Farmers Only: El Nino Destructor commences his consumption of Louisville children

by BK on Aug 18, 2009 7:00 AM EDT in Farmers only

Louisville added two insurance runs in the 7th that it turned out they needed, as they barely beat Indianapolis 7-6. Juan Francisco was 2-for-4 with his first homer in AAA. Luis Bolivar homered too and Chris Valaika was 2-for-4 with two doubles. Travis Wood gave up 3 runs in 6 innings of work to get his 3rd win of the year in AAA. Despite one rough start, Wood has a 2.93 so far in 5 starts so far. Up next: Matt Maloney takes on Indy at 7:05.
Luis Montano had one of his better outings, but still earned the decision in Carolina's 5-2 loss to Jacksonville. Shaun Cumberland homered for the Mudcats, but it wasn't nearly enough. Up next: Tom Cochran takes on Jacksonville at 7:05.
Sarasota beat Jupiter 9-2 as the offense finally got going. Neftali Soto was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI, and Dave Sappelt, Denis Phipps, and Jason Louwsma all had two hits each. Travis Webb pitched a good game, going 5 innings of 2-run ball, and Josh Beal and Mark Pawelek each pitched two shutout innings out of the bullpen. Up next: Lance Janke takes on Jupiter at 7.
Dayton only got 3 1/2 innings in before they were rained out. They're winning 4-1, but will finish the game up today, before J.C. Sulbaran takes on Fort Wayne.
Billings beat Idaho Falls 12-5. The offense spread the love around, as Efrain Contreras and all but one starter had a hit. Blair Carson had a good start, going 6 1/3 innings of 3-run ball, and Brian Pearl notched his 4th save of the year. Up next: Leonardo Astorga takes on Idaho Falls at 9:05.
The GCL Reds finished up a game from another day, and played their regularly scheduled game as well. They won the first one 13-7, with Billy Hamilton having 3 hits. They scratched by in the 7-inning second game 3-1 as well, with Tyler Cline having another good start. Cline gave up 1 run in 5 innings, and Ramon Rodriguez pitched two perfect innings from the bullpen. Up next: Sawx at noon.

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Mark Serrano was named MWL pitcher of the week!

time to break out that bottle of champagne I’ve been saving up.

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on Aug 18, 2009 9:36 AM EDT reply actions

Serrano doesn't want to pitch

Serrano want to bat!

by Brendanukkah on Aug 18, 2009 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions

CTrent was talking about signing bonuses on his blog this morning

and he had this story, which I thought was funny:

I do remember a couple of years ago in the Reds clubhouse (actually, it was the visitor’s clubhouse at PNC Park) when guys were discussing the signing bonuses given to draft picks, and Ken Griffey Jr. was going on about how he had one of the lowest ones in the room. And he was a 1-1 guy — the other 1-1 guy, Josh Hamilton, sheepishly admitted how much he got and it blew away Griffey’s bonus. Heck, even Matt Belisle’s bonus dwarfed Griffey’s. Crazy.

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on Aug 18, 2009 10:01 AM EDT reply actions

Somebody tell Scrabbles to put this in the reposter

Great article from Scott Miller at CBSsports.com about how small market teams have to be smart and have a defined plan. Reading the comments from Texas’ GM makes me want to be a Rangers fan.

Baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it.— Bill Terry

by nycredsfan on Aug 18, 2009 10:30 AM EDT reply actions

The one problem I have with articles like this (though I'll admit that Miller does balance it well)

is that they constantly point to teams that have made the playoffs while not being in the top 10 in payroll, or something along those lines. But this year alone, being in the top 10 in payroll gives you about a 50% chance of making the playoffs. Being outside of the top 10 lowers that chance to around 15%. I’m sure my math is bad and I know I’ve over-simplified the point, but just saying you need to be smarter isn’t enough. You also have to be incredibly lucky and have fantastic timing. Even then, you’re probably only buying yourself a small window for success.

I’m by no means a “woe is the small market” kind of guy. I believe that above all else you have to have a smart organization first. But if there is a disparity in baseball it’s that the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers and others have a competitive window that is virtually always open because of their revenue. That’s the imbalance that needs to be adjusted to make true parity in the sport.

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on Aug 18, 2009 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree, but short of some sort of baseball socialism, this is the system we're stuck with and the Yanks, Sox, etc. will always have the upper hand (whoever said life was fair?)

The point that hit home to me was this from the Rangers GM:

“Really, on some level, it makes the challenge of building more enjoyable,” says Texas general manager Jon Daniels, whose club moved into the AL wild-card lead by winning two of three from Boston over the weekend. "And I can say that because our organization went through it. The biggest challenge is not having a lower payroll, it’s understanding your identity as a club.

“You can win. Not as consistently as the higher payroll clubs can, but the key is you’ve got to embrace it. You have to take certain steps. Oakland, Cleveland, Arizona, Minnesota, Colorado … there is example after example of clubs who have embraced it and followed through with their plans. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Bob C. wants to be the Yankees, and he just doesn’t get that that is possible. I’d love to be the scrappy underdog that has to fight and claw for one or two playoff appearances every few years.

Baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it.— Bill Terry

by nycredsfan on Aug 18, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

*isn't possible

Baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it.— Bill Terry

by nycredsfan on Aug 18, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Agree

I think the big market teams have closed the intelligence gap, which means nearly everything has to go right for a small market team for them to make a sustained run. The Brewers are a good example – years of good drafting to build their core, culminating in a trade for a hired gun. But now they’re back to a .500-ish team without the resources to get the SP they sorely need. If they can’t get something done in the next couple of years (before Prince leaves) all those rebuilding years will net them one playoff series.

by ken on Aug 18, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions

I would kill for one playoff series

by JPGs on Aug 18, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions

You can manage that frustration:

1. Move to NYC
2.Make friends with a Yankees season ticket holder
3.Wait until the post season
4. Kill that person and take his ticket
4.Go to the game.

Life really isn’t all that difficult when you break it down into manageable steps.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
George Carlin

by Madville on Aug 18, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions