Hank's Padres

April minor league summary

2006-05-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Portland (11-12) 3 games back of Salt Lake in the Pacific North division.

Justin Leone (3b) has been the big offensive force for the Beavers. Leading the team in batting average(.379), slg pct(.701), ops (1.162) hits(33) total bases(61)l, and rbi(27). 1b Paul McAnulty started slowly and was hitting just .154 on April 15th but got things turned around and currently is hitting .319/.444/.556/1.000 with 3 homers and 13 rbi. Paul seems to have found a new patience at the plate and has 16bb to only 9k's. Another newcomer, Jack Cust is leading the club with .483 obp he also started slowly but he now has 21bb to just 9k's. He also has 5 homers and 16rbi. 2b Bobby Hill also has started to heat up and currently stands at .290/.407/.406/.813. On the other side: cf Freddy Guzman has returned to Portland after sitting out all of 2005 with a shoulder injury. He is playing regularly but still has not regained his top form. He is hitting just .250 with only a .327 obp and has just 8 steals so far. Termel Sledge also was coming off an injury and is struggling to this point. Hitting just .227.

The starting rotation of: Mike Thompson 3-0(4.82era), Tim Stauffer 1-2(6.00era), Seth Etherton 0-1(5.03era), Mario Ramos 0-2(7.32era) and Eric Junge 1-2(5.30era) have struggled. Not only are the hits allowed but the bb/k ratios are not good. The lone bright spot has been Brian Sikorski 0-2(3.31era) 4 saves and recently Jon Adkins has pitched 7 innings without allowing a run and just 3 hits and no walks for an 0.43 whip. The main concern here is that Tim Stauffer, once thought of as being "Major league ready", is now struggling big time. One thing for sure, a 6.00era and a 1.48whip are not the stats to get him promoted.

Mobile (9-15) 5 games back of Jacksonville in the Southern League South division.

Top catching prospect, George Kottaras, has been leading the Baybears offense. Through April he was hitting .303/.432/.682/1.114 with the team lead in homers(5), rbi(15), total bases(45), doubles(8) and runs scored(14). Alderson remarked that he needed some extra work on his defense when asked about the possibility of Kottaras moving up. Outfielders Drew Macias and Steve Baker have also been hot this month. Macias has only 1 homer but is hitting .307/.373/.480/.853 after a very slow start. Baker is hitting .299/.386/.403/.789 with one homer. Hitting stats in the southern league tend to be lower due to the pitcher friendly parks. CF prospect, Kennard Jones (.227) and ss prospect, Luis Cruz (.189), have really been struggling.

Top pitching prospects, Cesar Carrillo (2.57) and Jared Wells (2.03) have fared extremely well. Carrillo has allowed just 23 hits in 28ip and 6bb/20k's while giving up just 1 homer. Wells has been nearly as good, allowing 19 hits in 26.2ip with 12bb/26k and also 1 homer. Top relief prospects, Dale Thayer(5.73era) and Leo Rosales(7.27era) have been disappointing so far. Thayer has 5 saves in 10 appearances. Roger Deago has been a bit of a surprise. Working mainly in long relief and spot starting he has compiled a 1.40era over 19.1ip with 3bb/11k and no homers.

Lake Elsinore (12-11) one game back of Inland Empire in the California league south division.

Thus far outfielder, Josh Howard, has been hitting .346/.485/.423/.908. While good numbers on the surface, this is an extreme hitters league and the low slugging is somewhat of a concern. Top prospects, c Colt Morton(.276 2hrs), Sean Kazmar(.262 1hr) and 3b Chase Headley(.258 1hr) have been disappointing.

Pitchers Michael Ekstrom(1.91era) and Evan Meek(2.08era) are leading the staff. Ekstrom has given up 29hits over 28 ip but with a good(7bb/32k) k/bb ratio. Meek, with his mid 90's heat has been effectively wild. He has hit 3 batters and given up 18bb/25k's but has allowed just 15hits in his 22ip. Closer, Neil Jamison(1.35era) has 5 saves in just 6.2ip with 1bb/5k's and only 4 hits allowed. He had also recorded 3 saves without being scored upon prior to his promotion from Ft Wayne. Cesar Ramos(3.75era) has logged 26ip with 5bb/14k while giving up 27hits including 2 homers. Lefty Brent Carter(6.08era) has allowed 33hits in just 23ip but has allowed just 6bb/19k.

Fort Wayne 11-10 5.5 games back of Lansing in the Midwest league eastern division.

Will Venable, drafted for his superior athletic ability, has started to put it together on a baseball field like the Padres brass had hoped he would. Currently he is hitting .355/.438/.484/.922 with 10bb/10kin 62 ab. He also has stolen 6 bases without being caught. The Wizards have two power hitting first basemen, Kyle Blanks(.324/.419/.595/1.013 3hrs) and Daryl Jones(.299/.415/.481/.895 3 hrs) creating a deliema for playing time. Texas ss, Seth Johnston, has switched to 2b and is hitting .351/.411/.474/.885 with one homer and team leading 19rbi. Catcher Nick Hundley has been somewhat disappointing with .221ba but has 13 rbi.

Starting pitchers, Josh Geer(3-0 3.54era) and Grant Varnell(1-1 2.49era) have been leading the staff. Geer has allowed 34hits in 28ip but only 4bb/22ks. Varnell has allowed 23 hits in 21.2ip with 4bb/16k's. Closer John Madden took over for Neil Jamison after Jamison was promoted and has 2 saves with 0.00era. He has allowed just 5 hits in 9.2ip with 1bb/11k's.

In summing up the first month of the minor league season, it would appear that the Padres minor leagues are not as barren as some experts would have us believe. Of course these are just results of one month's worth of baseball and a long way from being big league ready statistics. There is much speculation, however, that a few are close enough to help the Padres if they are needed, this year.

2006-04-08T02:33:00.000-07:00

Friday's games

In Portland, Mike Thompson pitched six shutout innings and allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks. Luckily the offense built a big lead as 3 relievers, Lopez, Anderson and Burke combind to give up 6 runs in the final 3 innings of an 11-6 win. DH Jack Cust set the tone early with a first inning 2 run homer. Justin Leone was a perfect 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 3 rbi and a homer. Jon Knott also went yard. Box

In Mobile, Jared Wells was spinning a beauty. He went 5 innings, striking out 8 while allowing just 2 hits and no runs. The bullpen made things a little shaky in the 9th but finally preserved the 2-1 win with Thayer getting the save. Steve Baker had 2 hits, including a 2 out, rbi triple in the first inning. Box

Out in Lake Elsinore, Evan Meek was wildly effective. He worked 5 innings allowing just one run on 4 hits but he walked 2 and hit two batters. Ryan Klatt would get the win (after taking the loss yesterday) as the Storm offense got to the Lancaster bullpen for 2 late runs in a 3-1 win. 3b Chase Headley stroked a 2 out 2 rbi double to provide the margin of victory. Box

Ft Wayne was postponed.

OPENING DAY

2006-04-07T04:09:00.000-07:00

Opening day

The Portland Beavers opened up the season with Tim Stauffer and he struggled through 5 innings. He allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks but was not involved in the decision due to a late inning comeback fueled by new Beaver Jack Cust's homer. Brian Sikorski, Ryan Meaux(the win) and Jon Adkins(the save) combined for 4 shut out innings to close the game and a 6-4 Beavers win. Cf Freddy Guzman, lf Jack Cust and 2b Bobby Hill each had 2 hits. Box

At Mobile, the Baybears spotted Cesar Carrillo to an early 4 run cushion and he cruised allowing 1 run on 3 hits, though experiencing some command problems walking 4 in 4 innings. Roger Deago picked up the win in relief with 2 solid innings. Lead off man, Kennard Jones, doubled and walked twice and scored 3 runs. 2b Luis Cruz, c George Kottaras and lf Drew Macias each contributed 2 hits in the 5-2 win. Box

Down in Lake Elsinore, the Storm was involved in a good pitching match up as Lancaster's Chico threw 5 hitless innings striking out 7. Lake Elsinore's Mark Ekstrom went 5 and gave up just one run while striking out 6. The Storm would get two runs off the Jethawks bullpen but also gave up two of our own pinning a 3-2 loss on Ryan Klatt. The Storm would manage just 4 hits with Chase Headley, Sean Kazmar and Colt Morton all hitless. Box

Ft Wayne opened at W Michigan and 1b Kyle Blanks belted out 2 homers in his Wizards debut. Daryl Jones launched a solo shot as the Wizards picked up a 5-3 win. Steve Delabar gave up 1 earned run in 5 innings but the bullpen couldnt hold the lead to get him a win. Neal Jamison picked up the save in relief. Box

Spring 7 thru 14 March

2006-03-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

Well better late than never. I finally got computer access from my folks house in Arkansas so here are my observations and thoughts from my first week.

First week impressions:

My first week here has been wonderful despite the rotten weather. I got right down to the practice fields and saw Tag Bozied right away. He sure looks great and showing no ill effects from the knee injury that sidelined him all last season. I talked to him and he said that he was fully recovered and eager to be back on the field. I was also gratified to see him taking reps at 3b. With all the new blood that we have acquired at 1b he seemed to have moved down the depth chart over there. He appeared to me to be a little rusty over there but by the end of the week he was looking more comfortable. Corey Smith was looking better defensively than I had been led to believe. It will be interesting to see how the rosters shake out between Mobile and Portland. I certainly can see Tag as a viable candidate for starting 3b at Portland. There appears to be a dearth of ss candidates for the Portland job. I think that Towers is searching for a journeyman to start the year there.

Josh Barfield appeared much better defensively than I had seen him before. He was athletic and fluid around the bag. Khalil and Josh would be such a sweet combination. Josh is really swinging a hot bat and showing some power and clutch hitting ability. Bellhorn is making a little noise with his power but, at least in my eyes, Josh has nailed down the job already.

We certainly need to get a 3rd baseman in camp. Castilla is with the Mexican team and there is no one here that I would want to start the season with. That doesn't bode well for this season as Castilla is sure to spend at least some of the season nursing a variety of injuries. Again, here's hoping that Tag can regain some of his skills at 3b just in case. Geoff Blum is having another good camp and looks to be a slimmed down version of himself. He has been swing the bat well from both sides and playing good defense. He will probably nail down one of the utility jobs.

Roberts has been a disappointment for me in this camp. He has been lax in his effort in the field letting quite a few balls get into the gaps that, in my opinion, should have been cut off. It could be that its quite an adjustment to reading balls from left field as opposed to center. He has been unable to get the bunt down on a couple of occasions where I saw him try. That included failing to get down a sac bunt. He does however, seem to be swinging the bat well. In addition to hitting well, he has been running the bases agressively. Not that he has been stealing bases but just taking the extra base whenever humanly possible.

It is a joy to see Mike Cameron in center. He is such a well conditioned athlete and yet he is continually working to get better jumps. After leaving the game he continues to work on the sidelines and in the outfield. Dang I am happier now than ever that we were able to acquire him. I really liked Nady but Cameron seems to be a special guy. His acquisition really improves the outfield defense and he seems to be swinging the bat quite well also. He doesnt seem to be such a free swinger as I thought. He seems quite patient and intelligent in his approach at the plate. Just watching him in the spring it seems hard to believe that he strikes out as much as he has shown in the past. He runs the bases agressively and smartly. Ben Johnson is having a good camp and showing more of the athletic ability that gives him such a high ceiling. On the other hand, Paul McAnulty is not swinging the bat well and seems really sliggish in the field. He reported to camp a lot slimmer but it doesnt seem to be translating into increased performance. I was unable to get good views of Termel Sledge due to him nursing an injury. I sure hope that I get a better look next week. Valent and Cust would appear destined for minors or waivers.

Ryan Klesko is disappointing both in the field and at the plate. He does seem to be working on some things very hard though. I would say that he is working harder than I have seen in past camps. Ryan has been staying in late in games even when all the other veterans are taking their leave in the 6/7th inning, he stays seeming intent in getting all the reps he can.

Woody Williams appears finished. He seems to lack stuff and command. I havent really seen him enough this time for form any concrete judgments but I dont like what I see. Andy Ashby, although valiant, should probably retire. Clay Hensley appears to have lost velocity over the offseason. Hopefully this is just a temporary thing and he will be getting up to speed soon. Dewon Brazelton is extremely impressive. He is agressively going after hitters with a very good set of pitches. Watching him pitch this spring it calls to mind Dwight Gooden. Its been a while since I saw Gooden pitch so I dont know why it gives me this impression. I feel quite certain that he will be winning a spot in the rotation and that Hensley will be returning to the pen. Linebrink and Hoffman seem far from ready, however, Hoffy is known to take the spring to work on things and is seldom sharp in the spring so maybe this is rubbing off on Scott. How good our bullpen will be is certainly a point of concern.

Mike Piazza returned from the WBC and appeared to be game ready. His bat did not appear to be slowing down as has been reported. Instead, Mike was ripping the ball with authority and even homered to erase a Giant lead. Mirabelli appeared to be swinging the bat well but I was disappointed with his defensive prowess. In my opinion, it was far below the reported quality. Again, I am speaking from less than a week's worth of viewing so things could look a lot different by April.
Ross is certainly an interesting proposition. On one hand he has very good defensive skills and is even hitting the ball well but his past records indicate that this is just a spike in spring training that will probably pass in the regular season. Still it really could cause the Padres to carry 3 catchers and use Piazza to back up Klesko. That would certainly limit the possibility of Adrian Gonzalez making the opening day roster.

Watching Big Walter Young move around the bag one is immediately surprised by his nimbleness. I expected him to be clumsy and inept where this is certainly not the case. He can certainly give the ball a ride. Among the current Padres only Piazza has displayed that type of power.

During Monday's practice just prior to leaving to catch the Padres/Brewers in Maryvale, I stayed a few extra minutes to watch Jon Knott take batting. I was rewarded with a variety of power drives including 2 blasts that cleared 385 rather easily. He certainly looks like winter ball agreed with him. I wish that he was being given a better shot to make the big club. I sure dont understand what it is that he isnt doing right.

Overall, I was pleased to see the Padres coaches working diligently to stress fundamentals and basic techniques in the minor league camp and in the major league camp. Much more so than in previous camps. Overall there appeared to be much more energy in camp than in my previous ones. I am excited about this club. I am not sure where the pitching is going, especially with the Chan Ho situation(WBC illegal substance use) and Woody Williams decline. I will be back in Peoria on the 21st for my final week of spring training. Hopefully there will be answers to at least some of my burning questions.

Aloha, Hank

New season

2006-03-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Hello again everyone. I didn't forget ya'll, I just forgot how to access my blog. I know that it speaks volumes for my memory, but its the truth. We look to have a great season and I will try to give some reports from my time in Peoria. Hope that everyone is having a great year and the Padres play some good baseball for us.

Aloha, Hank

Minors recaps for 05 Sep 05

2005-09-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

Portland:
WELCOME BACK Timmy! Tim Stauffer got back on track in a big way in the Beavers final game of the season. He went the distance in posting a 3 hit shut out while striking out 9 and walking no one. Jon Knott(25) and Greg Sain(8) provided all the offense he would need with a pair of solo homers. This was a very nice outing for Tim to take into the offseason. Spring traing should hold a regular job at the major league level for this young man. The Beavers finished their season 70-73.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Brian Whitaker suffered his 13th loss to West Tenn 5-2 in the final game of the season for the Baybears. He worked 6 innings and gave up all 5 runs on 9 hits and 4 walks. Joe Gerber homered and Pete Ramos drove in the other Baybears run. The win by West Tenn sealed the second half title in the Southern Leagues North Division. Mobile finished the year 58-80 and manager Gary Jones admitted disappointment with the record but stated that he was impressed with how the guys went about their business every day.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Already with eyes on the first rounds of the California League Playoffs starting Saturday, Padres nr 1 draft pick, Cesar Carrillo, got cuffed around for 2.1ip against Lancaster in a 15-4 loss. He gave up 7 earned runs on 6 hits and 5 walks. Lancaster chased Carrillo in the 3rd and then proceeded to bombard 3 other Storm pitchers before being quieted in the 9th by Wilmer Villatoro. I expect Carrillo, as well as the others, were just staying loose and getting their work in. Fernando Valenzuela jr smacked a pair of doubles and struck out 3 times on the night. Skip Adams and Juan Ciriaco each contributed two hits.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Dayton erupted for 5 runs in the 3rd inning against Joel Santo and held on for a 5-3 win. Santo allowed 5 runs on 10 hits, 2 of which were homers, in just 3 innings. Matt Thayer had 3 hits, including a 2 run homer, as the Wizards mounted a 7th inning comeback. Pete Ciofrone walked and scored on Drew Davidson's double but that was it.
The Wizards commence the Midwest League playoffs at West Michigan in the Eastern Division playoffs(best of 3) on Wednesday. Michael Ekstrom 13-6 is slated to start for the Wizards.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Steve Delabar gave up 1 run on 3 hits in 5 innings while striking out 5 but John Madden gave up the winning run in the 9th and again in the 10th to take the loss. After Everett took the lead in the 9th, Brandon Gottier hit a solo homer to tie in the bottom of the ninth but to no avail as Madden gave up two runs in the 10th for a 4-2 loss.
Ems box

Minors recaps 4 Sep 05

2005-09-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Three former major league pitchers, Kerry Lightenberg, Randy Choate and Matt Herges, combined to shut down the Beavers on one run and six hits. No Beavers batter had more than one hit and Nick Trzesniak was 0-3 in his return to the starting lineup after a 4 game absence.
Beavers box

Mobile:
4 West Tenn pitchers combined to shut out the Baybears for 11 innings on just 2 hits(both by Mobile starting pitcher Jose Oyervidez). In fact, West Tenn was also shut out for 10.2innings before breaking a scoreless tie with 2 out in the bottom of the 11th. It is entirely possible that the participants were more focused on family and friends and the recovery from the storm Katrina than on a baseball game. With all that has happened, and right in their own back yard, its amazing that the players can even play ball at all.

Lake Elsinore:
Clay Hamilton picked up his 11th win as he held Bakersfield to 1 run on 4 hits in the 7-1 victory. He struck out 6 and walked none. Colt Morton got back in the hr column with a 2 run shot(his 19th) in the 7th inning. Fernando Valenzuela jr and Drew Macias also contributed 2 hits each.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Josh Alley had 2 hits, walked twice, scored a run and drove in a run while Matt Lauderdale smacked his 10th homer to power the Wizards to a 7-0 win over Dayton. 16th round draft pick, Brent Carter, continues to dominate since signing out of Alabama. He picked up his 2nd straight win with 6 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 8. So far as a pro, Carter (Alabama's all time strikeout leader) has allowed 16 earned runs in 84 innings with 79k's and a 1.71era.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Jimenez Angulo gave up 5 runs(1 earned) on 10 hits as Vancouver beat the Ems 7-3. c Brandon Gottier drove in two runs with a pair of singles and Chad Steiner also contributed two hits.
Ems box

Minors recaps 3 Sep 05

2005-09-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Mike Thompson pitched 7 strong innings, striking out 6 and allowing just 1 run on 2 hits but Jason Kershner was touched for 3 runs on 4 hits to take the 4-1 loss. Kennard Jones doubled and scored the only Beavers run on a double by Manny Alexander. c David Ross was 0-3 while Nick Trzeniak did not play.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Jack Cassel gave up just 1 run in six inning but took the loss as the Baybears were shut out by West Tenn. cf Jeff Duncan tripled and c George Kottaras doubled for two of the Baybears 4 total hits.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Bakersfield jumped on starting pitcher, Clark Girardeau, for 8 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks and cruised to an 17-3 win over the Storm. Only Dirk Hayhurts(2.0ip scoreless) and Wilmer Villatoro(1.0ip scoreless) escaped unscathed. Fernando Valenzuela jr hit a solo homer while Skip Adams and Brett Dowdy each contributed a pair of singles.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Josh Geer shut out Dayton on 6 hits for 6.1ip despite walking 4. He struck out 5 but Jonathan Ellis gave up 4 runs to tie the game at 4 in the 8th inning and Richard Steik gave up the winning run in the same inning. dh Matt Thayer and rf Tom Vincent each had 2 hits in the 5-4 loss. Dayton swiped 3 bases off of c Nick Hundley.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Grant Varnell, not to be confused with Geoff Vandel, gave up 5 runs on 10 hits for his second loss. Vancouver pitchers limited the Ems to just 1 runs in the 5-1 Ems loss. 1b Daryl Jones had 2 of the hits and drove in the only Ems run.
Ems box

Who is: Geoff Vandel?

2005-09-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

Geoff Vandel - P/1B/OF - 2005
Geoff was committed to Chipola JC
He was a star for Shaw High School in Columbus Georgia both as a pitcher and a hitter. Born June 9, 1987.
HT: 6'2" - WT: 205 - GPA: 2.95 - PSAT: - SAT:
B: L - T: L
His HS stats: Bat Avg. .348 - RBI 20 - HR 4 -
Pitching - W-10 L-2 - ERA 2.05
Career Highlights
1. MVP sunbelt classic
2. All city MVP HS coaches award
3. Rookie of the year

Excerpt from the Columbus Enquirer: full article

On draft day, everyone finds out they were selected a little differently.

Shaw pitcher Geoff Vandel read it for himself on MLB.com.
Vandel was picked by the San Diego Padres in the 34th round, the 1,028th overall selection.

Waiting around for one's name to be called isn't easy.

Vandel and his dad, Robert Vandel, had plenty of time to talk before his name was called. Every so often the phone would ring -- it was friends and family wanting to find out if Vandel had been selected.

After three-plus hours of talking and waiting, Vandel's name finally appeared.

"I was kind of expecting it," Vandel said. "But I was watching and waiting, and now it's a big relief."

Robert Vandel said Geoff wants to sign with the Padres. Vandel has signed a letter of intent to play for Chipola College in Marianna, Fla.

"He wants to go play ball," Robert Vandel said. "I would rather him go to school for a year or two and wait and see."

But that might not happen.

"It's a great feeling," said Vandel, who went 4-1 with 65 strikeouts in the GHSA playoffs. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a dream come true."

Geoff was among the first to sign with the Padres after being drafted in the 34th round. He was assigned to the Peoria Padres in the Arizona Summer league where he has excelled. He appeared in 10 games, all in relief, where he struck out 29 and walked just 5 in 19 innings. He allowed just 1 earned run there and when the league finished he was promoted to Eugene of the Northwest league. At Eugene he was given a start and went 5 innings, allowed 3 hits, no runs, struck out 6 and walked no one. His current era stands at 0.37 with k/bb of 35/5. Pretty heady stats for a 34th round pick.

I am fairly sure that no one expects Geoff to continue posting these incredible numbers as he moves through the Padres system, but I wouldn't bet against him.

Minors recaps 2 Sep 05

2005-09-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Brandon Emanuel pitched 4 innings allowing just 1 run on 2 hits but Eddie Bonine picked up the win with 2 superb innings. He allowed no hits and struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced. Scott Cassidy picked up his 11th save. Josh Barfield hit his 15th homer and Bobby Scales had 3 hits including a double and scored twice. Nick Trzesniak pinch hit and singled to raise his average back to .395. David Ross has been getting most of the p/t since being sent down from the Padres. Its a shame that Nick has been benched while hitting over .400.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Sean Thompson allowed just 1 run in 7 innings despite 4 hits and 5 walks. He struck out 7 but was not involved in the decision. Dale Thayer logged his 27th save. Jeff Duncan tripled and scored the winning run on a balk in the 10th inning.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Luke Steidlmayer gave up 4 runs(3 earned) in six innings as Bakersfield beat the Storm 6-1. Skip Adams had two hits and drove in the only Storm run.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Michael Ekstrom worked into the 6th inning and gave up 6 runs on 9 hits for his 6th loss as Dayton beat the Wizards 9-3. Josh Alley had 2 hits. Matt Lauderdale homered, walked, scored twice and drove in two runs. Matt Bush and Chase Headley were both held hitless.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Geoff Vandel, promoted from Arizona, made his debut for the Ems. He pitched 5 strong innings, striking out 6, walking none, allowing no runs on 3 hits. Geoff has allowed just 1 earned run over 24 innings and struck out 35(total). Chad Steiner doubled and drove in Mike Richardson with the only Ems' run. Will Venable singled and struck out in 4 ab's.
Ems box

Minors recaps 1 Sep 05

2005-09-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Brian Sweeney gave up 3 runs in 7 innings as the Beavers beat Tucson 5-4. Sweeney gave up 9 hits and struck out 6 while giving up no walks. Scott Cassidy picked up his 10th save. Sitting out 3 games apparently cooled off Nick Trzesniak. He had only one hit in 4 trips to drop his average under 400 to .387. Bobby Scales and Dustin Delucchi each had 2 hits.
Beavers box

Mobile:
No game today.

Lake Elsinore:
Once again High Desert and the Storm slugged it out with the Storm winning 8-5. Bret Bonvechio homered but Michael Johnson didnt as he was held hitless. Josh Howard, promoted from rookie league Arizona, collected 2 hits in his first game with Lake Elsinore. Leo Rosales picked up his 27th save.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Cesar Ramos gave up 5 runs on 10 hits in just 5 innings as the Wizards lost to Lansing. Lf Josh Alley, lead off hitter, was on base 5 times(2 hits and 3 walks) but did not score a run. cf Yordy Ramarez had 3 hits and 2b Sean Kazmar contributed 2.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Ben Krosschell pitched well, allowing 2 runs(1 earned) in 7 innings and struck out 7 but was not involved in the decision as Salem-Keizer came from behind to win 4-2. 3b Chad Steiner and cf Tim Turner each contributed 2 hits.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie)
AZL completed with the Padres at 14-14, 4.0 games back of the AZL champion Giants. Javis Diaz finished 3rd with a .352 ba and tied for 3rd in stolen bases with 19. Kyle Blanks held on for the home run title with 7, he also finished tied for 10th in rbi with 30. Juan Jimenez led all pitchers in innings pitched with 79.1 and finished 4th in strikouts with 67. Ernesto Frieri finished 6th in strikeouts despite pitching just 46.1 innings. He had 59k's, was tied for most wins(7) and led in era 1.17(of pitchers with more than 20 ip).

PMac is BACK!

2005-09-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

On Sep 1 the Padres recalled Paul McAnulty from Portland, however it was a day to late for PMac to be added to the playoff roster. I suspect that this will be the last Padres playoff roster that PMac will miss. He has hit every where he has been assigned from that first year winning the batting championship at Idaho Falls(rookie) hitting .379/.488/.604/.1092 and being touted by yours truly as a possible Padres most valuable prospect. He seemed to be forgotten after hitting only .273 in Ft Wayne but redeemed himself by hitting .297/.404/.521..925 with 23 hrs and 87 rbi at Lake Elsinore in 2004. All he has done this year is hit well enough at Mobile to recieve a callup to the Padres when they needed a left handed bat. When the numbers forced him to be sent down, it was to Portland and not Mobile. He responded by hitting .344/.405/.563/.968 with 6 homers(giving him 16 between Mobile and Portland).

Also receiving callups were lefty Craig Breslow and righty Chris Oxspring.

In other news, Wilson Valdez has cleared waivers and accepted assignment to Portland. The Padres are hoping their stupid move, waiving Paul Quantril, will not cause them to lose him. I should not be surprised to see Arizona claim him.
Padres press release

Minors recaps 31 Aug 05

2005-09-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Tim Stauffer again failed to make it past the 4th inning, giving up 7 runs on 8 hits. He struck out 4 but walked 4 also. Greg Sain and Bobby Scales each had 3 hits. Sean Burroughs was promoted to the Padres instead of Paul McAnulty, although PMac will probably be called up after Sep 1.
Beavers box

Mobile: No game

Lake Elsinore:
Cesar Carrillo got reminded of how tough it is to pitch at High Desert. He was torched for 6 runs in 2 innings as High Desert beat the Storm 10-2. Michael Johnson led the offense with 3 hits, including 2 doubles while Bret Dowdy also contributed 3 hits.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Brent Carter got his first win with six strong innings. He allowed just 4 hits and one run while striking out 5 as the Wizards beat Lansing 3-1. Josh Alley had 3 hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Matt Thayer had 2 hits and an rbi.
gm1 Wizards box

Neil Jamison blew the save and took the loss as Lansing would score single runs in the 7th and 8th to gain a split of the twin bill 5-4. 2b Kelvin Vasquez had 3 hits and Pete Ciofrone had 2 hits. Chase Headley singled in his first game with the Wizards.
gm2 Wizards box

Eugene:(short season)
Joey Delabar gave up 6 runs in 2 innings as Salem-Keizer beat the Ems 6-4. Will Venable, Javis Diaz and Chad Steiner each had 2 hits, while Diaz and Steiner both scored 2 of the four Ems runs.
Ems box

Arizona:(rookie)
No score for 31 Aug 05

Minors recaps 30 Aug 05

2005-08-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Ryan Snare gave up 2 runs in 5 innings as the Beavers beat Tucson 4-3. Scott Cassidy got his 9th save despite giving up a run in the ninth. The guys up from Mobile are enjoying the hitting conditions in the PCL as Kennard Jones, Ronnie Merrill and Greg Sain each had 2 hits. Josh Barfield singled, walked and drove in a pair of runs.
Beavers box

Mobile:
no game scheduled

Lake Elsinore:
California league hitters just love to play at High Desert and pitchers just dread it. The Storm engaged in another shoot out with High Desert before finally prevailing 13-12. Michael Johnson(21), Fernando Valenzuela jr(11) and Juan Ciriaco(9) each homered. Every Storm batter had at least 1 hit and 5 hitters had multiple hit games.
Storm box

Ft Wayne: rained out

Eugene:(short season)
Salem-Kiezer pounded 6 Ems pitchers for 21 hits and 15 runs enroute to a 15-3 drubbing of the Ems. Every Ems starter had at least one hit with the exception of dh Billy Killian.
Ems box

Arizona:(rookie)
Riki Paewai allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits in 5 innings but was not involved in the decision. The Padres came from behind while the bullpen posted 4 innings of scoreless, 2hit, 7k, 0bb relief. Chad Decker got the win, his first, with one scoreless inning. Geoff Vandel recorded his first save with a perfect ninth. 2b David Parker, 3b Chad Steiner and rf Willy Crafort each contributed 2 hits and Crafort had a pair of rbi in the 5-2 win.

Note: Grant Varnell was erroneously credited with Geoff Vandel's excellent relief effort and first win on Aug 28, 2005. Geoff Vandel has been quietly putting up some superlative numbers in the rookie league. To this point he has pitched 19 innings in 10 games, allowed 11 hits, walked 5 and struck out 29 for an 0.47era.

Minors recaps 29 Aug 05

2005-08-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Ben Johnson was called up to the Padres and started in rightfield for the aching Brian Giles. Johnson doubled and walked in 4pa. Sean Burroughs was still with the Beavers and drove in 2 runs with a homer and a single. Paul McAnulty(.340) and Nick Trzesniak(.406) both were left out of the starting lineup but the Beavers beat Tucson 4-3. Mike Thompson went 6 innings and allowed just 2 runs for his 4th win. Scott Cassidy picked up his 8th save with a perfect ninth. Kennard Jones was promoted from Mobile to replace Johnson and started in cf. He singled in 4ab's.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Brian Whitaker gave up 3 runs in 7 innings but took the loss as the Baybears were unable to come back against Carolina and lost 4-3. Joe Gerber had 2 of the 4 hits allowed by Carolina pitching.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
The Storm and High Desert got together at High Desert for an old fashioned slugfest won by the Storm 11-8. Michael Johnson hit 2 homers, a double, scored 3 runs and drove in six. Colt Morton and Bret Bonvechio also homered. All this offense made a winner of Eddie Bonine despite him giving up 6 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Lansing jumped on Joel Santo for 4 4th inning runs and held on for a 4-1 win over the Wizards. Pete Ciofrone had 2 hits and scored the only Wizards run. Sean Kazmar added 2 hits and Matt Bush was 1 for 3 and a walk.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Grant Varnell gave up two runs in 7 innings but took the loss as the Ems were shut out by 3 Salem-Keizer pitchers. Chase Headly had 3 hits, including a double, in the loss.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie)
28 Aug 05
Scott Fogelson pitched 6.1 innings and allowed 6 runs(3 earned) but Grant Varnell would get the win in relief as he held the Cubs scoreless for 2 innings while the Padres came back to win 9-6. Varnell was promoted to Eugene and started the following day. lf Javis Diaz tripled, singled, walked twice and drove in 3 runs to lead the offense. Chad Steiner also drove in two with two hits. Pitcher Ernesto Frieri has been less dominating since his return from Lake Elsinore. His numbers (7-1 1.27era with 54k in 42ip) are still very good(even for rookie league).
AZL Padres box

Minors recaps 28 Aug 05

2005-08-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Katrina has forced her way into everyone's lives and hopefully made sure that everyone is aware that baseball is just a game and there are many things that are more important in life. Here is hoping that all your friends and relatives in the path of the hurricane can come through without any serious injuries.

Now for the recaps for those of us that still have time to focus on baseball:

Portland:
The Beavers pounded 4 Las Vegas pitchers for 17 hits and 11 runs in a 11-1 route. Chris Oxspring tossed 7 innings and allowed just 1 unearned run on 2 hits to improve to 12-6. Ben Johnson was the big stick tonight as he banged out 2 homers and drove in 7 runs. Paul McAnulty had 4 hits while Nick Trzesniak was 2 for 5 to drop his average to .406.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Jared Wells gave up 4 runs in six innings as the Baybears were shut out by Carolina 4-0. George Kottaras and Jeff Duncan each had 2 hits.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Luke Steidlmayer tossed 7 shut out innings allowing just 4 hits but was not involved in the decision as the Storm scored 2 in the 9th for a 2-1 win. Leo Rosales picked up his 25th save with a scoreless ninth. Brett Bonvechio singled in Craig Johnson with the tieing run and Fernando Valenzuela jr hit a sac fly to score Juan Ciriaco with the winning run.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Michael Ekstrom went just 4 innings, giving up 9 runs on 12 hits as Wisconsin beat the Wizards 11-5. Josh Alley homered and scored twice while Matt Thayer had two hits and also scored twice. Matt Bush was 0-4.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Steve Delabar got pounded for 9 runs on 6 hits in the first two innings as Salem-Keizer cruised to a 15-1 win over the Ems. Seth Johnston had two hits and drove in Will Venable for the only Ems' run.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie)
no game scheduled for 27Aug05.

Minors recaps 27 Aug 05

2005-08-28T01:10:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Andy Ashby pitched 3 solid innings allowing just 1 er on 2 hits but Brad Baker got the win in relief as the Beavers beat the Stars 11-9. Nick Trzesniak returned to the lineup and went 2 for 3, doubled, walked and drove in two runs to raise his average to .406. Paul McAnulty hit a 2 run homer and Greg Sain swatted a grand slam.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Jose Oyervidez pitched into the 8th inning for his 7th win. He allowed 3 runs on 2 hits as the Baybears beat Carolina 14-6. Jeff Duncan was 5 for 5 with a homer and double, 3rbi and 4 runs scored. Corey Smith homered, doubled twice, scored twice and drove in 5 runs to lead the offense.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Dirk Hayhurst gave up 3 runs in 6 innings as the Storm beat Rancho Cucamonga 8-6. Leo Rosales picked up his 24th save with a perfect ninth. Chris Kolkhorst had 4 hits as 5 Storm batters had multi hit games. Michael Johnson homered(18) again and Bret Bonvechio(17) also homered.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Josh Geer gave up 5 runs in 4 innings but Niel Jamison picked up the win in relief as the Wizards came back to win 7-5. Matt Varner picked up his 33rd save. 3b Pete Ciofrone drove in 4 runs with 3 hits and Drew Davidson hit a solo homer. Matt Thayer also had 3 hits.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Ben Krosschell pitched one of his better games, allowing just one run on 3 hits while striking out 9 in six innings but was denied the win as Salem-keizer came back in the ninth to win 3-2. 4 Salem-Keizer pitchers combined to strike out 16 Ems on the night.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie)26Aug05
Javis Diaz had 2 triples, scored twice, walked and drove in a run to lead the Padres to a 5-3 win over the Rangers. Josh Howard, Trey Johnston and Luany Sanchez each also contributed 2 hits. Patrick Clayton picked up the win with 3 scoreless innings of relief.
AZL Padres box

Minors recaps 26 Aug 05

2005-08-26T23:16:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Once again Tim Stauffer gets pounded at the AAA level after competing very well at the major league level. Tim gave up 7 runs on 11 hits in 2.1ip. Is anyone looking to see whether this young man is hurt? Something is very definately wrong. Las Vegas picked up another 7 runs off of Brandon Emanuel in his 2 inning stint and cruised to a 15-7 win. Sean Burroughs was 3 for 5(all singles) and scored a run. Jon Knott doubled, singled, walked, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Jack Cassel went 6 innings, striking out 7 and allowing just 1 run on 4 hits as the Baybears held on for a 2-1 win over Carolina. Dale Thayer picked up his 26th save despite giving up 2 hits in the 9th. Steve Baker had 2 hits and scored a run. George Kottaras was 1-3, walked and scored a run.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Cesar Carrillo, who rejoined the Storm for the playoffs, pitched a 2 inning tune up allowing 1 run on 3 hits in two innings while striking out 4. Clayton Hamilton, who has been struggling since his promotion, went 4 innings and gave up just one run for the win as the Storm beat Rancho Cucamonga 10-7. 1b Michael Johnson continued to swing a hot bat with his 17th homer. He also walked and scored twice. Chris Kolkhorst had 2 hits, walked twice, drove in a run and scored twice.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
The Wizards at Wisconsin was suspended in the 5th inning, tied 2-2, because of rain.

Eugene(short season)
Brent Carter pitched 5 strong innings, striking out 10 and allowing just 1 run on 2 hits but was not involved in the decision as Vancouver came back to win 5-4. Wil Venable was 3 for 5. Chase Headley and Tim Turner each homered. Seth Johnston was 1 for 5 but struck out 4 times.
EMS box

Arizona(rookie)
25 Aug 05: Riki Paewai got his first win with 6 strong innings. He gave up 1 run(unearned) on 2 hits and struck out 4 as the Padres beat the Athletics 7-4. Javis Diaz had 3 hits including a double and triple while catcher Trey Johnston had a pair of homers and 4 rbi.
AZL Padres box

Minors recaps 25 Aug 05

2005-08-26T01:13:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Mike Hernandez c hit 2 solo homers and Josh Barfield also hit a solo homer as the Beavers beat the Stars 4-2. Ryan Snare allowed 2 runs in 5 innings for the win. Scott Cassidy picked up his 6th save with a scoreless ninth.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Sean Thompson's struggles continued as he allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and 6 walks in a 5-0 loss to Huntsville. George Kottaras was 3 for 3 and the Baker boys(Steve in rf and Casey at ss) had two hits apiece.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Arturo Lopez gave up 5 runs in 5 innings as Island Empire beat the Storm 5-2. ss Juan Ciriaco doubled and scored on Michael Johnson's triple, then Johnson scored on a passed ball.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Joel Santo gave up 4 runs in 4 innings as Wisconsin beat the Wizards 5-1. 3b Pete Ciofrone and lf Drew Davidson each had 2 hits but c Nick Hundley was 0-4 with 3k's.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Wil Venable had 2 hits and 3 rbi to lead the offense as the Ems beat Vancouver 7-6. Brian Cavanaugh, Seth Johnston and Daryl Jones each had two hits also.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie)
No boxscore available for the Padres/Royals game of 24Aug05.

Padres minor league system is WEAK?

2005-08-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Weak? Many knowledgable baseball personnel are claiming that the Padres system is weak and I don't understand why. While our efforts have been frugal they have been productive also.

How does Clay Hensley and Craig Breslow sound? Were they even on Baseball America's or Baseball Prospectus's radar before being called up and handling the major league hitters so well?

In addition to Barfield, Johnson and Carrillo, the only players that Baseball America deemed worthy of note, there is also:

Portland: Nick Trzeniak catcher, former 1st round pick hitting .393 or what about that hitting machine that hasnt been stopped at any level, Paul McAnulty? Tim Stauffer who has already shown that he will be a middle of the rotation major league starter. There are also some lesser caliber prospects that might do well such as Tag Bozied, Jon Knott, Chris Oxspring or Greg Sain.

Mobile: Our top catching prospect, George Kottaras is there and doing quite well. In addition, there is the emergence of Steve Baker who is hitting .304 at Mobile after hitting .344 at Lake Elsinore. Lesser prospects there like Sean Thompson, Corey Smith and Jared Wells could surprise.

Lake Elsinore: What about Khalil's running mate in college, Michael Johnson hittin .300 and slg .601? Colt Morton is finally showing he could be a real prospect. after being selected an all star in the midwest league, he has hit .313/.405/.688/1.093 with 7 hrs in 17 games since being promoted. While Adam Bourassa hasn't hit for much power, he has shown the ability to get on base, walking 25 times while striking out just 13 times for a .428obp and a .356ba. Despite his chunky body, Fernando Valenzuela Jr has proved he can hit, although he would have to be considered a long shot.

Below this there are a lot of good looking kids that have yet to prove whether they are prospects or suspects but they have time to show it. 2005 was or at least appears to have been, a very good draft year. Time will tell.

Looking back at our recent drafts, we can see quite a few players that have been successful or that are fairly sure bets to contribute at the major league level.

1998: Sean Burroughs=majors, Brian Lawrence=majors, Jeremy Fikac=majors
1999: Nick Trzesniak=AAA, Jake Peavy=majors,
2000: X Nady=majors, Justin Germano=majors,
2001: Tag Bozied=AAA, Josh Barfield=AAA, Greg Sain=AAA, Jason Bartlett=majors,
2002: Khalil Greene=majors, Paul McAnulty=AAA, George Kottaras=AA, Steve Baker=AA, Jared Wells=AA
2003: Tim Stauffer=Majors, Colt Morton=A+, Fernando Valenzuela jr=A+,
2004: Matt Bush=A- and a host of other hopefuls(a bad draft it appears)
2005: Cesar Carrillo=AA, a host of others with 6 or 7 having real potential.

Where are we weak? In addition to the above players we have a major league ready centerfielder, Freddie Guzman, who spent the entire year on the d/l with a surgically repaired elbow. We have Ben Johnson and Paul McAnulty that are about ready to step up as corner outfielders. We already have developed a major league ss, 3b and 1b. Now we have a 2b, Josh Barfield, that is near ready. Our system appears deep in catchers with Trzesniak, Kottaras and Morton all having potential. Jake Peavy and Oliver Perez headline the list of pitchers we have sent to the majors recently and we have Tim Stauffer and Cesar Carrillo close to ready.

The Padres minor league system might not be the strongest around but they are far from being weak.

Minors recaps 24 Aug 05

2005-08-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Portland::
Sean Burroughs homered while Josh Barfield and Michael Hernandez each had 2 hits but a 5 run 7th inning by Las Vegas fueled a 10-3 loss to Las Vegas. Brandon Emanuel gave up 5 runs without recording an out in the 7th inning.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Brian Whitaker pitched 8 strong innings, allowing just 1 run on 6hits for his 8th win as the Beabears beat Huntsville 8-2. Homers by Joe Gerber, Steve Baker and Luis Cruz powered the offense. Kennard Jones had 3 hits, two rbi and scored twice.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
2b Skip Adams homered as the Storm pounded out 7 runs in the 4th inning then held off Inland Empire for a 9-6 win. Fernando Valenzuela jr had 3 hits, 2 rbi, scored a run and stole a base. Skip Adams also doubled and drove in 3 runs on a perfect 3 for 3 night. Leo Rosales got the last two outs to stop the comeback and record his 23rd save.
Storm box

Ft Wayne: no game scheduled

Eugene(short season)
Grant Varnell pitched well, giving up 1 run on 5 hits but Arnold Hughey would get the decision as the Ems would score twice in the 9th for a 3-2 win. The Ems scored the tieing and winning runs on errors by Vancouver with the only hit in the inning being a lead off double by Chase Headley.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie) 23Aug05
The Padres bombed the Brewers 10-3 behind 17 hits and 4 Brewers errors. Kyle Blanks was 4-4 while Josh Howard and Javis Diaz each had 3 hit nights. Juan Jimenez went 5 innings, struck out 6 and allowed just 2 runs for the win.
AZL Padres box

Minors recaps 23 Aug 05

2005-08-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

Three Padres prospects show up on Baseball America's prospect hotsheet

11. Josh Barfield, 2b, Padres (Triple-A Portland)

Much like 2004, the Padres' top prospect got off to a slow start, batting just .251 over the season's first two months. Unlike 2004, Barfield has bounced back, batting .355 in 75 games since.

14. Ben Johnson, of, Padres (Triple-A Portland)
While hitting .251-23-85 in 2004 at Double-A Mobile, Johnson began to unleash the potential scouts had seen for years. This year, he's taken another step forward, batting .313/.397/.547 for Portland, including a .363-14-47 mark in his last 50 games.

18. Cesar Carrillo, rhp, Padres (Double-A Mobile)
In five Double-A starts, the 18th overall pick this June out of Miami has limited opposing batters to a .204 batting average to go along with just seven extra-base hits and seven walks.

Minors recaps 23 Aug 05

Portland:
Chris Oxspring didnt have his best outing, working 7 innings and giving up 4 runs, but the offense pounded out 12 runs on 15 hits as the Beavers beat Las Vegas 12-5. Nick Trzeniak is still on a tear. The former first round pick(1999) had 3 hits, including a homer and a double, to raise his ba to .393. Paul McAnulty and Ben Johnson both homered and had multi hit games.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Jared Wells gave up 4 runs in 6 innings but got the win as the Baybears took the lead with a 5 run 7th and beat Huntsville 7-4. ss Luis Cruz and 1b Joe Gerber each hit solo homers while Kennard Jones(4) and Corey Smith(3) each contributed multi hit games.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Clark Giradeau gave up 11 runs(6 earned) on 8 hits, 3 errors and 2 walks. Inland Empire used a 9 run second inning to cruise to an 11-6 win over the Storm. Chris Kolkhorst and Colt Morton each had 3 hits while Michael Johnson had a pair of doubles. 2b Ray Chang also contributed 2 hits and scored two runs.
Storm box

Ft Wayne: no games scheduled

Eugene(short season)
Steve Delabar had a rare poor outing, giving up 4 runs on 9 hits in just 3.2ip. Meanwhile, the Ems managed just 2 hits and 1 unearned run against Yakima pitchers for a 5-1 loss.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie)no games scheduled

Minors roundup 22 Aug 05

2005-08-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Brian Sweeney gave up 5 runs in 6ip as Las Vegas beat the Beavers 5-3. The Beavers pounded out 15 hits but could score just 3 runs. cf Dustin Delucchi and rf Ben Johnson each had 3 hits while Josh Barfield and ss Ronnie Merrill each had 2.
Beavers box

Mobile:
Jose Oyervidez allowed just 1 run in 6 innings as Mobile beat Huntsville 2-1. Jose walked 5 but struck out 8. Catcher George Kottaras had 3 hits and scored both of the Baybears runs. One run came on a solo homer and the other on a sac fly by Pete Ramos. Steve Baker had 2 hits to improve his average to .304 after 55 games. Hitting .300+ in Mobile is no small task. Steve also has 5 homers and 30 rbi.
Baybears box

Lake Elsinore:
Andy Ashby made a rehab start and went 3 innings giving up 3 hits and 1 unearned run. Leo Rosales pitched a scoreless ninth and got the win when the Storm rallied for 2 ninth inning runs. Bret Bonvechio doubled, trippled, walked, scored a run and drove in a run to lead the offense. cf Drew Macias also had two hits. SS Juan Ciriaco had 3 errors leading to two unearned runs. He has 40 errors on the season.
Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Mark Ekstrom gave up 3 runs on 5 hits but suffered his 4th loss as the Wizards were shut out by West Michigan. ss Matt Bush walked and had one of the 4 hits the Wizards could muster.
Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Ben Krosschell gave up 3 runs on 5 hits in 5 innings but 4 Ems relievers held Yakima scoreless as Eugene won 5-3. Wil Venable had 2 hits and has hopefully found his stroke after struggling for just a .198 batting average.
Ems box

Arizona(rookie)from 21aug05
Cesar Rojas gave up 4 runs in 4 innings but Patrick Clayton gave up 5 runs in one inning to take the loss as the Mariners rookies pounded the Padres 11-3. Javis Dias doubled, tripled, walked, drove in a run and scored a run. 3b Chad Steiner and cf Josh Howard each also had 2 hits.
AZL Padres box

Whats wrong with the Padres

2005-08-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Why aren't we scoring any runs? In spite of running Pedro Astacio and Chan Ho Park out there every 5 days, we could be winning if we could just score some runs. The easy thing to do would be to blame the Manager, Bruce Bochy. The thing is, he has to work with the players he is given. Its the general manager's job to provide him with enough talent to give him a chance to win. Has he done that? I dont think so. Take a look at our roster:

roster composition:

Robert Fick: 31yo, 4th team, career .264 hitter, currently .313
Miguel Olivo: 27ya, 3rd team, career .222 hitter, currently .183
David Ross: 28yo, 3rd team, career .217 hitter, currently .227

Damian Jackson: 32yo, 6th team, career .246 hitter, currently .268
Mark Loretta: 34 yo, 3rd team, career .302 hitter, currently .287
Joe Randa: 36 yo, 6th team, career .285 hitter, currently .277
Mark Sweeney: 36 yo, 5th team, career .265 hitter, currently .327
Wilson Valdez: 27 yo, 3rd team, career .205 hitter, currently .195
Eric Young: 38 yo, 8th team, career .285 hitter, currently .271
Brian Giles: 34 yo, 3rd team, career .298 hitter, currently .286
Ryan Klesko: 34 yo, 2nd team, career .281 hitter, currently .254
Xavier Nady, 27 yo, 1st team, career .264 hitter, currently .261
Dave Roberts: 33 yo, 4th team, career .260 hitter, currently .262
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall we are hitting just .258/.332/.396/.728 scored 509 runs

compared to dbacks .261/.335/.427/.762 538 runs
dogers .257/.327/.403/.730 520 runs

That doesnt look SOOOO awful, but look since the all star break:

Padres: .247/.313/.362/.674 with 103 runs
dbacks: .271/.352/.448/.800 with 144 runs
dgers : .245/.314/.385/.699 with 136 runs

...

Those are pretty scary numbers. consider the number of players that are forced to play regular that havent been regular players in 3 or 4 years. We are having to play bench players as everyday players and keep people on our bench that shouldnt even be on the club.

We missed our chance to acquire a quality bat at the trade deadline. Towers would have us believe that there weren't any bats available, but that isn't true. What he means is: There weren't any quality bats that we could afford given our current budget. We could not afford to take on any additional salary. Heck, why do you think people are being traded at the deadline in the first place? It is to allow the non-contending teams to dump some salary to attempt to retool for next year. As long as we cant take on salary, we will NEVER make a significant deadline trade.

So, the question is: "What, if anything, can be done to improve the offense without spending much additional money?"

I say, get rid of Valdez, Ross and Hensley then Bring up Barfield, Johnson and McAnulty.

After that put the lineup on the field that might have a chance to score runs:

Specifically:

Roberts/Young platoon in center
Loretta ss
Giles rf
Nady/Klesko platoon at 1b
Randa 3b
Barfield 2b
McAnulty/Johnson platoon in left
Olivo/Fick platoon at catcher

return Jackson and Sweeney to the bench

We cannot continue to carry 12 pitchers and not score runs. Its time to make some moves. We cannot keep waiting for our hitters to pull out of their slumps. We need the kids to come up and inject some life into our team.

IT'S TIME NOW!!

Minors recaps 21 Aug 05

2005-08-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Portland:
Tim Stauffer again pitched poorly, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings but Craig Breslow took the loss after giving up two runs in the 8th inning and Las Vegas won 8-6. Ben Johnson was 4 for 5 including his 22nd homer. Josh Barfield also homered and had 2 rbi. Sean Burroughs was 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Beavers box

Mobile:
Ryan Snare gave up 6 runs in a complete game loss to Birmingham in the first game of the doubleheader. Joe Gerber had two hits including a solo homer. Brian Burgamy had a pair of doubles and 2 rbi while Jeff Duncan contributed 2 hits and one rbi.

Game 1 box

Dirk Hayhurst pitched a 7 inning complete game in his first start as a Baybear. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits. Kennard Jones, Corey Smith and Carlin each drove in two runs as the Baybears scored six runs in the third inning and cruised to a 9-2 win and split of their 3rd doubleheader in three days.

Game 2 box

Lake Elsinore:
Michael Johnson drove in all of the runs with a 2 run homer as the Storm lost to Stockton 6-2. Juan Ciriaco was 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and scored the first run on Johnson's homer. Clayton Hamilton gave up just one hit but was removed after 3 innings. Ernesto Frieri was promoted from the rookie league and gave up a run on two hits in his first Storm appearance. Ryan Tryten gave up 5 runs in one third of an inning to take the loss.

Storm box

Ft Wayne:
Josh Geer gave up 5 runs on 6 hits in 6.1ip as the Wizards lost to West Michigan 6-4. 3b Pete Ciofrone had 2 hits and a walk. No other player had more than one hit or one rbi.

Wizards box

Eugene(short season)
Brenton Carter(4-2 2.01) gave up just one run on 6 hits while striking out 6 for a 4-1 win over Yakima. Tim Turner, Chase Headley and Billy Richardson each had 2 hits as the Ems scored 4 runs in the 4th inning.

Ems box

Arizona(rookie).. no boxscore for 20 Aug 05.

Minors recaps 20 Aug 05

2005-08-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Portland:
The Beavers bats came alive in the 5th and broke open a close game as they pounded Las Vegas 15-3. Sean Burroughs was 4 for 5 with a double and a walk, scored one and drove in two. Jon Knott and Paul McAnulty each had 3 hits including a homer while Ben Johnson(3) and Josh Barfield(2) each had multi hit games. Adam Eaton, on rehab assignment, started and worked 4 innings. He didn't have his best stuff and was touched for 7 hits and 2 runs while striking out two. Marty McLeary was awarded the win for two scoreless innings of relief.

Beavers box

Mobile:
Game 1: Cesar Carrillo continued his impressive pitching with 6 strong innings. He struck out 8 while walking no one and giving up 3 runs on 4 hits. The Baybears scored all their runs in a 6 run outburst in the first inning. Singles by Kennard Jones and Ronnie Merrill and a walk by Jeff Duncan set up Corey Smith's sac fly for the first run. George Kottaras doubled in two runs then Steve Baker doubled in another run before Joe Gerber capped the scoring with a 2 run homer.
Baybears box
Game 2: After being held in check in the first game, Birmingham erupted for 11 runs in the nite cap to bury the Baybears 11-1. Jack Cassel allowed 6 runs in 3 innings and was tagged for the loss.
Baybears box
Lake Elsinore:
1b Michael Johnson had 2 homers and drove in 5 runs but the Storm couldnt overcome a 16 run outburst by Stockton in a 16-11 loss. 3b Bret Bonvechio had two hits including a homer and drove in 3 runs while Chris Kolkhorst(3), Colt Morton(2) and Juan Ciriaco(2) also had multi hit games.
Storm box
Ft Wayne:
Drew Davidson had 2 hits, including a solo homer, while ss Matt Bush also contributed 2 hits and a walk but the Wizards fell to West Michigan 9-3.
Wizards box>
Eugene(short season)

Jimenez Angulo pitched 6 innings and allowed jut 1 run on 4 hits but was denied the win as Yakima's Angel Rocha limited the Ems to just 2 hits and struck out 13. The Ems finally broke through against Yakima's bullpen. Jose Lobaton drove in Seth Johnston with the tieing run in the seventh and Tim Turner cracked a game winning homer in the eighth for a 2-1 win.
Ems box
Arizona(rookie)

August 19th
Javis Diaz smacked a grand slam homer to cap an 8 run 2nd inning as the Padres rookies cruised to a 12-3 win. Luany Sanchez and Willy Crafort each had two hits while Kyle Blanks was 1 for 1(a double) with 3 walks. Scott Fogleson struck out 7 and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits in 7 inning complete game win.

AZL Padres box

Roger Deago pitched 5 shut out innings but Ernesto Frieri got the win after allowing an unearned run in the 6th. Frieri struck out 5 and improved his record to 7-1 0.85. 1b Ernest Gill homered for the Padres first run but they scored 4 runs in the top of the 8th on just one hit, a single by Javis Diaz, 2 walks, a hit batter, a balk and two fielding errors.

AZL Padres box

News Notes 20 Aug 05

2005-08-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Jake Peavy voted most wanted mayor of Mobile in a poll of Baybears fans. Jake collected 33 percent of the vote:

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Ft Wayne Wizards place Johnathan Ellis on the disabled list retroactive to Aug 16.

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