Covering All The Bases

Jose Valdez siigns with Astros

2009-11-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

Jose Valdez, who went 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA and 10 saves in 38.1 innings with the Thunder this season, has signed with the Astros, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Valdez, 25, was a minor league free agent who also spent time with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Overall, Valdez was 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 57.1 innings in 2009.

Yankees Minor League Free Agents

2009-11-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

These players have spent six seasons in the minor leagues with one organization, or were signed to a season-long contract, and have elected free agency

RHP: Paul Bush (Trenton), Michael Gardner (Trenton), Justin Pope (Trenton), Humberto Sanchez (S-WB), Jay Stephens (Trenton), Jose Valdez (S-WB)
C: Brian Peterson (S-WB), Chris Stewart (S-WB)
3B: Eric Duncan (S-WB), Carlos Mendoza(Trenton), Cody Ransom (S-WB), Marcos Vechionacci (Trenton)SS: Doug Bernier (S-WB)
OF: Edwar Gonzalez (Trenton), Freddy Guzman (S-WB), Richie Robnett (Trenton), John Rodriguez (S-WB)

Of the 17 players listed here, two are coaches within the system (Mendoza, Pope), three were acquired by the Yankees midseason (Bush, Robnett, Guzman) and two will get World Series rings (Guzman, Ransom).

There's gonna be a few changes around here ...

2009-11-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

OK, so it's been a while since I've spoken to you last, but there's a reason. I've been thinking long and hard about how to make this blog a better place for the readers. Here's what I've come up with: Instead of focusing mostly on major league baseball, I'm going to stick to what I know (and have sources inside/access to), and that is minor league baseball.

In that vein, today we're going to take a quick look at how the Yankees players have done in the Arizona Fall League, and pass along a few things an American League scout said about a couple of the pitchers.

All of New York's players are on the Surprise Rafters, who, after a strong start, find themselves in the cellar of the of the AFL West, behind the Peoria Javelinas. On an individual level, however, there are certainly a few standouts.

First and foremost is outfielder Colin Curtis, who spent parts of this season and last with the Thunder. Overall, Curtis, who was a moderate power threat in Trenton, boasts a batting line .377/.456/1.122. Nearly half of his 26 hits have gone for extra bases (three home runs), and he's racked up 14 RBIs in the process.

Not bad for a guy who some project as a fourth outfielder at best.

The other outstanding Yankees performance belongs to third baseban Brandon Laird, who has not seen any time in Trenton yet, but could be there in 2010. After smacking 13 home runs all season with Tampa, the Cypress CC alumnus has six with Suprise. He's hitting .337/.406/1.046 with Surprise, a marked improvement that could be attributed to either small sample size or facing inexperienced (if talented) pitching.

On the pitching side, most believe the most talented of the Yankees crop is reliever Michael Dunn. In fact, one scout told me this morning that Dunn is going to be "better than Phil Coke" and could be a 7th-inning guy instead of just a situational left-hander.

A former outfielder, Dunn sits at around 93-94 with his fastball and pairs it with a good breaking pitch. He does tend to get into a bit of trouble with his control, but that should subside with experience.

Ian Kennedy, who missed most of 2009 recovering from an aneuyrsm in his pitching arm, has also gotten some innings under his belt in Arizona. With the Rafters, Kennedy has gone 1-1 with a 4.74 ERA. He's given up a hit per inning pitched, but has walked just five in 24 2/3 frames. A scout who saw Kennedy pitch says he is "100 percent recovered" from the surgery and looks the same as ever.

Zach Kroenke and Grant Duff are both also with Surprise, but neither has had spectacular results. Duff has a 2.89 ERA with five walks in 9 1/3 innings, and Kroenke has a 5.28 ERA and has allowed two home runs in 15 1/3 innings.

Some quick offseason doings

2009-11-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

It's just two days after the World Series, but there already have been a few interesting moves made around the league. Here's a brief rundown.

- Earlier today, the Red Sox dealt two relievers -- Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez -- to the Marlins for outfielder Jeremy Hermida, a guy still trying to realize his loads of potential. This seems like an extension of the "Buy 'em cheap and hope they produce" strategy that stuck them with John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Rocco Baldelli and Takashi Saito. This time, though, Hermida is expected to be a backup.

- The Angels smartly re-signed outfielder Bobby Abreu to a two-year deal. Abreu had one of the most cost-effective seasons out there in 2009, going .293/.390/.825 with 15 HRs, 103 RBIs and 30 (!) SBs. Good job by Tony Reagins, Arte Moreno and company to get that done quickly. He will make $19 million over the next two seasons.

- The Rays dealt infielder Akinori Iwamura, largely rendered a spare part this season by the emergence of Ben Zobrist as an All-Star at second base. Tampa Bay shipped Iwamura to the pirates, receiving middle reliever Jesse Chavez in return.

What a Series

2009-11-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

If you hadn't heard, the Yankees won their 27th World Series title last night. Some might even call it: 27th Heaven.

In any case, the Pedro vs. Pettitte matchup wasn't exactly the stuff of legend, but the Yankees stalwart did just enough to lead his team through 5 1/3 innings before handing the ball to Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte (whose brilliance in October-November came out of nowhere) and eventually Mariano Rivera, closer nonpareil.

Of course, there also was Hideki Matsui's absolute monster of a game. Six RBIs, tying Bobby Richardson's (who knew?) record, and coming a triple short of what would have been the first cycle in World Series history.

For me, the most gratifying part of this postseason has been the rebirth of Alex Rodriguez, finally getting the monkey (and N.Y. media) off his back. It had become extremely frustrating to defend why having the best player in baseball on your team is not a negative.

All the home runs (first instant replay home run in regular season and WS), RBIs and defensive plays when it mattered most made this one just a little more special.

Congrats to all the guys who got their first rings, and to the four who got their fifth.

What a first two games

2009-10-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

In a column that ran in The Trentonian's World Series preview section on Wednesday, I wrote that the Phillies would be wrong to expect to see the same CC Sabathia they destroyed in the National League Division Series last October.

I was right.

Problem for the Yankees was: Cliff Lee was the same dominating pitcher he's been since joining the Phillies in July. He mixed and matched, accelerated and decelerated on his way to baffling the Yankees over a complete-game, 6-1 victory. He made the Yankees, the best offensive team in the major leagues all season long, look completely helpless.

Of course, Sabathia pitched pretty darn well too. He made two mistakes, though, and they cost him -- big time. Chase Utley took two of Sabathia's misplaced fastballs and deposited them into the right-field bleachers. Those two bombs turned out to be the margin of victory as Philly coasted the rest of the way to their sixth straight win in Game 1 of a playoff series, a streak that dates back to last year's NLDS.

Last night, the plot was basically the same -- except for a key role reversal.

A.J. Burnett threw the best game of his life and outdueled a rejuvenated-looking Pedro Martinez in the process.

Burnett went seven innings before giving the ball to Mariano Rivera, who, although wasn't at his best, did the job over the final two frames.

Martinez, for his part, proved nearly everybody wrong.

Like Sabathia the night before, Pedro made just two mistakes -- both were hit out of the yard. Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui each went deep, providing the Yankees all the runs they needed to even up the World Series heading into Philadelphia and what should be a raucous Citizens Bank Park tomorrow night.

This is what it's all about

2009-10-28T09:39:00.001-07:00

After six months of waiting, the World Series is finally upon us -- and it's a doozy this year. For the first time in a long time it actually seems like the two best teams and not the two teams who just happened to get hot at the right time.

The Phillies and Yankees are remarkably similar, which would seem to point to a six- or seven game series.

Both teams are built upon strong, home-grown foundations. The Yankees have Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. The Phillies counter with Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. That's eight of the game's premier players divided evenly on the sport's biggest stage.

Both clubs also have tremendous power: The Phils led the NL in home runs, doubles, runs scored, slugging percentage, total bases and hit by pitch. They finished second in stolen bases, with 119 swipes.

On the other side, the Yankees led the Junior Circuit in runs, hits, home runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and total bases.

As for the pitching, the Yankees were tops in saves and strikeouts, and pitched to a 4.28 ERA. The Phillies led the NL in no category, but accrued a 4.16 ERA.

All in all, I give the Yanks the edge because of their hammer at the back of the bullpen, Mariano Rivera. They'll win in seven games.

So, I was wrong

2009-10-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

After writing the other day about how good the Yankees' bullpen is, it has promptly imploded -- save for Mariano Rivera. Not one of the New York non-Rivera relievers inspires confidence -- not Joba, not Hughes, not Marte, not Coke, not Aceves, not Robertson and not Gaudin. It's pretty amazing that the Yankees' pen has gone to pieces, while the Phillies' pen has looked much, much better of late.

Thinking about it, it seems possible that, because they're so young, the Yankees' relievers may be going through a case of very ill-timed burnout.

Take Phil Hughes, for example.

By my count, Hughes has thrown 108 innings (counting playoffs) this season, his first as a reliever. The total is his highest since 2007, when he threw 110 1/3 between the majors and the minors. Additionally, it's the first season in which he's been regularly used on back-to-back days, which almost certainly added new stress to the 23-year-old's arm. More than likely, that has played a big factor in his postseason struggles.

ALCS and NLCS recaps, thoughts

2009-10-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

First, the ALCS:

Wow, what a crazy game, huh? We learned (or re-learned, at least) two things about the bullpen in those 13 innings:

1. All A-Rod needs to do to be clutch in the postseason is admit he used steroids. That will put him in the "better place" he keeps talking about. I wonder if the knowledge that he had been cheating did weigh on his mind at all during the last few postseasons. Frankly, I'm surprised nobody from the media has asked him that.

In any case, whatever had been clouding his mind seems to be a thing of the past. Three game-tying home runs in the seventh inning or later in five postseason games, are you kidding? His offensive output has overshadowed the fact that, by and large, the rest of the Yankees just are not hitting at all.

2. The Yankees bullpen is absolutely, positively nails when it matters. 18 1/3 innings -- three runs allowed. That is mighty nice. The best part is: they've been getting contributions from everybody. Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, David Robertson, Alfredo Aceves -- even Damaso Marte came up with a big strikeout in Game 2. It's not even worth mentioning how good Mariano Rivera has been, that's just a given.

Now, the NLCS:

Two words: Total domination.

I'm already on record in and around The Trentonian office as saying the Dodgers will not win a game the rest of this series. Torre and Co. have to be totally demoralized by the whoopin' Charlie's boys laid on them for three hours and change last night. Cliff Lee absolutely dismantled the Dodgers, almost with surgical precision for eight innings. For goodness sakes, they even allowed Ryan Howard to leg out a triple. Sure, he's lost some weight, but he's still a big, big boy.

The way it looks from here, it's going to be a really sweet October in and around this area. 1950 World Series rematch, here we come.

ALCS Thoughts, Winter Leagues update

2009-10-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

So, Phillies fans, exactly what has happened lately to Chase Utley's ability to throw? He looks less confident out there than late-period Chuck Knoblauch with the Yankees. Remember? The guy who got so out of wack that he hit Keith Olbermann's mother in the face with a throw? Here's hoping he straightens it out before the month is over, or it's going to be a long offseason for Utley in the pages of The Inquirer and the Philly Daily News. And I don't even want to think about how the hosts/callers will treat him on sports talk radio.

Additionally, and I know it's been a problem all season, but that Philadelphia bullpen is absolutely brutal. When your most trustworthy reliever is Chan Ho Park, that's a problem. And please, please, pleeeeeeaaaaase don't try to tell me Brad Lidge is back, just because he hasn't given up a run this postseason.

He skirted danger in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Rockies, walking two batters and ending the game by getting Troy Tulowitzki to BARELY miss a three-run, walk-off home run. That's not exactly lights-out relief work, if you ask me.

Additionally, if the atom-ball that Utley turned into a double play in Game 1 is six inches to the right or left, then that ninth inning takes on an entirely different scope. The Dodgers would have had runners on (probably) first and third and nobody out. Considering he walked the next man, James Loney, things could be looking a lot worse for the Phils than a 1-1 split heading back to Citizens Bank Park tomorrow night.

---

As for the ALCS, what a game by CC Sabathia. That certainly was what the Yankees were hoping for when they doled out $171 million to ink him for the next seven years, wasn't it?

It's been quite a while since the Bombers could enter a postseason with someone they could legitimately claim as a true ace. Now it's up to A.J. Burnett -- another big-money man -- to repeat CC's feat in Game 2 tonight (if possible) in the windy, rainy Bronx.

Of course, the big question with Burnett is: Will it be Jorge Posada or Jose Molina calling pitches behind the dish? To me, the answer is Molina. He's clearly established a better rapport -- and coaxed better results from -- Burnett all season long.

With Posada calling pitches, the opposition is hitting .270/.353/.775. With Molina, those numbers drop to .221/.307/.658. -- quite the difference, if you ask me.

Additionally, just look at Burnett's results in Game 2, when Molina was the starting backstop: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER and 6 K. He did walk five men and hit another two, but he worked around them.

---

The Arizona Fall League has started, and some former and soon-to-be Thunder players have started off quite well.

Brandon Laird, who could be manning the hot corner next season in Trenton, has coasted through the first four weeks with a robust .625 average, including a home run and seven RBIs.

Austin Romine, who will more than likely be in Trenton come April, is sporting a .462/.500/.962 line, with a pair of RBIs thrown in for good measure.

Colin Curtis, who started last season with the Thunder, has a .316 average, two doubles, a home run and four RBIs.

Congratulations to the victors

2009-10-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Yankees and Angels fans rejoice, your teams will meet in the American League Championship Series, starting Friday at Yankee Stadium. Fortunately, it will be carried by FOX, which means no more of the insipid Chip Caray. However, it most likely means the beginning of all Tim McCarver all the time.

Some brief thoughts regarding both of the LDS' Game 3s played on Sunday:

-- I actually feel bad for Jonathan Papelbon after that meltdown. To be one strike away from victory three times, facing some of the Angels' least fearsome hitters and still losing has to feel awful. I wonder who felt worse: Tim Wakefield in 2003, or Papelbon on Sunday.

-- On the same note, MLB Network's Mitch Williams very presciently noted that perhaps Papelbon's undoing was partly due to poor pitch selection. The Red Sox closer stayed almost exclusively with outside fastballs, nearly eschewing his breaking ball entirely. One has to wonder if a splitter to Erick Aybar -- who made the last out against the Red Sox last year -- would have finished him off.

-- The play Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez combined on yesterday was the smartest defense I've seen since "The Flip" in 2001. To have the presence of mind in that spot to notice how far Nick Punto was off third is otherworldly. It's plays like that make for championship-caliber teams. (Except in 2001, when they didn't win.)

-- Speaking of A-Rod, it seems he's either turned a postseason corner, or just really likes facing the Twins in the ALDS. To wit, Rodriguez against the Twins in the 2004 ALDS was .421/.476/1.213 with a home run and three doubles, including a game-tying ground-rule double in the bottom of the 12th off of Joe Nathan. It would have been a game-winning hit, but Jeter had to stop at third when the ball bounced over the wall.

-- Of course, despite the overall team struggles against the Angels of late, Rodriguez has feasted on Los Angeles pitching. He is .328/.405/1.098 with 67 home runs against them in his career. The longball total is his highest against any opponent.

Back from vacation

2009-10-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

I've been on vacation since October 1, but now I am back and ready to talk some baseball.

First, a quick recap of things that have happened since I've been gone.

-- Tigers 2o-year-old Rick Porcello pitched like a man, but it wasn't enough to stop the Twins, who barrelled into the American League Division Series.

-- The Dodgers nearly blew the National League West, but finally managed to rebuff the Rockies and claim the division crown.

-- Joba Chamberlain, in a move expected by most, was shifted to the bullpen for the playoffs. The Yanks only need three starters, at least for the first round, and Chamberlain, who has been largely inconsistent, was an easy choice for the odd man out.

-- The Yankees and Angels have established 1-0 leads over the Twins and Red Sox, respectively. In the NL, the Dodgers have a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals, and the Phillies and Rockies are tied at one game apiece in their series.

-- Nationals phenom (is it too early to call him that?) Stephen Strasburg made his professional debut in the Instructional League. Strasburg tossed two innings against the Tigers I.L. team and recorded his first two pro strikeouts along the way.

-- It was announced, officially at least, that five players who have seen time with the Thunder over the past few seasons would be playing in the Arizona Fall League. Those players are: Michael Dunn, Grant Duff, Colin Curtis, Ian Kennedy and Zach Kroenke. Thunder pitching coach Tommy Phelps will also be attending.

-- My predictions for the major awards this season:

MVPs: Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols

Cy Youngs: Zack Greinke, Chris Carpenter

Rookies of the Year: Rick Porcello, Tommy Hanson

Managers of the Year: Ron Gardenhire, Tony La Russa

Thunder release 2010 home schedule

2009-09-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay lately; I just finished moving and have had limited access to the Internet. Anyway, as you can see by the title, the Thunder have released their 2010 home schedule. They begin the season on April 8 with the Erie Seawolves and end it on September 2 against the Akron Aeros.

Here's a link to the complete schedule.

---
On another note, I am at Yankee Stadium tonight and had a chance to speak with several former Thunder players, including Ramiro Pena, Alfredo Aceves, Michael Dunn, Phil Coke and Mark Melancon. Look for stories in the The Trentonian in the coming days, starting with a feature on Pena and his unexpected success in the big leagues.

Odds and Ends

2009-09-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

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.

----

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.

---------

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.

A Dark Horse Cy Young candidate, perhaps?

2009-09-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

There's a pitcher on a contending team in the American League who has put up some Cy Worthy numbers, but is getting little recognition in the media.

His numbers: 16-5, 3.65 ERA, 154 H in 170 IP, nearly 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 123 ERA+, 1.23 WHIP.

So, any idea who he is? CC Sabathia? No. Jon Lester? No. John Lackey? No.

Give up? It's Scott Feldman, of the Texas Rangers, who, at just 25, is quietly establishing himself as one of the better starters in the American League.

Two simple questions

2009-09-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

With Derek Jeter tying Lou Gehrig's record for hits as a Yankee, where does he rank among all-time Yankees. If you ask me, it's sixth, right behind Yogi Berra and ahead of Whitey Ford.

Also, does anybody out there think he'll get to 4,000 hits? It was proposed on ESPN the other night and I thought it was an interesting question. By their math, all Jeter had to do was average about 150 hits a season for eight more years. Depending on his health and employment, that seems doable.

What do you all think?

2009 Eastern Leaguers in the MLB

2009-09-09T09:54:00.001-07:00

Just a quick roundup of some of the 2009 EL Alumni currently on Major League rosters:

Eric Hacker -PIT

One of the better guys I've gotten a chance to meet while covering the Thunder, Hacker went from Trenton's opening day starter to the show with the Pirates. Not exactly how he planned it when he got drafted in 2002, but I'll bet he's happy for the chance.

Jeff Manship -MIN

He was with the Rock Cats for 13 starts in 2009, during which he went 6-4 with a 4.28 ERA and 45 Ks in 75 2/3 innings. He's made his ML debut with the Twins on Aug. 15, when he fanned one in his lone inning of work against the Rangers in the Metrodome.

Marc Rzepczynski -TOR

Rzepczynski left the Eastern League early, pitching his final game for the Fisher Cats on June 18 against Akron. He made his MLB debut on July 7 and has compiled a 2-4 mark with a 3.67 ERA since then. He's struck out 60 in 61 1/3 innings with the Jays.

Junichi Tazawa and Josh Reddick - BOS

Tazawa and Reddick each put up fabulous numbers in their time in the EL in 2009. Tazawa, signed last offseason, went 9-5 with a 2.57 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 98 innings. Reddick hit .277/.352/.872 with 13 HRs and 29 RBIs for the Sea Dogs.

Here are their numbers so far with Boston:

Tazawa: 2-3, 7.46 ERA, 13 Ks in 25 1/3 IP
Reddick: Seven hits in 34 ABs, four 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs

Tobi Stoner and Josh Thole - NYM

Two Binghamton alums, Stoner and Thole represent a small bright patch on what has been an awful season for the entire organization. Stoner was 2-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his seven starts with the B-Mets. Thole hit .325/.395/.816 with a home run and 46 RBIs with Binghamton.

Stoner hasn't gotten into a game with the Mets, but Thole scored his first MLB hit on September 5 at Colorado. Overall, the 22-year-old is 4-for-12 with a double and an RBI.

Madison Bumgarner and Waldis Joaquin - SF

With Bumgarner's near-win last night, that makes two former Defenders on the Giants' roster. Bumgarner was the Giants' top prospect entering the year, and he debuted last night when he replaced Tim Lincecum, who was experiencing back spasms. Overall, he went 5 1/3 innings with four punchouts and would have gotten the W had the bullpen held the lead.

Joaquin made his debut on August 4, giving up a pair of hits and an earned run against Houston. He's gotten into only one more game since then, a scoreless four outs against San Diego on Monday.

Here are the pair's numbers with Connecticut this season:
Bumgarner: 9-1, 1.93 ERA, 69 K in 108 IP
Joaquin: 4-5, 1 save, 2.77 ERA, 37 K in 52 IP

Thunder stay alive

2009-09-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

In one of the most drama-packed, heart-rending and downright poetic games they've played all season, the Thunder staved off elimination with a 4-3 win in 12 innings over the New Britain Rock Cats last night at New Britain Stadium.

Here's why I say poetic: On Friday night with the game on the line, Kanekoa Texeira -- who has been worked to the bone this season -- gave up the game-winning double to NB catcher Wilson Ramos, one the Twins' brightest young prospects.

Last night, in possibly the greatest display of managerial cojones all season, Tony Franklin summoned Texeira in the tenth inning last night ... with the season-ending run on second and two outs ... to face Ramos. The move worked out when Texeira got a weak popup to short to end the inning.

The game stayed tied until the twelfth, when Chris Malec's sac fly brought home Austin Krum with the eventual game-winner. Remember, though, this is on the road, so the Thunder had to close out the Rock Cats one more time.

Texeira was still on the mound.

He got two quick outs, but wound up walking his third hitter on what sounded like a very questionable ball four. That, of course, brought up Ramos again. Just like last time, Texeira won the battle with New Britain's catcher, getting a weak grounder to third baseman Marcos Vechionacci.

Now that that's over the Thunder have to win two more.

Huge series with New Britain starts tonight

2009-09-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Bottom line is this: Thunder need to win three of four to make the playoffs. By my modest calculations, there is no chance for a one-game playoffs, so this is it: Either get hot or go home.

As spelled out on the bottom of the Thunder game notes, here are the pitching matchups for the series:

Tonight: TRE LHP Jeremy Bleich vs. NB Deolis Guerra
Tomorrow: TRE RHP Ryan Pope vs. NB Matt Fox
Sunday: TRE RHP Jason Stephens vs. NB Mike McCardell
Monday: TRE RHP Lance Pendleton vs. NB Ryan Mullins

If the Thunder ever needed a solid start from Bleich, it's tonight. He allowed two earned runs in five innings against the Rock Cats in his last time out, and will probably need to repeat that performance tonight. The opposition, Deolis Guerra, has been equal parts dominant and dismal. He's allowed five or more earned runs three times in his last 10 outings, but held the Thunder to just one in his last turn.

In Re: Around the Horn's Cy Young "debate"

2009-09-03T14:26:00.001-07:00

Three out of four panelists just said CC Sabathia should beat Zack Greinke in the race for the American League Cy Young Award. They are wrong.

Here's why:

Categories in which Greinke leads the American League: ERA (2.32), Complete Games (6), Shutouts (3), ERA+ (189), WHIP (1.077), Hits/9 IP (7.8), HR/9 (.5)

Categories in which Sabathia leads the American League: Wins (16), Games Started (29), Innings Pitched (199 1/3), Batters Faced (807)

That should pretty much seal it.

Bartleski, Trahan join Thunder

2009-09-02T13:03:00.001-07:00

After working with a very short bullpen yesterday, the Thunder have added Phillip Bartleski and David Trahan for the stretch run. Bartleski, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound right-hander came from the Tampa Yankees, where he was 4-1 with 2.62 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. He walked just nine in that time.

Trahan, on the other hand, took a decidedly different path. The Yankees purchased his contract from the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association. With the Explorers, Trahan, another right-hander, was 6-5 with a 2.59 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 59 frames.

Explorers' manager Les Lancaster offered this comment through a press release:

"I am very excited that David is getting this opportunity, as we have had several clubs contact us during the season about him and I was really surprised he was not taken prior to now based on the interest we received. The Yankees are getting a quality individual with a great work ethic and plus arm."

2009-09-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, I conducted an interview (with the help of Thunder Thoughts correspondent Mike Ashmore) with Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' Director of Scouting. Here is part two of that interview. Part one is posted earlier on this blog.

Q: What are your impressions of Eduardo Nunez?

A: There's no question that the kid has a lot of natural tools. He can really throw. That's as good of an arm as you're going to see in some parks in all the minor leagues and some of the big leagues. He's got the ability to square up a ball and hit. That's why he's here: He's got to get more consistent, and I think he'll do that. There's life to him, and with his athleticism, I think he'll be a pretty good player.

Q: Is there any concern with all the errors he's made, and what do you think is leading to them?

A: I can't really answer that because I've only been here a couple of days. So I can't tell you why, but I can tell you he needs to work on that. We're addressing it, and we're going to help him get better.

Q: This year's draft class seemed to have a heavy focus on college pitchers. Was that something done consciously, or was it more of a coincidence?

A: Well, I wouldn't say that. The first two picks were high school position players (Slade Heathcott and J.R. Murphy) and then you get a college pitcher. So, no, the emphasis for us is not on trying to attack this or attack that, it's trying to get what we think is the best. If that happens to be a college pitcher, great.

Q: You mentioned Jesus Montero earlier in the interview: What are the reports on him staying at the catcher position long-term?

A: I think that will take care of itself. The game will tell us whether he's going to stay there. Right now, he's doing everything he can to say, yes, he can stay there. The work that Julio (Mosquera) has done with him has been tremendous. If you asked me right when we signed him if he was going to stay at catcher, I would have said 'probably not.' But now, after seeing what they've done with him, I'd say, yeah, he can probably stay at catcher.

Q: Speaking of catchers, you've got some other guys in the system who could be here in a couple of years: Kyle Higashioka, Austin Romine, J.R. Murphy, Gary Sanchez. Can you give us a rundown on those guys?

A: Romine, I don't know if you guys have seen Romine, but he'll be here next year. He can really catch, he can really throw and he can hit. He uses the whole field. I think he's advanced. He could probably handle being up here (in Trenton) right now. He's having a really good year (in Tampa) and a heck of a playoff run there, so let's let him stay there and enjoy the success. He's a really advanced kid mentally and stuff. He has a really professional way about him. He grew up in a professional baseball atmosphere and he's pretty darn good.

Higashioka is in Staten Island and he's really learning how to catch well. He needs a little more arm strength, but he can swing the bat and he's really bright. He really picks things up in a hurry.

Murphy is a kid from this year's draft who can flat hit. He's a really good hitter and a really good athlete. There's been talk that he can play other positions, and he can, but he's really getting to be good defensively and he's got a solid-average arm.

I haven't seen enough of Sanchez to give you a real good feel on that one. I'd rather not comment on that one, but I've seen him take BP, and it looks like he can swing the bat pretty good.

Q: So Romine's going to be here next year.

A: That's my guess. It's just a guess, but he's definitely ready for this.

Q: Can you give us any other players who you believe will be here next year?

A: That's probably more for (Mark) Newman and (Pat) Roessler, but (Romine's) the one that really sticks out to me. I'd hate to say. Those guys, Pat and Mark, they get such a better feel for all the players. Once I sign them or our staff signs them, we're not around them in the same way. The coordinators and the coaches and the managers and Roessler and Newman, they really know what's best for them after that. They'll send me out to see these guys just to get an idea of what I've seen and how things are going in terms of progress.

Q: What have you seen from Andrew Brackman that leads you to believe he's on the right path?

A: Well, since we've taken him and stuck him in the bullpen and said 'go out there and go get 'em,' I think we've seen some improvement. There's been less thinking about things so much and less worrying about stuff. We're seeing good things coming from him. It's a learning year for him; it's not easy coming off of that surgery, and it's not easy being that tall. We've seen good stuff, that's the thing. Now it's just this offseason and next year, we're really hoping to see him explode.

Q: Does he still profile as a starter, in your eyes?

A: Yeah, it's just that sometimes you have to deviate from the plan a little bit and take a step backward to go forward, and that's where we needed to go with him.

Q: Have you been tracking player rehabs? Any word on how Dellin Betances is doing?

A: Some of them. He's in Tampa, but he just got the surgery; he just had the Tommy John, so he will be rehabbing down there in Tampa.

Q: Is there a player in the organization who is maybe flying under the radar of the mainstream a little bit?

A: Well, I think you guys had one in Kevin Russo here. He's made a lot of progress and he's done a good job. I don't know if he's under the radar anymore. He's hitting .330-something in Triple-A, but he isn't a big-name guy. Kevin's a guy people should keep their eye on. He can play and he's performed.

Per the Game Notes

2009-09-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Josh Schmidt will start in Game 2 of the Thunder's series with the Portland Sea Dogs. Because of rain last week, both Jeremy Bleich and Zach McAllister are on turn for Thursday's series finale. Manager Franklin has elected to go with McAllister, something that should surprise nobody.

What they do with Bleich is yet to be determined, although I wouldn't be surprised if he worked out of the bullpen. It all depends on who the team gets to replace promoted relievers Humberto Sanchez and Eric Wordekemper.

Tom Verducci on David Bachner and Greg Montalbano

2009-09-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

New Jersey lost two of its brightest baseball players this month. David Bachner, West Windsor North's ace who was departing for Seton Hall; and Greg Montalbano, a former Thunder pitcher who at one time was the Red Sox's pitcher of the year, died 10 days apart.

Here's Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated's take on the two young men who died too soon.

Conversation with Damon Oppenheimer

2009-08-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

The title pretty much says it all, but here's the first part of the transcript of the interview myself and Thunder Thoughts correspondent Mike Ashmore did yesterday with Yankees Director of Scouting Damon Oppenheimer.

Q: Who from the 2009 draft class do you believe will make it to the Thunder first?
A: To get to this level right here, I would say you're probably looking at (Adam) Warren, the kid from North Carolina, or Caleb Cotham. Those two guys could get here pretty quick. Those are both college pitchers that have now stuff that they can locate. They can probably get to be on the same track as Bleich.

Q: Are you pleased with what you've seen from Bleich so far?
A: Yeah, I'd call this his first year, really, because, if you look back, it wasn't like he pitched much last year. So I'd say that this is considered a first year, and that stuff that he showed last night, there were three pitches that were very good. He just needs to continue to be aggressive and pound the zone with confidence and go out there and trust his stuff.

Q: Do you think he's lacking confidence at this point based on the apprehensiveness he showed in his last start?
A: I think what you saw was pretty accurate. The thing that really was exciting about it was: he was getting to 0-2, he's getting ahead of hitters. Now it's just a matter of saying 'I'm going to put them away' and not give them too much respect and just go after them. Very rarely are you going to find left-handers with that kind of curveball, that kind of change-up and a fastball at 92-93 miles per hour. We can't teach that stuff, we can help him with the other stuff.

Q: So you're saying that as long as he's getting ahead and racking up strikeouts, then there's no reason to worry?
A: That's why he's here. You're going to have to experience some failure, and we'd rather him experience it here than have him experience it in the Bronx. He needs to learn how to get through that stuff, and that's what he's learning how to do now.

Q: You got see Zach McAllister yesterday when he was pretty much on. What thoughts do you have on his progression overall?
A: We're really happy with what we saw out of him yesterday. That was advanced, it looked really good. That fastball's jumping on people without really lighting up a radar gun, and he's locating and coming out there and (seems like) he's in complete control of the game.

It's nice that he's staying here to be part of this playoff race. That was a big game for this team and he came out and performed real well. It's going to help this team continue to build for the playoffs. That's another big part of it. They needed him to have a good game and he went out there and did it.

Q: Does it speak to his character also that he was able to shake off the line drive off his leg and continue to pitch?
A: I think it's just a huge part of his development to realize that he's got to finish what he started here. It might hurt a little bit but you've got to get through this.

Q: Overall are you pleased with what you've seen at this level this season?
A: Overall, we could always stand to get better. I'd like to give you guys three Austin Jacksons every year, but that's just not the way the thing operates. With what's gone through here and the glimpse you got of Montero, we're pretty slow on moving guys up too quick. I think that what we're seeing and what you guys are getting ... I think we're pretty happy. I think some guys have gotten better here, the coaching staff's done a nice job in developing some of these guys. You're seeing some smiles in the clubhouse and some stuff that's pretty exciting in there.