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Dbacks Prospect Watch: Jesse Darrah
Good morning…
Did anyone set their alarm to watch Oakland and Seattle in Japan (currently in the 10th inning)? I did not…
A few notes:
They are currently installing carpeting upstairs in the soon-to-be team offices.
The ownership group that purchased the L.A. Dodgers for a record-setting $2 billion, includes Magic Johnson and Peter Guber, who are partners in the Dayton Dragons of the MWL…
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Today’s prospect of choice is right-hander Jesse Darrah, an 8th Rd. selection in last year’s draft out of NAIA Fresno Pacific. According to Baseball America, his fastball sits 90-94 MPH and he has a good change up and curve ball to go along with a slider. His release point is high three-quarters. Also this from BA…
He projects as a back-of-the rotation starter and will make the jump to [South Bend] in 2012…
Last season with Missoula, Darrah went 5-2 with a 4.55 ERA in 14 appearances and 11 starts. He struck out 68 in 59 IP (10.3 K/9) and opponents hit .252 against him.
Darrah doesn’t have quite the fanfare that Archie Bradley does, but the future looks bright for both. And if BA is correct, both may begin 2012 at The Cove. We shall see.
TL
Dbacks Prospect Watch: Archie Bradley
While the roster won’t be announced until later this week or over the weekend, it would not be surprising to see Archie Bradley – the seventh overall pick in 2011 – donning a Silver Hawks uniform this spring.
According to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, “he’ll get his first real taste of pro ball at low Class A South Bend to start 2012.” The only other feasible option would be to do what Trevor Bauer did last year and go straight to High-A Visalia. Bradley, though, briefly got his feet wet in the Pioneer League at the end of last season while Bauer began his pro career in Visalia.
Bradley’s fastball sits 92-98 MPH with a power curve between 82-85 MPH. He’s been rumored to have occasionally exceeded 100 MPH.
Barring any unforeseen setbacks, he’ll likely move through the minors rather rapidly. That said, there’s a chance that journey will include a trip to South Bend, at least that’s what the scribes and pundits are saying.
Check out what former Hawk and current big leaguer Miguel Montero had to say about Bradley here …
A prospect profile on Archie here …
Also, if Bradley hadn’t signed last summer he would have likely played quarterback at Oklahoma. Bradley is from Broken Arrow, Okla.
Again, this is all speculation, but we shall see…
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TL
Brief Sights & Sounds
If you were wondering what it has sounded like at our office lately, HERE is a brief video. Apologies in advance for the poor video quality. The second pan is from the ledge of one of our soon-to-be outdoor suites on the first base.
As they say in Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” The players are due to arrive early next week. Very exciting.
Enjoy the rest of your Monday.
TL
More Roster Moves…
Things are really starting to take shape roster wise down at Spring Training. The Dbacks sent eight players to minor league camp Friday, leaving 37 at Major League Camp, including seven non-roster players.
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Slugger Matt Davidson was reassigned to Double-A Mobile. He hit 20 home runs for Visalia last season and 16 in 2010 with South Bend. The good news for Davidson is that Bobby Borchering is moving to the outfield, providing less competition for Davidson at 3B.
Right-hander Charles Brewer was also reassigned to Mobile… he made 13 starts for the Silver Hawks in 2010 and posted a 1.83 ERA.
Pitcher Barry Enright, who’s made 24 career big league starts, was optioned to Triple-A Reno.
Super prospect Trevor Bauer, who leap-frogged South Bend, was optioned to Mobile. He had a decent spring, but will have to wait his turn. Heck, the Nationals recently optioned super, super prospect Bryce Harper to Triple-A. I think we can safely assume both will crack the big leagues in due time barring injury or any other extenuating circumstances. Here is more on the Bauer move.
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I’ve had tons of fun putting together the Silver Hawks Media Guide and learning about the Diamondbacks organization… just waiting on the roster to be announced! I will probably post portions of the guide on this blog, and may even look into posting the whole thing online for those that are interested.
-TL
Around the MWL
Alright, the blog is back in action. We had Internet problems for much of the day Thursday, or as they say at amusement parks, we were experiencing “technical difficulties.”
Coveleski Stadium might as well be an amusement park this summer, because there is going to be a ton to do, in addition to watching baseball. I cannot wait to see the atmosphere.
One of the driving forces behind the new-look, new-feel Silver Hawks is owner Andrew T. Berlin, whom I had the pleasure of meeting Thursday. He has a ton of energy and enthusiasm — not a bad thing to have in the entertainment business.
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The news broke a short time ago that Ron Villone will be the new pitching coach of the Peoria Chiefs as Tom Pratt battles cancer. Here is that story. We continue to send our thoughts and prayers.
You may recognize the name Ron Villone … he played 15 seasons at the big league level with 12 different teams. He practically ran the gamut in the National League Central, playing for every team except the organization he now works for, the Cubs.
The Midwest League is filled with former players turned coaches, as is that case all throughout affiliated and big league ball. Let’s take a glance at Eastern Division Field Managers for 2012, in no particular order…
MARK HALEY / SOUTH BEND SILVER HAWKS
Ok, so I guess there is kind of an order. Hales is back for his eighth season with the Silver Hawks, and his 21st in minor league ball. He won a MWL Championship in 2005 and MWL Manager of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005. Barring a catastrophic 2012 season, Hales will surpass the 600-win mark.
DELINO DeSHIELDS / DAYTON DRAGONS
Delino is back for his second season in Dayton after leading the Dragons to a league-high 83 wins in 2011. For those on the younger end, you’ll remember Delino from Triple Play ’97 on Playstation. He had his two of his better years with the Cardinals in 1997 and 1998. He played his final two seasons with the Cubs in 2002 and 2003, retiring at age 33. He finished with a modest career batting average of .268. He was a speed demon as well, swiping 463 bases in 13 seasons.
JOSE VALENTIN / FORT WAYNE TINCAPS
From one big league infielder to the next, Jose Valentine will lead Fort Wayne in 2012. Spent the middle portion of his 16-year playing career with the White Sox. He never made a stop in South Bend, but played briefly for Beloit in 1997. He is joined on his staff by former big leaguers Jacque Jones and Willie Blaire.
ERNIE YOUNG / WEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS
Ernie played parts of eight big league seasons with Oakland, Kansas City, Arizona, Detroit and Cleveland. He hit 19 home runs in 1996 and drove in 64 runs. He last played in 2004. Young is in his second season with West Michigan. He played with Madison of the MWL in 1991.
JOHN TAMARGO JR / LANSING LUGNUTS
Tamargo replaces former big league catcher Mike Redmond, who led the Lugnuts to the postseason in 2011. Redmond was promoted to the Florida State League. Tamargo spend the last two seasons as the Lugnuts hitting coach. His father, John Sr., was a major league catcher and a later a minor league coach. He skippered Clinton in 2010… baseball is in the blood, as they say.
DAVID WALLACE / LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS
Wallace replaces Ted Kubiak as the Captains captain (I will never do that again. I promise). Wallace was a catcher for the Captains in 2003 when they were still in the South Atlantic League. He played football and baseball at Vanderbilt, graduating in 2001. He played seven minor league seasons, the majority of which in the Indians organization.
JOHN SHOEMAKER / GREAT LAKES LOONS
Entering his second season at the helm. Shoemaker has worked in the Dodgers organization in a variety of capacities since 1977. He led the Jacksonville Suns to a Southern League Title in 2005. He brings a lengthy resume with him to Midland. Here is more on John.
BRADY WILLIAMS / BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS
Brady is back for a third season and has been with the team for the duration of their brief stay in the MWL. Williams was drafted in the 45th round of the 1999 draft by the Red Sox and spent five years in the minor leagues. He guided the Hot Rods the playoffs in 2011.
Back in Time
Alright, this post is going to take us back a few decades to the early ’90s… a time when you could call the Pirates a contender and not get laughed out of the room and when those very Pirates had a sleek power hitter named Barry. But this post isn’t about Barry or the Pirates, as much as that would make for an intriguing topic.
Instead it’s about Mike Cameron, who played for the South Bend White Sox from 1992-93, and recently retired from baseball after 17 big league seasons. It begs the question… how does a career .249 hitter last 17 seasons … especially with all the strikeouts (more than 1,900)? Speed, defense (3 x gold glove) and sneaky power…
Maybe his power wasn’t so sneaky. By my calculation — and please correct me if I’m wrong — Cameron hit more career big league home runs (278) then any former Silver Hawk in a non-rehab capacity (Carlton Fisk rehabbed with the team in 1992). He swatted 30 big flys with the Mets in ’04.
This would have been tough to project 20 years ago. If you look at Cameron’s two-year stint with South Bend, it did not go well from a numbers or power standpoint. He hit .228 in limited action in ’92 and came back for a full season in ’93 and posted a .238 average, the lowest clip among regulars. In ’93 strikeouts were high (101), walks were low (27), and he did not hit a single home run. He was certainly not on a “big league pace,” if there even is such a thing. Instead of regression, or early retirement, what followed for Cameron was marked improvement to the point where he hit 28 home runs with Double-A Birmingham in 1996 and was a big league regular the following season.
Cameron was involved in two interesting trades — he was shipped to the Reds in a deal that brought Paul Konerko to the White Sox; a year or so later Cameron was shipped to the Mariners in a deal that brought Ken Griffey Jr. to the Reds. Cameron played for eight different teams in 17 seasons — an interesting finish to a career that started ominously in the minors.
Notes:
This is pretty cool … the Elkhart F.O.P Little League was recently the victim of vandalism and the Silver Hawks are holding a “equipment donation drive” to help replace that which was stolen or vandalized. Check out the details here.
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TL
A Few Photos & Notes
As promised here are a few photos of some of the fine work being done at Coveleski Stadium.
The brick facade looks terrific and certainly beats the bare concrete. Gives the park a real clean look. Beyond the left field wall is the synagogue, which in due time will become our souvenir shop. The real close up shot is of the new home plate suite. Figures to offer a pretty darn good view of the game. Pre-existing indoor suites are under renovation and outdoor suites are being added on both baselines. There will be ample opportunity for group and corporate outings. With the splash pad being installed in the right field corner, and the fun zone on tap for left-center, the kids will be sufficiently entertained as well.
You’ll notice the clouds … hate to play meteorologist (although, if I ever went back to school, that is what I would study) but the weather has really cooperated this month. Temperatures have been good great and it has been dry enough so as to not disturb the renovations. Anyway, don’t be fooled by the pictures.
Speaking of disturbing… work was being done right on top of my office yesterday. Specifically, drilling. It was like a bad trip to the dentist. The only thing missing was the Novocaine.
Notes:
The Silver Hawks will remain an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate through 2014. The Hawks player development contract was due for expiration after this season. There were rumors that the Hawks were going to hook up with the Cubs, but Mr. Berlin quickly put those to bed.
Peyton Manning will be a Bronco. What? Yes, Peyton Manning will be a Bronco. Rumor has it that part (likely a very small part) of the reason Peyton chose Denver is that he is friends with Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, whom he played football with at Tennessee. Peyton actually replaced Todd as the team’s starting QB in 1994. They remain close and the rest is history. Peyton will be a Hall of Famer in football, will Todd make the baseball HOF? I’d imagine so.
That is all for now…
Take care,
TL
Three Weeks Away
Officially three weeks until the home opener and the construction team is hard at work getting everything ready. Our staff generally gets to the office between 8-8:30 a.m. — the construction workers, though, have been getting here well before that. They are working really long days in advance of the season … it’s a race against the clock. To that extent, great progress has already been made, especially with the brick facade that will now cover many of the bare concrete walls inside the park. In the words of owner Andrew Berlin, it will provide a much “homier” feel.
In case you missed it, here is Mark Haley’s second blog post from Spring Training. Usually at this time of year he is 75 percent sure which players are coming to South Bend. This year there has been so much competition for spots that he is only about 50 percent sure. Not a bad problem to have, for the Diamondbacks at least.
Tyler Skaggs had a bounce back outing for the D-Back yesterday. It sounds like he is starting to get a little more comfortable.
If I seem rather scattered, it’s because my 49ers are courting Peyton Manning and I can’t focus. Hopefully that will be resolved soon and I can get on with my life.
Did I mention the home opener is three weeks away? Yikes.
Until next time,
TL
First Round of Roster Cuts
Another beautiful day on tap in South Bend… we had record-setting temperatures yesterday. It appears we will be right around 80 again today. Just need this weather to stick around for the April 9 home opener in a few weeks. Heck, we could lose 10 degrees and still be doing mighty fine.
Yesterday the Diamondbacks made their first round of cuts, leaving 45 players at big league camp including 11 non-roster invitees. And by “cut” I mean they were either reassigned or optioned.
Among those include Konrad Schmidt, who was optioned to Triple-A Reno, where he spent all of 2011. He was a September call-up in 2010 and played with the Hawks a few years prior to that in ’08.
Infielder Ryan Wheeler hasn’t made his big league debut, but he’ll start ’12 closer than he’s ever been. The Diamondbacks reassigned him to Reno. Wheeler hit .345 in limited action for the Hawks in 2009.
Kevin Munson (’10) and Marc Krauss (’09) will start the year at Double-A Mobile, while first-rounder Chris Owings (’10) will begin in the California League with the Rawhide. Owings hit close to .300 with the Hawks two seasons ago, but saw his average slip down to .246 with Visalia in ’11.
Also worth noting that Tyler Skaggs (’10), a non-roster invitee, survived the first cut. He is one of the aforementioned 11 non-roster invitees still at big league camp. He is joined by prized pitching prospect Trevor Bauer. The Diamondbacks have been impressed with what they’ve seen from those two.
Roster cuts mean baseball is getting closer…
Best,
TL
Mark Haley Spring Training Blog
Allow me to briefly interrupt the madness…
I would be remiss if I didn’t post this now before it is too late. Hawks Field Manager, Mark Haley, is blogging from Spring Training down in Scottsdale. His first and only post was about a week ago, prior to my arrival onto the blogging scene, but he’ll probably post a few more times in the next couple of weeks. Bookmark it — definitely worth a read. You can find his blog here.
I haven’t met Mark yet, but look forward to working with him during the season. I have heard nothing but good things. More importantly, it is great to hear that his health has improved and that he will back in the dugout this spring.
That is all…
TL
The Cove 