Archive for the ‘Minors’ Category

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Riffin’ on Carrillo

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
by Geoff Young
In response to Tuesday's item about right-hander Cesar Carrillo experiencing yet another setback in the Arizona Fall League, reader Christian offered this comment: The Cesar Carrillo news is disappointing. I remember watching the guy throw in game in a college world series qualifier against Joba Chamberlain. He was sitting 92-94 with a ton of movement and good secondary stuff. Hearing he is throwing 85-86 well into his rehab speaks for itself. Yeah, people forget just how good Carrillo was when the Padres drafted him. I was at Carrillo's pro debut in July 2005, and my observations at the time jibe well with Christian's: Carrillo threw 20 pitches in the first inning, 11 in the second, and 9 in the third. He was around the plate and ...
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Posted in Minors | 11 Comments »

Random Tuesday (21 Oct 08)

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
by Geoff Young
I thought I'd take a little random walk through the archives and highlight a few old posts. Not that I'm one for nostalgia, but sometimes it's fun to remember where you've been... From August 24, 2001: Raley Field opened May 15, 2000, and seats, well, I'm not sure, but there were over 12,000 last night. We sat in the lower deck, off the first-base side, just beneath an overhang and behind the Krispy Kreme donut stand. I took some pictures but unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, I won't be able to post those till I return home. The matchup featured an up-and-comer versus a former top prospect trying to make it back to the bigs. The River Cats of Sacramento sent LHP Mario Ramos to the mound; ...
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Posted in Minors, Travels | 3 Comments »

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The Perils of Projecting

Friday, September 5, 2008
by Geoff Young
Five years ago today I was extolling the virtues of one Sean Burroughs, noting the similarities between his second big-league season and that of Derek Jeter. It sounds ridiculous now, but the comparison seemed valid at the time: Sean Burroughs vs Derek Jeter, Sophomore Season  AgePABAOBPSLGOPS+ Statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference. Burroughs22578.286.352.402105 Jeter23748.291.370.405103 The key word here is "seemed." It's important to remember (and something I have to remind myself of constantly) that no two snowflakes are alike, even though they may look the same. It's also important to remember that there are no "sure things" when it comes to prospects. How does this apply to the current rebuilding project? Well, a lot of times -- ...
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Posted in Minors | 24 Comments »

Here, There, and Everywhere

Thursday, September 4, 2008
by Geoff Young
My latest article at Hardball Times looks back at a 1989 game in which the Cleveland Indians collected six hits, all home runs. Joe Carter knocked three of them. Carter, you may recall, came to San Diego the following year and gave a convincing demonstration of how utterly useless the RBI statistic is. Ten men in MLB history have driven in 100 or more runs with a sub-90 OPS+. Carter is the only one to do it twice. Way to go, Joe. Turning to the present, the good folks at Right Field Bleachers have taken the time to chat with me about the Padres as ...
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Posted in Minors, Notes and Links | 5 Comments »

Padres Farm Report: Spotlight on Portland

Thursday, August 28, 2008
by Geoff Young
Portland Beavers in a Box: Record: 69-70 Runs Scored: 695 Runs Allowed: 764 BA/OBP/SLG: .265/.350/.431 (Pacific Coast League: .277/.347/.443) ERA: 5.04 (PCL: 4.84) DER: .632 (PCL: .637) Source: Baseball-Reference. This may be the weakest minor-league team in the Padres organization. In a league that emphasizes scoring, the Beavers' offense is a little below average, while their pitching and defense are considerably worse. The roster features a mix of legitimate prospects, suspects, guys who could have a career on the fringe if everything breaks right, and veterans who aren't going anywhere soon. The best of the lot are second baseman Matt Antonelli (whom I ranked as the Padres #2 prospect entering the season), center fielder Will Venable, and left-hander Wade LeBlanc (#7). Others potentially in the ...
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Posted in Minors | 1 Comment »

Congratulations, It’s a Center Fielder

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
by Geoff Young
One of the few pleasant surprises in a miserable season has been the resurrection of Jody Gerut's career. Gerut, who hadn't played in the big leagues since 2005, signed a minor-league contract with the Padres back in January. Talk about under the radar. As Mick Jagger once sang, "I've got no expectations." It's not like he was never any good, though. During his rookie campaign of 2003, Gerut had enjoyed a fair amount of success with the Cleveland Indians, hitting .279/.336/.494. After tailing off a bit the following year, he fell off even further in 2005 before missing the next two seasons altogether. At that point, what's to expect? How ...
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Posted in Baseball, Minors | 1 Comment »

Padres Farm Report: Spotlight on San Antonio

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
by Geoff Young
I once caught a game at San Antonio's Wolff Stadium, back when the Missions were a Mariners affiliate. It's a nice ballpark in a nice town -- definitely on my short list of places to return to one of these years, especially now that the Padres have their Double-A team there... San Antonio Missions in a Box: Record: 63-56 Runs Scored: 557 Runs Allowed: 479 BA/OBP/SLG: .265/.349/.392 (Texas League: .269/.341/.410) ERA: 3.46 (TL: 4.33) DER: .656 (TL: .647) Source: Baseball-Reference. This is a good ballclub with some solid young talent. The pitching has been superb (San Antonio leads the league in ERA by a healthy margin -- the second place team is closer to last than first), although we need to attach a ...
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Posted in Minors, Playoffs, Roster Notes | 81 Comments »

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