Minor League Thread
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Draft related stuff from fangraphs:
Draft Reviews: Cleveland Indians
Posted By Marc Hulet On May 4, 2009 @ 2:00 pm In Minor Leagues | 5 Comments
2008 Draft Slot: 29th overall
Top Pick: Lonnie Chisenhall, IF, North Carolina community college
Best Pick: Chisenhall
Keep an Eye On: Trey Haley, RHP, Texas high school (2nd round)
Notes: The Tribe did a nice job scouting Lonnie Chisenhall, for whom some clubs had serious makeup concerns. By all reports, though, he’s been a model citizen for the Indians organization and has hit better than expected early on in his pro career. The club went over-slot with a number of players (Bryce Stowell, T.J. House) and could end up with one of the better drafts when we look back in five years at the 2008 selections.
2007 Draft Slot: 13th overall
Top Pick: Beau Mills, 1B, Lewis-Clark State college
Best Pick: Mills, from a weak pool of picks
Worst Pick: T.J. McFarland, LHP, Illinois high school
Notes: The club drafted slugger in 1B Beau Mills and then did not pick again until the fourth round, which certainly hurt in terms of depth. No one else has really stepped up their game since then. Prep pick T.J. McFarland has a history of elbow problems and he hasn’t looked very good since signing.
2006 Draft Slot: 39th overall (supplemental first round)
Top Pick: David Huff, LHP, UCLA
Best Pick: Wes Hodges, 3B, Georgia Tech (second round - 69th overall)
Worst Pick: Steven Wright, RHP, University of Hawaii (second round - 56th overall)
Notes: Perhaps worried that the club lacked a first-round pick, the organization went with an “advanced” college arm that had a lower overall ceiling but would move quickly. Clubs are now realizing that category of draft pick is pretty much a myth. It’s now 2009 and David Huff hasn’t pitched in the Majors yet. His ceiling is that of a third or fourth starter. Steven Wright is looking like a future middle reliever in the Majors, but the club made up for that second-round pick with another in the same round: third baseman Wes Hodges. The right-handed hitter won’t be a star but he should at least be a league-average third baseman.
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2009 Draft Slot: 15th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Definitely college players
MLB Club Need: Pitching, Pitching, more Pitching, and Third base
Organizational Need: Center field, Right field, LHP Pitching, RHP Pitching
Organizational Strength: 1B/LF, Third base
Notes: The club has not really made a splash with its first overall pick in quite some time… although Chisenhall could change that. The club is picking in the middle of the first round, so a lot is up in the air… but you have to figure the club is leaning to a college pitcher, unless a good (college) bat finds its way to them.
Article printed from FanGraphs Baseball: http://www.fangraphs.com
Beanpot
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Some snips from a great article on Lastoria's site
Indians Minor League Player Of The Month
(for April)
Matt McBride (First Baseman - Kinston)
.412 AVG (35-for-85), 21 games, 18 R, 11 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 9 BB, 10 K, 1.186 OPS
After what was really a lost season for Kinston first baseman Matt McBride in 2008, he is sure doing his best to make up for lost time this season. McBride missed most of the 2008 season recovering from surgery to his shoulder, but has come back this Matt McBrideseason 100% healthy and is as hot as a hitter can be right now the first few weeks of the season. Eventually, he will cool down, but until then his teammates and the Kinston fans are enjoying the offensive onslaught he has been on.
(Indians farm director Ross Atkins) On Hector Rondon: ""He has been great. We talk about all the time what is best for these guys, and once they have shown over a period of time that they don't belong there then we start to talk about the best plan for their progression through the system. Hector has been unbelievable. We still want to see the slider come more consistently, and it may be that we have to get him to Triple-A to see that. But he has been a great sign this year, and everything we have asked him to do for the most part he has done it. The last piece to come is just being more consistently on top of that slider and using it more regularly."
On Abner Abreu: "Abner is impressive. When you look at him he looks a little like a young Vladimir Guerrero. He is a lean, lanky type of powerful athlete. He has plenty of arm strength, he is almost an average runner, and has well above average power. He's only 19 in the South Atlantic League and is getting his fair share of breaking balls. It probably has a lot to do with that he looks like Guerrero. He is not quite as big and strong, but I think just the look when he comes up to hit where catchers are immediately putting down the "2" sign. But he is an impressive athlete. He can throw and run and has a lot of raw power. He'll be someone that we are talking about for some time to come."
Andy Marte's stat line for the week
.429 AVG (6-for-14), 4 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K
for the year (15 games) he has a 1.064 OPS....just sayin.
De La Cruz Is Officially Shutdown
It was bad news this week as it has been learned that prized left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz will be shutdown for six weeks with a left elbow strain. Reportedly, a few weeks ago during one of his off-day workouts he tweaked his elbow. The Indians skipped his spot in the High-A Kinston rotation, but his health did not improve so last week he was flown into Cleveland to be tested by teamKelvin De La Cruz doctors at Progressive Field and have an MRI done. Shortly after the tests it was learned that he will be completely shutdown for six weeks and rehab in Goodyear, AZ and then be re-evaluated at that time. If all goes well, he would be put on a return to throw program. At this point, De La Cruz will be sidelined for two to three months.
This is a very unfortunate development for De La Cruz as he has jumped onto the scene in the past year as one of the Indians Top 10 prospects and one of the best left-handed starting pitching prospects in all of baseball. He was off to a great start with Kinston this year where in two starts he was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and in 12 innings had allowed 6 hits, 2 walks and struck out 19 batters.
Santana Living Up To Hype
Indians top catching prospect Carlos Santana has done a good job so far of living up to all the hype that was built up around him this past offseason with his near unanimous #1 ranking in the Indians system by most publications as well as his inclusion in many Top 50 Prospect lists in all of baseball. So far this season he is hitting .268 with 6 HR, 22 RBI and has a .954 OPS.
Carlos SantanaLast year, teams pitched to him more since he was coming off a season in 2007 with the Dodgers Low-A affiliate where he hit just .223 with a .688 OPS. He responded by having a banner 2008 campaign hitting a combined .326 with 21 HR, 117 RBI and .999 OPS in 130 games in the Indians and Dodgers systems. This year, however, Santana is finding it a tougher road to hoe as a lot of the time he is just not being pitched to. With an Akron lineup that has been largely inconsistent this season, opponents have chosen instead to pitch around him. To Santana's credit, this has not frustrated him and he is taking what the opposing pitchers are giving him, which is a clear sign of just how advanced a hitter he really is. He has 19 walks and just 14 strikeouts so far this season.
http://www.indiansprospectinsider.com/
I'm constantly advertising this site, there's no better place for minor league Tribe news.
And from the Dispatch blog, the Clippers are facing Dice-K on a rehab assignment.
"We're well aware of what follows Dice-K," Columbus manager Torey Lovullo said. "We know there's a lot of media and a lot of excitement. We're not going to get caught up in that. But we're looking forward to the challenge of facing him. He's probably one of the best pitchers in the game. I played in Japan. I know that those media hordes follows the superstars."
I asked Lovullo if he had seen Dice-K pitch.
"I faced him a couple of times over there," he said, smiling. "That's about as close as I can get to saying that I've seen him. We know that he's a very effective pitcher. We've talked over a couple of things that he does. these guys are going to be excited to see what he is all about."
Center-fielder Michael Brantley smiled at the mention of Dice-K.
"I've only seen him on TV," he said. "He's an outstanding pitcher. What are you going to do? You have to battle and see where we come out at the end. It's always fun to face one of the best pitchers in the game. It's a challenge and I think our team is ready to handle it."
And later in that article, a note on Michael Brantley's defensive prowess
Winning will take more efforts like the one Saturday night. Brantley helped stop a six-game Columbus losing streak by robbing Carlos Maldonado of a two-run home run in the second inning. He leaped and gloved the ball above the wall in left-center field. He said that the ball came back to him a little.
http://blog.dispatch.com/clippers/"Right off the bat, I didn't think I had a chance," Brantley said. "I thought it was an absolute bomb, a home run. As it was traveling, it kind of slowed down. I knew I had a little bit of a chance at it."
He has taken a couple of other homers away in his career.
"But that was probably my best one," Brantley said. "It's a great feeling. You've robbed a home run and saved a couple of runs. So that's just one of the biggest feelings you can have as an outfielder."
First page stats updated.
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I've been lazy the past few days, but Castro touches on some important stuff.
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Wedge said Hector Rondon will work out of the Akron bullpen again Friday night. He said that even if Rondon had remained in the Akron rotation, he would not have been a candidate for Sunday's spot start. "Obviously, we see him as a starter [long-term]," Wedge said. "But for him to be an option for us [this year], the best way could be out of the bullpen. We want to take some time and see if he is an option."
An option that might be a little closer is right-hander Steven Wright, who, you'll remember, was moved from the Akron rotation to the bullpen earlier this month. Wright was promoted to Columbus today after giving up just one run on seven hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in four relief appearances for Akron. Wright was a second-round Draft pick out of Hawaii in 2006.
Right-hander Joey Mahalic has been promoted from Class A Lake County to Kinston after going 0-1 with a 1.91 ERA in six starts.
OF Nick Weglarz got off to a horrid start for Akron this season, but he's come on strong this month. He is batting .448 with a .541 on-base percentage and a .793 slugging percentage in May, driving in 14 of Akron's 48 runs in the month.
Trevor Crowe is just 4-for-29 since his demotion to Columbus.
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Weglarz tearing it up in minors
Posted By RAY SPITERI / Review Staff Writer
Posted 5 hours ago
Nick Weglarz was named Eastern League Player of the Week for his Double-A baseball team last week.
The Stevensville native has helped lead the Akron Aeros, a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, to a league-best 29-9 record.
The 21-year-old hit .458 last week with three doubles, a home run, six runs scored and was tied for second in the league with eight runs batted in.
The Indians' third-round selection in the 2005 draft, Weglarz has been heralded for his discipline at the plate, as the Lakeshore Catholic high school graduate had seven walks and only three strike outs last week.
It has been an eventful year for Weglarz. Along with ripping it up in Ohio, he also donned the Maple Leaf in March as he represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Last year, he showcased his talents on the international stage when he played for Canada in the Beijing Olympics.
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1580085
Beanpot
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I've really been slacking on this, and haven't kept up with any news as I've been sulking with the Cavs, so I don't know how much of this everyone knows, but oh well. I'll make my return with some big league-level players and assorted big names.
Travis Hafner's up to 7 games in Columbus. 25 At Bats. He's batting .440 with 3 doubles and 1 homer, 5 RBI.
Rafael Perez has pitched 9 innings since the demotion, with an ERA of 0.00, 9 K's, 9 hits and 3 walks. Getting him back to form in Cleveland will be very nice.
Andy Marte is batting .352 with 5 homers and 5 doubles in May. Such a crazy story. Before the season (and really for the last two years or so) I would've said he was done...but he doesn't want to go away.
Conversely, Michael Brantley is batting .260 in May. Not a great average for our leadoff man of the future, but considering he was hitting .217 in April and started the season ahead of schedule in AAA, there's certainly room for hope that he's growing.
Carlos Santana's been Akron's leading HR and RBI man all season but has struggled somewhat with his average. Recently his HRs and RBI have been dropping, but his average is up to .294 with an OBP of .425 (Asdrubal's OBP for the year is .385, for comparison)
Like Bean mentioned, Nick Weglarz has absolutely exploded in May. For April "Baby Thome" was hitting .089, with 1 homer, zero doubles and 6 RBI. In May, he's hitting .378 with 7 doubles, 6 homers and 28 RBI. Hmm. Like Brantley, he's ahead of schedule in the minors, and while we may not be able to expect those kinds of numbers for his entire career, they definitely show what he's capable of.
Hector Rondon snapped a 3-start winless streak on Monday. Something tells me no one was too worried.
Chuck Lofgren is still dominating AA, with a 1.48 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. I already called him as the next "savior" for our rotation (though Huff looked good today), he's continuing to get back on the track of what made him one of our top prospects.
Kerry Wood just finished his save which signals my exit. The Cavs are truly sucking the life out of me in the time I'd usually read up on the Tribe, but I'll try to get this thread going again anyway.
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Couple of nuggets while I watch the Tribe get ready to topple Greinke
Michael Brantley has 15 hits in June, with an OBP of .500
Matt LaPorta in the same time is batting .382, 2 homers.
Chuck Lofgren is up to 3 starts and 17 innings in Columbus, giving up 10 earned, and has struck out 10.
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Another pitcher coming up.
Mike Gosling will replace Greg Aquino
Gosling was signed on June 6, only pitching in 3 games for 8 innings. 6 hits, 1 walk, 1 run, 8 strikeouts.
Also from Lastoria, good news for Mike Brantley fans as he thinks he could be in Cleveland pretty soon. A .348 average in June (.397 OBP) and a 6:4 BB:K ratio.
Still only 21 years old when the season started, his age and inexperience showed early in the season as he got off to a slow start in Columbus adjusting to the new level in Triple-A. He also battled through a hamstring injury he suffered in the first week of the season which lingered for most of the month before he took almost a week off to get past it. Those two factors combined were a big reason why in 17 games in April he only hit .217 (15-for-69) with 0 HR, 5 RBI and a .574 OPS. He came back with a solid May hitting .261 (30-for-115) with 2 HR, 9 RBI, and a .726 OPS in 30 games played, and in 16 games so far in June he is hitting .348 (23-for-66) with 1 HR, 8 RBI and an .822 OPS. His strong performance the past seven weeks has raised his batting average 72 points from .200 to .272 and his OPS by 165 points from .544 to .709 from where they were at on April 27th. He already has three home runs on the season, which is one shy of his career high and we are not even half way through the season. Also, his 20 stolen bases rank him 2nd in the International League and he has been caught only twice good for a 90.9% success rate.
His maturity and ability to handle tough situations well is something that could play into the equation where he fills the every day center field role in Cleveland sooner rather than later. The team is in sort of a holding pattern with star center fielder Grady Sizemore on the disabled list with a sore elbow, and in the meantime they have gotten by with playing outfielders Trevor Crowe and Ben Francisco out in center field on a temporary basis while they await Sizemore's hopeful return. Sizemore is reportedly close to returning to the team as he will start swinging the bat this weekend, and if he has no setbacks he could be back in a week or two. But, if he has a setback and the soreness lingers he is expected to have surgery on the elbow which will sideline him for at least six weeks. If this happens, expect Brantley to get a call to Cleveland to fill the huge void in center field and at the top of the lineup. While he still has some issued to work through with his route running, he would still be a much better fit out there defensively over Crowe and Francisco. He would also be a welcomed addition to the lineup and provide some excellent speed and on-base ability which has been sorely lacking since Sizemore went on the disabled list.
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An update on the top prospects.....
FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE
full season triple crown stats in italics
Columbus
Matt LaPorta
.304 avg / .849 OPS / 6 doubles / 4 home runs / 19 RBI (.302 avg / 9 HR / 33 RBI)
Michael Brantley
.279 avg / .367 OBP / 15 stolen bases (.257 avg / 3 HR / 22 RBI / 30 SB)
Chuck Lofgren
2-3 / 32 innings / 4.18 ERA / 20 strikeouts / 8 walks (2-4 W-L / 36.1 IP / 4.71 ERA / 21 K)
Akron
Carlos Santana
.236 avg / .850 OPS / 7 doubles / 4 home runs / 16 RBI (.265 avg /11 HR /47 RBI)
Nick Weglarz
.297 avg / 1.050 OPS / 7 doubles / 5 home runs / 21 RBI (.257 avg / 12 HR / 55 RBI)
Beau Mills
.283 avg / .788 OPS / 7 doubles / 2 home runs / 20 RBI (.260 avg / 6 HR / 39 RBI)
Hector Rondon
1-1 / 17.2 innings / 2.55 ERA / 19 strikeouts / 3 walks (7-4 / 66 IP / 2.59 ERA / 65 K)
Jeanmar Gomez
2-0 / 28.2 innings / 2.83 ERA / 21 strikeouts / 9 walks (6-2 / 67.2 IP / 2.79 ERA / 54 K)
Kinston
Lonnie Chisenhall
.238 avg / .787 OPS / 6 doubles / 5 home runs / 14 RBI (.283 avg / 13 HR / 54 RBI)
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The Clippers just put up 8 runs in the first inning against Toledo.
LaPorta hit a grand slam
Brantley had 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI and a stolen base
All in all, the team sent 12 to the plate, 8 hits, 1 walk, and seven players scored the 8 runs.
Time to yank LaPorta and bring him back up.
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The Clippers just put up 8 runs in the first inning against Toledo.
LaPorta hit a grand slam
Brantley had 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI and a stolen base
All in all, the team sent 12 to the plate, 8 hits, 1 walk, and seven players scored the 8 runs.
Time to yank LaPorta and bring him back up.
The Clippers just put up 8 runs in the first inning against Toledo.
LaPorta hit a grand slam
Brantley had 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI and a stolen base
All in all, the team sent 12 to the plate, 8 hits, 1 walk, and seven players scored the 8 runs.
Time to yank LaPorta and bring him back up.
Maybe now that DeRosa's gone he might play some.
It made no sense the first time when they brought him up to play like every third day. If you bring a guy up let him hit some. He can play first, corner outfield, or DH so let the guy hit.
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Agreed. I really can't stand the "put the best team on the field line" anymore. If the only objective was putting the best team on the field for any given day, Martinez would never play 1st base. Garko would never be asked to patrol the outfield, and Shoppach and Francisco just wouldn't play.
If Wedge was willing to watch Shoppach and Francisco bat under .200 in June, what's the downside of playing LaPorta?
Also, I finally updated the first page stats and noticed a couple things. Andy Marte is leading all the triple crown stats in Columbus. Is he worth a call up? Has he regained any trade value?
And the leading starter in ERA in Columbus is Zach Jackson (yikes) with an ERA of 4.87 (yikes). Granted, that's with Sowers, Huff, and Ohka currently in Cleveland, but still. De La Cruz, Berger, Rondon and Gomez can't climb the ladder fast enough.
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Agreed. I really can't stand the "put the best team on the field line" anymore. If the only objective was putting the best team on the field for any given day, Martinez would never play 1st base. Garko would never be asked to patrol the outfield, and Shoppach and Francisco just wouldn't play.
If Wedge was willing to watch Shoppach and Francisco bat under .200 in June, what's the downside of playing LaPorta?
Also, I finally updated the first page stats and noticed a couple things. Andy Marte is leading all the triple crown stats in Columbus. Is he worth a call up? Has he regained any trade value?
And the leading starter in ERA in Columbus is Zach Jackson (yikes) with an ERA of 4.87 (yikes). Granted, that's with Sowers, Huff, and Ohka currently in Cleveland, but still. De La Cruz, Berger, Rondon and Gomez can't climb the ladder fast enough.
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Rondon pitches 6 hitless innings in AAA debut
Hector Rondon put the finishing touches on a spectacular triple-A debut with the Clippers tonight in Huntington Park by pitching six no-hit innings against the Indianapolis Indians. The bullpen - Rich Rundles, Jensen Lewis and Greg Aquino - held on for a 2-1, five-hit victory.
http://blog.dispatch.com/clippers/2009/07/...it_inning.shtmlRondon, who was just promoted from double-A Akron, struck out eight and walked two. He left after throwing 95 pitches and touching 95 mph on the stadium radar gun.
The start for Rondon, the Cleveland Indians' top pitching prospect, was jaw-dropping. His first 11 pitches were strikes. All eight strikeouts came in the first four innings and only one Indianapolis batter reached second base. Rondon walked Chris Snelling in the third and hit Brian Bixler with a change-up. He finished the inning by striking out Chris Barnwell.
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Via the DiaTribe, here's Baseball America's mid-season top 50 prospects.
1. Jason Heyward, of, Braves
2. Mike Stanton, of, Marlins
3. Jesus Montero, c, Yankees
4. Justin Smoak, 1b, Rangers
5. Madison Bumgarner, lhp, Giants
6. Buster Posey, c, Giants
7. Carlos Santana, c, Indians
8. Chris Tillman, rhp, Orioles
9. Brian Matusz, lhp, Orioles
10. Logan Morrison, 1b, Marlins
11. Freddie Freeman, 1b, Braves
12. Jarrod Parker, rhp, Diamondbacks
13. Neftali Feliz, rhp, Rangers
14. Alcides Escobar, ss, Brewers
15. Yonder Alonso, 1b, Reds
16. Wade Davis, rhp, Rays
17. Dominic Brown, of, Phillies
18. Desmond Jennings, of, Rays
19. Jason Castro, c, Astros
20. Tim Beckham, ss, Rays
21. Brett Wallace, 3b, Cardinals
22. Matt LaPorta, 1b/of, Indians
23. Michael Taylor, of, Phillies
24. Kyle Drabek, rhp, Phillies
25. Michael Saunders, of, Mariners
The Next 25 (listed alphabetically, if you couldn’t tell before): Tim Alderson, rhp, Giants; Pedro Alvarez, 3b, Pirates; Lars Anderson, 1b, Red Sox; Jake Arrieta, rhp, Orioles; Jhoulys Chacin, rhp, Rockies; Lonnie Chisenhall, 3b, Indians; Christian Friedrich, lhp, Rockies; Jeremy Hellickson, rhp, Rays; Aaron Hicks, of, Twins; Brad Holt, rhp, Mets; Eric Hosmer, 1b, Royals; Austin Jackson, of, Yankees; Casey Kelly, rhp/ss, Red Sox; Jason Knapp, rhp, Phillies; Mat Latos, rhp, Padres; Jordan Lyles, rhp, Astros; Jennry Mejia, rhp, Mets; Matt Moore, lhp, Rays; Mike Moustakas, 3b, Royals; Derek Norris, c, Nationals; Martin Perez, lhp, Rangers; Ben Revere, of, Twins; Esmil Rogers, rhp, Rockies; Josh Vitters, 3b, Cubs; Nick Weglarz, of, Indians.
http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/200...ying-edges.html
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Rondon, Clippers win
http://blog.dispatch.com/clippers/2009/07/..._career_t.shtmlHector Rondon's second career triple-A start for the Clippers didn't border on the spectacular as his debut had nine days before in Huntington Park. But the 21-year-old right-hander looked cool and efficient tonight while leading Columbus to a 5-4 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs.
Rondon (2-0) had pitched six no-hit, no-run innings against Indianapolis in his first start with the Clippers. He allowed seven hits in six innings to the Chiefs, who snapped his shutout streak at 11 innings with a two-out RBI single by Michael Morse in the sixth. Rondon retired Kory Casto on a grounder to Matt LaPorta at first base and turned a 5-1 lead over to the bullpen.
So all in all, that's 6 innings, 7 hits, 1 run. 5 K's and 0 BB's. Fastball still in the mid-90s.
Jordan Brown has 3 more hits. .328 average on the year with an OPS just shy of .900. Naturally, Garko and Francisco are blocking him and LaPorta, but hey...maybe we'll catch a glimpse in September.
Akron
Carlos Santana strikes out three times, but hits the go-ahead 2-run homer in the bottom of the 7th as the Aeros win 6-4.
Nick Weglarz goes 0-3 but manages to score two runs.
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CIMO, thanks so much for keeping this thread going. At least it gives us a glimpse at the future. Gotta confess that I've fallen completely off the Tribe Wagon this Summer. Still paying attention (not to mention $$) to the Extra Innnings and XM radio packages and still reading up on 'em when I get the chance, but I'm pretty much a disinterested observer for the first time in my life. Instead of using the "previous" button to check out a great pitching match-up when the Tribe game is between innings, it's now used when that great match-up is at commercial break...sometimes.
Just checked out my Tribe bookmarks for the first time in weeks and found this piece from Ingraham:
Commentary: Sizing up the Tribe in 2012
Saturday, July 18, 2009
By Jim Ingraham
Let's wipe away the dead insects and bugs and other filth from the windshield of the Indians' 2009 season and try to look three years down the road.
What will the Indians' starting lineup look like in 2012? Here are some possibilities:
Catcher: Carlos Santana. Assuming he's as good as everyone says he is, the 23-year-old Santana should be a lock to be the Indians' catcher for years to come, once he reaches the big-league club for good, which will likely be late 2010 or early 2011. He appears to be a Victor Martinez clone, a switch-hitting catcher with power.
First base: Victor Martinez, Beau Mills or Matt LaPorta. Martinez, who can become a free agent after the 2010 season, seems to have an attachment to the organization that might translate to giving the Indians a hometown discount as they try to sign him to an extension. If not, Martinez will be gone, either through trade or free agency. Mills is a first baseman by trade, LaPorta is splitting time between first and left field at Columbus. If the Indians have a surplus of outfielders in 2012, LaPorta could be moved to first. If not, it's likely LaPorta in left and Mills at first. Ryan Garko? It's difficult to see a long term fit for him in Cleveland.
Second base: Luis Valbuena. The 23-year-old Valbuena has made a very good impression in his rookie year, despite some lean offensive numbers, although as this is being written his .387 slugging percentage is higher than that of Jhonny Peralta, Ben Francisco and Kelly Shoppach. The Indians can feel very good about their double-play combination for the next five or six years.
Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera. Scouts have said that Cabrera has Gold Glove-caliber potential at shortstop. Now that the Indians have finally gotten around to moving Cabrera to that position, he is living up to those raves.
He's a terrific defender and a much better hitter than advertised. Cabrera has been one of the few bright spots in this dreary Indians season.
Third base: Lonnie Chisenhall. It may take awhile, but the countdown to the trade of Jhonny Peralta is officially under way. Even if Peralta isn't traded, he can become a free agent after the 2011 season, which will open the door for the 20-year-old Chisenhall, who is one of the most exciting prospects in the Indians' minor-league system. An immensely talented left-handed hitter who hits the ball hard to all fields, Chisenhall this year has nine more home runs (15) and 24 more RBI (62) than any of his teammates at Class-A Kinston. It's not a question of if he'll eventually be the Indians' third baseman. The only question is when.
Left field: LaPorta, Nick Weglarz or Michael Brantley. What's your preference for left field, thunder or lightning? The powerful LaPorta and Weglarz both offer the former, the speedy Brantley the latter. Weglarz, a muscular left-handed hitter, with 13 homers and almost as many walks as strikeouts at Akron, has very intriguing potential. It could shake out any number of ways, but it seems probable that two of the above three will be everyday players for the Indians in 2012, with LaPorta, as previously mentioned, also a possibility at first base.
Center field: Grady Sizemore. Believe it or not, he'll turn 30 in the middle of the 2012 season. The six-year contract Sizemore signed in 2006 includes an option for 2012, which means it will probably be his last year in Cleveland.
Right field: Shin-Soo Choo. He could be an All-Star by 2012. Because of his willingness to take a walk and his superior arm, an argument could be made that the vastly-underrated Choo is a more complete player than Sizemore.
Designated hitter: Travis Hafner. He'll turn 35 in June of 2012. Given his age, his injury history, that by 2012 he'll be six years removed from his last great season, and the fact that his 2012 salary will be $13 million, and the Indians basically have an untradable designated hitter. However, between now and 2012, should Hafner somehow return to something close to the hitter he once was and the Indians are able to trade him, Mills, LaPorta or Weglarz would be potential DH candidates.
Starting rotation: Here's how ominous the Indians' pitching situation is: There is not one pitcher on the staff right now that you could say with certainty will be on it in 2012. Cliff Lee will almost certainly be gone. Fausto Carmona, should he be able to put all the pieces together again, potentially could be the club's No. 1 starter in 2012. Hector Rondon, the top minor-league arm at the moment, has a chance. Aaron Laffey could fit in there somewhere. Jeremy Sowers? David Huff? Who knows? This is an area of the team the Indians will apparently have to go heavily into the free agent market to address in the coming years.
Bullpen: If the starting rotation for 2012 is Question Mark and the Mysterians, the bullpen is a complete unknown. Again, it's very unlikely that anyone you see in the Indians bullpen tonight will be there in 2012.
http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/0...s/nh1189696.txt
Beanpot
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Good post Bean, and thanks for the thanks. You're obviously not alone jumping off the wagon. A good all-star game, great prospects inching closer to the bigs, and just a pretty unwarranted sense of optimism got me really re-energized for the 2nd half, but then we get to our 3rd starter...and it's Tomo Ohka. He didn't even have a very bad outing, but he's just the kind of player, same with Francisco, Garko, and Carroll (and Peralta these days) that suck all the excitement out of the game. That Carl Crawford catch in left was such a watershed moment for me...a thing of beauty while we have to watch Ben Francisco and Ryan Garko in the corners. Have we had a single memorable moment this year? Choo with the game winner off the gull I suppose, but that was obviously more of a fluke than actual athletic achievement.
I just want some excitement. Whether it's these current guys showing some grit and making a case for them to stay on the team, or it's the young guys actually getting some experience. Crazy as it sounds, Andy Marte would be a feel good story in Cleveland. Just any kind of spark.
As for that article, it definitely makes you think. You have to love all of these top prospects...but how ironic is it that they could signal the end for our two best players. LaPorta and Weglarz will be good players for LF/1B, Santana at C. Grady's contract is up in 2010...put Brantley in Center and what do you lose? Grady's power will be made up for with Weglarz and LaPorta, his speed with Brantley, and his average is nothing to begin with. With Hafner tied up long-term and only being able to play one "position", I can't see anyone else as the DH...leaving nothing for Vic. Crazy stuff, makes you glad you're the not the GM.
But who knows....with the mini-renaissance Hafner's having (.941 OPS) we could be able to trade him down the road. I'm fine with losing Grady (even though the casual fans will probably storm the Prog with torches and pitchforks in hand)...but I'm not sure I can handle losing Vic, even if our prospects are all they're cracked up to be.
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Strong hitting, stingy pitching push Clippers over Yankees
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sport...24.html?sid=101Thursday, July 23, 2009 11:27 PM
It wasn't a surprise that the Columbus Clippers needed their bats to get the win Thursday night over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. The real shock was that the bats ended up overshadowing the man on the mound.
On a night when long-time Columbus manager Stump Merrill was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame, one of the Clippers' newest additions-top pitching prospect Hector Rondon, who had allowed just one earned run in his two starts since being called up from double-A Akron July 8-was out to show why he belongs here too.
Keeping to his winning pace, the 21-year-old Venezuelan surrendered just two runs and scattered 11 hits in his six innings, then left it up to his offense.
It delivered in powerful fashion, handing the Clippers a 6-2 win-their fifth in the last seven games-and Rondon his third in as many games.
"I think it was better than his last start, with his control of his fastball," said Damaso Espino, who has caught all three of Rondon's games. "Overall he threw pretty well."
But it was Andy Marte who stole the scene. Making his fourth start at first base this year to give Wes Hodges a spot at third, Marte's 4-for-4, four-RBI night was topped off with a three-run moonshot in the ninth-his second homer of the game and sixth in the last seven-that sealed the win for the Clippers and for Rondon. Marte is now tied for third in the league with 17 home runs.
"Nothing (Marte) does amazes me anymore," manager Torey Lovullo said. "He's been very consistent all year long. He hits two home runs. One of them gives Hector Rondon a win, the other one breaks the door open. The right guy in the right spot, and Andy's done that all year for us."
"You never know when you're going to hit a home run. It just happens," Marte said.
"(Rondon) said he owes me a drink."
The long ball was all Columbus considered necessary. Besides a first-inning sacrifice fly by Jordan Brown, the Clippers' other run came on a fourth-inning solo shot by Matt LaPorta, his 12th, that gave Columbus an early 2-1 lead.
Columbus' hitters, which lead the league in batting average, OPS and runs scored, have been the team's strong suit this year. But since the arrival of Rondon, pitching has stepped up as well.
Rondon's third straight quality start was characteristic of the Clippers' post-all-star-break pitching staff. Entering Thursday's game with the league's highest ERA (4.61), fewest strikeouts (598) and most homers allowed (86), Columbus' pitching corps has surprised since the minor league midsummer classic.
In the seven games since the break, Clippers starting pitching has posted a 3.18 ERA, 36 strikeouts and just six walks, not to mention a 5-2 record.
And the article doesn't mention Rafael Perez, who had another solid outing.
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Santana's now at four straight games with a homer. On the year he has 19 homers and 69 RBI, with a .930 OPS. It seems like he might be getting tired of being walked, July is the first month this year he's struck out (19) more than walked (10). He'll probably stay in Akron all year, but he definitely seems ready for the next level.
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