SB Nation - Shane Lindsay

Monday Rockpile: Contract Watch for Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy

Russ Oates — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:14:05 -0000

Saunders: Rockies' offseason has numerous numbers challenges - The Denver Post
Patrick Saunders believes Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy will receive new contracts this week, and then he provides them three numbers to work on: RISP, # of K's, and team ERA. One needs to go up, one needs to go down, and the last one can hopefully stay in the same ballpark.

Answers?

Inside the Colorado Rockies " Time To Look Ahead | Major League Baseball in Denver
The coaching staff will return.

Inside the Colorado Rockies " Hawpe Not On Market | Major League Baseball in Denver

Winter League Updates

AFL
Darin Holcomb: .455/.500/.727, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K
Wilin Rosario: 1 HR, 5K

Dominican Baseball League
Michael McKenry (Leones del Escogido): 2-for-8, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Shane Lindsay (Leones del Escogido): 0-1, 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Al Albuquerque (Aguilas Cibaenas): 1 IP, 1 K

Venezuela Baseball League
Daniel Mayora (Leones del Caracas): 6-for-30, 6 R, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 BB
Jonathan Herrera (Caribes de Anzoategui): 3-for-25, 8 K

Revisiting Purple Row's interview with Marc Gustafson

Russ Oates — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:00:18 -0000

About a month ago, RockiesMagicNumber and I worked on a plan, and that led to RMN's three-part interview with Marc Gustafson, the Director of Player Development for the Rockies. This wasn't the first time Purple Row became involved with the Colorado Rockies organization. Earlier in the year, Bill Geivett stopped by and answered a few questions from the community. A few weeks ago, Geivett re-emerged in response to a comment by biondino in this FanShot. Come back when you can, Bill!

Back to Marc Gustafson. I'll look at some key points from the interview after the jump, but there are several general points to be made.

This was a step forward for both the Colorado Rockies and Purple Row. While we were politely told "no" back in February, that was likely due to shooting too high to begin with. But after a few months, an ever-improving Rockies team, and a return call, both sides came together.
The Rockies acted in a way to connect with the fans in a new medium. The future is now, but MLB is still creeping forward, unsure of how to embrace blogs.
This has not (yet, anyway) opened up Pandora's Box. Giving one blog (I prefer to call Purple Row a community these days) access to the organization doesn't necessarily mean having to give access to every blog that comes calling. That isn't to say that in the Rockies blog world, Purple Row should have the only access to the organization; rather, Purple Row has been covering the Rockies for five seasons to a high degree no other Rockies blog (that I know of) has. And Purple Row is part of SB Nation, a company that over the last year has gained prominence on the sports scene. One needs only to look at the archives of Blog Huddle to see the credibility of SB Nation and its individual communities throughout the sports world. Blogging is not a zero-sum venture.
This is more of a general point for anyone seeking to gain some sort of access to an organization: Work with the team on the degree of access they are willing to give. Don't shoot for the very top in the beginning; look for someone who is involved with the day-to-day running of the organization, but not necessarily well-known. In our case, we knew who Marc Gustafson was beforehand, but that's because we run a site about the Rockies that has had an update almost every day since the start of the 2006 season. But the regular fan probably hasn't heard of Marc before or once heard his name during a broadcast before and then forgotten. This is a way to help fans understand what goes on behind the scenes.
This interview brought about a very positive response from the Purple Row community. I hope this leads to the Rockies providing Purple Row greater access in the future.

Comments on Marc Gustafson's responses after the jump.

Part I

The first part of this interview dealt more with the overall picture of the internal workings of the Rockies and how the club approaches their philosophies. What follows are some highlights and commentary.

In response to organizational philosophy:

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.

I look at this in two ways. The first is that the Rockies believe they have system set up that will send their homegrown players to the majors. This has certainly worked over the last decade as this team has a decidedly home-built feel to it. Look at the roster now. Eighteen players on the active roster were either drafted or signed on the international free agent market by the Rockies. That number increases to 22 if we add those on the 60-day DL.

On the other hand, this also means that the Rockies need to continually keep this process going because the team won't necessarily be able to retain these players once they hit the free agent market. Case in point being Matt Holliday. However, as we all should know by now, one player does not make a team or win a championship.

On seeing and statistics:

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.

You can't overlook one and completely go with only the other. While we don't really get an explanation for how this balanced approach takes place, I figure it's one of those things that you really need to take part in and witness.

Part II

The second part shifted gears by moving to a discussion on the Rockies' minor league talent.

We found out where Gustafson sees the strengths of the organization:

Marc Gustafson: Hector Gomez is a very talented SS, and he'll be in the AFL as well. I would probably look to the middle infield as being a strength in the organization. I would also look at the pitching depth in the bullpen, some big-time arm strength guys. Shane Lindsay, Edgar Escalona with the Tulsa Club, Alberto Alburquerque with the Tulsa Club, Andrew Johnston, Craig Baker with Modesto. We've got some really good arms and bullpen depth in the minor league system.

We also received an update on Casey Weathers (who failed to update his blog after Mother's Day):

Marc Gustafson: He's doing well. He had a couple of setbacks here and there throughout the rehab process. In terms of his strength and range of motion and how he's feeling right now, he's feeling as good as he's ever felt since the surgery. He's throwing in a long-toss program; he'll be off the mound before too long as we get into Tucson. To have a guy like that back and contributing in the bullpen, that gives us the depth we're looking for.

[...] He's going to rehab and get back and be ready for Spring Training next year. That's his primary focus. Sometimes to go through some adversity - it might sound crazy, but it's not the end of the world. It's getting the arm fixed at a young age and come back and have a successful major league career. We're very confident he's going to be in that category.

The thought of having a healthy, fully-recovered Casey Weathers in the bullpen for those late innings of the game have me salivating.

Part III

Watch out for Chris Balcom-Miller:

[...] He'll be a hot topic of conversation because of the great start he's having. He's a little bit like Brandon Hynick - Brandon pitched in Casper when he first came out, and did a very great job. Balcom-Miller has a little more arm strength, but definitely pounds the strike zone. Very aggressive, they're not scared. So that's a good situation when you're looking at Balcom-Miller coming out, whether it be Asheville or Modesto.

Thoughts on Tyler Matzek:

We're just building up his arm strength and taking it slow. He will not pitch in a game this year for Casper, but he will be ready to pitch in the Instructional League in Tucson. Once he gets settled in, and we get to know him a little bit, he gets to know us, obviously the sky's the limit for him; he's a premium talent. We'll be patient. He's probably looking at an Asheville situation next year to start out, see where it takes him. Right now we're just getting him settled in to the Rockies' system.

Who can't wait to see Matzek dominating opposing Sally batters?

On the Coors Field Myth:

RMN: Now, a lot of the mainstream media doesn't seem to understand that Coors Field doesn't play as it did in the 90s. Do the pitchers in the minors still look at Coors Field as being the Terrordome?

Marc Gustafson: Absolutely not. I always laugh, too, because I still hear it. You turn on ESPN or whatever the show is, and everybody says that you can't pitch at Coors Field. I just don't get it. It doesn't work out that way. If you look at the numbers, and I'm sure you have, Coors Field - you'd rather pitch at Coors Field rather than Citizen's Bank Park, I would think.

RMN: Or Chase, for that matter.

Marc Gustafson: Or Chase, or a lot of different places. No, we don't talk about it internally. We don't even think about it, to be quite honest with you. We're going to teach guys how to pitch down in the strike zone. We're going to make sure they can command the fastball, we're going to make sure they have feel for a changeup. We want guys that are tough, we want guys that have heart, we want guys that compete. That's kind of the philosophy when we look at pitching.

The question left for us to answer is, how does that perception of Coors ever change? Or is it able to?

Thanks again to Marc Gustafson for taking the time to be interviewed, to Jay Alves for setting this up, and to Purple Row for building a strong community!

Fall 2009 Top 30 PuRPs List

Russ Oates — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:38:54 -0000

	Fall 2009 PuRPs List	Ballots	Sum	Pnts
1	Christian Friedrich	28	810	810
2	Tyler Matzek	28	808	808
3	Jhoulys Chacin	28	804	804
4	Esmil Rogers	28	713	713
5	Eric Young, Jr.	28	666	666
6	Wilin Rosario	27	622	622
7	Hector Gomez	27	619	619
8	Mike McKenry	28	608	608
9	Rex Brothers	28	583	583
10	Casey Weathers	28	559	559
11	Chris Balcom-Miller	28	529	529
12	Tim Wheeler	26	504	504
13	Charlie Blackmon	28	501	501
14	Samuel Deduno	27	486	486
15	Nolan Arenado	26	386	386
16	Brandon Hynick*	27	382	382
17	Chris Nelson	28	360	360
18	Juan Nicasio	27	330	330
19	Cole Garner	26	324	324
20	Chaz Roe	27	291	291
21	Kiel Roling	24	240	240
22	Parker Frazier	23	228	228
23	Delta Cleary	24	225	225
24	Darin Holcomb	21	204	204
25	Shane Lindsay	22	178	178
26	Matt Reynolds	16	117	117
27	Mike Zuanich	17	95	95
28	Scott Robinson	12	88	88
29	Edgmer Escalona	11	78	78
30	Ben Paulsen	11	54	54

The last five out were: Kent Matthes, Alving Mejias, Craig Baker, Cory Riordan, and Bruce Billings. Thanks to jlot10 for providing the calculations that determined the list.

* - No longer with the organization.

Purple Row interviews Marc Gustafson, Part 2

RockiesMagicNumber — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:33 -0000

As you read in our first in this 3-part series, Rockies Director of Player Development Marc Gustafson took time to answer some questions for Purple Row. In this installment, Mr. Gustafson answers a lot of questions about specific farmhands, and we begin to touch on players recently drafted.

Apologies for the delay in Part 2, but here we have it.

RMN: Now, since a lot of fans don't get a chance to watch the guys - I mean, we can follow the box scores, we do a near-daily report on what the minor league clubs have been doing - is there a particular player that might not be having that great of a year that Rockies fans should be more aware of?

Marc Gustafson: Wow, that's a tough question. If you look at box scores and you look at team statistics and stats and things like that, I think that we should all be very proud of the year that we've had. In terms of an individual, you know, we've had some success there too. Maybe a guy under the radar screen would be Darin Holcomb, 3B in Tulsa, starting to hit, starting to put up big numbers. He's a guy that we think - coming out of his season last year in Asheville, he was voted the Most Valuable Player, he went to Hawaii, he struggled, we jumped to Modesto with him, we sent him to Tulsa. He struggled early, but now he's starting to hit. He's going to go to the Arizona Fall League. So he might be one example of a guy...the batting average isn't going to jump out at you - I think it's about .275 right now, he has 13, 14 home runs, but those numbers are starting to build up, starting to rise to the top. He was just voted to the postseason All Star team in the Texas League. Maybe a guy like that would be somebody early on that was under the radar screen that is now starting to surface a little bit.

RMN: I know that Rox Girl and Russ keep an eye on these guys a lot closer than a lot of the other people do. How do you feel about Holcomb's glove at 3B?

Marc Gustafson: Yeah, he's solid. He's a solid major-league defender. He's got a very strong arm, he's got an accurate arm, he moves well, he's an athlete at 3B. He loves to play the game, he's a grinder. He's a tough guy over there. Definitely, he'd be in the "prospect" category, as he moves into what we would hope to be a AAA situation next year.

RMN: AAA would be a big jump, definitely exciting to hear that we have more coming, given our depths. Where would you say the strongest and weakest positional groups are in our farm? Obviously, in the majors we have a glut of solid Outfield.

Marc Gustafson: Well, I would have said Middle Infield. Obviously, we lost Cabrera, we loved Everth Cabrera, and I hope he has a wonderful career, because he's such a special person. He's with the Padres right now.

RMN: I promise you we're aware of Everth Cabrera on Purple Row!

Marc Gustafson: Hector Gomez is a very talented SS, and he'll be in the AFL as well. I would probably look to the middle infield as being a strength in the organization. I would also look at the pitching depth in the bullpen, some big-time arm strength guys. Shane Lindsay, Edgar Escalona with the Tulsa Club, Alberto Alburquerque with the Tulsa Club, Andrew Johnston, Craig Baker with Modesto. We've got some really good arms and bullpen depth in the minor league system.

RMN: Oh, so we're pretty high on Alburquerque. We didn't know much about him when we heard about the [Jeff] Baker trade. It's good to hear that he's a guy that everybody has their eyes on. Speaking of Hector Gomez, we kind of lump Hector Gomez and Wil Rosario into the same category: a couple of years out, but these guys have a lot of raw stuff. When do you see them being able to contribute?

Marc Gustafson: Well, I would think a couple of years. They're high-end talent. You look at prospect categories, and each organization is a little bit different, but they'd be in the "top tier" category in our system in terms of position player prospect talent. Hector and Wilin Rosario are going to play in the AFL, and that's a very very talented league. So if they go and they handle that league well, you're looking maybe at a AA situation next year, and shortly thereafter, you'd hope they'd be knocking on the door at the big league level.

RMN: We're all looking forward to it as well. We all know 2B has been a little bit of an interesting situation the last couple of years.

Marc Gustafson: Yep.

RMN: In terms of other prospects we were expecting to be seeing soon, what do you expect of the injured guys like Chris Nelson, Casey Weathers, Greg Reynolds, or even Greg Smith? What's the word on them right now? What do we think about them going forward?

Marc Gustafson: I'd put Jeff Francis in that category as well. I know he's been there and done that, but those guys are looking at the Arizona Instructional League Program, they're going to participate in that program very soon as we head to Tucson on the 19^th of September. To get them back onto the field, that makes us even better, to have that caliber talent helping and contributing and getting ready for next year. Really, their focus is on their health number one, getting back on the field this fall and being full-strength and ready to go for Spring Training next year.

RMN: Speaking of injured players rehabbing, my understanding is Casey Weathers is with the Dust Devils right now. How is his rehab coming along?

Marc Gustafson: He's doing well. He had a couple of setbacks here and there throughout the rehab process. In terms of his strength and range of motion and how he's feeling right now, he's feeling as good as he's ever felt since the surgery. He's throwing in a long-toss program; he'll be off the mound before too long as we get into Tucson. To have a guy like that back and contributing in the bullpen, that gives us the depth we're looking for.

RMN: Obviously being injured and coming back from Tommy John, it's always a bit tricky to try and forecast in general. A lot of people have complained that all our relief pitchers seem to be rentals. It's important to remind them that we do have Corpas and Buchholz coming back next season, but can we consider Weathers to be someone in the 2010 mix?

Marc Gustafson: Yeah, I think definitely. This is a guy that competed in the Olympics and had a great season in Tulsa, and was getting real close, and unfortunately, he had the injury. He's going to rehab and get back and be ready for Spring Training next year. That's his primary focus. Sometimes to go through some adversity - it might sound crazy, but it's not the end of the world. It's getting the arm fixed at a young age and come back and have a successful major league career. We're very confident he's going to be in that category.

RMN: Along with him, are there any other AA/AAA players that we see making an impact or being a surprise for us next year?

Marc Gustafson: You guys have already probably seen and talked about Jhoulys Chacin, he's a special talent; he's going to be back in the mix in the very near future. Esmil Rogers, starter in AAA Colorado Springs, he's a very talented right-handed starter. You go to Sammy Deduno, who was just named Texas League Pitcher of the Year, he's going to be in the mix. You know, you keep those pitchers coming, and then you mix in a few guys who have done well in the bullpen - Matt Reynolds from Tulsa, Andrew Johnston from Tulsa, the Colorado Springs group that we have there now, we do have a few veteran guys, but at the same point in time, you're looking for as many quality arms as you can find, and I think we've got a few.

RMN: Does Deduno look more to be in the rotation mix or the bullpen mix?

Marc Gustafson: Right now we're going to keep him in the rotation, just because he has such premium stuff, he deserves the opportunity to start. But it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that next year he could be in the bullpen mix coming out of spring training.

RMN: Given the amount of starting talent we have coming up the pipe pretty soon, that wouldn't be a surprise at all. Now, a personal favorite of mine, Keith Weiser in AA - I'm not sure why, but I just latched onto the guy - tell me how awesome Keith Weiser is, please.

Marc Gustafson: He's an awesome guy. You picked a good one to have as a favorite; he's just as great off the field as he is on! He had a great outing last night, in fact. He's had some rough ones here and there, but you know what, he's at the AA level, and there's some good hitters, so you have to give credit to them. It's a matter of making adjustments, and he certainly did last night against the Springfield club.

RMN: Absolutely. In terms of adjustments, let me jump to a more extreme case. Is Scott Beerer the next Rick Ankiel?

Marc Gustafson: Haha, it's interesting you bring that up, because this has been a wonderful story. This guy has so much heart and he has so much passion to play the game, I wouldn't put it past him. He's at Modesto and his numbers still are great. We're trying very hard to get him a winter ball job so he can continue to play - because that's what he needs, he needs ABs, he needs to play. I wouldn't put it past him, just because he believes he's a big leaguer and he's gone out and done a pretty good job each and every night. I love the kid, personally, and the organization is very proud of what he's been able to do. We'd like to see him play winter ball and see where that takes him as we go into spring training next year.

RMN: That's very encouraging. Everyone loves to watch the hard worker type. Now, Russ told me to say that he asked this specifically: "I'm a really big fan of Joey Wong's, but I realize he has a tough road ahead of him. Can he be the organization's David Eckstein?"

Marc Gustafson: Yes.

RMN: ...Alright!

Marc Gustafson: Yes, this kid can play defense. He might be the best defender that we've had at Tri-Cities level or rookie ball level. He knows how to play the game, without a doubt. He's a wonderful talent in terms of his glove, his ability to make throws off-balance, his ability to move around in the field to get himself in the right position. And you know what, his bat, we're going to work very hard with his bat in the Instructional League and we'll see where it takes him, but I would say Yes.

RMN: Alright, I'm sure Russ will be excited to hear that. He brought up another player in Jeremiah Sammy, says "He came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent. What is the strongest aspect of his game?"

Marc Gustafson: Well, we got him based on his defense and his arm strength, thinking that if we didn't see development with the bat, then we'd put him on the mound and see what we could do with his arm strength because he's got premium arm strength. He's shown up extremely well, and he's put together a great season up here in Tri-Cities. We're going to take him to Instructional League and keep working with him, and let him - I guess the best way to say it is let's let him fail first, if he does fail at the infield position, and then we'll see what he can do if that point in time comes. And who knows, that time may not come!

RMN: It's always a possibility! Now, Tri-City being the lowest A-ball level, where does it fit into the organization in terms of what players are sent there? You hear about a lot of people jumping right over Tri-Cities, or jumping right over Casper and going straight to Tri-Cities. Can you speak a little bit to that?

Marc Gustafson: Well, Tri-Cities is a step higher, in our opinion, above Casper. Casper is our lowest entry-level club. Tri-Cities and Casper, we try and find a balance. When we go into the draft we put the names on the board of who we have in spring training and then we fill in with what Bill Schmidt and the scouting department takes in the draft. A lot of it is based on age and where they've played. For example, the high schoolers: Nolan Arenado and our 1^st round pick Tyler Matzek, they're in Casper. The older, maybe college players, for example Tim Wheeler and Rex Brothers, they started in Tri-Cities, although Rex Brothers is now with Asheville. It's more, in our organization, age and where they've played.

RMN: Well, I'm glad you brought up the guys in the draft, because we have a handful of questions about them. What are the club's plans for Arenado, position-wise? I know he's been playing 3B as we're a bit thin there, but are there any plans to try him out as a catcher?

Marc Gustafson: We're not going to rush into that. We know that is an option for us, but this kid can play 3B. He doesn't have the straight-ahead running speed that some of the others do, but he has wonderful hands, and he can throw. So that's an option behind the plate with him, but our primary focus right now is let him play 3B and let him swing the bat. Because he can really swing the bat.

RMN: I'll save my Matzek questions for the end, as he's the biggest story there. What kind of power is the organization projecting for Tim Wheeler?

Marc Gustafson: The power is going to come. It's going to be a bit like Charlie Blackmon. I don't know if you're familiar with Charles Blackmon at Modesto right now, but these guys are line drive type hitters, meaning gap-to-gap, hit the ball where it's pitched. With some maturity and some strength developing, I think the home run potential and their ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark is going to come. But that's going to come a little bit later in their career, maybe a little bit like [Garrett] Atkins or even Matt Holliday, and they came from the system. But both Tim Wheeler and Charlie Blackmon, they're athletes, first and foremost. They can play CF with ease, they've got great arms, they move around well, they can steal bases, they get on base. They really do everything that you're looking for a CF to do.

----

That will be the end for this time, but we'll have one final installment covering the draft, some other favorite farmhands, and some parting words from Mr. Gustafson!

Sunday Pebble Report: Sky Sox relinquish first place, McKenry hits walk-off home run, more

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:00:47 -0000

Tacoma 6, Colorado Springs 4
Adam Eaton allowed four runs on six hits and three walks in six innings, and Scott Munter failed to minimize the damage in just under two innings of work and as a result, the Sky Sox fell to Tacoma and also fell into a tie with the Rainiers for first place in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific North division. Eaton struck out six batters in the game, but allowed a big two run homer in a rough first inning, making things tough on himself. Dan Ortmeier had three hits for the Springs in the losing effort.

Tulsa 4, NW Arkansas 3
Michael McKenry hit a walk-off three run home run for the Drillers, who struggled all day offensively and were trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth despite good pitching from the starter and bullpen. Andy Graham lasted five innings and was pretty solid, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out six batters. Shane Lindsay was terrific out of the pen, striking out three in two innings. Al Alburquerque followed Lindsay's success with some of his own, as he struck out a batter in a scoreless eighth. Matt Reynolds allowed a home run in the top of the ninth, but recovered to retire the Naturals without any further damage and picked up the win.

High Desert 9, Modesto 8
The Nuts received multi-hit games from Charlie Blackmon, Maikol Gonzalez, and Jeff Cunningham, and Cunningham and Scott Beerer each went yard but none of that was enough to earn Modesto a victory. Kenneth Durst got roughed up a bit, allowing six runs on eight hits and four walks in six innings, and the bullpen was unable to hold a slim lead.

Greenville 9, Asheville 1
The Tourists managed only four hits, one of which was a solo home run by David Christensen. Meanwhile, Greenville had nine hits and had two guys with a multi-hit game. Jonnathan Aristil had another head-scratching outing, as he struck out eight batters in just four innings, but allowed five runs on four hits and a walk. He also allowed two long balls, which produced four of the runs. The good news from this one? Rex Brothers struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Tri-City 3, Boise 2
The Dust Devils scored all three of their runs via the long ball, as Tim Wheeler connected on a solo shot in the first inning, and three batters later Kevin Clark hit a two-run blast to put Tri-City up 3-0. Boise tacked on two more against starter Rob Scahill, who lasted five innings and gave up two runs on five hits and struck out six, but Scahill was able to stay out of trouble. The bullpen pitched four scoreless innings, including Aaron Weatherford's two-inning, four-strikeout effort.

Casper 4, Idaho Falls 3 (Game 1)
Ricardo Ferrer threw four innings of baseball and gave up two runs on seven hits. He struck out six. Avery Barnes had a couple of hits and a run scored for the Ghosts. Nolan Arenado went 0-for-2 with two walks.

Idaho Falls 2, Casper 0 (Game 2)
The Ghosts were held to just three hits in the second game of the doubleheader, and one of them was by the suddenly-hot Avery Barnes. Juan Gonzalez struck out seven batters in four innings, but also walked three and gave up four hits. Ricky Testa struck out three batters in two innings, as well.

Saturday Pebble Report: Modesto clinches spot in Cal League playoffs

Russ Oates — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:57:28 -0000

Colorado Springs, L 1-5
Russ Ortiz: 6 IP, 8 H, 5 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. On the bright side, uh, Jason Giambi had two hits.

Tulsa, L 1-4
Samuel Deduno had a fight with the strike zone last night. Of his 105 pitches, 56 went for strikes. He wound up walking six batters and striking out seven. In the end, The Bull (are we still using that nickname?) allowed two runs over six innings. Al Alburquerque saw the other two score, and Shane Lindsay struck out two and walked one in two innings of work.

Modesto, W 6-2
Bruce Billings held Bakersfield to one hit in seven innings. He walked three and struck out seven. However, his GO-FO was 5-9.

The Nuts scored early with a Hector Gomez RBI single in the first, which was immediately followed by a Scott Beerer two-run triple. Beerer would add another RBI with a sac fly in the third. Charlie Blackmon had two hits and stole his 27th base.

The Nuts secured a spot in the playoffs.

Asheville, L 3-4
If I posed this question to any of you, "Who drove in all three runs for Asheville in the first game of the double header?" I'm sure the answer would be either Mike Zuanich or Kiel Roling. Neither is the correct answer. Beau Seabury did it tonight with an RBI double in the second, an RBI sac bunt in the fourth, and a solo homer in the seventh.

Reliever Kurt Yacko made the start and struck out eight in four innings. He allowed no runs and scattered three hits. Stephen Dodson allowed three runs on four hits in the fifth inning. Rex Brothers allowed a run on two hits in two innings pitched.

Asheville, L 6-7
Another one run loss.Adam Jorgenson blew the save in the seventh inning on a combination of a throwing error, a wild pitch, and the single that put the run across the plate.

Mike Zuanich went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI; Jimmy Cesario went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI; and Thomas Field went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.

Tri-City. W 7-1
Tim Wheeler had only hit in this game but it was doozy. He unleashed a grand slam in the top of the second. Jeremiah Sammy also continued along with his solid season, recording three hits (two doubles), knocking in one, and stealing two bases (9). Kent Matthes had two hits and an RBI.

Wes Musick limited Yakima to a run on four hits over six innings. He struck out three. Erik Stavert allowed three hits over the last two innings and struck out three.

Casper, L 3-6
Chad Jacobsen hit his third homer of the season in the top of the ninth. A bit late, but a run nonetheless. Nolan Arenado and Juan Crousset each had two hits and an RBI. David Kandilas made a rare start (even appearance). recorded a hit, and scored once. He also stole second twice and third once.

Kyle Hancock allowed five runs in three innings of work, four in the second. He struck out five.

Wednesday Pebble Report: Scott Beerer provides the power, but Nuts pitching collapses

Russ Oates — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:49:07 -0000

Colorado Springs
Canceled due to rain.

Tulsa, L 0-6
Chaz Roe ran into trouble during the fourth and fifth innings, allowing three runs in the former. He struck out five and walked only one. Sixty-seven of his 97 pitches went for strikes. Edgmer Escalona struck out two and walked one in one inning of work. Shane Lindsay pitched an inning and allowed a run on a hit and two walks.

Modesto, L 6-11
Scott Beerer provided the big bat last night with a triple, a two-run homer (5), and a total of four RBI. Charlie Blackmon hit two doubles for 29 on the season, and Lars Davis had three singles and scored twice.

Kenny Durst allowed five in 5 2/3 innings, and Sean Jarrett saw three of Durst's five runs score in addition to the three he was charged with.

Asheville, W 11-9
One guy that I believe wasn't on many PuRPs ballots but may be when we do an offseason one is Scott Robinson. He was a 30th round pick by the Rockies in 2006 and was one of their last draft-and-follows in 2007 before that process ended that year (the other was Zack Murry, who is no longer with the organization). This year was his first one in a full-season league. He's not a powerful guy, but he has hit 31 doubles this season. His 41 steals lead Asheville, and that number is currently tied for second best in the Sally (Anthony Gose leads with 70).

Batting leadoff, Robinson went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two doubles, a triple, and an RBI. Jordan Pacheco and Kiel Roling each added three hits and two RBI. Roling had one of those RBI on his 18th homer of the season. Mike Zuanich hit his seventh homer with Asheville in the seventh, a three-run shot.

Jonnathan Aristil allowed six runs, five on two homers, in three innings. Rex Brothers pitched two innings, struck out four, and allowed a run on a homer.

Tri-City, W 6-2
Dan Perkins turned in a quality start, pitching six innings, allowing two runs, and striking out three. Seventh round pick Erik Stavert (Go Ducks!) made his pro debut, striking out three and walking one in an inning of work. Aaron Weatherford worked the last two innings and struck out two.

Bo Bowman fell a triple short of the cycle and drove in three. Joe Sanders hit two doubles and drove in two.

Casper, L 7-8
Ricardo Ferrer hasn't had the best state-side debut, and it didn't get any better last night. He allowed six runs over four innings, striking out five and walking three.

Chad Jacobsen hit his second homer of the season and drove in two; Nolan Arenado collected two hits and an RBI and Jared Clark hit a double and drove in a run.

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.

Browse more photos »

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.

Saturday Pebble Report: Tulsa's first grand slam propels team to victory

Russ Oates — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:00:23 -0000

Colorado Springs, L 2-3
Brandon Hynick allowed one run on a solo homer and struck out five over six innings. Ryan Speier gave up a run in the eighth inning to blow the save before Scott Munter saw the winning run cross home in the ninth.

Tulsa, W 8-4 in 12 innings
Darin Holcomb wanted to make things dramatic during extra innings. With two outs in the bottom of the twelfth, he stepped to the plate and launched a game-ending grand slam for the victory. It was the first grand slam by a Driller this season. Ryan Harvey his his 20th homer of the season for two runs in fourth inning, and Brad Corley had a solo shot in the fifth.

Chaz Roe allowed four runs in 5 2/3 inning (3-10 GO-FO), but the bullpen held things down after that. Shane Lindsay struck out two in his 1 1/3 innings of work.

Modesto, L 3-6 in 10 innings
Kenny Durst scattered nine hits over six innings and struck out six. Austin Chambliss allowed two runs, but Sean Jarrett was on the mound when they crossed the plate. Joey Williamson allowed three runs on a three-run homer in the top of the 10th.

Lars Davis knocked out two doubles, and Charlie Blackmon drove in a run and stole his 24th base.

Asheville, W 8-4
A five-run eighth inning sealed the victory for the Tourists last night. David Christensen started the scoring that inning with a three-run homer (15) and Delta Cleary hit a two-run double a little while later. He also stole his 29th base of the season. Mike Zuanich went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and three RBI. Scott Robinson stole his 39th base.

Dan Houston allowed four runs in 7 1/3 innings and struck out three. Stephen Dodson picked up his fourth win of the season by finishing the eighth inning.

Tri-City, L 2-1 in 13 innings
It was a pitcher's duel last night. Dan Perkins allowed a run in the first inning (but none in the next four) and struck out four. Brad McAtee walked four but allowed no runs over the next two innings. Rod Scurry also pitched two innings and struck out two while doing so.

Jeremiah Sammy had three hits, but did not score once. Matt Sanders drove in Kevin Clark (who stole his 17th base) on a double in the second inning. Then in the 13th inning, Ben Paulsen started off the inning with a single. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a wild pitch. Charlie Ruiz ended the game with the bases loaded and striking out the batter for the third out.

Casper, W 7-3
Kyle Hancock pitched quite well in his first victory. He scattered four hits over five innings, walked two, and struck out four.

Six of the nine batters drove in an RBI, but none came off the bat of Eliezer Mesa, who had three hits (one was a triple). He did, however, score twice. Nolan Arendao, who drove in one, is the subject of this Casper Star-Tribune piece.

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.