MLB Hub - Where Baseball Season Never Ends

Feed has moved

Center Field — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:18:56 +0000

This feed has moved to .

Montero Done For Playoffs

Sliding Into Home — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:44:00 +0000

Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero will miss the remainder of Scranton/Wilkes Barre’s playoff series against Columbus after undergoing a procedure on his ankle Wednesday night.

The heavily-hyped catcher suffered a bone bruise and decided to have the discoloring scraped out. The injury is not considered serious and Montero could possibly return if the Yankees Triple-A affiliate can get past Columbus in the best-of-five International League series, which they trail 1-0.

RAB is reporting that Brian Cashman said on 1050 ESPN radio that Montero will miss the rest of the season. This isn't a major injury so there's no concern going forward.

Tigers Today: September 9, 2010

The Daily Fungo — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:41:14 +0000

Tigers’ Record:

71-70, 3rd Place; 12.5 GB

Today’s Results

Tigers 6 – White Sox 3

W: Rick Porcello (9-11)
L: Gavin Floyd (10-12)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 5 – White Sox 1

W: Jeremy Bonderman (8-9)
L: John Danks (13-10)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Edwin Jackson, 27

Dan Miceli, 40

Reggie Sanders (1949-2002)

On this Date in Tigers History

1997 — Scott Sanders hurls a one-hit, 4-0 shutout over the Rangers. Domingo Cedeno’s single is the only Rangers hit.

1990 — Right fielder Scott Lusader loses the battle to bright sun and soggy turf and makes three errors (two fielding and one throwing) in the first inning against the White Sox. It’s a first in the American League since 1925. The Sox score seven runs in the inning and coast home 13-3, snapping the Tigers’ seven-game winning streak.

1977 — In the second game of a doubleheader loss at Fenway Park, Tigers rookies Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell debut together. They will hold down the second base and shortstop jobs in Detroit for a record 19 years. Boston wins both games, 5-1 and 8-6, respectively.

1970 — Bowie Kuhn hands Denny McLain his third suspension of the year, this one for carrying a gun, plus other unspecified charges, and ends McLain’s season with a 3-5 record.

1932 — The Tigers beat the Yankees 14- 13 in a 14-inning game in which Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam and
drives in eight runs. He has reached this RBI feat twice before. Frankie Crosetti strikes out four times in the game, including twice in one inning.

Detroit also tops the Yanks, 4-1, in five innings to finally complete the protested game of August 1, and the tie of yesterday. The Yankees score their lone run in the third inning off Buck Marrow with their only two hits of the game.

Jeter Puts His Apartment Up For Sale

Sliding Into Home — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:06:00 +0000

From Bill Hutchinson:

Yankees captain Derek Jeter put his Manhattan penthouse on the market Wednesday for an asking price of $20 million.

The All-Star shortstop's four-bedroom, 5,425-square foot loft on the 88th floor of Trump World Tower in Turtle Bay was listed on the Trump Sales and Leasing website.

Jeter bought the high-rise piece of heaven for $12.6 million from Donald Trump in 2001, shortly after agreeing to a $189 million, 10-year deal with the Bombers

Now, I don't think this means he's planning or even open to the idea of leaving the Yankees, but some people will. Let the speculation begin.

Here Comes Jim Joyce! (Big Whoop)

The Daily Fungo — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:01:55 +0000

Is this news?

I don’t think so. A curiosity, maybe. But umpire Jim Joyce returning to Comerica Park for the first time since June reminds me of the hullabaloo around pitchers fielding practice on the first day of Spring Training 2007.

There will be lots of cameras clicking, more than a few replays of the infamous call at first base and some Baseball Tonight footage that packages the blown call, the outrage and the lineup card exchange love fest the following day. But, hopefully, this will be the extent of the coverage.

Thinking back today on the initial reaction to Armando Galarraga losing a perfect game, it seems pretty overdone.

I’m the first to admit that I immediately thought Bud Selig should’ve overturned the call and that Joyce should not be allowed to umpire the series finale the following day. But the death threats and crank calls to Joyce’s home — or, in many cases, the crank calls to the wrong Jim Joyce — was not baseball fans’ finest hour.

Three months later, I prefer to think of Austin Jackson’s dazzling ninth-inning catch than anything else that happened that day.

But that’s me. What do you think?

Scott Brosius Interview (Sports Talk with Justin and Pat)

Sliding Into Home — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:15:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to interview Scott Brosius, '98 World Series MVP, on my show, "Sports Talk with Justin and Pat".

It is a great interview filled with a lot of funny stories and his recollections of amazing dynasty moments. This is the first Yankee website I offered it to because this is the best one out there. Enjoy!

If you can't listen to the entire thing, check out the top 10 quotes from the interview by clicking on 'read more' below:

10) "We're getting ready, after the game, to go over to the airport. And I'm like, 'Man, I don't have anything to read or anything to do on this flight.' But I'm like, 'Well, I can just stop in the airport there and I'll just grab a Sports Illustrated or whatever.'

Well, then we drive over to the airport and we turn off and we drive straight onto the runway and to the plane. And I just went, 'Woah, this is not the minor leagues anymore.' I mean the bus driving us straight to the plane, we hop right off the bus, right on the plane, and off we went. And I thought, 'Man, this is pretty cool!'"

—Justin asked him about his "Welcome to the Big Leagues" moment and this story came up instantly.

9) "No way. I'm going to get paid to play baseball here. And I'm not going to classes. I have no homework. I'm gonna get paid to play baseball. And I was just so fired up about the opportunity."

—Describing the feeling after spring training broke and the season was starting. He would have been headed to his senior year in college, but instead was an Oakland A!

8) "As you get around the guys a little bit more, you realize wow, they're just like you and I. But there was times.

"For example, the first time when Reggie Jackson was coaching in Oakland. And the first time that I'm walking onto the field and I'm in my uniform. And I walked right by him and tried to introduce myself and he just kept right on goin.

"Ya know? And I was just goin, 'Huh? Alrighty, I guess it takes a little time to, ya know, to be able to shake a guy's hand.' "

—Discussing the star power on those Oakland A's teams.

7) "He was just starting to own that cutter.

"And I remember specifically one game facing him. And I don't know, I think it was the ninth inning. Anyway, he ended up striking me out. And the pitches that he threw me...I kinda walked back and Art Howe, our manager at the time, kinda smiled and goes, 'How'd you not hit that guy?'

"Because it was just 'Wow,' and so that's when he really started coming into his own there. He was not a lot of fun to face."

—Discussing an at-bat against Rivera in '97

6) "I do kinda remember running around the bases going, 'Wow, that's kinda cool. I just hit a World Series home run! But you do, you kinda dream about it as a kid. And so just going, yea, that's kinda cool!' "

—Discussing his first World Series home run with the Yankees. He hit it off of Sterling Hitchcock and would later give the Yankees the lead in Game 3 with a three-run home run off of Trevor Hoffman.

5) "About 15 minutes before the game, LaRussa called me into his office and said, 'Hey, I know you're an infielder...Have you ever played the outfield? Canseco can't go. Can you play the outfield?'

"And you know, here I am, waiting to get my first shot ever. I'm certainly not gonna say no.

"I'm like, 'Oh yea man, I can play the outfield. Done it a lot.' You know, just lying through my teeth. 'Yea, I've done that a lot.'

"And so, 15 minutes later, I'm standing out in right field just goin, 'What am I doing?' And so, for me, that was the big a-ha moment."

—He must have been good enough in the outfield because he played there 12 more times in '91 (according to baseballreference.com)

4) "Love him or hate him, he took a team in the 70s that was kinda struggling, and made it the dynasty. And there's a lot of other teams out there that spend a lot of money that don't win. So, just by spending money doesn't guarantee a championship.

"You gotta make the right decisions and ya know, be able to put it together on the field. Like I said, that's one of the things that we always appreciated. You were gonna have the pieces there and it was just about putting it together."

—Discussing George Steinbrenner the argument that fans always use when it comes to the Yankees: They buy their championships.

3) "I remember specifically an early road trip. We were leaving New York and getting ready to go on the plane and Mr. Steinbrenner was on this flight. And I had cut myself shaving and didn't realize it, when I put on my white shirt, I got some blood on my collar. And didn't even notice it.

"Mr. Steinbrenner walks in and goes, 'Uh-oh. Take a look at that,' and I go, 'Oh yea, shoot, cut myself.' He goes, 'Hold on just a second.' And he walks just down the hall, makes a couple of phone calls, and like two minutes later, there's three white shirts for me to choose from to wear on the road trip.

"So, just little things like that, that I just thought, ya know, like I said, all my interactions with him were very positive. And as a player, you loved him because you knew that he was gonna give you the opportunity or give you the pieces in place to have the opportunity to win."

—More Steinbrenner.

2) "The year before, in Oakland, we were actually the Yankees home opener. And so we had all the opening-day ceremonies.

"And I'm on the Oakland side of things and I'm watchin all the pageantry and the festivities and ya know, all the guys, the other players come in, all this, and I'm goin, 'Man, how cool would that be to put on the pinstripes for an opening day, ya know?' And I'm thinking this as an Oakland A.

"And then the next year, there I was, part of opening day. So, it was a pretty neat deal."

—Discussing the trade to the Yankees and how happy he was about it.

1) "To lose those two games in Arizona and to come back to New York and each of those games, we come from behind. I mean just every night felt more and more special. It was just like this is just gonna happen.

"So ya know, Game 5, I think that's kinda what went through my head, honestly was. Tino, the night before, hits the huge home run off him. And we tie it up and win that game. So, for it to happen two nights in a row.

"Literally, when I hit the home run and I'm running around the bases, that's literally kinda what is going through my head too! I'm like, 'No way did this just happen again!' No way does that happen two nights in a row. So it was just, I don't know, a phenomenal thing."

—Discussing his famous home run off of Byung-Hyun Kim. The Yankees were down to their final out and down by two runs in the ninth, just like they had been the night before, and Brosius hit a game-tying home run! Tino Martinez had done the same thing the night before.

Better Know a Prospect: Melky Mesa

Sliding Into Home — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Melky Mesa
Born: 31 January 1987 in Bajas de Haina, DR
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6'1"/165 pounds
Signed: 2003, amateur free agent

2010 Statistics
Tampa (High-A) - .260/.338/.475, 21 2B, 9 3B, 19 HR, 31 SB (9 CS), 137 wRC+

There has been a considerable amount of discussion about Mesa following his being named the Florida State League Player of the Year. Over the last few years, Mesa has been the sort of prospect that garners staunch support or scathing opposition, and not much in between. Those that believe in Mesa point to his strong power-speed combination, fine defensive play, and his lean, muscular build. Naysayers decry his high strikeout totals and history of low batting-average (particularly as he was signed with the dreaded "five tool" label). I find myself quite lonely on the middle ground.

Mesa's strikeout numbers are quite disconcerting - he has struck out in 31.0%, 35.9%, 31.1%, 33.8%, and 28.9% of his plate appearances over his five-year professional career. While 2010 does represent his 'best' season in this regard (and in a notoriously pitcher-friendly league), most scouting reports indicate that he can still be fooled with a steady diet of offspeed stuff - and this is an area with perhaps the most difficult learning curve for young hitters. I would suggest, though, that the nearly 5% drop is encouraging - particularly as his walk rate remained steady (a fine 8.7%, in fact). I doubt that he'll ever flirt with .300 ... or even .280 ... but he may not need to in order to be an asset.

With the noteworthy exception of the strikeout issues, Mesa's all-around offensive game profiles quite well. He finished in the top-five in triples, home runs, total bases, stolen bases, slugging percentage, and OPS. His ability to hit for power has never been doubted and his base-running has improved as well - he was successful on 78% of stealing attempts, the best rate of his career. Additionally, he made the most contact of his young career, despite facing the best pitching over that same period of time. Mesa's issues with the strikeout do force one to wonder just how much of an offensive contributor he can be ... but it's clear that he has the pop and speed that many teams salivate over.

Defensively, Mesa's nothing short of fantastic. Featuring a plus-plus arm, he profiles as an excellent corner outfielder or a solid to above-average centerfielder. I have also read that his routes and reaction speed improved this year, as well - and they were solid to begin with, which is all the more impressive.

Looking forward, Mesa remains a raw product with a difficult issue to remedy. Though some progress has been made, there is still work to be done, which is the key reason to temper one's expectations. A frequent comparison that I've stumbled across is Alfonso Soriano ... but I don't really like that, as Soriano did perform better in the minors while playing another position. Mesa, to me, profiles similar to Mike Cameron - a perennial 20/20 candidate with above-average to great defense with a propensity for striking out. I wouldn't mind such a player patrolling centerfield for the Yankees.

Swish Walk-Off Saves The Day As Yanks Avoid Sweep

Sliding Into Home — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:10:00 +0000

(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	6	0
N.Y. Yankees «	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	7	1

WP: J. Chamberlain (3-4) LP: K. Uehara (1-1)

I don't care how hot they are, getting swept by the Oriole at home would have been a disgrace. Thankfully, with the O's up 2-1 and one on a one out in the 9th, Nick Swisher to a Koji Uehara fastball and hammered it into the visitor's bullpen for a two-run walk-off home run.

It was a huge hit for the Yankees, not only for the embarrassment they avoided, but it was a good way to end a solid homestand. You also never want to follow up a winning streak with a long losing streak, and three games was enough.

The game came down to this dramatic moment for Swish because once again an Orioles starter kept the Yankees bats quiet. Right-hander Brad Bergesen held the Yanks to just one run on four hits over 6.1, while walking two and striking out five.

The only run the Yanks scored against him came when they manufactured one in the 3rd. Curtis Granderson led off with a walk, then stole second and moved to third on a Francisco Cervelli groundout. Brett Gardner then drove in Curtis with an RBI double, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple (although replays showed he got his hand in before the tag).

Ivan Nova pretty much matched the efforts of Bergesen as he continues to impress the Yankees and us fans. The rookie lasted six innings--his longest outing of the season--and allowed two runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out six. Nova may have had his best stuff since his callup today, at least he had his best curveball. Not only was he throwing it for a strike 72.73% of the time, but he also threw several in the dirt as a put-away pitch. Impressive stuff from the 23-year-old.

Nova's only mistake of the game came on a 3-0 pitch to Matt Wieters in the 5th that the catcher sent over the wall for a two-run homer. After the game, Nova said he never thought Wieters would swing at the pitch.

However, that one blemished looked like it might lead to a sweep because after Bergesen left the game the O's bullpen continued to keep the Yanks bats in check. David Robertson, Boone Logan, and Joba Chamberlain matched zeros with the O's relievers and that set things up for the Yanks in the 9th.

Alex Rodriguez started the inning with a single and Eduardo Nunez pinch-ran. Then, after Robinson Cano flew out to center, Swish did his thing.

Like I said before, this was a huge win, and with the Rays losing last night to the Sox, the lead in the east is back up to 2.5 games. The Yankees now have an off-day before heading to Texas to face the AL West leading Texas Rangers. Javier Vazquez will start the opener on Friday, with C.J. Wilson starting for Texas. First pitch will be at 8:05pm, and the game will be on YES.

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Brett Gardner, LF-CF	4	0	1	1	0	1	1	.284
Derek Jeter, SS	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.262
Mark Teixeira, DH	4	0	0	0	0	3	0	.264
Alex Rodriguez, 3B	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	.269
Eduardo Nunez, PR	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.286
Robinson Cano, 2B	4	0	1	0	0	1	2	.318
Nick Swisher, RF	4	1	2	2	0	1	2	.292
Lance Berkman, 1B	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	.248
Curtis Granderson, CF	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	.246
a- Marcus Thames, PH-LF	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.306
Francisco Cervelli, C	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	.252
Totals	30	3	7	3	2	7
a-singled for Granderson in the 7th
Batting
2B - Brett Gardner (17, Bergesen)
HR - Nick Swisher (26, Uehara)
RBI - Brett Gardner (45), Nick Swisher 2 (82)
SB - Curtis Granderson (11, 2nd base off Bergesen/Wieters)
RISP: 1-4 (Francisco Cervelli 0-2, Brett Gardner 1-2) Team LOB - 5
Fielding
E - Derek Jeter (6, Throwing)

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Ivan Nova	6	6	2	2	2	6	1	2.92
David Robertson	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	0	3.75
Boone Logan	0.2	0	0	0	0	2	0	2.34
Joba Chamberlain (W,3-4)	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	4.65
IBB - Markakis by Ivan Nova, by Wieters
WP - Ivan Nova 2 (2)
Pitches-Strikes - Ivan Nova 91-60, David Robertson 20-13, Boone Logan 10-6, Joba Chamberlain 10-8
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Ivan Nova 4-8, David Robertson 1-1, Joba Chamberlain 1-1
Batters Faced - Ivan Nova 26, David Robertson 4, Boone Logan 2, Joba Chamberlain 4

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Nick Swisher
HONORABLE MENTION: Ivan Nova

9/8 Minor League Report - Playoff Edition

Sliding Into Home — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:20:00 +0000

================

(Triple-A) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (0-1) lost Columbus (1-0) 6-4 in 10 innings: Box - Recap

Columbus leads the best-of-five series 1-0. David Phelps will start tomorrow against former Yankee, Zach McAllister.

Batting:
Reid Gorecki CF: 1-for-5, RBI (1)
Kevin Russo 2B: 0-for-3, BB
Juan Miranda 1B: 0-for-4
Jorge Vazquez DH: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI (1), R
Chad Huffman RF: 1-for-3, BB, R
Brandon Laird 3B: 0-for-4
Eric Bruntlett SS: 1-for-4
Justin Christian LF: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI (2), R
P.J. Piliterre C: 1-for-4, 2B, R

*Jesus Montero missed the game with a lower leg infection.

Pitching:
D.J. Mitchell: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (5.40 ERA)
Zack Segovia: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)
Eric Wordekemper: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)
Amaury Sanit (L, 0-1): 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K --- allowed walk-off homer to Luke Carlin.

Pitches-strikes: Mitchell, D. 102-65, Segovia 27-18, Wordekemper 38-18, Sanit 4-4.
Groundouts-flyouts: Mitchell, D. 6-4, Segovia 3-1, Wordekemper 2-1, Sanit 0-0.

(Double-A) Trenton (1-0) beat New Hampshire (0-1) 2-0: Box - Recap

Trenton leads the best-of-five series 1-0. Andy Pettitte will start for Trenton tomorrow and pitch four innings or 65 pitches, whichever comes first. Adam Warren will follow Pettitte.

Batting:
Austin Krum CF: 0-for-3, BB, R, SB (1)
Justin Snyder 3B: 1-for-4, 2B
Daniel Brewer RF: 1-for-2, RBI (1), BB
Austin Romine C: 1-for-3
Marcos Vechionacci 1B: 0-for-3
Rene Rivera DH: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI (1), R
Damon Sublett LF: 0-for-3
Luis Nunez SS: 0-for-3
Matthew Cusick 2B: 0-for-3

Pitching:
Dellin Betances (W, 1-0): 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K (0.00 ERA) --- fastball was hitting 95 and sitting at 91-92... also threw 58 of 92 pitches for strikes.
Wilkins Arias (H, 1): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (0.00 ERA)
Josh Schmidt (H, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (0.00 ERA)
Pat Venditte (H, 1): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (0.00 ERA)
Ryan Pope (S, 1): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (0.00 ERA)

**Phenom Kyle Drabek started for New Hampshire. He went six and allowed a run on three hits for the loss.

Groundouts-flyouts: Betances 2-4, Arias 1-1, Schmidt 1-0, Cox, J 0-0, Venditte 0-0, Pope 0-0.

(High-A) Tampa (2-0) beat Dunedin (0-2) 7-0: Box - Recap

This completes a two-game sweep and moves Tampa into the Florida State League Championship Series against either Charlotte or Bradenton.

Batting:
Raymond Kruml CF: 1-for-5
Jose Pirela 2B: 1-for-5, RBI (1), 2 R, SB (1)
Bradley Suttle 3B: 3-for-5, 3 2B, 2 RBI (3)
Myron Leslie 1B: 2-for-5, 2B, R
Addison Maruszak SS: 1-for-5, 2B, R, RBI (1)
Zolio Almonte RF: 2-for-4, 2 2B, BB, R
Trent Lockwood DH: 1-for-4, BB
Jose Gil C: 3-for-4, 2 RBI (2), R, HBP
Jack Rye LF: 2-for-5, R

Pitching:
Craig Heyer: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (0.00 ERA)
Trenton Lare (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (0.00 ERA)
Michael Solbach: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (0.00 ERA)
Chase Whitley: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)

Groundouts-flyouts: Heyer 3-0, Lare 1-1, Solbach 5-2, Whitley 1-0.

(Low-A) Charleston's season is over. They finished 65-74, good for 5th in the South Atlantic League's Northern division.

(Single-A Short-Season) Staten Island's season is over. They finished 34-40 which was tied for last in the McNamara Division.

(Rookie) GCL Yankees' season is over. At 24-32 they finished last in the GCL. The GCL Phillies won the Championship.

AngelsWin.com Final Prospect Hotlist - 9-8-2010

AngelsWin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:36:00 +0000

(Mark Trumbo, 1B/OF)

It is with great pleasure that AngelsWin.com presents our last Hot Prospect List for the 2010 Angels. In our weekly column, we take a look at who has been hot down on the farm. Unlike our annual Top-50 Prospects, our Hot Prospects List is not ranked based on the ceiling of the prospect or the likelihood of him achieving that ceiling. Instead, it is weekly snapshot that reflects the players’ accomplishments based on their performances against their competition. With the Minor League season coming to an end, AngelsWin.com will prepare an organizational report on each team after the conclusion of the post season and will release its annual Top-50 Prospects List in early 2011.

1. Mark Trumbo, RF/1B, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Games: 12/39 (.308), 0 Doubles, 0 Triples, 6 HRs, 11 Runs, 16 RBIs, 0 SBs

Overall: .301/.368/.577 with 36 HRs and 3 SBs

What’s Up: While the Bees fell short of making the playoffs, it wasn’t because of a lack of effort on Trumbo’s part. He muscled the team to a final-game elimination and, in so doing, demonstrated the power potential that he has. Trumbo finished the season tied most homeruns for any player in the Minor Leagues with 36 HRs. Ken Forsch, the Assistant to General Manager Tony Reagins recently said in his exclusive interview with AngelsWin.com that “I’d really like to get a power hitter somewhere in the lineup. It looks like we have one right here in Mark Trumbo.” He also told us that the possibility still remains that Trumbo could see some time in the outfield and that Trumbo’s defense and arm has done well out in right field. As Ken Forsch said, “I know that bats play. . . If he can swing a bat, there will be a position for him.” At AngelsWin.com, we know that Trumbo has a bat. We just hope that the Angels can find a place for it to play on the field in Anaheim. Now that the Bees’ season is over, we look forward to seeing him in Anaheim, where we hope he becomes a fixture for a long time.

2. Hank Conger, C, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Games: 16/41 (.390), 3 Doubles, 1 Triple, 2 HRs, 9 Runs, 7 RBIs, 0 SBs

Overall: .300/.385/.463 with 11 HRs and 0 SBs

What’s Up: While Trumbo provided the HR power for the Bees’ final push, Conger was doing all he could to help as well. Conger finished up the season with 55 walks and 58 strikeouts—solid plate discipline. He threw out 34 out of 118 would-be base stealers (29%) and posted a solid .979 FLD%. Conger finished the season with a flare. In the first half of the season, he posted a .791 OPS, but in the second half, he posted an impressive .941 OPS. Conger’s numbers weren’t inflated so much by the high altitude of Salt Lake; he hit for more power and a higher on base percentage on the road than at home. At AngelsWin.com, we are excited to see how Conger performs in Anaheim and believe that he can help make some sense of the building logjam at catcher for the team. We look forward to seeing how he performs this September and believe he should be part of next year’s catching team where he could be a boost to the offense and producing solid defense behind the plate.

3. Garrett Richards, RHP, High A Rancho Cucamonga

Past 10 Days: 2-0, 0 Saves, 1.80 ERA, 15.0 IP, 11 H, 6 BB, 17 K, 1.13 WHIP

Overall: 12-5, 0 Saves, 3.52 ERA, 143.0 IP, 130 H, 41 BB, 149 K, 1.22 WHIP, .242 BAA

What’s Up: In an informal poll at AngelsWin.com, Richards came out as the top pitching prospect in the Angels’ organization. He mixes four plus pitches (fastball, curveball, slider and changeup) in his repertoire, and has dominated at two levels this year. He is inducing twice as many ground outs as he is air outs, and also generating 1 strikeout per inning. He only allowed 10 home runs on the season, and only 4 of them in Rancho, which is a tremendous feat considering the league. Having just made 7 starts in Rancho, most likely Richards will start 2011 in Rancho. But, he most likely will earn a quick promotion to Double-A and it’s not unrealistic that Richards could make his Major League debut in 2012. Angels’ fans should go out to see Richards pitch for the Quakes in their upcoming playoff series as his talents will play an important role in determining how far the Quakes go in the post season.

4. Mike Trout, OF, High A Rancho Cucamonga

Past 10 Games: 14/37 (.378), 1 Double, 0 Triples, 2 HRs, 12 Runs, 7 RBIs, 3 SBs

Overall: .341/.428/.490 with 10 HRs and 56 SBs

What’s Up: It just wouldn’t feel right if Mike Trout didn’t appear on our final Hot Prospect list. With the way he dominated this season, he was all over our Hot Prospect lists. Luckily, he obliged us and went on a tear. Trout’s storied season has been one for the ages. He’s jumped all the way up to being considered one of the top, if not THE top prospect in the Minor Leagues, and he’s only 19. While his numbers at Rancho weren’t as high as they were in Cedar Rapids (.306/.388/.434 versus .362/.454/.526) they were extremely impressive given his age. In his most recent chat with AngelsWin.com, Eddie Bane said when talking about the best speed in the Angels’ organization “Best speed. People would pay a lot to see Trout and Bourjos in the 60. Maybe we could make some money for charity if those 2 raced.” Trout has explosive speed out of the box. He gets down the line like Ichiro. Trout has power potential, and has a bright future in front of him. So far, the Angels have shown no desire to rush him through the organization. But, it’s not unrealistic to think he could be playing in the Angels’ outfield in 2012.

5. Alexi Amarista, 2B, Triple A Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Games: 16/45 (.356), 4 Doubles, 1 Triple, 0 HRs, 8 Runs, 5 RBIs, 2 SBs

Overall: .309/.350/.421 with 5 HRs and 25 SBs

What’s Up: When AngelsWin.com asked Ken Forsch about how close Amarista was to making the Majors, his first remark was “He’s quite a player.” Defensively, Amarista is ready for the Major Leagues as a second baseman. He’s a spark plug to a lineup which could make Howie Kendrick expendable in the offseason. While Kendrick may have more power, Amarista has more speed. And, while Kendrick may have a potentially higher ceiling in terms of batting average, Amarista is fully capable of posting similar numbers as Kendrick is currently posting. While Amarista most likely would start 2011 in Salt Lake, he could give Tony Reagins the opportunity to make some deals this offseason to improve the parent club in other areas. Amarista could be, and should be ready sometime in 2011, and should get a long look in Spring Training.

6 (Tie). Dillon Baird, 3B, High A Rancho Cucamonga

Past 10 Games: 15/42 (.357), 3 Doubles, 0 Triples, 1 HR, 7 Runs, 8 RBIs, 0 SBs

Overall: .269/.323/.460 with 13 HRs and 3 SBs

Luis Jimenez, 3B, High A Rancho Cucamonga

Past 10 Games: 13/39 (.333), 5 Doubles, 0 Triples, 3 HRs, 6 Runs, 8 RBIs, 3 SBs

Overall: .288/.326/.506 with 14 HRs and 21 SBs

What’s Up: Going forward, the Angels are going to have an interesting choice at third base: Whether they should go with Luis Jimenez or Dillon Baird as the regular third baseman in Arkansas next year. They may just have to continue to share the position. Born just five days apart (although thousands of miles away from each other) the two have posted similar numbers in Rancho. Jimenez, a right-hander, has more power, speed and better defense, but Baird is no slouch. He jumped over an entire level of development, changed defensive positions, and recovered from a serious injury this year. Baird has a nice left-handed swing which he can use to hit for power to all parts of the field. His defense has not been horrible (15 errors in 53 games at third) considering that he played first base last year, but he will need to improve on that. Baird could be a future corner infield backup or could develop into a legitimate starter depending upon how his defense and plate discipline develop, whereas Jimenez could develop into a solid third baseman, built along the lines of Melvin Mora or Adrian Beltre.

7. Andrew Heid, OF, Class A Orem Owlz

Past 10 Games: 17/40 (.425), 1 Double, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 10 Runs, 3 RBI, 1 SB

Overall: .360/.434/.495 with 8 HRs and 9 SBs

What’s Up: While Heid fell short in his quest to win the Pioneer League batting title (he finished in 4th place), his season is nothing to complain about. He has been a hitting machine for the Owlz, getting hits in almost every game this season. His consistency has made him the leadoff hitter for most of the season for the Owlz. However, as a left-handed hitter—one who strikes out rarely (35:40 BB:K ratio in 67 games)—he could be dropped to second in the lineup with a speedier leadoff hitter in front of him. AngelsWin.com would like to see Heid challenged with a jump to High-A next year in Rancho Cucamonga, where he could bat behind Mike Trout or Jean Segura, both of whom have exceptional speed. That combination should result in some tremendous scoring opportunities for the heart of the order and would allow them all to develop playing Angels’ style baseball.

8. Taylor Lindsey, 2B, Class Rookie A AZL Angels

Past 10 Games: 16/40 (.400), 5 Doubles, 2 Triples, 0 HRs, 7 Runs, 3 RBIs, 2 SBs

Overall: .284/.325/.407 with 0 HRs and 8 SBs

What’s Up: As the first of the Angels’ five 2010 first round prospects to appear on the AngelsWin.com’s Hot Prospect List, Lindsey is also one of the youngest. When AngelsWin.com interviewed Abe Flores after the draft, he said “[W]ith Lindsey we have a bat—an offensive player.” Defensively, Lindsey handled the transition from shortstop to second base well. He only made 6 errors in 45 games, and posted a .971 FLD%. For the low minors and those are good numbers. Don’t be surprised, though, if the Angels try him at third base as he continues to develop. He has the body build to project more power as he matures and has the arm to handle the hot corner. Next year, it will be interesting to see how he develops playing for Kotchman in Orem.

9. Aaoron Sookee, RHP, Class Rookie A AZL Angels

Past 10 Days: 1-1, 0 Saves, 1.64 ERA, 11.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 13 K, 0.45 WHIP

Overall: 1-2, 0 Saves, 4.60 ERA, 31.1 IP, 28 H, 12 BB, 27 K, 1.28 WHIP, .235 BAA

What’s Up: Signed in February, 2009 as a 17-year old out of New South Wales, Australia, Sookee is a 6’3” right hander. At the time the Angels signed him, Grant Weir, the Angels’ scout in Australia, said “The Angels are very excited with the signing of Aaron and we believe he has an enormous future in professional baseball. He has physical attributes that are going to help him have a long and fruitful career - but more importantly he is a great kid who works hard.” Sookee did not play in the Minor Leagues during 2009 because he was finishing up school in Australia. But, he toured the U.S. playing on the Australian Schoolboys team. AngelsWin.com is excited to see what Sookee can bring to the table and what talent the Angels’ international scouting department can uncover.

10. Jean Segura, 2B, Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels

Past 10 Games: 17/43 (.395), 4 Doubles, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 12 Runs, 7 RBIs, 8 SBs

Overall: .313/.365/.464 with 10 HRs and 50 SBs

What’s Up: In AngelsWin.com’s most recent chat with Eddie Bane, an interesting bomb shell was dropped: “Segura might even be looked at as a shortstop in the future as he has that kind of range and arm.” If Segura can handle the defensive duties of a shortstop, he’d become an elite prospect, as he has all five tools and could become a potent force in a future Angels’ lineup. Segura blends speed, power, and solid plate discipline with strong defensive skills. Defensively, he only committed 13 errors (.979 FLD%) and turned 77 double plays. Offensively, Segura can bat anywhere in the lineup. Segura scored 89 games this season and at the same time drove in 79. At just 20 years old, Segura could explode next year in Rancho, where, as a shortstop, he could move quickly in the organization. If he cannot make it at shortstop, the Angels could also try him in the outfield to find a way to get his bat into the lineup.

Honorable Mentions

This past week saw an abundance of stellar performances from players as they pushed hard to make the playoffs or just to finish the season strong. The Salt Lake Bees alone could have filled most of a Top-10 Hot Prospects spots with all their strong performances. As a result, we are including an extended and extensive Honorable Mention category to note as many other of the strong performances as possible.

1. The Rest of the Bees, OF, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees

What’s Up: There were several other notable performances from players on the Bees who are veteran Minor Leaguers. While many of these players are older, and not likely to be highly ranked prospects in our Top 50 Prospect List, some, such as Cory Aldridge, did spend time on the Major League roster. And others, such as Terry Evans and Nick Gorneault have had followings on AngelsWin.com and in Anaheim. We, at AngelsWin.com, congratulate these players for their fine performances to help the Bees make a strong finish at the end of the season and wish them luck wherever they play next year.

Cory Aldridge, OF, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Games: 12/33 (.364), 4 Double, 0 Triples, 1 HR, 8 Runs, 1 RBIs, 1 SB

Overall: .318/.388/.535 with 13 HRs and 2 SBs

Gabe DeHoyos, RHP, Class AA Arkansas Travelers

Past 10 Games: 3-0, 0 Saves, 2.35 ERA, 23.0 IP, 21 H, 8 BB, 23 K, 1.26 WHIP

Overall: 5-1, 1 Save, 3.06 ERA, 82.1 IP, 72 H, 33 BB, 80 K, 1.28 WHIP, .235 BAA

Terry Evans, OF, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Games: 21/40 (.525), 7 Doubles, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 12 Runs, 12 RBIs, 2 SBs

Overall: .283/.323/.455 with 15 HRs and 19 SBs

Luis Figueroa, SS, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Games: 15/39 (.385), 1 Double, 1 Triple, 0 HRs, 5 Runs, 5 RBIs, 0 SBs

Overall: .299/.335/.566 with 11 HRs and 4 SBs

Nick Gorneault, OF, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Games: 9/26 (.346), 3 Double, 1 Triple, 2 HR, 6 Runs, 7 RBIs, 0 SBs

Overall: .256/.324/.438 with 12 HRs and 5 SBs

2. Darwin Perez, SS, Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Past 10 Games: 15/35 (.429), 1 Double, 0 Triples, 0 HRs, 9 Runs, 12 RBIs, 3 SBs

Overall: .262/.335/.339 with 3 HRs and 15 SBs

What’s Up: There’s more to him than the raw numbers show. Offensively, Perez needs to cut down on his strikeouts (96: 39 K:BB ratio) and pick better spots for trying to steal a base (8 times caught stealing). Perez has jumped around the organization this year, filling in for needs in Arkansas and Salt Lake which hurt his offensive numbers, but has not reached his full potential as a player.

3. Jeremy Berg, RHP, Class AA Arkansas Travelers

Past 10 Games: 0-0, 1 Save, 0.00 ERA, 12.1 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 8 K, 0.57 WHIP

Overall: 2-0, 5 Saves, 1.37 ERA, 65.2 IP, 48 H, 11 BB, 73 K, 0.90 WHIP, .200 BAA

What’s Up: With the promotion of Michael Kohn and Jordan Walden, the one of the next best relief pitching prospects in the Angels’ organization is Jeremy Berg. He went from Single-A Cedar Rapids to Double-A this season and dominated all along the way. More importantly, he got stronger as the season wore on. Definitely keep an eye out for him next year.

4. Steven Geltz, RHP, Class AA Arkansas Travelers

Past 10 Games: 0-0, 0 Saves, 1.54 ERA, 11.2 IP, 6 H, 8 BB, 20 K, 1.20 WHIP

Overall: 4-1, 2 Saves, 3.08 ERA, 52.2 IP, 29 H, 26 BB, 87 K, 1.04 WHIP, .159 BAA

What’s Up: Another one of the Angels’ emerging relief pitching prospects is Steven Geltz. He split time between Single-A Rancho and Double-A Arkansas. Like Berg, he too got stronger as the season wore on. Geltz will be one of the seven Angels’ players in the Arizona Fall League, where he looks to continue to develop his skills.

5. Brandon Decker, 1B, Rookie A Orem Owlz

Past 10 Games: 14/36 (.389), 4 Doubles, 0 Triples, 3 HRs, 8 Runs, 11 RBIs, 0 SBs

Overall: .343/.431/.663 with 13 HRs and 0 SBs

What’s Up: Decker finished tied for 3rd place in the Pioneer League in HRs with only 166 ABs. Had he had enough ABs to qualify, his batting average would have ranked 7th in the league. With 27 out of his 57 hits going for extra bases, Decker has some strong power potential, but, will need to watch his strikeouts (42 Ks) in order to avoid being exposed at the higher levels.

6. Pil Joon Jang, RHP, Class A Orem Owlz

Past 10 Days: 1-0, 0 Saves, 1.06 ERA, 17.0 IP, 17 H, 1 BB, 9 K, 1.06 WHIP

Overall: 3-3, 0 Saves, 3.81 ERA, 85.0 IP, 98 H, 17 BB, 48 K, 1.35 WHIP, .287 BAA

What’s Up: Jang’s stuff is not overpowering; he relies more on location and deception to get batters out. During the final run towards the playoffs, Jang pitched well, but the defense behind him did not help, yielding 7 unearned runs in three starts. Jang will need to focus on throwing strikes and mixing his pitches up well if he is going to continue to have success at the higher levels.

7. Travis Witherspoon, CF, Rookie A Orem Owlz

Past 10 Games: 13/38 (.342), 2 Doubles, 2 Triples, 0 HR, 9 Runs, 7 RBIs, 5 SBs

Overall: .310/.367/.465 with 9 HRs and 20 SBs

What’s Up: Witherspoon has the speed and power to be a Major League centerfielder. He has the defensive skills and arm to play the position and can cover good ground. He needs to improve his plate discipline (24:72 BB:K ratio in 288 ABs) in order to be successful at the higher levels. But, at 21, he is young enough to make these adjustments and refine his skills.

8. Casey Haerther, 1B, Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels

Past 10 Games: 15/41 (.366), 5 Doubles, 0 Triples, 1 HR, 5 Runs, 9 RBIs, 1 SB

Overall: .307/.352/.432 with 8 HRs and 10 SBs

What’s Up: Haerther is working his way up the depth charts at first base. He posted a solid season, but improved as it went on, striking out less and hitting more doubles in the second half. He has solid gap power, but projects to hit 10-15 HRs a year as he continues to develop.

Posada Suffering From Concussion Symptoms (Updated)

Sliding Into Home — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:52:00 +0000

(UPDATED 7:40pm) Via Chad Jennings:

Tests performed this afternoon by a neurology specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital were negative.

He's been cleared to play by doctors and is day-to-day.

(original post)

If you were wondering why Jorge Posada didn't pinch-hit for Francisco Cervelli late in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Orioles, here's your answer:

Joe Girardi said after the game that Posada complained of concussion symptoms last night, saying he was somewhat foggy having taken a foul tip early in the game. After he didn't sleep well last night and came to the Stadium with a headache, Posada underwent tests here before being sent to a neurologist in Manhattan.

"Any time you start talking about concussions, and we've seen a lot of these last a long time in players, there is concern," Girardi said.

At this point, the Yankees are waiting for those results to see if Jorge will be with them went they head to Texas tomorrow night. Hopefully this isn't something that lingers. Posada has been very good lately, and the Yankees need him healthy.

However, if this does linger, there's a pretty good power-hitting catcher/DH playing for Scranton right now who's season is coming to an end pretty soon.

TWIS Wednesday

Deep Left Field — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:59:27 +0000

So I’ve also been a bit lax about my posting lately, as life has kind of gotten in the way of baseball and there really hasn’t been much to say about the Indians recently. With that in mind, I’ve decided to do another edition of “To Which I Say …” which is a bunch of quick thoughts on the Tribe, followed by a one-sentence commentary.

Lou Marson has been awful this season offensively, so I must say I was a tad surprised at his sixth inning grand slam last night. Which, ironically, came after manager Manny Acta gave Marson a vote of confidence before the game. Marson has been brutal this season though, and makes me long for when I will see Carlos “Supernatural” Santana behind the dish. To which I say, “Who knew Lou could come through?”
Jensen Lewis may be a boring tweeter, but at least he’s a good guy. He’s the Indians’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, an award given to a major league baseball player that is active in the community. In the Castrovince article it mentions that Lewis calls Cleveland his home year round, which lends support to my assertion that he grew up an Indians fan. To which I say, “Congratulations and good luck, Jensen – but this doesn’t help make you more of a badass.”
While I personally have ignored talking about it too much, a lot has been made of Shin-Soo Choo’s obligation to serve two years in the South Korean military before he turns 30, as all able-bodied South Korean men are required to do. I never really freaked out about it because the Indians never seemed too concerned with it. Well Choo might have found his way out: he’s been selected to play for South Korea in the Asian Games, and if the team wins the gold medal then it is very likely Choo will receive a military exemption, like the Korean team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. To which I say, “This is where Choo having Scott Boras as an agent actually makes me less worried, as there’s no way Choo will serve that obligation.”
Justin Masterson in his last 7 starts has some pretty impressive numbers: 2.95 ERA in 42.2IP, he has allowed 37H, 14ER, and has a .239 BAA. Which is excellent. But he still is far too inconsistent to be a starter on a good ballclub, which the Indians are not right now. To which I say, “Chris Perez, meet your new setup guy: Justin Masterson.”
Incredibly disappointed that the Indians only called up three guys, and two of them had been with the team previously in the season (Lewis and Jordan Brown). This team sucks, and there are guys deserving of the call up. I tried to link to this Call to the Pen article before, but apparently I put in the wrong link. Whoops. To which I say, “This club is inexplicably hell-bent on letting Jayson Nix win a job at third base next year, and I’m just left wondering why.”

Los Angeles Angels Post Game Rants and Raves (9-7-2010)

AngelsWin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:11:00 +0000

By Jeff Flinn - AngelsWin.com Contributor

Raves:

Bell mucked through 5 1/3 innings and only allowed 2 runs. He keeps the ball down in the zone and is hitting 94 MPH on several occasions throughout the ball game. Definitely has made progress from a year ago.

Cassevah, Kohn, and Thompson combined for 3 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. Kohn and Thompson have been solid.

Willits did have a 3 for 3 game with a BB. I just wish he could still steal bases.

Hunter hits his 3 homer in the past few games, now do you think he could ACTUALLY do that with MEN ON BASE??????

That is all.

Rants:

I'm unloading tonight!

Starting with K-Fraud 2.0. What pitcher gives up a grand salami to a hitter like Marson who's as bad as Mathis at the plate?????? Nice game K-Fraud, 4 batters faced, all reached base!!!!! Send him back down to SLC to start 2011!

Next, as much as Shields did for this club from 2003-2008, he just doesn't have ANY control anymore (34 BBs in 46 innings). Honor him at the 2010 home finale, but don't re-sign him.

I'm just warming up!

Hunter!!!!!! Did your mom tell you when you were growing up that RISP is the boogieman?????? You have driven in ONE freaking run over the past month that wasn't yourself scoring!

And are you trying to be Forrest Gump on the bases? What fool tries to steal 3B with no outs and being down 6-1????? Your arse needs to be fined!!!!!!!

Rivera, feel free to learn the art of fielding pickoff throws!!!!! And feel free to actually get a hit (6 for the past 50). Yep, he's a real great 2nd half hitter!

Nice plate discipline "swing at anything Howie"!!!! Nine pitches was all it took to retire your arse all THREE times!!!!! Feel free to actually learn the freaking strike zone!!!!!

Aybar is a waste right now. TWENTY errors already, and can't even catch a throw from the catcher!!!! Oh, and nice 5 for the past 35 and 22 for the past 111!!!!!

Don't stop me, I'm rolling!!!!!

Abreu, figures that after having 2 hits Sunday, you're back to just 1 for 7 again and a whopping 8 for 62!!!!

Congrats Halos lineup, you have FOUR players in horrible skids (Abreu, Aybar, Rivera, and Mathis). Maybe the Halos AA players should come up here. Moore couldn't do any worse!!!!!

In fact, get Amarista and Auer up here! Bench most of the starters, and play Trumbo, Conger, Callaspo, Willits, Bourjos, and Amarista, and send a message to the CLOWNS currently in the lineup!!!

Hey Halos, that's EIGHT straight losses to the mediocre O's and pathetic Indians....which makes you as worthless as Countrywide stock was when they folded!!!!!!

Get some relievers in here who THROW STRIKES!!!!!!!!! Thompson has only walked 3 in 13.2 innings, and Walden has only walked 1 in 5 innings. They move to the head of the class in control pitching in the pen! This bullpen has walked something like 200 batters this season...DISGRACEFUL!!!!!

As Dean Wormer might say to quite a few of these veterans....FAT, DUMB, and LAZY is no way to play a MLB game, sons!!!!!

The Lineup & Some Bad News On Aceves and Marte

Sliding Into Home — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:12:00 +0000

Here's the lineup via Chad Jennings:

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Lance Berkman 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Francisco Cervelli C

Jennings also passes along this from Pete Caldera:

Girardi says Aceves out for the year, and feels same about Marte.

Not good news for the Yankees pen, but it's not really a surprise. Once they each suffered their latest setbacks you knew this was coming.

Hughes To Be Skipped

Sliding Into Home — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:08:00 +0000

From Brian Costello:

Phil Hughes will not make his next scheduled start on Saturday and will be replaced by Dustin Moseley.

A.J. Burnett will be moved up a day and start Saturday on regular rest against the Rangers, while Moseley will go to the mound on Sunday. Moseley said the team told him yesterday that he would start and said he was excited about the opportunity.

Good, he seems to be running out of gas anyway. Maybe this is just what he needs.

Jim Thome: Modern-day Babe Ruth? Um..

Deep Left Field — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:46:32 +0000

I apologize to Ed and anyone who reads, I haven’t made a post in awhile. Between work, four fantasy football drafts, fantasy baseball, work, a sick family member and work, I just haven’t found the time. On top of that, the team just hasn’t really given me much to write about.

One of my readers (okay, it was my sister) asked me after my last post what I write when the Indians win. Apparently I come off somewhat bitter. Well, they didn’t win for some time after that, so I didn’t really have a chance to answer. My goal here is to say only positive things that I’ve seen lately.

Because this is only positive, I won’t even mention the White Sox series. The 4-game series with the Mariners was somewhat pedestrian, but the Tribe came out with a split in which they showed some ability to scratch out a win when they aren’t scoring much, and that was nice to see. King Felix pitched very well Sunday, so I will give them a free pass for that one. In the first game they were able to come back after being down 3-0, and in the third game they held on for a 4-2 win behind Mitch Talbot. Also in this series, Shin-Soo Choo carried me to the semifinals of my fantasy baseball league! Hooray!

In game one of the Angels series, Choo again came through for me (and I guess the team, too) with an RBI single in the ninth to break a 2-2 tie, and Chris ‘Pure Rage’ Perez (also on my fantasy team…) slammed the door on a 3-2 victory. Tonight, the Indians have done to the Angels what many teams have done to the Tribe before. After the Angels tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the fifth, Hafner, who has been mashing lately, lined a homer to right-center, then a few batters later Lou Marson, of all people, hit a grand slam to break the game wide open. Let’s hope they hold on.

One thing I did find on espn.com was an interesting article written by Jim Souhan of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. In the article, he refers to Jim Thome as a “Modern-day Babe [Ruth],” supporting a claim made by Twinkies manager Ron Gardenhire.

Um…what?

For those who don’t remember, Thome turned his back on the city of Cleveland long before LeBron James turned it into an art form. After always claiming that it wasn’t about the money, that they’d have to rip the jersey off his back before he’d bail on us, he walked to Philly for more money, giving the Indians and the fans who loved him the metaphorical middle-finger salute on his way out. I’m not saying Jim isn’t a nice guy, everyone says he is. So are con artists, otherwise no one would buy into their schemes. Some people choose to forgive and forget when it comes to these details. For me, I was 14 years old when it happened and it basically ripped my heart out as far as baseball goes. I’ll never forget.

How anyone could compare him to Babe Ruth is just beyond me. It’s blasphemy. Well, you could say they’re both overweight, I suppose. The Bambino is almost certainly the most recognizable name in baseball history, and possibly even in sports history altogether. Jim Thome is an aging farm boy who has hit all of his home runs in an era marred by performance enhancing drugs. Old Yankee Stadium was referred to as “The House That Ruth Built” and was home to 26 World Championships. The Sultan of Swat even owns possibly the most famous World Series moment ever, when he called his shot against the Cubs in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. Jim Thome will be lucky to have a diner named after him. Maybe you see the similarities. I don’t. It is ludicrous to call Thome the modern-day Babe. Most people outside of Minnesota couldn’t give less of a damn what he does if it isn’t against their team. Ruth was a national icon.

So much for the positive note.

Tigers Today: September 7, 2010

The Daily Fungo — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:37:13 +0000

Tigers’ Record:

68-70, 3rd Place; 13 GB

Today’s Game

Tigers vs. White Sox | 7:05 p.m. ET – Comerica Park | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup
Justin Verlander (14-8, 3.61 ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (11-5, 4.82 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

White Sox 5 – Tigers 4 (10 innings)

W: Chris Sale (1-1)
L: Jose Valverde (2-4)
HR: Don Kelly (6)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Tom Matchick, 67

On this Date in Tigers History

2007 — Curtis Granderson hits his 20th home run to give him 20 or more doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases. The only prior players to do that in major league history were Frank Schulte (1911) and Willie Mays (1957). He will be joined by the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins in a few days.

2002 — The Tigers defeat the Yankees, 2-1, as Eric Munson hits a home run in his first major-league at bat.

1999 — Colorado manager Jim Leyland confirms rumors that he will retire at the end of the season.

1997 — The major league mark for the most combined strikeouts in a game is tied when 33 players fan during a 15-inning 5-4 Angels victory over the Tigers.

1993 — Chad Kreuter homers from both sides of the plate in the Tigers’ 10-6 win over California. He is the second Tigers player — and catcher — this year to perform the feat, joining Mickey Tettleton, who did so on May 7.

1984 — Down 4-0 in the eighth, the Tigers score four runs — three on a homer by Kirk Gibson — to tie the Blue Jays in Toronto. In the 10th, Dave Bergman cracks a three-run homer and the Tigers win, 7-4. Willie Hernandez
(9-2) wins with three innings of shutout relief.

1971 — Jim Northrup goes 5 for 5 with two home runs in a 3-2, 11 inning Tigers win over the Senators.

1950 — Hoot Evers hits for the cycle, adds another triple, and knocks in six runs in a 13-13, 10-inning tie with Cleveland. The game, ended because of darkness, leaves the Tigers in first place by a few percentage points ahead of the Yankees.

Giants Within 1 in the West

The Giants Blog — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:24:00 +0000

The Giants can move back into a tie for first place with a win Tuesday, coupled with a Padres loss, as the Giants have moved to within 1 game of NL West leading San Diego.

The Giants have also apparently got their starting pitching back on track. Starting with Tim Lincecum's win last week, the Giants' starters have been outstanding over the last week or so. The team has won 4 of their last 5 because of that, as their offense still hasn't really found their groove in September yet. A prime example of this came Monday night, as the D-Backs held the Giants scoreless through 12 innings, when they finally broke through and won, 2-0. They only scored 3 runs the day before that in LA as well. There really just isn't anyone who's very hot in that lineup right now, and there are a few guys starting to struggle a bit. Andres Torres has hit a bit of a rough patch over the last week, going 2-25 in that span. The Giants outfield as a whole has really hit a rough patch. Newcomers Jose Guillen and Cody Ross started out well, but have since cooled off, and Pat Burrell has just 1 homer in has last 10 games. It's gotten to the point where Nate Schierholtz is starting to get some ab's again, and he ended up delivering the game winning hit on Monday night in AZ. Luckily, the Padres bats have sputtered more than the Giants, enabling the Giants to stick within striking distance of first place.

The Giants will try and reclaim that top spot again on Tuesday night, sending Tim Lincecum to the mound vs. young D-Back righty, Barry Enright. The 24 year-old Enright has been lights out since his promotion (6-2, 2.45 era) and won't be an easy task for the Giants. More importantly though, they're just hoping Timmy can continue his rythem from last weeks start, which was his best start in about 2 months. It's time to start the "Padre Watch" as well, and they'll be sending someone to the mound in place of Mat Latos (out with the flu) Tuesday to oppose the Dodgers' Clay Kershaw. This is a great opportunity for the Giants to move into that tie, as the pitching matchup now heavily favors LA. Also, the Wild Card race, which appears is becoming just a 2-team race between the Giants (or San Diego) and the Phillies. The Phills, who hold a 1.5 game lead on the Giants, send Joe Blanton to the mound against the Marlins Chris Volstad, Tuesday night.

Roster News: The Giants will be getting Emmanuel Burris and Eugenio Velez back on the big league roster Tuesday night as well, as the Giants have now expanded their roster to 32 players. With them being in a pennant race, again, there probably won't be many more call-ups, and certainly not any players that they don't plan on using in some way. I still would like to see Jesus Guzman brought up as a right-handed power bat off the bench, and still would like to see righty Henry Sosa get a few innings of work.

Game 139: Yankees vs. Orioles

Sliding Into Home — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:07:00 +0000

Regular Season Game 139

Yankees vs. Blue Jays

Game Time: 7:05 p.m.

TV: YES | Radio: WCBS | XM: 175

Here are the lineups:

YANKEES (86-52)

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Lance Berkman DH
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Ramiro Pena 3B

LHP CC Sabathia (19-5, 3.02)

Orioles (52-86)

Brian Roberts 2B

Felix Pie LF

Nick Markakis RF

Ty Wigginton 1B

Adam Jones CF

Nolan Reimold DH

Craig Tatum C

Robert Andino SS

Josh Bell 3B

RHP Jake Arrieta (4-6, 5.11)

News & Notes

- CC Sabathia gets his first chance at win number 20. It would be his first 20 win season.

- The Yankees are 10-3 vs. the Orioles this season.

- The Yanks have lost two in a row.

- AL EAST STANDINGS:

YANKEES
-- RAYS 2.5 GB
RED SOX 9.0 GB

- Come sign up for the forums. And like always, the chat room in the forums is open.
Stick around and discuss the game
as it happens in the comments section.

Game 139: Yankees vs. Orioles

Sliding Into Home — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:07:00 +0000

Regular Season Game 139

Yankees vs. Blue Jays

Game Time: 7:05 p.m.

TV: YES | Radio: WCBS | XM: 175

Here are the lineups:

YANKEES (86-52)

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Lance Berkman DH
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Ramiro Pena 3B

LHP CC Sabathia (19-5, 3.02)

Orioles (52-86)

Brian Roberts 2B

Felix Pie LF

Nick Markakis RF

Ty Wigginton 1B

Adam Jones CF

Nolan Reimold DH

Craig Tatum C

Robert Andino SS

Josh Bell 3B

I’m taking most of the day off

Sliding Into Home — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:35:00 +0000

Hey folks... Today will mostly be a day off for me regarding the blog. Not only do I have a ton of work to do, but it's also my birthday. So as soon as I get this work over with I'm going out and celebrating. I'm sure some of the other writers will take over.

Hopefully CC picks up his 20th. That wouldn't be a bad gift.

Had his Phil?

Sliding Into Home — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:43:00 +0000

There’s no question in my mind that Phil Hughes has been one of the biggest players for us this season. Anyone that is 16-7 is contributing a great amount to the team’s success.

However, Hughes has seemed to be struggling of late. After a disappointing performance this weekend it got me wondering about what exactly he’s been doing in. Some of the stats surprised me, while some were already known.

Did you know?

- Hughes has allowed 19 homers at Yankee Stadium, while only giving up 3 on the road this season?

- Hughes' home ERA is 4.88 while his road ERA is more then a run less at 3.38?

- Hughes is 3-7 when the Yankees score 0 to 5 runs but is 13-0 when the Yankees score 6 or more?

- His last 7-inning performance came 10 starts ago?

Hughes has also had an interesting drop off in the second half. In the 1st half during 16 starts, he was 11-2 had a 3.65 ERA, allowed 11 homers and only gave up 90 hits in 101 innings of work.

So far into the second half, Hughes has made only made 10 starts, but you can see he has been struggling. In 6 less starts, he has given up as many homers, 11. Phil is 5-5 and his ERA this half is ugly at 5.47. He has also only pitched 54.1 innings but has allowed 79 base runners.

I am not writing Hughes off or saying he’s done this season, I am just wondering if he is gassed and could use a start off or two. He could also just be in a funk where all it will take is that one thing to get him in 1st half form. What do you think... is he gassed?... Just in a funk?

Los Angeles Angels Post Game Rants and Raves (9-5 & 6-2010)

AngelsWin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:13:00 +0000

By Jeff Flinn - AngelsWin.com Contributor

Raves:

Jepsen had back-to-back solid 8th innings, albeit one batter reached base tonight.

Hunter went deep again tonight, now can you please actually produce a hit with RISP?

Haren pitched great tonight except for the Rodney improv in the 6th inning (3 straight walks).

Bourjos continues to give some hope tonight with a triple and a run scored tonight, doing more than most of the vets did against Carrasco.

Sunday was a good day all around, as everyone reached base except for Willits.

Abreu breaks his 5-52 (with 21 Ks) tailspin with a 2 run homer Sunday, and Napoli joins in the fun with his own 2 run homer.

Napoli does go into some decent sized funks, but when hot he can carry a team.

Matsui had 3 hits Sunday, and is improving after struggling for the most part except for June.

Good to see hitters 3 through 6 all drive in runs Sunday, now Halos fans want to see much more of that from them.

The bullpen threw strikes for the most part Sunday (only 16 out of 54 pitches out of the zone).

Walden continued to blow away hitters with his upper 90s/100mph fastball on Sunday, and now has 10 Ks in his first 5 MLB innings.

Rodney actually threw strikes Sunday (only 8 out of 22 pitches out of the zone).

Santana got through 6 innings Sunday despite some wildness.

Aybar stole his 19th base Sunday, and has a 70% success rate, better than the 60% or so that he had in the minors.

Rants:

Aybar committed his 19th error Sunday, already more than in 2009.

Hey Rodney, nice back-to-back 9th innings. I'm starting to side with the people wanting you traded after 2010, as your pitching I.Q. leaves something to be desired.

Outside of Hunter's homer tonight, the veteran hitters reverted to their terrible selves. Every freaking time they have a good hitting game, they stink it up the next several games. What? Are they afraid to hurt the pitchers' feelings by hitting in more than 1 game in a row????? Kendrick, Abreu, Matsui, Napoli, and Rivera....all incapable of building on anything!!!!

I'm ready to blow this team up by letting go/trading 7-8 veterans after 2010!!!!! Get people in here who don't shrink under adversity!!!! One freaking win when trailing after 8 innings?????????

Get the kids up here, even if a couple have to be added to the 40 man. Why is Ryan Budde still on the 40 man roster?????? What has he done to deserve being on it for so long????? Play Trumbo every day and start Conger more than Mathis for the rest of the season. We already know what to expect from Mathis. Little to nothing.

One of these decades, maybe this team will actually have back-to-back solid hitting seasons!!!!!!

Only this team would lose SEVEN straight combined to the terrible O's and awful Indians, including 4 straight at home. Pathetic!!!!!!

Are the Halos the worst hitting team in MLB history against unknown pitchers????? I'm sick and tired, I'm sick and tired, I'm sick and tired of mediocre unknowns dominating the Halos EVERY SEASON!!!!!

Pettitte’s Rehab Start Pushed Back to Thursday

Sliding Into Home — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:36:00 +0000

According to Chad Jennings, the Yankees have pushed Andy Pettitte's rehab start to Thursday. It will still be in Double-A Trenton.

9/6 Minor League Report - Montero Wraps Up Reg. Season With HR #21

Sliding Into Home — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:58:00 +0000

================

(Triple-A) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (87-56) beat Lehigh Valley (58-86) 4-3 in 12 innings: Box - Recap

This ends SWB's regular season. They finished in first of the International League North division. Their playoff series with Columbus will begin on Wednesday with D.J. Mitchell on the mound.

Batting:
Reid Gorecki CF: 2-for-6, 2B, RBI (30), SB (12)
Kevin Russo 2B: 0-for-5
Jesus Montero C: 1-for-5, HR (21), RBI (75), R --- finishes regular season hitting. 289/.353/.517
Juan Miranda DH: 0-for-5
Jorge Vazquez 1B: 2-for-4, HR (18), RBI (62), BB, R
Chad Huffman LF: 1-for-4, 2B, R, HBP
Eric Bruntlett SS: 1-for-5, R, SB (8)
Brandon Laird 3B: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI (12) --- finishes reg. season hitting .281/.336/.482 with 25 HR with SWB and Trenton
Edwar Gonzalez RF: 0-for-5

Pitching:
Hector Noesi: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (4.82 ERA)
Royce Ring (H, 14): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (1.93 ERA)
Zack Segovia (H, 5): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (4.19 ERA)
Kevin Whelan (BS, 1): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (6.30 ERA)
Amaury Sanit (W, 3-2): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (7.75 ERA)
John Van Benschoten (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (2.31 ERA)

Pitches-strikes: Noesi 94-63, Ring 4-3, Segovia 13-9, Whelan 22-11, Sanit 33-21, Van Benschoten 15-9.
Groundouts-flyouts: Noesi 4-6, Ring 0-0, Segovia 0-2, Whelan 1-0, Sanit 1-1, Van Benschoten 1-1.

(Double-A) Trenton (83-59) beat New Britain (44-98) 5-2: Box - Recap

This ends Trenton's regular season. They finished on top of the Eastern League's Eastern division. Their playoff series against New Hampshire begins on Wednesday.

Batting:
Austin Krum CF: 1-for-3
Taylor Grote PH-RF: 0-for-1, BB --- called up from Charleston for playoffs
Corban Joseph 2B: 1-for-4, 3B., RBI (13)
Matthew Cusick 2B: 0-for-1
Daniel Brewer RF-CF: 1-for-4, 2B, R
Austin Romine DH: 2-for-4, 2B, HR (10), 2 RBI (69), 2 R --- finishes reg. season hitting .268/.324/.402
Marcos Vechionacci 1B: 2-for-4, HR (11), 2 RBI (55), R
Rene Rivera C: 1-for-3
Ryan J. Baker C: 0-for-1
Damon Sublett LF: 1-for-3, BB
Justin Snyder 3B: 1-for-4, R

Pitching:
Andrew Brackman (W, 5-7): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (3.01 ERA)
JB Cox: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (4.28 ERA)
Wilkins Arias: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, WP (3.65 ERA)
Josh Schmidt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (2.67 ERA)
Ryan Pope: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HB (4.20 ERA)

Groundouts-flyouts: Brackman 7-4, Cox, J 2-1, Arias 2-0, Schmidt 1-1, Pope 0-1.

Notes: Rob Segedin has been called up for the playoffs.

(High-A) Tampa (Overall: 76-57; Second Half: 42-25) finished their regular season on Sunday night. Tampa's regular season. They finished on top of the FSL North Division and will begin the playoffs on Tuesday against Dunedin.

(Low-A) Charleston (Overall: 65-74; Second Half: 34-36) beat Greensboro (Overall: 66-74; Second Half: 34-36) 2-1 in 10 innings: Box - Recap

Charleston's season is over. They finished 5th in the South Atlantic League's Northern division.

Batting:
Slade Heathcott CF: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI (30), R --- finishes year hitting .258/.359/.352 with 2 HR, 30 RBI, and 15 steals in 25 attempts.
Emerson Landoni 2B: 1-for-2, 3 BB
Robert Lyerly 3B: 3-for-5, RBI (71) --- Walk-off single in 10th, finishes a nice year hitting .312/.356/.425
Luke Murton 1B: 1-for-3, 2B, BB
Denagelo Mack DH: 0-for-4
Neil Medchill LF: 0-for-3, HBP
Ramon Flores RF: 1-for-4, SB (1)
Kelvin Castro SS: 0-for-3, BB
Hector Rabago C: 0-for-3
Jose Toussen PR: 0-for-0, R

Pitching:
Shane Greene: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K, HB (4.58 ERA) --- nice way to end the year
Kelvin Perez (W, 5-5): 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, WP (3.18 ERA)

Groundouts-flyouts: Greene, S 4-6, Perez, K 6-2.

(Single-A Short-Season) Staten Island (34-40) season is over. They finished tied for last in the McNamara Division.

(Rookie) GCL Yankees (24-32) season is over. They finished last in the GCL. The GCL Phillies won the Championship.