Baseball Beginnings

John Klima | June 11, 2009

In scouting lingo, you either “like” a guy or you “love” a guy. A guy you “like” is a good player who you think is a prospect, but not a definite to play in the big leagues. A guy you “love” is one you feel is a definite major league everyday player. A scout “loves” those guys because they are as hard to find as a dry field in the winter.

Longtime Houston Astros territory scout Doug Deutsch loved Jiovanni Mier, the Bonita HS shortstop who was his organization’s first-round pick in 2009. Deutch, as the organization’s local point man on the player, saw and studied him diligently.

“The thing that attracted me was the ease with which he plays shortstop,” Deutsch said. “He seemed to have an instinct for the ball. He has what we call excellent athletic actions. The ball seems to find the center of his glove a lot. He has a short arm stroke with an above-average arm. He is an average runner, but his speed plays up. His frame should be able to carry more weight. He has above-average bat speed in my opinion. I believe he will have some power as he develops. I think he will be a very good ballplayer for our ballpark.”

Deutsch loves Mier’s character. One of Deustch’s influences as a scout was Jesse Flores Sr., a former major league pitcher and longtime pre-expansion Pacific Coast League knuckleball pitcher who twice won 20 games as a professional, including a 21-10, 3.03 season for San Diego in 1949. Flores believed in watching how a player interacted with other players, especially as a shortstop. Deutsch, whose major league alumni have included Morgan Ensberg, Jason Lane and John Buck, said he loves the way Mier takes charge.

“A shortstop is basically the quarterback of the baseball team,” Deutsch said. “(Mier) will jump on somebody if it needs to be said. He is a very solid individual whose character is off the charts. He has a form of quiet leadership.”

Mier draws comparisons to Nomar Garciaparra. Garciaparra was a skinny Southern California shortstop who, like Mier, played a decade of youth soccer, which helped him develop his footwork.

This helps Mier’s athletic body control, one reason why many observers believe Mier can stay at shortstop. Deutsch notes that Mier controls his body direction and movement on double-play pivots, keeping his weight in front of him while he throws without his inertia taking him toward center field. Offensively, Deutsch believes Mier will fill out and add the ability to drive the ball. Don’t expect a power hitter, but Deutsch believes he will be a good offensive player for Minute Maid Park. 

Deutsch said Garciaparra was probably a full-grade better as a runner at the same age, but likened the physical stature and power potential to Garciaparra. In 1991, the Brewers drafted Garciaparra out of Bellflower HS, but he elected to attend Georgia Tech, where he was the 12^th player selected in the 1994 draft.

Mier will have to choose between signing as a first-round pick and replacing another first-round pick, Grant Green, at USC.

Be sure to read more about Mier right here at Baseball Beginnings. Follow the links below to read a Q&A, scouting report and watch video.

Read Jiovanni Mier Q&A
Read Jiovanni Mier Scouting report
Watch Jiovanni Mier Scouting video
Jiovanni Mier Drafted by the Astros

Category: 2009 Draft | No Comments »
Tags: Grant Green, Houston Astros, Jiovanni Mier, USC

John Klima | June 9, 2009

Today, the Houston Astros drafted Jiovanni Mier with the 21st overall pick in the draft. Follow the links below for Baseball Beginnings content on Mier.

 

Read Jiovanni Mier Q&A
Read Jiovanni Mier Scouting report
Watch Jiovanni Mier Scouting video
Why the Astros Loved #1 pick Jiovanni Mier

Category: 2009 Draft | No Comments »
Tags: Houston Astros, Jiovanni Mier

John Klima | May 29, 2009

 

Right-hander Matt Hobgood’s final high school start before the 2009 MLB draft wasn’t the conclusion that the Norco (Calif.) pitcher and probable first-round pick envisioned. On the other hand, when a bad day constitutes reaching 95 mph and throwing the occasional hard 12-6 curveball at 75 for strikes, the game may be lost but the prospect status is not.

 

(more…)

Category: 2009 Draft, 2010 Draft | No Comments »
Tags: Aaron Northcraft, Cory Hahn, Jake Marisnick, Jiovanni Mier, Matt Hobgood

John Klima | May 25, 2009

Trayce Thompson has basketball genes but baseball in his blood. His Dad, Mychal, was Mr. 1/1 (First pick, First round) of the 1978 NBA draft and enjoyed a long and productive career. Two of Trayce’s older brothers are Division I college basketball players. And even though Trayce grew up with Clyde Drexler coming over from a few doors down to try to get Mycheal off the couch and go to the gym with him, he still had baseball in his mind when he was out shooting with another friendly visitor, Uncle Chuck Barkley.

Here at Baseball Beginnings, we like guys who have played multiple sports prior to signing. It’s really a sentiment from Old World scouting, where the belief was that no sport requires more fine motor skills than baseball. So if you take a guy who knows how to move his feet and his hands, you got yourself an athlete. It worked for Goose Tatum, a stud member of the old Harlem Globetrotters and a pretty good baseball player in his own right.

Some of the baseball players with other sports in their pasts who we’ve covered leading up to the 2009 draft are Bonita HS shortstop Jiovanni Mier, a soccer player, and Loyola Marymount first baseman Ryan Wheeler, who used to play basketball with North Carolina’s Deon Thompson in high school. Willie Mays played everything in high school, so did Reggie Jackson. Gary Carter was a prep quarterback. John Elway, you know his deal.

In the showcase and specialization age, the multi-sport baseball player is largely a thing of the past, but a player like Thompson shows why different athletic experiences before going into baseball fulltime still has its advantages. That’s the view here, which probably runs contrary to a lot of opinions in the amateur baseball field.

At this time last year, Thompson said he was just trying to get a Division I school to take him, but athleticism helps a player come quickly into baseball. His ride is at UCLA, but signs indicate that the draft will never let him get there. Baseball Beginnings caught up with Thompson and talked about his basketball past and his baseball future.

(more…)

Category: '09 Meet the Player | 2 Comments »
Tags: Chad Thompson, Jiovanni Mier, Matt Hobgood, Mychal Thompson, Ryan Wheeler, Trayce Thompson, Tyler Matzek, UCLA

John Klima | May 15, 2009

 

Jiovanni Mier
SS, Bonita HS (La Verne, Calif.) 2009 Draft
B/T: R/R
6-3, 185
Games seen: 1, Innings: 8

  (more…)

Category: '09 Scouting Reports | No Comments »
Tags: Jiovanni Mier

John Klima | May 12, 2009

As smooth as they come defensively at the high school level. An above-average defender, soft hands, above-average athletic actions, good footwork and a quick release. Learning how to consistently maintain the same hitting approach, by his own description. His scouting report will be published later this week.

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Read Jiovanni Mier Q&A
Read Jiovanni Mier Scouting report
Jiovanni Mier Drafted by the Astros
Why the Astros Loved #1 pick Jiovanni Mier

Category: '09 Videos | No Comments »
Tags: Jiovanni Mier

John Klima | May 11, 2009

Most of your high school or college shortstops can’t stay at shortstop after they sign on that dotted line, but Mier will. That is why he is coveted in the 2009 draft and will find himself drafted in a good spot.

What Mier doesn’t want is the good-field, no-hit tag. It’s something that he doesn’t feel is accurate, but also concedes that he is a work in progress offensively.

He’s got help from his two older brothers, especially Jessie Mier, a 24-year old minor league catcher in the Dodgers organization. Jessie, who was a 12^th round pick from Lewis & Clark in the 2007 draft and also noted for his defense, is playing close to home this season.

Playing for the Dodgers Class A Cal League Club in Inland Empire means Jessie can bring Jiovanni to work with him. That has allowed Jiovanni to work with older players and go through the pro routine with a wood bat.

It’s a path he expects to follow. Baseball Beginnings caught up with the Bonita HS (La Verne, Calif.) product and USC recruit, who may or may not be Grant Green’s replacement in 2010. (more…)

Category: '09 Meet the Player | No Comments »
Tags: Grant Green, Jessie Mier, Jiovanni Mier, Los Angeles Dodgers, USC

John Klima | April 19, 2009

TWOBB is an artful and humorous rip-off of the old TWIB slogan, or this week in baseball.

This is going to be a busy week at BB World HQ. We’re going to roll out some of the college players we’ve accumulated this season while hitting the road to cover some players that are going to be on this site before the draft.

Last week, while Grant Green was doing his thing, I drove out to Yucaipa to see Matt Davidson hit. This week is highlighted by Thursday’s Riverside Poly visit to Norco which will again feature Norco right-handed pitcher Matt Hobgood against toolsy outfielder Jake Marisnick. Both Hobgood and Marisnick will have video and additional content on the site in the coming days. We’re also planning on getting out to see shortstop Jiovanni Mier and hopefully to catch UC Riverside RHP Joe Kelly.

We have plans to get additional Tyler Skaggs material, because his pre-draft interest is soaring. Other players that are coming to the site include Loyola Marymount’s lefty-lefty duo of Angelo Songco and Ryan Wheeler. One other player we have video of but need to get caught up on is Newbury Park infielder Jack Marder, who might be the best pure high school hitter this year.

It’s been a pretty good first month around these parts. We thank you for coming by and hope you’ll keep coming back.

Category: 2009 Draft | No Comments »
Tags: Angelo Songco, Grant Green, Jack Marder, Jake Marisnick, Jiovanni Mier, Joe Kelly, LMU, Matt Davidson, Matt Hobgood, Ryan Wheeler, Tyler Skaggs, UC Riverside, USC

John Klima | March 20, 2009

Bryan Berglund, Right-handed pitcher (6-4, 190)
Royal High School (Simi Valley, California)
(2009 Draft Class)

The Simi Valley area, just north of Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley, has a long reputation of producing quality major league prospects, especially starting pitchers. Over the years, major league starters, most notably brothers Jeff Weaver and Jered Weaver, have made their marks in the majors. Other future major league pitchers to come through Simi Valley include former Detroit Tigers left-hander Eric King and former relief pitcher Scott Radinsky.

At Royal High in Simi Valley, right-hander Bryan Berglund is poised to continue that tradition. The hard-throwing right-hander, who arrived in Simi Valley from Sweden at age 11, spent his formative amateur years playing year-round in hotly competitive Southern California. He’s near the end of that road, however, and as we zero in on the June 2009 draft, Berglund might just pitch his way into the first round. Baseball Beginnings caught up with Berglund for this exclusive Q&A. (more…)

Category: '09 Meet the Player | 1 Comment »
Tags: Bryan Berglund, Eric King, Jacob Marisnick, Jeff Weaver, Jered Weaver, Jiovanni Mier, Matt Davidson, Scott Radinsky