6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

• First, of course, today is the last day of the regular season for the short-season rookie teams, Ogden and Orem.
• From today's Ask BA:

  Dodgers lefthander Scott Elbert put up very good stats this season in low Class A. Does he have the makings of a potential ace, and how do his stuff and ceiling project? Also, how does the Dodgers' trio of Class A pitchers Elbert, Blake Johnson and Chuck Tiffany compare to their Double-A trio of Chad Billingsley, Jon Broxton and Justin Orenduff?
  
  Marty Rafter
  Schweinfurt, Germany

  Elbert is a 20-year-old lefty with effortless arm action, a consistent 88-92 mph fastball that tops out at 94 and a slider that can be a plus pitch at times. All that gives him the makings of an ace, though he's a long way from realizing that potential. Johnson has similar stuff, though he's a righthander and lacks stamina at this point. Tiffany, who's a level ahead of those two in high Class A, has average stuff across the board but a lot of moxie to go with it. He projects more as a reliever than Elbert and Johnson do.

  Billingsley and Broxton, already in Double-A at age 21, have better pure stuff than those three and they're also more polished. Billingsley has a lively 92-94 mph fastball and two plus breaking pitches, while Broxton has hit 96-98 mph out of the bullpen and complemented his heat with a good slider. Orenduff doesn't overwhelm hitters like they can, but he advanced to Double-A in his first full pro season thanks to the sink on his 88-92 mph fastball and his ability to locate his pitches.

  Ranking them in order of prospecty goodness, I'd go Billingsley, Broxton, Elbert, Orenduff, Tiffany, Johnson.

• Today's Prospect Pulse gives us this about Dodger outfield prospect Matt Kemp:

  Scouting director Logan White loved Kemp’s raw athleticism when he was drafted in the sixth round in 2003. At the time, Kemp was more advanced as a basketball player.

  The Oklahoma native is starting to get the handle on this baseball thing, though. He batted .288-17-66 last season at low Class A Columbus and got his feet wet with 11 games in the high Class A Florida State League. Returning to the FSL in 2005, he set a Vero Beach franchise record with 27 homers while batting .306, stealing 23 bases in 29 tries and spending the majority of the season playing center field.

  Kemp remains raw. He only marginally improved his walk-strikeout ratio (28-112 last season, 25-92 in 2005), and players have to have above-average hand-eye coordination (read: Jeff Francoeur) to overcome that kind of reckless abandon at the plate at higher levels.

  The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder also feasted at home (.361-22-58 home, .246-5-32 road), but scouts believe his plus tools will play in any stadium. FSL managers agree on Kemp, who played the entire season at age 20.

  “He’s a five-tool player,” Brevard County skipper John Tamargo said. “He can throw, run, steal a base, hit for average, hit for power, he’s a good center fielder. He’s got it all.”

• About Angels pitching prospect Nick Adenhart:

  Angels righthander Nick Adenhart would look good in North Carolina’s power-arm rotation with top 2006 draft prospects Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard, but the former Maryland high school star instead signed with the Angels as a 14th-round pick after having elbow surgery last spring. Recovered from the Tommy John procedure, Adenhart finished his first pro season with a flourish, striking out 17 and walking just two over his final two starts without giving up an earned run. Adenhart pitched six innings to get a victory for Rookie-level Ogden in the Pioneer League in his final regular season start after a promotion from the Rookie-level Arizona League. Overall, he fanned 59 while walking 24 in 50 innings, and was throwing free and easy with a 90-94 mph fastball.

• Update: Dodgers.com reports that the final 2005 edition of USA Today Sports Weekly has ranked the team's farm system first in the National League, and second overall.
• After being booted up to Vero Beach, Travis Denker didn't take long to make a name for himself. In fact, he was named to the Sally League All Star game. For Ogden, 1B David Sutherland and 3B Russell Mitchell made the Pioneer League All Star game.
• I missed this at the time, but in Monday's 51's/Stingers game, Cody Ross hit for the cycle. 2B Delwyn Young had assembled a 17-game hitting streak.

2005-09-08: Salt Lake did not play

Aybar, E: 3-5, 1 2B
Willits, R: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Kendrick, H: 0-3
Napoli, M: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Morales, K: 2-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Weaver: (W, 1-0), 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 9 K, 2 BB, 2 HR, 4.50 ERA

No doubt! The Travs blasted three homers against Tulsa, two by Kendry Morales, to sweep the series and put an exclamation point on it. Jered Weaver held up -- his was a quality start but hardly the best effort he's had, surrendering a pair of home runs. The bullpen of Von Stertzbach, Sean O'Sullivan, and Willie Collazo made it hold up. Kendry Morales and his two homers were responsible for five RBIs; his second shot cleared the right field fence and landed on the freeway. Mike Napoli's three-run shot made him the wingman.

The Travs start the Texas League Championship Series at the home ballpark of the West Division winner; currently, the Midland Rockhounds, the A's AA affiliate, enjoy a 2-1 series lead over San Antonio. Go, Travs!

// posted by Rob @ 10:36 PM link  //  1 comments