Playoffs, Prospects, and Blogs

by Geoff Young on Oct 06, 2003

Playoffs

Hard to get too excited about the playoffs when you don’t have a rooting interest. That and the West Coast unfriendly times have kept me from watching all but a few innings thus far. Surprised and disappointed to see the Giants out of it already. Yeah, I’m a Padre fan and I know I’m supposed to hate the Giants, but I’d really love to see Barry Bonds get a ring so people will shut up about that already. Like it or not, he’s the greatest baseball player most folks reading this have ever seen.

Also, just about the only time I ever see the A’s is in the playoffs. Are their fundamentals that bad during the regular season? Seems like every time I look up, someone on that team is making a baserunning blunder or looking confused in the field. Getting on base is great, but executing is critical in the playoffs.

Baseball America Top Prospects by League

Once again, Baseball America has surveyed scouts and managers to determine the top prospects in each minor league. The results are in, and although down from previous years, the Padres are reasonably well represented. Here are some excerpts from the BA survey.

Josh Barfield, 2B, #5 CAL

Josh is geared to drive the ball to the opposite field because he dives into the plate. That’s a potential problem in the upper levels, though he has enough life in his bat and plus bat speed to compensate. He’ll need to make an adjustment to learn how to turn on pitches.

He projects as an offensive-minded second baseman, but he made defensive progress. A well-rounded athlete with good baseball instincts, Barfield would move to left field if the Padres decide he can’t play second base.

Khalil Greene, SS, #6 PCL; #11 SOU

He didn’t wow managers or scouts in his time with Mobile, particularly offensively. His hand-eye coordination, bat speed and savvy make him an above-average hitter, but he didn’t hit for much power in the SL and also doesn’t draw many walks. Though scouts have wondered if he can stay at shortstop, he impressed observers more with his defense, showing plenty of arm and enough range for the position.

A line-drive hitter with decent pop, Greene can get pull-conscious and must improve his plate discipline at the major league level. He doesn’t have exceptional speed but has a quick first step and is a heady baserunner. There was some question about whether he could handle shortstop without a plus defensive tool, but PCL observers believe in him.

“He’s absolutely a shortstop at the big league level,” Portland manager Rick Sweet said. “Anyone who’s seen him play on a consistent basis can see that. He’s not an overly flashy type, but he has a magnet in his glove. He catches everything in the middle.”

Others who made the lists:

  • Jason Bay, OF, #5 PCL (now with Pirates) — Praised for his broad base of skills, good instincts, and ability to make adjustments.
  • Freddy Guzman, OF, #20 CAL — Speed and plate discipline are his primary assets.
  • Colt Morton, C, #19 NWL — Scouts seem to be divided on his upside. There is concern that his height (6-6) may eventually prompt a move to first base.
  • Humberto Quintero, C, #20 SOU — Draws rave reviews for his defense, particularly his arm. Line drive hitter without much power.
  • Sean Thompson, LHP, #8 NWL — Although his fastball only runs in the high-80s, he works both sides of the plate, has a good breaking ball, and holds runners well.

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs

Here are some folks who showed up in my referrer logs last month:

And here’s another new blog on the scene:

  • Seth Speaks Seth talks about the Twins, Minnesota sports in general, and more.

Ducksnorts Off-Season Schedule

Here’s the deal. I’m taking most of this month off from writing to do some behind-the-scenes stuff to the site, work on other web projects, and generally have some semblance of a life. Okay, maybe not that last one, but the point is, I probably won’t be checking in all that much this month. Keep sending those letters, though. I’m always happy to hear your thoughts on baseball, music, whatever. And I’ll be back in November to do a more extensive recap of the 2003 Padres season. Then we’ll talk a bit at the AFL and other winter leagues before looking ahead to 2004 and Petco Park. So stick around. It’ll be more fun than smacking yourself in the forehead with a clay tablet!

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