Billings, Reds extend working agreement

[OnBaseMachine]

Mustangs, Reds extend working agreement

Billings, Mont. -- The Billings Mustangs and the Cincinnati Reds announced today that they have agreed to extend their current Player Development Contract for an additional two years - continuing one of the longest partnerships in professional baseball through the 2012 season.

"The Mustangs and Reds have one of the longest running affiliations in professional baseball and we're pleased that our relationship will now extend beyond the 2010 season," said Mustangs General Manager Gary Roller. "The Reds commitment to sending us talented players and quality people year after year falls directly in line with our objective of providing the community of Billings and surrounding areas with a highly competitive brand of professional baseball.

"We're fortunate and thankful to have a baseball partner like the Cincinnati Reds and look forward to many more years of shared success," Roller added.

The 2008 season marked the 35th year that Billings has been affiliated with the Reds. Currently the Mustangs and their Major League parent club are in the middle of a four-year contract that would have expired at the conclusion of the 2010 Pioneer League season. The new contract extends the Mustangs relationship with Cincinnati two more years for a total of 39 consecutive seasons.

"The Reds are very pleased to extend their Player Development Contract with the Billings Mustangs through the 2012 season," said Terry Reynolds, Cincinnati's Director of Player Development. "Our relationship with the City of Billings and the Mustangs is very important to our organization."

The Cincinnati Reds have been providing players to the Billings franchise since 1974. But Reynolds noted the new ballpark in Billings - Dehler Park - was positive step in the partnership.

"The commitment that the Billings community has made to the Reds and professional baseball is greatly appreciated and we look forward to many more years of exciting baseball at Dehler Park," Reynolds said.

The Cincinnati Reds finished the 2008 season with 11 former Mustangs on their 40-man roster. And the majority of the top prospects currently in the Cincinnati Minor League system wore a Mustangs uniform at the beginning of their professional careers.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[princeton]

awesome, because Billings immediately lets you know if a kid has absolutely no chance at hitting in the majors

best quick and dirty assay in the minor leagues

[Mario-Rijo]

awesome, because Billings immediately lets you know if a kid has absolutely no chance at hitting in the majors

best quick and dirty assay in the minor leagues

I don't know if you received my PM a while back on the subject of your theory about Billings or not, I never got a response so I assume you didn't. But my PM was asking you if you had considered any changes to your theory with this new park?

It seemed too me that an awful lot of guys looked pretty good in the Slg dept. for Billings this season. 7 guys with 100 or more PA's OPSed north of .800 not including Soto who didn't have 100 PA's there. One interesting guy that didn't however was Brett Bartles who played for Billings last season and tore it up and this season he just didn't hit the ball with the same force apparently because the only #'s he had that changed dramatically were his BA & Slg%, I.E. his BB's & K's were almost the exact same in the almost same amount of PA's.

New park or just better prospects?

[OnBaseMachine]

I remember reading in the Billings Gazette that the new ballpark was supposed to favor pitchers. I'm not sure if that held true after the games began but I found that interesting.

[Mario-Rijo]

I remember reading in the Billings Gazette that the new ballpark was supposed to favor pitchers. I'm not sure if that held true after the games began but I found that interesting.

Well if that's the case it's probably great news for us.

[gedred69]

The legacy of the association, Reds/Mustangs has been one long-lasting constant thing. (I am sure Dayton will be the same). They teach 'em real good there, I hope it lasts a lot longer. What would really be cool, would be if this sight could get some Mustangs fans to post during their season, so we could hear about actual game and field presence, instead of just all the stat sheet readers.

[Mario-Rijo]

The legacy of the association, Reds/Mustangs has been one long-lasting constant thing. (I am sure Dayton will be the same). They teach 'em real good there, I hope it lasts a lot longer. What would really be cool, would be if this sight could get some Mustangs fans to post during their season, so we could hear about actual game and field presence, instead of just all the stat sheet readers.

Well if you guys wanna put a few bucks together I'll volunteer to go and watch them all next summer.

[gedred69]

Well if you guys wanna put a few bucks together I'll volunteer to go and watch them all next summer.

I'd be in line for that as well! On that train of thought, I wonder if some kind of group rate could be obtained if a bunch of Cincy fans wanted to make a few days trip of it to watch the 'Stangs, and visit the amazing Montana country-side.

[princeton]

I don't know if you received my PM a while back on the subject of your theory about Billings or not, I never got a response so I assume you didn't. But my PM was asking you if you had considered any changes to your theory with this new park?

It seemed too me that an awful lot of guys looked pretty good in the Slg dept. for Billings this season. 7 guys with 100 or more PA's OPSed north of .800 not including Soto who didn't have 100 PA's there. One interesting guy that didn't however was Brett Bartles who played for Billings last season and tore it up and this season he just didn't hit the ball with the same force apparently because the only #'s he had that changed dramatically were his BA & Slg%, I.E. his BB's & K's were almost the exact same in the almost same amount of PA's.

New park or just better prospects?

Bartles never was a prospect, so why even think about him?

to me, Stubbs will be a great test case. He hit about like Jason Larue did in Billings, and Larue was only OK in the majors because of his position. I figure that Stubbs probably turns out about the same-- he probably hits enough because he can play CF.

Stubbs is pretty big, though, and walks a lot. if he ever shows power, he can buck the trend.

[Mario-Rijo]

Bartles never was a prospect, so why even think about him?

to me, Stubbs will be a great test case. He hit about like Jason Larue did in Billings, and Larue was only OK in the majors because of his position. I figure that Stubbs probably turns out about the same-- he probably hits enough because he can play CF.

Stubbs is pretty big, though, and walks a lot. if he ever shows power, he can buck the trend.

I think you missed the point of my post. I'm not saying Bartles is or isn't although now that you bring it up he did more than fine there last season so based on your theory he should have been fine going forward.

But that wasn't the point of my post it was to look at the differences between the old park and the new one and what effect that could have on your theory. It seems there were alot of guys who slugged at a decent clip there this season so is that because of the new park or is it just proof of better prospects. How does the new park effect your theory if at all?

[princeton]

sure I got your point.

How does the new park effect your theory if at all?

doesn't. if you can't hit in Billings, you still can't hit in Cincy. Until shown otherwise.

it's not a theory. it's a correlation.

[Mario-Rijo]

sure I got your point.



doesn't. if you can't hit in Billings, you still can't hit in Cincy. Until shown otherwise.

it's not a theory. it's a correlation.

Ok I guess I was looking at it slightly different. But that doesn't mean to suggest that if you can hit in Billings it means anything at all. Just if you cannot hit there you can't hit in the show.

Yes at this point it's a correlation and a tough one to argue with. But I wasn't trying to be facetious or sarcastic, it just so happened that "theory" was the best word I could come up with at the time.

[princeton]

Ok I guess I was looking at it slightly different. But that doesn't mean to suggest that if you can hit in Billings it means anything at all. Just if you cannot hit there you can't hit in the show.

exactly. there will be many people that can hit at Billings. We know nothing about them.

but we know plenty about them that can't.

I think that you raise a fair point about ballpark. But the ballpark is still in Billings (elevation 3124 feet) and team is still in a fastball league. those might be more important.

[Mario-Rijo]

exactly. there will be many people that can hit at Billings. We know nothing about them.

but we know plenty about them that can't.

I think that you raise a fair point about ballpark. But the ballpark is still in Billings (elevation 3124 feet) and team is still in a fastball league. those might be more important.

Ah I see I didn't even consider the altitude, didn't even realize it was that high. Also it's certainly telling if a guy cannot hit a good fastball.