Minor Minor League Update
by grover on Apr 13, 2008 9:03 AM PDT
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PrintNow that the minor league rosters have kinda-sorta stabilized I thought I'd answer some of the questions I've seen pop up over the past couple weeks.
OF Richie Robnett started the year on Stockton's roster because he was scheduled to undergo stomach surgery to remove a benign tumor. He's supposed to be added to Sacramento's roster this week and his return will either lead to Danny Putnam getting demoted back to AA or someone getting released. I'm just guessing here, but as unhappy as Todd Linden was at the end of ST I don't think he's the huckleberry that will vamoose. The A's have always placed an emphasis on winning in the minors and Linden's hitting too well to just let him walk away. 1B Casey Rogowski seems a more likely bet to depart.
2007 2nd round pick Grant Desme starts the year in Extended ST while recovering from an injury.
Other notables who began the 2008 in Extended ST include 40 man roster members Javier Herrera (Hamstrings) and Kevin Melillo (Wrist). Former 40 man members Shane Komine, Jason Windsor and Mike Mitchell all had shoulder injuries last year and trying to get back into pitching shape. Windsor and Mitchell had surgery last year but Komine didn't find out about his shoulder until late in the 2007 season. He's opted to try and re-hab his shoulder instead of undergo surgery, probably because he realizes he's at a point in his career where he can't afford to miss a full season. Chad Lee and James Shull (TJ in 2006) are two other pitchers who'll (probably) stay in Arizona until Short Season ball begins in June.
Transaction News
3B Jeff Baisley came off the DL and was in the Rivercats' line-up last night. He went 2-2 with a double and 2 Walks. He also made an error that led to 2 unearned runs that proved decisive in Sac's 4-3 loss.
Sacramento sent P Jason Fernandez down to High-A Stockton and called up P Jesus Silva from AA Midland. Fernandez had been an emergency call-up for the Rivercats, he got a little roughed up in his two AAA appearances (including 1 GS) but that's to be expected from a guy who spent all of last year in Low-A. I think Jared Lansford is getting first crack at the 5th spot in Stockton's loaded rotation but Fernandez is almost certain to get some starts at some point this season.
Stockton sent P Patrick Currin up to Midland to fill the hole in the Rockhounds' bullpen. Currin had a rough second half in Stockton last season but he should be able to handle the new challenge.
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I think it was in college
But looking at his stats there is a gap between the 2004 and 2005 seasons that could be from having the surgery then.
I think the brain cell that contained the specific information of Komine's TJ surgery got washed away by the last 6-pack of Dead Guy Ale I finished off. Sorry.
The monster at the end of this blog.
It was a worthy sacrifice
"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07
Doolittle
Here's my question:
Barton's bat has looked very good in Stockton. Since Doolittle's position (first base) is blocked for the time being by Barton, and Barton is unlikely to move to DH with Cust and Carter in the system, does anyone think the A's might change his position given his good defense, and if they do where would they put him?
Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.
well the reason being, he was a combo Pitcher/First Baseman in college
and people thought he'd be drafted as a pitcher, not a first baseman.
That's an interesting question
I don't know if Doolittle has the athleticism to move to the OF and while he's considered a good defensive 1B I'm not sure how well his tools grade out to justify a move to 3B... which to me is the most obvious positional change (non-pitcher category).
I don't think the A's are going to experiment much with Doolittle's defense, they want him working on his power hitting this year. The A's can afford to be patient on the issue of where to play Doolittle, his ETA is mid-2009 at the earliest with an '09 September call-up followed by a shot in 2010 more likely.
The monster at the end of this blog.
He's a lefty
which, if you're going by conventional wisdom, seriously limits where they can put him. And he's not particularly fast.
The obvious solution would seem to be third base, especially given the godforsaken pit of suck that the A's system has at the position, but for reasons not clear to me, many teams are simply not willing to put lefties at non-first-base infield positions.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
because throwing across the infield as a lefty is much harder
than a righty. Thats why there will never be a lefty MI.
Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen a Lefty throwing Catcher?
Mike Squires
Hero to all us lefties out there!
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
We're the last oppressed minority.
It's enough to make you jump off the bridge. 
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Apr 13, 2008 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions
Well, THAT's obviously due to natural superiority.
Do you happen to have stats on the respective proportions of northpaws and southpaws?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Apr 13, 2008 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions
is that the original, or the styrofoam-"counterweight" replacement?
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Absolutely no idea.
Have you been hanging out there? 
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Apr 15, 2008 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions
I work around the corner
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Fun articles on lefty catchers
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/top-10-left-handed-catchers-for-2006/
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/lefty-catchers-ii-the-people-speak/
Bill James himself comments on the left-handed catcher issue in his Historical Baseball Abstract. James writes:
The notion that a left-handed person could not be a major league catcher is absurd...The biggest reason there are no left-handed catchers is natural selection. Catchers need good throwing arms. If you have a kid on your baseball team who is left-handed and has a strong arm, what are you going to do with him?
The answer to the question is, of course, turn him into a pitcher.
stat-addled alien overlord
There's another reason ...
Generally in Little League (at least in my experience) there is one catcher's mitt for the team. That catcher's mitt is right handed.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
if the problem were as simple as lack of mitts...
and there are benefits to left catchers, which is something I hadn't thought about, then it would be in the major league's interest to buy a bunch of catcher's mitts for little leagues.
There really isn't an advantage to left handed catchers ...
overall, it's probably a mild disadvantage.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
i dunno
the only clear negative was slightly slower throw to third. i thought it was sort of compensated by easier defense of bunts, and better pickoff throws to first, and the best point, if you read the second article, is the left handed bat that comes with the left handed catcher.
i also meant that kind of seriously
maybe the major leagues should look at buy left handed mitts for little leagues. left handed catchers could have serious utility.
It'd probably be in their interests to go much further than that ...
but MLB hasn't shown a whole lot of interest in investing in poor people ...
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
clearly I hadn't read the article before my comment ...
just your quote ...
I'd like to point out, though, that Palo Alto is far from typical. Playing Babe Ruth League, in Oakland, my team had to do a fund raiser to buy a single catcher's mitt (righty, obviously) -- the league didn't provide us with a thing.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
As you noticed, above ...
I hadn't read that one, either ...
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Same kind of thing with right-handed first basemen
Well, almost the same thing: you'll probably see a 3B having to move to the line to make the play much less often than he moves toward short. If you have a lefty 3B he has an easier time getting to the line, but then he has to spin just to be able to throw to first. Those plays are already tough enough for a righty going away from where he needs to throw, so I can't imagine it being any easier for a lefty. Then you have a lot of backhand plays going toward short.
Sure, but the solution to this is to just play off the bag more
There's clearly an optimal position somewhere.
And it's not like the 3B needs to routinely hover close to the bag to cover the base.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I'm not clear on how playing off the line more
resolves the issues Flashfire brought up, especially on plays that makes the 3B go to his right. Care to explain your thought process?
The monster at the end of this blog.
If you assume that a guy has more range to his glove hand side,
then a lefty playing further to the left will have the same effective range as a righty playing further to the right.
Assume a guy can go 4 spaces to his glove side and 2 to his backhand side. A lefty set up like so:
--Lefty----
will have the same range as a righty set up like so:
----Righty--
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
As Zonis says...
the problem isn't fielding or even range, it's throwing the ball to 1B.
You ask, why is it worse?
Every time your left-handed 3B goes to his right he will have to do one of two things to make a throw across the diamond. Option 1 is step back with his left foot AWAY from 1B to clear his hips and shoulder so he can then step into the throw. That's an extra step, an extra beat that a right-handed 3B doesn't have to make. When a righty has to go to the line he can step across himself and maintain his momentum into the throw, the lefty has to work against his momentum.
Option 2 lets the lefty keep his momentum and do a 360 turn to make his throw but in the process he's turning his back and completely losing sight of his target right before making the throw. Here again the lefty could take an extra beat to reacquire the target but that's still slower then what a right-handed 3B could manage.
It would take an exceptionally gifted lefty to make a coaching staff ignore the challenge, and I'm talking at the Little League level on up.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Think about charging in on a bunt, too.
Throw to second? Much easier for a righty. Same with a throw to first.
In cases like that where a split-second is everything, there's no way a lefty can match up.
To ease your concerns
Doolittle started in RF today for Stockton.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Doesn't really ease them...
the team has plenty of right fielders and no third basemen.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Why is throwing it a problem?
It takes a different motion, sure, but why is it necessarily worse?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Grover explains why
but the basic thing is, in order to get set to throw across your body, you would have to turn completly around to throw the ball.
Just try it. Stand up, pretend you are a third baseman and are left handed, and field an imaginary ground ball, then try throwing left handed to first base.
Takes a longer time for the ball to arrive to first.
Also, your momentum is all whacked up by throwing with the left hand, so you'd lose zip on your throws, too.
stat-addled alien overlord
It would be impossible to make the bang-bang plays.
It's hard enough making a good throw as a righty when you're going back and to your left for a ground ball, and then trying to throw the ball at maybe a 45 degree angle away from where your body is naturally pointed. It just wouldn't work well at all.
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
I think I'd better delete this post ...
... before it becomes fodder for HH and their fellow-traveler anti-stat "get-your-noses-out-of-the-actuarial-tables-and-out-to-the-park" crowd.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Some of us play the game AND eat with sporks ...
(by the game, I mean slow pitch softball, naturally)
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
I wasn't actually employing that criticism ... just saying what the opposition would likely use later on as criticism.
< / HRC >
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
I know ... I was just preemptively refuting them ...
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Good thinking.
They're probably already calling PT an inexperienced elitist Black Panther Muslim Terrorist over at Halos Heaven. Better to get it out in the open now.
somehow I doubt they'd call him a Panther of any color
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Corner Outfielder
Well, evidently I wasn't the only one who noticed that Doolittle was blocked, because the Ports had him playing in the outfield yesterday.
So, the A's moved him from their most impacted position to their second most impacted position, although from what I am hearing he could play the rest of the infield anyway. Man, what does it take to get a middle infielder into the system?
Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.
by Threepwood XX on Apr 14, 2008 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions
I doubt Rogowski will get demoted
He was signed as a minor league free agent. I'd be somewhat surprised, not shocked mind you, if his contract didn't have an out clause or some other guarantee against getting sent down within the A's system.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I was thinking released rather than demoted but...
A minor league contract could have the out-clause you're suggesting, but it's doubtful that it could guarantee what level the player plays at. It could guarantee his salary regardless of the level, as AAA players make more then AA players.
The monster at the end of this blog.
I might be willing to compromise
How about a Major Minor Update?
The monster at the end of this blog.
how about an Ursa Minor update?
Failing that, I'd settle for an Ursula Andress update.
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Dude, she's, like, 72 years old
I'll link this pic, instead of posting it, because it's kind of a DO NOT WANT shot.
"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07
I think I prefer this Ursula instead
Yeah, she had a face that only a mother could love, but boy could she…cook.
I'm here to talk about the past.
Yeah, and Marilyn Monroe is a corpse.
When you fantasize about celebrities, you get to pick whatever age you like. Don’t they show old James Bond movies on TV anymore?
formerly known as mdl
exactly
Further rationale for my obsessions with Helen Mirren (who’s still extremely hot) and Angela Lansbury (who’s not).
And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@
Exactly ...
it’s the kind of thing you don’t want an update on …
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
Apparently, the mighty have fallen.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Apr 15, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
That name and form always brought to mind
and Ursula Undress Update
He's not expected to be available...
by the time we pick, IIRC.
by notsellingjeans on Apr 13, 2008 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Kane County wins 17 inning marathon 6-4
The Cougars are the only remaining undefeated team in the minor leagues.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Seems Strange
Anyone remember last year when the Cougers couldn't buy an early win for love or money, even with their very good rotation? That's what makes the minor leagues so interesting, the high turnover rate makes every year an almost new team.
Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.
by Threepwood XX on Apr 14, 2008 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions
Jesus Guzman
I'd like to know what everyone's opinion on Jesus Guzman is. The 23 year old was a minor league free agent, plays all three infield positions, bats right handed, has put up a line of .535/.553/.761/1.321 in 43 at bats, and just won the Texas League player of the week award.
Does anyone know how well he plays defense and if his bat is for real?
Sometimes life will strike you out on a curve ball and the only choice you have is to flip off the umpire and walk to first base anyway.
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2008/4/8/390918/who-is-jesus-guzman
"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback
.535 looks like the key number
.535/.553 tells me he doesn't walk much, and just hit the hell out of the ball in a small sample.
If you were hitting .500, would you be walking a lot?
He’s walked 3 times in 50 PA, which is bad but not in Pudge Rodriguez territory, and he walked in about 9% of his plate appearances last year.
Keep in mind that a player’s isolated OBP looks worse when his batting average is higher.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Ryan Webb
Noticed that Webb got a start yesterday in Midland and threw 7 shut-out innings. Has anybody heard any news on his development recently?
He hadn’t really developed like the A’s had hoped but he is still fairly young and if his stuff has improved he could be a prospect.
I seem to recall good things being said
but I forget what they were (mechanical changes? Better health? Witch doctor visit?).
The bad thing about HS prospects is that most of them are crap… but the good thing is that even if they have a couple of crap seasons, they still have time to turn things around.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Webb has always had the ability
his mechanics have been very inconsistent the last couple of years, and he always seemed more prone to getting rattled than any other pitcher on the staff. But you could always see that he could be good.
From my box seat scout point of view, he had a tendacy to change his arm angle, getting an extra couple of mph of the fastball and getting strikes when he lost the feel for his pitches. Problem was this took all the movement off the ball and he’d get hit hard off of these straight 92 fastballs.
You could always see that he had the potential to get more from his body and his delivery, that his mechanics were allowing his body to get in the way of his arm action and leg drive.
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