Instant reactions to a baseball draft are pretty much worthless. So, in order to properly enjoy the day, I've forced personal approval of the first day of the draft down my own throat. Here's how I did it:
Part 1 - Tim Lincecum
With a pick in the top third of the draft, you don't want to hear the newfound prospect referred to as a "no. 2 or 3 starter", or, "comparable to Woody Williams". You want pyrotechnics and flash. "Comparable to Mark Prior dipped into the River Styx", or, "Downside is as a no. 1 starter who shoots lightning bolts from his eyeballs." The guy linked to the Giants before the draft, Daniel Bard, was the former. Tim Lincecum is closer to the latter.
The knowledgeable Dave Cameron pegs him as:
It wasn't intended to be a flattering comment, but it gives you an idea of the stuff Lincecum features. Because he has an electric arm and is less than six feet tall, he must by law also be compared to Roy Oswalt. This is the well-documented Larry Bird Corollary, expanded to cover short pitchers in a different sport. This is not to be confused with the Pedro Martinez Conundrum, which covers every skinny Dominican with a changeup and 90+ fastball.
From a purely emotional standpoint, I'd love to see the kid get a chance to relieve for the Giants right away. He could come up and join Jeremy Accardo, Jonathan Sanchez and Brian Wilson as a member of a dominant bullpen for the future and present. It would be the stuff of legends, and maybe a ballpark poster giveaway or two. It would be a hard throwing bunch, to say the least.
That probably wouldn't be the rational thing to do. He's just finished an arduous college campaign that saw him worked like Livan Hernandez. He averaged about 4.5 BB/9, which has to be indicative of some control problems that still need to be ironed out. I wouldn't feel comfortable tossing him into the fire just yet. Plus, his stamina supposedly is an asset, as the talking heads on MLB.com's draft show mentioned he maintained his velocity well into his starts. This means he should be given every chance to start, and given all the time in the world to develop.
He's a risk. Funky delivery. Pretty obvious control problems. Heavy workload. I say Billy Wagner, you say Matt Anderson, but the arm is there. The idea he can help the Giants this year is a little far-fetched, but at least that possibility is in the back of our minds.
Other links (Thanks to DeadTeddy8):
Video of Lincecum
His collegiate stats
Part II - Emmanuel Burriss
Don't know a thing about him. I've seen the 100 seconds of video MLB.com had to offer, and he seemed like he used a baseball bat when at the plate. I'm pretty confident in that assessment. I've convinced myself to dream, though, and forecast the following two hitters atop the San Francisco lineup in 2009:
Marcus Sanders - 2B - .300/.420/.450, 72 SB
Emmanuel Burriss - SS - .290/.410/.440, 60 SB
Likelihood of happening? Just a little better than the Giants drafting Bradford Hinckley-Foster in the 3rd round of the 2024 draft, which would not only require John Hinckley and Jodie Foster to have a kid this year, but to have a kid who is preternaturally gifted in baseball as well. The idea, though, of having speed and on-base talent at the top of the order, and having the offensive production come from the middle infield, is a beautiful dream for sure.
I buy lottery tickets, too. I know the odds, and I'm a rational guy, but I think it's worth a dollar to spend five minutes thinking about what I'd do with the money. Big house. Indoor movie theatre. Outdoor batting cage. I've got plans. That isn't to say Burriss is such a long shot to succeed, that he's analogous to a lottery ticket. It's just pointing out the imagination I can have when wishcasting, and it's why I'm excited about the first two picks of the draft.
I'm curious as to the thoughts of the McCognoscenti. Was there a mid-rounder that caught your eye?