One more free night, one more list of 5.
Hee-Seop Choi – Round 45, pick 2 of the 2007 CPL draft. Signed for $1.2 mil in 1999 by the Cubs, Choi was a top prospect in the league from 2000 to 2003 (#77, #22, #40 & #22). Upon his graduation in 2003 he was considered the future of 1B in Chicago and proceeded to be slightly above average for 245 PAs before colliding with Kerry Wood concussing his way to the IL and evidently was considered a lost cause. For the Marlins in 2004 he was very good, so good the Dodgers traded for him (and Brad Penny) just before the deadline. He scuffled for the rest of the season, bounced back in 2005 for a slightly above average line before being usurped by Garciaparra and a managerial change in LA. Signed by Boston the next off season, he toiled through another injury riddled season in AAA, signed with Tampa the next off season and opted to return to his homeland once he was told he would not be making the 40 man roster ensuring he would never take an AB in the CPL. Over the next 9 years he would alternate between injury shortened seasons with his hometown team and winning accolades as one of the best hitters in the KBO. Finally succumbing to injuries at the age of 36, Choi retired from baseball for good. He would broadcast for another few seasons before returning to his hometown team again as a coach, where he is still employed today (https://grokipedia.com/page/Hee-seop_Choi).
Jason Stokes – Round 47, pick 8 of the 2007 CPL draft. Round 2, pick 1 (41 overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2000. At his peak was named Minor League player of the year by two different publications in 2002. By 2007 he had retired due to chronic back, hand and groin injuries, having peaked at nearly 400 PA in AAA between 2005 and 2007. Three years later he would mount a comeback effort with the Tigers and the Grand Prairie AirHogs before once again hitting the DL due to a groin injury and retiring for good. Since then, who can say. No reports of coaching, broadcasting, or running a church. We can only dream about where Stokes is now.
Kasey Kiker – Round 48, pick 3 of the 2007 CPL Draft. Round 1, pick 12 by the Texas Rangers in the 2006 MLB draft. Ranked a top prospect in the Rangers organization from 2007 to 2010 (#7, #7, #19 and #6). That came to a crashing halt in 2010 as he posted an ERA over 7 and more walks than strikeouts in 40 IP split between starting and relief in AA. Demoted to high A in 2011, he would put up horridly similar numbers in relief before being let go and allowed to try his hand on the independent circuit. After throwing 17 (!) walks in 6.2 IP in indy ball he called it quits for good as yips took yet another victim in this cruel cruel sport. And that’s about it. A couple articles about being released by the Rangers and multiple articles debating whether or not to keep his Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Kasey_Kiker)), at least twice (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Kasey_Kiker_(2nd_nomination)). The consensus seems to be to keep his page because there aren’t enough pages about players who are really really bad.
Koby Clemens – Round 48, pick 11 of the 2007 CPL draft. Round 8, pick 24 (254 overall) by the Houston Astros in the 2005 MLB draft. The eldest Roger Clemens progeny, he may have been merely drafted in the first place to extend his fathers career (2005 and 2006 played in Houston). Regardless as to how he became a pro, he ranked as a top Astros prospect from 2006 to 2010 (#18, #25, #26 and #20). After starting his career as a third basemen he shifted to catcher due to a lack of lateral agility. I’ll let you read that sentence again. As you might have guessed, he wasn’t any better behind the plate. Additionally, he apparently inherited some of his father’s gusto (https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-453102), but was able to get released from jail after a night of having a bit too much fun. After flailing between C, 3B and his natural position of DH, and despite multiple 20+ HR seasons in the minors was let go by the end of 2011 by Houston, and again in 2012 by Toronto. With little demand in the MLB, he shifted his attention to Indy Ball, playing for the Sugar Land Skeeters, at least in part because it was close to home and he could spend more time with friends and family (https://www.ctpost.com/sports/article/Sons-come-first-for-happily-retired-Clemens-4787821.php), including catching one game with his father. Today he works as a spring training instructor for the Astros and runs his own baseball clinic (https://kobyclemensbaseball.setmore.com/). All of which, is likely within driving distance of friends and family.
I will take this moment to acknowledge that while I knew Roger had four sons who each had a name that started with the letter “K” I did not connect it to his propensity for generating Strikeouts during his major league career until it was pointed out quite bluntly in one of the various Koby Clemens articles. Should I have connected the dots earlier? Absolutely. But, at least, now I know.
Ben Harrison – Round 49, pick 1 of the 2007 CPL draft. Round 7, pick 10 (201st overall) by the Texas Rangers in the 2004 MLB draft. Not to be confused with Benjamin Harrison, a pitcher taken in the 44th round two years prior (or the first US president to ever attend an MLB baseball game, 23rd US President Benjamin Harrison), 2007 was the peak of this particular Harrison’s career, coming in as the #17 prospect in the Rangers organization. 2007 would end early due to injuries and under performing when healthy. Despite mashing in AA in 2008, he would fizzle out by 2009. He would play in several independent leagues, including the Mexican Pacific for the next 4 years before halting his career at the age of 31. Little fanfare followed Harrison. If it weren’t for the one year he made the BAs org rankings, I would essentially have nothing to go off of. The only positive note I can end it on is that he is the best Ben Harrison to have played (the other only threw ~100 IP, which weren’t actually that bad, and thus could generate an actual debate if you wanted to go that far).
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