Morning Reading
As promised earlier this week, here’s a few minors-oriented news items to pass along while we wait out the last 10 days of Spring Training.
…As noted yesterday in the comments, it’s looking bright for Rule 5 pick Jeff Kobernus to make the Tigers’ Opening Day roster, while Adam Kilgore’s sources say the Rockies are leaning towards keeping Danny Rosenbaum, though he’s one of four relievers competing for the final spot in the Colorado ‘pen.
…It’s old news to roster geeks, but the Natmosphere’s Todd Boss can thump his chest a little (or a lot) because Baseball America has confirmed what he’s contended for months now — Ryan Perry and Yunesky Maya are among the 23 players eligible for a 4th minor league option.
…Park factors and run-scoring environment analysis is rampant in the majors, but until recently, it’s been sparse in the minors. That changes with a pair of analyses from Baseball America and MiLB.com.
…It’s the third name in 16 years in Syracuse as Alliance Bank Stadium becomes NBT Bank Stadium.
…Finally, our Hagerstown guy interviews longtime Nats farmhand Sean Nicol in the second of three parts (part one can be found here).
That part about the Syracuse park reminds me how odd it is that the Nationals have not sold naming rights to Naitonals Park. I used to think it was because nobody wanted to be associated with them, but now I wonder if the Lerners figure they like it the way it is.
On the other hand, the Nats still do need the increased money from MASN TV rights, and that only accretes more shame on the shameless Bud Selig.
+1/2St.
The list of MLB teams without a sponsored stadium name is pretty short — seven or eight, depending on whether you buy the nonsense that Busch II is named after the (former) owner, a la Turner, Kauffman, Jacobs etc. — but I’d agree with you that I think the Lerners want it that way. But I wouldn’t rule out them striking a deal in the near future, either. As you might have seen from the numbers ($140K/yr), that money is small for the sponsor, but big for the county.
Sure. It could end up being called Lerner Enterprises Field. Why would Ted allow it to be named anything else … he could get nostalgic and call it Wheaton Plaza Historic field … after all the first known “shopping mall” arose in the nineteen fifties in beautiful downtown Wheaton.
The more the business set up of the move from Montreal to DC plays out to please Peter A then stock up on tomatos to toss at Bud Selig
Time to flush baseball in FLA , Bud!
Lots of great stuff & links here. I’m in seamhead heaven, especially considering it’s March.
Hey, its the only thing I’ve been right about all winter.
Personally, I can’t wait for Tyler Moore to end up in the line up on a regular basis. The analysis of his power from last season precludes anything else with the loss of Morse …
There’s the appearance of Rendon in Syracuse and then in a major league uni which could happen quite suddenly and quickly …
The only question is time and who they replace.
Abad will likely make this roster … Davey has to have his hard throwing lefty in the back of his bullpen. Clippard’s arm still seems suspect given the overuse.
Great (potential) news for Jeff & Danny. As Luke has often pointed out though, it is a long season, and tough for Rule 5 guys to stick all year. Detroit has a couple of OF prospects that look possible for a call-up mid-season (Avisail Garcia & Nick Castellanos), and the Rockies are always looking for pitchers on the waiver wire. I still expect to see one or both back at some point.
Rosenbaum is a lefty. But he doesn’t throw as hard as Solis and Purke. And then there’s Ray, Turnbull, and Mooneyham. Not sure why Springfield fan or Luke like putting SP’s like Karns and Solis in the bullpen when that probably isn’t happening anytime soon. At least Karns is starting this year … 🙂
Kobernus looks like a potential lead-off hitter … but the Nats have two in Goodwin and Perez on their major league roster and Perez I think is younger than Kobernus and better in the OF. Goodwin is a left-handed hitter. And then there’s two years of Span with Lombardozzi as backup.
Karns is currently listed as the 6th SP on a spreadsheet that might need to be taken down if it’s going to cause this much grief.
This so im clear you are saying that karns is the six starter at harrisburg? If so i dont think so!!
No, you missed the comment earlier this week which pointed out that until the rosters are released and the games start, the Big Board is not indicative of anything. Names have been moved around as transactions occur . Everything is going to be moved around several times in the next 2-3 weeks — first, when the rosters are announced, then again after a few games are played and it can be determined what the rotations and starting lineups are.
Even then, inferences that Pitcher X is “better” than Pitcher Y because the former pitched Game 1 and the latter pitched Game 2 will be specious. A reminder of who was the Opening Night pitcher last April:
Hagerstown – Wirkin “For The Weekend” Estevez
Potomac – Kyle Winters
Harrisburg – Robert Gilliam
Syracuse – Mitch Atkins
Sorry if it sounds like my panties in a bunch, but longtime readers ought to know better.
And here, I thought that I was doing the right thing by going out of town on vacation *before* the season starts.
As long as karns leg is good i would be surprised if he wasnt opening day pitcher for harrisburg.
Kobernus is back.