7/2 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 3, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Prior to the start of the ‘09 season, San Diego Padres 2B prospect Eric Sogard was very high on my sleepers list.  Perhaps it was his excellent first season in the California League (.308 10 HR 87 RBI 92 runs 42 doubles) or the fact that he is a former ASU Sun Devil, but I couldn’t help but compare him to ‘08 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia.  While the two share many similarities, style of play, body size and structure, plate discipline, etc., Sogard’s got a long way to go before those comparisons have any merit.  The fact remains, however, that Eric Sogard is an intriguing MLB talent.  After a slow month of May that saw him hit .212,  he bounced back nicely during the month of June by hitting .314 with 21 runs scored and 11 RBI in 24 games.  Sogard’s main competition for the 2B job with the Padres is the disappointing enigma known as Matt Antonelli.  I believe that he will leapfrog him by this point next season, perhaps into a starting job with the Padres.

Madison Bumgarner remains the top left handed pitching prospect in all of baseball, but the hype for him has cooled a little bit since his promotion to Connecticut.  Regardless, the former ‘07 1st rounder continues to tack up wins.  His seven innings of four hit, shutout ball netted him his sixth AA win and ninth overall for the season.  Bumgarner has allowed just one earned run over his last 19 innings, but the strikeout numbers have been down a little bit and his 19 BB/66 K in 74 innings is less impressive that last year’s Nintendo-like 21 BB/164 K’s in 141 innings.  Also, it seems like Bumgarner’s workload has increased over his last two outings (8 IP and 7 IP respectively).  Perhaps this is because the Giants are edging into playoff contention and the chances that Bumgarner will be called upon to pitch for San Fran in 2009 are waning.  I believe that Bumgarner can hold his own against MLB hitters right now, but holding him back until 2010 may be the more prudent move.  Watch the market for his cards.  If it dips, jump on his stuff now.  He’ll have a prominent role with the Giants in 2010.

Today’s top prospect is another southpaw, Baltimore Orioles top ‘08 draftee Brian Matusz.  his seven shutout innings marked his third consecutive dominant start at Bowie where he’s gone 3-0 with a 0.49 ERA and 6 BB/21 K in 18.1 IP.  Matusz has been flat out dominant this season going 7-2 with a 1.80 ERA in 14 starts this year.  His 27 BB/96 K ratio in 85 IP is a fine indicator that he is commanding his mid-90’s heater well while keeping hitters honest with his slider and change.  He profiles as a #2 or 3 starter for a Baltimore Orioles rotation that could soon rival that of the pennant winning O’s of 1979.

AA Player of the Day—BRIAN MATUSZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Carlos Santana—2-4 HR(12) 3 RBI
• Gorkys Hernandez—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Jose Tabata—1-4 HR(2) RBI SB(6)
• Brad Emaus—3-4 3R BB SB(7)
• Shawn Bowman—4-4 2B
• Desmond Jennings—1-3 R 2 BB SB(29)
• Jesus Montero—2-5 HR(13) 2 RBI
• Ryan Strieby—2-5 HR(15) 2 RBI 2R
• Brennan Boesch—2-3 HR(16) RBI 2R BB
• Alex Avila—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Zack Cozart—1-4 HR(9) 2 RBI
• Todd Frazier—1-4 HR(8) RBI
• Andrew Lambo—1-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Josh Bell—2-3 2B RBI
• Pedro Ciraco—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Mark Hallberg—3-4 2B R
• Steffan Gartrell—3-4 HR(15) RBI
• Eric Sogard—2-4 HR(3) 3 RBI BB
• Logan Forsythe—2-4 R RBI BB
• Cole Garner—1-4 HR(7) RBI
• Justin Smoak–1-2 3 BB
• Mitch Moreland—1-5 HR(11) RBI 2R
• Dan Delasco—1-4 HR(8) 2 RBI BB
• Josh Donaldson—2-5 2B R RBI
• Matt Spencer—2-4 2R RBI BB

Pitching:

• Brian Matusz—7 IP 4H 2 BB 6K W (7-2)
• Hector Rondon—6 IP 4H 3 ER BB 8K L (7-5)
• Madison Bumgarner—7 IP 4H 3 BB 5K W (9-2)
• Tyler Herron—4.2 IP 4H ER 4 BB 7K
• Matt Torra—7 IP 4H Er BB 4K W (6-6)
• Chaz Roe—5.2 IP 2H 2 BB 6K W (3-1)

6/16 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 17, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Yesterday was a day for the pitchers in the AA ranks.  Tim Alderson had another excellent outing, tossing seven innings of two hit, shutout ball, walking two and striking out five for his 4th win of the season.  Alderson has outpitched fellow teammate Madison Bumgarner since being promoted to Connecticut, earning three of his four wins with a 1.82 ERA and 4 BB/34 K in 39.2 innings. 

A couple of pitchers had nice outings in losing efforts.  Trenton’s Zach McAllister tossed 7.1 innings, allowing an uncustomarily high nine hits and three earned runs.  He did strike out eight Connecticut Defenders though and didn’t allow any walks.  McAllister has the stuff and size to be a frontline strikeout pitcher, but his seems to oscillate between dominant, high-K performances and high-contact, low-K outings.  Perhaps this is because he is still working on establishing his secondary pitches, but the variances in performances makes it difficult to determine what he will be like at the major league level. 

Another big righty with frontline stuff is L.A. Angels top pitching prospect Jordan Walden.  The man with the 100 MPH heater was good in a loss, tossing 6.2 IP allowing 7 hits, three runs (one earned) and six K’s.  Walden has struggled with his command big time this season, walking 20 and striking out 38 in 37 innings of work.  June has been a big time bounce back month for Walden.  After a horrendous month of May (12.79 ERA in two outings) he’s bounced back with a 1.02 ERA in three June starts walking just 7 and striking out 22 in 17.2 innings.  Watch his next couple of starts going forward.  Conventional wisdom says that he’s back on track.

Today’s top prospect is Colorado Rockies top hurler Jhoulys Chacin.  The guru of the groundball went 7.1 innings allowing two hits and two earned runs while walking just one and striking out 10 hitters.  Chacin has some struggles during the month of April, but looks to be back on track with a solid May and June.  For the season, Chacin is now 5-5 with a 3.07 ERA and 25 BB/67 K in 76.1 IP.  He’s forcing 2.12 GO/FO and Texas League hitters are batting just .212 against him.  He’s due for a promotion soon and, given the lack of depth in Colorado’s rotation, it’s reasonable to consider that he may get a look in September.

AA Player of the Day—JHOULYS CHACIN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Lucas Duda—2-2 2B R RBI
• Nick Evans—2-4 2 2B R
• Ian Desmond—3-4 HR(3) RBI
• Leo Davis—2-4 2b RBI SB(5)
• Lars Anderson—3-4
• Mark Wagner—2-3 2B R RBI
• Ryan Khoury—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Juan Portes—2-3 2R 3B BB
• Erik Lis—3-3 R 2 BB
• Gorkys Hernandez—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Jose Tabata—2-4 2R RBI BB
• Beau Mills—1-2 R 2 RBI BB
• Brett Pill—3-4 3 RBI
• Michael Taylor—2-4 2B 3B R
• Brandon Snyder—1-2 2R 2 BB
• Mitch Moreland—2-5 R RBI BB
• Chad Tracy—2-5 2B 2R RBI BB
• Johnny Whittleman—1-4 2R 2 RBI 2 BB
• Marcus Lemon—2-5 2R
• Josh Donaldson—2-5 2R 3 RBI
• Chris Carter—2-5 2R
• Hank Conger—2-4 2B R
• Mark Trumbo—2-4 RBI
• Donnie Delasco—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• Luis Durango—3-4 R SB(26)
• Cedric Hunter—2-4 3B 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Jordan Walden—6.2 IP 7H ER 3 BB 6K L (1-3)
• Trey Hearne—7 IP 5H 2 ER 3 BB 2K W (6-1)
• Adam Mills—6 IP H 8K W (2-4)
• Tim Alderson—7 IP 2H 2 BB 5K W (4-2)
• Zach McAllister—7.1 IP 9H 3 ER 8K L (5-3)
• Jhoulys Chacin—7.1 IP 2H 2 ER BB 10K W (5-5)

5/17 AA Minor League Report

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

Chicago White Sox power prospects Tyler Flowers and Brandon Allen each hit HR’s on Sunday as did Seattle Mariners #1 prospect Greg Halman.  Chicago Cubs 2B prospect Tony Thomas continues to fly under many prospectors’ radars hitting his 7th dinger.  Cleveland Indians sluggers Carlos Santana and Nick Weglarz each collected four hits and combined to score five runs in a double header continuing their May hot streak.

Today’s top prospect, however, is elite LHP Madison Bumgarner.  After a rain delay cut Tim Alderson’s second AA start to just one inning, Bumgarner relieved him and allowed just one hit over six innings, striking out 9 for his second AA win.  Bumgarner has now surrendered just one run in 12 innings since his promotion and is holding Eastern League hitters to a .200 BA.  My gut tells me that Bumgarner will get a look by the Giants in September which makes his rookie cards a solid investment right now that could pay profitable dividends within the next three or four months.

AA Player of the Day—MADISON BUMGARNER

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Michael Daniel—1-4 HR(3) RBI BB SB(1)
• Brad Harman—2-5 HR(3) RBI
• David Cooper—1-3 2B 2R RBI BB
• Carlos Santana—2-4 2B 2R (Game 1)…..2-2 RBI 2 BB (Game 2)
• Nick Weglarz—2-4 2B 2R (Game 1)…..2-3 R RBI BB (Game 2)
• Matt McBride—1-3 R 2 RBI
• Tony Thomas—1-4 HR(7) RBI
• Andrew Lambo—3-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Cale Iorg—2-2 2B R 2 BB
• Scott Sizemore—2-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Brandon Snyder—1-4 2B R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Brandon Allen—1-2 HR(6) RBI BB
• Greg Halman—2-4 HR(12) RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—2-3 R
• C.J. Retherford—2-3 2B 3 RBI
• Cyle Hankerd—3-3 2B 4 RBI R
• Mike Baxter—3-4 2 2B R RBI
• Tony Abreu—3-5 3R

Pitching:

• Will Inman—7 IP 2H BB 7K W (4-1)
• Antonio Bastardo—7 IP 4H 2 ER BB 7K L (2-2)
• Madison Bumgarner—6 IP H 3 BB 9K W (5-1)
• Reidier Gonzalez—6 IP 5H Er 8K W (2-1)
• Junichi Tazawa—5 IP 7H 3 ER BB 7K L (4-3)

Humble Pie Courtesy of Tim Alderson

Posted by Jeremy on May 10, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Every once and a while I have an occasion where I make a strong statement only to have to later knaw on my size 12 sneaker.  It appears that that time has arrived again as Giants super young righthander Tim Alderson has just tossed 6.2 no-hit innings in his AA debut with Connecticut.  Alderson’s perfection was marred by just one walk, but he more than made up for that by punching out 10 New Hampshire hitters. 

Remember that it was just a couple of days ago that I expressed concern that Alderson may have some early struggles as he had been nearly as dominant as his southpaw counterpart Madison Bumgarner.  Well….it looks like the Giants had some idea of what they were doing by sending Alderson east.  Keep an eye on his continued progress and prepare yourself for Bumgarner’s first AA start and get your Alderson cards on eBay now before the rest of the market reads the box score and reacts accordingly.

Giant Trio Earns Big AA Promotion

Posted by Jeremy on May 9, 2009 under Market Watch, Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

The San Jose Giants will start Thursday night’s game minus a significant amount of talent as LHP Madison Bumgarner, RHP Tim Alderson, and SS Brandon Crawford were promoted to AA Connecticut Wednesday evening. 

Bumgarner, the headliner of the list, seemingly hasn’t missed a beat since last season’s remarkable performance, going 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA and a 4 BB/23 K ratio in 24.1 IP.  The Giants have been conservative with Madison’s workload as he is averaging just five innings per start, perhaps in an effort to save him for a September call up to San Francisco.  Bumgarner pitched very well this spring in limited action for San Francisco, but I don’t know if he will be adaquately prepared to make his big league debut this season.  Bumgarner has pitched well at High-A, but has not dominated in the same fashion that he did last season.  Of the 10 runs that he has allowed this season, only 4 of them have been earned and, while his BB/K ratio has been excellent, he is not striking out hitters at nearly the same pace that he did last season.  Watch his first couple of outings against AA hitters as I believe that it will give a sound bearing on where he is developmentally and may help the Giants better determine their September plans.

Tim Alderson has exhibited excellent control as well with a 3 BB/20 K ratio, but has not been nearly as effective as Bumgarner, going 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA.  California League hitters are batting .292 against Alderson and he has surrendered 4 HR’s in 5 outings.  Alderson remains an uber-bright talent, but this promotion may be premature.  Like Bumgarner, his first couple of AA starts will be a good indicator of his development to this point.  Unlike his left-handed counterpart, he has virtually no shot at making the Giants’ roster at any point this season.

Brandon Crawford has exceeded several scouts’ expectations thusfar this season, hitting .371 with 6 HR 17 RBI and 21 runs scored through his first 28 games.  The one knock on him is the same knock that scouts had when he was drafted last season.  His 10 BB/32 K’s is a prime indicator that the high batting average may well be a misnomer that could be subject to change significantly following his promotion.  Couple that with the fact that he is vacating the friendly hitting environments of the California League for the less generous Eastern League and it spells out D-E-C-L-I-N-E.  Crawford has promising power potential, especially as a shortstop, but don’t expect the batting average to threaten the .300 level after his promotion, and don’t be surprised if it dips below .260.

San Jose lost some nice talent, but there is still plenty more primed for a promotion later this summer.  Buster Posey, Angel Villalona, Connor Gillaspie, Thomas Neal, and Roger Kieschnick have all played exceptionally well this spring and have given Rice-A-Roni Nation several reasons to be excited for what should be a prosperous N.L. West run for many years to come.

5/4 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 5, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Michael Stanton doubled twice, tripled and scored two runs while Ryan Kalish hit his third HR and drove in four runs.  Blue Jays ‘07 second rounder John Tolisano continues to swing a hot bat hitting his fourth HR in the last seven games and Rangers OF prospect Mitch Moreland hit his fifth.  Madison Bumgarner pitched well again, surrendering just one earned run over five innings, but he took his first lost of the season. and Arizona Diamondbacks RH prospect Patrick McAnaney surrendered just two hits over six scoreless innings while punching out eight in a no-decision.

Lonnie Chisenhall is a repeat offender for top prospect honors as he went 4-5 with his fifth HR, four RBI and three runs scored.  Chisenhall, 20, has been able to stick at shortstop thusfar despite the consensus from baesball insiders that he will need to eventually shift to 3B.  He has six errors through his first 23 games and was able to garner a respecitble .929 fielding % last season.  The Indians are flush with corner infield prospects which makes Chisenhall’s development as a shortstop more intriguing.  Shortstops, especially ones with the power of Chisenhall, tend to be more appealing to prospect hounds which, naturally, increases the values of their rookie cards on the online market.  The Indians’ former first rounder has solid plate disicpline, but his 8 BB/22 K is somewhat behind last year’s promising totals.  Some of this may be due to him skipping the Low-A level and adjusting to the quality of pitching in the Carolina League.

High-A Player of the Day—LONNIE CHISENHALL

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Zelous Wheeler—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Tyler Colvin—4-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Russ Canzler—2-4 HR(2) 2R RBI
• Eric Thames—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• John Tolisano—2-3 HR(4) RBI BB 2R
• Andy Dirks—3-4 2 RBI 2R BB 2 SB(10)
• Kody Kaiser—3-3 3B 3R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 2B R RBI
• Devin Mesoraco—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Shane Peterson—2-6 HR(1) RBI
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—2-5 3B RBI
• Greg Sexton—1-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 2R
• Matt Fields—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Cody Cipriano—1-1 HR(3) RBI 2R BB
• Michael Stanton—3-5 2 2B 3B RBI 2R
• Greg Burns—2-3 HR(1) RBI 2B 3R BB
• Lonnie Chisenhall—4-5 HR(5) 4 RBI 2B 3R
• Cord Phelps—1-3 2R 2 BB
• Alex Castillo—2-3 2B R RBI BB SB(3)
• Ryan Kalish—2-4 HR(3) 4 RBI BB
• Kris Negron—1-3 2B BB SB(5)
• Luis Exposito—2-5 3B R RBI
• Mitch Moreland—3-5 HR(5) 2 RBI 2B
• Joe Dunigan—3-4 3 2B R
• Travis Scott—2-3 2B HR(6) 2 RBI 2B
• Carlos Peguero—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Andrew Romine—2-4 R 2 SB(7)
• Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• P.J. Phillips—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Lance Zawadzki—3-5 HR(6) RBI

Pitching:

• Patrick McAnaney—6 IP 2H 8K
• Joey Williamson—5 IP 4H 3K W (4-0)
• Madison Bumgarner—5 IP 3H ER BB 4K L (3-1)
• Chi-Hung Cheng—5 IP 4H BB 3K W (3-0)
• Mathieu Leblanc Poirier—4 IP 3H UER BB 4K
• Kennil Gomez—6 IP 7H 2 ER BB 6K

4/23 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 23, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Brandon Crawford, Alex Liddi, and Matt Spencer all hit their fourth HR’s of the season and Madison Bumgarner allowed just one run over five innings to go a perfect 3-0 for the 2009 season.  Chris Withrow punched out 10 over just five innings but lost to today’s player of the day Chris Hicks. 

The Astros right hander tossed five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just five hits while striking out nine.  Hicks, 21, is now 2-1 on the season with a 3.07 ERA and 18 K’s in 14.2 IP.  Used almost exclusively as a reliever last season, Hicks has proven to be quite adept at forcing groundball outs this season (2.57/FO) and has exhibited good control.  At 6-4 205 lb., he appears to have a nice durable frame capable of handling a steady workload.

California League Player of the Day—CHRIS HICKS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Alex Liddi—3-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 2B
• James McOwen—3-5 2R SB(1)
• Joe Dunigan—4-4 HR(3) 2 RBI 2B
• Kuo Hui Lo—2-4 HR(1) RBI 3B 2R
• Matt Spencer—3-4 2B HR(4) RBI 3R BB
• Jermaine Mitchell—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Brandon Crawford—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Buster Posey—2-4 R RBI
• Roger Kieschnick—1-3 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Engel Beltre—1-4 2B 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Mitch Moreland—1-4 HR(2) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Mauro Gomez—3-6 HR(3) 6 RBI 2B
• Collin Cowgill—2-5 R SB(3)
• Scott Vanslyke—4-5 2B 3B 2R

Pitching:

• Nathan Adcock—6 IP 4H BB 4K W(2-1)
• Madison Bumgarner—5 IP 5H ER 5K W(3-0)
• Chris Withrow—5 IP 3H Er 2 BB 10 K L(1-1)
• Chris Hicks—5 IP 5H 2 BB 9K W(2-1)

CAROLINA LEAGUE

Jason Place continues to make positive strides in his development as he hit his second HR and drove in three runs.  Teammate Chi-Hsien Chiang had nice back to back outings combining to go 4-7 with a HR, three RBI and three runs scored.  Jordan Danks had three hits, driving in two and scoring twice.

Today’s player of the day in the Carolina League is Cleveland Indians 3B prospect Lonnie Chisenhall.  For the second straight day, Chisenhall homered and drove in five runs.  The Indians’ 2008 first round selection has an eight game hitting streak and is beginning to demonstrate the promising power potential and plate discipline that made him a top draft choice last June.

Carolina League Player of the Day—LONNIE CHISENHALL

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Jason Place—2-4 HR(2) 3 RBI BB 2B 2R
• Chih-Hsien Chiang—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI BB 2R (Game 1)…2-3 R (Game 2)
• Kris Negron—2-4 R RBI SB(2)
• Clint Robinson—2-3 2 HR(2) 2 RBI BB 2R (Game 1)…1-4 HR(3) RBI (Game 2)
• David Lough—3-4 2 RBI
• Lonnie Chisenhall—2-5 GS HR(2) 5 RBI 2B BB
• Cord Phelps—2-4 2B BB R
• Freddie Freeman—2-5 2B 2R
• Michael Fisher—3-4 2R BB
• Jordan Danks—3-4 2 RBI 2R BB SB(3)
• Brent Morel—2-4 R BB SB(5)

Pitching:

• Ronal Uviedo—5 IP 2H 5K
• Zack Britton—5 IP 4H ER 2 BB 4K

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

Matt Dominguez and Michael Stanton combined to go 4-7 with four runs and three walks.  Osvaldo Martinez, Alex Buchholz, Eric Thames and Reid Fronk each pounded out three hits and Shawn O’Malley had four hits and three runs scored. 

Today’s FSL top player is Jupiter Hammerheads pitcher Kyle Winters.  One day after his 22nd birthday, the ‘05 fifth rounder tossed seven two-hit innings walking one and striking out two.  Winters has allowed just one run in his first 19 innings of 2009 (0.47 ERA)  He is a control pitcher who gets a lot of groundball outs and has made some improvements, thusfar, in controlling the strike zone.

Florida State League Player of the Day—KYLE WINTERS

 
Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Matt Dominguez—2-4 2B 3R BB
• Michael Stanton—2-3 R RBI 2 BB
• Osvaldo Martinez—3-4 2 3B 2R BB
• Cole Gillespie—2-2 R 2 BB SB(4)
• Austin Romine—2-4 2B 2R
• Dominic Brown—2-3 BB R SB(3)
• Kody Kaiser—2-3 BB R SB(3)
• Audy Ciraco—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Marwin Gonzalez—3-5 2B 2R
• Jovan Rosa—2-2 2B 2 RBI
• Eric Thames—3-4 2B 3B RBI 2R
• Jermaine Curtis—3-4 RBI
• Deibinson Romero—2-3 2R 2B RBI
• Alex Buchholz—3-5 2B 3B 2 RBI
• Reid Fronk—3-5 2B RBI
• Shawn O’Malley—4-5 2B 3B RBI 3R

Pitching:

• Kyle Winters—7 IP 2 H BB 2K W(1-0)
• Andrew Hess—5 Ip 6H 4K W(1-0)
• David Bromberg—6 IP 4H ER 2 BB 3K W(1-0)

4/16 High-A Minor League Report

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

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Slugger-in-waiting Angel Villalona went yard for the second time and Madison Bumgarner pitched well enough to earn his second win of the season. The Padres’ top international signing Yefri Carvajal hit his first HR.  Diamonbacks top prospect Jarrod Parker tossed five dominant innings allowing just two hits and striking out seven, but the Padres’ Corey Luebke was even better shutting out Modesto for seven innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight.

California League Player of the Day—COREY LUEBKE

Other Notable Performances:

• Angel Villalona—2-3 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Buster Posey—1-3 2B R BB
• Madison Bumgarner—5 IP 4H UER 2 BB 4K W(2)
• Craig Italiano—5 IP 2H 2 ER 3 BB 6K L(2)
• Jason Castr0—2-4 RBI
• Chris Jackson—1-2 2R 3 BB
• Preston Mattingly—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Steven Caseres—2-4 RBI
• Matthew Sweeney—2-4
• Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B
• P.J. Phillips—2-4 R RBI
• Efren Navarro—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Tim Kiely—7 IP 3H 8K W(1)
• Collin Cowgill—1-4 HR(3) RBI
• Jarrod Parker—5 IP 2H 7K
• Charlie Blackmon—2-3 R BB
• Yefri Carvajal—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Andrew Parrino—2-5 2B R
• Logan Forsythe—1-3 BB 2B
• Corey Luebke—7 IP 2H BB 8K W(1)

CAROLINA LEAGUE

It was a banner day for the top prospects in the Carolina League.  Chris Marrero doubled twice and drove in three runs, Jordan Danks had three hits, including his second HR, and drove in two.  Mike Moustakas also had two hits and a couple of RBI while Jason Heyward went 3-3 with his second HR, three RBI, two runs scored and two walks.  That performance alone would be enough to win the award, but Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez delivered big time with his second HR and six RBI in a win over Winston-Salem.

Carolina League Player of the Day—PEDRO ALVAREZ

Other Notable Performances:

• David Espinosa—1-2 R 2 BB 2 SB(4)
• Chris Marrero—2-4 2 2B 3 RBi R
• Jason Place—3-4 2B 2 RBI SB(1)
• Tom Milone—6 IP 6H ER BB 7K
• Jordan Danks—2-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B
• Brent Morel—2-5 2B SB(4)
• Christian Marrero—2-5 2B R
• Seth Loman—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Pedro Alvarez—2-4 HR(2) 6 RBI
• Jose De Los Santos—2-4 3R 2B RBI BB
• Alex Presley—2-4 2R RBI
• Mike Moustakas—3-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Jeff Bianchi—2-4 R BB
• Johnny Giavotella—2-5 R
• Clint Robinson—1-4 2B R 2 RBI
• Tim Fedroff—3-5 2 2B R
• Matt McBride—2-3 2b BB
• Eric Berger—5 IP 5H Er 2 BB 8K
• Jason Heyward—3-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 2 BB 2R
• Freddie Freeman—1-4 RBI BB
• Matt Fischer—2-5 2B 2R
• Zach Britton—4 IP 5H 2 ER 2 BB 5K
• Tyler Henson—1-3 2R 2 BB SB(2)

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

Unlike the Carolina League, there weren’t any mind blowing performances to speak of.  Zack Stewart looked good in his second consecutive start, as did Dellin Betances and Duane Below.  Tommy Hickman hit his first HR, but the top player award goes to Twins speedster and future lead off hitter Ben Revere.  The former first rounder went 2-3 with a dobule, three RBI and two bases on balls.

Florida State League Player of the Day—BEN REVERE

Other Notable Performances:

• Jermaine Curtis—2-3 2R
• Francisco Rivera—1-2 2B 3 RBI
• Zach Stewart—5 IP 5H ER BB 6K
• Nick Additon—4 IP H 2 BB K
• Yonderman Rodriguez—2-3 BB R
• Arlon Quiroz—2-2 2B RBI SB(2)
• Duane Below—5.2 IP 7H ER 9K L(1)
• Carlos Montaserios—7 IP 3H BB 4K W(1)
• Andy Dirks—2-4 2B 3 RBI
• Emeel Salem—3-6 RBI R BB SB(1)
• Reese Havens—3-6 2 RBI R
• Zachary Lutz—2-6 RBI
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—3-4 BB
• Jenrry Mejia—5 IP 6H ER BB 3K
• Eric Thames—3-4 2 RBI
• Darin Mastroianni—2-5 2B RBI R
• Justin Jackson—1-5 2B 2R
• Raul Barron—2-4 2R SB(3)
• Marquez Smith—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Thomas Hickman—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Ben Revere—2-3 2B R 3 RBI 2 BB
• Matt Dominguez—1-3 BB
• Kyle Winters—6 Ip 5H BB 4K
• David Bromberg—5 IP 4H ER 3 BB 4K
• Jesus Montero—1-3 BB
• Brent Brewer—1-4 2B R
• Lee Haydel—2-3 RBI
• Cole Gillespie—1-4 RBI SB(2)
• Dellin Betances—5.1 IP 8H 2 ER BB 7K L(1)

4/1 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 2, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Turning the page on the calendar, I saw the big red circle around April 6th marking the beginning of the 2009 MLB regular season!  Spring training has flown by this season at a rocket’s (not steroid enhanced) pace and what a spring it has been for several young players!  Wednesday’s action saw all or nothing slugger Michael Wilson of the Seattle Mariners slug his 8th HR of the spring, and super non-rookies Travis Buck and Alex Gordon hit their 4th and 6th HR’s respectively.  ‘08 N.L. Rookie of the Year, Geovanny Soto and Mets prospect Omir Santos rang the dinger bell twice, but it was the young pitchers who opened eyes today.  San Francisco Giants superstar-in-the-making Madison Bumgarner surrendered just one hit in 3 innings of work while striking out 4, but even that performance was not good enough to usurp the one time phenom Homer Bailey.  The Cincinnati Reds hurler tossed 6 innings allowing 4 hits, 2 earned runs a walk an 8 strikeouts.  Additionally, he went 2 for 2 at the plate with a double and a run scored.  While it may not earn him a spot on the Reds’ rotation, it is surely worthy of receiving today’s Youngster of the Day award.

Youngster of the Day—HOMER BAILEY

Other Notable Performances:

• Josh Anderson—1-4 R RBI
• Adam Rosales—2-3 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Homer Bailey—6 IP 4H 2 ER BB 8K (2-2 2B R)
• Chris Johnson—2-4 2B RBI R
• William Glen—4 IP 6H ER BB 4K (W)
• Omir Santos—2-3 2 HR(4) 3 RBI 2R
• Travis Snider—2-3 2 2B R RBI
• Ross Detwiler—2.1 IP H
• Derek Holland—4 IP 3H ER BB 4K W(2)
• Matt Brown—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Geovanny Soto—2-2 2 HR(2) 5 RBI
• Travis Buck—2-2 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Cliff Pennington—2-2 2B 2 RBI R
• Rob Johnson—1-5 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Trevor Crowe—1-4 BB 2R
• Mike Wilson—2-5 HR(8) 2R 2 RBI
• Dexter Fowler—3-5 2B 3B RBI 2R
• Alex Gordon—2-4 HR(6) RBI
• Albert Callaspo—2-3 2B RBI BB SB(1)
• Billy Butler—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Madison Bumgarner—3 IP H 4K

3/17 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on March 18, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

It seems like every time I look at at box score, Pablo Sandoval has two hits and an RBI.  Tuesday was no exception.  Aaron Cunnigham went yard for the first time this spring as did Atlanta Braves speedster Josh Anderson.  Jose Tabata continues to swing a hot bat and Jesus Guzman belted his third HR of the spring.  The top youngster of the day, though, was Braves SP Jair Jurrjens who tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits and fanning 6 hitters en route to his first win of the spring.

Youngster of the Day—JAIR JURRJENS

Other Notable Performances:

• James Donald—1-1 2B RBI
• John Mayberry Jr.—2-5 2B 2R
• Scott Sizemore—1-1 HR(1) RBI
• Junichi Tazawa—2 IP K
• David Murphy—3-4 2B
• Jon Niese—4 IP 2H 2 ER 3 BB 3K (L)
• Jair Jurrjens—6 IP 4H 6K (W)
• Brandon HIcks—1-1 2 RBI
• Jose Tabata—2-4 R SB(1)
• Juan Miranda—1-2 2B R
• Mitch Maier—1-3 3 RBI
• Dexter Fowler—1-1 R RBI
• Carlos Gonzalez—2-3 2B R
• Seth Smith—2-2 2B SB(2)
• Jesus Guzman—1-2 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Pablo Sandoval—2-3 3B RBI
• Madison Bumgarner—IP BB K
• Ryan Rohlinger—1-1 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Brad Nelson—2-4 RBI
• Matt LaPorta—2-4 2B RBI
• Michael Aubrey—2-4 2B RBI R
• Nelson Cruz—1-3 3B 2R RBI
• Aaron Cunningham—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R SB(1)
• Cliff Pennington—2-2 2B 3B 2 RBI R
• Josh Donaldson—1-1 3B R
• Brandon Wood—2-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Matt Brown—3-5 3 RBI
• Chris Pettit—3-3 2R BB
• Sean Rodriguez—1-3 2B RBI R
• Bradley Coon—2-2 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Kyle Blanks—2-4 R