8/11 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on August 12, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Allen Craig really likes to hit in the thin air of Colorado Springs as he belted three HR’s during a double header to raise his tally to 21 on the season.  Craig has been as hot as any hitter in the minor leagues since the All Star break, hitting .446 with 13 HR 30 RBI and 27 runs scored in just 28 games.  Craig continues to play in the outfield which surprises me in the wake of the Brett Wallace trade.  He’s never been a bad fielder at 3B, but the organization seems to find him a better fit in left field.  Regardless of where he’s playing, Craig has been the best hitter in the Cardinals’ organization this season and should earn a big league call up at some point this year.  His only first year cards are in the 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft set and his singles can still be had in lots for less than a buck apiece.

Gaby Sanchez was a darkhorse N.L. ROY candidate by some baseball pundits on the heels of his fine 2008 season at AA Carolina.  Instead, he like fellow Marlins teammate Cameron Maybin, struggled to earn playing time with the big club and was demoted to New Orleans.  Last night, Sanchez went 3-5 with his 12th and 13th dingers, driving in five runs and scoring four times.  Sanchez has been hot during the month of August, hitting .325 with 4 HR 7 RBI and a killer 10 BB/3K ratio.  Sanchez is in a tough spot.  Logan Morrison has made a successful return from a broken wrist and is driving the ball with authority in AA.  He’s the heir to the first base job in Miami, leaving Sanchez either to switch to a new position or continue to toil at AAA.  At his best, Gaby is a well disciplined hitter with decent power to the gaps and above average defensive skills that could help him carve out a starting job with a big league club someday.

Today’s top prospect is one of Cleveland’s newest additions, RHP Carlos Carrasco.  After back to back rocky starts with Columbus, Carrasco tossed eight innings of four hit, one run ball, striking out 10 hitters for his 9th victory of the season.  Carrasco has the stuff to be a frontline pitcher at the major league level, but his inability to establish consistency and pitch with confidence at times was maddening to the Phillies franchise.  Perhaps the move to Cleveland will be just what Carlos needs to rediscover his potential as an MLB stopper.  Surely this outing does wonders for his chances to crack the Indians’ rotation at some point this season.  Carrasco’s 2008 Bowman Sterling Jsy/Autos are currently trading at $4-6 each on eBay and seem like a solid low risk buy for someone who has slipped off of many collectors’ radars.

AAA Player of the Day—CARLOS CARRASCO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Matt Tuiasosopo—1-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Mike Carp—1-4 R 2 RBI BB
• Adam Moore—4-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Tony Abreu—1-5 HR(10) RBI
• Gaby Sanchez—3-5 2 HR(13) 5 RBI 4R BB
• John Raynor—2-6 2R RBI SB(16)
• Brett Hayes—2-4 R 3 RBI BB
• Travis Buck—3-4 2B 3 RBI SB(3)
• Allen Craig—2-3 2 HR(20) 3 RBI 2R (Game 1)…..1-3 HR(21) RBI (Game 2)
• Jarret Hoffpauir—2-3 2B 3B RBI R
• Eric Young Jr.—3-5 RBI (Game 1)…..1-2 R BB SB(55) (Game 2)
• Brandon Allen—3-4 2B 2R RBI BB
• Cole Gillespie—2-5 2B 2 RBI
• Chris Johnson—2-3 2B HR(10) RBI
• Juan Miranda—1-5 2B R 2 RBI
• Travis Snider—2-4 RBI
• Drew Stubbs—2-4 RBI
• John Mayberry Jr.—2-3 R SB(6)
• Lou Marson—3-4 R RBI
• Wes Hodges—2-4 2B R
• Justin Maxwell—2-3 R SB(28)
• Brent Clevlen—2-3 HR(15) RBI
• Aaron Bates—2-4 2B R

Pitching:

• Scott Elbert—4 IP 2H 3 BB 3K
• Travis Wood—6 IP 6H ER 3 BB K W (12-4)
• Carlos Carrasco—8 IP 4H ER 10K W (9-9)

8/2 AAA Minor League Report

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

Wow, lots has happened since the last minor league reports.  Several prospects have gotten fresh starts with new franchises and some are capitalizing on those opportunities.

Jeff Clement has,  as predicted, donned a first baseman’s glove and has hit like a top tier corner infielder since joining the Indianapolis Indians, hitting .545 with three HR and five runs scored in three games.  Clement is going to get a shot with the Bucs in the very near future and I think that the move to the NL and to 1B is going to be one that benefits him greatly.  The market for Clement’s cards is starting to pick up steam as many prospect prognosticators feel the same way that I do about his yellow and black rebirth.  Despite the optimistic start, beware!  Jeff Clement is an incredibly streaky hitter who could rip out 5 HR one week and manage just 5 hits the next.  Expect to pay $8-12 for each of his ‘06 autos right now and $2.50-3.50 for each of his ‘05 Bowman Chrome or Bowman Sterling first year cards right now.

Speaking of streaky hitters…..Travis Snider is molten hot right now.  The beefy Blue Jays OF blasted his 9th HR with the Las Vegas 51’st, driving in three runs and scoring three runs.  Snider is hitting .436 over his last 10 games with 4 HR 16 RBI and 12 runs scored.  In addition, he’s walked 8 times vs. 9 K’s during that time.  Strikeouts are always going to come in bunches for Snider, but his ability to work counts and get on base is key to his success in his next audition with the Jays.  Things are poised to open up for Snider soon as OF Jose Bautista’s production has been anemic at best.  At the same time, there is no real reason to rush the 21 year old slugger back to Toronto either.  This season was supposed to be Snider’s coming out party, but plate discipline woes and a shoulder injury mitigated his production.  The market for his first year autos in 2007 Bowman Sterling has been cut by more than half since this spring from $35-40 each to $15-18 today.  The bat speed is real, the power is prestigious, and the market for his cards are at all time lows.  Buy accordingly. 

Today’s top prospect is another Blue Jays farmhand.  Brian Dopirak is a long time minor league slugger who, at the age of 25, is experiencing a rebirth of his own as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization.  Drafted as an 18 year old in 2002, Dopirak pounded his way on prospectors’ radars in 2004 when he blasted 39 HR and 120 RBI for High-A Lancaster.  Since then, he has continued to hit HR’s at each minor league stop but has never been able to hit beyond AAA.  Yesterday’s 4-5 day that saw him hit HR’s #23 and 24 may change all of that.  At 6-4 and 220 lb., Dopirak is all hitter and is a below average defender at 1B.  Dopirak hits LH and RH pitching equally well but shows more power against southpaws.  He’s bound to get a look in September but it is unclear how much playing time he’ll get.  The market for Dopirak’s cards is low and slow right now, but a power surge in a big league uniform can create a brief window of collector interest for his cards.

AAA Player of the Day—BRIAN DOPIRAK

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Brandon Allen—2-5 2B HR(17) RBI
• John Hester—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Trent Oeltjen—2-4 HR(10) 2 RBI 2R BB SB(18)
• Matt Downs—2-4 HR(11) RBI 2B 2R (Game 1)…..2-4 2B 3B R
• Matt Tuiasosopo—2-4 HR(2) 3 RBI (Game 1)…..3-3 RBI (Game 2)
• Brad Nelson—2-3 HR(11) RBI 2R 2B
• Tyler Greene—3-3 3R BB 2 SB(21)
• Allen Craig—2-3 R RBI BB
• Wes Hodges—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Austin Jackson—2-4 2 RBI R 2 SB(19)
• Jeff Clement—1-2 HR(17) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Neil Walker—3-4 2 2B 2 RBI
• Greg Golson—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-3 HR(12) 2 RBI
• Cole Armstrong—2-4 HR(9) 3 RBI 2R
• Scott Sizemore—2-4 2R
• Gaby Sanchez—1-2 HR(10) RBI 2 BB
• Travis Snider—1-3 HR(9) 3 RBI 3R 2 BB
• Brian Dopirak—4-5 2 HR(24) 3 RBI 4R

Pitching:

• Junichi Tazawa—5.1 IP 2H 2 ER BB 3K L (9-7)
• Clay Mortensen—5.1 IP 5H ER 3 BB 5K

7/27 AAA Minor League Report

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

Former Oakland A’s farm hand and current San Diego Padres OF prospect Dan Putnam hit his 14th HR of the season and drove in three runs in a three hit outing.  Putnam has been solid over his last 10 games batting .361 with 3 HR 17 RBI and 7 doubles.  At 26 years old, time is ticking for Putnam to make an impact at the major league level.  He’s proven to be a consistent power hitter over the past few seasons but has never been quite good enough to stand out above his peers.  That shouldn’t change at San Diego.  He’ll likely earn a look in September but the Padres will likely be much more interested in getting a better look at fellow Portland teammate Chad Huffman.

Today’s top player is a former MLB flash in the pan Florida Marlins 2B propect Tony Abreu.  The ex-Dodger had a perfect day at the plate yesterday, going 5-5 with his 6th HR, 3 RBI and 3 doubles.  Abreu has bounced back nicely with the Marlins after missing the entire 2008 season, hitting .348 with 6 HR 29 RBI 11 doubles and 20 runs scored in just 27 games with Albuquerque.  Abreu’s first year cards in various 2007 sets experienced an uptick of popularity after his solid debut with the Dodgers in ‘07 and there could be an opportunity for the cards to be, likely to a lesser degree, relevant again.  The Marlins have already switched former 2B Chris Coghlan to the outfield and it has long been rumored that the future of Dan Uggla as a member of the Marlins is not a long one.  Abreu is still just 24 years old and his switch hitting bat has proven to be a consistent one with decent gap power and the ability to hit for a high average.  The market for Abreu’s 2007 products is deflated, making this the perfect opportunity to add a low serial #’ed rookie card to your portfolio for less than $5.

AAA Player of the Day—TONY ABREU

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Cole Gillespie—1-2 Hr(9) 2 RBI BB SB(11)
• Jon Jay—2-5 R SB(17)
• Tyler Greene—3-5 HR(7) 2 RBI
• Allen Craig—2-3 HR(15) 2 RBI 2R
• Mark Hamilton—4-5 2 HR(10) 4 RBI
• Alejandro De Aza—3-6 3B RBI 2R
• Cameron Maybin—1-3 2B R 3 RBI 3 BB
• John Raynor—1-2 HR(4) RBI 2 BB 3R
• Austin Jackson—2-5 2B RBI
• Cliff Pennington—2-4 2B 2R
• Aaron Cunningham—2-4 2 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Brett Wallace—2-4 2 2B R RBI
• Tony Abreu—5-5 3 2B HR(6) 3 RBI
• Alcides Escobar—1-4 2R SB(36)
• Joaquin Arias—3-4 3R HR(5) RBI
• Ian Desmond—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Brandon Snyder—1-4 2 RBI
• Justin Turner—2-4 2B RBI
• Reid Brignac—1-3 2B R RBI 2 BB SB(5)
• Rhyne Hughes—3-3 2 2B R BB
• Cole Armstrong—2-4 HR(8) 2 RBI 2B
• Chad Huffman—2-5 HR(14) 3 RBI 2R
• Dan Putnam—3-4 2B HR(14) 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Jeff Manship—8 IP 7H ER 3 BB 3K
• Fabio Castro—7 IP 2H 2 BB 10K W (7-5)
• Shairon Martis—7 IP 5H BB 3K W (3-1)

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

5/27 AAA Minor League Report

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

Tommy Hanson’s MLB debut comes closer with each dominant start he has.  Yesterday, the big righthander surrendered just one run on five hits over seven innings while striking out nine hitters.  He also helped himself at the plate with a single and run scored in two AB’s.  Hanson received a no-decision for his efforts, but has assuredly reiterated to the Braves that he is quite ready to make his major league debut.

In other action, Jeff Clement had two more hits, scoring three times and driving in three runs.  He has been red hot during the month of May, hitting .360 with 3 HR 21 RBI 11 doubles and 17 runs scored.  Clement was curiously passed over for a big league promotion after Kenji Johjima’s hamstring injury in favor of the much less potent Guillermo Quiroz.  This leads me to believe that Clement’s days as a catcher, at least within the M’s organization, is coming to a close.  Watching him extensively last season, I completely agree with the move.

Today’s top prospect is another catcher, in fact it is the top catching prospect in all of baseball, Matt Wieters.  Shortly after receiving word that he would be making his MLB debut on Friday May 30th, Wieters went 4-4 with a double and four RBI.  The month of May has been good to the 23 year old Georgia Tech alum as he has hit .330 with 4 HR 25 RBI and 20 runs scored in 25 games.  During the first two months of the season, there hasn’t been many distinguishable performances from the ‘09 AL rookie class.  Wieters has an ample opportunity to step in and fulfill the expectations of many baseball prognositcators that predicted that his switch hitting power bat and Gold Glove defensive abilities would propel him to this year’s ROY award.

AAA Player of the Day—MATT WIETERS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Matt Wieters—4-4 2B R 4 RBI BB
• Justin Turner—3-4 2B 3R BB SB(2)
• Wilkin Ramirez—1-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Neil Walker—2-4 2 2B
• Trevor Plouffe—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R
• David Winfree—2-4 HR(7) 3 RBi
• Lou Marson—1-3 2B 2R BB
• Drew Stubbs—2-4 2B RBI
• Brian Bogusevic—3-5
• J.R. Towles—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Chris Johnson—2-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Josh Whitesell—3-4 R
• Jacob Hester—1-3 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Alcides Escobar—2-4 2B R BB SB(21)
• Hernan Iribarren—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Cole Gillespie—1-4 2B 2 RBI
• Jeff Clement—2-3 2B 3R 3 RBI BB
• Michael Saunders—2-5 2R
• Cameron Maybin—2-5 2 2B 2R
• J.P. Arencibia—2-4 RBI
• Travis Snider—1-3 R

Pitching:

• Yorman Bazardo—8 IP 3H BB 6K W (5-2)
• Drew Carpenter—7 IP 6H ER BB 4K W (2-0)
• Tommy Hanson—7 IP 5H ER 2 BB 9K…..1-2 R
• Kevin Mulvey—7 IP 6H 2 ER BB 6K

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)

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

3/31 Spring Training Report

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

Sorry for the delay, I have been busy over the last couple of days writing some news blurbs for the Cardboard Connection.  Yesterday’s spring training action saw top pitchers Joba Chamberlain and Rick Porcello each throw 5 quality innings en route to wins.  Chamberlain is a perfect 4-0 this spring and has given every indicator that he will be able to shoulder the load of a full season workload in ‘09.  Travis Snider belted his 4th HR and Pablo Sandoval, Brett Gardner, Blake DeWitt, Wladimir Balentien, and Kendry Morales continued their solid springs with multi hit games.  The youngster of the day, though, is Nick Adenhart.  The 22 year old Angels hurler tossed 6.2 innings of two run ball striking out 5 to earn his 3rd win of the spring.  Adenhart entered this spring as a bubble guy to make the Halos’ rotation, and he has responded by posting the best spring of his career.

Youngster of the Day—NICK ADENHART

Other Notable Performances:

• Joba Chamberlain—5.1 IP 5H 2 ER 3 BB 6K W(4)
• Phil Coke—IP 2K
• Brett Gardner—3-4 RBi
• Jay Bruce—2-4 RBI
• Chris Dickerson—1-5 R 2B
• Matt Moses—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Juan Portes—1-1 2 RBI
• Jim Negrych—2-2 3 RBI
• Quincy Lattimore—2-2 3B 2R RBI
• Felix Pie—2-5 2B
• Matt Joyce—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Justin Masterson—2.2 IP H ER 3K W(2)
• Rick Porcello—5 IP 2H UER BB 2K
• Daniel Murphy—1-3 2 RBI R
• Jonathan Malo—1-1 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Emiliano Bonifacio—1-3 R SB(4)
• Travis Snider—2-3 HR(4) RBI
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia—1-3 R
• Elvis Andrus—1-3 R
• Pablo Sandoval—2-5 2B 2 RBI
• Eider Torres—2-5 HR(2) RBI 2R SB(5)
• Emmanuel Burriss—2-5 3R
• Wladimir Balentien—3-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Chris Jakubaskas—5 IP 4H ER 4K W(2)
• Blake DeWitt—3-5 HR(2) 2B 2 RBI 2R
• Chin-Lung Hu—2-5 R
• Josh Outman—5.2 IP 5H 2 ER BB 6K W
• Travis Buck—1-3 2B R 3 RBI
• Chris Getz—2-4
• Micah Hoffpauir—1-4 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Kendry Morales—2-3 2B R
• Nick Adenhart—6.2 IP 8H 2 ER BB 5K W(3)

3/27 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on March 28, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Trevor Cahill took himself out of the running tonight with a mediocre performance against the Padres.  Gerardo Parra has been red hot since his return from competing with the Venezuelan National Team, going 3-3 with his first HR and 2 RBI.  Brad Emaus continued to impress the Blue Jays brass with his 4th HR of the spring, but the top performance of the day goes to Texas Rangers 1B Chris Davis who smacked his 4th HR, hit a double, scored twice and drove in two runs.  Davis is a prime threat to pound 40 HR this season and his bat this spring has given every indication that that is a possibility.

Youngster of the Day—CHRIS DAVIS

Other Notable Performances:

• Luis Montanez—3-4 2R
• Emiliano Bonifacio—2-3 R
• Dallas McPherson—2-2
• Josh Anderson—2-3 R SB(2)
• David Freese—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Chris Carter—2-4 R
• George Kottaras—1-2 2B R
• Jose Morales—2-3 2R RBI
• Brandon Wood—1-3 HR(4) RBI
• Miguel Montero—2-5 R RBI
• Gerardo Parra—3-3 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• Josh Fields—3-4 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Eider Torres—2-5 2R 2B
• Eugenio Velez—2-5 2B 3B 3R 2 RBI
• Pablo Sandoval—1-2 RBI
• Chris Colonel—1-2 GS HR(2) 5 RBI
• Ian Stewart—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Mike Aviles—2-3 RBI R
• Brad Emaus—2-5 HR(4) 2 RBI 2B
• Travis Snider—2-3 2B R
• Sean Shoffit—2-3 2B R
• Daniel Murphy—3-4 2 RBI
• Brad Nelson—2-4 HR(3) 3 RBI
• Hernan Iribarren—1-2 3B 2 RBI
• Taylor Teagarden—3-3 2B 3B
• Chris Davis—3-4 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R 2B
• Elvis Andrus—1-4 RBI

3/24 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on March 25, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Today was a day for the pitchers.  Pittsburgh’s Ross Ohlendorf continued his impressive spring by tossing 6 shutout innings en route to his first win, Shairon Martis and Koji Uehara locked up in a duel with Martis’ 6 scoreless innings trumping Uehara’s 3.2 IP of one-run, 7K ball.  David Purcey looks like the real deal in his 6 one-run innings, but no one matched up to Kevin Slowey’s performance.  The 24 year old Twin hurled 5 innings allowing one run while striking out 5 and knocking in 3 runs with a perfect 2-2 day at the plate.

Youngster of the Day—KEVIN SLOWEY

Other Notable Performances:

• Austin Jackson—1-1 GS HR(3) 4 RBI
• Brett Gardner—1-2 3B R
• Ross Ohlendorf—6 IP 5H 3K (W)
• Brian Bixler—3-5 R 2 SB(3)
• Shairon Martis—6 IP 3H BB 4K (W)
• Koji Uehara—3.2 IP 3H ER 7K (L)
• David Purcey—6 IP 8H ER 2 BB 3K
• Travis Snider—1-3 R SB(1)
• Scott Campbell—1-1 2B R RBI
• Reese Havens—1-2 BB
• Kevin Slowey—5 IP 2H ER 5K (W) 2-2 2B 3 RBI
• Cameron Maybin—2-3 3B BB
• Gordon Beckham—1-2 SB(2)
• Aaron Poreda—3 IP 2H 2 ER 4 BB K
• Chris Gimenez—2-3 R BB
• Chris Colonel—2-4 2 RBI 2B
• Geovanny Soto—1-2 2B R 2 RBI
• Dexter Fowler—1-2 R SB(4)
• Erick Aybar—1-2 HR(2) RBI
• Nick Hundley—2-4 2B R
• Emmannuel Burriss—2-4 3B 3 RBI
• Gerardo Parra—2-2 2B
• Reegie Corona—2-5 RBI R SB(1)
• Tyson Gillies—2-3 2R RBI SB(1)
• Nelson Cruz—2-4 HR(5) 3 RBI 2R
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia—2-3 2B 2 RBI
• Joquin Arias—2-2 RBI
• Sean Gallagher—4.2 IP 6H BB 3K
• Mike Aviles—2-4 GS HR(1) 5 RBI
• Wladimir Balentien—1-4 3B 2 RBI
• Clayton Kershaw—5.1 IP 3H 3 ER BB 6K