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MLB

Rockies Arizona Fall League Roster Loaded with 2012 Drillers

Tulsa to be well represented on Salt River squad
By
August 31, 2012
Every year, MLB teams send several of their most talented prospects to Arizona to compete in the Arizona Fall League. It is one of the best leagues in the world as far as young talent is concerned. The 2011 MLB All-Star Game featured 41 AFL alums including both starting pitchers, Roy Halladay and Jered Weaver. The Colorado Rockies, the parent club of the Tulsa Drillers, are matched up with the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Nationals, and Blue Jays to make up the roster of the league's Salt River Rafters.

The Drillers have had a very good presence in the AFL the past few years. The 2011 Salt River team featured former Drillers Tim Wheeler, Rob Scahill and Casey Weathers, as well as current Tulsa players Parker Frazier, Ben Paulsen, Joe Gardner and Nolan Arenado. The Drillers third baseman earned MVP honors for the league and made a name for himself in prospect rankings throughout minor league baseball.

The crop of Drillers players to represent the Rockies in the 2012 Arizona Fall League includes Cory Riordan, Coty Woods, Kent Matthes, Lars Davis, and Jose Gonzalez. Riordan and Woods both pitched well for Tulsa in 2012, earning promotions to Colorado Springs (AAA). Woods was named to the Texas League All-Star team after allowing only 3 earned runs in 35.2 innings of work for the Drillers while recording 16 saves.

Matthes has spent some time on the DL for Tulsa, but he is currently the team leader in homeruns with 17. The MVP of the CAL league last season, he has had an up and down season with the Drillers but has flashed glimpses of the talent that landed him on the Rockies top 20 prospect list before this season.

The duo of catchers for Tulsa this season has been tremendous both defensively and at the plate. Davis was named to both the Texas League mid-season and post-season All-Star teams. In his third year with the Drillers, Davis has handled the top pitching staff in the league while only committing only one error and hitting .280. Gonzalez has shined in a back-up role with Tulsa this season. He has only committed 2 errors and has thrown out a tremendous 53% of runners attempting to steal.

Another member of the Rockies organization that will play for Salt River will be Kyle Parker. The 2010 first-rounder has put up impressive numbers this season for Single A Modesto and is a candidate to be on the Drillers roster in 2013. The former Clemson quarterback is hitting .308 with 22 homers and 72 RBIs in 99 games for the Nuts.