Thursday, July 14, 2011

Thursday Links, Open Thread

Last month we heard complaints about the Hudson Valley roster. Guy Cipriano takes a look at the eroding quality of the New York-Penn League as a whole:
Procuring marquee players has never been more difficult. The league opened its second third Wednesday with just six players selected in the first three rounds of this year’s draft on active rosters. During their recent stop at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the Batavia Muckdogs used five non-drafted free agents from North America. The St. Louis Cardinals plucked two of those players from independent leagues.

Hudson Valley outfielder Kes Carter, a supplemental first-round selection from Western Kentucky, holds the title as the NY-PL’s highest 2011 draft pick. Carter was selected 56th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Renegades’ roster also includes pitcher Lenny Lisky [sic], a second-rounder from Hawaii. Hudson Valley leads the league in high 2011 picks for obvious reasons.

Brian Woodson profiles diaper dandy Taylor Motter, Princeton's 21 year-old shortstop out of Coastal Carolina:
“I have played it my whole life so I feel like nothing has changed, just the speed of the game, but you have just got to slow it down,” Motter said. “After you play it 18 or 19 years, you know exactly where to be at the right time and you know exactly what to do.

Talking to the press about this is either naive or stupid. Or both. But Hudson Valley starting pitcher Andrew Bellatti and manager Jared Sandberg spoke with Nancy Haggerty:
Reid died at the scene. His son sustained several broken bones. Bellatti’s girlfriend suffered facial cuts and a concussion. Bellatti, who didn’t know Garrett Reid or his father, a volunteer with the school’s drama program, sustained cuts and bruises.

Later charged with multiple counts, carrying a potential combined sentence of more than seven years in prison, Bellatti found unwavering support in his family, girlfriend and the Rays organization. “The Rays called my agent and my family and told both, ‘We love this kid. He’s a great kid. No matter what happens, he’ll still have a job here.’ That meant the world to me,” Bellatti said.

Hot, hot, hot:
Batter           Team  G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO HBP   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS
Oscar Hernandez   VSL 48 169 69 10  1 17  47 24 28  12 .408 .512 .781 1.293
Jeff Malm         HDV 23  78 23  5  0  6  16 17 18   6 .295 .455 .590 1.045
Cameron Seitzer   PRI 20  68 22  4  0  3  16 12 20   1 .324 .432 .515  .947

33 comments:

  1. It's good to see Malm hitting.

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  2. speaking of Seitzer, here's an aritcle i did of him

    http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110713&content_id=21773356&vkey=news_t455&fext=.jsp&sid=t455

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  3. I'm going to try to start doing one of these everyday, kind of like what Cork does with THE HANGOVER, only focused on the minors. If anyone sees an article I should mention just post it in the comments, or if you wrote it and don't want to look like you're self-promoting, just email me the link at dougmilhoan@raysprospects.com.

    Now I just need a title... What's the minor league equivalent of the hangover? The teetotaler?

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  4. How about calling it "Rounding the Bases" or some other baseball phrase

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  5. Yeah, should be more baseball-related. Something minor league-y too.

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  6. "Touch them All"

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  7. Brandon Martin had a good game today with the bat. Who do you prefer going foward, Martin or Hager?

    And why d you think it is taking the Rays so long to sign Graysn Garvin and Ryan Carpenter? Both are college pitchers whos season's are over.I could see Carpenter signing foor abve slot, but not Garvin. Is there any chance either go back to college?

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  8. Ok so lets talk Hudson Valley Renegades. What are your overall opinions on the gades so far this year? Who has some good potential? And who needs to be sent packing? Lets here it :)

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  9. The Hudson Valley roster has been suiffering for years. The best talent from Princeton skips the Valley and goes to BG. The higher draft pics sign solate that they dont get any time here. If they are young and a high pick they stay at GCL. Sandberg has his hands full. The fans even turned on the team the other day after a poor perfomance. The league on a whole is in a long drought.

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  10. I think that one of the things we've noticed in the Hudson Valley, is that TB is drafting so many high schoolers-then they are sent to Princeton-then the better ones pretty much jump over HV and go to Bowling Green, and the rest come to us. Many of the high college picks don't sign right away, and therefore, HV loses out. Just look at Princeton's roster and look at the draft picks between 2010 and 2011, (Vettleson, Sale, Brett, and then this year's)- impressive, to say the least.

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  11. I agree with that. Any surprises with HV's roster yet?

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  12. I think some of these kids in HV are having a good year, but they get overlooked because the team as a whole isn't produucing. Not to mention HV has had there 2 better outfielders for a few weeks now. Kes Carter is still out and Craige Lyerly is just now working back in after a sprain ankle. Lyerly's avg doesn't look to be all that great yet. But before lyerly's injury he was the guy that normally made things happen late in the game. He can definately throw guys out from the outfield and he isn't afraid to take chances on the base. And Kes will be great I am sure. I am ready to see him play again.

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  13. Not to mention HV has had there 2 better outfielders for a few weeks now.


    Sorry that was suppose to say "hasn't" not has

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  14. I like Touch Them All, maybe Touch 'Em All Time?

    On the draft, haven't heard anything new. Only thing I've seen is Mahtook being named to all-star teams on an almost daily basis. I hoped once MLB let the one signing be announced at slot+20% ( Trevor Story? can't remember) things would get rolling, but not yet.

    Since they drafted Carpenter before you would *think* they would know him and have a deal worked out by now. Maybe he pitched too much this spring/summer and they don't want him pitching again until fall instructs? Garvin could be the same.

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  15. Yea I like trying to come up with name ideas for stuff like this. :)

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  16. Thanks! If you google "touch them all" the top result is a baseball blog by Alyssa Milano. The jokes just write themselves.

    Maybe we need a different name...

    Lots of roster moves going on, Lobaton and McGee to Tampa, Jaso to DL. I'll update the depth chart this evening with all of the moves.

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  17. Regarding Hudson Valley I don't understand why they don't get more of the higher draft picks. If the players are not ready for HV then start them out at Princeton or the GCL and move them up mid short season to HV. To completely skip over HV to B.G. is not good for the HV fans. They have great fan support in HV, their attendance is much better than B.G., that whole league has great fan support. I would guess TB has their reasons but as an outsider it is not apparent what the reason is.

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  18. HV is in 2nd place in the division. Dont know why people are saying theyre not winning?

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  19. Diamondtom-we've been trying to figure out why we seem to be overlooked, too. We, HV fans, are extremely loyal to our team, but we are starting to get a little frustrated by what's happening with the talent/lack of talent given us.I'm wondering how long it will take for the front office to tell Tampa Bay to take a hike and look elsewhere for a new team to support.

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  20. Look at HV's record every year---vicinity of .500.... We would much prefer a playoff spot. (Haven't been in a playoff since 1999!) In order to be competitive in our league-especially with the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclone, mediocrity just doesnt cut it.

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  21. I agree they are second in the division. What is the problem with that? Yea its not first, but the only team ahead is staten island (the yankees) Come on what yankee team isn't good. Yea you don't have Josh Sale, Brett, and Vettleson. But you do have kids that want to play ball and that are doing the best they can. They work hard and its not easy. Minor league ball players don't get paid crap yet they put in hours and hours into the game. They do it for the love of the game. The only ones that have money are the top picks and most of them are "pre madonna's" These guys that HV have at least have heart and they want to win. They could be playing like aberdeen and sucking it up. GIVE THEM A BREAK

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  22. Bright spot for HV Malm 2 more hits tonight.

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  23. Simply "Around the Minors"? I know ... not very creative, but still.

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  24. When I think of minor league baseball, I always think of some sort of crazy promotions. I'm sure someone more creative than me can think of some sort of play on words with this idea.

    Also, anyone else stoked to see Malm raking like he has? All I heard when he was drafted was about his bat and it's nice to see it coming alive.

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  25. What's the deal with Oscar Hernandez? I won't pretend to be versed in the summer leagues, but do they ever promote mid-season to the States? He obviously is not being challenged in the VSL and it would be nice to see him in rookie ball.

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  26. I saw HV over the weekend and they swept Lowell in front of crowds the size I used to see at the Trop in 2007. As far as the talent on the team, sure seems that they have some of the guys with bright futures, Malm, Olivares, Querecuto, Reginatto (who hasn't played since getting beaned on Monday) were all some of the better players in XST. Pitching is a little suspect IMO, but Sandberg seems to have them headed in the right direction.

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  27. If Malm can keep this up for the remainder of the year does he become a legit prospect again i the Rays system?

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  28. Of course not, because remember everyone seems to think Hudson Valley is a joke with no talent and that the NYPL is weak.(Not referring to the bloggers just referring to comments)

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  29. If you notice the last two times the PDC's came up, the Goldclang Group was very reluctant to stay with TB. No playoffs in over 10 years makes a team less profitabke than one who makes it year after year. The fans in HV are great( a season ticket holder myself) but the team front office has to jump through hoops to fill the stands. With Rockland an option now and the costs at the stadium rising the crowds have ben noticably smaller

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  30. Well I do believe I was there a little over a week ago and they had the "record" crowd. So that is hard for me to believe they have trouble filling the stands. I also, went to the game when they played against staten island (and they might be the ones who need help filling the stands) I could literally sit wherever I wanted. And what makes the whole situation even funnier is the only game I went to last year was also a record crowd. I don't see a problem filling the stands (At HV). And thats fine I understand that the "renegades" is a business. But you still can't hate on the athletes that are there. Most of yall end up slamming the players that are there, they don't choose where they get to play. The go where they are told. Im sorry yall are still pouting that you don't have sale, brett, and vettleson. But hating on the talent that yall do have isn't going to change it.

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  31. Anonymous 4:47- I think you are missing the point about the players assigned here, at the HV. I don't think anyone is "hating" the players who are here. Nor, do I think those who have written on this site are slamming the players. What we are slamming is the fact that high draft picks, for the most part, are not assigned to Hudson Valley.

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  32. I agree high prospects are not assigned there. But maybe not you didn't slam players but there was a lot of complaints about the roster when it came out last month. I don't understand why players are assigned where there are assigned. It seems like the young top prospects go to princeton while the other guys go to HV. Maybe its because the young guys didnt play for a year before they signed. Most of the high picks wait for the deadline i.e. vettleson and sale. So they were off a year (I know they still practiced) without seeing live pitching so I think that might have something to do with it. I hate hudson valley hasn't won a championship in 10 years. That sucks it really does, who knows maybe the second half will be different and HV will win their division.

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  33. No one hates the players, It couldnt be further from the truth, We know the guys that are here are playing their hearts out. I also understand that it is an instructional/evaluation league. It just seems the organization as a whole seems to discount the Short Season A level.

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