Reds go for arms on Day 1

[missionhockey21]

Reds go for arms on Day 1
Texas prep outfielder followed by five pitchers

CINCINNATI -- The pitching pool in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft is considered to be a bit more shallow than in recent years, but that didn't stop the Reds from diving right in.

Pitchers accounted for 10 of the Reds' 18 picks on Tuesday, the draft's first day.

Though the team took center fielder Jay Bruce from West Brook High School in Beaumont, Texas, with the 12th overall pick, and the pitchers came fast and furious from that point.

"Overall, we got some quality arms," said Terry Reynolds, the Reds' director of amateur scouting. "The arms we got are all good, and from the preliminary conversations we've had with the players and the agents, they're all looking forward to coming out and playing. So far, so good."

The Reds made five consecutive selections of pitchers by nabbing left-hander Travis Wood (Bryant (Ark.) High School) in the second round, right-hander Zach Ward (Gardner-Webb University) in the third, right-hander Sam LeCure (formerly of the University of Texas) in the fourth, right-hander James Avery (Niagara University) in the fifth and right-hander Jeff Stevens (Loyola Marymount University) in the sixth.

"All these guys, with the exception of Jeff Stevens, are 90-94 mph guys," Reynolds said. "Stevens is more of a control guy. Even as we got down a little further, those guys are good-armed guys, too."

The Reds drafted just three high school players -- Bruce, Wood and shortstops Mike Jones from Wayne County (Jesup, Ga.) High School and Kevyn Feiner from Sun Prairie (Wis.) High School.

"That wasn't by design," Reynolds said. "It just seemed like any time I had a card in my hand with a high school name on it, someone plucked it right in front of us."

As far as position players are concerned, the Reds selected six infielders and two outfielders, with particular emphasis on the middle infield.

"You always try to look up the middle, if you can," Reynolds said. "The place we didn't come up with anybody [on the first day] was at catcher. The list of high catchers was very short. They went quick. So that's one of the places we'll have to shore up [on day two]."

The Reds, who already have a handful of big leaguers from the Lone Star State, continued their Texas connection with the selections of Bruce, right-hander Logan Ondrusek (Shiner), second baseman Michael Griffin (Dallas) and right-hander Jason Vecchio (Pearland).

Here's a look at the Reds' picks on day one:

Click here for the rest

[CincyRedsFan30]

"Overall, we got some quality arms," said Terry Reynolds, the Reds' director of amateur scouting. "The arms we got are all good, and from the preliminary conversations we've had with the players and the agents, they're all looking forward to coming out and playing. So far, so good."
.................................................. ..............................................

Is this guy O'Brien's brother? He talks just like him and seems to be spewing BS most of the time just like Danny.