my annual 4-day Gwinnett scouting mission

K

Knucksie

Called Up to the Major Leagues
Wanted to offer a slight reprieve from the losing streak, and give plenty of advance notice. Gwinnett will play the Buffalo Bisons (now affiliated with the Blue Jays) next week from Tuesday through Friday. I'll be attending all of those games. This thread will be updated with feedback, observations and news. If there's anything that anybody wants to ask or request for me to look for, along the way, please do not hesitate. To add to the overall experience, there will probably also be mention of food, drink and ice cream consumed. Minor league baseball is an excellent value. In addition to giving first hand accounts, part of this is also to encourage everybody to go to games, if it's accessible.

Here is the current roster:

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ros&cid=431&stn=true&sid=t431

Just from scanning over the names, among the pitchers, attention will be paid to the progress of Cody Martin. He should be ready for MLB duty by next season, if not sooner. Will watch Schlosser and Thomas since they've already been up. Beato and Vazquez are familiar names. A few others obviously were in camp for ST. Among the position players, the big names are Bethancourt, La Stella and Salcedo. The OF will be much the same as last year with Constanza, Cunningham and Terdoslavich. Sorry to see Mejia departed, but he'll get a better opportunity in Japan than he would have in North America.

Seats are excellent, along the first base side. Weather should be a bit milder. The ice boom was removed from Lake Erie, but there's enough of it to keep the air cool. Expectation is that jackets/sweatshirts will be required for the evenings. All are 7:05pm starts.

So, along the way, contributions from all the members here is welcomed.
 
Report back on Gosselin as well. He had a really nice spring and has hit better this year than in his previous seasons. I think he tops out as a 25th guy, but those guys can be useful.
 
Knucksie said:
Wanted to offer a slight reprieve from the losing streak, and give plenty of advance notice. Gwinnett will play the Buffalo Bisons (now affiliated with the Blue Jays) next week from Tuesday through Friday. I'll be attending all of those games. This thread will be updated with feedback, observations and news. If there's anything that anybody wants to ask or request for me to look for, along the way, please do not hesitate. To add to the overall experience, there will probably also be mention of food, drink and ice cream consumed. Minor league baseball is an excellent value. In addition to giving first hand accounts, part of this is also to encourage everybody to go to games, if it's accessible.

Here is the current roster:
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ros&cid=431&stn=true&sid=t431

Just from scanning over the names, among the pitchers, attention will be paid to the progress of Cody Martin. He should be ready for MLB duty by next season, if not sooner. Will watch Schlosser and Thomas since they've already been up. Beato and Vazquez are familiar names. A few others obviously were in camp for ST. Among the position players, the big names are Bethancourt, La Stella and Salcedo. The OF will be much the same as last year with Constanza, Cunningham and Terdoslavich. Sorry to see Mejia departed, but he'll get a better opportunity in Japan than he would have in North America.

Seats are excellent, along the first base side. Weather should be a bit milder. The ice boom was removed from Lake Erie, but there's enough of it to keep the air cool. Expectation is that jackets/sweatshirts will be required for the evenings. All are 7:05pm starts.

So, along the way, contributions from all the members here is welcomed.
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I appreciate you doing this very much. I was thinking of going to see Gwinnett this weekend (playing in PA) or Rome next weekend (in NJ). I think I'll go see Rome since I'm less familiar with them and want a look at Caratini and Victor Reyes.
 
50PoundHead said:
Report back on Gosselin as well. He had a really nice spring and has hit better this year than in his previous seasons. I think he tops out as a 25th guy, but those guys can be useful.
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I like Gosselin more than Pastor. Mainly because of defense.
 
Knucksie said:
Just for my reference, does Gosselin play other IF positions, besides 2B?
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He started at short once or twice after Tyler Green got traded. I also remember a couple times he played third and the outfield. Some of that was last year.
 
nsacpi said:
He started at short once or twice after Tyler Green got traded. I also remember a couple times he played third and the outfield. Some of that was last year.
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They've moved him around a lot this season between SS and 2B. SS when La Stella is in the line-up. Occasionally 3B. I haven't seen a box with him in the OF yet this season, but he played OF both in college and in the pros. Kazmar gets some starts at SS as well.

I think they are giving him some time at SS to strengthen his chances at being a 25th guy, if not in Atlanta, then somewhere else.
 
A little bit of history and background before the series. Over the span of 26 years, the Buffalo Bisons have changed leagues, stadiums and affiliates. Before 1988, the Bisons were AA for the White Sox. They played in War Memorial Stadium, which was best known as the former home of the Bills, who won 2 AFL championships in the mid '60's. The team moved up to AAA for the 1988 season, was then affiliated with the Pirates, and had a brand new home, Pilot Field. Through subsequent years, the team changed affiliates to the Indians, Mets and currently Blue Jays. The park changed names to Dunn Tire Park and now Coca Cola Field (can't escape the corporate naming, even in the minors). When the building was new, it was state of the art, with a seating capacity of over 18,0000.

The team owner, at one time, had major league aspirations, by either expansion or franchise relocation (specifically targeting the Expos). It got problematic. First, the attendance reported was based on total ticket sales, as opposed to total fans through the turnstiles. So, they would claim to have more attendees than the Atlanta Braves, when they were bottom feeders. Second, a Buffalo franchise would not have had the TV market base, as was discovered. The ballpark was exandable, but now it realistically should be downsized.

Personal history, I only went to one game when they were AA, during my Little League days in high school. FWIW, it was against the Waterbury Reds. When Pilot Field opened, it did generate a lot of local excitement. The Bisons were in the American Association, while the Richmond Braves were in the International League. What made the matchups possible was a fantastic idea, called the AAA Alliance, which allowed American Assoc. teams to play against IL teams (may have been the testing ground for interleague play at MLB level). This gave me the opportunity to witness several up and coming players through the Braves farm systems. That includes names like Justice (for 3 straight years!), Blauser, Mercker, Greene and Lilliquist. The Alliance was ceased for a period of years, eventually reinstated and eventually the 2 leagues merged into the IL with some teams joining the Pacific Coast League. Later, there was a chance to witness players who were believed to be blue chip prospects. That group included Chen, Lombard, Betemit, Estrada, Marte, Teheran and others.

Probably the most memorable moment, happened in 2000. My buddy, Carlos, has season tickets. So, this is where I obtain the prime seats. He was my career counseler in college, and we've stayed friends ever since. Carlos knew most of the staff, and offered to get us down below, near where the players exited. This was when George Lombard was the hot prospect. He was kind enough to sign my IL ball. Kevin McGlinchy was on that team, possibly on rehab. From recollection, his career never recovered. While the players walked by, one very well known Braves hero walked by, stopped and smiled. I smiled back and said, "hi Steve" as in Avery. He was attempting a comeback. Unforunately, the career was winding down. Still, it was kind of special, because he got called up for good to the majors, a couple of weeks before there would've otherwise been a chance to see him for Richmond back in '91.

It was also great seeing other former major leaguers or "retreads," as they used to be called. Other times, there players sent down after appearing with the big club. Marquis and Giles fit that description. The most fun is approaching this like an amateur scouting mission. Langerhans really impressed with his defense, even back then. As fate would have it, he was Bison last year. Not to flog a dead horse, but Kelly Johnson really didn't do anything to make me think that he would be a future star. This isn't to suggest any better handle than anybody else, because my impression of DeRosa was that he'd be a part-timer and probably not stick for very long.

In terms of great memorablia, Carlos got me a lineup card from a game in '09. It was signed by then Bisons manager and former Brave, Ken Oberkfell. What's noteworthy about it, is that 3 of 9 Gwinnett players went on to have major league careers: Blanco, Conrad and Morton. Boone Logan was in the pen. Playing for the Bisons were Pagan and Reyes.
 
Not seeing any pitching matchups being reported anywhere yet. Will post as soon as there's word.

T-storms or chance of showers forecasted for every day this week. Getting hit really hard now, and would be suprised if the field isn't past the saturation point. Drainage is very good there, and the grounds crew are professional, but we'll see how the day progresses. The Bisons tend to wait until the last minute to announce postponement/game cancellations as to maximize concession sales to those who made it down.

Expecting at least one doubleheader this week.
 
OK, got the rest of the pitching matchups for the series.

Wed. Schlosser vs. Romero
Thu. Maya vs. Drabek
Fri. Stewart vs. Hendriks

Apparently, Cody Martin must've gone over the weekend. So, there won't be an opportunity to see if there's a difference between this year and last. Too bad.

Will offer intital observations tomorrow from Tuesday evening.
 
Nobody did anything particular impressive for Gwinnett defensively and the pitching didn't stand out either. Pitching wasn't poor, it just wasn't exceptional. Rodriguez spent time in the Mexican League. The reaction is that he's probably just a semi-experienced LH to replace Yohan Flande, somebody who doesn't have much of an MLB future but can mentor the younger kids.

Strange lineup. A lot of this is due to the loss of Mejia to Japan. That leaves a massive power void, because nobody else has more than 3 HR's. Terdoslavich started at 1B and Gosselin was in LF. The rest was relatively standard for the squad: Salcedo at 3B, Cunningham at CF, Bethancourt and La Stella at 2B. The DH is used, since the Bisons are affliates of an AL organization.

On the season, Terdo is handling AAA pitching the best in the order. Gosselin had 2 hits. The G-Braves had gotten 4 runs off Sean Nolin last week in Gwinnett, so they've seen his stuff already. Bethancourt (#2 Braves prospect, as we all know) came into the game hitting .250. It's better than some reports, but there's work to be done at the plate. That brings us to La Stella.

Looking at the stats, what was surpring was that his OBP was higher than his SLG%. This isn't totally rare, but it's not exactly typical either. (The same is true with Constanza, who had the night off.) La Stella seems to have a good eye, and ability to work the count. He walked in first 2 AB's, then struck out on his third. What went through my mind was, "OK, now let's see him put the ball in play, like all these claims...and do it against seem decent pitching." Such an opportunity came in the 6th. The G-Braves rallied to tie the score at 2. A reliever named Stilson came in, as Nolin was already looking fatigued. Stilson actually looked half-decent during warmups on the mound. His ERA, going in, was over 4.00, but this isn't particularly meaningful for a reliever. One bad outing in only 14 IP and the figure gets skewed. Anyway, the winning run was walked in, and this was a chance to really break the game wide open with bases loaded. La Stella flew out to end the inning.

Nothing anybody did convinced me that there's star potential currently sitting at this level. Granted, it's only one game but over the course of a 4-game series, it's more than a snapshot.
 
Thanks Knucksie! What did you think of Gosselin and Jaime? Constanza might have an injury. Hasn't played since May 9.
 
nsacpi said:
Thanks Knucksie! What did you think of Gosselin and Jaime? Constanza might have an injury. Hasn't played since May 9.
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Gosselin and Terdo appear to be the 2 best hitters. Gosselin had 4 more AB's, on the season, than La Stella. That sort of surprised me, but La Stella must draw a lot of walks. Still, Gosselin's being worked into the lineup, and is capable of some different positions. If he demonstrates some consistency, maybe he has a future as "supersub" type of player.

I didn't stay for the 9th, so apologies for not being able to give report back on Jaime.
 
stpeteirish said:
Does Bethancourt look good enough behind the plate to be a big leaguer with that .250 average?
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Nothing particular earth-shaking occurred during the game, but there was one situation when there was mound conference b/tw him and Rodriguez (no doubt in Spanish). Home plate ump was extremely quick to come out to the mound to hurry things up. Did the same thing when St. Claire, Bisons pitching coach came out too. (IIRC, he was a reliever for the Braves in late 80's or early 90's after being w/ Les Expos.) Did not think that anybody was delaying the game in any of those cases.

Getting back to Bethancourt, seeing him over at least 2 more games would provide a clearer indication. He should get a night off at least once. My gut reaction is that they'll want him to be more consistent at the plate and add some pop. Defensively, they're probably already satisfied with his progress.
 
Forgot to mention the concessions to give the whole feel.

Started out with a parfait: chocolate & vanilla twist with peanut butter and fudge. For Tuesdays, they called it TWOsday: $2 hot dogs and $2 Labatts beer. Skipped the hot dog, having had dinner at home first. Did grab a pair of Labatt Blue. Not to turn this too much into the Beer Thread, but they were terrible.
 
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