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19 September 2004
 With
the minor league playoffs winding down ... only the California & Midwest Leagues
to be decided ... a good time to take a short break to allow some time to begin
preparations for the 2005 season ... back in a few days ...
Playoffs
... EASTERN -- the TOR affiliate captured the EL title on superb pitching
from Francisco Rosario, Jamie Vermilyea and Brandon
League ... the trio combined on a four-hit shutout ... Rosario (W 2-0)
6.0 3 0 0 4 6, Vermilyea 0.2 0 0 0 0 1, and League (S 1) 2.1 1 0 0 1 3 ...
League was named the MVP of the series ... Ian Snell PIT 5.0
9 2 2 1 6 ... Aaron Hill TOR 3-4 ... John Hattig TOR
1-4, homer, 2 RBI
CALIFORNIA -- ARZ kids rebounded to tie in the
bottom of the 9th & win in the 10th, 8-7 over the OAK kids ... Reggie
Abercrombie ARZ 3-4, double, homer, 2 RBI ... Jon Zeringue ARZ 2-5, 2
doubles
MIDWEST -- ah, a playoff nailbiter as the OAK
affiliate went 16 innings to down the DET MWL franchise 7-5 to force a deciding
game in the final series ... catcher David Castillo (2-2, 3 RBI)
belted a homer in the 16th for the win ... 3B Vasili Spanos OAK
4-7, 4-7, homer ... OF Dan Putnam OAK 2-6, homer
Troop
movements ... CLE -- recalled outfielder Grady Sizemore from AAA ...
" ... The Oakland Athletics promoted first baseman
Dan Johnson and right-handers Justin Lehr and Joe
Blanton from Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League on Saturday. They
recalled Johnson, the league's MVP who had 29 homers and 111 RBIs in 142 games
while hitting .299 with Sacramento, and Lehr, and selected Blanton. To make room
for Blanton on their 40-man roster, the A's designated minor league catcher Mike
Rivera for assignment ... the A's don't have plans to use any of the three
in the final two weeks of the season ... Macha said he would put Lehr and
Blanton in the bullpen." (Associated Press)
Maybe
he'll learn something from the experience. Jays' kid arrested :
" ... Blue Jays catching prospect Curtis
Thigpen was arrested yesterday on suspicion of drunken driving after he was
stopped for going about 32 km/h under the speed limit and weaving between lanes
on an interstate, police said. Thigpen, 21, played for the University of Texas
last year and now plays for Toronto's single-A Auburn Doubledays of the New
York-Pennsylvania League. Thigpen was released from jail about noon after
posting a $500 cash bond, said Dallas County Sheriff's Department Spokesman Sgt.
Don Peritz said. The arresting deputy said Thigpen had bloodshot, watery eyes,
slurred speech, smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests, according to
an officer's report. Thigpen was part of the Longhorns squad that reached this
year's College World Series finals. Toronto took him in the second round of this
year's Major League amateur draft. He played in 45 games for the Doubledays this
summer, batting .301 with seven homers and 29 RBIs." (Toronto Sun)
Jeremy
Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, on Scott Baker MIN :
" ... Baker could’ve easily been
tabbed as the organization’s best player this season. The 2003 2nd round pick
... exhibited terrific control and command in dominating the Florida State
League and Eastern League en route to Triple A Rochester. His performance was so
remarkable that he was named an All-Star in each of the high A and AA leagues.
Baker utilizes four pitches in his repertoire – an 88-93 mph fastball, curve,
changeup, and slider. He also occasionally uses a cut fastball to induce
groundballs. He may lack a dominant out pitch, but he doesn’t need one. His
command of all of his pitches allows him to get ahead of the hitters and induce
weak contact. Baker has the potential to be a bulldog-type mid-rotation starter.
He’ll likely make some appearances with the Twins next season, but won’t get a
full-time role until 2006. With another organization, he might already be in the
big leagues."
Aussie
starter tops Gavin Floyd as the Phils' best minor leaguer pitcher :
" ... First baseman Ryan Howard and
righthander Scott Mitchinson were named the winners of the Paul Owens
Awards before last night's game. The awards are given to the Phils' top
minor-league player and pitcher. Howard, 24, divided his time between double-A
Reading and triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hit a combined 46 homers with 131
RBIs. Mitchinson, 19, who lives in Western Australia, went 7-0 with a 1.75 ERA
for the Phillies' Gulf Coast league team. In 612/3 innings, he struck out 60 and
walked one." (Philadelphia Inquirer)
More
kudos for ARZ phenom Carlos Quentin :
" ... right-hander Enrique
Gonzalez being named the system's Minor League Pitcher of the Year and
former outfielder Carlos Quentin being named the system's Minor League
Player of the Year. "There's no question, I think the organization has some
talent," JetHawks manager Wally Backman said. "This is only my first year (with
the Diamondbacks) and seeing the guys that have been through here and have gone
on to the next level, there's guys that are going to go on to the majors. "A few
of them are going to be real good everyday players." A first-round pick who made
his professional debut with the JetHawks in April, Quentin hit .310 with 15
homers and 51 runs driven in in Lancaster and has made a seamless transition to
Double-A ball with a .357 average, six homers and 38 runs driven in for El Paso.
What role Gonzalez (13-6, 3.22 ERA) will have in the big leagues remains to be
seen. He has seen time as both a starter and a reliever in his six-year career,
but finished with a league-high 13 wins after moving into the rotation on June
4." (Antelope Valley Press)
Top
hitters, full-season leagues, ranked by SLUGGING PERCENTAGE. Yikes, .650
doesn't even get you into the Top 10.
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
AAA DET Thames, Marcus 234 21
1 24 33 40 4 1 .329 .410 .735 1.145
OF
AAA KC Pickering, Calvin 299 12 1
35 70 85 0 1 .314 .451 .712 1.163 1B
AAA FLO Sutton, Larry
308 31 2 21 59 61 3 1 .373 .475 .692
1.167 1B
A TEX Kinsler, Ian
224 30 1 11 25 36 16 5 .402 .465 .692
1.157 SS
A+ OAK Perry, Jason
325 39 1 24 34 87 4 4 .338 .431 .686
1.117 OF
AAA ANA McPherson, Dallas 259 19 8
20 23 95 6 3 .313 .370 .680 1.050 3B
AAA FLO Dillon, Joe
403 33 7 30 46 85 12 3 .325 .400 .665
1.065 3B
AAA SEA Jacobsen, Bucky 292 22
1 26 50 88 1 1 .312 .422 .661 1.083
1B
AA ANA McPherson, Dallas 262 17 6
20 34 74 6 5 .321 .404 .660 1.064 3B
AA HOU Scott, Luke
208 17 0 19 33 43 0 2 .298 .401 .654
1.055 OF
AAA COL Hawpe, Brad
345 19 1 31 36 91 3 2 .322 .384 .652
1.036 OF
AA PHI Howard, Ryan
374 18 1 37 46 129 1 2 .297 .386 .647
1.033 1B
AAA ANA Riggs, Adam
450 33 8 29 30 80 8 3 .331 .373 .633
1.006 OF
AAA COL Tracy, Andy
464 42 3 33 58 115 4 2 .315 .390 .631
1.021 1B
AAA CHN Dubois, Jason
386 26 1 31 41 97 2 0 .316 .389 .630
1.019 OF
AAA SD Nady, Xavier
291 19 1 22 22 42 3 0 .330 .391 .629
1.020 OF
AAA SD Bozied, Tagg
213 17 1 16 18 29 0 0 .315 .374 .629
1.003 1B
AAA MON Church, Ryan
347 29 8 17 51 62 0 1 .343 .428 .620
1.048 OF
AA NYN Wright, David
223 27 0 10 39 41 20 6 .363 .467 .619
1.086 3B
AAA MIN Morneau, Justin 288 23
0 22 32 47 1 1 .306 .377 .615 .992
1B
A CHN Collins, Kevin
397 26 2 33 45 126 3 1 .290 .369 .615
.984 OF
A+ CLE Garko, Ryan
238 17 1 16 26 34 4 1 .328 .425 .609
1.034 1B
AAA ARZ Nichols, Kyle
167 10 0 14 26 64 0 0 .293 .390 .605
.995 1B
A+ OAK Colamarino, Brant 183 8
2 11 28 23 1 0 .355 .450 .601 1.051
1B
AAA LA Myrow, Brian
153 15 2 6 21 47 2 3 .359 .444
.601 1.045 1B
AAA STL Witt, Kevin
477 30 1 36 28 112 2 0 .306 .353 .600
.953 1B
AAA SEA Leone, Justin
253 10 5 21 26 82 5 6 .269 .344 .597
.941 3B
AAA FLO Colangelo, Mike 292 27
2 16 45 66 0 3 .325 .422 .596 1.018
OF
A NYN Bladergroen, Ian 269 23
3 13 25 55 1 1 .342 .397 .595 .992
1B
A COL Stewart, Ian
505 31 9 30 66 112 19 9 .319 .398 .594
.992 3B
A CHN Dopirak, Brian
541 38 0 39 48 123 4 3 .307 .363 .593
.956 1B
AAA STL Haynes, Dee
182 5 0 14 7 25 1 0 .335
.359 .593 .952 OF
AA MIN Jones, Garrett
450 33 2 30 28 98 10 4 .311 .356 .593
.949 1B
A PIT Benick, Jon
488 29 2 32 53 95 2 2 .328 .396 .592
.988 1B
AAA HOU Coolbaugh, Mike 404 30
0 30 47 96 2 0 .295 .368 .592 .960
3B
AAA CLE Branyan, Russell 313 16 2
25 42 102 5 2 .288 .374 .591 .965 1B
AAA BAL Leon, Jose
283 21 2 17 24 68 1 1 .322 .382 .590
.972 3B
A+ CHA Blakely, Darren 305 17
2 25 15 77 10 1 .275 .322 .590 .912
OF
A+ CIN Blanco, Tony
216 10 0 17 27 66 2 0 .306 .403 .588
.991 1B
AA ARZ Kroeger, Josh
245 28 4 9 21 48 2 1 .331 .393
.588 .981 OF
AAA ARZ Kroeger, Josh
208 23 0 10 15 47 2 1 .332 .376 .587
.963 OF
A+ COL Salazar, Jeff
314 18 9 13 38 33 17 2 .347 .419 .586
1.005 OF
AA COL Shealy, Ryan
469 32 3 29 61 123 1 1 .318 .411 .584
.995 1B
AA LA Victorino, Shane 293 13
7 16 20 64 9 7 .328 .375 .584 .959
OF
AAA LA Chen, Chin-Feng 308 19
6 20 35 78 6 2 .289 .359 .584 .943
OF
AAA LA Garcia, Luis
497 32 3 32 32 104 1 1 .314 .354 .584
.938 1B
A SF Schierholtz, Nate 233 22
0 15 18 52 1 0 .296 .353 .584 .937
3B
AAA CLE Martinez, Sandy 197 8
1 17 12 44 2 0 .274 .316 .584 .900
C
AA SF Cervenak, Mike
410 36 1 21 52 53 6 1 .337 .414 .583
.997 3B
A+ OAK Cruz, Nelson
261 27 1 11 24 73 8 4 .345 .407 .582
.989 OF
18 September 2004
Playoffs
... INTERNATIONAL -- Ryan Langerhans (ATL, LF) 0-4, .242 ...
Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 1-4, RBI, SF, .308 ... Jhonny
Peralta (CLE, SS) 0-5, .324 ... Grady Sizemore (CLE, CF) 1-3,
2 BB, SB, .333 ... Jason Cooper (CLE, LF) 1-3, 2B, R, BB, .375 ...
Ryan Garko (CLE, 1B) 1-4, R, BB, .167
PACIFIC COAST -- Dan Johnson OAK 4-5
... Jon Weber OAK 2-3, homer, 3 RBI
TEXAS -- Ian Kinsler TEX, fitting wrap
to a breakout season, sac fly in the 8th knocked in the winner as Frisco won the
Texas League title ... 1-3, double, walk, RBI ... Jason Botts TEX
2-5 ... Drew Meyer TEX 2-4 ... Ben Kozlowski TEX 6.0
6 5 5 1 4 ... DJ Houlton HOU 4.0 7 3 3 2 2 ... Brooks
Conrad HOU 1-3, homer, 2 RBI
CALIFORNIA -- lots of offense in the 2nd game
of the CAL final ... OAK kids over the ARZ kids 13-8 ... Brian Stavisky,
4 hits and Jason Perry a homer to pace the A's ... Brad
Sullivan, another stinker (6 runs in 3 1/3 innings) ... Jon
Zeringue another two hits, 2 RBI (a minor league best 11 in the post season)
MIDWEST -- OAK kids also in the final in the
MWL ... made four errors in dropping game three ... lots of Ks :
" ... The Whitecaps second half ace Jordan Tata
shutout the Cougars for six innings on five hits with 11 strikeouts to keep Kane
County in check. Tata was matched by lefty Dallas Braden for the Western
Division champions. Braden struck out 15 in seven innings." (West Michigan
Whitecaps)
Troop
movements ... MON -- recalled infielder Josh Labandeira from Double-A ...
KC -- purchased the contract of 2B Donnie Murphy from Class A ...
John
Sickels, ESPN.com, with the Sickels' Seal of Approval for a pair of emerging
prospects -- Daric Barton STL and Dustin Pedroia BOS :
" ... One Midwest League pitcher I spoke with a
couple of weeks ago told me that Barton was "almost impossible" to fool. He
could hit fastballs, changeups, or breaking balls, and "never" swung at a bad
pitch. Barton's numbers are certainly outstanding: .313 batting average, .445
OBP, .511 SLG, with 69 walks and just 44 strikeouts in 313 at-bats ... has
no real weaknesses as a hitter, and he's still just 19 year old ... I
think he is a star in the making, offensively at least. The question for Barton
is defense. He is a catcher right now, but his defense behind the plate is rough
... If the decision were mine, I think I would just move him to
first base next year and let him hit his way to the Show as quickly as possible
... would have more value if he can polish up his glove and remain behind
the plate. But there is also a greater risk with that course of action, due to
nagging injuries and the wear-and-tear ... Either way, Barton has a
special bat. I'm as certain as you can be about an A-ball hitter: this guy can
mash and will mash at all levels."
" ... He looks like the real deal to me ... a
short guy without tremendous physical attributes. But his baseball skills are
very refined, and he made short work of professional pitching in his pro debut.
He started in the Sally League, and went 20-for-50 in his first 12 games for
Augusta, earning a promotion to Sarasota. There, in 30 games in the Florida
State League, Pedroia hit .336 with a .417 OBP and a .523 SLG ... very
reliable at shortstop, and has yet to make an error in pro ball ...
I think he would be just fine at short, although the presence of Ramirez (who
played much better this year than in 2003) could very well shift Pedroia to
second in the long run. Either way, I think Dustin is going to be a very
effective Major League hitter. We could see him in the Show as early as this
time next year."
Jeremy
Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, notes major advances in 2004 by DET SS Tony
Giarratano and CLE starter Adam Miller :
" ... Giarratano is a standout defensive
shortstop with great range and well above average arm. He not only can make the
routine play, but can go deep in the hole to get the out. At the plate,
Giarratano showed the Tigers that he can make consistent, hard contact while
staying patient. He doesn’t profile to hit for much power, but he might develop
more than expected if he adds more strength to his 6’0” 180 pound frame ... Some
scouts see Giarratano moving quickly to the majors and one scout remarked that
he resembles Alan Trammell. Giarratano hurt his shoulder in August and underwent
surgery, but is expected to be ready by Spring Training."
" ... There aren’t many young pitchers with as
much upside as the 6’4” 175 pound 1st round pick in 2003. Miller has an
effortless delivery that evokes comparisons to Bret Saberhagen, though he will
eventually become more of a power pitcher. Miller dominated the opposition at
two stops in the minors by commanding his sinking 92-94 mph fastball and power
slider. When it’s on, the slider can be almost unhittable. Miller’s control was
better this year than the Indians had hoped. If he can hone his changeup and
make a few minor mechanical adjustments, there is reason to think that Miller
could get to the majors sometime in 2006."
Zach
Chalifour, The RotoTimes, on a couple of first-rounders ... one, three years
a pro and still in A-Ball ... the other, ready to move fast after an outstanding
pro debut :
" ... Jeremy Hermida ... has been only
average in his first three years as a professional. Coming into the season, the
20-year-old had 652 career at-bats in which he hit .273 with six home runs, 70
RBI and 34 stolen bases. This year, Hermida has remained consistent but is still
lacking any standout numbers ... has continued to show solid plate discipline,
drawing 42 walks en route to a solid .377 on-base percentage. Hermida is likely
to begin the 2005 campaign at Double-A Carolina."
" ... Billy Butler ... has done an
outstanding job thus far of rewarding the Royals for making him the 14th-overall
pick in this year's draft. Butler hit .373 with 10 home runs and 68 RBI in 260
at-bats in the Rookie-level Pioneer League this season. Thanks to his refined
plate discipline and solid gap power, Butler maintained an on-base percentage of
.488 and a .596 slugging percentage -- good for an outstanding 1.084 OPS. Keep
in mind he put up those totals straight out of high school With Butler's
emergence, Mark Teahen's role as the Royals third baseman of the future may be
in jeopardy, even though Butler is still two or three years from making it to
Kansas City. Butler is a long-range prospect, but his upside is immense."
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, on Jeff Mathis ANA :
" ... Before Kotchman and McPherson departed, Mathis
was everything he was supposed to be. Afterward, he was terrible. Texas League
observers say that was no coincidence. Arkansas fell apart in the second half
and Mathis pressed at the plate, trying to do too much. He also wore down in the
heat, which typically happens to catchers in the TL. What's most important is
that the tools are still there. He's an advanced hitter for his age (21) and has
plenty of power potential. He's moves well behind the plate, with good receiving
and leadership skills. Mathis has arm strength but needs to tweak his release
and accuracy after throwing out just 21 percent of basestealers. He's very
athletic and runs very well for a catcher. Scouts aren't close to giving up on
Mathis. "He's too talented," said one I talked to this week. "I like him more
than the other guys they have, even Kotchman and McPherson. If you miss on
Mathis' bat, he's still a catcher with great makeup. I love the guy. He's hard
not to."
Ryan
Howard PHI ... official confirmation :
" ... Howard, a 24-year-old lefthanded hitting first
baseman in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, is the winner of the Minor
League Baseball Round-Tripper Contest for 2004. He led all Minor League players
with 46 home runs, easily out-distancing runnerup Dallas McPherson, who had 40.
Howard will be honored at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Anaheim in December,
where he will receive the Joe Bauman Trophy ... Bauman set the Minor League
Baseball record when he hit 72 homers for Roswell, NM, in 1954 ... Minor
League Classification leaders ... Triple-A--Earl Snyder of Pawtucket and
Kevin Witt of Memphis, who tied with 36; Double-A--Mitch
Jones of Trenton, who hit 39; and Single-A--Brian Dopirak of
Lansing, who hit 39." (Reading Phillies)
Best
of the Rookie-Ball hitters. Ranked by OPS (on base plus slugging). Top 20,
minimum 100 ABs.
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
R MIL Iribarren, Hernan 189 6
9 4 19 23 15 7 .439 .490 .630 1.120
2B
R HOU Einertson, Mitch 227 15
0 24 32 70 4 4 .308 .413 .692 1.105
OF
R KC Butler, Billy
260 22 3 10 57 63 5 0 .373 .488 .596
1.084 3B
R MIL Brady, Joshua
113 9 4 5 13 24 5 3 .363
.433 .646 1.079 1B
R ANA Rodriguez, Sean
225 14 4 10 51 62 9 3 .338 .486 .569
1.055 SS
R MIL Richardson, Grant 166 16
1 5 32 20 2 4 .367 .478 .566 1.044
1B
R KC McFall, Brian
262 22 1 14 30 64 23 2 .359 .432 .611
1.043 OF
R BAL Gutierrez, Juan
126 8 0 8 17 14 0 1 .349
.430 .603 1.033 1B
R COL Smith, Seth
233 21 3 9 25 47 9 1 .369 .427
.601 1.028 OF
R ARZ Townsend, Marcus 126
5 1 11 22 48 4 1 .294 .414 .611
1.025 OF
R LA Westervelt, Christo 176 12 0
10 27 46 0 0 .341 .440 .580 1.020 C
R KC Brown, Russell
137 13 0 8 26 36 0 2 .321 .424
.591 1.015 1B
R LA Dunlap, Cory
245 18 1 7 68 40 0 0 .351 .492
.518 1.010 1B
R NYN Lawrence, Horace 105
6 1 5 12 17 6 3 .362 .429 .581
1.010 OF
R BAL Finan, Ryan
123 12 0 5 18 16 0 1 .333 .429
.553 .982 1B
R STL Granadillo, Tony 168 10
1 10 22 37 3 1 .315 .413 .565 .978
3B
R LA Ruggiano, Justin
155 12 0 7 23 38 6 1 .329 .428
.542 .970 OF
R COL Fox, Ryan
153 7 2 12 44 66 7 3 .242 .421
.549 .970 C
R CHA Cook, David
113 3 1 8 20 26 2 2 .301
.410 .558 .968 OF
R LA Marcos, Emilio
107 7 3 3 1 19 10 2 .364
.398 .570 .968 OF
Others of interest :
R SEA Tuiasosopo, Matthew 68 5
2 4 13 14 1 2 .412 .528 .721 1.249
SS
R SEA Snelling, Chris
32 4 1 0 7 3 1
0 .313 .476 .500 .976 OF
R ANA Toussaint, Andrew 194 12
2 12 34 68 6 4 .289 .409 .557 .966
3B
R BOS Ramirez, Hanley
20 0 1 0 2 3 1
0 .400 .462 .500 .962 SS
R MIL Festa, Anthony
226 19 0 7 56 39 6 1 .305 .463
.482 .945 3B
R COL Nelson, Chris
147 6 3 4 20 42 6 5 .347
.432 .510 .942 SS
R ATL Jurich, Mark
203 10 1 16 28 33 0 1 .281 .363 .576
.939 OF
R MIN Burns, Deacon
255 20 4 12 18 53 9 2 .314 .368 .565
.933 OF
R OAK Long, Wesley
206 17 1 4 31 26 16 7 .345 .434 .495
.929 3B
R LA Denker, Travis
225 17 1 12 24 52 2 3 .311 .372 .556
.928 2B
R COL Hahn, Dustin
240 18 1 8 51 55 10 2 .308 .433 .492
.925 3B
R NYN Pietsch, Seth
206 6 5 11 22 37 9 2 .291 .371
.529 .900 OF
R CIN Mosby, Robert
255 5 2 19 42 87 1 0 .263 .376
.522 .898 1B
R CHA Collaro, Tom
268 7 6 18 13 82 4 3 .287 .331
.560 .891 OF
R NYA Tierce, Jonathan 147 11
1 1 14 16 13 4 .361 .420 .469 .889
OF
R TB Brignac, Reid
97 4 2 1 9 10 2 1
.361 .413 .474 .887 SS
R KC Solis, Eddie
246 15 2 2 19 41 3 0 .366 .418
.467 .885 2B
R SF Martinez-Esteve, Ed 14 2
0 0 0 2 2 0 .357 .375
.500 .875 OF
R CIN Szymanski, B.J.
81 4 2 3 9 26 2 1
.259 .330 .469 .799 OF
R PHI Golson, Gregory
183 8 5 1 10 54 12 2 .295 .345
.410 .755 OF
R PIT Walker, Neil
192 12 3 4 10 33 3 1 .271 .313
.427 .740 C
R MIN Plouffe, Trevor
237 7 2 4 19 34 2 1 .283
.340 .380 .720 SS
R SD Bush, Matthew
72 2 1 0 11 17 4 1 .181
.302 .236 .538 SS
17 September 2004
Playoffs
... INTERNATIONAL -- Ryan Langerhans (ATL, LF) 0-3, R, HBP, .276
... Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 2-5, 2B, 1st HR, R, RBI, .314 ...
Jhonny Peralta (CLE, SS) 0-4, BB, .379 ... Grady
Sizemore (CLE, CF) 1-4, R, RBI, .333 ... Ryan Garko (CLE, 1B)
0-3, R, HBP, .154 ... Fausto Carmona (CLE) 5.0 6 4 4 2 2, 2.77
TEXAS -- Fernando Nieve HOU 2.2 7 5 5 2
3 ... Luke Scott HOU 2-4, homer ... Drew Meyer TEX
2-5, 3 RBI ... Jason Botts TEX 2-4, double
CALIFORNIA -- Not sure who won ... the
Lancaster web site reports ... Catcher Phil Avlas (one homer in his
career before this season) belted a homer to lead Lancaster (ARZ) to a win in
the opener of the CAL final. Avlas belted 13 during the regular season.
Jon Zeringue had a hit, now 10 for 19 in the playoffs. The SportsNetwork
reports Modesto OAK as having won ... we'll see who's correct when the papers
come out.
Ooops, that was the OAK (not
COL) affiliate which moved on to the CAL league championship series with a win
Wednesday ... and it was SS Omar Quintanilla who delivered
the crucial blow in the bottom of the 9th (a two-run single) to plate the
winning run ...
CAROLINA -- JD Martin CLE named CAR playoff
MVP :
" ... Martin (2-0) put forth a spectacular
showing, carrying a no-hitter into the fourth inning. Donnie Murphy broke up the
no-no in the fourth, leading off the frame with a solo homer to left that tied
the game ... he retired 17 of the next 20 en route to the complete game
victory and series MVP honors, striking out a career-high 10 in the process."
(Kinston Indians)
MIDWEST -- Brad Knox OAK 6.2 4 2 2 2 3
... figures, the guy for whom the Mendoza line would be a good thing, drives in
both runs in a win for the DET affiliate, Jason Knoedler 1-2, homer
SOUTH ATLANTIC -- Bobby Kingsbury PIT
4-5, homer, 3 RBI ... Jon Benick PIT 2-5, double ... Nyjer
Morgan PIT 3-5, double
Yikes
... it's something I've done in Scoresheet ... risky, but sometimes productive
... tossing in some rooks into your rotation for the September stretch drive ...
hope you didn't use Jose Capellan ATL 1 6 7 7 2 0
Troop
movements ... SF -- activated Jerome Williams from the DL ... CLE --
placed pitcher Kazuhito Tadano on the DL ... BOS -- designated Tim Hummel
for assignment, activated LHP Lenny DiNardo from the DL ... SD --
acquired SS Alex Gonzalez from MON for a PTBNL ("Towers said the Expos will
receive a Padres minor leaguer who "isn't anywhere near being one of our best
prospects." San Diego Union Tribune) ... ARZ -- activated Greg Colbrunn
from the DL ... SEA -- activated pitcher Julio Mateo from the DL ...
Oh
my ... another top young gun meets Tommy John ... Clint Everts MON :
" ... Everts, the fifth overall pick in the 2002
draft, had Tommy John surgery last week. The surgery, performed by Dr. James
Andrews in Alabama, and the subsequent rehabilitation will shelve Everts for
most, if not all of the 2005 season. Everts, 20, spent most of the season at low
Class A Savannah before finishing with four solid starts at high Class A Brevard
County. He went 7-3, 2.49 with the Sand Gnats, striking out 103 and walking just
21 in 90 innings while holding opponents to a .206 average. He went 2-2, 2.25
with the Manatees in 20 innings, walking 10 and striking out 19. Overall, the
6-foot-2, 170-pounder went 9-5, 2.45 with 122 strikeouts and 31 walks in 110
innings, allowing just 83 hits. "It was a gradual deal; there was no pop on one
pitch or anything like that as we understand it," Expos farm director Adam Wogan
said. "There was some minor arm soreness, and we had him go see Dr. Andrews to
get checked out. Dr. Andrews found some damage and recommended surgery, and it
was Tommy John. "Dr. Andrews said it was extremely successful. They found a very
strong tendon from Clint's left wrist, and with the success rate of this surgery
we're optimistic that this is a setback, but not one he can't overcome."
(Baseball America)
The
indefatigable Jeremy
Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, keeps pumping out the prospect reviews.
His take on a couple of well-armed young guns -- Brandon McCarthy CHA and
Jason Hammel TB :
" ... Rays conservatively placed Hammel at low A
Charleston to begin the season after a decent performance at the same location
in 2003 ... The 6’6” righthander started to throw with more velocity and vastly
improved his hard late-breaking slider. Promoted at midseason to high A
Bakersfield, Hammel’s last five starts are indicative of what the Devil Rays
have hopes for in the near future. He allowed only 1 earned run in his last five
outings. His lean frame suggests more growth is coming and Hammel could soon be
pitching consistently in the mid-90s."
" ... McCarthy had an unforgettable year which
was his first full-season assignment since being drafted in the 17th round of
the 2002 draft. He led the minors in wins and strikeouts while living mainly out
of his suitcase. For the season, McCarthy held the opposition to a .216 batting
average while exhibiting terrific command and control of his three pitches. He
works with a low 90s fastball and that pitch is expected to gain velocity as he
matures – he is 6’7” 220 pounds. McCarthy’s hard curveball ranks among the best
curveballs in the minors and his changeup is improving from start to start. A
repeat of this season is near impossible, but McCarthy will certainly be atop
many top prospect lists over the offseason."
Jonathan
Mayo, MLB.com, on PIT sluggers Brad Eldred and Adam Boeve :
" ... Eldred has only been in Double-A for a short
time. Granted, he's been crazy, with 17 homers and 60 RBIs in 39 games. But, and
here's the but -- and this was a problem before the beginning of the year -- in
those 39 games, six walks and 51 strikeouts. That's not a good ratio. As a power
hitter, I don't really care if he strikes out a lot, but when he was with
Lynchburg (and he was the Carolina League Player of the Year), he actually had a
.397 OBP. He clearly was working on seeing more pitches and drawing more walks.
Then he moved up a level and while he hit for power, my guess is they'll want to
see him do it again at a higher level. Since there's no first baseman ahead of
him, they might move him up to Indianapolis, the Pirates' new Triple-A affiliate
in 2005."
" ... Boeve ... played the entire year with Hickory
in the South Atlantic League. He hit .290 with 28 homers, 92 RBIs and 10 steals.
He finished third in the league in homers, fifth in slugging percentage (.536)
and had a .385 OBP despite striking out 112 times in 459 at-bats ... There's no
huge rush even though they certainly could use a power-hitting outfielder. But
my guess is he moves up to Lynchburg. If he starts out well, maybe he'll get
moved up to Altoona midseason, just like Eldred was."
More
evidence that points to Scott Hairston's days as a second baseman as
over.
" ... Alex Cintron made his eighth start at
second base on Wednesday and it could become an everyday occurrence for the
club's usual starting shortstop. Not just for the remainder of this season, but
beyond. ''I like him at second. He feels comfortable there and he's shown a lot
of life at second," manager Al Pedrique said. ''He's a switch hitter with some
power that can turn the double play. He has a good chance to play at second at
the major league level on an everyday basis." (Arizona Republic)
Finally,
a breakthrough for CIN's Felipe Lopez :
" ... Give Felipe Lopez credit - he recognized a
problem and worked to overcome it. Lopez, the shortstop/third baseman, has
struggled with his throwing since the Reds acquired him in a 2002 trade. After
36 games with the Reds this year, he had nine errors - six on errant throws. In
his last 27 games, he has one error, and it was a fielding error. Lopez has a
strong arm - it was a matter of putting the ball where he wanted it. "It's just
my accuracy," Lopez said. "I've been working with (coach Randy) Whisler and
(shortstop) Barry (Larkin), just little basic things to help me. Trying to get a
good grip, balance. It's helped me tremendously." The improved defense, combined
with the way Lopez has swung the bat recently, has probably secured him a spot
in the Reds' starting eight next year - either at shortstop or third base. Lopez
is hitting .285 (43-for-151) with six home runs and 20 RBI in 44 games since he
was recalled from Louisville on July 26." (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Some
hopeful news perhaps for Everts, Loewen, Ankiel et al :
" ... He hasn't dazzled them with stuff or
overwhelmed them with numbers. The Astros couldn't measure Carlos Hernandez
in those terms anyway this season. They'll remember more important things. Like
how he took the ball every time they asked him to. How he learned to compete
with whatever he had that night. How he elevated himself into something special
in their eyes. They'll hold their breath this winter hoping his 94 mph fastball
returns and that he fully recovers from the rotator cuff surgery he underwent 19
months ago. Yet even if his velocity is never what it once was, even if 94 mph
is a memory, Hernandez has shown the Astros he belongs in their starting
rotation next season ... "He's gone from being a question mark to a
big-league starter," Astros pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "You run him out
there now and expect to win. I can't wait to see him next spring." ... so
remarkable about this first full season back. Back in April, his fastball barely
topped 80 mph in some games. It didn't improve quickly, either. His recovery was
so slow that the Astros worried he might still be in pain. Even now, he's
throwing only around 84 mph in the early innings and seldom tops 88. That
velocity means he has to be virtually perfect with his location, and at times,
he has been. What Hernandez has gained instead is pitching knowledge and a full
catalog of pitches. He throws a terrific changeup that he barely used before. He
has added movement to his fastball by holding the ball differently. He also has
come to understand the importance of throwing inside ... Hernandez was
forced to learn everything he hadn't known before. Hickey jokes that young
pitchers ought to consider surgery because so many of them "come back better
than they were before." "He has learned how to pitch," Garner said. "You
wouldn't wish it on anyone, but some good has come of it."
Top
hitters, Short-season leagues. Ranked by OPS. Top 20, minimum of 150 ABs.
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
SS ARZ Carter, William 256 15
1 15 46 34 2 3 .336 .438 .578 1.016
OF
SS COL Macri, Matthew
195 17 4 7 23 52 4 5 .333 .410
.569 .979 3B
SS OAK Herrera, Javier 263 15
4 12 24 59 23 1 .331 .392 .555 .947
OF
SS CLE Gimenez, Chris
260 23 3 10 30 62 2 2 .300 .419 .527
.946 3B
SS TOR Thigpen, Curtis 166 11
2 7 23 32 1 1 .301 .390 .518
.908 C
SS HOU Zobrist, Benjamin 257 14 3
4 43 31 15 4 .339 .438 .463 .901 SS
SS COL Thigpen, Jud
239 14 5 10 14 50 8 0 .310 .363 .536
.899 OF
SS ARZ Reynolds, Mark
234 19 1 12 25 65 4 1 .274 .372 .517
.889 SS
SS HOU Pence, Hunter
199 18 1 8 23 30 3 5 .296 .369
.518 .887 OF
SS TOR Hall, Brian
211 14 1 10 24 49 3 3 .294 .367 .512
.879 2B
SS TEX Nickeas, Michael 233 18
0 10 33 53 2 0 .288 .384 .494 .878
C
SS CHN Montanez, Luis
266 15 7 8 35 53 5 5 .297 .381
.496 .877 OF
SS SF Horwitz, Brian
268 24 1 2 21 34 3 3 .347 .407
.466 .873 OF
SS TEX Mahar, Kevin
152 9 0 6 12 38 5 0 .316
.379 .493 .872 OF
SS OAK Robnett, Richard 164 14
1 4 28 43 1 2 .299 .395 .470
.865 OF
SS CLE Butia, Michael
232 17 1 5 24 54 0 1 .315 .396
.461 .857 OF
SS TEX Metcalf, Travis 290 21
1 15 37 74 1 2 .269 .351 .503 .854
3B
SS TOR Lind, Adam
266 23 0 7 24 36 1 0 .312 .371
.477 .848 OF
SS COL Dean, Erik
217 12 1 4 32 36 4 1 .313 .410
.433 .843 2B
SS SD Morton, Colt
243 13 0 17 33 75 2 0 .239 .340 .502
.842 C
Others of interest :
SS COL Gentry, Garett
57 5 1 3 6 6 1
1 .421 .469 .702 1.171 1B
SS NYN Brinkley, Dante 234
9 1 6 25 59 14 1 .316 .396 .440
.836 OF
SS OAK Suzuki, Kurt
175 10 3 3 18 26 0 1 .297 .394
.440 .834 C
SS TB Jaso, John
199 17 2 2 22 32 1 0 .302 .378
.437 .815 C
SS NYN Concepcion, Ambiori 259 14 3
8 13 54 28 11 .305 .338 .475 .813 OF
SS CHN Harvey, Ryan
231 8 0 14 20 78 2 2 .264 .327
.481 .808 OF
SS SF Martinez-esteve, Ed 35 4
0 0 6 7 0 0 .286 .405
.400 .805 OF
SS SD Dale, Lach
284 18 1 15 16 87 1 0 .246 .294 .475
.769 1B
SS SEA Tuiasosopo, Matthew 101 6 1
2 10 36 4 3 .248 .336 .386 .722 SS
SS NYA Tierce, Jonathan 38
1 1 1 4 9 0 0 .184
.256 .342 .598 OF
SS SD Bush, Matthew
27 2 0 0 2 9 0
0 .222 .276 .296 .572 SS
16 September 2004
Playoffs
... INTERNATIONAL -- Ryan Langerhans (ATL, RF) 0-3, BB, .308 ...
Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 0-4, HBP, .300 ... Jhonny
Peralta (CLE, SS) 2-3, R, 2 BB, .440 ... Grady Sizemore (CLE,
CF) 1-3, 2nd HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, .348 ... Jason Cooper (CLE, PR)
0-0, Sac, .385 ... Ryan Garko (CLE, 1B) 0-3, BB, .174 ...
Francisco Cruceta (CLE) 5.0 7 3 3 4 7, 3.75
PACIFIC COAST -- Cubs' Renyel Pinto 6.0
3 2 1 3 10 over Joe Blanton OAK 7.0 10 4 4 1 3
EASTERN -- Tyrell Godwin TOR, one man
show, 2-3, homer, walk, 4 RBI ... Maikel Jova TOR 3-4, homer ...
Chris Baker TOR 6.0 7 4 2 0 7 ... Bryan Bullington
PIT 5.0 6 4 4 1 5
TEXAS -- Jason Botts TEX 2-4 ...
Drew Meyer TEX 2-3
CALIFORNIA -- No details yet, but the OAK
franchise (Modesto) scored twice in the bottom of the 9th to down the SF
affiliate 7-6 to win the deciding game of their semi-final series.
CAROLINA -- JD Martin CLE, sure looks
like a prospect, 9.0 4 1 1 1 10 ... 2B Donnie Murphy KC 3-3, homer
Troop
movements ... SEA -- purchased the contract of catcher Rene Rivera from
Single-A, designated RHP Brett Evert for assignment ...
Dallas
McPherson is the choice at
The Sporting News as the Minor League Player of the Year :
" ... no one stood out more than McPherson.
Splitting time between Class AA Arkansas and Class AAA Salt Lake, he hit .317
with 40 home runs and 126 RBIs in 521 at-bats. He also had 36 doubles, 14
triples, 12 stolen bases and a stellar 1.054 on-base plus slugging percentage.
McPherson's offensive weakness is his strikeout total -- he had 169, one every
3.1 at-bats. Because young power hitters often strike out at a high rate and
then learn to make more consistent contact as they mature, this is not a major
concern for now ... He's the early favorite to be the Sporting News'
top-ranked prospect in the preseason, and don't be surprised if, by next
September, McPherson is the leading candidate for American League Rookie of the
Year." (Kevin Wheeler)
Jeremy
Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, with his picks as the best of the Yankee & Red
Sox systems :
" ... Melky Cabrera, of, 20 ... Not
only did he exhibit four out of his potential five tools, he injected excitement
into an organization desperate for a spark. The only tool Cabrera didn’t
showcase is his power, but he offers power potential ... took a major step
forward this year. He could be either a leadoff hitter or a legitimate #3 hitter
with more strength. Cabrera is going to be an outstanding centerfielder when he
matures due to his instincts and terrific arm. Once he grows into his 5’11” 170
pound frame, the switch-hitting Cabrera could be the next great Yankees
prospect."
" ... Brandon Moss, of, 20 ...
dedicated himself to improving his approach at the plate in addition to adding
more muscle to his frame. He now profiles as a .300 big league hitter with the
potential to hit 20+ HR while manning rightfield. Moss still has some work to do
with using the entire field while at bat, but he has made huge strides in such a
short time period ... could find himself starting in Double A next
season."
Matthew
Pouliot, RotoWorld.com, with some notes on a few of the September callups :
" ... Dan Meyer - LHP Braves ... 9-6 with a
2.49 ERA, 112 H and 146/37 K/BB in 126 1/3 IP between Double- and Triple-A this
year. Some of the other contenders would have liked the chance to insert him
into their rotations last month, but the Braves wouldn’t have even called him up
if not for Mike Hampton’s injury. Meyer also can’t expect to have a rotation
spot at the start of next year. I think he’ll spend at least the first two
months of 2005 in Triple-A, but that would still make him a sleeper."
" ... Adrian Gonzalez ... He wasn’t
bad, but Gonzalez’s .304/.364/.457 line for Triple-A Oklahoma shouldn’t be good
enough to guarantee him a starting job in Texas next year. It’s still expected
that he’ll eventually push Mark Teixeira to right field, but a trade isn’t
beyond the realm of possibility. Despite the lack of gaudy minor league numbers,
the 22-year-old Gonzalez does project as a fine regular at first base."
" ... Curtis Granderson - OF Tigers
... took quite a leap forward this year, batting .303/.407/.515 for
Double-A and firmly establishing himself as a future regular in Detroit’s
outfield, probably in center initially. I don’t think Granderson has any star
potential -- he is 23 and the eventual move to a corner will cost him some of
his value ... Think of him as Mark Kotsay with a weaker glove."
John
Manuel, Baseball America, on some of the 2004 "from out of left field"
breakouts :
" ... Raul Tablado, 3b-ss, Blue Jays ...
has taken longer than he or the organization would have liked to find his power
stroke. He found it this year, leading the FSL with a .582 slugging percentage
and ranking third in home runs (21) in an injury-interrupted season. He pounds
mistakes and has enough athletic ability and power to either make the move to
third or to go to second base, but scouts agree he shouldn't be a shortstop."
" ... Maicer Izturis, ss, Expos ...
Like older brother Cesar, the Dodgers' shortstop, Maicer is gifted with the
glove and made impressive progress with the bat in 2004. He'll never be confused
with a power hitter, but Izturis makes consistent contact and has learned the
value of a walk (57 in 99 Triple-A games)."
" ... Ryan Garko, c/1b, Indians ...
hit in the middle of three lineups, bashing his way to Triple-A. "He was a water
buffalo as a junior in college," said an AL scout who saw Garko as an amateur
and again this year in the Carolina League. "He deserves a lot of credit for
making his body a lot better. He also has a track record as a hitter, especially
in clutch situations." Garko's makeup and grinding nature are well suited for
pro ball, and his intelligence, leadership skills and savvy maximize his tools
behind the plate, where he lacks smoothness and agility. He won't displace young
star Victor Martinez in Cleveland, but he'll hit enough to earn time at catcher,
first and DH soon."
Now,
the best of the hitters in Single-A Ball. Ranked by OPS. Top 20, minimum
of 150 ABs.
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
A TEX Kinsler, Ian
224 30 1 11 25 36 16 5 .402 .465 .692
1.157 SS
A COL Stewart, Ian
505 31 9 30 66 112 19 9 .319 .398 .594
.992 3B
A NYN Bladergroen, Ian 269 23
3 13 25 55 1 1 .342 .397 .595 .992
1B
A PIT Benick, Jon
488 29 2 32 53 95 2 2 .328 .396 .592
.988 1B
A CHN Collins, Kevin
397 26 2 33 45 126 3 1 .290 .369 .615
.984 OF
A NYN Milledge, Lastings 261 22 1
13 17 53 23 6 .337 .399 .579 .978 OF
A ANA Kendrick, Howie
313 24 6 10 12 41 15 6 .367 .398 .578
.976 2B
A CHN Dopirak, Brian
541 38 0 39 48 123 4 3 .307 .363 .593
.956 1B
A STL Barton, Daric
313 23 0 13 69 44 4 4 .313 .445 .511
.956 C
A BAL Fiorentino, Jeffrey 179 15 2
10 20 50 2 2 .302 .379 .575 .954 OF
A SF Schierholtz, Nate 233 22
0 15 18 52 1 0 .296 .353 .584 .937
3B
A TOR Roberts, Ryan
226 9 0 13 55 50 0 0 .283 .440
.496 .936 2B
A NYN Whealy, Blake
427 32 5 23 67 126 10 5 .281 .387 .541
.928 2B
A OAK Spanos, Vasili
331 26 1 12 54 76 11 5 .311 .419 .505
.924 3B
A TB Young, Delmon
513 26 5 25 53 120 21 6 .320 .386 .536
.922 OF
A COL Czarniecki, Jordan 381 25 3
16 48 69 30 6 .315 .400 .522 .922 OF
A PIT Boeve, Adam
459 25 2 28 61 112 10 2 .290 .385 .536
.921 OF
A CLE Kouzmanoff, Kevin 473 35
5 16 44 75 5 4 .330 .394 .526 .920
3B
A BOS Moss, Brandon
433 25 6 13 46 75 19 8 .339 .402 .515
.917 OF
A BAL Harris, Cory
206 18 0 9 19 30 6 3 .311 .381
.529 .910 OF
Others of interest :
A CIN Votto, Joey
391 26 2 14 79 110 9 2 .302 .419 .486
.905 1B
A OAK Snyder, Brian
366 18 3 13 67 82 3 2 .311 .421 .484
.905 3B
A FLO Blake, Ryan
295 20 0 17 33 91 0 0 .285 .379 .525
.904 C
A TB Bankston, Wes
470 30 3 23 73 104 9 0 .289 .390 .513
.903 1B
A PHI Bourn, Michael
413 20 14 5 85 88 57 6 .317 .433 .470
.903 OF
A ARZ Frazier, Alex
464 36 3 20 27 92 21 5 .313 .366 .532
.898 OF
A CLE Goleski, Ryan
505 22 5 28 55 100 6 7 .295 .370 .525
.895 OF
A NYN Harvey, Ryan
425 32 5 10 35 48 12 5 .325 .395 .494
.889 OF
A CLE Pinckney, Brandon 165 10
0 3 10 12 6 4 .364 .401 .479
.880 SS
A SD Kottaras, George
271 18 1 7 51 41 0 0 .310 .415
.461 .876 C
A PHI Cortez, Chico
213 15 1 8 33 40 1 2 .291 .390
.484 .874 C
A CHA Young, Chris
465 31 5 24 66 145 31 9 .262 .365 .505
.870 OF
A NYA Cabrera, Melky
171 16 3 0 15 23 7 2 .333 .383
.462 .845 OF
A CLE Snyder, Brad
304 15 5 10 48 78 11 4 .280 .382 .461
.843 OF
A BAL Markakis, Nick
355 22 3 11 42 66 12 3 .299 .371 .470
.841 OF
A HOU Anderson, Josh
299 12 3 4 33 47 47 9 .324 .402 .425
.827 OF
A MON Casto, Kory
483 35 4 16 31 70 1 2 .286 .337 .474
.811 3B
A PHI Blalock, Jake
517 40 2 16 61 126 4 3 .271 .350 .449
.799 OF
A TB Pridie, Jason
515 27 11 17 37 114 17 6 .276 .327 .470 .797
OF
A MIL Palmisano, Lou
409 22 3 7 43 93 3 2 .293 .371
.413 .784 C
A KC Lubanski, Chris
487 26 7 9 43 106 16 11 .273 .334 .411
.745 OF
A DET Giarratano, Tony 165
6 1 1 25 22 11 3 .285 .383 .352
.735 SS
A ANA Wood, Brandon
478 30 5 11 46 117 21 5 .251 .322 .404
.726 SS
A SEA Jones, Adam
510 23 7 11 33 124 8 4 .267 .314 .404
.718 SS
A DET Kirkland, Kody
496 30 11 10 15 149 6 8 .236 .276 .401
.677 3B
15 September 2004
Playoffs
... INTERNATIONAL -- Ryan Langerhans (ATL, LF-RF) 3-5, 1st HR, 3 R,
3 RBI, .348 ... Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 1-5, 2B, .346 ...
Jhonny Peralta (CLE, SS) 1-4, 1st HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, .409 ... just a
single shy of the cycle, Grady Sizemore (CLE, CF) 3-4, 2B, 3B, 1st
HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, .350 ... Jason Cooper (CLE, LF) 1-3, BB, .385
... Corey Smith (CLE, PH) 0-1, .000 ... Ryan Garko
(CLE, 1B) 0-4, .200
PACIFIC COAST -- time for the vets to shine,
Graham Koonce OAK 3-5, 2 homers, 5 RBI ... Trenidad Hubbard
CHN 4-4, double ... Steve Stanley CF OAK 3-5, RBI ... Huston
Street OAK 1.0 2 0 0 0 0
EASTERN -- could have been a pitching classic,
but not to be ... Gustavo Chacin TOR vs Zach Duke PIT ... Chacin
5.0 6 4 3 0 5 ... Duke 6.0 10 3 3 0 7 ... Aaron Hill TOR 2-4,
double ... Tyrell Godwin TOR, 3-5, scored the winning run on a triple by
Dominic Rich, 2-5, double, triple ... Brandon League, 2 2/3s
scoreless innings in relief for the win, his 2nd in the playoffs
TEXAS -- some outstanding pitching in the TEX
playoffs, Kelvin Jimenez TEX 7.0 4 0 0 2 12 ... Ezequiel
Astacio HOU 6.0 4 1 1 3 10 ... total of 27 Ks in the game ...
Ian Kinsler TEX 1-4, double
CALIFORNIA -- OF Eddy Martinez-Esteve
SF 3-4, homer, walk, 3 RBI ... Brian Stavisky OAK 3-5, double ...
OF Marcus McBeth 3-4, double ... Jon Zeringue ARZ 4 hits, 3
RBI to lead Lancaster into the CAL final.
Martinez-Esteve, a second round pick June, 2004 has
been on the move, playing in four leagues in three months :
AVE OBA SLG G AB 2B
3B HR BB SO SB CS
R ARZ SF .357 .375 .500 4 14 2
0 0 0 2 2 0
SS NWL SF .286 .405 .400 10 35 4 0
0 6 7 0 0
A SAL SF .217 .339 .348 13 46 1
1 1 8 8 1 1
A+ CAL SF .420 .446 .580 17 69 7 2
0 4 9 0 1
TOTAL : .329 .399 .470 44 164 14 3
1 18 26 3 2
CAROLINA -- Adam Miller CLE, 2nd
playoff win, 0.00 ERA, 6.1 6 0 0 2 5 ... KC's Kahi Kaanoi 3.1 6 3
3 1 3 ... 2B Eider Torres CLE 3-5, 2 doubles
MIDWEST -- Juan Francia DET 1-5, K ...
Kody Kirkland DET 1-3, BB ... Trent Peterson OAK 7.0
5 3 3 1 4 ... someone actually hitting Dan Putnam OAK 4-4, double
SOUTH ATLANTIC -- Jon Benick PIT 1-3,
homer 2 RBI ... Lastings Milledge NYN 1-4, 2 Ks
Troop
movements ... NYA -- activated designated hitter Jason Giambi from the DL,
recalled infielders Felix Escalona and Andy Phillips, and pitcher Scott Proctor
from AAA, released pitcher Danny Borrell ... ATL -- purchased the
contract of LHP Dan Meyer from Triple-A ... TB -- recalled RHP
John Webb from Triple-A, purchased the contract of RHP Todd Ritchie
from Triple-A, placed RHP Jesus Colome on the DL ... CLE -- purchased the
contract of RHP Kyle Denney from Triple-A ... MON -- activated RHP
Tomo Ohka, Jon Rauch from the DL ... NYN -- Purchased the contract of catcher
Joe Hietpas from AA ...
Baseball
America reports some maneuvering by BAL's top pick Wade Townsend.
He's returned to classes at Rice while, at the same time, officially signing up
with an agent, thus making him ineligible for further college ball. It could
mean he's back in the draft pool for June, 2005.
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, on a couple of "below the radar" SP prospects :
" ... Hayden Penn ... this year marked
his first taste of full-season ball. That's why he has kept a fairly low
profile. That should change, however, as he'll make our upcoming Top 20
Prospects lists in both the low Class A South Atlantic League and high Class A
Carolina League. Throw in his time in Double-A, and he went a combined 13-6,
3.81 with a 122-48 strikeout-walk ratio, a .223 opponent average and 11 homers
in 137 innings. Because of his size (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) and age, Penn is
still very projectable. He already shows quality stuff with a low-90s fastball,
a late-breaking curve and a changeup."
" ... Jay Rainville ... pro
debut couldn't have gone much better. He pounded the zone with a heavy 91-94 mph
sinker and showed the makings of a power curveball. He's very polished for a
high school kid from the Northeast, though his changeup still needs work. The
Twins already had a deep farm system, and they restocked it with five
first-round picks in June. Rainville probably won't crack our Top 10 Prospects
list for Minnesota in the offseason, but he would with many organizations."
Jeremy
Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, on his pick as the class of the BAL system :
" ... Val Majewski, of, 22 ... Rewarded after
a fine season in Double A with a promotion to the big leagues, Majewski has
risen quickly through the organization. Last year between low A Delmarva and
high A Frederick, the prototypical rightfielder hit .297-12-68. Majewski was the
Orioles 3rd round selection in the 2002 draft out of Rutgers and profiles as the
team’s long-term solution in right. He’s a potential impact bat with his
line-drive swing. Majewski won’t put up 40 HR per year, but 20+ HR with a .300
average isn’t out of the question. He also has a strong arm."
Now,
the best of the hitters in Advanced-A. Ranked by OPS. Top 20, minimum of
150 ABs.
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
A+ OAK Perry, Jason
325 39 1 24 34 87 4 4 .338 .431 .686
1.117 OF
A+ OAK Colamarino, Brant 183 8
2 11 28 23 1 0 .355 .450 .601 1.051
1B
A+ CLE Garko, Ryan
238 17 1 16 26 34 4 1 .328 .425 .609
1.034 1B
A+ COL Salazar, Jeff
314 18 9 13 38 33 17 2 .347 .419 .586
1.005 OF
A+ NYN Harper, Brett
220 18 1 9 35 53 1 1 .350 .440
.564 1.004 1B
A+ ARZ Jackson, Conor
258 19 2 11 45 36 4 3 .345 .438 .562
1.000 OF
A+ CIN Blanco, Tony
216 10 0 17 27 66 2 0 .306 .403 .588
.991 1B
A+ ARZ Quentin, Carlos 242 14
1 15 25 33 5 1 .310 .428 .562 .990
OF
A+ OAK Cruz, Nelson
261 27 1 11 24 73 8 4 .345 .407 .582
.989 OF
A+ CLE Aubrey, Michael 218 14
1 10 27 26 3 1 .339 .438 .550 .988
1B
A+ COL Baker, Jeffrey
271 23 1 11 47 73 1 0 .325 .434 .539
.973 3B
A+ CHN Sing, Brandon
408 27 0 32 84 101 1 3 .270 .399 .571
.970 1B
A+ PIT Eldred, Brad
335 22 1 21 35 97 5 2 .310 .397 .570
.967 1B
A+ OAK Stavisky, Brian 513 39
5 19 54 89 6 4 .343 .413 .550 .963
OF
A+ ARZ Brooks, Doc
301 20 2 15 30 82 7 7 .332 .401 .561
.962 OF
A+ TB Dukes, Elijah
211 16 2 8 26 50 16 7 .332 .416 .540
.956 OF
A+ CLE Osborn, Pat
305 16 6 10 37 52 6 6 .344 .421 .534
.955 3B
A+ BOS Bailie, Stefan
222 23 1 11 20 40 1 0 .306 .383 .568
.951 1B
A+ CIN Denorfia, Chris 269 18
4 11 48 66 10 6 .312 .416 .532 .948
OF
A+ TOR Tablado, Raul
323 28 0 21 24 91 0 0 .300 .351 .582
.933 SS
Others of interest :
A+ SF Martinez-esteve, Ed 69 7
2 0 4 9 0 1 .420 .446
.580 1.026 OF
A+ BOS Moss, Brandon
83 2 1 2 7 15 2 0
.422 .462 .542 1.004 OF
A+ CLE Snyder, Brad
106 7 1 5 13 28 3 2 .330
.405 .557 .962 OF
A+ ANA Napoli, Michael 482 29
4 29 88 166 9 5 .282 .393 .539 .932
C
A+ ARZ Zeringue, Jonathan 230 14 3
10 14 53 9 5 .335 .374 .552 .926 OF
A+ DET Giarratano, Tony 202 11
0 5 16 38 14 8 .376 .421 .505 .926
SS
A+ SD McAnulty, Paul
495 36 3 23 88 106 3 1 .297 .404 .521
.925 OF
A+ CHA Anderson, Brian 254 22
4 8 29 44 10 1 .319 .394 .531 .925
OF
A+ LA Guzman, Joel
329 22 8 14 21 78 8 5 .307 .349 .550
.899 SS
A+ ARZ Abercrombie, Reggie 120 10 2
3 2 24 7 2 .342 .358 .533 .891
OF
A+ LA Young, Delwyn
470 36 3 22 57 134 11 4 .281 .364 .511
.875 2B
A+ SF Lewis, Fred
439 20 11 8 84 109 33 14 .301 .424 .451 .875
OF
A+ ATL Francoeur, Jeff 331 26
0 15 22 69 10 6 .293 .346 .508 .854
OF
A+ OAK Quintanilla, Omar 452 32 5
11 37 54 1 3 .314 .370 .480 .850 SS
A+ TEX Sinisi, Vincent 252 13
3 7 33 47 7 3 .306 .378 .464
.842 OF
A+ NYA Duncan, Eric
173 20 2 4 31 47 0 2 .254 .366
.462 .828 3B
A+ ATL McCann, Brian
382 35 0 15 31 54 2 2 .277 .337 .487
.824 C
A+ FLO Hermida, Jeremy 340 17
1 10 42 73 10 3 .297 .377 .441 .818
OF
A+ PIT Davis, Rajai
509 27 7 5 59 60 57 15 .314 .388 .424
.812 OF
A+ CHN Pie, Felix
431 18 10 8 39 116 32 18 .297 .358 .441 .799
OF
A+ CHA Fields, Joshua
256 12 4 7 18 74 0 0 .285 .333
.445 .778 3B
A+ BOS Ramirez, Hanley 239
8 4 1 17 39 12 7 .310 .364 .389
.753 SS
A+ TEX Arias, Joaquin
500 20 8 4 31 53 30 14 .300 .344 .396
.740 SS
A+ CHA Sweeney, Ryan
515 22 3 7 40 65 8 6 .283 .342
.379 .721 OF
A+ LA Abercrombie, Reggie 133 4 5
5 6 33 16 5 .271 .305 .489 .794 OF
A+ NYN Milledge, Lastings 81 6
2 2 9 21 3 2 .235 .319 .432
.751 OF
14 September 2004
Playoffs
... the Southern League, following the example of the FSL, cancelled the
rest of the playoffs due to the severe weather problems ... INTERNATIONAL --
Ryan Langerhans (ATL, LF) 2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, .278 ... Kyle
Davies (ATL) 5.1 2 1 1 2 4, 1.69 ... Michael Vento (NYA, RF)
0-3, R, BB, .313 ... Robinson Cano (NYA, 2B) 1-3, RBI, .545
TEXAS -- Josh Rupe TEX 5.0 7 3 3 3 2
... DJ Houlton 5.0 10 6 6 1 3 ... vet Tydus Meadows
TEX 3-5, homer
CALIFORNIA -- Wladamir Balentien SEA,
kickin' up a storm upon his promotion for the CAL playoffs, 2-4, 2 doubles, RBI,
.471 ... Jon Zeringue ARZ 1-4, 2 RBI ... Jay Garthwaite
ARZ 2-4, homer, 2 RBI ... Bradley Sullivan OAK 4.2 4 3 3 2 1 ...
Brian Burres SF 6.1 4 3 3 2 5 ... Omar Quintanilla
OAK 2-5, double
CAROLINA -- Dusty Hughes KC 6.2 6
2 2 3 11 ... Shane Costa KC 3-4, 2SBs
SOUTH ATLANTIC -- Jon Benick PIT 3-6
... Adam Boeve PIT 3-5, 2 homers, 4 RBI ... Lastings
Milledge NYN 2-4, double
NEW YORK - PENN -- catcher Lou Santangelo COL
2-4, homer, 2 RBI ... Mitch Einertson HOU 1-4
PIONEER -- Bobby Mosby CIN 3-3 ...
Tyler Pelland CIN 5.0 3 1 0 4 6 ... Jordan Renz ANA 1-1, homer, 2
RBI, 2 walks
Troop
movements ... TEX -- activated RHP Juan Dominguez from the DL, recalled
first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from Triple-A ... OAK --
purchased the contract of catcher Mike Rose from Triple-A,
designated infielder Ramon Castro for assignment ... SD --
recalled outfielder Freddy Guzman, catcher Humberto
Quintero, RHP Brian Sweeney from Triple-A ...
John
Sickels, ESPN.com, on Andy Marte ATL :
" ... made the transition to Double-A in 2004
very successfully. Although his season was shortened by an ankle injury, he
continued to improve defensively while showing significant power production and
maintaining his plate discipline. He may be the best long-term third base
prospect in the game right now ... Scouts are certain he will hit for
power, and his batting average and on-base percentage should be just fine. He
reminds some observers of Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre, high praise
indeed considering what Beltre has done this year. Defensively, Marte has
developed into a very sound gloveman at third base, with above-average range and
a strong arm ... aside from the unpredictable fortunes of the game, Marte
has everything you could ask for in a prospect: tool-based talent, skill-based
performance, and a strong work ethic."
Seth
Trachtman, SportsBlurb, picks the best of the lefty starters with the Phils'
Cole Hamels atop the list in spite of spending most of the season on the
DL. John Danks TEX was selected as the runnerup :
" ... Danks has the same repertoire as Hamels
with very similar quality. The only major difference is his control, which is
not nearly what Hamels’s is at this point. Still, he has shown good strikeout
rates in Single-A at the age of 19 and could be an ace in the majors if his
control improves."
" ... 3. Francisco Liriano, MIN ...
just 20-years-old and has pitched excellently up to Double-A. He throws in the
mid-90s with an outstanding out pitch in his slider. With K/BB ratios
consistently near 3/1 and great strikeout rates in the minors, he looks like a
solid major leaguer if he can stay healthy."
Instructional
Leagues ready to roll. Rockies to use the loop to make some changes :
" ... Matt Macri ... After playing
third base for short-season Class A Tri-City, Macri will work at shortstop and
second base in the instructional league. Macri hit .333 with seven homers and 43
RBI in 52 games. He finished third in the Northwest League in batting, second in
slugging percentage (.569) and tied for fourth in on-base percentage (.410) but
didn't play after Aug. 15. Macri was sidelined because of inflammation beneath
the arch of his right foot, a condition known as plantar fasciitis ... The
Rockies have no doubt Macri is athletic enough to play the middle infield. And
Geivett said, "With his bat potential, if he's playing the middle of the field,
it only increases his value and his potential impact for his career." The
Rockies believe they have their third baseman of the future in Ian Stewart,
19, who hit .319-30-101 at Class A Asheville."
" ... The Instructional League lasts three
weeks and typically is for younger players with less professional experience,
namely those who have played on a short-season team or one of the Rockies' two
Class A clubs ... roster includes 51 players and another six who will be
rehabilitating. One of the latter is pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez, who went
4-1, 2.23 at Visalia with 61 strikeouts, 12 walks and 29 hits allowed in 441/3
innings. The beginning of a stress fracture in his shoulder blade sidelined
Jimenez after a May 18 start ... expected to be ready to pitch during the second
week of instructional league."
Toby
Harrmann, BrewerFan.net, has his end-of-season Top 10 for the Brewers --
Fielder, Weeks 1-2.
" ... 3 J.J. Hardy ... Only five months
until the return of J.J., and only eight or nine months until not having to
worry about who the Brewers' shortstop is."
" ... 9 Lou Palmisano ... There is almost no
doubt that the Cap'n will be in AA next season regardless of whether the Brewers
find a good advanced-A affiliate or not."
Now,
the best of the Double-A hitters. Ranked by OPS. Top 20, minimum of
150 ABs. Some surprisingly good performances (Kroeger, Kinsler, Quentin,
for example) and some surprisingly bad ones (Weeks, Fielder, Mathis, Barfield,
Loney).
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
AA NYN Wright, David
223 27 0 10 39 41 20 6 .363 .467 .619
1.086 3B
AA ANA McPherson, Dallas 262 17 6
20 34 74 6 5 .321 .404 .660 1.064 3B
AA HOU Scott, Luke
208 17 0 19 33 43 0 2 .298 .401 .654
1.055 OF
AA PHI Howard, Ryan
374 18 1 37 46 129 1 2 .297 .386 .647
1.033 1B
AA FLO Willingham, Josh 338 24
0 24 91 87 6 3 .281 .449 .565 1.014
C
AA SF Cervenak, Mike
410 36 1 21 52 53 6 1 .337 .414 .583
.997 3B
AA COL Shealy, Ryan
469 32 3 29 61 123 1 1 .318 .411 .584
.995 1B
AA CIN Kelly, Kenny
191 15 3 5 26 46 13 7 .356 .441 .545
.986 OF
AA ARZ Kroeger, Josh
245 28 4 9 21 48 2 1 .331 .393
.588 .981 OF
AA ARZ Quentin, Carlos 210 19
0 6 18 23 0 6 .357 .443 .533
.976 OF
AA CIN Darula, Bobby
153 8 0 6 16 16 8 2 .366
.427 .536 .963 OF
AA OAK Teahen, Mark
197 15 4 6 29 44 0 0 .335 .419
.543 .962 3B
AA LA Victorino, Shane 293 13
7 16 20 64 9 7 .328 .375 .584 .959
OF
AA PHI Castellano, John 368 24
1 18 32 55 0 3 .340 .392 .557 .949
OF
AA MIN Jones, Garrett
450 33 2 30 28 98 10 4 .311 .356 .593
.949 1B
AA NYN Redman, Prentice 245 29
1 13 28 68 9 4 .286 .367 .571 .938
OF
AA DET Airoso, Kurt
427 15 3 34 82 127 7 0 .260 .381 .548
.929 OF
AA BOS Bailey, Jeff
299 23 3 13 46 80 2 0 .294 .404 .522
.926 C
AA TOR Hattig, John
406 28 1 22 59 109 3 4 .296 .391 .532
.923 3B
AA DET Raburn, Ryan
366 29 4 16 47 96 3 0 .301 .390 .533
.923 2B
Others of interest :
AA CHN Lewis, Richard
380 27 10 10 37 94 7 6 .329 .391 .532
.923 2B
AA DET Granderson, Curtis 462 19 8
21 80 95 14 8 .303 .407 .515 .922 OF
AA CLE Garko, Ryan
172 15 0 6 14 28 1 0 .331 .397
.523 .920 C
AA TEX Botts, Jason
476 25 3 24 76 125 7 4 .296 .401 .513
.914 1B
AA ARZ Snyder, Chris
346 31 0 15 46 57 3 1 .301 .389 .520
.909 C
AA NYN Huber, Justin
236 16 1 11 46 57 2 2 .271 .414 .487
.901 C
AA ATL Marte, Andy
387 28 1 23 58 105 1 1 .269 .364 .525
.889 3B
AA SEA Dobbs, Greg
203 14 4 5 11 23 5 4 .325 .373
.507 .880 3B
AA TEX Kinsler, Ian
271 21 0 8 32 47 7 4 .299 .401
.465 .866 SS
AA FLO Stokes, Jason
394 26 0 23 42 121 5 0 .272 .345 .513
.858 1B
AA NYA Cano, Robinson
292 20 8 7 24 40 2 4 .301 .356
.497 .853 2B
AA BAL Majewski, Val
433 24 5 15 33 68 14 4 .307 .359 .490
.849 OF
AA LA Guzman, Joel
182 11 3 9 13 44 1 2 .280 .325
.522 .847 SS
AA SEA Choo, Shin-soo
517 17 7 15 56 97 39 9 .315 .382 .462
.844 OF
AA MIL Fielder, Prince 497 29
1 23 65 93 11 7 .272 .366 .473 .839
1B
AA CLE Gutierrez, Franklin 262 24 2
5 23 77 6 3 .302 .372 .466 .838 OF
AA ARZ Jackson, Conor
226 13 2 6 24 36 3 3 .301 .367
.456 .823 OF
AA CIN Encarnacion, Edwin 469 35 1
13 53 79 17 3 .281 .352 .443 .795 3B
AA ARZ Santos, Sergio
347 19 5 11 24 89 3 2 .282 .332 .461
.793 SS
AA HOU Taveras, Willy
409 13 1 2 38 76 55 11 .335 .402 .386
.788 OF
AA MIL Weeks, Rickie
479 35 6 8 55 107 11 12 .259 .366 .407
.773 2B
AA SD Barfield, Josh
521 28 3 18 48 119 4 2 .248 .313 .417
.730 2B
AA NYA Navarro, Dioner 255 14
1 3 33 44 1 0 .271 .354 .369
.723 C
AA OAK Brown, Jeremy
446 27 0 6 71 80 2 1 .256 .361
.357 .718 C
AA ANA Callaspo, Alberto 544 28 2
6 47 25 15 14 .285 .339 .377 .716 SS
AA ANA Mathis, Jeff
426 24 3 14 49 100 2 1 .223 .308 .392
.700 C
AA LA Loney, James
395 19 2 4 42 75 5 5 .238 .314
.327 .641 1B
AA COL Nix, Jayson
456 17 1 14 40 100 14 3 .213 .292 .346
.638 2B
13 September 2004
Playoffs
... INTERNATIONAL -- Jonny Gomes (TB, LF) 0-3, .188 ...
Joey Gathright (TB, CF) 0-3, .211 ... Pete LaForest
(TB, DH) 0-4, .167 ... Ryan Langerhans (ATL, LF) 0-3, BB, .200 ...
Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 1-4, R, RBI, .381 ... Jhonny
Peralta (CLE, SS) 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, .444 ... Grady Sizemore
(CLE, CF) 1-4, R, .250 ... Jason Cooper (CLE, LF) 2-3, R, RBI,
.400 ... his best AAA performance, Ryan Garko (CLE, 1B) 3-4, 1st &
2nd HRs, 2 R, 3 RBI, .250 ... Michael Vento (NYA, RF) 1-4, .385
... Robinson Cano (NYA, 2B) 3-4, RBI, .625
PACIFIC COAST -- Cubbies' affiliate moves on
to the PCL final downing the TEX franchise 6-2 in the deciding game of the
semi-final ... Kevin McGlinchy CHN, the winner, 6.2 3 2 2 1 5
CALIFORNIA -- Eddy Martinez-Esteve SF 3-5,
double, 2 RBI ... Brian Stavisky OAK 2-4, double ... Jason
Perry OAK 2-4, double
... AJ Shappi ARZ 5.2 6 3 3 0 3 ... Dan Uggla ARZ
2-4, homer, 2 RBI ... Jon Zeringue ARZ 2-4, double, RBI
CAROLINA -- Keith Ramsey CLE, much less
than perfect on this day, 4.2 5 7 3 1 5 out-pitched by KC's Jonah
Bayliss 7.0 3 1 1 1 8 ... 3B Mitch Maier KC 3-5, double
... Shane Costa KC 2-4, homer, 2 RBI
MIDWEST -- Dan Putnam OAK 1-4, K ...
Richard Robnett (CF) OAK 1-3, BB, K ... Juan Francia
DET 2-5, HR, K ... Kody Kirkland DET 2-4, 2 BB ... Miguel
Montero ARZ 1-2
Troop
movements ... DET -- recalled pitcher Roberto Novoa and infielder Ryan
Raburn from AA, purchased the contract of outfielder Curtis
Granderson from AA ... PHI -- activated Kevin Millwood from the DL ...
Jeremy
Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, on Felix Pie CHN :
" ... The Cubs have often lacked a legitimate
leadoff hitter and they have to look no further than their own high A affiliate
in Daytona. CF Felix Pie ranks among the top minor league leadoff men for his
speed and his ability to make contact. He doesn’t yet have the on base abilities
that are generally required in today’s #1 hitters, but he’s only 19 years old
... The only tool that some scouts question now is his ability to hit for
power. Of course, at 6’2” 175 pounds, Pie still has some growing to do and could
stand to add valuable muscle to his upper body ... has the potential to
steal 40+ bases in the big leagues if he can learn to get on base more. His
speed also helps him immensely in the outfield. Despite his youth, he shows
above average defensive skills including a strong arm, good range, and sound
instincts. Pie may not ever win a Gold Glove, but he certainly doesn’t lack for
effort ... From an offensive standpoint, Pie has a lot of work to do. At least
the Cubs can be patient in his development ... Because Pie has such raw
abilities, the Cubs would be wise in taking things slow with him. Next year
he’ll most likely be in Double A with West Tennessee. He will most certainly
work on making more hard contact and pulling the ball to unleash his power
potential ... If he can add a little more power and more patience at the plate,
Pie might be able to push Corey Patterson to an outfield corner (or another
organization) in 2-3 years."
With
the minor league playoffs winding down and the Arizona Fall League still a few
weeks away, we'll begin a series of stat packages from the "not yet official"
but final numbers from the 2004 season.
In this first installment, a look at the top hitters
by level -- the following covering the Triple-A circuits. The ranking here is by
OPS (on-base, plus slugging). The list is separated into a Top 20, then a
following list of some prospects of interest. Generally, a minimum of 150
At Bats is the cutoff mark for inclusion in the Top 20s (although not in the
secondary list). The position noted is the primary one played in
2004 (there's a few "INF" listed for those who played an equal number at two or
more positions). Normally there will be separate entries if a player has
suited up for more than one team (re: trades, promotions, demotions). If
there's a combined entry, it will be so noted (see Reed & Harris below).
However, if a player has played with two teams in the same league, the numbers
will be presented as a combined entry.
BATTERS
AB 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
OPS POS
AAA FLO Sutton, Larry 308 31
2 21 59 61 3 1 .373 .475 .692 1.167 1B
AAA KC Pickering, Calvin 299 12 1 35
70 85 0 1 .314 .451 .712 1.163 1B
AAA DET Thames, Marcus 234 21 1
24 33 40 4 1 .329 .410 .735 1.145 OF
AAA SEA Jacobsen, Bucky 292 22 1
26 50 88 1 1 .312 .422 .661 1.083 1B
AAA FLO Dillon, Joe
403 33 7 30 46 85 12 3 .325 .400 .665 1.065
3B
AAA ANA McPherson, Dallas 259 19 8 20
23 95 6 3 .313 .370 .680 1.050 3B
AAA MON Church, Ryan 347
29 8 17 51 62 0 1 .343 .428 .620 1.048
OF
AAA LA Myrow, Brian
153 15 2 6 21 47 2 3 .359 .444 .601
1.045 1B
AAA COL Hawpe, Brad
345 19 1 31 36 91 3 2 .322 .384 .652 1.036
OF
AAA COL Tracy, Andy
464 42 3 33 58 115 4 2 .315 .390 .631 1.021
1B
AAA SD Nady, Xavier
291 19 1 22 22 42 3 0 .330 .391 .629 1.020
OF
AAA CHN Dubois, Jason 386 26
1 31 41 97 2 0 .316 .389 .630 1.019 OF
AAA FLO Colangelo, Mike 292 27 2
16 45 66 0 3 .325 .422 .596 1.018 OF
AAA COL Atkins, Garrett 445 43 3
15 57 45 0 0 .366 .434 .578 1.012 3B
AAA ANA Riggs, Adam
450 33 8 29 30 80 8 3 .331 .373 .633 1.006
OF
AAA SD Bozied, Tagg
213 17 1 16 18 29 0 0 .315 .374 .629 1.003
1B
AAA MON Pascucci, Val 392 32
1 25 78 95 9 2 .298 .423 .577 1.000 1B
AAA ARZ Nichols, Kyle 167 10
0 14 26 64 0 0 .293 .390 .605 .995 1B
AAA MIN Morneau, Justin 288 23 0
22 32 47 1 1 .306 .377 .615 .992 1B
AAA ANA Kotchman, Casey 199 22 0
5 14 25 0 0 .372 .423 .558 .981 1B
AAA
ARZ Kroeger, Josh 208 23 0
10 15 47 2 1 .332 .376 .587 .963 OF
AAA MIN Kubel, Jason 350
28 0 16 34 40 16 3 .343 .398 .560 .958
OF
AAA OAK Swisher, Nick 443 28
2 29 103 109 3 3 .269 .406 .537 .943 OF
AAA OAK Johnson, Dan 536
29 5 29 89 93 0 1 .299 .403 .534 .937
1B
AAA TB Upton, B.J.
264 17 1 12 42 72 17 5 .311 .411 .519 .930
SS
AAA COL Piedra, Jorge 377 29
5 15 23 56 4 3 .334 .372 .557 .929 OF
AAA ATL Langerhans, Ryan 456 34 3 20
70 113 5 9 .298 .397 .518 .915 OF
AAA TB Cantu, Jorge
368 33 1 22 16 64 3 0 .302 .335 .576
.911 2B
AAA ARZ Terrero, Luis 217
9 6 9 17 48 15 3 .313 .374 .535 .909
OF
AAA SF Niekro, Lance 241
21 4 12 14 32 1 1 .299 .339 .568 .907
1B
AAA HOU Burke, Chris 483
33 6 16 55 76 37 14 .315 .396 .507 .903 2B
AAA TB Gomes, Jonny
390 27 1 26 51 136 8 5 .256 .368 .531 .899
OF
AAA MIN Bartlett, Jason 265 15 7
3 33 36 7 3 .332 .417 .475 .892 SS
AAA LA Perez, Antonio 476 24
6 22 61 87 22 12 .296 .379 .511 .890 SS
AAA COL Barmes, Clint 533 42
2 16 28 61 20 8 .328 .376 .505 .881 SS
AAA MIN Tiffee, Terry 316 26
3 12 21 26 0 0 .307 .357 .522 .879 3B
AAA HOU Buck, John
227 11 0 12 21 39 0 1 .300 .368 .507
.875 C
AAA CLE Peralta, Jhonny 560 44 2
15 55 129 8 4 .323 .382 .489 .871 SS
AAA LA Ross, Cody
238 17 2 14 18 43 2 0 .273 .328 .538
.866 OF
AAA * Harris, Brendan 377 27
1 17 26 61 0 3 .302 .350 .515 .865 2B
AAA TEX McDougall, Marshall 354 23 0 19 35
80 2 1 .282 .349 .508 .857 3B
AAA PIT House, J.R.
309 21 1 15 23 72 1 1 .288 .344 .508
.852 C
AAA MON Izturis, Maicer 376 19 2
3 57 30 14 12 .338 .428 .423 .851 SS
AAA SEA Lopez, Jose
275 19 0 13 16 30 5 2 .295 .342 .505
.847 SS
AAA SD Gautreau, Jake 168
9 1 9 14 37 1 0 .274 .333 .500
.833 3B
AAA CHA Borchard, Joe 301 21
0 16 30 68 4 3 .266 .333 .495 .828 OF
AAA COL Closser, J.D. 298 19
1 7 41 47 0 2 .299 .384 .440 .824
C
AAA NYN Diaz, Victor 528
31 1 24 31 133 6 7 .292 .332 .491 .823
OF
AAA TEX Gonzalez, Adrian 457 28 3 12
39 73 1 1 .304 .364 .457 .821 1B
AAA SF Linden, Todd
489 28 2 23 63 149 8 6 .260 .349 .466 .815
OF
AAA LA Hill, Koyie
350 26 0 13 28 69 0 1 .286 .339 .471
.810 C
AAA ATL Betemit, Wilson 356 24 2
13 32 99 3 3 .278 .336 .466 .802 3B
AAA CLE Sizemore, Grady 423 24 8
8 42 72 16 10 .288 .361 .440 .801 OF
AAA * Reed, Jeremy
509 24 6 13 59 56 25 9 .289 .361 .436 .797
OF
AAA KC Teahen, Mark
315 23 1 8 32 91 0 1 .279 .353 .435
.788 3B
AAA BOS Shoppach, Kelly 399 25 0
22 46 138 0 0 .233 .320 .461 .781 C
AAA CLE Phillips, Brandon 551 34 4 8
44 56 14 11 .296 .353 .416 .769 2B
AAA TOR Adams, Russ
483 37 3 5 45 62 6 2 .288 .351 .408
.759 SS
AAA BOS Youkilis, Kevin 154 12 0
3 19 28 2 0 .266 .350 .403 .753 3B
AAA CIN Lopez, Felipe 293 11
3 9 25 71 2 3 .273 .329 .423 .752
SS
AAA MIL Krynzel, Dave 257 10
4 6 20 65 10 8 .276 .332 .416 .748 OF
AAA SD Guzman, Freddy 264 12
4 1 30 46 48 5 .292 .365 .379 .744 OF
AAA MIN Restovich, Michael 422 20 3 20 24
103 4 3 .249 .291 .453 .744 OF
AAA NYA Cano, Robinson 216 9
2 6 18 27 0 1 .259 .316 .403 .719
2B
AAA TOR Quiroz, Guillermo 255 19 1 8
28 54 0 0 .227 .309 .404 .713 C
AAA SEA Dobbs, Greg
255 9 2 8 5 36 4 3 .271
.286 .416 .702 3B
*
combined totals (re: trades)
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)
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