ICYMI: Interview w/ Prospect Brandon Thomas

I am extremely excited about this interview with former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket and current Yankees farm hand Brandon Thomas. I did not watch much college football when I lived in New York, although I did root for the Syracuse Orange in March Madness, but when I moved down here I got into CFB. Everyone in my town roots for the rival Georgia Bulldogs so, me being the different guy I am, started following the Yellow Jackets. It started in football, was followed by basketball, and ended up watching their baseball team. Now I am interviewing former GT players and current Yankees players and I am stoked. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing it. 

The Greedy Pinstripes: Brandon Thomas, former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket (my favorite college team), how are you today sir? How is your offseason going?

My offseason has been great. I've been able to work on some things and am getting ready to get started.

TGP:  How do you plan to follow up a 2013 season in which you were named the Yankees Best Athlete coming out of the draft and a solid 2014 season?

I plan on continuing to work hard, improving all areas of my game, and having a great first full pro season.

TGP: Do you miss anything about the whole college experience or anything specifically at Georgia Tech?

I really enjoyed my college career at GT.

TGP: Do you keep up with the Georgia Tech baseball and/or football teams? Another tough season and bowl loss. How much longer does Coach Paul Johnson have left?

I keep in touch with a lot of the GT Baseball players and coaches. I have a lot of great relationships from my 4 years there.

TGP: How many Varsity hot dogs or chili cheese burgers do you think you have eaten in your life?

Zero!

TGP:  What were you doing when you found out that you became a member of the New York Yankees?

Waiting in the kitchen with my Mom to find out where I would be going.

TGP:  What teams and sports did you root for and watch growing up?

I've always liked watching baseball, basketball, and football. No specific professional teams though.

TGP: Favorite restaurant to eat at?

Chipotle

TGP: What current Major League player do you think you compare to the most?

Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran are two of my favorite players

TGP: How important is family to you in your life and in your career?

Faith and family are the two most important things to me in my life.

TGP: Speaking of embarrassing please explain the picture on your Twitter of you and a bunch of your teammates half naked on a bus. I'm not judging though. 

Haha! The AC on our bus this summer broke... Not a fun 8 hours

TGP: Any parting words you would like to express to all those Georgia Bulldogs fans?

Proud that we had a winning record against the bulldogs in my GT career!

TGP: We'll finish with this one, where do you see yourself in life and your career in five years?

I see myself a few years in to my big league career in 5 years.

Thank you again to Brandon for doing this interview for us, I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can follow Brandon on Twitter by following @brandonthomas6.

Charleston Riverdogs Game Recap 4/5

Thomas Chases Cycle in RiverDogs Loss

Brandon Thomas produces a short-lived lead before Augusta goes ahead in the series

AUGUSTA, GA - Brandon Thomas collected his first three hits as a member of the Charleston RiverDogs and came up just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, but an early offensive outburst by the Augusta GreenJackets was enough as they held on to win 6- on Saturday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium in South Atlantic League action.

The RiverDogs are now 1-2 this season while the GreenJackets improve to 2-1 and take a lead in this season-opening series. Charleston will have a chance to even the four-game set in Sunday's series finale, which is scheduled to start at 2:00pm.

Back-to-back hits put the RiverDogs ahead in the top of the second inning. With one out, Thomas tripled and Luis Torrens followed with a single that plated Thomas and gave the RiverDogs a 1-0 edge.

Augusta replied with a rally in its half of the second to take a 4-1 lead against Charleston's Giovanny Gallegos. A bases-loaded single from Tyler Horan tied the game by scoring Ryan Tuntland. The GreenJackets scored the go-ahead run on a force out that brought in Ryder Jones. A two-run triple from Randy Ortiz added to the lead before Gallegos got into a rhythm.

Gallegos induced a groundout that closed the second inning and he faced the minimum in his last three innings. Gallegos struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth and finished his outing with seven strikeouts in five frames.

Although the RiverDogs threatened to trim Augusta's advantage in the fourth and the seventh, Charleston came up short each time. The RiverDogs had the bases loaded before an inning-ending double play finished the fourth. In the seventh, Charleston put the first two batters aboard and was unable to push a run across.

The GreenJackets scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to build a 6-1 advantage. Cristian Paulino hit into a force out that moved Horan in. Paulino then stole second base and promptly scored on a single off the bat of Oritz.

After following his triple with a single and a double, Thomas needed a home run when he batted in the eighth inning to complete the cycle. However, a groundout to first base ended Thomas' night at the plate.

The RiverDogs started a two-out rally in the ninth inning on an Abiatal Avelino double, cutting the deficit to 6-2. Avelino scored with a single and an error to put the potential tying run at the plate, but a game-ending groundout saddled Charleston with a three-run loss.

Keury Mella won his GreenJackets debut and has a 1-0 record. Gallegos, despite a strong finish to his performance, was tagged with the loss for the RiverDogs and fell to 0-1 this season.

COMING UP: The finale of this four-game series, scheduled for Sunday afternoon, features Charleston RHP Brady Lail (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and Augusta LHP Carlos Diaz (0-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 2:00pm on Sunday. Up next, Charleston will return to The Joe for a seven-game homestand that starts on Monday, April 7. The RiverDogs host the Greenville Drive for Charleston's grand Opening Night celebration, complete with $1 hot dogs and $1 beers presented by Coors. Tickets may be purchased at the Riley Park Box Office, (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or on-line at www.riverdogs.com. If fans cannot make it to the ballpark, they are encouraged to tune in to all the action this year both home and away on 1250 WTMA, the new radio home for RiverDogs baseball.

Box Score: http://atmilb.com/1h1xNCD

Being posted with permission from the Charleston Riverdogs organization. The original article can be seen HERE. 

Exclusive Interview w/ Yankees Brandon Thomas

I am extremely excited about this interview with former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket and current Yankees farm hand Brandon Thomas. I did not watch much college football when I lived in New York, although I did root for the Syracuse Orangemen in March Madness, but when I moved down here I got into CFB. Everyone in my town roots for the rival Georgia Bulldogs so, me being the different guy I am, started following the Yellow Jackets. It started in football, was followed by basketball, and ended up watching their baseball team. Now I am interviewing former GT players and current Yankees players and I am stoked, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing it. 

The Greedy Pinstripes: Brandon Thomas, former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket (my favorite college team), how are you today sir? How is your offseason going?

My offseason has been great. I've been able to work on some things and am getting ready to get started.

TGP:  How do you plan to follow up a 2013 season in which you were named the Yankees Best Athlete coming out of the draft?

I plan on continuing to work hard, improving all areas of my game, and having a great first full pro season.

TGP: Do you miss anything about the whole college experience or anything specifically at Georgia Tech?

I really enjoyed my college career at GT.


TGP: Do you keep up with the Georgia Tech baseball and/or football teams? Another tough season and bowl loss. How much longer does Coach Paul Johnson have left?

I keep in touch with a lot of the GT Baseball players and coaches. I have a lot of great relationships from my 4 years there.

TGP: How many Varsity hot dogs or chili cheese burgers do you think you have eaten in your life?

Zero!

TGP:  What were you doing when you found out that you became a member of the New York Yankees?

Waiting in the kitchen with my Mom to find out where I would be going.

TGP:  What teams and sports did you root for and watch growing up?

I've always liked watching baseball, basketball, and football. No specific professional teams though.

TGP: Favorite restaurant to eat at?

Chipotle

TGP: What current Major League player do you think you compare to the most?

Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran are two of my favorite players

TGP: How important is family to you in your life and in your career?

Faith and family are the two most important things to me in my life.

TGP: Speaking of embarrassing please explain the picture on your Twitter of you and a bunch of your teammates half naked on a bus. I'm not judging though. 

Haha! The AC on our bus this summer broke... Not a fun 8 hours

TGP: Any parting words you would like to express to all those Georgia Bulldogs fans?

Proud that we had a winning record against the bulldogs in my GT career!

TGP: We'll finish with this one, where do you see yourself in life and your career in five years?

I see myself a few years in to my big league career in 5 years.

Thank you again to Brandon for doing this interview for us, I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can follow Brandon on Twitter by following @brandonthomas6.

Yankees Sign David Palladino To Above Slot Deal

The Yankees have announced that they have signed their fifth round pick David Palladino to an above slot deal. David was taken 164th overall in the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft and came with a slot recommendation of $278,100 but ended up signing for  $371,000. The $93,000 extra will have to come from other guys who have signed for less like Brandon Thomas who signed for half his slot recommendation when he signed for $75,000 saving the Yankees $75,000. John Murphy also signed for $20,000 which is $190,000 less than the slot recommendation so the Yankees, even after signing Palladino, still have an extra $172,000 to give to players like Ian Clarkin without paying penalties.

Yankees Sign 8th Round Pick Brandon Thomas

The Yankees 8th round pick in the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft Brandon Thomas from Georgia Tech has officially signed with the club today. Thomas' slot recommendation was a little over $150,000 and he signed for less than half that when he signed for $75,000. I fully expect that other $75,000 to end up in Ian Clarkin's pocket before this time next week. The Pirates drafted Thomas last year but he decided to go back to GT for his senior year and spent most of the season injured or not at 100% after battling mono. Thomas had little leverage with him being a senior and the Yankees knew that but still got a great steal with the 254th pick overall. As a Yankees fan who has recently moved to Atlanta Georgia and a professed Georgia Tech college baseball, basketball, and football fan I have to say I think I found my latest prospect crush.

Yankee Draft Picks On Day Two

Last night I took a look at the Yankees three first round picks following night one of the MLB First Year Player draft. Round 2 also happened last night, and the Yankees decided on Gosuke Katoh, a second baseman out of Rancho Bernardo High School in California.

Katoh is a left-handed batter, who styles his swing after Ichiro Suzuki, meaning he's a contact hitter but with little power. Gosuke, like Ichiro, uses his plus speed along with a compact swing. Although he doesn't have a strong arm, it's said to be good enough for second base, and along with having good hands and good range he should be a fine defender. Katoh has verbally committed to UCLA.

The draft continued today, and the Yankees selected the following players in rounds 3 through 10...

Round 3 Pick #103 Michael O'Neill, CF University of Michigan

-Michael is actually the nephew of Paul O'Neill. Like his uncle, Michael is known for making consistent hard contact using all fields. He doesn't currently have home run power, but he has room to add muscle that could change that. Although you wouldn't call him "fast", Michael is a smart runner. He's also said to be a solid defender, although it's unclear where he'll end up as he's not fast enough for CF, but doesn't have the power of your typical corner OF.

Round 4 Pick #134 Tyler Wade, SS Murrieta Valley HS (California)

-Another left-handed hitting infielder, who had an excellent senior season. Tyler is a speedy athlete, yet stands 6'2" and weighs just 178 pounds, meaning there's plenty of room to add some bulk. Even so, scouts don't expect him to hit for power in the future, but his line-drive swing makes him somebody to keep an eye on offensively. Wade's good arm and range make it so he could remain at shortstop up to the Majors. He's committed to San Diego State.

Round 5 Pick #164 David Palladino, RHP Howard College

-Last year Palladino's season was cut short due to needing surgery to repair a tendon in his knee. After transferring to Howard from South Carolina-Upstate, David had a fine season. The  6'9" 230 pounder has a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, but it's a straight pitch that requires him to use a strong downhill angle. He also throws a curveball, changeup, and slider. Even though he's a big guy that throws fairly hard, he has an easy delivery. Palladino is committed to LSU.

Round 6 Pick #194 John Murphy, SS Sacred Heart University

-Another left-handed hitting shortstop, Murphy hit .374/.449/.576 with four home runs and 29 stolen bases for Sacred Heart this past season. Although he's a fine hitter, he's a bit impatient at the plate. If all goes well, John could be a good top of the lineup hitter.

Round 7 Pick #224 Nick Rumbelow, RHP Louisiana State University

-Rumbelow has a fastball that sits in the low 90s, but is pretty straight. However he also has a sharp curveball that could become a plus pitch, thus covering for an average fastball. The problem with Nick is that his delivery is far from effortless, and he doesn't have good control. Scouts are concerned that his poor arm action could lead to health problems, and his best-case scenario is as a two-pitch reliever.

Round 8 Pick #254 Brandon Thomas, CF Georgia Tech University

-After leading the Yellow Jackets in batting average and on-base percentage in 2012 as a junior, Thomas is having a fine senior year. Although he missed a couple of weeks with mononucleosis, he bounced back well. Brandon is a switch-hitter with a line-drive swing, but he's a strong kid that can hit for power. He's a plus runner but will need to learn to take better routes to balls if he's to stick at centerfield.

Round 9 Pick #284 Kendrick O'Connor, LHP Auburn University

-O'Connor transferred to Auburn this year, after spending time at Georgia Tech and Northwest Florida State Junior College, and split time between the bullpen and the rotation. He doesn't throw a hard fastball, which tops out in the upper 80s, but it has good movement. He has good control of his changeup and curveball, making them look like they could be average MLB pitches. Kendrick is an aggressive pitcher with some deception in his delivery, making him an intriguing prospect.

Round 10 Pick #314 Tyler Webb, LHP University of South Carolina

-A 6'6" lefty with a fastball that sits in the low 90s, to go along with a good curveball. Webb was dominant this year as the closer for the Gamecocks, but scouts are a bit wary of him due to a history of elbow injuries. Tyler seems to be in the high-risk/high-reward department.

Rounds 11-40 will start at 1pm EST tomorrow.