From the desk of Kevin Vail
GM, Shin Seiki Evas
Monday, July 2, 2012

To: Mr. Mark Kierstead
GM Seoul Crushers

Dear Mark:

First off, let me congratulate you on a fantastic draft, specifically the first round.  In my eyes, you selected the perfect four players to your organization.  To add not one but two top-flight pitching prospects in Yoshino and Chikafuji is quite a bounty in and of itself, but to nab what many considered the top two positional talents as well in Sato and Chekhemani (who I had very much coveted) could be a franchise-changing haul.  You had a lot riding on that round and I don’t think it could have possible gone any better for you.  Kudos.

But the real reason I am writing you today is not to congratulate you, but to thank you.  It is because of the manner in which you made your top selections that allowed me to do as unexpectedly and exceedingly well as I think that I did.

Specifically, your choosing of Chikafuji at #2 set off a run on pitching that let me get my hands on three of my top 10 targets.  After Chikafuji went #2, Kawaguchi was struck with fear of losing out on desperately needed pitching and thus picked what were, in his eyes, the next two best pitchers: Osawa & Kichida.  After an interlude of four positional picks, Kawaguchi went back to the pitching well again and took Matsuura.  After yet another SP was taken, this time Gato by Edo, I finally had my first pick at #11.

I found myself with the opportunity to take either my #3 target, quasi-LF Ryozo Takeuchi, or my #8 target, catcher Koryusai Kakuta.  Takeuchi’s raw power had my scout fawning, saying that, “[He] has the potential to shatter any number of records.”  But catching prospects with offensive potential like Kakuta has are few and far between, so I decided to take the chance that a likely DH like Takeuchi would continue to fall, though I was very worried about what the Ghosts might do at #12 with Memoto tanking.  When Niihama-shi selected Quezada, I knew I had Takeuchi.  I giddily picked him at #16 and considered my draft a success no matter what else happened.  But much to my surprise, after a few need-based pitching and catching picks that my scout saw as reaches, I found myself with the chance to take my #10 target: the multi-talented Mr. Kenzo Kobayashi.

Overall, I couldn’t be more pleased with my draft, and I owe it all to the skillful way you handled your first round picks and the run on pitching that it caused.  You have my sincere thanks.

Warmest Regards,

Kevin Vail
GM, Shin Seiki Evas