GAME 1
DETROIT 7 AUGUSTA 0
Through 6 innings, Dinamo ace Julius Webster and Augusta ace Rich May were locked up in a dominating pitcher's duel. It was 0-0 heading to the bottom of the 7th when super reliever Vic Ordonez took the place of May on the hill and he sent the Dinamom bats down silently, 3 up and 3 down. Things took an ugly turn in the bottom of the 8th however. Ordonez walked 9-hole hitter Benji Leon to start the inning and then allowed a single to Dante Seo and a run scoring double to Luis Crespo breaking the scoreless tie. That's when the Vacs' nightmare ensued. Gordon Howington relieved Ordonez and when the dust settled, Dinamo had taken a 7-0 lead and took game 1 of the ALCS. Webster was the star going 8 innings allowing 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out seven. Ordonez took the loss.
GAME 2
AUGUSTA 7 DETROIT 0
Turnabout was fair play in Game 2 as Vacs starter Danys Vasquez was amused at the simplicity of the game. Vasquez allowed just 1 hit in 8 solid innings while walking none. It took only 86 innings for him to mow down the stunned Detroit bats. Offensively, the Vacs had their way with Dinamo starter Erubiel Valenzuela and tattooed him for 7 earned runs in 4.1 innings. Vacs CF Virgil Seanez went 3-3 with a HR and 3 RBI enabling the Vacs to tie the series at 1 game each.
GAME 3
DETROIT 9 AUGUSTA 6
A pivotal matchup played in Augusta started out as non contest and then became extremely exciting. Detroit jumped out to a 6-0 lead heading to the bottom of the 7th as they rocked 4 HR's, 3 off of Vacs starter Pablo Mesa. Luis Crespo, Juan Hernandez and Ugueth Pascual all homered (Pascual twice). Things became interesting late though as Dinamo starter Aaron Baker tired issuing 2 bases loaded walks to make the score 6-2. The 8th was even more exciting as the Vacs scored 3 runs on a bomb by Harold Martin off reliever Calvin Woo. Detroit put the game away in the 9th as Hernandez hit for the cycle with a single in his last at bat. On the day, Hernandez was 4-5 with 2 runs and 3 RBI. Baker took the win and Lou Crosby got the save by retiring 2 hitters in the 9th with the tying run on base. Mesa took the loss.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Vacs complete sweep of O's, Detroit up Next
The Baltimore fans gave the home team a standing ovation after Julio Julio hit a soft lazy fly to RF to end their season. The O's who broke a franchise record in attendence have nothing to be ashamed of and will be a force again in Season 10.
Ultimately, the Augusta Vacationers were too much for the O's to handle as they complete the sweep and move on to face Detroit FC Dynamo in the ALCS. Slugging firstbaseman Russ Flanagan crushed a solo HR off O's right Miguel Estrella in the 1st inning and that was basically it. Felipe Castro, Kenneth Cannon and Flanagan added RBI's later in the game to cushion the lead to 4-0 which was more than enough for Vacs ace Rich May. May gave up 1 run while scattering 7 hits, walking 2 and striking out 4. Closer Louie Nieto pitched a perfect 9th to complete the series and earn a save.
The O's did make things interesting in the 8th down 4-0. Michael Kingland led off with an infield single. After Al Melo and Walt Seneca were retired, May showed signs of fatigue and walked Chad Mercker. Arthur Webster nailed a fastball up the middle to score Kingland setting the stage for Douglas Cardona. Cardona who struggled in the playoffs, forced every O's fan to their feet as he blasted a drive to deep left that Harold Martin caught up against the wall. Threat, game, series, season....over.
Ultimately, the Augusta Vacationers were too much for the O's to handle as they complete the sweep and move on to face Detroit FC Dynamo in the ALCS. Slugging firstbaseman Russ Flanagan crushed a solo HR off O's right Miguel Estrella in the 1st inning and that was basically it. Felipe Castro, Kenneth Cannon and Flanagan added RBI's later in the game to cushion the lead to 4-0 which was more than enough for Vacs ace Rich May. May gave up 1 run while scattering 7 hits, walking 2 and striking out 4. Closer Louie Nieto pitched a perfect 9th to complete the series and earn a save.
The O's did make things interesting in the 8th down 4-0. Michael Kingland led off with an infield single. After Al Melo and Walt Seneca were retired, May showed signs of fatigue and walked Chad Mercker. Arthur Webster nailed a fastball up the middle to score Kingland setting the stage for Douglas Cardona. Cardona who struggled in the playoffs, forced every O's fan to their feet as he blasted a drive to deep left that Harold Martin caught up against the wall. Threat, game, series, season....over.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
GAME 2 BLOWOUT! VACS 13 O'S 0
O's No Match for Vacs who go up 2-0
There is a reason the Augusta Vacationers won the AL East by 13 games and for the 7th consecutive season. They're the best team. However, the O's were given 2nd life in the 2nd round of the playoffs with a head to head match with to get to the ALCS.
After a hard fought 8-5 loss in game 1, the O's laid the biggest of eggs and were waffle-stomped in game 2 13-0. Vacs starter Danys Vasquez was masterful over 7 innings allowing just 2 hits while walking 3 and striking out 2. Offensively, Adam O'Malley was 3-3 with 3 runs scored while Harold Martin drove in 3 runs and Flip Hill, Russ Flanagan and Jordan Lee pitched in 2 RBI each.
O's starter Willie Rios was bombed for 4 runs in the first inning and 7 overall in 3.1 innings.
Both teams will get a travel day off before heading to Baltimore to pick up the series. If Baltimore doesn't do something quick, that 2nd chance will be flushed away quickly as the Vacs have their eye, and the upper hand on getting to the ALCS.
Monday, September 22, 2008
GAME 1 AUGUSTA 8 BALTIMORE
Bats Come Alive in Game 1 Win for Vacs
The proposed pitching matchup between the Vacs Rich May and the O’s Matty Gibson never materialized as the well-rested Augusta squad busted out for 4 runs in the 1st inning. The Vacs eventually went up 7-0 and held on to take game 1 8-5.
Gibson fell in trouble right away, allowing the first 4 batters of the game to score. Adam O’Malley singled to right and Virgil Seanez followed with a high chopper to Miguel James at short who had no play. DH Flip Hill then crushed the first pitch he saw over the LF wall to give the Vacs a 3-0 lead. Gibson, obviously rattled, then gave up a solo HR to the following hitter, Russ Flanagan. Gibson wasn’t finished giving up the long ball as O’s killer Felipe Castro hit a 2- run blast to right in the 3rd inning to go up 6-0. Flanagan hit a Sac fly in the 4th to go up 7-0 but things got interesting after that.
May who had cruised for the first 4 innings, couldn’t make it out of the 5th. Douglas Cardona reached on a single, Phil Ludwick walked, and with 2 outs…Michael Kingland also walked. Three consecutive singles by Al Melo, Walt Seneca and Chad Mercker sent May to the showers in favor of reliever Jeff Prince. Prince allowed Arthur Webster to single narrow the lead to 7-5.
Prince pitched solidly for the next 3 1/3 innings and the Vacs added an RBI groundout by John Rolen and game 1 goes to the Vacs. Hill and Flanagan both had 2 hits while Mercker, Ludwick and Crespo each had 2 hits for the O’s. The O’s went without an extra base hit however scattering 10 singles.
There was some controversy however as it appeared that O’s starter Matty Gibson was pretty tired to start the game. Gibson declined comment after the game but was visibly shaken and tempers flared in the O’s clubhouse as media was forced to depart.
The proposed pitching matchup between the Vacs Rich May and the O’s Matty Gibson never materialized as the well-rested Augusta squad busted out for 4 runs in the 1st inning. The Vacs eventually went up 7-0 and held on to take game 1 8-5.
Gibson fell in trouble right away, allowing the first 4 batters of the game to score. Adam O’Malley singled to right and Virgil Seanez followed with a high chopper to Miguel James at short who had no play. DH Flip Hill then crushed the first pitch he saw over the LF wall to give the Vacs a 3-0 lead. Gibson, obviously rattled, then gave up a solo HR to the following hitter, Russ Flanagan. Gibson wasn’t finished giving up the long ball as O’s killer Felipe Castro hit a 2- run blast to right in the 3rd inning to go up 6-0. Flanagan hit a Sac fly in the 4th to go up 7-0 but things got interesting after that.
May who had cruised for the first 4 innings, couldn’t make it out of the 5th. Douglas Cardona reached on a single, Phil Ludwick walked, and with 2 outs…Michael Kingland also walked. Three consecutive singles by Al Melo, Walt Seneca and Chad Mercker sent May to the showers in favor of reliever Jeff Prince. Prince allowed Arthur Webster to single narrow the lead to 7-5.
Prince pitched solidly for the next 3 1/3 innings and the Vacs added an RBI groundout by John Rolen and game 1 goes to the Vacs. Hill and Flanagan both had 2 hits while Mercker, Ludwick and Crespo each had 2 hits for the O’s. The O’s went without an extra base hit however scattering 10 singles.
There was some controversy however as it appeared that O’s starter Matty Gibson was pretty tired to start the game. Gibson declined comment after the game but was visibly shaken and tempers flared in the O’s clubhouse as media was forced to depart.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
AL EAST REPORT, REGULAR SEASON COMPLETED
1. Augusta Vacationers (106-56, 13 games ahead, 11-6 since last report)
With an en fuego 2nd half of the season, the Vacs coast to their 7th consecutive AL East title. They captured the #2 seed for the playoffs and await the winner of the Seattle Spartans and Baltimore O’s series which is knotted up at a game each after 2 games. The 106 wins was 3rd best in the history of the franchise. They hope to win their 2nd World Series.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Starter Rich May tied his career high with 19 wins and now owns a lifetime record of 99-43. His 3.04 ERA on the season was a career best as was his 1.10 WHIP. Incredibly, we won every one of his last 9 starts. The 3-time All Star finished 3rd in the Cy Young balloting.
Major League Player of the Year
Harold Martin played in 159 games hitting .278 with 44 HR’s and 124 RBI. Martin also scored 107 runs and added 7 stolen bases. Statistically, it wasn’t Martin’s best year but quite possibly his most consistent and like the Vacs, had a wonderful 2nd half of the season.
Minor League Playoff Watch
The AA Vacs are up 2-0 against the Charleston Trawlers in the AA AL Championship Series. It is the furthest the AA squad has ever advanced and their 100-44 record was also the best in their AA history. The HA Vacs lost 3 games to 1 against Toronto in the Division Play In Series. The Rookie Vacs were swept by the Seattle Spartans in the AL Championship series 4-0 after downing the Chicago Bruisers 4-1 in the Division Championship round.
2. Baltimore O’s (93-69, 13 games back, 11-6 since last report)
The streets of Baltimore were dancing as the franchise made the playoffs for the very 1st time with a franchise best 93 wins. They overcame a hellish beginning to the 2nd half of the season to capture the #6 seed and a 1st round match up vs the Seattle Spartans. The 93 wins are 10 more wins better than the previous franchise high of 83 set back in Season 5.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Closer Felipe Cora was sensational all season long and finished the season with 49 saves in 53 chances. Cora appeared in 72 games and finished with a 6-6 record and a 2.99 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. He struckout 64 hitters in 69.1 innings. His hardware includes a Pitcher of the Week award, an All Star appearance, Rookie of the Year and Fireman of the Year. Quite the beginning of a career for the 22 year old Venezuelan.
Major League Player of the Year
2B Walt Seneca provides stellar defense and a steady bat. Seneca hit .279 with 26 HR and 103 RBI in 143 games while fielding at a .980 clip. Seneca also came through when the team needed him the most hitting safely in 13 of the last 14 games of the season, hitting .345 over that stretch with 8 walks and 10 runs scored.
Minor League Watch
The AAA O’s, as the #6 seed have reached the League Championship series after a stunning upset sweep over #3 seed Charleston Trawlers in the 1st round and 3 games to 1 over the #2 seed San Juan Slugging Diablos in the 2nd round. They are up against it down 2-0 to the Toronto Thoroughbreds and have made it further than any previous AAA O’s team.
3. San Juan Slugging Diablos (68-94, 38 games back, 6-11 since last report)
The Season 9 Slugging Diablos could never get on track. The season started by winning 1 of their 1st 10 games and it never righted itself. There were some solid individual performances but the 68 wins was 2nd worst in franchise history as they recorded their 3rd straight losing season and 5th in their last 6.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Veteran hurler Ben Walton takes home the award despite tiring out at the end of the year dropping his final 6 decisions. Walton went 13-16 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. He walked only 51 hitters in 197 innings pitched over 35 starts which matched his career high. Opponents hit just .267 against the 31 y/o Indiana native. Walton is set to become a Free Agent.
Major League Player of the Year
21 year old Rookie Lorenzo Perez takes home the honor. He was named the SS on the Silver Slugger team in the American League and deservedly so. Perez hit .328 with 34 HR’s and 123 RBI. He also finished with 36 doubles and a solid .965 OPS. Perez was extremely versatile starting at 6 different positions settling in at SS in the 2nd half.
Minor League Watch
The AAA Diablos were upset in the Division Championship Series by the Baltimore O’s 3 games to 1. It was the 1st time the AAA team made the playoffs in 3 seasons. The HA Diablos took care of the Toronto Thoroughbreds 3 games to 1 in the Division Championship series and now lead 2-0 over the Charleston Trawlers in the League Championship series. They have made the HA World Series in each of the previous 2 seasons only to lose.
The LA Diablos won a thrilling 1st round series over the New Orleans River Crashers 3-2 but then were swept by the Toronto Thoroughbreds 3-0 in the 2nd round. In 9 seasons, the LA squad has made the playoffs in every season.
4. Florida Beach Bums (51-111, 55 games back, 6-11 since last report)
The Bums were consistently inconsistent for most of the season. They had one 5-game winning streak and two 4-game streaks but at the same time captured seven losing streaks of 6 games or more. Shockingly though, they swept Detroit in a 3-game series in early September that the team should hang their hat on and build momentum for season 10.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Don Lambert started 31 games and finished with a 7-13 record. His 4.60 ERA and 1.48 WHIP was tops on the staff as well as the opponents OBP of .349. The rookie, and former 1st rounder has a bright future and is a definite building block for future Bum seasons.
Major League Player of the Year
Designated Hitter Rob Towers is another young rising star for the Bums. The 22 yr old Georgia native hit .280-20-89 in his rookie campaign. The former 4th rounder of the Monterrey Cheese should only improve as a hitter as he matures and will likely dwarf the numbers he put up in season 9.
Minor League Watch
None of the teams in the farm system made the playoffs. The Season 9 season is all complete.
SEASON 9 ALL- AL EAST TEAM
C- Felipe Castro, Augusta .271-24-59
1b- Russ Flanagan, Augusta .270-41-123
2b- Walt Seneca, Baltimore .279-26-103
SS- Lorenzo Perez, San Juan .328-34-123
3b- Lawrence Grieve, San Juan .269-37-90
OF- Harold Martin, Augusta .278-44-124
OF- Fred Eyre, San Juan .295-35-119
OF- Chad Mercker, Baltimore .281-25-78
DH- Douglas Cardona, Baltimore .275-32-109
SP- Rich May, Augusta 19-4, 3.04
SP- Pablo Mesa, Augusta 17-6, 3.47
SP- Danys Vazquez, Augusta 12-0, 1.63
SP- Miguel Estrella, Baltimore 16-8, 4.08
RP- Felipe Cora, Baltimore 49 saves, 2.99
RP- Ryan Crosby, Baltimore 14-9, 85 appearances, 2.60
RP- Vic Ordonez, Augusta 9-4, 10 saves, 91 appearances, 2.68
With an en fuego 2nd half of the season, the Vacs coast to their 7th consecutive AL East title. They captured the #2 seed for the playoffs and await the winner of the Seattle Spartans and Baltimore O’s series which is knotted up at a game each after 2 games. The 106 wins was 3rd best in the history of the franchise. They hope to win their 2nd World Series.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Starter Rich May tied his career high with 19 wins and now owns a lifetime record of 99-43. His 3.04 ERA on the season was a career best as was his 1.10 WHIP. Incredibly, we won every one of his last 9 starts. The 3-time All Star finished 3rd in the Cy Young balloting.
Major League Player of the Year
Harold Martin played in 159 games hitting .278 with 44 HR’s and 124 RBI. Martin also scored 107 runs and added 7 stolen bases. Statistically, it wasn’t Martin’s best year but quite possibly his most consistent and like the Vacs, had a wonderful 2nd half of the season.
Minor League Playoff Watch
The AA Vacs are up 2-0 against the Charleston Trawlers in the AA AL Championship Series. It is the furthest the AA squad has ever advanced and their 100-44 record was also the best in their AA history. The HA Vacs lost 3 games to 1 against Toronto in the Division Play In Series. The Rookie Vacs were swept by the Seattle Spartans in the AL Championship series 4-0 after downing the Chicago Bruisers 4-1 in the Division Championship round.
2. Baltimore O’s (93-69, 13 games back, 11-6 since last report)
The streets of Baltimore were dancing as the franchise made the playoffs for the very 1st time with a franchise best 93 wins. They overcame a hellish beginning to the 2nd half of the season to capture the #6 seed and a 1st round match up vs the Seattle Spartans. The 93 wins are 10 more wins better than the previous franchise high of 83 set back in Season 5.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Closer Felipe Cora was sensational all season long and finished the season with 49 saves in 53 chances. Cora appeared in 72 games and finished with a 6-6 record and a 2.99 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. He struckout 64 hitters in 69.1 innings. His hardware includes a Pitcher of the Week award, an All Star appearance, Rookie of the Year and Fireman of the Year. Quite the beginning of a career for the 22 year old Venezuelan.
Major League Player of the Year
2B Walt Seneca provides stellar defense and a steady bat. Seneca hit .279 with 26 HR and 103 RBI in 143 games while fielding at a .980 clip. Seneca also came through when the team needed him the most hitting safely in 13 of the last 14 games of the season, hitting .345 over that stretch with 8 walks and 10 runs scored.
Minor League Watch
The AAA O’s, as the #6 seed have reached the League Championship series after a stunning upset sweep over #3 seed Charleston Trawlers in the 1st round and 3 games to 1 over the #2 seed San Juan Slugging Diablos in the 2nd round. They are up against it down 2-0 to the Toronto Thoroughbreds and have made it further than any previous AAA O’s team.
3. San Juan Slugging Diablos (68-94, 38 games back, 6-11 since last report)
The Season 9 Slugging Diablos could never get on track. The season started by winning 1 of their 1st 10 games and it never righted itself. There were some solid individual performances but the 68 wins was 2nd worst in franchise history as they recorded their 3rd straight losing season and 5th in their last 6.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Veteran hurler Ben Walton takes home the award despite tiring out at the end of the year dropping his final 6 decisions. Walton went 13-16 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. He walked only 51 hitters in 197 innings pitched over 35 starts which matched his career high. Opponents hit just .267 against the 31 y/o Indiana native. Walton is set to become a Free Agent.
Major League Player of the Year
21 year old Rookie Lorenzo Perez takes home the honor. He was named the SS on the Silver Slugger team in the American League and deservedly so. Perez hit .328 with 34 HR’s and 123 RBI. He also finished with 36 doubles and a solid .965 OPS. Perez was extremely versatile starting at 6 different positions settling in at SS in the 2nd half.
Minor League Watch
The AAA Diablos were upset in the Division Championship Series by the Baltimore O’s 3 games to 1. It was the 1st time the AAA team made the playoffs in 3 seasons. The HA Diablos took care of the Toronto Thoroughbreds 3 games to 1 in the Division Championship series and now lead 2-0 over the Charleston Trawlers in the League Championship series. They have made the HA World Series in each of the previous 2 seasons only to lose.
The LA Diablos won a thrilling 1st round series over the New Orleans River Crashers 3-2 but then were swept by the Toronto Thoroughbreds 3-0 in the 2nd round. In 9 seasons, the LA squad has made the playoffs in every season.
4. Florida Beach Bums (51-111, 55 games back, 6-11 since last report)
The Bums were consistently inconsistent for most of the season. They had one 5-game winning streak and two 4-game streaks but at the same time captured seven losing streaks of 6 games or more. Shockingly though, they swept Detroit in a 3-game series in early September that the team should hang their hat on and build momentum for season 10.
Major League Pitcher of the Year
Don Lambert started 31 games and finished with a 7-13 record. His 4.60 ERA and 1.48 WHIP was tops on the staff as well as the opponents OBP of .349. The rookie, and former 1st rounder has a bright future and is a definite building block for future Bum seasons.
Major League Player of the Year
Designated Hitter Rob Towers is another young rising star for the Bums. The 22 yr old Georgia native hit .280-20-89 in his rookie campaign. The former 4th rounder of the Monterrey Cheese should only improve as a hitter as he matures and will likely dwarf the numbers he put up in season 9.
Minor League Watch
None of the teams in the farm system made the playoffs. The Season 9 season is all complete.
SEASON 9 ALL- AL EAST TEAM
C- Felipe Castro, Augusta .271-24-59
1b- Russ Flanagan, Augusta .270-41-123
2b- Walt Seneca, Baltimore .279-26-103
SS- Lorenzo Perez, San Juan .328-34-123
3b- Lawrence Grieve, San Juan .269-37-90
OF- Harold Martin, Augusta .278-44-124
OF- Fred Eyre, San Juan .295-35-119
OF- Chad Mercker, Baltimore .281-25-78
DH- Douglas Cardona, Baltimore .275-32-109
SP- Rich May, Augusta 19-4, 3.04
SP- Pablo Mesa, Augusta 17-6, 3.47
SP- Danys Vazquez, Augusta 12-0, 1.63
SP- Miguel Estrella, Baltimore 16-8, 4.08
RP- Felipe Cora, Baltimore 49 saves, 2.99
RP- Ryan Crosby, Baltimore 14-9, 85 appearances, 2.60
RP- Vic Ordonez, Augusta 9-4, 10 saves, 91 appearances, 2.68
Saturday, September 13, 2008
AL East Report- After 145 games
1. Augusta Vacationers (95-50, 13 games ahead, 16-9 since last report)
The Vacs look like they’ll win their 7th consecutive AL East crown as their magic number has dwindled down to just 5 games. Danys Vasquez has been unbelievable since returning from the 60-day DL going 7-0. Altogether he is 11-0 on the year in 13 starts with a 1.58 ERA. Rich May continues to lead the team in wins with 16 and a solid 3.32 ERA. Rubber armed reliever Vic Ordonez has appeared in 86 games and is 8-4 with 9 saves and a stellar 2.85 ERA in an amazing 158 innings of relief work.
Kenneth Cannon has been a nice shot in the arm for the offense and is hitting .312-10-30 in 59 games. Adam O’Malley has played the role of table setter very well with 36 steals and 111 runs scored while missing just 1 game. Harold Martin has played in every game this season and leads the team with 42 long balls.
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 80-64 no playoffs
AA- 100-44 #1 seed (bye)
HA- 82-62 #6 seed (vs Toronto)
LA- 83-61 no playoffs
RK- 53-23 #2 seed (bye)
Minor League Player of the Year-
CAM GREISINGER
Greisinger was the first round pick of Augusta in Season 7. The 6’4 180 22 year old played the entire season at AA and led the team to a league best 100-44 record. He crushed 50 HR’s while driving in 159 runs and scoring 143. He also had 100 extra base hits while stealing 11 bags. Tons of potential for the versatile outfielder who will be knocking on the big league door very soon.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
TOM NEAL
Early in the Season 8 season, Neal was acquired in a trade with the Louisville Reds who made Neal their #1 selection (8th overall) in the Season 6 draft. Neal came into his own this year with a 20-6 record in 30 starts at AA. The 21 year old with an above average fastball and slider struck out 175 in 204.2 innings while issuing just 43 walks.
2. Baltimore O’s (82-63, 13 games back, 15-10 since last report)
The O’s have rebounded from their horrid post All Star game collapse and are back to playing solid baseball. While it is too late to make a run at the division, they are in a 3- team dogfight with the Toronto Thoroughbreds and Portland Red Ducks for the wild card. Only 2 of those teams will make it with the O’s being tied with Portland and 2 games behind Toronto. The team ERA is at 4.17 which is much higher than the start of the year. Miguel Estrella has had the best year at 16-6 with a 4.10 ERA. Closer Felipe Cora has 45 saves in 48 chances while appearing in 64 games. Unheralded reliever Carl Lloyd has been solid of late and overall posts a 2.68 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 90 innings of relief work.
One area the O’s could improve is on base percentage where their .335 average as a team is just 24th overall in the majors. Douglas Cardona leads the team in that area at .357 and is having a solid year with 30 HR’s & 100 RBI. Speedy Michael Kingland has 57 steals in 60 chances but has struck out 94 times in just 389 AB’s. He needs to put the ball in play more. Phil Ludwick leads the team in games played at 140 but is just 5th on the team with 62 runs scored.
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 85-59 #6 seed (vs Charleston)
AA- 83-61 no playoffs
HA- 81-63 no playoffs
LA- 37-107 no playoffs
RK- 38-38 no playoffs
Minor League Player of the Year-
BOOTS BRUNETTE
Brunette, the 22 yr old Kansas native and former 4th rounder of the O’s back in season 5 came into his own at AAA this season. He hit .349-45-159 while scoring 126 runs and racking up 40 doubles as well while leading the AAA O’s squad to a playoff appearance.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
YORK SCHMIDT
Last season, the O’s scouting department were so confident in Schmidt, they drafted the 6’0 190 southpaw in the 1st round (#11 overall) and the flame throwing closer has not disappointed. Playing at AA at the young age of 19, Schmidt saved 25 games in 27 chances while appearing in 52 games. He skipped both A levels and was not intimidated compiling a 2.93 ERA and striking out 51 hitters in 55.1 innings.
3. San Juan Slugging Diablos (62-83, 33 games back, 10-15 since last report)
After the horrid start to the season, the Diablos have basically been a .500 team but can not find any consistency whatsoever. One 4-game winning streak was the hottest they were able to get all season. Ben Walton and Rick Douglas have both started 31 games this year. Walton is 13-13 with a 4.52 while Douglas is 10-14 with a 4.66. Season 8 first round pick Dwight Thurman has made 23 starts and is 8-6 with a 4.75 ERA but in his last 6 starts is 3-1 with a 2.95 ERA.
Slugger Fred Eyre was lost for the season and it is too bad for he was having a great year. (.295-35-115 with 93 runs scored and a .382 OBP). He should be fully recovered from the torn groin muscle for next season. Lawrence Grieve has really picked up the slack in Eyre absence with 10 HR’s in his last 17 games and 36 now on the season. Lorenzo Perez is making a run at rookie of the year. Overall he is .333-34-119
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 87-57 #2 seed
AA- 85-59 no playoffs
HA- 101-43 #2 seed
LA- 84-60 #4 seed (vs New Orleans)
RK- 39-37 no playoffs
Minor League Player of the Year-
PHILIP FORRESTER
Forrester was a 7th round selection in the Season 8 draft but is now looking like a steal. He skipped Low A and came out swinging in High A totaling 46 HR and 208 RBI. His .351 average was tops on the team and he also had 61 doubles, 8 triples and a super high 1.125 OPS leading the HA squad to a 101-43 record. The Virginia Tech grad has some work to do defensively at 3rd but he may be in line to skip another level in Season 10.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
BUCKY YORK
York was a 2nd round selection in Season 7 out of a small Texas university (Hardin Simmons). In 28 starts at AA, he went 17-4 with a 3.69 ERA. He struck out 167 in 190 innings while completing 2 games. The skinny 6’6 Wisconsin native was promoted to the bigs after rosters expanded and picked up a no decision in his 1st start allowing 2 runs in 5 innings.
4. Florida Beach Bums (45-100, 50 games back, 10-15 since last report)
Another long season for the Bums but there were signs of improvement throughout the season. Starters Don Lambert and Tom Hauser were consistent and Lambert led the team in quality starts with 18 in 28 starts. $10 million dollar bonus baby Yamid Chavez got his feet wet in the bigs and pitched well for a 21 year old. Opponents hit just .239 against the Cuban defector in 83 innings of work.
While there were signs of life from the rotation, offensively, the Bums still have work to do. Brad Roosevelt is wrapping up a solid season with .267-19-71 and Rob Towers has been productive at .280-19-82 but there is a huge lack of the big bopper. Their .319 team OBP and .699 OPS leaves a lot to be desired but ownership is being aggressive signing 1b Tony Medrano and SS B.C. Cruz and spending a combined $5.3 mil.
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 55-89 no playoffs
AA- 63-81 no playoffs
HA- 75-69 no playoffs
LA- 74-70 no playoffs
RK- 31-45 no playoffs
Minor League Player of the Year-
JORDAN O’KEEFE
O’keefe played in every game at HA and produced mightily with a .320 average, 41 HR and 133 RBI. The former 8th round pick back in Season 7 might be one of the future bum boppers so desperately needed in their lineup. At 6’3, 208 lbs, the Louisville, KY native followed up a great Silver Slugger season at LA and is making great progress.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
CARMEN SCARSONE
Scarsone, in his 5th year in the organization finally put it together in Season 9 at HA going 15-9 with a 4.02 ERA. At 25, Scarsone needs to progress or he may be plucked in the Rule 5 draft. His 171 strikeouts in 177 innings is outstanding and the former 5th round draft pick has been durable never being disabled in 5 seasons.
The Vacs look like they’ll win their 7th consecutive AL East crown as their magic number has dwindled down to just 5 games. Danys Vasquez has been unbelievable since returning from the 60-day DL going 7-0. Altogether he is 11-0 on the year in 13 starts with a 1.58 ERA. Rich May continues to lead the team in wins with 16 and a solid 3.32 ERA. Rubber armed reliever Vic Ordonez has appeared in 86 games and is 8-4 with 9 saves and a stellar 2.85 ERA in an amazing 158 innings of relief work.
Kenneth Cannon has been a nice shot in the arm for the offense and is hitting .312-10-30 in 59 games. Adam O’Malley has played the role of table setter very well with 36 steals and 111 runs scored while missing just 1 game. Harold Martin has played in every game this season and leads the team with 42 long balls.
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 80-64 no playoffs
AA- 100-44 #1 seed (bye)
HA- 82-62 #6 seed (vs Toronto)
LA- 83-61 no playoffs
RK- 53-23 #2 seed (bye)
Minor League Player of the Year-
CAM GREISINGER
Greisinger was the first round pick of Augusta in Season 7. The 6’4 180 22 year old played the entire season at AA and led the team to a league best 100-44 record. He crushed 50 HR’s while driving in 159 runs and scoring 143. He also had 100 extra base hits while stealing 11 bags. Tons of potential for the versatile outfielder who will be knocking on the big league door very soon.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
TOM NEAL
Early in the Season 8 season, Neal was acquired in a trade with the Louisville Reds who made Neal their #1 selection (8th overall) in the Season 6 draft. Neal came into his own this year with a 20-6 record in 30 starts at AA. The 21 year old with an above average fastball and slider struck out 175 in 204.2 innings while issuing just 43 walks.
2. Baltimore O’s (82-63, 13 games back, 15-10 since last report)
The O’s have rebounded from their horrid post All Star game collapse and are back to playing solid baseball. While it is too late to make a run at the division, they are in a 3- team dogfight with the Toronto Thoroughbreds and Portland Red Ducks for the wild card. Only 2 of those teams will make it with the O’s being tied with Portland and 2 games behind Toronto. The team ERA is at 4.17 which is much higher than the start of the year. Miguel Estrella has had the best year at 16-6 with a 4.10 ERA. Closer Felipe Cora has 45 saves in 48 chances while appearing in 64 games. Unheralded reliever Carl Lloyd has been solid of late and overall posts a 2.68 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 90 innings of relief work.
One area the O’s could improve is on base percentage where their .335 average as a team is just 24th overall in the majors. Douglas Cardona leads the team in that area at .357 and is having a solid year with 30 HR’s & 100 RBI. Speedy Michael Kingland has 57 steals in 60 chances but has struck out 94 times in just 389 AB’s. He needs to put the ball in play more. Phil Ludwick leads the team in games played at 140 but is just 5th on the team with 62 runs scored.
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 85-59 #6 seed (vs Charleston)
AA- 83-61 no playoffs
HA- 81-63 no playoffs
LA- 37-107 no playoffs
RK- 38-38 no playoffs
Minor League Player of the Year-
BOOTS BRUNETTE
Brunette, the 22 yr old Kansas native and former 4th rounder of the O’s back in season 5 came into his own at AAA this season. He hit .349-45-159 while scoring 126 runs and racking up 40 doubles as well while leading the AAA O’s squad to a playoff appearance.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
YORK SCHMIDT
Last season, the O’s scouting department were so confident in Schmidt, they drafted the 6’0 190 southpaw in the 1st round (#11 overall) and the flame throwing closer has not disappointed. Playing at AA at the young age of 19, Schmidt saved 25 games in 27 chances while appearing in 52 games. He skipped both A levels and was not intimidated compiling a 2.93 ERA and striking out 51 hitters in 55.1 innings.
3. San Juan Slugging Diablos (62-83, 33 games back, 10-15 since last report)
After the horrid start to the season, the Diablos have basically been a .500 team but can not find any consistency whatsoever. One 4-game winning streak was the hottest they were able to get all season. Ben Walton and Rick Douglas have both started 31 games this year. Walton is 13-13 with a 4.52 while Douglas is 10-14 with a 4.66. Season 8 first round pick Dwight Thurman has made 23 starts and is 8-6 with a 4.75 ERA but in his last 6 starts is 3-1 with a 2.95 ERA.
Slugger Fred Eyre was lost for the season and it is too bad for he was having a great year. (.295-35-115 with 93 runs scored and a .382 OBP). He should be fully recovered from the torn groin muscle for next season. Lawrence Grieve has really picked up the slack in Eyre absence with 10 HR’s in his last 17 games and 36 now on the season. Lorenzo Perez is making a run at rookie of the year. Overall he is .333-34-119
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 87-57 #2 seed
AA- 85-59 no playoffs
HA- 101-43 #2 seed
LA- 84-60 #4 seed (vs New Orleans)
RK- 39-37 no playoffs
Minor League Player of the Year-
PHILIP FORRESTER
Forrester was a 7th round selection in the Season 8 draft but is now looking like a steal. He skipped Low A and came out swinging in High A totaling 46 HR and 208 RBI. His .351 average was tops on the team and he also had 61 doubles, 8 triples and a super high 1.125 OPS leading the HA squad to a 101-43 record. The Virginia Tech grad has some work to do defensively at 3rd but he may be in line to skip another level in Season 10.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
BUCKY YORK
York was a 2nd round selection in Season 7 out of a small Texas university (Hardin Simmons). In 28 starts at AA, he went 17-4 with a 3.69 ERA. He struck out 167 in 190 innings while completing 2 games. The skinny 6’6 Wisconsin native was promoted to the bigs after rosters expanded and picked up a no decision in his 1st start allowing 2 runs in 5 innings.
4. Florida Beach Bums (45-100, 50 games back, 10-15 since last report)
Another long season for the Bums but there were signs of improvement throughout the season. Starters Don Lambert and Tom Hauser were consistent and Lambert led the team in quality starts with 18 in 28 starts. $10 million dollar bonus baby Yamid Chavez got his feet wet in the bigs and pitched well for a 21 year old. Opponents hit just .239 against the Cuban defector in 83 innings of work.
While there were signs of life from the rotation, offensively, the Bums still have work to do. Brad Roosevelt is wrapping up a solid season with .267-19-71 and Rob Towers has been productive at .280-19-82 but there is a huge lack of the big bopper. Their .319 team OBP and .699 OPS leaves a lot to be desired but ownership is being aggressive signing 1b Tony Medrano and SS B.C. Cruz and spending a combined $5.3 mil.
Minor League Watch
Final Records
AAA- 55-89 no playoffs
AA- 63-81 no playoffs
HA- 75-69 no playoffs
LA- 74-70 no playoffs
RK- 31-45 no playoffs
Minor League Player of the Year-
JORDAN O’KEEFE
O’keefe played in every game at HA and produced mightily with a .320 average, 41 HR and 133 RBI. The former 8th round pick back in Season 7 might be one of the future bum boppers so desperately needed in their lineup. At 6’3, 208 lbs, the Louisville, KY native followed up a great Silver Slugger season at LA and is making great progress.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
CARMEN SCARSONE
Scarsone, in his 5th year in the organization finally put it together in Season 9 at HA going 15-9 with a 4.02 ERA. At 25, Scarsone needs to progress or he may be plucked in the Rule 5 draft. His 171 strikeouts in 177 innings is outstanding and the former 5th round draft pick has been durable never being disabled in 5 seasons.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
AL EAST WEEKLY REPORT (after 120games)
1. Augusta Vacationers (79-41, 10 games ahead, 22-7 since last report)
So the Vacs showed what kind of character this team is made of. They fell behind the O’s and then began a hot streak that has basically won the division since the O’s sunk to ridiculously low depths. Rich May and Pablo Mesa have been the most consistent starters and have 5 complete games between them and a record of 23-9. Closer Louie Nieto has 22 saves in 25 chances with a solid 3.34 ERA.
Harold Martin continues to swing a hot stick and sits at .279-36-100. Russ
Flanagan is putting up Russ Flanagan-like numbers with 32 bombs and 96 RBI. There is probably no other player in the league that hits more clutch HR’s than C Felipe Castro who has 21 and quite possibly single handedly set the tone with the second half of the season with his clutch performance in the 4-game series vs Baltimore.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (332-204, .619 pct)
Pitcher- Tom Neal(AA) 16-5, 3.18, 1.19 WHIP
Hitter - Cam Greisinger (AA) .342-44-142, 1.176 OPS
2. Baltimore O’s (67-53, 12 games back, 8-21 since last report)
Over the stretch of just 29 games, the O’s went from a 2-game lead to 12 games back and eyeing the Wild Card instead of the division. Where did it all go wrong? For starters, the 5-man rotation which was a strength the 1st half of the season has become pedestrian at best except for Matty Gibson who has been stellar at 14-6 with a 3.80 ERA. Todd Baxter has been a torch in his 24 starts at 4-11 with a 6.17 ERA and folling no one as opponents are hitting .307 against him. Felipe Cora (40/41 saves) is still solid out of the pen but he failed in some clutch situations against Augusta.
Also, there isn’t one O’s regular hitting above .290. Walt Seneca has only 1 HR and 5 RBI in the past 27 games. Albert Sosa is 42 for 44 on the base paths but his .298 OBP is not gonna get it done. Julio Julio’s shakey glove may have demoralized the O’s. They haven’t been able to recover since his circus act against the Vacs.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (278-260, .517 pct)
Pitcher- York Schmidt (AA) 21/23 saves 2.60 ERA 1.40 WHIP
Hitter - Boots Brunette (AAA) .334-36-133, 1.045 OPS3.
3. San Juan Slugging Diablos (52-68, 27 back, 15-14 since last report)
The rotation has finally stabilized but obviously too little too late. Ben Walton has anchored the staff and is now 12-10 with a 4.29 ERA. Walton has allowed only 5 runs in his last 5 starts for a 1.36 ERA over that stretch and has not allowed a HR. Rick Douglas is among the league leaders with 123 K’s. Karim Rivera was called up at the break and has appeared out of the pen in 14 games and carries a 2.93 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.
Fred Eyre has carried the offense of late and is hitting .293-34-106. Speedy 2-bagger Davey Vazquez went down with an ankle injury but still has 74 steals in 79 chances. Rookie Lorenzo Perez is tiring but still is having a great year at .322-31-105.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (333-202, .622pct)
Pitcher- Jacque Burns (HA) 13-3, 3.19, 1.28 WHIP
Hitter- Phillip Forrester (HA) .360-40-174, 1.141 OPS
4. Florida Beach Bums (35-85, 44 back, 11-18 since last report)
Pitching has actually been solid for the Bums since the All-Star break. Don Lambert has witnessed his ERA drop down to a respectable 4.21 in 23 starts. Reliever Paul Clifton leads the team in appearances with 49 and is 3-2 with 3 saves and a 3.89 ERA. Rookie Felipe Estrada was recalled from AAA and so far is fooling no one. In 12 appearances and 1 start he is 0-4 with a 11.28 ERA while opponents are lining up to join in on the .340 clip he’s allowing their average to rise to.
In the offseason, the Bums could really use some pop in the middle of their lineup. Only 3 players have reached double digits in HR’s and when .436 leads your team in slugging then you know you have problems. Rob Towers has been the most productive at .277-16-72 but those numbers would make a solid 6 or 7 hole….not cleanup. There is plenty of speed throughout the Bums’ lineup as Phil Carver has 42 steals and Luis Concepcion has 24.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (249-286, .465 pct)
Pitcher- Matt Pose (RK) 8-3, 3.12, 1.14 WHIP
Hitter- Tim Powell (AA) .332-31-129, 1.131 OPS
So the Vacs showed what kind of character this team is made of. They fell behind the O’s and then began a hot streak that has basically won the division since the O’s sunk to ridiculously low depths. Rich May and Pablo Mesa have been the most consistent starters and have 5 complete games between them and a record of 23-9. Closer Louie Nieto has 22 saves in 25 chances with a solid 3.34 ERA.
Harold Martin continues to swing a hot stick and sits at .279-36-100. Russ
Flanagan is putting up Russ Flanagan-like numbers with 32 bombs and 96 RBI. There is probably no other player in the league that hits more clutch HR’s than C Felipe Castro who has 21 and quite possibly single handedly set the tone with the second half of the season with his clutch performance in the 4-game series vs Baltimore.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (332-204, .619 pct)
Pitcher- Tom Neal(AA) 16-5, 3.18, 1.19 WHIP
Hitter - Cam Greisinger (AA) .342-44-142, 1.176 OPS
2. Baltimore O’s (67-53, 12 games back, 8-21 since last report)
Over the stretch of just 29 games, the O’s went from a 2-game lead to 12 games back and eyeing the Wild Card instead of the division. Where did it all go wrong? For starters, the 5-man rotation which was a strength the 1st half of the season has become pedestrian at best except for Matty Gibson who has been stellar at 14-6 with a 3.80 ERA. Todd Baxter has been a torch in his 24 starts at 4-11 with a 6.17 ERA and folling no one as opponents are hitting .307 against him. Felipe Cora (40/41 saves) is still solid out of the pen but he failed in some clutch situations against Augusta.
Also, there isn’t one O’s regular hitting above .290. Walt Seneca has only 1 HR and 5 RBI in the past 27 games. Albert Sosa is 42 for 44 on the base paths but his .298 OBP is not gonna get it done. Julio Julio’s shakey glove may have demoralized the O’s. They haven’t been able to recover since his circus act against the Vacs.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (278-260, .517 pct)
Pitcher- York Schmidt (AA) 21/23 saves 2.60 ERA 1.40 WHIP
Hitter - Boots Brunette (AAA) .334-36-133, 1.045 OPS3.
3. San Juan Slugging Diablos (52-68, 27 back, 15-14 since last report)
The rotation has finally stabilized but obviously too little too late. Ben Walton has anchored the staff and is now 12-10 with a 4.29 ERA. Walton has allowed only 5 runs in his last 5 starts for a 1.36 ERA over that stretch and has not allowed a HR. Rick Douglas is among the league leaders with 123 K’s. Karim Rivera was called up at the break and has appeared out of the pen in 14 games and carries a 2.93 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.
Fred Eyre has carried the offense of late and is hitting .293-34-106. Speedy 2-bagger Davey Vazquez went down with an ankle injury but still has 74 steals in 79 chances. Rookie Lorenzo Perez is tiring but still is having a great year at .322-31-105.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (333-202, .622pct)
Pitcher- Jacque Burns (HA) 13-3, 3.19, 1.28 WHIP
Hitter- Phillip Forrester (HA) .360-40-174, 1.141 OPS
4. Florida Beach Bums (35-85, 44 back, 11-18 since last report)
Pitching has actually been solid for the Bums since the All-Star break. Don Lambert has witnessed his ERA drop down to a respectable 4.21 in 23 starts. Reliever Paul Clifton leads the team in appearances with 49 and is 3-2 with 3 saves and a 3.89 ERA. Rookie Felipe Estrada was recalled from AAA and so far is fooling no one. In 12 appearances and 1 start he is 0-4 with a 11.28 ERA while opponents are lining up to join in on the .340 clip he’s allowing their average to rise to.
In the offseason, the Bums could really use some pop in the middle of their lineup. Only 3 players have reached double digits in HR’s and when .436 leads your team in slugging then you know you have problems. Rob Towers has been the most productive at .277-16-72 but those numbers would make a solid 6 or 7 hole….not cleanup. There is plenty of speed throughout the Bums’ lineup as Phil Carver has 42 steals and Luis Concepcion has 24.
Minor League Watch
AAA-Rookie overall record (249-286, .465 pct)
Pitcher- Matt Pose (RK) 8-3, 3.12, 1.14 WHIP
Hitter- Tim Powell (AA) .332-31-129, 1.131 OPS
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