Player Development

[UNHWildCats]

This is a series of articles from the New Hampshire Union Leader about the turn around of the Boston Red Sox that was led by the turn around of its minor league system.

http://redsox.travisliles.com/2008/04/player-development.html

[blueballs]

Sports Illustrated's baseball preview issue did a nice article on the drafting- particularly the 2005 draft- of the Sawx and Yanks and how they're moving more toward a philosophy of player development.

The Braves are still the gold standard for player development though. Go back and look at all the players who contributed to those title teams from 1991-1004 that came through their farm system. You'll be amazed.

[UNHWildCats]

Sports Illustrated's baseball preview issue did a nice article on the drafting- particularly the 2005 draft- of the Sawx and Yanks and how they're moving more toward a philosophy of player development.

The Braves are still the gold standard for player development though. Go back and look at all the players who contributed to those title teams from 1991-1004 that came through their farm system. You'll be amazed.
as a Braves fan since 1991 when i wrote an article for my JR High school newspaper on the World Series, i'm well aware of how great their player development has been.

[Eyes of Old Main]

You aslo have to give the Braves some credit for developing players to the point they have some "buzz" and then trading them for pieces they need. It's amazing to me how many times they've traded their "top prospect" for someone and then that so-called top prospect doesn't amount to much. It's almost like other teams assume that the Braves prospects will pan out and they want them, but it's not always the case. That's not a criticism (I'm a Braves fan going back to well before they became competitive in the early 90's), but it has seemed to be the case.

[terrierbob]

You aslo have to give the Braves some credit for developing players to the point they have some "buzz" and then trading them for pieces they need. It's amazing to me how many times they've traded their "top prospect" for someone and then that so-called top prospect doesn't amount to much. It's almost like other teams assume that the Braves prospects will pan out and they want them, but it's not always the case. That's not a criticism (I'm a Braves fan going back to well before they became competitive in the early 90's), but it has seemed to be the case.

Yep. As I eagerly await the Santana/Smoltz match up, it seems that particularly the pitchers we trade fail to perform as well as they did when a tomahawk was on their chest.

[AZGrizFan]

You aslo have to give the Braves some credit for developing players to the point they have some "buzz" and then trading them for pieces they need. It's amazing to me how many times they've traded their "top prospect" for someone and then that so-called top prospect doesn't amount to much. It's almost like other teams assume that the Braves prospects will pan out and they want them, but it's not always the case. That's not a criticism (I'm a Braves fan going back to well before they became competitive in the early 90's), but it has seemed to be the case.

That's the risk you take when you trade proven talent for "prospects", even can't-miss ones.

I tell you what though, I sure wish the D-Backs (whom I consider the gold standard NOW for drafting and development of top talent in their system) hadn't given away Brad Penny! xeyebrowx xeyebrowx xeyebrowx

But, when you consider that They have only 2 regulars (Byrnes & Hudson) and 2 SP's (Davis & Haren) that WEREN'T developed in their system, that says a LOT about their ability to evaluate talent, and trade known players (Schilling, Johnson, etc) for other people's minor league talent. They've also not backed down on drafting supposedly "unsignable" players like Stephen Drew & Upton.

I REALLY like our teams' chances in the coming years! xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx