Are You There, God? It's Me...Carlos

AUGUST 6th, 2015-This young man is Carlos Mesa. He plays for The Greenville Drive​ in the South Atlantic League. He's 27 years old, and yes, that's considered a bit old for Class-A ball. 

His numbers don't seem especially noteworthy; at first glance, one wonders what chance he has of advancing up the ladder. He does appear to have a significant amount of power. But numbers have nothing to do with why I'm posting this photo. 

Procyshen practices precision in putting the
pellet in play. Yeah, I know; sounds goofy.
But I'm a big fan of alliteration.

On April 21st, the Drive paid us a visit here in Lexington. Being a Red Sox affiliate, I naturally had to be there. Specifically, I was there to see catcher Jordan Procyshen, a recent draftee from Alberta, Canada, and a player at Northern Kentucky University. This being a double-whammy for me (Canadian AND with ties to Kentucky), I made him my first target. But Mesa caught my attention, as well. 

Every batter has a particular mental and physical approach that they go through before they walk to the batter's box. Mesa intrigued me with his, and I was seated not more than 10 feet from the on-deck circle so I couldn't have missed it. 

Before each at-bat, Mesa would go through the routine of taking some warm-up swings with the bat weight. He'd stretch a bit, watch the pitcher, try to work out his timing. 

Then he would kneel and pray. Each at-bat, no exception. He would just lean on his bat and pray for a moment. And I decided that I liked that. 

I'm not the most religious guy around. In many cases, I've often felt that 'religion' in and of itself is vastly overrated; that it's more of a show we perform for one another's own edification. God Himself may or may not have a role. But religion is a man-made construct, and has little if anything to do with true faith and belief. For my part, I most definitely believe in God. But that's just how I see it. 

And because I believe that God knows our hearts, no matter what we do outwardly, I believe that He will reward this young man's faith and perseverance (if he truly does believe; only God can know with certainty). 

Because I believe that what we say and do is reflective of what we feel in our heart to be right, I believe that this moment captured here in lights and bytes is an illustration of what Mr. Mesa holds dear. Again, only God can know for certain. 

In the world of professional baseball, his journey may never lead him to the Majors. But in his journey through life, he may be on a comparatively more significant path. His actions, his choices, will ultimately show what kind of man he is, and what he holds most precious in this world. 

Mesa hits one over the moon.

Nevertheless, I appreciated the gesture. I took it for what it was worth. And it stuck with me. Maybe it was just the timing of it all for me, but it made an impression; at least, enough of an impression that I made the decision to write here about it now. 

Each time, Carlos went though his routine: first tending to matters of game-related importance, then to decidedly more significant priorities. It made me smile. 

Incidentally, right after this image was shot, Mesa had a shot of his own. It flew out to left-center field and probably clipped a Cessna on its way out. Was it his praying that powered that missile?

Who knows for sure? But it couldn't hurt to try. 

2014 Lexington Legends Preview: Part One

A look at players likely to make up the 2014 roster

JAN 31^st, 2014-With the start of the 2014 SAL season due to get underway in a bit over 2 months, now is a good time to consider who might be making their way to Class A Lexington. With the considerable talent on our roster last season, this year could bring with it the promise of even more potential.

The Royals minor-league system consists of three rookie-level teams: the Arizona League representative, Burlington in the Appalachian League, and Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League. Kansas City has typically partitioned these three teams according to the organization's own talent assessment: the AZL Royals usually get the youngest players and/or those who need the most polish, Idaho Falls gets the most advanced rookie-level players, and Burlington seems to be the way station between those two teams. With that knowledge in mind, we're first going to look back at the Royals' top rookie team in Idaho Falls.

Hitters

Logan Davis, UT

Bats: L Throws: R

Ht: 6'2” Wt: 175

Born: August 23^rd, 1991 in Scottsdale, Arizona

School: Cactus Shadows HS (Cave Creek, AZ)

Drafted: by the Colorado Rockies in the 38^th round of the 2010 MLB Draft from Cactus Shadows HS

Drafted in 2010 by the Rockies, Davis opted instead to attend the University of San Diego to hone his game within a program with an excellent reputation. He ended up signing with the Royals as a non-drafted free agent and spent 2013 learning the ropes in the rookie league with the AZL Royals as well as the Chukars. Davis is the son of former MLB closer, All-Star and 1989 Cy Young Award winner (!) Mark Davis, who amassed 44 saves and a 1.85 ERA for the San Diego Padres in '89 and took home the hardware for his efforts. Davis the Younger has versatility in the infield and could end up at third if he is able to add a bit more muscle. He shows decent speed and a somewhat-advanced base-running sense. Davis is just getting his feet wet in pro ball, and as such could end up in extended Spring Training while he awaits assignment to Class A. A few more games at Idaho Falls would not be shocking, either.

Hunter Dozier, 3B

Bats: R Throws: R

Ht: 6'4” Wt: 220

Born: August 22^nd, 1991 in Denton, Texas

School: Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX)

Drafted: by the Kansas City Royals in the 1^st round of the 2013 MLB Draft

Dozier has been a polarizing pick among the experts, to be sure. Jeff Passan tweeted the response of a scout in Texas to KC's selection of Dozier at 8^th overall:

Heard some good things about Hunter Dozier from a scout in Texas this week ... but another scout already texted: "This is a big reach."

Jim Callis reported a slightly more dramatic reaction to the Dozier selection, writing for Baseball America:

“The commentators at the main desk during MLB Network’s telecast reacted with such shock that the daughter of one Royals official asked her father why the team picked Dozier. Local radio hosts called for the dismissal of Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore and the rest of his front office.”

Now that's funny.

So let's get this out of the way: Dozier being selected in the top 10 was viewed as a secure pick. The Royals didn't want to run the risk of not being able to sign their 1^st pick of the year, and so they made the 'safe' choice. Also, it allowed them financial room to sign their 34^th-overall pick (Sean Manaea, LHP), so by taking a chance on Dozier at #8 they were able to land the lefty as well.

OK, fine. That having been said...

This kid has a great bat. In 54 games with the Chukars last year, Dozier smacked 24 doubles and 7 homers, driving in 43 and scoring the same in the process. He showed a good eye at the plate and made consistent contact, qualities which should carry over to the higher levels with little difficulty. One thing I wonder about is, he's already right about where he should be in terms of his size. Mind you, he's a chunk of muscle. He's an avid weight-lifter, which is both good and bad (see: Gabe Kapler). The scouting reports on Dozier were generally careful to point out that he has probably reached the apex of his physical development, however, and at his size he could ultimately be a DH-only guy. He is roundly praised for his intangibles and makeup, and along with his age (22) should push him through the minors quickly. IF he can maintain his flexibility and range, then he could man the hot corner in the majors. If not, it's the 1B-DH slot for him. The only way he doesn't come to Lexington this season is if he leapfrogs The Sally on his way to High-A Wilmington (which wouldn't be a huge shock).

Zane Evans, C

Bats: R Throws: R

Ht: 6'2” Wt: 209

Born: November 29^th, 1991 in Bethlehem, Georgia

School: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)

Drafted: By the Kansas City Royals in the 4^th round of the 2013 MLB Draft

Evans was a promising two-way player in college ball, but his future demands that he play the field. In his case, that means donning the tools of ignorance. He had a strong fastball/slider combo in college, bringing it in the mid-90's often. However...

While Evans has a solid bat and will probably end up producing above-average pop for a catcher, there are concerns that he may be a defensive liability at that position. He is, at best, a fringe-average glove at the present. If he can progress defensively, he could end up as a Mike Napoli-type guy: solid power, mixes in some games at first and DH with some appearances behind the plate. Evans tore up the Pioneer League in 41 games, knocking 18 doubles and driving in 31 to go along with his spectacular .352 BA. At age 21, you'd expect a very small learning curve. Still, that's a heck of a year. Evans is, like Dozier, a batter who could end up taking a lot of AB as a DH and first baseman, and if his bat continues to progress he could be a 20-HR guy in the majors. Rookie-level ball is a poor measuring stick for measuring future success, of course, but Evans could hardly have given a better effort in his debut.

Elier Hernandez, OF

Bats: R Throws: R

Ht: 6'4” Wt: 200

Born: November 21^st, 1994 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic

School:

Drafted: NDFA by the Kansas City Royals in 2011

Hernandez is a fascinating prospect: great natural ability, tools are all a bit rough, high-risk/high-reward sort of player. At 6'4”, 200, Hernandez is one large teenager. He moves very well for his size, shows flashes of brilliance with the glove, runs the bases well and puts a real charge in the ball with the bat. The Royals went after him with a purpose, signing him for slightly more than $3,000,000. He's got tremendous fast-twitch reflexes, which bode well for his future at the plate, and he put up big numbers in Idaho Falls (15 2B, 8 3B, 44 RBI, 44 R in 66 games). Granted, 2013 was a repeat in rookie ball, but he was only 18 years old. There's no real reason for him to go back to the rookie league in 2014, so look for him in Lexington after (perhaps) some time in extended ST. He's going to be exciting to watch.

That's just a few of the players who could be patrolling the field at The Bank. Part Two will take a further look at potential Legends bats for 2014 coming out of Burlington and the Arizona League. Stay tuned. 

Lexington Legends Update: The Hitters-July 20th, 2013

In the minor leagues, numbers really don't mean a whole lot.

Don't get me wrong; I should say that they don't mean as much as they would in the majors. Down here, it's all about developing talent, not reaping the rewards of the end product. 

With that in mind, there is much to like about this Legends team. 

While it is true that our offense has had its issues, the second half has been a stunning success overall. Not only are the Legends in first place in their division (17-9, 2.0 games ahead of 2nd place Greenville), they currently have the best second half record in all of the South Atlantic League. They've been able to accomplish this largely on the strength of an outstanding pitching staff and well-timed hits. No single hitter on this team has stood out this year, but there are a number of highlights of note. A quick look at some of the hitters:

Michael Antonio, 3B

2013:

86 games, 337 PA, 17 R, 14 2B, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 28 BB, 53 K, .195 BA, .268 OBP

Antonio has, like many of the hitters on this team, had a tough go of it at the plate this year. One of my favorite players to watch, I still see at least one issue with his approach. He has good natural power, but it comes from a sometimes-violent swing which could likely be shortened up a bit without his giving up much power. Until he's able to do that, he's going to strike out quite a lot. However, even with this approach, he's at his best in clutch situations (.246 BA with 2 outs and runners in scoring position). I would still like to see him shorten up a little. Being an aggressive swinger is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. But in his case, it's hurting more than it's helping.

Mark Donato, 1B-DH

2013:

38 games, 156 PA, 13 R, 8 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 9 BB, 26 K, .292 BA, .333 OBP, .764 OPS

I did an interview with Donato near the end of last season in anticipation that he would be with us this year. I expected big things of him, and he has not disappointed. In 38 games with Lexington, he has either driven in or scored (or both) 34 runs, and he's on pace for 30+ doubles and double-digits in homers. He's hit significantly better at home (.339 BA, .938 OPS at home vs. .259 and .641 on the road), and has flagged off a bit in July (.233 BA in 12 games), but I expect this will balance itself out. He handles first base well, as he is quick on his feet, shows ample range to both sides, and is confident in every defensive scenario in which I've seen him, thus far. A full year here in Lexington could bring 20+ homers and at least 90 RBI, numbers which he could potentially meet this year even though he's only been here since the end of May.

Fred Ford, RF

2013:

87 games, 342 PA, 36 R, 13 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 32 RBI, 42 BB, 119 K, .207 BA, .681 OPS

Ford started out the year at first base, a position with which he was not nearly as accustomed as right field. He acquitted himself well filling in for an injured Mark Threlkeld, but I feel that his switch to first (along with this being his first year in Class A ball) likely affected his batting a bit. At 6'5”, Ford is always going to have to work hard to control the strike zone. He showed a notable improvement in this regard when in June he cut his strikeouts down to 26 in 22 games, as opposed to the previous month when he was rung up 40 times in 28 games. His BB/K ratio was significantly better in June than in any other month so far, and he posted a monstrous .912 OPS in that month. Ford will post strong power numbers in the future as long as he can make more frequent contact than he is now. Again, I think this will come along with time.

Cam Gallagher, C

2013:

40 games, 156 PA, 10 R, 11 2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 12 BB, 12 K, .230 BA, .647 OPS

Gallagher has played in only 40 games thus far, having missed a chunk of time when Asheville righty Shane Broyles plunked him in the arm on April 24^th (Cory Hall returned the favor, with 1B Derek Jones being the victim), so he's had to deal with recovering from the resultant fractured forearm. Gallagher has been a prospect of note since he was drafted in the 2^nd round in 2011, and he will certainly show above-average power when he hits his peak. Catchers traditionally take longer to develop, but he will definitely be worth the wait. I expect his CS rates to improve in the near future (he's thrown out 29% of basestealers, thus far), while he already handles the staff very well.

Terrance Gore, LF

2013:

86 games, 359 PA, 53 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, 20 RBI, (spoiler alert, T!) 50 SB, 41 BB, 73 K, .226 BA, .342 OBP

Gore is one of the fastest players I've ever seen, at any level. I've timed him at 3.9 or less to first so many times that I've stopped keeping track, and he continues to cover enough territory in the OF that the Legends could almost get away with two outfielders. He plays the field next to CF Bubba Starling, who is a speedster in his own right, and there are plenty of times when they arrive at a fly ball at the same time. It's starting to look like my preseason prediction about Gore will be, at least, pretty darn close (I said I'd expect 100 swipes out of him if he spent the whole year in Lexington). There's more to him than just speed, though; while he is a smallish player, he is powerfully built. When his bat catches up, he should be the kind of hitter who produces double-digits in doubles and triples, with 50+ steals in the majors. It all depends on that bat, however.

Raul Mondesi, SS

2013:

83 games, 357 PA, 38 R, 11 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 38 RBI, 16 SB, .261 BA, .680 OPS

Mondesi is batting .261, is helping a great deal to carry the offense, has a cannon for an arm and has invaded the right side of the infield as a shortstop. And he turns 18 on the 27^th of this month. There's nothing I need to add to that. He's pretty good.

Bubba Starling, CF

2013:

85 games, 343 PA, 41 R, 14 2B, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 12 SB, 36 BB, 89 K, .217 BA, .656 OPS

By now, most Legends fans know that Bubba started the year having great difficulty picking up the ball while at the plate. There's a 100-point difference in his BA between day and night games (.289 in day games, .189 at night), and that was a big red flag from the get-go. He has since had LASIK surgery to correct that. There has been concern in the past from fans who felt that he was too raw to ever reach his full potential in baseball, and that he should have gone the football route. Those fans were premature in their assessment. Starling will, at the very least, develop into a plus defender with above-average power and speed, and even if that's all he gives the Royals then they should be more than happy with it. Fans should also keep in mind that he doesn't turn 21 until August 3^rd, so I think taking a 'wait and see' approach is the best way to go, here. He has already made strides in the past month, though he does continue to strike out a lot more than you'd like to see. He may always record a lot of Ks, but he'll offset that with extra-base hits in bunches. Worth it, I'd say.

Lexington Legends Update; April 15th, 2013

APR 15th, 2013-As we're just around a week and a half into the season, I thought I'd weigh in with some of my (humble) observations on our latest incarnation of the Legends:


Fred Ford, 1B


I don't know how many folks knew it, but Freddie can swing the lumber. He's a tall, rangy guy, so there's a bit more of a strike zone to cover for him. However, he makes consistent, hard contact, and will definitely he a reliable and steady power source for this team as the year progresses.

In a short conversation with Fred, he mentioned that while he played first base in college, he was drafted as an outfielder. Considering the ease with which he has handled first, it doesn't seem that he'll struggle defensively. Add to his experience the fact that he handles grounders with ease and can move well laterally, and you have a first sacker with significant potential. He has gotten himself tied up on short hops on a couple of occasions, but I wouldn't expect this to be anymore than a rare occurrence.

Humberto Arteaga, 2B

Bumped to second when Raul Mondesi advanced to A ball, Arteaga has more than enough range to cover the keystone. As I stated before, he could easily handle short at this and higher levels, though he doesn't quite have Mondesi's outrageous range (then again, who does?). His glove is far steadier than Mondesi's at this stage, and overall is probably the more reliable gloveman as of right now. At the plate, we haven't seen a lot from him yet, but his true value lies in his glove; whatever he does offensively (at this level) is just gravy. However, as he moves up the chain he will have to show some sort of offense if he's ever to be more than a late-inning defensive replacement and occasional starter. I see him developing into enough of a hitter that he can start at second and not cost his team anything significant in the runs department. Indeed, if he develops into a slap hitter and can draw the odd walk, he would be a great bottom-of-the-order place setter (maybe 8th?).

Raul Mondesi, SS

Not sure I could say anymore than I've already said about this kid. As long as he can rein it in a bit and cut those errors down, he'll probably make the majors based on glovework alone. He's definitely that good.

As for the bat: to look at him, you wouldn't expect much pop out of his bat. Indeed, he'll not be much in the way of power, anytime soon. Don't be too surprised, though, if he fills out a bit and becomes a reliable doubles-hitting batter in the two slot, when he makes it to the top.

Glove-wise, he has a tendency to chase any grounder between Arteaga and the third-base seats. Because of this, you're going to see a lot of errors made on balls he probably shouldn't have chased. He's got more than enough arm to play at short, and consequently he sometimes appears to be 'flipping' the ball to first. He'll be able to get by this way, for now, but when he starts facing faster and better runners he's going to have to plant and throw far more often than he does right now. He's only 17; this will all come with time.

Mike Antonio, 3B

Antonio covers third well and has adequate range to either side. He can also go back on popups quickly. The problem that I've seen with him is that he sometimes seems to have trouble making the throw to first, especially early in the game. I don't know if this is an uncommon thing for him, or if he genuinely does have difficulty making the throw, but I'm taking a 'wait and see' attitude about if. After all, we just started the season.

At the plate, he's an aggressive swinger with less arm extension than most hitters I'm used to seeing. He looks, at first glance, like an 'all-or-nothing' type swinger, but he makes consistent, hard contact, and runs hard on the bases. He looks to be a pull hitter at this stage, so I'd like to see if he can go opposite field with any sort of regularity. Until then, I still like what I've seen from him. He's been one of the few steady hitters in this lineup, thus far.

Cam Gallagher, C

Terrific glove, very good arm. This past week he threw out a Greenville steal attempt at second without bothering to stand up first, so that sort of got my attention. He controls the game well, communicates well with his pitchers, and does it all in a quiet, 'lead by example' sort of way.

At the plate, he makes frequent contact. He's shown a fair amount of pop with four doubles in 9 games, but has yet to hit a homer. He's very still and well-balanced at bat, and there's very little (if any) movement before the swing. He's been in the clean-up slot so far, and though he has only 2 RBI to show for it it's certainly not because of his performance.

Terrance Gore, LF

Wow. Just, wow. Easily one of the fastest players in professional baseball (yeah, I said that), Gore covers more real estate than an army of groundskeepers. He's a slap hitter at the plate, which is what he should be, and makes the utmost use of his plus-plus speed at every opportunity. He's a threat to steal whenever he gets on base, will easily take the extra base on a passed ball or long single, and is likely to score from second on most singles. Massively built for his 5'7" frame, he told me that "speed sort of runs in my family". It's easy to believe; on speed alone, he's a major-leaguer. Of course, we all know it takes more than one tool to make it to The Show.

At the plate, he shows good bat speed and doesn't ever try to do too much with the pitch he's given. If it takes the infielder more than one hop to get to the ball, his throw is probably going to be late. He's already bunted for 2 or 3 base hits, and with a little bunting practice could probably do it 30-40 times a year, with little difficulty. I've noticed tha
t the opposing third baseman always plays in on Gore early in the count; it's only in a two-strike count that he moves back to the dirt of the infield. For those of you who saw last year's Legends, I can tell you that he is definitely faster than Deshields. And we all know what HE did, last year.

Two more things about Gore and his stint with the Legends: if he stays here all year, he'll swipe 100 bags. No doubt. Secondly, I don't expect him to be here in June. Either way, and even with half a season in AA NW Arkansas, I still expect him to swipe 70+ bags with little effort.

Bubba Starling, CF

If anyone on this roster has struggled with the transition to Class A, it's this kid.

As a defender, he's got all the tools you'd hope to have in a player at any position. He's got a great arm, covers a lot of ground in center, and catches everything he can reach. He has made a couple of errors in the field this year, but there's a little more to it than just a number on a page.

After the trade of Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi and Mike Montgomery, Starling essentially became the de facto top hitting prospect in the Royals organization. That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid. Through about two weeks of ball, he has struggled mightily at the plate; in 36 at-bats, he's struck out 15 times. On a number of occasions he's let his frustration get the best of him, dropping more f-bombs than he has base hits, and at least twice he's done this less than 10 feet from children sitting in the first few rows (sorry, Bubba, but it's true). My understanding is that he's since been counselled on this matter, and I really don't think it's going to be a problem in the future. He has shown his frustration both after at-bats and in the field between pitches, noticeably. Given the expectations placed on him, I can see how he (or anyone else) could let it get to him. One other thing which I believe: those moments should not define who he is, in the eyes of fans and team personnel. This is not who he is, in my humble opinion.

Ethan Chapman, RF

Here's another kid who's done his thing with little fanfare. Chapman is hitting only .176 in 34 at-bats, but I think there's more to see here.

First off, he hustles from the moment he steps onto the field. He has been on base only 8 times (six hits, two walks) but he's picked up four steals in the process. Always an aggressive baserunner, Chapman's instincts help to turn a single or a walk into a potential RBI for the batter behind him. He just looks like he seriously wants to beat the other team; some players wear that attitude on their sleeve, and he's certainly one of them.

In right, he runs down every ball he's expected to reach and a few that he should be out of range. He strikes me as a baseball rat, the kind of guy who plays his heart out every game, and when the game's over he's looking forward to the next one. That's my kind of player.

Adrian Morales, UT

Admittedly, I've only seen him play twice now, and that was at second base. But aside from the fact that Morales looks like he could make a name for himself in the octagon just as easily as he could on the diamond, this kid is not messing around when he hits the field. I saw him lay a hit on Greenville's catcher a few days ago that would have put most guys on the trainer's table. Fortunately, no one was hurt (badly), but even after being thrown out and driving through the Drive's catcher, he shot him a long glare on the way back to the Legends dugout. You can see just a little bit of a chip on that shoulder, and I have to say: I like it. If/when he gets his chance on the field, it will be interesting to see how much he affects the team's play, attitude-wise. Players like this can give your lineup a bit of a swagger they might otherwise lack, something that wouldn't exactly hurt our play.



That's all, for now. Our Legends roll back into town Thursday to face the Drive again, sort of a rematch from last week's series. I'm looking forward to more from what should be one of the most impressive teams in the South Atlantic League, this year.

Player Interview: Dan Gamache, 2B, West Virginia Power (Class A, South Atlantic League, Pittsburgh Pirates)

DEC 10^th, 2012-I had the opportunity recently to speak with Pirates 2B prospect Dan Gamache, and after seeing him play here against our Legends several times this past season I'm certainly happy to have had the chance to do so. Never did I see him on the field or at the plate without a smile on his face or a noticeable energy and passion for the game. Watching players like Gamache is always a joy for me, and a reminder that there are still players out there who are fans of the game. You'd be surprised how many of them aren't.

Daniel Joseph Gamache
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Height: 5' 11", Weight: 190 lb.
Born: November 20, 1990 in Newport, Rhode Island, US (Age 22)
Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 6th round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft from Auburn University (Auburn, AL).

So you had quite a number of honors bestowed upon you as an amateur, but would you say there was one in particular that meant more than the rest?

My favorite honor I got as an amateur would have to be being named the MVP in the Capital City Classic my junior year at Auburn against Alabama. It doesn't get better than that game when it comes to regular season college games.

When the time came for the draft, was there a particular team which showed early interest in drafting you, or did you have a preconceived notion as to where you would end up?

There were several teams that I was confident would be taking me, but I would have to say that I had the most confidence that the Pirates would take me first.

Coming up as a third baseman and now having shifted to second, have you had much difficulty in making the transition?

It was definitely difficult at first transitioning from a corner position to the middle. I didn't realize the responsibility that came with second but with reps in practice and actually playing in games I have become way more comfortable there.

What would you say is your greatest asset, on the field?

I'd say that my greatest asset on the field would have to be my bat. I have always felt comfortable making necessary adjustments at the plate physically and with my approach.

How does the atmosphere in a pro clubhouse, with many different players from across the US and surrounding countries, differ from the feel of college or high school?

The pro clubhouse is very different at first from the college ranks. In college its more of a team atmosphere with everyone kind of focusing on winning games and working together as a team. In pro ball everyone has the same goal, to get to the big leagues. This makes everyone work together as well but it has a different feel from college.

If there was one coach or instructor you could take with you throughout your pro career, who would it be and why?

The one instructor I could take through my professional career with me would have to be my hitting coach that I've worked with since I was 8 years old, Jon Burke. He knows my swing and me better than anyone I've ever been coached by and I am able to call him for advice or just to talk whenever I need.

What has been the hardest adjustment for you since you went pro?

Worst moment on the field since being a pro has to be when I struck out three times in a game last season in West Virginia, just felt plain helpless. Best moment for me is my first home run that came in State College my first year.

Do you follow a special routine on game days?

I wouldn't call the routine that I have on game day special. Its not even planned out really, it just kind of happens. On the way to the field i will pick up a couple of energy drinks, usually crush one of those on the way to the field, get my early work in before BP, take BP, take in and out, take a shower, and listen to music at my locker while downing the other energy drink before pre-game stretch.

Who has been the toughest pitcher/batter you've seen, to this point?

Toughest pitcher that I've faced to now is Jose Fernandez. Kid's got talent. (Ed. note-he ain't kidding.)

If you had to leave the game tomorrow, what would you most like to do?

If I left the game as a player tomorrow I would without a doubt be a coach somewhere.

Lexington Legends Lose PDC With Houston Astros

SEPT 16th, 2012-According to a source with direct knowledge of the team's day-to-day operations, the Class A Lexington Legends, the Houston Astros affiliate in the South Atlantic League since their founding in 2001, will no longer be affiliated with the Astros when the 2013 season begins.

Although there is no indication as to what organization will sign a Player Development Contract with Lexington as of yet, there could very well be deal in the works as we speak. As for the team's fans, rumors abound as to who could be the new parent club, with Toronto, NY (NL), St. Louis, and Kansas City thought to be the leading candidates.

More news to come; I'll keep you posted. 

The Long Season: Random Thoughts On The Season Thus Far

APR 26th, 2012-With just one month into the ML season (and a little less in the minors), here's just a few scattered thoughts on what I've seen, to this point. Couldn't think of a more poetic way to say it; my apologies to all you literary aficionados.

First of all, a big Bravo Zulu is due to Chicago White Sox 1B Paul Konerko, who hit his 400th career homer yesterday against the Oakland A's. Characteristically, Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson lost his ever-loving mind over it. The solo shot, his 4th on the year, came off Oakland reliever Grant Balfour and sent the game into extra innings, but CF Yoenis Cespedes added a two-run shot of his own against a screwball from Chicago reliever Hector Santiago and former Kansas City power prospect Kila Ka'aihue finished off the Sox with an RBI single (also off Santiago; a 93 MPH fastball) to end it. Konerko seems to labor in relative obscurity, given his outstanding career numbers and consistently top-shelf play, but nevertheless he's been the heart and soul of this White Sox team for the last decade or so. Always been a big fan of players who go about their jobs quietly and without fanfare; it's refreshing to see in this era of overblown egos and hundred million dollar shoe contracts. The White Sox seem to be a blue-collar type of team anyway, reflective of their work-a-day, Midwestern fan base, so he fits right in with that mentality. My kind of player.

Speaking of the White Sox, a Major League shout-out to righty reliever Nate Jones, a 5th round pick of the Sox in 2007, as well as a Northern KY University alum (Go Norsemen!) and a native of Covington, KY, who made his debut with Chicago on April 8th this year. A lanky 6'5", this kid throws some serious heat. Example is his performance in yesterday's game vs. the A's, which saw him hitting 96-97 with his four-seamer. I saw him pitch last week and Lord Almighty, he BRINGS IT. Maybe I'm just big on this kid because he hails from around my old stomping grounds (if you count the first 3 years of my life as "stomping"), but he's legit and then some. Hoping to see big things from him, and I'm thinking I won't be disappointed.

Moving on.

Picture this but, you
know...with a Halo.

I rather enjoyed the LA Angels/TB Rays game, yesterday. Most of the talk, of course, revolved around the Pujols Homer Watch, which entered the 90-AB range. Seems like 50% of all that was discussed during this game had to do with "when will Albert hit his first homer as an Angel?", and all the fear and anxiety that goes with that. Good God, people! This is ALBERT FREAKIN' PUJOLS we're talking about! Do you really think we need to worry about this? He'll hit a few homers this year, I'm pretty sure of that. It was hilarious, though, to watch Pujols walk up to Angels coach Mickey Hatcher and get his take on whether or not his bat is cursed. Hatcher, as befitting his well-known reputation as a jokester and clubhouse funny man, gave the bat a quick Sign of the Cross and the whole "in Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti" bit, so we'll see if that helps to break the homerless drought.

Angels fans reacting (appropriately) to Pujols' homerless drought with a small, tasteful shrine built in his honor. 

Over in the minors, the South Atlantic League has proven to be well-stocked with the talented heirs to MLB's colorful and storied legacy. And on that line of thinking, we have some Legends of our own here in Lexington. This year's roster is certainly not short of intriguing talent, both well-known and otherwise, and the great thing about talent is, eventually everyone knows you've got it. Doesn't matter if Baseball America wrote a blurb on you or not. I'll be posting on our boys here in Lexington over at Nothing But Baseball and Apple Pie later tonight, so tune in for that.

I need to wrap this thing up eventually, so more to come.

Pics From Lexington Legends First Practice, 4-3-2012

APR 9th, 2012-Here's the link:

http://cprphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery/Lexington-Legends-First-Practice-of-2012-4-3-2012/G0000N3wpIW6hEtQ/

I'm actually planning on putting a lot of these out on FB and Twitter, so if any players are looking for their pics or want some taken they can let me know. They're on my photo kiosk (as I call it) now, but I'm going to put them somewhere else so players can tag themselves and/or send them to family and friends. After Chowning showed interest in having some new shots I felt kind of like a scab for not posting them, sooner. It's not a lot to ask, really; I can't bring myself to charge players making like $600 bucks a month for their own pics. Family and friends? Another story. One must make a living, after all. There are, of course, exceptions for every rule.

Like I've said in the past, I won't post whole photo albums on FB anymore, what with the whole "we own your crap" clause in their User Agreement. 

Player Interview: Evan Gattis, C, Rome Braves (Class A, South Atlantic League)

FEB 23rd, 2012-As a follow-up to my previous article on Evan Gattis, I asked him for some personal insight into the long, arduous path he traveled from his time as a troubled teen to All-Star catcher in the pro ranks. He was kind enough to oblige.

When you left baseball initially, what would you say was the greatest reason?

I felt like there was something more important I had to "figure out".

Did you feel that baseball had, more or less, become your whole life, and that it had somehow made you forget who you were as a person, apart from the game? That you had to remember who you were, in a sense?

Not so much the baseball part of it. I felt like there was something missing no matter how good I was at ball.

But I like that you (mention) "remember", because when people feel like themselves, it's an overwhelmingly familiar sense.

That's a very good answer. When you first hit the road, did you have an idea as to what you wanted to accomplish, or was it just a matter of getting away from the world you knew and learning a bit about life in general?

Well, I finished a semester of junior college when I was enrolled at Seminole State College (Oklahoma) and I was actually giving up the "spiritual search" initially, but later on I wanted to surround myself with people of common interest.

So you were driven to learn about yourself, as well as what life was really about?

Yeah, whatever the motivation the story for everyone is the same; for me it was for relief of depression. Some people lose a child, some people do outrageously courageous things and they don't know how they did it, some people go their whole life with a sense of lack and they know their death is approaching. It happens differently for everyone but it's the same dynamic. It's a search, it wasn't like a hobby. I wanted help.

I can certainly relate to that. I understand the impact that depression can have on both the life of the person suffering and the friends and family who care for that person. I've seen it both as a health care provider and as someone who's suffered from it, personally.

Right, it's hard on everyone. And who wants to be around a depressed person? And who wants to be depressed?

It's hard for a lot of people to understand, so I think they shy away from the subject. At what point did you feel like you had reached an understanding about what you were going through? Was there a moment of epiphany for you?

Many, in fact. It seemed to be a process. The endgame was in Santa Cruz. I knew I had nothing to look for, and it's funny; when you don't look you find (it). Not that you find anything, just that you don't have to look, because the search is exhausting.

Would you say your experiences on the road strengthened your desire to play baseball, or perhaps allowed you to enjoy the game more?

I appreciate it more. I can enjoy it full on, without wondering if there is something more important to be doing.

So your time away from the game was sort of a liberating experience for you, in many ways?

Yes, that was the whole point: liberation!

Now I'd like to ask you about your experiences with rehab, if you're comfortable with talking about that.

Yeah. I was 17 and terrified of failing a drug test for pot, and I didn't want to be a "mess up".

So it was an easy decision for you?

It kind of happened fast and I was depressed. Seemed like a good decision.

Certainly seems like it worked out for you. Last question: was rehab particularly tough for you, or did you get through it without much much difficulty?

It wasn't tough and kind of refreshing. It wasn't the happiest of places, but it was good to talk to people.

All Roads Lead To Rome For Star Catcher...Eventually

"My whole worth as a person was as a baseball player. If I failed at that, where would I be?"

-Evan Gattis, on explaining the pressures which lead to his 4-year hiatus from baseball.

FEB 19^th, 2012-It goes without saying that most ball players, if given the option, would like to advance their careers as quickly as possible.

They don't plan to take their time, don't want to spend too long in the low minors, and they want to get at it as soon as possible. Most players, that is.

Sometimes, however, Life has other plans. Evan Gattis can tell you a thing or two about that.

First stop: Texas A&M, at which point our pal Life decided to deal Evan a heavy blow, one which would affect the next 4+ years of his life. In situations like this, I prefer to let the player himself explain things for himself. Suffice it to say that he slipped off the rails, if only temporarily. He was just a kid, and a kid with what must have seemed like the weight of the world on his shoulders. He did what he could to cope, as we all do. The Aggies were not in his future, as it turned out.

Next stop: Seminole State College in Oklahoma. There, he suffered a knee injury and hit the wall, turning his back on baseball. That was the end of the story, as far as the game is concerned. Evan had a much more important and far more serious game ahead of him. There were moments when his anger and frustration were too much to bear. No different than most any other young man, anywhere in the world. His real problem lay with how he coped with that anger. For a short time, he ran. 

After that, he was nearly everywhere but a ball field. Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, all the while searching for answers, searching for himself, finding little in the process.

By the time he made it to San Francisco, he was living (if you can call it that) in his truck. A truck with a broken starter. The story is that he was trailing an area spiritualist looking for (you guessed it) answers. And surprisingly, that's where he found them. Well, one anyway. The one that mattered the most, for him. 

The spiritualist offered this gem: Calm down. Relax. Chill.

And go figure, that was THE answer for Evan Gattis. Take it easy. For whatever reason, it worked.

By this time, he had been away from the game for 4 years. Four. A phone call to his stepbrother Drew Kendrick, at the time playing for UT-Permian Basin, fixed that little problem. Well, it gave him a push start towards fixing things. It helped that UT-PB's coach remembered him from his high school playing days.

Kendrick knew what they were getting. The balls he hit, they had that “sound”. You know it if you hear it; the acoustic difference between a .22 and a 12-gauge. Scouts will tell you that “the sound” gets their attention, every time.

It didn't take long before the Atlanta Braves heard the sound, as well, and drafted him in the 23^rd round of the 2010 Draft. By the looks of things, he might have been a real bargain. Especially when you consider the path he traveled in order to make it to Class A Rome; all the jobs, all the driving, all the searching, looking for Evan the man, running from Evan the ball player.

Turns out, he found him in California. A lot farther from home, but much closer to his heart than baseball in the Sally League turned out to be.

Which is as it should be. 

Green Diamonds: Bryce Massanari, C, Asheville Tourists (Class A, SAL, Colorado Rockies)

Name: Jonathan Bryce Massanari

HT: 6’2”          WT:  215

Born: April 29, 1986 in Las Vegas , NV

Acquired: Colorado Rockies , 30^th round, 2009 June Amateur Draft

Bio:

This Southern Nevada CC and Georgia alumnus has shown a hot hand in this, his first season in the Sally League. It’s not exactly like he was an unknown commodity prior to this year; from the beginning of his college career, he showed a knack for clutch hitting and plus power. He set a Nevada prep record for career hits with 222, was a three-time All-State selection and hit nearly .500 for his senior year (.492), along with 8 HR and 46 RBI. He was a First Team All-Region selection as a freshman at Southern Nevada while posting a team-high .435 OBP along with a .469 SLG %. He was a medical redshirt in his sophomore year because of a foot injury, but came back in 2007 to bat .325-11-65 with an amazing 30 RBI recorded with 2 outs. Massanari was a 1^st Team All-SEC selection as a junior. His last college season added even more accolades to his already-impressive resume: his 19 homers was good for 6^th all-time on Georgia’s single season list, again showed a propensity for clutch hitting with 24 of his 57 RBI coming in 2-out situations, he was named Second Team All-SEC, and became the 8^th Georgia player to hit three homers in a game after hitting three homers in as many AB April 3^rd-4^th.

Overview:

He certainly looks the part, with a prototypical catcher’s build. Sloped shoulders, good upper body strength and a thick, sturdy base help him to drive through the ball with relative ease. He carries himself with a quiet coolness and appears every bit the confident player in all facets of the game. While he certainly doesn’t appear very athletic, this is a pretty common occurrence with catchers. After all, how many Joe Mauers or Jason Kendalls can there be?

Batting:

Massanari doesn’t get cheated at the plate, as he usually takes a big cut. He’s not quite a “grip it and rip it” type at this level, though may fall into that approach when he is faced with better pitching at the higher levels. While he has fairly quick reaction time, his swing is a little slower than you’d like to see from a young hitter with the history of success that he has. Even so, he wastes little movement in getting to the ball and tracks pitches well. When he connects, which thus far this year is often, he can put a real charge in the ball. As he makes the rounds in the Sally, there’s no doubt that he’s going to put fear in the hearts of moundsmen everywhere. Once he reaches Class AA and faces better breaking pitches I would expect him to struggle mightily for some time until he adjusts. He will probably end up being an all-or-nothing type of batter if he makes The Show. He doesn’t take much of a stride, preferring instead to use the powerful torque he generates from his hips. As I mentioned before, his solid base helps him to keep his balance very well and he squares up the barrel often. He’s got plus power and puts a lot of air under the ball, and can drive it to left and left-center, but needs to work on driving the ball the other way in order to take full advantage of his power. He certainly can create the leverage to do this on a regular basis. Massanari has a long history of performing under pressure (at least as far as prep and college are concerned), and I see no reason that this wouldn’t carry over in his pro career. He can be made to chase out of the zone, but can handle the slower curves.

Baserunning:

As I said before, he’s definitely built like a catcher. As such, his baserunning speed leaves something to be desired. Since we’re not talking about a leadoff hitter here, I’m not putting a lot of weight (ahem!) on this subject, and he will learn to make up for the lack of speed by learning to be smarter instead of faster. He takes a comfortable lead but is visibly aware of his shortcomings in the speed department and plays accordingly.

At this stage he is just a click above being a station-to-station runner, and that’s not going to get a whole lot better.

Fielding:

Massanari sets a very low target for his pitchers, sometimes even sitting in half-Indian style with one leg outstretched, ala Tony Pena. He gloves the short pitches easily and shifts left to right adequately. Of note in this regard is the two letters he earned while in high school as a TENNIS player, a game which demands strong lateral movement and quickness of foot. You don’t find too many catchers who can make this claim. He also appears to be at least average in blocking pitches in the dirt. Massanari frames pitches well, but can sometimes hold the ball a bit longer than he should, which brings out the impatience in some umpires and could lead to them squeezing his pitchers in the later innings. His pop times are sub-2.00 consistently, but his footwork coming out of the crouch could use a little work and his glove-to-hand transfer is a little slow. He seems to be relying almost purely on arm strength, and could end up above-average in controlling the running game with a little work on these issues. He appears confident in calling pitches; he gives the sign, takes the pitch, and almost immediately gives the next sign. He helps his pitcher maintain a good rhythm because of this.

Outlook:

Massanari looks the part of a late-round gem, at this point. He does have some rough edges in certain areas, but most of it can be corrected with a little coaching and some hard work. My main concern is that he’s facing players who are 3-5 years younger than him in the SAL, and his numbers show the results of this, but only to a point. The talent is certainly legit. However, as is the case with so many others, his eventual promotion to AA ball will tell the story. Still, there’s reason to believe that he will make the adjustments necessary to compete at the higher levels. Conditioning will be of primary concern as he reaches his late 20’s, and he doesn’t have any leeway in this regard. He can’t afford to lose agility or speed, because that would be the kiss of death for a player like him. I would project him to be at least a solid 2^nd catcher in the Majors, assuming he can make the changes required to play higher than A ball, but either deconditioning or the inability to adjust to the breaking ball would keep him from ever leaving the minor leagues. He’s a solid overall catcher at this stage, but he’s probably not going to win any Gold Gloves (at least, not as a catcher).

Projection:

.275, 18, 65 (as full-time ML catcher)

2012 Season:

It's do-or-die time for Massanari, as he's not getting any younger. Granted, catchers often take longer to develop, but come April he turns 26, an age when many hitters are either in The Show or bagging groceries. I still see him as becoming a viable MLB backstop, but if he can't progress through AA this year, he might want to think about a new profession. I expect he'll make the adjustment. 

Green Diamonds: Mike Kvasnicka, 3B, Lexington Legends (Class A, SAL, Houston Astros)

Kvasnicka swings away vs. Asheville Tourists, 8-23-2011;
Photo by Clinton Riddle

Michael Kvasnicka

Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 200 lb.
Born: December 7, 1988 in Lakeville, Minnesota, US (Age 22)
Drafted by: Minnesota Twins in the 31st round of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft and the Houston Astros in the 1st round (33rd) of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Overview: Originally played OF with occasional catching duties when signed out of University of Minnesota...Three-sport star (baseball, football and hockey) who competed in state championships in baseball and hockey...Minnesota State High School Player of the Year in 2007..While playing for Lakeville HS (Lakeville, MN), set all-time school records in HR, RBI and consecutive games played...Father Jay was drafted in the 8th round in 1988 by Minnesota Twins, reaching Class AAA...Mike batted .314, driving in 26 runs while playing for the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers of the Northwoods League in 2009, gaining All-Star honors...Led Tri-City (Class A-, NY-Penn League) in RBI with 36 in 2010...Batted .260, led team with 59 RBI and 32 doubles at Lexington (Class A, SAL) in 2011.

K-Man in the field; Photo by Clinton Riddle

Strengths: Kvasnicka manages to square up and make solid contact reasonably well for someone who doesn't use his lower half in his swing. His bat speed and aggressive nature at the plate allows him to let the pitch get deeper in his zone before he swings. He has mainly gap-to-gap doubles power at this point, but he still has time to allow his power to develop. In the field, Kvasnicka handles the hot corner well for someone who is relatively new to the position. His range is slightly better to his glove side, and he makes the majority of routine plays (see below). His arm strength is solid, no doubt helped along by his catching experience, and projects to be at least ML average if not plus. He makes throws to first with confidence, and cannot be underestimated even when throwing from deep behind the bag. He seems to take real joy in what he does, and is often smiling and cutting up with his partner at short between innings.

Weaknesses: While he doesn't seem to be overmatched at third, he is still a work in progress at the position. His 31 errors will attest to that. He can sometimes be caught off-guard by harder ground balls, which is likely due (again) to his having to learn the position while on the job. At bat, he can be overpowered at times by even average fastballs and is often cuffed on pitches up and in. He can battle pitchers who throw a steady diet of breaking pitches, but those at-bats end in groundouts too often. Because he doesn't use his lower body to drive into the pitch he doesn't drive the ball as well as he could, and this also translates into pop-ups on high fastballs that he otherwise could either lay off or drive the other way. He seems to rely on his bat speed and instincts more than he ought to, and will have to learn to leverage himself better if his power potential is to develop. Even so, he is likely to be little more than average (or slightly below) in that department when/if he reaches the majors.

Outlook: Because Houston is in the position it is in (ahem), Kvasnicka may find himself bumped up with regularity. He could probably handle a promotion to AA next year, but would benefit from more time at Lexington before that happens. He strikes me as the type of player whose intangibles make him a positive clubhouse presence, and he did handle advancing to Class A well, while bettering all of his major offensive stats, in the process. Kvasnicka fit in very well with the Legends, and seemed to bond especially well with SS Ben Orloff, which was beneficial to them both as they learned each others' habits and tendencies in the field quickly. Overall, he may not ever be the type of slugging third sacker we've seen in recent times, but at the very least he should at least be a versatile bench player and part-time starter at the ML level (especially when you factor in his experience behind the dish), and the needs of the big club could have him finding out for himself sooner rather than later.

2012 Season-Should start the year with Lexington, with consideration for advancement around mid-season.


Clinton Riddle
The Grand Old Game