In a remarkably close vote, Zack Cozart edged Billy Hamilton by 10 votes in the Home Depot Floor vs. Ceiling Bowl to earn the #2 spot on our list. Perhaps we should start calling him Billy "Salieri" Hamilton.

Cozart may lack the elite tools and superstar ceiling of most top prospects, but a major league ready player who is a safe bet to be at least an average MLB shortstop is quite valuable, and not so easy to find. Just ask the Reds. And about 15 other teams. Hopefully The Coz can have a solid debut performance and put the tedious shortstop discussions around here to bed.

It would seem, based on voting trends from the Iowa caucuses, that the vote for the #3 spot is going to come down to Billy Hamilton and Daniel Corcino. Both have their merits, but in case you aren't enamored by either player, and in the name of abundant choice, we have added 2 new players to the list. DiDi Gregorius and Juan Carlos Sulbaran make their first appearances on the poll, and they will be the last players to be added for a while. If you want someone else, get over it. Or join the Libertarian party.

VOTE!

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The overly melodramatic title notwithstanding, this year's prospect rankings has a bit of a different feel. In years past we discussed and celebrated the gradual ascendance of the Reds farm system into one of the best in baseball. But after years of gathering prospects, graduating a few to the major league club, and generally hoarding good young players, Walt Jocketty has (finally) cashed in on the talent surplus. The unfortunate side effect of this exciting offseason is a significantly depleted system, but the cupboard is far from bare. The system still has plenty of exciting players from rookie ball up to AAA. It's your job to decide who is the best.

For those of you unfamiliar, the Community Prospect Rankings is your chance to vote on who you think are the top prospects in the Reds system. We'll start today with the #1 prospect, and a pool of 6 players. We'll add players to the pool every couple of days. Want to vote for a guy who isn't yet on the list? Make your voice heard in the comments!

After the jump find stats for all of the players in the first tier, as well as each player's basic strengths and weaknesses. We've also listed the player's Baseball America ranking, if applicable. Once John Sickels releases his rankings in a few days, we'll include those as well.

This first vote should be a no-brainer, but y'all have had some crazy ideas before, so who knows. Happy voting!

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After a frustrating and boring Winter Meetings, Walt Jocketty claimed that a trade for a starting pitcher was still a strong possibility, but he expressed frustration at the demands other teams were making for their arms. My first inclination was to assume other teams were trying to gouge the Reds, but given Jocketty's recent hesitance to trade any prospects of note, there is a very real chance that it is Walt who is being unreasonable. Further adding to the intrigue is a Q&A with Walt from a Pensacola newspaper that was published yesterday. In it, Jocketty says:

We're looking mainly for pitching, so I think we made enough progress that we may be able to do some things in the next few weeks, next few days...There are two deals we can do right now, but it would probably take a lot of our top prospects and I'm always a little nervous about doing that. So I'll spend a little more time analyzing that.

My guess is the deals are for two of James Shields, Gio Gonzalez, and Jair Jurrjens. It could, of course, be for anyone, but these are the three pitchers the team has most frequently been linked to in rumors. So while we'll likely never know the specific players that have been discussed, we can look to recently completed trades for guidance as to what Walt can reasonably expected to give up. This post will look at a few relevant trades from this year and last and try to determine what they might mean for Walt in his quest for an "ace".

Before we start, a couple disclaimers. First, teams will obviously value different players differently. Yonder Alonso might have significant value to one team (the Rays) but very little to another (the Braves). Second, all trades are not created equally. For example, the A's were clearly motivated to move Trevor Cahill, just like the Rays were motivated to move Matt Garza and the Royals Zack Greinke last year. All indications are that the Rays are not looking to move James Shields, and that potentially changes the equation significantly.

Despite this, we can look at recent trades for starters and discover what an objectively fair package might be for the various pitchers the Reds have been linked to. We'll start (after the jump) with the trade with the most relevance to Reds fans: The trade that sent Matt Garza to the Cubs back in January

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BK and I, in the absence of any real or significant prospect news to report on, decided to present our fine readers with a fun exercise.  We want you to predict the Opening day roster for the 2014 Redlegs.  This is stolen from something Baseball America does each year in their organizational prospect rankings.  In addition to an organization's top 10 prospects and best tools, they list their projected roster for each team in 3 years.  BA releases its Reds top prospects list soon (November 16th), so before we get their predictions, we want you to make your own.

Of course, there are ground rules.

1) You can only choose from players currently in the organization.  That means no Russian billionaires buying the team and signing Pujols, Sabathia, Jimenez, and Reyes. 

2)  You can assume that players will sign contract extensions.  For example, Joey Votto is not signed through 2014, but if you think he'll re-up and still be on the team, that is fine.  Alternatively, you can also assume players will be released or traded.  If you think Jay Bruce is a bum and is off the team by 2014, you don't have to include him, even though he's currently under contract through then.

3)  Players must be listed at the position in which they currently play.  No making Billy Hamilton the starting CF.

4) You are only listing a starting 8, 5 starting pitchers, and a closer.  We don't care about UT infielders or middle relievers.

It's up to you how you want to do this.  You can either predict what Walt will do, or you can say what you would do if you were GM.  Do you think Walt signs Brandon Phillips through 2014?  Would you?

Of course, all of these rules mean that none of us will actually be right.  This is just a fun exercise to think about how we would use the current talent in the organization.

Find BK's and my predictions after the jump, and leave yours in the comments. Happy predicting!

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To mark the end of the minor league season, we're going to do something a bit different for the Farmer's Market today.  Instead of 3 fresh and stale prospects, you'll get 1 of each, for each team in the system.  Picking these was not about who was the best and worst player, but who improved or hurt their prospect stock the most.  Since many guys switched levels at some point, players are considered for the team where they got the most IP or PAs.  Also, it's late and I have school tomorrow, so no recap after the jump.

Louisville Bats (73-71)

Stock Up: Devin Mesoraco

This was a tough one, as Yonder Alonso and Dave Sappelt each improved their stock significantly.  Still, even after Devin's monster 2010 many were questioning his legitimacy.  You won't hear those questions now (except maybe from HLM).  Devin is a consensus top 10-15 prospect and possibly the best catching prospect in baseball.  At age 23 (and change) he became the youngest catcher to make a start for the Reds since 1991.  And pretty much everyone expects him to anchor the position for the Reds for years to come.  An excellent season for a future star.

Stock Down: Chris Valaika

This easily could've been Kris Negron as well, but since most prospect rankings never considered him much of a prospect, we'll go with Valaika.  He's been on a steady downward trajectory since arriving in AAA in 2009, but before this season he might have had a future as a utility guy.  Now, after hitting .261/.302/.355 in his third stint at Louisville, there's a very real chance the organization could let him go before next spring.

Carolina Mudcats (53-85)

Stock Up: Neftali Soto

Soto became the first Reds farmhand to hit 30 homers in a season since Adam Dunn did it in 2001.  He hit 30 for the Mudcats, then hit another this weekend playing for Louisville.  Because Soto missed significant time with injury, that meant that he clubbed those 31 homers in just 432 plate appearances, or a homer every 14 times to the plate.  Soto is far from a perfect hitter, as he doesn't walk much and strikes out a lot, but 31 homers from a 22 year old is very, very impressive, and puts him right back in the mix of top Reds prospects.

Stock Down: Donnie Joseph

After dominating A ball last season and eliciting calls for him to be the team's future closer, Joseph consistently struggled in AA this year, to the tune of a 6.94 ERA and 30 walks in just 58 IP.  He'll definitely get a chance to redeem himself in Louisville next season, but at age 24, and with the ceiling of a middle reliever, he'll be on the edge of non-prospect status.

Bakersfield Blaze (66-73)

Stock Up: Yasmani Grandal

Considering he ended the season going 6-12 for Louisville, it's easy to forget that Grandal spent the majority of his time this season in Bakersfield.  But over the three levels (A+, AA, AAA), Grandal compiled a line of .305/.401/.500 with a ton of walks and doubles.  He'll almost definitely start next year in Louisville, and will keep the pressure on Walt Jocketty to keep finding roster spots for the organization's talented young hitters.

Stock Down: Ryan LaMarre

He didn't have a terrible season, all told.  His final line of .278/.350/.370 with 55 SB is nothing terrible, but for a 2nd round pick with supposedly good power potential, who also spent the year in the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball, it is a bit disappointing.  Some lists had LaMarre listed as high as #11 in the system coming in to the year.  It's a safe bet he won't be that high next time around.

Dayton Dragons  (82-57)

Stock Up: David Vidal

Another tough one.  Juan Duran raised his stock tremendously by cobbling together an OPS of .792 with 16 homers.  But he also struck out a whopping 152 times in just 104 games.  David Vidal was consistently one of Dayton's best hitters, and could be in the top 10 of the organization.  He put up a .280/.350/.498 line with 20 home runs, and reports on his defense at third base were good.  Still young, he could begin moving through the system quickly and be another option at a position of need.

Stock Down: Yorman Rodriguez

Billy Hamilton had perhaps the most disappointing season from a hitting standpoint.  But he also stole 103 bases and was worlds better in the second half, offering hope moving forward.  Yorman was not terrible, but he wasn't great either (.254/.318/.393 line).  Most importantly, he was hurt....a lot.  This is the second season in a row he has missed time with injuries, and despite the tools, a lack of on-field production and seeming fragility is hurting his prospect status...for now.

Rookie Ball

Stock Up: Sean Buckley

Buckley must have been very concerned about accusations of nepotism, because this year's 6th round pick, and son of scouting director Chris Buckley, hit like a man possessed.  In 253 PAs he posted a line of .286/.372/.550.  Age, sample size, and league caveats all apply, but this kid looks like he can hit...a lot.  Expect to see him in Carolina before next season is out.

Stock Down: Ismael Guillon

One of last year's bright young Latin pitchers, Guillon struggled in Billings this year.  He walked 45 in just 58 IP and stumbled to a 6.67 ERA.  He's only 19, and Billings is tough on pitchers, but he needs a much better 2012 to stay in the prospect conversation.

Neftali Soto hit his 30th home run of the season for Carolina last night, marking the first time any Reds farmhand has reached that number since Adam Dunn hit 32 in 2001.  Dunner was 21 when he did it, and Soto is only 22.  What's even more scary is that Soto spent a fair bit of time on the DL and only has 400ish plate appearances on the season. 

Soto's isn't the only statistical milestone being reached.  Ryan LaMarre, the Forgotten Prospect, stole his 50th and 51st bases last night.  He's no Billy Hamilton, but that's still impressive.  LaMarre's power has been very disappointing, but his OBP on the season is .351, and he plays an excellent CF.  Might be another future leadoff candidate.

Speaking of Billy Hamilton, he stole base number 95 last night, inching him ever closer to the quixotic goal of 100.

• Louisville got crushed 11-2.  Daryl Thompson failed to make it out of the first inning, giving up 8 runs.  Chris Heisey homered on rehab.
• Carolina won 8-3.  Pedro Villareal threw 6 strong innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) while striking out 6.  Soto had 2 singles to go with the home run, and his OPS on the year is now .907.  Yasmani Grandal was 2-4 with a double and a walk.
• Bakersfield lost 7-6.  Ryan LaMarre had 2 hits and the 2 SB.  A bunch of other guys had 1 or 2 hits, but Mark Fleury's triple was the only extra base hit.
• Dayton lost 5-1.  Billy Hamilton was 1-4 with the SB and Ronald Torreyes was 2-4 with his 11th SB.  His line on the year is now .354/.400/.461.
• Billings was off.
• AZL Reds lost 5-4.  Once again, not much good to say here.

Last year, the Dayton Dragons were bad. Historically bad.  The team finished with a record of 53-85, good for last place by a big margin.  The team was near the bottom of the league in runs scored, runs allowed, and they led the league in errors.  But in some nice karmic retribution for the faithful fans in the fair city of Dayton, this year's edition has turned it around completely.  Their record currently sits at 75-54, good for first place, and they lead the league in runs allowed, are second in runs scored, and are in the lower half in errors.  What a difference a year makes.

• Louisville won 6-5.  Matt Maloney added to his franchise record in wins, going 6 innings, giving up 4 runs.  Kris Negron and Jeremy Hermida homered, and Chris Valaika doubled twice.  Brad Boxberger earned the save with a scoreless 9th.  His ERA in Louisville is down to 3.42 and he's striking out more than a batter an inning.
• Carolina lost 5-3.  Yasmani Grandal hit a 2 run, pinch hit double.  Otherwise, this game looked boring.
• Bakersfield lost 2-0.  The team wasted a good start by Tim Crabbe (7 IP, 2 ER) by only managing 4 hits.  
• Dayton made Great Lakes their bitch, winning 9-0.  Kyle Lotzkar threw 6 shutout innings, striking out 4.  Billy Hamilton was 2-5 with a double, Ronald Torreyes was 2-5 with 2 triples, and Juan Duran was 2-4 with a double and a walk.  Duran's OPS is almost at .800 for the season.  Who saw that coming?
• Billings won 7-6.  Kyle Waldrop went 4-5, and and Spencer Dickinson (seriously, rookie ball has some amazing names) doubled and tripled.
• AZL Reds lost 9-0.  There is literally nothing good to say about this game.

It has come to my attention that there is some concern about the Farmers Only staff plagiarizing from members of this good community.  Being an aspiring academic, I take these accusations very seriously, and I also want to ensure you that any of the ideas, opinions, or revolutionary theories found in today's, or any other, FO, are solely those of the author.  Still, if you feel like anything in today's report was your original idea, feel free to let us know.  Like say, if you came up with the knowledge first that Billy Hamilton stole a base, or that Devin Mesoraco is a good hitter, by all means, tell us in the thread.  We want everyone to get credit for their work!

• Louisville lost 6-5.  Jeremy Hermida, Denis Phipps, and Chris Valaika all had 3 hits.  One of Hermida's was a homer.  Daryl Thompson struggled, giving up 3 runs in 5.1 IP.
• Carolina won 2-1.  The red-hot Henry Rodriguez was 3-4 with 2 doubles, and Josh Fellhauer had 2 hits.  Pedro Villareal was excellent, going 7 innings giving up just 1 run while striking out 4 and walking none.
• Bakersfield lost 12-10.  Every starter but 1 had at least 1 hit.  Brodie Greene had 3, including a double.  The pitching was bad.
• Dayton lost 9-3.  Tucker Barnhart, Juan Duran, and Billy Hamilton each had 2 hits.  Hamilton stole his 92nd base.  Unfortunately, the pitching.
• Billings won 13-4.  Brandon McMyne failed to get out of the first inning, giving up 5 runs before being yanked.  Yovan Gonzalez and Junior Arias each had 3 hits.  
• AZL Reds won 7-6.  Gabriel Rosa was 3-4 with a triple and Brennan May hit his 7th homer.

Here are your fresh and stale prospects for the week.

Devin Mesoraco

Devin has had a very interesting season.  It's been a very successful follow up to his breakout 2010, but he's showing a different offensive profile than we saw from him last season.  His power seems way down, as he only has 13 homers compared to 26 last year, but the rest of his numbers are very similar.  He's had an almost identical number of plate appearances so far this season as he got last year, and his hit, walk, and strikeout totals are almost all identical. (a few extra walks this year).

 I find two things interesting about this.  One, the scouting reports on him last year were that he had a bit of an uppercut swing that would provide pop but would limit his batting average.  Since the home run power hasn't been there this year, but the BABIP has been better, I wonder if he has leveled out his swing this year a bit, leading to more line drives.  He has 35 doubles compared to 25 last year.  Or, it's also possible a few of those doubles have just missed clearing the wall.  Regardless, it's been a very good season, which leads me to my second thought.  We have seen good prospects struggle a great deal recently when getting to Louisville.  Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier, Chris Valaika, and even Yonder Alonso to some extent, struggled on their initial trip through AAA.  Mesoraco was the youngest of that group and he didn't miss a beat.  That makes me very encouraged about his MLB future.  (Of course, the 2 guys I'm the least high on, Dave Sappelt and Juan Francisco, also never struggled in AAA.  So who knows)

Denis Phipps

Phipps has been on a tear for the last month, slashing .364/.397/.618 in Louisville, so he deserves his spot on this list.  Still, I'd like to temper expectations a bit.  Phipps just recently turned 26, and until this season had never posted a full-season OPS above .748 (and that was in rookie ball).  His numbers this season are supported by an unsustainable .387 BABIP.  He's still striking out a lot, hitting for middling power, and not walking much.  He's a good, not great, defender in CF with good, not great, speed.  He's a future 5th OF at best, but at least this recent show puts him in the discussion for next year's Reds outfield.

Henry Rodriguez

Hank Rod has had a very encouraging last 10 days, slashing .421/.532/.632 over that stretch.  The reason I chose to include him, though, is that he has walked 7 times in that span, and his line on the year now sits at .299/.363/.402.  I'm OK with the lack of power as long as he is getting on base, and this latest run is very encouraging.  If he can finish strong in Carolina, he should be Louisville's starting 2B all next season, which puts him in line to replace Brandon Phillips in 2013.  There are a LOT of ifs there, but learning to walk is an excellent first step.

Kris Negron / Chris Valaika

This is a dual award, because I'm lazy.  It's obvious that Edgar Renteria should have been put on the disabled list, but instead of doing that, they play shorthanded for a week.  Not only that, they use him to pinch hit over the weekend, killing their ability to back-date any possible DL stint.  Apart from the Reds complete stupidity in handling injured players, this also says a lot about what they think of this Louisville duo.  Neither is hitting at all, and neither really plays a very good shortstop, so you have to question whether either one will even be in the organization next year.

Kyle Lotzkar

I just can't figure this guy's season out.  In 11 games he has thrown 50.2 IP with 58 strikeouts and only 16 walks.  He hasn't allowed too many hits or home runs either, yet his ERA stands at 4.62 for the season.  The 13 hit batsmen might have something to do with it.  It's not that he's necessarily "stale", I just find his season bizarre.

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Last night featured a lot of good performances from Reds prospects.  Start the overreactor!

• Louisville won 8-4 behind a strong start from Edinson Volquez.  Should he be back on the Reds?  I'm guessing he will be in September, but if Bronson Arroyo sucks again tonight, I think he should take his spot now.  Anyway, Volquez lasted 6.1 IP, giving up 3 ER while striking out 6 and only walking 1.  Juan Francisco and Denis "Frenchman" Phipps were each 2-4 with a homer.  Is Phipps working his way into the Reds OF conversation for next season?  Up Next: Scott Carroll starts at 7:05.
• Carolina lost 7-6.  Henry Rodriguez was 2-4 with a double.  After struggling mightily after his promotion to AA, Rodriguez has turned it on of late, and his line in Carolina is up to .289/.345/.393.  I'd like to see a bit more power, but the 18/39 BB/K ratio is certainly encouraging.  Hopefully he can take over for BP in 2013. Up Next: Justin Lehr starts at 7:15
• Bakersfield lost 10-2.  JC Sulbaran struggled mightily, giving up 7 runs in 1.2 IP.  Nobody did much on offense either. Up Next: Someone will start. It might be Chad Renken.  Game starts at 10:30.
• Dayton had a great night, winning 5-1.  Josh Smith was great, striking out 8 in 6 IP while allowing just the one run.  Billy Hamilton was 2-4 with a walk and his 81st SB, Ronald Torreyes was 3-5 with a double, David Vidal was 2-4 with a double, Tucker Barnhart was 2-4 with a double, and Juan Duran was 2-3.  My idea is that they just keep this team together the entire way, no matter what, and this exact lineup, plus Jay Bruce and Devin Mesoraco, can be the Reds starting lineup in 2015.  What could go wrong?  Up Next: Stalin Gerson starts at 7:07.
• Billings won 6-3.  Ismael Guillon was better than he's been, going 5 IP of 2 run ball, striking out 5.  I'd like to get him into the more pitcher-friendly environment of the Midwest League and see what he can do.  A whole bunch of guys had 1 hit each.  Up Next: Kyle McMyne starts at 9:15.
• AZL Reds were off.  Up Next: They play at 2:00 today.

As most of you know by now, Robert "Railroad" Stephenson signed last night for a cool $2 million.  Stephenson arguably has the best fastball in the system now, being able to dial it up to 97 (as an 18 year old!), with a strong curve ball and a potentially solid change up.  He also has strong makeup and is very coachable.  That's the stuff of a future ace, but as we know, a lot can happen between high school and the bigs.  Still, in an organization rich with good hitters but desperate for high ceiling starters, Stephenson may be the Reds best pitching prospect.

/a short, quiet kid in the back raises his hand meekly

Yes, Mr. Corcino?

"Well, um, I think I might be the best pitching prospect."

Oh, really?  What makes you think you can make such a claim?

"Well, I have a pretty good fastball/breaking ball combo too.  And my change up is already decent.  And I'm only 20, but I've already thrown 124 innings in A ball with 139 strikeouts, only 29 walks, and a 3.25 ERA."

You make a compelling argument, young man.  Let's let the community decide.

(Follow the jump for last night's games, in which one Mr. Corcino hurls a gem for Dayton)

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Sorry for the day delay on this.  Mrs. 'Creds and I spent all day Saturday and pretty much all day Sunday traveling. 

Before we get to the fresh and stale prospects, a small diatribe.  This organization seems completely lost right now.  They've called up 3 good hitting prospects from the minors, but still seem to be pretending at competing for the division.  They put Yonder Alonso in left field all season in Louisville, then after 3 (admittedly terrible) games out there for the Reds, he's stuck back on the bench while he learns 3B, a position he hasn't played since high school.  The bullpen is clearly gassed and desperately needs some help, but there isn't any in Louisville.  Aroldis Chapman is making fools of people, but it increasingly seems like he's going to be pushed into the closer role by default instead of being given a chance to start.  

I'm not sure what my point is, other than this just feels like a really odd time for the organization.  Two years ago, after they had traded for Scott Rolen and were working on their 9th straight losing season, things just seemed hopeless.  That's definitely not the case now, but I really have no idea where this team is headed, now or in 2012.  One thing is absolutely certain, though.  Walt kind of fell asleep at the wheel last offseason, and it has cost this team.  This coming offseason is probably going to be his most challenging yet with the Reds, and if this team is going to compete, he needs to figure how and where to utilize the talent on hand.

Neftali Soto

Soto is having a breakout power season unlike anything this organization has seen in a while.  After hitting 6 homers in his last 10 games, he now has 25 on the season.  Other Reds minor leaguers have hit 25 homers in a season.  Devin Mesoraco did it just last year.  What makes Soto's so compelling is that, because of an injury he suffered earlier in the year, he only has 298 at bats so far this year in 81 games.  You can do the math.  

Sean Buckley

Buckley must have really been concerned about accusations of nepotism, because the son of the Reds scouting director has done nothing but hit since being drafted in June.  His line, through about 170 PAs, is .303/.383/.599 with 11 homers.  He turns 22 in three weeks, though, so I'd like to see him bumped all the way to Bakersfield next year.

David Vidal

I really liked this pick when the Reds drafted him in the 8th round last year, and so far it looks like he's going to be a guy to definitely keep an eye on moving forward.  Vidal is OPSing 1.119 in his last 10 games, and his line on the year stands at .301/.362/.521 with 16 homers.  

Henry Rodriguez

With apologies to Poojols, HankRod hasn't really impressed in Carolina.  Since being promoted he's hitting a very pedestrian .273/.323/.359.  The average and OBP are about what we should expect, but the complete loss of power is a bit puzzling.  If he isn't hitting for power, he doesn't really offer much.  Hopefully he can go on a tear to finish the season.

Yorman Rodriguez

This season looked like it was going to be a nice step forward for Yorman, but he is having a hard time staying on the field, and is currently on the DL again.  I realize he's only 18 and should have just graduated from high school, but right now it looks like he might be a pretty fragile guy. 

The Louisville Bats Pitching Staff

We don't often give fresh or stale status to a large group here at FOFM, but this team has to be an exception.  The offense has been ravaged by promotions to the big club, but the pitching has really let the team down, giving up 29 runs in the last 5 games.  Which is a shame, because it's the pitching on the big club that could really use the help.

Follow the jump for an abbreviated recap of the weekend.

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• Louisville was off.  Today they play at 7:05 with Matt Maloney getting the start.
• Carolina won 7-6 in with 2 runs in the 9th.  Donnie Joseph got the save with a scoreless 9th.  Neftali Soto was 2-4 with 2 homers, his 23rd and 24th.  He now has homered an average of once every 12 plate appearances this season.  I still wish he walked a bit more, but that many homers and a .946 OPS from a 22 year old in AA is pretty sweet. Up Next: James Avery starts at 7:43.
• Bakersfield lost 2-0 in 10 innings.  Tim Crabbe threw 7 shutout innings with 8 strikeouts.  Otherwise, this game sucked. Up Next: Josh Ravin gets the start at 10:45
• Dayton won 3-2.  Billy Hamilton had a hit and a walk, but was caught stealing.  Ronald Torreyes also had a hit and a walk.  David Vidal had 2 hits, and Juan Duran homered, his 11th. Up Next: Stalin Gerson starts at 7:00.
• Billings lost 6-2.  Recent draftee Ryan Wright hit his second homer.  Up Next: Tony Cingrani starts at 9:05.
• AZL Reds rolled, 15-1.  Lots and lots of hitting and good pitching in this one. Up Next: Someone starts at 2:00.

• Louisville lost on a walkoff hit for the second straight day. Score was 4-3 (for the second straight day).  The Bats entered the 9th leading 3-2 but Carlos Fisher served up a 2 run bomb to lose it.  Chris Valaika, Jeremy Hermida, and Devin Mesoraco each had 2 hits.  Hermida's 2 hits were both homers.  Up Next: The team is off today.
• Carolina lost 8-1.  This one featured plenty of bad hitting and pitching by the good guys. Eric Campbell was 3-4 with 2 doubles.  Up Next: Another popular 7:43 start time. 
• Bakersfield got their swing on, winning 20-7.  With the exception of Stephen Hunt (who still managed to walk 3 times), every single position player had a hit.  Five different players had 3 hits, and Alex Buccholz went 4-5 with a homer and a walk.  Ryan LaMarre hit his 4th homer of the year and stole his 40th base.  His OPS is up to .757 after a disappointing first half. Up Next: Tim Crabbe starts at 10:45.
• Dayton lost 9-6.  Tanner Robles had another rough start, and the guys backing him up were no better.  Ronald Torreyes was 2-3 with a walk.  He now has 9 walks to only 10 strikeouts on the year.  Donald Lutz was 2-4, and David Vidal hit his 15th homer.  Up Next:  Someone starts at 7:00.
• Billings won 7-4.  Sean Buckley had a hit and a walk, Kyle Waldrop doubled, and Robert Maddox had 2 hits.
• AZL Reds were off.  They resume today at 2.

• Louisville lost a tough one 4-3.  They carried a lead into the 9th but Jordan Smith walked 3 and gave up 2 runs to take the loss.  Call him up to the Reds!  Edinson Volquez was solid, throwing 7 innings, giving up 2 runs (solo homers).  He struck out 6 and walked 2.  Brad Boxberger struck out 1 in a scoreless inning of relief.  Denis Phipps was 3-4 and both Daniel Dorn and Chris Valaika homered.  Up Next: Scott Carroll gets the 12:05 start.
• Carolina rolled 13-1.  Pedro Villareal threw 6 innings of 1 run ball.  Neftali Soto hit 2 homers, his 21st and 22nd of the year.  The 22 year old Soto was 4-6 overall and is now hitting .281/.336/.596 with 22 homers in just 287 at bats.  That's a ridiculous pace of homers.  For some perspective, noted power-monger Juan Francisco hit 27 as a 22 year old....in 529 at bats.  Yasmani Grandal also homered, his 3rd in Carolina.  Up Next: Brandon Hynick starts at 7:43
• Bakersfield won 4-3.  Dayne Read was 3-4 with a double, Ryan LaMarre was 2-3 with a walk and his 39th SB, and Alex Buchholz had 2 hits. JC Sulbaran threw 7 strong innings, giving up 2 ER while striking out 10.  Up Next: Curtis Partch takes the hill at 10:45.
• Dayton mounted a furious comeback, scoring 6 runs in the 9th, but ultimately lost 8-6.  A bunch of players had 1 hit each.  Almost all of them came in the 9th.  Up Next: Tanner Robles starts at 7:00.
• Billings lost 10-8.  Kyle Waldrop was 3-4 with a double, Junior Arias was 2-3 with a double and triple, and a bunch of other guys had single hits.  Up Next; 9:05 game. Not sure who's starting.
• AZL Reds won 8-4.  There were about a million hits in this game, all by guys I still don't know who they are.  This year's 2nd round pick Gabriel Rosa, and one of BK's stale prospects, walked twice. So there's that. Up Next: The team is off tonight.

Well, not really.  Not at all, actually.  But the Dragons are probably the most exciting and interesting team in the Reds entire system right now, big leagues included.  I wish I could watch them play in person.

• Louisville is flat out feeling the effects of losing so many players in the last month.  Yesterday they lost 7-3.  Carlos Fisher struck out 4 in 2 shutout innings of relief.  Devin Mesoraco was 2-4, raising his OPS on the year to .879.  If and when a Ramon Hernandez trade occurs, I'd say Devin is ready.  Dave Sappelt was 2-3.  Up Next: Travis Wood takes the hill at 7:05.
• Carolina lost a heartbreaker, 6-5.  The Mudcats entered the 9th leading 5-3 but Chris Mobley gave up 3 runs in the inning to take the loss.  Neftali Soto was 2-4 with his 19th homer of the season.  Yasmani Grandal was 1-4 with a homer and a walk.  Josh Fellhauer, recently promoted from Bakersfield, was 3-4. Up Next: Someone will start at 7:15.
• Bakersfield lost 5-1.  Every starter but one had 1 hit.  One guy had 2.  Bleh. Up Next: Tim Crabbe gets the 10:05 start.
• Dayton won 6-1.  Billy Hamilton had 2 hits, including a triple, and stole his 75th base.  Jaren Matthews had 2 hits, including a double, and David Vidal was 3-4 with 2 homers, giving him 13 on the season.  Vidal started off a bit slow, but he has been scorching in June and July.  He's a great pure hitter, and definitely someone to keep an eye on moving forward.  Up Next: Tanner Robles is back in Dayton, and gets the 7:00 start.
• Both Billings and AZL Reds were off.  They both play today.

• Louisville lost in 10 innings, 2-0.  Edinson Volquez threw 6 shutout innings, striking out 4.  Brad Boxberger threw 2 shutout innings with 2 Ks.  Boxy has had his struggles in AAA, but he has also struck out 17 batters in 13.1 IP.  If Francisco Cordero is traded sometime in the next month, I'd be very inclined to call him up and see how he fares. Up Next: Scott Carroll starts at 7:05.
• Carolina lost 5-4.  Every Mudcat had exactly 1 hit, except Josh Fellhauer, who had 2 (and a walk).  Yasmani Grandal's hit was a double, and he also walked.  Up Next: Someone gets the start at 7:15.
• Bakersfield won 6-2.  JC Sulbaran had one of his good spells, throwing 6.1 shutout innings with 4 strikeouts.  Ryan LaMarre had 2 hits, a walk, and his 37th SB.  Brodie Greene was 3-4 with a double and a homer, and Stephen Hunt was 3-4 with a triple.  Up Next: Someone starts at 10:15.
• Dayton lost 5-4.  Billy Hamilton was 2-4, but he did get caught stealing twice.  Juan Duran was 2-3 with 2 doubles, and Ronald Torreyes was 2-3 with a walk.  Duran's night nudged his OPS over .800, and Torreyes' night brought his OPS close to 1.000.  Crazy.
• Billings lost 13-11.  Lots and lots of hits, and lots of bad pitching in this one.  Up Next: The team is off Thursday.
• AZL Reds lost 2-1.  Brennan May continues to be impressive.  After going 2-4 last night his line stands at .323/.393/.594.  Up Next: The team is off today.
  
  
  

I'm sure much will be said today, both in Original Content and in comments, about the Jonny Gomes trade.  I won't contribute to that here, other than to say Jonny was (usually) a fun guy to have on the team, he seems like a genuinely good dude, and it's just a shame Dusty misused him so much.  Best of luck, Mr. Gomes.

What I want to discuss is what this trade means for the current roster.  With the addition of Yonder Alonso, 14 of the current 25 players on the active roster are home grown products of the Reds farm system.  Further, there are now 5 former #1 draft picks on the roster (Bailey, Leake, Stubbs, Alonso, Bruce) in addition to a number of the team's supplemental first and second rounders (Frazier, Votto, Cozart when healthy).  That's an incredibly high success rate for recent high picks.  When Devin Mesoraco inevitably joins the team at some point, that will mean that every #1 pick from 2004-2009 will be on the roster and contributing.  Perhaps most important is that, with a few notable exceptions (Janish, Hernandez, BP), the biggest contributors have been home grown while the biggest disappointments have been the other guys. 

What is my point?  I don't know really, other than to say that this is more evidence of how important a good farm system is to teams like the Reds.  We were saying before the season how important depth would be to this team, and that is manifesting itself right now.  Rolen is hurt, and Cairo clearly can't start everyday, so can Todd Frazier fill that void?  There was a gaping hole at SS for the first half of the year, and it looks like Zack Cozart will be an at least acceptable option there.  The other offensive hole, left field, is now going to be manned, at least some of the time, by the organization's best pure hitter. 

To me, the Alonso call up indicates that Walt has given up hope of using him to headline a deadline deal, and is choosing instead to just finally use him.  If that's the case, perhaps it is best to just stand pat this week and go with a full on youth movement for the rest of the year.  Given the abilities of those young players, and the players they'd be replacing, it's even possible that could improve the team.  As unlikely as this may seem, we are only a Mesoraco and possibly Dave Sappelt call up from being there.  And would anyone really miss Fred Lewis?  I'd miss Ramon Hernandez, but if he could bring back a legitimate pitching prospect, the deal would be very worth doing. 

This scenario is unlikely, but in the midst of a persistently frustrating and disappointing season, a youth movement might offer enough excitement to keep me interested well into football season.

Follow the jump for the games.

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• Louisville lost a heartbreaker 7-6.  The Bats led 6-3 entering the 9th, but Brad Boxberger allowed 3 hits and a walk while only recording one out, allowing 1 run, and leaving with the bases loaded.  The team brought on David Johnson, who promptly gave up a single to center.  Kris Negron flubbed the relay throw, and all three runners scored for a walk off win.  Devin Mesoraco was 3-4 with a double, and Dave Sappelt, Chris Valaika, and Mike Costanzo each had 2 hits.  Up Next: Edinson Volquez tries to convince Colorado he could be the centerpiece of a Ubaldo Jimenez deal.  Game starts at 7.
• Carolina won 11-6.  Donnie Joseph struck out the side in a scoreless inning of relief.  Denis Phipps, Henry Rodriguez, and Jose Castro each had 3 hits.  Felix Perez, Eric Campbell, and David Cook each had 2.  Neftali Soto and Yasmani Grandal each had 1. Up Next: Brandon Hynick gets the start at 7:15.
• Bakersfield won 5-1.  DiDi Gregorius and Brodie Greene each had 2 hits.  One of DiDi's was a homer.  J.C. Sulbaran allowed 1 run in 5 IP, while striking out 4. Up Next: Curtis Partch starts at 10:45.
• Dayton put on an impressive offensive show, winning 13-0.  Before we get to the offensive fireworks, props to Daniel Renken for throwing 5.2 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts.  He only allowed 1 hit.  Now, the offense.  Donald Lutz hit for the cycle, Billy Hamilton had 3 hits (including a triple), a walk, and stole his 72nd base, Ronald Torreyes went 5-5 with a walk, and Dominic D'Anna had 3 hits, including his 10th homer.  The Plumber is now hitting .402/.444/.547 on the year.  Up Next: The team plays at 7:00.
• Billings lost 6-5.  Ismael Guillon continues to struggle. He allowed 6 runs in 5.1 IP.  Up Next: Wes Mugarian starts at 9:05.
• AZL Reds lost 12-4.  Alejandro Chacin threw a scoreless inning of relief.  In 9.1 innings for the team, Chacin has 22 strikeouts.  That's 22 of 28 outs gotten by the K.  He's allowed 2 hits and no runs.  Juan Perez had 3 hits in the game.  Up Next: Someone starts at 10:00.

• Louisville won 7-5 in 10 innings.  If scouts were watching any of our hitters (or Travis Wood) as potential trade chips, they certainly helped their stock last night.  Wood threw 6.1 innings of 2 run ball, striking out 4 and walking none.  Trade candidate Yonder Alonso was 2-4 with a double and a walk, Devin Mesoraco was 3-5 with his 10th homer, Paul Janish was 4-5 (call him up!), and Danny Dorn and Dave Sappelt were each 2-4 with a walk.  Brad Boxberger threw 1.2 shutout innings of relief with 1 K.  Up Next: Matt Maloney comes back from injury and starts at 7:05.
• Carolina was off. Someone will start for them at 7:15 tonight.
• Bakersfield was also off.  Mark Serrano starts tonight at 10:45
• Dayton, too, was off.  Daniel Corcino tries to bounce back from a rough start at 7:00.
• Billings lost 13-5.  Junior Arias hit his first homer of the year. The Mustangs used 7 pitchers, and 6 of them gave up runs.  The team is off today.
• AZL Reds lost 13-3.  Jared Burton gave up 3 runs in one inning of rehab work, and Lucas took it in the O'Rear, giving up 4 runs in 4 IP.  Up Next: Someone starts at 10:00.
  
  
  
  

Ryan LaMarre has been struggling all year, and Juan Silva has largely been a disappointment thus far in his professional career.  He even suffered the indignity of showing up on last week's 'stale' list!  Neftali Soto got everyone's hopes up, then proceeded to be very average for 2 years.  Lately, however, all three players have been showing glimpses of what they can offer, and hopefully each one continues their resurgence through the end of the season.  Unfortunately, Yorman Rodriguez finds himself languishing on the stale list just one week after bringing the freshness.

Ryan LaMarre

I'm happy to finally  be able to put LaMarre on this side of the Farmer's Market, because for most of the year he's been the equivalent of a worm filled apple.  Lately, however, he's showing signs of coming around.  During his last 10 games he has OPSed .909 and has stolen 9 bases, bringing his total on the year to 33.  I'm still bummed that the power I thought would arrive hasn't, but if he can maintain an OBP above .350 (it currently sits at .362) and steal a bunch of bases, he holds promise as a potential starting CF and leadoff guy. (Because we all know the two go together.)

Juan Silva

I guess Silva didn't like showing up on the stale list last week.  He responded by going 8-14 with 5 walks this week, bringing his line on the young season to .328/.431/.410.  He's another guy who should probably be showing more power, but for now I'll content myself with lots of hits and walks. 

Neftali Soto

Soto has been crushing the ball in Carolina, slugging .636 over his last 10 games and bring his line on the year up to .282/.340/.586.  Only 22, the power is impressive, and the increased willingness to walk is a good sign as well.  As I've said before, a resurgent Soto makes trading Yonder Alonso that much more palatable.

Yorman Rodriguez

Yorman's presence here is not due to poor performance, but rather a lack of it entirely.  Rodriguruez suffered a shoulder strain this week and didn't play over the weekend.  Which is a big shame, because he ws crushing the ball, and also because he is showing a concerning proclivity to injury so far in his young career.

Kyle Lotzkar

I fully realize this isn't really fair, as Kyle has thrown 34 innings and struck out 36 while only walking 11.  Still, he's managed to allow 24 runs in those 34 innings.  At some point, I'd really love to see a nice 6 inning, no run performance from him.

Daniel Tuttle

Another kid who isn't performing terribly, but after beginning the year in the Dayton rotation, the 20 year old Tuttle is now pitching in the Arizona rookie league, sometimes in relief.  That isn't exactly a ringing endorsement from the organization.

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• Louisville lost 6-4. Travis Wood struggled a bit, again.  He gave up 4 runs on 9 hits and a walk in just 5 innings. I wish they would hurry up and trade him straight up for Ubaldo Jimenez.  Yonder Alonso was 2-5 with a double, Todd Frazier and Mike Costanzo also doubled, and Devin Mesoraco walked twice.  Up Next: Daryl Thompson gets the start at 7:15.
• Carolina lost 10-7.  Donnie Joseph pitched a scoreless 9th inning. Lots of multi-hit games in this one, most notably by Neftali Soto, who was 2-5 with his 16th homer of the year.  He has homered 5 times in his last 10 games, and is now slugging .591 on the year.  Henry Rodriguez also had 2 hits and a walk.  Up Next: Matt Klinker takes the hill, starting at 7:15.
• Bakersfield lost 6-1.  The offense continues to be MIA for the Blaze, as the entire team managed just 4 hits and no walks.  Brodie Greene hit his 5th homer for the team's lone run.  Up Next: Curtis Partch starts at 10:45.
• Dayton played a seesaw game, finally prevailing 12-8.  Lots of good performances in this one. Ronald Torreyes was 3-5 with a double and triple, Yorman Rodriguez was 3-4 with 2 walks(!) and his 7th home run, Billy Hamilton was 2-5 with a walk, David Vidal doubled twice, and Tucker Barnhart had 2 hits and 2 walks.  Sheesh.  This is going to be a fun team to watch for the rest of the season.  On a down note, Daniel Corcino had his second straight rough start, giving up 5 runs in 5 IP on 7 hits and 2 walks.  On the plus side, he did strike out 6.  Up Next: Daniel Renken starts at 8:00.
• Billings was postponed. They will play a double header today.
• AZL Reds won 6-2.  The Awesome Name Trifecta of Justice French, Lucas O'Rear, and Jim Moran combined to throw 8 innings of 2 run baseball.  Brennan May and Wagner Gomez each had 2 hits, and this year's 2nd round pick, Gabriel Rosa, homered in his first ever professional game.  Up Next: Someone gets the start at 10:00.
  
  

Bakersfield was the only Reds affiliate in action last night.  So this hardly seems worth posting, but here you go anyway.

• Bakersfield won 6-5 in 11 innings.  Ryan LaMarre, Mark Fleury, and Dayne Read each had 2 hits.  LaMarre also stole 3 bases, bringing his season total to 30.  Dude may not ever have any power like I'd hoped, but he certainly looks like a possible future leadoff man.

Since that was so short, what else should we discuss?  Who is watching the US take on France in the women's world cup today?  Who is seeing the Harry Potter movie this weekend?  Who really really really wishes Walt would trade for Ubaldo Jimenez?  Who is terrified that, instead, he is going to trade for Ryan Ludwick?

Oh, here's a fluff piece about how the Bats have so many MLB ready guys.

 
In case you were not aware, the MLB Futures game was played last night.  This game is a recently new addition to All-Star Break festivities, and features some of the best young players in the minor leagues.  Devin Mesoraco, Yonder Alonso, and Zack Cozart were all invited to participate.  Of course, Cozart had better things to do, but the other two played, and played well.  Devin was 1-1 with a HBP and also had a nifty defensive play.  Yonder walked twice, struck out, and flew out.  Now, turning our attention to the Reds system, as more players from the 2011 draft get signed, the system increasingly skews younger.  Will any of these guys be invited to the futures game in coming years?  Some are putting themselveson the right track, while others are leaving themselves with some work to do.

Ronald Torreyes

Torreyes is quickly becoming one of my favorite young prospects in the system.  First, he's younger than almost every other player in the organization, including Wunderkind Rodriguez (see below).  Second, he has a cool skill set.  He's tiny (listed at 5'9", 140) and profiles as a solid 2B, although he can play SS and 3B as well.  He'll never be a slugger, but his very good speed should translate into quite a few doubles.  What makes him so interesting to me is that he almost never, ever strikes out.  In 425 professional ABs he has struck out 24 times and walked 30. (5.6% K rate, 6.5% BB rate)  All of that contact has led to a lot of hits, as he is currently sporting a line of .368/.429/.526 in Dayton.  Oh yeah, he's also the youngest player in the league.  I think this thread should be devoted to coming up with a good nickname for this kid.

Yorman Rodriguez

Still struggling a bit on the year, Yorman has turned it on a bit of late, OPSing close to .800 in his last 10 games.  He is still striking out too much, but he's started walking a lot more too.  Still only 18, and the second youngest player in the MWL (behind Tiny Torreyes), an adjustment year was probably to be expected, and hopefully he can continue to build on his recent success.

Sean Buckley

This year's 6th round pick, and son of Reds Scouting Director Chris Buckley, Sean has certainly done his part to quell any suspicions of nepotism.  So far in 16 games for Billings, Buckley has put up a line of .323/.366/.631.  Already 21, Buckley should get a promotion to Dayton soon.

Billy Hamilton

I picked Billy for the stale list on Friday afternoon, so of course he goes 6-14 with 3 SB over the weekend.  Still, those were 6 singles, and he didn't walk.  Hamilton will never be a slugger, but if he's ever going to have value at the plate he needs to become either a walking machine, a contact machine, or both.  Right now the walk rate is just average and he strikes out like a power hitter.

Juan Silva

I really liked this kid when he was picked in the 8th round in 2009.  After a slid debut, he is currently working on his second consecutive disappointing year.  Now 20 years old and still in Billings, Silva has posted an unimpressive .255/.340/.277 line. 

Kyle Lotzkar

Another guy picked on Friday who responded with a good weekend.  But even after Lotzkar's good start yesterday, his ERA through 6 starts is 5.74.  He's striking out a lot of guys, and there is some noise in his numbers (notably his last start before this weekend: 4.2 IP, 7 K, 1 BB, 2 H....and 5 ER. How does that even happen?)  This should settle as he gets more starts, but for a guy with such a high injury risk, he can't afford any performance hiccups.

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As many of you know, Mrs. Creds and I were away the last week and a half in Peru.  If you didn't know that, you might've sensed less arguing and general snark on the site over that time.  Well, that's over, jerks.

A few loyal RR readers expressed an interest in my trip, so if you'll indulge my self centeredness, I thought I'd share a bit about it.  Also, Mrs. 'Creds is a very good photographer so this gives me a chance to show off some of her work.

Follow me to Lima....and beyond!

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It was very exciting to see Zack Cozart make his debut last night.  It wasn't just that he played well (that was a slick defensive play to save a run in the 3rd), it is also the hope and promise of something new.  Perhaps he will turn into Barry Larkin.  Perhaps he will completely tank and be sent back to AAA, never to see the majors again.  More likely, he will settle in as a solid but not spectacular major league shortstop.  The point is, anything can happen, and after following these guys for years as they develop, it is very fun to be on the brink of those possibilities.  It is certainly a truism that prospects can break your heart, but the only reason they have that power is because they might also fulfill all of the hopes and blind optimism that is the trademark of passionate fans.  Godfather III wouldn't have been so painful if the first two weren't so great, after all.  It is going to be a lot of fun finding out whether Cozart is Al Pacino or Sofia Coppola, and isn't that the point of baseball?

• Louisville proved that Cozart is bad luck, winning in his absence, 5-2.  Chris Valaika was 2-4, Todd Frazier was 2-4 with a double, and Yonder Alonso hit his 11th homer.  Daryl Thompson was excellent throwing 7 shutout innings and striking out 6.  I wish I believed he could do that for the Reds.  Brad Boxberger came in to put out a fire in the 9th and earned his first AAA save.  Assuming he remains a reliever, you can probably pencil him in to the Reds bullpen for next year.  Up Next: Scott Carroll takes the hill at 7:00.
• Carolina got spanked, 13-2.  Everyone was terrible in this game, except for David Cook, who went 3-4 with a double.  Up Next: Someone gets the ever popular 6:43 start.
• Bakersfield lost 6-3.  Chris Richburg had 3 hits, including a double, and DiDi Gregorius hit his first homer of the season.  Up Next: Mark Serrano starts at 10:00 p.m.
• Dayton lost 8-2.  Daniel Corcino had his worst start of the year, giving up 6 ER in just 3 innings.  David Vidal and Dominic D'Anna each had 3 hits.  2 of Vidal's were doubles.  Billy Hamilton stole his 61st base of the year.  Up Next: Stalin Gerson will start at 7:00.
• Billings lost 8-3.  Drew Poulk was 3-5 with 2 doubles.  Up Next: Someone will start at 9:05.
• AZL Reds were off.  Up Next: Someone will start at 10:00.
  
  
  

It's nice to be back, but I'd like to offer a hearty thank you to BK for covering every FO post for the last 12 days.  You're a mensch, BeeK.

• Louisville won 3-2 on a walk off sac fly by Todd Frazier.  Travis Wood went 7 IP, giving up just 2 runs while striking out 4.  Interestingly, Dontrelle Willis did not appear in this game.  Brad Boxberger threw a scoreless inning of relief.  Yonder Alonso and Jeremy Hermida both doubled in this pitchers duel. Up Next: Daryl Thompson gets the start at 7:05.
• Carolina was postponed. Up Next: The team has a noon start.
• Bakersfield lost 7-6.  Every starter had at least 1 hit.  Stephen Hunt, Alex Buchholz, and Brodie Greene each had 2.  Hunt's two hits were both doubles.  Ryan LaMarre stole 2 bases, giving him 26 on the year.  Up Next: Someone will start at 10 p.m.
• Dayton won 8-5.  Once again, every starter had at least 1 hit.  Ronald Torreyes, Tucker Barnhart, and Jaren Matthews each had 2.  Torreyes hit his first homer of the year.  Up Next: Daniel Corcino takes the hill at 7:00.
• Billings won 13-9.  Lots of guys most of us haven't heard of had a lot of hits.  6 Mustangs pitchers appeared in the game, and none threw more than 2 innings.  Up Next: Someone will start at 9:05.
• AZL Reds administered and old fashioned butt-whoopin', winning 17-1.  Again, lots of new players had a lot of hits.  Best Name in the Organization Candidate Justice French struck out 12 batters in 6 IP.  He now has 22 Ks in 13 IP.  That's some serious justice.  Up Next: The team is off Thursday.