… because my old buddy, Tony Jackson hit this one out of the park:  Billingsley Learning To Let Go. Whatever needs to be said about Chad has now been said by Tony, and it justneeds to play out.  In a nutshell, Tony summarizes Chad’s struggles like this:

“Billingsley’s biggest problem, the one that has plagued him at various times since he reached the majors in 2006 and the one that probably is the biggest reason he hasn’t fully morphed into the staff ace he was projected to be, is that he appears to have trouble letting go of his mistakes.

“There were times in the middle of a game — and it might not have just been when a guy drove in a run, but maybe it was a guy leading off an inning with a double, something like that — where I would think maybe I should have used a different pitch selection,” Billingsley said. “Then maybe you try to overthrow or try to do too much. That’s the mental part of it. But the only way to get better is by doing it, by being out there on the mound. You can’t simulate it in the bullpen or by throwing batting practice. You have to be out there facing hitters in a game situation.

“You can’t dwell on it. Sometimes, you throw your best pitch and a guy gets a hit and drives in a run. You can’t do anything about that now. You just have to bear down and go after the next guy.”

Read the article and you will see  that Chad is working on his problem.  Tony sums it up like this:

“Billingsley grasps these lessons easily enough. But Dodgers officials won’t have their questions answered for a few more weeks, when they get the chance to see whether he can actually put those lessons into practice in the heat of a major league game.

If he can do that, he has the potential to be a true, front-of-the-rotation ace.”

Just because C-Bil had a bad 2nd half of last season doesn’t mean he’ll pitch the same way in 2010, anymore than the fact that Rafael Furcal having a good conclusion to his season means that he’ll do well in 2010 – you have to look at both players “body of work” and their body of work suggests that they are capable of a very good 2010.  How much would that mean to the team?  Raffy and Chad returning to All-Star Status?  Think about it.  Will it happen?  Don’t know!  Are they capable – YES, they are!

Never mention Chad again until the All-Star Break!  Tony said it all!

Dodger Notes:

• Don’t put much stock into Charlie Haegar’s bad outing – I wouldn’t expect that Knuckleball to dance for a couple of weeks!
• MSTI thinks James Loney will have a big year.  So Do I!  It’s his time.
• It turns out that the most important pitcher in camp might be Sandy Koufax who is working with all the Dodger pitchers for the week.  How huge could this be?

I don’t think most of you realize how good this version of the Dodgers can be.  I am sure that the National Media, including Plaschke and Simers don’t.  I do think that Jackson and Weisman do.   We may be in for the ride of our lives.

Los Angeles Dodgers Announce
August Winners of Dodger Pride Awards
 
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the August winners of the Dodger Pride Awards.  The Dodger Pride Awards were created in 2008 by General Manager Ned Colletti, and are given on a monthly basis to the players at each level of the club’s minor league system who play the game with a hustling, smart, aggressive style. The players and staff on each respective club vote for the awards. 
 
The winners for August are as follows:
 
Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
 
Pitcher – RHP Scott Strickland was a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities and struck out 12 with a 2.31 ERA (3 ER/11.2 IP) in 13 August games…the 33-year-old was named to the All-Pacific Coast League team after posting a league-best 34 saves…the Texas native set a record for most saves in a season by an Albuquerque pitcher, surpassing the Dukes’ Dennis Lewallyn’s 24 saves in 1980…overall, he went  2-1 with 32 saves in 34 opportunities and a 2.98 ERA.
 
Player – C A.J. Ellis batted .354 (28-for-79) with eight doubles and 15 RBI in 25 August games…he had a 14-game hitting streak from August 8-24, batting .422 (19-for-45) with eight doubles and eight RBI…the 28-year-old hit safely in 20 of 25 games in the month…overall, he hit .341 (28-for-82) with runners in scoring position…he was recalled for his third stint with the Dodgers on September 1 and was selected in the 18th round of the 2003 draft.

Other Award:

OF Mitch Jones was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the week ending September 7, batting .480 (12-for-25) with four doubles, two homers, and 10 RBI in seven games…Jones was also selected as Player of the Week for the week of May 18-24.
 
Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
 
Pitcher – LHP Alberto Bastardo went 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA (8 ER/31.2 IP) in five August starts…the 25-year-old tossed a complete game on August 5 against West Tennessee (Mariners), allowing two runs on three hits and striking out eight in the Lookouts’ 7-2 win…the Venezuelan was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque on September 6 and overall is 12-5 with a 4.00 ERA (66 ER/148.1 IP) in 28 games (27 starts) for Single-A Inland Empire, Chattanooga, and Albuquerque.
 
Player – IF Russell Mitchell batted .306 with two homers and 18 RBI in 29 August games…the 24-year-old hit .297 (51-for-172) in 50 post All-Star break games after batting just .208 (59-for-284) in 81 games before the break…the Georgia native will play for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League…overall, he led the Lookouts with 13 homers and 63 RBI.

Single-A Inland Empire 66ers
 
Pitcher – LHP David Pfeiffer earned two saves and allowed just one run in 14.2 innings (0.61 ERA) in 11 August games…the Vero Beach, FL native limited left-handed batters to a .177 (11-for-62) average…overall, he went 3-3 with four saves and a 3.56 ERA in 34 games for Inland Empire after opening the season with the Rookie-level Arizona Dodgers…the 24-year-old was selected in the 13th round of the 2003 draft.

Player – OF Scott Van Slyke batted .264 (24-for-91) with eight doubles, five homers, and 19 RBI in 27 August games…he became the first player in San Bernardino professional baseball history to have 40 doubles (42), 20 home runs (23), and 100 RBI (100) in a season…the Missouri native is also just the third player in club history to reach the 40-double mark, setting a team record with 42 doubles, which also ranked fourth in the California League…the 23-year-old finished the season with Triple-A Albuquerque, going 1-for-6 (.167) with two RBI in three games.
 
Single-A Great Lakes Loons
 
Pitcher – LHP Cole St. Clair went 1-0 with seven saves and did not allow a run in 10.0 innings over nine August games…the 23-year-old limited opposing hitters to a .194 average (7-for-36) and struck out 11 in the month…overall, the 23-year-old is 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 30 games…he was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 draft out of Rice University.
 
Player – OF Alfredo Silverio batted .275 (28-for-102) with seven doubles, five home runs, and 16 RBI in 28 August games…the 22-year-old hit safely in nine straight games from August 27-September 5, going 13-for-34 (.382) with four doubles and seven RBI in that span…overall, the Dominican batted .284 with 34 doubles, 13 homers, and 61 RBI in 132 games.

Rookie-advanced Ogden Raptors
 
Pitcher – Matt Magill went 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA (8 ER/29.0 IP) in six August starts…overall, the 19-year-old is 6-3 with a 4.00 ERA in 15 starts and received honorable mention honors on the 2009 Post-Season Pioneer League All Star Team…he was selected in the 31st round of the 2008 draft out of Royal High School in Simi Valley.
 
Player – OF Brian Cavazos-Galvez was named Pioneer League MVP and was chosen as one of three outfielders on the league’s post-season All-Star Team…he leads the league with 18 homers and 29 doubles, ranks second in the league with 63 RBI, and is ninth on the circuit with a .325 average and 16 steals…he batted .350 (41-for-117) with nine doubles, four homers, and 26 RBI in 27 August games…he was selected in the 12th round of the 2009 draft out of the University of New Mexico.

Other Awards:

C Gorman Erickson, 3B Brian Ruggiano, and OF Jerry Sands were each selected to the Pioneer League Post-Season All-Star team at their respective positions.

Rookie-level Arizona Dodgers
 
Pitcher – Carl Webster went 0-1 with a 1.62 ERA (3 ER/16.2 IP) in four August games…he was promoted to Ogden on August 19 and has gone 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA (7 ER/21.0 IP) in four games (three starts) for the Raptors…overall, the 19-year-old is 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 16 games (11 starts) for Arizona and Ogden.
 
Player – Jonathan Garcia batted .354 (23-for-65) with eight doubles, a homer, and 10 RBI in 18 August games…the 18-year-old had a 15-game hitting streak from August 2-24, batting .393 (22-for-56) with eight doubles, a homer, and eight RBI in that span…overall, he compiled a .304 average with 16 doubles, three homers, and 21 RBI in 41 games…the native Puerto Rican was selected in the eighth round of the 2009 draft.
Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Dodgers
 
Player – INF Alexis Aguilar batted .333 (16-for-48) with a home run and nine RBI in 14 August games…the 18-year-old had a 10-game hitting streak from August 4-14, going 15-for-39 (.385) with eight RBI during that span…overall, he hit .275 with four doubles, a homer, and 19 RBI in 45 games.

09/02/09 – LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ minor league report is a weekly window into the Dodgers’ minor league system, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.  Player bios can be found in the Player Development section of the Dodgers’ Guide (Pages 411-478).

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Pacific Coast League American Southern Division
76-63, 1st Place, 8.5 Games Ahead

DIVISION CHAMPS!! – The Albuquerque Isotopes clinched a playoff berth by winning the PCL American Southern Division…the Isotopes will take on the winner of the American Northern Division in a best-of-five series, which begins Wednesday at Isotopes Park.

AWARDS!! – Manager Tim Wallach was selected as Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year by a vote of fellow managers, league General Managers, and the media…in his first season at the helm, Wallach led the Isotopes to a 76-63 record, second best in the league…Wallach was also named “Best Manager Prospect” by Baseball America in a recent issue…a veteran of 17 Major League seasons as a player, he was a five-time National League All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Winner, and he twice won the Silver Slugger Award. Read the full story

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ minor league report is a weekly window into the Dodgers’ minor league system, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.  Player bios can be found in the Player Development section of the Dodgers’ Guide (Pages 411-478). by Jon Chapper, Dodger PR DepartmentTriple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Pacific Coast League American South Division
73-59, 1st Place, 7.0 Games Ahead
Playoff Picture: In lead for playoff spot – Magic number is 7

DON’T BE J-ELLIS: C A.J. Ellis has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, batting .377 (20-for-53) with eight doubles and nine RBI…the 28-year-old is batting .358 (24-for-67) with eight doubles and 13 RBI in 21 August games…he is hitting .338 (27-for-80) with runners in scoring position…overall, he is batting .314 with 13 doubles and 37 RBI in 86 games…the Missouri native was selected in the 18th round of the 2003 draft. Read the full story

DODGERS SINGLE-A GREAT LAKES LOONS SHORTSTOP  DEE GORDON NAMED MIDWEST LEAGUE “PROSPECT OF THE YEAR”  - by Jon Chapper, Dodgers PR Department
Gordon also named Co-Most Valuable Player with teammate Kyle Russell.

LOS ANGELES – Dodgers Single-A Great Lake Loons shortstop Dee Gordon was selected Midwest League’s “Prospect of the Year” and shares the

Raffy's Replacement in 2011

 league’s Most Valuable Player honor with teammate Kyle Russell.  The announcement was made today by Midwest League President George Spelius.

Gordon currently leads the league with 153 hits, 69 stolen bases, and 11 triples and is tied for the league lead with teammate Jaime Pedroza with 88 runs scored.  The 21-year-old from Avon Park, FL is tied for first amongst all full-season minor league players in stolen bases, tied for sixth in hits, and tied for 13th in runs.  The fourth-round selection in the 2008 draft is batting .306 with three home runs and 32 RBI in 123 games.

Gordon entered the season ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America. The publication also ranked him as the fastest baserunner, best athlete, and best defensive infielder in the Dodgers’ minor league system. Gordon is the son of former major league pitcher Tom “Flash” Gordon.

Gordon becomes the second Loons player to be named Prospect of the Year, joining current Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw who took the honor in 2007.

Co-MVP outfielder Kyle Russell is the current league leader with 25 home runs, 241 total bases, 65 extra base hits, and a .551 slugging percentage, and is tied for the top spot with 89 RBI. The 23-year-old is tied for fifth in all of Minor League Baseball in extra base hits and is batting .273 with 34 doubles in 121 games. Read the full story

Minor League Recap From Jared at http://thinkbluela.blogspot.com/

Albuquerque won 4-3

Tony Abreu – 3 for 5, 2B, K (.351 BA)
Jamie Hoffman – 2 for 5, 2B, R, 2 K’s (.298 BA)
Chin Lung Hu – 0 for 4 (.279 BA)

http://tinyurl.com/q44mcv
Chattanooga lost 3-2

Lucas May – 0 for 4, RBI, PO (.287 BA)
Andrew Lambo – 0 for 4, BB, 2 K’s, E (.257 BA)
Trayvon Robinson – 0 for 2, RBI, 2 BB, K (.000 BA) Read the full story

Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League Report by Jon Chapper (Dodgers PR Staff)

Hu's on Short

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ minor league report is a weekly window into the Dodgers’ minor league system, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.  Player bios can be found in the Player Development section of the Dodgers’ Guide (Pages 411-478).

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Pacific Coast League American South Division
65-54, 1st Place, 5.0 Games Ahead

HU’S ON FIRST: INF Chin-lung Hu has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games, batting .415 (17-for-41) with two doubles, four triples, and four RBI during that span…after a slow start, the 25-year-old is batting .318 (77-for-242) with 10 doubles, a homer, and 23 RBI in 62 games since the start of June…the Taiwan native is hitting .302 (32-for-106) with runners in scoring position…overall, he is batting .281 with three homers and 44 RBI in 106 games.

DON’T BE J-ELLIS: C A.J. Ellis is batting .345 (10-for-29) with three doubles and eight RBI in 10 August games…the 28-year-old is hitting .329 (23-for-70) with runners in scoring position…overall, he is batting .305 with eight doubles and 32 RBI in 75 games…he was selected in the 18th round of the 2003 draft.

CARLOS CALL: RHP Carlos Alvarado leads the Pacific Coast League with 119 strikeouts and ranks seventh in the league with a 3.58 ERA…the 31-year-old is 5-2 with 34 strikeouts and a 3.21 ERA (15 ER/42.0 IP) in his last seven starts since the start of July…overall, he is 10-9 in 22 games (21 starts).

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
Southern League North Division
Second Half: 26-20, 1st Place, 3.0 Games Ahead
First Half: 30-39, 4th Place, 8.0 Games Back

BELIEVE IN JC – RHP Jesus Castillo is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA (2 ER/11.0 IP) in two August starts…the 25-year-old leads the club with seven wins and 123.1 innings…overall, the Mexico native is 7-7 with a 4.52 ERA in 23 games (22 starts)…he was selected in the 27th round of the 2003 draft and was named to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster on November 20, 2008.

GARATE KID – LHP Victor Garate has tossed scoreless relief in 24 of his last 25 appearances, going 0-1 with two saves, 32 strikeouts, and a 0.66 ERA (2 ER/27.1 IP) during that span…overall, the Venezuelan native is 0-1 with four saves and a 1.90 ERA in 41 relief appearances this season…he was acquired in the 2007 minor league Rule 5 Draft from Houston.

TOMLIN BOY – OF James Tomlin ranks third in the Southern League with both a .318 batting average and a .408 on-base percentage…he celebrated his 27th birthday yesterday and has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, batting .350 (14-for-40) with five doubles and six RBI during that span…the Saint Bernard High School (Playa del Ray) grad was signed by the Dodgers as a minor league free agent on February 9, 2007.

Single-A Inland Empire 66ers
California League South Division
Second Half: 19-28, 5th Place, 5.5 Games Back
First Half: 32-38, 3rd Place, 11.0 Games Back

SUPER MARIO: RHP Mario Alvarez is 2-0 with 20 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA (5 ER/21.2 IP) in his last three starts…the 25-year-old tossed a complete game shut out on July 31 vs. Lancaster (Astros), striking out 12 and allowing five hits in the 66ers’ 14-0 victory…overall, the Dominican Republic native is 4-4 with one save and a 4.39 ERA is 15 games (eight starts)…he was signed as a non-drafted free agent on January 16, 2003.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons
Midwest League Eastern Division
Second Half: 25-21, 3rd Place, 9.0 Games Back
First Half: 40-30, 3rd Place, 5.0 Games Back

SILVERIO DOLLAR – OF Alfredo Silverio is batting .417 (15-for-36) with four doubles, three homers, and six RBI in his last 10 games…the 22-year-old had a season-high four hits (4-for-4) with an RBI on August 8 vs. West Michigan (Tigers) in the Loons’ 10-2 victory…overall, the Dominican Republic native is batting .284 with 11 homers and 48 RBI…he was signed as a non-drafted free agent on November 13, 2003.

RUSSELL’S MUSCLE – RF Kyle Russell continues to lead the Midwest League with 24 homers and 81 RBI…the 23-year-old is batting .308 (12-for-39) with a homer and six RBI in his last 10 games…the Texas native is batting .342 (40-for-117) with runners in scoring position…he entered the season ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 17 prospect by Baseball America and was selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Texas.

Rookie-advanced Ogden Raptors
Pioneer League South Division
Second Half: 4-5, 3rd Place, 4.0 Games Back
First Half: 24-14, 1st Place (Division Winner), 3.0 Games Ahead

BORN TO BE A DODGER: OF Brian Cavazos-Galvez has hit safely his last 10 games, batting .386 (17-for-44) with five doubles, a homer, and nine RBI during that span…overall, he ranks among the league leaders in all three triple crown categories, ranking seventh with a .335 average, tying for second with 11 homers, and ranking fifth with 38 RBI in 45 games…the 22-year-old was selected in the 12th round of the 2009 draft out of the University of New Mexico, and his father, Balvino Galvez, played eight seasons in the Dodgers organization, pitching in 10 games for the Dodgers in 1986, his lone major league experience.

HE’S THE GOR-MAN: C Gorman Erickson is batting .364 (12-for-33) with 11 RBI in his last 10 games…the 21-year-old is batting .366 with runners in scoring position…overall, the switch-hitter ranks third on the club with a .328 average and is second on the club with 27 RBI…he was selected in the 15th round of the 2006 draft out of Westview High School in San Diego, CA.

JUST ED-WIN, BABY: RHP Edwin Contreras ranks third in the Pioneer League with a 2.70 ERA and remains undefeated in nine starts, tying for third in the league with four wins…the 20-year-old went 5-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 games (nine starts) for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Dodgers in 2008…the Hermosillo, Mexico native was signed by Mike Brito as a non-drafted free agent in 2007.

Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers
Arizona League West Division
Second Half: 5-10, Tied for 5th Place, 5.5 Games Back
First Half: 13-15, Tied for 2nd Place, 4.0 Games Back

ALL IN THE JEANS – INF Ramon Jean is batting .319 (15-for-47) with three doubles and four RBI in his last ten games…the 21-year-old is batting .357 (15-for-42) with runners in scoring position…the Dominican Republic native is batting .319 (37-for-116) in 27 games since the start of July…he was signed as a non-drafted free agent on March 12, 2007 and batted .279 with four homers and 16 RBI in 33 games for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers in 2008.

CRAZY CARL – RHP Carl Webster has a 1.38 ERA (2 ER/13.0 IP) in three August appearances (two starts)…in his seven starts, the 19-year-old is limiting opposing hitters to a .181 batting average (19-for-105)…overall, the North Carolina native is 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in 11 games…he was selected by the Dodgers in the 18th round of the 2008 draft and went 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 12 games for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers in 2008.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers
Dominican Summer League B.C. North Division
27-37, 9th Place, 18.5 Games Back

THE ENLLY – DH Enlly Morales leads the clubs with 70 hits and a .320 batting average in 58 games…the 19-year-old has hit safely in six of his last seven games, batting .355 (11-for-31) with a homer and five RBI during that span…he batted .292 with two homers and 27 RBI in 67 games for the DSL Dodgers in 2008.

Minor League Recap – 8/10/09  Compliments of Jared at http://thinkbluela.blogspot.com/

Tony Abreu – 2 for 5, 3B, GS (9), 5 RBI, 2 R (.344 BA)
Blake DeWitt - 1 for 5, K (.255 BA)
Jamie Hoffman - 2 for 4, R, K, SB (.293 BA)

Los Angeles Dodgers Announce
July Winners of Dodger Pride Awards by Jon Chapper (LA Dodgers Media Relations Dept)
 
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the July winners of the Dodger Pride Awards.  The Dodger Pride Awards were created in 2008 by General Manager Ned Colletti, and are given on a monthly basis to the players at each level of the club’s minor league system who play the game with a hustling, smart, aggressive style. The players and staff on each respective club vote for the awards. 
 
The winners for July are as follows:
 
Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
 
Pitcher – RHP Josh Lindblom went 1-0 with a save and a 2.89 ERA (6 ER/18.2 IP) in eight July games (two starts)…the 22-year-old did not allow a run and struck out seven in 9.0 innings in his six July relief appearances…he entered the season ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 4 prospect and as having the Best Fastball in the Dodgers’ system by Baseball America…the Indiana native was selected in the second round of the 2008 draft and appeared in five Cactus League games for the Dodgers, allowing just two runs in 13.0 innings (1.38 ERA). 
 
Player – INF Tony Abreu batted .360 (40-for-111) with six homers and 31 RBI in 27 July games…the 24-year-old had a .650 slugging percentage with 11 doubles and two triples in the month…the Dominican Republic native knocked in six runs on July 19 vs. New Orleans (Marlins)…overall, the switch-hitter was batting .342 in 37 games for the Isotopes before earning his brief August 7-9 promotion to Los Angeles…he was signed as an non-drafted free agent on October 17, 2002 and missed the majority of the 2008 season after undergoing season-ending hip surgery on May 28.
 
Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
 
Pitcher – LHP James Adkins went 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA (7 ER/29.2 IP) in six July games (five starts)…the 23-year-old recorded quality starts in four of five starts, including consecutive starts on July 18 and 23 where he did not allow an earned run in 6.0 innings…overall, the Nashville native is 5-8 with a 4.75 ERA in 22 games (21 starts).
 
Player – OF Ramon Nivar batted .347 (26-for-75) with a homer and 14 RBI in 18 July games…overall, the 29-year-old is batting .331 with two homers and 17 RBI in 30 games… the Dominican Republic native was signed as a minor league free agent on June 26, 2009 and batted .294 with five RBI in 13 games for the Azucareros del Este in the Dominican Winter League in 2008.
 
Single-A Inland Empire 66ers
 
Pitcher – RHP Tim Sexton went 4-1 with a 3.47 ERA (14 ER/36.1 IP) in six July starts… in his best start of the month, he allowed one run and tied a season high with 8.0 innings on July 29 at Lake Elsinore (Padres )…the 22-year-old ranks fifth in the California League with a 3.34 ERA and ranks second in the league with 132.0 innings…overall, he is 7-11 with 81 strikeouts.
 
Player – CF Trayvon Robinson batted .339 (19-for-115) with two homers and 14 RBI in 30 July games…the Crenshaw native also stole 13 bases in the month, adding to his league-leading 42 steals…overall, the 21-year-old is batting .307 with 13 homers and 52 RBI.
 
Single-A Great Lakes Loons
 
Pitcher – RHP Nate Eovaldi went 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA (3 ER/20.0 IP) in five July games (three starts)…as a reliever, he has a 0.79 ERA (2 ER/22.2 IP) in seven appearances…overall, the Texas native is 2-4 with a save and a 3.18 ERA (29 ER/82.0 IP) in 21 games (14 starts)…the 19-year-old entered the season ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 10 prospect according to Baseball America.
 
Player – C Tony Delmonico batted .316 with four homers and 15 RBI in 27 games… overall, he ranks second on the club with a .285 average, nine homers, and 43 RBI in 100 games…the 22-year-old entered the season ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect according to Baseball America.
 
Rookie-advanced Ogden Raptors
 
Pitcher – RHP Steven Ames had four saves with a 0.69 ERA (1 ER/13.0 IP) in seven July relief appearances…overall, the Vancouver native has 29 strikeouts in 18.1 innings with five saves and a 0.98 ERA (2 ER/18.1 IP) in 10 games…the 21-year-old was selected in the 17th round of the 2009 draft out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.
 
Player – OF Jerry Sands batted .333 (37-for-111) with nine homers and 27 RBI in 27 July games, earning his promotion to Great Lakes on August 9…the 21-year-old has 10 multi-hit games in the month, including a four-hit game on July 3 at Orem (Angels)…in 41 games with the Raptors, he led the team in all three triple crown categories with a .350 average (57-for-163), 14 homers, and 39 RBI…overall, he is batting .328 with 14 homers and 40 RBI in 47 games with Ogden and Great Lakes.
 
Rookie-level Arizona Dodgers
 
Pitcher – LHP Roberto Feliciano went 0-1 with a save, 15 strikeouts, and a 1.15 ERA (2 ER/15.2 IP) in six July games…overall, he is 1-1 with 27 strikeouts in 23.2 innings and a 1.14 ERA in nine games…the 18-year-old was selected by the Dodgers in the 24th round of the 2008 draft out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and went 2-0 with a 3.10 ERA in 13 games for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers last season.
 
Player – SS Casio Grider batted .253 (20-for-79) with 10 steals, one homer, and eight RBI in 21 games…overall, the Loma Linda, CA native is batting .260 with 14 steals and 13 RBI in 33 games…the 21-year-old was selected in the 14th round of the 2009 draft out of Newberry College (SC).
 
Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Dodgers
 
Pitcher – RHP Yimi Garcia went 1-0 with 28 strikeouts and a 1.93 ERA (5 ER/23.1 IP) in five July games (three starts) to earn his second consecutive Dodger Pride Award…as a reliever this season, the 18-year-old has allowed just two runs with 30 strikeouts in 31.0 innings…overall, he is 3-1 with a 1.26 ERA in 15 games (four starts).
 
Player – INF Wilner Charles batted .258 (17-for-66) with four RBI in 20 July games…the 18-year-old is batting .324 (12-for-37) against left-handed pitchers…overall, the Haiti native is batting .279 with a homer and seven RBI in 44 games.

Josh Lindblom - Closer or Starter?

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT      8-09-09

THE OGDEN RAPTORS     ROOKIE ADVANCED

The Raptors were idle yesterday.

 
THE ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES    AAA

Tacoma squeaked by the Isotopes 6-4.

DURBIN (L, 0-3, 6.11), went 6 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, 3 walks and 2 Ks.  LEACH (BS, 1, 8.44), went 2 innings and gave up 1 run (unearned) on 3 hits, 1 walk and fanned 2.

JONES (.291), hit his 2nd triple of the season and went 2-3.  4 Topes whacked doubles:  MAZA (.289), his 17th; BROWN (.305), his 29th; DeWITT (.256z), his 18th; and ELLIS (.298), his 6th.

 
THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS     AA

Suns of Jacksonville shut out the Lookouts 4-0.

The Lookouts pitched the game by committee again, making sure that in the next year or two our organization will have more developed set up relievers than ever before in the history of major league baseball!

ADKINS (L, 5-8), started and went 4 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 4 walks while fanning 8, count ‘em, 8!!!  BATISTA (2.22) followed with 4 innings of his own and shut out the Suns on 3 hits, 1 walk and 5, count ‘em, 5 strike outs!  GUERRA (4.24), mopped up by pitching 1 perfect inning in which he struck out 1. Lookout pitchers fanned 10 altogether making the committee look pretty good except for the 4 earned runs surrendered by ADKINS early on.

MITCHELL (.220), hit his 21st double.  There were no multi-hit games for the Choo-choos, which is to be expected when you get your butts shut out on 6 hits.

 
THE INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS    A    ADVANCED

Stockton crushed our lame 66ers 8-1.

SEXTON (L, 7-11, 3.34), started and was pretty bad–although he certainly wasn’t helped by a terrible 66er defense.  SEXTON went 5 innings and gave up 8 runs, (4 earned),  on 8 hits, 1 BB and 1 K.  He threw 3 gopher balls to further undermine his own effort.  SANFLER (4.80), followed with 2 innings of shut out ball wherein he gave up 2 hits and 3 walks while fanning 3.  MCCARTER mopped up in style going 1 perfect inning and struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced in the process.

The 66er offense was as miserable as SEXTON’s masquerade as a pitcher managing just 3 hits–none for extra bases.  HERRERA (.307), was the only 66er who had the right to hold his head high as he managed to go 2-4.  ROBINSON (.307), got the only other hit for our Inland boys from the Empire.

 
THE GREAT LAKES LOONS     A

The only positive note on the day (other than the fact the Raptors didn’t lose because they didn’t play) was to be found in the lowest echelon of the farm in Great Lakes.  Our Loonies whacked West Michigan 6-0!

WALTER (W, 8-4, 3.23), continued his “above average” efforts (must be from Lake Woe-be-gone) by twirling a quality start shut out for 6 innings.  He surrendered 6 hits and 2 walks while fanning 5 during those 6 excellent innings of work.  SMITH followed with 2 perfect innings–although he didn’t strike anybody out. Boothe finished with a perfect inning of his own in which he did strike out 1 of the 3 batters he faced.  A tip of the Colbert hat to all three hurlers for saving what would otherwise been a day of complete gloom and doom for the farm teams of the LA Dogs.

SILVERIO (.282) smacked his 10th tater of the season in the 3rd along with his 26th double to go 2-3 for the game.  LOPEZ (.163), hit a 3 run shot, his 2nd home run of the season in the 4th. 

HATCH (.273) and SANDS (.150), both cracked triples–SANDS being newly promoted from the Raptors to join SONGCO who was similarly promoted a couple of weeks back.  Both players were absolutely tearing up the Rookie league and both n ow seem to be having their problems with A ball pitching.  I find it hard to believe there would be that much of a dramatic difference in the quality of pitching between the two leagues–but the proof is in the pudding.  We’ll continue to watch these two as the season winds down.

RUSSELL (.270), added his 29th 2 bagger.  Only SILVERIO had a multi-hit game as the Loonies were very efficient in converting hits into runs.  They managed only 7 hits and 3 walks overall and were able to cash in 6 runs.

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT         8-8-09

THE OGDEN RAPTORS          ADVANCED ROOKIE

The Ole'Lawdog aka/Tom O'Shea

The Raptors edge Idaho Falls 4-3.

CONTRERAS (2.70), pitched a quality start going 6 innings and allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits, 1 walk and 5 Ks. FERRERAS (BS, 1, W, 2-0, 1.93), followed and managed to blow the save and then “vultch” a win ala PHIL REGAN, (a Dodger reliever of old who used to routinely blow saves and then win the game.)  FERRERAS went 1 inning and gave up 1 earned run on 2 hits.  AMES (S, 5, 0.98), finished and earned the save going 2 innings of no hit, shut out ball allowing just one walk while fanning 4.  AMES was magic–and overpowering!

RUGGIANO (.336), whacked his 3rd triple.  MCGHEE (.271), and SMITH (.206), both smacked doubles.  CAVAZOS-GALVEZ (.335), went 2-4.

 
THE ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES     AAA

The Isotopes out slug Portland 17-7.

The Isotopes tried the old starter by committee approach which seems to be a disease which now has completely infected the Dodger Brass with what seems to be an obsession to develop the largest group of set-up relievers in major league history.  I guess the idea is if you have 12 set up men on the active roster you can save the big money you’d have to pay quality starters and your closer and you might fare just as well in the long run, right?  At any rate, it worked last night, primarily because Portland pitcher SILVA (6.49), gave up 9 earned runs in the last inning of play. For the ‘Topes: POLLOK (6.20), started and went 3.2 innings allowing 5 earned runs on 9 hits, 1 walk and 4 Ks. (He obviously had to be pulled so maybe the set-up man committee plan wasn’t in full force and effect last night after all.) LINDBLOM (W, 2-0, 2.52), followed and went 3.1 innings of 1 hit, 0 walk shut out relief in which he struck out 1. FELIX (S,1, 3.68), finished tossing 2 innings of 2 earned run, 2 hit, 1 walk ball while fanning 3.

JONES (.287), hit his 28th home run and went 2-5 with 5 RBIs on the night.  DEWITT (.254), hit his 4th tater and also went 2-5 with 3 RBIs.  HU (.284), whacked his 4th triple and went 2-5 raising his average ever closer to the magical .300 level.  MAZA (.288), hit his 4th triple and also went 2-5.  CLOSSER (.308) hit a pinch hit 2 bagger, his 10th.  And BROWN (.306) hit his 28th 2 bagger while going 3-5 with 1 walk.

All told, the “Topes had 20 hits.  Everybody in the starting 9 except the pitcher had at least one hit.  Except for POLLOK’s miserable performance, it was a very good night for the “atoms of chemical elements”.

THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS     AA

Jacksonville spanks the Lookouts 8-3.

CORCORAN (L. 4-7, 5.48) started this mess going 5 innings and giving up 6 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits, 1 BB and 3 Ks.  SCHREIBER (2.45), was every bit as mediocre going 2 innings and giving up 2 earned runs on  2 hits, 3 walks and 1 K.  GARATE (1.94), fared better pitching 1 inning of 1 hit, 1 walk shut out ball with 2 Ks.  SARTOR (3.45), mopped up going 1 perfect inning with 1 K.

PEREZ (.280), whacked 2 doubles and went 2-4.  TOMLIN (.313), also went 2-4 as did ROTTINO (.261). 

All told, it was a sorry night in Chattanooga and there was no joy amongst the Choo-choo faithful.  Rumor has it that some in attendance were actually thought to be overheard muttering that the Lookouts should be paying them to witness such woeful attempts to actually play the game of baseball.

 
THE INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS        A     ADVANCED

Stockton spanks the 66ers 8-3.

Think we’re starting to discern a pattern here?  The 66ers decided to “pitch by committee” again to further the Dodger Brass’ plan to develop the most set up men in Minor League History.  MELGAREJO (L, 1-2, 7.18), started and stunk so badly the game could not possibly be salvaged after his appearance.  He went 3 innings, gave up 5 earned runs on 4 hits, 3 walks and 3 Ks.  BRANNON (4.88), followed and was just as bad, going 2.2 innings and gave up 2 earned runs on 5 hits, 0 walks and Kd 2.  PRADO (4.45) was up next and was plain mediocre going 1.1 innings and allowed 1 earned run on 2 hits.  Only JANSEN (15.00), pitched well, and it was still a struggle for him as he mopped up and pitched 1 inning and gave up 0 runs on 1 hit, 1 walk and 2 Ks.

As bad as the pitching was, the offense wasn’t much better.  ROBINSON (.308), managed his 28th double and went 2-4.  BECKER (.308), also went 2-4.

 
THE GREAT LAKES LOONS     A

The Loonies blast West Michigan 10-2.

REDDING (W, 13-3, 4.93), gave us a quality start going 6 innings and allowing 2 earned runs on 9 hits, 2 walks and 2 Ks.  GARCIA (S, 4, 2.71), finished up going 3 innings of 1 hit shut out ball allowing 0 walks and fanning 3.  The Loons got some great pitching last night!

Offensively, the Loons were even better.  BUSS (.259), cracked his 9th tater and his 11th 2 bagger while going 3-4 and driving in 4.  WALLACH (.253), went yard for the 4th time this season.  SILVERIO (.279), smacked his 25th double and went 4-4.  SONGCO (.157), finally getting untracked a bit at the A level hit his 3rd double.  PEDROZA (.261), went 3-4 with 3 RBIs. 

It was a good night for the Loons.

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT     8-7-09

THE OGDEN RAPTORS     ADVANCED ROOKIE

Idaho Falls nips the Raptors 4-3.

MAGILL (L, 3-2, 4.60), started and went 4 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits, 0 walks and 4 Ks as the Raptors, once again, decided to play the gsme with 3 short relievers and no starter.  THOMPSON (6.60), followed and went 3 innings giving up 2 earned runs on 3 hits, 0 walks and 2 Ks.  GAUDI (3.07), finished up going 2 shutout innings on 2 hits, 0 walks and fanned 3.

Offensively, the Raptors played a very mediocre game.  HERNANDEZ (.269), hit his second homer and went 2-2 with 2 RBIs.  MCGEE (.266), also managed a 2 hit game going 2-4 with 1 RBI.

 
THE ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES     AAA

Portland rallied to overcome a 5-2 deficit with 4 runs in the 8th and 1 in the 9th to beat the Isotopes 7-5.

Our man on the farm at AAA, CHUCK HAEGER (3.55), started and was pulled after just 4 innings despite putting up impressive stats.  He went 4 innings and gave up 1 run (earned) on 4 hits, 1 walk and fanned 5.  Why did they pull him after a performance like that?  Curiouser and curiouser.  BONILLA (L, 3-8, 5.79), followed and got bombed!  He went 4 innings and gave up 5 earned runs on 7 hits, 2 walks and K’d 3.  STRICKLAND (3.26), mopped up going 1 inning and allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits, 0 walks and managed to strike out 1 batter.  Only HAEGER really shined, but he was removed prematurely.

MAZA (.286), and DEWITT (.251), both homered and DEWITT managed to go 2-3 with a walk.  HARPER (.294), managed to whack his 24th double and went 3-4.

 
THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS      AA

The Lookouts edged Jacksonville 4-2.

CASTILLO (4.52), went 5 innings and gave up 1 earned run on 6 hits, 5 walks and 3 Ks. GUERRA (W, 2-0, 4.50), went 2 innings and gave up 1 earned run on 4 hits, 1 walk and 2 strike outs.  GARCIA, (S,1, 0.00), pitched the last two innings of 1 hit, 0 walk shut out ball while striking out 3.

GILES (.275), hit his 10th home run, a 2 run shot, in the 7th.  GODWIN (.261) hit his 12th double and managed to go 2-4; and LAMBO (.266), hit his 33rd double and also went 2-4.

 
THE INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS    A     ADVANCED

Stockton beat the 66ers 6-3.

WALL (L, 2-6, 5.82), started and looked bad going 5 innings and giving up 6 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits, 5 walks and 3 K’s.  PFEIFFER (3.63), mopped up going 3 shutout innings on 2 hits, 0 walks while fanning 4.  PFEIFFER deserves a tip of the cap for his performance.  WALL doesn’t.

CASERES (.276), hit his 22nd double and went 2-3 with a walk.  LARA (.268) hit his 11th double.

 
THE GREAT LAKES LOONS     A

The Loonies blanked West Michigan 3-0.

MILLER (W, 1-0, 1.13), started and went 5 shutout innings on 3 hits, 0 walks and 6 Ks.  AGUASVIVA (H, 2, 1.65), followed and went 3 perfect innings while fanning 3!!!  ST. CLAIR (S, (, 3.29), finished with 1 inning of shut out ball on 1 hit 0 walks and 2 Ks.  A great effort by all 3 pitchers!

HATCH (.276), hit his 8th home run.  RUSSELL (.269), hit his 6th triple and managed to go 2-3.

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ minor league report is a weekly window into the Dodgers’ minor league system, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.  Player bios can be found in the Player Development section of the Dodgers’ Guide (Pages 411-478).  Preparred by Jon Chapper/Dodgers Media Relations Department

 Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes  – Pacific Coast League American South Division – 61-51, 1st Place, 5.0 Games Ahead

 NO RELATION TO BOBBY: INF Tony Abreu ranks second on the club a .342 average in 37 games…he has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, batting .382 (21-for-55) with three homers and 11 RBI…the 24-year-old is batting .429 (15-for-35) with runners in scoring position…the Dominican Republic native missed the majority of the 2008 season after undergoing season-ending hip surgery on May 28.

 MR. JONES AND ME: OF Mitch Jones leads the Pacific Coast League with 27 homers and ranks ninth in the league with 69 RBI in 80 games…the 31-year-old batted .338 (25-for-74) with six homers and 18 RBI in 20 July games…the Utah native is batting .366 (34-for-93) with runners in scoring position…overall, he is batting .293 for the Isotopes.

 HAEGER-MEISTER: RHP Charlie Haeger has won three straight starts, two of which were complete games…the knuckleballer fanned 25 and had a 1.13 ERA (3 ER/24.0 IP) in that span…the 25-year-old leads the Pacific Coast League with 11 wins in 21 starts and  ranks ninth in the league with a 3.58 ERA.

 Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts – Southern League North Division – Second Half: 22-18, Tied for First Place, 2.0 Games Ahead – First Half: 30-39, 4th Place, 8.0 Games Back

 LUCAS AT HIM – C Lucas May is batting .310 (22-for-71) with 13 RBI in 20 games since returning from the disabled list…he had been on the DL from May 21-July 2 with a broken right wrist…May, a 2009 Southern League All-Star, is batting .303 with six homers and 24 RBI in 47 games overall.

 GABY AIN’T TOO SHABBY – 1B/DH Gaby Martinez has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, batting .390 (16-for-41) with a homer and eight RBI to raise his average to .318 from .291…the left-handed hitter returned from the DL on July 24 after missing two months with a fractured left forearm…he has eight homers and 39 RBI in 43 games overall…Martinez was signed by the Dodgers as a minor league free agent on January 30.

 SELLERS MARKET – SS Justin Sellers is batting .372 (16-for-43) with 13 RBI in his last 12 games, raising his average to .304 from .294…the 23-year-old was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday, however, with a foot injury…the Bellflower-born Sellers was acquired from the Chicago Cubs on April 2.

 TOMLIN BOY – OF James Tomlin is batting .365 (19-for-52) with nine walks and 15 runs scored in his last 13 games, raising his average to .312 from .300 and raising his on-base percentage to .404 from .394…the Saint Bernard High School (Playa del Ray) grad was signed by the Dodgers as a minor league free agent on February 9, 2007.

 THE FODDER ON ROD – RHP Jesus Rodriguez has allowed just one run in his last 10.0 innings (five appearances), lowering his ERA to 3.39 from 3.91…the 23-year-old is 4-3 with a save in 36 games overall…the Mexico native signed with the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on January 20, 2005.

Single-A Inland Empire 66ers – California League South Division – Second Half: 18-22, 2nd Place, 3.0 Games Back – First Half: 32-38, 3rd Place, 11.0 Games Back

 TRAY-FECTA: CF Trayvon Robinson batted .339 (19-for-115) with two homers and 14 RBI in 30 July games…he leads the California League with 41 stolen bases and is tied for sixth in the league with 27 doubles…the 21-year-old has hit safely six straight games, batting .474 (9-for-19) with two triples, a homer, and three RBI…overall, he is batting .309 with 13 homers and 52 RBI in 109 games.

 SUPER SEXTON SIXER: RHP Tim Sexton went 4-1 with a 3.47 ERA (14 ER/36.1 IP) in six July starts…he ranks sixth in the California League with a 3.19 ERA and his 127.0 innings rank second in the league…he allowed one run and tied a season high with 8.0 innings on July 29 at Lake Elsinore (Padres)…the 22-year-old has a 7-10 record in 21 games (17 starts) and was selected by the Dodgers in the 25th round of the 2007 draft.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons – Midwest League Eastern Division – Second Half: 20-19, 3rd Place, 10.0 Games Back – First Half: 40-30, 3rd Place, 5.0 Games Back

 GORDON NOT DONE YET – SS Dee Gordon, the Dodgers’ No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America, leads the Midwest League with 61 stolen bases, 11 more than his closest competitor…he also leads the circuit with 137 hits, 17 more than his closest challenger…Gordon, 21, leads the ML with 82 runs scored as well…the left-handed hitter, who was a mid-season Midwest League All-Star, is tied for sixth in the league with a .310 average…he was selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2008 draft.

 HOTEL DELMONICO – C Tony Delmonico is batting .407 (22-for-54) with three homers and 11 RBI in his last 15 games to raise his average to .285 from .264…the Dodgers’ sixth-round selection of the 2008 draft is also batting .336 (37-for-110) in 31 games beginning July 1 after hitting just .224 (15-for-67) in 19 games in June.

 E-I-E-O-VALDI – RHP Nate Eovaldi has allowed just one earned run in 10.0 innings in his last three games (one start), and has a 0.91 ERA (5 ER/49.2 IP) in his last 12 games (six starts)…the Dodgers’ 11th-round selection from the 2008 draft has allowed just one home run in his 79.0 innings of work overall…he is 2-4 with one save and a 3.30 ERA in 20 games (13 starts)…the 19-year-old is the Dodgers’ No. 10 prospect according to Baseball America.

 Rookie-advanced Ogden Raptors – Pioneer League South Division – Second Half: 1-2, Tied for 2nd Place, 1.0 Game Back- First Half: 24-14, 1st Place, 3.0 Games Ahead

 SANDS-ATIONAL: OF Jerry Sands leads the club with a .348 average and 14 homers…the 21-year-old batted .333 (37-for-111) with nine homers and 27 RBI in 27 July games…he was selected in the 25th round of the June 2008 draft out of Catawba College in North Carolina.

BORN TO BE A DODGER: OF Brian Cavazos-Galvez has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, batting .360 (18-for-50) with nine doubles, a homer, and 10 RBI during that span…overall, he is hitting .324 with 10 homers and 33 RBI in 39 games…the 22-year-old was selected in the 12th round of the 2009 draft out of University of New Mexico, and his father, Balvino Galvez, played eight seasons in the Dodgers organization, pitching in 10 games for the Dodgers in 1986, his lone major league experience.

 JUST ED-WIN, BABY: RHP Edwin Contreras ranks second in the Pioneer League with a 2.66 ERA and is tied for third in the league with three wins…the 20-year-old went 5-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 games (nine starts) for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Dodgers in 2008…the Hermosillo, Mexico native was signed by Mike Brito as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. 

Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers – Arizona League West Division – 3-6, Tied for 3rd Place, 4.0 Games Back – 13-15, Tied for 3rd Place, 4.0 Games Back

 AKINS BREAKY HEART – OF Nick Akins, the Dodgers’ 19th-round pick in the 2009 draft, has 15 RBI in his last 10 games, and now ranks fourth in the league 34 RBI overall…with 12 doubles, three triples, and seven homers in 31 games, the 21-year-old ranks second in the league with a .669 slugging percentage…he is batting .339 on the year with a .457 average (16-for-35) with runners in scoring position.

 FELICIANO NAVIDAD – LHP Roberto Feliciano is 1-1 with two saves and a 1.25 ERA in eight games…the Puerto Rico native, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent in June 2008, has 25 strikeouts in 21.2 innings of work…the 18-year-old has allowed only a pair of unearned runs in his last three appearances (8.0 innings). 

Dominican Summer League Dodgers – Dominican Summer League B.C. North Division – 25-34, 7th Place, 16.5 Games Back

 YIPEE FOR YIMI! – RHP Yimi Garcia is 3-1 with a 1.26 ERA in 15 games (four starts)…the 18-year-old has excelled as a reliever, allowing just two earned runs in 31.0 innings (0.58 ERA) in 11 appearances out of the bullpen.

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT          8-5-09

THE OGDEN RAPTORS         ROOKIE

Casper bonks Ogden 12-9.

WALLACH (L, 0-1, 7.15), went 1.1 innings and gave up 6 earned runs on 7 hits, 1 walk and a K.  WALLACH’S horrific start was followed by a performance almost as awfu.  CASTILLO (4.62), went 3.2 innings giving up 4 earned runs on 6 hits, 5 walks and 3 Ks.  PAXSON followed with a serviceable 2 inning performance giving up just 1 earned run on 2 hits, 1 walk and 2 Ks.  ROBERTS (6.00), finished with 2 innings of 1 hit shut out ball, walking 0 and fanning 2.   PEEEE-YOUUUUU!!!!!

KYLE ORR  (.245), hit his 3rd round tripper.  SANDS (.348), hit his 14th homer and 2nd triple as he went 2-4 with a walk.  CAVEZOS-GALVEZ (.324), hit his 22nd double and went 3-5.  YNOA (.190), also had a multi-hit game going 2-3 with a walk.

 
THE ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES     AAA

ALVARADO (L, 9-9, 3.53), gave us a quality start, though losing in the process going 6 innings and allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits, 2 walks and fanning 5.  LINDBLOM (2.91), brought his heater going 2 innings and allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits, walking 0 and striking out 4!  LEACH (7.71), couldn’t buy an out and got clobbered because he couldn’t throw a strike.  He walked the 3 batters he faced and allowed 2 earned runs. GARCIA (10.80), finished up, pitching a shutout inning and gave up a hit and a walk while fanning 1.

REPKO (.248), hit his 12th dinger in the 9th.  BROWN (.301), added his 25th double.  HU (.279), went 2-2 with 2 walks.

 
THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS     AA

The Lookouts blew out the West Tennessee team, 7-2.

BASTARDO (W, 4-2, 4.63), hurled a complete game 3 hitter, allowing 2 earned runs and gave up 3 walks.  He struck out 8 in the process.

MARTINEZ (.318), hit his 8th home run and went 3-5.  LAMBO (.264), smacked his 31st double.  TOMLIN (.312), ROTTINO (.257), and GUITERREZ (.310), all had 2 hit games.

 
THE INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS            A      ADVANCED  

Rancho Cucamunga beat the 66ers 8-4.

MILLER (L, 0-1, 11.25), pitched 4 giving up 5 earned on 7 hits, 3 walks and 1 K.  By the time he was done, so were the 66ers.  SANFLER (4.97), as usual, followed with 3 brilliant innings of no hit, no run ball walking 2 and K’ing 1.  JANSEN (22.50), got just one out while giving up 3 earned runs on 3 hits and a walk.  He’s definitely in the race for the worst ERA of the year in the minor leagues.  We’ll keep you posted!  TORRES (0.00), went 2/3rds of an inning and gave up no runs and 1 hit and no walks or strikeouts.  PFEIFFER (3.98), finished pitching 1 shutout inning on 1 hit, 1 walk and 2 Ks.

ROBINSON (.309) hit his 13th home run, his 9th triple and went 2-5.  MATTINGLY (.246), hit his 21st double. FULLER (.260) went 3-4.  HERRERA (.307), went 2-2 with 3 BBs.

 
THE GREAT LAKES LOONS         A

Dayton blanks our Loons 4-0.

BLEVINS (L, 7-8, 3.93), pitched a complete game but came out the loser going 8 innings and giving up 4 earned runs on  7 hits, 0 walks and 2 Ks.

GORDON (.310), got the only hit for the Loonies.

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT   8-4-09

Breaking News:  BELLISARIO pitches his first rehab assignment and pitched a strong inning!  He allowed no runs on 1 hit, 0 walks and fanned a batter.  Looks like he’s about ready to come back.

THE OGDEN RAPTORS      ROOKIE

Casper beats the Raptors 9-8.

The friendly ghost outlasted our Raptors despite Ogden’s rally which saw them score 7 of their 8 runs in the last 2 innings.  VASQUEZ (L, 2-2, 4.82) and WILBORN (5.25) stunk to high heaven.  QUINTERO (1.17), and ROBERTS (7.20), pitched shutout relief in sharp contrast to the other two.

McGEE (.244), SMITH (.192), YNOA (.173), ERICKSON (.355), and JACOBS (.309) all whacked doubles.  McGEE went 4-5, while RUGGIANO (.343), ERICKSON, and JACOBS (.309) all had 2 hit games.

 
THE ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES      AAA

The Isotopes fall to Nashville 6-5.

DURBIN (6.00), went 6 innings and gave up 4 earned runs on 6 hits, 3 walks and 5 Ks.  GARCIA (27.00), was absolute garbage and got the loss after blowing the save all in .2 inning.  He managed to give up 2 earned runs on 2 hits and a walk without getting more than 2 outs.  FELIX (1.69), was the only Isotope hurler to pitch well, going 1.1 innings of one hit, one walk, shut out ball.  He struck out 1.

ABREU (.345), hit his 8th home run while going 2-5.  GARCIA (.228) hit his 9th double while going 3-3 with a walk.  HOFFMANN (.290), whacked 2 doubles and went 2-5.  CLOSSER (.316), added a double.

 
THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS       AA

The Lookouts lost both ends of a doubleheader to West Tennessee, 10-5 and 6-3.

CHRIS WITHROW pitched his first game since being promoted from A ball (16.20), and CORCORAN (5.48) were both pitching so poorly that the locals are wondering if the putrid smell left behind will clear before the winter rains in Game 1.  NIVAR (.358), and LAMBO (.264), both cracked doubles.  MARTINEZ (.308), went 3-4.  PEREZ (.274), and ROTTINO (.254), each had a 2 hit game.

In the nightcap, BATISTA (2.43) and GUERRA (4.50), both stunk to high heaven as well.  Only GARATE (2.05),  was able to make an appearance without allowing a run–but he only pitched two thirds of an inning so he was unable to “quench the stench” in the end.  PEREZ (.275), hit his 9th dinger.  MITCHELL (.224), went 2-3.

So much for the low lights of a miserable day’s performance for the Choo Choos.

 
THE INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS       A    ADVANCED

Rancho Cucamunga edged our beloved 66ers 5-3.

Leaving the ugly and arriving at the merely disagreeable, the 66ers stayed close in their effort against Cucamunga.  BELISARIO (0.00), started and went 1 beautiful inning of 1 hit shut out ball, walking 0 and striking out 1.  MCCARTER (4.29) finished the game with 1 inning of perfection with no Ks.  In between, SEXTON (3.19) went 7 innings and lost his 10th game giving up 3 earned runs on 12 hits, 2 walks and 2 Ks.

ROBINSON (.308), hit his 8th triple.  There were no multi-hit games for any 66er.

 
THE GREAT LAKES LOONS       A

Dayton clubbed our Loonies while they napped 7-2.

WALTER (3.48), pitched 5 bad innings in which he gave up 4 earned runs on 7 hits, 3 walks and 8 Ks.  He suffered his 4th loss against 7 wins.  DUTTON (4.35), went 2 innings and allowed 0 earned runs, 3 hits, 0 walks and struck out a batter.  BOOTHE (5.57), pitched 1 inning and gave up 1 earned run on 2 hits, 1 walk and fanned 2.

SILVERIO (.273), whacked his 24th double and went 2-3 with a walk.  WALLACH (.249), added a 2 bagger of his own.

That’s all folks!  All in all, it was a very forgettable day down on the farms.

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT   8-3-09

THE OGDEN RAPTORS       ROOKIE

Raptors edge Casper 7-6.

CONTRERAS (2.66),  went 5 innings and gave up 3 earned runs on 8 hits, one walk and 2 Ks.  SUITER (5.00), was equally ineffective going 1 inning and giving up 2 earned runs on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 0.  GUADI (W, 2-1, 3.55), saved the Raptors collective butts going 3 perfect innings and fanning 3 in the process.  A tip of my “Colbert hat” to GUADI!

WISE (.343) Martin’s eventual replacement?  Hit his 4th home run in the 9th–a 3 run dinger! HERNANDEZ (.281), YOUNT (.308), IDEN (.241), and ORR (.244), all smacked doubles. YOUNT and WISE had 2 hit games.

 
THE ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES      AAA

The Isotopes beat Nashville 3-1.

Three Isotope pitchers shut down Nashville without giving up an earned run.  POLLOCK (5.81) went 5 and allowed an unearned run on 4 hits, 1 walk and 6 Ks.  CHOI (W, 6-1, 1.83), continues to pitch “lights out” going 2 perfect innings and striking out 3.  He’s ready Joe! WADE (S, 1, 2.45), finished up pitching 2 shutout innings of 1 hit, 1 walk ball while fanning 1.

TONY ABREU (.343) blasted his 7th home run and his 13th double while going 3-4.  HU (.275) continued his upward run towards true respectability hitting a triple and going 2-4 on the night.  Kudos to both.

 
THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS   AA

Lookouts outlast West Tennessee 12-11.

The pitching wasn’t pretty, but the Lookout offense looked good Monday.  ADKINS (4.60) went 3.2 innings and gave up 5 earned runs on 7 hits  and 2 walks while striking out 1. RODRIGUEZ (3.39), shined pitching 2 innings of 2 hit shut out baseball, walking 0 and fanning 2.  SARTOR (BS, 2, W, 3-4, 3.55), “vulched” the win by first blowing the save and then holding on pitching 3 innings and allowing 4 earned runs on 4 hits, 3 walks and 3 Ks.

JAMES ADKINS and SARTOR were afraid to go out on the town for dinner after the gamer without first decking themselves out in Groucho Marx fake noses, eyebrows and glasses to stay undetected by the local irate fans.  It could of been worse.  We could of lost the game!

EDUARDO PEREZ (.269), hit his 8th dinger of the season, a 2 run shot in the 3rd.  RUSS MITCHELL (.222), added a triple.  TOMLIN (.313), SELLERS (.304), and GODWIN (.252) all whacked doubles proving once again that our farm system probably has more gap hitters than any other system in baseball.  SELLERS was 3-5 and had 4 rbis.  LUCAS MAY (.311), went 2-4 with a BB proving we have 2 .300 hitting catchers in the minors waiting for their chance to hit major league pitching.  Hopefully one of them will be adept at catching HAEGER’S knuckleball when he gets the call later this year.

 
THE INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS    A     ADVANCED

The 66ers were idle.

 
THE GREAT LAKES LOONS         A

The Loonies out-sluged Dayton 10-8.

The hitting was great but the pitching was nothing to write home about.  MICHAEL REDDING (5.04) got mugged going 3 runs and giving up 7 earned runs on 9 hits and struck out 1.  Good news is he gave up nary a walk!  SMITH (W, 2-1, 3.12) shined going 3 innings and gave up 1 earned run on 4 hits, 1 walk and 2 Ks.  GARCIA (S, 3, 2.85), was even better going 3 perfect innings and fanning 3.  GARCIA gets a Colbert tip of the cap for his work yesterday.

SONGCO (.138), finally connected with a long ball, a 2 run shot in the 3rd.  PEDROZA (.261), hit his 30th double.  KYLE RUSSELL (.269) whacked double #28 and went 3-5.  Hard to believe, but the rest of the hits were spread out and no one else had a multi-hit game. Every starter except the catcher MATT WALLACH (.249), managed to get a hit.  The Loonies scored 10 runs on 10 hits.

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT        8-2-09

BREAKING NEWS:   HAEGER DOES IT AGAIN!   CHARLIE HAEGER (W. 11-6, 3.58) was masterful once again giving the Isotopes yet another quality start, going 6 innings on just one hit, one earned run, 3 walks and 8, count them 8 strike outs!!!  STRICKLAND (S, 23, 3.19), pitched one perfect inning and collecting one K to finish Nashville off.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think HAEGER desrves to be the Dodger #5 starter a lot more thwan JASON SCHMIDT.  FREE HAEGER!  Bring him up Joe!   If you do the Dogs will win more Read the full story

ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES - AAA

The Isotopes won 5-2 to finish the month of July 19-10.  Doug Mientkiewicz (.333) doubled in 4 at bats.  Tony Abreu (.339) was 1-3.  Hu (.272) was 2-4 and Carlos Alvarado won his 9th game with 2 scoreless innings of help from Wade and Leach.  BOXSCORE Read the full story

We are a bit behind, so we’ll play catch up and report all 3 days we missed:

AAA – Albuquerque Isotopes

7/28 – Charlie Haeger went 9 innings and allowed 2 runs to gain his 10th win, against 6 loses (3.74 ERA).  Doug Mientkiewicz played his first game as DH and went 0-5.  Mitch Jones (.302) hit his 26th HR. Read the full story

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT   7-27-09

The Raptors beat Idaho Falls 9-4.

Pimental (W, 3-2, 5.91), went 5 innings and gave up 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 0 walks while fanning 4.  SOLANO (H, 2, 3.29), went 3 innings and gave up 1 earned run on 3 hits, 1 BB, and 3 Ks.  AMES (1.23),  struck out all three batters he faced. Read the full story

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT        7-26-09

THE OGDEN RAPTORS      ROOKIE

Idaho Falls beats Raptors 8-7.

WALLACH (2.35), went 2.2 innings and allowed 0 earned runs, 1 hit, 2 walks and fanned 3.  FERRERAS (1.23), went .1 inning (one out), giving up just a walk.  CASTILLO (4.75) went 3.1 innings giving up 5 earned runs on 7 hits, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.  QUINTERO (BS, 1, L, 0-1, 1.32), went 1.2 innings allowing an earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks striking out 1.  And GUADI (5.19) finished up going one perfect inning and striking out 1. Read the full story