Al's Minor League Baseball Thread

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I have a part time gig going to Red Barons games and scoring them for an independant company. As a result, I have attended quite a few live games, 18 to be exact. In addition, I have attended games in Binghamton, NY and Sussux County, NJ. I've stated it many times before, but it is worth repeating. If you think Major League Baseball is too costly and unexciting, check out a minor league game. Ticket prices are usually less than $10, parking fees are not outragious, and while concessions are marked up, they are still affordable. Best of all, you can walk up and get tickets much closer to the action.

 

Each time I see a prospect listed in John Sickels' Minor League Prospect Guide, I highlight his name. Here are the talents I have seen so far this season. Players not listed but otherwise of interest are in italics.

 

ATLANTA

P Kevin Barry

P Kyle Davies

OF Kelly Johnson

3B Andy Marte

OF Bill McCarthy

C Brayan Pena

SS Tony Pena Jr.

 

BOSTON

P Abe Alvarez

P Tim Bausher

C Kelly Shoppach

 

CHICAGO (A)

OF Brian Anderson

P Jeff Bajenaru

P Arnie Munoz

 

CINCINNATI

3B Edwin Encarnacion

C Dane Sardinha

OF Steve Smitherton

P Joe Valentine

 

CLEVELAND

P Andrew Brown

P Dan Denham

OF Ben Francisco

1B Ryan Garko

3B Jake Gautreau

C Javi Herrera

SS Brandon Pinckney

SS Brandon Phillips

OF Ryan Ludwick

1B Jeff Liefer

 

DETROIT

OF Curtis Granderson

P Ryan Raburn

1B Carlos Pena

 

MINNESOTA

1B Garrett Jones

OF Kevin West

 

NEW YORK (N)

3B Aarom Balderis

P Brian Bannister

1B Craig Brazell

SS Anderson Hernandez

2B Jeff Keppinger

OF Wayne Lydon

P Blake McGinley

OF Angel Pagan

P Royce Ring

P Jae Seo

1B Brian Daubach

 

NEW YORK (A)

P Colter Bean

P Alex Graman

1B Andy Phillips

P Wayne Franklin

P Scott Proctor

 

PHILADELPHIA

P Eude Brito

C John Castellano

P Gavin Floyd

1B Ryan Howard

P Franklin Perez

C Carlos Ruiz

P Vicente Padilla

P Terry Adams

P Geoff Geary

 

PITTSBURGH

OF Chris Duffy

P Zach Duke

OF Nate McLouth

C Ronny Paulino

P Ian Snell

3B Ty Wigginton

1B Graham Koonce

 

ST. LOUIS

C Brandon Yarbrough

 

TAMPA BAY

OF Joey Gathright

OF Jonny Gomes

1B Eric Munson

SS B.J. Upton

 

TORONTO

1B Eric Crozier

OF John-Ford Griffin

OF Gabe Gross

P Francisco Rosario

 

Having been to one park each from the Majors, AAA, AA and Single A, the differences are readily apparent. Promotions are much more widespread the further down the minors you travel. The Single A New Jersey Cardinals featured an on-field promotion nearly every half inning. Players are more accessable in the low minors. The NJ Cardinals actually stationed a player at the information booth to meet fans and sign autographs, and I understand the Williamsport Crosscutters and other teams in the NY-Penn League do the same.

[Cartman 0]

It might be a bit too far away for you, but try to make a trip here to Pawtucket sometime. Great little stadium and box seats are 9 bucks.

 

The best part about living walking distance from a AAA stadium is when you find out a player from the Majors is going to be there it's very convinient to go see them play. I'm dying for Hanley Ramirez to get called up to Pawtucket eventually to. I wanna see if this kid is the real thing.

 

In other news there is an outside possibility that AA pitching prospect John Papelbon could be called to Boston tonight to start in place of David Wells.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

It might be a bit too far away for you, but try to make a trip here to Pawtucket sometime. Great little stadium and box seats are 9 bucks.

 

About 5 hours. Box seats at Scranton are just $9 as well. The nice thing about my area is that while the nearest park is half an hour away, there are a ton of stadiums within a one or two hour drive. I've got the New Jersey Cardinals, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, Reading Phillies, Harrisburg Senators, Williamsport Crosscutters, Camden Riversharks, Somerset Patriots, Trenton Thunder and Binghamton Mets all within range. That doesn't count the New York City area parks. Syracuse is the next closest AAA park though, and that's a nearly three hour drive.

 

The nice thing about being a Phillies fan is that most of the teams are close together. Citizens Bank Park is a two hour drive. Scranton is half an hour. I can reach AA Reading in an hour and a half. The Single A Lakewood club is two and a half hours. Single A Batavia is five hours, but they play teams much closer.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

This is a good place to drop this link...

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/travel/

 

Enter your zip code and find nearby clubs you never knew existed.

[Vern Gagne 0]

You need to checkout Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker for the Rochester Red Wings.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

You need to checkout Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker for the Rochester Red Wings.

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Neither played when Rochester came around. I'll likely see the club once or twice again, and I'll see if either of them appear.

[King Kamala 0]

I'm attending the Double A all star game, I'm really looking forward to that. Should be a load of fun. I hope to get some autographs from some top prospects. I already got Hanley Ramirez's signature.

[MrRant 0]

Around here the short season A team for the M's (Everett AquaSox) are right down the street more or less.

 

Then 20 minutes south are the Mariners of course, and then 45 minutes south of me are the AAA Tacoma Rainers.

 

I've got tickets to all the Saturday night AquaSox games and hope I can make them all this year. $70 bucks isn't that bad a price for 7 games in box seats.

[Vern Gagne 0]

You need to checkout Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker for the Rochester Red Wings.

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Neither played when Rochester came around. I'll likely see the club once or twice again, and I'll see if either of them appear.

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Well Baker was called up to start Tuesday against Los Angeles.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think Baker was called up last time too.

[UZI Suicide 0]

I'll be in Florida in a couple of weeks and hopefully I'll get to catch a couple of Jacksonville Suns games, and see what is, IMO, the best infield in the Minors with Andy LaRoche, Joel Guzman, James Loney and Delwyn Young.

[Guest Brian]

Then 20 minutes south are the Mariners of course, and then 45 minutes south of me are the AAA Tacoma Rainers.

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How fast do you fucking drive

[MrRant 0]

70. I just happen to miss traffic

[Dr. Tom 0]

The Aberdeen Ironbirds play at beautiful Ripken Stadium, which is a great place to take in a game. It's a little farther for me now since I no longer live in Aberdeen, but it's still a short drive, very close to I-95, and definitely worth it.