Topper Today: August 30, 2018
Happy final week of the preseason, everyone!
Happy final week of the preseason, everyone!
Also, we are one day closer to kickoff and who knows what else is on deck in Topperland today? Guess we’ll find out.
Happy Thursday.
4 p.m. ET: Today, the rosters were announced for this fall’s Arizona Fall League, a brief month-long season for some of baseball’s best prospects (and sometimes, players who are on their last leg or who organizations want to show off for other teams).
If I had to venture a guess, I’d say two ProTops were eligible; Pittsburgh’s Steven Kraft and Washington’s Jacob Rhinesmith.
Well, we officially know one of those two won’t be participating, and that’s Kraft.
Kraft has been tearing the GCL to shreds since he signed with the Bucs. In 31 games, he’s slashing .321/.405/.477 with 12 extra base hits and 29 RBI.
Rhinesmith wont be going, either. The 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star leads the Auburn Doubledays in batting average (.294) and runs scored (34) to go along with 12 doubles, four triples, a home run and 30 RBI.
The only Hilltopper to participate in the Arizona Fall League was Kes Carter in 2014.
3 p.m. ET: Raise your hand if you thought we’d be talking baseball Toppers today!
Liars. All of you. Put your hands down.
Anyway, the Tops and Cardinals have announced a scrimmage in September next month.
For more on this preseason tune up, click here.
1 p.m. ET: As Willie Taggart prepares to embark on his newest venture as the head coach at Florida State, he wrote up a nice little piece for the Player’s Tribune where he talks a bit about his time playing at and returning to coach at WKU.
It’s a good read; he talks about learning the game of football from Jack Harbaugh, discovering his passion for coaching and essentially turning the culture around on the Hill.
I don’t care about what kind of success the Tops have had since Taggart’s departure, I still miss that man.
8 a.m. ET: Heading into training camp and into the preseason, I thought (and I’m almost positive I wasn’t alone in this thinking) that Deon Yelder would prove to quickly establish himself as a standout.
Here we are, three weeks into games, and he’s done almost less than nothing.
Per game, he’s seen the following snapcounts:
Preseason 1 at Jacksonville: 16 (felt like a lot less)
Preseason 2 vs. Cardinals: 9 (steep drop off)
Preseason 3 at Chargers: Can’t find any
I don’t know if he hasn’t been showing out in practice or what, but it just feels like if Yelder doesn’t get a practice squad offer, it really isn’t his fault?
Oh, and apparently New Orleans has signed a 6'6" WR, who is expected to directly compete with Yelder (among other players) for catches.
Swell.
Saints sign 6-foot-6 former Seahawks WR Tanner McEvoy
By: John Sigler | 9 hours ago The New Orleans Saints have carried three empty roster spots since a round of roster cuts…saintswire.usatoday.com