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Syracuse and Dunedin are going through a tough time, both have multiple game losing streaks. Charleston are back on track. New Hampshire are the hottest team, the offense has been on fire since the arrival of Stubby Clapp. And Francisco Rosario is back.


Syracuse 0 Richmond 7

Syracuse lost their sixth game of the week and this one was not close. The Chiefs were down 6-0 after five and never looked to be in it. Syracuse had six hits on the day, two each by Russ Adams, Simon Pond and Shawn Fagan.

Chris Baker conceded six runs in 4.1 innings on eleven hits. Baker's first two starts of the season were outstanding. In his last four starts Baker has allowed seventeen runs in 19.1 innings.

Alexis Rios raised his average to .295 on Thursday. Since then Rios is 0-13. Russ Adams was 2-4, Gross went 0-3 with a walk.


New Hampshire 0 Reading 2

The in game play-by-play captured the action. New Hampshire had ten hits and there were many contributors to the offensive show. Justin Singleton started it with a triple. A Dominic Rich double also paced the Cats to a 2-0 lead. New Hampshire added four in the eighth and three in the ninth. Dominic Rich was 2-3 with a double and two walks. Aaron Hill was 2-2 with a walk. Hill was also hit by a pitch and reached on catcher interference. For the week Hill was 9-23 at the plate, a .391 average. Hill also walked four times, had a HBP and CI, and hit his first home run. Hill's OBP for the week was .517.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Gustavo Chacin was his usual effecient self. Chacin allowed one run in six innings. In five starts this year Chacin has never conceded more than 3 runs and has never allowed more hits than innings pitched. Chacin does not strike out too many but his stuff keeps the hitters off balance.

Brandon League came on to start the seventh and allowed the one run in two innings. The run came from a walk, a stolen base and a single. John Ogiltree pitched a scoreless ninth.

There has been some speculation in DaBox regarding the performances of Dustin McGowan and Brandon League. Both throw hard and can probably be classed as throwers rather than pitchers. When you throw 96/97 you get used to rearing back and throwing hard when you get in trouble. Remember spring training when McGowan got into trouble and then tried to throw the ball past major leaguers? He was hit hard a la Billy Koch. The same can happen at AA. This is part of the learning process for McGowan and League. They need to be able to throw their second and third pitches in the location they want, when they want. That process takes time, be patient. Remember you cannot teach speed. Hard throwers sometimes flame out if they cannot throw strikes. McGowan and League are not overly wild, they are just throwing the ball where the hitters are swinging right now.

Game Story


Dunedin 3 Vero Beach 5

Dunedin entered the game on a four game losing streak and left it on a five gamer. When things are going bad you lose a game like this where you out-hit your opponent 10-7. Francisco Rosario started again, having pitched a total of 4.1 innings combined in his last three starts. Rosario beat that total in this game with 4.2 innings. Rosario retired the first six hitters but ran into trouble in the third when the first four hitters reached base. But the Jays left him in there and he retired the next three hitters to get out of the inning with two runs allowed. Rosario then retired another five in a row before allowing a couple of hits and a run in the fifth, and he was done for the day. It was a good comeback appearance for Rosario.

Dunedin meanwhile had three runs of their own. John Schneider doubled and scored in the second and the Jays added a couple in the fourth on a pair of bases loaded walks.

In the sixth Tommi Ozuna hit a batter and gave up a home run to leave the Jays training 5-3. Dunedin had the first two hitters single in the top of the ninth but they were stranded.

Every Dunedin hitter had a hit except Scott Dragicevich. Jayce Tingler had two hits and a walk.


Lakewood 7 Charleston 9

The bats were working for both teams in Charleston. Tom Mastny joined the list of Jays pitching prospects who have scuffled on the mound this week. Mastny allowed three runs on five hits and four walks in 5.2 innings. Felix Romero and Mark Sopko conceded a duece each in the seventh and eighth. Brian Reed pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Brian Patrick was the offensive hero going 4-5. Mike Galloway was 1-2 with two walks, Eric Arnold also had two hits.


News Stories

Ernie Whitt has Olympic dreams
Tampa Bay Online has a Vito story.


Our Three-Star Selection

The 3rd Star: Dominic Rich, 2-3 with a double and two walks
The 2nd Star: Brian Patrick, 4-5, almost as good as Hill but he got out once
The 1st Star: Aaron Hill, 2-2 with a walk, a HBP and cathchers interference.
Honourable Mention: It is a good sign when you have players worthy of HM. Brian Reed deserves a shout-out. He had another routine save yesterday, his sixth. On the season Reed has not allowed a run in 10.1 innings. He has given up six hits and one walk in those 10.1 innings. Another HM to Gustavo Chacin for a quality start.


Standings

Syracuse were 0-6 on the week and their record now is 11-20. Syracuse are in last place, seven games behind Scranton
New Hampshire are 15-12 and are one games behind Norwich. The Cats were 5-2 for the week.
Dunedin 16-16, six games behind Tampa. Dunedin were 2-5 for the week.
Charleston are in first place by four games with an 22-8 record. They were 3-4 for the week.

Combined the Jays minor league teams are 64-56, a .533 winning percentage.
Minor League Update: May 10 | 23 comments | Create New Account
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_Jordan - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 10:04 AM EDT (#66833) #
Four to Watch:

Syracuse: Shawn Fagan, 1B, 26
73 AB, .260/.393/.370, 12 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 16 BB, 14 K


Strike-zone judgment has never been an issue for Shawn Fagan. The former Nittany Lion was practising what JP Ricciardi preaches well before the new GM took control of the organization. Fagan’s tremendous batting eye earned him a slow but steady climb up the ladder, posting .400+ OBPs at every stop along the way -- that is, until a 17-game cup of coffee in Syracuse last year, where he batted .207 with a 2/22 BB/K rate. Fagan’s doing his best to prove that was a blip, however, again flirting with a .400 OBP and posting more walks than strikeouts. Fagan’s challenge has always been to display the kind of power required of a corner infielder, which he has never been able to satisfactorily do and which is still eluding him so far in his first extended stay in Triple-A. At 26, it’s unlikely that power will emerge, but if Fagan can push that average above .300, he’ll earn the opportunity for a major-league pinch-hitting and bench role. Give him full marks for perseverance.

New Hampshire: Adam Peterson, RHP, 25
2-0, 2.19, 11 G, 0 GS, 12 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 18 K, 1 HR


Those are pretty much exactly the numbers you’d expect to see from a 97 mph closer, who’s about to turn 25, labouring in Double-A. Peterson, as I’ve mentioned here before, is in the unfortunate position of being older than his contemporaries, sporting an arm overworked in college that needs short-inning stints, and slotted into a closer role that limits the length of his outings. Peterson has nothing left to prove in the Eastern League; I suspect, without proof, that he’ll still in New Hampshire because the closer role in Syracuse is currently being occupied with Aquilino Lopez’s effort to figure out just what happened to him. Moreover, the bullpens at the higher levels are heavily stacked: Toronto’s relief corps are largely a well-paid veteran lot, with two exceptions (Nakamura and Frasor) who are pitching very effectively. I suspect that once the Jays can find room for a reborn Lopez in Toronto, they’ll promote Peterson to replace him; until then, Adam will have to content himself with overmatching AA hitters.

Dunedin: Jamie Vermilyea, RHP, 22
2-1, 2.59, 10 G, 1 GS, 24 IP, 23 H, 5 BB, 20 K, 3 HR


After a merely decent (for him) April, Vermilyea is starting to post the kind of numbers that made him such a hot prospect ticket this past off-season. In 3 relief stints since May 1, Jamie has thrown 9 innings, allowed 8 hits, walked no one and struck out 6. Vermilyea, as has been noted before, is a full-repertoire pitcher who doesn’t have that one outstanding offering with which to overwhelm hitters, as Brandon League (who’s now following Vermilyea’s profile of a multiple-inning relief prospect) does. We won’t again see Vermilyea post staggering BB/K ratios the way he did in his rookie season, but he should continue to be an effective bullpen option and remains one of the most interesting arms in the system.

Charleston: Mike Galloway, OF, 23
87 AB, .310/.390/.529, 15 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 11 BB, 25 K


Here’s a little Canadian content for this week’s Four to Watch. As Ryan Roberts has cooled down slightly from his red-hot April, Galloway has taken over as the top hitter on a talented Alley-Cay squad. Leading the team in slugging and trailing only Roberts in OBP, Galloway is also walking enough to maintain fine plate discipline (although those are an awful lot of strikeouts). This is his first season in full-season ball (after stints at Medicine Hat and Auburn), although he sipped coffee briefly in Dunedin and Syracuse in 2003. At 21, he was a young graduate of Miami-Ohio in 2002, where he posted a remarkable .422/.506/.722 line his final year with a 25/26 BB/K rate in 223 at-bats. He turned 23 yesterday (belated happy birthday, Mike!) and he’s showing little regard for South Atlantic League pitching. Those K’s are worrisome, but if he keeps on hitting like this, he’ll accelerate his advancement rapdily.
_Jordan - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 10:19 AM EDT (#66834) #
The best news from yesterday's report was Rosario's extended outing. I'm very glad the D-Jays allowed him to work out of difficulty and stretch his arm out a little. The kid gloves are evidently working.

As expected, Aaron Hill is heating up. Once the power arrives, they'll probably think about advancing him, though I still think he should spend virtually all of 2003 in the Eastern League.

That's a great little piece on Vito. It seems pretty clear that the Triple Crown didn't go to his head, and that he's still trying to take the same careful, analytical, one-AB-at-a-time approach to his game. By the end of the season, he's going to have some very pretty numbers, especially for that league.
_Mike Q - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 10:27 AM EDT (#66835) #
Could you say that tingler has improved his power hitting 7 doubles so far this season?
Craig B - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 10:29 AM EDT (#66836) #
Mike, not really. His ISO for the year so far is .062, versus .081 last year in Pulaski. Still, the FSL is a tough hitter's league, and lots of big leaguers had a lower ISO in their first trip around the FSL.

There's hope for Tingler yet!
Mike Green - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 10:35 AM EDT (#66837) #
I agree with Jordan about Hill's path. Aaron is 22, and right where he should be. He's made a big jump from Auburn last summer, and spending the whole season in New Hampshire makes a lot of sense to me.

I wasn't surprised to read of Vito's recurring elbow problems. Now, there's a good question for Will Carroll.

Finally, New Hampshire has the day off, but David Bush goes for Syracuse tonight at 7. I can't do tonight's game. Is anybody else able to?
_Joel T. - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 12:26 PM EDT (#66838) #
What's the deal regarding James Pidutti in extended spring training. Isn't he throwing lights out over there. I suspect a promotion should an injury arise from a long season club because its going to be hard to keep him back if he keeps doing what he has been doing.
_Jordan - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 12:41 PM EDT (#66839) #
Joel, unfortunately we don't get any reports from extended spring training -- the stats aren't tracked and there's no media outlet that provides news and updates that I'm aware of. We can't even locate a Florida newspaper that gives us Dunedin game reports (if someone has such a source, please let us know). So unless there's specific newsworthy info rising out of XST, it's all quiet until after the June draft, when the short-season rosters get filled out.
_JohnnyS99 - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 02:40 PM EDT (#66840) #
How did you here about James Piddutti Joel? His strike out rates were rather low last year.
_Jeff Geauvreau - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 02:49 PM EDT (#66841) #
Jeez it is James Piddutti and his friends trying to get attention again.
_Carl T. - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 03:22 PM EDT (#66842) #
Don't really think it was the arrival of Stubby Clapp that got the NH bats going. True, he is 31 and that adds some experience to the team but he is batting .211. More a combination of playing a weaker team and just finally getting going. All the guys on that roster have proven they can hit. Just a matter of time.
_Nigel - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 03:23 PM EDT (#66843) #
I was just flipping through the Jays minor league stats and came to the realization that the Jays minor league hitting has been truly terrible to start the year. Consider that other than Big Vito there is not a single regular above low A that has an OPS above .800 or a slugging percentage above .450. Some of the top hitting prospects (Adams, Rios, Hill, Gross, JFG) are putting up some truly terrible numbers. There are reasons like cold weather and jumping leagues to help explain some of this but this is a sobering time for the Jays minor league hitters. Small sample sizes will also play a role no doubt, but looking to the farm right now for help is not the answer.
_MatO - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 04:39 PM EDT (#66844) #
The Jays have simply not drafter any volume of bats the last two drafts. As a result, some guys that you would have replaced have simply stuck around because they need to fill roster spots. And yeah the top prospects haven't done much.
_Rob - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 06:12 PM EDT (#66845) #
I can't do the Syracuse game tonight, either.
_Jeff Geauvreau - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 06:57 PM EDT (#66846) #
I might be able to do some updates but I will also be unable to transcribe the full game.
_Bobby Baller - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 07:44 PM EDT (#66847) #
How's Canizal look for the Alley Cats and what are in the plans for him future wise?
_Jeff Geauvreau - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 08:08 PM EDT (#66848) #
Just starting to listen to game and the Sky Chiefs are down 4-0.

Bus has given up 4 unearned runs with a costly error made by Fagan.
_Jeff Geauvreau - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 08:13 PM EDT (#66849) #
Uh make that Bush and not Bus. That would be a great baseball name though.

Jason Arnold is coaching 1st base ( wow !!)

Gross up to bat and strikes out.
Chiapado (sp?)grounds out.
2 out
3rd hitter of the Inning is out , I missed his name.

3 out
_Jeff Geauvreau - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 08:29 PM EDT (#66850) #
I lost my connection and just got back in. They are talking about the other minor league Jays teams.

Thomas 0-1 , 1-1, foul , 1-2 ,ground out 7-0 for the Braves over the Skychiefs at the end of five innings.

Ouch.
_Jeff Geauvreau - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 08:36 PM EDT (#66851) #
I have to run and the Skychiefs get a run . Noah Hall scores and Rios up to bat ( 0-2 tonight).

0-1,0-2,Pop up and Rios out #2.

James Pond up to bat , 0-1, Pop up and there are 3 out.

7-1 bad guys over the Chiefs.

I will try to check in later.
_Sneeps - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 08:54 PM EDT (#66852) #
Syracuse sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
_Sneeps - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 09:29 PM EDT (#66853) #
Boy, the Chiefs don't really draw any interest here do they.

All the other minor league teams get the play-by-play, but the Chiefs have been cast aside.
Gerry - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 09:48 PM EDT (#66854) #
I tuned in after the game was over and I caught a bit of the post game show. Syracuse lost 8-5. Pond and Gross had HR's. Bush was frustrated with the umpiring tonight and I think he was ejected after complaining to the home plate umpire.
_Jeff Geauvreau - Monday, May 10 2004 @ 09:56 PM EDT (#66855) #
Hey Sneeps,

I don't think Syracuse sucks !!!! Their have been 4 of us doing play by play and tonight turned out to be a bad night for us all unable to do Play by Play.

You should try it Sneeps we need more Batters Box play by play guys.
Minor League Update: May 10 | 23 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.