Always A Tiger
For full access to all our areas, please register (free), there are areas that do not show up until you register and log-in.
Always A Tiger
For full access to all our areas, please register (free), there are areas that do not show up until you register and log-in.
Always A Tiger
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Always A Tiger

A place for Detroit Tiger Fans to learn and talk about their Favorite Baseball Team, as well as just enjoy one another's company.
 
HomePortalLatest imagesSearchRegisterLog in
Please log in and join in the fun of game day threads (GDT) and in overall Tigers chat.
CONGRATS TO CABRERA AND HUNTER on winning 2013 Silver Slugger Awards!
DETROIT TIGERS - 2011, 2012 & 2013 AL CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPS!

 

 Minor league report - The Detroit News

Go down 
2 posters
Go to page : 1, 2  Next
AuthorMessage
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon May 04, 2009 10:55 am

Monday, May 4, 2009
Minor league report
Tigers' system rich with middle infield prospects
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

One half of a new Tigers infield could well be in place in 2010, given that shortstop Adam Everett and second baseman Placido Polanco are not signed beyond this season.

The possibility a couple of rookies could be there next season explains why Brent Dlugach and Danny Worth, shortstops with the ability to play other infields spots, are playing for Triple-A Toledo.

And both are acting as if they want the nod if job openings crop up.

Dlugach, 26, is back at work after missing most of the 2008 season because of a labrum tear in his right (throwing) shoulder. He already had shown the Tigers he was a big league defender, but his bat needed to develop, which it is absolutely doing a month into this season. He's batting .315 through 19 games.

"Dlugach is hitting the fastball very well," said Glenn Ezell, the Tigers director of player development. "But both are good players, and both of them are making progress. That fastball, you've got to be able to hit."

Worth, 23, was the Tigers' second-round draft pick in 2007 (Pepperdine) and is hitting .271 on the season. As with Dlugach, the Tigers aren't concerned about Worth's glove or arm. He has speed and range, as well as a quick, whipcrack delivery that gets the ball to first base in a blink, which contrasts to Dlugach's somewhat smoother but equally powerful style.

The Tigers have been dividing and conquering with two players who fundamentally are shortstops. Dlugach has played 17 games at shortstop, although Worth started at shortstop against Lehigh Valley in Saturday night's game, during which he went 2-for-6.

Worth also has played six games at second base and two at third base.

"We wanted to make sure these guys got as many at-bats as possible," Ezell said. "Both are very good, defensively. I don't know what's going to happen. But it's always nice to have two men who can play shortstop and play it well."

What the Tigers appreciate about the situation is the shortstop candidates don't stop with Dlugach and Worth.

Cale Iorg, 23, considered perhaps the team's top infield prospect, is at Double-A Erie and is fighting through a tough first month (.215 average). Audy Ciriaco, 21, is at Class A Lakeland, while Gustavo Nunez, 21, is at extended spring training awaiting a move to Class A Oneonta or another outpost in the Tigers chain.

"We knew where we wanted Iorg to play," said Ezell, referring to the Tigers' thoughts on sending Iorg to Erie. "But we had to figure out how we were going to do this with Dlugach and Worth. Both of them can play second base, so it was good stuff to get them both to Toledo.

"What we have are four very good shortstops in this organization, and we've got a kid, Brandon Douglas, at West Michigan (11th round, 2008 draft, batting .364) who has a lot of promise. We're in a position, looking at our big league team, where who knows who's gonna get the first shot up there. We're working with all those guys."

Now, a look at who's hot and who's not in the Tigers system:

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Don Kelly, 1B: He's batting .327, including .382 in his last 10 games.

Wilkin Ramirez, OF: The Tigers' top outfield prospect is batting .296 and leads the league lead with 10 stolen bases.

Luke French, LHP: He's 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 22 innings (six walks) in four starts.

... and who's not

Will Rhymes, 2B: He's batting only .197, although he has four triples.

Dusty Ryan, C: It's not the start he wanted as he's batting just .200.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Alex Avila, C: Last June's fifth-round pick has been heating up, batting .303 in his last 10 games and .271 for the season with seven doubles in 17 games.

Max Leon, OF: Continuing a torrid spring, Leon is hitting .365.

Jeff Frazier, OF: A big burst in his last 10 games (.390) has him at .321 a month into the season.

Scott Sizemore, 2B: He's hitting .310 and developing into the hitter that manager Jim Leyland believes will make Sizemore a big leaguer.

Brooks Brown, RHP: The man obtained in a spring trade with Arizona (for C James Skelton) has been a big surprise, leading the league with an 0.73 ERA; he's 3-0 in four starts.

Alfredo Figaro, RHP: Has a measly 0.70 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) to go with a 2-0 record and 0.96 ERA. He's struck out 18 in 18 2/3 innings and has allowed only eight hits to go with five walks.

Josh Rainwater, RHP: He's 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in eight games. In 12 2/3 innings, he has 12 strikeouts while allowing six walks and 10 hits.

... and who's not

Jonah Nickerson, RHP: He's 0-2 with a 7.66 ERA. He has allowed an alarming 40 hits in 24 2/3 innings.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Chris Carlson, 1B: His four homers are tied for sixth in the league.

Duane Below, LHP: In five starts, he has a 2.31 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.

Thad Weber, RHP: His 0.75 ERA is second in the league. In four starts, he's allowed 19 hits in 24 innings with 16 strikeouts and five walks.

Robbie Weinhardt, RHP: One to watch as he prepares for a potential move to Double A, he has appeared in seven games (nine innings), allowing five hits while striking out 17 and walking three.

... and who's not

Brett Jacobson, RHP: He's having a rough start at 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in eight games (9 1/3 innings). He has been racked for 15 hits, and has seven strikeouts to go with two walks.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Brandon Douglas, 2B: His .364 average is fifth in the league.

Mauricio Robles, LHP: He's leading the league with 40 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings. He's 2-1 on the season with a 3.04 ERA and has walked nine.

Casey Crosby, LHP: He's off to a big start in his first full season of professional baseball at 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA. He has 28 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings, but has walked 13.

Matt Hoffman, LHP: A 26th-round draft pick out of Owasso (Okla.) High School in 2007, he's moving into serious prospect contention with a 3-0 record and 1.07 ERA. In 25 1/3 innings, he's allowed only 13 hits while striking out 21 and walking five.

Billy Nowlin, OF: The Tigers selected him in the 25th round last June (Golden West College). He's second in the Midwest League with a .393 average in 16 games, with 16 RBIs. Nowlin, a right-handed batter, is 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds.

... and who's not

Luis Salas, OF: The 20-year-old prospect is having a cold spring, batting .217.

lynn.henning@detnews.com


Last edited by TigersForever on Wed Apr 20, 2011 9:23 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon May 18, 2009 9:37 am

Monday, May 18, 2009
Minor league report
Prospect, 17, opening eyes in Tigers system
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Anyone would be forgiven for looking twice. Or three times. And believing it was a mistake.

Avisail Garcia is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound, Venezuela native and outfielder who plays for Lakeland, at the highest rung of Class A competition and a place reserved for the better, younger prospects in the Tigers organization.

Garcia is 17 years old.


"He's a pretty good-looking young player and I'm not going to go farther than that," Glenn Ezell, the Tigers director of player development, said Sunday as he prepared to inspect Class A West Michigan in its game at Dayton, where Garcia is filling in temporarily because of injured personnel. "I'm just gonna sit back and watch this kid.

"I don't know if I'm stupid -- no, I know I'm not stupid -- but this young man's a baseball player, and with his potential ability, and with the people I've talked with, the reason I moved him here (Lakeland) is because I think he can handle it."

Garcia is playing against competition older by three, four and five years -- or more. But the Tigers, while being careful in trumpeting his talent since he signed with them in 2007, a few weeks after his 16th birthday, believe Garcia has every gift essential to baseball stardom.

He played only three games at Lakeland ahead of his temporary shift to West Michigan, which followed some eye-opening weeks at Lakeland during extended spring training, the period at Lakeland's Tigertown during which young minor leaguers work out ahead of rookie-league assignments. He was batting .250 with two singles in eight at-bats at Lakeland and had a single and RBI in three at-bats in West Michigan's victory against the Great Lakes Loons on Saturday.

Ezell also saw Garcia make a tremendous run on a wind-blown foul fly ball, against the fence.

"And he caught the dad-gummed thing," Ezell said. "And then he got another in right-center field, like there was nothing to it."


Garcia went 1-for-4 for West Michigan on Sunday.

Last season, Garcia played in the Venezuelan Summer League and pretty much sparkled. During one 18-game hitting streak, he batted .406 with four doubles, three home runs and 10 RBIs.

Garcia is the youngest of a crop of fingerling prospects just beginning to shine, with the greenest of them still primarily stationed at West Michigan.

Left-handers Mauricio Robles and Casey Crosby are the hotshot pitchers (between them they have a 5-1 record and have struck out 88 batters in 65 innings); right-hander Luke Putkonen (third round draft pick in 2007, University of North Carolina), is back from shoulder problems and pitching impressively, with a 2-1 record and 2.65 ERA.

One of the breakthrough arms belongs to right-hander Jared Gayhart, an outfielder-turned-pitcher (13th round in 2008, Rice University). At last autumn's instructional camp at Lakeland, Ezell says Gayhart "very quietly opened everyone's eyes" with his arsenal that begins with a plus fastball that can hit the mid-90s-mph.

Gayhart is 2-1 with a 1.40 ERA in 13 games, all in relief. He has allowed only 11 hits with 28 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

In step with Gayhart is right-hander Matt Hoffman (26th round in 2007; Owasso, Okla., High School), who is 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA.

Brandon Hamilton, a raw right-hander when the Tigers made him the 60th player selected two years ago (Stanhope Elmore High School, Millbrook, Ala.), is smoothing his delivery and harnessing the kind of pitches that spurred the Tigers to grab him in the '07 supplemental round.


Right-handers Tyler Stohr
(2-1, 1.56), Brayan Villarreal(1-0, 0.76) and Victor Larez (24 strikeouts, five walks in 25 innings), and left-hander Tyler Conn (2-1, 2.93) are four more reasons why West Michigan is in first place in the Midwest League with a 24-10 record.

Here's a look at who else is surging and struggling in the Tigers' minor league system:

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Dusty Ryan, C: Finally, Ryan is back to looking like a catcher who a year ago figured big in the Tigers' long-term plans. Ryan has played in 12 games in May and is batting .317 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Don Kelly, IF: In his last 22 games, he's hitting .320.

Casey Fien, RHP: In his last eight relief appearances, he has a 0.82 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 11 innings.

... and who's not

Chris Lambert, RHP: Lambert has a 6.29 ERA in eight starts, mainly because he has allowed 48 hits in 44 1/3 innings.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Brennan Boesch, OF: Making serious advances three years after the Tigers drafted him (third round, Cal-Berkeley), he's batting .317 with four homers, three doubles, a triple and 15 RBIs in his last 17 games.

Ryan Strieby, 1B: The big gun in Erie's lineup keeps firing. Strieby leads the league with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs, and is batting .283 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 17 games in May.

Deik Scram, OF: In his last 14 games, Scram (18th round in 2006, Oklahoma State) is batting .333 with three home runs, three doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs.

... and who's not

Santo de Leon, 3B: Not what de Leon or the Tigers quite expected: .195 in 26 games.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Andrew Hess, RHP: The Kalamazoo native and former Michigan pitcher is tied for fifth in the Florida State League with a 1.93 ERA.

Scott Green, RHP: He had a rough start, but in his last eight games Green (third round in 2008, University of Kentucky) has a 1.69 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings.

... and who's not

Roger Tomas, 3B: He's batting a not-so-robust .153 in 26 games.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Gustavo Nunez, SS: One of the hotter and younger Tigers prospects, the 21-year-old Nunez is batting .366 in his last 10 games.

Brandon Douglas, 2B: Nunez's double-play partner (11th round in 2008, Northern Iowa) is second in the Midwest League in hitting at .366.

Ron Bourquin, 1B: The Tigers' long-struggling, second-round pick from 2006 is at least performing at low Class A: .336 with two home runs in 31 games.

... and who's not

Ben Guez, OF: He got a taste of Grapefruit League action during spring training but has been ice-cold, batting .183.

lynn.henning@detnews.com
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon May 25, 2009 10:52 am

Monday, May 25, 2009
Minor league report
Tom Brookens' Double-A club likely boasts several future Tigers
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

The team has the best win-loss record of any Tigers minor league club (25-17), and it may have the most big league prospects.

Double-A Erie is becoming the primary Tigers hatchery for quick-to-the-majors prospects, which is what manager Tom Brookens hopes he's grooming in his second season at Erie.

"Most of these young guys I've had before," said Brookens, a Tigers third baseman from 1979-88 who two years ago was managing some of his same players when they collectively were working at Class A West Michigan. "We've got some guys with pop."

Ryan Strieby is leading the Eastern League in home runs (12) and is third in RBIs (32) while playing a slick first base. The Tigers' problem: A man named Miguel Cabrera is early into a seven-year contract to play for the Tigers, which means Cabrera primarily will play first base.

And that explains why Brookens has been playing the 23-year-old, right-handed slugging Strieby (fourth round in 2006, University of Kentucky) occasionally in left field.
"It's kind of an organizational thing," Brookens said. "We discussed it during spring training. Everyone wanted him to play a little left field.

"He does a nice job," Brookens said of the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Strieby. "He's not a slow, clunker kind of guy. He reads the ball pretty good in left field. He has ability."

Another hot shot is Alex Avila, a 22-year-old catcher drafted in the fifth round last June, who could be making his way into the Tigers lineup at some point in 2010, if not this September. Avila is batting .276 and Saturday hit his third home run of the season to go with a double in Erie's 7-6 loss at Akron.

Scott Sizemore, 24, a second baseman who, like Avila, could figure in manager Jim Leyland's 25-man roster in 2010, is batting .307 and is tied for third in the league with eight home runs.

"He can play (in the majors) on an everyday basis," said Brookens, who was making a general forecast for where he believes Sizemore some day will be. "He has good range, a strong arm. He played shortstop for me at Oneonta (rookie league, 2006), and he did a good job. He's got plenty of range."

Brennan Boesch, 24, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound left-handed hitter and right fielder, has had a hot May that has moved him into the conversation as a serious prospect. Boesch (third round in 2006, Cal-Berkeley) is hitting .304 with six homers and 21 RBIs this month.

"Real good power," Brookens said. "And he's finally learning how to hit the ball to all fields. He's making better pitch selection. Before, he was swinging at a lot of bad pitches. But that all comes with a little more experience."

Deik Scram, 25, a 6-2, left-handed hitter and center fielder (18th round in 2006, Oklahoma State), often bats third in Brookens' lineup and is having a bust-out season: .323 in his last 18 games with three home runs, three doubles, one triple and 14 RBIs.

Brookens' roster has pitchers, as well, apprenticing ahead of possible jobs in Detroit.

Alfredo Figaro, 24, is 2-1 with a 3.35 ERA (after allowing five runs in five innings Saturday) and is probably the hottest of the starting pitching prospects. But it has been Brooks Brown, another right-hander, who has the gaudiest numbers a couple of months after the Tigers grabbed him in a trade with the Diamondbacks.

Brown, 23, was 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA in six starts before he made a fill-in trip at Triple-A Toledo when Luke French was called up by the Tigers. At Erie, Brown has struck out only 13 in 36 2/3 innings, which says everything about Brown's repertoire.

"He's a sinker, slider, change-up guy," Brookens said. "He moves the ball around and keeps guys off-balance."

That's not the case for right-hander Josh Rainwater, 24, who was a fourth-round draft pick out of Deridder (La.) High School in 2003. Rainwater, pitching strictly in relief, is a harder thrower at 1-0 with a 2.05 ERA (1.08 in his last eight appearances). Rainwater has allowed only 17 hits in 22 innings, striking out 16 and walking seven.


Triple-A Toledo


Who's hot ...

Wilkin Ramirez, OF: In his last 10 games with the Mud Hens -- interrupted by a quick cameo with the Tigers last week -- he's hit .406 with four homers, one triple and seven RBIs. His 16 stolen bases lead the league.

Casey Fien, RHP: In his last 10 relief appearances, he has 1 .98 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings.

... and who's not

Brent Clevlen, OF: He's batting only .226 in 40 games with 45 strikeouts and a .276 on-base percentage.


Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Brett Jensen, RHP: At 6-foot-7 one of the tallest of Tigers prospects, Jensen (14th round in 2006, University of Nebraska) is 2-1 with a 2.92 ERA in 13 games. He has 11 strikeouts and two walks in 12 1/3 innings.

Zach Simons, RHP: He's got good numbers, overall, in 12 appearances spanning 23 2/3 innings: 18 hits, 20 strikeouts. He has allowed 11 walks.

... and who's not

Jonah Nickerson, RHP: It's been a tough year for Nickerson (seventh round in 2006, Oregon State), who a year ago looked as if he might be on his way. He's 2-3 with a 6.64 ERA and 64 hits in 40 2/3 innings.


Class A Lakeland


Who's hot ...

Kody Kaiser, OF: He's batting .353 with two home runs, three doubles and a triple in 15 games in May.

Matt Hoffman, LHP: He continues to impress in his swing role: In seven games (six at West Michigan), including four starts, he's 6-0 with a 0.95 ERA and 30 hits in 47 1/3 innings. He has 37 strikeouts and eight walks.

Robbie Weinhardt, RHP: He continues to burn up batters in his bullpen role: 0.66 ERA, 23 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. Weinhardt is from last June's draft crop (10th round, Oklahoma State).

... and who's not

Brett Jacobson, RHP: He's one of the few from last June's draft crop (fourth round, Vanderbilt) who's scuffling: 5.74 ERA in 12 games. He's allowed 21 hits in 15 2/3 innings.


Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...


Brandon Douglas, 2B: It's nearing promotion time for Douglas (11th round in 2008, Northern Iowa), whose .336 average is fifth in the league.

Gustavo Nunez, SS: One of the Tigers' prized young shortstops is batting .341 in his last 10 games.

Mauricio Robles, LHP: The 20-year-old continues to lead the league in strikeouts (60 in 43 innings). He is 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA.

Jared Gayhart, RHP: In his last 10 relief appearances, Gayhart (13th round in 2008, Rice University) has an 0.92 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings.

Luke Putkonen, RHP: He's pitching some of the most impressive baseball in the lower runs of the Tigers system: 3-1, 2.61 ERA in eight starts.

Tyler Stohr, RHP: One of the strong college arms the Tigers took in last year's draft (sixth round, University of North Florida), he has pitched in 16 games, all in relief, and is 2-1 with a 1.33 ERA. In 20 1/3 innings, Stohr has 16 strikeouts and one walk.

... and who's not

Ben Guez, OF: The Tigers development staff believes it's only a matter until Guez (19th round in 2008, William and Mary) snaps out of it. But he remains stuck in the sub-.200 netherworld (.183 in 28 games).

lynn.henning@detnews.com
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Jun 15, 2009 10:11 am

Monday, June 15, 2009
Minor league report
Foursome bashing away in Double A, earning call-up consideration
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

At some point this season, probably September when rosters expand and the cream of the minor leagues is called up, the Tigers will unveil some of the elite from their Double-A Erie team.

Scott Sizemore (second base), Ryan Strieby (left field/first base), and perhaps catcher Alex Avila, or maybe even outfielder Brennan Boesch, will get their first taste of life at Comerica Park.

They are among a small band of prospects in the Tigers system closing in on a big league baptism.

Sizemore, 24, was batting .307 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 59 games as he and the Tigers prepare for possible life after Placido Polanco. Sizemore was promoted to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday.

Strieby, 23, was batting .294, was leading the Eastern League in home runs with 14 and was fourth in RBIs (43).

Avila, who was last year's fifth-round draft pick, is cementing himself as the Tigers' next serious catching prospect only a couple of years after he converted to catcher while playing at the University of Alabama. Avila is batting .285 with five home runs, and in his last 19 games is hitting .324 with three homers and 12 RBIs.

Boesch, meanwhile, has figured out a few things three years after the Tigers made him a third-round pick out of Cal-Berkeley. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Boesch is batting .272 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs (.348, four home runs, 14 RBIs, two triples and a double in his past 11 games entering Sunday).

None of the players has had a bigger year than Strieby, and not only because the fourth-round draft pick (2007, University of Kentucky) has broken through with his bat.

Strieby is undergoing a position change. The longtime first baseman is getting three- and four-game shifts in left field, a concession to the reality Miguel Cabrera figures to be the Tigers first baseman well into the next decade.

"If you put him just one day in the outfield, it doesn't give him a chance to get a feel for what he's doing out there," said Glenn Ezell, the Tigers' director of player development. "We're laying some groundwork for him out there. There's a lot of things he has to experience.

"We're not telling him to forget first base. He's still getting three games or so there when he's not playing the outfield. But he's a good athlete who moves better than you might think, with a good arm. He's reading the ball off the bat, getting a feel for what he has to do when the ball comes his way, and keeping situations in mind. I think he's going to be fine."

Strieby is 6-5, 235 pounds and as strong as his stature suggests. He is another in a string of hitters who have been keeping manager Tom Brookens' team well above .500.

Sizemore's bat is likewise impressive and the biggest reason why the Tigers are looking at him seriously as a possible successor to Polanco. Sizemore was a fifth-round draft pick in 2006 out of Virginia Commonwealth (Brandon Inge also played there) and needs primarily to work on one huge aspect of his game: defense.

"He's made a few more errors (12) than we would have hoped for," Ezell said. "But I think we've really kept speaking to him about being fundamentally and defensively sound.

"He's a good hitter, has a very uncomplicated swing, and is a tough out. He likes to be up there."

So, too, does Avila, who is the son of Tigers assistant general manager Alex Avila.

"Tough young man," Ezell said. "When our pitchers have given him a chance to throw runners out, he's done very well (a stunning 46 percent). He's got a very good swing, he's pretty darn patient, and this guy wants to play baseball.

"We're still working on some things behind the plate that he has to improve, but this guy's going to be a good player."

That's the projection, anyway. Of course, minor league prospects can cross up predictors with the best of them. But once the Double-A threshold has been crossed successfully, the big leagues often are a short step away.

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Brent Clevlen, OF : He's having a midseason surge, batting .325 with one home run, two triples and four doubles in his last 10 games. Clevlen still is batting only .247 for the season with 63 strikeouts in 57 games.

Will Rhymes, 2B : After a cold start, he has things in gear, batting .347 in his last 19 games with two home runs, one triple and five doubles.

Brent Dlugach, SS: He has a big league glove and is finding his way as a hitter, batting .313 in his last 18 games.

Fu-Te Ni, LHP : The Taiwan native is finding his groove. In his last 13 outings, Ni has an 0.57 ERA. On the season, he has 28 strikeouts and eight walks in 27 innings .

... and who's not

Mike Hessman, 1B: He's having a tough year, batting only .173 in 53 games with a stunning 85 strikeouts.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Zach Simons, RHP: The man the Tigers received in last year's trade with Colorado for Jason Grilli continues to impress. In his last 10 games, Simons has an 0.46 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings in which he has allowed only six hits. He has walked eight.

... and who's not

Jon Kibler, LHP: Too many hits (77 in 67 2/3 innings) with too few strikeouts (25) against 27 walks.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Thad Weber, RHP: His 2.23 ERA is fifth in the Florida State League. In 60 2/3 innings, Weber has allowed 49 hits against 34 strikeouts and 11 walks.

Brett Jacobson, RHP: Like Weber, Jacobson was one of a wave of college pitchers taken in the 2008 draft (fourth round, Vanderbilt) and in his last six appearances has a 0.82 ERA.

Robbie Weinhardt, RHP: The reliever making some of the most noise in the minors keeps going: 18 games, 0.83 ERA, 21 2/3 innings, 14 hits, 30 strikeouts, nine walks.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Brandon Douglas, 2B: Douglas won't quit. Last year's 11th-round draft pick (Northern Iowa) is tied for second in hitting in the Midwest League at .340.

Gustavo Nunez, SS: A possible down-the-road starter for the Tigers, Nunez, 21, a switch-hitter, is batting .370 over his last 33 games and is seventh in the league at .320.

Brent Wyatt, OF: A 26th-round draft choice last year out of Lewis & Clark State College, Wyatt in his last 28 games is hitting .377 with two home runs, 23 RBIs, one triple, and eight doubles.

Tyler Stohr, RHP: He was the Tigers' sixth-round choice last season (University of North Florida) and has a 1.04 ERA in his last six games.

Tyler Conn, LHP: One more from the 2008 haul (14th round, University of Southern Mississippi), Conn in his last seven games has an 0.77 ERA.

... and who's not

Joe Bowen, C: He's having a rough go of it: .237 average and only a .605 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).

Brandon Hamilton, RHP: He was considered raw when he was drafted two years ago and continues to show it: 6.52 ERA in 11 starts, with 55 hits in 48 1/3 innings against 35 strikeouts and 28 walks.

lynn.henning@detnews.com (313) 222-2472
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Jun 22, 2009 9:52 pm

Monday, June 22, 2009
Minor league report
Pair is turning heads -- again
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

When he rode into spring camp four months ago, there were thoughts Casper Wells might be this year's Clete Thomas or Matt Joyce.

And when Will Rhymes rolled into the Tigertown complex at Lakeland, Fla., in February, no one noticed, at least until he pulled on a uniform and began catching everyone's eye, including that of Tigers manager Jim Leyland.

It has been a wild ride in 2009 for two Tigers prospects who could yet figure in the Tigers' long-term plans.

Wells might have been a serious 25-man roster candidate during spring camp had the 24-year-old outfielder not strained his right elbow, which pretty much cost him his spring audition and earned him a return ticket to Double-A Erie.

A few weeks later, Wells fractured the hamate bone in his left wrist. He is just returning to full duty but has made something of an early splash by hitting two home runs and drawing 12 walks to go with three doubles in his first 15 games back from the disabled list.

The .229 batting average isn't much, but the .873 OPS (on-base average plus slugging percentage) is what you want from an outfielder -- especially one with Wells' speed and power.

"He's still feeling a bit of the injury, but he's coming along well," Erie manager Tom Brookens said, recalling Wells and the "tremendous job" he did in 2008 when he batted .289 in 75 games for the Seawolves with 17 home runs, six triples, and 18 doubles, good for 53 RBIs.

Wells, a sturdy, 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect, could be the fastest of a group from Erie to reach the big leagues. The cast includes outfielder/first baseman Ryan Strieby, whose biceps have made him one of the league leaders in home runs and RBIs in 2009, as well as outfielder Brennan Boesch, and catcher Alex Avila.

Wells is fast enough to play center field and has an arm good enough to play right field -- and to make baserunners think twice about advancing.

He was a 14th-round draft pick by the Tigers in 2005 (Towson State) and has moved steadily up the food chain. He likely will be called up in September when roster limits expand, if not before, at least if his wrist continues to feel better and his bat responds accordingly.

Rhymes, 26, became one of spring camp's surprises. A second baseman and left-handed batter, who stands only 5-9 (generously) and who allegedly weighs 155, has more the body of a college wrestler. It was his hustle, defense, and short, quick batting stroke that impressed Leyland in Lakeland and spurred the Tigers manager to confer upon Rhymes that most esteemed of titles: "dirtballer."

It is a compliment, of course, meaning that a player does the things necessary to win games, no matter the cost, either to his body or uniform.

But a funny thing happened to Rhymes as he headed back for an apprenticeship at Triple-A Toledo. He began to think he was Joe Morgan, at least in the minds of Tigers developmental staffers.

Rhymes hit a couple of home runs at Marchant Stadium during his spring audition and drove several other pitches deep against the distant fences at Marchant. Once he got to Toledo, he seemed intent on becoming the International League home-run champ. He batted .203 in April and .261 in May, but has since gotten back to his compact swing and is batting .300 in June. In 51 games, he has two home runs, 24 RBIs, five doubles, and two triples.

"With the wind down there at Florida, he hit some balls out, got some doubles, and kind of got out of his game," Toledo manager Larry Parrish said last week. "He was hitting fly balls (when he joined Toledo), and in that heavy air up here they weren't going anywhere.

"It took him awhile to get back to his game. But he's been back hitting balls hard, running well, and doing a better job overall. He stepped in a drain hole a few days ago and has a bad ankle right now. But he'll be fine, and I can play him all over. He can play some third, play some shortstop on occasion, sort of one of those deals. We know we need some guys at those infield positions."

The reason Rhymes needs to be more versatile: Scott Sizemore, probably the best bet to succeed Placido Polanco now that Polanco is in the final year of his contract, joined Toledo last week and will be playing more regularly at second base. Rhymes, however, isn't likely to go away.

He is a graduate of William & Mary, a premed major whose mind is as developed as those body muscles he has nurtured through overtime sessions in the weight room.

Wells and Rhymes: Two familiar names are back in familiar territory as top-crop prospects.

lynn.henning@detnews.com (313) 222-2472
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Jun 22, 2009 10:17 pm

More information
Monday, June 22, 2009

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

* Brent Clevlen, OF: Never say never. In his last 13 games, Clevlen is batting .314 with two home runs, two triples, four doubles and eight RBIs. On the season: .248 but only a .696 OPS.

* Luke French, LHP: Still a likely bet to join the Tigers at some point in 2009. French in his last four starts is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA. He has 23 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.

* Clay Rapada, LHP: Making a bid to return to Detroit, Rapada in his last 10 appearances (14 1/3 innings) is 1-0 with an 0.63 ERA. He has allowed one earned run, nine hits and has 13 strikeouts against four walks.

* Fu-Te Ni, LHP: In his last 14 outings spanning 16 1/3 innings, Ni has a 1.10 ERA.

... and who's not


* Ryan Roberson, 1B: Batting .228 in 57 games. Has five home runs, 65 strikeouts, and a .292 on-base percentage.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

* Ryan Strieby, 1B/OF: Strieby's bat keeps bashing: 14 home runs and 46 RBIs (second in the Eastern League in each category). In his last 19 games is batting .333 with two home runs, 14 RBIs, one triple and five doubles.

* Brennan Boesch, OF: Boesch also is campaigning for a September promotion to Detroit in what has become a bust-out season for the Tigers' 2006 third-round draft pick (Cal-Berkeley). Spanning his last 14 games, Boesch is batting .333 with four home runs, 14 RBIs, two triples and a double. He is third in the league with 13 homers and tied for fourth in RBIs with 45.

* Zach Simons, RHP: Could be in Detroit at some point this summer. Simons in 20 relief appearances and 36 1/3 innings has allowed only 25 hits, has struck out 36 and walked a dangerous 16 batters. He is 1-1 with a 3.22 and a fine 1.13 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning).

... and who's not

* Danny Worth, SS: Had a tough time at Toledo and has broken in with a thud at Erie, batting .167 in his first five games.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

* Thad Weber, RHP: In 12 starts, Weber is fifth in the Florida State League in ERA at 2.13. Has a 4-4 record and a microscopic 0.96 WHIP. Has struck out 40 and allowed 11 walks in 67 2/3 innings.

* Robbie Weinhardt, RHP: Still has to work on his control (10 walks in 25 innings) but has struck out 33 and has a dazzling 0.70 ERA. Should be in Detroit no later than next season.

... and who's not

* Matt Hoffman, LHP: Has had a rough time since being promoted to Lakeland: 8:06 ERA in five starts. Hoffman, however, is only 20.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

* Avisail Garcia, OF: The Tigers prodigy turned 18 only 10 days ago and is doing fine, hitting safely in eight of his last 10 games (.308).

* Brandon Douglas, SS: Still cruising with a .353 batting average (second in the Midwest League). Douglas was last year's eighth-round draft pick (Northern Iowa).

* Gustavo Nunez, SS: One of the organization's best-looking shortstop prospects, Nunez, 20, is seventh in the league in batting at .322.

* Tyler Stohr, RHP: He was the club's sixth-round pick in 2008 (North Florida) and in his last nine appearances has six saves and a 1.69 ERA.

... and who's not

* Luis Salas, OF: He's only 20, so the Tigers aren't worried, but Salas is batting .219, and .097 in his last 10 games.
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Jun 29, 2009 9:18 pm

More information
Monday, June 29, 2009

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot

* Brent Clevlen, OF: Still hanging in after batting .358 in his last 20 games (two home runs, two triples, six doubles, 14 RBIs.
* Will Rhymes, 2B: During a 21-game June stretch, Rhymes is batting .342 with two home runs, one triple, five doubles and 9 RBIs.
* Luke French, LHP: Maintaining his bid to rejoin the Tigers, French in his last six starts is 2-1 with a 1.66 ERA. In 43 1/3 innings, he has 41 strikeouts.
* Chris Lambert, RHP: Another former Tigers pitcher who has notions of making it back to the big leagues, Lambert in his last five starts is 2-1 with a 1.34 ERA.

Who's not

* Wilkin Ramirez, OF: In his last 10 games, spanning 44 at-bats, Ramirez is batting a frightening .091. He has one double, 1 RBI, and has struck out 19 times.


Double-A Erie

Who's hot

* Brennan Boesch, RF: Boesch is now second in the Eastern League with 15 home runs and is tied for third in RBIs with 51.
* Jon Kibler, LHP: Kibler, the former Michigan State star, has a 2.86 ERA in his last 10 starts.

Who's not

* Ramon Garcia, LHP: Has an acrid 9.37 ERA in his last 10 relief appearances.


Class A Lakeland

Who's hot


* Audy Ciriaco, SS: One of the more intriguing of the Tigers' shortstop prospects has been doing nicely of late. Spanning his last 16 games, Ciriaco, who turned 22 two weeks ago, is batting .239 with two home runs and 9 RBIs.
* Robbie Weinhardt, RHP: Maintaining his bid to shake up spring training's cast of 25-man roster candidates, Weinhardt has an 0.85 ERA for the season. In 22 games, he has 31 2/3 innings, allowed 24 hits, struck out 40, and walked 10.

Who's not


* Chris White, OF: The Tigers' 12th-round draft pick in 2007 (Sacramento Community College), is batting only .239 in 51 games as Lakeland's center-fielder, and only .200 in his past 10 games.


Class A West Michigan

Who's hot

* Brandon Douglas, 2B: He has been pouring it on and remains second in the Midwest League in batting (.353).
* Gustavo Nunez, SS: Seventh in the league in hitting (.322), which isn't bad for a prospect who only turned 21 this year.
* Bryan Villareal, RHP: In 13 appearances Villareal, 22, has an 0.74 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.

Who's not

* Brandon Hamilton, RHP: The travails continue for Hamilton, a Tigers sandwich pick (between first and second round) in 2007. Hamilton for the season is 3-2 with a 6.46 ERA, and in his last 10 games is 3-1 with a 6.35 ERA. Not much has changed for a 20-year-old who still has time on his side.
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Jul 20, 2009 10:17 am

More information
Monday, July 20, 2009

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot

Will Rhymes, 2B: Batting .331 with two home runs, 10 doubles and two triples; worth 15 RBIs in his last 35 games. It helps that Rhymes can move around the infield, as can the top prospect to succeed Placido Polanco, Scott Sizemore, who could be the Tigers' new man at second in 2010.

Wilkin Ramirez, OF: In an up-and-down season for Ramirez, he lately has been up: .397 in his last 15 games with four home runs, one triple, two doubles and 15 RBIs.

Chris Lambert, RHP: In his last nine starts, Lambert is 3-2 with a 2.06 ERA. Still a long shot to be of much help in Detroit because of his slow-poke repertoire and an overall weak year for Triple-A batters.

Casey Fien, RHP: One of the Tigers' top relief prospects has moved back into the vanguard. In his last 13 appearances, Fien has a 0.92 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings.

Who's not

Mike Hessman, INF: Tough year for Hessman, who in 83 games is batting .190 with 10 home runs and 113 strikeouts.


Double-A Erie

Who's hot

Ryan Strieby, OF: Had been bothered during June by a hand problem that required surgery in 2008, but Strieby is back, big time: He is batting .310 on the season and .410 in his last 10 games and remains tied for second in the Eastern League in home runs with 17.

Casper Wells, OF: He likewise is healthy and playing a splendid center field for SeaWolves manager Tom Brookens. In his last seven games, Wells is batting .370 with two home runs, two doubles, one triple and seven RBIs.

Santo De Leon, 3B: In his last 12 games, the 25-year-old De Leon is batting .372 with three home runs, one triple, five doubles and 12 RBIs.

Brett Jensen, RHP: Spanning his last 13 relief appearances (19 innings), Jensen has a 0.47 ERA and has racked up 25 strikeouts.

Who's not

Cale Iorg, 2B: It isn't happening for Iorg, a potentially huge bust who is batting only .224, and in his last 10 games, .211 with one extra-base hit.


Class A Lakeland


Who's hot

Mauricio Robles, LHP: In his last three starts (he was promoted last month to Lakeland from West Michigan), Robles, 20, is 2-0 and has a string of 15 1/3 scoreless innings.

Jordan Newton, C: Another former West Michigan player who was promoted earlier this spring, Newton, 23, and a sixth-round draft pick in 2006 (Western Kentucky), is batting .355 in his last 10 games and .270 on the season for the Flying Tigers.

Charlie Furbush, LHP: In his last five starts, Furbush is 1-0 with a 2.02 ERA. On the season, he is 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA.

Who's not

Matt Hoffman, LHP: Since being promoted to Lakeland from West Michigan, the fire has gone out for Hoffman, although that might have been expected for a pitcher who is only 20. In eight games for the Flying Tigers, he is 2-5 with a 7.04 ERA.


Class A West Michigan

Who's hot

Billy Howlin, OF/DH: In his last 19 games, Howlin, 22, and a 26th-round pick in 2008 (Golden West College), is batting .430 with one home run, seven doubles and 19 RBIs.

Bryan Pounds, 3B: He was a 34th-round pick in 2008 (University of Houston) and is batting .375 with 21 RBIs in his last 17 games.

Ben Guez, OF: He was projected to hit and finally is: .365 in 15 games in July. Guez, 22, was a 19th-round pick in 2008 (William & Mary).

Mark Sorensen, RHP: The former Michigan State star has been terrific in his last five starts for the Whitecaps: 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA.

Bryan Villareal, RHP: In his last nine appearances spanning 42 1/3 innings, Villareal, 21, (signed out of Dominican Republic in 2005) has a 1.06 ERA and 45 strikeouts.

Luke Putkonen, RHP: Now healthy and looking like it: Putkonen, 23, and a third-round pick in 2007 (University of North Carolina), is 2-1 with a 0.78 ERA.

Who's not

Brandon Hamilton, RHP: Troubles continue for 20-year-old who was supplemental pick (60th overall) in 2007. His numbers in his last 10 games: 2-2 record with an 8.41 ERA.
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Aug 03, 2009 10:34 am

Monday, August 3, 2009
Tigers: Minor league report
Bats blossom in Double A
Outfielders Wells, Boesch display power, while shortstop Iorg has a lot of potential
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Casper Wells didn't hit a home run Sunday, nor did Brennan Boesch, two of the Double-A Erie SeaWolves outfielders who have been lighting it up for manager Tom Brookens in 2009.

Neither did the outfielder/first baseman whose bat was making the loudest noise at Erie for the first two months of the season: Ryan Strieby, who has been out for much of the summer with a wrist problem.

But another player with a marquee name in Erie did come through Sunday: Cale Iorg, who hit a monster homer to left-center field and added a triple in Erie's 3-1 victory over Reading at Jerry Uht Park.

Iorg, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound shortstop, might only be batting .227 during what has been a tough first full season of pro baseball. But the Tigers aren't giving up on their sixth-round draft pick from 2007. They believe Iorg, 23, a right-handed hitter, simply is making up for the baseball he missed during a two-year Mormon mission in Portugal from 2006-08.

"I think with his mentality, and with how he carries himself, he's going to play in the big leagues," Glenn Ezell, the Tigers director of player development, said Sunday. "He's still got to lay off the bad breaking ball, but I know this: He is getting better.

"He makes all the defensive plays -- all of them. Remember, this is a young man who was two years out of the game. But I see him starting to catch up.

"Is he where he needs to be? No. Can he go up there (big leagues) and play successfully at this point? No. Can he play defense with anyone? Yes, he can.

"What he needs is consistent at-bats. It's playing, playing, playing, and what's significant is that he hasn't been injured this year. He's been in the lineup every day, and that makes a world of difference. That's when you gain on what you're pursuing."

Iorg was given a handsome bonus ($1.497 million) to sign two years ago, far beyond the level commissioner Bud Selig wanted the Tigers to observe. With his bloodlines (his father, Garth, and uncle, Dane, both played in the majors) and with his size and athleticism, the Tigers thought Iorg was a shrewd investment.

But his hitting challenges have been severe and have led some to wonder if the Tigers erred -- until recently when his bat began to show signs of developing.

The forecast is somewhat more predictable for Wells, 24, a center fielder who has healed from an earlier wrist problem (hamate bone) and who has been scorching the baseball for most of the past six weeks.

Wells (6-2, 210), a right-handed hitter, is batting .262, but he has a .384 on-base percentage and a .519 slugging percentage. Heading into Sunday's game, Wells had hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games (.351), with six home runs, five doubles, two triples and 17 RBIs.

"I was talking with Jon Matlack (Tigers roving minor league pitching instructor) during (Sunday's) game and he said Wells just smoked one that looked like a 2-iron shot taking off," said Ezell, although the ball was caught on a line.

"He's coming back very nicely from that hand problem. He's probably swinging and missing too much (64 strikeouts in 53 games), but he can put a charge into a baseball," Ezell said. "And he has played center field very well. He's convinced me he can do a good job out there. Sometimes, he may be too aggressive -- but I don't think we ever want to take that away from him."

Boesch, a 6-6, 210-pound left-handed batter, was the Tigers' third-round pick in 2006 out of Cal-Berkeley and is leading the Eastern League in home runs with 23. He has had the biggest breakout season of anyone this side of Strieby, which interests a Tigers fan base that has seen corner outfield spots (Boesch plays right field) thwart the Tigers' offense in 2009.

"When he swings in the strike zone, he puts a jolt in a baseball," Ezell said. "If you listen to Tommy Brookens and Glenn Adams (Erie batting coach), they'll tell you he hits the ball as hard, if not harder, than anybody in the league.

"He's made a lot of progress -- a whole lot. He's got to stay in the strike zone. For him to be a major leaguer, he's got to swing at strikes. But he has wonderful power."

lynn.henning@detnews.com (313) 222-2472

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...


  • Wilkin Ramirez, OF : He's hitting .354 in his last 29 games, with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. But the splits on Ramirez explain why a 23-year-old prospect with power and speed is still in the minors: He is batting .340 against left-handers, .249 against right-handers. He is hitting .331 at home, .227 on the road. He also has 114 strikeouts in 341 at-bats. He remains talented but is still considered green.
  • Brent Dlugach, SS : In his last 22 games, Dlugach is batting .385 with three home runs, nine doubles and a triple.
  • Jeff Larish, 1B : He has these numbers in his last 11 games: .385, three home runs, three doubles and eight RBIs.
  • Jeff Frazier, OF : Still trying to retain his prospect stock, Frazier, who turns 27 next week, is batting .492 in his last 16 games with six home runs, six doubles and 17 RBIs.
  • Scott Sizemore, 2B : It is looking more and more likely that Sizemore will be next year's starting Tigers second baseman. He has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games (.377), with three home runs, five doubles and seven RBIs.
... and who's not


  • Dane Sardinha, C : Hitting is simply tough in the extreme for Sardinha, who is batting .149 for the Mud Hens and whose season on-base percentage is .229 to go with a .230 slugging percentage.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...


  • Andy Dirks, OF : Last year's eighth-round draft pick (Wichita State) has been playing steadily since being promoted to Double A. Dirks is batting .303 in his last 10 games with two home runs, nine RBIs and only three strikeouts. He is a 6-foot, 195-pound left-handed batter.
  • Robbie Weinhardt, RHP : A possible bet to get a September call-up to Detroit, Weinhardt , who has been a front-burner prospect since he was signed a year ago out of Oklahoma State, has a 1.64 ERA in his last seven relief appearances (11 innings) with 13 strikeouts.

... and who's not


  • Alex Avila, C : Not that the Tigers are worried, because everyone has the occasional slump, and Avila has one going at the moment He's hitting .158 in his last 10 games. However, he has struck out only nine times during that stretch and has walked six times.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...


  • Jordan Newton, C : He is 24 and finally beginning to look like the sixth-round draft pick (2006, Western Kentucky) the Tigers thought they had signed. Newton, a right-handed hitter who is 5-foot-10, 195, is batting .293 in his last 10 games with three home runs and nine RBIs.
  • Scott Green, RHP : In his last 10 relief appearances (nine innings), Green has a 1.00 ERA with five saves. He has 10 strikeouts in that span with two walks. Green was a third-round pick in 2008 (University of Kentucky).
  • Charlie Furbush, LHP : In his last six starts, the Tigers' fourth-round draft pick in 2007 (Louisiana State), is 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA.
  • Trevor Feeney, RHP : He was only a 31st-round pick in 2008 (Northern Illinois), but Feeney has been developing: 2.52 ERA in his last 10 relief appearances. He has 15 strikeouts and four walks in 22 1/3 innings.

... and who's not


  • Adrian Casanova, C : He was a 40th-round draft pick out of Clemson in 2006, and at age 26 is having a tough time at Class A: .161 in 41 games, with a .259 on-base percentage and a .220 slugging percentage.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...


  • Avisail Garcia, OF : Garcia, a prospect who only turned 18 seven weeks ago, is a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder and one of the Tigers' more dynamic young talents, is batting .357 in his last 12 games. Garcia is one who will be monitored closely by farm-system snoops for years to come.
  • Anthony Shawler, RHP : Although he is not the ideal age for a low-A player, Shawler, 22, is making strides: 1.37 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his last seven outings (19 2/3 innings). Shawler was a ninth-round pick in 2008 (Old Dominion).

... and who's not


  • Angel Flores, Joe Bowen, Cs : It's tough to find one catcher, let alone two, who can hit impressively while playing professional-grade defense, and the Tigers' farm system confirms it. Flores, who turns 23 later this month, is batting .220 in 35 games with five extra-base hits. Bowen, 21, is batting .161 in his last 10 games and .239 on the season.

Class A Oneonta

Who's hot ...


  • John Murrian, C : This is the league where college-age draft picks from this year's crop often begin, and Murrian, who was a ninth-round draft pick out of Winthrop University, has settled in impressively. He is leading the league with a .350 batting average and in his last 17 games has three home runs, 17 RBIs, six doubles and a triple.
  • Michael Rockett, OF : He was the Tigers' 13th-round pick in June (University of Texas-San Antonio) and is third in the New York-Penn League with a .346 batting average.

... and who's not


  • Wade Gaynor, 3B : Life hasn't started out as smoothly for the Tigers' third-round pick (Western Kentucky): .192 batting average in 40 games with only one home run.

Gulf Coast Tigers (Rookie)

... Who's hot


  • Alexander Nunez, 2B : Only 18, Nunez is batting .347 in his last 20 games.
  • Rayni Guichardo, LHP : He doesn't turn 18 until Aug. 13, which makes his numbers all the more impressive: 1.71 ERA in his last six starts.
  • Melvin Mercedes, RHP : He leads the league with 11 saves and has a 1.13 ERA in 17 games. Mercedes is 18.

... and who's not


  • Londell Taylor, OF : Things haven't exactly been going north for the Tigers' 13th-round draft pick in 2007. He is batting .105 in 24 games.
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue Aug 11, 2009 9:55 am

Monday, August 10, 2009
Tigers: Minor league report
Bullpen help is on the way soon
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Fast-forward to spring training, 2010. On diamonds and practice fields at Lakeland, Fla., the Tigers will hold auditions for 25 big-league jobs.

A few good men sweating in the minors are free to apply, a group that could include a couple of right-handed relievers now pitching at Double-A Erie: Cody Satterwhite and Robbie Weinhardt.

Satterwhite, 22, is a 6-foot-4, 205-pounder who the Tigers made their second-round draft pick in 2008 out of the University of Mississippi.

Weinhardt, 23, is 6-2, 205, and was the Tigers' 10th-round pick in 2008 out of Oklahoma State.

Satterwhite has been shelved since the end of July because of tightness in his throwing shoulder but he could be back closing games for the Sea Wolves later this month.

He has a 3.25 ERA and 12 saves in 31 games for the Sea Wolves, not to mention a fastball that reaches 98 mph.

Weinhardt has been so steady he seemed not to notice when the Tigers promoted him in June.

He was 1-1 with an 0.85 ERA at Lakeland in 22 games, during which he struck out 40 batters in 31 2/3 innings against 10 walks. At Erie, he's 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 13 games and 16 innings. Weinhardt has struck out 18 and walked seven. His opposing batting average: .175.

"He seems to understand what it takes to pitch effectively," Jon Matlack, the Tigers roving minor league pitching instructor, said of Weinhardt. "He still has some command issues. He tends to duck under a pitch now and then. And he may be too aggressive at times with his delivery.

"His arm angle is such that he can get his elbow a tad low," Matlack said, explaining how Weinhardt can "duck" while delivering a pitch. "In that respect, he's almost like (Joel) Zumaya when Zumaya's arm slot gets too low."

Weinhardt doesn't throw as hard as Satterwhite, but his fastball cruises at 91-92 and can touch 94.

"His fastball has nice, late acceleration at the plate," Matlack said. "He's got quickness and deception in his delivery. He's hard to pick up."

"He's got a very effective breaking ball that he probably calls more of a slider and I would call more of a power-curve, and he's developed a pretty nice change-up."

Weinhardt signed with the Tigers last summer and was a dazzler from the get-go at Lakeland, which is considered advanced for a player coming out of college. He was 3-1 with a 1.76 ERA, with 44 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings and 11 walks. Batters hit .162 against him.

This spring wasn't quite as breezy. He had some early control issues at Lakeland that Matlack said would've buried him at Erie. But by late June, he had earned his ticket to Double A. It would not be a shocker if the Tigers summoned him next month when rosters expand.

Satterwhite, who has the kind of talent that supposedly could've put him on a fast track to Detroit, "has been a little big of an enigma," Matlack said. "He has better stuff, with more velocity, and a different angle on his breaking ball, which is more of a downer (downhill movement) that can drop 8-16 inches.

"He's got a change, also, and I wish he would use it more. But he's really good some days, and not-so-good others."

We've got to get him to throw fewer than 22-to-24 pitches per inning. But he has really-plus stuff. That fastball is 94 to 98 every time out there. But you've still got to pinpoint that pitch at 98. Just watch (Justin) Verlander and (Edwin) Jackson and how they put it where they want it."

It would not be surprising if either Satterwhite or Weinhardt were asked to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, or perhaps pitch in the Caribbean during the winter.

The Tigers will be in need of bullpen help next spring.

And no one will be surprised if a couple of guys named Weinhardt and Satterwhite figure in manager Jim Leyland's roster decisions at some point in 2010.

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Brent Dlugach, SS : Isn't the best-kept secret among Tigers bosses that Dlugach has played his way into the shortstop picture in 2010? He always has had the glove. This year, he has had the bat to go with a full season of good health. Dlugach, 26, is batting .352 in his last 28 games, with two triples and 10 doubles. He is hitting .292. He was a sixth-round draft pick in 2004 (University of Memphis).

Wilkin Ramirez, OF : He simply has to figure out how to hit breaking pitches from right-handers. Once that happens -- if it happens -- look out. Ramirez, 23, is batting .331 in his last 34 games, with seven home runs, two triples, nine doubles and 24 RBIs.

Scott Sizemore, 2B : If it develops that Dlugach ends up at shortstop in 2010, the Tigers could have an all-rookie double-play combination. Sizemore is ready if the Tigers are prepared to allow Placido Polanco to pursue free agency, which seems likely. In 19 of his last 21 games, he has had at least one hit and is batting .357 during that stretch with three home runs and five doubles.

... and who's not

Brent Clevlen, OF : It isn't that he lacks batting average (.273 in his last 10 games, .266 on the season), or power (13 home runs), or defensive skills (one of the best arms in all of baseball). It's that he has struck out 14 times in his last 10 games, 116 times in 101 games, and has only a .319 on-base percentage with a .447 slugging percentage.

Those numbers, like Clevlen's overall big-league profile, leave him on the cusp. He is a classic Quadruple A player.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Brennan Boesch, OF: He should be getting a taste of Detroit when rosters expand next month. Boesch, along with Ryan Strieby (still bothered by a bad wrist), have been the big movers in the Tigers system. Boesch, 24, and the Tigers' third-round pick in 2006 (Cal-Berkeley), leads the Eastern League in home runs with 24, is batting .314 in his last 29 games, and during that run has nine homers, three triples, and two doubles to go with 27 RBIs.

... and who's not

Casper Wells, OF : Hey, slumps happen. Alex Avila was in a funk, as well, for 10 games before the Tigers called him up. Wells is still batting .316 in his last 26 games, with seven home runs, two triples, and five doubles.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Charlie Furbush, LHP : He is one of the Tigers' lower-rung starters who could end up in the back of the team's rotation no later than 2011. He has a 2.66 ERA in his last 10 games, with 43 strikeouts and 10 walks in 50 2/3 innings. Furbush, 23, was the Tigers' fourth round draft pick in 2006 (Louisiana State).

Justin Henry, 2B : He was the Tigers' ninth-round draft pick in 2007 (University of Mississippi) and has been coming alive of late: .351 in his last 10 games.

... and who's not

• Mark Sorensen, RHP : Was tearing it up at West Michigan before being promoted, but at Lakeland: two starts, 14.29 ERA, 17 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Avisail Garcia, OF : The 18-year-old prodigy is batting .317 in his last 17 games.

Alden Carrithers, 2B : Not exactly age-appropriate for low A ball, but Carrithers, who was a 15th-round pick in 2008 (UCLA), is batting .421 in his last 10 games and .333 on the season.

Ben Guez, OF : The Tigers have been waiting all year for Guez to take off, and he has: In his last eight games, Guez, is batting .517 in August after a .300 June-July uptick. Guez, 22, was a 19th-round choice in 2008 (William & Mary).

... and who's not

Billy Nowlin, OF/DH : Nowlin is batting .307 on the season, despite his batting average in his last 10 games: .094.

Class A Oneonta

Who's hot ...

John Murrian, C : Suddenly, the Tigers are developing young catchers. Murrian, the team's ninth-round pick in June (Winthrop University), continues to lead the New York-Penn rookie league with a .352 batting average.

Jamie Johnson, OF : Along with Michael Rockett (.312), Johnson, 21, and a seventh-round pick in June (University of Oklahoma), is batting .326 in his last 13 games, with one home run, and two triples.

Rawley Bishop, 1B : A 6-foot-3, 205-pounder from Middle Tennessee State, he was the Tigers' 19th-round draft pick in June and has hit safely in 24 of his first 26 games, batting .340, with one home run, nine doubles, three triples, and 13 RBIs.

Kenny Faulk, RHP : Faulk is second in the New York-Penn League in saves with eight and has a 3.10 ERA to go with 22 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings. He was a 16th-round draft pick in June (Kennesaw State University).

... and who's not

Chris Sedon, 2B : Tough start for the Tigers' 10th-round pick (Pitt): .157 batting average in 33 games.

Gulf Coast Tigers (Rookie League)

Who's hot ...

Jordan Cruz, OF : Take this with a grain of salt, for now: Cruz is tied for the GCL lead in home runs (six) and is third in RBIs (25). He also is 23 years old and was undrafted out of Kansas State.

Alexander Nunez, 2B : Nunez, 19, is more conventional. He is batting .326 over his last 24 games. He was signed in 2007 out of the Dominican Republic.

Rayni Guichardo, LHP : Keep an eye on Guichardo, who doesn't turn 18 until Wednesday. In his last seven starts, the 6-1, 165-pound Guichardo has a 1.41 ERA and an opposing batting average of .193.

Melvin Mercedes, RHP : Mercedes, 18, is 6-3, 190, and leads the league with 12 saves and has a 0.93 ERA in his last 10 appearances.

... and who's not

Michael Manus, LHP : He was signed (not drafted) out of Indiana State this summer and has had a tough time to date: 9.00 ERA in 12 games with a .324 opposing batting average. In 15 innings he has allowed 22 hits and nine walks. But he is big (6-3, 240) and throws hard, which explains why the Tigers took a shot.

lynn.henning@detnews.com (313) 222-2472
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Aug 24, 2009 6:41 pm

Monday, August 24, 2009
Tigers: Minor league report
Tigers' prospects rank well -- just not those at Toledo
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

In keeping with its name, no publication matches Baseball America for tracking baseball comprehensively at all levels.

The publication/Web site (baseballamerica.com) is particularly peerless when it comes to following the baseball draft and monitoring events in the minors.

It is why Baseball America's annual manager's survey has been of such interest as it has been unfurled in recent weeks.

The Tigers have good and bad news when it comes to how opposing managers view their prospects, according to the questionnaires filed with Baseball America.

The bad: Not a single player from Triple-A Toledo cracked any of the 20 different categories in which managers were asked to name a "best" prospect, whether it was best power-hitting prospect, best fastball, best infield arm, etc.

The better news for the Tigers was that they did reasonably well at Double-A Erie and at their Class A stops, Lakeland and West Michigan.

Three players from Erie got a "best" designation:

Brennan Boesch, the 6-foot-6, 210-pound right fielder who has had a bust-out season in 2009 with his league-leading 25 home runs, was named "best power prospect" in the Eastern League. Boesch could factor in the Tigers' upcoming plans for putting some thump in their corner outfield spots.

Cody Satterwhite, last year's second-round draft pick from the University of Mississippi, and a potential 2010 arrival for the Tigers, was voted as having the "best fastball" in the league. Satterwhite has missed part of the past month with a minor arm ailment but is back pitching -- and pitching well -- for the SeaWolves.

Cale Iorg has had the kind of season he would like to forget, offensively, anyway, but a shortstop prospect who was considered one of the Tigers' farm system's purest prospects at the start of 2009 has at least impressed the league with his glove.

Iorg, 23, was voted "best defensive shortstop" by Eastern League managers. Iorg got a big bonus to sign with the Tigers in 2007 after he completed his two-year Mormon mission in Portugal but has had a miserable time hitting for average at Erie, although he has hit 11 home runs.

With respect to the Tigers' Class A stops, only shortstop Audy Ciriaco avoided a shutout at Lakeland, which is the organization's high-A outpost. Ciriaco, 22, was voted as having the league's "best infield arm."

Not surprisingly, Casey Crosby was the big winner at Class A West Michigan, where he has earned status with Midwest League managers.

Crosby won twice: He was rated as being the league's "best pitching prospect" and as having "the best fastball" of any pitcher in the Midwest fraternity.


Gustavo Nunez, a 21-year-old shortstop for the Whitecaps, was, like Ciriaco, named as having the league's "best infield arm."

The Tigers hardly were overwhelming in the numbers of players who were recognized by opposing managers. They avoided a two-team, two-level shutout only because of Ciriaco's powerful arm at Lakeland.

But they are obviously gratified that they anted up to pay Crosby well above his draft-slot ceiling in 2007, just as they appreciate that Satterwhite is coming along as anticipated, and that Boesch has turned the corner in 2009.

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Brent Dlugach, SS: Can the Tigers not call him up when rosters expand in eight days? Dlugach is batting .385 in his last 10 games and .349 in his last 41.

Jeff Frazier, OF: The late bloomer is making it tough to ignore him: .396 in his last 35 games with nine home runs and 31 RBIs.

Scott Sizemore, 2B: Another who seemingly must be brought up next week, Sizemore is batting .328 in his last 34 games with five home runs and 16 RBIs.

Mike Hessman, 1B: Better late than never, Hessman has hit four home runs and four doubles with 11 RBIs in his last six games.

... and who's not

Jeff Larish, 1B: Not how it was supposed to have gone for a once-hot Tigers prospect. Larish is batting .139 in his last 10 games, .265 on the season, and he has only six home runs for the Mud Hens.

Wilkin Ramirez, outfield: Yeow. Ramirez is batting .167 in his last 10 games and .182 in August.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Thad Weber, RHP: Last year's 16th-round draft pick had a memorable Saturday night date with Akron: Weber, 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, and a University of Nebraska product, no-hit Akron, striking out 10 and allowing only two baserunners, courtesy of an error and a hit-batsman. Weber has put himself into the bigger picture with a fine season: 7-3 record and 3.95 ERA, although the opposing batting average is still up there at .272.

Brennan Boesch, OF: Nothing new for a big winner in the 2009 Tigers-prospects sweepstakes. Boesch continues to lead the league in home runs (25) and is batting .321 in his last 13 games.

Deik Scram, OF: Scram can't be forgotten during a season when Boesch and Ryan Strieby (still fighting a wrist problem) have gotten the headlines. Scram (18th round, 2006, Oklahoma State) is fourth in the league in home runs with 18. He is batting .324 in his last 10 games.

Cody Satterwhite, RHP: Satterwhite (second-round pick, 2008, University of Mississippi) is back after missing a couple of weeks with a strained muscle. And he still looks as if he could make an impression during 2010 spring camp. Satterwhite is 2-0 with an 0.66 ERA in his last 10 games and in four innings since returning from the disabled list has allowed no runs and two hits, while striking out four and walking one.

... and who's not

Ron Bourquin, 1B: Things haven't gotten appreciably better for Bourquin, the Tigers' second-round pick in 2006 who in his last 10 games is hitting .196.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Audy Ciriaco, SS: Good finish for the 22-year-old Ciriaco, who is batting .349 during his last 15 games.

Charlie Furbush, LHP: In a critical comeback season following Tommy John surgery, Furbush is 2-2 in his last nine starts with a 2.47 ERA.

... and who's not

Jeramy Laster, OF: It has not gone as Laster would have hoped in 2009. A 12th-round draft pick in 2003, Laster, 24, is batting .224 on the season and .194 in his last 10 games.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Avisail Garcia, OF: Not bad for a talented youngster who just turned 18 two months ago: .286 batting average in his last 10 games and .273 since the All-Star break.

Alden Carrithers, 2B: He was a 15th-round pick out of UCLA in 2008 and has had a nice 2009, even if he is 24 and in need of moving upward in a hurry. Carrithers is batting .310 at West Michigan and .360 over his last 21 games.

Ben Guez, OF: It kicked in late, but kicked in nonetheless for Guez, who was batting .209 during the season's first half but has been hitting .328 since. Guez was a 19th-round draft choice in 2008 (William & Mary).

Casey Crosby, LHP: You can seemingly mark him down on the permanent who's-hot list. Crosby in his last six starts is 3-1 with an 0.32 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.

... and who's not

Brandon Hamilton, RHP: Rough season for Hamilton, 20, who was a "sandwich-round" pick (between first and second round) by the Tigers in 2007. He is 1-1 with a 6.59 ERA in his last 10 games.

Class A Oneonta

Who's hot ...

John Murrian, C: Continues to lead the league in hitting at .327, which has made the summer more than gratifying for the Tigers' ninth-round pick (Winthrop) in 2009.

Rawley Bishop, 1B: He was the Tigers' 19th-round pick in June (Middle Tennessee St.) and has hit safely in 32 of his 36 games, batting .326, with three triples, a home run and 23 RBIs.

Michael Rockett, OF: Eighth in the league with a .310 batting average. Rockett was a 13th-round pick in June (University of Texas-San Antonio).

Kenny Faulk, RHP: Faulk (16th round, Kennesaw State) was drafted two months ago and is second in the league in saves with nine.

Luis Sanz, RHP: Things have gone better for the 21-year-old Sanz since he relocated from West Michigan: 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA in his last 10 starts.

... and who's not

Wade Gaynor, 3B: This young man was a third-round draft pick in June (Western Kentucky) and needs to begin behaving as such. Gaynor is batting .195 in 58 games with 47 strikeouts, a .280 on-base average and a .281 slugging percentage.

GCL Tigers (Rookie)

Who's hot ...

James Robbins, 1B: He signed Monday and promptly hit home runs in his first two games. Robbins, 18, is fresh out of high school (Shoreline, Wash.) and is a 6-foot, 225-pound left-handed batter.

Alexander Nunez, 2B: The 19-year-old Nunez is batting .343 in his last 10 games and .308 on the season with an impressive .884 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).

Rayni Guichardo, RHP: Guichardo, who turned 18 only two weeks ago, has a 1.75 ERA in his last nine starts. Opposing batting average: .191.

Melvin Mercedes, RHP: Another 18-year-old, Mercedes is leading the league with 14 saves.

... and who's not

Gary Perinar, RHP: The Tigers' 11th-round draft pick in 2007 (University of Minnesota), is 0-2 with a 10.50 ERA since dropping to the GCL from Oneonta.

lynn.henning@detnews.com
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Sep 07, 2009 7:14 pm

Monday, September 7, 2009
Minor league report
Tigers' system has promising talent, especially at Double A
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

It was a mixed story for the Tigers farm system in 2009. There was minimal talent at Triple-A Toledo, but a ton of it at Double-A Erie. The summer was quiet at Class A Lakeland, but Class A West Michigan had loads of stories, beginning with the Tigers' top prospect, left-hand pitcher Casey Crosby.

And then there were the "hatcheries" at the lowest levels of Class A and rookie-league ball, where the Tigers' upgraded international scouting, where this decade's foray into Venezuela is beginning to pump into the system teenage talent that could have a whopping impact on baseball in Detroit during the next decade.

Avisail Garcia, a 6-foot-3 outfielder who just turned 18 in June and began to blossom at West Michigan, has potential that the Tigers are privately thrilled about.

At the Tigers' Gulf Coast League stop in Lakeland, Fla., 19-year-old infielder Alex Nunez was sixth in the league in hitting (.308) and second with a .531 slugging percentage.

Then there were the pitchers: left-hander Rayni Guichardo and right-hander Melvin Mercedes, both 18 years old, who were among the league's more impressive young arms.

It was a year of surprises, and slip-ups for a few prospects who proved how difficult it is to make the big leagues.

Among the stories and performers:

Triple-A Toledo

Stock finished up

Scott Sizemore, 2B: Only question in 2010 will be whether Sizemore is ready for full-time duty. That will depend, in great part, on what Placido Polanco decides to do as an impending free agent. Assuming he is gone, expect Sizemore to get a shot with Ramon Santiago as his platoon partner. He hit well enough in 2009 (.306, eight home runs, 21 doubles in 70 games) to have qualified for duty in Detroit next season.

Brent Dlugach, SS: Same situation, with everything hinging on whether Adam Everett is re-signed for 2010. Dlugach learned to handle the fastball in 2009, while his glove is the bigger reason he could play in Detroit.

Jeff Frazier, OF: He won't unseat any of the higher-end Tigers outfield prospects, but Frazier, 27, began to behave in 2009 as a one-time Tigers third-round draft pick (2004).

Stock finished down

Jeff Larish, 1B: Simply didn't have the kind of season expected (.265, six home runs, 26 RBIs in 61 games). Scouts were always divided on Larish when he was at Arizona State. The naysayers' points were on display in 2009.

Will Rhymes, 2B: Got a bit power-happy after a big spring camp and never seemed to reclaim his short, compact stroke. Hit only .258, but struck out only 58 times in 107 games. Still has skills that could put him in the big leagues.

Wilkin Ramirez, OF:
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Sunday that everyone should know in a year whether Ramirez has a big-league future. He is with the team now that rosters have expanded, but he still must cut down on his strikeouts (143 in 113 games at Toledo) and hit for better average (.258). But he is only 23, and as Leyland says, he has "a rare combination of power and speed."

Double-A Erie

Stock finished up

Brennan Boesch, OF:
Quite a bust-out year for Boesch, 24, a third-round draft pick in 2006 (Cal-Berkeley). He led the Eastern League in home runs with 28 and had 93 RBIs in 130 games. Boesch, 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, and a left-handed batter, should see time in Detroit in 2010.

Ryan Strieby, OF: Had he not run into one of those hamate-bone problems that have been bothering more and more hitters in recent years, Strieby doubtless would have surpassed Boesch for the league lead in home runs. He had 17 homers before the All-Star break and finished with 19. He was moved from first base to left field this season (the Miguel Cabrera syndrome) and played adequately. Strieby is 6-5, 235, a right-handed hitter, and one to watch in 2010.

Casper Wells, OF: Had wrist problems early but finished strong and could emerge in 2010. He was expected to push for a spot in Detroit in 2009. Wells, 24, is 6-2, 210, and has the range to play center field. He batted .328 over his last 17 games heading into Sunday.

Deik Scram, OF:
Another SeaWolves outfielder who can't be dismissed in 2010. Scram was third in the league in home runs (20). A left-handed batter, he was an 18th-round draft pick in 2006 out of Oklahoma State.

Brett Jensen, RHRP: Had a quietly solid season: 3.19 ERA in 43 games with 59 strikeouts and 18 walks in 53 innings. Jensen, 25, is 6-7, 190, and a 14th-round draft pick in 2006 (University of Nebraska).

Robbie Weinhardt, RHRP:
Will likely go to spring training with a chance to at least contend for a bullpen spot. Weinhardt, 23, was a 10th-round pick in 2008 (Oklahoma State) and has been one of the bright lights in the Tigers' system.

Cody Satterwhite, RHRP: Had some forearm problems at midseason but came back nicely and, like Weinhardt, will be watched closely during spring training.

Thad Weber, RHP:
His numbers were not overwhelming (7-3 with a 4.06 ERA, but Weber 24, and a 16th-round draft pick in 2008 (University of Nebraska), has enough potential to have earned a ticket to this autumn's Arizona Fall League.

Stock finished down

Cale Iorg, SS: Don't count him out -- not when he is still experiencing effects from his two-year Mormon mission. Iorg's defense is off-the-charts good and he displayed power (11 home runs). But he batted .221 with an unbelievably bad .270 on-base average. He needs to make major strides in 2010, or the Tigers' sixth-round pick in 2007, who was paid $1.5 million to sign, will end up as one of the franchise's biggest draft busts.

Danny Worth, IF:
Never hit, which wasn't what the Tigers had hoped from their 2007 second-round pick. Has batted only .234 with a .301 on-base average.

Jonah Nickerson, RHP: A setback season for Nickerson, a seventh-round pick in 2006 (Oregon State). He was 8-12 with a 5.37 ERA and a sour 1.61 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched).

Class A Lakeland

Stock finished up

Charlie Furbush, LHP:
Came back from Tommy John surgery and could be on his way to a back-of-the-rotation spot in the big leagues. Finished with a 3.96 ERA in 24 games.

Stock finished down

Matt Hoffman, LHP: Not a concern, because he is only 20 years old, but Hoffman had a tough time (3-7, 6.79 ERA) after burning it up at West Michigan.

Class A West Michigan

Stock finished up

Casey Crosby, LHP: Tigers are counting on him, along with new draft picks Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver, to be big parts of their future rotation. Crosby's first full season after being drafted in 2007 and having Tommy John surgery was a trophy: 10-4, 2.41 ERA, and only 70 hits in 104 2/3 innings.

Gustavo Nunez, SS: Batted .315 in 111 games and has an arm ranked by opposing managers (Baseball America poll) as the best in the league. Is only 21 and has time on his side.

Luke Putkonen, RHP: Had shoulder problems a year ago but has bounced back. He was a third-round draft pick in 2007 (North Carolina) and at 23 is still a valid prospect.

Stock finished down

Brandon Hamilton, RHP:
He has lots of time to grow, but Hamilton was considered the essence of an unpolished, hard-throwing high school pitcher when he was drafted two years ago as an early-round "sandwich pick" and has done nothing to disprove the tag. He was 5-5 with a 7.16 ERA in 2009 and walked 60 in 98 innings.

lynn.henning@detnews.com
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue May 04, 2010 12:48 am

Last Updated: April 12. 2010 1:00AM
Tigers: Minor league report
Prospect Casey Crosby's elbow injury might not be serious
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Oh, boy. These are the moments that chill a Tigers staff.

Casey Crosby, one of the organization's hotshot left-handed pitching prospects, knew something was wrong during a throwing session last Sunday in Lakeland, Fla., where he planned to open the season at Class A.

The situation was so scary that Crosby was checked by doctors outside the team's medical staff.

The conclusion: Crosby has a contusion -- a bone bruise -- in his throwing elbow. He will rest until the elbow heals. It's an indefinite stretch, but in the Tigers' view not likely to be lengthy.

"We don't know how it occurred, and not just our athletic trainers, but other medical staffs," said Glenn Ezell, the Tigers director of player development. "Doctors have said we'll just back off and make sure we get things right. But there didn't appear to be anything from the tests that would create a huge problem."

Crosby, 21, is part of a troika with Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver as the top three Tigers pitching prospects. Crosby was a fifth-round pick in 2007, when he was coaxed away from his University of Illinois scholarship by Detroit's $748,500 offer.

He was an elite prospect from the start, although his body didn't seem to appreciate it. Crosby had Tommy John surgery in the fall of 2007 to replace a ligament in his throwing elbow and only began pitching competitively last year.

His skills haven't suffered. Crosby was 10-4 with a 2.41 ERA at Class A West Michigan. Although timetables are never publicly discussed, the Tigers won't be surprised if Crosby contends next spring for a job in Detroit.

But the elbow must cooperate.

"It's always a problem when this young man can't pitch, because he is personally exciting," Ezell said. "We all love his ability. We just have to make sure he gets right. We're going to let him rest and get back to pitching form."

Turner's debut

Nothing out of the ordinary happened during Turner's first full week in professional baseball. He made one start at West Michigan and looked like the blow-away right-hander who dazzled everyone during spring camp.

Turner pitched five innings Saturday, allowed two hits, struck out seven, and walked none in a 6-4 loss to Lake County.

The Tigers are in no hurry with Turner, who turns 19 on May 21. If all goes well, he could be sent to Class A Lakeland at some point this year, but the Tigers aren't biting on any suggestions he will be fast-tracked.

Because he won't be -- not when a high school player (the Tigers grabbed him out of Westminster Christian Academy in suburban St. Louis last June with the ninth overall pick) needs to adjust to the grind of a full season in the pros.

Turner has other challenges, as well.

"I think he's got to locate his fastball," Ezell said of a 6-foot-5, 210-pound right-hander whose heater is in the mid-90-mph range. "It's not good when (his fastball) is not somewhere in the neighborhood he wants it to be."

"If you want to go in, it's got to go in. If you're going away, it's got to go away. And not when it just happens. He's got to mechanically know where he must be in his delivery when he needs to throw a particular pitch in a particular place."

Around the horn

Casper Wells, who is warming up for the big leagues at Triple-A Toledo in company with Clete Thomas, Ryan Strieby, and Brennan Boesch, among others, dislocated his right pinky finger while making a headfirst slide Thursday.

"He took full batting practice (Saturday)," Ezell said, all but chuckling at Wells' wild ways. "He is absolutely a bull in a china closet sometimes. But he was doing some outfield work (Saturday) and working on balls off the wall.

"He's going to play soon."

... Strieby, who might be the best bet to succeed Johnny Damon as the Tigers' next left fielder, started in grand fashion: four hits in his first 10 at-bats for the Mud Hens, including a pair of doubles. He also drew a pair of walks.

... Daniel Schlereth, the prized left-handed reliever acquired from the Diamondbacks in the three-team Curtis Granderson trade, struck out three in his first stint at Toledo. He went 2 1/3 innings, allowing no runs, two hits and a walk.

On the farm

A look at the minor league clubs in the Tigers' organization

Toledo, Triple A

Nickname: Mud Hens

Location: Toledo, Ohio

Manager: Larry Parrish

Record in 2009: 73-70

Record in '10: 1-3

Erie, Double A

Nickname: SeaWolves

Location: Erie, Pa.

Manager: Phil Nevin

Record in 2009: 71-70

Record in '10: 0-4

Lakeland, Class A (High A)

Nickname: Flying Tigers

Location: Lakeland, Fla.

Manager: Andy Barkett

Record in 2009: 55-75

Record in '10: 1-3

West Michigan, Class A


Nickname: Whitecaps

Location: Comstock Park, Mich.

Manager: Joe DePastino

Record in 2009: 81-59

Record in '10: 1-3

Connecticut, Class A (Low A, Short Season)

Nickname: Tigers

Location: Norwich, Conn.

Manager: Howie Bushong

Record in 2009:
35-39

Season starts: June 18

Gulf Coast, Rookie

Nickname: Tigers

Location: Lakeland, Fla.

Manager: Basilio Cabrera

Record in 2009: 29-30

Season starts:
June 21

lynn.henning@detnews.com


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100412/SPORTS0104/4120363/Prospect-Casey-Crosby-s-elbow-injury-might-not-be-serious#ixzz0mvd1ghBB
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue May 04, 2010 1:03 am

Last Updated: April 19. 2010 1:00AM
Minor league report
Two weeks in, Toledo prospects still shining
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

What should comfort the Tigers as they deal with some early bruises is that help might be as close as Triple-A Toledo.

The Mud Hens began the season with at least a half-dozen players who, in other years, might have cracked the Tigers 25-man roster. In most cases, they're still behaving like valid big league talent two weeks into the season.

Armando Galarrraga. Alfredo Figaro. Brent Dlugach. Brennan Boesch. Daniel Schlereth. Josh Rainwater. Jay Sborz. Clete Thomas. Jeff Larish. Will Rhymes. Even a one-time hotshot prospect, infielder Danny Worth, is finally playing like the second-round pick he was in 2007.

Dlugach, a 27-year-old shortstop who has shaken off shoulder woes, is the hottest of Toledo's corps, which means Dlugach is picking up where he left off at spring camp, where he convinced Tigers manager Jim Leyland he was headed for the majors.

Going into Sunday's game at Indianapolis, Dlugach led the International League in hits (17). He was hitting .395, with five doubles, eight RBIs, a .409 on-base average and .558 slugging percentage.

"He could always play defense," Toledo manager Larry Parrish said before Sunday's game. "But now he's making strides as a hitter. He hit the fastball last year, and now he's adjusting to the breaking ball. If that happens, he's an everyday shortstop (in the majors)."

Dlugach is a natural shortstop, as is Worth, who was hitting .364. Because the Mud Hens also have Rhymes, a conventional second baseman, he, Dlugach and Worth are taking turns at shortstop, third base, and second. Dlugach was to play third base in Sunday's game.

Worth a look

Worth might be on his way to the same kind of bust-out year Dlugach had in 2009.

"He was told last year he needed to do some work," Parrish said. "And credit to him, he came back this year a lot stronger. He also did some agility work, and you can see the difference, because he's been doing a good job at third base, making nice diving plays to his left and to his right.

"He's not gonna be a home-run guy, but he's been stinging the ball. It's a surprise so far how good he's been playing."

Boesch showed during spring camp his 2009 season at Double-A Erie -- he exploded as the league's acknowledged top power hitter -- was for real. The Tigers saw in the left-hander a future corner outfielder. Maybe near future, the way Boesch, 25, has been hitting: .333, two home runs, two doubles, one triple, 12 RBIs, and .409 on-base and .590 slugging percentages.

He has 11 strikeouts and three walks in 10 games, which means the only knock on Boesch (plate discipline) still applies.

"This kid, his topside is very high," Parrish said. "Right now, he's still learning what he hits best, and how to look for it. Sometimes, he chases a strike down, out of the zone, or he chases a fastball up. He's just real aggressive. You don't want to take that away. But over time you've got to temper it a bit."

Not all about hitters

Galarraga had a jagged first start, but pitched well his second start and has sharp numbers: 1-1, 3.18 ERA, 12 strikeouts, one walk in 11 1/3 innings.

Figaro, a 25-year-old right-hander who pitched in five games for the Tigers last season, has been steadier: 2-0, 2.61 ERA.

"Figaro has really looked like he's turning the corner as far as pitching and not just standing out there and throwing hard," Parrish said. "Last night (Saturday's victory over Indianapolis), he was rolling along, 90-92 (mph), pitching in, pitching away, and he got a couple men on base, and just like that (his fastball) went up to 95-96. He struck a guy out with men on base. He had it when he needed it.

"He's looked good."

So had a few other Mud Hens, who, this season, have made Parrish's group look more like a second varsity team.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Josh Rainwater, RHP: 1.42 ERA in four games, 6 1/3 innings; deadly WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) of 0.79

Jay Sborz, RHP: four saves; no runs in five games (5 1/3 innings, six strikeouts, one walk, three hits)

Daniel Schlereth, LHP: 1.42 ERA; four games (6 1/3 innings), walked six and struck out six, in addition to allowing six hits

Will Rhymes, 2B: .344 average, two doubles in eight games

... and who's not

Jeff Larish, 1B: two home runs, .235 average, struck out 10 times in nine games

Casper Wells, OF: Cold start for a hot prospect: .161 in eight games.

Ryan Strieby, OF: Also a chilly beginning for a prized young talent: .200 with one home run in nine games.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...


Thad Weber, RHP: 1.64 ERA in two starts, 0.82 WHIP

Jon Kibler, LHP: 1.64 ERA in two starts, struck out eight in 11 innings

... and who's not

Wilkin Ramirez, OF: .125 average in eight games with 14 strikeouts

Cale Iorg, SS: .125 average, with one RBI and 11 strikeouts in nine games

Zach Simons, RHP: 12.71 ERA in four games, 10 hits, three home runs, 5 2/3 innings

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Bryan Pounds, 3B: 11 hits in nine games, including a home run, .344 average

Mark Sorensen, RHP: 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA (1.06 WHIP) in two starts; struck out 12 and walked two in 10 1/3 innings

Bryan Villareal, RHP: only 22, made two stunning starts -- 17 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings, one walk, and seven hits

Lester Oliveros, Matt Hoffman, and Anthony Shawler, RHPs: zero earned runs and six hits in 11 appearances (15 1/3 innings)

... and who's not

Gustavo Nunez, SS: .171 average in nine games

Class A West Michigan


Who's hot ...

Alexis Espinoza, OF: 21 years old, .375 average in four games, home run

Jacob Turner, RHP: two starts, 1.00 ERA, nine innings, 11 strikeouts, no walks, seven hits

Melvin Mercedes, RHP: 19 years old; four games, no runs, one hit, four walks, four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings

... and who's not


Jade Todd, LHP: 19 years old; 6.14 ERA in two starts

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100419/SPORTS0104/4190363/Two-weeks-in--Toledo-prospects-still-shining#ixzz0mvgksohb
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue May 04, 2010 1:13 am

Last Updated: April 26. 2010 1:00AM
Tigers: Minor league report
Brayan Villarreal throwing bullets for Tigers in Lakeland
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

You half-wonder if the next Joel Zumaya might be pitching at Class A Lakeland.

It has to do with those strikeout numbers: 26 in 15 1/3 innings for Brayan Villarreal, a 22-year-old right-hander from Venezuela whom the Tigers signed five years ago.

"He's throwing the ball forward with a certain amount of conviction," Jon Matlack, the Tigers' roving minor league pitching coach, said Sunday, with his usual wryness.


Villarreal is 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA for the Flying Tigers. What makes his strikeout numbers even more of a knockout is that he has walked only two batters. His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) is a microscopic 0.78. Opposing batters have only 10 hits against him.

"I saw him last start, and he was stellar," Glenn Ezell, the Tigers' director of player development, said of Wednesday's win over Clearwater, in which Villarreal pitched six innings, allowed three hits and struck out nine. "He pitched with very good velocity, and with a breaking ball that he was able to locate down in the zone, and all with consistency.

"When he needed it later in the game against left-handers, he also threw a couple of change-ups that turned 'em around. I hadn't seen that pitch before."

Villarreal (pronounced: Vil-luh-ree-ALL) is 6-foot, 170 pounds, light by standards of typical Tigers power pitchers. He has a cruise-control fastball that runs around 92 mph, but he can step on the gas and hit 94 or 95 without overdoing it.

"It's lively," Matlack said of Villarreal's heater. "It has later life. When he puts it over the outside corner, you better not flinch -- it's by you.

"And he has a very good slider to go with a pretty good change-up."

Lakeland is one of the Tigers' happier farm stops early in the season, at least in terms of starting pitching.

Mark Sorensen, the ex-Michigan State product and son of former big league right-hander and Tigers announcer Lary Sorensen, is 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA. He has 15 strikeouts, has been touched for two walks, and has given up 15 hits.

Lakeland's bullpen is having fun, as well.

Right-handed reliever Matt Hoffman has a 0.93 ERA in five appearances.

Ramon Garcia, a 25-year-old left-hander who signed with the Tigers in 2004, is 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA (10 strikeouts, two walks, 12 1/3 innings).

Lester Oliveros, 21, a right-hander who was one of the Tigers' better prospects entering 2010, is on track (1.50 ERA, eight strikeouts, zero walks, in six innings) as is right-hander Anthony Shawler, a ninth-round draft pick in 2008 from Old Dominion, whose ERA in six appearances is 1.86, thanks in part to eight strikeouts and no walks in 9 2/3 innings.

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Will Rhymes, 2B: Looking more like the Rhymes who was one of the Tigers' 2008 spring camp stars: .339 with three doubles and a triple in 14 games.

Danny Worth, IF: Cooled off, but is sticking above .300 and making the Tigers realize why they drafted him in the second round in 2007.

Armando Galarraga, RHP: Could be on his way back to Detroit -- soon -- if this continues: 2-1, 1.96 ERA, 18 strikeouts, two walks, in 18 1/3 innings, .176 opposing batting average.

And who's not ...

Ryan Strieby, LF: But there's a reason. He has a tender wrist that the Tigers believe will be just fine in a few days. Strieby broke his hamate bone last season and it has had some lingering effect, which is why he is batting .167 in only 11 games.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Thad Weber, RHP: 2.12 ERA in three starts: 17 innings, 11 hits, 11 strikeouts, but a hefty six walks.

Brendan Wise, LHP: 0.00 ERA in five games, 9 2/3 innings, two hits, seven strikeouts, five walks.

And who's not ...

Most of the hitters. Cale Iorg (.158), Wilkin Ramirez (.203), Deik Scram (.192), Michael Bertram (.068).

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Rawley Bishop, 1B: 19th-round pick in 2009 from Middle Tennesse is batting .356, with two home runs, four doubles and eight RBIs in 14 games.

Daniel Fields, SS: Who said a 19-year-old can't make a splash at high Class A? Fields, the well-regarded prospect who was last year's sixth-round pick out of U-D Jesuit, is batting .318 in six games, with one triple, one double, and three RBIs.

And who's not ...

Tyler Conn, LHP: Last year's 14th-round draft pick from Southern Mississippi has a 6.14 ERA in five games, and a 1.91 WHIP.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Melvin Mercedes, RHP: 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in five games. Mercedes, 19, is a 6-foot-3 right-hander and one to observe as he moves through the system.

Who's not ...

Avisail Garcia, OF: Not bad for an 18-year-old, but when you're a super prospect, .227, with 22 strikeouts in 16 games, isn't what you were hoping for.

Who's hurting (slightly) ...

Jacob Turner, RHP: The Tigers' trophy pitching prospect has had some forearm inflammation, but nothing the trainers are overly concerned about. Turner should be back in the Whitecaps rotation soon.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100426/SPORTS0104/4260344/Brayan-Villarreal-throwing-bullets-for-Tigers-in-Lakeland#ixzz0mvjYPiPo
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue May 04, 2010 1:22 am

Last Updated: May 03. 2010 1:00AM
Tigers: Minor-league report
Alfredo Figaro showing better stuff with Mud Hens
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Alfredo Figaro would not send Comerica Park's applause meter into the heavens.

It has to do with that final weekend of the 2009 regular season when Figaro started the next-to-last game on the schedule and lost to the Chicago White Sox, 5-1, which helped send the Tigers into a one-game playoff. And, well, Detroit's baseball fans remember how that turned out.

But any bad sentiment toward Figaro is misplaced, for the sheer fact he was -- and remains -- a young right-hander with more talent than seasoning.

Now, he's growing up, at Triple-A Toledo, where he's 3-1 with a 2.76 earned-run average after the Mud Hens lost Sunday against Charlotte.

Figaro was not as sharp Sunday as he had been in his earlier starts, particularly his Tuesday gem against Syracuse where he went seven innings, allowed no runs on only five hits, struck out seven, and walked one.

"I told him after the game," said Glenn Ezell, the Tigers' director of player development, "I said, 'Let me tell you, Figgy, that's the best game I've ever seen you pitch.'

"And he said: 'But Ezey, you've known me five years.'

"And he's right. Five years. And what a game he pitched."

Figaro's compliments had been piling up even before last week's jewel. Larry Parrish, the Toledo manager, was impressed early by Figaro's fastball command, the 92 mph at which his big pitch moved consistently, and the 94-95 it could touch when he needed a put-away fastball for a strikeout.

Ezell saw the same thing last week.

"Command of his fastball, and a very, very effective change-up," said Ezell, who concedes that Figaro "is still working on that breaking ball."

Figaro, 25, has joined another former Tigers right-hander, Armando Galarraga, as the enforcers in Parrish's rotation. Galarraga has gotten on top of his slider -- a problem last year and during spring camp -- and has thrown strikes. He is 3-2 for the Mud Hens with a 2.30 ERA and has 28 strikeouts against six walks in 31 1/3 innings. He has allowed 24 hits.

"He wants to get back to the big leagues," Ezell said. "He's on a mission."

Another high-profile starter, Andy Oliver, is showing why the Tigers sent their second-round draft pick in 2009 straight from Oklahoma State to Double-A Erie. Oliver has front-of-the-rotation stuff, but needs to polish his control and overall pitching package.

Oliver, a left-hander, is 2-1 with a 5.03 ERA. He had 10 strikeouts in his last outing, a five-inning gem on Thursday, in which he also walked four. For the season, he has struck out 21 batters in 19 2/3 innings, while walking 12.


Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Will Rhymes, 2B: Looking again like a future major leaguer: .326 batting average, .381 on-base percentage, and only six strikeouts in 21 games.

Jay Sborz, RHP: Sborz, 25, and a second-round pick in 2003, has some shoulder problems behind him and has been deadly as the Mud Hens closer: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, and seven saves in nine games.

Casey Fien, RHP: No runs and only one hit in his last three games. Fien is 0-0 with a 2.08 ERA.

And who's not ...

Brent Dlugach, SS: Started out sizzling, but is batting only .216 in his last 10 games.

Clete Thomas, OF: Surprisingly ugly start for a former big leaguer: .140 batting average, 19 strikeouts in 13 games.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Wilkin Ramirez, OF: After cold start, Ramirez, 24, is batting .435 with five homers, one triple, four doubles, and 13 RBIs in his last 12 games. He's tied for the league lead in home runs with six and is third in RBIs with 19. • L.J. Gagnier, RHP: He was the pitcher of the year in 2009 at Class A Lakeland and is having a slick start with the SeaWolves: 3-0, 2.10 ERA, 23 strikeouts, seven walks in 30 innings.

Brendan Wise, LHP: Tigers took the 24-year-old Wise in the eighth round in 2005, and they like his numbers in 2010: seven appearances, 0.77 ERA, 11 2/3 innings, five hits, eight strikeouts. Only sour note: seven walks.

Luis Marte, RHP: Moving back into hotshot status after straining his shoulder in 2009. Marte, 23, has pitched in nine games, and has a terrific WHIP of 0.96, courtesy of 8 1/3 innings of relief with nine strikeouts, one walk and seven hits.

And who's not ...

Michael Bertram, 1B: .143 in 18 games, with 19 strikeouts and only one home run. Bertram, 26, was a 39th-round pick in 2006.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Brayan Villarreal, RHP: Continuing to dominate. Opposing batters are hitting a not-so-lusty .163 against Villarreal, who is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA, which includes these stunners: 32 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings, and only three walks.

Lester Oliveros, RHP: He's only 21, and Tigers fans will want to keep him in mind. Were it not for one off-key outing (one inning, two hits, an earned run) in the seven games he has pitched, Oliveros would have a 0.00 ERA instead of the 1.29 mark he has rolled up, thanks to nine strikeouts, zero walks, and only five hits. Looks as if he and Villarreal are aching for a promotion to Erie.

Rawley Bishop, 1B: Nice start for last year's 19th-round draft pick (Middle Tennessee State): He's batting .329, and in his last 13 games has hit .367 with three home runs, four doubles, and 11 RBIs. Bishop, 24, is 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, and a right-handed batter.

Brent Wyatt, SS: He's 25, and a 26th-round pick (Lewis & Clark State College), but the 5-10, 185-pound switch-hitter has had a big start: .344 batting average, which is sixth in the league.

And who's not ...

Billy Nowlin, DH: Tough month for a hitter who last year tore into Class A pitching at West Michigan: .174 in 19 games, with no home runs.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Trevor Feeney, RHP: He was a 31st-round pick in 2008 (Northern Illinois) and has picked up steam in 2010. Feeney, 23, is tied for fourth in the league in strikeouts (31 in 35 innings), and is 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA.

Hernan Perez, SS: The Tigers won't be surprised if Perez, who turned 19 on March 26, is playing shortstop at Comerica Park in the not-so-distant future. Perez, who is 6-foot and 160 pounds, is batting .375 in his last five games, with two doubles. One of the club's young hotshot prospects, for sure.

Jamie Johnson, OF: Seventh-round pick in 2009 (Oklahoma) is batting .313 with a .433 on-base percentage. Johnson, 23, is 5-9, 180, and a left-handed batter.

And who's not:...

Michael Rockett, OF: Last year's 13th-round pick (University of Texas-San Antonio) is having a rough time: .185 with a .194 on-base percentage, although Rockett has two home runs.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100503/SPORTS0104/5030349/1129/sports/Alfredo-Figaro-showing-better-stuff-with-Mud-Hens#ixzz0mvlmo8ph
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue May 18, 2010 1:25 am

Last Updated: May 16. 2010 11:12PM
Tigers: Minor league report
Ryan Strieby on road to recovery, and eventually to Detroit
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Brennan Boesch has been getting all the headlines. And now Casper Wells is with the Tigers, which means two of three hot outfield prospects have made it to Detroit following big spring camps.

Ryan Strieby is the missing man. That sore left wrist, which was operated on in 2008 after he broke his hamate bone, messed up his 2009 season, put him on the shelf at the end of 2010 spring camp, and finally landed him on the disabled list last month at Triple-A Toledo.

But the setbacks might have ceased. Strieby, 24, and one of the consensus best hitters in the Tigers' farm chain, is easing into a rehabilitation routine that could put him in the lineup by June.

"We're not being overly cautious, but we're gonna get this thing right," said Glenn Ezell, the Tigers director of player development. "We're all hoping this is going to be the finale.

"It's cost him some time, and that's too bad. This young fella's a player."

Strieby was a fourth-round draft pick in 2006 (University of Kentucky) and by 2008 was Tigers minor league player of the year. He is 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, and a right-handed hitter whom the Tigers love not only because he can regularly hit a baseball 400-plus feet, but because he is considered a high-average hitter who can just as easily rip a pitch against the right-center field fence.

Strieby was on his way to leading the Eastern League in home runs in 2009 at Double-A Erie, until his wrist acted up at midseason. He barely played during the second half.

He came to spring camp this year with a nice spot on the Tigers' 40-man roster. Tigers manager Jim Leyland was speaking about Strieby as much as anyone when he said he had never seen as much talent as the Tigers convened at Florida in February and March.

Strieby, though, started the year at Toledo and went on the disabled list April 22. Only lately has he begun to feel like his pre-wrist self, in part because of a cortisone shot last week that the medical staff believes should once and for all end the irritation.

He will bat in short, simulated games at Fifth Third Field in Toledo as he steadily tunes his wrist and batting stroke.

"I am not putting this young man into a game prematurely," Ezell said. "We want to wait and let this guy see some simulated pitching."

Strieby is a natural first baseman who moved to the outfield last season because Miguel Cabrera looks as if he will be in Detroit for the foreseeable future.

Assuming he will be in the Mud Hens lineup soon, Strieby will join Clete Thomas, and very likely Wells when Wells' Tigers cameo is up, probably in a week, when Raburn is free to return to the Tigers following his 10-day minimum stay at Triple A.

After that, it's all a matter of his wrist. If he is healthy, the Tigers expect Strieby to knock down a fence or two as he plays himself back into the big league picture.

And if all goes well, all the muscle and prowess that made Leyland take such happy notice of Strieby in Florida will be on display again in 2011, when a prime prospect makes a bid for his own debut at Comerica Park.

Elsewhere in the Tigers' farm galaxy:

Triple-A Toledo

WHO'S HOT

Ben Guez, OF: Was a 19th-round draft pick by the Tigers in 2008 (William & Mary) and has been doing nicely with the Mud Hens: .324 in 13 games, .643 in his last five. Guez, 23, is a right-handed batter.

Daniel Schlereth, LHP: In his last seven games (9 2/3 innings), reliever Schlereth has struck out 15, walked six, and allowed only four hits. His season numbers: 1-0 with a 0.59 ERA.

Casey Fien, RHP: Has an 0.95 ERA in his last 13 games and a 1.71 ERA for the season. Batters are hitting .221 against him.

Robbie Weinhardt, RHP: Has been almost flawless in his last eight games, spanning 11 innings: no runs, six hits, one walk, eight strikeouts. Has a 2.84 ERA with a .221 opposing batting average.

... AND WHO'S NOT

Clete Thomas, OF: Still having a case of the chills, batting only .183.

Double-A Erie

WHO'S HOT

Wilkin Ramirez, OF: Got straightened out after a brutal first two weeks and has been hot since: .308 in his last 26 games, with seven home runs, three triples, seven doubles, and 22 RBIs. Tied for the league lead in home runs with eight.

Cesar Nicolas, DH: Tigers signed him as a minor-league free agent last winter and Nicolas, 28, has been lashing Eastern League pitchers: .342 in his last 21 games, with four home runs, nine doubles, and 23 RBIs.

... AND WHO'S NOT

Jay Voss, LHP : Tigers got him in the trade for Nate Robertson. So far, not good: 7.63 ERA in 12 games. Voss has allowed 21 hits in 15 1/3 innings.

Class A Lakeland

WHO'S HOT

Charlie Furbush, LHP: Leads the Florida State League in strikeouts with 58 in 41 1/3 innings. For the season Furbush, 24, is 2-3 with a 3.05 ERA. He was a fourth-round draft pick out of LSU in 2007.

Luke Putkonen, RHP: Another 2007 early-round pick (third round, North Carolina), Putkonen in his last three starts is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA.

Rawley Bishop, 1B: Is batting .382 in his last 25 games, with four home runs, 11 doubles, and 24 RBIs. Bishop is tied for the league lead in hitting at .358.

Alden Carrithers, 2B: A 15th-round pick in 2008 (UCLA), Carrithers, a left-handed batter, is third in the league with a .350 batting average.

... AND WHO'S NOT

Billy Nowlin, DH: Batting .178 in 29 games with a .218 slugging percentage.

Class A West Michigan


WHO'S HOT

Trevor Feeney, RHP: Tied for second in the league in strikeouts with 47 (eight walks) in eight starts, spanning 56 innings. Feeney, 23, was a 31st-round pick in 2008 (Northern Illinois).

Ramon Lebron, RHP: Continuing to burn up the Midwest League. In his last three starts, Lebron is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA, with 21 strikeouts in 16 innings.

Jamie Johnson, OF: Batting .313 in his last 23 games. Johnson, 23, was a ninth-round pick in 2009 (Oklahoma). He is a 5-9, 185-pound, left-handed batter.

Avisail Garcia, OF: All numbers must be remembered in the context of Garcia's age: 18. He is batting ..324 in his last 18 games. Quite a development story happening here.

Alexis Espinoza, OF: Espinoza, 21, is batting .367 in 10 of his past 12 games, with a home run, two triples, four doubles, and eight RBIs. Espinoza is 6-1, 185 pounds, and a right-handed hitter.

Wade Gaynor, 3B: Beginning to find his way. Gaynor, last year's third-round draft pick (Western Kentucky), is batting .370 in five of his last six games, with two home runs and three doubles.

... AND WHO'S NOT


Michael Rockett, OF: 13th-round draft pick in 2009 (Texas-San Antonio) is struggling: .189 in 29 games with a .209 on-base percentage.

Luis Palacios, 2B: Is only 20 and has time to shake off a .162 batting average (21 games).

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100516/SPORTS0104/5160353/1129/Small-Talk--Tigers--Phil-Coke-talks-Mohawks--team-pranks/Ryan-Strieby-on-road-to-recovery--and-eventually-to-Detroit#ixzz0oFeJef00
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeFri May 21, 2010 1:16 am

Last Updated: May 20. 2010 1:47AM
Tigers: Minor leagues
Scott Sizemore not giving up after demotion to Toledo
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

Toledo, Ohio -- Ever misplace a glove at school? Try the lost-and-found.

Ever been handed a job, then have it taken away? Try the found-and-lost.

In Scott Sizemore, the Tigers thought they had their second-base solution in house after not re-signing Placido Polanco.

They believed he was going to play adequate defense, but hit enough to earn his keep. He didn't hit -- or, in a more hopeful vein, just hasn't yet.

Now the Tigers are on the West Coast and Sizemore is back with the Toledo Mud Hens, taking his hacks Wednesday in a 5-2 victory over the Durham Bulls.

To make matters ironic, Carlos Guillen took the field here after the Mud Hens' victory to continue his preparation as Sizemore's successor at second.

Here's a question that hasn't been answered yet, however. When Guillen begins his rehab assignment, probably on Saturday, he'll be playing second base right away because that's the job which awaits him.

So, what happens to Sizemore when he has to hand his position over to Guillen during his rehab assignment? He'll have to play elsewhere, of course.

Another reminder he wasn't the answer.

What happened to Sizemore? Was he in over his head? Was he "fighting himself" while he was with the Tigers, as manager Jim Leyland put it?

Was he getting a "little lost," something else Leyland said?

Sizemore doesn't believe he was. With his batting average dropping to .206 because of the .118 he hit in May, the rookie prefers to think he just didn't hit enough.

"Obviously there's some heartbreak with being sent down," said Sizemore, 25, "but it's for a reason. I have to improve in some areas. I just have to get better, period."

In no way does Sizemore sound like a player who thinks he "blew it." The Tigers also don't sound like an organization with that belief.

In their announcement after Saturday night's game that Sizemore was being optioned to Toledo, both Leyland and Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski made it clear the organization still thinks highly of Sizemore.

"Hopefully they'll have the confidence to call me up again," Sizemore said after going 2-for-4 with two RBIs against Durham. He's now 3-for-10 since being sent down.

"I was struggling, it was a grind every day, but whenever I stepped into the box, I felt I had a chance to get a hit. Sometimes as a hitter, though, you go through spells where you just can't figure it out.

"All I can do is go where they put me and do the best I can to get back up there.

"This isn't going to end my career. It's a bump in the road. I just have to keep plugging anyway."

Around the horn

Guillen and the Mud Hens are looking at Monday night as the game in which they'll probably face top Nationals prospect Stephen Strasburg .

... Clete Thomas ' season has been interrupted by a rather vague left knee injury that has landed him on the disabled list.

It looked like he was getting it together with a 5-for-13 stretch in which he hit three home runs and had five RBIs, but now he's on the DL for the second time this season. He hasn't played since May 11.

... Brent Dlugach didn't strike out Wednesday, but he still leads the International League with 58, 10 more than anyone else.

... Outfielder Ryan Raburn is shining. Since being sent down by the Tigers last week, he's hitting .435 (10-for-23) with five doubles in six games.

... Starter Phil Dumatrait , who was in spring training with the Tigers and was 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA in eight starts for Toledo, has gone to Seoul, South Korea, to pitch for the LG Twins.

According to the Korea Times, the deal is worth $200,000 for Dumatrait, who pitched in the majors for the Reds and Pirates.

tom.gage@detnews.com twitter.com/Tom_Gage

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100520/SPORTS0104/5200441/1129/Scott-Sizemore-not-giving-up-after-demotion-to-Toledo#ixzz0oX9eoBY9
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Jun 07, 2010 4:47 am

Last Updated: June 07. 2010 1:00AM
Minor league report
Tigers, Mud Hens have had to shuffle their rosters
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

If the Tigers have had their 2010 roster shuffled more times than a Las Vegas blackjack hand, consider the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, or as they're otherwise known: The Detroit Tigers South.

They're up. They're down. Is this a farm team, or a boxing match, that Toledo manager Larry Parrish is overseeing?

"There's been a lot going on," he said, chuckling, when reached by phone Sunday as the Mud Hens waited for the rain to subside and for their game to begin against the Rochester Red Wings.

Parrish's roster has been a mirror image of the 25-man group in Detroit, all because many of the teams' names have been interchangeable. The commotion has occurred because of call-ups, send-downs, short-term roster needs, short-term excesses, and injury rehabilitations.

Scott Sizemore, Carlos Guillen, Ryan Raburn, Max Scherzer, Casper Wells, Danny Worth, and Alfredo Figaro have been part of the Toledo-Detroit shuttle. So, too, has been a player called up and who has stayed (Brennan Boesch), as well as players who formerly played in Detroit who have remained in Toledo (Casey Fien).

The group at Triple A includes one player who last week had knee surgery and is out for the season: Clete Thomas, the outfielder who spent so much of the past two seasons with the Tigers.

As happened with Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore, Thomas is believed to have damaged his left knee while sliding into a base, necessitating the microfracture surgery that likely will keep him on the shelf until some time in 2011.

The Tigers' "second team" also includes a relief pitcher, Daniel Schlereth, whom Parrish concedes "in some years probably would have been called up."

Overall, Parrish is pleased with the picture in Toledo, across the board.

Back in a groove

Sizemore, 25, began the year as the Tigers' starting second baseman. But he showed the confusion that can happen to any rookie and was sent down to clear his head, which he's been doing nicely. Sizemore is batting .380 in 18 games.

"Yeah, he's swinging the bat pretty good," Parrish said. "When he came down here, you could see he'd run into a buzz saw a little bit. He was sort of wide-eyed, like, 'Whoa,' and that's what you try and tell these guys when they go up there (to the big leagues).

"Every time you move up, the game gets tougher," Parrish said. "Mechanically, he (Sizemore) had gotten out of whack, I could see (on television) that he was opening up, that his hands had gotten away from the body. They were pitching him inside and it was looking like he was having a little trouble with that."

Sizemore has settled down and back at second base now that Guillen is in Detroit following his injury rehab at Toledo and shift to second base with the Tigers.

One of the brighter lights in the Tigers system, offensively, is just making it back after two years of wrist problems: Ryan Strieby, the powerful, 24-year-old first baseman/outfielder, who in his last 10 games is batting .300 with a homer (he has four on the season), and two doubles.

"He's going through the learning curve," Parrish said, explaining that Strieby's wrist has "no structural issues" (he broke the hamate bone in 2008) and that a cortisone shot last month seemed to have soothed the irritation that marred his spring training and first month at Toledo.

"He looked really good in the spring, but during the season he's been seeing a lot more off-speed pitches and pitches down and away," Parrish said. "He's not ready (for the big leagues) right now."

If there's one chronic problem at Toledo, it's no surprise the Tigers are dealing with the same issue: catcher.

Robinzon Diaz, who was supposed to have provided the Tigers with backup depth when he was acquired during the offseason, has neither shown he can hit, nor play defense, which is why he won't be coming to Detroit any time soon.

Mike Rabelo, another former Tigers player who returned to Detroit to provide fortification, is out with a knee injury. Meanwhile, the one stalwart who could be counted on to at least provide defense, Max St. Pierre, last week broke his hand and is out for weeks.

On the pitching side, Parrish likes the cutter that Fien has developed, which is why a right-hander who had previous time in Detroit at least remains in the picture.

Schlereth, too, will be with the Tigers, if not this season then by 2011, as long as his health holds up.

"His stuff's real good," Parrish said of a 24-year-old left-hander who in 19 games is 1-1 with a 2.03 earned-run average. "It's just inconsistent. One game, he can't command his fastball, but he has a good curve. The next game he overthrows his curveball. He's learning to hold runners, and to me, he just got moved too fast (last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks) and now he's playing catch-up."

Robbie Weinhardt, who like Schlereth might have been in Detroit by now if the Tigers' bullpen wasn't so well-stocked, is just returning to playing long-toss after straining a LAT muscle in his thorax.

Triple-A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Scott Sizemore, 2B: Has hit safely in his last 13 games (.434) with one home run and five doubles. For the season, Sizemore is batting .380 for the Mud Hens.

Casey Fien, RHP: Has a 1.80 ERA. Not striking out an excess of batters (19 in 30 1/3 innings), but not walking many, either (six). Has allowed 25 hits.

Jeff Frazier, OF: In his last 17 games, the guy who won't give up (and, at age 27, shouldn't) is batting .313 with four HRs, 10 doubles, and 13 RBIs.

Casper Wells, OF: Settling in nicely and rediscovering his hitting stroke after his Tigers cameo, Wells is batting .327 with three home runs and three doubles in his last 14 games.

And who's not ...

Billy Buckner, RHP: The man the Tigers got in the Dontrelle Willis trade has had one start: 4 1/3 innings, 14 hits, eight runs, two strikeouts, one walk.

Double-A Erie

Who's hot ...

Wilkin Ramirez, OF: Still leads the league in home runs (15), and is second in RBIs (42), but is batting .243 with 82 strikeouts in 54 games.

Andy Oliver, LHP: In his last eight starts, Oliver is 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA. In that same stretch he has 41 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 1/3 innings.

Zach Simons, RHP: In his last 11 games (18 2/3 innings), Simons has 20 strikeouts and an 0.48 ERA.

Jared Gayhart, RHP: Interesting development for a converted outfielder who was the Tigers' eighth-round draft pick (Rice) in 2008. In his last six games, Gayhart has not allowed a run, while striking out eight in 9 2/3 innings.

And who's not ...

Simple truth at Erie: Not many people are doing great, and no new names are performing horribly.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Charlie Furbush, LHP: The big season continues for one of the few serious candidates for a starting rotation job in Detroit in the next year or two. Furbush leads the league in strikeouts (98 in 68 2/3 innings, with 13 walks), and in his last eight starts is 3-1 with a 1.51 ERA.

Luke Putkonen, RHP: Also having a strong, consistent season: 5-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his lsat seven starts (6-2, 2.59 on the year). Putkonen, 24, was a third-round pick in 2007 (University of North Carolina). He has 41 strikeouts and 20 walks in 62 2/3 innings.

Kody Kaiser, OF: Leads the league with a .361 batting average. Kaiser, 25, is a switch-hitter, 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, and was the Tigers' 15th-round draft pick in 2007 (Oklahoma City University).

Alden Carrithers, 2B: Second in the league with a .353 batting average. Carrithers, 25, was a 15th-round pick in 2008 (UCLA). He is 5-9, 165, and a left-hand batter.

Rawley Bishop, 1B: Sixth in the league, batting .328. Has hit five home runs and has 37 RBIs in 52 games. Bishop is 6-3, 205, a right-hand batter, and was the team's 19th-round choice last year (Middle Tennessee State).

And who's not ...

Gustavo Nunez, SS: Needs to pick it up, offensively, to begin matching those defensive skills. Nunez is batting .224 in 54 games. Has an on-base average of .274 and a slugging percentage of .276.

Brent Wyatt, OF: Still batting .301 on the season, but only .179 in his last 10 games. On the season, has an impressive .392 on-base average.

Class A West Michigan


Who's hot ...

Giovanni Soto, LHP: Is sixth in the league in ERA (1.99) and has won his last three starts (0.72 ERA). Soto, who turned 19 last month, has 52 strikeouts and 17 walks in 54 1/3 innings. He is 6-3, 155 pounds.

Trevor Feeney, RHP: He is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in his last five starts, with 24 strikeouts in 32 innings. Feeney, 24, was a 31st-round pick in 2008 (Northern Illinois).

Jamie Johnson, OF: The Tigers' seventh-round pick in 2009 (University of Oklahoma) is batting .387 in his last eight games and .301 on the season.

Alexis Espinoza, OF: Is only 20 years old and coming around nicely. In his last 24 games, Espinoza, who is 6-1, 185, is batting .323, with one home run, three triples, and five doubles.

And who's not ...

Ramon Lebron, RHP: Has been lit up in his last two starts: 13 hits and 12 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. On the season, Lebron, 21, is 4-3 with a 5.35 ERA.

lynn.henning@detnews.com.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100607/SPORTS0104/6070350/Tigers--Mud-Hens-have-had-to-shuffle-their-rosters#ixzz0q9OGA7QX
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon Jul 26, 2010 10:55 am

Last Updated: July 26. 2010 1:00AM
Minor league report
Tigers farm system fails to land big catch behind the plate
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Items, developments, trends shaping up across the Tigers farm system:

Stocking up on catching

Getting painted into a corner at any position makes for tense times in a front office, let alone at catcher, where the Tigers two years ago were in critical condition. They survived by trading for Gerald Laird in December of 2008 and six months later promoting Alex Avila, even if he was only a year out of college.

Now the cupboard is all but bare at the farm system's upper rungs. And that's why there has been such a scramble to grab catchers during the past two drafts.

John Murrian was a ninth-round pick (Winthrop) in 2009 and is progressing at Single A Lakeland: .268, three home runs, nine doubles, in 42 games (32 strikeouts). It's a reasonable pace for a 22-year-old who is 6-2, 215 pounds, and a right-handed batter.

But it was this year's draft-day catching blitz that showed how desperately the Tigers wanted to beef up a position that, on the developmental side, has been trouble for too many years.

The Tigers took three catchers in the draft's first eight rounds. Their two college picks, Rob Brantly and Bryan Holaday, have flourished.

Holaday, 22, was a sixth-round grab last month out of Texas Christian University. In his first 12 games at Lakeland, Holaday batted .375 with a home run and four doubles. Holaday is 6-foot, 205 pounds, and a right-handed hitter who was so accomplished at TCU he won this year's Johnny Bench Award as college baseball's top catcher.

Brantly was a third-round pick from the University of California-Riverside. He's a left-handed batter with size (6-3, 205) who in his last 10 games at Single A West Michigan batted .273 with one double, two strikeouts, and a .368 on-base percentage.

Patrick Leyland (the name may be familiar) has had a less comfortable start with the Gulf Coast League rookies, but he is also six weeks out of high school. The son of Tigers manager Jim Leyland was an eighth-round pick.

In his first 21 games, Leyland is batting .167 with no extra-base hits, although they will come for a right-handed hitter who is 6-2, 200 pounds.

The Tigers are also getting help from Eric Roof, an 18th-round pick in 2009 (Michigan State) who in his last 10 games at West Michigan is batting .281.

One prospect definitely enjoying his first summer of U.S. baseball is Gabriel Purroy, 18, a Venezuelan who in 16 games is batting .293 with two home runs and two doubles. Purroy is compact: 5-9, 160, but he's still growing.

Pitching picture

Charlie Furbush has been this year's story, on the plus side, anyway. Casey Crosby has been the season's big setback. Crosby, 21, who was a big-bonus, fifth-round pick in 2007, is finished for the season because of recurring elbow problems associated with his 2007 Tommy John surgery.

The Tigers don't believe there is anything worrisome long term about Crosby's condition, but they aren't interested in pushing matters when the 6-5, 200-pound left-hander is yet regarded as one of the club's blue-chip prospects.

It hasn't been an easy year for top-shelf Tigers pitchers. Cody Satterwhite, a second-round pick in 2008, was lost for the year with a torn labrum. His future is murky.

Scott Green, a third-rounder in 2008, has missed the 2010 season also because of a labrum he tore a year ago.

That leaves Furbush, along with Andy Oliver, to write one of the happier stories from the farm system in 2010, at least when it comes to starting pitching.

Furbush, 24, has moved to Triple A Toledo from Double A Erie and you wouldn't know it was any more of a jump than when he moved to Erie from Lakeland after leading the Florida State League in strikeouts.

Furbush, 24, did fine in his first start for the Mud Hens: six innings, five hits, seven strikeouts, two walks. He allowed three runs in a no-decision. He's a left-hander, of course, and a big lad -- 6-5, 215 -- who is clearly on track to compete for a rotation spot with the Tigers in 2011.

The Tigers need him, as they need Oliver to hone his slider and be ready to pitch in Detroit next season.

Post script

Some will remember right-hander Jonah Nickerson, a seventh-round pick in 2006 from Oregon State. He was making modest progress in the Tigers' system, advancing all the way to Erie in 2009. But the prospects of Nickerson making it to the big leagues were not great, and he retired earlier this year.
Where are the shortstops?

The Tigers continue to struggle to develop players at the most important position on the infield. Gustavo Nunez is batting .200 at Lakeland. Hernan Perez, only 19, has had a rough time at West Michigan (.219). Cale Iorg, who has been the biggest disappointment at any position in the Tigers system the past two years, is batting .200.

The Tigers continue to search for a shortstop, with Danny Worth as close as they've come to filling baseball's most vital everyday position.

Elsewhere in the Tigers' farm system:

Triple A - Toledo

Who's hot ...

Jeff Frazier, OF: Same story. Although he turns 28 on Aug. 10, Frazier isn't buying into this presumption he's a minor-league lifer. In his last nine games, Frazier is hitting .405, with five home runs, three doubles, and 12 RBIs.

Brendan Wise, RHP: He is assurance the Tigers can reach into the bushes and pull another reliever from the rack if they get into a pinch. Wise, 24, has a 1.35 ERA in his last seven appearances.

... and who's not

Scot Drucker, RHP: Has a 6.93 ERA in his last 10 games. Drucker, 28, was signed two years ago as a minor-league free agent.

Double A - Erie

Who's hot ...

Deik Scram, OF: He's batting .372 in his last 16 games, with two home runs and seven doubles.

Andy Dirks, CF: Another guy who has gotten hot with the weather: .315 in his last 50 games.

Zach Simons, RHP: He continues to bewilder hitters, racking up 39 strikeouts in his last 24 games.

... and who's not

The SeaWolves this week are absolved of all sins.

Class A - Lakeland

Who's hot ...

Brandon Douglas, 2B: batting .368 in his last 31 games.

Francisco Martinez, 3B: The hits keep coming for the 19-year-old: .310 in six of his last nine games.

Adam Wilk, LHP: He continues to be magic, with a 4-1 record and 1.85 ERA in his last nine starts. Wilk was an 11th-round pick in 2009 (Long Beach State).

... and who's not

The Flying Tigers, likewise, are to be commended for their efforts and forgiven for their relatively few failings during the past week.

Class A - West Michigan

Who's hot ...

Wade Gaynor, 3B: Looks as if he could stand a promotion. Gaynor, the Tigers' third-round pick a year ago (Western Kentucky) has done nothing but torch the ball the past two months. He has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games, good for a .357 batting average, with two home runs, two triples, eight doubles, and 18 RBIs.

Avisail Garcia, RF: The 19-year-old looks more like a 25-year-old with each passing week. In his last 10 games, Garcia is batting .395. In his last six, he's hitting .565 with two doubles and four RBIs. Garcia, who is 6-3, 190, is considered one of the best overall prospects in the Tigers' system.

... and who's not

Hernan Perez, SS: He's only 19, so Perez was entitled to a tough season. But his .219 batting average (.246 on-base percentage, .257 slugging percentage) was not what the Tigers were hoping for.

Single A - Connecticut

Who's hot ...

P.J. Polk, OF: He's batting .364 in his last 10 games with a .432 on-base percentage. Polk, 21, was a 13th-round draft pick (Tennessee) last month. He's a right-handed hitter who's on the small side: 5-9, 170.

Patrick Cooper, RHP: He was grabbed last month with a 14th-round pick (Bradley) and has looked good through four games, which includes three starts: 3.18 ERA, .167 opposing batting average, with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 17 innings. Cooper, 20, has a starting pitcher's size: 6-3, 204.

Eric Roof, catcher: In his last nine games, Roof, who played at Michigan State (18th round, 2009), is batting .346.

Michael Torrealba, RHP: 1.83 ERA in nine games, with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 19 2/3 innings. Torrealba, 20, is 5-11, 150.

Drew Gagnier, RHP: Gagnier, 21, is 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA in nine games spanning 19 2/3 innings. He has 23 strikeouts and 11 walks. He was a 17th-round selection last month (Oregon).

Chris Sedon, 2B: He was a 10th-round draft pick in 2009 (Pitt) and didn't fare particularly well this season at West Michigan (.250 in 24 games) but had a nice start for Connecticut: .357 in 14 games, with one home run and a double.

... and who's not

Brett Anderson, SS: He was a 14th-round pick in 2008 (Bristol Eastern School) and has not had fun in 24 games with Connecticut: .156 with 29 strikeouts.

Gulf Coast League (rookie)

Who's hot ...

Jeff Ferrell, RHP: Only 19, he was a 26th-round pick (Pitt Community College) last month and has started briskly for the GCL Tigers: 3-2, 2.56 ERA, 31 strikeouts and six walks in 31 2/3 innings. Ferrell is 6-3, 185.

Wilson Palacios, RHP: Palacios is 2-2 in six starts, with a 3.67 ERA and 31 strikeouts against a mere three walks in 34 1/3 innings. Opposing batting average: .230. He's 20 years old, and is 6-3, 180.

Bruce Rondon, RHP: In his last eight games, Rondon, 19, has not allowed a run. He also leads the league in saves. Season numbers: 12 games, 11 2/3 innings, eight hits, 12 strikeouts, and nine walks. Rondon is 6-2, 190, and was signed by the Tigers in 2007.

... and who's not

Yadiel Polanco, LHP: It's been a rugged beginning for Polanco (no direct relation to Placido): 10.50 ERA in seven appearances, with an opposing batting average of .385. Polanco is 19.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100726/SPORTS0104/7260366/Tigers-farm-system-fails-to-land-big-catch-behind-the-plate#ixzz0unMaXFXT
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue Aug 10, 2010 12:57 am

Last Updated: August 02. 2010 1:37PM
Tigers minor league report
Offense is rising at West Michigan
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Sometimes fans get pitching-fatigued.

It's the name of the game, pitching, but tell that to Tigers followers who are, frankly, tired of the arms race and ready for some guys who swing the bats.

They'll love the West Michigan Whitecaps, where some of the Tigers' better young position talent appears to be hatching.

Wade Gaynor, third base: Last year's third-round draft pick (Western Kentucky) has been ablaze since May. He's hit safely in 22 of his last 24 games, batting .351, with two home runs, three triples, 11 doubles, and 23 RBIs.

Avisail Garcia, right field: He turned 19 in June and remains on track to shake up the farm system as he migrates upward. Garcia has batted .500 in 12 of his last 13 games, with six doubles and six RBIs.

Tony Plagman, first base: He was the Tigers' ninth-round pick in June out of Georgia Tech and after a chilly start has been hitting the ball viciously: .362 in his last 15 games, with a home run, seven doubles, and nine RBIs. Plagman is 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, and a left-handed hitter whose road to Detroit isn't necessarily blocked by Miguel Cabrera. Plagman has played outfield in the past and says he'd be happy to consider relocating if it helps.

If fans are intrigued by what's developing at West Michigan, they're no more enthused than Whitecaps manager Joe DePastino, who has watched all three players adjust and flourish after bumpy starts.

Gaynor has probably soared the highest, all because he started so poorly. A third-round draft pick isn't expected to be in the big leagues overnight, but Gaynor's first weeks of pro ball in 2009 were miserable: .192 batting average in 67 games at Class A Oneonta.

"When you look at a ballplayer, you can see if he's gonna be a good ballplayer -- and he (Gaynor) is going to be very good," DePastino said, speaking an hour before Friday's game against Lake County. "It's unbelievable how hard he's worked all year to shorten that swing. Just watching him from where he was last year is really something."

Gaynor, 22, is 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, and a right-handed hitter who has smoked the ball since Toby Harrah, the Tigers' roving batting instructor, helped refine a leg-kick that is the key to Gaynor's high-gear power.

"He's still got that leg kick, but it's not a big one," DePastino said. "Early in the season it was too big, too high, and his foot was coming down too late. Now it's down earlier and he's gonna keep it there as he moves up.

"He's really a good player."

Defensively, Gaynor has settled down, as well, now that he's no longer caught in limbo on in-between hops, trying to determine whether to charge or to take a step back.

"And he has a very good arm," said DePastino, who is happy, as well, to write another player's name on the lineup card, Garcia, the teenager who has been making a stir since he played at West Michigan and high Class A Lakeland in 2009.

Garcia is the resident five-tools player on West Michigan's roster (speed, defense, arm, high batting average and power) and has been behaving as such. Garcia is 6-3, 190, and figures to add bulk and muscle to his frame as he heads into his 20s.

"The big thing with him is the strike zone," DePastino said of a high-ceiling talent who was signed three years ago out of his hometown of Anzoategui, Venezuela. "Early on in the season, he swung at almost everything. But I would say, particularly in the past month, every day we've been talking with him about laying off pitches in the dirt or above the belt.

"We've told him, 'If you lay off those pitches early, then you'll get better pitches to hit.' And in the last month he's done a great job of getting ahead in the count, and it's made a world of difference."

Plagman, who for now plays first base, shares his Georgia Tech baseball heritage with another first baseman of some celebrity: Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees.

Uh, they are not exactly the same player, but the Tigers understood that Plagman led Georgia Tech in home runs (19) and RBIs (70) and that his size, smarts, and left-handed bat would be worth gambling upon.

So far the returns are promising.

"When he first got here, just out of college, he was standing straight up, and he struggled for the first couple of weeks," DePastino said. "Kind of like Gaynor, he was getting his foot down late and his whole body would fly open. And then Toby (Harrah) came into town and they worked to shorten up his stride and use his back side a bit more.

"And, that quickly, he began to get shorter to the ball. He's a big, strong kid and now he's shorter. And in the last month since he made that adjustment, he's been hitting the ball hard. He's making real strides."

Triple A Toledo

Who's hot ...

Casper Wells, OF: He's picked it up the past two weeks, batting .318 with four home runs, four doubles, and nine RBIs in his last 11 games.

Alfredo Figaro, RHP: Also settling in after a bumpy first half, Figaro in his last four starts is 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings.

Max St. Pierre and Robinzon Diaz, C: A rare hot streak for a couple of farm-system catchers: St. Pierre is batting .407 in his last eight games; Diaz has hit safely in six of his last seven (.385).

... and who's not

Fu-Te Ni, LHP: Big setback season for Ni, who has been as bad at Toledo as during his waning days in Detroit: 8.71 ERA in his last 10 appearances.

Double A Erie

Who's hot

Deik Scram, OF: In his last 22 games, Scram is batting .375, with two homers, 11 doubles and 13 RBIs. Scram, 26, was an 18th-round pick in 2006. He's 6-2, 180, and a left-handed batter.

Jeff Kunkel, C: Something about late summer has stirred the Tigers' young catchers. In his last seven games Kunkel is hitting .423.

Zach Simons, RHP: As usual, Simons is gunning down almost everyone: 1.01 ERA in his last 28 games, with 44 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings.

And who's not

Alden Carrithers, 2B: Been a tough transition for Carrithers since moving to Erie from Lakeland: .195 batting average.

Class A Lakeland

Who's hot

Bryan Holaday and John Murrian, C: The Tigers invested in catching the past two drafts and it's paying off: Holaday has hit safely in five of his last six games (.348); Murrian, in his last 22 games, is hitting .329, with two home runs, six doubles, and 10 RBIs.

Gustavo Nunez, SS: A sign of life, at last: Nunez in his last five games is batting .333.

Luke Putkonen, RHP: Getting healthy and getting better: 1-1 in his last five starts with a 2.79 ERA.

Jared Gayhart, RHP: Didn't fare well during a stint at Erie, but is at home at Lakeland: no runs in his last five appearances.

And who's not

Michael Torrealba, RHP: Rough debut for Torrealba following a promotion from Connecticut: 15.75 ERA in three appearances.

Class A West Michigan

Who's hot

Rob Brantly, C: This year's third-round draft pick has at least one hit in his last six games: .450, with three doubles and six RBIs.

And who's not

Luis Angel Sanz, RHP: Not a pretty past month for Sanz, since he was given a commendation following some fine outings at Connecticut: 1-3 with a 9.62 ERA in his last 10 games.

Class A Connecticut

Who's hot

P.J. Polk, OF: Polk, a 13th-round draft pick in June (Tennessee), is batting .354 in his last 18 games. He's a 5-foot-9 corner outfielder.

Julio Rodriguez, C: He turns 21 this week and was signed by the Tigers four years ago out of the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez, who is 6-2, 200, has gotten a hit in eight of his last nine games, good for a .379 average.

Ryan Enos, OF: He wasn't drafted in June but was signed to a free-agent contract out of Dallas Baptist University. In his last nine games, Enos is batting .382, with a home run, two triples, a double, and seven RBIs.

And who's not

Brett Anderson, SS: He was a 12th-round 2008 pick (Bristol Eastern School) who's had a rough go of it: .168 in his last 10 games.

Gulf Coast League (rookie)

Who's hot

Dixon Machado, SS: He's an 18-year-old who was signed two years ago out of San Cristobal, Venezuela, and he has been having a sweet adjustment to baseball in the United States in his first season here: He's hit safely in six of his last seven games, batting .370. Machado is 6-foot, 140 pounds, and bats right-handed.

Bruce Rondon, RHP: Continues to flourish in his first season, as well, in the U.S. Rondon, who is 6-2, 190, and another of the Tigers' 2007 Venezuelan signings, leads the GCL in saves with nine. He has not allowed a run in his last 10 games, striking out 12 batters in 9 2/3 innings.

Edwin Gomez, OF: Has started briskly, batting .316 in his last nine games. Gomez was the Tigers' fourth-round pick in June. He's 18 years old, 6-3, 175, and a switch-hitter.

And who's not

Antonio Cruz, LHP: It's the old story: When you're 18, you can afford your whippings, and Cruz, who was signed as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic, has taken his share of lumps of late: 7.20 ERA in five games.

Lynn.henning@detnews.com

Toledo report

Record: 54-55

Sunday's game:
Charles Furbush allowed two hits in 5 1/3 innings, Maxwell Leon had three hits and four others had two hits each to lead the Mud Hens to a 9-3 victory over Gwinnett. Casey Fien struck out two and allowed no hits in the final 1 2/3 for his fifth save

Upcoming schedule:

Today: at Gwinnett, 7:05

Tuesday: at Gwinnett, 7:05

Thursday: at Charlotte, 7:15

Friday: at Charlotte, 6:15

Saturday: at Charlotte, 7:15

Sunday: at Charlotte, 2:15

Erie report

Record: 45-64

Sunday's game: Binghamton scored five times in the eighth inning to blow open a close game and beat Erie, 8-3. Brayan Villarreal (0-2) took the loss for the SeaWolves, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. Andy Dirks hit a solo homer, his 11th of the season.

Upcoming schedule:

Tuesday: at New Britain, 7:05

Wednesday: at New Britain, 7:05

Thursday: at New Britain, 7:05

Friday: at Reading, 7:05

Saturday: at Reading, 6:35

Sunday: at Reading, 6:05

Lakeland report

Record: 15-20

Sunday's game: Lakeland scored four times in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie, then held off St. Lucie to win 7-5. Shortstop Gustavo Nunez had two hits, including a solo homer in the ninth inning. Mark Sorensen (6-11) allowed two hits and no earned runs, struck out six and walked one to get the win.

Upcoming schedule:

Today: at St. Lucie, 7

Tuesday: at St. Lucie, 7

Wednesday: Chattanooga, 7:05

Thursday: Chattanooga, 7:05

Friday: Chattanooga, 7:05

Saturday: Chattanooga, 7:05

West Michigan report

Record: 14-21

Sunday's game: West Michigan scored four times in the first and added three in the fifth to knock off Dayton, 10-7. Wade Gaynor was one of five West Michigan players with two hits. Jamie Johnson's one hit was his second homer of the season. Zach Samuels (1-0) won his first game of the season in relief.

Upcoming schedule:

Today: Dayton, 7

Tuesday: Great Lakes, 7:05

Wednesday: Great Lakes, 7:05

Thursday: Great Lakes, 7:05

Friday: Great Lakes, 7:05

Saturday: at Dayton, 7

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100802/SPORTS0104/8020358/Offense-is-rising-at-West-Michigan#ixzz0wAfle4gK
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeTue Aug 10, 2010 12:58 am

Last Updated: August 09. 2010 1:00AM
Tigers minor league report
Shortstop Cale Iorg rewards Tigers' patience
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

They could not resist his raw talent. They could not look past his genetics.

Which is why the Tigers took a shot at Cale Iorg in 2007, paying him $1.497 million to bypass Arizona State and sign with a club that believed he was worth grabbing as a high-priced, sixth-round pick.

And then things didn't begin so reassuringly for a shortstop whose defensive wizardry wasn't being matched at the plate.

He batted .251 at Single A Lakeland in 2008, which was neither good nor bad for someone who hadn't played a full season of baseball since 2004, all due to a Mormon mission in Portugal.

Last year at Double A Erie, the problems set in: .222 in 129 games, with 149 strikeouts. Iorg, who is an impressive 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, had a miserable .274 on-base percentage to go with a skimpy .336 slugging percentage. Those were "ouch" figures for a prospect who was being groomed for a fast ticket to Detroit.

This year? Bad, at least early, as Iorg hung closer to the .200 mark, with strikeouts galore.

And then things began to change -- and the organization's faith began to pay off.

Iorg, 25, has batted .324 in his last eight games for Erie, with two home runs and two doubles. Within the Tigers' system, the numbers are not taken lightly.

"I've seen a consistent baseball player -- a consistent good baseball player -- since just before the All-Star break," said Phil Nevin, the first-year Erie manager. "I've never seen him overmatched or overpowered (by pitchers).

"Without a doubt he has the bat-speed to hit anybody's fastball. It's not a case where he has to cheat. He's got good enough hands to where he can be patient and do things with the baseball.

"It's all there," Nevin said. "Those aren't decisions for me to make, but in my opinion he's going to play in the major leagues at some point and he'll be very successful.

"Will it be next year? I don't know. It takes some time."

Mike Rojas, the Tigers' new director of player development, said the same thing during a Sunday phone conversation.

"I know it's only three weeks, but he has really put some quality at-bats together," Rojas said of the Toronto-born prospect whose father, Garth, played for the Toronto Blue Jays, and whose uncle, Dane, also played in the big leagues. "We're so spoiled because these days we get to push these kids a lot -- and some of them just take a little longer developing."

Nevin knows all about expectations -- and development. He was the first overall pick in the 1992 draft, taken by Houston, which bypassed Derek Jeter to grab a powerful right-handed hitter from Cal State-Fullerton.

"Some guys need more seasoning than others," said Nevin, who was so certain of Iorg's potential that last month he made Iorg his leadoff batter. "I didn't become an everyday player until I was 28. It took me a while to figure out certain little things that go along with the game.

"He's a heck of a talented player," Nevin said. "He's got great athletic ability, and in my opinion -- and a lot of people's opinion -- he could have played, defensively, in the major leagues last year."

Nevin says he no more worries about Iorg's errors (21 in 100 games) than he's concerned about his strikeouts (124). Nevin says the errors are more a product of Iorg's amazing range, while the strikeouts will always be part of the power hitter's game.

"You're not going to take a 140-strikeout guy and cut that in half," he said. "He's probably going to strike out a lot. But, for me, that's not a problem, because he can create damage with his bat.

"Those last two homers he hit were on the first pitch of the game. And they didn't just clear the fence. "They went a long way."

TRIPLE A TOLEDO

Who's hot

Casper Wells, OF: His tough midseason appears to be history. Wells, who was with the Tigers in May, in his last 17 games is batting .355, with five home runs, five doubles, a triple, and 13 RBIs. Looking as if he might get a September recall.

Alfredo Figaro, RHP: Important rebound for Figaro: in his last five starts he's 3-0 with a 1.17 earned-run average. He has 23 strikeouts in 23 innings.

Max St. Pierre, Robinzon Diaz, C: St. Pierre is batting .378 in his last 11 games. Diaz has a hit in eight of his last 10 games.

And who's not

Brent Dlugach, SS: A bad August moon's been rising over Dlugach. He's batting .128 in his last 10 games, with 14 strikeouts.

DOUBLE A ERIE

Who's hot

Deik Scram, OF: .345 in his last 11 games, with two home runs, 11 doubles, and 16 RBIs. Scram, 26, was an 18th-round pick in 2006 (Oklahoma State).

Kody Kaiser, OF: Switch-hitting Kaiser is batting .419 in eight of his last nine games, with three home runs, two doubles, and 10 RBIs. Kaiser, 25, was a 15th-round pick in 2007 (Oklahoma City University). He's 5-foot-9, 185 pounds.

Bryan Pounds, 3B: Has a 10-game hitting streak (.395, two home runs, two doubles, and 10 RBIs). Pounds was drafted in the 34th round in 2008 (University of Houston). He's 6-foot, 195, and a right-handed hitter.

Jeff Kunkel, C: Batting .372 in his last 12 games. He was a 37th-round pick in 2005.

And who's not

Matt Hoffman, LHP: Nothing ominous, given that Hoffman has twice been promoted this season. But the adjustment to Erie has been tough for a 21-year-old left-hander: 8.10 ERA in his 19 games with the SeaWolves.

SINGLE A LAKELAND

Who's hot

John Murrian, C: His first full season in professional baseball has been promising. Murrian in his last 29 games is batting .311, with two home runs, eight doubles, and 15 RBIs.

Mark Sorensen, RHP: Nice past three starts for the son of former big-leaguer and ex-Tigers announcer Lary Sorensen: 2-0, with a 1.47 ERA.

Luke Putkonen, RHP: 1-1 in his last six starts, with a 2.83 ERA.

And who's not

Erik Crichton, RHP: Has a 7:30 ERA in his past 10 appearances. Crichton, 25, was a 20th-round pick in 2005 (Oral Roberts).

SINGLE A WEST MICHIGAN

Who's hot

Wade Gaynor, 3B: Has put himself on pace to be one of the more closely watched prospects in 2011. Gaynor was the Tigers' third-round pick in 2009 (Western Kentucky) and has hit safely in 27 of his last 31 games: .339, two home runs, three triples, 13 doubles, and 29 RBIs.

Avisail Garcia, OF: Continues to glow as a 19-year-old: .410 in his last 20 games, with eight doubles.

Rob Brantly, C: Has a 10-game hitting streak (.371, three doubles, seven RBIs). Brantly was the Tigers' third-round pick in June.

And who's not

Matt Little, RHP: Has a 6.39 ERA in his last 10 stints, although Little, 22, was barely out of college when he was promoted to high Single A. He was a 31st-round pick by the Tigers in June (University of Kentucky).

SINGLE A CONNECTICUT

Who's hot

Rayni Guichardo, LHP: He doesn't turn 19 until later this week, but is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his last three starts. Guichardo is 6-1, 185, and was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2007.

Patrick Lawson, RHP: He wasn't drafted in June but was signed as a free agent following his senior season at University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Lawson is 6-2, 190, and has a 2.78 ERA in four starts.

And who's not

Sean Finefrock, RHP: Not a pleasant promotion for a 35th-round pick in 2007 (Butler County Community College). In four appearances, he has a 7.71 ERA.

GULF COAST LEAGUE (ROOKIE)

Who's hot

Bruce Rondon, RHP: Leads the GCL in saves with 12. Rondon, 19, has a 0.98 ERA in 19 games (18 1/3 innings, nine hits, 18 strikeouts, 10 walks).

Wilsen Palacios, RHP: Is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his last three starts. Palacios, 20, is 6-3, 180.

Pete Miller, IF: Has hit safely in 10 of his last 11. He was drafted in the 40th round in June out of Trinity International.

Javier Azcona, 3B: Is batting .417 in six of his last seven games, with a home run and two doubles. Azcona, 18, is 6-1, 185, and was signed in 2008 out of the Dominican Republic.

And who's not

Ariel Medina, LHP: Medina turned 19 a few days ago and has time to grow. He has a 6.35 ERA in nine games.

Lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100809/SPORTS0104/8090366/1129/sports0104/Shortstop-Cale-Iorg-rewards-Tigers--patience#ixzz0wAXJOynQ
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeWed Apr 20, 2011 10:12 pm

Last Updated: April 18. 2011 12:57PM
Minor league report
Trio of Tigers lefties raring to go in the majors
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

The Tigers will live with Andy Oliver's presumed impatience probably easier than Oliver can.

If circumstances were different with the Tigers starting rotation that, at least temporarily, is intact, Oliver would be in a Detroit uniform.

But that isn't the case. And so Oliver, 23, a left-hander with a potentially fabulous big-league future, remains at Triple-A Toledo, putting finishing touches on his 96-mph fastball, a slider markedly better than it was a year ago, and a change-up that, likewise, is making progress.

Oliver looks as if he could pitch in the big leagues now, at least from his statistics: 1-0 in two games, with a 2.25 ERA. He's allowed seven hits in 12 innings, struck out 14, and walked three.

"I saw him in those first two starts, and he was very impressive, not only stuff-wise, but also because of what he was sent to the minor leagues to work on, his secondary pitches, which have gotten better," said Mike Rojas, the Tigers' director of player development.

Oliver was the Tigers' second-round draft pick in 2009 out of Oklahoma State and lasted until the second round only because his slider had been missing in action during his sophomore season (he was draft-eligible as a 21-year-old sophomore). David Chadd, the Tigers' scouting director, wasn't overly bothered, and Oliver was considered by more than a few draft evaluators to have been a potential steal.

The slider began re-emerging after he got to the minor leagues. Oliver had a brief call-up by the Tigers last season but was shipped back to the farm to work on his optional pitches.

His fastball has never been an issue. And it hasn't been during Toledo's early games.

"We all knew his fastball was 94, 95, 96, and sometimes as high as 97," Rojas said.

But the second and third pitches needed work. Oliver has not only been polishing his slider and change-up, but has worked in more two-seam fastballs, Toledo pitching coach A.J. Sager said.

"What you see with Andy is what you see with normal progression when a pitcher is doing things right," Sager said. "It's his understanding of pitching. Even with the comments he gives to me between starts, and during his outings, you can see he's getting the idea between pitching and throwing."

Oliver isn't the only lefty at Toledo flirting with a ticket to Detroit. Charlie Furbush, 25, was one of spring camp's later cuts and has done nicely so far: 2.79 ERA in two starts, with seven hits, 12 strikeouts, and four walks in 92/3 innings.

"Charlie's another guy who, when you talk to him, seems to get it," Sager said. "Stuff — a lot of guys have that. But he has some moxie on the mound. Getting command of the strike zone is probably the next thing for him."

Adam Wilk was the last pitcher cut in spring and has continued with his finesse pitching. He's 0-2 but has a 2.45 ERA and no walks in 11 innings. Wilk, 23, was an 11th-round pick by the Tigers in 2009 (Long Beach State).

Tigers manager Jim Leyland was drawn to Wilk because of the left-hander's ability to throw strikes on both sides of the plate, to change speeds and elevate or lower his pitches, even if his fastball doesn't cruise at 90 mph. He can pitch to a specific game plan, which impressed Leyland.

"I don't know him as well as the other two (Oliver and Furbush, each of whom pitched at Toledo last year)," Sager said. "But what you see is this ability to make adjustments."

How quickly Oliver, or even one of the other left-handers lands in Detroit is an obvious question. But it's one the staff isn't about to touch just yet.

"When the phone rings," Rojas said, with a chuckle, "we'll have answers for 'em."

Triple A Toledo Who's hot …

Scott Sizemore, second base: He was third in the International League in on-base percentage (.500) and fifth in batting average (.407).

Timo Perez, outfield/designated hitter: He just turned 36 and is batting .323 in eight games with a homer and two doubles.

Argenis Diaz, infield: Tigers signed the 24-year-old as a minor league free agent and his defense in spring camp was one of the hotter topics among infield prospects. He's hitting .292 in seven games.

Danny Worth, third base: Depends how you want to look at it. He's batting only .206, but five of his seven hits have been doubles.

Fu-Te Ni, left-handed reliever: He's 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA, which includes a bad first outing.

And who's not

Cale Iorg, shortstop: It's early, but he's batting .214 in nine games. The good news for Iorg followers: only six strikeouts.

Chris Oxspring, right-handed reliever: He's struck out eight in 61/3 innings spanning three games, but has also allowed six hits, walked three and has an 8.53 ERA.

Double A Erie Who's hot …

Jacob Turner, right-handed starter: Turner, 19, the Tigers' top young prospect, has struck out 13 and walked two in 13 innings and has a 2.08 ERA. The move to Double A hasn't hurt him a lick.

Jamie Johnson, outfield: The Tigers' seventh-round pick in 2009 (Oklahoma) is one of the system's brighter outfielders. The lefty is batting .324 and is tied for second in the Eastern League with five doubles.

Michael Bertram, first base: Bertram, 27, is not exactly in the big league picture, but he's third in the league in hitting (.412) and second in on-base percentage (.522).

And who's not

Francisco Martinez, third base: Ah, adjustments. This slump won't last long for one of the Tigers' Top 10 prospects, especially when he's only 20, but Martinez is batting .129 in eight games.

Casey Crosby, left-handed starter: Crosby, likewise, can afford a bad first outing — and he had one: 22/3 innings, six hits, six runs (five earned), one home run and three walks.

Single A Lakeland Who's hot …

Gustavo Nunez, shortstop: The 23-year-old switch-hitter needs to move and looks as if he knows it: .316 and 10 runs scored in nine games.

Tony Plagman, first base: The ninth-round pick in last June's draft (Georgia Tech) has started niftily: .450 in 10 games, 18 hits, 15 RBIs. He's 6-foot-2, 220, and a left-handed hitter.

Kenny Faulk, left-handed closer: The 16th-round pick in 2009 (Kennesaw State) has three saves in five games, as well as a 1.59 ERA.

And who's not

Avisail Garcia, right field: Batting .194 in nine games with 11 strikeouts. He has all the tools, but he's 19 and hasn't proved it so far.

Single A West Michigan Who's hot …

Rob Brantly, catcher: The 21-year-old lefty was the first of three catchers taken by the Tigers in the first eight rounds of last year's draft and has hit fiercely: .438 in four games with three doubles.

James Robbins, first base: The 19-year-old lefty is batting .381 in five games, with three doubles.

Bruce Rondon, right-handed reliever: Rondon, 19, is 2-0 in three games (31/3 innings, no hits, five strikeouts, three walks).

And who's not

Nick Castellanos, third base: The 19-year-old, who was in high school a year ago, began coolly: .143 in five games.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110418/SPORTS0104/104180362/Trio-of-Tigers-lefties-raring-to-go-in-the-majors#ixzz1K730iZ6o
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeWed Apr 27, 2011 3:37 am

Last Updated: April 25. 2011 1:00AM
Tigers: Minor league report
Andy Dirks makes case to head north soon
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

Phil Nevin's happiest task as he draws up a game's batting order is writing in those first two names:

Andy Dirks, center field.

Scott Sizemore, second base (or elsewhere).

"Seems like both guys are just so steady," Nevin, the Toledo Mud Hens manager, was saying during a Sunday phone conversation as his team got ready for a game against Louisville.

Dirks hit two home runs and a single in Saturday's 6-4 Mud Hens loss to Louisville. It gave him a six-game stretch in which the 25-year-old center fielder was batting .550, with four home runs, one triple, one double, and eight RBIs.

He went 0 for 4 in a 9-0 loss on Sunday.

The recent surge is in line with reasons why Dirks, an eighth-round pick in 2008 (Wichita State), was among manager Jim Leyland's last squad cuts at spring camp.

"I've been with Dirksie for a year and-a-half," Nevin said, speaking in part of their time together in 2010 at Double A Erie, "and he just grinds out every at-bat. He's a professional baseball hitter.

"He just seems to have his nose in everything."

Dirks is 6-foot, 195 pounds, and a left-hand hitter who has been on the rise since he batted .412 for the Gulf Coast League Tigers the summer he was drafted.

He hit .330 in 2009 at Single A Lakeland, then batted .278 at Double A Erie in 2010 during a 98-game span ahead of a late-summer promotion to Toledo, where he hit .375 in 22 games.

The Tigers saw enough to think Dirks could be part of their 2011 plans.

"He's strong, pretty well put together," Nevin said. "And he has such timing to his swing. It's just a matter of getting more at-bats. But he's gonna hit at any level.

"What helped him, in my estimation, was the winter ball he played in the Dominican Republic. I see improvements in his pitch selection and judgment. He gets it."

Sizemore, too, was among the final Florida chops and has mashed the ball at Toledo as if he intends to rejoin a team that a year ago was featuring him as its starting second baseman.

He entered Sunday third in the International League in hitting at .388 following a 2-for-3, two-walk night against Louisville.


In Sunday's loss, Sizemore went 1 for 2.

A player with a career (minor leagues) on-base percentage of .382 has an OBP of .474 through 15 games with the Mud Hens.

"At times, you might want to see him be more aggressive, but he's not afraid to hit with two strikes," Nevin said.

The knock on Sizemore has been that his defensive posture is "stiff," a situation not helped by the fractured ankle he endured after taking a nasty hit on a double-play ball during the 2009 Arizona Fall League.

The recovery, which was still in process a year ago, made a mess of his short-term stint as the Tigers' second baseman. But he has since gotten back some old mobility and seems to be settling down, defensively.

"He has to show some consistency to go back (to the big leagues)," Nevin said. "But I think he's gotten better."

Two more infielders, one of whom was also a late spring-camp cut, have been making progress. Danny Worth has been playing third base for the Mud Hens and was batting .273 heading into Sunday with a league-leading eight doubles, as well as a triple.

Worth, though, pulled a hamstring Saturday and will be on the disabled list for at least another week.

Cale Iorg, the acrobatic shortstop, had bumped his average to .234, which won't impress anyone but a Tigers organization that has been praying Iorg can someday handle big-league pitching.

"He's got some popm" Nevin said. "Everybody says, 'If he can hit .250, he'll play in the big leagues,' and I think he'll get to .250 or better."
Elsewhere in the Tigers farm system

Triple A Toledo

Who's hot …

Charlie Furbush, LHP: He pitched seven innings of one-hit baseball Thursday night, striking out nine and walking none. In three starts, Furbush is 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA.

… and who's not

Clete Thomas, OF : Not like Thomas to be batting .189, especially after 15 games. Thomas does have three home runs and 11 RBIs. He was 1 for 4 in a 9-0 loss on Sunday to Louisville.

Double A Erie

Who's hot …

Lester Oliveros, RHP: He hasn't allowed a run in his last three appearances, striking out 13 in seven innings. Oliveros, 22, is 2-0 with an 0.90 ERA.

Jacob Turner, RHP: He's fifth in the league with 20 strikeouts (192/3 innings) and has a 1.83 ERA in three starts. Turner has walked only three batters and has allowed 13 hits.

Ben Guez, OF: Guez was batting .441 in his last 12 games, and fourth in the league at .381. Guez, 24, was a 19th-round draft pick in 2008 (William & Mary).

… and who's not

Francisco Martinez, 3B Cold start for a hot prospect. Martinez, 20, is batting .176 in 14 games.

Single A Lakeland

Who's hot …

Gustavo Nunez, S: Continues to beat up Florida State League pitching: .370 in his last 13 games.

Tony Plagman, 1B: Leads the league with 18 RBIs and is 10th in hitting (.364). Plagman, 23, is 6-2, 220, a left-hand batter, and was a ninth-round pick last year (Georgia Tech).

Brent Wyatt, OF: He's batting .419 in his last nine games. Wyatt, 26, was a 26th-round pick in 2008.

… and who's not

Corey Jones, 2B: Surprising that Jones, a seventh-round pick last year (Cal-State Fullerton) and a steady hitter, has begun in such chilly fashion (.179 in 16 games).

Daniel Fields, OF: Ditto for Fields, who is batting .190.

Avisail Garcia, OF: Make that a trifecta: Garcia is hitting .156.

Single A West Michigan

Who's hot …

Hernan Perez, SS: Perez turned 20 last month and has been on the Tigers' Most Likely To Succeed List since he was signed out of Venezuela in 2007. He is second in the league in hitting (.391).

Rob Brantly, C: Last year's third-round draft pick (Cal-State Riverside) is seventh in the league in hitting (.378).

James Robbins, 1B: A Billy Butler type who bears watching. Robbins, 20, is batting .333 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 14 games.

… and who's not

Nick Castellanos, 3B: No one said going from high school to pro ball was a snap,, even for a hitter with Castellanos' future. Last year's top Tigers draft pick is batting .188.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110425/SPORTS0104/104250361/Andy-Dirks-makes-case-to-head-north-soon#ixzz1Khb2F5Qc
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
TigersForever
Tiger All-Star
Tiger All-Star
TigersForever


Aries Location : Ohio

Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitimeMon May 02, 2011 2:56 am

Last Updated: May 02. 2011 1:00AM
Minor-league report
Fivesome putting up big-league numbers
Lynn Henning / / The Detroit News

Tigers fans will be forgiven for wondering where the big league team these days is playing: Detroit or Toledo.

And while the Tigers' situation has been dour of late, any comparisons are more of a statement about some hot performers at Detroit's Triple A affiliate.

Scott Sizemore, Toledo's second baseman, was leading the International League in hitting Sunday (.417). Andy Dirks, the Mud Hens center fielder, had these numbers in 12 of his last 13 games: .431 batting average, five home runs, one triple, four doubles, and 12 RBIs.

On the pitching side, left-handed starter Charlie Furbush leads the league in strikeouts (32) and has a 1.90 earned-run average. Andy Oliver, whom the Tigers view as a top-of-the-rotation left-hander, is second in the league with 31 strikeouts. One bad start (April 24, when he lost command of his fastball) is why Oliver's record is 3-1 and his ERA is 3.64.

And then there is the man almost forgotten: Ryan Strieby, the big first baseman who three years ago was Tigers Minor League Player of the Year. Long considered one of the best all-around hitters in the system, a broken hamate bone and lingering problems cost him much of the past two seasons.

But he is back, clinically and statistically. Strieby, 25, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound right-handed hitter, is batting .375 in his last nine games, with one home run and two doubles.

Beyond having his wrist cooperate, Strieby, in another sense, is also back home. He's playing first base, which was his position until the Tigers decided two years ago to make him an outfielder, in deference to a man in Detroit named Miguel Cabrera.

"The health part is big," said Al Avila, the Tigers assistant general manager who spent six days last month watching the Mud Hens, "but on top of that, Strieby was a guy who — between the injury, and Cabrera at first base, and when the outfield thing didn't work out — could have gotten kind of depressed.

"But I would say, right now, mentally he's probably the best he's been in two years as far as his outlook, coming to the ballpark, feeling like part of the team, and making progress.

"He's got a positive feel for the game."

Strieby is a Seattle native who was a fourth-round pick in 2006 (University of Kentucky). He played for Single A Lakeland in 2008 and slammed 29 home runs in 112 games, a dramatic number in a Florida State League where ballparks are extra large.

But what the Tigers liked as much about Strieby as he began his climb up the farm system's ladder was his all-around hitting. He batted .303 at Double A Erie in 2009 and had 19 home runs in 86 games before the hamate bone that had ended his 2008 season acted up.

It held him to virtual half-seasons in 2009 and 2010 (76 games at Triple A Toledo).

Strieby spent the offseason resting his wrist and hoping he'd be able to swing a bat at spring camp, as doctors forecasted. They nailed it. Strieby has been swinging pain-free for two months.

The obvious question: Where will he play when a man who might be the AL's most fearsome hitter has first base claimed at least through 2015?

"You can never have too many good hitters," Avila said, not unexpectedly. "You try as an organization to accumulate the best players you can. The philosophy always is, take the best player available, and you either keep them or you don't (a reference to trade options).

"What you want is to have good-quality players. That's what brings value to the organization."

The Tigers have decided in concert with Strieby that the outfield trial simply isn't worth repeating. Strieby is a natural first baseman. He is an athlete so tall and sculpted, and so radiant in his whitish-blond hair, that ex-Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis nicknamed him "Polar Bear."

And if he continues to swing the bat minus pain in thatformerly stubborn left wrist, he should be playing at some point in the big leagues.

Whether it's in Detroit or elsewhere remains to be seen.
Elsewhere in the Tigers farm system

Triple A Toledo

Who's hot …


Adam Wilk, LHP: He nearly made the team out of spring camp and has been steady since returning to Toledo, with a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) of 1.14. He has walked only three batters in 251/3 innings. Wilk, 23, was an 11th-round draft pick in 2009 (Long Beach State).

Brendan Wise, LHP: The eighth-round pick (2005) from Australia has pitched 82/3 innings in seven games and has yet to allow a run. Wise, 25, has held batters to a .172 batting average and has struck out four.

And who's not …

Clete Thomas, OF: Been a tough spring for this ex-Tigers big leaguer. Thomas is batting .169 in 20 games.

Double A Erie

Who's hot …

Lester Oliveros, RHP: Has a six-game, 11-inning streak going that's all but spotless: no runs, 18 strikeouts. Oliveros, 22, is 6-0, 226 pounds, and — no surprise — one of the farm system's harder throwers.

Casey Crosby, LHP: He's shifting into shape, as anticipated, following his long layoff from Tommy John surgery. In his last two starts spanning 12 innings, Crosby, 22, is 1-0, with an 0.75 ERA, and 12 strikeouts.

Bryan Holaday, C: The Tigers are high on Holaday, who was drafted in last year's sixth round (Texas Christian). Holaday in his last five games is batting .471, with a home run, double, and five RBIs. He's 6-0, 205, and a right-handed hitter.

Ben Guez, OF: The Tigers got him in 2008 (19th round, William & Mary) and Guez acts as if he has Toledo, at least, on his mind. Guez is batting .400 in his last 18 games and is second in the league with a .365 average.

And who's not …

Luke Putkonen, RHP: Tough time through four games: 9.18 ERA, with 23 hits in 162/3 innings.

Single A Lakeland

Who's hot …

Gustavo Nunez, SS: Batting .357 in his last 17 games. Beginning to show a bat to go with his polished glove.

Tony Plagman, 1B: He leads the league with 23 RBIs in 23 games. Plagman, 23, was a ninth-round pick last year (Georgia Tech). He's batting .303, with four home runs and five doubles.

Brent Wyatt, OF: Batting .345 in his last 15 games. Wyatt, 26, was drafted in 2008 (26th round, Lewis & Clark State College).

Julio Rodriguez, C: In his last nine games, Rodriguez, 21, is batting .433. He is 6-1, 223, and a right-handed hitter.

And who's not …

Cole Nelson, LHP: Not a good start for a highly regarded (10th round, 2010, Auburn University) hurler: 5.40 ERA, courtesy of 32 hits in 25 innings, with 13 walks.

Single A West Michigan

Who's hot …

Rob Brantly, C: No surprise. The Tigers' third-round pick last year (Cal-Riverside) is 10th in the league at .339.

And who's not …

Dixon Machado, SS: After a torrid start, Machado, 19, has chilled down. He's batting .220.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110502/SPORTS0104/105020355/Fivesome-putting-up-big-league-numbers#ixzz1LAg5kW5p
Back to top Go down
https://alwaysatiger.forumotion.com
Sponsored content





Minor league report - The Detroit News Empty
PostSubject: Re: Minor league report - The Detroit News   Minor league report - The Detroit News Icon_minitime

Back to top Go down
 
Minor league report - The Detroit News
Back to top 
Page 1 of 2Go to page : 1, 2  Next
 Similar topics
-
» Minor League Affiliates
» Minor League Affiliates
» Minor League Affiliates
» Minor League Affiliates
» Minor League Transactions

Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum
Always A Tiger :: Tiger Farm System :: Breaking Tiger Minor League News-
Jump to: