SB Nation - Mike McCoy

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:33:43 -0000

by Ed Andrieski - AP

Everyone's talking about John Lackey today. Should they be?

Some things to read while launching a third party.

Thanks to Mark for filling in yesterday while I laid on the couch and drifted in and out of consciousness. My apologies for the late Mug today - I had hoped to be off my pain meds by now, but no such luck, so I'm having a hard time writing coherently. Also, as I was gathering news this morning, a delivery truck showed up with a whole room full of furniture from IKEA.

Before we go any further, you may want to just give up and find a new team or a new sport. Dave Begel of OnMilwaukee.com wants to make sure you know the Brewers are never going to compete (h/t BBTF). So abandon all hope, ye who remain here.

Meanwhile, for those of us who haven't jumped off a bridge, it's the time of year where we spend lots of time discussing players who may or may not even consider becoming a Brewer. Take John Lackey, for example.

Jorge Says No! wonders if the Brewers should be interested in signing him.
In-Between Hops has a visual representation of reasons they shouldn't.
When Buster Olney said the Brewers may have interest in Lackey, he also mentioned the Mariners as a candidate, prompting Lookout Landing to rip apart the logic involved in that statement.
Ken Rosenthal says the Angels are still interested in Lackey, too.
If/When Doug Melvin gets outbid for Lackey, Fire Doug Melvin has a statement for him to read. Melvin is already using similar language to complain about the draft.

There's also a flurry of discussion on catchers:

Just a few days after this vomit-inducer on Jason Kendall's likely return, new reports would suggest Kendall's return may not be so likely after all, and Jonathan Lucroy may be the leading candidate to take Kendall's place next season.
View From Bernie's Chalet is in favor of that move.
Project Prospect gave Lucroy a pretty nice review from the Arizona Fall League.
Big League Stew wonders why no one is searching for Jason Kendall's real age.

I'm planning on writing something more in-depth on Lucroy once my brain gets a little less fuzzy. In the meantime, here's a bunch of notes on Mike Cameron, too:

Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if Cameron might be the second-best position player on the free agent market this offseason.
Evan Brunell of The Hardball Times thinks he'll end up with the Yankees.
Hot Foot hopes he doesn't end up back with the Mets.

A fair number of people are treating it as a foregone conclusion that Craig Counsell will either return to the Brewers next season or retire, but that may not be the case. Adam McCalvy thinks Counsell's surprising 2009 season should net him several offers, and may drive up the price for Whitefish Boy.

MLB Daily Dish has predictions for free agents #11-20 in their rankings, and thinks Rich Harden (ranked #12) may end up with the Brewers. They also have Felipe Lopez (ranked #14) signing with the Cubs.

Speaking of oft-injured pitchers who could get a phone call from Doug Melvin, FanHuddle thinks the Brewers could sign Brad Penny.

And, of course, as the Brewers look to spend their free agent dollars this offseason, one massive mistake overshadows all other deals: Jorge Says No! has a look at the logic and failure of the Jeff Suppan deal.

Finally, there's some continued reaction to the J.J. Hardy-Carlos Gomez deal:

Aaron Gleeman has a scouting report on Gomez from his former manager, Ron Gardenhire.
Real GM Baseball gave the Twins an A- for the deal, and the Brewers a C+.

On Monday, I mentioned having written a scouting report on Hardy for Nick Nelson of Nick's Twins Blog. In return, I asked for his scouting report on Gomez. Here it is:

"When it became clear that the Twins were working to move Johan Santana during the 2007-08 offseason, fans geared up for a marquis package in return. After all, Santana was arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball; a two-time Cy Young Award winner with devastating stuff and command from the left side who still hadn't yet turned 29. What the Twins got was a package from the Mets that included three promising pitchers but was headlined by Carlos Gomez, a raw 22-year-old center fielder who general manager Bill Smith envisioned as a future anchor in the lineup.

Because of the circumstances surrounding his acquisition, Gomez became saddled with massive expectations amongst the Minnesota fan base. This might have been his undoing. By the time the Twins sent him to the Brewers for J.J. Hardy last week, a sizable portion of local fans was more than ready to see Gomez go. His lack of progress at the plate and his repeated mental lapses on the field -- one of which was on display during the ALDS when he cost the Twins a crucial run by overrunning second base in New York -- became too much for a lot of folks to tolerate.

As a person who greatly values defense and appreciates players who display enthusiasm and emotion on the field, I was always a big fan of Gomez and I'm sorry to see him go. There's no doubt that he was failing to make meaningful strides on the cognitive end, but his physical tools are undeniable and he was at least making slight adjustments at the plate this past season, with a decreased strikeout rate and increased walk rate. Granted, he was still poor in both those areas and his overall hitting numbers dropped regardless, but it's something to keep in mind, especially considering that he's still only 24 years old.

As far as defense goes, get ready for a treat. I know Mike Cameron did some nice things for the Brewers, but Gomez is better. I watched the great Torii Hunter in center field regularly for about a decade, and can confidently say that Gomez gets to balls that Hunter in his prime never would have dreamed of reaching. Even though he occasionally makes bad reads, Gomez can very quickly make up for a missed first step and has closing speed on line drives and fly balls like I've never seen before. He's an exquisite defensive center fielder and will make any fly ball heavy pitchers on the Brewers staff very happy.

That tremendous defensive proficiency means that Gomez doesn't have to progress all that much offensively in order to transform into a highly valuable player. While he has failed to post even a .300 OBP during his three major-league seasons thus far, Gomez posted a .339 OBP in the minors despite being young for every level and he may benefit from a return to the National League. His dreadful lack of discipline at the plate may prevent him from ever taking the next step and becoming an adequate offensive contributor, but I could certainly see him turning a corner and becoming a Franklin Gutierrez type player. Even if he doesn't, his defense makes him a worthwhile starter in center field and at worst he'll settle in as a quality fourth outfielder and pinch-running option.

For all the negatives that have surrounded Gomez's tenure in Minnesota, my lasting memory of him will not be the baserunning muff against the Yankees or one of the hundreds of outside breaking balls whiffed on for strike three. It will be the 12th inning of this season's Game 163 against the Tigers, when Alexi Casilla sneaked a grounder between second and first to drive in Gomez with the winning run. Gomez came sprinting home, arms outstretched like the wings of an airplane, and dove across home plate despite the fact that the play was nowhere near close. After recording the game-winning, playoff-clinching run, Gomez lept into the air with the excitement of a kid in little league. He may not be the brightest guy in the world, but Gomez plays the game with a lot of heart and he absolutely has his strengths.

Appreciate Gomez for what he is, and you'll love having him on your team. Just try to be patient with the mental mistakes and often clueless offensive approach."

Meanwhile, NL Gold Glove winners are expected to be announced today, and Stan Musial's Stance is projecting J.J. Hardy as the winner at shortstop. It seems unlikely, but I suppose it's possible.

Over 1000 innings and nearly 1000 appearances into his career, we're still trying to figure out how exactly Trevor Hoffman has managed to be so successful. Dave Allen of FanGraphs has a look at one of Hoffman's strengths: pinpoint control that allows him to keep the ball out of power zones to left-handed hitters.

Hitting during day games at Miller Park might get a little easier next season: The team has removed the ivy in the center field batters' eye and replaced it with glare-reducing black paint. They're also adding some black mesh around the scoreboard.

In the minors:

Jonathan Lucroy, Zach Braddock and (to a lesser extent) Lorenzo Cain are having pretty nice seasons in the AFL, and the Peoria Javelinas are 16-8, the best record in the AFL. They lead their division by five games with eight to play. For more on their recent performances, check out today's Fall/Winter League Update.
FanGraphs has the Brewers' minor league season in review, with notes on one Brewer minor league graduate and four more prospects.
Project Prospect ranked Caleb Gindl as the 12th best corner outfield prospect in all of baseball.
Plunk Everyone noted that Adam Heether and Brendan Katin are still among the Venezuelan Winter League leaders in HBP. Heether hasn't appeared in a game since November 1, and I'm still not sure why.

Around baseball:

Blue Jays: Claimed utilityman Mike McCoy off waivers from the Rockies.
Orioles: Claimed pitcher Armando Gabino off waivers from the Twins.
Rays: Exercised Carl Crawford's option for 2010, declined options on catcher Gregg Zaun and Brian Shouse, and claimed pitcher Ramon Ramirez off waivers from the Reds.
Red Sox:Shortstop Nick Green and outfielder Joey Gathright both rejected outright assignments and will become free agents.
Reds: Outfielder Darnell McDonald rejected an outright assignment to the minors and will become a free agent.

If you're looking to sign Yorvit Torrealba to a deal this offseason (perhaps as a replacement for Jason Kendall), the baseline has been set: After the Rockies declined his $4 million option for next season, they reportedly offered him $4.5 million for two seasons, and he turned it down. I think the Brewers could easily beat that, and might welcome a 2 year$6-7 million deal for him. Brian McTaggart has a look at other available catchers.

Meanwhile, the Reds are reportedly looking to cut payroll into the $65-70 million range, which could be a challenge considering they owe $66 million to ten players for 2010. So, if you have a Red you're looking to acquire, you should get on the phone.

Looking for another buy-low pitching candidate? The Royals are reportedly monitoring the rehab of Runelvys Hernandez, who has pitched just four major league games since 2006.

We use WAR a lot to discuss the value of players, but are there cases where we're misusing it? Jeremy Greenhouse of The Hardball Times looks at misuses of the stat. We've definitely been guilty of some in the comments here.

I shuddered while reading this note: Garrett Broshuis, a teammate of Giants prospect and accused murderer Angel Villalona, has a look at the circumstances surrounding Villalona's release from prison, which included a roughly $50,000 payment to the victim's family and their decision to ask for charges to be dropped.

On a happier note, Brewerfan.net has an interview with former Brewer Junior Spivey, who remains a Brewer fan long after moving on from the organization.

A couple of cool notes from the SBN Network:

SB Nation celebrated its sixth birthday this week.
Sky Kalkman, formerly of Beyond the Box Score, represented SBN well by winning Dugout Central's prediction contest.

I don't have any Brewer related birthdays today, so we'll have to settle for wishing a happy birthday to UW-Stevens Point alum Scott May, who appeared in five major league games and turns 48 today.

Oh, and I have a new career goal: Leveraging BCB's Twitter (@BrewCrewBall) to get a CBS TV deal.

Drink up.

Jays Make More 40-Man Roster Moves

Tom Dakers — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:44:58 -0000

The Jays made a couple of roster moves today. Here is the press release:

BLUE JAYS MAKE 40 MAN ROSTER ADDITIONS

The TORONTO BLUE JAYS made two additions to the 40-man roster today by selecting the contract of 1B BRIAN DOPIRAK from Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League and claiming infielder MIKE McCOY on waivers from the Colorado Rockies.

DOPIRAK, 25, split the 2009 season between New Hampshire of the Eastern League (AA) and Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League (AAA). Combined, the 6-4, 220 lb. right-handed hitter posted a .317 average with 42 doubles, 27 home runs and 102 RBI in 139 games. The Palm Harbor, Florida resident was selected as the R. Howard Webster Award (MVP) winner for New Hampshire in 2009.

McCOY, 28, hit .307 in 2009 with 27 doubles, five triples, 102 runs scored and 40 stolen bases for Colorado Springs of the Pacific Coast League (AAA). The 5-9, 175 lb. right-handed hitter posted a .405 on-base percentage with 80 walks and 70 strikeouts in 132 games. The San Diego, California native appeared in 12 games for Colorado last season going hitless in five at bats.

Me again: Dopirak had to be moved to the 40 man or he could have been picked up by another team McCoy played 2B and SS for Colorado Springs, he has good speed, stealing 40 bases last year (only caught 6 times) and he knows how to take a walk. Again it is just a case of adding depth but looks like the team is trying to have as many options for SS as possible next season. Gotta like the speed. I'll hunt around for scouting reports on him later, don't have the time at the moment. At 28 he is a little old for a prospect but could fill a role for a year or two.

Rockies Add Four Players to the Roster for Stretch Run

Jabberwocky — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:20:24 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Chacin is back for the stretch run.

Browse more photos »

As Inside the Rockies' Steve Foster reports, the Colorado Rockies have called up four players from AAA Colorado Springs, whose season ended after their playoff aspirations were dashed yesterday.

Receiving the call to the Rockies are two pitchers (Jhoulys Chacin and Matt Belisle) and two hitters (Matt Murton and Mike McCoy). All of the players except for McCoy have played for the Rockies this season.

To make room for Belisle and McCoy (Murton and Chacin were already on the 40 man roster), the Rockies designated Adam Eaton for assignment and placed Chris Nelson on the 60 day DL.

These moves provide much needed depth for the stretch run to the Rockies, who have suffered a recent rash of injuries to key players.

Speaking of that, here's an injury update by the AP on Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Stewart.

Saturday Pebble Report: Asheville clinches 2nd half Southern division pennant in the Sally

Russ Oates — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:29:05 -0000

Colorado Springs, L 6-9
The Sky Sox attempted a comeback over the last three innings of the game, but ultimately fell short by a few runs. Greg Smith was roughed up for seven runs in four innings, five of the seven coming the the third inning.

Mike McCoy hit two doubles and Edwin Bellorin drove in three runs.

Tulsa, L 2-3
Chaz Roe allowed eight hits but he saw only two runs cross home plate. Tommy Baumgardner and Edgmer Escalona pitched three innings of scoreless relief, with the former striking out two, the latter three. Andrew Johnston lost the game after starting the inning with a wild pitch, watching Dayton Buller allow a ball passed him, and then a ground-rule double after an out and a walk.

Modesto, L 5-17
Brutal game for Ethan Hollingsworth: 4.1 IP, 14 H,11 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 1 HR. There wasn't an inning he pitched in that was scoreless. And Chris Malone didn't stop the bleeding in the fifth inning, or even after that inning. He allowed two inherited runners to score and saw six more runs score over the last innings of the game.

Modesto batters combined to strike out 15 times and had their best inning in the third when Scott Beerer hit an RBI double and two runs scored on a fielding error.

Asheville, W 4-0
Dan Houston threw seven innings of three-hit ball. He walked three and struck out six. Michael Marbry picked up the save after pitching 1 2/3 innings and striking out two.

Delta Cleary had no hits in one AB, but walked three times. He drove in a run, along with Scott Robinson (who stole his 44th base), Kiel Roling (who had two hits), and Mike Zuanich. Everyone in the lineup struck out at least once to combine for a total of 12 K's.

With the win, Asheville went one game above .500 and secured a spot in the SAL playoffs.

Tri-City, W 7-3
Dan Perkins allowed three runs in the fourth inning, his last inning of work. He also struck out four. Eric Federico, Paul Bargas, and Charlie Ruiz held Boise scoreless and to only three hits over the last five innings.

Kent Matthes hit his fifth homer of the season, and Tim Wheeler and Leonardo Reyes each hit a double. Those were the only extra bases hits for Tri-City last night. Joe Scott struck out four times.

Casper had its game postponed.

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.

View full size photo »

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.

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.

Thursday Pebble Report: Sky Sox know how to get a RISP hit, Cole Garner still raking

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:00:18 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

This guy has fallen a long way from being the guy with the nice contract and hot wife. The Sky Sox torched him for 9 runs last night.

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AAA Colorado Springs, W 13-3 - (66-58, 1st)

Contrary to their parents last night, the Sky Sox had no trouble taking advantage of run-scoring opportunities, and they faced a pitcher with a far better MLB track record than the MLB club. The Springs was 7-for-17 with RISP against the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Rangers), pounding out 9 runs in the first three innings in devouring Kris Benson. And yes, THAT Kris Benson. Every hitter except Daniel Ortmeier got a hit and an RBI, highlighted by Matt Murton's 4-for-4 night and Kenny Perez' two-hit, 3 RBI effort. Mike McCoy and Eric Young Jr each doubled and singled.

Brandon Hynick (10-7, 3.59) got his tenth win despite failing to throw a quality start for the first time in his last seven tries. He allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings. Damian Moss, Scott Munter and Ryan Speier allowed just one baserunner in the last four innings.

The RedHawks and SkySox square off again tonight at 6:05MDT in OKC.

AA Tulsa, L 6-7 - (27-23, 1.5 GB)

Shane Lindsay and Matt Reynolds combined to give the game away agaisnt the Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers) in the last two innings. Lindsay allowed two runs on no hits by walking a batter, hitter another, throwing a wild pitch and giving up a sac fly. Reynolds then came on and allowed an RBI single. After an RBI single by Jeff Kindel to tie the game in the ninth, Frisco earned a walkoff win off of Reynolds with a walk, sac bunt and single.

Cole Garner was once again the offensive hero. By extended his hitting streak to 19 games, he's back up to hitting .300. He ripped his 16th HR, laced two doubles and walked. The 24-year-old was compared to Matt Holliday by Irv Moss before the season, and he's having a much better season than Holliday did in Tulsa at 23. Of course, that means nothing, as Holliday's season was uninspiring (.395 SLG) there.. But after two injury-plagued seasons, he has cut his K rate significantly, has a little speed and has a stout .206 IsoD. He's worth a solid look in your PuRPs list. He has fairly large home/road splits, though I honestly don't know how much to make of that. Rex Rundgren was 3-for-3, and Daniel Carte and Jeff Kindel each had two hits.

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

High-A Modesto, W 5-0 - (27-25, 10.0 GB)

Ethan Hollingsworth (2-2, 4.19) backed up his first Modesto win with another strong start, going 6.2 scoreless innings, striking out eight. He has now allowed just one run in his past 14.0 IP. Joey Williamson and Xavier Cedeno shut the door convincingly on the Stockton Ports (A's) for the shutout.

Three Nuts homered. Charlie Blackmon was a triple shy of the cycle, hitting his 7th HR and 24th double in the process. Brian Rike (11) drove in two with a dinger and Jeffrey Cunningham had a solo job (7). Lars Davis drove in the other run in the first with a single.

Tonight's rubber game is at 8:05 MDT in Stockton.

Low-A Asheville, W 9-2 - (31-19, 1st)

Behind Dan Houston (7-8, 3.88), the Tourists snapped a four game losing streak to wallop the West Virginia Power (Pirates) in a game featuring nine errors, four by Asheville, two belonging to SS Carlos Martinez). Houston allowed one run in six innings, striking out six. Kiel Roling hit his 17th home run, going Barmes/Gonzalez in homering in his third straight game. Jimmy Cesario and Tyler Massey tripled, Jordan Pacheco and Scott Robinson doubled, and David Christensen walked three times and stole two bases.

Both teams retangle tonight at 5:05MDT.

SS A Tri-City, Off Day - (34-24, 1st)

The Dust Devils had an off day to travel home from Vancouver. They open a series tonight at 8:15MDT vs the Spokane Indians (Rangers).

Rookie Casper, L 2-3 (6-8, 7.5 GB)

Th Ghosts failed to complete the sweep against the Great Falls Voyagers (White Sox) in Montana. Catcher Brandon Whitby had two singles but also two errors and two strikeouts. Nolan Arenado and Jared Clark, two new draftees and potential PuRPS, each had two singles and an RBI. Arenado, who is "duck-footed and lumbers" according to this, had the Ghosts only successful stolen base in four team tries. Ricardo Ferrer (2-6, 6.80) allowed 3 runs, 2 earned in five innings, walking five.

The Ghosts will play double headers the next two days to make up for three rainouts against Billings in Casper Aug. 15 and 16. Because these rules bend in the minors, the make-up games will be in Billings instead of Casper. The first game is set to start at 5:35MDT.

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.

Thursday Pebble Report: Christian Friedrich dominates again

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:00:13 -0000

AAA Colorado Springs, Rain Out - (59-51, 1st)

The game between the Sky Sox and Nashville Sounds (Brewers) was postponed with two outs in the bottom of the second. Nashville led 1-0 on an unearned run off of Damian Moss, thanks to a throwing error by Mike McCoy. The game will be made up tomorrow at 6:00MDT as the first game of a traditional double header.

The teams will also play tonight at 7:05MDT.

AA Tulsa, L 0-8 - (22-17, 1 GB)

Tulsa suffered an eerily similar fate to their parent club last night, getting a poor performance from their lefty as well as getting shut out at the NW Arkansas (Royals). Keith Weiser (7-11, 4.96) was tagged for 6 runs (4 earned) on 10 hits in 6.0 IP. The Drillers' offense failed to advance a runner past second the entire game, with a Mike McKenry double as the only extra base hit. Mike Paulk walked twice, and Tulsa scratched out five scattered singles from McKenry, Darin Holcomb, Danny Sandoval, Cole Garner and Rex Rundgren. The loss dropped Tulsa a game out of first place with NW Arkansas in the North Division of the Texas League.

Andy Graham (2-4, 4.95 ERA) face the Naturals' Anthony Lerew (6-6, 4.62 ERA) tonight at 6:05MDT.

High-A Modesto, W 9-8 - (20-20, 9 GB)

Christian Friedrich continues to dominate. He allowed two unearned runs to score last night in 5.2 IP, allowing three singles and striking out only 10 against the Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers). Friedrich (2-0, 1.70) struck out 11 in each of his past two outings, so he's now at 32 against 6 walks in his last three starts whileallowing just one run. In his 8 Modesto starts, he has struck out over 11 per 9, has not allowed more than two runs in any start and has a lower ERA and WHIP than at any other stop of his minor league career. If you feel like nitpicking, however, he induced zero groundballs against seven flyouts and has only made it past the sixth inning twice all season. Still, the 2008 1st-rounder will be in AA Tulsa soon. Just because I can, here's my amateur spring training video of the man again: Friedrich K's.

Despite Friedrich's great start and solid offense, the bullpen nearly blew the game though the Nuts never trailed. Sean Jarrett was lit up for four runs (2 earned) in the 7th including a HR, and Craig Baker earned his third win and second blown save by allowing two runs to score in the top of the ninth. Lars Davis drove in Maikol Gonzalez with a walkoff sac fly for the win in the ninth. It was Davis' second walkoff RBI vs the Blaze in barely a month. Gonzalez had doubled - Charlie Blackmon, Hector Gomez, Jay Cox, Michael Mitchell and Davis (twice) also laced two-baggers of their own, while Matt Repec had a HR (6) and 3 RBI.

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

Low-A Asheville, Rain Out - (23-13, 1st)

The Tourists' game vs the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) was rained out. It will be made up as a traditional double header today, starting at 3:35 MDT.

SS A Tri-City, L 1-3 - (27-18, 1st)

The Dust Devils could only manage four hits and an unearned run in a loss to the Eugene Emeralds (Padres). Joseph Sanders doubled while Matthew Sanders, Bo Bowman and Kent Matthes singled. Tim Wheeler and Ben Paulsen were 0-4 with a K each. Rob Scahill (0-2, 4.00) pitched decently, allowing an unearned run in four innings.

Tri-City matches up at the Ems again tonight at 8:05MDT.

Rookie Casper, W 12-9 - (2-1, 1st)

The second half of the Rookie League season started Monday, and the Ghosts started it by facing the Pioneer League champion Ogden Raptors (Dodgers). After exploding for a season high 12 hits last night, Casper is technically in first place in their division after a 12-24 first half. Jared Clark hit his 7th HR already while Nolan Arenado and Eliezer Mesa hit their first professional HR. The trio each had at least two hits, as did Avery Barnes, Chandler Laurent, Angelys Nina and David Hernandez. The Ghosts crushed Dodger 3rd round pick Brett Wallach, son of MLBer Tim, for 7 runs. He got just 4 outs and gave up two round-trippers.

The bullpen defense tried to do their best to give the game away by surrendering 6 runs (only 1 earned) including a 5-run ninth. A two-out error by Dominic Altobelli in the ninth saved David Born's ERA, but he did allow two HRs. Ricardo Ferrer allowed 3 runs in 6 IP for the win.

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.