tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154318652024-03-13T14:51:49.855-04:00Minor BravesMy rambling opinions on the world of the Atlanta Braves and their minor leagues.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-67472929920779900372016-04-13T01:29:00.000-04:002016-04-13T01:29:15.291-04:00Braves Week 1 Minor League ReviewYeah I am doing a weekly review on Tuesday because that is how my work schedule falls. So I am just going to look at who the best pitchers and hitters were each week for the Braves minor leaguers. I will also try to highlight some guys who we may not talk about but have been performing well. Without further ado here is my first week's review for 2016:<br />
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Austin Riley - 3B - Rome Braves</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Stats - .318/.348/.636 - 1 HR, 4 2B, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 9 K</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">In the first week of the season Riley has been exactly what we had hoped. The strike out rate is high so far, but at 19 years old he doesn't appear overmatched early on. I am really high on him and I think he might be one of the best hitting prospects we have had since Freeman and Heyward came up. </span></div>
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Dansby Swanson - SS - Carolina Mudcats</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Stats - .400/.483/.600 - 5 2B, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 SB</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Swanson's first week as a Brave was a great one. It will be interesting to see how long the Braves can keep him in A ball, and with the issues at SS in Atlanta how long they can keep him out of the majors. The only problem with him playing in Atlanta is there might be someone else in his way.....</span></div>
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Ozzie Albies - SS - Mississippi Braves</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Stats - .346/.393/.385 - 1 2B, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 SB, 1 CS</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Albies hasn't started off white hot, but after an 0-4 start to the season he has a hit in every game and has been on base multiple times in every game except tonight's contest. He hasn't shown much power yet, and most likely he won't show a ton, but he has some pop for his size. His eye will almost certainly improve going forward as well. Still this is an excellent start for a 19 year old in AA. There is a very good chance he will be in the majors at 19. I believe the last Brave to do that was Andruw Jones. </span></div>
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Keith Curcio - CF - Carolina Mudcats</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Stats - .462/.500/.692 - 4 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 SB</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I honestly didn't know much about Curcio until this week when he was tearing the cover off the ball. The 23 year old, drafted in the 6th round of 2014, spent the first part of last year having his way with Sally League pitchers before a promotion to Carolina slowed him down some. That appears to be his M.O. as he did the same thing the year before between Danville and then Rome. He returned to Carolina to start this year and after a week of work he appears to have a handle on things. Curcio is the kind of player many would consider a 'grinder' as he has small stature and lacks tons of tools, but he gets the job done. I feel like he could be a guy that never shows up on prospect lists but could get a few years of play in Atlanta as a very solid 4th outfielder. </span></div>
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Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-80231526508814858322016-04-05T01:01:00.000-04:002016-04-05T01:01:06.891-04:00Alright I am bringing this site back. The Braves have an interesting farm system for the first time in years and I am excited about. There isn't much in Atlanta to be excited about this year so I am going to use this blog to channel my Braves energy. I'll also probably be trying to learn how to use blogspot again, so over time I expect this to evolve as I get more comfortable with the layouts. I'll start the year with my top 10 Braves prospects. I'll follow up with something more in depth later. (Also I like to use tiers to separate players so you'll be seeing that a little below):<br />
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1. Dansby Swanson - SS/2B - Dansby is a pretty clear cut #1 for me and he gets his own tier. I'm not sold he is the building block of the Franchise like so many people think he is. Brendan Rodgers was the clear cut best talent in last years draft, but Swanson was taken first due to his higher floor.<br />
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<b><u>Tier 2</u></b><br />
2. Sean Newcomb - LHP - He is the closest thing the Braves received to a top of the rotation starter in all of their trades, but he comes with his own warts. He has strike-out stuff, but very little idea where it is going most of the time. He might be a left handed Mike Foltynewicz which is scary<br />
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3. Ozzie Albies - SS/2B - Albies has been gaining ground as one of the top prospects in the game over the last year and a half and he hasn't done much to dampen the excitement. He showed in spring training he might be closer to being ready than previously thought. He combines solid defense at SS with strong contact ability and plus speed. All things that give you a high floor in the big leagues. Even if he doesn't get much better he is already a useful big league piece.<br />
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<b><u>Tier 3</u></b><br />
4. Aaron Blair - RHP - Blair was another piece that came over from the D-Backs in the Shelby Miller trade. He might be a similar pitcher to miller with a heavy 4 seam fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s, He is close to the majors and should make his major league debut this season.<br />
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5. Austin Riley - 3B - I am all aboard the Riley train. Granted the Braves have had guys tear up the Appy league before and never really do much (Eric Campbell, Robby Hefflinger, Cody Johnson), but Riley doesn't appear to have the huge swing and miss in his game that those three had. Fingers crossed he turns into a middle of the order guy.<br />
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6. Kolby Allard - LHP - Allard might have the most potential of anyone in system. He was rumored to be in the mix for the top pick last June, but injuries pushed him down to the Braves. He has electric stuff from the left side and looks to be in full swing coming into the 2016 season. Hopefully the Braves can strike gold like the Nats did with Lucas Giolito.<br />
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7. Hector Olivera - LF/3B - The much ballyhooed deal that brought Olivera to Atlanta rests on the shoulders of Olivera. Pretty much everyone agreed that Olivera had a major league ready bat when he signed with the Dodgers, but that hasn't born out in his time in the US. He really only needs to be a 3 win player to justify his salary, but right now there is not telling where he ends up.<br />
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8. Mallex Smith - CF - Smith is a tough one for me. At his peak he seems like he could be a better version of Michael Bourn, with above average defense early in his career and plus-plus speed. He has a slap hitting approach that could see him get on base with his speed and his walk rates have been solid in the minors. I have a hard time getting excited for this type of player, but he has performed all the way up the ladder so he deserves some attention.<br />
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<b><u>Tier 4</u></b><br />
9. Lucas Sims - RHP - I have a soft spot for Sims. He has good stuff and has been pretty durable in the minors (outside of missing time from a bus accident). His profile reminds me a little of Kevin Millwood which may be while I stay excited for him. Also he is still only 22 years old even though it feels like he has been around forever.<br />
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10. Mike Soroka/Touki Toousaint/Max Fried - RHP/RHP/LHP - I could go a ton of different ways here. The Braves minor league depth right now is a little absurd and there are a lot of guys down in the 10+ range that could make huge jumps this year. These three I think are the most likely, all with different reasons why they aren't higher (injury, glaring control issues, not enough exposure yet) but I feel that anyone one of the three (or all three) are good bets to make significant strides this season.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-57935681429871563612013-07-09T03:38:00.003-04:002013-07-09T03:38:38.783-04:00What is Robby Hefflinger?<div dir="ltr">
Is he the second coming of <a href="http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=451080">Cody Johnson</a> or is there more to him than just a slugging corner OF? </div>
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Well the short answer to the question is, no he isn't Cody Johnson. Not by a long shot. If you don't know who Cody Johnson is just click that link up there. Actually I will give a short explanation. He was a first round draft pick in 2006 who most people considered a reach at the time in a thin draft. Power was always his calling card and he had it in bunches. The problem, as with most power hitters, is he completely sold out for power. But really in a way that no one else did. His lowest strikeout rate at any stop, at any level in the minors was 26.7%. So yeah, contact problems. </div>
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=571764">Robby Hefflinger</a>. Since being drafted Hefflinger has always been said to have good raw power. The problem was, unlike Johnson, it never really showed up in games. You don't have to look far to see why he has raw power: he stands 6' 5" and weighs 235. He's an athletic big guy as well, serving as a backup catcher in college on top of being a pitcher. But all that size and athleticism has taken time to develop in to in game results. He has shown steady improvement each year. In 2009 he posted just .288 wOBA in 240 AB with Danville. In 2010 he made the Rome roster, but had just a .298 wOBA (.132 ISO). 2011 saw him return to Rome for a full season, but he still showed little improvement with .303 wOBA and .151 ISO. His strikeout rate was 26.7% and his walks dropped from 8.1% in 2010 to 5.2% in 2011. </div>
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Hefflinger made one last trip to Rome in 2012 and something clicked. In 296 AB there he hit 12 homers (already a career high) and had a .200 ISO. His strikeouts dropped to 23.8% and his walks jumped to 11.2%, both of which were career bests. That season just set up his breakout in 2013. His 23 homers are obviously already a career high, and his .293 ISO is nearly 100 points better than his previous high. He has even kept his K rate below 25%. His walks have suffered some, but that can probably be attributed to him just hitting the ball so well. </div>
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So what <i>do </i>we have here? At 23 he isn't a young guy, but the Cardinals are proving that everyone doesn't have to be Jason Heyward, Bryce Harper or Julio Teheran to be a useful player. Hefflinger has enough power in his bat that I think he could be a useful player in the majors. Maybe even a starter. He has made the adjustments necessary as he moved up the ladder, even if he spent a couple years on one rung. His K rate has lowered as he has moved up, which I LOVE to see, and his walks have fluctuated but remained solid enough. I wouldn't be surprised if he flamed out in AA or AAA, but there is enough potential here to have a nice player in a couple of seasons in case one of our OFers disappears. </div>
Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-34141313230643010172013-07-06T20:04:00.001-04:002013-07-06T20:04:39.604-04:00Braves First Round Pick Jason Hursh Makes His Pro DebutThe Braves took <a href="http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=592422">Jason Hursh</a> in the first round with the 31st overall pick in this June's draft. He signed for $1,704,200 which was exactly slot value for the pick. He made his debut last night in the Sally League against the Asheville Tourists. He pitched two innings and struck out three while walking one and allowing zero hits. Not a bad debut, especially considering a nearly two hour rain delay.<br />
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The Hursh pick was met with lukewarm reception from many of the Braves fans I know, which honestly befuddles me. Is he a perfect prospect? Well he has already had Tommy John surgery, but his 98 mph fastball seems to indicate that is behind him. Early scouting reports indicate that while his fastball is excellent, he is in need of better developed secondary pitches, but the fastball is so good he might just be able to get by with just average secondary stuff. He is 21 years old (22 in October) and Julio Teheran is 22. So no he isn't young by many prospect standards, but I don't expect him to be in the minors for more than a season and a half. Some people wanted us to go for a bat in this spot, but this draft was so thin to begin with I just don't know if you have anyone out there who can be an impact player that late in the first round. Hursh can be an impact arm.<br />
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I think we got a guy who has a fairly high floor as a hard throwing reliever and a high ceiling if he can leverage the secondary offerings into something more. One thing the Braves are lacking is a top of the rotation starter. They have several solid pitchers who make good #2 or #3 pitchers, but I'm not convinced that even Teheran is a top of the rotation guy. Hursh has that live fastball that can't be taught. If his secondary stuff comes around he could be a very valuable guy in a couple of seasons. I think with <a href="http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=543242">J.R. Graham's</a> injury, Hursh jumps to the top of our prospect list.<br />
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<br />Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-7684021847449613412013-07-06T02:28:00.001-04:002013-07-06T02:28:21.678-04:00I'm Back with a little Joey Terdoslavich on the side<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has only been 7 years right? Why am I back after such a long hiatus? Because I love Braves baseball and I love minor league baseball. And those two things were pretty much everything this blog was supposed to be about back when I decided to start in many, many years ago. So where have I been you ask? Long story, but I wrote for another Braves blog (<a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/">Talking Chop</a>) for about six years as their minor league recap guy. That was fun until it became more job-ish than I really wanted. I left for a year and then was asked to return by Martin, the site manager. But then he left after two months and that was my queue to leave as well. I still visit TC, and it really is the best Braves blog out there, but it was just too rigid anymore for what I wanted to do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So I took time off and realized that I still want to write, that I had been doing it so long, that I guess I needed to keep doing it. And then I checked the cold, dead husk of this, my original blog, and saw that it had 26 hits on July 4, 2013. WHAT?!?! And that reminded me why I wanted to do all of this in the first place: people want info about Braves minor league players and there still aren't a ton of places to find it. So I am making a comeback, and I am older and wiser than I ever was before (well at least a better writer anyways). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lets talk about <b><a href="http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=519345">Joey Terdoslavich</a></b> shall we? The Braves just called up "Terdo" (on the record? I hate that name, but unfortunately it looks like it will stick) and I am sure a lot of people are wondering what we have with him. I've always been a fan of the guy because I just have a thing for doubles hitters. He was drafted out of Long Beach State as a power hitting third baseman, and I am sure the Braves would have loved for that to work out, but Terdo is terrible in the field just about anywhere he is. They tried him at third in the minors for a couple of years but eventually he got moved across the diamond to first and then to the outfield where he has found a home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to the doubles thing: he can hit them and hit a lot of them. In 2011 at Lynchburg he set the Carolina League record for doubles in a season with 52. He also hit 20 homers that year which also isn't bad. After a disappointing start in Gwinnett in 2012 he was shipped to Mississippi to get things on track and put up similar numbers to his Lynchburg campaign. He returned to Gwinnett for 2013 and put together a fantastic half season with a .318/.359/.567 line with 18 homers and 24 doubles. His June stats were the most impressive with 10 of his homers coming during the month and adding 13 walks (he had just 9 in the first two months of the season). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what are the negatives? Well he can't really hit lefties that well (.235/.304/.382 so far in 2013). We already talked about how he can't field. And he doesn't take many walks. Although he has gradually gotten better throughout his career (going from a 6% rate all the way up to 8.8% this season). He doesn't strike out a ton either which can offset the lack of walks. Aaaaand the only positions he can play are currently manned but Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman. Even if he could play third it isn't like Chris Johnson has been a gaping hole at third. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what we have now is a guy who could be a nice pinch hitter against right handers and someone who can spell Freddie Freeman, the corner OFs or even fill in at DH until Evan Gattis gets back.. but may not have a place on this team in the future. </span>Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1153180286969621762006-07-17T19:37:00.000-04:002006-07-17T19:51:26.980-04:00Mississippi BravesWell Mississippi could largely be considered a dissappointment solely on the shoulders of Jarrod Saltallamacchia's first half performance. The consensus top catching prospect in baseball ended the first half going on the DL with an batting average south of .200 and only 4 homers (none since may). Surprisingly many people in the Braves organization (and outside it) haven't even given up hope. Salty has said he is working on his defense, but that seems skeptical. He went on the DL with a wrist injury. I wonder how long he has had that, because wrist injuries can be significant. Also reasons for optimism are he was HUGE in the second half last year at the Beach and maybe that injury will heal just right. Again, I'm not giving up hope, just worried right now. There have been some bright spots for the M- Braves, who finished 31-38 in the first half standings. Matt Wright has been outstanding, starting the AA all star game for the Southern League. He went 7-3 with 84 Ks in 89 inn. pitched against only 28 BBs and a 2.22 ERA. Now he is a little old for AA at this point (24) and recently got a promo to AAA. We'll see how that goes. Yunel Escobar has been steady for Miss. but without much power. His slg. is .383 but his OBP is .373 with a .284 average; so he is taking some walks while playing some 3B and 2B. Brandon Jones (one of my fav prospects) has also held his own recently since a promo to AA. Even flashing a little more power than expected. It seems his power comes in spurts but throughout the season he has maintained his good plate discipline while learning the nuances of the game. Matt Harrison was recently promoed to AA while Anthony Lerew was demoted. Lerew has pitched well since being reunited with Bruce Del Canton and Harrison has been stable. We'll see how both of those play out in the long haul.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1153078099715116382006-07-16T15:20:00.000-04:002006-07-16T15:28:19.726-04:00Mid-Season Reviews<span style="font-weight: bold;">Richmond</span> <br /><br />Well the only bright spot for the R- Braves was Scott Thorman and now he is becoming a bright spot for the A-Braves in left field. I have always liked Scotty and think he could be a solid 30 homer, .280 guy in left field (which would be huge). As far as the rest of the team the only other player that could be called a prospect is Martin Prado. He was sent to Richmond after a bried call-up earlier in the season to Atlanta. He has held his own batting .262 but with limitted power and speed production. I don't know what the Braves will get out of him later. Bobby loves him but he is going to have to hit for an incredibly high average to be valuable. Local walk machine Wes Timmons is hurt and rehabbing in the complex and Kelly Johnson spent some time at Richmond before succombing to Tommy John. It will be interesting to see what happens with him and Thorman when he recovers. I would love to see thor get the 1B job and Kelly hold down LF for the next 6 seasons. Tony Pena JR. has been servicable just recently getting his average up over .270 but with no plate discipline and very little power. This team is historically bad with the poor pitching and lack of offense. Almost all of the Braves talent is in the bigs or the low minors. More to come on the other teams.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1152985062396696022006-07-15T13:34:00.000-04:002006-07-15T13:37:42.406-04:00WowI haven't been in such a long time it is mind boggling. I don't even know what has spurned me to come back right now other than I have been in a huge baseball mood of late. Minor braves teams are having some interesting seasons. Rome won the first half title on the surprising offensive display of Kala Kaaihue and a couple others bolstered by some strong pitching. They are slumping a bit in the second half. And Scott thorman was probably one of the best hitters in the minors in the first half until he was promoted to the big show. More on the teams and prospects later.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1126406841138770672005-09-10T22:20:00.000-04:002005-09-10T22:47:21.146-04:00Andruw Jones for MVP?There has been a lot of clamoring about Andruw for MVP lately, and with due reason. Andy's season has been spectacular. He had the breakout season that everyone was projecting for this year (and many years in the past for that matter). He is producing at right about the level that was expected of him in the minors. He is playing above average defense (although I don't know if its still as top notch as a couple years ago) with an average that fits right in with his minor league numbers (although i do think he can hit for higher average) and exceptional power and RBI numbers. He has become a true force in the middle of the order and maybe the top power hitter in all of baseball. But is he the MVP. He's got a good case, but Pujols has had another spectacular year. He is almost a shoe in every year for .330/40/120 and he is going to pull that again this year. The only problem against Andruw really is his low BA at .274 he is significantly lower than the other three candidates (Pujols - .338, Lee .345, Cabrera - .333) who all incidentally rank 1-2-3 in the league. If Andruw Jones eventually leads the league in RBI and Homers with, say, a 53/140 line does that make him a sure fire MVP? Not really. Because he will lead two of the triple crown categories (which are important, no matter what some people say) but will be outdone by the other three in all other categories save maybe Slugging. And that is gonna be close because of Andruws odd lack of Doubles. (Although A-Rod doesn't hit many double either). What could win Andruw is his close and late numbers. His poor avg w/RISP has been documented @ .222 for the season. But his close and late numbers are .295 with 9 HR and 17 RBI. He also has something like 19-20 game winning RBI, which can be misleading since if he hits a solo homer in the first and that is the only run of the game that is considered a GW RBI. But he has been clutch, which is decidedly anti-Andruw from most other years. I know how valuable he has been to the Braves this year in the absence of Chipper and any other real threat in the line-up, but not being a Cardinals, Cubs, or Marlins fan i can't tell you how valuable the other guys have been to the other teams. I know the Cards have been depleted this year but they have a huge lead in their division. Cabrera has been amazing at 22 years old but his team has floundered. Lee, has a good shot still but the Cubs are out of it. I think Andruw will probably win the award in the end because of some huge moments he had, almost like the Heisman moments they always say a Heisman winner should have. But Pujols probably deserves it for a more consistent and overall body of work. I don't think this will be either one of their last chances though.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1126067393222615322005-09-07T00:29:00.000-04:002005-09-07T01:10:43.883-04:00Final StandingsWell the minor league seasons have all come to an end save for the playoffs but unfortunately Braves fans in all cities don't have to worry about that now.<br /><br />Richmond 56-88<br /><br />The R-Braves finished the season with the worst record in the league. Throughout the season they had Andy Marte, Scott Thorman, Anthony Lerew, Kyle Davies, Brayan Pena, Carlos Duran, James Jurries, Chuck James, Joey Devine and Josh Burrus. If that had been the team all year they may have had the best record in the league, but with the big club relying so heavily on the minors this year only Jurries spent the entire year at the AAA level. It will interesting to see which of these returns here next year. (Crosses fingers against Marte).<br /><br />Mississippi 36-34 (First Half) 28-34 (Second Half)<br /><br />The M-Braves had to cancel the last 2 weeks of the season in their first year in Pearl in the wake of the Katrina aftermath. This team was hit hard by promotions also seeing the entire middle of the order (Francoeur, McCann, Thorman) get the call up and also seeing some of the better pitchers get promoted out (Lerew, Boyer, James). Some good things came from this club though. Martin Prado established himself as one of the better hitting 2B in the minors and maybe a future incumbent of Marcus Giles. Luis Hernandez started slow and was streaky for the rest of the year but wasn't completely horrible as a hitter in AA and actually did well when put in the #2 hole. Brian O'Connor was also among the league leaders in ERA for most of the year. Carlos Duran was hurt again this year but spent most of it here not doing too poorly.<br /><br />Myrtle Beach 33-37 (First Half) 28-42 (Second Half)<br /><br />The Beach had several of the players with the best all around seasons in its confines at one point or another this season. Chuck James started here dominating and left after only 8 starts. Jarrod Salty Dog (not typing that name if i don't have to) was the best catcher in the minors in the worst hitters park hitting .314/.394/.519 on the season with 19 bombs and 81 RBIs and rave reviews on his improved defense. Now the question is does he surpass McCann in a couple years or does someone switch positions. Tough call for the Braves. Brandon Jones also finished here on the season and I love him. I think he is the best OF we have in the minors right now and could end up being a very solid LF. He'll push Kelly Johnson in a couple years. Also Carl Loadenthal, Steve Doetsch, and Matt Esquevil all bear watching in the outfield as they move up to a more hitter friendly eviron next season. Diory Hernandez could go big too. More on the pitchers later.<br /><br />Rome Braves 39-29 (First Half) 33-36 (Second Half)<br /><br />Matt Harrison emerged as the next lefty tradebait for the Braves. I don't think all the Braves lefty's serve as trade bait, I think Chuck James is the real deal, but Harrison doesn't seem all that exciting to me. James Parr Does. At 19 he posted a sub 3.5 ERA and he sports a good mid 90s fastball. We'll see. Yunel Escobar is good enough to maybe make the leap to the majors next year. They like him that much. Matt Young, i don't even know who he is, but he hit .312 with excellent plate disc. Jurich didn't do as well as I had hoped but he did take a ball to the face to start the season. JC Holt was horrible for 4 months, but was brilliant the last month to reestablish himself as a great 2B prospect. I still like him a lot.<br /><br />Danville 47-20 (lost to Elizabethtown in a three game series for the Championship)<br /><br />The only minor league affiliate to make the postseason and oddly enough against the Twins. Why is that Odd? The Braves and twins are the two clubs who focus the most on drafting HS players. Also both teams are opposed to MLB eliminating some of the low minors like the Appy League because it would hinder their draft philosophy. Anyways, Eric Campbell made this league his bitch. He led the league in Homers, RBI, slugging, and everything you can think of. Max Ramirez wasn't far behind leading the league in AVG as a catcher. Jon Owings (Brother of Micah from Gat Tech/Tulane fame) was an above average hitter with Ovandy suero providing speed and AVG at the top of the order. Jairo Cuevas was dominant in the rotation posting 69/55 K/IP ratio and a 1.95 ERA.<br /><br />GCL Braves 24-28<br /><br />I don't know much about most of these guys cause they all got drafted this year. The most notable was Elvis Andrus. He is a 16 year old SS, 16...years....old. He hit in the .350 range for much of the season and then tailed off near the end to hit .295. He didn't hit for much power, but that is to be expected of a 16 year old. He had very good plate disc, again especially considering his age. Most people considered him the best prospect in the GCL and the Braves have been raving about him since spring training. It'll be interesting to see where he goes next year.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1126023275285579922005-09-06T12:12:00.000-04:002005-09-06T12:14:35.290-04:00Future ScheduleIn the next couple of weeks I will be doing a prospect list of the top 30-50 braves in the system. I haven't decided quite how many yet. I also considered doing one for all organizations and maybe a minor league depth chart or all prospect team. I don't know yet. Anyways if anyone is reading this let me know what you think and if there is anything that you would like to see.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1125886290233392582005-09-04T21:57:00.000-04:002005-09-04T22:11:30.240-04:00LerewAnthony Lerew got the promotion to the majors yesterday. Not a huge surprise here as the more prospects they call up the more insurance they have in the bullpen for the stretch run. None of them called up after Sept. 1 are eligible for the postseason though unless someone on the 25 man roster gets injured and then you can replace them in the postseason with anyone in your system. Its a dirty little trick the Angels used to win the World Series (see Frankie Rodriguez). Lerew is one of my personal favorite pitchers in the organization. A year and half ago he was good pitcher who could top out as a #3 starter in the majors. Then midseason of 2004 he got a 5 mph boost in his fastball apparently due to mechanical changes and he lost a little control. If you had been following him based purely on his stats you would have seen him dominate the first half of the season with an ERA in the 2s somewhere and then start to lose it in the second half. Strange indeed. But he came back this year, learning to harness his newfound velocity that puts him up in the 97 mph range This year at Mississippi he wass 6-2, 3.93 in 75 inn with 64/32 K/bb and at Richmond he was 4-4 3.48, 73 inn. and 53/29. His walk rates are high but they will decrease as he learns his velocity better and his K rates will get better with his better control and improved off speed stuff. He made his pro debut today with .2 inn and a K. He now has slight potential as a #1 if he figures stuff out a little more. Delmon Young said he was the best of the three between him, Davies, and James. We'll see.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1125636528389267892005-09-02T00:38:00.000-04:002005-09-02T00:48:48.393-04:00September Call UpsWell nothing too exciting to report on this front. Kyle Davies, Jim Brower, Brayan Pena, Brian Jordan (off the DL), and Andy Marte the only real surprise call up. The Braves were apparently fulfilling their promise to Brower about bringing him back. Never promise anything to a bad pitcher. He proved them dumb tonight by giving up the game tying runs and blowing a big lead. Kyle Davies however looked great out of the pen for the Big Club. He pitched three scoreless innings but still had a pitch count around 50. Once he gets his pitch counts down he will be an effective no. 2 starter i think. Marte got the call presumably because A. they already got his major league clock ticking by calling him up earlier this season and figured why not let him keep hitting in the pros and B. as insurance for Chipper down the stretch. Marte will be real good, just needs to get that first major league homer. Joey Devine didn't get called back up. He got rocked last night in Richmond which continues a trend for him since his last couple of outings at AA up to the majors and now at richmond. Maybe he is tired. I think he'll be back with the big club before the season is out.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1125428151548384242005-08-30T14:43:00.000-04:002005-08-30T14:55:51.553-04:00MLB NewsAlso the Braves picked up Todd Hollandsworth from the Cubs for minor league pitchers Angel Burrows and Todd Blackford. So we basically got him for nothing so it can't be a bad trade. Burrows was a OF turned relief man. He had a strong arm but won't show up in any top 10 lists for the braves (and probably not top 30). Blackford was picked in the 2004 draft and is still playing short season ball. Nothing really impressive about him. Hollandsworth gives us some insurance in left for Johnson and Langerhans. Francoeur is going to play everyday no matter what. It will be interesting to see how Bobby platoons the LF spot now.<br /><br />Rumors are flying about Furcal going to the Cubs in the off season. I'd love to keep him but i have some crazy scenarios that we could do to get a lead off hitter if we can't. We'll see if he wants to take a home town discount to stay with us.<br /><br />And finally September call ups will be happening soon. Davies will be back for sure and B Pena. After that i don't know really know. I would put good money on Chuck James getting the call and maybe getting a start or two and with an equally good shot at making the post season roster as a lefty specialist. His number against LH hitters this year are something unreal. I need to find a site with good minor league stats. Others that might get a call: Andy Marte (if they think they can use him), Anthony Lerew RHP (they would want to get him a start or two, which would be hard but his fastball could help the pen if there are problems there still), Tony Pena SS, Jon Schuerholtz Jr. Util (for the name only).Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1125427094926375042005-08-30T14:35:00.000-04:002005-08-30T14:38:14.930-04:00AwayI haven't posted in a while. I went on vacation and have worked pretty solid since i got back. I'll update as best as possible as soon as I can. The seasons are coming to an end soon. GCL action has already ceased and saw the callup of Elvis Andrus to Short Season Danville where he has been hitting fairly well. He looks to be one of those guys who won't have any power at all until his body fills out. I mean damn, he's 16 years old. I forget how young that is to be playing some level of pro baseball.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124428703808526382005-08-19T01:18:00.000-04:002005-08-19T01:20:22.116-04:00New FriendI just wanted everyone to know that i added a new link on the right hand side. MLB Heaven. You guys should go check it out. The blog covers the whole MLB and he takes questions and what not and does some similar things to me.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124389080028804552005-08-18T13:53:00.001-04:002005-08-18T14:18:00.033-04:00Andy MarteHow good is he? Very good I think. Since his full season debut at Macon in 2002 (where he was only 18) most of his primary stats (HR, AVG, SLG etc..) have remained steady but still uspectacular. He is one of those guys that can lull you to sleep unless you look at things closely and in persepctive. This year Andy is 21 year old at AAA. That is quite young, especially when you consider that AAA is full of older guys waiting in the wings to be called up. His average has always remained in the .265-.280 ranges yet people constantly say that in his prime they expect several seasons akin to Adrian Beltre's 2004 (.334, 48 HR & 1017 OPS). I find that a strange prediction considering his highest AVG in the minors has been .285. I am willing to be though that it is based on his improving plate discipline and age relative to league. With a more indepth look at his stats you see that every year, despite being one of the youngest players in the league each year, his K/BB numbers increase: 2.8 to 1 in 2002, 1.7 to 1 in 03, 1.8 in 04, and so far in 05 he is down to 1.3 to 1 and has struck out around 20 less times through the same number of ABs as last year. Just since last year he went from striking out 27% of the time to 21%. In 550 ABs that pro rates out to 115-120 Ks not too bad for a projected 45 HR hitter especially if he walks 85+ times. The reason why so many people like him is because is projectable and his projections are quite high. He reminds me of Mark Texeira in that regard. Well there is my first prospect bio what do you think?Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124389074521497342005-08-18T13:53:00.000-04:002005-08-19T01:17:58.506-04:00Andy MarteHow good is he? Very good I think. Since his full season debut at Macon in 2002 (where he was only 18) most of his primary stats (HR, AVG, SLG etc..) have remained steady but still uspectacular. He is one of those guys that can lull you to sleep unless you look at things closely and in persepctive. This year Andy is 21 year old at AAA. That is quite young, especially when you consider that AAA is full of older guys waiting in the wings to be called up. His average has always remained in the .265-.280 ranges yet people constantly say that in his prime they expect several seasons akin to Adrian Beltre's 2004 (.334, 48 HR & 1017 OPS). I find that a strange prediction considering his highest AVG in the minors has been .285. I am willing to be though that it is based on his improving plate discipline and age relative to league. With a more indepth look at his stats you see that every year, despite being one of the youngest players in the league each year, his K/BB numbers increase: 2.8 to 1 in 2002, 1.7 to 1 in 03, 1.8 in 04, and so far in 05 he is down to 1.3 to 1 and has struck out around 20 less times through the same number of ABs as last year. Just since last year he went from striking out 27% of the time to 21%. In 550 ABs that pro rates out to 115-120 Ks not too bad for a projected 45 HR hitter especially if he walks 85+ times. The reason why so many people like him is because is projectable and his projections are quite high. He reminds me of Mark Texeira in that regard. Well there is my first prospect bio what do you think?Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124337497946408032005-08-17T23:13:00.000-04:002005-08-17T23:58:17.953-04:00Recap 8/17/05<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Richmond<br /><br />Buffalo 0<br />Richmond 5</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />Seven scoreless inning from Kyle Davies put this one in the bag with James Jurries going 2-4 with a two run homer. Andy Marte was 1-4 with a K. I look at some of his minor league numbers and reminds me a little of Andruw except Marte's plate discipline has developed at each level. Still one of my favorite players.<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mississippi<br /><br />Jacksonville 9<br />Mississippi 4</span><br /><br />Joey Devines blew the save in the ninth without allowing an earned run. Of course he did allow 5 of the unearned variety. He apparently gave up a grand slam after an error in the inning with two outs. Nothing else was even interesting in the box score. Luis Hernandez didn't start after hitting well lately. I don't know what to think about this team. It had some good prospects earlier in the year. Now it seems empty except Josh Burrus and Martin Prado.<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myrtle Beach<br /><br />Pelicans 4<br />Lynchburg 7</span><br /><br />Matt Lorenzo didn't pitch particularly well and really only Diory Hernandez seemed to have a solid night at the plate. He was 2-3 with a solo homer and a walk. Continuing his resurgence of late. Doetsch and Esquivel were both 1-4 with a double. Salty Dog was 0-3 with a walk. Nothing else too spectacular in this one.<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rome<br /><br />Rome 10<br />Columbus 6</span><br /><br />In the first game of a doubleheader the top of the order really took care of business. Matt Young, J.C. Holt and Yunel Escobar went a combined 10-14 with 5 runs and 3 RBI. THat is setting the table. And all of a sudden the Braves minor league system has seen a revival of sorts in the middle infield. Holt is up to 255 on the year and escobar just rakes hitting .331 at Rome. Ivan Terazzes went 3-4 with a 3B and a HR with 4 RBI. James Parr went 6 strong giving up 2 runs and striking out 4 with no walks. Not bad for a 19 year old.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rome 1<br />Columbus 4</span><br /><br />Not as exciting in the second game. At least not for the Braves. Matt Young was the offense. He was 2-3 with a homer. That was all of the hits although not many of the regulars were playing.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danville<br /><br />Princeton 5<br />Danville 4</span><br /><br />Eric Campbell hit his 15th HRand had 2 RBI with a BB. Quentin Davis was 3-4. There were a few other hits scattered around. <br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">GCL Braves<br /><br />Braves 2<br />Phillies 7</span><br /><br />Brandon Monk doubled for 2 runs and that was it. Andrus was 0-4 as the DH. Valenzuela pitched and gave up 2 runs through 4 innings with only one strike out. Greg Creek had his 5th error at 3rd. Again nothing else too exciting here.<br /></span>Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124325744423106012005-08-17T20:41:00.000-04:002005-08-17T20:48:08.770-04:00Jeff "Frenchy" FrancoeurAs I am sitting here I am watching the Braves game against the Dodgers and i just can't believe what i am seeing. Jeff Francoeur, one of the biggest coups that John Schuerholtz has ever pulled off (a top 10 draft talent that JS got on something like the 27th pick) is blowing Atlanta and the national media up. Tonight alone he has a rally starting triple, got his ninth outfield assist gunning Odaliz Perez at second, and hit a two run homer, his tenth in just over 100 ABs. The kid is penomenal. There were so many people at the beginning of the season killing his plate discipline and saying how it would hold him back. And they had a valid point. He was never one to strike out a ton, but it was really the fact that he walked so much. Now that everyone has seen him play they all realize he just loves to swing the bat and there isn't much he can't hit. Was he bored with the minors? I mean why now? I don't find his performance this year akin to Charles Thomas from last year. I think this is how Jeff is going to be. He was born to be an Atlanta Brave.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124257168033215192005-08-17T01:09:00.000-04:002005-08-17T01:39:28.036-04:00Game Recaps 8/16/05<span style="font-weight: bold;">Richmond<br /><br />Buffalo 3<br />Richmond 1</span><br /><br />Lerew pictched a solid 6.1 giving up two runs with 3 Ks but no run support. Marte was 1-3 with the only XBH (a 2B) for the Braves. Only Jurries had a multi-hit performance @ 2-3. T Pena knocked in the run and had his 30th error. I don't see him as our shortstop next year.<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mississippi</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jacksonville 6</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pearl 4<br /><br /></span>The Braves faced the daunting Chad Billingsley, one of the best pitching prospects in the minors. He held them to two runs and two hits through 6 innings. The Braves staff did keep Andy Laroche at bay with an 0-2 night. Ryan Basner gave up all 6 runs for the Braves in a little more than 4 innings. Josh Burrus had two RBI on a single, one of only three hits the Braves had.<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myrtle Beach<br /><br />The Beach 7<br />The Burg 5</span><br /><br />Good production from the top of the order as Loadenthal and D Hernandez go 6-8 with 4 runs, 2 2B, a SB and 2 RBI. Not bad. Salty Dog was 1-4 with a 2B and RBI. Brandon Jones may have been pulled from the game early but I'm not sure about it yet. Chris Waters pitched a decent 7.1 giving up 3 earned.<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rome<br /><br />ROME v COLUMBUS<br />RAIN</span><br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danville<br /><br />Princeton 3<br />Danville 2<br />Susp. Rain</span><br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">GCL Braves<br /><br />Tigers 6</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Braves 4</span><br /><br />Elvis Andrus was 1-4 with a 2B and Greg Creek was 2-4 and is batting .331 with only 17 Ks in 140 ABs. I should find out who he is. Pedro Rayo went 4 hitless and struck out 5 allowing only a walk and lowered his ERA to 1.50. Need to find out who he is too.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124220020087530702005-08-16T15:13:00.000-04:002005-08-16T15:20:20.096-04:00Best ToolsThe Best Tools issue of Baseball America arrived at my house today. Andruw Jones got best Defensive Outfielder and Best OF Arm for the NL while Smotlz was #2 in Best Slider. Furcal also was 2nd in Fastest Baserunner and had the Best IF Arm. In the minors there wasn't a whole lot of Braves Praise. Andy Marte received Best Def. 3B for the International League. Josh Burrus was voted the fastest baserunner for the Carolina League and Matt Harrison had the Best Control in Sally League.<br /><br />On a side note i think will start putting together a top prospects list for the end of the month when the minors season ends.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124169626968380622005-08-16T00:56:00.000-04:002005-08-16T01:20:26.973-04:00Quick RecapsOk this just in, King Felix is good. He goes 8 strong against KC gives up one, Ks 11, 11!! And has found excellent control since the promotion as he only walked one also. I really hope he stays healthy but if you know anything about top of the line Seattle pitching prospects you know they don't stay healthy. They have handled him with kid gloves. Just pray cause he could be a GREAT one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Richmond<br /><br />Buffalo 0<br />Richmond 1</span><br /><br />Yeah so this also just in. Chuck James = filthy. James is finally in an age relative context that i feel comfy with (23 @ AAA) and he is still dominating. He gives up one hit over eight innings but does walk 3 with <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> 4 Ks. R Braves only needed one run with Chuckie on the hill.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mississippi<br /><br />Off Day<br /><br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Myrtle Beach<br /><br />The Beach 7<br />Lynchburg 6</span><br /><br />Well Jake Stevens continues his rocky season. Wasn't he supposed to break out at the friendlist pitchers park around? I don't know. He got the win anyways. Salty Dog goes 2-5 with an RBI and Diory Hernandez is hitting again with a 3-5 effort. I always did think he was better all around than Luis H. We'll see, we seem to have a few SS around most of them are just too low to replace Furcal right now. Maybe Betemit for a year then Escobar. Sidetracked sorry. Brandon Jones playing CF also went 2-4 with and RBI and pushes his seasonal average back up to .300<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Rome</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Greeneville 5</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rome 6</span><br /><br />Continuing the one run wins Rome puts away Greenville in the battle of Braves affiliates. My man Escobar goes 2-4 with an RBI, BB, and K. B Jordan on rehab continues to pretend to hit with a 3-4 2B, 2RBI performance. I don't want him back. Clint Sammons adds to the organizational pitching depth with a 3-4 game. And finally one of my personal favorites (although he hasn't produced much yet this year) Mark Jurich with a 2-5 game and an RBI. Atilano wins but gives up 5/4 earned in 7 innings followed by good relief appearances from Paul Bush and Will Startup who could both be in line to help the MLB pen by next season along super closer Joey Devine.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />GCL Braves</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Braves 1</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tigers 7</span><br /><br />I don't really know quite enough about these guys yet to comment on thm too much except future super prospect went 0-4 from the leadoff. Other wise the only other name i know is Adam Parliament who drove in the only run of the game for the Bravos with a 1-3 day.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124152695830092462005-08-15T20:34:00.000-04:002005-08-15T20:38:15.836-04:00TidbitsJust a little bit of info for tongiht. I won't be posting until later because of a going away party for a good friend of mine from work. A couple of things to keep an eye on though. At the major league level King Felix makes his third MLB start. He was dominant in his last start going 8 scoreless and not surrendering a run (or a walk for that matter). For the Braves Chuck James throws for the R Braves tonight. If you don't know about him yet, shame on you. He has a great story and a ridiculous career in the minors. Interesting prospect all around and he can't be ignored any more. It will be interesting to see what he can do in his second start at AAA after dominating High A and then AA. I'll be back tonight to put up some game recaps since i don't have work tomorrow.Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15431865.post-1124083202688229522005-08-15T00:07:00.000-04:002005-08-15T01:20:02.696-04:00Game Recaps 8/14/05<span style="font-weight: bold;">Richmond Braves</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Richmond 5 Game 1</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charlotte 0</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>This one was completed after 7 innings due to the doubleheader. The R Braves take the win on a solo homer by Scotty Thorman in the 2nd inning. He went 2-4 on the day. They topped off the offense with a 4 run 5th. Andy Marte chipped in with a 2-run single on a 2-3 (with a walk) day and journeyman minor league outfielder Kerry Robinson went 3-4 on the day. Kevin Barry went 6.1 with seven Ks and only gave up 4 hits and 3 BBs. Jason Childers finished off the last two outs of the game to get the save.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Richmond 1 Game 2<br />Charlotte 6<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><br /></span>Charlotte turned the tables on the Braves in the second game of the day. The Bombers dropped 5 runs on Dan Curtis in his return to Richmond after an eight game stint in AA Mississippi. Only two of the runs were earned but it doesn't seem like it mattered as the offense was shut down by the bombers pitching. The Braves only mustered 3 hits and a run in seven innings of play. Jurries gets the only RBI and XBH. Marte and Thorman combine for 0-6 and a K.<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mississippi</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mississippi 0</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chattanooga 11</span><br /><br />Yeah, so the Lookouts outdid us in the pitching and hitting departments in this one with Josh Burrus and Gregor Blanco getting the only hits for the M Braves. (Although Burrus did walk twice which is always impressive for him.) Sean White got ripped for 8 runs in 5.1. Not much else to say about this one.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>---------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Myrtle Beach<br /><br />The Beach 1</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Salem 8<br /><br /></span>The Pelicans didn't handle things any better @ Salem. The erratic Kevin Villa gave up 6 runs in 3.1 and gave up a homer to power machine Hunter Pence. On the offensive side Bradon Jones knocked in the only run of the game for the Pelicans with an RBI 2B. Maybe figuring things out after starting @ .190 after his promotion to the Beach. Jarrod Saltalamacchia did go 1-4 as the DH. He has been one of the hottest hitters in all of the minors over the last month as evidenced by his appearance in Baseball America's Hot Sheet. Again nothing else really to speak of with this game.<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rome<br /><br />Greeneville 2 Game 1<br />Rome 6</span><br /><br />Some good news here. Charlie Morton, tabbed by many before the seasonto be the Braves biggest breakout candidate in the minors has been mostly bust througout the season posting an ERA in the 5.00 range. Today was one of his best starts so far going 5 inn. striking out 2 and giving up 2 runs (1 earned). Will Startup pitched the last two innings for the save giving up only a hit. He is a 2005 draftee and apparently a good reliever. Ardley Jansen continues his recent power surge hitting his 11th homer on the year. Leadoff hitter Matt Young goes 3-3 all singles on the day. One of my favorite players already in the minors for us is SS Yuniel Escobar. We drafted him this year out of Cuba (as a defector). He went straight to Danville and just destroyed them and quickly got the promotion to Rome where he has continued to hit over .300 with OK plate discipline. There has even been some talk of him jumping all the way up to become the starting SS for the big club next year when we let Furcal walk. I don't see that being really possible but you never know. Anyways. Brian Jordan went 2-4 in a rehab start and has hit pretty well since starting his rehab, but i don't want him back with the big club. The kids are fine without him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greenville 6 Game 1<br />Rome 4</span><br /><br />Offensively, Escobar goes 2-2 with a walk, Brian Jordan knocks in two and Cole Armstrong was 3-3 with a 2B and RBI. Arthur Santos (really don't know who he is) pitched fine in the start giving up 2 runs in 5.0 inn. but giving way to Michael Nix, a 2005 draftee, who allowed 4 runs in 2.0 inn. There ya go.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danville<br /><br />Danville 4<br />Burlington 8</span><br /><br />All the way down in the Appy League the baby Braves continue to hit the ball. Especially Eric Campbell (2004 2nd rd pick) who hit his 13th & 14th home runs and 47th RBI which both lead the circuit. Ovandy Suero, a speedy 2B, played LF and was 2-5 with his 31st stolen base which also leads the league, and Max Ramirez, another Braves catching prodigy, was 1-5 and is hitting .371 to lead the league and is second to Campbell in RBIs in the league with 38. Blackford gave up 6 runs and the offense left too many on base for it to matter though.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Matt Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16701647760174233594noreply@blogger.com0