Dawsonville, GA – With the seventh pick of the Free Agent Draft, Dawsonville selected shortstop Snake Miller of St Charles. “We decided to go with Miller because we anticipated losing [SS Clint] Barmes fairly early,” team owner Gray Ulery announced to the Atlanta area reporters covering the draft.
Ulery’s fears were unfounded as pitcher Jack Blair was taken by Aberdeen three picks later allowing the 9ers to retain the power-hitting Barmes. “While we’re sad to see Jack go, we do wish him well in Aberdeen. Keeping Clint in Dawsonville will keep our offense potent,” said Ulery. Barmes had an sub-par season in 2016, mostly due to a lingering injury that hurt his performance for almost two months. He has fully recovered and is projected to post record numbers in 2017. Adding Miller gives the 9ers another top of the order threat and allows Barmes to move to the DH spot.
What Miller’s selection does not address is Dawsonville’s problems on the mound. With only David Tinsley and David Price expected to be solid starters, the rotation is considered weak at best. Yasuhiko Yabuta’s sophmore season and Ryan Franklin’s rookie year were disappointments, leaving major questions about the 9er bullpen. Expect Ulery to look for any viable arm that still remains in round two.
As players continue to be pulled out of the draft at a record pace, the question of what pitchers will be available has to weigh heavily on Ulery’s mind. A specific question he must consider is the future of Sap Pfeffer, if the enigma is still available when the 9ers are once again on the clock. The independent Virtual Players Sporting Group continues to see the screwballer as a top pitcher in the league. Unfortunatly Pfeffer has never lived up to his hype, sporting a 21-43 record and a 5.64 ERA over five seasons, and with the new league rules coming into effect, is expected to have another disappointing year.
