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	Monday, November 13
	J.R. House By John Sickels Special to ESPN.com
	REPORT FILED: NOVEMBER 13 My, it has certainly been an, uh, "interesting" couple of days for our Constitutional Republic, hasn't it? Let's hope we can manage to keep things civilized over the next few days (or weeks), whoever emerges as the "winner." I put that in quotations because I don't see how either Bush or Gore is going to have an easy time governing, whichever way this breaks. Too bad we don't have "do-overs" in elections. Well, let's relax for a bit and turn to less important but less stressful subjects: baseball prospects. If the Pittsburgh Pirates end up losing Jason Kendall to free agency or are forced to trade him, here's the man they eye as his eventual replacement: J.R. House. J.R. House Pittsburgh Pirates Position: C Height: 6-2 Weight: 215 Born: 11/11/79 Bats: Right Throws: Right Year Team Level G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS BA OBP SLG 1999 GCL Pirates R 33 113 13 37 9 3 5 23 11 23 1 0 .327 .394 .593 1999 Willimsprt A 26 100 11 30 6 0 1 13 9 21 0 1 .300 .358 .390 1999 Hickory A 4 11 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 .273 .273 .273 2000 Hickory A 110 420 78 146 29 1 23 90 46 91 1 2 .348 .414 .586 House was drafted in the fifth round in 1999. He played high school baseball in Florida, but was a star quarterback in high school in West Virginia. His family commuted back and forth to help his two-sport career (I don't know which state they vote in). House decided to go with baseball full-time after he was drafted, and so far it looks like he made the right decision. House is extremely strong, with terrific bat speed. His swing isn't perfect, but it's very forceful, and the ball jumps off his bat. House has fairly good control of the strike zone. He doesn't strike out much for a power hitter, and while his walk rate is adequate, it isn't outstanding. I expect he'll draw more walks as he advances and gets more experience. If he continues to hit over .300 every year, his current walk rate will be more than enough to give him strong on-base percentages. House played well after he signed last year, and did exceptionally well with Hickory in the South Atlantic League in 2000. He missed a month of the season with mononucleosis, which cost him a shot at the Triple Crown. His OPS was the best in the Sally League. He showed few weaknesses at the plate, and every observer expects him to continue hitting for both power and average as he moves up. As you might expect from a former quarterback, House has strong personality traits and leadership skills. He works hard, is bright, and charismatic, making him an ideal field general behind the plate. He may not remain at catcher, however, since his footwork isn't very good. His arm is strong but not accurate, and while House is a good athlete, he isn't especially agile. His lack of running speed is one of his few flaws. Some people believe that House will eventually end up at first base, but you can bet that the Pirates will leave him behind the plate as long as possible, hoping he can improve his defense sufficiently. Either way, J.R. House is one of the best hitters in the minor leagues. Mailbag question Bruce C. writes: What's the long-term prognosis for Matt LeCroy as a catcher compared to Michael Barrett? Both LeCroy and Barrett have been the victim of poor decision-making by their organizations. LeCroy was rushed to the majors last year, and not surprisingly he struggled with the bat. Some scouts were also concerned that people on the Twins coaching staff had tinkered with his formerly powerful swing and were trying to turn him into a singles hitter. That's not his style. Defensively, LeCroy draws mixed reviews. Tom Kelly praised his defense several times in the spring, but by fall they were using him at first base. Frankly, I don't know what's going to happen with him. As for Barrett, he kept getting jerked back and forth between catcher and third base. No wonder he looked confused all year. They are apparently going to stick with him at catcher for now. I expect that Barrett will eventually emerge as a .280-.310 hitter, with 15 homers a year. LeCroy should show more power, but probably a lower batting average, assuming that Kelly doesn't turn his bat into Matt Walbeck's. John Sickels is the author of the STATS 2000 Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can email your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com.		ALSO SEE Down on the Farm archive