Is Billings Roster complete?

[flash]

I must admit I have sometimes wondered about how the Reds put these teams together. Billings seems to have a fairly good fan base. The town refurbished the stadium a year ago. They always have a meet a greet before the season also. The Mustangs also usually put a good team on the field also. The GCL by contrast seems to be a rather ragged organization. You can't even find out where they play (probably some high school field or a covered dump site.) They don't post attendance figures so probably nobody shows up. Kinda like Sarasota which draw more seagulls than spectators. It my history is correct they usually win about 10, maybe fifteen games and lose 40-50.

I don't know, but if I had just signed a contract I would strongly want to be in Billings than sweating in whereeversville Gulf coast. I wonder if there is any statistical data on the success of players passing through either place.

[JaxRed]

Billings is higher level of rookie ball than GCL, so generally, college guys go there and high school guys go to GCL.

They do the GCL games at the back fields of the spring traning facility. No admission, no fans (literally 4 or 5 people usually family) are there, no score board, nothing.

[mace]

Linebaugh retired. When a player retires, he goes on the restricted list so the organization maintains his rights. This prevents an unhappy player from retiring, then un-retiring and signing with another organization.

Thanks, 72. Do you have any updates on Hildenbrandt? He's listed on the Billings roster but was not mentioned in an article naming the starting rotation.

[flash]

Billings is higher level of rookie ball than GCL, so generally, college guys go there and high school guys go to GCL.

They do the GCL games at the back fields of the spring traning facility. No admission, no fans (literally 4 or 5 people usually family) are there, no score board, nothing.

So GCL is like Baseball School or Basic training. I think some of the team needs a refresher course.

[dougdirt]

So GCL is like Baseball School or Basic training. I think some of the team needs a refresher course.

Not really, its just the lowest level of pro baseball in the minor leagues that is played in the US. No one really cares about it because well, its played where they just don't care about baseball. Sure, it would be tough to sell tickets to that level of baseball, but in different areas I bet you could sell some. The league is a whole lot more about just getting experience against other pro's than it is trying to win something.

[redsof72]

This week: Hildenbrandt on the 60 day DL after should surgery. Others: Lotzkar: 60 day, elbow surgery. Jeff Jeffords, 60 day, elbow surgery. Ismael Guillon, 60 day, elbow surgery. Brodie Pullen, 60 day, elbow surgery. Greg Dombrowksi, 60 day, shoulder surgery. Blaine Howell, inactive, mission.

[mace]

Wow, that's a lot of news, and a lot of surgically repaired pitching talent. Thanks.

[camisadelgolf]

Does anyone know if there's a timetable on Chiu coming back?

[Benihana]

This week: Hildenbrandt on the 60 day DL after should surgery. Others: Lotzkar: 60 day, elbow surgery. Jeff Jeffords, 60 day, elbow surgery. Ismael Guillon, 60 day, elbow surgery. Brodie Pullen, 60 day, elbow surgery. Greg Dombrowksi, 60 day, shoulder surgery. Blaine Howell, inactive, mission.

Any word on when Hildenbrandt (I didn't realize he had surgery?) and Lotzkar will return? So much for Buckley not drafting young pitchers that run into arm troubles. While the infielders (Frazier, Cozart, Soto) from that 2007 draft have been strong, the batteries from that draft have not fared as well (Mesoraco, Lotzkar, Hildenbrandt, etc.)

Also for Guillon- any idea when he gets back on the mound?

Thanks.

[redsof72]

Don't have specifics on any of those guys. But instructional league at the earliest and in some cases, spring training or later.

Judging a draft is a tricky thing. In Dayton, we are looking at the 08 draft as a weak draft, but if Alonso and Stewart become MLB stars, then it is a great draft even if the other 47 picks never get out of A-ball. But that is a big if. Alonso's situation reminds me a lot of Xavier Nady. Big bat. Had an injury his second year in the minors. Nady got to the big leagues and eventually became a pretty solid player, but he didn't do it from day one as some expected. They were saying the same things about Nady in 2002 as we are saying about Alonso in 2009. That fan that wanted to trade Joey Votto the day the Reds signed Alonso might want to re think that one.

[flash]

Not really, its just the lowest level of pro baseball in the minor leagues that is played in the US. No one really cares about it because well, its played where they just don't care about baseball. Sure, it would be tough to sell tickets to that level of baseball, but in different areas I bet you could sell some. The league is a whole lot more about just getting experience against other pro's than it is trying to win something.

What you say makes a lot of sense. I still see it as sort of basic training for a baseball team if it is mostly 18 year olds involved. Most of them will be out on their own for the first time in their lives. They have to learn how to make their beds, do their laundry, show up for work on time without a hangover, and of course balance a checkbook. Then on the field issues like not getting made at an umpire. Can't have a 18 year old going off in front of small town America like Billings, Montana So it makes sense to lay down some ground rules for them.

A couple more questions:

Do the players stay in a common dwelling and eat at the same place? Just how much control do the Reds exercise over these young guns?

[Benihana]

Don't have specifics on any of those guys. But instructional league at the earliest and in some cases, spring training or later.

Judging a draft is a tricky thing. In Dayton, we are looking at the 08 draft as a weak draft, but if Alonso and Stewart become MLB stars, then it is a great draft even if the other 47 picks never get out of A-ball. But that is a big if. Alonso's situation reminds me a lot of Xavier Nady. Big bat. Had an injury his second year in the minors. Nady got to the big leagues and eventually became a pretty solid player, but he didn't do it from day one as some expected. They were saying the same things about Nady in 2002 as we are saying about Alonso in 2009. That fan that wanted to trade Joey Votto the day the Reds signed Alonso might want to re think that one.

If Alonso = Nady, does that mean a move to LF could be in his future?

[redsof72]

No, I am not saying that at all. I believe Alonso is limited to first base. My comparison is to the types of comments you hear about his bat. My comment was not really meant to say that they are similar players, just that the things I hear about Alonso remind me of what I was hearing about Nady when Nady was at the same point of his career. They had Nady as a fixture in San Diego before he had his first at-bat above the Single-A level. He did turn out to be a good player, but it took longer than expected, and he has been traded three times.

[princeton]

Ismael Guillon, 60 day, elbow surgery.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=2099

[OnBaseMachine]

NOTES: A rash of injuries in the Cincinnati Reds system required a lot of roster shuffling, allowing Brown and Kuo to move up so early in the season. ... Pfister joined the Mustangs from Dayton, where he batted .214 in 32 games. He's a 17th-round pick from 2008. ... liam Stramp and Derrick Lowery are among the Mustangs battling early injuries. Garcia said Stramp (oblique) and Lowery (hamstring) could be out two weeks or longer.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/artic...8-mustangs.txt