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Bisons Score 27 Runs; Negrych Hits for Cycle

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

The Buffalo Bisons scored the most runs ever in an International League game since official records have been tracked (1973) by downing the Syracuse Chiefs 27-9.  It was still a winnable game for Syracuse after six, with the Bisons only holding a 13-9 lead.  The Bisons blew the game open in the seventh with a ten spot to take a 23-9 lead.

The big bats for the Bison were Jim Negrych who went 4 for 7 with a cycle from the leadoff spot, crossing the plate four times and driving in one.  Negrych opened the game with a triple to jumpstart the Bisons to an early 5-0 lead.  His single in the fourth started another five run inning for the Bison.  A double in the fifth and a homerun in the sixth completed the cycle.  Negrych is now batting .515 for the year.

Moises Sierra may not have hit for the cycle, but he went 6 for 6 with five runs scored and three RBIs.  He was only a homerun away from hitting for a cycle.  Luis Jimenez banged out five hits to drive in eight runs.  He had a 3-run homerun in the seventh and four singles.  Ryan Langerhans blasted two homeruns to drive in six and cross the plate five times.

Tanner Roark saw his ERA rise to 8.59 as he gave up ten runs in just three plus innings of work.  Patrick McCoy could only get two hitters out before giving up nine runs.  The saving grace for him is that only four of the runs were earned.

The minor leagues saw a second cycle with used to be prospect Carlos Triunfel hitting one in the Tacoma Rainers 8-0 win over the Fresno Grizzlies.  Carlos also tripled in the opening frame but failed to score.  His leadoff double in the third started the Rainers four run rally.  He led off the fourth with a homerun and finished off the cycle with a single in the fifth.  His day ended with another single to go 5 for 5 and raise his average to .296.

James Paxton threw six shutout innings for the Rainers, giving up two hits and walking four.  Giants prospect Mike Kickham only went three plus innings, giving up five runs on nine hits with two homeruns.

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2013 Hot Stove - Indians

Tuesday, January 1st, 2013

Not a lot of baseball news presents itself between Christmas and New Years.  This is the time when you have to create your own baseball news.

Overall Assessment: The Indians hired Terry Francona from the announcer’s booth and hope he does for them what he did with the Red Sox, provide them with a couple World Series victories.  The Indians lack the economic resources of the Red Sox so it may take some time to get that championship.  One good thing about the lack of resources is the team cannot overspend and sign a bunch of malcontents as the Red Sox roster seemed to be crowded with as they became spoiled by their own success, if you believe the stories you hear out of the clubhouse.  They are in a division where it won’t take a lot of money to at least win the division.

Hot Stove Season: The Indians have made a couple late season signings that should improve the outfield and starting pitching.  They agreed to a contract with Nick Swisher which should add some pop to what had been a punchless outfield.  Drew Stubbs will move to left field and Ezequiel Carrera becomes a fourth outfielder.  The Brett Myers signing still leaves them without an ace but it adds to their depth of Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez.  Both pitchers need to bounce back from disappointing seasons or the Myers signing gives them little.  They also need Carlos Carrasco to come back from Tommy John surgery and have an impact in the rotation.  The Indians signing of Mark Reynolds gives them a lot of pop at first base.  It also gives them a lot of swings and misses and non-productive outs.  The Indians made a three way trade with the Diamondbacks and Reds to get Drew Stubbs to help in the outfield and Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw to help in the bullpen.  Former number one pick Trevor Bauer was the key to the deal.  He has ace like potential if he has a slight change in attitude and a team gives him a little rein to keep some independence.  If he continues on the same course, he could end up another jouneyman pitcher spending six years in AAA.  They grabbed Chris McGuinnes in the Rule V draft.  They will have a tough time keeping him on the roster unless he can show he can play some outfield.  They traded Esmil Rogers to get Mike Aviles, who will get a lot of bats playing an infield utility role.  He could become the starting shortstop if the Indians trade Asdrubal Cabrera.

Strength: It is a borderline strength, but the middle is solid.  Asdrubal Cabrera had a down season last year, but he can bounce back, provided the Indians do not trade him.  They could squeeze Mike Aviles at short.  Jason Kipnis showed he’s a solid player at second and Mickey Brantley covers a lot of ground in center.  Carlos Santana has been a bit disappointing with his offensive numbers.  Indian fans hope his 2013 season will put up the 100 RBI numbers they expected from him after his productive rookie season.  The bullpen has been pretty solid with Chris Perez as a closer and setup men Vinny Pestano and Joe Smith.  The acquisition of Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw should enhance it.

Weakness: The starting staff bombed last year.  Both Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez have too much stuff to have ERAs over 5.00.  Command issues are a big thing with Ubaldo while Justin struggled more with his control last year, walking more and giving up more homeruns.  They don’t have any consistent run producer in the lineup.  Mark Reynolds and Nick Swisher hope to change that, but Nick was always an accessory with the Yankees and Reynolds has had inconsistent years with the Orioles and Diamondbacks.  Last year no player on the team reached 80 RBIs.  Swisher had 93 last year and Reynolds drove in 86 in 2011 when he slugged 37 homeruns.

Top Position Prospect: The Indians have a number of shortstop prospects coming up their system.  The top two position prospects are shortstops Francisco Lindor and Dorssys Paulino.  Francisco was born in Puerto Rico and was the Indians number one pick in 2011.  Paulino was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2011.  Lindor has the better defensive tools while Paulino may have to eventually move to third or second because of growth issues.  Both are good offensive players.  Myworld votes for Lindor because of his ability to play the position defensively.  Ronny Rodriguez is another player who can be added to the mix.

Top Pitching Prospect: With the acquisition of Trevor Bauer he becomes their top pitching prospect.  At 6′1″ he is not a big guy, but he can sit at 95.  He is his own coach and has his own drills that he goes through in warmups to enhance his delivery.  He had pretty good success until he hit the major leagues last year, where his stuff was not so unhittable. Part of his problem with the major leagues was his loss of command, walking 13 batters in just 16 innings.  Prior to his arrival the Indians lacked a pitcher who they could call an ace.

Watch out for: Carlos Carrasco was throwing 97.  If his arm is healthy he could end up the ace of this rotation.  A former number one prospect of the Philadephia Phillies, he is the only player remaining from the Cliff Lee trade who has the potential to make a big impact.  Lou Marson is a back up catcher, and the two Jasons, Donald and Knapp are no longer with the Indians.  Donald was at least part of the trade that acquired Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs but Shin-Soo Choo was the key player the Indians traded.  Knapp had shoulder injuries and was released by the Indians last year.  The Indians would like to have someone make an impression after trading Cliff Lee.

Rookie of the Year Prospect: Most of their top prospects are at the lower levels.  Both Scott Barnes and Cody Allen had some success when promoted to the major leagues last year.  Both will work out of the bullpen, a tough place to win any rookie awards.  Scott Barnes was a starter last year until moved to the bullpen.  He has the more imposing stuff.  If Trevor Bauer has some success in the minors he could be called up.

Projected on Paper Finish:  The Indians will have to settle for fourth.  The Royals will surpass them on the strength of their pitching.  At least they will finish ahed of the Twins.

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Choo Shipped to the Reds; Didi to Diamondbacks

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012

The Cincinnati Reds appear to have found their leadoff hitter and centerfielder, having grown tired of the swing and miss production of Franklin Stubbs.  The Reds had to cough up promising shortstop Didi Gregorius to get him.  The Reds got Shin-Soo Choo and also got thrown in Jason Donald who will play in a utility role for the Reds.

The Diamondbacks sent promising pitcher Trevor Bauer to the Indians.  It seems they may have tired of Bauer’s unique training method since he seemed to be in trade discussions with a number of teams.  Those unique training methods are now the problem of the Indians pitching coaches.  The Diamondbacks also sent to the Indians major league bullpen fodder in Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw.

For this pitching smorgasbord the Diamondbacks received Didi Gregorius, Tony Sipp and Lars Anderson.  They have been in search of a shortstop and that position appeared to be blocked at Cincinnati for Didi with Zack Cosart permanently entrenched there.  Didi has Chris Owings to compete with for the shortstop job this year with Didi offering the better defense and Chris providing the more productive offense.  Veterans Willie Bloomquiest and John McDonald stand in the background as insurance.  Tony Sipp will make up for the loss of some young pitching, providing some bullpen presence from the left side while Lars Anderson has seen his third team this year.  The Red Sox recently traded him to the Indians.

So in summary:

Cincinnati gets - outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (for only one year) and utility man Jason Donald who will compete for the third base job that appears to be Todd Frazier’s to lose.

Arizona gets - shortstop Didi Gregorius, lefthanded pitcher Tony Sipp and first baseman journeyman Lars Anderson.  Tony will provide some bullpen help.

Cleveland gets - pitcher Trevor Bauer, major league setup/long man Matt Albers and major league setup man Bryan Shaw.  It appears they also get the aforementioned Drew Stubbs.

If any of the three teams want to see this trade succeed it relies on Shin-Soo Choo, Didi Gregorius and Trevor Bauer being successful.  All the other players are just window dressing, though Cleveland may get some major league relief help from two of their pitchers and the Reds may get some utility time from Jason Donald.

Posted in Uncategorized, Netherlands, Korea, Indians, Diamondbacks, Reds | No Comments »

A.L Central Minor League Post Season All Stars

Monday, September 10th, 2012

The Tigers and White Sox are going neck and neck to September.  Which team has the better post season players?  This list may not decide that since it would not include players promoted mid-season.

Chicago White Sox

They are never noted for their farm system.  Ken Williams would rather trade prospects for major league veterans.

Dan Johnson Utl AAA - Last year he gave Tampa a pennant with his pinch hit homerun.  Can he do the same for the White Sox.  He hit .267 with 28 homeruns and 85 RBIs.  At 32 he may be better off with a return to Japan.

Dan Black 1B Hi A - He won the MVP of the Carolina League hitting .315, 17, 88.  At 25 he needs to move quickly.

Carlos Sanchez 2B Hi A - .315 with 19 stolen bases.  He was also voted the best defensive second baseman.  He moved up quickly hitting .370 in AA and .256 in AAA.  He has very little power.  He could also play short.

Michael Early OF Hi A - Skipped Low A and hit .291, 13, 73.

Trayce Thompson OF Hi A - The best of these prospects and the highest drafted, second round in 2009.  Hit .254 with 22 homeruns and 90 RBIs.  Still whiffs too much (144).  Good power.

Brady Shoemaker UTL Hi A - The third outfielder to make it.  He hit .331 with 13 homeruns.  Playing in AA where he has not achieved the same success (.254, 4, 26).

Eric Grabe 2B Rookie - Mashed at .357.  Not bad for a 24th pick in the 2012 draft.

Micah Johnson 2B Rookie - Playing in a different rookie league (Pioneer) and hitting for more power (.273, 4, 25).  An amazing 43 walks in 69 games gives him a .375 OBA.

Cleveland Indians

Cleveland used to be a tough ticket to get, just like Camden Yards.  At some point you have to spend money to get talent people want to see to draw the big crowds again.  Cleveland is hoping their farm team can again develop some more Jim Thome or Manny Ramirez.

Cord Phelps 2B AAA - He struggled last year when promoted to Cleveland, hitting only .155.  He rebounded in AAA with a .276, 16, 62 slate with 34 doubles and 71 walks. Cord needs to show he can handle major league pitching.

Thomas Neal OF AA - Akron is playing in the Eastern League championship but Thomas has been promoted to Cleveland. He won’t complain after his .314, 12, 51 slate got Akron to the championship.

Preston Guilmet relief AA - Preston will continue to be the closer for Akron.  He had 24 saves and a 2.39 ERA.  Preston was also rated the best reliever last year in the Carolina League.

Ronny Rodriguez 2B AA - Went to high school in the United States but moved back to the Dominican before graduating so signed as a free agent as a 18 year old.  He bashed 19 homeruns but needs to get more discipline at the plate (19/88 walk to whiff ratio).

Francisco Lindor SS Low A - The Indians number one pick in 2011 was voted the best defensive shortstop in the Midwest League.  His bat was a little quiet (.257, 6, 42) but it should improve as he matures.  Francisco stole 27 bases and walked 61 times.

Jorge Martinez 2B rookie - In his third year in the Arizona League Jorge broke out with a .347, 7, 39 slash.  He had an impressive .956 OPS.

Dorssys Paulino SS rookie - His OPS was a more impressive 1.014 with a .355, 6, 30 slash line.  Those numbers were accumulated as a 17 year old and his first season with the Indians.

Detroit Tigers

Not a lot here to get excited about.  When all your all stars are playing rookie ball it will be a long wait before they hit the majors.

Niuman Romero SS AA - He made this more for his bat, hitting .300.  At 27 he has his best years behind him.

Austin Schotts OF rookie - A third round 2012 pick Austin hit .310 with 11 doubles and 15 homeruns in just 40 games.

Yorfrank Lopez SP rookie - This was his first year in the United States after four years in the Venezuela or Dominican summer league.  He went 5-3, 2.32 striking out more than a batter per inning.

Jose Valdez RP rookie - His first year in the United States after three years in the Dominican Summer League.  He saved 15 games, getting a lot of ground balls.

Kansas City Royals

They seem to have a boat load of position prospects who have had some success.  Their pitching prospects have struggled.

Wil Myers OF AAA - He won minor league baseball player of the year and his 37 homeruns were second in minors.  He hit .304, 24, 79 in AAA.  The Royals are still trying to find him a position, working him a bit at third.

Ryan Verdugo SP AAA - The lefty went 12-4, 3.75 in AAA.  Ryan was part of the Melky Cabrera trade, which didn’t look too good until the Melky suspension.  At 25 his time is now.

Patrick Leonard 3B rookie - The fifth round 2012 pick had a nice debut with 14 homeruns and 46 RBIs in just 62 games.

Mark Threlkeld DH rookie - A 2011 25th round pick hit .283, 10, 40 an improvement over his rookie season last year.

Bubba Starling Utl rookie - The fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft made his debut this year, hitting .275 with 10 homeruns and 33 RBIs.  His strikeout numbers were a bit high (70) for 53 games but he should hit for good power as a centerfielder.

Sam Selman SP rookie - The 2012 second round pick was voted the pitcher of the year in the Pioneer League.  He went 5-4, 2.09 but getting 13.29 whiffs per nine innings.

Alexis Rivera OF rookie - The 2012 tenth round pick showed some speed, hitting .341 with four triples and nine stolen bases.

Minnesota Twins

Terry Ryan retook the reigns of the Twins and couldn’t get them out of the cellar.  Like Kansas City, they struggle to find pitching.

Deibinson Romero 3B AA - He repeated AA hitting a career high 19 homeruns and 78 RBIs.  At 25 he is getting a bit long in the tooth to still be playing at AA.

Aaron Hicks OF AA - One of the better outfielders in baseball shows he can hit with a .286 average and a triple double in doubles, triples and homeruns (21/11/13).  He also stole a career high 32 stolen bases.  If his power continues to improve he is a 5-tool talent.

Chris Colabello DH AA - He drove in 98 runs in his first year of affiliated minor league ball but at 28 years old he is a bit long in the tooth to be considered a prospect.

Josmil Pinto C Hi A - The Venezuelan hit 12 homeruns in the Florida State League.  It was his second year there.  He hit .295.

Miguel Sano 3B Low A - He has outgrown shortstop and may out grow third.  Miguel was voted the best prospect in the Midwest League.  His average and power dropped but his patience took an upswing.

Corey Williams relief Low A - The lefty finished with 17 saves, but at 4-4, 3.47 his other numbers were rather pedestrian.

Max Kepler OF rookie - Currently showcasing himself for Germany in the European championships.  He improved in his second year in the Appalachian League hitting .297, 10, 49.  He may not have enough speed to play center so needs to hit for power to fit in a corner outfield spot.

Candido Pimentel OF rookie - He was voted the MVP of the Appalachian League, hitting .330 with 16 homeruns.  He almost scored one run a game, scoring 45 runs in 56 games.  At 18 he was another late signing Dominican.

Aderlin Meija SS rookie - Aderlin had more walks (15) than strikeouts (14), hitting .324.

Jeremias Pineda OF rookie - They got Pineda from the Red Sox for Danny Valencia.  He hit better for the Red Sox (.421) than the Twins (.237) but combined stole 23 bases.

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Akron Miscues Gives Bay Sox Second Playoff Victory

Friday, September 7th, 2012

The Akron Aeros made a couple two out errors to open the door for a Bowie Bay Sox 7-5 victory, giving them a 2-0 lead in the first round of the Eastern League playoffs.  Even though Akron is the top seed, the first two games were played at Bowie, while the last three will be at Akron.  Akron now has to win all three to advance to the finals.  A disappointing 1,300 fans showed up for the game, the first playoff appearance for the Bay Sox since 2008.  They have yet to win a playoff series.  With school in session the lack of kids running after foul balls was very apparent.  The players had to look hard for kids to throw balls to.

The game went back and forth, with a Ryan Rohlinger 2-run homer in the sixth off Mike Wright gave the Aeros a 5-4 lead.  A two out error by Chun Chen extended the bottom of the sixth inning which allowed Brian Ward to tie the game when his hand got in the way of a 3-2 pitch from Trey Haley.  Antoan Richardson struck out on a 3-2 offering to end the threat.

A 2-out error by Adam Abraham on a wide throw allowed Brian Ward to reach first.  Antoan Richardson did not fail this time, lining a double into the right field corner.  The slow footed Ward could only reach third.  When Shawn Armstrong bounced a pitch to the plate an alert Ward saw catcher Roberto Perez break in the opposite direction of the ball.  Though it didn’t go far from the plate Ward allertly broke for home and trotted in before Perez could find the ball.  Jonathan Schoop provided an insurance run with a single to right center.

Kyler Newby pitched a perfect ninth to pick up the save.

Game Notes: Ronnie Welty continued his hot hitting by slugging a solo shot in the second.  Caleb Joseph hit a bomb in the fourth…East Carolina had a couple of mid-90s throwers in the game today.  Bowie starter Mike Wright hit 99 and stayed around 94-96.  He struck out five in five plus innings of work, but he also gave up five runs and seven hits.  He leaves a lot of his pitches up in the zone.  Shawn Armstrong pitched the ninth inning for the Aeros.  He kept the ball low and threw in the mid 90s.  Shawn was drafted in the 18th round last year while Mike was drafted in the third round in 2011.  Mike should make the Orioles top 30 prospect list…Hector Rondon pitched an inning and while he didn’t give up a run he gave up two hits.  He also had centerfielder Tyler Holt running at least the length of a football field in flagging down three very hard hit outs…When one of the players flipped a ball to a little girl the father caught it and gave it to his daughter.  She immediately threw the ball over the dugout and onto the field.  She was a little upset at her father’s reaction.  The players flipped the ball back to her and she kept it this time.  the two were sitting in the front row, right behind the dugout.

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Espino Handcuffs Bay Sox and Markakis

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

Panamanian Paolo Espino had his curveball working, striking out five Bay Sox in five innings of work, only giving up two runs.  Chris Tillman did not have his breaking pitch (there seemed to be a looping curve) and lost command of his fastball in the second inning, giving up all three runs from his abbreviated outing.  The result was the first place Akron Aeros found themselves 4-2 winners over the Bowie Bay Sox.

Adam Abraham provided most of the offense, driving in three runs with a 2-run single and a solo shot to the deepest part of the park in centerfield.  Bowie out hit the Aroes, but could only have two runners cross the plate.

Loek Van Mil pitched two innings of shutout ball in relief.  At 7′1″ if he ever makes the major legues he would be the tallest player to ever play the game.  He shut the Nats down on one hit through those two innings, striking out two.  He doesn’t seem to throw anything with a bit of a bend to it so working from the pen appears to be his best role.

Game Notes: Jonathan Schoop was getting another opportunity to play shortstop with Manny Machado playing in the Futures Game.  On a pop up just behind the infield, he was blowing bubbles as he circled undernath the balls to catch them…Jai Miller has been demoted to AA.  He struck out more than he made contact in AAA (93 whiffs in 174 at bats.  That swing and miss attitude continues with Bowie (27 whiffs in 49 at bats)…Rhyne Hughes delivered a curve ball over the fence off of Paolo Espino…Juan Diaz drove in eight runs in yesterday’s game, hitting a grand slam

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Halfway Point - AL Central

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

The Tigers were heavily favored to win this division, but their pitching is not as strong as many had thought and outside of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder the rest of their offense has been a bit short.  Their defense has met expectations, which is not a good thing.  The White Sox and Indians may not have enough depth and talent to hang on for the long haul so this division is wide open.  Even the Royals have a shot if they can get hot.  They need to find some pitching before they can do that.

Chicago White Sox (5) 47-38

Heros - At 35 A.J. Pierzynski is having a career year with his .285 average and 16 homeruns.  To think they were thinking of letting him leave as a free agent.  The team would not be perched at the top spot without his offensive contribution and handling of the pitching staff.  He still has trouble throwing out baserunners.  Chris Sale (10-2, 2.19) has become the ace of their rotation.  The big decision for the White Sox is how many innings do they allow him to pitch.  Jake Peavy (2.85) has also shown what he can do when his arm is healthy.

Busts - Kosuke Fukudome was jettisoned after he didn’t give them any offense (.171).  Tyler Flowers (.164) may not have what it takes to be the future starting catcher.  Adam Dunn may have made the All Star team, but anyone who hits .208 and strikes out 134 times is an anchor on the offense.  I don’t care if he has slugged 25 homeruns or driven in 61.  If he made more contact he could do so much more.

Top Rookies - Addison Reed had one really poor outing otherwise his 4.05 ERA would be much lower.  He has allowed Chris Sale to move to the starting rotation, picking up 11 saves in the process.  Jose Quintana has been a late season surprise with his 4-1, 2.04 numbers after eight starts.  He could beat out Addison for Rookie of the Year if he continues to pitch at that pace.  Nate Jones can occasionally hit three digits on the fastball and his 3.03 ERA has been a nice bridge to Reed.

Hot on the Farm - Last year Dan Johnson hit the game winning homerun on the last day to get the Rays into the playoffs.  The White Sox may want to look at his .276 average plus 21 homeruns to do the same for the White Sox in 2012.  Unfortunately, he plays the same positions as Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn.  Brian Bruney (1.85, 11 saves) is another veteran who can help the pen in a playoff run.  Down in AA Jared Mitchell is not hitting for average (.251) but his 13 doubles, 10 triples, eight homeruns and 18 stolen bases can be used in the leadoff spot.

Season Expectations - Myworld doesn’t think the White Sox have enough horses to keep the Tigers from winning this division.  They certainly have surprised some teams with their resurgent offense and the starting staff has recovered from the departure of free agent Mark Buehrle.

Cleveland Indians (2) 44-41

Heros - Derek Lowe was an early season surprise (8-6, 4.43) but this can not be expected to last.  He is already pitching more bad outings than good ones as the season progresses.

Busts - Johnny Damon (.215) has yet to provide the Indians with any offense.  Ubaldo Jimenez (4.50) provides spurts of promise but when they traded for him they were hoping for an ace.  They still have not gotten that.  Carlos Santana (.221, 5) has not been the definition of offensive catcher.  Perhaps a move to first base would wake up that bat.

Top Rookies - Zach McAllister (3-1, 3.40) is showing some promise.  He has earned a permanent spot in the rotation.

Hot on the Farm - Matt LaPorta (.303, 17) may earn another opportunity with the big club.  He is better at first base but can play left field if Damon doesn’t provide any offense.  Steve Wright (6-6, 2.82) may get a promotion if he continues his domination at AA Akron.

Season Expectations - The Indians need for Justin Masterson to get back to last year’s form and Ubaldo Jimenez to pitch like the ace they hoped they acquired.  They don’t have any big time sluggers to support a pitching staff that gives up a lot of runs.

Detroit Tigers (1) 44-42

Heros - Quintin Berry (.299, 12 for 12 in stolen bases) has added some speed to the top of the order and allowed the Tigers to move Austin Jackson lower in the lineup to protect Prince Fielder if they choose to do so.  Andy Dirks (.328) was a surprise find at the start of the season, but foot injuries have left him out of the lineup for an extended period.  Once he gets healthy there may not be an outfield spot available to him.

Busts - Ryan Raburn (.171) was supposed to be the protection behind Prince, starting in LF and second base.  He belted a ton of homeruns during spring training but it has mostly been swings and misses during the regular season.  Doug Fister (2-6, 4.75) is not pitching like a number two, which he seemed to do well with last year.

Top Rookies - Quintin Berry will get a lot of support for rookie of the year if he continues to keep hitting.

Hot on the Farm - If Jacob Turner (4-2, 3.16) doesn’t pan out they can always give Casey Crosby (6-2, 3.18) another opportunity.  Nick Castellanos (.307, 4) won the Future Games MVP.  Jordan Lennerton (.281, 17) has done some bashing in AA.

Season Expectations - They need to find a third hitter to protect Prince Fielder.  They also need to find some starting pitching to slot behind Justin Verlander.  If they do not adress those needs they will be battling with the White Sox and Indians all year for the top spot.

Kansas City Royals (4) 37-47

Heros - Jonathan Broxton (1.90, 21 saves) has taken over the closer role handled for years by Joakim Soria.  His best value may be what the Royals can get for him in the trade market.  Alcides Escobar (.307) has always been a stellar defensive shortstop, but he has provided unexpected dividends with his offense.  Mike Moustakas (.268, 15) is second on the team in homeruns.

Busts - Eric Hosmer (.231) has found the sophmore jinx.  They could have used Melky Cabrera but they traded him to get some pitching in Jonathan Sanchez (1-5, 6.75).  His 43/34 walk to whiff ratio is pitiful.  The Royals hope he can put it together and find the plate before this trade becomes a bust.

Top Rookies - Kelvin Herrera (3.05) could move into the closer role if the Royals can find some buyers on Broxton.

Hot on the Farm - Wil Myers (.315, 14) is ready for prime time.  They moved him to centerfield in AAA.  That appears where they need the most help in the outfield.  If he can handle the position defensively he will be called up soon.  He has 27 total homeruns if you include his AA numbers.  Clint Robinson (.304, 10) has a big bat, but no open position in the major leagues with the DH and first base positions occupied by younger players.  Jake Odorizzi (5-0, 2.83) appears to be ready and the Royals need pitching.

Season Expectations - They will experience another year of playing ball below .500.  They seem to have the offensive pieces but they have had a lot of disappointments with their starting pitching they have tried to develop in the minor leagues.

Minnesota Twins (3) 36-49

Heros - Where has Trevor Plouffe (.253, 19) come from.  He has made Twin fans forget Danny Valencia.  He has driven in only 36 runs with those 19 homeruns.  Scott Diamond (7-3, 2.62) has been a pleasant late season surprise in a horrible rotation.

Busts - You could amost name the entire starting rotation outside of Diamond.  Liam Hendriks (7.04) was supposed to put up numbers similar to Diamond, but he is young and will bounce back.  Carl Pavano (6.00) has seen his last days with the Twins and Francisco Liriano (5.08) may not be given too many more opportunities.  You can only pitch so long based on your past results, but they tend to fade as the years fade.  Nick Blackburn (8.10) really digressed.  That about sums up why they are at the bottom of their division.  Danny Valencia (.190) was sent down after early season struggles.  Plouffe has put some doubt on any early return.

Top Rookies - Brian Dozier (.242, 3) has provided more offensive production than Jamey Carroll while also playing better defense.  Scott Diamond we have already mentioned, but Cole De Vries (3.00) has put up promising numbers in his first five starts.

Hot on the Farm - They’ve about called everyone up that is having decent years in AAA and AA.  B.J. Hermsen (5-4, 3.27) may be the next one to see a promotion.

Season Expectations - Last year they blamed their poor season on inuries, especially to Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.  For the most part, those players have been healthy but the team finds themselves in last place.  The horrible pitching staff will take the blame this year.

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Aeros Down Bay Sox

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Myworld took in an afternoon game between the Akron Aeros and the Bowie Baysox.  It went eleven innings but the Aeros kept the Bay Sox at the bottom of the standings with a 5-4 win.  The Bay Sox had tied the game in the bottom of the ninth when a 2-out flyball went into the glove of Nick Weglarz and then back out after he collided with shortstop David Stoneburner.  Travis Adair was credited with a gift double.

Both teams exchanged runs in the tenth before Chun Chen got the RBI single in the eleventh to bring in what proved to be the game winner.  Rob Bryson retired the Bay Sox in order in the bottom frame.

Some random thoughts about the game:

Chun Chen - It appears that Chen will be moved to first base.  Myworld is not convinced that he will provide the offense to justify being used at first base.  Time will tell, but he did get three hits while also striking out three times.

Nick Weglarz - He’s seeing more time in AA.  He hopes to stay healthy to at least get promoted to AAA.  He has very little speed so patroling left field is a defensive liability.  He needs to really hit to justify the loss of defense.  Early in the season he is struggling to stay above .200.

Steven Wright - The 27 year old Wright pitches the knuckle ball.  Myworld did not see a lot of dancing with the knuckle ball.  The Bay Sox could only score two runs off him, one a solo homerun from Tyler Townsend and the other the result of an error by Nick Weglarz in tracking a ball that a faster outfielder would have caught.

Ben Copeland - Ben is struggling to get that average above .070.  Except for a last at bat sacrifice bunt Ben was a 4-3 ground out for most of the day, an 0 for 5 performance.

Adam Abraham - He had a nice day.  In six at bats the Bay Sox pitchers failed to retire him.  He had two hits and four walks.

Jonathan Schoop - First time we saw him play.  Manny Machado and Schoop seem to show disinterest in keeping a runner glued to second.  Chun Chen, who has little speed got such a good jump when stealing third that he could have gotten in their doing somesaults.

Manny Machado - He also seems very disinterested while playing short.  He also had a lot of swings and misses on average fastballs.  He had an 0 for 5 day with two whiffs.

Brandon Waring - He is trying to get out of AA where he has spent at least four years.  He finally got his average above .300, but today’s 0 for 5 performance dropped his average quite a bit.

Travis Adair - Travis had an excellent defensive game at third.  He is normally a middle infielder and will not hit for the kind of power expected for a third baseman.  He went 3 for 5 today.

L.J. Hoes - Hoes got on base his first four times to the plate, getting three hits and a walk.  He finished the day 3 for 5.  Hoes did display additional evidence of a poor arm, throwing a ball home way off line with a lot of lollipop to hit.

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AL Central - Surprise Roster Additions

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

This our second April review of the major leagues, looking at the Central Division.

Detroit Tigers (1) 5-3

Hot button issue - The loss of Victor Martinez motivated the Tigers to sign Prince Fielder to replace his bat.  That left them with two first baseman in Miguel Cabrera and Prince, with none of the two amenable to taking on the designated hitter responsibilities.  When Miguel agreed to move to third it solved the position problem, but it potentially gives the Tigers the worst defense in baseball.  So far the two of them have combined for only one error and the Tigers find themselves on top of major league baseball in fielding percentage.  Fielding percentage though does not calculate balls a player could not get to because of his lack of range at a particular position.

Surprise Roster Additions - Jacob Turner stumbled in spring training so that gave an opportunity for Drew Smyly to slide into the fifth start slot.  Smyly was a second round pick in 2010 but he didn’t play in his first year of professional baseball and last year only advance as far as AA.  The Tigers have also filtered their bullpen with prospects Duane Below and Adam Wilk.  Both players saw limited action last year with the major league club.  All three were late April additions and were not part of the original 25 man roster.

Top Prospect Performance - Nick Castellanos has had a good start in the Florida State League, hitting .417 with one homerun.  His OPS is 1.019.  Two other hot hitters on that Lakeland Flyingtigers team are Avisail Garcia (.394) and Daniel Fields (.333, 1, 8) .  Both players have four stolen bases.  On the pitching front, Andy Oliver has a 2.79 ERA after two starts, striking out 13 in nine plus innings.  His only down side is the nine walks.

Significant March Transactions: None

Cleveland (2) 3-4

Hot Button Issues: Cleveland got a shock when they learned one of their pitchers who they had just signed to a multi-million dollar contract extension became a player to be named later.  It was learned that Fausto Carmona was actually Roberto Hernandez Heredia and he was three years older than that Carmona fellow.  Seems the family of Carmona wanted more money for him to be using their son’s identity.  Fausto or Roberto refused and the family outed him.  It is still unclear when the player now named Roberto Hernandez Heredia will get a visa to play in the United States.  They also had the nasty incident of Ubaldo Jimenez hitting former teammate Troy Tulowitski with a pitch and then pounding his chest, showing why the Rockies never would consider signing a player with that kind of immaturity to a contract of any great length.  Major league baseball suspended Ubaldo for five days, enough to miss a start and lose some coin.

Surprise Roster Additions: The biggest surprise was to have Jack Hanrahan, a player with pedestrian skills winning the third base job over uber prospect Lonnie Chisenhall.  Jack has shown the superior defensive skills, so until Lonnie can outperform him with the bat, or improve his defensive skills the job is Jack’s to lose.  Jairo Asencio used his skills as a closer for his winter league team into a bullpen role for the Indians.  Jose Lopez also used a good spring (.327, 2 HRs) to make the roster, showing that his career is not yet dead.

Top Prospect Performance: Top prospect Francisco Lindor is not disappointing, hitting .349 with three stolen bases.  LaVon Washington had at one point been the number one pick of the Tampa Bay Rays.  After he didn’t sign he had to settle for being a second round choice in 2010.  He’s making up for that with his .440 start where he has walked six times in six games for a .563 OBA.  Zach McAllister has had two good starts in AAA (2.25) striking out 12 in 12 innings pitched.

Significant March Transactions: They acquired Jairo Asencio from the Braves for cash and he was good enough to make their bullpen.

Minnesota Twins (3) 2-6

Hot Button Issues: After a last place finish Terry Ryan came back to the rescue, the Twins releasing Bill Smith from his general manager responsibilities.  The team’s payroll had skyrocketed to $100 million, not something you would expect from the small market Twins.  There probably wouldn’t have been a lot of complaining from Twins fans if the the number of victories had also dropped.  That is not what you look for in an increasing payroll.  Ryan will lesson the payroll and try to increase the number of wins, the way the Twins used to do things.  The health of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will have a great impact on the success of that strategy.

Surprise Roster Additions: Sean Burroughs never seems to go away.  Chris Parmelee showed a sweet swing in spring that convinced Ron Gardenhire that he could fit on the roster, especially with Morneau seeing most of his time at the DH position.  Jared Burton has only 10 major league relief appearances in the last two years, but he impressed enough to make the Twins bullpen.

Top Prospect Performance: Miguel Sano has clubbed three homeruns in nine games, but his average is still down at .267.  He has 11 RBIs and has walked eight times for a .436 OBA.  Angel Morales is hitting .432 in the Florida State League, while Brian Dozier is raking at a .441 pace in AAA.

Significant March Transactions: Most of the transactions were by subtraction, releasing fireballing Joel Zumaya after he hurt his elbow for a third time and sending Terry Doyle, a Rule V selection back to the White Sox.

Kansas City Royals (4) 3-5

Hot Button Issues: They talked about trading closer Joakim Soria last year but hesitated.  He now needs Tommy John surgery and they have probably lost what value they could have gotten for him.  They are hoping that Jonathan Broxton, another Tommy John survivor can fill his role.  Otherwise, they have been fairly stable.

Surprise Roster Addition: The biggest surprise was the demotion of Johnny Giavotella in favor of Chris Getz.  Johnny was the favorite of the Royal’s fans with his exuberance, but you still have to hit and play defense to make a major league roster.

Top Prospect Performance: Wil Myers is gunning for the right field job. His .333 start with three homeruns is a good omen for Royals fans, a bad one for Jeff Francouer. The downside is his 14 whiffs in just nine games, something he needs to cut down before the Royals consider calling him up.   Jason Adam has only given up one earned run in two starts for a 0.90 ERA in the Carolina League. He has 11 whiffs in his 10 innings of work.   Jorge Bonafacio is hitting .412, but he is also showing an ability to walk with seven in just nine games for a .524 OBA.

Significant March Transactions: With the injury to Salvador Perez the Royals needed a catcher. So they traded Kevin Chapman to the Astros for catcher Humberto Quintero and outfielder Jason Bourgeois. Both of the new acquisitions made the 25 man roster.

Chicago White Sox (5) 5-2

Hot Button Issues: Kenny Williams has flip flopped on the issue of whether the White Sox are rebuilding. They traded a couple of important pieces of their 25 man roster from last year in Sergio Santos and Carlos Quentin and only received prospects in return.  They also allowed their ace Mark Buehrle to leave via free agency.  There have been no additions of impact players to enhance their current roster.  The hope is that Adam Dunn and Alex Rios improve on their horrid 2011 numbers and Dayan Viciedo provides the pop in right field that they lost with the trade of Quentin.

Surprise Roster Additions: Nate Jones has not pitched past AA, but he dazzled in spring (1.54 in 11 appearances with 19 whiffs in 11 plus innings) to make the team.  He throws the ball hard with a fastball that has hit triple digits.  He will join Hector Santaigo, who made two appearances in September after being promoted from AA.  Hector doesn’t throw as hard as Nate, but his fastball can hit the mid-90s.  With Addison Reed also in the bullpen Matt Thornton and Jessie Crain could be feeling old.

Top Prospect Performance: Andre Rienzo is working on becoming the first Brazillain to make his appearance in the major leagues.  He has a 0.82 ERA in the High A Carolina League.  He struck out 14 in 11 innings of work.  AA is on the horizon.  Jared Mitchell was a first round pick in 2009 but missed all of 2010 because of an ankle injury.  He is hitting .313 in AA, but more importantly has drawn 10 walks for a .488 OBA.

Significant March Transactions: None

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Spring Training - AL Central

Monday, March 19th, 2012

The Tigers seem to be a cinch to win this division.  There are good reports that Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau appear to be healthy.  That could make a difference in this division, but not enough to change myworld’s picks.

Detroit Tigers (1)

Who’s Hot - Ryan Raburn (.458, 5, 16), Delmon Young (.467, 3, 15), Miguel Cabrera (.433, 10 runs scored and two stolen bases), Andy Dirks (.429), Don Kelly (.414)

Justin Verlander (0.93, 13 K’s in 9.2 IP), Doug Fister (1.00, .167 ave.), Drew Smyly (1.13, .154 ave.), Rick Porcello (1.80, 2-0), Colin Ballester (1.13, 179 ave.)

Who’s Not - Brandon Inge (.207), Austin Jackson (.242, 14 K’s)

Justin Turner (11.25, 6/2 walk to K ratio in 4 IP), Duane Below (5.87, .361 ave.)

Significant Injuries: Miguel got a badge of honor, getting a facial from a baseball at the hot corner.  He needed stitches below the right eye.  He should carry the wound proudly.  Victor Martinez is out for the season with knee surgery.  Jacob Turner has shoulder tendinitis, which will prevent him from competing for the number five spot in the rotation.  Al Alburquerque had right elbow surgery and will be out until at least mid-season.

February Transactions: Tigers signed no one of significance for February.

Cleveland Indians (2)

Who’s Hot: Jose Lopez (.417, 2, 6), Travis Hafner (.360), Russ Canzler (.355), Shin Soo Choo (.300, 2, 4 with 6 walks)

Jeanmar Gomez (0.00, .114 average, 11 IP), Vinnie Pestano (0.00, .192 ave., 8 K’s in 7.1 IP)

Who’s Not: Carlos Santana (.188), Matt LaPorta (.182), Felix Pie (.158)

Chris Ray (12.86, .382 ave.), Josh Tomlin (10.50, .441 ave.), Ubaldo Jimenez (9.31, .341 ave. 9 walks in 9.2 IP), Justin Masterson (7.56)

Significant Injuries: Carlos Carrasco is out for the year after Tommy John surgery.  Chris Perez has a strained oblique muscle.  When is Grady Sizemore healthy?  Grady underwent back surgery and will again miss significant time to the season.

February Transactions: They signed Casey Kotchman and he is set to win the first base job.

Minnesota Twins (3)

Who’s Hot: Michael Hollimon (.500, 1, 5), Ben Revere (.393, 3 stolen bases), Denard Span (.370)

Matt Maloney (0.00, 10 K’s 7.1 IP, .160 ave.), Liam Hendriks (0.00, 9 K’s 7 IP), Francisco Liriano (2.77, 18 K’s 13 IP, .143 ave.)

Who’s Not: Justin Morneau (.100), Jamey Carroll (.182), Pedro Florimon (.188)

Terry Doyle (16.88, .538 ave), Jason Marquis (8.53, 9 walks 12.2 IP, .345 ave.), Deolis Guerra (15.00, .385 ave.)

Significant Injuries: Joel Zumaya out for the year with Tommy John surgery.  Trevor Plouffe has hamstring problems, which could impact his opportunity for a roster spot.

February Transactions: None

Kansas City Royals

Who’s Hot: Lorenzo Cain (.517, 2, 4 with 9 runs scored), Max Ramirez (.438, 3, 9), Billy Butler (.433, 2, 6), Eric Hosmer (.361, 2, 15 with 7 walks), Alex Gordon (.353, 2, 9 with 8 runs scored)

Luis Mendoza (0.84, .135 ave. with 11 K’s in 10.2 IP), Kelvin Herrera (1.50, .190 ave., 9 K’s 6 IP)

Who’s Not: Mike Moustakas (.185), Jeff Francoeur (.219), Johnny Giavotella (.242 with 9 K’s)

Jonathan Sanchez (21.00, .438), Mike Montgomery (20.25, .462), Joakim Soria (18.90, .556), Bruce Chen (11.74, .436)

Significant Injuries: The bad spring for Joakim may have to do with a bad elbow that may require Tommy John surgery.  Salvador Perez had knee surgery which will force him to miss at least the first month of the season.  Blake Wood has experienced elbow tightness, which could delay his start to the season.

February Transactions: None

Chicago White Sox (5)

Who’s Hot: Eduardo Escobar (.429, 1, 6), Brett Lillibridge (.321, 3 stolen bases, 5 runs scored), Brent Morel (.333)

Addison Reed (1.69), Brian Bruney (1.50, 7 K’s in 6 IP)

Who’s Not: Dayan Viciedo (.133, 11 K’s), A.J. Pierzynski (.154), Paul Konerko (.219)

Jake Peavey (8.68, .308), John Danks (7.00, .343 ave. 9 walks in 9 IP), Nestor Molina (8.44)

Significant Injuries: Jesse Crain has a strained oblique in a relatively healthy camp.

February Transactions: The White Sox signed Kosuke Fukudome as outfield depth.  He will be no more than a fourth or fifth outfielder.

Posted in Indians, Royals, White Sox, Tigers, Twins | No Comments »

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