2008 College Football Consensus All-America Team

Today, the Sporting News announced their 2008 College Football All-America team. They are the fifth and last organization recognized by the NCAA to announce their all-america squad. Other organizations recognized by the NCAA include the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Foundation and American Football Coaches Association.

For some reason, no one ever compiles these five separate all-america teams to publicly announce the consensus all-america team. And what kind of whack-job would sit down and do this in their spare time???

I would. Without further adieu, here is the 2008 College Football Consensus All-America Team (Unanimous Selection**) -

Quarterback:

Sam Bradford, Sophomore, Oklahoma & Colt McCoy, Junior, Texas

Running Back:

Javon Ringer, Senior, Michigan St.

Shonn Greene, Junior, Iowa**

Wide Receiver:

Michael Crabtree, Sophomore, Texas Tech**

Dez Bryant, Sophomore, Oklahoma St.

Tight End:

Chase Coffman, Senior, Missouri

Offensive Line:

Andre Smith, Junior, Alabama**

Michael Oher, Senior, Mississippi** (Pictured Above)

Duke Robinson, Senior, Oklahoma

Brandon Carter, Junior, Texas Tech & A.Q. Shipley, Senior, Penn St.

Antoine Caldwell, Senior, Alabama

Defensive Line:

Brian Orakpo, Senior, Texas**

Jerry Hughes, Junior, TCU

Aaron Maybin, Sophomore, Penn St.

Terrence Cody, Junior, Alabama

Linebacker:

Rey Maulauga, Senior, USC**

Brandon Spikes, Junior, Florida**

James Laurinaitis, Senior, Ohio St.

Defensive Back:

Malcolm Jenkins, Senior, Ohio St.

Alphonso Smith, Senior, Wake Forest

Eric Berry, Sophomore, Tennessee**

Taylor Mays, Junior, USC

Placekicker:

Louie Sakoda, Senior, Utah**

Punter:

Kevin Huber, Senior, Cincinnati

All-Purpose/Kick Returner:

Jeremy Maclin, Sophomore, Missouri & Brandon James, Junior, Florida

A few final notes: Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy tied each other for the quarterback position with two selections apiece. Ditto for Brandon Carter and A.Q. Shipley on the offensive line and Jeremy Maclin and Brandon James at the all-purpose/kick returner position.

Ruben Amaro's Incompetence is Destroying the Phillies

I know, I know, the Phillies just won the World Series so I’m supposed to have some sort of “grace period” where I don’t care what happens to the organization for a while because they just delivered a World Championship that will be remembered for all-time. But with the recent signing of Raul Ibanez for three years and $30M, and the subsequent divorce from Pat Burrell as a result of the signing, I just can’t hold the anger inside.

New Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro is a fucking idiot.

I have no idea how you could possible fuck up more than signing a 36-year-old left-handed leftfielder who is just as slow as Pat Burrell, just as awful in the field as Pat Burrell, four years older than Pat Burrell and not even close to the hitter that “Pat the Bat” is. That’s not even the half of it. Amaro managed to lose a first round draft pick in 2009 by signing Ibanez (a “Type A” free agent) while opting NOT to take two compensation first round draft picks when Burrell (also a Type A free agent) signs with another team because he refused to offer Burrell arbitration. Total incompetence.

Let’s break this down boys and girls.

By not giving Burrell an arbitration offer (that’s a one-year contract negotiated by an arbitrator that over 90% of players decline anyway), Amaro gave up a first round draft pick and a sandwich round draft pick. You see, if a Type A free agent signs with a new team, and he was offered arbitration by his former team, that ballclub gets the latter team’s first round draft pick and an additional sandwich pick between the first and second rounds. Why did Amaro refuse to give Burrell arbitration? He did it to “protect” the Phillies from Pat Burrell taking them to an arbitrator and getting a one-year $15M contract.

Here’s the problem. There is no way Pat Burrell was going to accept arbitration. The Giants or Rays desperately need a power-hitting leftfielder with a .400 on-base percentage and they will offer him much more than a one-year deal. Even if Burrell did accept arbitration, so what? You get one more year of a right-handed, power-hitting, one-base machine to perfectly break up Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the Phil’s left-handed dynamic duo.

Instead, the Phillies told Pat to fuck off, didn’t offer him arbitration, never offered him a contract and signed Raul Ibanez, an inferior player who is GOING TO BE 37 YEARS OLD NEXT SEASON!!!! Oh, and Ibanez will cost the Phillies their first round draft pick next year, which now belongs to Seattle, because, you know, their GM isn’t fucking retarded as he offered Ibanez arbitration.

What I can’t figure out for the life of me is that if Amaro knew he was going to replace Burrell (and not even calling his agent is a pretty good indicator), there is a 100% chance Burrell refuses arbitration. Why would Burrell accept a one-year contract when he knows that he would be on the bench behind Ibanez? He wouldn’t. That would effectively kill his value at the end of the year. This is what is truly unforgivable in my eyes and it would have never gone down if Mike Arbuckle was named Phillies GM instead of Amaro. By the way, in case you forgot, Chase Utley, Brett Myers and Cole Hamels are all former Phillies first round draft picks. You don’t just give those picks away. It destroys your farm system.

The ultimate kick in the ass is that Ibanez is not as good as Burrell. Sure, he had a career-year last season, but at age 36, there is no way he will consistently replicate those numbers over the next three years. Let’s compare Burrell and Ibanez over the past four seasons (WARP = wins above replacement player, RAA = defensive runs above average, OPS+ = one-base percentage + slugging percentage in comparison to the league average) –

Pat Burrell
Year	WARP	RAA	OPS+	HR	BB
2005	6.8	1	128	32	99
2006	4.5	-6	122	29	98
2007	4.0	-18	127	30	114
2008	5.2	-11	125	33	102
TOTALS	20.5	-34	126	124	413
Raul Ibanez
Year	WARP	RAA	OPS+	HR	BB
2005	4.7	-1	115	20	71
2006	6.4	-5	125	33	65
2007	4.0	-17	121	21	53
2008	7.4	1	124	23	64
TOTALS	22.5	-22	121	97	253

Burrell and Ibanez have almost identical WARP numbers, with Ibanez worth a whopping two more wins than Burrell over the past four years. This is entirely due to Burrell’s -34 RAA (a measuring stick for defensive ability), but you can pretty much ignore this figure. Burrell’s RAA suffers because Charlie Manuel removes him from games for defensive purposes, which lowers his putout numbers, which in turn lowers his defensive range and RAA. Ibanez plays the entire game, giving him better range numbers despite being just as awful in leftfield as Burrell (as evidenced by his -17 RAA in 2007). At the plate, Burrell’s 126 OPS+ is five percentage points better than Ibanez and his home run (124) and walk (413) totals trump Ibanez by a large margin. Simply put, Raul Ibanez is no Pat Burrell. Sure, he puts the ball in play more often, but he also gets on base much less often, and in that lineup, in that ballpark, you need to get on base as much as possible to play for the three-run homer.

Finally, and no one seems to be talking about this, Ibanez is a left-handed hitter. That gives the Phillies the following opening-day lineup:

SS, Rollins (S)
RF, Werth (R)
2B, Utley (L)
1B, Howard (L)
LF, Ibanez (L)
CF, Victorino (S)
3B, Feliz (R)
C, Ruiz (R)

You just can’t have your 3-4-5 hitters all be left-handed. The middle of your lineup can now be effectively shut down by a left-handed reliever, ending any hopes of a come-from-behind win. Now, Manuel is forced to put together stupid lineups, with Victorino and/or Werth hitting 4th or 5th. Not good.

So let’s get this straight. For the same amount of money it would have taken to sign Pat Burrell, the Phillies signed a 37-year old, slow, poor-fielding leftfielder who is less of a hitter than Burrell, doesn’t fit in their now left-handed-heavy middle of the order and cost them two first round draft picks. Great job, Ruben Amaro. I can’t wait to see what other brilliant moves you have in store.

The 2008 Turkey Bowl: Fights, Football and Tomfoolery

Yours truly spent the Thanksgiving Weekend in Allentown, PA, home of the annual Green Acres Turkey Bowl. Every year, my friends and family participate in two 7-on-7 full-contact football games, despite the fact that we keep getting older and more out of shape. Here is the story following this year's much-anticipated games:

Bent over and sucking wind after suffering a humiliating 7-2 loss in the first game of the annual Turkey Bowl Football Classic at Green Acres Park, David, the game’s premier quarterback and leader of his “Acres Flying Aces” squad, pondered his options as he possessed the first-overall pick in the re-draft prior to playing the Turkey Bowl’s second game.

The Flying Aces’ key bugaboo in Game One’s stunning loss to a vastly inferior “Green Machine” team led by Adrian and his merry band of crybabies, was their receivers inability to get open. Speed kills, and despite having a superior offensive line manned by Evan (an undersized but athletic high school center), Chuck (a 250-pound force at tackle) and Jon (a college fullback who is “listed” at 225), David had no one who could burst through coverage and get open.

At flanker, Jamie has the speed to excel, but his hands are truly awful and he is best utilized as a tenacious defender at corner or safety. David’s short-yardage receiver was Saleem, but he forgot his contacts for the second consecutive year and was a non-factor in Game One. All of this led a crucial draft selection that would determine whether David and his Flying Aces squad would suffer 12 months worth of ridicule.

David’s best option was Brandon, a gifted receiver with speed and strength who scored four touchdowns (three receiving) in Game One’s win for the Green Machine. But one look at Brandon leisurely lying down on the ground with his girlfriend after the first game and it was easy to question if he had the heart to give it his all in Game Two.

Quizzically staring at the two love birds, David muttered “Hey, should I take you with the first pick?”

“If you want to win you will,” Brandon replied.

That settled it, Brandon was Game Two’s first overall pick and the most explosive scoring duo in Acres Football history would once again wreak havoc. Brandon was un-coverable and David’s bazooka arm could now truly be put on display.

On the first drive, David drilled a 10-yard pass that perfectly led Brandon on a slant pattern and he easily outran the defense for a quick score. After a touchdown run by Adrian tied the game at 1-1, the Flying Aces’ scoring duo struck again. On a deep post pattern off the left hash marks, David launched a perfect spiral over the head of Paul who was defending the play and into Brandon’s outstretched hands for a touchdown.

“All day baby, all day!” Brandon screamed as the receiver met his quarterback halfway to deliver a well-earned chest bump.

A sturdy defensive line manned by Chuck, Jeff and David led to a turnover on downs for the Green Machine and Brandon would continue his offensive onslaught. After two first down throws to Saleem, who played inspired defense in Game Two, David hooked up with Brandon on an out pattern. Paul proceeded to strip the ball from Brandon, but Mike was “Johnny on the spot,” picking up the loose ball and running untouched for a score that stretched the Acres Flying Aces lead to 3-1.

On the ensuing drive, Adrian faced a fourth-and-goal situation from the five yard line. As David’s rush flushed him from the pocket, Adrian took off and ran to his left for a controversial touchdown.

“No way you scored Agey!” David exclaimed. “Your feet were out of bounds and the ball did not cross the goal line.”

“Look, I don’t argue calls, but I’m passionate about this one,” Adrian replied in his defense. “The ball crossed the goal line.”

“Passionate” Adrian prevailed and the score narrowed the Flying Aces lead to 3-2.

It was on the ensuing kickoff that shit (FINALLY!!!) hit the fan. Paul apparently pushed Saleem to the ground and Saleem proceeded to grab his throat. Next thing you know, Paul is wildly throwing (and missing) punches and kicks before teammates on both sides separate them. The two are frothing at the mouth and screaming various obscenities and insults that only friends would know and say to each other (summary of what was said – Paul: “you’re not getting laid,” Saleem: “I make more money than you do”).

A touchdown throw from David to Brandon on a slant pattern ended the game at 4-2, but Paul’s “little brother” syndrome refused to let him end the bickering with Saleem. After more verbal assaults and some pushing and shoving, Paul’s older brother David put him in a headlock (reminiscent of yesteryear) and pinned him to the ground. Various players pulled Cain and Abel apart, but the trash talk would not end with Paul exclaiming to David that he would “Put him in a hospital.”

After the dust settled, Chuck shook his head, looked at David and said, “God, I wish I was in your family.”

Brandon was named the 2008 Turkey Bowl MVP, as he was the key difference maker in both team’s victories. He totaled seven touchdowns on the day, including six receiving. Other notes from the game include:

• Steve brought a keg to the game which was thoroughly enjoyed prior to each contest. A fucking keg. To a public park. God bless you Steve.

• Both Adrian and David did not throw an interception in either game, a first in Acres history.

• Adrian’s marathon running has been paying off. He ran and threw for four touchdowns on the day and would have been named this year’s MVP if not for Brandon’s remarkable play.

• Following David’s long touchdown run in Game One when he broke three tackles en route to the score, he screamed “I’ve been doing this since 1993 motherfuckers!”

• Jeff, Game One’s first-overall draft pick, was a tackling machine until he pulled his 38-year old left hamstring mid-way into the first contest. He played sparingly for the rest of the afternoon.

• David and Paul’s 15-year old brother Andrew made his girlfriend show up to the game with pom poms. So very many things are wrong about that.

Game 1 Scoring Summary: Green Machine 7, Acres Flying Aces 2
1-0 Green Machine score on a pass from Adrian to Brandon
2-0 Green Machine score on a run by Adrian following a pitch from Brandon
2-1 Acres Flying Aces score on a long quarterback scramble off right tackle by David
3-1 Green Machine score on a pass from Adrian to Brandon
4-1 Green Machine score on a long quarterback scramble by Adrian
4-2 Acres Flying Aces score on a pass from David to Jon in the left corner of the end zone
5-2 Green Machine score on a run by Brandon off right tackle
6-2 Green Machine score on a pass from Adrian to Brandon
7-2 Green Machine score on a pass from Adrian to Paul

Game 2 Scoring Summary: Acres Flying Aces 4, Green Machine 2
1-0 Acres Flying Aces score on a slant pattern pass from David to Brandon
1-1 Green Machine score on a quarterback scramble by Adrian
2-1 Acres Flying Aces score on a deep post pattern pass from David to Brandon
3-1 Acres Flying Aces score on a fumble recovery return by Mike
3-2 Green Machine score on a quarterback scramble by Adrian off left tackle
4-2 Acres Flying Aces score on a slant pattern pass from David to Brandon

World Fucking Champions

I really don't have anything else to add. Chutley has already said all that needs to be said - We're the World Fucking Champions.

For the first time in my adult life (the Sixers won the NBA title when I was 2), a Philadelphia sports team has won the whole damn thing. And best of all, it was my beloved Phillies. I used to live and die with every Darren Daulton at bat. Every paper in my sixth grade English class was about the 1993 Phillies until my teacher actually wrote a note to my mom telling her I had to cover another topic despite receiving "A's" on all my reports. Rooting for those God-awful Juan Samuel/Von Hayes/Roger McDowell/Kevin Gross/Charlie Hayes teams has finally paid off and supporting the Phillies through two decades of futility has made this championship all the sweeter.

Utley hurt for the first two months of 2009? I don't care. The Eagles tying (a fucking tie!) the lowly Bengals? I don't care. Passing on talent evaluator extraordinaire Mike Arbuckle for company yes-man Ruben Amaro as Phillies GM? I don't care. The Phils not even offering Pat Burrell a contract this offseason? I don't care (OK, I kinda do). I seriously could care less about what atrocities happen in the Philadelphia sports scene for the next few years or so. My Phillies are the 2008 World Series Champions. The World Fucking Champions.

I Want My Baseball With The Fake Signatures

Growing up, I can clearly recall those Sports Illustrated commercials after every major sports championship. Sign up for a year's worth of issues and you would get that cheesy fucking leather bound edition featuring your favorite team and the baseball/football/basketball commemorating their great accomplishment. God, how I wanted to have my own Sports Illustrated issue of the Phillies/Eagles/Sixers/Flyers (yes, I actually cared about basketball and hockey back then). I looked forward to one day having my commemorative Philly sports issue more than the annual masturbatory swimsuit edition. 

Well, tonight is Step 1 towards finally picking up the phone and ordering my very own yearly subscription of SI. In fact, if the Phillies win it all, why stop there? I will buy every fucking crappy T-shirt, pennant, boxed DVD set, mug, program and God knows what else with the phrase "Philadelphia Phillies 2008 World Series Champions" printed on it. My apartment will resemble that of a Nascar fan's pad, i.e. totally classless, and I could absolutely care less. The Phillies just need to win four more. I need to go on a senseless spending spree. I need that fucking baseball with the fake signatures.

The Modern-Day Babe Ruth

I had this exchange with my co-worker this morning after the Phillies stunning come-from-behind win over LA in Game 4 of the NLCS, highlighted by a Matt Stairs (are-you-fucking-kidding-me) two-run blast off closer Jonathan Broxton to put the Phils ahead for good:

Me: "Unreal game. The best part is that in two years Matt Stairs will become a slow-pitch softball legend. He just officially became a member of the Phillies last night."

Co-worker: "I know. He's the modern-day Babe Ruth. If Babe Ruth played today against minorities and superior pitching, he would be Matt Stairs."

The guy has a point. And before you get all defensive about shoving Ruth in the mud, let's get something straight - Matt Stairs is a helleva hitter. His career .266 / 254 / 864 numbers are no joke. Yeah, they pale next to Ruth's numbers but some of the other comparison's are there. Both are heavy-set guys, Stairs listed at 5-9, 210 and Ruth at 6-2, 215 (although his weight was reported to be as high as 260). Both played a number of years before they became full-time regulars (Stairs because he didn't fit the prototypical standard for what a ballplayer should look like, Ruth because he was a pitcher). And finally, both actually TRIED to hit homeruns on a regular basis. Check out this gem of a quote from Matty Stairs after last night's game -

"My whole career, even back in the early days, my approach was try to hit the ball out of the ballpark," said Stairs. "And it's something I enjoyed doing. In batting practice, I try to hit every ball out of the ballpark. I'm not going to lie, it's fun. I try to hit home runs and that's it. I'm not going to hit a single and steal second base. So I think the biggest thing is to get up there, swing hard and elevate."

That's phenomenal. And do you know what? If the Phillies go on to win the World Series, Matt Stairs can look at his ring and know that that he deserved it. It doesn't matter that he only played in 16 regular season games with the Phils. The future slow-pitch softball homerun champion won a pivotal NLCS game that could propel them to greatness.

Philly Wasn’t Built in a Day

While killing time at work by visiting as many sports sites as possible in between meetings yesterday, I stumbled upon an ESPN chat with Baseball America’s prospect guru Jim Callis and couldn’t help but ask a simple question about how this year’s Phillies squad was constructed:

David (Philly): How much credit does Mike Arbuckle get for the Phillies success? Rollins, Howard, Burrell, Utley, Myers, Hamels and even (sadly) Gavin Floyd have all been great picks.

Jim Callis: (2:30 PM ET ) Not as much as he deserves.

Well, now that the Phightins are in the NLCS, it’s time to give Mr. Arbuckle some major props. Arbuckle was named the Phillies Director of Scouting in 1992, so let’s take a look at his first 10 drafts with the Phils (1993-2002) and how they have impacted the 2008 NL East Champs. Players selected in the past six years (2003-2008) have not had the time to be evaluated properly as baseball players often take four or five years just to reach the big leagues, so we will exclude those drafts.

Baseball scouts often say that a successful draft will produce 1 ½ players, or one starter and a role player. Using this metric as a barometer for success, I have separated impact and complimentary players from each of Arbuckle’s first 10 drafts. Guys who only had a cup of coffee in the majors were excluded from my analysis. Each draft was given a grade based on the quality and quantity of major league players selected (round/overall pick are in parenthesis):

1993 MLB Draft Grade: A-
Impact Players
Scott Rolen (2/46)
Complimentary Players
Wayne Gomes (1/4)

Commentary: Not a bad first draft for Arbuckle. A Georgetown basketball recruit, Rolen was a first-round talent whose stock had dropped because of signability issues. Arbuckle rolled the dice that Rolen would forgo a college scholarship to play professional baseball and he went on to become the best third baseman of his generation before back and shoulder injuries derailed a sure-fire Hall of Fame career. Gomes could never harness his power curve to become the dominant closer he was projected to be, but he was effective for a year or two.

1994 MLB Draft Grade: F
Impact Players
NONE
Complimentary Players
Wendell McGee (12/338)

Commentary: Let’s call 1994 a sophomore slump for Arbuckle. First round draft pick Carlton Loewer was a total bust and McGee was the only player selected to receive any real playing time in the bigs. I remember Wendell from when he played for the AA Reading Phillies. He signed some cards for me and was a real nice dude. He could really play centerfield, but no stick and no batting eye is not a recipe for success.

1995 MLB Draft Grade: D
Impact Players
NONE
Complimentary Players
Marlon Anderson (2/42)

Commentary: Anderson was a great role player for the Phils, playing second base and all three outfield positions while coming through with some clutch hits. Still, Anderson alone does not make for a productive draft. First round pick Reggie Taylor looked like Tarzan, played like Jane.

1996 MLB Draft Grade: A
Impact Players
Jimmy Rollins (2/46)
Complimentary Players
Adam Eaton (1/11)

Commentary: J-Roll is the Phils catalyst, clubhouse leader and one helleva ballplayer. Jimmy can hit, hit for power, cover some serious ground at short, throw darts across the diamond and run like someone’s chasing him. You know, just your everyday 5-foot-8, MVP, gold glove shortstop. Once upon a time, Eaton was a filthy pitcher who could spot a 94-mph fastball to compliment an unhittable curve. Obviously, that pitcher is long gone.

1997 MLB Draft Grade: B
Impact Players
J.D. Drew (1/2)
Randy Wolf (2/54)
Complimentary Players
Derrick Turnbow (5/146)
Johnny Estrada (17/506)

Commentary: J.D. Drew was the consensus #1 talent in the draft – and it wasn’t even close. The only 30-30 player in NCAA history, Drew was going to be Mickey-fucking-Mantle. Injuries derailed his career, but he’s still an All-Star caliber player. Remember, it’s Arbuckle’s job to pick um, not sign um. Everyone remembers Wolf’s fan club, but few people seem to remember that he was an All-Star left-handed pitcher who threw too many innings too soon. Larry Bowa compared him to Tom Glavine and the comparisons where not far off before Wolfman ran into some arm injuries. Turnbow’s high-90’s fastball translated into one good year as a closer for the Milwaukee Brewers and Estrada was a key player in the Kevin Millwood acquisition.

1998 MLB Draft Grade: A
Impact Players
Pat Burrell (1/1)
Complimentary Players
Jason Michaels (4/104)
Ryan Madson (9/254)
Geoff Geary (15/434)
Nick Punto (21/614)

Commentary: My unhealthy man-crush for Pat Burrell started when the Phils selected the strapping, 6-foot-4, 225-pound homerun-hitting third baseman from Miami with the first-overall pick of the 1998 Draft. 250-plus homeruns later, Burrell is still a vital cog in the Phillies quest for a World Series championship. Watching him swat two homeruns in the series-clinching win over Milwaukee in Game Four of the NLDS brought pure joy to my heart. Michaels, Burrell’s college drinking buddy, was a decent fourth outfielder and Punto is a solid utility infielder for the Minnesota Twins. Madson’s superb September performance played a key role in the Phillies capturing their second straight division title and Geary was included in the package for Brad Lidge last off-season.

1999 MLB Draft Grade: B-
Impact Players
Brett Myers (1/12)
Complimentary Players
Marlon Byrd (10/306)

Commentary: Myers might just be the key to Philly winning a World Series title in 2008. If he continues to pitch in the post-season like he did against the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLDS, the Phils have a legitimate chance of going all the way. A bulldog on the mound, Myers mixes a 89-94mph fastball with a devastating curveball that ranks among the best in baseball. When he can throw his curve for strikes and effectively mix his four seam fastball and sinker, he is a devastating pitcher. When his location is off…...he can post some of the worst box scores you have ever seen. Byrd’s star in Philadelphia quickly faded but he has experienced a rebirth with the Texas Rangers over the last two seasons.

2000 MLB Draft Grade: A+
Impact Players
Chase Utley (1/15)
Complimentary Players
Taylor Buchholz (6/175)

Commentary: Arbuckle receives an A+ grade for this sole reason - the 2000 MLB Draft was one of the worst in history and the Phillies walked away with by far the best player despite picking 15th overall. Other than #1 overall draft pick Adrian Gonzalez, no other 2000 first round draft selection aside from Utley has ever been named to an All-Star team. Chutley is the best offensive second baseman in either league and his defense has risen from mediocre during his fist season in the bigs to gold-glove worthy. His tough-as-nails attitude and natural leadership skills further enhance his value to the organization and the Phillies wisely locked Utley up to a long-term contract last off-season. Buchholz was the Colorado Rockies best middle reliever this past year and served as the Phillies main prospect in the trade for closer Billy Wagner following the 2003 season.

2001 MLB Draft Grade: A+
Impact Players
Gavin Floyd (1/4)
Ryan Howard (5/140)
Complimentary Players
NONE

Commentary: Howard is the greatest power hitter in the game, winning two home run titles, two RBI titles and an MVP award in his first three full seasons. His second-half surge is one of the main reasons the Phils overcame the Mets in the NL East this year. Howard was supposed to be a high pick following his junior season at Southwest Missouri State, but a dreadful senior campaign had him plummeting in the draft until Arbuckle stopped the free fall in the fifth round. After struggling with his command in the strike zone for four years, Floyd went 17-8 and threw 206 innings this season with the Chicago White Sox, playing a key role in Ozzie Guillen’s squad making the playoffs. Sadly, the Phils traded him for Freddy Garcia, an overweight pitcher whose velocity had dropped from 95mph to 86mph overnight. Blame it on GM Pat Gillick, not Arbuckle.

2002 MLB Draft Grade: B+
Impact Players
Cole Hamels (1/17)
Complimentary Players
NONE

Commentary: Although Hamels is the only player of note selected by the Phillies in 2002, who wouldn’t want to come away with a legitimate #1 left-handed starter in the draft and call it a day? Me neither. Arbuckle gambled that Hamels had fully recovered from a broken left arm that ruined his junior year of high school and it paid off big time, stealing a top-5 talent with the 17th overall pick in the draft. In the future, Cole Hamels will win 1 Cy Young... and 11 Cole Hamels.

Looking back at Arbuckle’s first 10 drafts, he was responsible for selecting the following players who have played pivotal roles in the Phillies quest to win the World Series this season: Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels. In addition, Scott Rolen, J.D. Drew, Randy Wolf, Marlon Byrd, Taylor Buchholz and Gavin Floyd are starring for other teams.

Pat Gillick has expressed that he will retire as Phillies General Manager after this season and his successor has yet to be named. Here’s hoping the Phillies realize that the best man for the job is right under their nose. As GM, I have faith Mike Arbuckle can build a championship-caliber ball club. In fact, he already has.