Rookies 2004

13 June 2004    Pitching line = IP H R ER BB SO

    A reminder for Scoresheet managers in Southern Ontario ... Shane Mills' 5th Annual 3-Pitch and BBQ is set for Saturday, July 10th in Stoney Creek.  Baseball, swimming, bocce ball.  Small charge for food.  Contact Shane for further information   

    Game action ... INT --  Marcus Thames DET 1-3, double, .326 ... John Maine BAL, AAA a bit of a struggle, 4.0 6 4 3 3 6 ... Ben Hendrickson MIL 6.0 3 0 0 0 3, 2.35 ... Felix Diaz CHA  7.0 4 1 1 1 7, 8-2, 3.13 ... Jonny Gomes TB 3-4, 14th & 15th homers, 4 runs, 4 RBI, .277 ... oops, BJ Upton TN 1-5, 3 errors ... Ryan Wagner CIN 1.1 3 2 2 2 0 

PCL --  Taylor Buchholz HOU 5.0 5 2 2 2 4 ... I guess Rick Helling won't be getting an immediate callup to TEX, 3.1 12 7 7 1 1 ... but Mark Grudzielanek CHN looks ready, 4-6, 2 doubles, homer ... Adrian Gonzalez TEX 4-4 ... Edwin Jackson LA, going backwards, 4.0 5 5 5 3 4 ... Ryan Church MON 1-3, double ... Joe Blanton 8.0 5 3 3 1 11, 3.83 ... Mark Teahen OAK 2-4, double, .258 ... JJ Davis PIT 3-4, double, triple ... Tagg Bozied SD coming on strong 3-4, 8th & 9th homers, 4 RBI, .349 ... CF Freddy Guzman SD 3-6, .321 ... Lance Niekro SF 1-2, homer, 2 walks, 2 RBI, .379 ... Edgar Gonzalez ARZ 6.0 6 1 1 3 3 ... Travis Blackley SEA 6.0 4 1 1 3 2 ... Bucky Jacobsen SEA 1-4, 14th homer, 52nd RBI ...

Joe Dillon ... OK, he was a 7th round pick in 1997 out of college and will be 29 in August, but he's up to a combined .380 with 19 doubles, 3 triple, 23 homers, 64 RBI (Dillon began the year in AA) ... he's a sure fire bet for Hitter of the Week after Saturday's 3-4, 14th homer ... in his last seven games -- .13 for 26, 11 runs, 8 homers, 12 RBI. 

EASTERN --  David Wright NYN, wrapped up his AA stint with a couple of hits, 2-5, 3 BB, RBI (40), SB (20) … Justin Huber NYN 1-5, RBI (17) … Prentice Redman NYN 0-6, 5K … Aaron Hill TOR 4-9, RBI (31) … Dominic Rich TOR 2-8, BB … Josh Banks TOR 6.0 3 0 0 3 7 … Dioner Navarro NYA 2-7, BB … Val Majewski BAL 1-7, 2B (14), RBI (40), SB (6) … Keith Reed BAL 0-3, 2 K … David Crouthers BAL 4.0 5 3 3 3 7. 3.44 ERA … Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-4, 2B (21) … Jeremy Guthrie CLE 5.0 9 3 3 2 6 … Jeff Keppinger PIT 3-5 … Ian Snell PIT 6.0 8 4 4 2 9, W (5), 3.39 ERA … Michael Cervenak SF 1-4, 2B (18) … Luis Maza MIN 1-5 … Kevin West MIN 0-4, BB … Ryan Howard PHI 2-5, HR (18), 2 RBI (50)

SOUTHERN --  Josh WIlson FLA SS 2-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K ... Jason Stokes FLA 1B 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 K ... Bill Murphy FLA 7.0 4 1 1 2 11, W 6-2, 3.08 ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 2-5, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR (8) ... Rickie Weeks MIL 2B 2-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 BB ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K ... Dennis Safarte MIL 1.0 1 5 5 3 0 ... Gabe Johnson STL 3B 2-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (10 & 11) ... Richard Lewis CHN 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K

TEXAS --  Dallas McPherson ANA, no stopping him, unreal week 2-4, 18th homer, a grand slam, 6 RBI (65), .329 (all he's done in the last 7 games -- .480, 2 doubles, triple, 6 homers, 19 RBI, 6 walks, 7 Ks)  ... Ervin Santana ANA  5.0 7 4 4 1 9 ... Jeff Francis 6.1 3 0 0 2 11, 10-0, 1.87

CAROLINA --   once the Royals' future ace, Mike Stodolka back on the hill 4.0 4 2 2 1 1 ... Tripper Johnson BAL 2-3, double, triple & 1-3  ...  1B Mark Saccomanno HOU 3-5, 6th homer, 3 RBI (49), .284 ... one more quality arm for ATL, Kyle Davies 6.0 1 0 0 3 14, 7-2, 2.69 ... quietly having a solid season, Jeff Francoeur ATL 2-4, 11th homer, .294

FLORIDA STATE --  No regular games scheduled (All-Star game).

CALIFORNIA --  Merkin Valdez SF 5.0 5 2 1 0 7, 1.76 ... CF Fred Lewis SF 3-4, walk, .321 ... Brian Stavisky OAK 4-6, double, 5 runs, .357 ... John Suomi OAK 4-5, 3 RBI, .320

MIDWEST --  John Danks TEX 3.0 2 2 0 1 3  ...  (add your own superlative here) Ian Kinsler TEX, 2-3, 30th double, 11th homer, 2 RBI (52), walk, oh, an error too, .402 ... Kevin Collins CHN 1-4, 18th homer ... Lou Palmisano MIL 2-5, double, .305 ... Brandon Wood ANA 2-4, double, homer, 3 RBI

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Gonzalo Lopez ATL, 5.0 5 1 1 3 7 (W 4-2, 3.36) ... Delmon Young TB, 1-4, RBI ... Chin-lung Hu LA, 2-4, run ... Andy LaRoche LA, 1-3, double, 2 RBI ... Xavier Paul LA, 1-4, double ... Ryan Goleski CLE, 0-5 ... Brad Snyder CLE, 0-3, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, steal (6) ... Sean Smith (CLE) 5.0 3 0 0 4 1 (W 7-2, 3.39) ... Nate Schierholtz SF, 1-4, double, RBI ... Nick Markakis BAL, 1-4 ... Fredy Deza BAL, 5.0 5 0 0 1 4 (W 4-7, 2.88) ... Javon Moran PHI, 2-5, 2 strikeouts ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-3, walk ... Beau Vaughn BOS, 7.0 1 0 0 0 6 (W 3-1, 1.90)

COLLEGE -- Jeremy Sowers CLE, pounded, 3.1 8 7 7 3 1 ...   Jered Weaver ANA 7.2 5 2 1 2 12 (137 pitches)

    Troop movements ...  MIL -- activated LHP Chris Capuano from the DL, optioned infielder Trent Durrington to AAA  ... TOR -- activated RHP Roy Halladay from the DL, placed RHP Kerry Ligtenberg on the DL ... CLE -- purchased the contract of RHP Scott Elarton from AAA, optioned outfielder Alex Escobar to Buffalo ... NYA -- activated outfielder Kenny Lofton from the DL, designated second baseman Homer Bush for assignment ... TEX -- activated outfielder Kevin Mench from the DL, designated outfielder Chad Allen for assignment ... MIN -- recalled outfielder Michael Restovich from Triple-A,  optioned LHP J.C. Romero to AAA ... STL -- AAA righthander Adam Wainwright on the DL (tightness in his right shoulder), Luis Martinez promoted to AAA ... NYN -- promoted 3B David Wright and outfielder Prentice Redman to Triple-A Norfolk ...

" ... [Salt Lake manager Mike] Brumley said the Stingers could get top pitching prospect Bobby Jenks, who has been on the disabled list, back in about two weeks." (Deseret Morning News)

    Jeff Niemann, a September callup?  Just a sales job?

" ... First-round draft pick Jeff Niemann made his first appearance at Tropicana Field on Friday to meet with reporters and team officials ... General manager Chuck LaMar said if Niemann signs soon and starts in the minor leagues, he could get a September call-up to the majors. And manager Lou Piniella said it's possible Niemann could come to spring training next year with a shot at a job in the rotation. "If he had a full summer of pitching there's no reason why next spring you couldn't bring him to camp and let him compete," Piniella said. "That's not farfetched. You're talking about a college kid pitching in a pretty nice program." (St. Petersburg Times) 

    Another injury for Cole Hamels PHI :

" ... Hamels, the team's first-round pick in 2002, missed his last start for single-A Clearwater because of an inflamed joint in his left elbow. The Phillies don't consider his latest setback serious, although he has been shut down for seven to 10 days. Hamels missed the first month of the season with elbow tendinitis, but Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies' assistant general manager, said yesterday that the two injuries are unrelated. "It's actually real manageable," Amaro said. In Hamels' four starts this season, he went 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA. In his last start, June 3, he allowed two hits and struck out eight in five innings. "He was throwing well," Amaro said." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

    KC's top pick, Billy Butler, having a blast at Kauffman Stadium practice :

" ... The ball jumped off his bat with a big-league crack. Despite being only 18, Butler is a powerfully built 6-foot-1 slugger. Swinging from the right side, Butler launched a couple of blasts over the left-field wall and one into the water display. “I hit three or four line drives,” Butler said. “I was just trying to keep up with them (the Royals).” The Royals think highly of Butler. He will begin his journey back to Kansas City with the Idaho Falls Chukars, the Royals' rookie advanced team. The Royals normally only send the players they draft out of college to their rookie advanced team. “They said I'm pretty advanced for a high school guy,” Butler said. “I'm starting at Idaho. Most high school guys don't do that. Hopefully, I will get pushed through the system. “My only setback is in the field. I'm actually an average third baseman. You have to work on it every day.”  (Kansas City Star)

12 June 2004

    Game action ... INT --  Matt Diaz (TB, RF) 3-3, R, BB, HBP ... B.J. Upton (TB, SS) 1-5, 2B, RBI, 0 errors ... Joey Gathright (TB, CF) 2-5, R, SB ... still trying to overtake Pickering, Marcus Thames (DET, RF) 3-4, 2B, 22nd HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB ... Bubba Nelson (CIN) 4.0 9 8 8 1 3 ... Wilson Betemit (ATL, 3B) 3-5, 2 R, RBI ... Michael Restovich (MIN, LF) 2-4, 2 R ... Russ Adams (TOR, SS) 3-4, 2B, BB, SB ... David Bush (TOR) 6.2 9 4 3 0 8 ... Jorge Padilla (PHI, RF) 3-4, 4th & 5th HRs, 2 R, 5 RBI ... Mike Fontenot (BAL, 2B) 2-3, 2B, 3B, R, RBI, SF ... Jhonny Peralta (CLE, 3B) 2-4, 2 R, RBI ... rehab, Trot Nixon (BOS, RF) 1-3, RBI ... Danny Garcia (NYN, 2B) 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB, SB ... Pat Strange (NYN) 6.0 9 4 4 2 4

PCL --  Ricardo Rodriguez TEX, obviously still needs some work,  6.0 8 5 5 2 1 ... Brendan Harris CHN, on the ascent, 3-3, double, .301 ... David DeJesus KC 2-4, homer, .281 ... Mike Wood OAK, in a rough patch,  6.0 7 7 7 2 3 ... Mark Teahen OAK 3-5, double ... Darin Erstad ANA, rehab, 2-5 ... Gil Meche SEA, seems he's back on track, 7.0 5 1 1 2 12 ... Jose Lopez SEA 2-5, 16th double, 11th homer, .284 ... Tagg Bozied SD 3-4, .329 ... Ray Durham SF 3-4 ... Antonio Perez LA 2-3, 6th homer, 5 RBI  & 0-3, .301 ... Joe Dillon FLO 1-3, 13th homer ... Lefty Scott Downs MON, continuing an impressive surge with a no-hitter 7.0 0 0 0 1 3

" ... tossed the second no-hitter in Edmonton Trappers history in the second game of a doubleheader ...  Downs allowed only two baserunners, one that reached on an error and one on a first inning walk. He struck out three along the way ...   It was the sixth win of the season for Downs, who entered the game with a team-best 3.50 ERA. He is a perfect 5-0 at home this season." (Edmonton Trappers)

EASTERN --  Aaron Hill TOR 1-4, 2B (7) … Dominic Rich TOR 2-4, 2B (13), 3 RBI (28) … Dioner Navarro NYA 1-5, 3B (1), RBI (27) … Franklin Gutierrez CLE 0-4 … Jeff Keppinger PIT 2-4, 2B (9), RBI (18) … Bryan Bullington PIT 6.0 6 3 3 4 4, 3.98 ERA … Michael Cervenak SF 2-3, 2 HR (14), 2 RBI (47) … Luis Maza MIN 2-4, 2B (15), RBI (33) … Kevin West MIN 0-5

SOUTHERN --  Yhency Brazoban LA 1.0 1 0 0 1 1, S 10, 2.13 ... Dustin Moseley CIN 7.0 4 1 1 1 7, L 2-2, 2.61 ... Jeremy Cummings STL 6.0 5 0 0 3 5, W 5-1, 3.11 ... Nic Ungs FLA 1.0 7 8 8 1 0, 3 HR's, L 3-3, 4.63 ... Dan Meyer ATL 2.0 0 0 0 0 2, 1.87, injury? ... Chris Seddon TB 7.2 8 6 4 1 9, 4 HR's!, L 4-2, 2.86 ... Dennis Ulacia CHA 6.1 8 2 1 0 6, W 4-3, 3.64 ... Aaron McNeal CHA 4-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI ... Jake Gautreau SD 3B 1-5, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 K, 1 HR (8) ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 1-2, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K

" ... shortstop Josh Wilson was named ... Southern League Hitter of the Week for June 4-June 10. Wilson hit .500 (13-for-26), drove in six runs and scored eight times. He hit three homers for the week, 4 doubles and scored the game-winning run in Carolina’s win last Friday against Jacksonville. Wilson, who is off to a blistering hot June for the Mudcats is hitting .476 for the month and slugging a monstrous .810. Wilson is ranked as the 21st best prospect in the Marlins’ organization according to Baseball America." (Southern League)

TEXAS --  Jayson Nix 2B COL 1-3, R, 2B  ... John Baker DH OAK 0-4  ... Shin-soo Choo CF SEA 1-4, 2RBI, SB  ... Alberto Callaspo DH ANA 2-4  ... Tommy Murphy CF ANA 2-3, 2B  ... Dallas McPherson 3B ANA 1-4, a disappointing night, only 1 HR, how much longer can they justify keeping him, especially with Glaus out for the year and approaching free agency?  ... Jeff Mathis C ANA 2-3, 2B, BB  ... Tommy Whiteman SS HOU 1-4  ... Jason Bourgeois 2B TEX 1-4  ... Ruben Gotay 2B KC 2-4, 2B, 3RBI  ... Maryland Williams CF ARI 3-5, 3R, HR, 3RBI, SB ... Josh Kroeger RF ARI 1-4, BB  ... Sergio Santos SS ARI 0-4, R, BB  ... Chris Snyder C ARI 3-4, 2R, 2 2B, 2RBI

CAROLINA --  CF Brian Anderson CHA bidding for a promotion, 2-4, 2 doubles, 3 runs, .327 ... Brad Correll OF CIN 4-5, 2 doubles, homer, 5 RBI ... Fernando Nieve HOU  7.0 10 4 4 0 8, 3.16 ... tough one for the ATL kid, Matt Wright 3.1 6 6 6 6 2, even with that, still at 2.37 ... Michael Aubrey CLE 1-2, double, 3 walks, 2 RBI (54), .347

FLORIDA STATE --  No games scheduled (All-Star game set for Saturday night). The FSL's Chris Roberson named Player of the Month in the PHI system :

" ... Roberson clinched the honor by batting .360 with six home runs, five triples and 21 RBI for Clearwater. In the midst of a 20-game hitting streak, in which he has 14 multiple hit games, Chris raised his average 95 points. For the month he collected 41 hits and scored 25 runs while posting a .623 slugging percentage and .411 on-base percentage. Selected by the Phillies in the ninth round of the 2001 June draft, Roberson currently ranks among Florida State League leaders in batting (7th), hits (2nd), triples (T-6th), slugging (6th), runs (3rd) and HR (T-7th)."

CALIFORNIA --  Felix Hernandez SEA 6.0 7 2 1 1 9 ... Jeff Salazar COL 2-6, 12th homer ... Michael Napoli ANA 1-5, 16th homer, .336

MIDWEST --  Ian Kinsler TEX 0-2, 2 walks & 2-3, 10th homer, RBI (50), .398 ... Daric Barton STL 2-3, walk & 0-2, .412 ... OAK's Steven Bondurant, becoming one of the top A-Ball hurlers,  7.0 3 1 1 1 7, 10-2, 2.12 ... Brad Knox OAK doing just fine too, 6.0 7 1 1 0 7, 2.24 ... Cubs clubbers continue success, Brian Dopirak 4-5, double ... Kevin Collins 3-5, double ... Christopher Lubanski KC 2-3, 3rd homer & 1-4, 4th homer, .240 ... Eric Duncan NYA 1-3 & 2-3, 10th homer, .284 ... Steven White NYA  7.0 2 0 0 2 11, 2.96 ... Lou Palmisano MIL 2-5, double, .303 ...

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Andy LaRoche LA, 2-4, RBI ... Xavier Paul LA, 1-4, R, 2 strikeouts ... Brandon Moss BOS, 1-4, RBI, steal (11) ... Josh Anderson HOU, 2-3, runs, 2 walks ... Ian Stewart COL, 1-4, RBI, run ... Lastings MIlledge NYM, 2-5, RBI ... Ian Bladergroen NYM, 1-3, RBI, 2 runs ... disappointing season for SS Robert Valido CHA 2-5, double, .242 ... Delmon Young TB 3-6, triple, 3 RBI (45), .302

Yet another LA hurler winning kudos while Met's hitter wins weekly award :

" ... Joel Pimentel recorded a 2-0 mark and 0.75 ERA in two starts for the Catfish as the 18-year old right-hander fanned a league-best 19 batters and walked just four for the week, while holding opponents to a .146 batting average. In 12 innings, he allowed just six hits and one earned run."

" ... Ryan Harvey was instrumental in the Bombers 6-1 record last week, batting a lusty .429 (12-for-28) with one home run and a league-leading 11 RBI. His 18 total runs (11 RBI and 8 run scored) accounted for the most runs in the league. He holds a slugging percentage of .679 and an on base percentage of .515. The California native hit safely in each of his seven games last week and extended his hitting streak to 10 games overall." (South Atlantic League)

Among the selections for the SAL All-Star game -- pitchers, Chuck James ATL, Zach Dixon BAL, Clint Everts MON, Yusmeiro Petit NYN, Adam Miller CLE, Chuck Tiffany LA ... 1B Ian Bladergoen NYN ... 2B Ryan Roberts TOR ... SS Chin-lung Hu LA ... 3B Ian Stewart COL ... Utility Nate Schierholtz SF ... OF Brandon Moss BOS, Ryan Goleski CLE ... Delmon Young TB won a spot as a backup, as did Jake Blalock PHI and Ryan Harvey NYN

    Troop movements ...  CLE -- purchased the contract of Sandy Martinez from AAA (designated Lou Pote for assignment) ...  SF -- recalled LHP Noah Lowry from AAA (Brett Tomko DL) ... SD -- recalled RHP Blaine Neal from Triple-A (Brandon Puffer optioned to AAA) ... MON -- placed RHP Tomo Ohka on the DL, purchased the contract of LHP Joe Horgan from AAA (hmmm ... what's wrong with Downs & Church?) ... STL -- optioned RHP Danny Haren to AAA,  recalled RHP Jason Simontacchi ... CHN -- activated outfielder Tom Goodwin from the DL, optioned outfielder David Kelton to AAA ... ANA -- placed RHP Aaron Sele on the DL, recalled infielder-outfielder Robb Quinlan from AAA ... BOS -- activated RHP Scott Williamson from the DL, optioned catcher-first baseman Andy Dominique to Triple-A ... MIN -- signed 1st round pick Trevor Plouffe (not scheduled to suit up until fall instructional league) ... LA -- Dodgers signed both their 1st rounders -- Scott Elbert and Blake DeWitt :

" ... Elbert, a left-handed pitcher and the 17th pick overall, agreed to a bonus of $1.575 million. DeWitt -- an infielder, the 28th player overall and a compensation pick from the New York Yankees for the signing of free agent Paul Quantrill -- signed for $1.2 million. Both figures were the exact amounts suggested in slotting guidance by Major League Baseball, an indication that signability was not a major factor in the Dodger draft, as scouting director Logan White had stated leading into the draft ...  Elbert, a left-handed pitcher from Seneca High School, will report to the Dodgers' rookie mini-camp in Vero Beach on Sunday, will be flown to Los Angeles with his family for an appearance on Wednesday, then will report to the organization's rookie ball club in Ogden." (MLB.com)

    Time getting ripe for some top prospect moves as KC thinks about offers :

" ... Kansas City general manager Allard Baird, on the heels of a demoralizing doubleheader loss to Montreal, said Friday that he is ready to begin dismantling his team and build for 2005. ``This is a change,'' Baird told reporters.  Specifically, this means he is ready to take offers for Beltran, his switch-hitting center fielder who is one of just six players with at least three seasons of 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. Beltran, 26, will be eligible for free agency after this year and the Royals are determined to get as much for him as they can. Baird said he has heard from clubs ``on the East Coast and the West Coast'' who might be interested in the 26-year-old Beltran, but refused to be specific ...  ``I will listen at this point,'' he said. ``Am I disappointed? No question I'm disappointed. I still believe that this ballclub intact at the end of the season would be better than it is right now. But time is not on our side and we are behind the 8-ball, as we've talked about numerous times. And you can't be completely off the pool table, so to speak.'' (Associated Press)

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, on the Jays' top picks :

" ... First-round pick David Purcey, from the University of Oklahoma, is a big 6-foot-5 lefty who can get his fastball to 94 mph. He's had some command problems in his career, but threw strikes more regularly with his breaking ball and changeup this year. He still needs to clean up his mechanics a little bit, but he has a very high ceiling, and is a solid first-round pick. I like him. Texas A&M lefty Zach Jackson, picked in the supplemental round, doesn't throw quite as hard as Purcey, averaging 91 mph. His slider and changeup are effective, and he has superior command and control. His ceiling isn't quite as high as Purcey's, but he will probably advance more quickly."

    MIL ... why Mark Rogers over a more prominent high school pitcher, Homer Bailey ?  Jim Callis, Baseball America :

" ... At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Rogers isn't quite as projectable as the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Bailey. But he has a lively 90-97 mph fastball, a hard curveball and a promising changeup. He's very athletic, which allows him to repeat his mechanics efficiently, and that bodes well for his control and long-term health. I don't think this decision came down to money, and Rogers may sign for more than Bailey. I think Milwaukee scouting director Jack Zduriencik and his staff just slightly preferred Rogers to Bailey, and based on his track record with the Brewers, I'd have plenty of faith in Zduriencik."

    The best of the minor leaguers (through games of Thursday), data from The Sports Network :

Triple-A                  Double-A                  A-Ball
Batting Average           Batting Average           Batting Average
Ryan Church MON .379      Jeff Keppinger PIT .369   Ian Kinsler TEX .398
Larry Sutton FLO .369                               Brandon Pinckney CLE .364
                                                    Brandon Moss BOS .361

Home Runs                 Home Runs                 Home Runs
Calvin Pickering KC 23    Ryan Howard PHI 17        Brandon Sing CHN 18
Marcus Thames DET 21      Jason Stokes FLO 16       Brian Dopirak CHN 18
                          Dallas McPherson ANA 16   Kevin Collins CHN 17
                                                    Tony Blanco CIN 16

On Base Percentage        On Base Percentage        On Base Percentage
Larry Sutton FLO .464     Todd Self HOU .464        Jeffrey Baker COL .461
Ryan Church MON .449      David Wright NYN .462

Slugging Percentage       Slugging Percentage       Slugging Percentage
Calvin Pickering KC .796  Dallas McPherson ANA .668 Ian Kinsler TEX .657
Larry Sutton FLO .725     Josh Kroeger ARZ .626     Kevin Collins CHN .655
Marcus Thames DET .706    David Wright NYN .624     Michael Napoli ANA .641

Runs Batted In            Runs Batted In            Runs Batted In
Marcus Thames DET 53      Dallas McPherson ANA 58   Michael Napoli ANA 63
Calvin Pickering KC 52    Jason Stokes FLO 56       Ian Bladergroen NYN 61
                          Kevin West MIN 52

Stolen Bases              Stolen Bases              Stolen Bases
Nook Logan DET 23         Wayne Lydon NYN 39        Josh Anderson HOU 43
                          Dwaine Bacon CHN 32       Michael Bourn PHI 30
                                                    Erick Aybar ANA 28
                                                    Chris Walker CHN 28

Earned Run Average        Earned Run Average        Earned Run Average
Alex Graman NYA 2.22      Brad Thompson STL 1.76    Zach Duke PIT 1.22
Dennis Tankersley SD 2.29 Dan Meyer ATL 1.94        Matt Wright ATL 1.51
                          Jeff Francis COL 2.02     Jarrett Gardner BOS 1.54
                          Arnie Munoz CHA 2.13      Matthew DeSalvo NYA 1.58
                                                    Mike Prochaska TB 1.70

Strikeouts                Strikeouts                Strikeouts
Danny Haren STL 90        Jeff Francis COL 101      Yusmeiro Petit NYN 87
Brandon Claussen CIN 69   Bill Murphy FLO 76        Steven Shell ANA 86
                                                    Brandon McCarthy CHA 84

Innings Pitched           Innings Pitched           Innings Pitched
Pat Ahearne DET 85.2      Jake Woods ANA 83         Bobby Livingston SEA 86.1
Jared Fernandez HOU 85.1  Jeff Francis COL 80.1     Yorman Bazardo FLO 83.1

11 June 2004

    Game action ... INT --  Jonny Gomes (TB, DH) 1-5, 13th HR, R, 2 RBI ... Ryan Langerhans (ATL, CF) 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB ... Wilson Betemit (ATL, 3B) 2-4, 2B, R ... Mike Fontenot (BAL, 2B) 1-4, 1st HR, R, RBI ... Darnell McDonald (BAL, CF) 2-4, R, BB ... Matt Riley (BAL) 6.0 3 1 1 6 6 ... Grady Sizemore (CLE, CF) 2-3, 6th HR, R, 2 RBI, HBP ... Jhonny Peralta (CLE, SS) 2-3, R, 2 RBI, SF ... Kelly Shoppach (BOS, C) 1-3, 8th HR, R, RBI, BB ... rehab, Trot Nixon (BOS, RF) 1-1, 2B, R, BB ... Joe Borchard (CHA, RF) 2-3, 2B, BB ... Josh Stewart (CHA) 6.0 5 4 4 1 2 ... nice job, Brad Halsey (NYA) 9.0 2 0 0 2 6 ... Aaron Heilman (NYN) 6.0 10 3 3 3 4

PCL --  ah man, somebody give him another chance, Calvin Pickering KC 2-4, 22nd & 23rd homers, 3 RBI (52), .321 ... Clint Barmes COL 1-2, 8th homer, .346 ... Sean Burnett PIT, a little setback, 5.0 10 5 5 2 2 ... Michael Tejera, another option for FLO, 6.2 6 2 2 2 6, 6-1, 3.68 ... maybe #B Joe Dillon, 29 in August  (kicking around since being picked in the 7th round of the 1997 draft) could also get a FLO trial, 2-3, walk, 11th & 12th homers, .410 (in just 27 games) ... Brian Gordon ANA, big night, 4-4, walk, 3 homers (11), 6 RBI ... Nick Swisher OAK 0-3, .249 ... Justin Leone SEA 16th homer, 2 RBI, .263 ... Jose Lopez SEA 3-5 ... Justin Germano SD 6.0 8 4 4 1 8 ... Tagg Bozied SD 2-4, homer, .307 ... Ray Durham SF, rehab, 3-4, homer, 4 RBI

EASTERN --  Abe Alvarez BOS 5.0 7 2 0 2 4. 3.66 ... David Wright NYN 1-3, .362 ... wow, Michael Hinckley MON moves to 3-0, 1.86, 8.0 7 1 1 1 7 ... Larry Broadway MON 1-2, 11th homer, but .223 ... Dominic Rich TOR 3-4 ... Kenny Lofton NYA rehab 1-3

SOUTHERN --  Brennan King LA 3B 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, .306 ... Dimas Reina LA 6.2 6 4 4 2 7, L 0-2, 5.40 ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3B 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K's, 1 HR (6) ... Josh Wilson FLA SS 3-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR (7) ... Josh Willingham FLA OF 1-5, 1 RBI, 1 K, note position ... Aaron McNeal CHA 1B 3-5, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 K, 2 HR (14 & 15), big night ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 0-3, 2 BB, 1 K ... Chris Saenz MIL 5.0 6 7 7 2 3, L 4-4, 4.41, not going to well ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 0-4, 1 K ... Jake Gautreau SD 3B 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K's, 1 HR (7) ... Brett Evert ATL 7.0 3 3 3 2 10, L 2-2, 3.76 ... Richard Lewis CHN 2B 5-6, 3 R, 2 RBI, .347 ... Chadd Blasko CHN 5.0 5 3 3 5 3, W 5-4, 5.81

TEXAS --  Shin-soo Choo RF SEA 2-4, HR, 2RBI & 2-4 RBI  ... Alberto Callaspo SS ANA 0-3, R, BB & 1-4  ... Nick Gorneault DH ANA 4-4, 4R, 2B, HR, 2RBI & 2-3, 2R, 2B, HR, 4RBI ... and, the streaking Dallas McPherson 3B ANA simply en fuego, 3-3, 4R, 2HR, 5RBI, BB & 3-4, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI (up to .327, 16 homers, 58 RBI) ... Jeff Mathis C ANA 1-4, RBI & 2-3, 2B ... Jake Woods ANA 7 9 5 4 1 2 (8-2, 2.71)  ... Tommy Whiteman SS HOU 2-3, 2B and 1-4 ... Todd Self 1B HOU 3-3, 2B and 1-3, R, BB ... Kevin Mench LF TEX 2-4, R and 1-4, R ... Jason Bourgeois 2B TEX 2-3, 2R, 2B and 4-4, 2R, 3B, RBI ... Will Smith RF TEX 2-3, 2HR, 5RBI and 0-2 ... Jayson Nix 2B COL 1-4, R, RBI  ... John Baker C 1-4, RBI  ... Zach Parker COL getting lit up like a christmas tree: 1 7 8 7 3 1  ... Ruben Gotay 2B KC 3-5, 2R, 2B, 3B, 3RBI  ... Dee Brown LF KC 3-3, R, 2 2B, RBI, 2BB  ... Maryland Williams CF ARI 2-5, RBI ... Josh Kroeger RF ARI 2-5, 3R, 2B, HR, 2RBI  ... Sergio Santos SS ARI 3-4, R, 2B  ... Chris Snyder C ARI 2-4, 2B, RBI ...

CAROLINA --  Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-4, R, RBI … Brian Anderson CHA 2-4, 2 R, HR (7), 2 RBI (38), .323 … Casey Rogowski CHA 1-4, K … Pedro Lopez CHA 0-4, R, RBI, BB … Richard Gardner CIN (W) 5 5 3 3 0 5 (7-2, 2.54) … Jeff Francoeur ATL 1-4, RBI, 2 K … Brian McCann ATL 0-3, BB, K … Michael Aubrey CLE 1-2, RBI (52), 2 BB … Nathan Panther CLE 0-3, R, RBI (36), BB, 2 K … Brad Eldred PIT 2-5, 2 R, double (17) … Rajai Davis PIT 1-5, R, SB (25) … Donnie Murphy KC 1-3, R, BB … Mike Aviles KC 0-4 … Shane Costa KC 0-1, 2 BB … Tripper Johnson BAL 2-4, R, double, K, SB (6)

FLORIDA STATE --  Bronson Sardinha (NYA, 3B) 2-4 R … Justin Pope (NYA) 2.1 5 4 2 0 0 - Pitching in relief … Aarom Baldiris (NYN, 2B) 3-4 2R RBI … Brett Harper (NYN, DH) 2-3 2RBI … Trent Oeltjen (MIN, CF) 3-4 2R SB(18) … Manny Delcarmen (BOS) 2 7 4 3 1 2 … Matthew Murton (BOS, LF) 2-4 R 2RBI … Mike Megrew (LA) 4.1 2 2 2 4 5 … Joel Guzman (LA, SS) 2-4 R, .313 … Vince Rooi (MON, 3B) 1-3 HR(5) … Reid Gorecki (STL, CF) 2-5 2D 2R … Miguel Negron (TOR, CF) 2-3 HR(5) 3R 2RBI

CALIFORNIA --  Jesse Harper in his first start in the MIL system 4.1 4 2 2 2 6 ... Travis Hinton MIL 3-4, 8th & 9th homers, 6 RBI ... Michael Napoli ANA 2-4, triple, .340 ... soon somebody has to recognize him as a real prospect, Jeff Salazar COL CF 4-5, 2 triples (7), .336 (and just minutes after writing that, BA posted a story ranking Salazar as an elite prospect, see below)  ... Bobby Livingston SEA, still in a rough patch, 7.2 9 5 4 1 5 ...

MIDWEST --  Ryan Dempster CHN, rehab, 4.0 5 0 0 0 3 ... Brandon Wood ANA 2-5, triple, homer, 3 RBI, 2 errors

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Julio Pimentel LA, 7.0 3 1 1 1 16 (W 6-4, 3.18) ... Andy Laroche LA, 2-2, double, walk & 2-2, walk, 12th homer  ... Chuck James ATL, 6.0 8 3 3 2 5 (L 7-1, 1.92) ... Brandon Moss BOS, 2-3, run ... Nick Markakis BAL, 1-3, RBI ... Brad Snyder CLE, 3-5, 3 RBI ... Ryan Goleski CLE, 1-5, double, run ... Javier Herrera CLE, 2-4 ... Jon Benick PIT, 2-4, homer (14), double, RBI ... Adam Boeve PIT, 1-4, double, 2 RBI ... Thomas Gorzelanny PIT, 7.0 4 1 1 2 8 (W 6-0, 2.48) ... Beau Hearod HOU, 2-4, homer (12), RBI ... Brandon McCarthy CHW, 7.0 4 0 0 1 7 ... Justin James TOR, 6.0 2 0 0 4 9 ... Ian Stewart COL, 0-4, 2 strikeouts ... Ian Bladergroen NYM, 1-3, 2 RBI ... Yusmerio Petit NYM, 6.0 2 1 1 0 10 (W 7-1, 2.34) ... Delmon Young TB, 1-4, triple, RBI ... Jason Hammel TB, 6.1 4 1 1 1 9 ... Clint Everts MON, 5.0 2 1 0 0 5 ... Rogearvin Bernadina MON, 3-4, triple, steal (8) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 0-2, 2 walks ... Michael Bourn PHI, 1-2, 2 walks, 2 steals (30) ... Nate Schierholtz SF, 1-4, homer (15), 2 RBI ... Hong-Chih Kuo LA 3.0 4 0 0 1 4

    Troop movements ...  STL -- recalled Dan Haren from AAA, optioned So Taguchi to AAA ... FLO -- placed Justin Wayne on the DL, purchased the contract of Mike Neu from AAA ... ANA -- activated outfielder Garret Anderson from the DL ... ARZ -- placed infielder Carlos Baerga on the DL, recalled Andy Green from AAA  ... TB -- placed RHP Doug Waechter on the DL, recalled RHP Chad Gaudin from Triple-A ... TOR -- activated catcher Kevin Cash from the DL, optioned RHP Aquilino Lopez to AAA ... MON -- Tomo Ohka heading for DL ... CLE -- promoted inf Brandon Pinckney all the way from the SAL to AA (after a .364 start)

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld, on Jason Kubel MIN :

" ...  12th-round selection in 2000, has seen his stock jump as much as any non-pitching prospect this year. The 22-year-old was hitting .377/.453/.667 in 37 games for Double-A New Britain before a promotion to Triple-A last month. He’s currently batting .370/.403/.493 in 18 games for Rochester ... It’s not a stretch to suggest that he’ll have some .300-25-100 seasons in the majors. Defensively, Kubel looks like an average corner outfielder ... lack of speed (16 career stolen bases) prevents him from being an elite fantasy prospect, but it’s not going to be a real issue for the Twins. With his solid walk rate, he could eventually be a No. 2 hitter in the majors. He’ll probably bat seventh or eighth after the Twins first make room for him. Finding a place to play in Minnesota can be the true challenge, but as long Kubel keeps hitting well over .300, he’s not going to be treated like Michael Cuddyer, or worse, Michael Restovich."

    At FoxSports, Dayn Perry has posted his updated Top 10 for the D'Backs with Stephen Drew debuting at the # 10 spot :

" ... drafted by the Snakes on Monday. He's not even close to signing. Ergo, he hasn't played a day of pro ball. Yes, it's a bit presumptuous to rank Drew this high this early, but he's the real thing. Many observers pilloried this year's draft for its lack of top-shelf talent. That was true, except for Drew ...a highly seasoned hitter who put up three very strong seasons at Florida State. He has excellent plate discipline and tremendous power potential, and he hits for average. He has the defensive chops to stick at short, but he's athletic enough to handle second base or center should the organization decide to move him. He's going to be a special player, and the D-backs will be very pleased they took a chance on him."

Conor Jackson ranked # 4 (behind Scott Hairston, Adriano Rosario -- aka Ramon Antonio Pena Paulino -- and Sergio Santos) :

" ...one of the best college hitters available in last year's draft. And the 19th overall pick has done nothing to disappoint thus far. Jackson thrashed the Northwest League last season, but that's no great shakes for a college-trained hitter (although he did set the league record for doubles). This year he's in the Cal League, and he's still hitting. Jackson has great power potential and excellent plate discipline. In other words, he's a complete hitter. In the bigs, he should be good for a .300 average, 25 homers and 80 walks during his prime—that's excellent production. He'll likely emerge as one of the top prospects in the game over the next 12 months."

I'm sure Dayn knows this and it's just an oversight, but there's no mention of Rosario-Paulino's deception -- he's really 22, not 19. Perhaps that might have dropped him a bit in the rating. 

    John Manuel, Baseball America, on Jeff Salazar COL :

" ... The Rockies don't care whether anyone else considers Jeff Salazar an elite prospect or not. They do. And they have a hard time containing how highly they regard the Class A Visalia center fielder, whom farm director Bill Geivett calls "a tremendously gifted player." Salazar is enjoying his second consecutive strong season, getting off to a .326-11-36 start for the Oaks. He has 13 stolen bases in 14 chances, boasts a sterling 27-24 strikeout-walk ratio, and leads the California League in runs (59) thanks in part to robust slugging (.558) and on-base (.395) percentages. "He doesn't fit the profile of an elite player, until you watch him for four or five days in a row," assistant farm director Billy Eppler said. "Then you start to just love him." ... looks like an average player at first glance. A closer look, though, reveals an elite prospect, one who should move quickly through the Rockies system ... club officials make it sound like he may not be in the minors much longer. "He can play defense in the big leagues right now," Geivett said. "We really feel like when he gets to the point of using the whole field consistently at the plate, and when he gets better with his bunting, he's going to be a complete offensive player. "He hasn't hit any speed bumps yet, and I really think he's going to be the kind of player who doesn't hit too many."

    Jonathan O'Konis, The Sports Network, on a couple of his picks as the most likely prospects to be sized up for new uniforms :

" ... Scott Kazmir ... The Mets untouchable prospect last year, Scott Kazmir, may be more touchable this season ...  GM Jim Duquette has to realize that, with his aging major league team, he must make a move now before age catches up to Mike Piazza, Tom Glavine, and Al Leiter. Kazmir has the talent to be an excellent major league pitcher. Last season, he led all of minor league baseball by averaging 11.94 strikeouts per nine innings. But the fact is that his injury concerns could make him available. This season for the St. Lucie Mets, Kazmir has gone 0-2 with an ERA of 6.23 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2:1 (24-12). The decision Duquette will be forced to make is simple: Is it worth keeping Kazmir (a high impact, although injury prone prospect) in the organization or is it worth it to mortgage part of your future for quick results."

" ... Angel Guzman ...  Rated as the Cubs number one prospect by The Sports Network before the season started, Guzman has the pitching tools people should be looking for. In 24 2/3rds innings pitched, Guzman has yet to walk a batter, while striking out 35. That type of control is rare to come by. His 2-1 record is fine, but his ERA is a bit high - 4.74 ...   With Prior, Wood, Zambrano, and Clement, the Cubs shouldn't be worried about stockpiling young pitching. The Cubs were two outs from the World Series last season and if dealing a prospect gets them those two outs this season, it will be worth it."

    A little more on Kendry Morales, from Kevin Baxter, Miami Herald :

" ... Morales, a 21-year-old switch-hitter who can play both corner outfield and both corner infield spots, was the first Cuban teenager to star for the national team since Omar Linares in the 1970s. A line-drive hitter with power, Morales set seven rookie records in Cuban League play, banging out 114 hits, 21 homers and driving in 82 runs in his first year with Havana's Industriales. In last year's Serie Nacional, Morales led the league with 44 hits and 12 doubles while batting .361 with two homers and 17 RBI before being suspended in December when Cuban authorities suspected he was planning to defect. Morales' desire to play professionally also forced Cuba to leave him off the Pan American Games team last summer, then to send him home from a pre-Olympic tournament in Panama in October."

    JJ Cooper, Baseball America, on Matt Cain SF :

" ... Cain, 19, is dominating hitters despite being one of the youngest players in the league. After giving up four earned runs in his California League debut, he did not give up more than two earned runs in any of his next 11 starts, as he was 6-1, 1.73. His best outing was a June 2 start against Stockton, where he went seven innings, allowed two hits and a walk and struck out 14. "When he's on, it's push button," Wilson [San Jose pitching coach Trevor Wilson] said. "I don't do anything. I just hit the (pitch-count) clicker." Cain is second in the league in ERA and strikeouts (84 in 68 innings), but he still has plenty of work to do. Right now, he's able to dominate high Class A hitters even on nights when he struggles to command his curveball and changeup. He already locates his fastball to both sides of the plate, a lively mid 90s pitch that touches 97 mph, leaving most hitters overmatched. But on nights that Cain is getting his sharp-breaking curveball over for strikes, he's nearly unhittable. He's also showing a developing feel for his changeup."

    Joey seems to have Got-it-right. Maybe a shot at MLB time  :

" ... New leadoff hitter and center fielder Joey Gathright has given the Bulls offense a kick start, with ten stolen bases (without being caught) and 11 runs scored in his first eleven games. Prior to [Wednesday], the Bulls had scored at least five runs in their last six games. Gathright, hitting .364, has at least a hit and a run scored in each of those contests. Gathright, who was batting .341 at Double-A Montgomery before his call-up, already has three multi-stolen base games." (International League)

    Good news .. bad news :

" ... Wilson Betemit is hitting .367 with 19 RBI when there are runners in scoring position. Without runners on second or third, Betemit is hitting only .188. In addition, 11 of Betemit’s 26 hits have come with RISP." (International League)

10 June 2004  

    Game action ... INT --  Marcus Thames (DET, RF) 1-3, 21st HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB ... Stephen Smitherman (CIN, LF) 2-3, 2 R, BB ... Brandon Claussen (CIN) 6.0 5 2 2 4 10 ... Josh Hancock (PHI) 8.0 8 4 4 0 2 ... Jhonny Peralta (CLE, SS) 2-4 ... Jamie Brown (BOS) 3.1 4 1 1 0 1 ... fine outing, Jon Rauch (CHA) 7.0 4 0 0 1 9 ... Pedro Liriano (MIL) 5.0 8 4 4 3 4 ... Craig Brazell (NYN, 1B) 3-4, 2 2B ... rehab, Scott Erickson (NYN) 7.0 5 3 3 1 3  ... Jason Kubel MIN 2-4, double, homer, 3 RBI

PCL --  No games scheduled

EASTERN --  David Wright NYN 4-5, 2 2B (27) … Justin Huber NYN 2-4, RBI (15) … Prentice Redman NYN 2-5, 2B (28) … Dioner Navarro NYA 1-4, RBI (25) … Val Majewski BAL 1-4, 2B (143), RBI (36) … Keith Reed BAL 0-4 … Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-5, 2B (19), SB (5) … Andrew Brown CLE 5.0 4 3 3 2 3, 3.26 ERA … Jeff Keppinger PIT 3- 5, RBI (17) … Michael Cervenak SF 2-5 … Wilfredo Ledezma Det 7.2 7 6 6 1 5, 2.45 ERA … Gavin Floyd PHI 8.0 6 2 1 2 5, 2.42 ERA

SOUTHERN --  Aaron McNeal CHA 1B 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 3-5, 1 2B ... Brad THompson STL 6.0 5 3 3 1 5, 1.76 ... Richard Lewis CHN 2B 0-4, 2 K's, now batting .333 ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 1-5, 1 BB, 4 K ... Tim Stauffer SD 7.0 4 1 1 1 6, W 3-1, 1.71 ... Kelly Johnson ATL OF 4-7, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 HR (7) ... Andy Marte ATL 3B 0-5, 1 BB, 4 K's ... Jose Capellan ATL 6.0 4 0 0 0 10, W 1-1, 3.31

TEXAS --  Tommy Whiteman SS HOU 3-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI, BB (.340), trying to become the first player from the Crow Nation to reach the bigs ...  Todd Self 1B HOU 2-4, R, BB ... Kevin Mench DH TEX rehabbing, 1-4, HR ... Jason Bourgeois 2B TEX 1-4 ... Will Smith RF TEX 3-4, R, 2B  ... Jayson Nix 2B COL 1-5, R, SB ... Ryan Shealy 1B COL 1-3, 2R, 2B, 2BB .. Shawn Garrett DH COL 3-5, 2R, 2B, RBI  ... Freddie Bynum CF OAK 2-2, R, 2B, 2BB, SB  ... John Baker DH OAK 1-4, R  ... Alberto Callaspo SS ANA 2-6  ... Dallas McPherson 3B ANA 1-5, R, 2B, RBI, 2k's  ... Nick Gorneault LF ANA 1-6, with a golden sombrero (4k's) ... Jeff Mathis C ANA 0-4, BB, Hat trick (3k's) ... Ruben Gotay 2B KC 3-5, 2R, 2B, RBI ... Maryland Williams CF ARI 3-6, 3R, 2 2B, RBI, 2 SB ... Josh Kroeger RF ARI 2-3, 2R, 2B, 2RBI, 2 BB ... Sergio Santos SS ARI BIG Night, 3-5, 2HR, 7RBI ... Dustin Nippert ARI 2 3 3 2 4 2

CAROLINA --  Brad Eldred PIT 1-3, R, HR (14), RBI (52), BB … Rajai Davis PIT 1-4, R, double, BB, 2 K … Chris Denorfia CIN 1-5, K, SB (8) … Zach Duke PIT (W) 6 4 1 1 3 5 (8-2, 1.22) … Doug Gredveg BAL 0-4, 3 K … Tripper Johnson BAL 1-4, R, HR (13), 2 RBI (40), K … Luke Scott HOU 1-3, R, BB, K … Mark Saccomanno HOU 0-4, 2 K … Brian Anderson CHA 0-3, 2 BB, K … Casey Rogowski CHA 0-3, R, BB … Pedro Lopez CHA 2-4, R, BB … Jeff Francoeur ATL 2-3, R, double (19) … Brian McCann ATL 1-4 … Blaine Boyer ATL (L) 6.2 6 4 4 5 2 (5-4, 3.72) … Michael Aubrey CLE 2-4, 2 R, RBI (51), BB, K, .344 … Nathan Panther CLE 2-6, 3 RBI (35), K … Donnie Murphy KC 4-6, 3 R, 2 RBI (36), BB, K, .312 … Mike Aviles KC 2-5, 2 R, 2 doubles (15), 2 RBI (39), BB, .318 … Shane Costa KC 4-5, R, 3 RBI …

FLORIDA STATE --  Reid Gorecki (STL, CF) 2-3 R … Carlo Cota (TOR, 2B) 2-3 HR(5) 2R 3RBI … Miguel Negron (TOR, CF) 2-3 R … Chris Roberson (PHI, CF) 2-4 SB(13) … Matthew Murton (BOS, LF) 3-4 2R … Joel Guzman (LA, SS) 3-4 3B R … Jonathan Broxton (LA) 5 7 4 3 1 4 L(4-4, 3.65) … Felix Pie (CHN, CF) 2-5 R RBI SB(12) … Tony Giarratano (DET, SS) 2-5 RBI … Michael Woods (DET, 2B) 1-5 R SB(4) … In a battle of two top prospects, neither factors into the decision, Kyle Sleeth (DET) 5 9 4 4 1 5 vs. Yorman Bazardo (FLO) 6 6 5 1 2 4 … Jeremy Hermida (FLO, RF) 2-4 R 2RBI …

Players of the week  ... HITTER--Dunedin IF Carlo Cota (TOR, 2B) hit .429 (9-21) with 6 runs scored, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBI and an .810 slugging percentage. PITCHER--Lakeland right-hander Matt Parris (DET) went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA, allowing 8 hits, 2 earned runs and 3 walks while striking out 6 in 14 innings.

CALIFORNIA --  Garret Anderson ANA, rehab going well, 2-3, walk, .444 ... nice night for the middle of the Lancaster (ARZ) lineup -- Conor Jackson 3-4, double, 2 RBI (51), .346 ... Carlos Quentin 2-5, 14th homer, 3 RBI (48), .293 ... and Jamie D`Antona 2-5, 12th homer, 2 RBI (52), .323 ... Jeff Salazar COL 2-4, double, walk, 36th RBI (from the leadoff spot) .326 ... Jeffrey Baker COL (wonder who switches positions, Baker or Ian Stewart) 4-4, walk, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, .360 ... Vincent Sinisi TEX 2-3, 7th homer, .317 ... Jeremy Cleveland TEX, coming on strong, 3-4, 4th & 5th homers, .307 ...

MIDWEST --  Ricky Barrett MIN 4.0 5 3 3 4 4 (2.70) ... Cody Haerther STL 4-6, 2 K ... Daric Barton STL 2-6, double, BB, K

Among those to win spots on the Midwest All-Stars -- Brian Dopirak, 1B, CHN; Eric Duncan, 3B, NYA; Matt Chico, P , ARZ; Howie Kendrick, 2B, ANA; Ian Kinsler, SS, TEX; Kevin Jepsen, P, ANA; John Danks, P, TEX; Steve Bondurant, P, OAK; Brad Knox, P, OAK; Tony Giarratano, SS, DET; Melky Cabrera, OF, NYA; Juan Senreiso, OF, TEX; Dusty Hughes, P, KC ... and, as reserves --  Daric Barton, C, STL; Lou Palmisano, C, MIL; Mitch Maier, INF, KC; Brandon Wood, INF, ANA; Chris Lubanski, OF, KC ... a few (Giarratano, Cabrera et al) won't suit up as they've already been promoted.

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Delmon Young TB, 2-5, double, 2 RBI ... Rogearvin Bernadina MON, 3-4, triple, 3 RBI, 2 runs ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL, 2-5, homer (5), 5 RBI ... Chin-Lung Hu LA, 4-5, 2 doubles, RBI ... Xavier Paul LA, 1-5, homer (5), 3 RBI ... Brandon Moss BOS, 3-5, triple, 4 RBI, steal (9) ... Chris Young CHW, 1-3, homer (11), RBI ... Adam Boeve PIT, 1-2, homer (15), RBI, 2 walks ... Ian Stewart COL, 2-4, homer (14), RBI, 2 runs ... Ian Bladergroen NYM, 1-4, homer (12), 2 RBI ... Evan MacClane NYM, 6.0 4 0 0 0 8 (W 3-2, 2.54) ... Nate Schierholtz SF, 1-2, RBI ... Nick Markakis BAL, 0-4, walk, run ... Zach Dixon BAL, 7.0 4 1 1 2 1 (W 5-1, 1.82) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 0-5 ... Nate Cabrera PHI, 5.2 7 4 4 0 8 (L 1-2, 3.12) ... Brad Snyder CLE, 2-4, double, triple, 3 RBI, 2 runs

    Troop movements ...  BOS -- optioned pitcher Jamie Brown to AAA, sent outright  first baseman Brian Daubach to AAA (activated Nomar Garciaparra from the DL, recalled pitcher Mark Malaska from AAA ... ANA -- activated outfielder Tim Salmon from the DL, optioned outfielder Robb Quinlan to AAA ... ARZ -- purchased the contract of catcher Juan Brito from Triple-A Tucson (Brent Mayne DL) ... HOU -- optioned pitcher Brandon Duckworth to AAA,  purchased the contract of pitcher Kirk Bullinger  ... NYN -- placed RHP Orber Moreno on the DL, recalled RHP Tyler Yates  ...

    NUMBER ONE !  Jeff Francis has vaulted right to the top of Kevin Goldstein's Prospect Hot Sheet at Baseball America. 

" ... Improved to 9-0 with yet another dominant effort Monday night, and has now gone 13 straight decisions without a loss. Will he be the pitcher who can actually be successfull at Coors? We may find out soon."

TB's BJ Upton ranked below Francis and ahead of Jason Kubel MIN.  Daric Barton (see below as well) zoomed up to No. 4, with David Wright at No. 5.  Kevin also offered recognition to ANA 2B Howie Kendrick with a No. 10 ranking :

" ... A little second baseman who draws comparisons to Ray Durham, Kendrick has been more like Rogers Hornsby in the past 28 games, recording 19 multi-hit efforts and batting .444 (55-for-124) to raise his season average to .358. "

    Another bidding war on the horizon?  Top Cuban prospect up for grabs :

" ...  First baseman and outfielder Kendry Morales, considered by some to be Cuba's top young player, has defected to the United States. U.S. immigration officials in Miami confirmed Wednesday that Morales had arrived in the United States and was allowed to stay. "Kendry called home on Tuesday, he said he was well, that he arrived in the United States, and that we should not worry," said his stepfather, Henry Nunez. "He didn't say exactly where he was, only that he was calm and now what he wants to do more than anything is play baseball." Morales, a switch-hitter, is said to be 20. Nunez said it was his stepson's eighth attempt to leave Cuba ... The Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Herald of Miami reported Wednesday that Morales and 18 others left Cuba over the weekend aboard a boat bound for South Florida ... Cuba's National Baseball Commission cut Morales from the national team early this year for "lack of discipline" following reports that he had tried to leave the island several times. During Olympic qualifying last November in Panama, Morales returned to Cuba for what was officially described as "personal reasons." Playing with Havana's popular Industriales team, Morales hit .324 last year with 21 homers." (Associated Press)

    Alan Matthews, Baseball America, has a major piece on the Cards' catching phenom Daric Barton.  Among other things :

" ... Barton joined Peoria in mid-May after working his way back from elbow surgery in January. Less than 12 months removed from high school in Huntington Beach, Calif., Barton hit safely in his first 12 games with the Chiefs and was batting .419-7-22 in 74 at-bats. "It's the same game; it's just a lot longer season," the modest but confident Barton deadpanned. "You have to be more mentally strong, just try to stay on an even keel. You can't let the ups and downs get to you." If it sounds like Barton is a seasoned veteran, don't let it surprise you. At 18, he has figured out catch phrases and clichés as quickly as he has Midwest League pitching, while impressing pretty much everyone he's come across along the way. "You could tell right away when he stepped into the box, that's a man stepping into the box," Peoria manager Joe Cunningham said. "He has a game plan, a discipline and a demeanor that are way ahead of the average 18-year-old." Barton's best tool is his bat. Strong and cerebral, he has a smooth swing that generates power to all fields and an advanced approach at the plate."

    Jeremy Deloney, Baseball Miscellany, with his pick as "The Most Underrated Catcher in the Minor Leagues" :

" ... Arizona 23 year-old Chris Snyder ... drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 2nd round of the 2002 draft ...  Arizona envisioned him as a future power-hitting catcher with solid catch & throw skills behind the plate. He has lived up to the billing, but few are familiar with his talents. Last season, Snyder hit .314/.414/.518 with 10 HR and 53 RBI in 69 games for High A Lancaster before being promoted to AA El Paso. He injured his wrist and suffered at the plate going .202/.286/.340 in 53 games with 4 HR and 26 RBI. The wrist is healed properly and Snyder is proving that Double A ball is no challenge. He's put up solid numbers with a .288 average and 9 HR and 32 RBI. At 6'3" 225, Snyder has the potential to hit 20+ HR in the big leagues. He'll never be a .300 hitter, but the D'Backs would tolerate a .260-.270 average. His defense behind the plate is above-average and he's a good leader."

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, with the early line on the 2005 draft :

" ... Justin Upton very well could be the first pick in the 2005 draft, though right now the Expos would own that pick and perhaps they would want to choose someone who could help them in the more immediate future. The early hyperbole on Justin is that he's better than B.J. was at the same stage, though if he's even nearly as good as B.J. has looked so far, that should be plenty good enough. Next year's crop almost has to be better than the 2004 group by default, especially in terms of position players."

    Matt Bush ... on the dotted line ... heading for Peoria & the Arizona Rookie League :

" ... Bush, who was taken first overall in Monday's First-Year Player Draft, will report to the Padres' Rookie-level Peoria affiliate on June 17. He said on Monday that he'd agreed to a $3.15 million bonus. A product of nearby Mission Bay High School, Bush was the first prep shortstop taken with the top pick since 1993, when the Mariners selected Alex Rodriguez ...  "This is a great day for both the Padres and Matt Bush," said Bill Gayton, director of scouting ... batted .447 with 11 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 35 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in his senior season at Mission Bay." (MLB.com)

09 June 2004

    Game action ... INT --  Matt Diaz (TB, RF) 2-5, 3B, RBI ... B.J. Upton (TB, SS) 0-1, 3 R, 4 BB, SB, 0 errors ... keeps on rolling, Marcus Thames (DET, RF) 2-3, 2B. 20th HR, 2 R, RBI, BB ... Matt Belisle (CIN) 5.1 5 1 1 3 4 ... Jorge Padilla (PHI, RF) 2-4, 2B, R ... Brian Forystek (BAL) 6.0 5 1 1 1 7 ... Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 2-4, R ... Grady Sizemore (CLE, CF) 3-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 SB ... Kyle Denney (CLE) 5.2 4 2 1 2 6 ... rehab, Nomar Garciaparra (BOS, SS) 0-3 ... Corey Hart (MIL, 1B) 2-5, 2B, 3B, R ... Jeremy Griffiths (NYN) 7.2 4 0 0 2 4

PCL --  he needed that, JJ Davis PIT 1-4, homer, .118 ... Ryan Church MON 2-2, 2 walks, RBI, .379 ... picking up the pace considerably, Brendan Harris CHN 3-4, double, homer, .281 ... John Gall STL continues a nice streak, 3-5, 2 doubles, .315 ... might be hope, after all, Nick Bierbrodt, now with TEX,  6.0 5 3 3 2 10 ... he must have been reading our reports, Adrian Gonzalez TEX 2-5, 3rd & 4th homers, 7 RBI ... 3B Joe Dillon FLO 3-5, 9th & 10th homers, 6 RBI ... must have been Old Timers' Day -- Shane Reynolds ARZ 4.1 2 1 1 0 2 vs Sterling Hitchcock SD 2.1 2 1 1 1 1 (re-injured his right groin, might be out another month) ... Andy Green ARZ 3-5, 3 doubles, .330 ... Ben Davis SEA 2-4, double, up to .262 ... Calvin Pickering KC 2-4, 21st homer ... Clint Barmes COL 2-5, 2 doubles, .345

EASTERN --  David Wright NYN 2-5, HR (10), 3 RBI (38)… Justin Huber NYN 1-3, BB, HR (5), 3 RBI (14) … Prentice Redman NYN 0-3, BB … Aaron Hill TOR 1-3, BB … Dominic Rich TOR 1-3, 2B (12), 2 RBI (24) … Dioner Navarro NYA 0-3 … Val Majewski BAL 2-5, 9th homer, .309  … Keith Reed BAL 1-6, double, .381 … Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-4, 2B (18) … Jake Dittler CLE 7.0 3 1 1 0 4, W (2), 2.98 ERA … Jeff Keppinger PIT 2-4, BB … Ryan Doumit PIT 0-1 … Michael Cervenak SF 0-4 … Luis Maza MINN 0-3, 2 K … Kevin West MINN 0-4 … Scott Baker MINN 5.0 5 5 3 3 3, 2.06 ERA … Denny Bautista BAL 4.2 8 5 4 2 7

SOUTHERN --  3B Brennan King LA 2-3, 5th & 6th homers, .307 ... Jason Stokes FLO 0-4, 2 Ks, .271 ... no word yet on the reason for the abbreviated start, Arnie Munoz CHA 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 ... Prince Fielder MIL 12th homer, 2 RBI, up to .271 ... Rickie Weeks MIL 3-4, double, .246 ... Bobby Brownlie CHN  6.0 4 0 0 3 6, 2.86

TEXAS --  Josh Kroeger RF ARI 2-4, HR, BB ...Sergio Santos SS ARI 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2k's  ... Chris Snyder C ARI 2-4, HR  ... Chad Santos 1B KC 3-5, 2R, 2 2B, HR, 2k's  ... Jayson Nix 2B COL 1-3, 2k's  ... Ryan Shealy 1B COL 1-4, R, 2B ... Mark Kiger 2B OAK 3-4, 2R, 2B, HR ... Justin Hampson 8 4 2 1 1 4

CAROLINA --  Doug Gredveg BAL 2-5 … Tripper Johnson BAL 0-4, 2 K … Luke Scott HOU 0-4 … Mark Saccomanno HOU 1-4, R, HR (12), RBI (46) … Ryan Sweeney CHA 0-3, BB, 2 K … Brian Anderson CHA 2-4, double (19), RBI (36) … Casey Rogowski CHA 1-3, double, BB … Pedro Lopez CHA 2-4 … Jeff Francoeur ATL 1-4, RBI (31), K … Anthony Lerew ATL 7 7 1 1 3 4 (2.36) … Michael Aubrey CLE 2-4, R, HR (10), 2 RBI (50), .341 … Nathan Panther CLE 2-5, R, triple, 2 K … Donnie Murphy KC 3-4, R, 2 doubles (14), HR (2), 2 RBI (34), .301 … Mike Aviles KC 1-3, BB, .316 … Shane Costa KC 0-4 … Fausto Carmona CLE (W) 5.2 6 2 2 0 3 (5-2, 2.95) … Devon Lowery KC (L) 5.2 8 4 4 2 4 (3-4, 3.93)

FLORIDA STATE --  rehab, Trot Nixon (BOS, RF) 2-3 R RBI … Jeremy West (BOS, 1B) 2-4 … Mathew Murton (BOS, LF) 2-3 R 2RBI … Angel Guzman (CHN) 5 7 6 6 0 10 L(2-1, 4.74) … Joel Guzman (LA, SS) 2-5 R RBI … Delwyn Young (LA, 2B) 2-5 2D 2R RBI… Joel Zumaya (DET) 9 7 0 0 0 11 W(4-4, 3.96) … Tony Giarratano (DET, SS) 2-4 2R 2SB(5) - Hitting .388 … Brent Clevlen (DET, RF) 2-4 4RBI … rehab, John Patterson (MON) 3.2 2 0 0 0 4

CALIFORNIA --  uh, I guess he's a little way from top form, Chris Capuano MIL 2.0 6 6 6 3 2 ... Manny Parra MIL 3.1 3 1 0 3 6 ... Jamie D'Antona ARZ 3-3, walk, 18th double, 2 RBI (50), SB, .321 ... Conor Jackson ARZ 3-4, .338 ... steady, Steven Shell ANA 9.0 4 2 2 2 7, 6-2, 3.16 ... ANA happy to see this, Garret Anderson 2-3, homer ... Jeffrey Baker COL 2-4, .346

MIDWEST --  quietly having a fine year Joey Votto CIN 8th HR (.294) ... Steve Moss MIL 4-4, HR (up to .219) ... Brian Snyder OAK 2-3, 7th HR, 2 BB (.304) ... can he salvage the season? Kody Kirkland DET 0-4, 2 K, E ... Brian Dopirak CHN 18th HR ... Ian "I'm 22 this month, when will you promote me" Kinsler TEX 2-4, 9th HR (.398) ... Matt Farnum TEX 5.2 8 2 1 3 3 (W, 5-2, 2.45) ... Cody Haerther STL 4-5, double, HR (.302) ... Daric Barton STL 1-3, HR, BB, HBP (HBP was not next-AB-retaliation for HR; other way around) ... Eric Duncan NYA 1-5, 2 K ... Chris Lubanski KC 1-5, double (.233) ... Adam Jones SEA 2-4, BB, K ... Howie Kendrick ANA 2-5 (.359) ... Brandon Wood ANA 3-4, double ... performance of the day Kevin Jepsen ANA 9.0 1 0 0 2 6

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  big ouch Adam Miller CLE, 1.0 5 6 4 1 1 (L 4-2, 3.54) ... Brad Snyder CLE, 2-5, double, RBI ... Javier Herrera CLE, 2-3, double, RBI ... Jake Blalock PHI, 2-5, RBI 2 strikeouts ... Delmon Young TB 1-2, 3 walks, .295 ... LA SS Chin-lung Hu SS 2-5, 5th homer ... Nick Markakis BAL 2-4, triple, .281 ... Adam Boeve PIT 3-5, double, 14th homer, 4 RBI

    Troop movements ...  CIN -- recalled pitcher Jung Keun Bong from AAA (Austin Kearns DL) ... CLE -- recalled pitcher Kazuhito Tadano from AAA (Joe Dawley DL) ... LA -- optioned RHP Brian Falkenborg to AAA (Hideo Nomo activated from DL) ... PHI -- placed LHP Randy Wolf on the DL (Billy Wagner activated) ... TOR -- optioned outfielder Simon Pond to AAA, placed LHP Valerio De Los Santos & Carlos Delgado on the DL (activated Frank Catalanotto, Chris Woodward, Justin Speier from the DL) ... ARZ -- purchased the contract of catcher-first baseman Alan Zinter from Triple-A Tucson, optioned RHP Edgar Gonzalez to AAA ... MIN  -- activated Luis Rivas from the DL, optioned infielder Alex Prieto to AAA ... ANA -- purchased the contract of LHP Dusty Bergman from Triple-A ... NYN -- optioned second baseman Danny Garcia to Triple-A, purchased the contract of outfielder Gerald Williams ...

    Reds' go against the grain ... but, happy with Homer ...  Bailey :

" ... The pick was somewhat surprising, given the trend in recent drafts has been not taking high school pitchers, and the Reds' lack of luck when they bucked that trend. But the Reds couldn't pass on Bailey's talent. "In a perfect world, you'd like to take someone with the experience and maturity of a college player," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said. "But you have to go with the player with the best ability. Homer Bailey fits that criteria." Bailey is the fourth high school pitcher the Reds have taken since 1999. Ty Howington (1999) and Chris Gruler (2002) are coming back from surgery. The other, Jeremy Sowers (2001), did not sign and went to Vanderbilt instead ...  Bailey is committed to the University of Texas. "To be honest, that's not a big factor," Bailey said. "The Reds understand all I'm asking for is fairness money-wise. My goal is to pitch professionally." Bailey, 18, has a tremendous high school record. He is 14-0 this year with two saves and a 0.49 ERA. In 85 2/3 innings, he's struck out 187, walked only 15 and allowed 30 hits. Baseball America rated his fastball, breaking ball and command as the best among high school players in the draft. But getting him to the majors is no given, especially given the injury factor. "He has good arm action and delivery," O'Brien said. "That doesn't guarantee longevity but it certainly helps." ... Bailey put himself on the prospect map with his performance in the 2001 state tournament. His team won and he was named MVP. He's added a couple of mph to his fastball. It tops out at 94. He also throws a screwball and a changeup. At 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, he has a pitcher's frame, though he needs to fill out a bit more. The Reds also think he has that something extra. "He's very competitive," O'Brien said. "He has performed at a high level against good competition for a long time." (The Cincinnati Enquirer)

    CLE not tempted by Jered Weaver, went for a polished & cheaper starter :

" ...  With their highest pick in 14 years, the Indians got one of the players they coveted most, taking left-handed pitcher Jeremy Sowers with the sixth overall selection ... The Vanderbilt junior is 10-5 with a 2.64 earned-run average in 18 games so far this season ... ``He's probably not your prototypical sixth (overall) pick,'' said John Mirabelli, the Indians' assistant general manager of scouting operations ...  ``But in this draft, we went with the strength.'' That would be college pitchers, and plenty of them ...  Whether a safe pick or not, the Indians got their man in the 6-foot-1, 165-pound Sowers -- a guy they've kept close tabs on since he was a prepster at Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Back then, Sowers was drafted but not signed by the nearby Cincinnati Reds in the first round (20th overall) in 2001. In opting for college instead, the now-21-year-old went on to become one of the best pitchers Vanderbilt has ever seen ... Of the more impressive statistics Sowers has achieved this season is 118 strikeouts compared to just 23 walks -- including two complete games and one shutout. ``He's the most polished pitcher in the draft,'' Mirabelli said, putting Sowers on the same advanced development level as the team's top pick last year, Michael Aubrey of Tulane, now a first basemen at Class A Kinston. ``In terms of readiness, Sowers is a little ahead of where (current Aeros pitcher) Jeremy Guthrie was when we drafted him (22nd overall in 2002 out of Stanford). He is a complete pitcher with an outstanding feel to pitch.''  (Akron Beacon Journal)

    COL, with success from its 2002 (Jeff Francis) and 2003 (Ian Stewart) first round picks, thinks it has another winner in shortstop Chris Nelson :

" ... They were drawn by his bat, comparing him to Cincinnati Reds star Barry Larkin. "If you are going to get a high school shortstop, he has to be an offensive player," said Bill Schmidt, the Rockies' scouting director. "Otherwise you can go get those guys in the Dominican or a college player. I have no questions about his offense." ... Nelson, a muscular 5-feet-11, 175 pounds, formerly was a highly regarded pitcher. He blew out his elbow with a 101-mph fastball last summer in a New Mexico tournament. Nelson had ligament transplant surgery Sept. 25 and abandoned his pitching dreams. But he never stopped hitting. Any doubts about his ability were squelched Friday in Denver. Dressed in a Rockies uniform, Nelson pounded home runs to left field, nearly reaching the concourse ... Walt Weiss, a Rockies special instructor, attended the workout and walked away impressed. "He has a big bat," Weiss said. "He's very respectful. A good kid."  (Denver Post)

    D'Backs top pick might have to start off at the bottom ... no room at the inn in A+ (California League) :

" ... Lancaster (34-22) ... Offensively, the JetHawks are playing as advertised, suggesting there is little room for improvement that could be had from a draft class headed by Florida State shortstop Stephen Drew, selected 15th overall by the Diamondbacks on Monday. Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin and Jamie D'Antona have combined for 35 homers and 142 RBI and Phil Avlas (.310-5-25), Jarred Ball (.278-7-26), Neb Brown (.308-4-28) and Danny Richar (.378-2-9) have all held their own at the plate. "We have our destiny in our hands right now," JetHawks hitting coach Eric Fox said. "...There's a confidence in this team that we've peaked at the right time. (The rest of the division) has to come after us." Not that there isn't talent coming into the organization that could help at some point this season. The left-handed Drew ...  hit .353 with 17 homers and 55 RBI in 55 games for the Seminoles and likely could compete at the high Class-A level to start his professional career. Where players end up in the organization won't be decided until player development director Tommy Jones assess each affiliates need and each player's ability. But the Diamondbacks don't have a history of sending their top picks to play in high Class A to start their professional careers." (Antelope Valley Press)

    Chris Kline, Baseball America, on the Rockies' catcher of the future and a possible ANA ace :

" ... Triple-A Colorado Springs catcher J.D. Closser is making a case to join the big league club, hitting .338-1-29 in 148 at-bats and batting in the No. 2 hole. Considered the lesser prospect in the January 2002 deal that sent Mike Meyers to Arizona, Closser projects as the Rockies' starting catcher next season, if not before. A switch-hitter with power from both sides, Closser's defensive strengths have been his agility and ability to call a game. He has an erratic though strong arm."

" ... Angels righthander Ervin Santana is dealing at Double-A Arkansas. Santana is now 2-0, 2.45 with 31 strikeouts in 26 innings for the Travelers. Santana's stuff is electrifying, featuring a fastball that regularly hits the upper 90s and sitting at 93-97 mph. He also throws a nasty slider for strikes anywhere from 78-87 and also has a good feel for a changeup."

    Zach Chalifour, RotoTimes, on Felix Hernandez SEA :

" ... Seattle would like to let him move up slowly and develop to his full potential of being a major-league ace with no setbacks, and the next step on the path as we entered the season was High-A Inland Empire, where he has seen similar success to his 2003 season. An extremely young player for his league, Hernandez has seen his numbers rise a bit from 2003 but has been very successful overall at the High-A level ... has continued to show signs of dominance with his mid-90s heater and nasty curveball ...  should eventually get called up to Double-A San Antonio at some point this season. After that, who knows -- if he is highly successful at Double-A, the Mariners might consider giving him an early taste of major league action with a September callup. Regardless of when he gets the chance to make his debut, Hernandez has the ability to be a top pitcher in the big leagues ... Should he continue to develop at a rapid pace and the Mariners not let him skip any levels, it is possible that Hernandez will be looking at sticking in the big leagues in 2005, after potentially starting next season at Triple-A Tacoma."

    Once one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Scott Elarton well positioned for another shot at a career in MLB :

" ... When this game report gets to Jacobs Field, Buffalo Bisons manager Marty Brown should expect his phone to ring. The Cleveland Indians will probably be in the market for a No. 5 starter again because Joe Dawley tweaked his elbow Saturday night in Anaheim. The spot is available this Saturday against Cincinnati and it would be Scott Elarton's day to pitch. Hmmm. Looks like perfect timing. Elarton, a 17-game winner for the Houston Astros in 2000, threw a masterful four-hit shutout Monday night ...  After throwing just 89 pitches, walking no one and allowing no runners past second base, the 28-year-old right-hander declared himself up for the task. "The way I feel now, I'm ready," Elarton said. "I hope the chance comes along because I feel like I've made a lot of progress in the short time I've been here." "It's more about him just doing his thing here," Brown said. "Then he'll get the ice cream on his cake." Elarton can afford to be patient. A clause in his contract says the Indians have to call him up by June 28 or allow him to pursue free agency. They'll almost certainly give him a chance." (Buffalo News)

    Matt Chico ARZ proving his worth a look (now 8-3, 2.28 in the Midwest League after Monday's super effort) :   

" ... He was a little shaky at the start, but once Matt Chico got warmed up, he was a dominant pitcher ... South Bend's ace lefty retired the final 13 batters he faced, allowing only three hits with seven strikeouts in eight innings ...  "I didn't have my best stuff at the start, but when the change-up came together I was fine,'' said Chico, now 8-3. "I love pitching in this kind of weather; it's just like home. I would have liked to pitched that last inning, but I was over my pitch count.'' Chico, a native of southern California, fired 75 strikes among 110 pitches. "Cedar Rapids is an aggressive swinging club, and Chico did a tremendous job,'' said South Bend manager Tony Perezchica." (South Bend Tribune)

    A few more are starting to notice.  Ian Kinsler SS TEX.  Midwest numbers through Monday -- AVE 396, OBA .456, SLG .646, 29 doubles, 8 homers, 16 SBs, 22 walks, 34 Ks :

" ... To do what he’s done over the last 60 days, to put up those kinds of numbers and do it with the consistency he has, is rare at any level,’’ said Ralph Dickenson, the roving hitting instructor for the Texas Rangers organization ...  “You don’t expect those numbers out of anybody, but they are numbers that he believes he can put up,’’ Clinton manager Carlos Subero said. “He believes he can hit around .400 and that he can get two hits a game, and that type of confidence helps him compete. He’s shown an ability to bounce back from an 0-for-4 day. That’s something a lot of hitters can’t do.’’ . Kinsler is more satisfied with the consistency of the effort than the numerology of it all. . “Things are going my way right now. I’ve gotten a lot of good pitches to hit, and they’ve been finding holes,’’ Kinsler said. “I haven’t had numbers like this since high school. I’m just doing what I can to keep it up.’’ . He’s somewhat surprised at how each opponent has approached pitching to him with the start of each series. . “Early on in the first game or two of a series, people are coming after me pretty aggressively, like they really don’t believe the numbers they see,’’ Kinsler said. “Usually by the third or fourth game, I’m seeing a lot more breaking pitches.’’ . And when that happens, he’s adjusted. . “They adjust. I adjust. Then they adjust again, and so do I. That’s the way the game works,’’ he said. ... Kinsler was a 17th-round selection of the Rangers in the 2003 amateur draft ... Kinsler believes part of the reason his game is at a different level offensively this season is the time he put into offseason training at Texas’ spring facility at Surprise, Ariz. . “I worked a lot with Ralph Dickenson, and he helped me a lot with using my legs and letting that part of my body work for me at the plate,’’ Kinsler said.’’  (Quad City Times)

    Tigers' SS Tony Giarratano touted as a sure-fire bet for All-Star honours in the Midwest if DET returns him to West Michigan :

" ... Giarratano ... starting shortstop -- who was promoted to high Class A Lakeland (Fla.) in late May -- is supposed to be returning to the Whitecaps, possibly at the all-star break. Even though he has been gone for a while, no one deserves to start at short for the Eastern Division in the MWL All-Star Game more than Giarratano. He's already a major-league-caliber infielder and a budding prospect as a switch hitter. He had been hitting .300 through the first two months of the season. He went through a mini-slump just prior to his promotion, but he immediately embarked on a five-game hitting streak upon making his Florida State League debut. The Whitecaps would sure love to get him back for the second half, but the truth is Giarratano is a Double-A talent at this early stage of his career. He just might be the best position prospect the Detroit Tigers have ever sent to West Michigan."  (The Grand Rapids Press)

    Sometimes it appears it's just greed getting in the way of what might have been.  Matt Harrington got picked again (for the 5th time).  He's gone from first-rounder to 36th rounder :

" ... Once upon a time, he was a highly touted pitching prospect who could throw in the mid-90s. He was taken seventh overall by the Rockies in 2000, but didn't sign. So he headed to the Northern League -- a la J.D. Drew -- and was taken in the second round by the Padres in 2001. Again, no signing. It was back to independent ball for Harrington, who was drafted in the 13th round in 2002 (Devil Rays) and in the 24th round last year (Reds), but, you guessed it, never came to terms with either team. Meanwhile, he doesn't seem to be the pitcher he once was, at least in terms of velocity. His last port of call was the Fort Worth Cats in the Central League, and the Yankees decided to give Harrington one more shot to join affiliated baseball." (MLB.com)

    Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News, on Jeff Francis COL :

" ... It was almost a year ago that left-handed pitcher Jeff Francis began turning his season around at Class A Visalia. He found a three-month groove there, one he has carried forward to Class AA Tulsa, where Francis has been dominant this season ...    "I think the biggest thing has just been throwing pitches with conviction," Francis said. "Last year earlier in the year, maybe (I was) a little hesitant or timid maybe on the mound with my pitches. Trying to miss bats and trying to make perfect pitches every time. Now it's just going out there and realizing that you don't have to miss bats. You trust what you're going to throw up there." Francis' repertoire includes an 88-90 mph fastball along with a curveball and changeup. His curveball has been a good pitch, but Francis said after getting away from using his changeup he recently has started to throw it more. Developing it into the third plus pitch he'll need in the majors is a priority for Francis. In addition to superb command, his height has helped give the 6-foot-5 Francis some deception in what has become a very sound delivery. "His fastball command has really made a big statement here," Tulsa pitching coach Bo McLaughlin said. "He's a lot more than the crafty left-hander. The crafty left-hander is hitting his spots at 86-87 mph. He can do the same thing but at a little bit higher pace. And the consistency of his delivery has been great to see for a young person." It's possible Francis could miss almost all of August. If he's selected to pitch for the Canadian Olympic team, that commitment would last from Aug. 5-25. Tulsa's regular season ends Sept. 5. "There's a list of 60 players (for the Canadian Olympic team), and I'm on that list," Francis said. "As far as how they're going to (choose the team), I have no idea. When I was in high school, I played for the (Canadian) junior national team. We didn't play in any big tournaments and were just in Tucson. "But just being able to wear the Canadian uniform was pretty cool. I can imagine just being able to wear it in an Olympic setting where you're legitimately representing the country against other countries. That's a pretty awesome opportunity to be able to do that."

Francis, with a history of slow starts & incredible finishes, has a 1.04 ERA in his last seven starts -- 52 innings, 35 hits, 8 walks, 71 Ks (his first five starts -- 28 1/3, 17 hits, 6 walks, 40 Ks, 3.81)

08 June 2004

    Game action ... INT --  Jonny Gomes (TB, LF) 2-4, 2B, R, SB ... B.J. Upton (TB, SS) 0-3, BB, 0 errors ... Joey Gathright (TB, CF) 2-4, 2B, 2 R, SB ... give him a MLB roster spot, Marcus Thames (DET, RF) 3-3, 18th & 19th HRs, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB ... Wilson Betemit (ATL, 3B) 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI ... another big day, Justin Morneau (MIN, 1B) 2-5, 11th & 12th HRs, 2 R, 6 RBI, BB ... Michael Restovich (MIN, RF) 2-3, 2 R, 2 BB ... rehab, Juis Rivas (MIN, 2B) 0-4, R, HBP ... Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 2-4, R ... Felix Diaz (CHA) 6.0 8 8 7 2 3 ... Michael Vento (NYA, RF) 2-4, R ... Ben Hendrickson (MIL) 7.1 5 0 0 1 6 ... Victor Diaz (NYN, RF) 3-4, 2 2B, RBI ... Bob Keppel (NYN) 6.2 9 4 4 2 2

PCL --  Lance Cormier ARZ, AAA seems to his liking, 7.0 7 0 0 0 5 ... Carlos Hernandez HOU 5.0 8 5 5 0 2 ... John Buck HOU 1-4, 10th homer ... Gil Meche SEA 1.0 3 1 1 0 1 ... Antonio Perez LA 2-3, 2 walks ... Adrian Gonzalez TEX 2-3, double ... Adam Wainwright STL, 4 homers among the damage, 5.1 8 6 6 1 5, 4-4, 5.37 ... John Gall STL, quietly having an outstanding season, 3-5, 15th homer, .308 ... Ben Davis SEA, a little progress, 2-4, homer, up to .253 ... Calvin Pickering KC heating up again, 3-4, 19th & 20th homers, 4 RBI (48) ... David DeJesus KC 3-6, triple ... JD Closser COL 3-4, 2 doubles, .338 ... Lance Niekro SF warming up for a Giants' trial run, 3-5 double, homer, .370 ... Josh Karp MON 4.1 5 4 4 5 3 ...  now that's more like it, Edwin Jackson LA 5.0 1 0 0 5 7 ... Craig Ansman ARZ 2-3, 7th homer, .288

" ... Ryan Church claims the Pacific Coast League’s Batter of the Week award ... hitting for a .471 average and driving in 10 runs in eight games. Memphis Redbirds starter Dan Haren wins Pitcher of the Week honors after winning two games while holding opponents to just one run in 14 innings-pitched. Church ...  scored nine runs while hitting for a slugging percentage of .941 with four doubles ...  Haren’s 14 strikeouts in two starts increased his total for the season to a League-dominating 90, 31 more punch-outs than the next closest pitcher. The right-hander’s 0.64 earned run average for the week also helped lower his season mark to 3.58, best among Memphis starters. The St. Louis Cardinals prospect has also shown great control, walking just one batter in his last 14 innings of work." (Pacific Coast League)

EASTERN --  David Wright NYN 2-4, 2B (25), HR (9), 3 RBI (35) … Justin Huber NYN 2-2, 2 BB, HR (4), RBI (11) … Prentice Redman NYN 1-4 … Aaron Hill TOR 2-4, HR (5), RBI (29) … Dominic Rich TOR 1-4 … Joe Banks TOR 3.1 4 1 1 2 1 … Dioner Navarro NYA 3-4, 2B (10), RBI (24), .292 AVG … Val Majewski BAL 2-5 … Keith Reed BAL 1-4 … Franklin Gutierrez CLE 0-4 … Jeremy Guthrie CLE 6.1 10 8 8 0 2, 4.66 ERA … Jeff Keppinger PIT 1-4, 2B (8) … Ian Snell PIT 6.0 7 1 1 0 2, .314 ERA … Michael Cervenak SF 0-4 … Luis Maza MINN 0-5 … Kevin West MINN 1-3, 2B (20), RBI (52) … Ryan Howard PHI 3-4, 2 HR (17), 5 RBI (45), .260 AVG

MIN outfielder and DET SP, the best of the week in the EL :

" ... Kenny Baugh ... was 2-0 with 14 strikeouts and a 1.93 ERA in a pair of starts last week. In his first start of the week the 25-year old gave up three runs, two earned, on 10 hits and a walk while striking out three batters ...  The 6’4”, 190 lb. hurler struck out 11 batters and gave up just one run on two hits and three walks in his second start of the week ...  Baugh, who pitched seven innings in both of his starts last week, was selected by the Detroit Tigers as the 11th overall pick in the first round of the June 2001 draft." (Eastern League)

" ... Kevin West ...  won the award for the second week in a row after batting .391 (9-for-23) with two doubles, three homers, five walks and a .870 slugging percentage in six games ... The 24-year old led the league in RBI (9) and runs scored (8) last week and has driven in a league-best 51 runs in 54 games this season. Kevin is also currently ranked among the league leaders in hits (71-2nd), slugging percentage (.621-2nd), homers (13-2nd), extra-base hits (33-tied 2nd), doubles (19-4th), batting average (.336-6th) and runs scored (34-tied 9th). The 6’2”, 210 lb. slugger was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 16th round of the June 1999 draft." (Eastern League)

" ... West was a 16th round draft pick in 1999 out of a junior college and he's improved every year. He's hitting .336-13-51 as the Rock Cats DH/OF. His average ranks 6th in the league, his 13 HRs rank 2nd, and he leads the league in RBIs. The 6-2 195 pounder also has hit 19 doubles. Despite the nice numbers, this is West's second season with New Britain. Last year he hit .279-14-79 which were all career-high numbers. Early in his career, he played two full seasons with Low A Quad City. He's been around for awhile, to say the least. At this point, he's a middling prospect." (Jeremy Deloney, Baseball Miscellany)

West was also named as the EL's Player of the Month for May.

SOUTHERN --  Richard Lewis CHN 2B 0-4, 1 K, .337 even after 0-fer ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 0-4, 2 K, .247 ... Andy Marte ATL 3B 0-4 ... Luis Martinez STL 7.0 8 5 5 3 5, L 4-6, 4.97 ... James Loney LA 1B 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB ... Josh Willingham FLA C 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K ... Jason Stokes FLA 1B 2-3, 2 R, 2 BB ... Eduardo Villacis CHA 6.0 3 1 1 3 6 ... Aaron McNeal CHA 1B 0-3, 1 BB ... Rickie Weeks MIL 2B 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 2-4, 2 R ... Brad Nelson MIL OF 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 HR (11)

TEXAS --  Harry has run out of superlatives for Jeff Francis COL  8 5 1 1 1 10 (up to 101 Ks, just 14 walks in 80 1/3 innings, 9-0, 2.02) ... Cory Aldridge CF KC 2-3, 2R, 2B, HR, 2RBI, BB ... John Baker DH OAK 1-4, R, 2B ... Junior Herndon KC 7.1 4 2 2 1 5 ... Tommy Whiteman SS HOU 2-5, 2R, 2B  ... Todd Self 1B HOU 1-3, 2BB ... Alberto Callaspo SS ANA 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI ... Dallas McPherson 3B ANA 1-2, RBI, 2BB, SB ... Jeff Mathis C ANA 1-5 ... Ervin Santana ANA 7 3 2 1 4 7 ... Ezequiel Astacio HOU 7.1 4 3 2 3 4 ... Shin-soo Choo LF SEA 2-4, R ... Jason Bourgeois 2B TEX 2-4, 3R, BB ... Jason Botts 1B TEX 3-4, 4R, 2B, HR, BB ... Ryan Shealy 1B COL 2-4, R, RBI, BB, 2k's ... Shawn Garret RF COL 2-5, R, 2RBI (.351) ... Sergio Santos SS ARI 1-3, RBI, BB

The TL's HOU affiliate garnered eight spots on the mid-season All-Stars, including most of the infield :

" ... Leading the way will be the Round Rock infield, with first baseman Todd Self, second baseman Brooks Conrad and shortstop Tommy Whiteman set to start. In his first year at Double-A, Self has become one of the biggest offensive threats in the league. He is second in the league in hits (72), runs (43) and RBI (44) and is third in batting average (.340). Despite being hobbled with an injured ankle for the past month, Conrad has been one of the most consistent players for the Express. He’s hitting .291 and has driven in 31 runs, good for third on the team. Making his second All-Star Game appearance, Whiteman has had a breakout year. He leads the league in hits (77) to go along with a .332 average and a team-best seven home runs. Although an injured hip flexor has kept him out of the lineup of late, centerfielder Willy Taveras could make a claim of being the TL MVP. He leads the league with 29 stolen bases and a .356 average and has already proven that he is Major League ready in the field." (Round Rock Express)

Among other notables on the squads ... Mark Teahen OAK (now up in AAA) ...  catcher Jeff Mathis ANA ... OFs Dustin Delucchi SEA, Josh Kroeger ARZ,  Nick Gorneault ANA ... 1B Jason Botts TEX, 2B Ruben Gotay KC, SS Alberto Callaspo ANA, 3B Dallas McPherson ANA ... Jeff Francis COL heads the All-Star pitchers

CAROLINA --  CF Chris Denorfia CIN 3-5, 13th double, 9th homer, .321 ... CF Brian Anderson CHA on a nice roll, 2-4, 18th double, .321 ... 3B Tripper Johnson BAL 1-3, 12th homer, 3 RBI ... 1B Michael Aubrey CLE 3-3, .337

A pair of Braves' farmhands the top young guns in the Carolina last week :

" ... OF Jeff Francoeur [ATL] hit .481 (13-27) with 8 runs scored, 3 doubles, 4 homers, 7 RBI and a 1.037 slugging percentage ...  right-hander Kyle Davies [ATL] went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, allowing 9 hits, 3 earned runs and 3 walks while striking out 12 in 12 innings." (MinorLeagueBaseball)

FLORIDA STATE --  Chad Billingsley (LA) 5 6 3 3 5 4 W(3-4, 2.52) … Delwyn Young (LA, 2B) 2-3 R RBI … Joel Guzman (LA, SS) 2-5 … Brett Harper (NYN, DH) 2-5 HR(8) 2R 3RBI … Aarom Baldiris (NYN, 3B) 1-4 R RBI SB(8) … Tommy Winrow (NYA, RF) 2-4 … Miguel Negron (TOR, CF) 3-5 R … Down from AA, Shaun Boyd (STL, LF) 3-5 R CS … Back to hitting, Chris Roberson (PHI, CF) 3-5 2R RBI SB(12) … Vince Rooi (MON, 3B) 2-5 … Michael Woods (DET, 2B) 3-5 2D 2R 2RBI … Tony Giarratano (DET, SS) 5-5 2R RBI … Back in the line-up, Jeremy Hermidia (FLO, RF) 2-4 R

CALIFORNIA --  2B Callix Crabbe MIL 2-4, double, .314 ... Joe Saunders ANA, no word on the reason for the short stint, 1.0 0 0 0 0 0

" ... Matt Cain ... California League Pitcher of the Week ... dominant in his only appearance of the week on June 2nd, striking out 14 in seven innings of work. The right-hander earned the victory as he did not surrender a run and only allowed two hits and one walk. Matt Cain retired 10 batters in a row at one point while striking out the side in the 1st and 5th innings. The 19-year was originally selected by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 2002 ³First Year Player² draft." (San Jose Giants)

" ... Bakersfield Blaze third-baseman Vince Harrison earned the Player of the Week award by pounding out a .391 AVG (9-for-23) with two home runs and a league-leading 11 RBI. The strong week raised the sluggers average to .309 (56-for-181) to go with eight home runs and 30 RBI." (San Jose Giants)

MIDWEST --  (Bob gets to witness the performance of the day) -- Daric Barton STL 4-5, 2 HR off lefty Abel Gomez (.423) ... Barton's homers were basically straight into a 20 MPH wind, and out with 25-30 feet to spare. The right fielder barely flinched when Barton hit 'em.     Adam Jones SEA 1-8, 4th HR (.233) ... Wladimir Balentien SEA 0-4, 3 K (.246) ... Errol Simonitsch MIN 5.1 6 2 2 3 5 (2.74) ... Miguel Montero ARZ 0-4 ... on cruise control Matt Chico ARZ 8.0 3 1 1 1 7 (W, 8-3, 2.28) ... Chris Dickerson CIN 1-4, BB, 2 K (.300) ... it cannot be stopped! Ian Kinsler TEX 3-3, 29th double, 8th HR ... Mitch Maier KC 3-5 ... encouraging Justin Jones CHN 5.0 5 4 2 1 7 (4.21) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 2-5, double (.278) ... Kody Kirkland DET 2-4, 2 doubles ... Andy Baldwin DET 5.0 6 4 4 1 3 (L, 7-4, 2.84) ... Eric Duncan NYA 2-4, double (.280) .. Abel Gomez NYA 5.0 6 5 3 2 3 (L, 5-2, 2.93)

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Lastings Milledge NYM, 1-5, double, RBI ... Ian Bladergroen NYM, 2-3, double, 2 RBI, 2 walks ... Ian Stewart COL, 2-4, homer (13), 2 RBI ... Javon Moran PHI, 3-4, steal (24) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-2, homer (10), RBI, 2 walks ... Kyle Kendrick PHI, 8.0 2 0 0 0 1 ... Beau Hearod 2-5, homer (11), 4 RBI ... Robert Valido CHW, 2-4, double, 3 runs ... Chris Young CHW, 1-3, homer (10), RBI ... Antonio Sucre MON, 2-3, RBI ... Daryl Thompson MON, 7.0 4 0 0 0 6 (W 2-1, 4.18) ... Jon Benick PIT, 3-4, single, double, triple, 2 RBI ... Thomas Mastny TOR, 7.0 7 2 2 1 2 (W 3-2, 2.39) ... Delmon Young TB 1-5, .293 ... Elijah Dukes TB 3-4, double, 2 walks, 14th SB ... Andy Laroche LA 3-4 ...

    Troop movements ...  MON -- traded Peter Bergeron to MIL (outfielder Jason Belcher and RHP Jason Childers move to MON)  ... COL -- purchased the contract of RHP Marc Kroon (Brian Fuentes DL) ... TEX -- placed pitcher Jay Powell on the DL, activated pitcher Doug Brocail from DL ...

    A high school shortstop the top pick in the June draft. (The list of the top three rounds, along with the 1998 to 2003 drafts here.)  SD bypassed Jered Weaver and Stephen Drew to take Matt Bush :

" ... At 5-foot-10, his size would be an issue if not for his exceptionally strong arms and legs. His arm is also a special tool. His best asset may be his glove. He has outstanding lateral movement, lays out for balls in the hole and is quick at turning the double play. He's more of a contact hitter than a power hitter, but scouts say he should hit better with wood than aluminum. He projects as a .270-.290 hitter." (Baseball America)

College right hander Justin Verlander was the runnerup, going to DET. 

" ... "This is so exciting, " said Verlander. "Since the season ended, I thought this day would never come. It has been a very long last few days, but I am glad its' over, and now we can let the process move on from here." Verlander is the all-time strikeout king at ODU, the Colonial Athletic Association and the state of Virginia with 427 in 335.2 innings. He fanned a CAA, ODU and State record with 151 in 105.2 innings this year, including 17 against James Madison and 16 against Virginia Commonwealth. Verlander was named first team All-CAA and was one of ten semi-finals for the prestigious Roger Clemens National Pitcher of the Year award. His 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings rank him third nationally. Last summer, he was 5-1 for team USA and helped earn a silver medal in the Pan Am games." (Old Dominion U)

The Mets went for Rice righty Philip Humber :

" ... The Rice baseball program made history ...  when three members of the Owls' heralded pitching staff, juniors Philip Humber, Wade Townsend and Jeff Niemann were selected among the first eight picks in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Humber was the number three pick overall by the New York Mets. Niemann was selected with the very next pick (fourth) by Tampa Bay and Townsend was the number eight pick by Baltimore ... The Owl pitchers became the first set of three teammates selected among the top ten picks in the history of the MLB draft. It was the first time three members from one pitching staff had been taken in the MLB first round ... Humber compiled a 35-8 career record at Rice with a 2.80 lifetime ERA. In 353.2 innings of work at Rice he struck out 422 batters, the second highest total in school history. A day after pitching a dominating complete game win over Texas A&M Sunday at the NCAA regional, Niemann went fourth overall to Tampa Bay. He posted a 28-4 collegiate record with a 2.41 ERA in 284.1 innings. The big right-hander fanned 303 hitters and held all opponents to a composite .213 batting average. Townsend went a perfect 12-0 this season with an eye-opening 1.80 ERA. He is 25-3 at Rice with the second-best career ERA (2.05) in school history. The standout from Dripping Springs struck out 10 or more in a game six times this year and hit double-digit Ks 12 times in his career." (RiceOwls)

The rest of the top dozen :  5 MIL Mark Rogers rhp, Mount Ararat HS, Orr's Island, Maine, ME ... 6 CLE Jeremy Sowers lhp, Vanderbilt U., TN ... 7 CIN Homer Bailey rhp, La Grange (Texas) HS, TX ... 8 BAL Townsend  ... 9 COL Chris Nelson ss, Redan HS, Decatur, Ga., GA ... 10 TEX Thomas Diamond rhp, U. of New Orleans, LA ... 11 PIT Neil Walker c, Pine Richland HS, Gibsonia, Pa., PA ...12 ANA Jered Weaver rhp, Long Beach State U., CA.

" ... Nelson projects as a .300 hitter with 20-home run power and that's before accounting for Coors Field. The belief is that he should be able to stay at shortstop, so even though he's just 18 and is a few years away, he's already a quality fantasy prospect." (RotoWorld))

" ... The Angels can afford to give Weaver the $10 million+ bonus he's requesting, but he'll probably have to come down from the figure a little. If he does, then Weaver should be a part of Anaheim's rotation by this time next year. Scouts don't love his stuff, but he has outstanding command and projects as a No. 2 starter." (RotoWorld)

" ... Sowers, a 6-1 junior left-handed pitcher, is the highest pick ever for the Commodores at #6 in the first round. The Louisville, Ky., native owns a 10-5 record for the Commodores and a 2.64 ERA. He leads the team with 119.1 inninngs pitched and 118 strikeouts with only 23 walks. He has allowed 42 runs (35 earned) on 97 hits, including just 24 extra base hits. He is a two-time SEC pitcher of the week this season and was an all-tournament selection in the SEC Tournament and the Charlottesville Regional Tournament. Opponents are batting .222 against him. He has won his last three consecutive games totaling 29 strikeouts and five walks in those games. In 2001, Sowers was the 20th pick in the first round by Cincinnati. "It's a dream come true to be selected by a high quaility organization like Cleveland," Sowers said. I'm really excited about the future, but more importantly, my main focus is with this team and playing Texas this weekend at the Super Regional." (Vanderbilt U)

How quickly things can change.  Pre-season, Arizona State 1B Jeff Larish was ranked #4 over-all among college prospects, just ahead of Stephen Drew and behind Niemann, Verlander and Weaver.  At mid-season, Larish had dropped to #10.  Monday, he went to LA in the 13th round, the 388th player selected.

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, on BJ Upton TB :

" ... he is currently dominating more experienced players at Triple-A Durham. A Major League promotion could come at any time ... Scouts rate him as possibly the best Five Tool player in the minor leagues, now that his power is starting to develop. At the plate, he has outstanding bat speed, along with good strike-zone judgment. He strikes out more often than he should, but he works counts effectively, and has shown the ability to hit both fastballs and breaking balls ...  has power to all fields. Upton has excellent speed, and has made major strides learning to use it on the bases. Defensively, he has top-notch range and very good arm strength. He still makes errors of inexperience and is likely to post high error totals for now, although the Devil Rays accept that since he gets to balls that other fielders can't touch ... looks like a true Seven Skill player, showing power, batting average, plate discipline, offensive speed, defensive range, and throwing utility. The only skill he needs to improve significantly is defensive reliability, but that should get better as he gets more experience ...  All things considered, Upton is the best overall position-player prospect in the minor leagues today. Scouts are certain he'll be a star, and given his performance thus far it is impossible to dispute that assessment."

07 June 2004

    And ... a round of applause for our crack correspondents (by leagues they're covering)  ...  INTERNATIONAL (Herb Walters), EASTERN  (Ralph Marston), SOUTHERN (Ken Savage), TEXAS (Harry Almquist), FLORIDA STATE (Wayne Stevens), CAROLINA (Troy Salvior), MIDWEST (Bob Reed), SOUTH ATLANTIC (Brad Dowdy) ... and an invitation to those who would like to join the team to cover the short-season loops which are about to kick off.  Already Chris Carlson has jumped in to take the NYP ... leaving five leagues up for grabs -- the Gulf Coast & Appalachian in the east, and three western leagues -- Northwest, Pioneer and Arizona. 

    Game action ... INT --  Matt Diaz (TB, RF) 4-4, 2B, 3 RBI ... B.J. Upton (TB, SS) 1-4, 2 R, BB, 0 errors ... Joey Gathright (TB, CF) 3-5, 3B, 2 R, SB ... Nook Logan (DET, CF) 3-5, RBI ... Bubba Nelson (CIN) 5.0 6 5 4 4 4 ... Michael Restovich (MIN, RF) 2-4, 14th HR, R, 3 RBI, BB (.254, 13 walks, 47 Ks)  ... Jason Kubel (MIN, LF) 3-4, RBI, SB ... rehab, Luis Rivas (MIN, 2B) 2-5, R, RBI, SB ... David Bush (TOR) 6.0 5 2 1 0 4 ... Darnell McDonald (BAL, CF) 2-5 ... John Maine (BAL) 6.0 3 3 3 5 5 ... Brandon Phillips (CLE, SS) 1-4, 4th HR, R, RBI ... Grady Sizemore (CLE, CF) 2-5 ... Kelly Shoppach (BOS, DH) 2-3, 2B, R, 2 BB ... Joe Borchard (CHA, DH) 2-5, 2 2B, R ... Michael Vento (NYA, RF) 2-4, R, RBI, HBP, 2 SB ... Pat Strange (NYN) 5.0 8 5 5 4 3 ... nice debut for Robert Ellis in the PHI organization -- a no-hitter 7.0 0 0 0 1 2 against Jesus Sanchez & Ryan Wagner who combined for a one-hitter for the CIN franchise

PCL --  Ryan Snare TEX 6.0 3 1 1 3 3, 4.14 ... Calvin Pickering KC 1-3, 18th homer ... JD Closser COL 2-5, double, .326 ... Joe Blanton OAK, not so hot, 5.1 7 6 6 4 4, 3.87 ... Scott Downs MON, might yet have an MLB career, 7.0 8 0 0 0 5 ... Peter Bergeron MON 2-5, 2 doubles ... Dan Johnson OAK 4-4, 2 doubles ... Mark Teahen OAK, tough time so far in AAA, 0-4, .133 ... Lance Niekro SF 2-5, double, 3 RBI, .353

EASTERN --  Aaron Hill TOR 2-4, 4th homer ... remember when he was considered a pretty fair prospect, John-Ford Griffin TOR 0-4, .215 ... there's hope, after, all for Kenny Baugh DET 7.0 2 1 1 3 11, 3.53 ... the experiment with Donnie Bridges as a hitter not going too well, 0-3, .083 ... Billy Wagner PHI, rehab looking good, 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 ... Keith Reed BAL 2-3, 5th homer, .368 ... Bryan Bullington PIT 6.0 5 2 2 1 7, 3.93 ... just not able to put it together so far, Francisco Cruceta  5.2 9 4 3 2 2, 3-7, 4.79 ... Jeff Keppinger 2B PIT 3-4, .358 ... Ryan Doumit PIT 3-5, double ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 2-3, double, walk, .301 ... Corey Smith CLE, a steep slide from an early grand start, 1-4, 8th homer, .224

SOUTHERN --  Chris Seddon TB 6.0 2 0 0 2 4, W 4-1, 2.33 ... Dennis Ulacia CHW 7.0 4 3 3 3 6, L 3-3, 3.91 ... Reggie Abercrombie LA OF 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 HR (1) ... Dustin Moseley CIN 6.0 7 6 5 0 5, L 2-1, 2.88 ... Rickie Weeks MIl 2B 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR (4) ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 HR (11) ... Dan Meyer ATL 5.0 3 1 1 2 7, 1.94

TEXAS --  Brooks Conrad 2B HOU 2-4, 2R, 2B, HR, 3RBI, BB, 2k's ... Tommy Whiteman SS HOU 0-4, RBI, 2k's ... Todd Self 1B HOU 0-3, R, 2BB ... Alberto Callaspo SS ANA 0-4 ... Nick Gorneault RF ANA 1-3, R, BB ...  Dallas McPherson 3B ANA 1-3, 3B, 2RBI, 2BB, Doing everything he can to show Bill Stoneman (Angels GM) that the future is now ...  Jeff Mathis C ANA 0-5, hat trick: 3k's ...    Ruben Gotay 2B KC 1-5, 2R, 2B, RBI ... John Baker DH OAK 1-3, R, 2B, RBI, 2BB ... Brant Colamarino 1B OAK 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI, BB ... Jeremy Brown C OAK 2-4, 2B, BB ... Dustin Delucchi CF SEA 2-3, BB ... Shin-soo Choo LF SEA 2-4, R, 3B ... Drew Meyer SS TEX 2-4, R, 2B ... Jason Bourgeois 2B TEX 1-3, BB ...Jason Botts 1B TEX 1-3, R, RBI, BB ... Erik Thompson TEX 7.1 7 1 1 2 2 ... Jayson Nix 2B COL 1-6, R, hat trick: 3k's ... Ryan Shealy 1B COL 3-3, 4R, 2B, HR, 2BB's ... Josh Kroeger RF ARI 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI ... Sergio Santos SS ARI 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI

CAROLINA --  Jeff Francoeur ATL 0-3 & 1-3, RBI, K … Brian McCann ATL 1-3, R, HR (7), RBI (33), K & 0-3, 2 K … Tony Blanco CIN 1-3, 2 R, BB, 2 K & 0-2, BB, K … Chris Denorfia CIN 1-2, RBI (38), 2 BB, K & 0-2, 2 K … Richard Gardner CIN (W) 6 4 1 1 0 3 (6-2, 2.31) … Kyle Davies ATL (W) 6 2 0 0 3 9 (6-2, 2.97) … Michael Aubrey CLE 3-4, 3 R, HR (9), 3 RBI (47) & 0-3, .326 … Nathan Panther CLE 2-5, R, K & 0-3, K … Doug Gredveg BAL 1-2, R, BB … Tripper Johnson BAL 1-4, RBI (35) & 1-2, R, double … Brian Slocum CLE (W) 5.2 6 2 2 3 4 (6-2, 2.81) … Luke Scott HOU 1-2, 2 R, double (15), RBI, 2 BB & 1-4, BB, K … Mark Saccomanno HOU 0-3, R, BB, 3 K … Donnie Murphy KC 1-1, 3 BB & 0-3, K … Mike Aviles KC 0-3 & 0-3, K … Shane Costa KC 1-3 … Fernando Nieve HOU (W) 5 6 2 2 2 4 (6-3, 2.93) … Brad Eldred PIT 3-5, 2 R, 2 doubles (16), 2 RBI (49), K, SB (4) … Rajai Davis PIT 0-3, R, 2 BB … Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-4 … Brian Anderson CHA 2-4, R, HR (6), 2 RBI (35), SB (10) … Casey Rogowski CHA 1-3, R, HR (11), RBI (44), BB … Pedro Lopez CHA 1-4

FLORIDA STATE --  Jon Papelbon (BOS) 6 4 1 1 4 4 W(6-3, 2.89) … Jeremy West (BOS, DH) 2-4 R RBI … Francisco Liriano (MIN) 5 8 5 5 0 7 L(3-4, 3.14) … Aarom Baldiris (NYN, 3B) 2-5

CALIFORNIA --  John Suomi OAK (at 3B) 2-6, .316 ... Felix Hernandez SEA  5.0 8 2 2 3 8, 6-3, 3.48 ... Jesus Guzman 3B SEA 2-5, homer, 3 RBI, .313 ... 3B Jamie D`Antona ARZ 3-5, .313 ... Merkin Valdez SF 5.0 5 1 1 1 6 ... Brad Vericker SF 4-7, 2 RBI, .299

MIDWEST --  Lou Palmisano MIL 2-4 ... Joey Votto CIN 2-3, double, BB, K (.299) ... still smokin' Howie Kendrick ANA 3-6, BB, K ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-5, E (.267) ... John Danks TEX 5.0 4 2 2 3 2 (2.31) ... Ian Kinsler TEX 0-3 (.388) ... Mitch Maier KC 3-5 (.291) ... can't hit one every day Brian Dopirak CHN 0-4 ... Billy Petrick CHN 6.0 8 3 3 0 3 (L, 7-3, 2.93) ... Brian Snyder OAK 0-3, 2 K (.299) ... Daric Barton STL 2-4, double ... Calvin Hayes STL 1-2, 3 BB, 2nd SB, E (5 walks first 2 games) ... Tyler Clippard NYA 5.0 7 5 4 2 1 (L, 4-6, 3.50)

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Jake Blalock PHI, 1-3, double ... Ian Stewart COL, 2-3, 2 walks, 3 runs ... Ching Lung Lo COL, 2.0 5 5 5 3 2 ... Chin-Lung Hu LA, 2-5, run, steal (7) ... that's more like it Chuck Tiffany LA, 5.0 1 0 0 3 5 ... Delmon Young TB, 0-4, walk, strikeout, steal (4) ... Brian Bulger TB, 7.0 2 0 0 2 8 ... Lastings Milledge 2-6, homer (4), 5 RBI, steal (4) ... Ian Bladergroen NYM, 3-6, double, RBI, run ... Brandon Moss BOS, 0-4, RBI ... Ryan Goleski CLE, 2-5 ... Nick Markakis BAL, 3-4, homer (6), double, 3 RBI, 4 runs ... Shaun Marcum TOR, 6.0 5 1 1 1 8 (W 7-2, 2.67) ... Josh Burrus ATL 3-5, double, homer, .316

    Troop movements ...  NYA -- Bubba Crosby back to AAA (Jason Giambi activated from DL) ... CHN -- recalled RHP Jon Leicester from AAA (Joe Borowski DL) ... PHI -- Josh Hancock back to AAA (Placido Polanco activated from DL) ... ANA -- placed RHP Troy Percival on the DL ... SD -- optioned RHP Justin Germano to AAA (David Wells activiated from DL) ...

    Not much optimism in SEA on Rafael Soriano :

" ... M's right-hander Rafael Soriano, attempting to recover from a strained right elbow, will be shut down for another three weeks, Melvin said. Soriano had another MRI on Thursday. Melvin said it didn't reveal any new damage but "very little improvement." (Seattle Times)

    A timely performance by Jeff Niemann, Rice ... complete game playoff win following a perfect relief appearance Friday)  9 4 1 1 4 9  ... Philip Humber, Rice, 2nd loss (in relief) as the Owls were knocked out of the playoffs 2 1-3 5 4 4 2 2.

   Padres shifting again ... not Weaver ... not Drew ... now, maybe Bush :

" ... On Friday, the first round of Monday's first-year player draft was falling into place. A day later, it was falling apart as rumors swirled through the industry that the Padres were shifting their focus with the No. 1 overall pick. San Diego appeared to have locked in on Florida State shortstop Stephen Drew earlier in the week. But now teams at the top of the draft are scrambling amid reports that the Padres don't want to accede to Drew's desire for a package similar to what Rickie Weeks received from the Brewers in 2003. The No. 2 choice a year ago, Weeks received a $3.6 million bonus and a major league contract with a guarantee of $4.79 million. The Padres now are believed to be looking at shortstop Matt Bush from local Mission Bay High. He would come with a cheaper price tag than Drew and isn't expected to go higher than sixth (Indians) or seventh (Reds) if San Diego doesn't select him first. If the Padres do opt for Bush, it will send a ripple effect through the first round of the draft. Teams that were narrowing down their choices suddenly will be presented with options they didn't think would be available." (Jim Callis, Baseball America)

    Ian Kinsler SS TEX, Midwest League, 21 (22 this month), .338 (1st) .446 OBA (1st), .622 SLIG (2nd), 16 SB (T-4th), then 1st in runs (47), doubles (28), RBI (44).  17th round pick in the 2003 draft.  11 errors this season.

" ...  Kinsler, ...  is a testament to the importance of scouting. He was a 17th-round pick in the 2003 draft and is quickly becoming one of the organization's top hitting prospects. "He's learning things about himself," said John Lombardo, Rangers' director of minor league operations. "He has made a great amount of strides. He's always had ability. His learning curve has been going fast." Kinsler is a prize for another reason – he is a product of hard work in the off-season in Arizona. The Rangers have noticed a significant increase in winter workout participation since they moved their spring training facility to Surprise. "Kids tend to gravitate to Arizona," Lombardo said. "It's nothing mandatory, but the guys who do show up, it shows their level of dedication." Kinsler, from Tucson, has taken advantage. He has added strength to his 6-0, 175-pound frame that draws comparisons to Michael Young. Kinsler's commitment in Arizona shows up in his doubles total. He has one homer in 125 at-bats, but doubles are usually a better indication of big league power potential." (Dallas Morning News)

    Cubs slugger Brian Dopriak, 20, great power, but lots of questions. Ranked 25th pre-season on the Cubs' Top 40 at The Cub Reporter :

" ...  2nd round pick in 2002 ...  Dopirak has always been projected as an all-or-nothing guy, but I worry that his “nothing” is coming a lot sooner than many hoped. He stroked 13 HRs and had 37 RBIs last year at Boise, but he only hit .240. Still, there was reason for hope with an OBA of .330. He then got about 20 games in Lansing at the end of the year and struggled mightily – a .269 BA but with 22 Ks in 78 ABs. He’s a mammoth guy – an impressive physical speciman who puts on a real show in BP. But whereas when he was drafted he was a guy who scouts said would either hit 50 HRs a year or flame out in AA, now he’s a guy who scouts wonder if he’ll flame out in A ball. This is a big year for Dopirak for sure. The Cubs have enough invested in him and his upside is big enough that they won’t cut bait with him anytime soon, but lest he follow in the footsteps of Luis Montanez, Dopirak needs to show some production this year – either in his plate discipline or batting average. Everyone knows he can hit home runs, but as he faces more advanced pitchers, Dopirak is going to have to give them some very good reasons not to just feed him a steady diet of breaking stuff."

    Correspondents -- INTERNATIONAL (Herb Walters), EASTERN  (Ralph Marston), SOUTHERN (Ken Savage), TEXAS (Harry Almquist), FLORIDA STATE (Wayne Stevens), CAROLINA (Troy Salvior), MIDWEST (Bob Reed), SOUTH ATLANTIC (Brad Dowdy), NEW YORK-PENN (Chris Carlson), APPALACHIAN (Scott Howes), GULF COAST (Harry Almquist)

    
Rookie Reports Archive :

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2003 -- Jan    Feb   Mar-Apr  May-June   July   Aug   Sept   Oct   Nov  Dec 01-07  Dec 08-14  Dec 15-21   Dec 22-28

2004 -- Dec 29-Jan 04   Jan 05-11  Jan 12-18  Jan 19-25  Jan 26-Feb 01  Feb 02-08  Feb 09-15  Feb 16-22  
Feb 23-29  Mar 01-07  March 08-14  March 15-21  March 22-28   Mar 29-Apr 04   Apr 05-11  Apr 12-18   Apr 19-25  Apr 26-May 02   May 03-09   May 10-16   May 17-23   May 24-30   May 31-June 6   June 7-13   June 14-20  

2003 Minor League Stats 1 (Hitters, by OPS, by AAA, AA, A, Short Season, OBA, SLG, Walks, Ks, SBs, Errors)

2003 Minor League Stats 2 (Pitchers, by ERA, AAA, AA, A, Short Season, Ks & Hitters by position)