John Bowker was born July 8, 1983 in Sacramento, California.
The 27 year old attended Rio Americano HS, and lettered three times in baseball, twice in football and once in hoops. But baseball was his ace sport. He established school single-season records for batting average (.463), hits (41), homers (8) and RBI (41).
He went off to two years at Long Beach State (his roomie was Troy Tulowitzki), entering the draft following his sophomore campaign. Batting .323 in college, he was named to the first Team All-Big West after leading the LBSU 49ers to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2004.
Selected by the San Francisco Giants in the third round of the 2004 draft, Bowker signed quickly and began his pro career. Splitting time between the Arizona Giants and Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, he played in 41 games and collected 63 hits in 170 at-bats for a lofty .371/6/27 line. He also picked up a rep as a 100%'er.
He spent the 2005 season with the High A San Jose Giants. In 121 games, he hit .267 with 22 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 67 RBI. In 2006, he played mainly for San Jose and had a cup of coffee with the AAA Fresno Grizzlies. Combined, he put together a line of .285/7/66 in 114 games.
Bowker spent all of 2007 with the AA Connecticut Defenders. In 139 games, he hit .307 with a career highs in home runs (22), RBI (90), doubles (35), and triples (6) while hitting .307. Bowker started 2008 in AAA Fresno, but not for long.
On April 12th, 2008, he made his Major League debut. With three hours sleep, he was thrown into the starting lineup, and he singled and hit a three-run home run, becoming the eighth player in San Francisco Giants history to hit a home run in his first game.
The next day, Bowker hit his second home run to enter the record books as the first player in San Francisco Giants history to hit a long ball in each of his first two MLB games. On July 2nd, he showed off his muscle when he bombed a "Splash Hit" home run into McCovey Cove in the Bay.
But after a brilliant first half, Bowker sharply declined as the summer wore on. He hit eight HR’s by the end of June in 198 at-bats, but only drilled two more the rest of the year. Still, he batted .255 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI in 111 games as a rookie.
His plate discipline was his downfall. Once pitchers saw he would swing at just about anything, they began avoiding the hitting zone religiously. His base on balls percentage in 2008 was just 5% and his strikeout rate was 21%.
On August 13th, he was sent back to Fresno, rejoining the Giants after September call-ups.
Bowker spent most of 2009 in Fresno, with a plan to work on his pitch selection. His walk percentage skyrocketed to 16%, elevating his OBP to a career high .451. He hit 21 home runs with 82 RBI in 366 at-bats, winning the Giant's Minor League Player of the Year Award and a MiLB award as the top AAA hitter. Bowker was recalled to the big team on July 9th, and only managed 15 starts, hitting .194/2/7.
The Giants planned to give the starting right field job to Nate Schierholtz out of spring training in 2010. But Schierholtz didn’t hit, while Bowker did. JB had team highs in home runs (six) and RBIs (22), and was batting .307 with a .384 OBP and a .627 slugging percentage in 27 games during camp.
So Bruce Bochy selected Bowker as the team's 2010 Opening Day right fielder. The show of confidence quickly dissipated. Bowker hit .207/3/8 in 90 plate appearances in 18 starts. Bochy is noted in SF for having a short leash on young players, preferring vets.
So it was no surprise when Bowker was sent down to make room for Pat Burrell on June 4th. The suits told him he going to Fresno to get some at bats, relax, and learn how to deal with not playing every day. Par for the course, he ripped it up in AAA, hitting .310/13/46 in 51 games. It wasn't enough to impress the G-Men.
On July 31st, Bowker and RHP Joe Martinez were traded to the Pirates for Javy Lopez. Bowker was assigned to AAA Indy, where he batted .319 in 25 games with four home runs and 10 RBIs. He was called up to Pittsburgh on September 1st, and hasn't shown much in limited action.
Radio station KNBR's sports host Tom Tolbert compared Bowker to the Bull Durham movie character "Crash" Davis, a veteran minor league slugger, after Bowker won his awards in 2009 but hit just .194 in the show.
Therein lies Bowker's problem. Many consider him a AAAA player, and his MLB line of .233/15/58 supports that view. Bowker himself was excited to come to Pittsburgh, because he thought he'd get a chance to start here. He felt like he needed regular at-bats to improve his production, and this is where he could get them.
But Bowker admitted that GM Neal Huntington told him the Pirates didn't have a concrete plan for him. That's pretty obvious. He looks like another trade made based on potential rather than filling a need.
Bowker plays the corner outfield and some first base. The Pirates already have a logjam in right, where Bowker would play thanks to PNC, with Lastings Milledge, Ryan Doumit, Delwyn Young, and possible darkhorses Alex Presley and Brandon Moss.
Ditto for first base, home to lefties Garrett Jones and Jeff Clement, with Steve Pearce lurking in the wings.
To pump up the degree of difficulty, Bowker looks the part of a platoon, not full time, player. He's hit only .109 against LHPs in the very small sample of 46 MLB at-bats, a trait he shared in the minors, though not nearly so strikingly. He doesn't run well and is below average defensively.
Bowker, Clement, and Pearce are all out of options for 2011. Milledge, Young, Moss and Jones had their options expire this season while Doumit is under contract. That's a heckuva lotta guys to roster for two spots.
And that's one weakness of this management team. They trawl for every lefty with a little pop that they can find, enamored by the Clemente Wall. So not only do they end up with a posse of similar guys that need a long look that they can't possibly get here, but the team also gets its head handed to them on the road. Dang, guys, find a righty hitter, OK? Lefties can't platoon with lefties.
John Bowker may be a minor-league hero, or he may be a guy that needs to get a season under his belt in the bigs, like Garrett Jones. But it's no sure bet that question will be answered in Pittsburgh; there's a lot of warm bodies vying for the same roster spot next season.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Cardiac Kids Take One
Neil Walker lost his flair for the dramatic; he smacked a first inning single off Johnny Cueto to run his hit streak to 18 games. It was a dribbler, but hey, when he tells his grandkids, it'll be a rocket. Either way, he was the only guy to reach base for either team in the opening frame.
Cueto retired the Bucs in order in the second; so far he's been throwing strikes without throwing it down the middle. Brian Burres has been sharp, too - one walk and three K's after two and keeping the ball down.
The Pirates were mowed down in the third, and so were the Reds. Walker drew a base on balls in the fourth. Orlando Cabrero started the Cincy half with a double to left, and Joey Votto lined an 0-2 inside heater into center for another two bagger, just avoiding a diving effort by Alex Presley, putting the Reds up 1-0.
Burres caught a break when Jonny Gomes flew out to center; McCutch gunned Votto trying to go to third after the catch. It made a difference when Ramon Hernandez lined a hanging curve into left for a knock.
The Pirates went down in order in the fifth. Cueto has been tough, working the ball up and down, in and out. Burres took out the Red 1-2-3 also.
Presley drew a two-out walk in the sixth to become Pittsburgh's third baserunner. Burres, meanwhile, just kept putting Reds away.
Pedro started the seventh with a rap up the middle. Bowker ran the count to 3-0, took a borderline strike and flew out to left. Dewey flew out to center.
Lastings Milledge dropped a flare into right to put runners on the corners, the first time Pittsburgh has had a runner in scoring position today. But Ronny Cedeno struck out swinging on a fastball that was closer to hitting him than the plate.
Gomes lined out to start the Red's half of the seventh. Hernandez dinked an infield single. Burres whiffed Cairo and got Stubbs to ground out to third. His line was seven innings, one run, four hits, a walk and six K's. He only allowed two reds to reach second. Now that's what we call a quality start.
That was it for Cueto, too. Logan Ondrushek took the hill for the eighth. Cueto worked seven scoreless frames, giving up three hits, two walks, and K'ing seven.
He got DY to pop out, and almost served the game-equalizer to McCutch, whose drive to left center fell just short of the wall at the 379' mark. Presley singled, and Dusty Baker brought on money-in-the-bank vet Arthur Rhodes to face Walker.
He fed the Pittsburgh Kid nothing by fastballs away and walked him to match up against Pedro. El Toro got sliders away, and fished for a couple, eventually grounding out to third to end the Bucco threat.
Chan Ho Park came on for the eighth. He gave up a walk, and left it to the Pirate bats to try to squeak a run across the plate in the ninth against Francisco Cordero.
Bowker drew a walk to start the ninth in a good at-bat with Cordero working him away with fastballs. Dewey singled to center after getting ahead 2-0 in the count. JR finally brought in Pedro Ciriaco to run, not for Bowker, but for Doumit. Silly us; we thought the lead runner was the key guy.
Thrilledge botched a bunt; the slow footed Bowker was forced at third. Garrett Jones pinch hit for Cedeno; at least JR did that on time, and singled to load the bases. Jose Tabata pinch hit and grounded a ball to Votto; he came home to get the force, and the Pirates were down to their last hitter.
And McCutch came through. He drilled a two-strike hanging slider into the left field corner, clearing the sacks. Presley flied to left; it was time to see if Joel Hanrahan, who has had a thoroughly forgettable series, could claim some redemption.
He retired Votto on a hard hit ball to Bowker at first, got Gomes swinging, and then hit Hernandez with a pitch. It's never easy. Miguel Cairo singled and Drew Stubbs walked to load the sacks. But Hanny blew a fastball past Chris Heisey for a called strike three, and the Bucs finally were rewarded for playing all nine innings.
James McDonald will take the mound against Dillon Gee to kick off the Mets series Monday night.
-- Neil Walker tied Rennie Stennett's rookie streak of consecutive games with a hit at 18. Stennett put his run together in 1971; the franchise record by a rookie is 27 games, set in 1899 by Jimmy Williams. Walker's 18-gamer is also the longest current MLB streak.
-- Chan Ho Park got today's win, tying him with Hideo Nomo for the most major-league victories by an Asian born player, with 123.
-- We wonder how much the improvement in Charlie Morton and Brian Burres in the bigs has to do with Ray Searage being in the dugout rather than Joe Kerrigan. Small sample, but just sayin'. Now if he only has time to get into Zach Duke's head...
-- Dewey has been catching much better since Chris Snyder came over. We don't think it's the competition that's causing the change; just the rest between squats seem to be doing the trick.
Cueto retired the Bucs in order in the second; so far he's been throwing strikes without throwing it down the middle. Brian Burres has been sharp, too - one walk and three K's after two and keeping the ball down.
The Pirates were mowed down in the third, and so were the Reds. Walker drew a base on balls in the fourth. Orlando Cabrero started the Cincy half with a double to left, and Joey Votto lined an 0-2 inside heater into center for another two bagger, just avoiding a diving effort by Alex Presley, putting the Reds up 1-0.
Burres caught a break when Jonny Gomes flew out to center; McCutch gunned Votto trying to go to third after the catch. It made a difference when Ramon Hernandez lined a hanging curve into left for a knock.
The Pirates went down in order in the fifth. Cueto has been tough, working the ball up and down, in and out. Burres took out the Red 1-2-3 also.
Presley drew a two-out walk in the sixth to become Pittsburgh's third baserunner. Burres, meanwhile, just kept putting Reds away.
Pedro started the seventh with a rap up the middle. Bowker ran the count to 3-0, took a borderline strike and flew out to left. Dewey flew out to center.
Lastings Milledge dropped a flare into right to put runners on the corners, the first time Pittsburgh has had a runner in scoring position today. But Ronny Cedeno struck out swinging on a fastball that was closer to hitting him than the plate.
Gomes lined out to start the Red's half of the seventh. Hernandez dinked an infield single. Burres whiffed Cairo and got Stubbs to ground out to third. His line was seven innings, one run, four hits, a walk and six K's. He only allowed two reds to reach second. Now that's what we call a quality start.
That was it for Cueto, too. Logan Ondrushek took the hill for the eighth. Cueto worked seven scoreless frames, giving up three hits, two walks, and K'ing seven.
He got DY to pop out, and almost served the game-equalizer to McCutch, whose drive to left center fell just short of the wall at the 379' mark. Presley singled, and Dusty Baker brought on money-in-the-bank vet Arthur Rhodes to face Walker.
He fed the Pittsburgh Kid nothing by fastballs away and walked him to match up against Pedro. El Toro got sliders away, and fished for a couple, eventually grounding out to third to end the Bucco threat.
Chan Ho Park came on for the eighth. He gave up a walk, and left it to the Pirate bats to try to squeak a run across the plate in the ninth against Francisco Cordero.
Bowker drew a walk to start the ninth in a good at-bat with Cordero working him away with fastballs. Dewey singled to center after getting ahead 2-0 in the count. JR finally brought in Pedro Ciriaco to run, not for Bowker, but for Doumit. Silly us; we thought the lead runner was the key guy.
Thrilledge botched a bunt; the slow footed Bowker was forced at third. Garrett Jones pinch hit for Cedeno; at least JR did that on time, and singled to load the bases. Jose Tabata pinch hit and grounded a ball to Votto; he came home to get the force, and the Pirates were down to their last hitter.
And McCutch came through. He drilled a two-strike hanging slider into the left field corner, clearing the sacks. Presley flied to left; it was time to see if Joel Hanrahan, who has had a thoroughly forgettable series, could claim some redemption.
He retired Votto on a hard hit ball to Bowker at first, got Gomes swinging, and then hit Hernandez with a pitch. It's never easy. Miguel Cairo singled and Drew Stubbs walked to load the sacks. But Hanny blew a fastball past Chris Heisey for a called strike three, and the Bucs finally were rewarded for playing all nine innings.
James McDonald will take the mound against Dillon Gee to kick off the Mets series Monday night.
-- Neil Walker tied Rennie Stennett's rookie streak of consecutive games with a hit at 18. Stennett put his run together in 1971; the franchise record by a rookie is 27 games, set in 1899 by Jimmy Williams. Walker's 18-gamer is also the longest current MLB streak.
-- Chan Ho Park got today's win, tying him with Hideo Nomo for the most major-league victories by an Asian born player, with 123.
-- We wonder how much the improvement in Charlie Morton and Brian Burres in the bigs has to do with Ray Searage being in the dugout rather than Joe Kerrigan. Small sample, but just sayin'. Now if he only has time to get into Zach Duke's head...
-- Dewey has been catching much better since Chris Snyder came over. We don't think it's the competition that's causing the change; just the rest between squats seem to be doing the trick.
Sunday Scraps
-- JR is shaking 'em up today. John Bowker is starting at first, Alex Presley in right, and Lastings Milledge in left. We expect to see a little more of this kinda order in September; he has a lot of guys that need at-bats. The 40-man roster decisions are just around the corner.
-- Jose Tabata's first-inning single last night was his 100th hit. He and Neil Walker are the first Pirates rookies to have 100 hits in the same season since Jose Guillen and Tony Womack did it in 1997.
-- Ronny Cedeno got a vote of confidence from JR, who told the beat guys that he expects RC to be the regular SS in 2011. Even so, you'd think he'd give Pedro Ciriaco and Argenis Diaz a couple of starts just to evaluate them for next season.
-- Guy Cipriano of Baseball America has a piece on the challenges of running a short-season ballclub like the State College Spikes in the face of late draft dates and even later signings, including filling the rosters - and the ballyards.
-- The Kansas City Royals have signed the former Miami Dolphins and West Virginia QB Pat White to a minor league contract.
He was quite a ballplayer in high school. An outfielder at Daphne (Ala.) HS, the 24 year old White was drafted in the fourth round by the Anaheim Angels in 2004, but instead accepted a football scholarship from West Virginia.
A lefty, White hit .487 his senior season in high school with a .974 slugging percentage and 28 stolen bases. He was named second-team High School All-American by Baseball America.
While at WVU, he was selected by the Angels again in the 26th round in 2007, by the Cincinnati Reds in the 49th round in 2008 and by the New York Yankees in the 48th round in 2009.
It's the kind of low-risk, high-reward move a team like, oh, the Pirates, should have considered.
-- Jose Tabata's first-inning single last night was his 100th hit. He and Neil Walker are the first Pirates rookies to have 100 hits in the same season since Jose Guillen and Tony Womack did it in 1997.
-- Ronny Cedeno got a vote of confidence from JR, who told the beat guys that he expects RC to be the regular SS in 2011. Even so, you'd think he'd give Pedro Ciriaco and Argenis Diaz a couple of starts just to evaluate them for next season.
-- Guy Cipriano of Baseball America has a piece on the challenges of running a short-season ballclub like the State College Spikes in the face of late draft dates and even later signings, including filling the rosters - and the ballyards.
-- The Kansas City Royals have signed the former Miami Dolphins and West Virginia QB Pat White to a minor league contract.
He was quite a ballplayer in high school. An outfielder at Daphne (Ala.) HS, the 24 year old White was drafted in the fourth round by the Anaheim Angels in 2004, but instead accepted a football scholarship from West Virginia.
A lefty, White hit .487 his senior season in high school with a .974 slugging percentage and 28 stolen bases. He was named second-team High School All-American by Baseball America.
While at WVU, he was selected by the Angels again in the 26th round in 2007, by the Cincinnati Reds in the 49th round in 2008 and by the New York Yankees in the 48th round in 2009.
It's the kind of low-risk, high-reward move a team like, oh, the Pirates, should have considered.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Everything But Win
The Bucs tried to get to Edinson Volquez early, but a Jose Tabata single off Orlando Cabrera's glove and a Garrett Jones walk led to nothing. Charlie Morton looked sharp, mowing down the Reds. One reached on an error; Morton promptly picked him off.
The second was a little different. The Bucs went down 1-2-3, and Cincy drew first blood. A curve ball that stayed up was ripped for a double by Scott Rolen, Jonny Gomes lined an elevated slider for a single to put runners on the corners, and a tailing heater nicked Ramon Hernandez to juice the sacks with nobody out.
But it wasn't a meltdown moment yet. He gave up a sac fly to Drew Stubbs, but got a nicely executed around the horn DP off the bat of Miguel Cairo to escape down just 1-0.
Both clubs went down without a peep in the third. The Pirates caught a couple of pitches in the fourth, but Walker's drive was snagged at the fence in left center and Pedro's fell at the foot of the track in right. CM walked the first hitter, but got a 6-4-3 DP to clean it up.
Volquez kept putting Pirates away; after five, he had a streak of 13 straight hitters retired. And today, it's not so much Buccos flailing as Volquez dealing; his heater has been down and touched 97, while his change up and curve have been sharp, thrown any time in the count. Great five innings for the Reds pitcher, just returned from the DL and a rehab stint at Class A Dayton.
Morton got out of the fifth giving up a one-out double to Stubbs, who hit a pretty decent slider the into left. For CM, three hits, one run, one walk and two K's after 57 pitches, a pretty strong outing so far and a nice pitching match up.
The Bucs went down in order again, and Morton snuffed Cincy 1-2-3. It was becoming monotonous; the Bucs went down in order in the seventh, too. Volquez got the Bucs fishing a couple of times; getting ahead in the count and mixing his pitches had them entirely off balance.
The Reds got some insurance on a play JT couldn't make. Rolen led the inning off with a soft liner to left that Tabata tried to make a slidng catch on; it looked like it ticked off the top end of his mitt and turned into a double. Gomes smacked another single, and Hernandez hit a sac fly.
After a Stubbs single put runners on the corners again, JR called in Chris Resop; he gave up a sac fly to Stubbs. The same guys that bit Morton in the second came back to haunt him in the seventh. The only good news was that Volquez was done; Nick Masset came on in the eighth. And he was a welcome relief after Volquez's brilliance.
Ronny Cedeno singled with one out, and scored when John Bowker smacked an 0-2 heater mistake pitch into right center for a double. DY bounced out, and McCutch walked to keep the inning alive.
Tabata hit a soft roller toward the SS hole, and Rolen couldn't cut it off. He did manage to block out Cabrero's view, though, and the ball dropped from his mitt for an infield single; it was probably a hit once it got past the third baseman no matter how Cabrero played it.
In came Aroldis Chapman, who was awesome last night. He was more human today. The Buc runners ran a double steal without drawing a throw, and the count went 2-0 on Neil Walker. The Reds decided to work on Walker rather than walk him to load the bases, and he turned a 100 MPH heater into a two-run single up the middle to give Pittsburgh an improbable 4-3 lead.
Evan Meek came on in the eighth. After an out, a single and walk brought up Rolen and Gomes, who had tortured Morton. Meek fell behind Rolen 3-1, then blew a pair of fastballs past him. He caught Gomes looking. That's a lesson for Morton; when in doubt, go to the ol' number one (which he did tonight; about 75% of his pitches were heaters).
Chapman stayed on to work the ninth, and whiffed a pair of Bucs. You have to wonder a bit about the bullpen gig; his heater was 98-100 tonight and his slider 88, great numbers but down a couple of ticks from his last outing. He may be one of those guys that needs some recovery time between outings.
Joel Hanrahan was next, looking for his fifth save. Didn't get it, though. Hernandez singled up the middle to start things off. Stubbs botched a bunt, but came around when Chris Heisey, pinch hitting, doubled over the third base bag. Extra innings again.
Francisco Cordoba chopped down Pittsburgh 1-2-3 in the tenth. In a surprise move, JR brought in Justin Thomas, probably just to face Joey Votto and take a seat, instead of Wil Ledezema. We'll never know the master plan; Votto smacked a walk-off homer into the left center seats to give Cincy a 5-4 win.
Hanny's command was off tonight, and he threw, we thought, way too many sliders; his heater is what brung him to the dance. But no matter what he threw, he caught too much of the plate. The Bucs are gonna have to square away the back end of the bullpen; losing back-to-back games after late rallies against the division leader shows both how far the the team has come and how far it has to go.
Brian Burres goes against Johnny Cueto tomorrow afternoon to close out the Reds series.
-- Surprisingly (to GW, anyway) Garrett Jones still leads the club with 47 outings in right field, followed by Lasting Milledge with 44, Delwyn Young with 20 and Ryan Doumit with 15. Ryan Church, since traded, had 33 appearances. Think that spot is gonna be a wide-open competition in 2011?
-- Neil Walker's hitting streak is now at 17 games; again he kept it alive during his last at-bat. Pedro's seven game hitting streak ended.
-- Altoona advanced to the Eastern League championship after beating the Nat's AA club, the Harrisburg Senators, 10-5 today. The Curve got five home runs from five different players: Miles Durham, Jordy Mercer, Andrew Lambo, Hector Gimenez, and Chase d'Arnaud. Jimmy Negrych has been an unsung hero; he hit .625 in the four game series.
They play the Yankee AA club, the Trenton Thunder. There's some speculation that they could see Andy Pettitte, who's on rehab assignment there. (EDIT - Pettitte's due to go Tuesday; should be a great challenge for the Curve hitters.)
-- Pete Rose was recognized on the field during the pre-game at Great American Ball Park to celebrate the 25th anniversary of breaking Ty Cobb's hit record, and got a wild greeting from the Cincy crowd, who chanted "Hall of Fame." He wasn't permitted to speak to the media or address the fans; the team played a video message instead.
This in-limbo status is way out of hand; either bar the guy completely from the game and be rid of him or say he served his penance and welcome him back into the fold. Now it's just a soap opera.
The second was a little different. The Bucs went down 1-2-3, and Cincy drew first blood. A curve ball that stayed up was ripped for a double by Scott Rolen, Jonny Gomes lined an elevated slider for a single to put runners on the corners, and a tailing heater nicked Ramon Hernandez to juice the sacks with nobody out.
But it wasn't a meltdown moment yet. He gave up a sac fly to Drew Stubbs, but got a nicely executed around the horn DP off the bat of Miguel Cairo to escape down just 1-0.
Both clubs went down without a peep in the third. The Pirates caught a couple of pitches in the fourth, but Walker's drive was snagged at the fence in left center and Pedro's fell at the foot of the track in right. CM walked the first hitter, but got a 6-4-3 DP to clean it up.
Volquez kept putting Pirates away; after five, he had a streak of 13 straight hitters retired. And today, it's not so much Buccos flailing as Volquez dealing; his heater has been down and touched 97, while his change up and curve have been sharp, thrown any time in the count. Great five innings for the Reds pitcher, just returned from the DL and a rehab stint at Class A Dayton.
Morton got out of the fifth giving up a one-out double to Stubbs, who hit a pretty decent slider the into left. For CM, three hits, one run, one walk and two K's after 57 pitches, a pretty strong outing so far and a nice pitching match up.
The Bucs went down in order again, and Morton snuffed Cincy 1-2-3. It was becoming monotonous; the Bucs went down in order in the seventh, too. Volquez got the Bucs fishing a couple of times; getting ahead in the count and mixing his pitches had them entirely off balance.
The Reds got some insurance on a play JT couldn't make. Rolen led the inning off with a soft liner to left that Tabata tried to make a slidng catch on; it looked like it ticked off the top end of his mitt and turned into a double. Gomes smacked another single, and Hernandez hit a sac fly.
After a Stubbs single put runners on the corners again, JR called in Chris Resop; he gave up a sac fly to Stubbs. The same guys that bit Morton in the second came back to haunt him in the seventh. The only good news was that Volquez was done; Nick Masset came on in the eighth. And he was a welcome relief after Volquez's brilliance.
Ronny Cedeno singled with one out, and scored when John Bowker smacked an 0-2 heater mistake pitch into right center for a double. DY bounced out, and McCutch walked to keep the inning alive.
Tabata hit a soft roller toward the SS hole, and Rolen couldn't cut it off. He did manage to block out Cabrero's view, though, and the ball dropped from his mitt for an infield single; it was probably a hit once it got past the third baseman no matter how Cabrero played it.
In came Aroldis Chapman, who was awesome last night. He was more human today. The Buc runners ran a double steal without drawing a throw, and the count went 2-0 on Neil Walker. The Reds decided to work on Walker rather than walk him to load the bases, and he turned a 100 MPH heater into a two-run single up the middle to give Pittsburgh an improbable 4-3 lead.
Evan Meek came on in the eighth. After an out, a single and walk brought up Rolen and Gomes, who had tortured Morton. Meek fell behind Rolen 3-1, then blew a pair of fastballs past him. He caught Gomes looking. That's a lesson for Morton; when in doubt, go to the ol' number one (which he did tonight; about 75% of his pitches were heaters).
Chapman stayed on to work the ninth, and whiffed a pair of Bucs. You have to wonder a bit about the bullpen gig; his heater was 98-100 tonight and his slider 88, great numbers but down a couple of ticks from his last outing. He may be one of those guys that needs some recovery time between outings.
Joel Hanrahan was next, looking for his fifth save. Didn't get it, though. Hernandez singled up the middle to start things off. Stubbs botched a bunt, but came around when Chris Heisey, pinch hitting, doubled over the third base bag. Extra innings again.
Francisco Cordoba chopped down Pittsburgh 1-2-3 in the tenth. In a surprise move, JR brought in Justin Thomas, probably just to face Joey Votto and take a seat, instead of Wil Ledezema. We'll never know the master plan; Votto smacked a walk-off homer into the left center seats to give Cincy a 5-4 win.
Hanny's command was off tonight, and he threw, we thought, way too many sliders; his heater is what brung him to the dance. But no matter what he threw, he caught too much of the plate. The Bucs are gonna have to square away the back end of the bullpen; losing back-to-back games after late rallies against the division leader shows both how far the the team has come and how far it has to go.
Brian Burres goes against Johnny Cueto tomorrow afternoon to close out the Reds series.
-- Surprisingly (to GW, anyway) Garrett Jones still leads the club with 47 outings in right field, followed by Lasting Milledge with 44, Delwyn Young with 20 and Ryan Doumit with 15. Ryan Church, since traded, had 33 appearances. Think that spot is gonna be a wide-open competition in 2011?
-- Neil Walker's hitting streak is now at 17 games; again he kept it alive during his last at-bat. Pedro's seven game hitting streak ended.
-- Altoona advanced to the Eastern League championship after beating the Nat's AA club, the Harrisburg Senators, 10-5 today. The Curve got five home runs from five different players: Miles Durham, Jordy Mercer, Andrew Lambo, Hector Gimenez, and Chase d'Arnaud. Jimmy Negrych has been an unsung hero; he hit .625 in the four game series.
They play the Yankee AA club, the Trenton Thunder. There's some speculation that they could see Andy Pettitte, who's on rehab assignment there. (EDIT - Pettitte's due to go Tuesday; should be a great challenge for the Curve hitters.)
-- Pete Rose was recognized on the field during the pre-game at Great American Ball Park to celebrate the 25th anniversary of breaking Ty Cobb's hit record, and got a wild greeting from the Cincy crowd, who chanted "Hall of Fame." He wasn't permitted to speak to the media or address the fans; the team played a video message instead.
This in-limbo status is way out of hand; either bar the guy completely from the game and be rid of him or say he served his penance and welcome him back into the fold. Now it's just a soap opera.
J-Mac
James Zell McDonald was born October 19, 1984, in Long Beach, California. McDonald comes from athletic bloodlines: his dad, James Sr., played basketball at USC and was in the NFL as a tight end with the Los Angeles Rams. His cousins were ballplayers, too: Darnell is with the Red Sox, Donzell had a cup of coffee in the majors, and Darin is in the Philly organization.
He attended Long Beach Poly HS, which boasts one of the most storied high school athletic programs in the state. Its baseball team has graduated Milton Bradley, Oscar Brown, Ollie Brown, Chris Gwynn, Tony Gwynn, Randy Moffitt and Chase Utley.
McDonald played basketball, baseball and a bit of football for the Jack Rabbits. He was thought of more as a first baseman than a pitcher when he was selected in the 11th round in 2002 as a "draft and follow" pick of the LA Dodgers while at Golden West College, a JC in Huntington Beach.
Even though a Dodger fan, like most Long Beach kids, he waited until the midnight hour before finally signing with the Dodgers for a $150,000 bonus. It was probably worth the wait; his pitching had improved enough that the scouts realized it was his ticket to the show.
He pitched for the Gulf Coast Dodgers in 2003, but was off the mound for the 2004 and most of the 2005 seasons due to tendinitis. Instead of rehab, McDonald served his time as an outfielder, both to do something to pass the time away constructively and to see if he had what it took with the lumber.
His arm eventually recovered 100%; the outfield placed little strain on it. And he could focus on making his name as a pitcher - .224 and .229 batting averages proved his future was up to his arm, not his thunder stick.
J-Mac returned to pitch six innings for the Ogden Raptors at the end of 2005 and moved on to the Class A Columbus Catfish in 2006 to toss full time. He led the rotation with a 3.97 earned run average, 143 IPs and 147 Ks, along with an OBA of .229, though he finished just 5-10.
McDonald started 2007 with the High A Inland Empire 66ers, and had a 6-7 slate with 3.95 ERA and fanned 104 batters in 82 innings (11.4/9 IP) while walking 21.
He was promoted to AA Jacksonville in mid-season. J-Mac posted a 7-2 mark with the Suns, recording a 1.71 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .218 mark. He finished with a combined 13-9/3.07 line with 168 strikeouts and 37 walks in 134 innings of work, and was named the Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Still with Jacksonville to start 2008, he went 5-3 with a 3.19 ERA and whiffed 113 batters in 118-2/3 innings, walking 46.
In August, he was promoted to the AAA Las Vegas 51s. He went 1-0 in his first two starts, striking out 20 batters in that span, and ended up 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA, striking out 28 in 22-1/3 frames.
MLB.com selected him as #45 among its minor league prospects, and he was again LA's Minor League POTY again.
He was called up to the Dodgers on September 1. He made his major league debut on September 17th against the Pittsburgh Pirates, working one scoreless inning in relief. He impressed enough to earn a spot on the post-season roster, and made two scoreless appearances against the Phillies, striking out seven in 5-1/3 innings.
McDonald earned a spot in the Dodgers' starting rotation to start the 2009 season and started his first game in the majors on April 10 against the San Diego Padres. He got ripped, and made just three more starts, only lasting as many as five innings once, during his first MLB win against the Rockies.
J-Mac was demoted to the bullpen. With an ERA of 6.75, he was optioned back to AAA on May 14th, and then recalled by the Dodgers on June 19th, and pitched exclusively out of the bullpen the rest of the season, where he shaved his ERA down to 4.00.
That was the beginning of the great James McDonald debate. Some felt he was better suited as a bullpen back-ender (his heater went from 92 MPH as a starter to 96 as a reliever), while others felt his three-pitch mix was starter's stuff.
In spring training, they primarily evaluated him as a starter, and they sent him back to Albuquerque to join the rotation. He was recalled by the Dodgers to start the game on July 19th against the San Francisco Giants, and that was followed by a few appearances from the bullpen.
The Dodgers gave up on J-Mac, never settling on a role for him. On July 31st he and Andrew Lambo were traded to the Pirates for reliever Octavio Dotel.
The famous quote to describe the deal was written by Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus: "MCDONALD? FOR DOTEL? Damn, everything you’ve ever said bad about Neil Huntington, take it back."
It did seem like a steal. McDonald had gone 26-23 with a 3.40 in 93 minor league appearances, with 79 starts.
But in 53 appearances with the Dodgers, only five of them starts, he went 5-6 with a 4.11 ERA, with 63 strikeouts in 76-2/3 innings, but also with 40 walks and .262 opponents' batting average.
Not known as a power pitcher, McDonald makes up for his 88-92 MPH heat with a deceptive, high arm angle and the ability to change speeds. His 12-to-6 curveball and sinking changeup are considered his best pitches, and he's added a work-in-progress slider to his repertoire this season.
The Pirates, like the Dodgers, see J-Mac as a starter. But unlike LA, the Pirates are in a situation where they can run him out on the hill every five days without the pressure of a pennant race to hone his craft. He's worked under 125 innings of MLB ball, so there will be a learning curve involved. But so far, so good.
He's 3-4 in seven starts, with a 4.17 ERA and 40 K's in 41 innings with 16 walks. His command has been streaky, and J-Mac is prone to get into deep counts. His fastball command has been good, and he's hitting 94 with it as a starter. When his control is on, he's mixed his pitches well, an art he admitted that he'd like to improve on, to keep the hitters honest.
And he's not a stranger in the clubhouse; he played with Andy LaRoche and Delwyn Young in the Dodger system. He's a great fit for the suits, too; McDonald, if our calculations are right, doesn't hit arbitration until after the 2011 or maybe 2012 season, depending on how this year's service time shakes out.
There are no guarantees in the baseball business. But James McDonald will get a chance to thrive in the Pirate organization, and so far he's taken the opportunity and run with it.
He attended Long Beach Poly HS, which boasts one of the most storied high school athletic programs in the state. Its baseball team has graduated Milton Bradley, Oscar Brown, Ollie Brown, Chris Gwynn, Tony Gwynn, Randy Moffitt and Chase Utley.
McDonald played basketball, baseball and a bit of football for the Jack Rabbits. He was thought of more as a first baseman than a pitcher when he was selected in the 11th round in 2002 as a "draft and follow" pick of the LA Dodgers while at Golden West College, a JC in Huntington Beach.
Even though a Dodger fan, like most Long Beach kids, he waited until the midnight hour before finally signing with the Dodgers for a $150,000 bonus. It was probably worth the wait; his pitching had improved enough that the scouts realized it was his ticket to the show.
He pitched for the Gulf Coast Dodgers in 2003, but was off the mound for the 2004 and most of the 2005 seasons due to tendinitis. Instead of rehab, McDonald served his time as an outfielder, both to do something to pass the time away constructively and to see if he had what it took with the lumber.
His arm eventually recovered 100%; the outfield placed little strain on it. And he could focus on making his name as a pitcher - .224 and .229 batting averages proved his future was up to his arm, not his thunder stick.
J-Mac returned to pitch six innings for the Ogden Raptors at the end of 2005 and moved on to the Class A Columbus Catfish in 2006 to toss full time. He led the rotation with a 3.97 earned run average, 143 IPs and 147 Ks, along with an OBA of .229, though he finished just 5-10.
McDonald started 2007 with the High A Inland Empire 66ers, and had a 6-7 slate with 3.95 ERA and fanned 104 batters in 82 innings (11.4/9 IP) while walking 21.
He was promoted to AA Jacksonville in mid-season. J-Mac posted a 7-2 mark with the Suns, recording a 1.71 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .218 mark. He finished with a combined 13-9/3.07 line with 168 strikeouts and 37 walks in 134 innings of work, and was named the Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Still with Jacksonville to start 2008, he went 5-3 with a 3.19 ERA and whiffed 113 batters in 118-2/3 innings, walking 46.
In August, he was promoted to the AAA Las Vegas 51s. He went 1-0 in his first two starts, striking out 20 batters in that span, and ended up 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA, striking out 28 in 22-1/3 frames.
MLB.com selected him as #45 among its minor league prospects, and he was again LA's Minor League POTY again.
He was called up to the Dodgers on September 1. He made his major league debut on September 17th against the Pittsburgh Pirates, working one scoreless inning in relief. He impressed enough to earn a spot on the post-season roster, and made two scoreless appearances against the Phillies, striking out seven in 5-1/3 innings.
McDonald earned a spot in the Dodgers' starting rotation to start the 2009 season and started his first game in the majors on April 10 against the San Diego Padres. He got ripped, and made just three more starts, only lasting as many as five innings once, during his first MLB win against the Rockies.
J-Mac was demoted to the bullpen. With an ERA of 6.75, he was optioned back to AAA on May 14th, and then recalled by the Dodgers on June 19th, and pitched exclusively out of the bullpen the rest of the season, where he shaved his ERA down to 4.00.
That was the beginning of the great James McDonald debate. Some felt he was better suited as a bullpen back-ender (his heater went from 92 MPH as a starter to 96 as a reliever), while others felt his three-pitch mix was starter's stuff.
In spring training, they primarily evaluated him as a starter, and they sent him back to Albuquerque to join the rotation. He was recalled by the Dodgers to start the game on July 19th against the San Francisco Giants, and that was followed by a few appearances from the bullpen.
The Dodgers gave up on J-Mac, never settling on a role for him. On July 31st he and Andrew Lambo were traded to the Pirates for reliever Octavio Dotel.
The famous quote to describe the deal was written by Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus: "MCDONALD? FOR DOTEL? Damn, everything you’ve ever said bad about Neil Huntington, take it back."
It did seem like a steal. McDonald had gone 26-23 with a 3.40 in 93 minor league appearances, with 79 starts.
But in 53 appearances with the Dodgers, only five of them starts, he went 5-6 with a 4.11 ERA, with 63 strikeouts in 76-2/3 innings, but also with 40 walks and .262 opponents' batting average.
Not known as a power pitcher, McDonald makes up for his 88-92 MPH heat with a deceptive, high arm angle and the ability to change speeds. His 12-to-6 curveball and sinking changeup are considered his best pitches, and he's added a work-in-progress slider to his repertoire this season.
The Pirates, like the Dodgers, see J-Mac as a starter. But unlike LA, the Pirates are in a situation where they can run him out on the hill every five days without the pressure of a pennant race to hone his craft. He's worked under 125 innings of MLB ball, so there will be a learning curve involved. But so far, so good.
He's 3-4 in seven starts, with a 4.17 ERA and 40 K's in 41 innings with 16 walks. His command has been streaky, and J-Mac is prone to get into deep counts. His fastball command has been good, and he's hitting 94 with it as a starter. When his control is on, he's mixed his pitches well, an art he admitted that he'd like to improve on, to keep the hitters honest.
And he's not a stranger in the clubhouse; he played with Andy LaRoche and Delwyn Young in the Dodger system. He's a great fit for the suits, too; McDonald, if our calculations are right, doesn't hit arbitration until after the 2011 or maybe 2012 season, depending on how this year's service time shakes out.
There are no guarantees in the baseball business. But James McDonald will get a chance to thrive in the Pirate organization, and so far he's taken the opportunity and run with it.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Bucs Go Overtime, Fumble Game Away
Homer Bailey was tough the first three frames. Painting the corners, he retired eight straight Buccos and recorded six K's. But after 2-1/2, he was down 1-0 when Chris Snyder reached out and dropped a knee-high, outside corner curve four rows into the left center field stands.
Paul Maholm put up goose eggs the first two frames, too, although not quite as stylishly as Bailey. He gave up three hits and left runners at third to end each inning. He wouldn't escape the third so easily.
He hit Heisey on the back leg with a breaking ball, and he was still at first with two outs. Unfortunately for PM, he needed three. Scott Rolen doubled Heisey home, barely missing a homer. Johnny Gomes walked, and Drew Stubbs singled Rolen home on a knock to right.
Paul Janish dropped a soft single over Neil Walker's head into right to score Gomes; he ended up on second when Dewey bobbled the ball and ho-hummed the throw to second. An intentional walk and whiff of Bailey ended the frame with no further ado. In three innings, Maholm, whose command was AWOL, had a pitch count of 72. He also stranded six, while giving up three runs.
The Pirates were catching up to Bailey; they hit three balls on the nose in the fourth, but only Jose Tabata's rap avoided a mitt. Maholm recovered to pitch a clean bottom half.
Ryan Doumit started the fifth with a long, nine-pitch at-bat followed by a single. Ronny Cedeno forced him at second, and was caught stealing on the next pitch - he appeared safe on replay - after a couple of pick-off tosses. Snyder popped out, and it was the Red's turn again. Maholm again sat Cincy down in order.
McCutch singled in the sixth; he too was thrown out trying to steal second. This play was closer, but it looked like he beat the tag. Apparently they're going to have to go in standing up to get a call from ump Bob Davidson tonight. Maholm hung tough; he gave up a walk, but got Bailey to roll into a 2-6-3 DP on a botched bunt.
Garrett Jones barely missed knocking one out of the yard, and settled for a one-out double. There was no basepath drama for him; he stayed there. However, it was a big frame for Homer Bailey; he set his personal highmark for K's when he got his ninth against Pedro. Maholm allowed just one runner in the Red's half, on his own boot.
He kept the game well within reach. In seven innings, he gave up three runs on six hits, three walks and a plunked batter with an impressive eight K's after 113 pitches.
Nick Masset took over in the eighth for Bailey, who went seven innings giving up a run on five hits with nine whiffs. He kept everything away, and the Pirates weren't disciplined enough at the dish to force him off the corner. Not only did he not walk anyone, but reached three balls on a batter just four times.
It took Masset five pitches to put away the Bucs on three balls to center, one a well hit liner by pinch hitter John Bowker. Chris Resop climbed the hill in the eighth for Pittsburgh, an interesting choice, but dovetailing JR's philosophy of saving Meek/Hanny for late ties/save situations if at all possible.
He gave up a lead-off single, then punched out the next pair and got a routine grounder to take it to the do-or-die ninth against Franciso Cordero. Resop is quickly restarting the Three Amigos.
McCutch fired up the Bucs with a single, and finally, a stolen base. JT singled him home. Walker's soft single put runners at first and second. Jones took a fastball the opposite way, lining out softly to left center for the first out. With Pedro up, Tabata swiped third.
It paid off when Pedro dropped a 3-2 heater away into left for a single to plate JT, with Walker stopping at second. Dusty Baker waved in ol' vet Arthur Rhodes. He turned Dewey around, and got a short fly into right; Cedeno did the same.
Evan Meek worked the Cincy ninth. He got the first out, and then walked Brandon Phillips, never a good thing. Meek struck out Heisey swinging with a 96 MPH heater, and plunked Joey Votto with another heater with the count 1-2 to bring up Rolen. Meek caught him looking on a pitcher's call by plate ump Tim Timmins.
Logan Ondrusek, the 6'8" 25 year old, came on in the tenth and got the Bucs 1-2-3. Chan Ho Park did the same for Pittsburgh, K'ing a pair of free-swinging Reds.
The Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman came on in the eleventh, and was all that. He struck out a pair, and his heater was 101-103; his slider was nasty and 90 MPH. Maybe Rene Gayo ought to foster some contacts on Fidel's Isle.
Park remained in the game, and again sat down Cincy in order. After being scored on four of his first five Pirate outings, Park has shut down opponents in ten of his last eleven games. JR may have been right; maybe it was rust, not father time, that was his problem.
The wheels began turning in the twelfth. Lefty Bill Bray started the inning, and got Pedro to bounce out. Dewey singled to left, and was replaced by pinch runner Alex Presley. Baker gave Bray the hook, and brought on RHP Jordan Smith to face Cedeno and Snyder. Lots of options in September.
Cedeno hit a slow roller to Rolen, who made a twisting throw to second. Brandon Phillips seemed to lift his foot off the bag as the throw bounced, but Davidson rang up the sliding Presley; it was a close call whether Phillips was on the sack or not. JR came out, raised three fingers as if to say "that's three you missed" and walked back to the dugout.
(We mention the calls not because they had an effect on the game - we'll never know that - but because they represent GW's pet peeve regarding base decisions: they're too often based on when the ball arrives, not on whether or there was an actual tag or putout made.)
Snyder followed with a walk, but PH Delwyn Young bounced into a soft force out. Wil Ledezema's number was called next.
He gave up a bunt single and hit Votto, and JR wasted no time calling on Joel Hanrahan. On a 1-2 pitch, he hung a slider that Rolen lined into left to load the bases. Gomes then hit a soft broken bat roller that Cedeno, playing in, made a nice play on; his off-balance throw to home beat the runner - but Snyder dropped the peg. And so the Bucs went down again.
Pirate pitching was stout tonight. They gave up nine hits in eleven innings, and struck out 15 Reds. But another botched play and a sputtering attack spoiled what could have been a nice win against the division's top team.
Charlie Morton takes on Edinson Volquez tomorrow night.
-- Neil Walker kept his 16 game hitting streak alive tonight with a first pitch single in the ninth. Nice gift to himself: The Pittsburgh Kid turned 25 today.
-- Dewey isn't playing RF a whole heckuva lot better than Thrilledge (he watched a ball drop in front of him and mishandled a soft single tonight), but keeps getting the call. We're wondering if he's being auditioned as a full-time OF and once-a-week C gig for next year, which would justify his $5M salary, or just being showcased for the winter market. Maybe a bit of both.
-- Eric Kratz and Aki Iwamura, both placed on waivers when the September call-ups were made to make room on the 40-man roster, have cleared them unclaimed. Kratz was reassigned to Indy, Aki was released outright.
-- The Curve took a 2-1 series lead against Harrisburg tonight with a 7-2 win. Justin Wilson threw six innings of two-hit, shutout ball, Matt Hague had 3 RBI, and Chase d'Arnaud and Josh Harrison homered.
Altoona had evened their first-round series with a 6-4 win against Senators the previous night. Anthony Lambo led the Curve with three RBI and two doubles.
-- The Bradenton Marauders are out of the playoffs after losing 2-1 last night. They split the first two games against the Charlotte Stone Crabs (the Ray's farm club), winning the opener 5-0 and losing the rematch 10-2. Matt McSwain lost the pitching duel to Frank De Los Santos.
-- Peter Gammons of MLB.com has a piece on what a dif a managing change can make, in this case Buck Showalter taking the Baltimore helm. They've been 21-14 since he arrived, and his secret? "It's nothing magical. It's about self-esteem. These players have been losing for a long time." Hmmm...
Paul Maholm put up goose eggs the first two frames, too, although not quite as stylishly as Bailey. He gave up three hits and left runners at third to end each inning. He wouldn't escape the third so easily.
He hit Heisey on the back leg with a breaking ball, and he was still at first with two outs. Unfortunately for PM, he needed three. Scott Rolen doubled Heisey home, barely missing a homer. Johnny Gomes walked, and Drew Stubbs singled Rolen home on a knock to right.
Paul Janish dropped a soft single over Neil Walker's head into right to score Gomes; he ended up on second when Dewey bobbled the ball and ho-hummed the throw to second. An intentional walk and whiff of Bailey ended the frame with no further ado. In three innings, Maholm, whose command was AWOL, had a pitch count of 72. He also stranded six, while giving up three runs.
The Pirates were catching up to Bailey; they hit three balls on the nose in the fourth, but only Jose Tabata's rap avoided a mitt. Maholm recovered to pitch a clean bottom half.
Ryan Doumit started the fifth with a long, nine-pitch at-bat followed by a single. Ronny Cedeno forced him at second, and was caught stealing on the next pitch - he appeared safe on replay - after a couple of pick-off tosses. Snyder popped out, and it was the Red's turn again. Maholm again sat Cincy down in order.
McCutch singled in the sixth; he too was thrown out trying to steal second. This play was closer, but it looked like he beat the tag. Apparently they're going to have to go in standing up to get a call from ump Bob Davidson tonight. Maholm hung tough; he gave up a walk, but got Bailey to roll into a 2-6-3 DP on a botched bunt.
Garrett Jones barely missed knocking one out of the yard, and settled for a one-out double. There was no basepath drama for him; he stayed there. However, it was a big frame for Homer Bailey; he set his personal highmark for K's when he got his ninth against Pedro. Maholm allowed just one runner in the Red's half, on his own boot.
He kept the game well within reach. In seven innings, he gave up three runs on six hits, three walks and a plunked batter with an impressive eight K's after 113 pitches.
Nick Masset took over in the eighth for Bailey, who went seven innings giving up a run on five hits with nine whiffs. He kept everything away, and the Pirates weren't disciplined enough at the dish to force him off the corner. Not only did he not walk anyone, but reached three balls on a batter just four times.
It took Masset five pitches to put away the Bucs on three balls to center, one a well hit liner by pinch hitter John Bowker. Chris Resop climbed the hill in the eighth for Pittsburgh, an interesting choice, but dovetailing JR's philosophy of saving Meek/Hanny for late ties/save situations if at all possible.
He gave up a lead-off single, then punched out the next pair and got a routine grounder to take it to the do-or-die ninth against Franciso Cordero. Resop is quickly restarting the Three Amigos.
McCutch fired up the Bucs with a single, and finally, a stolen base. JT singled him home. Walker's soft single put runners at first and second. Jones took a fastball the opposite way, lining out softly to left center for the first out. With Pedro up, Tabata swiped third.
It paid off when Pedro dropped a 3-2 heater away into left for a single to plate JT, with Walker stopping at second. Dusty Baker waved in ol' vet Arthur Rhodes. He turned Dewey around, and got a short fly into right; Cedeno did the same.
Evan Meek worked the Cincy ninth. He got the first out, and then walked Brandon Phillips, never a good thing. Meek struck out Heisey swinging with a 96 MPH heater, and plunked Joey Votto with another heater with the count 1-2 to bring up Rolen. Meek caught him looking on a pitcher's call by plate ump Tim Timmins.
Logan Ondrusek, the 6'8" 25 year old, came on in the tenth and got the Bucs 1-2-3. Chan Ho Park did the same for Pittsburgh, K'ing a pair of free-swinging Reds.
The Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman came on in the eleventh, and was all that. He struck out a pair, and his heater was 101-103; his slider was nasty and 90 MPH. Maybe Rene Gayo ought to foster some contacts on Fidel's Isle.
Park remained in the game, and again sat down Cincy in order. After being scored on four of his first five Pirate outings, Park has shut down opponents in ten of his last eleven games. JR may have been right; maybe it was rust, not father time, that was his problem.
The wheels began turning in the twelfth. Lefty Bill Bray started the inning, and got Pedro to bounce out. Dewey singled to left, and was replaced by pinch runner Alex Presley. Baker gave Bray the hook, and brought on RHP Jordan Smith to face Cedeno and Snyder. Lots of options in September.
Cedeno hit a slow roller to Rolen, who made a twisting throw to second. Brandon Phillips seemed to lift his foot off the bag as the throw bounced, but Davidson rang up the sliding Presley; it was a close call whether Phillips was on the sack or not. JR came out, raised three fingers as if to say "that's three you missed" and walked back to the dugout.
(We mention the calls not because they had an effect on the game - we'll never know that - but because they represent GW's pet peeve regarding base decisions: they're too often based on when the ball arrives, not on whether or there was an actual tag or putout made.)
Snyder followed with a walk, but PH Delwyn Young bounced into a soft force out. Wil Ledezema's number was called next.
He gave up a bunt single and hit Votto, and JR wasted no time calling on Joel Hanrahan. On a 1-2 pitch, he hung a slider that Rolen lined into left to load the bases. Gomes then hit a soft broken bat roller that Cedeno, playing in, made a nice play on; his off-balance throw to home beat the runner - but Snyder dropped the peg. And so the Bucs went down again.
Pirate pitching was stout tonight. They gave up nine hits in eleven innings, and struck out 15 Reds. But another botched play and a sputtering attack spoiled what could have been a nice win against the division's top team.
Charlie Morton takes on Edinson Volquez tomorrow night.
-- Neil Walker kept his 16 game hitting streak alive tonight with a first pitch single in the ninth. Nice gift to himself: The Pittsburgh Kid turned 25 today.
-- Dewey isn't playing RF a whole heckuva lot better than Thrilledge (he watched a ball drop in front of him and mishandled a soft single tonight), but keeps getting the call. We're wondering if he's being auditioned as a full-time OF and once-a-week C gig for next year, which would justify his $5M salary, or just being showcased for the winter market. Maybe a bit of both.
-- Eric Kratz and Aki Iwamura, both placed on waivers when the September call-ups were made to make room on the 40-man roster, have cleared them unclaimed. Kratz was reassigned to Indy, Aki was released outright.
-- The Curve took a 2-1 series lead against Harrisburg tonight with a 7-2 win. Justin Wilson threw six innings of two-hit, shutout ball, Matt Hague had 3 RBI, and Chase d'Arnaud and Josh Harrison homered.
Altoona had evened their first-round series with a 6-4 win against Senators the previous night. Anthony Lambo led the Curve with three RBI and two doubles.
-- The Bradenton Marauders are out of the playoffs after losing 2-1 last night. They split the first two games against the Charlotte Stone Crabs (the Ray's farm club), winning the opener 5-0 and losing the rematch 10-2. Matt McSwain lost the pitching duel to Frank De Los Santos.
-- Peter Gammons of MLB.com has a piece on what a dif a managing change can make, in this case Buck Showalter taking the Baltimore helm. They've been 21-14 since he arrived, and his secret? "It's nothing magical. It's about self-esteem. These players have been losing for a long time." Hmmm...
Alex Presley
Alex Presley has been 2010's feel-good story in the Pirate organization.
The 25 year old lefty stands 5'9" and weighs in at 180 pounds, and was considered a sort of tweener by the scouts; he didn’t show quite the arm or range to play center but didn't have the pop to play the corner spots. Looks and sounds like the second coming of Nate McLouth, hey?
He was born July 25, 1985 in Monroe, Louisiana, and played for the Neville Tigers in high school, where he was named a 3rd Team HS All-America. Presley went on to the University of Mississippi, where the outfielder made the Baseball America second-team Freshman All-America list and never hit under .300. The Pirates took him in the eighth round of the 2006 draft (230th overall), reeling him in with a $95,000 bonus after he hit .321 as a junior.
Presley signed a couple weeks after the draft and struggled initially at short season Williamsport while alternating between left and center. He ended up hitting .260, but his plate discipline was weak, drawing 17 walks while striking out 55 times in 244 plate appearances. Presley had a terrible time handling LHPs, posting a .357 OPS.
In 2007 he started for Low A Hickory, opening as the left fielder and moving to center later in the season. After another a poor start, Presley ended up with a line of .293/11/63. He hit all of his HRs against RHPs and struck out a lot - 108 times - but showed some muscle and a little more patience at the dish, drawing 45 walks.
He started 2008 as the regular CF for High A Lynchburg, but had another terrible start and then was hurt, and didn't return until May. He was hurt again in August, ending his season. His line there was .258/6/35 in only 325 at-bats.
He returned to Lynchburg in 2009, penciled in as a backup OF'er, but ended up playing regularly, mostly in center, thanks more to a lack of outfielders in the system than anything he did to impress. His line of .257/4/37 mirrored 2008's, including his inability to hit LHPs, and with 150 more at-bats.
Presley seemed like an organizational player at best by this time, but he impressed the Pirates in training camp and made the Altoona roster as a reserve. Then the baseball gods gave his head a rub, and he had a breakout season in 2010 that was every bit as amazing as the one Rudy Owens had last year.
For the Curve, he hit .350/6/47 in 67 games, bettering any full year he had at Lynchburg. On June 24th, he was sent to Indy a couple of weeks after the Pirates called up Jose Tabata, and kept on there, with a line of .294/6/38. His combined AAA/AA line for 2010 was .320/12/85.
Then on September 7th, he was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster and brought to the show. And he got his first hit Wednesday night.
The current book on Presley is that he's got the potential to be a big league hitter with adequate range and arm to play a corner outfield position, and can steal an occasional base, too. He's most likely slotted to be a fourth outfielder who plays hard and maximizes his abilities, a grinder rather than a toolsy player.
In other words, he's on the road to becoming another Nate McLouth. Presley was a teammate of Florida's Chris Coghlan’s for all three years at Ol' Miss, too...maybe his career track will rub off on him.
Hey, one good year is no sure ticket to anything except one more year. But one thing that he has going for him is his college background. The SEC has been a monster of late, producing players like Coglan, Brad Hawpe, Seth Smith, Ryan Theriot, Jeff Keppinger, and Julio Borbon.
Besides that tradition, we think until guys like Gorkys Hernandez, John Lambos, or Starling Marte make a move, Alex Presley is the most accomplished outfielder in the farm system. 2011 should tell.
The 25 year old lefty stands 5'9" and weighs in at 180 pounds, and was considered a sort of tweener by the scouts; he didn’t show quite the arm or range to play center but didn't have the pop to play the corner spots. Looks and sounds like the second coming of Nate McLouth, hey?
He was born July 25, 1985 in Monroe, Louisiana, and played for the Neville Tigers in high school, where he was named a 3rd Team HS All-America. Presley went on to the University of Mississippi, where the outfielder made the Baseball America second-team Freshman All-America list and never hit under .300. The Pirates took him in the eighth round of the 2006 draft (230th overall), reeling him in with a $95,000 bonus after he hit .321 as a junior.
Presley signed a couple weeks after the draft and struggled initially at short season Williamsport while alternating between left and center. He ended up hitting .260, but his plate discipline was weak, drawing 17 walks while striking out 55 times in 244 plate appearances. Presley had a terrible time handling LHPs, posting a .357 OPS.
In 2007 he started for Low A Hickory, opening as the left fielder and moving to center later in the season. After another a poor start, Presley ended up with a line of .293/11/63. He hit all of his HRs against RHPs and struck out a lot - 108 times - but showed some muscle and a little more patience at the dish, drawing 45 walks.
He started 2008 as the regular CF for High A Lynchburg, but had another terrible start and then was hurt, and didn't return until May. He was hurt again in August, ending his season. His line there was .258/6/35 in only 325 at-bats.
He returned to Lynchburg in 2009, penciled in as a backup OF'er, but ended up playing regularly, mostly in center, thanks more to a lack of outfielders in the system than anything he did to impress. His line of .257/4/37 mirrored 2008's, including his inability to hit LHPs, and with 150 more at-bats.
Presley seemed like an organizational player at best by this time, but he impressed the Pirates in training camp and made the Altoona roster as a reserve. Then the baseball gods gave his head a rub, and he had a breakout season in 2010 that was every bit as amazing as the one Rudy Owens had last year.
For the Curve, he hit .350/6/47 in 67 games, bettering any full year he had at Lynchburg. On June 24th, he was sent to Indy a couple of weeks after the Pirates called up Jose Tabata, and kept on there, with a line of .294/6/38. His combined AAA/AA line for 2010 was .320/12/85.
Then on September 7th, he was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster and brought to the show. And he got his first hit Wednesday night.
The current book on Presley is that he's got the potential to be a big league hitter with adequate range and arm to play a corner outfield position, and can steal an occasional base, too. He's most likely slotted to be a fourth outfielder who plays hard and maximizes his abilities, a grinder rather than a toolsy player.
In other words, he's on the road to becoming another Nate McLouth. Presley was a teammate of Florida's Chris Coghlan’s for all three years at Ol' Miss, too...maybe his career track will rub off on him.
Hey, one good year is no sure ticket to anything except one more year. But one thing that he has going for him is his college background. The SEC has been a monster of late, producing players like Coglan, Brad Hawpe, Seth Smith, Ryan Theriot, Jeff Keppinger, and Julio Borbon.
Besides that tradition, we think until guys like Gorkys Hernandez, John Lambos, or Starling Marte make a move, Alex Presley is the most accomplished outfielder in the farm system. 2011 should tell.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Keepin' Up On An Off Day
-- In Dejan Kovacevic's game story from last night in the Post Gazette, he casts serious doubt on the return of Zach Duke in 2011. He writes: "His losses are tied for fifth most among all pitchers with 120 or more innings, his ERA is the second highest, and his .320 opponents' batting average is the highest.
All of which might be pointing to Duke's offseason exit after five-plus years in the rotation."
Jen Langosch of MLB.com noted that dynamic in her game story, too, when she said "Duke certainly can't afford to end the season without a bounce back. He's due to be arbitration-eligible again after the season, which puts him in line for a raise from his $4.3 million salary this season. His inconsistencies to this point likely have him at risk to be non-tendered this winter..."
Our feeling is that with Duke, what you see is what you get. He lets the ball in play, and if you have a team that can catch 'em, he's a competent pitcher. If you have a team that doesn't, like the Pirates (their .671 defensive conversion rate means that one out of three balls put in play against them become hits, and is 14th in the NL, while their 108 errors are 15th), well, a blown up ERA is what you get.
It's probably easier to replace a pitcher than an infield.
-- In the right field derby, the apparent winner is Ryan Doumit. Dewey has been hitting the ball fairly well since he's returned from his latest concussion, and he's been OK both in right and behind the dish, bolstering the theory that he needed a break from everyday catching.
The loser has been Lastings Milledge, whose erratic play in the pasture and lack of power have earned him long stretches of pine time. John Bowker hasn't shown much either; maybe a door is opening for Alex Presley/Brandon Moss if they show their Indy performances weren't flukes.
It's not the only hole in the Pirate lineup, but it's the only position being contested in September.
-- The Pirate suits believe that a bullpen is the easiest segment of a team to build from scratch. That may be true in March, but not so much in August. So far, of all the newcomers, only Chris Resop and Wil Ledezema have shown that they deserve a shot at coming back.
-- The Yankees signed Damaso Marte to a three year, $11.75M contract after they got him from Pittsburgh in 2008, with $4M due next year. In his time in New York, Marte has been 2-6 with a 6.60 ERA and only worked 45 innings.
He went to the Evil Empire with Xavier Nady; if Jose Tabata and Ross Ohlendorf keep on keepin' on, that deal has to go down as among the best of the Huntington era.
-- Jose Bautista leads the majors with 43 home runs and ranks second with 103 RBIs. His deal for Robinzon Diaz has to rank among the worst, though at the time it was just another ho-hum "change of scenery" trade.
He explained his rebirth at age 29 to ESPN's Jerry Crasnik: "When the front office believes in the manager and the manager believes in the players, it builds a chain of confidence. You go out there and focus on the things you need to focus on -- just seeing the ball and hitting it hard, instead of trying to get three hits one day so you can play the next. That's tough to do, especially when you're young. It's a little bit of what happened to me."
-- Altoona made the playoffs by riding its pitching, which finished second in the league with a 3.55 ERA. The Curve began its best-of-five series at home against Harrisburg Senators, which posted the league's best ERA of 3.51. A tight, well-pitched series was in store, right?
Well, not if the first game is any indication; the Sens won 10-5.
-- Tim Wakefield, Boston's 44-year-old knuckleballer who started his career in Pittsburgh, became the oldest pitcher to win for the Red Sox when he defeated Tampa Bay last night. His next goal is to become the team's top all-time winner. The win was his 179th career victory with Boston, 13 behind the club record of 192 shared by Roger Clemens and Cy Young, pretty fast company to run with.
-- Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports discusses the Pirates in his piece about tweaking the revenue-sharing funds. "For all the complaints about revenue sharing’s failings, the program’s successes — the Brewers, Twins, Rays and others — are undeniable. Even the Pirates, last in the majors in payroll, are an example of how revenue-sharing recipients can rebuild.
Fans do not yet see it on the field, where the Pirates recently clinched their 18th straight losing season. But the team has spent a major-league leading $31 million on the draft in the past three years. Whether the Pirates are choosing the right players remains to be seen. But it’s indisputable that they are trying to improve.
The union forced the Marlins, not the Pirates, into an agreement to raise payroll. Yet, the Pirates will not be allowed to proceed on this path forever. If their rebuilding efforts do not lead to a higher payroll, they eventually will get the same slap that the Marlins did. The idea is to develop better players, players who merit higher salaries, players who become stars."
All of which might be pointing to Duke's offseason exit after five-plus years in the rotation."
Jen Langosch of MLB.com noted that dynamic in her game story, too, when she said "Duke certainly can't afford to end the season without a bounce back. He's due to be arbitration-eligible again after the season, which puts him in line for a raise from his $4.3 million salary this season. His inconsistencies to this point likely have him at risk to be non-tendered this winter..."
Our feeling is that with Duke, what you see is what you get. He lets the ball in play, and if you have a team that can catch 'em, he's a competent pitcher. If you have a team that doesn't, like the Pirates (their .671 defensive conversion rate means that one out of three balls put in play against them become hits, and is 14th in the NL, while their 108 errors are 15th), well, a blown up ERA is what you get.
It's probably easier to replace a pitcher than an infield.
-- In the right field derby, the apparent winner is Ryan Doumit. Dewey has been hitting the ball fairly well since he's returned from his latest concussion, and he's been OK both in right and behind the dish, bolstering the theory that he needed a break from everyday catching.
The loser has been Lastings Milledge, whose erratic play in the pasture and lack of power have earned him long stretches of pine time. John Bowker hasn't shown much either; maybe a door is opening for Alex Presley/Brandon Moss if they show their Indy performances weren't flukes.
It's not the only hole in the Pirate lineup, but it's the only position being contested in September.
-- The Pirate suits believe that a bullpen is the easiest segment of a team to build from scratch. That may be true in March, but not so much in August. So far, of all the newcomers, only Chris Resop and Wil Ledezema have shown that they deserve a shot at coming back.
-- The Yankees signed Damaso Marte to a three year, $11.75M contract after they got him from Pittsburgh in 2008, with $4M due next year. In his time in New York, Marte has been 2-6 with a 6.60 ERA and only worked 45 innings.
He went to the Evil Empire with Xavier Nady; if Jose Tabata and Ross Ohlendorf keep on keepin' on, that deal has to go down as among the best of the Huntington era.
-- Jose Bautista leads the majors with 43 home runs and ranks second with 103 RBIs. His deal for Robinzon Diaz has to rank among the worst, though at the time it was just another ho-hum "change of scenery" trade.
He explained his rebirth at age 29 to ESPN's Jerry Crasnik: "When the front office believes in the manager and the manager believes in the players, it builds a chain of confidence. You go out there and focus on the things you need to focus on -- just seeing the ball and hitting it hard, instead of trying to get three hits one day so you can play the next. That's tough to do, especially when you're young. It's a little bit of what happened to me."
-- Altoona made the playoffs by riding its pitching, which finished second in the league with a 3.55 ERA. The Curve began its best-of-five series at home against Harrisburg Senators, which posted the league's best ERA of 3.51. A tight, well-pitched series was in store, right?
Well, not if the first game is any indication; the Sens won 10-5.
-- Tim Wakefield, Boston's 44-year-old knuckleballer who started his career in Pittsburgh, became the oldest pitcher to win for the Red Sox when he defeated Tampa Bay last night. His next goal is to become the team's top all-time winner. The win was his 179th career victory with Boston, 13 behind the club record of 192 shared by Roger Clemens and Cy Young, pretty fast company to run with.
-- Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports discusses the Pirates in his piece about tweaking the revenue-sharing funds. "For all the complaints about revenue sharing’s failings, the program’s successes — the Brewers, Twins, Rays and others — are undeniable. Even the Pirates, last in the majors in payroll, are an example of how revenue-sharing recipients can rebuild.
Fans do not yet see it on the field, where the Pirates recently clinched their 18th straight losing season. But the team has spent a major-league leading $31 million on the draft in the past three years. Whether the Pirates are choosing the right players remains to be seen. But it’s indisputable that they are trying to improve.
The union forced the Marlins, not the Pirates, into an agreement to raise payroll. Yet, the Pirates will not be allowed to proceed on this path forever. If their rebuilding efforts do not lead to a higher payroll, they eventually will get the same slap that the Marlins did. The idea is to develop better players, players who merit higher salaries, players who become stars."
Chris Resop
Chris Resop was originally drafted as an outfielder by the Marlins in 2001. He was converted to the bullpen in 2003, and joined the majors in 2005 as a power reliever, pitching for the Fish and Angels.
He had elbow surgery in 2008, followed by some so-so work with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan that same season; in fact, Resop spent all of 2009 with Hanshin’s farm team.
But it did pay off. Armed with a mid-90s fastball, Resop relied entirely on overpowering hitters early in his pitching career. What would you expect from an old outfielder?
In Japan, Resop began the transformation from thrower to pitcher. The rap on him was that his fastball and curve were flat. So he worked on movement for his change and hook and added a two-seam sinker to his arsenal.
Even so, statistically he wasn't much to look at after his Asian tour: Resop's resume in the States was 3-3 with a 6.14 ERA in 58 MLB outings, and for a guy with a 94 MPH heater, he averaged just 6 K/9.
Still, the Braves know pitching and signed him in the spring. Resop had an unusual out clause in the deal, though; if he wasn't in the major leagues by June 15th, he was free to sign with another major league club.
He remained as a starter in his time in the minor leagues, and he looked like an ace for Gwinnett. Resop struck out 87 batters in just under 80 innings for the AAA club while inducing grounders on just under 50% of his balls in play. In 15 starts, he had a 2.09 ERA, 6-3 slate, and an OBA of .183.
After trying to trade him - they had offers, but none they felt were "substantial" enough; bet they'd like to have a mulligan on that - he was called up on June 15th.
But Resop strained an oblique warming up in the bullpen, and got hammered in his outing, getting put on the DL the next day. He made some unimpressive rehab outings for AAA Gwinnett, and on August 2nd was released. The Pirates, reeling after their Blue Light Special bullpen sale, snapped him up.
For once, the Pirates found more than "upside" and unfulfilled promises on the junk heap; they actually found a pitcher that was MLB ready and capable, just dinged up.
He hasn't been dazzling in his month here, but he has been dependable enough that he's taken over the old Evan Meek seventh inning role. He's put together a 4.50 ERA in 17 outings, and in 16 innings has given up 13 hits, 11 walks, and whiffed 20.
He surely fits the physical mold the suits look for. Resop is 6'3", 220 pounds, and is a power pitcher. Does he have a future here? Well, so far, so good, especially if he finds the dish with his stuff. And if he keeps on keepin' on, he'll be a favorite to break camp with the Bucs next spring.
Resop is out of options, but he can’t become a free agent until the end of the 2013 season if he sticks on the big club's roster. And here's the intriguing part - his greatest success has been as a starter. The Pirates have the option to try to stretch him out and get him in the rotation in 2011 if they so choose, although their current plans are to keep him in the bullpen.
The bio for Resop: he was born November 4th, 1982 in Naples, Florida, making him 27. He attended Barron Collier HS, and was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 4th round of the 2001 draft after he graduated.
Resop made his major league debut for the Fish in 2005. After the 2006 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Kevin Gregg. Then he was released and claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves on October 25, 2007, but spent the next two seasons in Japan after the Braves sold his rights.
The big righty resigned with the Braves prior to the 2010 season, was called up in June (replacing Jesse Chavez), got hurt, released, and on August 4, 2010, Resop was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Now to see if he's a keeper.
He had elbow surgery in 2008, followed by some so-so work with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan that same season; in fact, Resop spent all of 2009 with Hanshin’s farm team.
But it did pay off. Armed with a mid-90s fastball, Resop relied entirely on overpowering hitters early in his pitching career. What would you expect from an old outfielder?
In Japan, Resop began the transformation from thrower to pitcher. The rap on him was that his fastball and curve were flat. So he worked on movement for his change and hook and added a two-seam sinker to his arsenal.
Even so, statistically he wasn't much to look at after his Asian tour: Resop's resume in the States was 3-3 with a 6.14 ERA in 58 MLB outings, and for a guy with a 94 MPH heater, he averaged just 6 K/9.
Still, the Braves know pitching and signed him in the spring. Resop had an unusual out clause in the deal, though; if he wasn't in the major leagues by June 15th, he was free to sign with another major league club.
He remained as a starter in his time in the minor leagues, and he looked like an ace for Gwinnett. Resop struck out 87 batters in just under 80 innings for the AAA club while inducing grounders on just under 50% of his balls in play. In 15 starts, he had a 2.09 ERA, 6-3 slate, and an OBA of .183.
After trying to trade him - they had offers, but none they felt were "substantial" enough; bet they'd like to have a mulligan on that - he was called up on June 15th.
But Resop strained an oblique warming up in the bullpen, and got hammered in his outing, getting put on the DL the next day. He made some unimpressive rehab outings for AAA Gwinnett, and on August 2nd was released. The Pirates, reeling after their Blue Light Special bullpen sale, snapped him up.
For once, the Pirates found more than "upside" and unfulfilled promises on the junk heap; they actually found a pitcher that was MLB ready and capable, just dinged up.
He hasn't been dazzling in his month here, but he has been dependable enough that he's taken over the old Evan Meek seventh inning role. He's put together a 4.50 ERA in 17 outings, and in 16 innings has given up 13 hits, 11 walks, and whiffed 20.
He surely fits the physical mold the suits look for. Resop is 6'3", 220 pounds, and is a power pitcher. Does he have a future here? Well, so far, so good, especially if he finds the dish with his stuff. And if he keeps on keepin' on, he'll be a favorite to break camp with the Bucs next spring.
Resop is out of options, but he can’t become a free agent until the end of the 2013 season if he sticks on the big club's roster. And here's the intriguing part - his greatest success has been as a starter. The Pirates have the option to try to stretch him out and get him in the rotation in 2011 if they so choose, although their current plans are to keep him in the bullpen.
The bio for Resop: he was born November 4th, 1982 in Naples, Florida, making him 27. He attended Barron Collier HS, and was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 4th round of the 2001 draft after he graduated.
Resop made his major league debut for the Fish in 2005. After the 2006 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Kevin Gregg. Then he was released and claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves on October 25, 2007, but spent the next two seasons in Japan after the Braves sold his rights.
The big righty resigned with the Braves prior to the 2010 season, was called up in June (replacing Jesse Chavez), got hurt, released, and on August 4, 2010, Resop was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Now to see if he's a keeper.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Duke, D-Mac Drubbed
Boy, it's been a long year for the Zachster. And it got even longer tonight. With one out in the first, the Braves scored a run after three straight singles.
After a second out, the lefty walked Matt Diaz to load the bases for Alex Gonzalez. He delivered a bloop single into center to score two more, and it was 3-0 before the Bucs got off the field.
The Pirates had some two out gumption, too. Neil Walker, Garrett Jones, and Pedro singled to load the sacks with two away, the same situation Atlanta had a few minutes earlier. But Dewey sat down, looking at a sinker for strike three.
In the second, Zach's mound opponent Derek Lowe doubled. Duke gave up a single and a walk to load them, and JR had seen enough. In came D-Mac. We'll spare you Duke's line, but his ERA is now 5.47.
He got a pop out, and then walked a run home. McCutchen straightened up after that, but it was 4-0 Bravos. The Pirates went down 1-2-3; so much for chipping away early.
D-Mac got clocked in the third. He faced seven batters; six got aboard. Sean Gallagher finally got the call; now we know why there were so many pitchers invited north in September. Gallagher cleaned up D-Mac's mess, but it was 8-0.
McCutch led off the Bucco frame with a knock; he stayed at first. Gallagher, defying the odds, shut down the Braves in the fourth. Pedro led off with a single, and an out later, he was erased on a John Bowker 6-4-3 DP.
With one out in the fifth, Brian Bass walked a pair and hit a batter, but escaped with just a run on a sac fly. Pittsburgh broke through in their half. Thrilledge singled with one out, followed by McCutch and JT knocks to make it 9-1. Then it was Justin Thomas' turn.
He got two quick outs, then two soft singles and a walk loaded them. Thomas got Lee to ground out, and the Braves had a rare goose egg posted on the board. At this point, the Braves have nine runs yet stranded 15 runners! Life should get easier; Bobby Cox is already bringing in the bomb squad.
The Bucs did nada in their dibs, bouncing out three times. JR joined Cox in emptying the bench; he penciled in Argenis Diaz, Jason Jaramillo, Alex Presley and Brandon Moss.
Steven Jackson took the hill for the seventh. He threw the first 1-2-3 inning of the night against Atlanta; maybe they're finally pooped from running the bases. Lowe was worn out; Scott Proctor took the hill. He got the Bucs in order; Alex Presley's first MLB at-bat was a swinging K at a ball in the dirt.
Wil Ledezema worked the eighth, and picked up a pair of strikeouts. Michael Dunn came on for Atlanta. Brandon Moss struck out swinging; at least the heater he missed was over the plate. The Pirates went three up, three down, and Chan Ho Park drew the short straw for the ninth.
He got three ground outs. Christhian Martinez was called on to close it out for Atlanta. Pedro greeted him with a double off the Clemente Wall. Pedro Ciriaco got his first MLB at-bat and dinged an RBI double into left for his first hit. Welcome aboard, matey!
Two outs later, Jaramillo drew a walk, putting the tying run about four seats down on the bench. Presley got his first hit, an infield single, to load the bases. Moss then hit a swinging bunt single to third to get his first MLB hit and RBI of the 2010 season.
Martinez, a victim of bad luck rather than bad pitching, got the hook. Billy Wagner took the ball to face Walker. Three swings and misses of his heat put tonight's game in the books.
Well, if you needed an intro to the new Pirates, tonight was your game. JR trotted out 22 players (and Cox used 18). That brought the Pirate total of players used in a game this year to fifty, setting the franchise season record. Ah, September baseball.
Paul Maholm takes on Homer Bailey and the Reds Friday.
-- Neil Walker's 15 game hitting streak bypassed Johnny Ray's 14 gamer in 1982 in the Pirate rookie annuls. Next up is Rennie Stennett's 1971 string of 18 games.
RJ Anderson of Fangraphs has a piece about the Pittsburgh Kid.
-- Tonight will be the final game that Bobby Cox manages in Pittsburgh. The Pirates honored the occasion with a pre-game tribute for the ol' skipper. The Pirates presented him with a check for $5,000 for his favorite charity, the Homeless Pets Foundation.
Cox is hangin' 'em up after the season following a quarter century with the Braves and 29 years total as da' man under his belt. He'll finish with over 2,500 wins.
-- Ben Nicholson-Smith of Major League Trade Rumors has a piece on the Buc's upcoming 2011 rotation. You know it's a dismal outlook when the lede is "Many of the Pirates' most exciting pitchers are still in the minor leagues, so..."
-- When Jim Callis of Baseball America was asked about the potential of the Altoona rotation, he said "Morris has the most upside, if he can stay healthy. I like all of those guys to varying degrees, and Wilson's stuff kicked up a notch, but they're more likely No. 3 or 4 starters than frontline guys."
The Curve staff's Big Four are Bryan Morris, Rudy Owens, Justin Wilson, and Jeff Locke.
-- Altoona jumped off to a 3-0 lead in their playoff game against Harrisburg, but fell 10-5. Rudy Owens gave up five runs in the second and Mike Dubee gave up five more in the eighth.
-- Sid the Kid and some other Pens took BP at PNC this afternoon. Crosby, a lefty, hit one out over the 370' mark, chronicled by Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy, who has a vid to go with his story.
After a second out, the lefty walked Matt Diaz to load the bases for Alex Gonzalez. He delivered a bloop single into center to score two more, and it was 3-0 before the Bucs got off the field.
The Pirates had some two out gumption, too. Neil Walker, Garrett Jones, and Pedro singled to load the sacks with two away, the same situation Atlanta had a few minutes earlier. But Dewey sat down, looking at a sinker for strike three.
In the second, Zach's mound opponent Derek Lowe doubled. Duke gave up a single and a walk to load them, and JR had seen enough. In came D-Mac. We'll spare you Duke's line, but his ERA is now 5.47.
He got a pop out, and then walked a run home. McCutchen straightened up after that, but it was 4-0 Bravos. The Pirates went down 1-2-3; so much for chipping away early.
D-Mac got clocked in the third. He faced seven batters; six got aboard. Sean Gallagher finally got the call; now we know why there were so many pitchers invited north in September. Gallagher cleaned up D-Mac's mess, but it was 8-0.
McCutch led off the Bucco frame with a knock; he stayed at first. Gallagher, defying the odds, shut down the Braves in the fourth. Pedro led off with a single, and an out later, he was erased on a John Bowker 6-4-3 DP.
With one out in the fifth, Brian Bass walked a pair and hit a batter, but escaped with just a run on a sac fly. Pittsburgh broke through in their half. Thrilledge singled with one out, followed by McCutch and JT knocks to make it 9-1. Then it was Justin Thomas' turn.
He got two quick outs, then two soft singles and a walk loaded them. Thomas got Lee to ground out, and the Braves had a rare goose egg posted on the board. At this point, the Braves have nine runs yet stranded 15 runners! Life should get easier; Bobby Cox is already bringing in the bomb squad.
The Bucs did nada in their dibs, bouncing out three times. JR joined Cox in emptying the bench; he penciled in Argenis Diaz, Jason Jaramillo, Alex Presley and Brandon Moss.
Steven Jackson took the hill for the seventh. He threw the first 1-2-3 inning of the night against Atlanta; maybe they're finally pooped from running the bases. Lowe was worn out; Scott Proctor took the hill. He got the Bucs in order; Alex Presley's first MLB at-bat was a swinging K at a ball in the dirt.
Wil Ledezema worked the eighth, and picked up a pair of strikeouts. Michael Dunn came on for Atlanta. Brandon Moss struck out swinging; at least the heater he missed was over the plate. The Pirates went three up, three down, and Chan Ho Park drew the short straw for the ninth.
He got three ground outs. Christhian Martinez was called on to close it out for Atlanta. Pedro greeted him with a double off the Clemente Wall. Pedro Ciriaco got his first MLB at-bat and dinged an RBI double into left for his first hit. Welcome aboard, matey!
Two outs later, Jaramillo drew a walk, putting the tying run about four seats down on the bench. Presley got his first hit, an infield single, to load the bases. Moss then hit a swinging bunt single to third to get his first MLB hit and RBI of the 2010 season.
Martinez, a victim of bad luck rather than bad pitching, got the hook. Billy Wagner took the ball to face Walker. Three swings and misses of his heat put tonight's game in the books.
Well, if you needed an intro to the new Pirates, tonight was your game. JR trotted out 22 players (and Cox used 18). That brought the Pirate total of players used in a game this year to fifty, setting the franchise season record. Ah, September baseball.
Paul Maholm takes on Homer Bailey and the Reds Friday.
-- Neil Walker's 15 game hitting streak bypassed Johnny Ray's 14 gamer in 1982 in the Pirate rookie annuls. Next up is Rennie Stennett's 1971 string of 18 games.
RJ Anderson of Fangraphs has a piece about the Pittsburgh Kid.
-- Tonight will be the final game that Bobby Cox manages in Pittsburgh. The Pirates honored the occasion with a pre-game tribute for the ol' skipper. The Pirates presented him with a check for $5,000 for his favorite charity, the Homeless Pets Foundation.
Cox is hangin' 'em up after the season following a quarter century with the Braves and 29 years total as da' man under his belt. He'll finish with over 2,500 wins.
-- Ben Nicholson-Smith of Major League Trade Rumors has a piece on the Buc's upcoming 2011 rotation. You know it's a dismal outlook when the lede is "Many of the Pirates' most exciting pitchers are still in the minor leagues, so..."
-- When Jim Callis of Baseball America was asked about the potential of the Altoona rotation, he said "Morris has the most upside, if he can stay healthy. I like all of those guys to varying degrees, and Wilson's stuff kicked up a notch, but they're more likely No. 3 or 4 starters than frontline guys."
The Curve staff's Big Four are Bryan Morris, Rudy Owens, Justin Wilson, and Jeff Locke.
-- Altoona jumped off to a 3-0 lead in their playoff game against Harrisburg, but fell 10-5. Rudy Owens gave up five runs in the second and Mike Dubee gave up five more in the eighth.
-- Sid the Kid and some other Pens took BP at PNC this afternoon. Crosby, a lefty, hit one out over the 370' mark, chronicled by Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy, who has a vid to go with his story.
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