SB Nation - Steven Register

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:33:17 -0000

More photos » by KYLE ERICSON - AP

Jeff Suppan congratulates Casey McGehee after their 4-3 victory over the Cardinals Thursday. Not pictured: the bottom of Suppan's jersey, which is still tucked in.

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Some things to read while getting tested together.

Casey McGehee returns home tonight after a pretty good series in St. Louis, hitting .455/.462/1.091 with two home runs in three days. Adam McCalvy's game preview for today focuses on McGehee and his possible roles in 2010.

It very rarely seems to come up in conversation, but McGehee might be the Brewers' biggest "sell high" candidate not named Prince Fielder. He's coming off a huge, unexpected year, could be due for a sophomore slump, is playing on a sore knee and the 2010 Brewers don't really have a spot for him, at least on paper. With that said, his value is very high right now, especially when you consider the fact that he's still two full seasons away from being arbitration eligible. He could probably net some very nice pieces in a trade, and if I was Doug Melvin I'd at least have to consider it.

Not everyone was happy after the Brewers' win yesterday. Even before the game, David Weathers was complaining about being removed mid-inning. (FanShot) And if you saw yesterday's game, you saw him scream an obscenity into his glove after being removed mid-inning again.

Mike Cameron's willingness to take less money to return to Milwaukee was the major topic around the Brewer blogosphere yesterday. Miller Park Drunk, The Bucky Channel and Keep Turning Up the Heat all think Cameron should return for the 2010 season. Meanwhile, the Yankees tried to acquire Cameron before the Sept 1. deadline, but talks didn't go anywhere.

Dave Bush will see a doctor regarding "dull pain" in his triceps, and his ability to make his next start is in question. Bush seems to believe it's just scar tissue breaking up, but we'll see. Chris Narveson might get a start or two in Bush's place if he can't go. After getting lit up in his first couple of appearances, Narveson has posted a 1.88 ERA in his last ten outings.

Even if Dave Bush is done for the season, we'll always remember 2009 as the season he vaulted into HBP history. Plunk Everyone has a plethora of factoids about Bush's beanings.

It's been a while since I've plugged the BCB Twitter. If you hang out in the Tweetosphere, you should follow us. And if you're interested in the Brewer minor league affiliates, now you can also follow the Timber Rattlers and Sounds.

On Power Rankings:

Yahoo moved the Brewers up one spot to 18th.
The Crew held steady at #22 in Beyond the Box Score's rankings.

Brian Anderson seems to offer a lot of inane chatter at times during Brewer games, but is he that much chattier than the average pbp guy? A Wall Street Journal study suggests Anderson says roughly 96 words per minute during Brewer broadcasts, the seventh highest total in all of baseball. Former Brewer announcer Daron Sutton was fifth. (h/t Crawfish Boxes)

Oh, and if you've been waiting with bated breath for your Jason Kendall bobblehead, here's the info on how you can get it.

I only have one note for the "Around baseball" section today:

Phillies: Designated reliever Steven Register and outfielder Joel Naughton for assignment.

If I had known about this earlier, I probably wouldn't have gone anyway. With that said, it's pretty cool that someone was able to put together a Seattle Pilots reunion this week with eleven players from the ill-fated expansion team. (h/t SABR Twitter)

If the Brewers decide not to retain Jason Kendall this offseason, they'll likely need a replacement for his "calls a good game" ability. After guiding Brad Penny through a successful debut as a Giant, Eli Whiteside earned that accolade.

I'm not even sure how to lead into this one. A Rays employee planted a fake bomb at Tropicana Field as a practical joke. The joke wasn't all that funny, but his future job prospects are laughable.

Last year's Rays grew mohawks as a sign of team unity, but that pales in comparison to Peter Moylan's Rally Head, which I hope catches on.

On this day in 2007, Francisco Cordero pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 40th save as the Brewers beat the Astros 5-3. Cordero's 40th save set a new franchise record. He finished the season with 44.

Happy birthday today to Paul Householder, who appeared in 121 games for the Brewers in 1985 and 1986 and turns 51, and to Luis Lopez, who spent 2000 and 2001 as a Brewer and turns 39.

Drink up.

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:07:51 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Bill Hall, pictured here after his first of four strikeouts last night, is getting another chance to hit righties.

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Some things to read when enough is enough.

We're only a few hours removed from Bill Hall's three pitch strikeout, his fourth of the night, that ended the Brewers' ninth inning rally in Houston last night. With the K, Hall's batting average against righties in 2009 fell below .200, but Ken Macha says he let Hall stay in last night and will start him against a righty today because he promised Hall an opportunity in Houston. With Mat Gamel waiting in the wings, this could be Hall's last chance to prove he belongs in the lineup everyday, and it comes against Roy Oswalt.

Meanwhile, after Hall was allowed to bat in the ninth last night, Brewed Sports is ready to throw Ken Macha under the bus.

Earlier in last night's game, Astros manager Cecil Cooper made a mistake on his lineup card that cost him the first out of the game. Jose de Jesus Ortiz, not Cooper's biggest fan in the first place, took another opportunity to blast Cooper's managerial style and communication with his team.

Rickie Weeks had successful surgery to anchor the tendons in his wrist yesterday, and will be in a splint or long cast for the next two months. The recovery time from surgery would suggest Weeks could be healthy enough to play in September, but the Brewers have more or less ruled it out.

Meanwhile, we continue to discuss options at second base. The Indians are looking to deal Mark DeRosa, but want big-league ready pitching in return, and the Brewers don't have a lot of that hanging around, unless the Indians would accept someone like Tim Dillard or Seth McClung. As of this writing, 62% of voters in this poll would prefer the Brewers stick with internal options. Casey McGehee started at second and went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk last night.

Alcides Escobar is learning to play second as well. Right Field Bleachers has a look at what it would take for Alcides to be a league average second baseman.

Frank Catalanotto is one step closer to the big leagues today, as he's reporting to Huntsville to get some work in the outfield. He's expected to be evaluated and could join the Brewers in a week to ten days.

On rankings and whatnot:

The Sporting News ranked Ryan Braun 32nd in their list of baseball's top 50 players. Braun was the only Brewer on the list.
MLB FanHouse moved the Brewers up from 8th to 4th in their power rankings.

Is having a stranger stick their fingers in a rather sensitive place your idea of a fun pregame activity? If so, the Brewers would like to invite you to get a prostate exam at Miller Park.

Around the league:

A's: Claimed pitcher Craig Breslow off waivers from the Twins.
Braves: Infielder Omar Infante broke a bone in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch, and could miss up to 2 months.
Phillies: Claimed pitcher Steven Register off waivers from the Rockies.

There's a new Jake Peavy rumor out there this morning, and for once it has nothing to do with the Cubs: Buster Olney is reporting a "strong possibility" that Peavy could be traded to the White Sox for a package including middle infielder Gordon Beckham.

Of course, now that I'm leaving Iowa they'll fix it: MLB owners are meeting this week and are scheduled to discuss the blackout policy.

That's all I have for today, unless you wanted to read about John Smoltz's wedding, Keith Foulke in Newark or a Met fan getting stuck in a toilet.

Drink up.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:32:44 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Rickie Weeks tosses his bat to his eventual replacement (not pictured).

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Some things to read while getting ready for your photo shoot.

The Summer of Rickie Weeks was suddenly and abruptly canceled yesterday, leaving many of us wondering where we go from here. Willie Randolph, who spent most of the spring working with Weeks to improve his game, called the news "depressing", and Cory Provus notes that the news came just a week after Ken Macha called Weeks "his kind of player."

So where do the Brewers go from here? Adam McCalvy lists five internal options to fill in the void at second base. As of this writing, about 30% of voters in the poll on your right think Craig Counsell should take over, with 22% voting for Bill Hall and 18% hoping Doug Melvin is on the phone with Ray Durham. Casey McGehee is expected to start tonight and tomorrow, as the Astros send lefties Mike Hampton and Wandy Rodriguez to the mound. The Brewers are also expected to call up Hernan Iribarren from Nashville, but the move has not yet been announced.

How valuable was Weeks this season? On top of already having nine home runs and being on pace for 100 RBI, he was also the second most valuable defensive second baseman in baseball, according to FanGraphs. Mike Cameron is still the most valuable defensive center fielder, but the Brewers as a team have dropped from second to fifth.

Last night's game had a couple of milestones in it: Of course, Mat Gamel hit his first major league home run, but Jason Kendall also picked up his 2000th hit, becoming just the eighth catcher to do so. Baseball Reference looks at the eight catchers who accomplished the feat, and one stat jumps out: each of the other seven catchers hit at least 248 home runs, and Ted Simmons is the only one with less than 300. Jason Kendall has 73 career homers.

We've known for a few days now that Brad Nelson would not be back, but now we also know where he's headed: Nelson has signed a minor league deal with the Mariners and will report to AAA Tacoma. Hopefully Brad can rebound from a tough start to 2009 and have a nice major league career in the AL, where the Brewers won't have to face him very often.

Down in the minors, Taylor Green is off to a hot start in his rehab assignment with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He's expected to be called up to Huntsville soon, but Rattlers manager Jeff Isom is hoping to dodge that phone call.

Elsewhere in the minors, the Astros have released former Brewer Lou Palmisano. Cap'n Lou was picked in the Rule 5 draft by the Orioles, traded to the Astros, and then offered back to the Brewers. The Brewers decided not to take him back.

On power rankings:

Whatifsports has moved the Brewers up from tenth to fifth in their rankings.
Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star has moved the Brewers from eighth to third.

Here's one more way you can help the Brewers own Pittsburgh: The Racing Sausages are up against the Racing Pierogies in Home Run Derby's Mascot Challenge. Head on over there and vote for the sausages.

Around the league:

A's: Reliever Dan Giese has been placed on the DL with irritation in his ulnar nerve.
Mets: Carlos Delgado will miss at least two months after undergoing hip surgery, Alex Cora has been placed on the DL with a sprained thumb ligament and, once again, Nelson Figueroa has been designated for assignment.
Nationals: 26-year-old reliever Ryan Wagner, who had been pitching in AAA, has decided to retire.
Phillies: Signed Paul Bako to a minor league deal.
Pirates: Claimed reliever Steven Jackson off waivers from the Yankees.
Rockies: Designated reliever Steven Register, who had been pitching in AAA, for assignment.
Twins: Placed starter Glen Perkins on the DL with elbow inflammation.

I believe I've mentioned before that home runs are way up this season, although I haven't seen it reported recently. On the other side, though, Baseball Reference notes that there has not been a single three-HR game in 2009, and this is the farthest into the season we've gone without one since 1993.

Oh, and I don't have my new house yet (and won't for another month), but I already have a gardening idea.

Drink up.

Wednesday Pebble Report: Carlos Gonzalez keeps on hitting

Russ Oates — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:45:12 -0000

Colorado Springs, W 16-15 in 10 innings: Down 5-7 entering the top of the eighth, the Sky Sox saw five more runs cross in that part of the frame. Then in the bottom of the eighth, the Sky Sox scored nine runs to take a 14-12 lead, mostly on RBI singles. Steven Register blew the save in the ninth and Joel Peralta allowed another run in the top of the 10th. However, Eric Young, Jr. hit a two-run double in the bottom of the 10th to win the game.

Carlos Gonzalez continues to use his bat for good, going 4-for-5 with six RBI. He fell a triple short of the cycle can capped things off with a three-run homer in the nine-run eighth inning. Eric Young went 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBI and walked three times.

Alan Johnson was roughed up for seven runs in five innings. Randy Flores allowed five runs in an inning of work.

Tulsa, L 5-8: Austin Chambliss took the loss after he allowed three runs in the top of the ninth to break a 5-5 tie. Andy Graham started the game and allowed two solo homers in five innings. Jon George allowed the other three runs.

Chaz Roe was scheduled to start, but while warming up before the rain-delayed game started he experienced some pain on his left side.

Jeff Kindel went 1-for-2 and drove in three runs. Cole Garner added two hits.

Modesto, L 6-7: Kenny Durst didn't fare well last night, allowing seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five and threw two wild pitches. One of those wild pitches allowed a run to score. Joey Williamson and Carlos Luna held Bakersfield to two hits and no runs over the rest of the game (though Williamson did allow an inherited runner to score).

Jay Cox hit a two-run homer, Hector Gomez collected three hits (all singles) and an RBI, and Charlie Blackmon stole his seventh base.

Asheville, W 5-3: Christian Friedrich may have racked up a few more strikeouts had he not thrown a brushback pitch and been ejected during last night's game. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out six. The two runs came on a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Michael Marbry came in and picked up the win, now 3-0 on the season.

David Christensen is doing all right. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a homer, and two RBI. Jimmy Cesario chipped in a two-run homer, and Scott Robinson swiped his 13th base.

Thursday Pebble Report: Three quite close games, two walk-off wins, and a Morales start to excite all of thee

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:47:59 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Franklin Morales strengthened his bid to rejoin the black and purple with a solid start for AAA Colorado Springs last night

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AAA Colorado Springs, L 2-5 - (4-2)

Exactly one week after pitching his first start of the season in the majors, Franklin Morales made his 2009 minor league debut against the Reno Aces, Arizona's new AAA affiliate. The Tucson Sidewinders moved to Reno this season. Despite walking five, Morales' performance lent itself well to optimism. He allowed just two hits and no runs in six innings while striking out four. Reno scratched out a single and two walks in the first inning, but Morales showed some oft-absent composure and escaped without allowing a run.

Randy Flores and Steven Register combined to give up 5 runs on 5 hits and two walks to blow the shutout, lead and game in the eighth inning. Carlos Gonzalez has started to de-ice his bat, as he reached in 3-of-4 plate appearances, and Matt Murton went 2-for-3 with a walk to raise his average to .364. Eric Young Jr was caught stealing for the first time this season. Every starter managed at least one hit in a well-balanced, ten hit attack. Box Score

AA Tulsa, Off Day - (3-3)

At 6:05MDT today, Samuel Deduno will try to prove lightning strikes twice as he faces the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) in a rematch of his stellar season debut.

High-A Modesto, W 3-2 - (6-1)

With the help of Connor Graham, Sean Jarrett, and Randall Taylor, the Nuts swept the Stockton Ports by holding the Athletics' affiliate to just two runs for the third consecutive day. Like Morales, Graham allowed just two hits but five walks; however the Nut gave up two runs and failed to finish the fifth inning. Jarrett and Taylor permitted just one baserunner the rest of the way, though he was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single.

Brian Rike and Lars Davis, the two players the Rockies selected in succession after Casey Weathers in the 2007 draft, each notched two hits while Radames Nazario recorded three hits and a walk. Nazario scored the walk-off run from first after a single by Davis and an outfield error. Modesto outhit Stockton 10-3. Box Score.

Modesto opens a 4-game series at the former Rockie affiliate and undefeated Visalia Rawhide (Arizona) tonight at 8:05MDT.

Low-A Asheville, L 0-2 and W 6-5 - (2-5)

The Tourists played a doubleheader to make-up for Monday's postponed game and split the ~~dual~~ duel against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins). In the matinee, Asheville failed to produce any offense to back a solid starting performance by Ethan Hollingsworth. James Cesario stayed hot by poking two singles, and David Christensen once again went hitless. Box Score

The Tourists unleashed their penned up offense with a five run first in the night-cap. Every starter recorded at least one hit, but Christensen did not play. Kurt Yacko blew a save opportunity by permitting a walk and double in the seventh, but he became the winning pitcher after Carlos Martinez singled in Cesario for a walk-off win. Box Score

Robinson Fabian will close out the series vs. Greensboro at 5:05MDT tonight.

Saturday Pebble Report: Opposing batters able to hit in the Fogg

Russ Oates — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:04:15 -0000

Colorado Springs, W 5-4 (2-0): In 4 1/3 innings, Josh Fogg didn't do terribly, but he didn't do that great, either. He allowed three runs on eight hits. Scott Munter picked up with win after pitching the next 2 2/3 innings flawlessly. Steven Register picked up the save.

The Sky Sox did the majority of their damage in the first inning. Mike McCoy, 3-for-3 with two doubles, led the game off with a double and eventually scored on a play that saw Jonathan Herrera lay down a sac bunt and make it safely to second after a throwing error by the catcher. Herrera touched home on a Matt Murton RBI ground out, and Christian Colonel drove in Carlos Gonzalez, who reached on a walk, to finish the scoring that inning. Gonzalez came back in the fifth with his own RBI, a ground out that scored McCoy. Edwin Bellorin drove in Kenny Perez in the sixth.

Tulsa, W 4-2 (1-1): One, the number of home runs Anthony Jackson hit in 2008 with the Modesto Nuts. Two, the number of home runs Anthony Jackson hit last night in Tulsa's win. Jackson began the game with a first-pitch leadoff solo homer and then came back in the fifth with a two-run shot. Cole Garner drove in his first RBI of the season in the sixth with a single to score Jeff Kindel. Chris Nelson struck out twice, had a hit, and stole a base.

The pitching was outstanding last night. Samuel Deduno picked up the win after pitching six scoreless innings. He limited Corpus Christi to three hits, struck out six batters, and had a 9-3 GO-FO. Shane Lindsay pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two. Well, the pitching was outstanding until the ninth. Andrew Johnston pitched the ninth and allowed two runs. He also hit two batters.

Modesto, W 7-5, W 6-5 (2-0): In the first game, Connor Graham picked up his first win of the 2009 season by pitching five innings of four-hit, one-run ball. He walked two, struck out four, and had a 8-3 GO-FO. Austin Chambliss ran into some problems in the seventh, allowing four runs that inning. Edgmer Escalona relieved him with two men on and recorded two outs. Craig Baker allowed a a two-run single (runs charged to Chambliss) and threw a wild pitch, but then struck out the next batter to pick up his first save.

Matt Repec,1B, and Jason Van Kooten, 2B, both repeating Modesto, lead the offense with two RBI each. Charlie Blackmon had a single, an RBI, and scored twice. One of those runs scored by Blackmon came on a Brian Rike RBI ground out. Rike went 0-for-3 with a walk and strikeout.

In the second game, the pitching struggled a bit. Kenny Durst started and allowed three runs in three innings. He did strike out five but also walked three. Joey Williamson pitched the next three innings and allowed two runs on three hits. He struck out three. Four of the five runs came in the fourth inning when Williamson relieved Durst. Matthew Reynolds struck out one on his way to his first save.

The Nuts had a four-run second inning, which included a Radames Nazario RBI single, a Mike Mitchell RBI single, and a two run single by Charlie Blackmon. Mitchell, who wound up driving in three runs, and Blackmon each stole their first base of the season.

Brian VanderBeek reports that the crowd for the double header was disappointing due to what must be bad weather out in California.

Asheville (1-0): The game was postoponed due to rain.

MLB Transactions Part Seven: The Rule 5 Draft

Jabberwocky — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:00:08 -0000

In this penultimate article in my series on MLB Transactions for Purple Row Academy, I'll be tackling the intricacies and machinations of the Rule 5 Draft. It is called the Rule 5 (not V!) Draft because Rule 5 of the CBA details the procedures of this mechanism. It's actually not as complicated as many have made it out to be.

As I explained in the Rule 4 session of PR Academy, there was no amateur draft until the 1965 season. The draft was implemented in order to attempt to keep a relative talent parity in the farm systems of all MLB teams. The Rule 5 Draft has actually been in existence since 1959, originally as an extension of the Bonus Rule. Basically, the Rule 5 Draft is an extension of this talent parity aim by MLB, looking to bar teams from stashing too much MLB-ready talent on their minor league clubs while other MLB clubs would be playing them in the majors. This draft forces teams to prioritize their prospects and protect only a limited amount of them from Rule 5 draft consideration.

Rule 5 Draft Protection and Eligibility

It is held during the December Winter Meetings--teams have until November 20th to finalize their protected players lists (in other words, their 40 man rosters). Between November 20 and the Rule 5 draft, a club may add Major League free agents to its 40-man roster but may not add any player from its minor league reserve lists.
For more on 40 man roster construction, see my previous PR Academy article on the subject. Here's what is relevant for the Rule 5 Draft.

Long story short: a club has 5 years to evaluate a player who signs his first pro contract at 18 years old or younger (from the June 5th preceding signing his contract), but only 4 years to decide on a player who signs at age 19 or above. Those prospects who are not placed on the 40 man roster that meet these requirements are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. As a result, teams must place their most valuable prospects on the 40 man roster.

This year, the Rockies protected prospects such as Dexter Fowler, Hector Gomez, EY2, Chris Nelson, Samuel Deduno, Shane Lindsay, Ryan Mattheus, and Esmil Rogers from the Rule 5 draft.

Rule 5 Draft Process

The Rule 5 Draft is split into three phases: Major League, AAA, and AA.

In the Major League phase, much like the Rule 4 Draft, teams draft in reverse W-L order irrespective of league affiliation--and it must be noted that only teams with open slots on their 40 man roster may take part in the Rule 5 Draft. Clubs draft eligible players off 38 man Triple-A reserve lists (those prospects that are valued as potential major leaguers but who are left unprotected off the 40 man roster).

Players selected in the major league phase of the draft cost $50,000 each and must remain on the selecting team's 25 man active roster for the entire season or else the selecting team must put him on waivers. If a third club claims the player on waivers, the third club also must keep him in the majors all season. This is what happened in the case of Johan Santana, who was drafted by the Marlins from the Astros then sent to the Twins. If the player clears waivers, he must be offered back to his original club for $25,000.

In addition, the player must be active (in other words, not on the DL) for at least 90 days in-season--and if he fails to meet this requirement in the first year, he will remain subject to Rule 5 rules until he has completed this 90 day requirement. A drafting club may work out a trade with the player’s original club so that the drafting club can keep him and send him to the minor leagues.

If a player does stay on the selecting team's roster the entire year, he will be able to be optioned to the minors or DFA'd as a normal player would.

The AAA and AA Minor League phases are far more simplified, as teams may draft any player not protected by either the 40 man roster or the 38 man AAA reserve list (AAA phase) and the 37 man AA reserve list (AA phase). These prospects can be purchased at the cost of $12,000 and $4,000 respectively, and are not subject to the restrictions of the Rule 5 Draft's major league phase. As Baseball America's Chris Kline writes:

Roughly 400 players are eligible to be drafted in the minor league phase, and clubs had targeted several players. And just like the major league portion, expect teams to focus on trying to beef up their systems on the mound and behind the plate.

"It's a cheap and easy way to improve the depth of your farm system," a scout from an American League club said. "It's rare to get a position player (in the minor league phase) who becomes an impact player, but you'll see clubs trying to buy arms in bulk and hoping to find more depth at catcher."

In other words, Minor League phase draft picks usually are aimed towards filling in minor league depth and often have no major league connotations. AAA phase pick Scott Podsednik is an example of an exception to this rule, however.

Join me after the jump for this session's exciting conclusion...

Rule 5 Draft Risks and Rewards

Beyond the obvious fact that the Rule 5 Draft redistributes the prospects of a prospect rich team to a prospect needy team (Everth Cabrera to the Padres certainly qualifies), there are many potential superstars to be found in MLB clubs' 38 man AAA reserve lists (such as previous Rule 5 picks Roberto Clemente, Johan Santana, Josh Hamilton, Joakim Soria, and Dan Uggla). This fact makes the Rule 5 draft one of the only ways to get a developed player on the cheap--a player that, if he sticks with the big club, can provide major dividends down the road.

However, a team is assuming a considerable amount of risk by selecting a player in the Rule 5 draft--those 25 man roster spots are valuable, the player's arbitration clock is starting, and he's going to cost teams at least $25,000 to acquire him (and that's if they send him back, as the Mets did last year with Steven Register)--and if they do keep him, it's an extra $400,000 major league salary commitment. Probably the biggest risk factor inherent to a Rule 5 player is the active roster commitment--typically that player is not going to create much positive contribution for the team, taking the roster spot of a more immediately productive player. As a result, those teams in playoff contention are often loath to use a roster spot on essentially a zero contributor. This reason is why most Rule 5 picks that remain on teams' all year are selected by teams (like the Padres with Cabrera) who are in a rebuilding year anyway and can afford to give such a player a roster spot. In addition, the majority of Rule 5 picks end up washing out and never contributing anything of value to either party, making the Rule 5 draft a very risky proposition indeed.

And there you have it, the Rule 5 draft--and in record brevity too! For past results of Rule 5 Drafts, see the link provided below. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome any and all suggestions for future Purple Row Academy sessions. The regular season is quickly approaching, and I'd like to know what aspects of baseball (literally any area of it) Rowbots want to learn about after I finish the MLB Transactions section next week. After all, I aim to please.

Sources and Additional Reading

These sources are highly recommended as sources of further information about the Rule 5 Draft:

40 Man Roster Construction, previous PR Academy session

Rule 5 Draft, Courtesy of Jeff Euston

Rule 5 Machinations, Courtesy of Chris Kline, Baseball America

Rule 5 History and Notable Players, Courtesy of Wikipedia

Rule 5 Draft Results, Wikipedia

History of Rule 4 and 5 Drafts, Courtesy of Allan Simpson, Baseball America. Not utilized in the article, but of great interest to baseball historians. I would highly recommend checking it out.

Tuesday Rockpile: Hirsh, 12 others sent to minors; Injury Report

Poseidon's Fist — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:00:10 -0000

As you may know, RHP Jason Hirsh has been assigned to minor league camp. The monstrous starting pitcher was viewed as a solid candidate for the fifth starter position but has greatly disappointed, as seen by the continued presence of Jhoulys Chacin, Greg Reynolds, Matt Belisle and Josh Fogg, all whom Hirsh was favored over to start Spring Training.

Also sent down were RHPs Samuel Deduno, Shane Lindsay, Ryan Mattheus, Matt Daley, Brandon Hynick and Steven Register, IFs Hector Gomez, Chris Nelson and Eric Young, Jr., LHP Cedrick Bowers, C Michael McKenry and OF Matt Miller were also assigned to the minors.

RHP Jhoulys Chacin may have posted a 9.00 ERA in his start Monday, but he pitched much better than that number would indicate. Thanks to Troy Renck, Clint Hurdle's take on the youngster's start:

He does have a feel for what he’s doing. He’s being challenged at this level and we wanted to get him out there in a starting opportunity. I saw a kid with good mound presence that can sink the ball. I haven’t talked that far (on whether he will get another another start)

Tracy Ringolsby updated his rankings for the LF, 5th starter, bullpen and bench spots. Nothing too surprising, although he has Omar Quintanilla ranked higher than both Jeff Baker and Ian Stewart.

Injuries: Baker really hasn't had much of a chance to make his case due to injury, but Baker will start at third base today. Greg Smith is scheduled to return to the mound Wednesday in a minor league game. Troy Renck reports that Garrett Atkins isn't getting any better, as his hip flexor injury has apparently mysteriously migrated to his groin.

If spring stats meant anything, we'd know that Todd Helton's back surgery completely reversed his ability, as his SLG% now sits 4 times higher than his OBP this spring. All kidding aside, it sure is sweet to see Todd leading the team in home runs again.

What's on tap: Ubaldo Jimenez returns to the Rockies to pitch against the Kansas City Royals at 2MDT at Hi Corbett Field.

Rockies 9, Giants 7: Rockies hang on for second win

Poseidon's Fist — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:39:53 -0000

Franklin Morales makes case for rotation spot

Clint Hurdle gave 8 innings to two fifth starter hopefuls Saturday. Franklin Morales (1-1) started and pitched four shutout innings for the win, lowering his spring ERA from 9.00 to 5.00. He even collected a single off Giants starter Matt Cain. Jason Hirsh did not fare as well, as the Colorado Rockies (2-7) hung on to beat the San Francisco Giants (4-7) by a score of 9-7 in Scottsdale.

The Rockies piled on 24-year-old Ronnie Ray (0-1) in the fourth inning, accumulating four hits, two walks and five runs.

Box Score

Hurdle's Heroes:

Franklin Morales: 4 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 3 hits. 1-2, 1B. Morales used his curveball extensively Saturday, often with great success, although Travis Ishikawa roped two singles off of two poorly located benders. With the struggles of Hirsh, Josh Fogg, Greg Reynolds and Greg Smith, Morales is in the lead for the fifth spot in the rotation. Morales threw 52 pitches, 42 for strikes in his four full innings. Morales was also facing the Giants major league lineup, except for OF Fred Lewis.

Clint Barmes went 4-for-4, falling a home run shy of the cycle. His four hits and four RBIs led the offensive charge as he rose his spring average to .467.

Clint Barmes

#12 / Second Base / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Mar 06, 1979

Hurdle's Hobos:

Jason Hirsh continues to disappoint in his quest to regain his form and spot in the rotation. Hirsh was slotted to pitch four innings Saturday, but he was so ineffective through 69 pitches, Hurdle removed him with one out remaining. Hirsh gave up 6 ER on 7 hits in 3.2 IP with just one strikeout and three walks. He pitched two scoreless innings but allowed two-out hit in both.

Steven Register relieved Hirsh in the ninth inning and was charged with the responsibility of stopping the bleeding. Instead, he promptly gave up a 3-run home run to Ryan Rohlinger. The Rockies led by eight at one time but when Register retired Buster Posey to end the game, the tying run was on-deck.

Notes

The Rockies scored nine runs on nine hits and three walks in three innings against Ray, Pat Misch and Henry Sosa. None of those three figure be a big contributor to the Giants this season. The other three who pitched - Cain, Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry - certainly do. The Rockies managed only four hits, one walk and no runs in those six innings.

Rowbot Roll Call: Wolf Marauder, Tom (RFTN), Mondogarage, The Lodo Magic Man, Rockie4Ever, muzia02, rockhead, mkorpal, RdRnnr, Rox Girl, smokinrox, Jester76

Wrap Rating

Melted chocolate bar. Even though Hirshy melted down, the end result is still sweet, although it maintains some bitterness and is less satisfying than it should have been.

via farm1.static.flickr.com

Resolved: 2009 will be... different

Rox Girl — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:02:34 -0000

My wishes for the Rockies new year in 2009. Just like with my own New Year's resolutions, some of these will be more realistic than others, some will be forgotten two weeks from now as silly wishful thinking, but hopefully a few will come about in reality:

Garrett Atkins - Will regain some lost discipline and shed his free swinging ways. In 2006 and 2007, Atkins drew walks in at least 10% of his plate appearances, in 2008 that number was down to 6.1%. If he wants to restore his value before he hits free agency after the 2010 season, he'll have to show himself to be a complete offensive player once more.

Jeff Baker - Will find some consistency. Baker's wOBA in April was .212. In June it was .432, in August .194, and in September .426. Let's smooth out the bumps this year, Jeff.

Clint Barmes - Will give at least a little offensive value away from Coors Field.

Taylor Buchholz - Will have ease in repeating his performance from 2008, and maybe find another level to climb to.

Aaron Cook - Will pound the strike zone with his sinker.

Manuel Corpas - Will regain what he had in 2007. Corpas gained some weight but shed a mile/hour off his fastball in 2008. That's got to come back since we're counting on him to play an important role in the bullpen this year.

Jorge De La Rosa - Will dominate from the beginning as he did in 2008's second half.

Samuel Deduno - Will see that his completely rebuilt bionic arm is better, stronger, more groundballier than ever.

Alan Embree - Will be an above average left-handed reliever.

Dexter Fowler - Will win the NL ROY.

Jeff Francis - Will not be snakebitten.

Hector Gomez - Will emerge as the next great Rockies position prospect.

Carlos Gonzalez - Will find the fertile field we call Security Service cures all his contact and discipline woes like a revivalist tent preacher.

Jason Grilli - Will continue to flourish in the middle of the Rockies bullpen.

Brad Hawpe - Will only be mildy distasteful on defense rather than downright putrid.

Todd Helton - Will cement a legacy with a comeback season for the ages.

Jason Hirsh - Will be good enough to force the Rockies to make some tough, but welcome decisions.

Chris Iannetta - Will make signing him long term an expensive proposition, but a priority.

Ubaldo Jimenez - Will emerge as the NL West's next great ace.

Joe Koshansky - Will be moved to a team that could give him a real shot.

Shane Lindsay - Will put it all together in 2009.

Jason Marquis (pending) - Will teach U-ball how to hit.

Ryan Mattheus - Will make us think that Corpas might be expendable next winter.

Franklin Morales - Will be 2009's version of Edinson Volquez, getting some BBWAA ROY votes for his great season despite being ineligible.

Juan Morillo - Will be traded before he gets lost to an end of April roster crunch.

Chris Nelson - Will not require 250 warm-up at bats before he gets going.

Omar Quintanilla - Will actually find some purpose for being on the active roster.

Steven Register - Will have a zany escapade in Reno involving a safe, a nun, the mafia, and a Hollywood starlet.

Greg Reynolds - Will use that Stanford education to develop a new pitch, the splutter, and go on to fame and fortune.

Esmil Rogers - Will be one of the Rockies top ten prospects after a move to the bullpen.

Greg Smith - Will prove the doubters wrong. Smith could go a couple of different directions with the Rockies, he could be Brian Bohanon (useful) or he could be Scott Karl (not).

Seth Smith - Will make Rockies fans forget who their left fielder was in 2008. This will happen because in a foray into the Rockpile, he will unlock the secrets of mass hypnosis.

Ryan Speier - Will be an above-average right handed reliever.

Ryan Spilborghs - Will make Fowler have to be superman just to crack the lineup.

Ian Stewart - Will drive in the winning run when the Rockies clinch the NL West.

Huston Street - Will be 2009's version of Brad Lidge.

Yorvit Torrealba - Will reveal that he's beginning a zen journey and show much spiritual progress. "What do you think of my catching posture?" He will ask, and Rockies fans will give him their unenlightened answer: "Like a pile of..,"

Troy Tulowitzki - Will start a string of seven consecutive All-Star appearances.

Eric Young - Will hit a homerun in his first MLB at bat in Denver.