It’s not often that I say this, but Major League Baseball could learn something from the NFL. No, I’m not suggesting that MLB adds two teams, so that both leagues have the same number of teams. I don’t think players should celebrate Chad Johnson-style after hitting a home run or that Major League Baseball should implement an instant replay option for managers. And, no, this isn’t another column about the difference in PED policies between the two leagues.

The National Football Scouting Combine got underway Thursday at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis and I can’t help but wonder why such an event doesn’t exist for baseball. During the five-day period of the combine, potential NFL draft picks will be tested physically, mentally and psychologically. They will be measured, photographed and interviewed. They will have X-rays taken, a urinalysis performed and will be examined by doctors from every team. Last year, Major League teams spent an average of $3.2 million to sign their draft picks…from the first three rounds. The price tag for top draft picks continues to rise and the first few guys selected last year received bonuses exceeding $3 million each. However, some special players, such as the Upton brothers, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, Mark Prior, Jered Weaver, Stephen Drew, Gavin Floyd and Alex Gordon have received bonuses of $4 million, or more. And then there are some not-so-special players, like Joe Borchard, Josh Hamilton, Dewon Brazelton, Bryan Bullington and Eric Munson, who also received huge bonuses and ended up being busts. With escalating price tags for top draft picks, Major League baseball needs to establish a scouting combine as soon as possible. You wouldn’t buy a car without kicking its tires and taking it for a test drive, would you?

Don’t get me wrong, I realize that teams are already “kicking the tires” of kids all over the country, scouting games, tournaments and showcases. But having the opportunity to look at the top 300-400 players – both college players and high school kids – at the same time, in the same environment, would be greatly beneficial. Don’t you think teams would like to watch college hitters like J.P. Arencibia, Matt Mangini, Beau Mills and Matt Wieters alongside high school guys like Josh Vitters, Michael Burgess, Kentrail Davis and Ryan Dent? Wouldn’t teams benefit from getting a look at Vanderbilt’s stud pitching prospect, David Price, and Texas-prep fireballer Blake Beaven on the same day?

Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Alright smart guy, when is this MLB combine going to take place?” And, that’s a valid question. The NFL combine is relatively easy to schedule because college football season ends in early January and the NFL draft isn’t held until late April. Having a five-day scouting workout in late February doesn’t conflict with any other schedules. Baseball, on the other hand, doesn’t have the time between the season ending and the draft, like football. June is insane for a baseball player expecting to be drafted. High school players are finishing up their seasons, graduating and preparing to live away from home for the first time. College players are still playing for their college teams – sometimes even after they’re drafted. Last season, for example, the MLB draft was held on June 6th and 7th, the College World Series took place from June 16th – 26th and short-season ball started in mid June. So, June is out of the question. However, I believe conducting an MLB scouting combine in mid May could work. College games are typically on weekends and, generally, the regular season for high school players wraps up in early May. So, an MLB scouting combine could work out if it was scheduled for a Monday through Thursday in mid May.

Just like the NFL Combine, the players would be able to workout on an invite-only basis, as determined by a panel of experts. Just like the NFL combine, an MLB combine could host 300-400 of the nation’s best high school and college players. This would guarantee that nearly all players selected in the first 10 rounds of the MLB draft would have worked out at the combine. Obviously, you would want to split players into groups by position. Two-way players could choose their preferred position, or do drills for both positions. The drills, however, would obviously vary from those performed at the NFL combine. Here are the drills prospective NFL draft picks have to perform: 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle, three-cone drill, and a 60-yard shuttle and position-specific drills. Understandably, drills at a baseball combine would need to be sport specific. Players could be timed running from home to first and from first to third. Position players could perform agility, footwork drills and fielding drills, so that teams could compare footwork, range, agility, hands, arm strength and accuracy. As hitters, they could hit in cages, having their swings taped so that teams could review their swing mechanics leading up to the draft. They could have their bat speed measured, as well as having their reflexes and eyes tested. Pitchers could have taped bullpen sessions so that teams could compare the stuff and mechanics of the young pitchers. There could also be games, so that you could see all the best players playing against each other and using wood bats. Talk about a scout’s dream…

On top of the physical drills, players at the NFL combine must also complete interviews, physical measurements, injury evaluations, and a drug screen – all things I believe would be beneficial for potential MLB draftees, as well. Could the Devil Rays have avoided the Josh Hamilton fiasco if they had psychological tests from the MLB scouting combine? How about the Yankees, with Brien Taylor? Would the Devil Rays still have drafted Elijah Dukes if they had a glimpse of what lie ahead? Pedro Martinez’s special ability is oftentimes partially attributed to the fact that his arms and fingers are especially long for his body. Wouldn’t teams want to have measurements on all players being considered for million-dollar bonuses? Don’t you think teams would want the ability to get an MRI on a kid’s shoulder and elbow before they draft him, rather than the time between drafting the player and negotiating their contract? What about a urine test to determine if potential draft picks have been using steroids or narcotics?

And then, of course, NFL combine participants have the Cybex test, which tests the flexibility and joint movement of each prospect, and the infamous Wonderlic Test, which is similar to an IQ test. For the Wonderlic, players get 12 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questions. Many people consider the Wonderlic to be irrelevant, but I disagree. It’s certainly not the be-all, but, all else being equal, would you want a player who knows that 21x4 is 84, or one that doesn’t?

If I were the scouting director for a Major League team, I would want all the information I could get when considering which players I would be willing to draft and sign to multi-million dollar contracts. Beer and tacos! This is why I think Major League Baseball should set up a scouting combine. I know that baseball is slow to adapt changes, and sometimes that’s a good thing. But this change would certainly be for the better of the game and should be put into action as soon as possible.

Sorry this is a little late, I’ve been busy writing a long post about how MLB should implement a scouting combine. It will be up a few minutes after this is posted…

David Wright talking about his baseball glove


A fan filming Stephen Drew at the AAA All-Star Game


Some cool footage from a Braves v. Indians game in 1948. Bob Feller vs. Warren Spahn (not shown), but it does show Satchel Paige pitching in mopup duty…


Joey Nietzer is a pitcher coached by BP’s Will Carroll. Here he is, supposedly throwing a gyroball…


Don't try to snag a foul ball away from Carlos Delgado!

While many people have been talking about how much they dislike the new Diamondbacks uniforms or how ugly the new style of batting practice (and, therefore, Spring Training) hats are, they’re nothing compared to some of the wretched uniforms teams have worn in the past. I started looking through the Hall of Fame’s “Dressed to the Nines” online exhibit to find the 10 Worst Baseball Uniforms ever. Here they are, in chronological order…

1) The 1916 New York Giants & Brooklyn Dodgers

They almost get a free pass because it was 1916, but upon further inspection, no other teams from that era look like they were dressed in tablecloths…

2) 1963 Kansas City Athletics

Yikes! Are they a professional baseball team or the Mountain Dew company softball squad? Yellow tops are bad enough, but yellow pants, too?

3) Baby Blue

Just like yellow, no team should take the field wearing baby blue. Started by (surprise, surprise) the 1964 Chicago White Sox, this unfortunate trend cursed more Major League teams than Miguel Cairo. Throughout the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, the Expos, Phillies, Cadrinals, Braves, Mariners, Brewers and Rangers were all guilty of taking the field in pastels. Who do you think should wear baby blue? That’s right…babies! Ok, and the Tarheels. And George Brett’s Royals. But, that’s it.

4) The White Sox (1971-1986)

Wow – what a bad stretch! The White Sox had horrendous uniforms for 16-straight seasons. They started in 1971 with red pinstripes at home and baby blue on the road. Then, in 1976, they started wearing horrible throwbacks and even wore shorts for one game – an event that White Sox Interactive dubbed the most embarrassing moment in club history! In 1982, the Sox started dressing like a can of Pepsi and didn’t stop embarrassing themselves until 1987.

5) 1972-1973 Padres
 
Yellow and brown? Not a good combination. Maybe it’s just my immaturity, but that doesn’t remind me of a respectable baseball team, it reminds me of an outhouse. It’s been said that if you look good, you play good. Well, the 1972 and 1973 San Diego Padres went a combined 118-195 under manager Don Zimmer, a man I would never want to see dressed in all yellow.

6) 1975 Houston Astros
 
It’s hot in Houston, so apparently the Astros thought it was a good idea to dress like a popsicle for 10 years.

7) 1976 Indians
 
Speaking of popsicles, teams should not wear red pants. Wait, scratch that…NOBODY should wear red pants! Especially C.C. Sabathia The 1976 Indians had four sets of uniforms and they weren’t all bad. I like the blue uniforms, but the text is bad, the hats are weak and the red is pretty nasty!

8) 1977 Pirates
 
The Pirates lesser-known, “We are ug-a-ly!” team.

9) 1977 Mariners

The 1977 Seattle Mariners picked up right where the ’69 Pilots left off…with horrible uniforms. Now, I know this is double-dipping a little bit, since the M’s were lumped in with the unfortunate baby blue trend, but the early Mariners’ jerseys weren’t ugly simply because of the color. The pitchfork looks really juvenile, but let’s just be thankful that they haven’t ever worn sailor hats…

10) 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
 
I’m sure a lot of money was spent trying to have the Devil Rays debut with a cool-looking jersey. And, it would have been awesome…if they came into the league in 1983. 15 years later, however, their logo doesn’t make them look like a cool baseball team, it makes them look like a bad hair band. Seriously, what’s with the multi-colored lettering? Purple brims on the hats, purple belts and purple stirrups are also unnecessary.

BONUS: Please don’t ever “Turn Ahead The Clock”

In 1999, many teams held a “Turn Ahead The Clock” night, where the teams wore “futuristic” uniforms. As a Mariners fan, I remember hearing that Griffey helped design the uniforms and I remember Butch Huskey faceplanting into the LF wall. The Mets even predicted that in the future, MLB teams would have sponsors listed on their uniforms, like soccer teams or the Bad News Bears. Looking over all of the uniforms, let’s all hope that MLB never turns ahead the clock!

So, what did we learn today, kids? It's simple, really. Don't get too crazy with the color schemes - especially for the pants! Don't use colors that are too bright, but don't use pastels. And, please, don't try to be too hip. Baseball is classic. Let's keep it that way!

Which of these do you think is the worst? Who did I miss? Comment away! Also, if you're interested in reading about uniforms, you need to read UniWatch, because Paul Lukas is amazing!

Wow, I did -not- realize that it's been a month without any content around here! Sorry about that! Luckily, it was during the worst (read: slowest) time of year for a baseball fan. But, now we have pitchers and catchers in Arizona and Florida, and I'm back in business another installment of YouTube Friday a lot of new content planned for the near future.

Jim Thome watching Oprah talking about douching. I wish I could make this up! (Thank you Sox Machine!)


An umpire gets distracted in this old Twix commercial…


Mark Prior speaking at Cubs Convention


I guess if I had to have a root canal, I'd like to have it done at the ballpark…


Cliff Floyd competing for a job in Spring Training…in 1994