Keith Law ESPN Insider Article on Kyle Gaedele

valpo04 · March 14, 2011, 01:13:09 PM

I don't have Insider Access, but if anyone does, here is what Keith Law just tweeted:

QuoteNew draft blog post for Insiders - Valparaiso RF Kyle Gaedele, the grand-nephew of the famous PH Eddie Gaedel: http://klaw.me/eoWQ6D

Here is the excerpt that is free:

QuoteMost fans of baseball history are aware of the story of Eddie Gaedel, the only little person to appear in a major league game. At 3-foot-7, Gaedel was the subject of a publicity stunt by baseball's master of publicity stunts, Bill Veeck, who was then the owner of the sad-sack St. Louis Browns. Gaedel pinch-hit in the first inning of the back end of a doubleheader, drew a walk on four pitches -- the pitcher, Bob Cain, apparently laughing too hard to throw a strike -- and was removed for a pinch-runner. The next day, American League president Will Harridge voided Gaedel's contract, although by that point Veeck had already achieved his objective.

agibson · March 14, 2011, 03:04:27 PM

I do know the story.

Can I assume that the grand-nephew is not, himself, a little person?

vu72 · March 14, 2011, 05:39:15 PM

no, he isn't little at all. I don't know his exact size but his interview on the Valpo sports site (lower area with video) indicates that his coach expects him to be a first or second round draft pick. Don't know if Valpo has ever had a first or second round pick, certainly not in many years.

bbtds · March 14, 2011, 11:58:43 PM

It's a wonder that St. Paul Saints owner Mike Veeck hasn't asked the Gaedeles to make an appearance in Minnesota yet.

Story about Mike Veeck in Inc. Magazine
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20050401/how-i-did-it.html

This nut didn't fall far from the tree. Veeck's father, Bill, spent about 40 years tweaking Major League Baseball's stuffed shirts with his legendary promotions -- including sending a midget up to bat -- and bequeathed to Mike an appreciation for the absurd.

StlVUFan · March 15, 2011, 12:34:27 AM

Quote from: bbtds on March 14, 2011, 11:58:43 PM
It's a wonder that St. Paul Saints owner Mike Veeck hasn't asked the Gaedeles to make an appearance in Minnesota yet.

Story about Mike Veeck in Inc. Magazine
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20050401/how-i-did-it.html

This nut didn't fall far from the tree. Veeck's father, Bill, spent about 40 years tweaking Major League Baseball's stuffed shirts with his legendary promotions -- including sending a midget up to bat -- and bequeathed to Mike an appreciation for the absurd.

I'll never forgive Veeck Sr for polluting Comiskey Park with a promotion by a puny man named Steve Dahl (and I detest disco with every fiber of my being).

valpotx · March 15, 2011, 07:15:25 PM

He is a very good player, but I doubt that he would go in the first or second rounds. I would say that a good bet would be at most in the 'teen rounds, which is still very very good! As a coach, he is always going to say something higher than expected.

mj · March 15, 2011, 07:31:01 PM

I've seen him listed in Top 150 draft prospects for this year. I'm guessing he goes somewhere in the first 10 rounds.

hckjag · May 01, 2011, 12:30:25 AM

Gaedele has dropped a bit in batting average this year but all his other stats have been great so far, though he may not reach the same numbers as last year (he'll need a strong final stretch). He has a good K:BB ratio going and has continued with the speed already notching more steals this year. Hopefully he is drafted somewhere he can get a good opportunity to prove himself.

valpotx · May 03, 2011, 01:57:37 AM

He is definitely impressing me more and more with each game, though his avg is not as high as last year. I look forward to good things from him over the next few weeks and in his pro career

valpo84 · June 05, 2011, 11:10:04 PM

Gaedele story makes Chicago Tribune.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/cbsports-valpos-gaedele-hoping-baseball-career-no-short-stint-20110605,0,3337770.story

sectionee · June 06, 2011, 06:27:36 AM

It is going to be a great day for Kyle. Congratulations to him!

IndyValpo · June 06, 2011, 09:16:05 AM

Also makes the Indianapolis Star

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110606/SPORTS/106060342/Valpo-s-Gaedele-should-go-high?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|IndyStar.com|s

covufan · June 06, 2011, 02:53:29 PM

Congrats to Kyle, and best wishes in his future.

Is there a list of former Valpo players that have made the big leagues? Was McClendon (senior) the last Valpo player in the bigs?

sectionee · June 06, 2011, 03:06:04 PM

Quote from: covufan on June 06, 2011, 02:53:29 PM
Congrats to Kyle, and best wishes in his future.

Is there a list of former Valpo players that have made the big leagues? Was McClendon (senior) the last Valpo player in the bigs?

Ask and you shall receive, http://www.thebaseballnexus.com/college/valpo Sadly, it is not a very impressive list....yet.

agibson · June 07, 2011, 04:44:45 AM

Kyle didn't go one the first day - no surprise, just 60 names in the first and "supplemental first" rounds. He should go today, with rounds 2-30. Things wrap up Wednesday - there are apparently 60 rounds to this business!

PatVU07 · June 07, 2011, 10:55:50 AM

The MLB Draft basically goes on forever until all of the clubs pass on making a selection.

valpotx · June 07, 2011, 12:12:21 PM

I imagine you are being facetious :-), but the draft has 50 rounds each year. It used to be where it went 60-70+ rounds, but they changed that several years back. Mike Piazza was one of the more well-known really late picks in the 62nd round, basically as a favor too.

valporun · June 07, 2011, 01:58:41 PM

Kyle was just selected in the 6th round by San Diego, with pick number 203.

agibson · June 07, 2011, 02:04:21 PM

A bit of a snub? No chance he stays at Valpo though, I guess.

It sounded like San Diego pronounced Valparaiso correctly, while the MLB guy pronounced it Valpa-rye-so.

Best of luck to him!

Any idea what sort of contract a guy in the 6th round is likely to take home?

valpo04 · June 07, 2011, 02:09:27 PM

Baseball America tweet:

#Padres 6th rd: Valparaiso OF Kyle Gaedele. Big lg body & plenty of tools, some ? on bat so slid a little. Related to Eddie.

mj · June 07, 2011, 02:17:14 PM

Last year MLB recommended a bonus of no higher than $150K for picks after the 5th round. Of course teams can go above that if they want.

The good news is that Fort Wayne is the Padres low A affiliate. So he might be starting his career close to home.

valporun · June 07, 2011, 02:18:29 PM

I'm not sure about the contract, but based on the round he was drafted into, he could immediately start his career in Fort Wayne with the TinCaps, or Lake Elsinore, so mid-to-upper level A ball for Kyle.

valpotx · June 07, 2011, 03:22:16 PM

Congrats to Kyle, and I hope that he makes it to the bigs someday! I am sure that the tweet on his bat being a ? is due to his high strikeout percentage, but I am sure he will work through that.

My HS teammate that was drafted in the 13th round out of UT received a $70k bonus back in 2002 after their championship season. Anyone else that I played with or against was usually taken before the 5th round ($100k's), or after the 15th ($30k-$40k), so I can't give more specific to 6th round unfortunately.

covufan · June 07, 2011, 05:46:48 PM

Good luck to Kyle, wherever he lands. My guess would be Rookie league, or the short season A Ball league in Eugene.

On another note, Shafer, who was drafted by the Cubs last year, is playing at Peoria, and doing well ERA-wise.

vuweathernerd · June 07, 2011, 06:48:20 PM

Quote from: covufan on June 07, 2011, 05:46:48 PM
Good luck to Kyle, wherever he lands. My guess would be Rookie league, or the short season A Ball league in Eugene.

On another note, Shafer, who was drafted by the Cubs last year, is playing at Peoria, and doing well ERA-wise.

get him to the majors, asap! maybe he can give the cubs a boost... j/k - i don't know if that's possible.

Keith Law ESPN Insider Article on Kyle Gaedele

bbtds

sectionee

sectionee