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EndScore Interview: MLB Scout Francis Connolly
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, MLB,
I had the opportunity to talk with Francis Connolly, a MLB scout in Baseball Info Solutions’ Advanced Scouting Department, and he told me a bit about the company and what he does for it. Some of it had me impressed and amazed. If you’re a baseball fan, this is one interview you can’t afford to miss as you’ll get some inside info on how player’s performances are scouted.
EndScore: Can you tell me about Baseball Info Solutions (BIS) and what they do?
Connolly: Baseball Info Solutions is located in Bethlehem, PA. It is a company that functions essentially as a consulting agent for about ten Major League Baseball teams. We collect information through in-depth game scoring and pitch charting and provide the teams with daily stat/info packages.
EndScore: Can you give me some MLB teams that you work for? And how you do your work – video, in-person? And do you personally work for any specific team?
Connolly: I’m not 100% sure that I can name the teams that we provide info for, due to confidentiality concerns, but we do most of our work through the computer and video. We score games the day they are played, and usually pitch chart them the next day. We have some elaborate computer programs that help us track everything, and I mean absolutely everything. The computer guys then do their magic and bundle/synthesize the data for the individual teams. I would say that our clients are an interesting blend of perennial contenders and traditionally weaker teams. And I do not work for a specific MLB team, just BIS.
Click to continue reading EndScore Interview: MLB Scout Francis Connolly
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AFC EAST Draft Grade: New York Jets
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Drafts, Editorial, Front Office, NFL,
2005 Record: 4-12
Points For: 240
Points Against: 355
Rushing Yards PG: 83.0
Rushing Yards Allowed PG: 136.6
Passing Yards PG: 165.1
Passing Yards Allowed PG: 172.2
Drafted:
1.4 (4) - D’Brickashaw Ferguson, T, Virginia
1.29 (29) - Nick Mangold, C, Ohio St.(from Denver)
2.17 (49) - Kellen Clemens, QB, Oregon (from Dallas)
3.12 (76) - Anthony Schlegel, ILB, Ohio St. (from Philadelphia)
3.33 (97) - Eric Smith, S, Michigan St. (Compensatory Selection)
4.6 (103) - Brad Smith, WR, Missouri
4.20 (117) - Leon Washington, RB, Florida St. (from Kansas City)
5.18 (150) - Jason Pociask, TE, Wisconsin (from Dallas)
6.20 (189) - Drew Coleman, DB, TCU (from Washington through N.Y. Jets and Dallas)
7.12 (220) - Titus Adams, DT, Nebraska (from Philadelphia)
Comments:
Some people (okay, jaded Jets fans) were pessimistic about choosing Ferguson over Arizona Cardinals’ QB Matt Leinart who is “New York” all the way off-the-field. However, the Jets needed to stay away from the flash and go the safe and smart route.
If Leinart was chosen, who was going to protect him? Most of the Jets offensive line from previous seasons were excellent, but most of it left this offseason, in particular perennial All-Pro center, Kevin Mawae. Leinart would have been crushed, if he even got on the field. It’s still up in the air how QBs Chad Pennington and Patrick Ramsey are going to do, but they are more than serviceable this season and have NFL experience.
Add Ferguson, who was rated as high as second overall regardless of position, in addition to second round pick Mangold to take Mawae’s place and the Jets have a solid line for the foreseeable and long-term future. Both Ferguson and Mangold were rated numbers one and two as blockers in the entire draft. Whoever ends up being the quarterback this season will be happy.
Speaking of the quarterback position, the Jets didn’t totally ignore the it as they drafted the hard-nosed Clemens in the second round, who some thought had the best mechanics of all the quarterbacks in the draft. While he doesn’t have the glamour of Leinart, Clemens definitely has the grit.
Schlegel is a solid lineback and could be a great compliment to Jonathan Vilma. Schlegel has very good leadership ability and should help Vilma take his game up another level. E. Smith plays a smart game and has very good ball skills. B. Smith will need to switch from QB to WR, but has the athleticism and speed to make the move. Washington is small, but is a very good runner with receiving skills out of the backfield. Pociask is known as a blocking TE and a very good one. He’ll definitely add to the Jets running game.
Coleman is short, but doesn’t have exceptional speed or coverage skills to overcome that. Adams is a speed defensive lineman, but is limited in every other way. In the right situation, he can rush off the edge and get to the QB or stop the run in the backfield. Its just that that situation probably won’t come up much for Adams.
ENDSCORE GRADE: B+
AFC EAST Draft Grade: New England Patriots
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Drafts, Editorial, Front Office, NFL,
2005 Record: 10-6
Points For: 379
Points Against: 338
Rushing Yards PG: 94.5
Rushing Yards Allowed PG: 98.8
Passing Yards PG: 257.5
Passing Yards Allowed PG: 231.4
Drafted:
1.21 (21) - Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
2.4 (36) - Chad Jackson, WR, Florida (from Green Bay)
3.22 (86) - David Thomas, TE, Texas
4.9 (106) - Garrett Mills, TE, Tulsa (from Detroit)
4.21 (118) - Stephen Gostkowski, K, Memphis
5.3 (136) - Ryan O’Callaghan, OG, California (from Oakland)
6.22 (191) - Jeremy Mincey, DE, Florida
6.36 (205) - Dan Stevenson, OT, Notre Dame (Compensatory Selection)
6.37 (206) - Le Kevin Smith, DT, Nebraska (Compensatory Selection)
7.21 (229) - Willie Andrews, S, Baylor
Comments:
Getting Maroney, who will eventually take over for Corey Dillon was a great pick. And, considering Dillon’s health issues, Maroney could get a chance to shine this season. Maroney was rated as the second-best RB after the New Orleans Saints’ Reggie Bush on most draft boards and should flourish in the Patriots offense when he steps on the field.
I particularly like the Jackson pick because he has first-round talent, but fell into the second round because his game speed was questionable. Umm, 120 receptions and 16 scores… that doesn’t say enough about his gameday RESULTS? Hey, the Patriots lucked out and Jackson will be another weapon for Tom Brady to utilize.
I question drafting tight ends in back-to-back rounds, but we’re talking about the Pats here, so they probably know what they’re doing. The first TE they took, Thomas, has great hands and an even greater work ethic. The second TE, Mills, is a converted fullback that caught a ton of passes at Tulsa. Not really sure how he’ll be used, especially considering how deep the position is for the Pats now with Daniel Graham and Ben Watson.
The Pats probably could have gone defense to find eventual replacements for their “old” group of defenders, especially their LB corp. The draft was definitely deep in that position, but again, these are the Pats and it’s hard to question them.
Gostkowski is a very good kicker with the ability to hit from beyond 50 yards when the opportunity comes up. O’Callaghan could be a very good bargain pick at five. Mincey is a good DE that could switch to LB in the 3-4 due to his speed. Stevenson came on as a senior at Notre Dame under former Patriots offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis. Smith is a compact player that excels in a compact space. Andrews could catch on with the Pats, but won’t get any consistent time on the field.
ENDSCORE GRADE: B
AFC EAST Draft Grade: Miami Dolphins
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Drafts, Editorial, Front Office, NFL,
2005 Record: 9-7
Points For: 318
Points Against: 317
Rushing Yards PG: 118.6
Rushing Yards Allowed PG: 110.7
Passing Yards PG: 206.3
Passing Yards Allowed PG: 206.7
Drafted:
1.16 (16) - Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee
3.18 (82) - Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona St.
4.17 (114) - Joe Toledo, OT, Washington
5.16 - Exercised in Supplemental Draft
7.4 (212) - Fred Evans, NT, Texas State (from Green Bay)
7.18 (226) - Rod Wright, DT, Texas
7.25 (233) - Devin Aromashodu, WR, Auburn (from Chicago)
Comments:
Skill-wise, Allen was one of the better DBs out there as his draft place shows. However, on pure talent alone, it would have been validated if he went higher in the round… if not for his hip. Ah ha! That’s why Allen fell. In any case, if Allen can stay healthy, he has the chance to be All-Pro good thanks to his coverage skills. He has the ability to put a WR on lock-down.
Hagan had tons of receptions and scores at ASU, but totally soiled his pants at the Senior Bowl with uncharacteristic drops, which is why Hagan’s stocked dropped. Are you sensing a trend here with the Dolphins’ picks?
Toledo is a raw O-lineman as he has only played the position for one season. He’s big and if he can refine his technique and add some skill, he could do okay for the Dolphins. Evans is solid against the run, but not much else.
Wright could be the SOD – steal of the draft as he can play the gaps and was a standout with the NCAA champion Texas Longhorns. However, because of his enigmatic behavior, Wright’s stock dropped hard. This is a great risk-reward pick.
Aromashodu didn’t get as many looks as he could have (and probably deserved) at Auburn because they liked to run the ball. With the Dolphins change in personnel, Aromaxhodu will have a chance to be a very solid WR in the NFL.
ENDSCORE GRADE: B-
AFC EAST Draft Grade: Buffalo Bills
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Drafts, Editorial, Front Office, NFL,
2005 Record: 5-11
Points For: 271
Points Against: 367
Rushing Yards PG: 100.4
Rushing Yards Allowed PG: 137.8
Passing Yards PG: 157.2
Passing Yards Allowed PG: 205.7
Drafted:
1.8 (8) - Donte Whitner, S, Ohio St.
1.26 (26) - John McCargo, DT, N.C. State (from Chicago)
3.6 (70) - Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio St. (from Tennessee)
4.8 (105) - Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina
5.1 (134) - Kyle Williams, DT, LSU (from Houston)
5.10 (143) - Brad Butler, T, Virginia
6.9 (178) - Keith Ellison, LB, Oregon St.
7.8 (216) - Terrance Pennington, OT, New Mexico
7.40 (248) - Aaron Merz, OG, California (Compensatory Selection)
Comments:
The Bills offense left something to be desired last season and ideally it would have been wise to go offense here, but talent level in the first round were on the other side of the ball as 19 of the 32 picks in the round were on defensive players!
However, the Bills could have done a lot better than Whitner who did not project #8 overall at all by anyone. It’s safe to say that the pick was a stretch. However, I guess the pick was more to fill in a safety spot in Dick Jauron’s Tampa Two defensive scheme than anything else. And it’s not like Whitner doesn’t have the goods, it’s just that he doesn’t have Top Ten goods and the Bills missed out on some other talented defensive players that could have helped them.
I personally like the McCargo pick, despite the lack of size factor. However, collectively, the value picks for the Bills were in the third and fourth rounds with Youboty, who should play the nickel, and Simpson, who could be a steal in the fourth. Both should do well in the T2. Williams is a gamer who won’t get in the game as much, but when he does, he’ll be around the ball somewhere. Butler should be a solid offensive lineman, either on the right side (where he played in college) or the left side (unfortunately, he played with someone named D’Brickashaw) where some say he can easily adapt to in the NFL. Ellison is a serviceable linebacker. Pennington and Merz have some limitations as offensive linemen.
ENDSCORE GRADE: C
Reggie Bush shouldn’t feel too bad about not being the number one pick in the NFL draft, he is already feeling the love from the New Orleans Saints fans. Reebok will be cashing in on an advance order of 15,000 Reggie Bush jerseys. This record breaking sales number is over double of the demand for last year’s number one pick Alex Smith. Fans are hoping that Bush will be able to continue to wear number 5, despite the NFL’s rule for running backs to be numbered 20-49.
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| Darren Rovell
The Sunday morning show has made a few changes recently in their staff, and I must admit I like the personnel moves. The long-running show used to be hosted by the late Dick Schaap. The panel of sports reporters have went from the boring slothful Jason Whitlock and the whiney Mike Lupica to a toned down (and better for it) Steven A. Smith, and a nice addition of Michele Tafoya. Not only a was new voice of reason and point of view needed on the show to deflect on Bob Ryan’s old school pessimistic yet entertaining mindset, this gives women more of a reason to watch. The show used to have an all boys club feel to it that would reject anything that was revolutionary and didn’t like changes in the status quo. The hot buttons of sports like the “black quarterback” in the NFL, or anything that would get a rise out of people racially was not given their fair shake under the old regime. Tayfoya’s skills were being severely under-used as a sideline reporter for NFL and NBA games. No one could make those interviews interesting if they continue to keep it a serious tone rather a playful one done by current players poking fun of their fellow colleagues. The only memorable sideline moment was Jim Gray’s blindside attack of Pete Rose on the celebration of Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team. Good job for showcasing Michele Tafoya and hopefully more females will be able to join the ranks in the sports world.
On his highlights for the Cavs-Wizards match-up, John Anderson was just on point. John Anderson and Steve Levy are the best duo in my opinion since the Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann team-up. John Anderson was giving props to Gilbert Arenas calling him by his first name in a French accent, pronounced like Rod Gilbert, the famous ex- New York Ranger. After nailing a three pointer, Anderson says that “number zero you’re my hero.” Gilbert “the Eastern conference coach assassin” Arenas wears the number 0.
After the three error ball game versus Atlanta a week ago, my confidence in David Wright at the hot corner has diminished dramatically. Every ball hit his way, I’m find myself praying that he can corral the ball, never-mind throwing accurately to first-base. The disturbing thing is that it’s a problem that can’t be fixed in the practice field, the only way to correct these mistakes is getting over the mental lapse and having confidence again in his ability. During warm-ups the team cannot duplicate the screaming shots coming towards Wright at third base. It’s not like popping up balls for the outfielders to catch or the slow rollers the other infielders get. Sure you can practice on charging the slow grounders or the bunts, but you can’t reenact the line shots that go down the third-base line.
NBA Playoffs Generating Some Excitement for Fans
Posted by Jeff Chan Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NBA, Playoffs,
The National Boring Association gained one more fan during the playoffs. Me. After thinking I should cut off NBA from the sports day, some good playoffs series come to grab my attention. The Washington/Cleveland series has me intrigued with the LeBron James / Gilbert Arenas duel. Not only is this match-up showcasing LeBron’s skill for the whole country to see, but the little subplot of Larry Hughes returning against his former teammates. Wizard fans must hate Larry “traitor” Hughes, who bailed on the team for more cash in the off-season. A potential L.A. Lakers / L.A. Clippers match-up has some great Bill Simmons comments written all over it. For me, L.A. Clippers center Chris Kaman is one of the most enjoyable players to watch. NBA big guys think they can push him around and abuse him like he’s Shawn Bradley or another white stiff, but no Kaman defends himself and then dunks on you. Expect the league to suspend Reggie Evans for trying to distract Kaman from getting a rebound by grabbing his groin area. Kobe Bryant playing team ball? Making Kwame Brown look good? I’m in a state of awe. Phoenix desperately needs Kurt Thomas back in the lineup to knock Kwame Brown and Lamar Odom around. Kwame Brown makes one block on Boris Diaw and he thinks he’s Dikembe Mutumbo all of a sudden. Kwame- you need about 1,000 more blocks in your career to have the right to taunt over a player after a block shot. All in all, good job to the NBA for bringing me back. As Michael Corleone (aka Dwayne Wade according to Shaq) said: “Just when I thought that I was out they pull me back in”.
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