[Hank 91]

It's natural to compare this to Luck's decision to return, but I think Appel is taking a much bigger risk. In general, I think starting pitchers are much more vulnerable and more difficult to develop than starting quarterbacks. For every Ryan Leaf, there are a dozen Mark Priors or Brien Taylors. (Never heard of Brien Taylor? That kind of makes my point.)

Let's look at worst-case scenarios. If Luck had torn an ACL, I bet he still would've been a top-five pick, recovered eventually, and still been just as successful. If Appel blows out his elbow, things are different. Yes, the Tommy John surgery is much better now, as Stephen Strasburg demonstrates, but full recovery is never guaranteed. (All of this, by the way, comes without the benefit of any medical knowledge on my part. I could be wrong.)

Also, assuming that Appel has the potential people say, he could be in the major leagues by next year. Pittsburgh, believe it or not, is a franchise going in the right direction with a core of great young players and prospects on the way. It wouldn't have been a bad place to land.

While this decision is great for Stanford baseball in 2013, I would've advised Appel to take the money and run.

[Hank 91]

It's natural to compare this to Luck's decision to return, but I think Appel is taking a much bigger risk. In general, I think starting pitchers are much more vulnerable and more difficult to develop than starting quarterbacks. For every Ryan Leaf, there are a dozen Mark Priors or Brien Taylors. (Never heard of Brien Taylor? That kind of makes my point.)

Let's look at worst-case scenarios. If Luck had torn an ACL, I bet he still would've been a top-five pick, recovered eventually, and still been just as successful. If Appel blows out his elbow, things are different. Yes, the Tommy John surgery is much better now, as Stephen Strasburg demonstrates, but full recovery is never guaranteed. (All of this, by the way, comes without the benefit of any medical knowledge on my part. I could be wrong.)

Also, assuming that Appel has the potential people say, he could be in the major leagues by next year. Pittsburgh, believe it or not, is a franchise going in the right direction with a core of great young players and prospects on the way. It wouldn't have been a bad place to land.

While this decision is great for Stanford baseball in 2013, I would've advised Appel to take the money and run.