July 1 MiLB thread

by doublestix on Jul 1, 2009 5:32 PM EDT Comment 35 comments

some pitchers for today........

Chuck Lofgren, Rick Vanden Hurk, Jason Schmidt (rehab), Jason Hirsh, Zach Mcallister, Daniel Hudson, Danny Duffy, Craig Italiano, Tim Melville

Texas League all-star game also going on.

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby

Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton

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Jesus Montero

Hit a HR in his first AB tonight. That now makes 4 HR’s in his last 3 games, I think he is adjusting quite fine to AA. He even has more BB than K, kid is looking impressive.

by hybrid on Jul 1, 2009 7:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

getting ahead of myself here

but I’m wondering what the Yankees do if his bat is ready, and his defense isn’t close. You think back to B.J. Upton, and how his career was in limbo for a while.

by number_twentyone on Jul 1, 2009 9:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

by jar75 on Jul 1, 2009 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah because

that’s the one thing the Yankees reallllly need, a guy that can hit and not play defense. Sooo unlike Jeter / A-rod / Posada …. oh wait.

by RollingWave on Jul 2, 2009 2:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What?

Where else would you possibly play him? He’s not going to make Teixeira move, and there’s no way he sticks at catcher. You better teach him how to play OF posthaste if you don’t want him as their DH.

by jar75 on Jul 2, 2009 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I dont believe he has the mobility to play OF

KG had a comment about him today:

The defense isn’t good still. He’s slow and sluggish behind the plate, his arm is below average and made even worse by a slow release. Teams are running wild on him; he’s thrown out 15 of 89 stolen base attempts, and that’s 89 attempts in just 40 games.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9159

and this, too:

He still needs to make some massive improvements in his defense to have a chance to stay at catcher

http://baseballprospectus.com/minorleagueupdate/

“Massive” improvements just “to have a chance” to stay at catcher…

He’s a DH… but unlike most guys who are going to end up there I still love the kid because his bat looks absurdly good. You need to dominate and project to be a middle of the order hitter to stand that kind of move – Montero absolutely does project as a clean up/#3 hitter. He has wrecked every stop he’s been at. Its a shame, because I feel like people will be disappointed with him when he’s moved from catcher – but the kid was never really a catcher. He’s big slow and this was not the first time Ive heard him described as “sluggish” NOW – when he’s 19. Imagine when he fills out a little and slows down… There’s a better chance of Teixeira moving to the OF. Hell, Tex at least played LF and 3B. Not that that has a chance in hell of happening. Yankee fans seemed depressed by this “logjam” but what’s the worst case here? Teixeira plays 5 days a week at 1B and Montero plays 2? You can shuffle them around enough… but really now, if youre that concerned with how a 19 year old is going to affect your in-game strategy… well, you may be getting just a little bit ahead of yourself.

by alskor on Jul 2, 2009 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm confused

Why can’t Teixeira play 1B and Montero DH? By the time Montero comes up, Posada and Jeter may both be gone, or can play another position (LF or 3B maybe)

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jul 2, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's what I was saying

I was saying if Montero is full time DH, you can still use him to spell Teixeira at 1B (and let Tex DH) a couple days a week.

by alskor on Jul 2, 2009 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Simon Castro

When do we start talking about him as a potential ace? John named him a sleeper in the book and described him as a conditional success, but I think he might be better than he seems.

Castro is 21 years old with very good stuff, but has never managed to excel, partially because of sub-par command. This year in A ball, his K rate has slightly increased (just over a batter per inning after being just below that mark last year), but more impressively, his BB rate has dropped from 4 per 9 IP to less then 3. More encouragingly has been his dramatic success during the season. Excepting his first 3 starts, Castro has had 65 Ks with only 13 BBs in 62 IP. Of course he has to prove this at a higher level, but that performance is quite encouraging.

To link this to today, so far he’s pitched 2 IP with 4 Ks and 0 BBs

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jul 1, 2009 7:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

in a recent interview on scout.com

grady fuson indicated he was very pleased with Castro and thought he was on his way to being a dominant pitcher.

by toonsterwu on Jul 1, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Do you have a link?

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jul 1, 2009 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

um

it’s a MadFriars thing (subscription) but uh, well, there’s always, um, ways to read it

by toonsterwu on Jul 1, 2009 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ironically

By the end of the game, he walked 4 batters and gave up a homer in 5.1 IP. Though he did strike out 8

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jul 1, 2009 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

michael taylor: 2/2, HR (15th of season)

human beings, who are almost unique in their ability to learn from the experiences of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

by variablesdont on Jul 1, 2009 8:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i

heart him…glad i have him in my fantasy minor league roster

by miraclemets on Jul 1, 2009 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also stole a base

Drabek pitched (in relief of Scott Eyre, who is out on rehab) and is now 5-0 in AA.

6.1 7 3 3 3 4

also went 3 for 3 at the plate, looks like a two-way stud to me

by ajake57 on Jul 1, 2009 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

probable pitchers

I was tipped off about a site that lists probables, as I did. This listing seems more complete:

http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/probables.html

by rdf8585 on Jul 1, 2009 9:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

WOW

I’ve been looking for this for a while.
Great

Remember: baseball guys... baseball...

by Metty5 on Jul 2, 2009 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

rdf

howcome you arent starting these threads anymore? I liked the prob. pitchers every day.

by Ion293 on Jul 2, 2009 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

probables

That link a few posts up does everything I did.

by rdf8585 on Jul 2, 2009 2:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

true...

as long as somebody keeps the daily threads up I will let you retire but I just wanted to let you know I really appreciated you doing the daily milb threads so far this season. thanks man.

by Ion293 on Jul 2, 2009 5:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Michael Stanton

2 HRs

Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock!

by Dewey Finn on Jul 1, 2009 9:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Matt Dominguez

3-Run HR, 2nd in as many games. He’s still not really producing offensively, but it’s nice to see him show a little bit of power.

by jar75 on Jul 1, 2009 9:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Logan Morrison

2-4, HR

by jibs on Jul 1, 2009 10:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

melville

4 ip, 7 h, 4 er, 3 bb, 5 k

baseball rules.

by doublestix on Jul 1, 2009 11:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Vitters gets his first hit in High A

Daytona falls to Jupiter 5-2.

Vitters: 1/4.
Campana: 2/4, 2 SB.

Peoria lost to Kane County, 3-2.

Boise is trailing Tri City 4-2 in the 5th so far.

Lee: 1/2, R, 2B, RBI, BB, SB.
Ha: 1/2, RBI.
Watkins: 1/2, BB, SB.

Tennessee lost to Huntsville 3-1.

Colvin: 2/3, BB. Season (AA – 87 AB’s): .310/.344/.575.
Papelbon: 5 ip, 3 h, 3bb, 3 K"s.

Iowa and Oklahoma City are in the 13th tied at 0.

Barney: 1/4.
Clevenger: 1/5.
Ascanio: 4 ip, 2h, 2bb, 7 K’s (1st game back at AAA after the swap for Samardzija – continuing his excellent minor league campaign).

Searle: 5 ip, 7 h, 4 r, 2 bb, 7 K’s, 2 HR’s.

by toonsterwu on Jul 1, 2009 11:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Daniel Hudson

6.1 IP / 7h / 5 ER / 5K-1BB

by Ion293 on Jul 2, 2009 12:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No love for Jason Heyward?

2 outfield assists today.

Kid’s got an arm, too!

by parish on Jul 2, 2009 9:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

At the Texas League game

the game itself wasn’t that much to talk about (although I will say that if Fransisco Samuel can ever get any consistent control of his pitches, watch out, he was sitting 97-98 last night) but watching Chris Carter hit one after another all the way out of the stadium last night was pretty impressive. Didn’t do anything in the game, but he definitely seems to be pointed in the right direction.

by Dalman on Jul 2, 2009 11:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs