SB Nation - Matt Miller

Purple Row interviews Marc Gustafson, Part 1

RockiesMagicNumber — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:26:40 -0000

Marc Gustafson, Director of Player Development for the Colorado Rockies, has taken some time to sit and chat with Purple Row.

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A NOTE FROM RUSS: Finally, RMN and I can reveal our little secret that we've mentioned over the last month. The Rockies granted access to their organization for Purple Row. This story began back in February when RockiesMagicNumber first attempted to ask for an interview with someone in the organization. He was politely told "no," but it wasn't a "never." So, the two of us decided to let things settle for several months. A few weeks ago I encouraged RMN to make contact with the organization again. Last time, we just shot from the hip and didn't really plan on what to say. This time was different, and I offered RMN some talking points on why Purple Row should be able to break down that barrier and talk with someone inside the organization. And here we are: RMN was granted an interview with Marc Gustafson, the Rockies' Director of Player Development who was on a road trip to watch the Tri-City Dust Devils. This interview took place on Wednesday.

Join RMN and Marc Gustafson for the first of at least three parts after the jump.

RMN: For the sake of everyone reading on Purple Row, as the Director of Player Development, what is your job; can you give us a bit of a rundown?

Marc Gustafson: Well, I'm in a position where I oversee the Player Development department, which includes our coordinators, our staff on the field, trainers, but the main part of my job is to make sure everyone is on the same page with our philosophies, and that starts at the top with Dan [O'Dowd] and Bill Geivett and with the ownership group, and we carry that process down, that same common theme to all of our affiliates and all of our people involved in our Player Development system.

RMN: Building on that, do you think you could summarize the organizational philosophy? Everyone in Denver remembers when Dan O'Dowd took over, we went on a 5-year plan, building from within and cycling players in and out to fill holes. Can you speak to how that has changed, or how that continues today?

Marc Gustafson: I would say it's a long-term plan that focuses primarily on scouting and player development, which also includes a component in Latin American operations. We're all on the same page; we're committed to our players in the minor league system. We're going to do everything we can to give the players in the system a chance to reach the major league level, and once they get there, we hope they have a chance to solidify and stabilize their career a little bit with the Rockies. The primary goal is to develop the players within the system.

RMN: When it comes to filling holes that aren't met immediately by the farm, because obviously the timing isn't perfect, are you directly involved with Free Agency?

Marc Gustafson: Yeah, absolutely. We have the 6-year Free Agent process, we have the Rule 5 draft, we have trades that we analyze, we're really looking in all areas. You have to, because as you just mentioned, you're not going to be able to get everybody up every year. There's going to be waves that come through the system that get there, and you may not have a player ready, and you'll have to go out and look at certain areas to fill in the gaps a little bit. We really try and get the right person; obviously good players are the primary concern, but good teammates are a very high standard for us, the players we take a close look at.

RMN: We hear a lot about that from the local media, how the clubhouse is an important part of the organization. Between the offseason and this midseason, it's been exciting to see a lot of deadline deals done. Regrettably, the Rockies have typically been sellers at this point in the season. Who would you say has been the best acquisition we've made in terms of trades or Free Agents for the '09 season?

Marc Gustafson: Well, I'd have to go back to the Jason Marquis deal this offseason. Bringing in a guy like Marquis to plug into the rotation, well, he's an All-Star, that speaks for itself what he's been able to accomplish to solidify that rotation. That would be first and foremost. Then you'd have to go down and look at a few guys, just off the top of my head, some free agents we acquired: Joel Peralta was pretty good for awhile there for us; Juan Rincon has been pretty good in the bullpen. There've been some players of late that you're probably talking about in Jason Giambi and Jose Contreras are the most recent deals we've made. You know, it's always tough to give up your own players, but as you just mentioned, it's a good position to be in, because you're in a pennant race, and you have to do everything you can to keep things going in the right direction.

RMN: Absolutely. There's about a 50-50 split [on Purple Row] when the trade was announced, how Brandon Hynick was so close to reaching the majors and then we move him for Contreras. I was personally a proponent of the deal, but that's neither here nor there. Now, in the case of Hynick, are you the person who has to make that call, or does the AAA manager handle that?

Marc Gustafson: I called Brandon personally when the trade happened. Prior to that, there's a lot of folks involved: our pro scouting department's involved, our coordinators are involved, our AAA staff is involved...We're not just doing a deal to do a deal, we try to really compare notes and figure out long-term efforts, is this the thing to do? You know, it's always a tough phone call to make, whether it be Connor Graham, who we sent to Cleveland for Rafael Betancourt, you know, because these are our guys, they've grown up with us, and you hate to lose them, but at the same time, Betancourt has been tremendous for us so far, and we hope the same situation will happen with the Brandon Hynick trade, with Contreras.

RMN: Just to reassure you, from the people who really do follow the team and the system, we hate to give our own players up, too, just because even though they've never touched the majors, we form attachments to them, and we're really looking forward to seeing them, but at the same time, we like to win as well.

Marc Gustafson: Yeah, absolutely. So you kind of get the feel of what I'm talking about, in terms of, you know, you hate to lose your guys, but it's the betterment of the organization, and that's what we're here for, that's our job.

RMN: Along those lines, during the offseason we moved Corey Wimberly for Matt Murton. He came up and was productive during his short stint up with the Rockies, and he's been mashing for AAA. Can you speak to the organization's plans for Matt Murton?

Marc Gustafson: Well, he came in and did a great job starting Day 1 in Spring Training. He's a grinder, he's a professional, he gives a professional At-Bat each and every time at the plate. He's done a fantastic job for us in Colorado Springs. He and Matt Miller have been the glue to the middle of that lineup in Colorado Springs, and they're in a playoff hunt right now. You know, the guy plays the game the right way. As I mentioned, he's a pro, he's a good teammate, he does a lot of good things at the plate, and to be quite honest with you, he's a pretty good defender in the outfield. So we're in a situation right now where we're going to finish off the year in AAA, and hopefully get into the playoffs, and we'll see what happens when their season is over, and if Jim Tracy and the staff feel like they need another bat off the bench, in terms of a Right Handed Bat, most definitely Matt Murton and Matt Miller would be of consideration.

RMN: Speaking of AAA, one of my favorite players to follow has been the SS Mike McCoy. I know he's more of a veteran journeyman, as it seems, but is there going to be a Major League look at him at any point?

Marc Gustafson: Yeah, definitely. We've been very proud of what McCoy has been able to, what he brings to the table, his athleticism, he's a sparkplug anywhere in the lineup, because he gives you a good AB, he's going to get on base, and he can play SS, he can play 2B, he can play CF, he's really what you're looking for. Going back a couple steps, you asked me about the Free Agent process; Mike McCoy was in there very high on our list, and we were able to bring him back...him and Danny Ortmeier...those are the guys you're looking for, you know, the guys who play every day, and give you a quality effort day in and day out. To answer your question specifically, I think most definitely we've considered McCoy in terms of a big league option, if that point in time comes.

RMN: Awesome. I personally would love to see him up, but we've got to do what we've got to do right now, and if he's helping the Sky Sox do some big things right now, it's understandable, we have a lot of depth right now.

Marc Gustafson: And to be quite honest with you, getting regular ABs with the AAA club and playing every day is probably the better option right now, because if they're at the big league level, well, we're playing well, and everybody on the field is playing well, so it'd be tough for Jim Tracy to find ABs for those guys.

RMN: Yeah, we've seen that situation with Omar Quintanilla. We kind of look at him like they did Seth Smith in '07, kind of the good luck charm, good clubhouse guy.

RMN: Now, if I could move away from the Major League club - well, at least the players - in terms of the organization, where do the Rockies fall in with Sabrmetrics and defensive metrics and the advanced numbers and evaluation thereof?

Marc Gustafson: Well, we have guys in the office; they do a hell of a job in terms of getting the information that we need. We don't overdo any specific area; we try to look at all areas. We try to be really good in a lot of different areas. Our scouts out there are doing their thing, the guys in the office and the statistics and the analysis they do, they do a fantastic job. We've got player development people who have a heck of a good idea on how to teach guys to play the game. So for me, and for the organization, it's a balanced approach. We have to stay in tune with everything going on, but we have to evaluate and we have to teach. That would be the best answer I can give you on that question.

RMN: I happen to be a statistics guy on Purple Row, so this is my area of interest, but I won't harp too much on numbers. Do you use it much in the minor league development system, saying, "oh this guy has an OPS of .900, he might be ready" or is it more of an eyeball test and seeing how well he's adapting to competition?

Marc Gustafson: It's definitely used in the minor league system, without a doubt. We take a very close look at everybody and see how they're doing. We really have to stay focused on the player himself, and what he can do to contribute to the major league level. We have to separate that - that's an office thing. We don't get our player development instructors involved in that stuff, that's a front office tool that we utilize, and we definitely take a close look at it at the minor league level as well.

RMN: That's one of the things we try to stress on Purple Row, to have posters who have an old school mentality and try and balance it with a new school/numbers mentality, so we can have a balanced approach, in the form of "Well, this guy has good numbers, but he's not fast" or whatever. The balance is the smartest thing.

Marc Gustafson: It really is. You need to have that balance. We don't shy away from any idea that's brought to the table. Dan is wonderful at that, Dan is really focused on...any information that can give us an edge, we're going to look into it, without a doubt.

RMN: That's wonderful to hear. Now, if I can move into the farm system and the scouting a bit more here... how much do you scout the other teams' farm systems - is it only when it's an upcoming series? And how far in advance do your advanced scouts work on teams?

Marc Gustafson: Are you talking at the minor league level or the major league level?

RMN: The minor league level.

Marc Gustafson: At the minor league level, a couple of different ways. Our amateur scouts and our pro scouts work together. Obviously the amateur scouts have their duties that they take care of leading up to the draft. Once the draft is complete, then they'll go out and each scout will have coverage with a specific organization. The pro scouts are out covering the big league clubs as well as minor league clubs, so a lot of reports are coming in every day - reports from other clubs' players...we take a look in Mexico, we take a look in Independent leagues, we try to keep our eye on what's going on in the Pacific Rim. Those guys do a hell of a job keeping all the information coming to the office. In terms of our player development staff members, meaning managers, coaches, pitching coaches, those guys will definitely report on what they would call a prospect. They would give a report into the office if they were, say, matching up against... like, right now I'm in Tri-Cities and we're playing the Yakima club. If they see a player that in their eyes is a prospect then they're going to go ahead and compile a report and send it into the office.

Wednesday Pebble Report: Tri-City and Casper have trouble playing defense

Russ Oates — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:43:08 -0000

Colorado Springs, W 3-2
A Jonathan Herrera two-run single and a Matt Miller RBI force out in the bottom of the fifth provided all the runs for the Sky Sox last night. And it was all nearly undone in the top of the sixth when Esmil Rogers allowed back-to-back sac flies. Rogers was uneven, having allowed those two runs and also allowing five hits, walking four, and striking out four.

Tulsa, W 4-2
Darin Holcomb hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the second as part of a four-run inning. He also hit his 25th double of the season in this game. Daniel Carte hit a solo homer, his fifth, in the fifth inning.

Keith Weiser allowed two unearned runs on a homer in the sixth inning, but other than that he was pretty good. He went seven innings, saw two hits, and struck out nine.

Modesto, W 9-4
The Nuts scored at least one run in each of the first four innings and none after. Score early and often worked here. Jeff Cunningham went 2-for-2 with a double, a three-run homer (8), three runs scored, and three walks. Jay Cox hit a two-run homer earlier in the second inning. Charlie Blackmon, Hector Gomez, and Scott Beerer each had two hits, and the latter two drove in a run each.

Cory Riordan went five innings, allowed all four runs, walked two, and struck out four. Xavier Cedeno and Austin Chambliss each pitched two innings of effective relief.

Asheville, L 1-3
Alan Deratt, Kurt Yacko, and Rex Brothers each allowed a run, but depending on how you see things Brothers had the worst of it. Deratt allowed his run on a double play with no outs and Yacko served his up on a homer. Brothers, though, walked the first batter he faced and then hit the next two to load the bases. After a strike out, Lexington hit into a sacrifice double play to score a run before the third out was recorded.

Mike Zuanich had two hits, one for a double.

Tri-City, W 9-5
Sheng-An Kuo wanted some better defense behind him in the bottom of the second when he allowed five runs. Joe Sanders committed back-to-back errors (throwing then fielding), and the second one plated the first run. Singles and a sac fly scored the rest. Other than that, Kuo went a full four innings and struck out five. Aaron Weatherford struck out three over the next two innings.

Leonardo Reyes drove in three runs as aprt for his 2-for-3, 2 BB night. Ben Paulsen went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI. Joe Sanders, who committed a total of three errors in the game, collected two hits and scored a run.

Casper, L 2-11
Jared Clark hits his 10th homer of the season in this dismal outcome for Casper. The biggest culprit on the pitching staff last night was Clint Tilford who allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings. Nicholas Schnaitmann started and allowed four runs, one earned. The Casper defense committed a fielding error, two pickoffs gone awry, and a throwing error.

Thursday Pebble Report: "Giambino" makes Sky Sox debut

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:11:19 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Jason Giambi hadn't played a game in over a month.

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AAA Colorado Springs, W 6-2 - (69-61, 1st)

Jason Giambi got his first official start last night after walking in his first Sky Sox AB of a postponed game Tuesday. He batted third and hit two singles in four trips, including a line drive RBI single in the fifth that gave the Sox a lead they would not reliquish against the Salt Lake Bees (Angels). Christian Colonel had three hits, including two doubles, driving in two. Matt Miller had a couple singles as well.

Kurt Birkins dominated in his start, striking out five of the six batters he faced before being replaced by Damian Moss after just 27 pitches. Matt Belisle got his sixth save.

The Bees and SkySox square off again tonight at 6:05MDT at Security Service Field.

AA Tulsa, W 7-6 - (32-26, 1st)

Ching Lung Lo put the Drillers in a 5-0 hole by yielding five runs in five innings, but Tulsa made up the entire deficit in the fifth inning on the strength of six singles out of seven batters and a fielding error. A passed ball put Tulsa up going to the ninth but Andrew Johnston blew the save on a double and single. That just set up Jeff Kindel's one-out, bases loaded walkoff single, the only hit in the inning. Kindel had three of the Drillers' 11 singles, and every Tulsa hitter hit safely except Brad Corley and Dayton Buller. Andy Graham pitched three perfect innings in relief.

Keith Weiser (8-13, 5.25 ERA) will start against NW Arkansas' Marco Albano (3-6, 3.66 ERA) at 6:05MDT tonight.

High-A Modesto, L 1-3 - (30-28, 10.0 GB)

The Nuts could only manage five hits in the rubber game vs the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) with Scott Beerer's double being the only XBH. Beerer was cut down trying to score on a Lars Davis single, then Davis scored on a knock by Hector Gomez for Modesto's sole run. Cory Riordan (11-7, 3.85) allowed three runs in 8 strong innings for the loss.

The Nuts open a home series tonight vs the Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers) at 8:05MDT.

Low-A Asheville, W 3-0 - (37-20, 1st)

Alan Deratt, Isaiah Froneberger, Michael Marbry and Adam Jorgenson combined for a 6-hit shutout, striking out 12 Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) in the process. All three Tourist runs and four of their six hits came in the sixth. After Beau Seabury singled, Thomas Field and Scott Robinson both reached base on bunt singles. An error on Robinson's bunt, a groundout from Jimmy Cesario and a single from Kiel Roling each plated one of the three runs.

Both teams retangle tonight at 5:05MDT.

SS A Tri-City, W 4-3 - (39-26, 1st)

The Dust Devils defeated the Yakima Bears (Diamondbacks) last night for the fourth time in as many days. Tri-City scored three runs in the fourth on three singles, a double steal and an ensuing throwing error by the catcher. Eric Federico replaced starter Rob Scahill in the sixth, who threw five dominant shutout innings. Federico promptly allowed Yakima to tie the game via two doubles and two singles. Tim Wheeler scored the winning run in the ninth after he doubled and scored on a Jeremiah Sammy single. Wheeler also had his 3rd triple on the season in the game.

The Dust Devils play in Yakima again tonight at 8:05MDT.

Rookie Casper, L 2-5 (11-11, 9 GB)

Speed ruled the first inning for the Ghosts against the Orem Owlz (Angels). Eliezer Mesa singled to drive in Avery Barnes, who had singled and stolen second leading off the game. Nolan Arenado moved Mesa to third with a groundout after Mesa took second on the throw home and Jared Clark walked. Clark and Mesa then pulled off a double steal with Mesa getting credit for a theft of home. Unfortunately, that's all the scoring Casper would do, though Nolan Arenado did extend his hitting streak to 15 games with a single and double.

The Ghosts take on the 20-2 Owlz again tonight at 7:05MDT with Chris Balcom-Miller (4-0, 1.21) on the bump.

Saturday Pebble Report: Asheville hitters go BAM-BAM!

Russ Oates — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:30:51 -0000

Colorado Springs, W 4-1
Kenny Perez and Matt Miller drove in two runs each, and Mike McCoy stole his 37th base. Kurt Birkins allowed one run on a homer over five innings. The usual suspects of Moss, Rincon, Flores, and Belisle finished out the game.

Tulsa, W 3-0
In the top of the ninth, a Mike Paulk RBI single, a Daniel Carte RBI double, and a Danny Sandoval RBI single accounted for all the runs scored in this game. Ching-Lung Lo struck out four in 4 2/3 innings, and Andy Graham allowed one hit in three innings of relief.

Modesto, W 6-3
Cory Riordan turned in a gem. In picking up his 11th win, he went eight innings, allowed a run on five hits and a walk, and struck out nine. Craig Baker recorded his 32nd save. Matt Repec had a big night, going 3-for-5 with a double, a two-run homer, three RBI, and two runs scored.

Asheville, W 12-5
It was a BAM-BAM night for the middle of the Asheville lineup last night: Kiel Roling, 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a double, and four RBI; Jimmy Cesario, 2-for-5 with a double, a homer (7), and three RBI; Mike Zuanich, 2-for-5 with two homers (5) and three RBI; and Delta Cleary hit a home run (7).

Alan Deratt turned in five solid inning by striking out eight and allowing that one run on a homer. Tyler Trice allowed three runs with out recording an out, and Kurt Yacko relieved him with three men on base. Yacko allowed none of those runners to score. He went on to allow a run and strike out three in three innings.

Tri-City, L 4-7
Jeremiah Sammy, Ben Paulsen, and Bo Bowman each walked twice. Other than that, the Tri-City Herald can fill you in on the Dust Devils.

Casper, W 5-0
Kyle Hancock and Trevor Gibson combined on a seven-inning, three-hit shutout of Billings in the first game of the double header. Hancock allowed three hits and struck out three.

Jared Clark went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Eliezer Mesa drove in one and stole his 11th base. Nolan Arenado did what Mesa did, driving in one and stealing a base (3).

Casper, L 0-6
And just like that, Casper is shutout in the bottom half of the double header. Nolan Arenado hit a double for one of Casper's three hits in this contest. Jonathan Vargas allowed two runs over the first four innings and Steve Junker allowed the other four in the fifth inning.

Sunday Pebble Report: Like parent, like affiliate(s)

theoldgrizzlybear — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:13:23 -0000

Saturday's results:

Colorado Springs: W 7-4

Alan Johnson's performance would have fit in well with that of the big league club recently, as he allowed a whole bunch of traffic but somehow was able to minimize the damage. Johnson worked five innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) on three hits. However, he walked five batters and threw only 42 out of 79 pitches in the strike zone. He certainly increased his already sky high trade value by picking up yet another victory, though. The offense had a lot to do with that, as Mark Bellhorn had three hits, while Eric Young Jr. (who had a tough night on the basepaths, as he was picked off AND caught stealing) and Matt Miller each contributed two. Johnson helped his own cause by hitting a two-run single in the top of the second to give Sky Sox the lead.

Tulsa: L 7-4

Ching Lung Lo made his first appearance since being promoted from Modesto, and was greeted with five runs on as many hits in three innings. He also walked three batters. Andy Graham was unable to do his best Josh Fogg impression and limit the damage despite striking out four, as he allowed two runs on four hits in three innings of work. Darin Holcomb, Brad Corley, and Danny Sandoval had two hits apiece, and Ryan Harvey hit his 21st home run of the season for the Drillers in the losing effort.

Modesto: W 6-1

Matt Repec and Scott Beerer each homered for the Nuts, while Jason Van Kooten (2-for-4) and Warren Schaeffer (3-for-4) joined Beerer (2-for-4) in having a multi-hit game. Cory Riordan won his 10th game of the season (which seems common in the Colorado organization), throwing seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just four hits while striking out seven.

Asheville: L 8-1

While Colorado Springs had a Rockies-type game last night, Asheville closely resembled the big club's opponents as of late, as they knocked out 10 hits but were unable to turn those hits into runs. Delta Cleary and Mike Zuanich each had two hits, and every other position player not named Tyler Massey had one. All of the Tourists' hits were singles, though, which helps explain the lack of runs. Jonnathan Aristil had a rough outing, as he was knocked around for four runs (three earned) on seven hits in four innings. Two of the hits were of the high and deep variety.

Tri-City: L 6-5

Rob Scahill pitched well again (four innings, no earned runs, four strikeouts), but the defense and bullpen kept Tri-City from winning the game. Eric Frederico allowed two runs in the ninth inning, the last of which was a walkoff single, and took the loss. Ben Paulsen and Kevin Clark each had a couple of hits for the Dust Devils.

Casper: PPD (Rain)

Just like the big leagues.

Thursday Pebble Report: Hollingsworth impressive, Dust Devils toss 12 scoreless innings in only organizational loss

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:05:32 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

After his first MLB start, Jhoulys Chacin walked off the Coors mound straight to AAA for the first time in his career.

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AAA Colorado Springs, W 7-5 - (62-56, 1st)

The Sky Sox held on late to snap their four game losing streak, winning 7-5 over the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals). Damian Moss threw five scoreless innings in the start, and Mike Timlin tossed a scoreless inning, allowing a hit and a walk but striking out two. Scott Munter and Matt Belisle nearly blew the 7-0 lead by allowing 5 runs on 5 hits in the last two innings.

Sal Fasano drove in two with two doubles, scoring twice. Jonathan Herrera, Mike McCoy and Matt Miller each had two hits. Every starter reached base except Eric Young Jr., who was 0-for-4, ending an 8-game hitting streak.

The Sky Sox have an off day today as the travel to New Orleans to play the Zephyrs (Marlins) Friday night. Brandon Hynick will face Luis Ayala. Jhoulys Chacin was optioned to AAA yesterday, so the Rockies top prospect will have a Sky Sox uni for the first time in his career.

AA Tulsa, W 10-9 - (25-20, 2 GB)

The Drillers looked to be easing to victory after building a 10-3 lead against the Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers), but closer Andrew Johnston went Huston Street on Tulsa, allowing five runs on four hits and a walk in a non-save situation in the ninth. Adam Bright came in to get the last out for his first save. Matt Reynolds pitched a scoreless inning, and Edgmer Escalona served up a solo home run in his inning of work. Samuel Deduno (11-2, 2.72) got the start and win, though he wasn't particularly effective, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks in 5 innings, needing 89 pitches. He has allowed 3 runs in his past two outings after tossing 12 straight with less than three.

Ryan Harvey and Jeff Kindel were both a triple shy of the cycle, scoring five runs and driving in six between them. Cole Garner laced a couple doubles as well.

The two teams face off again tonight at 6:05MDT.

High-A Modesto, W 6-1 - (24-23, 8.5 GB)

Ethan Hollingsworth (1-2, 4.95) turned in a dominating effort for the Nuts in against the Inland Empire 66ers (Dodgers), getting his first win since being promoted from Asheville. The 22-year-old struck out 7 against no walks in 7 scoreless innings, allowing just one run on three hits, one a solo homer.

Modesto exploded for a 4-run first inning with the help of an error and three walks and just two hits. One was a leadoff double by Charlie Blackmon and the other was a 2-out 2-run single from Scott Beerer, who had three hits on the day to break a double-digit hitless AB slide.

The Nuts get an offday today before facing the Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks) Friday at 8:05 MDT.

Low-A Asheville, Off Day - (28-15, 1st)

The Tourists had an off day, allowing them to travel from Lexington backhome to Asheville to start a weekend series against the Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox).

SS A Tri-City, L 0-1 - (32-22, 1st)

Low level minor league games can get squirrely. Four straight Dust Devil games have been shutouts - unfortunately, Tri City has been the victims in three of them. A day after shutting out the last-place Yakima Bears, the Diamondbacks affiliate returned the favor last night. Wes Musick, Sheng-An Kuo, Aaron Weatherford and Eric Federico combined for 12 scoreless innings before the Bears rallied for the walk-off win against Kyle Walker, only the second run he's allowed in his last 23.1 IP. The DDevils could only manage seven singles on offense.

Tri-City closes their series against the Bears tonight at 8:05MDT. Josh Hungerman (0-0, 2.86) gets the start for the Dust Devils.

Rookie Casper, W 8-7 - (2-1, 1st)

Th Ghosts snapped a five game losing streak in a hard fought win over the Great Falls Voyagers (White Sox).

Nolan Arenado (2) hit a HR for the second straight Wednesday, Chandler Laurent (two hits) and Eliezer Mesa (three) each doubled and catcher Brandon Whitby saw his average drop to .390 with a 1-for-4 day, including a triple.

Alejandro Barraza was credited with the win by throwing two perfect innings, striking out four in relief of Juan Gonzalez. Steve Junker nearly blew the lead but held the Voyagers to two runs despite allowing four hits and an error in the eighth.

The Ghosts close the series tonight at 7:05MDT.

Wednesday Pebble Report: Parker Frazier, King of the Mound

Russ Oates — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:52:30 -0000

Colorado Springs, L 2-4 (Completion of 8/10 game)
Eric Young Jr. went 3-for-5 and was caught stealing twice. Esmil Rogers struck out seven over six innings and allowed three runs.

Colorado Springs, L 1-3
Kurt Birkins struck out eight over seven innings and allowed one run on two hits. Unfortunately, Matt Herges allowed two runs in the sixth inning. Matt Miller drove in Eric Young on a triple in the first inning.

Tulsa: The Texas League had the night off.

Modesto, L 2-3
Bruce Billings took the mound for the second time after returning from injury and had trouble finding the strike zone. He walked five, but also struck out four. Ching-Lung Lo struck out five over the next three innings and allowed the two runners he inherited to score.

Jay Cox had a triple to start the sixth inning and scored on Matt Repec's single. Jeff Cunningham had two hits, one for a double, and scored the other Modesto run.

Asheville, W 5-0 (Completion of 8/10 game)
Jordan Pacheco hit his 12th homer of the season in the top of the ninth to finish the scoring. Ryan Peisel had two hits and drove in two runs, while Scott Robinson collected three hits. David Christensen had two hits, one for a double. Check out this amazing catch Christensen had last week.

Alan Deratt started and allowed two hits over four innings. Shane Lindsay walked tow and struck out three in the fifth inning.

Asheville, W 1-0
Parker Frazier twirled a gem last night, pitching seven innings, allowing three hits, and striking out eight. Adam Jorgenson picked up his 22nd save.

Scott Robinson singled in Thomas Field in the top of the eighth (an extra inning in this contest) to score the first and only run of the game,

Tri-City, W 6-0
Five of the six runs for Tri-City came in the final three frames. The first run scored in the fourth inning when Jeremiah Sammy singled in Tim Wheeler (who reached on a double). The run in the seventh inning went up on the board after Kevin Clark stole home. In the eighth inning, two sac flies and a bases-loaded walk accounted for the three runs. Kent Matthes had a single in the ninth for the final run.

Despite five walks, Carlos Luna didn't allow any runs and saw only one batter reach on a hit. Craig Benningson and Paul Bargas combined to allow three hits, and Rhett Ballard pitched a clean inning in the ninth.

Casper, L 2-3
Ricardo Ferrer allowed three runs on nine hits over six innings. He walked and struck out two. Nolan Arenado and Jared Clark drove in the runs.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports that there are clubhouse whispers that Chris Balcom-Miller might move up to Tri-City soon.

Sunday Pebble Report: Sky Sox earn a walkoff win, Modesto's pen blows up (so does Tri-City's offense), more

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:48:15 -0000

Colorado Springs: W 6-5

Matt Murton hit a walkoff two-run double in the bottom of the 11th to cap off a 3-for-6 evening, and the Sky Sox also got multi-hit games from Jon Herrera, Matt Miller, Christian Colonel, and Edwin Bellorin. Brandon Hynick's sixth inning single raised his batting average to .357. On the mound, Hynick turned in a quality start, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings. He was troubled by walks though, as issued four of them. Mike Timlin allowed a run in an inning of work and struck out two, and Randy Flores and Matt Herges held serve until Joel Peralta came in and allowed a tiebreaking homer to Carlos Corporan in the top half of the 11th.

Tulsa: W 1-0

Ryan Harvey hit an RBI double in the top of the seventh inning, and although it was one of just four hits for the Drillers, it was enough to win the ball game because of the pitching performance of Brandon Durden. Durden pitched 7.1 innings of six-hit shutout ball, striking out two and putting up a 14:6 groundout-to-flyout ratio. Edgmer Escalona and Andrew Johnston (who picked up his 28th save) slammed the door on Springfield.

Modesto: L 11-4

Kenneth Durst pitched quite well in 6.1 innings, striking out 6 batters while allowing three runs, but the bullpen had a serious meltdown - something we fortunately don't see a whole lot throughout the organization - and the offense wasn't able to make up for it. Sean Jarrett, Austin Chambliss, and Randall Taylor allowed a combined 8 runs, and the Nuts' hitters were held without an extra base hit. Jay Cox had a couple of singles, and Charlie Blackmon walked twice.

Asheville: W 6-2

Kiel Roling (2 hits, HR) and Mike Zuanich (3 hits, HR) carried the load offensively for the Tourists, and Dan Houston turned in a shaky start (5 innings, 5 walks) before turning it over to the bullpen combination of Kurt Yacko (3 K's in 1.2 IP) and Michael Marbry, who were able to preserve the victory.

Tri-City: W 9-2

The Dust Devils punched out 18 hits in the game, and despite allowing too many walks, they were able to minimize the damage on the pitching side, as Spokane only had 5 hits. Six different Tri-City hitters had multi-hit games, led by Tim Wheeler (3-for-5), Jeremiah Sammy (4 hits, 2 RBI), and Dallas Tarleton (3-for-5).

Casper: L 6-2

The Ghosts experienced quite a bit of failure with runners in scoring position (2-for-14), as they had 11 hits - 6 for extra bases - but only came away with 2 runs. Nolan Arenado (2-for-5), Brandon Whitby (2-for-4), and Angelys Nina (3-for-3) were the stars offensively for Casper. Kyle Hancock took a hard luck loss, as he gave up just two hits in four innings and didn't walk anybody, but was a victim of bad defense, as he allowed three unearned runs. He also struck out seven batters. Trevor Gibson pitched a scoreless eighth, and struck out two.

Wednesday Pebble Report: Victories for everyone last night

Russ Oates — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:47:15 -0000

Colorado Springs, W 12-10
The Sky Sox needed a four-run ninth inning to win this game. Eric Young Jr.'s two-run triple started the scoring that led to the win. Junior also walked three times. Dan Ortmeier drove in four runs, and Matt Miller and Matt Murton had two RBI each. Mike McCoy walked five times.

Alan Johnson allowed eight runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings on eight hits and six walks. Jonathan Herrera committed two fielding errors in the six-run second inning. Matt Herges picked up the win after pitching two scoreless innings.

Tulsa, W 11-3
It was a night for the long ball by the Drillers. Darin Holcomb hit his tenth of the season in the first inning. Ryan Harvey and Danny Sandoval each hit one in the seventh, Harvey's a three-run shot. Harvey went 3-for-5 with five RBI and fell a triple short of the cycle. Jeff Kindel had three hits and three RBI. Cole Garner also had three hits.Daniel Mayora committed three errors, a missed catch and two fielding ones.

Chaz Roe threw a complete game, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out three. He threw 108 pitches, 67 for strikes, and had an 8-15 GO-FO.

Modesto, W 12-5
It was a glorious sixth inning for the Nuts, as they scored seven runs to take the lead in the game. The Mod Bee has a good recap of what happened in the inning:

With one out and the Nuts trailing 3-2, Jason Van Kooten singled, Scott Beerer walked and Matt Repec doubled to tie the game.
Bakersfield walked Maikol Gonzalez intentionally so their lefty starter Tim Murphy (7-9) could face the lefty Davis, but Modesto's catcher responded with a line drive off the wall in center for a three-run double and a 6-3 lead.

Reliever Glenn Swanson was greeted by Warren Schaeffer's single, and Rike followed with a majestic three-run homer to right field.

Repec went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a homer, and Lars Davis finished with four RBI.

Cory Riordan allowed three-run homer in the first inning, but settled down after that. He finished with six innings pitched, four runs allowed, and four strikeouts.

Asheville, W 7-0
Jonnathan Aristil turned in a great start, allowing no runs in 6 2/3 innings and striking out six. The bullpen combo of Alan Deratt, Shane Lindsay, Isaiah Froneberger, and Adam Jorgenson held Bowling Green off the bases for the last three innings.

Scott Robinson, Jordan Pacheco, and Thomas Field each had two hits. David Christensen (20) and Delta Cleary (25) each stole a base. Mike Zuanich doubled and drove in a run.

Tri-City, W 5-3
Tri-City also liked the ninth inning to take the lead. Joe Sanders drove in the first run on a single; the second run scored on a force attempt/fielding error; and finally, Tim Wheeler had a two-run double to center.

Dan Perkins allowed a run in five innings and struck out three. Rex Brothers threw 1 2/3 innings and struck out four. Paul Bargas picked up the win and Charlie Ruiz struck out three on the way to his 11th save.

Casper, W 9-8
Jonathan Vargas allowed one run on five hits in five innings. He struck out five and had a 6-2 GO-FO. But the bullpen almost ruined Vargas's nice start. Clint Tilford pitched the next three innings and allowed three runs in the eighth inning. Tyler Gagnon didn't have any better success since he allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth. However, Leuris Gomez allowed three of those runs after he inherited the runners.

Jared Clark hit his sixth homer, a solo shot in the second inning. Nolan Arendao went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Avery Barnes collected four hits, drove in two runs, and stole his 16th base.

Thursday Pebble Report: Cory Riordan and Brandon Durden dealing again, Joe Mikulik instituting Grand Theft Baseball

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:09:40 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Dex is fast, but he hasn't tried to steal home yet. Two Tourists technically attempted last night. One of them was successful. One of them was a catcher. Joe Mikulik - you're crazy, man.

Browse more photos »

AAA Colorado Springs, L 4-5 - (56-48, 1st)

Brandon Hynick (8-7, 3.68) worked a semi-quality start, allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings, striking out four and walking one against the Fresno Grizzlies (Giants). The unearned run was due to Eric Young Jr's 14th error, an errant throw. Hynick was outdueled by Joe Martinez, who allowed two runs, neither earned on just four hits and no walks in seven innings.

Trailing 4-2 in the eighth, the Sox strung together singles by EY2 and Mike McCoy, a double by Matt Miller and a sac fly from Daniel Ortmeier to tie the game. The score remained even until Ryan Rohlinger notched his third RBI by getting hit by a 2-out pitch with the bases loaded by Scott Munter (4-3, 3.79) Mc Coy had three singles on the night, while Miller, Matt Murton and Jonathan Herrera doubled. Matt Herges, Randy Flores and Joel Peralta combined for 3 scoreless innings.

The Sky Sox take on the Grizz again tonight at 7:00MDT.

AA Tulsa, W 2-1 & L 1-5 - (19-13, 2 GB)

NW Arkansas (Royals) locked up the Drillers' bats, allowing just 3 runs in the doubleheader. Luckily for Tulsa, they managed to win one.

Game 1: Brandon Durden (4-2, 3.31) outdueled lefty Everett Teaford (3-4, 4.99) by yielding just one run on three hits in six-plus innings. Andrew Johnston worked through a nervous final seventh for his 27th save but allowed an inherited runner to score and required a Jeff Kindel assist at home to protect the lead. Cole Garner's 2-run HR in the second provided all the necessary offense. Daniel Mayora doubled, while Michael McKenry and Jeff Kindel notched singles. Durden is now 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in his last five starts since being promoted to Tulsa. He has 7 solid starts out of 9 total in AA for the season

Game 2: The Naturals ambushed Andy Graham (2-4, 5.40) for three runs in the first inning on two home runs, and the stagnant Drillers' offense couldn't catch up. Adam Bright allowed two runs in his inning to faciliate the loss, and Tommy Baumgardner worked two trafficked yet scoreless innings. An RBI single by Jeff Kindel in the 7th was all the scoring Tulsa could do. Moyora collected another double in addition to a single.

Chaz Roe (3-2, 3.50 ERA) will face Matt Kniginyzky (4-7, 5.20 ERA) in the final game of the series tonight at 6:05MDT.

High-A Modesto, W 6-3 - (17-17, 9 GB)

The first seven Nuts that came up in the first reached on a hit, and the eighth man was hit by a pitch. Charles Blackmon, Hector Gomez, Jay Cox and Scott Beerer singled before a Jeffrey Cunningham double and Jason van Kooten home run (8) to give Cory Riordan (7-6, 4.16) a five run lead before even stepping on the field. Blackmon also hit his sixth HR later in the game.

Riordan allowed just two runs in 7 innings, striking out nine of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) he faced. After three rough starts earlier this month, he is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA over 32 IP in his last four starts.

The teams square off again tonight at 8:05 MDT.

Low-A Asheville, W 7-5 & W 5-4 - (20-12, 1st)

The Tourists claimed the best record in the Sally League with two come-from-behing wins, sweeping double header from the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles).

Game 1: Jonathan Aristil allowed the Shorebirds to score one run each in all five of his innings, but his ability to limit the damage was critical to the Tourist comeback. Trailing 5-1 in the 6th, Asheville posted a 6-run rally, highlighted by three doubles (David Christensen, Kiel Roling and Jordan Pacheco) and three stolen bases (Christensen, Scott Robinson and Delta Cleary). Christensen and Robinson's thefts came on a double steal, with Christensen stealing home, one of two bases he swiped in the game. The Tourists had five doubles and six stolen bases total. Even Mike Zuanich stole third.

Game 2: Michael Marbry blew a 3-2 lead in the 7th for a blown save, then proceeded to give Delmarva a 4-3 lead in the eighth. Beau Seabury was caught attempting to steal home for a walk off win - geeze, what was in Joe Mikulik's breakfast? Tyler Massey tripled in Scott Robinson with two outs in the eighth to stave off defeat and Jimmy Cesario sealed the win with a walk-off single in the tenth. Alan Deratt allowed two runs on four innings in his start.

Asheville travels to Rome to open a series with the Braves tonight at 5:00 MDT.

SS A Tri-City, L 3-4 - (20-12, 1st)

The Dust Devils lost a game they shouldn't have to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants). Carlos Luna allowed three runs in relief without getting an out that facilitated the game going to extras, and Ryan Bargas allowed the winning run to score in the tenth despite striking out the side and allowing no hits or walks. A two base error by Kent Matthes and two wild pitches, all with two outs, was the losing recipe. Daniel Perkins pitched six scoreless innings, and Kyle Walker tossed three of his own without allowing a hit.

Kent Matthes doubled and tripled. Tim Wheeler, Ben Paulsen, Leonardo Reyes, Joseph Sanders and Alexander Feinberg each singled once.

Tri-City plays the middle game of their five gme set with the Volcanoes tonight at 8:15MDT.

Rookie Casper, Rain Out - (9-22, 11 GB)

Last night's game vs the Ogden Raptors (Dodgers) was postponed. It will be made up as a double-header today with the first game a t 4:35 MDT in Casper.