Rookies 2006

 

                                                          Pitching Line = IP H R ER BB SO

 

11 June, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Franklin Gutierrez CLE 3-6, 2B, R, .296 … Andy Marte CLE 2-5, 4th HR, R, RBI, .259 … Ben Francisco CLE 2-5, 7th HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, .263 … Kelly Shoppach CLE 1-3, BB, HBP, .300 … Jeremy Sowers CLE 7 7 2 2 4 6, 1.37 … Brayan Pena ATL 0-4, BB, SB, .218 … James Jurries ATL 1-2, R, 2 BB, HBP, .241 … Scott Baker MIN 7 5 1 1 4 5, 3.00 … Jason Phillips TOR 3-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB, .265 … David Purcey TOR 2-2/3 6 7 7 2 4, 5.40 … Josh Fields CHA 3-4, 2B, RBI, BB, .338 … Chris Stewart CHA 1-3, 2B, R, Sac, .274 … Ryan Raburn DET 1-5, 11th HR, R, 2 RBI, .277 … Jordan Tata DET 5 7 4 3 3 4, 4.11 … Tonys Gutierrez CIN 1-4, 5th HR, R, RBI, .291 … Chris Denorfia CIN 2-4, RBI, .326 … Philip Dumatrait CIN 6 5 3 2 1 5, 5.91 … Val Majewski BAL 0-2, 2 BB, .200 … Eli Whiteside BAL 1-4, .232 … Adam Stern BOS 2-5, 3rd HR, R, 4 RBI, .236 … Carlos Pena NYA 3-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, HBP, .265 … B.J. Upton TB 0-4, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd errors, .274 (on pace for 61 errors in a MLB, 162-game season)… Brian Stokes TB 7 5 4 3 2 3, 3.51 … Jeff Keppinger NYN 2-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, .284 … Chase Lambin NYN 2-4, RBI, .232 … Evan MacLane NYN 8-2/3 4 1 1 5 5, 2.11

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Larry Broadway WAS 4-5, .348 ... Nelson Cruz MIL 2-4, 14th homer, .301 ... Edinson Volquez TEX, now that's living up to the promise, 7.0 1 0 0 1 9, 4.05 ... Rich Hill CHN 6.0 4 1 1 2 9, 2.31 ... Fred Lewis SF 3-5, triple, .279 ... Joe Saunders LAA 5.2 8 4 2 3 3, 2.51 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 4-5, 11th double, .312 ... Chris Young ARZ 2-4, 9th homer, .277 ... Chad Billingsley LAD 5.0 4 2 2 3 6, 3.95 ... Adam Jones SEA 2-3, walk, .252 ... Chris Snelling SEA, in a funk, 0-3, .235 ... Tim Stauffer SD 7.1 5 2 2 4 5, 4.40

EASTERN (AA)  --  Gabe Kapler BOS, rehab, 2-3, double, triple, walk ... 3B Chad Spann BOS 2-3, double, .298 ... Matt Moses MIN 1-3, 9th homer, .267 ... Adam Miller CLE, better, 6.0 5 2 1 1 8, 4.00 ... Glen Perkins MIN 4.0 11 8 7 1 5, 3.75 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE, a rare ofer, 0-3, .427 ... Zack Segovia PHI 7.0 7 4 3 0 7, 3.89

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Joel Hanrahan LAD 7.0 3 0 0 3 5, 7-2, 2.58 ... Andy LaRoche LAD 2-3, 8th homer, 6th SB, .296 ... Jose Garcia FLO, AA debut after a spectacular stint in the FSL, 6.0 5 1 0 3 4 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-4, 8th homer, 3RBI, walk, .276

TEXAS (AA)  --  OF Terry Evans STL (47th rounder in 2001), just his second game since promotion to AA, 4-4, 2 homers, 7 RBI ... Brian Stavisky OAK, 5-6, homer, 4 RBI ... Travis Buck OAK 3-7, double, .319 ... Ben Zobrist HOU 3-4, 2 RBI, .323 ... Troy Tulowitzki COL 1-2, 2 walks, CS, Picked off, .290

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Michael Collins LAA 1-4, double, .299 ... Reid Brignac TB 1-4, 10th homer, no errors, .324 ... John Jaso TB 3-5, 2 doubles, .327 ...  Luis Cota KC, making a turnaround, 6.0 1 0 0 5 5, 6.19 ...  Eric Hurley TEX 5.0 4 4 2 3 6, 2.69 ...Gregory Smith ARZ 7.0 2 0 0 3 5, 9-0, 1.63

CAROLINA (A+) --  Luke Montz 1B WAS 1-6, Home Run, 2RBI ... Jason Fransz DH BAL 3-6, run ... Dustin Yount 1B BAL 2-6, Home Run, 3RBI ... Jacob Duncan RF BAL 3-5, double, run ... Matt Young CF ATL 3-4, double, RBI ... Brandon Jones LF ATL 1-4, Home Run ... Micah Schilling 2B CLE 2-4, double, Home Run, 3RBI ... Trevor Crowe CF CLE 1-2, run, sb(28) ... Joe Ness CLE 6 5 4 3 0 3 L ... Jacoby Ellsbury CF BOS 4-5, double, 2 runs, 2RBI ... Bryan Pritz LF BOS 3-6, run ... Michael Hall RF BOS 1-5, triple, 2 runs, 3RBI ... David Cook LF CHA 1-4, Home Run ... Nyjer Morgan CF PIT 2-4, double, run ... Brian Bixler SS PIT 1-2, RBI, sb ... Steven Pearce 1B PIT 2-3 ... Kip Wells PIT first rehab start 6 3 0 0 2 5 W

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Eric Harberer STL 6 5 3 2 3 9 W(4-5, 3.95) … Mike Costanzo 3B PHI 5-5 double, 3R RBI, .254 … Sean Gallagher CHN 6 4 0 0 3 6 ND, 2.30 … Anthony Swarzak MIN 4 5 4 4 2 4 ND, 4.29 … Jair Jurrjens DET 6 2/3 5 3 2 0 6 ND, 2.08 … Josh Wahpepah MIL 2 2/3 5 3 3 4 1 L(3-3, 3.97) … PJ Pilittere C NYA 5-6 2R 2RBI, .321 … Brett Gardner CF NYA 2-5 3R RBI 2SB(28), .335 … Rudy Guillen LF NYA 4-5 HR(4) 2 doubles, R 5RBI, .261

MIDWEST (A) --  Cameron Maybin DET, productive return to action, 2-4, grand slam homer, 5 RBI, walk, .327 ... 3B John Whittleman TEX 3-4, 13th double, .228 ... Donald Veal CHN 6.0 2 1 0 2 8, 2.93 ... Jaime Garcia STL 5.1 7 4 4 1 6, 3.06 ... Bryan Anderson STL, 2-4, .335, 2 passed balls (7) ... Stephen Marek LAA 6.0 4 1 1 1 12, 7-1, 2.46 ... Eduardo Morlan MIN 5.2 5 3 1 3 5, 2.50

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Sergio Pedroza LAD 2-4, 15th double, 14th homer, walk, 3 RBI, .280 ... catcher Maximiliano Ramirez ATL 2-4, 7th homer, .311 ... Chris Nelson COL 2-4, 2 doubles (18), .291 ... Thomas Fairchild HOU 7.0 5 0 0 1 8, 8-3, 1.90 ... Carlos Carrasco PHI 5.2 3 3 3 2 10, 2.23 (83 Ks in 77 innings) ... Jose Tabata NYA 2-4, 16th double, walk, .317 

    Troop Movements ...  MIL - recalled Carlos Villanueva from Double-A ... TOR - placed Gustavo Chacin on the 15-day DL, placed Pete Walker on the 15-day DL, recalled Brian Tallet from Triple-A, recalled Vinnie Chulk from Triple ... PHI - placed Mike Lieberthal on the 15-day DL, recalled Brian Sanches from Triple-A ... WAS - activated Jose Guillen from the 15-day DL, optioned Mike Vento to Triple-A  ... KC - optioned Leo Nunez to Triple-A, added Todd Wellemeyer to the 25-man roster.   ... BOS - recalled Jon Lester from Triple-A, optioned Craig Hansen to Triple-A ...

     FInally, TB might get some production out of their 2004 first rounder :

" ...   Jeff Niemann's recovery from offseason shoulder surgery is progressing well enough for the organization to tentatively schedule him to join Double-A Montgomery on June 17. Niemann, 23, made 11 appearances between Single-A Visalia and Montgomery in 2005. The right-hander was 0-2 with a 4.11 ERA in his first professional season. Meanwhile, first-round draft pick Evan Longoria will not begin his professional career with Visalia as planned. Instead, he'll start his career with short-season Single-A Hudson Valley on June 20. Longoria is scheduled to play eight to 10 games with the Renegades, thereby avoiding the California League's five-day All-Star break. After that, he'll join the Oaks in California."  (Tampa Tribune)

    Tigers getting a good one :

" ...  All-America pitcher Andrew Miller, the sixth pick of the 2006 draft by the Detroit Tigers, exhibited his all-star form in leading North Carolina to an 11-5 victory over No. 4 national seed Alabama ... Miller went seven innings, giving up two unearned runs on five hits. He struck out 11 Crimson Tide batters, the fifth time this year he has recorded double digit Ks." (UNC) 


10 June, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Jeremy Guthrie CLE 6-1/3 9 8 7 3 6, 2.78 … Scott Thorman ATL 2-5, .316 … J.D. Durbin MIN 5-1/3 5 2 2 4 4, 2.49 … John Hattig TOR 2-3, 2B, BB, .256 … Russ Adams TOR 2-4, 2B, 2 R, .349 … Josh Banks TOR 6 4 4 4 3 5, 5.68 … Brandon League TOR 1 0 0 0 1 1, 2.27 … Jerry Owens CHA 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, .232 … Josh Fields CHA 2-4, 2B, R, 4 RBI, SB, .330 … Tonys Gutierrez CIN 2-4, 2B, R, .291 … Ryan Wagner CIN 1 0 0 0 0 1, 6.26 … Tom Gorzelanny PIT 7 6 4 3 2 4, 2.82 … Dustin Pedroia BOS 2-4, 2B, Sac, .266 … B.J. Upton TB 1-6, 5th HR, R, 2 RBI, 0 errors, .279 … Shawn Riggans TB 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, BB, .317 … Joey Gathright TB 2-6, 2B, R, .333 … Jason Hammel TB 5-2/3 4 3 3 2 6, 3.90 … Jeff Keppinger NYN 2-7, RBI, .280 … Chase Lambin NYN 2-5, 3B, R, SB, .227

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Ben Hendrickson MIL 8.0 5 3 2 3 5, 2.29 ... Tony Gwynn Jr. MIL 2-4, 17th SB, .328 ... Justin Huber KC 1-3, 9th homer, .255 ... Felix Pie CHN 0-4, .259 ... minor league vet Scott Seabol FLO 2-3, 16th double, 17th homer, .337 ... Ryan Shealy COL 4-5, 2 doubles (11), 2 homers (11), 7 RBI, .319 ... CF Jeff Salazar COL 3-4, double, walk ... Howie Kendrick LAA 4-5, .414 ... Guillermo Quiroz SEA 1-4, grand slam, walk, .311 ... Dioner Navarro LAD, rehab, 0-2 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 0-4, walk, 8th error, .302 ... 1B Chris Carter ARZ 3-5, 8th homer, 4 RBI, .287 ... Jeff Mathis LAA 2-5, 14th double, 3 RBI, .284

EASTERN (AA)  --  Ray Navarrete LF NYM 4-5, 2R, RBI, BB ... Simon Pond 1B PIT 2-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, 2k ... Michael Connolly PIT 7 2 0 0 1 6 ... Davis Romero TOR 6 5 2 2 2 9 ... Denard Span CF MIN 0-3, k ... Matt Moses 3B MIN 1-4, k ... Matt Garza MIN 6 6 3 0 1 9 ... Brad Snyder RF CLE 1-4, 2k ... Pat Misch SF 7 6 1 1 1 3 ... Bear Bay CLE 9 2 0 0 2 4 ... Eric Duncan 1B NYY 2-5, 2HR, 4RBI, k ... Michael Bourn CF 3-3, 2R, 2BB ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 1-3, 9th homer (the only run of the game), .435

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Tyler Lumsden CHA, back on track, 8.1 7 1 1 1 4, 7-2, 3.45 ... George Kottaras SD 2-4, double, walk, .296 ... Miguel Montero ARZ, heating up, 3-4, double, walk, .276 ... lefty Ben Kozlowski LAD, could win some time in the Dodgers' pen, 1.0 0 0 0 0 2

TEXAS (AA)  --  Ubaldo Jimenez COL, in a groove, 9.0 3 0 0 1 10, 7-2, 2.89 ... catcher Chris Iannetta COL 3-4, 2 doubles, 9th homer, .328 ... Ian Stewart COL 1-4, .253 ... Travis Buck OAK 2-4, double, .312 ... Vasili Spanos 3B OAK 2-3, 2 doubles (19), .321

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Marcus Sanders SF 2-3, double, walk, .217 ... Sean Rodriguez LAA 1-3, 10th homer, .286 ... Reid Brignac TB 3-5, 9th homer, 19th error, .325 ... Landon Powell OAK 3-4, double, .288 ... 3B Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 2-4, 12th double, .323 ... 2B Yung Chi Chen SEA 2-4, 2 doubles (13), .326

CAROLINA (A+) --  Michael Hinckley WAS, significant progress, 5.0 3 1 1 2 2, 4.52 ... Garrett Olson BAL, no word on why just three innings, 3.0 3 1 1 1 4, 3.07 ... Jose Guillen WAS, rehab, 1-2, homer & 1-3, homer ... Trevor Crowe CLE CF & leadoff, 3-4, 15th double, .326 ... Neil Walker PIT 1-4, .284

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Yovani Gallardo MIL 8 1/3 1 1 1 3 11 W(6-3, 1.97) … Homer Bailey CIN 7 3 1 1 0 8 ND, 3.31 … Paul Janish SS CIN 3-4 R, .297 … Corey Coles LF NYN 2-4 3R RBI, .330 … Brett Gardner CF NYA 2-4 double, R CS(7), .333 … Brett Smith NYA 6 5 1 1 1 3 ND, 2.99 … Kyle Sleeth DET 2 2 1 1 1 0 … Hernan Iribarren 2B MIL 2-4 3RBI, .287

MIDWEST (A) --  Justin Upton ARZ 1-5, 10th double ... Jared Lansford OAK 6 5 1 0 0 3 (2.36) .. patience is a virtue Kyle Blanks SD 0-1, 2 BB's (.306) ... Johnny Cueto CIN 5 6 1 1 2 7 (W, 6-1, 3.00) ... Jay Bruce CIN 3-5 (.287) ... 18-year-old just fine Omar Poveda TEX 6 8 3 3 1 6 (4.29) ... Paul Kelly MIN 2-5, 15th double (.262) ... Nick Adenhart ANA 8 5 3 1 3 7 (W, 8-2, 2.07) ... Mark Reed CHN (at 1B) 2-5, double (.312) ... Mitch Atkins CHN 6 3 1 1 2 2 (W, 5-1, 1.90)

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Andrew Locke OF LAD 1-4, 6th homer, .335 ... Kala Kaaihue ATL 3-4, double, triple, .345 ... Andrew McCutchen PIT 2-5, 12th SB, .280 ... Angel Salome MIL 2-4, 2 doubles (21), .300 ... Chaz Roe COL 6.0 7 3 3 2 3, 3.96 ... Clay Buchholz BOS 5.0 1 1 1 2 8, 3.61 ... Sean West FLO, out of character, 5.2 6 3 3 3 7, 1.44 ... Matthew Maloney PHI, fronting a one-hitter, 7.2 1 0 0 2 5, 1.71 (85 Ks in 74 innings) ... Austin Jackson NYA, in a funk, 0-4, .270 ... Jose Tabata NYA 1-4, 8th SB, .313

    Troop Movements ...  CLE - recalled Rafael Perez from Double-A, designated Scott Sauerbeck for assignment ... TEX - purchased he contract of Bryan Corey from Triple-A, designated Antonio Alfonseca for assignment ...  CHN - placed Kerry Wood on the 15-day DL, recalled Angel Guzman from Triple-A ... CIN - recalled Ray Olmedo from Triple-A, placed  Edwin Encarnacion on the 15-day DL ... COL - acquired Kazuo Matsui and cash from NYN Eli Marrero, optioned Matsui to Triple-A, recalled Jorge Piedra from Triple-A ... ATL - optioned Brayan Pena to Triple-A, activated Brian McCann from the 15-day DL ... KC - claimed Todd Wellemeyer off waivers from FLO, designated Steve Andrade for assignment ... OAK - optioned Randy Keisler to Triple-A, recalled Mike Rouse from Triple-A ... PHI - optioned Eude Brito to Triple-A, recalled Chris Roberson from Triple-A ... LAA - activated Maicer Izturis from the 15-day DL, optioned Erick Aybar to Triple-A ...

    Aaron Gleeman RotoWorld.com on Jon Lester BOS :

" ...  The Red Sox confirmed that they will call up Jon Lester from Triple-A to start the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Rangers. Lester is one of baseball’s best pitching prospects and has a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts at Triple-A despite getting off to a brutal April. However, with a mediocre 43-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio, five homers allowed, and a .240 opponent’s batting average in 46.2 innings at Pawtucket it seem unlikely that Lester is ready to consistently get big-league hitters out.'

    Humberto Sanchez DET back to AA after his spot start in AAA.  Marlins youngster wins a promotion to AA :

" ...   the club promoted righthander Jose Garcia to Carolina. Garcia went 6-2, 1.87 with 69 strikeouts in 77 innings at high Class A Jupiter. The 21-year-old righthander will make his Double-A debut on Saturday against the Biscuits."

    Some batting leaders, AAA and AA (stats through games of Thursday) :

ON BASE			      SLUGGING	
Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE	.484  Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE  .685
Matt Tupman KC	        .459  Howie Kendrick LAA    .671
Rico Washington STL	.455  Scott Seabol FLO	    .653
Howie Kendrick LAA	.440  Rico Washington STL   .640
Jack Cust SD	        .438  Jason Botts TEX	    .615
Corey Smith CHA	        .434  Scott Hairston ARZ    .606
Lastings Milledge NYN	.425  Hunter Pence HOU	    .591
Brendan Harris WAS	.422  Kevin Witt TB	    .586
Vasili Spanos OAK	.422  Brandon Wood LAA	    .572
			      Josh Fields CHA	    .571
HOME RUNS		      DOUBLES	
Kevin Witt TB	        16    Jason Bartlett MIN     23
Scott Seabol FLO	16    Brandon Wood LAA	     23
Luke Scott HOU	        16    Ben Zobrist HOU	     20
Hunter Pence HOU	16    Howie Kendrick LAA     19
Scott Hairston ARZ	15    Carlos Quentin ARZ     19
Scott Thorman ATL	14    Shelley Duncan NYA     19
Joseph Koshansky COL	14    Lee Mitchell FLO	     19
Nelson Cruz MIL	        13    Rico Washington STL    19
Jon Knott SD	        13			
Brandon Wood LAA	13			

09 June, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Ben Francisco CLE 2-4, 2B, 3B, .264 … Scott Thorman ATL 1-3, 2 BB, .314 … Peter Moylan ATL 0-1/3 1 2 2 2 0, 4.03 … Chuck James ATL 6-2/3 4 0 0 0 6, 2.61 … Ryan Roberts TOR 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, .247 … Russ Adams TOR 4-4, 4 RBI, BB, .339 … Humberto Sanchez DET 5-2/3 6 1 1 2 5, 1.59 … Justin Germano CIN 6 6 3 3 0 6, 4.64 … Sean Burnett PIT 2-1/3 5 6 6 4 1, 6.36 … Adam Stern BOS 2-5, R, .232 … Hee-Seop Choi BOS 2-4, 6th HR, R, RBI, BB, .244 … Carlos Ruiz PHI 2-4, R, .339 … Carlos Pena NYA 3-3, 2 2B, RBI, BB, .255 … Steven White NYA 7 3 1 0 2 2, 0.00 … B.J. Upton TB 0-4, R, BB, SB, 20th error, .282 … Elijah Dukes TB 4-4, 3 R, RBI, BB, .318 … Shawn Riggans TB 2-4, RBI, BB, .314 … Chris Seddon TB 6 7 3 3 1 3, 5.05 … Jeff Keppinger NYN 2-3, R, BB, .280

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Jason Hirsh HOU 6.0 3 1 1 4 7, 6-2, 2.83 ... Jae Kuk Ryu CHN 6.0 6 2 2 0 8, 3.55 ... Felix Pie CHN, spinning his wheels, 0-3, walk, 3 Ks, .263 ... Larry Broadway WAS 3-3, .340 ... Nelson Cruz MIL 2-3, double, 2 walks, .293 ... Jason Vargas FLO, a few more like this & he might get another shot, 8.0 6 2 1 2 6 ... Chris Aguila FLO 4-5, double, 6 RBI ... Howie Kendrick LAA 3-5, 2 doubles, .402 ... Jason WIndsor OAK 5.1 8 8 8 3 7 ... Greg Miller LAD 1.2 5 0 0 0 2, 0.00 (in 9 2/3s, but 10 hits allowed, 10 walks, 8 Ks)  ...  2B Michael Garciaparra SEA, a surprising climb up the charts, 3-4, 2 walks, .364 ... Adam Jones SEA 3-7, 3 doubles, 5 RBI, .251 ... James Loney LAD 2-5, double, .352

EASTERN (AA)  --  Mike Pelfrey NYN 7.0 2 0 0 1 7 ... Gio Gonzalez PHI 5.0 4 5 5 6 5, 3.42 ... Philip Hughes NYA 6.0 5 1 1 1 4 ... James Johnson BAL 8.0 2 0 0 1 4, 3.75 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 2-3, 15th double, walk, .436 ... Adam Lind TOR 0-4, 2 Ks & 0-2, .299

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Lou Palmisano MIL, maybe there's still hope, 3-4, 2 doubles, .242 ... Anibal Sanchez FLO 5.1 6 6 4 1 6, 3.82 ... Wes Bankston TB, back in the lineup, 1-5, homer ... Mark Prior CHN 5.0 4 3 3 2 4 ... Lance Broadway CHA 5.0 10 5 4 1 4, 2.83 ... Eric Patterson CHN 3-4, 13th double, walk, 2 SBs (18), .295 ... Jared Wells SD 7.0 7 4 4 2 4, 2.69 ... Miguel Montero ARZ, a little spurt, 3-5, 2 doubles, .266 ... Dan Curtis ATL 6.0 6 3 3 3 3, 4.76

TEXAS (AA)  --  Billy Butler KC 3-4, double, walk, 3 RBI, .307 ... Joe Koshansky COL 2-3, 14th homer, .308 ... Brandon Wood LAA 1-3, walk, 15th error, .293 ... John Danks TEX 6.0 3 2 2 1 5, 4.55 ... JR House HOU 2-4, 18th double, .349

" ... Third baseman Alex Gordon ...  three stitches in his left foot following an injury at his home in Wichita. Gordon was taking the trash out when he stepped on a bottle and cut his foot, Wranglers manager Frank White said. "It was a freak accident," Gordon said. "It's just something that walking around the house, anyone could do. "...  White expects Gordon could be sidelined for one game and as many as five. Gordon is scheduled to start at third base in the All-Star game on June 20."  (Wichita Eagle)

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  James Houser TB 7.0 4 1 1 1 9, 3.52 ... Matt Miller COL 3-5, 15th double, .332 ... Marcus Sanders SF 0-5, 18th error, .210 ... Michael Ekstrom SD 9.0 2 0 0 2 3, 7-3, 2.36 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 1-3, 10th homer, .308 ... Matt Tuiasosopo 3B SEA 3-5, 2 RBI, 19th error, .319

CAROLINA (A+) --  Trey Webb 2B WAS 1-4, Home Run, 2RBI ... KJ Hendricks LF BAL 2-5 ... Radhames Liz BAL 6 5 3 3 2 6 L ... Jacoby Ellsbury CF BOS 1-3, run, sb ... Chris Amador CF CHA 1-5, RBI ... Donny Lucy C CHA 2-4, double, Home Run ... Rod Allen RF CHA 3-4, double, run, 2RBI ... Adam Russell CHA 5 2 1 1 4 2 W ... Nyjer Morgan CF PIT 3-4 ... Brian Bixler SS PIT 0-5 ... Steven Pearce 1B PIT 1-4, Home Run (16th overall), 2 runs ... Troy Patton HOU 5.1 7 2 2 3 3 ... Clayton Hamilton PIT 7 4 0 0 1 6

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Randy Wolf PHI (rehab) 3 2 1 0 3 2 … Jakob Ruckle NYN 8 5 0 0 1 2 W(4-2, 1.40) … Jason Jones NYA 7 6 1 1 1 4 ND, 2.40 … Ricky Romero TOR 8 5 1 1 1 8 ND, 2.50 … Robinzon Diaz C TOR 2-3, .301 … Alexi Casilla 2B MIN 2-2 SB(18), .305 … Kevin Ardoin DET 6 8 2 2 2 3 W(5-3, 2.87) … Kevin Whelan DET 1 0 0 0 0 1 S(12, 4.66) … Gaby Hernandez FLO 6 2 1 0 1 8 ND, 3.98 … Mike Costanzo 3B PHI 2-3 double, R 3BB, .242 … Xavier Paul RF LA 2-4 R, .292 … Cole Bruce DH LA 2-4 double, RBI, .295

MIDWEST (A) --  Justin Sellers OAK 2-4 (.236) ... Ramon Garcia DET 5 6 1 1 1 4 (W, 7-1, 1.70) ... Daryl Jones SD 3-4, 11th double ... Justin Upton ARZ 1-4, K (.290/.373/.400) ... Zach Ward CIN 6 4 0 0 1 8 (3.07) ... Jay Bruce CIN 2 more doubles (23!) ... Juan Jimenez TEX 7 6 0 0 3 6 (3.73) ... Erik Lis MIN 1-4 (.335) ... Colby Rasmus STL 1-4, K

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Andrew McCutchen PIT 2-4, 11th SB & 1-3, walk, .278 ... Chris Volstad FLO, not yet living up to the hype, 5.2 9 4 3 2 4, 4.22 ... Jo Jo Reyes ATL 6.0 10 3 3 1 8, 7-1, 3.29 ...  shortstop Elvis Andrus ATL 3-5, 2 doubles (12), .286 ... Kala Kaaihue 1BA ATL 3-5, 2 doubles (15) .337 ... Sergio Pedroza LAD 2-3, 14th double, .280 ... Jason Stephens NYA 5.0 1 0 0 1 4, 4-1, 1.80 ... Angel Salome MIL 1-1, double, 3 RBI, .296

    Troop Movements ...  KC - purchased the contract of Kyle Snyder from Triple-A, optioned Denny Bautista to Triple-A ... ARZ - optioned Dustin Nippert to Triple-A, recalled Greg Aquino from Triple-A ... ATL - activated Chuck James from the 15-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A ... SEA - recalled Emiliano Fruto from Triple-A, optioned Sean Green to Triple-A ... OAK - activated Esteban Loaiza from the 15-day DL, placed Rich Harden on the DL ...

" ... Jon Lester will finally make his Major League debut Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park. Red Sox skipper Terry Francona ended a week of speculation on the subject and announced prior to Thursday's game that the 22-year-old lefty would start the first game of the day-night doubleheader with the Rangers. "We saw him a couple of times this spring, and he really didn't have a real good spring," said Francona of Lester's 0-2 record with a 19.50 ERA in three Grapefruit League appearances. "But it was still very interesting to watch, because the stuff is there," added Francona. "I've talked to (Triple-A manager) Ron Johnson enough to know it's coming together or we wouldn't have him pitch here."  (MLB.com)

    David Regan, RotoAmerica.com, makes his picks as the best of the third base prospects and there's been a little shake-up with Alex Gordon going to the front of the line and Andy Marte dropping behind Ian Stewart and Andy LaRoche to No. 4 :

" ...  1. Alex Gordon ...   the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, is as good a bet to be a major contributor as most any hitter in the minors. He’s got power, discipline, polish, and an impressive track record. He’s also got a .950 OPS and 13 stolen bases in Double-A for the Royals. It won’t be long before he’s representing the Royals in multiple All-Star games."

" ... 2. Ian Stewart ...  Hitting just .253 with three homers in Double-A, Stewart might not make the 2007 timetable most had predicted for him. He’s still an elite power prospect, but he needs to do a better job making contact and fielding his position. Don’t give up quite yet however."

" ... 8. Kevin Kouzmanoff ...  For a guy hitting .427, Kouzmanoff earns very little attention and respect. He missed a good chunk of 2005 with back problems, but he certainly can hit and he’s earned raves for his makeup. The Indians have Marte and Aaron Boone in front of him, so Kouzmanoff could be trade bait or be given a shot at other positions."

    One of the Marlins top prospects on the shelf :

" ...  First baseman-catcher Gaby Sanchez, one of the Marlins' top minor-league prospects, could miss six weeks after breaking his left hand in a South Atlantic League game Monday. The batting champion in the rookie-level New York-Penn League last summer and a former University of Miami standout, Sanchez was hitting .317 with and 40 RBI and a league-leading 14 home runs in 55 games for Single A Greensboro (N.C.). " (Miami Herald)

    Tidbits from the International League :

" ...  Catcher Kelly Shoppach got just 16 at-bats in almost two months with the Cleveland Indians. Since being optioned to the Bisons on May 20, he's showing what he can do with some regular playing time. He went 0-3 in his Herd debut, but after that has hit in nine consecutive games. During the hit streak, he has averaged .333 (13-39) with eight of the 13 hits going for extra bases (five doubles, three home runs). In the 10 total games in Buffalo, Shoppach has posted a .643 slugging percentage and a 1.012 ops ... SkyChiefs shortstop Sergio Santos extended his current hit streak to a career high and Syracuse season high 14 games going 2-5 in Wednesday night's game ...  collected eight multi-hit games during the streak and is hitting .383 (23-60) with eight doubles, a home run and twelve runs batted in. The 6'3" right-handed hitter, acquired by the Blue Jays along with Troy Glaus for Orlando Hudson and Miguel Batista, has raised his average from .207 to .262 during the streak ... RHP Humberto Sanchez was promoted to Toledo from Erie on Thursday and was scheduled to make his Triple-A debut with his start at Buffalo. Sanchez has been red-hot at Double-A Erie this season, going 5-3 with a stellar 1.76 ERA. He has 86 strikeouts in just 71.2 innings pitched and only 27 walks. Sanchez was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 9th round of the 2000 draft but did not sign with them. He was then drafted by the Tigers in the 31st round the following year."

    Top DET prospect ready to suit up again :

" ...  Cameron Maybin, who has not played in a game for the Whitecaps since May 7 will be eligible to return to the lineup on Friday. Maybin was the first round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers last June and was chosen 10th overall. He is batting .330 in 27 games played for West Michigan this season with 1 home run, 7 doubles, 4 triples and 19 RBI. The centerfielder was sidelined on May when he was a late scratch in the line up due to a finger injury. Maybin was a late scratch from the line up three different times before he was placed on the disabled list May 18."  (West Michigan Whitecaps) 

    Ah, poor kid just can't catch a good break :

" ...  Rick Ankiel likely won't be playing for the Springfield Cardinals, or any other St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, this season ...  shelved until next season ...  underwent surgery May 26 on his left knee, said Adam Olsen, the organization's rehabilitation coordinator. Ankiel suffered an injury early in spring training and was scheduled to begin taking batting practice this month. But the 26-year-old ... began suffering from tendonitis in his patellar tendon just below his left knee."  (Springfield News-Leader) 


08 June, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-3, 4th HR, R, 5 RBI, BB, .291 … Jason Cooper CLE 0-2, R, 2 BB, .228 … Ben Francisco CLE 2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, .260 … Jake Dittler CLE 6-1/3 12 5 5 0 4, 5.17 … Scott Thorman ATL 1-2, 14th HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, .314 … Ricardo Rodriguez ATL 6 9 5 3 2 4, 3.90 … Ryan Roberts TOR 2-4, .242 … Rob Cosby TOR 2-4, RBI, .263 … Sergio Santos TOR 2-5, 2 RBI, .262 … Jerry Owens CHA 2-5, 2 R, SB, .227 … Ryan Sweeney CHA 3-5, 3rd HR, R, 2 RBI, .317 … Casey Rogowski CHA 0-1, R, 3 BB, SB, .299 … Nook Logan DET 2-4, R, .375 … Ryan Raburn DET 1-4, 2B, R, HBP, .290 … Adam Boeve PIT 3-4, 2 2B, RBI, SB, .274 … Hee-Seop Choi BOS 0-2, 2 R, BB, HBP, .238 … Matt White PHI 5 5 0 0 0 5, 3.77 … Shawn Riggans TB 2-4, 2B, .309 … Jeff Keppinger NYN 2-4, .275 … rehab, Anderson Hernandez NYN 1-3, 2B, R, BB, .283

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  No games scheduled.

EASTERN (AA)  --  Daniel Haigwood PHI 7.1 3 4 4 2 8, 1-5, 3.97 ... Willie Collazo NYN 7.0 6 2 2 1 5, 2.45 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 3-5, 14th double, 8th homer, .432 ... Denard Span MIN 3-5, .277

SOUTHERN (AA) --  TJ Nall LAD, making a splash in switch to starting, 7.0 6 1 1 0 10, 3.48 (9 walks, 56 Ks in 44 innings) ...  Ray Liotta CHA 7.1 6 4 4 4 3, 3.67 ... Nic Jackson CHN 2-4, 2 doubles, .336 ... Darren Blakely CHA, getting his game together after a demotion from AAA, 4-5, double, .333 ... Micah Owings ARZ, in a groove, 6.0 4 0 0 0 8, 2.91

TEXAS (AA)  --  Brandon Wood LAA, 1-5, 13th homer, RBI, 7th SB, .292 ... Matthew Brown LAA, 2-4, double, .295 ... Troy Tulowitzki COL, 1-4, homer, RBI, .294 ... Ian Stewart COL, 1-4, double, .253 ... Joe Gaetti COL, 1-4, homer, RBI, .302 ... Juan Morillo COL, 5-2/3 4 4 3 5 7, 2.82 ... Adam Morrissey TEX, 2-3 & 1-3, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, .380 ... Thomas Diamond TEX (L,5-2) 4-2/3 5 4 4 4 6, 4.20 ... Yorman Bazardo SEA, 3.0 0 0 0 1 3, 3.25 ... Juan Richardson StL, 2-4, 11th dinger, 2 RBI, .314 ... Rico Washington StL, 1-3, double, RBI, .326 ... Alex Gordon KC, 1-3, 14th SB, 312 ... Billy Butler KC, 2-4, RBI, .300 ... Zack Greinke KC, 6.0 4 3 3 1 5, 3.27 ... Hunter Pence HOU, 1-5, RBI, .299 ... JR House HOU, 2-4, double, RBI, .347 ... Jailen Peguero HOU, 1.0 0 0 0 1 0, 0.59

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Reid Brignac TB 1-1, double, .319, left in the 3rd inning, no word yet on injury ... Nick Pereira SF 7.0 2 0 0 3 9, 7-1, 2.11 ... Marcus Sanders SF 0-2, walk, 21st SB, .215 ... Corey Wimberly 2B COL 0-2, .333 ... Billy Buckner KC 6.0 2 1 1 4 5, 3.54 ... breakout is officially underway, Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 4-5, 2 doubles (22), 9th homer, 3 RBI, .307

CAROLINA (A+) --  Kyle Bloom PIT 6 4 0 0 5 4 W ... Lou Santangelo C HOU 3-3, double, Home Run, 3 runs ... Trevor Crowe CF CLE 3-3, triple, 3 runs, sb ... Matthew Goodson BOS 6.2 5 2 1 1 6 ... Wes Whisler CHA 8 6 1 1 2 3 W

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Steven Hammond MIL 6 3 0 0 1 7 W(6-3, 2.48) ... Jeff Larish 1B DET 1-2 HR(11) 2R 3RBI, .264 ...  Kevin Whelan DET 1 0 0 0 0 3 S(11, 4.91) ... Drew Anderson 2B STL 2-4, .284 ...  Ryan Patterson DH TOR 1-4 HR(14), .310 ... Jake Fox C CHN 2-4 HR(13) 2RBI, .308 ... Grant Psomas 3B FLO 3-4 double, R 2RBI, .311 ...  Brent Gardner CF NYA 2-4 R RBI 2SB(25) CS(6), .337 ... Cory Dunlap LAD, among the cases where BA (.227) tells very little (.389 OBA & .493 SLG) 1-2, 6th homer, 2 walks

MIDWEST (A) --  Jeffrey Dominguez SEA 3-8, 10th SB (.281) ... Tommy Mendoza ANA 5 9 7 7 1 3 (5.35) ... Colby Rasmus STL 2-5, 15th double, 1st triple (.297) ... Bryan Anderson STL 2-5, 16th double ... Kyle Blanks SD 2-3, BB ... Daryl Jones SD 0-4, 2 K's (.268) ... Lucas French DET 7 6 1 1 2 5 (W, 5-3, 3.68) .. Justin Upton ARZ 2-5, K ... surprisingly hittable Wade Davis TB 4 7 7 6 4 4 (L, 4-2, 1.94) ... Jay Bruce CIN (RF) 3-5, 2 doubles (.276) ... Kyle Waldrop MIN 7 8 1 1 0 4 (W, 5-2, 3.44) ... Mark Reed CHN 1-4, 3 K's ... Todd Blackford CHN 6 2 0 0 5 4 (4.41)

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Luis Munoz PIT 7.0 9 4 4 0 2, 4-1, 2.29 ... dry spell, Austin Jackson NYA 0-4, .274 ... Ryan Shaver SF 6.0 6 0 0 1 4, 2.35 ... Brian McCann ATL, rehab, 1-3 ... Elvis Andrus ATL 0-2 & 0-2, 15th error, .279 ... Cory Wade LAD (10th rounder in 2004) 9.0 1 0 0 0 11, 3.57 ... Chris Nelson COL 1-4, 16th double, 17th error, .288 ...  catcher Angel Salome MIL 0-4, 10th error, .297

    Troop Movements ...  CHA - placed Cliff Politte on the 15-day DL, recalled Sean Tracey from AAA ... ARZ - released Jason Grimsley, placed Juan Cruz on the 15-day DL, recalled Dustin Nippert and Enrique Gonzalez from AAA ... COL - activated Josh Wilson from the 60-day DL and sent him outright to AAA ...  TB - activated Casey Fossum from the 15-day DL, optioned Doug Waechter to Triple-A ... COL - sent Sun-Woo Kim, Jason Smith outright to Triple-A ... SF - activated Tim Worrell from the 15-day DL, optioned Brian Wilson to Triple-A ...

    John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, with notes on the first rounders :

" ...  3) Devil Rays: Evan Longoria ...  I would have taken a pitcher, but Longoria was the best college bat available, so if they wanted a position player it makes sense to pick him. It will be interesting to see how the Devil Rays deploy their young offensive talent over the next two or three years."

" ... 5) Mariners: Brandon Morrow ...   I like Morrow better than some people do. His ceiling is as high as Hochevar's, although he isn't as refined in other ways. I would have picked him ahead of Reynolds if I had been the Rockies and perhaps ahead of Longoria too. I'm not worried about the diabetes issue, which seems controllable."

" ... 8) Reds: Drew Stubbs ...  sort of the Greg Reynolds of hitters: he has all the tools needed to succeed, and overall he's done very well in college, but there is still a tinge of doubt about how he will translate that to the pros. Stubbs has an excellent glove, speed, power. He draws walks, too. But he also strikes out once per game. This could be a great pick, but it could also blow up in the Reds' face."

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, with some draft notes :

Max Scherzer  " ...  The key for Scherzer is the consistency of his second pitch, a slider. Sometimes it's mediocre, sometimes very good. He needs it to be consistently good and to develop a usable change to become a big league starter. He'll get every chance to do that. I think it's too easy to label a lot of these amateur pitchers as relievers, because few work with three pitches at that level. But I will say this: of the very best pitching prospects in this draft, I do think Scherzer has the best chance of winding up in the bullpen because of his No. 2 pitch and some effort in his delivery. "

Kyle Drabek  " ... There are concerns about his drinking and off-field behavior, and they did scare off some teams. On talent, Drabek was one of the five or 10 best guys in the draft. He went 18. Good gamble for the Phillies, who have evaluated the situation very carefully. I don't mind gambling on upside ...  I don't think we put anything in the article that teams didn't know, and there are other things that couldn't be confirmed well enough to write that teams also know about. Can he right himself? Sure, you hope so. He talked about the issues in the BA.com story . . . Let's just say teams are more concerned than he seems to be in that story."

Brad Lincoln  " ... If I were picking 1-1 in this draft, I would have taken Houston righthander Brad Lincoln."

Travis Snider  " ... Good move for the Jays to not automatically lock in on the safest college player available. A high schooler, Snider is probably the best hitter in this draft. Could see him up in the majors in 2009 or so."

Andrew Miller  " ...  probably will get a Mike Pelfrey contract ($3.5 million bonus, $5.25 total value), and since that's over slot, MLB will make the Tigers wait for a while. He may not pitch this summer. Miller is a frontline starter, though may have to get in line behind Verlander in Detroit. Mid-2007 seems early to me because I don't think he'll pitch much this summer . . . I'd say 2008. He could be a Top 25 guy, because there's a lot of turnover."

    Zach Chalifour, TheRotoTimes, also checks in with notes on the draft :

" ...  9. Orioles: Bill Rowell ...  The 17-year-old possesses the best high school bat in the draft and has long been the top target of the Orioles. While he played shortstop in high school, Rowell profiles to be a great power hitter and will move to third base. Current third-baseman Melvin Mora is signed through 2009 after signing a three-year extension last month, and the Orioles will likely decide to use or not use an option for 2010 based on the development of Rowell."

" ... 10. Giants: Tim Lincecum ...  the talk of the draft as one of the biggest variables, as he was once a consideration for the Royals with the first pick and was rumored at times to fall as low as the fifteenth pick. Nonetheless, the Giants picked up the highly-refined righty, who is expected to become the first member of this year’s draft class to reach the big leagues. Though he may continue as a starter in the long run, most scouts expect Lincecum to move to the bullpen and join the Giants by season’s end."

    Dayn Perry, FOXSports, sees COL as one of the big losers in the draft and the Red Sox among the winners :

" ...  Colorado's selection of Greg Reynolds, the Stanford right-hander, at number two was a serious overdraft. He's a decent prospect, but he's a four-pitch guy with solid-average stuff at best. He may have a meaningful future at the highest level, but you want superstar potential — not serviceability — from the second overall slot."

" Red Sox ... The steal of the draft may have been picking UNC right-hander Daniel Bard at 28. Great fastball-curve power arsenal, and being overshadowed by teammate Andrew Miller may have caused Bard to fall too far. Getting Florida's Matt LaPorta, who led the NCAA in homers as a sophomore, in the 14th round was also a coup.

    Bryan Smith, TheBaseballAnalysts, (also doing double-duty with pieces at SI.com as well) highlights one of his fav picks :

" ...  Round One: Hank Conger, c, Los Angeles Angels In most mock drafts, Conger was off the board at this choice. While I gave both Bryan Morris and Daniel Bard consideration for this space, Eddie Bane picked Conger over the two pitchers. Oh, to have been in the war room for that argument! Anyway, in a recent chat, Baseball America's John Manuel predicted Conger would be the draft's best player in five years. Conger plays the game's most premium position, and offers serious power and the ability to switch hit. The Angels didn't splash often in this draft, drawing my interest just one more time, so this was a big pick."   


07 June, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Andy Marte CLE 2-4, 3rd HR, R, 2 RBI, .258 … Kelly Shoppach CLE 1-5, 3rd HR, R, RBI, .308 … Scott Thorman ATL 2-4, R, RBI, BB, .312 … Jason Bartlett MIN 3-5, 3B, 3 R, .322 … Ryan Roberts TOR 1-4, 3rd HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, .236 … Rob Cosby TOR 2-5, 2B, RBI, .258 … Jason Phillips TOR 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, .260 … Sergio Santos TOR 2-6, 2 R, RBI, .258 … Russ Adams TOR 1-4, R, 2 BB, .300 … Brandon League TOR 1 0 0 0 0 3, 2.33 … Charles Haeger CHA 5 3 2 1 5 5, 1.03 … Donald Kelly DET 1-4, RBI, HBP, 2 SB, .246 … William Bergolla CIN 2-4, R, .266 … Ryan Wagner CIN 1 3 2 2 0 1, 6.49 … Hee-Seop Choi BOS 1-2, 5th HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, .241 … Abe Alvarez BOS 6-2/3 5 3 3 1 4, 3.28 … Chris Roberson PHI 2-5, RBI, .296 … Carlos Ruiz PHI 1-3, 2B, R, 2 BB, .345 … Gavin Floyd PHI, maybe he'll have a quality career in AAA, 9 7 1 1 1 9, 1.00 … Kevin Reese NYA 4-5, 2B, 4th HR, R, 2 RBI, .288 … B.J. Upton TB 0-4, BB, 0 errors, .288 … Elijah Dukes TB 2-5, 2B, 8th HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, .304 … Shawn Riggans TB 2-5, RBI, .304 … Edwin Jackson TB 5 10 8 3 3 4, 6.57 … John Maine NYN 4 8 6 6 3 7, 3.71

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  James Loney LAD 1-3, 2nd homer, walk, .350 ... Bartolo Colon LAA 4.2 5 2 2 2 2 ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-4, double, .396 ... Felix Pie CHN 2-5, 6th homer, CS (7th), .267 ... Ryan Shealy COL 2-4, double, 9th homer, .307 ...  Jeff Salazar COL 3-5, double, triple ... Guillermo Quiroz SEA 2-3, double, .312 ... Cesar Carrillo SD, Triple-A debut,  2.2 2 2 2 3 1 ... Scott Hairston ARZ 2-3, 15th homer, 2 walks, .330 ... Chris Young ARZ 1-5, double, .280

EASTERN (AA)  --  Chad Spann 3B BOS 2-5, R, RBI ... David Parrish C DET 4-5, 2B, HR ... Michel Abreu 1B NYM 3-3, 2B, BB ... Tim Moss 2B PHI 4-4, 3R, HR ... Scott Mathieson PHI 1-1, HR, 2RBI and 8 8 3 3 2 8 ... Tony Giarratano SS DET 4-5, R, 2B, 3RBI ... Adam Lind LF TOR on a tear, 2-4, 2HR, 3RBI, BB ... Prentice Redman RF WAS 3-3, R, 2B, BB ... Matt Palmer SF 6 5 2 1 2 4 (1.09 ERA) ... Beltran Perez WAS 6.1 6 2 2 1 4 ... Brian Finch BAL 7 8 1 0 0 2 ... Jeff Karstens NYY 6 5 1 1 0 7 ... Denard Span CF MIN 0-4 ... Matt Moses 3B MIN 0-4, k ... Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B CLE falling just short of the cycle: 3-3, R, 2B, 3B, 2RBI, BB (.427) ... Sean Smith CLE 7 8 3 3 1 5 (6-0, 1.87)

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Andy LaRoche LAD 1-4, double, .296 ... Joey Votto CIN 1-2, 2 walks, .306 ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL, signs of recovery, 2-4, double, .225 ... Randy Wells CHN 7.0 5 0 0 0 7, 1.12 ... Matt Chico ARZ 7.0 2 1 1 2 7, 1.89

TEXAS (AA)  --  Reid Gorecki StL, 2-5, 12th homer, 2 RBI, .266 ... Alex Gordon KC, 2-3, 4 runs, 2 doubles (17), .312 ... Billy Butler KC, 1-4, double, 2 RBI (34), .296 ... Mitch Maier KC, 2-4, 7th homer, 5 RBI (37), .276 ... Brandon Wood LAA, 2-5, 2 doubles (23), RBI, .294 ... Matthew Brown LAA, 2-5, homer, double, 3 RBI (29), .291 ... Troy Tulowitzki COL, 1-5, homer, RBI, .295 ... Joe Gaetti COL, 3-5, homer, double, 3 RBI, .304 ... Ian Stewart COL, 2-4, double, RBI, .253 ... Travis Blackley SEA, (L,5-4) 6-1/3 5 2 2 2 7, 3.80 ... Kurt Suzuki OAK, 1-4, .303 ... Hunter Pence HOU, 1-2, double, RBI (47), .301 ... time for a promotion? Matt Albers HOU, (W,6-2) 7.0 7 1 1 0 3, 2.29

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 3-5, 20th double, .296 ... Jose Arredondo LAA, not up to his recent standards, but solid, 7.0 3 3 3 3 6, 2.21 (85 Ks in 61 innings) ... Reid Brignac TB 1-4, 16th double, .316 ... Matt Tuiasosopo AEA 1-4, double, .315

CAROLINA (A+) --  Dustin Craig PIT 6 3 2 1 3 8 W ... Clint Everts WAS 6 3 0 0 1 5 W ... Luis Ramirez BAL 7 3 1 1 3 6 W ... Chuck Jeroloman 2B BOS 2-3, Home Run, 5RBI ... Scott Lewis CLE 4 1 0 0 1 4

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Kevin Slowey MIN 8 4 0 0 0 5 W(3-1, 1.19) … Matt Tolbert 2B MIN 2-4 R RBI SB(6), .316 … Jake Fox C CHN 3-4 RBI, .304 … Steven Sollmann SS MIL 2-4 2 doubles, .311 … Scott Elbert LA 5 5 0 0 2 7 ND, 2.81 … Mike Costanzo 3B PHI 2-4 double, 2R, .237 … James Happ PHI 8 2 1 1 3 10 W(3-6, 2.61) … Blake Hawksworth STL 6 9 3 3 2 3 ND, 2.42 … Ryan Patterson LF TOR 3-5 2 doubles, 2R, .311 … Aaron Mathews DH TOR 2-5 HR(1) 2R 2RBI, .313

MIDWEST (A) --  Kyle Blanks SD 2-3 (.304) ... Fabian Jimenez Angulo SD 4 8 6 6 2 1 (3.95) .. Justin Upton ARZ 2-4, 9th double (.288) ... Jacob McGee TB 6 5 1 0 2 5 (2.56) ... Bryan Anderson STL 1-3, 15th double (.329) ... Travis Wood CIN 5 4 2 2 3 5 (3.39) ... Jay Bruce CIN 1-4, 19th double, 5th SB ... devilish Zach Phillips TEX 4 1/3 6 6 6 2 3 ... Mark Reed CHN 1-4, K (.313) ... Scott Taylor CHN 6 1/3 9 4 4 0 2 (3.33)

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Chris Nelson COL 1-4, 15th double, .289 ... Andrew McCutchen PIT 0-4, .273 ... Brandon Erbe BAL, 5.0 1 0 0 2 10, 2.04 ... Brian McCann ATL, rehab, 1-4, walk ... Kala Kaaihue ATL 2-4, 14th homer, .328 ... Sergio Pedrozza LAD 3-4, 13th double, 13th homer, .277 (and, 50 walks, 61 Ks) ... Roger Clemens HOU, rehab, 3.0 3 1 1 0 6 ... Koby Clemens HOU 1-3, double, walk

" ...  record-breaking 9,222 fans who packed every seat, bench and grassy hill in Applebee's Park to see Clemens' return from retirement. The crowd broke the previous record (9,012) to see a game in Applebee's Park set last June ...  Fans along Broadway looking for tickets said scalpers were asking as much as $100 for lawn tickets that cost $4 face value. In general, the overflow crowd was well-behaved, but some Lexington police officers said they had some trouble keeping the larger-than-normal crowd where the fans needed to be. With a listed stadium capacity of 6,017, there were 3,115 fans without seats. Keeping those without seats out of the aisles seemed to be the biggest problem for security officials."  (Lexington Herald-Leader)

    Troop Movements ...  BOS - recalled Craig Hansen, optioned Jermaine Van Buren to AAA ... NYA - purchased the contract of Nick Green, designated Terrence Long for assignment ... OAK - activated Milton Bradley, Jay Witasick from the DL ... TB - activated Jorge Cantu from the DL, optioned Chad Orvella to AAA ... TEX - activated Antonio Alfonseca from the DL, designated D'Angelo Jimenez for assignment ... CIN - purchased the contract of Joe Mays, optioned Justin Germano to Triple A ... HOU - placed Roy Oswalt on the 15-day DL, purchased the contract of Philip Barzilla from AAA ... STL - activated Chris Carpenter from the 15-day DL, placed Larry Bigbie on the 15-day DL ...DET - purchased the contract of Alexis Gomez ... PHI - activated Cole Hamels from the 15-day DL, optioned Brian Sanches to Triple-A ...  ARZ - activated Russ Ortiz from the 15-day DL, placed Terry Mulholland on the 15-day DL ... SF - activated Moises Alou from the 15-day DL, optioned Kevin Frandsen to Triple-A ...

    For scouting reports on the first rounders, check out Baseball America.

    John Manuel, Baseball America, in the draft chat room :

Hochevar or Andrew Miller? " ... I'd take the LHP with two plus-plus pitches. If you want to consider his four-seamer and two-seamer (which is almost his changeup, as it's often in the mid-80s), you could call it his third pitch. Also, changeups can be learned, and he has a feel for spinning a breaking ball ... Detroit had an amazing first day of the draft. Miller at 6, once again a Top 25 type of Top 100 player fell to them, as happened last year with Cam Maybin. Kudos to David Chadd and ownership there for having the chutzpah to take Miller ... as for Hochevar . . . I was on his conference call, and was not impressed. I didn't think it was a professional approach to rip Dodgers scouting director Logan White in the conference call. I also think there are some in the industry who don't appreciate the Royals for rewarding the yearlong holdout of a player who turned down nearly $3 million, by making him the No. 1 overall pick the next year. For me, Hochevar isn't that much better than Brad Lincoln or Tim Lincecum, and I'd take Miller over him."

Tim Lincecum  " ...  I'd guess the Giants give him a chance to start, and yes, the Oswalt comps are fair. As for "overused" in college . . . I just think it's easy to say that. He threw 125 innings this year, and yes, he would throw Fridays and on a few occasions come back in relief on Tuesdays. That said . . . the guy hasn't been hurt. His stuff has stayed firm, and he maintains his stuff up to the 140 pitch mark. Then he goes out the next day and long tosses from pole to pole. He's different. Who knows his arm better, me or you, or his college coach and him? I think they do. If he was hurt or incapable of throwing as much as he did, he would have stopped doing it."

Ian Kennedy or Daniel Bard?  " ...  Bard could be great, or he could be a reliever. Power arms aren't everything; what if, at best, Bard is, say, Scott Proctor, who is a nice 7th- or 8th-inning option and that's about it. Then what if Kennedy is a No. 3 or No. 4 starter, a guy with solid-average stuff (at his best, his stuff is a tick above), and with above-average command? There are scenarios where Kennedy is better; it's not clear cut that this was a miss. That said, I would have taken Bard."

    Bryan Smith, The Baseball Analysts, on Luke Hochevar, the top pick :

" ...  Hochevar may have been statistically overrated last year. His final junior stat line offers an ERA of 2.26, a number aided by context. Remove defense from the equation, and Hochevar's ERA slips to 3.69, without his park and schedule, just 3.97. Suddenly the Dodgers unwavering offer doesn't look so bad, does it? Hochevar proved a lot with his stint in Indy ball, showing the same arm strength, and just a little less polish than his previous self. Given a year off to rest his once over-worked arm, this is forgivable. At any spot in the top ten, Hochevar is simply a reach, lucky to have his hold-out gamble pay off. In truth he is a pitcher that belongs from 10-20 in the draft, garnering little more than slot from that position. Given his flakiness in the past, the bang is just not worth the buck with Hochevar."

Rich Lederer on the Dodgers' top pick (No. 7) :

" ... Clayton Kershaw ...  the first high school player chosen in this year's draft. Highly coveted by the Dodgers, he got past the Tigers because Andrew Miller was still available when Detroit's turn came up. The 6-4, 215-pound LHP had a 13-0 record with a 0.77 ERA in his senior season. He has reportedly touched the mid-90s with his fastball and has a plus curveball. Improved mechanics have contributed to better command. Given his height, handedness, stuff, and track record, Kershaw has one of the highest ceilings among all draftees."

    Nate Stephens,RotoWorld.com, profiles HOU RHP Jason Hirsh and MIL lefty Zach Jackson among others in his weekly report :

" ...  Hirsh is back to handling the competition with ease and looks like a fine fantasy property. While some more time in Triple-A may be best, Hirsh could break into the Astros’ rotation even before the All-Star break ...  a second round selection out of the California Lutheran University in 2003 ...  A big kid at 6’8” and 250 pounds, the right-hander works more often in the low-90s than mid-90s. Hirsh also possesses a plus slider and a changeup that has improved from poor to at least average, giving him No. 2 starter potential if everything breaks right. Assigned to Triple-A Round Rock to start his 2006 campaign, Hirsh got off to a slow start in April. He posted a poor 6.56 ERA and struggled with his command by walking 11 batters in 23 1/3 innings. However, he had no problem regaining his form in May and has recorded a 1.15 ERA and 35/18 K/BB ratio in 47 innings since ... I do like his chances of breaking a big league rotation no later than the beginning of next spring and contributing fantasy value right away, so he’s someone to target in keeper leagues."

" ... Zach Jackson ... The 6’5” left-hander utilizes a high-80s to low-90s sinker to induce a lot of groundballs and also has several decent secondary offerings in a slider, curve, and change ...  In the long-term, Jackson projects as a quality No. 3 starter. He doesn’t have much in the way of upside, but a career as an innings-eater seems likely. The 23 year-old had a fine 3.00 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A Nashville before the promotion, but he had a weaker than usual 1.08 GB/FB and a modest 39/23 K/BB ratio in 57 innings of work ...   likely his command problems will limit him in the short-term. He’s a better bet for 2007."

    Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE gets profiled at MLB.com :

" ...  What makes Kouzmanoff intriguing is not just his perpetually running motor. Unlike a lot of players who have earned the "dirtball" moniker, "Kouz" can also fall back on natural talent. "I wouldn't say that he's not one of the most talented guys," Bogar [Aeros manager Tim Bogar ] says. "Honestly, I think he's one of the best right-handed hitters I've seen in a long time. He adjusts very quickly. He doesn't swing at two bad pitches in a row." Part of Kouzmanoff's talent lies in his head. A cage rat who is constantly analyzing his swing, Kouzmanoff has been able to maintain a smooth, level stroke, and yet also hit for power. "He's got tremendous hand-eye coordination," Farrell [Indians farm director John Farrell] says. "That's apparent by how often he hits balls hard. Second, he's got a very compact and efficient swing, one that we would consider low maintenance."


06 June, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-4, .294 … Ryan Garko CLE 1-3, 7th HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, .288 … Scott Thorman ATL 2-4, 13th HR, R, 2 RBI, .308 … Jason Bartlett MIN 3-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, SB, .316 … Scott Baker MIN 8 8 4 4 2 6, 4.50 … Rob Cosby TOR 2-4, R, .254 … Sergio Santos TOR 2-5, RBI, .255 … Dustin McGowan TOR 3 8 6 4 1 5, 4.60 … Ryan Sweeney CHA 2-3, Sac, .310 … Josh Fields CHA 2-4, .328 … Sean Tracey CHA 7 4 2 1 2 4, 3.18 … Wil Ledezma DET 8 6 2 2 2 5, 2.80 … Chris Denorfia CIN 2-4, SB, .342 … William Bergolla CIN 1-4, BB, .260 … Philip Dumatrait CIN 4-2/3 12 5 5 1 3, 9.64 … Dustin Pedroia BOS 3-5, 2B, RBI, .275 … Jon Lester BOS 4 4 0 0 5 3, 2.70 … Chris Roberson PHI 3-5, 2B, 1st HR, 2 R, RBI, .293 … Christian Garcia NYA 1-3, 3rd HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, .230 … B.J. Upton TB 2-5, RBI, SB, 19th error, .294 … Elijah Dukes TB 2-5, RBI, .302 … rehab, Rocco Baldelli TB 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, .404 … Brian Stokes TB 7 7 3 3 1 7, 3.47 … Chase Lambin NYN 3-4, 2B, RBI, .231 … rehab, Anderson Hernandez NYN 2-3, R, BB, Sac, .283 … Evan MacLane NYN 5-2/3 11 5 3 0 4, 2.35

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Edinson Volquez TEX 6.0 3 2 2 3 6, 4.48 ... Felix Pie CHN 1-4, 12th double, .264 ... Justin Huber KC 2-4, double, .254 ... Anthony Reyes STL 6.0 4 1 1 1 5, 2.93 ... Cesar Jimenez SEA, signs of a turnaround, 5.0 2 0 0 3 3, 5.91 ... Adam Jones SEA 3-3, 9th double, 10th homer, .250 ... Chris Carter 1B ARZ, with nowhere to go in the D'backs organization, 3-5, 3 homers (7), 4 RBI, .279 ... Scott Hairston ARZ 1-5, 15th homer, 3 RBI, .325 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 2-4, walk, .317 ... James Loney LAD 2-4, 11th double, .350 ... Steven Shell LAA 7.0 8 4 4 3 4, 3.94 ... Howie Kendrick LAA 2-4, double, .394

EASTERN (AA)  --  No games scheduled.

SOUTHERN (AA) --  John Hudgins SD 5.0 6 3 3 3 7, 1.88 ... Joel Hanrahan LAD 6.0 1 0 0 5 8, 6-2, 2.88 (& 2-3, triple)  ... Jorge Cantu TB, rehab, 2-5, homer ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 2-4, caught stealing & picked off, .219 ... Ross Ohlendorf ARZ 8.1 8 2 2 0 3, 2.59

TEXAS (AA)  --  No games scheduled.  Selected prospects :

                          G  AB  H 2B 3B HR BB SO SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG 
J.R. House HOU           54 217 75 16  1  5 17 22  0  1 .346 .393 .498
Ben Zobrist HOU          53 206 65 19  2  2 35 32  2  3 .316 .418 .456
Bryan LaHair SEA         53 199 61 12  0  6 20 41  0  0 .307 .379 .457
Alex Gordon KC           54 196 60 15  1  9 26 39 13  1 .306 .399 .531
Kurt Suzuki OAK          49 191 58 15  1  4 29 29  2  2 .304 .406 .455
Josh Anderson HOU        53 229 69 12  1  1 14 25 17  7 .301 .356 .376
Joseph Koshansky COL     55 200 60 13  0 13 29 57  1  1 .300 .391 .560
Hunter Pence HOU         56 224 67 13  4 16 18 42  6  2 .299 .352 .607
Troy Tulowitzki COL      49 202 60 17  1  7 17 36  3  3 .297 .363 .495
Billy Butler KC          57 219 65 14  0  7 20 35  0  0 .297 .360 .457
Brandon Wood LAA         55 216 63 21  1 12 25 74  6  1 .292 .371 .565
Mitch Maier KC           56 213 58 14  2  6 13 37  5  5 .272 .321 .441
Kevin Melillo OAK        56 204 54  9  0  4 24 37  4  4 .265 .346 .368
Wladimir Balentien SEA   50 186 48 14  0 10 24 64  5  3 .258 .344 .495
Chris Lubanski KC        57 215 55 15  2  4 24 48  3  2 .256 .329 .400
Ian Stewart COL          45 174 43 16  5  3 15 41  1  4 .247 .325 .448
Sebastien Boucher SEA    48 171 36  2  1  0 27 38 10  6 .211 .320 .234

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Lefty Gregory Smith ARZ (6th rounder, 2005) now 8-0, 1.77, 8.0 2 1 1 1 6 and ready for AA ... Mark Reynolds ARZ 1-4, 15th homer, .312 ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ, maybe this is the breakout, 3-4, 2 doubles (19), .288 ... Luis Cota KC, so much better the last couple of starts, 7.1 4 0 0 1 7, 6.79

CAROLINA (A+) --  Brian Bixler SS PIT 2-7, 2 Home Runs, 3RBI ... Neal Walker C PIT 3-5, Home Run, 4 runs, 3RBI ... Ronnie Martinez HOU 7 5 1 0 1 5 W ... Jack Egbert CHA 7 6 2 0 2 7 W

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Anthony Swarzak MIN 6 5 1 1 1 8 ND, 3.98 … Travis Denker 2B LA 3-5 3R RBI, .234 … Alcides Escobar SS TOR 3-5 double, 3R RBI, .271 … Brad Harman SS PHI 2-4, .241 … Clete Thomas CF DET 3-4 double, R RBI, .255 … Jair Jurrjens DET 7 5 3 3 3 3 W(5-0, 2.01) … Aaron Mathews RF TOR 2-5 2R, .310 … Michael Devaney NYN 7 2 1 1 2 5 W(5-3, 2.18) … Ryan Harvey RF CHN 2-5 2 doubles, 3R, .199 … Sean Gallagher CHN 7 7 2 2 2 7 ND, 2.49 … Jose Garcia FLO 7 7 3 1 1 5 ND, 1.87 … Brett Gardner CF NYA 2-3 double, R, .340 … Luis Nunez LF NYA 2-3 double, .267 … Alexi Casilla 2B MIN 2-5 RBI, .305

MIDWEST (A) --  Eduardo Morlan MIN 6.0 8 5 5 4 4, 2.61 ... Jay Bruce CIN 3-4, 2 doubles (18), walk, 3 RBI, .269 ... Erik Lis MIN 2-4, 22nd double, walk, .342 ... Justin Upton ARZ 0-3, walk, .282 ... Jaime Garcia STL 5.0 2 3 3 3 4, 2.76 ... Donald Veal CHN 6.0 8 4 3 0 6, 3.21

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Elvis Andrus ATL 3-4, 14th SB, .286 ... Gaby Sanchez FLO 0-1, 3 walks, .319 ... Koby Clemens HOU getting back in the lineup in time for his dad's appearance with the team, 1-2, RBI ... Angel Salome MIL 1-4,  18th double, walk, .305 ... Austin Jackson NYA 1-5, triple, .284 ... Jose Tabata NYA 1-5, .319

    Troop Movements ...  PIT - placed Ryan Doumit on the 15-day DL, recalled Yurendell DeCaster from Triple-A ... BAL - designated Raul Chavez for assignment, activated Daniel Cabrera from the 15-day DL  ... KC - recalled Leo Nunez from Triple-A, optioned Seth Etherton to Triple-A ...

    Yankee's clipped :

" ...  Count out Richard Hidalgo and Jason Romano as potential outfield options. Both former major-leaguers no longer are working out in Tampa. "We've decided to pull the plug on that," general manager Brian Cashman said."  (Newsday)

    CLE brass says it's not worried about Andy Marte's glacial start :

" ...   Marte, 22, was the key part for the Indians in the seven-player trade that sent Coco Crisp to the Boston Red Sox in January ...  looked good in spring training, hitting .359 (14-for-39) with one home run and nine RBI in 15 games. In 53 games at Buffalo, he's hitting .257 (52-for-202) with two home runs, 13 RBI and a .349 slugging percentage. "I think it is a case of trying to make a positive impression in a new organization," said Director of Player Development John Farrell. "Some of the fundamental changes we've made are beginning to carry over into games. "He's gotten into good hitter's counts, but has broken down fundamentally trying to drive the ball." Marte has nine errors at third base. "He's been average [at third]," Farrell said. "He needs more refinement, but he's got the attitude to do it."  (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

    It's Howie Kendrick atop the Prospect Hot Sheet at Baseball AmericaBrandon Wood moves up to No. 3 and a pair of "grab 'em now" guys zoom up the charts. 

" ...  2. Yovani Gallardo ... Is anyone raising their stock more this season than Gallardo? He has 22 strikeouts in his last two starts and now has five double-digit strikeout games on the season. The 20-year-old is now 5-3, 2.09 with an 89-17 strikeout-walk ratio in 65 innings."

" ... 4. Sean West ...  The last of the Marlins four-first round high school hurlers in 2005, West is having the best season of all of them. The 6-foot-8 lefthander threw 13 scoreless innings last week and is now 2-0, 0.95 in 38 innings."

And, OAK catcher Kurt Suzuki won an honourable mention :

" ...  Suzuki ... The bat didn't take too long to catch up to Suzuki's defense. Known for his prowess behind the plate, Suzuki batted .419 last week while hitting in either the leadoff spot or the No. 2 hole for the Rock Hounds."

    Bryan Smith makes his predictions on the draft at SI.com and sees the Royals going with Andrew Miller as the No. 1 pick :

" ...   In the end, look for the Royals to avoid a public relations nightmare. The top of this uncertain draft has provided some odd speculation, but the easiest route for the Royals is to take Miller. Neither Miller nor Kansas City's backup choice, Brad Lincoln, has pitched particularly well recently, which means the Royals should go with the player who offers the best pure stuff."

    A tip of the cap to the best of the week :

" ...  first baseman Scott Thorman ...  is among the IL leaders this year in batting average (eighth - .305), home runs (second – 12) and RBI (tied for sixth – 35). His bat was on fire this week, highlighted by a grand slam Sunday that gave him 4 HR and 10 RBI in six games. Thorman hit safely in all six games (.375, 9-24)."  (Richmond.com)

" ... Howie Kendrick's outstanding week was sparked by a 4-for-4 performance during a May 29th game versus the Las Vegas 51s that was quickly followed by a 3-for-4 showing that included two home runs and three RBI in a June 3rd contest against the Fresno Grizzlies. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, the Bees' infielder now sits atop the league with a .391 batting average and is among the league-leaders in on-base percentage with a mark of .429. The 22 year-old is in his fifth professional season and his first at the Triple-A level."  (Pacific Coast League)

" ...  third baseman Chad Spann has been named the Eastern League's Player of the Week ...  22-year old had an outstanding week for the Sea Dogs, batting .481 (13-for-27) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, eight runs scored, seven RBI, four walks and a .778 slugging percentage ...  hitting .295 (50-for-170) with 14 doubles, three homers, 24 runs scored and 21 RBI in 50 games with the Sea Dogs this season and he is currently ranked 10th in the league in batting. Chad was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round of the June 2002 draft ."  (Eastern League)

Midwest  " ...  Jeff Baisley [OAK] ...  continued his hot hitting this week, extending his hit streak to 15 games and raising his Minor League-leading RBI total to 55. The Cougars home run leader only hit one long ball this week, but still managed to drive in 14 runs."  (MLB.com)

" ... Carolina League Chuck Lofgren [CLE] ...  one of two nine-game winners in the Minor Leagues -- has emerged victorious in his last four starts, two of which came this past week. The 20-year-old California native allowed just six hits and one earned run over those two starts, lowering his ERA to a dazzling 1.61 in the process. But this is nothing new for Lofgren, as the left-hander has allowed more than two earned runs just once in 11 starts on the season."  (MLB.com)

    The offspring begin to produce :

" ...   Tony Gwynn has been named as the Milwaukee Brewers' Minor League Player-of-the-Month for May. The 23-year-old led Nashville with a .363 batting average (41-for-113) in his 29 games in the month, adding 23 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, three doubles, one triple, one homer, and eight RBIs ... Gwynn, the Sounds' leadoff hitter, has been swinging a hot bat of late, recording multiple-hit efforts in seven of his last eight contests and hitting safely in 20 of his last 24 games at a .396 clip (40-for-101). The young outfielder leads the PCL and ranks third among all minor-leaguers with 74 hits. Gwynn ranks among the PCL top five in runs (40) and steals (16). His .333 average is currently tied for 8th in the league."  (Nashville Sounds)

    Mark Allen Haverty, SportingNews.com, with notes on some AFL grads - one already making a mark in MLB :

" ... Glen Perkins ...  returned to Double-A to open 2006, and he has been very impressive thus far. He is just 2-5 after 11 starts, but he has a 2.93 ERA and a 68:20 K/BB ratio in 58.1 innings. Perkins should move along to Triple-A soon, and he should get a shot at making the major league club in 2007."

" ... Matt Kemp ... Another five-tool stud, ... Last year, Kemp hit .306-27-90 with 23 stolen bases and 21 doubles. He continued to mash in the AFL, hitting .383-3-16 in 94 at-bats. Prior to his promotion, Kemp hit .327-7-34 with 38 runs and 11 steals. What can we expect from him in the majors? Kemp is already better than most of the mediocre options the Dodgers have tried in outfield this year, and the numbers he has put up since the beginning of last year have done nothing but impress. While he might struggle at times as a rookie, he will soon be a major help in just about every category."


05 June, 2006

    INTERNATIONAL (AAA) --  Ryan Garko CLE 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, SF & 3-5, 2B, 2 R, BB, HBP, .287 … Andy Marte CLE 2-3, 2B, R & 1-7, 2B, .257 … Ben Francisco CLE 1-5, 2 BB, SB, .253 … Jeremy Sowers CLE 6 5 2 2 2 3, 1.26 … Jeremy Guthrie CLE 5 5 5 5 4 7, 1.62 … James Jurries ATL 2-5, .250 … Scott Thorman ATL 2-4, 12th HR, R, 5 RBI, HBP, .305 … Martin Prado ATL 3-5, R, 2 RBI, .429 … Peter Moylan ATL 3 1 0 0 1 1, 3.27 … J.D. Durbin MIN 6-2/3 4 1 1 5 6, 2.42 … Kyle Lohse MIN 5 5 2 1 3 4, 1.50 … John Hattig TOR 2-4, R, RBI, BB, .259 … Russ Adams TOR 3-5, 2 2B, 2 R, .317 … Josh Banks TOR 4 9 7 7 1 2, 5.65 … Brandon League TOR 1 2 0 0 0 1, 2.39 … Jerry Owens CHA 1-4, BB, .227 … Ryan Sweeney CHA 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, .303 … Pedro Lopez CHA 2-3, 2B, R, Sac, .279 … Ryan Raburn DET 2-4, 2B & 1-2, BB, .296 … Jordan Tata DET 5 8 5 4 2 1, 3.86 … Ryan Wagner CIN 1-2/3 2 1 1 0 0, 6.04 … Val Majewski BAL 0-3 & 2-2, R, RBI, HBP, .232 … Eli Whiteside BAL 2-2, 2 R, HBP, .234 … Tom Gorzelanny PIT 6 4 3 3 3 5, 2.72 … Dustin Pedroia BOS 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB, HBP, .265 … Josh Kroeger PHI 1-2, R, 2 BB, .236 … Kevin Reese NYA 1-4, R & 1-4, 2B, RBI, .273 … B.J. Upton TB 1-2, R, RBI, BB, SF, 0 errors & 0-6, BB, 0 errors, .291 … Elijah Dukes TB 1-3, 7th HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB & 1-6, R, BB, .299 … Shawn Riggans TB 1-1 & 1-6, 2B, RBI, .300 … rehab, Rocco Baldelli TB 1-2, R, 2 BB & 5-7, 2B, R, .405 … Jason Hammel TB 6 4 2 2 2 5, 3.81 … Chris Seddon TB 4 6 5 5 3 3, 5.10 … Chase Lambin NYN 2-3, 2 R, BB, .218

PACIFIC COAST (AAA)  --  Rich Hill CHN 7.0 6 2 2 1 7, 2.42 ... Felix Pie CHN 0-4, 2 Ks, .264 ... Chris Snelling SEA 0-1, 2 walks, .268 ... Chad Billingsley LAD, still work to do, 6.0 3 1 1 6 4, 3.97 ... Esteban Loaiza OAK, rehab, 3.0 6 3 3 1 0 ... likely the next kid up, Delwyn Young LAD 3-5, 18th double, .301 ... Wowie Howie Kendrick LAA 2-5, double, 7th homer, .391... Tony Gwynn Jr. 2-4, 13th double, .333 ... Luke Scott HOU 2-4, 2 homers (15), .279 ... Stephen Drew ARZ ... Tim Stauffer SD 6.2 9 3 3 2 1, 4.61

EASTERN (AA)  --  Chad Spann 3B 1-3, R, 3B and 2-4, R, RBI ... Brandon Moss RF 1-3 and 0-2, 2BB ... Pat Misch SF 5.2 9 3 3 0 4 ... Brad Snyder RF CLE 0-4, 2k ... Kody Kirkland 3B DET 3-4, 2 2B, k ... Adam Miller CLE 6 7 3 2 1 4 ... Preston Larrison DET 4 4 4 4 2 1 ... Kory Castro 3B WAS 3-5, 2 2B, 5RBI, k ... Michel Abreu 1B NYM 2-4, R, k ... Denard Span CF MIN 0-3 and 0-2 ... Matt Moses 3B MIN 0-3, 2k and 1-1 ... Matt Garza MIN 6 1 1 1 3 3 ... Adam Harben MIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 ... Glen Perkins MIN 7 2 0 0 1 10 ... Jesse Floyd SF 5 3 2 2 4 2 ... Phil Seibel BOS 5 1 0 0 1 3

SOUTHERN (AA) --  Eric Patterson CHN 2-4, 11th double, 16th SB, .288 ... Steven Kelly CIN 7.0 8 1 1 0 4, 7-3, 2.94 ... Joey Votto CIN, streakin', 2-4, triple, .310 ... Tyler Lumsden CHA, after such a strong start to the season 14 runs in his last two games, 4.0 10 6 5 2 1, 3.74 ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 1-5, double, .213

TEXAS (AA)  --  Kurt Suzuki OAK. 2-3, .304 ... Vasili Spanos OAK, 3-5, 8th homer, 2 RBI (39), .325 ... Brandon Wood LAA, 3-4, 21st double, 2 RBI (41), .292 ... Alex Gordon KC, 1-3, .306 ... Billy Butler KC, 0-3, .297 ... Neal Musser KC, (W,1-0) 6.0 4 0 0 1 3, 0.00 ... Juan Richardson STL (been trying to ignore him all year, but the 27 y/o keeps hitting) 1-4, 10th homer, 3 RBI (30), .312 ... Adam Morrissey TEX, 2-4, homer, double, 3 RBI. .389 ... Jordan Pals StL, 5.0 5 1 1 4 5, 4.39 ... Ryan Jensen TEX, (W,2-0) 7.0 6 3 3 2 3, 2.77 ... Troy Tulowitzki COL, 3-6, 2 RBI, .297 ... Ian Stewart COL, finally some noise, 4-6, 3rd homer, 4 RBI, .247 ... Joe Koshansky COL, 1B 3-5, RBI, .300 ... Hunter Pence HOU, 1-2, RBI, .299 ... JR House HOU, 1-3, .346

CALIFORNIA (A+) --  Eric Hurley TEX 6.0 2 0 0 3 5, 2.62 ... Mark Reynolds ARZ, utility, 2-5, 14th homer, .314 ... Chase Headley 3B SD 2-4, 8th homer, .283 ... Yung Chi Chen 2B SEA 3-4, 3rd homer, 4 RBI, walk, 19th SB, .330

CAROLINA (A+) --  Carl Loadenthal CF ATL 1-4, Home Run, 2 runa, 2RBI ... Ian Desmond SS WAS 2-5, 2 doubles ... Trey Webb DH WAS 2-4 ... Mike Hinckley WAS 6 4 2 2 3 3 ... Jacoby Ellsbury CF BOS 2-4 ... Jeff Natale 2B BOS 2-4 ... Jimmy Barthmaier HOU 7 6 1 1 1 7 W ... Brandon Pinckney SS CLE 2-5, double, Home Run, 2 runs ... Trevor Crowe CF CLE 2-4, double, sb(24) ... Brian Barton RF CLE 1-4, Home Run, 2RBI ... Paco Figueroa 2B BAL 2-4, run ... Nolan Reimold RF BAL 1-1, Home Run, 2RBI ... Nyjer Morgan CF PIT 1-5, run, sb(27) ... Brian Bixler SS PIT 0-3, run, sb ... Brad Rea DH PIT 3-4, Home Run, 3 runs ... Chris Amador RF CHA 1-4, Home Run, 2RBI ... Cory Haggerty 3B CHA 3-4, Home Run, 2RBI ... Lucas Harrell CHA 5 6 3 2 2 4

FLORIDA STATE (A+) --  Homer Bailey CIN 7 1 0 0 1 7 W(3-5, 3.53) … Corey Coles LF NYN 3-5 R SB(9), .323 … Brett Gardner CF NYA 2-4 double, SB(23), .335 … Matt Craig 1B CHN 2-4 double, triple, 2R 4RBI, .318

" ... Homer Bailey allowed one hit through seven innings, leading Sarasota to a 5-2 victory over visiting Jupiter ...  Bailey (3-5) struck out seven, walked one and induced 12 straight outs after hitting the first two batters of the game. The 20-year-old right-hander gave up a single to Jai Miller with two outs in the fifth inning, but recovered to retire the next seven batters in his longest outing of the season. He had taken no-hitters through the sixth twice this year."  (MLB.com)

MIDWEST (A) --  Justin Upton ARZ DNP (out for two days, no reports of injury) ... Johnny Cueto CIN 5.0 8 4 4 2 4, 3.10 (even with a stinker, still has allowed just 39 hits in 58 IP with 9 BBs, 67 Ks) ... Jay Bruce CIN 1-3, 5th triple, .260 ... Bryan Anderson STL 2-5, 14th double, .333 ...  was due for one of these, Nick Adenhart LAA 2.0 9 9 7 1 1, ERA jumps to 2.17 ... Mark Trumbo LAA, one of few highlight days, 4-5, double, 8th homer, .207 ... Kyle Blanks SD 1-4, 6th homer, .302 ... Jared Lansford OAK 4.2 5 6 6 4 1, 2.72

SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) --  Carlos Carrasco PHI (W, 4-3) 7 5 1 0 4 3, 2.03 ... Greg Golson PHI 2-4, RBI (17), SB (7), .197 ... Andrew McCutchen PIT 0-4, .283 ... Chorye Spoone BAL 6 2 0 0 2 7, 1.80 ... Sean West FLA 6 5 0 0 3 5, 0.95 ... Gaby Sanchez FLA 1-2, 2 BB, .321 ... Kris Harvey FLA 1-3, RBI (39), BB, .267 ... Tom Fairchild HOU 7 3 0 0 2 6, 2.08 ... Ole Sheldon HOU 3-7, 2 2B (19), HR (3), RBI (19), .373 ... JR Towles 3-4, 2 2B (12), RBI (27), .357 ... Jon Niese NYN (W, 7-3) 5-1/3 5 3 2 3 10, 4.08 ... Francisco Plascencia WAS 3-4, 2B (8), 2 3B (3), RBI (13), .272 ... Eric Campbell ATL 1-4, .288 ... Elvis Andrus ATL 0-4, .277 ... Kala Ka'aihue ATL 3-4, 2B (13), .326 ... Angel Salome MIL 0-5, .306 ... Clay Buchholz BOS (W, 3-2) 5 5 4 4 0 8, 3.83 ... Mark Wagner BOS 1-5, 2B (12), RBI (25), .320 ... Fernando Valenzuela Jr 3-5, 2 HR (2), 3 RBI (3), .333 ... Chaz Roe COL (L, 1-2) 5 7 3 3 2 4, 3.79 ... Chris Nelson COL 1-3, 2B (14, 2 RBI (32), .291 ... Eric Young Jr COL 1-1, 3 SB (41), 2 BB, .281

    Troop Movements ...  CHN - placed Scott Williamson on the 15-day DL, recalled Carlos Marmol from Double-A ... STL - placed Albert Pujols on the 15-day DL, recalled Chris Duncan from Triple-A ... CHA - placed Jeff Nelson on the 15-day DL, recalled Agustin Montero from Triple-A ... DET - optioned Chris Spurling to Triple-A ... OAK - activated Rich Harden from the 15-day DL, optioned Matt Roney, Jeremy Brown to Triple-A   ... LAD - recalled Hong-Chih Kuo ...

    John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, has the results of his crew's mock draft.  At least with the top ten, there appears to be few surprises. 

 1) Royals: Andrew Miller, LHP, North Carolina  
 2) Rockies: Brad Lincoln, RHP, Houston
 3) Devil Rays: Tim Lincecum, RHP, Washington
 4) Pirates: Greg Reynolds, RHP, Stanford
 5) Mariners: Brandon Morrow, RHP, California
 6) Tigers: Evan Longoria, 2B, Long Beach State
 7) Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Texas HS
 8) Reds: Luke Hochevar, RHP, Fort Worth Cats
 9) Orioles: Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Virginia HS
10) Giants: Kyle Drabek, RHP, Texas HS

    Scott Rex, OnDeck, on Josh Fields CHA :

" ...  Fields has reached base safely in 10 out of the last 11 games, going 12-for-39 (.308) in that span. He’s currently tied for 1st in the IL in runs scored (35), ranks 2nd in batting (.328), and is tied for 2nd in total bases (107). More importantly, he hasn’t committed an error in 35 straight games after booting 5 balls in his first 14 games of the season. Unreal. Fields’ stock is clearly booming. Trade bait?"

CORRESPONDENTS : INT - Herb Walters, PCL - JDM, EASTERN - Harry Almquist, SOUTHERN - JDM, TEXAS - Jared Turner, CALIFORNIA - JDM, CAROLINA - Jimmy Salmon, FLORIDA STATE - Wayne Stevens, MIDWEST - Bob Reed, SOUTH ATLANTIC - Martin Rose 
 

 
 

    
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