Aloha.  I’m in Honolulu where I’m working for Hawaii Winter Baseball for the rest of the season.  I don’t get to see every pitch of every game, settling for some of the pitches of some of the games.  When I’m not in the office and at the park I help out all over the place: with tickets, merchandise or promotions.  Most of the games are played in Hans L’Orange Field in Waipahu about a half hour west of town (Honolulu).  However, this weekend, two of the teams, including the mini-Mets on the Beach Boys are heading over to Hilo on the Big Island for a series.  HWB has upgraded Hans significantly in the last two years, including new light standards this year, but it’s still a tiny, intimate venue.  I’d estimate that the majority of the league’s play is similar to high-A, but there are generally a few more high ceiling guys on the field in Hawaii than on your average high-A diamond. I highly recommend a visit. 

            I’m happy to report that Nick Carr and Lucas Duda are now scheduled to come out to Hawaii to join the Waikiki Beach Boys, who badly needed pitching reinforcements.  I’m eager to see both players in person. 

Arizona Fall League

Scottsdale Scorpions

            The Mets collectively are doing about what one could have reasonably expected for the winless (0-9) Scottsdale Scorpions. 

            Among the hitters, only Caleb Stewart is off to a hot start.

Mike Carp has hit .267/.333/.333 with 2 doubles in 30 AB.  He’s second on the team in AB to Reid Brignac

Mike Nickeas is 2-10 (.200). 

Caleb Stewart has been one of the few standouts on the Scorpions hitting .316/.409/.947 in 19 AB with four HR.  He’s walked three times and fanned six.

            Among the pitchers, there’s little to learn from early results that one didn’t know entering the AFL season. 

Adam Bostick (0-0, 1.80) – in five innings, he’s walked five (bad) and struck out five (good).

Eddie Camacho (0-1, 2.25) in four innings has given up six hits, but hasn’t walked a batter.  I wish we could combine Bostick’s stuff and Camacho’s strikes into Addie Bosticho.   

Eddie Kunz (0-1, 20.25) 4 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 4 BB, 3 K.  This was a very aggressive assignment for Kunz following his tour in the NYP, so it would have been more surprising to see him succeed than struggle.

Carlos Muniz (0-0, 4.15) 4.1 IP,  4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Hawaii Winter Baseball

Waikiki Beach Boys

Manny Garcia has started the season on fire: .391/.462/.587 in 46 AB with five doubles and two triples.  Even better, he’s walked five times and struck out just once.  He’s leading the league in stolen bases (8-for-9) and on-base percentage, is second in batting behind the Red Sox impressive shortstop Argeniz Diaz and fifth in slugging.  Garcia has mostly played short, but also seen a game at third, and two at second. 

Sean McCraw has hit .150 (3H/20 AB).

Dan Murphy is sitting at .262/.365/.429 in 42 AB with four doubles. 

Hector Pellot has hit a modest .250/.315/.333 while playing ten games at second and two at third. 

Brant Rustich (3-0, 6.48) has shown in his 8.1 innings that he can throw hard, but his location can be iffy.  However, he’s also given up 12 hits, six runs and five of six inherited runners to score. 

            And for those who are no longer here:  Nick Evans left Oahu before I got here.  Reportedly, he felt some soreness in his hand, behind the index finger knuckle suggesting a stress reaction/fracture so he went back to NYC for tests. Jose De La Torre, pounded for seven runs in 2.1 IP also went home due to injury. 

Venezuelan Winter League  

Ender Chavez is 1-3

Jesus Feliciano .333/.364/.381 in 21 AB 

Luis Matos is 0-7.

Ivan Maldonado has pitched on inning with a walk and a strikeout.

Jose Sanchez is 1-0, with a 0.00 ERA in 4 IP.

Mexican Pacific League

Brett Harper is hitting .167 (4-24)

Dominican Winter League

Carlos Gomez is 1-5.

Victor Mendez is 2-4.

Miguel Negron is 2-2.

Fernando Tatis is 2-4.

Toby Hyde has written Toby’s Mets Minor League Report since 2004.  Please pass this along to friends, family, co-workers, enemies and most importantly Mets fans.  To subscribe to the email newsletter, sign up here: http://groups.google.com/group/mets-minors?hl=en.  Archives are available at http://metsminors.metsblog.com.