| Feature News |
The Great Youth Movement
Rookie pitchers called up too soon? Or just in time?
By Listen DePleyohs / Baseball Tri-Weekly
In just two weeks the entire landscape of the EHCC was altered, with four newly signed pitchers as the catalyst. Some are barely old enough to celebrate their contracts, but all are being looked at as the future of their franchises. Their presence alone has ushered in a flurry of trades and signings, now known as the Great Youth Movement, and has altered the strategies of some of the top organizations. What the future will hold for these men, no one knows, but what they represent will resonate for years to come.
The Beginnings
The unexpected call up of Scott Olsen was the precursor. A top prospect in the MLB, we was a shoe in for the EHCC minor league draft. The 6’4” lefty was not the biggest name in the pool of pitchers destined for Triple Eh, and had a less-than-dazzling season with the Carolina Mudcats, posting a 6-4 record with a 3.92 ERA. Still, scouts felt the talented pitcher was something special. At 20-years-old, he had all the tools to become a reliable EHCC pitcher someday.
In late June the Florida Marlins were desperate for a spot start, and with pitching in short supply, they called on Olsen. He responded by tossing a four hit, one run gem. Had he struggled out of the gate, the Youth Movement may have never started.
In a league desperate for pitching, teams salivated at the chance to snatch him, even with the chance he could be sent back down to the minors. At least four teams contacted his agent, maybe more, but in the end he decided to go to the defending champions for more money anyone would have expected.
The Kings Respond
In the midst of the Olsen push, Rakeville sat uneasy. Realizing their offer would not be enough to entice the young gun, they were content to sit on their powerful staff, until word came through of an injury to Las Vegas Ace Oliver Perez. Jack Reed jumped into action. With Perez hurt, it opened the door for two top MLB prospects Ian Snell and Zach Duke. Only one would get the job and Snell looked like the favorite.
Called up the same day Perez was injured, Snell was initially sent to the bullpen. The 23-year-old struggled in AAA, like Olsen, with a 9-2 record but at plus 4 ERA, but was still a top starting prospect. Already in the MLB, Reed took a chance and contacted his agent. Within an hour, both sides struck a deal before the league knew what had happened. Unfortunately, a starting job never came and the Rockets were forced to let Snell go.
The Pressure Builds
The day Las Vegas confirmed their signing of Olsen, the flood gates opened. That night, Zach Duke started his first MLB game, while Justin Verlander and Scott Baker were called up for spot starts with their respective teams. Duke came out firing in his first start, with the eyes of the EHCC on him. The righty pitched seven innings giving up five hits and three runs while striking out nine. With the success of Olsen, general managers stormed the phone lines to get their hands on Duke.
With offers coming in from all the top teams, Duke surprised everyone when he decided to sign with the upstart Tokyo Owegotdukes for lesser money.
The inability of the top clubs to sign the young gun was frustrating. Rakeville, unable to compete in another biding war, jumped on Scott Baker. The lesser known prospect had put up excellent numbers in AAA and was set to spot start for an injured Brad Radke. With all the hype surrounding Duke, Rakeville was the first to contact Baker and easily signed him, who produced immediately. In his first start, Baker went five innings only giving up two runs.
Changing the Channel
Across Weymouth sound, Yukon Cornelius was getting desperate. The team that once had the most feared rotation had dropped off in recent years, and they literally missed the boat on four top young guys.
Cornelius isolated himself in the war room, computers and phones surrounding him. He would be damned if got beat again. Within hours, he had his EHCC scouts filing reports or young pitchers in the league. Potential aces that he could mold into true island warriors.
The first move came July 7th, when Shaddupu acquired DJ Houlton from the Doggs in exchange for Brandon Inge. While Inge was having a decent year, he was easily expendable and the deal didn’t seem significant until a few days later.
Picking the Meat
Quebec City has taken a far different approach to the Great Youth Movement, despite their big market status. Instead of getting bogged down in bidding wars, the Piglets have decided to attack at the source. In the days following Olsen’s début, Pat Renaud was in deep negotiations with Haverhill. The prize was two minor league draft picks, and with the Swinger's notorious scouting staff, it wasn’t hard for the piglets to pry them away.
The moves, while reactionary and somewhat more costly, were probably the wisest ones of the Great Youth Movement. They allow Quebec City to pick and choose who they want, without worrying about being outbid. They only drawback is, Renaud failed to space the picks out, forcing the Piglets to open five rosters spots within the next three years.
Quieting the Competition
When you’re surrounded by water, you learn to make waves.
After days in the war room, Cornelius had finally figured it out. A six-player deal sending one of the most iconic figure in Weymouth, Alfonso Soriano, along with Carlos Lee and Carl Pavano to Bizton for the 22-year-old ace Jeremy Bonderman and rookie gun Joe Blanton. The move solidified the Shaddupu rotation for the next few years, but left the future of their offense in doubt. Weymouth was close to signing Snell, but an incentive-laden contract was turned down by the players association.
After a week and a half, Cornelius left the bunker with a feeling of accomplishment.
Model Citizens
Several factors may have attributed to the Great Youth Movement. First, a lack of confidence by teams. Just two weeks ago the top teams in the league where all within a game of each other. Teams that never had to worry about the first round of the playoffs were now forming doubts about whether they would even make the playoffs. Some teams were old, and some inconsistent, but almost all of them felt like they needed to do something to stay ahead of the competition.
Second, was just a general lack of pitching depth. In the past, you could dominate one side of the ball and still win the championship. Now, with every playoff team posing a serious threat, the team that will win will be the most balanced. Teams with bats targeted pitching, and teams with pitching tried to keep them away from the others.
Third, Last years failed minor league draft. The talent pool from last years draft was not to the level that was expected. Teams made ignorant selections, especially in the late rounds. The results of which are appearing now, as organizations are looking within for support and finding nothing. That motivated teams to invest in minor league scouting, to avoid a similar situation. The players coming up are now over scouted, over hyped and overvalued. While the top teams build for the future, they weaken their current teams with unproven kids.
Finally, with the success of Rakeville and the sequel buildup in Tokyo, teams are realizing how much of an impact a talented young group of players can make. In contrast, both those teams were rebuilding, while these teams are toeing a dangerous line between tomorrow and today.
The Dark Horses
While the movement has slowed a bit with the upcoming draft, two players still sit unsigned. Ian Snell is probably only days away from inking his third deal in the past three weeks. There will surely be a team willing to sit on his talent, until he finds a regular spot in a rotation.
Verlander is the other. He will most likely cap off the movement with another bidding war for his services. Another kid who blew up draft boards has made a MLB start. While not impressive, this fireballing 21-year-old has all the tools and will be a likely target in the coming weeks.
A New Generation
Olsen, Duke, Baker and Snell. Will they be forever linked like Beckett and Prior? And what of Verlander? Will he be associated with this group of premature call-ups, or do his rivals lay further down the road?
Listen DePleyohs writes a column for Baseball Tri-Weekly, and enjoys eating pie while riding his bicycle.
