TheCrew07

BA Hot Sheet Chat 8/31/2012 This just made me laugh so I had to include it, sorry Will.

The largest contingent of Brewers on the Hot Sheet all season! BA Season Ending Hot Sheet 8/31/2012 No. 5 JEFF LOCKE, LHP PIRATES Team: Triple-A Indianapolis (International) Age: 24 Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.00, 10 2/3 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 13 SO The Scoop: Few farm systems this year have improved as much as the Pirates, and that's even without having signed first-rounder Mark Appel. Much of that is due to the emergence of young Dominican talent, such as outfielder Gregory Polanco and shortstop Alen Hanson at low Class A, but Locke has steadily raised his status with his mastery of Triple-A hitters. Opponents don't have to get their bats started early against Locke's fastball the way they do against Gerrit Cole or Jameson Taillon, but the lefty's ability to locate his fastball to the edges of the plate and keep hitters off balance by mixing a solid array of offspeed pitches has made him effective. He could step into Pittsburgh's starting rotation next season with a chance to be a solid starter in the middle or back of a rotation. No. 12 JAE-HOON HA, CF CUBS Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern) Age: 21 Why He's Here: .423/.423/.731 (11-for-26), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1-for-1 SB The Scoop: While many players tend to fade down the stretch during a long, hot summer, Ha has steadily improved. He hit .300/.398/.429 in July and has been on fire so far in August, batting .316/.422/.500 for the month. A catcher as an amateur, Ha has turned himself into a fine defensive outfielder and did his damage this week while spending time at all three outfield positions. No. 13 MIKE O'NEILL, LF/CF CARDINALS Team: Double-A Springfield (Texas) Age: 24 Why He's Here: .682/.708/.864 (15-for-22), 3 R, 4 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO The Scoop: The peskiest leadoff hitter in the minors was promoted to Double-A Springfield two weeks ago. The Cardinals watched with interest to see if O'Neill would be able to work counts, hit line drives and draw walks against more advanced pitchers. So far, so good. O'Neill has walked seven times in 12 games while striking out twice. He's also stolen three bases in three tries. For the season, O'Neill now has 77 walks and 26 strikeouts, a nearly 3-to-1 ratio that is the best in the minors over the past five seasons In The Team Photo

8/26/2012 Curve's Taillon impresses again Bucs prospect blanks Squirrels in second Double-A start

8/28/2012 Gorgen tosses a gem for Redbirds Cardinals prospect gives up two hits over seven innings

8/28/2012 Taveras, Loux earn Texas' top honors Cardinals prospect named Texas League's Player of the Year

8/28/2012 - For those that don't know Dayton has one of the best MiLB facilities and attendance around, it gets plenty of press on it's own. Interesting article. Player Poll: Dayton is the place to be Minor Leaguers high on visiting Reds' Midwest League town

8/28/2012 - I'm really not looking forward to Martinez and Taveras playing in STL Loaded Cardinals clinch division Springfield takes Texas League North second-half title with win

8/28/2012 Hamilton steals win for the Wahoos Reds' top prospect nabs four bases to reach 50 in Pensacola

8/29/2012 Pirates claim GCL championship Pittsburgh's Rookie-level affiliate ends 44-year wait for title

From 8/29/2012 Prospect Pitch: Taking Stock Cards former catcher discusses calling games -- from mound

From 8/31/2012... and Best Hustler? Hamilton is dynamic, but a made up category? Southern League honors Hamilton Steals record-holder cited among All-Stars as 'Best Hustler'

Final: Memphis 5, Nashville 4 (10 Innings) Sounds Drop Second Straight Game To Redbirds NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds defeated the Sounds for the second straight evening, recording a 5-4, 10-inning victory over Nashville in front of 7,888 fans on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium. The loss was Nashville's second in a row following the club's season-best five-game winning streak. In the top of the tenth, Steven Hill got things started when he drew a one-out walk from Sounds reliever Juan Perez (4-2). Brock Peterson followed with a potential double-play grounder to shortstop but Edwin Maysonet airmailed Taylor Green at second base to allow runners on the corners with just one out. After Eugenio Velez drew a walk to load the bases, Lou Montanez lifted a 3-1 Perez offering to left-center for a go-ahead sacrifice fly that plated Hill in unearned fashion. Victor Marte closed out the game by retiring the Sounds in order in the bottom of the tenth to earn his third save of the season. The contest was Nashville's league-leading 17th extra-inning game of the season (6-11). Nashville outfielders Khris Davis and Caleb Gindl each departed the contest early after suffering unspecified injuries. Davis was removed after grounding into a double play to conclude the third inning while Gindl was replaced on the basepaths following a single in the bottom of the sixth. The Sounds got off to a quick start against Memphis right-hander Brandon Dickson, recording four straight hits to open the first inning en route to a 3-0 lead. Logan Schafer led off the Nashville first with a single to center and moved to second on a Corey Patterson bunt single before both runners scored on Davis' two-run double down the right field line to give the Sounds a 2-0 advantage. Davis later scored the frame's third run on a Humberto Quintero double-play grounder. Memphis cut the Sounds' lead to 3-1 in the second when Velez singled with one out against Sounds starter Brian Baker, stole second, and raced home on Jose Garcia's two-out double off the base of the left field wall. The Redbirds pulled in front in the third with a three-run outburst against Baker. Peterson evened the score at 3-3 with a two-out, two-run triple to right then scored the go-ahead run on a Montanez single to center. Baker took a no-decision after he allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings. He recorded his first professional hit in his final at-bat of the season, a single in the bottom of the fifth inning. Shortstop Edwin Maysonet knotted the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out solo homer to left off Dickson, his third roundtripper of the year. Sounds infielder Taylor Green extended his longest hitting streak of the year to nine games with a first-inning single. The teams continue the homestand with another 6:35 p.m. meeting on Sunday evening. Right-hander Tyler Thornburg (2-2, 2.65) will man the bump for the Sounds and face Memphis right-hander Nick Greenwood (3-3, 4.58). Nashville Box Score That's a tough loss... starting the game with a 3 run first and not being able to make it hold up. Gifting away runs in extras is never a recipe for success, but of greater concern are the injuries to Davis and Gindl, both had a shot at being Sept call-ups. Khris already missed a ton of time with his leg injury (hamstring? I forget), hopefully this is a minor injury to a different part of the body. Unfortunately I didn't listen to the game so I don't have any further insight into either injury than what's in the game story. Nashville Play By Play

Final: Montgomery 11, Huntsville 4 Huntsville Box Score Kyle Heckathorn was the best pitcher on the evening, he wasn't charged with a run in his 1.1 IP. Josh Stinson got worked over in the 2nd inning for 4 runs including a 3 run HR. Josh Butler couldn't last 1 inning and make it through the 5th, he was charged with 6 runs, 3 earned. Tim Dillard continued his season long slide giving up a run over the final 2 innings... PCL hitters hit .418 against Tim but SL hitters are only tuning him up for a .308 average prior to today's action, nothing has worked for the side arm slinger this year. Hunter Morris (3-4,2B,HR) continues to crush the ball though he had a costly fielding error (6), Brock Kjeldgaard (2-3,BB,2B,HR) added some fireworks of his own, and Kentrail Davis (2-3) tallied the final multi-hit game of the contest. Huntsville Play By Play Game. Set. Match. Montgomery Bottom of the 2nd Mikie Mahtook singles on a ground ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Omar Luna singles on a ground ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Mikie Mahtook to 2nd. Michael Sheridan homers (10) on a fly ball to right field. Mikie Mahtook scores. Omar Luna scores. Greg Sexton singles on a ground ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Kyeong Kang walks. Greg Sexton to 2nd. Mark Thomas grounds into a force out, third baseman Josh Prince to second baseman T. Mittelstaedt. Greg Sexton to 3rd. Kyeong Kang out at 2nd. Mark Thomas to 1st. Ty Morrison flies out to center fielder Lee Haydel. Shawn O'Malley singles on a bunt ground ball to first baseman Hunter Morris. Greg Sexton scores. Mark Thomas to 2nd. Derek Dietrich grounds out to first baseman Hunter Morris. Montgomery Bottom of the 5th Pitching Change: Josh Butler replaces Josh Stinson. Omar Luna doubles (20) on a ground ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Michael Sheridan singles on a line drive to center fielder Lee Haydel. Omar Luna scores. Michael Sheridan to 2nd on the throw. Missed catch error by catcher Adam Weisenburger. Greg Sexton grounds out, second baseman T. J. Mittelstaedt to first baseman Hunter Morris. Michael Sheridan to 3rd. Kyeong Kang homers (14) on a fly ball to right field. Michael Sheridan scores. Mark Thomas grounds out, pitcher Josh Butler to first baseman Hunter Morris. Ty Morrison doubles (17) on a ground ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard. Shawn O'Malley reaches on a fielding error by first baseman Hunter Morris. Ty Morrison to 3rd. Derek Dietrich homers (4) on a fly ball to right field. Ty Morrison scores. Shawn O'Malley scores. Pitching Change: Kyle Heckathorn replaces Josh Butler. Mikie Mahtook flies out to right fielder Kentrail Davis.

You keep saying this but it isn't true. AAA has a ton of professional hitters who have spent time in MLB, AA is half full of players that will never reach MLB. The jump for pitchers going from AA to AAA is significant exactly because of the reason you mentioned, players like Corey Patterson sitting on AAA rosters. A quick list of some of the best pitching prospects in the game who faltered the first half of the year in AAA... Perez, Miller, Montgomery, and Teheran... and our own Wily Peralta struggled for half the season. Hultzen recently got promoted and hasn't set the world on fire in AAA either. The pitching is much different from AA to AAA because your typical AAA pitcher is going to be someone with a big arm who can't locate, or someone without great stuff who's just a good pitcher. AA has more of a power arsenal from the pitching perspective all the way around and many of those guys will spend 3/4 to a full season in AA. If those same arms are successful in AAA out of the gate they don't last there very long and move to MLB very quickly (Bauer and Skaggs). Some of those guys will end up coming back down to AAA for more seasoning, but it's pretty rare that a AAA rotation is loaded with prospects. Look at our Nashville team from a positional perspective, none of those guys are going to scare MLB pitching but many prospects coming up have never faced so many good hitters from top to bottom, these are all guys who batted at the top of the order as they were coming through their systems. Some pitchers will breeze right through to MLB, others are going to learn some hard lessons. Every interview with a prospect pitcher that I've read through this year on MiLB.com talked about how they were somewhat surprised how difficult the jump in talent was moving to AAA, and I've linked a good 1/3 of those articles in Link Report over the course of the season. Hitters on the hand don't seem to share that perspective. Once hitters solve the crafty soft tossers in AAA, there's pretty much left nothing left for them to do but move up. How many fastballs are being thrown past Segura? I've only watched parts of 3 games since he came up but it didn't look like he was having a problem catching up to fastballs, it looked to me like he was struggling with pitch recognition and selection. As I posted previously I think he's up about 3 months too fast, but as long as he sticks with it and doesn't lose confidence he'll figure out, there's no reason to drop him to AAA for an entire year. If he's still struggling at the all-star break next season then they'll probably have to make a move, but I have no problem riding him out. Be patient with the young man and let him get his feet on solid ground, there's no reason to rush to hasty judgement on any young player. We don't need to know today what a guy is, people have consistently done that with prospects that fall on either side of the fence. Escobar was garbage, Gamel is garbage, Fiers is a top of the rotation starter, Parra is crap, McGehee is a stud, Weeks is a bust, etc, etc.... Why is it necessary to start tossing labels around on young players so quickly? Escobar and Weeks turned out to be pretty decent, Parra isn't worth much, nor is McGehee, and the jury is still out on the rest of my examples.

Gah... my work day went horribly, I didn't get home until after 7 and I just noticed Ben Badler did the chat for the hot sheet this week so I missed my chance to get a question answered about Rizzo and Ortega, none of the other guys would touch it. I'll get caught up on my news posts tomorrow.

I forget where I read it but there was information somewhere recently about the heights and weights... they are only entered by certain people and are rarely updated year to year for prospects. I want to say it was one of the BA chats but I honestly just can't say for sure, the where is escaping me at the moment or I'd link it.

Sounds Fall To Redbirds In Opener, 5-1 Peralta Takes Hard-Luck Loss In Quality Start NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Shelby Miller struck out nine over six strong innings as the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds handed the Nashville Sounds a 5-1 defeat in the opener of a season-ending four-game series. The 21-year-old Miller (11-10) scattered five hits and walked none for his eighth quality start and eleventh victory. The loss to the Redbirds snapped a season-best five-game winning streak and six-game win streak at home. The top three hitters in the Memphis lineup went a combined 9-for-13 with four runs scored. Outfielder Logan Schafer and Khris Davis each had multi-hit games for the second straight game. Taylor Green doubled to extend his hitting streak to a season-best eight games. The Sounds scored their lone run in the bottom of the first inning. Schafer hit an infield single and came all the way around to score on a Green RBI double down the right field line. · AUDIO: Taylor Green RBI Memphis took the lead at 2-1 in the visiting half of the sixth and didn't look back. After Adron Chambers and Steven Hill singled, Brock Peterson hammed a two-run double down the left field line. Three consecutive one-out singles combined with a pair of errors extended Memphis' lead to 4-1 after reliever Mike McClendon entered the contest in the next frame. With runners on first and second, Ryan Jackson singled to center, which was bobbled by Schafer to allow both runners to advance. After Schafer's throw to third to gun down the lead runner, third baseman Taylor Green airmailed a throw to second. The Redbirds tacked on an insurance run in ninth with three singles, highlighted by a RBI base hit by Hill. For his team-leading 10th quality start and hard-luck loss, Sounds starting pitcher Wily Peralta (7-11) gave up a couple of runs on five hits and three walks in six innings. The 23-year-old fanned two and induced a pair of inning-ending double plays with 100 pitches (64 strikes). McClendon was charged with two runs (one earned) on three hits in an inning. Mitch Stetter struck out one in 2/3 of an inning. Amaury Rivas closed the game with a run earned in 1 1/3 innings. Nashville and Memphis continue the Tennessee Lottery I-40 Cup Series at 6:35 pm CT on Saturday night at Greer Stadium. Sounds right-hander Brian Baker (4-4, 4.23) takes the mound against Redbirds righty Brandon Dickson (5-11, 3.55). Nashville Box Score As I mentioned earlier Wily Peralta wasn't at his best but limited the Redbirds to just the 2 runs in his final inning. If Tonight was Roger's last MLB start as Mark A. apparently alluded to during the broadcast fortunately Peralta is lined up perfectly to step right in and finish the season with the big club as this was his last AAA start. It wouldn't hurt Wily at all to bump up to 160-170 innings this season so look forward to seeing him in Milwaukee next week. Whatever Amuary Rivas once had it seems like it's all gone now. I was so high on him after his back to back A+ and AA campaigns but he's basically fallen off a cliff. Scouts never liked him very much and we could never really find out why, but the results are pretty telling. Look for Shelby Miller in STL's rotation next year, he appears to be straightened out as he dominated the Sounds tonight and check out his last 10 games... damn. In case you didn't click or missed it that was 70 strike outs in just over 51 innings... Part of me wanted him to go all Manny Parra and give the Cards nothing for the rotation, though I was conflicted because I really don't feel right rooting for anyone's prospects to fail, but it doesn't look like I'll have to worry about that anymore. Nashville Play By Play

I'd be disappointed about how the T-Rats are finishing up but it's a completely different team, almost all of the pitching they started the season with is gone and a couple of position players as well.

Resurgent Shelby Miller is owning the Sounds as Nashville has only collected 3 hits, and 2 of them came in the first inning when they scored their only run of the contest. Peralta just gave up his only 2 runs allowed but hasn't been very sharp. Come back and the beat Cards!

Sounds Sweep Away I-Cubs With 6-1 Win NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds completed their first sweep of the season with a 6-1 victory over the division-rival Iowa Cubs on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium in the finale of a four-game series. Nashville (67-73) extended its longest winning streak of the year to five games. The Sounds -- who never trailed during the entire four-game series -- won 10 of their 16 games against Iowa this season, the club's third straight double-digit win total against the I-Cubs. The contest marked the end of the 2012 season for Iowa, which had its scheduled season-ending series at New Orleans canceled due to the effects of Hurricane Isaac. Nashville took a 2-0 lead with a pair of fourth-inning runs against Iowa starter Yoanner Negrin (0-1). Center fielder Logan Schafer (2-for-4) gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead in when he slugged his 11th home run of the season and second in two nights, a leadoff solo shot to right. With one out, Sean Halton doubled off the base of the left field wall and scored the frame's second run when Taylor Green (2-for-3) followed with a single to right. · AUDIO: Logan Schafer HR · AUDIO: Taylor Green RBI Single The RBI knock by Green extended the infielder's longest hitting streak of the season to seven games (11-for-26, .423). Iowa halved the lead to 2-1 in the fifth when Tony Campana led off with a bunt single against Sounds starter Claudio Vargas and scored on Adrian Cardenas' RBI double to left. The Sounds got the run back in the home half of the frame with a two-out rally against Negrin. After the first two batters were retired, Schafer singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Khris Davis' single to center to make it a 3-1 contest. · AUDIO: Khris Davis RBI Single Vargas (7-1) picked up his seventh win of the year after allowing one run on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. The veteran, who walked three batters and struck out six, did not suffer a defeat in any of his final 12 starts of the season and is tied with Wily Peralta for most wins by a Sound this year. Corey Patterson increased the Nashville advantage to 5-1 in the seventh when he belted a two-run homer to right off I-Cubs reliever Miguel Socolovich. The blast, the veteran's tenth of the year, also scored Humberto Quintero, who preceded Patterson with a single. · AUDIO: Corey Patterson Two-Run HR The Sounds tacked on another run later in the inning when Eric Farris singled then stole second and third before scoring on a throwing error by Socolovich as he attempted to throw him out at third on his second steal. · AUDIO: Eric Farris Steals Third, Scores On Throwing Error The Sounds continue their final homestand of the year on Friday night by welcoming the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds to Greer Stadium for the 7:05 p.m. opener of a four-game series. Right-hander Wily Peralta (7-10, 4.73) is scheduled to take the hill for Nashville and face Memphis right-hander Shelby Miller (10-10, 4.89). Nashville Box Score Whup up on the Cubs! I love me a sweep of a divisional rival, especially the Cubs and Cards affiliates. Why? I've never liked the Cubs since I saw first my game on WGN in the 80s, it was a Cubs/White Sox exhibition and a family friend was pitching for the Sox... there's nothing lovable about losers... The Cards, well I didn't really have a problem till they got all hypocritical regarding the unwritten rules of baseball. Claudio Vargas ends his season in Nashville on a high note, he will not get another opportunity to start this year, though we might see him out of the pen on the 2nd or 3rd as the season wraps up. Then again, perhaps gets a September call, though I'd rather call up youngsters instead of him, but a solid case can be made that Claudio earned another look. Jesus Sanchez is pretty good at baseball, it took him a while to develop after his positional change, but what a dominant season between 2 levels. His K rate did drop and his BB rate rise since his promotion to AAA, but 14 appearances isn't really enough to make any judgements, his tough stretch from Aug 7-19 looks to just be a blip on the radar at this point. Brandon Kintzler seems to have settled in as well, I honestly think we have plenty enough depth in the minors to cover the MLB bullpen next year. Melvin will likely add a veteran arm since that's what he does, but I'll be surprised if he signs more than 1 or 2 guys. Sean Halton has worked his way into the 1B discussion with an incredibly solid season in somewhat limited opportunities, he only has 348 ABs on the season, but look at the numbers he put up. Caleb Gindl has 99 more ABs than does Halton, and speaking of Caleb, he's crawled all the way back to respectable line after his horrid first 2 months of the season. Nashville Play By Play

I do like the Powelesque prospect coverage by Joe this season, but his interview with Tunnell last night was pretty bad.

Not a problem, I got you, I'm down to 1 team anyway.

Small sample analysis has a place, like in the play offs where there isn't time for stats to normalize, 1 win or loss can swing an entire series. If we're talking about the rest of this season does it really matter where people bat? I'm more interested in what the inexperienced players are doing more so than line-up or bullpen minutia... I simply could care less about those issues. Extra wins only push the Brewers further down the draft board at this point, I haven't cared about wins and losses since the Greinke trade... I do care about inexperienced players getting enough playing time to learn on the big stage. I realize there are people including my own father who desperately want the Brewers to get back to .500 this season, and I can see a legitimate argument that turning the 2012 season around with young players on the roster sets up momentum going into next year. However, I'd rather have a top 10 draft pick than a .500 season. Seid may well squander the pick, and there is noise in the industry about the possibility of him being replaced, but we desperately need to build the farm system back into a viable talent pool. Melvin may well just trade away all the talent again... I don't know, but I do know that I'm not down with an aging MLB roster and little talent in the system behind it.

Well anyone can play a position in a pinch, our Helena team is proof of that year in and year out. However if Segura were to go down, there's no way that Farris would be a competent SS on any kind of long-term basis. I haven't read a single positive review on his arm since he's been with the organization, his glove work is excellent, he just has physical limitations that will severely limit his upside on the next level. I think his best bet would be to latch with an organization who doesn't have an established MLB 2nd baseman. I think he'd eventually lose his job to someone more talented, but he could have a nice 2-4 year run and that might be enough to land him a gig on team with an established middle infield combination so he could play as a bench bat/pinch runner and only get a start a week or so. He's a good young man who works hard and plays the game the right way, but he just wasn't gifted with the one tool that would round out his repertoire enough to make him a viable utility player in my opinion. I don't want him on my bench, I prefer utility players to be competent defenders at every position first, and hitters second, kind of like a CC. I've just never seen that in Farris.

Minneapolis-St.Paul is not a small market. ownership stinginess <> small market. Having gone to school at the U and living there until I could get the hell out, that's the most bandwagon fan base I've ever unfortunately been a part of. The Vikings are either going to the super bowl or nobody cares... the Twins are going to the world series or nobody cares... it's ridiculous, it's not just an ownership issue. In 5 years there I can honestly say that I never met a diehard Timber Wolves fan, which is odd now that I'm thinking about it. The Stars had just relocated to Dallas when I moved over there and the Wild came after I left, so I can't really speak to hockey. The only team that has a legitimate fan base is Gopher hockey (which I would highly recommend, Mariucci is a great hockey venue), but even that might have changed as I haven't lived in the cities since 1998. Also, they've always stretched the "metro" area all the way south to Hastings, which seems a bit disingenuous if you've ever driven between Rosemount and Hastings. There's an awful lot of rural farm land for a "metro".