Sickels' Orioles list coming

[Frobby]

John Sickels has a preliminary list of 36 Orioles prospects from which he'll draw his top 20. Mickolio was on the original list, and Snyder wasn't on it. Sickels asked who else should be added. Sickels then had this exchange with his readers (excerpted here, with Sickels' comments in bold):

Kam Mickolio can be taken off, he’s gone to Arizona in Reynolds deal

In theory maybe Snyder although I don’t think he will have any impact on an AL team.

Synder has to still be on the list right? He’s certainly failed to develop as hoped, but I’d certainly still put him in the conversation.

Ok, drop Cornholio in favor of Snyder.

HAHA too funny. Did you actually type Cornholio?

Did Snyder not make the original list, or was his exclusion just an oversight?

I thought he sucked too much to include. But people are curious, so OK.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/12/6/1858773/baltimore-orioles-preliminary-prospect-list

[Stotle]

....insert stock comment regarding Sickels's credentials as an evaluator....

[Araqnid]

If making cute nicknames is what makes you a credible evaluator, then fine. I'm not interested in Suckle's list.

See. We can do it too.

[jcarm]

....insert stock comment regarding Sickels's credentials as an evaluator....

I think that you have to wonder-because he omitted Townsend from the list at first.

[Flosman]

I actually think these comment if made by him show a total lack of professionalism and makes him and his organization look like a group of high school know it alls that never got out of the stands. Both of these guys while not top prospects are in the top couple thousand baseball players in the world without question. Neither have ever done anything that makes them fair game to be disrespected like that. Going by a couple of the long time posters on here he is not even respected in the baseball world. So what is he doing?

[Stotle]

I think that you have to wonder-because he omitted Townsend from the list at first.

I was not impressed with his rankings three years ago when I was pointed towards them. He has done nothing to change my initial opinion of his work.

[Tony-OH]

I was not impressed with his rankings three years ago when I was pointed towards them. He has done nothing to change my initial opinion of his work.

You are not kidding. I never could quite understand how Sickels got his reputation. He got into the game early on and some apparently some still follow what he has to say, but I've seen little in his analysis that makes me even care in the least bit where he ranks guys.

[RVAbird]

You are not kidding. I never could quite understand how Sickels got his reputation. He got into the game early on and some apparently some still follow what he has to say, but I've seen little in his analysis that makes me even care in the least bit where he ranks guys.

He started compiling useful prospect lists for all 30 MLB teams at a time when such information was somewhat difficult to come across. His reputation is largely built on this, and the fact that he incorporated some statistical analysis in his observations.

But, you and Stotle are right. He's not a scout, has rarely seen these guys play, isn't connected enough to do consensus rankings as well as BA or BP, and isn't a wizard with the numbers so as to make up for it all.

[allstar1579]

I was not impressed with his rankings three years ago when I was pointed towards them. He has done nothing to change my initial opinion of his work.

Yeah I think it was about the same time when I took issue with him too. It was almost like he was picking names out of a hat and throwing them up on a board in order.

I seem to have some major issue with his opinions at least once a year, and I'd have a lot more respect for him if he was actually out there doing some research like Law.

[Frobby]

I just like seeing his list to see what comments he has on various players and whether he's particularly high or low on someone. He clearly doesn't have the resources of guys like Law or Goldstein or the folks at BA.

[hoosiers]

Not a big fan of Sickels. Seems like most of his work barely surpasses blogger material.

[Stotle]

Not a big fan of Sickels. Seems like most of his work barely surpasses blogger material.

Indeed -- I'd even say comparing Sickels to bloggers is a slap in the face of some pretty good MiL blogging writers.

Of course, he has his readership and they seem to enjoy conversing around his entries, so who am I to flame him?

[hoosiers]

Indeed -- I'd even say comparing Sickels to bloggers is a slap in the face of some pretty good MiL blogging writers.

Of course, he has his readership and they seem to enjoy conversing around his entries, so who am I to flame him?

Sickels does seem to have access to more than a few scouts and FO types, but his success is quite surprising given the lack of depth in his analysis.

[Araqnid]

Indeed -- I'd even say comparing Sickels to bloggers is a slap in the face of some pretty good MiL blogging writers.

I don't know. I think Snyder "sucked to much to include" is some pretty cutting-edge journalism myself.

[Stotle]

Sickels does seem to have access to more than a few scouts and FO types, but his success is quite surprising given the lack of depth in his analysis.

People like lists -- they don't care so much what goes into making them, I guess.