Scouting A Baseball Stadium – Fenway Park

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Recently during my trip to SaberSeminar 2015, I was afforded the opportunity to attend a Boston Red Sox home game at historic Fenway Park. Built in 1912 Fenway Park is the oldest major league baseball stadium and has reached iconic status as hallowed ground for any baseball fan.

This was my 5th game at the legendary stadium, which gives me enough experience to properly evaluate Fenway Park and the overall fan experience. Rather than using the five traditional scouting tools, I have broken down the stadium into five categories, namely Accessibility, Aesthetics, Affordability, Concessions and Fan Experience.

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Accessibility – 2.5 out of 4 Radar Guns

This is easily the biggest weakness of the stadium, as the fact that it was built over 100 years ago in the middle of a major city makes this location extremely inconvenient. Parking is limited and expensive, though many people arrive early and partake in the atmosphere around the stadium which helps with traffic congestion. Also, the T goes right by the park and there are plenty of taxi cabs in the area during games to shuttle fans away from the stadium. The Red Sox do the best they can with the geographical limitations, but this is a negative to the overall experience.

Aesthetics  3.25 out of 4 Radar Guns

Certainly Fenway Park lacks the modern feel and amenities of the stadiums built in the past two decades, but the charm and grace of a place that has stood more than 100 years has a beauty all its own.  I enjoy the dark green paint and the antique feel outside the stadium on Yawkey Street, along with the cozy, comfortable feel inside the park.  Many seats also provide a beautiful view of downtown Boston as well.

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Affordability –  2.75 out of 4 Radar Guns
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Fenway Park has only 37,000+ seats and with a rabid fan base, the demand for tickets is generally stronger than the supply. Plus the city of Boston is rather expensive overall. That said, I purchased a good seat in center field about 30 rows up with spectacular views of  the city for $41 dollars: Coupled with two Harpoon IPAs and a large pretzel, I enjoyed a memorable evening in Beantown for less than $65.

Concessions3.5 out of 4 Radar Guns

Fenway suffers from the fact that the stadium was built in 1912, in an era when individuals’ expectations for food and beverages during a game was significantly lower. Like almost any stadium, it could use more concession stands and additional vendors to expedite the lines, but the quality and quantity of the food options was impressive and the prices were competitive with other stadiums.

Fan Experience –  4 out of 4 Radar Guns

This stadium just has a unique, special aura all its own. Whether it is the famous “Green Monster” in left field, “Pesky’s Pole” in right field or the playing of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” during the 7th inning stretch, the atmosphere for a game is outstanding.  Simply put I cannot envision a better in-game experience for a baseball fan!

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Overall -> 16 out of 20 Radar Guns  A-/B+

Once again I leave a game at Fenway Park with an overwhelmingly positive experience and cannot wait until I can attend yet another game at this beautiful yard.  No question there is some hassle involved getting to and from the stadium, but very few places can compare with this magnificent baseball experience.  There is no other place I would rather watch a game as a fan than Fenway Park.

Armchair Evaluation – The Perfect Game 2015 All-American Classic

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Two weeks ago on August 16th Perfect Game USA brought together 50 of the best high school baseball players in the country to San Diego for an exhibition game at Petco Park. In addition to quality television for MLB Network, this game is an outstanding opportunity for scouts and front office executives to see several of the top prospects available next summer.

Unlike the Under Armour high school All-America game played the previous day, this event was dominated by pitching, as the East squad narrowly defeated the West, 3-1. Below are my scouting notes on a few of the many exceptional players who participated in this game.

Jason Groome LHP Barnegat, New Jersey

Perhaps the top high school prospect in the 2016 class, left-handed pitcher Jason Groome started the game for the East team and catches the eye with his tall frame, long legs and projectable body. Standing 6-6 180lbs Groome has an easy, repeatable delivery with a natural rhythm throughout and gets quality extension toward home. Groome also impresses with how effortless he achieves his velocity, sitting 92-95mph with strong command of his fastball and showing off a sweeping 73-75mph curveball. In addition Groome also threw a 76mph changeup with outstanding deception, replicating his fastball arm speed perfectly.

Groome possesses everything one would seek in a top high school pitching prospect and there is an outside chance he goes #1 overall next year. Signed to play collegiately at Vanderbilt, there is almost no chance Groome is not playing professional baseball in 2016.

Khalil Lee CF Flint Hill, Virginia

Batting leadoff for the East team was local product from Northern Virginia and Flint Hill High School, centerfielder Khalil Lee. Committed to Liberty University, Lee is a speedy 5-10 170lbs left-handed hitter who possesses a keen batting eye and obvious bat speed. He has loose wrists and uses a rather impressive leg kick as the trigger to his swing, which has some present excess length. In addition he has a strong arm, clocking 90+mph off a mound.

Lee needs to mature physically and make refinements to his swing, but with good speed, a strong arm and excellent athleticism, he projects as a plus defensive centerfielder with a chance to hit atop the lineup. He would likely benefit from three years of college baseball, but his collection of tools will likely have him shunning campus life for professional baseball.
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Joe Rizzo DH/3B Oakton, Virginia

Another local product, Joe Rizzo from Oakton, VA, served as the #2 hitter for the East and immediately made an impact, gathering the first hit of the game on an opposite field single. In his 2nd at-bat Rizzo showed an advanced eye, working a walk after recognizing and passing on two breaking pitches out of the zone.

Rizzo is a thick, well-built 5-11 215lbs third baseman who looks more like an amateur wrestler than a high school baseball player. He possesses a short, compact left-handed swing with obvious bat speed and strength, along with quick, loose wrists. In short, he looks the part of a top high school power-hitting prospect. Rizzo has made South Carolina his college of choice but his potential for an above-average hit and power tool will make it unlikely he escapes the top-50 picks in 2016.

Reggie Lawson RHP Victor Valley, California

Listed at 6-4 205lbs, Lawson is an obvious athlete with a projectable, near ideal pitchers’ frame. Lawson appeared extremely amped to start a game on national television in a major league stadium, as his control was off throughout the appearance. It is obvious he needs to refine his balance and tempo in his motion, as they were consistently inconsistent in this outing as well. That said Lawson was extremely impressive, showing a relatively simple delivery with some deception, along with a 91-93mph fastball with life and a hammer 72-75mph curveball with plus potential. Like any teenage pitcher he needs repetitions, but Lawson has excellent potential and enters his senior season as one of the top high school righties available.

Austin Bergner RHP Windermere, Florida

Pitching the bottom of the 2nd inning for the East was Florida high school pitcher, Austin Bergner. Immediately Bergner is physically impressive, standing 6-4 195lbs with long arms and plenty of projection remaining in his frame. Bergner features a slight drop-and-drive delivery, which is often difficult to replicate, but he repeats the motion well and achieves some deception from this movement as well.

In this outing, Bergner flashed a 4-pitch arsenal, featuring a 94-95mph 4-seam fastball with excellent life, along with a 92-93mph 2-seam sinker with outstanding arm-side movement. Additionally, Bergner showed a fringy mid-70s curveball with good spin and a potentially plus 84-85mph changeup with splitter-type action. Bergner has a lightning-fast arm plus a mature approach to pitching and a refined arsenal – these skills should allow him to be selected early in the 2016 draft.

Armchair Evaluation – THE 2015 Under Armour High School All-America Game

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Saturday August 15th Under Armour hosted some of the best prospects in the 2016 draft class to play an exhibition contest at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Each summer Under Armour and The Baseball Factory collaborate to bring 36 of the best prep players together to showcase their talents against one another.

Although it is difficult to evaluate prospects in one single viewing, this contest gives scouts the opportunity to see many projected top major league draft picks prior to the beginning of their senior year in high school. This year’s event was surprisingly dominated by offense, as the National Team defeated the American team 11-6. These are my notes on several of the top prospects from the game.

Riley Pint RHP Overland Park, Kansas

Possessing a projectable but dreamy 6-4 192lbs body, Riley Pint looks the part when he toes the rubber. He was obviously excited to be selected as the starter for the game, as Pint was overthrowing his pitches and watching the ball sail high and arm-side much of the inning. Pint flashed a 95-98mph fastball with life and arm-side running movement along with one mid-80s curveball with sharp breaking action. Pint is committed to LSU but there is little chance he reaches Baton Rouge as he projects as a top-10 selection next June.

Alex Speas RHP Powder Springs, Georgia

Starting the game for the American team was Georgia right-handed pitcher Alex Speas, a long, lean, projectable 6-4 180lbs pitcher. Similarly to Pint, Speas looked anxious on the mound performing in a major league stadium and struggled to throw strikes. That said this Mississippi State commit has a lightning-quick arm and a fastball sitting 92-96mph with extreme life and some arm-side run. Speas has a relatively simple motion, which when coupled with his blazing velocity and excellent athleticism, gives him a strong chance of being a 1st round pick next summer.

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An extremely projectable 6-5 175lbs left-handed pitcher, Miller entered the game in the bottom of the 3rd and immediately impresses with his lean prototypical pitchers’ frame. Miller showed good command of a 90-91mph fastball, along with a 77mph changeup with arm-side fade and a big breaking low-70s curveball. Miller is raw and needs to grow into his lengthy body, but he has the potential that makes pitching coaches’ drool. Also a Mississippi State commit, it is unlikely he makes it to Starkville in 2016 as he should be a Day 1 selection.

Bo Bichette 2B St. Petersburg, Florida

Son of former Colorado Rockies slugger Dante Bichette, Bo Bichette served as the cleanup hitter for the National team. This Bichette is built much like his father, with a thick chest and well-defined legs, but while he lacks much physical projection, he still has reasonable foot speed. Listed at 6-0 200lbs with a babyface but little physical maturation remaining, I question Bichette’s long-term defensive position.

That said, Bichette is being drafted for his impressive raw power and the potential for an above-average hit tool, which should play most anywhere on the diamond. He has a unique swing with a slight arm-bar but he more than compensates with obvious plus bat speed. Due to his pedigree as the son of the major leaguer and his physical maturity, I would be surprised if he did not sign out of the draft next year.

Carter Kieboom SS/3B Marietta, Georgia

Brother of Washington Nationals catching prospect Spencer Kieboom, Carter Kieboom as one of the top infield prospects in the 2016 draft class. Kieboom’s first at-bat in the top of the 1st was quite noteworthy, taking a 98mph fastball from Riley Pint and driving it toward right field for a well-struck single. Then in his second at-bat Kieboom worked a full count before ripping a 94mph sinker to right-center field, showing impressive bat speed low in the strike zone. Kieboom profiles as a potential above-average power and average hitter, with a chance to play a quality third base as well. He projects as a Day 1 pick in the 2016 draft.

Scouting A Craft Beer – Evaluating Heavy Seas 2,131 Fielder’s Choice

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In honor of Baltimore icon Cal Ripken Jr.’s forthcoming 20th anniversary of breaking Lou Gehrig’s 2,131 consecutive games played streak, outstanding local brewery Heavy Seas created a commemorative beer, Fielder’s Choice, to pay homage to this accomplishment.

Seeing as how this is a baseball site and I enjoy supporting local breweries, as soon as I heard about this I felt it was my obligation to the audience to seek out a few cans and evaluate this specialty lager. Using the traditional 20-80 scouting scale and established categories for judging beer, Mrs. NatsGM and I had two separate tastings this weekend to thoroughly scout this craft beer. Below are our thoughts on this collaboration between Heavy Seas and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.

1) Marketing and Presentation

NatsGM – 75 / Mrs. NatsGM – 80

I immediately felt guilty opening the can because it looks like a souvenir or novelty item in someone’s Mancave. The orange pint-sized can has a wonderful image of the Warehouse with the number 2,131 prominently displayed and a silhouette of Cal Ripken Jr. In fact, I kept one can for myself to keep as a collectable so Heavy Seas must be doing something right.

2) Appearance and Smell

NatsGM – 55 / Mrs. NatsGM – 60
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This beer looks beautiful when poured into a proper glass, with extreme clarity and a nice light golden coloring with a thin pale white head. While my sense of smell is weaker than Juan Pierre’s home run power, I detected a pleasant aroma of floral and Delaware Silver Queen corn. Overall this lager is quite pleasant and subtle in both color and smell.

3) Taste

NatsGM – 55 / Mrs. NatsGM -55

A rather mild golden beer, Fielder’s Choice has a lighter taste than the average lager like Sam Adams or Yuengling. It is pleasant on the tongue with a light body, low carbonation and a refreshing aftertaste. This feels like an ideal beer to drink during the day while on a beach or watching a ballgame.

4) Overall

NatsGM – 60 / Mrs. NatsGM – 60

I was pleasantly surprised with this beer, as traditionally I do not seek out lagers when I am drinking a beer – I typically prefer IPAs with extreme hoppiness. That said, this can is simply outstanding and the combination of appearance, aroma and taste all come together to produce a pleasant drinking experience. Not to mention this beer has ties to the Baltimore Orioles and a portion of the proceeds are donated to charity. Heavy Seas produced this in limited quantities, so I highly recommend any baseball fan of legal age to quickly get to their closest beer store and buy a few cans: You will not be disappointed!