Minor League Wrap (5/11-17/09)
No intro this week… I was up a bit late working on this, and probably won’t be in to answer questions until late either. This is perhaps a good thing, as you miss any possible references I could make to “statement games”.
To the jump!
Summer Leagues are Coming:
For those of you who are really into this minor league baseball thing, the Venezuelan Summer League starts up today. The VSL is the only place to follow guys with names like Aljeurreau Bishop, Isliexel Gonzalez, and Rigoberto Rangel, but as most of them never make it to the states, let alone the big leagues, there’s not much point in covering them. If I do make mention of them, it will likely only be to reference Jose Valdivia, a Columbia pitcher who was a top international signing by the M’s last period, but I do still cover them over at my blog, if for some reason seven stateside affiliates are not enough for you. On that note, Everett starts up June 20th, Pulaski on June 23rd, and Peoria on June 21st, with the Dominican Summer League opening on the 30th of May.
Tacoma Rainiers (5-2 this week, 20-17 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, May 11th 2009
Colorado Springs 2 (COL + 6), Tacoma 6
WP: G. Hernandez; LP: B. Hynick
Tuesday, May 12th 2009
Tacoma 9, New Orleans 7 (NYM – 8 )
WP: S. Shell; LP: D. Barone; SV: R. Messenger
Wednesday, May 13th 2009
Tacoma 3, New Orleans 4 (NYM – 7)
WP: J. Santos; LP: L. Munoz; SV: B. Sanches
Thursday, May 14th 2009
Tacoma 2, New Orleans 8 (NYM – 6)
WP: L. Speigner; LP: A. Baldwin
Friday, May 15th 2009
Tacoma 12, New Orleans 4 (NYM – 7)
WP: J. Hall; LP: B. Sinkbeil
Saturday, May 16th 2009
Tacoma 8, Oklahoma City 3 (TEX – 4)
WP: G. Hernandez; LP: J. Rupe
Sunday, May 17th 2009
Tacoma 9, Oklahoma City 1 (TEX – 5)
WP: D. Fister; LP: T. Hunter
Hitter of the Week:
OF Prentice Redman, R/R, 8/23/1979
5 G, 25 AB, 7 R, 13 H, 3 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 5/1 K/BB, CS, .520/~.538/1.000
For the second week in a row, I came in prepared to give the award to a prospect and instead defer to the performance of a more veteran type. I wanted to highlight Clement’s incredible roadtrip so far, and how more than half of his hits have been going for extras, but then I noticed that Redman has started hitting again. Did you know he’s tied for the team lead in home runs at ten, with Bryan LaHair? He’s also second in doubles, one behind Carp. He’s in his physical prime, so this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. I almost wish he was doing it for a team with a more open outfield situation.
Honorable Mention:
Jeff Clement, L/R, 8/21/1983
6 G, 28 AB, 5 R, 13 H, 6 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6/2 K/BB, .464/~.500/.892
Also Honorable Mention:
CIF Chris Shelton, R/R, 6/26/1980
6 G, 26 AB, 8 R, 11 H, 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5/1 K/BB, .423/~.444/.808
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Gaby Hernandez, 5/21/1986
2-0, 2 GS, 2.38 ERA in 11.1 IP, 8 H (HR), 3 R, 9/5 K/BB, 9/15 G/F, 2 HB
I’m not exactly a fan of Hernandez long-term, but May has been one heck of a month for him so far. He’s 3-1 and has been running a 3.09 ERA through four starts, holding opposing batters to near the Mendoza Line, and running a 17/7 K/BB. That walk problem is part of why I’m a little hesitant about him, in addition to some long-standing concerns about his ability to handle adversity. For example, batters are .232 against him with no one on and .320 with anyone on, and it’s reflected by a difference in ERA of more than ten and a half points.
Honorable Mention:
RHP Luis Munoz, 1/10/1982
0-1, G, 1.80 ERA in 5.0 IP, 5 H, R, 3/1 K/BB, 8/3 G/F
Dishonorable Mention:
RHP Andy Baldwin, 10/20/1982
0-1, GS, 9.53 ERA in 5.2 IP, 12 H (4 HR), 6 R, 3/0 K/BB, 5/9 G/F
From The Training Room:
The big news this week is that Matt Tuiasosopo is having elbow surgery and will be out for the next month or two. Morse moves up on the depth chart by default. Speaking of which, while Woodward has not officially been placed on the DL, he hasn’t played since the 11th, which has had Morse and Monzon splitting time at short, with an appearance by Crabbe now and then. Clement’s knee has been bugging him a bit, so Adam Moore has been brought in from West Tenn to cover the rest of the catching duties. Pitcher Jesus Delgado sprained his right knee chasing after a foul ball and has been on the disabled list with no real timetable as to when he’ll be back. Wilson is still out.
The Week in Preview:
5/18, at Oklahoma City (TEX, 15-20), Doubleheader at 9:05 am PDT
5/21-4, vs. Memphis (STL, 19-16), All Times 7:00 pm PDT except Sunday (1:30 pm PDT)
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (3-5 this week, 13-22 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, May 11th 2009
West Tenn 4, Tennessee 3 (CHC + 1) (thirteen innings)
WP: A. Varvaro; LP: J. Papelbon; SV: M. Vega
Tuesday, May 12th 2009
West Tenn 1, Tennessee 0 (CHC 0)
WP: M. Rivera; LP: J. Papelbon
Wednesday, May 13th 2009
West Tenn 2, Tennessee 3 (CHC + 1)
WP: J. Gaub; LP: S. Bray; SV: B. Schlitter
Thursday, May 14th 2009
West Tenn 1, Tennessee 7 (CHC + 2)
WP: C. Lambert; LP: P. Ryan
Friday, May 15th 2009
West Tenn 9, Tennessee 2 (CHC + 1)
WP: J. Souza; LP: M. Mateo
Saturday, May 16th 2009
Birmingham 10 (CHW + 15), West Tenn 8
WP: L. Harrell; LP: M. Rivera
Sunday, May 17th 2009
Birmingham 4 (CHW + 16), West Tenn 3 (seven innings)
WP: J. Ely; LP: K. Parker; SV: F. Hernandez
Birmingham 4 (+ 17), West Tenn 2 (seven innings)
WP: M. Zaleski; LP: S. Bray; SV: M. Johnston
Hitter of the Week:
LF Johan Limonta, L/L, 8/4/1983
8 G, 28 AB, 3 R, 12 H, 4 2B, 3 RBI, 3/4 K/BB, .429/~.500/.571
It’s hard to tell what one should think of Limonta at any given time. A Cuban refugee who entered the draft and was picked up by the Mariners five years ago in the 20th round, it’s also hard to regard his development as normal either. After a solid season in 2008 that put him on the map as a potential corner IF/OF platoon lefty, he started out rather mediocre this season, his power and walk output off noticeably. He’s been coming around lately, so that future projection for him may yet come true, though probably not for a couple of years yet.
Honorable Mention:
1B Marshall Hubbard, L/R, 4/16/1982
8 G, 32 AB, 4 R, 11 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4/3 K/BB, .343/~.400/.594
Dishonorable Mention:
IF Leury Bonilla, R/R, 2/8/1985
6 G, 22 AB, R, H, 3/1 K/BB, .045/.125/.045
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Kyle Parker, 4/8/1985
0-1, 2 GS, 2.77 ERA in 13.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 11/4 K/BB, 12/14 G/F, 2 HB, WP
What’s a little odd about Parker’s results here is that they’re good as a unit, but neither start was impressive on its own. The first saw him get through seven innings only allowing three hits, but he only ran a 3/3 K/BB. The second time around, he got the Ks and minimized the walks, but also allowed a few hits and some earned runs. This has been symptomatic of his whole season, where he’s been average at worst, but wildly erratic throughout. A little consistency would help him move up the charts, as he projects as a competent back-end rotation man.
Honorable Mention:
RHP Marwin Vega, 10/27/1986
0-0, 3 G, 0.00 ERA in 4.0 IP, 2 H, 4/1 K/BB, 6/2 G/F
Dishonorable Mention:
RHP Patrick Ryan, 5/134/1983
0-1, GS, 7.71 ERA in 4.1 IP, 9 H (HR), 5 R (4 ER), 0/1 K/BB, 7/6 G/F
From the Training Room:
The three starters, Rohrbaugh, Pena, and Orta, remain DLed, which leaves Hensley continuing to pitch off-level with mixed results. With the move of Moore up to Tacoma, Guillermo Quiroz has moved over to Jackson to take care of the catching duties. Fields is not on the DL, but he hasn’t pitched in nearly two weeks and one scout recently said his mechanics were “some of the most violent I’ve seen in recent memoryâ€. Maybe we should convert him to relief… oh. Leury Bonilla has also joined the team, moving Dominguez back to the Cal League.
The Week in Preview:
5/18-20, vs. Birmingham (CHW, 29-9), All Times 5:05 pm PDT, except Wednesday (9:05 am PDT)
5/21-4, at Huntsville (MIL, 16-16), All Times 5:00 pm PDT, except Saturday (4:00 pm PDT) and Sunday (11:00 am PDT)
High Desert Mavericks (2-4 this week, 23-14 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, May 11th 2009
Off day
Tuesday, May 12th 2009
High Desert 6, Rancho Cucamonga 4 (LAA – 8 )
WP: M. Pineda; LP: A. Torres; SV: P. Aumont
Wednesday, May 13th 2009
High Desert 7, Rancho Cucamonga 3 (LAA – 9)
WP: D. Hume; LP: T. Kiely
Thursday, May 14th 2009
High Desert 3, Rancho Cucamonga 4 (LAA – 8) (eleven innings)
WP: E. McKiernan; LP: N. Dilone
Friday, May 15th 2009
Stockton 10 (OAK – 11), High Desert 3WP: D. Gordon; LP: A. Venegas
Saturday, May 16th 2009
Stockton 10 (OAK – 10), High Desert 9
WP: J. Murray; LP: J. Wild; SV: L. Espinal
Sunday, May 17th 2009
Stockton 9 (OAK – 9), High Desert 7
WP: J. Hunton; LP: P. Aumont
Hitter of the Week:
3B Alex Liddi, R/R, 8/14/1988
6 G, 27 AB, 5 R, 8 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6/2 K/BB, 2 SB, .296/~.345/.630
I swear that I do look at other players on the team, that I don’t habitually write up the same names over and over. It’s just that Liddi and Dunigan comprise most of the offense for the Mavericks. How much so? Both have double-digits in home runs and doubles, and no one else on the Mavericks does. Both have well over 30 RBI, no other Maverick does. In fact, a full third of the runs that have been driven in so far are just those two guys. Roughly 42% of the team’s home runs, just Liddi and Dunigan, over a third of the doubles, just them again. They are basically what is driving the team right now, even in an off-week for both.
Honorable Mention:
1B Joe Dunigan, L/L, 3/29/1986
6 G, 25 AB, 5 R, 8 H, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 4/3 K/BB, 3 SB, .320/~.393/.520
Dishonorable Mention:
C Travis Scott, K/R, 4/24/1985
4 G, 15 AB, 3 R, H, HR, 2 RBI, 4/2 K/BB, .067/~.175/.267
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Nathan Adcock, 2/25/1988
0-0, GS, 0.00 ERA in 6.1 IP, H, 5/3 K/BB, 9/5 G/F
Adcock sometimes gets lost among the more vaunted prospects in the rotation, but stat for stat, he’s been better than J.C. Ramirez this year, even though Ramirez has the superior stuff. He is also fifth in the league in ERA, within the top ten in innings pitched, and has gone five innings or deeper in all but one of his starts. While Adcock ultimately didn’t get the win, Thursday night’s game was an example of him when he’s on, with groundball in bunches and long stretches of runners not getting anywhere, with nine of ten being retired at one point.
Honorable Mention:
LHP Donnie Hume, 8/29/1985
1-0, GS, 1.80 ERA in 5.0 IP, 7 H (HR), R, 2/2 K/BB, 8/5 G/F
Dishonorable Mention:
LHP Travis Mortimore, 8/1/1984
0-0, 2 G, 45.00 ERA in 1.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 0/1 K/BB, 3/0 G/F
From the Training Room:
Pineda has come off the DL, pushing Stephen Penney off the roster. Infielder Jeffrey Dominguez has also joined the team.
The Week in Preview:
5/18, vs. Stockton (OAK, 14-23), 7:05 pm PDT
5/19-21, vs. Rancho Cucamonga (LAA, 15-22), all times 7:05 pm PDT
5/22-4, at Lancaster (HOU, 12-25), all times 7:05 pm PDT except Sunday (6:05 pm PDT)
Clinton Lumberkings (2-5 this week, 20-16 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, May 11th 2009
Off day
Tuesday, May 12th 2009
Beloit 3 (MIN – 4), Clinton 2
WP: D. Osterbrock; LP: K. Kasparek; SV: J. Testa
Wednesday, May 13th 2009
Beloit 5 (MIN – 3), Clinton 2
WP: B. Lanigan; LP: W. Suriel; SV: M. Williams
Thursday, May 14th 2009
Beloit 6 (MIN – 4), Clinton 7 (thirteen innings)
WP: G. Moviel; LP: D. Rondon
Friday, May 15th 2009
Beloit 2 (MIN – 5), Clinton 7
WP: A. Pribanic; LP: M. Allen
Saturday, May 16th 2009
Clinton 3, Wisconsin 8 (MIL – 8)
WP: M. Bowman; LP: A. Harben
Sunday, May 17th 2009
Clinton 0, Wisconsin 7 (MIL – 7) (seven innings)
WP: C. Scarpetta; LP: K. Kasparek; SV: N. Tyson
Clinton 3, Wisconsin 8 (- 6) (seven innings)
WP: D. Meadows; LP: S. Penney
Hitter of the Week:
CF Maximo Mendez, L/L, 11/24/1986
7 G, 27 AB, 9 H, 2B, 3 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 10/5 K/BB, SB, .333/~.438/.703
Here’s one interesting thing that has separated the Clinton offense from everyone else’s so far: triples. The Lumberkings have twenty-four of them, seven more than the next team. Seven is the same number that Mendez has, with three coming in the past week. Mendez started out the season pretty hot, but then entered a cool spell that lasted until the past week or so, when his peripheral numbers have started to come around again. One concern with him is that for the kind of package he brings, speed and on-base skills more than power, he strikes out an awful lot, roughly a third of his at-bats resulting in a K of some kind.
Honorable Mention:
UT Terry Serrano, S/R, 2/6/1987
6 G, 21 AB, 3 R, 7 H, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 6/3 K/BB, .333/~.417/.476
Dishonorable Mention:
C Israel Nunez, R/R, 9/1/1985
5 G, 13 AB, 2 H, 3/0 K/BB
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Aaron Pribanic, 9/1/1986
1-0, 2.84 ERA in 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5/2 K/BB, 13/1 G/F
Can a pitcher who just turned in a quality start with only two runs allowed be considered “unlucky”? With Pribanic, I would make that case. The 22-year-old right-hander retired the first twelve in a row before giving up a walk, and then in the seventh, two hits, one of which included an error, and a walk allowed the two runs to score, and one of them only crossed as an inheritted runner. Particularly of note are the thirteen grounders he recorded, though for the year he’s only at two and a half per fly. As soon as his command is fixed a little, he could project to something interesting.
Honorable Mention:
LHP Bobby LaFromboise, 6/25/1986
0-0, 2 G, 0.00 ERA in 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4/1 K/BB, 4/6 G/F
Dishonorable Mention:
RHP Adam Harben, 8/19/1983
0-1, 13.50 ERA in 4.0 IP, 7 H (HR), 7 R (6 ER), 2/5 K/BB, 8/2 G/F, 3 WP
From the Training Room:
Now both of the starting catchers are on the DL, with Howell being the latest addition, so the catching rotation is now Israel Nunez and Blake Ochoa. As Penney moved to Clinton, Chris Kirkland was pushed back to extended spring training.
The Week in Preview:
5/18-9, at Wisconsin (MIL, 15-21), 10:05 am PDT Mon, 4:35 pm PDT Tues
5/20-2, vs. Lansing (TOR, 11-23), All Times at 4:30 pm PDT
5/23-4, vs. Great Lakes (LAD, 19-17), 4:30 PDT Sat, 12:00 pm PDT Sun
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5 Responses to “Minor League Wrap (5/11-17/09)”
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I haven’t heard anything recently about Dennis Raben. Is his knee (I thought it was his knee) still hurt?
I have to say, this linescore gave me pause:
What, has the Yankees-Red Sox everywhere-all-the-time media flu now infected small town Tennessee? Or are their closers just moonlighting?
😉
I was wondering why Adam Moore was called up. If Clement’s knee is already troubling him, can we pretty much expect he’s done behind the dish?
Last I heard, Raben was still rehabbing. For a while, they didn’t seem sure whether or not they were going to have to go in for surgery, but I think they finally decided against it.
Yeah, that was definitely an interesting series. Papelbon even lost two games in a row. That would have gone down under strange happenings had I the time to do that section any justice, but I’m glad someone picked up on it.
I wouldn’t say that just yet, but it’s really not helping. Given Clement’s history with that knee, I had been advocating some kind of setup where he would be splitting time between DH and catcher so as to preserve that knee, but I don’t know who else you’d DH on the days he was behind the plate. I leave that question to others.
I was at the Lumberkings game on Thursday (the 13 inning game). That was the 2nd time I have watched Lorin.
He had some moments of really poor control – 4 walks matched his total for the entire season. That, and the two homers. but still punched out 6 in 6 innings. He threw a lot of pitches over that time, and only gave up 3 hits. That, and he had 4 assists. 4!
In fact, the team held them to only 3 hits until the 9th, when Flores blew the save, w/ help from Mario Martinez at third.
It was a pretty impressive outing for the bullpen, who after the 9th, held them pretty much hitless.
Almonte looked good, Mendez was fast and got some good contact, and Tenbrink, who was playing the OF, looked good too.
Mario Martinez – who is batting .186 – has the worst arm for 3rd base. It was like he was lobbing it. Even though Flores walked 2 to start the 9th, it really fell on Martinez who, after bobbling it, threw a crap throw to 1st, which was of course dropped, allowing the runners to score.
The other thing worth mentioning for that squad is that almost their entire pitching staff if over 6’5″ – that is nuts. Those guys are giants.