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19 June 2005
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- William Bergolla 2B CIN 2-5, R, RBI ...
Austin Kearns RF CIN 3-5, 2B, R ... Zach Minor ATL 6 4
1 1 2 5, 3.67 ... Carlos Ruiz C PHI 2-4, RBI ... John-Ford
Griffin LF TOR 1-5, 14th HR, R, RBI, BB ... David Bush TOR 6 6
3 3 2 4, 4.57 ... B.J. Upton SS TB 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 errors ... Ryan
Raburn 2B DET 2-4, 2 2B ... Carlos Pena 1B DET 1-4, 2 RBI
... Marcus Thames RF DET 1-3, 4th HR, R, RBI, BB ... Kenny
Baugh DET 6-1/3 8 3 3 0 4, 3.58 ... Boof Bonser MIN 6 5 1 1
3 7, 3.67
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Corey Hart
MIL, might be the next promotion, 2-5, 2 homers, 5 RBI ... Joey
Eischen WAS on rehab 1 1 0 0 1 1 ... Brendan Harris WAS 3-5,
double, 5 RBI ... Conor Jackson ARZ 3-4, 3 doubles (29), walk,
.381 ... Sergio Santos ARZ, showing some signs of life, 4-5,
double, 4 RBI, .235 ... Charles Thomas OAK regaining his stroke,
3-5, double, .429 ...
EASTERN (AA) --
Dustin Pedroia
2B BOS 0-4, .318 AVG ... Brandon Moss OF BOS 1-4, 2B (19), .294 AVG
Christopher Durbin OF BOS 0-5, .286 AVG
Jared Sandberg 3B
BOS 1-3, .262 AVG
Kevin West 1B BOS 1-1, .304 AVG ... Eric
Duncan 3B NYA 0-3, .230 AVG
Melky Cabrera OF NYA 1-3, RBI (38),
.278 AVG
Franklin Gutierrez CLE OF 0-4, .241 AVG
Brad Snyder
CLE OF 1-4, HR, 3 RBI (6), .320 AVG
David Espinosa OF DET 3-5, 3 2B
(13), RBI (33), .299 AVG
Don Kelly 3B DET 3-5, 2B (20), RBI (40), .353
AVG
Fred Lewis OF SF 0-5, .222 AVG
Daniel Ortmeier OF SF 1-3,
SB (19), .270 AVG
Carlos Valderrama OF SF 3-5, SB (13), 2B (19), RBI
(28), .325 AVG
Michael Bourn OF PHI 0-5, .263 AVG
Randy Roberson
OF PHI 3-4, 3B (6), .314 AVG
Randy Ruiz 1B PHI 0-3, .365 AVG
Alexander Romero OF MIN 1-5, 2B (13), .270 AVG
Luis Matos OF BAL
2-5, 250 AVG
Jeffrey Karstens NYA 6-1/3 7 4 3 2 4, 3.83 ERA
Josh
Banks TOR 6 4 1 1 1 6, W (6), 4.48 ERA
Jeremy Johnson DET 6 4 2 0 1
0,W (5), 3.88 ERA ,,, Matt Peterson PIT 4-1/3 3 3 1 3 4, 5.81 ERA
Matt Lindstrom NYN 1 1 0 0 2 0, 6.92 ERA
John Parrish BAL 1-1/3 2 1
1 1 1, 3.18 ERA
Dan Denham CLE 6-2/3 8 8 6 1 4, 3.49 ERA
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Andy LaRoche LA
1-4, 1st AA homer (22 overall), 3 RBI ... Delmon Young TB 2-4,
10th double, 14th homer, .328 ... Elijah Dukes TB 3-4, .300 ...
Jerermy Hermida FLO 1-3, 13th homer, .310 ... Manny Parra
MIL 7 8 1 1 1 4, 3.40 ... Chuck James ATL 5 5 1 1 0 9, 3.19 ...
Jeff Francoeur ATL 1-3, 10th homer, .265
TEXAS (AA) -- Erick Aybar ANA
2-4, double, triple, .287 ... Kendry Morales ANA 2-4, double, .174
... nice relief effort (in a 17 inning affair) Tim Rall SEA 5 0 0
0 0 7 ... Christian Parker COL 7 4 0 0 1, 2.06
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- Ian Stewart COL 1-3,
5th homer, .223 ... Joe Gaetti OF COL 3-4, 11th double, 2 homers
(11), 6 RBI, .267 ... Nate Schierholtz OF SF 2-3, triple, 3 RBI,
.322 ... Vincent Sinisi OF TEX 2-3, homer, 3 RBI & 1-3, .345 ...
Miguel Montero ARZ 3-5, 19th homer, 3 RBI, .359 ... Brad
Knox OAK 8 4 1 1 0 11, 3.40 ... Howie Kendrick ANA back in the
lineup 2-4, double, .376 ... Chris Lubanski KC 1-3, double & 2-3,
15th & 16th homers, .256
CAROLINA (A+) -- Jake Stevens ATL 6 3 3
2 1 4, 3.91 ... Jarrod Saltalamacchia ATL 3-4, .282 ... Adam
Boeve PIT 3-4, .321
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- All-Star game
MIDWEST (A) -- Ryan Harvey CHN 2-4,
double (.255) ... Eric Patterson CHN 1-5, double, 2 K's ...
Juan Lucena (SS) STL 2-4 ... Asdrubal Cabrera SEA 1-2,
3rd triple, 2 BB's (.318) ... so long Mendoza Trevor Plouffe MIN
0-3 (.199) ... Wilkin Ramirez DET 2-4 ... Josh Rainwater
DET 6 6 4 2 2 4 (2.27) ... Raul Padron OAK 2-4, 12th double (.301)
... teen bad, but better Phillippe Valiquette CIN 5 5 4 4 1 3
(5.93) ... B.J. Szymanski (at DH) CIN 0-4, 2 K's ... in relief Po-Husan
Keng TOR 2 1 0 0 0 0 (3.73) ... ouch Matt Bush SD 0-4, 2
errors (20)
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- Chris Nelson
COL 0-4, 3 Ks, .147 ... Ray Liotta CHA 6 7 1 1 2 5, 2.66 ...
Yosvany Almario-Cabrera OF NYA 3-4, double, triple, .318 ... James
Barthmaier HOU 6 4 3 3 3 5, 1.98 ... Greg Golson CF PHI 2-3,
double, 2 walks, .265 ... Mark Rogers MIL, still looking for a
win, 5 6 4 4 0 7, 0-5, 4.50 ... Hernan Iribarren MIL 3-4, .336
Troop
Movements ... NYA - Kevin Brown DL, Sean
Henn up ... WAS - TJ Tucker
back to DL, Travis Hughes up ... ARZ - Russ Ortiz DL, Matt Herges
designated for assignment, Mike Koplove up, Brandon
Medders up ... STL - Scott Rolen
activated, Skip Schumaker
to AAA ... COL - Matt Merricks
returned to LA ... ANA - Maicer Izturis activated, Robb Quinlan to AAA ... BAL -
Luis Matos activated, David Newhan
to AAA ... HOU - Humberto
Quintero DL, Raul Chavez up ... CHN - Felix Pie at
AA, DL (knee sprain) ... DET - Justin Verlander promoted to AA ...
" ... starting pitcher Fernando
Nieve was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock ... Nieve made 14 starts for
the Hooks during the first half, and posted a record of 4-3 with a 2.65 ERA, the
third best ERA in the Texas League ... also still leads the circuit in
strikeouts, having fanned 96 batters in 85 innings. According to Hooks' manager
Dave Clark, Nieve is slated to start Monday's game for the Express."
(Corpus Christi Hooks)
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, on a
pair of breakout prospects in the HOU system :
" ... Hunter Pence was
drafted in the second round last year ... has a somewhat strange-looking batting
stance, widespread for a big guy, but he has a professional hitting approach,
has good plate discipline, power to all fields, and has hit at every level. A
6-4, 215 pound right-handed hitter, he runs well for his size and has a good
level of athleticism. He is tearing up the Sally League right now:
.345/.421/.715 in 61 games, with 23 home runs already, 30 walks, 45 strikeouts
in 235 at-bats ... .An experienced college player tearing up the Sally League is
not unusual... I gave him a Grade B in the book this year, and I will
stick with that until we get some Double-A data."
Troy Patton " ... The
Astros drafted Patton in the ninth round in 2004, out of high school ... they
now have possibly the best overall LHP in the low minors. Patton is 4-1, 1.57 in
13 starts, with an 84/18 K/BB ratio in 69 innings, 50 hits allowed. K/BB, K/IP,
and H/IP are all excellent, and he's given up just 2 homers this year. He has a
low-90s fastball, and has made big strides this spring with his changeup and
curveball... main concern for Patton is size and durability, as he is a smallish
guy at 6-1, 185."
Chris Nelson COL having a tough time getting untracked :
" ... after a
strained hamstring sidelined him for 45 games earlier this season, Nelson has
turned his attention toward proving he can still be a major contributor in the
Asheville lineup ... Adding a little more pressure to Nelson's situation,
the Rockies selected Long Beach State junior shortstop Troy Tulowitzki with its
top pick in the MLB draft earlier this month. Tulowitzki wasted very little time
signing a $2.3 million deal with the Rockies the very next day, and is scheduled
to report Monday to the Modesto Nuts, the Rockies' High A team, or the next step
up from Asheville. "Just like every other guy in this organization, Chris can't
worry about what's going on around him," said Tourists manager Joe Mikulik ...
Hitting just .153 in 17 games this season, Nelson said he understands the
Rockies want the best available athlete in the draft and if that happens to be a
shortstop, there's only one thing he can do about it. "All I can do is try to
outplay him," Nelson said. "Take it one game at a time, stay patient and work as
hard as I can every day." (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Miguel Montero ARZ finally beginning to win some kudos :
" ... Montero ...
named the Topp's California League Player of the Month. The JetHawks catcher had
been earlier named the Organizational Player of the Month for the same time
period by the Arizona Diamondbacks ... , Montero began play as a teenager in his
native Venezuela and is now in his fifth pro season in the Diamondbacks' farm
system. He is having his best pro season in just his second full-season league.
The catcher hit .392 with 32 RBIs in 30 May games. For the season, he is hitting
a productive .357 with 18 homers (he had just 19 total in four previous seasons)
and 66 RBI." (Lancaster JetHawks)
18 June 2005
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- Edwin Encarnacion 3B CIN 2-5, 11th & 12th
HRs, 2 R, 2 RBI ... Austin Kearns RF CIN 1-4, HBP ... Carlos
Ruiz C PHI 1-4, 2nd HR, R, RBI ... Eude Brito PHI 6 3 0 0 2
7 6.61 ... B.J. Upton SS TB 0-3, RBI, 2 BB, 0 errors ... Carlos
Pena 1B DET 2-3, 2B, 1st HR, R, 2 RBI ... Marcus Thames RF DET
0-2, BB ... Ryan Garko C CLE 1-4, 13th HR, R, 2 RBI ... Jason
Davis CLE 7 9 5 3 0 6, 3.00 ... Ian Snell PIT 6-2/3 9 7 4 1
7, 3.72 ... Dave Gassner MIN 5-2/3 5 3 3 3 3, 4.50
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Mike
Fontenot CHN 2-4, double, 2 runs ... Ronny Cedeno CHN 2-4, 2
SB ... Chad Santos KC 3-5, double, solo homer ... Brendan
Harris WAS 3-5, double, triple, 2 RBI ... Ian Kinsler TEX
3-4, double, homer, 3 RBI ... Carlos Quentin ARI 2-3, 2 homers, 3
runs ... Chris Oxspring SD 7 8 4 4 3 7, L, 4.69 ... Rich
Harden OAK 3 1 0 0 0 7, wow ... Jeff Mathis ANA 3-5, double
... Patrick Misch SF 6 7 2 2 3 7 ... Shin Soo Choo SEA 2-3,
double, 2 runs
EASTERN (AA) -- Brian Bannister
NYN 9 4 0 0 0 10, 8-1, 1.87 ... Merkin Valdez SF 8.0 4 1 1 3 4,
2.55 ... Zach Jackson TOR, takes his lumps, 5-2/3 11 6 4 0 5 ...
Melky Cabrera OF NYA 3-5, double, .278 ... Eric Duncan
NYA 1-3, 8th homer, .233 ... Joel Zumaya DET 6 4 0 0 2 8 ...
Franklin Gutierrez CLE, disappointing season so far, 2-4, 4th
homer, .246 ... Randy Ruiz PHI, stuck behind both Jim Thome and
Ryan Howard, 2-4, 21st double, 15th homer, .370
" ... Brian Bannister tied a
career high with 10 strikeouts and recorded his first professional shutout ...
Bannister (8-1) didn't allow a walk and faced the minimum 27 batters in the
four-hitter ... It was the first complete game by a Mets pitcher this season ...
leads the Mets with 77 strikeouts and a 1.87 ERA. He entered the game with the
league's third-best ERA." (Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin)
SOUTHERN (AA) -- not even a demotion to AA has
helped LA's Edwin Jackson, 5 6 7 4 1 3 ... Jason Hammel TB
6 5 1 1 5 8, 5-2, 3.00 ... Jon Weber LA 1-3, homer, .343 ...
Jeremy Hermida FLO 0-3, 2 walks, .310 ... Andy LaRoche LA 0-4 ...
Joel Guzman LA, back at SS, 0-4
TEXAS (AA) -- Reggie Willits ANA
4-5, 3R, 2B, SB(19), .321 ... WOW! - Michael Napoli 3-4, 2R, 2B,
2HR(13), 8RBI(55), .300 ... Mathew Tupman (C) KC 3-5, 2R, HR,
2RBI(18), .306 ... Joaquin Arias TX 3-5, 2R, 2RBI(25), .288 ...
Drew Meyer TX 3-5, 3R, 2B, RBI(28), .313 ... John Fagan
HOU 2-4, .382 ... Nice - John Danks TX (W,2-1) 7 6 1 1 1 7 (3.55)
... A little slip up - Dallas Braden OAK (L,5-2) 5 6 5 5 1 5
(2.61) ... Better - Chris Lambert STL 5 4 3 3 4 6 (8.10)
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- Ubaldo Jimenez COL 7
3 1 1 2 8, 4.27 ... Chris Lubanski KC 2-4, 14th homer, .250 ...
Rafael Rodriguez ANA A+ debut 5 4 5 5 4 5 ... Brandon
Wood ANA 2-5, 22nd homer, 3 RBI, .315 ... George Kottaras SD
4-6, 6th homer, 3 runs, 3 RBI, .305
CAROLINA (A+) -- Kory Casto WAS 2-2, 2
walks, .269 ... Ron Bay CLE 6-2/3 6 2 1 0 5, 6-3, 2.95 ... Gio
Gonzalez CHA, A+ debut, 3-2/3 5 2 2 0 4 ... Leo Daigle CHA
2-4, .373 ... Rory Shortell HOU 7 1 0 0 3 2
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- No games scheduled.
MIDWEST (A) -- Dallas Trahern DET 8 4 1
0 1 2 (3.12) ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 2-4 (.320) ... James
Houser, Jr. TB 4 8 4 4 2 4 (3.49) ... a little of everything Javier
Herrera OAK 1-3, 2 BB, K, 15th SB, 5th error ... just not happening yet
Michael Schlact TEX 5 4 4 4 1 4 (4.98) ... Matt Bush
SD 0-3 (.246) ... Michael Ekstrom SD 7 1/3 5 1 1 1 6 (W, 9-1,
2.81) ... Jarrett Hoffpauir STL 1-3, 2nd HR ... Phillip
Andersen STL 6 5 1 1 3 4 (2.86 in 4 starts) ... Ryan Harvey
CHN 0-4, 2 K's ... rolling along Sean Gallagher CHN 7 3 2 2 1 4
(1.56) ... Matt Tuiasosopo 0-3, 2 K's (.302) ... Anthony
Swarzak MIN 6 5 2 2 6 5 (2.80)
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- Chris Nelson COL
1-5, .156 ... Chris Malone LA 6 6 1 1 0 7, 2.86 ... Tony
Sipp CLE 6 5 2 2 1 5, 2.22 ... Juan Gutierrez HOU 6-2/3 6 2 1
2 6, 2.27 ... Brian Barton CLE 3-4, .433 ... Venezuelan
right-hander Jose Sanchez NYN 6 9 2 2 0 8, 10-2, 3.18 ...
Hernan Iribarren MIL 3-5, .329 ... Marcus Sanders SS SF
2-5, 2 walks, 2 runs, 40th SB, 19th error, .304 ... Brad Ditter 2B
WAS 5-7, double, .275
Troop
Movements ... SEA - Jorge Campillo AAA DL, Jose Lopez up, Greg Dobbs to
AAA ... TEX -
Pedro Astacio designated for assignment, Jason Standridge up ... SF - LaTroy
Hawkins to DL, Brandon Puffer up ... OAK recalled Jairo Garcia
and Ron Flores, Juan Cruz to AAA, Tim Harikkala designated for
assignment ... MIN - Luis Rivas activated, Brent Abernathy DL ... COL -
Blaine Neal to DL, recalled Tim Olson from AAA ... FLO
- Josh Beckett DL, Nate Bump up ...
Oh, oh. They say it's minor, but ...
" ... Prized Tacoma Rainiers
pitching prospect Felix Hernandez will miss his next start after being
diagnosed with a mild case of bursitis in his right shoulder. Hernandez won his
eighth game of the year on Tuesday with six shutout innings but complained of
shoulder pain the next day. He was examined by Mariners medical director Larry
Pedagana and had an MRI on Thursday that revealed no damage. Its a little sore
but its nothing, Hernandez said. In 2002, Hernandez said he had a similar
issue with his shoulder that went away with rest. He said he wont do any
throwing for a few days but expects to make his scheduled start next week."
(Tacoma News Tribune)
Leading MIN lefty moves up the Twins' ladder :
" ... The [Rochester] Red Wings will
add one of the top pitching prospects in the Minnesota Twins organization to
their roster this weekend. Highly touted left-hander Francisco Liriano
has been promoted from Double-A New Britain, where he was 3-5 with a 3.65
earned-run average in 13 starts for the Rock Cats. Lirianos 92 strikeouts in 76
innings rank seventh in all of the minor leagues. The former outfielder throws
in the high 90s and is rated the Twins No. 5 prospect by Baseball America ...
Liriano came over from the San Francisco Giants along with pitchers Joe Nathan
and Boof Bonser for catcher A.J. Pierzynski in November 2003." (Rochester
Democrat and Chronicle)
Indians' Adam Miller ready to resume his, until the injury, sparkling
career :
" ... Miller's path to the Major
Leagues will take another step forward Tuesday when he's the starting pitcher
for the Scrappers in their season opener ... Miller injured his throwing
elbow before the start of spring training, and Indians' management has assigned
him to Mahoning Valley to begin his 2005 season. "This season I'm just looking
to stay healthy and build up innings here,'' Miller said. "Then leave here and
go to Kinston or Akron or wherever they decide to send me and go from there.''
Miller, 20, was ranked by "Baseball America'' as the best pitching prospect in
the Indians' organization and the top pitching prospect in the South Atlantic
League least year. In 91 innings of work at Class A Lake County (South Atlantic
League), Miller had a 3.36 earned-run average while striking out 106 and walking
just 28 batters." (Warren Tribune-Chronicle)
Scott Rex, at OnDeck, offers updates to his Carolina & Eastern League charts :
1. Anibal Sanchez, RHP, BOS 6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, ATL
2. Jeremy Sowers, LHP, CLE 7. Bill Bray, LHP, WAS
3. Adam Loewen, LHP, BAL 8. Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B, CLE
4. Nick Markakis, OF, BAL 9. Javier Guzman, SS, PIT
5. Mike Hinckley, LHP, WAS 10. Bear Bay, RHP, CLE
1. Hayden Penn, RHP, BAL 6. Francisco Liriano, LHP, MIN
2. Hanley Ramirez, SS, BOS 7. Joel Zumaya, RHP, DET
3. Eric Duncan, 3B, NYA 8. Jon Lester, LHP, BOS
4. Yusmeiro Petit, RHP, NYN 9. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS
5. Jon Papelbon, RHP, BOS 10. Merkin Valdez, RHP, SF
17 June 2005
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- William Bergolla 2B-SS CIN 3-4, R ...
Austin Kearns RF CIN 1-4, 2B, R ... James Jurries DH &
RF ATL 0-3 & 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, SF ... Billy McCarthy LF ATL 2-3 &
1-4, RBI ... T.J. Pena SS ATL 0-2 & 2-4, R, SB ... powering up, Ryan
Howard 1B PHI 2-4, 12th & 13th HRs, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB ... Gavin
Floyd PHI 5 10 6 6 3 2, 7.46 ... John-Ford Griffin LF TOR 2-4 ...
Francisco Rosario TOR 6-2/3 6 2 2 1 4, 3.72 ... Seth
McClung TB 4 4 5 1 2 4, 3.38 ... Carlos Pena DH DET 1-3, BB
... Marcus Thames RF DET 2-3, 3rd HR, R, RBI, BB ... Ryan
Garko C CLE 2-4, R ... Jason Cooper LF CLE 1-3, 2nd HR, R,
2 RBI, SF ... Jeremy Guthrie CLE 2-1/3 8 6 6 2 1, 6.34 ...
Kelly Shoppach C BOS 2-4 ... Chris Narveson BOS 4-1/3 9
6 6 2 0 4.81 ... Pedro Lopez SS CHA 1-2, 3rd HR, R, RBI, BB ...
Sean Henn NYA 3 3 1 1 0 4, 3.19 ... Jason Bartlett SS
MIN 2-4, 2B, BB ... impressive, Scott Baker MIN 7 5 1 1 3 11, 2.75
... excellent, John Maine BAL 7 4 0 0 0 6, 3.24
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Jose Capellan
MIL 2 1 0 0 1 4, in relief ... Adam Wainwright STL 6 7 2 2 1 5, L,
3.34 ... Ezequiel Astacio HOU 5 3 0 0 1 9, (W, 2-3), 2.95 ...
Brandon Watson WAS 2-4, RBI ... Calvin Pickering KC
1-5, homer, 2 RBI ... Casey Kotchman ANA 3-5, homer, 5 RBI ...
Maicer Izturis ANA 4-5, double, 2 runs, SB ... Conor
Jackson ARI 4-5, double, RBI, run ... Carlos Quentin ARI 0-4,
.299 ... Matt Kinney SF 9 5 2 2 1 11, (W, 1-3) ... Dioner
Navarro LA 2-4, double, RBI ... Charles Thomas OAK 3-3,
double, homer, 2 RBI, .423 ... Shin Soo Choo SEA 3-4
EASTERN (AA) --
Dustin Pedroia
2B BOS 2-3, 2B (17), .328 AVG ... Brandon Moss OF BOS 2-6, .300 AVG
Christopher Durbin OF BOS 1-6, HR (8), RBI (33), .305 AVG
Jared
Sandberg 3B BOS 1-3, .260 AVG
Eric Duncan 3B NYA 0-2, .232
AVG
Melky Cabrera OF NYA 1-4, SB (4), .271 AVG
Fred Lewis OF
SF 1-3, .228 AVG
Daniel Ortmeier OF SF 2-4, SB (14), RBI (40), .264 AVG
Carlos Valderrama OF SF 0-3, SB (12), .325 AVG
Michael Bourn
OF PHI 1-4, .272 AVG
Randy Ruiz 1B PHI 2-3, HR (17), 2 RBI (46), .368
AVG
Alexander Romero OF MIN 1-3, .277 AVG
Paul Bonifay 1B PIT
2-5, .255 AVG
Luis Matos OF BAL 2-5, 250 AVG
Matthew DeSalvo
NYA 4-2/3 5 1 1 2 5, 3.30 ERA
Jon Papelbon BOS 7 6 2 2 0 4, W
(4), 2.23 ERA
Vance Perkins TOR 4-1/3 7 6 4 2 5, 3.63 ERA ... Miguel
Negron CF TOR 4-5, 3 homers, 6 RBI ...
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Jon Weber OF LA, on
fire, 4-4, triple, .343 ... Andy LaRoche 3B LA, 1-4, double in his
AA debut ... James Loney LA 2-4, double, .272 ... Elijah
Dukes TB 2-4, 13th double, 9th homer, .292 ... Jeremy Hermida
FLO 2-4, double, .314 ... Jeff Francoeur ATL 2-4, double & 1-2,
23rd double, .266 ... Felix Pie CHN 1-4, triple ... David
Aardsma CHN 5 2 0 0 2 7, 8-2, 2.47
TEXAS (AA) -- Jason Hart (1B) TX
2-5, R, 3B, 4RBI(41), .235 ... Fairly recent addition to AA - John
Fagan (RF) HOU 2-3, .367 ... Very nice - Edison Volquez TX
(W,1-2) 9 3 0 0 2 7 (2.57) ... Oops - Mark McLemore HOU (L,5-6) 5
9 7 7 2 7 (2.97) ... Very nice - Bobby Livingston SEA (W,6-3) 8 4
0 0 3 9 (2.59) ... The new closer? - Emiliano Fruto SEA (S,3) 1 0
0 0 0 2 (3.15) ... Not slowing down - Robinson Cancel STL 2-3,
.323 ... Corey Slavik (3B) COL 2-4, 3RBI(44), .270 ... Zach
Parker COL (W,9-2) 7 4 1 1 2 4 (3.01) ... Kendry Morales
ANA 2-4, 2B, 3RBI, .133 ... Greg Porter ANA 2-4, R, .323 ...
Justin Huber KC 3-5, R, 2B, 2RBI(50), SB(7), .335 ... Mike
Aviles KC 1-4, R, HR(9), 3RBI(44), .291 ... Tough season so far - Steven
Shell ANA (L,3-5) 4-2/3 11 7 7 2 6 (5.38) ... Jonah Bayliss
KC (S,5) 4 2 0 0 0 3 (2.72)
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- ARZ catcher Miguel
Montero 4-5, 17th & 18th homers, 4 RBI (66), .355 ... Vincent
Sinisi TEX 3-4, double, .354 ... Adam Jones SEA 1-3, 2 errors
(BJ Upton like, 21) ... Brandon Wood ANA 1-4, 24th double, .313
... Ian Stewart COL 1-4, double, .225 ... Adam Keim
SS-3B, KC 3-5, 2 homers (14), walk, 5 RBI, .297 ... looks like Daric
Barton's OAK best day of the season, 4-5, double, homer (7), 4 RBI, .283 ...
Danny Putnam OAK 4-6, double, 9th homer, .299
CAROLINA (A+) -- after a great
effort, an awful one, Adam Loewen BAL 2-2/3 8 10 9 4 3 ... Leo
Daigle CHA, beginning a new homer streak, 3-4, 23rd homer, 5 RBI (78),
.371 ... Kory Casto WAS 1-4, 8th homer, .263
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Rolling right along,
Justin Verlander DET 7 7 1 1 1 9 W(9-2, 1.67) 86IP 70H 19BB 104K
Vincent Blue CF DET 4-5 3B 2R SB(22) - .307
Glen Perkins
MIN 9 5 0 0 0 7 W(3-2, 2.13)
Another promising outing for Dustin
McGowan 5 5 1 0 1 7 ND, 5.40
Bobby Basham CIN 5 6 3 3 1 6
W(5-2, 3.75)
Ben Himes RF CIN 4-5 3B HR(4) 3R 6RBI SB(3) - .315
Joey Votto 1B CIN 2-5 2R - .250
Chin-lung Hu SS LA 3-6
3R - .272
Jason Vargas FLO 5 6 5 5 4 4 L(6-4, 2.43)
Hong-Chin Kuo LA 1 1 0 0 1 3
Reid Gorecki CF STL 1-3 HR(3) -
.180
Tim Dillard MIL 7 6 3 2 0 2 L(2-7, 2.89)
" ... Glen Perkins didn't make
the All-Star team, but he looked like an All-Star on Thursday night at Hammond
Stadium as he hurled the complete game shutout as the Miracle defeated the
Clearwater Threshers 3-0 in the final game before the All-Star Break. Perkins
allowed just six hits, all singles, and never allowed a base runner past second
base. He struck out seven and earned his second complete game of the season. He
threw 111 pitches, 85 of them for strikes while lowering his ERA to 2.13."
(Fort Myers Miracle)
MIDWEST (A) -- Sean Rodriguez ANA 3-4,
14th double (.276) ... clunker Eric Hurley TEX 4 1/3 10 7 7 3 2
(4.50) ... Matt Bush SD 1-4, 18th E ... Jarrett
Hoffpauir STL 2-4, double (.318) ... better in relief Kyle
McClellan STL 3 3 0 0 1 3 (4.40) ... Ryan Harvey CHN 0-2, but
2 BB's (.255) ... Matt Weber CHN 7 8 3 3 2 1 (3.16) ... if anybody
was ever glad to see the Mendoza Line Trevor Plouffe MIN 2-4
(.200) ... mixed bag Wilkin Ramirez DET 1-7, 3 K's, but 8th HR ...
Reid Brignac TB 4-8, 4 K's (.249)
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- Chris Nelson COL
0-2, walk & 0-3, 3 Ks, .153 ... Neil Walker PIT 2-5, .270 ...
Clinton King OF CHA 4-4, 2 doubles, homer ... Travis Denker
LA 3-5, 3 homers (11), 5 RBI, .276 ... Blake Dewitt LA 3-5, 7th
homer, .290 ... Yosvany Almario-Cabrera OF NYA 3-5, double,
homer, .308 ... Brian Barton CLE, due for a promotion, 2-3,
double, 2 walks, .423 ... Hernan Iribarren MIL 3-4, double, .324
... Marcus Sanders SF 0-1, 3 walks, 3 runs, 39th SB
Troop
Movements ... ATL - Tim Hudson DL, Chuck James up? (maybe we noe know why
he was pulled after just an inning) ...
" ... The Dodgers sent longtime prospect Edwin
Jackson to double-A Jacksonville. He had a 3-7 record with an 8.62
earned-run average at triple-A Las Vegas, including seven walks in three innings
Sunday, his last appearance. "His stuff hasn't gone backwards at all," DePodesta
said. "Sometimes, you need to make a move to get someone back on track."
(LA Times)
" ... The [Lancaster] JetHawks learned ... that
prized prospect Stephen Drew will miss the remainder of the first half --
which concludes Sunday -- due to a hamstring injury." (LA Daily News)
" ... third baseman Andy LaRoches assault on
the Florida State League record book has ended after the Dodgers promoted him.
He batted .333-21-51 in 249 at-bats for high Class A Vero Beach. The promotion
should lead to Guzman sliding back over to shortstop, after he had filled in at
third base for the injured Brian Sprout." (Baseball America)
Edwin Encarnacion CIN and Jesse Foppert LA are among those
featured in the latest prospect report from
Matthew Pouliot, RotoWorld.com :
" ... The 22-year-old is batting
.295/.364/.498 with 10 HR, 41 RBI and 44/25 K/BB in 227 AB for Triple-A
Louisville this season. Although hes never put up particularly strong numbers
at any level, its easy to see why Encarnacion is viewed as one of the
games top third-base prospects. Very good bat speed has allowed him to hit
.280-.290 at each level despite being quite young for his leagues. That hes
averaged more than 30 doubles per year promising that more home runs were on the
way, and he does have 10 this season. Hes displayed better strike-zone judgment
each year, although he is striking out more this year than he did last season.
Defensively, the talent is certainly there for him to be above average at the
hot corner. He is error-prone now, but hell grow out of that. Encarnacion may
not be a major league All-Star, but he should hit .280 with 20+ homers per
year."
" ... Foppert didnt dominate in the
minors, but his 3.78 ERA and 49/28 K/BB ratio in 50 IP were decent enough to get
him another opportunity at the back of the San Francisco rotation. More than any
performance issues, the fact that he was having blister troubles at Triple-A
Fresno had to be the biggest concern for the Giants. Fopperts command isnt
where it was before Tommy John surgery, so hes not a great short-term bet in
NL-only leagues. I expect him to be up-and-down initially before settling in as
a decent fantasy starter after the All-Star break."
Baseball America names Alex Gordon KC as the College Player of the Year :
" ... Gordons work ethic extended to the field,
where he rededicated himself to being the best defender he can be. The
combination allowed him to hit .382-18-62 with 23 stolen bases in 26 attempts,
leading the Cornhuskers back to regional play after a one-year absence and
ultimately back to Omaha. It also helped cement his status as the top college
prospect for the 2005 draft, and the Royalswhom he grew up rooting forselected
him with the drafts second overall pick."
CLE tidbits from Joe Ptak, Cleveland Indians
Report :
" ... Some interesting nuggets from John Farrell
[Director, Player Development] on the Indians pregame show yesterday...
Jeremy Sowers (8-3, 2.78), who tossed five innings of one-run ball
[Wednesday] ... will head up to Akron after the CL/CL All-Star game on
June 28. Coinciding with that move, Tony Sipp will be promoted from Lake
County to Kinston after the Sally League All-Star Game, also on June 28.
Interestingly enough, Farrell compared Sipp to Cardinals reliever Ray King who
has a "dominant" fastball from the left side and does not allow hitters to get a
good read on the pitch. For now, Sipp is developing a changeup to remain in the
rotation but the Indians see his long-term future as a reliever. When the switch
to the 'pen does occur, Sipp could move quickly through the system."
" ... Michael Aubrey remains in the mix
as well and he was in Los Angeles yesterday for an examination ... on his ailing
back. Farrell did try to spin the fact that all of Aubrey's injuries have been
separate incidents and this is not a chronic condition but you could tell there
was disappointment in his voice that the Tribe can't keep Aubrey on the field.
He did note that they hope to get him some triple-A at-bats before the end of
the season."
Tidbits from the International League :
" ... Indians RHP Ian Snell and LHP Zach
Duke own the most victories (20) of any one-two punch in all of professional
baseball ... Snell, a 23-year-old who took a no-decision at
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, owns a 9-0 record and 3.59 ERA in 13 starts on
the season. Duke, a 22-year-old who picked up the win over Rochester in game one
of Monday's twinbill, has registered an 11-3 mark and 2.84 ERA in 14 starts on
the campaign."
" ... Since being promoted May 26 from Double-A
Chattanooga, OF Chris Denorfia is batting .383 with two doubles, two home
runs, 12 RBI and eight runs scored. He currently has a nine-game hitting streak
(.500, 16-32) and was batting .330 with seven home runs and 26 RBI at the time
of his promotion."
" ... Prior to the Red Barons last
home game June 10, Ryan Howard received the TOPPS Minor League Player of
the Year Award for his tremendous 2004 season. The way he has been hitting this
year he may win it again. The slugger has now hit in 18 straight games dating
back to May 26. During the streak he is hitting an amazing .478 (33-69) with 7
HR, 8 2B, 18 R and 21 RBI. He also has had 13 multi-hit games, 9 walks and a
.538 on base percentage. Since the streak began he has raised his average almost
100 points from .271 to an International League leading .374."
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, with
more reviews on 2004 2nd rounders :
Hunter Pence HOU " ...
.345/.421/.715 with 23 home runs already for Class A Lexington in the Sally
League. 30 walks, 45 strikeouts in 235 at-bats is a decent BB/K/AB ratio.
Obviously you have to respect his power, but we need to see what he can do at
higher levels, as he is too good for the competition right now. The power should
carry forward, but we'll have to see about the BA and OBP."
Kurt Suzuki OAK "
... .280/.397/.444 at Stockton in the California League. Solid defensive
catcher. Shows outstanding plate discipline, but his power production at higher
levels is uncertain. I like him a lot."
Eddy Martinez-Esteve SF
" ... .354/.468/.611 with 46 walks, 44 strikeouts, 26 doubles, 9 homers in
229 at-bats for the San Jose Giants in the California League. I have a lot of
confidence in his bat. Main question is his defense, which is pretty awful.
Confined to DH due to leftover shoulder troubles, but even when healthy he
doesn't have much glove skill. But his bat should be/could be special."
Braves' top pick slated for an A+ pro debut :
" ... Joey Devine, the Atlanta
Braves' first-round pick in the recent amateur draft, will start his
professional career with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The right-handed power
reliever from North Carolina State confirmed Wednesday night that he will report
to the Pelicans on Saturday and, according to the schedule worked out for him by
the Braves, could be ready to pitch in a game by the middle of next week. "I
can't wait to get there and get going," Devine, 21, said in a phone interview
while vacationing on the North Carolina coast. "This is what I've been looking
forward to." The Braves' decision to jump him directly to the advanced-A
Carolina League is an indication of their belief that he is more polished than
many of the pitchers coming out of college." (Myrtle Beach Sun News)
16 June 2005
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- Angel Pagan DH NYN 0-3, R, 2 BB ... Jeff
Keppinger 2B NYN 0-1 ... Craig Brazell LF NYN 2-4, 2B, BB
... Brian Anderson CF CHA 1-4, 2B, 2 R, BB ... Pedro
Lopez 2B CHA 3-4, 3 RBI ... Felix Diaz CHA 4-1/3 10 5 5 3 5
4.46
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Corey Hart
MIL 1-4, triple, 3 RBI ... Ben Hendrickson MIL 7 4 0 0 1 6,
(W, 3-5), 3.91 ... Jairo Garcia OAK 1 0 0 0 0 2, (S, 6) ...
John Rodriguez CF STL 2-3, 2 homers, grand slam, 5 RBI ...
Todd Self RF HOU 2-4, run ... Brendan Harris
WAS 2-5, RBI, run ... Brandon Watson WAS 1-3, double, 2
runs, SF ... Jerome Williams CHN 6 9 4 1 3 4, L ... Chad
Santos 1B KC 3-5, 2 doubles, 4 RBI ... Ian Kinsler TEX 2-5,
.266 ... Jeff Mathis ANA 2-4, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs ... Conor
Jackson LF ARI 2-4, double, triple, RBI, run ... Justin
Knoedler SF 2-5, 2 runs ... JJ Furmaniak SD 2-5 ...
Chris Snelling SEA 2-6, homer, 5 RBI (thru 13 innings), game tying
Grand Slam in the bottom of the 9th off Brad Baker ... correction
- that was Wilfredo (not Ricardo) Rodriguez TEX Tuesday 6 5
2 1 2 7
EASTERN (AA) --
Dustin Pedroia
2B BOS 3-4, 2B (16), SB (7), RBI (36), .316 AVG ... Brandon Moss OF BOS
3-5, 2B (18), HR (10), RBI (34), .299 AVG
Christopher Durbin OF BOS
1-5, .305 AVG
Jared Sandberg 3B BOS 1-4, RBI (47), .259 AVG
Kevin West 1B BOS 1-4, .302 AVG ... Eric Duncan 3B NYA 2-4,
.234 AVG
Melky Cabrera OF NYA 0-4, .272 AVG
Franklin
Gutierrez CLE OF 1-5, 2B (11), .241 AVG
Brad Snyder CLE OF 1-3, 3B,
RBI (4), .412 AVG
David Espinosa OF DET 2-5, 3B (7), RBI (32), .297 AVG
Fred Lewis OF SF 0-4, HR (4), RBI (15), .228 AVG
Daniel Ortmeier
OF SF 0-4, .260 AVG
Carlos Valderrama OF SF 3-4, SB (12), .329 AVG
Michael Bourn OF PHI 2-4, RBI (22), .272 AVG
Randy Ruiz 1B PHI 3-5,
2 2B (20), 2 RBI (44), .363 AVG
Alexander Romero OF MIN 1-3, HR (8),
RBI (31), .276 AVG
Paul Bonifay 1B PIT 0-4, .250 AVG
Luis Matos
OF BAL 1-4, HR, 2 RBI (2), .182 AVG
Paul Stewart
PIT 7-1/3 6 2 1 2 1, 4.00 ERA
Charlie Zink
DET 2 1 2 2 2 1, W
(4), 5.35 ERA
Richard Rundles WAS
5-1/3 9 5 4 4 4 , 3.42 ERA
Ismael Ramirez TOR 5 7 3 3 1 6, W (5), 4.46
ERA
Matt Lindstrom NYN 1/3 4 7 6 3 0, 7.11 ERA
Jake Dittler 5
12 8 7 1 6, 2.75 ERA
Rob Henkel DET 2-2/3 7 3 2 0 2, 3.88 ERA
John
Parrish BAL 2 1 0 0 0 3, 2.08 ERA
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Tony Pena ARZ,
beginning to come around, 7-2/3 5 2 2 1 5 ... Dana Eveland MIL 7 4
1 1 3 5, 2.88 ... Joel Guzman LA, 3B becoming a regular post, 1-4
... Josh Hall CIN 6 3 0 0 2 4, 2.89 ... Chuck James
ATL, replaced after just an inning, 1 0 0 0 1 2 ... Jeff
Francoeur ATL 0-4, .261
TEXAS (AA) -- Jeff Salazar COL
3-5, 2R, 2B, 4RBI(30), .285 ... Emmanuel Ulloa COL (W,2-0) 6 4 2 2
2 5 (1.99) ... Joaquin Arias TX 2-5, RBI(23), .283 ... Brandon
Larson (DH) TX 3-5, R, RBI(24), .355 ... Chris Key SEA
(S,1) 3 3 0 0 0 2 (0.68) ... Tyler Minges STL 2-4, 2B, .315 ...
Robinson Cancel STL 1-4, R, HR(7), RBI(22), .316 ... Travis
Hanson STL 3-4, R, 2 2B, RBI(41), .286 ... Aaron Herr STL 3-5,
R, 3RBI(29), .294 ... Reggie Willits ANA 1-2, R, 2B, 2RBI(22),
.317 ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 2-4, .331 ... Erick Aybar
ANA 3-3, 2 2B, RBI(25), .280 ... Michael Napoli ANA 2-4, R,
HR(11), 2RBI(45), .296
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- Chris Lubanski KC
3-3, 2 doubles (14), homer (13), walk, 3 RBI, .250 ... Daric Barton OAk
1-4, 6th homer, .272 ... Travis Ishikawa 1B SF 3-4, 7th homer,
.302 ... Ian Stewart COL 0-3, .224 ... Vincent
Sinisi TEX 3-5, double, homer, .337 ... Stephen Drew ARZ DNP
CAROLINA (A+) -- Kyle Bloom PIT,
unpleasant welcome to A+, 4-2/3 6 7 7 2 2 ... Jeremy Sowers CLE,
ready for a move up, 5 5 1 1 4 2, 8-3, 2.78 ... Ryan Mulhern 1B
CLE 3-4, 3 homers (17), 6 RBI (46), .331 ... Josh Burrus OF ATL
3-3, 2 walks, 9th homer, .279 ... Michael Hinckley WAS 6-2/3 5 3 3
2 8 ... Anibal Sanchez BOS 6.0 6 3 3 3 4, 2.65
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Ben Himes
RF CIN 3-5 2 doubles R RBI - .299
Justin Christian 2B NYA 2-4
RBI - .308
Andy Wilson 1B NYN 3-3 R 2RBI SB(2) - .312
Jamar
Hill RF NYN 1-4 HR(5) 2RBI - .227
Evan MacLane NYN 9 4 2
2 2 5 W(5-3, 3.17)
Juan Francia 2B DET 3-6 R - .324
Adam
Lind LF TOR 2-5 R - .285
Casey Janssen TOR 3 2/3 5 6 4 3
0 ND, 1.64
MIDWEST (A) -- Eric Patterson CHN 2-5
... Ryan Harvey CHN 1-5, 2 K ... turning the corner? Joel
Santo SD 7 7 2 2 0 3 (5.21) ... Matt Bush SD 1-3 (.249) ...
power from the Mariner keystone teens Matt Tuiasosopo SEA 5th HR
(.307) and Asdrubal Cabrera SEA 4th HR (.321) ... Chi-Hung
Cheng TOR 4 8 5 3 2 0 (3.39) ... Sean Rodriguez ANA 13th double
(.268) ... B.J. Szymanski CIN 3-5, double ... ineffectively wild Homer
Bailey CIN 3 3 3 2 5 3 (4.07) ... Javier Herrera OAK 1-4,
13th and 14th SB (.267) ... Ryan Webb OAK 5 3 3 1 1 5 (4.30) ...
Trevor Plouffe MIN 1-4
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- No games scheduled.
Troop
Movements ... CHN - Rich Hill up, John Koronka to AAA ... CIN - activated
Jason LaRue, Dane Sardinha to AAA ... ATL - signed Jim Brower ...
LA - Eric Gagne DL, Elmer Dessens activated ... NYN - Miguel Cairo to DL, Brian
Daubach up ... TOR - Chad Gaudin to AAA, Gabe Gross up ...
NYA - Bubba Crosby up, Andy Phillips back to AAA ...
Who's Hot, at RotoAmerica,
has Kendry Morales zooming to No. 1 for the week :
" ... hit .344/5/22 in 22 games at
the A+ level before being promoted to AA this week. Whispers out of Anaheim are
that he could help the big club later this year the way he's looked at the
plate. They need a DH."
Josh Barfield SD, No. 2 " ...
Hitting over .400 the last two weeks, Barfield probably realizes that he could
be in the majors right now with Mark Loretta injured had he been hitting better.
He could be on his way back up the prospect charts the way he's been hitting."
A pair of lefties -- Abe Alvarez BOS
and Zach Jackson TOR -- rank 3-4 with HOU's Jimmy Barthmaier
at No. 5 :
" ... 13 shutout innings this past
week lowers his ERA to 1.77. Could stand to cut down on the walks (31 in 71 1/3
IP) but otherwise, he's had a great year to date. Got a $750K bonus as a 13
rounder in 2003 to keep him away from a football scholarship."
Bryan Smith, TheBaseballAnalysts,
with some acute observations on the draft :
" ... Justin Upton simply makes this class
look good by himself, he has all five tools, and -- if they put him in center
immediately -- should fly through the system. He's a better prospect out of high
school than Delmon Young was, and maybe the best since Josh Hamilton."
" ... Troy Tulowitzki is a great talent at
the seventh spot, a player that some people would have taken with the top pick.
Tulo will not only move quickly through the system, but in Coors Field, has
superstar potential."
" ... [Logan] White still managed to have one
of the best NL drafts despite not choosing until pick 40. Part of his draft was
because of good fortune, as consensus #2 pitcher, Luke Hochevar, fell due
to bonus concerns. Hochevar should be considered one of the three best Los
Angeles pitching prospects already, which is saying a lot considering the
Dodgers' fantastic system."
Jim Callis,
Baseball America, on Cameron Maybin DET :
" ... Maybin is a potential steal
with the 10th overall pick in the draft. He'll need some time to develop, but
he's a five-tool outfielder who compares very favorably to No. 1 choice Justin
Upton. There was no red flag that caused Maybin to fall a little further than
expected. He just didn't find a fit with the first nine clubs, most of whom were
looking for someone who could reach the majors more quickly."
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, includes notes on Dallas Braden and Chris
Lubanski :
" ... It's hard to find too many pitchers at any
level hotter than Dallas Braden. The lefty was taken in last year's draft by the
A's in the 24th round and is a combined 11-1 this year. The promotion to
Double-A may have made him better, as he's gone 5-1 with a 1.87 ERA since being
moved up. If this were Billboard, he'd have a bullet next to his name."
" ... It's time to give ... Chris Lubanski some
love. He's currently riding an 11-game hitting streak. In the past week, he
homered three times (to give him 12, good for a tie for sixth in the league) and
drove in nine runs (giving him 43, tied for eighth). Throw in a perfect
five-for-five in steals and he's starting to show the all-around skills more. He
may end up more of a power guy than a speed guy, but if he keeps hitting like
this (.438 in June), no one will care."
Justin Hamm, RotoAmerica,
right on the money with his Tuesday posting on Rich Hill CHN :
" ... a hard-throwing 6-5 lefty named
Rich Hill has been making a case for why he should be there already. In 61 and
one-third innings between AA West Tennessee and AAA Iowa this year, Hill ...
the Cubs 4th round draft pick in 2002, has struck out an eye-popping 111
batters against 24 walks. The strikeout numbers are old news during his first
three professional seasons Hill chalked up 297 of them in 220 and one-third
innings but the control is a recent development. He had surrendered slightly
more than six walks per nine innings in his career prior to 2005. In 12 starts
this season, hes handing out free passes at roughly half that rate. Apparently
he had some mechanical issues that have finally been ironed out, and as a
result, his performance and his value have skyrocketed. At the end of May the
Cubs rewarded Hill for throwing more strikes by sending him, his low-to-mid-90s
fastball and his nasty curveball from West Tennessee to Iowa ...
though he has been troubled by the long ball, surrendering four in his first 13
and 2/3 innings since making the move, he has also posted a 7-1
strikeout-to-walk ratio thus far; suggesting that his stuff is for real and his
newfound control might be a permanent improvement. One or two more good starts
by Hill, plus one or two bad starts by Koronka or Mitre, and the Cubs might
decide Hill is ready for yet another promotion."
Scott Rex, OnDeck, updates his Florida State prospect chart :
1. Justin Verlander, RHP, DET 6. Justin Orenduff, RHP, LA
2. Dustin McGowan, RHP, TOR 7. Phil Humber, RHP, NYN
3. Matt Moses, 3B, MIN 8. Chuck Tiffany, LHP, LA
4. Lastings Milledge, OF, NYN 9. Glen Perkins, LHP, MIN
5. Andy LaRoche, 3B, LA 10. Jason Vargas, LHP, FLO
TB's first rounder in 2004 almost ready to resume mound work :
" ... Right-hander Jeff Niemann,
taken in the first round of the 2004 draft, could be ready to resume pitching in
the minors next week. He has been sidelined since May 7 by right shoulder
inflammation. "He's doing fine," LaMar said. "We gave him an MRI just to make
sure, and his shoulder was 100% clean. I think you'll see him back pitching in a
game hopefully in the next week or so." (AP)
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, with
some notes on 2004 second round picks :
Reid Brignac TB " ...
.240/.322/.387 in 57 games for the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays, cooling off a
great deal after a fast start. Walk rate is good (25 in 225 ab), has shown some
pop, but is fanning more than once per game. Performance still credible
considering age."
BJ Szymanski CIN
" ... .267/.327/.511 in 11 games for the Dayton Dragons in the Midwest
League, 4 walks, 14 strikeouts in 45 at-bats. Playing time has been limited by a
strained right knee. Power production has been good, but poor plate discipline
will be an issue at higher levels if it is not improved."
Seth Smith COL "
... .300/.363/.477 for Class A Modesto in the California League. 24 walks,
63 strikeouts in 61 games, 243 at-bats. He's playing well, certainly, but there
is risk if he is promoted to higher levels too quickly: note mediocre walk rate,
with more than one strikeout per game. He's quite toolsy and right now is
killing the ball with natural talent, but more refinement will be needed at
higher levels."
15 June 2005
Five more leagues join the fray later this month ... the short-season loops
(Appalachian, New York-Penn, Gulf Coast, Northwest and Pioneer) ... looking for
correspondents for these leagues ... please drop me a line
if
interested.
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- Edwin Encarnacion 3B CIN 2-5, 2B, RBI
... Steve Kelly CIN 5-1/3 9 6 6 2 3, 3.35 ... James
Jurries DH-RF ATL 2-4, R ... Billy McCarthy LF ATL 3-4, 2B, R
... Ryan Howard 1B PHI 2-4, 2B ... Pedro Liriano PHI
5 8 7 7 5 4, 4.85 ... John-Ford Griffin LF TOR 1-5, 13th HR, R, 2 RBI, SF
... Shawn Marcum TOR 7 8 2 2 1 5, 3.46 ... B.J. Upton SS TB
2-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI, BB, 0 errors ... Chris Seddon TB 5-2/3 6 3 3 2
4, 6.98 ... Carlos Pena 1B DET 0-3, BB ... Kyle Denney
CLE 5 5 0 0 2 3, 5.08 ... Zach Duke PIT 7 6 3 2 1 5, 11-3, 2.84
... Cory Stewart PIT 5 3 2 2 2 2, 4.38 ... Angel Pagan
DH NYN 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI ... Jae Seo NYN 7 5 2 2 2 7, 3.26 ...
Brandon McCarthy CHA 6 5 3 3 2 7, 5.48 ... J.D. Durbin MIN 5 3
0 0 1 6, 3.95
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) --
Felix Hernandez
SEA 6 3 0 0 4 7, (W, 8-4), 2.32, outstanding! ... Brad Nelson MIL 2-4, 2
runs ... Corey Hart MIL 2-2, double, 2 runs, 2 walks ... Chris Duncan
STL 2-3, double, RBI ... Brooks Conrad HOU 2-4, double, 2 runs ...
Taylor Buchholz HOU 6 4 1 1 2 4, (W, 5-0) ... Brendan Harris WAS 2-4,
solo homer ... Brandon Watson WAS 3-5, .356 ... Ian Kinsler TEX
2-5, 2 homers, 5 RBI ... Wilfredo Rodriguez TEX 6 5 2 1 2 7, 1.50 ...
Mathis and Kotchman ANA 0-8 ... Carlos Quentin ARI 1-2, solo homer
... Bill Murphy ARI 7 2 1 0 4 2, W ... Matt Cain SF 7 4 0 0 2 8,
(W, 4-2), 3.63, also outstanding! ... ready to play, Charles Thomas OAK
3-5, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs, SB
" ... Felix Hernandez pitched another gem Tuesday,
limiting Portland to three hits over six scoreless innings ... Hernandez
(8-4) allowed just three singles and four walks while striking out seven. He
retired the side in order just once, but allowed only one base runner past
second and extended his scoreless streak to 15 1/3 innings. In his last five
starts, the 19-year-old right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.23 ERA, fanning 36 in 29
1/3 innings." (MLB.com)
EASTERN (AA) --
Dustin Pedroia
2B BOS 2-6, 2B (15), .316 AVG ... Brandon Moss OF BOS 5-9, 2B (17), 2
HR (9), 4 RBI (33), .292 AVG
Christopher Durbin OF BOS 4-7, 2B
(13), .308 AVG
Jared Sandberg 3B BOS 2-5, 2B (15), HR (9), 4
RBI (46), .259 AVG
Kevin West 1B BOS 1-2, 2B (17), 2 RBI
(17), .303 AVG ... Eric Duncan 3B NYA 0-0,
.229 AVG
Melky Cabrera OF NYA 0-4, RBI (36), .276 AVG
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 1-5, RBI (20), .242 AVG
David Espinosa OF DET 1-5, SB (7), .291 AVG
Daniel Ortmeier OF SF 2-5, .265 AVG
Fred Lewis
OF SF 0-4, .228 AVG
Michael Bourn OF PHI 1-4, .269 AVG
Randy Ruiz 1B PHI 1-5, .357 AVG
Alexander Romero
OF MIN 2-4, .275 AVG
Paul Bonifay 1B PIT 2-5, 2
HR (12), 3 RBI (36), .257 AVG
Luis Matos OF BAL 0-3, .143
AVG
Jonathan Lester BOS 6 5 2 2 4 2, W
(5), 2.86 ERA
Kason Gabbard BOS 1/3 3 2 2 0 0, 4.78 ERA
Paul Maholm PIT 5 7 3 3 2 2, W (4), 3.68 ERA
Yusmerio Petit NYN 2-2/3 3 0 0 1 6, 2.92 ERA
Ismael
Ramirez TOR 6 7 7 3 1 2, 4.52 ERA
JD Martin CLE
6 7 1 1 0 4, W (3), 2.82 ERA
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Scott Olsen FLO 3-2/3 7 7 7 2
5, 4.05 ... James Loney LA, slow progress, 3-5, double, .272 ...
Joel Guzman LA, 3B again, 1-4, double ... Dustin Nippert
ARZ, just his 4th game back, 9 5 0 0 2 9, 1.95 ... Renyel Pinto
CHN 6 5 0 0 2 6, 1.69
TEXAS (AA) -- Joaquin Arias SS
TEX, nice rebound, up to .280, 2-5, double ... Fernando Nieve HOU 7 6 2 1
1 7, 2.65 ... Randy Leek STL 8 6 2 2 4 4, 3.02 ... Tyler
Minges 3-5, triple, homer, 3 RBI, .312
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- Thomas Diamond TEX 5-2/3 5 2
1 4 4, 7-0, 2.24 ... Brandon Wood ANA 3-4, 23rd double, 21st
homer, .318 ... Seth Smith COL 4-5, .300 ... Ian
Stewart COL 0-4, .228 ... Brandon Powell
KC 2-4, 2 homers (9), 5 RBI, .331 ... Aneudi Cuevas 3B TB 3-4, homer, 4
RBI, .307 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 0-3, .370 ... Daric Barton OAK 0-4,
.273
CAROLINA (A+) -- Leo Daigle 1B CHA
(25, 11th rounder in 1997), time to move
on up, added the cycle to his amazing season, 5-6, 21st double, triple, 22nd homer, 6 RBI, .367 ... Tom
Collaro OF CHA 4-6, 2 doubles (12), 2 homers (17), 7 RBI, .289 ...
Robert Valido CHA 4-5, .313
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Matt
Moses 3B MIN 2-3 2B R 2RBI & 2-4 RBI - .324
Adam Harben
MIN 4 3 0 0 0 3 ND, 2.97
Jay Sawatski MIN 3 2 0 0 0 2
W(2-2, 1.57)
Marc Tugwell DH PHI 2-3 HR(5) 3RBI -
.325
Denard Span CF MIN 0-3 & 2-4 2 Triples R RBI -
.345
Chip Cannon 1B TOR 2-5 HR(17) 3B - .291
David Purcey TOR 5 2 2 2 4 9 ND, 3.48
Jordan Tata
DET 5 5 2 2 1 5 ND, 2.31
Brian Dopirak DH CHN 2-4 R -
.253
Kevin Collins LF CHN 1-4 HR(13) 2RBI - .277
Shawn Bowman 3B NYN 2-4 HR(10) 2RBI - .211
Sean Marshall CHN 5 7 4 4 3 5 ND, 2.74
Caleb Stewart
LF NYN 1-3 HR(3) 2R - .308
Carlos Villanueva MIL 6 5 1 1 0 8
ND, 1.85
Eric Haberer STL 7 3 3 2 2 2 L(7-3, 1.73)
Javon Moran CF CIN 2-3 SB(5) - .353
MIDWEST (A) -- Reid Brignac TB 0-4, 3 BB, 17th E
... Matt Bush SD 2-5 ... Luis Cota KC 6 4 3 2 1 3
(2.48) ... Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 3-4, BB ... Kyle Waldrop
MIN 5 7 2 2 2 7 (4.62) ... Trevor Plouffe MIN 2-3, BB (.193) ...
Raul Padron OAK 2-5 (.309) .. big night Eric Patterson
CHN 3-5, double, 5th HR (.366) ... bigger Ryan Harvey CHN 3-5, 2
doubles, 9th HR (.259) ... Oswaldo Navarro SEA 3-4, 4th HR, but
15th error (.275) ... careful pitch count Kyle Rogers TEX 4 3 0 0
1 3 (6.07)
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- Luis Ramirez BAL 3 9 6 6 3
3, 3.18 ... Jason Fransz OF BAL 3-5, double, homer, 4 RBI, .256
... Matt Harrison ATL, 7 7 3 3 0 2, 2.59 ... Marcus
Sanders SF 3-5, triple, 2 SBs (38), .304 ... Taylor
Tankersley FLO, 2003 debut, 6 7 3 3 0 5 ... Gaby Hernandez
NYN 6-1/3 7 2 2 2 7, 2.62 ... and, of course, right after reading about his
selection as BA's hottest prospect, Troy Patton HOU had his worst
effort 4-1/3 8 6 5 1 6 ... James Happ PHI 7 2 0 0 2 7, 1.65
Troop
Movements ... ANA -recalled RHP Ervin Santana, Casey Kotchman
to AAA ... DET - Carlos Guillen DL, Marcus Thames to AAA, Jason
Smith, Alexis Gomez up ... NYA - Rey Sanchez DL, Andy
Phillips up ... OAK - Keith Ginter back up, Matt Watson to AAA ...
Kevin Goldstein is back with the
Prospect
Hot Sheet at Baseball America (after a break for all the draft coverage) and
picks a pair of HOU farmhands to top the latest snapshot :
" ... 1. Troy Patton, lhp ...
It's now been over a month since Patton gave up a run, spanning 32 innings over
five starts. During that span, he's limited opponents to 10 hits and six walks,
while striking out 35. In 12 starts on the season, he's allowed zero earned runs
seven times, one earned run three times, and two earned runs twice.
2. Hunter Pence, of ... went on the DL last night
with a strained quadriceps, and that's the only thing that will slow down the
minor league home run leader with 23, who has slugged 16 home runs in his last
32 games.'
" ... 6. Justin Orenduff, rhp,
Dodgers ... While pitching at Virginia Commonwealth last year, Orenduff
was overshadowed by Old Dominion's Justin Verlander, and that continued early on
this season in the Florida State League. A 2004 supplemental first-round pick of
his own, Orenduff has eclipsed Verlander at the league's hottest starter,
limiting opponents to just 35 hits over 60 innings while striking out 81."
Adam Miller CLE progressing well - set to open in short-season ball :
" ... Miller threw two innings (32 pitches) of
a simulated game yesterday for Mahoning Valley. He's on track to start the
Scrappers opener against Jamestown on June 21." (Cleveland Indians Report)
Joe Kaiser, in his weekly SEA prospect report in the SEA Post
Intelligencer, notes the progress of the M's top 2004 pick :
" ... Much has happened in the 12 months since the
2004 draft, including a few high-profile picks who have lived up to
expectations. More than anyone else, this is true of Matt Tuiasosopo, the
Mariners' third-round pick and first selection ... has shot up the
prospect charts with a rare combination of athleticism and power-hitting
potential, excelling at the plate first at Peoria, Ariz., and Everett last
summer and again at Single A Wisconsin this season. He's batting .307 through
play on Sunday, drawing walks and hitting the ball hard. "He's progressing real
well," said Greg Hunter, the Mariners minor league operations director."
1. Felix Hernandez, RHP, Tacoma: Pitched five
shutout innings without his best stuff vs. Las Vegas last week, moving to 7-4
with a 2.53 ERA ... 2. Chris Snelling, OF, Tacoma:
Australian outfielder is tearing up Triple-A, hitting .383, and has been on base
nearly half the time (.467 OPB) ... 3. Adam Jones,
SS, Inland Empire: Jones, 19, is starting to tap into his potential with eight
home runs, 19 doubles, five triples and a .295 batting average. Strong-armed
shortstop will need to improve his defense (19 errors) to stick at the
position."
So far it's just a trial. Jose Capellan moves to the pen :
" ... He hasn't been quite as
effective as a starter as we hoped, so we decided to put him in the pen," said
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. "That doesn't mean he'll end up there for
good. It's just something we're trying for now. "It's not a big deal. He can
always go back and start. Let's see how this works." Capellan, 24, was 4-2 with
a 5.16 earned run average in 12 starts at Nashville. In 59 1/3 innings, he has
allowed 63 hits and 27 walks while logging 42 strikeouts. Opponents are batting
.279 against him. The Dominican Republic native has shown only brief flashes of
the pitcher the Brewers thought they were getting from the Braves. The velocity
on his fastball has been mostly in the low 90s (mph), not the mid to high 90s as
in the past. Capellan also has been unable to come up with a consistent second
pitch ... "He got a little frustrated (as a starter), trying to throw as
many pitches as he can. We just want him to be more comfortable and get back to
throwing like he can." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Some hope for Dodger fans :
" ... Maybe the five days Dioner
Navarro spent with the Dodgers in late May served as motivation. Since
returning to triple-A Las Vegas, the catching prospect is 19 for 40 with three
home runs in 11 games, raising his batting average from .243 to .305." (LA
Times)
Todd Linden, late bloomer, gets a shot with the Giants :
" ... "I've been looking forward to
this all year," Linden said in a telephone interview ... the 24-year-old
cleanup hitter for the Grizzlies, was leading the Pacific Coast League with 19
home runs, 56 runs, 58 RBIs and 47 walks. Linden also was hitting .326 and his
.692 slugging percentage ranked second. He even had shown some speed, posting
six steals in seven attempts. So what took so long for Linden to get his call?
Though the Giants have had plenty of activity with their pitching staff, there
had been little movement among position players, with only two getting called up
before Linden. Cautious of disturbing Linden's timing and rhythm at the plate,
Giants management said the team wouldn't call up Linden until he could receive
regular playing time in the majors.' (Fresno Bee)
14 June 2005
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- Elizardo Ramirez CIN 4 4 1 0 2 3, 3.00 ...
Ryan Howard 1B PHI 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, SF ... Carlos Ruiz
C PHI 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB, HBP ... Shane Victorino CF PHI 3-5, 11th
HR, 2 R, RBI ... David Bush TOR 1-2/3 2 2 2 2 1, 4.60 ... B.J.
Upton SS TB 2-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 errors ... Curtis Granderson CF
DET 2-4, 2B ... Carlos Pena 1B DET 2-4, 2B, R ... Brandon
Phillips SS CLE 2-4, 2B, R ... Ryan Garko C CLE 2-4, RBI
... Francisco Cruceta CLE 6 6 4 3 0 10, 5.32 ... Lenny
DiNardo BOS 5-1/3 3 2 2 4 3, 4.12
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Anthony Reyes
STL 5 2 0 0 1 7, (W, 6-3), 2.93 ... Ronny Cedeno CHN 2-3, double,
2 RBI ... Kerry Wood CHN 3 3 1 1 2 3, rehab ... Ian
Kinsler TEX 3-4, double, 2 runs ... JJ Furmaniak SD 1-4,
triple ... Charles Thomas OAK 2-4, triple ... Conor
Jackson ARI 1-4, double, run ... Carlos Quentin ARI 1-4,
double, RBI ... shifting to the pen, Jose Capellan MIL 2 2 0 0 1 3
EASTERN (AA) --
Dustin Pedroia 2B BOS 3-7, RBI
(36), .316 AVG ... Brandon Moss OF BOS 0-3, 2B (16), 2 RBI (29), .280 AVG
Christopher Durbin OF BOS 2-7, HR (7), 2 RBI (32), .296 AVG
Jared
Sandberg 3B BOS 2-7, 2B (14), HR (14), 3 RBI (42), .259 AVG
Eric
Duncan 3B NYA 0-0, .229 AVG
Melky Cabrera OF NYA 1-3, .280 AVG
Franklin Gutierrez CLE 0-3, RBI (19), .243 AVG
David
Espinosa OF DET 1-4, SB (6), 3B (6), .293 AVG
Daniel Ortmeier OF SF
1-4, .262 AVG
Fred Lewis OF SF 2-5, HR (3), 3 RBI (14), .232 AVG
Carlos Valderrama OF SF 3-4, .322 AVG
Michael Bourn OF PHI 1-4, 2B
(10), .262 AVG
Randy Ruiz 1B PHI 3-3, 2 2B (18), .371 AVG
Alexander Romero OF MIN 3-4, 2 HR (8), 2 RBI (30), .271 AVG
Paul
Bonifay 1B PIT 2-4, 2 RBI (33), .252 AVG
Luis Matos OF BAL 1-4,
.250 AVG
Matt Peterson PIT 6-2/3 8 5 3 2 3, W (6), 6.09 ERA
Josh
Banks TOR 7 8 3 3 0 5, 4.73 ERA
Fausto Carmona CLE 7 4 1 1 0
9, W (6), 3.98 ERA
Jeffrey Karstens NYA 6 6 2 1 2 7, 3.79 ERA
John
Parrish BAL 2-1/3 1 1 1 1 3, 3.86 ERA
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Jon Weber OF LA 4-4, 2 homers,
.325 ... Joel Guzman LA, at 3B again, 2-5, 19th double ... Ben
Kozlowski CIN 7 6 3 3 1 7, 3.84 ... Elijah Dukes TB 1-4, 8th
homer ... Wes Bankston TB 2-4, homer ... Casey McGehee
2B CHN 2-3, 4th homer, .320
TEXAS (AA) -- His first night in AA -
Luis Guance (2B) COL 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI & 0-2, .333 ... Corey Slavik
COL 2-3, R, 2B, HR(6), 4RBI(39) &1-3, R, HR(7), RBI(40), .269 ... Mitch
Maier KC 2-4, R, RBI, SB & 1-3, R, .267 ... Justin Huber KC
2-4, R & 1-3, .332 ... Mike Aviles (SS) KC 4-4, 3R, 3B, HR(8),
2RBI(40) & 1-3, .293 ... Jonah Bayliss KC (S,4) 2 1 1 1 0 3 (2.98)
... Omar Quintanilla OAK 2-3, 3R, 2BB, SB, .289 ... Brian
Stavisky OAK 3-5, 2R, HR(5), 3RBI(36), .320 ... Andre Ethier
OAK 1-4, 2RBI(44), .344 ... TJ Bohn SEA 3-5, .307 ... Thomas
Oldham SEA (W,4-5) 6 4 2 2 2 6 (3.96) ... Emiliano Fruto SEA
(S,2) 1-2/3 1 0 0 0 2 (3.22) ... Tyler Minges STL 2-4, 2R, 2 2B,
RBI(33), .305 ... Reggie Willits ANA 2-5, 2RBI(19), .318 ...
Alberto Callaspo ANA 2-3, 2R, RBI(38), .328 ... Erick Aybar
ANA 2-5, 3R, HR(4), 2RBI(24), SB(18), .273
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- George Kottaras SD
2-4, double, .304 ... Adam Keim 2B KC 12th homer, .291 ... Daric
Barton OAK 2-3, walk, .279 ... Luke Appert 2B OAK 3-5, 2
homers (7), .261 ... Dustin Majewski OAK 2-4, 18th double, 11th
homer, .275
CAROLINA (A+) -- Leo Daigle CHA 3-4, 21st
homer, .356 ... Ryan Mulhern 1B CLE 1-4, 13th homer, .314 ... Jake
Stevens ATL 6 9 4 3 2 5, 3.86 ... Jose Vaquedano BOS 6 6 1
1 0 6, 2.69
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Lastings
Milledge CF NYN 3-5 2 doubles 3R - .301
Andy Wilson
1B NYN 2-4 3RBI - .296
Caleb Stewart LF NYN 3-3 HR(2) 2B
2R 2RBI - .306
Greg Ramirez NYN 2 5 4 4 3 2 L(4-4, 3.54)
Nate Bumstead DET 8 6 1 1 2 1 ND, 2.76
Scott
Tyler MIN 7 2 1 1 3 8 ND, 4.21
Jung Bong CIN
(rehab) 4 3 3 2 1 1
Adam Heether 3B MIL 2-4 2 doubles 2R
3RBI - .295
Josh Habel MIL 8 2 0 0 0 8 W(2-3, 3.12)
Tyler Clippard NYA 6 1/3 6 4 3 2 7 L(6-5, 3.75)
Justin Christian 2B NYA 2-4 3B RBI - .306
Scott Moore
3B CHN 2-5 R RBI - .312
Carlos Marmol CHN 6 6 3 3 1 11 W(6-2, 2.99)
MIDWEST (A) -- Carlos Gonzalez ARZ 3-5,
15th double (.313) ... quel dommage! Phillipe Valiquette CIN 2 7 6
6 2 1 (5.77) ... B.J. Szymanski CIN, 2 K's ... Javier Herrera
OAK 2-5, 5th HR (.261) ... Tarrance Patterson MIN 2-3, 3rd HR
(.275) ... baby steps, baby steps Matt Bush SD 3-4, 9th double
(.244) ... backward steps Reid Brignac TB 1-5, 2 K, 16th E (also
.244) ... Asdrubal Cabrera SEA 3-5, triple (.330) ... very
impressive Josh Rainwater DET 8 2/3 7 2 1 0 5 (2.10)
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- Matthew Miller CF
COL 3-3 & 0-4, 3 Ks, .354 ... Chris Nelson COL 1-3 & 0-3, walk,
.167 ... Joseph Koshansky 1B COL 1-3, double & 2-3, 2 homers
(15), 5 RBI (55), .312 ... Hunter Pence HOU 0-1, replaced after grounding
out in the first ... Brian Barton CLE, Hitter of the Week in the SAL,
3-5, homer, .415 ... Hernan Iribarren MIL 2-5, triple, .316
Troop
Movements ... BAL - activated Larry Bigbie from DL, purchased the contract of
Chris Ray from AA, optioned John Parrish to AA, Ramon Nivar to
AAA ... TB - Tim Corcoran, Jonny Gomes, Kevin
Cash up, Charles Johnson released, Trevor Miller DL, Alex Sanchez
designated for assignment ... BOS - SS Hanley Ramirez DL
(at AA), lower back strain ... PIT - Kyle Bloom promoted to A+ ...
FLO - Taylor Tankersley to make season debut Tues in SAL ... PHI - Randy
Wolf DL, Amaury Telemaco up ... MIL - Prince Fielder up, Julio Mosquera
to AAA ... SF - Edgardo Alfonzo,Marquis Grissom heading for DL, Todd
Linden and Adam Shabala up ...
" ... Chris Ray ... set a Baysox
team record for consecutive saves in a season with 15 while throwing 96-98
mph... In 32 2/3 innings, Ray has a 1.10 ERA with 37 strikeouts and only
six walks and 14 hits. Opponents have been batting .131 against him in the
Double-A Eastern League. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander, who was taken in
the third round by the Orioles in 2003." (Baltimore Sun)
" ... Brewers general manager Doug
Melvin confirmed ... that Fielder, 21, would come up strictly to serve as the DH
in three-game series at Tampa Bay and Toronto. Melvin said Fielder then would be
returned to Class AAA Nashville. "We figured the way were hitting, well see if
he can jump-start the offense a little bit," said Melvin. "We talked about this
a couple of weeks ago. "Weve got some guys banged up right now, so were a
little thin. And with the offense struggling, were looking for an offensive
boost." While the move smacks of desperation somewhat, the Brewers might be
catching Fielder at the right time. The powerful first baseman has been on a
home run binge of late, socking two more out of the park Sunday in Nashvilles
7-1 victory over Iowa. Fielder, a first-round draft pick in 2002, was batting
.253 with 15 home runs and 47 runs batted in for the Sounds. He had a .507
slugging percentage, with 37 walks and 57 strikeouts.' (Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel)
Kendry Morales on the move to AA :
" ... Morales, 21, joins the Travs
after spending 22 games at Rancho Cucamonga where he batted .344 with five home
runs and 22 RBI. The Angels signed him to a six-year Major League. He was unable
to take part in Angels spring training due to stalled processing of Dominican
citizenship. He played his first game in the USA with Rancho Cucamonga on May
21." (Arkansas Travelers)
Players/Pitchers of the Week announced ... a few of the chosen :
South Atlantic League, Pitcher
" ... James Barthmaier ... Pitcher of the Week honors by posting a
1-0 record in his 2 starts with a perfect 0.00 ERA. Barthmaier pitched 13.0
magnificent innings allowing only 3 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks and striking out 14
batters. James was named to the 46th Annual South Atlantic League Northern
Division All-Star Team." (South Atlantic League)
Pacific Coast League, Hitter
" ... Josh Willingham, had an outstanding week at the plate
hitting .550 with three homers and eight RBI to earn the PCL Player of the Week
award for the week of June 6-12. Right-hander Chris Oxspring was named the
Pitcher of the Week for allowing only three earned runs and striking out 16
batters in 15.1 innings of work, giving Portland pitchers consecutive weeks of
earning the honor. Willingham leads the PCL in On-Base and Slugging Percentage
with .480 OBP and .767 SLG, and is tied for the lead in home runs with 19.
Originally from Florence, Alabama, Josh is hitting .352 with 52 RBI on the
season to lead Albuquerque to the third best team average in the League.
Selected in the 17th round of the 2000 Draft by Florida, Josh played in 12 games
last season with the Marlins." (Pacific Coast League)
International League, Pitcher
" ... Abe Alvarez ... goal for the young southpaw in 2005 has been
consistency through his first 11 starts he was 4-2, but had held opponents
under two runs only twice. Then on June 6 he took the hill against Richmond and
turned in his best performance of the year. Abe tossed seven shutout innings,
striking out 9 with no walks allowed. He surrendered only one hit to Esix Snead,
who he promptly picked off first base ... Five nights later Alvarez faced off
against Columbus ... they managed only four hits and one run against Alvarez
over six innings... In 13 innings pitched this week, the 22-year-old
hurler had an ERA of just 0.69 with 15 strikeouts, while allowing only 5 hits
and 2 walks."
Eastern League, Pitcher "
... Zach Jackson ... 22-year old made a pair of starts for
the Fisher Cats last week and was 1-0 with 13 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA. The
65, 220 lb. hurler gave up just one hit and struck out eight batters while
walking one in seven shutout innings of work to pick up a win against Akron in
his first start of the week. In his second start of the week Jackson ... earned
a no-decision, giving up three runs, two earned, and striking out five batters
in five innings pitched against Erie. Zach, who is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA since
making his Double-A debut on June 1st, was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in
first round (32nd overall pick) of the June 2004 draft." (Eastern League)
Texas League, Pitcher "
... Dallas Braden ... raised his 2005 record to 11-1 with
two more wins for Midland last week... The 6-foot-1 lefty pitched Midland to a
1-0 win over Corpus Christi on June 7, allowing just four hits and two walks in
eight innings while striking out seven. His next time out, the Oakland
Athletics' 2004 24th-round draft pick went 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on
five hits to lead the Rock Hounds to a 4-2 win over Frisco. Since his promotion
in mid-May, Braden is 5-1 with a 1.87 ERA. At Class A Stockton, he had been 6-0,
and his two-year professional record now stands at 15-2." (Texas League)
California League, Pitcher
" ... Thomas Diamond ... Rangers' top prospect continued to shine
as Diamond dominated Lancaster with a seven-inning, 14-strikeout performance
June 9. The Rangers' 2004 first-round pick maintained his perfect record by
shutting out the JetHawks in a 5-0 win, allowing just three hits and didn't
issue any walks. The 6-foot-3 right-hander from the University of New Orleans is
now 6-0 with a league-best 2.30 ERA on the season. Diamond also leads the
circuit in strikeouts with 83 in just 66 2/3 innings." (California League)
Mets beginning to get a return on Philip Humber, 2004 first rounder :
" ... His last couple of
starts have been terrible, but I think he's back on track and I think you're
going to see him have a good game," [Rick] Waits, the Mets' minor league
pitching coordinator, forecasted before Humber threw his first pitch against
Jupiter. On cue, Humber allowed one unearned run on four hits, struck out five
and didn't issue a walk in seven innings to earn his first pro win ... Humber,
the Mets' first-round draft choice and the third overall selection last year,
entered with an 0-5 record and 6.50 ERA ... Waits worked with Humber last
week and came away impressed with the 22-year-old's competitiveness and
intelligence ... "Once I was around Humber, I said, 'Wow. That's a No. 1
(starter).' He's got that makeup, that confidence, kind of like (Scott) Kazmir
last year. He's going to be fine." (Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin)
John Sickels, MinorLeagueBall, on
Scott Olsen FLO :
" ... Marlins lefty prospect is 5-3 with a
3.36 ERA through 12 starts, with an 80/25 K/BB ratio in 70 innings, 62 hits
allowed. His ERA is up a bit from his career 2.90 mark in A-ball, but his
component ratios remain strong, with no deterioration in K/IP or K/BB ...
solidifying his status as one of the best LHP prospects in the game. He still
doesn't get that much attention, but his ratio set is strong in all categories
and I really don't see any reason why he shouldn't be considered an outstanding
prospect. He throws strikes, and he is not a soft-tosser."
Scott Rex, OnDeck, on Dioner Navarro LA :
" ... Navarro has been swinging a hot bat for
the 51s. The switch-hitting 21-year-old has gone 17-for-31 (.548) during an
8-game hitting streak to jump his average from .239 to .304. Navarro has
displayed fantastic bat control this season, drawing 26 walks and fanning just
15 times in 148 ABs."
Scott has updated his SAL prospect list & posted his first PCL list. The
top 10s :
1. Felix Hernandez, RHP, SEA 6. Carlos Quentin, OF, ARZ
2. Prince Fielder, 1B, MIL 7. Anthony Reyes, RHP, STL
3. Rickie Weeks, 2B, MIL 8. Tim Stauffer, RHP, SD
4. Matt Cain, RHP, SF 9. Adam Wainwright, RHP, STL
5. Conor Jackson, 1B, ARZ 10. Jeff Mathis, C, ANA
1. Phil Hughes, RHP, NYA 6. Mark Rogers, RHP, MIL
2. Chris Nelson, SS, COL 7. Gaby Hernandez, RHP, NYN
3. Gio Gonzalez, LHP, CHA 8. Hunter Pence, OF, HOU
4. Troy Patton, LHP, HOU 9. Neil Walker, C, PIT
5. Scott Elbert, LHP, LA 10. Jimmy Barthmaier, RHP, HOU
Randy Miller, PhillyBurbs.com, on the latest Cole Hamels schedule :
" ... Hamels is scheduled to
pitch in a simulated game on Monday or Tuesday, his first action since breaking
his left hand in an offseason bar fight. Weve got to get him up to five
innings before hes ready to go into a real game, Phillies assistant GM Mike
Arbuckle said. Hamels had a recent bout with back spasms, but recovered quickly
and is on a regular throwing program. Barring another setback, Hamels still is
expected to debut in the Gulf Coast League later this month and then make a
quick jump to the Threshers."
13 June 2005
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- Ryan Howard 1B PHI 2-2, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB ...
Gabe Gross LF TOR 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SF ... Brandon
League TOR 5 5 4 4 1 2, 6.98 ... B.J. Upton SS TB 1-4, R, BB, 0
errors ... Jonny Gomes RF TB 2-5, 2B, R ... Curtis
Granderson CF DET 2-5, 2B ... Carlos Pena 1B DET 2-3, R, RBI,
2 BB ... Kenny Baugh DET 7-2/3 4 3 3 3 5, 3.52 ... Ryan
Garko 1B CLE 3-5, 12th HR, R, 4 RBI ... Brian Tallet CLE 7 5 2
2 1 2, 2.67 ... Bryan Bullington PIT 6 6 3 0 2 7, 4.76 ... Jeff
Keppinger 2B NYN 3-4, 3rd HR, 2 R, RBI, BB ... Brian Anderson
CF CHA 2-5, R ... Boof Bonser MIN 6 8 4 4 2 13, 3.84
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) --
Prince Fielder MIL 2-4, 2
homers, 3 RBI ... Charles Thomas OAK 2-4, double, 2 runs ... Ryan
Shealy COL 2-4, 2 runs ... Todd Linden SF 3-4, solo homer (19), 2 RBI
... Jeff Mathis ANA 2-4, triple, 3 RBI, .275 ... Shin Soo Choo SEA
2-4, 2 doubles ... in relief, more salt; Edwin Jackson LA 3 5 6 6 7 2, L,
gave up all Tacoma's runs ... Cha-Seung Baek SEA 6 3 0 0 2 8 ...
Sergio Santos ARI 2-4, double ... Josh Barfield SD 2-4, up to .289
... Ben Johnson SD 2-4, homer, 2 RBI ... Chris Oxspring SD 8-1/3 7
4 1 2 9, (W, 5-2) ... Jason Botts TEX 2-4, solo homer, 2K ... Brandon
Watson WAS 2-5, double, .355 ... Josh Willingham FLO 1-3, solo homer
(19)
EASTERN (AA) -- Zach Jackson TOR
5 8 3 2 1 5, 1.35 ... Dustin Pedroia BOS 2-4, walk, .312 ...
Michael Bourn CF PHI 3-5, triple, .269 ... Ramon Castro
SS WAS 2-3, double, homer, .330 ... Brian Bannister NYN 7 6 2 2 1
9, 2.09 ... Merkin Valdez SF 7 6 0 0 0, 2.71 ... Brad
Snyder CLE, AA debut, 2-5, double, homer
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Elijah Dukes TB 3-3, 7th homer
& 1-3,
.292 ... Wes Bankston TB 1-3, 1st homer & 0-3, 3 Ks, .212 ... Delmon
Young TB 1-4 & 1-3, .338 ... Jeremy Hermida FLO 4-4, double, .314 ...
Jonathan Broxton LA 6 7 2 1 0 5, 3.38 ... Travis Chick
SD 7 1 1 1 3 9, 4.70
TEXAS (AA) -- Robinson Cancel STL 2-5, R,
2RBI(21), SB(4), .319 ... Swinging a hot bat - Aaron Herr (2B) STL 2-3, 3R,
HR(6), 4RBI(24), .282 ... Alberto Callaspo ANA 2-5, 2R, HR(7), RBI(37), .324 ...
Erick Aybar 3-5, 2RBI(22), SB(17), .270 .. Michael Napoli ANA 1-3, R, HR(10),
RBI(43), 2BB, SB(6), .297 ... Greg Porter (3B) ANA 3-5, R, .315 ... Not handling
AA very well - Chris Lambert STL 3-2/3 6 7 6 3 4 (9.26) ... Recently promoted
from A-ball - Wade Robinson
(SS) HOU 2-4, .311 ... Chris Sampson HOU (W,2-8) 9 7 1 1 1 3 (3.40)
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- Jesse Floyd SF 6-2/3
4 1 1 1 5, 2.82 ... Eddy Martinez-Esteve SF 3-3, 26th double, 2 walks,
.365 ... Nate Schierholtz SF 2-4, double, triple, .322 ...
Jordan Czarniecki CF COL 4-5, 2 homers, .325 ... Ian
Stewart COL 0-4, .234 ... Stephen Drew ARZ 2-5, 2nd homer,
.417 ... Miguel Montero ARZ 2-6, double, .357 ... Brandon
Wood ANA 3-4, 20th homer, .315 ... Kendry Morales ANA 0-4,
3 Ks ... Chris Lubanski KC 2-4, double, 3 RBI
CAROLINA (A+) -- Ronald Bay CLE 7 7 1 1 0 10,
3.10 ... Martin Prado 2B ATL 3-4, double, homer, .303 ...
Robert Valido SS CHA 2-4, double, .302 ... Leo Daigle
1B CHA 2-3, 20th homer, 3 RBI, .350
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Andy
LaRoche 3B LA 2-3 HR(21) 4RBI & 1-3 2R SB(6) - .339
Chin-lung
Hu SS LA 2-4 2B 2R SB(8) & 1-3 RBI - .269
Justin Orenduff
LA 7 2 0 0 1 8 W(5-3, 2.24)
Hong-Chin Kuo LA 5 1 0 0 1 8
W(1-1, 2.45, 34 Ks in 22 IP)
Ty Taubenheim MIL 5 12 8 7 2 4 L(8-2, 3.00)
Ryan Anderson MIL 3 4 3 3 0 5 L(0-1, 3.38)
Chip
Cannon 1B TOR 2-5 R RBI - .294
Kurt Isenberg TOR
4 2/3 10 8 8 0 1 ND, 3.91
Reggie Abercrombie CF FLO 1-5
HR(13) 2RBI - .296
Lee Mitchell 3B FLO 3-5 2B 2R RBI -
.251
Paul Mildren FLO 7 2/3 4 1 1 1 0 8 W(6-1, 2.86)
JR Mathes CHN 6 4 1 1 2 5 W(5-2, 2.95)
Kevin
Collins LF CHN 2-3 HR(12) 2B 2R 2RBI & 2-3 RBI - .277
Juan Francia 2B DET 2-4 SB(25) - .320
Vincent Blue
CF DET 2-5 2B R - .307
MIDWEST (A) -- Rafael Rodriguez ANA 8 6
2 2 2 5 (W, 5-2, 2.78) ... Oswaldo Navarro (2B) SEA 2-4, 3rd HR
(.271) ... slow start, then rain A.J. Wideman TOR 3 4 2 2 2 3 (4.78) ...
Eric Patterson CHN 0-4 (.360) ... Anthony Swarzak
MIN 6 3 1 1 0 7 (2.79) ... Trevor Plouffe MIN 2-4 ... Dallas
Trahern DET 6 1/3 7 1 1 3 1 (3.43) ... Reid Brignac TB 2-4
... James Houser, Jr. TB 5 2/3 7 2 2 1 8 (3.15) ... Ian
Gac TEX 1-3, 6th HR (.246) ... Wilkin Castillo (C) ARZ 3-5
(.293) ... Jarrett Hoffpauir STL 2-4, BB (.318)
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- David Haehnel BAL another
scoreless appearance for his 15th save, now at 0.58 in 31 innings, just 14 hits,
33 Ks ... Neil Walker PIT 2-4, double, .277 ... pretty impressive
since a demotion from AA, Craig Molldrem FLO 6 2 1 1 3 7, 6-1, 2.15 ...
Mark Rogers MIL, in relief, 4 2 0 0 0 6, 4.11 ... James Barthmaier HOU
6 1 0 0 2 8, 1.77 ... Philip Hughes NYA 6 6 3 3 1 8, 1.97 ... Ray
Liotta CHA 2.2 8 8 2 0 3, 2.75
Troop
Movements ... ATL - Roman Colon to AA, Blaine Boyer up,
Jorge Vazquez up, Branyan Pena to AAA ... CIN - Jason LaRue, bereavement leave, Dane Sardinha
up, Austin Kearns to AAA, Kenny Kelly up ... TB - Jesus Colome DL,
Franklin Nunez up ... TEX - Ricardo Rodriguez, John Wasdin
up, Joaquin Benoit DL, Andres Torres designated for assignment ...
STL - Cal Eldred activated, Gabe White designated for assignment ... BOS -
activcated Doug Mirabelli, Kelly Shoppach to AAA ... COL - Ryan
Shealy up, Tim Olson to AAA ... SF - Jesse
Foppert up, Jim Brower released ... ARZ - acticvated Greg Aquino,
Edgar Gonzalez to AAA ...
California League to get another star :
" ... Recently signed right-hander
Jered Weaver was scheduled to throw a simulated game at Class A Rancho
Cucamonga on Saturday and another on Wednesday before joining the Quakes'
rotation." (LA Times)
46th round pick just a step away from a hard-earned opportunity in MLB :
" ... Jason Botts is a human
solar eclipse standing in left field, a statuesque 6 feet 6 with a cap seemingly
coated with cloud. The Oklahoma RedHawk is a strapping 250 pounds, too, big
enough to fill his gargantuan frame, and big enough to catapult fastballs
400-plus feet . You can't teach size. "Or power," chimed in Bobby Jones,
Oklahoma's manager. Botts, 24, has ostentatious statistics for Class AAA
Oklahoma, the team second in hitting in the Pacific Coast League. Entering
Saturday, Botts was leading his team with 45 RBIs, 33 walks and a .570 slugging
percentage. And he was hitting .307. "I just try to hit line drives up the
middle, and if I get the right pitch in the right area, I'm going to be able to
hit doubles and home runs," said Botts, who indeed leads his team in doubles
with 16 ... His climb through the Texas Rangers' system has been blue-collar. He
has paid his dues at each level, slowly improving his skills while proving he is
better than the 46th-rounder he was tabbed as in 1999 ... .Last season, his
second in Class AA at Frisco, Botts finally showcased his "game power," as Jones
put it, not just wowing onlookers during batting practice. He hit 24 home runs
-- his first season with double-digit homers -- second in the Texas League. His
92 RBIs, also a career high, were also second in the league. "I hadn't seen him
play until this season," Jones said, "but they talked about him last year, and
how he got more aggressive. . . . We thought when he first came here that he
would struggle, but he seemed to jump into it right away, and he's playing well
and working hard at it." ... continues to work on his shortcomings. There are
the strikeouts, 65 in the first 59 games this season ... And there is his
fielding. "He's got to work on his defense, and he knows it," Jones said."
(New Orleans Times-Picayune)
KC's Mitch Maier, at AA, tries out two new moves -- centrefield,
leadoff :
" ... The Wranglers' search for a
permanent leadoff hitter may finally be over ... When Mitch Maier was promoted
from Class A High Desert June 3, he became the latest experiment ... "I'm just
trying to get an idea of what he can do here, and he's going to get every
opportunity to be the leadoff hitter," White [ Manager Frank White] said. "He's
just got to be a little more patient. Right now he's trying to get acclimated."
Moving to the top of the order is one of many adjustments Maier has had to make
in his first three professional seasons. Drafted out of the University of Toledo
in 2003's first round, Maier moved from catcher to third base when he started
his professional career. He batted third or fourth in college and his first two
pro seasons. When Kansas City acquired Mark Teahen at last year's trade
deadline, Maier changed positions again, this time to the outfield. He's been
Wichita's center fielder since the promotion. "Outfield is definitely the most
comfortable change I've made," Maier said. "As far as position changes go, when
I went to third base it was kind of awkward. It was somewhere I'd never played
before. But I'm happy to be playing the outfield now." (Wichita
Eagle)
Little by little, ARZ catching prospect begins to gain some notice :
" ... Miguel Montero is going
to his first All Star Game, and is one of the two catchers selected to the team.
Montero, who has not missed a game yet this year, leads the JetHawks with a .363
batting average, 16 home runs and 60 RBI this season. His 88 hits are the most
in all of minor league baseball, and his 161 total bases are the most for any
left handed hitter in minor league baseball. Earlier this year, Montero had a
19-game hitting streak, the second longest hitting streak in franchise history."
(Lancaster JetHawks)
Rockies' top draft pick reports to the California League on Friday :
" ... Troy Tulowitzki ...
scheduled to work out three days and make his professional debut June 20.
Modesto shortstop Matt Macri, another top-flight Rockies prospect, is expected
to be promoted to Class AA Tulsa so both he and Tulowitzki can play every day
... The Rockies took Tulowitzki seventh overall in the draft Tuesday and quickly
signed him for $2.3 million. He signed quickly ("I'm a baseball player and just
want to go out and play,") and will allow himself one luxury. Tulowitzki said he
plans to buy a new Cadillac Escalade and put the balance of his bonus in the
bank" (Rocky Mountain News)
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
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