This Week In Baseball: 5/12-5/18

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'll let Bored fill in the schedule. I wanted to start this up and post this.

 

How is each team's top prospect doing? Let's start with a look at the National League, we'll hit the A.L. next week.

 

Arizona: Jarrod Parker, RHP. 3-1 with a 1.05 ERA in six starts in low class A. 21 Ks against 4 BBs in 25.2 IP. Great pro start for a polished high school draftee. I am inclined to believe Parker will stay in South Bend, as the Diamondbacks' next highest affiliate plays in one of the most brutal pitching environments in the country.

 

Atlanta: Jordan Schafer, OF. Suspended fifty games for violating MLB's drug policy.

 

Chicago Cubs: Josh Vitters, 3B. Has only appeared in four games for Peoria, bothered by tendonitis and back in extended Spring Training. Vitters is just 18, so there is plenty of time and room for improvement.

 

Cincinnati: Jay Bruce, OF. Hitting .328 in Louisville with a .565 slugging percentage and seven steals in as many tries. Banging on the door to the majors, just waiting for an opportunity.

 

Colorado: Franklin Morales, LHP. Demoted after a putrid start with the Rockies, Morales joined three other pitchers in a no-hit effort just today for Colorado Springs. Control has gone south, as that no-hit effort included six walks in five innings, and Morales walked 17 in 25 MLB innings. Still young, but needs to harness control to succeed further.

 

Florida: Cameron Maybin, OF. Low batting average in the Southern League, but showing plate discipline and power. Definate talent and on track, but not quite ready.

 

Houston: J.R. Towles, C. Made the MLB Astros, but currently just hitting .156, albeit with some pop. Has begun to lose starts to Brad Ausmus.

 

LA Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, LHP. 1.08 ERA in the Southern League, striking out more than a batter an inning, has not allowed a home run and control has developed. Kershaw could wear Dodger blue by the All-Star break.

 

Milwaukee: Matt LaPorta, "LF". .336 batting average with .688 slugging percentage in AA Huntsville. LaPorta has yet to be challenged at every level, he will soon land in Nashville and create a real issue for playing time. With Ryan Braun in left and Prince Fielder at first, the Brewers have no room.

 

NY Mets: Fernando Martinez, OF. Struggling at AA Binghamton, but is still just 19 years old. Will probably end up repeating a level as he has not yet demonstrated pitch recognition at that level.

 

Philadelphia: Carlos Carrasco, RHP. After a shaky stint in AA last year, Carrasco has upped his strikeout rate and cut his walks. Home runs are yet a problem, but Reading is a home run park. On track, but has struggled twice when promoted mid-season previously.

 

Pittsburgh: Andrew McCutchen, OF. .373 OBP in AA for 21 year old. McCutchen is a leadoff hitter in the making, will likely assume that role for the Pirates by the end of the season.

 

St. Louis: Colby Rasmus, OF. Another player making a slow start, Rasmus has hit just .193 in AAA. His plate discipline and power are yet intact, so this is just a blip on the radar.

 

San Diego: Chase Headley, 3B. Hitting well at AAA Portland, Headley is waiting for an opening with the big club. The Padres have worked Headley at left field, but Headley remains while the club inexplicably gives a roster spot to Jody Gerut.

 

San Francisco: Angel Villalona, 1B. Yet to hit at low-A Augusta. Villalona has a great deal of power potential and is just 17 yet. A long way away.

 

Washington: Chris Marrero, 1B. See Rasmus. Playing at High A Potomac, has hit there previously and will advance to Harrisburg or Columbus sooner rather than later.

[Bored 0]

I didn't have any ideas for a "witty" subtitle this week anyways.

 

First interleague games of the year are this weekend.

 

ESPN/FOX/TBS Games to Poison Our Youth

 

MONDAY

Red Sox (Clay Buchholz) at Twins (Livan Hernandez), 7:00/4:00 PM, ESPN

 

WEDNESDAY

Braves (Tom Glavine) at Phillies (Brett Myers), 7:00/4:00 PM, ESPN

 

SATURDAY

Brewers at Red Sox, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

Indians at Reds, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

Dodgers at Angels, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

 

SUNDAY

Brewers at Red Sox, 1:30 PM/10:30 AM, TBS

Mets at Yankees, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

next weeks witty subtitle has to be Marvin tries to get himself killed at yankee stadium or something like that..

 

Oh, and Os get the Red Sox for 2 whole games this week and 2 off days as well before 3 gamees with the Nats (I hate that nickname..ugh). I dont get the 2 off days in a week at all.

 

 

[Guest College Party]

I witnessed a string of posts in last week's thread that merits this week's subtitle being "my favorite team won a baseball game today" again.

 

And I like the nasty Nats! Better than the Senators.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Shocked and stunned the Yanks/Mets isn't on Fox Saturday. Is this the first time that's ever happened?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Shocked and stunned the Yanks/Mets isn't on Fox Saturday. Is this the first time that's ever happened?

 

Yeah, kind of weird. Maybe the Red Sox take priority over the Yankees at this point?

 

Neat idea for an opening post in this thread, too.

[Guest College Party]

Hammersmith Gagne is out

Ned Yost said it might be as many as three pitchers in the ninth inning if the opposing team's lineup dictates such moves.

I am so smart. I am so smart. S-M-R-T.

 

 

"Toby Hall, aka T-Dog, started it, and Bobby Jenks and myself started a fake salon called the Dirty Cat Salon," Swisher said.

T-Dog?

[sfaJack 0]

Hey Czech, is there any buzz in Chicago about the Cubs being interested in bringing in Edmonds and demoting Pie? I saw that on SI this morning and threw up in my mouth.

[Guest Desensitized]

Not that I've seen, no. My guess is that most fans are totally opposed to it, given that not only is Jim Edmonds playing so poorly as to be released by last-place San Diego, he's also the most reviled Cardinal of recent vintage. At least Albert Pujols is really good and (ugh) on a lot of people's fantasy teams. Edmonds is just a histrionic asshole.

 

Is there a specific reason why everyone says Jim Edmonds is gay? I just sort of picked it up in progress because I don't like him.

 

EDIT: The Trib says they're interested. Oh, fuck.

New face coming?

Could the Cubs be interested in signing center fielder Jim Edmonds, just released by the Padres after hitting .178 and struggling in the field? They are exploring the possibility, according to some in the know.

 

Manager Lou Piniella long has desired another left-handed bat to go with Kosuke Fukudome. Felix Pie has been unreliable. Signing Edmonds could allow the Cubs to send Pie to Triple-A Iowa for steady work.

 

Asked about the possibility of a left-handed bat being added, Piniella said, "We'll just have to see what happens."

Oh, I remember now:

[Guest Desensitized]

haha, that picture is captioned by my sig

[Brett Favre 0]

How can you pass up on an outfield of Jim Edmonds and Fuck You Do Me?

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Why do they hate Felix Pie so damn much?

[Mik 0]

I just feel really bad for him with that whole twisted testicle mess. That sounds like a worst nightmare come to life.

[sfaJack 0]

Why do they hate Felix Pie so damn much?

Maybe Lou can't figure out whether to call him "Pee-ay", "Pie", or "Pee-uh" and this is his way of handling it.

[treble 0]

Take away a 3-run 9th inning comeback against Tampa on Thursday (which meant nothing, as they lost anyway), and the Jays have scored 1 run in the last 4 games. 1 run in the first 3 games against Cleveland.

[CanadianChris 0]

I'm shocked that Wilkerson and Mench haven't turned this team around.

 

I just checked to see if firejpricciardi.com is taken. It is.

[treble 0]

Of course. The Jays get 2 on, no one out... and promptly line into an unassisted triple play. What the fuck.

[devo 0]

The SNY announce team were just now discussing stolen bases. I didn't realize this until they mentioned that Bourn was leading the league while hitting under .200, but the guy's got seventeen stolen bases and has been on base just thirty-nine times. That's...insane. I wonder what the record for something like that is (highest stolen base to on-base ratio).

[Fartsauce 0]

This is going to be the season from hell for the Blue Jays. I say fuck it and rebuild.

[devo 0]

Nelson Figueroa needs to be shut down post haste. I appreciate the patch job he's done, but...well, just look at his starts.

 

IP H R ER BB

 

6.0 2 2 2 2

7.0 3 2 2 2

5.0 7 3 3 5

5.1 7 3 3 3

3.1 5 1 1 2

5.0 5 6 4 5 (tonight)

 

Pretty much just getting progressively worse from start to start. I gotta think that the league's just on to him at this point. Even though the alternative is choosing from a bevy of unimpressive minor leaguers and Tony Armas Jr., I have to think it's almost guaranteed at this point that any future Figueroa starts will be awful.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The SNY announce team were just now discussing stolen bases. I didn't realize this until they mentioned that Bourn was leading the league while hitting under .200, but the guy's got seventeen stolen bases and has been on base just thirty-nine times. That's...insane. I wonder what the record for something like that is (highest stolen base to on-base ratio).

I was surprised that Bourn isn't quite near the record. The highest percentage I found was Vince Coleman in 1986. Coleman reached base I estimate 209 times. He stole 107 bases, meaning he stole over half the time. My personal favorite season is Tim Raines, 1981. Raines stole 71 bases in 88 games, a pace equal to Rickey Henderson's record breaking season. The runners with 90+ steals tend to have a ratio between .45 and .52.

[Guest Desensitized]

Check Baseball Tonight to see if they show the San Diego Padres failing at life, specifically Adrian Gonzalez.

[Vampiro69 0]

The Minnesota Twins take 3 of 4 from the Red Sox.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

It's amazing how putrid they look. That three-run play on what could've been a groundout is the type of play I have grown accustomed to seeing the Cubbies execute on the regular.

 

I think it's worth noting the Cubs are 15 walks away from hitting the halfway mark of the total number of free passes they received in 2006. They won't keep up the torrid pace of drawing walks, but if it's anything close, they shouldn't experience too many offensive droughts this season. This is easily the best Cubs offense I've seen in the 15 seasons I've followed them.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Ryan Braun with another two home run game tonight. I believe it was four home runs in six at bats.

[Guest Desensitized]

They didn't show it.

 

Ramirez beat the force at third, then Kouzmanoff threw to first, but Gonzalez thought the inning was over and left first base wide open, where the ball rolled past first and to the tarp, allowing three runs. That is a Cubs play.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

The Giants are about to lose again, but Zito won't take the loss, since the deficit's on the bullpen's collective head. That's no fun.

[Guest Desensitized]

Sounds like tomorrow is the day.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

By beating the Yanks last night, the Rays are now 6 games over .500 for the first time in their illustrious 11 year history.

 

Matt Garza pitched well. That was a very good trade for Tampa.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Fucking stupid. What sense does it make to sign a guy that the worst team in baseball had no use for? Despite all the good, this organization is still the drizzling shits when it comes to developing young talent. In the rare instance they draft someone worth a damn, you can bet their development will be seriously compromised in some fashion by the Cubs.