Heading Home in the Morning

by John Sickels on Sep 1, 2005 12:07 AM EDT in News

I'll be heading home in the morning. I got some good photos tonight and will post them when I get home. Lots of good scouting information as well, though I need to distill that down into useful format for newsletter subscribers. I will post excerpts here.

Basically, one more day and I'll have lots of good stuff for you! Thanks for your patience.

DISCUSSION QUESTION for THURSDAY: Bases loaded in the 7th game of the World Series, 2 outs, bottom of the ninth. Mariano Rivera is pitching, protecting a 3-run lead. PICK ONE hitter, anyone without major league experience, currently in A-ball, to win the game for you! I asked a similar question early this spring. I want to ask it again now that we have a season of data.

Tweet Comment 33 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Currently in A Ball?

The two that come immediately to mind are Brandon Wood and Eddy Martinez-Esteve. The only problem is that they are both RH hitters and you'd probaby want a lefty to face Rivera.

Since I'm a Giants fan, I'll go with what I know. Nate Schierholtz is a lefthanded hitter who has put up good numbers for San Jose, BA .319, SLG% .500. 14 HR's. He might not fare too well against Rivera though as he strikes out a lot. Travis Ishikawa, also a lefty, is hitting .288 with 20 HR's. He's also strikes out a lot, but has shown more patience at the plate than Schierholtz and has hit for more power.

I'm sure there are better lefty hitters out there. Given a choice between Schierholtz or Ishikawa and Brandon Wood, I'd go with the obviously better hitter even though he's righthanded.

by DrBGiantsfan on Sep 1, 2005 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

More on Nate Schierholtz

His stats going into tonight's game were .317/.363/.503. He went 3 for 4 tonight to raise his BA to .321 and hit his 15'th HR.

I'd still go with Brandon Wood.

by DrBGiantsfan on Sep 1, 2005 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Oops

Make that .506 for the SLG% on Schierholtz.

by DrBGiantsfan on Sep 1, 2005 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions

nah

rivera eats lefthanders alive, even more than righties, due to his ridiculous cutter. in the past 3 years, for instance, .502 OPS vs lefties, .629 vs righties.

by jpahk on Sep 2, 2005 2:48 AM EDT up reply actions

nah

nah yourself

Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.

by Goodfella on Sep 2, 2005 7:44 AM EDT up reply actions

I'll take Saltalamacchia...

What this guy has done at every level has been amazing, especially his .314/.392/.522 line at Myrtle Beach, the toughest park for hitters in all of baseball. He is very polished at the plate, and is for some reason intimidating, I have seen him own Carolina League pitchers this year. Salty has great strikeout judgement, and enough power to hit a double or homer to tie or win the game.

Julian de Lavalle

by jdelavalle on Sep 1, 2005 12:36 AM EDT reply actions

Yep

I would have to go with this pick as well. The only part to question is whether is do we want the player with the best chance to win the game with one swing of the bat, or do we want the hitter with the best chance for us to win the game? If it is the former then maybe Brandon Wood is the best choice, but I think the latter makes more sense and Saltalamacchia gives the us the better chance. Martinez-Esteve is a very good pick here as well. But I like Saltalamacchia and the numbers he put up in less of a hitters league.

by rdiersin on Sep 1, 2005 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Excellent Question

OK, Rivera is better against lefties, so I'll take a right-handed hitter.

Brandon Wood is the obvious choice - and since Rivera throws strikes I wouldn't worry a whole lot about his k rate or bb rate.

Saltamacchia is tempting, but he is a lefty and tired after catching the whole game.

I'll ignore the easy pick of Wood [while showing my Giant's bias] and go with Eddy-ME on the basis of his plate discipline and ability to go the other way.

by irwin @ Minor League Ball on Sep 1, 2005 12:41 AM EDT reply actions

Saltydog

I'm pretty sure that Saltydog is a switch hitter.

by JFP on Sep 1, 2005 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes. he is

But you probably wouldn't have him turned around hitting righthanded vrs Rivera.

by irwin @ Minor League Ball on Sep 1, 2005 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I realized that

I was pointing the fact out to some readers who may be less informed. In no way was I trying to question your intelligence or you baseball knowledge. I appologize if that is how it sounded.

Anybody have any splits for him? Is he as strong on the right as the left? Does he show more power from one side of the plate? Or is he pretty much down the middle? I would appreciate any info you guys could provide.

by JFP on Sep 1, 2005 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

No prob

I didn't take it as such.

As far as splits, I have no clue where you can find minor league splits. From what I have heard, he is better [not dramatically as far as I know] from the left like most switch hitters. But sorry, no numbers.

by irwin @ Minor League Ball on Sep 1, 2005 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Saltalamacchia 2005

AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO
vs Left .308 172 21 53 13 0 10 37 16 28
vs Right .319 276 48 88 19 1 9 41 37 67

by LogicRules on Sep 2, 2005 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Also

you right, I should have pointed out that he would be hitting lefty vrs a righty

by irwin @ Minor League Ball on Sep 1, 2005 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Bottom of the 9th

which means the NL won the allstar game. Well, with that info the answer has to be Rockies 3B Ian Stewart at Coors Field (where no lead is safe)...

by rhodehead on Sep 1, 2005 12:48 AM EDT reply actions

2ND

I second this nomination

by eastin on Sep 1, 2005 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions

i would pick

brandon wood or matt kemp.

by npurcell on Sep 1, 2005 12:52 AM EDT reply actions

Awww

Kemp was my sneaky dark horse pick!

Go ahead and shoot your mouth off, like it might kill the silence.

by ESiegrist on Sep 1, 2005 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions

well if you want power

to win the game with a GS, kemp or wood are your guys. to slug 26 homeruns and have a slg close to 600 as a 20 yr old in the FSL is quite an accomplishment.

by npurcell on Sep 1, 2005 2:46 AM EDT up reply actions

well...

I hope my Jays make it to the World Series, so I'll go with Adam Lind. Of course, that wouldn't explain how he's facing a Yankee... :-)

by okbluejays on Sep 1, 2005 1:25 AM EDT reply actions

I'd go with Esteve

I wanted to pick Carlos Quentin, but for the A ball requirement.

My reasoning behind Quentin is that I'm clearly hoping that he'd take one for the team, and that whoever I had up next would have a better chance against Mariano than any rookie without MLB experience.

In other words, I'm ignoring power here, clearly going for an OBP guy. If that guy gets on, I figure a single from the next batter is very likely to tie the game. Better to try for that, than hope some kid fresh from the minors (even Hermida) can take Mariano deep.

Medea's Child

by medeas child on Sep 1, 2005 5:04 AM EDT reply actions

pick

Chris Lubanski

Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.

by Goodfella on Sep 1, 2005 11:26 AM EDT reply actions

I would pick

Brandon Wood if I wanted to go with a righty or Ian Stewart if I wanted to go with a lefty. Overall Wood is my choice.

by cronie on Sep 1, 2005 11:34 AM EDT reply actions

he's on fire

Jeff Fiorentino!

by stwright @ Minor League Ball on Sep 1, 2005 11:50 AM EDT reply actions

not a bad choice

But I think he's ineligible on account of his time w/the big league club this year (I'll still never understand that decision).

I go Salty.

by jhelfgott @ Minor League Ball on Sep 1, 2005 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Stewart

Coors effect. It's the bottom of the nineth. Mo's cutter isn't going to cut as much in coors and Ian goes yard on a pitch he doesn't get all of. Just a routine fly to the track in most parks, gets out of Coors and Ian takes advantage of that fact!

Bob Abreu for Kevin Stocker....I'll take it-Chuck Lamar

by Tyler on Sep 1, 2005 1:26 PM EDT reply actions

Clevlen

I think Brandon Wood is the obvious choice. There is no denying Wood's power his year, especially if you are thinking walk-off HR to win the game.

My 2nd choice might be Brent Clevlen. The idea being that there is no guarentee that you are going to take Mo yard. Clevlen has the speed/power to lace a double or triple if he can't find the pitch to swing for the fences on.

Just wanted to throw another name into the mix.

"If you cant answer a man's argument, all is not lost, you can still call him vile names" - Hubbard

by QuixoticQuasiQuandary on Sep 1, 2005 2:04 PM EDT reply actions

Probably...

Jeff Clement, just over Stewart and Wood. Call it a gut instinct, but I feel like he'd be less likely to be intimidated, and if he's not playing in Coors Field or a similar environment, he might have a leg up on guys who have spent their entire careers hitting in bandboxes.

by Brickhaus on Sep 1, 2005 2:18 PM EDT reply actions

Corsaletti

I'll throw a dart. Jeff Corsaletti. The guy has already played in pressure situations, the college world series. And I would have a feeling that he would put the ball in play, plus he is hitting .351. You never know what happens when hit into that Yankee OF.

by dduncan on Sep 1, 2005 2:30 PM EDT reply actions

Didn't read the specific situation

Sorry, didn't read that you needed a walk off HR. In that case, Nolan Reimold is my pick.

by dduncan on Sep 1, 2005 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions

inside the park

with that Yankee outfield, it could be an inside the park homerun :)

"A hot dog at the ball park is better than steak at the Ritz." ~Humphrey Bogart

by mrmetaa on Sep 1, 2005 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Well

....one could always go with the ageless wonder, Carolina League owning Leo Daigle....LOL

by CrossCyed on Sep 1, 2005 7:06 PM EDT reply actions

Indians High A Prospect...

Hello everyone,

3B Kevin Kouzmanoff - he's come back from injury, is hitting over .330 at High A Kinston in the Carolina League, is a right-handed hitter, and has pretty good strike zone judgment (sorry, I don't have exact numbers in front of me, but he does take a good share of walks and doesn't strike out excessively for a guy with decent to good power.)

Plus, he will go the other way with pitches and he even has power that way as well.

He probably would have been promoted to AA Akron this year if not for the injury (to his back I believe, which kept him out for about 6-8 weeks I believe) but he's never been to AA (I don't think) so he would be a good choice for me. :-)

by indiansfan on Sep 3, 2005 12:46 AM EDT reply actions