Rookies 2004

28 November, 2004

    Mexico Thursday/Friday ... Jason Dubois CHN 3-4, 8th double, 3rd SB & 0-3, .246... Jonny Gomes TB?  (I think, although he's also listed as Johnny Gomez) 3-5, 2nd & 3rd homers, 3 RBI, .467

Venezuela Wed/Thur/Fri ...  Yusmeiro Petit NYN 5.1 5 4 2 1 5, 1.42 ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 2-2, 2 walks, double, SB, .257 ... Ryan Vogelsong PIT 7.0 5 1 1 3 8, 3.94 ... Jose Castillo PIT 1-4, 5th homer, 3 RBI & 1-4, 6th homer, .336 ...Guillermo Quiroz TOR 1-5, .254

Dominican Friday (no games Thursday) ...  WilyMo Pena CIN 1-4, 3rd homer, .167 ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-5, error, .268 ... Jose Reyes NYN 0-5, .282 ... Joel Guzman LA 2-4, .323 ... Denny Bautista KC 4 6 5 5 1 2, .5.57 ... stats through Wednesday :

                          G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG.  OBP
Nivar Ramon TEX          21  71 24  3  0  2  6   7  6 .338 .405
Guzman Freddy SD          9  36 12  4  1  0  9   6  8 .333 .429
Reyes Jose NYN            8  34 11  2  0  1  2   5  2 .324 .410
Guzman Joel LA           23  89 28  5  1  2  9   5 18 .315 .347
Peña Carlos DET           6  23  7  0  0  2  3   5  7 .304 .448
Diaz Victor NYN          16  59 17  0  0  3  5   8 17 .288 .382
Encarnacion Edwin CIN    26  91 25  4  0  3  8   9 17 .275 .356
Ramirez Hanley BOS       23  92 25  4  2  5 16   8 22 .272 .343
Cano Robinson NYA        21  70 19  9  0  0  5   8  7 .271 .354
Marte Andy ATL           24  77 20  5  0  2 16  15 24 .260 .368
Gil Jerry ARZ            12  43 11  4  1  0  2   0 17 .256 .256
Aybar Erick ANA          18  72 18  2  0  1  7   4 10 .250 .321
Pie Felix CHN            25  72 18  2  0  3  4   5 26 .250 .316
Shoppach Kelly BOS       13  40  9  1  0  0  5   2 18 .225 .250
Terrero Luis ARZ         19  59 12  3  0  2  5  11  9 .203 .365
Harris Brendan WAS        8  29  5  3  0  0  4   1  5 .172 .194
Betemit Wilson ATL       15  43  7  1  0  1  6   5 17 .163 .245
Peña WilyMo CIN           4  14  2  0  0  2  6   3  4 .143 .333

                        ERA    BA  G SV   IP  H  R ER BB SO
Cabrera Daniel BAL     0.00  .143  2  0  5.2  3  3  0  1  3
Capellan Jose ATL      0.75  .150  4  0 12.0  6  3  1  2 11
Montero Agustin TEX    1.04  .180 12  7 17.1 11  2  2  5 22
Patterson John WAS     1.20  .231  5  0 30.0 25  4  4  4 27
German Franklin DET    2.03  .152  9  0 13.1  7  3  3  3  8
Dominguez Juan TEX     2.16  .226  4  0  8.1  7  5  2  5  7
Peña RamonAntonio      2.42  .208  6  0 26.0 20 11  7  7 15
Garcia Jairo OAK       3.60  .297  9  0 10.0 11  6  4  9 12
Bautista Denny KC      4.24  .266  4  0 17.0 17  8  8  5 21
Brazoban Yhency LA     4.85  .191 13  4 13.0  9  7  7  4 12
Soler Alay NYN         5.28  .241  5  0 15.1 14  9  9  6 23
Valdez Merkin SF       6.08  .293  5  0 13.1 17 11  9  9 13
Santana Ervin ANA      6.14  .269  5  0  7.1  7  5  5  4  9

    Chris Kline, Baseball America, makes his picks as the Top 20 of the Arizona Fall League.  There's a few surprises in a list headed by TB OF Delmon Young and MIL's Rickie Weeks.  At No. 3 ATL OF Jeff Francoeur :

" ...  brings a hardcore football mentality to the diamond. Billed as one of the best pure hitters early in the Fall League season by many coaches around the league, Francoeur was in Arizona to get more at-bats after a broken cheekbone forced him to miss two months of the regular season. Francoeur uses the whole field; his short, compact stroke allows him to make quick adjustments and turn on inside pitches. Adjustments aside, Francoeur needs to learn how to harness his aggression at the plate--he walked just twice in 99 at-bats. Francoeur has the instincts to play all three outfield positions but played exclusively in right in 2004. He makes good reads, takes good routes and has more than enough arm to field the position. Francoeur best profiles as a No. 2 or No. 3 hitter in the big leagues with 25-30 homers annually."

James Loney LA and Ryan Howard PHI rank 4-5. At No. 8, LA catcher Russell Martin :

" ... Martin was the best defensive catcher in the league, and handled the bat nearly as well, hitting .296 for Scottsdale. The Dodgers were so pleased with his development in 2004, they felt it made the likes of Koyie Hill expendable. Martin has advanced game-calling ability and has shown great leadership skills in handling a pitching staff. He has a plus arm and solid transfer, unloading the ball to second base in as little as 1.83 seconds. He is also an excellent blocker, squaring up and deadening pitches back to the center of the diamond. But the most impressive development with Martin has been with the bat. He is a contact hitter with great strike-zone discipline, posting a 14-5 walk-strikeout ration in the AFL after a 72-54 mark in the regular season at high Class A Vero Beach. "

    MIL's Rickie Weeks, might have been the most impressive of all the AFL stars :

" ...  A second stint in the Arizona Fall League provided Weeks with an opportunity to show that he's adjusted to the array of challenges thrown at him. Only a left oblique strain stopped Weeks two weeks before the end of the AFL season. He finished with a .382 batting average with six home runs and 21 RBIs with the Scottsdale Scorpions. More impressive is that Weeks' walks (17) are nearly identical to his strikeouts (18). That's a vast improvement over his 107 strikeouts (along with 55 walks) at Double-A Huntsville this past summer. "I've had to learn about being more knowledgeable about the strike zone," Weeks said ...   "We're as pleased as punch," said Stan Kyles, a Milwaukee minor league coach who is Scottsdale's pitching coach in the AFL. "It's impressive that he's swings so hard and his strikeouts are nearly the same as his walks."  ...  Weeks gives Brewers officials plenty of flexibility because he combines a high on-base percentage, .520 in the AFL, with enough power in his 6-foot, 195-pound frame to become a capable middle-of-the-order hitter. "We still think he can learn to steal more bases," Melvin said. "But there are people who think he can hit in the third spot. People forget this was his first full year of professional baseball."  (The Arizona Republic)

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld.com, is first off the mark with some of the bargain basement options for December's Rule 5 draft.  A few of the players (many of them former top picks) made available (by not being protected on 40-man rosters) :

" ...  Jon Connolly ...  Below average stuff and great results. Connolly went 11-7 with a 2.59 ERA, 151 H and 109/29 K/BB in 153 IP for Single-A Daytona last season."

" ...   Dan Denham ...  2001 first-round pick went 12-8 with a 4.78 ERA, 161 H and 112/60 K/BB in 147 IP between Single-A Kinston and Double-A Akron. Limited upside as a starter but a switch to the pen could make him interesting again."

" ...  Jake Gautreau ...  2001 first-round pick surprisingly went unselected in last year’s draft. Played better in 2004, hitting .259/.351/.462 in 66 games for Double-A Mobile and .274/.333/.500 in 48 games for Triple-A Portland."

" ...  Colt Griffin  ...  Is there a pitching coach in baseball who wouldn’t like a shot at Griffin? The 2001 first-round pick can still work in the high-90s when he wants to, though he typically doesn’t throw that hard in games these days. Had a 4.02 ERA and a 26/16 K/BB ratio in 31 1/3 IP for Double-A Wichita after a conversion to relief."

" ...  Luke Hagerty ...  2002 first-round pick struggled to come back from Tommy John surgery last season, but he has tremendous long-term potential. Since a club could probably get away with keeping him on the DL for the first couple of months, he’d be a smart pick."

" ... Andy Sisco ...  It’s hard to believe the Cubs left Sisco available ... The 6-foot-9 Sisco has about as much upside as any lefty in the minors. Some team should grab him and see if his stuff comes back."

" ... Mike Napoli  ... .282/.393/.539 with 29 HR and 118 RBI for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga last season. Doesn’t have Chris Shelton’s upside, but since he can act as a third catcher, there would be worse uses of a roster spot."

    Diamond Futures has just about completed its run through the Top 10s (before taking on position by position prospect assessments).  The DF system is solely based on stats (4 categories) and age. Defense is NOT a consideration.  In addition, only those players who suited up in a full-season league (min 200 ABs) are included in the rankings.  The full explanation of the process is available at DF. 

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, in his review of the AFL, has some picks as the most likely to "make noise" in the majors in 2005.  Guys like Rickie Weeks and Mark Teahen are prominent but there's also some less hyped stars :

" ... Shin-Soo Choo ...  will probably begin 2005 in Triple-A, and be a candidate for a mid-season callup as the Mariners sort through their outfield. In Arizona, Choo hit .301 with a .422 OBP and a .466 SLG. He's not a big power guy, but he has good pop to the gaps and will take a walk. He faces a lot of competition in the Mariners outfield, and will be ready for action before the contracts of Raul Ibanez, Randy Winn and Ichiro Suzuki expire. This could make Choo valuable trade bait if the Mariners contend, or the beneficiary of a trade if they don't contend and manage to deal a veteran."

" ... David Aardsma ...  could contribute early in 2005 in a relief role. In Arizona, the former first-round pick posted a 2.93 ERA for the Grand Canyon Rafters, fanning 17 in 15 innings. His command can waiver (he walked nine), but no one questions his stuff, including a 95-mph fastball and nasty knucklecurve. His control and changeup have not been as good in pro ball as they were for Rice University, but he remains one of the top relief prospects in the game. A good spring training performance would earn him a bullpen role in San Francisco."

26/27 November, 2004

    Mexico Tuesday/Wednesday ... Jason Dubois CHN 0-3, 2 Ks & 1-2, 7th double, .235 ... Jorge Cantu TB, nice rebound, 3-6, 7th homer, 5 RBI & 3-4, 8th homer, 2 RBI, .309

Puerto Rico  Tues/Wed ...  Bill Pulsipher, another on the comeback trail, 6.1 3 1 0 0 6, still at 0.00 (1 walk, 10 Ks in 11 1.3 innings) ... Rick Ankiel STL 5.0 8 4 4 1 8, a hit batter, no WPs

Venezuela Tuesday ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-4, 9th homer, .321 ... Adrian Hernandez looking good in bidding for a job 7.0 5 4 1 2 2, 5-1, 2.83 ... Guillermo Quiroz TOR 2-2, 3rd homer, 2 RBI, .281 ... Fernando Nieve HOU 4.0 9 4 4 0 0, 4.41 ... Juan Rivera ANA 1-3, homer, .393

Dominican Tuesday/Wednesday ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 2-5, 5th homer, 4 RBI & 0-3, .272 ... Andy Marte ATL 1-4, 5th error, .260 ... Jose Capellan ATL 6 4 2 1 0 4, 0.75

    Ervin Santana rates No. 1 in the ANA system in Seth Trachtman's last team report at SportsBlurb :

" ...  Santana missed much of last season with elbow soreness but remains one of the better pitching prospects in the game. He has three plus major league pitches including a mid-90s fastball along with very good control. Over eight starts in Double-A last season he had a 3.30 ERA, and his strikeout rate remained excellent. The Angels will likely give him another half season in the minors before his first call-up."

Right behind Santana are Dallas McPherson and Erick Aybar ar 2-3 with starter Steven Shell at No. 4 (ahead of the Angels No. 1 pick in June, Jered Weaver) :

" ... Weaver was projected as the top pick in the 2004 draft before his signability was called into question with Scott Boras as his agent. Jeff’s brother fell to the Anaheim and is still yet to sign. Not only does Jered look like his brother, his stuff is about the same. The one difference is that Weaver seems to drop down lower in his delivery more often, and many believe that his secondary pitches are not as good. But with control as good as it is now, Weaver could be in the majors by the end of this season if he signs and has a good year. "

    A slightly different ANA Top 10 at Future Angels.  Stephen C. Smith picks Santana at No. 6.  Casey Kotchman copped the top slot (in light of his MLB experience he was excluded from the SportsBlurb list).  Dallas McPherson is the runnerup, with Steven Shell at No. 3 :

" ... Shell finally delivered the full season of quality starts projected by the Angels when he was chosen in the 2001 draft. If you want a pitcher's physique, Shell fits the build with his tall lanky frame. He generates a low-to-mid 90s fastball with his high leg kick, complemented by a plus spike curveball. As with pretty much every pitching prospect in the Angels system, Shell is working on a changeup but this year resurrected a split-finger pitch he used in Little League. Despite the fundamentally sound mechanics of his delivery, Shell sometimes drops his arm slot which flattens out the movement on his pitches ... Most importantly, Shell got through a full season for the first time without an elbow injury ... Assuming he can get through another season without injury, Shell could move quickly and find himself in Triple-A before season's end."

No. 7, Brandon Wood : " ...  Although Erick Aybar is the most "toolsy" middle-infield prospect in the infield system, Brandon Wood might be more of a "sure thing" in years to come. Although he's not flashy like Aybar and lacks speed, Wood has more of a power swing and seems less prone to creating errors (both physical and mental) defensively and running the base paths. The Angels' 2003 1st round draft pick is tall and lean, evocative of a young Cal Ripken, Jr. Some have suggested that, as his body matures, growth might force him from shortstop to another position, maybe even catcher ...  turns 20 in March and is likely to start 2005 in Rancho Cucamonga, although his age and late-season slump might dictate a return to Cedar Rapids. Another factor might be the Angels' deciding to move him to another position, although at this stage in his development it seems unlikely. Baseball America named him the #5 prospect in the Midwest League at season's end, the best in their view among several legitimate shortstop prospects in the circuit this year."

    Dayn Perry, FoxSports, on a pair who appear to have improved their prospect status with AFL play :

" ... Jeremy Hermida ...  a great natural hitter with excellent plate discipline and a refined approach. What he hadn't done coming into AFL play is hit for power. However, his seven AFL home runs tied him for third in the league, and his .523 SLG wasn't too shabby either. He hasn't played above the High-A Florida State League, so it'll be a while before he's in Miami. Still, the Marlins will be hoping his AFL power spike carries over to the upcoming season."

" ...  Mark Teahen ...  He's squarely the third baseman of the future in Kansas City, but his numbers in the AFL (.385 AVG/.453 OBP/.541 SLG) may have ramped up his timetable. The Royals have signed Chris Truby to keep third warm until Teahen's ready, but if he has a good spring, Teahen could in the KC lineup on opening day. He's not a future star, but he has the potential to be a productive regular in the majors."

    Pat Caputo, in the Baseball America chat room, on his Tiger Top 10 (which doesn't include AFL MVP Chris Shelton, explanation below).

Tiger system : " ... I've done this list for something like 15 years and this is by far the worst it is has been. considering the Tigers' track record, that is saying something. However, you must realize that they could hit with a couple of their higher ranked pitchers such as Sleeth and Verlander and then it won't matter. Also, Granderson could be a sleeper. Some scouts feel his tools, generally considered average, are underrated, particularly his speed. His played center field pretty well last year."

Kenny Baugh : " ... If he is in the top 20, it will be by default. He throws 87 mph and seems to end each season on the D.L. I'm surprised he's on the 40-man roster."

Chris Shelton : " ... Shelton does not have a position and is unathletic. Last season, when he did get to play in the major leagues and rehab assignment at Toledo, he did not sting the ball. He hit well in Arizona, but the caliber of competition was down this year ...    here's a little insight on Chris Shelton...he was the 19th rated prospect in the Pirates' organization when the Tigers drafted him. Watch him take BP. Then watch somebody like Dmitri Young take BP. And athletically, he's not nearly as gifted as Young."

Tony Giarratano : " ... he does a lot of things well, but nothing that makes you think he is going to make it big some day. He just isn't the type of athlete the top major league shortstops are. For example, Omar Infante has a much higher ceiling."

    So, without Al Leiter, who's on tap for the Mets ?

" ... The Mets don't have a high-caliber internal candidate to fill out the rotation without Leiter, though Minaya mentioned they are prepared to use Jae Seo, Aaron Heilman or whomever else emerges during spring training. Cuban defector Alay Soler was let go by his winter league team after compiling an 0-2 record and 5.28 ERA in five appearances. First-round pick Philip Humber remains unsigned, though an ultimatum may be coming soon to move that process along." (NY Daily News)

    Some hopeful news on the Rangers' front :

" ... The Rangers have received positive medical reports on pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez's broken right arm and are hoping he could be pitching winter ball by the end of December. (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

    More competition for Jason Bartlett :

" ... Juan Castro is expected to compete with prospect Jason Bartlett, veteran backup Nick Punto and utility infielder Augie Ojeda for the shortstop job. And Luis Rivas could join the mix if the Twins keep the arbitration-eligible second baseman and determine they're better off moving him to the other side of the bag, to his original position. "I feel real good with shortstop now," Ryan said. "We are done looking for a shortstop, and we're very satisfied going to Fort Myers with the players we have at that position."  (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

    3B in Cincy?  Austin Kearns?  Edwin Encarnacion?

" ... The Reds have a handful of players scattered around Latin America playing winter ball, but the front office is paying particularly close attention to Edwin Encarnacion's exploits. The 21-year-old third baseman, a good bet to be named the organization's minor league player of the year for 2004, is playing for Aguilas in his native Dominican Republic. Through 22 games, Encarnacion is hitting .266 with two home runs and six RBI. O'Brien said Encarnacion's performance in the Dominican has the potential to accelerate his climb toward the majors. But considering the top prospect has never played at a level higher than Class AA (he hit .281 with 35 doubles, 13 homers and 76 RBI at Chattanooga this season), his prospects of making the 25-man roster out of spring training seem rather slim. "Right now, I think the feeling of all of our people in player development is that he would need at least half a season at AAA, minimum, before being ready," said O'Brien. " (The Cincinnati Post)

    So far so good for Joe Mauer MIN ... while Jason Kubel gets set for surgery :

" ...  Mauer, home in St. Paul this week for Thanksgiving, said he hasn't had trouble with his surgically repaired left knee since an exam last month prompted by pain and 'clicking'' in the joint during rehab work. 'I was expecting it to be good,'' he said of Wednesday's checkup, 'and it went well.'' He has caught four-inning simulated games every other day for the past two weeks, and expects to start doing back-to-back days of simulation after returning to Fort Myers. "I feel pretty good,'' he said. "It's still not 100 percent and won't be for a while. I've still got some work to do with it. But it still feels good to hear from the doctors that we're on track. I just wish the season started tomorrow.''  ...  Outfielder Jason Kubel, the highly regarded hitting prospect who suffered severe knee ligament damage in a collision during an Arizona Fall League game last month, is scheduled to have surgery on the knee Dec. 2."  (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

    A pair of former No. 1 draft picks cut loose by the Royals as Billy Butler and Mark Teahen become the latest poster boys :

" ... Teahen ... picked to the fall league's all-prospect team by league managers and coaches after batting .385 with two homers and 25 RBIs in 30 games for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. He also had just two errors in 28 games at third. “Teahen is our future,” Baird said. “He played well in the Arizona Fall League, but that does not mean he's ready to step right in (next season). He's a good player, and when he's ready, he'll be here.”

" ... Third baseman Billy Butler is cited as the Royals' top prospect in Baseball America's annual post-season rankings. Butler, 18, was the organization's top pick in last June's draft and batted .373 with 10 homers and 68 RBIs in 74 games at short-season Idaho Falls. The magazine said Butler uses a “patient approach and line-drive mentality” and has “quick hands and excellent hand-eye coordination,” but needs to “improve his flexibility to enhance his range at third base.”

" ... The Royals left two former No. 1 picks, pitchers [Mike] Stodolka and [Colt] Griffin, available in next month's Rule 5 draft by not protecting them on their 40-man roster." (Kansas City Star)

24/25 November, 2004

    Updates to Top 10s ... Crossovers ... 40-man Rosters ... ST Invitees ... Minor League All-Stars

    Venezuela Sunday ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 8th homer, 2 RBI, .314 ... Juan Rivera ANA 3-4, .400

    Steve Kline, Baseball America, with some notes on the CLE kids in a chat room session :

Andy Brown, No. 10  " ... I actually had Brown lower on my original list, but his power stuff is enough to make him a top 10 guy. He needs to prove that he's durable after wearing down in his first full campaign since 2002. His command wasn't the greatest at times and some in the organization questioned his desire and makeup, as well as his response to instruction. His velocity dipped down late in the season, so the plan is to get Brown to work on improving his stamina for next season."

Adam Miller No. 1 " ... Miller not only wants to be the best he can personally be, but one of the best the game has to offer and you really have to take his internal desire and passion for learning the nuances of the game into account when discussing his ceiling. Several scouts and opposing pitching coaches I talked to in the Carolina League compared him to Kevin Brown. The only difference is Miller's makeup, which is off the charts ...  a rare combination of power, intelligence and feel. And to have that kind of reputation at age 19 is anything but commonplace ...  Do I see him being as good or better than C.C.? I think everything is in the package to be as good, yes. But again, we're talking about a righthander vs. an established lefty who is one of the best in the game. MIller is an impressive talent who could make an impact in the big leagues for years to come. At this point in his career, he's already surpassed Bartolo Colon and Jaret Wright as far as arms in the system go, so saying he could be a dominant factor in the big leagues is not reaching at all ... Felix [Hernandez SEA]  is definitely No. 1, but I'd take Miller above Jackson, Billinglsey, Capellan, Hamels, Floyd and Olsen on this very day."

Franklin Gutierrez No. 3 " ... I've heard a lot of talk on Gutierrez from various Indians websites and most of it has been down on him. And that's just an outrage. Gutierrez is the best defensive outfielder in the minors ... Hitting coordinator Derek Shelton worked long hours with Gutierrez during instructs making minor adjustments in the box and he should make a splash at Buffalo this year. His lone weakness is handling breaking pitches, which has led to the high K totals the past few seasons. He recognizes the pitches, it's just a matter picking out which ones to hit and laying off pitches out of the zone ... I see Gutierrez planted firmly in the OF picture at Jacobs Field . . . it remains where he'll be. He has all the speed and range to play CF with the arm to play right. Just for fun, let's say in 2006 Gerut will be in left, Sizemore in CF and Gutierrez in RF."

    Mark Allen Haverty, The Sporting News, on one of the comeback kids :

" ... Bobby Bradley, SP, Pirates. He's back! Injuries have slowed the development of this first-round pick (1999) ...  Finally, he was healthy enough in 2004 to make it to Double-A, where he went 5-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 19 starts, striking out 78 while walking 41. I had the opportunity to watch Bradley in an AFL start this fall, and he definitely looked impressive. Bradley made eight starts in the AFL, and while his 1-2 record and 5.01 ERA were not impressive, the 37:7 K/BB rate certainly was. I spoke with Pirates director of player development Brian Graham, who said he and the Pirates are thrilled with Bradley's progress and expect him to start the season in Triple-A. If all goes well there, expect him in the majors no later than September 2005."

    Seth Trachtman, SportsBlurb.com, moves on to the Twins farm and likes Jason Kubel, injury and all,  as the best in the system.  Pitchers take the next two spots :

" ... Francisco Liriano, ...  has about as much potential as any pitcher in the minors if he can put his injury problems behind him. At the age of 20 last season, he had a 4.00 ERA in 21 starts at High-A before posting a 3.17 ERA in Double-A in seven starts. His major league indicators are excellent with a 174/60 K/BB ratio in 156.2 innings pitched over the season. The lefty throws in the mid-90s with an excellent slider and changeup. If he improves his control slightly, Johan Santana may not be the only ace lefty in Minnesota."

" ... J.D. Durbin ... Many feel that Durbin will move to the bullpen since he does not have a great third pitch, but this high-90s fastball and curve are plus major league pitches. He posted an ERA below 3.00 in Double-A last season at the age of 22 before struggling more in Triple-A due to walks. Granted, it was just seven starts and was also the first time that Durbin has not marched right through a minor league level. The team should give him a half season to work things out in Triple-A before giving him his first call-up."

    Quite a display of talent on the Topps/MinorLeague Baseball, Class-A All-Stars, announced Tuesday.  ANA's infield combo a feature of the prized group :

 C Daric Barton STL       OF Brian Stavisky OAK       
1B Brian Dopirak CHN      OF Brandon Moss BOS
2B Howie Kendrick ANA     OF Delmon Young TB
3B Ian Stewart COL       RHP Ismael Ramirez TOR
SS Erick Aybar ANA       LHP Zach Duke PIT
DH Brad Eldred PIT        RP Edwardo Sierra NYA

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld.com, has the first of two pieces on kids from the Arizona Fall League. A sample :

" ... Reid Gorecki - OF Cardinals ...  had an impressive fall after batting .277/.343/.398 for Single-A Palm Beach. Add the 35-40 points to his slugging percentage that playing in the Florida State League cost him and he would have matched his Midwest League line from the year before. Because he’s a legitimate center fielder, Gorecki is a prospect. He’s probably not the heir to Jim Edmonds’ job in St. Louis, but if any of his AFL performance carries over to Double-A next year, maybe he’ll begin to be taken seriously as a potential regular."

" ... Freddy Sanchez - 2B/SS Pirates ... The strong AFL season should earn him a chance to battle Jose Castillo for the starting job at second base next spring. Sanchez could also play third if Ty Wigginton fails to perform. His ability to hit for average and his strong glove will make him a favorite of the Pirates."

" ... John Hattig - 3B Blue Jays ...  hit .296/.391/.532 between his two Double-A clubs during a breakthrough 2004 ...   Expect him to be called up to act as a bench player if he produces in Triple-A next season. There’s little chance that he’ll develop into a long-term regular, but if the Blue Jays don’t upgrade at third base, he’ll enter the year as a deep sleeper."

" ... Sean Marshall - LHP Cubs  ... Marshall returned for the AFL after missing the final two months of the season with a ruptured finger tendon, but he aggravated the injury in his fifth start and returned home. Before getting shut down, he showed enough to make the league’s All-Prospect Team. Marshall has used a low-90s fastball, a plus change and an average curveball to amass a 2.57 ERA and a 173/39 K/BB ratio in 158 1/3 IP as a pro. He has No. 3-starter potential, but he’s still probably two years away."

    Bryan Smith, Wait Til Next Year, with some notes on the AFL season :

" ... for the sluggers ...  Chris Shelton was the best player in the league, following a year spent at the highest level in professional baseball. In the very least, Shelton proved that he should at least factor in as the leftie-hitting side of a platoon, if not take over for Carlos Pena in 2005. The next most impressive ... was the Royals’ Mark Teahen. Allard Baird really liked Teahen before pulling the trigger on the Carlos Beltran deal, and has left the hot corner wide open next year. Who knows if Teahen will hit for power, but he saves a lot of money, with no loss in OPS from Joe Randa."

" ... My top three prospects are going to contain the names Felix Hernandez, Casey Kotchman and Delmon Young."

23 November, 2004

    Updates to Top 10 lists ... 40-man Rosters.

    Mexico Sunday ... Jason Dubois 2-2, walk, HBP, .234 ... Joe Dillion FLO 1-3, HBP, .200

Venezuela Saturday ... Walter Young BAL 3-5, 2 RBI, .320 ... Luis Gonzalez COL 0-3, .316 ...

Puerto Rico Sunday ... Miguel Negron TOR 1-2, triple, walk, 2 RBI & 1-2, walk, SB, .263 ... Ruben Gotay KC 0-4 & 1-4, .200 ... Jesse Foppert SF 4.0 1 0 0 1 4

Dominican Weekend ... John Patterson WAS six shutout innings, 1.20 on the season, 30 25 4 4 4 27 ... Hanley Ramirez 2-4, double, triple ... Ervin Santana ANA 1 0 0 0 0 1 ... Ramon Nivar TEX 2-3, SB ...  Ramon Antonio Pena ARZ, 5 shutout innings

    Righthander Adam Miller gets the nod as the best of the CLE farm in Chris Kline's Top 10 at Baseball America.  Kline handed first baseman Michael Aubrey the runnerup slot, followed by outfielder Franklin Gutierrez.

    The Rule 5 Draft (December 13th) ... don't expect too much ... but there's the odd gem.  AL Cy Young winner Johan Santana the prime example.  Selected by FLO (from HOU) with the second pick in the 1999 draft, Santana was then traded to MIN for Jared Camp (who the Twins took with the first pick).  Talk about a series of blunders.

In the 2000 draft, the O's selected Jay Gibbons from the Jays.  DET got AFL MVP Chris Shelton from PIT with the first pick in the 2003 draft and COL swiped infielder Luis Gonzalez from CLE.  That's about it over the last six or seven years.

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, on a pair of guys nearly ready to step in in OAK :

" ... Nick Swisher ... His problem has been a low batting average, made less important by a high walk rate yes, but still important enough that some have speculated he won't produce as expected in the majors ...  estimate that Swisher will hit .250/.350/.450 is a reasonable one, perhaps even a conservative one ... But if the thumb repair improves his trigger quickness, that could end up as a serious underestimate. I don't think he'll ever hit .300, but the amount of power he shows could be a pleasant surprise. Huston Street  ... an outside chance he could make the Oakland bullpen with a strong spring training, but I think it more likely he'll begin in Triple-A. Good pitching there would make him a mid-season bullpen reinforcement for Oakland. Street has outstanding command of very good stuff, and has shown he can close at a high level of competition. It shouldn't take him long to get ready. Of course, I said the same thing about Ryan Wagner in Cincinnati last year, and he ended up struggling more than expected. Even the best pitching prospects (and Street is one of the best) carry a high risk premium." 

22 November, 2004

    AFL ... Chris Shelton named the league's MVP ... managers and coaches voted to select the AFL All-Prospect Team ... and the choices seem to include just about everybody who suited up and some for several spots ... Shelton and Ryan Garko tied for the catching spot ... four guys were picked at 1B -- Ryan Howard, Brian Dopirak, Shelton & James Loney ... Rickie Weeks and Freddy Sanchez tied for the 2B slot ... Mark Teahen and John Hattig at 3B ... Omar Quintanilla and Aaron Hill at SS ... five guys tied for the Utility position -- Hill, Casey Smith, Ian Kinsler, Shelton, Corey Myers ... LF Conor Jackson & Kevin Thompson ... CF Joey Gathright, Curtis Granderson & Wayne Lydon ... RF Jeremy Hermida, Jason Repko, Ben Johnson & Conor Jackson ... RHP JD Durbin, Dennis Sarfate ... LHP Jeff Housman, Sean Marshall ... Righty reliever Huston Street, Jesse Crain ... lefty reliever Billy Keppinger KC, Russ Rohlicek.

    2B Donald Murphy KC a grand slam to give the Phoenix Desert Dogs the AFL title ... 6-2 over Scottsdale Scorpions.  OAK reliever Huston Street continued his outstanding fall picking up the win :

" ...  Street, who tied for the league lead with a 0.98 ERA, retired six of the seven batters he faced  ... "This has been the most enjoyable baseball experience in my life," Street said. "I'll cherish these six weeks forever." The former University of Texas All-American, a sandwich selection between the first and second rounds of last June's First-Year Player Draft by the Athletics, pitched so well that Desert Dogs manager Dean Treanor of the Marlins predicted that Street's next stop could be the Major Leagues. "I have had a lot of people ask for my opinion," Treanor said, "and in my mind, he absolutely will be in the big leagues next year. He has been the talk of the league this year and I can't say enough about his stuff. "There were times down here when he touched 94 (mph) and our scouts didn't have that in their reports. He also has what it takes inside to be successful." (MLB.com)

    Mexico Saturday ...  the slide continues, Jorge Cantu TB 0-4, .282 ... Marshall McDougall TEX, an attractive Rule 5 candidate, 2-4, 2 RBI, .302 ... no sign of Dan Johnson OAK

Venezuela Friday ... Juan Rivera ANA 3-5, triple, .389 ... Jose Castillo PIT 3-5, 5th double, .380 ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 0-3, .316

Puerto Rico Friday ... Rick Ankiel STL, first fall action, 4.0 3 0 0 1 3

    Brewers smiling about Rickie Weeks' AFL stint :

" ...  Weeks was one of the top offensive players on that circuit, considered a top finishing school for heralded minor-leaguers. In 22 games, Weeks batted .382 with six home runs, 21 runs batted in, a .520 on-base percentage and .737 slugging percentage. He drew 17 walks and struck out only 18 times. Unfortunately, Weeks missed the last three games of the season with a strained oblique muscle. That absence left him one plate appearance short of qualifying for the league leaders, leaving him off the board in every offensive category. Had Weeks had that one extra plate appearance, he would have ranked first in OBP and slugging and fourth in the batting race. “He still needs to work on his defense and I’d like to see him steal more bases, but it looks like he’s going to be an offensive player,” said Melvin. “That’s what everybody who has seen him is saying.”  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

    Joel Guzman LA a strong start in Dominican play :

                          G  AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB   AVG
Guzman Freddy SD          8  31  6 12  4  1  0   9  6  5  5  .387
Diaz Victor NYN          13  47  7 17  0  0  3   4  6 13  1  .362
Nivar Ramon TEX          18  61 12 21  2  0  2   6  5  5  3  .344
Guzman Joel LA           22  86 10 28  5  1  2   9  5 17  1  .326
Reyes Jose NYN            4  18  2  5  1  0  1   2  3  1  0  .278
Gil Jerry ARZ            11  40  9 11  4  1  0   2  0 16  2  .275
Encarnacion Edwin CIN    22  79 11 21  4  0  2   6  8 15  1  .266
Marte Andy ATL           21  68  6 18  5  0  2  16 12 21  1  .265
Cano Robinson NYA        18  58 11 15  8  0  0   4  8  6  0  .259
Ramirez Hanley BOS       19  76 12 19  3  1  4  11  6 18  3  .250
Aybar Erick ANA          15  61  8 15  2  0  1   5  4  8  0  .246
Pie Felix CHN            22  65  7 16  2  0  3   4  4 24  1  .246
Terrero Luis ARZ         16  47  6 11  3  0  2   5 11  8  3  .234
Shoppach Kelly BOS        9  30  2  6  1  0  0   2  1 15  0  .200
Betemit Wilson ATL       15  43  1  7  1  0  1   6  5 17  0  .163
Harris Brendan WAS        5  18  1  2  1  0  0   2  1  3  0  .111

    Cecil casts a huge shadow ... Prince pays :

" ... First baseman Prince Fielder, one of the Brewers' top prospects, left the Mexican Winter League early and returned to the U.S. to work through his family issues. Fielder's dad, former Major League All-Star Cecil Fielder, is enduring financial difficulties, according to a story last month in The Detroit News. According to Prince, his father skimmed $200,000 off his $2.4 million signing bonus. Nichols said the younger Fielder is getting help from the Brewers' employee assistance program. "It's a tough thing for a 20-year-old to go through," Nichols said. "He is dealing with some tough personal issues." (MLB.com)

    TEX puts Drew Meyer, Marshall McDougall and Juan Senreiso up for grabs in the Rule 5 draft.  Jamey Newberg has some notes on the Rangers' 40-man picks :

" ... The startling move was that a 27-year-old pitcher named Agustin Montero is suddenly on the 40-man roster, which doesn't include Meyer or Senreiso or Erik Thompson and no longer includes Ben Kozlowski, who is now with Cincinnati. Meyer, Senreiso, and Thompson lead the Ranger class of prospects who will now be eligible to be drafted by another club in three weeks at the Winter Meetings' Rule 5 Draft ... Meyer has had a rough time offensively since being the Rangers' first-round pick in 2002 -- he hit just .241/.309/.310 this year for Frisco, losing half his season to a broken collarbone -- but his ability to run and play shortstop and the potential he still has could persuade another team to give him a shot in camp ... Marshall McDougall's strong 2004 season and huge winter could make him another decent candidate to be drafted, just as he was two years ago when Texas acquired him from Cleveland."

21 November, 2004

    First off-season stab at the 40-man rosters ... a couple of clubs yet to announce their roster additions ... and there's still the free agent madness ... a few of the prospects to grab 40-man spots : ARZ -- Dustin Nippert, Ramon Antonio Pena, Marland Williams; BAL -- Eli Whiteside; CHA -- Kris Honel; CLE -- Fausto Carmona, Franklin Gutierrez; COL Jayson Nix, Ryan Shealy, Jeff Salazar, Ubaldo Jimenez; FLO -- Jason Stokes; NYA -- Robinson Cano; SEA -- Mike Morse, Shin-soo Choo. One time top prospect Jack Cust got a minor league deal from OAK.

    Mexico Friday ... Jorge Cantu TB 1-5, .292 ... Donzell McDonald, one-time BAL prospect, 3-5, homer, 4 RBI, .213 ... and yes, Fernando Valenzuela keeps rollin' along, 5.14 ERA in 7 innings so far.

Dominican stats (including a couple trying the comeback trail) :

                       AVG AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBIBB SO SB
Guzman Freddy         .387 31  6 12  4  1  0  9  6  5  5
Diaz Victor           .357 42  7 15  0  0  3  4  6 12  1
Reyes Jose            .357 14  2  5  1  0  1  2  2  1  0
Guzman Joel           .325 83 10 27  4  1  2  9  5 17  1
Nivar Ramon           .316 57  9 18  2  0  2  5  4  5  2
Marte Andy            .279 61  6 17  5  0  2 16 10 18  1
Gil Jerry             .275 40  9 11  4  1  0  2  0 16  2
Cano Robinson         .259 58 11 15  8  0  0  4  8  6  0
Encarnacion Edwin     .257 74 10 19  3  0  2  6  8 13  1
Aybar Erick           .250 56  7 14  2  0  1  5  4  8  0
Pie Felix             .250 64  7 16  2  0  3  4  4 24  1
Ramirez Hanley        .236 72 11 17  2  1  4 11  5 17  3
Terrero Luis          .233 43  5 10  3  0  1  3  8  8  3
Mondesi Raul          .209 43  6  9  4  0  2 11  4 12  1
Shoppach Kelly        .185 27  1  5  1  0  0  2  1 15  0
Betemit Wilson        .163 43  1  7  1  0  1  6  5 17  0
Tatis Fernando        .125  8  0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  1

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, on Joel Guzman LA :

" ... there were some doubters heading into 2004. Those doubts have been eradicated. Guzman exploded with the bat this year, dominating Florida State League pitching, then continuing to hit well after moving up to Double-A. And he is still just 19 years old ... He is strong and athletic. He has great arm strength and plus bat speed. He has awesome raw power. He has everything you look for in a young player physically, possessing excellent ratings in all categories except pure foot speed, and even there he is not a clogger ...  still needs work on his plate discipline ...  still strikes out a lot, but he's made progress closing the holes in his swing. On defense, Guzman has a very strong arm. His hands are good enough for shortstop, but his range there is only average, and most scouts believe he will move to third base eventually ... In the long run he projects as a .270-.290 hitter, with 30-40 homer potential. His on-base ability would depend on exactly how much plate discipline he develops ... in the medium and long-terms, Joel Guzman may be the top power-hitting prospect in the game."

Another of the good reasons to order John Sickels' Prospect Book ... email updates (the first already in, with his preliminary picks as the top 50 or so hitters and 50 or pitchers) to build up to publication day.

    In Seth Trachtman's look at the KC system, it's Denny Bautista shading 3B Billy Butler for No. 1. 

" ...  Bautista possesses one of the better arms in the minors with a mid-90s fastball, plus a good slider and change. He has ace potential in the majors, but he must continue to make strides with his control in order to make it to that level. The 22-year-old made noticeable progress after being acquired by the Royals in Double-A with a 2.53 ERA in 12 starts compared to an ERA above 4.00 with the Orioles. Greinke and Bautista should make a nice one-two punch."

Justin Huber ranks No. 4 just after Butler and Mark Teahen :

" ...  Mets inexplicably put Huber on waivers last season. He may not have the defense to remain at the catching position, but he has the type of bat that is valued in the majors. The Aussie spent most of his season in Double-A last season and hit .271-11-33 in 236 at-bats along with a 46/57 BB/K ratio. With a large frame and still only 22, many scouts believe that his power will continue to prosper. Look for him to be moved to the outfield or first base next season."

    A few prospect notes from MLB.com :

Tony Pena Jr. ATL : " ... Pena, the son of Royals manager Tony Pena, saw his stock soar, hitting .321 in the AFL. The 23-year-old shortstop has always been known as a sure-handed infielder who has sometimes struggled at the plate. "It's never been a question if he was going to be able throw and catch enough to be a Major Leaguer," Braves director of player personnel Dayton Moore said. "It's not that we've ever questioned his bat. But it was certainly very encouraging to see him have the offensive success that he's had." Rafael Furcal is currently blocking Pena's entrance to the Majors. But Furcal will be a free agent at the end of the 2005 season, and the door may be opened for Pena." (Mark Bowman)

Scott Baker MIN : " ... Baker will be invited to big league camp as a non-roster player with a shot at making the rotation. The right-hander was 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA in seven starts, walking seven while striking out 29. Combining his 29 1/3 AFL innings with his minor league season, the 23-year-old just missed throwing 200 innings for 2004. Via two promotions, he jumped from high Class A to Triple-A this year." (Mark Sheldon)

" ... One thing this AFL campaign certainly confirmed to the Red Sox is that they were right to be so excited when they drafted shortstop Dustin Pedroia with their first selection (second round) in the 2004 draft. The diminutive sparkplug looks like he's gong to be a quick riser. Playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions, Pedroia hit .269 in 52 at-bats, scoring 12 runs and posting an on-base percentage of .361. "He got to face a higher level of competition, and that will bode well as he reaches the higher levels," said Cherington. "Although it is unclear where he will start this year, he certainly is not far away from playing at the higher levels." (Ian Browne)

" ... The most impressive [Jays'} fall season came from John Hattig, even if he slumped over the final week. The third baseman batted .310 and ranked second in the AFL with 31 RBIs. That number is put into better context by Hattig's hit total -- he had just 35 hits, which means that he was dangerous nearly every time he swung the bat. He walked nearly as many times (14) as he struck out (17), showing his plate discipline in an advanced setting. Hattig, who came to Toronto's organization in last season's Terry Adams trade with Boston, seems just about ready to make the big league leap." (Spencer Fordin)

    The top young guns from the Arizona Fall League ... expected success from guys like Rickie Weeks, Conor Jackson ... signficiant progress from some unheralded players as Paul McAnulty, Jason Botts, Reid Gorecki ... very interesting BB/K ratios from Weeks, Shelton, Botts, Jackson ::

                          AB 2B 3B HR BB SO  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS
Weeks, Rickie       MIL   76  5  2  6 17 18 .382 .520 .737 1.257
Shelton, Chris      DET  114 10  1  6 15 19 .404 .470 .667 1.137
Myers, Corey        ARZ   95 11  1  3  8 12 .400 .434 .632 1.066
McAnulty, Paul      SD   102 10  1  6  9 22 .353 .400 .647 1.047
Botts, Jason        TEX  107  3  1  6 21 32 .355 .461 .570 1.031
Jones, Mitch        NYA   93 10  0  6  8 33 .333 .385 .634 1.019
Jackson, Conor      ARZ  111  5  0  8 22 19 .324 .433 .586 1.019
Gorecki, Reid       STL  102  9  0  4 15 24 .363 .449 .569 1.018
Sanchez, Freddy     PIT  107 10  1  3 13 10 .364 .444 .561 1.005
House, J.R.         PIT   49  6  0  2  5  8 .347 .411 .592 1.003
Thompson, Kevin     NYA  100 10  0  5 17 22 .320 .424 .570  .994
Teahen, Mark        KC   109  5  3  2 15 30 .385 .453 .541  .994
Garko, Ryan         CLE  115  9  1  5  8 16 .348 .405 .574  .979
Whiteside, Eli      BAL   70  6  1  4  3 17 .329 .355 .614  .969
Bartlett, Jason     MIN   73  4  2  0  6  9 .397 .457 .507  .964
Johnson, Ben        SD   123  8  3  5 11 23 .325 .400 .561  .961
Williams, Marland   ARZ   71  2  2  3  4 14 .352 .395 .563  .958
Repko, Jason        LA   117  7  2  8 15 25 .291 .368 .590  .958
Howard, Ryan        PHI  136 14  1  3 13 40 .331 .388 .515  .903
Dopirak, Brian      CHN   95  7  0  7  5 23 .274 .324 .568  .892
Kinsler, Ian        TEX  108  9  0  4 10 16 .306 .369 .500  .869
Martin, Russell     LA    54  4  0  0 14  5 .296 .452 .370  .822
Hermida, Jeremy     FLO  132 11  1  7  7 30 .265 .298 .523  .821
Hill, Aaron         TOR  108  6  0  2  9 13 .315 .372 .426  .798
Barfield, Josh      SD    91  6  0  1  7 17 .319 .359 .418  .777
Young, Delmon       TB    82  4  0  1  8 21 .293 .376 .378  .754
Francoeur, Jeff     ATL   99  7  1  1  2 19 .283 .301 .404  .705

                            ERA  G   IP  H  R ER BB SO
Street, Huston       OAK   0.98 13 18.1 11  2  2  2 19
Wilkerson, Wes       KC    0.98 14 18.1 11  2  2  3 10
Schmoll, Steve       LA    1.42 15 19.0 18  3  3  4 12
Baker, Brad          SD    1.64 11 11.0 11  2  2  3 14
Miller, Jeff         PIT   1.86 14 19.1 12  4  4  2 16
Crain, Jesse         MIN   2.08 11 13.0 10  3  3  4 14
Peterson, Adam       TOR   2.13 10 12.2  9  4  3  9 15
Lorenzo, Matt        TEX   2.63 11 24.0 29  7  7  6 17
Littleton, Wes       TEX   2.65 10 17.0 14  8  5  6 12
Dittler, Jake        CLE   3.00  8 30.0 33 16 10 10 18
Baker, Scott         MIN   3.68  7 29.1 32 15 12  7 29
Arnold, Jason        TOR   4.50  7 24.0 32 15 12  4 20
Durbin, J.D.         MIN   4.56  6 25.2 21 16 13 10 29
Bradley, Bobby       PIT   5.01  8 32.1 28 24 18  7 37
Wainwright, Adam     STL   5.23  4 10.1 15  6  6  9 12
Rosario, Francisco   TOR   6.59  8 28.2 33 22 21 16 30

    Padres salute their young stars :

" ... outfielder/first baseman Paul McAnulty was named the organization's Player of the Year, batting .297 with 36 doubles, 23 home runs and 87 RBIs in 133 games with Lake Elsinore. McAnulty, 23, ranked third among California League batters in home runs, also finishing among the league leaders in doubles (36, T-4th), on-base percentage (.404, 4th), slugging percentage (.521, 5th), extra-base hits (62, T-3rd), runs scored (98, 5th) and RBIs (87, 7th) ...  selected by the Padres in the 12th round of the 2002 draft."

" ... right-handers Tim Stauffer and Brad Baker shared the minor league Pitcher of the Year honors  ... Stauffer, the Padres No. 1 pick (fourth overall) in the 2003 draft ... a combined 11-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 28 starts between the three stops, leading the Padres organization in ERA and tying for the lead in victories ... Baker, a No. 1 pick (40th overall) of the Boston Red Sox in the 1999 draft, was selected as the Class AA Southern League's "Most Outstanding Pitcher" after posting a 2-1 record with a 1.57 ERA and a league-leading 30 saves with Mobile this past season ...  For the season ...  3-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 34 saves in 63 relief appearances, leading the Padres system and ranking fourth in the minors in saves." (Portland Beavers)

20 November, 2004

    Arizona Fall League ... final games Thursday (except for Saturday playoff) ...  Francisco Rosario TOR 4.0 8 5 5 2 2, 6.59 ... Vince Perkins TOR 1.0 1 1 1 0 1, 7.50 ... Matt Lorenzo TEX 1.0 2 1 1 1 0, 2.63 ... Mitch Jones NYA 3-4, 10th double, 6th homer, 4 RBI, .333 ... Chris Shelton DET 1-2, to win the batting title at .404 ... Jason Bartlett MIN 1-5, .397 ... Reid Gorecki STL 3-4, 9th double, .363 ... Eli Whiteside BAL 2-6, 4th homer, 3 RBI, .329 ... Mark Teahen KC 1-4, .385 ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 2-5, 6th & 7th homers, 4 RBI, .265 ... Jeff Baker OAK 2-3, 5th double, triple, .318 ... Josh Barfield SD 3-4, 2 RBI, .319

                         AVG   G  AB   R   H HR RBI  
 Shelton, Chris DET     .404  31 114  24  46  6  33     
 Myers, Corey ARZ       .400  26  95  22  38  3  20     
 Teahen, Mark KC        .385  30 109  23  42  2  25     
 Quintanilla, Omar OAK  .374  25  91  13  34  0  18     
 Sanchez, Freddy PIT    .364  28 107  27  39  3  21     
 Gorecki, Reid STL      .363  26 102  20  37  4  12     
 Botts, Jason TEX       .355  29 107  24  38  6  24     
 McAnulty, Paul SD      .353  27 102  24  36  6  25     
 Garko, Ryan CLE        .348  30 115  21  40  5  30     
 Jones, Mitch NYA       .333  24  93  18  31  6  26   

Conor Jackson ARZ and Jason Repko LA tied for the lead in homers, with 8 apiece.  Shelton also lead both in on-base percentage and slugging (Rickie Weeks not enough ABs) :

 ON-BASE PERCENTAGE        SLUGGING PERCENTAGE                 
 Shelton, Chris   .470     Shelton, Chris   .667                        
 Botts, Jason     .461     McAnulty, Paul   .647                            
 Teahen, Mark     .453     Jones, Mitch     .634                         
 Gorecki, Reid    .449     Myers, Corey     .632                          
 Sanchez, Freddy  .444     Repko, Jason     .590                              

Mexico Thursday ... Jason Dubois CHN 0-3, 2 Ks, 2 walks, .216 ... Marshall McDougall TEX 1-4, 3Ks, .295 ... Jorge Cantu TB fading fast after a hot start, 0-4, .293 ... Fernando Nieve HOU 5.0 7 3 3 2 2, 2.92 ... Adrian Hernandez FA 6.1 5 2 2 2 7, 3.15 ...

Venezuela Wednesday ... Walter Young BAL 2-4, .319 ... Terry Tiffee MIN 0-4, 2 Ks, .295 ...  Alberto Callaspo ANA 3-5, double, 3 RBI, .258  

Thursday ... Jose Castillo PIT 3-4, triple, .364 ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-3, walk, .326 ... Yusmeiro Petit NYN  5.0 3 0 0 0 3, 1.03 ...

Dominican Thursday ... Joel Guzman LA 1-3, homer, .308 ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-4, .236

Puerto Rico Thursday ... Ruben Gotay KC 1-5, .286

    Friday ... the deadline for teams to sort out their 40-man rosters  ... likely some interesting names left off the lists ... no word yet on, for example, Josh Hamilton TB

    Third baseman Billy Butler takes the top slot on the KC farm as Will Kimmey makes the picks for Baseball America.  Denny Bautista ranks No. 2, just ahead of 3B Mark Teahen.

" ... the Royals sort of compare Butler's hitting ability--the way he works and thinks through an at-bat--to how Greinke works hitters from the mound. It's very advanced, very cerebral. That tells you he could move fast ...  He's precocious ...  really looking at upside, there's no player in the system who better profiles as a productive middle-of-the-order hitter than him. His plate discipline and knowledge of hitting and how to take certain pitches in an at-bat, some feel he actually sets up pitchers during an at-bat. There aren't really a lot of other players in the system who seem like they could be future all-stars ... He's not Ian Stewart. Or Delmon Young. Those guys have produced over full seasons already. But he did have the best offensive debut of any high school player drafted, so there's reason to be high on him. I think I might take Butler over Eric Duncan, but it's gotta be close."

" ... Bautista ... His stuff says No. 2 starter, so he'll get some opportunities, but needs to throw strikes to make the most of his chances. He's been throwing well this winter, so that should start helping his confidence immediately ...  I'd guess that Bautista could land in the bullpen if he doesn't crack that rotation. Maybe some time at Triple-A first, but his fastball has enough velocity that he could jump right into a bullpen spot doing short work. His body reminds some of Guillermo Mota, so that might be a working comparison should Bautista move to the pen."

    A changing of the guard in COL might mean a real shot for Garrett Atkins :

" ...  Vinny Castilla ...agreed to a two-year, $6.2 million contract with the Washington franchise, opening the way for rookie Garrett Atkins, who turns 25 on Dec. 12, and super-sub Luis Gonzalez, 25, to battle for playing time at third base in spring training ... Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said he will watch the free-agent market for a veteran third baseman but isn't expecting to make a major move. "We are going to stay with our process of giving an opportunity to our young players," he said. Atkins is trying to answer questions skeptics have had about his defense. The converted first baseman is working out this off-season at the Athletic Performance Center near his home in Irvine, Calif., where the emphasis is on flexibility and agility. "It's been good so far," he said. "We're addressing lateral speed, first-step quickness. I'm excited about what's happening." Atkins answered any questions about his bat with a strong 2004 ... returned to Class AAA Colorado Springs this year, where he led the Pacific Coast League with a .366 average and 43 doubles. He also had 15 home runs and 94 RBI ... Gonzalez is the sleeper in the battle. Selected from the Cleveland Indians for $50,000 in last year's winter draft and jumped from Class AA to the majors, he played second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield in his rookie season, hitting .292 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 322 at-bats. He also had 17 doubles and two triples." (Rocky Mountain News)

    Jason Bartlett, college third baseman, tries to refine his shortstop game for a possible challenge in MIN next season :

" ... he is being asked to round out his defensive game. And what better place than the Arizona Fall League, where top prospects meet and baseball officials can spread out with their notebooks, radar guns and stopwatches. Before games, Bartlett spends much of his time working on his throwing. A shortstop often has to throw from different arm angles, but Bartlett has spent most of his professional career throwing over the top. Twins coaches are worried he will be exposed on the major league level, especially when trying to turn a double play. "Everyone has their own way of getting the job done," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. "No one says much if they get it accomplished, and that's what we think of him. Yeah, he's a little bit different, but not in a bad way." Bartlett has committed four errors in 13 fall league games, but Twins minor league manager and fall league coach Jose Marzan said his defense has been fine. "He has made some progress with the throwing angles," Marzan said. Bartlett is forcing the defensive reviews with his bat. If the Twins are correct, he will be the next in a recent run of offensively gifted prospects, including Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel. "He's got some strength in his bat," Ryan said. "He can get deep into counts. He can hit in different spots in the lineup." Bartlett batted. 331 in 67 games for Class AAA Rochester this season ... Ryan acknowledged that Bartlett, with help from Nick Punto or Augie Ojeda, could be an alternative. "He's a good player," said Marzan, the manager at Class A Fort Myers. "If this was 1997, they would not have had a problem with going with him because they were not expected to win. Now we're looking at 2005 and they have won three division championships in a row. We have to have a shortstop who is polished, and he is not that. We know in 2006 he will be ready." (Star Tribune)

    ANA's top pick not fretting about contract talks :

" ... Jered Weaver said he remained confident that he would sign with the Angels even though more than five months have passed since the organization made the right-hander out of Long Beach State its top pick in the amateur draft. "I'm not really worried about it," Weaver, the 12th overall selection, said this week. "It's going to get done, it's just a matter of time." Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman would not comment specifically on negotiations with Scott Boras, Weaver's agent, saying the Angels would "move ahead and do what we have to do to get our club ready" for 2005. Boras could not be reached for comment. Weaver is believed to be seeking a package similar to the $10.5-million deal Chicago Cub pitcher Mark Prior received out of USC. Prior won 18 games in 2003, his first full season with the Cubs." (LA Times)

19 November, 2004

    Arizona Fall League ... final regular season games Thursday ... Wednesday ... Jake Dittler CLE, one of a few starters showing good form, 6.0 4 2 1 1 1, 3.00 ... Dustin Moseley CIN 3.0 5 4 4 2 2, 4.30 ... Ben Diggins MIL, getting in a few innings, 1.0 0 0 0 0 0, 2.45 ... Eli Whiteside BAL, hot AFL finish, 2-4, 6th double, 3rd homer, .328 ... Ryan Garko CLE 3-4, 3 RBI, .339 ... Ben Johnson SD 3-5, .331 ... Dustin Pedroia BOS 1-2, homer, .269 ... Jason Repko LA 2-4, 8th homer, .291 ... James Loney LA 2-3, .327 ... Jason Botts TEX 6th homer, 2 RBI, .355 ... John Hattig TOR 2-5, 9th double, .310 ... Jeff Francoeur ATL 1-3, 1st homer, 3 RBI, .283 ... Mike Napoli ANA 3-4, .284 ... Jeff Baker OAK 3-4, 4th double, .293

Mexico Wednesday ... Jason Dubois CHN 2-5, 6th double, 6th homer, .222

Dominican Wednesday ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-4, triple ... Jose Reyes NYN 3-5, double ... Dominican results, through Tuesday's games.  Some of the prospects :

                           G AB  R  H 2B 3B HR BI BB SO SB  AVG  OBP
Guzman Freddy SD           8 31  6 12  4  1  0  9  6  5  5 .387 .486
Diaz Victor NYN           11 38  6 13  0  0  3  4  5 11  1 .342 .432
Nivar Ramon TEX           17 57  9 18  2  0  2  5  4  5  2 .316 .371
Guzman Joel LA            19 75  6 22  3  1  0  7  4 16  1 .293 .325
Marte Andy ATL            19 61  6 17  5  0  2 16 10 18  1 .279 .365
Gil Jerry ARZ             11 40  9 11  4  1  0  2  0 16  2 .275 .275
Encarnacion Edwin CIN     20 70 10 19  3  0  2  5  8 11  1 .271 .354
Aybar Erick ANA           14 56  7 14  2  0  1  5  4  8  0 .250 .338
Pie Felix  CHN            20 64  7 16  2  0  3  4  4 24  1 .250 .314
Cano Robinson NYA         17 54  9 13  6  0  0  3  7  6  0 .241 .339
Ramirez Hanley BOS        17 68 10 16  2  0  4 10  5 17  3 .235 .297
Terrero Luis ARZ          14 43  5 10  3  0  1  3  8  8  3 .233 .389
Shoppach Kelly BOS         7 23  1  4  1  0  0  1  1 13  0 .174 .208
Betemit Wilson  ATL       15 43  1  7  1  0  1  6  5 17  0 .163 .245

                           ERA   BA  G SV  IP  H  R ER BB SO
Capellan Jose ATL         0.00 .154  2 0  4.0  2  1  0 0   5
German Franklin DET       0.00 .105  7 0 11.0  4  0  0 1   8
Perez Carlos FA           0.87 .182  7 0 10.1  6  1  1 2  13
Patterson John WAS        1.50 .216  4 0 24.0 19  4  4 2  25
Peña Ramon A. ARZ         3.00 .215  5 0 21.0 17 11  7 7  13
Brazoban Jhency LA        4.50 .171 10 4 10.0  6  5  5 4  10
Soler Alay NYN            5.28 .241  5 0 15.1 14  9  9 6  23
Valdez Merkin SF          6.17 .294  4 0 11.2 15  9  8 6  12
Santana Ervin ANA         7.11 .304  4 0  6.1  7  5  5 4   8

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, on the WAS farm :

" ...  the bottom line is that there's one true blue-chip prospect in the system: lefthander Mike Hinckley, a third-rounder from 2001. First baseman Larry Broadway, [Ryan] Church, injured righthander Clint Everts, {Brendan} Harris and lefty Bill Bray could become solid major league contributors, but they're not going to be cornerstones of a championship club."

    Shortstop Tony Giarratano is ranked at the top of the DET farm system in Seth Trachtman's Tiger report at SportsBlurb :

" ...  A third round pick in 2003, Giarratano has emerged as one of the top shortstop prospects in the game. He is a prototypical shortstop with good contact ability, good speed and great defense. He hit above .370 in over 200 at-bats in High-A last season at the age of 21 after hitting .285 in Low-A during the first half of the season. With 25 steals last season, he has some very nice potential for fantasy owners as well. The Tulane alum could move quickly up the system and has the polish to help in the majors immediately upon his arrival."

    Michael Levesque, in the BA chat room, on the TOR system :

Dustin McGowan " ... He should be back by June at the lastest. The Jays think he will be good as new."

Francisco Rosario  " ... He should start the year in the rotation at Triple-A, and with a solid season should be in the bigs by September ...

Guillermo Quiroz  " ... Quiroz has the best raw power in the system. Down the road he could hit 25-30 HR."

Ismael Ramirez, Gustavo Chacin " ... Ramirez and Chacin profile as back of the roatation starters."

CF Yuber Rodriguez  " ... Rodriguez may have the high upside of any player in the system but it may take him four or five more years to reach it. He has plus raw power, plus speed, plus arm strength and is a solid defensive outfielder. After chasing a lot of pitches out of the zone in the past, he made strides with his plate discipline this season. His base running needs improvement but the biggest thing he needs, is repetitions."

    I'm sure most of us have heard similar refrains ... but, here's hoping it works out for Jeff Allison, the Marlins top pick in the 2003 draft.

" ... Allison ... says he has beaten his addiction to OxyContin and expects to be invited to the team's minor-league spring training camp next year. Allison pitched just nine innings in the Marlins system the past two years while battling a substance abuse problem that included near-fatal overdose in July. But in an interview Wednesday with The Salem (Mass.) News, Allison said he has been working out regularly and is ready to resume his career. ''I talked with the club a month ago, and they said I'm welcome. I'm very hopeful,'' Allison said ...  Allison said Wednesday he believes the organization will take him back once he is cleared by Dr. Jeffrey Fishbein of the Marlins medical staff. ''I'm feeling good, I really am,'' Allison, 20, said. ``I've got to call Dr. Fishbein this week. Then I'll see where we can go from there. My velocity is good. My strength and speed haven't changed at all. I look the same, I feel the same and throw the same.''  (Miami Herald)

8 November, 2004

    John Sickels is gearing up for publication of his 2005 Prospect Book ... pre-orders now being taken ... www.johnsickels.com

    Arizona Fall Report, Tuesday's games ...  Marland Williams ARZ 2-3, homer & 3-4, homer, 3 RBI, .390 ... Corey Myers ARZ 3-3 & 2-3, 10th double, .411 ... Brian McCann ATL 0-2, 2Ks, .232 ... Jeff Housman MIL 5.0 2 0 0 0 4, 1.84 ... Kevin Howard 2B CIN 3-3, homer & 1-2, homer, .397 ... Jason Bartlett MIN 3-3, double, triple, 3 SBs, .412 ... Chris Shelton DET 1-3, 10th double & 2-3, .405 ... Brian Dopirak CHN 1-4, 7th homer, .286 ... Ryan Garko CLE 1-3, 5th homer, .324 ... John Hudgins TEX  5.0 6 2 2 1 6, 4.75 ... gave up a homer, but still notched his 7th save, Huston Street OAK 1.0 1 1 1 0 1, 0.98 ... Freddy Sanchez PIT 2-3, 2 RBI, .365 ... JR House PIT 2nd homer, .347 ... Omar Quintanlla OAK 3rd triple, RBI, .386 ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 5th homer, .262 ... Mark Teahen KC 2-3, .390

Mexico, Tuesday ... Jorge Cantu TB hitting a little hurdle, 0-5, .308 ... Andy Tracy COL 8th homer, .412 ... Jason Dubois CHN 1-4, 5th double, .213 ... Marshall McDougall TEX 11th double, 6th homer, 6 RBI, .304 ... Bubba Smith, still a huge hit in Mexico, 4-5, 3 homers (10), 7 RBI, .278

Venezuela, Tuesday ... Renyel Pinto CHN 6.0 2 1 1 2 5, 1.93  ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 2-4, homer, .238

Dominican, catchup  ... Ervin Santana ANA 1.67 4 5 5 2 1 ... Jose Reyes NYN 2-4, homer, error,  ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-5, 2 Ks, error &  0-2, HBPx2, 2 Ks, error & 0-4, HBP, 4Ks, error (through Tuesday, .250, 5 walks, 13 Ks in 16 games) ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 2-2, homer, 2 walks

    Michael Levesque, Baseball America, has the Toronto Top 10, headed by righty Brandon League, shortstop Aaron Hill and catcher Guillermo Quiroz.

    Brian Walton, CREATiVESPORTS, with some notes on play in the Dominican :

" ... Boston’s #1 prospect and their shortstop of the future, Hanley Ramirez, was playing third base for Licey and literally airmailed a throw toward first that went far over everyone’s heads and into the stands on the fly. Surely he can hit and has a strong arm, but it’s not accurate, at least based on this small sample type. FYI, Ramirez had 23 errors in total at three different levels this season. Granted, the kid is only 20 and he’s being groomed for shortstop, not third, but this is really the reason the Red Sox won’t give Orlando Cabrera more than a one-year offer? Washington’s John Patterson started for Licey and dominated, tossing seven innings of one run ball. He looked even bigger than his listed 6’ 5”. I think he gave up only three hits and I know he fanned five Aguilas’ hitters, walking none. After the game, Patterson was interviewed, saying he originally planned to stay in the Dominican until December 1, but he was having so much fun, he was thinking about staying longer. Patterson missed almost three months of the 2004 MLB season with a groin injury, but is an interesting dark horse for 2005."

    The Topps/Minor League Baseball Double-A All-Star team, announced Tuesday, features a solid cast of prospects -- Dallas McPherson, Jeff Francis, Ryan Howard, Aaron Hill, Ian Snell, Willy Taveras, Josh Willingham -- plus a couple of guys who, in spite of outstanding numbers, seem to get lost in the prospect shuffle :

" ... Richard Lewis, a first-round draft choice of the Atlanta Braves in 2001, was sent to the Chicago Cubs in the last week of spring training. He proceeded to hit .329 for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx and was named Southern League Player of the Year ... First baseman Ryan Shealy, named as the designated hitter, just missed his league’s Triple Crown, leading with 29 homers and 99 RBIs, while finishing third with a .318 average." (MinorLeagueBaseball)

    Steve Matthews, AtHomePlate, is keeping an up-to-date tab on the Free Agent market.

    Rob Blackstien, CREATiVESPORTS, on a pair of relatively unheralded prospects in the ANA system :

" ... Steven Shell, RHP ...  third round pick in 2001, had an impressive showing in this, his second season in the A+ California League. He won a career best dozen games with a nifty 3.59 ERA over his 165.1 IP (151 hits, 19 HR). Check out Shell’s eyebrow-raising 40 walks against 190 Ks, though. Those 10.34 Ks per 9 with a 1.16 WHIP place him on the prospect map. He wound up 4th in the Cal League in ERA, tied for third in wins and first in Ks by a huge margin. Let’s see how he fares against AA hitters before we get too excited, but this kid bears watching."

" ... Arizona high school shortstop Brandon Wood was the Halos’ top pick last year, 23rd overall. Wood is progressing nicely, and after racking up 11 HR and 21 SB at Class-A Cedar Rapids as a 19-year-old this season in his first try at full-season ball, looks like a good power/speed prospect. His declining BA and OBP trends must be reversed, however. Overall, though, he looks like a steady ballplayer."

     No wimp here.  The Sacramento Bee reports OAK outfielder Nick Swisher played all season with a fractured thumb and torn tendon.  Surgery (in late October) is supposed to have him ready for Spring Training :

" ... I knew it wasn't right, but at the time, I wanted to play so I didn't say anything," Swisher said ... "All I wanted to do is play baseball." The thumb surgery included the reattachment of a tendon and the insertion of three pins into his wrist area. Swisher said he'll be ready long before spring training. "That's incredible," River Cats assistant general manager Mike Gazda said. "Talk about being a gamer. How many times do guys get a little injury and they go on (disabled list) forever? And he's playing with a broken thumb!" Tough to argue with the decision. Swisher not only started the season with the River Cats, he produced with 29 home runs, 92 RBIs, a .406 on-base percentage and the nomination as "most improved" for his defensive progress. After he was called up in early September, Swisher hit .250 with eight RBIs in his 20 games with the A's. A starting job with Oakland might not be far away."

    Matthew Leach, MLB.com, on Adam Wainwright STL

" ... Wainwright missed a great deal of 2004 with an elbow problem, but he didn't need surgery, and he made it back to the mound for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. He showed himself to be healthy and ready to go, and he had one outstanding start mixed in with some slightly shakier ones -- exactly what you'd expect from a talented pitcher coming back from an injury ...  comes into Spring Training in more or less the same position as he did last year, with a distant shot at making the big league roster, but much more likely to start out in Triple-A. He's still an exciting prospect, though, and it's nowhere near time to give up on him."

17 November, 2004

    Ken Warren's predictions and analysis ... two books for 2005 ... almost ready for shipment.

    Any others who would like to try out the Scoresheet game?   Some new leagues are forming for Scoresheet newbies in the USA and Canada.  Drop me a line if interested.      Click the "SS Notes" above for some basic info on the Scoresheet format.

    Arizona Fall League, Monday ...BAL catcher Eli Whiteside 4-5, 4th & 5th doubles, 3 RBI, .317 ... Brian Dopirak CHN getting in a groove, 2-4, 5th & 6th homers, 3 RBI, .287 ... Paul McAnulty SD 2-4, 10th double, .357 ... Delmon Young TB 4-4, 4th double, .293 ... Brad Thompson STL 5.0 5 1 1 2 6, 4.50 ... Freddy Sanchez PIT in fine form, 4-5, 3 doubles (10), 3 RBI, .365 ... Mark Teahen KC 2-4, .382 ... Jason Botts TEX 1-3, 5th homer, .372 ... Ryan Howard PHI 0-4, 3 Ks ... Vince Perkins TOR, returning from injury, 1.2 2 1 1 2 1

The leaders as the AFL kicked off the final week of play (Rickie Weeks leading in both OBA & SLG) :

                          AVG   G  AB   R   H HR RBI    
 Shelton, Chris     DET  .402  27 102  22  41  6  32     
 Quintanilla, Omar  OAK  .393  23  84  12  33  0  16     
 Teahen, Mark       KC   .382  28 102  22  39  2  23     
 Weeks, Rickie      MIL  .382  22  76  20  29  6  21     
 Botts, Jason       TEX  .372  26  94  21  35  5  22     
 Gorecki, Reid      STL  .367  23  90  19  33  4  12     
 Sanchez, Freddy    PIT  .365  25  96  26  35  3  19     
 McAnulty, Paul     SD   .357  26  98  24  35  6  23     
 Myers, Corey       ARZ  .354  22  82  19  29  2  15     
 Jackson, Conor     ARZ  .340  28 100  24  34  8  26 

Mexico Monday ...

Venezuela Monday ... Jose Castillo PIT 3-5, triple, .345 ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 3-5, 7th homer, .326

    First sacker Michael Aubrey tops the CLE farm in Seth Trachtman's latest offering at SportsBlurb :

" ... Michael Aubrey ... comparisons to Todd Helton for Aubrey are still apparent, and he carries the same approach. The 22-year-old former first round pick is yet to fully develop his power, but he hit 15 homers and 82 RBI between High-A and Double-A last season ... Indians remain quite excited about their young first baseman."

" ... Adam Miller ...  looking early like the right-hander has some ace potential. ETA: 2006."

" ... Ryan Garko ...  batted well above .300 in High-A, Double-A and Triple-A last season with a total of 22 homers. While he may not have the defensive skills to remain at catcher, Garko has to hold his own at first base or DH. This is a solid dark horse candidate for Rookie of the Year in 2005."

    Bill Ballew, Baseball America, in the chat room with responses to the TB Top 10 :

" ...  [Jeff] Niemann would have been somewhere around third, possibly as high as second if he had pitched and impressed. As far as [BJ] Upton is concerned, he could play third, with Huff moving to first, he could wind up back at Durham for some fine-tuning with the leather, or he could see more activity at short. Spring training will determine where he lands."

" ... There are a couple of schools of thought regarding [Joey] Gathright, and I am not completely sold on his becoming a standout at the major league level. His speed is incredible, and he has the ability to steal 60 bases in the big leagues. But several other aspects of his game must come together in order for him to become an impact player for any significant length of time."

" ... I believe [Wes] Bankston is the first baseman of the future. It may not be until the second half of 2006 or 2007, but right now he's the man ... Bankston has big-time power that will continue to blossom as he gains experience and makes adjustments. There's no doubt he has legit power at the first turn."

" ... There are rumors that the Mets questioned [Scott] Kazmir's willingness to accept coaching. While there may be some truth to that, I think it was a desperate move by an organization with a history of making bad trades involving minor league players. The D-Rays definitely came out on top, especially when you add Jose Diaz to the mix ... I believe the Rays will be careful with Kazmir, only maybe not to the extent the Mets were with him. Tampa Bay got one of the top lefthanded pitching prospects for a song, and let's hope they don't mess up a good thing. With Piniella still around, I believe they'll do the right thing, based on Kazmir's performance this spring as well as the overall makeup of the pitching staff."

    Mark Bowman, MLB.com, on Tony Pena Jr. ATL :

" ... Known more for his solid glove, the younger Pena has been displaying a hot bat in the Arizona Fall League. Through Wednesday, the 23-year-old middle infielder was hitting .344 (21-for-61) with three doubles and a triple. "[Tony] has a lot of natural ability," Braves director of player personnel Dayton Moore said. "He's represented our organization very well, just like all the guys we have out there [in Arizona]." Statistically, Pena has been the most successful Braves prospect in the AFL this year. Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann, a couple of 20-year-olds who are among the best prospects in the fruitful Atlanta organization, have slumped recently ...  Francoeur, McCann and Pena are all expected to be invited to big league camp next spring ...  Pena, who hit .255 at Double-A Greenville this year, will compete with Wilson Betemit, Nick Green and possibly Mark DeRosa for a utility infielder spot. With Rafael Furcal eligible for free agency at the end of the 2005 season, the door could be open for Pena heading into the 2006 campaign."

    Brian Durack, A's Y'all, in a series of pieces on the OAK kids, features shortstop Omar Quintanilla :

" ... A line drive hitter with few walks, he is far from the typical Oakland prospect ...  Drafted in 2003 out of Texas and picked after Joe Blanton in the first round, Omar came strong out of the gate. In short-season Vancouver he batted .341 ...  and got a late promotion to High-A Modesto ...  started 2004 again in Modesto. His first half started slowly, but he eventually found his stroke to the tune of .314/.370/.480 with 11 home runs (compare the 11 home runs to his 9 total in his 2 years of college). Towards the end of the season he was promoted to AA Midland and continued his hot hitting  ... While he does have good range at shortstop, he has put up large error totals there thanks mostly to errant throws ... has continued to commit errors in the Arizona Fall League this year, but has also been red hot at the plate ... I can't imagine him being ready for the majors until 2006, and there is no rush with Crosby/Ellis/Scutaro in Oakland, so they may still have time to turn him into a second baseman."

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, on Brandon Phillips CLE :

" ... Phillips is something of a forgotten man these days, but like Peralta he is still quite young at age 23, and still has time to forget the bitter taste of his 2003 disaster ... hit .303/.363/.430 at Buffalo ...  has better range than Peralta, but still needs to improve his defensive reliability. The primary problem with Phillips seems to be less of a talent issue and more of a psychological one. He didn't deal well with failure last year, and it set him back. But he remains immensely talented and still quite young."

15/16 November, 2004

    Just a reminder ... links at the bottom of the page to the various prospect ranking pages and the archives ... and the first of the 2005 predictions out on the 'net ... Dan Szymborski, baseballthinkfactory.org, is up to "Build 4"

    Arizona Fall League, final week ... Saturday's games (no games Sunday) ... Scott Baker MIN 5.0 6 4 4 2 3, 3.68 ... strong AFL showing by Paul McAnulty SD 2-4, 6th homer, 2 RBI, .355 ... Jason Bartlett MIN 2-4, SB, .385 ... Huston Street OAK Street 1.1 0 0 0 1 1, 6th Save, 0.52 ... Jeremy Brown OAK, surprising a few observers, 1-2, homer, walk, HBP, .400

Mexico Saturday ... Jason Dubois CHN 2-3, triple, 5th homer, .224 ... Andy Tracy COL 3-4 ... Marshall McDougall TEX 2-4, 10th double, .302

Mexico Sunday -- Jorge Cantu TB 0-4, .346 ... JJ Davis PIT 3-4, .286 ... Andy Tracy 2-2, HBP, 7th homer, .417 ... Jason Dubois CHN 0-2 & 0-3, .211

Venezuela Saturday -- Jose Castillo PIT 2-4, 4th double, .320 ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 0-4, .313 ... Walter Young 6th homer, 3 RBI   Venezuela Sunday -- Jose Castillo 2-4 ... Franklin Gutierrez 1-4, 3 Ks ... Guillermo Quiroz TOR 2-4, .317

It's from vheadline.com (Venezuelan news) ... thought you'd enjoy a sample of the coverage :

With a full stadium the game, which was announced as a homage to White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen saw homers from James Jurries and Walter Young,

Cardenales 4, Tigres 11 Lara proved to be the pits in pitching and threw the game away needlessly.

Pastora 0, Caribes 3 Caribes' pitcher Ismael Ramirez saved the game for the home team.

Aguilas 9, Navegantes 7 The power of Zulia's batters was decisive.

Venezuela ... a few of the prospects ... through Friday :

                           AVE VB  H H2 H3 HR BB SO
Tiffee Terry MIN          .375 24  9  2  0  2  3  5
Gimenez Hector HOU        .361 36 13  3  1  1  1  8
Young Walter BAL          .343 70 24  6  0  5  9 13
Gutierrez Franklin CLE    .342 76 26  7  0  6  3 16
Reyes Rene COL            .315 92 29  4  1  3  6 16
Castillo Jose PIT         .303 66 20  3  0  4  2 11
Leone Justin SEA          .303 33 10  2  0  2  6 14
Quiroz Guillermo TOR      .300 30  9  3  0  1  4  5
Linden Todd SF            .258 62 16  2  0  3  5 21
Callaspo Alberto ANA      .219 73 16  3  0  0 10  4
Izturis Maicer WAS        .182 11  2  1  0  0  4  0

    Bill Ballew grades the Tampa Bay system at Baseball America.  No surprises at the top -- Delmon Young and Scott Kazmir 1-2 with Joey Gathright at No. 3.

    Some prospect notes from MLB.com :

" ... Russell Martin ... showing all the right signs for a 21-year-old being pushed from a first full season at Class A to the talent-laden extra-credit competition in the desert. Through 13 games in a platoon situation, Martin is batting .357 with a .453 slugging percentage and an eye-popping on-base percentage of .517, which is certain to catch the attention of general manager Paul DePodesta. Martin is without a home run but has four doubles in 42 at-bats and his 12-to-three walks-to-strikeouts ratio indicate a rare knowledge of the strike zone, considering his relative inexperience ... drafted in the 17th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft." (Ken Gurnick)

" ... Mike Morse ... getting help from Mike Goff, who served as the Mariners' coordinator of minor league instruction this season. He's also the manager of the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, where the M's sent Morse to refine his skills. "He's basically like my father here," Morse said. "He's showing me the ropes. He's bringing me through the organization really well. I'm just getting ready to be the shortstop there, I hope."...  With the White Sox, who took Morse in the third round of the 2004 draft, offense always came first. Morse's power potential, in his opinion, was always what's most important. The Mariners do things a little differently. "Defense is the thing," Morse said. "I came here as an offensive shortstop. They started over with me, made a base for me. Goff "has worked with me so much and I feel so good out there now. I feel like I can play the position." ...  At 6-foot-4, Morse has been branded "too tall" to play short almost from the start of his career ... I want to break into the big leagues as a shortstop, because I know I can do it." ...  Something clicked in 2004. Morse hit a combined .281 with 17 homers and 71 RBIs between Birmingham and San Antonio ...  "I need to work on pitch selection," Morse said. "That was my big thing this year, starting with instruction with the White Sox, working on taking balls and strikes, getting ahead in the count, trying to have a plan. In the big leagues, everyone has a plan." (Jonathan Mayo)

" ... Outfielder Joey Gathright left the league to have his left shoulder examined in St. Petersburg, Fla. An MRI showed no damage, just scar tissue, and he should be fine in time for Spring Training. Gathright continues to lead the AFL in stolen bases with 15." (Paul C. Smith)

    Bobby Lee, OaklandClubhouse.com,  has a Top 10 of sorts, " ... a look at ten players within the A's organization who emerged as top prospects in 2004.".  A pair of relievers are the bookends for the list -- Jairo Garcia at No. 1 and Huston Street at No. 10.  Among the others :

" ... 2 - Javier Herrera ...  was a lot like Garcia entering 2004, a slightly known Low A prospect from the A's Dominican program. Now, he's the A's 5-tool uber prospect. Herrera spent time in 2003 in Rookie ball and was pretty decent considering his age ... may sit as the only potential superstar in the A's system, quite the leap from his status as an unknown ...  young prospect before the season."

" ... 8 - Omar Quintanilla ... had a very good debut season in 2003 but still faced the dreaded critics' label of being a "fringe" prospect. It didn't help that he started slow for A Modesto this season. He rebounded, however, and hit over .350 over the last couple months of the season (which was split between Modesto and Midland). Currently raking the ball in the Arizona Fall League, Quintanilla, like most A's prospects, continues to prove doubters wrong. Quintanilla needs to move to second base to have a future in Oakland, and whether he stays at short or switches to second, he'll have to improve his defense."

    David Luciani, Baseball Notebook ... pitchers with minor league numbers translated into major league (neutral park) terms ... the tops in ERA (minimum 144 innings) :

 1. Jeff Francis COL 3.69         6. Dave Gassner MIN 4.80 
 2. Scott Baker MIN 4.22          7. Ezequiel Astacio HOU 5.06 
 3. Steven Bondurant OAK 4.59     8. Brandon McCarthy CHW 5.07 
 4. Ismael Ramirez TOR 4.59       9. Joe Blanton OAK 5.10 
 5. Les Walrond KC 4.74          10. Richie Gardner CIN 5.13 

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

1999   2000    2001 -- Jan-July   Aug-Dec   2002 -- Jan   Feb   Mar-July   Aug   Sept-Oct   Nov-Dec
2003 -- Jan    Feb   Mar-Apr  May-June   July   Aug   Sept   Oct   Nov  Dec 01-07  Dec 08-14  Dec 15-21   Dec 22-28

2004 -- Dec 29-Jan 04   Jan 05-11  Jan 12-18  Jan 19-25  Jan 26-Feb 01  Feb 02-08  Feb 09-15  Feb 16-22  
Feb 23-29  Mar 01-07  March 08-14  March 15-21  March 22-28   Mar 29-Apr 04   Apr 05-11  Apr 12-18   Apr 19-25  Apr 26-May 02   May 03-09   May 10-16   May 17-23   May 24-30   May 31-June 6   June 7-13   June 14-20  
June 21-27   June 28-July 4   July 5-11  July 12-18   July 19-25  July 26-Aug 1  Aug 02-08   Aug 09-15   Aug 16-22
Aug 23-29   Aug 30-Sept 05   Sept 06-12   Sept 13-19   Sept 20-Oct 03  Oct 04-17  Oct 18-31  Nov 01-14 

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)

2005 Draft Prep Material :

2004 Minor League Stats 1  (Hitters, by OPS, by Classification, OBA, SLG, SBs, Errors)
2004 Minor League Stats 2 (Pitchers, by ERA, by Classification, Ks & Hitters by position)

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