The Falmouth preview was all set to go. Then I went to check one last thing on their web site and saw that they had added 17 new players to their roster. Seventeen! Their roster wasn't full so I had a feeling this was coming. I did not expect them to add almost as many players as they had on the roster to begin with.
So I'm going to go write some more bios. Hopefully, I will still get the post up today.
In the meantime, check out the new additions. They include Tennessee's draft-eligible sophomore Kentrail Davis, who's projected a first or second-rounder. Maybe he'll try to get some more bargaining power with a trip to Falmouth.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Anglers and Mariners
After months as the only ones who hadn't, Chatham and Harwich have released their rosters. It looks like Harwich did it yesterday, while the Anglers posted theirs today. I'll get into much more detail when I get to their early looks. For now:
We've got four returnees from Chatham -- Matt Harvey, Jacob Thompson, Kevin Scanlan and Addison Johnson, who played in '07. Johnson missed all of last season at Clemson and has struggled this year, so he'll be trying to work his way back into form. Scanlan only saw limited action.
The roster also includes five Cape Leaguers who players for other teams last year: Vanderbilt closer Russell Brewer (Hyannis '08), UNC's Patrick Johnson (Harwich '08), South Carolina's Whit Merrifield (Y-D '08), Clemson's Jeff Schaus (Cotuit '08) and Baylor's Shawn Tolleson (Y-D '08). I don't recall a team ever having that many players from other Cape League squads.
Some other names of note: Southern Cal freshman Ricky Oropesa, who's hitting .318 with 12 home runs and Baylor freshman Logan Verrett, who has 60 strikeouts in 52 innings.
As for the Mariners, they'll have two returnees from their championship squad -- Notre Dame pitcher Brian Dupra and LSU shortstop D.J. LeMahieu. Keep in mind that LeMahieu is a draft-eligible sophomore who could go in the top two or three rounds. Harwich has two players from other teams: Alabama's Ross Wilson (Bourne '08) and North Carolina's Nate Striz (Falmouth '08).
Middle Tennessee State's Bryce Brentz, who's having an astounding season (.485, 27 home runs), is on the roster but has also been invited to Team USA. North Carolina's Levi Michael and Virginia's Phil Gosselin and Dan Grovatt have had great years in the ACC. LSU's Leon Landry and Auburn's Trent Mummey have been great in the SEC. Those guys alone should give Harwich a really strong offense.
The pitching staff features Fullerton ace Daniel Renken, who's got a 2.42 ERA.
We've got four returnees from Chatham -- Matt Harvey, Jacob Thompson, Kevin Scanlan and Addison Johnson, who played in '07. Johnson missed all of last season at Clemson and has struggled this year, so he'll be trying to work his way back into form. Scanlan only saw limited action.
The roster also includes five Cape Leaguers who players for other teams last year: Vanderbilt closer Russell Brewer (Hyannis '08), UNC's Patrick Johnson (Harwich '08), South Carolina's Whit Merrifield (Y-D '08), Clemson's Jeff Schaus (Cotuit '08) and Baylor's Shawn Tolleson (Y-D '08). I don't recall a team ever having that many players from other Cape League squads.
Some other names of note: Southern Cal freshman Ricky Oropesa, who's hitting .318 with 12 home runs and Baylor freshman Logan Verrett, who has 60 strikeouts in 52 innings.
As for the Mariners, they'll have two returnees from their championship squad -- Notre Dame pitcher Brian Dupra and LSU shortstop D.J. LeMahieu. Keep in mind that LeMahieu is a draft-eligible sophomore who could go in the top two or three rounds. Harwich has two players from other teams: Alabama's Ross Wilson (Bourne '08) and North Carolina's Nate Striz (Falmouth '08).
Middle Tennessee State's Bryce Brentz, who's having an astounding season (.485, 27 home runs), is on the roster but has also been invited to Team USA. North Carolina's Levi Michael and Virginia's Phil Gosselin and Dan Grovatt have had great years in the ACC. LSU's Leon Landry and Auburn's Trent Mummey have been great in the SEC. Those guys alone should give Harwich a really strong offense.
The pitching staff features Fullerton ace Daniel Renken, who's got a 2.42 ERA.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Some Notes For Your Sunday
First, let me apologize for the delay in starting the early looks. I finished most of the Wareham preview long before it went up, but work and various other things got in the way of the finishing touches. It'll be a bit of a sprint to the finish from here on out, but so far, so good. I'm working on Falmouth right now.
Roster News
Draft News
Roster News
- Some teams haven't updated anything in a while, but Cotuit is doing a real nice job of documenting the comings and goings. Unfortunately for the Kettleers, there are some big goings. Texas A&M pitcher Barrett Loux, Santa Clara pitcher Thain Simon, Florida State pitcher Sean Gilmartin and Georgia outfielder Johnathan Taylor have all had their contracts released. Loux is one of the better prospects for the 2010 draft, Gilmartin has been FSU's ace this season and Taylor has been a star freshman for the Bulldogs. Big losses all around, and Cotuit might yet have to deal with a few more. Rick Hague, Gerrit Cole and Sonny Gray have all been invited to Team USA.
- Hyannis has also posted a few updates, the biggest of which is the subtraction of Danny Hultzen. The Virginia lefty has been probably the top freshman pitcher in the nation this year, and he's on the Team USA invite list. With him off the Hyannis roster, I guess there's no doubt he's going. Elon pitcher Tom Girdwood has also been invited, though he's still listed on the Hyannis roster.
- One guy who's still slated for Hyannis is Tennessee's Cody Hawn, and he's a guy worth getting excited about. I'll get to the details in the Hyannis preview, but when I was looking at Blake Forsythe's numbers, I saw Hawn and thought, "Wow, I hope he's coming to the Cape." The numbers that catch your eye: .364, 22 HR, 81 RBI.
- Dear Chatham and Harwich: Are you guys going to have players this year or what? Love, Everyone.
Draft News
- The draft is less than a month away (June 9), and, as always, plenty of former Cape Leaguers are in the middle of things. Baseball America came out with its first mock draft this week. It's subscriber content, but I can tell you that 13 of the projected first-rounders are former Cape Leaguers.
- Grant Green, projected as a possible No. 2 pick after his huge summer on the Cape, has seen his stock drop a little bit. He's had a good season, but not a great season at USC, with his three home runs and 15 errors standing out as red flags. Still, Green probably won't drop out of the top 10.
- Dustin Ackley, who played briefly for Harwich last year, seems to have passed Green as the top college hitter. Where Green's junior season hasn't been perfect, Ackley's has. He's hitting .405 with 17 home runs.
- In a draft that's real light on college bats, former Orleans Cardinal Tim Wheeler is stepping into the vacuum as a legitimate first-rounder. The Sacramento State was an all-star on the Cape last year and led the league in stolen bases, which was pretty remarkable for a 6'4 corner outfielder. He's added power to the equation this spring, blasting 18 home runs to go along with 15 steals and a .385 batting average. He could vault into the top half of the first round.
- LSU two-sport standout Jared Mitchell made the briefest of appearances on the Cape last summer, playing in five games for Y-D before departing for football practice. But baseball will be calling in a big way in June, with Mitchell getting projected as a first-rounder.
- For the third year in a row, the first pick will not be a former Cape Leaguer (assuming the Nats pick Stephen Strasburg). The last Cape Leaguer to go No. 1 overall was Luke Hochevar in 2006, and he had just a brief stint with Cotuit after his freshman year.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Early Look: Bourne
BOURNE BRAVES
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
2008 Record: 23-20-1
As I went to write this, prepared to use the typical "talk about last year, transition into this year" form, I realized something. I remember very little about the 2008 Bourne Braves. I'm not sure why this is. They had one of the best hitters, and best stories, in the league in Marc Krauss. They also had Nick McCully, the Pitcher of the Year.
The Braves may have been not-so-memorable last year, but they were also good, winning their last five games to force a tiebreaker with Falmouth. And this year, when I first looked at their roster, I wasn't overly impressed.
Now, I am fairly impressed.
Bourne has put together a talented group. In fact, I'd call it the most talented roster they've had in the last three years. There's a danger there, of course, and four players have already been invited to Team USA, with more rounds of invites left to come. But even if they take some hits in that department, the Braves are going to bring some talent over the bridge. After all, they have 31 players on the roster, so they've got some contingency plans.
It starts with some top-shelf sophomores. Alex Wimmers is one of the top pitchers in the country and Drew Pomeranz isn't far behind, particularly in terms of prospect status. Cody Wheeler has turned into Coastal Carolina's ace this season, ahead of the aforementioned McCully, and he's slated to be in Bourne, too. Dan Mahoney, Seth Maness and Kevin Munson are also big-time arms.
But I think the real strength of this team could be its offense, which has a ton of depth, more than any Cape League team had at this time last year. Blake Forsythe is arguably the top offensive catcher in the country and Anthony Rendon might be the top freshman hitter in the country. Tyler Holt is an average and on-base machine who's got great speed, as well. Ben Klafczynski is an all-american caliber player, as is Scott Woodward, who played for Team USA last year. Ryan Lockwood was the National Freshman of the Year last season, according to several sources. Dominic D'Anna, Paul Karmas, Josh Richmond Stefen Romero are legit college hitters, and middle infielders Pierre LePage, Michael Mooney and Zack McPhee look very good, as well.
If it seems like I just mentioned an entire roster, it's because there's just that many names worth mentioning. Not all of these players will be in Bourne, of course. Forsythe, Rendon, Pomeranz and Wheeler have already gotten the Team USA call, and I wouldn't be surprised if Wimmers and Holt get an invite in the next round.
But there's talent here, even without some of the top-line prospects. It could be an interesting summer in Bourne.
Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 24
Freshmen: 6
Notable
Five Players I'm Excited to See
1. Alex Wimmers
2. Anthony Rendon
3. Blake Forsythe
4. Drew Pomeranz
5. Tyler Holt
Pitchers
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200 - George Washington - Sophomore
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225 - Elon - Sophomore
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204 - UConn - Sophomore
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180 - East Carolina - Sophomore
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185 - Virginia - Sophomore
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231 - Ole Miss - Sophomore
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195 - Florida - RS Freshman
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210 - Oklahoma - Sophomore
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195 - Ohio State - Sophomore
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200
George Washington
Sophomore
Cantrell was a member of the A-10 all-rookie team last year after spending the season as a starter and leading the Colonials in ERA. Cantrell has reprised his starting role this year, with decent results. His ERA is a bit high at 4.66, but he's got 56 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177
Wake Forest
Freshman
Dimock is part of a big group of talented freshman hurlers who arrived in Winston-Salem this year. His first-year numbers haven't been spectacular. Those he's put up decent strikeout totals, he's allowed 72 hits in 56.2 innings. His ERA is 6.83. He's been used as both a starter and a reliever.
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225
Elon
Sophomore
A power arm with some potential, Ferrer has had an interesting sophomore season with the Phoenix. He's got an ERA above five, and yet he's toting an 8-1 record. I'm sure the Elon coaches would like a little more consistency from Ferrer, who has 47 strikeouts and 34 walks, but they'll take the wins.
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
Harrold inherited closer duties for the Seahawks last season and earned Freshman All-America honors from several publications after picking up six saves. Harrold hasn't had quite as much success this year, with just one save in 18 appearances and an ERA over six. He's also made a few starts.
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204
UConn
Sophomore
Mahoney had a rough freshman season with the Huskies, going 0-5 with an ERA around eight. He's been much better this year. Working exclusively out of the pen, Mahoney has posted a 4.68 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25 innings. Last summer, he was named the NECBL's top pro prospect by PG Crosschecker.
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180
East Carolina
Sophomore
Bourne has had a lot of recent success with ECU players, and Maness looks well-equipped to carry on the tradition. As a freshman, Maness went 9-2 with a 3.57 ERA, numbers that earned him a host of accolades, including Conference USA Freshman of the Year. This season Maness is 8-0 with a 4.22 ERA. In 81 innings, he has struck out 67 and walked just 14.
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185
Virginia
Sophomore
Morey was a 29th-round pick out of high school in 2007 and he turned in a pretty solid freshman season before posting good numbers for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL. This season, pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Morey has been very good. He's got a 2.74 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Still listed as a pitcher and a catcher, Munson has focused solely on pitching this spring, with fantastic results. As JMU's closer, Munson has saved nine games. He's got a 3.10 ERA, and most impressively, 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. Munson also had great numbers last year, with 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Another player who's ERA doesn't quite match up with his record, Phelps is up over five, but he's got an 8-1 record. Another number does match that record -- Phelps has 82 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. With numbers like that, you can see why he was tabbed by Baseball America as the Colonial Athletic Association's No. 4 prospect.
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Pomeranz was ticketed for Bourne last year before Team USA came calling. The same could happen this year, as Pomeranz was one of the first invites. If he comes to Bourne, the Braves will be getting a star. After a great freshman season, Pomeranz has been better this year, posting a 3.58 ERA with 72 strikeouts against 26 walks in 60.1 innings. Pomeranz was a 12th-round pick out of high school and is likely to climb higher for the 2010 draft.
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195
Florida
RS Freshman
Poovey took a medical redshirt last season. This year, he's made 11 appearances and has come in with a 6.84 ERA.
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210
Oklahoma
Sophomore
Pitching in a swing role this season, Rocha has posted a 4.06 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 51 innings of work. He played in Alaska last summer and finished the season with a 0.32 ERA.
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200
Oregon State
Sophomore
Robles was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago, but he's had a bit of an up-and-down career with the Beavers. Last year, his ERA was up over six. This year, he's got a 3.42 ERA but he's also only made six appearances.
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
After a freshman all-american season last year, Roth has had a rough go of it this season. In 10 appearances, he has a 10.12 ERA, with nine strikeouts and nine walks.
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Wheeler has been the best member of a great Chanticleers pitching staff this season. In 12 starts, he's gone 9-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 82 and walked only 22 in 77 innings of work. He also has a no-hitter to his credit this season. Wheeler is a Team USA invite, so we'll see what happens with him.
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195
Ohio State
Sophomore
Wimmers has been the Big 10's best pitcher this season, and one of the best in the nation. In 13 starts, he's gone 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA, but those aren't even the numbers that stand out the most. He's also got 110 strikeouts in 88.1 innings, which gives him a K/9 ratio over 11. That's not quite Strasburg territory, but it's still really, really good. He's fifth in the nation in total strikeouts.
Position Players
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220 - Tennessee - Sophomore
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195 - Ole Miss - Freshman
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220 - St. John's - Sophomore
*Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157 - UConn - Sophomore
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180 - Arizona State - Freshman
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160 - Florida - Junior
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170 - Rice - Freshman
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175 - Florida State - Sophomore
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195 - Kent State - Sophomore
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175 - South Florida - RS Sophomore
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190 - Louisville - Sophomore
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220
Tennessee
Sophomore
Based purely on the statistics from his freshman campaign, Forsythe didn't look like a player who could become one of the top two or three catchers in the nation. But this season, that's exactly what Forsythe has become. He's hitting .348 for the Vols with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. He's got a total of 29 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .490.
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195
Ole Miss
Freshman
Hightower was ranked as one of the nation's top 200 prospects and got picked in the 42nd round. At Ole Miss, he's played in only 13 games, but has posted a .450 batting average.
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
After a solid freshman season in Northridge, D'Anna has been even better this year. He's hit .326 with seven home runs and 32 RBI. He's also made just four errors at first base.
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220
St. John's
Sophomore
Karmas had a real good freshman season with the Red Storm, and he's duplicated it this year. He's batting .302 with two home runs and 25 RBI.
Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157
UConn
Sophomore
The lone returning player for the Braves, LePage was a late-summer addition last year. He ended up holding his own and posting a .233 average while starting 15 games down the stretch. This spring, LePage has a solid season, hitting .319 with 14 doubles and 30 RBI. He's also made just three errors.
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180
Arizona State
Freshman
MacPhee was a 22nd-round pick out of high school, but opted for Arizona State, where he joined the nation's top recruiting class. He's been a starter at second base pretty much from day one and he has put up solid numbers. He's currently hitting .272 with four home runs
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160
Florida
Junior
A junior-college transfer, Mooney grabbed the starting shortstop job for the Gators this season and hasn't let go. He's hitting .333 with a .468 on-base percentage.
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170
Rice
Freshman
Rendon was highly-touted as a high school senior, and since arriving at Rice, he hasn't disappointed even a little bit. Called a "rare talent" by legendary Rice coach Wayne Graham, Rendon has been one of the nation's best freshmen. He's leading the Owls with a .380 average, and he's also got a team-high 16 home runs and 56 RBI. He has also struck out only 20 times in 192 at-bats. He's a Team USA invitee.
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225
Oregon State
Sophomore
After hitting over .400 in one junior-college season, Romero transferred to Oregon State, where he's become one of the team's best hitters. While starting all but one game, Romero has hit .309 with four home runs, a team-best 43 RBI and a total of 22 extra-base hits. Oddly enough for a player of his size, he's also tied for the team lead in triples with three.
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195
Wake Forest
Freshman
In his first season in Winston-Salem, Stadler has done a little bit of everything and done all of it pretty well. In 40 games as a position player, Stadler has hit .267 with two home runs. In 13 appearances on the mound, he has posted a 4.13 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175
Florida State
Sophomore
After a good freshman campaign with the Seminoles, Holt was on Cotuit's roster but played in only three games early in the season. Based on his sophomore year, Bourne would love to have him for a full summer. Holt is among the nation's leaders in batting average and on-base percentage, with a .404 average and a ridiculous .533 OBP. He's also got five home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 28 steals in 31 attempts.
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195
Kent State
Sophomore
Klafczynski hit .339 with 11 home runs as a freshman and is having a sophomore season that's right on par with that. He's currently toting a .323 average with five home runs, 20 doubles and 39 RBI.
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175
South Florida
RS Sophomore
As mentioned above, Lockwood is an interesting case. He'll likely get drafted, but if he ends up in Bourne, he should be a big-time contributor. This season, Lockwood is hitting .295 with with 13 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .408.
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190
Louisville
Sophomore
After a pretty solid freshman season, Richmond has been very good this year. He currently has a .321 average with five home runs and 19 extra-base hits.
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Woodward played for Team USA last summer, but didn't see a ton of game action. He got into just 11 of the team's 24 games. His sophomore season has been a good one, but it's also been abbreviated. Woodward missed nearly a month after suffering an injury in early April. He's back now, currently sporting a .305 batting average.
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
2008 Record: 23-20-1
As I went to write this, prepared to use the typical "talk about last year, transition into this year" form, I realized something. I remember very little about the 2008 Bourne Braves. I'm not sure why this is. They had one of the best hitters, and best stories, in the league in Marc Krauss. They also had Nick McCully, the Pitcher of the Year.
The Braves may have been not-so-memorable last year, but they were also good, winning their last five games to force a tiebreaker with Falmouth. And this year, when I first looked at their roster, I wasn't overly impressed.
Now, I am fairly impressed.
Bourne has put together a talented group. In fact, I'd call it the most talented roster they've had in the last three years. There's a danger there, of course, and four players have already been invited to Team USA, with more rounds of invites left to come. But even if they take some hits in that department, the Braves are going to bring some talent over the bridge. After all, they have 31 players on the roster, so they've got some contingency plans.
It starts with some top-shelf sophomores. Alex Wimmers is one of the top pitchers in the country and Drew Pomeranz isn't far behind, particularly in terms of prospect status. Cody Wheeler has turned into Coastal Carolina's ace this season, ahead of the aforementioned McCully, and he's slated to be in Bourne, too. Dan Mahoney, Seth Maness and Kevin Munson are also big-time arms.
But I think the real strength of this team could be its offense, which has a ton of depth, more than any Cape League team had at this time last year. Blake Forsythe is arguably the top offensive catcher in the country and Anthony Rendon might be the top freshman hitter in the country. Tyler Holt is an average and on-base machine who's got great speed, as well. Ben Klafczynski is an all-american caliber player, as is Scott Woodward, who played for Team USA last year. Ryan Lockwood was the National Freshman of the Year last season, according to several sources. Dominic D'Anna, Paul Karmas, Josh Richmond Stefen Romero are legit college hitters, and middle infielders Pierre LePage, Michael Mooney and Zack McPhee look very good, as well.
If it seems like I just mentioned an entire roster, it's because there's just that many names worth mentioning. Not all of these players will be in Bourne, of course. Forsythe, Rendon, Pomeranz and Wheeler have already gotten the Team USA call, and I wouldn't be surprised if Wimmers and Holt get an invite in the next round.
But there's talent here, even without some of the top-line prospects. It could be an interesting summer in Bourne.
Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 24
Freshmen: 6
Notable
- To give you another example of how good this roster looks, I really would have preferred to make the "Five Players" feature below a "Ten Players" feature. For some teams, it's tough to fill the list. For the Braves, it was tough to cut it down.
- With their one returning player -- Pierre LePage -- Bourne has one more returning player than it had last season. While some teams are heavy on returning players every year, Bourne never seems to be one of them. The fact that they don't take many freshmen probably has a lot to do with it. They had six frosh last year, same as this year.
- I haven't gone through every roster in detail, but numbers-wise, we probably won't see a better pitcher on the Cape than Ohio State's Alex Wimmers. He's having one hell of a sophomore season, with 110 strikeouts and an ERA under three. To this point, he hasn't been tabbed for Team USA, but like I said above, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an invite. I actually would be surprised if he didn't.
- If Wimmers does get an invite he would join Drew Pomeranz and Cody Wheeler as Braves starters with Team USA calling. If all three of those guys somehow make it to Bourne, we're looking at a crazy 1-2-3 punch atop the starting rotation.
- Tanner Robles has not had a great career at Oregon State, but he was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago. He'll be out to prove something this summer.
- The other thing that strikes me about Bourne's pitching staff is the potential bullpen depth.
Virginia's Robert Moreyand Connecticut's Dan Mahoney have been bullpen guys through and through this season and should be there again this summer. To have two successful setup/middle reliever types like that is a good situation, I think. Better than having guys who pitched in swing roles all season trying to get used to bullpen work. UPDATE (5/29): Morey is actually now a starter for Virginia. My mistake. - Bourne should also have a dynamite closer. James Madison's Kevin Munson has nine saves this year with a ridiculous 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
- In terms of the offense, Anthony Rendon and Blake Forsythe have both been invited to Team USA, but there's still a lot to like behind those two. Oh, and if they should make it to Bourne, they'd be two of my top 10 players coming into the season.
- Tyler Holt might not be a true five-tool talent, but I think he's pretty close. With a great average, decent power numbers and great speed, he'll be an exciting player to watch.
- Ben Klafczynski has already been entered into my spellcheck so it doesn't come up with a red line every time I type it. The problem is, you still have to spell it right, which I did not do just now. By the way, he's good.
- In case you can't glean it from the bios below, there isn't a single Bourne position player who's having a bad season right now. In a league where rosters are sketched out six months before the college season begins, that's pretty remarkable.
- Here's a name to keep an eye on in early June: Ryan Lockwood. After taking a medical redshirt two years ago, he was one of the nation's top hitters in 2008 and was tabbed by several publications as the country's best freshman. Since he's been in college three years, he'll be draft-eligible this year. I said when the roster first came out that I would be surprised to see Lockwood in Bourne. However, in the midst of a season where his average is down over 100 points (it's still good at .295), there might be a need to raise his stock with some time on the Cape. We'll see.
Five Players I'm Excited to See
1. Alex Wimmers
2. Anthony Rendon
3. Blake Forsythe
4. Drew Pomeranz
5. Tyler Holt
Pitchers
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200 - George Washington - Sophomore
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225 - Elon - Sophomore
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204 - UConn - Sophomore
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180 - East Carolina - Sophomore
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185 - Virginia - Sophomore
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231 - Ole Miss - Sophomore
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195 - Florida - RS Freshman
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210 - Oklahoma - Sophomore
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195 - Ohio State - Sophomore
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200
George Washington
Sophomore
Cantrell was a member of the A-10 all-rookie team last year after spending the season as a starter and leading the Colonials in ERA. Cantrell has reprised his starting role this year, with decent results. His ERA is a bit high at 4.66, but he's got 56 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177
Wake Forest
Freshman
Dimock is part of a big group of talented freshman hurlers who arrived in Winston-Salem this year. His first-year numbers haven't been spectacular. Those he's put up decent strikeout totals, he's allowed 72 hits in 56.2 innings. His ERA is 6.83. He's been used as both a starter and a reliever.
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225
Elon
Sophomore
A power arm with some potential, Ferrer has had an interesting sophomore season with the Phoenix. He's got an ERA above five, and yet he's toting an 8-1 record. I'm sure the Elon coaches would like a little more consistency from Ferrer, who has 47 strikeouts and 34 walks, but they'll take the wins.
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
Harrold inherited closer duties for the Seahawks last season and earned Freshman All-America honors from several publications after picking up six saves. Harrold hasn't had quite as much success this year, with just one save in 18 appearances and an ERA over six. He's also made a few starts.
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204
UConn
Sophomore
Mahoney had a rough freshman season with the Huskies, going 0-5 with an ERA around eight. He's been much better this year. Working exclusively out of the pen, Mahoney has posted a 4.68 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25 innings. Last summer, he was named the NECBL's top pro prospect by PG Crosschecker.
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180
East Carolina
Sophomore
Bourne has had a lot of recent success with ECU players, and Maness looks well-equipped to carry on the tradition. As a freshman, Maness went 9-2 with a 3.57 ERA, numbers that earned him a host of accolades, including Conference USA Freshman of the Year. This season Maness is 8-0 with a 4.22 ERA. In 81 innings, he has struck out 67 and walked just 14.
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185
Virginia
Sophomore
Morey was a 29th-round pick out of high school in 2007 and he turned in a pretty solid freshman season before posting good numbers for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL. This season, pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Morey has been very good. He's got a 2.74 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Still listed as a pitcher and a catcher, Munson has focused solely on pitching this spring, with fantastic results. As JMU's closer, Munson has saved nine games. He's got a 3.10 ERA, and most impressively, 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. Munson also had great numbers last year, with 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Another player who's ERA doesn't quite match up with his record, Phelps is up over five, but he's got an 8-1 record. Another number does match that record -- Phelps has 82 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. With numbers like that, you can see why he was tabbed by Baseball America as the Colonial Athletic Association's No. 4 prospect.
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Pomeranz was ticketed for Bourne last year before Team USA came calling. The same could happen this year, as Pomeranz was one of the first invites. If he comes to Bourne, the Braves will be getting a star. After a great freshman season, Pomeranz has been better this year, posting a 3.58 ERA with 72 strikeouts against 26 walks in 60.1 innings. Pomeranz was a 12th-round pick out of high school and is likely to climb higher for the 2010 draft.
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195
Florida
RS Freshman
Poovey took a medical redshirt last season. This year, he's made 11 appearances and has come in with a 6.84 ERA.
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210
Oklahoma
Sophomore
Pitching in a swing role this season, Rocha has posted a 4.06 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 51 innings of work. He played in Alaska last summer and finished the season with a 0.32 ERA.
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200
Oregon State
Sophomore
Robles was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago, but he's had a bit of an up-and-down career with the Beavers. Last year, his ERA was up over six. This year, he's got a 3.42 ERA but he's also only made six appearances.
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
After a freshman all-american season last year, Roth has had a rough go of it this season. In 10 appearances, he has a 10.12 ERA, with nine strikeouts and nine walks.
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Wheeler has been the best member of a great Chanticleers pitching staff this season. In 12 starts, he's gone 9-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 82 and walked only 22 in 77 innings of work. He also has a no-hitter to his credit this season. Wheeler is a Team USA invite, so we'll see what happens with him.
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195
Ohio State
Sophomore
Wimmers has been the Big 10's best pitcher this season, and one of the best in the nation. In 13 starts, he's gone 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA, but those aren't even the numbers that stand out the most. He's also got 110 strikeouts in 88.1 innings, which gives him a K/9 ratio over 11. That's not quite Strasburg territory, but it's still really, really good. He's fifth in the nation in total strikeouts.
Position Players
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220 - Tennessee - Sophomore
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195 - Ole Miss - Freshman
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220 - St. John's - Sophomore
*Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157 - UConn - Sophomore
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180 - Arizona State - Freshman
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160 - Florida - Junior
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170 - Rice - Freshman
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175 - Florida State - Sophomore
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195 - Kent State - Sophomore
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175 - South Florida - RS Sophomore
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190 - Louisville - Sophomore
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220
Tennessee
Sophomore
Based purely on the statistics from his freshman campaign, Forsythe didn't look like a player who could become one of the top two or three catchers in the nation. But this season, that's exactly what Forsythe has become. He's hitting .348 for the Vols with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. He's got a total of 29 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .490.
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195
Ole Miss
Freshman
Hightower was ranked as one of the nation's top 200 prospects and got picked in the 42nd round. At Ole Miss, he's played in only 13 games, but has posted a .450 batting average.
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
After a solid freshman season in Northridge, D'Anna has been even better this year. He's hit .326 with seven home runs and 32 RBI. He's also made just four errors at first base.
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220
St. John's
Sophomore
Karmas had a real good freshman season with the Red Storm, and he's duplicated it this year. He's batting .302 with two home runs and 25 RBI.
Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157
UConn
Sophomore
The lone returning player for the Braves, LePage was a late-summer addition last year. He ended up holding his own and posting a .233 average while starting 15 games down the stretch. This spring, LePage has a solid season, hitting .319 with 14 doubles and 30 RBI. He's also made just three errors.
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180
Arizona State
Freshman
MacPhee was a 22nd-round pick out of high school, but opted for Arizona State, where he joined the nation's top recruiting class. He's been a starter at second base pretty much from day one and he has put up solid numbers. He's currently hitting .272 with four home runs
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160
Florida
Junior
A junior-college transfer, Mooney grabbed the starting shortstop job for the Gators this season and hasn't let go. He's hitting .333 with a .468 on-base percentage.
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170
Rice
Freshman
Rendon was highly-touted as a high school senior, and since arriving at Rice, he hasn't disappointed even a little bit. Called a "rare talent" by legendary Rice coach Wayne Graham, Rendon has been one of the nation's best freshmen. He's leading the Owls with a .380 average, and he's also got a team-high 16 home runs and 56 RBI. He has also struck out only 20 times in 192 at-bats. He's a Team USA invitee.
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225
Oregon State
Sophomore
After hitting over .400 in one junior-college season, Romero transferred to Oregon State, where he's become one of the team's best hitters. While starting all but one game, Romero has hit .309 with four home runs, a team-best 43 RBI and a total of 22 extra-base hits. Oddly enough for a player of his size, he's also tied for the team lead in triples with three.
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195
Wake Forest
Freshman
In his first season in Winston-Salem, Stadler has done a little bit of everything and done all of it pretty well. In 40 games as a position player, Stadler has hit .267 with two home runs. In 13 appearances on the mound, he has posted a 4.13 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175
Florida State
Sophomore
After a good freshman campaign with the Seminoles, Holt was on Cotuit's roster but played in only three games early in the season. Based on his sophomore year, Bourne would love to have him for a full summer. Holt is among the nation's leaders in batting average and on-base percentage, with a .404 average and a ridiculous .533 OBP. He's also got five home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 28 steals in 31 attempts.
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195
Kent State
Sophomore
Klafczynski hit .339 with 11 home runs as a freshman and is having a sophomore season that's right on par with that. He's currently toting a .323 average with five home runs, 20 doubles and 39 RBI.
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175
South Florida
RS Sophomore
As mentioned above, Lockwood is an interesting case. He'll likely get drafted, but if he ends up in Bourne, he should be a big-time contributor. This season, Lockwood is hitting .295 with with 13 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .408.
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190
Louisville
Sophomore
After a pretty solid freshman season, Richmond has been very good this year. He currently has a .321 average with five home runs and 19 extra-base hits.
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Woodward played for Team USA last summer, but didn't see a ton of game action. He got into just 11 of the team's 24 games. His sophomore season has been a good one, but it's also been abbreviated. Woodward missed nearly a month after suffering an injury in early April. He's back now, currently sporting a .305 batting average.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Early Look: Wareham
(Note: I wrote most of the bios awhile ago before finishing the whole thing today, so the stats are not current. This will be the only one of these previews where that's a problem.)
WAREHAM GATEMEN
Manager: Cooper Farris
2008 Record: 17-26
On paper, in April, there wasn't a more talented roster in the league last summer than Wareham's.
But in the Cape league, those are important caveats. Come June, the Gatemen team that took the field looked much different than the one that was expected to take the field.
Every year, teams get hit by roster changes. Sometimes it's injuries, sometimes it's the pro draft, sometimes it's Team USA. Wareham in 2008 got hit harder than most. By my count, 10 players who were on the original roster never made it to Wareham. And they weren't just any 10. The list included stud pitchers Mike Minor, Andy Oliver and Kendal Volz, talented returnee Josh Phegley and highly-touted freshmen Derek Dietrich and Rick Hague.
A team with those guys as key cogs might have competed for a Cape League championship.
Without them, it was a struggle.
The Gatemen had some great individual performances in 2008. Brandon Workman emerged as the league's most overpowering starter, and he was joined in a strong rotation by Max Perlman, Dallas Keuchel and Robby Broach, who were among the most consistent starters around. Ryan Pineda was great at the plate, emerging as one of the league's best freshmen. Raynor Campbell also had a fantastic season.
But those performances never added up to sustained success. The Gatemen had some good stretches but ended up finishing last in the West, with the worst record in the league.
It was the second year in a row that saw the Gatemen fight through an uneven season.
As they try to change things this summer, it looks like they've opted for a little more in the way of stability. The Gatemen have nine players slated to return, which is among the most in the league. From that group, I'd guess that only Workman is a Team USA risk, and he wasn't included in the first two rounds of invites.
Some of the others could get a nod, but the majority of them seem to be just below that highest level of prospect. For the Gatemen, that's not a bad thing. If you can field a lineup full of good players with Cape League experience, you'll be in good shape.
If you can sprinkle in a few more talented players, you might in for something special, and that's the kind of team the Gatemen could have. In players like Alex Dickerson, Ryan LaMarre, Taylor Jungmann, and George Springer, the Gatemen have exactly the right ingredients for the sprinkling. Add in Derek Dietrich, who has been invited to Team USA for a second straight year but could opt out, and you've got even more potential.
And the best news of all? So far, Dietrich is the only player on the roster who's been invited to Team USA.
Stability, indeed.
Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 9
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen: 12
Notable
Five Players I'm Excited to See
1. Brandon Workman
2. Derek Dietrich
3. Alex Dickerson
4. Ryan LaMarre
5. George Springer
Pitchers
Jack Armstrong - RHP - 6'7 215 - Vanderbilt - Freshman
Matt Barnes - RHP - 6'4 185 - Connecticut - Freshman
*Zach Brewster - LHP - 6'1 195 - Georgia Tech - Sophomore
David Fischer - RHP - 6'5 175 - Connecticut - Freshman
Cole Green - RHP - 6'1 210 - Texas - Sophomore
Taylor Jungmann - RHP - 6'6 197 - Texas - Freshman
Dean Kiekhefer - LHP - 6'0 165 - Louisville - Sophomore
Blake Monar - LHP - 6'2 198 - Indiana - Freshman
Scott Rembisz - RHP - 6'1 220 - Florida International - Junior
Gabriel Shaw - RHP - 6'1 195 - Louisville - Sophomore
*Josh Slaats - RHP - 6'5 230 - Hawaii - Sophomore
*Brandon Workman - RHP - 6'5 225 - Texas - Sophomore
Jack Armstrong - RHP - 6'7 230
Vanderbilt
Freshman
The son of the former Major League pitcher of the same name, Armstrong hasn't seen a lot of action for the Commodores this season. He's thrown only 3.2 innings, all in relief. But it looks like the potential is definitely there. He was a 36th-round pick out of high school.
Matt Barnes - RHP - 6'3 180
Connecticut
Freshman
A freshman out of Bethel, Conn., Barnes is turning in a pretty solid first season in Storrs. In seven appearances (three starts), he's got a 3.95 ERA, and he's averaged about a strikeout per inning. He's picked up three victories. Barnes is part of a trio of Huskies who are slated for Wareham this summer.
Zach Brewster - LHP - 6'1 195
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
Brewster was one of several freshman pitchers who turned in pretty good summers for the Gatemen last year. Brewster tied for the team-lead in appearances with 16, all out of the bullpen. He finished with a 4.68 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 innings. For the Yellow Jackets this spring, Brewster has continued in a relief role. So far, he's made 17 appearances with a 4.15 ERA. Brewster was highly-touted out of high school, but missed most of his freshman year. Definitely a break-out candidate this summer.
David Fischer - RHP - 6'5 175
Connecticut
Freshman
Fischer appears to be the more highly-touted of the UConn freshman pitching duo that's headed to Wareham. A 44th-round pick out of high school, the lanky right-hander has been great out of the bullpen for the Huskies. In 11 appearances, he's got a 2.37 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 19 innings.
Cole Green - RHP - 6'1 210
Texas
Sophomore
Green is not the most over-powering member of the vaunted Texas pitching staff, but he's having a fantastic season. Serving as a weekend starter, Green has posted a 3-0 record and a 2.42 ERA. Last summer, he pitched in the Northwoods League and ranked second in the league in ERA.
Taylor Jungmann - RHP - 6'6 197
Texas
Freshman
With the body type, the school, and the summer destination, you could make a comparison between Jungmann and Brandon Workman. If Jungmann can do this summer what Workman did last summer, the Gatemen will be happy. He already has a leg up in that he's having a better freshman season. Pitching in a swing role, Jungmann has posted a 1.23 ERA, which leads the team. He has struck out 39 in 36.2 innings of work. Out of high school, Jungmann was a 24th-round pick. In the preseason, Baseball America rated him the nation's ninth-best freshman.
Dean Kiekhefer - LHP - 6'0 165
Louisville
Sophomore
Kiekhefer is another player who was on the Wareham roster last year but didn't make it. His absence was injury-related. This spring for the Cardinals, Kiekhefer has struggled a bit, posting a 6.27 ERA in eight appearances. He does have 31 strikeouts in 33 innings.
Blake Monar - LHP - 6'2 198
Indiana
Freshman
Monar brought some hype with him to Bloomington after getting picked in the 26th round of the draft by the Yankees. His ERA is up there (5.02) in his first season, but he is third on the team with 43 strikeouts. Some of what I've read indicates Monar expected to go higher in the draft, and would have signed if that happened. Sounds like the Hoosiers were thrilled to get him on campus.
Scott Rembisz - RHP - 6'1 220
Florida International
Junior
A junior-college All-American last year, Rembisz has been lights-out as the Friday starter for Florida International this spring. In eight starts, he's got a 5-0 record with a 2.84 ERA. In 57 innings, he has struck out 50 and walked only nine. He'll be draft-eligible this year.
Gabriel Shaw - RHP - 6'1 195
Louisville
Sophomore
Shaw will join his teammate Kiekhefer in Wareham this summer. So far this spring, Shaw has worked exclusively out of the bullpen and has been one of the Cards' most reliable relievers. In a team-high 14 appearances, he's got a 3.49 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.
Josh Slaats - RHP - 6'5 230
Hawaii
Sophomore
Slaats had an ERA over seven in his freshman season with the Warriors, and his ERA was high with Wareham, too. But he also struck out 26 in 17.1 innings and walked only nine for the Gatemen while pitching out of the bullpen. This year, Slaats has posted a 4.32 ERA for Hawaii with 17 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
Brandon Workman - RHP - 6'5 225
Texas
Sophomore
In the end, his ERA ballooned a bit, but Workman was still the most over-powering pitcher on the Cape last summer. He ended up leading the league with 67 strikeouts in 55 innings of work. He finished with a 3.44 ERA, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the league's fifth-best prospect. This spring, the former third-round pick has had some ups and downs. He delivered a no-hitter early in the season but has had some rough outings lately. He still has a 2.76 ERA.
Position Players
Tyler Albright - C - 6'2 210 - Harvard - Sophomore
Chris Hannick - C - 5'11 190 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
*Cole Leonida - C - 6'2 210 - Georgia Tech - Sophomore
Jordan Swagerty - C - 6'1 170 - Arizona State - Freshman
Derek Dietrich - IF - 6'1 195 - Georgia Tech - Sophomore
*Jake Lemmerman - IF - 6'2 185 - Duke - Sophomore
Eric Pfisterer - IF - 6'3 220 - Duke - Freshman
*Ryan Pineda - IF - 5'11 185 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
Zach Wilson - IF - 6'1 195 - Arizona State - Freshman
*Shea Vucinich - IF - 6'0 185 - Washington State - Sophomore
Alex Dickerson - OF - 6'3 210 - Indiana - Freshman
*Brett Eibner - OF/RHP - 6'3 205 - Arkansas - Sophomore
Ryan LaMarre - OF - 6'2 205 - Michigan - Sophomore
Jarrod McKinney - OF - 5'11 205 - Arkansas - Freshman
*Connor Rowe - OF - 5'11 180 - Texas - Sophomore
George Springer - OF - 6'2 200 - Connecticut - Freshman
Tyler Albright - C - 6'2 210
Harvard
Sophomore
Albright, a California native, grabbed the starting catcher job for the Crimson this spring and has turned in a .243 batting average to go with a home run and 10 RBI. Albright was a starter for part of his freshman season and surged at the end of the year.
Chris Hannick - C - 5'11 190
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
Hannick has been Northridge's starting catcher for most of the season and has posted some solid numbers. He's got a .260 average with three home runs and 14 RBI.
Cole Leonida - C - 6'2 210
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
Leonida is stuck behind senior Jason Haniger on Tech's depth chart, but he's seen time in 16 games this year and has posted a .262 batting average. Leonida has a reputation as a strong defensive catcher. Last summer for the Gatemen, he hit .202.
Jordan Swagerty - C - 6'1 170
Arizona State
Freshman
Rated by Baseball America as the 22nd best freshman in the nation, Swagerty hasn't made a huge splash with the Sun Devils -- maybe because he's trying to make two splashes. A hitter and a pitcher, Swagerty has made 15 appearances on the mound and has posted a 5.09 ERA. At the plate where it's tough to crack the ASU lineup, he's gotten 32 at-bats and has hit just .156. We'll see if he gets his feet under him this summer.
Derek Dietrich - IF - 6'1 195
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
One of the top unsigned picks in the 2007 draft, Dietrich parlayed a great freshman campaign at Tech into a spot with Team USA last summer. Fullerton's Christian Colon ended up pushing Dietrich out of the spot as the team's regular shortstop. Dietrich still played in most of the games, but only hit .259. I don't know if that'll make him look for another path this summer, but if he makes it to Wareham, he'll be an asset for the Gatemen. So far this year, he's hitting .339 with four home runs.
Jake Lemmerman - IF - 6'2 185
Duke
Sophomore
Lemmerman played for the Gatemen and was a valuable part of the infield. Though he hit only .208, he saw time at three different spots, proving to be the utility man the Gatemen desperately needed. For Duke this spring, Lemmerman has hit .279 with eight extra-base hits.
Eric Pfisterer - IF - 6'3 220
Duke
Freshman
One of the more highly-touted recruits to make it to the Duke campus, Pfisterer was a 15th-round pick out of high school last year. An infielder and a pitcher, Pfisterer has pulled double-duty this year, with a little more success at the plate. He has hit .318 in 15 games. On the mound, he has made 10 appearances and has posted a 4.85 ERA.
Ryan Pineda - IF - 5'11 185
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
Pineda wasn't on Wareham's initial roster last year, but he was as big a part of the team as anybody by the end of the season. A second baseman, Pineda finished the summer with a .273 average, three home runs, 18 RBI and 16 extra-base hits. Those numbers didn't put him on any leaderboards, but they did put him firmly in the league's best freshmen conversation. This spring, Pineda has hit .308 with a team-high eight home runs and 32 RBI.
Zach Wilson - IF - 6'1 195
Arizona State
Freshman
Another highly-touted ASU freshman (rated 18th by BA), Wilson has had a little better go of it than Swagerty so far. In 26 games, he has hit .298, though he doesn't yet have a home run. A third-baseman, Wilson was a 26th round pick out of high school.
Shea Vucinich - IF - 6'0 185
Washington State
Sophomore
Vucinich was a non-roster invitee to Wareham last year, but when Team USA raided the Gatemen roster, Vucinich got an opportunity and ran with it. He ended up hitting .239 while seeing action in 33 games. For the Cougars this spring, Vucinich is hitting .259 with four home runs.
Alex Dickerson - OF - 6'3 210
Indiana
Freshman
Dickerson was initially listed as a non-roster invitee on the Wareham roster, but he has moved over to the actual roster now. Good move. Dickerson has been one of the top freshman hitters in the country this year. Through 34 games, he has a .388 average with 11 home runs, 10 doubles and 40 RBI. That's the best production in the Big 10 and about as good as anyone in the country. Dickerson was a 48th-round pick out of high school.
Brett Eibner - OF/RHP - 6'3 205
Arkansas
Sophomore
Eibner was one of the highest unsigned picks in the 2007 draft, and he made some waves as a freshman at Arkansas last year, hitting .298 with 10 home runs. He's a two-way player but last summer in Wareham, he spent nearly all of his time focusing on hitting, making just one appearance on the mound. This year, though, Eibner has had more success with Arkansas as a pitcher. He's made eight starts and he has posted a 3.51 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. At the plate, he's got a .241 average with six home runs.
Ryan LeMarre - OF - 6'2 205
Michigan
Sophomore
Of all the hitters on the Wareham roster, LeMarre has been the most impressive so far. He's also been one of the best in the nation. The sophomore is hitting .385 with nine home runs and 43 RBI. He's also got 19 extra-base hits and a .483 on-base percentage. LeMarre played in the Northwoods League last year, and thought he only hit .237, he flashed some power with four home runs and 13 extra-base hits.
Jarrod McKinney - OF - 5'11 205
Arkansas
Freshman
A speedy outfielder who's seeing some time as a freshman, McKinney has yet to make his mark. In 15 games, he has hit .148.
Connor Rowe - OF - 5'11 180
Texas
Sophomore
Rowe didn't see a ton of action as a freshman, but he's taken on a bigger role this year. Playing in 31 games, he's got a .241 average with four home runs. Rowe played in 40 games last summer for the Gatemen and though he only hit .220, he was all over the boxscores. He finished with two home runs, 12 extra-base hits and 10 steals.
George Springer - OF - 6'2 200
Connecticut
Freshman
Springer played at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut last year and was picked in the 48th round of the June draft. He's made a huge splash with the Huskies this year, hitting .301 with a team-best 10 home runs 33 RBI. He's got 20 extra-base hits, which also leads the team. Baseball America described him as a five-tool talent last year, so he's definitely one to watch.
WAREHAM GATEMEN
Manager: Cooper Farris
2008 Record: 17-26
On paper, in April, there wasn't a more talented roster in the league last summer than Wareham's.
But in the Cape league, those are important caveats. Come June, the Gatemen team that took the field looked much different than the one that was expected to take the field.
Every year, teams get hit by roster changes. Sometimes it's injuries, sometimes it's the pro draft, sometimes it's Team USA. Wareham in 2008 got hit harder than most. By my count, 10 players who were on the original roster never made it to Wareham. And they weren't just any 10. The list included stud pitchers Mike Minor, Andy Oliver and Kendal Volz, talented returnee Josh Phegley and highly-touted freshmen Derek Dietrich and Rick Hague.
A team with those guys as key cogs might have competed for a Cape League championship.
Without them, it was a struggle.
The Gatemen had some great individual performances in 2008. Brandon Workman emerged as the league's most overpowering starter, and he was joined in a strong rotation by Max Perlman, Dallas Keuchel and Robby Broach, who were among the most consistent starters around. Ryan Pineda was great at the plate, emerging as one of the league's best freshmen. Raynor Campbell also had a fantastic season.
But those performances never added up to sustained success. The Gatemen had some good stretches but ended up finishing last in the West, with the worst record in the league.
It was the second year in a row that saw the Gatemen fight through an uneven season.
As they try to change things this summer, it looks like they've opted for a little more in the way of stability. The Gatemen have nine players slated to return, which is among the most in the league. From that group, I'd guess that only Workman is a Team USA risk, and he wasn't included in the first two rounds of invites.
Some of the others could get a nod, but the majority of them seem to be just below that highest level of prospect. For the Gatemen, that's not a bad thing. If you can field a lineup full of good players with Cape League experience, you'll be in good shape.
If you can sprinkle in a few more talented players, you might in for something special, and that's the kind of team the Gatemen could have. In players like Alex Dickerson, Ryan LaMarre, Taylor Jungmann, and George Springer, the Gatemen have exactly the right ingredients for the sprinkling. Add in Derek Dietrich, who has been invited to Team USA for a second straight year but could opt out, and you've got even more potential.
And the best news of all? So far, Dietrich is the only player on the roster who's been invited to Team USA.
Stability, indeed.
Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 9
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen: 12
Notable
- Assuming he makes it to Wareham, Brandon Workman will be one of the must-watch players this summer. The way things have been going, he'll have something to prove, too. After a strong start to the spring season that included a no-hitter, Workman has hit some rough patches, with his ERA rising from the 1.50 range up over 3.00. He's still having a great season, but he'll be looking for more consistency when the summer rolls around.
- Last year, I had heard that Georgia Tech star Derek Dietrich was seriously considering declining Team USA's offer and heading to Wareham. In the end, he stuck with USA, but if the seed was planted last year, it's not a stretch to think it would blossom this year. Several top players opted for the Cape over Team USA last year, and it wouldn't shock me to see it happen again, especially with a guy like Dietrich who's already had the national team experience.
- In Ryan LaMarre and Alex Dickerson, the Gatemen are getting what's likely to be two-thirds of the All-Big 10 outfield. Through May 12, La Marre, a sophomore from Michigan, was hitting .347 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI. Dickerson, a freshman from Indiana, was hitting .373 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI. That's serious production.
- Dickerson should be a shoo-in for Big 10 Freshman of the Year, and I think he'll be in the running for the national prize, too.
- Dickerson is another in a line of Indiana players who have found their way to Wareham, and the Gatemen are happy to keep the line going. Phegley had a fantastic summer two years ago before injury cut it short. If Dickerson can follow the same path, look out.
- The Gatemen have four catchers on their roster, which is an unusually high number. It might have something to do with ASU's Jordan Swagerty being one of them. A highly-touted two-way freshman, Swagerty has played sparingly in the field this spring, focusing more on pitching.
- Texas pitchers Cole Green and Taylor Jungmann have both been fantastic this spring, with Jungmann currently leading the team in ERA.
- Ryan Pineda is a player who flew under my radar last season, but he really shouldn't have. He was among the league leaders in extra-base hits as one of the best freshman hitters on the Cape.
- UConn outfielder George Springer currently has 16 home runs, a Husky freshman record. He's also got a .352 average, which is a lot better than it was when I wrote his bio below. I think we can say that Springer is right on par with Dickerson and LaMarre. You're not going to see many Cape league teams bringing in that many productive outfielders. In fact, I'm going to say you won't see any.
Five Players I'm Excited to See
1. Brandon Workman
2. Derek Dietrich
3. Alex Dickerson
4. Ryan LaMarre
5. George Springer
Pitchers
Jack Armstrong - RHP - 6'7 215 - Vanderbilt - Freshman
Matt Barnes - RHP - 6'4 185 - Connecticut - Freshman
*Zach Brewster - LHP - 6'1 195 - Georgia Tech - Sophomore
David Fischer - RHP - 6'5 175 - Connecticut - Freshman
Cole Green - RHP - 6'1 210 - Texas - Sophomore
Taylor Jungmann - RHP - 6'6 197 - Texas - Freshman
Dean Kiekhefer - LHP - 6'0 165 - Louisville - Sophomore
Blake Monar - LHP - 6'2 198 - Indiana - Freshman
Scott Rembisz - RHP - 6'1 220 - Florida International - Junior
Gabriel Shaw - RHP - 6'1 195 - Louisville - Sophomore
*Josh Slaats - RHP - 6'5 230 - Hawaii - Sophomore
*Brandon Workman - RHP - 6'5 225 - Texas - Sophomore
Jack Armstrong - RHP - 6'7 230
Vanderbilt
Freshman
The son of the former Major League pitcher of the same name, Armstrong hasn't seen a lot of action for the Commodores this season. He's thrown only 3.2 innings, all in relief. But it looks like the potential is definitely there. He was a 36th-round pick out of high school.
Matt Barnes - RHP - 6'3 180
Connecticut
Freshman
A freshman out of Bethel, Conn., Barnes is turning in a pretty solid first season in Storrs. In seven appearances (three starts), he's got a 3.95 ERA, and he's averaged about a strikeout per inning. He's picked up three victories. Barnes is part of a trio of Huskies who are slated for Wareham this summer.
Zach Brewster - LHP - 6'1 195
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
Brewster was one of several freshman pitchers who turned in pretty good summers for the Gatemen last year. Brewster tied for the team-lead in appearances with 16, all out of the bullpen. He finished with a 4.68 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 innings. For the Yellow Jackets this spring, Brewster has continued in a relief role. So far, he's made 17 appearances with a 4.15 ERA. Brewster was highly-touted out of high school, but missed most of his freshman year. Definitely a break-out candidate this summer.
David Fischer - RHP - 6'5 175
Connecticut
Freshman
Fischer appears to be the more highly-touted of the UConn freshman pitching duo that's headed to Wareham. A 44th-round pick out of high school, the lanky right-hander has been great out of the bullpen for the Huskies. In 11 appearances, he's got a 2.37 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 19 innings.
Cole Green - RHP - 6'1 210
Texas
Sophomore
Green is not the most over-powering member of the vaunted Texas pitching staff, but he's having a fantastic season. Serving as a weekend starter, Green has posted a 3-0 record and a 2.42 ERA. Last summer, he pitched in the Northwoods League and ranked second in the league in ERA.
Taylor Jungmann - RHP - 6'6 197
Texas
Freshman
With the body type, the school, and the summer destination, you could make a comparison between Jungmann and Brandon Workman. If Jungmann can do this summer what Workman did last summer, the Gatemen will be happy. He already has a leg up in that he's having a better freshman season. Pitching in a swing role, Jungmann has posted a 1.23 ERA, which leads the team. He has struck out 39 in 36.2 innings of work. Out of high school, Jungmann was a 24th-round pick. In the preseason, Baseball America rated him the nation's ninth-best freshman.
Dean Kiekhefer - LHP - 6'0 165
Louisville
Sophomore
Kiekhefer is another player who was on the Wareham roster last year but didn't make it. His absence was injury-related. This spring for the Cardinals, Kiekhefer has struggled a bit, posting a 6.27 ERA in eight appearances. He does have 31 strikeouts in 33 innings.
Blake Monar - LHP - 6'2 198
Indiana
Freshman
Monar brought some hype with him to Bloomington after getting picked in the 26th round of the draft by the Yankees. His ERA is up there (5.02) in his first season, but he is third on the team with 43 strikeouts. Some of what I've read indicates Monar expected to go higher in the draft, and would have signed if that happened. Sounds like the Hoosiers were thrilled to get him on campus.
Scott Rembisz - RHP - 6'1 220
Florida International
Junior
A junior-college All-American last year, Rembisz has been lights-out as the Friday starter for Florida International this spring. In eight starts, he's got a 5-0 record with a 2.84 ERA. In 57 innings, he has struck out 50 and walked only nine. He'll be draft-eligible this year.
Gabriel Shaw - RHP - 6'1 195
Louisville
Sophomore
Shaw will join his teammate Kiekhefer in Wareham this summer. So far this spring, Shaw has worked exclusively out of the bullpen and has been one of the Cards' most reliable relievers. In a team-high 14 appearances, he's got a 3.49 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.
Josh Slaats - RHP - 6'5 230
Hawaii
Sophomore
Slaats had an ERA over seven in his freshman season with the Warriors, and his ERA was high with Wareham, too. But he also struck out 26 in 17.1 innings and walked only nine for the Gatemen while pitching out of the bullpen. This year, Slaats has posted a 4.32 ERA for Hawaii with 17 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
Brandon Workman - RHP - 6'5 225
Texas
Sophomore
In the end, his ERA ballooned a bit, but Workman was still the most over-powering pitcher on the Cape last summer. He ended up leading the league with 67 strikeouts in 55 innings of work. He finished with a 3.44 ERA, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the league's fifth-best prospect. This spring, the former third-round pick has had some ups and downs. He delivered a no-hitter early in the season but has had some rough outings lately. He still has a 2.76 ERA.
Position Players
Tyler Albright - C - 6'2 210 - Harvard - Sophomore
Chris Hannick - C - 5'11 190 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
*Cole Leonida - C - 6'2 210 - Georgia Tech - Sophomore
Jordan Swagerty - C - 6'1 170 - Arizona State - Freshman
Derek Dietrich - IF - 6'1 195 - Georgia Tech - Sophomore
*Jake Lemmerman - IF - 6'2 185 - Duke - Sophomore
Eric Pfisterer - IF - 6'3 220 - Duke - Freshman
*Ryan Pineda - IF - 5'11 185 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
Zach Wilson - IF - 6'1 195 - Arizona State - Freshman
*Shea Vucinich - IF - 6'0 185 - Washington State - Sophomore
Alex Dickerson - OF - 6'3 210 - Indiana - Freshman
*Brett Eibner - OF/RHP - 6'3 205 - Arkansas - Sophomore
Ryan LaMarre - OF - 6'2 205 - Michigan - Sophomore
Jarrod McKinney - OF - 5'11 205 - Arkansas - Freshman
*Connor Rowe - OF - 5'11 180 - Texas - Sophomore
George Springer - OF - 6'2 200 - Connecticut - Freshman
Tyler Albright - C - 6'2 210
Harvard
Sophomore
Albright, a California native, grabbed the starting catcher job for the Crimson this spring and has turned in a .243 batting average to go with a home run and 10 RBI. Albright was a starter for part of his freshman season and surged at the end of the year.
Chris Hannick - C - 5'11 190
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
Hannick has been Northridge's starting catcher for most of the season and has posted some solid numbers. He's got a .260 average with three home runs and 14 RBI.
Cole Leonida - C - 6'2 210
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
Leonida is stuck behind senior Jason Haniger on Tech's depth chart, but he's seen time in 16 games this year and has posted a .262 batting average. Leonida has a reputation as a strong defensive catcher. Last summer for the Gatemen, he hit .202.
Jordan Swagerty - C - 6'1 170
Arizona State
Freshman
Rated by Baseball America as the 22nd best freshman in the nation, Swagerty hasn't made a huge splash with the Sun Devils -- maybe because he's trying to make two splashes. A hitter and a pitcher, Swagerty has made 15 appearances on the mound and has posted a 5.09 ERA. At the plate where it's tough to crack the ASU lineup, he's gotten 32 at-bats and has hit just .156. We'll see if he gets his feet under him this summer.
Derek Dietrich - IF - 6'1 195
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
One of the top unsigned picks in the 2007 draft, Dietrich parlayed a great freshman campaign at Tech into a spot with Team USA last summer. Fullerton's Christian Colon ended up pushing Dietrich out of the spot as the team's regular shortstop. Dietrich still played in most of the games, but only hit .259. I don't know if that'll make him look for another path this summer, but if he makes it to Wareham, he'll be an asset for the Gatemen. So far this year, he's hitting .339 with four home runs.
Jake Lemmerman - IF - 6'2 185
Duke
Sophomore
Lemmerman played for the Gatemen and was a valuable part of the infield. Though he hit only .208, he saw time at three different spots, proving to be the utility man the Gatemen desperately needed. For Duke this spring, Lemmerman has hit .279 with eight extra-base hits.
Eric Pfisterer - IF - 6'3 220
Duke
Freshman
One of the more highly-touted recruits to make it to the Duke campus, Pfisterer was a 15th-round pick out of high school last year. An infielder and a pitcher, Pfisterer has pulled double-duty this year, with a little more success at the plate. He has hit .318 in 15 games. On the mound, he has made 10 appearances and has posted a 4.85 ERA.
Ryan Pineda - IF - 5'11 185
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
Pineda wasn't on Wareham's initial roster last year, but he was as big a part of the team as anybody by the end of the season. A second baseman, Pineda finished the summer with a .273 average, three home runs, 18 RBI and 16 extra-base hits. Those numbers didn't put him on any leaderboards, but they did put him firmly in the league's best freshmen conversation. This spring, Pineda has hit .308 with a team-high eight home runs and 32 RBI.
Zach Wilson - IF - 6'1 195
Arizona State
Freshman
Another highly-touted ASU freshman (rated 18th by BA), Wilson has had a little better go of it than Swagerty so far. In 26 games, he has hit .298, though he doesn't yet have a home run. A third-baseman, Wilson was a 26th round pick out of high school.
Shea Vucinich - IF - 6'0 185
Washington State
Sophomore
Vucinich was a non-roster invitee to Wareham last year, but when Team USA raided the Gatemen roster, Vucinich got an opportunity and ran with it. He ended up hitting .239 while seeing action in 33 games. For the Cougars this spring, Vucinich is hitting .259 with four home runs.
Alex Dickerson - OF - 6'3 210
Indiana
Freshman
Dickerson was initially listed as a non-roster invitee on the Wareham roster, but he has moved over to the actual roster now. Good move. Dickerson has been one of the top freshman hitters in the country this year. Through 34 games, he has a .388 average with 11 home runs, 10 doubles and 40 RBI. That's the best production in the Big 10 and about as good as anyone in the country. Dickerson was a 48th-round pick out of high school.
Brett Eibner - OF/RHP - 6'3 205
Arkansas
Sophomore
Eibner was one of the highest unsigned picks in the 2007 draft, and he made some waves as a freshman at Arkansas last year, hitting .298 with 10 home runs. He's a two-way player but last summer in Wareham, he spent nearly all of his time focusing on hitting, making just one appearance on the mound. This year, though, Eibner has had more success with Arkansas as a pitcher. He's made eight starts and he has posted a 3.51 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. At the plate, he's got a .241 average with six home runs.
Ryan LeMarre - OF - 6'2 205
Michigan
Sophomore
Of all the hitters on the Wareham roster, LeMarre has been the most impressive so far. He's also been one of the best in the nation. The sophomore is hitting .385 with nine home runs and 43 RBI. He's also got 19 extra-base hits and a .483 on-base percentage. LeMarre played in the Northwoods League last year, and thought he only hit .237, he flashed some power with four home runs and 13 extra-base hits.
Jarrod McKinney - OF - 5'11 205
Arkansas
Freshman
A speedy outfielder who's seeing some time as a freshman, McKinney has yet to make his mark. In 15 games, he has hit .148.
Connor Rowe - OF - 5'11 180
Texas
Sophomore
Rowe didn't see a ton of action as a freshman, but he's taken on a bigger role this year. Playing in 31 games, he's got a .241 average with four home runs. Rowe played in 40 games last summer for the Gatemen and though he only hit .220, he was all over the boxscores. He finished with two home runs, 12 extra-base hits and 10 steals.
George Springer - OF - 6'2 200
Connecticut
Freshman
Springer played at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut last year and was picked in the 48th round of the June draft. He's made a huge splash with the Huskies this year, hitting .301 with a team-best 10 home runs 33 RBI. He's got 20 extra-base hits, which also leads the team. Baseball America described him as a five-tool talent last year, so he's definitely one to watch.
Monday, April 13, 2009
The March to Summer
We are 60 days away, so it's about time I get this thing in gear.
I am currently working on the early look features, with rundowns of each team and bios of every player. Wareham should be up within the week.
A few other things to share:
1. I am now burning the blogging candle at both ends, or something like that. Last year, I decided I wanted to start a college baseball blog. I fired one up, called it Omaha Sky and made one post in three months. I was about ready to chalk it up as a failed endeavor when I got the itch again while digging my car out of the eighth or ninth snow storm, and thinking, "Hey, they're playing baseball somewhere." So I got it going again. It's been a bit of an adventure. Keeping tabs on 300 teams is a lot harder than keeping tabs on 10 teams, and every once in a while, I freak out, miss a few days and become terrified of looking at scores to see what I missed. Neuroses aside, it's up and running. If you're a college baseball fan -- and most of you have at least a passing interest -- then you should check it out. It's getting about seven hits a day, so I could use a few friends over there. The address is omahasky.blogspot.com.
2. On a related note, I promise not to let Omaha Sky interfere with Right Field Fog.
3. I'm not sure about this whole All Star Game at Fenway Park business. I tend to liken it to a high school state championship game getting played at a big venue. It's cool for the players and it's something different, but at the end of the day, the place is 90 percent empty and the game feels more small-time than it would if it was in a home gym.
It's not exactly the same scenario with the Cape League going to Fenway, but it stirs a similar feeling for me. The players will love it, and it'll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But the place will also be empty -- even an enormous all-star game crowd of 10,000 wouldn't come close to filling it up -- and the atmosphere will be different. There's something quintessentially Cape League about the all-star game, and I fear having it at Fenway will take away a lot of that charm.
But while I'm not sold on it, I commend the league for taking the chance. Ideally, I think it would be perfect to have a Cape League vs Team USA game (or even NECBL) at Fenway, with the all-star game still on the Cape. That's kind of the best of both worlds. But I guess you have to start somewhere.
I am currently working on the early look features, with rundowns of each team and bios of every player. Wareham should be up within the week.
A few other things to share:
1. I am now burning the blogging candle at both ends, or something like that. Last year, I decided I wanted to start a college baseball blog. I fired one up, called it Omaha Sky and made one post in three months. I was about ready to chalk it up as a failed endeavor when I got the itch again while digging my car out of the eighth or ninth snow storm, and thinking, "Hey, they're playing baseball somewhere." So I got it going again. It's been a bit of an adventure. Keeping tabs on 300 teams is a lot harder than keeping tabs on 10 teams, and every once in a while, I freak out, miss a few days and become terrified of looking at scores to see what I missed. Neuroses aside, it's up and running. If you're a college baseball fan -- and most of you have at least a passing interest -- then you should check it out. It's getting about seven hits a day, so I could use a few friends over there. The address is omahasky.blogspot.com.
2. On a related note, I promise not to let Omaha Sky interfere with Right Field Fog.
3. I'm not sure about this whole All Star Game at Fenway Park business. I tend to liken it to a high school state championship game getting played at a big venue. It's cool for the players and it's something different, but at the end of the day, the place is 90 percent empty and the game feels more small-time than it would if it was in a home gym.
It's not exactly the same scenario with the Cape League going to Fenway, but it stirs a similar feeling for me. The players will love it, and it'll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But the place will also be empty -- even an enormous all-star game crowd of 10,000 wouldn't come close to filling it up -- and the atmosphere will be different. There's something quintessentially Cape League about the all-star game, and I fear having it at Fenway will take away a lot of that charm.
But while I'm not sold on it, I commend the league for taking the chance. Ideally, I think it would be perfect to have a Cape League vs Team USA game (or even NECBL) at Fenway, with the all-star game still on the Cape. That's kind of the best of both worlds. But I guess you have to start somewhere.
Monday, February 16, 2009
All-Americans All Cape
You know what never gets old? Talking about how much talent is on the Cape. I seriously don't get tired of it. You can point to so many things, and you don't really even need to make the case, because everyone agrees. But still, I'm all about tooting the Cape League's horn.
Today's Exhibit: Baseball America's Preseason All-America Teams
There are a total of 48 players on the three teams. Thirty-four of them have played in the Cape League.
The list includes stars from last summer like Grant Green, A.J. Pollock and Chris Dominguez, as well as standouts from the year before like Kyle Gibson, Josh Phegley, and Ryan Jackson.
Also, in a nod to just how much a big summer on the Cape can set the stage for a big year, several players who emerged last summer find themselves on the list. The names include Ben Tootle, Marc Krauss, Ben Paulsen, Dallas Poulk and Tim Wheeler.
All in all, the Cape League will certainly leave a stamp on the college baseball landscape this spring.
Today's Exhibit: Baseball America's Preseason All-America Teams
There are a total of 48 players on the three teams. Thirty-four of them have played in the Cape League.
The list includes stars from last summer like Grant Green, A.J. Pollock and Chris Dominguez, as well as standouts from the year before like Kyle Gibson, Josh Phegley, and Ryan Jackson.
Also, in a nod to just how much a big summer on the Cape can set the stage for a big year, several players who emerged last summer find themselves on the list. The names include Ben Tootle, Marc Krauss, Ben Paulsen, Dallas Poulk and Tim Wheeler.
All in all, the Cape League will certainly leave a stamp on the college baseball landscape this spring.
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