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23 October, 2005
AFL - Alex Gordon KC 1-2, double, 3 walks ... Brandon Wood
LAA 2-5, .333 ... Kurt Suzuki OAK 2-3, double ... Daric
Barton OAK 0-4, .275 ... James Loney LAD 4-4, .471 ...
Stephen Drew ARZ 1-4, triple, .370 ... Andre Ethier OAK
2-5, double, triple, .372 ... Glen Perkins MIN 5 5 2 2 2 5, 2.12
... Drew Meyer TEX 3-4, .381 ... Chris Iannetta COL
2-3, 2 doubles ... Jered Weaver LAA 2-2/3 3 3 1 0 5, 7.20 ...
Adam Lind TOR 3-4 ... Josh Fields CHA 2-3, 3rd & 4th
homers, .304
It's the Yankees on tap at
SportsBlurb as John Franco rates the New York farm.
" ... 1. Eric Duncan ... has been the
Yankees’ most publicized piece of trade bait for at least a year now, and as a
result, the Yankees have rushed him up the minor league ladder in order to
enhance his trade value. Duncan spent the season at Double-A Trenton at the age
of 20, hitting just .235 but swatting 19 home runs and drawing a respectable 56
walks in 537 at-bats. His lack of experience was evidenced by the fact that he
was overmatched at times, but he displayed a mature approach to hitting and plus
power potential ... defense at third base is passable; he has a strong arm, but
his fielding is erratic and his range is limited."
" ... 6. Jose Tabata ... played very
well in his American debut, hitting .314/.382/.417 as a 16-year old in the Gulf
Coast League. He led the league in stolen bases with 22 and walked more than he
struck out (15 walks and 14 strikeouts in 156 at-bats). He is projected to
develop above-average home run power and has the speed, range, and arm to play
centerfield regularly. 156 at-bats in the lowest possible minor league is a very
small sample size, but Tabata has the potential to be something special."
Jim Street, MLB.com, on Jeff Clement SEA :
" ... I am extremely pleased with his throwing,
receiving and blocking," said Mariners Minor League catching instructor Roger
Hansen said, "and the more we can do it, the better he'll get." ... Clement said
he doesn't have a timetable for reaching the Major Leagues -- instead, he
prefers to leave that up to club officials. But he could wind up catching Felix
Hernandez on a regular basis sooner rather than later. "There is no doubt in my
mind that in a couple of years, three at the most, he'll be a big-league
catcher," Hansen said. "I guarantee it. His bat is ready now, and it's just a
matter of going through the process of learning how to catch, handling the
pitchers, throwing to bases and controlling the running game."
22 October, 2005
AFL - Adam Miller CLE, tough time regaining form, 4-2/3 7 6 6 1 3 ...
Reggie Abercrombie FLO 3-4, double, homer, 3 RBI, .372 ...
Lastings Milledge NYN 1-4, homer, .306 ... Eric Patterson
2B CHN 3-6, double, .243 ... Ryan Garko CLE 1-3, 3 RBI, .341 ...
Ian Stewart COL 1-3, double, 3rd error, walk, .316 ... Ryan
Zimmerman WAS 5-5, .417 ... Matt Murton CHN 1-4, homer, 3 RBI,
.405 ... Chris Lambert STL 3-2/3 2 1 1 2 5, 2.08 ... Howie Kendrick
LAA 2-5, .435 ... Kendry Morales LAA 3-4, .400 ... Brandon
Wood LAA 1-4, .327 ... Daric Barton OAK 2-3, double, .306
Troop movements ... the one signing which might have more impact than most
player moves ... Leo Mazzone to BAL as pitching coach ... guys with
Cabrera, Maine, Penn, Loewen, Bedard ought to be a little happier with Leo
aboard.
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, reviews the HOU system, including :
" ... Jimmy Barthmaier ... Astros may
have found a steal in the 13th round of the 2003 draft. Barthmaier spent two
years in the short-season Appy League before the Astros took the kid gloves off
in 2005. Barthmaier, 21, responded by finishing second in the South Atlantic
League with a 2.27 ERA and fifth with 142 strikeouts in 134 2/3 IP."
" ... Troy Patton ... 2004
ninth-rounder emerged as one of the top southpaws in the Minor Leagues in his
first full season, posting a combined 2.18 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 119 2/3 IP
with Lexington and Salem."
" ... Hunter Pence ... Astros
said they liked Pence's power potential when they made him their first selection
in 2004 (in the second round). He's already starting to fulfill it, tying for
the organization lead with 31 homers. Twenty-five of those came in 80 games in
the South Atlantic League and he kept on hitting in 151 at-bats up a level in
Salem. For the year, Pence hit .327, drove in 90 runs and slugged .598."
Aaron Gleeman, at RotoWorld, adds the 2B component to his
position-by-position series as he picks the top fantasy players for the
long-term. The Angels' Howie Kendrick is the lone true rookie on the 2B
chart and one of few young stars selected thus far (catching, first base, second
base now completed, Aaron's top 10s at the bottom) :
2B, No. 7 " ... Howie Kendrick ...
It’s hard to find a hitter who has had more success as a pro ...
second-round pick back in 2002, he’s hit .318, .368, .367, .384, and .342 in
five stops along the organizational ladder. This year Kendrick smacked 19 homers
and a total of 70 extra-base hits in 109 games between Single-A and Double-A, to
go along with a ridiculous .367 batting average. Kendrick even tossed in 25
steals, making him a potential all-around fantasy threat starting in 2007 or
so."
2B, No. 9 " ... Jose Lopez ...
Originally a shortstop ...shifted to second base as he added strength and put on
weight. He still figures to be a solid defender there, but his offense in two
stints with the Mariners has been awful ... but he’s only 22 years old and put
up very good numbers in parts of two seasons at Triple-A ... should eventually
develop into a consistent .280-15-70 player with 5-10 stolen bases."
Catcher, No. 4 " ... Brian
McCann ... just about any catcher who can hit a little bit has a ton
of value. Any catcher who can hit a little bit and is as young as Brian McCann
shoots up the rankings. ... stepped right into the lineup for Estrada and didn’t
miss a beat, hitting .278/.345/.400 in 59 games for the Braves. His ascent up
the organizational ladder this season has made Estrada expendable, and Atlanta
may turn the everyday job over to McCann in 2006."
Catcher, No. 7 " ... Jeff Mathis
... bounced back from a rough season at Double-A in 2004 to hit
.276/.340/.499 with 21 homers and 73 RBIs at Triple-A this season. He is
basically big-league ready both offensively and defensively despite not turning
23 until next March, but his role with the Angels will depend on what they
decide to do with Molina, who is a free agent this offseason."
Catcher, No. 10 " ... Guillermo
Quiroz ... healthy now and expected to take over as Toronto’s everyday
catcher in 2006. He’s been disappointing offensively in each of the past two
seasons, but he doesn’t turn 24 until next month, the Blue Jays clearly still
think a lot of him, and he hit .282/.372/.518 with 20 homers and 79 RBIs at
Double-A back in 2003."
1B, No. 6 " ... Ryan Howard
... Finally given a long-deserved and overdue chance at a regular gig ...
took full advantage and staked his claim to the starting job in Philadelphia ...
batted .288/.356/.567 in 88 games with the Phillies, blasting 22 homers while
driving in 63 runs. The bad news? He turns 26 next month after wasting some time
in the minors behind Thome, may struggle to post good batting averages due to
striking out as often as any hitter in baseball, and has been helpless against
left-handed pitching."
1B, No. 7 " ... Prince Fielder
... remains stuck behind Lyle Overbay in Milwaukee. If the Brewers were still in
the AL the 21-year-old Fielder would have been the team’s everyday designated
hitter six months ago, but instead he spent the year shuttling back and forth
between Triple-A and a major-league bench. He hit .293 with 30 homers and 96
RBIs in 437 total at-bats, and will step right into the middle of the lineup and
start launching bombs in Miller Park the minute the Brewers decide to part with
Overbay."
Catcher First Base Second Base
1 Victor Martinez Albert Pujols Alfonso Soriano
2 Joe Mauer Mark Teixeira Chase Utley
3 Jason Varitek David Ortiz Rickie Weeks
4 Brian McCann Derrek Lee Marcus Giles
5 Ramon Hernandez Travis Hafner Jorge Cantu
6 Michael Barrett Ryan Howard Robinson Cano
7 Jeff Mathis Prince Fielder Howie Kendrick
8 Jorge Posada Todd Helton Brian Roberts
9 Ivan Rodriguez Richie Sexson Jose Lopez
10 Guillermo Quiroz Justin Morneau Placido Polanco
Neil Walker, Pirates' catcher of the future, takes a turn at the hot
corner :
" ... Walker, 20, the Pirates' first-round pick in
the 2004 draft, is taking ground balls at third base before games in the Arizona
Fall League. "Right now, it's preliminary," said Brian Graham, the Pirates'
player development director. "But it gives him an option and us an option."
Walker began fielding ground balls at third base in the Instructional League in
Bradenton, Fla. "We started him on a program with footwork and with his hands to
get used to it," Graham said. "It's early, but it looks like he has the agility,
the balance, the coordination and the athleticism to do it." "They asked me if I
felt comfortable doing it," Walker said. "I told them, 'It's not in my hands.
It's in your hands.' " "Nothing's set in stone," Graham said. "I think he's
going to be a big-league catcher, but his bat may be ready for the big leagues
before his catching." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
From
Baseball America, a scouts' view of KC third sacker Alex Gordon :
" ... He’s clean. Clean in his footwork, in his
throws across the diamond, and in his ability to get to the bag quickly. The bat
is plus-plus. (1995 No. 1 overall pick, also from Nebraska Darin) Erstad is the
guy you compare him to, but they just went to the same classrooms and played on
the same field. Gordon has big power with a good-looking swing from the left
side that has nice leverage. “Before his first game here, I watched him take BP
and there was power to all fields. Solid-average runner—he won’t clog them up."
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, on Jed Lowrie BOS 2B-SS :
" ... A second baseman at Stanford, Lowrie played 40
games at shortstop and 11 at second base at short-season Lowell, where he hit
.328/.429/.448 and led the New York-Penn League in on-base percentage. The
consensus before the draft was that he was an offensive second baseman, but the
Red Sox planned all along to see what he could do at the more challenging
position. Lowrie's hands, which give him a quick bat, also are an asset on
defense. He has the arm to play shortstop and surprised Boston with how well he
took to the position. The biggest issue was his footwork, as he needed to
improve his first step to both sides. The Red Sox will keep him at shortstop if
possible as he moves up the ladder, though the system has a number of prospects
at the position ... . I think you'll see him open 2006 at high Class A
Wilmington."
21 October, 2005
AFL - Howie Kendrick LAA 3-5, 2nd homer, .439 ... Brandon Wood
LAA 2-4, double, .333 ... Billy Butler KC 3-4, 4th douuble, 3rd
homer, .341 ... Lastings Milledge NYN, in LF, 1-4, .312 ...
Chris Young CF CHA 2-3, double, .263 ... Wes Bankston
TB 1-4, double, .357 ... Andy LaRoche LAD 2-4, double, .295 ...
Clint Nageotte SEA 5 3 1 1 1 9 ... Ian Stewart COL 3-4,
homer, walk, .314 ... Ryan Garko CLE 2-4, .342 ... Kevin Howard
CIN, back at 3B, 3-4, double, homer, .345
John Franco, SportsBlurb,
looks at the best of the BOS farm and views lefty John Lester as the best
of the lot :
" ... his outstanding performance during the
2005 season allows him to edge out Hanley Ramirez for the No.1 spot. He led the
Eastern League in strikeouts and ERA, fanning 163 batters in 148.1 innings while
posting a 2.61 ERA. Lester throws his fastball in the low 90s, and combines that
velocity with everything else you like to see from a fastball: late movement, a
strong downhill angle, and the ability to tail the fastball away from
left-handed batters ... changeup and curveball are inconsistent, but both have
the ability to be plus pitches as he matures. 21-year old left-handers with
similar stuff rarely have comparable control, and Lester should be at least a
good No.2 starter in the majors."
" ... 4. Anibal Sanchez ... might have
the highest ceiling of all of the Red Sox pitchers, but given the dominant
performance of their other pitchers at higher levels, he rates below Lester and
Papelbon. Sanchez has the stuff to lead the rotation of a championship team, if
he can develop consistency and improve his command. His fastball is consistently
in the low 90s with late life, and he has three good secondary pitches
highlighted by a changeup with arm movement that makes it indistinguishable from
his fastball."
Third sackers- Ian Stewart or Andy LaRoche?
" ... “To me, he’s [Stewart] the class of this
league,” a scout with an American League club said. “He just works so hard and
you have to love that makeup. No knock on Andy, who’s also a hard worker, but
Stewart has better bat speed, a better game plan against pitchers, better
actions around the bag, quicker reactions and a plus arm. His footwork needs
more work and he doesn’t move to his right very well. Bottom line is Stewart is
just more polished than LaRoche right now.” (Baseball America)
Kevin Czerwinski, MinorLeagueBaseball, on Ryan Garko CLE :
" ... Garko, a third-round pick out of Stanford in
2003, has always been able to hit. He had 19 homers and 77 RBIs while hitting
.303 this season at Triple-A Buffalo, but at the end of July, the organization
decided it was time for Garko to head out to first base ... With Victor Martinez
blossoming behind the plate in Cleveland, there isn't much need for Garko to
stay back there. And, since it's clear his bat is just about Major League-ready,
the Tribe decided a change was in order ... "I'm not JT Snow out there but
I'm making all the routine plays. Picking the balls out of the dirt isn't a
problem. The biggest thing is reading the ball off the bat. And that's just a
matter of getting reps." Cleveland's director of player development John Farrell
is as impressed with Garko's willingness to learn and improve as he is with the
youngster's booming bat. Garko's team-first, improve at-all-costs attitude is a
big reason he figures to play a prominent role for the Tribe at some point next
season, whether it's off the bench or at first."
20 October, 2005
AFL ... James Loney LAD pinch-hit homer (2) ... Adam Loewen
BAL, up to 12 scoreless innings, fronted a no-hitter into the 9th, 5 0 0 0 2 6
... Nick Markakis BAL 2-3, double, .333 ... Daric Barton
OAK 0-3, .286 ... Angel Guzman CHN, taking his lumps, 3 2 2 2 4 1,
6.75 ... Brad Snyder CLE 4-4, .366 ... Travis Hanson
STL 2-5, homer, .368 ... Larry Broadway WAS 1-3, double, .375 ...
Brendan Harris WAS 3-5, SB, .562
Ah, not another one.
" ... Greg Miller, who was considered the
organization's top left-handed pitching prospect before he missed all of last
season and a good chunk of this one following shoulder surgery, will miss the
rest of the Arizona Fall League season after experiencing discomfort in the same
shoulder. Dodgers player development director Terry Collins ... said the move is
precautionary. But Miller is in Los Angeles this week to meet with team
physician Dr. Frank Jobe. "We don't think (it's serious)," Collins said."
(Los Angeles Daily News)
Prince Fielder ... AFL break might just be temporary :
" ... His wife (Chanel) is pregnant," Brewers
general manager Doug Melvin said. "She had some issues and was going to see a
doctor, so he went home for a while. We're expecting him to go back." Fielder,
21, who has a 1-year-old son, Jaden, will be replaced on the roster by utility
man Vinny Rottino, a Racine native who was playing for the Brewers'
instructional league team. At the time of his departure, Fielder had played in
six games for the Peoria Javelinas and was hitting .143 (3 for 21) with two
homers, three RBI, three walks, eight strikeouts and two errors." (Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel)
John M. Barten, 'Til You're
Blue in the Face, on John Danks TEX :
" ... Danks gets into the low 90's. He could
even add a couple MPH onto that in the next couple of years. However his
breaking stuff is probably what gives him his upside potential. He has a killer
curveball and the makings of a quality changeup ... whenever I think about
Danks, I think about Barry Zito. He has that same kind of profile where his
fastball is better than people will give him credit for. And he has alright
command, but nothing to write home about ... struggled in his first
exposure to AA, but that's not completely unexpected for somebody his age. He
dominated batters his own age with his stuff and now he's running into more
advanced guys that will force him to make adjustments and work on these
weaknesses. One thing that does give me pause is the number of home runs he gave
up, especially in Frisco ... ceiling is as a solid #2/average #1 starter."
19 October, 2005
Getting into 2006 gear ... check the home page for the updated pages, including
the Scoresheet Records pages (thanks to all for the names to go along with the
team names), Top 100s (Bob Reed the first up for 2006), and the Top 10s ...
AFL Oct 12th - Angel Guzman CHN 3-2/3 6 4 4 2 4 ... Kendry
Morales LAA 2-4, double ... Howie Kendrick LAA 3-5, double ...
Adam Loewen BAL, now 7 scoreless innings, 4 2 0 0 4 2 ... Oct
13th - Greg Miller LAD 1 2 2 1 1 0 ... Nick
Markakis BAL 3-3, double ... Stephen Drew ARZ 4-5, 3 doubles
... Matt Kemp LAD 3-5 ... Brandon Wood LAA 1-4, 9th
homer ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-5 ... Kendry Morales
LAA 2-4, double ... Oct 14th - Adam Miller CLE 3 5 3 3 0 2 ...
Brad Snyder CLE 4-5, 2 homers ... Ryan Garko CLE 2-4, 2
doubles, 4 RBI ... Howie Kendrick LAA 3-4 ... Miguel
Montero ARZ 2-4 ... Matt Moses MIN 2-4, homer ... Oct 15th -
Prince Fielder MIL 1-3, homer ... Ryan Garko CLE
3-3, 2 doubles, homer, 2 walks ... James Loney LAD 2-4, double,
homer, 3 RBI ... Kendry Morales LAA 2-4, homer ... Oct 16th - no
games ... Oct 17th - Glen Perkins MIN 5 3 1 1 1 8 ... Ian
Stewart COL 3-4 ... Jeff Clement SEA 1-2, homer ...
Prince Fielder MIL 1-5, homer ... Eric Duncan NYA 2-4,
2 doubles ... Adam Jones CF SEA 1-2, homer ... Jered
Weaver LAA 2-1/3 5 5 5 2 2, 8.59 ... Oct 18th - Denard Span MIN 3-4
... Lastings Milledge NYN 1-3 .. Eric Duncan NYA 2-4, double
Brandon Wood, Scott Mathieson the top dogs of the AFL :
" ... Wood's impressive week ... included four
home runs in one game ... added two more homers later in the week,
bringing him to a league-leading nine (one more than than Conor Jackson and
Jason Repko, the overall AFL home run leaders from 2004, had all last season).
Wood has 20 RBIs, 14 hits and 12 runs so far in 2005 ... Mathieson, did
not record a decision but did earn a 3.18 ERA in three starts last week. Through
11 1/3 innings, Mathieson leads the AFL with 22 strikeouts. Opponents are only
batting .238 against the right-hander. Mathieson was a 17th-round draft pick by
the Phillies in 2002." (MiLB.com)
Venezuelan loop underway ... Alberto Callaspo LAA the early hitting
leader, 5-8, homer.
MIL pulls Prince Fielder off its AFL roster :
" ... Fielder left because of "personal issues,"
according to Milwaukee farm director Reid Nichols, who declined to comment any
further on Fielder's situation ... got married during the Triple-A All-Star
break and made his Major League debut in June. But he remained estranged from
his father, former Major League slugger Cecil Fielder, who has been dealing with
lawsuits and financial woes. Prince told the Detroit News earlier this year that
his father stole $200,000 of his $2.4 million bonus." (MLB.com)
SportsBlurb.com kicks off its
annual Top 10s with a preview of the BAL system where John Franco selects
Nick Markakis as the cream of the crop :
" ... Nick Markakis ...
emerged as a legitimate candidate for stardom during the 2005 season, hitting
.300 with 12 home runs at High-A Frederick to earn a promotion to Double-A
Bowie. Markakis hit .339 in 124 at-bats at Bowie, and though he managed just
three home runs, he posted a .420 OBP and .992 OPS as a 21-year old ...
playing an adequate center field. His strong arm will eventually push him to
right field, where his smooth swing and line-drive approach will draw
comparisons to Paul O’Neill."
" ... Brandon Snyder ...
the Orioles’ No. 1 pick in 2005 ... played shortstop most of the time in
high school and is new to the tools of ignorance, but his pedigree and work
ethic should enable him to succeed quickly. His offensive game is very advanced
for a high school player, as he pairs his ability to pull the ball with
authority with good patience and the ability to hit the ball to all fields. His
arm strength is good, but he will need to fine-tune his release in order to be
an average defender behind the plate. If he does, he will fit somewhere between
Jorge Posada and Victor Martinez when he reaches his peak."
Team-by-team reviews/previews continue at MiLB.com. The CLE, DET and COL
systems among the latest posted :
" ... Jeremy Sowers ... one of the
fastest movers in all of Minor League Baseball in 2005, making his pro debut
with Kinston in April, spending the summer months in Double-A Akron and then
finishing the season at Triple-A Buffalo. And his numbers just got better and
better at every level ... All told, the 22-year-old Vanderbilt product was
14-4 with a 2.37 ERA."
" ... Stephen Head ... is doing
such a good imitation of Michael Aubrey that the impersonator might just be
better than the original. Both Head (Ole Miss) and Aubrey (Tulane) were two-way
stars in college but gave up pitching when they reached the Minor Leagues.
Aubrey hit .348 with five homers and 19 RBIs with Lake County in 2003 and .339
with 10 homers and 60 RBIs at Kinston in '04. Head matched that output in his
rookie campaign, mauling New York-Penn League pitching to the tune of .432/6/14
in 10 games before it was clear he was in the wrong league and moved to Kinston,
where he hit .286 with four homers and 36 RBIs in 47 games."
" ... Cameron Maybin ... the 6-foot-3,
200-pound outfielder is overflowing with athletic ability. He's drawn
comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr. and is said to have hit a home run in high school
that traveled approximately 500 feet. He's just the second high school position
player taken in the first round by the Tigers in the past 11 years."
" ... Troy Tulowitzki ... was one of
the first top picks to be on the field in 2005, joining Modesto on June 21. The
seventh overall pick got off to a rocky 5-for-29 (.172) start and then pulled
quadriceps muscle on July 4 while running the bases. But Tulowitzki, a known
gamer, was back in the lineup two weeks later and hit an even .300 through the
close of the season. Despite the slow start and lingering effects of the injury,
the former Long Beach State Dirtbag hit four homers and had 14 RBIs in 22
games."
" ... Ian Stewart ... the
20-year-old third baseman scuffled for the first time since being drafted 10th
overall in 2003, missing all of April with a hamstring injury and then hitting
just .211 in May. Stewart got his average up to .274 by season's end -- thanks
in large part to a .345 clip in July -- and he did hit 17 home runs while
posting 86 RBIs and 83 runs, but those numbers paled in comparison to the
success he experienced in his first two seasons. Still, the 6-foot-3 left-handed
swinger is young and has all the tools to be a middle-of-the-order hitter at the
Major League level."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, on
Yusmeiro Petit NYN and ... Brandon Wood or Stephen
Drew :
" ... Many of these "pitchability" guys turn out to
be disappointing, and I can understand why some scouts retain skepticism about
him. Pettit is also a fly ball pitcher, and he could face the same kind of
adjustment problems that Zach Greinke faced this year ... However, given Petit's
exceptional command, his young age (just 21), and his track record to date, he
still has to be rated among the better prospects in the game. He still looks
like a Grade B+ guy to me, but if the Mets rush him, there's a good chance he
will struggle initially."
" ... Given a normal growth curve from age 22,
Drew should be an excellent player, capable of hitting .290+ with a high on-base
percentage and more power than most middle infielders. Wood: Given a normal
growth curve from age 20, Wood should be an excellent player, capable of hitting
.290+. His OBP may not be as impressive as Drew's, but he should develop more
power. Advantage: Wood has the advantage here due to age, being two years
younger than Drew. OVERALL As I see it, Wood has better intangibles and better
physical projection. They are even in physicality, tools, defense, and
performance. Overall I rate Wood as a slightly better prospect, keeping in mind
that they are both Grade A guys."
Wade Townsend TB ... another one bites the dust :
" ... Townsend, tore the ulnar collateral
ligament in his right elbow while competing in the Arizona Fall League. While
the team stopped short of saying Townsend's injury will require Tommy John
surgery, a torn UCL makes it extremely likely that the 22-year-old right-hander
will need the ligament-replacement procedure and will be out of action for at
least a year ... Fellow Owls alumnus Jeff Niemann was the No. 4
overall pick in 2004. He finished his first pro season with a sore shoulder,
from which he continues to recover." (Tampa Tribune)
12 October, 2005
AFL ... Jered Weaver LAA 3 6 2 2 0 4 ... Brandon Wood LAA,
pretty lame compared to Monday's 4-homer day :-) but 2-4, double, 8th
homer, .444 ... Glen Perkins MIN 4 2 0 0 0 6 ... what's with
Eric Duncan NYA? 3-4, 4th & 5th homers, 4 RBI, .522 ... Matt
Murton CHN 3-4, 3 doubles (6), .636 ... Eric Patterson CHN 2-6,
double, .200 ... Prince Fielder MIL 0-5, 3 Ks, error ... Daric Barton
OAK 3-3, walk, .353
Troop movements ... COL - claimed catcher Miguel Ojeda on waivers ... SEA -
Justin Leone outright to AAA ...
Jason Ratliff, MLB.com, on the WSox system :
" ... Jerry Owens ... Sox seem to have
gotten a steal in February when they received Owens from the Washington
Nationals for 27-year-old journeyman Alex Escobar ... 6-foot-3 speedster
spent two years on the football team at UCLA before transferring to Masters
College (Calif.), where in just his second year playing baseball since his
sophomore year of high school he set the school's single-season record by
hitting .451 in 2003. The raw talent had his first eye-opening season this year,
leading the Southern League in hitting (.331) and hits (173) while finishing
second in runs (99) and third in stolen bases (38)."
" ... Lance Broadway ... hit the
wall in his final two outings for Class A Winston-Salem, making his final
numbers of 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA a bit misleading. Broadway had already tossed 117
innings in compiling a nation-best 15 wins for TCU before joining the Warthogs,
and he threw 47 2/3 effective frames in the Carolina League before getting
hammered for 13 runs on 17 hits in his last 7 1/3 innings. Excluding those final
two starts, Broadway was 1-1 with a 2.83 ERA and a .255 batting average against.
Overall, he struck out 58 hitters in 55 innings."
" ... Giovany Gonzalez ...
one of the most impressive young pitchers in the Minors in 2005. At just 19, he
breezed through the South Atlantic League, where he held hitters to a .175
average while striking out 84 in just 57 2/3 innings and posting a 1.87 ERA.
Then, despite being one of the youngest hurlers in the Carolina League, Gonzalez
went 8-3 with a 3.56 ERA. His strikeout ratio dipped a bit, as he fanned 79 in
73 1/3 innings, but he still held hitters to a .228 average."
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, reviews the Reds' kids :
" ... Homer Bailey ... despite pitching
in a tandem system with Dayton, Bailey managed to lead the organization in
strikeouts, whiffing 125 in 103 2/3 IP. Even though he had a 4.43 ERA, the
19-year-old held Midwest League hitters to a .232 batting average."
" ... Travis Wood, ... high
school lefty was terrific at two levels in his debut. Between the GCL and
Pioneer League, Wood posted a 1.29 ERA in 48 2/3 innings, striking out 67 and
walking 20. Combined, hitters managed a feeble .166 average against the
southpaw."
" ... Joey Votto ... spent the year
with the Reds' new FSL affiliate in Sarasota. His average took a hit in the
pitching-friendly league, but he still managed to hit 18 homers and drive in 83
runs in 124 games. He seemed to lose some of his patience, drawing 52 walks and
striking out 122 times, as opposed to 90 bases on balls in 2004."
11 October, 2005
AFL ... unreal ... Brandon Wood LAA 5-6, 4 homers (7), 6 RBI, 5 runs,
.435 ... Kendry Morales LAA 2-4, 2 doubles, .500 ... Howie
Kendrick LAA 2-5, double, homer, 4 RBI, .500 ... Billy Butler
KC 1-5, 2nd homer, .333 ... Eric Duncan NYA 3B 1-4, 3rd homer,
.474 ... Tony Blanco OF WAS 2-5, 2 homers ... Miguel
Montero ARZ 3-6, grandslam, 6 RBI ... Stephen Drew ARZ 3-6,
double, 4th homer ... Andre Ethier 2-4, 2 doubles, .400 ...
Matt Murton OF CHN 2-3, 2 doubles, .571 ... Ryan Garko
CLE 1-3, 2nd homer ... Greg Miller LAD 2 2 0 0 1 2 ... Michael
Bourn OF PHI 4-5, triple, 4 RBI, .368
Troop movements ... CLE - claimed Sean
Douglass SP off waivers ... DET - released Gary Knotts, sent Matt Ginter, Jason
Karnuth, Doug Creek, Vic Darensbourg and Kevin Hooper outright to AAA ... SEA -
Jaime Bubela outright to AAA ... TEX - Justin Thompson, free agent ... CIN -
D'Angelo Jimenez, Chris Booker and Ben Weber free agents ... HOU - Travis
Driskill, Brandon Duckworth and Scott Strickland outright to AAA ... MIN -
purchased the contract of Willie Eyre ...
John Sickels on Chuck James
ATL :
" ... James of the Braves is my current
favorite pitching prospect. That doesn't mean I think he's the best, rather he
is just my favorite. Pitching at three levels this year, James went a combined
13-7, 2.12 in 29 starts, with a 193/36 K/BB ratio in 161 innings, allowing just
103 hits. His batting-average-against was a mere .179. That's terrific
performance from anyone, but keep in mind that James does NOT have a blazing
fastball, working at 90 MPH on a good day. Despite the lack of plus velocity, he
has the K/IP and H/IP ratios of a power pitcher, and he's maintained them
against good competition. "
10 October, 2005
Arizona Fall League ... Oct 7 - not too promising initial outings for Wade
Townsend TB 2 3 2 2 0 2 or Greg Miller LA 1 1 1 1 1 2 ...
Brandon Wood LAA 2-4 ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-4 ...
Kendry Morales LAA 2-3, homer ... Clint Nageotte SEA 3
1 0 0 0 1 ... Neil Walker PIT 2-3, homer ... Jeff
Clement SEA 2-4, homer ... Ian Stewart COL 2-5, double, homer,
walk, 4 RBI ... Eric Duncan NYA 1B 4-5, double ... Lastings
Milledge NYN 3-5, homer, 3 RBI
Oct 8 - Taylor Tankersley FLO 3 4 4 4 1 2 ...
Eric Duncan NYA, at 3B, 2-5, 2 homers, 4 RBI, .533 ... Daric
Barton OAK 0-3, .200 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 3-4, 3rd homer,
.583 ... Miguel Montero ARZ catcher 2-5, homer ... Brandon
Wood LAA 1-5, 3rd homer, 3 RBI ... Kendry Morales LAA 3-5,
double ... Billy Butler KC 3-5, double, 3 RBI, .368 ... Howie
Kendrick LAA 2-5 ... Adam Miller CLE 3 3 0 0 0 1 ...
Chris Denorfia OF CIN 2-2, triple, 3 walks, 3 RBI ... Dan Ortmeier
OF SF 2-3, double, .471 ... no games Sunday.
Troop movements ... lots of movement as teams clear spots on their 40-man
rosters ... COL - declined a 2006 club option on C Todd Greene, Dustan Mohr a FA
... BAL - 2B Bernie Castro, 1B Alejandro Freire, OF Ramon Nivar, OF Keith Reed
and SS Eddie Rogers outright to AAA ... CLE- RHP Kyle Denney and OF Jeff
Liefer outright to AAA ... KC - claimed RHP Joel Peralta off waivers from LAA,
OF Terrence Long and RHP Nate Field elected free agency ... MIN -
Outrighted the contracts of C Matthew LeCroy, OF Jason Tyner and INF Glenn
Williams to AAA, declined the 2006 club option on P Joe Mays ... TEX - RHP Kevin
Gryboski and LHP Michael Tejera outright to AAA ... MIL - LHP Luis Pena,
infielder Trent Durrington, outfielder Chris Magruder, RHP Victor Santos, RHP
Julio Santana outright to AAA ... TB - Eric Munson outright to AAA ... CHA -
Ryan Wing, David Sanders outright to AAA ...
Baseball America zooms through it's Minor League All-Stars, including its picks
as the best at each level :
" ... Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia ...
makes it back-to-back years that a Braves catcher occupies this spot. His
combination of switch-hitting power, large, powerful frame and off-the-charts
work ethic has earned him comparisons to Red Sox stalwart Jason Varitek.
Saltalamacchia’s power helped him post the highest slugging percentage in the
history of the Myrtle Beach franchise."
" ... Third Base: Andy LaRoche ... in
the running for the minor league home run title before the Dodgers promoted him
from to Double-A Jacksonville after he ripped 20 homers in the first half at
high Class A Vero Beach. With his combination of athleticism and strength,
LaRoche fit right in with a prospect-laden Suns team and helped it win the
Southern League championship. The Dodgers have no obvious short-term answer at
third base in Los Angeles, but LaRoche is developing into the long-term
solution."
Baseball America wrapped up its annual Top 20 by League feature with
Chris Kline in
the chat room answering questions on the picks in the International League :
Ryan Garko CLE " ... Garko is much more
athletic and has excellent leadership skills that go back to high school. The
Tribe was committed to getting him as many innings as possible behind the plate
early on, then suddenly wavered and put him at first base. He's a serviceable
first baseman, and if it's any consolation, he projects more as an everyday
player there than behind the plate. Hard not to believe in that bat, and I'm
interested to see how far he's come defensively at first in the AFL."
Curtis Granderson DET " ...
There were times in Granderson's career where he was viewed as nothing more than
a fourth outfielder, but I think he's an everyday player who can play all three
spots. He's a gap hitter who was born to play in Comerica Park ... .Needs to
make more consistent contact--projects as a .280-10-60 type player to me batting
in the No. 2 hole."
Francisco Liriano or Zack
Duke? " ... Liriano has better stuff, obviously, but all Duke does is
find ways to win at every level. I'll take Duke for the competitive edge, and
he's more polished than Liriano at this point. For career, it'll be close--they
should both be frontline starters for years--I'll still go Duke."
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, in the chat room on the Pacific Coast League Top 20 :
Carlos Quentin ARZ CF? " ... The
consensus among people I talked to is that Quentin isn't cut out for center
field. His jumps are OK but he just doesn't have the natural speed for the
position. However, the Diamondbacks could decide they want his bat in the lineup
and play him there and see how it goes. Remember, Lance Berkman logged a lot of
time in center for the Astros."
Ian Kinsler 2B TEX " ... Kinsler would
have made a PCL Top 30 if we went that deep. He didn't blow guys away, and they
thought he was a little stiff at second base and that his swing was too long.
But he gets results and makes plays. Very well could wind up at second for the
Rangers if they trade Soriano, but he'll have to worry about Joaquin Arias
taking a middle-infield job alongside Michael Young in the long run."
Jeff Mathis C LAA " ... When he
was in low Class A, scouts believed he'd continue to improve at the plate, but
he's more leveled off. There's nothing wrong with being a .270 hitter with 15
homers, the current projection I used in the PCL Top 20, but three years ago
scouts though he could be more than that. That and his defense and leadership
could make him an all-star. To become better, he'll need to improve his pitch
recognition and smooth out his swing a little."
Dayn Perry, FoxSports,
on some 2005 draft picks :
Ricky Romero LHP TOR " ... just
the sort of polished college-trained arm that the Jays love. Romero pounds the
zone with a low-90s fastball, plus curve and developing changeup, and his
attitude and commitment to pitching earns him lavish praise. The organization
gave Romero some time off after signing so he could recover from a heavy
junior-season workload, but by July he was pitching and pitching well in the
High-A Florida State League."
CJ Henry SS NYA " ... Henry could wind
up the steal of the draft. He has blinding speed, exceptional athleticism and a
tremendous natural power stroke. He's unpolished — particularly with the glove —
but the rudiments of an elite performer are there. Henry accomplished little in
the rookie-level Gulf Coast League after signing (.249 AVG/.318 OBP/.381 SLG),
but that's to be expected considering his swing mechanics are a work in
progress. He'll have a breakout season in 2006 or 2007."
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