Rookies 2006

                                                                                                                        
 


Thanks for your support !The annual "Spare Change Web Fund Drive" is underway!  If you can help out simply click the cup at the right (there's a PayPal system to facilitate credit card donations and an address for cheques). A loud THANK YOU for your contributions to our little enterprise. With the surging price of gold, a few of your spare gold bricks would be most welcome, although a little spare change is quite suffice to keep us chugging along (without ads). 
 

 

  Pitching Line = IP H R ER BB SO       

 

09 April, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Jason Bartlett MIN 1-3, 2B, R … John-Ford Griffin TOR 3-4, 2B, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI … Josh Banks TOR 5 3 1 1 0 5 … Brandon League TOR 3 0 0 0 0 2 … Josh Fields CHA 0-3, R, BB … Casey Rogowski CHA 2-4, 2B … Charles Haeger CHA 7 1 0 0 2 6 … Chris Roberson PHI 0-2, R, BB, SB & 0-4 … Carlos Ruiz PHI 2-3, RBI, SF … Kevin Thompson NYA 1-3, R, 2 BB & 1-4, 3B, R … Melky Cabrera NYA 2-4, 2B, RBI & 1-2, 2 R, BB … Eric Duncan NYA 0-4 & 0-2, BB … Jeff Karstens NYA 5 3 3 2 1 6

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  CF Felix Pie CHN 3-4, double ... catcher Geovany Soto CHN 3-4, 2 doubles ... Jered Weaver LAA 7.0 2 1 1 0 8 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 1-4, homer ... Tommy Murphy OF LAA 3-4, double ...  Edinson Volquez TEX 5.0 5 2 2 2 7 ... Jason Botts TEX 4-4, 2 doubles, homer ... Joel Guzman LAD, at 1B, 2-4, double ... Russell Martin LAD 1-2, double, 2 walks

Jered Weaver LAA  " ... The 12th overall pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Weaver (1-0) was dominant in his first Pacific Coast League start. He allowed one run on two hits and did not walk a batter. The only hits off the lanky right-hander were a first-inning triple by Alberto Callaspo that was lost in the sun by center fielder Tommy Murphy and a solo home run by Scott Hairston in the fourth. Weaver, the younger brother of Angels right-hander Jeff Weaver, threw 63 of 83 pitches for strikes."  (MLB.com)

Edinson Volquez TEX  " ... Volquez made his Triple-A debut and went five innings, giving up two runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He retired six of the last seven batters he faced, with the other reaching on an error. He was limited to five innings after throwing 91 pitches, 53 for strikes."  (Oklahoma RedHawks)

EASTERN (AA)  --  Carlos Gomez NYN 0-5, 0.83 ...  Lefty Gio Gonzalez PHI 5.0 2 0 0 2 7

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Joey Votto CIN 2-3, double, homer ... Matt Kemp LAD CF 3-3, 2 doubles ... Andy LaRoche LAD 1-1, 2 walks ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 0-2, 2 walks ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-4, double

TEXAS (AA)  --  Brandon Wood, LAA, 2-4, double, RBI, K, .400, DP ... Rico Washington, StL, 2-4, 2 runs, double, .538 ... Stuart Pomeranz, StL, 6.0 5 1 1 1 3, 1.50 ... Mark Worrell, StL, 1 3 1 1 0 1, 4.50 (1st save) ... Sebastien Boucher, SEA, 2-5, K ... Jeff Clement, SEA, 0-3, BB, 2 K ... Hunter Pence, HOU, 1-4, 1st homer, 2 RBI ...  Mitch Talbot, HOU, 6.0 5 1 1 1 3, 1.50 ... Jailen Peguero, HOU, 2.0 2 0 0 1 4, 0.00 (1st sv) ... Cesar Jimenez, SEA, 6.0 2 0 0 0 2, 0.00 (no decision) ...  Alex Gordon, KC, 3-5, double, K, .438 ... Billy Butler, KC, 0-4, 3 K ... Donnie Murphy, KC, 1-5, 1st homer, 4 RBI ... Troy Tulowitzki, COL, 2-5, RBI ...  Jordan Czarniecki, COL, (hot start continues) 2-4, 2 doubles, RBI ...  Ian Stewart, COL, 0-5, 2 K, error ... Juan Morillo, COL, W, 5.0 4 0 0 1 7, 0.00 ...  Dan Putnam, OAK, 0-4, 3 K (assist at home plate) ... Eduardo Cornejo, OAK, 3-3, BB ... Dustin Smith, TEX, 3-4, run ... Nick Masset, TEX, 5.1 5 2 0 2 4, 0.00

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Marcus Sanders SF 1-4 ... Cliff Pennington OAK 0-5 ... Travis Buck OAK 2-2, 2B, HR, 2 BB ... Rafael Rodriguez ANA 6 4 0 0 0 7 ... Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI ... Carlos Gonzalez ARI 1-3 ... Reid Brignac TB 1-3, K.

CAROLINA (A+) --  Steve Mortimer 1B WAS 1-3, double ... Wallace Torbert CF WAS 2-4, double, 2 runs, 2RBI ... Neil Sellers 3B WAS 1-2, double, run, 2 RBIS ... Mario Garza 1B WAS 1-2, double, run, RBI ... Scott Robinson DH WAS 1-3, double, run ... Wade Robinson SS WAS 2-3, 2 runs, RBI ... Argenis Reyes 2B CLE 2-5, 2 runs, RBI ... Brian Finegan SS CLE 1-4, double, run, 2 RBI ... Trevor Crowe CF CLE 3-4, solo home run, 2 RBI, SB(2) ... Stephen Head 1B CLE 1-4, SB ... Jordan Brown LF CLE 2-5 ... Ryan Goleski RF CLE 0-4, run, SB ... Brandon Pinckney DH CLE 2-3, double, run ... Armando Camacaro C CLE 1-3, 2 runs ... Evan Tartaglia LF CHA 2-5, SB ... Victor Mercedes SS CHA 2-5, run, RBI ... David Cook DH CHA 0-4, 2 runs ... Christopher Kelly 1B CHA 3-5, run, RBI ... Cory Hagerty 2B CHA 1-4, triple, run ... Jeffrey Corsaletti LF BOS 1-3, double ... Andrew Pinckney 3B BOS 1-3, double ... Scott White 1B BOS 2-3 ... Van Pope 3B ATL 2-3, SB ... Steve Pyzik C ATL 2-3 Chad Reineke HOU 5 2 0 0 1 8 W ... Robert Stiehl HOU 2 1 0 0 1 1 ... Jensen Lewis CLE 5 3 1 0 1 4 W ... Matt Harrison ATL 5 4 0 0 2 5 ... Arthur Santos ATL 3 3 0 0 0 1 W

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Blake Hawksworth STL 4 6 4 4 3 1  ... Jamar Hill NYN DH 3-4 2B RBI SB  ... Cody Ehlers NYA 1B 4-4 3B HR 2R 4RBI  ... Eduardo Nunez NYA SS 2-5 3B HR 2R 3RBI  ... Jesse Litsch TOR 6 2/3 2 1 1 0 8 W  ... Mike Costanzo PHI 3B 1-4 HR  ... Hernan Iribarren MIL 2B 2-4

MIDWEST (A) --  Jeffrey Dominguez (SS) SEA 1-4, 2 more errors (4) ... Michael Saunders (CF) SEA 2-4, 2 SB ... Kyle Blanks SD 0-4 ... Cameron Maybin DET 2 doubles, 2 K's ... Ramon Garcia DET 5 3 1 1 0 6 ... Sean Shoffit TOR 0-5, 3 K's ... John Matulia TB 0-2 ... Kelly Shearer ANA 5 6 1 1 1 2 ... stylish debut Bryan Anderson C STL 2-2, double, runner gunned down ... Mark McCormick STL 6 1 0 0 4 7 ... Henry Sanchez MIN 1-6, double, 3 K's ... mixed bag Pedro Ciriaco ARZ 2-4, but 4th error ... repeater, but still a teen Philippe Valiquette CIN 5 3 1 0 2 2 ... Jay Bruce CIN 2-4, 3rd double ... Zach Phillips TEX 7 4 0 0 0 4 .. John Whittleman (3B) TEX 1-4, 3 BB's

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Fernando Martinez NYN 2-3 ... Jeff Van Houten FLA 2-5, HR (1), RBI (1) ... Gabriel Sanchez FLA 5-5, 2B (1), HR (3), 3 RBI (10), homer in 3 straight ... Kris Harvey FLA 2-4 ... Ryan Tucker FLA 6 4 5 2 3 4 ... Elvis Andrus ATL 2-4, 4 RBI (4) ... Eric Campbell ATL 0-4 ... Jo Jo Reyes ATL 5 5 1 1 0 8 ... Fernando Pacheco CLE 2-5, HR (1), 2 RBI (2) ... Andrew McCutcheon PIT 1-4, 2B (1), BB ... Anthony Mansolino PIT 2-4, HR (1), RBI (1) ... Alberto Bastardo LAD 5 4 1 1 2 10 ... Lorenzo Scott BAL 3-4, 2 2B (2), RBI (1), BB ... Chorye Spoone BAL 3-2/3 1 1 1 5 3 ... Kenny Holmberg MIL 2-3, RBI (1), SB (1), BB ... Angel Salome MIL 1-4, RBI (2), BB ... Will Inman MIL 3 3 3 2 2 6 ... Brian Peacock WAS 1-3, HR (1), 3 RBI (3) ... Leonard Davis WAS 3-4, 2B (2) ... Dexter Fowler COL 1-4 ... Chris Nelson COL 1-4, 2B (1) ... Carlos Carrasco PHI 6 3 1 1 0 7 ... Greg Golson PHI 0-8 ouch! ... Welinson Baez PHI 2-6 ... Josh Flores HOU 0-6 ... Eli Iorg HOU 0-3

    Troop Movements ...  CIN - optioned outfielder Chris Denorfia to Triple-A (probably opening a spot for Brandon Phillips) ... BAL - purchased the contract of John Halama, designated Eric DuBose for assignment ... TOR - activated catcher Gregg Zaun from the 15-day DL, designated catcher Jason Phillips for assignment ... WAS - optioned Jay Bergmann to Triple A ... NYA - designated Wil Nieves for assignment ...

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, on a couple of names for your June draft lists :

" ...  The college pitcher who has boosted his stock the most to jump into the first round is Washington righthander Tim Lincecum. He wasn't an unknown by any means, but he projected as more of a second- or third-rounder because scouts wondered about his lack of size (6 feet, 165 pounds) and the effort in his delivery. Those factors and seven-figure bonus demands knocked him down to the 42nd round as a sophomore-eligible a year ago. Since then, Lincecum has dominated in both the Cape Cod League last summer (2-0, 0.69, seven saves, 68 strikeouts in 39 innings) and back at Washington this spring (6-2, 1.89, an NCAA Division I-best 97 strikeouts in 62 innings). He has toned down his delivery, consistently shown a mid-90s fastball and a plus-plus curveball, and even has unveiled a slider. Don't be surprised if he's pitching in the big leagues later this summer."

" ... North Carolina lefthander Andre Miller was the consensus top prospect entering the season, and he has done nothing to change that. Two scouting directors I spoke to this week said Miller would be their guy if they owned the top pick. "Miller would go 1-1 today, tomorrow, June 7 or whenever you want to have the draft," one said. "

    Mark Allen Haverty, The Sporting News, on a pair of likely 2nd half major leaguers :

" ...  Chris Young ...  a victim of numbers. The Diamondbacks also are loaded with outfielders. A center fielder, Young will be learning a corner spot in the minors this year; Justin Upton will make the move from shortstop to center thanks to Drew's presence. Young has put together back-to-back seasons with more than 20 homers between A-ball and Double-A, and he hit 72 doubles over the last two seasons. A serious power threat, Young will spend most of this year in Triple-A Tucson, with a September call-up followed by a long look in spring training next year. He should stick then, and he'll be a 20-homer threat right out of the gate."

" ... Delmon Young ...   just 20 years old, and will be a superstar for years to come. The Rays would rather extend that period to a time when they will be more competitive, rather than wasting time on his arbitration clock now when they likely will finish below .500 again. Young could use a little more patience (33/4 K/BB ratio at Triple-A last year), and he will work on that in Triple-A Durham this year. But he will arrive at some point this year; don't be surprised if it is not until close to the trade deadline. Either way, he could produce immediately."


08 April, 2006

    New computer becoming operational ... Top 10s updated (featuring a full team-by-team listing by Jason Collette of RotoJunkie and updates to the RotoAmerica & Sickels lists) ... Aaron Gleeman's Top 50 (from The Hardball Times) and Inside The Dugout lists updated on the Top 100s page ... plus the latest 25-man Roster page ...

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Franklin Gutierrez CLE 3-5, 1st HR, 2 R, 3 RBI … Andy Marte CLE 2-2, 2B, 2 R, 3 BB … Jason Cooper CLE 3-5, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI … Jeremy Sowers CLE 6 6 1 0 3 5 … Scott Thorman ATL 2-4 … Casey Rogowski CHA 1-3, 2B, BB, SB … Rajai Davis PIT 3-5, 1st HR, 2 R, RBI … Jose Bautista PIT 1-3, 2B, 2 R, BB, HBP … rehab, David Wells BOS 5 6 7 7 3 1 … B.J. Upton TB 0-4, 1st error … Elijah Dukes TB 1-4, 3B, R, RBI … Jeff Keppinger NYN 0-1, 3 BB

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Felix Pie, CHC, 2-4, 2 runs, 2 SB ... Andre Ethier LAD 4-5, 2 doubles, 2 runs ... Joel Guzman LAD 2-3, double, run, 3 RBI ... Delwyn Young LAD 2-3, 3 RBI, run ... Erick Aybar LAA 2-5, double, 2 runs, 2 RBI ... Howie Kendrick LAA 3-4 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 1-5, run ... Carlos Quentin ARZ 1-3, walk, double ... Adam Jones SEA 2-4, double, triple, 4 RBI, 2 runs ... Asdrubal Cabrera SEA 3-3 ... Shin-Soo Choo SEA 2-4, 2 runs, SB ...  David Aardsma CHC 1 0 0 0 0 1, 1st Sv ... Yusmeiro Petit FLO 5 6 3 01 4 ... Control problems..Brian Bruney ARZ 2/3 3 6 4 3 1 ...

EASTERN (AA)  --  Canadian kid the star of the EL, Adam Miller strong too :

" ... Adam Loewen ... Two days from turning 22, the 6-foot-5 left-hander ... took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. The British Columbia native needed just 97 pitches to complete eight innings, throwing 67 for strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the first 24 batters he faced and recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts without issuing a walk. "The way he was throwing first-pitch fastballs for strikes and putting his curveball over consistently, it was just masterful," Baysox manager Don Werner said. "We have an 85-pitch limit for guys at the beginning of the year, but the way he was throwing out there, he had this look about him that made you think he could last the whole game. "This young man has really changed since I first saw him back in the South Atlantic League with Delmarva. The way he goes about his business and his focus has improved so much. It's like two completely different pitchers out there now." (MLB.com)

Tony Giarratano SS DET 3-5, 2 doubles ... Kory Casto WAS 3-4, 3 runs ... Matt Moses MIN 2-4, double ... Ty Clippard NYA 4.0 5 6 5 2 2 ... Adam Miller CLE 6.0 3 0 0 1 7 ... Miguel Perez NYN 5.0 1 0 0 1 6 ...Daniel Haigwood PHI 3.0 4 4 4 5 2

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Jarred Ball, ARZ, 2-4, 3B(2), ... Augstin Murillo, ARZ, 2-4, ... Garret Mock, ARZ, 6 6 2 2 0 3 ... Jason Pridie, TB, 2-4, R, 2B (1), ... Wes Bankston, TB, 1-4 ... Antonio De Aza, FLA, 2-4, R, SB (2) ... Taylor Tankersley, SD, 1 0 0 0 0 0, ... Eric Patterson, CHC, 1-5, R, HR (1), RBI (3) ... Luis Montanez, CHC, 3-5, ... Carlos Marmol CHC, 6 1 0 0 2 6 ... Micah Schnurstein, CWS, 1-3, ... Lance Broadway CWS, 6 4 1 0 0 10 ... Gregor Blanco, ATL, 2-4, 2B, ... Yunel Escobar ATL, 1-3, R, ... Tim Dillard MIL, 6-1/3 2 1 1 1 3 ... Joey Votto, CIN, 2-5, R, HR (1), 3RBI, ... Noochie Varner, CIN, 3-3, 3R, ... Travis Chick CIN, 5 6 3 3 2 5 ... Calvin Medlock CIN, 2 2 1 1 1 1 BS (1) W (1-0) ... Tony Abreu, LAD, 2-5, 2R, 2RBI, ... Matt Kemp, LAD, 3-5, 1R, 2B, 2RBI ... Andy LaRoche, LAD, 2-6, 2B, 2RBI ...  Chin-lung Hu, LAD, 3-4, 2R 2B, ... Justin Orenduff LAD, 3-2/3 10 7 6 1 6 ...

TEXAS (AA)  --  Kurt Suzuki, OAK, 2-5, 3 runs, 1st homer, double, 2 RBI, 1 walk ... Dan Putnam, OAK, 3-4, 1st homer, 2 doubles, 5 RBI ... Brant Colamarino, OAK, 4-6, 1st homer, 3 runs, 3 RBI ... Vince Sinisi, TEX, 3-4, double, 3 RBI ... Jake Blalock, TEX, 2-4, double, RBI ... John Danks, TEX, (tagged), 4.0 8 5 5 1 4, 11.25 (2 homers; 1 HBP) ... Bryan LaHair, SEA, 2-4, 1st homer, 3 RBI ... Wladimir Balentien, SEA, 3-4, run, BB ...  Yorman Bazardo, SEA, 6.0 1 0 0 1 3, 0.00 ... Matt Albers, HOU, 6.0 6 1 1 1 4, 1.50 ... Hunter Pence, HOU, 0-3, .143 ... Billy Butler, KC, 1-5, 1st homer, 2 SO, assist ... Alex Gordon, KC, 2-4, run, 3 swipes, .364 ... Mitch Maier, KC, 1-5, 1st homer ... Troy Tulowitzki, COL, 1-5, double, 2 SO, error, DP ... Ian Stewart, COL, 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, BB ...  Jordan Czarniecki, COL, 2-5, 3rd dong, 3 RBI Steven Register, COL, 5 2/3 5 2 2 1 3, 3.18 ... Brandon Wood, LAA, 0-2, RBI, BB ... Rico Washington, STL, 2-4, 1st homer, 3 RBI ...

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Just a couple of games with rain in CA ... Eric Hurley TEX 4.2 5 4 0 1 1 ... AJ Shappi ARZ 6.0 6 1 1 1 8

CAROLINA (A+) --  a night for the offenses ... Brian Bixler SS PIT 1-4, double, run, 2 RBI, SB ... Vince Rooi 3B PIT 4-5, double, 2 runs, RBI ... Michael Carlin 1B PIT 2-5, 3 run home run ... Paco Figueroa 2B BAL 2-5, double, 2 runs ... Jarod Rine CF BAL 3-4, home run, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 2 SB ... Jason Fransz DH BAL 1-4, double, 2 RBI ... Nolan Reimold RF BAL 2-4, double, run, RBI, SB  ...  Joshua McCurdy LF BAL 1-3, 2 runs, SB ...  Bryan Bass 3b BAL 1-4, double, run ... Brian Bock C BAL 2-4, run, 2 RBI ... Brian Finegan SS CLE 2-5, double, run, 3 RBI ... Trevor Crowe CF CLE 2-5, run, 2 RBI ... Stephen Head 1B CLE 1-4, double ... Victor Mercedes SS CHA 2-4, run ... Christopher Kelly 1B CHA 1-4, double, run ... Anderson Gomes RF CHA 1-4, triple, run, RBI, SB ... Donny Lucy C CHA 1-4, triple, RBI ... Matt Young RF ATL 2-5, 2 runs ... Diory Hernandez SS ATL 2-5, double, run, 3 RBI ... Scott Schade 1B ATL1-3, double ...  Freddy Deza BAL 3 1/3 0 0 0 2 4 W ...  Justin Henington BAL 1 1 0 0 0 1 S ... Scott Lewis CLE 4 1/3 3 1 0 0 5 ... Aaron Laffey CLE 4 3 2 1 0 1 S ... Tommy Huttovy BOS 5 3 2 2 0 4 ... Kelvin Villa ATL 5 3 2 0 0 4  ... Will Startup ATL 2 1 0 0 1 3 W

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Philip Hughes NYA 4 5 1 0 0 9 L ... Anthony Swarzak MIN 5 4 0 0 2 5 W ... Kevin Whelan DET 1 0 0 0 0 3 S ... Tyler Greene STL SS 1-4 R ... Mark Michael STL 7 4 0 0 1 7 W ... Hernan Iribarren MIL 2B 4-4 2R ... Freddy Parejo MIL RF 2-4 HR 2R 5RBI ... Mark Rogers MIL 3 1/3 5 3 3 5 2 ... Mike Costanzo PHI 3B 2-5 2B R RBI ... Ryan Patterson TOR LF 1-4 HR 2RBI ... Alay Soler NYN 5 4 0 0 3 5 ... Blake DeWitt LA 2B 2-4 2B R ... Cole Bruce LA SS 3-5 2B HR 3RBI

MIDWEST (A) --  Jay Bruce CIN 2-5, double ... Vincent Mazzaro OAK 5 4 2 2 1 2 ... Hainley Statia ANA 1-4, double, E ... solid full-season debut Nick Adenhart ANA 6 2 1 1 3 5 ... John Matulia (CF) TB 0-4, E ... love the K's, but otherwise shaky Jacob McGee TB 4 1/3 7 6 4 2 8 ... first sombrero of the year Miguel Vega KC 0-4, all whiffs ... Todd Blackford CHN 5 5 0 0 1 6 ... switched to outfield Michael Saunders (RF) SEA 2-4, CS

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Fernando Martinez NYN 2-5 ... Nick Evans NYN 2-4, HR (2), 2 RBI (5), homer in 2 straight ... Jonel Pacheco NYN 1-3, HR (1), 2 RBI (2), BB ... Kris Harvey FLA 2-3, 2B (2), HR (1), 2 RBI (3), BB ... Andy Jenkins FLA 1-4, HR (2), RBI (5), homer in 2 straight ... Gabriel Sanchez FLA 2-5, HR (3), 4 RBI (7), homer in 2 straight ... Aaron Thompson FLA 4 7 6 3 3 2 ... Salvador Sanchez CHA 1-3, HR (1), 3 RBI (3), BB ... Kala Ka'aihue ATL 2-4, 2B (1), HR (1), 2 RBI (2) ... Elvis Andrus ATL 1-4 ... Eric Campbell ATL 2-4 ... Michael Conroy CLE 3-6, HR (1), RBI (1) ... Andrew McCutcheon PIT 1-4, 2B (1) ... Steve Lerud PIT 1-4, HR (1), RBI (1) ... Jeff Natale BOS 3-4, 2 HR (2), 4 RBI (4), 2 BB ... Luis Soto BOS 3-6, 2B (2), 3B (1), HR (2), 2 RBI (3), homer in 2 straight ... Clay Buchholz BOS 5 4 1 1 1 6 ... Greg Golson PHI 0-3 ... Welinson Baez PHI 2-2, HR (1), RBI (1) ... Kyle Kendrick PHI 5 4 1 0 3 7 ... Josh Flores HOU 1-3, SB (1) ... Eli Iorg HOU 1-3 ... JR Towles HOU 1-3, 2B (1), RBI (1) ... Dexter Fowler COL 0-3 ... Chris Nelson COL 0-3, BB ... Xavier Cedeno COL 6 3 0 0 1 6 ... Pablo Sandoval SF 3-4, 3 RBI (3) ... Dan Griffin SF 5 5 0 0 0 6 ... Austin Jackson NYA 0-5 ... Jose Tabata NYA 0-4 ... C. J. Henry NYA 1-3, BB, SB (1) ... Brandon Erbe BAL 1 1 0 0 0 0 ... Ryan Finan BAL 1-4, HR (1), RBI (1) ... Rob Marconi BAL 2-4, HR (1), 2 RBI (2) ... Brandon Snyder BAL 1-4 ... Angel Salome MIL 0-4

College - a pair of likely upper tier first-rounders this June picked up victories on Friday in college ball.  The less heralded Tim Lincecum appears to be quickly moving up the charts.

" ...  Lincecum ran his string of consecutive scoreless innings to 28 and two-thirds, striking out 12 in his second consecutive two-hit, complete-game shutout ...  moved to 7-2 with the victory. Both hits he surrendered were doubles. He walked four and hit one batter. With his 12 strikeouts, Lincecum now has 109 on the year, marking the third straight season that he has reached the 100-K plateau. Aside from Lincecum, only two other UW pitchers have struck out 100 or more in a season. Lincecum also became only the third pitcher in Pac-10 history to strike out 400 batters in a career. With an 401, he's 48 short of conference record-holder Rik Currier, who fanned 449 in his four seasons at USC (1998-2001)."  (University of Washington)

Andrew Miller won his seventh straight (7-0), 1.53 :

North Carolina     IP  H  R ER BB SO  NP
Andrew Miller     6.0  5  4  2  4  3 114

    Troop Movements ...  TB - sent Carlos Hines, Kevin Cash outright to Triple-A ... SD - placed Shawn Estes on the 15-day DL, recalled Scott Cassidy ... LAD - transferred Jayson Werth from the 15-day to the 60-day DL ...  TEX - re-signed  Erubiel Durazo to a minor league contract, purchased the contract of Rick Bauer from Triple-A, optioned R.A. Dickey to Triple-A ... SF - placed Noah Lowry on the 15-day DL,  recalled Kevin Correia ... CIN - acquired Brandon Phillips from CLE for PTBNL, designated Matt Kata for assignment ...

    Aaron Gleeman, The Hardball Times, has wrapped his Top 50 with a familiar name - Delmon Young - atop the chart.  Perhaps some surprises at No. 10 and No. 2 :

" ...  10) Brandon Wood ...  Based solely on 2005, Brandon Wood might be the best prospect in baseball. He put together one of the most impressive offensive seasons ever from a minor leaguer, batting .321/.383/.672 with 43 homers and 98 total extra-base hits in 130 games at high Single-A, and then tacking on another 14 homers and 21 total extra-base hits between a brief Triple-A stint and the Arizona Fall League. A 20-year-old shortstop smacking 57 homers and 119 total extra-base hits over a 163-game stretch isn't something you see very often, but he may not stick at shortstop long term and I'm skeptical that the breakout year represents Wood's true potential. Wood has struck out in nearly 25 percent of his Single-A at-bats while walking about twice a week, and his previous track record simply isn't all that impressive ...  I think it's more likely that his true value is somewhere between the mediocre 2004 campaign and the ridiculously good year in 2005. That's still damn good, of course."

" ... 2) Ryan Zimmerman ...  biggest strength is likely defense, which seems odd to say for someone who has hit .347 as a pro. Zimmerman has drawn frequent comparisons to Scott Rolen and is considered an elite defender at third base, even playing some shortstop in both the minors and majors. The great defense along with lofty batting averages is what makes Zimmerman such a special prospect, and while he has yet to show much power there's potential for that down the road. He went homer less in 58 at-bats with the Nationals last year, but hit 11 long balls in 250 minor-league at-bats and batted .358 with seven homers in 25 games this spring. He'll never be a huge power threat and playing half his games at pitcher-friendly RFK Stadium will further deflate his homer totals, but if Zimmerman can manage even 15-20 homers a season—along with Gold Glove-caliber defense at a key position and .300 batting averages—he has a chance to be a perennial MVP candidate."

    A little catch-up from David Regan, RotoAmerica, and his team-by-team prospect reports.

MIN  " ...  #6 Anthony Swarzak ...  saw his stock rise early in the year with several dominant performances for Beloit. He throws a fastball that ranges anywhere from 91 to 95, a solid curve, and an above average change. With three potential plus pitches, he could in time be the Twins’ #3 starter behind Santana and Liriano. He’s a solid 6’3” and as his body continues to develop, he could be throwing consistently in the mid 90s by the end of 2006. Lots of projectability here. He could get a jump to AA to start the year where he’ll continue refining his command and secondary offerings. Nice looking young prospect."

MIN  " ... #3 Glen Perkins ... As one of the few pitchers to have success in the Arizona Fall League, Perkins’ stock gets a boost after a disappointing AA stint. He’s a southpaw who runs his fastball up in the 90-94 range and compliments it nicely with a curve and a very good change. After some back issues limited him in 2004, Perkins rebounded with a solid 2005, striking out about a hitter per inning. He’s likely to return to AA to start the year, but if his AFL stint is any indication, he could be knocking on the door to a crowded Twins rotation late in 2006."

STL  " ... #3 Tyler Greene ...calling card right now is his defense. He shows very good range, a plus arm, and good actions at shortstop. He’s been prone to throwing errors at times, but that’s thought to be correctable. At the plate, Greene has the ability to hit for above-average power for a SS but some aren’t sure how that tool will develop as he progresses. He also shows the ability to hit to all fields and shows good speed and instincts on the bases. Greene will likely go as far as his bat will take him, and with David Eckstein under contract through 2007, Greene could be the team’s starting shortstop by opening day 2008 or perhaps sooner."

PIT  " ...  #4 Tom Gorzelanny ... has a fastball that runs anywhere between 91 and 95. Also tosses a potential plus slider. It was his change though that allowed Gorzelanny to make a leap forward in 2005. It showed much improvement and he’s now comfortable using it as an out pitch at times. Gorzelanny doesn’t have much refinement left to do other than to further polish his secondary pitches and lower his 3.3 BB/9 rate. He did get a cup of coffee in September, but unless he’s lights out this spring, look for him in AAA for most of the season. I like this kid’s upside…a lot."

PIT  " ...  #2 Andrew McCutchen ... debut was impressive, as he showed an advanced approach at the plate. Should eventually develop 30 HR power as he fills out and develops. Very good speed (think 40 steals in his prime) and solid defense. Arm is average, but he should be able to handle CF with his athleticism. He’s talented and advanced, so after starting 2006 in Low A, he could advance quicker than expected."

KC  " ...  #4 Jeff Bianchi ...  It was only 98 at-bats, but the Royals saw enough of Bianchi to feel much better about their future at the shortstop position. He doesn’t have the strongest arm, but his quickness and athleticism should allow him to stay at the position and perhaps be a tick above average defensively. His bat though should more than make up for any perceived defensive inefficiencies. He shows above average power and is able to drive the ball to all fields ...  just needs at-bats to gain experience, but I foresee a very bright future."


07 April, 2006

    With the kick-off of the minor league season, we begin to wean ourselves of MLB coverage ... but, a quick look at some of the young guns ... Ian Kinsler TEX 3-3, double, homer, walk, error, DP  ... Nick Markakis BAL 1-3, 2 Ks ... Fabio Castro TEX, a Rule 5 guy, 3.2 3 2 1 3 2 ... Jordan Tata DET 3 2 3 3 2 1 ... Kenji Johjima SEA 2-4, RBI ... Chuck James ATL 2 0 0 0 1 0 ... Ian Snell PIT 5 10 4 4 3 5 ... Conor Jackson ARZ 2-3, 3 walks, 2 RBI ...

    Welcome to the new season !  And please extend a warm round of applause for our 2006 correspondents -- INT - Herb Walters,  PCL - Mike Petty,  EASTERN - Harry Almquist, SOUTHERN - Michael Laureano,  TEXAS - Jared Turner,  CALIFORNIA - Alex Talarides,  CAROLINA - Jimmy Salmon,  FLORIDA STATE - Wayne Stevens,  MIDWEST - Bob Reed,  SOUTH ATLANTIC - Martin Rose. 

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-5, 2B, R … Ryan Garko CLE 2-4, R, HBP … Jason Cooper CLE 2-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI … Fausto Carmona CLE 4 3 2 1 0 3 … James Jurries ATL 1-3, 1st HR, R, RBI, BB … Anthony Lerew ATL 4 6 3 3 1 4 … Jason Bartlett MIN 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R … Boof Bonser MIN 6 2 0 0 2 8 … Ryan Roberts TOR 2-5, 2B, RBI … Rob Cosby TOR 2-4, 2B, R … Casey Janssen TOR 5 7 3 3 0 4 … Josh Fields CHA 2-4 … Tim Redding CHA 6 4 0 0 1 7 … Wil Ledezma DET 4-2/3 3 1 1 2 9 … Tonys Gutierrez CIN 2-4, 2B … Justin Germano CIN 4-1/3 6 3 3 2 3 … Ryan Wagner CIN 1 2 1 1 0 0 … Brandon Fahey BAL 2-4, SB … Tom Gorzelanny PIT 4 1 0 0 2 8 … Abe Alvarez BOS 5 2 2 2 0 5 … Kevin Thompson NYA 4-5, 3B, 3 R, RBI … Kevin Reese NYA 2-2, 3B, R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 SF … Eric Duncan NYA 2-5, 3B, R … Sean Henn NYA 5-1/3 4 1 1 1 4 … B.J. Upton TB 2-5, 2B, R, SB, 0 errors … Delmon Young TB 2-5, RBI … Elijah Dukes TB 2-4, R, BB, SB … Shawn Riggans TB 1-4, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI, BB … Jason Hammel TB 5 3 0 0 0 7 …

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Larry Broadway WAS 2-4, RBI ... Ryan Church WAS 0-4... Felix Pie CHN 0-4, walk ... Jason Stokes FLO 1-5, RBI, 3 K's ...Joel Guzman LAD 1-4, Run ... Andre Ethier LAD 1-4, 2 RBI, Run ...  Shin-Soo Choo SEA 1-3, HR, 2 RBI ..  Jason Nix COL 2-3 ... Chris Duncan STL 3-6 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 2-5, 1st HR ... Carlos Quentin ARZ 2-4, Run ...  Mike Napoli LAA 4-5, double, 2 runs ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-5, double, RBI ...  Jason Hirsch HOU 4-1/3 2 3 1 3 5 ... Chad Billingsley LAD 5 4 2 2 3, 1-0 ... Cliff Nageotte SEA 5 0 0 0 2 4, 1-0... Anthony Reyes STL 6 9 4 3 0 3

EASTERN (AA)  --  Denard Span CF MIN 2-4, HR … Matt Moses 3B MIN 1-4, K, error … Ismael Ramirez TOR 5 3 1 1 2 2 … Glen Perkins MIN 5 2 2 2 1 7 … Brad Snyder RF CLE 0-3, 2k's … Brett Harper 1B NYM 3-4, RBI, K … David Murphy CF BOS 0-3, BB … Brandon Moss RF BOS 0-4, K … Nate Schierholtz RF SF 2-5, 2R, 2B, HR, 2RBI, 2K … Eddy Martinez-Esteve LF SF 1-4, 2B, 2RBI … Travis Ishikawa 1B SF 2-4 … Craig Hansen BOS 2 0 0 0 0 3 … Eric Duncan 1B NYY 0-3, BB, K … Brent Clevlen RF DET 0-4, 2K's … Tony Giarratano SS DET 0-4, 3K's … Nate Bumstead DET 5 2 0 0 0 6 … Shawn Hill WAS 6 4 1 1 0 6

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Phil Dumatrait CIN, 6 1 0 0 0 5 ... Joey Votto CIN, 1-4 ...  Danny Muegge LAD, 5 5 0 0 1 4 ... Brad Cresse LAD, 1-4, HR (1), 2 RBI GW HR ... Tony Abreu LAD, 0-3 ... Matt Kemp LAD, 0-4 ... Justin Ruggiano LAD, 1-3 ... Chin-lung Hu LAD,1-3 ...  Anibal Sanchez FLA, 4-2/3 6 5 4 3 7, 7.71ERA ...  Cesar Carrillo SD, 4 3 1 1 4 2, 2.25 ERA ...  Brian Dopriak CHC, 1-3, K ...   Ray Liotta CWS, 5 6 1 1 2 2, 1.80 ERA

TEXAS (AA)  --  Alex Gordon KC 2-7, double, homer, walk, 3 RBI (16 inning game) ... Sabastien Boucher, SEA, 2-5, run, SB ...  Travis Blackley, SEA, 6 3 3 1 2 3  ... Travis Metcalf, TEX, 2-4, 2 runs, RBI ... Jake Blalock, TEX, 2-3, 1st homer, 2 runs, RBI ... Thomas Diamond, Tex, 2 2 2 2 4 2 ...  Billy Butler, KC, 4-8, 2 runs, 1 double ...  Ian Stewart, COL, 2-6, double, triple ...  Jordan Czarniecki, COL , 3-6, 2 dongs, 3 rbi ... Brandon Wood, LAA, 2-4, double,1st homer, 3 RBI, walk, 2 Ks, 3 DPs ...  Rico Washington, STL , 3-5, 2 doubles ... Troy Tulowitzki COL (at leadoff) 2-7, 2 doubles, 3 DPS

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  seems a bit barren in terms of blue chip talent, after the treat we had last season ... that should change as the season progresses and prospects are graduated from low-A and under the radar guys have breakout seasons (ala Brandon Wood in 2005) ... Reid Brignac TB 2-4, 2B, BB, SB ... Marcus Sanders SF 1-4, 2B, BB, RBI ... Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 1-4, RBI ... someone whom everyone seems to have forecast a huge breakout season, Carlos Gonzales ARI 1-3, 2B, RBI, 2K's ... Cliff Pennington OAK 0-5, RBI, 2K's ... former 1st rounder coming back after missing all of 2005, Landon Powell OAK 2-4, 2 2B's, RBI

CAROLINA (A+) --  Brian Bixler PIT 2-5, RBI ... Nolan Reimold BAL 2-4 ... Danny Figueroa BAL 1-4 ... Trevor Crowe CLE 0-2, SB ... Stephen Head CLE 1-3, RBI ... Donny Lucy CHA 2-3, 2B, HR, 3RBI ... Jacob Ellsbury BOS 2-4, 2R, 3B, RBI ... Jed Lowrie BOS 2-4, R, 3B, 4RBI ... Andrew Pinckney BOS 0-3, R ... Ian Bladergroen BOS 3-5, 2B, RBI ... Mickey Hall BOS 2-4, R, 3B, RBI ... J.C. Holt ATL 0-4 ... Brandon Jones ATL 1-4, SB ... Van Pope ATL 2-4, 3B ... Luis Hernandez ATL 0-3, RBI ... Clint Sammons ATL 1-4 ... Steve Doetsch ATL 2-4, R, SB ... Steve Mortimer WAS 2-4, HR, 2 RBI ... Devan Ivany WAS 0-4 ... Wallace Torbert HOU 3-5, SB ... Lou Santangelo HOU 2-5, GW 2B in 9th, 3 RBI ...  Wardell Starling PIT 5 2 2 2 1 2 ... Steven Duguay PIT 1 0 0 0 0 3 S ... Garrett Olson BAL 5 7 2 2 0 5 ... Trevor Caughey BAL 2 3 2 1 0 6 ...  Luis Mendoza BOS 5 4 1 1 0 5 W ... Jake Stevens ATL, ouch,  3-1/3 6 7 5 2 3 ...  Collin Banester WAS 4 6 1 1 3 3 ... Jimmy Barthmeier HOU 5-1/3 3 1 1 2 9

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Matt Garza MIN 5 2 2 1 0 4 W ...  Trevor Plouffe MIN SS 1-5 E ...  Homer Bailey CIN 4 2/3 5 5 2 0 5 L ... Adam Rosales CIN SS 2-4 HR(1) R 2RBI ... Cole Hamels PHI 6 3 0 0 0 7 ... Mike Costanzo PHI 3B 2-4 2RBI ... Ryan Patterson TOR LF 0-4 ... Tyler Greene STL SS 2-4 R RBI ... Eric Harberer STL 4 1/3 6 5 4 4 0 ... Gaby Hernandez FLO 5 6 4 4 3 1 ... Scott Elbert LA 5 4 0 0 2 1 ... Blake DeWitt LA 2B 1-3 Triple ... Travis Denker LA 3B 1-3 .. Ryan Braun MIL 3B 3-4 2R RBI SB E ... Hernan Iribarren MIL 2B 3-5 double, 2RBI SB ... Jeff Frazier DET LF 1-3 RBI ... Eduardo Nunez NYA SS 0-5 2K ... Marcos Vechionacci NYA 3B 3-4 double, R ...  Impressive professional debut for 2005 first-rounder Mike Pelfrey NYN 5 2 0 0 1 6 :

" ... Pelfrey pitched five stellar innings in his professional debut on Thursday night as the St. Lucie Mets blanked the Vero Beach Dodgers, 1-0 ...  Pelfrey didn't figure in the decision, despite dominating the Dodgers. The 6-foot-7 right-hander out of Wichita State gave up singles in the second and fourth innings, but only two balls were hit out of the infield against him. Pelfrey struck out six and walked one. He was the ninth overall pick last June but did not sign with New York until January, agreeing to a four-year deal with a reported $3.5 million signing bonus." (MLB.com)

MIDWEST (A) --  Pedro Ciriaco (SS) ARZ 3-5, double, 2 errors ... Travis Wood CIN 3 2/3 6 3 3 1 5 ... Jay Bruce CIN 2-5, double ... Kyle Waldrop MIN 5 1/3 3 0 0 1 6 ... nice debut for last year's #39 overall pick Henry Sanchez (1B) MIN 1-3, HR ... 18-year-old roughed up Tommy Mendoza ANA 4 2/3 7 4 4 2 3 ... Sean Shoffit (2B) TOR 3-4, double ... John Matulia (TB) 0-3, 2 BB's ... Colby Rasmus STL 0-4 ... Justin Sellers OAK 2-4 ... player of the day Kyle Blanks SD 2 HR's for the extra large (6' 6'' 270 lbs.) teenage first baseman

" ...  Cameron Maybin started off his professional career with a bang  ... the Detroit Tigers' first pick in last year's draft, showed off some of his coveted tools in his first game ... displayed solid hitting by lacing an outside fastball from Wizards pitcher Jon Link to right field and used his speed to turn the hit into a triple. "It was nice to play good in my first game, but it would have been better if we got the win," said Maybin, who celebrated his 19th birthday just two days ago. "But once we get our reps in, we'll probably get some 'W's' on the board." Maybin scored later that inning and finished the game 2-for-4. He also played flawlessly in center, making a rare 8-4 double play in the eighth inning and a diving catch in the ninth." (MLB.com)

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Kevin Dixon CLE (a 4.53 ERA last season in short-season ball) 6 0 0 0 1 6 ... Luis Valdez PIT 7 4 0 0 0 6 ... Andrew McCutcheon PIT 0-3 ... Javier Castillo CHA 2-4, 2B (1), HR (1), 3 RBI (3) ... Paulo Orlando CHA 3-4, 3B (1), 2 RBI (2) ... Elvis Andrus ATL 0-4, SB (1) ... Eric Campbell ATL 1-4, SB (1) ... Quentin Davis ATL 3-3, 3B (1), RBI (1) ... Leonard Davis WAS 3-4, 2B (1), RBI (1), SB (1) ... Dexter Fowler COL 2-4, 2 HR (2), 2 RBI (2) ... Chris Nelson COL 0-3 ... Alan Johnson COL 6 6 1 1 0 8 ... Chris Volstad FLA 4 6 5 5 1 6 ... Gabriel Sanchez FLA 2-5, HR (1), 3 RBI (3) ... Kris Harvey FLA 4-5, 2B (1), RBI (1) ... Andy Jenkins FLA 3-5, 2 2B (2), HR (1), 4 RBI (4) ... Jon Niese NYN 3.1 9 3 3 0 4 ... Fernando Martinez NYN 1-5, 2B (1) ... Jose Castro NYN 3-5, 2B (1), 2 RBI (2) ... Nick Evans NYN 3-5, HR (1), 3 RBI (3) ... Brandon Snyder BAL 0-3 ... David Hernandez BAL 5 6 4 2 0 7 ... Lorenzo Cain MIL 2-2, 2 2B (2), RBI (1) ... Angel Salome MIL 1-3, 2B (1), RBI (1) ... Kevin Roberts MIL 5 1 1 1 3 5 ... Jesus Soto LAD 1-3, HR (1), RBI (1) ... Brent Leach LAD 6 2 1 1 3 7 ... Luis Soto BOS 2-4, 2B (1), RBI (1) ... Christian Lara BOS 1-2, 3B (1), 3 RBI ( 3), BB ... Phil Seibel BOS 5 1 1 1 0 7 ... Antoan Richardson SF 204, 2B (1), RBI (1), BB ... Austin Jackson NYA 1-4, 2B (1), BB ... Jose Tabata NYA 1-4, RBI (1) ... C. J. Henry NYA 0-4

    Troop moveme ts ... LAD - Takashi Saito to replace Eric Gagne, DL ...  ATL - purchased the contract of Ken Ray, placed Horacio Ramirez on the 15-day DL, optioned Blaine Boyer to Triple-A, recalled Joey Devine from Triple-A  ... NYA - claimed Koyie Hill off waivers from ARZ, sent Jorge DePaula outright to Triple-A ... TB - transferred Luis Ordaz from the 15-day to the 60-day DL, signed Tomas Perez, released Jesus Colome, placed Julio Lugo on the 15-day DL, recalled Scott Dunn, acquired Marcos Carvajal from SEA for Jose De La Cruz and optioned him to Double-A ...

    Things going from bad to worse for SD's Matt Bush :

" ...  Bush is expected to miss the first 6-8 weeks of Lake Elsinore's season because of a fractured tibia, Fuson said. Initially the Padres diagnosed the injury as a sprained ankle, but a recent X-ray revealed a nondisplaced fracture. Fuson said Bush suffered the injury when he made a sliding attempt for a foul popup in spring training. The Mission Bay High alum, 20, was drafted first overall in 2004. “What are you going to do?” Fuson said. “Stuff happens.”   (San Diego Union Tribune)

    PIT now hoping Neil Walker will be ready near the end of April :

" ...  Neil Walker, the Pirates' top draft pick in 2004 and top hitting prospect, likely will not play for Lynchburg until the end of the month, Graham said. Walker, making a slow recovery from December wrist surgery, has resumed some bullpen catching and is taking light batting practice "  (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)


06 April, 2006

    Now we begin to see who's who ... the minor league season kicks off today ...

    Boone Logan CHA 0.1 2 1 1 0 0 ... Brandon McCarthy CHA 1 1 0 0 0 2 ... Jose Lopez SEA 3-5, triple ... Kenji Johjima SEA 1-3 ... Joe Borchard SEA 1-3 ... Jeff Mathis LAA 1-4 ... Sendy Rleal BAL 1 1 0 0 0 0 ... Seth McClung TB 3 5 7 7 7 3 ... Nick Markakis BAL 1-3, homer, 3 walks  ... Jason Kubel MIN 1-4 ... Francisco Liriano MIN 2 2 0 0 0 3 ... Jonathan Papelbon BOS 1 0 0 0 0 2 ... Kameron Loe TEX 6.2 6 2 2 3 1 ... Jon Rauch WAS 2 0 0 0 2 2 ... Anderson Hernandez NYN 0-4, 3 Ks ... Ryan Zimmerman WAS 1-3, homer, 2 walks  ... Zach Duke PIT, nice 2006 debut after a horrible Ast, 6 5 2 1 3 4 ... Prince Fielder MIL 1-3, walk, no Ks ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 2-3, 2 walks, double ... Josh Willingham FLO 1-3, walk ... Hanley Ramirez FLO 1-4, walk ... Josh Barfield SD 2-4, error ... Adrian Gonzalez SD 3-4, double, homer ... James Loney LAD 0-3 ...

   Troop Movements ...  COL - Jaime Cerda cleared waivers and reported to Triple-A ... TB - sent Tim Corcoran outright to Triple-A, claimed Scott Dunn from LAA and optioned him to Triple-A, designated Kevin Cash for assignment, designated Carlos Hines for assignment,  ... SF - claimed Angel Chavez off waivers from SF and assigned him to Double-A ... 

    David Luciani, Baseball Notebook, on Jeff Mathis, Josh Willingham :

" ...  While I'm not projecting Mathis to hit for a much better average than Molina, he does have good power already. You may have to suffer through a few weeks of seeing Mathis on the bench more than you'd like but my projections, at least for now, reflect that I think Mathis will emerge as the regular by early May. Of course, if Molina gets off to a hotter start than I'm anticipating and the Angels maintain open commitment to him as a regular, then you'll see a significant revision in both forecasts. This is not a resolved issue and you can look at April as spring training, round two, for the competition to be the regular catcher here."

" ...  No, it will take a while before I upgrade Willingham's projected average. He did have a good year at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2005, when he hit .324 in 219 at bats but it came with a 75% contact rate (low for a hitter with that high an average) and before that, he hit .281 at Double-A in 2004 and just .264 in limited action at Single-A Jupiter in 2004. I just think it's unrealistic to expect him to hit for average in the majors right now and my forecast is based on a belief that he's going to have a tough time making contact over the long haul in the National League this year. As an aside, someone asked me the other day if Willingham is the best young player on the Marlins and I want to take this opportunity to remind readers that though I guess he qualifies as young, he's just a bit older than you might think, having turned twenty-seven already this February. "

    Who's in centre, right, left ?  With Justin Upton in the outfield, D'backs have four potential stars for three positions.  Bryan Smith, Baseball Analysts, has his thoughts :

" ...  Upton is obviously in the team's future plans, and my guess is that he will stay in centerfield for quite some time - no better D-Back prospect has better speed. Besides, while Young's range is fantastic, a move to left field could help minimize his one defensive weakness: a lack of arm strength. Young is in the team's future, too, they chose to trade for him just a few months ago. These players are locks. So it's down to Quentin and Gonzales for the final spot, in right field. And simply put, I think the Diamondbacks have put a good majority of their chips behind the latter's corner. Quentin has not been shown a lot of confidence from the organization that drafted him, as the club barely pursued the idea of trading Shawn Green to make room for him. Instead, it was Quentin's name that was brought up in trade rumors, namely to the outfield starved St. Louis Cardinals. When July rolls around, expect Arizona to really re-evaluate their outfield situation. If Gonzales hits the California League in a big way -- and that is no bold prediction -- then Quentin could be moving teams by August 1. Not often are top 20 prospects blocked in from above and behind, so some Major League organization must step up and take advantage. Any takers?"

    Dayn Perry, FOXSports.com, with some picks as breakout candidates in 2006 :

" ...  Nick Adenhart, RHP, Angels ...  is in the latter stages of coming back from Tommy John surgery, and you can expect statistical progress in the upcoming season. Adenhart throws three pitches for strikes, including a changeup, and he looked good in spring training. The injury concerns are there, but otherwise he's a promising one. "

" ... Brandon Erbe, RHP, Orioles ... Look out for this one. Erbe's fastball touches the high 90s, and he complements it with a solid curve. He needs to cultivate his off-speed stuff and stay healthy, but it says much about his potential that the O's intend to assign him to the Sally League, where he'll be one of the youngest players in the circuit."

" ... Mike Napoli, C, Angels ...  is more "underrated" than "breakout candidate," so let's consider what he's already done: .377 career OBP, .474 career SLG, 165 extra-base hits in 1,494 at bats. He's also developed into a quality defender behind the plate, and Napoli profiles as an above-average regular at the highest level."

    Tim Lincecum.  Get familiar with the name.

" ... For the fourth time in the last eight weeks, Washington pitcher Tim Lincecum has been named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Lincecum, the junior from Liberty High in Renton, had perhaps his best-ever performance in last Friday's 5-0 win over UCLA. In a nine-inning, two-hit shutout, Lincecum struck out a career-high 18 batters, including the first seven of the game. He walked only one and allowed only two balls out of the infield, both in the eighth inning. Over his last 32 innings, Lincecum has allowed only 10 hits and one earned run while striking out 44. He leads the Pac-10 in strikeouts (95) and opponent batting average (.159), shares the league lead with six wins and is fourth in earned run average (1.92) ."  (University of Washington)

    A once-promising career hits the downside, in part due to a grand-slam celebration :

" ...  The Padres released Triple-A first baseman Tagg Bozied, who was one of their top power-hitting prospects before he ruptured a knee tendon while celebrating a walk-off grand slam for Portland on July 19, 2004. The Padres signed Bozied for about $700,000 after drafting him in 2001; the Padres since haven't drafted an amateur whose legal adviser was agent Scott Boras. Padres chairman John Moores has said that amateurs advised by Boras aren't a great bet for success."  (San Diego Union Tribune)


05 April, 2006

    Many thanks for surfin' in !  Visitors from nearly 80 countries last month, including - Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (U.S.)

    Boone Logan CHA, enjoying the ride,  2 1 0 0 2 1 ... Jason Kubel MIN 0-3 ... Prince Fielder MIL 0-5, 3 more Ks (7 in 9 ABs) ... Ian Kinsler TEX 0-4 ... Hanley Ramirez FLO 4-5, double, DP, 3 RBI ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 0-5 ... Josh Willingham FLO 2-4, 2 homers ... Mike Jacobs FLO 1-4, homer ... Reggie Abercrombie FLO 2-5 ... Fernando Nieve HOU 1 1 0 0 1 0 ... Kenji Johjima SEA 2-5, 2nd homer ... Chuck James ATL 2 0 0 0 2 2 ...

   Troop Movements ...  FLO - optioned Randy Messenger to Triple-A ... OAK - acquired Kazuhito Tadano from CLE for Ramon Alvarado ... LAD - placed Nomar Garciaparra on the 15-day DL, recalled James Loney ... CLE- placed C.C. Sabathia on the 15-day DL, recalled Jason Davis ... SD - optioned Scott Cassidy to Triple-A ... TB - placed Luis Ordaz on the 15-day DL, purchased the contract of Russell Branyan  ...

    Wecome Nate !  Nate Stephens takes over the Prospect Report at RotoWorld and looks at the ROY races :

" ... Ian Kinsler ...  4:1 (Odds of winning) ...  hit .274/.348/.464 with 23 homers and 19 steals in 131 games at Triple-A Oklahoma last season. Playing half his games at Ameriquest Field will help Kinsler appear a quality middle infielder, but that he’s initially batting ninth behind out-machine Rod Barajas (.306 OBP) will bring his fantasy value more inline with his true value. He’s capable of hitting .280 with 15 steals and homers to go with 80 runs and RBI, but he’ll probably need a bit more than that to win the award."

" ... Justin Verlander ...  9:2  ... dominated the minors last year with a 1.29 ERA and a 136/26 K/BB ratio in 119 innings between Single-A and Double-A. A couple of spot starts in the majors didn’t go so well, and he was shut down in August with shoulder soreness. That he lasted just 130 innings before experiencing shoulder problems casts some doubt as to his short-term stamina and durability. Additionally, although he had excellent control last season, Verlander was known for his erratic command in college and he did walk 10 in 18 2/3 innings this spring. Still, Verlander is certainly one of the best prospects in the majors with a plus-plus fastball and a good curve. He has enough upside to warrant at least a bench spot in mixed leagues and a flier in AL-only contests."

" ... Josh Willingham  ... 6:1 At 27 years old, Willingham isn’t the best long-term bet on the list, but for the 2006 season he can offer as much as anyone. Willingham hit .281/.449/.565 in 112 games at Double-A Carolina in 2004, then posted a .324/.455/.676 line in 66 games at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2005 ...  The plan is to have him split time between left field and catcher while hitting fifth in the Marlins’ lineup. It wouldn’t be shocking if he had the best stats, fantasy or otherwise, of any NL catcher."

    Jan Ramirez, Inside the Dugout, adds to his Top 100 with the next-to-last installment. 

" ...  52-Andrew McCutchen ...  praised for his athleticism and power-speed combination. McCutchen also showed an impressive approach at the plate in his major league debut. With top of the line speed, covering tons of ground in center field with an average arm. He shows good power, but how much he will hit for is still a question with his smaller frame. He will likely be a 20-20 player at the major league level, with 30-30 potential. Similar to Mets uber-prospect Lastings Milledge."

" ... 60-Scott Elbert ...  had an excellent first full season in the Sally League. Using a low 90s fastball and power curve, Elbert showed excellent H/9 IP and K/9 IP rates, improving his changeup, while getting better as the season went on. Elbert did struggle with his command at times , but scouts believe a mechanical flaw caused this and could be easily corrected. If Elbert can improve his command, he has ace potential."

" ... 71- Yusmiero Petit ...  gets hitters out with pinpoint control and simple but deceptive delivery. Features 4 pitches that he spots well, Petit dominates with a low 90’s fastball , an above average slider and changeup. There is still a lot of questions if his stuff will translate to higher levels  ... However his past success is hard to ignore , making me believe if he stays healthy he could be a successful 3 starter for the Fish in the near future."

" ... 73- Brad Snyder ...  shows a compact stroke with power to all fields. Snyder shows the willingness to take a walk Snyder has been compared to Paul O’Neill because he owns a solid set of tools along with his bat. Snyder is a good runner and can play solid center field, but he is probably better fit to play a corner outfield position. Despite the fact that Snyder has put up solid numbers at different level, he has still been old in each league he has played in."


04 April, 2006

   The young guns ...  Ian Kinsler TEX 1-2, walk ... Jonathan Papelbon BOS 1 0 0 0 0 1 ... Joel Zumaya DET 2 1 0 0 1 3 ... Kenji Johjima SEA 1-3, homer ... Ryan Zimmerman WAs 2-3, double ... Prince Fielder MIL 0-4, Golden Sombrero - 4 Ks ... Matt Murton CHN 3-5, homer, 3 RBI ... Adam Wainwright STL 1 1 0 0 0 1 ... Conor Jackson ARZ 2-4, walk ... Josh Barfield SD 1-4 ... Hanley Ramirez FLO 1-4, 3 Ks, 2 errors ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 1-3, 2 Ks ...

   Troop Movements ...  STL - purchased the contracts of Scott Spiezio and Josh Hancock, designated Junior Spivey for assignment ... SD - claimed Rob Bowen off waivers from DET ... FLO - claimed Franklyn German off waivers from DET, designated Nate Bump for assignment ... CLE - CC Sabathia heading for DL ... LAD - James Loney a likely callup to replace Nomar Garciaparra, DL ...

    Justin Upton ARZ, it's centre field after all (and after a DL stint to rest his shoulder) :

" ...  The 18-year-old, who wowed the baseball staff during his time in Major League camp this spring, originally tweaked the shoulder during a big-league game and then aggravated it later in a Minor League game. "It's nothing serious," general manager Josh Byrnes said. "We're just being a little extra cautious with it and we want to give it some time to calm down." ... Originally slated to begin his professional career at Class A South Bend, he will still do that, just a couple of weeks late, and the club has decided in recent days to shift him to center field. When they signed him to a record $6.1 million deal in January, the Diamondbacks said they planned on developing him as a shortstop despite the presence in the system of shortstop Stephen Drew, the club's No. 1 pick in 2004. But after the baseball staff talked things over and also had discussions with Upton, his family and his agent Larry Reynolds, they decided that they would make the move. "I just think we all put our heads together and felt like it was best to do it right now," Byrnes said. "We think this is the best thing for him. This could allow him to advance at a faster pace."  (MLB.com)

    Zach Chalifour, RotoTimes, includes five D'Backs in his NL West Top 10, including Upton and Stephen Drew, tied for the top spot :

" ...  The 23-year-old Drew was drafted with the 15th overall pick in the 2004 draft despite the high contract demands of agent Scott Boras. It took the D'Backs until last April to sign the former Florida State shortstop, and their patience prevailed as Drew went on a tear after joining High-A Lancaster. Hitting .389 with 10 home runs in 38 games was enough for Drew to earn a quick promotion to Double-A Tennessee, where he eventually finished the year with a .320 average, 14 homers, 52 RBI and a .414 on-base percentage ... it won't be long before Drew becomes the full-time shortstop - potentially by the end of this summer. Despite the presence of Drew as a future franchise shortstop, Arizona did not hesitate to draft Justin Upton with the first overall pick of last year's draft. When Justin, the younger brother of B.J. Upton, makes his professional debut this summer, we will get a better idea of how fast he will move. Despite the fact that he will not turn 19 until this August, many scouts expect Upton to move quickly and join the Diamondbacks within three years, where he will quickly become a solid five-category producer for fantasy teams."

" ... 5. Andy LaRoche ... had a breakout season last year to move from being an average prospect to an upper echelon power-hitting prospect. LaRoche made a name for himself in the first half of the summer while playing for High-A Vero Beach of the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. The favorable stadiums for pitchers were no match for LaRoche, however, as he hit .333 with 21 home runs in just 63 games. By comparison, LaRoche struggled in the second half at Double-A Jacksonville, batting .273 with nine home runs in 64 games. With Bill Mueller signed through 2007, the Dodgers will be able to refrain from rushing LaRoche. Even if he continues to excel, it may be difficult for him to crack the everyday lineup much before 2008."

    John Franco, SportsBlurb, (subscription required) with some guys to watch this summer:

" ...  Mark Rogers, SP. West Virginia Power ...  certainly has the talent to be a top-10 player, given his 100 mile per hour fastball and wicked slider. Unfortunately, he still has a long way to go with his control, as he walked 70 batters in 99 innings last year. Rogers will spend the year battling to harness his stuff, and on any given night, you can catch a glimpse of what it could have been like to watch a young Nolan Ryan."

" ... Elvis Andrus, SS. Rome (GA) Braves  ... a 17-year old shortstop who hit .293 in two minor league stops last year, and his offensive skills pale in comparison to his wizardry with the glove – and a great defensive shortstop is one of the most enjoyable things about the game of baseball. Andrus is mature beyond his years and will likely be the youngest player in the Sally League this year. Stop off in Rome and imagine what it would be like to be that young and talented."


03 April, 2006

    Our first stab at the 25-man rosters (with a few slots yet to be filled) ...

    Opening Day -  Brandon McCarthy CHA, in relief, 3 0 0 0 0 2 ... hope you don't have Fernando Cabrera in your pen, 1 2 6 6 4 0 ...

The last of ST ... nice tuneup for the regular season, Ryan Madson PHI 5.0 4 0 0 1 4, 1.50 ... Ervin Santana LAA 4.0 2 2 2 4 3, 4-0, 4.94 ...  Dioner Navarro LAD 0-3, .037 ... Casey Kotchman LAA 1-2, 7th double, .421 ... Brandon Wood LAA 0-3, 2 Ks, .167 ...  in the Twins' match with its Triple-A club, Scott Baker was pounded for 10 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings ...

   Troop Movements ...  COL - placed Yorvit Torrealba on the 15-day DL, purchased the contract of Miguel Ojeda, purchased the contracts of Tom Martin and Jason Smith, placed Byung-Hyum Kim on the 15-day DL, designated Mike Esposito for assignment .. ARZ - Luis Terrero cleared release waivers and is now a free agent ... MIN - assigned Ruben Sierra to minor league camp (MLC) ... MIL - purchased the contract of Jared Fernandez ... DET - placed Todd Jones on the 15-day DL ... NYN - purchased the contract of Darren Oliver, assigned Pedro Feliciano to MLC ... SEA - purchased the contract of Jeff Harris ... PHI - released Tomas Perez, assigned Chris Coste to MLC ... ARZ - designated Koyie Hill for assignment, purchased the contract of Terry Mulholland ...  OAK - assigned Keith Ginter, Scott McClain, Randy Keisler and John Baker to MLC ... PIT - placed Kip Wells, John Van Benschoten on the 15-day DL ... LAD - placed Kenny Lofton on the 15-day DL ...

    Jason Kubel MIN, ready to begin a major league career :

" ...  He's a guy you look at and you know he's going to be in the major leagues," White [Rondell White] said. "He just has that look like he belongs, like a Chipper Jones."  ... The Twins believe that Kubel, 23, belongs in the majors right now. The youngster is heading north to start the season, a product of a good spring and having a spot open up when veteran Ruben Sierra pulled a right quad ... "I think he's convinced all of us that he's one of the best players here in camp," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's moving around fine. We've seen him run out a triple. We have seen him do just about everything." ... Kubel insisted all spring that his knee wasn't a problem. Gardenhire has noticed a little "hitch" when Kubel runs, but speed never has been a major asset for him. Kubel's best skills are his bat and strong throwing arm."  (Star Tribune)

    Nick Markakis BAL, forcing his way into the Os lineup :

"  ...  Of the few roster questions lingering for Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, one was both unexpected and pleasant. Should Nick Markakis stay or should he go? The answer came yesterday when Perlozzo told the 22-year-old outfielder he had made the team. "Well, he played extremely well. He forced our hand," the manager said. "I was impressed with everything he did out there. He's a quick learner and he can handle the bat." ... The youngster batted .300 at Single-A Frederick and .339 at Double-A Bowie last year. But his sweet swing has produced more doubles than homers so far. And some prospect watchers have said they'd like to see him go deep more before anointing him the next big thing. "Eventually, it'll come," Markakis said of his home run power. "You know, I'm not going to change my approach or anything." On defense, Markakis looks most comfortable in right field. But he also played center and left ... "He's probably going to play 'em all," said Perlozzo. "Probably mostly in center."  (Baltimore Sun)

    Rangers decide to take a chance on a Rule 5 pickup, Fabio Castro :

" ... The Rangers took him in the Rule 5 draft in December and are putting him on their Opening Day roster. As a Rule 5 pick, he has to stay on the Rangers' 25-man roster all season or be offered back to the White Sox. "We like everything we've seen about him," general manager Jon Daniels said. "He has great makeup and he fits in with a veteran group in the bullpen who have taken him under their wing." Castro is only 5-foot-8 but can hit up to 95 mph with his fastball. He has four years of professional experience but has never pitched above Class A ... He'll be the long reliever but the Rangers are going to carry him just because they think he has a great future. "He can fill a role but on a team expecting to contender, he has to be able to do his part," Daniels said."  (MLB.com)

    Yet another rookie pitcher makes the DET roster for Opening Day :

" ... A day before opening the season ... Tigers placed closer Todd Jones on the 15-day disabled list ... To take his spot on the roster, the club will recall Jordan Tata from Double-A Erie on Monday ...  hasn't pitched a regular-season game above Class A. The next game he pitches will be quite a leap above that level. He'll work in relief on a pitching staff that already includes the Tigers' top prospects from last year in 23-year-old fifth starter Justin Verlander and fireballing 21-year-old Joel Zumaya, whose chances of pitching later in games would appear better now with Jones out. Tata is older than both of them at 24, despite being lower on the developmental ladder. Yet he beat them out for Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors on the strength of his 13-2 record and 2.79 ERA last season at Class A Advanced Lakeland. "  (MLB.com)


 
 

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

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  
April 25-May 01  May 02-08  May 09-15  May 16-22  May 23-29  May 30-June 05  June 06-12  June 13-19
June 20-26   June 27-July 03   July 04-10   July 11-17   July 18-24   July 25-31  Aug 01-07  Aug 08-14   Aug 15-21
Aug 22-28  Aug 29-Sept 04  Sept 05-11  Sept 12-18  Sept 19-Oct 9  Oct 10-23  Oct 24-30  Oct 31-Nov 06 
Nov 07-13  Nov 14-27  Nov 28-Dec 11   Dec 12-18 

2006 -- Dec 19-Jan 08  Jan 09-15  Jan 16-29   Jan 30-Feb12  Feb 13-26  Feb 27-Mar 05  Mar 06-12  Mar 13-19  Mar 20-26  Mar 27 Apr 02  Apr 03-09  Apr 10-16  Apr 17-23  Apr 24-30  May 01-07  May 08-14 

Rooks Top 10s    Rooks Top 100s    Rooks Position    Rooks All-Stars    Rooks League