PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKER'S DAILY TOP TEN LIST
WEEK 2: 2/12/2007 - 2/18/2007
 
Friday, February 16th, 2007
Only one of the nation’s top 10 leading home run hitters in Division I (on a per game basis) returns from the 2006 season. That’s the top dog, James Madison junior outfielder Kellen Kulbacki, who hit 24—the lowest total to lead the nation since Stanford’s Eric Hargrave and Mercer’s Tim Smith shared the lead with the same total in 1983. Led by Kulbacki, here are the nation’s top 10 returning home run hitters from 2006:
 
Top 10 Returning College Sluggers
1. Kellen Kulbacki, Jr., James Madison 24
2. Andy D’Alessio, Sr., Clemson 23
3. Pedro Alvarez, So., Vanderbilt 22
4. Alex Buchholz, So., Delaware 18
5. Sean Coughlin, Sr., Kentucky 17
5. Josh Dew, Sr., Troy 17
5. Robbie Grinestaff, Sr., South Carolina 17
5. Danny Hamblin, Sr., Arkansas 17
5. Justin Smoak, So., South Carolina 17
5. Matt Stevens, Jr., Washington 17
5. Steve Strausbaugh, Jr., Western Carolina 17
-- Allan Simpson
 
Thursday, February 15th, 2007
The Dominican Republic shouldn’t be compared to another country when it comes to producing baseball talent; it should be compared to California, Florida or Texas. With a population of less than 10 million, the Dominican produced 145 big leaguers in 2006. Only California (220), with more than three times the population, produced more.

Listing the top 10 active major leaguers from the Dominican is sure to leave off some very good players. For instance, three players not listed below are future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez (Mets), 2006 all-star Robinson Cano (Yankees) and 2005 Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon.

Perhaps the most noteworthy part of the list below? There are no pitchers. Another interesting factoid? The 10 players were signed by 10 different organizations. Signing club noted in parentheses, if different than current club.
 
Top 10 Dominicans in Major Leagues
1. *Albert Pujols, 1b, Cardinals
2. Vladimir Guerrero, of, Angels (Expos)
3. #Alfonso Soriano, of, Cubs (Yankees)
4. Miguel Tejada, ss, Orioles (Athletics)
5. Jose Reyes, ss, Mets
6. David Ortiz, dh-1b, Red Sox (Mariners)
7. @Manny Ramirez, of, Red Sox (Indians)
8. Aramis Ramirez, 3b, Cubs (Pirates)
9. Hanley Ramirez, ss, Marlins (Red Sox)
10. Rafael Furcal, ss, Dodgers (Braves)
 
*Signed out of Missouri junior college
#Signed by Hiroshima Carp (Japan)
@Signed out of New York high school
-- David Rawnsley
 
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007
With more than 500 unsigned picks from last year’s draft attending junior college, there is a significant amount of talent in the junior college ranks. The highest-drafted draft-and-follow is lefthander Joey Rosas, the Nationals ninth-round pick attending Yavapai (Ariz.) JC. Here are the top 10 states that have the most junior college players under control from the 2006 draft:
 
TOP 10 Junior College States
1. Florida 89
2. California 81
3. Texas 47
4. Arizona 36
5. Illinois 27
6. Oklahoma 23
7. Washington 15
8. Tennessee 12
9. Mississippi 11
10. Alabama 10
-- Allan Simpson
 
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007
We’re always ranking the nation’s top high school prospects. This time we’ll rank their dads. Every draft features sons of former big leaguers, and this year is no exception. So here are the top 10 dads, based on major league achievement, among the elite high school players in the 2007 draft:
 
Top 10 2007 High School Prospects / Major League Dads
1. Bill Buckner, 1b-of (1969-90)
Father of Bobby Buckner, ss, Boise (Idaho) HS. Dad was one of the few players who can claim to have played in four different decades, having broken into the majors as a 19-year-old with the Dodgers in 1969 and retiring as a 40-year-old with the Red Sox in 1990. Altogether, he amassed 2,715 hits and won the 1980 National League batting title while with the Cubs.
2. Howard Johnson, 3b (1982-95)
Father of Glen Johnson, 3b, South Fork HS, Hobe Sound, Fla. HoJo was a first-round pick (January, secondary phase) of the Tigers in 1979 but had his best years with the Mets. He was a two-time all-star who led the National League in homers (38) and RBIs (117) in 1991, while also joining the 30/30 club with 30 stolen bases. He finished his career with 228 home runs and 231 stolen bases.
3. Bill Gullickson, rhp (1979-94)
Father of Craig Gullickson, lhp, Cardinal Newman HS, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Dad was the Expos first-round draft pick (second overall) in 1977 and won 162 games in the big leagues, including an American League-leading 20 in 1991 for the Tigers. He was a fireballer with a mid-90s fastball when he tied a National League record with 18 K’s as a 21-year-old in 1980, but had his best success as a sinker/finesse pitcher later in his career.
4. Mike Marshall, 1b-of (1981-91)
Father of Mike Marshall, 1b, Franklin HS, El Paso, Texas. Like father, like son. Dad was a 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthanded slugger, while son is listed at 6-foot-5 and 245-pound. He has the same type of righthanded power his dad had when he hit 184 big league home runs and was an all-star in 1984.
5. Scott Fletcher, ss-2b (1981-95)
Father of Brian Fletcher, ss, Starr’s Mill HS, Fayetteville, Ga. Dad was a first-round choice (June, secondary phase) of the White Sox in 1979 and spent 15 years in the majors. He split his time almost equally between shortstop and second base, hitting .262 with 34 homers.
6. Steve Lombardozzi, 2b (1985-90)
Father of Steve Lombardozzi, ss, Atholton HS, Fulton, Md. Dad started for the Twins for two seasons in the mid-80s and helped the Twins to the 1986 World Series title, hitting .412 with a home run.
7. Mickey Mahler, lhp (1977-86)
Father of James Mahler, rhp, Jordan HS, Sandy, Utah. Dad broke into the majors with the Braves when they were pretty much the opposite of what they’ve been the last 15 years. He went just 10-24 in three seasons with the Braves, on his way to a 14-32, 4.68 overall mark in eight seasons. Mickey’s brother, the late Rick Mahler, had much more success, winning 96 games in 13 seasons.
8. Kevin Romine, of (1985-91)
Father of Austin Romine, c, El Toro HS, Lake Forest, Calif. Dad put together the equivalent of one season worth of at-bats (630) from seven years with the Red Sox as a reserve outfielder. Overall, he hit .251 with five homers. Austin’s brother Andrew, a junior shortstop at Arizona State, is also a top prospect in this year’s draft.
9. Jim Paciorek, 1b-3b (1987)
Father of Joey Paciorek, 3b-of, Blaine (Wash.) HS. The Paciorek family’s mark on the big leagues also includes Joey’s uncles Tom and John. Of the three, Tom had the best career, with 18 seasons in the big leagues including an All-Star Game appearance in 1981. Father Jim, a University of Michigan All-American, played one season, getting 101 at-bats with the Brewers in 1986.
10. Chuck Jackson, 3b (1987-94)
Father of Justin Jackson, ss, T.C. Roberson HS, Asheville, N.C. Dad played in 82 big league games, mostly with the Astros in the late 80s, and four of those at shortstop. The odds are that his son, a projected first-rounder, will collect a few more shortstop chances than Dad did.
-- David Rawnsley
 
Monday, February 12th, 2007
There are 46 Division I colleges that play basketball but don’t play baseball. Here are the 10 most prominent Division I schools that don’t field baseball teams, and their conference affiliations.
 
Top 10 Division I Schools Without Baseball
1. Colorado (Big 12)
2. Oregon (Pacific-10)
3. Wisconsin (Big 10)
4. Syracuse (Big East)
5. Tulsa (Conference USA)
6. Iowa State (Big 12)
7. Texas-El Paso (Conference USA)
8. Boise State (Western Athletic)
9. Marquette (Big East)
10. Southern Methodist (Conference USA)
-- Allan Simpson