I don't live in a town that has a minor league team in it, but for those who do, would you be able to shed light on this question I have about minor league players and their involvement in their community?   Obviously, this is something very common with major league players in the cities they play in, setting up foundations, promoting ticket sales on television commercials, etc, but for minor leaguers, is this something that occurs, and if so, how are they used in the marketing of the team?  

One of the fun things about the minors is the creative ways the marketing department comes up with to get fans into the ballpark, but what I'm familiar with are ideas including giveaways, or theme nights, not really things directly related to a prospects involvement.

Any stories/anectodes from the Community (including Chevy Chase & Joel McHale) is greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah, and Happy New Year to all you folks!

Helllloooo Community

The only thing Buzz loves more than Baseball is Beer.  To quote my friend, "Ol' Buzz is a drinking man with a baseball problem."  True that.  So my question to the community is this... What brew do you enjoy the most while wachin' the youngsters play on the diamond?  For me, it's a delicious Ice Cold Dos Equis, Mexico's 3rd greatest export, I toast it to Jorge Cantu (Mexico's 7th greatest export).

Hey guys!  Buzzer here with a huge question.  Maybe the most important question issued within the last 14 minutes.  I've got myself 17 guys who still qualify under my league's rules as minor leaguers, and can only protect ten of them.  Here they be: 

1. Jake Arrieta
2. Daryl Jones
3. Dellin Betances
4. Hector Rondon
5. Juan Duran
6. Allen Craig
7. Trevor Reckling
8. Casey Crosby
9. Chris Heisey
10. Josh Vitters
11. Jemile Weeks
12. Juan Francisco
13. Alex White
14. Ethan Martin
15. Caleb Gindl
16.Alex Liddi
17. James McDonald

So I think I'm gonna hold on to Arrieta, Jones, Rondon, Reckling, Crosby, Heisey, Vitters, Weeks, McDonald.  Which leaves me one spot for either Betances, Duran, Craig, Francisco, White, Martin, Gindl, or Liddi.  Who would you take of these remainers, and are any of my choices way off base?   This will be my only selfish roto post of the year kiddos.  I trust in you guys.  Help the ol' Buzzer out!

Hi Folks!

Seeing that a lot of you guys watch minor league baseball games, I was wondering if any of you know of any promising managers currently at the helm of minor league teams that you would say should get a crack of managing a big league team?  Personally, I've been a fan of Chris Chambliss who is currently at the helm of the Charlotte Knights, and would be a great replacement for Ozzie if and when Ozzie goes off the deep end.  Who are your choices for some prime managerial prospects?

I might be in the minority in this site, but I'm a big follower of Dewey Finn's posts -- so much so that I did a google search today on Dewey and baseball and came across this interview with Dewey!  The purpose of this post is in regards to one of the questions posed to Dewey, where the interviewer asked whether Bryce Harper is more hyped that Stephen Strasburg, which brought me to think of this:  If you had the #1 pick, and Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg were available, who would you select??   I think I would take Harper, because he is a hitter, but then again, I have read that Strasburg touches 103 miles per hour.  It's tough.  What do you guys think???

Hello Community!

Long time no talk.  Let me catch you guys up on some news.  I am pregnant!  Well, my wife is.  And we just found out it is going to be a boy!  Let me tell you, this is very good news, as I assure you that I will create a prospect more hyped that Strasburg and Harper COMBINED!  Now, here is the purpose of my post... My wife and I had a deal that if the baby was to be a girl, she would be allowed to name it, if a boy, then it's up to me.  You know what that means?  I need to make the best baseball prospect name in order for the scouts to be dazzled when my kids starts hitting taters. 

Some may know this, but some may not.  My wife is Japanese, so I can always go the route of Kosuke or Daisuke.  But I think an American name might be more suitable for the kiddo.  Also an FYI, my last name is Osbourne.  I will not name this baby Donovan Osbourne.  Anyone got any suggestions?

Right now I am contemplating the following:  Spike, Alex or Boston.

The O's have dealt Garrett Olsen for Felix Pie.  

With an outfield of Pie, Jones and Markakis, things are certainly shaping up quite well in Baltimore. 

Not sure why Chicago is so keen on Garrett Olsen, and not sure why other teams were up for dealing for the out-of-favour Pie.

Just because it's asking for more characters in the body of this post, as an aside, my favourite pie is apple.

I'm assuming many of us played ball in our early years, whether it be high school ball, little league, maybe even some college ball.. if you could project yourself, what kind of comparisons would you give for you as a prospect when you played..

Here's mine:

"Buzz Bissinger"
2B/SS - Right Handed Hitter. Above Average Glove, Good Wheels, Great Instincts, Average Arm, Developing Bat, Line Drive Hitter, Could be an above average lead off hitter if walks improve.  Could develop into an Edgar Renteria-type middle infielder.  Versatile enough to become a Ryan Freel type platoon player.

Hypothetically, you are starting a league to compete with Major League Baseball, your prime concern is not treading into MLB markets, but you'd like to have a league with 12 teams in it to start.  Where are you putting these ten franchises?  My choices:

1. Montreal, Quebec
2. Memphis, Tennessee
3. Portland, Oregon
4. Sacramento, California
5. Vancouver, British Columbia
6. Louisville, Kentucky
7. Durham, Nouth Carolina
8. Charlottesville, Virginia
9. Buffalo, New York
10. New Orleans, Louisiana
11. San Antonio, Texas
12. Little Rock, Arkansas

Can you count the amount of crazy things found in this most recent mailbag question to Richard Griffin, the head baseball writer for Toronto's biggest newspaper?  The only thing crazier than the question is Griffin's insane answer.  My favourite insane thing is how Griffin says that he "loves Jurrgens" (sic).  Complete idiot.

"

Q: Hello Richard,

The Halladay trade talk triggered me to go through some teams in the league and see what kind of package the Jays may be able to get for Roy. I basically took two players from each team to get a deal started. I'm going to post my favorites that I came up with and I'd like your opinion on each.

Atl - Jair Jurrgens & Yunel Escobar
Arz - Max Scherzer & Stephen Drew
Cubs - Jeff Samardzija & Felix Pie
LAA - Nick Adenhart & Brandon Wood
Cin - Homer Bailey & Jay Bruce
LAD - Clayton Kershaw & Blake Dewitt

These teams, with the exception of the Reds, IMO all have a shot at the playoffs next year. Any of these deals realistic enough to be pulled off? My personal favourite would be the deals with the Angels for Adenhart and Wood.

Mitchell DesRoches, Kensington, PEI

A: This is clearly the best time of the year for Hot Stove fever. If you realistically leave Arizona and Cincinnati out of the list that you composed, that leaves Braves, Cubs, Angels and Dodgers. I agree with you about the Angels deal being the best of the four. I love Brandon Wood as a future. Second on my list would be the Braves proposal you outline because I love Jurrgens. Then third is the Dodgers and fourth the Cubs – unless you’re planning on lending former Notre Dame wide receiver Samardzija to the Argos. That quick list you put together just shows that if Ricciardi acts aggressively and gets two or three contenders interested in one player (Halladay) then he can work some magic. The worst that can happen is they say no and he keeps the best pitcher in the AL. "

I was talking to an associate this weekend and brought up this question which I thought merited further discussion:  What do you think will happen in baseball first: 1) There will be a female in the big leagues, or 2) There will be a player that is cloned from the DNA of a former superstar in the big leagues (ie. a lab based baby created from the DNA of Albert Pujols or a similar type freak of nature).

My friend thought #1, but as good as some female softball players are, I don't see this happening in the next 20 years.   I DO however see scenario 2 as very likely.

Thoughts?

I'm interested in putting together a bunch of baseball pictures together to make a sweet screensaver.  Can the community please respond to this thread with their favourite baseball photos?  So we can all enjoy the beauty of this fine game.

Of course, I'll start with one of my favourite baseball photos... I call it  "The Fat Fan" or "Brad Penny after Milano dumps him" LOL....

<

So fire away, let's see some great baseball photos from the Sickels community

In his interview with Brad Lidge tonight, it appeared as if Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports was all of 4 feet tall.  What a little, little man.

I'm actually a big fan of Rosenthal, but his diminuitive stature has definitely lowered my fandom of the always entertaining KR.

What are the communities thoughts of Kenny?  One of the better baseball writers?  I'd rank him right up there with Gammons, and well above hacks like Keith Law or Tracey Ringolsby.

Purely hypothetically speaking.. say baseball within the next 3 years decides to expand to have 2 more teams join MLB (to balance out the amount of teams in the AL and NL...  What two locations would you put the two new franchises?

My choices:

1) Montreal -- If they built a new stadium in Montreal, it would be the best place ever to see a ball game.. totally different vibe than any other city... it would be like baseball in Europe.  Even though EuroDisney wasn\t a success, baseball returning to Quebec would be phenomenal.

2)  Brooklyn -- There really needs to be a third team from New York to appease the masses, and really spread the wealth of the marketplace.  A team in Brooklyn would make everyone giddy with excitement.

Montreal -- Vive la baseball!!!   (via z.about.com)

Brooklyn, NY -- It's just logical!  (via www.destination360.com)

So Jeremy Jeffress is back playing ball again, and has been showcasing that 100 MPH fast ball yet again now in A ball.  Although his numbers are pretty awful in his first two starts, he is completely blowing away a lot of the kids with his heater, and struck out 10 in 5 innings in his last start.

What's in store for this kid's future?  Rehab?  Super Closer?  Future All Time Strike Out King?

Does anyone know if Lauren Conrad's new squeeze, Baltimore Oriole prospect Doug Reinhardt, actually is a pretty decent prospect?   I tried looking up his numbers and came up with nothing, aside from the fact he's 22 and in the Orioles system and plays 3B, I couldn't even find where he was playing and what numbers he had..   is he hurt, is he horrible?? 

More importantly, Can he hit better than Brody Jenner?

The O's are in a prime position with the draft this season, a top 5 pick, and then, accordingly, high picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds thereafter.   With a system being replentished with possible stars such as Billy Rowell, Radhames Liz and Matt Weiters, things appear finally on the right path.

Let's not concern ourselves with siggnability issues... it's all about talent.  Prime talent, like prime roast beef.  We're not taking discount hamburgers here, as the O's need to redefine the squad with prime young talent.

I've got my own theories about draft strategy, but am welcoming all O's fans to put their 2 cents in and assist with compiling a plan going into this year's mock draft.

Let's make this a team that McNulty would be proud of.

My buddy and I have $150 riding on this bet... so no stuffing the ballot here, but which minor league system do you like better of the following fantasy squads.  Team A or Team B.

Team A
1. Tanner Scheppers
2. Shooter Hunt
3. Michael Saunders
4. Angel Villalona
5. Mike Moustakas
6. Jarrod Parker
7. Justin Smoak
8. Aaron Crow
9. Cole Rohrbough
10. Julio Teheran
11. Dellin Betances
12. Chris Withrow
13. Daniel Cortes
14. Trevor Cahill
15. Norichika Aoki

Team B
1. Kasey Kiker
2. Chris Volstad
3. Isaac Galloway
4. Billy Rowell
5. David Price
6. Josh Vitters
7. Juan Duran
8. Ross Detwiler
9. Chorye Spoone
10. Nick Noonan
11. Jeremy Jeffress
12. Christian Friedrich
13. Cale Iorg
14. Adrian Cardenas
15. Ethan Martin

I was reading an article today which suggested that the Rangers will be continuing to stock up their minor league system, and the main idea was that Josh Hamilton may be used as their big trading chip... the destination they suggested was Toronto, and the Jays would pony up some of their pitching and prospects to get the deal done.

I'm not very familiar with Toronto's system, but what kind of bounty do you think Hamilton could bring in, if Toronto were willing to deplete the farm for a post season drive??