Rookies 2005

                                                                                                                           Pitching Line = IP H R ER BB SO
 

18 September 2005

    OK ... with almost all of the leagues having completed their playoffs (the CAL the only one left in play) it may be a good time for a little break ...

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Toledo, the DET franchise, over the PIT affiliate.

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  MIL's Nashville nine downed SEA's Tacoma club 5-2 in 13 innings Friday to capture the PCL crown ... Nelson Cruz MIL, three-run homer in the 13th for the win

EASTERN (AA)  -- Akron, the CLE affiliate over Portland, the BOS AA club, for the title ... Sat - Jake Dittler CLE 7 5 0 0 2 5  ... Ryan Mulhern CLE 1-3, double, 2 RBI ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 2-4, double ... Fri - Jonathan Van Every CLE 1-2, double (one of only two hits for the winners), 2 RBI ... Wade Miller BOS 5 1 0 0 2 6  ... Anibal Sanchez BOS 2 1 2 2 1 1  ... Craig Hansen BOS 1 0 0 0 1 0

SOUTHERN (AA) -- Dodgers' kids over the young Cubbies for the title ... Sat - Justin Orenduff LA 5-1/3 7 1 1 0 7 ... Brandon Sing CHN 3-4, 2 doubles ... James Loney LA 2-3, homer, walk ... Russell Martin LA 2-4, double, 2 RBI ... Fri - William Juarez LA, another outstanding playoff effort, 6 8 1 1 0 4 ... Greg Miller LA 2 0 0 0 0 2 ... Joel Guzman LA 1-3, homer, walk, 2 RBI ... Todd Donovan LA 3-5, 2 triples, 5 RBI

TEXAS (AA)  --  OAK affiliate tops the ANA franchise to take the title series ... Daric Barton OAK 2-4 ... Jerermy Brown OAK 1-5, homer, 3 RBI ... Kendry Morales ANA 2-4, homer

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  SF affiliate up 2-1 over the Padres in the final ... SAT - Kevin Frandsen 2B SF 3-4, homer, walk, 4 RBI ... Fri - Eddie Bonine SD, 6.47 ERA during the regular season, 8-1/3 2 1 1 0 9 ... Colt Morton SD 1-2, homer, walk

CAROLINA (A+) --  BAL's Frederick over CLE's Kinston in the final.

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Palm Beach Cardinals over the Lakeland Tigers in the final series.

MIDWEST (A) --  ARZ took the title over SEA as Steven Jackson (5.33 during the regular season) tossed a gem, 8 5 0 0 0 9 ... Fri - Michael Wilson OF SEA 3-5 double, homer, 3 RBI ... Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 2-4, double, 2 RBI ... Jeff Clement SEA 1-3, double, walk ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-5, double

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --   Kannapolis CHA over Hagerstown NYN for the 2005 title ... Ryan McCarthy CHA 2-3, double, homer, 2 RBI, 2 runs ... Jack Egbert CHA 6 4 0 0 1 5, W


NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) --  Yankees over the Jays affiliate.

NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) --  Texas NWL team topped the OAK club to take the championship.

APPALACHIAN (ROOKIE) --  Twins affiliate over the Braves for the title.

PIONEER (ROOKIE) --  Orem Owlz ANA the league champs over the Brewers affiliate.

GULF COAST  (ROOKIE) --  Yankees the champs over the Mets.

ARIZONA (ROOKIE) --  Giants winners of both halves of the season.

  Troop Movements ...  PIT - Matt Capps, Bryan Bullington, Tom Gorzelanny, Jose Bautista, Ronny Paulino up, Zach Duke activated from DL ... SEA - activated Gil Meche from the DL, recalled Rene Rivera, Shin-Soo Choo, sent Bucky Jacobsen outright to AAA ... WAS - activated Junior Spivey from DL, placed Tony Armas Jr on the 60-day DL  ... FLO - Joe Dillon up ... NYN - Anderson Hernandez up, designated Dae-Sung Koo for assignment ...

    Scott Rex, OnDeck, puts the finishing touches on his California League prospect chart :

    John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, makes his picks as the top A-Ball talents for 2005 :

California, Hitter  "Shortstop Brandon Wood ... Led the league in slugging percentage, doubles, homers, second in RBI, fifth in batting average, while playing a premium defensive position at the age of 20."

Carolina, Pitcher  "The two guys I like here are Chance Douglass of Salem and James Johnson of Frederick. They tied for second in the league with 12 wins. Douglass led the circuit with a 2.90 ERA and also posted a nice 128/44 K/BB ratio in 168 innings. Johnson's ERA was higher at 3.49, but he was more dominant, fanning 168 in 160 innings, although his control was weaker. I'll go with Douglass."

Florida State, Hitter  "Vero Beach outfielder Matt Kemp, who hit .306/.349/.569. His slugging percentage led the league. He finished fifth in hitting, second with 27 homers, second with 90 RBI, and he also stole 23 bases, giving him a broad base of contribution."

   Brian Pelowski, CREATiVE SPORTS, begins to check in with some prospect reports, first with some high level talents bound to attract much attention over the winter (and, very likely already gone in your leagues).

" ...  Daric Barton ... one of the best offensive prospects in the minors ... began the season at high Single-A Stockton where he hit .318 with eight home runs, 16 doubles, 62 walks and 49 strikeouts in 292 at-bats. He moved up to Double-A Midland where he remained patient walking 35 times with 30 strikeouts in 212 at-bats while also hitting five home runs and 20 doubles. Barton has the patience that the A’s love and seems like he could develop the power teams covet in the middle of the lineup."

" ... Howie Kendrick ...  22-year-old Kendrick spent the first half of 2005 at high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga where he hit .384 with 12 home runs, 23 doubles, 13 stolen bases and a 1059 OPS in 279 at-bats. The Angels promoted him to Double-A Arkansas at mid-season and he went on to hit .342 with seven home runs, 20 doubles, 12 stolen bases and a 961 OPS. Kendrick will likely spend most of next season in the minors but could get an opportunity to start at second base for the Angels in 2006 when Adam Kennedy’s contract expires."

" ... Ian Kinsler  ...  debuted at Triple-A Oklahoma this season ... displayed solid power ... hitting .274 with 23 home runs and 28 doubles ... hit for a higher average in the lower minors so the dip in average at Triple-A is a bit of a concern. He has a decent eye so it possible his average could rise with a little more experience. The Rangers could give Kinsler a shot at winning a job as the team’s starting second baseman this spring depending on what they do with Alfonso Soriano this offseason."

    Chuck James ... quite a charge in 2005, all the way from A-Ball to Atlanta :

" ...  James enjoyed an outstanding season while sweeping through the Atlanta farm system. He opened 2005 with Myrtle Beach of the Class-A Carolina League and was 3-3 1.08 in seven starts. He struck out 59 in 41.2 innings as a Pelican while holding opponents to a .139 batting average. He earned a promotion to Mississippi and dominated Southern League hitters. James was 9-1 2.09 with 104 strikeouts in 86 innings with the M-Braves. James joined Richmond in August and was 1-3 3.46 in six starts. James held Triple-A hitters to a .176 average. James was a combined 13-7, 2.12 for the season. He was fourth in all of minor league baseball with 193 strikeouts in 161.1 innings."  (Richmond Braves)


16 September 2005

    Off for a few days ...

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Ryan Raburn DH DET 3-4, R, BB ... Marcus Thames LF DET 1-4, 1st HR, R, 3 RBI, BB (and a promotion to DET)

TEXAS (AA)  --  Jered Weaver ANA 7 6 3 3 2 7 ... Kendry Morales ANA 2-4 ... Daric Barton OAK 2-3, double, homer ... Jeremy Brown OAK, having a nice 2nd half and playoffs, 1-3, homer

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Colt Morton SD 3-4, double, homer  ... Cesar Carrillo SD 5 5 4 4 5 3

CAROLINA (A+) --  a title for the BAL affiliate, Brian Finch BAL 5 4 0 0 5 5 ... Garrett Olson BAL 2 0 0 0 0 3 ... Mario Delgado BAL 3-4, homer  ... Nolan Reimold BAL 1-3, double

MIDWEST (A) --  Robert Rohrbaugh up from the NWL for the playoffs, 8 3 0 0 2 7 ... Koley Kolberg ARZ 6-1/3 6 0 0 2 10

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --   David Cook CHA 1-2, homer, 2 RBI, 3 runs, 2 walks ... Chris Getz CHA 2-5, 2 RBI


NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) --  Eric Fowler TOR 6 4 0 0 1 6 ...  Ryan Patterson CF TOR 3-5, double

PIONEER (ROOKIE) --  Jose Arredondo ANA 7 2 1 1 3 8 ...   Dallas Morris 3B ANA 3-5, 2 triples ... Mark Trumbo OF ANA 2-5

  Troop Movements ...  ATL - Chuck James up ... DET - Marcus Thames, Mark Woodyard, Jason Karnuth, Jason Grilli

    Bryan Smith, TheBaseball Analysts, with more of his year-end MVP picks :

"  ... Southern League Pitcher of the Year: Ricky Nolasco - Second year in AA, really tightened things up. Has emerged as a similar pitcher to Sergio Mitre."

" ... Eastern League Pitcher of the Year: Jon Lester ... season was fantastic, probably the best of any prospect in a now-loaded Boston system. But like last year, if you take out the first couple starts, the season looks even better."

" ... Texas League MVP: Andre Ethier ... likely made himself a part of Billy Beane's plans for the future ... In a sense, reminds me of current 'A' Jay Payton, who was drafted high after playing at Georgia Tech. His AA season in 1995? .345/.397/.535. Ethier's? .319/.385/.497. Payton showed better contact skills, while Ethier is more disciplined. Similar power as well as speed in the outfield should give Ethier a similar career path."

    John Sickels with his picks as the top guys in Double-A :

Eastern League, Pitcher of the Year  " ... lefty Jon Lester. He led the league in ERA, strikeouts, and tied for third with 11 wins. He should be ready to contribute in Boston sometime in 2006."

Southern League, Player of the Year  " ... Several candidates among the hot prospects, including Delmon Young, Jeremy Hermida, Russ Martin, and Chris Young. I think it boils down to Young and Hermida, and that's a "pick your blessing" type thing since both were outstanding. Hermida has better plate discipline and a higher OBP, but Young has more power. I think I will go for Hermida, on the strength of his .975 OPS compared to Young's .968. Hermida has broader secondary skills as well."

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld, reviews his pre-season prospect picks (his top 150) :

" ... 141. Willy Aybar  ...  Considering that he was a 22-year-old in Triple-A, Aybar’s season wasn’t a fatal setback. Still, he should have done better than a 775 OPS while playing in the best hitter’s park in a hitter’s league. Complicating things is that he might not fit at second base."

" ... 138. John Maine ...  Orioles bypassed Maine to bring up Hayden Penn from Double-A earlier this season, but Maine is up now and has been pretty effective despite a discouraging strikeout-to-walk ratio. Maine’s below average fastball limits his upside, but it’s not always easy to make solid contact against him. He could be a fourth or fifth starter."

" ... 137. Chris Young ..  Even though he’s always going to strike out too much, Young is a borderline top-20 prospect right now. An excellent defensive center fielder in the mold of Mike Cameron, he’ll be ready to break into some team’s outfield in 2007. He was mentioned in the Ken Griffey Jr. trade talks at the deadline and he remains a candidate to be dealt because the White Sox have Aaron Rowand and Brian Anderson ahead of him."

" ... 132. Erick Aybar ... Unfortunately, the most notable thing Aybar did this year was keep Brandon Wood in the California League ... has the potential to be a quality regular and he has more range at shortstop than Wood. Still, it’s hard to see where he fits in the Angels’ plans."

" ... 114. Jeremy Sowers ... doesn’t have the fastball of Liriano or Lester, but he’s one of the top lefty prospects in the game. He has command of four pitches and he can touch 90 when he needs to. There’s not much more for him to learn in the minors."


15 September 2005

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Marcus Thames LF DET 1-4, 2B, RBI ... Kenny Baugh DET 4 2 2 1 3 5, 2.25

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Jesse Foppert SEA 2-2/3 6 7 5 2 3 ... Nelson Cruz MIL 2-5, double, 3 RBI ... TJ Bohn SEA 2-4, homer

EASTERN (AA)  --  Hanley Ramirez BOS 2-4 ... Brandon Moss BOS 2-4 ... Ryan Mulhern CLE 1-4, double

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Renyel Pinto CHN 7-2/3 3 1 1 4 7 ...  Eric Hull LA 7 5 0 0 0 9

MIDWEST (A) --  Ross Ohlendorf ARZ 7-2/3 5 1 1 1 8 


NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) --  Brett Gardner CF NYY 1-5, R, 2B, 2RBI, K ... Jon Poterson RF NYY 0-4, K ... Ryan Patterson CF TOR 1-4, K ... Jason Stephens NYY 5.2 4 1 1 2 5 ... Robert Ray TOR 5 5 4 1 0 7

  Troop Movements ...  BOS - Gabe Kapler out for the season, Adam Hyzdu up ... HOU - Charlton Jimerson up ... SF - Doug Clark up ...

    Dayn Perry, FoxSports, makes his picks for MVP in A-Ball.  Brandon Wood ANA was the easy pick as the top position player with an ATL catching prospect the runnerup.  The top pitcher comes from the Yankee farm :

" ...  Jarrod Saltalamacchia ...  Despite toiling for the entire year at Myrtle Beach, the toughest park for hitters in all the minors, Saltalamacchia authored a batting line of .314 AVG/.394 OBP/.519 SLG. The power numbers are excellent for a 20-year-old playing half his games in Myrtle Beach, and he also showed solid plate discipline. As for his defense, his throwing arm isn't especially powerful, but otherwise his receiving skills are good enough for him to stick at the position."

" ... 1. Philip Hughes ... one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball. Hughes hits the mid-90s with his fastball, and his changeup and breaking ball are both quality pitches, particularly considering his age. This season, Hughes split time between the Sally and Florida State Leagues and dominated at both stops. Check out his combined numbers: 86.1 innings, 93 strikeouts, 20 walks, one homer, 2.19 ERA. He has Cy Young-contender potential at the highest level, provided he stays healthy. "

" ... 2. Justin Verlander ...  Heater that touches 99, hammer curve, plus-potential changeup — Verlander's repertoire is indeed imposing. This season, Verlander spent most of his time in the Florida State League, but also saw action in Double-A and in Detroit ...  has ace stuff, and thus far the numbers back that up."

    A leading WSox prospect heading for off-season surgery :

" ... Rookie outfielder Brian Anderson will undergo surgery after the season to remove a plate near his right wrist. Anderson has played with the plate since the 2004 season after surgery that ended his first professional season at Class-A Great Falls. The surgery will include the removal of seven screws that were inserted to aid the healing."  (Chicago Sun Times)

    Ryan Mulhern CLE making a positive impression :

" ... While Mulhern hasn't moved ahead of the oft-injured Michael Aubrey at first base on the Indians organizational depth chart, he certainly has opened some eyes this season with his bat, both at Class A Kinston and with Akron. Mulhern was hitting .348 (8-for-23) through six playoff games ... slugging a pair of homers and sporting a healthy .739 slugging percentage. ...  An 11th-round pick out of the University of South Alabama in 2003, Mulhern had a breakout season, combining to hit .315 with 32 homers and 94 RBIs in the Carolina and Eastern Leagues ...  Akron manager Torey Lovullo said. "He's put himself right squarely on the Cleveland Indians map with the type of year he's had. He deserves a lot of credit. He's a very hard worker, and his success is a direct result of his dedication."  (MLB.com)

    John Sickels selects BJ Upton as the Player of the Year in the International League.

" ...  Upton, Durham. Ranked third in on-base percentage, slugged .490, hit .303, second in league with 44 steals, third in league with 36 doubles, giving him the best balance of power, batting average, and other contributions among regular player who spent the whole year in the league. Red flag here is 53 errors at shortstop, but even considering his defensive problems, I think he made the biggest impact in the league this year."

    Scott Rex, OnDeck, with his final prospect ranking for the Carolina League :

   Delmon Young TB, not getting much support for his outburst against the D-Rays.

" ... I don't think anybody in this locker room is feeling sorry for him," rightfielder Aubrey Huff said. "A lot of guys worked hard to get here. ... He rubbed a lot of people in here the wrong way. It was the wrong thing to say. He showed a little immaturity and that's why he's not here. It takes a lot of nerve to say the organization is cheap when you got $5.8-million (to sign)." Young, the top pick of the 2003 draft, said Monday that the Rays were cheap and inconsiderate and that their decision to not call him up would damage his future relationship with the team."  (St. Petersburg Times)

   Such talent ... such a headache.

" ... Outfielder Elijah Dukes was scratched from the Arizona Fall League roster Tuesday, the same day he turned himself in at the Orient Road Jail on a misdemeanor count of operating an unregistered vehicle. Dukes, a Tampa native who has had several legal problems, was released about two hours later after posting $250 bond. He was replaced on the Phoenix roster by Jason Pridie."  (St. Petersburg Times)


14 September 2005

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Marcus Thames LF DET 2-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB, HBP ... Bryan Bullington PIT 2 4 5 5 4 0, 22.50

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Bobby Livingston SEA, gave up 5 homers, 5 8 6 6 0 5 ... Nelson Cruz OF MIL 2-4, 2 homers  ... TJ Bohn OF SEA 2-4, homer  ... ShinSoo Choo OF SEA 3-4, double

EASTERN (AA)  --  Jon Lester BOS 6 4 3 1 3 6 ... Jeremy Sowers CLE 6 9 6 4 2 4 ... Brandon Moss BOS 1-4, homer ... Ryan Mulhern CLE 2-4, homer

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Chad Billingsley LA, a no-hitter one night and then ...  2 3 6 6 4 4 ... James Loney LA 1-4, homer ... Eric Patterson 2B CHN 3-4, double ... Brandon Sing CHN 1-4, homer, 3 RBI

TEXAS (AA)  --  Jeremy Brown OAK 3-4, double, 3 RBI ... Howie Kendrick ANA 3-5 ... Mike Napoli ANA 2-5, double, homer ... Kendry Morales ANA 1-4, triple

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  No games, final begins Thursday.

CAROLINA (A+) --  Adam Miller CLE 5-2/3 5 1 1 2 5 ... Stephen Head CLE 2-4, 2 doubles ... Nolan Reimold BAL 3-5

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  a title for the STL affiliate, Reid Gorecki OF 3-5, triple, homer ... Brent Clevlen DET 1-5, homer

MIDWEST (A) --  Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 1-4, homer ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-4, double ... Jeff Clement SEA 0-4, walk

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Ambiorix Concepcion NYN 1-3, 2 RBI, run, 2 SB ... Jose Sanchez NYN 6 6 1 1 1 2, W


NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) --  No games, final series begins Wednesday

PIONEER (ROOKIE) --  Angel Salome MIL 1-4, homer ... Ken Holmberg 2B MIL 2-4 ... Mark Trumbo ANA 2-3, double ... Flint Wipke ANA 2-3, homer

  Troop Movements ...  PIT - J.J. Furmaniak up ... CHN - Ben Grieve up ... SD - activated Pedro Astacio from the DL ... NYN - Dae-Sung Koo up ... SEA - Jaime Bubela up ...

    Bryan Smith, TheBaseball Analysts, on why Brandon Wood ought to have been the Minor League Player of the Year ... along with notes on some A-Ball stars :

" ... I believe Brandon Wood was the minor league baseball player of the year. Wood's future is a little murkier than Delmon's, to be sure, but his 2005 season was damn near flawless. Sure, you can attack his environment and non-perfect patience numbers, but Wood more than made up for that. Add his premium position into the mix, and out comes one of the top ten prospects in baseball ... Few players in minor league baseball history had a season like Brandon Wood in 2005. We can't provide perspective to his numbers by using historical context, but simply put, Wood was the minors most lethal hitter in 15 years. That, my friends, is a lot more deserving than just a Cal League MVP trophy."

" ... Midwest League MVP: Carlos Gonzales ...  lost amidst a deep Arizona system before the 2005 season. However, his play in the Midwest League has catapulted Gonzales into the Diamondbacks' top ten, and gained respect from various Midwest League insiders and observers. Gonzales teams fantastic defensive value with solid offensive tools across the board. Not fantastic, by any means, but there are no clear weaknesses. Contact? Check, .300+ average and below 100 strikeouts in more than 500 at-bats. Patience? 48 walks in about 550 plate appearances isn't ideal, but for a 19-year-old, it's fantastic. Power? Oh yes, as his 52 extra-base hits attest."

" ... South Atlantic League POY: Ray Liotta Lost in the shuffle likely because of Gio Gonzalez ...  Liotta is a pitcher of the rare variety: strikeouts and groundballs. While in Kannapolis, Liotta had a K/9 over 8.00, while his GB/FB was very close to 2.00. In fact, in six of his twenty starts in the South Atlantic League, Liotta provoked more than ten groundball outs. His three-pitch arsenal held up when he moved to the Carolina League in late-July, as the southpaw had a 1.45 ERA in eight regular season starts. Liotta's mixture of control (51 BB in 165 IP) and movement (6 HR allowed) make him a can't miss prospect in a solid system...even if he's a far cry from Gio."

    John Sickels, MinorLeague Ball, on Adam Jones SEA :

" ...   supplemental first-round pick in 2003 out of high school ...  mediocre in 2004, hitting .267/.314/.404 in the Midwest League, with shaky plate discipline. But he broke out in a big way in '05. He began the year with Inland Empire in the California League, hitting .295/.374/.494 in 68 games, knocking 20 doubles and eight homers. The Mariners promoted him to Double-A at midseason. At the time, I thought this was a big mistake. Given his struggles in '04, I thought it would make more sense for him to stay in the Cal League and build on his success. It looks like I was wrong: Jones didn't miss a beat after moving up, hitting .298/.365/.461 in 63 games for San Antonio in the Texas League. He maintained reasonable strike zone judgment at the higher level, and remained productive across the board. On the season, he combined for 30 doubles, eight triples, 15 homers, and 13 steals. He still has some work to do, polishing up his defense and tightening the strike zone further, but overall this has to be regarded as a very successful season and an easy transition to Double-A. He didn't turn 20 until August 1st. He looks like a premium prospect to me."

    Fingers crossed, Cubs hoping for big things from one-time top prospect.

" ...  Cubs player development director Oneri Fleita ....  reported that highly-regarded pitching prospect Angel Guzman might yet overcome all his injury issues that have held him back and emerge in the mix next spring for a big-league job. Guzman is scheduled to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, which begins next month, and Fleita is expecting great things. ''We are going to learn a lot in the fall league if he can make all his starts,'' Fleita said. '''He has always thrown free and easy. He's a mature guy.''  (Chicago Sun Times)

    Joe Kaiser, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, with his Mariners' Top 20

" ... 1. Jeff Clement ... His bat isn't far from major league ready, but his glove needs another season or two in the minors. If all goes right, the Mariners could have one of the few power-hitting catchers in the majors. 2. Adam Jones ...  Whether his future is at shortstop or center field, Jones made huge strides at the plate in 2005, showing the ability to drive the ball into the gaps and over the wall ... 4. Asdrubal Cabrera ... He backed up his breakout 2004 season with another fine year split between three teams. The well-rounded infielder could be close to the majors by the end of 2006 ..7. Matt Tuiasosopo ... Solid but unspectacular, the teenager from Woodinville started strong and stayed consistent for much of the season at Wisconsin. His power numbers will rise as he matures ... 9. Luis Valbuena ... At 19, the infielder dominated the Northwest League like Ismael Castro did a few years back. His fielding needs to improve, but there's little denying his ability at the plate ...  11. Wladimir Balentien ... Power is the name of the game for Balentien, who led the organization in home runs. The question is whether he can reduce his strikeouts as moves through the system."


13 September 2005

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  No games

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  No games

EASTERN (AA)  --  No games

SOUTHERN (AA) --  No games   

TEXAS (AA)  --  Shane Komine OAK 7 5 1 0 3 2 ... Brian Stavisky OF OAK 3-5, 2 doubles ... Kevin Melillo 2B OAK 2-3, walk

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Michael Johnson 1B SD 3-4 ... Kevin Frandsen 2B SF back for the playoffs, 1-3, double ... Phil Avlas catcher ARZ 2-4, triple  ... Nate Schierholtz OF SF 2-5, homer, 3 RBI ... Jonathan Sanchez SF, just up from the SAL, 6.2 6 0 0 2 5 ... Ian Stewart COL 0-4, just .100 in the playoffs ... Chris Kolkhorst OF SD 3-4, triple, 2 walks, 3 RBI

CAROLINA (A+) --  Adam Loewen BAL 4 5 3 3 4 8 ... Sean Smith CLE 7-2/3 3 0 0 0 7 ... Stephen Head CLE 2-3, walk, 2 RBI ... Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B CLE 1-2, 3 walks

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Jordan Tata DET 7 2 0 0 0 9 ...  ooops, Tyler Greene SS STL 0-4, K, 3 errors

MIDWEST (A) --  No games

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --   Chris Getz CHA 2-4, double, RBI ... David Cook CHA 3-5, 2 homers, 3 RBI, 2 runs ... Carlos Torres CHA 8 3 1 1 3 6, W


NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) --  Andrew McCutchen CF PIT 1-4, RBI, BB, K ... Todd Redmond PIT 5 3 1 1 1 6 ... David Seccombe NYY 6-1/3 2 1 1 1 3

NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) --  Taylor Teagarden TEX 2-5, double

   Troop Movements ...  CLE - recalled Fausto Carmona,  Jason Davis from AAA ... OAK - recalled  Hiram Bocachica, Jairo Garcia, designated Seth Elarton for assignment ...  SF - activated Barry Bonds from DL ... TEX - Jason Botts, R.A. Dickey, Josh Rupe, Esteban German up ... SEA - Dan Wilson announced his retirement ... STL - Reggie Sanders activated from DL ... PIT - Ian Snell up, Tom Gorzelanny promoted to AAA  ... CHN - Ryan Theriot up ...

    Delmon Young gets Baseball America's vote as Minor League Player of the Year :

" ...  Young, who dominated at Double-A Montgomery before his promotion to Durham on July 15th, batted .285 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 28 runs batted in through 52 games with the Bulls. "It's a great honor, since a lot of guys who have gotten the award went on to have success in the big leagues," Young said. "I don't think too much about awards, but it's definitely an honor to be recognized by Baseball America." ... Young ranks second in the minor leagues in hits since the start of the 2004 season with 341 ... He was on pace to win the triple crown at Double-A Montgomery this season, hitting .336-20-71 in 330 at-bats before being called up to Triple-A Durham ... also won Best Hitting Prospect, Best Power and Best Outfield Arm in the Southern League this season in BA's Best Tools survey. "It is obviously a tremendous honor for Delmon Young," Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar said. "At his age, to be able to dominate at the Double-A and Triple-A level is a credit to his ability and his work ethic, and the manner in which he has handled all of this is a testament to his upbringing as well. "He has the chance to become a tremendous major league player. The Devil Rays look forward to him joining what we think may be the best nucleus of young players in all of major league baseball." (Durham Bulls)

   John Manuel, in the chatroom at BA,  did a little tap dancing trying to explain why Delmon topped Brandon :

" ... I don't want to speak for anyone, but at least one staffer was strongly for Brandon Wood and presented his case, and presented it well. There was no formal vote, just a sense during the meeting that more people believed Delmon was the choice for BA, being that we're a magazine about player development and prospects, and the best prospect had essentially the second-best year in the minors."

" ... you have to really nitpick to be against Wood. First, what do you think Delmon would have done in the Cal League? That's hard to judge, but considering he dominated the Sally League last year (while Wood hit about .250 with 11 homers in the MWL last year), I'm going to guess Delmon could have put up Wood-like numbers in the Cal League, and in fact, I think he would have exceeded Wood's production. Also, Wood his 16 homers--16!--at High Desert and Lancaster in I believe 22 games. That still leaves him 27 homers, but he just destroyed the ball in those two parks, the best hitters' parks in baseball aside from Coors Field. That's a factor in his ungodly numbers. Conversely, what would Wood have done in the Southern League and the International League? His plate discipline is similar to Delmon's, so it's not like such a polished hitter. I have a hard time believing he's slug .447 in Triple-A over an extended period, even in the PCL, or be a triple-crown threat in the Southern League. Sorry, i just do. Wood's also six months older than Young. These are some things that came up. But again, we chose Young because the case for Young was very, very good, not because the case for Wood was flawed. Wood's case is very, very, good."

    Delmon criticizes TB for leaving him down on the farm :

" ... Asked why he felt he was not called up, Young replied: ``The only thing I can think of is they're being cheap.'' ... ``When it comes to free agency, no use trying to stay around there for the long haul,'' he said. ``Get your six years and leave.'' ... After initially telling reporters on a conference call that he was not disappointed with the Devil Rays' decision, Young changed his stance and criticized the organization. ``I put up great numbers, better than a lot of players who got called up around the majors. A lot of them were on contending teams,'' Young said. ``Tampa's going nowhere this year, so they could at least call up the guys who are going to be there in the future.''  ... Young said he will prepare for spring training this winter with intentions of making the big league team but that he wouldn't be surprised if the Devil Rays wound up sending him back to Durham for part or all of next season in order to hold down his service time in the majors and extend the time the team unilaterally can set his salary."  (Associated Press)

    DET's top young arms ...  Joel Zumaya shutdown for the season ... Justin Verlander not likely to see any more 2005 MLB time.

" ... Zumaya, the 20-year-old phenom who finished second in the Minor Leagues in strikeouts, has been shut down for the season after a disappointing start in Game 2 of the International League division playoffs for Triple-A Toledo. Manager Alan Trammell said what was thought to be a case of the jitters also had something to do with a tired arm. Thus, he won't be pitching for the Mud Hens or the Tigers until next season. The decision ends what had been a breakout season that saw Zumaya rise from Double-A to the fringe of the Major Leagues. "He's basically knocking on the door," Trammell said. "Talking with [Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish], there's no question that he's got a special arm. He's a little raw." Verlander was somewhat more polished despite being in his first pro season. He made his Major League debut July 4 at Cleveland and made another start for the Tigers on July 23. However, he hasn't pitched anywhere since early August due to a tired arm. Though Verlander continues to work his arm back into shape and will pitch again this season, Trammell is sure it won't be in Detroit. "There's a good chance he stays down in instructional ball," Trammell said." (MLB.com)

    Zach Chalifour, RotoTimes, on outfield prospects Brent Clevlen and Carlos Quentin :

" ...  While Clevlen was not a call-up candidate, as he was only playing at High-A Lakeland, the 21-year-old has been putting a nice finishing touch on what has been a very strong season. After hitting .302 in 130 games with 18 home runs, 102 RBI, and 14 swipes in the regular season, Clevlen began the Florida State League playoffs right where he left off, hitting four home runs in the team's first three playoff games ... after his disappointing year last season and his drop down prospect lists everywhere, Clevlen is certainly back on the map."

" ...  Quentin has been halted at Triple-A Tucson and will have to wait until next spring before making his Diamondbacks debut. After turning 23 last month, the former Stanford University standout expected to get his first taste of major league action, but Diamondbacks officials decided to wait another year before Quentin gains his first year of big-league service time. Regardless, Quentin played strong for the entire season at Tucson and posted an excellent stat line of a .301 average, 21 homers, 89 RBI, nine stolen bases and a .422 on-base percentage."

    Kendry Morales ANA, after an adjustment period, zooming up the ANA chart :

" ...  Morales ... was instrumental in the three-game sweep of the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League East Division playoff  ... batted.400 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI in the series ... He was promoted to Arkansas on June 13 after hitting in.344 in 22 games at Class A Rancho Cucamonga, his first professional experience in America. Morales started slowly, then blossomed. In 22 games from Aug. 13 to the regular season finale at Springfield on Sept. 4, Morales raised his average from.240 to.306, hit seven of his 17 Class AA home runs and earned the season’s final Texas League player of the week award. Gamboa [Manager Tom Gamboa] said the key was Morales learning to wait back on off-speed pitches ... When his average was bouncing around the high.100s and low.200s early in his stint with Arkansas, it looked like Morales was headed for another full year of Class AA ball next season. Now the speculation is he will have a good chance to contend for a Major League roster spot in the spring. "Wherever they send me I’m going to do my best," Morales said. "And when I’m given my opportunity, wherever it is, I know I’m going to perform there."  (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

    The one kid didn't turn out too bad!  Came across this in doing some other research.

Calgary Daily Herald, June 23, 1923.  Caption on the photo read: "Lou Gehrig (at right), pitcher, first baseman and home-run hitter of the Columbua University baseball team, and Edward Vanderbeck, who was an all-round athletic star at Fordham, have been signed up by Miller Huggins, manager of the New York American League team.  Gehrig is a New York boy, 20 years old.  He is 5 feet 10 1/2 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds."


12 September 2005

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Fri - Ryan Raburn 2B DET 1-4, RBI ... Marcus Thames LF DET 3-3, 3 R, BB, SB ... Kenny Baugh DET 7 3 2 1 4 8, 1.29 ... Brandon Phillips SS CLE 0-5, RBI ... Jason Cooper LF CLE 0-3, HBP ... Fausto Carmona CLE 7 5 4 4 1 5, 5.14 ... J.J. Furmaniak SS PIT 2-3, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI, HBP ... Angel Pagan CF NYN 1-3, 2B, R, BB ... Anderson Hernandez SS NYN 1-4, 3B, RBI ... Sat - Ryan Raburn DH DET 1-4 ... Marcus Thames LF DET 2-3, BB ... Brandon Phillips SS CLE 0-3, BB ... Jason Cooper LF CLE 0-4 ... J.J. Furmaniak SS PIT 1-5, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI ... Angel Pagan CF NYN 0-4, Sac ... Anderson Hernandez SS NYN 1-5, R ... Sun - Ryan Raburn DH DET 2-4, R, 2 RBI ... Marcus Thames LF DET 0-3, BB ... Brandon Phillips SS CLE 1-5, 2B ... Jason Cooper LF CLE 0-3, BB ... Jason Davis CLE 3 4 3 3 0 0, 4.00 ... J.J. Furmaniak SS PIT 0-3, R, HBP, SB ... Angel Pagan CF NYN 1-5 ... Anderson Hernandez SS NYN 0-4

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Fri - Josh Rupe TEX 8 4 1 1 2 5 ... Jesse Foppert SEA 5 3 3 3 3 2 ... Jack Cust OAK 3-4, homer ... ShinSoo Choo SEA 4-4, walk ... Sat - Nelson Cruz MIL 2-3, homer ... Andre Ethier OAK 3-5

EASTERN (AA)  --  Fri - Tom Gorzelanny PIT  9 4 0 0 0 13 ... Sat - Brandon Moss BOS 3-4, double ... Sun - Hanley Ramirez BOS 2-4, double, homer ... Brandon Moss BOS 2-4, double, homer ... Pat Osborn 3B CLE 4-5

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Fri - Brandon Sing CHN 3-4, 2 homers, 5 RBI ... Joel Guzman LA 1-3, double, 3 RBI ...Sat -  William Juarez LA 9 7 0 0 1 6 ...  Joel Guzman LA, at DH again, 3-4, double ... Russell Martin LA 2-5 ... Andy LaRoche LA 2-5

TEXAS (AA)  --  Fri - Adam Jones SEA 2-4, homer ... Sat - Daric Barton OAK 2-5, double ... Jeremy Brown OAK 2-3, double, 2 walks ... Adam Jones SEA 3-4, double

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Fri - yikes, Garrett Mock ARZ 1-1/3 10 7 7 2 0 ... Chris Lubanski KC, unreal, 4-5, the cycle, walk, 4 RBI (13 for 15 in the playoffs) ...  Sat - Cesar Carrillo SD 5 6 2 2 2 9 ... Colt Morton, catcher SD, 2-3, double, homer, 3 RBI ... Matt Miller COL, up for the playoffs after a 30-homer regular season in the SAL, 4-4 ... Ian Stewart COL 1-2, 2 walks ... Kevin Frandsen 2B SF 4-5, double ... Nate Schierholtz SF 3-5, walk, 3 RBI ... Juan Morillo COL 1/3 3 6 6 3 0 ... Phil Avlas catcher ARZ 2-3, homer, 3 RBI ... Danny Richar SS ARZ  3-3, 2 triples ... Sun - Troy Tulowitzki SS COL 3-4, walk, 2 RBI ... Joe Gaetti COL 1-4, homer ... Colt Morton SD 2-3, double ... Danny Richar 2-2, 2 walks, 2 doubles, 3 RBI

CAROLINA (A+) --  Sat - Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B CLE 2-4, homer ... Sun - Kouzmanoff 2-4, homer ... Jeff Fiorentino BAL 4-5, homer ... Garrett Olson BAL 7 2 0 0 1 6

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Fri - Brent Clevlen DET 2-5, homer, 4 RBI ... DH Brian Martin 4-5, homer, 6 RBI

MIDWEST (A) --  Fri - Kevin Slowey MIN 7 5 2 2 3 5 ... David Winfree MIN 3-5, double ... Sat - Jeff Clement SEA 3-5, 2 homers, 5 RBI ... Sun - Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 2-3, homer ... Jeff Clement SEA 1-4 ... Oswaldo Navarro SS SEA 4-5, 2 doubles, 5 RBI

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Fri -- Jose Coronado NYN 3-5, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs ...  Carlos Perez BAL 2 6 4 4 3 1, L ...  Juan Gutierrez BAL 2-4, 2 solo homers ... Sat - Ambiorix Concepcion CF NYN 3-4 walk, 2 doubles ... Luis Ramirez BAL 2 5 5 5 1 2


NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) --  Sat - Ryan Patterson TOR 2-6, double, homer, 3 RBI ... Nick Thomas TOR 3-5, double, homer ... Andrew McCutchen CF PIT 1-4, 3 Ks ... Sun - Cory Patton RF TOR 2-5, 3R, 3B, HR, 3RBI, BB, K ... Ryan Patterson CF TOR 1-4, R, 2B, 2K ... Jacob Butler LF TOR 5-6, 3R, 2 2B, 6RBI, K ... Jeff Larish DH DET 2-5, 2B, 3K ... Jay Sborz DET 2 6 7 7 3 1

NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) --  Fri - Taylor Teagarden TEX 2-3, double, walk ... Sat - Michael Madsen OAK 7-1/3 1 0 0 1 9

PIONEER (ROOKIE) --  Fri - Ken Holmberg 2B MIL 4-5, double, 2 homers ... Angel Salome, back for the playoffs, 3-4 ... Jay Bruce CIN 2-4, homer ...  Jose Arredondo ANA 8 2 1 0 1 13 ... Sat - Travis Wood CIN 4 4 3 3 2 6 ... Ryan Crew SS MIL 3-4, double ... Ken Holmberg MIL 2-3, walk ... Brandon Roberts CIN CF & leadoff, 3-5, double, triple ... Nick Adenhart ANA 6 3 0 0 1 7 ... Sun - Daniel Hawkins ANA 5 1 0 0 2  ... Mark Trumbo ANA 2-4, double, homer

  Troop Movements ...  WAS - Ryan Church activated from DL ... ATL - Eddie Perez activated from DL, Adam Bernero designated for assignment, Mike Hampton activated ... PHI - Cory Lidle activated from DL ... PIT - Oliver Perez activated from DL ... KC - Donnie Murphy activated from DL ... HOU - Jeff Bagwell activated from DL ... FLO - signed Paul Quantrill, designated Ryan Jorgensen for assignment ... OAK - Ron Flores up ... ARZ - Shawn Estes activated from DL ...CHA - Joe Crede activated ... NYN - claimed Todd Self off waivers from HOU, activated Mike Piazza, Jeff Keppinger up ...

    Baseball America has the details on the bizarre happenings in the Luke Hochevar negotiations with LA ... and, just for fun, John Sickels has posted a forecast of the MLB career of ... Delmon Young.    

     On the Texas farm ... top kids selected :

" ... Texas Rangers announced today that right-handed pitcher Thomas Diamond was named the organization's ... Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, third baseman Travis Metcalf was named ... Minor League Player of the Year. Diamond, the Rangers' first selection (10th overall) in last year's June draft, combined to go 13- 4 with a 3.53 ERA (59 ER/150.1 IP) and 169 strikeouts in 28 games/starts for Bakersfield (A) and Frisco (AA). The 22-year-old right-hander ranked first among Texas full-season minor leaguers in wins, ERA and strikeouts ...  Diamond earned California League Postseason All-Star honors after going 8-0, 1.99 (18 ER/81.1 IP) with 101 strikeouts in 14 games/starts with Bakersfield in 2005. Metcalf, the Rangers' 11th round selection in last year's June draft, batted .291 (147-505) with 32 doubles, 22 home runs and 94 RBI in 132 games for Bakersfield this season. The former University of Kansas standout led the Blaze in games played, home runs and RBI. Metcalf tied for 2nd-most among Texas farmhands in RBI and ranked 3rd in home runs."  (Bakersfield Blaze)

    Scott Rex, OnDeck, with his final Southern  & Eastern  League prospect ratings.

 1. Chad Billingsley, RHP, LA    6. Andy LaRoche, 3B, LA
 2. Jeremy Hermida, OF, FLO      7. Chris Young, OF, CHA    
 3. Joel Guzman, SS, LA          8. Felix Pie, OF, CHN
 4. Jeff Niemann, RHP, TB        9. Stephen Drew, SS, ARZ
 5. Scott Olsen, LHP, FLO       10. Greg Miller, LHP, LA
 1. Cole Hamels, LHP, PHI        6. Jon Lester, LHP, BOS 
 2. Justin Verlander, RHP, DET   7. Matt Moses, 3B, MIN
 3. Dustin McGowan, RHP, TOR     8. Hanley Ramirez, SS, BOS
 4. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, WAS      9. Anibal Sanchez, RHP, BOS
 5. Lastings Milledge, OF, NYN  10. Nick Markakis, OF, BAL

   David Regan, RotoAmerica, on an ARZ sleeper :

" ... Another guy to watch is Diamondbacks 1B Chris Carter. If he ever learns to be an adequate 1B, he could be an All-Star because his bat is incredible. Look at this line: CAL League: .296/.370/.522 (21 HR); Texas League: .297/.397/.563 (10 HR). Overall, he hit .296 with 31 HR, 115 RBI, 65 walks, and 77 K's. Impressive." 


Our league correspondents :  INTERNATIONAL Herb Walters / PACIFIC COAST JDM  / EASTERN Ralph Marston  / SOUTHERN Jason Collette   / TEXAS Aman Reaka  / FLORIDA STATE Wayne Stevens  / CAROLINA Troy Salvior  / CALIFORNIA JDM  / MIDWEST Bob Reed  / SOUTH ATLANTIC Dave Scott  / NEW YORK-PENN Harry Almquist  / NORTHWEST JDM  / APPALACHIAN  Scott Howes  / PIONEER Joe McAnally / GULF COAST JDM  / ARIZONA JDM

 
 

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

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