Rookies 2004

18 July 2004    Pitching line = IP H R ER BB SO

    Game action ... INT --  Matt Diaz (TB, RF) 1-4, 13th HR, R, RBI & 0-3 ... B.J. Upton (TB, SS) 0-3, BB, 1 error & 0-3, 0 errors ... Nook Logan (DET, CF) 1-3, BB & 2-3, RBI ... rehab, Greg Norton (DET, 3B) 0-2, R, BB & 0-3, R ... Matt Belisle (CIN) 7.0 5 2 2 2 4 ... big day, Ryan Langerhans (ATL, CF) 3-4, 11th & 12th HRs, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Dan Meyer (ATL) 6.1 4 1 1 4 6 ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, CF) 1-4 ... Darnell McDonald (BAL, CF) 2-4, 5th HR, R, RBI ... Jack Cust (BAL, DH) 1-3, 10th HR, R, RBI, BB ... John Maine (BAL) 6.1 6 3 1 1 5 ... Wilson Valdez (CHA, SS) 2-4, 2 R, Sac, SB ... David Krynzel (MIL, CF) 2-5 ... Bob Keppel (NYN) 7.0 6 3 3 1 3

PCL --  please let him play in the Olympics, Jeff Francis -- more exceptional mound work as Francis made the jump to AAA witth ease.  The Candian lefty tossed a one-hit shutout over seven innings while fanning a dozen. 1-hit, 1-walk, no runs, 12 Ks, somekinda debut ... COL 3B Garrett Atkins 3-5, 13th homer ... Clint Nageotte SEA 7.1 12 2 2 2 3 ... Jeremy Reed SEA 0-4 ... stumbling now, John VanBenschoten PIT  4.0 10 6 6 2 5 ... Oscar Villarreal ARZ, on the long road back, 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 ... Dan Johnson OAK 18th homer ... Antonio Perez LA 2-5, 14th homer ... Tagg Bozied SD 3-4, 15th homer, 4 RBI

EASTERN --  Aaron Hill TOR 2-5, double ... oh my, Kyle Sleeth DET 5.2 12 11 11 5 1 ... Ryan Howard PHI 0-4, 2 Ks ... Zach Duke PIT, outstanding debut in AA 6.0 4 0 0 0 6

SOUTHERN --  Bobby Brownlie CHN 5.0 4 1 1 0 4, 2.78 ... Jason Stokes FLO 1-3, double, .273 ... Ryan Ketchner LA 6.1 5 1 1 1 5, 2.27 ... James Loney LA 2-4, RBI ... Chris Seddon TB 4.1 11 6 6 2 2 ... Rickie Weeks MIL 1-5, double ... Prince Fielder MIL 2-4

TEXAS --  Shin-soo Choo SEA 3-6, but 3 Ks ... SS Michael Morse 2-4, 2 doubles, .291 ... Nick Gorneault ANA 4-5, double, 12th homer, 3 RBI ... Denny Bautista KC 6.0 6 5 4 5 5 ... 3B Jeff Baker 2-3, walk, RBI, .375 ... Jeff Salazar COL 1-2, 3 walks, 2 RBI ... Sergio Santos ARZ 2-6, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, .282 ... Conor Jackson ARZ 2-4, triple, 2 RBI, .354 ... Carlos Quentin ARZ 5-5, double, 4 runs, 2 RBI, .393 ...

CAROLINA --  Donnie Murphy KC 0-4, 2 K … Mike Aviles KC 0-4, 2 K … Shane Costa KC 2-4, R, double, RBI … 2004 1st rounder batting cleanup Josh Fields CHA (3B) 1-5, R, double (5), RBI (10), 4 K … Ryan Sweeney CHA 3-4, double (15), triple, 2 RBI (44) … Casey Rogowski CHA 2-4, 2 R, HR (15), RBI (63), BB … Pedro Lopez CHA 1-4, 2 R, BB … Kevin Howard CIN 1-4, RBI (53), BB, K … Brian McCann ATL 1-3, 2 R, BB … Blaine Boyer ATL (W) 6 5 0 0 2 4 (7-7, 3.00) …

FLORIDA STATE --  Miguel Negron (TOR, CF) 2-4 R … Andrew Sisco (CHN) 6 3 1 1 1 4 L(3-7, 4.13) … James Shanks (FLA, CF) 3-5 RBI … Robert Andino (FLA, SS) 2-6 2RBI … Lastings Milledge (NYN, CF) 1-4 double … James Russ (FLA) 6 3 1 1 0 4 W(5-1, 2.44) … Shaun Boyd (STL, LF) 2-4 R … Jordan Pals (STL) 7 4 0 0 1 5 W(2-0, 0.50) … Jose Valdez (NYA) 7 7 2 2 1 1 L(7-7, 3.48) … Tony Giarratano (DET, SS) 2-5 HR(2) double 2RBI … Hanley Ramirez (BOS, SS) 2-3 double R RBI … Matthew Murton (BOS, LF) 2-4 double R RBI … Jon Papelbon (BOS) 5 3 2 2 2 5 W(9-5, 3.27) … Danny Matienzo (MIN, 1B) 3-5 HR(4) 2R 3RBI … Doug Deeds (MIN, LF) 1-2 3BB 2R … Delwyn Young (LA, 2B) 1-5 HR(14) … Chad Billingsley (LA) 7 7 2 2 1 8 W(7-4, 2.35) … Ryan Barthelemy (PHI, 1B) 3-4

CALIFORNIA --  breakthrough season for SS Joaquin Arias TEX (part of the package for A-Rod) 2-4, double, 2 RBI, .319 ... Michael Napoli 2-4, 4th triple, walk, .319 .

MIDWEST --  walk like a man Daric Barton STL 1-2, 3 BB (.337) ... Drew Macias SD 2-3, BB (.290) ... relentless Brad Knox OAK 8.0 4 1 0 0 3 (1.83) ... Kody Kirkland DET 2-4, double, K (.218) ... Brandon Wood ANA 2-4, double, E (.288) ... Bobby Wilson(C) ANA 2-3, double, BB, K ... Erold Andrus NYA 3-6, double, HR, K .. oops Adam Harben MIN 2.2 5 6 4 3 2 (L, 5-5, 3.32) ... Joey Votto CIN 1-5 ... Wladimir Balentien SEA 14th HR (.273) ... Miguel Montero(C) ARZ 2-3, double (.287) ... he hits singles & doubles, too Brian Dopirak CHN 3-3, double ...rain, maybe? Justin Jones CHN started the game, but 0.0 IP, and all zeros

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  back from suspension Matt Esquivel ATL, 3-5, double, triple, 3 RBI, 2 runs, steal (9) ... Charlie Morton ATL, 7.0 4 1 0 0 7 (W 4-7, 4.81) ... Chin-lung Hu LA, 1-4, double ... Xavier Paul LA, 0-3 ... Michael Bourn PHI, 1-5, double ... Javon Moran PHI, 1-5, double ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-4, RBI, 2 runs ... Travis Ishikawa SF, 1-4, homer (11), RBI ... Beau Hearod HOU, 2-4, homer (20), 2 RBI ... Ervin Alcantara HOU, 1-3, RBI ... Robert Stiehl HOU, 5.2 5 1 1 1 5 (W 4-3, 3.42) ... Ricardo Nanita CHW, 2-4, RBI ... Micah Shnurstein CHW, 3-4, 2 doubles, RBI ... Ryan Harvey NYM, 1-4

APPALACHIAN --  (Thursday's games)   Brandon Yarbrough (STL, C) 2-4, .390 BA...  Philip Anderson (STL, SP) 5.0 1 0 0 2 3, ND (3.92)...  Mitch Einertson (HOU, CF) 1-3, R, HR (11), RBI (25), BB, 2 K, .299 BA...  Cole Armstrong (ATL, C) 1-4, K, .391 BA...  Keith Eichas (ATL, 1B) 1-4, 2B (7), 2 RBI (9), .326 BA...  Luis Atilano (ATL, SP) 7.0 7 2 2 0 8, W (1-0) (4.63)...  Jose De Los Santos (CHA, DH) 1-4, 2B (5), K, .383 BA...  Joseph Touchstone (TAM, 3B) 1-2, R, RBI (9), SB (8), 2 BB, .360 BA...   Deacon Burns (MIN, LF), 2-5, R, HR (6), RBI (16), K, .422 BA.

(Friday"s games)  (Friday's games)  Derek Tate (TOR, RP) 2.0 0 0 0 1 5 (0.95)...  Mark Worrell, Jr. (STL, RP) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1, S (5) (0.77)...  Russ Triplett (NYN, 2B) 2-4, R, RBI (4), .377 BA...  Seth Pietsch (NYN, LF) 3-4, RBI (27), .372...  Cole Armstrong (ATL, C) 1-4, K, .384 BA...  Keith Eichas (ATL, 1B) 2-4, R, K, .333 BA...  Carl Loadenthal (ATL, CF) 1-4, 2 R, SB (7), .312 BA...  Bristol and Princeton in the ugliest game of the year, a 16-11 Princeton win which featured 27 runs, 24 hits, 12 errors (6 for each club), 16 walks, 2 hit batters, and 5 wild pitches:  Jose De Los Santos (CHA, 2B) 2-5, 2 RBI (20), .384 BA...  Evan Tartaglia (CHA, CF) 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K, 3 SB (10), .316 BA...  Joseph Touchstone (TAM, 2B/3B) 3-6, 2 R, K, .368 BA...  Carlos Ramos (TAM, CF) 3-3, 5 R, 3B (1), 2 HR (2), 7 RBI (9), 2 BB, .286 BA.

NORTHWEST --  has to start attracting some attention soon, Mike McGirr OAK, 5-0, 0.77, 7.0 6 1 1 2 1 ... Ryan Harvey 2-4, double, .284 ... OF Jud Thigpen COL 2-4, 4th homer, .338

PIONEER --  ANA's Sean Rodriguez, in CF this night, 3-5, triple, 2 RBI, .473

ARIZONA --  KC 1B Miguel Vega 2-5, 7th homer ... Kevin Mahar OF TEX 4-5, 2 doubles, 2 homers, SB, 4 runs, 3 RBI (went from .207 to .294 in a single game)

    Troop movements ... KC -- activated outfielder Aaron Guiel from the DL, optioned him to AA ... LA --  activated pitcher Odalis Perez from the DL, placed pitcher Edwin Jackson on the DL ... TB -- designated Fred McGriff for assignment; optioned infielder Damian Rolls to AAA, recalled outfielder Joey Gathright and infielder Jorge Cantu from Durham ...

    A couple of guys having disappointing seasons, top the 2B prospect chart nonetheless. Chris Kline, Baseball America, taps Rickie Weeks as No. 1 :

" ...  has struggled to find a groove this season, hitting just .240-4-17 in 229 at-bats, but don't be fooled: Weeks' ceiling is still high and he's among the best hitting prospects in the minors. He was Baseball America's College Player of the Year last season, twice won NCAA batting titles and finished with the best career average in Division I history. Weeks has a lightning-quick bat and is so quick through the zone that he can make good contact even when he's fooled on a pitch. He has surprising pop for his size, as well as tremendous speed and quickness on the basepaths, a combination that has many scouts comparing him to a young Joe Morgan. Weeks' progress might need more time than was previously thought as he adjusts to much tougher competition than he saw at Southern, but when he learns to trust his hands, he'll take off."

SD's Josh Barfield was the runnerup.

    Chris Kline, Baseball America, on Joe Blanton OAK :

" ...  Blanton isn't dominating Triple-A hitters the way he did earlier in his professional career. The A's righthander posted a .214 opponents average entering the year, including a .174 mark to close last season at Double-A Midland. But Pacific Coast League batters are hitting .277 against him this year, and for the first time in his career, Blanton's strikeout rates have dipped below one per inning while his hits allowed his risen above that mark. He was 5-5, 3.99 with 83 strikeouts, 28 walks and 124 hits in 115 innings for Sacramento. "He's just been inconsistent," farm director Keith Lieppman said. "I saw him a few weeks ago with 11 strikeouts against Salt Lake. That's really the only thing; his stuff is fine. It's just not being consistent from start to start. It's just about preparation. Remember, last year at this time, he was just promoted to Double-A, and that was his first full season."

    MIL farm system takes another hit ... another hit :

" ... Right-handers Mike Jones and Chris Saenz, two of the top pitching prospects in the farm system, are out for the remainder of the season after being examined Friday in Milwaukee by team physician William Raasch. Jones, the Brewers' first-round draft pick in 2001, is facing the possibility of surgery. Jones has a slap lesion in his pitching shoulder's labrum, which is the lining of the socket. Assistant general manager Gord Ash said there was a "50-50" chance that Jones would have surgery, because there is no guarantee rehabilitation will cure the problem ... Saenz, who won a game for the Brewers earlier this year, has a sprained ligament in his pitching elbow. Surgery has been ruled out for now, but Saenz will undergo two to three months of physical therapy. Jones had a similar diagnosis last year, sat out the second half and still was not 100% when spring training began. His elbow began bothering him again this year, so the Brewers have reason to be concerned about Saenz. "Any time you have significant injuries, you can't be happy about it," Ash said. "But it's not just an affliction of the Milwaukee Brewers. Injuries are part of the game." ... It has been that kind of year for the Brewers' top prospects. Shortstop J.J. Hardy dislocated his left shoulder in April while playing for Class AAA Indianapolis and underwent season-ending surgery. Indianapolis centerfielder David Krynzel also went on the DL in April when he fouled a ball off his right foot and broke it. Krynzel only recently returned to action. Two other pitching prospects also have been shut down for various periods of time this season: Indianapolis left-hander Jorge De La Rosa and Class A High Desert lefty Manny Parra. As the Brewers proceed with their plan to rebuild around the farm system, they have legitimate concerns about the pitchers. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson will be called up Monday from Class AAA Indianapolis, but the line of pitchers behind him is disintegrating. "This is why Doug is always saying you can't have enough prospects," Ash said, referring to general manager Doug Melvin. "Quality is important, but so is quantity."  (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

17 July 2004

ANA infield combo combine for 12-12 (game, not week) ... Lasting Milledge moves up & continues hitting ... Steven Bondurant, wow ... Scott Baker, 14 Ks in six innings ... Felix Pie, Cubs' gem ... Reggie Abercrombie has it, for a night ... Ryan Howard, 34 homers, 92 RBI ... Tim Stauffer, solid ... Francisco Cruceta working up to a CLE trial ... David Krynzel back strong ... Clint Everts, a spanking ... Jorge Cantu, a mirage ?

    Rookie lists -- prospects by league & classification, the Top 10s. and the Top 100s -- updated.

    Game action ... INT --  Dustin Moseley (CIN) 6.1 5 3 3 5 5 ... Wilson Betemit (ATL, 3B-SS) 2-5, R, RBI, BB ... Jason Bartlett (MIN, SS) 3-5 ... Michael Restovich (MIN, LF) 2-6, 15th HR, 2 R, RBI ... Terry Tiffee (MIN, 3B) 2-6, R, RBI ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, CF) 2-5, 2nd HR, R, RBI, BB ... Jesse Crain (MIN) 2.0 2 0 0 2 3 ... Russ Adams (TOR, SS) 2-3, 2B, BB ... Marlon Byrd (PHI, CF) 0-3 & 2-7, R, 2 RBI, BB ... Darnell McDonald (BAL, CF) 2-5, 4th HR, R, RBI ... Brandon Phillips (CLE, 2B) 2-4, 3B, 2 R, BB & 1-6, 2B, R, BB ... Grady Sizemore (CLE, CF) 0-2, RBI, 2 BB & 2-6, 2B, RBI ... homer to 1st batter only flaw, Francisco Cruceta (CLE) 7.0 3 1 1 1 3 ... Kevin Youkilis (BOS, 3B) 3-5, 2 R, RBI ... Kelly Shoppach (BOS, C) 1-4, 13th HR, R, RBI ... Byung-Hyun Kim (BOS) 3.2 4 4 2 1 0 ... Arnie Munoz (CHA) 6.0 3 3 1 4 5 ... Dioner Navarro (NYA, C) 2-3, 3 RBI, BB ... Brad Halsey (NYA) 5.0 4 2 2 3 5 ... David Krynzel (MIL, CF) 3-5, 3B, R ... Jorge De La Rosa (MIL) 4.1 5 3 3 1 8 ... Craig Brazell (NYN, 1B) 2-4, R, RBI, HBP ... Victor Diaz (NYN, RF) 2-5, 3B ... Pat Strange (NYN) 7.0 4 1 0 1 3

PCL --  Jeremy Griffiths HOU 5.0 7 1 1 2 6, 2.88 ... Andy Tracy COL 2-5, 20th homer, 4 RBI ... Brad Hawpe COL 2-5, 15th homer ... Jason Dubois CHN 20th homer, 3 RBI ... Jeremy Reed SEA 2-3, double, walk, .333 ... Jose Lopez SEA, back in action, 2-4, 2 RBI ... Calvin Pickering KC 29th homer ... ooops, Mark Teahen KC 0-4, 3 Ks ... big night for FLO OF Chris Aguila 4-5, 3 homers (9), 5 RBI ... very solid again, Tim Stauffer SD 7.0 5 2 2 1 3 ... Tagg Bozied SD 4-5, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, .307

EASTERN --  Josh Banks TOR 5.0 7 5 5 1 3 ... Larry Broadway MON 2-3, 17th homer ... Matthew Cain SF 6.0 5 2 2 4 4, 2.25 ... Val Majewski BAL 2-4, triple ... Keith Reed BAL 2-4 ... eye-opener, Scott Baker MIN 6.0 4 1 1 1 14, 2.43 ... Ryan Garko CLE, not intimidated by the jump to AA, 3-6 ... maybe he can relax now and go after the league record, Ryan Howard 1-4, 34th homer, 92nd RBI ...

" ... Howard hit a fastball on a 1-0 count in the 9th inning off of RHP Jeff Miller for the historic home run. Howard broke “The Bull’s” record in the R-Phils 90th game. Luzinski hit his 33 HR over the course of the entire 142-game 1970 season. Howard’s record homer came in his last at-bat of the game and 332nd of the season. Luzinski had 471 at-bats during the 1970 season. The R-Phils plan to hold a pre-game ceremony to honor Howard for his accomplishment when the team returns home July 23-25. When details of the ceremony are finalized an announcement will be made. Howard is now tied with Harold Jones, who hit 34 for the 1960 Reading Indians, for the professional record in Reading. The Eastern League record is 41 and was set by Hazleton’s Ken Strong (a pro football Hall of Famer) in 1930 and matched by Buffalo’s Rick Lancellotti in 1979. Howard’s 34 home runs and 92 RBI lead all of Minor League Baseball." (Reading Phillies)

SOUTHERN --  Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3B 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, HR (7) ... Andy Marte ATL 3B 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K, HR (12) ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 1-5, 3 K's, .250 ... Richard Lewis CHN 2B 1-4, R, RBI, K, .324 ... Carmen Pignatiello CHN 7.0 4 2 0 1 11, W 6-4 ... Jeff Housman MIL 6.0 3 2 1 3 10, 3.11 ... Rickie Weeks MIL 2-5 ... Prince Fielder MIL 0-4 ... Brad Nelson MIL 2-3, 2 walks, double, .275 ... Jason Stokes FLO 17th homer

TEXAS --  SEA phenom Felix Hernandez 5.0 4 2 2 4 6 ... HOU CF Willy Taveras 1-2, walk, 39th SB, .344 ... Shin-soo Choo SEA 2-4, .299 ... SEA keeping the big guy at SS, Michael Morse 1-3, 1st homer in the Ms system, 5 RBI, .275 ... 1B Brant Colamarino OAK 3-6, double, homer, 3RBI ... signs of life, Jeremy Brown OAK 4-5, double, 2 RBI, .254 ... slowly getting the hang of it (AA), Jeff Salazar 2-5, 2 doubles

CAROLINA --  Tripper Johnson BAL 0-4 … Donnie Murphy KC 2-4, 2 R, double (22), HR (7), 2 RBI (59) … Mike Aviles KC 2-3, RBI (50) … Shane Costa KC 1-3 … Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-3, R, BB … Casey Rogowski CHA 2-2, 2 R, HR (14), RBI (62), 3 BB … Pedro Lopez CHA 2-5 … Kevin Howard CIN 1-4 … Chaz Lytle PIT 0-4, RBI, 2 K, SB (19) … Brad Eldred PIT 2-4, 2 R, HR (21), 2 RBI (77) … Rajai Davis PIT 0-4, R, BB, 2 K

FLORIDA STATE --  Felix Pie (CHN, CF) 3-4 HR(8) SB(24) … Vito Chiaravalloti (TOR, 1B) 2-3 2R RBI … Ismael Ramirez (TOR) 7 5 1 1 0 8 W(9-5, 3.18) … Scott Olson (FLA) 4.2 7 3 2 3 6 L(3-6, 3.67) … Robert Andino (FLA, SS) 1-4 triple …  Nice FSL debut, Lastings Milledge (NYN, CF) 2-5 triple SB(1) … Alhaji Turay (NYN, DH) 3-3 R RBI … Jeff Karstens (NYA) 9 2 0 0 1 9 W(3-6, 3.38) … Eric Duncan (NYA, 3B) 2-4 double … Brent Clevlen (DET, RF) 0-2 2BB 2R SB(2) … Alex Romero (MIN, DH) 2-5 double R … Doug Deeds (MIN, RF) 2-3 HR(4) 2RBI … Mike Megrew (LA) 2 2 2 2 0 2 … Joel Guzman (LA, SS) 2-3 HR(14) double 2R … Reggie Abercrombie (LA, CF) 4-6 2HR(5) 3R 4RBI … Juan Richardson (PHI, DH) 1-4 HR(2) … Ryan Barthelemy (PHI, 1B) 3-4 HR(8) double 3RBI 

CALIFORNIA --  Josh Rupe TEX 4.0 2 0 0 1 2 ... Erick Aybar ANA 2-5, double ... SS Juan Gonzalez SEA 4-4, triple, .294 ... OF Jon Zeringue ARZ (2nd round pick) 3-4, double, 3 RBI, .405

MIDWEST --  Joey Votto CIN 3-3, double, BB (.297) ... Jon George CIN 5.0 3 0 0 0 6 (1-2, 4.23) ... Daric Barton STL 1-4, K ... Micah Furtado TEX 1-2, BB (.308) ... Steven Bondurant OAK 8.0 2 0 0 0 10 (2.32) outduels Christhian Martinez DET 7.0 3 1 1 4 5 (L, 1-2, 1.73) ... Brandon Wood ANA 0-4, BB, K ... Chris Lubanski KC 1-5, double, 2 K (.251) ... Robert Ransom CHN 6.0 3 1 1 1 5 (W, 3-1, 3.12) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 25th and 26th HR's (.307) ... Adam Jones SEA 2-5, K (.254) ... Errol Simonitsch MIN 5.2 9 5 4 2 4 (2.50) ... Erold Andrus (CF) NYA 3-4, double, BB (.269) ... Brandon Harmsen NYA 5.0 9 4 3 3 1 (up to 2.16)

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Zach Dixon BAL, 5.0 3 4 1 2 8 (L 7-3, 2.26) ... Wesley Whisler CHW, 6.0 3 0 0 2 3 (W 1-0, 3.63) ... Leo Daigle CHW, 3-5, double, 3 RBI ... Ervin Alcantara HOU, 1-4, homer (13), 2 RBI ... Travis Ishikawa SF, 1-4, 2 RBI ... Ryan Harvey NYM, 1-3, RBI ... little spanking of Clint Everts MON, 3.0 5 4 4 2 5 ... Chuck Tiffany LA  3.0 1 0 0 1 3 ... Brad Snyder CLE 2-5, 10th homer, 3 RBI, .285 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 4-5, double, .317 ... Matt Whitney CLE 2-4, homer, 3 RBI ... Seth McClung TB, on the road back, 4.0 3 0 0 1 5 ... Delmon Young TB 3-5, 2 RBI ... Adam Boeve PIT 3-5, 2 doubles ... OF Bobby Kingsbury PIT 4-5, double, 16th & 17th homers, 5 RBI, but just .240

NORTHWEST --  Ryan Harvey CHN 0-3, 3 walks, .270 ... TEX catcher Michael Nickeas 2-4, 5th homer, .337 ... Matt Macri COL 2-5, .379 ... Brian Horwitz SF 2-5, double, 3 RBI, .326

PIONEER --  wind must have been blowing out ... scores in the Pioneer Friday 3-1, 11-1, 13-5 and 23-6 ... now maybe you'll pay attention (been trying to tell you about ANA SS Sean Rodriguez) 6-6, 2 doubles, triple, 6 RBI, .464 ... teammate Ryan Leahy 2B 6-6, 5 runs, .435 ... MIL 1B Grant Richardson 3-6, double, 4 runs, .376 ...

GULF COAST --  PHI first rounder, CF Greg Golson 2-3, 3rd double, 4th SB ... Twins SS Juan Portes 2-5, 3rd homer, .362 ... Neil Walker PIT 2-4 ...

    Troop movements ... PIT -- promoted Zach Duke to AA (after leading the Carolina League in wins, ERA & Ks) ... TOR -- activated outfielder Vernon Wells from the DL, optioned Howie Clark to AAA ... NYA -- placed RHP Mike Mussina on the DL, recalled Alex Graman from AAA ... CHN -- activated RHP Todd Wellemeyer from the DL, optioned infielder Brendan Harris to AAA ... SEA -- activated RHP Aaron Taylor from the DL, and optioned him to AA ...  NYN -- promoted OF Lastings Milledge to A+ ...

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, on Lastings Milledge :

" ... Milledge put up very nice numbers for a 19-year-old at Capital City, hitting .321/.359/.545 with eight homers, 35 RBIs and 16 steals in 47 games. He didn't start playing until May 19 after breaking his right ring finger during a bunting drill in spring training. Milledge's bat speed and offensive potential is obvious. He's still raw in center field but has the range and arm to become a plus defender. I would have let him stay in low Class A so he could refine his strike-zone judgment after whiffing 42 times against just five walks in 196 at-bats, but I don't think the Mets are rushing him. You could easily make the argument that moving a step up the ladder and facing better pitching may spur him to address his plate discipline more than continuing to tear up the SAL would have. His big league ETA looks like Opening Day 2007."

    A pair of relatively unsung starts from the updated Top 100 from Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld :

" ... 38. Felix Pie ... The really impressive aspect of Pie’s season is the .477 slugging percentage he’s putting up as a teenager in the Florida State League. Pie has excellent speed and he should eventually become a quality defensive center fielder, so if he keeps showing decent pop, he’ll be an extremely valuable player. Of course, he’s not without flaws. Better strike-zone judgment would be nice, and there’s no excuse for someone with his speed getting caught in 14 of 37 steal attempts. "

" ... 49. Jonny Gomes ...  Though Gomes has an OPS approaching 950 since being drafted in the 18th round three years ago, the Rays don’t seem to take him very seriously as a prospect. Perhaps that’s understandable in their situation, but Gomes is deserving of a real opportunity. The 23-year-old has legitimate 25-30 homer power, and though he does swing and miss a lot, he also takes quite a few walks. He even has decent speed, though a poor arm makes him an average-at-best left fielder. Gomes likely will be traded eventually. Hopefully it will happen in time for him to get a chance to compete for a starting job next spring."

    PIT's top 2003 pick back on the field :

" ... LHP Paul Maholm is scheduled to begin throwing on the sideline today in Bradenton as part of his rehab. He is expected to return to the mound at the beginning of August. Maholm required surgery after he was hit in the face by a line drive in May. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

    COL could have a pair of pitchers in the Olympics :

" ... Jeff Francis was named to Canada's Olympic team, but the Rockies won't make a decision on his participation until the first week of August. If healthy, Chin-Hui Tsao is more likely to pitch for Taiwan because it would excuse him from his one-year, 10-day military obligation." (Denver Post)

    Surprising infielder the likely top choice for a callup to TB :

" ... Triple-A Durham SS Jorge Cantu, OF Joey Gathright and SS B.J. Upton, plus rehabbing RHPs Doug Waechter and Seth McClung, are waiting in the wings to join - or rejoin - Tampa Bay. Both pitchers and Gathright have played for the Rays. Cantu, with 21 home runs this year - he had 18 in five previous seasons - and 76 RBIs to go with a .311 batting average in 82 Bulls games, is at the head of the line. ``Seventy-six RBIs at the All- Star break; in Legion ball that's a lot,'' Piniella said. ``Of the kids down there he'll probably be the first one here. ... The 21 and 76, those are the impressive numbers. If his batting average was .351, .361, .371 he'd be here and hitting third for us.'' One problem: Cantu has drawn only 13 walks in 328 at-bats, contributing to a relatively low .340 on-base percentage. Upton, batting .323 with 27 walks in 198 at- bats, has a .432 OBP. ``B.J. is by far the most selective young hitter that we have in the minor leagues,'' Piniella said." (Tampa Tribune)

    Jamey Newberg, Rangers' Minor League Report, with more success stories from the TEx farm :

" ... Marshall McDougall is quietly having a very strong season at the plate. In 245 at-bats between Frisco and Oklahoma, he's hitting .310/.372/.535 with 12 homers and 55 RBI, playing mostly third base with a little shortstop mixed in. Could the right-handed hitter fill Herbert Perry's role next year?"

" ... First-rounder Thomas Diamond was brilliant last night, giving up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in four innings, getting 10 of his 12 outs on strikes. His first 17 pitches were strikes, and he punched out the side in his first inning of work on nine pitches. In 8.1 pro innings, Diamond now has an unfathomable 19 strikeouts, to go along with three walks."

    Scott Rex, On Deck, with a little more on the Twin's 26th round surprise :

" ... LF Deacon Burns is playing like Kirby Puckett in the Appy. Burns went 2-for-5 with a solo homer (6) in Elizabethon's (MIN) 5-4 road win over Bluefield (BAL). The 21-year-old outfielder has gone deep in 3 straight games and 4 out of the last 5 games. He's gone 17-for-43 (.395) during a 9-game hitting streak and he leads the Appy with an eye-gouging .422 average. He also leads the loop in runs scored (23) and hits (35), and is 2nd in slugging (.771). Even though Burns stands just 5-foot-8, he's a prospect very much on the rise. It looks like the Twins may have found a gem in the 26th round."

16 July 2004

Another Top 100 update, BJ Upton claims No. 1 ... more kids on the move, Garko, Baker to AA, David Wright almost in Shea, JR House gets some MLB time  ... Michael Napoli making ANA take notice ... Matt Macri another COL 3B option ... Thomas Diamond, sparkling ... Thomas Mastny, hidden gem in TOR system ... Jose Capellan superb ... Justin Germano too ... Jake Stevens, near phenom status ... Weeks, Fielder back on track

    Game action ... INT --  Jonny Gomes (TB, LF) 2-3, 19th HR, R, 2 RBI, BB ... B.J. Upton (TB, SS) 1-5, 2B, R, 1 error ... Chad Gaudin (TB) 7.0 4 1 1 3 6 ... rehab, Greg Norton (DET, 3B) 0-4 ... Dane Sardinha (CIN, C) 2-4, 2 2B ... Brandon Claussen (CIN) 6.0 6 3 3 1 8 ... Ryan Langerhans (ATL, CF) 3-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Jason Kubel (MIN, RF) 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R ... Terry Tiffee (MIN, 3B) 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, CF) 1-4 ... Mike Fontenot (BAL, 2B) 2-4, BB ... Wilson Valdez (CHA, SS) 3-5, 2 R, RBI ... Robinson Cano (NYA, 2B) 2-5 ... David Krynzel (MIL, CF) 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB ... Wes Obermueller (MIL) 6.0 9 6 6 1 7 ... Victor Diaz (NYN, RF) 2-5, 2B ... David Wright (NYN, 3B) 2-5, 7th & 8th HRs, 2 R, 3 RBI

PCL --  likely to get another shot in HOU, Brandon Backe 6.0 5 2 1 1 3, 2.32 ... JD Closser COL 1-3, 6th homer, .306 ... Jason Dubois CHN 3-4, double, 19th homer ... Dallas McPherson ANA 2-5, 9th (AAA) homer, 2 RBI ... Ryan Church MON 3-6, double, triple, 4 RBI ... guess he won't be returning to SEA soon, Gil Meche 4.0 7 9 9 1 2 ... Noah Lowry SF 7.0 9 3 2 1 6 ... Jeremy Reed SEA 0-4 ... Brian Jordan TEX, rehab, 2-4, double, 2 RBI ... Joe Dillon FLO 23rd AAA homer (31st over-all) ... Edgar Gonzalez ARZ  6.0 7 3 3 1 9 ... taking his lumps, Joe Blanton OAK 2.2 9 6 6 1 2, 4.36 ... superb start from Justin Germano SD 9.0 2 0 0 0 7

EASTERN --  Justin Huber NYN 2-3, 2B (16), RBI (30) ... Aaron Hill TOR 3-5, HR (7), RBI (41) … Dominic Rich TOR 1-3, 2B (18), 2 BB … Val Majewski BAL 1-4, 2 RBI (57)… Keith Reed BAL 1-5, 2B (20), 2 RBI (41) … Dan Denham CLE 5.0 9 6 6 2 4, 4.10 ERA … Jeff Keppinger PIT 1-5, .345  … Michael Cervenak SF 2-3, 2 2B (23), RBI (53) … Carlos Valderrama SF 2-5, 2B (12), RBI (21) … Luis Maza MINN 0-4 … Kevin West MINN 1-4 … Ryan Howard PHI, stuck on 33 homers, 1-5, triple, 2 RBI (91) … Kevin Brown NYA, MLB guy not treated kindly on rehab stint, 2.0 7 5 3 0 0

SOUTHERN --  Edwin Encarnacion CIN 3B 2-4, .303 ... Bubba Nelson CIN 6.0 7 4 2 0 7, L 1-1, 1.93 ... Andy Marte ATL 3B 2-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, K ... Kelly Johnson ATL OF 2-4, 2 R, 2B ... Jose Capellan ATL 6.0 3 0 0 1 6, W 4-1, 2.44 ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 1-4, RBI, K ... Richard Lewis CHN 2B 2-3, 3B, RBI, BB ... Rickie Weeks MIL 2B 3-4, 2 R, 2B, K ... Prince Fielder MIL 1B 3-3, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB ... Brian Anderson CHA OF 2-4, R, RBI, .347

TEXAS --  Ian Kinsler TEX 0-3, walk, .327 ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 1-4, walk, .282 ... Jason Botts TEX 0-1, 3 walks, .292 ... Ryan Shealy COL 2-4, triple, 21st homer ... Jeff Salazar COL 0-3, 2 walks ... ARZ catcher Chris Snyder 3-3, 3 doubles

CAROLINA --  Tripper Johnson BAL 0-4, 3 K … Donnie Murphy KC 2-4, double (20) … Mike Aviles KC 1-3, 2 R, triple, BB … Shane Costa KC 4-4, double, 2 K … Ryan Sweeney CHA 1-4, double, RBI, K … Casey Rogowski CHA 0-3, R, BB, 2 K … Pedro Lopez CHA 2-4, RBI, K, SB (10) … Kevin Howard CIN 1-2, 4 R, double, 3 BB, K … Thomas Pauly CIN (W) 5 4 2 1 1 9 (6-6, 3.16) … Chaz Lytle PIT 1-4, RBI, 2 K … Brad Eldred PIT 1-3, 2 R, HR (20), RBI (75), BB, 2 K … Rajai Davis PIT 0-4 … Anthony Lerew ATL 7 3 1 1 2 7 (2.69) …

FLORIDA STATE --  Eric Duncan (NYA, 3B) 2-5 2 doubles 2RBI … Melky Cabrera (NYA, CF) 4-5 double 2R … Rudy Guillen (NYA, RF) 2-4 2R RBI … Aarom Baldiris (NYN, 3B) 2-3 2RBI … Hanley Ramirez (BOS, SS) 4-4 double R RBI … Matthew Murton (BOS, LF) 3-5 double R … Delwyn Young (LA, 2B) 2-5 RBI … Carlos Vasquez (CHN) 6.2 5 3 1 4 2 W(5-2, 2.90) … Miguel Negron (TOR, CF) 2-4 R … Trent Oeltjen (MIN, CF) 2-5 HR(2) … Alfredo Simon (PHI) 9 4 0 0 1 11 W(5-9, 3.70) … Yorman Bazardo (FLA) 8 9 5 2 0 4 L(4-6, 2.85)

CALIFORNIA --  TEX SS Joaquin Arias 3-6, homer, 3 RBI, .317 ... OF Joshua Hoffpauir TEX 3-6, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, .345 ... some kind of streak (not certain what he did in his last AB Mon, but on base at least 12 straight appearances), Michael Napoli ANA (4-4 Wed) 5-5, 21st homer, 6 RBI (86), 4 runs, 2 walks, .316 ... nothing if not inconsistent, Bradley Sullivan OAK 5.1 7 4 4 2 3

MIDWEST --  tough again Thomas Oldham SEA 9.0 5 2 1 2 8 (W, 6-4, 2.83) ... Wladimir Balentien SEA 2-7, 13th HR, 2 K (.272) ... Adam Jones SEA 1-6, BB, 3 K ... Joey Votto CIN 1-4, 2 K (.290) ... Justin Mallett CIN 7.0 4 0 0 0 3 (W, 1-2, 3.76) ... Hector Made NYA 2-5 (.267) ... Tyler Clippard NYA 8.0 2 0 0 1 8 (3.52) .. Brandon Wood ANA 10th HR, 11th SB (.289) ... good enough Dirk Hayhurst SD 5.1 9 6 3 1 6 (W, 8-2, 2.30) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 0-5, 2 K ... Billy Petrick CHN 8.0 4 0 0 0 2 (2.96) ... Brendan Ryan STL 2-3, double ... Daric Barton STL 0-4 (.337) ... Chris Lubanski KC 3-5, 4th triple, 9th HR

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Michael Bourn PHI, 0-2, 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 steals (37) (gm 1), 0-2, run, walk (gm 2) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 0-4, 3 strikeouts (gm 1), 0-3, strikeout (gm 2)... Nyjer Morgan PIT, 0-2, run, 3 steals (43) (gm 1), 0-1 (gm 2) ... Adam Boeve PIT, 1-3, run (gm 1), 1-3 (gm 2) ... Chris Young CHW, 1-3, homer (15), 2 RBI ... Antonin Gray CHW, 2-4, double, RBI, 2 runs ... Nate Spears BAL, 3-4, double, triple, 3 RBI ... Nick Markakis BAL, 0-4 ... Daniel Haigwood CHW, 6.0 4 2 2 3 7 (W 8-4, 4.63) ... Thomas Mastny TOR, 5.0 4 0 0 2 4 (W 6-2, 1.79) ... Brad Snyder CLE, 2-4, double & 0-2 ... Adam Miller CLE, 5.0 5 5 5 2 5 (L 6-4, 3.56) ... Ian Stewart COL, 0-3, run, walk ... Jordan Czarnecki COL, 3-5, 2 doubles, RBI ... Mark Kaiser COL, 8.0 8 3 2 0 8 (W 8-6, 4.26) ... moving into phenom class, Jacob Stevens ATL (6.0 4 0 0 2 3, 7-2, 1.35 ... Delmon Young TB, trying to break out of a little slump, 2-5, 2 RBI, .279 ... Brandon Moss BOS 0-5, 2 Ks ... OF Ervin Alcantara HOU 4-5, 12th homer, 4 RBI, .319

APPALACHIAN --  (Wednesday games)  Yuber Rodriguez (TOR, CF) 2-5, R, 3B (4), HR (2), 4 RBI (23), .370 BA...  Johnson City's 1-2-3 continue to impress:  Jose Delgado (STL, 2B) 3-5, R, RBI (11), 2K, .380 BA, Juan Lucena (STL, SS) 3-5, 2 R, 3B (1), HR (2), 2 RBI (12), CS, .367 BA, and Brandon Yarbrough (STL, C) 2-5, 2 R, 2B (5), RBI (16), 3 K, .384 BA...  Greeneville prospect all over the basepaths:  Waladimir Sutil (HOU, SS) 0-2, 2 R, BB, 4/4 SB (11), .333 BA...  Mitch Einertson (HOU, CF) 3-4, 2 R, 2 2B (5), HR (10), 3 RBI (24), BB, K, .297...  Juan Gutierrez (HOU, SP) 5.0 7 1 1 1 4, W (3-0) (2.96)...  Reid Santos (CLE, SP) 7.0 5 1 1 1 6, W (2-0) (1.29)...  Jacob McGee (TAM, SP) 5.0 2 0 0 2 7, W (2-0) (3.86)...  Deacon Burns (MIN, DH) 3-6, 2 R, 2B (9), HR (5), 2 RBI (15), .423 BA...  Steven Duguay (MIN, SP) 6.0 2 1 1 2 11, W (2-1) (3.42).

NORTHWEST --  JK Ryu CHN 1.2 0 0 0 2 2 ... Cubs 1B Ryan Norwood 3-5, double, 3rd homer, 7 RBI ... humm, COL with 3B Jeff Baker, Ian Stewart, now Matt Macri (5th rounder this year) 4-6, missed the cyle by a single, 2 doubles, triple, homer, 6 RBI, .378 ... outstanding, TEX first rounder Thomas Diamond 4.0 1 1 0 1 10 ... catcher Michael Nickeas TEX 2-4, 4th homer

PIONEER --  ANA with Alberto Callaspo, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood and Sean Rodriguez at SS, Rodriguez just 3-5, 2 RBI, .413 ... Wilkin Castillo 3B ARZ 4-5 ... LA 3B Blake DeWitt 2-5, 5th homer, .320 ... LA CF Justin Ruggiano 4-6, 2 homers, 4 RBI

ARIZONA -- Hernan Iribarren 2B MIL 3-5, double, triple, .469 ... SEA's 3rd rounder SS Matt Tuiasosopo off to a good pro start, 3-3, homer, 2 RBI, .533

GULF COAST --  some pretty good pitching in the GC, Blake Eager NYN 5.0 1 0 0 0 6 ... Seung Song MON, first rehab start, 5.1 2 0 0 1 1 ... Jair Jurrjens DET, complete game one-hitter,  7.0 1 0 0 0 11 ... Neil Walker PIT top pick, 2-4, 6th double ... Michael Lombardi PHI catcher got in for just two ABs but made them count, 2-2, double, homer, 6 RBI ...

    Troop movements ... ARZ -- placed Andrew Good and Robby Hammock on the DL, purchased the contract of Mike Fetters, activated Brent Mayne from the DL ... ATL -- activated Marcus Giles from the DL, activated Dewayne Wise from the DL & optioned him to AAA, designated Jesse Garcia for assignment ... BOS -- activated Ramiro Mendoza from the DL, optioned Kevin Youkilis to AAA ... CIN -- activated Sean Casey from the DL, optioned Corky Miller to AAA, sent Stephen Smitherman outright to Lousiville ... MIN -- placed Doug Mientkiewicz on the DL, recalled Justin Morneau from AAA ... MON -- recalled Henry Mateo from AAA, activated RHP John Patterson from the DL, optioned RHP Shawn Hill to AAA  ... OAK -- signed first round (supplemental) pick Huston Street and first-rounder Landon Powell ... PIT -- recalled JR House from AAA, placed JJ Davis on the DL ... SEA -- activated Miguel Olivo from the DL, purchased the contracts of George Sherrill and Bucky Jacobsen from AAA, designated John Olerud and Pat Borders for assignment ... DET -- placed outfielder Alex Sanchez on the DL, activated catcher-infielder Brandon Inge from the DL  ... NYA -- placed RHP Sam Marsonek on the DL, recalled Juan Padilla from AAA ... CLE -- promoted catcher-first baseman Ryan Garko to AA ...

" ...  Garko, a third-round pick out of Stanford last year, was hitting .328-16-57 with 17 doubles this season at Class A Kinston. "All he's done is hit for us all year," Kinston manager Torey Lovullo said. "And his defense has been underrated as well. He's been solid behind the plate and at first base, he's a guy I compare a lot to someone like Tino Martinez. He's made a lot of strides in the first half." Garko committed just three errors in 26 starts at first and 21 behind the plate." (Baseball America)

" ... Visalia third baseman Jeff Baker has been promoted to Double-A Tulsa. Baker is the third Oak on the opening day roster to be promoted this season. He was batting .330 with 23 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and a third in the California League total of 64 runs batted in. Baker also leads the California League with a .439 on base percentage, is sixth in slugging percentage at .547 and ninth in the league with 60 runs scored. He was a fourth round pick by the Rockies in 2002." (Visalia Oaks)

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld, has outdone himself with an update on his Top 100 (well, if you keep reading it goes down to 150).  BJ Upton TB, David Wright NYN, Felix Hernandez SEA 1-2-3.  Lots of interesting placements, including Chin Hui Tsao COL at No. 8 :

" ... I had Tsao ranked as the game’s top pitching prospect at the start of the year in part because I thought he was more likely to stay healthy than some of the younger arms.  So, it was only fitting that he spent the first two months of the season sidelined with shoulder soreness.  No serious problems were discovered, and Tsao looks fine now.  The native of Taiwan has a 91-95 mph fastball, an exceptional slider and an average change.  Coors Field likely will hinder his development, but I don’t think that should be taken into account in this kind of list.  Expect him to join the Colorado rotation next month."

ATL's Jeff Francoeur at No. 18 :

" ...  A fractured cheekbone suffered last week probably ended Francoeur’s season early, but he’s expected to be ready to take part in the Arizona Fall League. Before getting hurt, the 2002 first-round pick was making steady progress, slugging .495 in one of the top pitcher’s parks in the minors. Francoeur has the tools to be a star. More patience at the plate would be nice, but even if it doesn’t happen, his 30-homer power and defense will make him a solid regular in right field."

And, Cubs' Angel Guzman at No. 22 :

" ... Guzman has spent the year working his way back after shoulder surgery to repair a partially torn labrum. He’s back throwing in the low-90s now, and he has a quality changeup and curveball. Because of the sinking action on his fastball, he gets a lot of grounders. The Cubs expect Guzman to replace Matt Clement in next year’s rotation. If the shoulder problem was just a one-time thing, he’ll be a fine second or third starter."

Pre-season, our Bob Reed, who handles the Midwest League reports, had David Wright No. 1 on his top prospect chart.  At the time it seemed a tad off the mark, but ...  For sure we'll be posting Bob's list next season!

    Yikes, Prior down again, Cole Hamels not ready yet.  Young pitchers :

" ...  Assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said Hamels would begin soft-tossing soon but would not pitch until "sometime in August." Hamels, a 20-year-old lefthander, has been limited to just four starts this season due to inflammation in his elbow. He recently was examined by orthopedist James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala. According to Arbuckle, Hamels requested the exam. Andrews' diagnosis was consistent with what the Phillies' team doctors found - a strain. Rest was prescribed. In a recent conversation with Arbuckle, Hamels revealed that he first felt a twinge in his elbow during an early intrasquad game in major-league spring-training camp. "It was his first big-league camp and he didn't want to say anything," Arbuckle said. "Had he said something, we might have been able to head this off sooner." The Phillies usually don't favor inviting young minor-league prospects to big-league camp. Hamels' contract stipulated that he be invited." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

    David Wright's MLB debut delayed by Ty Wigginton's good play :

" ... The Mets may use Ty Wigginton in a deal for a pitcher. If they don't, Wigginton is expected to be displaced by Wright at third base soon. Though the Mets never publicly professed a timetable for Wright's promotion, they had targeted today. Wigginton's strong production temporarily has staved off Wright, though once Wigginton falters at the plate, Wright is expected to join the Mets. If he's not traded, Wigginton is expected to see significant time at first base in the second half. He played 13 error-free games at the position for the Mets in 2002. His action there appears contingent upon how Mike Piazza responds physically if the club increases his workload behind the plate. (New York Daily News)

    At FoxSports, Dayn Perry has an early look at the ... 2009 All-Star AL Roster ... with only one player not currently in MLB making the squad :

" ... Felix Hernandez ... some call him "King Felix," and if you haven't heard of him, prepare yourself. Hernandez is only 18 years of age, and he's already blowing away Double-A. He throws three pitches that rate as plus-plus in scouting parlance, and he boasts what's probably the best curve in the minors. Barring injury, he's going to be a special, special pitcher. In terms of potential, think Dwight Gooden without the reckless usage patterns early in his career. It's difficult to overstate just how much potential this guy has."

Perry's squad -- five years hence -- includes Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeria, BJ Upton (2B), Hank Blalock, Bobby Crosby, Vlad, Carlos Beltran and Carl Crawford.

   We're (Canadians) hoping Justin Morneau MIN gets send back to the minors before the end of the month (so he qualifies for an Olympic spot).  The Canadian roster, announced Thursday, includes Morneau, Eric Cyr ANA, Jeff Francis COL, Pete Laforest TB, Simon Pond TOR and Danny Klassen DET.

   A's happy with the progress of CF Nick Swisher :

" ... "He's done very well," Athletics farm director Keith Lieppman said. "I know his average is like .260 but he leads the league in walks and has a good on-base percentage." Swisher ranks seventh in the PCL with a .428 on-base percentage thanks to a league-leading 80 walks (against 64 strikeouts). He's also tied for second with 64 runs scored. And he's shown power with 18 doubles and 16 homers, good for a .506 slugging percentage. Really only Edmonton's Ryan Church can claim a better overall first half. The rub must have been Swisher's .258 batting average. At least the A's know the value of on-base percentage versus batting average ... The A's are comfortable with the kind of player he's turning out to be. In fact, he reminds them of one they already have patrolling Network Associates Stadium in Oakland. "He's a Mark Kotsay-type in center field," Lieppman said. "He's got that same mentality and is a similar hitter. He just needs to keep working on routes and angles in the field." Should Swisher maintain his current pace, he could land a late-season audition in the same lineup as Kotsay. "A lot depends on what kind of club surfaces in September, whether we're in the race or not" Lieppman said. "But Nick is a guy in a good position in terms of call-ups."  (Will Kimmey, Baseball America)

15 July 2004

Brandon Sing powers into homer race ... a 26th round pick tearing up Low-A ball for MIN franchise ... 11th round catching prospect, a power force in LA system ... Jered Weaver, top amateur player award ... Michael Napoli, yet another ANA prospect, catcher no less ... Ian Stewart, 20th long one ... quite a race among ANA infield prospects -- Callaspo, Aybar, Wood ... Joel Zuamaya, coming back strong

    Game action ... INT --  No games scheduled.

PCL --  No games scheduled.

EASTERN --  No games scheduled.

" ... Jeff Keppinger, of the Altoona Curve, proved to be the star among stars, as Southern Division defeated the Northern Division, 4-1 in the ...  Eastern League All-Star Game ... Keppinger went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a double for the Southern Division to earn the MVP honors." (Altoona Curve)

SOUTHERN --  No games scheduled.

TEXAS --  Ryan Shealy COL 2-4, double, 20th homer, 5 RBI ... Jayson Nix COL, trying to salvage awful season, 1-3, 10th homer, .217 ... Jeff Salazar COL 1-3, triple, walk ... Alberto Callaspo ANA, no doubt aware of Erick Aybar's surge in A-Ball, 3-5, 2 RBI ... Jason Botts TEX 17th homer ...

CAROLINA --  Pat Osborn CLE 1-2, 2 R, double, RBI, 3 BB … Nathan Panther CLE 3-4, 2 R, triple, RBI, BB, K … Mark Saccomanno HOU 2-3, RBI (62), BB, K … Josh Anderson HOU 2-5, 2 R, double … JD Martin CLE (W) 6.1 10 4 4 2 3 (8-8, 4.76) … a little bump in the road Fernando Nieve HOU (L) 4 7 5 5 4 0 (8-4, 3.11) … Chaz Lytle PIT 1-3, K … Brad Eldred PIT 1-4, R, HR (19), RBI (74), 2 K … Rajai Davis PIT 1-3, BB, SB (33) … rehab Marcus Giles ATL 0-3, K … Matt Wright ATL (W) 6 3 0 0 1 6 (4-4, 2.63)

FLORIDA STATE --  Melky Cabrera (NYA, CF) HR(2) 3R 2RBI … Steven White (NYA) 5 5 1 1 2 6 W(2-2, 3.80) … Aarom Baldiris (NYN, 3B) 3-4 double RBI … Francisco Liriano (MIN) 7 3 0 0 3 5 W(4-7, 3.94) … Trent Oeltjen (MIN, RF) 1-4 HR(1) 2R SB(24) … Joel Zumaya (DET) 6 2 1 1 1 6 W(6-6, 4.63) … Tony Giarratano (DET, SS) 3-5 R … Joel Guzman (LA, SS) 1-4 HR(13) … Reggie Abercrombie (LA, CF) 2-4 SB(12) K … Andy Laroche (LA, 3B) 3-4 double R … Jonathan Broxton (LA) 5 7 4 4 3 4 L(6-5, 3.62) … Brandon Sing (CHN, 1B) 2-4 2HR(27) 3RBI … Jon Connolly (CHN) 6 5 2 2 2 6 W(6-2, 2.90) … Matthew Murton (BOS, LF) 2-4 … Manny Delcarmen (BOS) 4 6 2 1 0 4 L(0-5, 5.82) … rehab, Eric Junge (PHI) 3 3 3 2 1 4 … Juan Richardson (PHI, DH) 2-5

CALIFORNIA --  a strong effort from rehabbing Ben Kozlowski TEX 6.0 2 1 1 2 1, 4-1, 3.48 ... Jesse Harper MIL 6.0 1 1 1 1 5 ... Bobby Livingston SEA in a rut, 6.0 7 5 5 3 1 ... Joe Saunders ANA  6.2 11 4 3 0 5 ... Michael Napoli ANA 4-4, 2 doubles (20), 20th homer, 2 RBI (80), .305 ... Erick Aybar ANA 2-6, RBI, .355

MIDWEST --  3rd year in the league for 21-year-old Kahi Kaanoi KC 5.0 3 1 0 0 5 (W, 2-1, 2.77) ... Chris Lubanski KC 2-7, 2 K (.246) ... Miguel Montero ARZ 1-2, 2 BB, K (.290) ... Kody Kirkland DET 2-4, 2 K (.219) ... Abel Gomez NYA 7.0 2 0 0 3 8 .. Brendan Ryan STL 2-4 (.339) ... Daric Barton STL 2-3, HR, BB ... nice outing for the teen Stuart Pomeranz STL 8.0 6 2 1 0 1 (5-1, 3.27) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 0-4 (.307) ... Brandon Wood ANA 2-4, BB, 2 K ... Kevin Jepsen ANA 4.0 5 1 1 3 6 (2.93) ... bit of a bump Adam Jones SEA 0-4, 2 K (.253) ... very strong Scott Tyler MIN 5.0 4 1 1 5 11 (3.09) ... Brian Snyder OAK 1-5, 3 K

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Ryan Harvey NYM, 1-4, RBI ... Ian Stewart COL, 1-2, homer (20), RBI, 2 walks ... Aaron Marsden COL, 7.0 6 3 3 0 6 (W 8-3, 3.43) ... Chin-lung Hu LA, 2-4, triple ... Xavier Paul LA, 2-3, double, 2 runs ... Mike Nixon LA, 2-4, triple, 2 RBI ... Brandon Weeden LA, 6.0 2 0 0 3 7 (W 6-5, 3.96) ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL, 2-4, double ... Josh Burrus ATL, 2-4, double ... Jason Pirdie TB, 2-4, triple, RBI ... Delmon Young TB, 1-4, 2 steals (10) ... Josh Kranawetter TB, 6.0 9 2 1 1 6 ... Ervin Alcantara HOU, 3-6, double, homer (11), 6 RBI ... Beau Hearod HOU, 3-5, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 2 RBI ... Travis Ishikawa SF, 2-5, 2 doubles ... Jesse Schmidt SF, 3-5, double, 2 RBI ... Jason Columbus SF, 2-5, double, 2 runs ... Brandon Moss BOS, 1-4 ... Mickey Hall BOS, 2-4, homer (8), RBI ... Jarrett Gardner BOS, 3.1 10 6 6 0 2 (L 8-5, 2.74) ... Adam Loewen 2.0 1 0 0 0 1

NEW YORK-PENN --  Luis Ramirez BAL 5.2 5 2 2 0 8, 1.85

APPALACHIAN --  MIN's 26th round pick, OF/DH Deacon Burns (5-8, 185) continues to batter Appy moundsmen, 3-6, 9th double, 5th homer, 2 RBI, .423

NORTHWEST --  Ryan Harvey CHN 1-3, walk, RBI, .268 ... 3B Travis Metcalf TEX 2-4, double, 3rd homer, .295 ... SS Asdrubal Cabrera SEA (hitting 3rd in the lineup) 3-4, double, homer, 3 RBI, .362

PIONEER --  doesn't get much worse, free-agent, Adam Lingenfelter CIN 0.0 7 8 8 1 0 ... KC's top pick, Billy Butler, 3-5, walk, 2 RBI, .311 ... 2nd rounder, Brandon Szymanski CIN, in CF, 2-5, 2 doubles, 2 RBI ... Grant Richardson 1B MIL 3-5, triple, .376 ... LA first-rounder Blake DeWitt 2-5, 4th homer, .316 ... 11th round pick, catcher Chris Westervelt LA 2-5, 6th homer, 2 RBI, .413 ... SS/CF Sean Rodriguez ANA 2-5, homer, 2 RBI, .397

ARIZONA --  SF 1B Judson Richards 1B 3-5, double, triple, 3 RBI, .354 ... Luis Soto 1B SEA 2-3, double, .381 ...

GULF COAST -- OF Jon Owings ATL (17th round pick)  4-4, 2 homers, SB, .231 ... MIN's 2nd-round pick, Anthony Swarzak 7.0 2 0 0 0 6 0 2.33

    Troop movements ...

    More kudos for Jered Weaver ANA. 

" ... Weaver added the most prestigious honor to his long list of postseason awards when he won the Golden Spikes Award given by USA Baseball to the nation's top amateur player ... The right-handed pitcher, who was the Angels' top choice and 12th overall pick in the June amateur draft, was the consensus college player of the year after a remarkable junior season. In leading the 49ers to the NCAA super-regionals, Weaver went 15-1 with a 1.62 earned-run average and 213 strikeouts with only 21 walks in 144 innings. "I never expected any of these awards to come, so to even be among the top five amateur players in the country, that's a very big honor," Weaver said. "This past season, I just tried to keep my team in ball games and I was able to do that." The 6-foot-7, 205-pound younger brother of Dodger pitcher Jeff Weaver beat out finalists Wade Townsend of Rice, Huston Street of Texas, Dustin Pedroia of Arizona State and Stephen Head of Mississippi." (LA Times)

    More prospects likely to move if Nomar and/or Randy deals pan out :

" ...  Red Sox contemplating a two-part deal in which they would send Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs to secure prospects and then use those young players as part of a package to acquire Johnson from the Arizona Diamondbacks ...  the Red Sox are trying to outdo the Yankees for another future Hall of Fame player in Johnson and they see the Cubs as a possible conduit for making it happen. If the Red Sox cannot make a deal with the Cubs, they will try the same approach with other teams. The lightly regarded Rey Ordóñez currently plays shortstop for the Cubs because Alex Gonzalez has a broken wrist. The 30-year-old Garciaparra, who missed much of this season with an Achilles' tendon injury and is in the last year of his contract, would be a huge upgrade ...  The Diamondbacks would presumably include the Yankees in any kind of Johnson sweepstakes, even though New York does not currently have an abundance of minor league prospects. The Yankees could include the Class AAA catcher Dioner Navarro and the Class AAA second baseman Robinson Cano, their two prime prospects, in a trade proposal." (NY Times)

    2001 third-rounder begins to put it together -- ANA's Steven Shell :

" ...  Shell, 21, is leading the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes pitching staff with a 7-3 record and had a California League-leading 117 strikeouts ... Shell's successful season earned him his second consecutive selection to the California League all-star team ...  After some nagging injuries the past two seasons, Shell said he is hoping to reach his goal of achieving his first pain-free season this year. "This year my arm feels good," Shell said ...  "This year he's really learned to pitch well with average stuff where in years past he thought average stuff meant an average outing," pitching coach Keith Comstock said. " (Press Enterprise)

14 July 2004

Erick Aybar adds power to an impressive package ... brother Wily shines in a new role for LA ... Manny Parra getting ready to move up ... Jeff Francis back atop the BA Prospect Hot Sheet ... young FLO shortstop cracks the list ... TEX 1st rounder, Eric Hurley, looking good so far ... Alain Soler, not likely in MLB this season

    Game action ... INT --  No games scheduled.

PCL --  No games scheduled.

EASTERN --  No games scheduled.

SOUTHERN --  No games scheduled.

TEXAS --  Colt Griffin KC, it had been going well, 0.0 1 2 2 2 0 ... Willy Taveras HOU 2-3, double, 2 SBs (37) ... Sergio Santos ARZ 3-4, double ... Jesus Cota ARZ 4-5 .. maybe it's fork time, Chan Ho Park, after a very good start down in Rookie Ball, 5.1 7 6 6 4 2 ... Jeff Salazar COL 2-4, walk ... Jason Botts TEX 2-4, 16th homer ... Ian Kinsler TEX 1-4

CAROLINA --  No games scheduled.

FLORIDA STATE --  Vito Chiaravalloti (TOR, 1B) 2-5 … Ron Davenport (TOR, RF) 2-3 HR(12) 2R 2RBI … Raul Tablado (TOR, DH) 1-5 HR(14) … Shaun Marcum (TOR) 6.1 78 3 2 0 7 … Matthew Murton (BOS, LF) 2-4 … Hanley Ramirez (BOS, SS) 1-4 RBI … First start since being demoted from AA, Charlie Zink (BOS) 4.2 5 5 3 4 1 L(0-1, 5.79) … Shaun Boyd (STL, RF) 2-3 R 2RBI CS - hitting .326 since being sent down … Reid Gorecki (STL, CF) 3-4 HR(6) 2R 2RBI … Josh Teekel (STL) 6.1 5 2 2 2 3 W(6-2, 3.35) … Another 0-fer for Brent Clevlen (DET, RF) 0-4 - now hitting .219 … Andy Larouche (LA, 3B) 1-3 HR(3) 3R 2RBI … Joel Guzman (LA, SS) 2-4 R RBI … Felix Pie (CHN, CF) 2-3 2BB … Eric Duncan (NYA, DH) 0-4 - hitting .185 since being called up … Aarom Baldiris (NYN, 3B) 2-4 R RBI … Matthew Lindstrom (NYN) 7 6 4 3 1 2  ND - 4.13 ERA … Jeremy Hermida (FLO, RF) 2-4 RBI …

CALIFORNIA --  Steven Shell(ed) ANA  3.0 7 6 6 0 2 ...  he's back, Raul Mondesi ANA 0-3 ... wow, might have to undergo drug testing ;-), Erick Aybar ANA really starting to strut his stuff, 3-5, 2 homers (9, a career high), 3 RBI, .355 ... Manny Parra MIL, getting in a groove,  8.0 4 0 0 2 6

MIDWEST --  No games scheduled.

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  No games scheduled.

NEW YORK-PENN --  A quick look at the stats to try and sort out the prospects :

Batting Average: John Jason TB .379, Brian Cleveland FLO .369, Drew Sutton HOU .364, Corey Coles NYA .356, Ben Zobrist SS HOU .352, Wyatt Toregas CLE .349, Juan Llamas DET .348, Ryan Klosterman TOR .347 ... Home Runs: Mario Garza HOU, 5, Kevin Vital HOU 4, Steve Motimer MON 4, Edgardo Baez MON, 4

Pitching Leaders:  Timothy King TB 4-0 4.23 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 23/5 ... Zachary Lerch FLO, 3-0, 3.48, 1.11, 17/5 ... Dan Cevette CLE3-0, 1.67era, .85, 32/5 ... Aaron Wideman MON 3-0, 2.36, .94, 22/10 ... Matt Guillory PIT 3-0, 1.99, .75, 18/4 ... Ronnie Martinez HOU 3-1, 2.40, .87, 25/7 ... Carlos Perez BAL 2-0, 2.54, 1.02, 30/7 ... Luis Ramirez BAL 1-1, 1.59, .67, 46/5

NORTHWEST --  Luke Hagerty CHN, hitting some potholes on the way back from surgery, 2.2 6 3 2 2 1 ... Ryan Harvey Cubs' top pick a year ago, 2-5, 5th homer, 5 RBI, .264 ... OF Matt Miller COL 2-6, 5th & 6th homers, 3 runs, 3 RBI ... SD's 8th rounder, Vern Sterry 5.0 5 2 1 1 5, 2.12 ...  TEX catcher Michael Nickeas 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, .316 ... Shawn Nottingham SEA 6.0 5 3 3 1 1, 1.17 ... Miguel Olivo SEA, rehab, 0-2

PIONEER --  Bobby Mosby CIN 2-3, 2 walks, 2 RBI ... Brandon Szymanski, CIN's 2nd rounder, 1-2, 3 walks ... KC OF Brian McFall 2-4, homer, 4 RBI

ARIZONA --  Luis Soto 1B SEA 3-5, 3 doubles, .333 ... Eric Hurley TEX 4.0 2 1 1 1 6, 0.96

    Troop movements ...

    Jeff Francis COL has reclaimed the top spot in Kevin Goldstein's Prospect Hot Sheet at Baseball America :

" ... Canadian lefty retired 21 of 22 batters (striking out 14) in his final Texas League start, then fired a 1-2-3 first inning in the Futures Game — striking out B.J. Upton looking and Dallas McPherson swinging. How will he adjust to Triple-A? We'll find out Saturday night."

A pair of pitching phenoms ranked 2-3 -- Felix Hernandez SEA and the fast-rising Clint Everts MON. Ryan Howard grabbed the 4th spot just ahead of Dallas McPherson ANA.  BJ Upton slipped to No. 6.

At No. 13, shortstop Robert Andino FLO :

" ... Helium Alert! A slick-fielding shortstop who hit just .188 last year for low Class A Greensboro, the 20-year-old Andino figured things out at the plate of late, earning a promotion to Jupiter after batting .354 in his final 30 games while repeating the Sally League. It doesn't stop there, as Andino has been unstoppable in the Florida State League, going 15-for-26 in his first five games."

    Jim Callis, Baseball America, on Alain Soler, NYN ? :

" ... As with almost every Cuban defector, there's a lot of smoke and mirrors involved with Soler. Most of the details about him are sketchy ... He has agreed to a $3 million contract with the Mets, pending passing a physical. The scouting report on Soler is that he's a 6-foot-3, 230-pound righthander with a lively low-90s fastball and a good slider ...  has had two major shoulder surgeries but apparently has made a full recovery ...  It may take some time to secure a visa for Soler to enter the United States, and once he does he's expected to begin his pro career at high Class A St. Lucie. I don't think it's realistic to expect Soler to help the Mets in 2004, even if the visa process is expedited."

    Tools, tools ... yet he's back in A-Ball.  Scott Lieber of TCPalm.com :

" ... Athletically, nobody has a bad word to say about Reggie Abercrombie. "It's sick how athletic he is," catcher A.J. Ellis says. "He's by far the best athlete I've played with. Talk about your five-tool players..." Suddenly, Ellis catches himself. "Well," he says, "four tools." Abercrombie possesses fast-forward speed and powerful hands. He sprays the ball all over the field and catches almost anything hit near him. So what's he missing? "He's just gotta work on that plate discipline," Ellis said. Abercrombie's problems at the plate led to 66 strikeouts in 168 at-bats and a .173 average at AA Jacksonville this year — and possibly his recent demotion to single-A ball with the Vero Beach Dodgers. "I wouldn't say I was expecting it," Abercrombie said. "I was a little disappointed. No one likes taking a step back. But I can't look at it as a negative. I just have to think about what I have to do to get back up." A big part of that will be recognizing pitches. Abercrombie's strike zone is immense. But unlike many successful major leaguers — the Anaheim Angles' Vladimir Guerrero comes to mind — Abercrombie struggles connecting. In his first 16 games with the Dodgers, the center fielder is hitting .267 with two homers, three RBIs and already 11 stolen bases. However, his 14 strikeouts in 60 at-bats still draw concern ...  Abercrombie says he hopes to return to AA by the end of the year, but isn't setting a timetable. "I'm hoping I get back," Abercrombie said. "But it's up to them. I can just play and let them make the decision."

    LA's Wily Aybar, Southern League All-Star, fitting in nicely at 2B :

" ... Few Southern League players have been hotter than the 21-year-old switch hitter in the last month. He has raised his average 38 points to .282 by hitting .379 (33for87) in his past 22 games. His 50 RBI stand as eighth best in the league. What makes Aybar's selection unique is that he's in his first year as a second baseman, after playing all but two of 405 minor-league games at third base the past four seasons. He has committed just 10 errors this year and up until a couple of weeks ago had the top fielding percentage among Southern League second basemen." (Florida Times-Union )

13 July 2004

BJ Upton claims No. 1 in BA's top prospect update ... Scott Kazmir, just 8th best pitching prospect ... Upton edging closer to TB ... takes a quintet of Cards, led by a Lemon, to toss a no-hitter (and they REALLY needed it) ... Deacon Burns tearing through the APPY ... Lastings Milledge continues to pound & run ... Jon Papelbon, hope for BOS ... Denny Bautista superb ... Zach Duke too

    Game action ... INT --  No games scheduled (break for the INT - PCL All-Star game).  Home-run contest a part of the event :

" ... The PCL drew first blood in competition between the two leagues when Bucky Jacobson of the Tacoma Rainiers out-blasted Justin Morneau of the Rochester Red Wings, 8-3, in a head-to-head showdown."

PCL --  No games scheduled.

EASTERN --  Matt Peterson NYN 6.0 7 3 3 3 4, 3.28 ERA … Dominic Rich TOR 1-3, 2B (17) … Keith Reed BAL 2-3, RBI (39) … Jeremy Guthrie CLE 6.0 9 5 3 1 5, 3.80 ERA … Ryan Doumit PIT 2-4, HR (10), 2 RBI (31) … Bobby Bradley PIT 5.1 5 1 1 1 3, 2.98

SOUTHERN --  No games scheduled.

TEXAS --  geesh, Denny Bautista for Jason Grimsley ... Bautista KC 9.0 5 2 1 2 9, 2-0, 1.61 ... Jeff Mathis ANA 2-4 ... Matt Chico ARZ, shelled again, 3.1 7 8 4 3 3, 11.20 ... Conor Jackson ARZ 2-3, walk, .339 ... Willy Taveras HOU CF 2-6, 2 SBs (35) ... 2B Brooks Conrad 3-6, double, 3 runs, 3 RBI, .313 ... that's better, Jeff Salazar COL CF, at leadoff, 2-5, double, 2 RBI ... after a short cold spell, Ian Kinsler back strong, 2-4, double, .344 (combined with his A-Ball numbers, Kinsler has 38 doubles, a triple and 16 homers).

CAROLINA --  WSox first-rounder 3B Josh Fields might be in over his head, 1-3, double, .213 ... catcher Ryan Garko CLE 0-1, 3 walks, .328 ... Marcus Giles ATL, rehab not going too well, 0-4, 2 Ks, .100 ... Zach Duke PIT, eye-opening season continues,  6.0 4 1 1 2 7, 10-5, 1.39 ... CF Rajai Davis PIT (at leadoff) 2-4, triple, walk, .331 ... PIT slugger Brad Eldred 17th & 18th homers, 4 RBI, .313

FLORIDA STATE --  Jon Papelbon moving up the BOS prospect chart, 6.0 1 0 0 1 7, 8-5, 3.25 ... Jeremy West BOS 2-4, triple, .296 ... LA's Chad Billingsley continues impressive campaign, 5.1 4 1 1 2 8, 2.33 ... Andrew Sisco CHN, not bad, bur far from expectations, 5.0 4 2 2 3 3 ... CF Reggie Abercrombie LA, back in A-Ball after a struggle in AA, 3-5, 2 doubles, triple & no Ks ... 2B Delwyn Young LA 13th homer ... Yanks 3B Eric Duncan having a tough time adjusting to a higher level, 0-5, 2 Ks, .217

CALIFORNIA --  well, the move to A+ sure terrified Josh Rupe TEX, 5.1 4 1 1 2 3 ... Clark Girardeau SD, tough loss, 7.0 4 2 2 2 4, 1.32 ...

MIDWEST --  No games scheduled.

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Brandon Moss BOS, 3-4, homer (10), 2 RBI ... Mickey Hall BOS, 1-1, homer (7), 2 RBI, 2 walks, 3 runs ... Beau Vaughn BOS, 6.0 3 0 0 1 7 (W 5-1, 2.01) ... Ian Stewart COL, 0-4 ... Adam Boeve PIT, 1-4, homer (22), RBI ... Steve Doetsch ATL, 3-5, double ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL, 2-4, homer (7), RBI .. Jereme Milons LA, 2-4, homer (10), 2 RBI ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE, 2-4, double ... Micha Shnurstein CHW, 3-4 ... Tony Peguero TB, 5.1 4 2 2 1 6 (W 8-5, 3.00) ... Jake Blalock PHI, 1-5, RBI ... Mitch Talbot HOU, 4.0 4 3 3 6 4 (L 6-7, 4.50) ... weird pitching line, one-hitter through four, but -- Adam Bostick FLO 4.0 1 3 0 5 10 ... Lastings Milledge NYN 2-5, double, 2 SBs (16), .321

NEW YORK-PENN --  now that'll brings some smiles on mom & pops, pro debut for Casey Janssen, the Jays' 4th rounder in the 2004 draft, 7.0 3 0 0 1 8 ... SS Ryan Klosterman TOR (5th rounder)  3-3, triple, 3 RBI & 0-3, .347

APPALACHIAN -- (Monday's game)  ... don't see this very often, a five-pitcher no-hitter.  A quintet of Cards' kids pulled it off Monday night. Tim Lemon went the first five and four relievers put in an inning apiece to preserve the nine-inning no-no. They needed it -- the ERAs of the five AFTER the no-hitter -- 5.60, 4.35, 27.00, 10.13 and 4.50. 

APPALACHIAN --  (Sunday's games)  Denver Kitch (BAL, SS) 1-3, RBI (10), K, and 1-5, R, 2 RBI (12), 2 K, .328 BA...  Wimer Mendez (BAL, SP) 5.2 2 0 0 1 7, W (3-0) (1.38)...  Jose Delgado (STL, 2B) 0-3, RBI (10), 2 BB, .361 BA...   Brandon Yarbrough (STL, DH) 1-3, R, 2B (4), 2 BB, K, .375 BA...  Waladimir Sutil (HOU, SS) 0-5, K, down to .344 BA...  Mitch Einertson (HOU, CF) 1-4, R, 2B (3), BB, 3 K, .284 BA...  Mark Worrell, Jr. (STL, RP) 1.2 1 0 0 0 4, S (3) (0.00)...  Keith Eichas (ATL, 1B) 1-3, 2 RBI (7), 2 K, and 1-3, BB, K, .341 BA...  Cole Armstrong (ATL, C) 2-4, RBI (19), .400 BA...  Jose De Los Santos (CHA, DH/SS) 1-2, and 1-3, R, 3B (1), .441 BA...  Danny Collins (ATL, RP) 3.0 0 0 0 1 2, W (1-0) (0.00)...  Matt Harrison (ATL, SP) 7.0 2 2 2 0 8, W (2-2) (3.63)...  Adrian Martin (TOR, SP) 6.0 4 1 1 2 3, W (1-0) (0.92)...  Jesus Gamero (NYN, DH) 2-5, R, 2B (3), RBI (11), K, .357 BA...  Seth Pietsch (NYN, LF) 1-3, 2 BB, .365 BA...  Deacon Burns (MIN, LF) 2-4, 3 R, HR (4), 2 RBI (13), K, .417 BA.

NORTHWEST --  No games scheduled.

PIONEER --  OF Jaen Centeno ARZ 2-4, walk, RBI, .451 ... Bobby Mosby CIN 2-4, 8th homer, .280 ... ANA SS Sean Rodriguez 2-4, double, walk, .438

ARIZONA -- SD infielders just fine, Kelvin Vazquez 2B 3-4, .362 & 3B Julio Cruceta 3-5, .361

GULF COAST --  Expos' DH Lorvin Louisa 3-4, 2 doubles, 5 RBI, .412 ... Scott Mitchinson PHI, a few more like this & he gets the "phenom" label, 6.0 4 0 0 0 5, 3-0, 1.17 (in 23 innings, zero walks, 21 Ks) ...some 2004 first-rounders in action,  CF Greg Golson PHI (21st over-all) 0-3, .222 ... Kyle Waldrop MIN (25th over-all) 6.0 4 1 1 1 4, 1.35 ... Neil Walker PIT (11th over-all) 3-4, 1st pro triple & homer ...

    Troop movements ... SEA -- optioned LHP Matt Thornton to AAA ...

    The guys at Baseball America continue to sizzle ... after superb coverage of the Futures Game ... John Manuel has an updated Top 25 prospect list. 

" ... With Joe Mauer gone to the big leagues, B.J. Upton has done more than inherit the title of the minors' top prospect. He's seized it with gusto, nearly earning a big league promotion at age 19. Instead, he's ripping up Triple-A and giving the surging Devil Rays organization even more hope for the near future."

Delmon Young TB and Casey Kotchman ANA run 2-3 ahead of Felix Hernandez SEA and David Wright NYN.  In spite of AA struggles, Rickie Weeks MIL captured the No. 6 spot, shading out Grady Sizemore of CLE.  Edwin Jackson LA, Prince Fielder MIL and Justin Morneau wrapped up the Top 10. 

Last year's pitching phenom Scott Kazmir NYN barely makes the list, at No. 24.  He was out-ranked by seven other pitchers, Hernandez, Jackson, Matt Cain, Gavin Floyd, Clint Everts (his high school teammate), Ervin Santana and Jeff Francis.

    A convoy of kids ready to rejuvenate the D'Rays :

" ... General manager Chuck LaMar said the Rays "will walk the fine line" between maintaining the momentum from a solid first half that could lead to the team's most successful season, and bringing up and evaluating a group of five young players - including top prospect B.J. Upton - who could be key to future success. "We can't fool ourselves, this organization is still building," LaMar said Sunday. "We're building through the farm system, we're building through young players. If I can somehow incorporate four or five of the young players into this club building for the future and somehow continue this momentum, that would be the best scenario. "If we err in an area, we're going to err going with our young guys. We have got to continue to look for good young players, and that's our objective." By early August, LaMar said the Rays are likely to have five new faces: pitchers Doug Waechter and Seth McClung, outfielder Joey Gathright, and infielders Jorge Cantu and Upton. Waechter and McClung are recovering from injuries. Waechter, out five weeks with a strained middle finger tendon, will go back in the rotation; McClung, who had Tommy John elbow surgery in June 2003, is likely to be a reliever. Gathright, impressive during an earlier week-long stay, will be at least a reserve, adding speed and defense off the bench. Cantu, 22, has emerged as a legitimate middle-infield prospect in his sixth minor-league season, hitting .311 with 21 homers and an organization-leading 76 RBIs at Triple-A Durham. Upton, the top prospect in the minors, has battered Triple-A pitching with a .323 average, 12 homers and 26 RBIs in 52 games; the questions are whether he is ready defensively to play shortstop and what to do with current shortstop Julio Lugo, whom the Rays would like to move to second." (St.Petersburg Times)

    John Sickels, ESPN.com, on Conor Jackson ARZ :

" ... Before being promoted to Double-A, Jackson hit .345/.438/.562 in 67 games for Lancaster in the California League. In 13 games since being promoted to El Paso, Jackson is at .340/.446/.426. His power production has dropped off a bit since moving up, but his plate discipline and batting average remain exceptional, and the homers will come if he keeps that up. So far, Jackson has lived up to every expectation the D-Backs had for him when they picked him in the first round last June. The former University of California slugger now plays outfield rather than third base, but his bat is extremely potent, and he's adjusted to wood without trouble. His plate discipline and power potential are top-notch ...  barring injuries or a massive roster purge, the D-Backs will probably let him percolate in the minors the rest of this year, to keep a 40-man roster slot clear for a prospect who does need to be protected."

    Ari Nadin, SportsBlurb.com, on Mark Teahen KC :

" ... In Baseball America’s analysis of the deal, they pointed out that Teahen started the year as the 15th-ranked prospect in the A’s system. Then he hit the lights out at Midland and was promoted to AAA. Peel it back a little and you realize everyone hits the lights out at Midland – it’s the Texas League, for crying out loud – but Teahen didn’t hit in the PCL and has never hit for power. So what? Start with Moneyball, add in some fresh AA numbers, and let rise."

    Zach Chalifour, RotoTimes, on Abe Alvarez BOS :

" ... Alvarez, 21, is the best pitching prospect in the talent-drained Boston organization. The young southpaw was a second-round pick out of Long Beach State in 2003. In his debut season at Low-A Lowell, Alvarez pitched 19 innings in nine appearances and did not allow a single earned run. Additionally, he gave up only nine hits and two free passes while striking out 19. He's done almost as well at Double-A Portland this season where he currently sits with a 3.65 ERA and an 8-5 record in 91.1 IP. Alvarez has given up 90 hits, but he's continued to demonstrate his exceptional control by allowing only 22 walks to 78 strikeouts. It's definitely a long-shot, but Alvarez could make his big league debut this September if the Red Sox want to test his mettle out of the bullpen."

   Randy Miller, phillyburbs.com, on PHI kids Cole Hamels and Jake Blalock :

" ... Hamels' idle time due to strained triceps will continue for another two or three weeks, but only because the Phillies continue to be extra careful with their No. 1 prospect. On his own, Hamels recently opted to visit Dr. James Andrews, a renowned arm specialist. "Cole wanted a second opinion for piece of mind, and Andrews' diagnosis was identical to [Phillies team doctor Michael] Ciccotti's," Arbuckle said. "Andrews agreed that we should take it real slow, so we truly give it time to heal because the inflammation aggravates as soon as he starts throwing." Barring a setback, Hamels figures to be back in the Threshers' rotation by early August. No plan has been set yet, but it's possible Hamels will go to the Arizona Fall League this year to make up for lost innings."

" ... Blalock, a mild disappointment last season, continues to put up big numbers. A fifth-round pick in 2002, Blalock (.293, 14 HR, 60) leads the league with 29 doubles, is tied for seventh in homers and is tied for sixth in RBIs. "Jake has been on a good path," Arbuckle said. "The thing with him, the numbers that you are seeing are the result of him getting his hands started earlier and keeping his front side in, some of same stuff we did with [Pat] Burrell last year."

12 July 2004

    Game action ... INT --  just start assuming that he'll steal every game (29 in 31 games), Joey Gathright (TB, CF) 3-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, 4 SB ... Jorge Cantu (TB, SS) 2-4, 21st HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB ... Nook Logan (DET, CF) 2-5, RBI ... rehab, Nate Cornejo (DET) 3.2 6 3 3 0 2 ... Ryan Langerhans (ATL, CF) 3-3, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB ... Wilson Betemit (ATL, SS) 2-3, RBI, BB ... Brett Evert (ATL) 5.0 1 1 1 2 5 ... Terry Tiffee (MIN, 3B) 3-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI & 0-3 ... rehab, Michael Ryan (MIN, RF & DH) 1-3, 1st HR, 2 R, RBI, HBP & 0-4 ... rehab, Shannon Stewart (MIN, DH) 0-2, R, BB ... Gabe Gross (TOR, LF) 3-4, 2 2B, R, RBI, BB ... rough, Josh Hancock (PHI) 6.0 11 6 6 0 4 ... Jack Cust (BAL, DH) 1-4, 9th HR, R, RBI, BB ... Brandon Phillips (CLE, SS) 2-4, RBI ... Josh Bard (CLE, C) 2-4, 1st HR, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Jamie Brown (BOS) 4.0 7 3 3 0 1 ... Byung-Hyun Kim (BOS) 2.1 3 3 2 2 2 ... Wilson Valdez (CHA, SS) 3-4, 2B, 2 R & 1-3, R, Sac ... not a good day, Jon Rauch (CHA) 2.0 8 7 7 2 1 ... Felix Diaz (CHA) 3.0 1 0 0 0 4 ... Josh Stewart (CHA) 6.0 8 2 1 0 4 ... Michael Vento (NYA, RF) 1-4, 12th HR, R, 2 RBI ... Brad Halsey (NYA) 5.2 7 4 4 1 1 ... David Krynzel (MIL, CF) 3-5, 2B, 3rd HR, 2 R, 3 RBI ... Pedro Liriano (MIL) 5.0 9 4 4 2 4 ... Prentice Redman (NYN, LF) 2-4, 2B, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI, SB ... Aaron Heilman (NYN) 6.0 5 2 2 5 4

PCL --  vet Adam Riggs ANA on a tear, 3-5, 15th & 16th homers, 4 RBI ... Antonio Perez LA 13th homer ... Danny Haren STL 3.0 3 1 1 1 5 ... Brian Sweeney SD 7.0 1 1 1 2 8, 8-2, 3.06 ... CF Freddy Guzman SD 4-5, double, triple, .289 ... Clint Barmes COL 2-5, 13th homer ...  after some big steps forward, a few steps back, John VanBenschoten PIT 3.2 6 3 3 6 6 ... Calvin Pickering KC, climbing back into the homer race, 3-5, 27th & 28th homers, .332 ... yep, getting the hang of it, Mark Teahen KC 3-6, double, .275

EASTERN --  Ian Snell PIT  6.2 5 2 2 2 8 ... Jamie Vermilyea TOR, pounded after such stunning, early success, 4.0 7 7 6 2 3 ... Larry Broadway MON 2-4, 16th homer, .252 ... Keith Reed BAL 2-2, 2 doubles, 2 walks ... probably his best start since the trade to CLE, but still Andy Brown took a loss, 5.0 4 1 1 0 8 ... Chien-Ming Wang NYA 7.0 10 4 3 0 8, 4.15

SOUTHERN --  Brian Anderson CHA OF 1-4, R, 2B ... Kelly Johnson ATL OF 2-6, 3 R, RBI, BB ... Daniel Curtis ATL 5.0 4 3 3 1 5, W 4-0, 3.23 ... Gabe Johnson STL 3B 4-6, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 HR (14 & 15) ... Josh Barfield SD 2B 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR (13) ... Mike Thompson SD 8.0 4 1 1 0 3, W 5-0, 3.18 ... Jason Stokes FLA 1B 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, BB ...

TEXAS --   TEX with another fast rising prospect, John Hudgins 7.0 4 3 3 0 6 ... Ryan Shealy COL 2-4, 19th homer ... Jeff Salazar COL 0-4 ... Ian Kinsler TEX 2-4, .337 ... Sergio Santos ARZ 1-4, 11th homer, .273 ... HOU 2B Brooks Conrad 4-5, double, triple, .309 ... back at AA, Cha Seung Baek SEA 5.0 2 0 0 0 5 ... Michael Morse, one of the kids SEA received in the Freddy Garcia trade, 3-4, double, .290

CAROLINA --  Ryan Garko CLE 2-4, double, 16th homer, .329 ... Marcus Giles ATL, rehab, 1-3, double ... CF Josh Anderson HOU 2-5, double, 12th SB ... Rajai Davis PIT 3-5, .329 ... Tripper Johnson BAL putting on a charge, 3-4, 16th & 17th homers, 4 RBI, .285

FLORIDA STATE --  No games scheduled.

CALIFORNIA --  a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark season for Jean Toledo ANA, 9.0 2 1 0 2 5 ... Erick Aybar ANA turns on the power, 3-5, 14th double, 6th & 7th homers, .352 ... Joaquin Arias SS TEX 2-4, triple, .313 ... 1B Travis Hinton MIL 16th homer.

MIDWEST --  Micah Furtado 0-5, 2 K ... Daric Barton STL 2-5, double, 2 K ... Brian Snyder OAK 11th HR ... Lou Palmisano MIL 0-4, 2 K ... Dana Eveland MIL 6.0 8 5 5 1 8 (L, 6-4, 3.14) ... Hector Made NYA 1-3 (.264) ... Adam Jones SEA 0-3, BB, K ... Joey Votto CIN 0-3, BB, K (.288) ... Brian Dopirak CHN 2-4 (.311) ... Ronald Bay CHN 7.0 5 0 0 0 7 (3.02) ... Chris Lubanski 2-4, K (.245)

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Nick Markakis BAL, 1-4 ... Clint Johnston TOR, 1-4, homer (9), RBI ... Daniel Core TOR, 6.0 5 1 1 1 9 (W 6-5, 3.50) ... Cole Sefrig FLA, 2-4, homer (3), 4 RBI ... Travis Chick FLA, 6.0 1 0 0 0 13 (W 6-3, 3.92) ... Lastings Milledge NYM, 0-4, 3 strikeouts ... Shawn Bowman NYM, 2-4, RBI ... Ian Stewart COL, 1-4, double ... Ching Lung Lo COL, 5.2 8 3 3 3 2 ... Brandon Moss BOS, 2-4, double, 2 RBI, walk ... Mickey Hall BOS, 3-5, homer (6), RBI ... Brad Snyder CLE, 2-4, run ... Ryan Goleski CLE, 1-4, 2 RBI ... Antonin Gray CHW, 2-3, 2 doubles, RBI ... Elliot Johnson TB, 2-5, double, run ... Jason Pirdie, 1-3, homer (7), RBI, 2 runs ... Wes Bankston 3-5, double, 2 runs ... Kory Casto MON, 3-5, double, homer (7), RBI ... Michael Bourn PHI, 1-3, double, run, 2 steals (35) ... Javon Moran PHI, 1-4, run, steal (32) ... Beau Hearod HOU, 2-4, run ... Jason Columbus SF, 1-2, homer (7), RBI ... Nyjer Morgan PIT, 2-3, triple, run, steal (39) ... Adam Boeve PIT, 1-4, homer (21), RBI ... Leo Nunez PIT, 9.0 3 1 1 1 10 (W 5-2, 3.04)

NEW YORK-PENN -- MON's Aaron Wideman 6.0 1 0 0 1 6, 3-0, 2.36 ... MON 1B Steve Mortimer 3-3, double, 3rd homer ... 3B Brad McCann FLO 2-5, homer, 4 RBI ... OF Patrick Breen TB 3-4, double, homer, .400

APPALACHIAN --  Jose Delgado (STL, 2B) 0-3, R, BB, 2 K, .379 BA...  Brandon Yarbrough (STL, C) 4-5, 2B (3), 2 RBI (15), .377 BA...  Waladimir Sutil (HOU, SS) 2-4, 2B (3), 2 RBI (7), SB (7), .375 BA...  Mitch Einertson (HOU, CF) 1-4, R, HR (9), RBI (21), K, .286 BA...  Russ Triplett (NYN, SS), 3-4, R, BB, SB (1), .388 BA...  Seth Pietsch (NYN, LF) 1-4, R, HR (8), 3 RBI (26), BB, .366 BA...  Deacon Burns (MIN, RF) 1-4, 2 K, .412 BA...  Jeff Brewer (NYN, RP) 5.1 2 0 0 0 8, W (2-0) (1.96)...  Charles Anderson (TOR, 1B) 3-3, 2 R, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI (11), BB, .352 BA.

NORTHWEST --  OAK's Mike McGirr (8th round pick in 2003, 4.40 ERA in 75 IP last season) off to an outstanding start, 4-0, 0.64, 6.0 4 1 1 1 5 ... Brandon Cashman TEX 2-5, double, triple ... Brian Horwitz SF 1st homer, 3 RBI, .362 ... Ryan Harvey CHN 0-4, .250 ... Matt Macri COL 3-4, double, .354

PIONEER --  OF Jaen Centeno ARZ 3-4, 3rd homer, 3 RBI, .448 ... 1B Bobby Mosby CIN 2-5, 7th homer ... Brandon Szymanski CIN's 2nd-rounder out of Princeton, 1-5, 1st pro homer, .143

ARIZONA -- Cubs' Jae-kuk Ryu 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 ... Alexi Ogando OAK, 3rd homer, .400 ... Kelvin Vazquez 2B SD 4-4, double, SB, .338 ... OF Nate Whitney SD, 2-5, homer, SB, 5 RBI

    Troop movements ... CIN -- placed Ken Griffey Jr. on the DL, purchased the contract of John Vander Wal from AAA ... CLE -- activated Rafael Betancourt from the DL, optioned Cliff Bartosh to AAA ... MON -- released Andy Fox ... NYA -- activated Orlando Hernandez from the DL, optioned Juan Padilla to AAA ... DET -- recalled LHP Wil Ledezma from AA, optioned Franklyn German to AAA ... MIN -- activated outfielder Shannon Stewart from the DL, optioned outfielder Michael Restovich to AAA ... CHN -- activated RHP Kerry Wood from the DL, activated LHP Mike Remlinger from the DL, optioned RHP Joe Leicester to AAA, optioned RHP Michael Wuertz to AAA ...

    TOR shortstop prospect the top dog at the Futures Game :

" ...  Aaron Hill was named the Most Valuable Player of the Major League Baseball Futures Game Sunday ... Hill made the most of his only at-bat of the game, delivering a two-run double in the fifth inning that gave the USA Futures a 4-0 lead over the World Futures. USA went on to a 4-3 victory ... Hill, the Blue Jays number-one draft pick in 2003, is batting .264 with 6 home runs and 45 RBIs for the Fisher Cats. Those numbers earned him a slot on the Eastern League's Northern Division All-Star Game ...on Wednesday." (New Hampshire Fisher Cats)

Pitching was dominant in the contest ... a total of just 11 hits ... SF's Matt Cain was the only pitcher to really falter (0.0 1 3 3 2 0) ... Justin Morneau MIN 0-4, 2 Ks ... Edwin Encarnacion CIN the only batter with more than one hit (2-2).

    Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News, on a couple of pitchers who made an impression at the Futures Game :

" ...  left-hander Jeff Francis, a prize pitching prospect of the Colorado Rockies who went 13-1 with a 1.98 earned-run average for Class AA Tulsa and will make his Class AAA Colorado Springs debut Saturday. Francis, who is from Canada, started for the World team. He retired the three U.S. batters he faced and struck out two. Francis earned high praise from future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn for the way he dominated Anaheim prospect Dallas McPherson, the No. 3 batter who has hit 28 home runs this season at Class AA Arkansas and Class AAA Salt Lake. "Francis was the most impressive guy to me," Gwynn said. "Same arm angle. Two kinds of breaking balls. Two kinds of fastballs. One ran in, one came straight; one sunk and then went back. (McPherson) was launching balls in batting practice, and he just carved him up."

" ... The Detroit Tigers took [Kyle] Sleeth third overall in the 2003 draft ... he began this season at Class A Lakeland, where he went 5-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 starts. In his final nine games, Sleeth went 5-2 with a 2.64 ERA. "He's got good feel (for pitching), got good aptitude," Lakeland pitching coach Britt Burns said. "He's a quality kid. He listens, goes about his business, got with the program, so to speak, and went at it and competed poised and composed. "It just was refreshing to work with him in this day of sometimes overpaid athletes with some of the egos and stuff that goes along with it. That was not the case with Kyle Sleeth. He represented himself and his family quite well here." In three starts at Erie, Sleeth has gone 1-1 with a 7.41 ERA ...  One thing Sleeth no longer believes is something that haunted him in spring training and his first start for Lakeland. Namely, the circumstances of being a No. 1 draft pick who has received a huge bonus. "Having all the pressure, thinking all these guys probably got their eye on me," Sleeth said. "I said, 'If I keep going this way all year, my shoulder's going to weigh 150 pounds, and that's too much to carry on your back.' I just kind of pushed it aside and said, 'Forget it. This is no different than anywhere else I pitched.' " Sunday was entirely different. One batter, three pitches, tying run at third base and a save before going back to Erie and trying to implement what he has been working on in bullpen sessions. "I'm just looking at it as like a new start," Sleeth said."

    Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld, on a pair of prospects, one well-recognized, the other virtually unknown :

" ... Luis Soto - SS Red Sox - Age 18  ... Hanley who? The Red Sox are excited about the potential of Soto, a switch-hitting shortstop signed out of the Dominican Republic last November. He projects as a solid defender and he has plenty of power potential, so he could be one of the team’s top prospects a year from now."

" ... Ervin Santana  ...  the 21-year-old formerly known as Johan Santana has a very bright future ahead of him. He’s arguably the top pitching prospect in the AL. Santana was a skinny right-hander with a very good fastball when he was signed out of the Dominican Republic four years ago. He’s still pretty skinny, but he has added some weight to his 6-foot-2 frame, and he’s developed a mid-80s slider and a solid change to go along with his mid-90s heat. His command is only average now, but it will improve as he matures. Health is really the only question mark here. The Angels were especially careful with him this spring, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have more problems. Santana’s delivery, while hardly a pitching coach’s nightmare, puts plenty of stress on his arm ... Santana will have a very good chance of landing a rotation spot should the Angels leave one open next spring."

   Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Prince Fielder MIL : 

" ... Less than a year removed from earning MVP honors in the Class A Midwest League and only a couple of months past his 20th birthday, the 2002 first-round draft pick admitted to having his "ups and downs" at Class AA Huntsville. "I've never felt like I'm in over my head," said Fielder, who started at first base and hit a single Sunday for the USA team in the All-Star Futures Game ... Fielder is hitting .256 - 57 points lower than his final average at Beloit - though his run-production numbers are solid with 14 home runs and 46 RBI. "He's right where he needs to be," said Cecil Fielder ..."People like to compare us, but he's different," Cecil said. "He's not the same kind of hitter. He's got a different approach, which is good." ... Though Prince lost his share of pitcher-hitter battles in the first half at Huntsville, Cecil said he had detected no signs of discouragement. "He's a confident cat," said Cecil ...  "He's a big, strong dude. He's going to be a big-league player and a big-league player for a long time."

    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 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)