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From the Archives: May 18

More details are coming from next month’s cattle call draft, and like the last call at a small-town bar, it ain’t pretty. TL;DR – MLB is limiting payments to a maximum of $100K and deferring the rest of the monies to 2021 and 2022. Or as it was put in the hyperlinked article: MLB is taking a loan from amateur players. Interest-free, if I’m not mistaken.

Syracuse 7 Buffalo 5 – 2017
• Ross (W, 2-2) 7IP, 8H, R, ER, BB, 6K
• Nathan (S, 4) ⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Sanchez 3-4, R, BB, SB
• Green 3-3, R, 2BB
• Stevenson 1-2, 2R, SB

Joe Ross pitched seven innings and the offense scored seven times, building a lead big enough for the bullpen not to blow as the Chiefs beat the Bisons, 7-5. Ross allowed one run and scattered eight hits while walking one and striking out six. Joe Nathan let in two inherited runners before getting the last two outs for his fourth save. Jhonatan Solano got the Syracuse offense going with his first career grand slam in the 5th, while Adrián Sanchez and Grant Green both singled three times to lead the 11-hit, seven-walk attack. If there is a season in 2020, it will be Sanchez’s 14th with the organization. At this point in his career, it was his 10th as the quintessential O.G. He would make his MLB debut on June 30, 2017, at the ripe old age of 26 and has spent the past three seasons as a replacement-level player (0.2 WAR).

Harrisburg 6 Erie 2 – 2016
• Mapes 6IP, 6H, R, ER, 0BB, 3K
• N. Lee (W, 1-1) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K, 2-0 IR-S
• Pleffner 2-4, R, 3RBI
• Collier 2-4, R, 2B

The bullpen collapsed in the 9th, blowing a 2-1 lead and coughing up five runs. This is good news because it was the Seawolves not the Senators, as Harrisburg took its second straight game from Erie, 6-2. Tyler Mapes had his first no-decision with six innings of one-run ball on six hits, no walks, and three whiffs. Nick Lee stranded two as he got the last out in the 8th and shook off a leadoff hit in the 9th to earn his first win. Shawn Pleffner drove in three, including the tying and go-ahead runs in the 9th as he and Zach Collier both went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Harrisburg offense. Despite starting his professional career at nearly 23, Pleffner made it to AA by his age-26 season and played two seasons for Harrisburg. Alas, he never developed the power shown in college as he hit just 15HR in 473G in affiliated ball. He finished his pro career with a .340/.399/.499, 10HR, 76RBI season for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association.

Potomac 2 Myrtle Beach 1 — GAME ONE (2014)
• Pena (W, 3-1) 5IP, 5H, R, ER, 4BB, 2K
• Harper (H, 3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Self (SV, 2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Tejeda 3-4, R, 2B, HR, 2RBI

Oscar Tejeda’s two-run shot in 4th was enough as three Potomac pitchers held Myrtle Beach to a single run for a 2-1 win in the first game. Ronald Pena was charged with that run on five hits and four walks but got his third win. Bryan Harper and Derek Self each tossed a scoreless inning for hold #3 and save #2, respectively.

Myrtle Beach 4 Potomac 3 (8 inn.)— GAME TWO (2014)
• Simms 6IP, 6H, R, ER, BB, 2K
• Mendez (L, 1-2) 1⅔ IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K, HR
• Tejeda 2-4, R, HR, RBI
• Perez 1-3, R, BB

The Pelicans have the number of Gilberto Mendez, as they got to him for three runs in the last of the 8th to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 walkoff win to split the twinbill. It was the second loss of ’14 for Mendez, both to Myrtle Beach, as he was charged with three runs on five hits over an inning and 2/3rds. Starter John Simms gave up one run on six hits and one walk over the first six innings for his third no-decision in four A+ starts. Oscar Tejeda homered again while going 2-for-4 and Steven Perez reached base twice with a walk and a single to lead the Potomac offense. John Simms was drafted twice by the Nationals; in the 39th Rd. of 2020 out of College Park HS in Woodland, TX and the 11th in 2013 out of Rice Univ. Despite not throwing terribly hard, generating a lot of ground balls, or piling up the K’s, Simms made it to AAA by the age of 25 and lasted two seasons there before he was released in July of 2018.

Hagerstown 9 Kannapolis 7 – 2013
• Pineyro (W, 3-2) 6⅔ IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 2K
• Benincasa (SV, 8) 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, K, 2-1 IR-S
• Renda 3-5, 2R, 2-2B
• B. Miller 3-5, 2R, HR, 3RBI

Hagerstown racked up nine runs in the first five innings lead and held off a late Kannapolis charge over the last four frames for a 9-7 win. Brandon Miller and Khayyan Norfork both went deep and drove in three runs while Tony Renda singled and doubled twice as the Suns filled the scorebook with 13 hits. Ivan Pineyro got the win with four runs given up over six and 2/3rds on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Robert Benincasa came on with two on and no outs and let in one but got the three outs for his eighth save, tied for second-best in the Sally League. Like Simms, Miller was also drafted twice (48th Rd. 2010, 4th Rd. 2012) but his career arc was like many where he couldn’t quite make it past High-A. He made it there in his second season and finished 2013 with a line of .300/.350/.464 across 30G for the P-Nats. Alas, a hamstring injury struck in May 2014 and cost him two months that he needed to break out of an all-or-nothing funk (10HR, 36K in his first 35G). He would be released the following July at the age of 25 and hitting .226/.301/.421 with 7HR in 59G.

6 Commments

  1. I have always wanted to ask Sanchez why he abandoned switch hitting early in his career .
    The one aspect of Pleffner which we can appreciate is that if he would have played during the Oakland / Bash Bros “ creme/ jell/ roid period there might have been the temptation to bulk up the wrong way. Good for him staying true to himself .
    History may be re written regarding the heroes such as Big Mac / Sosa and others .
    Interesting to see the path not taken by McGuire .. if he would have signed away from USC going with the Expos . Would he have avoided the West Coast temptation playing in Florida camps ??

  2. Always easiest to negotiate the rights for the unrepresented. So, MLB and the MLBPA agree to short those looking to enter professional baseball in 2020.

    Going to be interesting to see how MLB handles the players that get drafted and sign or the undrafted players that sign. Any type of minor league baseball is not happening. So, either those guys just sign and then stay at home, or maybe MLB teams allow for a small number of players to workout at their MLB (or spring training) facility, but it seems doubtful that MLB would be willing to follow the rigorous testing/safety protocols at multiple locations as it won’t be cheap.

  3. In 2013 in his first season as a pro, Brandon Miller had an encouraging 20 homers in 133 games across A/A+. Alas, he also had 164 Ks. He turned some heads that year but couldn’t get past the K-funk.

  4. I’ve never understood the organization’s fascination with Adrian Sanchez. To me, his very (VERY) unlikely rise had more to do with the lack of progress by so many other middle infielders — Hague, Perez, Abreu, Mejia, et al. — than it did any particularly extraordinary talent level. Difo at least flashed at a couple of levels in the minors; Sanchez never did.

    2. I’m not sure if they’re “fascinated” by him so much as he’s been cost-effective, which I believe is why Rizzo likes to favor IFAs on the fringes of the 40-man. It doesn’t hurt that he dramatically improved on defense, going from a Tony Renda, 2B-only type to what he is now: an IF who can play all four positions and can be put in LF without embarrassing himself.

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