Monday, August 16, 2010

Down on the Farm: 08-16-2010

AAA Iowa Cubbies beat the Fresno Grizzlies 5-3:

Henry Sosa- 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 4.13.
Steve Edlefsen- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K. ERA= 1.87.
Craig Whitaker- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 2.84.

I hope they keep Sosa starting for awhile, even if he struggles. He'll either finally learn to pitch or prove he can't.

AA Eastern League was idle.

High A Cal League was idle.

Low A Augusta Greenjackets topped the Rome Braves 8-7:

Nick Liles- 2 for 5. BA= .307.
Chris Dominguez- 2 for 5, 2B(26), SB(12). BA= .267.
Tommy Joseph- 3 for 5, 2 2B(19). BA= .244.
Luke Anders- 2 for 5. BA= .293.
Hector Sanchez- 2 for 4, 2B(19). BA= .284.
Brian Irving- 6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 4.38.
Jose Valdez- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.58.

Dominguez and Joseph both have OPS's >.900 over their last 10 games. Valdez has a record of 1-0, 0.69, 13 IP, 10 BB, 18 K's over his last 10 games. Too many BB's but the K/9 is there. I predicted a breakout for this year. He got off to a slow start, but is coming on strong now. Watch out next year! Dude is a monster!

Short Season Spokane Indians drubbed the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 12-3:

Ryan Scoma- 2 for 4, HR(3). BA= .330.
Edwin Escobar- 3 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 5.26.

Disappointing start for Escobar after his last dominant outing, but 18 yo kids are going to have their ups and downs.

Rookie AZL Giants edged the A's 3-2:

Rafael Rodriguez- 2 for 4. BA= .280.
Chuckie Jones- 1 for 2, 2B, 2 BB, SB(6). BA= .299.
Alex Burg- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .333.
Kendry Flores- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 3.69.
Heath Hembree- 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, Save(1). ERA= 1.29.

RafRod back on track. Jones is really having a very fine start to his pro career. I would think he should easily make BA's top 20 AZL prospect list. Flores is just 18 yo and has had a fine season too: 5-2, 3.69, 46.1 IP, 13 BB, 47 K's. Hembree, the Giants 5'th round draft pick has 15 K's against 0 BB's in 7 IP.

DSL Giants crushed the Yankees 15-1:

Danny Mujica- 2 for 4, BB, SB(19). BA= .225.
Alberto Robles- 1 for 3, BB, SB(19). BA= .272.
Victor Feliz- 2 for 5. BA= .295.
Hector Mercedes- 2 for 5. BA= .206.
Cesar Soto- 3 for 4, 2B. BA= .226.
Jesus Galindo- 2 for 3, BB, 2 SB(42). BA= .242.
Luis Angeles- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 1.86.
Franklin Noel- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 0.67.

Like what I'm seeing late in the season from several of these players.

The Giants signed their top 2 draft picks, Gary Brown and Jarrett Parker. Parker ended up at about twice slot at around $700K, but Brown was barely over slot at $1.3-1.45 M depending on your source. They ended up not signing Austin Southall who would have been a nice HS bat to come along behind Tommy Joseph. I'm glad they got Brown and Parker signed, but here's hoping they move the signing deadline up in the next Contract with the Player's Association. There is not reason why the Brown, Kickham and Parker signings had to go down to the wire. A lot of these negotiations apparently didn't START until today!! They easily could have gotten the same deal done within 1 week of the draft and then the players would have had the benefit of playing this summer. Oh well, signing late doesn't seem to have hurt Brandon Belt, so what do I know anyway?

6 comments:

  1. Is Valdez a pitcher you think the G's will try starting next year? Or is he strictly a set-up/closer? FB pitcher?

    Im looking forwards to your year end breakdown/top 50 list. Im so unfamiliar with the low A & below players.

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  2. I agree, the deadline has to be moved up, at least a month. Hardly any signings over the past month, then everything in the last couple of days?

    Noonan was my breakout prospect but he struggled then got injured. Looking better lately though, so I still have some hope.

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  3. I would love to see the Giants try Valdez at starter again, but their pattern as been to put post-TJ pitchers on the relief track. If Valdez stays on the relief track, I could see him rocketing up like Runzler last year. I know I predicted that for this year, but he got off to a slow start. His performance in the second half seems to be positioning him favorably for a big breakout next year.

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  4. I think Noonan is still on schedule. He can repeat AA and still be on schedule. The question is whether the Giants want to keep him in a tough hitting environment until he masters it, or move him up to Fresno and try to build his confidence and try to get him to hit with more authority.

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  5. I think a lot depends on what happens the rest of this year and ST for how they proceed with Noonan.

    If Franchez continues to struggle and neither Downs nor Rohlinger blow up (it doesnt look like the org is REALLY giving Downs a chance, and Rohly looks like he has been pigeon-holed as a util guy), than I think they will decide between Culberson and Noonan on whom to fast-track for a June call up and hand the job to the winner. The fast-track winner will start in Fresno, the other will start in Richmond.

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  6. Yes, definitely Noonan is not behind schedule, he will still be young for AA if he repeats next season, they have been relatively aggressive with him, probably because they think he can handle it mentally, that was one of his positives mentioned when he was drafted. Just thought he would do more this season after his hockey puck performance last season.

    The way they have handled other hitters before, they keep him there. Only Posey was allowed to jump to AAA (and that appears to be an astute move now, while Weiters only got moved to AA, and reflects how both have done since making the majors).

    About 2B next season, I have to think that if Franchez continued to struggle, Fontenot would get the shot before either of Culberson or Noonan, unless one of them is raking it.

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