MINORS THREAD 7/7: 1st inning nighmares! Dodig stands tall

I noticed when the Danville Braves were being previewed before the 2014 season started, one of the go-to players for quotes was Mike Dodig. I got to admit, his blah name has kept me from taking much of a look at him, but the dude is 1) BIG, 2) raking in his third pro half-season and 3) he has a porn 'stache! (See below)

http://www.milb.com/images/623192/t4...135/623192.jpg

Dodig, who turns 21 tomorrow, is a 6-4, 210, lefty hitting third baseman out Saugerties, NY (is that Great Gatsby country?). Over his last eight games for Danville, he batting a cool 11-for-30 with a homer and five RBIs.
His strong start in the Appy League is notable, because his failings there in 2013 (.053, 2-for-38, 0 RBIs) after hitting .300 in Orlando.

His size makes you at least consider him a power prospect at some stage. He was plucked out of a juco after his freshman season, one in which he hit .458 with three homers and 15 XBH in only 107 ABs. He had one week that was remarkable against any collegiate competition: 14-21 in six games, scoring 11 runs and driving in five with four doubles and a homer.

But the fun thing is that he is a Braves' legacy: his cousin, Jeff, was drafted by the Braves in the 41st round in 1987 and batted .344 in the Pioneer League and led the league in triples(remember the Idaho Falls team?) jumped to Durham (hitting .258, only .191 on the road) before his career wound down.

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LINK TO MONDAY BOXES

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CLASS AAA

Syracuse 5, Gwinnett 3

LP: Maya (3-3) 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.
Gosselin 3-4, 2B, HR (5th), 2 R, RBI. (.322)
E. Reyes 1-3.
Constanza 1-5, R, SB.

CLASS AA

Montgomery 9, Mississippi 0 (7th)

SP: Weber 1 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. (allowed 2 2B, 2 HR in 1st)
Wren 1-3.
M. Jones 1-3, 2B.

ADVANCED CLASS A

Lynchburg 5, Carolina 4

WP: Scarpetta (3-2) 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
A. Wilson (Save, 9) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
E. Garcia 3-5, 2 R.
Martinez 3-4, 2B, R, 2 RBIs, SB.
Nick 1-3, 3B, R, BB.
Landoni 3-4, RBI.

CLASS A

Asheville 11, Rome 1

LP: Janas (2-3) 5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR. (Janas allowed 3 2B, 2 HR in 1-plus IP)
Oliver 1-4, 2B, BB.
Chin 1-3, RBI.

SHORT-SEASON

Princeton 3, Danville 1

LP: Cordero (1-2) 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 4 WP.
Godfrey 2-4.
Edgerton 1-3, R, BB. (.390)
Dodig 1-4.
Sanchez 1-2, BB.

GCL Astros 11, GCL Braves 0

SP: Martinez 1.2 IP, 4 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 0 K.
Brocker 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K. (debut)
Albies 2-3.
Davidson 1-3, BB.

DSL Tigers 7, DSL Braves 1

SP: Gavidia (0-2) 4.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
T. Josephina 3-4, 3B, R.
Cortes 1-4, 2B.


MOVES: OF Derrick Mitchell, who began the year in Gwinnett, was released off the Miss. roster.
C Sal Giardina, who has had some moments in Rome since signing, assigned to Danville.
RHP Cole Brocker, 24, was signed by the Braves away from the Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League and assigned to the GCL Braves. A 2011 draft choice by the Tigers (DNS), he turned pro this year and had 1.50 ERA in 19 games for Normal with 36 strikeouts in 30 innings.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rico43

I noticed when the Danville Braves were being previewed before the 2014 season started, one of the go-to players for quotes was Mike Dodig. I got to admit, his blah name has kept me from taking much of a look at him, but the dude is 1) BIG, 2) raking in his third pro half-season and 3) he has a porn 'stache! (See below)

http://www.milb.com/images/623192/t4...135/623192.jpg

Dodig, who turns 21 tomorrow, is a 6-4, 210, lefty hitting third baseman out Saugerties, NY (is that Great Gatsby country?). Over his last eight games for Danville, he batting a cool 11-for-30 with a homer and five RBIs.
His strong start in the Appy League is notable, because his failings there in 2013 (.053, 2-for-38, 0 RBIs) after hitting .300 in Orlando.

His size makes you at least consider him a power prospect at some stage. He was plucked out of a juco after his freshman season, one in which he hit .458 with three homers and 15 XBH in only 107 ABs. He had one week that was remarkable against any collegiate competition: 14-21 in six games, scoring 11 runs and driving in five with four doubles and a homer.

But the fun thing is that he is a Braves' legacy: his father, Jeff, was drafted by the Braves in the 41st round in 1987 and batted .344 in the Pioneer League and led the league in triples(remember the Idaho Falls team?) jumped to Durham (hitting .258, only .191 on the road) before his career wound down.

-----------------
LINK TO MONDAY BOXES

--------------------

CLASS AAA

Syracuse @ Gwinnett (42-48), 6:35

SP: Maya (3-2).

CLASS AA

Mississippi (50-37) @ Montgomery, 8:05

SP: Weber (3-2).

ADVANCED CLASS A

Carolina @ Lynchburg (42-45), 7:05

SP: TBA.

CLASS A

Rome (28-60!) @ Asheville, 7:05

SP: TBA.

SHORT-SEASON

Danville (11-6) @ Princeton, 7:05

SP: Cordero (1-1).

GCL Astros @ GCL Braves, noon

SP: TBA.

DSL Tigers @ DSL Braves (18-13), 10:30

SP: TBA.

MOVES: OF Derrick Mitchell, who began the year in Gwinnett, was released off the Miss. roster.
C Sal Giardina, who has had some moments in Rome since signing, assigned to Danville.
RHP Cole Brocker, 24, was signed by the Braves away from the Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League and assigned to the GCL Braves. A 2011 draft choice by the Tigers (DNS), he turned pro this year and had 1.50 ERA in 19 games for Normal with 36 strikeouts in 30 innings.

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Nope. Great Gatsby Country is Long Island (although the character was born in the Midwest). Saugerties isn't too far, however, from the site of "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music," which is more commonly known as Woodstock. I wanted to go, but I didn't have my driver's license and my parents wouldn't have let me borrow the Fairlaine anyway.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...anch_Wagon.jpg

This is Dodig's third season and we're seeing some progress. He's a northern state kid and it sometimes takes them a bit longer to get the experience to flourish.

Small correction, Mike Dodig is not the son of Jeff Dodig. They appear to be cousins. Doing a little research, I came up with this gem about the Dodig family. Seems they are athletic legends in the Saugerties area.

Here's an article about Mike's drafting/signing with the Braves from 2012: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-...atlanta-braves

Dodig is drawing some walks too this season. It seems more of our hitting prospects are drawing walks now. Maybe just a coincidence. Maybe we are drafting and signing more guys who already have that skill. Maybe it is something the instructors are emphasizing.

We're guilty of a leap of assumption. When I saw the elder Dodig was also from Saugerties (in the Org. guide), I put two and two together. Shows I wasn't a math major.

The Rome Braves have a ways to go before they become a historically bad baseball team. Well past the halfway mark for 2014, they are 28-61, a mere .315 winning percentage.

Their futility breaks down thusly: 14-28 home, 14-33 road; 24-46 first half; 4-15 second half.

Rome has three six-game losing streaks and three five-game skids.

The team has a 5.25 ERA, only two shutouts, leads SAL in walks allowed.

According to the Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, published by Baseball America, these are the all-time worst minor league teams:

1951 Granite Falls (WCL): 14-96 (.127)
1926 Reading (IL): 31-129 (.194)
1980 Rocky Mount (CL) 24-114 (.174)
1954 Jackson (Kitty) 1-44 (.023), includes 18 forfeits
1926 Columbus (AA) 39-125 (.238)
1975 Bellingham Dodgers (NW) 17-61 (.218)
1952 Waco (Big State) 29-118 (.197)
1949 Leavenworth Braves (WL) 25-112 (.182)
1988 Medicine Hat (Pioneer) 12-58 (.171) managed by GCL Braves skipper Rocket Wheeler

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TUESDAY BOXES LINK

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CLASS AAA

Syracuse @ Gwinnett (42-49), 6:35

SP: TBA.

CLASS AA

Mississippi (50-38) @ Montgomery, 8:05

SP: Atkins (3-0).

ADVANCED CLASS A

Carolina @ Lynchburg (43-45), 7:05

SP: Watts (0-2).

CLASS A

Rome (28-61) @ Asheville, 7:05

SP: Diaz (0-0).

SHORT-SEASON

Danville (11-7) @ Princeton, 7:05

SP: Povse (0-0).

GCL Braves (5-10) @ GCL Astros, noon

SP: TBA.

DSL Braves (18-14) @ Mets, 10:30

SP: TBA.