Mariner Minors
AFL Roster Changes
Just took a look and founded an
updated roster, accurate as of about a week ago.
It looks like Eric O'Flaherty is off the list, but Bobby Livingston and Ryan Rowland-Smith will both be pitching for the Javelinas.
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M's Sign Truinfel
Hey, Jerry, what's up?
Baseball America is reporting that the M's have signed Dominican SS
Carlos Truinfel, and it wasn't even the highest offer. I don't have much of an opinion on the signing, as he wasn't one of the guys I had been looking at heavily, but our SS depth, which has taken a hit, got a shot in the arm with this one.
I may add a little more later, but I'm heading out the door now.
(also it's my assumption that the second to last paragraph means to refer to OF Greg Halman)
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Alonzo Powell Named Hitting Coordinator
Press release.
What is there to say about Powell? Well, he's a former Mariner ('91) and had some all-star seasons in Japan, which makes him the type of guy that would catch their eyes.
He's taking over Glenn Adams old role, near as I can figure. Adams took the fall earlier in the season. This wasn't exactly a year for premium offense out of our guys, from what I've gathered from the RC's I've been doing (full-seasons done), and that's not to say that there wasn't some talent to work with.
We're going to see more changes, of course. The
Tacoma News Tribune has it that Dave Myers won't be returning, and while most of us will eternally associate the name with the temporary derailment of a promising career, Myers has been in the organization as a manager forever and deserved better treatment. (I won't get started on Rohn, rumored insubordination and all).
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, there are so many managers switching around that being able to identify any one is often a talent, but I have respect for the abilities of a few of them (Brundage and Thurman, namely) and wouldn't be keen on replacing them.
Potential affiliation shuffles and definite house cleaning on the minor league level.
Should be an interesting offseason.
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Dotel Tests Positive
After leading the league in this category last year, I had hoped that we would skip through an entire year without one, but sadly, it wasn't to be.
Baseball America is reporting that
OF Wellington Dotel tested positive for a banned substance and will sit for 50 games next season.
Dotel is an outfielder with interesting tools who tore through the DSL last year, earning the nod for league MVP. He struggled by comparison this year, hitting for a low average and striking out frequently, though his peripherals remained decent. After this, though, I'm not sure exactly what's to be said about him or how this will effect my ranking him. The instinct is to assume the worst, but sometimes it's hard to tell what tested positive and why.
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BA's Top 20 AZL Prospects
Without warning, Baseball America dropped their
Top 20 AZL Prospects list this mornning, with 1B Gerardo Avila coming in at twelve and OF Carlos Peguero coming in at eighteen (Tillman/Morrow/Butler did not qualify).
The chat was also good and site contributor Jonathan Helfgott also got a question in.
Let's go to
the chat...
Q: Ryan from Seattle asks:
No Alex Liddi? He seems to have a good bat for a 17 year old from Italy with good all-around athleticism. His advanced game for a 17 year old out of Europe are pretty impressive. What kept him off the list?
A: John Manuel: Liddi had a nice debut and was right on the cusp of the 20. It sounds like his game is advanced for a European, but not necessarily for the AZL. He does have some tools though, arm strength (upper 80s off the mound in Italy, I'm told), and he has some power, but it sounds like his swing's a bit long, and that's going to be an issue as he faces more experienced pitching. Definitely a guy who could have made the list; the AZL is really a crap-shoot, to be honest.
Q: JH from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic asks:
How is the Brewers' strategy of focusing on top-dollar Latin American talent and bypassing the academy system working out for them? The top two Dominican talents on their AZL squad, Pascual and Peralta, sure didn't have impressive seasons statistically. Is there any concern that the aggressive assignments along with the culture shock of moving to the states at 17 without speaking the language will stunt these players' development?
A: John Manuel: Those two pitchers definitely struggled this year, but judging how the system of not having a DSL team is working can't be judged on how a pair of 17-year-olds performed in the AZL in their pro debut,j at least it can't be judged from afar. You'd have to know how those players responded to their struggles, and that's something I wasn't able to find out. I do know the lack of a DSL team was a consideration when the Brewers signed these players; they signed them because they thought they were the kind of players who could debut in the U.S., and perhaps they over-estimated that aspect of these two players.
Q: Elliot Legow from Youngstown OH asks:
I read in BA that there's a Hawaii league this winter. What level of prospects will be playing there? Are rosters available?
A: John Manuel: There is; it starts in two weeks. I just received email yesterday from the league that the rosters are not yet official, and as soon as they release them, we'll be posting them. We intend to cover HWB like we do the AFL, though no one has drawn the assignment of traveling there to see games, like we do for the AFL. Pity. I am excited to see Lenn Sakata managing out there, and if Vegas will put odds on it, I'll bet on his team to win the league.
Q: Mike from Boston asks:
Where would Brandon Morrow and Chris Tillman have ranked had they qualified?
A: John Manuel: Very, very high. I think you can look at this list and figure out the talent in the AZL was modest; there's a 6-foot RHP who didn't dominate at No. 10, a 5.88 ERA at No. 2 . . . it wasn't slim pickin's but it wasn't a loaded league either. Morrow and Tillman would have both been top 5, and Morrow actually would have ranked second. Tillman vs. Jeffress is tough, Tillman obviously worked more off his fastball in the AZL than he did this spring, which was a big problem scouts had with him; he threw a lot of split-fingers for a high school kid with a 94 mph fastball. There's a lot to like with Tillman, tall frame, some pitchability, he probably would have been No. 4 behind Morrow and Jeffress.
Q: Steve from DeKalb, IL asks:
What rookie league (not including SS-A) was the most talented this year?
A: John Manuel: Not to offend Matt Eddy, but looking at the lists, I'd have to say Pioneer League, but that's usually the case. Several organizations use the Pioneer as their "advanced Rookie" instead of a short-season team. Plus, Missoula (Diamondbacks), which is not one of those teams, had some interesting albeit older arms I like, such as Osbek Castillo and Hector Ambriz, and Billings had nice college players such as Chris Valaika and Red Turner to go with the league's young talent at teams like Ogden and Orem and Casper. Good league.
Q: Adam from Davis, Ca asks:
Do rookie ball players usually improve when they get promoted to another level just because they don't have to go through the rigors of hanging out in 100+ degree heat day in and out?
A: John Manuel: Adam, that's a good question, always good to hear form you. My experience talking to players has been that it is very hard to perform in complex-league conditions, if you are used to more. Big-time HS kids often have trouble adjusting; not to spoil Alan Matthews' GCL chat, but that was what we heard re: Kyle Drabek's struggles in the GCL. I think it's less of an issue for Latin American players, who have so much else to worry about (learning the language, being hundreds or thousands of miles from home at such a young age, etc.) to worry about how many fans are in the stands or how hot it is. But players I've talked to over the years have indicated that yes, they get a lot more adrenaline flowing once they leave the complex leagues.
Q: Mario66 from Toronto asks:
Is Anthony Vavarro back to where he was at St. John's, and does he project as at least a solid back of the rotation type guy (assuming continued health)?
A: John Manuel: I don't know what he projects to be anymore; it's impossible to evaluate that at this time. I'm not trying to be difficult, but he threw 11 innings in his first games since May 2005, and he was shut down for a time when he first came back from TJ and his subsequent rehab. How can a player be evaluated on that body of work? I'll tell you what I learned: his fastball wasn't quite back to the 92-94 mph range he threw in college. His curveball, which was basically a snapdragon before, showed some signs. But his job in the AZL was just to get on the mound and build arm strength, build some confidence, not show his full repertoire. So evaluating his future based on that brief, rehab look, I don't think I'd be very fair to Anthony Varvaro if I did that.
Q: Paul from Kansas City asks:
Brent Fisher repeated the league and dominated, then also pitched well when moved up at the end of the season. What accounts for his incredible strikeout rate (i.e., what's his stuff like)? And the Royals had a nice showing - does this speak well to Ladnier's draft strategy?
A: John Manuel: Love Brent Fisher; he was in our Top 30 last year, and he's got a lot going for him. Deceptive fastball, solid velocity, improved changeup, and a curveball that can be a plus pitch. He also has a reputation as a good competitor and good kid who takes to instruction well, and he will move a lot quicker in the future. The Royals did have a nice showing, they had a lot of speed, which is a tool you can work with, and a team with some younger players surrounded with older guys who put those younger players in position to succeed. The Royals and Padres had the most talented teams in the league, with the Mariners and Angels also right up there.
For my part, I tried to get questions on Liddi and Salinas in, since I figured Dotel might be pushing it. Liddi was answered in another form, but Salinas fell off the radar, and that's all right given where he's at. No Butler mentions, but I'm sure we'll get those in once the NWL Top 20 rolls around.
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Sixers Take the Title
I was going to make a comment about the Empire striking back, but I was never as into those movies as everyone else and MiLB.com beat me to the punch. Aaaaand I try to avoid obvious punning, which means I'm not cut out for this job anyway.
Visalia 1, Inland Empire 2Here’s something I haven’t been able to say in too long: a Mariners farm team just took their league’s title. RHP Mumba Rivera (0.00) exceeded expectations in his first start of the season, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out four in four innings of work. RHP Ivan Blanco (4.50) gave up a run on a hit, two wild pitches, and two walks against a K in the next two innings, but that was as far as the Oaks got, as RHP Jon Lockwood (3.00, W) hit one and struck out three in the next two innings and RHP Jose de la Cruz (1.50, S) gave up two hits and punched out two in the ninth.
For series MVP, I’d be hard pressed to not go with DH Johan Limonta (2B, RBI, .250) for pulling the Sixers out of it yesterday and hitting the go-ahead RBI double tonight to drive in 1B Reed Eastley (R, .321), who had two hits and a walk in the game. LF Josh Womack (HR, .250) also had a couple of hits and 2B Luis Valbuena (2B, .263) doubled, but Limonta seemed like the most clutch hitter in the lineup.
Cheers to Cal League Co-Manager of the Year Gary Thurman as well, as he helped push the team over the top in spite of losing some of his better players throughout the year. I didn’t have great expectations for the Sixers coming into the year, but they pulled off what no other team in the system could (though the Santo Domingo M’s came close).
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News Catch Thread
I'm still trying to get up to speed for the past week of news, so I'm using this thread to get things together as I notice them.
Steve Nelson posted at Lookout Landing and elswhere that the San Antonio Missions
may be looking for a new affiliation, just as the Sixers may be. The papers claim that the M's haven't been ruled out, but there are sources close to the situation that have said that the M's are more interested in developing players than winning at the double-A level, which is sometimes the trade-off. I honestly thought that the Missions had a shot in the second half this year, but no one really anticipated Tui dropping off quite as much as he did or the team basically losing what fight it had in it during the fnial stretch (from what I've heard). As far as pitching went, it was a fairly solid team considering the overall strength of hitting, though it lacked the Ks of its counterparts, but the offense was pretty much seven teams around the same tier and the Sixers falling below that. I can understand the furstration in that it was a level where a lot of guys only stopped over on their way up (Lowe, O'Flaherty, Jimenez, Huber, Lahair, Nelson, Garciaparra), but it didn't seem as bad as it was made out to be, anemic offense aside. Regardless, there's no other team in the Texas League that's open for affiliation, which means that the M's would have to move to the Eastern League or Southern League, and while some parks there are decent matches, I've been a fan of keeping the affiliates as close to the ML team as possible. Missions broadcasts online were a large part of what got me into minor league baseball, so I'm hoping they don't lose them.
Next up, we have a new round of transactions in from
Baseball America. The Cubs have signed Mac Suzuki and the Blue Jays picked up Craig Kuzmic!... but in more current Mariners-related news, it looks like the M's have signed LHP Fabian Williamson, a 22nd-round pick this year, and have released 3B Pablo Orfila and RHP Oliver Arias while trading C Chao Kuan Wu to the Indians for future considerations. Williamson was one of the HS arms I was still hoping for (along with Walden and Nobles, and no, I still don't have any new reports on the latter), as he's a lefty with a live-arm who kind of got lost without a college commitment in the greater competition of California. I had him pegged for a DFE as soon as they hooked him up with a community college down there, but there's nothing wrong with picking him up now. Orfila was a corner IF down in the VSL that never quite hit for as much power as hoped, and Arias was a decent arm who couldn't stay healthy and was most recently seen as a fill-in pitching coach for the T-Rats rather than an actual pitcher. He could return in a similar capacity somewhere, for all I know, but if he thinks his arm can still cut it he'll probably try to find work elsewhere. Wu... well, there were a few guys that I wasn't too sure about spending another work visa on coming into the offseason and Wu was one of them, as he's been one of those weird tweener catchers who can't quite cut it behind the plate and never got the bat going full speed when he was. Through four minor league seasons, he had all of 350 at-bats and had a serious injury where he dislocated his shoulder last season. I liked the potential when he signed, but that was back before we had any real catching depth to speak of and there wasn't really any place for him anymore. Here's to hoping that visa goes to someone good next year.
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Playoff Game Recaps (through 9/17/06)
Inland Empire 3, Lake Elsinore 4 (9/11/06)The bad RHP Cibney Bello (2.25, PO) showed up and allowed one run to score in four innings of work after four hits, six walks, and three Ks. RHP Aaron Trolia (0.00) gave up three hits and a walk while striking out three in the next two and two-thirds, and then LHP David Asher (54.00) walked one before recording the final out of the seventh. To start out the eighth, he walked one batter, and things fell apart from there as RHP Joe Woerman (0.00, BS) walked two in two-thirds of an inning, with a run scoring against Asher and an unearned scoring against Woerman. RHP Ivan Blanco (9.00, L) let that run score, along with the decisive run as he pitched one inning, allowing a hit, a wild pitch, and three walks while striking out one.
2B Luis Valbuena (3B, 2 R, .273) and SS Jeff Dominguez (.333) both had a couple of hits and C Omar Falcon (2B, 2 RBI, .400) added a double.
Inland Empire 9, Lake Elsinore 5 (9/12/06)Gotta love six-run outbursts late in the game. RHP Justin Jordan (4.50) pitched four innings and gave up a couple of runs on three hits, a hit batter, and three walks against a couple of Ks. RHP Juan Done (9.00) put the Sixers in a bigger hole as he gave up solo home runs in each of the next two innings and while striking out two, and RHP Jon Lockwood (9.00, W) also got into trouble, allowing a run to score on a hit, a wild pitch, and two walks in the seventh. RHP Jose de la Cruz (0.00, S) managed to hold on as the runs started to come in, giving up one hit and two walks while striking out two in the final two innings, and that was that.
The ninth inning had three runs of offense as well, but it was really the eighth that put the Sixers over the top in the series…
Inland Empire Top 8th
· Pitcher Change: Matt Varner replaces Manny Ayala.
· Jeffrey Dominguez called out on strikes.
· Luis Valbuena singles on a ground ball to left fielder Adam Bourassa.
· Brent Johnson doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Yordany Ramirez. Luis Valbuena scores.
· Reed Eastley hit by pitch.
· Pitcher Change: Ryan Klatt replaces Matt Varner.
· Johan Limonta doubles (1) on a ground ball to right fielder Josh Howard. Brent Johnson scores. Reed Eastley to 3rd.
· Omar Falcon singles on a line drive to center fielder Yordany Ramirez. Reed Eastley scores. Johan Limonta to 3rd.
· Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Jack Arroyo replaces Omar Falcon.
· Pitcher Change: John Thomas replaces Ryan Klatt.
· Casey Craig out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Yordany Ramirez. Johan Limonta scores.
· Pitcher Change: Neil Jamison replaces John Thomas.
· Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Alex Meneses replaces Ronnie Prettyman.
· With Alex Meneses batting, Jack Arroyo steals (1) 2nd base.
· Alex Meneses reaches on fielding error by shortstop Skip Adams. Jack Arroyo to 3rd.
· Josh Womack singles on a fly ball to center fielder Yordany Ramirez. Jack Arroyo scores. Alex Meneses to 2nd.
· Jeffrey Dominguez singles on a line drive to left fielder Adam Bourassa. Alex Meneses scores. Josh Womack to 2nd.
· Luis Valbuena called out on strikes.
CF Brent Johnson (2B, 2 R, RBI, SB, .333) had three hits while batting second, 1B Johan Limonta (2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, .125), C Omar Falcon (2B, RBI, .429), RF Josh Womack (3 RBI, .200), and SS Jeff Dominguez (RBI, .385) each had two, and LF Casey Craig (R, RBI, .385) had a hit and a walk. Lots of offense.
Inland Empire 13, Visalia 0 (TB)And still, not nearly the thrashing the Sixers gave the Oaks in game one of the championships, and that goes for pitching too. LHP Justin Thomas (0.00) gave up three hits, hit one, handed out three free passes, and punched out seven through seven innings of work to start things out. RHP Ivan Blanco (0.00) struck out one in the eighth and RHP Mumba Rivera (0.00) gave up three hits without letting a run score in the ninth.
This was one of those rare games where every one of the starters had a hit. 1B Johan Limonta (2B, R, 2 RBI, .800) collected four of those, CF Brent Johnson (2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, .500) and 1B Reed Eastley (R, 2 RBI, .600) had three each, SS Jeff Dominguez (2B, R, RBI, .400) had two, and 2B Luis Valbuena (2B, 4 RBI, .250) and LF Josh Womack (2B, R, RBI, .250) both had doubles. On top of all that, Valbuena and 3B Ron Prettyman (R, RBI, PO, .250) both had two walks and Limonta had one.
Inland Empire 5, Visalia 10RHP Andy Baldwin (10.12, L) took his first serious beating, giving up eight runs (six earned) on eleven hits, a hit batter, two walks, and a K in five and a third innings, though LHP David Asher (27.00) let one of those score while walking one in an inning and a third, and RHP Aaron Trolia (6.75) would let Baldwin’s remaining runner, Asher’s walk, and a run of his own score on two hits, a walk, and three Ks in an inning and a third. RHP Juan Done (0.00) gave up a couple of hits in the eighth.
2B Luis Valbuena (3B, 2 R, RBI, SB, E, .444) had three hits in the game, CF Brent Johnson (R, 2 RBI, A, E, .455) had two, and 1B Johan Limonta (RBI, .625) and RF Chris Colton (R, .333) both had a hit and a walk, but the Sixers couldn’t push anything across the plate after the first two innings, and the four errors on the field didn’t help things.
Visalia 1, Inland Empire 0A contrast from the first two games, the offense wasn’t even really present here, though the Storm did get one run on seven hits, three walks, and five strikeouts as RHP Cibney Bello (1.64) pitched the first seven innings. RHP Joe Woerman (0.00) managed to hold it close, giving up one hit and striking out four in the final two, but…
CF Brent Johnson (2B, .400) had two hits, 1B Reed Eastley (.304) had a hit and a walk, and that was about it for the offense.
Visalia 2, Inland Empire 8With their backs against the wall, the pitching and hitting came together and forced a decisive game five. RHP Justin Jordan (1.50) gave up a run on five hits (HR) and walked one through six innings of work, and RHP Aaron Trolia (2.70) turned in two perfect innings and struck out two after that. RHP Jose de la Cruz (9.00) gave up a run on three hits and struck out one in the ninth, but that was as far as the Oaks got.
I’ve liked the six-run innings so much in this year’s playoffs that I think I’m going to highlight another, and reminisce about the old “two outs, so what?” years…
Inland Empire Bottom 5th
· Ronnie Prettyman called out on strikes.
· Chris Colton pops out to catcher Josh Arhart in foul territory.
· Jeffrey Dominguez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Fernando Perez.
· Luis Valbuena singles on a ground ball to left fielder Mark Schleicher. Jeffrey Dominguez to 2nd.
· Brent Johnson singles on a line drive to center fielder Fernando Perez. Jeffrey Dominguez scores. Luis Valbuena to 2nd.
· Johan Limonta homers (1) on a fly ball to right field. Luis Valbuena scores. Brent Johnson scores.
· Pitcher Change: Nick Moran replaces Jonathan Barratt.
· Omar Falcon walks.
· Casey Craig homers (1) on a fly ball to right field. Omar Falcon scores.
· Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Reed Eastley replaces Alex Meneses.
· Reed Eastley flies out to center fielder Fernando Perez.
LF Casey Craig (3B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, .312) had three hits in the game, SS Jeff Dominguez (R, .267) had two, and 1B Johan Limonta (HR, 3 RBI, .375) and C Omar Falcon (HR, 2 R, .067) had home runs. CF Brent Johnson (R, RBI, PO, .471) and Falcon both had two walks to add to their hits and 2B Luis Valbuena (R, .294) had one walk with his one hit.
The decisive game five, tonight, San Bernardino, 7.11 pm PDT, with Mumba Rivera taking the hill.
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Back
I'm back from my vacation.
Over the course of it, I drove 3600 miles in seven days, and that includes one day when my car broke down...
I'll get back to the Cal League Championship recaps once my eyes and brain adjust to processing information that doesn't center around white and yellow lines, and whether they're solid or broken.
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