Royals Draft The Youngest Player In Baseball History
Alfredo Escalera projected to stand out despite his young age

Press Release: FOR INMEDIATE RELEASE
Released on: June 06, 2012, 8:00 pm (ET)
Author: Globalize LLC

Bradenton, FL – The Kansas City Royal’s baseball organization announced yesterday the selection of Alfredo Escalera as KC’s number 8th pick in the 2012 First- Year Player Draft. With this selection, the Royals opted for the youngest player to ever be drafted since the insertion of the MLB Amateur Draft in 1965 based on the research of publicaly recorded date of birth of the players selected.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Escalera moved to Florida to join the IMG Academies Baseball program in 2008. At IMG, Escalera was able to excel in both the athletic and academic aspects. Escalera, a National Honor Society student got committed to attend (D1) Stetson University and was presented with several athletic awards throughout his high school years. “I am fortunate to be given every opportunity possible to show my abilities, not only at IMG where I joined the Varsity team when I was 16, but also in the Puerto Rico 18U Palomino Summer League in which I played at 15”.

Escalera’s young age seems more relevant after most MLB organizations became more aware about the benefits of drafting young talent. Last year, Dr. Rany Jazayerli presented a research study in which he concluded that the very young players return more value than expected by their draft slots. In Jazayerli’s study, he looked at the statistics and broke high school draftees up into 5 distinctive groups based on their age on draft day. Dr. Jazayerli’s define a “very young” players are those who are younger than 17 years and 296 days on draft day. Escalera was only 17 years and 114 days old on draft day. Despite the fact that the study was limited to the top 100 draft picks, its conclusion seems to apply across the board. “I truly believe that by drafting me, the Royals are mixing their highly regarded top-ranked minor league system, with my athletic ability and youth, expecting that this combination will produce an extraordinary positive results” affirmed Escalera.

The main concern when drafting a young talent is how these athletes will handle the physical and mental challenges typical of professional baseball. This does not seem to concern Escalera, a 6’2” and 175 pound who is seemingly a mentally mature individual. It is evident that when it comes to physical development, Escalera has a high ceiling to get stronger. He has a loose angular body built outstandingly fit but without a mature muscular depth. This has not affected Alfredo’s competitive abilities. At the age of 16, Alfredo achieved the highest score in the Combine 360 among all the high school Florida’s baseball players tested, and was able to be in the top 10% of all the athletes tested including those in basketball, football and tennis.

“I see some of my older peers and I get impressed because they really look big and muscular, but that has motivated me to work harder during the summer and the off season” affirmed the young player. It seems that his effort paid off, he has a low tension swing, backed by a high level bat speed which causes the ball to jump hard giving him power potential. His offensive power, speed and arm strength competes very well with other top players of the remarkable 2012 class.

On the field, his physical ability has consistently matched and commonly surpassed his older peers as evident by his accomplishment at the IMG Academy where the level of training and competition was extremely demanding.

Alfredo realized that in order to achieve his goal as a professional minor league player, it is required that the development of his already remarkable athletic skills as well as a strong mental conditioning. “Baseball is an unforgiving sport which challenges ones mental toughness in each at bat and with every play…I truly believe that I am ready to face any challenge,” stated a confident Escalera. In a letter dated last year, his Varsity Coach Jason Elias described Alfredo’s aptitude by stating that, “he understands the ups and downs of the game and handles adversity well. He understands what it takes to be successful and has the mental component of the game in his grasp”.

You can take a look at some videos of the young draft pick by clicking here.

If there is one thing we know about Tony LaRussa, it is he likes to make decisions. And a lot of them. I can only imagine this guy at Olive Garden trying to navigate their “Taste of Italy”, poor waiter never stood a chance did he. Asking for more bread sticks when he should have switched to salad and sending back the lasagna for chicken parmesan while swapping out the Alfredo with his wife. Only to get home and lament with regret the soup that got away.

Tony’s managerial approach follows similar logic. Sure the decisions pay off from time to time and in most circles around baseball he is thought of as a “genius” and “master strategist.” However, often at the peril of his own team he cannot get out of his own way at times. His inability to sit on his hands and allow the natural course of things to play our around him is excruciating at times.

The point is not that TLR should not make moves, adjust his line-up or try to out think the other manager. The point…is that TLR is like a child with A.D.D. on a sugar rush who cannot sit still and leave well enough alone. His though process, that if he’s not making moves he’s not managing or giving his team the best chance to win is ludicrous. A move for the sake of a move or a decision for the sake of a decision is just that and counter-productive at best.

Can you just hear his inner conversations, “if I know that he knows that I know that he thinks that I think if he has the pitcher spot come up he’ll take out Hamels.”….”yeah, I’ll IBB the 0-for the series catcher and take my chances with a gassed out pitcher already extended against their pinch-hitter. It’s so crazy it has to work.” Ball game. You just out managed yourself Tony…well done.

Here are a few decisions made in this NLDS whose effects were felt almost immediately still impact the series as game 5 nears. Starting Chris Carpenter on three days rest; letting Garcia bat with runners at 2^nd & 3^rd with 2 out in the 6^th, Starting David Freese over Daniel Descalso in game 4 (ESPN reported that it was a game time decision not to go with Descalso over Freese) and sitting Theriot in favor of Schumaker in game 4.

Granted there have been numerous others to examine. But as this is a blog post and not a dissertation on chaos theory I thought it best to narrow the selection.

Starting Carpenter on 3 days rest for the 1^st time in his career after just throwing a complete game in Houston raised a few eyebrows. Rightfully so, had never tried it before and had just thrown 106 pitches. This was clearly done to avoid having Garcia start on the road in Philly, which is understood. However it should have been Edwin Jackson in game 2, bring back Carp for game 3 on normal rest and then you have Garcia rested and ready at home for a game 4.

You are still ensuring Carp gets his turn to make sure the series goes four and you avoid starting Garcia on the road. Those that argue the fact that now the Cardinals get to use Carp twice and have him for the deciding game 5 are using faulty post hoc ergo propter hoc logic. Just because it worked out does not mean it was right. Because just a easily one can rationalize that starting Carp in game three could have wrapped up the series by giving the team a better chance to win in BOTH games 1 & 3.

On to the afore mentioned game 3. Most are focusing on TLR’s decision to issue the IBB to Philly catcher Carlos Ruiz. Yes, Ruiz has killed the Cardinals in the past. But the Cards are not Garcia, and it’s not as if Garcia has been the one pitching to Ruiz in every game. And besides Ruiz had been held hitless in the NLDS thus far. No this is about his decision to bat Garcia in the bottom of the 6^th with runners at 2^nd & 3^rd and two outs.

Up to this point Garcia had given TLR more than he could have hoped for through six innings. Scattering a few hits and no runs. Based on, well, the entire regular season Garcia struggles going beyond six innings and down the stretch even getting that deep into a game was not happening. Here you take the New England Patriots approach. It is better to let someone go too soon and get value rather than hold on a bit too long.

With Holliday, Schumaker and Chambers all available to hit this is where you use them. This was the turning point in the game. Allowing Garcia to bat forced TLR’s hand in the 7^th and was the first domino to fall leading to the Francisco PH home run.

Two big decision were made prior to game four and both worked out in the end. ESPN reported last night that TLR discussed sitting Freese in favor of Descalso at third base. Through three games Freese was hitting .167 in the NLDS with six strikeouts. TLR elected to stick with Freese and in paid off to the tune of a 2-3 game with 4 RBI, including what ended up being a game-winning 2-run home run. One of the few times TLR didn’t tinker and it paid off.

Unable to leave well enough alone for long. TLR did pull Freese for Descalso after the 6^th. This was surprising for two reasons. Freese was playing well defensively at third and had the game become tied or the Cardinals fallen behind you would not have Freese to bat in the 9^th.

The other major move was inserting Skip Schumaker into the starting line-up over Ryan Theriot. No stranger to the discontent of Cardinal fans Theriot came out swinging in the NLDS. Through three games he was 6 for 9 against Halladay, Lee and Hamels. Hardly giving TLR a reason to sit him. In addition to that neither Theriot nor Schumaker had match-up data one way or the other against Oswalt. Knowing better as he always does (sarcasm) TLR decided it was Skips turn. Chalk up another one for the skipper as Skip (see what I did there) went 2 for 3 with a run scored.

It has been an up and down, roller coaster ride of a season. So why would Cardinal fans expect the playoffs to be any different. There will undoubtedly be buttons to be pushed and decisions to be made on Friday. Here is to hoping TLR leaves the deciding game 5 and a berth in the NLCS in the hands of his players and out of his mind.

As always these are just my thoughts…keep on reading and you’ll get up to speed.

Derek is on Twitter @SportsbyWeeze and also writes for the Rams at RamsHerd.com

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