A welcome home gift for Big Red

The Philly Daily News hit another home run with their front and back pages covering the Eagles loss to Big Red and the Chiefs.

Prospects Plus: Futures Game

For prospects fans like myself the Futures Game during All Star weekend is always a big treat. Here are a couple of notes from the game:

• Reds Prospect Billy Hamilton is going to have to move to outfield. He is a terrible infielder.
• Every time I see Profar I keep seeing a superstar and wonder what the Rangers are going to do with him.
• Dylan Bundy fastball is not hit able, you just wonder how long the Orioles are going to be able to keep him in the minors.
• Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker might be the most athletic pitcher that I have ever seen. Easy delivery and big time velocity. Its going to take a couple of years, but the finished product is going to out of this world. 
• Phillies fans are going to complain about giving up Gose and Singleton but just remember what came back in those deals and the World Series that was won. 
• Tigers prospect Nick Castellanos, who took home the games MVP award, might be the best hitting prospect in the minors. Sweet swings, he looks like he is going to hit for power. The questions because what do the Tigers do with him. He is blocked at both third and first base. Could they include him in a deal for Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels. Castellanos could be in the majors by the end of next season or the end of the 2013 season. 
• The Royals fan showed how much this event has grown in the last decade. Amazing job selling out the place for the game. Royals fans understand how important a good farm system is.

OTWT MLB Mock Draft

For the second year in a row the OTWT Scouting Staff has been locked up going over the top prospect in the MLB Draft. Here is our mock draft for the opening round of the Rule 4 Draft. First round:


1. Houston Astros: Byron Buxton, OF, Georgia HS

2. Minnesota Twins: Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford
3. Seattle Mariners:Kyle Zimmerman, RHP, San Francisco
4. Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU
5. Kansas City Royals: Mike Zunino, C, Florida




6. Chicago Cubs: Albert Almora, OF, Texas High School
7. San Diego Padres: Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke
8. Pittsburgh Pirates: Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico
9. Miami Marlins: David Dahl, OF, Oklahoma HS
10. Colorado Rockies: Micheal Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M
11. Oakland Athletics: Max Fried, LHP, California High School
12. New York Mets: Devin Marrero, SS, Arizona State
13. Chicago White Sox: Andrew Heaney, LHP, Oklahoma State
14. Cincinnati Reds: Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State
15. Cleveland Indians: Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson
16. Washington Nationals: Lucas Giolito, RHP, California HS
17. Toronto Blue Jays: Courtney Hawkins, OF, Texas HS





18. Los Angeles Dodgers: Gavin Cecchini, SS, Lousianna HS
19. St. Louis Cardinals (A. Pujols – LAA): Lance McCullers Jr, RHP, Florida HS
20. San Francisco Giants: Nick Travieso, RHP, Florida HS
21. Atlanta Braves: DJ Davis, OF, Mississippi HS
22. Toronto Blue Jays (T. Beede – unsigned): Ty Hensley, RHP, Oklahoma HS
23. St. Louis Cardinals: Victor Roache, OF, Georgia Southern
24. Boston Red Sox: J.O. Berrios, RHP, Puerto Rico
25. Tampa Bay Rays: Matt Smoral, LHP, Ohio HS
26. Arizona Diamondbacks:Corey Seager, 3B, North Carolina HS
27. Milwaukee Brewers (P. Fielder – DET): Addison Russell, SS, Florida HS
28. Milwaukee Brewers: Stephen Piscotty, 3B, Stanford
29. Texas Rangers:Lucas Sims, RHP, Georgia HS
30. New York Yankees: Stryker Trahan, C, Lousianna HS





31. Boston Red Sox (J. Papelbon – PHI):Tyler Naquin, OF, Texas A&M

Giving Everything a Try

In college you are supposed to give everything a try and Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden is sure trying that. After being a standout on the grid iron this year, Weeden is trying something else. The Oklahoma St. quarterback is walking on to golf team, yes that would be the national ranked Cowboy's golf team. After announcing that hey was returning to QB the cowboys next season Weeden tweeted the following:

“I forgot to mention I'm also the newest member of the OSU golf team!!!! Proud to be part of something special! Football and Golf!!!!”, according to a fox sports story

Weeden is no stranger to trying different things, baseball was his first love. Weeden was drafted in the second round of the baseball draft in 2002 by the Yankees as their first selection in the draft. After the 2003 season, he was traded to the Dodgers as part of the Kevin Brown deal he was selected in the Rule 5 draft following the 2005 season by the Royals His baseball career ended due to an arm injury and then he turned to football.

In high school, Weeden led Edmond Santa Fe High School to an appearance in the state semifinals in the school's first-ever playoff appearance, where he was eventually named team MVP and offensive player of the year. He finished second in Oklahoma in passing yards with 2,863. He also contributed 29 touchdowns. After leaving baseball, enrolled at OSU to baseball.

At this rate, Weeden will be trying out as a point guard for the Cowboys basketball team in the next couple of weeks.

Now this is a NFL Crowd

Jags fans showed in mass on Sunday as they played the Chiefs. Only 45,546 showed up to watch the home team. This year the teams has not drawn more then 50,000 to any game and the way it looks it might be a long time before they do.

Professional Tailgating: All of this for a backup QB

The OTWT Tailgating Crew head to the Linc to take in the Eagles Chiefs game or as it will be know as the Mike Vick game. The Eagles won comfortably but the fun of the day was season debut of Mike Vick, ya the back up quarterback.

A gang of 10 people protested stood outside of the Linc

An OTWT friend posses for a photo with the group

One of the many Vick Eagles jerseys at the Linc

Vick warms up before the game
A new take on a Mike Vick Falcon's jersey
Oh by the way the seats were great and the eagles played really well without McNabb, Westbrook, and Curtis. It was like the 2011 version of the bird with Kolb, DJ and Shady McCoy

Professional Tailgating: Men with guns

The OTWT Scouting Department made another trip to the see the Lakewood BlueClaws this week and boy where there a lot of the men with radar guns at the game.

Scouts looking for a trading partner for the upcoming trading deadline. OTWT Scouting Department noticed scouts from Brewers, Royals and Rockies checking out the action. Could a deal for Gil Meche be in the cards.

A moment of silence for former SAL President John Henry Moss, who recently passed.
Despite not having a radar gun, the OTWT Scouting Department still had scout type seats.
The BlueClaws Ground crew does a great job getting the tarp on the field

Rain delay can only mean one thing, watching another game on the big screen.

Over the next couple of days I will break down the prospects from Lakewood that could be moved as the deadline moves closer.

Top Picks Madden Style

The picks have been made, they have been introduced, and now its time to see what they look like in the new Madden Video Game. Here are a couple of the top picks:

Matt Stafford: Lions

Jason Smith: Rams

Aaron Curry: Seahawks

Tyson Jackson: Chiefs

More will be coming over the next couple of weeks.