Last January, Mr. Joe Jordan – the Director of Amateur Scouting for The Baltimore Orioles – joined Baltimore Sports and Life for a Q&A. You can find a link to that interview here:

http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2009/01/few-questions-with-mr-joe-jordan.html

Since that time, Mr. Jordan has seen at-least 5 more former draft-picks (Berken, Hernandez, Reimold, Wieters, and Matusz) ascend to the Majors.

In the June Amateur Draft, the Orioles selected Matt Hobgood 5th overall in the 1st round.

Baltimore Sports and Life appreciates Mr. Jordan again taking the time to answer a few questions, as we look back on 2009, and ahead to 2010.

Baltimore Sports and Life: “After you selected Matt Hobgood, you immediately stated in several interviews that the pick had zero to do with sign-ability, it was about drafting the player you had identifed as wanting. I think that is an important distinction, and I was glad to see you make that known. No matter what the Monday Morning Quarterbacks (myself included) have to say, you are the one being held responsible for the decision. I think you deserve a lot of credit for taking the player you identified, instead of taking a known ‘name’, you were less comfortable with. Can you speak to the comfort you get, in selecting the player you wanted, vs. a player you might have felt left with?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “As a staff we put a lot of time and effort in evaluating players. It only makes sense to take the player “WE” want in each round. In the end we will make good decisions and some will not work out. I don’t worry for a second what the so called experts think – I trust the people in my draft room much more than someone from the outside evaluating our work.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Did you get the chance to see Hobgood in Bluefield? I know it is a decision for the Player Development Department, but do you think Hobgood will have the opportunity to start 2010 in the Delmarva rotation? In an interview with MASN’s Steve Melewski you compared Hobgood to Kevin Millwood. Again, I know Hobgood is now in the hands of Player Development, but do you know if the organization will attempt to have Hobgood spend some-time with Millwood this spring?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “No matter where Matt pitches this year most of all he just needs to stay healthy and compete. The first full season will be not only exciting for him but also a good opportunity for our organization to truly evaluate what we have. I compare players we take every year with established ML players – no need to get Matt and K Millwood together at this point. Matt just needs to go do his work and be a part of whatever roster we decide.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “While I respect you getting the player you wanted, I am still puzzled over the selection of Hobgood over Grant Green. The Baltimore Orioles regularly (and correctly) remind their fans that they do not have the same financial capabilities of the Red Sox, and Yankees.

When we spoke last-year, you stated you take the best player each-round, and would never sacrifice what the Orioles do, based on the resources of another organization. Based on your comments then, and with the selection of Hobgood; it appears you are stating you valued Hobgood as having the highest ceiling, based on what was available on the board. Even if you value Hobgood as more talented, does not his selection boil down to hoping everything (health, performance) goes right, so that he might have the chance to make the Majors between 2012-2013?

If you take Green, a player that had already gained the experience of 3 years of College, and performed with a wooden bat in the Cape Cod league; you are selecting a guy that should reach the Majors in 2011 (and as Gordon Beckham proved last year, maybe as early as 2010).

So again, if you have less overall resources than your competition, do not you have to A) Get a quicker return on your investment, and B) Select the player less likely to flame-out? (even if that player has less overall talent)

All of that said, I realize that I am just a blogger, that only ever saw internet-clips and Scouting Reports on these players; while you are the Scouting Director that saw these players first-hand. What aspect of this am I missing, or not considering?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “I liked Grant Green going into the spring as a serious option for our pick at #5. Once the evaluation process ended I decided to go another way. It is valid for someone to question the decision based on any number of factors – you can do that every single year in the draft. A: the end result is far more important than how quickly we see a return on investment. B: I cannot ask for the kind of money it takes to sign these players and tell my GM/Owner (this is based on my opinion that the player is less likely to flame-out than the other guys).”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “In the 2nd-round you got HS SS Mychal Givens, who by all reports seems to be a strong athlete, with an outstanding arm. Many thought he was destined to head to Oklahoma State on scholarship, but you were able to get him signed. Did you actually see him signing the entire time? Did his age (turns 20 in May) make it harder to evaluate him? How do you think his bat will play as a professional? Where do you think he will start?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “We had Mychal evaluated as a late 1st rnd talent. We felt comfortable all summer he would sign for fair value. That being said, since he did not play all summer he missed valuable time on the field. I believe it is likely he spends time in extended spring and plays on a short season club. We should have a better sense of his abilities later this summer. He is 20 years old and needed to play all summer instead of sitting at home – that didn’t happen so we will get him out playing and see how it goes.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The 3rd round pick was Florida International 1st-baseman / OF Tyler Townsend. Townsend had a .858 Slugging %, with 40 xbh’s in 212 at-bats. Your quotes after the draft made clear how much you liked the young lefty power-hitter, and how much the Delaware native wanted to be part of the Oriole organization. His scouting reports reads to me as if he is lefty-version of Reimold. Do you see that comparison? Just how excited were you to add Townsend?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “Different type of athlete than Nolan. Obviously, we are excited about the LH bat/pwr potential from Tyler. He has a good approach and hopefully will be healthy this summer and get 400-500 ab’s. It was a good pick in the 3rd round and he should get things going this summer.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Can you give us some quick-hits on some of the other players you drafted, and signed? Who are you looking forward to seeing during their first professional seasons? Can you give quick hits on:

4th Randy Henry:
5th Ashur Tolliver:
6th Justin Dalles:
7th Aaron Wirsch:
9th Ryan Berry:
11th Michael Ohlman
18th Jarret Martin
22nd Cameron Coffey
30th Brenden Webb

Mr. Joe Jordan:
Henry – pwr arm and breaking ball. Very good athlete – needs to come to camp healthy. Big potential here but needs innings.
Tolliver – Needed to pitch all summer but negotiations ate up most of it. A very quality value in the 5th round who will surprise a lot of people on how good he is.
Dalles – solid catch and throw guy with offensive potential. Needs to get out of his own way some and realize he possesses all the physical talent to play a long time.
Wirsch – Very excited with this kid – 6’05” LHP with a feel to pitch and quality to repertoire. Very advanced with approach to pitching – Will be defined by where his stuff settles in.
Berry – If healthy I expect very big things here – can really pitch!
Ohlman – paid him like I liked him a lot. Seriously, a talented, physical athlete. Made a lot of progress in Instructional League – likes to play (big upside)
Martin – In Florida already doing throwing program – feels 100% healthy. 6’03 LHP with +arm and CB – needs to stay healthy and log some innings.
Coffey – See first line on Ohlman. I temper my excitement here – all the physical talent to be anything (reminds me of Arrieta, Britton, Bergesen and those type of guys with his makeup, determination and work ethic).
Webb – another athletic, toolsy player we added to the system. A great job by our area scout, Mark Ralston. This guys talent should have put him in the top 4-5 rounds of the draft. Signed late – let’s get him out playing and see what we have.

Baltimore Sports and Life: “I believe you announced the O’s spent $8.8M on the 2009 draft-picks. Will there be a similar budget available for the draft-picks in 2010?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “I asked for even more than that. I haven’t given the budget much thought – we have a lot of work to do from now til June. I have always been given the financial resources to sign the players we like. This year will be no different.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The O’s will have the 3rd overall pick in the 2010 draft. If you were going to estimate by a percentage chance, what do think the odds are that the O’s will select one of the players regularly appearing in the Top 10 of Mock Drafts now in late January? Or maybe a better question is, do think the 3rd overall selection could be a player that is in the shadows a bit with the media?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “I believe we will take the best talent on the board with the 3rd pick. Most of the names you hear talked about in the publications are the names I believe make sense at this point.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Lastly, I count at-least 5 players (Berken, Hernandez, Reimold, Wieters, and Matusz) that you drafted, that made their Major League debuts during the 2009 season. How rewarding is it for you, to have brought those players to the organization, and see them ascend to the Major League team?”

Mr. Joe Jordan: “It’s the reason I do what I do. The biggest reward as a scout is to see your players make It to the Major Leagues. I am proud for all those guys and know there are more coming. “

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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