Blogs > Minor Matters

Run by Josh Norris, The Trentonian's Thunder beat writer, this blog will cover the team, as well as the Eastern League and Minor League Baseball as a whole.



Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Odds and Ends

Congrats to Ian Kennedy, who got back on the mound today against the Angels. It was his first Major League of 2009, and it came in a crucial eighth inning. Sure, he walked two guys and loaded the bases with one out, but he got out of it, which has to be a huge confidence boost for a guy who didn't fare too well the last time he took the hill.

Meanwhile, on the radio, John Sterling displayed one of the poorest examples in recent memory -- no small feat considering the source. When Kennedy was summoned from the pen instead of Brian Bruney, Sterling was surprised. How do I know? Well, he used the words "flabbergasted" "amazed" and "shocked" at least 30 times during the half inning.

We get it, John, you thought Joe Girardi should be going to someone else in the eighth inning of game with a potential playoff opponent, especially with the division not yet clinched. That said, Damaso Marte, Phil Coke and Jonathan Albaladejo were already used, Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves were unavailable and David Robertson is injured. That leaves Bruney, Josh Towers, Mike Dunn and Kennedy to try to get the ball to Rivera in the ninth. Given the options, Kennedy is as good a choice as any.

Once again, congrats to Kennedy on a successful comeback from an aneurysm.

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Speaking of the Angels, what about the year Kendry Morales has had replacing Mark Teixeira at first?

Here are Morales' numbers this season: .305/.350/.913 with 42 2Bs, 31 HRs, 99 RBIs and 77 runs scored.

Now, here are Teixeira's: .292/.382/.949 with 42 2Bs, 37 HRs, 118 RBIs and 98 runs scored.

When you consider that Morales is doing this at 26, in his first full major league season and for just $1.1 million, it seems that the Angels have filled Teixeira's void quite nicely. Oh, and they got two first-round draft picks as compensation. Nice work, Angels front office.

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Hope you enjoyed your trip to the Eastern League Championship Series, Connecticut Defenders fans, because your team has moved to Richmond starting next season. The move brings pro baseball back to Richmond after a one-year absence.

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