2008 Following the Minor League Teams

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Wasn't Daryle Ward like Dmitri's clone, decent average and power but a liability on the bases?

I remember having heart attacks watching him run around the bases. I could feel both his and mine arteries clogging.

[First Base Lady]

Patrick Arnold got rocked in his debut for the Lake Monsters, 2.1 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 3 BB.  So much for his amazing GCL numbers.

Ok - gonna stand up for the kid here.  He drove 27 hours to Vermont, sat through three consecutive rainouts that pushed his start back by 5 days, was flown to Florida and back (from Brooklyn) over a two day period for medical reasons, then thrown in to pitch in Brooklyn in front of 6000+ fans.  And he is only 19 years old.  The level of play between the GCL and NYPL is bigger than most realize.  Remember, they basically play on practice fields in Florida where on a good day you may have 5 people watching you and two of those people are probably your parents.  Give him a break.  If he has as bad an outing on Wednesday in Vermont, I will concede that maybe he wasn't ready to be promoted yet.  But until then......

[tomterp]

I remember having heart attacks watching him run around the bases. I could feel both his and mine arteries clogging.

But remember he scored from 1st against the Yankees in game 2 of the series?  Deceptive speed.        

[spidernat]

But remember he scored from 1st against the Yankees in game 2 of the series?  Deceptive speed.        

On a triple.

Although my nephew got thrown out trying to score from 1st on a triple in little league. 

[JMUalumni]

Ok - gonna stand up for the kid here.  He drove 27 hours to Vermont, sat through three consecutive rainouts that pushed his start back by 5 days, was flown to Florida and back (from Brooklyn) over a two day period for medical reasons, then thrown in to pitch in Brooklyn in front of 6000+ fans.  And he is only 19 years old.  The level of play between the GCL and NYPL is bigger than most realize.  Remember, they basically play on practice fields in Florida where on a good day you may have 5 people watching you and two of those people are probably your parents.  Give him a break.  If he has as bad an outing on Wednesday in Vermont, I will concede that maybe he wasn't ready to be promoted yet.  But until then......

Fair enough, but I do not think that his skill level has changed at all.  A lot of guys at the lower levels struggle in their debuts when they get promoted to Vermont or Hagerstown, even Potomac sometimes.  I still think Arnold could still continue what he had going on down at GCL, he will just need adjustment time.  I will admit, though, I have taken the promotion from GCL to Vermont quite lightly in the past, something I will try to remedy in the future.

[NFA Brian]

Hassan Pena & Edulin Abreu up from Hagerstown to Potomac.

P-Nats are still one player from a full roster while the Suns are two short.

[natsfan]

Great reply by First Base Lady, as she shows great insight into the minor league game, and its very young players.  She is "right on" about the GCL and the NY-Penn League in terms of intensity, experience, and the ability of 6,000 fans to change the entire atmosphere surrounding the game...and thus change the ability of young players coming from the GCL to instantly perform at a high level.  As a Florida resident, I have seen many GCL games, and the lack of "atmosphere" makes it very difficult to perform with any adrenalin, and the move to the Penn League can have the player hyped up a bit too much...he'll quickly find out where he needs to be to compete at his best.  There is always much more involved than meets the eye!

[sportsfan882]

Hassan Pena and Craig Stammen make their debuts in Potomac and Columbus respectively tonight.

[sportsfan882]

McGeary got smoked in a GCL game today: 2.2 IP 5 H 4 R 3 ER 1 BB 3 K.

Him and Smoker have been flat out awful. 

Demny also pitched in that game: 2.2 IP 0 H 1 R 0 ER 2 BB 3 K.

Esmailyn Gonzalez picked up his 10th error today in 25 games played. McGeary who has only pitched in 7 games committed his 4th error of the season.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

It'd be sad if the '07 draft were a complete waste outside of Michael Burgess.

[cletusvandamme]

Zimmermann was dominating again tonight before getting touched up in the 6th.  Still a nice line thru 7.  JZ restores some of the hope that Detwiler ruthlessly crushes with every start.

7IP 4H 2R 2ER 0BB 4K

[sportsfan882]

Bonaficio is 2/2 so far tonight with a walk to boot. He's 4/7 (.571) since being traded here.

[ronnynat]

Bonaficio is 2/2 so far tonight with a walk to boot. He's 4/7 (.571) since being traded here.

It's time to give to the kid a nickname. Does E-Bon work?

[sportsfan882]

Zimmermann was dominating again tonight before getting touched up in the 6th.  Still a nice line thru 7.  JZ restores some of the hope that Detwiler ruthlessly crushes with every start.

7IP 4H 2R 2ER 0BB 4K

JZ deserves a promotion.
 
Look at his last 5 starts with Harrisburg:
July 4:  7 IP 5 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K (Win)
July 9:  7 IP 6 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 6 K (Win)
July 14: 7 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 9 K (ND)
July 20: 6.2 IP 6 H 3 R 3 ER 1 BB 9 K (ND)
Tonight: 7 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 0 BB 4 K

[sportsfan882]

It's time to give to the kid a nickname. Does E-Bon work?

That's not bad. A couple other options: "E", "Bonnie", "Fici", "Emmy", "E-Bo". 

[CJames0569]

That's not bad. A couple other options: "E", "Bonnie", "Fici", "Emmy", "E-Bo". 

I like E-Bo, kinda reminds me of D-bo (sp?) that big ass dude from Friday

[fersaltiel]

Jordan Zimmerman was dominant tonight. I'm starting to like this kid A LOT. He better be a September call-up and get some ML experience.

[wisefan11]

I prefer E-Bone

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Shouldn't players, you know, actually do something to earn such nicknames?

[spidernat]

I like E-Bo, kinda reminds me of D-bo (sp?) that big ass dude from Friday

That dude was in the Dark Knight.

Shouldn't players, you know, actually do something to earn such nicknames?

The nicknames they suggested here were take offs on his name. It's not like they suggested grand nicknames based on performance.

[ronnynat]

I prefer E-Bone

That's what D'Backs fans called him.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

The nicknames they suggested here were take offs on his name. It's not like they suggested grand nicknames based on performance.

Still think a player needs to earn such man-love. How about "Boner?"

[ronnynat]

Still think a player needs to earn such man-love. How about "Boner?"

Only your suggested nickname could come from "man-love."

[KnorrForYourMoney]

JZ deserves a promotion.
 
Look at his last 5 starts with Harrisburg:
July 4:  7 IP 5 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K (Win)
July 9:  7 IP 6 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 6 K (Win)
July 14: 7 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 9 K (ND)
July 20: 6.2 IP 6 H 3 R 3 ER 1 BB 9 K (ND)
Tonight: 7 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 0 BB 4 K

Holy crap.  That's a 32/6 K/BB ratio in his last 5 starts.  I agree, he deserves a call-up, but I think they should just put him in Columbus right now.

[PANatsFan]

I like E-Bo, kinda reminds me of D-bo (sp?) that big ass dude from Friday

Zeus "Tiny" Lister?