Matchup/Game Thread? at White Sox 7:11 CDT

Chris Sampson	John Danks
5 - 5 3.43	3 - 5, 4.34

OK. I understand that the player's union worked very very hard to obtain the right to appeal all suspensions. And I understand that the Astros are only too happy to use that appeals process to their own best interest.

But what I wanna know is what, exactly, is the basis of Berkman's appeal? He's appealing, so he must think that major league baseball has some of their facts wrong. And I'd guess that he's prepared something of a case on his behalf. But what are the details of this case?

Is he claiming, for example, that his batting gloves actually sprouted wings and flew out of the dugout of their own volition? Is the linchpin of his case his assertion that the bag of equipment seemingly thrust back onto the Coors Field turf was in fact a trick of the lighting?

Or does he maintain that the shadowy player in the warmup jacket on the field in the ninth inning was in fact his stunt double?

I know it's a game they play so that Lance serves his suspension when the team wants him to, rather than when MLB wants him to, but it kind of brings up a good point. What is required of a player to file an appeal? Because it doesn't appear that anything so sophisticated as evidence which calls into doubt a player's guilt is required.

The other thing about this is that the Chicago starter tonight is a lefty. Do you think that if Houston had ended up taking two from Colorado that Berkman might have actually started serving the suspension tonight?

*    *    *    *     No, I don't know anything about our draft picks. But I did want to get a list on site to spark research and discussion for those inclined.

So here goes:

2007 Astros June Draft

Pick	Player	School	Position
111	Derek Dietrich	St Ignatius HS	3B
141	Brett Eibner	The Woodlands HS	RHP
171	Collin DeLome	Lamar U	CF
201	David Dinelli	Sierra JC	RHP
231	David Dixon	Auburn U	2B
261	Chad Bettis	Monterey HS	RHP
291	Luis Pardo	Florida Gulf Coast U	RHP
321	Matthew Cusick	U Southern California	2B
351	Robert Bono	Waterford HS	RHP
381	Brian Pellegrini	St Bonaventure U	3B
411	Chad Jones	Southern Lab School	CF
441	Craig Corrado	U Tampa	RF
471	Matthew Fitts	Lewis & Clark St Col	RHP
501	Devon Torrence	Canton South HS	CF
531	Mason Roberts	Cisco JC	RHP
561	Brian Esperson	Mercyhurst Col	RHP
591	Jonathan Fixler	Indiana U	C
621	Jeffrey Greenwalt	Souderton Area Sr HS	RHP
651	Kyle Miller	Central Florida CC	C
681	Bernard Anderson	U New Orleans	RF
711	Charles Gamble	North Carolina A&T	3B
741	Philip Stringer	Auburn U	SS
771	Kevin Carkeek	Oakland U	C
801	Sal Iacono	Princeton U	C
831	Brett Robinson	Florida Southern Col	RHP
861	Jared Pitts	Stephen F Austin St U	RF
891	Travis Sweet	U Iowa	OF
921	Danny Gil	U Miami	RHP
951	Jason Dominguez	Pepperdine U	RHP
980	David Miller	Stephen F Austin St U	RHP
1009	Cody Phipps	Vauxhall HS	CF
1038	Brian Wabick	Oakton CC	RHP
1067	Jordan Powell	Southern Illinois	RHP
1096	Albert Cartwright	Polk CC	CF
1124	Robert Leonhardt	Stephen F Austin St U	RHP
1152	Robert Weinhardt	Oklahoma State	RHP
1180	Scott Fletcher	Starrs Mill HS	SS
1208	Kyle Erdman	Oakton CC	LHP
1234	Jim Pitkin	Ross S Sterling HS	LHP
1260	Christopher Turner	Brandon HS	OF
1286	Marques Williams	Compton CC	RF
1312	Cat Everett	Tulane U	SS

I do hope to see the young Mr. Dietrich in the booth with JD and Brownie soon.

Update : I've added some links to information about some of the players, and will continue to do so. The hope is that Jeff Sackmann will release some more of his college splits for Day Two guys.

I'll also add signing info as that information becomes available.

Beyond the stuff linked to, I've also found out that our ninth round pick, reliever Luis Pardo, was not only drafted in the 50th round in 2003 by the Brewers, he also went to the same high school as Alex Rodriguez, South Florida's Westminster Christian.

And it looks like our 13th round pick, outfielder Chad Jones, is more interested in playing defensive back at LSU than going to Greeneville for Rookie ball.

Oh, and shortstop Cat Everett appears to be no relation to Adam.