In George We Trust
A(nother) blog about the most storied franchise in sports
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Notes from the minor leagues
From this week's International League notebook:

"We're losing every game by one run. If we were being blown out, it would be different. It's a bad bounce here or somebody doesn't do his job. Nobody wants to be in Triple-A; everybody wants to be in the big leagues. If you're down here, you don't want to be losing."
--Clippers RHP Colter Bean to the Columbus Dispatch on May 5 after a loss to Norfolk dropped Columbus to 3-12 in one-run games.
From the Eastern League notebook:

"It wasn't bad for the first time out," Hughes told MLB.com after his first Double-A start. "I wasn't throwing strikes, though, and that was frustrating. I struggled early, and I couldn't find the zone."

Carl Pavano pitched well, but took the loss in his rehab start:
The right-hander, who now has 30 days to complete his rehab assignment, gave up a home run in the outing, also allowing three stolen bases.

"Hopefully five days from now, he's pitching another ballgame," manager Joe Torre said before Sunday's game. "I'm happy he's starting the clock, because he seems like he's ready, both emotionally and physically."
Later on, the same article goes on to say that both Kevin Thompson and Melky Cabrera are candidates to be called up should Gary Sheffield need a DL stint. In my opinion, I'd give Melky the call, because he has a much better chance of providing the team with offense. If they do that however, Melky's uses up another option, meaning he'll have only 1 option left after this season, and before you know it he'll have to clear waivers each time he goes from the Bronx to Columbus, and someone would certainly pluck him off the wire I believe.

Weekly Poll: Relatively close race in last week's poll as 14 of you (31.8%) think Eric Duncan is most deserving (or in need of, depending on your point of view) of a demotion, followed by Tim Battle with 12 votes (27.3%). Both Jeff Karstens and Marcos Vechionacci received 9 votes (20.5%) to wrap up the poll. The new question is up, and as always, thanks for voting.

Down on the Farm:

Triple-A Columbus (4-1 win over Norfolk)
Kevin Reese: 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 BB
Kevin Thompson: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 K
Melky Cabrera: 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 E (fielding)
Mitch Jones: 1 for 3, 1 2B, 1 BB
Eric Duncan: 1 for 3, 1 HBP (retaliation for Colter Bean plunking Lastings Milledge) - second straight game back at the hot corner
Wil Nieves: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 E (throwing)
Kris Wilson: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Colter Bean: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K - lowered his ERA to .48
Mark Corey: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Double-A Trenton (3-2 loss to Connecticut)
Bronson Sardinha: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Justin Christian: 1 for 4 - moved from leadoff to the 3 hole
Kevin Howard: 1 for 4, 1 K, 1 E (throwing)
Omir Santos: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Jeremy King: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
TJ Beam: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K - allowed only inherited runner to score
Charlie Manning: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K - stranded both inherited runners

High-A Tampa (4-2 loss to Brevard County)
Brett Gardner: 1 for 4, 2 K
Eduardo Nunez: 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 E (throwing) - 11 errors in 28 games
Cody Ehlers: 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Marcos Vechionacci: 0 for 4
Irwil Rojas: 1 for 3 - allowed 4 SBs
Carl Pavano: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HB - 3-7 GB/FB ratio
Jason Jones: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Josh Schmidt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K - first 1-2-3 inning of the year

Low-A Charleston (2-1 loss to Asheville in 10 innings)
Austin Jackson: 1 for 4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
Jose Tabata: 1 for 4 - threw a runner out at second; only Pujols (38), Berkman (36) and Thome (32) have more RBIs than Tabata (31) in all of baseball (holy shit Batman!)
Ben Jones: 1 for 4, 3 K
Mario Holmann: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 SB
Rolando Japa: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 WP
Jim Conroy: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Go here for a good laugh.
11 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Dude, that "Bronx Blunder" thing is not a good laugh. I stopped right around the time Cano got cracked on for "dropping the ball" and Giambi mentioned his cocaine habit. Oh, and that "cometogether" (sic) joke -- killer. Maybe it's just me, but comprehensible grammar goes pretty well with comedy.

Blogger Mike A said...
I thought it was pretty funny. You need to be able to laugh at your shortcomings, and of course it's always easier when you're in first place.

You can't take life too seriously, you'll never make it out alive.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
The only good news about whoever gets the call, Torre said he'd "play them regularly since they do in the minors." That means no Bernie in RF (yay!). I'm a little concerned about Melky. Last time up was a disaster. He looked god awful. He's tearing AAA up, so maybe he'll have the confidence (we hope). That note about options is worrisome. I'd like to think if he gets the call he stays for the year. We don't need Bubba, Bernie AND Melky. Who gets the boot?

Blogger Mike A said...
Bubba's the obvious choice to go, it's great to see a gritty hard-nosed player like that, but the man just can't hit. Hard to believe he once went .394-.504-.828-1.332 with 25 HR and 91 RBI in 58 G back at Rice.

As far as options, essentially each option represents 1 year worth of call-ups/send-downs. So if Melky is called up this year, he'll be able to go back and forth all season with no effect, same goes with 2007 since he'll have 1 option remaining. In 2008 however, he'll have to stick with the big league club out of spring training or clear waivers before going down again. It's the same thing that happened with Nieves and Bubba out of camp.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
That's promising at least. I still think Melky should stay. The only thing that would concern me is his defensive abilities vs those of Bubba. He obviously has a better bat and he's a switch hitter (IIRC). He's basically Bernie Williams, only, you know, a lot better and 4904 years younger. I like Bubba, and he's definitely done some great things in the OF. I can understand getting rid of him, but at least he's young. Bernie has been hitting as of late, but he has just lost it. I hate to see the man struggle. Hopefully he has a great series vs the Sox and all is forgotten.

Do you think it would be wise to call Melky/Thompson up for the series vs the Sox? That's a lot of pressure for the first game. That's the real test as a Yank. I just don't know if throwing one of them into it for the first game is a great idea...

Blogger Mike A said...
I dunno, Melky played against the Sawx last year and crumbled like Jaret Wright's shoulder. Who knows though, maybe he's got a chip on his shoulder and is waiting to prove to everyone what he can do.

We can only hope...

Blogger jr65 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Blogger jr65 said...
Hey, coming from a completely unbiased view;) I think it's funny. You can't take it at face value. Cano is the maturing juvenile, you goddamn fool. It's a sitcom. Also, don't tell me it's not funny before you read the whole thing. And your so called 'sic' jokes are intentionally foolish so as to make add a little but of stupid humor to the thing. C'mon. Have a heart. And comprehensible grammar? Don't be a dipshit. Do you really think Jason Giambi cares about combining two words, or would Derek Jeter correct him. 'It's not good Jason, it's well.' I'll change it, but wow. Just shut up and get back to what you're good at doing, which is having no sense for sarcasm and intentional foolishness.
Anyway, I tried.
Stop by and have look, not necessarily my article if you're not a funny kinda guy, but there are plenty of other articles as well. We're still trying to get off our feet.

http://crosstownrivals.blogspot.com/

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Dyslexia, you come off in those comments like a ten-year-old kid who can barely type. So don't question me. You have a right to find what you wrote funny, and I have an equal right to find it stupid. Which I think it is. I never questioned whether or not you had the right to make fun of the Yankee players. I just thought it was lame and unfunny (it's about as witty as someone scrawling something on a bathroom stall wall).

This Yankee team -- with these personalities -- could be made fun of all day long. But it takes wit to point out why things are funny.

Blogger jr65 said...
Alright, I didn't wanna get into anything, but know you've gone and done it. You have a right to think my piece was lame and unfunny. Hey, I know how it is, different strokes for different folks. But there's no need for open criticism. And you're gonna tell me 'you have to have tough skin in the blogging world'. Well sure, if someone actually gives me a real suggestion rather than taking childish potshots the whole time, then I wouldn't have a problem with it. But the simple fact is is that the same way you're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine. And I have the right to think you're pompous and arrogant. If you don't want me saying that, don't publicly demean my work with criticism that is in no way constructive. I mean, what exactly is your idea of wit and/or comprehensible grammar? Are you really so high up on your soapbox that you can't even see what a prick you are? In my previous comment, I was just making a joke plugging the site. It was perhaps using your post as a way to do so, and that maybe was in bad taste, but it was in no way an attack on your character. The simple fact that you even were willing to get into a useless fight with me is proof enough that I'm correct. Don't bother coming back at me because I'm done with this pettiness.
Mike, don't know you that well but sorry to turn your comment wall into... well... this. Never intended for it to happen. Hope I don't cost you a reader.

Blogger Mike A said...
Easy guys.

Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one and they all stink.

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