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Around the Bases: Week 9
Quebec and Tokyo plan to stock up their minor league systems
By Listen DePleyohs / Baseball Tri-Weekly
Last week, I made the pronouncement that “Champions have a way of stepping up” and boy was I right. Weymouth, tied with Haverhill 5-5 going into the last day, exploded offensively. In one day, they scored 9 runs, with 2 homeruns and 7 RBIs, pushing them past the Swingers.
Las Vegas, the team I was initially referring to, was so far back in every category in the final days, that they would have lost even if everyone on the roster played a doubleheader on Sunday.
Last week was a very telling week. The Monsters won big, and the Hispanics did the opposite, while the Bells tried their hardest to move up in my power rankings. No word yet whether I will budge.
The Minor League draft order has recently been released, so let’s look at who has benefited the most from last year’s draft:
1. Bizton Markies
Bizton drafted B.J. Upton first overall last year, and are fortunate enough to have the first pick this year too. How lucky can a team get? Unfortunately, Bizton has yet to see any production from Upton, who was called up at the beginning of the season. Their second round pick, Joe Blanton, has struggled as well posting a 6.66 ERA in the first two months.
Outlook – Upton is a quality pick, and will be the Markies' shortstop for a long time. The folks of Bizton hope that he can help them later in the season.
Editor's note: Bizton traded away this year's #1 overall pick to Quebec City in return for SP Barry Zito
3. Rakeville Rockets
The Rockets minor league players are still a year away from heading to Rakeville, but if they follow the course of their second round pick, David Wright, things are promising. Both Delmon Young, an outfielder, and Felix Hernandez, acquired from Las Vegas, are playing AA ball. Felix has the best shot at coming up late this season.
Outlook – Both are top prospects, but Young may not fit into the Rakeville outfield right away. Hernandez has a good chance of being called up as soon as he makes the Major League roster.
4. Quebec City Piglets
After two years, the Piglets finally got Scott Kazmir onto their roster. He has lived up to the hype posting a 3.82 ERA in his first season in the EHCC, and is a good complimentary pitcher in that rotation. Josh Barfield, taken in the second round, is slated to replace Jeff Kent at second base in two seasons, though his performance at AAA Winnipeg has been unspectacular.
Outlook – Barfield, while expected to contribute next season at the earliest, may be trade bait near the deadline or next off season depending on Kent’s performance and longevity.
6. Winston-Salem Green Monsters
The Green Monsters' picks, starting pitcher Tim Stauffer and infielder Aaron Hill, are both in the Majors, but not on Winston-Salem’s roster yet. Hill is a bench player in Toronto, but is getting enough at bats to lose his minor league eligibility in the off-season. The Monsters are being patient with Stauffer. They are allowing him to get some experience at the Major League level before finding a spot for him.
Outlook – Stauffer should be in Winston-Salem within a month, while Hill is more problematic. Expect him to stay in Ashville through the season, with a decision made during the off-season on his future.
8. Tokyo Omyoujis
Tokyo’s minor league is about nine deep, with seven players on their major league roster playing in AAA. Of two players actually assigned to their Vermont affiliate, first baseman Prince Fielder is the most touted. He has been tearing up minor league pitching, and the Omyoujis have noticed, making room for him on their EHCC roster by trading all-star first baseman David Ortiz. Third baseman Andy Marte is the typical power prospect. He will be in the plans for Tokyo next season.
Outlook – Fielder could be up this year the way he is playing, but Tokyo may hold him in Vermont for fear of having someone with talent on the team. Marte has Chipper Jones above him in the MLB, which may hinder his promotion. Expect him to fit nicely into Tokyo’s lineup next season.
9. Weymouth Shaddupu
Weymouth went pitching last season, grabbing Jeff Francis and Clint Everts. Francis has struggled this season for Shaddupu, but Weymouth has been supportive so far. Everts is a long term prospect that has a lot of upside. Currently in single A, he has dominated opposing pitchers. Weymouth can only hope he will be ready by the time his minor league contract expires.
Outlook – Everts is probably two seasons away.
So, let’s take a look at this week’s matchups. This week is one of those weeks you just have to get through. No real blockbuster matchups. Teams need to stick to their game plan, do their business and fight again in seven days.
WS at LV
The most exciting game of the week, and that is not saying much when in involves Winston-Salem. Even with a losing record, they find themselves in fourth place thanks to consistency. They are a team that is balanced enough to never lose big, and strong enough to pummel lesser teams.
Las Vegas is a wreck right now. The only ranked team they have been able to beat was Tijuana, and coming off a beating by Bridgewater, people are beginning to question the front office. They have made a ton of moves this season, yet they have been fairly healthy. And with the return of Brazoban, who was quoted in a recent article bashing a Dogg Pitcher, team chemistry is at an all time low.
This game likely will be a 4-6, 5-5 affair, with the Monsters controlling the flow. If the Doggs want to turn their ship around, they need to make a splash this week and take an extra category or two.
TIJ at BRW
‘Michael row your boat ashore, Hallelujah’
Four games out of first place and undefeated in the last seven games, Bridgewater is easily the biggest surprise of the season. While I don’t expect this roll to continue all season, they have certainly proven that they still are an elite team.
Tijuana, the former surprise of the season, won’t be surprised this week. They will go against a powerful, balanced team with little hope of a victory. The Hispanics need to play smart this week, and take what categories they can. If they sail broadside against Bridgewater, I can assure you they will be in seventh place and a few games back from the playoffs.
QC at TKO
I don’t know what to think after the Piglets tied Rakeville last week, 5-5. On one hand, they held off a good team even though they are struggling. On the other, maybe this just proves that they are not as good as everyone thought. They have had only one decisive win this season. Just looking at their team invokes chills, but the performance isn’t there.
Perhaps it is time to re-categorize Quebec City into that second tier with Winston-Salem and Rakeville. The Piglets have been consistent all season, and if they continue at this pace, will be assured a playoff spot.
Tokyo got creamed again last week, and are well on their way to the first overall pick next season. Piglets win 7-3.
Listen DePleyohs’s Lock of the Week (1-0): Rakeville over Plymouth, 8-2
| 1. | Bridgewater | (+2) |
| 2. | Weymouth | (-1) |
| 3. | Las Vegas | (-1) |
| 4. | Rakeville | ( - ) |
| 5. | Quebec City | ( - ) |
| 6. | Winston-Salem | (+1) |
| 7. | Tijuana | (-1) |
| 8. | Golden | (+1) |
| 9. | Bizton | (-1) |
| 10. | Plymouth | (+2) |
| 11. | Haverhill | (-1) |
| 12. | Tokyo | (-1) |
League Notes
-- With the success of the EHCC, entrepreneurs from Atlanta and Cincinnati have shown interest in owning a franchise. No one in the EHCC main office would comment, but if new franchises were to enter the league it would have to expand to 14 teams, or contract existing teams.
-- Swingers’ pitcher Jorge Julio was named Player of the Month by the EHCC Usher Union. Apparently, when he enters the game, most of the fans go home early making their jobs easier. Piglets Danny Kolb was a close second.
-- After two years on the Free Agent list, Chan Ho Park has found a home in Golden. “This is a wonderful moment. I love pitching almost as much as I love being injured and getting paid a lot of money,” said Park, according to some guy on his couch in Colorado who was pretending to translate.
Listen DePleyohs writes a column for Baseball Tri-Weekly. His mock minor league draft has perennial Connecticut all-star Lou Shavell going first overall.
