Rookies 2004

08 August 2004    Pitching line = IP H R ER BB SO

    Game action ... INT --  CF Joey Gathright TB 2-3 & 1-4 ... Wilson Betemit ATL 2-4, .282 .. Byung-Hyun Kim BOS 5.0 5 1 1 0 4 ... minor league vet Earl Snyder having an outstanding season in the BOS system, 3-5, 32nd double, 31st homer, 4 RBI (84) ... Jae Seo NYN 4.0 1 0 0 2 5 ... Brandon Phillips CLE 3-4, 26th double, 6th homer, .316 ... Guillermo Quiroz TOR 2-5, 7th homer, 3 RBI ... Jorge De La Rosa MIL 6.0 5 3 3 2 10 ...  no, no-no this time, Tetsu Yofu CHA 5.0 4 4 4 3 4 ...

PCL --  Tim Stauffer SD 6.1 10 0 0 2 6, 5-1, 3.51 & 2-2, double ... Jeremy Reed SEA 2-4, .299 ... Brian Dallimore SF 4-4, 2 walks, .340 ... Clint Barmes COL 2-5, .324 ... John VanBenschoten PIT 5.0 13 6 5 1 2 ... pretty weird line for Jimmy Gobble KC 2.2 10 11 1 1 1 ... breakout, Casey Kotchman ANA 3-5, 2 doubles, homer, 4 RBI, walk, 3 runs, .304 ... 1B Luis Garcia LA 4-5, 20th double, 27th homer, 3 RBI, .317

EASTERN --  Abe Alvarez BOS 5.0 5 3 2 1 1 ... Boof Bonser MIN 7.1 6 3 2 0 4 ... Bryan Bullington PIT 6.2 3 1 1 3 5 ... Nate McLouth PIT, on a nice roll, 3-4, 27th & 28th doubles, 7th homer, 4 runs, 2 RBI (61), .325 ... 1B Brad Eldred PIT 3-4, 2 homers 5 RBI ... Val Majewski BAL 3-4, 22nd double, 15th homer, 4 RBI (77), .308 ... Brian Tallet CLE 2.0 2 0 0 0 4

SOUTHERN --  Glenn Woolard MIL 5.2 0 0 0 3 6, W 4-0, 3.02 ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 3-4 ... Brian Moehler ATL 6.0 4 0 0 1 4 ... Clay Hensley TB 8.0 6 1 1 2 7 ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3B 0-5, K ... Richard Gardner CIN 7.0 6 1 1 2 6, W 2-2, 3.13 ... Scott Kazmir TB 7.0 7 4 3 2 2, L 1-1, 2.25 ... Brian Anderson CHA 2-5, 2 R, HR (4), 3 RBI, K ... Heath Phillips CHA 7.0 4 2 2 0 7, W 9-8 ... John Nelson STL SS 3-3, R, HR (8), 3 RBI, BB ... Clint Narveson STL 7.2 4 0 0 0 9, W 5-10, 4.16

TEXAS --  BAL again reminded of its stupidity in trading Denny Bautista to KC 7.1 4 1 1 3 4 ... 2B Darren Fenster KC 4-4, double, 3 RBI, walk ... Jeff Mathis ANA 14th homer, 2 RBI ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 3-4, double ... Ian Kinsler TEX 2-5, double (45th for the season), .307 ...

CAROLINA --  Tripper Johnson BAL 1-3, BB … Josh Fields CHA 1-4, 2 R, triple, 2 RBI, K … Casey Rogowski CHA 2-3, 3 R, double, HR (16), RBI (71), 2 BB, SB (14) … Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-2, R, BB … Pedro Lopez CHA 1-5, R, 2 K, SB (11) … Rajai Davis PIT 2-5, R, 2 K … Pat Osborn CLE 1-4, BB, 2 K … Mark Saccomanno HOU 0-2, R, RBI (71), 2 BB … Josh Anderson HOU 3-4, BB, 2 SB (23) … Brian McCann ATL 2-4, R, HR (14), 4 RBI (54), K

FLORIDA STATE --  Rick Ankiel STL, optimistic effort, 3.0 2 1 1 0 4 (2 games, 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, zero walks, 7 Ks) but topped by LA newcomer Matt Merricks LA 6.0 3 0 0 0 1 ... Lastings Milledge NYN 2-4, double

CALIFORNIA --  Michael Napoli ANA 2-3, 26th homer, 106th RBI, .299 ... Brad Ziegler OAK 6.0 2 1 1 1 8, 7-1, 3.23 ... Brian Stavisky OAK 2-5, 16th homer, .346

MIDWEST --  golden sombrero Adam Jones SEA 0-5, 4 K's ... Brad Knox OAK 6.0 7 4 4 1 12 (W, 13-4, 2.37) .. Hector Made NYA 2-4, triple (.279) ... a stumble Brandon Harmsen NYA 4.1 6 4 4 1 1 (3.01) ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-5, 15th SB (.273) ... Lou Palmisano MIL 1-3, 4th HR, 2 BB ... Dana Eveland MIL 7.0 7 1 1 0 8 (W, 8-6, 3.02) ... there's a heartbeat Kody Kirkland DET 2-5, double ... Adam Harben MIN 8.0 2 1 1 0 11 (W, 7-6, 2.81) ... Daric Barton STL 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K (.304) ... Chris Lubanski KC 0-3, BB ... start with a sombrero, end with a sombrero Brian Dopirak CHN 1-6, 2 BB, 4 K (.305)

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Adam Boeve PIT, 3-4, homer (24), double, 2 RBI ... Brad Rea PIT, 2-4, double, 2 runs, RBI ... Javier Guzman PIT, 3-5, 3 steals (26) ... Leo Nunez PIT, 6.0 3 2 2 3 1 (3.11) ... Matt Esquivel ATL, 1-1, 2 RBI ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL, 1-4, double, RBI ... Matt Kemp LA, 3-4, homer (16), 2 RBI ... Jonathan Figueroa LA, 6.0 6 0 0 1 7 (W 3-5, 7.43) ... Brandon Moss BOS, 2-4, RBI ... Jeff Fiorentino BAL, 2-4, double, 3 RBI ... Zach Dixon BAL, 4.0 4 4 3 4 3 (2.54) ... Delmon Young TB, 2-4, homer (20), double, RBI ... Caleb Stewart NYM, 3-4, homer (4), RBI ... Javon Moran PHI, 2-4, RBI ... Kory Casto MON, 2-4, homer (11), double, RBI ... Daniel Core, TOR, 7.0 5 3 3 2 2 (W 7-8, 3.79) ... Ian Stewart COL, 2-5, RBI ... Eddy Martinez-Esteve SF, 1-2, 3 walks

APPALACHIAN --  SS Reid Brignac TB's 2nd round pick, in just his 4th pro game, 5-5, triple, .600

NORTHWEST --  Matthew Tuiasosopo SS SEA 2-3, double, error ... Eric Hurley TEX 4.0 2 2 2 0 3 ... 3B Matt Macri COL 1-3, 7th homer, .350 ... AJ Shappi ARZ, remains on phenom path, 8.0 4 1 1 0 7, 0.84 ... Ryan Harvey CHN 10th homer, 30th RBI ...

PIONEER --  Bobby Mosby CIN 1B 2-4, double, 13th homer, walk, 2 RBI (39) ... Seth Smith COL 3-4, double, 2 RBI, .339 ... SS Sean Rodriguez ANA 2-3, .421 ... 3B Billy Butler KC 4-4, homer, .395

ARIZONA -- (Thursday)  Chris Snelling SEA (playing LF) 2-3, triple, 2 runs, 2 RBI, .353 ... again, Matt Bush (.189 in 10 games, 5 errors) SD DNP ... Wilber Perez (switch-hitting 2B) OAK 3-4, 6th double, 5th triple, 10th & 11th SBs, .284 (.394 OBA, 20 walks, 20 Ks in 30 games)

GULF COAST --  (Thursday)  Colin Balester MON 6.0 1 0 0 0 5, 2.13 ... Greg Golson PHI 1st-rounder 1-2, HBP, error, .297

    Troop movements ... STL -- placed RHP Kiko Calero on the DL ... OAK -- placed RHP Kirk Saarloos on the DL, activated RHP Tim Hudson from the DL ... DET -- activated Craig Monroe from the DL ... HOU -- placed Adam Everett on the DL, recalled shortstop Eric Bruntlett from AAA ...TEX -- recalled Rosman Garcia from AAA, optioned pitcher Ryan Snare to AAA ... TOR -- recalled Gabe Gross from AAA ... KC -- placed Matt Stairs on the DL, transferred Juan Gonzalez to the 60-day disabled list; purchased the contract of pitcher Jim Serrano from AA ... COL -- purchased the contract of Jorge Piedra from AAA ...

     Major struggle in AAA for SEA's Travis Blackley :

" ...  Blackley is not the same pitcher he was before going up to Seattle on July 1. Blackley was rocked for eight runs on four homers in 5 2/3 innings ...  It was not just the homers - Blackley also issued five walks. Of his 115 pitches, just 59 were strikes ... the man on the mound at Bricktown Ballpark did not resemble the Travis Blackley who pitched for the Rainiers in April, May, and June. Only the Australian accent seemed authentic. "To me, he's a beat-down young man right now," said manager Dan Rohn of his All-Star left-hander. "He needs to regain that moxie, that confidence that he had before. He's never dealt with failure before. Sometimes, failure is the best medicine." Blackley (7-3) was shipped to Tacoma after going 1-3 with a 10.04 ERA for the Mariners." (Tacoma News Tribune)

    One of KC's latest acquisitions goes right to the DL :

" ... Catcher Justin Huber had an injured left knee when the Royals acquired him last week from the Mets ... Club officials are sufficiently concerned at Huber's injury that they rescinded permission for him to represent his native Australia in the Olympics. Instead, Huber will head to Birmingham, Ala., for further examination by Dr. James Andrews ... “We've been in contact with the Mets,” Baird said. “We don't see this as something that will change the acquisition of the player. (Mets GM) Jim Duquette and I have talked about this.” The injury occurred the night before the trade on a play at the plate. “I blocked a guy at the plate,” Huber said, “and he hit me in my knee. I just thought it was bruised, so I played the rest of the game. The next day, I was traded. It hasn't gotten any better.” Baird declined to speculate on the specifics of Huber's injury pending Andrews' examination. “We should have a better idea by Tuesday,” Baird said. “I'm not going to say he's done for the year,” Baird said, “but he's not going to fly to Greece.” Huber split time this season at Class A St. Lucie, Fla.; Class AA Binghamton, N.Y.; and Norfolk. He batted a combined .270 in 88 games with 13 homers and 44 RBIs." (Kansas City Star)

    One more young gun on the shelf :

" ... The Cubs are being safe rather than sorry and have shut down right-handed pitcher Angel Guzman for the remainder of the season. The contention is that Guzman didn't reinjure himself, but he didn't pitch well in the minors after he missed a start and tried to come back. Rather than risk serious injury, the rehabbing Guzman will abbreviate what had been a hoped-for rebound from his surgery July 8, 2003, to repair a labrum tear." (Chicago Sun Times)

    BJ Upton, with two errors in his three MLB games, has a combined 37 miscues in 92 games, a pace for 65 errors in a full MLB season.

07 August 2004

    Game action ... INT --  Matt Diaz (TB, RF) 2-3, R, BB, SB ... rehab, Craig Monroe (DET, RF) 1-4, 2B, R ... rehab, Austin Kearns (CIN, RF) 2-5, RBI ... Dustin Moseley (CIN) 6.0 6 3 3 3 6 ... Terry Tiffee (MIN, 3B) 2-4, 8th HR, R, 4 RBI ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, CF) 1-3, R, Sac ... Scott Baker (MIN) 6.2 7 3 3 2 5 ... Tim Raines Jr (BAL, CF) 2-2, R, BB, Sac, 2 SB ... Brandon Phillips (CLE, SS) 3-5, 2 2B, R, RBI ... Jhonny Peralta (CLE, 3B) 2-5 ... Francisco Cruceta (CLE) 7.0 5 1 1 0 7 ... Arnie Munoz (CHA) 8.0 5 0 0 1 6 ... Chien-Ming Wang (NYA) 8.0 5 0 0 1 4 ... Aaron Heilman (NYN) 8.0 3 1 1 2 6 ... it's not your imagination, Heilman really has turned around his career.  On June 20th, the 2002 top pick sat at 1-7, 5.63.  His eight starts since :

PCL --  Justin Germano SD 6.1 9 3 3 0 3 ... Clint Barmes COL 14th homer, .323 ... JD Closser COL, bound to be up soon, 2-4, 2 doubles, .300 ... Brad Hawpe COL 19th homer ... Travis Blackley SEA, still struggling even in the minors, 5.2 8 8 8 5 ... Adrian Gonzalez TEX 11th homer, .298 ... Joe Blanton OAK 7.0 4 1 1 1 7, 4.48 ... whew, he's alive, Casey Kotchman ANA 4-5 ... feel good story, Andres Galarraga ANA 3-4, homer, 3 RBI ...

EASTERN --  Ian Snell PIT 7.0 6 2 2 1 7, 3.37 ... Nate McLouth PIT 4-4, 26th double, 25th SB, .321 ... Matthew Cain SF 6.2 8 3 2 1 7, 2.61 ... James Vermilyea TOR, bouncing between starting & relief roles, 6.0 2 1 0 1 6, 1.97 ... Kenny Baugh DET 8.0 5 4 4 3 7, 3.84 ... Walter Young 3-5, 26th homer

" ... left-handed pitcher Gustavo Chacin [TOR] has been named the Eastern League Chase Most Valuable Player for the month of July. Chacin, a 23-year old native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, was a near unanimous selection for the award after going 5-0 with a 0.98 ERA in six starts for the Fisher Cats in July. The 5’11”, 190 lb. hurler limited opponents to a .185 batting average in July and struck out 32 batters while surrendering only nine walks in 36.2 innings of work. The former Pioneer League All-Star has a league-best 13 wins this season and is also currently ranked among the league leaders in ERA (3.33-tied 8th) and innings pitched (121.2-8th). Gustavo, who was also named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week ending July 25, was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent on July 3, 1998." (MinorLeagueBaseball)

SOUTHERN --  Wild win ... Dennis Sarfate MIL 5.0 3 0 0 7 5 ... Billy Hall FLA 2B 2-3, 2 BB, SB (32) ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3B 2-3, R, 2 BB ... Skip Schumaker STL OF 3-4 ... Anthony Reyes STL 7.0 4 0 0 2 8, W 4-1, 3.05 ... Joel Guzman LA SS 2-4, .307 ... TJ Nall LA 7.0 8 3 3 2 8, L 6-7, 3.45 ... Andy Marte ATL 3B 2-5, 2B, K ... Scott Thorman ATL 1B 3-4, R, 3B, 3 RBI, BB, HR (6) ... Kyle Davies ATL 5.0 2 1 1 1 6 ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 0-3, 2 R, BB, K

TEXAS --  a little noise finally from Jeff Mathis ANA, 3-4, walk, 13th homer, 2 RBI ... Joe Saunders ANA 4.2 9 7 7 2 1 ... John Hudgins TEX 5.0 6 4 4 3 3 ... Tim McClaskey HOU 8.1 2 0 0 1 9 ... OK, now it gets a little tougher, Steven Bondurant OAK 5.0 4 4 4 3 4  ... John Baker OAK 2-4, 32nd double, 14th homer, 4 RBI & 0-3

CAROLINA --  Tripper Johnson BAL 1-2, 2 BB, SB (12) … Josh Fields CHA 0-3, K … Casey Rogowski CHA 1-4, RBI (70), 2 K … Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-3 … Pedro Lopez CHA 0-4 … Christopher Ray BAL 6 3 1 1 0 7 (4.18) … Rajai Davis PIT 0-3, BB, K … Pat Osborn CLE 2-3, 2 R, HR (8), RBI, BB … Nathan Panther CLE 1-4, R, 2 K … Mark Saccomanno HOU 0-4, 2 K … Josh Anderson HOU 1-4, R, triple, SB (21)

FLORIDA STATE --  Scott Olson (FLA) 7 4 0 0 1 15 W(5-6, 3.51) … James Shanks (FLA, CF) 2-3 Triple R … Mike Megrew (LA) 4.2 3 1 1 3 6 ND - 3.31 ERA … Delwyn Young (LA, 2B) 1-2, HR(20), 2RBI & 2-3 HR(21) 2R … Andy Laroche (LA, 3B) 1-3 HR(9) 2RBI … Seung Song 5 8 6 4 2 5 L(0-1, ) … Joel Zumaya (DET) 7.1 6 1 1 2 10 W(7-7, 4.36) … Ron Davenport (TOR, DH) 2-3 Double RBI … Melky Cabrera (NYA, CF) 2-3 HR(6) 2R 2RBI … Rudy Guillen (NYA, RF) 2-4 Double

CALIFORNIA --  SS Erick Aybar ANA 2-5, 21st double, 12th homer, 3 RBI (54, from the leadoff spot), .349 ... Travis Hinton 1B MIL 3-5, 31st double, 2 RBI, .308 ... ooops, John Danks TEX 3.2 8 5 5 5 0 ... Felix Hernandez SEA, back in A+, 5.0 6 2 0 3 8 ... Jon Nelson SEA 4-5, double, 3 RBI, .305

MIDWEST --  Kyle Edens CIN 4.0 4 0 0 1 4 ... Lou Palmisano MIL 1-3, BB, K (.298) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 1-4 ... Kody Kirkland DET 3-5, triple, K (.249) ... Micah Furtado TEX 3-5, triple (.307) ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-3, BB, K ... Brendan Ryan STL 3-5, 2 doubles ... Daric Barton STL 3-5, double ... Chris Lubanski KC 1-4, BB, K (.262) ... Adam Jones SEA 3-4, 10th HR, 8th SB (18-year-old shortstop over .300 last two months, now up to .273) ... Miguel Montero ARZ 2-4, 2 K (.283) ... rough start with new team Justin Jones MIN 2.2 7 4 4 1 3

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Jon Benick PIT, 3-5, 2 doubles ... Nyjer Morgan PIT, 1-3, steal (47) ... Adam Boeve PIT, 2-3, triple, RBI ... Micah Schnurstein CHW, 1-3, homer (6), RBI ... Leo Daigle CHW, 1-4, homer (14), RBI ... Wesley Whisler CHW, 5.1 10 8 2 1 3 (L 3-1, 3.35) ... Matt Kemp LA, 4-5, double, 3 runs ... Chuck Tiffany LA, 6.0 5 3 3 0 8 (W 5-2, 4.37) ... Brandon Moss BOS, 0-4 ... Jason Fransz BAL, 2-4, 2 homers (2), 2 RBI ... James Johnson BAL, 6.0 5 2 1 1 6 (W 8-7, 3.31) ... Delmon Young TB, 1-4 ... Wes Bankston TB, 1-4, homer (18), RBI ... long surname battle in the RiverDogs bullpen Andrew Sonnarstine TB, 5.0 3 2 0 1 7 (1.00) ... Josh Kranawetter TB, 3.0 3 0 0 1 4 (W 3-1, 1.62) ... Scott Vandermeer TB, 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 (S 20, 1.35) ... Ryan Goleski CLE, 1-4, homer (22), 2 RBI ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-4 ... Nate Cabrera PHI, 7.0 3 1 1 1 4 (W 4-3, 3.72) ... Ryan Danly NYM, 6.0 5 2 0 1 7 (L 3-3, 3.76) ... Robinson Diaz TOR, 2-4, RBI ... Mike MacDonald TOR, 7.0 3 0 0 1 5 (W 1-0, 0.00) ... Ian Stewart COL, 2-4, double ... Larry Robles COL, 7.0 5 2 2 1 8 (3.77) ... Eddy Martinez-Esteve SF, 2-4, homer (1), 4 RBI

NORTHWEST --  Ryan Harvey CHN 2-4, double, .275 ... ARZ SS Mark Reynolds 3-4, 9th & 10th homers, 5 RBI, .296 ... Brian Horwitz SF double, 2 RBI, .367

PIONEER --  SS Chris Nelson COL 1-2, 2 walks, .368 ... CHA 3B Adam Ricks got all his team's hits, 5-5, 2 doubles ... wow, Sean Rodriguez SS ANA 3-4, 6th & 7th homers, 6 RBI, .416 ... Billy Butler KC 2-4, homer, .380

    Troop movements ... BOS -- acquired Mike Myers from SEA for a player to be named or cash; designated Jamie Brown for assignment, optioned Mark Malaska to AAA ... CHA --  placed Scott Schoeneweis on the DL ... CLE --  acquired Josh Phelps from TOR for infielder Eric Crozier ... MIL -- recalled Wes Obermueller from AAA, designated Matt Kinney for assignment ...SEA -- recalled Cha Seung Baek from AAA ... PHI -- placed RHP Kevin Millwood on the DL, recalled Geoff Geary from AAA ... STL -- acquired outfielder Larry Walker and cash considerations from the Rockies for RHP Jason Burch and two players to be named ... MIN -- purchased the contract of infielder Augie Ojeda from AAA, optioned shortstop Jason Bartlett to AAA ... DET -- optioned catcher Mike DiFelice to AAA ...  MON -- recalled RHP Jon Rauch from AAA, optioned Roy Corcoran to AAA ... SF --  purchased the contract of Brad Hennessey from AAA, optioned Merkin Valdez to AA, designated infielder Angel Chavez for assignment :

" ... Hennessey is a former 1st round pick of the Giants who missed all of the 2002 season recovering from the removal of a benign tumor from his back. He's had his best season as a pro this year, going 8-6 with a 3.26 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. He features a nice fastball/slider combo. Baek is another pitcher who has overcome health issues. The 24-year-old South Korean also missed all of the 2002 season, recovering from "Tommy John" surgery. He battled a finger injury this season. Baek is a deep repertoire pitcher, ala fellow countryman Jae Seo. He projects to be a #4/5 starter in the bigs." (Scott Rex, OnDeck)

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, on the early line for Minor League Player of the Year :

" ... I came up with four players who fit the criteria of being premium prospects having excellent seasons. Listing them alphabetically, they are: Rockies lefthander Jeff Francis, Twins outfielder Jason Kubel, Angels third baseman Dallas McPherson and Devil Rays shortstop B.J. Upton ...  Before Tampa Bay promoted him to the majors, Upton was the top prospect in the minors. He hit a combined .315/.410/.505 with 14 homers, 51 RBIs and 20 steals in 98 games between Double-A and Triple-A. His defensive inconsistency (35 errors) is still a concern, though he has the tools to be an outstanding defender. Getting called up doesn't necessarily help or hurt his candidacy, as those of us who select the winner have varying views on that. My gut feeling right now is that Francis controls his destiny. In 21 starts between Double-A and Triple-A, he has gone 15-2, 1.82 with a 179-25 strikeout-walk ratio in 139 innings. Opponents have batted just .184 with nine homers against him. Francis hasn't slowed down after moving up to hitter-friendly Colorado Springs, and if he finishes strong I think he'll be our 2004 Minor League Player of the Year."

And, Callis on the Met's unloading of Scott Kazmir, Justin Huber, and Matt Paterson :

" ... Even if a miracle occurs and Benson and Zambrano lead the Mets to the playoffs, I still don't think the Kazmir trade is trade is defensible. The Mets didn't get enough value for the most electric lefthanded arm in the minors. There are whispers coming out of New York, from anonymous sources of course, that Kazmir has mechanical and makeup issues. All I know is that other teams I've spoken with valued Kazmir highly, and I think those whispers are just trying to justify the trade after the fact ...  When we ranked the Mets 10th, it was largely on the basis of their cornerstone players: Kazuo Matsui and Wright, who are now in the majors, and Kazmir. Right behind them were three solid players: Peterson, Milledge and Huber. The only one who's still going to qualify as a prospect after the season is Milledge. The only other player they have who's in that category is Philip Humber, the still-unsigned No. 3 overall pick. Petit has put up some pretty numbers this year, but he's doing it more on deception and fastball life then on sheer stuff, and I want to see him succeed above high Class A before I get overly excited."

    Bidding war may be on the horizon :

" ... Cuban slugger Kendry Morales obtained residency in the Dominican Republic, making him eligible to negotiate a free-agent contract with a major league team, he said Thursday. Morales, a 21-year-old switch-hitting outfielder and first baseman, left Cuba in June on a boat with 18 others ... landed in Miami and was granted asylum in the United States. He later left for the Dominican Republic, where authorities granted him residency earlier this week. The move allows him to avoid a special U.S. baseball draft for Cuban players that would have prevented him from negotiating contract terms ...  "Now that I have Dominican residence, I will begin hearing offers." Morales became a sensation in Cuban baseball two years ago. He played in Havana for the highly successful Industrialists, batting .324 with 21 home runs, 82 RBIss and 60 runs scored. He was immediately called up to the national team. Cuban authorities, however, later cut Morales from both the national team and the Industrialists because they suspected he wanted to defect during a pre-Olympic tournament in Panama last year. They also did not select him to be on the team that competed in the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo in 2003. "I only want to play baseball -- something they were stopping me from doing in Cuba," Morales said. "In Cuba, I never dreamed of the major leagues as a possibility. My dreams were to play for the national team. When I fulfilled those dreams, they shattered them for me." (Associated Press)

    At Baseball Miscellany, Jeremy Deloney as reviews on more offense on the way for the Rockies from AA :

" ... 3B Jeff Baker may be the best of the bunch. The 23 year-old started the year with high A Visalia and hit .330/.439/.547 with 23 doubles and 11 HR in 267 at bats before getting the promotion to Tulsa. The righthanded hitting Baker is a pure power-hitter with 30+ HR capabilities and is hitting .353/.405/.574 with 3 HR in 68 at bats with the Drillers. With hotshot Ian Stewart at third base in low A Asheville, Baker may need to switch positions. But that decision won't need to be made for at least two years ... figures to be a massive homerun hitter in Coors Field within two seasons."

" ... 23 year-old OF Jeff Salazar was drafted in the 8th round of the 2002 draft as more of an organizational player. He's debunked that label quite quickly. Coming off a 2003 season at low A where he hit .284-29-98 with 28 stolen bases, Salazar started the season at Visalia with Baker. He batted .347/.419/.586 with 18 doubles, 9 triples, 13 HR and 17 stolen bases. He also walked more than he struck out (38 to 33). With Tulsa, he's hitting .261/.338/.330 with 6 doubles and 5 stolen bases in 115 at bats. Salazar profiles best as a leadoff hitter who will set the table for the big boppers. He doesn't have great speed but is a very smart baserunner. He could be a .290-20-80 guy in the Majors."

    Planning ahead?  Justin Upton should be on your radar :

" ... Upton, an all-star shortstop from Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va., was named the AFLAC National High School Player of the Year ... presented with the inaugural Jackie Robinson Award ... recognizes the nation's top high school rising senior, who demonstrates outstanding character, exhibits leadership, and embodies the values of being a student-athlete in both his schoolwork and community affairs ... Upton is consistently recognized as one of the top rising baseball stars in the nation, and is rated as the preeminent shortstop in the 2005 class. This season, he was the only junior named to USA Today's 2004 All-USA high school baseball team, batting .565 with eight home runs, 23 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, and a 1.138 slugging percentage." (MLB.com)

06 August 2004

Kids having fun -- Zach Duke, dominating in AA, Gustavo Chacin adds seven no-hit innings to his success, Mike Parisi, one-hitter in 7+ in Midwest debut, Brandon McCarthy follows 2-hit, 16 K effort with one almost as good, Dusty Hughes, one-hitter through eight ... maybe ARZ should have jumped Conor Jackson & Carlos Quentin to Triple-A ... Gavin Floyd OK in AAA ... Jairo Garcia, 0.00, no walks, 10 Ks in five

    Game action ... INT --  Ryan Howard PHI 2-3, double & 1-2, double, .385 ... Brandon Phillips CLE 1-3, walk, .308 ... Jason Kubel MIN 2-4, .350 ... Michael Restovich MIN 2-4, double, 17th homer, but just .251 ... Kelly Shoppach BOS 2-3, 18th homer, just .227 ... Guillermo Quiroz TOR 1-3, homer, .227 ... Dioner Navarro NYA 2-4, .233 ... so-so AAA debut for Gavin Floyd PHI 6.0 8 3 3 2 2

PCL --  now this is different, Chan Ho Park 3.0 2 0 0 0 3 ... Joe Kennedy COL, rehab, 6.0 7 5 4 1 7 ... Brad Hawpe COL 2-5, 18th homer ... Clint Barmes COL, breaking out of a mini-slump, 4-4, 2 doubles, .325 ... Freddy Sanchez PIT 1-2, .214 ... maybe this guy is for real, Jairo Garcia OAK 2.0 1 0 0 0 4 (now 5 innings, 2 hits, no walks, 10 Ks, 0.00) ...

EASTERN --  moved up to the leadoff spot, a breakout by Hanley Ramirez BOS 4-5, up to .375 ... as if he wasn't having a good enough season (13-2, 3.33) Gustavo Chacin TOR went seven no-hit frames, 7.0 0 0 0 2 7 ...  don't expect him with NYA soon, Steve Karsay 2.0 5 5 5 2 3 ... unreal string of success, Zach Duke 6.0 6 1 1 0 4, now 1.13 in AA

" ... Duke continued his amazing run of outstanding starts by allowing just one run over six innings ... The 21-year old left-hander did not walk a batter and struck out four, while failing to surrender more than two earned runs for the 21st time in 21 starts between Class-A Lynchburg and Altoona. Duke is now a combined 12-5 with a 1.34 ERA between the two levels." (Altoona Curve)

SOUTHERN --  Randy Leek STL 6.0 3 0 0 0 2 ... Glenn Bott LA 6.0 3 2 1 1 11 ... Joel Guzman LA SS 1-4 ... Brian Anderson CHA 1-4, 2 R, 3B, RBI, K ... Ryan Meaux CHA 6.2 6 2 0 1 6 ... ouch ... Brett Evert ATL 3.0 6 8 8 2 1 ... Greg Sain SD 1B 2-3, R, 2B, 4 RBI, BB, HR (27) ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 2-5, R, 2 2B, K (getting into a groove, .357 in his last 8 games, 4 walks, 4 Ks) ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3B 1-6, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K ... Scott MacRae CIN 5.0 4 3 2 0 2, W 1-0, 2.45

TEXAS --  Rashad Eldridge TX (LF) 3-4, 3R, 2B, .285 ... Ian Kinsler TX 2-3, R, HR(8), 2RBI(35), .311 (overall -- 19 homers, 87 RBI)  ... Jason Botts TX 2-3, R, HR(21), 3RBI(71), .292 ... Mickey Callaway TX 5 1 0 0 2 3, 0.00 (W 1-0) ... oh my - Jeff Mathis ANA 0-2, .245 ... Santiago Perez TX (SS) 4-4 & 1-3, 5R, 3 2B, 2HR(3), 4RBI(8), .412 ... Julio Mosquera TX (DH) 2-4, R, HR(5), 5RBI(26), .300 ... Conor Jackson AZ 3-5, 3R,2B, HR(4), RBI(20), .328 ... Carlos Quentin AZ 2-5,R, 2 2B, RBI(26), .379 ... Steve Stanley OAK (CF) 3-4, .484 ... Michael Morse SEA (SS) 1-4, R, HR(3), 2RBI(24), .286 ... Rich Dorman SEA 7 2 1 1 3 10, 3.69 (W 5-3) ... Danny Sandoval COL (SS) 4-5, 3R, 2B, 3RBI(42), .310 ... Jeff Baker COL (3B) 2-5,2 R,2B, HR(4), 3RBI(19), .356 ... Mike MacDougal KC .2 1 1 0 2 2, 2.84 ... Justin Hampson COL 8 2 1 1 4 4, 3.54 (W 9-5) ..

CAROLINA --  Tripper Johnson BAL 1-3, K … Josh Fields CHA 0-3, RBI, K … Casey Rogowski CHA 0-4, K … Ryan Sweeney CHA 2-4 … Pedro Lopez CHA 2-4, R, K … not a bad follow up to a 2 hit, no walk, 16 k performance … Brandon McCarthy CHA (W) 7 1 1 1 0 8 (5-0, 2.45) … Mark Saccomanno HOU 1-4, R, HR (19), RBI (70), 2 K … Josh Anderson HOU 2-5, R, K, SB (20) … Shane Costa KC 2-4, R … Kevin Howard 1-4 … Dusty Hughes KC (W) 8 1 0 0 3 8 (4-3, 2.33) …

FLORIDA STATE --  First game in two months (shoulder) Jason Arnold (TOR) 2 1 1 2 3 … Raul Tablado (TOR, SS) 1-4 HR(18) 2RBI … Miguel Negron (TOR, CF) 2-4 2RBI … Tommy Winrow (NYA, RF) 2-3 Double R RBI … Eric Duncan (NYA, 3B) 2-4 2 Doubles R … Matt Lindstrom (NYN) 5 1 0 0 1 2 W(5-5, 3.69) … Aarom Baldiris (NYN, 3B) 2-5 R 2RBI … Alhaji Turay (NYN, DH) 2-4 2HR(16) 4RBI … Bobby Malek (NYN, RF) 3-5 2HR(11) 3RBI … Manny Delcarmen (BOS) 5 6 2 1 1 6 W(2-5, 4.53) … Dave Murphy (BOS, RF) 2-5 Double R 4RBI … Jeremy West (BOS, 1B) 3-5 Double R RBI

" ... After a first half of the season he described as "mediocre", Vero Beach Dodgers' INF Delwyn Young has made sure the second half will be totally different from the first. He was named today as ... Player of the Month of July. Young led all Dodgers in batting average (.364), home runs (eight), RBI (22), and runs scored (18) for the month. He is now just three doubles shy of the team record of 33 set by Henry Rodriguez in 1989." (FSL)

CALIFORNIA --  Bobby Livingston SEA 6.2 12 7 3 0 4, 10-4, 3.63 ... OF Jon Nelson SEA 3-6, 23rd double, 14th homer, 4 runs, .298 ... Michael Napoli ANA 25th homer, 105th RBI

MIDWEST --  Tyler Clippard NYA 7.0 6 0 0 2 8 (W, 8-9, 3.32) ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-3, HBP (.273) ... sweet MWL debut Mike Parisi STL 7.1 1 0 0 2 10 ... Daric Barton STL 0-4, BB (hasn't fanned in a week and a half, but down to .300 anyway) ... Brendan Ryan STL 2-5 (.331) ... Chris Lubanski KC 1-4, triple ... Adam Jones SEA 1-4 .. a fine, quiet season Joey Votto CIN 2-3, double, BB (.308) ... Justin Mallett CIN 5.0 2 0 0 2 5 ... Lou Palmisano MIL 0-3, K ... love those K's Ken Durost MIL 5.1 2 0 0 2 12 (3.28) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 2-4 (.308)

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Brandon Moss BOS, 0-5, 3 strikeouts ... Michael Bourn PHI, 1-2, steal (43) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-3, double, RBI ... Delmon Young TB, 1-2, 2 walks, steal (12) ... Elliot Johnson TB, 2-4, double ... Tony Peguero TB, 5.2 7 1 1 2 2 (3.00) ... Davis Romero TOR, 6.0 3 1 0 5 6 (2.48) ... Ryan Bear FLA, 1-3, homer (13), RBI ... Travis Ishikawa BAL, 3-5, double, homer (14), 4 RBI ... solid SAL debut Eddy Martinez-Esteve BAL, 2-5, RBI ... Jon Benick PIT 2-5, 25th homer, .320 ... Jacob Stevens ATL 6.0 1 2 0 3 6, 2.46 ... Josh Burrus ATL 3-5, double ... 3B Kory Casto MON 2-5, 30th double, 10th homer, 3 RBI, .293

APPALACHIAN --  HOU CF Mitch Einertson 3-4, 2 doubles, walk, 2 RBI, 4 runs, .293

NORTHWEST --  Matthew Tuiasosopo SEA 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 Ks in his NW debut ... CF Javier Herrera OAK homer, 2 RBI, .349

PIONEER --  Javier Brito 1B ARZ 4-4, 5th & 6th homers, 4 RBI ... Chris Kelly 1B CHA 2-5, 8th homer, 4 RBI ... Billy Butler 3B KC 3-4, 2 doubles, .377 ... OF Justin Nelson COL 11th homer, .272 ... Dustin Hahn, yet another COL 3B, 2-5, triple, homer, 6 RBI, .303 ... LA 1B Cory Dunlap 3-4, 2 walks, .371

ARIZONA -- (Wednesday)  Chris Snelling SEA 1-4, .286 ... Hernan Iribarren 2B MIL 3-5, double, .447 ... Matt Bush SD DNP

GULF COAST --  (Wednesday) Kyle Waldrop MIN, outstanding pro beginning, 7.0 7 1 1 0 5 (now 1.42 in 38 innings)

    Troop movements ... TEX -- placed RHP Jeff Nelson on the DL, recalled LHP Ryan Snare from AAA ... CHA -- acquired Roberto Alomar from ARZ for a player to be named and cash considerations ... PHI -- placed Pat Burrell on the DL, purchased the contract of infielder Lou Collier from AAA ... 

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld, on two guys with improved chances of MLB time in new organizations :

" ... Brendan Harris ...  moved back to second base by the Cubs this year because of Aramis Ramirez’s presence, should be a third baseman for the long-term now that he’s an Expo. Tony Batista is a free agent at season’s end and Scott Hodges is looking like a non-factor, so Harris figures to be a regular next year. Since returning from knee surgery, the 2001 fifth-round pick has hit .314/.354/.543 in 248 AB in Triple-A. He’s not going to be a star, but he should hit .280-.300 with 35 doubles and 15 homers per year as a major leaguer."

" ... Justin Huber ... The No. 43 prospect in the Midseason Top 100, Huber has the offensive skills to hit .290/.380/.450 in the majors. Whether he’ll be able to stay behind the plate is another matter -- a poor arm might force a move -- but he should have the bat to handle first base or an outfield corner. The Royals will probably give him a chance to win a job somewhere by the middle of next year."

    SEA shortstop Matthew Tuiasosopo on the move. The 18-year-old, the Ms top pick in the June draft, advances to Everett of the Northwest League :

" ...  Tuiasosopo simply tore up the rookie league playing shortstop for the Mariners' team in Peoria. He hit safely in 18 of 20 games, batting .412 (28 of 68) with eight multi-hit games, five doubles, two triples, four home runs and 18 runs scored. "He's a very good runner, good arm, good power. He's the classic five-tool guy. That's why we gave him a lot of money and went after him so hard," said Roger Jongewaard, the Mariners' special assistant to the general manager. "He's a special player." The Mariners took Tuiasosopo in the third round with the 93rd pick. The club believed he was first-round quality but lasted until the third round because of other options, including a scholarship offer to play quarterback for Washington. Other teams may have backed off because of that. Seattle reportedly paid Tuiasosopo $2.1 million, a record deal for a third-round pick. "He's a quality guy, but we knew he'd be a tough sign," Jongewaard said. "Obviously, a lot of the good guys are gone by the third round, so you try to find guys who might be tougher to sign. That's why we gambled with him." Tuiasosopo chose baseball, for which he has a profound love. It was a high-risk, high-reward decision. He did his damage in Peoria against mostly older players, ones with college experience and third- and fourth-year players from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico ...  "He's (Tuiasosopo) a gifted athlete. He uses the whole field. He doesn't struggle for the ball, which gives him a much, much better chance to hit."  (Seattle Times)

    The weekly IL notes feature a familiar pair :

" ... He may have done it the hard way, but Bisons’ infielder Brandon Phillips increased his on-base streak to an IL-best 44 consecutive games. Phillips went hitless in three games this week, but was hit by a pitch in two of those games, while drawing a pair of walks in the other. The streak, which started on June 15, has featured an 18-game hit streak from June 20-July 10 (.375, 27-72) and a 16-game hit streak from July 11-30 (.375, 24-64). He went hitless in Game Two of a July 10 DH or would have posted a 35-game streak. Overall, Phillips is hitting .345 with a .415 on-base percentage during the consecutive games streak."

" ... Outfielder Jason Kubel is red hot, batting .386 (39-for-101) with seven doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBI in his last 26 games. Kubel has reached base safely in 23 of those 26 games with 10 multi-hit games during this stretch. Since joining the Red Wings, Kubel has hit safely in 52 of the 66 games he’s played. For the season (Double-A & Triple-A numbers combined) Kubel is batting .358 (142-for-397) with 35 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs and 78 RBI in 102 games. Kubel is just 16 at-bats shy of qualifying for the IL batting lead."

    Baseball America is out with its annual "tools" issue with picks (by managers) in 20 categories (some of the MLB ones are sure to provoke some controversy -- Derek Jeter as the top defensive shortstop in the AL, Andruw Jones the top defensive outfielder in the NL, for example).  Here's a sampling of the top minor league picks :

           International       Pacific Coast    

Batting :  Jhonny Peralta CLE  Ryan Church MON
Pitching : Ben Hendrickson MIL Edwin Jackson LA

           Eastern             Southern           Texas

Batting :  David Wright NYN    Rickie Weeks MIL   Dallas McPherson ANA
Pitching : Gavin Floyd PHI     Jose Capellan ATL  Jeff Francis COL

           California          Carolina           Florida State

Batting :  Conor Jackson ARZ   Michael Aubrey CLE Felix Pie CHN 
Pitching : Felix Hernandez SEA Zach Duke PIT      Chad Billingsley LA

05 August 2004  

Jesse Foppert, Rick Ankiel, lots of attention for the comeback kids ... a day of outstanding pitching, especially at the lower levels, including a combined no-hitter in the DET system ... Thomas Diamond, shines ... Glen Perkins too ... Adam Loewen, better ... Erick Aybar, pretty special ... breakout for Jeremy West ... Francisco Liriano, strong AA debut ... the top hitting prospects in short-season ball

    Game action ... INT --  Matt Diaz (TB, RF) 2-5, R, RBI ... Stephen Smitherman (CIN, DH) 1-4, 7th HR, R, RBI ... rehab, Austin Kearns (CIN, RF) 2-3, RBI, BB ... Wilson Betemit (ATL, 3B) 2-4, RBI ... Dan Meyer (ATL) 5.0 5 1 0 2 5 ... Jason Kubel (MIN, DH) 3-4, R ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, LF) 1-4, R ... Russ Adams (TOR, SS) 2-5, R, SB ... Guillermo Quiroz (TOR, C) 1-3, 5th HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, SF ... John Maine (BAL) 6.0 9 3 3 2 5 ... Jhonny Peralta (CLE, SS) 2-5, 12th HR, R, RBI ... Kyle Denney (CLE) 3.2 10 7 7 1 1 ... Wilson Valdez (CHA, SS) 2-5 ... Felix Diaz (CHA) 7.0 5 0 0 2 7 ... David Krynzel (MIL, CF) 2-5, 2B ... Corey Hart (MIL, RF) 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI ... Pat Strange (NYN) 5.0 3 1 1 2 5

PCL --  No games scheduled.

EASTERN --  Francisco Liriano MIN, solid AA debut, 7.0 7 1 1 2 10 ... vet Michael Cervenak SF 2-4, 18th homer, .343 ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-4, double, .182 ... Matt Peterson won his debut in the PIT system 5.0 3 2 2 1 2 ... yikes, what's happened to the kid? Jeremy Guthrie CLE 4.0 10 10 10 1 4 ... Brian Tallet CLE, rehab, 2.0 1 0 0 1 ... maybe he's back as a prospect, Justin Pope NYA 7.0 9 1 0 0 3

SOUTHERN --  No games scheduled.

TEXAS --  No games scheduled.

CAROLINA --  Mark Saccomanno HOU 1-4, R, double (21), K … Josh Anderson HOU 2-4, RBI, SB (19) … Josh Fields CHA 0-4, 2 K … Casey Rogowski CHA 0-2, BB… Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-3, RBI, BB, K … Pedro Lopez CHA 2-4, R … Jason Hirsch HOU (W) 5 4 1 1 0 2 (9-6, 4.21) … Pat Osborn CLE 0-4, 2 RBI … Nathan Panther CLE 3-4, R, RBI … Anthony Lerew ATL (L) 3.2 10 8 4 2 3 (8-7, 3.36) … JD Martin CLE (W) 7 3 1 1 1 3 (9-9, 4.80) … TUESDAY NIGHT … Brian Slocum CLE (W) 7 1 0 0 0 2 (12-5, 4.17) … Matt Wright ATL 6 6 3 3 3 9 (3.33) … Derrick Van Dusen CLE 5 5 1 1 3 2 (2.01) …

FLORIDA STATE --  Matthew Murton (CHN, DH) 2-5 2RBI … Just a bit outside, Andrew Sisco (CHN) 4 4 2 2 6 8 … Yorman Bazardo (FLA) 4.2 8 7 6 2 4 … James Shanks (FLA, CF) 2-3 SB(3) … Dimas Reina (LA) 4.1 7 6 6 2 2 L(5-4, 3.23) … Andy Laroche (LA, 3B) 2-4 HR(8) 2RBI … Reid Gorecki (STL, CF) 2-4 R RBI … Shaun Boyd (STL, RF) 3-4 HR(4) double 2RBI … Rayner Lana (STL, SS) 3-4 3R … Jon Papelbon (BOS) 5 3 1 1 2 5 W(10-5, 3.01) … Finally back from an ankle injury, Dave Murphy (BOS, RF) 3-5 3RBI CS & 2-4 2R RBI … A great night for Jeremy West (BOS, 1B) 4-5 HR(14) 3R 3RBI & 2-5 HR(15) Double 2R … Dustin Pedroia (BOS, SS) 2-4 Triple 2R RBI &1-5 R RBI … Brandon Culp (PHI) 6 3 1 1 2 3 W(1-3, 2.55) … Ryan Barthelemy (PHI, 1B) 2-4 RBI … Raul Tablado (TOR, DH) 2-3 2 Doubles 3R - Hitting .310

CALIFORNIA --  Jon Zeringue ARZ 2-4, 2 homers, 2 RBI, .366 ... TEX CF Juan Senreiso 2-4, triple, homer ... Erick Aybar ANA 4-5, 2 doubles (20), 11th homer, 3 RBI, .352 ... Alfredo Simon, debut in the SF system, 6.0 6 2 2 2 1 ... Brad Sullivan OAK, beginning to show some promise, 6.0 8 1 1 2 1 ... Brian Stavisky 1B OAK 4-5, double, walk,.344 ... Jason Perry OAK 3-5, 2 doubles, walk, .356

MIDWEST --  Glen Perkins MIN 4.0 1 0 0 0 4 ... Scott Tyler MIN 6.0 5 3 2 1 11 (3.19) ... Lou Palmisano MIL 1-5, double (.300) ... Adam Jones SEA (at DH) 2-4 (.268) .. Michael Moorhead SEA 7.0 5 1 1 1 10 (W, 7-8, 3.34) ... bouncing back Micah Furtado TEX 3-4, double, K (.291) ... a gem Thomas Diamond TEX 5.0 0 0 0 2 9 ... Erold Andrus NYA 3-6, double ... Abel Gomez NYA 7.0 3 1 1 2 5 (3.17) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 0-5 ... Ronald Bay CHN 7.0 5 1 1 0 7 (2.75) ... Joey Votto CIN 0-5, K ... Daric Barton STL 3-5, 15th double, 11th HR ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-5, 13th SB ... roughed up Kevin Jepsen ANA 3.1 7 5 5 2 5 (L, 7-7, 3.23) ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-3, double, BB (.281) .. Dirk Hayhurst SD 7.0 6 2 2 3 3 (W, 9-3, 2.56)

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Yunir Garcia NYM, 1-4, homer (8), RBI ... Greg Ramirez NYM, 5.0 5 2 2 1 8 (1.39) ... Jeff Fiorentino BAL, 1-4, double, 2 RBI ... Nate Spears BAL, 2-5, triple, RBI ... Adam Loewen BAL, 5.0 5 2 2 1 5 (4.54) ... Javier Guzman PIT, 3-4, double, 3 RBI, 2 runs ... Wardell Starling PIT, 5.0 7 4 2 1 3 (W 7-7, 4.37) ... Jereme Milons LA, 2-5, double, RBI, steal (25) ... Xavier Paul LA, 2-4, RBI ... Julio Pimentel LA, 4.0 8 6 6 2 3 (L 10-8, 3.13) ... Robert Valido CHW, 2-4, steal (22) ... Chris Young CHW, 2-3, steal (26) ... Wesley Whisler CHW, 2-4, RBI ... Josh Burrus ATL, 2-3, homer (9), RBI, steal (24) ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL, 1-3, double, 2 RBI ... Kory Casto MON, 3-4, double, triple ... Daryl Thompson MON, 6.0 1 0 0 3 9 (W 4-7, 4.69) ... Ian Stewart COL, 1-4 ... Aaron Marsden COL, 7.1 10 7 7 2 3 (L 9-6, 4.28) ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE, 2-5, homer (12), 4 RBI ... Ryan Goleski 2-4, RBI ... Caleb Brock CLE, 1-5, homer (3), RBI ... Robinson Diaz TOR, 2-5, RBI ... Eric Arnold TOR, 2-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBI ... Delmon Young TB, 0-3, 2 walks, run ... Elliot Johnson TB, 2-5, steal (38) ... Jason Pridie TB, 2-4, RBI ... Ryan Bear FLA, 1-4, homer (12), RBI ... Ryan Blake FLA, 2-2, homer (14), 2 RBI ... Jason Columbus SF, 3-5, homer (11), double, 4 RBI ... Brandon Moss BOS, 2-4, 2 homers (13), 2 RBI ... Jarrett Gardner BOS, 6.2 8 4 2 1 3 (W 10-5, 2.80) ... Michael Bourn PHI, 2-5 ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-5, RBI

NEW YORK-PENN --  some awfully fine SP in the NYP Wednesday ... Quinton Robertson STL (44th round pick) (CG) nice pro debut,  6.0 2 0 0 1 3 ... Ronnie Martinez HOU 7.0 3 0 0 1 4, 7-1, 2.00 ... Anibal Sanchez BOS 7.0 2 0 0 0 6 ... Michael Devaney NYN 6.0 3 0 0 0 6 ... Jonathan Felfoldi MON  6.0 2 0 0 2 8 ... and a little catchup on the Marlins' top pick, Taylor Tankersley 3.0 0 0 0 0 5 last weekend

NORTHWEST --  Ryan Harvey CHN 2-2, double, homer, 3 RBI, walk as the MVP of the NW All-Star game. 

PIONEER --  LA first-rounder (supplementary) Justin Orenduff 3.0 4 3 3 3 6  ... ANA SS Sean Rodriguez homer, 3 RBI, .408 ... 3B Billy Butler KC 2-5, double, .368

ARIZONA --  (Tuesday)  Chris Snelling SEA finally back in action, 1-3 in his 3rd game back, .300  ...  Miguel Vega 1B KC 8th homer, .297 ... Matthew Tuiasosopo SEA 2-3, RBI, .412 ...

GULF COAST -- Tiger kids combine on a no-hitter (a hit batsman away from a perfect game) -- Dallas Trahern (34th round pick in June) 6.0 0 0 0 0 7 & Orlando Perdomo 3.0 0 0 0 0 5 ...

    Searching down, way down for some draft sleepers?  The leading hitters in the short-season leagues (Appy, Northwest, Pioneer, NYP) sorted by OPS :

    Player             Team POS  AVG   OBP  SLG    OPS   AB  2B 3B  HR  BB   SO
  1 Sean Rodriguez     ANA  SS  .408  .527 .646  1.173  130  10  3   5  24   28
  2 Andrew Toussaint   ANA  3B  .328  .459 .698  1.157  116   9  2  10  24   38
  3 Colt Morton         SD  C   .296  .419 .655  1.074  142  12  0  13  26   47
  4 Cory Dunlap         LA  IF  .360  .483 .590  1.073  139  12  1   6  31   21
  5 Luis Montanez      CHN  OF  .344  .442 .625  1.067  160   9  6   8  27   30
  6 Charles Anderson   TOR  1B  .346  .454 .607  1.061  107  10  0   6  22   25
  7 Grant Richardson   MIL  1B  .367  .481 .566  1.047  166  16  1   5  32   20
  8 Mitch Einertson    HOU  OF  .279  .377 .669  1.046  136   8  0  15  15   46
  9 Tony Granadillo    STL  3B  .325  .424 .618  1.042  123   9  0   9  17   27
 10 Matt Macri         COL  3B  .353  .432 .609  1.041  156  14  4   6  19   43
 11 Michael Nickeas    TEX  C   .331  .423 .602  1.025  133  12  0   8  19   30
 12 Ryan Fox           COL  C   .239  .441 .576  1.017   92   5  1   8  31   41
 13 Mike Davies        COL  1B  .368  .428 .581  1.009  136   9  1   6  14   38
 14 Yuber Rodriguez    TOR  OF  .336  .433 .573  1.006  143   9  5   5  21   38
 15 Billy Butler        KC  3B  .368  .490 .510  1.000  155  12  2   2  39   37
 16 Tony Festa         MIL  3B  .327  .493 .497   .990  153  14  0   4  42   23
 17 Nate Sutton        ANA  3B  .380  .489 .500   .989  108   4  3   1  20   18
 18 Ryan Finan         BAL  1B  .333  .429 .553   .982  123  12  0   5  18   16
 19 Seth Pietsch       NYN  OF  .313  .390 .580   .970  131   2  3   9  15   18
 20 Luis Castillo       LA  1B  .343  .408 .562   .970  137   9  0   7  13   33
 21 Juan Lucena        STL  SS  .378  .418 .550   .968  111   5  1   4   8    9
 22 Mark Reynolds      ARZ  IF  .288  .399 .568   .967  132  11  1   8  16   36
 23 Javier Herrera     OAK  OF  .354  .410 .555   .965  164   9  3   6  15   29
 24 Brian McFall        KC  OF  .307  .400 .564   .964  163  13  1   9  21   45
 25 Eddie Solis         KC  2B  .396  .445 .517   .962  149  10  1   2  11   20
 26 Bobby Mosby        CIN  1B  .301  .387 .571   .958  156   2  2  12  21   51
 27 Deacon Burns       MIN  OF  .333  .374 .582   .956  153  13  2   7   8   30
 28 Jud Thigpen        COL  OF  .312  .363 .584   .947  125   9  2   7   6   19
 29 Jaen Centeno       ARZ  OF  .342  .436 .508   .944  120   8  0   4  18   29
 30 Brian Horwitz       SF  OF  .358  .421 .523   .944  151  17  1   2  12   19
 31 Nick Thomas        TOR  OF  .290  .433 .510   .943  100   7  0   5  25   24
 32 Carl Smith         BAL  1B  .331  .386 .551   .937  118  11  3   3  11   24
 33 Chris Carter       ARZ  OF  .337  .418 .515   .933  169  10  1   6  24   21
 34 Justin Nelson      COL  OF  .275  .351 .573   .924  131   5  2  10  16   35
 35 Erik Dean          COL  2B  .358  .429 .495   .924  109   7  1   2  12   20
 36 Seth Smith         COL  OF  .331  .398 .522   .920  157  14  2   4  18   32
 37 Adam Mannon        MIL  OF  .292  .392 .528   .920  161  15  1   7  22   37
 38 Mario Garza        HOU  1B  .260  .335 .580   .915  150   7  1  13  19   35
 39 PJ Hiser           CLE  OF  .308  .373 .541   .914  133   7  3   6  13   42
 40 Jose Delgado       STL  2B  .308  .458 .454   .912  130   6  2   3  33   40
 41 Casey Craig        SEA  OF  .303  .455 .454   .909  119   6  3   2  34   32
 42 Ben Zobrist        HOU  SS  .339  .439 .467   .906  165  10  1   3  28   22
 43 Ryan Klosterman    TOR  SS  .313  .408 .493   .901  150   9  3   4  18   24
 44 Trevor Lawhorn     COL  2B  .282  .390 .505   .895  103   7  2   4  15   24
 45 Cole Armstrong     ATL  C   .355  .410 .482   .892  110   5  0   3  11    9
 46 Tyler Davidson     NYN  1B  .310  .399 .490   .889  145  10  2   4  18   46
 47 Dante Brinkley     NYN  OF  .331  .407 .481   .888  160   7  1   5  16   39
 48 Travis Metcalf     TEX  3B  .259  .357 .530   .887  166  13  1  10  25   46
 49 JR Renz            ANA  OF  .288  .361 .518   .879  139  12  1   6  14   45
 50 Javier Castillo    CHA  SS  .317  .394 .483   .877  145   7  1   5  16   36

    Troop movements ... ANA -- signed Andres Galarraga to a minor league contract, recalled Wil Nieves from Triple-A  ... TB --  recalled pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez from AAA, optioned pitcher John Webb to AAA ... SD -- optioned Xavier Nady to AAA, requested unconditional release waivers for Jeff Cirillo ... NYA -- purchased the contract of C.J. Nitkowski from Triple-A, optioned LHP Felix Heredia to A+ ... TOR -- activated RHP Justin Miller from the DL, optioned RHP Micheal Nakamura to AAA ...

    A pair of starters are at the top of the MON system in Dayn Perry's MON system update at FoxSports :

" ... Clint Everts ... a high school teammate of ... Scott Kazmir, has every bit as much upside as his more ballyhooed prep label-mate. Everts throws a low-90s heater with good movement, but it's his outstanding curve and change that earn him the most praise. A 19-year-old with a plus-plus change is a rarity indeed ... Everts, in the Sally League, fanned more than a batter per inning and posted an outstanding strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.9. He was recently promoted to the Florida State League, and he's fared quite well in two starts there. Everts has good mechanics, which should help him stay healthy. He's emerging as one of the best pitching prospects in the game."

" ... Mike Hinckley ...  has command of three pitches and a strong record of performance ...  numbers were merely solid before a late-season promotion to the Florida State League last year. In 25 innings there, he fanned 23, walked only one and posted a 0.72 ERA. He began 2004 back in the FSL, and while he wasn't as dominant, he still put up strong numbers. He's spent about half the season at AA-Harrisburg, where he's again been strong. He projects as a number two or three starter in the bigs."

    Giants trying to remain cautious with the return of Jesse Foppert, in spite of early success :

" ... Foppert is throwing well and free of pain. The 24-year-old San Francisco righty, who won eight games for San Francisco last year, continued his amazing recovery from Tommy John surgery with three strong innings in his first rehabilitation start for San Jose. "It felt good and it felt like I got into a pretty good rhythm," said Foppert, whose reconstructive elbow surgery was performed Sept. 17. "I didn't feel good warming up in the pen and I was a little wild in the first, but my second and third innings felt very good." Foppert, who appeared in three Arizona League games prior to joining San Jose, came to Modesto planning to work three innings or up to a 45-pitch limit. He needed only 37 pitches to get those nine outs -- 27 strikes against 10 balls. He struck out three without a walk. He did give up one hit, and it was a long one. Omar Quintanilla picked on a high first-pitch fastball and drilled a long home run to right-center for a 1-0 A's lead in the first inning. But that would be the only baserunner Modesto would get against Foppert, who capped his outing with a nine-pitch third inning ...   "I told myself from the beginning that I wasn't going to try to set any records for getting back," Foppert said. "I'm not trying to rush back just to pitch for a couple weeks. If I'm back by September, then great. It means I've met my goal. If not, then I'll be that much stronger for next year." ... The plans for Foppert are to make one more start with San Jose, possibly Sunday, then continue his rehabilitation as a starter with Triple-A Fresno. He's in no hurry. Nor is San Francisco, despite its dire need for healthy arms right now. "It feels like they're babying me and it doesn't feel at all like I'm being rushed," said Foppert. (Modesto Bee)

    Rarely do two innings of minor league pitching produce such coverage, except if the pitcher is Rick Ankiel :

" ... Ankiel's curveball is dropping, just like in the old days. So is the pit of your stomach when you hear the St. Louis Cardinals are calling Ankiel a candidate for promotion to the big-league club when rosters expand Sept. 1. That provided all the dramatic tension anyone needed for Ankiel's first start in more than a year for the Class A Palm Beach Cardinals ... Ankiel is testing a reconstructed elbow from Tommy John surgery in July 2003. The rest of us are testing our antacids. It's both fascinating and nerve-wracking to watch this 25-year-old Fort Pierce native, who broke Dizzy Dean's rookie strikeout record for the Cardinals in 2000, come back again to test drive not just an elbow but a head. He's the same player who tied a 110-year old record with five wild pitches in an inning in the 2000 playoffs ...  The rest is incidental — one earned run off a triple and sacrifice fly before Ankiel settled down for three strikeouts in two scheduled innings. Two statistics really mattered — no walks and no wild pitches. "Obviously he had to be nervous pitching for the first time in so long," said Mark Riggins, the roving pitching instructor for the Cardinals who has been working with Ankiel. "The first guy hit a triple, and the next guy scored him. He handled it very well, I thought. He didn't panic or anything." The best sign was Ankiel's control, Riggins said. "He threw everything around the plate, and had good command of his pitches," Riggins said. "Just really performing like he did, this was an outstanding night for him." Ankiel asked reporters to wait until after the game to talk to him, but left the ballpark before the game ended. "I feel good," he told Riggins before leaving. One vicious curve sent St. Lucie Mets left fielder Joe Jiannetti down swinging. "His curve ball looked really good," Jiannetti said. "It's what he struck me out on. It started out at my shoulders and ended at my feet. You can hear the snap out of his fingers when he throws it. His fastball wasn't as strong as it was when I faced him in the minors last year. He looked like he had a little more behind it then." Ankiel threw as hard as 91 miles per hour Monday, but proved most effective with the curve. He threw two change-ups for balls. He struck out two batters with curve balls in the 70s. In the dugout after Ankiel's scheduled two innings, catcher Ben Rosenthal shook his hand and told him, "Good job." They have been working together in simulated games against teammates, and Rosenthal got to know which pitches to try next when Ankiel shook him off. Ankiel is scheduled to throw next at Vero Beach Aug. 7, part of six planned starts in the minors over the next month. "It's all based on how he performs," Riggins said. "He hasn't pitched in a year. He'll see how he rebounds physically tomorrow and we'll go from there. The number of innings depends on how he feels. By the end of August, we'll see where we're at. We're not trying to push him in September or anything like that, but if he's doing well, it may be an opportunity for him." The plan is to move him up to the AA club in Tennessee after his second start in Palm Beach, if he is performing well." (Palm Beach Post)

    David Cameron, USSMariner, has updated his SEA Top 40 and Felix Hernandez continues at the top with Jeremy Reed in the runnerup slot ahead of the righty-lefty combo of Clint Nageotte and Travis Blackley ("Command has never been a strength, but 20 walks in 21 major league IP?"). Jose Lopez is ranked No. 5.

    At The Hardball Times, Aaron Gleeman, has a review of his pre-season Top 50.  A few of the entries :

" ...   So far at least, Rickie Weeks has been the biggest disappointment of any prospect in my top 50. One of the great college hitters of all-time, Weeks did very well in a brief stint as a pro last year, but has struggled playing at Double-A Huntsville this season, hitting just .260/.373/.397 in 92 games. He's doing a great job getting on base, with 39 walks and 23 hit by pitches, but his batting average, Isolated Power (.137) and baserunning (7-for-16 on stolen bases) have been sub par."

" ... The youngest player in my top 50, Felix Hernandez went 9-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 92 innings at Single-A to start this season. He was promoted to Double-A San Antonio recently and is now attempting to do something amazing -- dominate the Texas League at 18 years old. In four starts there so far, Hernandez is 1-1 with a 4.79 ERA in 20.2 innings. I now consider King Felix the best pitching prospect in baseball."

" ... Jason Stokes had a monster year in 2002 and struggled mightily last season. This year, he's sort of splitting the difference, putting together a "nice" year at Double-A Carolina ... The good: 19 homers, 20 doubles and a .262 IsoP. The bad: .265 batting average, 24 non-intentional walks in 79 games, strikeout in 32.7% of his at-bats."

    Jeremy Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, on 2B Delwyn Young LA :

" ... He was a surprise pick in the 4th round of the 2002 draft ... The 5'10" 180-pound switch-hitter is making professional baseball look very easy with his sweet swing (from both sides of the plate) and terrific bat speed. Young hit .300 in his professional debut with Great Falls in the short-season Pioneer League in 2002 to go along with 10 HR and 41 RBI. Last year he hit .323 with 38 doubles and 15 HR for low A South Georgia. Young's batting average may be down slightly this year, but his power numbers are up with high A Vero Beach. He's hitting .285/.365/.524 with 30 doubles and 19 HR. Despite Young's high strikeout totals (114 in 382 at bats this year), he does have a solid approach at the plate. He works the count, but is extremely aggressive when he sees a pitch he likes. He uses a short, powerful swing to generate his power which he utilizes to all parts of the ballpark ...  Defensively, Young is a below-average second baseman. He lacks the customary quickness that most solid second basemen have ...  However, his arm is considered a solid-average tool and a move to left field is entirely possible. To put it bluntly, Young's bat could play anywhere on the diamond ... Young's shot with the big club could come as early as September of 2005."

04 August 2004

Jeff Francis continues his reign as the minors' hottest prospect ... JD Durbin gives Francis-like performance in AAA debut ... Dennis Tankersley, solid season ... Casey Kotchman, what's happening? ... Prince Fielder, Josh Barfield, signs of breakout ... Jesse Foppert, early success ... Chuck James, needs a challenge ... Delmon Young belts another ... Ian Stewart up to 25 long ones ... Chris Nelson thriving

    Game action ... INT --  Matt Diaz (TB, RF) 1-3, 18th HR, R, RBI, BB ... rehab, Craig Monroe (DET, RF) 1-4 ... Stephen Smitherman (CIN, LF) 3-5, 2B, R ... Dane Sardinha (CIN, C) 2-5, 2B, RBI ... rehab, Austin Kearns (CIN, RF) 1-4, 2 R, BB ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, LF) 1-3, 4th HR, 2 R, RBI, BB ... how's this for a AAA debut, JD Durbin (MIN) 7.0 4 0 0 0 13 ... Russ Adams (TOR, SS) 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB & 0-3 ... Cam Reimers (TOR) 5.2 5 2 0 0 4 ... Mike Fontenot (BAL, 2B) 2-4, 2B, 3B ... Ryan Ludwick (CLE, RF & DH) 2-4, 2B, 3rd HR, R, 2 RBI & 0-1, R, 2 BB ... Kelly Shoppach (BOS, C) 1-4, 17th HR, R, 2 RBI ... Wilson Valdez (CHA, SS) 2-5, 2B, 1st HR, 3 R, RBI ... Josh Stewart (CHA) 6.0 9 5 3 0 4 ... Robinson Cano (NYA, 2B) 2-4, 2B, R, RBI ... Brad Halsey (NYA) 5.0 10 5 5 2 5 ... David Krynzel (MIL, CF) 3-4, R ... Ben Hendrickson (MIL) 6.0 6 1 1 2 3 ... Prentice Redman (NYN, RF-CF) 2-4, 2B, 3B, R, RBI ... Bob Keppel (NYN) 6.0 7 1 1 0 2

PCL --  minor league vet Brian Myrow hittin' up a storm in the LA system, 2-4, homer, 2 walks, 4 RBI, .328 ... Kameron Loe TEX 8.0 7 1 1 1 6 ... Dan Johnson OAK 24th homer, 96th RBI ... Brendan Harris, now on the MON farm, 2-4, homer, 3 RBI ... ending a long homer drought, Calvin Pickering KC, 30th long one ... SEA 3B Greg Dobbs 4-5, double ... yikes, Casey Kotchman ANA, another ofer, 0-4, down to .250 ... Dallas McPherson ANA 1-3, triple, .290 ... Dennis Tankersley SD 7.2 5 1 1 0 6 ... Chris Burke HOU 25th double, 14th homer, .324

EASTERN --  Michael Hinckley MON 7.0 3 2 1 2 4, W (4), 2.97 ERA ... Shawn Norris MON 2-3, 2B (3), HR (2), 5 RBI (12) ... Jeff Keppinger NYN 2-7, RBI (1) ... Steve Karsay NYA 1.0 0 0 0 0 2, W (1), 0.00 ERA ... Kyle Sleeth DET 7.0 4 3 3 3 6, W (2), 7.75 ERA ... Nate McLouth PIT 1-3, RBI (57, SB (24) ... Josh Bonifay PIT 3-4, HR (17), 3 RBI (71) ... Ryan Garko CLE 3-5, HR (3), 2 RBI (21) ... Andy Brown CLE 6.0 7 5 5 2 1, 5.19 ERA ... Carlos Valderrama SF 1-3, 2 BB ... Michael Cervenak SF 1-5, RBI (67) ... Luis Maza MIN 1-4 ... Kevin West MIN 1- 4, HR (21), RBI (80) ... Val Majewski BAL 3-5, 2B (21), RBI (72) ... Keith Reed BAL 2-4, 2B (24), HR (14), 3 RBI (49) ... Aaron Hill TOR 1-5, 2B (19), 3 RBI (62) ... Dominic Rich TOR 3-5, 2B (23)

SOUTHERN --  Chris Seddon TB 6.0 5 1 1 1 4, L 7-7 ... Trevor Hutchinson FLA 6.0 5 0 0 1 4, W 7-6 ... Nic Ungs FLA 5.0 5 1 1 1 5, W 7-7 ... Joel Guzman LA SS 0-4, BB, 3 K ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3B 2-5, 2 R, RBI, HR (11) ... Skip Schumaker CHA 0-6, R, .314 ... Dennis Ulacia CHA 6.1 5 2 1 0 6, W 6-5 ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 2-4, R, RBI, HR (19) ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 2-4, 2B, 4 RBI, BB ... Mike Thompson SD 6.0 6 2 2 0 4 ... Richard Lewis CHN 2B 3-4, R, 2B, 4 RBI, BB, HR (10) ... Ryan O'Malley CHN 5.0 3 1 1 3 8

TEXAS --  Brent Colamarino OAK (1B) 2-4, R, 2B, 3RBI(32), .286 ... doing very well - Shane Bazzell OAK 7 4 2 0 3 6, 2.69 (W 11-2) ... Ryan Shealy COL 2-5,R, .324... having fun in AA. Jeff Baker COL (3B) 2-5, R, HR(3), 4RBI(16), .353 ... he is alive - Jayson Nix COL 3-4, 2R,2 B, .210 ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 3-5, R, 2 2B, .283 ... Norris Hopper KC (LF) 2-4, R, RBI(29), .264 ... Ruben Gotay who? - Darren Fenster KC (2B) 4-5, 3R, 2B, .667... Cory Aldridge KC (RF) 2-4, R, 2B, HR(12), 3RBI(36), .284 ... a huge night - Scott Walter KC (C) 2-4, 3R, 2HR(10), 5RBI(48), .263... Jeff Waldron TX (DH) 3-4, .412

CAROLINA --  Mark Saccomanno HOU 1-5, R, double (20), RBI (69), 2 K … Josh Anderson HOU 3-6, R, K … Josh Fields CHA 1-4, K … Casey Rogowski CHA 0-4, K … Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-3, R, BB, K … Pedro Lopez CHA 1-4, R, HR (3), RBI, K … Fernando Nieve HOU 5 5 4 4 1 4 (3.35) … rehabbing Jay Gibbons BAL 2-5, R, double, HR, 5 RBI, 2 K … Tripper Johnson BAL 0-2, R, 3 BB, K … Devon Lowery KC (L) 4 5 5 2 2 5 (7-7, 3.58) … Hayden Penn BAL (W) 7 4 2 2 1 6 (6-3, 3.88) … Kevin Howard 1-3, RBI (67), 2 BB … Rajai Davis PIT 1-4 …

FLORIDA STATE --  Ismael Ramirez (TOR) 6.1 6 4 2 1 7 W(12-5, 2.84) … Vito Chiaravalloti (TOR, 1B) 2-4 HR(12) … Raul Tablado (TOR, SS) 1-3 HR(17) 4RBI … Robert Andino (FLA, SS) 3-3 R 2RBI SB(4) … Logan Kensing (FLA) 7 5 2 1 1 0 10 W(5-6, 3.10)

CALIFORNIA --  so far, so good for rehabbing Jesse Foppert SF 3.0 1 1 1 0 3 ... Brad Vericker SF 2-5, 12th & 13th homers, .281 ... OAK SS Omar Quintanilla 2-4, 30th double, 10th homer, .318 ... OF Sean Barker COL, coming on strong, 2-5, 19th & 20th homers, .306 ... Travis Hinton 1B MIL 18th homer

MIDWEST --  Robert Ransom CHN 9.0 7 1 0 0 3 (W, 5-2, 2.47) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 1-4, K, E (.310) ... Joey Votto CIN 1-4, double (.309) ... Juan Francia DET 0-4 (.330) ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-4, double (.274) ... Daric Barton STL 0-4 (.299) ... Chris Lambert STL 4.2 1 1 1 3 7 ... speed bump Sean Thompson SD 4.0 8 9 7 1 5 (L, 7-5, 3.00) ... Chris Lubanski KC 1-5, K (.262) ... Dan Putnam OAK 1-4, HR, K ... Adam Jones SEA 0-2, BB, HBP, K

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Fredy Deza BAL, 6.0 4 3 3 0 7 (L 8-10, 3.33) ... Mitch Talbot HOU, 7.0 2 1 1 2 7 (W 8-7, 3.93) ... move him up for pete's sake Chuck James ATL,  took a no-hitter into the 5th, 5.2 1 0 0 1 11 (W 9-2, 1.61) ... Steve Doetsch ATL, 3-5, run ... Brian Walker NYM, 4.1 7 5 5 1 7 (L 3-3, 3.71) ... Jamar Hill NYM, 2-4, homer (19), 2 RBI ... Ian Stewart COL, 2-4, homer (25), 2 RBI ... Chris Ianetta COL, 2-3, run ... Ryan Goleski CLE, 3-5, double, 2 runs ... Ryan Blake FLA, 3-5, homer (13), 2 RBI ... Ryan Bear FLA, 1-5, homer (11), 4 RBI ... Jason Columbus 2-4, double, 2 RBI ... Ben Thurmond SF, 5.0 8 4 1 2 4 (2.69) ... Mickey Hall BOS, 2-3, triple, 4 RBI ... Beau Vaughn BOS, 5.2 1 1 1 3 5 (W 7-1, 2.48) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 2-4, double, RBI ... Thomas Mastny TOR, oops, a licking on the way to phenomdom, 5.0 5 5 5 4 5, ERA zooms to 2.21 ... Delmon Young TB, turning it on, 19th homer, 3 RBI (93)

Brandon Moss BOS, selected as the SAL's Player of the Month :

" ... Moss currently ranks 1st in the League in Batting with a .348 Batting Average, 1st in Hits with 141, 1st in RBI with 96, 2nd in On-Base Percentage at .413 and 9th in Slugging Percentage at .521. Brandon won the Star of Stars Award as the Most Outstanding Player at the South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Charleston, SC leading the Southern Division to a 4-2 Victory. Led the South Atlantic League during the Month of July in 2 categories with 40 Hits and 26 RBI." (South Atlantic League)

NORTHWEST --  No games scheduled.

PIONEER --  Sean Rodriguez ANA SS 3-4, double & 1-3, .413 ... COL's top pick, SS Chris Nelson 3-4, double, 1st pro homers (2), 5 RBI, .381 ... some difficulty for an LA 1st-rounder, Scott Elbert 4.0 6 6 5 2 6 ... MIL 1B Grant Richardson 3-5, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, .367

    Troop movements ... ANA -- placed Bengie Molina on the DL ... ARZ -- recalled Andy Green from AAA ... CIN --
placed John Riedling on the three-day bereavement list; activated outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. from the DL ... DET -- designated pitcher Danny Patterson for assignment; purchased the contract of pitcher John Ennis from AAA ... FLO -- recalled outfielder Chris Aguila from AAA, designated pitcher Aaron Small for assignment ... MON -- acquired pitcher Jeriome Robertson from the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Pierre-Luc Marceau, designated Jeremy Fikac for assignment ... NYA -- signed first baseman John Olerud; transferred Sam Marsonek to the 60-day disabled list, optioned Juan Padilla to Triple-A ...  SF -- recalled Noah Lowry from AAA, optioned Kevin Correia to AAA ... CLE -- promoted outfielder Brad Snyder to A+ ... TB -- activated RHP Seth McClung from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A ... KC -- placed Tony Graffanino on the DL, recalled Ruben Gotay from Double-A ...

    A familiar story at Kevin Goldstein's Prospect Hot Sheet at Baseball America -- Jeff Francis as the class of a talented field :

" ... Will this be his last week on the Hot Sheet? After allowing one run over six innings Monday night to raise his ERA at Colorado Springs to 1.08 in four starts, rumors are flying that Francis will soon be pitching for the Rockies instead of the Canadian Olympic team."

" ... 7. Andy Marte ... Chipper Jones' return to third base may prevent Marte from becoming this year's version of Miguel Cabrera, but with Marte hitting .328-7-16 in 18 games since returning from the DL, the Braves will have to find room for him in 2005."

" ... 10. Joel Guzman ... When he was first signed at 16, there was already talk that because of his size, he'd eventually move to third base, or even first. He certainly has the bat to play anywhere, but with an outstanding fielding percentage of .975 (including 15 errorless games at Double-A), he might not be going anywhere defensively."

    Jeremy Deloney continues his outstanding coverage at Baseball Miscellany with a look at ANA catcher Mike Napoli :

" ... 17th round draft choice in 2000 out of a Florida high school. He has been plagued by injuries ever since and this season is truly his first "full" season in professional ball ...  leading the California League in HR and RBI. He's hitting .305/.418/.584 with 24 doubles, 23 HR, and 100 RBI. Napoli has a walk/strikeout ratio of 70/119. Now 22, Napoli is bursting onto the prospect scene with aplomb ...  has a tremendous work ethic and plays average defense behind the plate or at first base. Because of his bat speed, he'll always be able to hit the long ball to all fields. But will he be able to improve on his penchant for swinging and missing against breaking balls? The breaking ball has been Napoli's biggest enigma. He rarely makes quality, hard contact against advanced breaking balls which leads to plenty of strikeouts. He'll probably not be a high average hitter at the higher levels of the minors, and he'll need to make better contact. Though Napoli is considered average defensively behind the plate, he has a below average arm ...  Before Napoli becomes a top prospect within the deep Angels organization, he'll have to prove his worth at Double A. Because Mathis is currently with Double A Arkansas, Napoli will more than likely finish the year at Rancho Cucamonga."

    Third base -- Andy Marte ATL or Dallas McPherson ANA ?  Bryan Smith, Wait 'Til Next Year :

" ... If I had to guess, Marte should mold into a .285/.380/.520 player, becoming an All-Star with the Braves. He should be on the Alexis Rios path, starting the year in the International League and getting the call around next June ... As for McPherson, his future doesn’t appear to be so clean cut. His evaporating walk numbers are discouraging, even despite some fantastic slugging percentages. He appears more along the lines of .300/.360/.500, though the SLG I expect to be volatile throughout his career. Like the third basemen that precedes him, I expect Dallas to have huge ups and downs in his career. He’ll never be the player Hank Blalock is across the division, but a middle of the order threat for sure ...  Andy Marte is the top prospect in baseball. He’s one of the Southern League’s most dominant hitters at the age of twenty, and his numbers reflect a huge breakout down the road.

03 August 2004  

Chad Billingsley moving up the LA chart ... Jeff Francis, superb run continues ... Chris Burke gunning for HOU in '05 ... kudos for Freddy Guzman ... Michael Aubrey warning ... Jeremy Reed rebounding, little power too ... Curtis Granderson, DET smiling ... Prince Fielder, some noise ... COL Jeffs, Baker, Salazar getting the hang of AA ... Rick Ankiel returns, no walks ... Yusmeiro Petit, cushions the loss of Kazmir ... Clint Everts, fine in A+ ... Delmon Young, two homer, 5 RBI night ...  Joel Zumaya struggling

    Game action ... INT --  rehab, Craig Monroe (DET, RF) 3-5, 2B, 1st & 2nd HRs, 2 R, 4 RBI ... Michael Restovich (MIN, RF) 2-5 ... Jason Kubel (MIN, LF) 1-5, 10th HR, R, RBI ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, PH) 0-0, BB ... Jack Cust (BAL, DH) 2-4, 2B, 2 BB ... Jamie Brown (BOS) 6.1 5 4 4 2 5 ... Dioner Navarro (NYA, C) 2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI ... Danny Garcia (NYN, LF-SS) 2-5, 2B, R, BB ... Victor Diaz (NYN, DH-RF) 1-3, 18th HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, HBP

PCL --  Jon Rauch MON  6.0 8 5 5 1 4 ... Cody Ross LA 3-5, 2 doubles, homer ...  Casey Kotchman ANA 0-5, .262 ... Dallas McPherson ANA 1-4, double ... no report on the reason for the early hook, Rafael Soriano SEA 0.2 1 0 0 1 1 ... Jeremy Reed SEA 2-4, 4th homer, 3 RBI, .302 ... just outstanding, start after start in whatever league he's in, Jeff Francis COL  6.0 4 1 1 2 5 ... bouncing back strong from a pounding last time, Carlos Hernandez HOU 7.0 3 0 0 3 7 ...  Chris Burke HOU, emerging from a little slump, 4-5, 24th double, 13th homer, .324

EASTERN --  Ryan Garko CLE 2-4, 2 RBI, .359 ... Abe Alvarez BOS 6.0 2 0 0 1 4, 3.43 ... trying to a POW repeat, Curtis Granderson DET 14th homer, 3 RBI ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 0-3 in his season debut in AA ... if only he could gain some consistency, Boof Bonser MIN  6.2 8 2 1 1 12, 4.98

DET's Curtis Granderson the Player of the Week in the EL :

" ...  The 23-year old had an outstanding week for the SeaWolves, hitting .364 (8-for-22) with one triple, four home runs, 11 RBI, eight runs scored, eight walks, a .533 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage in six games. Granderson ...  currently hitting .295 with 10 doubles, six triples and 13 homers ... The 6’1”, 180 lb. outfielder is currently ranked sixth in the league in on-base percentage (.394) and tied for ninth in the league in RBI (64) ... selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 3rd round of the June 2002 draft." (Eastern League)

SOUTHERN --  Pair of youngsters shine for LA ... Joel Guzman LA SS 1-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, K, HR (6), .316 ... Chad Billingsley LA 7.0 3 0 0 2 5, W 3-0, 1.00 ... William Bergolla CIN 2B 4-5, R, 2B ... Skip Schumaker STL OF 2-4, 3 R, BB, .319 ... batting sixth ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 1-3, BB, K ... Richard Lewis CHN 2B 2-5, R, 2B, K, .324 ... Roger Deago SD 5.0 4 0 0 2 8, 1.69 ... Renyel Pinto CHN 6.0 7 2 2 3 13, 3.33 ... Brian Anderson CHA OF 2-7 ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 3-7, R, RBI, HR (18) ... Eduardo Villacis CHA 5.0 4 1 1 3 4, W 3-3, 2.93

TEXAS --  Tony Miller COL (LF) 3-5, R, HR(11), 2RBI(33), .278 ... Jeff Salazar COL (CF) 3-5, R, 2B, RBI(11), SB(5), .264 ... Jeff Baker COL (3B) 2-4, 2B, .349 ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 2-4, RBI(37), .279 ... Nick Gorneault ANA (LF) 1-4, R, HR(13), 2RBI(61), .280 ... still barely showing signs of life ... Jeff Mathis ANA 1-4, .249 ... Ryan Speier COL 1 0 0 0 1 0, 1.09 (S 34) ... Steve Stanley OAK (CF) 2-4, 2R, 2B, RBI(4), .522 ... Mark Kiger OAK (2B) 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI(40), .272 ... John Baker OAK (DH) 2-5, R, 2B, 2RBI(69), .290 ... Jeremy Brown OAK (C) 3-4, 2R, .260 ... Norris Hopper KC (DH) 2-4, .261 ... Cory Aldridge KC (LF) 2-4, R, HR(11), RBI(33), .280 ... a little trouble ...Denny Bautista KC 6.1 7 7 4 2 8, 2.63 (L 3-2) ... Rashad Eldridge TX (LF) 3-4, 2R, 2RBI(21), 2SB(8), .274 ... Jason Botts TX 2-3,R, .289 ... Ian Kinsler TX 1-2, R, RBI(33), .306 ... Michael Morse SEA (SS) 2-4, .287 ... Jesus Cota AZ (1B) 2-4, R, 3B, RBI(43), .318 ... Chris Snyder AZ 2-4,R, .304 ... Dan Uggla AZ (3B) 2-3, R, 2B, HR(3), 4RBI(28), .263 ... a nice first win ...Matt Chico AZ 7 3 2 1 3 5, 5.94 (W 1-4)

CAROLINA --  Mark Saccomanno HOU 1-2, R, RBI (68), K … Josh Anderson HOU 0-3, K … Josh Fields CHA 1-3, R, HR (5), 2 RBI (19), K … Casey Rogowski CHA 1-2, R, double (22), RBI (69), K … Pedro Lopez CHA 0-3, K … Donnie Murphy KC 0-4, BB, K … Mike Aviles KC 1-4, R … Shane Costa KC 2-4, R, BB, SB (7) … Tripper Johnson BAL 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 SB (10) … Kevin Howard 2-4, R, RBI (66), K … Rajai Davis PIT 2-4, double, K

CLE infielder Pat Osborn the best of the week in the Carolina :

" ... The 23-year old Osborn is one of the hottest offensive players in the Carolina League. Friday night he had his 15-game hitting streak interrupted. Last week, he batted .500 (14-for-28) with one home run and five RBI, finishing with a slugging percentage of .750 and an on-base-percentage of .533, scoring eight runs and recording a stolen base. Osborn had two hits in three of his first four games last week and went 4-for-5 in the other. After having his hitting streak snapped on Friday against Wilmington, Osborn was back at it again on Saturday, spanking three hits against the BlueRocks. The California native raised his batting average to .361 in 54 games with the Indians but does not have enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title."

FLORIDA STATE --  Rick Ankiel (STL) 2 1 1 1 0 3 … Yusmeiro Petit (NYN) 6.2 7 1 1 1 11 ND - 1.19 ERA … Lastings Milledge (NYN, CF) 2-4 triple R … James Russ (FLA) 5 5 1 1 1 6 W(7-1, 2.00) … Chin-Lung Hu (LA, SS) 2-5 3R 2SB(2) … Felix Pie (CHN, CF) 3-5 SB(25) … New Chicago farm hand, Matthew Murton (CHN, LF) 2-3 double R … Jon Connolly (CHN) 5 6 3 2 2 2 L(8-3, 2.49) … Check out the position, Raul Tablado (TOR, SS) 2-4 2 doubles 2R RBI … Ryan Barthelemy (PHI, 1B) 2-4 2HR(11) 5RBI … A couple of Montreal pitchers working their way back, Joey Eischen (MON) 2 2 3 0 0 3 & Seung Song (MON) 2 2 2 2 0 2 … Clint Everts (MON) 5 5 1 1 1 4 W(1-1, 2.70) … Joel Zumaya (DET) 3 4 7 5 1 6 … Melky Cabrera (NYA, CF) 2-4 HR(4) 2RBI … Luis Mendoza (BOS) 6.1 5 1 1 0 1 ND - 3.41 ERA

CALIFORNIA --  1B Chris Fallon COL 4-4, walk, 12th homer ... Michael Napoli ANA 24th homer, 3 RBI (103) ... Brian Stavisky OAK 3-4, 14th homer, .339

MIDWEST --  1st defeat after a 10-0 start, Brandon Harmsen NYA 4.0 10 6 6 3 2 ... Brian Dopirak CHN 3-4, double, .310 ... SS Hector Made NYA 4-5, 2 doubles, .279 ... Lou Palmisano MIL 2-3, double, .302 ... Brad Knox OAK  6.0 7 2 2 0 4, 12-4, 2.20 ... sign of life from Kody Kirkland 3B DET, missing the cycle by a single, 25th & 5th & 6th triples, 8th homer, 6 RBI, up to .242

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Brad Rea PIT, 2-5, double, RBI ... Adam Boeve PIT, 3-4, double, RBI ... Jon Benick PIT, 1-4, RBI, steal (2) ... Leo Nunez PIT, 7.0 4 1 0 3 6 (W 8-3, 3.11) ... Antonin Gray CHW, 2-4, steal (8) ... Matt Esquivel ATL, 2-3, 2 RBI ... Ian Stewart COL, 0-4 ... Brad Snyder CLE, 1-3, double, 2 RBI ... Caleb Brock CLE, 2-3 ... Delmon Young TB, 2-5, 2 homers (18), 5 RBI ... Jason Pridie TB, 2-3, double, homer (13), RBI, 3 runs ... Robinson Diaz TOR, 2-5 ... Daniel Core TOR, 4.0 7 5 5 3 5 (L 6-8, 3.78) ... Travis Ishikawa SF, 3-5, 2 homers (13), 6 RBI ... Jason Columbus SF, 1-5, homer (10), 3 RBI ... Omar Anez SF, 7.0 4 1 1 0 10 (W 2-5, 4.70) ... Brandon Moss BOS, 2-4, double, 2 RBI ... Michael Bourn 2-5, double, steal (42) ... Javon Moran PHI, 1-4, steal (40) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-4, RBI ... Joe Wilson PHI, 6.0 2 0 0 0 6 (W 4-4, 3.15)

NORTHWEST --  Shawn Nottingham SEA 6.1 8 4 3 2 3, ERA jumps to 1.93 ... ARZ OF Chris Carter 4-5, .337

PIONEER --  newcomer Sandy Almonte 2B COL 4-5, double, homer, 4 runs ... Seth Smith COL 2-4, homer, 4 RBI, .336 ... Chris Nelson COL's top pick in June (at DH the last while) 3-3, .356 ... 3B Tony Festa MIL 4-6, walk, 3 runs, 2 RBI, .327 ... OF Adam Mannon MIL 3-4, homer, 2 walks, 5 RBI, .293

    Troop movements ... FLO -- placed pitcher Armando Benitez on the DL ... MON -- placed RHP Zach Day on the DL,  activated LHP Joey Eischen from the DL ... BOS -- placed infielder Mark Bellhorn on the DL ... SEA -- recalled LHP Matt Thornton from AAA, placed Eddie Guardado on the DL ... PIT -- recalled LHP Dave Williams from AAA, activated Humberto Cota from the DL, activated Mike Johnston from the DL and optioned him to AAA ...

    Joe Ptak, Cleveland Indians' Report, passing along some disappointing news on one of CLE's top prospects :

" ... Michael Aubrey hasn't played since July 18 due to an hamstring injury and this bit of news from John Farrell via the Canton Repository isn't very encouraging. Farrell said that "Michael is someone who is going to have to remain on a maintenance strengthening and conditioning program, particularly for his lower back and lower extremities. Each player has his own needs. His are physical in nature. One thing we can't overcome is time missed. I know he's frustrated." Aubrey has only played in 76 games this year due to two hamstring pulls and only played in 38 games last season due to a quad injury. When he's played, Aubrey has raked (.339/.438/.550/.988 in Kinston and .259/.357/.345 in Akron this season) but it looks like the Indians believe that injuries may plague Aubrey throughout his career. That's not good."

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, with an update on the new Devil Ray, Scott Kazmir :

" ...  Many Mets fans are distraught over this turn of events, given that Kazmir is one of the very best pitching prospects in the game. Scouting report Kazmir's best pitch is his fastball, clocked as high as 96 mph. Even when thrown at 92-94, it has explosive movement in the strike zone. His second pitch is a power slider, particularly overpowering against left-handers. He also has a changeup, which is inconsistent. But when the changeup is working, it is major league quality. Kazmir's fastball/slider combination is strong enough for him to succeed in The Show as a power relief pitcher, and if his change continues to develop, he has ace-starter potential as well. He's tinkered with a curveball, but right now it is his fourth-best offering. Kazmir is still refining his command and control ... Some scouts worry that Kazmir's small physical size may keep him from developing sufficient stamina to be a starting pitcher. The Mets were very cautious with his workload ...  The main flaw in Kazmir's profile is a higher-than-ideal walk rate. But his K/IP and H/IP marks, the "stuff" indicators, have been very strong throughout his career ...  The bottom line though is that the Devil Rays picked up an excellent pitching prospect (and Diaz is pretty good too) in exchange for a 28-year-old pitcher with a 4.47 career ERA and control problems. It looks like a good deal to me, for Tampa Bay."

    SD notes from the San Diego Union Tribune :

" ... The Padres are teaching Matt Bush to reduce his uppercut swing and concentrate on putting the ball into play instead of trying to hit home runs. They're also asking the Mission Bay High alum to rely less on his powerful throwing arm and, like Khalil Greene, get to ground balls quickly. Friday, Bush reached base four times. In nine games with the Peoria Padres, the 18-year-old shortstop batted .209 and had five errors."

" ... His skill as a center fielder and base-stealer likely will put Freddy Guzman in a Padres uniform before this season ends. The Padres could wait until September, when the 25-man roster expands, but Guzman, 23, is pressing the issue by running down flyballs and tearing up the basepaths in Triple-A. Scouts with other clubs say Guzman's left-to-right range earns the top grade on the scouting scale. Speaking generally, Tye Waller, the Padres' director of player personnel, said Guzman would be "an upgrade," both defensively and as a base-stealer, over many center fielders in the big leagues. "Offensively, plate discipline would determine how effective he would be," Waller said. Guzman stole 93 bases last season across three minor league levels. With Triple-A Portland, he's 37-for-42 on stolen-base tries. Waller said Guzman, with proper guidance, would disrupt opposing defenses in the big leagues. "It's been a long time since I've seen somebody with the aggressiveness and instincts he has," Waller said. "When you watch him every day, it's impressive. He's a combination of quick and fast. He's so quick off the mark that he gets up to full speed very quickly, and then explodes to the base." In July, Guzman batted .318 with 14 walks in 26 games. He has a .371 on-base percentage."

    Now we'll get a better reading on the future of Hanley Ramirez BOS :

" ... Boston Red Sox top ranked prospect ... has been promoted from Single-A Sarasota and will join the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs ... Ramirez, a 20 year-old switch hitting shortstop from Santo Domingo, DR was hitting .310 in 62 games for the Sarasota Red Sox this season with 1 home run and 24 RBI. He was signed by the Red Sox as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2000. Baseball America rates Ramirez as being the “Best Athlete” and has having the “Best Infield Arm” in the organization." (Portland Sea Dogs)

    Jeremy Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, with a new look at the Reds' system.  A 2004 draftee, Homer Bailey,  takes over the top spot :

" ... The Reds' first round pick in the June draft, Bailey was the most polished high school pitcher available. The Reds were looking at several options, but the 6'4" 185-pounder was too good to pass up. He throws his fastball 92-96 mph and his hard curveball immediately becomes one of the best offspeed pitches in the system. Bailey has a chance to move quickly in a thin organization but he'll need to gain upper body strength in addition to adding a changeup to his power arsenal. Due to his command and polish, Bailey could reach the majors in a few years."

" ... 2. Joey Votto, 1b ...  the best power-hitter in the Reds' system. Originally drafted as a catcher in the 2nd round of the 2002 draft, the Reds moved Votto to first base so he could concentrate more on his offensive game. He struggled last year at Dayton and was later demoted to short-season Billings. This season he's taken advantage of his power and is hitting .298/.413/.483 with 22 doubles and 13 HR. Votto exhibits patience at the plate and has walked 69 times. Few minor leaguers can match Votto's power and patience combination, though he can be too patient at the plate. He has 40+ HR potential."

02 August 2004

Steven Bondurant jumps a level to AA, similar results -- 8 shutout innings ... the pain begins for the Mets -- Scott Kazmir, 5 shutout frames in first start in the TB system ... no-hitter from unlikely source in the IL ... Jason Kubel keeps pounding ... Jairo Garcia, 5 Ks in 2 IP, AAA no problem for OAK reliever ... Michael Napoli, 100 RBI ... Ubaldo Jimenez, just two pitches ... Brian Dopirak powering his way onto the prospect charts ... Rick Ankiel, back today

    Game action ... INT --  rehab, Craig Monroe (DET, DH) 0-3, RBI, SF ... Dane Sardinha (CIN, C) 2-4, 9th HR, R, 3 RBI ... Matt Belisle (CIN) 4.1 10 6 5 2 3 ... Jason Kubel (MIN, RF) 2-4, 8th & 9th HRs, 2 R, 6 RBI ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, CF) 0-4 ... Scott Baker (MIN) 7.0 4 1 1 1 4 ... Russ Adams (TOR, SS) 2-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Gabe Gross (TOR, LF) 2-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Ryan Howard (PHI, 1B) 2-5, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI ... Ryan Ludwick (CLE, DH) 3-5, 2B, 3 R ... Josh Bard (CLE, C) 2-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB ... Francisco Cruceta (CLE) 6.0 3 2 2 2 6 ... Kelly Shoppach (BOS, C) 1-4, 16th HR, R, RBI ... Byung-Hyun Kim (BOS) 4.0 5 3 3 0 1 ... Robinson Cano (NYA, 2B) 2-4, 2B, R ... Jorge De La Rosa (MIL) 6.0 3 1 1 1 3 ... Craig Brazell (NYN, 1B) 1-5, 20th HR, R, RBI ... Victor Diaz (NYN, RF) 3-5, 17th HR, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Prentice Redman (NYN, LF) 3-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI  ... yep, Tetsu Yofu CHA comes into the game with an ERA around 6.00 and proceeds to toss a no-hitter :

" ... Yofu (3-4) struck out a season-high 10 batters and walked two, throwing Charlotte's first nine-inning no-hitter since John Habyan no-hit Columbus in 1985. The Japanese pitcher allowed only one runner as far as second base in his 140-pitch effort." (Durham Herald Sun)

PCL --  Casey Kotchman ANA 0-4, .278 ... Dallas McPherson ANA 1-3, 2 Ks, .290 ... Tim Stauffer SD 5.2 9 5 3 1 3, 4-1, 4.04 ... Brad Hawpe COL 3-5, 16th & 17th homers, .308 ... Andy Tracy COL 25th homer, 92nd RBI ... Freddy Guzman SD 2-4, walk, 3 runs, 4 SBs (41) ... Brad Hennessey SF, back to earth, 6.1 7 3 3 7 6 ... Brandon Lyon ARZ, rehab not going well, 0-3, 22.50, 2.0 3 4 4 2 1 ... Jeremy Reed SEA 2-4, 2 RBI, .295 ... John VanBenschoten PIT 7.0 5 2 2 2 1, 4.40 & 2-3, .300 ... Jairo Garcia OAK, no problem with the jump to AAA, 2.0 1 0 0 0 5 ...

EASTERN --  Kenny Baugh DET 7.0 7 3 3 1 3 ...  CF Curtis Granderson DET, coming on strong, 3-3, 12th & 13th homers, 2 walks, 2 RBI, .295 ... Larry Broadway MON 2-3, 19th homer ... Bryan Bullington PIT 6.1 7 5 5 1 4, 4.43 ... Walter Young BAL 1-4, 25th homer, 3 RBI & 0-2 ... Ian Snell PIT 7.0 8 3 3 1 5 ... Matthew Cain SF 7.0 5 2 2 3 5, 5-1, 2.60 ... Steve Karsay NYA, rehab, 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 ... Daniel Ortmeier SF, single shy of the cycle, 3-4, double, triple, homer

SOUTHERN --  Nice debut for TB, Scott Kazmir TB with his first win in the Rays' system, 5.0 3 0 0 3 8 ... Joel Guzman LA SS 0-2, RBI, BB, K, .328 ... Ryan Ketchner LA 6.0 3 1 1 2 2, W 7-3, 2.66 ... Willy Aybar LA 2B 1-4, R, RBI, HR (13) ... Brian Rose CIN 7.0 6 1 1 2 7, W 10-2, 3.19 ... Rico Washington SD 3B 2-4, 2 R, 6 RBI, BB, 2 HR (5 & 6) ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 2-4, R, 2B, BB, K ... winning ugly ... Clay Hensley SD 6.0 9 8 6 2 4, W 9-7, 4.85 ... just ugly ... Bobby Brownlie CHN 3.1 8 7 7 1 3, 3.42 ... Brian Anderson CHA OF 0-4, K, .291 ... Rickie Weeks MIL 2B 1-3, BB ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 0-4

TEXAS --   After a sensation stint in the Midwest League, a move to AA a breeze for Steven Bondurant OAK 8.0 3 0 0 1 8 ... Ben Kozlowski TEX, up to AA in his rehab, 7.0 7 3 3 1 1 ... Jimmy Serrano KC 5.1 2 3 1 1 10, 1.96

CAROLINA --  Pat Osborn CLE 1-4, R, .361 … Nathan Panther CLE 0-4, 2 K … Donnie Murphy KC 0-4, 2 K … Mike Aviles KC 0-3, RBI, BB … Shane Costa KC 1-2, BB … Rajai Davis PIT 1-3, BB, .305 … Mark Saccomanno HOU 0-3, BB … Josh Anderson HOU 0-4 … Ryan Sweeney CHA 0-3, BB, K … Casey Rogowski CHA 1-3, R, 2 BB

FLORIDA STATE --  Jonathan Broxton (LA) 6 7 5 5 1 4 W(9-5, 3.40) … Andy Laroche (LA, 3B) 2-4 HR(7) 3RBI … Delwyn Young (LA, 2B) 1-4 HR(19) 2R … Felix Pie (CHN, CF) 2-4 double R - hitting .314 … Pitching in relief, Andrew Sisco (CHN) 1 0 0 0 2 3

CALIFORNIA --  Michael Napoli ANA 3-4, 24th double, 23rd homer, 3 RBI (100), .305 ... Ubaldo Jimenez COL gone after just two pitches :

" ... Jimenez threw two pitches in his first start since May 18 and could not find the strike zone. Both pitches appeared to be off speed, but it was evident that he was not at full strength or had not fully recovered from a pulled lat muscle. He left the game with a 2-0 count on leadoff man Fred Lewis." (Visalia Oaks)

MIDWEST --  Adam Jones SEA 2-4, double ... Joey Votto CIN 3-3, walk, .309 ... Brian Dopirak CHN, bidding for the minors' homer title (Ryan Howard leads with 37), 2-4, 33rd homer, 2 RBI (92) ... OF Alex Frazier ARZ 4-4, the cycle, 23rd double, 3rd triple, 15th homer, 3 RBI, .299 ... Mike McGirr OAK, superb in short-season ball, roughed up in the MW,  3.0 6 7 5 1 4 ... Baltazar Lopez 1B ANA 4-5, 2 doubles, walk, 5 RBI & teammate Blake Balkcom 4-6, 2 doubles, triple, 5 RBI

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  No games scheduled.

NORTHWEST --  Ryan Harvey CHN 1-4, 9th homer, 2 RBI, .274 ... Luis Montanez CHN 2-4, 8th homer (game-winning, grand slam), 5 RBI, .350 ... Brian Horwitz OF SF 2-3, 2 doubles, .361

PIONEER --  Bobby Mosby CIN 12th homer

ARIZONA -- (Saturday) Mark Rogers MIL 1st rounder, 3.0 5 3 3 2 2 ... Matt Bush SD 0-4, error

GULF COAST --  Danny Borrell NYA, coming back from injury, 4.0 1 1 1 1 6 ... PHI 1st rounder CF Greg Golson CF 3-5, .292

    Troop movements ... ATL -- 0ptioned Sam McConnell to AAA ... BOS -- optioned catcher Andy Dominique to AAA ... CHN -- activated Ryan Dempster from the DL, optioned pitcher Todd Wellemeyer to AAA ...MIL -- optioned Ben Hendrickson to IAAA, recalled infielder Trent Durrington from AAA ... NYN -- designated outfielder Shane Spencer for assignment ... PIT -- optioned J.R. House and Mark Corey to AAA ... SEA -- recalled pitcher Clint Nageotte from AAA, optioned pitcher Travis Blackley to AAA ... TB -- purchased the contract of B.J. Upton from Durham, recalled Damian Rolls from AAA, optioned Jorge Cantu and Joey Gathright to AAA ...

    A long road back for a former Cards' phenom begins Monday in the Florida State League :

" ... Left-hander Rick Ankiel will get the start today when the Palm Beach Cardinals play ... in the first game of a doubleheader at 5:05 p.m. at Roger Dean Stadium. The Fort Pierce native and former St. Louis Cardinal will make his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery a year ago." (Palm Beach Post)

    Scott Rex, On Deck, on a couple of young guns changing uniforms in the flurry of last minute trades --Bill Murphy ARZ & Matt Peterson PIT :

" ...  Murphy is the big wild card in this deal. Murphy has a big league arm. His fastball hits the low-90s and he throws a big curve that can work as a strikeout pitch. The problem with Murphy is that he struggles commanding his stuff. He's hot-and-cold with the curve. I think Murphy can be a Kent Mercker-type in the majors. He will have some success as both a starter and reliever."

" ... Peterson is the ray of hope in the Benson deal. The Pirates already have Peterson-types in their system, but I don't think you can ever have enough pitching. In a horrible marketplace, I would have taken Peterson for Benson. What Littlefield will have to eventually do is take a Peterson or another pitching prospect in the Pirates' system to a franchise like Arizona for a bat. Arizona needs arms and the Bucs need bats. Peterson has #3/4 starter stuff. His fastball generally sits in the low-90s and he has a pretty good curve. Peterson pitches up in the zone in the minors, but he will have to change planes at a greater rate in the bigs if he's to succeed."

    Correspondents -- INTERNATIONAL (Herb Walters), EASTERN  (Ralph Marston), SOUTHERN (Ken Savage), TEXAS (Aman Reaka), FLORIDA STATE (Wayne Stevens), CAROLINA (Troy Salvior), MIDWEST (Bob Reed), SOUTH ATLANTIC (Brad Dowdy), NEW YORK-PENN (Chris Carlson), APPALACHIAN (Scott Howes)

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

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2003 Minor League Stats 1 (Hitters, by OPS, by AAA, AA, A, Short Season, OBA, SLG, Walks, Ks, SBs, Errors)

2003 Minor League Stats 2 (Pitchers, by ERA, AAA, AA, A, Short Season, Ks & Hitters by position)