Rookies 2005

                                                                                                                           Pitching Line = IP H R ER BB SO
 

30 October,  2005

    AFL - Adam Lind OF TOR 1-3, homer, 3 RBI, .255 ... Larry Broadway 1B WAS 2-4, homer, .339 ... Eric Duncan 1B NYA 1-4, 7th homer, .378 ... Denard Span OF MIN 3-3, double, walk, CS, picked off, .319 ... Angel Guzman CHN, now that's more like it, 5 0 0 0 3 3, 3.92 ... Taylor Buchholz HOU 4 2 1 1 1 2, 1.93 ... Jamie Shields TB 6 2 0 0 0 6, 1.80 ... Andy LaRoche LAD 4-4, double, SB, .375 ... Tony Abreu 2B LAD 2-3, double, homer, .316

    Venezuela - Alberto Callaspo LAA 3-4, .317 ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE, red hot in the early going, 3-3, walk, double, homer, .588

    The WSox are up at SportsBlurb as John Franco continues his team-by-team prospect forecasts.

" ... 1. Chris Young ...  an exciting five-tool centerfielder who impresses scouts and statisticians equally well. He hit .277 in the Southern League as a 21-year old, posting a .377 on-base percentage ... hit 26 home runs and flashed even more power by hitting 41 doubles, leading the Southern League in both categories; he just missed the 30-30 club after stealing 32 bases in just 38 attempts. In addition to his offense, Young also played tremendous defense in center field and displayed a very positive work ethic. He is still prone to strikeouts (129 whiffs in 2005), but he showed the ability to make adjustments during the season and worked hard at staying back on breaking balls. If he continues to develop at this rate, he has the potential to be a similar player to Mike Cameron with a better batting average."

" ... 3. Gio Gonzalez ...  an exciting young lefty who split time between the White Sox’ two A-ball teams in 2005. He throws in the low 90s with an excellent hammer curve and an improving changeup, and has the command and confidence to throw his off speed pitches for strikes on any count. Unfortunately, Gonzalez does have a history of injuries  ...  has the stuff to be a solid No. 2 starter in a playoff-caliber rotation."


29 October,  2005

    Jonathan Mayo,  MLB.com, selects three Angels in the infield for his mid-season AFL All-Star squad.  Kendry Morales, Howie Kendrick and Brandon Wood (a tie with Stephen Drew) man the 1B-2B-SS spots.  A few of the lesser-hyped All-Stars :

" ... C Jeff Clement, Mariners: The No. 3 pick in the 2005 draft has seemed right at home, hitting .350 with a 1.047 OPS in 40 at-bats."

" ... OF Andre Ethier, A's: The A's product is representing his organization's philosophy well. He's got 16 walks and just five strikeouts in the AFL for a .507 OBP. Oh, and he's hitting .347 while slugging .571 with 13 RBIs in 15 games."

" ... Glen Perkins, Twins: The Twins prospect and Minnesota native seems to like the desert. The lefty's got a 2.12 ERA in 17 IP, ringing up 21 strikeouts and walking just four."

    AFL - Jered Weaver LAA, taking his lumps, 4-2/3 5 3 3 2 3, 6.75 ... Ryan Garko CLE 2-4, 2 RBI, .317 ... Lastings Milledge NYN 2-5, 4th homer, .302 ... Corey Smith 3B SD 4-5, .407 ... Kendry Morales LAA 3-5, double, .425 ... Alex Gordon KC 2-5, double, .320 ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-4, walk, .407 ... Glen Perkins MIN 5 5 2 2 1 5, 2.45 ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 2-3, double, homer, walk, .255 ... Andy LaRoche LAD 3-5, double, 3 RBI, .333 ... Andre Ethier OAK 2-4, homer, walk, .358 ... Steven Hammond MIL fronted an AFL rarity, a shutout 4 1 0 0 0 1

    Venezuela - Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-4, double ... TJ Bohn SEA CF 2-6, double, .326 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-3, .429

    Aaron Gleeman, in his RotoWorld series, moves on to the top "keeper" shortstops and three rookies make the grade - BJ Upton at No. 7, Brandon Wood No. 9, and Joel Guzman with the final spot on the top 10 :

" ... There are questions about where B.J. Upton will end up defensively, but his bat is what will make him a star. The #1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, Upton hit .303 with 18 homers, 74 RBIs, 98 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases in 139 games at Triple-A this season ... He turned 21 in August and should have an everyday job by the middle of 2006, giving him about 20 years to pile up numbers."

" ... Like Upton, Joel Guzman may end up playing another position (likely third base) in the majors. And like Upton, his bat is what will ultimately make him a special player. Despite not turning 21 until next month, Guzman hit .287 with 16 homers and 75 RBIs in 122 games at Double-A this year, after hitting .297 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs in 133 games between Single-A and Double-A in 2004."

    Dan Szymborski, Baseball Think Factory, adds the Cubbies forecasts to his 2006 projections.  A few rooks included in the teams posted to date, but the predictions suggest few kids poised for immediate success.

    Name             AVG  OBP  SLG  G   AB  H  2B 3B HR RBI BB  K  SB CS
ARZ Drew*           .231 .303 .410  66 234  54 16  1  8  31 22  51  2  3
CHN Sing            .239 .345 .449 121 385  92 21  0 20  60 61 109  1  4
ATL Marte           .252 .346 .457 122 416 105 21  2 20  65 60  94  0  1
ATL Saltalamacchia  .260 .324 .391 135 442 115 21  2 11  53 41 106  2  1
BAL Markakis*       .266 .333 .398 117 417 111 24  2  9  54 41  85  4  2
ARZ Quentin         .269 .350 .428 134 432 116 22  1 15  58 38  69  7  1
CHN Pie*            .273 .319 .409  87 330  90 11  5  8  33 20  93 17 10
BOS Pedroia         .275 .343 .403 106 400 110 20  2  9  47 41  37  5  3
ARZ Jackson         .279 .359 .423 131 426 119 29  1 10  55 52  56  4  4
BAL Majewski*       .279 .332 .432 114 412 115 17  5 12  56 30  58 14  5
    Name      ERA  W  L  G GS INN   H ER HR BB  K
BOS Hansen   3.51  3  2 42  0  82  74 32  4 29  76
BOS Papelbon 4.14  9  6 32 22 137 129 63 17 45 130
BOS Sanchez  4.24  7  6 23 23 119 109 56 15 44 118
BOS Lester*  4.30  9  7 25 24 132 121 63 13 58 125
CHN Guzman   4.39  3  3  9  9  41  42 20  6 10  28
BAL Maine    4.41  9 10 29 28 153 145 75 20 59 132
ATL James*   4.68  8 10 28 27 148 147 77 21 56 117
CHN Nolasco  4.73  7  9 27 27 154 154 81 24 56 143
CHN Hill*    4.78  6  8 30 22 130 117 69 21 65 156
CHN Brownlie 4.91  6  8 25 19 110 114 60 17 40  83
ATL Lerew    4.93  6  9 29 27 148 153 81 21 59 105
BAL Loewen*  5.75  6 10 26 25 130 133 83 12 93 102

    Scott Rex, On Deck, completes his league-by-league prospect charts with his Top 30 for the Arizona Summer League.  Pitchers take the top three slots -- Mark Pawelek CHN, Nick Adenhart LAA and Jared Lansford OAK. Our LEAGUE prospect chart updated accordingly.

    Kevin T. Czerwinski, MLB.com, on Matt Kemp LAD :

" ... Kemp, whom the Dodgers grabbed in the sixth round of the 2003 draft ...  hit a career-high .306, also putting up career bests with 27 homers and 90 RBIs. What makes his effort so noticeable is that he did it in 109 games, missing virtually the entire first month of the season with a wrist injury ... points out that his developing ability to recognize a slider played a huge role in his season. Kemp, who has struck out 204 times in his last 231 games, says he learned to look for the pitch when he started hitting home runs ... determined to work on pitch recognition and plate discipline before he heads home for the winter."


28 October,  2005

    AFL - Brandon Wood LAA 1-4, 11th homer (54 on the season), walk, .301 ... Alex Gordon KC 2-4, homer, .300 ... Kendry Morales LAA 3-5, double, .412 ... Brad Eldred PIT 3-4, double, two homers (4), walk, 4 RBI, .300 ... Adam Miller CLE, the numbers suggest a lack of progress, 4-2/3 5 3 3 2 6, 7.04 ... George Kottaras C SD 2-4, homer, .217 ... Val Majewski BAL 3-4, homer, .326

    Venezuela - William Bergolla SS CIN 1-5, .300 ... Franklin Gutierrez CF CLE 2-4, .500 ... Alberto Callaspo 2B LAA 0-5, .270 ... Miguel Montero C ARZ 3-4, 2nd homer, .444

    Dominican - Tony Blanco WAS 3-4, double ... Nick Gorneault LAA 2-5, double, homer, .200 ... Andy Marte ATL 1-1, triple, walk, .150

    Jays with three lefty starters in their Top 10 and the top gun isn't Zach Jackson or David Purcey as John Franco rates the Toronto system in his latest post at SportsBlurb :

" ... Ricky Romero ...  the No. 6 overall pick during the 2005 draft. He is a college lefty, and while he will not turn 21 until November, he has three major-league ready pitches and a great feel for pitching. His fastball usually sits in the 90-91 range, which is workable for a left-handed starter, and he touched 93-94 during the summer. He also has a plus curveball and is reported to have a great makeup and a good feel for pitching ...  will likely start the 2006 season back at Dunedin with an eye on a mid-season promotion to AA, but the Jays could rush him to start the season at AA."

No. 4, Adam Lind  " ...  played first base and right field in college, and has played mostly left field for the Jays, though he hasn’t played it particularly well. His future may be at first base or even as a designated hitter, but given his offensive abilities, that should not be a problem. He had a very good season at Dunedin, leading the FSL in doubles (42) and extra-base hits (58), though he was a bit old for the league at 22. He also hit .313 and drew 49 walks against 77 strikeouts in 495 at-bats, and his numbers don’t do justice to the praise that scouts have heaped on his swing. He is the best pure hitter in the Blue Jays’ system, with the potential to add some power down the road."

    Possibility of a prime catch in the '06 draft - 29 year-old catcher who batted .309 with 24 homers last season :

" ... catcher Kenji Jojima will declare free agency after the Japan Series and is aiming for a move to the major leagues, baseball sources said Friday. The move would see Jojima become the first Japanese catcher to try his luck in the major leagues. Jojima was ruled out of the Pacific League playoffs after breaking his shin in September. The Hawks had hoped he would not declare himself a free agent and stay in Fukuoka but club representative Masashi Tsunoda, who is in charge of negotiations with the player, admitted that dissuading Jojima from leaving would be a tough task. "He has the desire, the dream and the right to go to the United States but we have to talk to him about it," said Tsunoda." (The Japan Times)

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, on Felix Pie CHN :

" ... While Pie did start to tap into his raw power this year, I think it's too early to count on him helping in the major leagues. Pie is a talented athlete, no question, and he hit .304/.349/.554 with 11 homers and 13 steals in 59 Double-A games this year at age 20. He's the organization's top prospect. But he still has a lot of rough edges to his game. He doesn't walk much, he's rough as a basestealer and he can take erratic routes in center field. Pie has the chance to be a very good player in time, with the key phrase of this sentence being "in time." He needs another season or two in the minors."


27 October,  2005

    AFL - Ryan Garko 1B CLE 2-4, double, homer, walk, .321 ... Eric Patterson 2B CHN 3-5, double, .300 ... James Loney LAD 2-3, 4th homer, 3 RBI, .440 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 1-5, 5th homer, .333 ... Neil Walker C PIT 2-4, homer, .276 ... Ryan Zimmerman WAS 2-4, homer, .333 ... Brad Eldred PIT 1-4, homer, .261 ... Billy Butler KC 2-4, double, triple, .302 ... Eric Duncan NYA 2-4, double, .409 ... Lastings Milledge NYN 1-5, 3rd homer, 3 RBI, .296 ... Michael Johnson 1B SD 3-4, double, .350 ... Kevin Howard 3B CIN 4-4, homer, walk, .413 ... Brandon Sing CHN (in LF) 3-5, double, homer, .342

    Dominican ... Willy Aybar LAD 1-4, homer ... Casey Rogowski CHA 4-5, double ... Andy Marte ATL 1-5, .105 ... Wilson Betemit ATL 2-4, double, homer ... Rafael Soriano SEA 1 4 4 0 0 1 ... Erick Aybar LAA 2-4

    Jason Kubel MIN, a little progress in Instructional League :

" ...  still wearing a brace that limited his ability to run and he was not allowed to slide or play defense. The knee still had some swelling, but Kubel reported feeling no pain. "He's doing fine," said Twins general manager Terry Ryan, who watched Kubel play in three games last week. "His hand-eye coordination, it doesn't look much different. We're hoping the doctor will let him take the brace off this winter, which will allow him to play normal."...  With the Instructional League done, he plans to split winter between Florida and his home in Palmdale, Calif. "All I do is work out, lift weights, and I do lots of exercises and running," Kubel said. "That's about it."  (MLB.com)

    Gavin Floyd PHI to get some winter ball innings in preparation for a run at a starting slot next season.  Cole Hamels just trying to get healthy.

" ...  Floyd is a candidate for the No. 5 spot. He has been throwing in Clearwater, Fla., recently and is headed to Puerto Rico on Nov. 5 to pitch in winter ball for Arecibo. Floyd is expected to make five to eight starts in Puerto Rico ...  Lefthander Cole Hamels continues to make progress with the stress reaction in his lower back, which sidelined him at double-A Reading since late July. Hamels, the team's first-round pick in 2002, is expected to be ready for spring training in February, but he won't be competing for a job with the Phillies. "This kid has missed so much time," Arbuckle said. "He really hasn't been able to log that many innings. I don't think that would be realistic. Ideally, let's get him up and get him pitching again." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

    Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, has his take on one of the choice farm systems - the Angels.  A couple of the lesser lights :

" ... Nick Adenhart ... This may turn out to be one of the biggest draft steals in history. A first-round talent, Adenhart got hurt in his senior year of high school and needed Tommy John surgery. The Angels took a chance and took him in the 14th round and were able to lure him away from the University of North Carolina. Brought along slowly, Adenhart took the mound for the first time in late June and finished strong in the Arizona League with a 2.57 ERA in August. His last start in the AZL was a six-inning gem, in which he struck out 10 and allowed just one hit. Then he moved up to the Pioneer League where he made two starts -- one in the playoffs -- tossing 12 innings and allowing just one unearned run combined, walking one and striking out 14."

" ... Jeff Mathis ...  rebounded from a dismal 2004 season to reclaim his prospect status. The 22-year-old hit .276 with a .499 SLG (21 homers, 26 doubles) for Triple-A Salt Lake, and he earned a cup of coffee with the big club in September. Bengie Molina will be a free agent this offseason and it will be interesting to see if he's brought back after a terrific year, or if the Angels turn the reins over to Mathis."


26 October,  2005

    AFL - doubleheader action ... Adam Lind TOR 2-3 & 2-4, double, .244 ... Chris Young CHA  0-0, walk & 2-2, homer, walk, .292 ... Adam Loewen BAL, consolidating his 2nd half success (against the AFL's top offensive club)  5 3 2 1 1 2, 0.53 ... Brandon Wood LAA 1-3 & 0-3, .318 ... Alex Gordon KC 1-3 & 1-2, walk, .250 ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-4 & 1-3, double, .427 ... Michael Johnson 1B SD 4-4, double, 3 homers, 5 RBI, ..321 ... Clint Nageotte SEA 5 1 0 0 1 6, 1.59 ... Jeff Clement SEA 3-4, double, 3 RBI, .389 ... Nick Markakis BAL 1-4, triple & 3-3, walk, .400 ... Daric Barton OAK 0-3, .256 ... Eric Duncan NYA 4-4, double, walk, 4 RBI, .403

    Dominican - Joel Guzman LAD 1-3, double, .308 ... Clint Barmes COL 3-5, 2 doubles, triple, .278

    Delmon Young the Topps Minor League Player of the Year :

" ... Despite his inexperience, Young began the year with the Montgomery Biscuits of the Double-A Southern League, where he terrorized pitchers with a .336 average, 20 homers and 71 runs-batted-in in 84 games. That earned the outfielder a July promotion to Minor League Baseball's highest level -- the Triple-A Durham Bulls of the International League. Unfazed, Young promptly started a 13-game hitting streak and finished with a .285 average, 6 homers and 28 RBIs in 52 games. His overall marks for the season: .315 average with 26 homers, 99 RBIs, 92 runs scored and 32 stolen bases in 136 games."  (MLB.com)

    Rays' Jeff Niemann, another pitching prospect undergoes surgery :

" ...   Niemann hopes to return to the mound during spring training after arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last week. Niemann said he had a "real minor" procedure that involved shaving the joint between his collarbone and shoulder. "It was running pretty bad, so that cleaned that up and it's pretty good now," he said Monday night. "It feels better already." ...  tentatively plans to begin a throwing program in January and start pitching in March, with the hope of joining a minor-league team in April."  (St. Petersburg Times)

    John Franco, SportsBlurb, moves on to the Tampa Bay system, where Delmon reigns supreme and Niemann (above) is the runner-up. 

No. 3, Wes Bankston  " ... has the arm to play right field, but was shifted to first base to accommodate the Rays’ wealth of outfield prospects ... swing can get long at times, but his pitch selection is improving, and his raw power is well above average and borders on the plus-plus range .. . If Bankston can continue to improve his plate discipline and pitch recognition, he has the potential to be a .270 hitter with 30-35 home runs, with above average defense at first base or average defense in right field."

No. 5, Elijah Dukes  " ...  a five-tool outfielder who hit .287 with 18 home runs and 19 steals at AA Montgomery despite the fact that he didn’t turn 21 until June. Despite his strong performance and obvious tools, many Southern League managers said they would not want him on their team because of his attitude. Dukes’ attitude problems run deeper than the usual unwillingness to listen to coaching, ranging from physical confrontations with umpires to run-ins with the police for domestic abuse of his sister. On the field, he does play hard, and has the tools to play all three outfield positions, including a plus arm. He showed improvement in his ability to recognize and drive breaking pitches down the stretch. If he can get his personal life straightened out, Dukes can be a 30-30 candidate in the major leagues."

    Brad Eldred PIT the hitter of the week in the AFL :

" ...   finished the week 7-for-21 (.333) with eight RBIs, giving him a .300 average and 10 RBIs for the season. Eldred, drafted by the Pirates in the sixth round in 2002, is one of just a few players in the AFL who succeeded in the Major Leagues in 2005. Splitting the first half of the season between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, he combined for 28 homers and 78 RBIs in 75 games. Then, after a late-July call-up, Eldred hit 12 more longballs in 55 games with the Pirates." (MLB.com)


25 October,  2005

    AFL - Taylor Buchholz HOU 3 2 1 0 1 2, 1.80 ... Alcides Escobar SS MIL 3-4, .333 ... Corey Hart 3B MIL 2-4, homer, .345 ... Brandon Wood LAA 1-3, 10th homer ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-5, triple, .426 ...  strong sign of life from Angel Guzman CHN 5 4 1 1 1 6, 5.17 ... James Loney LAD 1-5, 3rd homer, .409 ... Matt Kemp LAD CF & leadoff, 2-5, homer, .327 ... Andy LaRoche LAD 2-4, double, .308 ... Reggie Abercrombie FLO 1-4, homer, .362 ... Eric Duncan 3B NYA 1-3, 6th homer, .377

    Chris Kline, Baseball America, on Adam Jones SEA :

" ... the 20-year-old has a tremendous throwing arm, having topped out at 96 mph on the mound as a high school senior. The Mariners liked him better at short, but with Betancourt now in the fold, center field appears to be Jones' permanent home. We caught up with a scout from American League club to give some insight into Jones' new home, as well as his struggles at the plate, as he was hitting just .154 in 39 at-bats for the Peoria Javelinas. "There's no question he can be a plus defender in center field," the scout said. "He gets excellent jumps, and even when he doesn't, that speed is enough to allow him to catch up. His routes aren't great, but he's so athletic and that will come through repetition. He's a 70 arm out there--with accuracy ...  He's out of whack. Whether that's a mental thing from the position change I don't know, but you'd think he'd be more free, more relaxed--especially at the plate. But he's got the potential to be a quality center-of-the-diamond player for a long, long time."

    Jason Ratliff, MLB.com, with a roundup of the KC farm :

" ...  Jeff Bianchi ...  To say Bianchi enjoyed the month of June would be an understatement ... five-tool shortstop ...  Arizona Rookie League team and hit .586 with three homers and 12 RBIs in his first eight games before the calendar turned to July. The 6-foot, 175-pounder hit .408/.484/.745 with seven doubles, four triples, six homers, 30 RBIs and five stolen bases in 28 games before having his dream season come to a nightmarish end due to a stress fracture in his back. Though his ceiling is limited in comparison, some scouts rated Bianchi a better hitter than No. 1 overall selection, and fellow high school shortstop, Justin Upton."

" ...  Alex Gordon ...  two-time All-American at Nebraska, Gordon signed a $4 million deal with the Royals, but not until the end of September, meaning that his first professional action was delayed until the Arizona Fall League. Gordon, like the Royals' 2004 first-round pick, Billy Butler, was drafted as a third baseman with the distinct possibility of being moved. In his first four games in the AFL, the 6-foot-1 left-handed hitter played two games at first base and two as the team's designated hitter. He was slated to start at Double-A Wichita if he'd signed on time and will likely cut his teeth there in '06 after a trip to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee."


24 October,  2005

    AFL - no games Sunday.  The hitting leaders plus a few notables (lots of worrisome BB/K ratios up and down the list) :

Name                      G AB 2B 3B HR BB SO  AVG  OBP  SLG 
Brendan Harris       WAS 11 42  6  1  1  3  2 .524 .551 .786
James Loney          LAD  5 17  1  0  2  0  1 .471 .444 .882
Howie Kendrick       LAA 14 63  5  0  2  0  8 .429 .429 .603
Josh Anderson        HOU 11 47  1  0  0  0  1 .426 .429 .447
Pat Osborn           CLE  5 17  2  0  0  1  2 .412 .444 .529
Corey Smith          TEX 10 39  4  0  3  4  8 .410 .465 .744
Kody Kirkland        DET  5 15  0  1  1  2  4 .400 .500 .733
Kendry Morales       LAA 14 53  8  0  2  9  7 .396 .484 .660
Matt Murton          CHN 11 41  8  0  1  3  5 .390 .444 .659
Dan Ortmeier         SF   6 26  4  0  1  2  2 .385 .414 .654
Mike Nickeas         TEX  8 21  4  0  0  3  4 .381 .440 .571
Eric Duncan          NYA 12 50  7  0  5  4 16 .380 .426 .820
Andre Ethier         OAK 12 43  4  2  1 10  4 .372 .500 .628
Bronson Sardinha     NYA 12 43  1  1  1  3  8 .372 .404 .512
Reggie Abercrombie   FLO 11 43  4  1  1  3 12 .372 .413 .581
Nick Markakis        BAL 12 35  3  1  0  4  3 .371 .450 .514
Stephen Drew         ARZ 12 46  5  1  4 11 10 .370 .491 .783
Jeff Clement         SEA 11 25  2  0  2  7  5 .360 .500 .680
Ryan Zimmerman       WAS  4 17  1  0  0  1  3 .353 .389 .412
Matt Moses           MIN  7 26  1  0  1  1  4 .346 .370 .500
Ryan Garko           CLE 12 41  4  0  3  6 11 .341 .442 .659
Brandon Wood         LAA 14 57  2  0  9  3 16 .333 .381 .842
Matt Kemp            LAD 11 47  1  2  0  2 10 .319 .347 .426
Ian Stewart          COL 11 38  2  0  3  6  6 .316 .409 .605
Wes Bankston         TB   9 32  3  0  1  1  8 .313 .333 .500
Lastings Milledge    NYN  9 36  2  0  2  2  8 .306 .342 .528
Josh Fields          CHA 11 46  1  0  4  5 11 .304 .358 .587
Billy Butler         KC  13 51  4  0  3  4 10 .294 .368 .549
Andy LaRoche         LAD 11 48  2  0  0  1 10 .292 .320 .333
Daric Barton         OAK 12 40  3  1  1 10  9 .275 .423 .475
Chris Young          CHA 12 43  4  0  0  4 14 .256 .306 .349
Eric Patterson       CHN  9 37  3  0  0  3  6 .243 .293 .324
J Saltalamacchia     ATL 10 37  2  0  0  5  9 .243 .318 .297
Neil Walker          PIT  8 22  0  0  1  3  3 .227 .346 .364
Alex Gordon          KC   4 11  1  0  0  3  5 .182 .357 .273
Adam Jones           SEA 12 39  0  2  1  3  9 .154 .214 .333
Adam Lind            TOR 11 35  1  0  0  2  9 .143 .189 .171

    Catcher Miguel Montero continues his heavy hitting in a move to the Venezuelan League from the AFL.  A few of the notables after early action :


                      AB  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  AVE   OBP   SLG
Miguel Montero ARZ     8   1   0   1   1   1 .625  .667 1.125
William Bergolla CIN  26   0   0   0   2   0 .385  .429  .385
Alberto Callaspo LAA  24   1   0   3   4   0 .375  .464  .792
TJ Bohn SEA           28   1   0   1   1   3 .357  .379  .500
Delwyn Young LAD       7   0   0   0   1   1 .286  .375  .286
Walter Young BAL      12   1   0   0   1   3 .250  .357  .333
Asdrubal Cabrera SEA  11   0   0   0   1   3 .182  .250  .182

    Arizona Fall League notes from MLB.com :

" ... After sitting out for the first few games of the season, Brad Eldred, the massive Pittsburgh Pirates prospect, made his debut early last week. It didn't take long for him to make an impact on the lackluster Saguaros lineup. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound first baseman went 2-for-4 and homered in his third game of the season on Oct. 15, then followed that performance with two doubles and five RBIs against the Scorpions on Oct. 17. What might impress the Pittsburgh front office the most is the drastic improvement in Eldred's plate discipline. After striking out a combined 159 times in 130 games in Double-A, Triple-A and the Majors, the first baseman of the future has whiffed just twice in 25 at-bats with the Saguaros."

" ... Left-hander Adam Loewen hasn't suffered from extra work, which was easy to tell after he pitched five no-hit innings against the Desert Dogs on Oct. 19. Loewen had six strikeouts and issued two walks in a commanding performance. Loewen pitched three innings in his first start and four in his second. He has allowed just three hits in 12 innings, making him a rare exception in the offensive-minded AFL. He has held opposing batters to an .088 average. The only negative has been seven walks."

    Dan Szymborski has kicked off his annual player forecasts at  BaseballThinkFactory.  Already he's covered four teams - Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore and Boston.

    A bit a good news for the Dodgers :

" ...  Greg Miller's ailing left shoulder was found to be structurally sound after he was examined by team physician Dr. Frank Jobe ...  won't return to the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League because their season ends Nov. 10, but he is expected to be ready for action by the start of spring training. "Everything checked out great," Dodgers scouting director Logan White said Saturday."  (LA Daily News)

 

 
 

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

2004 -- Oct 04-17  Oct 18-31  Nov 01-14   Nov 15-28   Nov 29-Dec 12   Dec 13-Dec 31 

2005 -- Jan 01-16  Jan 17-30  Jan 31-Feb 13  Feb 14-27  Feb 28-Mar 13  Mar 14-27  Mar 28-Apr 10  Apr 11-24  
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Aug 22-28  Aug 29-Sept 04  Sept 05-11  Sept 12-18  Sept 19-Oct 9  Oct 10-23  Oct 24-30 

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

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