Thursday 7/9/09 minor league updates

[Benihana]

I'm sorry, I'm usually all for making a prospect wait longer than people want at a certain level, but Travis Wood is making a mockery of AA baseball. There's absolutely no reason to keep him in Zebulon.

I'm starting to gain a suspicion that Wood may get moved soon. Either the powers that be don't like something about him, or they're leaving him down there to showcase his dominance to other teams and don't want to risk him losing some of his shine in AAA, or both.

Otherwise, it just doesn't make sense that he's down there. He has the pedigree (2nd round pick), he's put in his time (2nd year in AA), and he has more than proven himself (leading the league in ERA, WHIP, and K's.) What else could possibly be going on here?

[OnBaseMachine]

Dayton is winning 1-0 after 6 1/2.

Fellhauer is 3-for-4 with a double.

[membengal]

He's still only 21, right? Or 22? So he sticks and finished dominating at AA this year, and then starts next year in AAA at age 23. Or makes the big league team out of spring training like Cueto did. Either way, he's on schedule. I am not reading anything nefarious in his still being at AA. There are as many quality bats to deal with at that level as there are at the AAA level which is replete with AAAA types.

[GOYA]

Heisey 2 run double in the 12th scores Corky and McD

5-3 Bats

Heisey is 3 for 6 with a double and a HR

[Mario-Rijo]

He's still only 21, right? Or 22? So he sticks and finished dominating at AA this year, and then starts next year in AAA at age 23. Or makes the big league team out of spring training like Cueto did. Either way, he's on schedule. I am not reading anything nefarious in his still being at AA. There are as many quality bats to deal with at that level as there are at the AAA level which is replete with AAAA types.

Until they make him then spend 2 years in AAA to prove some inane point. Certainly I understand the concept of making a guy become as complete as possible especially when you don't neccessarily need him at the big league level right away. But the Reds are just ridiculous with their sometimes snails pace with guys performing way above standards.

[HokieRed]

He's still only 21, right? Or 22? So he sticks and finished dominating at AA this year, and then starts next year in AAA at age 23. Or makes the big league team out of spring training like Cueto did. Either way, he's on schedule. I am not reading anything nefarious in his still being at AA. There are as many quality bats to deal with at that level as there are at the AAA level which is replete with AAAA types.

Agree. I suspect the timetable is for him to spend all next year at AAA anyway. So if he goes up now, Aug. 1, or beginning next season, it really doesn't matter much.

[GOYA]

Viola closes the door

Bats win 5-3

We need Maloney to pitch 7 or 8 tomorrow, the pen has been used a lot recently.

[GOYA]

Player	        AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
Stubbs CF	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	.280
McDonald RF	6	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.305
Heisey LF	6	1	3	1	0	1	4	0	1	.354
Barker DH	6	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	.263
Rosales SS	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	3	1	.373
Sutton 3B	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.244
Bankston 1B	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.239
Valaika 2B	5	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2	.230
Miller C	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.160

Player	                IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pettyjohn 	        5.0	3	1	1	3	3	1	5.12
Wells, K (H, 1)	        2.0	1	0	0	0	3	0	2.08
Baez (H, 3)	        0.2	2	2	2	0	1	0	4.40
Kennard (BS, 1)	        2.1	3	0	0	2	5	0	3.16
Burton (W, 1-0)	        1.1	2	0	0	0	2	0	2.08
Viola (S, 7)	        0.2	1	0	0	0	1	0	4.33

[mace]

Nice night for the Class A pitchers. Dayton (Partch, Martinez, Gonzalez) and Sarasota (Gonzalez--not the same one--and Thurman) both win 1-0. Meanwhile, Carolina (Wood, Ondrusek, Watson) is still scoreless after 10.

[Caveat Emperor]

Until they make him then spend 2 years in AAA to prove some inane point. Certainly I understand the concept of making a guy become as complete as possible especially when you don't neccessarily need him at the big league level right away. But the Reds are just ridiculous with their sometimes snails pace with guys performing way above standards.

Wood has also had difficulty staying healthy in the past, which may factor into their decision making.

Frankly, I like the pace they're taking with Wood. It's a refreshing change from the usual way the Reds do business with their pitchers.

[mace]

I believe Mace Thurman, in particular, is quite good.

[Scrap Irony]

Until they make him then spend 2 years in AAA to prove some inane point. Certainly I understand the concept of making a guy become as complete as possible especially when you don't neccessarily need him at the big league level right away. But the Reds are just ridiculous with their sometimes snails pace with guys performing way above standards.

Like how slowly they moved with Jay Bruce? With Johnny Cueto?

Please.

Allow him a year of domination much like he did in 2005. In '07, Wood struggled in A+, then played well there in 2008 to earn his promotion to AA. There, he struggled to the tune of a 7.09 era in 17 starts.

[mace]

2-run HR for Frazier in the top of the 11th. 2-0 Carolina.

[mace]

With two outs in the bottom of 11, Logan Morrison and the Jacksonville manager are ejected. Then a HR off Watson.

[mace]

2-1 final. So all the clubs have won tonight, as did the GCL dudes today. But Billings won't. After going hitless through 6, the Mustangs are down 7-1 in the 8th. And of course we haven't heard from the DSL 10:30 a.m. game.