Orioles 2002 Top 25 prospects

[Tony-OH]

https://web.archive.org/web/20021130213837/http://www.orioleshangout.com/minors02/top_50_prospects_e02.htm

Yes, the famous list where I got too caught up with Luis Jimenez after going down to Bluefield and watching him for a few days. 

Saying that, he ended up making the majors years after leaving the Orioles organization. I remember this "kid" having some severe emotional issues and that he really needed the right system and the right organization to take care of him.

Put his talent in the Orioles organization right now and I bet there would be a different outcome. He still took some of the best minor league BP I've ever seen.

 

[Frobby]

5 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

https://web.archive.org/web/20021130213837/http://www.orioleshangout.com/minors02/top_50_prospects_e02.htm

Yes, the famous list where I got too caught up with Luis Jimenez after going down to Bluefield and watching him for a few days. 

Saying that, he ended up making the majors years after leaving the Orioles organization. I remember this "kid" having some severe emotional issues and that he really needed the right system and the right organization to take care of him.

Put his talent in the Orioles organization right now and I bet there would be a different outcome. He still took some of the best minor league BP I've ever seen.

 

This is right around when I first discovered the Hangout.  Could’ve been the year before, or this one.  Probably the year before, because I remember following Erik Bedard very closely during the 2002 season before he reputured his elbow.  But I definitely remember reading this list and following all the top players you identified the following season.  I didn’t know that OH had a message board then.  

[Absltgreek]

Man, I remember begin super hopeful for John Maines to blow up...

[Prayin4Reign]

These are great Tony!  

Players to keep an eye on...17 year-old Hayden Penn.  Geez, I remember following that kid and looking at his stats.  I didn't know about the Hangout at that time.  I might have been on Sun and also reading Baseball America.  But I had high hopes w/Hayden.  

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, Prayin4Reign said:

These are great Tony!  

Players to keep an eye on...17 year-old Hayden Penn.  Geez, I remember following that kid and looking at his stats.  I didn't know about the Hangout at that time.  I might have been on Sun and also reading Baseball America.  But I had high hopes w/Hayden.  

He didn't have a baseball player name though!

If you know, you know!  

Seriously though, the team was so bereft of talent that the team really was excited over Penn. He ended up being one of those major league yips guys. He never had control problems in the minors and got to the majors and couldn't throw strikes. Of course when he did get it over they smacked him around. It really was pretty crazy.

He had fastball that could touch 95 MPH, a good curve and showed no command problem in the minors. Heck, he was in AA at 19-years old. I'd love to have statcast info on him to try and determine what went wrong or whether it really was the bright lights of being on the biggest stage was just too much for him. 

I mean, the guy ended his major league career with a 9.51 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in 82.1 IP. The fact that he got that many innings was teams couldn't figure out why he was so bad in the majors. His stuff should have played in relief at the very least.

 

[Jagwar]

True to form, Erik Bedard looks pissed at the cameraman. 

[Mooreisbetter27]

I remember all of these guys with the exception of Rommie Lewis.  I don't feel like I've ever even heard that name before!

[Tony-OH]

44 minutes ago, Mooreisbetter27 said:

I remember all of these guys with the exception of Rommie Lewis.  I don't feel like I've ever even heard that name before!

In my article, "An organization in need of change" I discussed the Orioles mismanagement of him.

Quote

It may come as a surprise to some, but the Orioles do allow winning to affect development at some levels. Delmarva Shorebird manager Joe Ferguson is known as one of Syd's guys; and with that comes the ability to get whatever players he wants, as well as to get rid of whatever players he doesn't, regardless of the development process. On numerous occasions, Ferguson has gone directly to Syd to have players moved to and from his team.

The main problem occurs when players stay in roles or remain at levels that are not best for their development. This season, 19-year-old left-hander Rommie Lewis was placed in Ferguson's bullpen in order for him to get some innings in before the short season started up. Once the short season started, he was scheduled to pitch in the rotation at either Bluefield or Aberdeen. However, Lewis pitched so well that he eventually became Delmarva's closer and was named to the Sally League All-Star team. Ferguson decided that Lewis was too valuable to his team and he was not moved to a rotation. Lewis ended up with 25 saves a 2.15 ERA, but only tossed 71 innings. Not only did he lose about 50 or more innings of development, but by pitching one or maybe two innings an appearance, he didn't always have to use all of his pitches, which means he lost a year of developing that skill.

He eventually ended up making the majors in 2010 with the Blue Jays but never amounted to much at the big league level.