" ... Andy LaRoche was named the Player of the Week. In seven games he had 29 plate appearances and 12 hits for a .414 batting average. His hits included four homeruns and two doubles. He scored seven runs and collected eight RBI’s ...  The Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row was Chuck Tiffany. He recorded two wins and in 12 innings pitched allowed six hits, two runs and struck out 13 batters."  (Florida State League)

MIDWEST --  after a dismal first two weeks Jarrett Hoffpauir STL 3-5, double (now .279) ... Eric Haberer STL 6 9 6 5 3 2 (2.45) ... still trying to get it going Ian Gac (1B) TEX 1-4, 3rd E (.217) ... AJ Shappi ARZ, Pitcher of the Week

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Rogearvin Bernadina CF WAS, 2-3, 2 BB, 2 CS (3) ... Collin Balester WAS, 7 4 2 2 1 3 (W, 3-0, 1.61) ... Travis Denker DH LA, 2-3, R gm1, 0-3, 2 SO gm2 ... Andrew Dobies BOS, 5-2/3 8 2 2 1 6 (W, 3-0, 2.08) ... Neil Walker C/DH PIT, 0-2, BB, SO gm1, 2-4, RBI, 2 R gm2 ... Brian Bixler SS PIT, 2-2 gm1, 0-4, SO gm2 ... Kyle Bloom PIT, 5 4 0 0 1 5 (W, 1-0, 0.49) ... Jose Sanchez BAL, 5-2/3 3 1 0 2 5 (W, 4-0, 2.45) ... Ching-Lung Lo COL, 7 5 1 1 0 9 (W, 1-1, 1.17) ... Jason Jaramillo C PHI, 1-3, 3B, 2 BB, 2 R ... Sean Gamble LF PHI, 2-4, 3 R ... Jonathan Fulton 3B FLA, 4-4, 2B, RBI ... Hunter Pence CF HOU, 2-5 ... Mitch Einertson LF HOU, 1-4, RBI

  Troop Movements ...  CHN - Roberto Novoa up (Jon Leicester to AAA) ... ANA - Maicer Izturis to DL, David Matranga up ... STL - Carmen Cali back up (Jason Isringhausen to DL) ... SF - Scott Munter up (Armando Benitez to DL) ...

   Dayn Perry, FoxSports, moves on to check out the second base prospects.  Rickie Weeks sits atop the listing with a pair of former shortstops ranking 2-3 :

" ... 2. Dustin Pedroia ...  Sox's top pick (65th overall) of the 2004 draft figures to be quite a hitter. None of his tools wows scouts, but he destroyed Pac-10 pitching during his junior season at Arizona State and kept it up after signing. He projects to have good power, an ability to hit for average and excellent plate discipline. This season is the first at second base for the converted shortstop, and in the early going he's putting up big numbers for AA-Portland. He could be the starting second baseman in Boston next season."

" ... 3. Ian Kinsler ...  17th-round pick in 2003 out of the University of Missouri, put together a tremendous season in 2004. Last season, Kinsler batted .401 AVG/.465 OBP/.687 SLG at Low-A Clinton. Clinton is a pretty fair hitter's park and the Midwest League shouldn't be especially challenging for a college-trained hitter, but Kinsler was still impressive after a promotion to AA-Frisco, where he hit .300 AVG/.400 OBP/.480 SLG. Between the two levels, Kinsler logged 51 doubles on the season, which points to developing home run power. This season, he's been converted from shortstop to second base and is off to a hot start at AAA-Oklahoma. His development will likely allow the Rangers to part ways with Alfonso Soriano before next season."

   Jim Callis, Baseball America, on Anibal Sanchez BOS :

" ...  missed all of 2003 after having surgery to transpose a nerve in his elbow. He came back in 2004 to lead the short-season New York-Penn League in ERA (1.77) and strikeouts (101 in 76 innings) while ranking as the circuit's top pitching prospect. He hasn't missed a beat despite jumping two levels to high Class A this year, going 1-1, 3.86 with a 28-1 strikeout-walk ratio in 14 innings ...  Sanchez' velocity has surged along with his prospect status. He pitched in the high 80s in Venezuela, but his fastball jumped to the mid-90s last year. He also has good life on his heater and can throw it for strikes to both sides of the plate. His curveball and changeup have their moments, though like most young pitchers he still needs to gain more consistency with his secondary pitches. If he does that, he definitely could pitch at the front of a rotation. Sanchez is on the fast track, as evidenced by skipping a level this year. He's still just 21, so realistically he's at least two years from the majors."

   Adam Miller CLE, the first steps on the road back :

" ...  Miller, regarded as the Indians' top pitching prospect, has started a throwing program. He was sidelined for six weeks after suffering a torn right elbow ligament in late February. "He began an interval throwing program Friday," trainer Lonnie Soloff said. "He will throw every other day. He's now out to 80 feet. Eventually, he will get to the mound." The interval throwing program is scheduled to last four to six weeks. Miller, 20, was 10-6 with 152 strikeouts in 134 innings at Class A Lake County and Class A Kinston last season. He touched 101 miles per hour several times on the radar gun."  (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

   Cubs' 12th rounder quite a hit :

" ... Look out for Cubs righthander Sean Gallagher. A 2004 12th-round selection out of St. Thomas Aquinas High in Ft. Lauderdale, Gallagher struck out 10 in 6 1/3 shutout innings on the heels of six no-hit innings in his previous start. In four starts, Gallagher has yet to give up an earned run, allowing 10 hits in 23 innings with an impressive 27-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. "He's a bulldog--you just don't see many kids his age with three pitches they can throw for strikes," said Cubs farm director Oneri Fleita, referring to Gallagher's low-90s fastball, tight breaking ball and surprisingly advanced changeup."  (Baseball America, Daily Dish)

   Ezequiel Astacio HOU, next in line for a starting role :

" ... Astacio ... will have to wait until next week to make his major-league debut. Astacio, 25, arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday evening but will be sent back to Round Rock ...  He's scheduled to start for the Astros on Tuesday against the Pirates at Minute Maid Park ...  Astacio will replace Brandon Duckworth in the rotation ...  Astacio, acquired with Duckworth and Taylor Buchholz in the Billy Wagner trade with the Phillies prior to last season, was 0-3 with a 4.63 ERA in four starts at Round Rock. He pitched well this spring."  (Houston Chronicle)

  John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall.com, on Hayden Penn BAL :

" ...  A fifth-round pick out of a California high school in '02, Penn pitched very well last year, but his status in the public prospect mind was hurt by the fact that he split the year at three levels, thus breaking up his stat line ...  Penn posted a solid 122/48 K/BB ratio in 137 innings last year, but he split that up between three levels, so it doesn't attract as much notice. Penn is in Double-A this year, and has a 1.64 ERA with 30/5 K/BB in 22 innings, allowing just 14 hits. He's improving his curveball and changeup to go with his low-90s fastball, and at age 20 is young for the level."

27 April, 2005

    INTERNATIONAL --  Stephen Smitherman LF CIN 2-4, 2 2B ... T.J. Pena SS ATL 2-4, 2B, 1st HR, R, 4 RBI ... Ryan Howard 1B PHI 2-4, 2B, 3rd HR, R, 2 RBI ... Aaron Hill SS TOR 2-5, 2B, 3rd HR, R, RBI ... Eric Crozier 1B TOR 1-4, 4th HR, R, RBI ... John-Ford Griffin DH TOR 2-5, 5th HR, R, 5 RBI ... Gabe Gross LF TOR 2-4, 2B, 2 R, BB ... Brandon League TOR 4 8 6 6 1 3 ... B.J. Upton SS TB 3-5, 1st HR, 2 R, RBI, 0 errors ... Chris Shelton 1B DET 2-6, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Brandon Phillips SS CLE 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, HBP ... Ryan Garko C CLE 3-4, 2B, 3B, 2nd HR, 3 R, RBI ... Kyle Denney CLE 4-1/3 10 6 6 1 2 ... Ryan Doumit C PIT 2-3, BB ... Angel Pagan CF NYN 1-4, 2nd HR, R, RBI, 2 BB ... Ramon Martinez DET, rehab, 6-6

PACIFIC COAST --  Dave Krynzel MIL 2-5, double … Corey Hart MIL 2-5, double … Brad Nelson MIL 3-4, double, triple, 2 runs … Josh Barfield SD 1-4, homer, 2 RBI … Ben Johnson SD 2-4, double, 3 RBI … Casey Kotchman ANA 2-5, 4 RBI … Adam Kennedy ANA 3-4, double, 2 runs … Jeff Mathis ANA 1-1, SB, RBI … Brad Baker SD 2/3 3 4 4 1 1, (BS, 2), (L, 0-1) … Ian Kinsler TEX 1-5, 2 RBI … Adrian Gonzalez TEX 2-5 … Esteban German TEX 4-5, homer, 5 RBI, 3 runs … Josh Willingham FLO 2-4, double … Carlos Quentin ARI 2-4, SB (3), 2 runs … Conor Jackson ARI 3-4, triple, 2 runs … Josh Kroeger ARI 1-4, RBI … Todd Linden SF 2-4 … Franquelis Osoria LA 1 2 0 0 0 0 … Brendan Harris WAS 0-4 … Tommy Whiteman SS HOU 2-4, 2 RBI … Taylor Buchholz HOU 5 5 1 1 1 1, 5.40 … Mark Teahen KC 0-4, 3K … Eric Duncan STL 3-4, run … John Gall STL 1-3, walk, run … Carmen Cali STL 1 1 0 0 0 0, 2.25 … Justin Huisman KC 2-1/3 0 0 0 0 0, 3.27 … Michael Morse SEA 2-5, RBI … Chris Snelling SEA 5-6, double, homer, 4 RBI … Choo Freeman COL 3-4, 2 runs … Dustan Mohr COL 1-5, double, RBI, run ... Rickie Weeks out of the lineup again :

" ... Going into [Monday night] first baseman Prince Fielder and second baseman Rickie Weeks had played every inning of every game. But Weeks got the night off and Fielder was replaced after the fifth, when he failed to slide at the plate and was tagged out." (Nashville Tennessean)

EASTERN --  Dustin Pedroia 2B BOS 2-7, 2B (6), HR (2), 5 RBI (15), 2 BB, .350 AVG ... Hanley Ramirez SS BOS 1-6, .300 AVG ... Brandon Moss OF BOS 2-7, .220 AVG … Christopher Durbin OF BOS 1-5, 2 RBI (10), .341 AVG … Jared Sandberg 3B BOS 2-6, .302 AVG … Brad Eldred 1B PIT 1-2, HR (7), RBI (14), .290 AVG … Eric Duncan 3B NYA 1-4, .203 AVG … Michael Aubery 1B CLE 1-4, 2B (3), RBI (8), .250 AVG ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-3, RBI (7), .255 AVG … Tony Giarratano SS DET 0-1, .238 AVG … Daniel Ortmeier OF SF 1-3, RBI (10), 2 SB (6), .229 AVG … Fred Lewis OF SF 1-4, RBI, .261 AVG … Jonathan Lester BOS 6 9 5 5 2 3, 5.68 ERA … Matt Lindstrom NYN 3 3 3 3 6 4 , 3.45 ERA … Jake Dittler CLE 7 9 1 1 2 2, W (2), 2.22 ERA

SOUTHERN --  Joel  Guzman LA 1-4, 4th homer, .294 ... James Loney LA 1-4, 4th homer ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 2-5, 7th & 8th homers, 3 RBI, .250 ... Kevin Howard 2B CIN 4-4, 2 doubles, .412 ... Matt Murton CHN 0-4, 2 Ks, .438

TEXAS --  Erick Aybar ANA 1-4, 2RBI, .274 ... Donald Murphy KC 3-5, 2R, .308 ... Justin Huber KC 4-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI, .369 ... Mark Kiger (2B) OAK 3-6, R, 2B, 2RBI, .268 ... More Signs of Life - Omar Quintanilla OAK 4-4, 2R, 2B, HR, 5RBI, .254 ... TJ Bohn SEA 1-4, 2RBI, .338 ... Steven Bondurant OAK (W,3-0) 7 2 1 1 1 8, 2.88 ... Kevin Estrada (2B) STL 3-4, R, SB, .317 ... Corey Slavik (3B) COL 2-4, R, .324 ... Jonathan Asahina COL 7 5 1 1 1 1, 2.66 ... Dax Norris (1B) HOU 3-3, R, 2B, 3RBI, .231 ... Joaquin Arias TX 1-3, .197 ... Tim McClaskey HOU (W,1-2) 7 7 0 0 0 3, 2.96

CALIFORNIA --  Jeff Niemann TB 5 1 0 0 1 10 ... Richie Robnett OAK 1-3, 2nd homer  ... Billy Butler 3B KC 2-5, 4th double, 6th homer, 4 RBI, 3 Ks, .370 ...  Mitch Maier RF KC 3-5, double, .366 ... Chris Lubanski KC 0-4, .169 ... John Danks TEX 5 6 2 2 2 5, 1.74 ...

CAROLINA --  Nick Markakis BAL 1-4, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, K ... Robert Valido CHA 0-4, R, BB, K ... Micah Schnurstein CHA 0-3, R, BB, K ... Thomas Collaro CHA 1-4, R, HR (7), 3 RBI (19), 2 K, .368 ... didn't even make Baseball America organizational top 30, but hard to ignore ... Chris Amador CHA (22 yrs 2B/SS) 2-4, 2 R, 2 HR (7), 2 RBI (18), K, .370 ... Kory Casto WAS 2-3, 2 R, 2 HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 BB, .309 ... Ervin Alcantara HOU 1-3, R, 2B, BB ... Martin Prado ATL 2-4, R, BB ... Josh Burrus ATL 1-5, 3 K, .324 ... Matt Esquivel ATL 1-4, RBI, K, .309 ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 1-3, R, HR (3), RBI, BB, K ... Mitch Talbot HOU 6 4 1 1 0 8 ... Javier Guzman PIT 0-3, K ... Craig Stansberry PIT 1-4, K ... Brad Snyder CLE 1-4, BB, K ... Kevin Kouzmanoff CLE 2-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, .368 ... Ryan Goleski CLE 0-2, 3 BB, K ... Nathan Panther CLE 3-5, R, 2B, HR (5), 4 RBI ... Jeremy Sowers CLE (W, 3-1, 2.91) 5 0 0 0 0 8

FLORIDA STATE --  Cody Haerther STL DH 2-4 2 doubles 2R RBI … Chris Lambert STL 5 5 1 1 1 4 W … Vincent Blue CF DET 2-5 2B RBI … David Smith RF TOR 3-4 2B R RBI … Adam Lind LF TOR 2-3 R 2RBI SB(1) … Ryan Bear 1B FLO 3-4 R RBI … Michael Tucker DH FLO 2-5 2HR(2) … Andy LaRoche 3B LA 3-5 R SB(1) … Cory Dunlap DH LA 2-4 HR(2) 4RBI

MIDWEST --  what a follow-up to his 6 inning no-hit effort Sean Gallagher CHN 6-1/3  2 0 0 1 10 ... Ryan Harvey CHN 2-6 (.309) ... Justin Justice DET 0-7, 5 K's ... Raul Padron (at DH) OAK 0-3

SOUTH ATLANTIC --  Chris Nelson SS COL, 0-2, RBI ... Sam Deduno COL, 6 6 1 0 4 8 (W, 4-0, 1.17) ... Greg Golson CF PHI, 2-4, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 R ... Sean Gamble LF PHI, 2-4, HR (1), 2B, RBI, BB ... Adam Brandenburg FLA, 3-2/3, 5 4 4 3 5 ... Jai Miller CF FLA, 1-3, HR (2), 2 RBI ... Rogearvin Bernadina CF WAS, 1-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 BB ... Daryl Thompson WAS, 6 3 0 0 0 6 (W, 1-1, 2.29) ... Luis Atilano ATL, 5 11 7 6 2 3 (L, 1-2, 3.32) ... Jonathan Poterson RF NYA, 1-4, RBI ... Philip Hughes NYA, 5 2 0 0 2 8 (W, 1-1, 1.40) ... Marcus Sanders SS SF, 1-5, R, 3 SO ... Ray Liotta CHA, 7 6 1 1 1 8 ... Mitch Einertson HOU 3-4, double ... Jimmy Barthmeier 2-2/3 6 2 2 2 5, 1.53

  Troop Movements ... SEA - Jamal Strong suspended 10 games (drugs) ... BOS - Lenny DiNardo up (David Wells DL) ... CHN - Will Ohman up (Chad Fox DL) ... COL - Garrett Atkins activated from DL (Jeff Baker to AAA) ... NYN - purchased the contract of reliever Royce Ring (Mike Matthews designated for assignment)  ... TOR - Ken Huckaby up (Greg Myers released) ... SF -- Jerome Williams to AAA (Al Levine up) ...

   Kevin Goldstein, Baseball America, goes with three young starters to top the latest Prospect Hot Sheet :

" ... 1. Gio Gonzalez, lhp, White Sox  ... has struck out at least nine in all four of his starts this year, amassing a minor league-leading 38 in just 22 innings while limiting opposing batters to a .151 batting average. Yet another good sign: righties haven't stood a chance against him so far, going 8-for-57 with 29 whiffs."

JD Martin CLE and Brian Bannister NYN ranked 2-3 with ANA 2B Howie Kendrick at No. 4 :

" ...   Leading the California League in batting (.417), runs (25), hits (35) and total bases (55), Kendrick has now gone 73 games without back-to-back hitless games, going back to May of last season."

   Yankees hope they have some help on the way :

" ... With Chien-Ming Wang, a 25-year-old right-hander from Taiwan, on the way to take Wright's spot and face the Blue Jays on Saturday ... for Wang, who was 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts for the Clippers, pitching coaches throughout the organization believe he can help the Yankees survive the loss of Wright. "The two biggest things are that he throws strikes and isn't afraid of bat contact," Columbus pitching coach Gil Patterson said last night. "And stuff around him doesn't bother him. If a guy makes an error he says it's his job to make a pitch. I don't anticipate him throwing any different there than he has here. I anticipate him throwing very well." Wang was hit on the left hand and right leg by batted balls in a start on Friday for Columbus, but has shaken the blows off. What separates Wang from other pitchers who have come through the Yankees system is that he can fire off a 94-mph fastball. "His next pitch is a slider, but he has a change-up and split-fingered fastball," Patterson said. "If the slider is on, it can be a big help. He can throw it down and away to right-handers and we have been working on a back-door to lefties. He has four pitches and I would guess all four are major league caliber."   (New York Post)

   From Baseball America good news for the Mets :

" ...  the two biggest names on the high Class A St. Lucie roster will be returning soon, according to team officials. Outfielder Lastings Milledge, who injured his hand last Thursday diving for a ball, is expected to return to the lineup later this week, while righthander Philip Humber, the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft, will get the start tomorrow after missing two weeks with a strained abdominal muscle."

   The Morales mess ... now some optimism :

" ... The Angels are cautiously optimistic that Kendry Morales could be on his way to the United States within days. "Hopefully, we'll have some good news by the end of the week," Tony Reagins, the Angels' minor league director, said Monday. Morales defected from Cuba last summer and moved to the Dominican Republic. The Angels signed him to a six-year contract in December, with a $3-million bonus that he already has cashed, but he has missed all of spring training and the start of the minor league season while awaiting clearance to travel to the U.S."  (LA Times)

   John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall.com, with some reviews of pitching prospects from the college ranks :

" ... Thomas Diamond ...  Four games, 4 starts, 21.1 innings for Bakersfield in the California League. 24/5 K/BB ratio, 13 hits allowed, 5 runs for a 2.11 ERA. He is 3-0. Diamond is pitching brilliantly, showing both power stuff and fine command. Before the draft, there were some teams who doubted his control, and worried that he didn't face exceptional competition pitching college ball at New Orleans. Those doubts have been dispelled; his command has been fine, and his stuff ranks right up there with more-heralded guys like Verlander or the Rice trio."

" ... Chris Lambert ... Three games, 3 starts, 15 innings for Class A Palm Beach in the Florida State League. 16/4 K/BB 12 hits, 5 runs for a 3.00 ERA. Lambert is pitching quite well, all of his ratios are above average. He was considered somewhat raw for a college pitcher when drafted, due to inconsistent mechanics and a shaky changeup. His command has been good so far this year, but he may not be pushed as quickly as some of the other college guys."

" ... Glen Perkins ...  One game, 1 start for Class A Fort Myers in the FSL, making his first start last Thursday after coming over from extended spring training. Perkins pitched 3 shutout innings, fanning 4 while walking no one and allowing no runs and just 2 hits. Good start to his season. Perkins was impressive in the Midwest League last year after signing. He should see Double-A later this summer. He has reached his physical ceiling at 88-92 MPH, but he changes speeds and throws strikes very effectively."

26 April, 2005

    INTERNATIONAL -- Edwin Encarnacion 3B CIN 2-3, BB ... just need to lose the walks, Steve Kelly CIN 6 2 1 1 6 4 ... Kelly Johnson CF ATL 2-2, 4th HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, HBP ... T.J. Pena SS ATL 2-4, R ... Carlos Ruiz C PHI 2-3, BB ... Francisco Rosario TOR 6 5 4 2 2 2 ... B.J. Upton SS TB 1-5, 3B, R, RBI, 0 errors ... Joey Gathright CF TB 2-5, 2B, R, SB ... Kenny Baugh DET 6 4 1 1 3 4 ... good outing, Ian Snell PIT 6-1/3 2 0 0 3 4 ... Jeff Keppinger 3B NYN 2-5, 2B, 1st HR, R, RBI ... mashing it, Craig Brazell DH NYN 2-5, 4th & 5th HRs, 2 R, 3 RBI ... Bob Keppel NYN 5 4 3 3 2 4 ... Brian Anderson RF CHA 2-4, 2B ... Robinson Cano 2B NYA 2-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

PACIFIC COAST --  Dave Krynzel MIL 1-3, run … Prince Fielder 1-1, double, 2 walks, SB (1) … Brendan Harris WAS 2-4, run, RBI … Larry Broadway 0-4, K … Todd Self HOU 3-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 2 runs … Ken Harvey KC 3-4, RBI … Eric Duncan STL 0-4 … Adam Wainwright STL 7 5 2 1 0 7, (L, 2-1) 2.00 … Brad Thompson STL 1 1 0 0 0 1, 3.65 … Casey Kotchman ANA 3-6, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 runs … Adam Kennedy ANA 3-4, 2 walks, 2 runs, SB … Jeff Mathis ANA 2-6, double, 3 RBI, SB (1), .370 … Jon Knott SD 2-4, double, homer, 4 RBI … Ian Kinsler TEX 3-6, double, homer, 3 RBI … Jason Botts TEX 1-3, homer, 2 walks … Marshall McDougall TEX 1-4, homer, 2 walks, SB (3), .315 … Adrian Gonzalez TEX 2-5 … Randy Messenger FLO 2-1/3 2 0 0 1 4 … Choo Freeman COL 1-3, homer, 2 RBI, 2 walks … Felix Hernandez SEA 5 4 1 1 4 6, (W, 2-2), 1.64 … Carlos Quentin ARI 1-4, walk, run, SB (1) … Conor Jackson ARI 2-3, double, RBI … Sergio Santos ARI 1-4, K … Josh Kroeger 1-4, K … Todd Linden SF 1-2, homer, 2 walks … Patrick Misch SF 6 3 0 0 2 6, 3.05, dropped his ERA by a whole point, great game for the young lefty … Dioner Navarro LA 2-4, K … Willy Aybar LA 1-4, 2 RBI, 2K ... Chris Snelling LF SEA 3-5, double, homer, walk, 3 RBI, .448 ... 

EASTERN -- Michael Aubery 1B CLE 0-2, RBI (4), .250 AVG ... Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-4, 2B (3), RBI (6), .262 AVG … Tony Giarratano SS DET 0-2, .250 AVG … Jeremy Johnson DET 5-1/3 5 3 3 4 5, 1.57 ERA … Cameron Reimers TOR 2-2/3 7 6 6 1 2, 5.31 ERA … Fausto Carmona CLE 7 9 2 2 2 1, 3.96 ERA … Eric Dubose BAL 7 1 1 1 2 6, 1.29 ERA

SOUTHERN --  Scott Olsen FLO 6 2 2 2 3 8, 3.05 ... Robert Andino SS FLO 3-5, double, .384 ... ooops Travis Chick SD 2-2/3 7 8 7 2 3, 9.35 ... Richie Gardner CIN 6 7 2 2 1 5 ... Norris Hopper LF CIN 4-4, homer, 5 RBI ... Delmon Young TB 2-4, 3rd homer, 7th & 8th SBs ... Felix Pie CHN 3-5, double, triple, 2 RBI, .356 ... Matt Murton CHN 2-5, .464 ...  Rich Hill CHN 7 3 1 1 1 14, 5.82 ... Manny Parra MIL 6 7 0 0 1 4 ... Brian McCann ATL, 0-0, removed for PH in the 2nd 

TEXAS --  Wow - Andre Ethier OAK 2-5, R, HR(5), 5RBI(19), .409 ... don't forget about - Brant Colamarino OAK 2-4, R, 2B, .394 ... Brian Stavisky (DH) OAK 3-4, R, 2B, .281 ... A Tough Start - Omar Quintanilla (SS) OAK 1-4, R, .209 ... A Bit Under the Radar? - TJ Bohn SEA 2-4, 2 2B, .344 ... Mike Nickeas (C) TX 2-4, .146 ... Jace Brewer (2B) TX 2-3, R, 2B, .394 ... Jason Hart (1B) TX 1-4, R, HR(5), RBI(13), .265 ... Another Wow - Josh Anderson HOU 3-5, R, SB(12), .359 ... Ray Navarrete (2B) HOU 2-3, 2R, RBI, .288 ... Charlton Jimerson (RF) HOU 2-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI, .235 ... Dax Norris (1B) HOU 2-4, 2R, 2HR, 4RBI, .194 ... Oops - Tyler Minges STL 0-3, R, .393 ... Shaun Boyd (PH) STL 1-1, 2B, 3RBI, .302 ... Reggie Willits ANA 1-5, 2R, SB(10), .413 ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 3-5, 2B, 3RBI, .315 ... Erick Aybar ANA 2-3, 2R, RBI, 276 ... David Gates (LF) ANA 2-5, R, 3RBI(23), .296 ... Doug Bernier (SS) COL 2-4, R, RBI, .375 ... Oscar Alvarez STL (W,2-1) 6 3 1 1 2 3, 1.85 ... Josh Kinney STL (S,6) 2 1 0 0 1 1, 0.75 ... Donnie Murphy (2B) KC 2-5, R 2B, RBI, .283 ... Oops - Justin Huber KC 0-4, SB, .328 ... Cory Aldridge (RF) KC 3-5, 2 2B, RBI, .278 ... Shane Costa (LF) KC 2-4, R, HR, RBI, .230 ... Ervin Santana ANA (W,4-0) 5 6 4 3 3 5, 1.48

CALIFORNIA -- BJ Garbe, trying to make it in the SEA system, 2-4, triple, homer, .206 ... Richie Robnett CF OAK 2-4, 1st homer ... Daric Barton OAK 1-5, .256 ... Eddy Martinez-Esteve DH SF 2-4, 3rd homer, .344 ... COL lefty Sandy Nin 6 3 0 0 0 6, 1.35 ... Howie Kendrick ANA 3-5, double, .417 ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-5, .307 ... Matt Brown 3B ANA 3-5, double, 2 RBI, .338 ... George Kottaras C SD 2-4, 2 RBI, .340 ... 

CAROLINA --  No games scheduled.

FLORIDA STATE -- Brent Clevlen RF DET 2-4 HR(6) 4RBI … Vincent Blue CF DET 2-4 2B 2R 2RBI … Virgil Vasquez DET 9 5 0 0 1 2 W … Chin-lung Hu SS LA 2-4 2 doubles R … Bobby Basham CIN 3 3 2 2 0 3 L … Brendan Ryan SS STL 3-5 HR(1) 2R 2RBI … Matt Moses 3B MIN 1-4 2B R … Jake Blalock LF PHI 2-4 … Scott Moore 3B CHN 3-4 2B HR(5) … Carlos Marmol CHN 7-2/3 5 2 2 2 9 W

MIDWEST --  John Purdom 3B CIN 4-5, 2 doubles, homer, walk, 4 RBI ... Phil Gentry RF CIN 3-5, 2 doubles, walk, 4 runs ...  Tom Vincent RF SD 2-3, walk, .426 ... Brett Dowdy 3B SD 3-4 & 0-4 ... Matt Bush SS SD 0-3, .206 ...  Sean Rodriguez SS ANA 3-4, double, triple & 1-3 ... Ryan Harvey CHN 2-4, 4th homer, 4 RBI & 1-4 ... Eric Patterson 2B CHN 2-2, walk, double, 3 RBI, .489 ... Javier Herrera CF OAK 2-4, walk, 3 RBI ...  Jay Rainville MIN 5-1/3 2 0 0 3 3 ...

SOUTH ATLANTIC -- Alcides Escobar SS MIL, 2-5, SB (3) & 0-3 ... Hernan Iribarren 2B MIL, 2-5, RBI & 0-3  ... Mark Rogers MIL, 2-1/3 1 0 0 1 3 ... Ambiorix Concepcion CF NYN, 1-3, R, BB ... Carlos Perez BAL, 5 5 2 1 4 6 ... Jonathan Poterson RF NYA, 1-4, RBI ... Jeff Marquez NYA, 7 4 2 0 3 5 (W, 1-3, 5.60) ... 

  Troop Movements ... CIN - Phil Dumatrait to AA ... WAS -- Jon Rauch up ... 

   FLO righty Yorman Bazardo wins honours in the Southern League :

"  ...  Bazardo becomes the second Mudcats’ pitcher in as many weeks named the BC Pitcher of the Week, joining last week’s winner Scott Olsen. On April 18 at BellSouth Park in Chattanooga, TN, Bazardo pitched six innings, allowing only one earned run in Carolina’s 7-2 victory. The 20-year-old from Maracay, Venezuela also did some damage at the plate, collecting his first pro hit with a double in the fourth inning. In his second start of the week on April 23 at home against the Tennessee Smokies, Bazardo was even better, carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning and a no-hitter into the eighth, before surrendering the first hit of the evening on a Jon Zeringue double. Bazardo was removed from the game after the eighth and finished the night allowing only two hits and two earned runs to go along with four strikeouts in the Mudcats’ 8-2 victory." (Southern League)

   Jays' Josh Banks the Pitcher of the Week in the Eastern League :

" ...  In a pair of starts last week, the 22-year old went 2-0 with 14 strikeouts and a 1.32 ERA. In his first start of the week the 6’3”, 195 lb. hurler gave up one run on three hits while striking out six batters in 6.2 innings of work to pick up a win ... was equally impressive in his second start of the week, striking out eight batters and giving up just one run on two hits in seven innings of work ... selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round of the June 2003 draft." (Eastern League)

   Aaron Fitt, Baseball America, on Matt Moses MIN :

" ... Moses, a first-round pick ...  in 2003, appears to have fully recovered from the bulged disc in his back that limited him to 29 games last year ...  "He has some real life off of that bat," manager Riccardo Ingram said. "The ball jumps off the bat to all fields. He's a lefthanded hitter, has real good hand-eye coordination, and if it's a hittable pitch in the zone, he puts the barrel on the ball, and that's not something you can teach. That's a positive for him. His mechanics are sound enough, but it goes back to hand-eye coordination, and he has that natural ability. He's a very strong kid too, his strength surprised me ... .415/.475/.755 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 53 at-bats."

   From BA's Daily Dish a note on LA 3B Andy LaRoche :

" ... LaRoche homered for the fifth time in eight games Saturday night and is now hitting .329-5-14 overall, ranking second in the Florida State League in both hits (24) and total bases (46). A 2003 39th-round pick who received a $1 million bonus, LaRoche hit 23 home runs last season while splitting time between the Dodgers two Class A affiliates."

25 April, 2005

    INTERNATIONAL -- Dane Sardinha C CIN 2-3, 2B, BB ... Elizardo Ramirez CIN 6 7 3 3 2 3 ... Shane Victorino CF PHI 2-4, 2B, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI ... Gabe Gross LF TOR 2-4, R ... B.J. Upton SS TB 0-3, 1 error ... Brandon Phillips SS CLE 1-3, R & 2-3, 2B, R ... Francisco Cruceta CLE 6 6 0 0 1 4 ... Brian Tallet CLE 4 2 0 0 0 3 ... Chris Narveson BOS 5 1 0 0 1 2 ... Abe Alvarez BOS 5 5 3 3 0 1 ... Nate McLouth LF PIT 2-4, 2B, 3B, R, 3 RBI ... Cory Stewart PIT 6 5 1 1 3 5 ... Jeff Keppinger 2B NYN 3-6, 2 R, RBI ... Craig Brazell DH NYN 2-5, 2B, 3rd HR, R, RBI ... Brian Anderson CF CHA 3-4, 2B, 3B, 3rd HR, 3 R, 3 RBI ... Brandon McCarthy CHA 6 7 2 1 2 8 ... Robinson Cano 2B NYA 3-5, RBI ... Ramon Ramirez NYA 4-1/3 5 4 4 3 4 ... Terry Tiffee 3B & 1B MIN 2-3, 2nd HR, R, 2 RBI ... Boof Bonser MIN 7 4 3 3 1 3

PACIFIC COAST -- Richard Lewis CHN 3-4, 2 runs … Rickie Weeks MIL 2-3 &, RBI & 0-4, 2K … Prince Fielder MIL 1-2, walk, run & 2-2, walk … Dave Krynzel MIL 0-4, 2K & 1-3, double, 2K … Brad Nelson MIL 1-3, double & 0-2, walk … Corey Hart MIL 0-2 … Sergio Mitre CHN 4-2/3 7 3 3 1 4, 4.57 … Renyel Pinto CHN 4 3 2 2 5 4 … Jermaine Van Buren CHN 1 0 0 0 1 1, 1.00 … Brendan Harris WAS 1-5, RBI … Larry Broadway WAS 1-3, 2 walks, SB … Brooks Conrad HOU 2-4 … Jared Gothreaux HOU 6 5 1 1 1 4, 2.52 … Ken Harvey KC 2-3 … Chris Duncan STL 2-4, double … John Gall STL 2-5, 2 RBI … Carmen Cali STL 1-2/3 3 2 2 0 1, (BS, 1)(L, 0-1) … Ian Kinsler TEX 2-4, double, homer, 2 RBI, .266 … Adrian Gonzalez TEX 3-4, 3 homers, 5 RBI … Marshall McDougall TEX 2-5, double, homer … Josh Willingham FLO 0-3 … Cameron Loe TEX 7 9 3 3 0 5, (W, 2-0) … Josh Barfield SD 1-5, SB, 2K … Casey Kotchman ANA 0-4 … Jeff Mathis ANA 2-5, run … move over Chone Figgins!! Adam Kennedy ANA 1-5, RBI … Tim Stauffer SD 6 7 3 1 1 2, (W, 2-0, 2.16) … Brad Baker SD 1 0 0 0 2 1, (S, 5, 3.38) … Dioner Navarro LA 0-3, walk … Franquelis Osoria LA 2 3 0 0 0 3, 4.85 … Dan Meyer OAK 5 5 1 1 2 5, 6.00 … Carlos Quentin ARI 4-5, double … Josh Kroeger ARI 1-4, RBI … Conor Jackson ARI 1-4, double … Todd Linden SF 1-3, homer, 2 runs … Brad Hennessey SF 7 9 2 2 1 1, 2.45

EASTERN -- Eric Duncan 3B NYA 2-4, HR, 2 RBI (7), .200 AVG … Daniel Ortmeier OF SF 2-5, 2 RBI (9), .224 AVG … Fred Lewis OF SF 2-5, 2B (4), .262 AVG … Josh Banks TOR 7 2 1 1 0 8, W (3), 1.40 ERA … Vance Perkins TOR 5 3 2 2 3 1, 2.70 ERA …  Yusmerio Petit NYN 4-2/3 4 2 0 0 5, 2.93 ERA … Matthew DeSalvo NYA 5-2/3 2 0 0 5 6, W, 3.79 ERA

SOUTHERN --  Jeremy Hermida FLO 1-1, 5th homer ... Delmon Young TB 0-4, .288 ... Bobby Jenks CHA, 7th Save, 1 0 0 0 1 2 ... Ricky Nolasco CHN, 7 4 1 1 1 7

TEXAS -- Shaun Boyd STL 3-4, 2B, RBI, .290 ... Still on a Tear - Tyler Minges STL 3-5 2R, 2B, .414 ... Travis Hanson STL 2-3, R, .242 ... Jeff Salazar COL 4-5, 318 ... On Fire - Ryan Spilborghs (RF) COL 4-4, 3R, 2 3B, 6 RBI, .383 ... Doug Bernier (SS) COL 3-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, .361 ... And the Hits Keep on Comin' - Reggie Willits ANA 3-5, R, 2B, RBI, 2SB (9) , .429 ... His Help is Much Needed in KC - Justin Huber KC 2-4, 2R, 2HR, 4RBI, .351 ... Oops - Andre Ethier OAK 0-5, .410 ... Brant Colamarino OAK 2-5, 2B, 2RBI, .388 ... Andrew Beattie (CF) OAK 2-3, 2RBI, .295 ... Nathan Espy (1B) SEA 3-6, R, .305 ... Tryin' to dig out? - Joaquin Arias TX 1-5, R, HR, 2RBI, .190 ... Josh Rupe TX (W,2-0) 7 6 0 0 2 3, 0.75

CALIFORNIA --  Jud Thigpen COL 1-5, 2nd homer, 2 RBI, .400 ... Thomas Diamond TEX 6 1 0 0 1 5, 3-0, 2.11 ... Daric Barton OAK 1-3, 2nd homer ...  Chris Carter 1B ARZ 3-4, double, homer, 4 RBI ... Howie Kendrick ANA 2-4, .405 ... Brandon Wood ANA 3-5, double, 8th homer, 2 RBI, .314 ... JP Howell KC 5 6 1 1 3 5 0 2.11 ... Fernando Valenzuela Jr. 1B SD 3-5, double, 3rd homer, .389 

CAROLINA -- Javier Guzman PIT 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, K ... Craig Stansberry PIT 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB ... Wardell Starling PIT (W, 2-1, 3.38) 5-2/3 2 0 0 2 4 ... Martin Prado ATL 2-4, R, K ... Josh Burrus ATL 2-4, 2 K ... Matt Esquivel ATL 1-4, RBI, K ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 0-2, 2 K ... Nick Pesco CLE 7 3 1 1 0 8 (1.08) ... Robert Valido CHA 1-4, R, .360 ... Micah Schnurstein CHA 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K, .333 ... Thomas Collaro CHA 3-4, R, 2 RBI, .375 ... Dan Haigwood CHA (W, 2-1, 2.08) 5-2/3 4 0 0 2 7 ... Adam Loewen BAL 6 3 1 0 4 9 (3.38) 

FLORIDA STATE -- David Purcey TOR 5 5 2 2 2 5 W … Adam Lind LF TOR 5-6 2B 2R 3RBI  … David Smith RF TOR 3-5 2 doubles 3R 2RBI ... Russ Cleveland RF DET 3-5 HR(1) 2RBI … Vincent Blue CF DET 2-4 R SB(6) … Adam Bostick FLO 6 3 0 0 0 7 … Tyler Clippard NYA 6 1 0 0 3 8 W … John Urick 1B NYA 2-3 2HR(5) … Cody Haerther DH STL 2-4 R RBI … Matt Moses 3B MIN 3-4 HR(3) 2R 2RBI – Hitting .415 … Trent Oeltjen LF MIN 2-5 2B 3B R 3RBI … Timothy Moss 2B PHI 3-4 2 doubles 2R 3RBI SB(7) … Jake Blalock LF PHI 2-5 … Shawn Bowman 3B NYN 2-5 2B R RBI … Brett Harper DH NYN 3-5 HR(9) 2B 2R … Andy Wilson 1B NYN 2-5 2HR(4) … Greg Ramirez NYN 6 3 0 0 1 7 W … Scott Moore 3b CHN 1-4 HR(4)

MIDWEST --  Kyle Waldrop MIN 5-2/3 5 2 2 1 3,  2.78 ... Matt Tuiasosopo SS SEA 1-4, 2 Ks, .423 ... David Winfree 3B MIN 2-3, 2 RBI, .317 ...  Homer Bailey CIN 4 4 3 2 0 6, 5.79 ... Eric Hurley TEX 4 7 4 4 0 4, 2.57 ... 

SOUTH ATLANTIC -- Ben Zobrist SS HOU, 1-2, 2B, BB ... Hunter Pence LF HOU, 2-3, HR (5), 3B, 3 RBI gm1, 1-3 gm2 ... Mitch Einertson CF HOU, 0-3, SO gm1, 2-4, 3B, RBI gm2 ... Josh McCurdy LF BAL, 2-6, HR (2), 4 RBI ... Ambiorix Concepcion CF NYN,1-3,2 RBI, SB (6) ... Carlos Gomez RF NYN, 2-5, RBI, 2 SB (12) ... Travis Denker 2B LA, 1-2, HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 R ... Brandon Weeden LA, 5 4 0 0 3 4 (W, 1-1, 4.00) ... Matt Harrison ATL, 5-1/3 5 4 2 3 3 (L, 1-1, 0.86) ... Marcus Sanders SS SF, 0-2, 2 BB, SO, SB (12) ... Rogearvin Bernadina CF WAS, 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SO ... Edgardo Baez RF WAS, 3-3, HR (2), 4 RBI, 3 R ... Christian Garcia NYA, 5 5 1 1 1 4

  Troop Movements ... ANA - Chris Bootcheck back to AAA (Kelvim Escobar activated from DL) ...  OAK - Javier Herrera activated from suspended list (drugs), at Kane County, Midwest League ... NYA - Colter Bean up (Jaret Wright DL) 

  High praise for Cubs' Matt Murton :

" ... ''For lack of a better comparison, he's having an effect on the lineup like a Barry Bonds,'' Dickerson (manager Bobby Dickerson) said ...  ''I can't find a better way to put it. I don't know how else to put it.'' It may be a stretch, but Matt Murton certainly, minus the power numbers, has been Bonds-esque 15 games into his first Double-A season with the Jaxx. After going 2-for-3 in the win over the Stars, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound outfielder with the striking Opie red locks, is hitting .491. And hot doesn't even begin to describe where Murton's bat is right now. Did we mention his 1.245 OPS? ... Murton has reached another level. Prior to the stop in Jackson, Murton was a career .290 hitter in Single-A stays with Lowell, Sarasota and Daytona. But the 32nd pick in the first round by the Red Sox in 2003 is batting .562 over the last eight games ... ''He's the hottest guy I've ever managed at this point,'' Dickerson said. ''I've never seen anything like it.''  (Jackson Sun) 

  Finally, success for former first-rounder Colt Griffin :

" ... Griffin could probably still throw a fastball approaching 100 mph, just as he did in high school. He just doesn't need to. Griffin ... in his fifth season in the Royals' organization, has evolved from a thrower into a pitcher. And he's done it from an unlikely place -- the bullpen. Griffin has been a reliever since he was promoted to Wichita early last season and appears to have it figured out. In seven appearances through Friday, Griffin has allowed four hits and one run while striking out four. "I learned real quick that you can throw it 97 and hitters will still turn on it if they know what's coming," said Griffin, a first-round draft pick in 2001. "But it's always good to have that pitch in the tank." ...  in eight starts with Wilmington last season, he was 1-4 with an 8.73 ERA. He had 28 walks, 10 wild pitches and hit four batters in 33 innings."  (Wichita Eagle)

  John Stephens on the move again, joining the WSox system :

" ... Stephens, 25, pitched in one game for the Paw Sox in 2005 going 0-1 with a 9.00 era. In his one outing this season Stephens lasted 4.0 innings and allowed 4 earned runs on 6 hits. Stephens spent the 2004 season with the Paw Sox going 9-6 with a 4.47 era in 24 games. Stephens also played for the Australian Olympic team in 2004 and helped his team win a silver medal at the games."  (Charlotte Knights)

   John M. Barten, 'Til You're Blue in the Face, on Chris Shelton DET :

" ...  joins the pantheon of good bat/bad glove catchers ... Shelton has done nothing but hit since being drafted. As a catcher, he's pretty marginal defender, and probably won't stick there ...  As a first baseman, he's average or a touch above offensively. I don't see him as a big star in the making. Think Kevin Millar here ... Shelton is next in line should the Tiggers finally get fed up with Carlos Pena's erratic play once and for all, or should they temporarily move Dmitri Young back to left field because of injuries in the outfield. I have nothing to back it up, but even though I think he's ready for the big leagues, he might need a few months to get his legs underneath him once he does win a job. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a fantasy sleeper, here ya go."

    Kendry Morales ... Angels still waiting :

" ... Angels general manager Bill Stoneman said the club's experience with Cuban defector Kendry Morales will make him think long and hard about signing such players in the future. "We might be asking different questions," Stoneman said. "We'll have to see." ... Morales has already cashed the $3 million signing bonus the Angels gave him, but he has not been able to get out of the Dominican because of paperwork issues. Stoneman still doesn't know when Morales will be able to travel to join an Angels' minor-league affiliate. He is on the cusp of establishing Dominican citizenship, but has not gotten his passport and Stoneman said there are other bureaucratic hurdles he has yet to clear."  (Orange County Register)

Our league correspondents :  INTERNATIONAL Herb Walters, PACIFIC COAST Dave Scott,  EASTERN Ralph Marston,  SOUTHERN Jake Larsen,  TEXAS Aman Reaka,  FLORIDA STATE Wayne Stevens,  CAROLINA Troy Salvior,  CALIFORNIA JDM,  MIDWEST Bob Reed,  SOUTH ATLANTIC Brad Dowdy