Ozzie Ball

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 06:33 PM) Richard is a pen arm IMO, he just doesnt have the ability to continue to get hitters out as the game goes on, nor after they've faced him a few times. And that doesn't sound like an awful lot of rookie pitchers to you? John Danks last year for example had that problem and he still had it this year to a lesser extent. I'm not saying Richard will end up a starter but to have confined him to a bullpen role based on what we've seen in 8 starts of his rookie year is absurd.

A couple of others that I found; Victor Mercedes and Ricardo Nanita in the Dominican League. D.J. Carrasco, Joucer Martinez, Johny Celis, Rather Trujillo, Clevelan Santeliz and Jose Martinez all in the Venezuelan League. Again, not a whole lot to get excited about apart from Jose Martinez, if he is in fact healthy now.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 07:08 PM) The A's are leading the charge for international free agent pitcher Michael Inoa; they could offer him $4MM. All teams have scouted him. MLB.com's Jim Molony names the Astros, Yankees, Cardinals, Angels, Mets, and Pirates as teams considering Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo (assuming he becomes a free agent). According to another article I've read, a total of 14 teams have already made contact with Viciedo through his agent. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3433834 Above...very good summary of the top Latin (minus Cuban) prospects in the world for MLB, ranked in order This is pretty old, most, if not all of those prospects have already signed.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 06:34 PM) The face that he's working in relief, however, gives me the clue that he's no longer being groomed for the starting rotation, and will instead fill the same function as Matt Thorton in the sox's bullpen. The most anyone pitched in the whole game for either team was 2 innings, I wouldn't read into it too much.

No Beckham in the line-up for the Saguaros to kick things off. Gartrell in RF. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?g...peswin_scowin_1

QUOTE (bighurt4life @ Sep 30, 2008 -> 04:10 AM) Hicks plays a premium position at SS while Allen by all accounts plays a below average first base. Not sure is Hicks is a good SS but having a middle infielder with good power is always a plus and probably why he's rated higher. Here's from his scout report: Though he's bigger than most shortstops at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Hicks was the CL's best defender at that position. He has enough range to stay at shortstop, along with a plus arm and a quick release. So I guess it was his defense that did it.

Starts 10/07 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=67170 Pitchers Lucas Harrell Derek Rodriguez Carlos Torres Aaron Poreda Position Players Cole Armstrong Gordon Beckham Maurice Gartrell http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/ar...b&fext=.jsp

CAROLINA LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS 1. Matt Wieters, c, Frederick (Orioles) 2. Jake Arrieta, rhp, Frederick (Orioles) 3. Gorkys Hernandez, of, Myrtle Beach (Braves) 4. Nick Weglarz, 3b, Kinston (Indians) 5. Beau Mills, 1b, Kinston (Indians) 6. Aaron Poreda, lhp, Winston-Salem (White Sox) 7. Blake Wood, rhp, Wilmington (Royals) 8. Brandon Erbe, rhp, Frederick (Orioles) 9. Hector Rondon, rhp, Kinston (Indians) 10. Chris Marrero, 1b, Potomac (Nationals) 11. Ross Detwiler, lhp, Potomac (Nationals) 12. Tyler Flowers, c, Myrtle Beach (Braves) 13. Brandon Hicks, ss, Myrtle Beach (Braves) 14. Brandon Allen, 1b, Winston-Salem (White Sox) 15. Carlos Rivero, ss, Kinston (Indians) 16. Brandon Snyder, 1b, Frederick (Orioles) 17. John Ely, rhp, Winston-Salem (White Sox) 18. Josh Tomlin, rhp, Kinston (Indians) 19. Kanekoa Texeira, rhp, Winston-Salem (White Sox) 20. Bill Rowell, 3b, Frederick (Orioles) Aaron Poreda, lhp, Winston-Salem (White Sox) B-T: L-L Ht.: 6-6 Wt.: 240 Age: 21 Drafted: White Sox '07 (1) Poreda stuck around Winston-Salem for just 12 starts but made a lasting impression. He pitched off a 94-96 mph fastball that induces groundballs because of its movement. "His stuff is nasty and will only get better," one talent evaluator said. Poreda also began to show a feel for his changeup and defined his breaking pitch. Poreda threw a curveball in college before adding a slider after turning pro, and he found himself caught in between the two pitches at the outset of the season. The White Sox have pushed him to focus on his hard slider, which dives at righthanded hitters' feet. Pitching from a three-quarter arm slot makes it a challenge for Poreda to stay on top of his slider, and he also struggles to repeat his delivery at times. That could lead to a future as a reliever, and once scout said Poreda is ready to pitch out of a big league bullpen now. Brandon Allen, 1b, Winston-Salem (White Sox) B-T: L-R Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 235 Age: 22 Drafted: White Sox '04 (5) No CL player drew more conflicting reports than Allen. Those who like him see him as a possible impact power hitter, while others deem him below average in every category but power. The league's slugging percentage leader at .527, Allen bettered that mark after a mid-June promotion to Double-A, where he homered twice in his first game and slugged .614. Allen improved his ability to stay back on offspeed pitches, but he still struggles with pitch recognition and may never make enough consistent contact to hit for a high average. He moves better than most 6-foot-2, 235-pounders, but he's still rough with his footwork at first base and may wind up as a DH. He ranked second among the league's first basemen in errors despite playing just 89 games at the position. John Ely, rhp, Winston-Salem (White Sox) B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-1 Wt.: 190 Age: 22 Signed: White Sox '07 (3) Ely was 3-11, 5.51 in mid-July before going 7-1, 2.86 in his final eight starts, showing three quality pitches and plus command. He's aggressive with an 88-94 mph fastball that typically sits at 91 with good movement and induces groundballs. Ely's best pitch is an above-average changeup with movement and fade that usually arrives 12 mph slower than his fastball. He sells it with good arm speed and action, though he sometimes relies on the pitch too much. Ely mixes in a 12-to-6 curveball that can be a put-away pitch but he doesn't always trust it. He's a strong competitor who can keep his team in a game when he doesn't have his best stuff. He's not big and there's effort in his delivery, but he never has had arm problems and should be able to hold up as a starter. 19. Kaneoka Texeira, rhp, Winston-Salem (White Sox) B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 210 Age: 20 Drafted: White Sox '06 (22) The CL's most dominant closer, Texeira didn't allow an earned run in his final 22 outings for Winston-Salem and finished second in the league with 20 saves despite earning a mid-July promotion. He continued to have success in Double-A and could factor into the White Sox bullpen at some point next year. Texeira primarily relies on two pitches, a 90-91 mph fastball that he can throw to both sides or the plate and a nasty slider that can overmatch both lefties and righties. That combination yields plenty of strikeouts and groundouts. He was forced to use his changeup more often in multiple-inning outings in Double-A, but it's still a work in progress.

Here's what they said about Kuhn in the chat: Q: Richard Smiley from Chicago, IL asks: Ben — I enjoyed your write-up. Did Tyler Kuhn receive any consideration for the list? A: Ben Badler: Thanks for the kind words. He did, though he probably slots into that 21-30 range. Doesn't have the tools that blow anyone away (that's why you tend to get picked in the 15th round), but his performance was excellent, so he'll have a chance to prove it next year outside of rookie ball.

Extended mine to 15 as well. 1. Gordon Beckham 2. Aaron Poreda 3. Brandon Allen 4. Jordan Danks 5. John Shelby 6. Dexter Carter 7. Steven Upchurch 8. Chris Getz 9. Daniel Hudson 10. Jack Egbert 11. Jose Martinez 12. Lucas Harrell 13. Nevin Griffith 14. Brent Morel 15. Juan Silverio (Mr. X factor)

PIONEER LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS 1. Wilin Rosario, c, Casper (Rockies) 2. Cutter Dykstra, of, Helena (Brewers) 3. Will Smith, lhp, Orem (Angels) 4. Devaris Gordon, ss, Ogden (Dodgers) 5. Luis Jimenez, 3b, Orem (Angels) 6. Delta Cleary, of, Casper (Rockies) 7. Bryan Shaw, rhp, Missoula (Diamondbacks) 8. Trevor Harden, rhp, Missoula (Diamondbacks) 9. Dexter Carter, rhp, Great Falls (White Sox) 10. Kyle Russell, of, Ogden (Dodgers) 11. Pedro Baez, 3b, Ogden (Dodgers) 12. Jose Perez, rhp, Orem (Angels) 13. Efrain Nieves, lhp, Helena (Brewers) 14. Rossmel Perez, c, Missoula (Diamondbacks) 15. Angel Castillo, of, Orem (Angels) 16. Wily Peralta, rhp, Helena (Brewers) 17. Erik Komatsu, of, Helena (Brewers) 18. Dan Hudson, rhp, Great Falls (White Sox) 19. Tony Delmonico, 2b, Ogden (Dodgers) 20. Michael Kohn, rhp, Orem (Angels) Dexter Carter, rhp, Great Falls Voyagers (White Sox) B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-6 Wt.: 195 Age: 21 Drafted: White Sox '08 (14) Carter had a disastrous junior season at Old Dominion, posting an 8.76 ERA and walking nearly a batter per inning. After drafting him in the 14th round, the White Sox made some minor tweaks to his delivery, giving him a more consistent landing point and getting him on a straighter line to the plate. The changes worked wonders, as he led the league with a 2.23 ERA and finished second to college and pro teammate Dan Hudson in the strikeout race with 89 in 69 innings. Lanky, loose and athletic, Carter has fine command of a lively 88-93 mph fastball. His high-70s curveball worked well for him this summer. His changeup is inconsistent at this point, but he has feel for it and could turn it into an average pitch in the future. Carter leverages his 6-foot-6 size well, getting good downward plane by coming almost straight over the top. While he was able to open up his delivery, he still throws somewhat across his body. "Whoever the scout was that drafted him needs to be given a bonus," Orem manager Tom Kotchman said, "because that's a heck of a 14th-round pick right there." Dan Hudson, rhp, Great Falls Voyagers White Sox '08 (5) B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 220 Age: 21 Drafted: White Sox '08 After pitching together at Old Dominion, Hudson and Carter roomed together in Great Falls and formed a dynamic 1-2 punch on the mound for the league-champion Voyagers. Hudson led the league in strikeouts with 90 in 70 innings, then fanned 12 over six innings in the championship clincher against Orem. Hudson throws strikes while operating from a low three-quarters angle with a long arm stroke in the back. His fastball has average velocity and exceptional life, riding in on righties and tailing away from lefties. He gets strikeouts by throwing his slider down in the zone and he also mixes in an occasional changeup.

Baseball America have started up their top 20 prospect/league again this year. Today was the turn of the Appy League. APPY TOP 20 PROSPECTS 1. Tim Beckham, ss, Princeton Rays 2. Wilmer Flores, ss, Kingsport Mets 3. Matt Moore, lhp, Princeton Rays 4. Gabriel Noriega, ss, Pulaski Mariners 5. Mario Martinez, 3b, Pulaski Mariners 6. Randall Delgado, rhp, Danville Braves 7. Jordan Lyles, rhp, Greeneville Astros 8. Angel Morales, of, Elizabethton Twins 9. Albert Suarez, rhp, Princeton Rays 10. Kelvin Herrera, rhp, Burlington Royals 11. Jon Gilmore, 3b, Danville Braves 12. Jay Austin, of, Greeneville Astros 13. Niko Vasquez, ss, Johnson City Cardinals 14. Craig Kimbrel, rhp, Danville Braves 15. Paul Clemens, rhp, Danville Braves 16. Gregory Infante, rhp, Bristol White Sox 17. Sam Runion, rhp, Burlington Royals 18. Federico Hernandez, c, Greeneville Astros 19. Juan Silverio, ss, Bristol White Sox 20. Fernando Cruz, 3b, Burlington Royals 16. Gregory Infante, rhp, Bristol Sox B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 185 Age: 21 Signed: Venezuela '06 Infante got a later start to his career than most international free agents, signing with the White Sox as an 18-year-old in 2006 and turning 19 while pitching in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League that summer. He posted an ugly 8.61 ERA in the VSL, and followed up by going 2-3, 4.01 with 23 walks in 34 innings in the Appy League in 2007. Infante showed the same wildness in an assignment to low Class A Kannapolis this May, but he finally hit his stride in a return engagement in Bristol. Though he's already 21, Infante's arm strength and clean delivery are difficult to ignore. His fastball ranges from 89-95 mph and sits at 92-93. While his command comes and goes, he holds his velocity late into his starts. He also throws a hard 74-79 mph downer curveball that functions as his out pitch. Because he tends to overthrow everything now, he lacks feel for a changeup. But if he develops that pitch and improves his command, he could become a No. 3 starter. 19. Juan Silverio, ss, Bristol Sox B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-1 Wt.: 175 Age: 17 Signed: White Sox '07 Silverio signed with the White Sox for $600,000 out of the Dominican Republic in August 2007, but both parties credited with his signing—international scouting director Dave Wilder and scout Victor Mateo—were fired in May for their roles in alleged international bonus skimming. Silverio's bonus may or may not have been inflated in the scandal, and he's also a difficult player to evaluate because he seemed completely overmatched by Appy League competition. That's understandable in one regard, seeing as only Wilmer Flores was the only position player who was younger. Silverio has a mature upper body and the ball carries off his bat when he makes contact. However, his rudimentary pitch recognition rendered him helpless against breaking balls, and his pull-happy approach left him exposed on the outer half of the plate. He earned plaudits for his solid-average arm, but Silverio likes to stand up to throw, costing him time. His range and reads at shortstop both were below average, and he bobbled more balls than he should have. He has slow feet and is a below-average runner. Link. Shedule for the rest of the leagues. Would have liked to see Upchurch on there but he was the only real omission from our org. that I can think of. The projection of Infante seems a little optimistic to me also.

Go Voyagers!!

Anyone listening to the radio broadcast? These guys are terrible but oddly amusing. And wow on Hudson, he's just had an unbelievable season.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Sep 7, 2008 -> 06:29 PM) sounds like Carter threw across his body... hopefully he fixed that because anyone who throws across their body with a mid 90's fastball is bound for injury problems. Just look at Kerry Wood. Sounds like he has. From Ben Badler's chat on ESPN and BA: Karl (Chicago): Hey Ben, after Beckham and Poreda, is there anyone in the White Sox farm system to get excited about? SportsNation Ben Badler: (3:16 PM ET ) Dexter Carter is a 6-foot-6 RHP who slipped to the 13th round after a poor season for Old Dominion. The White Sox made a slight mechanical tweak, helping throw across his body less and stride more toward the plate and voila: throwing more strikes with a 90-93 mph FB and a very good curve that's helped him get more than a K per inning.

QUOTE (almagest @ Aug 30, 2008 -> 05:01 PM) I wonder if he's been developing any secondary pitches, or if they're just having him focus on fastball/slider and have him pegged to be a reliever. I'd honestly hate to have spent a first round pick on another Matt Thornton. Phil Rogers indicates that this is the case in the most recent organisational report on Baseball America: http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/majo...008/266776.html

Leesman pitched well for Kanny, he's a ground ball machine, 7.00 GO/AO in 10 pro innings. Who knew he even got promoted?

It's interesting the differences in opinion based on what you read, here SaberScouting say he should just ditch the curve ball however Perfect Game say it's his second best pitch: And Baseball America say basically the same thing: As a college player with legitimate Big League aspirations he really should be dominating rookie ball like he has been, and he may only become a middle reliever but it should be interesting following his progress over the coming years.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Aug 26, 2008 -> 09:28 PM) Doesn't he sound like AJP? "Above average bat" "Lacks frame" (although AJ is a bit tall) "Average power" "Above average D with a plus arm" (although I'd say AJ's arm is solid at best) If we could get him with like the 30th pick or one of the 4 we get from Crede and OC leaving, that'd be nice. Will we get anything for Joe? I thought they chose the type A/B free agents based on their previous two season and since Crede missed most of last year I didn't think we were getting anything for him. Also anyone know what happens with Griffey, by declining his option do we lose the ability to offer him arb.?

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Aug 26, 2008 -> 03:20 AM) I was reading about some catcher named Stassi, who would come out of high school in CA. He was ranked like #20 on some site- I wonder if he'd still be there when we picked for the 1st time?? He's on SaberScoutings "High School Hot 30" at no. 6; "6. Max Stassi, C School & Hometown: Yuba City HS; Yuba City, CA Specs: 5′10, 190, Bats R, Throws R Skinny: A polished, all-around backstop that lacks the frame and power scouts look for behind the plate, but shows solid gap pop, an above-average bat, and is an above-average defender with a plus arm. Stassi has really raised his profile on the showcase circuit into a legitimate top 2 rounder. UCLA commit." http://www.saberscouting.com/2008/07/27/20...hot30/#more-285 Sounds decent and we definately need some more catching depth.

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Aug 21, 2008 -> 10:39 PM) More medal possiblities for the Chinese, thats how. Right, of course, except it's been in the Olympics since Sydney 2000 and until Beijing the Chinese only had the solitary bronze. Actually you know what, I think every country in the world is just conspiring to make sure the US doesn't finish atop the medals table and you know what else, they've done a pretty good job of it.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 22, 2008 -> 06:29 PM) As for Beckham, since he will only have played a couple weeks in Kanny, I'd suspect he won't go all the way to B-Ham to start the season. He'll probably play fall or winter ball, and be in ST camp. But even then, I think they want him to start at High A, then if he rakes, promote in-season to B-Ham. Just my take. It depends where and how he plays during Fall/Winter League ball for me. If he plays, and plays well in the AFL, then I would definatley start him at Birmingham, if he plays anywhere else during the offseason then I would probably start him at Winston-Salem.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Aug 22, 2008 -> 05:13 PM) I don't see Bourgeois ever playing for the Sox. I agree, if they didn't think he was worthy of a call-up last year then I don't see how they could ever deem him worthy of a call-up.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 21, 2008 -> 06:05 PM) Either that or you can't handle your "analogy gone awry" Was it an "analogy gone awry" though? I think he made his point pretty well. The numbers someone puts up in high school, college, the lower Minors, a softball league are irrelevant because if you don't have the tools/talent/potential you're not reaching the Majors. With the numbers Kuhn put up in college if he did indeed have the required tools he would have either gone much higher than the 15th round or he would have been one of those "signability" guys and we would have had to give him $500K to sign him, neither of those are the case so I think it's safe to assume he'll stop hitting as he progresses, just like John Doe hitting .700 in his softball league would.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 21, 2008 -> 01:29 PM) Kent Gerst is looking interesting, especially as a CF. Anyone know anything about his defense? A couple of notes from Baseball America on Gerst (some of it's a little old from when he was dafted): "Gerst, a lefty batter, did very little with the bat, but he's a well-above-average runner, bunter and defender. He throws well. Gerst hangs in against lefthanded pitchers but has a lot of adjustments to make as a hitter." "One of the fastest players at the Area Code Games last summer, outfielder Kent Gerst could be the first high school player drafted out of Missouri. A Missouri State recruit, he's considered signable in the first 10 rounds, and the White Sox have shown as much interest as any club. Gerst has 65-70 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale, and he's a legitimate center fielder and leadoff man. He makes contact but there are some concerns about his size (5-foot-10, 175 pounds)." Hopefully he can continue to hit because from reading those it seems like everything else is there.