Latest news with #ScottHunter
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mariners pick LSU left-hander Kade Anderson with No. 3 pick
Saying that the Seattle Mariners' first-round draft pick was the best-case scenario for the organization would be an understatement, according to vice present of amateur scouting Scott Hunter. The Mariners used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday to take LSU left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson. Advertisement 'Kade was ranked pretty much No. 1 on all our boards coming into this draft,' Hunter told media shortly after the pick was made. Daniel Kramerreported on social mediaAnderson has agreed to terms on an $8.8 million singing bonus, which is $704,000 under the slot value for the third pick. Anderson, 21, was the No. 2 player in MLB Pipeline's draft prospect rankings. He features a four-pitch mix with a fastball in the mid-90s, a plus changeup, slider and curveball. The southpaw went 12-1 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 180 strikeouts over 119 innings while helping LSU win the College World Series as a sophomore this season. Advertisement Anderson's efforts included a dazzling 130-pitch, three-hit shutout during Game 1 of the College World Series against Coastal Carolina. He was named Most Outstand Player at the CWS. 'Just being able to watch him in the College World Series at the end – I was actually on a flight coming back from the combine – I think that was like a moment for us that said, man, even when he doesn't have his best stuff, he can find a way to get you,' Hunter said. 'Because the first inning or two didn't really go the way he wanted, and then we look up and he's in the ninth inning winning.' Anderson is projected as a prospect who won't need a lot of time in the minors before reaching the majors. 'I think his stuffs there, but more importantly, his command and his control,' Hunter said. Advertisement Anderson's personality also stood out to the scouting department as one that would match the organization's philosophies. 'When I met with him and (assistant general manager) Andy (McKay) met with him on separate occasions, that was the biggest thing for him – understanding that his job is to take the ball and pitch as long as he can,' Hunter said. 'To hear things like that remind you of some of the guys that we have in our clubhouse already.' Anderson had Tommy John surgery as a high school junior in 2022 and missed his senior season, but that wasn't a concern for the M's. 'Sometimes you almost – I don't want to say it's in a negative way – you're almost glad that it's out of the way because pitchers these days, eventually someone's going to have to have it,' Hunter said. 'Especially these guys that have thrown so hard and they're doing it at such a high level. But really what made us comfortable with this pick was not because he had the surgery, it's more about how his body moved with how he pitched and the ability for him to use his stuff in so many different ways. Advertisement 'It wasn't just so power-oriented. He's got power to his stuff, but also he's kind of got that clean delivery that can throw a ton of strikes.' Anderson is the highest draft pick by the Mariners since taking catcher Mike Zunino third overall in 2012. High school shortstop Eli Willits went with the No. 1 overall pick to the Washington Nationals and UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremmer with the second pick to the Los Angeles Angels. Seattle landed the third pick in this year's draft after an incredible stroke of luck during when they jumped up 12 spots during the draft lottery in December. The Mariners also hold picks No. 35 (comp round A), No. 57 (second round) and No. 91 (third round) on Sunday. The draft concludes Monday with rounds 4-20.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After 30 years, Bedford tries again for a new fire station
Jan. 26—In the firefighting and emergency response world, time equals lives. And Bedford Fire Chief Scott Hunter hopes the time is finally right for a new fire station. Although Bedford has prioritized building a second fire station for more than 30 years, voters have slid the idea to the back burner to put out more pressing financial needs. This year, Hunter said he hopes voters see the value of passing a scaled-down, $8.9 million project that would cut his department's response time in half to a part of the town that averages 29% of emergency calls. At a public hearing last week, town councilors unanimously voted to put the project on the ballot for the Feb. 3 deliberative session and March 11 election. The board also recommended passing Warrant Article 3 to fund the project, 6-1. "The calls that might keep the fire chief up at night would be considered target hazards, and I would consider one of our target hazards to be multi-family, multi-level residences," Hunter said. "Many of them have 36 units a piece, and we have limited labor resources. So, yes, a quicker response time equals life-saving measures." Last year, voters rejected a $36.5 million combined police and fire complex. With only 38% of voters voting for it, the proposal fell about 850 votes shy of the required 60%. This year, Bedford officials are asking voters to approve bonding $8.2 million and using $700,000 the town already has in a capital reserve fund for the building. The estimated tax impact of the project is about 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value in 2026, or a little more than $100 per year for the owner of a house assessed at $600,000 until the bond would be paid off in 2035. If approved, the new station would be built at 300 South River Road, an area separated from most of the town by the F.E. Everett Turnpike and sandwiched next to the Merrimack River, making access difficult because of the heavy traffic in the area and zero secondary roads leading to that part of South River Road. "This proposal was put together with a lot of thought," said Jeanne Walker, Bedford's assistant town manager and director of strategic initiatives. "It's right-sized for what we need, and it is being brought back to the voters because it is what we need. We need some additional deployment area from that part of town. We're getting large volumes of calls. We've got long-care facilities, health care facilities, all of that in the area and there's a lot of call volume." That area is home to elderly living developments, apartment complexes, industrial businesses, warehouses and athletic facilities. And the state is already proposing an estimated $26.7 million overhaul of the road, which is also known as Route 3. Walker and Hunter said better response times are often the difference between life and death for residents in the densely populated area. "It's also where a lot of our future development is," Town Councilor Kathleen Bemis said. "If you look at what's coming before the Planning Board, the housing complexes, the apartment complexes that are being built are in that area. It meets that need, as well as the businesses and the employers who are taxpayers to Bedford, we need to address the needs of everybody." Since Bedford's Safety Complex was built in 1994, the town's population has ballooned by 90%, and calls have increased by 219%. Every town of comparable population in New Hampshire has multiple stations. Bedford still has one station that covers nearly 33 square miles. Londonderry, Merrimack, Hudson and Keene are all similar to Bedford in population and square miles. Londonderry and Hudson have three fire stations. Merrimack and Keene have two each. Hunter said the new fire station would meet the community's needs for at least the next 30 years. Bedford's town deliberative session is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 3 in the Bedford High School auditorium. Voting on ballot measures and town/school elections is March 11. dpierce@
