One of the more enjoyable pastimes while enjoying our national pastime: Chatting with and/or overhearing scouts as they evaluate local prospects -- and nobody in Broward has more prospects than American Heritage (10-0 and 11-6 winners over Chaminade-Madonna on Friday in their regional-final doubleheader).
One scout claimed four players -- first baseman/pitcher Eric Hosmer, cather Adrian Nieto, outfielder Joey Belviso and pitcher JuanCarlos Sulbaran -- are certain selections in the draft, set for June 5 and 6. Another added pitcher Greg Conver to that list.
Either way, here are some observations from the game behind the game Friday night:
- To nobody's surprise, Hosmer is the top prospect. One scout I talked to called him a "consensus" first-rounder who has "all the tools."
- But...it's not just because of Hosmer's tools as a hitter (build, athleticism, power, left-handed bat, imposing presence in the batter's box). When Hosmer took the mound in the fifth inning of Game 2, the dozen-plus scouts -- weary from watching two games' worth of baseball in 90-degree heat -- became rejuvenated, pulling out radar guns and buzzing about his potential as a pitcher (he has been clocked as high as 96). He threw in the low 90s most of the night -- until his game-ending 94-mph fastball that struck out Cory Guenot.
- Speaking of radar guns, Sulbaran spent most of the first game -- a hot, 4 p.m. start, which might have zapped him a bit -- in the high 80s and low 90s, mixing in some nice offspeed stuff. The scout I spoke with the most was impressed by his polish (calling him a sixth-round prospect this year), but liked Conver -- who didn't pitch Friday -- even more, because of his raw athleticism and height advantage. (For what it's worth, I covered one of Conver's starts earlier this year, and he looked outstanding; he struck out 11.)
- During the second game, the ball escaped Nieto on a strikeout with a runner on first. But instead of settling for the easy out, Nieto gunned the ball to second and nailed the would-be base stealer. One scout loved this. "No fear," he said of Nieto. "None."
- I asked a scout about Flanagan shortstop Rolando Gomez, about whom I've written before. He said Gomez would be a "good college player" (he's signed with University of Miami), but his size (at around 5-9 or so) worried him. "Someone will like him, though," the scout said.
--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)
