Print
|
Print
|
© 2007 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved. |
|
South Atlantic League Notebook 05/07/2007 1:46 PM ETBy Jed Weisberger / Special to MLB.com
Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies) THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Tourists (20-9) were a solid 5-1 and are second in the SAL Southern, three games behind Augusta. WHO'S HOT: 1B Michael Paulk went 8-for-22 and took over the SAL batting lead at .410 (41-for-100). ... 2B Daniel Mayora's 9-for-25 effort hiked his average to .327 (35-for-107). ... 3B Logan Wiens remained consistent as a 4-for-12 performance left him at .345 (19-for-55). ... LHP Keith Weiser (5-0, 2.65) won both of his starts. He has struck out 27 and walked just two. WHO'S NOT: C Jhaysson Agustin (2-for-12) is not getting it done, hitting .156 (7-for-45). ... IF Spence Nagy (2-for-7) is mired at .167 (6-for-36). ... RHP Craig Baker (2-0) earned a win, but gave up five earned runs in six innings of relief as his ERA ballooned to 6.00. NEWS & NOTES: Paulk is opening eyes in the Colorado organization with his strong start. The former Cal-Northridge star is in his second year in the SAL after hitting .245 in 106 games with the Tourists last season. On the other hand, the Rockies are hoping SS Hector Gomez's bat gets going. A talented infielder from San Pedro de Macoris, who could be an offensive force, Gomez is hitting .237 (28-for-118), but his bat is beginning to show life. DID YOU KNOW?: Veteran Tourists skipper Joe Mikulik recorded his 500th career win in Friday's 12-2 Asheville victory over Kannapolis. Win No. 501 came in a 6-4 triumph over the Intimidators Saturday night. Mikulik is 17 wins short of the club record for victories by a manager, Ray Hathaway's 519.
Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants) WHO'S HOT: LHP Clayton Tanner (4-0, 1.50) picked up a win and a save in one start and one relief appearance, surrendering just one earned run in 7 1/3 innings. RHP Henry Sosa (2-0, 0.35) also made a start and performed in relief, picking up a win and not allowing an earned run in 8 2/3 innings. C Dayton Buller is at a solid .385 (15-for-39) in nine games. OF Robert Felmy got his bat going, as a 10-for-26 effort with six RBIs hiked his average 66 points to .295. WHO'S NOT: 2B Sharlon Schoop remains in the doldrums as a 4-for-17 effort left him at .161 (9-for-56). ... C Nestor Rojas (1-for-8) dropped to .217 (10-for-46). ... RHP Adam Cowart (5-1, 2.06) surrendered six earned runs in five innings in losing his only start after allowing just two earned runs in his previous 30 innings. NEWS & NOTES: OF Tyler Graham and SS Brian Bocock combined for 34 (12, 22) stolen bases, but Graham is struggling with a groin injury and was placed on the DL May 3. He had previously missed nine games before returning May 1, and has hit in all 15 games in which he has appeared (19-for-61, .311). ... San Francisco sent OF James Simmons to Augusta from Class A Advanced San Jose to take Graham's place on the roster. DID YOU KNOW?: The GreenJackets will recall their days as a Boston affiliate Friday, May 11, as the first 1,000 fans attending their game with Columbus at Lake Olmstead Stadium will receive a Hanley Ramirez bobblehead doll. The Florida shortstop, originally a Red Sox draft pick, hit .275 in 111 games for Augusta in 2003.
Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees) WHO'S HOT: RHP Grant Duff (4-2, 3.27) won his only start, giving up just one earned run in seven innings. ... 3B Mitch Hilligoss is getting into the swing of things as a 9-for-25 effort pushed his average to .289 (33-for-114). ... 1B Chris Malec remained consistent, as a 5-for-8 effort left him at .290 (27-for-93). WHO'S NOT: IF Chris Kunda (5-for-31, .161) is struggling after a 1-for-13 week. ... 2B Wilmer Pino is mired at .213 (19-for-89) after a 3-for-16 performance. ... C Jose Gil is batting .185 (12-for-65) after suffering through an 0-for-14 week. NEWS & NOTES: The RiverDogs went through some more roster shuffling. RHP Tim Norton (1-3, 3.71), the club's Opening Day starter, was placed on the DL with an upper body injury and replaced by RHP John Axford (0-0, .169) from extended Spring Training. OF Austin Jackson (21-for-84, .250) was reactivated from the DL and took the spot on the Charleston roster vacated by pitcher Eric Hacker's promotion to Class A Advanced Tampa. C Kyle Anson came off the DL and OF Donald Hollingsworth was assigned to Staten Island. DID YOU KNOW?: Jackson, a blue-chip high school basketball player, was recruited to play point guard at Georgia Tech before signing with the Yankees for $800,000 in 2005.
Columbus Catfish (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) WHO'S HOT: OF Ryan Royster's 12-for-25 effort boosted his average to .368 (35-for-95), sixth in the SAL. ... RHP Lewis Rollins (2-0, 1.88) pitched six scoreless innings in his only start. ... RHP Josh Butler (2-0, 1.36) threw five scoreless in his only start. The efforts by Rollins and Butler were important with RHP Wade Townsend (3-1, 2.33) sidelined. WHO'S NOT: OF Quinn Stewart was 2-for-21 and fell to .187 (14-for-75). ... OF Maiko Loyola scuffled again, as a 2-for-12 performance has him hitting .203 (13-for-64). ... RHP Matt Falk (1-0, 10.13) surrendered nine earned runs in eight innings. NEWS & NOTES: Devil Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics told reporters that Townsend will miss two starts after being shut down as a precautionary measure due to what was called right forearm fatigue. The Rays have reason to be cautious with Townsend, who missed the entire 2006 season due to Tommy John surgery. The organization has been thrilled with his performance in the SAL so far and is taking no chances with its 2005 first-round draft pick. DID YOU KNOW?: Columbus is again struggling to draw fans to Golden Park, averaging an league low of 802 fans per game. The Catfish have drawn just 11,225 in 14 games.
Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles) WHO'S HOT: IF Pedro Silveren found something, going 6-for-13 to boost his average 70 points to .212 (14-for-66) after a sluggish start. ... 1B Brandon Tripp is second in the SAL batting race at .394 (39-for-99) and is tied for the SAL lead in RBIs (27) with teammate 1B Chris Vinyard. ... Vinyard was 10-for-21 to boost his average 40 points to .284. WHO'S NOT: SS Pedro Florimon Jr. continued to scuffle, as a 2-for-19 report card dropped him to .185 (15-for-81). ... 3B Stuart Musslewhite is in the same boat. -- he was 0-for-10 and fell to .182 (12-for-66). ... OF Daniel Figueroa (9-for-21) showed signs, but is still hitting .198 (19-for-96) after striking out six more times. NEWS & NOTES: Orioles reliever Scott Williamson made a rehab appearance with Delmarva on May 4 in its game against Hagerstown. He gave up a run in two innings and will probably make his next rehab appearance with Double-A Bowie of the Eastern League. Williamson has been on the Baltimore DL since April 24 with tightness in his right bicep. DID YOU KNOW?: Tripp was named Baltimore's Minor League Player of the Month for April.
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Florida Marlins) WHO'S HOT: SS Daniel Garcia was 11-for-25 to push his average to .287 (25-for-87), an improvement of 61 points. ... OF John Raynor is hitting .371 (29-for-89), sixth in the SAL. ... RHP Blake Jones (1-0, 0.68) picked up a pair of saves and is tied for the SAL lead with seven. WHO"S NOT: OF Scott Cousins was 4-for-24 and slumped to .211 (16-for-76). ... 1B Logan Morrison was 5-for-23 and is at a .220 average (20-for-91). ... OF Spike McDougall hit the wall with a 1-for-18 week that dropped him to .210 (17-for-81). NEWS & NOTES: Raynor may prove to be a bargain for Florida, having signed out of North Carolina-Wilmington for just $17,500. In addition to playing within himself at the plate, looking to spray balls from gap to gap, he is utilizing his speed on the bases, swiping 16 -- tied for third in the SAL -- in 18 attempts. If he continues his strong season, he will augment his status as a Marlins prospect. DID YOU KNOW?: The Marlins rate Cousins as a five-tool player and hope he can leave his slow start behind.
Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) WHO'S HOT: 3B Michael Arambarris (8-for-17) boosted his average to .308 (28-for-91). ... RHP Josh Papelbon (1-0, 2.03) pitched three scoreless innings in two relief appearances and recorded the Drive's lone win of the week. WHO'S NOT: OF Jason Place's struggles continued with a 4-for-19 week. The former first-round pick is hitting just .179 (17-for-95). ... 2B Kris Negron was 7-for-22 and is batting .1.80 (18-for-100). ... C Jonathan Egan is having issues at the plate, as a 1-for-16 week has him at .149 (10-for-67). NEWS & NOTES: The Drive received a boost when C Jonathan Still returned from the seven-day DL. He's hitting .269 (18-for-67). ... C Tyler Weeden was reassigned to the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. DID YOU KNOW?: 1B Lars Anderson was a big home run hitter in the Oakland, Calif., area. He has hit just two in 27 SAL games and the Red Sox are hoping he breaks out in 2007.
Hagerstown Suns (Washington Nationals) WHO'S HOT: RHP Marco Estrada (1-2, 4.70) threw five scoreless innings to win his only start. ... OF Chris Marrero was 8-for-23 as his average climbed to .290 (27-for-93). ... OF Michael Daniel (30-for-105) remains the Suns' most consistent player and is hitting .286. WHO'S NOT: C Erick San Pedro scuffled (1-for-9) and fell to .196 (9-for-46). ... LHP Juan De Los Santos (1-0, 15.95) was shelled for eight earned runs in two appearances in 1 2/3 innings. SS Stephen King (19-for 105) fell to .181 with a 3-for-26 effort. NEWS & NOTES: The Suns will attempt to settle the Donald Trump/Rosie O'Donnell feud Friday, May 11, when they host West Virginia. Fans will be able to cast their vote prior to the game for the celebrity they feel is superior to their rival. There is a more important function to this, however. To vote, fans will need to purchase a pink ribbon commemorating the Breast Cancer Awareness weekend celebration. All the proceeds will go to a local Breast Cancer Awareness organization. DID YOU KNOW?: Marrero, Washington's No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, is recovering from a bout of viral meningitis that cut short his season in the Gulf Coast League last summer.
Hickory Crawdads (Pittsburgh Pirates) WHO'S HOT: OF James Boone is at .327 (34-for-104) and remained consistent with an 8-for-27 week. C Francisco Poni is batting .379 in limited action (11-for-29). OF Jonel Pacheco is hitting .290 (29-for-100), is second in the SAL in homers (eight) and leads the club with 22 RBIs. WHO'S NOT: 3B Eddie Prash's struggles continued. He's hitting .222 (16-for-72) after a 3-for-20 week. ... 2B Michael Ambrose dropped to .216 (8-for-37) after going 2-for-12. ... RHP Yuffi Martinez (0-1) gave up nine earned runs in 1 1/3 innings as his ERA bulged to 18.36. NEWS & NOTES: The Crawdads' roster was shuffled last week, with RHP Jacob Cuffman placed on the DL and LHP Victor Alvarez sent to the Gulf Coast League Pirates. C Cameron Blair joined the Crawdads from Class A Advanced Lynchburg and was 3-for-8 in two starts, while RHP Matt Lorenzo, who previously in the Atlanta and Texas organizations, arrived to throw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in his lone appearance. DID YOU KNOW?: LHP Mike Felix (0-2, 9.26), who has struggled, was signed for a $725,000 bonus after being taken by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2006 draft.
Kannapolis Intimidators (Chicago White Sox) WHO'S HOT: C Francisco Hernandez's 8-for-17 week pushed his average to .348 (23-for-66). ... 1B Chris Carter continued to get it together, as an 11-for-28 performance has him at .297 (33-for-111) with 15 RBIs after a tough start. ... RHP Matt Long (3-1, 5.40) had an effective start, surrendering two runs in five innings and picking up a win. ... 2B John Shelby found his batting eye, as a 12-for-30 stretch boosted his average 54 points to .278 (27-for-97). WHO'S NOT: 3B Michael Grace is not getting it done. He fell to .186 (19-for-102) after a 2-for-23 performance. ... IF Scott Madsen (4-for-23) is hitting .170 (8-for-47). ... OF Maurice Gartrell (2-for-12) slumped to .203 (15-for-74). NEWS & NOTES: The Intimidators lost SS Robert Hudson to the DL. He was replaced on the roster by SS Hancer Vargas, who came to the Intimidators from extended Spring Training. DID YOU KNOW? Long, who made 22 appearances out of the Kannapolis bullpen in 2006, registering a save, is in his first season as a starter in 2007.
Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians) WHO'S HOT: 3B Jared Goedert is showing signs of having a breakout season. He pounded the ball at a .476 clip (10-for-21) last week and is hitting .383 (34-for-89). He also blasted a trio of homers, taking the SAL lead with 10 and drove in 11 runs, ranking third in the league with 26. ... RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3-2, 5.88) had his first strong start, throwing seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball to record a win. OF Jason Denham turned things around with a 9-for-20 streak, pushing his average to .333 (14-for-42). WHO'S NOT: OF Ramon Hernandez is still struggling. A 4-for-13 effort left him at .164 (10-for-61). ... 2B Adam Davis (2-for-18) slumped to .184 (14-for-76). ... 1B Andrew Lytle's 1-for-9 effort dropped him to .179 (5-for-28). NEWS & NOTES: Goerdert was actually drafted twice by Cleveland, first in the 36th round in 2003, then in the ninth round in 2006. A former star at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College and Kansas State, the native of Concordia, Kan., drove in 46 runs in 53 games as a K-State junior before signing with the Indians. DID YOU KNOW?: Captains RHP Michael Eisenberg and RHP Matt DeSalvo, who is scheduled to make his first big-league start for the Yankees May 7, both played at NCAA Division III power Marietta.
Lakewood Blue Claws (Philadelphia Phillies) WHO'S HOT: SS Jason Donald recovered from his first tough stretch to record 12 hits in 21 at-bats, a .571 stretch that included a pair of homers and nine RBIs to push his average to .350, eighth in the SAL. ... 2B Adrian Cardenas is starting to hit, as a 7-for-21 week boosted his average to .283 (28-for-99). ... RHP Ronald Hill (0-1, 1.29) recorded a pair of saves with three innings of scoreless relief. WHO'S NOT: 3B Carl Henry Jr. (3-for-23) watched his average drop to .211 (16-for-76). ... OF Jay Miller's troubles at the plate continued, with a 6-for-26 effort that left him at .220 (20-for-91). ... RHP Alexander Concepcion (1-1, 5.56) surrendered four runs in three appearances (2 2/3 innings) out of the bullpen. NEWS & NOTES: It's been quite a career downturn for Lakewood IF Kevin Howard, who will turn 26 on June 25. Two years ago, he was a rising star in the Cincinnati organization after hitting .296 at Double-A Chattanooga. He was traded to the Yankees and played at Double-A Trenton in 2006, hitting .255 in 102 games before breaking his hand. During Spring Training, Howard, considered for a spot with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, was instead released on the last day of camp. He signed with the Phillies and was assigned to Class A Advanced Clearwater, where he hit .174 in 15 games and finds himself in the SAL for the first time. DID YOU KNOW?: The BlueClaws will become the fastest team in South Atlantic League history to reach the 3 million fan attendance mark this season.
Lexington Legends (Houston Astros) WHO'S HOT: OF Carlos A. Quintero (35-for 105) and 1B-OF James Van Ostrand (26-for-84) are tied for the ninth spot in the SAL batting race. LHP David Qualben (4-1, 2.12) won his lone start, giving up just a pair of runs in six innings in a 3-2 win over West Virginia. WHO'S NOT: 1B Eric Taylor is mired at .185 (12-for-65) after a 4-for-12 week. SS Jhon Florentino dropped to .187 (14-for-75) after a 2-for-15 stretch. OF Nicholas Moresi finds himself batting .150 (9-for-60) after a 1-for-13 week. NEWS & NOTES: 3B Koby Clemens' bat has not come around as he is hitting .237 (18-for-76) with eight RBIs. He is repeating the SAL after hitting just .229 a year ago in a season in which he missed more than a month with a dislocated left pinky. The Astros feel he has the ability to contribute offensively in a bigger way. DID YOU KNOW?: Legends 3B Chris Johnson is the son of former big leaguer and current Triple-A Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson.
Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves) WHO'S HOT: OF Jordan Schafer is on his way to an outstanding season. He was 12-for-26 and is fifth in the SAL batting race at .372 (48-for-129) with 20 RBIs. RHP Beau Jones (0-0, 2.51) made a pair of sparkling relief appearances, throwing seven scoreless innings and picking up his second save. RHP Jeff Lymon (0-4, 4.61) had his best start of the season, throwing six scoreless innings and striking out seven in a no-decision. WHO'S NOT: 1B Joshua Morris is simply not hitting. A 4-for-24 week left him at .168 (17-for-101). ... IF Danny Brezeale had a week to forget, as a 1-for-17 stretch dropped his average to .182 (14-for-77). ... OF Yohan Silva slipped to .195 (8-for-41) after an 0-for-9 effort. NEWS & NOTES: 1B-C Tyler Flowers was added to the Rome roster Friday and was 1-for-7 in his first two games, playing at first base. A Marietta native, he is the fifth Georgia native to play for the R-Braves and hit .279 at Danville of the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2006. He replaces OF Ernesto Mejia, who hit .273 in three games with Rome. Mejia was assigned to Danville. In another move, C Jerry Verastegui was promoted to Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach and replaced by C Victor Hernandez, promoted from Danville. DID YOU KNOW: Atlanta reliever Chad Paronto was supposed to make a rehab appearance at Rome last Monday. Instead, with reliever Bob Wickman forced to the DL after suffering upper back pain, Paronto was activated by Atlanta.
Savannah Sand Gnats (New York Mets) WHO'S HOT: RHP Greg Mullens (1-0, 1.64) threw five scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits in a no-decision. ... OF Leivi Ventura is the Sand Gnats' top hitter at .291 (32-for-110) with a team-leading 13 RBIs. ... C-OF Sean McCraw is at .280 (14-for-50). WHO'S NOT: 2B Greg Veloz dropped to .105 (10-for-95) after a tough 1-for-22 stretch. He's also struck out 31 times. ... OF Daniel Stegall checks in at .217 (25-for-115) after a 6-for-26 week. ... LHP Julio Polanco (0-2, 9.35) has surrendered 18 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings. NEWS & NOTES: RHP Emaury Frederick (0-0, 8.53) was suspended by the South Atlantic League for violating the league's on-field behavior policy. After giving up a home run to Jordan Schaefer in a game with Rome on April 27, Frederick threw at the head of the next batter, Chad Lundahl, and was ejected. DID YOU KNOW?: The Sand Gnats and Grayson Stadium were featured on Paula Deen's cooking show on the Food Network, "Paula's Home Cooking," in an episode titled "Ball Game."
West Virginia Power (Milwaukee Brewers) WHO'S HOT: OF Darren Ford is seventh in the SAL batting race at .352 (31-for-88) after going 9-for-24. ... RHP J.T. King (3-0, 0.90) continued to star out of the bullpen, throwing five innings and surrendering just one earned run in picking up a save. ... OF Michael Brantley's 9-for-24 week pushed his average to .309 (29-for-94). WHO'S NOT: C Andy Bouchie continued to slump as a 3-for-18 performance left him with a .231 average (15-for-65). ... LHP Brae Wright (1-2, 5.76) lost his only start, surrendering three runs in five innings. ... RHP Omar Aguilar (1-1, 5.79) surrendered three runs in two innings in a pair of relief appearances. NEWS & NOTES: The Brewers organization is encouraged with Ford's start, who is showing better plate management as his stay among the SAL batting leaders shows. The Brewers would like the speedster to improve his strikeout-to-walk ratio as he repeats in the SAL. Ford hit .283 and stole 69 bases in 2006 with the Power, but struck out 133 times and walked just 56. So far, he has fanned 28 times and walked eight, numbers to watch as the 2007 season moves on. DID YOU KNOW?: Two of the Power's top prospects are from Southern New Jersey, Ford, from Vineland, and LHP Zach Braddock (2-1, 1.14), from Mount Holly.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
|