The Arizona Fall League

[Frayed Knot]

... and your Surprise Rafters!!


No. Pitchers --- Team B T Ht. Wt. DOB 2009 Club
43 Gary Daley - STL R R 6-3 200 11/01/85 --Springfield (AA)
35 Grant Duff - NYY R R 6-6 210 12/19/82 --Trenton (AA)
29 Michael Dunn - NYY L L 6-1 195 05/23/85 -- Scranton/WB (AAA)
59 Brennan Garr* - TEX R R 6-2 190 02/22/84 -- Frisco (AA)
41 Scott Gorgen - STL R R 5-10 190 01/27/87 -- Springfield (AA)
33 Danny Gutierrez - TEX R R 6-1 180 03/08/87 -- Wilmington (Hi A)
54 Matt Harrison - TEX L L 6-4 225 09/16/85 -- Texas (MLB)
?? Aaron Hartsock - KC R R 6-3 200 01/17/84 -- Northwest Arkansas (AA)
22 Ian Kennedy - NYY R R 6-0 195 12/19/84 -- Scranton/WB (AAA)
17 Zach Kroenke - NYY R L 6-2 210 04/21/84 -- Scranton/WB (AAA)
34 Jenrry Mejia - NYM R R 6-0 162 10/11/89 -- Binghamton (AA)
38 Scott Moviel - NYM R R 6-10 235 05/07/88 -- St. Lucie (Hi A)
27 Eric Niesen - NYM L L 6-0 192 09/04/85 -- Binghamton (AA)
30 Mike Parisi - STL R R 6-3 215 04/18/83 -- GCL Cardinals ®
49 Evan Reed - TEX R R 6-4 225 12/31/85 -- Bakersfield (Hi A)
50 Adam Reifer - STL R R 6-2 195 06/03/86 -- Palm Beach (Hi A)
46 Tanner Scheppers - TEX R R 6-4 200 01/17/87 -- Fresno State (NCAA)
56 Brandon Sisk - KC L L 6-3 210 07/13/85 -- Wilmington (Hi A)
28 Josh Stinson - NYM R R 6-4 210 03/14/88 -- St. Lucie (Hi A)
55 Ben Swaggerty - KC L L 6-1 185 08/08/82 -- Northwest Arkansas (AA)
44 Blake Wood - KC R R 6-4 225 08/08/85 -- Northwest Arkansas (AA)

No. Catchers -- Team B T Ht. Wt. DOB 2009 Club
24 Bryan Anderson - STL L R 6-1 200 12/16/86 -- Memphis (AAA)
11 Doug Hogan - TEX R R 6-3 210 09/29/84 -- Bakersfield (Hi A)
48 Austin Romine - NYY R R 6-2 210 11/22/88 -- Tampa (Hi A)

No. Infielders -- Team B T Ht. Wt. DOB 2009 Club
7 Jeff Bianchi - KC R R 6-0 175 10/05/86 -- Northwest Arkansas (AA)
16 Ike Davis - NYM L L 6-5 195 03/22/87 -- Binghamton (AA)
13 Daniel Descalso - STL L R 5-10 190 10/19/86 -- Memphis (AAA)
2 Reese Havens* - NYM L R 6-1 195 10/20/86 -- St. Lucie (Hi A)
47 Brandon Laird - NYY R R 6-1 215 09/11/87 -- Tampa (Hi A)
5 Marcus Lemon - TEX L R 5-11 173 06/03/88 -- Frisco (AA)
21 Mike Moustakas - KC L R 6-0 195 09/11/88 -- Wilmington (Hi A)
1 Ruben Tejada - NYM R R 5-11 165 10/27/87 -- Binghamton (AA)

No. Outfielders --- Team B T Ht. Wt. DOB 2009 Club
20 Colin Curtis - NYY L L 6-1 200 02/01/85 -- Scranton/WB (AAA)
15 Lucas Duda - NYM L R 6-4 225 02/03/86 -- Binghamton (AA)
14 Tyler Henley* - STL L L 5-10 200 06/10/85 -- Springfield (AA)
4 Daryl Jones - STL L L 5-11 180 06/25/87 -- Springfield (AA)
31 David Lough - KC L L 6-0 180 01/20/86 -- Northwest Arkansas (AA)
25 Mitch Moreland - TEX L L 6-2 230 09/06/85 -- Frisco (AA)

* Taxi Squad

[Benjamin Grimm]

If Lucas Duda and Paul Lo Duca had ever been teammates, it would have driven Ralph Kiner nuts.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And we count down the ten porniest names on the Surprise Rafters:



10) Mike Parisi

9) Colin Curtis

8) Josh Stinson

7) Mike Moustakas

6) Grant Duff

5) Brennan Garr

4) Mitch Moreland

3) Ben Swaggerty

2) Aaron Hartsock

1) Blake Wood

That was really hard --- I mean difficult --- to edit down to 10, what with outliers like Austin Romine, Ike Davis, and Doug Hogan. This may be the porniest AFL squad since the legendary 2002 Peroria Saguaros.

[MFS62]

If Lucas Duda and Paul Lo Duca had ever been teammates, it would have driven Ralph Kiner nuts.

[smg58]

What does taxi squad mean?

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Frayed Knot]

I kinda like Grimm's answer better, but it's those players designated as eligible for twice a week play only.

[Guest Edgy DC]

[Guest Edgy DC]

This year's AFL will feature, aside from porn stars and Taxi characters, the top two picks in the 2009 draft --- Washington's Stephen Strasburg and Seattle's Dustin Ackley. Both will be making their professional debuts.

The Rawlings S100, the Great Gazoo batting helmet much derided when worn by David Wright, will be mandatory for all batters in the league.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The Rawlings S100, the Great Gazoo batting helmet much derided when worn by David Wright, will be mandatory for all batters in the league.

[Benjamin Grimm]

OK, I've got clockwise from the far right: Tony Banta, Alex Rieger, Louie DePalma, Elaine Nardo, Latka Gravas, Bobby Wheeler, and... who the hell is that guy? Is that Bo?

[Guest Edgy DC]

And in the great tradition of Hollywood, the naive young college man is played by a 40-year-old.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jenrry Meija starts today. He getts somme majjor praisse in todday's dailly newws.

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Jenrry Mejia felt ill and stiff the day he auditioned for the Mets at their old Dominican Republic complex in Boca de Nigua two years ago. "I don't know how I can throw today. I think I'll throw maybe 86 (mph) because I feel tight," he told the adviser who brought him to the tryout. The man recommended Mejia not get on the mound, but Mejia persisted. "I said, 'I'm here. I'm throwing. I don't care,'" Mejia recalled. "I didn't stretch. Nothing. I threw in the game, I think, 91 or 92." International operations director Ismael Cruz signed Mejia - who had drawn interest from Boston, Cincinnati, Florida, Kansas City and Texas - on the spot. For a bargain price of $16,500, no less. Now, Mejia has emerged as the clear-cut top pitching prospect in the Mets' organization. After splitting the regular season between St. Lucie and Binghamton, the stocky, muscular righthander, who turned 20 on Sunday, is scheduled to make his Arizona Fall League debut today with the Surprise Rafters, a team stocked with prospects from the Cardinals, Rangers, Royals, Yankees and Mets. Manager Jerry Manuel traveled Tuesday from his home in Sacramento, Calif., to gauge whether Mejia may be able to help the Mets in the bullpen in early 2010, as well as to evaluate first-base prospect Ike Davis. GM Omar Minaya is also in attendance. Mejia projects as a No.1 or No.2 starter in the majors eventually. "Somebody told me if you play in the big leagues at 20 years old, that's good," Mejia said. "I said, 'I know, but I wanted to play in the big leagues last year.'" Mejia combined to go 4-6 with a 3.14 ERA in 19 starts in the minors this season, while posting a 2.49-to-1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio. That's the result of the heavy sinking and cutting movement on Mejia's fastball, which ranges from 91-96 mph. "You throw a ball at 94miles per hour that's just cutting, I mean, guys are hitting, and they're asking me if it's a slider," Josh Thole, who caught Mejia in Double-A this season, recently said. "I said, 'It's 94 miles per hour, guys. I don't think that's a slider.'" Mejia's competitive nature actually cost him seven weeks on the sidelines with Binghamton. He gave up only two homers in 94-2/3innings this year. After surrendering the latter longball, a three-run homer to Bowie's Dave Krynzel on June 23, Mejia tried to overthrow a fastball and strained the middle finger on his pitching hand. When he awoke the next day, he was unable to straighten the finger, which was pointed upward as his palm faced the ground. "The next day I talked with my roommate, Edgar Alfonzo," Mejia said. "I told him I felt bad with my finger. He said to me, 'Take it easy. You're 19 years old.' I said, 'I know I'm 19 years old, but I want to throw in the games more.' He said, 'No. Take it easy. Take it easy.'" Mejia is back on track now. As for Mejia's decision to sign with the Mets, Minaya may have overstated the case for Pedro Martinez's stint on the team resulting in young Dominican talent clamoring to play for the organization. But in Mejia's case, however, the pitcher indicated that Martinez being with the organization at the time was a major factor in his decision. Immediately after the tryout two years ago, Mejia was prepared to leave, but Cruz stopped him and offered $10,000 to sign. "No, no, no," Mejia's adviser replied. "That's no good." "All right," Cruz said. "I have $16,500." Recalled Mejia: "He looked at me and said, 'What do you think?' I said, 'I don't care. I want to sign. I want to sign with the Mets. I like that team.'"

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2009/10/14/2009-10-14_jenrry_mejia.html#ixzz0Tv1o9FIZ

[metirish]

with the Surprise Rafters, a team stocked with prospects from the Cardinals, Rangers, Royals, Yankees and Mets.

I didn't know that that's how the teams there are , how does it work that all these players from different organizations get supervised on the one team.It would seem to me that this might lead to some squabbling among teams.

[Guest Edgy DC]

There's pretty much established understandings about playing time, and what sort of players each team is responsible to provide to round out a roster. Part of the the reason Josh Thole got sent last year, despite his inexperience, is that it was the Mets turn to provide a catcher.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Manager Jerry Manuel traveled Tuesday from his home in Sacramento, Calif., to gauge whether Mejia may be able to help the Mets in the bullpen in early 2010, as well as to evaluate first-base prospect Ike Davis. GM Omar Minaya is also in attendance. Mejia projects as a No.1 or No.2 starter in the majors eventually.

If he projects to be a number 1 or 2 starter, I don't think I want him in the Mets bullpen in early 2010. Why are they even considering that? Let him either be a starter at Buffalo or... if his spring is strong enough, a starter in Flushing.

[Frayed Knot]

As far as I know, each team gets a set number of entries into the league so no one team is heavy with prospects from one organization.
That's also part of the reason for the taxi squad deal, certain players (late entries, injury rehabs, pitchers on work-load limits, etc.) are only eligible to play on designated days of the week so it's known in advance which are their days and which go to the "regulars".

[Guest Edgy DC]

Manager Jerry Manuel traveled Tuesday from his home in Sacramento, Calif., to gauge whether Mejia may be able to help the Mets in the bullpen in early 2010, as well as to evaluate first-base prospect Ike Davis. GM Omar Minaya is also in attendance. Mejia projects as a No.1 or No.2 starter in the majors eventually.

If he projects to be a number 1 or 2 starter, I don't think I want him in the Mets bullpen in early 2010. Why are they even considering that? Let him either be a starter at Buffalo or... if his spring is strong enough, a starter in Flushing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

If he projects to be a number 1 or 2 starter, I don't think I want him in the Mets bullpen in early 2010. Why are they even considering that? Let him either be a starter at Buffalo or... if his spring is strong enough, a starter in Flushing.

I dunno about that. I'm coming around to the idea that maybe some young starters, given injury concerns etc., may be best broken in as bullpenners. The MFYs have certainly seen the success of that approach with Hughes and to an extent, the whiskey-drinkin Indian. And Parnell for the Mets on the whole was a success in the pen and a nightmare out of it.

What seems virtually assured is that young starters, regardless of their ability, get smacked around for a year or two as they arrive.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Um, getcher KABOOMs out.

_________________




A week ago, Mets top prospect Ike Davis was running on fumes. Following a 114-game Minor League season split between two levels, he spent nearly a month playing for gold medal-winning Team USA at the IBAF World Cup.

"I feel pretty decent right now," Davis said Tuesday following his Arizona Fall League debut with the Surprise Rafters. "I feel pretty much even keel."

His bat said otherwise.

Davis exploded for a grand slam, two doubles and six RBIs on a four-hit afternoon, powering the Surprise Rafters to a 17-4 rout of the Peoria Javelinas.

Was it the few precious days of rest Davis enjoyed before suiting up in the desert? Perhaps. Or maybe it was just another example of the seemingly unlimited potential that the former first-round pick exhibits every time he swings the bat.

"It was a blast," Davis said of his AFL debut. "We have all these different teammates, different jerseys. It felt like kind of an All Star Game."

Davis certainly played like an All-Star. The 22-year-old first baseman scored twice and joined Yankees prospect Brandon Laird as the only players with four-hit debuts. Major League veteran Ian Kennedy (Yankees), who is coming back from an aneurysm in his pitching arm, allowed a run on two hits over four innings to pick up the win.

"It was a good first game," Davis said, adding that picking up the season-opening victory helped settle any pregame jitters he and his teammates may have had.

Judging from Davis' recent numbers, however, his nerves are a non-factor.

Selected by the Mets with the 18th overall pick in the 2008 Draft, he overcame a slow start this season to enjoy a breakout second half. After batting .288 in 59 Florida State League games, Davis found his stroke at Double-A Binghamton, where he improved his average (up to .309), slugging percentage (from .486 to .565) and OPS (from .862 to .951).

With Team USA, Davis continued to enjoy success at the plate, hitting .333 with three homers and five RBIs in 10 games.

"I'm basically just continuing to do what I did during the second half of the season," he said. "I found an approach that is working right now and am squaring up on the ball."

Laird also drove in three runs and scored twice, while fellow Yankees prospect Colin Curtis went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Rafters.

Dodgers Minor Leaguer Lucas May hit a solo homer and Tigers farmhand Casper Wells contributed two hits and an RBI for the Javelinas. Sergio Santos (White Sox) scattered three hits over two innings of scoreless relief.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And that grand slammy was off a lefty.

[MFS62]

And that grand slammy was off a lefty.[/quote:359zy21p]
Nice to see he hit it off a southpaw.
That's why I bolded that in my post earlier in this thread.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Player	POS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS	E
Lucas Duda	OF	2	5	1	2	1	0	0	2	3	1	0	0	0	.500	.600	.400	1.100	0
Ike Davis	1B	12	50	9	17	6	0	3	10	32	3	13	0	0	.370	.640	.340	1.010	0
Ruben Tejada	SS	10	38	5	12	3	0	0	5	15	2	6	3	0	.372	.395	.316	.767	2
Reese Havens	SS	4	15	0	3	1	0	0	1	4	2	6	0	0	.294	.267	.200	.561	0

Player	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	HB	BB	SO	WHIP	HLD	GF
Scott Moviel	1	0	0.00	4	0	0	0	0	7	3	0	0	0	1	3	3	0.86	2	0
Josh Stinson	0	0	7.71	3	0	0	0	0	4.2	6	4	4	1	0	3	3	1.93	2	0
Jenrry Mejia	0	3	12.91	4	4	0	0	0	7.2	14	11	11	0	0	9	9	3.00	0	0
Eric Niesen	0	0	24.55	4	0	0	0	0	3.2	8	10	10	2	1	3	2	3.00	1	0

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I guess, beyond Davis, the most encouraging thing there is Tejada hanging in there offensively. Even a threat to displace Castillo or sub in for Reyes has some value.

[MFS62]

In his last start, one of Mejia's pitches hit 99 MPH on the gun.(reported on Inside Pitch - a registration-required site.)

Later

[smg58]

In his last start, one of Mejia's pitches hit 99 MPH on the gun.(reported on Inside Pitch - a registration-required site.)

Later[/quote:1ifp7g6s]

The moral, I guess, is that it takes more than velocity to pitch effectively. Something tells me that whoever gives $40M to that Cuban guy will learn that the hard way. I was thinking 2011 at the earliest for Mejia anyway, so I see no reason to panic.

[Frayed Knot]

BP's Kevin Goldstein talked about Mejia today and his velocity. More intrigued than blown away at this point but that's not too surprising and the AFL stats are all of 7+ innings so far.

... Everyone wants to talk about the velocity, which is unquestionably excellent, as he sat at 93-97 mph on Friday while touching 99, but what about the 12.91 ERA after four games that includes 14 hits and nine walks in just 7 2/3 innings? Yes, at 20, he's very young for the league, but he's also much more of a thrower than a pitcher, even for his age group. His arm is a special one, but it's also a bit of a spectacular mess.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I dunno if the gun is hot down there in AZ but Stephen Strassburg hit 101 yesterday in his first five-inning outing as a pro (against your Surprise Rafters!). I think we'll be seeing him in 2010. Nick Evans (huh?) struck out three times. Ruben Tejada drove in both Rafter runs with run-scoring outs.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah Evans was added to the roster recently - apparently as a replacement for someone although I'm not sure if that someone was a Met.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Which is why I expect to see Strasburgh sooner rather than later, blowing away a guy with 80 major league games who shouldn't really be allowed in the AFL.

On the other hand, it's entirely plausible that coming in cold after a layoff, Evans doesn't have any timing down yet. He sure showed himself to be a slow starter this season.