SB Nation - Kevin Barker

Farmers Only: Winter League Update and some notes

nycredsfan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:00:45 -0000

Chris Heisey loves the Arizona air. Does that bode will for his chances in spring training?

Many of you thought the Arizona Fall League ended with the "Rising Stars" game last weekend, but it actually goes until the end of next week, and our boys in 'zona have just kept on representin'. This list isn't exhaustive, I've only put up stats, through yesterday, of the players of interest playing in fall/winter leagues. (If you really want to know how Lew Ford is doing in Venezuela you can look it up)

Arizona Fall League	PA	Avg	OBP	SLG	HR	BB	K
Yonder Alonso	75	.290	.333	.406	2	6	8
Chris Heisey	88	.308	.400	.641	5	10	20
Zack Cozart	55	.340	.393	.560	2	5	9
Venezuelan Winter League
Danny Dorn	60	.250	.400	.500	4	8	14
Miguel Rojas	57	.288	.345	.346	0	5	10
Dominican Winter League
Juan Francisco	76	.227	.325	.455	3	10	20
Kevin Barker	84	.329	.409	.421	1	8	15
Mexican League
Adam Rosales	128	.300	.400	.427	2	18	11
Arizona Pitchers	IP	ERA	K	BB	H	HR	AVG
Mike Leake	11.2	2.31	9	2	17	0	.340
Brad Boxberger	11.1	8.74	11	6	12	2	.286
Sean Watson	10.2	8.44	12	6	20	2	.377
Logan Ondrusek	9.2	10.24	8	1	19	4	.388

Dominican League
Ben Jukich	15.2	2.87	12	5	20	1	.323
Enerio Del Rosario	11.2	2.31	6	2	10	0	.222
Sam LeCure	7.1	8.59	6	5	12	0	.353

Zack Cozart hasn't been in a game since last week and isn't listed on the Peoria Saguaros roster anymore. I can't tell if he's injured or just decided he wanted to go home.
Todd Frazier starts play in the Puerto Rican League next week. I'm giddy.
Please note the K/BB ratio for Francisco. I know it's only the DWL, but the kid is showing signs of being able to take a walk.
I'm really intrigued by Del Rosario. He flew up through the system this season, and ended the year in AAA. His groundball to flyball ratio was 3.23 during the season and is 2.22 in the DWL. Sounds like a good fit for GABP.
It's still a small sample size, but Chris Heisey keeps making a case for himself.
Darnell McDonald is tearin' up Mexico too, but since he's not on the 40 man roster anymore I didn't feel compelled to include him. Katie Couric is happy about this.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:01:31 -0000

by Ann Heisenfelt - AP

Carlos Gomez makes the wrong kind of contact.

View full size photo »

Some things to read while realizing you left your credit card in your other armor.

Thanks to Dan, Tyler and Rubie for filling in for me last week while I took a quick break to experience life in New York for a few days. Writing the Mug is no small feat, and all three of them did admirable work in my place, so be sure to stop by their sites today to thank them. It's good to be home. With that said, I'm going in for oral surgery in roughly an hour so I'm off again tomorrow, and I've lined up another of my favorite Brewer bloggers to fill in. I'm hoping to return on Wednesday but that will depend on how I bounce back and how coherent I am on Vicodin.

The Brewers, of course, saw fit to ruin a perfectly good day of my vacation by trading J.J. Hardy for Carlos Gomez. If you weren't around the site this weekend, you missed a lot of great content on the trade: Jordan weighed in with his disappointment, Jeff made the case for keeping Mike Cameron anyway, and Noah, writing his first weekend roundup, had a great collection of thoughts on the deal from around the web. With that said, there's still a bunch more out there:

The Transaction Oracle compared Gomez to Tom Goodwin and said, "Gomez's version of selectivity is staring blankly at a random pitch and then flailing at the next one."
Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press called Gomez "clueless" and said he "has the baseball instincts of an Icelandic grade-schooler." (h/t BBTF)
The Grand National Championships called Gomez "a Juan Pierre without all that incessant singles hitting."
TheJay has a look at the career paths of players who have made as many PAs as Gomez has at such a young age with such a low OBP. Not exceptionally pretty.
Aaron Gleeman says Gomez has gotten a bum rap, but also likes the deal for the Twins.
Miller Park Drunk has a roundup of other things people are saying about Gomez.
Meanwhile, despite Jeff's objections, Doug Melvin confirmed that the Brewers' decision to acquire Gomez means they won't make a push to retain Mike Cameron for 2010.
Nick's Twins Blog has an overview of the deal, including my scouting report for Hardy.
Twinkie Town has some questions about Hardy's defense (based largely on the comments of some frequent BCB'ers), and whether or not it's as good as advertised.
FanGraphs has a look at Hardy's defense, and rated him the third most valuable defensive player in baseball since 2007.
Along with the Red Sox (and presumably some others), the Reds confirmed interest in Hardy. Melvin didn't want to deal Hardy in the division, so he was forced to accept less from someone else.
The Ghost of Moonlight Graham called the deal a steal for the Twins.
Rubie Q called the deal "worst nightmare stuff."
Baseball-Intellect says the Twins got Hardy for "pennies on the dollar."
Sabernomics is having a hard time choosing a winner in the deal.
Jorge Says No! says this deal has the potential to be win-win.

As of this writing, 54% of voters in the poll on your right think the Twins won the trade, with just 13% picking the Brewers. Gomez is walking in the door with a large portion of the fans believing he's not worth much, and it can be tough to overcome that when you're carrying a sub-.300 OBP. This could be the deal that sinks Doug Melvin.

Now, the Brewers have to find a way to wisely spend the financial windfall. MLB Trade Rumors has the likely landing spots for this winter's top 50 free agents, and lists both Doug Davis and Jarrod Washburn as likely Brewers, and also lists the Crew as a potential interested party regarding Jon Garland. Meanwhile, they have Felipe Lopez as a Dodger, Mike Cameron as a Padre and Ben Sheets as a Ranger.

Beyond that, there's not a lot of Brewer news, unless you wanted to talk about the decision to decline David Weathers' option.

Around baseball:

D-Backs: Exercised Brandon Webb's option for 2010.
Dodgers: Declined Jon Garland's option for 2010.
Nationals: Declined Austin Kearns' option for 2010.
Phillies: Exercised Cliff Lee's option for 2010 and declined Pedro Feliz's.
Pirates: Designated pitchers Virgil Vazquez and Eric Hacker and catcher Steve Lerud for assignment.
Red Sox: Declined their option for 2010 on Alex Gonzalez.
Reds: Outrighted outfielder Danny Richar and first baseman Kevin Barker to AAA. Both will be minor league free agents.
Rockies: Declined options on catcher Yorvit Torrealba and Alan Embree.
Royals: Declined 2010 options for Coco Crisp, Miguel Olivo and Yasuhiko Yabuta.
Tigers: Removed outfielder Marcus Thames and catcher Matt Treanor from their 40-man roster.
White Sox: Bought out the final year of Jermaine Dye's contract.

I'm going to wrap this up quickly, because my pre-surgery meds are starting to kick in:

Miguel Olivo has been mentioned as a potential option for the Brewers next season. Beyond the Box Score has a comprehensive list of things he does well.
Phil Birnbaum looks at the possibility that younger umpires have more accurate strike zones.
Baseball Reference wants your thoughts to help improve their site.
Seventeen congressmen voted no on a resolution congratulating the Yankees for winning the World Series. One of them was Wisconsin rep Jim Sensenbrenner. (h/t Baseball Musings)

On this day in 1982, Robin Yount was the unanimous choice to win the AL MVP after leading the AL in hits, doubles, slugging, OPS, OPS+ and total bases, while playing shortstop for the AL Champion Brewers.

It's also a big day for Brewer birthdays:

Dave Bush turns 30.
Angel Miranda, who appeared in 116 games as a Brewer between 1993 and 1997, turns 40.
Dion James, who was the Brewers' first round pick in the 1980 draft, turns 47.
Teddy Higuera, arguably the greatest pitcher in Brewer history, turns 51. You should celebrate his birthday by purchasing the sponsorship on his Bref page, which is available for $10.

Drink up.

We love you, Patrick! "Ditto." Reds win, 3-1.

Brendanukkah — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:07:51 -0000

via fullofsmoke.com

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Patrick Swayze. Finally, Heaven's Chippendales roster is complete. Also, Jay Bruce had the game winning hit in his return to Cincinnati.

Key Plays

There was a distinct lack of offense in this game. Both teams were scoreless until Houston broke through in the sixth inning. Then, with two outs, traditional Reds killers Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee singled and double respectively. Berkman scored and the Astros were winning 1-0.
The Reds staged their comeback in the seventh inning. Scott Rolen walked to lead off the frame, and Jonny Gomes hit a double to put runners on second and third. Juan Francisco then came up to bat for Darnell McDonald. El Nino Destructor's major league debut ended in a strikeout, but still, an exciting moment. Pinch hitter Kevin Barker was intentionally walked to load the bases, and then pinch hitter Jay Bruce - as foretold by jch - hit a single to right field that scored Rolen and Gomes. Reds on top, 2-1.
Brandon Phillips added a Great American Insurance run in the eighth inning with his 20th home run of the year.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

Bronson Arroyo now has a winning record, joining Edinson Volquez and Justin Lehr as the only starters better than .500. Nick Masset is the only other pitcher on the roster with a winning record.
Francisco Cordero's 35th save beats his total from last year. It's been said again and again, but it's really impressive that So-So Cordero has not made any noteable appearances this season.
Once again, El Nino Destructor's major league debut everybody!
As Dude Rock and Slyde are quick to point out, Arroyo has a 2.11 ERA over his last 13 starts.
Patrick Swayze had an appearance on M*A*S*H* back in 1981. Weird, huh?

Final - 9.14.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Houston Astros	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	7	0
Cincinnati Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	X	3	7	0
WP: Bronson Arroyo (13 - 12) SV: Francisco Cordero (35) LP: Wandy Rodriguez (13 - 10)

Complete Coverage >

Just Like They Drew It Up. Reds Win 7-5 to Break 5-game Losing Streak.

Slyde — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:01:24 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Yer a....GULP....mmmmmm.

Browse more photos »

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Drew Sutton. Sutton only saw three pitches all day, but that was enough as his 2-run pinch hit double in the 9th inning was the difference for the winning squad.

Key Plays

The story of the day today was base runners, as in the Reds had 21 of them when you add up the 10 hits, 8 walks, and 3 errors by the Cubs. Thankfully, they managed to get some hits today with runners on base, going 5 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

The Reds put their first two runs on the board due to the Cubs fielding incompetence. Three errors in the 3rd inning allowed the Reds to load up the bases and score a run before Brandon Phillips singled in a second run to put the team up 2-0.
The Reds added 3 more runs in the 4th inning after Adam Rosales and Drew Stubbs singles put runners at 1st and 3rd. Darnell McDonald followed with one of his two hits on the day to drive in Rosales. Joey Votto did the same to drive in Stubbs. Consecutive walks to Phillips and Scott Rolen put another run on the board and the Reds led 5-0.
While all of this was happening, Johnny Cueto was cruising right along, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks through the first 5 innings. He ran into trouble in the 6th though, walking lead-off hitter Ryan Theriot and back-to-back singles Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, the latter scoring Theriot. Geovany Soto ended Cueto's day with a double that plated Lee and moved Ramirez to third base.
Daniel Ray Herrera relieved Cueto but allowed a sacrifice fly to score Ramirez and a walk and was replaced with Ramon Ramirez who induced a flyout from Jeff Baker to end the inning.
The Cubs rallied again in the 7th a walks to Kosuke Fukudome and Lee put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Nick Masset came to the game to face Aramis Ramirez who promptly singled to load the bases. Masset struck Milton Bradley out, but then gave up another double to Geovanny Soto. Both Fukudome and Lee scored, but a nice relay from Stubbs to Paul Janish to Corky Miller nailed Ramirez at the plate, preserving a 5-5 tie.
The 8th inning was quiet on both sides, and it looked like the Reds would stall out in the 9th as Rolen grounded into a double play after a Phillips single. However, 2-out walks to Jonny Gomes and Kevin Barker left the door open for Drew Sutton to be a hero, and Sutton didn't disappoint. His double into right field plated both runners and gave the Reds a 7-5 lead.
Francisco Cordero made quick work of the Cubs in the 9th, throwing just 9 pitches in a 1-2-3 inning.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

The win today still leaves open the possibility that the Reds could finish this road trip with a split. As bad as they played during the 5-game losing streak, a split would feel like a freaking miracle.
The Reds had 10 different players reach base via a hit or a walk.

Brandon Phillips Bruises Pirates With Home Run, Breaks Them With a Ground Out. Reds Win 5-3.

Slyde — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:36:21 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Corky, Lastings. Lastings, Corky.

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Brandon Phillips. For the second time in the last 3 games, Phillips takes home the honor. BP went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, including a home run. Drew Stubbs (3 for 4, HR) and Homer Bailey (6.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K) are honorable mentions.

Key Plays

The Reds kicked off the scoring in the first inning after Joey Votto coaxed a walk and then moved to second on a balk by Zach Duke. Brandon Phillips followed that up with a single to score Votto, but Phillips was thrown out trying to take second base to end the inning.
The first batter in the second inning for the Pirates, Garrett Jones, homered to tie the game up at one.
Phillips put the Reds back out in front again with his 19th home run of the season in the fourth inning.
The first batter in the fifth inning for the Pirates, Brandon Moss, homered to tie the game up at two.
After striking out the first two batters, Homer Bailey gave up a double to Lastings Milledge and then another double to Ryan Doumit, giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead.
The first batter in the sixth inning for the Reds, Drew Stubbs, homered to tie the game up at three.
Paul Janish reached after Stubbs' homer on a fielding error by Neil Walker. Joey Votto followed with a ground-rule double, his first hit in 17 at bats, leaving runners at 2nd and 3rd. Phillips grounded out to second base, but it was enough to get Janish in from third. Darnell McDonald capped the scoring with a single to bring in Votto and the Reds led 5-3.
The Reds put a threat together in the 8th after Votto walked and BP singled, but Jonny Gomes grounded into a force out, McDonald struck out, and Kevin Barker popped out to end the threat.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

Homer Bailey came out to pitch the 7th inning despite already having 109 pitches on the day. He's thrown 114, 115, and 116 pitches in his last 3 starts.
Bailey is now a combined 13-9 between the minors and majors this season. This is one year after going 4-13 combined at both levels.
The bullpen trio of Arthur Rhodes, Nick Masset, and Francisco Cordero struck out 6 of the 9 batters they faced, allowing just one hit.
The offense has had double-digit hits 8 times in the last 11 games after doing it just one time in the previous 27 games.
They have also homered in 10 straight games. It's their longest streak of the season.
The Reds swept the Pirates in a 4-game series at home for the first time since 1975. The last time they swept them in 4 games in 1992, it was in Pittsburgh.
The Reds now have a 6.5 game lead on the Pirates.

Farmers Only: J.C. Sulbaran roughed up in Dayton

BK — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:00:23 -0000

Louisville beat Lehigh Valley 12-8, despite Ben Jukich's getting roughed up. The Soulsucker gave up 7 runs (5 earned) in 4 2/3 innings, but the offense picked him up and the bullpen was excellent, with Enerio Del Rosario pitching two shutout innings to close the game out. Luis Bolivar was 2-for-5 with 4 RBI in the game, Darnell McDonald drove in 3, and Kevin Barker and Daniel Dorn drove in two runs each with their two hits. Corky Miller had three hits on the night as well, but the best hitter of the game was Lehigh Valley's Jason Ellison, the former Reds bucket of suck. Up next: The Bats take on Toledo at 7:05 behind Matt Klinker.
Carolina lost to Birmingham 5-3, despite a decent outing by Tom Cochran. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and gave up 4 runs (only 2 earned) and struck out 6. Logan Parker homered, and Todd Frazier and Juan Francisco were both 2-for-4. Up next: The Mudcats take on Birmingham at 7:15. Tom Cochran is the listed starter, though he won't start since he got the start last night.
Sarasota lost to Jupiter 5-3. Lance Janke was the tough luck loser, despite a good outing of 4 2/3 innings of 1-earned run ball. Neftali Soto was 2-for-4. Up next: Curt Partch takes on Fort Myers at 7:05.
J.C. Sulbaran started for Dayton and didn't last long as the Dragons lost to West Michigan 14-2. It all came unraveled for J.C. in the first, as three errors in the inning (two by Carlos Mendez at 3B) led to 7 unearned runs, and 9 runs total in the 2 outs that Sulbaran was able to get. Shea Snowden gave up 2 runs in his 5 1/3 innings of relief work. Surprisingly, every Dragons position player got a hit, with Alexis Oliveras collecting two. Up next: Chase Ware makes his first start of the season against West Michigan at 7.
Billings beat Idaho Falls 6-4. Cristobal Rodriguez went 3-for-4, Yorman Rodriguez was 1-for-2, and Mark Fleury was 2-for-4 with a triple. Luca Panerati gave up 6 runs in his 4 innings of work, and James Walczak only gave up 2 hits in 4 innings of relief. Up next: Tim Crabbe takes on Casper at 9:05.
The GCL Reds beat the GCL Red Sox 4-3. Tucker Barnhart got his first professional hit, and Juan Silva and Derrick Lowery each had two. Harold Johnson finally got a little roughed up, giving up 3 runs in 5 innings, and Michael Henry and Raul Rodriguez both pitched two scoreless innings of work. Up next: The GCL Twins at noon.

Farmers Only: Micah's rehab goes reasonably well, and a long night in Dayton

BK — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:00:18 -0000

Louisville beat Lehigh Valley 4-3. Micah Owings pitched 4 2/3 innings in his rehab start, and gave up 1 run on 5 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 2. Enerio Del Rosario and Logan Ondrusek were once again perfect, with Ondrusek getting his 4th save of the year. Kevin Barker led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a 3-run HR, and Chris Heisey, Chris Denove, and Chris Valaika also had two hits. Up next: Travis Wood takes on Lehigh Valley at 7:05.
Carolina lost big to West Tenn 7-1 behind a rough outing by Jeremy Horst. Sean Henry drove in the Mudcats only run. Up next: Mudcats are off today.
Sarasota was rained out. Travis Webb takes on Jupiter at 6:35.
Dayton won a pitcher's duel 6-2 in 13 innings. The pitching was the big story, as Ezequiel Infante gave up 2 runs in 5 innings of work, and Justin Walker pitched 5 no-hit innings of relief. Donnie Joseph also didn't give up a hit in his 2 innings, and struck out 5 in the process. Mike Konstanty was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and Chase Weems had 2 hits as well. Up next: Oscar Castro takes on West Michigan at 7.
Billings lost to Idaho Falls 5-4. Blair Carson pitched a decent game, giving up 2 earned runs in 6 innings of work, and Jason Braun gave up one hit in his 2 innings of relief. Yen-Wen Kuo led the offense, going 3-for-3 with a HR, and Yorman Rodriguez, Efrain Contreras, and Mariekson Gregorius each had two hits. Up next: Leonardo Astorga takes on Idaho Falls at 9:15.
The GCL Reds were off. They'll take on the GCL Rays at noon.

Farmers Only: With the Reds off, the minor leaguers carry on the losing

BK — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:00:24 -0000

Louisville beat Rochester 5-2 behind a solid start by Matt Maloney. Matty went 6 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs and striking out 9. Logan Ondrusek pitched a perfect 1 1/3 for his 3rd save. Most of the runs were scored by Kevin Barker's grand slam, his 21st HR of the year. Up next: The Soulsucker takes on Rochester at 7:05.
Carolina lost to West Tenn 7-4 behind a bad start by Luis Montano. He gave up all 7 runs in his 5 2/3 innings of work. Juan Francisco and Sean Henry both had big nights, each with 3 hits, and Shaun Cumberland homered and drove in 2. Up next: Zach Ward takes on West Tenn at 8:05.
Sarasota got down early and lost to St. Lucie 8-3. Denis Phipps and Justin Reed homered for the S-Reds, and Dave Sappelt was 2-for-5 with a stolen base. Travis Webb struck out 8 hitters in his 4-inning start, but gave up 4 runs in the process. Up next: Sarasota takes on St. Lucie at 7.
Dayton got destroyed by Great Lakes 10-1. Oscar Castro and Chase Ware were responsible for the damage, and Byron Wiley, Carlos Mendez, and Humberto Sosa each had two hits. Up next: Mark Serrano takes the hill against Lansing at 7:05.
Billings scored in the 9th to beat Helena 4-3. Ricky Bowen only pitched one inning before a rain delay, and James Walczak and Daniel Corcino pitched two scoreless innings each in relief. Yorman Rodriguez had a double and Tyler Stovall drove in a run. Up next: Luca Panerati takes on Helena at 9:05.
The GCL Reds killed the GCL Rays 12-0. The pitching was great, with Harold Johnson pitching 2 scoreless innings in his start, Tyler Cline going 6 innings while striking out 8, and Matteo Pizziconi finishing it off. Jefry Sierra was the star on offense, going 3-for-4 with 5 RBI, and 5 other G-Reds had two hits on the night. Up next: The G-Reds take on the GCL O's at noon.

Farmers Only: State of the Farm (8.6)

BK — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:01:27 -0000

We haven't taken an overview of the minors in a while, so with the off day, I figured we'd check in with a mega-column. With 6 teams playing now, there's a lot to cover. Let's get started by looking at the teams.

LOUISVILLE BATS (AAA) - The Bats are 63-47 and are commanding the IL West right now, with a 9.5 game lead over Toledo. Kevin Barker is currently 2nd in the IL in OPS at .929, 2nd in HR with 20, and is 4th in OBP at .377. Drew Stubbs leads the league in stolen bases with 42, only being caught 9 times. On the pitching side, Homer Bailey and Matt Maloney are currently 6th and 7th in ERA at 2.71 and 2.72, and shutout specialist Justin Lehr is 9th with a 3.31 ERA while leading the league in wins with 13. Maloney's 97 strikeouts are good for 6th in the league so far, and Lehr's 1.06 WHIP has him 4th in the league. As a team, Louisville's pitching staff is 3rd in the league in ERA and 4th in strikeouts.
CAROLINA MUDCATS (AA) - After going 37-32 in the first half, finishing 2nd (1 game back), the Mudcats are 15-25 so far in the second half, 7 games back from Chattanooga and tied for 4th place. Despite promotions, Carolina still has the top players in AVG, SLG, and OPS on the offensive side (Chris Heisey, .347/.426/.572/.998) and the league leader in ERA by more than a run (Travis Wood, 9-3 with a 1.21 ERA; second in the league is 2.99). After his night last night, Juan Francisco now leads the SL in home runs with 22 and RBI with 71. Wood also still leads the league in strikeouts with 103, despite being in AAA for the last two weeks.
SARASOTA REDS (A+) - After finishing dead last in the FSL South in the first half at 28-40, their 17-22 record in the second half so far is 4 games back and good for 4th in the 6 team division. This is normally where I'd list the S-Reds who are among the league leaders in offensive categories, but Sarasota doesn't have any. Jeremy Horst is 8th in the league in ERA at 3.25. Their .234 team average is good for worst in the league, and their OPS is an abysmal .623. Their 315 team RBI is almost 40 behind the second to last place team.
DAYTON DRAGONS (A) - Dayton finished 4th in the MWL East in the first half with a 28-42 record, and are currently 18-20 in the second half, which is good for 4th place in the division despite being 11.5 games back from a white-hot Fort Wayne team. Byron Wiley is 4th in the league in OPS at .883, 7th in OBP at .388, and 3rd in SLG at .495. Cody Puckett is 5th in that category at .481, and Dave Sappelt is 9th in SB with 26 despite getting promoted. Puckett's also 4th in the league in HR with 16. Matt Fairel is 9th in ERA at 2.93 and 4th in strikeouts with 107.
BILLINGS MUSTANGS (R) - Despite being a short-season team, Billings' season is split in two as well. They were last place at 12-26 in the first half, and have kicked off the second half 1-2. Mariekson Gregorius is 10th in the league in hitting at .342 and 10th in OBP at .408. Shea Snowden and Leonardo Astorga are 10th and 11th in ERA at 4.17 and 4.53, although there are only 26 pitchers with enough innings to qualify. Billings is similiar to Dayton in that they can't hit, with a .251/.322/.350/.672 line as a team so far this year. Their 4.81 team ERA is second to last in the league.
GCL REDS (R) - The G-Reds are 16-18 and 4 games back in the GCL South. Henry Rodriguez is leading the league in hitting at .355, and leadoff hitter Theodis Bowe is hitting .313, which is good for 10th. Bowe is also 3rd in SB with 14. Jacob Wiley is tied for 3rd in saves with 6.

A closer look at the players after the jump.

Red Reporter Top 15

Before the season, you guys came up with a list of the top 15 prospects in the Reds system. Here's an update on how they're doing.

Yonder Alonso 1B (Carolina)
After starting the season on a tear in Sarasota, Yonder made it to Carolina before breaking the hamate bone in his hand. In 16 games in AA, Yonder hit .246/.309/.466. He's on a rehab stint with the GCL team right now, so I'd expect him to finish the season in Carolina when he's ready to go.
Neftali Soto 3B (Sarasota)
Soto's having a disappointing season so far for the S-Reds. His OBP is still only .284 and his plate discipline has been lacking. After a strong May, he had a disappointing June and July, only hitting .204/.237/.301 in July, but has started August right, so hopefully that gets him going.
Todd Frazier 2B (Carolina)
Todd's having a great season in AA, and should earn a promotion soon. He recently made the switch to 2B after playing 3B and LF for most of the year. Why he hasn't been called up to Louisville yet is beyond me.
Drew Stubbs CF (Louisville)
Speaking of guys who should be called up, Stubbs' OBP is at .368 and he has 42 stolen bases to lead his league. That wouldn't look good in the leadoff spot, Dusty?
Chris Valaika SS (Louisville)
An injury plagued season has Valaika dropping past Zack Cozart on prospect boards at his position. Chris is currently at .197/.237/.299 in 244 AB.
Juan Francisco 3B (Carolina)
El Nino Destructor is raking lately, but still has the same problems that have plagued him his whole career. Mainly, his errors at 3B and his lack of plate discipline (88 K to 19 BB this year).
Daryl Thompson RHSP (Louisville)
Thompson's been on the shelf since the end of June, his 3rd DL trip this year. His 6.59 ERA could be better, and I expect it to be next year, but this year's a lost cause for Daryl.
Kyle Lotzkar LHSP
Lotzkar has been on the DL all year with a broken elbow, and doesn't look to be coming back soon. Hopefully he'll pitch this year, but I'm not optimistic.
Chris Dickerson OF (Cincinnati)
He's batting .259 in 85 games for the Reds. I still don't remember why he's on this list.
Josh Roenicke RHRP (Toronto)
Sigh. He got traded in the Rolen deal.
Devin Mesoraco C (Sarasota)
He's at .225/.309/.379 right now, but all reports coming out of Sarasota say that he's improving behind the plate. Hopefully that bat will come around, but he's still young.
Daniel Dorn OF (Louisville)
He's having a solid year, at .256/.323/.426. Are we still calling him overrated? I don't see him cracking this outfield any time soon.
Yorman Rodriguez OF (Billings)
Stormin' Yorman is killin' Billings so far, to the tune of a .884 OPS. He's still only 16.
Zach Stewart RHSP (Toronto)
God fucking dammit. Moving on.
Juan Duran DH (GCL)
Duran's year has been really disappointing, with a line of .180/.235/.270.

Top 15 Pitchers

The way we're going to do this, is look at 10 pitchers from full season ball, and look at the top 5 from short season. We're looking at guys with a minimum of 45 IP from full season teams and 10 IP from short season. The stats provided here are combined from every level through the 2009 season.

Logan Ondrusek RHRP (Sarasota, Carolina, Louisville) - 4-1, 1.28 ERA, 38 K, 20 BB
Travis Wood LHSP (Carolina, Louisville) - 10-4, 1.44 ERA, 116 K, 46 BB
Enerio Del Rosario RHRP (Sarasota, Carolina, Louisville) - 2-1, 1.96 ERA, 43 K, 6 BB
Joseph Krebs LHRP (Carolina, Sarasota) - 3-2, 2.19 ERA, 44 K, 20 BB
Mace Thurman LHRP (Sarasota, Dayton) - 3-0, 2.10 ERA, 73 K, 21 BB
Jeff Kennard RHRP (Louisville) - 3-1, 2.42 ERA, 48 K, 18 BB
Philippe-Alexandre Valiquette LHRP (Carolina, Sarasota) - 2-2, 2.51 ERA, 45 K, 25 BB
Steven Otterness LHRP (Sarasota, Dayton) - 3-0, 2.76 ERA, 34 K, 25 BB
Matt Maloney LHSP (Louisville) - 7-8, 2.72 ERA, 97 K, 16 BB
Jordan Hotchkiss RHRP (Dayton) - 1-4, 2.75 ERA, 47 K, 15 BB

Harold Johnson RHSP (GCL) - 0-1, 1.06 ERA, 16 K, 8 BB
Ezequiel Infante LHSP (Dayton, Billings) - 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 31 K, 4 BB
Tyler Cline RHSP (GCL) - 2-0, 1.73 ERA, 26 K, 9 BB
Donnie Joseph LHRP (Dayton, Billings) - 2-1, 1.89 ERA, 20 K, 5 BB
Mark Serrano RHSP (Dayton, Billings) - 1-0, 1.85 ERA, 28 K, 7 BB

Top 15 Hitters

We'll do the same thing here. Minimum of 200 AB for full season, 50 for short season.

Kevin Barker 1B (Louisville) - .929 OPS, .284/.377/.552, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 1 SB
Chris Heisey CF (Louisville, Carolina) - .927 OPS, .331/.395/.534, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 16 SB
Darnell McDonald RF (Louisville) - .883 OPS, .317/.349/.534, 7 HR, 33 RBI, 6 SB
Byron Wiley RF (Dayton) - .883 OPS, .275/.388/.495, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 5 SB
Todd Frazier 2B (Carolina) - .860 OPS, .307/.362/.499, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 7 SB
Yonder Alonso 1B (Carolina, Sarasota, GCL) - .823 OPS, .284/.357/.466, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 1 SB
Juan Francisco 3B (Carolina) - .809 OPS, .273/.310/.499, 22 HR, 71 RBI, 6 SB
Cody Puckett 2B (Sarasota, Dayton) - .793 OPS, .263/.333/.461, 16 HR, 57 RBI, 14 SB
Zack Cozart SS (Carolina) - .785 OPS, .270/.366/.419, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 9 SB
Chris Denove C (Louisville, Carolina) - .779 OPS, .265/.349/.430, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 0 SB

Josh Fellhauer OF (Dayton) - .926 OPS, .310/.379/.548, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 4 SB
Henry Rodriguez 3B (GCL) - .803 OPS, .355/.384/.419, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 7 SB
Thomas Nurre 1B (Billings) - .783 OPS, .286/.338/.444, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB
Theodis Bowe LF (GCL) - .775 OPS, .313/.387/.388, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 16 SB
Alexis Oliveras OF (Dayton, Billings) - .753 OPS, .292/.337/.416, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 10 SB

20 More Prospects To Watch

Ben Jukich LHSP (Louisville) - 3-0, 1.62 ERA in 5 starts in July
Matt Klinker RHSP (Louisville) - 2.95 ERA in AA, now in AAA after starting in Sarasota
Sam LeCure RHSP (Louisville) - 7-0, 2.38 ERA in last 9 starts
Tom Cochran LHSP (Carolina) - 2.77 ERA in 5 starts in July
Jeremy Horst LHSP (Carolina) - 3.25 ERA in Sarasota, now in AA
Josh Beal RHRP (Sarasota) - 1.72 ERA in 17 1/3 innings in July
J.C. Sulbaran RHSP (Dayton) - 3.56 ERA in last 4 starts, 10.0 K/9 this season
Tzu-Kai Chiu LHRP (Billings) - 0.95 ERA in 19 innings in the GCL before moving to Billings
Matteo Pizziconi LHRP (GCL) - 1.08 ERA in 8 1/3 innings
Nathan Driessen LHRP (GCL) - 2.25 ERA in 24 innings
Danny Dorn OF (Louisville) - 1.024 OPS in June. .896 since the All-Star Break
Wes Bankston 1B (Louisville) - 1.045 OPS in August so far
Kyle Day DH (Sarasota) - .333/.400/.481 in July
Dave Sappelt OF (Sarasota) - 38 total SB this season
Yen-Wen Kuo 2B (Dayton) - .375 AVG in August so far
Kevin Coddington C (Dayton) - .303/.344/.371 in July
Mariekson Gregorius SS (Billings) - .342/.408/.378 since being moved to Billings (27 games)
Yorman Rodriguez CF (Billings) - .268/.348/.537 so far in Billings, is only 16 years old
Sean Conner RF (Billings) - 4 RBI in 5 August games
Danny Vicioso C (GCL) - .341/.372/.561 in 17 games

So what do you guys think? Anybody here catch your eye?

Farmers Only: Weekend Recap

BK — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:00:39 -0000

With everything going on around the trade deadline, the minor league system got a little shakeup over the weekend.

Roster Moves: Lots of new faces in Louisville. Catcher Chris Denove takes Brian Peterson's place, who was released. New faces on the Bats pitching staff are Matt Klinker in the rotation (taking Lehr's place) and Enerio Del Rosario and Lee Tabor in the bullpen (replacing Wells and Stewart). In Carolina, Jake Long takes Denove's spot at backup catcher and Luis Montano joins the Mudcats rotation. Sarasota welcomes Curtis Partch to the rotation, catcher Jordan Wideman, and reliever Aguido Gonzalez. New faces in Dayton are pitchers Mike Bohana and Shea Snowden from Billings, infielder Yen-Wen Kuo, and new acquisition Chase Weems. Infielder Derrick Lowery is with the GCL Reds.
Louisville lost their first two games over the weekend before winning Sunday's game. They lost to Toledo 8-6 on Friday night, with the pitching staff getting lit up. Ramon Ramirez started, and only went 2 innings, giving up 1 run. This proved to be a bad omen, as Pedro Viola gave up 4 runs in relief. Enerio Del Rosario pitched two shutout innings in his AAA debut, and infielder Michael Griffin pitched a scoreless 9th to keep the Bats in the game. A good day for the Bats outfield, as Drew Stubbs was 3-for-4, Chris Heisey had two hits, and Daniel Dorn homered. They lost a closer game Saturday, 3-2 to Charlotte. Matt Maloney started, pitching 7 2/3 innings of 3-run ball, striking out 5. Logan Ondrusek pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Luis Bolivar, Kevin Barker, and Chris Valaika each had two hits. At least the Bats won Sunday, behind a strong offense, 8-5 against Charlotte. Barker and Corky Miller had two hits each, and 5 different Bats drove in runs. Matt Klinker gave up 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings in his AAA debut. I think it's safe to say he was a little jittery. Lee Tabor gave up 2 runs in 3 1/3 innings in relief to earn his first win. Up next: Sam LeCure takes on Charlotte at 7:05.
Carolina lost all three of their weekend games, losing 9-8 to Chattanooga on Friday, and 4-1 and 11-1 to Tennessee. On Friday, most of the scoring was done early, as it was 8-8 going into extras before The Cycle gave up an unearned run in the 12th to earn the loss. Jake Kahaulelio, playing SS, was 4-for-5 and only a HR away from hitting for the cycle. In Saturday's game, Luis Montano gave up 4 runs in 6 in his AA debut. Sean Watson was good out of the bullpen, giving up 2 hits in 2 innings, but the Mudcats couldn't get any runs against David Patton (former Reds Rule 5 pick). 4 hits total, with Todd Frazier (playing 2nd) driving in the only run. Sunday was even worse, with Zach Ward and Chris Kelly combining to give up 11 runs in the first 5 innings of the game. Frazier was 2-for-4, and once again scored the Mudcats only run. Up next: Tom Cochran goes against Tennessee at 7:15.
Sarasota lost all 3 of their games to Brevard County. They lost 3-2 on Friday, where Travis Webb and Alexander Smit(.com) combined for 5 innings of 1 run ball. No word as to why Webb only pitched 2 innings. Dave Sappelt and Devin Mesoraco each had two hits, and Mesoraco hit his 8th HR of the year. They were shut out on Saturday 4-0 as Neftali Soto had 2 of the 5 S-Reds hits. Curtis Partch gave up 4 runs in 5 innings in his High-A debut, and Steven Otterness pitched 3 shutout relief innings. They lost again, 4-2 on Sunday, behind not much offense and a shaky bullpen. Pedro Villarreal pitched 5 innings of 1-run ball in his start, and Soto and Denis Phipps both homered. Up next: Sarasota's off today.
Dayton were winners over the weekend, beating Burlington in 2 out of 3 games. They won 2-0 on Friday, lost 5-4 on Saturday, and won 7-1 on Sunday. Jordan Hotchkiss (5 IP), Ezequiel Infante (3 IP), and Scott Gaffney (1 IP) combined for a 6-hit shutout on Friday, and Yen-Wen Kuo drove in the Dragons winning run. Josh Fellhauer, Carlos Mendez, Byron Wiley, and Enrique Rojas had two hits each on Saturday. Mark Serrano pitched 5 shutout innings on Sunday, and Chase Ware and Donnie Joseph were good in relief. Kuo, Mendez, and Alexis Oliveras all had two hits, Fellhauer and Humberto Sosa homered, and Chase Weems was 1-for-4 in his Dayton debut. Up next: Dragons take on Great Lakes at 7.
Billings lost 2 of 3 to Helena over the weekend. They lost 4-2 on Friday, despite a decent start by Leonardo Astorga. Sean Conner homered, and Yorman Rodriguez had a tough night, going 0-for-4 with 4 Ks. Conner homered again in Billings' 8-5 win on Saturday, with Ricky Bowen gaving up 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings in his start. They lost Sunday's game 3-1. Luca Panerati finally pitched a quality start, and Jason Braun pitched two perfect relief innings. Up next: The Mustangs start a new series against Great Falls at 9:05.
The GCL Reds were off Friday, but lost their Saturday game 7-4 to the Rays and 9-3 to the O's. Juan Silva was 3-for-4 on Saturday. Up next: Red Sox at noon.