Arizona Fall League Report 10/4 - Nelson, Denorfia & Howard in action

[jmcclain19]

Arizona Fall League Report 10/4

So I had the chance to watch the Mesa Solar Sox yesterday, a team which included some of the Reds minor league prospects. The Sox also has some Tigers, Cubs and Indians prospects on the team.

They took on the Phoenix Devil Dogs, which included the Dodgers, Dbacks and A's prospects, among others.

Yesterday there were three Reds minor leaguers that saw action .

Bubba Nelson - Bubba really wasn't fooling anyone. Had a couple of punch outs, but in general was just serving up some fastballs right down the middle. He was the first guy out of the pen, lasted two innings and was stuck with the loss. Gave up 3 runs, walked a few and gave up a monster home run to the A's Daric Barton. His breaking stuff wasn't overtly impressive. Gun had him in the low 90s with his fastball.

Chris Denorfia - Denorfia also swiped a base, although I'd credit that to the pitcher having a terribly slow windup. Two batters before the RF swiped a base off the same guy; no doubt that Chris was paying attention to the pitchers inattention to the runner. He played LF, had a few balls hit his way, and looked pretty routine out there. Looked better at the plate than either of the other two starting OF's for Mesa.

Kevin Howard - Howard was playing third last night - which was a little peculiar. I saw him last year in the AFL, and he played nothing but 2B the entire time. Had only one hard hit ball at him, and he fielded it well. If you've never see this kid play, he's an interesting prospect. He's fairly tall, and really skinny. It looks, using only my eyes, that he's put on a few pounds of muscle this year, but not much. He looks just like a tall scrawny awkward kid who can ball. Has a quirky stance/swing as well. He's a patient hitter, taking DanO's take one strike credence to heart, and he had one solid line drive hit.

Didn't see Votto, Hanigan or Luke Hudson, although I did see them warming up Allan Simpson in the bully, only to sit him later.

Some other notes.
A Reds blast from the past David Espinosa was the Solar Sox DH, and he had two hits himself, both doubles in the gap. Looks like he's figured out how to play, a few years too late for the Reds.

Daric Barton and Stephen Drew both hit poster shot home runs. Drew had three hits, and the Dodgers RF Kemp nearly hit for the cycle.

Cubs Pitcher David Aardsma has one nasty slurvvy breaking pitch. The Sox catcher was really scuffling trying to fish it out of the dirt. But he has a really fast (98mph) heater that is really flat and the Dogs just waited and tattooed that pitch with regularity. He didn't stay in the game long.

[Danny Serafini]

Didn't realize AFL ball had started already. Not much of a break for Denorfia, Hudson or Simpson.

[Danny Serafini]

What do you know, turns out they're playing right now. Mesa leads 2-0 in the 2nd, Denorfia has an RBI single. Ryan Hanigan is catching today, no other Reds in the starting lineup.

[lollipopcurve]

Thanks, 19 -- interesting to hear your eyewitness take. I still have hope that Kevin Howard will turn into a nice LH bat off the bench, with occadional starts at 2B, 3B and maybe the OF corners.

[Doc. Scott]

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...sswin_pddwin_1

Box score. Man, Phoenix has got some players- besides Drew and Barton, they also have Andy LaRoche and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, both just named top prospects in their leagues by BA. Who ever heard of it, sending your best prospects for extra seasoning like that?

[Patrick Bateman]

Originally Posted by jmcclain19

A Reds blast from the past David Espinosa was the Solar Sox DH, and he had two hits himself, both doubles in the gap. Looks like he's figured out how to play, a few years too late for the Reds.

I won't think that 2 hits in the AFL instantly makes Espinosa a major league player.

He's passed through waivers a few times, so was available to anyone who wanted to assume his contract.

The fact he's playing DH should tell you all you need to know.

[Aronchis]

The Fall League should be abolished.

[4256 Hits]

Originally Posted by jmcclain19

Kevin Howard - Howard was playing third last night - which was a little peculiar. I saw him last year in the AFL, and he played nothing but 2B the entire time. Had only one hard hit ball at him, and he fielded it well. If you've never see this kid play, he's an interesting prospect. He's fairly tall, and really skinny. It looks, using only my eyes, that he's put on a few pounds of muscle this year, but not much. He looks just like a tall scrawny awkward kid who can ball. Has a quirky stance/swing as well. He's a patient hitter, taking DanO's take one strike credence to heart, and he had one solid line drive hit.

.

I like that he is playing some 3rd. He has always been a player I keep an eye on in the minors. I think he has a future as a nice bench guy in MLB if he can play 3rd along w/ 2nd and I am sure it would take much to learn to play an ok OF. I see him as a replacement for Freel in '07 he has more power but less speed than Freel.

[Topcat]

Jmc ty so much for givin these reports. ad all who can pass on more news ty.

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by Aronchis

The Fall League should be abolished.

That's the plan. MLB will likely do away with it very soon as has been discussed earlier this year. They also plan to cut out a lower minor league level

[JaxRed]

No that's the Summer league in Arizona that they are discussing eliminating.

Espinosa hit a whopping .262 in AA and hit 9 homers this year.

[kheidg-]

Yes, thats the summer league.

Thanks for the report, I had no idea it started this soon either.

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by JaxRed

No that's the Summer league in Arizona that they are discussing eliminating.

The article I read didn't specify fall or summer. I didn't even know there was a summer Arizona league. Do the Reds have a team in that league?

Thanks for the clarification!

[JaxRed]

No they have a team in Gulf Coast League which is the other league targeted for extinction....

[Doc. Scott]

Mesa lost their second game as well- 8-7.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...ddwin_msswin_1

Denorfia: 1-for-4, walk, RBI, run scored.

Hanigan: 1-for-5, run scored, passed ball.

Howard: pinch-ran.

David Espinosa socked three more hits. It is just the AFL, of course.