SSA: Aberdeen Ironbirds 1, @ Brooklyn Cyclones 0 (16 innings)
I went out to Coney Island for this one with plans to catch up with a friend for a drink after the game. Initially, the quick pace of the game was perfect, and then it kept going, and going.
Lefty Darin Gorski started yielding just one hits over six innings, walking two and fanning seven. He relied on a fastball that was 86-88 mph, sitting at 87, a slider at 77 mph and a changeup. LHP Lance Hoge, who stands 5’10” followed him and had even less fastball, sitting 84-85, similar to LHP Brandon Sage who was also tossing 85 with a 75 mph slurve. Eventually, the Ironbirds scored a run off Mike Lynn in the 16th. I must admit, by the time Lynn entered the game, I was on my way to Brooklyn Heights.
2B Matt Gaski and 1B Sam Honeck each had two hits together accounting for four of the seven Brooklyn knocks.
Rookie (App): Elizabethton Twins (MIN) 6, Kingsport Mets 5
1B Jeffrey Flagg (.400/.473/.569) kept raking, going 2-5 with a homer to extend his hitting streak to eight games. 3B Joe Bonfe lifted a three-run homer that put the K-Mets up 5-4 in the fifth.
Guillaume Leduc was awfully hittable, giving up four runs, two earned on 11 hits.
Rookie (GCL): GCL Mets 6, GCL Marlins 2
SS Wilfredo Tovar, the owner of an eight-game hitting streak, was 2-4 with a double and his now hitting .327/.386/.442 in his 13 games in the GCL. 19-year old C Nelfi Zapata (.395/.467/.658) was 2-4. The Mets picked Zapata in the 19th round this June. Before the draft, Baseball America wrote of Zapata:
A sturdy, physical backstop with a strong arm, Zapata has a chance to be a good receiver, though his actions are a bit stiff currently. Zapata’s bat is raw, and he’ll likely wind up at Miami Dade CC.
Nice to see Zapata off to a good start.
For some reason I feel like I know less about “who to watch” in the lower levels this year as opposed to last year.
A little help for the who to watch, which should become a larger post next week:
1. Bklyn – SS Robbie Shields – 2009 3rd rd pick out of Florida Southern
…. …… C Dock Doyle – 2008 5th rd pick out of Coastal Carolina
…. ….. OF Nick Santomauro – 2009 10th rd pick out of Dartmouth
…. …… 1B Sam Honeck – 2009 11th rd pick out of Rice
2. Kingsport – OF Cesar Puello – NDFA
…. …… C John Freeman – 2009 8th rd pick out of McNeese St.
….. .. …. 2B Alonzo Harris – late round speedster, strong athlete
….. ….. …….. OF Darrell Cecilliani – 2009 4th round pick, speedy OF
….. …. ……..RHP Eduardo Aldama
….. ……. LHP Angel Cuan
I was going to suggest you add recently promoted 19-year-old righty Jhonathan Torres to your Kingsport watch list, until I looked at the K-Mets roster and saw that recently promoted 19-year-old righty Jhonathan Torres is in fact now listed as a catcher. Hmm, I wonder if someone at milb.com moved the wrong J. Torres from the GCL roster over to Kingsport… I wonder indeed…
I can’t wait until there’s more out there to read about Wilfredo Tovar. Toby, are you stopping in the GCL on your trip this year? (Are those games even available for the public to watch?)
Yes, GCL games are available, and free to the public. I think they’re fun, in a really pure, developmental baseball kinda way.
I haven’t decided if I’m going to Florida this year. I might. I might not. I don’t think the current FSL roster justifies a trip on its own, but the potential to see the FSL and GCL teams might make it worth it.
I’d also like to see Savannah. I might make it down there, and I might not.
Btw, that list is not meant to be comprehensive… it was really a brainstorming session for a larger, more complete post next week. Feel free to add prospects you personally are excited about in the short-season leagues, with a one sentence reason explanation.