10/21 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 22, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

I was looking through some of my past posts and saw that the scoreboard section of each entry is a little mushed together, making it difficult to discern the final scores of each game.  I will try to do better going forward.

As for tonight’s action, the Phoenix Desert Dogs put up 17 runs tonight to provide us with a wealth of offensive performances to choose from.  Grant Desme blasted two more homeruns to up his league leading total to five and Josh Bell increased his league leading batting average to .600 on the strenght of a four hit day that included his first AFL dinger, a double and three RBI.  In other games, Jordan Danks went yard for the second consecutive day, Yonder Alonso and Colin Curtis hit their second HR’s of the fall and Daryl Jones homered, scored twice, walked three times and stole two more bases to increase his total to six on the young season.

We go back to the Desert Dogs for our top performer of the day.  Baltimore Orioles 1B prospect and former 1st round pick Brandon Snyder belted HR’s number 2 and 3 earlier today, driving in seven runs and scoring three times.  Those of you who have followed this blog for some time have heard me on several occasions laud the offensive potential of the 23 year old power hitter.  Snyder’s ‘09 campaign got off to a rousing start as he batted .343 with 10 HR 45 RBI and 19 doubles in just 54 games at AA Bowie.  A promotion to AAA Norfolk saw him struggle to maintain his batting average and power numbers (.248 2 HR 43 RBI 18 doubles in 73 games).   The cool down performance at Norfolk diminished the market for his cards somewhat, making his various autos in 2005 Rookie Cup and various 2006 Bowman products nice bargain basement buys at $5-10 each. 

The Orioles have some decisions to make in the off season as the club has clearly opted to shift to a more youth oriented lineup.  Emerging stars like Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold and a plethora of pitching talent make Baltimore an exciting up and coming A.L. East powerhouse that could contend with the other beasts in the east within the next two to three seasons.  Snyder’s torrid start to the ‘09 AFL season (.481 3 HR 12 RBI 10 runs) should increase the Orioles’ confidence in making him the front runner for the position in 2010.  Former Indians prospect Michael Aubrey should factor into the competition as well, but Snyder’s power upside and youth gives him a decided upper hand.  As much as I like Snyder, I do think he will struggle some in his first couple of months in a major league lineup.  He has a history of starting slowly at new levels before taking off and putting up better numbers.  Regardless, he’s a future 20-25 HR hitter who could drive in close to 100 runs in the middle of a young and talented Baltimore Orioles lineup.  Once that happens, the days of $5 Bowman Chrome and Sterling autos will be a thing of the distant past.

AFL Player of the Day—BRANDON SNYDER

Other Notable AFL Performances:

  Mesa Solar Sox 5

• Josh Vitters—3-5 2B R 2 RBI
• Bryan Petersen—2-5 2B R RBI
• Wellington Castillo—3-4 BB
• Greg Burns—1-2 3B R RBI 2 BB
• Tommy Mendoza—4 IP 3H ER 3K W (1-1)

  Scottsdale Scorpions 4

• Buster Posey—2-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Thomas Neal—1-4 R SB(3)

  Surprise Rafters 10

• Colin Curtis—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R 3B
• Mitch Moreland—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• Ike Davis—3-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Trey Henley—2-4 2B 2r HR(1) 3 RBI BB
• Bryan Anderson—2-4 3B 2 RbI
• Daryl Jones—1-1 2R HR(1) RBI 3 BB 2 SB(6)
• Carlos Gutierrez—3.2 IP 2H 2 BB K W(2-0)

  Peoria Saguaros 9

• Chris Heisey—4-5 2 2B 3B 2R 2 RBI
• Lance Zawardzki—2-5 3B 2R RBI
• Yonder Alonso—1-4 HR(2) 3 RBI
• Josh Rodriguez—1-3 HR(1) RBI SB(1)
• Jon Gaston—2-4 3B R

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 17

• Brandon Snyder—4-5 2 HR(3) 7 RBI 2B 3R SB(1)
• Grant Desme—2-3 2 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Josh Bell—4-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R 2B
• Corey Brown—1-4 HR(1) RBI BB
• Matt Angle—3-5 2R RBI BB
• Jemile Weeks—1-5 3R RBI BB SB(2)

  Peoria Javelinas 4

• Russ Mitchell—3-3 2B 2R RBI
• Jordan Danks—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• C.J. Retherford—2-4 2 RBI

6/18 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 19, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

When evaluating prospects, I find that there is a blend of statistics and physical attributes that each possesses that tell a great deal about what to expect from them at higher levels.  A hitter that struggles with plate discipline often finds his batting average and on base percentages suffers against more refined pitchers.  Batters that hit for a good number of doubles and triples as youngsters(18 to 21 yrs old) tend to build strength as they mature and hit for more power.  These along with several other characteristics often hold true, but every once and awhile a player pops up that defies my parameters of conventional wisdom, leaving me scratching my head.

Meet Johnny Whittleman.

The Texas Rangers’ young 3B prospect has an athletic build (6-2 195 lb.) and, at age 22, has the frame to build more strength as he matures.  Whittleman was a personal favorite sleeper of mine after his successful 2007 season that saw him hit .262 with 17 HR 72 RBI and 34 doubles at two full season Class A stops.  Formerly a 2nd round pick in the ‘05 draft, Whittleman shows a disciplined approach at the plate uncharacteristic of most prep to pro players.  Last season at High-A Bakersfield, Whittleman drew 82 walks while striking out 113 times in 118 games.  Despite a mediocre HR total of just seven and a batting average well below California League standards (.257), Whittleman smacked 38 doubles, leaving promise of power to come.

Fast forward to 2009 and you would find Mr. Whittleman’s numbers diminishing even further.  His batting average sits at just .224 (boosted about 20 points after his 4-5 performance yesterday), though his on base percentage is more than 100 points higher, due to his fine 31 BB/42 K ratio.  16 two baggers puts him on pace for his third consecutive season of 30+ doubles but he hasn’t been able to log in with his first HR yet.

What do we make of this going forward?  Prior to Michael Young’s five year extension with the Rangers, I would have been more enthusiastic about Whittleman.  The Rangers, for all their organizational depth, are quite thin at 3B.  The talent is still there for Whittleman to carve out a major league career, but there’s a great deal left for him to prove.

Today’s top prospect is Cincinnati Reds SS Zack Cozart.  The former 2nd rounder smacked two homeruns and three RBI in the first game of a double header and then followed it up with a two hit, RBI showing in the nightcap.  Cozart has been blistering hot during the month of June, batting .339 with 6 HR 10 RBI and 4 SB.  A blue collar player through and through, Cozart skipped over High-A ball and has attacked AA pitching with aplomb, hitting .290 with 8 HR 35 RBI and 17 doubles.  Ahead of Cozart is the sweet swinging Chris Valaika who just returned to Louisville’s lineup after missing a month with a broken hand.  Valaika’s bat is more polished at this point than Cozart’s, but Zack is a better defensive shortstop.  Given that he has already skipped a level this season, it would not be surprising to see the Reds keep him in AA for the duration of the regular season.  Watch to see if Cincy places him in the Arizona Fall League this offseason.  If so, there may be a good opportunity for Cozart to get a decent look by the Reds in spring training 2010. 

AA Player of the Day—ZACK COZART

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Rene Tosoni—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Gorkys Hernandez—2-3 2B R
• Jose Tabata—1-3 RBI SB(4)
• Cale Iorg—2-4 R 2 RBI
• Josh Thole—3-5 2B 3R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Ryan Kalish—2-3 R BB
• Nick Evans—2-4 2R HR(3) 2 RBI
• Matt Whitney—4-5 2B R
• Yonder Alonso—3-6 RBI SB(1)
• Zack Cozart—2-4 2 HR(8) 3 RBI BB (Game 1)…..2-4 RBI (Game 2)
• Tyler Colvin—2-5 2 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R
• Darwin Barney—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Juan Francisco—1-5 2B R RBI BB (Game 1)…..3-4 HR(13) 4 RBI 2R (Game 2)
• Chris Heisey—1-2 3R
• James Adduci—2-3 2B 2R BB SB(16)
• Josh Bell—3-4 2 2B R RBI SB(2)
• Eduardo Perez—2-5 HR(6) 2 RBI 2B
• Taylor Green—1-3 HR(4) 3 RBI BB
• John Shelby Jr.—2-4 2B
• Tyler Flowers—1-2 HR(10) RBI 2 BB
• Christian Marrero—1-4 HR(8) 2 RBI
• C.J. Retherford—2-5 2B R RBI
• Matt Mangini—2-3 R RBI BB
• Drew Locke—4-6 2B R  5 RBI
• Wladimir Sutil—3-6 4R RBI
• Mitch Moreland—3-6 2B R
• Marcus Lemon—3-5 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Johnny Whittleman—4-5 2 2B 3R 2 RBI
• Timmy Smith—4-5 R 2 RBI
• Luis Durango—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Lance Zawadzki—2-3 HR(11) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Brian Joynt—3-5 2B HR(1) 2 RBI
• Chris Carter—2-4 HR(10) RBI 2B BB
• Matt Spencer—1-4 2B RBI BB
• Daryl Jones—3-5 R
• Cole Garner—2-4 2B 3 RBI
• Daniel Mayora—4-5 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—3-4 2 2B 3B 4 RBI

Pitching:

• Mark Rzepczynski—7 IP 5H ER BB 8K
• Tim Bascom—7 IP 3H 2 BB 7K
• Ryan Pope—5.2 IP 5H 4K
• Tyson Brummett—7 IP 4H 2 ER 5K
• Travis Wood—5 IP 8H 3 ER BB 6K W (7-3)

5/25 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 26, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 4 Comments to Read

Cincinnati Reds 3B prospect Juan Francisco blasted HR’s 8 and 9 yesterday while his teammate Zack Cozart hit his second.  Lars Anderson went yard for the 6th time and Philly’s Michael Taylor hit his 8th, helping teammate Joe Savery earn his 4th win of the year.

Yesterday was a big day for Birmingham’s top sluggers as Tyler Flowers hit his 6th HR, Dayan Viciedo had four hits and an RBI, and Brandon Allen had three hits.  It was ‘08 1st rounder Gordon Beckham who took home top honors, however, as he went 3-5 with his 4th HR five RBI and two runs scored.  Beckham raised his average to .307 and his 17 doubles indicate that there is a good chance that he will boost his power numbers in the not too distant future.  The White Sox currently are set at SS with Alexei Ramirez and rookie Chris Getz has been decent at 2B.  Beckham’s star is rising, however, and there is no chance that Getz will be able to hold him off once the White Sox deem him ready for a major league job.  Odds are quite high that Beckham will receive a mid-summer promotion to AAA Charlotte and, barring injury, it seems likely that he will get some MLB at bats once the rosters are expanded in September.

AA Player of the Day—GORDON BECKHAM

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Michael Taylor—1-5 HR(8) RBI
• Jim Negrych—2-3 BB SB(1)
• Brandon Crawford—3-5 R
• Brett Pill—1-4 HR(2) 4 RBI
• Sharlon Schoop—1-3 2B 3 RBI BB
• Mark Wagner—3-5 2B R RBi BB
• Lars Anderson—2-4 HR(6) 2 RBI BB
• Jon Still—3-5 2 2B R
• Argenis Diaz—3-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Whit Robbins—3-4 2B R BB
• Emmanuel Garcia—3-6 R RBI SB(13)
• Colin Curtis—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• Brandon Hicks—1-3 HR(3) RBI
• Concepcion Rodriguez—1-3 HR(2) RBI
• Zack Cozart—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Juan Francisco—2-4 2 HR(9) 3 RBI 2R
• Chris Heisey—3-4 R SB(9)
• Gordon Beckham—3-5 HR(4) 5 RBI 2B 2R
• Tyler Flowers—2-5 HR(6) RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—4-5 RBI
• Brandon Allen—3-5 R
• Jordan Danks—1-3 2R 2 BB
• Daryl Jones—1-3 2R RBI 2 BB
• Brian McFall—2-3 HR(7) RBI
• James Rapoport—3-4 3R 3B RBI
• Chris Carter—2-2 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R 2B
• Corey Brown—1-3 2 RBI BB

Pitching:

• Guillermo Moscoso—8.1 IP 4H 3 ER BB 11K W (3-1)
• Aaron Poreda—6 IP 3H 2 ER 3 BB 5K W (4-4)
• Barry Enright—5.1 IP 3H 2 BB 3K W (3-3)
• Christian Garcia—5 IP 2H 3 BB 4K W (1-0)
• Jay Rainville—6 IP 3H 3 BB 4K
• Joe Savery—6 IP 4H 4 BB 3K W (4-1)

AA 5/6 Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 7, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

There were several rainouts in the AA ranks and not many spectacular performances.  Birmingham’s trio of John Shelby Jr., Gordon Beckham, and Dayan Viciedo combined for 9 RBI to help John Ely earn his fourth win of the season.  Promising Cardinals duo of Daryl Jones and Brett Wallace drove seven runs between the two of them.  Steven Hill homered in both games of a double header, increasing his season’s total to seven.  Brandon Snyder came back after a few games off to have two hits and two RBI and Gerardo Parra, Juan Francisco, Drew Locke and Mario Lisson also homered. 

Today’s top performer is long time Colorado Rockies SS prospect Chris Nelson.  Nelson, a former 2004 1st round pick, has had an up and down professional career but, at 23 years old, he seems to be turning the corner.  Nelson went 3-4 yesterday with two triples, two RBI and two runs scored.  Nelson had an abysmal 2008 season, but really turned things around in the Arizona Fall League by hitting .321 with 6 HR 17 RBI 4 SB and 22 runs scored in 27 games.  He’s continued to hit well while repeating at AA Tulsa, hitting .289 with 4 HR 11 RBI and 19 runs scored in 23 games.  The key indicator for Nelson’s turnaround has been his increased plate discipline.  Nelson is working deeper into counts and seems to be capitalizing on pitches he sees in the strike zone.  At the major league level, current Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki has been anything but spectacular since his incredible rookie season in 2007.  Injuries and poor plate discipline has wreaked havoc on his production and has vastly inhibited his ability to perform.  Nelson is, by no means, a consistent player at this point, nor a suitable candidate to displace Tulo. But at age 23, there is still ample reason to keep an eye on his development going forward.

AA Player of the Day—CHRIS NELSON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• John Shelby Jr.—2-4 2 2B 3 RBI R
• Gordon Beckham—2-5 R 3 RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—1-5 HR(3) 3 RBI
• C.J. Retherford—2-3 2 2B 3 RBI R
• Jesus Lopez—3-4 2B 2 RBI
• Shawn Hill—1-3 HR(6) RBI (Game 1)…..1-4 HR(7) RBI (Game 2)
• Mario Lisson—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Kurt Mertins—2-3 2B 3 RBI BB R
• James Rapoport—1-2 2B 3 RBI 2R 3 BB
• Daryl Jones—2-3 4 RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-4 3 RBI
• Dan Delasco—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Pete Kozma—2-3 2R RBI BB
• Gerardo Parra—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—2-3 HR(5) RBI
• Juan Portes—2-3 2 2B RBI
• Erik Lis—2-3 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Reegie Corona—2-3 2 RBI 2 BB 2R
• Brandon Snyder—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Lars Anderson—1-4 2B R RBI BB
• Ruben Tejada—3-3 2B 3B R BB
• Chris Nelson—3-4 2 3B 2 RBI
• Drew Locke—1-3 HR(6) RBI

Pitching:

• Antonio Bastardo—5.1 IP 4H ER BB 7K W (2-1)
• Esmil Rogers—6 IP 0H 3 BB 6K
• Amalio Diaz—4 IP 4H 5K
• Junichi Tazawa—6 IP 6H ER BB 3K W (3-2)
• Cole DeVries—5 IP 5H 2 BB 2K W (2-1)
• John Ely—6 IP 8H ER BB 6K W (4-0)

AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 1, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Justin Smoak’s bat continues to sizzle as he collected three more hits, including his fourth HR, Cleveland Indians SS prospect Carlos Rivero hit his first HR and drove in five runs and teammate Carlos Santana hit his sixth dinger.  James Van Ostrand, and outfielder for the Astros organization, hit two homeruns for the second consecutive day and Brett Wallace blasted his fifth.

Today’s AA star is Philadelphia Phillies slugger Michael Taylor.  The 6-6 behemoth hit his third HR while doubling twice and driving in five runs.  Taylor started slowly, but has heated up significantly, hitting .421 with 3 HR 10 RBI and 10 runs scored in his last 10 games.  Taylor is very strong and well built like Ryan Howard, but has the speed and athleticism that resembles Shane Victorino, making him one of the most intriguing OF prospects in baseball.  The Stanford alum is a smart, well disciplined hitter who has the potential to hit over .300 with 30 HR and 20 SB at the major league level.  He should make his major league debut by the middle of the 2010 season.

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL TAYLOR

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Gordon Beckham—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Brandon Allen—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Desmond Jennings—2-3 2B RBI BB
• Rhyne Hughes—3-5 HR(9) RBI 3R
• J.T. Hall—3-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 3B 2R SB(1) 2 BB
• Marvin Lowrance—2-4 HR(3) RBI 2B
• Carlos Rivero—2-5 HR(1) 5 RBI 2B
• Carlos Santana—2-3 HR(6) RBI
• Wilson Ramos—2-4 2R BB
• Brad Emaus—2-5 2B 3B RBI R
• Emmanuel Garcia—3-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 3R BB 3 SB(7)
• Josh Thole—2-5 2B RBI
• Shawn Bowman—2-4 2 2B R RBI
• Jamie Romak—2-5 HR(2) 3 RBI 2B 2 R
• Michael Taylor—3-5 HR(3) 5 RBI 2R 2 2B
• Quentin Berry—3-5 3R 2 SB(9)
• Cyle Hankerd—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Justin Sellers—2-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Drew Locke—5-5 HR(5) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Collin DeLome—1-6 HR(7) RBI
• James Van Ostrand—3-5 2 HR(4) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Adrian Cardenas—2-2 R RBI 3 BB
• Chris Carter—1-2 2B 2R 2 BB
• Jon Lucroy—2-5 2B R RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-5 HR(5) RBI
• Daryl Jones—3-5 R
• Hank Conger—3-5 2B 2R
• Chris Nelson—3-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Ryan Harvey—2-3 HR(3) 3 RBI BB
• Justin Smoak—3-3 HR(4) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Marcus Lemon—2-5 2B 3B 2 RBI R
• Manuel Pina—3-5 HR(3) RBI 2 2B 3R
• Eric Sogard—2-3 2B R RBI BB

Pitching:

• Ernesto Frieri—5 IP 4H ER BB 5K
• Trevor Bell—7 IP 3H ER BB 4K
• John Ely—5.1 IP 5H ER 3 BB 6K W (3-0)
• Jeanmar Gomez—5 IP 2H ER BB 5K W (3-2)
• Matt Torra—6 IP 4H Er 2 BB 7K

6/27 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 28, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Birmingham’s beefy duo of Brandon Allen and Dayan Viciedo hit back to back jacks yesterday and the struggling Greg Halman hit HR number six.  Juan Francisco’s bat seems to be heating up as his 3-4 day raised his average to .224.  On the mound, Josh Lindblom got back into the win column by tossing five innings of four hit, one run ball for his second win and Birmingham’s Kyle McCullough pitched well over seven innings to earn his third win. 

Today’s top youngster is a repeat offender as Tampa Bay’s young outfielder Desmond Jennings displayed some of his promising power potential by hitting his third HR of the season, driving in three and scoring twice.  The 22 year old Jennings has boosted his average to .338 with 13 RBI and 6 SB, giving ample reason to be excited about the awesome numbers that he could put up over a full (and hopefully healthy) season.

AA Player of the Day—DESMOND JENNINGS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Brandon Snyder—2-4 2B R RBI
• Miguel Abreu—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B 3R SB(2) BB
• Alex Avila—2-4 2B 3B 2R BB
• Juan Francisco—3-4 R RBI SB(3)
• Chris Heisey—3-4 2B 2R
• Logan Parker—4-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Steve Clevenger—3-4 2B 3B 2 RBI
• Josh Bell—2-4 3B R
• Brandon Allen—1-5 HR(3) RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 HR(1) RBI SB(2)
• John Shelby Jr.—1-3 2B BB SB(4)
• Mark Hallberg—3-4 R
• Desmond Jennings—2-5 2R HR(3) 3 RBI
• Kody Kirkland—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Adam Moore—2-4 2 2B R RBI
• Greg Halman—2-4 HR(6) 3 RBI
• Drew Locke—2-4 HR(4) 3 RBI
• Josh Horton—3-4 2B RBI R
• Adrian Cardenas—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB SB(2)
• Daryl Jones—2-4 2B 2R RBI BB SB(4)
• Brett Wallace—2-4 R RBI
• Dan Delasco—2-5 2 3B RBI R
• Jose Duarte—2-5 2R RBI
• Mario Lisson—2-4 2R 2 RBI BB SB(2)
• Joe Dickerson—1-3 2B 2R RBI BB
• Ryan Mount—2-5 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—2-5 R
• Mike McKenry—2-3 3B 2R RBI
• Eric Sogard—1-3 R 2 BB
• Mitch Canham—1-2 R 2 BB

Pitching:

• Will Inman—6 IP 4H BB 7K W(1-1)
• Wilfredo Perez—1.1 IP 4K Sv(4)
• Josh Lindblom—5 IP 4H ER 4K W(2-2)
• Kyle McCullough—7 IP 7H 2 ER 2 BB 2K W(3-1)

4/23 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 24, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Michael Taylor had a big day at the plate belting two HR, driving in three and scoring three times.  Detroit Tigers shortstop prospect Maxwell Leon, who had zero homeruns last season, blasted his third and drove in six.  Collin DeLome hit HR number six and drove in three and Justin Smoak hit his second HR of the season, driving in three.

Today’s top player was Chicago White Sox top hurler Aaron Poreda.  The tall lefty surrendered just four hits over seven innings striking out 11 en route to his first victory of the season.  Once rumored to be a part of Chicago’s bullpen out of spring training, it appears that the Sox would much rather feature his 98 MPH fastball for more than one inning in a game.  AA should be a good fit for him right now as he needs to develop greater command of his slider and change in order to reach his potential as a frontline starter.  At 22 years old, there is plenty of time for the youngster to develop.

AA Player of the Day—AARON POREDA

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Mike Mooney—1-4 GS HR(2) 4 RBI
• Michael Taylor—4-6 2 HR(2) 3 RBI 3R
• Maxwell Leon—3-5 HR(3) 6 RBI 3B
• Jim Negrych—2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Pedro Lopez—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Joshua Rodriguez—3-3 3R RBI BB SB(1)
• Brandon Allen—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Mark Hallberg—4-5 2B R
• Gerardo Parra—2-5 2B R
• Tony Thomas—3-5 HR(4) 2 RBI 3R SB(3)
• Jose Vallejo—3-5 2B 3B 2R 2 RBI
• Johnny Whittleman—3-4 2B R RBI
• Collin DeLome—3-5 HR(6) 3 RBI 3R SB(3)
• Mitch Einertson—2-5 HR(3) 3 RBI
• Drew Locke—3-5 HR(3) 4 RBI 2R
• Chris Carter—2-4 2 2B 2 RBI BB 3R
• Adrian Cardenas—2-5 2B RBI
• Mitch Canham—3-4 2 2B RBI R
• Peter Bourjos—2-4 2B 2R SB(5)
• James Rapoport—3-5 GS HR(1) 5 RBI 2R
• Daryl Jones—3-4 2R
• Chris Nelson—2-4 2B 2R HR(3) 3 RBI
• Justin Smoak—2-5 HR(2) 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Troy Patton—5.1 IP 2H ER 3 BB 1K
• Alfredo Figaro—6 IP 3H 2 ER BB 8K W(2-0)
• Zach McAllister—7 IP 2H ER 4K W(1-0)
• Aaron Poreda—7 IP 3H ER BB 11 K W(1-2)
• Bryan Augenstein—7 IP 3H ER BB 4K W(3-0)
• Casey Coleman—6 IP 6H 2 ER 3 BB 5K W(3-0)
• Travis Banwart—5.2 IP 3H 2 BB 5K W(2-0)

4/16 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 18, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

TEXAS LEAGUE

Down in the Lone Star State, Angels prospects Mark Trumbo and Ryan Mount homered as did Rockies catcher Mike McKenry.  Jose Vallejo logged in a four hit day and Astros 1B prospect Mark Ori had five RBI.  The player of the day, though, was Round Rock’s OF Collin DeLome who hit his fourth HR, while driving in two and scoring three times.

Texas League Player of the Day—COLLIN DELOME

Other Notable Performances:

• Cedric Hunter—1-4 2B RBI BB
• Mitch Canham—2-4 2B R RBI
• Jose Duarte—2-4 2R 2 SB(5)
• Joe Dickerson—1-3 R RBI BB
• Brian McFall—1-4 2B 2 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Ryan Mount—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Hanley Statia—2-4 2B
• Chris Carter—1-2 3 BB SB(1)
• Josh Horton—1-4 R RBI
• Corey Brown—2-4 R
• Daryl Jones—3-4 2B R RBI
• Donovan Solano—2-5 R RBI BB
• Dan Delasco—2-6 2B 3B R 3 RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-3 2B 2R 2 BB
• Steven Hill—1-4 2R 2 RBI BB
• Jose Vallejo—4-5 3 RBI
• Marcus Lemon—2-3 3B 2R RBI BB
• Collin DeLome—2-5 HR(4) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Mark Ori—3-4 2 2B 2R 5 RBI 2 BB
• Josh Flores—1-4 2B R RBI SB(2) BB
• Drew Locke—3-5 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Mike McKenry—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B R
• Darin Holcomb—2-4 2B RBI
• Polin Trinidad—6 IP 8H ER 5K W(1)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Oft overlooked Marlins OF prospect Bryan Peterson belted his first HR of the season and drove in three runs.  Bryan Byrne rapped four hits and Chris Heisey hit his third HR of the season, but it was Diamondbacks 1B prospect Ricardo Sosa once again earning top player honors with his 4-5 day that included his third HR and four RBI.

Southern League Player of the Day—RICARDO SOSA

Other Notable Performances:

• Ezequiel Carrera—2-5 2R
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Tim Torres—2-3 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• John Shelby Jr.—2-4
• Dayan Viciedo—2-4 RBI
• Tyler Flowers—1-4 3B R
• Ty Wright—2-4 R
• Blake Lali—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• James Adduci—2-4
• Hung-Wen Chen—6.1 IP
• Desmond Jennings—1-4 2B R
• Heath Rollins—6 IP 6H ER 2K W(1)
• Josh Lindblom—5 IP 3H 3 ER BB 6K L(1)
• Kala Ka’aihue—2-3 2B R BB
• Brandon Hicks—1-3 R BB
• Gorkys Hernandez—1-5 2B 2 RBI
• Scott Diamond—5 IP 3H 4 BB 5K
• Jon Lucroy—2-5 R
• Chris Heisey—2-5 HR(3) RBI 2R
• Juan Francisco—2-5 2 RBI
• Ricardo Sosa—4-5 HR(3) 4 RBI
• Evan Frey—2-4 R 2 RBI
• Bryan Byrne—4-5 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Pedro Ciriaco—2-5 3R RBI

EASTERN LEAGUE

Hits were at a premium in the Eastern region of the AA ranks.  Tigers 2B prospect Scott Sizemore didn’t have any problems though, as he racked up four hits and scored two runs.  Troy Patton won his second outing by tossing six shutout innings and Brad Lincoln continued his nice comeback surrendering an unearned run over five innings.  That sole tally proved to be too much though as he was outdueled by the Eastern League Player of the Day Alfredo Figaro.  The slender Tigers right-hander tossed a no-hitter through seven innings to extend his scoreless streak to 12.2 IP.

Eastern League Player of the Day—ALFREDO FIGARO

Other Notable Performances:

• Brad Emaus—1-3 2B R
• Luis Perez—7 IP 2H 2 BB 6K W(1)
• Ryan Mullins—5 IP 7H 2 Er 7K L(2)
• Scott Sizemore—4-4 2 2B 2R RBI BB
• Alfredo Figaro—7 IP 0H 3 BB 5K W(1)
• Brad Lincoln—5 IP 5H UER 6K L(1)
• Lars Anderson—2-4 2 2B R
• Argenis Diaz—2-4 2B 3B 2 RBI
• Josh Thole—2-4 2 2B 2R BB SB(1)
• Nick Pereira—4 IP H 3 BB 2K
• Ian Desmond—2-4 2 RBI
• Michael Daniel–1-2 HR(1) RBI
• Marvin Lowrance—2-3 HR(1) RBI
• Josh Rodriguez—2-3 BB
• Beau Mills—1-4 2B
• Troy Patton—6 IP 3H 6K W(2)
• Frank Hermann—7 IP 3H ER BB 3K L(1)

4/9 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 11, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Lots to report here starting with the Eastern League where new Red Sox Junichi Tazawa was nothing short of spectacular in his debut with Portland going five innings allowing a run on four hits with seven strikeouts.  Scott Sizemore continued his hot hitting with three hits as did Brad Emaus.  Jake Arrieta takes home the prize today, though, as he surrendered just one hit over four innings, walking two and striking out eight.

Eastern League Player of the Day—JAKE ARRIETA

Other Notable Performances:

• Junichi Tazawa—5 IP 4H ER BB 7K L(1)
• Daryl Maday—4 IP 2H 2 BB 2K
• Brett Pill—2-4 2 2B RBI
• Mike Mooney—2-4 HR(1) 3B RBI
• Brian Friday—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 3R BB SB(1)
• Jim  Negrych—2-5 RBI
• Scott Sizemore—3-4 2 RBI BB SB(2)
• Ryan Strieby—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Maxwell Leon—2-3 HR(1) 4 RBI 2B BB
• Rene Tosoni—1-5 HR(1) RBI
• Matt Moses—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Brad Emaus—3-4 2B 3 RBI
• Reidier Gonzalez—6 IP 5H 2 ER BB K W(1)
• Eduardo Nunez—3-6 3R RBI BB SB(1)
• George Kontos—5 IP 7H ER BB 8K
• Beau Mills—2-3 RBI BB
• Jake Arrieta—4 IP H 2 BB 8K
• Frank Herrmann—6 IP 5H ER BB K W(1)
• Ian Desmond—2-4 HR(1) RBI BB
• Edgardo Baez—4-4 3R 2B BB SB(1)

In the Southern League, Logan Morrison and Jonathan Lucroy belted their first HR’s of the spring.  Gerardo Parra became the league’s leader in bases on balls with four free passes and Jeremy Hellickson pitched five innings of shutout baseball, but it was future White Sox SS Gordon Beckham that took home player of the day honors with a 4-6 effort, scoring three runs and driving in one.

Southern League Player of the Day—GORDON BECKHAM

Other Notable Performances:

• Richie Robnett—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Logan Morrison—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Scott Cousins—3-4 3 RBI SB
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 SB(1)
• Gerardo Parra—1-1 2B R 4 BB SB(1)
• James Skelton—2-3 2B 2R 2 BB
• Evan Frey—1-4 2B 2R BB SB(1)
• Jonathan Lucroy—2-3 HR(1) RBI BB
• Matt Torra—5 IP 2H 2 ER BB K W(1)
• Zack Cozart—2-4 R BB
• Todd Frazier—1-3 2B R RBI
• Kala Ka’aihue—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Willie Cabrera—2-4 R
• Jamie Hoffmann—2-5 2B R
• Gaby Martinez—2-6 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Andrew Lambo—2-6
• Jovanny Rosario—2-5 SB(1)
• John Shelby Jr.—2-5 BB
• Gordon Beckham—4-6 2B RBI 3R
• Tyler Flowers—1-4 2B RBI BB
• Brandon Allen—1-4 2B RBI BB
• Adam Moore—2-4 HR(1) RBI BB
• Desmond Jennings—1-4 RBI BB SB(1)
• Jeremy Hellickson—5 IP 2H BB 3K

The Texas League saw Angels farmhand Sean O’Sullivan sparkle in his ‘09 debut scattering three hits over six innings, Cardinals OF prospect Daryl Jones rapped four hits and scored four runs, but hit was his teammate Brett Wallace that stole the show going 4-5 with two HR’s and six RBI and four runs scored.

Southern League Player of the Day—BRETT WALLACE

Other Notable Performances:

• Brian McFall—2-4 2B R RBI
• Cedric Hunter—2-4 2R RBI SB(1)
• Eric Sogard—1-4 2R 3B RBI BB
• Mitch Canham—2-3 RBI R BB
• Stephen Faris—6 IP 4H ER 2K W(1)
• Collin DeLome—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R BB SB(1)
• Mitch Einertson—1-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Josh Flores—2-3 2B R RBI BB SB(1)
• Jhoulys Chacin—5.2 IP 3H ER 2 BB 3K
• Sergio Perez—5 IP H ER 3 BB K W(1)
• Jose Vallejo—2-5 R
• Justin Smoak—2-5
• Marcus Lemon—2-3 2B 2 RBI BB
• Brett Wallace—4-5 2 HR(2) 6 RBI 4R
• Daryl Jones—3-4 2B RBI 4R
• Daniel DeLasco—4-5 2B 3 RBI 2R
• Tyler Henley—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• James Rapoport—2-6 2 RBI R SB(1)
• Peter Bourjos—2-3 2R 3B 3 RBI BB
• Mark Trumbo—1-3 R RBI SB(1)
• Sean O’Sullivan—6 IP 3H ER 6K W(1)

4/2 Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 3, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Trevor Cahill made his final start of the spring and, while he didn’t look particularly sharp, he is slated to be Oakland’s #2 man in the rotation against the L.A. Angels.  Travis Snider and Pablo Sandoval continue to prove that they can hit MLB pitching really hard as each gathered 3 more hits to push their spring averages well into the .400 range.  Today’s youngster of the day is a repeat offender, Colby Rasmus.  The 22 year old Cardinals CF went 2-4 with his 1st HR of the spring, a double 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.  That performance helped him to cement a spot in St. Louis’ opening day roster, and perhaps, in the starting lineup.

Youngster of the Day—COLBY RASMUS

Other Notable Performances:

• Jair Jurrjens—4 IP 5H UER K W(2)
• Bud Norris—4 IP 5H ER 4K
• Stephen Pearce—1-2 HR(1) RBI
• Brad Corley—2-2 R
• Andy LaRoche—1-1 R RBI BB
• Chris Dickerson—2-2 R BB
• Colby Rasmus—2-4 HR(1) 2B 2R 3 RBI
• David Freese—3-4 R
• Jason Motte—IP 2K SV(5)
• Cameron Maybin—1-2 2 RBI
• Daryl Jones—1-1 2B R
• Travis Sinder—3-4 2B R
• Justin Maxwell—1-5 2B R RBI
• Scott Moore—2-4 3B 2R RBI
• Trevor Crowe—2-4 2B 2R
• Ian Stewart—1-4 3B RBI R
• Dexter Fowler—0-0 2 BB R SB(7)
• Justin Upton—1-3 3B 2 RBI
• Jacob Hester—2-2
• Gerardo Parra—1-3 R RBI SB(2)
• Chris Davis—2-3 R RBI
• Johnny Whittleman—1-2 HR(2) RBI
• Justin Smoak—1-1 2B RBI
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia—1-3 2B RBI
• Adam Fox—1-1 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Nick Hundley—2-3 RBI
• Blake Tekotte—2-2 2B R
• Ezequiel Carrera—1-2 2B RBI R
• Pablo Sandoval—3-4 2B 3B 2 RBI R
• Trevor Cahill—5 IP 6H 4 ER 4 BB K L(2)
• Kendry Morales—2-4
• Cedric Hunter—2-4 2 2B 2R
• Seth Johnson—2-3 HR(1) 4 RBI
• Brian Baxter—1-1 3 BB 2R
• Cesar Carrillo—4.1 IP 5H ER BB 4K W(1)