To mark the 10th game in New York, let's take a quick look back at the first nine Futures Games and note the players who really stand out in our memories from each year.

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For a guy who was moved to the mound because he couldn't hit, Brandon Taylor sure is crushing the ball. Two years after the Cubs moved him to the mound to take advantage of his 92-94 mph fastball, Taylor ranked in the top five of the Golden League in most offensive categories. He was hitting .422/.472/.798 with 10 home runs, 11 doubles and only eight strikeouts in 109 at-bats. With numbers like that, and a rediscovered love of the game it's safe to say that Taylor's days as a pitcher are long gone.

Mauricio Matos wraps up busy month in which he helped Clinton reach PSAL semis, got drafted by Royals, received diploma and began rookie ball in Arizona. Sabo/News Wilson Matos Sr. (l.) and Juan Villalon help Mauricio reach majors. Mauricio Matos is

Most baseball players Wilmer Flores' age are enjoying summer ball after their high school seasons, hoping to be seen by a college coach or a pro scout while they worry about facing the pitcher from the next town over. Flores, on the other hand, is getting used to a new culture, facing pitchers who in most cases are several years older than him, and starting his professional career.

The issue of whether swinging at the first pitch is an effective tactic is an interesting one, and not easy to argue with statistics. In addition to being a to-each-his-own sort of strategic dilemma in which you?d expect aggressive hitters to have

We don't get as many first-hand looks at players as the teams do, but we do spend hours upon hours talking to scouting directors, crosscheckers, area scouts and coaches, plus we have additional history (showcases, college performance, summer leagues) to go on. Our Top 200 reflects a consensus of opinion within the industry, and swimming against that tide has been dangerous.

After a very successful homestand, the Chicago White Sox take their act to the road this evening with a visit to Kansas City to battle the Royals in the opener of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. Chicago posted a 4-3 victory over Oakland on

In 2005, shortstop Cale Iorg made a decision most people wouldn't even consider. Iorg, rated at the time as a potential high-round draft pick after a solid freshman season at the University of Alabama, chose to leave school, stop playing baseball and do a two-year church mission in Lisbon, Portugal. Did Iorg, the son of former big leaguer Garth Iorg, worry that 24 months away from the game would derail his own big league dreams?

New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel seems to have rubbed off pretty well on the once-floundering ballclub. The Mets will try to stay the course tonight, when they host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series from Shea Stadium. The