Eager threw 111 innings, 16 starts, almost 7 IP per game average. Eager was a starter, in contrast to JD Dew. He had an ERA of about 3.25. These are ok stats and helps explain whe MLB scouting combine ranked him 133 in the nation. He outpitched the harder throwing Daley of 2006 and Norris (drafted by the Astros in 06).

In the draft, Eager fell past where he should have been drafted by a couple of rounds, showing that 29 teams had downgraded him. The Cards were probably hoping to find an undervalued talent, in draft terms.

Degerman, Stavinoha, Shane Robinson, PJ Walters, Kyle Russell, Steven Hill, JD Dew, and Eager are Moneyball picks, because they played well in college, yet also had some drawbacks in the eyes of scouts. Degerman an ugly delivery, Russell an ugly swing, PJ below average fast ball velocity, Hill too small for 1B, Robinson a little rascal, Dew a reliever, Eager a high effort delivery and not enough variation in speed.

For contrast, Mark Michael, Gary Daley Jr, and Boggs did not obtain good statistics in college, so were chosen because of arm strength. They were tools picks. Boggs has been great, Daley began ok, but came apart last season.

So too Degerman, Russell, and Eager have disappointed, while Dew, Hill, Stavinoha, and Robinson have done well in the minors. The results of both stats picks and tools picks have been mixed.

Your comparison to Walters is also way off, Walters did have good stats.

Degerman had a great final season at Rice. Despite an ugly delivery, the Cards popped him at the end of the 4th round and signed him for $100K. Kyle Russell hit 28 homers or so, has an ugly swing, the Cards took him in the middle of the 4th, adjusting too for his bonus expectations. Shane Robinson hit for a fine average, but is of modest size, so we went for him at the end of the 5th. These guys are like Eager: good college stats, but with some questions, explaining why they were not drafted higher.

In comparsion to Eager, Daley had lousy stats at Cal Poly, falling from about 25th among college players going into his junior season to outside the Top 100. Mitch Boggs had an era of about 5 or 6 in the Georgia bullpen. Both had good arms. Daley has struggled, Boggs has realized his potential, go figure. People are different and hard to predict.

Eager lacks the upside of Daley or Boggs. But then PJ Walters has below average arm strength, yet PJ has been excellent as pro, unlike the heralded Degerman. The Cards were probably hoping Eager could be more like PJ and pitch better than his arm strength. However, in the early returns in the Midwest League, Eager has not been good.

Yeah the Cards consider college stats. Ollie Marmol led Division 1 NCAA in runs scored per game (though at high scoring Univ. of Charleston). He would be a moneyball pick, like Eager. Though scouts did not like Marmol’s stick, he can run and field, so the Cards hoped he can improve the hitting. If Marmol had looked good with the bat, he might have gone in rd 2 or 3.

The Cards did draft Eager for a reason and all evidence points to a scout falling in love with him, for whatever reason. There is no evidence at all that he anything close to a “moneyball” pitcher because he did NOT rack up fine stats at Cal Poly.

The year before, the Cards had selected Daley from the same school. Daley throws harder, but had less success at Cal Poly. Of the two men, Daley is the toolsier, while Eager was more successful in college, with lesser pitches. Daley was one of the more highly anticipated collegians going into his junior season, coming off a good showing in the Alaska summer league. Boras chose to rep Daley and Boras is very selective, wanting potential bonus babies. Boras would NEVER rep a boring guy like Eager.

The Cards drafted Eager for a reason. It was not that he had good stuff and impressed a scout. It was because he threw some innings and won some games. That is what Moneyball is, favoring results that seem to exceed tools. Daley was the opposite; strong arm strength, poorer results. The Cards must have gambled that wood bat baseball would help a hardthrower like Daley.

Um, when?

Curious why you think he is a factor of Moneyball.

Daley pitched well in the NYPa League and he began the 2007 season ok at Palm Beach, before falling apart. The problem seems to be that Daley has lost control and confidence. I am ok with drafting Daley on grounds of arm strength and with the hope he could learn to pitch.

Degerman and Eager show the danger of Moneyball (factoring college stats over tools).

Schumaker, on the other hand, has been greatly under-appreciated this year and I suspect (I hope) he will continue in the leadoff spot. Duncan, however, should never bat any higher then sixth, imo.