6/17 Minor A's
by asyouwish33 on Jun 18, 2009 12:25 PM PDT
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PrintWe had several nice performances from last night. Weeks continues to rake the ball while several Rivercats played a nice little game of home run derby. I was flipping through minorleaguebaseball.com and realized that the A's Dominican League started this month, or at least one of their teams did. Last year the A's had two clubs, the Athletics 2 team featured Robin Rosario, the 18 year old outfielder with high upside. Also--This weekend is the opening night for our Short Season Vancouver Canadians. Might we see Dixon, Leyja...we'll see.
Sacramento: Lots of action last night, I wish I was this busy every night.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Sacramento |
1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 21 | 0 | |
| Fresno |
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
Patterson 2B: 5-6, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .318 BA Someone is going to give this guy a full season opportunity and he just might be able to bat a .270 or so. Do the Nationals need a 2B?
Carson CF: 1-6, R, HR (11), 2 RBI These are one of those organizational depth pickups that allows the Rivercats to contend for the championship year in and year our.
Buck RF: 1-3, 3 R, 3 BB .429 BA
Cunningham LF: 3-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB, K I mean that's a pretty good night.
Everidge 1B: 4-5, 4 R, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI That has got to make him confident. My buddy played for Sonoma St. several years ago and was able to see Tommy play--hits the ball hard.
Recker C: 2-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
Eveland (W, 5-0): 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7K 3.74 ERA Little bit better with the control. Again, I'll take the hits rather than walks. He's got to be building confidence with these wins under his belt.
Kilby came in for relief for the save, going 3 IP and 3 K. Could see a call soon, especially since he's a lefty. Brad
Midland: Pitching duel
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Frisco |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Midland |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | X | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Carter 1B: 1-2, R, BB
Cardenas played 3B again.
Godfrey (W, 6-4) 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K Over his last 10 starts, the man is 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA.
Demel picked up his 10th save giving up a hit and K.
Stockton:
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Modesto |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 1 | |
| Stockton |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
Weeks 2B: 2-3, R, HR (6), RBI, BB I feel like I should just copy this line and post it in for tomorrow. 18 game hit streak and counting.
Vitters 3B: 1-3, R, 3B
Ross: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, BB, 4 K Check out the photos posted earlier today to see Ross' windup, not pretty.
Kane County:
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Kane County |
3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 0 | |
| Cedar Rapids |
0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
Christian 3B: 2-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB (19) After a horrendous May, he's picking it up in June with a .279/.347/.485 clip. Compare that to an OPS of .577 in May. Keep it up.
Kleen 1B: 3-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Desme CF: 2-4, 2 R, 3B, RBI, BB, SB (23) Has yet to be caught on the base paths.
Barfield RF: 1-5, R, HR (6), 3 RBI, 2K
Figueroa (W, 7-2): 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, BB, 5 K 3.69 ERA
I was reading the Notes from the Nat and today's post was pretty fun to read. If you haven't visited the blog in a while, they've got some good stuff concerning the draft and the opening night roster for the Canadians. I'm intrigued by the high school product from a few years ago, Kyle Christensen and I'll be sure to update his progress as well as others this weekend.
Also, the Dominican Summer League A's are 6-10 on the season. One person to note is Kelvin Rojas. The kid is a 19 year old center fielder who is hitting well. Does anyone know the protocol for these kids? How often will these players make a jump to Vancouver during the season?
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wow, 5-6 from patterson
hes hitting well in AAA, i wonder if we can get anything for him? it might make the harden trade feel a little bit better
holdin' it down for the bay from upper westside manhattan
It's really too bad he's so crappy at 2B and CF
If he were even a decent fielder, the A’s could just put him in the lineup for a month or two and see if he can start hitting. But he’s a pretty big liability in the field, so when he hits badly — as he has every time he’s come to the majors — it’s really hard to keep him in the lineup.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
grant desme
anyone else excited about this guy? he blew up in college and it looks like he’s finally back on track after dealing with some down years due to injuries.
His 20 BB to 77 SO is a little bit troubling
Especially when you consider he was a college hitter, and he’s still in Kane County. His .338 OBP is less than inspiring. He does have a lot of potential though. Very good speed and defense, with lots of power potential.
Similar skill set
But Young kinda sucks so if that’s Desme’s ceiling…
I wouldn't say Young sucks
He was a 2 WAR player last year for the major league minimum. He’s just not as good as he looks. He’s flashy good, not performance good. If he turns into Chris Young, I’d be pretty happy.
20:77
It’s strange…his strike-outs have spiked this month compared to others, and yet he’s 25 points higher than his best month and adding more power to the mix.
Really he’s been getting hits (tons of extra base hits) or he’s striking out. The ground outs and fly outs are mixed in every now and then. It’s a really interesting showing considering its his first real professional season.
Troubling, yes, but hopefully it's a result of not playing
due to injuries rather than an indication of his skill set. I’m not betting the farm on him just yet, but he’s an interesting prospect nethertheless.
Prob with Desme
is that he is playing well, but he’s not dominating, and at this point he is old for the midwest league. 4:1 strikeout to walk is good if you’re a pitcher, not so much the other way around. I think he deserves a promotion, but even the numbers in the hitter friendly Cal league need to be taken with a grain of salt. What Desme has done now that he’s finally healthy is encouraging, but I dont think I’ll be excited until he does something at Midland.
"May our feet be swift. May our bats be mighty. And may our balls be...plentiful."
by nothinlikethetown on Jun 18, 2009 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Cardenas should be in AAA
And Weeks should take his spot at Midland. Neither have them have much to prove at their respective levels. The only thing I can think of in them keeping Cardenas at AA is to work on playing 3B and maybe hoping those doubles start turning into HR.
move weeks up
but keep cardenas at 3B…let him get comfortable there. if he’s really good offensively and defensively, then move him up. otherwise, i say we keep him at AA – switching positions isn’t easy, so better to let him do it at a lower level. but weeks needs to move up soon.
by guy incognito on Jun 18, 2009 1:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I am Bobby Crosby and I approve this message
switching positions isn’t easy
PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves
QOTM
Well played
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jun 18, 2009 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions
nice night to be at the rivercats game :-)
You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}
It's getting to the point where the team has to give
Patterson another look. He’s hitting too well, and the major league team too poorly, not to give him a shot. If he’s a AAAA hitter, as I have concluded he must be (he looks terrible in the bigs), he’s sure a good one!
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
There's nowhere to play him
unless you want to play him in center. it doesn’t make any sense to give him Adam Kennedy’s job, and he’s not going to get Ellis’ job when he gets back later this month, either. No reason you couldn’t give him a shot over Sweeney, though.
"PECOTA can pretty much kiss my ass."-Nico
Give him a shot at 3B then.
Hannahan can take the rest of the season a day or two off.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
He already has problems with throws from second base
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
Yeah, true.
Maybe move Kennedy to 3B a bit early then?
I assume that when Ellis gets back, AK will be the 3B.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
Then if he passes, move him to CF or something. IDK.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
He could play a day at 2B, a day at 3B, a day in the OF...
It’s the time of year when guys need some rest anyway.
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
he absolutely cannot play 3b
every grounder to the side would be an automatic hit. i might see if you could play holliday in right and patterson in left some days though.
i would be inclined to say the same
but hes played so terribly when hes come up… might it not be a bad idea to include him in a package when his stock is high?
holdin' it down for the bay from upper westside manhattan
This would also be a really good idea.
Sell high, if he has value.
"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden
he's had 150ish big league PA
he has absolutely not proven that he’s not a major league quality hitter. i said it before, i think he’d be at least a fringe-average starting 2B right now.
Patterson is weird
He consistently puts up good numbers at the highest levels of the minor leagues.
Then when he gets called up, he not only puts up bad numbers, but he looks horrible doing it. He looks confused and completely overmatched at the plate, and confused and inept in the field. He looks really bad, and he looks really bad immediately. You watch him play, and you say, “What is this bum doing on our team?” Then you glance at his minor-league stats, and you say, “How the hell did this guy do that?”
I suppose he’s pressing, but looking strongly like you just can’t play the game makes it really tough to get the extended look you may need to work through it.
Exactly. I feel he has shown a lot in those 150 PAs
He looks overmatched by average fastballs, and generally looks clueless at the plate. I don’t claim to understand WHY, but I can tell you that I see exactly what Faust sees: A guy who has terrible AB after terrible AB until he is sent back down.
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
it's really really easy to look terrible over 150 PAs
it’s an extremely small sample—it’s way way too early to give up
Agreed, he's looked lost everywhere but Sacto
When jeepers suggested Patterson get a look over Sweeney, with Patterson’s AAA stats in mind, I said, “All right, sure. I could live with that on occasion.”
However, after being reminded of how awful, no-good, terrible Patterson’s looked in Oakland, I said, “Not a chance. I’ll live with Rajai Davis before I see Patterson again.”
http://www.myspace.com/ryanmac10
by RyanFromBonas on Jun 19, 2009 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions
Agreed, he's looked lost everywhere but Sacto
When jeepers suggested Patterson get a look over Sweeney, with Patterson’s AAA stats in mind, I said, “All right, sure. I could live with that on occasion.”
However, after being reminded of how awful, no-good, terrible Patterson’s looked in Oakland, I said, “Not a chance. I’ll live with Rajai Davis before I see Patterson again.”
http://www.myspace.com/ryanmac10
by RyanFromBonas on Jun 20, 2009 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
I feel like I've read a comment just like this before
Now where could that have been?…
Classic AAAA player
Too good for the minors, too bad for the majors.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
That must be so frustrating for a professional player,
not to mention the front office. Nobody can hit on the team anyway so I don’t see the problem with giving him an extended shot.
If it turns out he can hit, fantastic. If not, it’s no big deal we’re going nowhere this season.
Yeah, if we've punted this year
we might as well give him 150 ABs to see if he can figure it out. The only problem is, where does he play? I suppose if they trade Holliday the A’s could just put him in LF for a couple of months. But he’s really crappy at 2B, I can’t imagine how bad he’d be at 3B, and I really don’t want to inflict his glove on a pitching staff full of rookies.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
But is he?
If he were really as bad as he looks when I’m watching, it wouldn’t even work in AAA, would it? When you look at him, do you think, “He’s just on the verge of figuring this thing out?” Or even “He’s just a tick below mlb quality” (which would be true of a AAAA player)? Or do you think, “This guy needs to be playing somewhere else, pronto, where I don’t have to watch him?” I don’t get the guy.
Small sample size, but the impression he creates isn’t helping him get a larger sample.
Nelie Cruz was labeled a AAAA Player...How did that turn out for us?
since he was ours, So was Ludwick, pena and so on….So why don’t we trade some more talent to blossom with another team….with that said….Patterson does suck….trade him
different situations
cruz when he was here, destroyed A+/AA as a 23 yr old. rated the 10th best A’s prospect in 2004
looking at that list swisher/hererra/robnett ranked ahead of him. they also had Ethier and then drafted putnam that summer, so maybe they misjudged or felt comfortable with their depth.
by Asfan4ever723 on Jun 18, 2009 6:25 PM PDT up reply actions
Um Cruz and Ludwick were traded when they were considered prospects
Ludwick I believe was part of the package for Pena. They were labeled AAAA players after they left the A’s system
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jun 20, 2009 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
...And many other systems after that....
Solace: Law says he's a fourth OFer
PaulThomas: I think Keith Law is only a fourth analyst
exactly but even the basic premise is wrong.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jun 20, 2009 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I agree with you.
Solace: Law says he's a fourth OFer
PaulThomas: I think Keith Law is only a fourth analyst
Damn Nuts
They ruined our perfect day. Is it time to give Patterson another shot in the bigs? Is the third/fourth/whatever time the charm? We might want to take a look before Ellis comes back. If he has a good couple of weeks you can either use him as trade bait or, (& I prefer this option) have him take over when O-Cab gets traded, (wishful thinking I know).
Weeks needs to go up to Midland as he has noting left to prove at Stockton. How much CF has been playing? We could use him in CF more than 2B right now.
PREPAREDNESS_Because those goddamn zombies aren’t going to kill themselves
He hasn't played any CF this season
2B will be Weeks’ to lose in the A’s eyes. I made this suggestion two weeks back wondering if Weeks should just move to center and keep Cardenas at 2B. The A’s have decided that Weeks’ value is too high to move from 2B and Cardenas can handle the hot corner—so it seems
In terms of Patterson. I don’t think that he’s been given enough AB in majors to really get a grasp on this guy He really hasn’t been handled well in terms of promotions to the big league club, both with the A’s and the Cubs. His first go around with Chicago was for 8 ab then for 38 abs. When he was traded to the A’s, we gave him 90+ and then another 8 this season. That doesn’t really offer much room for success.
Earlier today I looked up Brandon Phillips because their game against the Braves was on T.V. He was handled very similar by the Indians when they received him from the Expos. Wasn’t given a season to show his value and was quickly shipped off to the Reds, a bad team, where he could go through the ups and downs to see what he could do. With Cleveland he was given 200 abs, 22 abs in his second stint, and then 9 in his 3rd. The next season he is with Cinci, gets 500+ abs and hits 17 HR while batting .270.
Now, I understand that Patterson is not the gold glove that Phillips is, and it helps that he’s in a hitter’s park. I think we can find a team that needs pop from the 2B as well as speed. He’s not coming up for us, not with Ellis set to return soon and Kennedy moving to 3B. Center is for Sweeney and sadly Davis just provides better defense out there than Patterson can.
Patterson is creating a good problem for the A’s to have—organizational depth.
In theory, anyway
In practice he’s never had a good major league stint, and he’s closer to 30 yo than he is to 20.
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
26
That’s 3.5 major league seasons away from 30. And in theory, prime years are in the 27-30 range.
Point being, he's old for his league - maybe that's why he does so well at AAA?
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
its patterson 4th yr at that level
he hit just as well there as a 23 yr old in 06 compared to now…he couldve had a chance much earlier w/ cubs if they didnt prefer veterans
by Asfan4ever723 on Jun 18, 2009 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions
He needs to realize that he isn't in HighSchool anymore and cut down on the HUGE swing of his
He would probably K 150+ or more times a year in the majors
How about Matt Spencer?
He is viewed as kind of a throw in from what is looking more and more like a great trade of Joe Blanton, but he is starting to hit better at AA. After a slow start at Stockton he started to pick it up showing good power before getting promoted to Midland. He again started slowly after the promotion but now is up to .283/.308/.455. The obvious weakness here is the walk rate, Spencer does not like to take a walk, only taking 3 in 26 games so far. This is lower than usual for him but not by much, he will probably walk a bit more but will never be a great OBP guy. The upside is that Spencer has significantly cut his K-rate this season, if this is real improvement then he could be a good 4th OFer or platoon guy.
The comp that I keep thinking of for Spencer is a left-handed Emil Brown. Now I know that Emil Brown is akin to a swear word around here, but a player of this type who is on the strong side of a platoon and is used correctly can have some value. I could see Spencer being a good 4th OFer in a couple years who could be used to rest a starter against right handed pitchers.
Maybe a Marcus Thames type?
That’s a nice player.
Solace: Law says he's a fourth OFer
PaulThomas: I think Keith Law is only a fourth analyst
I assume this is referring to Matt Spencer
I could see a Marcus Thames type outcome for Spencer but right now I don’t think he has as much power. If Spencer’s improved contact rate is real he will have a considerably lower k-rate than Thames which should offset the lack of power.
I thought Spencer's power was his calling card...
Solace: Law says he's a fourth OFer
PaulThomas: I think Keith Law is only a fourth analyst
It's hard to make definite conclusions about Spencer
He’s kind of bounced around in his 2 years of pro ball with an 85 game stop at the Phillies A+ affiliate to start last year the longest he has spent at any one team. He is a pretty big guy who was projected to hit for good power, but he has never slugged higher than .470 except when he was at Stockton where he smacked the crud out of the ball. He has some pop and is not a Ryan Sweeney type, but I’ll wait untill he starts slugging outside of the Cal league before I’ll buy him as a potential .500+ slugging type like Thames.
spencer
he was also a LHP in college and transferred from UNC to ASU. despite being a part of a great recruiting class and showing flashes of plus power and a plus arm it didnt always translate to good results. So he didnt have a typical progression path as most players. I’d compare him to doolittle situation, finally getting to hit full time. Anyways, as a throw in credit to the A’s scouts who i assume watched him a decent amount at ASU
http://devpgcrosschecker.com/draft/2007/notebooks/allansimpson/draft_2007.aspx
113. Matt Spencer OF/LHP Jr. L-L 6-4 225 Arizona State U. Morristown, Tenn. Red Sox ’04 (24) 1-27-86
DRAFTED BY: Philadelphia Phillies.
SCOUTING REPORT: Spencer has been an enigma to scouts in Arizona , much as he was for his coaches and local scouts in two years at the University of North Carolina . There are days when he’s been everything scouts want to see in a first-rounder; there are days when he’s been like a fish out of water. He was the talk of the Houston-based Minute Maid tournament, the nation’s premier college tournament, on the second weekend of the 2007 season when he launched a massive, third-deck home run—a drive so powerful that it stuck in the minds of scouts for weeks. But he rarely showed the same raw power the rest of the season—except in batting practice—and was so inconsistent, with so many holes in his swing and such a poor ability to recognize pitches, that he was in and out of the ASU lineup. In 48 games, but just 31 starts, he had seven homers. Spencer also teases scouts with his arm strength. He tops at 93-94 mph in bullpen sessions, but rarely shows that velocity in games and struggles to command his secondary stuff. In 10 innings, he walked 16 as he was far more thrower than pitcher. Curiously, while Spencer occasionally showed above-average velocity on the mound, it didn’t translate to the outfield. He never showed the same arm strength, or even the same arm stroke, from the outfield. A below-average arm, not to mention below-average speed, limits him to left field as an everyday player. Scouts are perplexed whether to draft him as a player or pitcher, or even whether to draft him at all. They believe he needs a lot more repetitions to unlock his potential that another year in college would provide.
—Allan Simpson
by Asfan4ever723 on Jun 20, 2009 8:09 AM PDT up reply actions
That sounds like one fubar scouting report.
But with the underlying tools for potential success.
In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor on FK
by designatedforassignment on Jun 20, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
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