Season Review: 2010 Harrisburg Senators

9 Commments

1. Sue, I’ve been wondering about pitchers such as Karns, Atwood, Myers, Jamie. What is their health status, and how would they be considered as prospects by BA? I realize you don’t work for BA, but perhaps you know how they evaluate potential prospects who have been injured most of the season.

   1. Someone asked a similar question on BA which gives some insight into their thought process. Granted it was in relation to the draft, but this might help get what you’re after (at least for the second half of your question):

      If an injury shouldn’t affect a player’s long-term prognosis, then scouts don’t get too concerned. Obviously, they prefer healthy players, but there’s not much stigma attached to Tommy John surgery because there have been so many successful comebacks from elbow reconstruction.

      As for the first half of your question, I’ve found that getting injury news is very difficult (even when I was sports reporter this was true). Often times you’ll get second-hand accounts that merely state whether or not he had surgery. My personal feeling is that surgery gets you a pass, but an injury like Myers’s will not. That said, I expect both Karns and Jaime to fall from Top 20 lists into “honorable mentions” (I’ve seen neither and thus will not rank either in any Top XX list until they play professionally again).

      Will Atwood, however, was not hurt this past season; he retired. He was placed on the restricted list this past April, which is a procedural move to protect the Nats’ interests should he change his mind.

      1. Sue-D: Agreed – Extracting injury news on minor-league players can be really difficult through readily available (read: free) channels. While I knew of the injuries to Jaime (elbow), and Myers (foot) simply because I’m a Nationals geek, I still have not found anything related to Karns.

         Atwood’s announced retirement was an aside on one of the Nats-centric websites early this spring (most likely NFA), so that was gleaned from known sites as well. Heaven help the likes of me, should you & souldrummer ever shut down, now that Brian has a ‘real job’.

2. This is not relevant to the good season the Senators had, but praise should be given to the beautiful balpark they have there. For anyone wanting to travel a little (2 hour drive), it’s truly as good of a place to watch baseball as any I’ve been to in the minors.
   I cringe every time I hear about how the Nats want to establish themselves in Richmond. What a dump of a stadium! And it’s not expected to get any better, and a more stressful drive, to boot.

   1. You, preacher; me, choir. About the only thing I can add is that the $30 deal they had with the club seats, which include the ticket and an all-you-can-eat buffet is the most bang you’ll get for your buck… unless you know a pimp for the Elks Club (*thanks, I’m here all week – try the veal*)

3. Wow, I had not taken the step back to see how really craptastic the offense was at Harrisburg last year; Having to surrender Espinosa, Davis & Martinez didn’t help matters much either. I’d hope they catch a few promotions from the 2010 Potomac squad (Norris, Moore, maybe Rooney, Nicol, & Rhinehart), and 3-4 Spring Training jumps (or slips), as well.

   The pitching staff could lose a lot before next year (MIlone, Peacock, Tatusko, Roark, Garate, Kimball), but should get help from the likes of Meyers, Leatherman, Bronson, Morris, McCoy & others coming up the line. They should be in decent shape to start the year, imho.

4. Harrisburg’s offense actually improved the second half of the season when Johnson and Lombardozzi set the table at the top of the order (after Espinosa’s promotion to Syracuse). As far as Burgess goes he may be one of the more highly touted prospects, but other than his raw power and outfield arm in my opinion I don’t see it. He’s a free swinger that’s highly susceptible to the off-speed pitch in the dirt. By the end of the season, I would have much rather seen Valdez up to bat in a key situation.

   And Milone is everything and more. He may be a so-called soft tosser, but he’s a real bulldog on the mound.

5. That blurb about Atwood had me do a little digging.
   Sue, you saw him a lot, but he looks like a case of overpromotion. After getting drafted in the 12th round, he’s very solid in Vermont. then gets bumped the next year and he struggled. Looks a bit like a Jim bowden special.

   1. I always felt like his retirement was motivated by something off the field rather than on it, but you’re right. He would have been better served by starting ’09 in Hagerstown.

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