Dodger Chatter: Dodgers Pick Off John Rooney
Left-hander John Rooney made his third appearance of the 2018 season on Monday night, the first in the Class A Midwest League. Rooney was a bit surprisingly selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. The 6’5”/235-pound native of Melrose, New York attended Hoosie Valley High School in Schaghticoke where he posted a 35-0 win-loss record. That is not a typo. Following graduation he
Left-hander John Rooney made his third appearance of the 2018 season on Monday night, the first in the Class A Midwest League.
Rooney was a bit surprisingly selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft.
The 6’5”/235-pound native of Melrose, New York attended Hoosie Valley High School in Schaghticoke where he posted a 35-0 win-loss record. That is not a typo.
Following graduation he headed off to Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. His first two seasons with the Pride were rather pedestrian. However, in his junior year he definitely caught the attention of the college baseball nation. He went 8-2 with a 1.23 ERA along 108 strikeouts in 95 innings over 13 starts in 2018. He threw three complete games and two solo shutouts, while holding opposing batters to a .166 average. His ERA topped the Division I Colonial Athletic Association and ranked second in the nation.
His 2018 college season was rewarded by a Second Team All-America selection by Baseball America and a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third Team All-America selection as well as being named the CAA Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, he was named a semifinalist for the Baseball Golden Spikes Award. which is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. California Golden Bears junior Andrew Vaughn was named the 2018 Golden Spikes Award winner on June 28.
As mentioned John Rooney might have been a bit of a surprise as a third round selection but not to those around him, including himself. The big left-hander was simply following a dream.
“You dream your whole life to play for a big-league organization and to get that chance to play the game you love on the professional level,” he said. “I’m that guy from a small upstate area that Hofstra believed could compete in Division I. And having the opportunity to learn from a great pitching coach for the last three years really helped me develop into a prospect.”
His coach at Hofstra spoke to Rooney’s character.
“I am very excited for John and his family,” said Hofstra Coach John Russo. “John is a special player and an outstanding person. He is extremely coachable, improved every year at Hofstra and is ready to show what he can do at the next level. I look forward to following his progress with the Dodgers.”
Billy Gasparino, the Director of Amateur Scouting was unusually succinct in his assessment of Rooney.
He said he liked Rooney’s “pitchability and deception, with the stuff to go with it.”
Scouting reports go into a bit more detail than Billy Gasparino.
Axcess Baseball Scouting Report:
He has an extremely smooth and repeatable delivery, reminiscent of former Major Leaguer Jeff Francis. He begins his windup with his hands held high covering his face. He takes a big step back as he enters his delivery. He lands slightly closed which makes him deathly on left-handed hitters and forces righties to get on top of the plate to neutralize his natural tail. Additionally, he has a very long arm circle similar to Madison Bumgarner. This adds even more deception, hitters would much rather prefer a traditional look from the pitcher.
Baseball America
Rooney’s fastball can reach 93 mph and he also throws an above-average slider that comes across in the low to mid-80s. He does well throwing both pitches for strikes and shows at least average control.
It’s hard to argue with Rooney’s results as a junior, so if a team believes in his ability to find an average third pitch he could go off the board higher than his ranking suggests.
MLB Pipeline
The 6-foot-5 left-hander has really come into his own as Hofstra’s Friday night starter this spring, using a three-pitch mix to carve up opponents in the Colonial Athletic Association. He’ll throw his fastball in the 87-93 mph range, using his size well to create good downhill plane. His slider flashes plus with good bite, a pitch that has improved over time, even from his stint in the Cape Cod League last summer until now. He’ll effectively mix in an average changeup with some fade as well, and he’s thrown all three pitches for strikes.
Rooney made his professional debut with the Arizona League Dodgers on June 21st pitching two scoreless innings on one base hit and one hit batter. He struck out four and picked off both runners allowed at gain first base.
He pitched three scoreless innings in his second AZL appearance allowing one hit and walking one batter. As Yogi would say, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”, as Rooney again picked off both runners he had allowed to get to base. He struck out three.
On Monday evening John Rooney took the mound for the Loons against the Lake County Captains on a three inning or 50-pitch count. The three innings came first with only 35 pitches thrown, 20 of them strikes. During his three innings of work he induced five ground balls, walked one hitter, gave up a single and struck out none, yet he faced the minimum of nine Captains. Both Lake County hitters to reach base were promptly picked off first base.
Perhaps his opponents haven’t read his college resume in which it is noted that he picked off 17 base runners in his junior year at Hofstra.
During the game Loons play-by-play announcer indicated that Rooney, even though he is 6’5’’ tall, has good sink on his pitches and he pounds the lower part of the strike zone.
The Loons on the evening were once again locked in a pitcher’s battle going to the eighth inning with a scoreless tie and breaking up the no-hitter with a Drew Avans single in the seventh inning. To that point Captains starter Jean Meija had struck out 10 Loons.
In the eighth inning the Loons broke the tie on a Deacon Liput sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. They tacked on two more runs in the ninth inning on a Romer Cuadrado double.
On the mound left-handers Bryan Warzek and right-hander Sven Schueller followed Rooney allowing no runs. Warzek struck out six of the 10 hitters he faced. Twenty-five year old left-hander Darien Nunez pitched the final two innings wiggling out of a jam in the ninth with the aid of a runner being hit by a batted ball. Schueller was credited with the 3-0 win.
To recap, to date in his professional career John Rooney has allowed six runners to reach first base. He has picked off all six.
Photo Credit: Hofstra Athletics
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (134)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Once Justin Turner returns, who is the odd man out. Utley, Hernandez, Barnes, Pederson, or Taylor. I feel Utley will go on the DL
Here is a good run down of July trades showing winners and losers.
Open on www.cbssports.comhttps://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-trade-deadline-winners-and-losers-dodgers-and-pirates-come-up-big-nationals-and-mets-fall-flat/Brian Dozier has had better 2nd halves the last 2 years:
‘
2017: .304/.394/.591, 21hr, 52rbi
2016: .291/.344/.646, 28hr, 56rbi
‘
Wow keep that going buddy!
From Pedro Moura:
GM Farhan Zaidi said the Dodgers are considering “unconventional” approaches to their late-season starting pitching. By Sept. 1, they could have nine capable pitchers stretched out for several-inning stints: Kershaw, Hill, Wood, Buehler, Maeda, Stripling, Urías, Ryu, Ferguson.
Dodgers to rest of nl: #sendmelocation
Starting to hear the Belli Birds calling for Cody B to take a vay cay at Rancho Cucamunga for a week or so. He has been striking out alot lately. With Dozier in the lineup, do you guys think they ought to send him down for a reset?
Billinger is lost since the 2017 WS
Dozier has been on the FAZ wanted list for some time. And why not? He fits in the Dodgers mold of good power and not so good batting average. His has an OBP of .305. His slugging is the lowest it has been since his rookie year (2012). All of his slash lines are below his averages. Hopefully he will have a much better 2nd half like he has had the last 2 years. Otherwise while he may be an improvement over Forsythe, is he really better than Kike’? Is he better than CT3?
.
John Axford? Why? I heard one pundit say that the Dodgers needed to move Corey Copping because he will be Rule 5 draft eligible. So what!! He was not going to be protected, and if he is signed good for him. But Axford was meaningless to that scenario. Neither will be with the Dodgers next year, and if the trade was not made, maybe the Dodgers keep Copping. Makes no sense. Now FAZ also has to eliminate someone from the 40 man. If what FAZ was looking for was a RHRP with an ERA of 4.41 and a WHIP of 1.255 why not just bring up Ariel Hernandez who is already on the 40 man. This just looks like a trade for a reliever to make a trade for a reliever, but it certainly did nothing to improve the bullpen. Unless the MLB guys are right, and the Dodgers’ pitching coaches found a flaw they can correct.
.
In summary the Dodgers got a 2B who is better than Forsythe, marginally better than Kike’, but not as good as CT3 (except with strikeouts). And a reliever I have no idea what they are going to do with.
.
The two biggest areas of need…strong late inning high leverage relief is still missing, and there is still a glut of OF, leaving Verdugo and Toles remaining in OKC until September 1. This team is marginally better than it was yesterday, depending on who goes out when Axford comes in. The Axford replacement may negate any improvement at 2B.
.
All the while, the addition of Andriese, Ziegler, and Diekman, improves the DBacks bullpen. Escobar improves the DBacks 3B.
.
Schoop significantly improves the Brewers at 2B (over Villar), Moustakis improves them at 3B somewhat, and Soria improves the bullpen. But they still have Arcia at SS, and Hernan Perez now goes to the bench. Does Travis Shaw become the SS when Schoop comes in???? They needed a SS. I am not sure that there is any improvement in the defense.
.
For the Braves, I am not sure that Duvall is an improvement over Culberson. Maybe powerwise. He used to be a decent fielding LF. Brach and O’Day are mediocre relievers, but they still may be better than who they are replacing. Gausman is an unknown. He was not very good for Baltimore this year with a 4.43 ERA, 4.58 FIP, and a 1.379 WHIP. But he is only 27 and has had a couple of decent years with the O’s. Gausman is not as good as most of the kids they have coming up, so if he cannot help in 2018…why???
.
The Cubs are an unknown. Kintzler is a better reliever than Axford, and Hamels we will have to wait and see. But he is a veteran with good post season #’s.
.
I am not sure that the Phillies improved. I think I would rather have Hernandez and Franco over Cabrera, so if there is going to be any improvement, Cabrera is going to need to replace Kingery at SS. Offensively sure, but not defensively.
.
I am not sure what the Pirates are doing. Kela was a good pickup, but they should have stopped there. The Pirates are not going to win the Central or WC this year and they got rid of their future with Meadows and Glasnow for a pitcher on the decline, but with a good contract. Whoopee. Archer no way comes close to replacing Cole. They should have just continued with their rebuild. I think Archer is waaaaay overrated.
.
The Cardinals are setting up for next year. The Giants and Nats are totally in limbo with the Nats in the luxury tax penalty, and the Giants may be as well when the season is over. They are currently projected to be over. Rockies ?????? Oh, that’s right.
.
This season boils down to Manny (best addition in the trade deadline), a healthy Ryu/Urias/Fields/Cingrani (BIG IF), starting pitchers who will have to go to the bullpen (probably not happy about it). The complaints have already started. They will also need to have big second halves from Dozier/Belli/CT3/JT and will need to have Muncy and Kemp continue to offset any of the questions in the bullpen and starting pitching. This is not 2017 where they had a 14 game lead going into August. Not a lot of room for error.
Dozier/kike flip a coin. Axford…..what, as I said earlier addition by subtraction so subtract Forsythe. Dozier could get hot but chances are in a new league, trying to impress to get a contract, maybe he can hit a few homers. The D-Backs did well. They seem to make good additions without giving up much. Hamels could really help the cubs or not. I have read where the brewers plan on playing Schoop at ss. It seems to me they may have compromised their inf defense. The nats might be relieved to be past the deadline. Murphy with 2 homers look out if they get it going. Giants done!
Btw with Miley pitching tonight where is van slyke when you need him?
Deacon liput with 2 hrs tonight playing ss for great lakes.
Btw if you can’t score off wade Miley at home in a division race I don’t know what to say. Maybe last week you hadn’t seen him but you come back and get worse. You could catch this guy barehanded. How long can you put up with Taylor and bellinger striking out over and over. I guess they are unable to adjust because it has to be embarrassing. I used to watch Javier Baez swing at some of the worst pitches ever thrown and he has overcome it. But Taylor and bellinger can’t hit strikes much less bad pitches.
CT3 #7 in baseball with K’s. Bellinger is just 3 K’s outside the top 10 in baseball. A team might survive one position player suffering from such poor contact rate but with two in the top 11 in all of baseball might be the reason our offense sucks in RISP.
Can Machado, JT and Dozier make a difference? Lets hope so, becuase Bellinger and CT3 are what their stats say they are.
Yelich should have been a Dodger.
Did Chargois have a talk with John Rooney?
–
Can these Dodgers please score some runs? This is frustrating.
3 game losing streak. I don’t like this feeling
Dodgers’ all or nothing approach hurts them when it’s nothing. This team can’t manufacture a run to save its life.
–
i agree with everything AC wrote above. Dodgers’ main need was 8th inning guy.
–
Going forward, they need someone who can get on base and put the bat on the ball. Maybe Verdugo will be that guy but then there’s the OF glut that AC mentioned. They have to fix that.
Lux promoted to tulsa. Goes out with bang in blowout win. Double and triple. Santana and wong also homer.
Who did the Dodgers move to make room for Axford? Machado must be influenced by CT3 & Cody. He is striking out more than I would have expected & some on really bad pitches.
It is really frustrating to watch the Dodgers this year. Last year you knew somebody would come through to win a game. This year it looks like nobody wants to win a game. Beuhler pitched a great game.
–
These trades yesterday did not help. The only thing you can hope for is Dozier has a good August and September.
–
Our two best outfielders may be sitting at AAA.
–
We need Turner badly.
Is there someway to take me out of “comments waiting moderation?”
Haha the nationals are the gift that keeps on giving. Maybe dusty Baker wasn’t the problem after all.