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09 September 2005
Taking a break for a couple of days ...
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- Ryan Raburn DH DET 1-4, 2B ... Marcus
Thames LF DET 1-4, 2nd HR, R, 2 RBI ... Joel Zumaya DET 2 4
6 6 5 5, 27.00 ... Brandon Phillips SS CLE 2-5, RBI ... Jason
Cooper LF CLE 1-4, 1st HR, R, RBI ... J.J. Furmaniak SS PIT 1-5
... Bryan Bullington PIT 4-1/3 9 4 4 2 4, 8.31 ... Angel
Pagan CF NYN 0-2, R, 3 BB ... Anderson Hernandez SS NYN 2-5,
R, RBI ... Yusmeiro Petit NYN 8 6 3 3 1 14, 3.38
" ... Petit (1-0) had struggled in three regular-season
starts for the Tides after being promoted from Double-A Binghamton, where he
went 9-3 with 130 strikeouts over 117 2/3 innings pitched. Prior to [Thursday's]
game, the 20-year-old righty had lost all three of his appearances in a Norfolk
uniform, compiling a 9.20 ERA over 14 2/3 innings. Thursday night was a
different story, as Petit held Toledo to three runs on six hits and one walk.
His 14 strikeouts are the most ever recorded against the Mud Hens in a single
game." (MLB.com)
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Dave Krynzel CF
MIL1-5, homer, 3 Ks ... RA Dickey TEX 7 6 3 3 4 4 ... Bobby Livingston SEA
6 8 3 3 1 2 ... Jack Cust 3-3, double
EASTERN (AA) -- not the same in the second half,
Anibal Sanchez BOS 3 3 2 2 0 4 ... also less than stellar, Matt
DeSalvo NYA 5-1/3 6 4 4 4 8 ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-4, SB
... Chad
Spann BOS, guess he was saving it up for the playoffs, grand slam Wednesday,
1-3, homer, walk, 2 RBI
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Ricky Nolasco CHN 8 6 0
0 2 11 ... Chad Billingsley LA, putting an exclamation mark on a
breakout season, fronted a no-hitter (with Jonathan Broxton) 7 0 0
0 3 7 ... Eric Patterson CHN 1-4, double
" ... A first-round pick -- 24th overall -- by the Los
Angeles Dodgers in the 2003 draft, Billingsley (1-0) threw 115 pitches, struck
out seven and walked three without hitting a batter over seven innings in his
sixth consecutive victory. The 21-year-old right-hander also recorded a pair of
one-hitter through seven frames during the regular season ... Broxton
pitched two perfect innings, reaching 97 mph on the radar gun at one point, to
notch the save." (MLB.com)
TEXAS (AA) -- Jeremy Brown OAK
2-3, homer, 2 walks, 3 RBI ... Joe Koshansky COL 1-4, homer ...
Erick Aybar ANA 3-5, double ... Kendry Morales ANA 2-4,
2 homers, 5 RBI ... Mike Napoli ANA 2-3, 3rd playoff homer, 3 RBI
CALIFORNIA (A+) --
Joe Gaetti CF COL 3-4, walk, homer, 3 RBI ... Troy Tulowitzki
COL 2-5, walk ... Kurt Suzuki OAK 2-5, double, homer ... Chris
Lubanski KC 5-6 (following a 4-4, 2 homer affair in the opener) ...
25-year-old OF Bernard Stephens KC 4-5, 2 homers, 5 RBI ...
Cliff Pennington OAK, up in A+ for the playoffs, 1-4, 2 errors.
CAROLINA (A+) -- Adam Miller CLE 4-2/3
2 1 1 4 3 ... Ray Liotta CHA 4-2/3 5 7 7 3 4 ... Neil
Walker PIT 1-5, double, 2 RBI ... Nolan Reimold BAL 2-5,
2 doubles
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Matt Kemp RF LA 2-4 HR
Chuck Tiffany LA 5 0 0 0 5 7 ND (13 1/3 no-hit innings over his
last three starts)
Tyler Greene SS
STL 2-4 RBI
Reid Gorecki CF STL 1-2 R 3SB
MIDWEST (A) -- Kyle Waldrop MIN 3-2/3 5 7 5 2 1
... Jeff Clement SEA 0-5 ... David Winfree MIN 2-4,
homer ... Ian Gac 1B TEX 3-5, double, homer
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- No games.
NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) -- final regular
season action ... Jacoby Ellsbury CF BOS 2-3, to end at .317 ...
Jed Lowrie SS BOS 0-4, .328 ... Clint Everts WAS, no
easy road on the comeback trail, 2 1 2 2 5 2, 3.79 ... Francisco
Plasencia CF WAS 3-6, 16th double, 10th & 11th homers, 7 RBI, .300 ...
Michael Wlodarczyk 5 4 1 0 1 7, 1.90 ... catcher Brandon
Snyder BAL 3-5, 2 doubles
NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) -- Joey
Newby OAK 7 6 1 1 0 7 ... KC Herren TEX 2-4, double
PIONEER (ROOKIE) -- last day of the regular
season ... Jason Neighborgall ARZ, a huge step forward, 2 1 0 0 1 4 ...
Alan Johnson COL 6 2 1 0 1 12 ... Mark Trumbo ANA
2-2, 23rd double, 10th homer, .274
Troop
Movements ...
No surprise
here ... Brandon Wood as the Minor League Player of the Year.
David Regan, RotoAmerica likes the
Angels' shortstop over Delmon Young TB and Jeremy Hermida FLO. And, with Felix
Hernandez getting limited time in the minors, Francisco Liriano takes the
prize as the Pitcher of the Year.
" ... Wood's year can be described in
one word: awe-inspiring ... 53 doubles, 5 triples, and 43 home runs ... Hit .321
in the Cal league and finished there with a .673 SLG%. The fact that he did this
while playing SS is even more impressive ... .Started drawing more walks as the
season progressed and pitchers started pitching around him. With Orlando Cabrera
signed through 2008, Wood's path to the majors could stall at some point late
next year. Still, his bat will get him there, even if it is as a DH or an OF...
Keep in mind when looking at Wood's gaudy numbers that he DID play his games in
the pitcher-friendly CAL league, but according to a scout we talked to, at least
90% of Wood's homeruns would have been out of ANY park."
" ... Liriano, who doesn't turn
22 until late October, simply had a dominating season ... finished with 204 K's
in 167 2/3 IP with an overall 2.63 ERA (but finished the year strong with a AAA
ERA of 1.78). Flashed dominant stuff, much like Johan Santana. A lefty that can
throw 97, mix in a plus slider, and solid change? Wow. He's in the bigs now as a
reliever, but look for him to be a member of the rotation starting next year."
Matthew Pouliot,
RotoWorld, offers more reviews on recent
callups :
" ... John-Ford Griffin ...
finished with 30 homers and 103 RBI for Triple-A Syracuse, but his
.254/.335/.475 line was nothing special for a 25-year-old with little in the way
of defensive value. Hes going to need to turn some strikeouts (140 in 512 AB)
into singles in order to have a chance at a career in the majors."
" ... Josh Johnson ...
went 12-4 with a 3.87 ERA... 113/50 K/BB in 139 2/3 IP for Double-A
Carolina and is now up to pitch in middle relief. A 6-foot-7 right-hander with a
low-90s fastball and a couple of quality secondary pitches in a slider and a
changeup, he could develop into a fourth starter."
" ... Gerald Laird ... Rangers
are now likely leaning toward keeping Rod Barajas for 2006 and possibly beyond,
but Laird remains a future starter. The 25-year-old hit .310/.380/.562 with 12
steals in 14 attempts in 281 AB for Triple-A Oklahoma and hes a fine defender."
David Luciani, Baseball Notebook, also beginning to think of BJ Upton
as a future outfielder.
" ... his defense is one of
several reason he didn't get promoted, perhaps along with uncertainty about the
ownership transition in Tampa Bay and that the club therefore doesn't want Upton
(and Delmon Young) accumulating service time in the majors this September ...
an amazing 54 errors in 139 games. You have to wonder if the Devil Rays will
soon resign themselves to the increasing speculation that Upton's future will
not be at a significant defensive position and obviously, his value to the team
would drop prospect-wise if he projects as a future left fielder or third
baseman, as some scouts are starting to suggest ... made 43 errors
combined in the minors last year and 54 is obviously no improvement. Just to put
that in context, the average regular shortstop makes anywhere from about 4
errors a season (such as Rich Aurilia or Barry Larkin in 2004) to as many as 28
errors, such as the league-leading Angel Berroa did at shortstop in 2004.
Remember too that errors typically slightly increase as a player moves to the
majors because of faster surfaces, harder hit balls, etc. If you're waiting for
Upton as a shortstop, you may only get one year of him qualifying there. I'm
starting to join the chorus and think his long-term future is in the outfield."
John Sickels, Minor League Ball, on the Jays' Josh Banks.
" ... Banks was a second-round
pick in '03 ... pitched well in A-ball in '04, going 7-1, 1.80 in 11 starts for
Dunedin, but had a lot more trouble with Double-A competition, with a 5.03 ERA
in 17 starts after being promoted to New Hampshire. Returning to the Eastern
League in '05, Banks did much better. His record was just 8-12, but he posted a
decent 3.83 ERA in 27 starts, and a K/BB of 145/11 in 162 innings. That's right,
11 walks in 162 innings. I haven't run the year-end numbers yet, so I'm not sure
what his K/IP and H/IP look like within league context. Banks obviously has
exceptional command. I don't see him as an ace starter, but I can see him being
a solid number three-four starting strike-thrower, a Radke type."
And, if you have Matt Cain on one of your
clubs, John has an interesting forecast on what might be his major league
career.
Scott Rex, OnDeck, with two more updates to his league-by-league prospect
lists :
Florida State League Appalachian League
1. Phil Hughes, RHP, NYA 1. Brandon Snyder, C, BAL
2. Anthony Swarzak, RHP, MIN 2. Colby Rasmus, OF, STL
3. Gaby Hernandez, RHP, NYN 3. Eric Campbell, 3B, ATL
4. Matt Kemp, OF, LA 4. Bryan Anderson, C, STL
5. Blake DeWitt, 3B, LA 5. Brandon Erbe, RHP, BAL
6. Ricky Romero, LHP, TOR 6. Matt Walker, RHP, TB
7. Tyler Clippard, RHP, NYA 7. Juan Portes, 2B, MIN
8. Jay Rainville, RHP, MIN 8. Joshua Wilson, RHP, STL
9. Chuck Tiffany, LHP, LA 9. Alexander Smit, LHP, MIN
10. Brent Clevlen, OF, DET 10. Jose Martinez, SS, STL
Minor
league notes from Dayn
Perry, FoxSports :
" ... the long-bereft Yankee
farm system has a top-shelf prospect once again. Philip Hughes, the 23rd
overall pick of the 2004 draft, boasts a blazing fastball, good slider and
promising change. Hughes opened this season in the Sally League, and he
dominated, fanning more than a batter per inning, showing good control and
posting a sub-2.00 ERA. He's continued pitching well after a July promotion to
High-A Tampa. Perhaps most impressive is that he's given up only one home run in
more than 90 innings as a pro. Hughes has emerged as one of the best
right-handed pitching prospects in all of baseball."
" ... Caveats abound he's only in
short-season ball, he's a pitcher in the Rockies' organization but Shane
Lindsay may be one to watch. An Aussie, Lindsay, in 66.2 innings for
Tri-City of the Northwest League has fanned 107, walked 34, given up only one
home run and posted a 1.89 ERA. Sure, he needs to improve his control, but look
at that strikeout rate. Also encouraging is that he's keeping the ball in the
park. Until he succeeds higher up the organizational ladder, unbridled
enthusiasm is premature, but he's off to a highly impressive start. Thus far,
Lindsay's has made hay with a crackling mid-90s fastball, so he'll need to
improve his supporting pitches if he's to keep this up."
Jim
Callis, Baseball America, rates some LA mound prospects - Scott Elbert,
Blake Johnson, Chuck Tiffany, Chad Billingsley, Jon Broxton and Justin
Orenduff?
" ... Elbert is a 20-year-old
lefty with effortless arm action, a consistent 88-92 mph fastball that tops out
at 94 and a slider that can be a plus pitch at times. All that gives him the
makings of an ace, though he's a long way from realizing that potential.
Johnson has similar stuff, though he's a righthander and lacks stamina at
this point. Tiffany, who's a level ahead of those two in high Class
A, has average stuff across the board but a lot of moxie to go with it. He
projects more as a reliever than Elbert and Johnson do. Billingsley and
Broxton, already in Double-A at age 21, have better pure stuff than those
three and they're also more polished. Billingsley has a lively 92-94 mph
fastball and two plus breaking pitches, while Broxton has hit 96-98 mph out of
the bullpen and complemented his heat with a good slider.
Orenduff doesn't overwhelm hitters like they can, but he advanced to
Double-A in his first full pro season thanks to the sink on his 88-92 mph
fastball and his ability to locate his pitches. Ranking them in order of
prospecty goodness, I'd go Billingsley, Broxton, Elbert, Orenduff, Tiffany,
Johnson."
John
Manuel, Baseball America, cites LA's Matt Kemp as one of 2005's top
breakout prospects :
" ... drafted in the sixth
round in 2003. At the time, Kemp was more advanced as a basketball player. The
Oklahoma native is starting to get the handle on this baseball thing, though. He
batted .288-17-66 last season at low Class A Columbus and got his feet wet with
11 games in the high Class A Florida State League. Returning to the FSL in 2005,
he set a Vero Beach franchise record with 27 homers while batting .306, stealing
23 bases in 29 tries and spending the majority of the season playing center
field. Kemp remains raw. He only marginally improved his walk-strikeout ratio
(28-112 last season, 25-92 in 2005), and players have to have above-average
hand-eye coordination (read: Jeff Francoeur) to overcome that kind of reckless
abandon at the plate at higher levels. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder also feasted at
home (.361-22-58 home, .246-5-32 road), but scouts believe his plus tools will
play in any stadium. FSL managers agree on Kemp, who played the entire season at
age 20. Hes a five-tool player, Brevard County skipper John Tamargo said. He
can throw, run, steal a base, hit for average, hit for power, hes a good center
fielder. Hes got it all.
Southern
League announces more award winners :
" ... Birmingham Barons'
outfielder Jerry Owens paced the Southern League with a .331 batting
average ... stellar season, finishing among the league leaders in hits
(first, 173), runs scored (second, 99) and stolen bases (tied for third, 38) in
addition to winning the batting crown ... . named to the Southern League
year-end All-Star Team ... Nationals traded Owens to the White Sox in
exchange for outfielder Alex Escobar ... right-hander Dustin Nippert led
the Southern League with a 2.38 ERA ... 8-3 record in 18 starts with the
Smokies this season, allowing 31 earned runs in 117.1 innings pitched. Nippert
tied for the league lead in complete games with three and shutouts with two ...
. Diamondbacks recognized his outstanding season by calling Nippert up to
Arizona on September 4." (Southern League)
08 September 2005
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- Ryan Raburn 2B DET 0-3, BB ... Marcus
Thames LF DET 1-3, 1st HR, R, 3 RBI, SF ... Brandon Phillips
SS CLE 2-5, R ... Jason Cooper LF CLE 0-4, R ... Jason
Davis CLE 6 5 1 1 2 5, 1.50 ... J.J. Furmaniak SS PIT 1-4 ... Ian
Snell PIT 7 7 4 1 2 3, 1.29 ... Angel Pagan CF NYN 3-4, 2B,
R, RBI, BB ... Anderson Hernandez SS NYN 1-3, 2 Sac, SB
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Ian Kinsler
TEX 3-4, double, walk
EASTERN (AA) -- Jon Lester BOS 7
4 2 2 1 9 ... Jeffrey Karstens NYA 7 6 1 1 0 5 ... Chad
Spann BOS, quiet during the regular season, 2-4, homer, 4 RBI ... Eric
Duncan NYA 0-4, 3 Ks ... Jeremy Sowers CLE 6 4 3 3 3 6 ...
Ryan Mulhern
CLE (quite a sleeper, 32 homers in the regular season)1B 3-5, triple
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Renyel Pinto CHN 7 3 0
0 1 6 ... Eric Patterson CHN 3-5, double ... Brandon Sing
CHN 2-4, double
TEXAS (AA) -- Yorman Bazardo SEA
0 4 5 5 3 0 ... Kevin Melillo 2B OAK 2-3, homer ... Daric
Barton OAK 2-3 ... Jordan
Czarniecki OF COL 3-5,
double ... Erick Aybar
ANA 3-5, double ... Mike Napoli
catcher ANA 1-2, homer, 2 walks ... Kendry
Morales ANA 1-4, homer, 3 RBI
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- Chris Lubanski KC
continues his breakthrough season into the playoffs, 4-4, 2 homers, 4 RBI ...
Ian Stewart COL 1-4, homer ... Troy
Tulowitzki SS COL 2-5 ...
Joe Gaetti
CF COL 2-4, double
CAROLINA (A+) -- Adam Loewen BAL 6 4 2
2 4 5 ... Nolan Reimold OF 3-4, 2 SBs, outfield assist ... Leo
Daigle CHA 2-4, double ... Tom Collaro OF CHA 2-4, double
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Jordan Tata
DET 7 4 0 0 1 9 W
Brent Clevlen RF DET 1-3 HR
Kyle
Yates TOR 6 3 1 1 2 10 L
Eric Harberer STL 6 2/3 4 0 0 4 6
ND
MIDWEST (A) -- Jair Jurrjens DET 6 3 0
0 3 7 ... Matt Bush SD 1-4, SB, error ... Kyle
Aselton MIN
(with a strong regular season, 2.49, 113 Ks in 112 innings) fronted a
one-hitter, 8 1 0 0 3 10 ... Matt Tuiasosopo
SEA, the only hit off Aselton, a double, also had an error ... Eric
Hurley TEX 7 3 2 2 3 9 ... 3B Emerson
Frostad TEX 3-5, homer, 4 RBI
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- a single by CHA 2B
Christopher Getz in the bottom of the 21st inning gave the WSox affiliate
the playoff opener over the Yankees' kids although five Yankee pitchers combined
for 22 strikeouts ... Jeff Marquez NYA 8 7 3 3 1 4, 3.38 ...
T.J. Beam NYA (105 Ks in 77 innings in the regular season) 3 1 0 0 0 5
... Josh Smith NYA 3 0 0 0 0 8 ... Jack Egbert CHA
7-2/3 6 3 1 1 8 ... ouch, is this a platinum sombrero?, Tim
Battle NYA 0-9, 4 Ks
NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) -- Brad
Bergesen BAL 6 4 1 1 1 8 ... Jacoby Ellsbury DH BOS 3-6, 2R,
SB ... Jed Lowrie SS BOS 3-4. 2R, 2B, 4RBI, 2BB ... Yahmed
Yema RF BOS 4-6, R, 2B, 3B, 4RBI ... Will Rhymes 2B DET
3-3, R, RBI, BB ... Jeff Larish 1B DET 1-5, HR ... Ryan
Phillips BOS 5 0 0 0 4 7 ... Gene Yost WAS 6 6 3 1 2 5 ...
Mike Costanzo 3B PHI 3-3, 2R, 2B, RBI, BB ... Andrew Barb
PHI 7.1 1 1 1 2 7 ... Gaby Sanchez 1B FLA 1-2, 2BB, K ... Aaron
Thompson FLA 5.2 6 3 3 3 4 ... Joe Ness CLE 5 4 0 0 2 4 ...
Andrew McCutchen CF PIT 1-4 ... Brad Corley RF PIT 3-4, RBI
... Joe Bauserman PIT 6 3 1 1 2 2 ... Bobby Parnell
NYM 5 1 1 0 2 3
NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) -- ending the regular
season on a high note, Donald Veal CHN 5 1 0 0 2 10, 2.48 ... Johnny
Defendis OF CHN 2-3, double, .327 ... John Mayberry TEX
2-4, 11th homer, .253 ... Geoff Vandel SD 5 5 1 1 1 5 ... Ben
Nieto SF 5 5 1 1 2 6, 3-0, 1.05
PIONEER (ROOKIE) -- Will Crouch OF ARZ
3-4, 18th double, .283 ... Chaz Roe COL, nice recovery from last
week's beating, 6 4 0 0 2 5, 4.17 ... Christopher McConnell
SS KC 2-5, 8th triple, .335
Troop
Movements ... SEA - Ramon Santiago up, Mike Morse suspended for 10 games,
drug program ... DET - Matt Ginter up ... FLO - Josh Johnson up,
Travis Smith designated for assignment ... SF - Tyler Walker activated from DL
... HOU - Mike Burns, Humberto Quintero up
Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com, reviews some of the the pitching picks from the 2005
draft :
" ... Ricky Romero ... No. 6
overall pick has pitched well for Dunedin in the Class A Advanced Florida State
League and is readying for the playoffs ... I could see a scenario where the
polished lefty starts the year in Double-A and sees Toronto before the 2006
season is over, with 2007 being the time when he'd have a real fantasy impact.
He's a polished guy and won't strike out too many, but he also won't walk too
many, promising a decent WHIP at the very least."
" ... Chris Volstad ...
Considered to be the top high school arm by some, Volstad has the body type
(long, lanky) that often means a very high ceiling. The No. 16 overall pick's
stuff is already really good, as he's shown in the GCL and the mostly
college-laded NY-Penn League (2.13 ERA, 29 K in 38 IP). As he grows into his
body, his stuff may get even better. Getting that much time in the NY-P league
now puts him ahead of the curve of other high schoolers, setting him on a course
for a possible 2007 debut."
" ... Mark Pawelek ...
Taken No. 20, Pawalek was one of three high schoolers taken in the first 30
picks. He's very complete for a high schooler, with command of four pitches.
He's also a lefty with a plus fastball, so he could evolve into a top of the
rotation kind of guy. He got his feet wet in the Arizona League, striking out 56
in 43 IP while posting a 2.72 ERA before moving up to Boise for a Northwest
League playoff push. That could put him ahead of the curve, but it'll be 2008
before you have to worry about him fantasy-wise."
An interesting update on the top prospect in the Texas League from
Scott Rex, OnDeck.
1. Billy Butler, OF, KC 6. Edison Volquez, RHP, TEX
2. Thomas Diamond, RHP, TEX 7. Howie Kendrick, 2B, ANA
3. Jered Weaver, RHP, ANA 8. Kendry Morales, 1B, ANA
4. Daric Barton, 1B, OAK 9. Joaquin Arias, SS, TEX
5. John Danks, LHP, TEX 10. Adam Jones, SS, SEA
07 September 2005
Easy time for Teams USA, Cuba & Canada Tuesday at the World Cup ... Canada over
South Africa 12-1, Cuba 15-0 over Sweden and USA trounced Spain.
" ... Jared Wells supplied the
pitching and Lastings Milledge supplied much of the power on
Tuesday as the United States remained unbeaten at the World Cup with an 11-1
rout of Spain. Wells, a 23-year-old right-hander who split the season between
Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore and Double-A Mobile, allowed an unearned run on
four hits in six innings. He struck out nine and walked two ...
Milledge, the New York Mets' first-round pick in the 2003 draft, led off the
bottom of the first with his first home run of the tournament. The 20-year-old
center fielder hit another solo shot in the seventh, the middle blast in a
string of consecutive homers that was started by Brant Ust of the Wilmington
Blue Rocks and ended by Salem Avalanche shortstop Ben Zobrist." (MLB.com)
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- No games
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- No games
EASTERN (AA) -- No games
SOUTHERN (AA) -- No games
TEXAS (AA) -- opening playoff action ...
Jamie Bubela SEA 2-5, RBI, SB ... Danny Putnam OAK 2-4, R,
HR, 2RBI ... Rich Dorman SEA 7-1/3 6 2 2 1 10 ... Erick
Aybar ANA 2-4, R, SB ... Mike Napoli ANA 2-4, R, HR, RBI
... Jud Thigpen COL 2-4, R, HR, RBI ... Joe Koshansky
COL 2-4, RBI ... Jayson Nix COL 2-3, SB ... Steven Shell
ANA 7 9 2 2 1 9
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- No games
CAROLINA (A+) -- Hunter Pence HOU 2-4,
.327 ... Leo Daigle CHA 2-3, homer (31st overall), .341 ...
Robert Valido
SS CHA 2-5, 3 SBs (52), .288
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- Matt Kemp
LA, breakout season continues into playoffs, 2-4, homer (28th), 3 RBI ...
Nate
Bumstead DET 5 6 6 4 5 4 ...
Brent Clevlen
DET, league MVP, 2-3, 2 homers, 2 walks, 4 RBI ... Michael Parisi STL 7 7
3 3 3 4 W
Kurt Isenberg TOR 3 1/3 8 7 7 2 2
MIDWEST (A) -- No games
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- No games
NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) -- Jacoby
Ellsbury DH BOS 1-4, R, BB, K ... Jed Lowrie SS BOS 1-3, 2BB
... Jeff Larish 1B DET 2-4, K ... Clay Buchholz BOS
(wheeling and dealing) 4 4 0 0 0 6 ... Jay Sborz DET 5 2 2 2 4 5
... Jeremy Slayden LF PHI 3-5, 2R, 2B, HR, K ... Kris
Harvey 3B FLA 2-4, RBI ... Josh Outman PHI 5 0 0 0 3 7 ...
Andrew McCutchen CF PIT 1-3, R, 2B, BB, CS ... Steve Pearce
1B PIT 2-4, 2R, RBI ... James Boone DH PIT 1-3, HR, 2RBI, 2K, CS
... Todd Redmond PIT 4 5 1 1 0 3 ... Kristian Bell
TOR 3 3 0 0 1 4 ... Ryan Edell CLE 6 5 2 2 0 3 ... Koby
Clemens 3B HOU 1-4, RBI ... Brett Gardner DH NYY 2-4, 2RBI, 2K
... David Seccombe NYY 5 5 2 2 1 3
NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) -- John Mayberry
TEX, late power surge, 10th homer, .249 ... James Shull OAK 6 6 1 1 1 7,
2.47 (81 Ks, 10 walks in 73 innings)
PIONEER (ROOKIE) -- Ryan Crew SS MIL
2-3, 4th homer, walk, 3 RBI, .347 ... MIL 2B Kenneth Holmberg 1-2,
12th homer, 2 walks, 3 RBI, .371 ... 3B Corey
Wimberly COL 2-5, 33rd SB,
CS (12), .381 ... SS Christopher McConnell KC 3-5, 17th double,
23rd error (68 games), .333 ... best effort as a pro, Jason
Neighborgall ARZ 1 2 1 1 1
3, 12.19 ... CIN 3B Jarrett Reininger
4-5, 2 doubles (11), .306
Troop
Movements ... ANA - Kelvim Escobar activated from DL, Joe Saunders,
Jeff Mathis up ... TB - Eric Munson, Dewon Brazelton up ... MIN - Luis
Rodriguez, Luis Rivas, Travis Bowyer up, Chris Heintz up ...
KC - Chris Demaria up, Kyle Snyder up, Andres Blanco up, designated
Calvin Pickering for assignment, Runelvys Hernandez activated from DL ...
CIN - Chris Denorfia up ... COL - Larry Bigbie activated from DL, Ryan
Shealy, Ryan Speier up ... LA - Jason Grabowski up, Brian Myrow up ... ARZ -
Greg Aquino up ... NYA - Chien-Ming Wang activated from DL, Scott Proctor up,
Felix Escalona
up, Mike Vento up ... SD - David Ross, Manny Alexander,
Scott Cassidy up ... CHN - John Koronka,
Geovany Soto up ... SF - Matt
Kinney up ... TOR - Ted Lilly activated from DL, John-Ford Griffin,
Shaun Marcum, Ken Huckaby up ... WAS - Jon Rauch activated from DL
... FLO - Josh Wilson up ... BOS - Manny
Delcarmen,
Kelly Shoppach
up ... CHA - Joe Borchard,
Brian Anderson, Jeff
Bajenaru up ... BAL - Daniel Cabrera
activated from DL ...
John Sickels, Minor League Ball,
offers a Lastings Milledge forecast and a review of a discussion on the
future of Zack Greinke.
Zach Chalifour, RotoTimes, with notes on some callups, including :
" ... Ryan Zimmerman, 2005
draftee, will get his first chance to go against major-league pitching after
teeing off against any minor-league pitcher he faced. And though the
fourth-overall pick won't see too much playing time this season, he is a decent
bet to supplant Vinny Castilla at the hot corner next spring ...
Juan Cruz dominated the Pacific Coast League
hitting at Triple-A Sacramento and will once again try to harness his electric
stuff at the major league level. The once-elite pitching prospect will turn 27
next month and will need to impress this September to make a case for being in
the A's bullpen next April ... First-baseman Justin
Huber should get an extended look for the Royals, especially if Mike Sweeney
is unable to return from his back injury on Tuesday, as expected. Huber could be
a full-timer in the Kansas City lineup next season, and the next four weeks will
play a key part in the determination by Royals management as to whether Huber
will head to Triple-A Omaha next season or be in the everyday Royals lineup."
A salute to some of the Players/Pitchers of the final week :
" ... Adam
Wainwright hurled 14 strikeouts in 12.0 innings of work to receive the
Pitcher of the Week award ... allowed just one run and nine hits to pick up two
victories and an ERA of 0.75 last week. Drafted in the first round (29th
overall) of the 2000 draft by the Atlanta Braves, he was traded by the Braves to
the St. Louis Cardinals organization in December of 2003. He posted a 10-10
record and a 4.40 ERA with Memphis this season, before being recalled by the
Cardinals." (Pacific Coast League)
" ... right-hander Ricky
Nolasco earned his second BC Pitcher of the Week Award during the 2005
season for two outstanding starts during the final week of the season... struck
out 13 batters and didn't allow a single run in 13 innings pitched last week.
Nolasco, who went 14-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 27 starts during the regular season,
was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher in the Southern League and the best
right-handed pitcher in the league on the year-end All-Star Team."
(Southern League)
" ... Portland Sea Dogs outfielder
Brandon Moss has been named the Eastern League's Player of the Week
... The 6'0", 181 lb. slugger had an excellent week for the Sea Dogs,
batting .500 (14-for-28) with three doubles, one home run, four RBI, six runs
scored, a pair of walks and a .714 slugging percentage in seven games ...
finishes the season ranked second in the league in runs scored (86) and is tied
for eighth in doubles (31). Moss, who was ranked by Baseball America as the
second best prospect in the Boston organization prior to the start of the
season, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the eighth round of the June 2002
draft... Cory Morris, a right-handed pitcher for the Bowie
Baysox, is the Eastern League's Pitcher of the Week ... In a pair of starts last
week, the 6'2", 189 lb. hurler was 1-0 with 18 strikeouts and a 0.75 ERA ...
finishes the season ranked fourth in the league in ERA (3.03) and second in
strikeouts (159), was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 15th round of the
June 2001 draft." (Eastern League)
" ... Kinston Indians outfielder Brian
Barton has been named Carolina League player of the week for the week...
hit .387 (12-31) in seven games this week ... ,scored 10 runs in that stretch,
and collected three doubles, four triples, and a stolen base. Barton was signed
as an undrafted free agent from the University of Miami in 2004. For the season
he is hitting .274 with three home runs and 32 RBI. He leads the K-Tribe with
six triples and 13 stolen bases." (Kinston Indians)
06 September 2005
WORLD CUP ... Bryan LaHair SEA, 4-4 in the opener Sunday, belted a pair
of homers to lead the USA to a 6-4 win over Australia ... Canada lost to South
Korea, 7-6.
Final day of the regular season for all the
full-season leagues.
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- T.J. Pena SS ATL 2-2, 2 R, 2 BB ... Josh
Burrus LF ATL 2-4, 2B ... John-Ford Griffin LF TOR 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI,
BB ... B.J. Upton SS TB 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 0 errors ... Marcus
Thames DH DET 1-4 ... Jason Cooper LF CLE 2-4, 3B, 4 RBI ...
Dan Cevette CLE 5 9 8 8 2 2, 14.40 ... Brian Anderson
CF CHA 2-4, RBI ... Kevin Thompson CF NYA 2-4, R, 2 RBI
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) --
Adam Wainwright STL, strong finish to an inconsistent season and just in
time for a callup to the Cards, 6 5 1 1 2 7, 4.40 ... Jon Rauch
WAS, getting back in the swing, 3 3 1 1 0 2 ... Brandon Wood ANA
3-5, double (wraps the regular season at .321-.375-.667 with a minor-league
leading 53 doubles and 43 homers, 116 RBIs) ... Ryan
Shealy
COL 3-4, double, .328 ... Tim Stauffer SD, a fine
one with which to wrap the regular season, 9 3 0 0 0 9, 5.14
EASTERN (AA) -- Nick Markakis BAL
1-4, double (ends the regular season at .310-.389-.504 with 41 doubles, 15
homers) ... Hanley Ramirez BOS 1-4, .271
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Stephen Drew ARZ 0-2,
.218 ... Eric Patterson CHN 1-4, double, .200 ... Greg
Miller LA, first setback, 2/3 4 3 3 1 1 ... Chris Young CHA
3-4, 41st double, .277 ... Joel Guzman LA, back in the lineup,
2-3, walk, .287 ... James
Loney LA 2-4, 31st double, .284
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- CF Joe Gaetti COL
4-5, 29th double, 2 homers (21), 6 RBI, .332 ... Nate Schierholtz
OF SF 3-4, 37th double, triple, .319 ... Eddy Martinez-Esteve OF SF 1-4,
44th double, .313 ... oh, oh, late season fade, Cesar Carrillo
SD 2-1/3 6 7 7 5 3 ... Jay Garthwaite ARZ 2-3, 36th double, 21st
homer, RBI (102), .300
CAROLINA (A+) -- Hunter Pence OF HOU
2-4, 31st homer ... Nolan
Reimold CF BAL 2-5, double, .265 ...
Kory
Casto WAS
2-5, triple, 22nd homer, .290 ... Leo Daigle CHA 1-4, homer (30th
overall), .338 ... Stephen Head 1B CLE 3-5, 2
doubles (nice pro debut - .308-.352-.513 with 19 doubles and 10 homers in 240
ABs)
MIDWEST (A) -- not a grand finale for the OAK
kids, Cliff Pennington SS 0-4, .276 ... OF Travis Buck 0-4,
.341 ... OF Javier Herrera 0-3, .275 ... Matt Bush
SD 0-2, .221 ... Ryan Harvey OF CHN 3-4, 30th double, .257 ...
David Winfree 3B MIN 2-5, 16th homer ... Trevor
Plouffe
SS MIN 2-4, 18th double, .223 ... Jeff Clement SEA 0-4, 2 Ks, .319
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- Ryan Mattheus COL
8-1/3 6 1 1 0 7, W ... Maximino De La Cruz PHI 5 3 1 1 2 2
... Just a 6th round pick; Jeff Corsaletti BOS 4-4, double, solo
homer, 2 runs, .357 ... Matt Harrison ATL 7 7 0 0 1 6, 3.23
... Ambiorix Concepcion NYN 3-4, RBI, run ...
Marcos Vechionacci NYA 3-5, double, RBI, SB ...
Christian Garcia NYA 2 1 2 0 3 5, 3.91 ... Angel
Salome MIL 3-4, RBI, 2 walks, SB (1) ... Chris
Gimenez CLE 3-5, triple, run ... Chris Getz CHA 2-5, double,
RBI, 2 runs ... Carlos Torres CHA 5-2/3 4 3 3 2 12,
3.53
NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) -- Andrew
McCutchen CF PIT 0-4, K ... Wade Davis TB 6 5 2 1 1 4 ...
Zack Farkes 3B BOS 2-4, 2B, HR ... Jed Lowrie SS BOS
0-4, R, BB, 2K ... Matt Holliman SS DET 2-3, 2R, 2B, 3B, BB, K ...
Gaby Sanchez C FLA 2-4, HR, 2RBI ... Mike Costanzo
3B PHI 2-5, R, 2B, 3RBI ... Scott Mitchinson PHI 7 8 3 3 1 8 ...
Brian Bormaster C TOR 4-4, R, 2B ... Randy Dicken
TOR 5 3 0 0 2 3 ... Pete Sellers 2B HOU 2-5, RBI ... Koby
Clemens DH HOU 2-2, R, 2RBI, 2BB ... Francisco Guzman RF
WAS 2-4, 2R, HR ... Brian Bogusevic HOU 1/3 4 6 4 1 0 ... James
Conroy NYY 6 3 2 2 1 6 ... Quintin Robertson STL 7 7 1 1 1
4 ... Salvador Aguilar NYM 5 3 1 0 2 7
NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) -- John Mayberry
TEX, 1-3, 9th homer, .249 ... Michael Madsen OAK 5 6 2 1 2 6, 1.69
... Mike Mooney SF 4-5, 20th double, .346
PIONEER (ROOKIE) -- Corey Wimberly 3B
COL 4-6, double, 32nd SB, .381 ... CF Dexter Fowler COL 3-6,
double, .278 ... Jase Turner 1B KC 4-4, 12th homer, 4 RBI,
.286 ... Travis Wood CIN 5 3 1 1 3 3, 1.29 ... Jay Bruce
CF CIN 2-4, homer, .269 ... Nick Aderhart ANA 6 3 1 0 0 7, 3.24
... Mark Trumbo ANA 2-4, 2 homers (9), .273
Troop
Movements ... NYN - Danny Graves up ... TEX - C.J. Wilson,
Marshall McDougall up ... BOS - Adam Stern activated from DL ...
WAS - Darrell
Rasner, Travis Hughes, Keith Osik up ... SEA - Rafael Soriano activated from
DL ... STL - Anthony Reyes, Adam Wainwright, Randy Flores,
John Gall, Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan up ... CIN - Ryan Freel
activated from DL, Chris Booker, Allan Simpson, Joe Valentine, Miguel Perez
up ... SF - Brian Cooper, Julio Ramirez up ... BAL - Aaron Rakers, Eli
Whiteside, Eddie Rogers up ...
Joe Kaiser, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, with notes on the M's farm, including
his picks as the top three prospects:
" ... In six appearances with Tacoma
since joining the Mariners organization in the Randy Winn trade July 31, RHP
Jesse Foppert has appeared in six games. His velocity is not yet back to the
mid-90s range it was at before, but his ERA stands at 2.57 and he has 13
strikeouts in 14 innings."
" ... Jeff Clement ...
left-handed power hitter is posting the kind of numbers -- .330, six home runs,
20 RBIs -- the Mariners hoped he would when they took him third overall in the
June draft. Adam Jones ...Whether his future lies in
center or at shortstop, Jones' bat is what will carry him. He's hitting .298
with seven home runs, 10 doubles and nine steals since moving up to Double-A.
Bobby Livingston ... , He opened eyes Friday
by striking out 14 in seven innings against Sacramento. He's 6-2 with a 4.70 ERA
in Triple-A."
Padres following the D-Rays script (Delmon, BJ) with Josh Barfield.
" ... Barfield, a second
baseman with Triple-A Portland, has batted .346 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs
and 50 RBI in 321 at-bats since June 1. For the season, he is batting .309 with
15 homers and 72 RBI ... has stolen 20 bases in 25 tries. But the Padres
bypassed Barfield, 22, when they promoted four others from Portland ...
Promoting Barfield, whose defensive improvement has kept him at second base,
wouldn't require creating a 40-man roster spot. Barfield is on the big roster
... "Our not calling him up has nothing to do with finances," Towers said. "We
don't want him receiving service time and not getting to play. He is also going
to be playing in the AFL, and we don't want him to be going into that league
late." (San Diego Union Tribune)
05 September 2005
WORLD CUP -- US & Canada easy winners in opening play.
" ... 12-1 rout of Colombia on Sunday ...
Inland Empire's Bryan LaHair was a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBIs and was
named the game's MVP. On the mound, Norfolk's Brian Bannister
(1-0) allowed one run on three hits as the United States won in a game called in
the seventh inning for the run rule. Binghamton's Lastings Milledge
kick-started the game in the top of the first with a leadoff double down the
left-field line." (MLB.com)
Canada topped Sweden 10-0. Cuba is 2-0 with
wins over Panama and South Africa. USA plays Australia on Monday, Canada
is up against South Korea.
INTERNATIONAL (AAA) -- William Bergolla
2B CIN 2-5, 2 R ... Chuck James ATL 4-2/3 3 2 2 1 4, 3.48 ...
John-Ford Griffin LF TOR 1-4, 30th HR, R, 2 RBI, BB ... B.J. Upton SS
TB 3-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, HBP, 0 errors ... Fernando Cortez 2B TB 2-6,
2 R ... Delmon Young RF TB 4-5, 3 2B, 3 R, RBI ... Marcus
Thames LF DET 3-4, 2B, R ... Kenny Baugh DET 5 6 3 3 2 4,
3.38 ... Angel Pagan CF NYN 2-3, 8th HR, R, RBI, BB ... Dae-Sung
Koo NYN 3 3 0 0 0 0, 0.00
PACIFIC COAST (AAA) -- Ty Godwin
WAS OF 3-5, .320 ... Ryan Shealy COL 3-3, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 4
RBI, .324 ... Brandon Wood ANA, 100th extra base hit, 2-4, triple
(52-5-43 on the season) ... Jeff Mathis ANA 21st homer, .276 ...
Alberto Callaspo ANA 2-4, homer (11th overall), .319 ... RA
Dickey TEX 6.0 6 3 3 1 5 ... Calvin Pickering KC, bidding for
one more MLB shot, 5-5, double, 23rd homer, 4 RBI, .275
EASTERN (AA) -- Cory Morris
BAL 6 3 0 0 3 11, 3.03 (fronted a 23-K effort in a 15-inning contest) ...
James Happ
PHI, nice AA debut, 6 3 1 1 2 8 ... Chip Cannon TOR 2-4, homer
(32nd overall) ... Brad Snyder CLE 2-4, double, triple, .276 ...
Shelly Duncan 34th homer, 3 RBI (91), .240
SOUTHERN (AA) -- Elliot Johnson 2B TAM
2-5, 3 runs, 15th SB, .265 ... Jason Pridie OF TAM 2-5, HR, 2 RBI,
.220 ... Elijah Dukes OF TAM 3-5, 18th HR, .289 ... Wes
Bankston 1B TAM 0-5, 3 K's, .295 ... Shawn Riggans C TAM 1-4,
run, .310 ... Stephen Drew SS AZ 0-4, 2 K's, .222 ... Jon
Zeringue OF AZ 0-4, .242 ... Ramon Pena AZ 7-2/3 12 6 4 0 6
3, 4.43, 7-13 ... George Kottaras C SD 0-2, 3 BB, .289 ... Jose
Oyervidez SD 7 5 0 0 3 4, 3.81 ... Luis Montanez OF CHN
1-2, RBI, .268 ... Brandon Sing 1B CHN 1-3, 2 BB, .277 ...
Carlos Marmol CHN 7 1 0 0 2 11, 3.65 ... Daniel Haigwood
CHA, the bubble burst after ten superb AA starts (65-1/3 innings, 35 hits
allowed, 29 walks, 72 Ks, 1.24) 2 4 4 4 2 4 ... Andy LaRoche LA
2-3, double (26th overall, to go with 30 homers)
TEXAS (AA) -- final day of the regular
season ... Howie Kendrick ANA 3-5, double (43rd overall), .342 ...
Kendry Morales ANA 3-5, double, .306 ... Rick Ankiel
STL 3-4, double, 2 homers, walk, .243 ... Erick Aybar ANA 1-4,
29th double, 2 walks, 3 SBs (49), CS (23), .303 ... Thomas
Diamond TEX, AA not so kind, 3-2/3 5 5 5 3 5, .5.35 ... Joaquin
Arias SS TEX 3-4, 23rd double, 8th triple, .315 ... Daric
Barton OAK 2-5, 2 doubles, .316 ... Kevin Melillo 2B OAK 2-5,
double, homer, 4 RBI, .282 ... Jason Hirsh HOU 6 3 0 0 1 6, 2.87
CALIFORNIA (A+) -- Ian Stewart COL 2-5,
32nd double, 17th homer, .274 (not bad for a disappointing season) ... Troy
Tulowitzki SS COL 2-4, .266 ... Phil Avlas catcher ARZ, had
a tough time in AA earlier, but no problems back in A-Ball, 4-5, 3 homers (after
hitting just 4 in 76 games previously) ...
CAROLINA (A+) -- Adam Loewen BAL, just
an inning to prepare for the playoffs, 1 0 0 0 1 2, 4.12 ... Nolan
Reimold BAL 0-4 & 2-4, double, homer, .256 ... Kevin Kouzmanoff
CLE, bouncing back from injury, 2-4, double, homer, .337 ... Hunter
Pence HOU 2-3, walk, .324 ... Lance Broadway CHA, pro ball
proving to be a little challenge, 3-1/3 9 5 5 0 5, 4.58
FLORIDA STATE (A+) -- final day of the regular
season ... Tyler Greene SS STL 2-5, .271 ... Ben Diggins
MIL, coming back from injury, 1 0 0 0 0 2, 5.27 ... 3B Scott Moore
CHN 3-5, 31st double, .281
MIDWEST (A) -- Carlos Gonzales ARZ 1-3,
18th homer, 2 walks, .307 ... Matt Garza MIN 6 6 2 2 1 7, 3.54 ...
Jeff Clement SEA 1-4, double, .330 ... Cliff Pennington
OAK 1-4, 25th SB, 13th error, .280 ... Brent Carter SD 6.0 3 0 0 1 8,
2-0, 0.75 (after 1.88 ERA in 72 innings in the NW League)
SOUTH ATLANTIC (A) -- Jeff Allison FLO
6 8 3 1 3 4, 4.18 ... Radhames Liz BAL 7 1 0 0 3 10, 4.46 (127 Ks
in 87 innings) ... Mark Rogers MIL 5-2/3 2 1 1 4 7, 2-9, 5.11
NEW YORK-PENN (SHORT-SEASON) -- Mike
Costanzo 3B PHI 1-2, BB, K ... Gaby Sanchez 3B FLA 4-5, R,
3RBI ... Chris Volstad FLA 5 7 6 0 2 4 ... David
Hernandez BAL 6 1 0 0 1 12 ... Garret Patterson NYY 4 0 1 0 3
6 ... Koby Clemens DH HOU 0-4, K ... Francisco Guzman
RF WAS 4-4, 3R, 2B, HR ... Waner Mateo NYM 4 1 0 0 0 4 ... Wade
Townsend TB 6 2 0 0 3 7 ... Jacoby Ellsbury CF BOS 2-4, R,
2B ... Jed Lowrie SS BOS 3-4 ... Jeff Larish 1B DET
2-4 ... JT Zink BOS 4 3 1 1 0 2 ... Burke Badenhop
DET 7 5 2 1 1 6 ... Ryan Patterson RF TOR 2-4, 2R, 2B, 3B ...
Eric Fowler TOR 4 1 0 0 2 3 ... Andrew McCutchen CF PIT
1-4, R, K
NORTHWEST (SHORT-SEASON) -- Daniel Griffin
SF 5 4 2 2 1 5, 2.39 (69 Ks in 49 2/3s) ... John Mayberry TEX 3-4,
16th double, 8th homer, .248
PIONEER (ROOKIE) -- Corey Wimberly 2B
COL 2-5, 2 SBs (31) ... Brent Leach ANA 3 0 0 0 1 1, 2.43
... Rusty Ryal 3B ARZ 3-5, 2 doubles, triple, .341 ... MIL SS
Ryan Crew 3-4, 3rd homer, .340
Troop
Movements ... CHN - Sergio Mitre up ... COL - Zach Day up ... SEA -
activated Scott Atchison from DL ... SF - Dan Ortmeier ...
The
Newberg Report checks in on one of the Rangers more successful prospects :
" ... While Volquez, Diamond, and
John Danks got all the press this year, righthander Eric Hurley was busy
putting together a sensational year for Clinton. He punctuated his regular
season by fanning eight Burlington Bees on Thursday, improving to 12-6, 3.77 as
the LumberKings prepare for the playoffs. Hurley, who won't turn 20 for another
couple weeks, has punched out a Midwest League-leading 152 batters in 155.1
innings, and he's two off the league lead in victories. Opponents have hit just
.234 against him."
Dennis Manoloff, Cleveland Plain Dealer, reviews some of the 2005 performances
of the Indians' top prospects :
Adam Miller " ...
Selected 31st overall in 2003, he was to begin at Class AA Akron but suffered a
strained elbow in spring training. The organization opted to be extremely
cautious ... pitched at short-season Mahoning Valley before moving on to
advanced-Class A Kinston ... is 2-4 with a 4.83 ERA for Kinston. He has
been on a pitch/inning count each start ... Miller's season appears to be a
wash. At his age, though, he has one to waste - provided there is no lingering
effect with the injury. Miller and the brass insist he is healthy."
" ... Franklin Gutierrez
... posted mediocre numbers at Akron (.261 average) and Buffalo (.254) before
being promoted to Cleveland last week. He was recalled for his speed (16
combined steals) and ability as a late-inning defensive replacement. Farm
director John Farrell and his staff did not expect Gutierrez to put up ...
numbers this year, having torn down and rebuilt his approach in the middle of
last year. The purpose was to address his biggest flaw: an inability to
consistently attack breaking pitches. Gutierrez showed signs of getting
comfortable in the last 14 games at Akron, batting .422 ... .remains among the
Indians' top prospects because of age (22) and myriad skills offensively and
defensively."
Ah, that's what happened to them.
" ... Class AAA Round Rock lost two
of its starting pitchers entering the final week of the season when righthander
Fernando Nieve and lefthander Carlos Hernandez went down. Nieve
underwent an emergency appendectomy Saturday night and will be out for the
remainder of the season. Hernandez pulled a quadriceps muscle rounding third
base during Sunday night's game and is lost for the season." (Houston
Chronicle)
MIN OF beginning to attract a little attention.
" ... Jim Rantz, Twins director
of minor leagues ...asked for the minor leaguer -- other than lefthander
Francisco Liriano -- who has improved the most this season. Rantz immediately
offered up New Britain outfielder Denard Span, who batted .267 last
season at Class A Quad Cities and was being overpowered daily. ...
Span helped himself with a strong instructional league stint and won a job at
Class A Fort Myers to begin the season. He became one of the league's top
hitters, batting .339 in 49 games to earn a promotion to New Britain. He entered
Friday batting .283 for the Rock Cats. Span, 21, is a slap-and-dash hitter who
is an excellent center fielder." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review with notes on a few of the PIT kids :
" ... Bryan Bullington
... the No. 1 overall pick in baseball in 2002 and critics have said he
was a reach or wasn't the best player available. If you look at his minor league
career over the past two seasons, that appears to be an accurate statement. But
not anymore. Bullington has started to pitch like a No. 1 pick and could be back
in the Pirates' plans for as early as next season. Although the velocity on his
fastball still remains lower (90-91 mph range) than it was when he was in
college at Ball State, Bullington has adjusted his pitching style to fit his
arsenal. His past three starts have been outstanding: 2-0, 1.25 ERA, 25 Ks, 4
BBs."
" ... Andrew McCutcheon
... will hit for average and get on base, but don't expect him to ever be
a power hitter. His speed and athleticism will drive him through the system as
well as his bat. But he has a lot to prove despite being a No. 1 pick."
" ... Neil Walker
... 2004 first-round pick of the Pirates is expected to be an impact hitter
someday, and he appears to be right on course. Walker needs to show better plate
discipline and get physically stronger, but he understands what he has to do in
order to get to the bigs, and he works hard. He could be in Altoona by midseason
next year, which puts him on track to get to the Pirates in 2008."
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Our league correspondents : INTERNATIONAL
Herb Walters
/ PACIFIC COAST JDM / EASTERN Ralph Marston /
SOUTHERN
Jason Collette
/ TEXAS Aman Reaka / FLORIDA STATE
Wayne Stevens / CAROLINA Troy Salvior /
CALIFORNIA JDM / MIDWEST
Bob Reed / SOUTH ATLANTIC
Dave Scott
/ NEW YORK-PENN
Harry Almquist / NORTHWEST
JDM
/ APPALACHIAN Scott
Howes
/ PIONEER
Joe
McAnally
/ GULF COAST JDM
/ ARIZONA JDM
|
