jame.gumb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wRxWcsi4XM: Nooooooooooooo, for the win.

Winner. I think of Gundy's rant anytime anyone talks about downgrading a person.

Here's all that kid did: He goes to class. He's respectful to the media. He's respectful to the PUBLIC! Those who downgrade him obviously don't have a child. You don't downgrade him because he does everything right! That's why I don't read the newspaper. Because it's garbage!

I guess we just got him off waivers for nothing. I find it hard to believe that if he had anything left in the tank, the perenially pitching starved Rangers would give him up for nothing, but you never know. They aren't really pitching-starved anymore.

I don't think they're rushing him. Many thought he was the most polished high school bat in the 2007 draft and two guys taken near him (Moustakas and Heyward) started the year in A+. If not for the hand injury last year, I think he too would have started at Daytona.

I think it's more nuanced than that. Vitters needs to show that he can distinguish between strikes/pitches that he can hit well and strikes/pitches that he cannot. Vlad Guerrero types that pan out at the big league level are very rare. Maybe it's as simple as he has to learn to distinguish between pitches he can hit well that are strikes versus pitches he thinks he can hit well that aren't. I've never faced MWL or FSL pitching, but I'd imagine he's going to start seeing more pitches that look like strikes before they disappear. In other words, maybe this problem will work itself out as he sees more advanced pitching and decides he can't hit everything near the zone.

You don't have to be the best to get a promotion, but you should earn it by more than one month of a great play. I'm of the opinion that Vitters should have stayed in the MWL all year long unless he proved he was so far ahead of the competition that it was doing him a disservice to stay. Clearly that is not the case. He's young, he's inconsistent, and he's yet to dominate either of the two low level leagues he has played in. You don't OPS sub 700 for a month and then get promoted based on your "dominance". I'd rather see them treat him like the Mets did with David Wright, who played his entire age 19 season in low A, then his entire age 20 season in the FSL. I'm just afraid that bumping him up to high A at 19 is going to increase the likelihood that starts next year in AA and gets put on the fast track to Wrigley because this team's decision makers are so desperate to win now so they can keep their jobs that they'd feel pressure to call him up to the bigs at some point next season. That's a valid concern, but he's shown he can hit MWL pitching, imo. What he needs to show is that he can distinguish between a ball and a strike against better pitching. Also, to be fair, I think he would have been at Peoria all year last year if he hadn't sustained an injury and started at Daytona this year. My guess is that the Cubs brass thought Vitters was pretty much ready for Daytona at the beginning of the year. Hitters tend to have down years at Daytona, iirc, so it makes sense to me that they wanted him to see that he could hit in full-season ball before they unleashed him in A+.

He has a lot to work on, but he's fifth in the MWL in OPS and second in SLG at 19. What more did he have to do to dominate the level? How about be first? He sucked in June, so I really don't see how he could be considered to have dominated the level. Had he maintained that May, or even just performed well in June, then yes you could talk of domination. But one month of high numbers over three months of a season is not domination. OK then. Apparently we just have different definitions of dominating. In mine, you don't have to be first, just among the best. Going by your definition, Vitters was dominating the MWL for a month, leading the league in SLG. So he has dominated the league. To elaborate further, when would you promote a prospect if, by what I'm inferring from your post, you have to be THE best player in a league?

He has a lot to work on, but he's fifth in the MWL in OPS and second in SLG at 19. What more did he have to do to dominate the level?

And what of this talk of a rookie cap implemented in 2011? Wouldn't it scare some of the top underclassmen into declaring?

The problem with this draft, though, is that there's not a clear #1 guy. The Lions best option is to trade down, but nobody wants that spot. I just had a flashback to the 2005 draft...and it was horrible. I think the talent is better in this draft, but it definitely has a feel similar to that one. I remember one analyst saying, "The 49ers picked the worst year to have the worst record."

The problem with this draft, though, is that there's not a clear #1 guy. The Lions best option is to trade down, but nobody wants that spot. I just had a flashback to the 2005 draft...and it was horrible.

Put me down for SF in the 2010 draft, then. By the way, I'd be really happy if SF's real draft started with Orakpo and Loadholt. I'd prefer Beatty (but I can't get him since damn GB keeps taking him right before me) or Meredith, but I'd be ordering my Niners Orakpo jersey before the Bills picked.

Gone.

Even though Sanchez was rated higher, I can't pass up my favorite player in this draft. Is it too late to switch SF's pick to Brian Orakpo?

I'm up for the No. 10 pick in this reset mock.

Thanks and I agree. If he's healthy, he'll make me forget about not picking Donald Brown in the 3rd.

With the 111th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select... Andre Brown, RB, NC State http://media.scout.com/media/image/36/363345.jpg We finally get our complement to Frank Gore. Brown's a big (6', 224 pounds) and athletic back to change the pace in Singletary's running offense. Pretty good hands too, and will make a nice check-down option for Shaun Hill. A very good value here, imo.

I like nfldraftscout.com.

I'm all for a 4th round and even a 5th since I have a comp pick and a few solid players I'm targetting in the 5th.

With the 74th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the San Fransisco 49ers select... Asher Allen, CB Georgia http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2249/2322837991_8d7ba7aa82_m.jpg Speedy, undersized cover corner might need some time to develop, but he could make an instant impact in the return game.

Well since the GB guys picked my EXACT pick for the third consecutive round :glare: , I'll need a few minutes to discuss with CubbieBum.

The Pats acquired this pick from San Diego on draft day last year along with a fifth rounder so that the Chargers could take Jacob Hester. That's some awesome long term scouting if they had a player in mind last year that they wanted to take in this year's draft with that pick. Yeah, they're really good. Actually, I meant the KC pick, which I should know is gone since they picked before my second rounder. Shows how much I'm paying attention... Who's the player, by the way? Connor Barwin. I don't mind saying it now because I know there's no way he'll be there for my third round pick. I wanted him there for my second rounder in case Beatty and English were gone. Sounds interesting, if not a bit raw. As a D-Lineman I'd certainly take Ayers and Gilbert over him, though. A bit raw, but very Vrabel-esque. He'd be a great SAM for their 3-4.

The Pats acquired this pick from San Diego on draft day last year along with a fifth rounder so that the Chargers could take Jacob Hester. That's some awesome long term scouting if they had a player in mind last year that they wanted to take in this year's draft with that pick. Yeah, they're really good. Actually, I meant the KC pick, which I should know is gone since they picked before my second rounder. Shows how much I'm paying attention... Who's the player, by the way? Connor Barwin. I don't mind saying it now because I know there's no way he'll be there for my third round pick. I wanted him there for my second rounder in case Beatty and English were gone.

The Pats acquired this pick from San Diego on draft day last year along with a fifth rounder so that the Chargers could take Jacob Hester. That's some awesome long term scouting if they had a player in mind last year that they wanted to take in this year's draft with that pick. Yeah, they're really good. Actually, I meant the KC pick, which I should know is gone since they picked before my second rounder. Shows how much I'm paying attention...