Red Reposter: FO Invasion

Today you get a special little treat as I’m going write up the Reposter, even though I already did the Farmers Only Weekend Harvest.  Jerks.  It’s ok, and it makes some sense because there is minor league stuff to talk about.  Farmers Only is taking over the Reposter.

If you read Farmers Only, which you should, you know that Michael Lorenzen is putting up a pretty good season in AA.  This is huge because up until he was drafted Lorenzen never focused 100% on pitching, and all he had ever done before was pitched in relief.  To be a good starter you typically need to have three good pitches (don’t tell Tony Cingrani).  We already know all about his blistering fastball, but in the past week or two Lorenzen has added a curveball. He decided to debut the curveball yesterday in the Wahoos 3 to 0 loss to the Jacksonville Suns.  Lorenzen ended up pitching 5 hitless innings, in large part because he was able to change the batters’ eye level and timing with the curveball.  He was wild, allowing 4 walks, but if he can add another pitch to his repertoire to keep hitters of balance he only becomes more valuable.  When you read the article beware of Lorenzen's pitching derp face. It's spectacular.

Everyone likes baseball, and everyone likes the Reds.  One of the best things about the Reds is their single A affilitate, the Dayton Dragons, are so close you can keep tabs on some of your favorite prospects and have a great time doing it.  If you want to you could even partake in a baseball double header, watching the Dragons in the afternoon and the Reds at night, or vice versa.  I will admit, I have never been to a Dragons game.  It makes me more than a little sad.  I've been to several Ft. Wayne Tin Caps games, mostly because of dollar beer night, and they are a great draw.  However, Dayton is really in a class of it's own.  I was going to go to a game once, but I think it rained.  If you are like me and you want to know about the Dayton experience and why you should go, I'd recommend this review. It sounds as if you really can't go wrong with spending an afternoon or evening at Fifth Third Field.  The food is good, the beer is delicious, the women are all stacked, the atmostphere is great, and Dayton is committed to putting a family friendly atmosphere out there for people to enjoy themselves.  Go to a game and tell me how awesome Jamodrick is in person.  Make sure you plan ahead, though, tickets are scarce.

When you are bored, and you need something to do, looking for Grant Brisbee's recent articles is a good bet. Most people really like Puig, because he's entertaining and good at baseball, and a lot of fawning over Jose Abreu's power (He just went on the DL, though).  Cuban players are taking the league by storm.  The only problem is it is very hard to get here, and it is often done by shady and dangerous means.  I'm sure most of you have heard of the Drug Cartel threats against Puig, or the fact that Aroldis Chapman walked out of a hotel and into a car with no worldly possessions but the clothes on his back and a pack of cigs in his pocket.  I don't quite remember how Abreu defected, but I'm sure it wasn't pretty.  The next big Cuban prospect is Alfredo Despaigne, who is 28 years old and tearing apart the Mexican League.  He's the kind of player that could get big money in the off season with such a weak FA offensive pool.  The only problem?  He may not get the chance.  Despaigne has a Dominican Republic passport that may not be completely legitimate.  The Mexican League is looking into suspending him for 7 years, and he may not be eligible for MLB.  That would really suck, and I hope the guy can get it worked out.  Risking your life and everything to make money and play the game you love is super ballsy.

When Memorial Day starts to approach there is another big day that is on the horizon and the speculation begins.  The MLB Amateur Draft is quickly approaching and the Reds have the 19th and 29th overall picks.  Mock drafts are starting to sprout  up.  I'm sure we'll start hearing from Thundering Turtle soon enough to know who we want, who they are, and how good they will be.  I also look forward to his analysis.  I know almost nothing about draft prospects until after the Reds draft them, and I learn a lot from him.  Here are just a couple of MLB mock drafts.

Jonathon Mayo

SBN Minor League Ball (Second Version)

From what I've read, most of the experts have the Reds all over the place, picking College pitchers, high school pitchers, middle infielders, to prep outfielders.  I'm sure we'll be shocked as Walt and company have kept us on our toes the past couple years.  Most baseball GM's go with the best player available, as they should.  Keith Law also has a mock draft out, but I'm not an insider.

If you needed another reason to dislike the Arizona Diamondbacks, other than trading all their talent for grit and having the worst record in the league, I have another for you.  They just named Tony LaRussa as their Chief Baseball Officer. Basically, that means that he is being given complete control of the franchise.  Towers and Gibson are still technically employed, but who knows how much longer that is going to last.  What has happened in Arizona is sad, and you can't blame anyone but Towers and Gibson.  This just reminded me that I got an alert that Adam Eaton is coming off the DL.  I need to add him back to my fantasy team.  I'm sure the White Sox are happy, too.