minor league reporting 2009

that mud hens stadium is awesome

ive been to Dayton & Columbus but never Toledo!

Bacon scented air fresheners are either really awesome or incredibly gross. I can't decide.

i've got tons of fam in toledo so i went to a few mud hens game as a kid - probably haven't been in like 8 or 9 years tho

if I am going to be in toronto from june 19-22 and pasadena/la from june 23-26, are there any particular minor league teams i could check out?

all i can find is http://www.leafsbaseball.com/

cal league--dunno how far you wanna drive but this'd be the closest minor league
http://california.league.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=l110

Bowie Baysox -- an unextraordinary team with an unextraordinary stadium in an unextraordinary location. It's like the generic Minor League stadiums in the MLB video games.

i'm on public transport/relying on friends in CA, so unless there's a team in Pasadena or Downtown->Santa Barbara i'm boned

went to a single A game in greensboro, nc on sunday...was fun but wtf is w/ playing some wacky sound fx after EVERY PITCH? thank u god that does not happen in the northeast

^^^^ never been to SI Yanquis, huh?

can't think of much around T.

the leafs thing sounds lame, i guess there will be about ten people there, but it's easy to get to and there's a game the sunday afternoon i am in town, which is perfect timing. if the weather is good then i will probably go.

the weather was hot hot hot and i went and it was really great. recommend that ball club.

i can report that at pioneer league single A Great Falls everyone stands and recites the pledge of allegiance before singing take me out to the ball game

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2383/boxk.jpg

link

T: 4:10.

i really wd have to get myself thrown outta the park after the Pledge of Allegiance.

Paul DePodesta describes a game that sounds exhausting:

Lake Elsinore opened a three game series last night in High Desert, which is known for some high-scoring contests. Well, after eight innings last night Lake Elsinore was leading 28-14.

Guess how many home runs Elsinore hit in order to score 28 runs... go ahead, guess.

Exactly one. That's right - one homer, 28 runs. So how does a team score 28 runs with just one homer? 27 hits, 13 walks, and five High Desert errors. That is absolutely nuts. If you thought it wouldn't get crazier in the 9th inning, think again. How about this:

Sawyer Carroll - Home Run
James Darnell - Home Run
Matt Clark - Home Run
Felix Carrasco - 6-3
Danny Payne - Home Run

So, we score 28 runs with one homer over eight innings and then hit four homers in a span of five hitters.

I think Jayson Stark would have a field day with this one.

crazy manager vid:

http://blogs.augusta.com/node/3046

to be fair, those four homers in the ninth came against a position player (not nick swisher)

xp

delino deshields is hitting coach for the billings mustangs

today i was watching this episode of the sopranos and one of tony's russian girlfriends' fiance was named BILL and he was out of town because he went to WATCH THE METS SPRING TRAINING!!

RIP

Memphis Top 8th

* Pitcher Change: Armando Benitez replaces Roy Corcoran, batting 9th.
* Tyler Greene pops out to second baseman Jose Vallejo in foul territory.
* Nick Stavinoha flies out to center fielder Yordany Ramirez.
* Troy Glaus homers (2) on a fly ball to left field.
* Allen Craig homers (23) on a fly ball to left field.
* Mark Hamilton homers (6) on a fly ball to left field.
* Daniel Descalso homers (2) on a fly ball to right center field.
* Brandon Yarbrough singles on a line drive to right fielder Matt Kata.
* Josh Kinney strikes out swinging.

* Troy Glaus homers (2) on a fly ball to left field.
*

HAY GUIZE! Saw Nashville @ Round Rock on Saturday -- Sam Houston Bobblehead Night. I got to see Armando Benitez pitch! I recommend Round Rock for all your Austin Baseball needs (outside of UT).

was it under 100 degrees?

yes! and not too rednecky! there is an altar to nolan ryan in the team shoppe

apparently Beltran DH'd in Brooklyn tonight, plays the field tomorrow.

2-4 w a big K in the 8th inning. ugliest crowd we'd ever been to for a game. Cyclones basically shat the bed twice in the late innings w RISP.

as ugly as the Shastaism "shat the bed"?

uglier.

quad-a slugger mike hessman played all nine positions for toledo tonight, struck out four times and took the loss

Giants teen Villalona suspected of murder

SAL FASANO joins Blue Jays as Minor League skipper

BRING BACK ERNIE!

Good for Sal Fasano imo

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2009/12/01/poMdvWv3.jpg

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091201&content_id=7736292&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

former republican senator mike dewine purchases asheville tourists

Any info RE: Tacoma and San Antonio facilities, etc?

kick

Tacoma did a remodel this past offseason. i haven't been down there yet. the stadium's not right downtown. um, jessica simpson's ex-husband is part owner. that's about all i've got

fair enuf. Seattle's not in town the weekend I'm there so my buddy and i are going down why because it interesting

San Antonio vs Northwest Arkansas (?!?!?!) a light hitting affair near an AFB where you had KC-135s landing at regular intervals

tonight salt lake's peter bourjos became the ninth player in the 108-year history of the pacific coast league to hit three triples in one game. (salt lake lost, 13-11 in 10 innings.) the last to do it was mark bellhorn in 2000. one of the other seven was . . . bobby valentine.

Having seen two AA games in my life I think I've noticed that they are rly well PLAYED games and the players are at an interesting place developmentally -- they're all pretty defensively adept, and some of the batters have the ML *sound* when the ball leaves the bat, but not so much power that the ball has more than a punchers' chance of getting out. You still see a lot of guys w/ weird deliveries throwing in the mid-80's though, which is kind of a drag when the hitters can't make contact

On Friday, the Chico Outlaws introduced female knuckle-ball pitcher Eri Yoshida to the media and Chico fans during a news conference at the Chico Sports Club. The 18 year old just arrived in California earlier Friday, and made the drive to Chico from San Francisco. She is just the second female to ever play professional baseball in the U.S. and was the first female to ever be drafted by a professional team in Japan.

Speaking through an interpreter, Yoshida told Action News that she loves the clean air here in Northern California and is excited about pitching for the Outlaws. She said she was inspired to play baseball when she was young, because she was close to her older brother. Earlier this year Yoshida got some tips from fellow knuckleballer Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox. The Outlaws open their season on the road against Tijuana on Friday, May 21. Their home opener is Wednesday, May 26 .

had no idea about this league btw:

+++++++++++++++

Golden Baseball League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the western United States, Canada and Mexico.

The GBL is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the organized Minor League Baseball system, but has featured players with MLB experience (Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco, Alex Arias, Bud Smith, Desi Wilson, Jose Lima, Hideki Irabu, Junior Spivey) as well as many young players that hope to one day reach the majors. It was formed in 2004 and began play on May 26, 2005. The GBL has a drug-testing policy that has the same standards as the Olympics, becoming the first baseball league to do so in North America.[1]

As an independent baseball league, the GBL exists to give professional baseball players who are not currently under contract with a Major or Minor League organization another chance at playing at the professional level. Officials in the baseball industry have stated the GBL level of play to be at the Double-A level.[2] Over 100 players have been sold to MLB organizations since it began play, with four players already making it to a major league uniform – Adam Pettyjohn, Scott Richmond, Chris Jakubauskas, and Sergio Romo*.

+++++++++++++++

*This is the guy who has blown numerous games for SF this season, kudos.

LOL Kevin Mench just got run for flipping his bat in the SYR/TOL Strasburg game

On MLB Network now

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg84/scaled.php?tn=0&server=84&filename=linescore.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

http://imageshack.us/m/715/199/boxf.gif

Lancaster is a goddamn joke. Not even sure why there's a team there when you have 30-40mph gusts of wind at your back turning every hitter into Babe Ruth.

seeing San Jose @ Lake Elsinore in mid-July

myrtle beach and kinston now tied 2-2 in the 22nd -- longest game in carolina league history

kinston has struck out 31 times. one guy is 1-for-10 with six k's

kinston loaded the bases with none out in the 22nd and failed to score lol

ha!

last tuesday the (double-a) southern league all-star game took place in jackson, tennessee. the north division won, 6-3.

for some reason, the awarding of the game's mvp was exclusively the province of one guy -- not sure exactly who; maybe the jackson official scorer? anyway, he fucked up his scorekeeping and awarded the trophy to andy van slyke's son, who was 2-for-4 with a double and an rbi.

somehow no one noticed that a different north player, steffan wilson, was 3-for-4 with a double and two rbis. until the crowd had departed and it was too late, anyway.

minor league baseball

I may have an extra ticket for Sunday's Visalia @ Lake Elsinore game.

both starters have ERAs over six; should be a good one

too bad lake elsinore's best player just got promoted

ps take a drink every time you encounter http://www.seeklogo.com/images/L/Lake_Elsinore_Storm-logo-EFC9B7D757-seeklogo.com.gif

oh, that woulda killed me.

Twilight game, sloppy and endless, lasted about 3:33. Lake Elsinore 15, Visalia 8. Surprisingly good braised chicken burrito.

too bad lake elsinore's best player just got promoted

yeah dammit

so, the Lake County Fielders have been making the wrong kinds of headlines:

http://ballparkdigest.com/201107123991/independent-baseball/news/unpaid-players-revolt-in-lake-county-9-players-traded-14-released

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Fielders-Announcer-Quits-On-Air-125884508.html

the idea of that league is absurd -- can't even imagine what their travel costs are like

promotion of the year?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110721&content_id=22113016&vkey=pr_t235&fext=.jsp&sid=t235

this fucking guy ian gac turns 26 on wednesday.

this is his ninth year of pro ball. he has hit 157 minor league home runs (he leads the carolina league with 30 this year; no one else has more than 18). he's also struck out 1035 times in 838 games and has a career .313 OBP.

he has never gotten out of class a.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiW97eEpMtE

JoseCanseco Jose Canseco
I pulled my team off the field fearing another fight would break out emotions were out of control

JoseCanseco Jose Canseco
chico's downtown bars are as fun as bourbon streets used to be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8BNjd9Hhrg

who is that fatass and how is his separated shoulder doing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQedkZrYaco

Billy Hamilton: 103 steals for Dayton

http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/dayton-dragons/dragons-enter-playoffs-with-best-record-in-team-history-1246923.html

decisive playoff game tonight btwn Brooklyn & Staten Island

total record by all farm teams

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6347/farmstandings.gif

obviously this doesn't mean a whole lot -- winning is better than losing but of secondary importance in the minors, having a couple awesome prospects is better than a team of overachievers, the rays and royals systems are better than these standings would indicate, etc.

but god damn would u look at the aStRoS

the dodgers had alot of talent in a-ball and rookie league this year and some maturing pitching prospects in aa.. albuquerque continues to be a joke.

notice teams like Royals, Rays, O's and Marlins - all teams that are banking on youth movements - are in the bottom 1/2.

Surprised to see the Braves near the bottom. Maybe the player development people are so good at their job they get the young'uns graduated to the bigs before they can help the minor league clubs. (Freeman, Heyward, O'Ventbrel et al)

and as a J's fan i welcome their prospect's inability to raise their respective teams above 500. (to what i posted earlier)

well, there are only so many players that actually matter. it's a lot more important to the future of the braves that julio teheran is awesome than that gwinnett wins something.

the royals' youth movement has pretty much arrived (except for the pitchers, who haven't). hosmer/moustakas/giavotella won their double-a league last year and the royals' triple-a team won the pcl this year even with them gone. they're still waiting on pitchers montgomery and odorizzi and outfielders wil myers and lorenzo cain (who inexplicably hasn't gotten a callup). there's not much at the lower levels and doesn't really need to be since all the positions in kc are taken.

i may have mentioned this before, but the blue jays totally go out of their way to pick up canadian players, all other things being equal.

obviously a lot of minor leaguers are long shots or projects, but the adam loewens tend to end up in the toronto system. he was obviously a top prospect anyway, but i kind of wonder how much that weighed into their trade for lawrie.

aside from the recent Anthopolis years, i don't really think that's been the case.

oh, they don't necessarily pan out such that anyone would notice, but it's still pretty cool.

it's kind of like the dodgers taking mike piazza in the 62nd round as a favor, except with more toques and less bacne

i would believe it for sure with AA - but under Ricciardi... the howler monkeys on the Js message board were always going berzerk that he was overlooking quality Canadian player like Votto etc.

hmmm - maybe you're right - i found a list of Canadian minor leaguers from 2007. the J's were second only to the Brewers with 10.

Showing some preference for Canadian prospects makes sense, I'm not saying you pass up on top prospects to get them, but in terms of future marketability it's a good idea to target Canadian players. Not to mention that every Canadian baseball player probably grew up as a Jays (and Expos) fan and dreamed of playing for the Jays someday, maybe that's a factor too (the benefits of having only one (RIP Expos) MLB team for the entire country).

they also went against the grain of trying to have affiliates closer to home by switching out their new york-penn league team for vancouver. (they got stuck with las vegas at the end of the last triple-a musical chairs.)

i don't understand why someone (i.e. the jays) doesn't put a minor league team -- even a short-season club -- in montreal. there's an nypl team in vermont already, so the travel isn't prohibitive and it wouldn't honestly require much more than a glorified high school field. it's a big city with serious baseball history. baseball needs arrêt-courts.

or is it arrêts-court?

i don't speak spanish.

you guys