2009 Cubs Draft Tracker Ticker - Day 2
ROUND 4 (140): Chris Rusin, LHP (Kentucky)
L/L, 6'2, 190, 22 years old
COMMENT: College senior was the Wildcats' "Friday night starter" (#1 starter)... Workhorse went 7-4 with a 4.20 ERA, 14 games (14 GS, 4 CG), 94.1 IP, 95 H, 27/108 BB/K, and a .258 OBA for Wildcats in 2009... 87-89 MPH fastball and decent curve, but change-up needs work... Had elbow surgery in 2008...
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ROUND 5 (170): Wes Darvill, SS (Brookswood SS - Langley Blaze Baseball Club - Langley, BC)
L/R, 6'3, 175, 17 years old
COMMENT: Member of Canadian Junior National Team... One of the best teenage (secondary school) position players in Canada... Fast runner (6.87 60) with a line drive stroke... Signed NLI to attend Bossier Parish CC (Bossier City, LA)...
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ROUND 6 (200): Brooks Raley, LHP/OF (Texas A&M)
L/L, 6'3, 185, 20 years old
COMMENT: Draft-eligible sophomore... Two-way player in HS and in college... Was Aggies "Friday night" (#1) starter... Went 7-3 with 3.76 ERA, and allowed 80 hits (.237 OBA) with 26/95 BB/K in 93.1 IP in 15 GS (1 CG)... Throws 90 MPH sinker, 93 MPH four-seam fastball, slider, curve, and change-up, although no pitch stands-out... As position player, has plus-speed, plus-arm, and gap power... Played OF and hit 304/420/424, with 1 HR & 26 RBI, 19 2B, 2 3B, 41/32 BB/K in 273 PA, with 25 SB (4 CS) and 11 SH on days he wasn't pitching... Played corner OF at A&M, but would project as a CF in pro ball... Was named "Big 12 Freshman of the Year" in 2008... My guess is Cubs will probably try him as CF, and then move him back to pitcher if he struggles with the bat...
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ROUND 7 (230): Blair Springfield, CF/SS (MacArthur HS - Decatur, IL)
R/R, 5'10, 187 18 years old
COMMENT: "Athletic" defender and aggressive hitter with good bat speed... Has signed NLI to attend Illinois State...
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ROUND 8 (260): Robert Whitenack, RHP (SUNY- Old Westbury)R/R, 6'5, 185, 20 years old
COMMENT: College junior was named 2009 ECAC "Pitcher of the Year"... Went 5-2 with a 2.87 ERA, with 79 K and only 46 hits allowed in in 67.1 IP... "Out" pitch is a knuckle-curve... Had his usually high-80's fastball up to 93 MPH this Spring...
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ROUND 9 (290): Richard Jones, C (The Citadel)
L/R, 6'0, 210, 21 years old
COMMENT: College junior is big-time lefty power-jacker, hitting 378/449/673 with 17 HR & 69 RBI and 27/52 BB/K in 285 PA for the Bulldogs in 2009... Offensive-first catcher who only threw-out 13% of opposing base-stealers... Was used as a DH quite a bit...
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ROUND 10 (320): Charles Thomas, 3B (Edward Waters College)
R/R, 6'4, 225, 20 years old
COMMENT: College junior is a powerfully-built corner infielder... Hit .336 with 8 HR and 30 RBI in 45 games for EWC in 2009... Played 3B in college, but may be moved to 1B in pro ball...
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ROUND 11 (350): John Mincone, LHP (Suffolk County CC West)
L/L, 6'1, 215, 19 years old
COMMENT: JC sophomore went 6-0 with a 0.92 ERA, allowing just 32 hits in 59 IP, with a 13/91 BB/K for the Longhorns in 2009... Good hitter, played1B & DH on days he wasn't pitching... Transferred to SCCC after spending his freshman year at James Madison...
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ROUND 12 (380): Runey Davis, OF (Howard JC)
R/R, 6'0, 185, 20 years old
COMMENT: Selected by Pirates in 11th round of 2007 draft, but did not sign... Transferred to Howard JC after spending freshman year at the University of Texas... Was hit by a pitch 14 times and stole 34 bases for JUCO World Series champion Howard JC in 2009... Will transfer to Mississippi State if he doesn't sign with the Cubs...
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ROUND 13 (410): Chad Taylor, SS/RHP (Jefferson HS - Tampa, FL)
R/R, 6'1, 175, 18 years old
COMMENT: Tremendously-versatile and athletic all-around baseball player, he made his HS All-Conference team as a shortstop, but he also has played CF and has been used both as a starter and as a closer on the mound... Signed NLI with South Florida...
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ROUND 14 (440): Danny Keefe, RHP (U. of Tampa)
R/R, 6'4, 185, 21 years old
COMMENT: College senior... Spot-starter and part-time closer for Spartans in 2009, Keefe went 4-5 with a 4.13 ERA and two saves, allowing 69 hits (.264 OBA) with a 19/70 BB/K in 65.1 IP...
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ROUND 15 (470): Cody Shields, CF (Auburn U. - Montgomery)
R/R, 6'4, 190, 21 years old
COMMENT: College senior... NAIA 2nd team All-American was the Southern States Athletic Conference "Player of the Year"... Hit .461 with 7 HR and 43 RBI for the "other" Auburn in 2009...
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ROUND 16 (500): Keenyn Walker, OF (Judge Memorial Catholic HS - Salt Lake City, UT)
B/R, 6'2, 185, 18 years old
COMMENT: Hit .517 in his senior year at JMCHS... Also played safety on Bulldog football team... Has signed NLI to play baseball at Central Arizona JC...
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ROUND 17 (530): B. J. Dail, RHP (Mt. Olive College)
R/R, 6'2, 205, 21 years old
COMMENT: College junior was 1st Team All-Peach Belt Conference... Was ace of Mt Olive staff, going 7-0 with a 2.97 ERA in 63.2 IP, 18/64 BB/K and 43 hits (.188 OBA)... Transferred to Mt. Olive after spending two years at U. of North Carolina...
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ROUND 18 (560): Matt Williams, C (Duke)
R/R, 5'11, 220, 22 years old
COMMENT: A typical veteran college senior backstop with strong receiving skills and a questionable bat, hit 345/421/475 with 5 HR & 47 RBI, 12 2B, 1 3B, 24/20 BB/K in 261 PA, and threw out 48% opposing base-stealers for Blue Devils in 2009...
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ROUND 19 (590): Sergio Burruel, C (Trevor Browne HS - Phoenix AZ)
L/R, 5'11, 17 years old
COMMENT: Lefty slugger hit 15 HR with 55 RBI for TBHS in 2009... Member of Class 5-A All-State team... Like Cubs 16th round pick Keenyn Walker, Burruel has signed NLI with Central Arizona JC...
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ROUND 20 (620): Eric Erickson, LHP (U. of Miami)
R/L, 6'0, 174, 21 years old
COMMENT: Freshman All-American... Had Tommy John surgery post-2008 and missed his junior season (2009) at "The U".. Was a combined 19-5 3.27 ERA with 34/131 BB/K in 168 IP and 26 GS pre-TJS (2007-08)... Cubs took a similar gamble on another pitcher rehabbing from TJS a year ago, drafting RHP Jon Nagel in the 17th round of the 2008 draft and then having him continue his rehab at Fitch Park...
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ROUND 21 (650) Greg Rohan, 1B (Kent State)
R/R, 6'0, 205, 23 years old
COMMENT: 5th year senior... Oldest player selected by the Cubs through the first two days of the draft... Hit 349/436/609 with 15 HR and 63 RBI, and 29/32 BB/K in 282 PA for the Golden Flashes in 2009... Was 2008 MAC Player of the Year and was also an All-American in 2008... Was college teammate of Cubs 2008 3rd round pick RHP Chris Carpenter...
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ROUND 22 (680) D. J. Fitzgerald, SS (Dyersburg State CC)
R/R, 5'11, 195, 20 years old
COMMENT: Speedy middle-infielder, has played both 2B and SS for DSCC... Hit .304 in 2009... Was a two-time PUMA All-American at Ocean Lakes HS in Virginia Beach, VA... Was a Georgia Southern recruit out of high school, before ending up at a JC...
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ROUND 23 (710) Jeffrey Pruitt, CF/RHP (Cal Sate - Northridge)
R/R, 6'5, 220, 21 years old
COMMENT: College junior has plus-arm & plus-speed, is a solid defender in CF, and has the look of a power hitter, but he can't seem to do anything with the bat, hitting just 212/332/268 with two doubles and four triples, no HR, and 26/53 BB/K in 215 PA, and 24 SB (only four CS)... This guy is what hitting instructors call a "project"...
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ROUND 24 (740) Gerardo Esquivel, RHP (De La Salle Institute - Chicago, IL)
R/R, 6'1, 170, 18 years old
COMMENT: Has signed NLI with Kansas State, so Cubs will have to pay over-slot to sign him...
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ROUND 25 (770) Justin Bour, 1B (George Mason)
L/R, 6'4, 250, 21 years old
COMMENT: College junior... First team All-Colonial Athletic Association... At 6'4 250, Justin Bour is this year's Rebel Ridling... Bour hit 339/420/633 with 17 HR & 66 RBI and 14 doubles, with 24/33 BB/K in 257 PA (not a high "K" total for a power hitter) for GMU in 2009... Just turned 21 last month...
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ROUND 26 (800) Steve Grife, RHP (Mercyhurst College)
R/R, 6'0, 177, 22 years old
COMMENT: College senior.. Went 5-1 with a 3.24 ERA for Lakers in 2009, with 33/73 BB/K and 62 hits allowed (.244 OBA) in 66.2 IP...
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ROUND 27 (830) Corey Martin, RHP (Western Carolina)
R/R, 6'3, 195, 22 years old
COMMENT: College senior had a disappointing 2009 season at WCU, going 7-4 with a 5.56 ERA for the Catamounts, with 29/56 BB/K and 76 hits allowed (.283 OBA) in 68 IP...
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ROUND 28 (860) Jordan Petraitis, INF (Miami of Ohio)R/R, 6'3, 225, 22 years old
COMMENT: Hit 343/434/478 with 0 HR & 13 RBI, seven doubles, one triple, and 9/11 BB/K in 83 PA for Golden Flashes in 2009... College senior will turn 23 in August... Was selected by the Cubs in 41st round of the 2008 draft but did not sign, so the fact that the Cubs drafted him again at a higher slot than last year must mean they are almost positive he wants to sign this time around (a player must give his permission before he can be drafted again by the same club)... Probably projects as a utility infielder, presuming he ever gets out of "A" ball... ...
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ROUND 29 (890) Tim Clubb, RHP (Missouri State)R/R, 6'2, 195, 22 years old
COMMENT: College senior... Was the Missouri Valley Conference "Pitcher of the Year" in 2008 when he went 11-0 with a 2.52 ERA, but he dipped to 4-5 with a 5.11 ERA in 2009, allowing 98 hits in 88 IP (.284 OBA), with 36/74 BB/K.... Cubs will have to hope that the 2008 Clubb was the real deal, and that the 2009 Clubb was just an anomaly... Was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 but did not sign... Younger brother Ryan is pitching for the University of Missouri...
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ROUND 30 (920) Daniel Sheppard, C (Downers Grove North HS - Downers Grove, IL)
R/R, 6'0, 180, 18 years old
COMMENT: Star football player (MLB/QB) and baseball player at DGNHS, Sheppard is headed to the University of Iowa and it is unlikely that the Cubs can sign him, mainly because what Sheppard would probably want to give up his free ride to Iowa is more than what he is worth as a baseball prospect right now... Look for the Cubs to watch Sheppard's progress at Iowa and maybe revisit this in 2012, next time Sheppard becomes eligible for the Rule 4 Draft...
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The draft resumes tomorrow, with the final 20 rounds (31-50).
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