Sunday April 20th minor league updates

[OnBaseMachine]

-Louisville plays at 2:00 with Tom Shearn on the mound.

-Chattanooga begins at 2:15 with Daryl Thompson pitching.

-Sarasota is about to get underway with Alexander Smit starting.

-Dayton starts at 2:00. Not sure who is starting that game.

[OnBaseMachine]

Sarasota is scoreless after 1 1/2.

Smit: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

[OnBaseMachine]

Smit allows a solo HR.

3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Sarasota trails 1-0 in the 3rd.

[Joseph]

Smits been solid this year so far hasn't he? Is he a little old for the level though?

[OnBaseMachine]

Smits been solid this year so far hasn't he? Is he a little old for the level though?

He's 22 which isn't bad for High-A. He come into the game with a 6.75 ERA in 12 innings with 12 K's.

[OnBaseMachine]

Bruce got ahead 3-0 in his first atbat, took a called strike and then doubled to RCF. He's 1-for-1.

[OnBaseMachine]

Andrew Bowman is starting for Dayton today. His first start since April 6th when he threw 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

[OnBaseMachine]

Thompson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

[OnBaseMachine]

Bruce lines a RBI single to CF on a 3-2 count. He's 2-for-2 with a double on a 3-1 count and a single on 3-2.

BTW Ross is 1-for-1 with a solo HR

[OnBaseMachine]

Thompson: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

[OnBaseMachine]

Bowman got rocked: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K

[redsfan10]

he's 24 Smit

[OnBaseMachine]

he's 24 Smit

He was born on 10/2/85. That makes him 22 years old.

[OnBaseMachine]

Thompson: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

[OnBaseMachine]

Bruce hits a sac fly on a 2-0 count in his third atbat.

[OnBaseMachine]

Thompson: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

[reds44]

I really think it's time to call Bruce, Bray, and Hairston up.

[Grande Donkey]

I really think it's time to call Bruce, Bray, and Hairston up.
Not me. I like watching Corey Patterson go 0 for his last 20.

[reds44]

Not me. I like watching Corey Patterson go 0 for his last 20.
He's also like 1 for his last 28 or something like that.

[REDblooded]

what day this week will homer pitch again? they're playing in Indy, and I'd like to go see him throw.

[Caveat Emperor]

I really think it's time to call Bruce, Bray, and Hairston up.

His inability/unwillingness to walk tells me that he needs more time in the minors.

Bruce isn't going to hit .340 in the majors, and if his OBP is entirely BA driven at ~.300, he'll be an out-machine in the lineup. The team doesn't need any more of those.

[OnBaseMachine]

Miguel Cabrera didn't exactly walk a lot in the minors and he's improved his eye at the majors. I'm not worried at all about Bruce.

Jose Reyes too.

[reds44]

His inability/unwillingness to walk tells me that he needs more time in the minors.

Bruce isn't going to hit .340 in the majors, and if his OBP is entirely BA driven at ~.300, he'll be an out-machine in the lineup. The team doesn't need any more of those.
Of course he won't, but you would also go by the theory with the way he has torn up the minors, why bother taking walks? If you see something you know you can hit, swing at it and hit it.

GCL (Age 18): .270/.331/500
Billings (Age 18): .257/.358/.457
Dayton (Age 19) .291/.355/.516
Sarasota (Age 20): .325/.379/.586
Chattanooga (Age 20): .333/.405/.652
Louisville (Age 20): .305/.358/.567

Coming into today this year: .323/.344/.548

Before this year, he's always managed to post very respectable BA/OB splits.

Even if he went all Brandon Phillips at hit .275 with a .330 OBP, with his power, it would be a huge upgrade over Corey Patterson's bat. We all know CPatt plays great D, but right now the Reds need runs.

[OnBaseMachine]

Thompson: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K

[reds44]

Hairston just went 3 run yard, his 2nd of the day.
He's 3-5 with 2 HR and 5 RBI.

He is hitting .429 with 3 HR, 15 RBI, 7 2Bs, and a 1.243 OPS.

[jesusfan]

Bruce, Bray, Hairston up.... Weather DL, Coffey down, Castro DFA... DO IT!

[Matt700wlw]

Hairston just went 3 run yard, his 2nd of the day.
He's 3-5 with 2 HR and 5 RBI.

He is hitting .429 with 3 HR, 15 RBI, 7 2Bs, and a 1.243 OPS.

...meanwhile, Castro is hitless on the season

[Grande Donkey]

Bottom 8th in Louisville. Bruce is leading off the 9th.

[SarasotaFan]

Cabrera just homered...

[Screwball]

Bruce grounded out to 2nd before Cabrera's homer.

[UC_Ken]

Bruce has consistently had an OBP of 50 points higher than his BA. It doesn't make him patient but it doesn't make him Jeff Francour either. The offense has really struggled and Bruce has hit at every level including AAA. I see no reason to let the season waste away with Corey Patterson playing CF while the top prospect in all of baseball, the guy who the Reds made untouchable, is hitting well in AAA.

[reds44]

Bruce has consistently had an OBP of 50 points higher than his BA. It doesn't make him patient but it doesn't make him Jeff Francour either. The offense has really struggled and Bruce has hit at every level including AAA. I see no reason to let the season waste away with Corey Patterson playing CF while the top prospect in all of baseball, the guy who the Reds made untouchable, is hitting well in AAA.
This.


Bruce, Bray, Hairston up.... Weather DL, Coffey down, Castro DFA... DO IT!
And this.

[Caveat Emperor]

Even if he went all Brandon Phillips at hit .275 with a .330 OBP, with his power, it would be a huge upgrade over Corey Patterson's bat. We all know CPatt plays great D, but right now the Reds need runs.

Jay Bruce will never be an "elite" player until he learns to walk more.

Period.

In 2007, there was exactly 1 player to OPS north of .900 while walking 50 times or less: Chase Utley. He walked 50 times, but still OBP'd over .400 because of his .332 BA. The rest of the guys on that list are posting BB totals in the 70+ range.

Times for him to stop hacking and start learning to be a better hitter -- developing those skills will only make him better when he does make it to Cincinnati.

[reds44]

Jay Bruce will never be an "elite" player until he learns to walk more.

Period.

In 2007, there was exactly 1 player to OPS north of .900 while walking 50 times or less: Chase Utley. He walked 50 times, but still OBP'd over .400 because of his .332 BA. The rest of the guys on that list are posting BB totals in the 70+ range.

Times for him to stop hacking and start learning to be a better hitter -- developing those skills will only make him better when he does make it to Cincinnati.
He's 21 years old, I don't think anyone really expects him to be an "elite" hitter already. If he was hitting .340 in AAA with a .430 OBP and a .560 SLG at the age of 21 it'd be a very rare thing. Will he be an elte player until he learns how to walk? No. Does that mean he won't learn how to walk? No. Does that mean he's not an upgrade over what we currently have running around in CF? No. I am just not sure how much patience he will learn in AAA when he is going against pitching he knows he can mash.

[OnBaseMachine]

Goodness. Bruce just turned 21 years old. As I already pointed out, Miguel Cabrera and Jose Reyes weren't big walkers in the minor leagues and look where they're at now. Bruce has plenty of time to improve his plate discipline and will do so once pitchers begin to fear him. And who says Bruce can't hit .330 ala Utley?

[Tony Cloninger]

If he can hit like Francour.....than the walks are no big deal to me. That guy's plate coverage is something the Reds could use in the middle of that lineup.

I guess Vlad Guerrero was not an elite hitter either during those first years in MTL.

[Lockdwn11]

I have no dought that if Bruce was right handed he would be up with the Big club right now

[OnBaseMachine]

Chattanooga lost 4-3 but Daryl Thompson pitched great again. Thompson's final line was: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Thompson's 2008 stats:

23.2 IP, 16 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 25 K, 0.76 ERA

[reds44]

Chattanooga lost 4-3 but Daryl Thompson pitched great again. Thompson's final line was: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Thompson's 2008 stats:

23.2 IP, 16 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 25 K, 0.76 ERA
Dare I say Cueto-like.

So if Thompson and Bray pan out, the Reds could still be the back-door winner of that trade.

[OnBaseMachine]

Stubbs also had a pretty good day going 2-for-4 with a triple. He's hitting .323/.417/.452 through 62 atbats and is 8-for-8 in the stolen base department. Keep it up Drew.

[jackson]

very nice D. Stubbs

[RedsManRick]

I know this is the FSL, but a .120 ISO SLG when he's going well isn't terribly exciting. Setting aside the value of the whole package, at what point does he need to actually start hitting for power before we drop the Mike Cameron comparisons?

Not that I will complain in the least if he reaches his ceiling, but I see more Carl Crawford than Mike Cameron.

[dougdirt]

I know this is the FSL, but a .120 ISO SLG when he's going well isn't terribly exciting. Setting aside the value of the whole package, at what point does he need to actually start hitting for power before we drop the Mike Cameron comparisons?

Not that I will complain in the least if he reaches his ceiling, but I see more Carl Crawford than Mike Cameron.

Like you said, its the FSL. Its also real early. Its so early that if he turned just 1 of those doubles into a HR his ISO slugging would go up 31 points.

[11larkin11]

Come on man. He is finally learning to hit the ball at a professional level. Now we're complaining about not enough power? Things will fall into place. And anyways, who said a Carl Crawford was a bad thing?

[Aronchis]

I put Stubbs power with Bailey's lack of K's. Something to worry about and worry about it alot.

[Degenerate39]

I put Stubbs power with Bailey's lack of K's. Something to worry about and worry about it alot.

There have been plenty of major leaguers that don't have much power but were good fielders, contact hitters, base runners, etc. Stubbs just isn't the power type so there's nothing to worry about because not everyone's going to have power.

[PuffyPig]

I put Stubbs power with Bailey's lack of K's. Something to worry about and worry about it alot.


Somehow I guess that most of us will sleep well tonight.

You can worry for all of us.

[Aronchis]

Somehow I guess that most of us will sleep well tonight.

You can worry for all of us.

Great, I woke up from a nightmare of a 3k Bailey game and Stubbs hitting 280 in Sarasota with 1 hr on the year..................in July.

[cincyinco]

Aronchis, was he still perfect in the SB department?

In a league that saps power, I'd say his SLG is solid.

In a league thats a pitchers league, he's hitting .310 in 58 AB

In a league that is pitcher friendly, he's getting on base at a .403 clip!

In a non hitter's league, he's still slugging .414 and Still has an OPS north of .800

For a CF in that context, I'd say he's doing pretty well. Leaps and bounds of improvement shown so far.

8 SB
0 CS

Stubbs needs to keep on playin

[dougdirt]

I just wanted to point out when Ryan Braun was 22 and in the FSL his iso SLG was .163. He was promoted mid season to AA and it went up to .286. The next year in AAA it went up to .359. Now I am not saying Stubbs is going to do that, but that league makes people look like they aren't power hitters and everywhere else they go, they are.

[fearofpopvol1]

I think the real test will be when Stubbs goes to AA. It's still early, but I wonder how much longer until they promote him? The SLG doesn't bother me much. He's at least making contact and hitting for average. That's a lot more than we could say this time last year and he's in a much tougher league. Let's just hope he continues to progress.

[lollipopcurve]

I think the real test will be when Stubbs goes to AA.

Every new level is a test. Certainly the FSL, in particular, tests hitters.

[OnBaseMachine]

Chattanooga: Another gem lost

By: David Paschall
(Contact)

Chattanooga Lookouts starting pitcher Daryl Thompson is 4-for-4 in stellar performances this season, but his teammates are only 2-for-4 in support.

Mobile rallied past Chattanooga 4-3 Sunday afternoon at AT&T Field behind Orlando Mercado’s leadoff home run to left-center off Carlos Fisher in the top of the ninth inning. But Thompson provided another gem, giving up one run in six innings while allowing no walks and striking out five batters.

Drew Anderson batted for Thompson in the bottom of the sixth, and his two-run homer to right-center gave the Lookouts a 3-1 lead.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t get a win out of this ballgame,” Lookouts manager Mike Goff said. “Daryl has been consistent, and he gives us a chance to win every time he goes out there.”

The Lookouts (8-9) still have not had consecutive wins this season.

Thompson also left with the lead April 8 against Birmingham at AT&T, and the Lookouts lost 6-5 in extra innings. The 22-year-old right-hander from Mechanicsville, Md., is 2-0 after four outings with an 0.76 earned run average.

“I’m feeling really confident out there,” Thompson said. “I know that we can score runs and that we haven’t been scoring that many. I haven’t had much run support when I’ve gone out there, but I try to put out as many zeros as I can.

“So far I’m pretty satisfied, but there have been times where I’ve made mistakes and they didn’t make me pay for it.”

Thompson was acquired from Washington in July 2006 as part of an eight-player trade that sent Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner to the Nationals. Last season, he went a combined 14-5 with a 3.18 ERA in 27 starts at Single-A Dayton and high Single-A Sarasota, ranking first among Reds minor-leaguers in wins, second in ERA and fifth in strikeouts with 121.

He was added to Cincinnati’s 40-man roster in November.

With Cincinnati already having issues in its rotation, Thompson has been mentioned as a second option behind Triple-A Louisville’s Homer Bailey should the Reds delve into their farm system. Bailey, who pitched for the Lookouts in 2006, is 3-1 with a 1.03 ERA through four starts.

“I try not to pay attention to that,” Thompson said. “While I’m here, I’m just going to do what I can do and give 110 percent no matter what. If I give my best stuff and it doesn’t work, then I’m not going to be mad. I’ll just sit back and wait my turn for anything that happens.”

Said Goff: “He knows if he keeps throwing well that the opportunity will present itself and that it’s a matter of time. He’s got a good opportunity before the season is out. Every time out, he’s been fantastic.”

Mobile pulled within 3-2 in the seventh when Guillermo Reyes singled to center to score Cyle Hankerd and tied it in the eighth when Hankerd singled to right to score Bryan Byrne. Mercado was hitting .200 at the time of his game-winner.

Ramon Ramirez (0-1, 3.27 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight’s 7:15 game for the Lookouts, with Hector Ambriz (1-1, 4.41) scheduled for the BayBears.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/apr/21/chattanooga-another-gem-lost/

[Benihana]

Interesting. I don't know why they would bring up Thompson before Maloney. It would seem to me that Maloney should definitely be considered for the rotation first, considering his age, experience, and what hand he throws with. However I do think Thompson is the better prospect for the long term.

[nate]

Great, I woke up from a nightmare of a 3k Bailey game and Stubbs hitting 280 in Sarasota with 1 hr on the year..................in July.

But the rest of the dream was:

*Homer's start was in an inning of relief for the Reds
*By July 1st, Stubbs had been in Dayton for three months

:cool:

[TRF]

I'm back and forth on Stubb's performance thus far. Stubbs really doesn't have much power at all. His game is OBP, however, he needs to be consistent and hit. If he can hit .280+ at every stop, then he's going to be an outstanding leadoff hitter. But if his BA starts dropping, then that is a problem. pitchers will figure out what he can't hit in the zone. and while walks don't slump, he'll have to walk a ton to make up for his low contact rate.

Stubbs didn't hit at Billings. He didn't hit at Dayton until the second half. He is hitting now.I don't care about HR's with Stubbs, singles and doubles will be fine. But the season isn't even a month old. How he's doing at the end of May will be far more telling.

[PuffyPig]

Great, I woke up from a nightmare of a 3k Bailey game and Stubbs hitting 280 in Sarasota with 1 hr on the year..................in July.

The nightmare you would have would be Bailey striking out 12 in a game.

[Tony Cloninger]

I realize people think if you don't SO people in AAA....you will get hit in the majors. Personally.....I would rather have him get people out in the least amount of pitches needed...so he can go more than 5-6 innings.

Another 7-8 inning starting pitcher to eliminate the need for bad middle relievers is a great thing.