A: Clinton 1, Burlington 0
Brett Lorin: 7 IP, 4 H, 5 K, 2 wild pitches
Steven Hensley: 2 IP, 2 K
Scott Savastano: 1-4, double, K
Denny Almonte: 1-4, double, K
Terry Serrano: 2-3, double, RBI, walk, K, SB
Another fine start for Brett Lorin, though this time tandem pitchers Manauris Baez and Blaine Hardy matched him zero for zero over his seven shutout innings:
Groundballs: 11
Flyballs: 4
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 4
The Lumberkings finally got to Hardy in the bottom 9th. Denny Almonte led off with a double and Travis Howell bunted him over to 3rd for one out. Sadly, they got him at home on Mario Martinez’s grounder to short, but Terry Serrano roped a double past RF Nick Francis to cash in Martinez for the only run of the game in a 1-0 walkoff.
A+: Inland Empire 7, High Desert 5
Nathan Adcock: 5 IP, 7 H, (5 R) 4 ER, 2 walks, 7 K, wild pitch, 2 hit batters
Natividad Dilone: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, K, wild pitch
Juan Zapata: 1.1IP, 1 H, 1 ER (HR), 2 K
Tyson Gillies: 1-4, RBI, K
Alex Liddi: 4-5, double, 2 R
Kuo Hui Lo: 2-4, double, R, 2 RBI, walk
Carlos Peguero: 0-5, 4 K: The Golden Sombrero
Juan Diaz: 1-3, triple, R, 2 RBI, walk, 2 K
It was a long one and Mavs pitching caved in late. A 6th inning rally caved in a halfway decent night for Adcock, who got a ton of groundballs and save for some wildness didn’t have as bad a night as the line score indicates. Wild pitches allowed the Mavs to attempt a rally in the 9th, but they came up short. Adcock:
Groundballs: 11
Flyballs: 3
Line Drives: 0
Walks: 2 (plus 2 hit batters)
Strikeouts: 7
AA: West Tenn 12, Mississippi 6
Luis Muñoz: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER (HR), 7 K, hit batter (85 pitches, 57 strikes)
Nick Hill: one out, K (4-3)
Marwin Vega: two outs, 2 H, (3 R) 0 ER, K (16-9)
Mumba Rivera: one out, 1 H (5-3)
Jared Wells: 1 IP, 2 K (13-9)
Aaron Cotter: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, K (13-11)
Ezequiel Carrera: 3-3, triple, 3 R, RBI, 2 walks, SB
Marshall Hubard: 2-3, double, 2 RBI, walk
Adam Moore: 0-1, R, 4 walks (!)
Greg Halman: 2-5, solo HR, GRAND SLAM
Matt Mangini: 1-5, 2 run HR, K
Jeff Dominguez: 2-3, R, K
The DIAMOND JAXX blew an interesting game open. First of all, manager Phil Plantier emptied the bullpen during the 6th and 7th innings. Military Man Nick Hill bailed Luis Muñoz out of the 6th, then it took Marwin Vega and Mumba Rivera both to escape the 7th. But the DIAMOND JAXX turned a 5-4 deficit into a 12-5 rout with an eight run 8th, powered by an Ezequiel Carrera two run triple and a grand slam by Greg Halman, later followed by Matt Mangini’s first home run of the season.
One of the three guys to come to the plate twice in that inning was a new guy named Mel Stocker. Stocker spent two years with the Brewers organization before being cut loose after last year. The undersized 28 year old switch hitting Stocker flatlined in his first serious AAA action last year while putting up respectable numbers in the A+ Florida State League. Prior to that, he was the Royals 16th round pick out of Arizona State in 2001 and spent five years with that org, never quite getting beyond AA (or doing particularly well at that level). He had a great year in the Independent Atlantic League before the Brewers picked him up. The DIAMOND JAXX went ahead and brought him in to help out.
Okay, here’s Muñoz’s night. Good night, but basically the same flyball-prone Luis Muñoz as always.
Groundballs: 3
Flyballs: 5 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 0 (but 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 7
AAA: Tacoma 6, Colorado Springs 3
Andy Baldwin: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K, wild pitch, 2 hit batters (97 pitches, 59 strikes)
Brodie Downs: 1 IP, 1 H, hit batter (10-6)
Justin Thomas: 1 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, K (15-9)
Randy Messenger: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER (21-13)
Chris Woodward: 1-5, 2 run HR
Jeff Clement: 2-5, solo HR
Chris Shelton: 2-5, solo HR, K
Mike Carp: 2-5, R
Bryan LaHair: 2-4, double, R
Freddy Guzman: 2-4, double, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Eric Young Jr: [gets plunked]
Eric Young Jr: OWWW
Matt Miller: [gets plunked]
Matt Miller: OWWW
Young: What was that for?
PHAT ANDY 22: That’s for sucking, and hating on the Phatman.
Young: I don’t suck. I hit 313/353/406.
Miller: I hit 338/419/477!
PHAT ANDY 22: Save the slash stats. You play in Colorado. I could hit 30 bombs here. I’ll drop one right now.
Rocky Mountain High with the Phatman, he ain’t no Batman
Where are your bats, man? What was your battle plan?
Drink a dozen black and tans? Swing your bats like frying pans?
Your talent’s in the garbage can. Hope you got a pension plan.
Cause you won’t make no travel plans, except to AA again.
You got no attention span, it floats around like Peter Pan
The Phatman is your Captain Hook
Owned you like I got you booked
Strike three’s here, just take a look.
The Rainiers bats have overtook
Phat Andy leaves your gooses cooked
To let the bullpen close the book.
Word to your mother, Aaron Cook.
Groundballs: 5 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 7
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 0 (but 2 hit batters)
Strikeouts: 5
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
An updated look at the AL East
Toronto - Like the Angels, the Blue Jays have a litany of pitcher injuries, leading to scores of replacement level innings that drag down their chances at .500 baseball, not that they had much of a chance in the loaded AL East to begin with. Backup catcher Michael Barrett is also on the DL for a couple weeks with a minor injury sustained while fielding a wild pitch. 75-80 wins in a sub-.500 campaign is more likely now.
Tampa Bay - Ben Zobrist and Gabe Kapler may see more time, but otherwise, this is the same 94-96 win squad that may just miss the wildcard by a game or two. They've stayed healthy.
NY Yankees - With Chien Ming Wang going down, the Yankees appeared in trouble until news broke that Alex Rodriguez would begin rehab assignments this week with a targeted return in early May. Having A-Rod for most of the season boost the Yanks in light of the loss of Wang and Xavier Nady. In fact, the drastic improvement of Nick Swisher defensively in RF over Nady more than offsets any recent personnel losses. The Rays gained some ground, but not enough to stop the Yankees from a 95-98 win campaign and the wildcard.
Boston - Losing Daisuke Matsuzaka for a spell is only a slip: at this stage it's expected he'll make one or two DL trips per year. Jonathan Van Every takes over as the backup outfielder, and there are a few strange faces in the bullpen. But otherwise, this team remains on track for 100 wins and the AL East title, as the big guns remain in place.
Baltimore - Lou Montanez is a solid addition to the bench in lieu of the injured Ryan Freel, and Brian Bergesen is the best of the Orioles' options for a blank rotation spot: He should do fine. Still, this is a 90-95 loss team.
Tampa Bay - Ben Zobrist and Gabe Kapler may see more time, but otherwise, this is the same 94-96 win squad that may just miss the wildcard by a game or two. They've stayed healthy.
NY Yankees - With Chien Ming Wang going down, the Yankees appeared in trouble until news broke that Alex Rodriguez would begin rehab assignments this week with a targeted return in early May. Having A-Rod for most of the season boost the Yanks in light of the loss of Wang and Xavier Nady. In fact, the drastic improvement of Nick Swisher defensively in RF over Nady more than offsets any recent personnel losses. The Rays gained some ground, but not enough to stop the Yankees from a 95-98 win campaign and the wildcard.
Boston - Losing Daisuke Matsuzaka for a spell is only a slip: at this stage it's expected he'll make one or two DL trips per year. Jonathan Van Every takes over as the backup outfielder, and there are a few strange faces in the bullpen. But otherwise, this team remains on track for 100 wins and the AL East title, as the big guns remain in place.
Baltimore - Lou Montanez is a solid addition to the bench in lieu of the injured Ryan Freel, and Brian Bergesen is the best of the Orioles' options for a blank rotation spot: He should do fine. Still, this is a 90-95 loss team.
An updated look at the AL Central
Minnesota - The Twins didn't realize it, but their bullpen overhaul actually made them worse. Sure, they had to replace the injured Jesse Crain, but Jose Mijares and Juan Morillo (though the Twins went out of their way to get him on the roster, there's a reason the pitching-starved Rockies dumped him last season) have such bad control problems that they may actually pitch BELOW replacement level. R.A. Dickey is fine as a replacement arm, but swapping out Brian Duensing and punting Phillip Humber while relying on three replacement arms is not. The Twins now have a serious shot at 90 losses.
Kansas City - Alex Gordon's injury leads to Mitch Maier's promotion (he's not a bad bench bat) and more time for Alberto Callaspo. The team should see surprisingly little dropoff, as Gordon's defense was simply okay, his hitting was decent but not great, Maier adds some power off the bench and Callaspo isn't terrible at the plate. Brian Bannister supplants Horacio Ramirez in the rotation, and gives a bit above replacement level effort at best. For some reason, I expected Ramirez to be halfway decent. Huh. Anyway, the Royals' chances of .500 baseball go down from these developments, and 85 losses now seems a more solid prognosis.
Detroit - Backup catcher Matt treanor got hurt, and now something called Dane Sardinha backs up Gerald Laird, downgrading the offense just a bit (Treanor is a least a bit above replacement level). Losing Marcus Thames however (ribs) is a huge blow, even if Ryan Raburn's power and better ability to get on base makes him a solid replacement. Thames had other-worldly power, and even the best backup power bat is a big downgrade. Offsetting some of that damage is the return to Joel Zumaya to the bullpen, instantly bolstering an average unit. Also bolstering Detroit's chances is the increased likelihood that the halfway-decent Zach Miner will stick in the rotation, as Rick Porcello hasn't impressed as Jeremy Bonderman's fill-in. As it stands, 85-90 wins and the AL Central title is still an easy possibility.
Cleveland - Scott Lewis will spend a week or two on the DL with a forearm strain, meaning replacement innings from Aaron Laffey. The Indians turned over their bullpen, sending down Zach Jackson and bringing in the likes of Vinnie Chulk, Jensen Lewis and Tony Sipp, slightly above replacement level downgrades. This reduces the likelihood of significant innings from Zach Jackson, as the team likely won't give him a chance to start until later this season, if at all before September. This is the opening the Tigers may need to sneak off with the Central, as when we started the two teams were neck and neck. But this drops the Indians to a solid 85 win team.
Chicago White Sox - The team sent away struggling Mike MacDougal and decided to test drive replacement level Lance Broadway. He's a downgrade but this is already a bleh pitching staff hampered by a bad defense, so not much loss there. Jerry Owens is back as DeWayne Wise hits the DL with a separated shoulder, but it looks like an improved Brian Anderson will soak up most of the starts at CF. This team still sucks, on the 95-100 loss level.
Kansas City - Alex Gordon's injury leads to Mitch Maier's promotion (he's not a bad bench bat) and more time for Alberto Callaspo. The team should see surprisingly little dropoff, as Gordon's defense was simply okay, his hitting was decent but not great, Maier adds some power off the bench and Callaspo isn't terrible at the plate. Brian Bannister supplants Horacio Ramirez in the rotation, and gives a bit above replacement level effort at best. For some reason, I expected Ramirez to be halfway decent. Huh. Anyway, the Royals' chances of .500 baseball go down from these developments, and 85 losses now seems a more solid prognosis.
Detroit - Backup catcher Matt treanor got hurt, and now something called Dane Sardinha backs up Gerald Laird, downgrading the offense just a bit (Treanor is a least a bit above replacement level). Losing Marcus Thames however (ribs) is a huge blow, even if Ryan Raburn's power and better ability to get on base makes him a solid replacement. Thames had other-worldly power, and even the best backup power bat is a big downgrade. Offsetting some of that damage is the return to Joel Zumaya to the bullpen, instantly bolstering an average unit. Also bolstering Detroit's chances is the increased likelihood that the halfway-decent Zach Miner will stick in the rotation, as Rick Porcello hasn't impressed as Jeremy Bonderman's fill-in. As it stands, 85-90 wins and the AL Central title is still an easy possibility.
Cleveland - Scott Lewis will spend a week or two on the DL with a forearm strain, meaning replacement innings from Aaron Laffey. The Indians turned over their bullpen, sending down Zach Jackson and bringing in the likes of Vinnie Chulk, Jensen Lewis and Tony Sipp, slightly above replacement level downgrades. This reduces the likelihood of significant innings from Zach Jackson, as the team likely won't give him a chance to start until later this season, if at all before September. This is the opening the Tigers may need to sneak off with the Central, as when we started the two teams were neck and neck. But this drops the Indians to a solid 85 win team.
Chicago White Sox - The team sent away struggling Mike MacDougal and decided to test drive replacement level Lance Broadway. He's a downgrade but this is already a bleh pitching staff hampered by a bad defense, so not much loss there. Jerry Owens is back as DeWayne Wise hits the DL with a separated shoulder, but it looks like an improved Brian Anderson will soak up most of the starts at CF. This team still sucks, on the 95-100 loss level.
An updated look at the AL West
Texas - Derek Holland and Luis Mendoza upgrade the bullpen a little, while Scott Feldman is a functional upgrade over the terrible Kris Benson. But this is still the worst pitching staff in the majors. However, the pitching upgrades add a few wins to their projected finish: They're still on track for 90-95 losses.
Seattle - Losing Kenji Johjima to injury wasn't a big downgrade since Johjima as a hitter came close to replacement level anyway. Rob Johnson could even be a hitting upgrade at catcher. Ryan Rowland-Smith may take his time coming back from a bum elbow, which allows Chris Jakubauskas, arguably a superior option as the #5 starter, to ring up more starts before returning to the pen. Seattle still has this division right where they want it, and remain on track for about 85 wins.
Oakland - Adding the replacement level Dan Giese may not prove a productive move, nor may going with eleven pitchers to get Jack Hannahan on the team. Hannahan improves the offense a tad, but dumping lefthander Jerry Blevins doesn't improve the pitching staff. It appears Oakland will ride their six relievers until the need arises to add a 7th, which is generally a sound idea, but Giese was a definite downgrade. Oakland remains on pace for 85-90 losses.
Anaheim - The likely imminent return of Ervin Santana and John Lackey is a huge boost for the Angels, but this is still a sub .500 team with a ton of holes in the bullpen and not enough power in the lineup. The likely chance of getting 200-220 replacement level innings over this season still sinks the Angels, a 75-80 win team.
Seattle - Losing Kenji Johjima to injury wasn't a big downgrade since Johjima as a hitter came close to replacement level anyway. Rob Johnson could even be a hitting upgrade at catcher. Ryan Rowland-Smith may take his time coming back from a bum elbow, which allows Chris Jakubauskas, arguably a superior option as the #5 starter, to ring up more starts before returning to the pen. Seattle still has this division right where they want it, and remain on track for about 85 wins.
Oakland - Adding the replacement level Dan Giese may not prove a productive move, nor may going with eleven pitchers to get Jack Hannahan on the team. Hannahan improves the offense a tad, but dumping lefthander Jerry Blevins doesn't improve the pitching staff. It appears Oakland will ride their six relievers until the need arises to add a 7th, which is generally a sound idea, but Giese was a definite downgrade. Oakland remains on pace for 85-90 losses.
Anaheim - The likely imminent return of Ervin Santana and John Lackey is a huge boost for the Angels, but this is still a sub .500 team with a ton of holes in the bullpen and not enough power in the lineup. The likely chance of getting 200-220 replacement level innings over this season still sinks the Angels, a 75-80 win team.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Minor league recap chill out notice
Needing a rest, I'm taking a powder for tonight on the minor league recap. For today's results, I'll direct you to two excellent resources:
- Lonnie at Mariner Central.
- Jay Yencich at Mariner Minors.
Chances are likely I come back and cover today's games tomorrow night or later this week. Expect tomorrow's recap to drop on schedule.
- Lonnie at Mariner Central.
- Jay Yencich at Mariner Minors.
Chances are likely I come back and cover today's games tomorrow night or later this week. Expect tomorrow's recap to drop on schedule.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Mariners Minor League recap for 4/26/09
A: Burlington Bees 6, Clinton 2
CLI: 8-8… BUR: 6-10
Kenn Kasparek: 5.1 IP, 3 H, (2 R) 1 ER, 2 walks, 2 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Jose Jimenez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, K, wild pitch
Ryan Moorer: two outs, 4 H, (4 R) 1 ER, K, 2 wild pitches
Cheyne Hann: two outs, 1 H
Bobby LaFromboise: 1 IP
Scott Savastano: 1-4, double, RBI, K
Nate Tenbrink: 3-3, R
Rest of Lumberkings lineup: 1-20, 3 walks, 5 K
After trading runs in the first two frames, each side held the other scoreless until Ryan Moorer imploded (AGAIN) in the 8th to give the game away to Burlington.
This could have actually gotten away from the Lumberkings earlier: Kasparek got pelted with flyballs and line drives, but allowed only the two runs in the 1st and 2nd innings.
Groundballs: 3
Flyballs: 5
Line Drives: 5
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 2
A+: High Desert 11, San Jose 8
Mavs: 13-5… Little Giants: 12-6
Donnie Hume: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER (2 HR), 3 walks, 2 K
Alfredo Venegas: 1.2 IP, walk, 3 K, balk, hit batter
Juan Zapata: 1 IP
Steven Richard: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, K
Anthony Varvaro: 1 IP, 2 walks, K
Philippe Aumont: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Edilio Colina: 2-4, 2 R, walk
Alex Liddi: 2-5, solo HR, 2 run HR
Ronald Garth: 1-3, double, R, 2 walks, K
Joe Dunigan: 3-5, solo HR, 3 run HR, 3 R
Kuo Hui Lo: 3-5, solo HR, 2 run HR
Carlos Peguero: 2-3, double, 2 walks, K
Juan Diaz: 4-5, solo HR
Wind: 20 mph left to right
Lonnie at Mariner Central actually contacted me during the 8th inning of this game to let me know that this one had gotten crazy and that I should catch the rest.
Once Donnie Hume got chased in the 4th after getting rocked in the first three frames, down 6-2, it looked like the game would get away from the Mavs once the Little Giants hammered away on the Mavs bullpen. Except two strange things happened: The Mavs bullpen did not allow another run until the 7th, and the Mavs lineup went the frick off on San Jose pitching, striking first in the 5th and scoring in every inning threafter.
- 5th inning: Kuo Hui Lo led off with a solo shot, and Juan Diaz of all people homered with two out to cut the lead to 6-4.
- 6th inning: Edilio Colina led off with a lined single, Ronald Garth one hopped a double over the CF wall, and Joe Dunigan crapped all over an Adam Cowart suck pitch to give the Mavs a 7-6 lead.
- Top 7th: Steven Richards got pounded for two runs on a two out Vladimir Frias double to make it 8-7 Little Giants. As Thomas Neal came home to try and make it 9-7, LF Kuo Hui Lo threw a perfect strike home that beat Neal to the plate. Neal put the shoulder down and plowed into catcher Jose Yepez, but Yepez held on for the 3rd out to save the run!
- Bottom 7th: Juan Diaz led off with a lined single, and with two out Alex Liddi went deep off Cowart to give the Mavs a 9-8 lead!
- 8th inning: Joe Dunigan led off with a lined single, and Kuo Hui Lo promptly homered off an erratic Wilkin Rodriguez (who later left with an injury) to stretch the Mavs lead to 11-8!
- 9th inning: Phillipe Aumont came on, put down Roger Kieschnick on strikes with what play by play man Alex Freedman called a ‘filthy’ slider, then shook off a two out single to finish off the Little Giants.
AA: Mississippi 6, West Tenn 4
WTN: 7-11… MIS: 10-8
Justin Souza: 5 IP, 4 H, walk, 3 K (66 pitches, 42 strikes)
Aaron Cotter: one out, 3 H, 1 ER, K (13-8)
Marwin Vega: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER (HR), walk, K (27-15)
Josh Newby: 2 IP, 0 H, (1 R) 0 ER, wild pitch (32-17)
Oswaldo Navarro: 2-3, solo HR, walk, K
Johan Limonta: 2-5, R
Greg Halman: 2-4, R, walk, K, SB
Brent Johnson: 1-5, RBI
Matt Mangini: 3-3, triple, RBI, walk
Justin Souza made what appeared to be a spot start, and it went as well as he could have hoped as he went the minimum in 66 pitches without allowing a run. He didn’t look great: He gave up a ton of flyballs and honestly threaded the needle to get those five innings, but that’s all you typically can ask of Souza when he starts, as his M.O. is middle inning relief.
Groundballs: 3 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 6
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 3
There were eight errors in this game, five by West Tenn. Greg Halman threw two balls YIKES AND AWAY, Ezequiel Carrera dropped a flyball in LF, Mangini horked a grounder at 3B and Jeff Dominguez botched a grounder at 2B.
Believe it or not, Greg Halman’s stolen base today was his 1st of the season. He has yet to get untracked in 17 games this season, hitting 176/230/426 with 30 Ks in 68 AB, and it’s hard to steal bases when you’re already having a tough time just getting on base in the first place.
AAA: Colorado Springs 7, Tacoma 5
TAC: 9-9… COL: 12-5
Gaby Hernandez: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 walks, 3 K (87 pitches, 55 strikes)
Eric Hull: 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER (HR), K (41-24)
Justin Thomas: 1 IP, walk, K (21-11)
Prentice Redman: 1-5, solo HR, 2 K
Jeff Clement: 2-4, double, triple
Mike Carp: 2-4, solo HR, 2 R, K
Chris Woodward: 2-4
Bryan LaHair: 1-4, solo HR
Guillermo Quiroz: 2-4, 2 run HR
Gaby Hernandez had another bleh performance, doing the one thing you do not want to do in mile high Colorado: keeping the ball up in the zone and producing flyballs. Once he left after the minimum, he had allowed four runs, strikingly low for the number of flyballs in play, and left a manageable 4-3 deficit.
Groundballs: 3 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 8
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 3
Mike Carp went deep with one out in the 6th to TIE THE BALLGAME at 4, but Matt Miller led off the bottom 6th with a triple off Eric Hull, and Kenny Perez cashed him in with a line drive single to make it 5-4 Sky Sox. They did get Perez to 3rd but could not cash him in.
The Sky Sox did their final damage in te next frame, as Dan Ortmeier took Hull deep with a man on and two out to make it 7-4 Sky Sox. Bryan LaHair did hit a one out solo shot off Steven Register in the top 9th to make it 7-5 and Freddy Guzman did get on after that with two out, but Prentice Redman struck out to end the game.
CLI: 8-8… BUR: 6-10
Kenn Kasparek: 5.1 IP, 3 H, (2 R) 1 ER, 2 walks, 2 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Jose Jimenez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, K, wild pitch
Ryan Moorer: two outs, 4 H, (4 R) 1 ER, K, 2 wild pitches
Cheyne Hann: two outs, 1 H
Bobby LaFromboise: 1 IP
Scott Savastano: 1-4, double, RBI, K
Nate Tenbrink: 3-3, R
Rest of Lumberkings lineup: 1-20, 3 walks, 5 K
After trading runs in the first two frames, each side held the other scoreless until Ryan Moorer imploded (AGAIN) in the 8th to give the game away to Burlington.
This could have actually gotten away from the Lumberkings earlier: Kasparek got pelted with flyballs and line drives, but allowed only the two runs in the 1st and 2nd innings.
Groundballs: 3
Flyballs: 5
Line Drives: 5
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 2
A+: High Desert 11, San Jose 8
Mavs: 13-5… Little Giants: 12-6
Donnie Hume: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER (2 HR), 3 walks, 2 K
Alfredo Venegas: 1.2 IP, walk, 3 K, balk, hit batter
Juan Zapata: 1 IP
Steven Richard: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, K
Anthony Varvaro: 1 IP, 2 walks, K
Philippe Aumont: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Edilio Colina: 2-4, 2 R, walk
Alex Liddi: 2-5, solo HR, 2 run HR
Ronald Garth: 1-3, double, R, 2 walks, K
Joe Dunigan: 3-5, solo HR, 3 run HR, 3 R
Kuo Hui Lo: 3-5, solo HR, 2 run HR
Carlos Peguero: 2-3, double, 2 walks, K
Juan Diaz: 4-5, solo HR
Wind: 20 mph left to right
Lonnie at Mariner Central actually contacted me during the 8th inning of this game to let me know that this one had gotten crazy and that I should catch the rest.
Once Donnie Hume got chased in the 4th after getting rocked in the first three frames, down 6-2, it looked like the game would get away from the Mavs once the Little Giants hammered away on the Mavs bullpen. Except two strange things happened: The Mavs bullpen did not allow another run until the 7th, and the Mavs lineup went the frick off on San Jose pitching, striking first in the 5th and scoring in every inning threafter.
- 5th inning: Kuo Hui Lo led off with a solo shot, and Juan Diaz of all people homered with two out to cut the lead to 6-4.
- 6th inning: Edilio Colina led off with a lined single, Ronald Garth one hopped a double over the CF wall, and Joe Dunigan crapped all over an Adam Cowart suck pitch to give the Mavs a 7-6 lead.
- Top 7th: Steven Richards got pounded for two runs on a two out Vladimir Frias double to make it 8-7 Little Giants. As Thomas Neal came home to try and make it 9-7, LF Kuo Hui Lo threw a perfect strike home that beat Neal to the plate. Neal put the shoulder down and plowed into catcher Jose Yepez, but Yepez held on for the 3rd out to save the run!
- Bottom 7th: Juan Diaz led off with a lined single, and with two out Alex Liddi went deep off Cowart to give the Mavs a 9-8 lead!
- 8th inning: Joe Dunigan led off with a lined single, and Kuo Hui Lo promptly homered off an erratic Wilkin Rodriguez (who later left with an injury) to stretch the Mavs lead to 11-8!
- 9th inning: Phillipe Aumont came on, put down Roger Kieschnick on strikes with what play by play man Alex Freedman called a ‘filthy’ slider, then shook off a two out single to finish off the Little Giants.
AA: Mississippi 6, West Tenn 4
WTN: 7-11… MIS: 10-8
Justin Souza: 5 IP, 4 H, walk, 3 K (66 pitches, 42 strikes)
Aaron Cotter: one out, 3 H, 1 ER, K (13-8)
Marwin Vega: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER (HR), walk, K (27-15)
Josh Newby: 2 IP, 0 H, (1 R) 0 ER, wild pitch (32-17)
Oswaldo Navarro: 2-3, solo HR, walk, K
Johan Limonta: 2-5, R
Greg Halman: 2-4, R, walk, K, SB
Brent Johnson: 1-5, RBI
Matt Mangini: 3-3, triple, RBI, walk
Justin Souza made what appeared to be a spot start, and it went as well as he could have hoped as he went the minimum in 66 pitches without allowing a run. He didn’t look great: He gave up a ton of flyballs and honestly threaded the needle to get those five innings, but that’s all you typically can ask of Souza when he starts, as his M.O. is middle inning relief.
Groundballs: 3 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 6
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 3
There were eight errors in this game, five by West Tenn. Greg Halman threw two balls YIKES AND AWAY, Ezequiel Carrera dropped a flyball in LF, Mangini horked a grounder at 3B and Jeff Dominguez botched a grounder at 2B.
Believe it or not, Greg Halman’s stolen base today was his 1st of the season. He has yet to get untracked in 17 games this season, hitting 176/230/426 with 30 Ks in 68 AB, and it’s hard to steal bases when you’re already having a tough time just getting on base in the first place.
AAA: Colorado Springs 7, Tacoma 5
TAC: 9-9… COL: 12-5
Gaby Hernandez: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 walks, 3 K (87 pitches, 55 strikes)
Eric Hull: 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER (HR), K (41-24)
Justin Thomas: 1 IP, walk, K (21-11)
Prentice Redman: 1-5, solo HR, 2 K
Jeff Clement: 2-4, double, triple
Mike Carp: 2-4, solo HR, 2 R, K
Chris Woodward: 2-4
Bryan LaHair: 1-4, solo HR
Guillermo Quiroz: 2-4, 2 run HR
Gaby Hernandez had another bleh performance, doing the one thing you do not want to do in mile high Colorado: keeping the ball up in the zone and producing flyballs. Once he left after the minimum, he had allowed four runs, strikingly low for the number of flyballs in play, and left a manageable 4-3 deficit.
Groundballs: 3 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 8
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 3
Mike Carp went deep with one out in the 6th to TIE THE BALLGAME at 4, but Matt Miller led off the bottom 6th with a triple off Eric Hull, and Kenny Perez cashed him in with a line drive single to make it 5-4 Sky Sox. They did get Perez to 3rd but could not cash him in.
The Sky Sox did their final damage in te next frame, as Dan Ortmeier took Hull deep with a man on and two out to make it 7-4 Sky Sox. Bryan LaHair did hit a one out solo shot off Steven Register in the top 9th to make it 7-5 and Freddy Guzman did get on after that with two out, but Prentice Redman struck out to end the game.
Mariners Minor League recap for 4/25/09
Sorry this is late. I wish I could say I was out partying or something last night, but actually, I was simply distracted with other projects.
This recap will be bare bones and brief, mainly stats. For more details, check out the Farm Report at Mariner Central and Jay Yencich's coverage at Mariner Minors.
A: Burlington Bees 3, Clinton 1
CLI: 8-6… BUR: 4-10
Adam Harben: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 walks, K
Walter Suriel: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K
Blake Nation: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, 2 K
Cheyne Hann: one out, K
Maximo Mendez: 1-4, RBI, K
Denny Almonte: 2-4, K
Scott Savastano: 2-4, triple
Adam Harben:
Groundballs: 8
Flyballs: 1
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 1
A+: San Jose 5, High Desert 3
Mavs: 12-5… Little Giants: 12-5
Juan Carlos Ramirez: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER (HR), 2 walks, 4 K
Natividad Dilone: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, walk, 2 K, wild pitch
Travis Mortimore: 2 IP, walk, 2 K, wild pitch
Jake Wild: 1 IP, K
Tyson Gillies: 2-5, double, R
Alex Liddi: 2-4, 2 K
Joe Dunigan: 2-4, K
Travis Scott: 1-4, solo HR
Juan Carlos Ramirez:
Groundballs: 8
Flyballs: 5 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 1
Pop Ups: 4
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 4
Ramirez had probably his worst game of the young season, though yet again he still strung together a lot of groundballs. He did get hit early and often and did not finish the 5th. I will also note that, while I plan to post season stat lines later, Ramirez’s K rate has dropped accordingly with the rise in level. He’s still having a good year so far thanks to all the groundballs minimizing the damage, but days like today show he is still vulnerable when he can’t keep his stuff down in the zone.
AA: West Tenn 3, Mississippi 1
WTN: 7-9… MIS: 8-8
Robert Rohrbaugh: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, walk, 4 K (97 pitches, 63 strikes)
Mumba Rivera: 2 IP, 2 H, K (19-14)
Josh Fields: 1 IP, 3 K (16-11)
Adam Moore: 1-4, RBI
Jeff Dominguez: 1-3, RBI
Rest of DIAMOND JAXX lineup: 3-20, 3 R, 3 walks, 6 K
Robert Rohrbaugh:
Groundballs: 1
Flyballs: 7
Line Drives: 8
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 4
Robert Rohrbaugh did not record a groundball until the 6th inning, his last inning. Go figure it was a base hit up the middle.
Also, by striking out the side in the 9th, top draft pick Josh Fields recorded his first professional save.
AAA: Colorado Springs 2, Tacoma 1
TAC: 9-8… COL: 11-5
Garrett Olson: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, 4 K, hit batter (91 pitches, 60 strikes)
Denny Stark: 1.2 IP, 1 H, K (20-14)
Prentice Redman: 1-4, solo HR, walk
Chris Shelton: 2-3, double, walk
Rest of Rainiers lineup: 5-28, walk, 9 K
Garrett Olson:
Groundballs: 10 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 3
Line Drives: 2 (both among final four batters faced)
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 1 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 4
Can you believe this game was played in Colorado Springs? While it looks like the Rockies have procured a humidor for the AAA club, there was also a steady 9 mph wind in from LF, and Garrett Olson had a fine effort with plenty of groundballs. Sadly it came apart in a two run 7th to give the Sky Sox the win.
Prentice Redman’s home run led off the game.
This recap will be bare bones and brief, mainly stats. For more details, check out the Farm Report at Mariner Central and Jay Yencich's coverage at Mariner Minors.
A: Burlington Bees 3, Clinton 1
CLI: 8-6… BUR: 4-10
Adam Harben: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 walks, K
Walter Suriel: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K
Blake Nation: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, 2 K
Cheyne Hann: one out, K
Maximo Mendez: 1-4, RBI, K
Denny Almonte: 2-4, K
Scott Savastano: 2-4, triple
Adam Harben:
Groundballs: 8
Flyballs: 1
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 1
A+: San Jose 5, High Desert 3
Mavs: 12-5… Little Giants: 12-5
Juan Carlos Ramirez: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER (HR), 2 walks, 4 K
Natividad Dilone: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, walk, 2 K, wild pitch
Travis Mortimore: 2 IP, walk, 2 K, wild pitch
Jake Wild: 1 IP, K
Tyson Gillies: 2-5, double, R
Alex Liddi: 2-4, 2 K
Joe Dunigan: 2-4, K
Travis Scott: 1-4, solo HR
Juan Carlos Ramirez:
Groundballs: 8
Flyballs: 5 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 1
Pop Ups: 4
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 4
Ramirez had probably his worst game of the young season, though yet again he still strung together a lot of groundballs. He did get hit early and often and did not finish the 5th. I will also note that, while I plan to post season stat lines later, Ramirez’s K rate has dropped accordingly with the rise in level. He’s still having a good year so far thanks to all the groundballs minimizing the damage, but days like today show he is still vulnerable when he can’t keep his stuff down in the zone.
AA: West Tenn 3, Mississippi 1
WTN: 7-9… MIS: 8-8
Robert Rohrbaugh: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, walk, 4 K (97 pitches, 63 strikes)
Mumba Rivera: 2 IP, 2 H, K (19-14)
Josh Fields: 1 IP, 3 K (16-11)
Adam Moore: 1-4, RBI
Jeff Dominguez: 1-3, RBI
Rest of DIAMOND JAXX lineup: 3-20, 3 R, 3 walks, 6 K
Robert Rohrbaugh:
Groundballs: 1
Flyballs: 7
Line Drives: 8
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 4
Robert Rohrbaugh did not record a groundball until the 6th inning, his last inning. Go figure it was a base hit up the middle.
Also, by striking out the side in the 9th, top draft pick Josh Fields recorded his first professional save.
AAA: Colorado Springs 2, Tacoma 1
TAC: 9-8… COL: 11-5
Garrett Olson: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, 4 K, hit batter (91 pitches, 60 strikes)
Denny Stark: 1.2 IP, 1 H, K (20-14)
Prentice Redman: 1-4, solo HR, walk
Chris Shelton: 2-3, double, walk
Rest of Rainiers lineup: 5-28, walk, 9 K
Garrett Olson:
Groundballs: 10 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 3
Line Drives: 2 (both among final four batters faced)
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 1 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 4
Can you believe this game was played in Colorado Springs? While it looks like the Rockies have procured a humidor for the AAA club, there was also a steady 9 mph wind in from LF, and Garrett Olson had a fine effort with plenty of groundballs. Sadly it came apart in a two run 7th to give the Sky Sox the win.
Prentice Redman’s home run led off the game.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
The Los Angeles Injuries of Anaheim
The tragic death of Nick Adenhart underscored a depth problem with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim roster that could hurt their competitive chances in the long run. The Angels allowed their talent pool to get a little thin, exposed by a list of injuries that continues to grow.
Below, as of April 25, is the current disabled list for the Angels:
| Kevin Jepsen | RP | Apr 19 | 15-day | Lower back spasms |
| Darren Oliver | RP | Apr 19 | 15-day | Strained left triceps |
| Dustin Moseley | SP | Apr 18 | 15-day | Right elbow irritation |
| Vladimir Guerrero | RF | Apr 16 | 15-day | Torn right pectoral muscle - out 4-6 wks |
| Kelvim Escobar | SP | Apr 4 | 60-day | Recovery from right shoulder surgery |
| Ervin Santana | SP | Mar 27 | 15-day | Sprained MCL, right elbow |
| John Lackey | SP | Mar 27 | 15-day | Right elbow inflammation |
Losing Vlad Guerrero's big bat is a loss, but the story here is that all the other names are pitchers. Lackey, Santana and Escobar are three of the Angels' top starting arms, all of which began the 2009 season on the DL. Moseley was a rotation replacement who hit the DL last Saturday. Darren Oliver was the Angels' top lefthanded reliever. Jepsen started the season as borderline bullpen filler, but had become by default one of their top relievers when he hit the DL.
Who's left? The rotation was left with Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders and... uh.... When he got hurt, Moseley had already climbed to #3 on the depth chart due to the injuries. Now #3 belongs to AAAA tomato can Shane Loux, a functional strike thrower who probably belongs in the bullpen and is with the big club this year mainly because he was out of minor league options. As a starter, he's going to get hit around: The punchless Seattle Mariners chased him early in last night's 9-3 loss. The #4 starter is 30 year old career minor leaguer Matt Palmer, who had allowed 10 runs in 7.2 innings at AAA Salt Lake before "earning" the recent callup. The #5 starter is raw 23 year old Anthony Ortega, who himself allowed 16 runs in 13.2 innings at AAA Salt Lake before his callup.
The bottom two names indicate that, with all the injury callups, even the AAA club is tapped. Neither Palmer nor Ortega have any business in the bigs: They even struggled against AAA hitters. But that's how many holes the Angels bullpen has right now with the injuries: They're forced to call up AAA garbage because that's all they have left.
The bullpen's hurting too. The team already struggled out of the gate to replace K-Rod, and Brian Fuentes hasn't impressed. They started the season with the dubious Kevin Jepsen and Jason Bulger in the back of the pen and untested Jose Arredondo expected to eat high leverage innings. Now Bulger's forced into a key role, and the bullpen also has some weak callups filling in blanks. 28 year old lefthanded sidearmer Daniel Davidson (pictured above) had all of 11 career appearances at the AAA level before joining the big club, as did unimpressive righthander Rafael Rodriguez. Rich Thompson at least has 32 appearances over 4 seasons, though he hasn't looked good in AAA since 2007. None of those three have any business in MLB, but here they are expected to get outs in a major league bullpen.
The Angels, once lauded for their organization depth that left AAA Salt Lake stockpiled with MLB-ready ballplayers, have let that slide in the past year or two as they decided to spend big money on key components (Bobby Abreu and Brian Fuentes) while leaning on developing young players (Howie Kendrick, Kendry Morales, Erick Aybar). And now they're paying the price, as a rash of injuries led them to raid a cupboard that's now bare.
Meanwhile, their perennial division title hopes are in deep trouble. Never mind their current 6-10 record. The Seattle Mariners, once perennial also-rans, added players that vastly improve their defense (Franklin Gutierrez, Endy Chavez), added depth to their farm system in case of injury (Mike Carp, Jason Vargas, Prentice Redman, Callix Crabbe), and have prospects not far from contributing in MLB (Jeff Clement, Greg Halman, Michael Saunders). Jose Lopez has emerged as a power bat, Felix Hernandez has become the ace the team hoped he would become, and they're winning games with disciplined play instead of giving them away with mistakes like they did before.
And now it's the Angels who are giving games away, as the lack of experience and talent in their replacement level roster has cost them the solid discipline hat buoyed their perennial title runs when the big bats and power pitching wasn't there for them. Their .669 defensive efficiency is 2nd worst in the AL, as is their 12 errors. Their .714 OPS is 11th out of 14 AL teams. Their starting pitching has only topped 100 pitches 3 times this season, 3rd fewest in the majors, as their starters are getting clobbered out of games.
After winning four of the last five AL West titles (and finishing 2nd to Oakland in that off year), the Angels may not have the Disney magic to overcome the loss of all this talent. Even with Lackey's likely return in May, and prospects of Vlad returning in the foreseeable future, the Angels have far too many holes, many of them self-created by poor talent accumulation. This may be the year those upstart Mariners overtake them for the AL West championship.
Friday, April 24, 2009
An educated guess about the NL West for 2009
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
Like the Mariners in the AL West, I see the Giants winning a division title despite what I consider the weakest offense in the NL (yes, weaker than the Pirates). They don’t have any real impact bats, not even the kinda sorta impact bats I mentioned the Pirates having, and most of their lineup will struggle to consistently get on base. But they have a solid defense and one of the best rotations in MLB: Tim Lincecum is of course an ace. Many won’t think much of adding the aging Randy Johnson due to his age, but one injury plagued season doesn’t mean he can’t give the Giants 150 solid innings. Matt Cain is a strong starter, Zito is expensive but not horrible, and the emerging Jonathan Sanchez gives the Giants one of the best #5s in baseball. The bullpen’s simply okay but they have solid arms in front, an actual close for a change, and should eke out plenty of low scoring victories to the tune of 85-90 wins.
The Diamondbacks won’t be far behind and will give the Giants a serious run for their money. Their bane, however, is a poor defense and a young lineup loaded with talent but also inconsistency. Their pitching staff will also lean heavily on the ordinary Jon Garland and the inconsistent Doug Davis. Even if Brandon Webb and Dan Haren stay mostly healthy, they won’t have the defensive help the Giants will. 85 wins isn’t impossible: In fact, it’s likely. But their defense and youthful exuberance (read: impatience) at the plate will hold them back.
The Dodgers have the best lineup in the division and probably the most consistently productive pitching staff, but also have the division’s worst defense, thanks in ironically large part to one man: Manny Ramirez. His bat is the biggest and the best in the lineup, but his range and glove at LF are the slowest and the worst in the field. He doesn’t cost his team as many runs in the field as his bat brings to the lineup, but it costs the team enough to likely cost them a real shot at the division title. The Dodgers will play .500 ball, and don’t be surprised to see them finish 2009 with a losing record.
Even with the team’s humidor cancelling out much of the effect of Coors Field’s mile high altitude, the Colorado Rockies should still score plenty of runs thanks to a productive offense with reasonable power. However, they easily boast the worst pitching staff in the division, with a subpar rotation and an okay-at-best bullpen, as well as a subpar defense anchored by one of the worst RF’s in baseball: Brad Hawpe. Hawpe’s power bat boosts the lineup, but his “defense” can cost the Rockies 20-30 runs in the field alone. Garrett Atkins at 3B and a couple others have their issues as fielders, and the combination of subpar pitching and subpar fielding will sink Colorado. 90 losses sounds like a reasonable expectation.
The Padres lost Khalil Greene and didn’t really replace him. They’re expecting serious innings from Kevin Correia, Shawn Hill, the career Mexican Leaguer Walter Silva and maybe Cha Seung Baek. Heath Bell makes a solid replacement for Trevor Hoffman at closer, and Cla Meredith is a solid workhorse, but the rest of the pen is a shoddy contrast to the once-solid Padres pens of yesteryear. The defense is also, shall we say, a little weak. Still, cavernous PETCO Park should help the Padres prevent some runs, but the offense packs too little of a punch to expect anything other than 90-95 losses.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
Like the Mariners in the AL West, I see the Giants winning a division title despite what I consider the weakest offense in the NL (yes, weaker than the Pirates). They don’t have any real impact bats, not even the kinda sorta impact bats I mentioned the Pirates having, and most of their lineup will struggle to consistently get on base. But they have a solid defense and one of the best rotations in MLB: Tim Lincecum is of course an ace. Many won’t think much of adding the aging Randy Johnson due to his age, but one injury plagued season doesn’t mean he can’t give the Giants 150 solid innings. Matt Cain is a strong starter, Zito is expensive but not horrible, and the emerging Jonathan Sanchez gives the Giants one of the best #5s in baseball. The bullpen’s simply okay but they have solid arms in front, an actual close for a change, and should eke out plenty of low scoring victories to the tune of 85-90 wins.
The Diamondbacks won’t be far behind and will give the Giants a serious run for their money. Their bane, however, is a poor defense and a young lineup loaded with talent but also inconsistency. Their pitching staff will also lean heavily on the ordinary Jon Garland and the inconsistent Doug Davis. Even if Brandon Webb and Dan Haren stay mostly healthy, they won’t have the defensive help the Giants will. 85 wins isn’t impossible: In fact, it’s likely. But their defense and youthful exuberance (read: impatience) at the plate will hold them back.
The Dodgers have the best lineup in the division and probably the most consistently productive pitching staff, but also have the division’s worst defense, thanks in ironically large part to one man: Manny Ramirez. His bat is the biggest and the best in the lineup, but his range and glove at LF are the slowest and the worst in the field. He doesn’t cost his team as many runs in the field as his bat brings to the lineup, but it costs the team enough to likely cost them a real shot at the division title. The Dodgers will play .500 ball, and don’t be surprised to see them finish 2009 with a losing record.
Even with the team’s humidor cancelling out much of the effect of Coors Field’s mile high altitude, the Colorado Rockies should still score plenty of runs thanks to a productive offense with reasonable power. However, they easily boast the worst pitching staff in the division, with a subpar rotation and an okay-at-best bullpen, as well as a subpar defense anchored by one of the worst RF’s in baseball: Brad Hawpe. Hawpe’s power bat boosts the lineup, but his “defense” can cost the Rockies 20-30 runs in the field alone. Garrett Atkins at 3B and a couple others have their issues as fielders, and the combination of subpar pitching and subpar fielding will sink Colorado. 90 losses sounds like a reasonable expectation.
The Padres lost Khalil Greene and didn’t really replace him. They’re expecting serious innings from Kevin Correia, Shawn Hill, the career Mexican Leaguer Walter Silva and maybe Cha Seung Baek. Heath Bell makes a solid replacement for Trevor Hoffman at closer, and Cla Meredith is a solid workhorse, but the rest of the pen is a shoddy contrast to the once-solid Padres pens of yesteryear. The defense is also, shall we say, a little weak. Still, cavernous PETCO Park should help the Padres prevent some runs, but the offense packs too little of a punch to expect anything other than 90-95 losses.
An educated guess about the NL Central for 2009
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. St Louis Cardinals
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Cubs will have the easiest road to a division title of any division winner. No one in the Central has enough to play better than .500 ball, let alone challenge the Cubs. The Cubs have one of the NL’s best defenses, a solid pitching staff with upside (if Rich Harden stays healthy, he’s the best pitcher in baseball) and a top productive lineup. Everyone else in the Central has their liabilities, but the Cubs don’t have any.
Milwaukee had managed a slow climb to competitive respectability the last few years, but they will take a step backward this season. They should still finish at or above .500, but they cannot hang with the Cubs. The defense has talent (like JJ Hardy at SS) but also liabilities (like Ryan Braun in LF and Prince Fielder at 1B) and comes out about average overall. The pitching staff took a huge drop with the departure of CC Sabathia, and the developing Yovani Gallardo fronts a ho-hum group. The offense can definitely score runs with power bats Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun leading a loaded, powerful lineup, but they don’t pack enough of a punch in run prevention to do anything other than run in place.
They will be fortunate to post a winning record, but the Cincinnati Reds should take a big step forward this year: 75-80 wins is a likely possibility. Gone are defensive liabilities Ken Griffey Jr and Adam Dunn, and their replacements, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, give the Reds at least as much production while playing better defense. The Reds should now have a decent defense in front of an average, consistent pitching staff. The young hitters should continue their progress, though they’ll continue to struggle with consistency.
The Cards see their undoing in a mediocre defense, thanks to weird position shifts to try and get the bats of Skip Schumacher and Rick Ankiel in the lineup, which leads to holes in the defense. Even then, the lineup isn’t much to crow about outside of superstar Albert Pujols and powerful Ryan Ludwick. This lineup is average overall. Dave Duncan’s patchwork pitching staff will do a decent job but there’s only so much they can do to prevent runs with a so-so defense. Below average run prevention with an average offense indicates 75 wins are on the horizon.
The Astros still don’t have much of an offense, as they’re playing speedy but punchless KazMatsui and Michael Bourn everyday. Hunter Pence has emerged as a leader but only brings so much to the table alongside Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee. Miguel Tejada is fading and the arrival of Pudge Rodriguez immediately makes him one of their better power bats. That’s not good. The defense is solid, but the pitching is a mess. The reconstructed Mike Hampton, who has pitched a handful of innings over the last few years, immediately became their #3 starter. That’s all you need to know about the rotation: the bullpen has some solid front men but they can only undo so much damage. Still, they can do an okay job at preventing runs and can win 70-75 games, but that’s about it.
The Pirates have probably the worst offense in MLB, with no serious impact bat to speak of in the lineup (Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth is as close as they get). Their pitching staff continues to develop in the rotation (watch Russ Ohlendorf) though they’re still some ways away, and the bullpen has glaring holes towards the back end. The Pirates will probably lose 100+ and have the top pick in the 2010 draft.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. St Louis Cardinals
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Cubs will have the easiest road to a division title of any division winner. No one in the Central has enough to play better than .500 ball, let alone challenge the Cubs. The Cubs have one of the NL’s best defenses, a solid pitching staff with upside (if Rich Harden stays healthy, he’s the best pitcher in baseball) and a top productive lineup. Everyone else in the Central has their liabilities, but the Cubs don’t have any.
Milwaukee had managed a slow climb to competitive respectability the last few years, but they will take a step backward this season. They should still finish at or above .500, but they cannot hang with the Cubs. The defense has talent (like JJ Hardy at SS) but also liabilities (like Ryan Braun in LF and Prince Fielder at 1B) and comes out about average overall. The pitching staff took a huge drop with the departure of CC Sabathia, and the developing Yovani Gallardo fronts a ho-hum group. The offense can definitely score runs with power bats Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun leading a loaded, powerful lineup, but they don’t pack enough of a punch in run prevention to do anything other than run in place.
They will be fortunate to post a winning record, but the Cincinnati Reds should take a big step forward this year: 75-80 wins is a likely possibility. Gone are defensive liabilities Ken Griffey Jr and Adam Dunn, and their replacements, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, give the Reds at least as much production while playing better defense. The Reds should now have a decent defense in front of an average, consistent pitching staff. The young hitters should continue their progress, though they’ll continue to struggle with consistency.
The Cards see their undoing in a mediocre defense, thanks to weird position shifts to try and get the bats of Skip Schumacher and Rick Ankiel in the lineup, which leads to holes in the defense. Even then, the lineup isn’t much to crow about outside of superstar Albert Pujols and powerful Ryan Ludwick. This lineup is average overall. Dave Duncan’s patchwork pitching staff will do a decent job but there’s only so much they can do to prevent runs with a so-so defense. Below average run prevention with an average offense indicates 75 wins are on the horizon.
The Astros still don’t have much of an offense, as they’re playing speedy but punchless KazMatsui and Michael Bourn everyday. Hunter Pence has emerged as a leader but only brings so much to the table alongside Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee. Miguel Tejada is fading and the arrival of Pudge Rodriguez immediately makes him one of their better power bats. That’s not good. The defense is solid, but the pitching is a mess. The reconstructed Mike Hampton, who has pitched a handful of innings over the last few years, immediately became their #3 starter. That’s all you need to know about the rotation: the bullpen has some solid front men but they can only undo so much damage. Still, they can do an okay job at preventing runs and can win 70-75 games, but that’s about it.
The Pirates have probably the worst offense in MLB, with no serious impact bat to speak of in the lineup (Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth is as close as they get). Their pitching staff continues to develop in the rotation (watch Russ Ohlendorf) though they’re still some ways away, and the bullpen has glaring holes towards the back end. The Pirates will probably lose 100+ and have the top pick in the 2010 draft.
An educated guess about the NL East for 2009
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves
3. New York Mets
4. Florida Marlins
5. Washington Nationals
The NL East is easily the best NL division, with three playoff contenders ahead of two also-rans.
The Phillies are well on their way to repeating. Despite his subpar defense in LF, Raul Ibañez adds an impact bat to the lineup that improves even on the departed Pat Burrell’s. This is the best lineup in the NL, with Ibañez, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shave Victorino, and plenty of productive help around them. The pitching staff has an okay rotation and a solid bullpen, but the real strength is the defense, easily the best in the majors in terms of run prevention. Jayson Werth by himself is one of the best outfielders in baseball. Utley and Rollins are one of baseball’s best double play tandems, Pedro Feliz is an excellent defensive 3B and Raul is the only real weak spot. The Phillies are what the Red Sox are in the AL: a seemingly unbeatable force that’s arguably the best at scoring and preventing runs.
No team should match the Rays’ surprise run (whether or not the saberheads were really surprised), but one team that should rebound strong from a down year is the Atlanta Braves. Picking up Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez quickly makes the Braves rotation the best in the NL, placing them ahead of the emerging Jair Jurjjens, strike throwing Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami and whichever MLB-ready rookie they elect to throw in the #5 spot. Their offense should also score a lot of runs, as the Braves have quietly assembled a consistently productive lineup built around veteran Chipper Jones and top-shelf catcher Brian McCann. Nearly all of these hitters can hit for some power, and much of the lineup consistently gets on base. The defense is merely average, but the Braves should quietly take the Wildcard in a 90-95 win season the old fashioned way: With solid pitching and solid hitting.
Sadly, the big money NY Mets just don’t have what it takes to crack the playoffs this year. Save for the huge JJ Putz trade and signing K-Rod this offseason, they didn’t really add any talent. The lineup, while one of the league’s better lineups, is essentially the same lineup they had last season. K-Rod and JJ vastly upgrade an okay bullpen to an okay bullpen fronted by two great relievers. The next best arm is one of those other players acquired in the JJ trade, Sean Green. Overall, the pitching is among the best in the NL thanks to the bullpen pickups, but the defense is simply decent, the bottom of the lineup gets a bit thin and the Mets simply don’t have enough top-shelf oomph to oust the Phillies or outlast the soon-to-emerge Braves.
The Marlins manage to stay somewhat competitive despite no budget, no fanbase and a sadistic owner, but this season they simply won’t be in the hunt. This is a 65-70 win team that, despite some young stars and a talented, developing rotation, are hampered by a weak bullpen, a subpar offense and a subpar defense. Cameron Maybin is still a year or two away from becoming a star in the Hanley Ramirez mold. Both he and Ramirez are subpar defenders who will get away with it due to their bats. New 3B Emilio Bonifacio is still a couple years away, if he will indeed meet his potential. Jeremy Hermida and Cody Ross hit for power but only give you so much in the lineup, while Jorge Cantu is the most reliable bat outside of Ramirez. Godspeed, new stadium.
The Washington Nationals will definitely hang with the Marlins for 4th in the NL East, but no one’s wrong about the Nationals being bad. They actually have an average lineup between Ryan Zimmerman, a healthy Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young, newly acquired Adam Dunn, Elijah Dukes, with help from Austin Kearns and Ronnie Belliard. They’ll score some runs. The defense is also average, rather than bad as many may think. But the big problem with the Nationals is what has to be far and away the worst pitching staff in the majors. John Lannan fronts a rag-tag bunch of kids and tomato cans, many whom would struggle to hold down the middle of most AAA staffs. Daniel Cabrera is finished, rookie Jordan Zimmerman’s going to get initiated and Scott Olsen has a gopherball problem. The Nationals should allow the most runs in the NL, and it’ll be mainly because of poor pitching.
2. Atlanta Braves
3. New York Mets
4. Florida Marlins
5. Washington Nationals
The NL East is easily the best NL division, with three playoff contenders ahead of two also-rans.
The Phillies are well on their way to repeating. Despite his subpar defense in LF, Raul Ibañez adds an impact bat to the lineup that improves even on the departed Pat Burrell’s. This is the best lineup in the NL, with Ibañez, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shave Victorino, and plenty of productive help around them. The pitching staff has an okay rotation and a solid bullpen, but the real strength is the defense, easily the best in the majors in terms of run prevention. Jayson Werth by himself is one of the best outfielders in baseball. Utley and Rollins are one of baseball’s best double play tandems, Pedro Feliz is an excellent defensive 3B and Raul is the only real weak spot. The Phillies are what the Red Sox are in the AL: a seemingly unbeatable force that’s arguably the best at scoring and preventing runs.
No team should match the Rays’ surprise run (whether or not the saberheads were really surprised), but one team that should rebound strong from a down year is the Atlanta Braves. Picking up Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez quickly makes the Braves rotation the best in the NL, placing them ahead of the emerging Jair Jurjjens, strike throwing Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami and whichever MLB-ready rookie they elect to throw in the #5 spot. Their offense should also score a lot of runs, as the Braves have quietly assembled a consistently productive lineup built around veteran Chipper Jones and top-shelf catcher Brian McCann. Nearly all of these hitters can hit for some power, and much of the lineup consistently gets on base. The defense is merely average, but the Braves should quietly take the Wildcard in a 90-95 win season the old fashioned way: With solid pitching and solid hitting.
Sadly, the big money NY Mets just don’t have what it takes to crack the playoffs this year. Save for the huge JJ Putz trade and signing K-Rod this offseason, they didn’t really add any talent. The lineup, while one of the league’s better lineups, is essentially the same lineup they had last season. K-Rod and JJ vastly upgrade an okay bullpen to an okay bullpen fronted by two great relievers. The next best arm is one of those other players acquired in the JJ trade, Sean Green. Overall, the pitching is among the best in the NL thanks to the bullpen pickups, but the defense is simply decent, the bottom of the lineup gets a bit thin and the Mets simply don’t have enough top-shelf oomph to oust the Phillies or outlast the soon-to-emerge Braves.
The Marlins manage to stay somewhat competitive despite no budget, no fanbase and a sadistic owner, but this season they simply won’t be in the hunt. This is a 65-70 win team that, despite some young stars and a talented, developing rotation, are hampered by a weak bullpen, a subpar offense and a subpar defense. Cameron Maybin is still a year or two away from becoming a star in the Hanley Ramirez mold. Both he and Ramirez are subpar defenders who will get away with it due to their bats. New 3B Emilio Bonifacio is still a couple years away, if he will indeed meet his potential. Jeremy Hermida and Cody Ross hit for power but only give you so much in the lineup, while Jorge Cantu is the most reliable bat outside of Ramirez. Godspeed, new stadium.
The Washington Nationals will definitely hang with the Marlins for 4th in the NL East, but no one’s wrong about the Nationals being bad. They actually have an average lineup between Ryan Zimmerman, a healthy Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young, newly acquired Adam Dunn, Elijah Dukes, with help from Austin Kearns and Ronnie Belliard. They’ll score some runs. The defense is also average, rather than bad as many may think. But the big problem with the Nationals is what has to be far and away the worst pitching staff in the majors. John Lannan fronts a rag-tag bunch of kids and tomato cans, many whom would struggle to hold down the middle of most AAA staffs. Daniel Cabrera is finished, rookie Jordan Zimmerman’s going to get initiated and Scott Olsen has a gopherball problem. The Nationals should allow the most runs in the NL, and it’ll be mainly because of poor pitching.
Storytime with Erik Bedard: Little Red Riding Hood
: A young lady named Red Riding Hood went to visit her grandma.: She ran into a child predator named-
: The Big Bad Wolf!
: She walked through the forest!: Right, and if there’s one place you don’t want to walk through alone at night…: It’s the forest.: And I guess the ghetto, but that’s way more than one place.: Lots of gangbangers too.: What are gangbangers?: A great way to get your shoes, coat and you hat taken.:: Why do they take your stuff?: Gangbanging doesn’t pay well. It’s like going to Wal-Mart for them.: Anyway, Red Riding Hood ran into the wolf.: The wolf asked her where she was going.: Like someone with a deathwish, she told him the truth.: What’s a deathwish?: Driving through Compton with the car doors unlocked.:: So the girl tells this wolf she’s never seen before exactly where she’s going.: "I’m going to see my grandma," she says. And she leaves.: Now, even though she didn’t tell him the address….: The wolf knew exactly where she lived.: How did he know?: He’s a prowler that’s into older women.::: He keeps a black book too.: Anyway, he’s thinking fresh meat, double dip.: Is he thinking Arby’s?: ::: : That’s one way to put it.: I like the roast beef and cheese sandwich!: I like the curly fries.: The wolf, meanwhile, likes grandma and Red Riding Hood.: He goes into grandma’s house and eats her.: I’m going to spare the details because you’re kids.: Was she delicious?: Don’t make me answer that.: I’m hungry.: I’ll spare you the details.: [open door]: Time for recess.: YAYYYYYYYYYYY: YAYYYYYYYYYY: : : "Was she delicious?": What kind of kid asks a question like that?
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