SB Nation User Blog: dougdirt

ProjectProspect's Top Prospects in Graphic Form

dougdirt — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:45:24 -0000

ProjectProspect.com has now gone through and made a Top 15 for all positions and a Top 30 for Pitchers. What I did was assign points based on all of that. 2 points for a 15 vote and 30 for a 1 vote. For the pitchers I just went 30-1 in points for the 1-30 spots. I added up all the teams points, multiplied by 2 then divided by 10 to give a Font Size to put the team name in the graphic. The idea came off of the work that Kevin Dame is doing at TheHardballTimes.com and I thought it was a pretty cool way to represent certain things. Obviously this is a little rough because there are some stronger positions and some weaker ones (2B jumped out to me as one of the weaker spots), but still I think it gives a decent look at the farm systems in baseball, at least as far as the teams Top 10's go (Boston actually had 12 players listed, San Diego was 2nd with 9). Here is what the graphic wound up looking like:

I plan to do something similar once John comes out with his Top 20s for each team, assigning point values for each grade, but that is a ways off still.

Chris Heisey Interview

dougdirt — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:15:22 -0000

Chris Heisey Interview

Over at FirstInning.com (where I also write at now - shameless plug) one of the writers talked with Chris Heisey last week when Carolina came through his town (Chattanooga). Anyways, go check it out, but here is my inclusion to the interview and may give a little insight into his season so far and why its been so good:

Q: Doug Gray, (one of the writers at FirstInning.com and the guy at RedsMinorLeagues.com) wanted to know, you’ve always been a patient hitter, this year you have taken it to another level. Where did that come from and is that the reason why you are hitting with more power because you are seeing your pitch, working deeper into the count?

A: Yeah, it’s all kind of a combination. I worked with our (roving) hitting instructor, Ronnie Ortegon and with Ryan Jackson our (Mudcats) hitting coach on just my timing. During spring training Ronnie kept telling me that my timing was late. You are not getting your foot down in time so finally he told me just to go way earlier than I thought I had to. Well it was probably with three or four days left in spring training that I started getting my foot down in time and all of a sudden I was just starting to see the off-speed pitches. My biggest problem with strike-outs for sure was right-handers, sliders away and because that I am seeing the ball better now I am able to lay off that pitch a lot more. The biggest thing is just my timing, getting my foot down in time to see the ball. Obviously when you see the ball you’ve got a better chance, hitting the ball and taking more pitches that are not strikes.

Jeremy Horst Interview

dougdirt — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:11:36 -0000

Jeremy Horst Interview

I talked with LHP Jeremy Horst this morning for about 20 minutes about baseball and some other stuff. Go give it a listen before he makes his start tonight in Sarasota.

Ethan Martin Videos and semi scouting report

dougdirt — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:50:13 -0000

via minorleaguenotebook.com

I took in Ethan Martin's last start when he came through Dayton. I have some video up with a little bit of a scouting report Here.

He topped out at 95 a few different times. Inconsistent offspeed stuff, but flashed itself as very good.

There is also about 6 or 7 other videos of Martin ptiching over on my youtube page. Also videos of Devaris Gordon, Austin Gallagher and of course a ton of Reds videos.

Ethan Martin video from his last start (Thursday the 23rd). There are more videos of Ethan and some...

dougdirt — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:49:33 -0000

Ethan Martin video from his last start (Thursday the 23rd). There are more videos of Ethan and some other guys from the Great Lakes Loons on the youtube page. I am still uploading some stuff also, I had over 40 videos to get up.

Aaron Harang's CG Shutout

dougdirt — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:03:12 -0000

Aaron Harang's CG Shutout

Breaking down Aaron Harang's 3 hit, 9K, 0BB shutout against the Pirates in an Easter Sunday special.

Brett Anderson's MLB Debut with Pitch F/X

dougdirt — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:43:24 -0000

Brett Anderson's MLB Debut with Pitch F/X

Another young Athletics prospect making his debut this week. Struggled at times much like Cahill did earlier in the week. Curveball and slider are extremely similar... different grip, same pitch?

Brett Anderson's debut through Pitch F/X

dougdirt — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:39:37 -0000

Brett Anderson's debut through Pitch F/X

Brett Anderson made his debut Friday. Here is what it looks like through the Pitch F/X camera's. Struggled throwing most of his pitches for strikes and perhaps suggests his slider and curveball are the same pitch.

Rick Porcello's debut - Pitch F/X

dougdirt — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:03:18 -0000

Rick Porcello's debut - Pitch F/X

Highly touted prospect Rick Porcello made his debut for the Tigers today. He had his ups and downs and really struggled with his offspeed stuff.

Trevor Cahill's debut through Pitch F/X

dougdirt — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:17:53 -0000

Trevor Cahill's debut through Pitch F/X

Taking a look at Cahill's debut through Pitch F/X.