Wil Ledezma is frustrating to watch. He pumps mid-90s fastballs but appears to have very little aptitude for pitching…
Triple-A — Salt Lake 5, Portland 4
Matt Antonelli: 0-for-3, BB (.182/.325/.302, 32 BB, 29 SO)
Peter Ciofrone (RF): 3-for-4, HR (.298/.397/.554, 16 BB, 17 SO)
Chase Headley: 1-for-4, 3B (.291/.351/.508, 17 BB, 50 SO)
Brian Myrow: 0-for-3, SF, E (.340/.465/.535, 37 BB, 37 SO)
Chip Ambres (CF): 0-for-4 (.281/.370/.525, 22 BB, 40 SO, 5 SB)
Nick Hundley: 0-for-3 (.215/.278/.413, 11 BB, 23 SO)
Craig Stansberry (3B): 0-for-3 (.235/.333/.359, 23 BB, 32 SO)
Clay Hensley: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 HR, 0 BB, 1 SO, WP (2.70 ERA, 6.30 K/9, .162 BAA)
Dirk Hayhurst: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 BB, 7 SO (4.41 ERA, 11.68 K/9, .218 BAA)
Paul Abraham: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 0 BB, 0 SO (5 GO) (4.68 ERA, 7.20 K/9, .299 BAA)
I haven’t been including Ciofrone in these reports, but his performance since moving up to Portland (.352/.453/.778, 6 HR in 16 G) is impossible to ignore. He’s 24 years old, so don’t get too excited. I compared him to ex-Padre Rob Mackowiak in the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual… The homers Hensley gave up were to Kendry Morales and Dee Brown, both of whom have seen a fair amount of big-league action over the years… The Beavers lead the PCL with 4.68 walks drawn per game.
More coverage at the Portland Beavers official web site.
Double-A — San Antonio 5, Arkansas 2
Drew Macias: 1-for-4, 3B (.234/.330/.394, 24 BB, 35 SO)
Chad Huffman (DH): 1-for-4, 2B (.324/.414/.486, 27 BB, 31 SO)
Kyle Blanks: 1-for-2, 2 BB (.295/.397/.410, 26 BB, 18 SO)
Seth Johnston: 0-for-4 (.263/.338/.467, 21 BB, 32 SO)
Craig Cooper: 1-for-4 (.293/.354/.414, 13 BB, 36 SO)
Jose Lobaton: 1-for-4 (.246/.308/.307, 12 BB, 27 SO)
Matt Buschmann: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 5 SO, BK (3.51 ERA, 9.64 K/9, .259 BAA)
Love the improved plate discipline from Blanks… The Missions are drawing 4.42 walks per game, second in the Texas League behind Midland.
High-A — Lake Elsinore 5, Rancho Cucamonga 3 (1st game); Rancho Cucamonga 5, Lake Elsinore 1 (2nd game)
Javis Diaz: 3-for-6, BB, 2 SB (.283/.335/.390, 13 BB, 44 SO, 16 SB)
Eric Sogard (DH, 2B): 1-for-6, BB (.326/.445/.427, 39 BB, 18 SO)
Cedric Hunter: 1-for-5, SF (.318/.388/.411, 22 BB, 21 SO)
Mitch Canham: 1-for-2, BB (.293/.435/.406, 34 BB, 25 SO)
Kellen Kulbacki: 0-for-2, BB (.170/.294/.259, 21 BB, 30 SO)
Rayner Contreras: 2-for-6, 2B (.281/.395/.333, 15 BB, 21 SO)
Cory Luebke: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 7 SO (6.27 ERA, 7.80 K/9, .318 BAA)
Drew Miller: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 SO (8 GO) (4.59 ERA, 7.59 K/9, .299 BAA)
Storm batters are drawing an even 5 walks per game, which is tops in the Cal League by a wide margin. (Stockton, the second place team, checks in at 4.04.)
Low-A — Fort Wayne 3, Great Lakes 2
Luis Durango: 1-for-4 (.278/.377/.331, 21 BB, 23 SO, 8 SB)
Andrew Cumberland (SS): 2-for-4 (.232/.290/.290, 12 BB, 19 SO, 11 SB)
Justin Baum: 0-for-4, E (.262/.360/.421, 21 BB, 32 SO)
Yefri Carvajal: 0-for-4 (.257/.293/.345, 10 BB, 42 SO, 4 SB)
Shane Buschini: 1-for-3, 3B (.300/.367/.514, 7 BB, 22 SO)
Wynn Pelzer: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO (3.54 ERA, 7.52 K/9, .234 BAA)
With his complete lack of power, Durango needs to hit for a freakish batting average to have value. He managed to do that in the Northwest League last year, but the early returns in his first exposure to full-season ball are less encouraging. On the bright side, he’s getting on base at a nice clip… The Wizards are leading the Midwest League with 4.24 walks drawn per game.
In other news, left-hander Matt Teague has replaced right-hander Mat Latos in the rotation. Latos is on the disabled list with a “left intercostal strain”; there is no timetable for his return.
Stock-Town!
I think some of the frustration with the season is saying “we need to re-build the farm system, so you’ll need to be patient for a few years.” Isn’t that what we should have been doing from 1999 onwards?
Yes SA, only got here a few years ago and they’ve improved the farm system dramatically, but Towers and Moores should have been doing it earlier.
The Marlins may go from boom to bust, but they at least seem to get lots of young talent in during the lean years. The fact that they trade them away when they get close to FA or even arbitration would be highly annoying.
If you had your choice, which would you choose:
* a .500+ record every year for the next ten years, making the playoffs twice
* two World Series apperances, and six years of .400 ball and two of .300 ball
I’m not saying I wish the Padres were the Marlins, had their FO or had their record, just contemplating how to avoid this situation in the future. (you know, failing to have a plan means planning to fail).
The cynic in me says, play for the playoffs every five years with a team that has the breadth and depth of talent to go far (not squeak in and hope to get lucky). Play essentially a AAA team while stockpiling high-upside talent (e.g., spend your ML salary on signing bonuses) and then trade for a couple expensive veterans to plug the holes and try to win it all over a two-year period.
Rinse, Repeat?
Anyone know what Florida spends in signing bonuses for their draft picks each year?
(and yes, I’m well aware that the Marlins have never actually been in a pennant race their entire history and that’s almost as much fun as the playoffs, but the kids they put on the field at least make it interesting to watch [in a stomach-churning way])
Hindsight is always 20-20, but with the attention on shiny new Petco, everyone’s focus was off the farm for the six of the past nine years.
I don’t expect Headley to be the saviour of the team, but if we can bring up all the other AAA talent, why can’t we bring him up now? If he’s that fragile a player that he can’t take the heat of MLB, why did they bring him up last year while Kouz was injured?
OK, I’ll go back to my hole and maybe take the 10-year old to the Super 14 final next weekend and immerse myself in rugby (ugh!)… He just doesn’t get the idea that the team you root for doesn’t win championships every other year or so…
I’m starting to get really excited to see Hayhurst as well. He’s turning in a great season over at PDX.
What else can you tell me about Peter Ciofrone? He has just been crushing the ball since moving up to the Beavers. His last 9 games he is hitting well over .400. Do you think he has a shot to make the Padres?
#4@Robert M: Only as a role player. Ciofrone owns a career .278/.366/.393 line over 2300 plate appearances. Originally a second baseman, he now mostly plays outfield and occasionally third base. The key to his having any kind of a big-league career is versatility, because despite his hot start at Portland, over the long haul he hasn’t proven to be a great hitter.
#2@Sean Callahan: Yeah, no doubt the farm system was neglected for quite a while there. The situation is improving, so I’m not sure what more is to be gained by pining for what might have been (not directed toward you, but toward fans in general) at this point.
As for Headley, I don’t think he’s fragile. I do think the fans and media who want him to be Superman are fragile (thank you, Sean Burroughs), and if he doesn’t hit like David Wright, there will be a lot of, “See, I told you so.” It’s a very difficult situation for Headley and for the organization. I don’t envy either of them.
#6@Geoff Young: What might have been, to a degree, but what the plan is going forward is the bigger issue.
Many people seem to not comprehend the current drafting strategy (and I’ll leave the evaluation to people better qualified then me), which makes me worried that in five years, we’ll not be much better off.
I believe that they have an organizational strategy for HOW to develop the players they have (plate discipline, pitching smarter, not harder, etc.). However, if we only ever have AAAA talent, we may get lucky every once in a while (see 2005 or Jake Peavy), but in years where we’re close, we won’t have the talent to trade to put us over the top. David Wells for George Kottaras style deals won’t get it done too often.