colbyjack

I'm a little late getting to the updates of players currently playing for teams in the Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican and Venezuelan leagues. MLB.com has a handy-dandy page in which you can access the stats of all of the Brewers farmhands that are currently participating in these leagues, as well as those playing in the AFL and the HWB: http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=mil Here's the list of players by league and team. Click on the links below each league name to check out the day's league scoreboard if you care to follow the daily success of the players. Dominican League http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...&sid=l131&lid=131 Joe Bateman - Azucareros Ozzie Chavez - Azucareros Sam Narron - Azucareros Brad Nelson - Gigantes Rafael LLuberes - Gigantes Juan Sandoval - Licey Mexican League http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...2&t=l_sco&lid=132 Erasmo Ramirez - Guasave Chris Narveson - Hermosillo Casey McGehee - Culiacan Venezuelan League http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...&sid=l135&lid=135 Luis Pena - La Guaira Alcides Escobar - Lara Hernan Iribarren - Lara Jay Gibbons - Magallanes Tony Gwynn - Magallanes Brendan Katin - Zulia ------------------------------------------------- Similar to the AFL and HWB participants, the numbers so far represent a really small sample, but among the hitters, Iribarren and Nelson are off to nice starts, although Nelson doesn't appear to be starting. Iribarren is playing CF and leading off for Lara on an everyday basis, with Escobar (whose bat has started to turn around after starting slow) batting behind him in the 2-hole. With a left-handed bat some speed and defensive versatility, Iribarren is a name that doesn't often get brought up as a possibility to make the Brewers 25-man roster out of spring training. Narveson has 14 Ks in his first 10 innings of work.

Schafer went 0-5 last night with a K. The league is off today.

No, I don't think the comp picks come into play at all determining who is among the top 15 teams and who are among the bottom. That is why the picks are listed as 9a, 20a and 28a, as you can't count the Nationals twice just because they're twice as bad as most teams http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. I know you were keeping your fingers crossed that the Dodgers could sign a Type A FA without losing their first-round pick. As for the Mariners and the possibility of signing Joshua Fields as it pertains to draft pick compensation, I guess I have assumed all along that he will eventually signed. That of course could change with Jack Z. taking over the Ms, but I still think they manage to make that signing happen. The two sides aren't that far apart, and Fields would be wise to take the money and start his professional career. He's not exactly a spring chicken when it comes to draft eligible players.

Man, if that story doesn't get a lot of fans around here about Zduriencik's possible replacement, I don't know what will. Thanks for sharing!

He is not a sexy name that will boost excitement, sell tickets, or have credibility. I can't argue against the credibility point, but what manager is going to boost excitement much less sell tickets? As for excitement, there are always going to be critics no matter who is hired, and there's only one thing that sells more tickets: Winning. Fortunately the Brewers did a lot of that this past year and should enjoy their most successful season ticket haul this offseason because of it. Who is calling the shots won't play a part of that. Joe Torre is the best, recent example of a manager who went from being loathed by the team he once managed (the Cardinals) to being adored by New York, and because of that, the world. As for Davey Johnson, it should be pointed out that he lost his job with the Reds and Orioles due to his inability to get along with the team's owners, Marge Schott and Peter Angelos. Plus, I really dig the fact that he's been managing the US team the past several years, managing young players, journeyman and castoffs against a variety of international talent and overall style of play. I agree that Macha would seem to make the favorite. Melvin clearly is loyal to the players and overall baseball people he is tight with and has familiarity with.

Scarpetta replaced Mike Ramlow: CaneFires starter Cody Scarpetta (0-1) yielded four runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts over three innings in his HWB debut. He replaced fellow Brewers Minor' Leaguer Mike Ramlow on the roster. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...ws_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

The Javelinas exploded for 16 runs today, with Lou Palmisano being the only Brewers hitter to be a part of the fun today. He went 1-4 with a 2-run double in the 4th inning, a run scored and a pair of walks. Alexandre Periard and Brae Wright pitched well today, and neither allowed a run or a hit. Periard went 1.1 innings in relief of starter Wade Townsend, striking out a batter, while Wright pitched the 7th, striking out a pair. 11 of Periard's 13 pitches went for strikes; 7 of Wright's 8 pitches found the zone, as neither has given up an earned run so far this fall. Periard did a particularly good job getting out of a jam with 2 inherited runners aboard in the 4th. Periard so far: 4 games, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 7 K, 3 BB, 0.00 ERA Wright so far: 5 games, 5.1 IP, 2 H, 6 K, 2 BB, 0.00 ERA http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_22_perwin_pddwin_1

Jack definitely deserves this opportunity, congrats to him. Jack Z. had two of his crosscheckers get hired as scouting directors in the past few years - Bobby Heck for the Astros in '07 and Tom Allison for the Dbacks in '06. He's taught his guys well. I'd be surprised if the new scouting director didn't come from within the organization. The assistant scouting director is Tony Blengino - he's been on the fast track up the scouting world recently, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's him. It might well be Tom Flanagan also - he was assistant scouting director from 2000-2005, and is now in charge of administration of the minor league operations and scouting operations. All great points Toby. I pointed out a few pages ago (or maybe in a different thread) I think in a similar response to a similar point you brought up that one of Zduriencik's greatest assests was not only recognizing talent on the baseball field, but recognizing good scouting talent as well, as evidenced by the departures of Allison and Heck. It seems as though Blengino was being groomed for this job ever since they bumped him up from area scout to a front office exec. serving as Jack's right-hand man. If not Blengino, one of the crosscheckers could be up for a bump, but I'm guessing they promote from within, in hopes that the success can be continued through the processes and discpline that Jack Z. hopefully impressed onto all that worked for him.

It turns out Green was hit in the face by a pitch which broke his nose, per his AFL blog: http://aflbrewers.mlblogs.com/ Hopefully agent39 will pass along our best wishes to Green, as we hope he's alright.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/ccsabathia08428309gg.jpg Baseball America has announced today that C.C. Sabathia has received their 2008 Major League Player of the Year award. This link is for all to read: LINK This link is for subscribers only (from Haudricourt, BA's Brewers correspondent, so it may show up in the JS sometime soon): LINK

It didn't take long for Cody Scarpetta to make his HWB debut, as he pitched this evening, an earlier game for this league. Here's his line: 3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 K, 1 BB The line isn't pretty, but all four runs he gave up came in his first inning of work, and for prospect followers out there, here are the first six batters he faced: Tony Thomas, Buster Posey, Yonder Alonso, Todd Frazier, Roger Kieschnick, Austin Romine. Yowzers, that's a college all-american team right there. The first five batters reached, and unfortunately he hit the sixth, Austin Romine, who was removed from the game, so hopefully there's nothing serious there, as the timing of the HBP (it followed a bases clearing double by Kieschnick) can't leave good feelings among the players/teams. Scarpetta did manage to strike out the remaining three batters in the inning, and faced the minimum the rest of the way, getting a chance to redeem himself against a mighty tough Waikiki lineup his second time through. Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl each went 1-3 with a walk. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_21_wocwin_waiwin_1

I was a little surprised when I heard Melvin say the same thing about Gamel/Escobar, but I'm not buying it. Sure, if the '09 season opened today I could imagine one of them being in the lineup, but there's a lot of time between now and opening day, and the team clearly is making moves knowing that it is coming off of its first postseason appearance in 26 years. Melvin made comments about being hesitant to place a rookie in the lineup a year ago and dealing with the growing pains for a ballclub with big expectations (I think in reference to Gwynn, although that may have been Melvin-speak for "Gwynn sucks"). You would think expectations now are even greater moving forward, which you have to believe is a big reason the team is intent on finding a manager with big-league experience/success. Unless the team re-signs Sabathia or does something even crazier financially, I think the team will pursue every avenue possible before ending up with either Gamel or Escobar in the everyday lineup. Although I must say that I agree with him in that the available options right now aren't that promising. However, it brings up a very interesting question: If you had to choose the left-side of the infield for 2009, would you take Escobar and Hardy at SS/3B and deal with Escobar's growing pains at the plate, or go with Hardy/Gamel and deal with Gamel's growing pains in the field? I go Escobar/Hardy. D-Fence!

The Yankees would not lose the first-rounder they gained from not signing Gerrit Cole. Compensation picks do not exchange hands. The Yankees would lose their first-rounder to the team that held the higher ranked free agent, which would be the Brewers and Sabathia (I don't think any free agent projected to have a higher Elias ranking than Sabathia's projected number), and they would lose their 2nd rounder to the Angels. Their second pick is not protected in any way.

The Brewers in both the HWB and AFL haven't been big storylines this fall, so this one is refreshing to see. No HWB games scheduled this evening. http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/10/19/dA5w3gZg.jpg http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...ws_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Schafer, Hatcher hammer Honu Brewers prospect Logan Schafer drove in four runs and missed the cycle by a triple Sunday as the West Oahu CaneFires beat the North Shore Honu, 7-1, to complete a three-game sweep. Schafer, mired in an 0-for-16 slump, went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the second inning off Jose Capellan (Red Sox), an RBI single in the fourth and a run-scoring double in the fifth. The 22-year-old left fielder has a homer and eight RBIs in 14 Hawaii Winter Baseball games. Hitless in his previous six games, Schafer raised his average 55 points to .209. Orioles catching prospect Wally Crancer hit a solo homer in the fifth and Chris Hatcher (Marlins) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored for the CaneFires (11-8). Hatcher, who spent the regular season with Class A Advanced Jupiter, has eight hits, including a pair of homers, and four RBIs in his last four games. Baltimore farmhand Chris Salberg (1-0) struck out three and held the Honu to one run on two hits and a walk over four innings for the win. Capellan (0-1) surrendered five runs on six hits and a walk over three frames. Kyle Martin (Royals) and Korean catcher Sung Woo Jang each drove in two runs for North Shore (6-13). Kenji Sato of Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines, went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Per Bill Mitchell, BA's AFL correspondent: Lorenzo Cain (Brewers) made possibly the best catch of the fall in the Friday night game between the Scorpions and Javelinas at Scottsdale Stadium. The Javelina leftfielder ranged deep into the left field corner to make a running catch of a foul fly off the bat of left-handed hitting Ben Copeland (Giants). Cain's defensive gem was the topic of conversation the next morning on the bench of the Brewers' instructional league team before their final game of the year. Well, we know the Brewers instructional camp is over, wrapping up last Tuesday the 14th. We usually don't hear much about the players in attendance, but the past couple of years we have heard a couple of tidbits about the players that stood out the most. I'm guessing if Cody Scarpetta got bumped up to the HWB as Mass noted on the HWB thread, that he continued to impress. So far, no Brewers have made an appearance in today's Peoria/Peoria matchup, which is scoreless in the fifth. EDIT: David Welch makes the lone Brewers appearance today in Arizona, tossing 1.1 innings giving up 1 hit and 1 ER. He retired 4 straight batters before giving up a 2-run double in the 7th. He was taken out of the game after that point, but that runner still ended up scoring, thus the earned run.

Logan Schafer had a huge day for West Oahu, going 3-4 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI. He hit a 2-run HR in the 2nd inning, an RBI single in the 4th and an RBI double in the 5th. Caleb Gindl was bumped up to the 2-hole, and while he went 0-3 with 2 Ks, he did draw a pair of walks and stole a base. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_19_nshwin_wocwin_1

I don't think so, since Braun and Hart have adjusted so well to the OF, and Hardy has been rock solid throughout his career. Fielder is the only player you can really label as all-hit/no defense. IMO, it doesn't matter where you draft them (since Gorman Thomas and Gary Sheffield were originally drafted as shortstops), it's where they end up.

The AFL was off today.

Jack Z. is responsible for two of the Brewers starting pitchers, Gallardo and Parra, and one of the pitchers in the bullpen, Stetter. That's not a bad number at all for players procured completely internally, as the Rays have the same amount of pitchers on their roster that were originally drafted by the club, while the Red Sox and Phillies each have four. And I don't think it's fair to say that Jack Z. just brings in one type of player. The all-hit/no defense point can be blamed on the entire organization possibly more than Jack, since it took the team a year (at least) longer than it should have to realize Ryan Braun belonged in the OF. They tinkered with Hart in the minors at both 3B and 1B before moving him to the OF, and they considered drafting Weeks as a CF when they originally took him back in 2003, a position that he may be better off playing. Hardy of course is sound, as are Braun and Hart now that they are the playing the positions where their respective skills are the best fit. Fielder of course has nowhere to go (other than the American League), and defense may not longer be a problem for players still in the minors such as Mat Gamel assuming he is moved to a position that better suits his skills. So it's not like the players Jack Z. drafts can't play defense, it's just that they need to be placed at the best spot, and the team has been slow to recognize that in a few instances. Plus, Braun, Weeks and Hart have plenty of speed, so it's not like he just drafts big plodding boppers that can only hit home runs.

We clearly need to make a decision about the shortstop position. Why? Escobar could spend all of next year at AAA, and even if he forces the team to call him up, we have had plenty of discussions that talk about having Escobar play 2B or having Hardy move to 3B. I keep them both. However, the market may be very, very high for Hardy, which may make it tough for Melvin not to trade him. I've said it before though, and I'll say it again, no other player on the Brewers roster has as few glaring holes to their game than Hardy. If I'm looking to trade anyone, I look to trade a player who plays a position that could be improved offensively (right field), defensively (first base) or both (third base).

I got excited seeing today's 14-11 score, but unfortunately no Brewers hitter contributed to the offensive barrage. Brae Wright was the only Brewers farmhand to see time in today's game, giving up one hit in 1.1 innings. Fortunately he wasn't part of the attack... http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_18_scowin_perwin_1

Neither Schafer nor Gindl are in the starting lineup for West Oahu this evening, which is probably a good thing the way they've been swinging the bats. Game updates (if there are any) to come in the morning. EDIT: The only detail of note from last night's game is that Schafer scored a run as a pinch hitter late in the game as West Oahu rallied in the 8th inning to win.

I opened up the Gameday feature for the final 4-5 innings of this game given the lack of sporting events for the evening. While you don't get a feel for the game itself, Alexandre Periard worked very quickly gunning down the order, striking out the side. He did give up a single and a stolen base amidst his fast work. Lorenzo Cain was the story of the night though, going 3-4 with a run scored, a double, a stolen base and a HBP. Taylor Green went 1-4 with a walk and 2 strikeouts (one looking in the 9th), and Lou Palmisano went 0-2 with a K. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_17_perwin_scowin_1

Schafer and Gindl repeated their lines from the previous night, 0-2 and 1-3 respectively, as West Oahu lost to Honolulu 4-2 in a 7-inning game. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/s...008_10_16_honwin_wocwin_1

I've thought about Bradley before, but only in a scenario in which Fielder is traded while having Bradley fill in the least physically demanding position on the field. However, as noted, given the injury/crazy factor, not to mention the money he's looking for (even if he's unlikely to get what he's asking for), he just isn't a very good match for the Brewers, or any team that needs to be super conscious about what kind of money they invest into whom.