Astros signed Correa for “substantially less” than the slot price of 7.2 million. I’ve heard they had a pre-draft deal worked out. Of course, this can’t be anything like Matt Bush, no – and, believe it or not, the year he was drafted, he was ranked in the top 10. I would guess that the guys who are drafted 1-5 are going to be screwed over the bonuses because they would have to gamble that next draft, they would get a higher slot and then they STILL wouldn’t have any leverage. It’s the guys who are picked in rounds 11 on who are going to turn down the pittances, unless they are seniors and don’t have any choice.
The Astros are apparently going to have to go above slot to sign the #2 pick, Lance McCullers Jr, who is a high school guy and does have the leverage to go to college.
I would guess the bonuses are going to rapidly decrease every year, seeing as how there aren’t too many guys who have the choice of doing anything but going to college. Too bad for Drayton that he doesn’t get to enjoy the days of ALL the clubs screwing prospects more and more.
What I don’t understand is how the Players Union thinks that it helps their own membership to screw the younger guys – it’s not like they are getting the money that isn’t going to young players. And it’s not even like that much money gets spent on the draft anyway. But it’s the usual situation where the insanely wealthy get part of their enjoyment of life from squeezing the last dime away from the powerless and the poor. I’m always reminded of that rich mine owner who owned a house on top of the hill where he could look down on all the poor, starving, sick, barely surviving people who made him rich.
And yeah, I know that first year major league players are paid almost 500 large. And I also know that guys in the low minors are barely given enough to eat and find a roof over their heads. Part of the fun of life is starving young people. Actually, I think that one of the reasons that these days the major leagues are filled with either sons of the wealthy upper middle class is that their parents are expected to support (feed) them when they are being unpaid in the low minors.
Let’s see – what to say about tonight’s game?
Happ did fine for the first 2 innings, then turned into Happ-less. Gave up only one homer, but 4 other hits, 5 walks!!! and 4 runs in 4.2 innings. He left with bases loaded and David Carpenter came in and stranded them all.
6th inning, Carpenter managed to get 2 outs, and was pulled with bases loaded and Rhiner Cruz came in and stranded them.
7th inning, Rhiner Cruz gave up a clean single, then a homer 5 ‘ above the 315′ LF pole. Hurts to give up a 320 foot homer. He got 1 out, left bases loaded and Wesley Wright came in. He gave up an RBI single then a granny to David Freese.
8th Brandon Lyon gets 3 outs without giving up a run.
9th, it’s Bogusevic, playing Brooks Kieschnick – at least SOME fun as the score is already 12-2. Brett Wallace goes to 3rd, CJ goes to RF (really), Chris Snyder goes to 1B, Maxwell goes to CF and Castro comes in to catch. Bogu gets a flyout, then gives up a single, then David Freese hits one into the Crawford Boxes. Steven Hill pops out to first, which should be an easy out, but Snyder isn’t used to catching popups at first and drops the ball. Poor Bogu. He gets another flyout, put gives up a single next pitch, then has a 7 pitch 3rd out for a 6-4. Hope his arm isn’t fragged.
Cards have 16 hits, TEN walks. This is the team that just got no hit, then shut out by the Mets last week.
It’s baseball and youneverknow.
This weekend is DH ball. Uck. The Astros lead the majors in homers given up, including 4 tonight, and they are off to pitch in a homeriffic ball park at Comisky. I mean the Cell.
The Regulators sure look de-Regulated to me.
Marwin Gonzalez has a hurt foot but is sitting out and not on the DL. Like the bench isn’t short enough, right?
