Matt Sulentic

by playingwithfire on Jun 11, 2008 1:59 AM EDT Comment 13 comments

After a horrible 2007 in the low As. Matt Sulentic got promoted to A+ nonetheless this year. And the hitter friendly Cal league seems to really help as he's hitting a solid .294/.367/.477 line so far this year for Stockton. Strikeout is still a tad high for Matt. But after being downgraded to a C this year, what do you think, assuming he keeps this up, his grade should be by the end of the year?

and other general thoughts.

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not sure

still a work in progress, but nice bounce back

some forget he was on par w/ travis sinder as one of the best HS bats from the 06 draft.
fell apart in 07

he’s still one of the youngest hitters in the league, but the CAL is offensively driven
also i’m not sure he has enough power for a corner OF spot, they experimented at 2b in 07 and it was a disaster.

if he continues, maybe borderline B grade
it will be interest to see how that stockton group w/ Sulentic/Dootlittle/Carter + 07 draftees progress

about that Stockton team, Cahill continues dominance, Anderson back on track.
Banwart/Fernandez are solid.
but Hrod/DLS and even Bailey/Gio in AA/AAA have been huge disappointments.
on the flipside, Lansford has regained his stuff and is dominating in the bullpen plus Italiano/Mazzaro…...finally some progress on those 05 HS picks
Demel/Carignan are a couple power BP arms from 07 draft maybe ready by late 09

by Asfan4ever723 on Jun 11, 2008 3:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The interesting thing about Sulentic

Despite having probably the second best slashes on the team (to Doolittle) Stockton continues to bat Sulentic 9th. I don’t know why. Considering how slow the A’s are taking to promote Doolittle, Cahill and, in AA, Jesus Guman despite absolutely dominating, I would suspect Sulentic stays at Stockton all year.

"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton

by vignette17 on Jun 11, 2008 10:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

With regard to Sulentic

that is perfectly fine. The organization took a chance pushing this kid to high A after he looked completely lost last year. The fact that he’s doing very well is great for the organization. You dont want to risk the positive gains this year by jump an already young kid to double A and risk losing all the positive momentum gain this season. I would keep the kid in Stockton for the rest of the year and let he start the season in AA next year.

I believe Cahill could still use a few more starts in stockton as well. Maybe after the milb all star games do you consider bringing him up. I would do the same with doolittle.

Carter should problably stay down and work on his ridiculous strike-out rate. It will only get worst in Midland if he’s promoted now.

Cain is Able ...

by Norcalfan10 on Jun 11, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Unfortunantly...

The trend in the A’s organization is heading down hill as far as character is concerned. I was at the game in Modesto where, if not for Sulentic’s temper, we would not have witnessed a 20+ minute brawl. Granted Sulentic was hit by a pitch and had a right to get upset about it. What he did after was totally uncalled for and put one of his teammates in the hospital and out for the season. In the past, A’s minor league players would have reacted to getting hit by the pitch much differently. They would have taken their base , maybe stolen second and scored and that was how they got you back. With the recent draftings of questionable character, I imaging many more fights on the diamond. I also hear he has caused a few problems in the clubhouse as well.
He may be a great player, but he is not the kind of player the A’s used to want.

by ModNut on Jun 12, 2008 6:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

your nuts are at fault

GAME IN A GRAF – Forget the game. This one will be remembered for the first full-scale on-field brawl since John Thurman Field was renovated in 1997. Here’s the play-by-play, straight from the game story:
1. Stockton’s Darryl Lawhorn led off the top of the fifth with a line-drive home run, giving the Ports a 9-1 lead.
2. On the very next pitch, Modesto starter Aneury Rodriguez hit Matt Sulentic in the ribs with a 91 MPH fastball and was immediately ejected. Sulentic never took a step toward the mound, but was gesturing and barking at Rodriguez while being escorted to first base.
And once there, Sulentic had to be restrained by a Ports coach while continuing to yell and point at Rodriguez as the pitcher walked back to the Nuts’ clubhouse.
3. Order was restored, and home plate umpire Daniel Oliver issued formal bean-ball warning to both dugouts as Brandon Durden took the mound for the Nuts.
4. Archie Gilbert, the next hitter, stroked a potential double-play ground ball to shortstop that was booted by Daniel Mayora. Sulentic, in a position to break up the double play, did so hard, with spikes raised. The collision with Jason Van Kooten was violent enough to flip the Nuts’ second baseman, and Van Kooten landed atop Sulentic eight feet past second base.
5. Sulentic used his arms and legs to push Van Kooten away, and the two immediately began exchanging punches.
6. Both benches and bullpens emptied. Rodriguez, who had returned to the clubhouse and removed his jersey, sprinted back onto the field to join the fracas.
7. Sulentic was forced away from the mob by Ports’ manager Darren Bush, but another series of fists flew in the mosh pit around second base.
Durden began throwing to stay warm, only to discover he was one of the players ejected. Van Kooten and Mayora also were shipped to the clubhouse, as was designated hitter Nick Haley, one of many Nuts to leave the dugout.
The Ports also lost four players, including Sulentic, catcher Raul Padron, and two players not in the game: outfielder Jermaine Mitchell and pitcher Jose Fragoso.
Modesto and Stockton meet 15 more times this season, including a 1:05 game today and a 7:05 p.m. start on Monday.

http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=insidetheshell

by Asfan4ever723 on Jun 12, 2008 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Darryl Lawhorn is still aroudn?

cool

by nms on Jun 12, 2008 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

from your link..
”
3. The only winners in all this? At every Nuts’ home game, fans are allowed to buy beer for $1 during the top of the fifth inning. Between the game action, the brawl and subsequent discussion, Saturday night’s top of the fifth lasted nearly 50 minutes.”

by nms on Jun 12, 2008 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To a point, yes...

The Nuts started it, but if Sulentic would have not over reacted, it would have ended there.
What you do not see, and what the idiot Van Der Beek failed to notice, was the threats Sulentic was screaming after he was plunked.
YES, Rodriguez was very STUPID when he hit Matt, but the reaction from that hitting was totally over the line.
I am not, and did not EVER defend what our pitcher did, but it would have ended if Sulentic did not slide in HARD with SPIKES UP on Jason Van Kooten, our Second Baseman.

I was a Modesto A’s fan for years, and still have friends in that organization and those guys would have NEVER reacted the way Sulentic did. Even after the fight, the Stockton players I heard from were more pissed at Sulentic than any of our players.

FYI – that was the “worst/best” brawl I have ever seen in person, but it was scary thinking about how many players would be injured.

by ModNut on Jun 12, 2008 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i've been involved in no fewer than 2 bench clearing brawls with sean doolittle;

just thought i’d share.

ANATOMY OF ERA:
Variables Don't; Constants Aren't

by variablesdont on Jun 12, 2008 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

nice

when n where?

by nms on Jun 12, 2008 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

when he was a sophomore at gloucester county college in NJ

there was a lot of talent on the field at the time, between GCC, and burlington county college. just the starting pitchers alone were great (doolittle and zach braddock were on the mound in the first blowup in the regular season). the second one happened in the playoffs, and ended in one of our coaches getting fired.

ANATOMY OF ERA:
Variables Don't; Constants Aren't

by variablesdont on Jun 13, 2008 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs