the Mets to add power and a left handed bat to their organization and since Craig Brazell was regarded as the best left handed bat developed since Rico Brogna, I think the Mets may show some interest. The fact that scouts think he is versatile and agile enough to handle a move to the outfield speaks a lot about him as an athlete and is a great trait to have in any ballplayer. He also held his own with his first go at hitting with a wooden bat by hitting .271 while leading his team in homeruns (3) and RBIs (15) in the Cape Cod League which only improves his standing as a prospect. If this guy shows big time power, he could be a perfect match for the Mets who dumped their best first base prospect and could fill that hole with a lefty power hitter.

C: JEFF CLEMENT Southern California

Jeff Clement earned first team pre-season All-American for the second straight year. Clement bats from the left side of the plate though the throws with his right arm. He was also voted by BA as one of the college players with the best raw power. Sometimes homerun totals and power could be deceiving in college with metal bats, but Jeff Clement proved he can make the transition to a wooden bat by continuing to hit with Team USA this past summer. He was 3rd on the team in RBIs, 2nd in homers (three players tied for first) and did not make an error in the 23 games played. He lead Southern California in home runs and RBIs for the second straight year and continued to show excellent plate discipline. With team USA, he was 2nd on the team in BB and walked 38 times in 52 games in his 2004 season after walking 32 times in 56 games in his 2003 season.

Year	G	AB	R	H	2b	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	56	208	53	62	8	21	53	32	43	.298	.402	.649
2004	52	198	36	58	12	10	43	38	39	.293	.416	.515

"He and (Alex) Gordon have the best raw power I saw all summer," an American League scouting director said. "He just destroyed balls. I saw him hit balls to right, right-center that were just bombs."

Sound too good to be true? Kind of…according to BA, defense is a question for Clement, but scouts say his excellent makeup and work ethic should allow him to improve his fringe-average skills behind the plate through repetition and hard work.

While Clement should be off the board when the Mets pick, it will be close. BA tried to do the impossible and predict the first round of the 2005 draft and slotted him at #7. If he falls to the Mets, they need to get this kid. A left-handed, power hitting, 100+ walk catcher does not come around often.

RP: CRAIG HANSEN St. John's

Craig Hansen put himself into position to become a first round draft pick after his Cape Cod League last summer. According to BA, he possesses two plus major league pitches and used them to rack up 41 strikeouts in 22 innings while allowing just two walks and no earned runs. He posted an absurd 20.5 K/BB ratio pitching in the Cape and owned a 0.49 WHIP. Not bad, huh? He pounds the strike zone, and pounds it hard with a high 90's fastball.

"He was up to 97 with an 86 mile per hour slider that looked like a curveball it had so much depth," an AL scouting director said. "We just want to see more of him. We want to be able to see him hold that stuff for two games in a row. I really didn't know he was even a guy going into the Cape last summer. He just knocked your socks off."

Year	W	L	G	IP	H	H/9	R	HR	BB	BB/9	K's	K/9	K/BB	AVG	ERA
2003	2	2	21	39.2	51	H/9	37	1	21	4.76	41	9.30	1.95	.325	7.03
2004	1	2	13	15.1	5	H/9	5	2	8	4.70	24	14.07	3.00	.122	3.52

It’s hard to pick a reliever when you have so much talent out there to choose from, but this guy looks downright nasty. If he puts up a huge year, he could special. BA rated him as being the hardest thrower amongst prospective closers, owning one of the best breaking balls in the country, and tabbed him as one of the closest to the majors. It’s easier for relievers to jet through the system as Huston Street showed last year, who chosen in the supplemental first round by the A’s. At this point, Hansen looks like he has more upside than Street. He has two plus pitches already and could turn into a Gagne type with an off speed pitch by keeping batters completely off balance. He has to get some serious consideration by the Mets if he carries over his success from the Cape Cod League in which is numbers were otherworldly as he was just flat out nasty.

* * *

Google is officially old news. It's very yesterday and newest search engine is Gizoogle.com. It's got more flava than Google can ever hope for. Their slogan is "Fo all you beothces who wanna find shiznit". If you have not been there yet, do search on anything and read the website descriptions, damn funny. Here's one thing I got when I search for the Mets:

Newsday.com - New York Mets
... Magglio not a Met Magglio Ordoñez was mackin' an agreement ta jizzy tha Detroit Tiga on Friday, which means tha Mets wizzill likely enta trippin' train'n ...
www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ - 87k - Cached - Similar Pages - Translate

You are supposed to be able to translate the article, but it just was not working for me.

Bush, Canseco, McGwire, and the Giam-bust

Jose Canseco personally injected Mark McGwire with steroids...well that's the story in his new book anyway.

Canseco writes that he personally injected Mark McGwire with steroids and that he saw McGwire and Jason Giambi inject each other, according to the paper.

Tony LaRussa did not take kindly to the comments in from the book.

"I am absolutely certain that Mark earned his size and strength from hard work and a disciplined lifestyle," La Russa told the newspaper in a telephone interview. "When he was a kid in 1987, he hit 49 home runs. It's a real shame. For some people, this is going to put a stain."

"We detailed Mark's workout routine -- six days a week, 12 months a year -- and you could see his size and weight gain come through really hard work, a disciplined regimen and the proteins he took -- all legal," La Russa told The Times. "As opposed to the other guy, Jose, who would play around in the gym for 10 minutes, and all of a sudden he's bigger than anybody."

Canseco also implicates Pudge, Juan Gone, and Rafael Palmeiro to have used performance enhancing drugs and also said that President Bush "had to know". You know what I say? Who cares. Baseball had no specific rules against steroids so nobody was breaking the rules. Was it an unfair advantage? Absolutely, but was it all that different from using maybe better equipment than the next guy? One is clearly worse than the other in terms of an edge, but the common line of thinking is that no rules were broken. The players deserve some blame, but Major League Baseball still deserves the brunt of it. Steroids are not a new drug and we are talking about the new millennium here when steroids were still not banned. I'm not saying I'd do it if I were a ballplayer, but can you really blame them? Plenty of Hall of Famers and other players cheated when they played to get a leg up on the competition. Unfortunately it is part of the game and it is the MLB's job try and keep everyone honest.

The Yankees are now putting steroid clauses into all their new contracts signed.

The Yankees tried and failed to void Giambi's contract based on the contract clause that asserts a player must keep himself in "first-class physical condition." Giambi's use of steroids - and his failure to admit to such use while undergoing treatment for a tumor last summer - compromised his condition, the Yankees alleged.

Because that path got them nowhere legally, the Yankees now have the word "steroids" in their contracts for the first time. Any slippage in a player's condition, the agreement reads, "caused by or related to the abuse, misuse or use of steroids'' will allow the Yankees to cancel the contract.

I applaud them and give them the finger at the same time. I give them the finger because I hate them and I applaud them because it potentially leaves tens of millions of dollars on the table to be taken away from the player. You are hitting them where it hurts, and that is the wallet. Baseball does not want to take care of the problem themselves? The owners can take a dig into the problem by flexing some financial muscle. However, I am not fooled for second by the Evil Empire. The Yankees would only exercise that clause if the player was not producing. I'm sure they would be more than willing to turn a blind eye to a guy like Sheff while crucifying Giambi. It is a step in the right direction since baseball still basically has a slap a wrist to first timers. I think they upped the penalty to a ten game suspension at this point for a first time offender. It should be at the minimum 25% of the season without pay.

If MLB, the players, and the MLBPA are sick of getting dragged through the mud on this one, they need to show that they are serious about it. That is IF they want to fix the problem and at this point I've yet to see someone make a considerable statement about doing something. Most of the stuff we hear is rhetoric and damage control and until I see an Albert Pujols type player step up and speak out and say test me whenever you want and lay into the problem publicly, it's hard to believe anyone is serious about this. The MLBPA will keep coddling the issue and protecting it and if it's left to them, nothing will get done.

* * *

The D-Backs traded the left-handed version of Aaron Heilman for Jose Cruz Jr. and solved their centerfielder hole. This move assures Mike Cameron of being a Met for the 2005 season.

A new clause the Yankees are also adding into their new contracts is one that takes care of stupidity.

Brown broke two bones in his left hand last September, putting him out of commission for three weeks, and the Yankees found themselves with limited disciplinary avenues.

So now the Yankees vow to void the contract of anyone who inflicts an injury upon himself, "including, without any limitation, striking any hard surface with any part of the body."

This could get silly.

From ChicagoSports.com:

The signing caps a successful off-season for Boras, whose six most prominent free agents received a combined $360 million in contracts: Ordonez ($75 million), New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran ($119 million, seven years), Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre ($64 million, five years), Los Angeles outfielder J.D. Drew ($55 million, five years), Boston catcher Jason Varitek ($40 million, four years) and Cleveland pitcher Kevin Millwood ($7 million, one year).

Speaking of steroids, did wide receivers always look like this?

A good article on some more revenue talk.

Projecting the 2005 Mets

Damien at Jedikaos.net did piece the other day on a few different statistical projection methods and the New York Met position players. If you have not read it yet, check it out, it is some interesting stuff.

He also points out, very painfully too, that Mike DeJean just may be Mike Stanton clone that throws with the other arm.