7/26 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 27, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Joaquin Arias had a stellar spring training with the Rangers but found himself as a late March cut as the Rangers were dead set on giving Elvis Andrus the starting SS job with Omar Vizquel playing the role of seasoned mentor.  Arias has been hot as of late, hitting .319 with 3 of his 4 HR and 12 of his 46 RBI over the last 10 games.  He’s got excellent speed (16/18 SB) and has committed only six errors this season.  At 24 years old, he’s the perfect candidate for a rebuilding team with a vacancy at SS (Mariners anyone?)  His MLB audition last season was solid as he hit .291 in 32 games with 4 SB and 10 XBH.  I would love to see him packaged as an extra piece in a deal to another franchise as it is always a shame to see talented players mired in deep systems lose precious years of MLB experience biding their time at the minor league levels.  Watch to see if he is packaged in a deal at the deadline and then pick up one of his several autos for less than $5.  His first year cards are autographs in the Bowman Chrome and Bowman’s Best sets.  Each can be had for $3-4 each.

Brandon Snyder is a name that we haven’t mentioned much since his promotion to AAA as he has struggled with the new challenge.  However, his 3-4 showing yesterday in which he doubled and scored two runs is an indicator that he may be starting to get on his feet.  He has hit safely in six of his last seven games but still has not found the plate discipline that he displayed at AA Bowie.  This is a prime time to buy low once again as he has settled back into the $3-5 ranks with his various autos.  Keep tabs on his next 10 games, if he continues to hit the ball well and can balance the BB/K scale a bit more, he could find himself in Camden Yards come September.

Today’s top performer is a repeat offender.  Tacoma’s Adam Moore hit his 9th HR of the season, driving in five runs and scoring twice in the Rainier’s 14-9 rout of the hapless Las Vegas Stars.  Moore is the M’s most polished and well rounded receiver as Jeff Clement is no longer a viable catching prospect and Rob Johnson is a good catch/no hit backup.  The spectre of former GM Bill Bavasi will cast a two year blight on the current catching situation at Safeco as Kenji Johjima’s $24 M extension remains one of the club’s worst maneuvers this side of Carlos Silva’s 4 year $42 M sentence.  Johjima’s high price forces the club to endure his menail production while inhibiting opportunities to get a full feel for what they have in Moore.  His 2008 autos are still solid bargains at $4-6 each and his ‘09 Bowman Chrome autos can be snagged at similar prices.  He’s probably a year away from earning significant MLB service time, but he immediately becomes Seattle’s best catcher when he arrives.

AAA Player of the Day—ADAM MOORE

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Andy Marte—1-2 HR(18) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Chris Johnson—1-3 HR(6) RBI
• Yorandy Ramirez—3-4 2 SB(9)
• Mike Baxter—1-3 2B 2R RBI BB
• Chris Petit—2-4 2R
• Sean Rodriguez—2-2 2R RBI 2 BB (Game 1)…..2-3 2B R (Game 2)
• Travis Snider—2-5 HR(6) RBI
• Jeff Clement—2-5 2 RBI R
• Adam Moore—2-4 HR(9) 5 RBI 2R BB
• Chris Heisey—3-5 R
• Drew Stubbs—1-5 HR(3) RBI
• Chris Valaika—1-3 2B 2 RBI
• Joaquin Arias—3-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 3R 3B BB
• Chris Davis—2-4 R 2 RBI
• Jose Vallejo—2-4 2B 3B 3 RBI R
• Brandon Snyder—3-4 2B 2R
• Matt Joyce—2-3 2 2b 2 RBI R
• Rhyne Hughes—3-4 HR(22) 2 RBI 2B
• Jason Pridie—4-7 2B RBI R SB(21)
• David Winfree—2-5 R 2 RBI 3B
• Alejandro De Aza—3-5 2B HR(6) RBI 3R
• Jai Miller—1-4 HR(8) RBI
• Buster Posey—0-0 2R 4 BB
• Ramiro Pena—3-3 HR(2) 2 RBI BB
• Wilkin Ramirez—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Brent Clevlen—3-5 HR(11) 3 RBI 2B 2R

First Hand Report of 7/25 Game Between Tacoma Rainiers and Las Vegas 51’s

Posted by Jeremy on under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

I scored a sweet deal online to see the Tacoma Rainiers.  It was as follows:

• 4 Tickets (good seats about 20 rows up behind 1B)
• 4 Tacoma Rainiers hats
• 4 Slices of Little Caesars Pizza
• 2 Tickets to Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
• 2 L.C. Hot and Ready Pizzas
• 2 Orders of Crazy Bread

All for just $44!

The minor league baseball experience is just so much more intimate and family friendly than any MLB team can offer.  Ballparks are more intimate, players are much more accessible, and everything is cheaper.  For the same price, I would have been able to get just one ticket in the lower level of Safeco Field but wouldn’t have enough dough to park my car or get any in-game snacks.  Here are some in-game observations I made when I wasn’t busy shuttling my son around for autographs, festivities or goodies.

The pitching match up pitted the unspectacular journeyman Chris Seddon against rehabbing Scott Richmond.  Richmond has good offspeed stuff but was outpitched by Seddon.  Actually, the 51’s just could not muster much offense and when they hit the ball well, a Tacoma Rainier made an outstanding play.

• Richmond displayed excellent offspeed stuff that kept the Rainiers bats quiet over five innings.  The lefty, Rommie Lewis threw easy gas at 92-94 MPH and was unhittable over two innings.
• Aaron Matthews has a nice compact swing and good range in CF, he should have a major league job with someone
• Osvaldo Navarro may never hit in the major leagues, but his glove and range is excellent, he made a diving stop on a hard hit one-hopper in the hole at SS and then gunned down Aaron Matthews in a bang bang play at 1B. 
• Mike Carp played LF in place of Michael Saunders who was called up by the M’s.  Carp ran down a drive in the gap and had a very professional AB to hit a sac-fly to drive in one of the Rainiers’ two runs on the evening. 
• Jeff Clement still can’t lay off of off-speed pitches in the dirt and Travis Snider is struggling to find his stride @ AAA.  He was called out on strikes once (and was almost run from the game) and popped up twice. 
• J.P. Arencibia had a PB and was unable to stop a couple of pitches in the dirt.  He did throw out Osvaldo Navarro trying to steal on a failed hit and run by Prentice Redman.
• Jerry Owens is fast and could be a nice off the bench catalyst for someone.  He executed a perfect bunt base hit and then stole a base to get in position for the Rainiers’ 1st run.
• Former Brewer 1B prospect Brad Nelson hit a solo shot over the RF wall that was right where I was standing (to let my son run on the field in between innings) not 5 min. earlier.  Dang it!

There are two more of these promotions between now and the end of the season.  I would love to try and do it again.  I am also slated to attend an Everett Aqua Sox game at some time in the not too distant future.  If and when I do, I will give a report of that as well.

Minor league baseball is great and it comes as no surprise to this fan to see that it is flourishing!