Baseball America had a chat with Jim Callis today, and a few relevant questions came up...

Q: Ryan Huff from San Marcos High School asks:
What is a reasonable ETA for Felix Hernandez?

A: Jim Callis: I think the Mariners ideally would love for him to spend a full season in Triple-A. But he's so good, they may not be able to wait that long. I bet he comes up in late July next year.

Q: Jim Osmer from Seattle asks:
What should the Mariner fans expect of Choo and Reed? Can they defend better than Randy Winn? Will they continue the trend of low-power outfielders?

A: Jim Callis: Yes and yes. The Mariners' outfield of the future should be Shin-Soo Choo, Jeremy Reed and Ichiro Suzuki, assuming Reed can play center field on an everyday basis. The problem is that with Raul Ibanez and Winn on hand, Seattle is needlessly spending too much money on run-of-the-mill outfielders. Neither Choo nor Reed will be a big power guy. They're more in the mold of Mark Kotsay, guys who will be good defenders, instinctive baserunners and hit for average with maybe 15-20 homers a year.

Q: Jack Burton from Toronto asks:
Does minor league playoff performance impact your thoughts on a prospect? Ie. Does it matter to you if a player goes on a tear in the playoffs? Does it demonstrate their abilities in pressure situations? Or does it not really matter?

A: Jim Callis: No, it doesn't matter to me. We're talking about a very small sample size of games, and I don't think success in that small sample means the player is going to come through in future pressure situations. It might make for an interesting bit of info when I'm writing up a prospect, but it doesn't affect my ratings.

There you have it, though I still find Balentien's recent home run tear in the Cal League to be entertaining, if not interesting. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 3:40 PM

  Rancho Cucamonga 3 (ANA), Inland Empire 5 (Semi-finals, Game #2)
LHP Bobby Livingston (2.45, W) got the job done tonight, going seven and a third innings and allowing just two runs on eight hits, a wild pitch, and a walk while he struck out three. LHP Cesar Jimenez (5.40, S) gave up one of those runs and one of his own on a two-run bomb in the eighth, with another hit and a strikeout over the final inning and two-thirds. RF Wladimir Balentien (HR, .429) was at it again, going 2-4 and homering to lead off the fifth inning. CF Gary Harris (2B, R, RBI, .444) also went 2-4, doubling in 1B Matt Rogelstad (R, .333), and being driven in by hit from 2B Juan Gonzalez (R, RBI, .286). Gonzalez would be driven in during the next at-bat when 3B Jesus Guzman (2B, RBI, .250) doubled. The only offensive action to happen outside of the fifth came in the second when LF Jon Nelson (R, .125) and DH Carlos Arroyo (.571) had back-to-back hits and Nelson scored on a passed ball. Inland Empire will face Lancaster in the South Division finals starting Saturday, when they will send up LHP Thom Oldham. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 1:37 AM

  Inland Empire 4, Rancho Cucamonga 3 (ANA) (Semi-finals, Game #1)
RHP Jon Huber (3.00, W) proved that his playoff start was well-deserved, as he held the Quakes to two earned runs over six innings, with four hits (HR), a walk, and ten strikeouts. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (0.00, S) followed him with a
three-inning stint that got him a save, one hit, two walks, and a strikeout overall. On offense, DH Carlos Arroyo (2 2B, R, .750) was rocking it with three hits, CF Gary Harris (2B, R, .400) had two, but RF Wladimir Balentien (HR, 2 RBI, SB, .333) took starter Jean Toledo deep in the second, and walked once as well. The other run scoring came via sac flies by 2B Juan Gonzalez (RBI, E, .333) and 3B Jesus Guzman (RBI, E, .250) in the third. LHP Bobby Livingston tomorrow. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:44 PM

  Because I was off getting my computer fixed, I missed a few important things, namely, the M's picking up RHP Brett Evert off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. A number of other people have gotten their commentary in on this pickup, but this being a Braves pickup, I decided to ask the guy who knows better than anyone else, Brad Dowdy of No Pepper. He had this to say...

J - I think Brett is an excellent pickup by the Mariners. His Braves career has been has been a bit inconsistent, bouncing around between Double-A and Triple-A, and from starter to reliever, these past two seasons. When he is on, he can really set 'em down, but when he is off, the hits come in bunches. His 12-6 curve is considered his best pitch, and he also sports a low-90's fastball with good movement. His third pitch is an average changeup.

He has enough upside to make it as a reliever in the majors, which in my book is a good thing. He doesn't have enough consistency to make it as a starter, but he can definitely lock down opponents from the bullpen for an inning or two. We weren't real thrilled to lose him if that tells you anything.

There you have it. Now Brett is only 23, and will turn 24 in October, so by standards of our bullpen and previous bullpen "prospects" such as Aaron Looper, Aaron Taylor, and Allan Simpson, Evert is a mere pup. One of his problems has been a lack of distinct role, but I think that with the number of guys we have high up who COULD start, they should be able to use Evert as a late-inning reliever. In that case, he would be quite a smart pickup and could become a bullpen fixture in the years to come. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 2:50 PM

 

News Around the Minors

This will hopefully be a more frequent feature, as the season is now over (except in Inland Empire) and there's still some things to discuss before winter ball gets rolling. I plan on getting some foundation laid out for runs created/seca/whip/k:bb soon, so expect that to be on the way.

First off, my Player of the Month article is up at ITP. A friendly reminder that POTM articles are generally free, so you don't have to sign in or anything to get this one. Also, some thanks are in order to RHP Jason Snyder, who I ended up briefly talking to during the last Everett game. I used some of his statements in the article.

Second comes the affiliate wrap-ups...

In Tacoma, veteran catcher Jim Horner has decided to call it a career. Horner, 30, was signed as a non-drafted out of WSU in 1996. While Mickey Lopez is getting a shot in the big leagues, courtesy of his help down in Tacoma, another veteran just misses the call. Sentimental, I know, but the realist in me says that Horner couldn't really catch anymore because his knees were so bad.

The San Antonio Express-News has a feature on manager Dave Brundage and his call to the majors. Brundage will act as a bench coach for the rest of the season. A local guy (Oregon State University alumni), Brundage is regarded as one of the rising managerial stars in the organization, and arguments can be made that he should have won manager of the year after keeping an average Missions team with some serious holes in contention for so long. The article quotes Missions president Burl Yarbrough as saying that he doesn't expect Brundage to be back in the Texas League next year. Whether he'll be promoted to Tacoma or somehow find a spot on the Mariners coaching staff remains to be seen, but I fully support either choice.

InsideThePark.com has a very detailed series preview for Inland Empire vs Rancho Cucamonga in the playoffs. Unfortuantely, this is subscriber only content. Elsewhere, the SB Sun has a notebook on Jon Huber's playoff start and other things. Notably, the medical staff is reporting that SS Erick Monzon will not be available for the first series, and LHRP Miguel Martinez will be out with a sore arm. Before anyone gets curious about the nature of this injury, I'll remind you all that he has been spotty all year, and that being the type of pitcher he is (a few pitches thrown from a variety of arm angles), he may be more prone to these sorts of things than others.

Did I mention before that Luis Valbuena was the league MVP for the VSL? If not, I should have. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 4:53 PM

  Tucson 0 (ARI), Tacoma 3
RHP John Kelly (5.23, W) ended the season in grand fashion, going six innings and scattering three hits, two wild pitches, and a walk while striking out nine. RHP Jared Hoerman (4.91) went the next two innings, allowing one hit and striking out one, then RHP T.A. Fulmer (0.00, S) struck out one in the ninth to get the save. 3B Tony Zuniga (3B, R, 2 RBI, .280) had two hits to lead what was left of the team, while 2B George Sandel (2B, .122) doubled.

Rancho Cucamonga 6 (ANA), Inland Empire 4
Here’s an odd one… RHP Mike Steele (5.17) started and allowed four runs on six hits while striking out a couple over five innings. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (3.70) followed by striking out the side in the sixth. RHP Tanner Watson (5.06), who hasn’t pitched in a quite a while, gave up a hit in the seventh. After that, LHP Cesar Jimenez (2.32, L) pitched an inning and gave up a run on a solo shot while striking out one. RHP Darwin Soto (3.19) put up an identical line in the ninth. 3B Jesus Guzman (2 R, .310) had two more hits on the night, while CF Gary Harris (3B, RBI, .279), LF Jon Nelson (2B, RBI, .303), and SS Michael Garciaparra (2B, R, .226) provided some extra-base knocks, Garciaparra walking twice as well. In other notes, DH Rene Rivera (.235) was back in the Cal League, and was 0-2 with two walks. RHP Jon Huber will start the first game of the semifinals against Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday.

Fort Wayne 7 (SD), Wisconsin 6
The last day of the regular season is always a bit wacky. RHP Matt Tindell (7.88) went three innings and allowed an earned run on two hits, a hit batter, two wild pitches, and three walks against three strikeouts. RHP Chad Fillinger (8.44) went the next three, allowing four runs on five hits (HR) with three strikeouts. LHP Michael Ciccotelli (6.30, E) allowed a hit over two-thirds of an inning, then RHP Mike Hrynio (3.75, L) finished up the game and gave up the winnings run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts overall. C Justin Ruchti (RBI, CS, .222) had three hits on the night, and the quartet of RF Josh Womack (R, SB, E, .260), SS Adam Jones (R, RBI, .267), 3B Eric Blakeley (2 2B, 2 R, .287), and CF Michael Nesbit (2 RBI, .278) had two hits apiece.

*Tacoma Rainiers: 79-63, .556, 4 GB in PCL North
*San Antonio Missions: 66-72, (36-32, 2nd half) .478 (.529), 4 GB in TL West
*Inland Empire 66ers: 77-63 (38-32), .550 (.543), 5 GB CAL South
*Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 57-80 (26-44), .416 (.371), 14 GB in MWL Western
*Everett Aquasox: 41-35, .539, 1 GB in NWL West
*Peoria Mariners: 31-25 (15-13), .554 (.536), 5 GB in AZL
*Seattle Mariners (VSL Aguirre): 32-28-2, .527 4 GB in VSL Valencia
*Seattle Mariners (DSL Santo Domingo): 50-21, .704, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
*Organizational Record: 433-387-2, .528 |

posted by Jay Y. @ 1:57 AM

  Two quick notes...

First off, tonight's recaps might be delayed until tomorrow. I'm planning on getting into The Pixies concert at Bumbershoot if there's any way I possibly can.

Second off, a while ago I had you guys vote for Bobby Livingston in a Top Prospect Alert poll for who would get the next feature, with some help from Steve and his blog. The guy who wrote the player features had his computer crash, they skipped over B-Liv and went straight to Merkin Valdez, but since that time, nothing else has really been posted there. I thought I should update, in case anyone was wondering what ever happened with that. TPA isn't the most reliable group in the world. |

posted by Jay Y. @ 9:02 AM

  Tucson 11 (ARI), Tacoma 2
LHP Bryan Ward (4.10, L) pitched five innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits (HR) and four walks against five strikeouts. LHP Randy Williams (3.63) pitched the sixth, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks with a strikeout. RHP Tony Runion (5.93) ran into trouble yet again, going two innings and giving up four runs on five hits, a wild pitch, and a walk, though he did strike out four. RHP Bill Simas (3.86) allowed a hit in the ninth. C Rene Rivera (HR, .400) was the only offensive threat tonight, getting two hits including his first Triple-A home run. RHP John Kelly tomorrow?

Round Rock 12 (HOU), San Antonio 2
Felix was given the night off, well deserved, if you ask me. Instead, LHP Chris Key (4.68, L) gave up eight earned runs on nine hits (2 HR!), two walks, and three strikeouts in two innings. LHP Jared Thomas (3.62) went two after that, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four. RHP Renee Cortez (4.44) pitched the next inning and two-thirds, allowing an earned run on four hits (HR) with three strikeouts, and then LHP Tim Rall (4.57) gave up three hits and struck out one in the next two innings. RHP Rick Guttormson (3.27) finished off the season with one hit in an inning and a third. 3B Rob Gandolfo (R, .223) had three hits, while RF Shin-Soo Choo (R, SB, .315) and LF B.J. Garbe (.375) had two hits each.

Rancho Cucamonga 0 (ANA), Inland Empire 5
LHP Thom Oldham (3.21, W) scattered four hits over six innings and struck out seven. I’m beginning to wonder if it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see him in Double-A next year. LHP Melvin Pizarro (3.86) went the final three and had a walk and a strikeout. On offense, RF Wladimir Balentien (HR, .294) had two hits, including another homer, and is now hitting .294/.368/.500 in 34 at-bats there. 3B Jesus Guzman (HR, 3 RBI, .309) also had a home run and a walk and would need (estimate) two hits or an extra-base hit and a walk tomorrow to hit .300+/.400+/.450+ in his first season in the U.S. DH Carlos Arroyo (3B, R, .323) also tripled, but I don’t have anything interesting to say about his line. RHP Juan Sandoval tomorrow.

Fort Wayne 6 (SD), Wisconsin 5 (ten innings)
LHP Jason Mackintosh (4.04) went six and two thirds innings, allowing five runs on five hits, a hit batter, and three walks with four strikeouts. RHP Austin Bilke (3.29, L) went three and a third innings after that, allowing an unearned run on three walks. SS Adam Jones (HR, 2 R, .265), LF Bryan Lahair (2B, R, .282), and CF Michael Nesbit (R, .274) had two hits apiece, while RF Josh Womack (2B, 2 RBI, .258) and 2B Michael Cox (2B, RBI, .231) provided some extra-base hits. LHP Ryan Feierabend starts tomorrow. One more day, and the misery is over.

Everett 15, Salem-Keizer 5 (SF)
Well, the good news is that the Sox destroyed the Volcanoes, but the bad news is that Vancouver won too, so no playoffs. RHP Aaron Jensen (5.29, E, W) went five innings and allowed four runs on ten hits (HR) and a walk against three strikeouts. LHP Vance Hall (5.71) went two innings after that, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out one, and then LHP Brandon Perry (6.99) gave up a run on two hits, a wild pitch, and two walks in his two innings. SS Oswaldo Navarro (2 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB, .273) was an absolute force with his four hits on the night. PH/RF Elvis Cruz (2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBN, .208), PH/CF Trevor Heid (2B, R, RBI, SB, .215), 2B Asdrubal Cabrera (R, RBI, .272), and LF Mike Wilson (2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, .259) had two hits each. DH Matt Tuiasosopo (2 R, .255) was 1-2 with three walks, which is fairly impressive and brings his OBP to .350 for his tenure with Everett.

It’s been a while since I’ve caught up with the DSL, but since that time, they have cooled off considerably (8-6) and have lost to the Yankees affiliate in the first round of the playoffs. Notables within the division were:

Jairo Hernandez, 2nd in hitting (.332), 2nd in runs (42), 1st in RBI (42), 1st in hits (71), T-1st in home runs (6).
Ronald Garth, 6th in hitting (.290)
Manelik Pimentel, 10th in hitting (.279), 3rd in runs (40)
Eddy Fernandez, 3rd in ERA (1.37), 7-1 record (T-1st in wins)
Sterling Soto, 4th in ERA (1.48), 7-0 record (T-1st in wins)
Carlos Colon, 3rd in strikeouts (72)

Tacoma Rainiers: 78-63, .553, 5 GB in PCL North
*San Antonio Missions: 66-72, (36-32, 2nd half) .478 (.529), 4 GB in TL West
Inland Empire 66ers: 77-62 (38-31), .554 (.544), 4 GB CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 57-79 (26-43), .416 (.377), 13 GB in MWL Western
*Everett Aquasox: 41-35, .539, 1 GB in NWL West
*Peoria Mariners: 31-25 (15-13), .554 (.536), 5 GB in AZL
*Seattle Mariners (VSL Aguirre): 32-28-2, .527 4 GB in VSL Valencia
*Seattle Mariners (DSL Santo Domingo): 50-21, .704, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 432-386-2, .528 |

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:20 PM

  Tucson 2 (ARI), Tacoma 1 (seven innings)
Tucson only needed two hits to beat the Rainiers in this one, partially because RHP Brent Evert (6.48, L) gave up four walks, a wild pitch, and hit a batter in his five and two-thirds innings. He did strike out five though, so plus there. RHP Bill Simas (4.22) struck out two and didn’t let a runner reach for the rest of the way. DH Ryan Christianson (HR, .262) had a homer and walked, C Rene Rivera (.364) had two hits, and CF Jeremy Reed (SB, .305) was 1-3 with a walk.

Tucson 0 (ARI), Tacoma 2 (seven innings)
RHP Jeff Harris (4.34, W) went all the way, giving up three hits, walking four, and striking out seven. RF Greg Jacobs (2 2B, R, RBI, .323) had two doubles, while C Jim Horner (2B, RBI, .192) had one with a walk. LHP Bryan Ward tomorrow.

Round Rock 14 (HOU), San Antonio 6
Well, San Antonio isn’t going to make it three straight championships. RHP Juan “10-10” Done (5.34, E, L) went four and two-thirds innings, giving up five earned runs on seven hits (2 HR!) and a walk against fours strikeouts. RHP Emiliano Fruto (5.66) went the next two and a third innings and allowed three runs on five hits (HR) and two walks. RHP Aaron Taylor (2.87) struck out one in a perfect ninth, but after that RHP Rick Guttormson (3.34) allowed two runs on five hits in the ninth. RF Shin-Soo Choo (Hr, 2 R, 4 RBI, .314) had three hits on the night, while 3B Hunter Brown (2 R, .286), 1B John Lindsey (2B, RBI, .285), C Rich Rodrigues (RBI, .231) had two hits apiece. RHP Felix Hernandez tomorrow?

Rancho Cucamonga 13 (ANA), Inland Empire 8
RHP Rett Johnson (7.97, E, L) went three and a third innings, giving up eight earned runs on eleven hits, a wild pitch, and three walks with two strikeouts. Only one of those runs scored after LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (3.74) came in. He would go two and two-thirds innings, allowing an earned run of his own on four hits (HR), a walk, and four strikeouts. RHP Greg Wear (9.60) went the next two innings, with two runs on a hit, a hit batter, and two wild pitches with two strikeouts. RHP Darwin Soto (3.11) finished up with an uneventful ninth. 3B Jesus Guzman (R, RBI, E, .309) and SS Michael Garciaparra (R, RBI, .223) both had three hits. CF Gary Harris (2B, R, .283), LF Jon Nelson (2 HR, E, .305), DH Carlos Arroyo (R, RBI, .323), and RF Wladimir Balentien (RBI, .267) had two hits apiece. LHP Thom Oldham tomorrow.

Fort Wayne 6 (SD), Wisconsin 2
RHP Brandon Moorhead (3.27, L) went six and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on ten hits and three walks while striking out nine. LHP Michael Ciccotelli (6.75) went the next inning and a third, giving up two runs of his own on a hit, a wild pitch, and a walk. RHP Mike Hrynio (3.75) also gave up a run in the ninth on three hits and a wild pitch with one strikeout. 3B Eric Blakeley (HR, 2 RBI, .289) had a homer and a walk, while LF Bryan Lahair (2B, R, .278) doubled. LHP Jason Mackintosh tomorrow.

Everett 8, Salem-Keizer 3 (SF)
RHP Aaron Trolia (4.83, W) went seven and two-thirds innings, giving up two runs on four hits, a hit batter, a wild pitch, and two walks with five strikeouts. RHP Brad Rose (3.38) gave up both of Trolia’s runs on a three-run bomb, then walked two before being pulled for RHP Cibney Bello (3.93), who pitched the last inning and a third allowing just a hit. LF Mike Wilson (2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, .256) had three hits in the game. The quartet of 3B Yung-Chi Chen (2B, R, 2 RBI, .299), 1B/3B Brandon Green (2B, 2 RBI, .274), RF/1B Thomas Hubbard (2B, .276), and DH Matt Tuiasosopo (2 R, .250) had two hits each. Only two hit batters in this one. Either RHP Aaron Jensen or LHP Shawn Nottingham will be pitching tomorrow. If Everett wins and Vancouver loses, it will force a one-game playoff between the two teams.

Tacoma Rainiers: 78-62, .557, 4 GB in PCL North
San Antonio Missions: 66-71, (36-31, 2nd half) .482 (.537), 3 GB in TL West
Inland Empire 66ers: 76-62 (37-31), .551 (.544), 5 GB CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 57-79 (26-42), .419 (.382), 13 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 40-35, .535, 1 GB in NWL West
*Peoria Mariners: 31-25 (15-13), .554 (.536), 5 GB in AZL
*Seattle Mariners (VSL Aguirre): 32-28-2, .527 4 GB in VSL Valencia
Seattle Mariners (DSL Santo Domingo): 42-15, .737, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 422-377-2, .528 |

posted by Jay Y. @ 2:08 AM