Mariner Minors: 12/10/2006

Mariner Minors

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Aggressive Promotion Nets Ms Dubious Title

Interesting little nugget up at Baseball Prospectus today (subscribers only).

Your Seattle Mariners are by far the youngest organization in baseball, according to Clay Davenport's average league age calculations.

Tacoma and San Antonio were the first and third youngest teams (relative to league average) in all of minor league baseball, and every single Ms affiliate (stateside, at least) was below average.

Overall, the system's affiliates averaged out at .85 years younger than league average.

Given their promotion record, this is hardly a surprise. With at least 3 17-year-olds likely to start out in the states next year (Triunfel, Martinez, Phillips), I don't see this changing anytime soon.

posted by JH @ 3:42 PM

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

New Bill Prosposed to Change Minor League Work Visas

Here's something I can get behind with a resounding "WOOT!"

Baseball America is reporting that there is a bill headed to the President's desk that would allow minor leaguers the rights to P-1 visas, which means they would no longer be competing with seasonal farm and resort workers for a limited pool of available H-2B visas.

This could have major impacts for the future of international scouting and academies, the exact ramifications of which I can't quite speculate on just yet, but it should afford international players the same number of chances and opportunities available to domestic players. Good for the overall talent pool, good for players who had previously been shafted by this practice, good for baseball.

posted by Jay Y. @ 2:47 PM

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Winter League Stats (12/10/06)

Arizona Fall League (FINAL)
2B Michael Garciaparra: 19 G, 79 ABs, 13 R, 27 H, 4 2B, HR, 13 RBI, 13/1 K/BB, 2 SB, .342/.388/.430
RHP Craig James: 10 G, 0-0, 3.60 ERA in 10.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R (4 ER), 7/6 K/BB, HB
RHP Stephen Kahn: 9 G, 0-0, 8.64 ERA in 8.1 IP, 14 H, 8 R (8 ER), 7/8 K/BB, HB
LHP Bobby Livingston: 6 G (6 GS), 1-3, 10.45 ERA in 20.2 IP, 37 H (2 HR), 25 R (24 ER), 17/3 K/BB, 4 HB
LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith: 12 G, 0-1, 5.40 ERA in 15.0 IP, 19 H, 10 R (9 ER), 16/8 K/BB, HB
3B Matt Tuiasosopo: 21 G, 78 ABs, 9 R, 13 H, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 22/6 K/BB, .167/.235/.205
RHP Sean White: 0-3, 6.35 ERA in 17.0 IP, 18 H (HR), 15 R (12 ER), 12/11 K/BB
OF Mike Wilson: 20 G, 74 ABs, 10 R, 18 H, 2 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 27/13 K/BB, SB, .243/.356/.419

Asian Games (FINAL)
2B Yung-chi Chen: 5 G, 20 ABs, 5 R, 9 H, 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2/0 K/BB, .450/.450/1.050

Hawaiian Winter League (FINAL)
LHP David Asher: 10 G (5 GS), 1-2, 5.68 ERA in 25.1 IP, 33 H (2 HR), 18 R (16 ER), 23/15 K/BB, 2 HB
OF Sebastien Boucher: 26 G, 84 ABs, 18 R, 15 H, 3 2B, 3 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 24/14 K/BB, 3 SB, 2 CS, 3 HBP, .179/.317/.321
C Jeff Clement: 21 G, 53 ABs, 4 R, 10 H, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 13/0 K/BB, HBP, .189/.191/.321
1B Reed Eastley: 26 G, 86 ABs, 4 R, 19 H, 3 2B, 13 RBI, 20/7 K/BB, 2 HBP, SB, .221/.292/.256
RHP Joe Woerman: 17 G, 3-1, 4.26 ERA in 25.1 IP, 21 H, 12 R (12 ER), 28/18 K/BB, HB, 2 WP

IBAF Intercontinental Cup (FINAL)
IF Yung-chi Chen: 9 G, 36 ABs, 7 R, 17 H, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 3/2 K/BB, SB, 3 HBP, .472/.537/.694
3B Alex Liddi: 9 G, 35 ABs, 4 R, 8 H, 3 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, CS, 9/1 K/BB, .229/.350/.371
OF Kalian Sams: 4 G, 5 ABs, 2 R, 3 H, 3B, 4 RBI, 0/0 K/BB, .600/1.000/.600

Mexican Pacific League
RHP Jorge Campillo: 10 G (10 GS), 3-3, 3.30 ERA in 57.1 IP, 43 H (5 HR), 25 R (21 ER), 52/15 K/BB, 4 WP
1B Bryan LaHair: 19 G, 64 ABs, 11 R, 15 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 16/13 K/BB, CS, .234/.359/.359

Puerto Rican Winter League
SS Jeff Dominguez: 8 G, 6 ABs, 2 H, 2/1 K/BB, .333/.429/.333
IF Erick Monzon: 11 G, 23 ABs, 4 R, 6 H, 2B, 3B, 6/5 K/BB, .261/.393/.391
RHP Mumba Rivera: 6 G (3 GS), 1-1, 5.74 ERA in 15.2 IP, 15 H, 11 R (10 ER), 3/10 K/BB, WP
C Rene Rivera: 14 G, 35 ABs, R, 7 H, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 8/1 K/BB, .200/.216/.286

Venezuelan Winter League
RHP Nibaldo Acosta: 2 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA in 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2/0 K/BB
OF Wladimir Balentien: 32 G, 116 AB, 17 R, 31 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 36/10 K/BB, 2 SB, CS, .267/.323/.560
RHP Yorman Bazardo: 16 G, 2-0, S, 1.44 ERA in 25.0 IP, 15 H, 6 R (4 ER), 15/5 K/BB, 2 WP, HB
RHP Cibney Bello: 3 G, 0-0, 4.15 ERA in 4.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2/4 K/BB, WP
RHP Ivan Blanco: 14 G, 2-1, 3.63 ERA in 22.1 IP, 17 H (2 HR), 16 R (9 ER), 23/12 K/BB, 3 HB, 2 WP
RHP Rich Dorman: 11 G (10 GS), 2-3, 3.21 ERA in 56.0 IP, 54 H (HR), 20 R (20 ER), 51/24 K/BB, 2 HB, 5 WP
LHP Jose Escalona: 7 G, 1-0, 5.40 ERA in 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2/3 K/BB, 3 WP
RHP Emiliano Fruto: 17 G, 2-1, 5 S, 2.70 ERA in 18.2 IP, 18 H, 7 R (5 ER), 23/10 K/BB
IF Jesus Guzman: 10 G, 17 ABs, H, RBI, 8/3 K/BB, CS, .059/.200/.059
LHP Cesar Jimenez: 10 G, 0-1, 0.00 ERA in 9.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R (0 ER), 5/4 K/BB, HB
IF Jose Lopez: 27 G, 106 ABs, 13 R, 31 H, 6 2B, HR, 12 RBI, 10/3 K/BB, 2 HBP, SB, .292/.324/.377
IF Oswaldo Navarro: 24 G, 80 ABs, 7 R, 24 H, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 9/5 K/BB, CS, HBP, .300/.349/.325
1B Jon Nelson: 7 G, 25 ABs, 2 R, 4 H, 2B, 2 RBI, 6/3 K/BB, SB, .160/.276/.200
C Luis Oliveros: 12 G, 29 ABs, 6 R, 7 H, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 4/1 K/BB, .241/.267/.552
C Guillermo Quiroz: 15 G, 38 AB, 5 R, 9 H, 2 2B, HR, RBI, 5/4 K/BB, .237/.326/.368

As you'll notice, I've pulled the Dominican stats from the wrap. Mateo hasn't been pitching, and I don't know that anyone would really care if he was anyway. One less league I have to try to follow. Additionally, we have Sean White in the AFL stats. His groundball rate is nearly three to one, but we're banking a lot on his supposedly increased velocity and that just doesn't usually happen with guys his age.

Yung-chi Chen went on a tear for the rest of the tournament and put up some absurd numbers. In five games, anything can happen, but I'd take it as an encouraging sign. A note related to the tournament, the Thai team was kind of intriguing as most of its players were fairly young, with a few of them around sixteen and seventeen. As an international baseball fan, I think it would be neat if the sport picked up there, but I pity whoever ends up having to stitch a name like Jaroenkitsiriwong on the back of a uniform.
Campillo took a hit in the ERA and the K/BB this week in his two starts.
There's not much I can really say about the Puerto Rican stats other than I really expected that one of these years, Rene Rivera might do something with the bat. Mumba keeps on walking guys at an ugly rate. Monzon didn't get into a game. Dominguez didn't do anything with two at-bats.
Dorman pitched seven innings in his start this week, walking one and striking out eight, which is rather unusual for him (usual would be four walks instead of one). Fruity picked up a save. Bazardo and Blanco are about the same as ever, and Jimenez continued the trend of relievers not giving up hits. Wladdy did two important things this week: take a walk and hit a home run. Unfortunately, those were the only two things he did offensively. Jose Lopez kept pace.

Tune in next week when some of these numbers change ever so slightly.

posted by Jay Y. @ 12:10 PM