Official Game Thread - Game LXXXI - The Royals of
Kansas City Versus The Blue Jays of Toronto

post from Royals Review on 05 July 2012 07:01:55 PM. © Royals Review

Luke Oplakia Hochevar

#44 / Pitcher / Kansas City Royals

Height: 6-5

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 15, 1983

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP2012 - Luke Hochevar5-81616110093.01025554929685.231.41

Henderson Alvarez

#37 / Pitcher / Toronto Blue Jays

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 18, 1990

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP2012 - Henderson Alvarez5-616161100102.011653471721324.151.34

This game marks the end of the first half of the season. Perhaps it is fitting that the completely unpredictable Luke Oplakia Hochevar is closing out the first half for the Royals, a squad for whom predictability is entirely absent. Bipolarity is a curse.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.royalsreview.com/2012/7/5/3139821/official-game-thread-game-lxxxi-the-
royals-of-kansas-city-versus-the

Digg this

Lee Smith Fab Five Card #2 1984 Topps

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 05 July 2012 04:20:07 PM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Lee Smith ?Fab Five? ? Card #2 – 1984 Topps Now that my Lee Smith collection is complete, it is time to show of my favorite five cards from the set. Card #2 – 1984 Topps It’s not hard to … Continue reading →

Read The Full Article:
http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/lee-smith-fab-five-card-2-1984-topps/

Digg this

Notes on Rasmussen and Dominguez

post from The Crawfish Boxes on 05 July 2012 04:01:11 PM. © The Crawfish Boxes

Hey guys, my name is Sam Evans and I write about Marlins prospects over at FishStripes.com. With the recent trade, I figured I would type out some notes on both of the Marlins prospects traded. I will have an article containing pretty much the same information up on Fish Stripes tonight at 6AM PT. I have seen both prospects before, but I didn't get a chance to see Rasmussen in 2012. If you have any questions, let me know.

Also, the formatting of this is pretty messed up, and the paragraphs are sloppily organized. However, I think there is some valuable information buried under all of it.

Rob Rasmussen:

Rob Rasmussen is a experienced left-hander who is surprisingly unpolished. With the Astros lack of MLB quality pitchers, Rob Rasmussen actually has a chance to pitch in the majors in 2012 despite never pitching in Double-A. Rasmussen, who is twenty-three (a year older than Dominguez), is an undersized left-handed pitcher who was drafted in the second round of the 2010 Amateur draft out of UCLA. MLB.com lists him as 5'9'', but I am 5'9" and he looks at least an inch taller than me.

Coming out of a Pasadena high school, in which Rasmussen was a four-year letter winner, Rasmussen was drafted in the 27th round of the 2007 draft by the Dodgers. This was mainly due to signability issues, and the fact that UCLA recruits have a reputation for sticking with their commitment. At UCLA, Rasmussen was very successful in a challenging Pac-12 division. In his Freshman and Sophomore seasons, Rasmussen was used primarily as a long reliever, but he got the occasional start. Even though he was UCLA's third-best starter as a Junior, you have to keep in mind that he was pitching behind Gerrit Cole.

When he was drafted by the Marlins 73rd overall in 2010, it was viewed as a pretty safe pick by the Marlins. His floor was and is at least a LOOGY .Rasmussen signed with the Marlins without any major negotiating battles. Due to a long college season, Rasmussen only pitched in a couple of games in 2010.
In 2011, Rasmussen threw almost 148 innings for High-A Jupiter. Used only as a starter, Rasmussen had a 3.70 ERA and a 4.10 FIP. Surprisingly, Rasmussen had a 4.31 BB/9. His command seems to come and go. He can go multiple starts without having control issues, and then he will start walking people all of a sudden. In 2012, Rasmussen's BB/9 has shrunk to 3.70, but I haven't heard reports of his control improving that much. The control and command of Rasmussen's pitches are what could hold him back from being a starter in the majors.

Heading into the 2012 season, Rasmussen joined the other Marlins in Major League spring training camp, but he was among the first cuts. I was slightly bewildered when I heard the Marlins were going to make Rasmussen repeat High-A. The main reason I can think of why they wouldn't start him at Double-A Jacksonville are the walks. This year, Rasmussen has posted very similar numbers to his 2011 season. It's not like he has had bad numbers at Jupiter, but the walks are a little concerning. Before the trade, Rasmussen earned a promotion to Jacksonville, and I believe he was scheduled to pitch on Wednesday.

Rasmussen has a weird high arm slot, which now that I think about it, probably helps make up for his height. Still, his pitches don't have as good of a downward plane as a taller pitcher. If Rasmussen can improve his control, his height shouldn't be something to worry about.

As expected from a left-handed pitcher, Rasmussen has a decent pick-off move. He is also pretty good at pitching from the stretch with runners on-base as well. That's definitely one aspect of his game that his improved since college.

Due to his not very imposing frame, It's unlikely Rasmussen will add any velocity to his fastball as he matures. His fastball sits around 91-93 MPH and doesn't have very much movement. He has better command of his fastball than his other pitches.

Other than the fastball, Rasmussen also throws a slider and a changeup, Neither project as above-average major league pitches, and the changeup might actually be a tad below average. The slider is not that bad, and any southpaw with a slider is going to give hitters some problems.

I'm a believer that Rasmussen can handle throwing two hundred innings a year. However, I don't believe that Rasmussen could throw two hundred inning unless he gains better command of his off speed pitches. I could definitely see Rasmussen as a long reliever who would make a about five starts a year. In my upcoming midseason Marlins prospect rankings, I had Rasmussen in the 9-12 range.

The Astros will either start Rasmussen at High-A or Double-A. Due to their crummy starting pitching depth, Double-A is probably the most likely outcome. If Rasmussen heads straight to Double-A, he could be up in the majors by the end of the year. It's very possible that the Astros view Rasmussen as a future starter, so in that case they wouldn't want to rush him as a reliever.As long as he stays healthy, the absolute latest I could see Rasmussen reaching the majors would be midseason next year.

If Rasmussen reaches his potential, which I think is somewhat likely, he will be a solid #4 or #5 starter. If starting doesn't work out, he could be an above-average long reliever or LOOGY. In acquiring Rasmussen, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow continued to rebuild a system that needs pitching depth and prospects with upside.
Matt Dominguez:

Matt Dominguez is far more well-known than Rasmussen, but his value has taken a tumble in recent years. When the Marlins signed Jose Reyes this offseason, they showed they had pretty much given up on Dominguez. In my mind, it was only a matter of time before Dominguez got traded. He is a typical player that scouts look at and think that he would be much better off with a new team.

Dominguez has always had outstanding defense at third base. In high school, he played third while future Royal Mike Moustakas played shortstop.The Marlins drafted him in the first round of the 2007 (12th overall) with the assumption that if he can hit for a little bit of power and continue to play amazing defense, he would become an above-average third baseman. Obviously, things haven't worked out, but I wouldn't say that Dominguez was a "bad" pick by any means. The Marlins were counting on him to hit for power and it never happened.
About Dominguez's power, it's not there. All the Astros fans that expect Dominguez to come in and hit fifteen homers a year if given playing time, are in for a bit of a disappointment. In some cases, I think people overrate his raw power, just because they want him to hit for power so bad. I mean, if you just watch Dominguez take infield, his fielding ability stands out right away. If he played 130 games a year, I seriously think he could be one of the top five best defensive third baseman in the league.

He does pretty much everything right at third base. He has soft hands, a strong, accurate arm, and great range. On defense, he kind of reminds me of the Nationals Ryan Zimmerman. However, he is still going to have to hit in order to get playing time. His hit tool has never been impressive, and in 2012, it hasn't looked any better. Not to mention, Dominguez doesn't draw many walks. Hopefully, the Houston coaching staff can help him correct his approach at the plate. Dominguez probably isn't going to hit .260, something like .245 would be a more realistic expectation. I guess the Astros just called him up, so we'll see what he can do against major-league pitching in these coming months.

Overall, the Astros did a nice job flipping their veteran slugger for two decent prospects. Both Rasmussen and Dominguez could contribute to the Astros in the near future, and their both still very young (It's hard for me to believe that Dominguez is still only twenty-two). Neither player has a very high ceiling, but both have high floors. With Jeff Luhnow running the Astros, things are finally starting to look up in Houston.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2012/7/5/3139197/notes-on-rasmussen-and-dominguez

Digg this

Robinson Cano: A Special Year

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 05 July 2012 03:15:58 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/07/robinson-cano-a-special-year/

Digg this

Is Kansas City ready for the post MITCH era

post from Royals Review on 05 July 2012 03:02:37 PM. © Royals Review

ANAHEIM, CA - JUNE 12: Mitch Maier #12 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates in the dugout after scoring his third run of the game in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on June 12, 2011 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Royals won 9-0. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

The writing was on the wall. If we're being honest, it was on the wall for the last 15 months... Mitch Maier wasn't long for Kansas City.

He closes his career with the Royals with a slash line of .248/.327/.334 in 360 games covering parts of six seasons. Maier's best season came in 2010 when he hit .263/.333/.375 with a .314 wOBA and was worth 0.4 fWAR. That was the year he was pressed into semi-regular duty while Rick Ankiel spent May and June on a turkey hunt.

Maier was a fourth outfielder. And in many ways, he was the prototype. He had limitations as a player, yet it never felt like his presence in the lineup hurt the team. He was versatile and could play every outfield position. It seemed as though he could play all three at an equal level of competence. He understood his role and never complained or trashed another player or manager, even as his playing time dwindled. It had to have been difficult to accept, but you just get the feeling that MITCH was about doing what was best for the team. If you went to a game and Maier's name was in the starting lineup, you would probably ask, "Why isn't (Insert name of regular player here) playing tonight?" And when told The Regular was getting the night off to rest or because of a nagging injury that flared up, you'd just nod your head and scan the rest of the lineup. Because when MITCH was replacing a regular, it wasn't a huge deal.

Isn't that really the nicest thing you can say about a backup ballplayer?

Looking at the roster, I wish MITCH had gotten more playing time this year. Look at Jeff Francoeur. The dude is killing this team with regularity. Hitting .253/.292/.382. A negative fWAR of -0.9. If only the Royals had someone who could spell The Frenchman, because this year he's been a terrible baseball player. Give him a few games to get his head right. Hell, he should really be out of the lineup altogether at this point. He's been that bad.

Sigh.

The Leader stays while MITCH goes. Maier never had a chance. Not when Francoeur was signed to a misguided two year deal. And not when Wil Myers started lighting up the Texas and Pacific Coast Leagues.

Sometimes baseball isn't fair.

Farewell, MITCH. I hope you catch on with a contending team and get to fill a bench role on a team that makes the postseason. If that happens, I'll root for that team in October. (As long as it's not the Yankees.)

After the jump, a look at six of the most memorable games of the MITCH era...

9/23/06 - Mitch makes his debut as a defensive replacement for left fielder David DeJesus in the fifth inning. A native of Novi, Michigan he makes his debut against his hometown Detroit Tigers. DeJesus was pulled by manager Bill Doran (!) after five innings in a game where Mark Redman (!) couldn't get out of the first inning as he staked Detroit to a 10-0 lead. Mitch went 0-2.

8/20/08 - Mitch squares around to bunt in the fifth inning of a game against Cleveland and is drilled in the face by a Zach Jackson fastball. Maier suffers multiple facial fractures and his nose was still bleeding 24 hours after the beaning. He misses just 20 games. Tough.

5/14/10 - Mitch helps the Royals win in Yosty's managerial debut with a two-run single against Mark Buehrle and the White Sox. You would think that would guarantee some loyalty...

5/28/10 - Perhaps Mitch's best all-around game for the Royals. He collected three hits - career high accomplished 10 times - with a walk, a home run and three RBI against the Boston Red Sox.

6/15/10 - Maier sets a career best by reaching base in all five plate appearances in a 15-7 rout of the Astros. Just an epic battle where Kyle Davies crashes out in the fourth inning, but the Royals rally... Scoring 10 times off Houston starter Felipe Paulino.

7/26/11 - MITCH makes his Royal debut on the mound throwing 1 inning against the Red Sox in a 13-9 loss. According to Brooks Baseball, he threw nine change-ups, one slider, four curves and two knuckleballs. Awesome. I love his velocity chart with a max speed of 80.9 mph...

Farewell, MITCH... Good luck. I hope you find a team that properly values your versatility as a fourth outfielder/emergency catcher/short reliever. Don't be a stranger.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.royalsreview.com/2012/7/5/3138232/is-kansas-city-ready-for-the-post-mi
tch-era

Digg this

Yankees roster plans between now and the All-Star
break

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 05 July 2012 02:11:36 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/07/yankees-roster-plans-between-now-and-the-al
l-star-break/

Digg this

Jonny Venters Disabled; Luis Avilan Called Up To
Atlanta

post from Talking Chop on 05 July 2012 02:01:15 PM. © Talking Chop

Luis Avilan will be available out of Atlanta's bullpen tonight

In a move that many were calling for after yet another subpar outting last night, the Atlanta Braves have moved Jonny Venters to the disabled list with what is being termed an "elbow impingement". It's uncertain yet how much time Venters will be out, but elbow injuries for any pitcher are never a good sign.

It's obvious that Venters had not been himself this year, and a quick look at his numbers reaffirms that. Venters threw 171 innings during the 2010 and 2011 season, allowing only 3 home runs across both years while giving up around 6 hits per 9 innings. In 2012 however, Venters has already allowed 6 homers in a mere 32 innings pitched, while giving up 11.4 hits per 9 innings. His groundball rate has also fallen off this year, down to 1.56 GB/FB from 2.17 (2010) and 2.71 (2011). It's obviously not a problem with his stuff, as his strikeout rate is the highest of his career at 12 K/9 so far this year. Hopefully some rest and rehab will get Jonny back on the right track, and we'll update when we have a better idea of his treatment and recovery.

Taking Venters' place in the Braves' bullpen will be Luis Avilan, a 22 year old lefty called up from AA Mississippi. Avilan, who has spent most of the year as a starter, has compiled a 3.23 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched. Over the same time, Avilan has posted a strikeout to walk ratio of 55/31. Avilan will most likely be used as a lefty specialist out of the pen, and his numbers against lefties are fairly impressive. This year against lefties, Avilan has posted a 22/6 strikeout to walk ratio against lefties, holding them to a .189 batting average against. Avilan will wear #43 and will be in the bullpen for this evening's game with the Cubs.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.talkingchop.com/2012/7/5/3139115/jonny-venters-disabled-luis-avilan-ca
lled-up-to-atlanta

Digg this

Gaby Goes Down Swinging

The Marlins announced today that Gaby Sanchez would be sent down to AAA New Orleans to clear a roster spot for Carlos Lee. While the move comes as no surprise given Gaby?s performance at the plate this year, it?s still sad to see an iconic Marlin head for the bus station. What separates Gaby [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://marlinmaniac.com/2012/07/05/gaby-goes-down-swinging/

Digg this

Whatever happened to Eduardo Nunez

[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/07/whatever-happened-to-eduardo-nunez/

Digg this

Game 82: Miami Marlins @ Milwaukee Brewers, Game
Thread and Ichthyomancy

Current Series

Brewers lead the series 2-1

Mon 07/02 WP: Francisco Rodriguez (1 - 4)
SV: John Axford
LP: Ryan Webb (3 - 2)
5 - 6 lossTue 07/03 WP: Livan Hernandez (2 - 1)
LP: Heath Bell (2 - 4)
12 - 13 lossWed 07/04 WP: Wade LeBlanc (1 - 0)
SV: Heath Bell
LP: Manny Parra (0 - 3)
7 - 6 win

Miami Marlins Fish Stripes
@ Milwaukee Brewers Brew Crew Ball

Thursday, Jul 5, 2012, 2:10 PM EDT
Miller Park

Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 95.

Complete Coverage >

After an exciting 7-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, the Marlins will enter the final game of this series looking to salvage a sweep after the first two games ended in heartbreakers. The Fish will be sending the old reliable Mark Buehrle to the mound against the rookie Mike Fiers. Perhaps more importantly, however, is that this game begins the era of Carlos Lee, as the recently-acquired first baseman will make his first start as a Marlin today.

Pitching Matchup

Proj Win%Proj ERAFIPERAMarlinsBrewersERAFIPProj ERAProj Win%.5103.874.083.48BuehrleFiers2.292.263.60.543

The Marlins will send out Buehrle, who has been hot in his last two starts. He recorded seven strikeouts in two straight starts and has all of a sudden picked up his whiffing pace; he is now approaching a 14 percent strikeout rate for the season that he has not reached since 2008. The Fish are hoping to see more of that strikeout stuff from the normally soft-tossing Buehrle, because their pitching staff has really faltered over the last three games against the Brewers offense.

Then again, the Marlins have been scoring on the Brew Crew as well. But today the team faces their biggest challenge since Zack Greinke in rookie Mike Fiers. Fiers has been really good in his first big-league season, posting a 2.29 ERA and 2.26 FIP in six starts and seven appearances thus far. He has done this primarily via the strikeout, as he has whiffed 26.1 percent of batters faced thus far this season. He had been pretty good in the minors for much of his career, posting similar numbers through most of his stops. The problem was that he was old for most of those levels and had below-average stuff, with a fastball in the high-80's for a right-hander.

Lineup

OrderPlayerProj wOBA vs. RHP1 Jose Reyes.3492Hanley Ramirez.3463Carlos Lee.3224Logan Morrison.3495Justin Ruggiano.3126Omar Infante.3137Scott Cousins.2848John Buck.293

As we mentioned, this is the Marlins debut of Carlos Lee, who was acquired yesterday for Matt Dominguez and Rob Rasmussen. You can argue whether this trade is a significant upgrade or not, but like it or not, Lee is here for the rest of the 2012 season presumably. As you can see from his projection, he is not a particularly good hitter anymore, and that has been the case for three years running now. And his move to Marlins Park (when we eventually head home) should hurt his production at home compared to getting to hit to the Crawford Boxes in left field in Houston. Nevertheless, we here at Fish Stripes hope Lee outperforms himself from the last few seasons and hits 20 home runs on his way out of Miami.

Bold Prediction: Brewers def. Marlins 4-3