Eric Patterson Demoted After Late Arrival

Fuld is an interesting prospect, if for no other reason than the Cubs drafted him twice, both in 2003 and 2004. In 2003, he was taken by the Cubs in the 24th round out of Stanford as a junior. He chose not to sign and return to Stanford for his senior season in hope of improving his draft status. Upon reentering the draft in 2004, the Cubs selected him in the 10th round.

Fuld majored in economics at Stanford University, from which he graduated in 2004. He was a 4-year starter. He earned All-American honors in each of his first two seasons, and All-Pac-10 honors each of his first 3 seasons. He is Stanford's all-time leader in runs scored and at bats. He broke Stanford's single-season record and paced the Pac-10 with 110 hits during his sophomore campaign. Diving for a ball in his second-to-last game in college, he broke his shoulder and tore his labrum. The injuries forced a full year of rehabilitation.

In 2004, the Cubs drafted him for a second time (in the 10th round) after he turned down their offer in 2003 (after being drafted in the 24th round) to finish his senior year at Stanford.

In 2005 he hit .300 with a .377 obp and 18 stolen bases in 443 at bats for the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League, a Class A league.

In 2006 he hit .300 with a .378 obp and 22 steals in 353 at bats for the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League, a Class A+ league. He was named to the league All-Star team.

Fuld has been one of my favorite Cubs'prospects. Like Ryan Theriot, Fuld does not get a lot of press, but he gets the job done. He is the classic lead-off or two-hole hitter. In 1176 minor league AB, Fuld has a career averages of .296/.377/.418. He has walked 138 times while only striking out 140 times. He has also stolen 51 bases while being caught 17 times. His range in center is plus, but his arm is just average, though considered accurate.

Fuld's biggest knock is being able to stay on the field. According to scouting reports, he doesn't know how to play the game any other way than at full speed ahead. While it is always fun to watch a guy like that, those guys tend to get hurt a lot, and he has missed significant time in both 2006 and 2007.

Scouts say Fuld's game most reminds them of Brett Butler, which is not a bad guy to be compared to in my opinion.