Ryan Berry Interview

[hoosiers]

I'm not sure what you mean? Do you think he's not worth 2nd round money? Do you think it's going to cost more than that? Just wondering.

I wrote I thought it would cost 2nd round money because before his injury he was considered 1st round material and in the referenced article he thought he would be drafted on Day 1. (rounds 1-3)

Berry mentioned he was expecting to go in the first three rounds - so he knows what third round $ is - generally about $500k give or take depending on where in the round. Second round $ is closer to $800k depending on where in the round.

It sounds like Berry is ready to go pro if he gets a fair offer and that he's not looking for every last penny. I would target his bonus around $600k - $800k at this point.

As Jammer mentions, we do not know the bonus demands of the kids drafted and we do not know the pecking order Jordan has for his overslot signings. I expect Berry is pretty high priority and I don't think Jordan would have used a pick within the top 10 rounds on a player he did not seriously intend to sign.

[Stotle]

I was thinking the same thing about his hands, but assuming they do make some adjustments to his delivery (like 99% of all signees) they'll certainly be cautious with him until spring 2010. I'm sure they'll be working to strengthen the arm and shoulder much like Erbe currently. I don't know about second round money, and maybe it will depend on who else they sign for above slot. I'm curious what the pecking order is for Joe in signing the above slot guys.

Yeah, I'd like to shut him down for the year and just get started in 2010 (maybe some in the fall). Pecking order is a huge deal -- not sure where Berry would fall. Hitting him in the 9th, as opposed to say the 5th, indicates to me that this was possibly more of a "can't believe this guy is still around" kind of pick than a "we need to get this guy if he's available after X" pick. 2nd round money seems like a lot, but as Craw pointed out we don't get the benefit of medicals.

I think it was a great selection -- I'm sure BAL will procede with enough caution that a sizeable misstep will be avoided (whether it's giving too much for a ticking time bomb or letting a healthy and effective pitcher walk).

[markpolis]

Berry mentioned he was expecting to go in the first three rounds - so he knows what third round $ is - generally about $500k give or take depending on where in the round. Second round $ is closer to $800k depending on where in the round.

It sounds like Berry is ready to go pro if he gets a fair offer and that he's not looking for every last penny. I would target his bonus around $600k - $800k at this point.

As Jammer mentions, we do not know the bonus demands of the kids drafted and we do not know the pecking order Jordan has for his overslot signings. I expect Berry is pretty high priority and I don't think Jordan would have used a pick within the top 10 rounds on a player he did not seriously intend to sign.

I can see the Orioles offering around $500K. If they deem his injury to be minor they may be willing to go in the $600K range but I doubt much more.

Berry is already injured. I don't really see why he would even consider going back to Rice. Their coach is notorious for overworking his pitchers. I would bet that if he goes back to college he will destroy his arm and any chance of having a professional baseball career.

[Jammer7]

I'm not sure what you mean? Do you think he's not worth 2nd round money? Do you think it's going to cost more than that? Just wondering.

I wrote I thought it would cost 2nd round money because before his injury he was considered 1st round material and in the referenced article he thought he would be drafted on Day 1. (rounds 1-3)

Not sold on him being a second round talent, maybe mid-third. That is a difference of a few hundred thousand $ afterall. Not much projection left, he is what he is. He seems to have solid command and stuff, but he's not sustained his performance yet and the mechanics aren't clean. I'm not all that concerned about his injury, but his workload is an issue. He's not a guy who looks to be a front-line guy down the road. I'd rather spend the $ on a guy who has projection to be closer to a top of the rotation starter and has not had the workload this kid has had at Rice.

As I said, it may depend on where he is in the pecking order and who signs ahead of him. My guess is that he's not in the top five in the over slot guys. JMHO, and all I have to go on is video and the many scouting reports we've all read. If he's willing to sign for a reasonable amount and follows the program set up for him, then he'd be a good sign. If he wants second round $ and is firm on that, let him go back to Rice and run the risk of further injuries.

[LookinUp]

Not sold on him being a second round talent, maybe mid-third. That is a difference of a few hundred thousand $ afterall. Not much projection left, he is what he is. He seems to have solid command and stuff, but he's not sustained his performance yet and the mechanics aren't clean. I'm not all that concerned about his injury, but his workload is an issue. He's not a guy who looks to be a front-line guy down the road. I'd rather spend the $ on a guy who has projection to be closer to a top of the rotation starter and has not had the workload this kid has had at Rice.

According to the post below, he has the type of frame to add a substantial amount of muscle (paraphrasing). Do you, or anyone else here, have any thoughts on that and how it would affect his projectability?

His shoulder had a slightly torn muscle, no damage to ligaments or the actual rotator cuff, so I don't think the injury will be much of a problem if a problem at all in the future. Also I think this kid has the potential to put on a good 20 -25 pounds of muscle, who knows if it will help his fastball or not, but maybe with the professional pitching coaches and a good weight training program he can add a few. I also have heard that the coaches at Rice havent tried to change his mechanics because he was so effective coming out of highschool. Maybe they see something thay can change, maybe not, but watching this kid pitch, if they don't sign him, they may be regretting it by this time next year.

[Stotle]

According to the post below, he has the type of frame to add a substantial amount of muscle (paraphrasing). Do you, or anyone else here, have any thoughts on that and how it would affect his projectability?

I agree with Jammer -- and 20-25 pounds of muscle is a ton.

[kinsofboo]

I played football with his older brothers, he has the same bone structure and is about 75 pounds lighter than them, trust me, if he hits the weights he can be a solid 220. Like I said I don't know if that will help his fastball or not, but I think his legs will get twice as strong and the upper body will follow. This is an if, but if he can add a few mph to his fb with his command, I think he will be dominant coming out of the pen. JMHO tho.

[markpolis]

I agree with Jammer -- and 20-25 pounds of muscle is a ton.

Not for Adam Jones.

[Stotle]

Not for Adam Jones.

Look at Berry (who is already a pretty strong guy -- a fairly lean 195) and tell me where that 20-25 is going (as in, where is there enough room that he wouldn't have to work hard to both put it on and keep it on)?

Sure he can add it, but in what useful way? He'd be forcing muscle mass onto his frame past what he probably should naturally have. His legs are already pretty thick, and certainly thick compared to his waist/core.

Adam Jones (pre-weight gain):

Looks like there is a lot more room in the upper-body, and still some room in the lower-body (I don't know where his reported weight gain was most concentrated).

I guess my more general point was that in this day and age you can add muscle to just about anything, but at some point in baseball it isn't useful and, in the worst cases, can be detrimental to long-term health by placing extra stress on the body (particularly for pitchers who already run their body through the works with a repeated unnatural motion).

Anyway, I'm just eyeballing it, so what do I know anyway? From where I sit, I don't think Berry qualifies as someone with "room in his frame".

[Stotle]

I played football with his older brothers, he has the same bone structure and is about 75 pounds lighter than them, trust me, if he hits the weights he can be a solid 220. Like I said I don't know if that will help his fastball or not, but I think his legs will get twice as strong and the upper body will follow. This is an if, but if he can add a few mph to his fb with his command, I think he will be dominant coming out of the pen. JMHO tho.

[EDIT - Just wanted to be clear that I'm not questioning your opinion, particularly if you have first-hand knowledge of bloodlines, which is usually a pretty strong indicator. Just respectfully question whether it would be useful or problematic]

I don't doubt that he has the physical ability to add muscle -- but I question whether that is in his best interest. Completely from me eyeballing it, I don't see easy growth there, meaning he'd have to work to add and keep on the muscle. If he's working to keep on more weight than he'd naturally have, he's also adding some stress to his body (which is going to be componded by the unnatural nature of pitching motions).

In football, size is a beneficial attribute. You can hit with more force and it takes more force to knock you down. In baseball, and in my opinion, the goal should be able to max out size so long as it doesn't limit you in other areas ( ability to maintain flexibility and repeat baseball movements like swinging, pitching motion, actions in the field, etc.).

Again, solely in my opinion, adding that much weight wouldn't seem to be benefiting Berry in a tangible way, and it could potentially add stress to his body.

Very cool you played FB with his brothers. If you speak with him, pass along a "good luck", whether it's in BAL or back at Rice. He's a fun kid to watch.

PS - tell him to bring back the chops and the 'stache.

[kinsofboo]

Will do, and ya his legs do look pretty thick in those pics. Those chops were pretty crazy when I saw them on TV, I wouldn't mind seeing if I can find a pic of it.

[Stotle]

Will do, and ya his legs do look pretty thick in those pics. Those chops were pretty crazy when I saw them on TV, I wouldn't mind seeing if I can find a pic of it.

He had them against Houston at the beginning of May -- I'll check Rice's press for those games.

[csgordos]

My guess is that they think there are minor tweaks in his delivery that can be made. I think we've been doing a good job of avoiding mechanical problems for a while now. The only guy w/ any real issues in our farm system is Erbe, no?

What about Spoone?

Albers has a torn labrum, but he did not go through are system.

[McLovin]

That picture at the top shows signs of a possible timing problem. With a torn rotator cuff already, that makes me a little less optimistic about his future. Hopefully his timing will look better with a more extended look.

I just looked at that picture. I found this one of Berry - it's the biggest one I could find. Looks like an 'inverted W' to me.

<img src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:y-ZsftDpzx-5bM:http://www.collegebaseballfoundation.org/images/0002.jpg">

Reminds me of Wade Townsend:

<img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/06/07/sports/07rays_townsend.jpg">

[Stotle]

I just looked at that picture. I found this one of Berry - it's the biggest one I could find. Looks like an 'inverted W' to me.

<img src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:y-ZsftDpzx-5bM:http://www.collegebaseballfoundation.org/images/0002.jpg">

Reminds me of Wade Townsend:

<img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/06/07/sports/07rays_townsend.jpg">

That isn't Berry -- Berry is right-handed.