Saturday, June 03, 2006 |
Minor League Scorebook
News
- In Thursday's game, Curtis Pride collected his career 1,200th minor league hit. "I'd rather have 1,200 in the big leagues," he said. "I love the game too much to walk away. As long as I keep producing, I'd like to play another couple years." Howie Kendrick also played third base.
- The June draft is coming up, and here's what Kevin Goldstein thinks of the Dodgers:
And about the Angels:Scouting Director: Logan White. White has had the job since 2002, and the amount of talent he's added to the system borders on ridiculous. He's quickly become one of the most highly regarded minds in the business, and it's notable that when Paul DePodesta was hired as GM, he still let Logan run the draft his way. White prefers high school players and prefers tools, and the only real black eye on his record is last year's Luke Hochevar nightmare.
What The System Needs: With Russ Martin up, the system has very little to offer in catching. With Matt Kemp up, the system has very little to offer in center fielders. When Chad Billingsley comes up, the system will be surprisingly thin in right handed starters. Still, when your system has holes to fill because you graduated prospects to the big league club, that's a good problem.
What They'll Do On Tuesday: Drafting seventh overall, the Dodgers are once again eyeing high school arms, with their favorite being Texas lefthander Clayton Kershaw. With the Tigers picking sixth and also eyeing Kershaw, it's hard to figure the Dodgers' backup plan, though hard throwing righthander Jeremy Jeffress seems like a perfect fit.
Scouting Director: Eddie Bane. Bane is one of the top pitchers in college baseball history, going 40-4 with a 1.64 ERA in three years at Arizona State. The 11th overall pick in the 1973 draft, Bane made his pro debut at the big league level, but finished his 44-game big league career with a career ERA of 4.66. After his playing days, he spent 11 years working for the Dodgers as a pitching coach, scout and crosschecker before spending five years as an assistant GM in Tampa Bay. He was hired by the Angels as their scouting director in 2004. Bane's drafts have combined guts and inventiveness and he's one of the main reasons the Angels system is so strong.
What The System Needs: Outfielders, particularly power-hitting ones. A few more lefties wouldn't hurt either, but you can say that about nearly any organization.
What They'll Do On Tuesday: The Angels lost the 26th pick for signing Jeff Weaver, but gained the 25th selection for losing Paul Byrd. It's an ideal slot for a high-ceiling high school talent, and that pick will carry the weight of this draft, as the team doesn't select again until pick No. 102. The only thing is, you know at some point an interesting name could still come up for them, and Bane won't be afraid to take that risk.
- Of course, in passing I note Jered Weaver's second excellent game, and about which, more presently.
- The Dodgers beatdown of Phillies pitcher Gavin Floyd caused the Phils to send him down to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
- Former Dodger Chad Kreuter has accepted the position of head coach of the USC baseball team, and has resigned as manager of the Modesto Nuts. Glenallen Hill will take his place as manager at Modesto. Kreuter is the son-in-law of outgoing coach Mike Gillespie, who is retiring. Gillespie had coached the Trojans since the resignation of the great Rod Dedeaux.
Chad Kreuter
Since taking over for the legendary Rod Dedeaux in 1987, Gillespie posted a 763-471-2 (.618) record at USC. His teams won five Pac-10 titles and advanced to the College World Series four times (including being runner-up in 1995 in addition to the 1998 championship season). He was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year four times and was the National Coach of the Year in 1998. He produced 44 All-Americans, 16 Freshmen All-Americans, 67 All-Pac-10 first teamers (including 10 league Players/Pitchers of the Year), 94 draft picks and 25 major leaguers (including 11 All-Stars and a Cy Young Award winner). He was the head coach of the 2000 USA National team.
In other words, those are some big shoes to fill. Good luck, Chad, unless you're playing the Dirtbags.
Scores
Izturis: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
Kendrick, H: 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 K
Gorneault: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Mathis, J: 1-4
Eylward: 0-4
Heaverlo: (L, 0-2), 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 K, 5 BB, 5.00 ERA
Bulger: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 4.30 ERA
Both Izturis brothers are in rehab stints, and both Weaver brothers are in the Show this week, so the world has a wonderfully symmetric feel to it. Jeff Heaverlo's no replacement for Jered Weaver, though he actually pitched fairly well. Nonetheless, I can only imagine that his former teammates were very pleased to see him from the batter's box, instead of behind him.
Wood: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K
Smith, J: (L, 3-6), 6.1 IP, 6 ER, 10 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 2 HR, 4.86 ERA
Arkansas' woes continued, with Jesse Smith getting pelted yet again. Brandon Wood homered to bring in the only run of the game, a 450 foot shot onto the roof of the National Guard armory, possibly the longest ever hit in the Travs' six-year affiliation with the Angels.
Rodriguez, S: 0-2, 1 K
Erstad: 0-3, 1 BB
Collins: 0-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Lopez: 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Posey: (W, 2-5), 7.1 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 4 K, 3 BB, 4.55 ERA
Jepsen: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 3.38 ERA
Micah Posey gives up seven hits, three walks, strikes out only four over seven, and gets... a shutout win? The world turned upside down! Another matchup of Mariners and Angels minor leaguers, Darin Erstad made a productive out that led to the game winner, driven in by Michael Collins.
Trumbo: 1-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Renz: 1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
Morris: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Mendoza: (W, 3-5), 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 4.85 ERA
A brilliant game — and one seemingly a long time coming — for Tommy Mendoza. Jordan Renz got his eleventh homer (so many?); he trails league leader Randy Roth of Quad Cities by one. Dallas Morris also posted a solo homer. Hainley Statia drove in the first of the Kernels' four runs, all of which were scored in the first inning.
Valdez: 2-5
Loney: 2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Young, D: 2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
Riggs: 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
Robles: 1-5
Duncan: 1-2, 2 BB, 1 K
Juarez: (L, 4-5), 0.2 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, 1 K, 5 BB, 4.08 ERA
Hull: 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 1 H, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 HR, 2.00 ERA
Osoria: 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 4.50 ERA
Wunsch: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA
Maicer outdid Cesar today, and the River Cats pounced on starter William Juarez for four runs, chasing him in the first after making only two outs. Delwyn Young homered and drove in a pair, while Kelly Wunsch continued his scoreless innings streak. Franquelis Osoria lowered his ERA with three scoreless innings. Jason Windsor got the win for the RiverCats, and in so doing became the first minor league pitcher to nine wins.
Brazell: 2-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
LaRoche: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Ruggiano, J: 1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Abreu: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 K
Cresse: 1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Raglani: 1-2
Nall: (W, 2-2), 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 6 K, 3 BB, 1 HR, 3.89 ERA
New recruit Ben Kozlowski pitched a scoreless seventh with a strikeout as the Suns cruised by Mobile. The last-place BayBears mounted a ninth-inning rally on a walk and a homer, but Justin Simmons quickly restored order.
Dewitt: 0-3, 1 RBI
Dunlap: 1-4, 1 K
Denker, T: 0-3, 1 BB
Figueroa: (L, 0-1), 2.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 2 K, 6 BB, 1 HR, 19.29 ERA
Hammes: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 5.19 ERA
I can't think of Clearwater, Florida without thinking of that town's connection to an unseemly and deeply corrupt cult, but I somehow doubt the followers of Elron Hubbard had anything to do with this loss; only lousy pitching explains that.
Locke: 2-4, 1 2B
Sutherland: 2-4
May: 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
Carter, B: 2-4, 2 2B, 1 RBI
McDonald: (L, 1-3), 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 K, 2 BB, 4.20 ERA
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