Rah-Rah

As far as prospects because of a baseball reason, I've always wanted to see Michael Aubrey finally stay out of the training room.

Cue irrational love.

Eddie Mujica, because I like fat pitchers.

Tony Sipp - because it's easy to forget that he was striking out 12 guys/9 innings before he got injured
Weglarz - not because he's Canadian, but because he's young, takes walks, and hits homers
Goedert - a 2B who mashes...and his name is Go-Dirt
Kelvin De La Cruz & Santo Frias - the nickname (and pitching) potential here is huge

I initially rooted for the guy, strictly because I was sick of all the BP talk and kvetching during the off-season. I deemed his success as a way to shut those people up. But, I soon realized my folly as those type of fans will never shut up.

There will always be a "BP" on the tips of their tongues and fingertips.

And yes, Santo is the new Fausto. Would you like Frias with that?

After him, Fernando Cabrera--wherever he may be.

Fausto and Jhonny actually were both favorites of mine, going back 2-3 years before they made it.  With Fausto, it was in part because nobody could figure out how he got so many batters out without the K's, but it was just too much to ignore, and in part because he was a year younger as the big bust class of 2001, and he just ran them right over.  I just wanted to shake those guys and say, "See?  Why can't you boys be more like Fausto?  He doesn't have an out pitch, but do you see him complaining?"

Fausto all by himself just makes it hard to take the draft too seriously.  I mean, where was all the fuss over his signing?  Nowhere.  What Big Four was he a part of?  Nothing.  Where's our three-part series on Shapiro's international signings, year-by-year.  Nowhere.   We know everything about these drafted kids and nothing about the international signings.  Maybe Rosario is the equivalent of a recent first-round pick, but how would we know?  We just wouldn't.

I haven't jumped on the Jeff Stevens bandwagon, but I appreciate it.  I am still carrying a torch for Shin-Shoo Choo.  And I have to admit, I was a big Alex Escboar fan.  I just loved watching him throw guys out at third, and he was one of those monster-or-nothing guys as a hitting prospect.  Nothing as it turns out.

Mujica is another one.  It doesn't seem possible that a guy does what he did in 2006 and doesn't eventually have a pretty good career.

Loved Fausto since I saw him pitch for Lake County in '03 (first LC'er to the majors, I believe). Other faves: Raffy Perez, Kouz, Garko, Sipp.

Current prospects I followed closely last year: ACab, Weglarz, Goedert, Espino, Perdomo, among others.

And Adam Miller, listening to the 2004 Kinston playoffs where he was the most dominant pitcher we've had in years - still hoping he reaches his potential for some stretch of time in the majors.

We had a lot of high picks in 2006 and could have afforded to take just the tiniest of risks in the first round, but no - we take the soft tossing lefty over the fireballing ace named Joba Chamberlain, taken two picks later by you know who.

Micro-rant over, point being I've got some built-in bias regarding Mr. Huff.