Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #41-50
March 13, 2008 by Geoff Young
Filed under History
Previously…
#91-100
#81-90
#71-80
#61-70
#51-60
California bans smoking in bars and restaurants, 19 countries in Europe forbid human cloning, the Unabomber enters a guilty plea — and that’s just in January! You guessed it, we’re looking back at 1998 again. In this installment, we enter the top half of Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects. Sit back, relax, and try not to think about George Michael getting arrested in a park restroom…
Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #61-70
February 28, 2008 by Geoff Young
Filed under History
Previously…
#91-100
#81-90
#71-80
Where were we? Ah yes, Terry Kennedy was being named Minor League Manager of the Year; Jay Gibbons was busy winning the Pioneer League MVP; and 41-year-old Dave Stieb, after a 5-year layoff, was making a comeback and earning “best control” honors in Baseball America’s “best tools” survey.
It must be 1998, the year that neither of the two first baseman playing for the Savannah Sand Gnats ranked among baseball’s top 100 prospects. Perhaps you have heard of Travis Hafner and Carlos Pena?
Meanwhile, back at the list…
Enrique Wilson, 2B, Cleveland Indians. Originally signed by the Minnesota Twins in 1992, Wilson came …read more
Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #71-80
February 21, 2008 by Geoff Young
Filed under History
Previously…
#91-100
#81-90
Welcome back to 1998. Dante Bichette led MLB with 219 hits, Jose Offerman led with 13 triples, and Mike Piazza signed a record-setting 7-year/$91 million deal with the Mets. Our latest re-examination of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects from that year shows yet again how few of the best minor leaguers convert their potential into great big-league careers.
There’s a reason for that, of course: baseball is a lot harder than it looks. So is predicting which guys will make it and which ones won’t. To the list:
Mike Lowell, 3B, New York Yankees. Selected in the 20th round of the 1995 …read more
Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #81-90
February 14, 2008 by Geoff Young
Filed under History
The year is 1998. Alex Rodriguez and Roberto Alomar homer to help lead the American League to victory in the All-Star Game at Coors Field. Larry Doby and Don Sutton are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Pat Burrell is the first pick in the amateur draft, while the #50 pick is an outfielder out of New Caney High School in Texas who hit five home runs and stole 32 bases as a senior: his name is Adam Dunn.
In our first installment, we revisited the careers of Orlando Cabrera and Geoff Jenkins, as well as others who didn’t enjoy their …read more
Ready for the 2008 Draft?
February 12, 2008 by Geoff Young
Filed under 2008 Draft
Photo by Mayr, some rights reserved
I know it’s only February, but some of us live for the draft. Maybe not as much as in football or basketball, but last year’s TV coverage was a good first step in getting folks more involved. (Yeah, the coverage could have been better, but at least there was something.)
Jim Callis at Baseball America did a draft preview chat that will help familiarize us all with some of the names to watch for in ‘08. Here are a few highlights.
On the quality of this year’s crop:
Scouting directors are enthused about this year’s draft, probably as …read more
Where Are They Now: Top Prospects of ‘98, #91-100
February 7, 2008 by Geoff Young
Filed under History
Ten years doesn’t seem so long ago. The Big Lebowski hit the silver screen, That ’70s Show debuted on TV, and Baseball America released its list of top 100 prospects for 1998.
Lebowski became a cult classic, while That ’70s Show has seen its share of success over the years. But how about those prospects? What ever happened to them?
Thanks to the magic of the Internet, we now have instant access to all BA top 100 lists dating back to 1990. Over the next several weeks, we’ll revisit the top prospects of 1998 and see how they fared.
Our first installment covers …read more
