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Here's a quick rundown of highlights from last night's Jays' minor-league games, something I hope will be a semi-regular feature over the course of the season (or as often as I can manage, anyway). I'll also aim to supply a weekly update on the state of each squad and their key performers.



AAA
Syracuse 5, Buffalo 1


Batting: Leadoff man DeWayne Wise homered and drove in four runs, while shortstop Glenn Williams had three hits and scored twice.

Pitching: Embattled starter Mike Smith threw a solid six innings, including four hits, a walk and 4 Ks, against a dangerous Indians farm team with Alex Escobar, Ben Broussard and Victor Martinez. Late roster addition Dan Reichert threw two shutout innings of relief, with 2 Ks.


AA
Norwich 5, New Haven 4


Batting: Corner infielder Simon Pond drove in two runs in a 2-for-4 performance, while white-hot Gabe Gross collected two more hits, which actually drove his average down to .519. Jim Deschaine went for 0-for-2, but walked twice.

Pitching: Chris Baker gave the team six fine innings (5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 Ks), but the bullpen duo of Kevin Frederick and Gustavo Chacin couldn't hold the lead.


High-A
Brevard County 7, Dunedin 3


Batting: Rehabbing outfielder Jayson Werth collected two hits in four trips to the plate, but young hitting prospect Mike Snyder went 0-for-3 to drop his early-season average to an Interstate-like .095.

Pitching: One of Dunedin's many prize pitching prospects, Chad Pleiness, was cuffed around like a misbehaving kitten (4 1/3 innings, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 Ks).


Low-A
Charleston 8, West Virginia 3


Batting: Shortstop Raul Tablado went 3-for 5 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, while infielder Scott Dragicevich scored once and drove one in with two hits.

Pitching: Previously unheralded hurler Israel Ramirez threw 6 1/3 perfect innings, striking out three. Ramirez has allowed just one baserunner in 8 1/3 innings this year.
From the minors | 4 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
_Jabonoso - Tuesday, April 15 2003 @ 12:23 PM EDT (#90530) #
Looks like we are having winning teams in the minors. Solid pitching, good veterans and depth. The only single thing that worries me is our prospects batting, with the exception of Gross and Tablado the rest looks dominated, this is more evident in single A teams without aged veterans.
Hope that Wise, learn to bunt to combine with his surge of power!
_Pfizer - Tuesday, April 15 2003 @ 01:10 PM EDT (#90531) #
I rarely cuff my kittens. I'm calling the SPCA. Or is that the YMCA? Or the NAACP? Aw, forget it.
_Chuck Van Den C - Tuesday, April 15 2003 @ 01:11 PM EDT (#90532) #
Hope that Wise, learn to bunt to combine with his surge of power!

I believe I hold Wise in lower esteem than do many of the ZLC. To me, he could be a useful 5th outfielder, but no better. He can pinch-run, and can play solid D in the corners and useful enough D in center, but he'll probably never hit enough to be a 4th outfielder.

Trouble is, in this nutty world of 12-man pitching staffs, few teams can afford to carry a 5th OF, especially in the AL (where a roster spot has to be devoted to a DH).
_Jordan - Tuesday, April 15 2003 @ 04:55 PM EDT (#90533) #
Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet has two Blue Jays in the Top 12 this week, New Haven's Gabe Gross and Charleston's Vince Perkins. Gross you know about, but Perkins is interesting; he's a Canadian right-hander drafted in 2000 out of a Victoria community college. His future might lie in relief, but if he improves his control, he'll become very interesting. In two starts this year: 11 IP, 4 H, 6 BB, 18 K. We'll check on him again after his sample size grows some more.

The Hot Sheet, BTW, isn't a list of the best prospects per se, just the ones whose recent performances deserve the most fanfare. Perkins might not even rate among the top five pitching prospects in his own organization -- at this point, anyway.
From the minors | 4 comments | Create New Account
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