My weekend format has gone back and forth over the years. Last year, with help from Mike McGann, Mets Minors fired out every morning, where in years past, I’d done a full weekend wraps. When I leave it all for Sunday, I try to take a little bigger picture view. Most other weekends, I expect to write Saturday to recap Friday. However, Sundays get dicey with early starts and late Saturday finishes, or very late finishes if the Zephyrs are on the west coast. This is one I’ll figure out as I go along, as I do a big catch-up today. Readers, what do you want to read about as the week wraps up?
Sunday, I made my first leg of my Midwest Major League ballpark tour to Kansas City’s Kaufman Stadium where I watched Jorge De La Rosa sit at 91/92 all day and shut down the Twins, who, depressed after failing to score with the bases loaded in the first, swung early and often while looking like they wanted very badly to go home. Alex Gordon is really pressing at the plate right now.
I liked Kaufman Stadium’s fountains, and the green outfield setting, which saved it from being nearly charmless otherwise as far as I could tell. On the plus side, we had a great view from the front of the upperdeck, and a brats garnished with a Pale Ale Mustard from a local Brewery was tasty. The stadium is constructed in such a way that even though the wind was vicious at times on the exposed concourses facing Arrowhead Stadium, it was always mellow inside the seating bowl. With weekend days when I’m not traveling with the Cubs, I plan on visiting all of the MLB parks within an easy drive of Des Moines: both Chicagos, the Metrodome, Miller Park and the new Busch. If I get ambitious, Coors is only 9 hours away I’m told, and would complete a macro-brew trifecta.
Stars of the Weekend:
AAA: Adam Bostick
& Philip Humber/Lastings Milledge
AA: Mike Carp
A+: Bobby Parnell/Mike
Carp
A: Francisco Pena
& Josh Thole & Sean McCraw
AAA – New Orleans
(Pacific Coast League)
Friday: @ Zephyrs 3,
Memphis Redbirds 2
Saturday: @
Albuquerque Isotops 4, Zephyrs 3
Sunday: @ Albuquerque
Isotopses 7, Zephyrs 4
Friday, Adam Bostick shut out the Redbirds for six innings. He whiffed four while giving up two hits and two walks.
Saturday, Philip Humber was excellent over seven innings limiting the Isotopes to one run on six hits. He struck out three, but didn’t walk a single batter, while throwing 51 of his 77 pitches for strikes. One scout who saw Humber earlier in the year, was disappointed with the degree that he was struggling with his fastball command, “just like in spring training,” I thought to myself. However, the scout did find time to praise Humber’s changeup, calling it his best pitch. One other encouraging statistical note from Saturday, is that Humber kept the ball down in the zone (indicating better command), inducing 12 groundball outs compared to just five in the air. The ‘Topes scored twice off Jose Santiago in the eighth to tied the game at 3-3, and won it in the bottom of the ninth on a game winning homer from AAA slugger the 6’6” Valentino Pascucci. Anderson Hernandez was 2-5 while Andy Tracy and Chip Ambres each had two hits including a double.
Sunday, the Isotopes got to Jason Vargas for seven runs in 5.2 IP on seven hits. He struck out six and walked two to fall to 2-1, 3.42.
Lastings Milledge (.342/.381/.447 in 38 AB) has now hit in seven straight games since starting out 1-11 in New Orleans. Over his last seven games, he’s hitting .444 (12H/27AB) with a double and a HR and stolen five bases without being caught once. One scout who saw his first three AAA games, said that it looked like he hadn’t swung a bat in two weeks and that his timing was way off and he was jumping at everything. Although scouts evaluate tools like arm strength, speed, bat speed, and swing mechanics, they still do become at least influenced by the results.
Carlos Gomez didn’t have a hit all weekend as part of a four game 0-17 skid that dropped his line from .357/.400/.536 Friday morning to .294/.342/.441 after Sunday’s game as his OPS slipped under .800 for the first time. Scouts who saw Gomez early this season were absolutely drooling over his ability. I asked one a question about Hunter Pence, the Houston CF prospect, and he wanted to talk about Gomez, calling him “exciting” and “special” in the same breath. He also pointed out that Gomez has average raw power during BP, and if he could translate it into games, he has the potential to hit 20 HR a year in the majors. His nine SB are tied for the PCL lead and he’s been caught just twice.
The Zephyrs are in first place in the PCL American Southern at 10-8, one game in front of the Round Rock Express. Jorge Sosa’s 0.95 ERA is second in the league to the Giants amazing Tim Lincecum who hasn’t allowed an earned run in 18.2 IP while punching out 28. Those fantasy players in keeper leagues should make sure to get Lincecum now if he’s still available. Lino Uradaneta’s six saves lead the circuit.
AA –
Friday: @ Trenton
Thunder 7, B-Mets 6 (12 innings)
Satuday: @ Trenton
Thunder 7, B-Mets 4
Sunday: @ Trenton
Thunder 7, B-Mets 4
The B-Mets dropped three games in a row to slip to 3-7 and into last place in the EL Northern Division, 6.5 games behind the front-running Thunder. Binghamton’s 5.28 team ERA is second from the bottom of the 12-team league. Meanwhile, the offense is averaging 3.8 runs per game. Mark Kiger’s .375 average (12 H/35 AB) is fourth in the league and as is his .474 OBP. Tim McNab’s 1.46 ERA is fifth.
There were lots of multi-hit nights Friday, as the B-Mets scored six times on 15 hits, leaving thirteen men aboard. Satuday, Brett Smith and Edwar Ramirez no-hit the B-Mets through eight innings before Binghamton burst out for four runs in the ninth. Sunday, the Thunder roared for five runs in the first two innings against Sal Aguilar (0-1, 9.53), and the B-Mets never truly threatened.
Mike Carp doubled twice Sunday, and no has hits in five straight games to raise his season totals to .310/.356/.524 with three 2B and two HR through 42 AB. One cautionary note: 13 strikeouts and one walk. By contrast, young Fernando Martinez (.231/.318/.385 in 39 AB) has drawn five walks and whiffed eight times.
A+ -- St. Lucie (
Friday: @ Mets 2,
Daytona 0
Saturday: @ Mets 9,
Daytona 0
Sunday: Off
Friday, Bobby Parnell turned in the most exciting pitching performance of the weekend in the Mets Minor League system. He dealt six shutout innings, fanning nine, walking two and giving up two hits. Baseball America had Parnell, age 22, rated as the Mets 18th best prospect heading into this season, but with a good 2007, he could easily be a top 10 guy by this time next year. According to BA, Parnell is a sinker, slider guy with good velocity, who needs work on his changup. He was never right in 2006 after a great 2005. Jose Castro went 4-4 with a bomb to provide all the offense Parnell needed.
Saturday, Castro, Dustin Martin, Nick Evans (.321/.381/.554) and Sean Henry all had two hits as part of a 12-hit attack that produced two four run innings.
The 8-7 Mets sit in second in a tightly bunched FSL East where no team is more than three games above or below .500 and first and last place are separated by a mere 2.5 games. Jon Niese’s 1.12 ERA is sixth on the circuit. Evans is tied for the league lead with 7 doubles, is tied for second with 11 extra base hits, and his .554 SLG is fifth.
A –
Friday: Greenville
Drive 5, @ Sand Gnats 4
Saturday: @
Charleston Riverdogs 4, Sand Gnats 0
Sunday: @ Charleston
Riverdogs 4, Sand Gnats 2
The Gnats, losers of four games in a row, have landed at 4-13, 10.5 games behind the 15-3 Augusta Greenjackets in the SAL Southern Division. The Gnats, who scored just 6 runs in their last 27 innings are dead last in the league in the category, having cross homeplate 55 times. Unlike Binghamton, this team has played the same number of games as their league-mates. Leivi Ventura’s 23 hits tie him for fourth in the league. Teammates Josh Stinson and Tobi Stoner share second place with three losses.
Friday, the Drive struck for three in the eighth inning to overtake the Gnats and ruin some fine offensive performances from Francisco Pena (.313/.327/.333 in 48 AB) who was 3-4 and DJ Wabick (.315/.327/.407 in 54 AB) who was 2-4 with a HR. Pena has one walk, and one extra base hit, a double, but remember, he doesn’t turn 18 until October. I’m just thrilled that he’s making contact and finding holes. He’s super young for the level, so that must be accounted for when evaluating his 2007 stats. Wabick, who will turn 23 in May, is the reverse and is old for the level.
Saturday, 21-year old catcher Sean McCraw (.333/.543/.458 in 24 AB) was the only hitter with multiple hits in a 2-3 night as the Gnats combined for six singles and one double. Both Josh Stinson and Greg Mullens allowed two runs in their outings.
Sunday, 20-year old Josh Thole (.361/.477/.472 in 36 AB) continued his nice start with a pair of doubles.
Toby Hyde has written Toby’s Mets Minor League Report
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