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10 April, 2005
International -- Eric Crozier 1B TOR 2-4, 2B, R ... Francisco
Rosario TOR 6 6 2 2 0 7 ... Terry Tiffee 3B MIN 2-4, 1st HR,
R, RBI ... Jeff Keppinger 2B NYN 1-4 & 2-4, 2B, R, RBI ...
Craig Brazell PH & 1B NYN 0-1 & 3-4, 1st HR, R, 4 RBI ... Bob
Keppel NYN 4-1/3 6 4 4 1 4 ... Ryan Howard 1B PHI 1-3 &
2-3, R, RBI, BB ... Carlos Ruiz PH & C PHI 0-1 & 2-3, 3B, 2 R ...
big stick, Ryan Doumit C PIT 3-3, 2nd & 3rd HRs, 3 R, 3 RBI ...
Ian Snell PIT 5-2/3 5 2 2 0 8 ... James Jurries DH ATL
3-4, 2nd HR, 2 R, RBI ... on fire, Andy Marte 3B ATL 3-4, 2B, 3rd
HR, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Kyle Denney CLE 5 4 2 2 2 6 ... Chris
Shelton 1B DET 2-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SF ... regressing, B.J. Upton SS TB
1-4, R, 2 errors ... Jonny Gomes RF TB 2-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI ...
Walter Young DH BAL 3-4, 2B ... Stephen Smitherman LF
CIN 2-4 ... Dane Sardinha C CIN 3-4, 2B, 1st HR, 2 R, 3 RBI ...
nice, Elizardo Ramirez CIN 7 7 0 0 0 4 ... hot bat, Robinson
Cano 2B NYA 2-4, 3rd HR, R, RBI ... pitcher's duel between Ramon
Ramirez NYA 7 4 1 1 0 6 and Brandon McCarthy CHA 7 2 1 1 1
10
Pacific Coast --
Willy Aybar LA
1-5, double … Choo Freeman COL 4-5, triple … Jorge
Piedra COL RF COL 1-4, 2 RBI … Franquelis Osoria LA 6
4 2 2 1 0 … Jon Rauch WAS 4-2/3 6 3 3 0 6 … Brandan
Harris WAS 0-3, K … Rickie Weeks MIL 1-4, SB …
Prince Fielder MIL 0-3, 2K … Brad Nelson MIL 1-4, RBI
… Justin Lehr RP MIL 1 1 1 1 1 0 … Laynce Nix
TEX 1-4 … Ian Kinsler 0-4, 3K, rough start hitting .182 …
Brad Thompson STL 2 1 0 0 0 3 … Carmen Cali
STL 1 0 0 0 0 0 … Ken Harvey KC 0-4, K … Andres Blanco
SS KC 1-3, homer … Scott Hairston LF ARI 1-4, homer, 2K …
Carlos Quentin ARZ 3-5, double, 2R … Sergio Santos
ARZ 1-4, 2K … Conor Jackson 1B ARZ 3-5, double, 2 RBI …
Dallas McPherson ANA 1-3, homer, walk … Casey Kotchman
ANA 0-4 … Jeff Mathis ANA 1-4, double … Mike Fontenot
3B CHN 1-4, double … Richard Lewis CHN 0-5 … Josh
Willingham C FLO 0-3, K … Jason Stokes FLO 3-4, homer,
double, 4 RBI … Brad Hennessey SF 5 3 3 3 4 5, (L, 0-1) …
Shin Soo Choo SEA 0-3, 2K … Josh Barfield SD
2-5, 2 RBI … JJ Furmaniak DH SD 3-6, SB … Dan Johnson
OAK 1-4, double, 2 RBI… Dan Meyer OAK 3 8 5 5 1 1, 2 homers
Eastern -- Dustin
Pedroia 2B BOS 0-2, 2 walks
... Hanley Ramirez SS BOS 1-5, 1R ... Michael
Aubery 1B
CLE 1-4 ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-4 ... Tony
Giarratano SS DET 0-2, 2 walks ... Eric Duncan 3B NYA 0-3,
walk … Tyler Von Schell 1B SF 1-4, homerun ... Vince Perkins TOR 5
4 0 0 1 3 ... Paul Maholm PIT 5 4 3 2 1 6 ... Matthew
Desalvo NYA 6 3 1 1 3 9 ... Jeremy Johnson DET
5-2/3 5 1 0 0 3 ... Yusmeiro Petit NYN 3 0 0 0 0 4 ... the
box score shows Colby Miller MIN as having tossed six perfect innings, 6
0 0 0 0 4 ... but, the New Hampshire Union Leader suggests Miller went one
batter too long :
" ... featured mostly New Britain highlights,
including a potential perfect game by Colby Miller. New Britain’s starter
retired the first 19 batters and took a perfect game into the seventh inning
against Carlo Cota. Hitless in his first 11 Double-A plate appearances, Cota
slammed a first-pitch homer to right-center field to give the Fishers a 1-0
lead."
Southern -- Richard Gardner CIN 4 5 2
2 2 6 ... Kevin Howard 2B CIN 2-4, homer & 0-4 ... Felix
Pie CF CHN 2-4, 2 doubles, walk & 1-4 ... Brandon Sing 1B CHN
2-5, double, homer ... Bobby Jenks CHA, beginning to adjust to a
late reliever role, first save, 1 0 0 0 0 1 ... Russell Martin C
LA 2-4, double ... Manny Parra MIL 5-1/3 5 1 1 1 7 ... Delmon
Young TB 1-4, walk, RBI ... Jeff Francoeur ATL 3-5, double
... Brian McCann ATL 2-5, double, RBI ... Travis Chick
SD 5-1/3 3 1 1 2 5 ... Ronald Merrill Jr. SD INF 4-7,
double, triple, 2 RBI ...
Texas -- an unusual night, NO HR's, three shutouts!
... Yuniesky Betancourt-Perez SEA (SS) 1-4, RBI ...
TJ Bohn SEA (RF) 2-4, RBI, 2R ... Mark McLemore HOU 5 1 0 0
2 4 ... Thomas Oldham SEA 6 3 0 0 1 4 ... ... Nice! Ervin
Santana ANA 7 4 0 0 2 3 ... Reggie Willits ANA (CF) 2-3,
2B, RBI, SB ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 0-3 ... Erick Aybar
ANA 0-4 ... Michael Napoli ANA (C) 0-3 .... Jeff Salazar
COL (CF) 1-3, R ... Gustavo Escobar COL (3B) 2-3, R, SB ...
Justin Huber KC 0-3, SB ... Shane Costa KC (LF) 0-4 ...
Mike Aviles KC (SS) 2-3, SB ... Joaquin Arias TX
(SS) 1-4, 2R, SB ... Juan Senreiso TX (RF) 0-2, R ... Omar
Quintanilla OAK 2-5, R ... Brant Colamarino OAK (1B) 2-5,
R, RBI ... Matt Allegra OAK (RF) 2-5, 2B ... Andre
Ethier OAK (LF) 1-3, 2R
A note from Friday's action ... as KC moves
Ambiorix Burgos to the pen & a role as closer :
" ... During the brief outing -- his first as
Wichita's closer -- Burgos struck out four of the seven batters he faced ...
"He has a lot of arm speed, he had good action out there tonight and he's got a
good split-finger," Wichita pitching coach Larry Carter said. "He's got a
split-finger from hell." Burgos ... struck out 172 batters in 133 2/3 innings
last season at Class A Burlington ... Wranglers catcher Matt Tupman ...
"His splitter does move a lot and that's a pitch I usually try to stay away from
until there are two strikes. But they really can't hit him. He throws 98 (miles
per hour) and I've heard he's hit 100 before." On Friday night, Burgos was
clocked between 92 and 97, Carter said. His average pitch speed was 94 mph. That
kind of stuff is perfect for Burgos' new role as a closer." (MLB.com)
Florida State -- Cody
Haerther DH STL 2-5 R RBI …
a perfect 6 innings from Chris Lambert STL 6 0 0 0 0 6 …
Brent Clevlen RF
DET 2-4 2R RBI … Danilo
Sanchez C DET 2-3 2HR(2) 3R 3RBI … Greg Ramirez NYN 6 3 0 0
0 4 … Brian Dopirak
1B CHN 1-3 BB … a hitless 6 innings from Carlos
Marmol CHN 6 0 0 0 2 4
… Clint Johnson DH TOR 3-5 R … Eric Arnold 3B TOR
3-5 2B R 2RBI … Joey Votto
1B CIN 1-3 HR(1) 3RBI … Mathew Moses 3B MIN 1-3 2RBI CS
Carolina -- Michael Hall BOS (OF) 0-4, 2 K &
0-3, K ... Chad Spann BOS (3B) 2-3, R, 2B, BB & 0-3, K ... Ian
Bladergroen BOS (1B) 1-2, RBI, BB ... Martin Prado ATL (2B)
2-4, R, 2B ... Josh Burrus ATL (OF) 2-4, 2 R, RBI & 1-3, R, HR, 2
RBI ... Matt Esquivel ATL (OF) 3-4, 2 R, RBI, K & 1-3, R, 2B ...
Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL ( C) 2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 K & 3-3, R,
HR, 2 RBI ... Diory Hernandez ATL (SS) 2-4, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K, SB
& 0-3, RBI ... Thomas Hottovy BOS (L) 3 7 5 4 0 3 ... Jose
Vaquedano BOS 2 7 5 5 0 0 ... Jose Ascanio ATL 4-1/3 8 5 2
2 3 ... Robert Valido CHA (SS) 1-4 ... Micah Schnurstein
CHA (3B) 2-4 ... Brad Snyder CLE (OF) 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K ...
Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE (3B) 1-4, 3 K ... Ryan Goleski CLE
(OF) 2-4, R, HR, 3 RBI ... Daniel Haigwood CHA (L) 4-1/3 6 3 3 3 6
... Jeremy Sowers CLE (W) 6 6 2 2 0 3 ... Nate Spears
BAL (2B) 1-4, R, 2B, BB ... Nick Markakis BAL (OF) 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 K
... Jeff Fiorentino BAL (OF) 0-4, K ... Jarod Rine
BAL (OF) 1-4, RBI, SB ... Javier Guzman PIT (SS) 1-4, 2R, BB, K
... Craig Stansberry PIT (2B) 2-4, R, RBI, BB ... Adam
Loewen BAL 4 1 1 1 5 3 ... Kory Casto WAS (3B) 0-3, BB, K ...
Ervin Alcantara HOU (OF) 1-4, 3B, RBI
California -- Billy Butler KC 2-3,
walk ... Nate Schierholtz RF SF 3-4 & 0-2, walk ... Seth
Smith RF COL 3-4, double, walk ... Daric Barton OAK 1-4,
double, walk ... John Danks TEX 4 3 1 1 2 5 ... Brandon
Wood SS ANA 1-4, homer ... KC kid wild but effective :
" ... Lefthanded starting pitcher J.P. Howell
(1-0) had an interesting afternoon. On one hand, he pitched 5.1 innings of
one-hit ball in which he struck out seven and only allowed one run. On the other
hand, he struggled with his command by walking seven batters and hitting two
more. His nasty breaking ball was practically unhittable, however, as he more or
less cruised to his first victory as a member of the Mavericks." (High Desert
Mavericks)
Midwest -- Eric Patterson (2B) CHN
1-4, triple ... Matt
Tuiasosopo (at DH) SEA 1-4 ... Joel
Santo SD 6 3 1 1 1 4 ... Matt Bush SD 1-4, K ...
Yuber Rodriguez TOR
2-5, double ... still hasn't scratched Trevor
Plouffe MIN 0-4 ... Raul
Padron (C) OAK 4-5, 2
doubles ... nice debut Matt Shepherd (SS) STL 2-2, HR, 4 BB ...
Reid Brignac TB
1-5, 2 K ... with a name like this, how can he fail? Justin Justice
(CF) DET 3-3 ... Brian McFall
KC 2-5, double ... Angel Rocha ARZ 5 3 1 1 1 8 ... B.J.
Szymanski CIN 2-5, double
South Atlantic -- Greg
Golson CF PHI, 1-4 ...
Hernan
Iribarren 2B MIL, 1-3, SB, R
... Luis Soto DH BOS, 1-3 ... Andrew
Dobies BOS, 5 5 1 1 0 5 ...
Johan Silva CF ATL, 2-3, RBI ... Brad McCann 1B FLA,
0-3 ... Adam Brandenburg FLA, 5-2/3 6 1 0 0 7 ... Blake
DeWitt 3B LA, 2-5, HR (1), 2B, RBI ... Brandon
Weeden LA, 4 5 2 2 2 4 ...
Rogearvin
Bernadina CF WAS, 2-3, HR
(1), 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R ... Argenis
Reyes 3B CLE, 2-4, SB (1) ... Ambiorix
Concepcion DH NYN,
2-4, SB (1) ... Yovani
Gallardo NYN, 4-2/3 5 1 1 0 4 (L, 0-1) ... Kyle Bloom PIT,
3-1/3 3 0 0 2 5 ... Chris Nelson SS COL, 0-4, RBI ... Adam
Ricks 1B CHA, 1-3, SB (1) ... Ray
Liotta CHA, 5-1/3 3 1 1 2 7 ... Marcos
Vecchionacci NYA,
0-4, 2 SO ... Ben Zobrist
SS HOU, 0-1, 3 BB, 2 R ... Mitch Einertson
CF HOU, 0-2, 2 BB, 2 R ... Troy Patton HOU, 4 4 1 0 2 0
Troop movements ... DET -- Marcus Thames up (Ramon Martinez DL) ... ARZ
-- Oscar Villarreal up (Greg Aquino DL) ... SEA -- Justin Leone
up (Bobby Madritsch DL) ... ah, that's what happened to Tablado :
" ... three Toronto prospects are currently serving
suspensions for violating the Minor League drug-testing policy. The violations
happened last year, but the penalties carried over to this season. The offending
players are Julius Matos, Raul Tablado and Brian
Reed." (MLB.com)
More on Foppert & Felix :
" ... Foppert, 24, struck out nine batters
over five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks ... Most
impressive was Foppert's poise after loading the bases with one out in the
fifth. He struck out Ramon Santiago on three pitches, then retired Tacoma
leadoff hitter Jamal Strong on three pitches. "That jam he was able to get out
of was the turning point," said Grizzlies manager Shane Turner."
" ... Added Tacoma pitching coach Rafael Chaves:
"You really have to go back to Dwight Gooden to find someone as young as
Felix with the velocity and command that he has. The reason he's here is we
want him to become the total package, not just a flamethrower." Foppert, too,
has learned pitching isn't all about power. In 2003, Foppert was considered the
Giants' top prospect, also a flamethrower who reached the majors by his third
pro season. But he underwent ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery last
season and only recently has showed his pre-surgery form. He mystified the
Tacoma lineup with a mix of sliders, changeups, splitfingers and fastballs
clocked around 88 mph. "For a first outing, I'm happy," Foppert said. "Now I
just have to work on lasting into the game longer, build up my durability.
That's the next step." (Fresno Bee)
" ... The only thing missing from Felix Hernandez’s
first Class AAA start – and it would have made for a perfect 19th birthday
present – was a win. The Tacoma Rainiers lost, 3-0, on Friday to the Fresno
Grizzlies, but it was hardly Hernandez’s fault. He gave up one unearned run in
the first of his six innings, striking out four and walking one in taking the
loss ... He made a veteran adjustment after the first inning, recognizing
the Grizzlies were sitting on his fastball. What followed were five consecutive
scoreless innings. “I saw hitters jumping on my fastball, so I went to my
curve,” said Hernandez, whose fastest pitch was recorded at 94 mph, according to
the scoreboard’s radar readings. “I saw the hitters jumping on my curve, so I
went to my change-up. I had all of my pitches working tonight.” He was so
effective Rainiers manager Dan Rohn and pitching coach Rafael Chaves let him go
a sixth inning because his pitch count was so low. Hernandez threw 73 pitches
and said he felt strong and able to pitch more if he’d been asked to."
(Tacoma News Tribune)
Jeff Niemann pulled from his scheduled pro debut :
" ... Niemann, who signed a five-year, $5.2 million
contract with a $3.2 million signing bonus was actually scratched from Friday's
start before the postponement because of the inclement weather, according to
Oaks director of media relations and broadcasting Ira Liebman. Niemann's status
for this weekend was undetermined Friday. The Oaks coaching staff was
unavailable for comment on why Niemann was removed from his start before the
game was called." (Visalia Times-Delta)
Jeff Allison FLO on the comeback trail :
" ... the Marlins' 2003 first-round draft pick
who has dealt with a number of personal issues and addicitions, was transferred
Saturday from the restricted list to the temporarily inactive list. The
right-handed pitcher has joined Class A Greensboro. A hard-thrower who was the
16th pick in the first round, Allison is now being paid. The club is offering no
comment on the Peabody, Mass., native. And he is not being made available to the
media until he is placed on the active roster. Allison has battled a number of
personal problems, including being hooked on the prescription painkiller
OxyContin and overdosing on heroin." (MLB.com)
Fabian McNally,
Replacement Level Yankees, has his picks as the best of the NYA system.
Eric Duncan and Robinson Cano rule the roost at 1-2, with teenage
shortstop Marcos Vechionacci at No. 3 :
" ... has the type of mature approach that should
allow him to adjust quickly and he has yet to demonstrate significant weakness
against either RH or LH pitching. The message in all this is that the Yankees
have a hugely talented all around player on their hands, and hopefully, they
don’t screw this up because he has the look of a “special” player, though it is
still way too early to know for sure."
2004 first-rounder Philip Hughes ranks
No. 8 :
" ... Hughes should get better as the year goes on
and hopefully his mature physical build will allow him to hold up down the
stretch. Given how advanced he is, I would not be shocked to see Hughes end the
year in Tampa, assuming all goes well with him learning and utilizing the
curveball. Though he is still far away in the overall big picture and is thus
vulnerable to the injury and performance pitfalls of a young pitcher, Hughes has
the look of a stud."
For a change, some good news about PIT's pitching prospects :
" ... The Pirates have received positive news
regarding two top pitching prospects. Bryan Bullington, the No. 1 pick in
the 2002 draft who has been out because of shoulder discomfort, has been
throwing all week and remains on target to rejoin Class AAA Indianapolis April
20. Tom Gorzelanny, a second-round pick two years ago, had his ailing
elbow cleared Tuesday by Dr. James Andrews. He has no ligament damage, which
means his pain likely is being caused by nerve irritation. He should be pitching
for Class AA Altoona within three weeks." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Princely power :
" ... It probably shouldn't register as a
surprise that Brewers prospect Prince Fielder went 2 for 3 and belted a
homer in his first game for Class AAA Nashville. Fielder is a promising hitter,
he had a good spring and, well, he has a history of going deep in his first game
for a new club. Fielder's homer Thursday, which came in a rain-shortened 7-3
victory over New Orleans, marked the fourth time that Fielder has homered in his
first game for a club. He also did it for Ogden (rookie ball) and Beloit (Class
A) in 2003 and Huntsville (Class AA) last year. Fielder turns 21 on May 18."
(Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
09 April, 2005
Pacific Coast -- Fascinating pitching matchup, Felix Hernandez vs
Jesse Foppert with Foppert just a little better in a game in which neither
gave up an earned run -- Foppert got the win 5 3 0 0 2 9 , Hernandez the loss 6
5 1 0 1 4 ... Rickie Weeks MIL 3-5, double, triple, homer, 2R, 4RBI …
Prince Fielder MIL 1-4, homer … Ben Hendrickson MIL 4 3
3 3 4 5 … Dave Krynzel CF MIL 2-4, 2 doubles, 3 walks … Brad
Nelson LF MIL 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 walks … Larry Broadway WAS
0-3 … Brendan Harris WAS 1-5, 3K … Ken Harvey KC
1-2, walk … Andres Blanco KC 1-3, double … Ian Kinsler
TEX 2-4 … Chris Duncan 1B STL 1-4 … Adam Wainwright
STL 6 9 4 4 1 5 … Sergio Santos SS ARZ 1-5, homer … Carlos
Quentin ARZ 0-2, 2 walks … Conor Jackson ARZ 1-4 …
Dallas McPherson ANA 0-5, 2K … Casey Kotchman ANA 0-3,
2 walks … Jeff Mathis ANA 0-4, 4K … Renyel Pinto SP
CHN 3-2/3 10 7 3 1 1 … Richard Lewis 2B CHN 2-5 … Mike
Fontenot 3B CHN 1-2, homer … Ronny Cedeno SS CHN 2-4, homer …
Jason Stokes FLO 0-3 … Willy Aybar LA 3-5, triple,
homer, 4 RBI … Dioner Navarro LA 2-4, homer … Chin Hui Tsao
COL, looks like he went just an inning, 1 1 0 0 0 1 … Choo Freeman
CF COL 2-4, 3 RBI … Jorge Piedra RF COL 2-3, 3 runs, 2 walks …
Tim Stauffer SD 6 4 2 2 0 3 … Josh Barfield SD 1-4,
homer … Dan Johnson OAK 1-4, double … Shin Soo
Choo LF SEA 2-3, double
International -- Boof Bonser (MIN) 4 4 2 2 1
5 ... John-Ford Griffin (TOR,DH) 1-5, 1st HR, R, RBI, BB ... Stephen
Smitherman (CIN,DH) 2-3, 2B, R, RBI ... another blast for Brian
Anderson (CHA,CF) 1-4, 2nd HR, R, 2 RBI ... bat still blazing, Marcus
Thames (DET,LF) 1-3, 2nd HR, R, RBI, BB ... Chris Shelton
(DET,1B) 2-3 1st HR, R, 4 RBI, BB ... B.J. Upton (TB,SS) 1-3, R, 2 BB,
SB, 0 errors ... nice showing by Jeff Keppinger (NYN,2B) 4-5, 2 R
... Kelly Shoppach (BOS,C) 1-5, 1st HR, R, RBI ... Ryan
Doumit (PIT,DH) 1-1, 2 R, 2 BB ... James Jurries (ATL,DH & 1B)
2-4, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI & 0-3, BB ... won't be in Richmond long, Andy
Marte (ATL,3B) 2-3, 1st HR, 2 R, RBI, BB & 1-4, 2nd HR, R, RBI ... T.J.
Pena (ATL,SS) 0-3, RBI & 2-3, R, RBI, SF ... Kyle Davies (ATL)
5 3 2 2 2 5 ... Ryan Garko (CLE,C & DH) 0-2, R, BB & 2-4, R ...
Brian Tallet (CLE) 5 5 2 2 3 4
Eastern -- Dustin Pedroia 2B BOS
3-4, 2 RBI ... Hanley Ramirez SS BOS 1-5, 1R ... Michael
Aubery 1B CLE 2-4, 2 R ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-4, double
... Joel Zumaya DET 3-1/3 2 3 3 3 4 ... Tony
Giarratano SS DET 0-4, 3 K ... Eric Duncan 3B NYA 0-4, walk …
Jonathan Lester BOS 4 5 3 3 1 7
Southern -- Bobby Jenks CHA 1-1/3 5 4 4 0 2
... Joel Guzman LA 2-4, double, 2 RBI ... Russell Martin
LA 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 walks ... Scott Olsen FLO 5 2 0 0 0 8 ...
Jeremy Hermida FLO 1-3, homer, 3 RBI ... Felix Pie
CF CHN 0-4, 2 Ks ... Delmon Young TB 2-4, 2 runs ... Jeff
Francoeur ATL 1-4, double, 2 RBI ... Brian McCann ATL 1-4,
double
Texas -- Joaquin Arias SS TEX 2-4, triple,
walk ... Omar Quintanilla OAK, still at SS, 2-5, 2nd error ...
Justin Huber looking like a great addition by KC, 3-5, 2 doubles, 2
RBI ... Alberto Callaspo 2B ANA 2-4, RBI ... Erick Aybar
SS ANA 0-4
Carolina -- Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 2-3,
triple, homer, walk ... Nick Markakis RF BAL 0-4 ... Kory
Casto 3B WAS 2-4 ... Chuck James ATL 6 0 0 0 0 7
Florida State -- Phil Dumatrait CIN 3 1
0 0 0 5 … Matt Moses (3B) MIN 1-2 HR(1) 2R 2RBI & (DH) 2-3 HR(2)
2R 2RBI … Joey Votto (1B) CIN 0-3 K & 1-4 K … Lastings
Milledge (CF) NYN 3-5 2B R … Chin-lung Hu (SS) LA 2-4 2R … Andy
LaRoche (3B) LA 3-5 3B 2B R 2RBI ... Clint Johnston (1B)
TOR 3-5 2R … Eric Arnold (3B) TOR 3-5 2 doubles R 5RBI … Brian
Dopirak (1B) CHN 1-4 HR(1) … Brent Clevlen (RF) DET 4-5 3B
2R RBI … Reggie Abercrombie (CF) FLA 1-5 HR(1) … Cody
Haerther (LF) STL 1-3 HR(2)
California -- Billy Butler 3B KC 1-4, double
... Mitch Maier RF KC 3-4, double ... Thomas Diamond
TEX 5-2/3 4 1 1 1 4 ... Brandon Wood SS ANA 2-4, homer ...
Howie Kendrick 2B ANA (hitting 3rd in the order) 1-4 ... George
Kottaras C SD 1-3
Midwest -- walking the walk Reid Brignac TB
0-1, CS, 3 BB ... Brandon Cashman TEX 3-4, double, triple ...
Yuber Rodriguez (CF) TOR 0-4, 2 K ... Brandon Szymanski
CIN 0-4, BB, 2 K ... Sean Rodriguez ANA 1-3, HR, BB ... Kyle
("Steven?") Waldrop MIN 5 4 2 1 0 5 .. slow start Trevor Plouffe
MIN 0-4 ... Eric Patterson CHN 1st HR, BB ... not so hot Ryan
Harvey CHN 0-4, 3 K ... Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 1-4, 2 K ...
Matt Bush SD 1-4, double
South Atlantic -- Hernan Iribarren 2B
MIL, 1-3, double, RBI ...Luis Soto DH BOS, 1-3, double, RBI ...
Charlie Morton ATL, 4 6 3 3 1 4 ... Jonathan Sanchez SF
5 0 0 0 0 6 ... Marcos Vechionacci SS NYA, 1-4, RBI, run ...
Philip Hughes NYA, 4-2/3 5 2 2 1 6 ... Blake DeWitt LA,
3B, 0-2, BB, run ... Edgardo Baez RF WAS, 2-4 run ... Mitch
Einertson CF HOU, 0-3, BB, SB (1) ... Ben Zobrist SS HOU,
1-2, double, 2 BB, 2 SB (2) ... Dan Cevette CLE, 6 5 1 1 0 6
... Greg Golson CF PHI, 4-4, double ... Jason Jaramillo
C PHI, 1-4, HR (1), RBI ... Carlos Carrasco PHI, 4 3 0 0 2 4 ...
Chris Nelson SS COL, 2-5, triple, RBI ... Samuel Deduno
COL, 5 5 0 0 0 8 ... Francisco Hernandez C CHA, 1-4
Troop movements ... NYN - Aaron Heilman up (Mike Cameron DL) ... SF -
Lance Niekro up (Moises Alou DL)
BJ Upton, the focus remains on defense :
" ... Upton did boot a grounder Thursday in
the eighth inning of the Bulls' season-opener with Toledo, which loaded the
bases with the score tied at 4-4 and one out. As fortune would have it, the next
guy up slapped a harmless two-bouncer to Upton, who immediately turned a double
play and the Bulls got out of the inning. "I haven't figured out all of it, but
some of it, and I am getting comfortable at shortstop right now," Upton said ...
"He's got great bat speed and goes through the zone as good as any player I've
seen," Evers (Durham manager Bill Evers) said. "It's his defense that's holding
him back right now." ... "My biggest problem is catching and throwing,"
Upton said, a starkly honest comment from a kid with plenty of talent. "I think
about doing everything else right, but if you catch it and throw it, you're
going to be OK." Upton knows he will not be rushed into the Rays' system and
seems content here, knowing that he must improve his defensive skills ...
Evers knows he has a gem in Upton, and the Bulls' manager seems every bit
challenged to make the pupil play better defense, learn the art of catching and
throwing and judging the speed of base runners ... the last thing the
Bulls want to see is "E: Upton" showing up in scorebooks from Durham to Scranton
to Columbus to Indianapolis." (Durham Herald-Sun)
Mariners lose another minor leaguer to injury :
" ... Right-handed pitcher Clint Nageotte,
who the Mariners sent to Class AAA Tacoma early in spring training, has a
strained forearm muscle and will be out four to six weeks. Nageotte had an MRI
Wednesday. Nageotte went 1-6 in 12 appearances, five of them starts, last year
with the Mariners before he went on the disabled list because of back spasms.
The Rainiers, who opened Thursday night at Fresno, also are without infielder
Jose Lopez, who will be out four to six weeks after surgery to remove the
hamate bone in his left hand." (Everett Herald)
08 April, 2005
After an impressive debut for the new
MinorLeagueBaseball
site earlier in the week (with solid features and league previews) ... an
error-filled and hugely disappointing Opening Day performance. Missing or
incorrect links, pages not loading, no game recaps or boxscores until near
midnight (curiously, each league scoreboard omitted one game) and, even those
which appeared had incorrect and missing information, compounded by
a difficult-to-sort-out format. Lots of good people at the new site, so
look for quick improvements. Wonder if ESPN is aware the minor league
season is underway? Old reliable USAToday at least provided linescores
(albeit pretty late) for games in most of the leagues. Anyway ... on with
the results of Opening Day.
INTERNATIONAL -- Curtis Granderson (DET,CF)
1-5, 2B, R ... Ryan Raburn (DET,2B) 0-5 ... Smokin' Marcus
Thames (DET,LF) 5-5, 2B, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI ... Chris Shelton
(DET,1B) 1-3, R, BB ... still waiting on fielding, B.J. Upton (TB,SS)
0-4, SH, error ... Jonny Gomes (TB,RF) 1-5, 1st HR, R, RBI ...
Kelly Shoppach (BOS,C) 1-4 ... Nate McLouth (PIT,LF)
1-4, 3B, R ... Ryan Doumit (PIT,C) 1-4, 1st HR, R, RBI ...
Terry Tiffee (MIN,3B) 1-5, R ... Scott Baker (MIN) 4.0
8 3 3 0 3 ... Aaron Hill (TOR,SS) 3-5, R, RBI ... John-Ford
Griffin (TOR,DH) 2-5, 2B, R, RBI ... big day for Robinson Cano
(NYY,2B) 2-5, 1st & 2nd HRs, 2 R, 3 RBI ... Brian Anderson (CHA,CF)
1-4, 1st HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, HBP ... Pedro Lopez (CHA,SS) 1-4 ...
Zach Duke (PIT) 5.0 6 3 3 0 4 ... not very promising, Curt
Schilling (BOS, rehab) 6.0 11 7 7 0 6 :
" ... Schilling gave up seven runs in six
innings in a rehabilitation start for Boston's Triple-A Pawtucket farm team
Thursday, then said he's ready to start for the Red Sox next week against the
New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Schilling "I felt great," he said. "Going into
today, I wanted to get mentally ready. I stretched it out. No fatigue. I felt
strong. I'm going to go out and compete against the Yankees on Wednesday. I'll
be ready." Schilling, recovering from offseason ankle surgery, allowed 11 hits,
including two solo homers, a triple and a double. He struck out six and walked
none, throwing 77 of 104 pitches for strikes ... After throwing 47 pitches and
struggling with left-handed hitters in the first two innings, he retired 12 of
his last 16 batters." (Associated Press)
PACIFIC COAST -- Prince Fielder MIL 2-3,
homer, 3 RBI ... Jose Capellan MIL 4.1 5 2 2 2 2 ... Rickie
Weeks MIL 0-3, walk, 2 runs ... Dave Krynzel MIL 1-3, run ...
Brendan Harris WAS 1-3, triple, run ... Larry Broadway WAS 1-3 ...
Franquelis Osoria LA 2 1 0 0 0 3 ... Dioner Navarro
C LA 1-3, RBI ... Willy Aybar 2B LA 2-4, double ... Ezequiel
Astacio HOU, a four-run 6th did 'em in, 5.2 7 4 4 1 4 ... Ian
Kinsler TEX 0-3 ... Dallas McPherson ANA 0-3 ... Casey
Kotchman ANA 0-3, walk ... Jeff Mathis ANA 2-3, triple,
homer, walk ... Carlos Quentin RF ARZ 2-3, homer, walk ...
Conor Jackson 1B ARZ 0-2, 2 walks ... Sergio Santos SS
ARZ 0-4 ... Mark Prior CHN 6 9 7 7 1 7 ... Josh
Willingham C FLO 1-3 ... Jason Stokes 1B FLO 1-4, triple, 2
RBI, 2 Ks ... Ben Grieve RF CHN 3-5, homer, 2 RBI ... Justin
Germano SD 5.2 8 5 5 0 7 ... Dan Johnson 1B, forgotten man
in the OAK system, 2-4, homer ... Josh Barfield SD 0-3 ...
Jorge Campillo SEA retired 18 straight batters, lasted 6.2 innings,
allowing one run ... Friday Felix Hernandez vs Jesse Foppert
(broadcast available through the Tacoma
web site)
EASTERN -- Dustin Pedroia 2B BOS 1-3,
walk ... Hanley Ramirez SS BOS 1-4 ... Jon Papelbon
BOS 6 5 2 2 0 7 ... Hayden Penn BAL 5 4 2 1 3 9 ...
Francisco Liriano MIN 6 2 1 1 3 ... Ismael Ramirez
TOR 3.2 6 5 5 1 4 ... Tony Giarratano SS DET 0-3, 2 walks ...
Eric Duncan 3B NYA 2-5 ... CC Sabathia CLE a loser in a
rehab start, 4 innings, 2 hits, 3 runs, one earned ...
SOUTHERN -- Chad Billingsley LA, just
a couple of frames because of rain, 2 1 0 0 3 4 (Dodger pitchers combined for 17
Ks) ... Joel Guzman LA, still at SS, 1-4, triple, 2 RBI, 2 Ks ...
James Loney LA 2-4 ... Russell Martin C LA, 0-3 ...
Delwyn Young 2B LA 1-4 ... Chris Young CF CHA 1-4
... Josh Fields 3B CHA 0-2, 2 walks, 2 Ks, SB, error ... Ryan
Sweeney RF CHA 1-3, walk ... Paul McAnulty LF SD 3-4,
walk ... Jon Zeringue OF ARZ, starting in AA, 0-1 ... Tony
Pena ARZ (the former Adriano Rosario) 3.1 8 2 2 1 2 ... Dana
Eveland MIL 4 4 1 1 0 5 ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 0-4, 2 Ks
... nice debuts for Jeff Francoeur ATL ... Brian McCann ATL
... Delmon Young TB ... all with homers.
TEXAS -- Justin Huber 1B KC 2-2, 2
walks ... Joaquin Arias SS TEX 3-5, 2 RBI, SB ... here's a
mouthful, Yuniesky Betancourt-Perez SS SEA (at leadoff)
1-3, walk ... Jon Nelson LF SEA 2-4, homer ... Bobby
Livingstone SEA ... 6 5 1 1 0 6 ... Fernando Nieve HOU 6
3 1 1 1 9 ... Steven Shell ANA 6 6 4 4 2 4
CAROLINA -- Only scheduled game postponed
FLORIDA STATE -- David Purcey TOR 5 3 0
0 4 4 ... Clint Johnson 1B TOR 2-3, homer ... Justin
Verlander DET 3 3 2 1 1 4, balk ... Chuck Tiffany LA, might be
a top prospect in other systems, 5 1 0 0 3 11 (and, picked off a pair at first)
... Phil Humber NYN, third over-all in the 2004 draft, 5 4 1 1 0 6
... Lastings Milledge NYN 1-3, walk, K, CS ... Andy
LaRoche 3B LA 1-4, double ... Chin-lung Hu SS LA 0-3 ... Matt
Morris STL rehab, two earned runs, 5 hits, 9 Ks in 4 innings ... Jake
Blalock LF PHI 1-4 ... Vincente Padilla PHI rehab, 5 4 1 1 1 3 ...
Brent Cleven RF DET 2-4, run, RBI ... Tyler Clippard NYA 5 4 0 0 1 6
...
CALIFORNIA -- Aneudi Cuevas 3B TB 2-4,
homer, 4 RBI ... Eddy Martinez-Esteve LF SF 0-3, 2 walks ... Billy
Butler 3B KC 1-4, homer, walk, 3 RBI ... Chris Lubanski CF
KC 2-5, 2 doubles ... George Kottaras C SD 1-4, 3 RBI, walk ...
Howie Kendrick 2B ANA 1-5, 2 runs ... Brandon Wood SS
ANA 0-4, 2 errors ... Daric Barton OAK DH 1-2, walk ... Ian
Stewart COL DNP
MIDWEST -- Sean Rodriguez SS ANA
2-4, 2 walks, 4 runs, 3 SBs ... Matt Bush SS SD 0-2, walk ...
Reid Brignac SS TB 3-4, 2 doubles, walk ... AJ Shappi ARZ
4 9 4 2 2 3 ... BJ Szymanski CF CIN 1-3, walk, picked off twice
... Anthony Swarzak MIN 6 0 0 0 1 8 ... Trevor
Plouffe SS MIN 0-3 ... Matthew Tuiasosopo SEA,still at SS, 2-4,
double ... Ryan Harvey RF CHN 1-4, 2 Ks ... Casey Janssen
TOR (4th round pick in 2004, 3.48 in 51 2/3 innings last season in short-season
ball, 10 BB, 45 Ks) 7 0 0 0 1 7 :
" ... Casey Janssen was dominant in his first outing
as a Lugnut, working seven hitless innings while fanning seven hitters and Ryan
Klosterman's RBI single in the seventh inning plated Eric Nielsen with the
game's only run as the Lugnuts ... defeated the Fort Wayne ... Over 7,000
fans ... , were treated to a pitchers duel in the opener as Janssen and Michael
Ekstrom matched goose egg for goose egg. Janssen struck out seven hitters all
told, including fanning the side in the second. Ekstrom fanned a total of five
hitters in his six scoreless innings before yielding to the bullpen." (Lansing
Lugnuts)
SOUTH ATLANTIC -- Jason Vargas FLO 7 4
0 0 0 6 ... Brian Cleveland SS FLO 3-5, homer, 5 RBI, 3 runs ...
Neil Walker C PIT 0-3 ... Greg Golson CF PHI 0-4,
walk ... Mark Rogers MIL 3 5 6 5 4 2 ... Hernan
Iribarren 2B MIL 1-4, 2 Ks ... Giovany Gonzalez CHA 5 3 0 0 2
8 ... Chris Nelson SS COL 0-4, 2 Ks ... Marcos
Vechionacci SS NYA 0-3, walk
Troop movements -- PIT - Chris Duffy up (Jose Castillo DL) ...
Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld, lays out his odds in the ROY races -- Jeremy
Reed & Garrett Atkins the leading contenders :
" ... Reed ... 3:1 (Odds of winning)
... a safe bet to put up solid but unspectacular numbers while playing a
key defensive position. He has the added advantage of opening the season hitting
between Ichiro Suzuki and Adrian Beltre ... I have him at .285/.348/.410 with 21
SB this year."
" ... Tadahito Iguchi ... 5:1 Year one
in the American League will include a period of adjustment for Iguchi, but if he
shows anywhere near as much power as he did in Japan, he should be a contender.
He had 27 homers in 2003 and 24 last year. Since U.S. Cellular Field currently
ranks as the top home run park in the AL, I’m optimistic he’ll go deep at least
15 times this year, and because he also figures to steal 20 or so bases under
manager Ozzie Guillen, I consider him the AL’s top rookie for fantasy purposes."
" ... Brandon McCarthy ... 20:1 The
talk of White Sox camp was McCarthy, who had a 0.59 ERA in four starts until
getting hit hard by the Rangers in his final outing. He’ll be the first starting
pitcher called up by the team this year ... Command of three pitches
should make McCarthy an above average pitcher in time, but with only average
velocity, he’s unlikely to dominate. Since he’ll have U.S. Cellular Field
working against him, I don’t see him finishing with an ERA under 4.00 anytime
soon."
" ... Atkins ... 4:1 Atkins will
miss the first couple of weeks with a strained hamstring, but his ability to hit
for average makes him the favorite here, even if he’ll be quite a liability at
third base. Coors Field should allow Atkins to bat .310 or better, and as the
No. 2 hitter in front of Todd Helton, he’s in an outstanding situation for a
young hitter."
" ... Brad Hawpe ... 10:1 ... it’s a
matter of opportunity. Hawpe is a better hitter than the rest of Colorado’s
rookies, but he’s a converted first baseman who struggles in right field. Dustan
Mohr’s calf injury opens the door for the left-handed hitter to get in the
lineup each time the Rockies face a right-hander this month. If he plays up to
his ability, he could be tough to dislodge after Mohr returns. Hawpe hit
.322/.384/.652 in 92 games at Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2004."
Kevin
Goldstien, Baseball America, in the minor league chat room :
Daric Barton OAK " ... Barton is on the
roster at High Class A Stockton, where Kurt Suzuki will do the majority of the
catching. Barton will primarily be a 1B. He could put up some monster numbers
there."
Ian Kinsler TEX " ... Kinsler will play
the majority of the time at second, and will be up if the Rangers trade Soriano,
and I'd definitely pencil him in for the 2B slot in '06."
Matt Bush SD " ... I think people have
given up on him FAR too early. Sure, it was an overdraft with a lot of
extenuating circumstances, but he was still a legitimate top 10 talent entering
the draft, and was never 100% when he did play. He has the potential to be a
very good glove man who hits 6th or 7th in the lineup."
Homer Bailey CIN " ... Even if he does
great -- it does very little for the Reds to rush him. He'll pitch for Dayton,
which uses a tandem starter system, so he won't throw a ton of innings. If he
does exceedingly well, I could see him ending up in the Florida State League,
but no higher."
Best Cubs' kid ? " ... While I think he's
their best prospect, it's hard to see Dopirak putting up huge numbers in
the Florida State League. I'll take Ryan Harvey hitting 30+ in the
Midwest League to earn the honors. For my Cubs sleeper -- well, I'm not sure
he's a sleeper -- but '04 2nd round pick Mark Reed is a fine
hitter, like his brother Jeremy."
Another young gun on the shelf :
" ... The pitching staff at Double-A Erie has been
dealt a ... setback with Kyle Sleeth (elbow) and Humberto Sanchez
(right-side muscle spasms) going on the disabled list. They're expected to miss
4-5 weeks. Sleeth's injury is not believed to be tendon- or ligament-related."
(Detroit News)
Philly kids getting lots of coverage in the local press :
" ... Gavin Floyd ... regarded as a
“can’t miss” pitching prospect when he was the Phillies’ No. 1 pick in the 2001
draft, and he’s living up to the great expectations. The 22-year-old
right-hander has moved quickly through the farm system ... possesses a
95-mph fastball and has a quality breaking ball and changeup. “Gavin gets better
every time he pitches,” said Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee. “His fastball
is outstanding, and he has command of it. He’s also very durable.”
(Wilkes-Barre Times Leader)
" ... Mike Bourn ... He’s arguably the
fastest player in the Phillies organization, major leagues included. Bourn had
an electrifying season in 2004 at Single-A Lakewood. He batted .317 with 53 RBI
and stole 58 bases. He set Lakewood franchise records in on-base percentage
(.433) and triples (14). “He can fly and knows how to use his speed,” Arbuckle
said. “He’s at the top of the charts as a base stealer. He can run the 60-yard
dash in 6.5.” Bourn is an outstanding center fielder, with an above-average arm
and excellent range. He has an excellent makeup, a solid work ethic and
exceptional instincts. “He possesses the ability to make adjustments quickly,
which relates back to his attitude,” Arbuckle said." (Wilkes-Barre Times
Leader)
07 April, 2005
MLB action ... John Buck KC 2-3 ... Mark Teahen KC
1-4, triple ... Mike Wood KC 1 0 0 0 0 1 ... Grady
Sizemore CLE 1-4, SB ... Tadahito Iguchi CHA 1-3, walk,
double, SB ... Joey Gathright TB 1-4 ... Jeremy Reed
SEA 0-4 ... Nick Swisher OAK 3-5, 2 homers, 3 runs, 3 RBI ...
Kirk Saarloos OAK 6 1 0 0 1 2 ... Huston Street OAK 1 1
0 0 1 1 ... Daniel Cabrera BAL 3 1/3 6 5 5 2 3 ... Luke
Scott HOU 0-3 ... Jason Lane HOU 3-4 .. Victor Diaz NYN
3-4 ... Xavier Nady SD (in CF) 2-4, double, walk ... Clint Barmes
COL 2-4, 2nd homer, walk
Troop movements ... FLO - claimed OF Reggie Abercrombie on waivers from
ARZ ... OAK - recalled Kirk Saarloos (Bobby Crosby
on the DL) ... COL - claimed Michael Restovich on waivers from TB ...
Minor league action begins in all ten full-season loops today (Thursday) and we
are hopeful there will be enough information available to kick off our
league-by-league prospect coverage tomorrow. Please welcome our 2005
team :
INTERNATIONAL Herb Walters, PACIFIC COAST Dave Scott,
EASTERN Ralph Marston, SOUTHERN Jake Larsen,
TEXAS Aman Reaka, FLORIDA STATE Wayne Stevens,
CAROLINA Troy Salvior, CALIFORNIA JDM, MIDWEST
Bob Reed, SOUTH ATLANTIC Brad Dowdy.
Short-season leagues kick off in June and already we
have two of the circuits covered -
APPALACHIAN Scott Howes NEW YORK-PENN Chris
Carlson.
Dave Scott is one of two newcomers to the
team. Based in Chicago, Dave is an actor who has developed a deep interest
in baseball, most recently in the minor leagues. He'll be one of our
night-owls, covering the PCL from his Illinois home !
Jake Larsen is a Devil Rays fan (by choice),
a member of many Rays Message Boards and a D-Ray Blogger. If anything happens to
the Rays, he's one of the first to know about it.
Brad Dowdy returns for his second season
covering the South Atlantic League for JDM's. Brad provides extensive
coverage of the Atlanta Braves minor league system at his weblog
No Pepper, and also provides
occasional minor league content to the Farm Futures section of
RotoJunkie.com.
Information is beginning to leak out on the results of drug tests in the
Grapefruit circuit during Spring Training (earlier, 38 players - from
Arizona-based teams, were nabbed & suspended for using steroids or
performance-enhancing drugs). Now, it's been learned that three
players in the PIT system have been suspended :
" ... Triple-A pitcher Brian Mallette drawing
a 30-game penalty as a two-time offender. Outfielder Jon Nunnally,
also with Pittsburgh's Indianapolis farm team, was given a 15-game suspension as
a first offender, as was infielder Tom Evans, who plays for
Double-A Altoona." (Associated Press)
Minor leaguers face substantially more scrutiny than
their major league counterparts :
" ... The Minor League testing program is much wider
in scope than its Major League counterpart. In the Majors, players on the 40-man
roster of each team are tested for steroids and steroid-based drugs only. In the
Minors, players are tested for steroids and a variety of drugs, including
amphetamines and recreational drugs like marijuana, cocaine and alcohol." (MLB.com)
Mark Prior readying for Opening Day -- in Albuquerque :
" ... Prior threw 31 pitches in a side session on
Tuesday in his final tune-up before the minor-league start. The right-hander, on
the disabled list as a precautionary measure to give him time to build up arm
strength and endurance, will throw about 80 pitches. He’s been to Albuquerque
once as a collegian at the University of Southern California, but didn’t pitch
there. Apparently, it’s very much like Coors Field. Balls have a tendency to
fly. “Coors Field, get ready for it, I guess,” Prior said. “I’m not worried
about it. If the ball goes out, it goes out. I would hope it doesn’t. Thursday,
I’ll just let it out and see what happens.” (Iowa Cubs)
CC Sabathia CLE is expected to start Thursday
for Akron of the Eastern League, and Curt Schilling gets the star
treatment for his minor league start :
" ... MLB.com, the official website of Major League
Baseball, said ... it would offer fans a free live video webcast of ... Triple-A
season opener featuring the Pawtucket Red Sox against the Indianapolis Indians
at 3 p.m. EDT. Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling, currently on the 15-day
disabled list, is expected to start for Pawtucket, the Red Sox Triple-A
affiliate."
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, on LA reliever Steve Schmoll :
" ... Dodgers signed him out of Maryland as a
free agent before the 2003 draft, as he was eligible to do so because he was a
fifth-year senior. Schmoll is tough on hitters because he uses a submarine
delivery that even big leaguers aren't accustomed to seeing. He gets a lot of
run on an 87-90 mph fastball, and he also has a cutter that rises. Schmoll
posted a 1.81 ERA in his first full season last year, and followed up with a
1.42 ERA in the Arizona Fall League. Los Angeles has three pitchers on the
15-days disabled list (Wilson Alvarez, Eric Gagne, Brad Penny), which helped
Schmoll make the club, and he's probably headed back to the minors once they get
healthy. But his unorthodox delivery and solid stuff could allow him to get outs
at the major league level."
Down in the Midwest League, the spotlight will be on the top pick in the 2004
draft, SD's Matt Bush :
" ... Bush’s dream job got off to a nightmarish
start. He was suspended for a month after an altercation and arrest outside a
bar in Peoria, Ariz. Then he struggled with a hamstring injury in his first
partial season, hitting .181 with 10 errors in Peoria, .222 with seven errors at
Eugene. Bush said he brings renewed confidence and a positive outlook this
spring. He vows not to take his eye off the ball, literally or figuratively.
“Coming out of high school, you have to go up through the ranks,” Bush said.
“I’m not in a rush. I’ve got time to develop. Being 19, I don’t see myself
playing (in the majors) until I’m 22 or 23. I’m just excited to be in pro ball.
This is the big league to me, to be in Fort Wayne. I just want to get out there
and have a good season.” (Fort Wayne News Sentinel)
Rick Ankiel, outfielder, begins anew after clearning waivers :
" ... Removed from the major league roster Monday,
Ankiel cleared unconditional release waivers Wednesday, then re-signed later in
the day. The Cardinals plan to send him to their Double-A farm team in
Springfield, Mo. Ankiel will spend a few more days at the Cardinals' spring
training camp in Jupiter, Fla., then plans to join the Double-A club ...
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa thinks Ankiel has a promising future at his new
position. "He's a legitimate major-league prospect," La Russa said Wednesday.
"He's a guy, if you saw him playing, you'd sign him in the outfield. He's more
advanced as a hitter than you'd expect." (Associated Press)
KC stocking its new California League franchise, High Desert, with four former
first-rounders :
" ... Billy Butler ... led the
Rookie-level Pioneer League with a .372 batting average and 74 runs scored and
tied for the league lead in RBI with 68 for Idaho Falls. He was named the
Pioneer League's all-star third baseman. His defensive skills are considered a
shortcoming. Butler is the youngest member of the Mavericks, whose ages range
from 18 to 25. Chris Lubanski. Ranked No. 4 in the Royals' farm
system, the 20-year-old Lubanski hit .275 for Single-A Burlington (Midwest
League) and logged 125 of his 127 games as an outfielder. His nine homers ranked
second on the Bees in 2004 and his 16 steals tied him with two teammates for
second on the Bees. Now in his third year of pro ball, he's listed as a center
fielder, but his arm strength is reportedly a question mark. Mitch
Maier. No. 9 in KC's farm system and owner of a career .305 batting average
plus 51 stolen bases in pro ball, Maier enters his third professional season
with 119 pro games as a third baseman. He is listed on the Mavericks' roster as
an outfielder and was a catcher for the University of Toledo. J.P. Howell.
Another of the four left-handers on the Mavs' roster, KC's No. 11-ranked
prospect enters his second year of pro ball after going 15-2 in leading the
University of Texas to the NCAA Division I title game. He was 3-1 with a 2.77
ERA, 38 strikeouts and 12 walks in six starts (26 innings) for Idaho Falls."
(Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)
Dayn Perry, FoxSports,
with his picks for the 2005 Rookie All-Stars, including :
" ... Adrian Gonzalez ... if Gonzalez comes
out of the gate strong, he could keep the job. His glove at first is excellent,
but, of course, that's meaningless as long as he's a DH. Gonzalez boasts a nice
line-drive stroke from the left side, but he's yet to put up adequate power
numbers, at least by first base standards. If the power comes, he could be a
good one. Right now, however, he looks like Doug Mienkiewicz with not quite as
good a glove."
" ... Jeremy Reed ... Now that
McPherson figures to lose a significant chunk of the season, Reed is the odds-on
favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year. In 2003, he had an amazing half season at
AA-Birmingham, but he was less impressive the following season in Triple-A ...
He'll hit for average, draw a few walks, provide gap power and play solid
defense. In other words, he should have a fine career."
Braves doing something different at AAA Richmond -- favouring youth :
" ... Armed with third baseman Andy Marte,
starting pitcher Kyle Davies, outfielder Kelly Johnson,
shortstop Tony Pena Jr. and others, Richmond will field its
largest collection of prospects since the Great Eight came through in 1993.
Kelly will put six and sometimes seven position players on the field who have
little or no Triple-A experience. The average age of the infield regulars is
23.3 ... Marte, 21, is the centerpiece. Considered the top third-base prospect
and one of the overall prospects in the minors, he hit .269 with 23 homers and
68 RBI last year at Double-A Greenville. Davies, 21, who will start today's
opener against Buffalo left-hander Brian Tallet, went 13-3 with a 2.72 ERA at
three levels. He made two starts with Richmond at the end of the season.
Johnson, 23, is a converted shortstop who hit .282-16-50 at Greenville. Pena,
24, hit .255-11-34 and stole 25 bases. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, on Ian Kinsler, Vincent Sinsi :
" ... Kinsler will fit very nicely into
the majors best infield. Very soon. There is a lot about his personality, his
demeanor and his work ethic that screams "Michael Young." That's a good name to
be screaming. Expect to see him sometime this season."
" ... Sinisi broke his forearm last year, requiring
a surgical fix. And then the real problems started. He developed a staph
infection. In addition to affecting his health, it impacted the ability of his
arm to heal. He required six more procedures. He has another CT scan upcoming,
but after that should be cleared to start doing more aggressive baseball work.
Under a best-case scenario, he could return to playing by the middle of the
year."
Southern League fans to be treated to some of baseball's top prospects :
" ... Mississippi will be stocked with just about
all of Atlanta's top prospects, at least for the beginning of the season. Center
fielder Jeff Francoeur is the heir apparent to Andruw Jones and, at 21,
is already drawing comparisons to former Braves great Dale Murphy ... Catcher
Brian McCann, southpaw Anthony Lerew ... shortstop
Luis Hernandez ... expected to be focal points of Mississippi's team.
The Jacksonville Suns, a Dodgers' affiliate, are also expected to have a stocked
roster with some high-rent talent led by shortstop Joel Guzman,
who was rated the fifth-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America. He's got
power and is aggressive at the plate, two factors that make him exciting to
watch. Chad Billingsley, a hard-throwing righty who had 158
strikeouts in 134 innings last year, will join Guzman as will first baseman
James Loney, who has been hampered by a series of hand injuries
during his career. Throw catcher Russ Martin into the mix, and you
have the makings of an exciting team. By no means, however, will the talent in
the league be limited to those two squads. Jeff Niemann, the
fourth overall pick in last year's draft, is expected to start the season with
Class A Visalia. But word is the Rice product will be with the Montgomery
Biscuits by May. Once there he will join outfielder Delmon Young,
the slugger whom Tampa Bay chose with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft.
Throw in Felix Pie, an outstanding outfielder with West Tenn who
is coming off back-to-back appearances in the Futures Game and it's easy to see
the Southern League will be stocked this season." (Kevin T. Czerwinski, MLB.com)
Carl Zeutzius, CREATiVESPORTS, on Tiger SS Tony Giarratano :
" ... somewhat unexpectedly made a big splash with
the Tigers this spring. His teammates and manager, Alan Trammell, came away very
impressed ... slated to begin the season in Double-A ... has shown
the ability to make contact with some power to the gaps, but will have to
continue to work hard at drawing walks and getting on base. He doesn't have the
power that the top shortstops have and probably will be lucky to hit more than
fifteen home runs in in a season. However, he has above average speed and is a
solid defensive middle infielder. Trammell is impressed with his work ethic and
he feels Giarratano has the tools to be an everyday major league shortstop."
John M. Barten, 'Till You're
Blue in the Face on Willy Taveras HOU :
" ... another one of these guys with
serious speed and little or no power. Given he can reclaim some of that 2003
walk rate that he gave up last year, he's a traditionalist's wet dream of a
leadoff hitter. He won't hit for the kind of average he showed in Round Rock,
but I don't think that minor league career line is out of the question, which
given his flycatching ability in center field and his deadly effectiveness on
the basepaths, would make him a pretty valuable player. It would make him Juan
Pierre or Scott Podsednik with more walks. In other words, it would only make
him a decent outfielder, but an extremely valuable roto property."
06 April, 2005
MLB action ... nice debut for Gustavo Chacin TOR 5 3 1 1 1 3 ...
Brandon League TOR 1 2/3 2 2 2 1 2 ... Scott Kazmir TB 5 3 1 1
2 2 ... Luke Scott HOU 0-3 ... Willy Taveras HOU
2-4, double ... Brandon Lyon ARZ 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 ... Joe Mauer MIN
1-4, walk, 3 Ks ... Jason Bartlett MIN 2-5, RBI ... Jeremy
Reed SEA 0-3, walk
Troop movements ... STL the last club to set its 25-man roster - Rick Ankiel
released (if he clears waivers he could return to the Cards' minor league
system), Bill Pulsipher returns to MLB
Another of the nice features at
RotoAmerica
is the college prospect chart ... so far with shortstop Tyler Greene,
Georgia Tech at No. 1 ... 3B Alex Gordon, Nebraska No. 2 ...
catcher Jeff Clement, USC No. 3.
Brian Snitker, manager of the Mississippi Braves, ATL's new Double-A franchise,
pretty happy with a trio of up coming stars -- Jeff Francoeur, Luis
Hernandez, Brian McCann :
" ... The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Francoeur is
considered one of the top five-tool prospects in minor league baseball. His arm
is rated the best in the Braves' minor-league system. He made the switch from
center field to right last season, his third in pro ball, and handled it well,
by all accounts. "He's a very good right fielder," Snitker said, "but he'll also
play some center for us."
" ... Hernandez, a 5-10, 165-pound Venezuelan, has
the system's best infield arm and a glove that's already major-league quality.
"There isn't anything he can't do defensively," said Dayton Moore, Atlanta's
farm director. "He makes the routine plays as well as the spectacular plays."
" ... Last but hardly least on this defensive
checklist is catcher Brian McCann, 6-3, 210, the Carolina League's best
defensive catcher who threw out 30 percent of would-be base stealers in 2004.
"I've been impressed with his catching and throwing," said Snitker, a catcher in
his playing days. "He's a big kid, strong and durable. "He still needs work;
they all do. There aren't any finished products here." (Jackson
Clarion-Ledger)
TB's top 2004 pick to kick off his pro career in A+ with Visalia of the
California League :
" ... team is headlined by Tampa Bay Devil Rays'
2004 first-round draft pick Jeff Neimann. Pitching should be the strong
suit for the Oaks led by the 6-foot-9 Neimann, who was selected with the No. 4
pick by Tampa Bay in last year's amateur draft. He was 6-3 with a 3.02 earned
run average last year and struck out 94 batters in 80 1/3 innings for Rice.
Baseball America rates Neimann as the No. 20 prospect in baseball ...
outfielders include Jason Pridie, who was a second-round draft
pick in 2002. Last year, he hit .276 with 27 doubles, 11 triples, 17 home runs
and 86 RBIs in 128 games for Charleton, and Joey Gomes, an
eighth-round draft choice in 2002 who hit .300 in Bakersfield with seven home
runs and 45 RBIs. He also hit .270 with two home runs and eight RBIs for
Montgomery." (Visalia Times Delta)
COL's top pick, shortstop Chris Nelson, heading for Asheville of the
South Atlantic League.
Tough sledding for a young MIl prospect :
" ... Hernan Iribarren is the top offensive
prospect for the West Virginia Power, a low Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee
Brewers. Baseball America ranks him as the Brewer's ninth best minor leaguer.
His 2004 campaign had much to do with that. The 20-year-old second baseman
batted .439 with four homers and 36 RBI en route to Arizona Rookie League Most
Valuable Player honors. Iribarren (6-foot-1, 160 pounds) then moved to Class A
Beloit and batted .373 in 15 games. Only one second baseman in the Brewers'
organization is rated higher than Iribarren -- Rickie Weeks, who is, perhaps,
the most coveted second baseman in all of minor league baseball.' (Charleston
Daily Mail)
Michael McHenry, NoPepper,
looks at the best of the pitching prospects in the ATL system. A sample :
" ... Kyle Davies ... Now just an injury away
from the majors, Davies is the team's best pitching prospect. Over three stops
last season, he struck out way more than a batter an inning and held opponents
to just over 6 hits per 9 innings. All as a 20-year-old. He should have no
problem with the AAA retreads he'll face most of the time."
" ... Macay McBride ... There have
been rumors that McBride would become a reliever full-time, but it sounds as
though he's going to start the year as, well, a starter. His K rate has always
been high, but it was the walks and HRs that hurt him last year. He's getting
another go-around at Greenville, and I expect him to improve enough to get back
on everyone's good side."
" ... Jake Stevens ... Stevens is the
top LHP in the system with great numbers across the board. It took him a couple
of appearances to get used to the starter tandem in Rome (as it does for many, I
bet), but his overall numbers are dominant anyway. Now he'll be at Myrtle Beach
with no tandem and a lot of wind blowing in."
Even with mound phenom Adam Miller on the shelf, the Cleveland system offers
quite
" ... CF Grady Sizemore is one
of the top OF prospects in the Minor Leagues ... C Ryan Garko
has moved all the way from the NY-Penn League to Triple-A in two seasons and was
a key member of Buffalo's championship team ... The Tribe has high hopes for
pitchers Kyle Denney, Francisco Cruceta, Fernando
Cabrera, and Andrew Brown. RHP Jeremy Guthrie,
former No. 1 draft pick, has struggled above Double-A and continues to work on
fastball location…SS Brandon Phillips, acquired with Sizemore and
LHP Cliff Lee in the 2002 Bartolo Colon trade, had a big year in Triple-A last
season (including a 51-game on-base streak) but did not make big club this
spring ... OF Franklin Gutierrez will start at Double-A
Akron ... RHP Fausto Carmona is likely to start in Akron but
pitched well in Buffalo during last year's playoffs. He won 17 games two years
ago at Class-A Lake County." (International League)
The Indians' Double-A franchise doesn't stop with
Gutierrez and Carmona :
" ... Adam Miller ... the prize
of the Indians organization, and the #1 ranked prospect in the system by
Baseball America. The comparisons have been endless, but if he can stay healthy
he has a chance to move into the Indians starting rotation as soon as 2006 at 21
years of age. Miller was sidelined early in Spring Training with an elbow issue,
but thankfully tests done on the elbow show no surgery is needed. He is expected
to be back sometime in late May or early June as long as the elbow heals and no
further complications result ... In 2004, combined at Lake County and
Kinston, Miller was 10-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 27 starts, and also compiled 152
strikeouts in 134.1 innings of work. Even more impressive, he only had 40 walks
in those 134.1 innings." (sportstalkcleveland.com)
" ... Michael Aubrey One of the hottest
commodities in the Indians system, Aubrey was taken in the 1st round of the 2003
Draft... In his brief minor league career, Aubrey has hit .320 with 20 HRs
and 101 RBIs in only 136 games ... the 2nd ranked prospect in the
organization by Baseball America, and is a gold-glove caliber fielder at 1B.
Many have him pegged as the future successor at 1B in Cleveland as early as
2006; however, if Broussard continues to produce at Cleveland, Aubrey could be
dangled as trade bait for a much needed player (closer?) at the major league
level." (sportstalkcleveland.com)
A level down, at A+ Kinston in the Carolina League,
the Indians feature 2004 first-rounder, lefty Jeremy Sowers and
outfielder Ryan Goleski.
05 April, 2005
MLB action ... Ruben Gotay KC 0-4, 2Ks ... Mark Teahen
KC 0-4, error ... Andy Sisco KC 1 2/3 0 2 2 2 1 ... Nick
Swisher OAK 1-4 ... Jhonny Peralta CLE 0-2, K, error ...
Gabe Gross TOR 0-3 ... Jeremy Reed SEA 0-4 ... Joe
Mauer MIN 1-4, SB ... Jason Bartlett MIN 1-4 ... JJ
Hardy MIL 1-4, 2 RBI ... Clint Barmes COL 4-6, double,
homer, 3 RBI ... Jeff Baker COL 2-5, double, homer ... Brad
Halsey ARZ (in relief) 4 6 4 2 0 2
Troop movements ... Michael Restovich on the move again, dumped by TB
after the Devil Rays signed Charles Johnson ... Peter Munro, minor league
deal with NYA ... NYN - recalled Victor Diaz ...
So far, so good at the new
MinorLeagueBaseball
... the revised site has begun league-by-league previews in advance of Opening
Day - Thursday - in all the full-season leagues.
A leading OAK prospect, OF Javier Herrera, was among 37 players suspended
for 15-days for violating the drug prevention and treatment program (re:
"performance-enhancing substances (steroids and steroid precursors").
The suspensions follow 925 tests conducted at minor league camps in Arizona
during Spring Training. One player, David Castillo OAK was banned for
60-days.
More shortstop problems for SEA :
" ... Jose Lopez, one of the
Seattle Mariners' top prospects, will have surgery later this week in Arizona to
repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand ... The 21-year-old Lopez, who hit
.232 in 57 major league games last season, is expected to miss four to six weeks
... Lopez was hurt during workouts with Tacoma, which partly explains why
the Mariners chose little-known Wilson Valdez as its opening day shortstop.
Veteran Pokey Reese, who joined Seattle as a free agent this winter, is on the
15-day disabled list with a sore throwing shoulder." (Seattle Times)
The Mariners also cut ties with former first round
pick Ryan Anderson releasing the 6-10 lefty who hasn't pitched since
2000.
Angels' Kendy Morales still a no-show :
" ... Morales is playing in
camp games at the Angels' baseball academy in the Dominican Republic, still
waiting for clearance to come to the U.S. But Scioscia said he heard Morales is
"very close" to getting his paperwork in order. Before spring training began,
Morales, 21, was considered a candidate to make the Opening Day roster. As it
stands now, he could begin in the low minors. "He's a talented kid at the plate,
but we'll have to see where he fits in on the defensive end of it," Scioscia
said of Morales, who can play first base and third. "If he doesn't get here
until the minor-league season starts, he should be able to pop in anywhere from
the (Single-A) Cal League on up. We've got some talent in the organization ...
Kendry's going to have to work his way up like all the other kids." (LA Daily News)
Jonathan Mayo, MinorLeagueBaseball, reviews the top picks from the 2004 June
draft :
" ... 2. Justin Verlander ... He came
to camp in January and has been working out with the Tigers staff since.
Verlander has already shown his plus fastball and his nasty slider. It's only a
question of getting him some pro innings, and the Tigers hope he can move fairly
quickly. He'll probably start the year in Lakeland (Class A Advanced Florida
State League), but a hot start could move him to Erie, a la Kyle Sleeth a year
ago."
" ... 3. Philip Humber ... most expect
the Rice standout to start high and move quickly. His fastball touched 97 mph
with the Owls, and he possesses what many thought was the best breaking ball in
the draft. After pitching a pair of innings with the big league club this
spring, a scenario where he starts in St. Lucie (FSL) and eventually moves to
Binghamton, could play out. "
Fans in Dayton, home of the CIN Midwest affiliate, in for a treat as most of the
club's top 2004 picks set to suit up with the Dragons :
" ... Headlining the on field talent will be pitcher
Homer Bailey, selected in the first round of the 2004 First-Year Draft
(7th overall) by the Reds. Bailey, a product of La Grange High School (TX), took
USA Today High School Player of the Year honors in 2004 while guiding his team
to the Texas state championship. Bailey, who is also currently ranked as the #1
prospect in the Reds organization by Baseball America, debuted with the GCL Reds
and posted a 0-1 record with a 4.36 ERA in 12.1 innings of work. Prior to his
professional debut with the Reds, Bailey sported an eye-popping 41-4 high school
career record, with a 0.98 ERA and 536 strikeouts in 298 innings." (Dayton
Dragons)
Cards
happy with the progress of top pitching prospects :
" ... Jocketty doesn't buy the doom-and-gloom
outlook about organizational depth. Though Matt Morris is expected to join the
club as its fifth starter April 19, barely four months after undergoing shoulder
surgery, Jocketty believes 23-year-old prospects Anthony Reyes and
Adam Wainwright represent a safety net. "I think we're going to see both of
them develop pretty quickly," Jocketty said, alluding to Wainwright's
much-improved curveball and Reyes' quick learning curve." (STL Post Dispatch)
04 April, 2005
Games notes ... Yusmeiro Petit NYN 2 0 0 0 2 3 ... Royce
Ring NYN 2 0 0 0 1 1 ... Gary Majewski WAS 2 0 0 0 0 0 ...
Ryan Church WAS 1-2, homer, 3 RBI ... Gavin Floyd PHI 5
6 4 4 2 0 ... Woody Cliffords OF BAL, only AB of the spring, a
homer ... Denny Bautista KC 5 2-3 3 0 0 2 5 ... Luke
Scott HOU 1-4, 7th homer
Troop movements ... ARZ - Reggie Abercrombie designated for assignment
... COL - Garrett Atkins DL, Jeff Baker recalled ... TEX -
Laynce Nix, Gerald Laird to AAA, Ian
Kinsler to minor league camp, recalled Nick Regilio ... TB - Joey
Gathright recalled (replacing Alex Sanchez, suspended for 10 games for
violating the league's drug prevention program)
After what seemed like such a long off-season, is it really Opening Day already?
Ah, Red Sox vs Yankees. 25-man rosters
finally set with all teams making their final cuts.
David Luciani, Baseball Notebook, on a couple of young guns :
" ... Jason Dubois ... has explosive power
but what I also like about Dubois is that he doesn't even need to win a
full-time job to contribute. My latest forecast is that somehow he finds 335 at
bats and clubs 21 home runs and I'm telling you here that if he manages to
secure an everyday job, he's capable right now of a 35 home run season and close
to 90 RBI. Dusty Baker seems committed to Todd Hollandsworth in left field but
that's only temporary ... He's within three years of being one of the top
hitters in the league and while you're waiting for that, his half-season worth
of playing time this year will still be worth every penny."
" ... Jeremy Reed: He may be a bit too
highly-touted now but it doesn't change that he's got an immediate ability to
challenge the .300 mark in the majors with 10-15 home runs and around 20 steals.
He's also the type of player whose power is going to improve significantly as he
gets older."
Good news in HOU for rookie roomies, Willy Taveras, Luke Scott
:
" ... Taveras and Scott, who roomed together this
spring, would probably be two-thirds of the youngest outfield in baseball. Not
bad for a pair that former Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker acquired from
the Indians a year ago for lefthander Jeriome Robertson. "Me and Willy have been
together so long, we're like family. (Taveras making the team) just makes it
that much better for me," Scott said. "It's a great chance, a great
opportunity," Taveras said. "I appreciate the opportunity and I'm happy for it.
We both worked hard."
Ezequiel Astacio still with a chance
to win a starters' job :
Astacio, who was 1-0 and gave up only five runs (two
earned) over 13 1/3 innings this spring, also has drawn raves with a mid-90s
fastball and a wicked splitter. Astacio remains in contention for the fifth spot
in the rotation. Of the five players who opened camp competing for the job, only
righthander Brandon Duckworth cracked the 25-man roster. Barring injuries,
Duckworth will pitch out of the bullpen at least until April 17. Because of two
days off in the first two weeks of the season, Garner doesn't expect to call on
his fifth starter until then. At that point, Astros brass will decide whether to
go with Duckworth, Astacio or Carlos Hernandez, who was optioned back to Round
Rock on March 21." (Houston Chronicle)
The TB farm nearly ready to harvest more help for TB this summer :
" ... The past two top draft picks, outfielder
Delmon Young and pitcher Jeff Niemann, showed why they were
taken so high. Both made good enough impressions and should be back later this
season. Left-hander Chris Seddon and reliever Chad Orvella
were two other prospects whose performances were noted ... Why isn't there
much talk about B.J. Upton? The Rays decided over the winter that Upton
wasn't ready defensively to play in the majors, and there wasn't anything he
could do to change their mind. The plan is for him to play shortstop every day
at Triple A to see if he can stay there or needs to be moved to third. He should
get called up late in the season." (St. Petersburg Times)
" ... As long as I go out and do what I need to do,
the rest will take care of itself," said Upton, who made 44 errors in 143
games last year in the minors and majors. "I think I've improved, but I still
have a long way to go," he said. "I'm a lot more comfortable and a lot more
confident. It's just a matter of time." Upton consulted a Wizard this offseason
to help with his defensive woes. Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, nicknamed
"The Wizard," gave Upton advice on mechanics, footwork and mental approaches.
"He didn't show me anything I hadn't heard before, but it was a lot of
repetition and little things," Upton said. "They helped me a whole lot."
(Montgomery Advertiser)
Felix Hernandez, the minors for now, but his time could be near :
" ... Hernandez tossed three scoreless innings,
walking two and striking out one. He also gave up two serious shots up the
middle — a line drive by Todd Walker in the first that knocked Hernandez on his
bum and a shot from Derrek Lee in the fifth that grazed Hernandez's wrist.
Hargrove said afterward that his phenom was fine. "I see a kid who's probably
not ready yet," Hargrove said when asked about Hernandez before the game. "But
on the flip side of that, I've seen a kid that could be ready pretty quick. With
emphasis on could. That's going to be up to him. He's got all the pitches. He
needs the experience." (Seattle Times)
03 April, 2005
Game action ... Wilson Betemit ATl 1-2, homer ... Gabe Gross
TOR 1-2 ... Ryan Church WAS 2-4, homer ... Andy Sisco
KC 1 0 0 0 2 1 ... Ezequiel Astacio HOU 2 2 1 1 1 1 ...
Mark Teahen KC 0-3 ... John Buck KC 0-3 ... Joel
Guzman SS LA 0-1, error ... Casey Kotchman ANA 1-2 ...
Chris Young TEX 4 4 4 3 1 4 ... Matt Riley TEX 2 0 0 0
1 1 ... Felix Hernandez SEA 4 3 0 0 2 1 ... Renyel Pinto
CHN 4 0 1 1 2 3 ... Dan Haren OAK 6 2 1 1 1 5 ... George
Kottaras SD 1-3, homer
Troop movements ... ANA -- Casey Kotchman to AAA ... ATL --
Adam Bernero up with the Braves ... BAL -- Eric Dubose
& Ramon Nivar to AAA ... CIN -- Josh Hancock,
Luke Hudson to DL ... COL -- Matt Merricks to DL ...
DET -- acquired Matt Ginter from NYN ... HOU -- Humberto
Quintero, Ezequiel Astacio to AAA ... KC -- purchased
the contract of Emil Brown ... LA -- returned Oscar
Robles to Mexican League, Norihiro Nakamura to AAA ... OAK --
purchased the contract of Huston Street, Kirk Saarloos
to minor league camp ... SF -- Jesse Foppert, Lance
Niekro, Kevin Correia to AAA ... TB -- released Dee
Brown, Rocco Baldelli to DL ... CHN -- Mark Prior
to DL, Sergio Mitre to AAA ... SEA -- Ramon Santiago,
Felix Hernandez to minor league camp, Chris Snelling
to DL ... NYN -- Alay Soler to restricted list .
Still some cuts to be made (esp. by the Rangers) but so far ... among the kids
who appear to have won roster spots ... Jason Dubois CHN ... Luis
Terrero, Brad Halsey ARZ ... Ryan Langerhans,
Wilson Betemit ATL ... Garrett Atkins, Clint
Barmes, JD Closser, Jeff Francis, Brad
Hawpe COL ... Chris Aguila FLO ... Chris Burke,
Scott Luke, Willy Taveras HOU ... Dennis
Houlton, Antonio Perez, Jason Repko, Steve
Schmoll LA ... JJ Hardy MIL ... Gavin Floyd
PHI ... Xavier Nady SD ... Jason Ellison, Tony
Torcato SF ... Ryan Church WAS ... Maicer Izturis
ANA ... Kevin Youkilis BOS ... Jhonny Peralta,
Grady Sizemore CLE ... Wilfredo Ledezma DET ...
Denny Bautista, John Buck, Mark Teahen,
Andy Sisco, Ruben Gotay KC ... Jason
Bartlett MIN ... Huston Street, Nick Swisher OAK
... Jeremy Reed SEA ... Gustavo Chacin, Brandon
League, Gabe Gross TOR
25-man rosters (again, with a few teams yet to
make all their cuts) here.
Brian Tallet CLE, worth a look :
" ... Tallet is ready to pitch against any and all
competition. He will start the season in the rotation at Triple-A Buffalo and be
one of a small pool of pitchers prepared to rescue someone in the Indians'
rotation or bullpen ... was one of the pleasant surprises of spring
training, giving up eight hits, two walks, six strikeouts and only one run in
six appearances (10 1/3 IP) ... Pitching coach Carl Willis isn't surprised
at Tallet's spring training performances. ``I kind of expected it,'' Willis
said. ``Brian knows how to pitch. But coming off what's been a tough 1 ˝ years,
I have to say that he's ahead of where I thought he'd be.'' ... ``This
year, the biggest thing is to make sure that Brian is an option for us deep into
the season,'' Willis said. What does that mean? Tallet will be a starter at
Buffalo, but his workload will be monitored closely. Indians executives don't
want to be stuck in a situation where they need Tallet in Cleveland in August or
September and discover that a tired arm prevents him from making a command
performance. ``As a starter in Buffalo, he will be on a strict pitch limit,''
Willis said." (Akron Beacon Journal)
02 April, 2005
Game action ... Wil Ledezma DET, looking like a breakout candidate, 6 3
0 0 2 3 ... Jesse Crain MIN 2 5 4 4 0 1 ... Jason Bartlett MIN
2-3, homer ... Ryan Church WAS 2-4, 2 doubles ... Wandy Rodriguez
HOU 5 0 0 0 0 7 ... Willy Taveras HOU 1-3, triple ... Chris
Burke HOU 1-2, double, 2 runs, 2 RBI ... Brandon League TOR 3 0 0
0 1 4 ... Greg Gross TOR 1-3, SB ... Nick Regilio
TEX 2 4 3 3 0 2 ... Brad Hawpe RF COL 2-2, double, 2 runs ...
Jeff Baker 3B COL 2-2, 2 doubles ... Adrian Gonzalez 1B
TEX 3-4, double, 2 RBI ... JJ Hardy MIL 1-3, triple ... Joel Guzman
SS LA 1-2 ... Kirk Saarloos OAK 5 3 0 0 1 3 ... Juan Cruz
OAK 2 4 3 3 0 2 ... Keiichi Yabu OAK 2 1 0 0 0 2 ... Lance
Niekro SF 1-2, homer
Troop movements ... BOS - Rule 5 guy Adam Stern to the DL ... PIT -
John Van Benschoten to 60-day DL ...
25-man rosters updated with published moves up
to Friday midnight. Many cuts still to be made & additions from the
NRI lists.
Gabe Gross, one of the kids to use ST to force his way onto a MLB roster
:
" ... Gross hit his way onto the roster, defying an
early camp edict that said he'd likely start out at Triple-A Syracuse. The
outfielder tied a franchise record with eight homers during the spring, making
it hard for the team to stick to its initial decision. "These things change,
day-to-day. Right now, he's on the club, and we'll see how it plays out," said
Ricciardi. "You've got to look at it this way: We didn't think he'd be on the
club, starting the spring. He's on the club." (MLB.com)
D'Backs settle on a 5th starter :
" ... Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin on Friday
named Brad Halsey the team's No. 5 starter, signaling Halsey's victory in
his battle with Michael Gosling for a spot in the rotation. Gosling also
made the team and will begin the season as the left-handed option at long
reliever." (Arizona Republic)
Zach Chalifour, TheRotoTimes, picks the best of the prospects in the NL
Central and finds five Brewers among the Top 10 including Rickie Weeks,
Prince
Fielder and Jose Capellan 1-2-3. Mark
Rogers ranks No. 5 :
" ... The fifth overall selection in last year's
draft, Rogers fared pretty well in his first nine professional outings in the
Gulf Coast League last summer by posting a 4.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 27
innings. Rogers' upper-90s fastball and excellent curve are strong signs that he
will maintain a high strikeout rate, and he has also consistently demonstrated
good command. Though it is rare for high school pitchers to make a Zack
Greinke-like jump to the majors, Rogers has the potential to move rapidly
through the minors and reach Milwaukee at some point in late 2006. Chances are,
however, that he will move up a level or two a season and make a mid-2007 major
league debut."
And, the top CINCY pick from last June's draft found
a spot in the Top 10 :
" ... 8. Homer Bailey ...
selected just two picks behind Mark Rogers in last year's draft (seventh
overall) and has demonstrated much of the same type of potential despite being
set back by a few minor injury problems. Bailey is far more polished than most
high school pitchers and has the potential to move through the minors in just a
couple of years. He made only a brief pro debut after signing last summer and
will be headed to Low-A Dayton to start out this season. Bailey could reach
Double-A by the end of 2005, and he should join the Reds no later than mid
2007."
Jonathan Mayo,
at the new MinorLeagueBaseball, posts his Top 50 prospect list with
Delmon Young, Ian Stewart, Felix Hernandez
1-2-3. The site, now under the direction of MLB.com, looks to be a
significant improvement over last season. However, we'll wait to see how
they do on boxscores.
Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News, on 10 kids to watch in 2005 :
RHP
Denny Bautista, Royals Four "plus" pitches; command a question
RHP Jesse Crain, Twins 95-mph fastball with slider and curve
LHP Scott Kazmir, Devil Rays Mets haunted by trade for Victor
Zambrano
RHP Huston Street, Athletics 2005 No. 1 pick has closer potential
CF Jeremy Reed, Mariners Picked up from White Sox, steps into
lineup
RHP Chris Young, Rangers Ex-Princeton hoopster who'll need
patience
SS Clint Barmes, Rockies An overachiever with some pop in his bat
RHP Gavin Floyd, Phillies Has until Vicente Padilla returns to
earn spot
SS J.J. Hardy, Brewers Has emerged as Brewers' long-term answer
LHP Brad Halsey, Diamondbacks Has been compared with Andy Pettitte
Aaron Gleeman, RotoWorld, includes a few kids in his piece on possible
last-minute draft bargains :
" ... Jason Bartlett ... Twins brought
veteran out-maker Juan Castro in because they didn’t think Bartlett would be
ready quite yet, but the rookie shortstop quieted those thoughts almost
immediately this spring. After a red-hot month, he enters the season as the
starter and should put up above-average offensive numbers for the position,
along with some decent speed."
" ... Clint Barmes ... figures to get
everyday playing time for the Rockies, which means he’ll get to have his numbers
inflated by Coors Field. He’s a fairly decent hitter for a shortstop without the
aid of altitude, so he could really put up some nice numbers with the help."
" ... Ruben Gotay ... Once one of my
favorite unknown prospects, Gotay’s starting spot with the Royals now shines a
little more light on his abilities. He should still be undervalued on draft day,
and is a good bet to get playing time all year and put up solid offensive
numbers."
Carl Zeutzius, CREATiVESPORTS, on Chris Nelson COL :
" ... not very polished as a fielder but that
will come if he can work on the fundamental footwork and throwing mechanics ...
has a nice swing and just may be batting in the middle of the order for the
Rockies in a few years. Nelson played very well last year in Rookie ball hitting
.347 with four home runs and 20 RBIs in 147 ABs ... will need to work hard
cutting down on his strikeouts and if he does, he will shoot up the prospect
rankings and likely become a top 10 prospect as we enter 2006. Nelson has all
the tools to be one of the better shortstops in the game."
AstrosDaily on the final starter's job
in HOU :
" ... the battle for the fifth starter’s role down
to between Brandon Duckworth and Ezequiel Astacio. Both have looked good
this spring, with Astacio especially effective in his four outings that have
covered an out over 11 innings. The Astros could conceivably not use a fifth
starter until April 19 in Houston (vs. the Braves) if manager Phil Garner
decides to take advantage of a couple of off days on April 7 and 12. Since the
club is out of options on Duckworth, the most likely scenario would be for him
to open the year as the long man in the pen with Astacio making a couple of
minor league starts in Round Rock the first couple of weeks."
Fans in Nashville (the new MIL AAA affiliate) in for a treat ... already
Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart,
Jose Capellan, Ben Hendrickson, Dave Krynzel on the
Sounds' roster.
A little good news for the Pirates :
" ... Right-hander Bryan Bullington, who was
the No. 1 overall selection in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, has not pitched
in nearly 10 days due to shoulder soreness. Fortunately for the Pirates, an MRI
test revealed no tears. "He's OK," said Pirates player development director
Brian Graham. "He had discomfort in his shoulder and had an MRI. It came back as
a normal pitcher's shoulder would -- no injuries, no damage." Graham expects
Bullington to be ready to pitch in games with Triple-A Indianapolis by April
20." (MLB.com)
CLE GM Mark Shapiro on a rebound by Brandon Phillips :
" ... He's got too much athleticism, too much
strength to his bat and his hands and too many tremendous actions for a baseball
player to think he won't. He's a good person, he works hard, has passion for the
game, has good energy. His adjustments are not many, he needs to make some
offensive adjustments and he knows exactly what they are. Hopefully he knows
what they are. Once he makes them, his ceiling is still tremendous. All the
things that scouts saw when they signed him in Montreal, that we saw when we
traded for him--they're all still there. It's not like they've gone away. It's
just that he's got some holes in his swing he needs to address. It's his
approach to hitting that he needs to address. He's got a great upside as a
player. The only question is going to be when does he figure it out. But I think
once he does, Brandon Phillips is certainly going to be a player who plays in
the big leagues for an awful long time." (Baseball America)
01 April, 2005
Game action ... Joel Guzman SS LA 0-1 ... Jason Repko LA 2-4,
homer ... Wilson Betemit ATL 1-3, 2 RBI, error ... Jhonny
Peralta SS CLE 2-3, double ... Joe Mauer C MIN 0-3 ... Mike
Gosling ARZ 4 5 1 1 1 0 ...
Carlos Quentin ARZ 2-5 ... Garrett Atkins 3B COL
2-2, 2nd homer, 2 RBI ... Chris
Capuano MIL 7 5 0 0 0 6 ... Casey Kotchman ANA 1-4, double
... JJ Hardy MIL 1-3, double ...
Darrell May SD, a major turnaround, 6 5 0 0 0 5 ... Adam
Jones SS SEA 1-1, double, RBI ... Mark Teahen KC 0-4 ...
Jesse Foppert SF 3 6 3 2 0 2 ... Huston Street OAK 1 2-3 2 1 1 1 2
... Nick Swisher OAK 2-4, double
Troop movements ... CHA - Ben Davis outright to AAA ... CLE - Grady
Sizemore recalled from AAA ... FLO - Josh Willingham to
AAA, Luke Hagerty, Rule 5 pick, back to CHN ... KC --
Chris George & Dennis Tankersley outright to AAA ...
MIN - Terry Tiffee to AAA ... NYN - Victor Diaz to
AAA ... TB -- claimed Michael Restovich on waivers :
" ... Restovich, 26, will join the Rays in Viera
today but could have a short stay as he doesn't fill their need for a
defensive-oriented centerfielder or a left-handed bat. The Rays might simply
take a look and run him through waivers, hoping to get him to Triple A. "We'll
get him here and see what happens," LaMar said. "He's been a perennial prospect
with the Twins, which is a very hard team to break into in the outfield. We felt
fortunate to claim him and hope to keep him in the organization." (Tampa
Tribune)
The Consensus Top 100, two versions, posted on the
100s page. Thanks to Scott
Chronister and Tom Loughin for their ideas on ways to calculate and format the
consensus list.
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, on Jason Bartlett's exclusion from the BA
100 :
" ... Bartlett has hit well in the upper minors and
should play regularly for Minnesota ... I like him as a prospect, and he
did factor into our Top 100 discussion, but I see him more as a steady player
than as a difference-maker. He's a contact hitter with some gap power, and he
gets the job done as a baserunner and defender but isn't a standout in either
regard. Bartlett is a safer bet to have a decent career than some of the players
on the Top 100, but he's far less likely to become a star. At 25, Bartlett is
older than any of the 10 shortstops on the Top 100. Far older, in fact. The
next-oldest is Toronto's Aaron Hill at 23, and the average age of that group is
21. All of those shortstops have significantly more room for improvement than
Bartlett. The most similar player is Hill, who has more pop and is maybe a tick
slower."
FLO with a little scare :
" ... Lefthander Taylor Tankersley, the
Marlins' first-round pick last June, was shut down for 3-4 weeks with tendinitis
in his throwing shoulder. Tankersley had an MRI last week and received two
medical opinions on his shoulder but the problem was deemed minor." (Baseball
America)
Hmmmm ... Cal League club thinks big (can't imagine the date has anything to do
with this "announcement"):
" ... The Lake Elsinore Storm have announced a name
change for the upcoming 2005 season. The Storm will now be officially known as
the Anaheim / Los Angeles / San Diego Storm of Lake Elsinore. The Storm
are the Class A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, this change is effective
immediately. The inclusion of Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Diego in the Storm’s
name reflects the team’s competitive interest in the continued growth of its fan
base and marketing of its already top selling Minor League logo. “Long term, we
have to look at the branding of our image not only here in Southern California,
but all over The United States."
Scott Rex, OnDeck, thinks CLE did
just fine in dealing for the Bear :
" ... The Indians dealt LHP Cliff Bartosh to the
Cubs for RHP Bear Bay. This is an excellent move by Indians GM Mark
Shapiro. Bay is not an imposing figure on the mound, but he has all the makings
of a big league pitcher. The 21-year-old righty throws an easy, low-90s
fastball, a curve, a change, and a split. His command is also top-notch. Bay was
one of my favorite Cub prospects and now he becomes one of my favorite Indian
prospects. He reminds me of Andy Ashby."
Mark DeRosa makes the Rangers ... Ian Kinsler likely a minor leaguer :
" ... DeRosa's statistics this spring, like some in
Spring Training, could be deceiving. He has worked on his swing with Rangers
hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo this spring and has tried new techniques at the
plate. On defense, he has shown the ability to play multiple positions and the
versatility is key ... "Obviously, he had a slow spring, but we buy this
guy," Rangers general manager John Hart said. DeRosa's status likely means that
young infielder Ian Kinsler, who has been in big league camp all spring, faces a
stiff challenge in his quest to make the club. He will likely head to Triple-A
Oklahoma so he can play every day if he does not make the cut. "This does not
mean he does not make the club," Hart said. "Things can still happen." (MLB.com)
Jays' catcher of the future having trouble staying on the field in the present :
" ... Guillermo Quiroz, has suffered a muscle
injury to the upper back behind his throwing shoulder and has been shut down for
up to three weeks. The 23-year-old Venezuelan suffered the injury in throwing
drills and was examined by Blue Jays specialists. Expected to take over as
Toronto's starting catcher by 2006, Quiroz, one of the top prospects in
baseball, had been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on March 20." (Toronto Star)
31 March, 2005
Game action ... with ST winding down, not many of the kids getting
significant playing time ... JJ Hardy SS MIL 0-3 ... Nick
Swisher OAK RF/1B 1-3, walk, double ... Ricardo Rodriguez TEX
4 8 8 8 3 1 ... Nick Regilio TEX 2 0 0 0 0 3 ... Kevin
Youkilis 3B BOS 1-2, homer, walk, 3 RBI ... Marcus Thames DET
1-4, triple, 3 RBI ... DJ Houlton LA 4 4 0 0 2 4 ... Ryan
Rupe LA 2 1-3 8 6 6 0 1 ... Oscar Robles SS LA 3-3 ...
Joel Guzman SS LA 1-3 ... Norihiro Nakamura 1B/3B LA
1-2, homer, 2 RBI ... Humberto Quintero C HOU 3-3, double ...
Luke Scott HOU 2-5, 6th homer ... Michael Restovich MIN
2-4 ... Rick Ankiel RF STL 0-2 ... Gabe Gross TOR
1-1 ... JJ Davis WAS 1-2, homer, 2 RBI ... Wilson
Betemit ATL 0-5, 2 Ks ... Scott Hairston LF ARZ 2-2 ...
Clint Barmes SS COL 3-4, double ... Garrett Atkins COL
2-4 ...
Troop movements ... ANA -- Dallas McPherson to minor league camp ... BAL
- traded Matt Riley to TEX for OF Ramor Nivar ...
CHA -- Joe Borchard to AAA, Brandon McCarthy to
minor league camp, Feliz Diaz to DL ... MIL -- Dave
Krynzel to AAA ... PHI -- Ryan Howard to minor league camp ...
WAS -
Gary Majewski, Jon Rauch to AAA ... BOS - traded
Byung-Hyun Kim to COL for Charles Johnson and Chris
Narverson ... OAK - Dan Meyer, Jeremy Brown
to AAA :
" ... The team optioned left-hander Dan Meyer
to Triple-A Sacramento in a move anticipated for weeks. The A's want Meyer, who
came to the team in the trade that sent Tim Hudson to Atlanta, to work on his
breaking ball and get his confidence back. Oakland also reassigned catcher
Jeremy Brown to minor league camp late Tuesday and he will begin the year at
Double-A Midland. Manager Ken Macha and pitching coach Curt Young believe the
23-year-old Meyer put too much pressure on himself this spring, and they expect
he will probably be back in the majors before long. "I feel he really hasn't
been himself," Young said. "Sometimes you want it too bad. He's a hard worker
and has done everything we've asked of him this spring. ... I only see an upside
for this kid." (ESPN.com)
Dayn Perry, FoxSports,
on some prospects on the spot in 2005. Included :
" ... Cole Hamels ... a special
talent (117 innings as a pro, 1.31 ERA, 171 strikeouts, 0 homers allowed), but
he's shown a troubling knack for getting in trouble and getting injured. He
missed most of the 2004 season with a sore elbow and injured triceps, and this
season he'll be out until May after breaking his hand in a bar fight. He's got
as much promise as any pitcher in the game this side of King Felix, but he needs
to grow up. After he comes back, he needs to pitch well and stay healthy and off
the police blotter."
" ... Mark Teahen ... the lynchpin of the
three-way trade that landed Carlos Beltran in Houston last season. The 39th
overall pick of the 2002 draft, Teahen was a disappointment in the low minors,
but broke last season in the Texas League. In Triple-A his numbers declined.
Teahen will break camp with Kansas City and be the opening day starting third
baseman for the Royals. The Royals are betting that Teahen's strong half-season
in '04 wasn't a fluke. But the balance of the statistical record says otherwise.
For his own sake and the sake of GM Allard Baird, Teahan had better prove me
wrong."
No surprise as
Baseball America ranks the Angels and Dodgers 1-2 as the top organizations
in baseball.
Some pretty fair talent left off BA's Top 30s (the 30 prospects listed for each
team in the Prospect Handbook).
Jim
Callis lists 37 players who were slated for the book, but got bumped along
the way, a pair of catchers among them :
" ... Pete LaForest ... LaForest caught
for Canada and homered twice in the 2004 Olympics. That was definitely the
highlight of his year, as he failed to make the Devil Rays in spring training,
then was bothered by knee and hand injuries that robbed him of his power and led
to his worst offensive season as a pro. Designated for assignment in the
offseason, he went unclaimed by other teams. LaForest's strong suit is his power
... catch-and-throw skills may never be enough for him to play regularly behind
the plate in the majors ... he'd be better suited as a DH who also could
serve as a backup catcher/first baseman."
" ... Jeremy Brown ... the Athletics
still think he'll have a long major league career as a valuable backup catcher.
Brown got off to a slow start at Double-A Midland in 2004, but came around late
in the season. His primary skill is the ability to reach base. He can hit for an
acceptable average and draws walks in bunches. While he showed some power in his
debut, he has just 11 home runs in 188 games above Class A. He's slow and a
clogger on the basepaths. Defensively, Brown leaves much to be desired ... will
split catching duties with John Baker at Triple-A Sacramento this year, and his
future is seen as backing up one of the high-profile 2004 draftees (Landon
Powell and Kurt Suzuki)."
John M. Barten, 'Till You're
Blue in the Face, on Gabe Gross TOR :
" ... Gross is thumping Grapefruit League pitching
and forcing his way past Frank Catalanatto and Reed Johnson in the quest to be
the Jays starting left fielder. It's a nice development. I don't believe the
power spike is anything more than a sample size fluke, but at this point he
doesn't have anything left to prove in the Syracuse ... He's 25, he has
over 1400 minor league at bats under his belt. He has some on base skills. He
isn't going to hit a ton of home runs, but he's at least a league average left
fielder on a team that has used a platoon at the position for the last couple
years. He's already better than both of these guys, and he's only going to
improve over the next few years ... In the field, he won't embarrass
himself or his team, but his range is limited and his arm is average at best."
Jamey Newberg, TheNewbergReport, on Adrian Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler
and the possibility of roster spots :
" ... Combine Gonzalez's loud spring with the
sluggish performance of Greg Colbrunn, and suddenly the player whose defense has
always been the one unassailable facet of his game appears to be the odds-on
favorite to break camp as, of all things, the Rangers' designated hitter. Adrian
Gonzalez, at age 22, might be a major league starter in a week ... The situation
regarding Ian Kinsler is similar in some ways to Gonzalez's, different in
others. Both were considered near-locks a month ago to be in Oklahoma in April,
yet both have handled the Cactus League so well that they are pushing veterans
(Colbrunn and Mark DeRosa) for big league roster spots. But the differences?
Kinsler (.356/.420/.667) doesn't have a full-time role he'd easily slip into,
unless out of nowhere Alfonso Soriano stepped up and indicated that he'd accept
the DH role, allowing Kinsler to slide in at second base. Kinsler -- who hit a
two-run, game-tying bomb in the ninth inning yesterday -- could conceivably
platoon at DH with Gonzalez (or Dellucci), but I suspect Texas doesn't want
Kinsler getting no more than eight or 10 at-bats a week at this stage in his
development. So expect Kinsler, one off the top doubles total in baseball this
spring, to be assigned to the RedHawks. But the final phase of his minor league
apprenticeship could be short-lived."
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, on the Yankee system :
" ... Eric Duncan ... While Duncan's
progress with the bat has surprised no one, the strides he has made defensively
have exceeded all expectations. Ironically, he'll likely have to find another
position soon with the presence of Alex Rodriguez. To that end, Duncan began
trying first base on for size this spring, and he'll continue secondary position
work there during the season ... For now, he'll be a 20-year-old third baseman
with power potential for Double-A Trenton. Robinson Cano ... For Cano,
it's all a question of pitch selection. He needs to learn a little more patience
at the plate; the quality of pitches he swings at will help determine how
quickly he's ready for the big leagues. He'll spend his first full year of
Triple-A at age 22, and, considering his emotional maturity, it shouldn't
surprise anyone if he's ready to take over at second base in New York full-time
by 2006."
Thanks to the many who offered alternative schemes to compute the Consensus Top
100. One common theme was to assign a number (101) to those who didn't
rank in specific 100s to downgrade those who received reasonable marks, but in
just a few of the charts (Quintanilla for one). I had tried that (among
many other versions) but it meant Joe Mauer would finished well down the list.
So, in the end (for this unusual year with Mauer still eligible as a rook) I
decided to go with the one which showed Mauer at the top.
30 March, 2005
Game action ... Willy Taveras CF HOU 2-4, double, 9th SB ...
Gustavo Chacin TOR 4 7 5 5 3 4 ... Gabe Gross TOR 3-5,
double, 8th homer, 3 RBI ... Garrett Atkins COL 1-3, double ...
Andy Sisco KC 1 0 0 0 2 1 ... Dallas McPherson DH ANA
2-4, double, triple ... John Buck C KC 3-4, homer ... Ruben
Gotay 2B KC 3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI ... Joe Blanton OAK 6 8 4 4
0 1 ... Dan Meyer OAK 2 2 1 1 2 0 ... Nick Swisher
RF OAK 1-3, walk, homer, 3 RBI ... Jeremy Reed CF SEA 0-5 ...
Ian Kinsler TEX 1-1, homer, 2 RBI ... Adrian Gonzalez
1B TEX 0-5 ... Xavier Nady LF SD 3-6, double, homer, 5 RBI ...
Brad Halsey ARZ 4 8 6 6 1 1 ... Conor Jackson 1B ARZ
1-2, homer ... Ryan Langerhans ATL 1-1, homer ... Wilson
Betemit ATL 1-2 ... Jesse Crain MIN 2 3 1 1 1 3 ... Joe
Mauer C MIN 3-3, double, 2 runs, 2 RBI ... Michael Restovich
MIN 2-3, 2 RBI
Troop movements ... MIL -- former LA top pick Ben Diggins to A-Ball ...
STL -- Anthony Reyes to minor league camp
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, in his BAL farm review, highlights a couple of pitching
prospects :
" ... Adam Loewen ... seems to have put
his health issues behind him, and is on the road to being ready to start the
season. He has a live fastball and plus breaking ball, and just needs mound time
to refine his stuff. The command problems the former first-rounder had most
likely stem from a difficulty making the adjustment to pro ball from the short
high school season in Canada. With everything he's been through, he's more
mature now and has a better handle on how to prepare for the season ahead. That
season will begin in Frederick."
" ... Hayden Penn ... approach on the
mound will remind you of a veteran pitcher. More of a power arm, Penn can
dominate with his plus slider, explosive fastball and above-average changeup.
He's moved fairly quickly through the system and will head up Bowie's rotation
in 2005."
Ken Rosenthal, The Sporting News, on a failed phenom :
" ... The Braves could keep IF Wilson Betemit
as their backup shortstop or trade him for a reliever. Betemit, 24, once was
considered one of the game's top prospects, but the Braves have two shortstops
coming behind him, Tony Pena Jr. and Luis Hernandez. After three seasons at
Class AAA, Betemit is out of minor-league options and must clear waivers to be
sent to the minors. "I don't know if he's ever going to hit a breaking ball,"
one executive says."
Jay Bradley,
RaysBaseball, likes Garrett Atkins and JJ Hardy as
among the front runners in the NL ROY race, but sees Jeff Francis
as the ultimate winner.
" ... I saw Atkins a few years ago in Salem and he
was raking back then. He had two so-so seasons in '02-03 ... busted out in
his 2nd season at Colorado Springs, combining a nice walk rate with an ability
to make consistent contact (1.3 walks for every strikeout). He doesn't profile
as a big homerun hitter but should be a doubles machine (almost a double every
10 ab's last year). He won the everyday 3rd baseman job this spring. Best case
is that he turns into a league-average 3rd baseman this year, which of course
means great numbers at Coors."
" ... Hardy is in an unusual spot this spring. Not
many prospects lose a season like Hardy did with a dislocated left shoulder and
return to find a major-league everyday job awaiting them. Hardy's breakout
season came in '03 at AA Huntsville, but he lost steam in the second half and
struggled mightily down the stretch. So after that finish and almost a full
season lost, I'm pretty skeptical about his production this season. He's my pick
for most disappointing ROTY candidate - though there is no reason not to like
his long-term upside."
" ... Sad, isn't it. Francis is the most talented
guy of the top candidates - a much better long-term prospect than his two
teammates. And yet because of where they play, Barmes and Atkins are listed
above Francis. He averaged almost 11 k/9 and only 1.5 bb/9 between AA and AAA
last year. He was able to post a better than 2:1 k/bb rate in 36 major-league
innings after a late call-up. Although a small sample, it was his poor
production on the road that created a spike in his homerun rate and ERA. He is
said to be mature beyond his years, which hopefully allows him to handle the
ups-and-downs of pitching in that hitter's haven. Provided health, he'll post
high strikeout totals with double-digit wins and have a great shot at the ROTY
in this shallow crop of NL rookies."
Anixious time for Rick Ankiel STL :
" ... The Cardinals remain tight-lipped about when
they will attempt to pass pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel through waivers,
but they must do so no later than Wednesday. Teams will have until the weekend
to claim Ankiel. "I can't do anything about it, so I have to think about what I
can control," Ankiel said. "I've always been a Cardinal and I'd like to stay a
Cardinal. Unfortunately, that's out of my control right now." (St. Louis
Post Dispatch)
Oh, oh, another pitching prospect heading for the DL -- PIT lefty Tom
Gorzelanny :
" ... the team's second-round pick in
the 2003 draft, will begin the year on the disabled list at Class AA Altoona
because of pain in his throwing elbow. Gorzelanny, though, will not immediately
be sent to Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion. Instead, he'll be placed on a
conservative throwing program ... Gorzelanny has been bothered by elbow pain "on
and off" for the past year and a half, and he was examined Andrews in the fall.
Gorzelanny led all Pirates minor-leaguers with 167 strikeouts last year when he
went 10-7 between Hickory and Lynchburg." (PIT Tribune)
Ryan Doumit C PIT, back to the minors, but after making an impression in
ST :
" ... Doumit is hitting .400 with an eye-catching
five home runs in only 20 at-bats and 11 RBIs ... Doumit, who will turn 24
Sunday, has the look of an offensive gem as a switch-hitting catcher with power.
In six minor-league seasons, he has a .287 average with 32 home runs in 405
games, and his stroke has improved each year ... "He's got some bat,"
Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said. "We just need for him to stay
healthy." All that seems to be holding back Doumit is his defense, a
deficiency the team traces to his having caught only 162 games the past three
seasons because of various injuries. He has a strong and accurate arm, but his
ability to handle a pitching staff, receive the ball and execute the proper
footwork are not viewed by the Pirates as major-league caliber. Third base coach
John Russell, also the team's catching instructor, spent most of yesterday
morning working with Doumit on fundamentals. "He's made progress just this
spring," Russell said. "But he has to get better at his overall defensive game.
He has to develop a relationship with the pitchers, call the game, do all the
little things. He can do it." (PIT Post Gazette)
29 March, 2005
Game action ... Erik Bedard BAL 5 1-3 10 6 6 1 2 ... Adam
Bernero had been a surprise of the ATL camp until the last couple of
outings, 1 2 2 2 1 1 ... Jhonny Peralta CLE 2-3, 2 RBI ... Joe
Mauer MIn, at C, 1-3, double ... Dae Sung Koo NYN 2
0 0 0 1 2 ... David Bush TOR 5 8 7 7 1 4 ... Ezequiel
Astacio HOU 4 3 4 1 0 4 ... Chris Burke HOU at 2B 4-5,
homer, SB, 3 runs, 4 RBI ... Joel Guzman finally getting some action with
LA (at 1B) 1-4, homer, 2 RBI ... Dan Haren OAK 5 2-3 9 7 7 3 1 ...
Tadahito Iguchi 2b CHA 3-4 ... Casey Kotchman ANA 1-3, 2 runs
... Dan Johnson 1B OAK 2-5, 2 homers, 2 RBI ... Joe
Borchard CHA 1-1, homer, 2 RBI ... Huston Street OAK 1 3 3 3 0
1 ... Luis Terrero CF COL 2-4, triple, homer, 3 RBI ...
Garrett Atkins 3B COL 1-2, walk, 2 RBI ... Matt Chico
ARZ 4 8 4 4 0 2 ... Denny Bautista KC 5 3 1 1 3 3 ... Tim
Stauffer SD 4 6 4 4 2 3 ... Noah Lowry SF 6 6 1 1 1 4 ...
Chris Young TEX 6 6 2 2 1 0 ... Mark Teahen KC 2-3, walk ...
Chad Fox
CHN, tough day, 1 3 4 4 0 2, 3 WP ... Jeremy Reed SEA 2-3, walk
Troop movements ... MIL -- Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart to AAA, Prince
Fielder to minor league camp ... OAK - Dan Johnson to AAA ... WAS -
Tony Armas to the DL (right groin pull) ...
After trying out a variety of ways to present the Top 100 Consensus, I'm
back to about the most basic one -- an average of the individual rankings.
To make the list a player had to be ranked on at least three of the 15 top
prospect lists selected. 132 players qualified. The format results in a
few less-than-perfect findings (especially in including the Sickels' separate
hitters & pitchers lists) but, overall, it's a pretty good snapshot of the best
of the kids.
[The 15 lists -- BA = Baseball America; MF =
Mike Gullo, The Minors First; RW = Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld;
FOX = Dayn Perry, FoxSports; DF = Michael Laureano, Diamond Futures;
SB = Seth Trachtman, SportsBlurb; BP = Baseball Prospectus;
OD = Scott Rex, OnDeck; BR = Bob Reed; TNY = Bryan
Smith, Wait 'Til Next Year; JSH = John Sickels, Hitters; JSP =
John Sickels, Pitchers; X = Mystery (but, reliable); AG = Aaron
Gleeman, The Hardball Times; RA = Charles Richter, RotoAmerica.]
BA MF RW FOX DF SB BP OD BR TNY JSH JSP X AG RA AVE
1 Mauer Joe 1 1 -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- 1 7 2.2
2 Hernandez Felix 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 3 8 2 -- 1 3 2 1 2.2
3 Young Delmon 3 4 2 2 26 2 2 2 2 1 4 -- 1 3 2 4.0
4 Stewart Ian 4 8 7 4 7 8 6 7 4 8 3 -- 4 5 3 5.6
5 Marte Andy 9 10 3 3 13 4 1 13 7 3 1 -- 5 4 13 6.4
6 Kotchman Casey 6 3 5 20 -- -- 5 9 5 6 7 -- 2 7 6 6.8
7 Guzman Joel 5 9 4 8 14 3 7 16 19 10 2 -- 17 9 14 9.8
8 Fielder Prince 15 5 6 9 18 6 8 8 11 7 6 -- 8 8 24 9.9
9 Kazmir Scott 7 6 11 10 -- 42 14 4 25 13 -- 5 9 6 -- 12.7
10 McPherson Dallas 12 11 13 7 29 22 4 29 22 5 8 -- 10 10 4 13.3
11 Miller Adam 16 20 8 26 45 14 31 6 35 4 -- 2 7 -- 15 17.6
12 Cain Matt 13 7 12 16 90 5 28 14 12 11 -- 10 15 21 8 18.7
13 Milledge Lastings 11 25 16 13 10 26 19 25 21 12 -- -- 20 29 17 18.8
14 Weeks Rickie 8 32 9 24 -- 18 36 21 30 17 14 -- 6 16 16 19.0
15 Francis Jeff 23 24 15 15 12 39 11 22 37 15 -- 3 11 20 -- 19.0
16 Barton Daric 32 21 23 5 4 11 9 79 1 25 5 -- 22 14 37 20.6
17 Reed Jeremy 33 19 14 21 -- 23 10 38 9 43 10 -- 44 11 10 21.9
18 Ramirez Hanley 10 14 26 31 -- 40 24 24 33 18 11 -- 14 26 18 22.2
19 Quentin Carlos 22 23 21 12 55 12 12 45 23 35 9 -- 19 12 12 22.3
20 Billingsley Chad 19 13 18 28 94 20 20 10 44 9 -- 4 24 24 5 23.7
21 Francoeur Jeff 14 31 10 18 66 28 27 19 31 14 38 -- 12 27 -- 25.8
22 Kubel Jason 17 27 37 49 19 9 46 35 3 50 15 -- 37 50 19 29.5
23 Swisher Nick 24 34 17 33 46 24 26 42 -- 24 18 -- 36 33 30 29.8
24 Floyd Gavin 35 15 27 35 77 16 33 11 49 21 -- 9 39 43 9 29.9
25 Jackson Edwin 30 12 22 43 -- -- 45 17 -- -- -- 42 16 47 -- 30.4
26 Petit Yusmeiro 46 35 28 17 9 36 15 89 40 22 -- 21 32 15 29 31.0
27 Aubrey Michael 41 45 31 38 51 13 17 46 -- 19 22 -- 35 23 38 32.2
28 Quintanilla Omar -- -- -- 37 -- -- -- -- -- -- 23 -- -- 38 -- 32.7
29 Meyer Dan 43 39 41 23 -- 15 29 65 -- 28 -- 7 41 17 47 32.9
30 Howard Ryan 27 17 51 32 47 35 38 20 -- 27 19 -- 80 28 11 33.2
31 Capellan Jose 25 33 24 41 -- 59 40 30 -- 20 -- 17 40 44 -- 33.9
32 Jackson Conor 40 30 32 60 -- 7 -- 43 47 41 21 -- 31 36 21 34.1
33 Duncan Eric 36 40 46 11 15 76 13 41 20 33 24 -- 42 22 63 34.4
34 Hermida Jeremy 18 16 20 54 99 44 35 47 24 16 32 -- 21 32 46 36.0
35 Niemann Jeff 20 -- 60 -- -- -- -- 15 -- -- -- 37 50 -- -- 36.4
36 Hardy JJ 28 37 39 57 -- 62 -- 32 16 -- -- -- 18 42 35 36.6
37 Kendrick Howie -- -- -- -- 43 -- -- -- 39 -- 30 -- -- -- -- 37.3
38 Hamels Cole 71 29 33 30 -- 60 39 5 -- 31 -- 48 43 46 34 39.1
39 McCarthy Brandon 49 55 66 14 62 -- 23 52 26 52 -- 12 63 13 36 40.2
40 Aybar Erick 39 18 -- 77 -- 43 -- 99 43 -- 13 -- 30 35 22 41.9
41 Reyes Anthony 47 36 35 42 -- 82 25 23 55 71 -- 16 33 19 64 42.2
42 Pedroia Dustin -- -- 61 44 -- -- 50 -- 15 -- -- -- -- -- -- 42.5
43 Burke Chris 60 22 36 19 -- 29 18 92 -- 62 33 -- 74 30 43 43.2
44 Encarnacion Edwin 56 46 29 6 -- 48 22 62 -- 63 29 -- 88 18 52 43.3
45 Garko Ryan -- -- -- 46 38 17 -- -- -- -- 37 -- -- -- 80 43.6
46 Hinckley Michael 29 42 38 83 35 33 -- 64 32 65 -- 11 38 -- 54 43.7
47 Davies Kyle 53 28 25 62 22 32 47 71 -- 36 -- 25 89 37 50 44.4
48 Duke Zach 34 56 45 63 5 19 -- 56 17 72 -- 33 78 -- 55 44.4
49 Santana Ervin -- 47 55 -- -- 21 -- 75 -- 61 -- -- 27 49 26 45.1
50 Huber Justin -- -- 76 34 33 -- -- -- 14 -- 48 -- -- -- 67 45.3
51 McGowan Dustin -- -- 48 71 -- 38 -- 18 -- -- -- -- 52 -- -- 45.4
52 Weaver Jered -- -- -- -- -- 78 16 -- -- -- -- 30 59 -- -- 45.8
53 Gutierrez Franklin 54 49 34 61 -- -- -- 39 -- 39 34 -- 46 -- 56 45.8
54 Olsen Scott 38 26 54 69 93 25 -- 59 -- 29 -- 29 53 -- 33 46.2
55 Blanton Joe -- 62 19 48 56 77 42 73 -- 37 -- 20 34 31 61 46.7
56 Danks John 59 64 69 -- -- 27 -- 66 -- 26 -- 39 25 -- -- 46.9
57 Dopirak Brian 21 88 53 85 28 10 -- 61 59 34 28 -- 76 -- 20 46.9
58 Barfield Josh 45 44 63 29 -- 34 -- 90 -- 64 -- -- 26 45 32 47.2
59 Crain Jesse 63 43 64 45 -- -- 43 70 -- 59 -- 6 45 34 -- 47.2
60 Nelson Chris 26 60 50 92 -- 71 -- 28 -- -- 12 -- 13 -- 73 47.2
61 McCann Brian 44 51 -- 25 -- -- 44 -- 42 42 39 -- 97 41 58 48.3
62 Granderson Curtis 57 63 86 39 -- 57 30 -- -- 51 47 -- -- 25 28 48.3
63 Choo ShinSoo 51 52 44 65 -- 46 -- 95 34 38 26 -- 47 40 48 48.8
64 Mathis Jeff 67 68 59 53 -- -- -- 37 27 -- -- -- 49 48 39 49.7
65 Kroeger Josh -- -- 91 52 41 54 -- -- 6 -- -- -- -- -- 62 51.0
66 Broxton Jonathan -- 90 -- 68 25 41 -- -- 53 -- -- 32 -- -- -- 51.5
67 Willingham Josh -- -- -- 70 37 -- 48 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 51.7
68 Durbin JD 70 50 58 -- -- 52 -- 74 -- 58 -- 18 51 -- 40 52.3
69 Garcia Jairo -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 69 -- 22 66 -- -- 52.3
70 Humber Philip 50 -- 47 -- -- -- -- 27 -- -- -- -- 87 -- -- 52.8
71 Stevens Jake 92 -- 87 -- 27 -- -- -- 29 56 -- 26 -- -- -- 52.8
72 Morales Kendry 76 -- 30 -- -- -- -- 97 -- -- 16 -- 29 -- 71 53.2
73 Anderson Brian 37 82 57 27 86 65 32 40 -- 40 -- -- 57 -- 65 53.5
74 Kinsler Ian 98 86 75 22 83 68 21 67 13 30 42 -- 75 39 31 53.6
75 Navarro Dioner -- 61 -- -- -- 56 -- -- 10 -- -- -- -- -- 88 53.8
76 Loney James 62 65 42 100 -- -- -- 78 38 -- -- -- 23 -- 23 53.9
77 Pie Felix 31 57 43 -- 48 -- -- 72 48 57 -- -- 71 -- 59 54.0
78 Votto Joey -- 74 -- 79 34 50 -- -- -- -- 36 -- -- -- -- 54.6
79 Miller Greg 100 59 40 93 -- 37 -- 12 -- 23 -- -- 79 -- 53 55.1
80 Johnson Dan -- 58 -- -- -- 31 -- -- -- 66 -- -- 81 -- 42 55.6
81 Sweeney Ryan 42 38 80 -- -- -- -- 48 -- 75 -- -- 28 -- 81 56.0
82 Moss Brandon 72 79 -- -- -- -- -- -- 18 55 44 -- -- -- 78 57.7
83 Bailey Homer 48 -- 73 -- -- -- -- 26 -- -- -- -- 84 -- -- 57.8
84 Gardner Richie 93 66 82 50 24 61 37 93 -- -- -- 23 -- -- -- 58.8
85 Diamond Thomas 52 -- 79 -- -- -- -- 33 -- -- -- 36 91 -- 68 59.8
86 League Brandon 69 75 77 91 58 -- -- 54 -- -- -- 13 62 -- 41 60.0
87 Dominguez Juan -- -- -- -- -- 74 -- -- -- -- -- 43 64 -- -- 60.3
88 Majewski Val -- 70 -- -- -- 85 -- -- -- 47 41 -- -- -- -- 60.8
89 Bourn Michael -- -- -- 84 60 63 -- -- 51 -- -- -- -- -- 49 61.4
90 Verlander Justin -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 60 -- -- -- 34 60 -- 93 61.8
91 Valdez Merkin 58 67 71 74 -- 72 -- 57 -- 44 -- 14 83 -- 84 62.4
92 Papelbon Jon 91 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 70 -- 27 -- -- -- 62.7
93 Nieve Fernando -- -- 78 -- -- 53 -- -- -- -- -- 47 73 -- -- 62.8
94 Callaspo Alberto -- 76 -- 78 -- -- -- -- 36 -- -- -- -- -- -- 63.3
95 Santos Sergio 61 69 65 -- -- 91 -- 68 -- 53 -- -- 58 -- 45 63.8
96 Bautista Denny -- 53 83 82 59 49 -- 82 -- 54 -- 24 93 -- -- 64.3
97 Adams Russ -- -- -- 72 -- 45 -- -- -- -- 50 -- 61 -- 96 64.8
98 Quiroz Guillermo 79 77 85 40 -- -- 41 100 50 -- -- -- 48 -- -- 65.0
99 Snyder Brad 84 -- -- -- -- -- -- 81 -- -- 35 -- -- -- 60 65.0
100 Einertson Mitch -- -- -- 55 -- 51 49 96 -- -- 45 -- -- -- 98 65.7
101 Hendrickson Ben -- 48 96 -- 53 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 65.7
102 Guzman Angel 88 87 62 56 -- 87 -- 31 -- 46 -- -- 70 -- 69 66.2
103 Street Huston 97 96 70 58 -- -- -- 51 -- -- -- 8 65 -- 90 66.9
104 Giarratano Tony -- -- -- 95 72 47 -- -- 54 -- -- -- -- -- -- 67.0
105 Stokes Jason -- 84 49 59 -- -- -- 77 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 67.3
106 Gonzalez Adrian -- 85 68 73 -- -- -- 44 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 67.5
107 Tiffany Chuck -- 80 56 -- 85 95 -- -- -- 45 -- -- 69 -- 44 67.7
108 Young Delwyn -- 98 -- 36 50 90 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 68.5
109 Gomes Jonny -- -- 67 66 74 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 69.0
110 Butler Billy 75 95 -- 87 -- 58 -- 49 28 -- 43 -- 96 -- 91 69.1
111 Herrera Javier 68 -- -- -- -- -- -- 50 -- -- -- -- 68 -- 92 69.5
112 Baker Scott -- -- -- 89 -- -- -- 76 -- -- -- 19 -- -- 97 70.3
113 Markakis Nick 65 94 90 -- -- 89 -- -- -- 32 40 -- 85 -- -- 70.7
114 Kottaras George -- -- -- 86 70 -- -- -- 60 -- -- -- -- -- -- 72.0
115 Harvey Ryan 66 -- -- -- -- 92 -- 58 -- -- -- -- -- -- 74 72.5
116 Bankston Wes -- -- -- 94 84 -- -- -- -- -- 27 -- -- -- 87 73.0
117 Hill Aaron 64 41 98 75 -- 55 -- 98 -- 73 -- -- 55 -- 100 73.2
118 Stauffer Tim -- 81 52 88 -- 100 -- 63 -- 49 -- -- -- -- 86 74.1
119 Bartlett Jason -- -- 95 67 -- 79 -- -- -- -- -- -- 56 -- -- 74.3
120 Laroche Andy 74 72 -- -- 71 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 82 -- -- 74.8
121 Shell Steven -- 93 -- -- -- 66 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 66 75.0
122 Hart Corey -- 54 74 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 99 -- -- 75.7
123 Young Chris -- -- -- -- 64 80 -- -- -- 67 -- -- -- -- 95 76.5
124 Snyder Chris -- 71 -- -- 95 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 95 -- 51 78.0
125 Astacio Ezequiel 80 -- 89 64 -- 81 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 78.5
126 Teahen Mark 85 -- 72 81 -- -- -- 80 -- 60 -- -- 98 -- 75 78.7
127 Wainwright Adam -- -- 92 -- -- 99 -- 55 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 82.0
128 Jimenez Ubaldo 82 83 97 -- -- 67 -- 86 -- -- -- -- 86 -- -- 83.5
129 Maine John -- 100 -- -- -- 86 -- -- -- -- -- -- 67 -- -- 84.3
130 VanBenschoten John -- 97 -- -- -- -- -- 85 -- -- -- -- 77 -- -- 86.3
131 Pinto Renyel -- 91 -- -- -- -- -- 94 -- -- -- -- -- -- 79 88.0
132 Walker Neil 81 -- -- -- -- -- -- 88 -- -- -- -- -- -- 99 89.3
Thanks to Ted Nye for his help on the
consensus (and his good advice about the complexity of some of my earlier
formats). Ted also has a consensus list --
check it out here.
Jay Bradley,
RaysBaseball, lays out his top contenders for AL Rookie of the Year.
Jay tabs Dallas McPherson and Scott Kazmir as the early front
runners :
" ... McPherson gets this slot because of his proven
track record at AA and AAA ... Hitting 25 hr's and driving in 80 rbi's is
expected (if he gets 500 ab's, that could be conservative), and that gives him
the pole. But there is a health problem to contend with - he had an MRI earlier
this month and has been out of action for the last 3 weeks ... might get
back before opening day, but back problems are always serious in my book."
" ... If he can avoid the injury bug and
overcome some of his command issues, he should get in 150-160 innings this
season. If so, he has a great shot to finish with more strikeouts as any rookie
over the last 5 years (Webb had 172 in '03). He won't get alot of wins, maybe 12
at the most. He is is a high reward/risk pick. His ERA last year hid alot of
good things, and he was a better pitcher than the first look offers. If he can
get more quick outs this season, he'll flourish. If he continues to have high
pitch counts with too many walks, he'll be in Durham by June."
Cory Sullivan, surprise survivor in COL :
" ... Sullivan is the only pure center fielder other
than Preston Wilson still in the Rockies spring training camp. With Wilson
having undergone two operations on his left knee last year, the Rockies want to
make sure they do not push him too much, particularly with the vast space to
cover at Coors Field. As a result, they have made it known they plan to carry a
capable center fielder as one of the reserves. Sullivan joins Brad Hawpe to give
the Rockies two left-handed-hitting outfielders ... Sullivan is batting
.391 with a .431 on-base percentage, four doubles, one triple and nine RBI. He
also has shown an exceptional ability to play center field and an aggressiveness
running the bases that has impressed the major-league staff. "He's polished,"
manager Clint Hurdle has said. "He does everything better than you think he
does."
M's top prospect ... close ... but, not yet "
" ... Mariners' 18-year-old sensation,
right-handed pitcher Felix Hernandez, will be with the club until the
regular season begins. But, Hargrove said, the possibility of Hernandez starting
the season in Seattle remains remote. Hernandez had a bad day yesterday,
allowing six runs (five earned) in the third inning of his start against the
White Sox ... "I'm not going to make too much of it," pitching coach
Bryan Price said. "I haven't been disappointed at all. He's been every bit of
what we had all heard. He hadn't been to a level where he'd been challenged
before this. Today, he was challenged. "It's going to happen. You want it to
happen to see how he reacts." ... "He's still in the mix," Hargrove said.
"But I'd be very surprised if he made the club. But we've got innings for him,
and we like what we see. If we didn't have the innings, there'd be a case to
send him out." (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, on the Jays' farm :
" ... Brandon League ... one of the
better power arms in all of the minor leagues. In last year's Eastern League
All-Star Game, he was clocked at 102 mph. His fastball consistently sits in the
96-97 mph range and he's got a plus slider at times to go with it. At only 22,
he's still working on finding consistency with his mechanics and sometimes
overthrows. He'll need to throw more strikes in order to be successful in the
big leagues. League gets a "closer of the future" label, but for now he'll spend
his first season in the Majors as a middle/setup man pitching in the sixth and
seventh innings."
" ... David Purcey ... Blue Jays
took it very slowly with him, allowing him to barely get his feet wet in the New
York-Penn League. He was clearly fatigued during instructional league play, but
he came back this spring and learned a lot in big league camp. Considering he's
just about to start his first season of pro ball, he has an advanced
understanding of what he needs to work on. He'll take his plus fastball and
curve to the Florida State League, but he's a guy who could move quickly through
the system."
With the opening of the minor league season less than two weeks away, time for
our annual appeal for some dedicated folks to help with coverage this season.
Not certain yet how many leagues will be available, but if you are
interested in providing daily coverage of prospects in a particular league,
please let me know. Basically, it requires scouring the box scores for a
particular league checking out the progress (or lack thereof) of prospects and
sending along a brief summary via email. With box scores sometimes not
available until around 11pm, midnight, it appears to be best suited to night
owls.
28 March, 2005
Game action ... Freddy Sanchez SS PIT 2-5, double, homer, 3 RBI,
error ... Jhonny Peralta SS CLE 3-4, double, SB ... Wilson
Betemit SS ATL 2-5, double, error ... Brandon League TOR 2 1 0 0 0
3 ... John Patterson WAS 3 7 4 4 0 8 ... Jon Rauch
WAS 1 2-3 5 5 5 2 3 ... Luke Scott LF HOU 2-4, 2 doubles ...
Scott Baker MIN 4 4 3 3 1 3 ... Michael Restovich MIN
2-4, grand slam ... Mike Wood KC 4 6 5 5 3 4 ... Dennis
Tankersley KC 1-3 0 3 3 4 0 ... Ruben Gotay 2B KC 1-3,
error ... Mark Teahen 3B KC 1-2, double ... Conor
Jackson 1B ARZ 1-1, triple, 2 RBI ... Scott Hairston LF ARZ
1-2, triple ... Justin Germano SD 4 7 5 5 1 0 ... Huston
Street OAK 1 2 2 2 0 0 ... Clint Barmes SS COL 1-3, homer ...
Felix Hernandez SEA 2 2-3 8 6 5 0 2 ... Dave Krynzel CF MIL
2-2, RBI ... Adrian Gonzalez TEX 2-2, 2 RBI
Troop movements ... BOS - Roberto Petagine to minor league camp ... NYN -
Jae Seo to AAA, Scott Stewart, Scott Strickland
to minor league camp ... OAK - Kurt Suzuki to minor league camp
... Grady Sizemore to shuffle off to Buffalo :
" ... Juan Gonzalez is back in the middle of the
Cleveland Indians' lineup ... Gonzalez won a starting job and will begin the
2005 season as Cleveland's everyday right fielder, returning to the spot where
he had one of his most productive years and adding a powerful bat to the
offense. "Juan brings us a presence," Indians manager Eric Wedge said Sunday in
Winter Haven, Florida. "I hope it makes the team better and him better." ...
His surprising addition also means that Grady Sizemore, the organization's
rising star, will begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo ... Sizemore batted .291
with one homer and 10 RBIs this spring, but struck out 14 times in 55 at-bats.
While the 22-year-old Sizemore is a better fit with Cleveland's collection of
young players, his resume is no match for Gonzalez, a two-time AL MVP who, when
healthy, is still one of the game's most feared hitters." (Associated Press)
First stab at the 25-man
rosters ... of course, some cuts to come, along with a few additions from
the NRI list (which has been updated to show those
released and those sent to minor league camps).
With the opening of the minor league season less than two weeks away, time for
our annual appeal for some dedicated folks to help with coverage this season.
Not certain yet how many leagues will be available, but if you are
interested in providing daily coverage of prospects in a particular league,
please let me know. Basically, it requires scouring the box scores for a
particular league checking out the progress (or lack thereof) of prospects and
sending along a brief summary via email. With box scores sometimes not
available until around 11pm, midnight, it appears to be best suited to night
owls.
Charles Richter,
RotoAmerica.com, sends along the RA Top 100 (which we've posted on the Top
100s page). Still wrestling with a easy-to-understand format for the Top
100s matrix (which will include 15 prospect rankings). Maybe tomorrow.
RotoAmerica is particularly interesting in its treatment of Joe Mauer.
Mauer was ranked in six other prospect charts and finished No. 1 each of them.
Here, the MIN catcher does no better than No. 7. But, hard to argue with
Felix Hernandez, Delmon Young and Ian
Stewart at 1-2-3.
But, even well down the list, some prime talents.
Chris Nelson SS COL at No. 73, Billy Butler 3B KC
No. 91 :
" ... Rockies wasted no time jumping on
Nelson when he fell to them at the 9th position in the 2004 draft ... A
Tommy John survivor, Nelson possesses a very good arm for a SS, having
previously thrown in the 90s in high school. He also has plenty of range and
looks like a natural out there. Evokes comparisons to Derek Jeter and more
recently, BJ Upton although I think he can be a better fielder than those guys.
The Future: As for his bat, no concerns here. His swing is short, compact, and
void of any major holes. With his strong frame and quick bat, should hit for
above average SS power while maintaining a high on-base percentage. May not be a
30-40 HR hitter, but how would you like this from a SS?: .320/.410/.500?"
" ... Butler ... showed that he’s the top
hitter and slugger in the organization by hitting .373/.486/.596 in Idaho Falls.
He smacked 22 doubles, 3 triples and 10 home runs in just 260 at bats. The 6-2,
225 lb Butler has a patient approach at the plate and puts the good part of the
bat on the ball with regularity. Quick hands, hits the ball to the opposite
field with authority and puts on power displays in BP ... His defense and
speed is another thing however. His footwork around at the hot corner is lacking
as it puts him in bad throwing positions which causes his accuracy to suffer.
Has a strong arm to stick at third base, hit 93 mph on the rubber in High School
... Left field or first base could be his possible destination if he
doesn’t work out at third. The Future: Butler has all the makings of being an
All Star in the big leagues."
A longshot going into ST, Adrian Gonzalez TEX nearing a roster spot :
" ... "He has done everything he can to put himself
in everybody's thoughts," manager Buck Showalter said. "Adrian is a really good
young player. I feel lucky to have him. He's a very talented player." Gonzalez
has given the Rangers a difficult decision to make. The 22-year-old might just
break spring training with the team next weekend. Through 20 spring games,
Gonzalez was hitting .364 (20-for-55) with five doubles, two home runs and a
team-high 15 RBI ... . Rangers are seriously considering keeping Gonzalez in the
major leagues as a designated hitter and backup first baseman. "I felt like if I
came in here and did well, I would get a look," Gonzalez said. "If not right out
of spring training, sometime early in the season ... I would be in their mind."
(Associated Press)
Still some cuts to be more in BAL :
" ... Matt Riley, who pitched in a minor
league game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, likely will be traded.
Several teams, including Texas and Minnesota, have expressed interest in Riley.
It appears though that neither the Rangers nor Twins were able to match up on a
trade." (Washington Post)
The Royals look to some new blood to help revitalize the club :
" ... Look for rookies Ruben Gotay and
Mark Teahen in the Royals' infield when they open the 2005 season ...
general manager Allard Baird ... left no doubt that he considers Gotay, 22, and
Teahen, 23, ready to make the jump to full-time duty at second base and third
base. “We're pretty pleased with both of those guys in terms of their approach,”
he said. “With Gotay, you look at what he's done performance-wise. That's what
stands out for everyone. But we're also looking at how he's developed here
defensively and how he's improved his offensive approach. “Teahen came into this
clubhouse like any young player in camp for the first time. He has handled
himself with quiet class. To me, that's a good indicator.” (Kansas City
Star)
Dodgers to audition a few kids at 3B :
" ... Joel Guzman probably will begin
the season in double A. DePodesta said he will play some third base as well as
shortstop. With current third baseman Jose Valentin signed for one year, the
Dodgers want several options at the position down the road. Antonio Perez, who
could platoon with Valentin, is at the top of the list. Prospects Willy
Aybar and Delwyn Young, both primarily second basemen, also
will play some third in the minors this season, DePodesta said." (LA Times)
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