Dirtbags Baseball - Long Beach State 49ers

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Thursday, July 07, 2005

Former Dirtbag Kenny Maiques Signs With Cardinals

Kenny Maiques played his freshman year (2004) at Long Beach State. For 2004-2005 he transferred to Rio Hondo Community College, and had committed to play for the Univ. of South Carolina next year. Selected 30th in the 37th round (1,130 overall) of the 2005 Major League Draft by St. Louis, Kenny has signed with the Cardinals.

Here's the scouting report Baseball America had on him (no link, paid area):

Young and undersized on a Long Beach State staff that included Jered Weaver, Jason Vargas and Cesar Ramos - all first - and second-round talents - Maiques pitched sparingly as a freshman in 2004, with an 8.18 ERA in 12 appearances. After showcasing a 95 mph fastball in the Alaska League last summer, he planned to return to the Dirtbags but at the last minute elected to enroll at Rio Hondo Junior College. His timing couldn't have been better. He has been the most dominant junior college pitcher in the country, and now he's eligible to be drafted. He pitched seven-inning perfect games three weeks apart, fanning 17 and 14 in those games, and went a stretch of 49 innings without giving up an earned run. He led California juco pitchers with a 0.66 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 82 innings, while walking just 16. Maiques has two above-average pitches: a 91-94 mph fastball that touches 96 and a power slider. He also has been working on a curve, but hasn't used it much as he relies on his slider almost exclusively as his breaking pitch. The big knock on Maiques is his size. Though he's strong and in excellent shape, his frame probably will keep him out of the first two rounds.

There's no indication yet where Kenny will be assigned, though it is likely that he will be sent to either the Johnson City Cardinals in the Rookie level Appalachian League, or the New Jersey Cardinals in the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League.

Update: Kenny will be assigned to the Johnson City Cardinals, on rehab from "Tommy John" surgery. Here's the story from the St. Louis Cardinals website:

The St. Louis Cardinals today announced the signings of 37th-round draft pick Kenneth Maiques ... to [a] minor league [contract].

Maiques is a right-handed pitcher who pitched at Rio Hondo Community College in Whittier, CA, and was recently named the 2005 Southern California Pitcher of the Year by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association. He just turned 20 years of age on June 25 and will begin his professional career rehabbing at Johnson City (A) as he works his way back from "Tommy John" surgery.

posted on 7/07/2005 by Jeff Agnew

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