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Anup over at Teamonebaseball site does a heck of a job. Here's a couple of notes posted by him about the new fish in the GCL.

 

http://teamonebaseball.rivals.com/content.....asp?CID=204924

 

There was definitely a bias with Florida Marlins? scouting director Stan Meek in the first five rounds of the 2003 Draft; three of those picks were prominent football recruits. All are now playing baseball exclusively for the Gulf Coast League Marlins.

Granted, shortstop Jon Fulton was a primary baseball player from the beginning and not a surprise to be taken and signed out of the third round. He was seen as a baseball player first who happened to be a pretty good quarterback.

 

The shockers were in the fourth and fifth rounds.

 

Fourth round Outfielder Jai Miller was weighing between two sports all through his high school career in Selma, Alabama. But the two sports were football and basketball. He finally decided to accept a football scholarship to Stanford to play wide receiver while doubling as a guard for the basketball team. Baseball was a distant third sport. Though area scouts knew about him and were impressed with his ability, no one thought he would concentrate solely on baseball except for Marlins? area scout Dave Dangler. The Marlins signed him for $250,000 spread out over five years in a special "two-sport" contract where he must play only baseball during that time in order to receive his entire bonus.

 

Fifth-rounder Cole Seifrig was headed for Purdue to play wide receiver and not a lot of clubs had him in for baseball. Indiana area scout Scot Engler did his research and the Marlins discovered to the surprise of many that Seifrig was interested in playing baseball for a full-time career. He was signed for $200,000.

 

I was able to watch all three of them last week in Gulf Coast League action against the Atlanta Braves? affiliate.

 

EARLY REPORT ON GRIDIRON TRIO

I?d seen Fulton numerous times as an amateur and coming into the summer, I would have expected him to be by far the most prepared to excel in rookie ball. As it turns out, though, he?s having a terrible summer hitting .138-0-6 with 39 strikeouts in 123 at-bats. I look at him and I see major league potential; there just aren?t a lot of 6-3, 200 kids who can move well enough to play shortstop with Fulton?s hands and throwing arm. But he?s in a funk at the plate right now and is not picking up good off-speed pitches. I could see that in the game against the Braves. He?s also made 17 errors, but that is not an unusual rate at this point in a player?s development.

 

Statistically at least, Cole Siefrig is having the best summer, hitting .286-2-6 in 140 ABs with nine stolen bases. In a workout, he doesn?t look nearly as impressive to me as Fulton or Miller, but he?s holding his own in rookie ball.

 

Siefrig is a long, lean 6-2 and he runs above-average. He doesn?t generate a whole lot of bat-speed and power yet (by big league standards) and a lot will be determined on how he physically matures. Defensively, Siefrig isn?t silky smooth but he seems capable of becoming a big league second baseman.

 

Jai Miller is what one scout referred to as "the kind of athlete baseball keeps losing to the other sports". He?s a live-bodied 6-2, 190, who fills out a uniform with broad shoulders over an even lower half. I didn?t see any real difficult plays in center field, but he did show a good radar. Miller was able to get jumps on balls and broke in the right direction every time. He has the natural long strides that should allow him to have a centerfielder?s range. Miller also showed a near-average arm on throws to the cutoff.

 

Like most raw talents, Miller has a ways to go with the bat. He?s hitting .208-0-10 with seven steals in 106 at-bats for the GCL Marlins.

 

Miller can generate some bat-speed with wood and he gets extension on the end of his swing. It?s on the long side and it takes a while for him to get it going. Miller did show me some ability to dump balls to the opposite field. There is potential, but he?ll need a lot of repetitions and probably another year in rookie ball.

 

The Marlins are rolling the dice with high school drafts, especially players like Siefrig and Miller who are particularly raw coming into pro ball. It?s a long-term plan for both of them, but the Marlins are intrigued by the possible reward. These three players in particular should really benefit from the fall instructional league, where they?ll get more repetitions as well as hands-on coaching from the entire player development staff.

 

OTHER MINOR LEAGUE NOTES: Marlins? 1st-rounder Jeff Allison has just started to pitch in the GCL. He?s made one appearance for only two innings so far. I considered him the best high school RHP prospect in the draft and the Marlins were thrilled to get him at 16th overall. He could move quickly, but then again anything can happen in pro ball. I wouldn?t have guessed Jon Fulton to have struggled as much as he has in the GCL

hey Ed, you see whats going on with Lastings Milledge?

 

was this a known risk when the Mets took him?

  • Author

Yes the Mets knew what they were getting into when they drafted him.

thanks Ed

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