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Sunday, July 04, 2004 |
Pickoff Moves
Bored Sportswriter, Baseless Speculation
Bill Shaikin speculates Bud Black might run the Dodgers next year, after Jim Tracy gets the boot. No basis, just enough time on his hands to pump out a column.Silly Yankees, Pitchers Are For Kids
In that same article, Steinbrenner is apparently hopping mad that the Yanks didn't acquire M's starter Freddie Garcia instead of the Chisox. Gee, George, it's awfully hard to do when your farm system is ranked 27th. Not that Cashman isn't trying to get other guys to trade new major league BMWs for their rusted AAA Buicks:"People want to say they don't have anything, but they do," [one major league] general manager said. "The Yankees were every bit as strong as any team we've talked to, but the guys they have aren't at triple A."Certainly, nobody the Yankees would ever use in their own 25-man roster, thus proving there's still one sucker in baseball who thinks the Yanks have something besides twigs and berries in their minors. As to Cashman himself, he realizes suckers willing to fall for his "prospects" are getting fewer:
"We have some guys who are major-league ready, just nothing on the order of what the White Sox were able to give them in this deal."
Baseball America Names Kotchman Top 1B Prospect
Baseball America named Casey Kotchman -- the kid who fizzled earlier this year -- the top first base prospect in the minors right now:Kotchman has been Anaheim's top position prospect since signing out of Seminole (Fla.) High in 2001. While various injuries have hampered his development in recent seasons, Kotchman has stayed healthy this year, and he also proved he could deliver in the big leagues, driving in 14 runs in 96 at-bats for the Angels. He made the jump to the majors from Double-A Arkansas, but is now getting his first taste of Triple-A, where he is hitting .333-2-15 in 66 at-bats. A lefthanded hitter, Kotchman's fluid swing is a classic in the mold of Todd Helton or Will Clark, and he creates explosive contact with the fat part of the bat on a consistent basis. He manages to put himself into good hitter's counts by rarely chasing pitches out of the zone. He still maintains his aggressiveness, however, and attacks the pitch he's looking for. Kotchman is content to hit hard line drives to all fields and is still learning to use his power in game situations. He projects to hit 25 homers a year in the big leagues, and he's also a future Gold Glover, with soft hands and smooth actions around the bag. Kotchman profiles as a prototypical No. 3 hitter who will be among the league leaders in average, doubles and on-base percentage on an annual basis.Excuse me, but twenty five homers a year? Isn't that, like, a little thin for a first baseman? Given the hype associated with the guy and how little he did in his first major league callup, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we got J.T. Snow, Jr. instead.
Jackson's Elbow Trouble "Mild Strain"
Good news for the Dodgers: Edwin Jackson's elbow trouble last night melted after he went back to the dugout. The team says it's a mild elbow strain, and expects him to return to the rotation soon, possibly to make his next scheduled start. He will have a side session on Monday.Miller Out For Season
In the same article, top pitching prospect Greg Miller will probably be shut down for the year, as his shoulder trouble appears to be worse than originally thought. He "isn't close to being ready to pitch", says the Daily News.
Comments:
hell, 25 homers is a heck lot better than Erstad's 1 right now...
mattkew
mattkew
# posted by 
: 7/05/2004 12:51:00 PM
: 7/05/2004 12:51:00 PMNewer› ‹Older
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