Hmmm. And I've been to Hattiesburg. Maybe 12th Round pick Geoffrey Thomas thinks Brett Favre will drop by to throw baseballs into his breadbasket. The Astros were making a run at Thomas, but it seems as though he'll honor his commitment to Southern Miss:
Astros.com beat writer Jason Grodsky:
Among the players the Astros were trying to strike a deal with was 12th-round pick Geoffrey Thomas, a right-handed high school pitcher from Georgia. Thomas was Houston's lone pick from its first 26 selections in this year's First-Year Player Draft that hadn't signed with the club. Thomas is committed to play at Southern Mississippi next year.
Bobby Heck:
"We're less optimistic of any late additions. We've had second and third type money out there on three players. It's more of them wanting school at this time. We're very pleased with having gotten that many players and that many guys that high up who now have a summer under their belt. That's a testament to the work our scouts have done and hopefully it says something about the players as well. The first and foremost thing was to get them out on the field."
Within this report we do read that the Astros signed 6'4" pitcher Ruben Alaniz:
Alaniz, a product of Juarez-Lincoln High School in La Joya, Texas, who slipped under the radar before the June Draft, has a mid-90's fastball and a plus curveball according to Astros scout Rusty Pendergrass and East Coast scouting supervisor Clarence Johns, who believe the 18-year-old has the ability to develop into a Major League starter. Alaniz reported to the Gulf Coast League Astros in Kissimmee, Fla., on Monday.
Heck:
"It puts them in a position, especially the younger players, to get some time and experience heading into a long season next year. It was part of the education process and showed the importance of them being able to go out and start in June."
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
