2010 Yankees first round draft pick: Cito Culver HS SS

[Hughes2.50]

I'm rooting for him to go to school.

Why? Signing for slot is wrong?

[philleotardo]

Who are names to watch for tomorrow?

Edit: Other than Allie

[THEBOSS84]

Why? Signing for slot is wrong?

When you're the Yankees and there is considerably better talent on the board, absolutely.

[Hughes2.50]

When you're the Yankees and there is considerably better talent on the board, absolutely.

I think the Yankees believe that this kid has enormous upside. You don't today,maybe you will in the future.

[DiMaggio5CF]

One of the most troubling things I heard was from the BA guys on the MLB Net telecast, who said something about Culver's effort being called into question.

Has anyone seen anything that either confirms or refutes this notion?

[flymick24]

I think the Yankees believe that this kid has enormous upside. You don't today,maybe you will in the future.

they loved him so much that they had to take him in the first round?

you honestly don't think he wouldn't have been there later for the taking?

[Hughes2.50]

they loved him so much that they had to take him in the first round?

you honestly don't think he wouldn't have been there later for the taking?

I think the Yankees didn't want to take a chance he'd be there at 82. They believe he is a bargain at around slot.

[Buzah!]

they loved him so much that they had to take him in the first round?

you honestly don't think he wouldn't have been there later for the taking?

Apparently, they found out after taking him that he was not going to be there at 82.

[NYDCYankee]

I think the Yankees believe that this kid has enormous upside. You don't today,maybe you will in the future.

That isn't the point.

It is whether or not he could have been had two, three or four round later.

[Hughes2.50]

One of the most troubling things I heard was from the BA guys on the MLB Net telecast, who said something about Culver's effort being called into question.

Has anyone seen anything that either confirms or refutes this notion?

It contradicts everything else about this kid. Btw, when a kid makes things look easy, some guys (including scouts) mistake that for laziness.

[Hughes2.50]

That isn't the point.

It is whether or not he could have been had two, three or four round later.

See my last post to Flymick

[flymick24]

I think the Yankees didn't want to take a chance he'd be there at 82. They believe he is a bargain at around slot.

you're open to your own opinion, but i think hal has mandated budget cuts all across the board, and we're going to see a lot of underwhelming picks and IFA signings (or lack thereof) because of it

[DiMaggio5CF]

they loved him so much that they had to take him in the first round?

you honestly don't think he wouldn't have been there later for the taking?

I agree. There's no way of knowing for sure, but I don't think it's unreasonable to suspect that this kid would have been there in the next round or two.

To me, it's about opportunity cost. They probably could have taken a guy who was more highly regarded in the first round, even if they personally happened to like that guy less than Culver. Then they could have taken Culver in the second or third round and had a better overall draft.

At worst, this pick could be a bust, but then so could any pick.

But I think at best, this pick was a reach, and even if this kid pans out and becomes a good ballplayer, the Yanks probably still could have had him in the second round in addition to a more highly-touted first-round pick.

So even if Culver turns out to be a first-round talent, it's probably extremely unlikely that he was a first-round value.

[Hughes2.50]

you're open to your own opinion, but i think hal has mandated budget cuts all across the board, and we're going to see a lot of underwhelming picks and IFA signings (or lack thereof) because of it

Last year the Yankees had 7.6 mill for the draft, they got that again. You'll be proven wrong.

[Hughes2.50]

So even if Culver turns out to be a first-round talent, it's probably extremely unlikely that he was a first-rund value.

So a hs shortstop that can play there at the next level isn't a first round value? I think the Yankees see this kid as close to Jiovanni Mier.

[Matsui55]

One of the most troubling things I heard was from the BA guys on the MLB Net telecast, who said something about Culver's effort being called into question.

Has anyone seen anything that either confirms or refutes this notion?

You are honestly using BA as a source for unbiased information about the Yankees? Really?

[Matsui55]

This needs to be part of the discussion:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=2405

Think about this for a moment- BA- who holds themselves out as the "experts" and had their top person live at the draft- had 15 guys who BA thought were the best in the draft fall right out of the top 50.

Yet, we have posters here using BA as "evidence" that the Yanks overdrafted and don't know what they are doing.

I'll chalk this up to another case of "Wah, Wah, my team didn't pick a name guy that some website told me they should pick- and I know nothing about our pick, so my team doesn't know what its doing because a website that is wrong on 1/3 of their picks said so- wah, wah."

[Matsui55]

Last year the Yankees had 7.6 mill for the draft, they got that again. You'll be proven wrong.

I think a LOT of people on this site need to read PP's interview with Scouting Director Oppenheimer that took place before the draft.

Once you read the interview, a lot of things become clearer.

[flymick24]

This needs to be part of the discussion:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=2405

Think about this for a moment- BA- who holds themselves out as the "experts" and had their top person live at the draft- had 15 guys who BA thought were the best in the draft fall right out of the top 50.

Yet, we have posters here using BA as "evidence" that the Yanks overdrafted and don't know what they are doing.

I'll chalk this up to another case of "Wah, Wah, my team didn't pick a name guy that some website told me they should pick- and I know nothing about our pick, so my team doesn't know what its doing because a website that is wrong on 1/3 of their picks said so- wah, wah."

75% of the picks tonight resided in the BA Top 57. That tells me they have a decent handle on where players are ranked.

.....

[AcidLake]

well, all i will say is that it is very very premature to write Culver off as a big failure of a pick. i've been hearing more positive reports on him and from what i've read, he's been getting very high grades late in the season and while toolsy, he was not playing in the region popular for baseball.

i mean... things never, never go as planned. this aspect ranges from the real life stuff (relationships, money, holiday planning, etc.) to the career path. i am sure even behind the mistakes that yankee brass and scouting directors made, there were many thoughts and calculations involved on it and it would be crazy for them to conclude with the 2nd best option available for them; they would always make the decision with the best option available for them to make at the moment. it's not just one man's opinion, i mena, there are multiple brains involved and i'm sure it's the team's decision, not just one man's stubborn decision that ignored many expert scout opinions that i'm sure would've seen the skills in real life. for some players, skills may be there in pro but it would not be always translated to pro ball, it could be for many reasons (mental, emotional, atmosphere, etc.) c.j. henry had a great swing, i envisioned him shooting line drives in major leagues but he didn't work out. picks are to be risky and even with there's a failure like henry where stuff didn't work out, there are cases where it worked out like, joba chamberlain. of course, there have been questionable aspects on how yankees handled him (and i'm sure there were thoughts that they had behind that were actually legitimate but again, stuff always don't work out and people end up blaming the prime motive to be 'flawed' and ignore the main legitimate reason why it felt like a good move) but joba pick, which was thought to be the 'safe' pick in the board, ended up being a big surprise. player development is crapshoot and even with each pick, they would think their best. few boarders' opinion on how they think they are better than actual scouts, executives, etc. who have much more insight into the subject is flawed. they may sight few references that would make them sound smart to others, but professionals in the actual club, are professionals for a reason and they are working there for reason.

[Hughes2.50]

I think a LOT of people on this site need to read PP's interview with Scouting Director Oppenheimer that took place before the draft.

Once you read the interview, a lot of things become clearer.

Last year the Red Sox selected a CF in round one - Feuntes (1.134 mill bonus) and signed free agent shortstop Jose Iglesias (6.25 mill bonus), in three years I think the Yankees will have been shown to get better value for their money with Heathcott (2.2 mill bonus) and Culver (1.00 mill bonus).

[kan_t]

One of the most troubling things I heard was from the BA guys on the MLB Net telecast, who said something about Culver's effort being called into question.

Has anyone seen anything that either confirms or refutes this notion?

Some observers may have questioned Culver's effort levels at times, but his story is unlike many that will be told on Draft day. Culver has endured hardships away from the field in his young life -- his father, Christopher Culver, Sr., will receive word of Culver's selection by the Yankees from behind bars.

Culver's father is scheduled to be imprisoned for at least six more years after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree burglary and third-degree arson, related to burning down the family's Rochester home on Easter Sunday 2008. Culver has said that he still looks to his father as a motivational force.

"I know that people think it's perfect now because of the success with baseball," Culver told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle last month. "If people knew how much my father was involved with me playing baseball, they would know it's not an ideal situation. He shared the dream with me. He pushed me to give my all, all of the time. I really do appreciate him doing that."

"He's obviously a very strong person," Culver's mother, Gladys Lopez, told the newspaper. "His love for baseball has dominated the feeling of anything terrible that has happened to him. He's told me that it is his sanctuary, where he feels the safest."
Culver's high school coach, Tim Mabb, told Rochester Your News Now that Culver finds release on the ballfield and "always has a smile on his face."
"He's actually taken a negative and he's turned it into a positive," Mabb said. "I can't commend him any more than what he's done. He's just a tremendous player, but he's a better kid than he is a player."

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Looks like Slade Heathcott's last year "makeup" question. The Yankees scouts did their work to find out that it's a non-issue

[NYCrusader]

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/06/08/m...x-big-winners/

The New York Yankees had a player they really wanted, regardless of where he was in the draft, and that was Cito Culver, who they picked 32nd overall. It's easy to bash, but teams have a solid feel for signability players who will be available further down the line. Culver was evaluated high on their board and got stellar grades from the MLB Scouting Bureau this spring, grades that could have pushed him into the top 25. This is an example of a club not worrying about public perception and taking the guy scouts evaluated as being best for the organization.

[NYDCYankee]

Last year the Red Sox selected a CF in round one - Feuntes (1.134 mill bonus) and signed free agent shortstop Jose Iglesias (6.25 mill bonus), in three years I think the Yankees will have been shown to get better value for their money with Heathcott (2.2 mill bonus) and Culver (1.00 mill bonus).

Why are you randomly selecting Jose Iglesias?

Why don't you compare what both teams did in the the first rounds the past two years instead?

(That is aside from the absolute haul Boston pulled off in the supplemental this year.)

[teknetic]

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Looks like Slade Heathcott's last year "makeup" question. The Yankees scouts did their work to find out that it's a non-issue

The scouts did their work, I'll be damned.

[root786]

Why are you randomly selecting Jose Iglesias?

Why don't you compare what both teams did in the the first rounds the past two years instead?

(That is aside from the absolute haul Boston pulled off in the supplemental this year.)

He is probably using the recent top acquisitions at the CF and SS positions

[Jason2237]

This is from a guy who knows Chris Culver, who umpired his games on lohud.

Before I post it, I also want to say, the Yankees scouted this player, and knew him as well as anyone, and they believed he would not be available for their second selection. This was proven correct when after the pick, they were told by another team, that yes, they were going to select him before the Yankees 82 pick.


Here is what Mark wrote.

1. I’m from the area .. i ump and ref hoops .. been umping him since he was 11 years old …. got to know him over the years from both sports ….
   no clue hows good hes going to be .. none .. hes 17 .. what i do know ..
   - he has a great work ethic .. kid works his but off and truely loves the game .. u can put that fear to rest .. no clue where that came from .. but i have seen it with my own eyes and am very good friends with one of his coaches who would not BS me and the kid has a great work ethic .. BANK IT ..
   - his tude his fine .. nice respectful kid who was raised to say please and thanks .. u guys can read what U want in the papers .. as usual that will only tell u part of the story .. I have witnessed it first hand and know coaches and players that have verified this ..
   - his defensive skill set is as good as i have seen … range is awesome .. soft, soft hands .. i was STUNNED when I heard that maryland was talking about him as a CFer .. he would be a fine one as he has great speed .. but what a waste of talent …
   now some may question what i have seen .. well i have umped the cape cod league .. and I saw the best of the best there .. and defensively even a soph in hs C (thats what he goes by .. C .. ) was right there with them …
   - hitting .. he has great bat speed .. he gets the bat through thte zone with violence … he has a frame that will fill in .. hes a skinny, thin kid … remember he is a KID …
   he may end up a “singles” hitter .. no clue .. he will DEVELOP AS he grows and matures and gets in the wieght room .. but if he does end up a singles hitter but ends up an above average SS .. is that such a bad thing??
   like i said .. no clue how hes going to turn out .. but two things i know for sure .. work ethic or tude are NOT ISSUES AT ALL and who ever is reporting it .. did not do there jobs even remotely close to competently ..
   i HATE the Yankees .. but i will root for C … cause hes a good kid ..
   Oh .. and u guys will have no probs signing him .. his whole thing was he would go to maryland if he wasn’t drafted high enough .. well I’m pretty sure the first round, especially by the Yanks .. is high enough .. so those with the dream of him not being signable … *LOL* cause thats just not gonna happen ..
   See Ya

[Yankees1962]

One of the most troubling things I heard was from the BA guys on the MLB Net telecast, who said something about Culver's effort being called into question.

Has anyone seen anything that either confirms or refutes this notion?

Yankee personnel has told Patrick Teale or Lane Meyer that is BS.

[Yankees1962]

As a Yankee fan, I am disappointed in this pick. Part of it is my ignorance when it comes to Culver and his playing ability and another part of it is the other more known players that they could've chosen with this pick, but decided not to. I'm usually a positive person in regard to how the Yankees are run, but right now, I'm not so sure what's going on here. I really hope Oppenheimer and his guys are right about this pick, but right now I must admit that I'm a little down and can only hope that future talk about this prospect changes my current perspective of him and moreso this pick and who they could've drafted with that pick.

[oneill96]

My thoughts on the Yankees scouting methods: You might as well take a reach on a pick at 32 because your not going to get a A level prospect. Better to pick someone like Culver who will probably be gone when you draft again.

[NYDCYankee]

This is from a guy who knows Chris Culver, who umpired his games on lohud.

Before I post it, I also want to say, the Yankees scouted this player, and knew him as well as anyone, and they believed he would not be available for their second selection. This was proven correct when after the pick, they were told by another team, that yes, they were going to select him before the Yankees 82 pick.


Here is what Mark wrote.

1. I’m from the area .. i ump and ref hoops .. been umping him since he was 11 years old …. got to know him over the years from both sports ….
   no clue hows good hes going to be .. none .. hes 17 .. what i do know ..
   - he has a great work ethic .. kid works his but off and truely loves the game .. u can put that fear to rest .. no clue where that came from .. but i have seen it with my own eyes and am very good friends with one of his coaches who would not BS me and the kid has a great work ethic .. BANK IT ..
   - his tude his fine .. nice respectful kid who was raised to say please and thanks .. u guys can read what U want in the papers .. as usual that will only tell u part of the story .. I have witnessed it first hand and know coaches and players that have verified this ..
   - his defensive skill set is as good as i have seen … range is awesome .. soft, soft hands .. i was STUNNED when I heard that maryland was talking about him as a CFer .. he would be a fine one as he has great speed .. but what a waste of talent …
   now some may question what i have seen .. well i have umped the cape cod league .. and I saw the best of the best there .. and defensively even a soph in hs C (thats what he goes by .. C .. ) was right there with them …
   - hitting .. he has great bat speed .. he gets the bat through thte zone with violence … he has a frame that will fill in .. hes a skinny, thin kid … remember he is a KID …
   he may end up a “singles” hitter .. no clue .. he will DEVELOP AS he grows and matures and gets in the wieght room .. but if he does end up a singles hitter but ends up an above average SS .. is that such a bad thing??
   like i said .. no clue how hes going to turn out .. but two things i know for sure .. work ethic or tude are NOT ISSUES AT ALL and who ever is reporting it .. did not do there jobs even remotely close to competently ..
   i HATE the Yankees .. but i will root for C … cause hes a good kid ..
   Oh .. and u guys will have no probs signing him .. his whole thing was he would go to maryland if he wasn’t drafted high enough .. well I’m pretty sure the first round, especially by the Yanks .. is high enough .. so those with the dream of him not being signable … *LOL* cause thats just not gonna happen ..
   See Ya

That looks like it was written by a 3rd grader.

[b_joseph]

Like Rafa Nadal with the left handed for this and right handed for that situation.

[Tehasguard]

Hope the kid becomes a solid player...

[dpbddd99]

I still do not like this choice. Article from Rochester paper.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...SFRONTCAROUSEL

[kan_t]

I actually like this pick more than the Brackman pick.

[DWells4prez]

http://yankees.scout.com/2/975638.html

Interview with Cito.

[gold23]

So they picked a great athlete at a premium position, who has a body to grow into and that is apparently very springy.....

This draft is not super-talent heavy, and the Yanks have taken a lot of risk in prior years with health projects or very high risk players. I don't mind getting a kid a round early if you didn't LOVE anyone else out there. The guys they were going to be able to take...the "names", if you will...would've been very expensive. If they didn't believe they were potential impact guys, why not take the kid you targeted...even if a little early?

We'll see how this works out in four to five years....until then, can't really judge.

[Brick Tamland]

Not that I know anything about anything about the 1st year player draft but I am pretty disappointed in this pick.

All I'd heard leading up to the draft is how thin the positional talent was and that teams would take guys ahead of where they normally would due to the fact that there was a lot more pitching depth. Picking 32nd in the first round after a slew of positional talent has come off the board, this seemed like a reach to me. Why not take a top 15-20 P with the pick and exploit the fact that other teams are trying to scoop up hitters with high picks due to a lack of depth?

From what little I've read he seems like a good kid and very athletic but I'd much rather have seen them take a chance on a guy like Ranaudo who slipped quite a bit.

All that said, I know less than nothing and you've gotta trust the Yankees scouting department. Hopefully this kid will make it up in a few years.

[gold23]

Not that I know anything about anything about the 1st year player draft but I am pretty disappointed in this pick.

All I'd heard leading up to the draft is how thin the positional talent was and that teams would take guys ahead of where they normally would due to the fact that there was a lot more pitching depth. Picking 32nd in the first round after a slew of positional talent has come off the board, this seemed like a reach to me. Why not take a top 15-20 P with the pick and exploit the fact that other teams are trying to scoop up hitters with high picks due to a lack of depth?

From what little I've read he seems like a good kid and very athletic but I'd much rather have seen them take a chance on a guy like Ranaudo who slipped quite a bit.

All that said, I know less than nothing and you've gotta trust the Yankees scouting department. Hopefully this kid will make it up in a few years.

They took Renaudo already...his name was Brackman. I don't think you can keep taking talented and hard throwing guys with injury issues if you only have one pick near the top. Great pick by the Sox, because they can afford to do so. Injury issues and horrible performance- combined with a huge payday request- is as high a risk as you can find. I have no issue with them passing on him.

I've seen people writing CJ Henry and stuff....but what about guys like Austin Jackson? Very athletic, projectable guys ARE of risk. But wouldn't you prefer that risk to taking guys who are most likely to be relief pitchers or marginal players? You have star ability at the top of most drafts, and then it's a crapshoot. The Yanks can always fill...they don't need to take guys who project in their minds as fourth starters or capable players. They should take guys with very high upside....shoot for the moon...if you fail on 95% but end up with a few star players every few years, the money at the ML club can offset not getting the mid-level guys.

[mbn007]

They took Renaudo already...his name was Brackman. I don't think you can keep taking talented and hard throwing guys with injury issues if you only have one pick near the top. Great pick by the Sox, because they can afford to do so. Injury issues and horrible performance- combined with a huge payday request- is as high a risk as you can find. I have no issue with them passing on him.

I've seen people writing CJ Henry and stuff....but what about guys like Austin Jackson? Very athletic, projectable guys ARE of risk. But wouldn't you prefer that risk to taking guys who are most likely to be relief pitchers or marginal players? You have star ability at the top of most drafts, and then it's a crapshoot. The Yanks can always fill...they don't need to take guys who project in their minds as fourth starters or capable players. They should take guys with very high upside....shoot for the moon...if you fail on 95% but end up with a few star players every few years, the money at the ML club can offset not getting the mid-level guys.

Perfect response. Well done.

[ARoDfan4life]

It sounds like the make up put him over the top.

It's clear the Yankees prbly think he's one of 4 players

A. Jeter
B. Reyes
C. Jackson
D. Gardner

signability, make up, speed, local kid, cold weather player... I'll say this, most of Opp's picks have reached the ML and that's the important thing, the kid isn't Mike Stanton or Jason Heyward...but maybe they did thier homework on him.

[Gusto]

That looks like it was written by a 3rd grader.

Ugh ... the guy has been on the field with our #1 pick multiple times (you know, the guy we are all scrambling to find out more about). He knows his coach well and has seen him play. He takes the time to post for our benefit, despite not being a Yankee fan ... and you bash him for using text shorthand in his post?

"Thank you for sharing your unique insight" would have been more appropriate.

[NYDCYankee]

Ugh ... the guy has been on the field with our #1 pick multiple times (you know, the guy we are all scrambling to find out more about). He knows his coach well and has seen him play. He takes the time to post for our benefit, despite not being a Yankee fan ... and you bash him for using text shorthand in his post?

"Thank you for sharing your unique insight" would have been more appropriate.

The poster didn't write that. It's from lohud.

[THEBOSS84]

The Yanks must have been so comfortable the last few months, knowing that their first round target was a lock to get to them.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

The Yanks must have been so comfortable the last few months, knowing that their first round target was a lock to get to them.

They've been using the time to figure out how to get you near him for a crappy cell phone picture

[THEBOSS84]

They've been using the time to figure out how to get you near him for a crappy cell phone picture

It worked with Slade!

Serious point - the guys who are praising the Yankees for this pick are no better than the guys bashing the Yankees for this pick.

[Gusto]

The poster didn't write that. It's from lohud.

Oops. ... but I still think its the kind of unique insight that we are all searching for ... to find out more about this kid

[Gusto]

It worked with Slade!

Serious point - the guys who are praising the Yankees for this pick are no better than the guy bashing the Yankees for this pick.

About 12 hours ago I read the pick on my phone and thought it said Oto Culver. I certainly don't know enough to have an opinion yet.

[NYDCYankee]

Oops. ... but I still think its the kind of unique insight that we are all searching for ... to find out more about this kid

Sorry, if that disappoints you. But I found it impossible to read and I actually question whether is legit, because it actually does sound like it was written by a pre-teen and not someone who has been umpiring games Culver played in for the past 7 years.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

It worked with Slade!

Serious point - the guys who are praising the Yankees for this pick are no better than the guy bashing the Yankees for this pick.

Agreed. I refuse to bash them, but I am not springing cartwheels either. In my mind, they get the benefit of the doubt; we'll see if he's Austin Jackson or Carmen Angelini in time. They took a big risk, and none of us know whether it will pay off.

Last year we picked Slade Heathcott who was the 72nd rated prospect and, according to BA:

His makeup also is a concern for several clubs, so it's uncertain where he'll fit in the draft.

Now he's a rock star. I am going to give him some time.